Lori's (lkernagh's) 2015 Art of Reading - The "Free Reading" Months

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Lori's (lkernagh's) 2015 Art of Reading - The "Free Reading" Months

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1lkernagh
oct. 31, 2015, 7:51 pm



Welcome everyone to my "Free Reading" thread! I will continue to record my reading here, but no fancy categories to slot the books into. It is all about keeping it simple. ;-)

2lkernagh
Editat: des. 31, 2015, 9:15 pm

Books Read:

NOVEMBER
91. The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll - (review)
92. The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll - (review)
93. The Treasure Hunt by Andrea Camilleri - (review)
94. The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark - (review)
95. The Granny by Brendan O'Carroll - (review)
96. Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri - (review)
97. L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton - (review)
98. The Young Wan by Brendan O'Carroll - (review)
99. M is for Malice by Sue Grafton - (review)
100. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan -
101. Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta by Richard Grant -
102. Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet -

DECEMBER
103. Christmas, Actually: A Holiday Collection by Katie Rose, Guest Pryal - (review)
104. The Leprechauns of Union Township by James F. Walsh - (review)
105. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank - (review)
106. The Hero's Guide to saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy - (review)
107. np by Banana Yoshimoto - (review)
108. The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy - (review)
109. Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto - (review)

3lkernagh
oct. 31, 2015, 7:52 pm

Next one's yours! Welcome to my "Free Reading" thread which is now open for business!

4rabbitprincess
oct. 31, 2015, 9:14 pm

Hurray for free reading! Congrats on finishing your challenge :)

5LittleTaiko
oct. 31, 2015, 9:58 pm

Free reading is the best!!

6dudes22
nov. 1, 2015, 5:14 am

Congratulations on finishing your challenge. And wanted to mention that I took a BB on The Cure for Death by Lightning. I like the cover on that and some of her other books. And enjoy your free reading.

7karenmarie
nov. 1, 2015, 9:30 am

Congrats. I personally find challenges stressful, but am always impressed by people who complete theirs.

8MissWatson
nov. 1, 2015, 10:35 am

Congrats and may there be lots of lovely books for your free reading!

9-Eva-
nov. 1, 2015, 10:59 am

Happy free reading!

10lkernagh
nov. 1, 2015, 2:51 pm

>4 rabbitprincess:, >5 LittleTaiko:, >6 dudes22:, >7 karenmarie:, >8 MissWatson: and >9 -Eva-: - Thanks everyone! I am looking forward to the free reading.

>6 dudes22: - Betty, this was my first Anderson-Dagartz book. I am now looking forward to tracking down more of her works.

---------------
Had a quiet Halloween last night. The rain managed to stay away until about 10pm.... just long enough to allow the kiddies to go trick-or-treating. I tend to like it when it rains later in the evening on Halloween night. It keeps the 'yahoo' drunken party goers from running a muck, causing mischief, and in some cases, destruction of property. ;-)

I took advantage of the lack of rain this morning to venture out for a 7KM walk and in the process came across the following Little Free Library:



This makes the 6th LFL I have discovered while out on my various walks around town. They are so fun to encounter! The rain and cold have now returned so I am looking forward to another afternoon of relaxing and reading.

11lkernagh
nov. 1, 2015, 2:51 pm

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker

located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







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

UPDATE: WEEK 16
Kilometers walked this week: 25.7
Kilometers walked in total: 852.35
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: Currently east of Revelstoke, rounding the southern end of Mt. Revelstoke National Park, heading for Glacier National Park.
Points of interest along the way: Revelstoke has always been a great stopping point whenever I would make the drive from the island to Calgary. That, and Golden. Revelstoke is one of those quaint historic places that came into existence way back in the 1880's when the Canadian Pacific Railway was being built. This week has been a rather slow one on the walking front. I am hoping to change that next week. I am starting to think that I will never get out of BC. I still have some 200 KM to go before I cross the border into Alberta. ;-)

12lkernagh
Editat: nov. 1, 2015, 4:51 pm


Book #91 - The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 1994
Acquisition date: March 29, 2014
Page count: 176 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the back cover:
Seven kids. One dead husband called "Redser". And not a chance that she'll be defeated. Not by Sister Magdalen, her daughter's tyrannical teacher. Not by the amourous overtures of the French proprietor of the local pizza parlour. Not by the medical crisis that threatens her best pal, Marion. Every morning at five, Agnes Browne leaves her tenament flat and sets up her produce stall on Moore Street, i the teeming heart of The Jarro - home to Dublin's dealers, docker, draymen, and those on the dole. But to the fatherless Browne brood, Agnes is more than a beloved neighborhood character. She's just about everything there is...
Review:
Witty, charming and full of heart, O'Carroll has brought 1960's inner-city Dublin, Ireland to life. Life is tough in The Jarro, but Agnes, her friends and her brood of six boys and one girl will win you over with their quick witted banter and the misadventures that come their way. Agnes is the perfect "Mammy", tough when she needs to be, with a naivety that gives rise to some of the humour of the story. While this story is set in the run down tenement flats of the poorer, working class area, it sparkles with life, hope and compassion, presenting a happier version of an Irish childhood than portrayed in some other books I have read.

