Terri's (tymfos) 2014 New Jersey Native category challenge thread 2

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Terri's (tymfos) 2014 New Jersey Native category challenge thread 2

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1tymfos
Editat: des. 18, 2014, 3:25 pm

OK, here is my second thread for this 2014 challenge.


glitter-graphics.com

I struggled to decide on a theme for this year -- or whether to even have an overall theme for my categories. I considered using the titles of hit songs from 1974 (40 years ago) as my category titles. But I think I've settled on themes loosely based on a number of famous folks born in the great state of New Jersey.

I pretty much consider myself a Pennsylvanian now, but my formative years were spent in the Garden State, and my old home has shaped my sensibilities somewhat. (Its certainly affected my musical tastes, as anyone can attest whose heard how frequently I blast Springsteen and Bon Jovi songs.) So here's my tribute to my "old" home state.

Disclaimer: everything I'm planning here is subject to change.

And the categories (actual category names in bold print) are:

1. Bud Abbott (Asbury Park) & Lou Costello (Patterson), movie comedy team, who did the movie Hold That Ghost!

2. Mitch Albom (Passaic), author of the book Have a Little Faith

3. Count Basie, jazz musician, Red Bank, NJ, Music and All That Jazz

4. Jon Bon Jovi, rock musician, Perth Amboy, NJ, hit song Wanted Dead or Alive

5. Edna Buchanan, author of mysteries, Patterson, NJ, book Garden of Evil

6. Grover Cleveland, US president, Caldwell, NJ, In the White House
6. Bebe Neuwirth, who played Lillith on Frasier and Cheers (drink-and-food-related books)

7. Dylan Dreyer, NBC/MSNBC meteorologist, Manalapan, NJ, How's the Weather?

8. Philip Roth, Pulitzer prize-winning author, Newark, NJ, one of the authors in the American Author Challenge

9. Norman Schwarzkopf, military general, Trenton NJ; Admiral William Halsey, WWII Fleet Admiral, Elizabeth NJ, War

10 Christian Sharps, inventor of the Sharps Rifle (first successful breech-loading rifle) Washington, NJ, The Rifleman

11. Bruce Springsteen, musician, Long Branch, NJ, hit song The River

12. Guy Talese, author, Ocean City, NJ, who wrote the book (about the Mafia family, but my category is family in general) Honor Thy Father

13. Mike Trout, Major League All-Star baseball player, Millville, NJ, Play Ball!

14. Martin Truex, Jr., NASCAR driver, Mayetta, NJ, Fast Cars

(And probably a list of miscellaneous books I've read that don't fit.)

I set my goal for each category fairly low -- low enough so I'm not "shoehorning' books into categories where they really don't fit, and so that I'm not hating the limits the challenge is putting on my reading at the end of the year. So I'm staying with the 4's, and aiming for at least four books per category -- some categories will have extras! (Some will have a lot of extras!)

ETA to add But I've decided to settle for a minimum of THREE per category. Most categories have more.

2tymfos
Editat: oct. 29, 2014, 4:21 pm

Category 1.
Bud Abbott (Asbury Park) & Lou Costello (Patterson), movie comedy team, who did the movie Hold That Ghost!

Link to the official movie trailer of "Hold That Ghost" posted on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F82xYOsBd6k

1. The Watcher in the Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
2. Not Flesh Nor Feathers by Cheri Priest
3. No Doors, No Windows by Joe Schreiber
4. Come Closer by Sara Gran (10-3-14)
5. Scare Stories: Strange and Spooky Tales from Somerset County, Pennsylvania and Beyond
6. The Cure of Souls by Phil Rickman (10-27-14)

in progress

3tymfos
Editat: jul. 20, 2014, 11:53 pm

Category 2

Mitch Albom (Passaic), author of the book Have a Little Faith
1. Where's Your Jesus Now? by Karen Spears Zacharias (4/15/14)
2. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott (5/14/14)
3. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald MIller (5/21/14)
4. The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill (6-18-14)
5. A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy by Ann Cleeves (6-20-14)
6. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet (7-20-14)

4tymfos
Editat: ag. 16, 2014, 11:44 am

Category 3
Count Basie, jazz musician, Red Bank, NJ, Music and All That Jazz

1. Dead Wood by Dani Amore (5/3/14)
2. Last Car to Elysian Fields by James Lee Burke (7-17-14)
3. Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks (8-16-14)

in progress

5tymfos
Editat: ag. 14, 2014, 11:26 am

Category 4
Jon Bon Jovi, rock musician, Perth Amboy, NJ, hit song Wanted Dead or Alive
I consider this a great classic rock song; the title could work with crime fiction, and the there's the song's use as a theme for the show Deadliest Catch

1. 58 Degrees North: The Mysterious Sinking of the Arctic Rose by Hugo Kugiya
2. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
3. A Necessary End by Peter Robinson
4. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (5/10/14)
5. Darkside by Belinda Bauer (8/10/14)
6. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey

6tymfos
Editat: ag. 10, 2014, 9:57 pm

Category 5
Edna Buchanan, author of mysteries, Patterson, NJ, book Garden of Evil
I've never read anything by this author, but isn't that a dandy title?

1. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
2. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
3. Firewall by Henning Mankell
4. The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill
5. Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason
6. The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams e-book
7. The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman (8-7-14)

7tymfos
Editat: des. 18, 2014, 3:20 pm

Category 6
Grover Cleveland, US president, Caldwell, NJ, In The White House
I really want to read about some of the presidents that I don't know much about, as well as the more familiar inhabitants of the White House.

Bebe Neuwirth, actress who played Lillith on Frasier and Cheers, Princeton, NJ, Cheers!
A category for books related to food and drink.

1. Eggsecutive Orders (White House Chef series) by Julie Hyz
2. The Chardonnay Charade (Wine Country Mystery) by Ellen Crosby (8-28-14) AUDIO
3. On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries) by Cleo Coyle (10-3-14)
4. Buffalo West Wing (White House Chef series) by Julie Hyzy (12-18-14)

8tymfos
Editat: jul. 12, 2014, 3:34 pm

Category 7
Dylan Dreyer, NBC/MSNBC meteorologist, Manalapan, NJ, How's the Weather?
New Jersey doesn't seem to produce many well-known weather forecasters. Thanks to Linda (lindapanzo) for finding that this Weekend Today weather anchor is from NJ.

1. North of Nowhere by Steve Hamilton (finished 1/30/14)
2. Blood is the Sky by Steve Hamilton (finished 2/10/14)
3. Ice Run by Steve Hamilton (e book)
4. A Stolen Season by Steve Hamilton (e-book) (finished 3/25/14)
5. Sun Storm by Asa Larsson (e-book)
6. Misery Bay by Steve Hamilton (e book) (finished 6/17-14
7. So Terrible a Storm by Curt Brown (finished 6/19/14)

9tymfos
Editat: nov. 21, 2014, 5:12 pm

Category 8
Philip Roth, Pulitzer prize-winning author, Newark, NJ, one of the authors in the American Author Challenge
Mark from the 75 Challenge has me interested in doing this American Author Challenge, with a different author for each month.
Some months, I've substituted American authors I considered particularly worthwhile for the challenge.

1. January: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (finished 1/11/14)
2. February: The Round House by Louise Erdrich (finished 2/11/14)
3. March: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (finished 3/14)
4. April: Jazz by Toni Morrison (finished 4/18/14)
5. May: Eudora Welty replaced by Dashiell Hammett a) The Maltese Falcon (5/18/14) and b) The Dain Curse (5/26/14)
6. August The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth (8-19-14)
7. November John Updike replaced by Stewart O'Nan A Prayer for the Dying (11/21/14)

10tymfos
Editat: set. 23, 2014, 6:34 pm

Category 9
Norman Schwarzkopf, military general, Trenton NJ; Admiral William Halsey, WWII Fleet Admiral, Elizabeth NJ, War

1. Southern Lady, Yankee Spy by Elizabeth R. Varon (finished 1/26/14)
2. Faith Under Fire: An Army Chaplain's Memoir by Roger Benimoff with Eve Conant
3. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (3/9/14)
4. Foolish Undertaking by Mark de Castrique (5-5-14)
5. The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell (9-23-14)

11tymfos
Editat: des. 15, 2014, 9:18 pm

Category 10
Christian Sharps, inventor of the Sharps Rifle (first successful breech-loading rifle) Washington, NJ, The Rifleman
I'm calling it "Rifleman" as a nod to the old TV series I dimly remember from my youth; but there may be Rifle Women in the mix. We shall see. This category sounds like it might work for some western novels.

1. Blood Land by R. S. Guthrie (1/2/14)
2. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
3. A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson (5/20/14)
4. Any Other Name by Craig Johnson (5/29/14)
5. Summer People by Aaron Stander (5-23-14)
6. Savage Run by C.J. Box (12-14-14)

12tymfos
Editat: nov. 1, 2014, 4:38 pm

Category 11
Bruce Springsteen, AKA "The Boss" -- musician, Long Branch, NJ, famous song and album titled The River
I couldn't do a New Jersey Natives challenge without The Boss; and I have several river-related books I want to get to this year.

1. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves (6-6-14)
2. Q Road by Bonnie Jo Campbell (6-8-14)
3. Bone by Bone by Carol O'Connel (6-30-14)
4. Dead Angler by Victoria Houston (7-8-14)
6. Anarchy & Old Dogs by Colin Cotterril (7-27-14)
7. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (9-8-14)
8. Hell Gate by Linda Fairstein (11-1-14)

13tymfos
Editat: ag. 12, 2014, 11:03 pm

Category 12
Guy Talese, author, Ocean City, NJ, wrote the mob book Honor Thy Father
The book is about the a Mafia family, but I've decided to twist it into a category for family in general, including genealogy.

1. A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson (1/3/14)
2. Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism (4/8/14)
3. Fallen by Kathleen George (5/12/14)
4. Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein (6/13/14)
5. Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye (6/26/14)
6. The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb (7-25-14)
7. Fun House by Chris Grabenstein (8-5-14)
8. Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein (8-12-14)

14tymfos
Editat: nov. 25, 2014, 12:44 am

Category 13
Mike Trout, Major League Baseball All-Star, Millville, NJ, Play Ball!
There are lots of sports figures who hail from NJ. I wanted a current athlete born and raised in NJ, and I wanted to stay with baseball as the sport of my title New Jerseyan, though the category will include other sports. (Derek Jeter would count as born in NJ, but his family moved out of state when he was quite young).

Some other New Jersey born athletes (and a coach)from various sports: Shaquille O'Neal (Newark), Franco Harris (Fort Dix), Joe Flacco (Audubon), Joe Theismann (New Brunswick; raised in South River), Bill Parcells (Englewood)

1. I Was Right on Time by Buck O'Neil
2. No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews
3. This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash
4. The Crowd Sounds Happy by Nicholas Dawidoff

15tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 8:54 pm

Category 14
Martin Truex, Jr., NASCAR driver, Mayetta, NJ, Fast Cars
I suspect there are other car-related folks from the Garden State, but Martin is a favorite of mine.

1. Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing by Jeff Hammond
2. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
3. Circle of Hope: An Inspiring NASCAR journey by Deann Alford (e-book, 12/21/14)

16tymfos
Editat: des. 18, 2014, 3:23 pm

Miscellaneous stuff I've read that doesn't really fit well into categories:

1. The Pyramid by Henning Mankell
2. Embracing the Wide Sky by Daniel Tammet (5/2/14)
3. Happy Cat, Happy You by Arden Moore
4. Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King AUDIO (6/17/14)
5. Blood on the Moon by James Ellroy
6. Castle Cay by Lee Hanson (7-14)
7. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (8-14-14)
8. Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr (8-20-14)
9. Triple Witch by Sarah Graves (8-26-14)
10.Dr. Mutter's Marvels by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz (8-28-14)
11. An Unquiet Mind by Jay Redfield Jamison (9-2-14) (I have no idea why touchstone isn't working. It shows up fine before I save, and then it's not there.)

ETA to add: Along the line, I stopped adding books here that didn't fit the other categories. I'm just putting them on my 75 Challenge thread, and the ROOT challenge thread, as applicable.

17tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 8:54 pm

PROGRESS REPORT:

I eventually decided to settle on a minimum of three books in each category as my goal:

Category 1. Bud Abbott (Asbury Park) & Lou Costello (Patterson), movie comedy team, who did the movie Hold That Ghost! 6
Category 2. Mitch Albom (Passaic), author of Have a Little Faith 6
Category 3. Count Basie, jazz musician, Redbank, NJ, Music and All That Jazz 3
Category 4. Jon Bon Jovi, rock musician, Perth Amboy, NJ, hit song Wanted Dead or Alive 6
Category 5. Edna Buchanan, author of mysteries, Patterson, NJ, book Garden of Evil 7
Category 6. Bebe Neuwirth, actress, Princeton, NJ, played Lillith in Cheers: 4
Category 7. Dylan Dreyer, NBC/MSNBC/Today Show meteorologist/weather anchor, Manalapan, NJ, How's The Weather? 7
Category 8. Philip Roth, Pulitzer prize-winning author, Newark, NJ, one of the authors in the American Author Challenge 6 1/2
Category 9. Norman Schwarzkopf, military general, Trenton NJ; Admiral William Halsey, WWII Fleet Admiral, Elizabeth NJ, War 5
Category 10 Christian Sharps, inventor of the Sharps Rifle (first successful breech-loading rifle) Washington, NJ, The Rifleman 6
Category 11. Bruce Springsteen, "The Boss," musician, Long Branch, NJ, hit song The River 8
Category 12. Guy Talese, author, Ocean City, NJ, wrote the book Honor Thy Father 8
Category 13. Mike Trout, baseball All-Star, Millville, NJ, Play Ball! 4
Category 14. Martin Truex, Jr., NASCAR driver, Mayetta, NJ, Fast Cars 3

18tymfos
Editat: jul. 12, 2014, 3:40 pm

THE POSTING FORMAT:

This is my template for ease of posting the books I read:

Title:
Author:

Genre or subject information:
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Series?:
Date finished:
ROOT? (owned before 2014)
Category for 2014 Category Challenge:
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating:
Notes:

19tymfos
Editat: jul. 12, 2014, 4:40 pm


Title: Dead Angler (read part e-book and part paperback)
Author: Victoria Houston
Genre or subject information: cozy mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2000
Series?: Loon Lake Fishing Mysteries
Date finished: 7/8/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes (the paperback version)
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: The River
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): a river was where murder took place
Alternate category any mystery category
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

This was a nice little cozy. I needed something a bit on the light side to counter-balance with my noir read of Ellroy's Blood on the Moon. The book had a nice feel for small-town life. (But did they really still have party lines in the Wisconsin woods in 2000?) The cast was fun and easy to like (except for the folks you weren't supposed to like) and the sense of place was strong. I even learned a little about fishing.

20thornton37814
jul. 12, 2014, 6:10 pm

>19 tymfos: That reminds me that I have some more installments in that series on my Kindle. I need to read some. I have my iPad with me for the next week, but not the Kindle. I've got plenty of stuff to read though.

21rabbitprincess
jul. 12, 2014, 7:58 pm

Happy new thread! Great idea to keep a template at the top of your thread for your reviews!

22-Eva-
jul. 12, 2014, 8:39 pm

Happy new thread!

23lkernagh
jul. 12, 2014, 11:01 pm

Happy New Thread!

24tymfos
jul. 12, 2014, 11:04 pm

>20 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! Funny how we almost always find a way to have plenty of stuff to read!

>21 rabbitprincess: I find it really helpful, rabbitprincess.

>22 -Eva-: Thanks, Eva!

>23 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori!

25Crazymamie
jul. 13, 2014, 11:03 am

Happy new thread, Terri! I still need to catch up with your old one, but I thought that I would hop on this one first and say hi. Hi!

26DeltaQueen50
jul. 13, 2014, 3:08 pm

All caught up on your old thread and ready to settle into your new one, Terri.

27tymfos
jul. 13, 2014, 6:48 pm

Hi, Mamie and Judy!

28mamzel
jul. 14, 2014, 1:23 pm

Nice new thread! May the second half of the year grant you great new reads!

29tymfos
jul. 14, 2014, 7:53 pm

>28 mamzel: Thanks! Happy reading to you also!

30tymfos
Editat: jul. 14, 2014, 11:14 pm


Title: Blood on the Moon AUDIO combined with hard copy
Author: James Ellroy
Genre or subject information: Noir
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1984
Series?: Lloyd Hopkins #1
Date finished: 7/14/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) part of a 3-novel omnibus volume that's a ROOT -- one down, two to go.
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: still thinking -- for now, Misc., though it could go in Garden of Evil
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Notes: Fits MysteryCAT

It starts out disjointed, seemingly random tales of violence, and then slowly the reader sees the connections. A killer with a past. A cop with a past. A chain of murders undetected, unbelievable. Women dead, flowers sent to . . . someone. Lloyd Hopkins is on the case -- only his superiors refuse to acknowledge that there's a case, beyond one homicide he's been charged to solve. Hopkins is a cop, but he's of the "loose cannon" mode -- in this case, he could argue that he was forced into that way of operating due to the shortsightedness of those in charge.

I can't say I really enjoyed this book -- being genuine noir, it was gross, gritty, violent and the protagonist wasn't very likable. However, it did draw me in and make me want to know how it turned out.


Title: No Doors, No Windows e-book
Author:
Joe Schreiber
Genre or subject information: horror
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2009
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 7/14/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) no
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Hold That Ghost!
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category Honor Thy Father
My Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Notes: fits AlphaKIT and RandomCAT

Scott Mast returns home for the funeral of his father (who committed suicide) and finds a partially-completed novel manuscript set in a bizarre house, "Round House," built without angles -- everything is rounded. He finds the house (which actually exists in the woods nearby) and moves in seeking to complete his father's book. But there is more odd about this house than its lack of angles, and Scott's father isn't the first suicide in the Mast family. Scott's brother Owen is an alcoholic . . . and Scott is off his own much-needed medication . . . What is happening? What is real? What is the horrible secret of the Mast family?

I was surprised by this book. I got it on sale for Kindle for 99 cents, and didn't expect a lot, but it was a pretty engaging horror story. It was relatively slow and atmospheric until near the end, when things started to get frantic. I thought the author got in a really tacky plug for another book he'd written, but otherwise it was pretty good. I usually read my e-books at specific times -- when I'm out of the house and grab reading time via my phone, or at night in bed when I don't want to turn on a light and disturb my husband's sleep. But I read this pretty much whenever I got a chance.

31tymfos
jul. 17, 2014, 11:29 pm

I had written this whole review and was ready to post it when LT went down (briefly?) this morning. Fortunately, I had opened another window to grab the book cover illustration, thus discovered the outage before I hit "submit" and thus avoided having the whole thing disappear on me. I copied it to a Word document to paste into a post later.


Title: Last Car to Elysian Fields
Author:
James Lee Burke
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Series?: Dave Robicheaux #13
Date finished: 7-17-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) No, library
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Music and All That Jazz
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): At the beginning and center of the tale lies the disappearance of a blues musician
Alternate category any mystery/crime category
My Rating: 3.8 stars
Notes:

The whole mess seems to start when Dave begins looking into the disappearance of Junior Crudup, a talented blues musician who went into Angola prison and appears to have never come out -- officially, at least. Was he one of those allegedly buried in the levee by the white "gumball" guards who placed no value on the lives of their African-American prisoners, brutally abusing them (sometimes fatally) as they went about their horrific state-sanctioned slave labor on the work gangs in the hot sun? Or was something else going on?

Or did it start even before that, with the beating of a New Orleans priest? Then under-age girls die in a horrible car crash, after being served at one of the local drive-by "daiquiri windows." Before the story is over, there are more bodies, more violence, more questions. The manager of the daiquiri window is killed; there's a hit man wandering the area; there are whispers of drugs and pornography.

I think maybe I read this one before, long ago. Or maybe it was just the familiarity of the themes which Burke so often blends in these books -- class strife, racial tensions, the privileged Old South gentry, the exploited underclasses, prison brutality, the seamy side of life, occasional glimmers of faith amid the battle between good and evil; the battle within Dave himself, as the dark side of his own nature often short-circuits his efforts to be the good man he wants to be.

Somehow, Burke always manages to blend this mix into a compelling read, and this book was no exception. His descriptive powers are, as always, marvelous, and the reader sees, hears, smells, touches, and even tastes Dave's environment in southern Louisiana.

32rabbitprincess
jul. 18, 2014, 5:52 pm

Whew, good thing you were able to salvage your review!

33tymfos
Editat: jul. 20, 2014, 11:45 pm

Yes, rabbitprincess! Not a big deal, but it would have been annoying if I'd lost it.