A quick, entertaining read. If you decide to read The Mammy, I suggest you have the other books in the series ready at hand. Once you enter The Jarro of O'Carroll's pen, you won't want to leave.

13VioletBramble
nov. 1, 2015, 9:09 pm

Congratulations on finishing your challenge Lori. Enjoy your free reading!

14luvamystery65
nov. 1, 2015, 10:33 pm

Have fun with your free reading Lori!

15Roro8
nov. 2, 2015, 1:44 am

Yay! for free reading.

I was just checking out your best book list on your previous thread. I may just have to read one or two of those. I love best book lists.

16mamzel
nov. 2, 2015, 11:18 am

Nice way to end the year with no added stress to the holiday season. Hope you have lots of fun books.

17lkernagh
nov. 2, 2015, 9:51 pm

>13 VioletBramble:, >14 luvamystery65:, >15 Roro8: and >16 mamzel: - Thanks! Free reading time always feels pretty special.

>15 Roro8: - Best books lists always catch my eye, too. ;-)

18lkernagh
nov. 2, 2015, 9:52 pm


Book #92 - The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 1995
Acquisition date: March 29, 2014
Page count: 190 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.00 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the back cover:
Mother. Father. Business consultant. Cop. To her seven high-spirited "chisellers", Agnes Browne is all of these, and more. In the Dublin working-class neighborhood known as The Jarro, it's the Browne clan against the world - and against the backstreet villains and white-collar emissaries of market forces that threaten to tear this upwardly aspiring family apart. The Browne brood is about to be relocated to the wilds of suburban Finglas when their tenement is demolished as part of an "Inner City Renewal Plan". With the help of her ambitious eldest boy and her persistent French suitor, Agnes copes with the ups and downs of "rural" life, one unscrupulous gangster, and the son who is well on his way to breaking his mother's heart.
Review:
As the titles states, this second book in the Agnes Browne trilogy takes the focus away from Agnes and zooms in on her brood. While The Mammy was a story with a sweet, big heart feel to it, this one has more grit to it as not everyone is as sweet and as naive as Agnes is. Even with the troubles and misfortunes that befall the family, this story has lots of laugh out loud moments. As much as I liked getting to know Agnes's "chisellers" better and watch them grown and develop into teens and young adults, part of me missed the Agnes Browne focus of the first book.

Overall, a solid sequel to this wonderfully bittersweet family story. It made me laugh, smile, nod my head in approval, shake my head in consternation, sigh and, I am not ashamed to admit, even brought a tear to my eye.

19-Eva-
nov. 2, 2015, 11:05 pm

>10 lkernagh:
That's one of the prettiest Little Free Libraries I've ever seen.

20Nickelini
nov. 2, 2015, 11:20 pm

>18 lkernagh: Fabulous cover!

21VivienneR
nov. 3, 2015, 2:00 am

>12 lkernagh: Your excellent review got me, I've taken a BB on that one!

22lkernagh
nov. 3, 2015, 10:19 pm

>19 -Eva-: - I agree and a wonderful surprise to stumble across!

>20 Nickelini: - It is the perfect cover for the story! The rather short shorts of the era just crack me up.

>21 VivienneR: - I hope you enjoy a good chuckle when you read it!

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

Nothing new to report. Trying to get into the swing of Christmas crafting but probably a little too soon after Halloween to have access to all of the supplies I need. I will probably be in crafting mode by this time next week. In the meantime, another book review is now ready for posting.

23lkernagh
nov. 3, 2015, 10:20 pm


Book #93 - The Treasure Hunt by Andrea Camilleri - audiobook read by Grover Gardner
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 288 pages / 5 hours, 59 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing:
In Treasure Hunt, Montalbano is hailed as a hero after news cameras film him scaling a building—gun in hand—to capture a pair of unlikely snipers. Shortly after, the inspector begins to receive cryptic messages in verse from someone challenging him to go on a “treasure hunt.” Intrigued, he accepts, treating the messages as amusing riddles—until they take a dangerous turn.
Review:
I love the fact that this story included cryptic messages for Montalbano to unravel via the "Treasure Hunt". Interestingly, I managed to guess the 'culprit' very early on - which is rare for me! - so I sat back and watched how Camilleri worked through the mystery. An item from the crime scene of the snipers provides some comic relief in the first half of the story as we watch Montalbano yet again entangle himself in a mess that ends up involving Montalbano trying to sidestep explanations to everyone from Ingrid to the father of his god son.