Another book:


Title: Wicked Autumn AUDIO
Author:
G. M. Malliet
Genre or subject information: cozy mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: Max Tudor #1
Date finished: 7/20/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) no, library download
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Have a Little Faith
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): Protagonist is Church of England vicar
Alternate category
My Rating: 3 Stars
Notes:

A pushy church lady is murdered in the middle of Fall Festival in the village of Nether Monkslip. Well, they think it's murder -- though it's not clear to me how they come to that conclusion so quickly (though one key piece of evidence will eventually emerge to definitely confirm it). There is a village full of people that the victim had antagonized, though was any of it serious enough to inspire murder?

I liked the character of Max Tudor -- former MI5 agent turned Church of England vicar in a small village. I like the grasp of personalities and politics in a church and in a small town. A few things were specifically English that I had to take on faith were accurate, but some things are pretty much universal, I think.

I wasn't that impressed with the mystery, and I was semi-dumbfounded by the solution. And I thought the backstory was worked in rather awkwardly at times -- it didn't flow. But I liked the characters and the setting enough to give the series another try.

The audio version, to which I listened, was a bit strange. There were odd pauses in places where they made no sense -- in the middle of a dialogue. Yet it would go straight from current story to memory/backstory with barely a pause for breath. I found this rather disconcerting.

34mamzel
jul. 21, 2014, 11:46 am

I find your comments about the narration interesting. It's almost like the narrator wasn't paying any attention to the text, just reading word to word. Too bad!

35tymfos
jul. 21, 2014, 7:57 pm

I'm not sure if it was a narrator thing or more of a production thing. The narrator was plenty expressive, not like he wasn't paying attention to the context.

36tymfos
Editat: jul. 25, 2014, 8:07 pm


Title: Castle Cay (e-book)
Author:
Lee Hanson
Genre or subject information: mystery fiction
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Series?: Julie O'Hara #1
Date finished: 7-25-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) I thought it was, but now I see a publication date for the Kindle edition of 1/2014, so probably not
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: still deciding
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.24 stars
Notes:

An artist lies dead in his Key West home -- an apparent suicide, but then questions arise. Marc had been suffering from AIDS but had shown no signs of depression to his friends. His illness was being well-controlled medically. He appeared to have loving support from his partner David. His career was going well. His friend Julie O'Hara, a body-language analyst, cannot believe the man killed himself, and starts asking questions.

When public suspicion falls upon David, Julie takes up his defense, along with friend Joe, a private eye, and a high-powered attorney Joe knows. Soon Joe draws on the expertise of a friend with the FBI. The police may suspect David because he was at home when the death occurred, but there are others who might have wanted Marc dead. Did Marc's homophobic half-brother play a role in the death? Was it a coincidence that Marc died just as a multi-million-dollar real estate transaction was going down on property he owned?

I can't find the record of when I bought Castle Cay, but I know I paid little or nothing for it. (Current Kindle price is $0.) I was drawn to it by the Key West and Boston-area settings of the novel. I see the ratings are all over the place for this book, and I'm kind of all over the place trying to decide how to rate it. There were times when it felt a little stilted, a little choppy, a little awkward. After reading it, I still don't feel like I know Julie O'Hara very well. Some aspects felt a little wooden to me (especially some scenes with the FBI) and I didn't like how the "reveal" was dealt with. There was at least one scene of remembering/explaining by one character that was rather too long. But, overall, it was a decent read, and the last paragraph packed a little surprise that I rather liked, in a macabre way. This book was certainly a much kinder portrayal of the gay community than Ellroy's Blood on the Moon which I read earlier this month. (Different era, different coast, but still . . .) Marc was a crime victim to be mourned by the reader, a man who was kindhearted, talented and successful; David was a bit more of a puzzle, but seemed quite a sympathetic character through most of the book. This appears to have been the author's first novel, and overall it was a decent effort. I might try the next one in the series.

37thornton37814
jul. 25, 2014, 11:16 pm

>36 tymfos: That one has been on my Kindle for awhile too. I haven't read it. It's one I downloaded for location as well. I'll give it a try sometime.

38tymfos
Editat: jul. 28, 2014, 12:49 am

>37 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! I'm not sure it will be your cup of tea, but give it a try sometime since you have it.


Title: The Fate of Mercy Alban AUDIO
Author:
Wendy Webb
Genre or subject information: modern gothic?
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: no, not yet, anyway
Date finished: 7-25-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) NO
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Honor Thy Father
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): Family/family history central to story
Alternate category Hold That Ghost!
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

Still figuring out what to say about this one. No time now. I really enjoyed this one for the most part, but there was one issue in particular that bugged me.

ETA to add

Sole heiress returns to creepy family mansion for the first time in years, after death of her mother. Family had always tended to be secretive, and there is plenty of hidden family dirt to unearth. Strange things are happening.

I could have done without the romantic bit, and I wish there had been a bit more atmosphere -- given the nature of the story and the legends, it wouldn't have been hard to ratchet up the mood of suspense. But I rather enjoyed the mystery.

39lkernagh
jul. 26, 2014, 9:35 pm

>38 tymfos: - I am looking forward to learning about the issue that bugged you!

40tymfos
Editat: jul. 27, 2014, 1:21 pm

>39 lkernagh: I'm not sure how to address it without a bit of a spoiler!

41lkernagh
jul. 27, 2014, 2:56 pm

PM me, then! I soooo want to know.

42tymfos
jul. 28, 2014, 12:25 am

>41 lkernagh: PM sent, Lori!


Title: Anarchy & Old Dogs
Author:
Colin Cotterill
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Series?: Dr. Siri #4
Date finished: 7-27-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: The River
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): The Mekhong river is very central to plot
Alternate category
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

A blind dentist is hit by a truck, and a strange message is found among his personal effects. Dr. Siri is on the case, one which may have major political ramifications.

I enjoyed this outing with the good doctor and his friends.

43cammykitty
jul. 28, 2014, 3:00 am

Sounds like "neo-gothic" needs to be a new sub-genre category. I'm reading Marina now, which is certainly a neo-gothic. It is set in buildings that are quite gothic, but in a city that is modern. The buildings have survived in a pocket of old wealth and decay.

44lkernagh
jul. 28, 2014, 11:03 am

>38 tymfos: - I agree, they could have made that story more atmospheric.

45thornton37814
jul. 28, 2014, 2:32 pm

>38 tymfos: I always loved the old "romantic suspense" genre. I'm interpreting that one to be be similar to the books I loved by Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and others, and taking the book bullet. I've also added some of her other books to my wish list. Actually I discovered one was already there, and my local library has it, so it will likely be the first one I check out.

46Murec
jul. 28, 2014, 4:59 pm

S'ha suprimit aquest usuari en ser considerat brossa.

47tymfos
Editat: jul. 28, 2014, 8:29 pm

Oh, I hate it when my thread gets spammed!

Our cat Sig had his birthday party today:

48tymfos
Editat: jul. 28, 2014, 8:37 pm

>45 thornton37814: Lori T, I can't help but wonder if the issue that bothered me in the story won't bother you, too.
Also be aware, there's a paranormal element involved, too. I'm not sure if you are into that?

49lkernagh
jul. 28, 2014, 9:09 pm

Happy Birthday Sig! He looks like he cannot wait to pounce on his birthday "cake"!

50thornton37814
jul. 28, 2014, 10:42 pm

>47 tymfos: Happy Birthday to Sig!

>48 tymfos: It may. If it is just a "family ghost," it doesn't bother me as much as some other things. I think I'm going to start with the one that is available at our library and go from there. If I hate that one, I probably will delete the others from my TBR list.

51-Eva-
jul. 29, 2014, 12:29 am

>47 tymfos:
"Why is there fire on my noms?" :)

Happy birthday, Sig!

52christina_reads
jul. 29, 2014, 10:20 am

>47 tymfos: Such a handsome cat!

53rabbitprincess
jul. 29, 2014, 6:11 pm

Happy birthday to Sig! :)

54tymfos
jul. 29, 2014, 10:52 pm

>49 lkernagh: Thanks!

>50 thornton37814: Lori, I just sent out a PM with a hint of a very mild spoiler of a subplot to clarify my reservation a bit.. I hope you don't mind.

>51 -Eva-: Thanks! Eva, he dove under the table right after that photo and didn't emerge until we got rid of the candle!

>52 christina_reads: Thanks, Christina! I think he's lovely.

>53 rabbitprincess: Thanks, Rabbitprincess.

55mamzel
jul. 30, 2014, 9:29 pm

Maybe he dove under the table because all of his wishes have been realized!

56tymfos
ag. 1, 2014, 1:25 pm

Quick post from work. Internet issues at home. Again. Grrr . . .

>55 mamzel: I think he didn't like the lighted candle!

57tymfos
Editat: ag. 5, 2014, 9:02 am


Title: Fun House
Author:
Chris Grabenstein
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: John Ceepak #7
Date finished: 8-5-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) no, library download
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Honor Thy Father
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): mob connections
Alternate category
My Rating:
Notes:

Another fun entry in the Ceepak series, full of Jersey Shore atmosphere. "Fun House" is the name of an attraction on the Sea Haven boardwalk; it's also the name of a reality TV series filming in town. But it's a not-so-fun house when people wind up dead. Ceepak and Boyle are on the case! A tad implausible in the end, but an enjoyable read. In some inter-agency cooperation, Sea Haven gets a visit from Special Agent Christopher Miller, from Grabenstein's Christopher Miller Holiday Thriller series.

58cammykitty
ag. 6, 2014, 9:59 pm

Love Sig's bday photo! I've got the first of the Ceepak series on my WL. Still sounds intriguing. I can't believe there are 7 of them already!

59DeltaQueen50
ag. 7, 2014, 12:10 pm

Belated Birthday wishes to Sig who has grown into such a beautiful boy.

I really liked the first in the Ceepak series, Tilt-a-Whirl and need to get back to the fun at the Jersey Shore!

60tymfos
ag. 8, 2014, 1:20 pm

>58 cammykitty: Thanks, Katie! Actually there are 8, and I'm reading the last one, Free Fall, now.

>59 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy!

61tymfos
Editat: ag. 10, 2014, 9:58 pm


Title: The Lake of Dead Languages
Author:
Carol Goodman
Genre or subject information: literary mystery/neo-Gothic
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 8-7-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Garden of Evil
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

Newly-separated Jane Hudson returns, as a Latin teacher, to the girls' boarding school she attended as a teen. Her time there wasn't all pleasant -- her two roommates drowned during her senior year, presumed to be suicides and superstitiously attributed by some to a curse upon the lake. Now there are signs that the past may be repeating itself.

OK, this was an odd one. It had a sort of Gothic atmosphere, set at an old boarding school on a lake with many spooky old legends. It had some mystery and suspense. It was also something of a coming-of-age story. I found it a bit tedious at times, and I frankly thought some of the customs of the girls at the school were positively bizarre. Well, I guess they were supposed to be, but it put me off a bit. I thought the final pages of the ending made it all turn out a little too pat and tidy for the mess that preceded it.

My edition came with a readers' / book discussion guide at the back.

62thornton37814
ag. 8, 2014, 10:09 pm

>61 tymfos: I seem to remember one of the Gothics in the 1970s being set in a boarding school with strange customs. I think it was Lois Duncan's Down a Dark Hall. I have no idea why I remember that title. It was definitely for a YA audience. It sounds like that novel may have been inspired by Duncan's.

63tymfos
ag. 8, 2014, 11:50 pm

>62 thornton37814: This one wasn't YA. But there may be something to the comparison, Lori.

64tymfos
Editat: ag. 10, 2014, 9:56 pm


Title: Darkside
Author:
Belinda Bauer
Genre or subject information: police procedural / psychological suspense thriller
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?:
Date finished: 8/10/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes!
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Wanted Dead or Alive
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

A disabled woman is murdered in her bed. The local constable, Jonas Holly, is quickly pushed aside by an obnoxious senior detective. Then Jonas stars finding notes addressed to him -- from the killer?

Oh, what to say about this one? It kept me reading steadily, and toward the end it kept me reading compulsively. The ending was not at all what I would have expected as I was reading the early part of the book. This one left me with a lot to think about -- quite unsettling, actually.

65tymfos
ag. 12, 2014, 11:13 pm


Title: Free Fall e-book
Author:
Chris Grabenstein
Genre or subject information: mystery / quirky police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: John Ceepak #8
Date finished: 8-12-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes (virtual)
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Honor Thy Father
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): Ceepak's father is back again; other family issues, too
Alternate category
My Rating: 4.3 stars
Notes:

The latest Ceepak mystery is possibly the best so far. Arnold Rosen, an elderly retired dentist, dies -- or is it murder? If so, whodunit? There is strife in the victim's family, and turmoil as John Ceepak's father shows up again to complicate life. There's also a nurse, a friend of Danny's, who has had a few patients die on her watch.

I really liked this one. And the ending, well, it was probably more realistic than a lot of mysteries, acknowledging the dilemmas and split-second decisions police officers face in tense situations. (I think that says enough without a real spoiler.)

66tymfos
Editat: ag. 14, 2014, 11:21 am


Title: The Man in the Queue
Author:
Josephine Tey
Genre or subject information: police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1929
Series?: Inspector Alan Grant
Date finished: 8-14-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes!
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Wanted Dead or Alive
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): much of book is about tracking down known suspect
Alternate category
My Rating: 3 stars
Notes:

A man is stabbed in the queue for the final night of a popular London theater production. Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard is on the case. Before he can figure out who did it, he must identify the victim, whose pockets contain no identification and a loaded gun. The case eventually takes Grant from London to the highlands of Scotland.

I was enjoying this book quite nicely until it got to the very end, which was quite implausible and came out of left field. The writing was good enough that I won't give up on the series. I've been told that this is, by far, not Tey's best book. Given the promise that much of the book showed, I look forward to reading some of Tey's more mature work.

67christina_reads
ag. 14, 2014, 12:10 pm

>66 tymfos: Yeah, I wasn't a fan of The Man in the Queue at all. Loved Brat Farrar though! So for me, her books are definitely hit-or-miss.

68DeltaQueen50
ag. 14, 2014, 1:18 pm

>67 christina_reads: I agree with you and Christina, The Man in the Queue is probably her weakest. Her Alan Grant series does get stronger as it goes along and The Franchise Affair is excellent.

69tymfos
Editat: ag. 14, 2014, 11:09 pm

>67 christina_reads: >68 DeltaQueen50: Christina and Judy, I got the same sort of comment from folks in my other challenge thread. I'll read more of Tey.

It's been a good week for reading. Not only did I finish the (rather short) Tey mystery, I also finished my audio book while weeding the garden this evening. And I'm very close to finishing the non-fiction book that I've been nibbling at for several weeks -- if not tonight, I'll probably finish it tomorrow.


Title: When Will There Be Good News? AUDIO
Author:
Kate Atkinson
Genre or subject information: odd mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Series?: Jackson Brodie #3
Date finished: 8-14-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) No, library download
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Miscellaneous, not really fitting anywhere
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: not sure, probably a safe 3 1/2 stars. It had very good points and some annoying points.
Notes:

Atkinson's books are always so odd and offbeat. Seemingly disconnected and disparate threads appear, then slowly weave together into a coherent story. I tend to think there's a little too much coincidence in them, but maybe that's just me.

This one involves (among other things) a train wreck, an orphan, a woman whose family was massacred when she was a child, a murderer just released from prison, and Jackson Brodie all tangled up in a fine mess. I found parts of it a bit tedious, parts LOL funny, and parts quite poignant. There are plenty of surprises, right up to the end.

70tymfos
Editat: ag. 16, 2014, 11:42 am


Title: Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
Author:
Oliver Sacks
Genre or subject information: non-fiction, about music and the brain
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 8/16/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Music and all that jazz
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

I learned a lot about music and the brain in this book by neurologist Oliver Sacks. There were fascinating stories of people and their experiences with music. Some were distinctly odd -- the man who was struck by lightning and suddenly became obsessed with music. Some were promising, as in the stories of Alzheimers patients who respond to music and people stricken with aphasia who learn to talk again via music therapy when nothing else works.

There were times when the medical explanations got a wee bit technical for me and made it slower going, but even then the stories of the people were there to draw me along.

71tymfos
Editat: ag. 25, 2014, 10:23 pm

Hello, folks. We were away for a few days for a family vacation in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The weather wasn't very cooperative, but we still had a nice time. And I got some reading done!


Title: The Ghost Writer
Author:
Philip Roth
Genre or subject information: literary fiction
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1979
Series?: Zuckerman Bound #1
Date finished: 8-19-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: American Author Challenge
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: no comment
Notes:

I’m sure this was well done, but it wasn't my cup of tea. It was divided into parts. The first part I found a bit tedious; the second started to draw my interest. Then the third part was weird and confusing. The final section made clearer what the third part had really been about, but the whole thing was odd. Too clever, and odd.


Title: Track of the Cat e-book
Author:
Nevada Barr
Genre or subject information: mystery featuring National Park Ranger
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1993
Series?: Anna Pigeon #1
Date finished: 8-20 -14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) No, library download
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Misc.
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

A ranger is found dead in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, supposedly from a cougar kill. Was a big cat really responsible? Park ranger Anna Pigeon has her suspicions, especially as further “accidents” occur on park land. As a park ranger, Anna actually has law enforcement powers but, in this first installment in the series, is so new to dealing with major crime that she came across almost like an amateur investigator. I enjoyed this, and look forward to continuing this series.

Since we were visiting a National Park this week (in our case, Shennandoah) it was especially fun learning a bit about the National Park Service while following ranger Anna's adventure.


Title: Summer People e-book
Author:
Aaron Stander
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Series?: Ray Elkins #1 (according to Amazon & LT; FictFact has a different order for series)
Date finished: 8-23-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) No
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Rifleman
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): starts with a gunman
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

Too many people are dying in Sheriff Ray Elkins’ county in Michigan. The deaths among the “summer people” – all in the same age group, all male, and some of whom clearly knew each other – draw his suspicions, even though only one is obviously a murder.

This is a book where the reader knows more than the protagonist. It’s also not a book where things are neatly tied up in a bow at the end. It does provide a bit of food for thought. I liked the character of the sheriff. I found some of the supporting characters shallow and stereotyped, and some hints at political commentary but it wasn't too blatant (or at least it fit the characters who had opinions).

This was a Kindle freebie. There were some typo/grammar errors (“then” for “than,” for instance) but for the most party it was decently edited. There were some parts that felt awkward for reasons I can’t quite define.

72tymfos
ag. 26, 2014, 8:06 am


Title: Triple Witch
Author: Sarah Graves
Genre or subject information: cozy set in Maine
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1999
Series?: Home Repair is Homicide (or Mainely Murder) #2
Date finished: 8-26-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) Yes!
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: misc.
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.8 stars
Notes:

First, be advised that there is NO witchcraft in Triple Witch, just as there were no deceased felines in the preceding volume in the series, Dead Cat Bounce. Both titles are actually financial terms. Triple Witch is defined on the back cover as "The expiration of three different kinds of stock options, all on the same day." And in the story, it's the name of a fancy boat.

Jacobia Tiptree was a Wall Street hotshot who got sick of that life and moved to an antique house in Eastport, Maine, which she is perpetually fixing up. Somehow, she manages to get involved in local crime fighting along the way. I like that she doesn't do too many Really Stupid Things in the process, though she does a few. She actually gets along well with the local law enforcement officer. The characters -- even minor ones -- are deftly portrayed, and the setting shines brilliantly through. (The author actually resides -- or resided at time of publication anyway -- in Eastport.)

In this installment, the town "bad boy" is found murdered, and he's only the first in the body count. It's a crime wave the likes of which Eastport has never seen before, and Jacobia is determined to help get to the bottom of it all.

When I read the first book in the series, I wasn't all that impressed, and wasn't sure I'd continue. But this book inexpensively fell into my possession a while back, and I'm glad I finally got to it. I really enjoyed this one. Oh, sure, it's not "great literature," but it was a fun, well-written cozy that had me smiling and occasionally laughing out loud with its wry humor.

73tymfos
ag. 27, 2014, 6:28 pm

I see people talking about next year already, and voting on CATs. After reading the CATvote thread, I think I probably just won't do CATs next year. The discussion has gotten too heated, and MysteryCAT didn't even make it to the final vote. That's the main one I did this year.

I'm seriously thinking of not doing the category challenge at all in 2015. My categories always wind up ridiculously skewed, with tons of books for some categories, and few for others, and some books really shoehorned in to fit the categories. I'm spending too much time on LT and have to cut back somewhere. And I really prefer to just read what I want when I want to.

74dudes22
ag. 27, 2014, 7:02 pm

You could always name your categories Jan, Feb, Mar....and call it "a year of reading". I've been thinking of something loose myself and have various ideas I'm juggling. Even though the last couple of years I've had two categories - one for women authors and one for men, I still have books I can't fit in. It's really probably that there's just so MUCH! I want to read. And then there are those pesky BBs.

75tymfos
Editat: ag. 27, 2014, 7:15 pm

Betty, I think I'm feeling a bit of LT burnout. Plus I'm supposed to be setting an example for my son. His autism "treatment plan" is supposed to include limiting his computer/smartphone time to an amount that I'd find barely sufficient to tend to all the things we do nowadays via technology, let alone keeping up with LT at the level I have in the past.

He has two internet-based classes this year in school, and I refuse to even count the time he spends on them in his tech time allotment. That's work that he has to do, just like I have to use the computer at work.

76-Eva-
ag. 27, 2014, 8:12 pm

We'd be sorry to see you go, obviously, but you're always welcome back for a late 2015 or for the 2016 or any time after that when the burnout is over. As long as you have fun reading, things are good.

77DeltaQueen50
ag. 27, 2014, 8:16 pm

Terri, we'd miss you here, but could we still find you over at the 75ers?

78tymfos
Editat: ag. 27, 2014, 8:39 pm

>76 -Eva-: thanks Eva!

>77 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I think I'm a 75er for life!

79cammykitty
ag. 27, 2014, 11:13 pm

I think it's easier to keep up with the category challenge people than the 75ers though if you have to pick just one group. I totally understand the setting an example bit, especially for a boy with autism. He won't think it's fair if you get lots of screen time and he gets very little. Well, he probably won't think it's fair to limit it at all! I've worked with lots of kids with autism, and yes, screen time is often a problem. But the internet can be a blessing for them too. I've noticed a lot of people with Aspergers feel more comfortable "talking" to people on-line than in the real world. It's an important social outlet for them.

P.S. I liked your comments on musicophilia. I've had that book on my shelves for a few years. I'm excited about it but never get to seem around to reading it.

80dudes22
ag. 28, 2014, 7:46 am

AAH - at least I'll be able to find you somewhere. I don't do 75ers because I'm not sure I could keep up with that and this. At least you'll still be around.

81tymfos
Editat: ag. 28, 2014, 10:24 am

>80 dudes22: Betty, I'd never keep up with all the 75ers. I just have a small group of folks that I try to follow and exchange messages with, and my participation ebbs and flows based on RL demands. Mostly I maintain my thread and try to visit the threads of folks who visit it. Which is pretty much what I've been trying to do here. Where it gets confusing is that so many folks are on both groups, or are on one of these plus the ROOT challenge. I think if I do this group next year, I'll pick one group or the other to follow the folks who are on several challenges. In fact, I may do that starting this fall, un-starring some threads where I've been following one person on two or three different groups. It will save reading a lot of duplicate information, though I'm sure I'll miss some news.

The 75 Challenge was my first group, and a number of the folks I got to know early on are only on that group, at least of the groups in which I participate. So it would be hard to totally give that one up. For that matter, I may find I'm missing some folks here if I don't join next year. I get confused sometimes remembering who is on what group(s).

I think if I do the category challenge next year, I'll limit my goals and only post those books here which strictly fit those goals, rather than trying to get all my reading posted over here, either in categories or in "miscellaneous." That will save me some time. Also, I'll probably stop or lessen my efforts to do CATs.

Right now, I don't have a clue what kind of categories I might want to do next year, except I'll want room for mysteries and history.

82tymfos
Editat: ag. 28, 2014, 10:28 am

Uh, oh. I just had an idea for a theme . . . "Magical Mystery Tour," featuring Beatles songs as my category titles. Has anyone done that yet? Probably . . .

Or one with Springsteen songs as category titles? Can't think of a catchy title for that theme yet. . .

Or songs by the Monkees? "tymfos Monkees around with books"???? There's a blast from the past, and I bet nobody has done that theme! I'd have a category for my railroad books, "Last Train to Clarksville."

Sigh. There's no escaping this . . .

83christina_reads
ag. 28, 2014, 10:34 am

>82 tymfos: I've considered doing a Beatles theme in the past, but I never actually did it. Would love to see it from you though! (Not to pressure you or anything, haha.) OR Springsteen or the Monkees, of course!

84dudes22
ag. 28, 2014, 2:56 pm

This one and the Roots are the only 2 I do. And there are threads by the same people on both. I need one place to have all my reading and I've kind of decided this is it. I was thinking of giving up Roots next year and just keeping track of them on this thread, but we'll see.

85DeltaQueen50
ag. 28, 2014, 3:19 pm

I gave up the Roots this year as I was having difficulty staying up with three groups (Category Challenge, 75 Group & Roots). I still set my own goals for reading off my shelf but I keep track of it here. It's very hard trying to stay up with two groups and I am in the same position, Terri, if I gave up one group or the other there would be people that I missed. But since the Category Challenge was my first group and suits my reading, I think I would stay with this one no matter what.

86lkernagh
ag. 28, 2014, 11:44 pm

What a dilemma for you, Terri! If you do join us next year... great! If not.... the group will be here if and when you want to venture back. LT burnout is something that turns me into a rapid scanner of threads with few if any stops to leave comments. Very happy to see that you will maintain an LT presence and will not completely disappear. I wonder if a thread in next year's group can be set up where previous category challenge folk can leave a link to where they can be found on LT if they decide to step back from doing another category challenge? There is no reason people cannot visit threads in other groups and that way this whole trying to keep up with multiple groups can become more bearable and manageable in RL for some folks without losing with their LT friends. Just a thought....

87tymfos
ag. 29, 2014, 12:37 am

Thanks for all your thoughts, Christina, Betty, Judy, and Lori, Katie and Eva. I sincerely doubt I'll disappear from LT, just not sure how many places on LT to be.

I do think that I'm going to ditch my Grover Cleveland White House category. Sadly, about all that's going into it are the White House Chef mysteries, and if I replace it with a food-and-drink-related category, they can go in that. I may switch it to Bebe Neuwirth who played Lillith on Cheers and Frasier. Cheers seems like a good food-and-drink category.

One of my goals is less computer time and more BOOK time. I actually finished two books today that I've been working on -- one audio, and one ER book. The audio is a wine country mystery, which would go in that new category.

88tymfos
Editat: ag. 29, 2014, 12:53 am

I just want to get the basic facts posted on these.


Title: Dr. Mutter's Marvels
Author:
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Genre or subject information: biography of pioneering surgeon
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 8/28/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014 or ER book) YES (ER book)
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Misc.
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Notes:

I need to write a real review of this one, but right now I just have time to say that this was a fascinating book.


Title: The Chardonnay Charade
Author:
Ellen Crosby
Genre or subject information: cozy mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Series?: Wine Country Mysteries, #2
Date finished: 8-28-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) no, library download
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Cheers!
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

I decided to listen to this because we were in part of Virginia's wine country on vacation. (We were on the other side of the Blue Ridge from where this book takes place.)

This was a decent mystery.

89tymfos
Editat: set. 3, 2014, 4:04 pm


Title: An Unquiet Mind
Author:
Kay Redfield Jamison
Genre or subject information: memoir of a Professor of Psychiatry who has manic/depression (she prefers that term to "bipolar")
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1995
Series?: na/
Date finished: 9/2/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) YES
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Misc.
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious):
Alternate category
My Rating: 4.8 stars
Notes:

Wow, what a powerful book! I haven't been doing very well with reading non-fiction this year, but I sailed through this one. Jamison recounts her struggle with full-fledged manic depression (she feels that term is more accurate than "bipolar"). After milder bouts in her youth, it hit full-force to the point of psychosis as she was beginning her career as an assistant professor of psychiatry at UCLA. Largely as a result of her illness, she has made moods her field of expert study. She boldly wrote this memoir at a time when people in her kind of position almost universally kept such disorders very hush-hush, for fear of losing medical practicing privileges, so this was a ground-breaking memoir.

She honestly recounts her struggle in accepting the need for medication (and her lack of compliance early in her illness, along with its disastrous results). She also tells the tragic tales of several patients who never reconciled to their need for lithium, with eventually fatal results. Compliance with medication is one of the areas on which she has especially focused in her research and practice. She believes both medication AND psychotherapy are absolutely essential to deal with the disorder and its effects on the lives of those who have it.

Honestly, reading what she's accomplished, I get tired thinking about the amount of work she's managed to do. I have a little hard time understanding how she pulled it all off while battling such a severe case of manic depression, which actually sparked a suicide attempt. But apparently she did, as she's considered an authority and still teaches and practices medicine, now at Johns Hopkins -- a pretty respectable place to work. She's obviously a very intelligent and motivated woman, and I'm very glad she was willing to pen her perspective into a riveting book.

90tymfos
Editat: set. 8, 2014, 9:57 pm


Title: The Long Way Home
Author:
Louise Penny
Genre or subject information: mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014
Series?: Inspector Gamache
Date finished: 9/8/14
ROOT? (owned before 2014) No, library book
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: The River
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): Much of this takes place on/along the St. Lawrence River
Alternate category
My Rating: 4.8 stars
Notes:

Wow. This was some book. Objectively speaking, one has to note that Penny has the oddest killers, ways of killing, motives for killing. But this one really worked on an emotional level. And that was a big theme in the book, getting beyond the objective and coldly rational way of looking/doing/being and in touch with one's heart.

Clara Morrow expected her estranged husband Peter to arrive on the anniversary of his departure to decide what would become of their marriage. When he doesn't show, she eventually draws retired Inspector Gamache (who now lives in Three Pines village) into her concern. The hunt for Peter is about art and heart and madness, and takes the reader on a wild ride along the St. Lawrence River.

I love that we see a bit more of Ruth Zardo, different aspects of her personality.

91dudes22
set. 9, 2014, 7:21 am

I read, "Wow. This was some book" and skipped right over the rest of the review since I'm still behind in this series. Maybe I'll have to have a marathon catch-up on some of my series, this one included.

92LittleTaiko
set. 10, 2014, 9:09 pm

>90 tymfos: This one didn't work for me the way it did for you. I did love the parts with Ruth though. She's really becoming a more well rounded character.

93tymfos
set. 11, 2014, 10:24 pm

>91 dudes22: Betty, I didn't like the previous one very much, but I did like this one a lot.

>92 LittleTaiko: Hmm, I'm wondering why it didn't work for you. But at least we agree about Ruth. She's becoming one of my favorite characters in the series.

94tymfos
Editat: set. 11, 2014, 10:29 pm

OK, it happened again. I just posted a message on my other thread that disappeared, and now it's happened here. I may just give up. . .

ETA to add This is weird. The messages seem to be here and then gone and then here again. I am really confused.

95tymfos
set. 11, 2014, 10:26 pm

What I posted (and lost) was:

>91 dudes22: Betty, I didn't like the previous one much, but I enjoyed this one.

>92 LittleTaiko: Sorry it didn't work for you, but glad we at least agree about Ruth -- she's becoming a favorite character of mine.

96tymfos
Editat: set. 11, 2014, 10:34 pm

For some reason, messages seem to be there and then not, and then there. Very strange. And the part I've tried to post about the book I'm reading still isn't showing up at all.

Anyway, I'm reading the book City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11 by Anthony DePalma for my annual 9/11 reading remembrance. For some reason, I cannot get the cover to post.

97-Eva-
set. 12, 2014, 10:59 pm

"messages seem to be there and then not, and then there"
Yeah, that happens sometimes - I just close out for a few minutes and then things seem to sort themselves out. :)

98cammykitty
set. 12, 2014, 11:19 pm

I know I say this every time, but I still need to read Louise Penny.

99tymfos
set. 12, 2014, 11:21 pm

>97 -Eva-: I guess I'm not patient enough with things!

>98 cammykitty: Yes, Katie, you do! :) Seriously, you'd probably like her,

100tymfos
Editat: set. 12, 2014, 11:40 pm

I just officially "joined" the 2015 Category Challenge, but I haven't put up a thread yet. I really think I'll do something with a Beatles song title theme.

101-Eva-
set. 12, 2014, 11:45 pm

>99 tymfos:
Patience is overrated! :)

>100 tymfos:
Yey!

102rabbitprincess
set. 12, 2014, 11:45 pm

>100 tymfos: Yay! That sounds like a great idea! :)

103tymfos
set. 13, 2014, 10:46 am

>101 -Eva-: >102 rabbitprincess: I'm going to keep it easy and simple this year. I'm going with the traditional method of letting the year determine how many categories, but I'm only going to do three or four books in each category. 15x3=45, 15x4=60, so that will only be about half of what I'm likely to read during the year. I won't be trying to fit everything I read into this challenge, and I'm only going to post books to this thread to fill the categories, not everything I read.

The 75 Challenge will be where all my books land. That will cut back some of the time I spend posting books. I may post a list here of all the books I read, with the category challenge books in bold, just so folks who don't follow the 75 challenge can see what I've read if they want to. It'll be a visual aid to me, too, as to the balance of what is category challenge reading and what isn't.

104tymfos
Editat: set. 13, 2014, 10:56 am

Anyway, this is sort of what I'm proposing to do next year, though I'm not ready to put up a thread yet:

BEATLES MAGICAL MYSTERY BOOK TOUR

Category name for books/book titles involving --

1 And Your Bird Can Sing: pets
2 Drive My Car: cars
3 Fixing a Hole: home repair
4 Good Day, Sunshine: weather
5 Hard Day's Night: day and/or night
6 Help!: disasters
7 The Long and Winding Road: travel
8 Magical Mystery Tour: magic or mystery
9 Maxwell's Silver Hammer: murder
10 Norwegian Wood: Scandi-crime
11 Things We Said Today: Current Events
12 When I'm Sixty-Four: Old age
13 Yellow Submarine: the navy
14 Yesterday: history
15 Your Mother Should Know: family

I'm just not sure if these are too general or easy to fill as I don't see them stretching me any -- but, then, this year's categories haven't had a lot of impact on my type of reading.

105rabbitprincess
set. 13, 2014, 11:56 am

Looks like a good lineup to me! A nice assortment of subjects. And now I have "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" stuck in my head ;)

106-Eva-
set. 13, 2014, 5:15 pm

Great lineup - especially like your "Norwegian Wood"-category, of course. :)

107tymfos
Editat: set. 15, 2014, 7:29 am

>105 rabbitprincess: And now I have "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" stuck in my head ;)
I hope you don't mean literally, like his vicitm! ;)

>106 -Eva-: especially like your "Norwegian Wood"-category, of course. :)
That was sort of the category idea that made me decide to go with the Beatles theme!

I finished a book:


Title: This Dark Road to Mercy
Author:
Wiley Cash
Genre or subject information: literary suspense?
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2014
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 9-14-14
ROOT? (owned before 2014 or ER) no, newly purchased
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Play Ball!
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): baseball plays an important role in the story, though it's not a "baseball book" per se.
Alternate category
My Rating: 3.75 stars
Notes:

After the death of their mother, Easter and Ruby are living in a home for at-risk youth when their long-absent father, an ex-minor-league baseball player, shows up. Wade had surrendered parental rights, but now that the girls' mother is dead, he is having second thoughts. When a foolish act places both his own life and his daughters' lives in danger, he decides to take drastic action.

Like Cash's previous novel, A Land More Kind Than Home, the story is told from three alternating viewpoints. This time the POV characters are Easter; the court-appointed guardian Brady Weller, an ex-cop with a sad history of his own; and the evil Pruitt, who is the threat to Wade and his daughters' safety. The entire story is set against the background of Mark McGwire's and Sammy Sosa's 1998 race to break the single-season home-run record.

I didn't like this as much as A Land More Kind Than Home, but it was pretty good. It took me a while to get into it; however, in the end, I was drawn along and needed to see how it all turned out.

108tymfos
Editat: set. 23, 2014, 6:37 pm

Be advised, I'm no longer adding books to this thread in the Miscellaneous category. I'm only adding the ones that fit regular categories.


Title: The Troubled Man AUDIO
Author:
Henning Mankell
Genre or subject information: Scandi-crime, military espionage, and issues of mortality
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2009
Series?: Kurt Wallander (numbering depends on whether one includes the first Linda Wallander mystery in this series)
Date finished: 9-23-14
Off the Shelf? No, library Download
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: "War"
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): the role of the Cold War, the military issues involved in the story's background
My Rating: 3.9 Stars
Notes:

Inspector Kurt Wallander returns for one more investigation.

The mystery at the center of this book is not one he is investigating in his official police capacity. He's doing much of his investigation while on vacation. The father of his daughter Linda's partner has disappeared. The man was a retired naval officer, who spent much of his career in submarine duty. There are rumors of spies, and matters of Swedish political/military history may be involved.

Wallander, now a grandfather and finally living in a house in the countryside, is becoming increasingly aware of his own mortality and concerned about his failing health -- both physical and mental -- but is still too weak-willed to behave in a healthful manner. In many ways, the mystery takes a back seat to Wallander's reflections on his life and mortality. An old flame and an ex-wife both show up (at different times and for different reasons) at Kurt's door.

I found the conclusion of the mystery most unsatisfying (the many loose ends were acknowledged in the Epilogue) and the conclusion of the more personal aspects of the story (also in the Epilogue) quite heartbreaking.

My personal take -- don't read it for the mystery, read it if you've come to like Wallander in earlier installments and want to know the rest of his story.

109cammykitty
set. 29, 2014, 7:41 pm

You're categories work well with the songs. What kind of stretching were you looking for?

110LittleTaiko
set. 30, 2014, 5:57 pm

I would say you're a very well-rounded reader if that variety of categories isn't much of a stretch for you. Pets, the navy, and disaster books aren't necessarily on my radar for next year. :)

111tymfos
set. 30, 2014, 8:36 pm

>109 cammykitty: You'd be amazed at how I can shoehorn books into the most oddly named categories. I should probably have categories that MAKE me read types of books that normally aren't on my radar. But, then, I want to enjoy what I read, too.

>110 LittleTaiko: Disaster and military books really are not that uncommon for me. Pets are more a new interest, since I adopted a cat (though I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain, which featured a dog as narrator).

112cammykitty
oct. 2, 2014, 12:30 am

Ha! I can't remember who, but someone was using the LT Unsuggester at least once a year to choose a book. Now that's looking to be stretched, but I wouldn't do it. The books the Unsuggester lists for me are books I knew to avoid even without help.

113tymfos
oct. 2, 2014, 4:42 pm

Sometimes I find books on the unsuggester that I've read before LT and didn't think to put in my catalog listing. They weren't all bad, though they tended to be things I had to read for school. There are a few books on my unsuggester list that I don't know why they are there and I'm tempted to read them to see what I think of them.

114tymfos
Editat: oct. 3, 2014, 8:26 pm


Title: On What Grounds read via AUDIO plus my own paperback copy
Author:
Cleo Coyle
Genre or subject information: cozy mystery
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Series?: Coffeehouse Mystery #1
Date finished: 10-3-14
ROOT (Off the Shelf? owned pre-2014 or ER) Yes, for the paperback book
Category for 2014 Category Challenge: Cheers!
How does it fit the category? (if not obvious): Food (coffee)
My Rating: 2.9
Why am I reading this now?: my favorite coffeehouse may be closing soon
Notes:

The mystery: Claire, returning as coffeehouse manager after ten years away, finds the assistant manager near-dead from a fall down the stairs. It appears she slipped in coffee grounds that were spilled from the trash can, but there was no reason for the trash can to be where it was. Was it an accident or was she pushed? (The reader pretty much knows due to the prologue.) And if she was pushed, who did it?

This had all the weaknesses of a first-in-series cozy book. A lot of time was spent establishing the back story, too much of it via information dump at what felt like inappropriate times. And while I'd expect a coffeehouse mystery to include some information about coffee, this also came off too much like a series of lectures, rather than feeling a natural part of the story. I wanted a mystery with some coffee -- for much of the book, I felt like I had a main course of coffee with a small side order of mystery. Also, I had a hard time tolerating the coffee snobbishness of the main character. Of course she'd be opinionated about her coffee, but she didn't have to be so grating about it. And there were a few of the usual "main character does stupid things" moments that usually crop up in cozies.

That said, toward the end the story started to move a bit and I got more drawn in. I think the series might have some potential, and I have another installment on my shelf, so I may try that one eventually and see if things improve

115tymfos
oct. 3, 2014, 11:57 pm


Title: Come Closer
Author:
Sara Gran
Genre or subject information: Horror and/or psychological thriller. Demonic possession? Insanity?
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Series?: n/a
Date finished:10-3-14
Off the Shelf? Yes
Why I read it now: Halloween month, reading horror novels. I'm in a reading funk, and this one was short.
My Rating: 2.6 stars
Notes:

Ick. Well, I guess maybe this was well done. I really didn't care for it, but it was short so I didn't waste much time with it and now it's off my TBR shelf.

The story is narrated by the main character -- a woman who tells how she slowly became demon possessed. Or is she really just describing a descent into insanity which she thinks is demonic? Whichever interpretation the reader chooses, there are some aspects of the story that don't quite seem to fit, IMO. And if she's really been taken over, how can she tell this story, anyway?

I think I've learned by now that I don't like horror rooted in ancient Jewish mysticism, the Kabbalah.

116lkernagh
oct. 4, 2014, 12:36 pm

Horror is a genre that doesn't usually work for me so I understand why Come Closer came across as it did for you. I tend to lean towards more subtle gothic stories when I am in the mood for something that might shock or scare me.

117cammykitty
oct. 16, 2014, 10:56 pm

And if she's really been taken over, how can she tell this story, anyway? LOL!!! If you really want to read horror this month, try some short stories. Horror works better in the short form, IMHO. Try J S Le Fanu and Algernon Blackwood for some of the true gothics.

118tymfos
oct. 17, 2014, 8:50 am

>116 lkernagh: I like a variety of horror (though never the slash-and-gore type), but approaching the end of the book, there's a scene that seems totally out-of-character for the protagonist which came sort of out of left field and which I found really offensive.

>117 cammykitty: I've read and enjoyed a book of LeFanu's stories, and I've read some Blackwood. Our library discussion group is doing Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts this month, so I thought one book of short horror stories was enough.

119tymfos
Editat: oct. 25, 2014, 10:56 pm


Title: Scare Stories: Strange and spooky tales from Somerset County, Pennsylvania and Beyond
Author:
Beth Hutchinson
Genre or subject information: "true" ghost stories
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 10-25-14
Off the Shelf? yes
Category: "Hold That Ghost"
My Rating: 2 stars
Notes:

This is one of the many self-published regional ghost story books that seem to be available for almost any region. It is one of the more amateurish ones that I've read. The font on the introduction was almost microscopic, the numerous grammar errors annoyed me, and I didn't find most of the stories particularly creepy. Many of them were vague as to location (some intentionally so) and even regarding the events themselves. The more personal accounts rambled quite a bit. The final section contained memorial tributes to deceased loved ones.

The writer is part of a paranormal investigation group. Since such work is generally done in confidence, she relied on family stories and those told to her by various people she's encountered who know she's interested in ghosts.

My favorite was "Hitchhiker of North Center Avenue." Ghostly hitchhiker legend are common, but this story had a different twist.

120mamzel
oct. 27, 2014, 1:02 pm

I seriously doubt I will ever come across this book but you have me intrigued with the twist. Could you maybe post it in spoiler mode? Please?

121tymfos
Editat: oct. 29, 2014, 4:24 pm

>120 mamzel: OK. I've not got any experience with spoiler mode, so I'm putting a big

SPOILER ALERT in case I mess this up.

It's really not so much a hitchhiker as an unexpected "passenger" suddenly viewed in the rear view mirror late one night - and the driver later finds a photo in the (presumably pre-owned) car's owner's manual that looks like the man he saw in the mirror. It kind of creeped me out a little to ponder that one, especially since I've driven the exact stretch of road at night where this took place.


Title: The Cure of Souls
Author:
Phil Rickman
Genre or subject information: Church of England priest dealing with the paranormal
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Series?: Merrily Watkins #4
Date finished: 10-27-14
Off the Shelf? Yes!
Category: Hold That Ghost
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

I generally like this series about The Reverend Merrily Watkins, of the Hereford Diocese's Deliverance Ministry. Deliverance ministry apparently is the modern-day Church of England terminology for a priest designated to help folks who fear that they are experiencing the paranormal -- possession, haunting, etc. She's a marvelous character, struggling with single parenthood of a teenage girl while trying to sort out what of her church charge's problems are the result of the supernatural, mental illness, or common human evil -- and what to do about them when she's not sure. It's a job that comes with a lot of public relations and (ecclesiastical) political fallout if she makes a mistake. This time around, she's even got to deal with the police when the "cleansing" (blessing) of a reputedly haunted home goes terribly wrong. There's also a girl whose parents claim that she's possessed, and some strange goings-on in a hop yard. Yes, apparently they grow hops in rural parts of Herefordshire, and I learned a bit about the plant that gives beer its flavor.

In these books, Merrily often find herself dealing with folks who have what might be termed "alternate" spiritual beliefs from the common C of E dogma. This time, she's working with a Romany gypsy.

I found some aspects of the story a bit icky, but overall it was a good entry in the series.

122mamzel
oct. 29, 2014, 6:11 pm

You did it and you're right. That would be very creepy!

123tymfos
Editat: nov. 1, 2014, 4:40 pm

>122 mamzel: It was!


Title: Hell Gate (AUDIO)
Author:
Linda Fairstein
Genre or subject information: mystery, police procedural
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2010
Series?: Alexandra Cooper #12
Date finished: 11-1-14
Off the Shelf? no, audio download (plus a little read from a library book)
Category: The River
Why? The title refers to a treacherous section of river near Gracie Mansion.
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

Assistant DA Alex Cooper is back, dealing with mayhem from all sides as an icy shipwreck in NY harbor spills its cargo of illegal immigrants, some of them dying in the accident. But one of the bodies shows signs of having met foul play before drowning. Meanwhile, the DUI arrest of an area Congressman helps to reveal the existence of a mistress and illegitimate child. Has the woman met with abuse from her lover? And it's clear that the women on the wrecked boat were victims of human trafficing, bound for lives trapped in prostitution.

I had a difficult time following all the political intrigue in this one. It was hard for me to tell one sleazy politico from another for much of the book. As always, Fairstein introduced the history of some famous NYC landmarks -- this time, it was Gracie Mansion (the Mayor's official residence) and two other Federal-era mansions, plus the Highbridge -- the oldest bridge connecting Manhattan to the mainland, and part of the old aqueduct system that once supplied NYC with its water supply from Upstate.

The title refers to a treacherous section of river near Gracie Mansion.

This wasn't the best entry in the series, but I liked it better than the previous one.

124tymfos
Editat: nov. 22, 2014, 9:32 pm

75 Challenge Book #96
Title: A Prayer for the Dying
Author:
Stewart O'Nan
Genre or subject information: literary fiction about a town facing an epidemic and a fire
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1999
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 11/21/14
Off the Shelf? Yes
Category: American Author Challenge (substitution from my shelf for John Updike, since I don't own any of his)
My Rating: 4.4 stars
Notes:

Wow. This one packed a punch. I'm keeping this one, as it's worth a re-read someday.

This book is a rarity -- a book written in second person, present tense, that actually works. In fact, it flowed so naturally, I was halfway through the first chapter before I noticed, and even after that it didn't distract me. It was appropriate, as it eventually wasn't evident whether anyone would survive to tell the story past-tense.

Jacob is the constable of Friendship, Wisconsin, shortly after the Civil War. He is also the local undertaker, as well as the town preacher. All these callings will come into play, for better or for worse, after a dead soldier and a severely ill woman from a religious commune are found. Doc's verdict is that they are victims of diphtheria. Soon, the disease is spreading. To make matters worse, a forest fire is raging nearby -- and headed their way.

We experience Jacob's life as the town and his mind gradually descend into chaos. It is a disturbing, and sometimes confusing, picture. Jacob and Doc make a number of questionable decisions early on that lead to even more tragic decisions later.

At 195 pages (at least, for my trade paperback edition) this is not a long book, but it is intense and not for the faint-hearted. It is an amazing journey into a hellish situation.

125LittleTaiko
nov. 22, 2014, 7:31 pm

Sounds fascinating - on the Wishlist it goes!

126tymfos
Editat: des. 15, 2014, 9:18 pm

>125 LittleTaiko: It was!


Title: The Crowd Sounds Happy: a story of love, madness, and baseball
Author:
Nicholas Dawidoff
Genre or subject information: memoir
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2008
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 11-25-14
Off the Shelf? Yes
Category: Play Ball!
My Rating: 3 stars
Notes:

The author of this memoir was the son of divorced parents. He lived with his hard-working mother in New Haven. He dreaded visits to his mentally-ill father in New York. He worried that he'd inherit his father's instability. His love of baseball got him through some rough times.

I'm not sure why I bought this; nor am I sure why I read this (except that I'd bought it and I needed another book for the "Play Ball" category of my category challenge). It was well constructed and well written. But I found myself questioning why I should care about this fellow's youth. At times the book held my interest, while at other times it felt like a chore to read

127tymfos
des. 15, 2014, 9:18 pm

75 Challenge Book #104
Title: Savage Run
Author:
C. J. Box
Genre or subject information: mystery about game warden in Wyoming
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Series?: yes, Joe Pickett #2
Date finished: 12/14/14
Off the Shelf? Yes!
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

Animal lovers beware, this story begins with an exploding cow, and that unfortunate bovine was not the only critter casualty in this book set in the wilds of Wyoming. Joe Pickett is a game warden, and finds himself dealing with an explosion involving a famous environmentalist/saboteur. There are other sudden deaths of people in the environmental movement. What is going on? And what does Joe's wife have to do with it? There is evil afoot. This story had plenty of suspense, especially near the end.

128dudes22
des. 16, 2014, 6:46 am

>126 tymfos: - I've read a few of these "memoir" style books over the past couple of years and have also had the same reaction you have for some of them. Sometimes I didn't realize it was a memoir until after I had started it. I like to think they'll be a little more intersting than the biography/autobiography, but that's not always true.

129tymfos
Editat: des. 16, 2014, 8:50 am

>128 dudes22: Betty, this book apparently grew out of a magazine article he wrote that was very well received. The article was apparently about his father's mental illness and its effect upon his childhood. It was probably a fascinating article, but stretching it into a book didn't work very well for me.

130dudes22
des. 16, 2014, 2:23 pm

See - that's the same thing with a couple of books I've read recently. Magazine articles stretched to books that just didn't work. Mysterymax and I both read Shadows in the Vineyard (which wasn't a memoir) and thought the same thing.

131tymfos
des. 18, 2014, 3:20 pm


Title: Buffalo West Wing
Author:
Julie Hyzy
Genre or subject information: cozy set in The White House
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Series?: #4, White House Chef series
Date finished: 12-18-14
Off the Shelf? Yes
Category: Cheers
Why?: Food-related, set in White House Kitchen (would have fit former White House category, too!)
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

I found parts of this book very aggravating, but it kept me wanting to know what came next, and the ending had a lot of suspense. Mystery chicken wings appear in the White House Kitchen as a new (fictional) President and his family take up residence. Protocol says food of unknown origin is never consumed by the First Family (duh!) but the new First Lady doesn't seem to understand the logic of this, no matter how many times the Chef and the Secret Service try to explain it to her. (duh?) Misunderstandings ensue that threaten Olivia's job as Executive Chef, in the midst of a terrorist plot aganst the new administration. A three-star beginning and a four-star ending average out to 3.5 stars, IMO.

132tymfos
des. 18, 2014, 3:27 pm

>130 dudes22: Betty, I saw your review of that. It sounded like an interesting subject, too, but I can imagine it not stretching well into a whole book.

133tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:02 pm

>130 dudes22: Betty, here's another example where someone who usually writes for mazazines wrote a book. In this case, there was enough material for a book, but I think her style of writing doesn't fit the project.


Title: Circle of Hope: An Inspiring NASCAR Journey e-book
Author:
Deann Alford
Genre or subject information: non-fiction sports-related Christian inspirational
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2013
Series?: n/a
Date finished: 12/21/14
Off the Shelf? Yes (the virtual shelf)
Category: Fast Cars
My Rating: 3.3 stars
Notes:

This is a book about the side of NASCAR most people don't see -- the drivers who struggle just to qualify for the race, or to have a car to race at all. We meet folks on some of the under-funded little teams who often can't afford enough tires to run the entire race -- racing in "start and park" mode for last-place prize money. The writer focuses mostly on the 2nd-tier NASCAR Nationwide series, though we see a bit behind the scenes of the top-tier Sprint cup series, too. We learn about the lives of these drivers, and a quite a bit about their outlook on life and faith. We meet one driver whose whole reason for continuing to race is to witness to his faith. I did enjoy reading about these folks. There are also elements of the author's own life that emerge in the story.

The author's usual beat is writing articles for publications like Christianity Today magazine, often about issues of social justice and poverty. This is apperently the first time she's written a book, and it shows. Her style of present-tense writing might work well in presenting the immediacy of a current events story in a magazine, but for a book that covers events over half a decade, I find it a bit annoying. She's saying, "It's such-and-such a way" and I'm thinking, "That hasn't been the case for several years." I understand the literary reasons for sometimes writing in present tense (I'm doing it for this review) but for a non-fiction book covering matters going back a number of years (during which time much change has occurred) I think a straightforward past-tense approach would be less distracting.

134tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 8:56 pm

I now have at least 3 books in each category, and consider this challenge successfully concluded. The last book also finished my ROOT challenge. I'm past my goal in the 75 challenge, so it's been a successful reading year!

135rabbitprincess
des. 21, 2014, 9:00 pm

Congratulations on finishing your challenge!

136tymfos
des. 21, 2014, 9:00 pm

Thanks, rabbitprincess!

137lindapanzo
des. 21, 2014, 9:02 pm

Congrats on finishing all the challenges, Terri.

138tymfos
des. 21, 2014, 9:03 pm

Thanks, Linda!

We've been watching the Blackhawks game this evening -- they're doing well so far tonight!

139lindapanzo
des. 21, 2014, 9:17 pm

>138 tymfos: Better than last night, that's for sure. The assistant equipment manager passed away unexpectedly this morning, at age 34 with four young kids, so there's a somber mood in the air with the team.

140tymfos
des. 21, 2014, 9:21 pm

I saw the moment of silence at the start. So young! What a shame.

141lindapanzo
des. 21, 2014, 9:25 pm

They are really a family, not just a team. When they won the Stanley Cup, every employee got a ring, for instance. I have no idea whether that's always true but it hit home with me.

I forget that people nationwide can watch them when they're on WGN.

This year, no more Cubs on WGN though. They've moved to the local ABC station. Less national exposure, that's for sure.

142tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:34 pm

We got the game on NHL Network tonight. They are actually using the Toronto feed from Rogers Sports Net. Go figure.

Interesting about the Cubs. Hubby springs for the MLB Network package that gives us access to all the baseball games except the "blackout" zone (our Pirates) -- it's one of the few "luxuries" he bothers with.

ETA Hubby wants to know if the White Sox will still be on WGN.

143lindapanzo
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:37 pm

I like watching the NHL Network on Saturday nights to see what Don Cherry is wearing and what outrageous thing he has to say. The drawback then is that they often flip over to other cases.

I really love the Blackhawk telecasts with new Hall of Famer Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk.

Just finished reading Gordie Howe's memoirs. He has been in ill health lately but I read somewhere that he had a stem cell transplant/treatment and is doing much better.

ETA: Pat Foley just said that he can't remember when they last played a tougher game. After Clint's death, it was tough for them to carry on. They showed the head equipment manager in tears as the game ended.

144tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:36 pm

My husband grew up near the border watching Hockey Night in Canada, so he's a long-time Don Cherry fan. Don had the brightest red jackt last night and a Santa tie.

Blackhawks win!

145tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:44 pm

I am so far behind on threads, and I look at them all and see hundreds of posts unread, and just say, oh well . . .

I shouldn't be taking time out this evening to be online, but what the heck. I need a little LT time.

146tymfos
des. 21, 2014, 9:41 pm

>143 lindapanzo: response to your ETA -- it really is sad for such a young man to die, and leaving young children. It had to be so hard on the team, and I feel so bad for his family.

147lindapanzo
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:43 pm

Awww, they ended the telecast with Clint holding the Stanley Cup over his head.

Besides the Blackhawks games and Hockey Night in Canada games, I also like any game when Doc Emrick is announcing. Great announcer.

Time to get back to reading. When it's football season and there's a hockey game, it's a wonder when I get any reading done on a Sunday.

148tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:50 pm

When it's football season and there's a hockey game, it's a wonder when I get any reading done on a Sunday.

I know what you mean. I watched the Steelers game this afternoon (yay, they made the playoffs!), then had to watch the Cowboys because they held the Eagles' fate in their hands. It was pretty obvious pretty quickly that the Cowboys were going to win and knock the Eagles out of the playoffs, though, so I kind of lost interest in that one. It was a blowout over the Colts.

ETA to add BTW, my current nonfiction read is Dan Rooney's memoir. So I'm reading football when I'm not watching football these days.

149lindapanzo
des. 21, 2014, 9:52 pm

I haven't had much of a long reading attention span lately so, during the football, I read a Kindle single about how the Queen and the royals celebrate Christmas. Now I'm reading a Kindle single about the 1914 Christmas truce.

A key employee at work just retired and I got tabbed to replace him for many of his duties (without giving up my own, of course) so things have been extremely hectic and I've been coming home too tired and stressed to read much.

150tymfos
Editat: des. 21, 2014, 9:57 pm

Lately my reading has tended to be on the light side, mostly shorter books. It's taking me forever to get through the Rooney book, even though I'm enjoying it. I've been gravitating toward novellas, short stories (I read several of the Walt Longmire series mini installments), etc.

The e-book I'm trying to read involves the 1914 Christmas truce as one of the story threads, but I'm finding it so poorly written that I'm about to give up.

151-Eva-
des. 21, 2014, 10:02 pm

Congrats on a very successful reading year!!

152tymfos
des. 21, 2014, 10:04 pm

Thanks, Eva!!

153dudes22
Editat: des. 22, 2014, 5:22 am

Congratualtions! I saw your post in the Root thread about the NASCAR book. Got to wonder sometimes about the editors/proofreaders of some books.

ETA: Patriots got a first round bye with their win over the Jets yesterday. We were at an open house so I missed most of the game, but boy, for a game that was supposed to be a blow-out, they barely squeaked by.

154AHS-Wolfy
des. 22, 2014, 6:58 am

Congrats on completing your challenge!

155majkia
des. 22, 2014, 7:59 am

Yes, congrats! And I'm glad the Pats are in as my Saints are a mess this year. I'll cheer for the old home team.

156mysterymax
des. 22, 2014, 11:09 pm

Nice finish to your challenge.

157DeltaQueen50
des. 23, 2014, 1:26 am

Congratulations, Terri, on completing your 2014 Challenge.

158lkernagh
des. 24, 2014, 6:38 pm

Congratulations! I am rather behind with thread, as you can probably tell. ;-)

159DeltaQueen50
des. 24, 2014, 7:56 pm

Dropping by to wish you a very Merry Christmas, Terri.

160rabbitprincess
des. 24, 2014, 9:05 pm

Merry Christmas, Terri!

161cammykitty
des. 24, 2014, 10:01 pm

A friend of mine just saw a play on the Christmas Truce that she said was fantastic. I'd say give that book up and find another one! That's such a moving time in history that the book has got to be very poorly written to make it uninteresting.

Merry Christmas!!!

162tymfos
des. 24, 2014, 10:18 pm

Thank you, everyone, and Merry Christmas!

163dudes22
des. 25, 2014, 6:05 am

Merry Christmas Terri and a Happy reading New Year!

164lsh63
des. 25, 2014, 6:18 am

Merry Christmas Terri! And congrats on finishing your challenge!

165paruline
des. 31, 2014, 11:01 am

Good job on finishing your challenge! And Happy New Year!

166tymfos
Editat: des. 31, 2014, 9:18 pm

Thanks for the good wishes! Happy New Year to everyone!

Thus ends another year of reading. I don't think I'm going to do the 2015 Category Challenge, though I may flag it as a group to "watch" and stop by to say hello once in a while. I'm determined to just read what I want, when I want, and to spend less time on LT.

I wish everyone all the best and happy reading for 2015!

167rabbitprincess
des. 31, 2014, 10:48 pm

Be sure to let us know if you have a thread elsewhere we can follow! Enjoy your free reading this year.

168dudes22
gen. 1, 2015, 7:03 am

I'm sorry you're not going to do the 15 challenge, Terri. I made my categories the months of the year so I could just do reading without worrying where they would go. I've enjoyed seeing what you read and taken a couple (or more) BBs. But enjoy your reading. That's the most important. And stop and visit once in a while. Happy New Year!

169-Eva-
gen. 1, 2015, 11:03 pm

That's a shame you're not joining us, but it'd be great if you want to visit! And, of course, you're welcome back if you feels so inclined.

170lsh63
gen. 3, 2015, 9:05 am

Happy New Terri!

Even though you won't have a thread this year, please pop in from time to time to let us know what you're reading and that you're doing ok.

After all I got my fair share of BB's from you :)

171tymfos
Editat: gen. 3, 2015, 5:25 pm

>167 rabbitprincess: Hi, rabbitprincess! Here's my thread for 2015 over on the 75 challenge:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/185856#

>168 dudes22: Hi, Betty! I'm still toying with the idea of putting up at category thread for 2015, and maybe only requiring a minimum of one book per category. But part of the problem is I'm wanting to cut down on how much posting I have to do for each book.

>169 -Eva-: Hi, Eva! I do have this group for 2015 marked as "watched" so it comes up easily when I click on the Groups tab.

>170 lsh63: Hi! I'm already thinking of the BBs I won't get if I don't keep up with this group for 2015 . . .

Happy New Year and Happy Reading to you all!