Camilleri continues to impress me as an author who always manages to find something different to add to his stories.

24dudes22
nov. 4, 2015, 5:35 am

I took a BB a few months ago from Judy (DeltaQueen) for this series. Reading your review of this one makes me glad I did. Now to find time to start it.

25mamzel
nov. 4, 2015, 10:42 am

>22 lkernagh: Too soon after Halloween? The stores I visited were setting up for Christmas before Halloween. Pretty soon it will be year-round Christmas!

26DeltaQueen50
nov. 4, 2015, 6:07 pm

>24 dudes22: And I need to get back to this great series!

27lkernagh
nov. 4, 2015, 10:04 pm

>24 dudes22: and >26 DeltaQueen50: - Yay and Yup!

>25 mamzel: - Ha, I live in a sleepy part of the world that still thinks on holiday at a time. Yes, some of the larger department stores had Christmas stuff up prior to Halloween and maybe even prior to Canadian Thanksgiving, but for the most part, stores have a 'seasonal' area where the holiday stuff lives and they don't confuse things with multiple holiday 'stuff'. Something about confused shoppers spend less. ;-)

As much as I love Christmas - my favorite thing is to sit in the living room in the evening with just the Christmas tree lights one - I am not up for it become a year-round event.

28-Eva-
nov. 7, 2015, 7:21 pm

I am a fan of Christmas, but please not before Thanksgiving. Please...! :)

29Nickelini
nov. 7, 2015, 7:37 pm

>28 -Eva-: Thanksgiving for a bunch of us on this thread was the second week of October. Halloween/Remembrance Day is the the dividing line here, although I prefer December 1st myself (I've thoroughly lost that battle unfortunately).

30-Eva-
nov. 7, 2015, 7:50 pm

Oh, that's right. I keep forgetting that. Then I'll go with your December 1st cut-off!

31Nickelini
nov. 7, 2015, 7:55 pm

>30 -Eva-: YaY! Another for December 1. Maybe we can start a movement.

32lkernagh
nov. 7, 2015, 10:24 pm

>28 -Eva-:, >29 Nickelini:, >30 -Eva-: and >31 Nickelini: - It is hard when the stores bunch up or overlap the holidays, isn't it? Drives me nuts but as Joyce has mentioned, thankfully north of the divide, November is kind of a "free" holiday month in that the only official holiday is Remembrance Day, which doesn't have a retail angle to it like the other ones have. Not sure I want retail stores to wait until December 1st before the Christmas stuff appears - what with Canada Post parcel deadlines and all that - but we don't set up the tree and get into Christmas mode at home until the first weekend in December. Everything is then taken down during the first weekend of January.

33lkernagh
Editat: nov. 8, 2015, 11:26 am

Today was a rather wet day - in which I discovered that my rain booties no longer keep my feet dry when out walking in the rain - so I took advantage of some errands I had to run in town to stop by a number of my favorite charity/thrift shops. I came away with a completely Canadian lineup of books for my TBR bookshelves:



Turtle Valley by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
The High Road and Up and Down, both by Terry Fallis
Galore by Michael Crummey

A good haul of books that I know I will read.... Now I need to go shoe shopping for new footwear for the rainy season.

.... and I still need to continue my hunt for new Christmas lights for the tree. I don't know if any of you recall, but last year the lights on the tree decided to burn out on what seemed like a nightly basis after the tree was already up. Now, I love the warm white/candlelight mini-lights. I don't do the colours or the clear/bright white lights that have that awful blue tinge to them. After spending hours in stores and on-line today, I am just beside myself with how difficult it is to find a 100-light warm white mini-lights set that look like traditional Christmas lights and not something that a tech company came up with. Stores seem to have tonnes of the bigger outdoor lights but the indoor tree lights have gone to LED lights in weird shapes like mini-cubes. I have a couple of stores to check out tomorrow. Fingers crossed this doesn't become a colossal chore. I found exactly what I wanted on-line through an American outfit but damn if I am going to pay in $30 in shipping for a $20 set of Christmas lights. I must be getting old.

Anyways, I do have a couple of book reviews to post and I am looking forward to a quiet night listening to the next Inspector Montalbano book while I work on a new batch of Christmas ornaments. If they work out - I am working from just a vague idea in my mind at the moment - I will post pics here.

Now for those reviews.

34lkernagh
nov. 7, 2015, 10:27 pm


Book #94 - The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark - audiobook read by Nadia May
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, BAC
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2009
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 144 pages / 4 hours, 3 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing:
The Ballad of Peckham Rye is the wickedly farcical fable of a blue-collar town turned upside down. When the firm of Meadows, Meade & Grindley hires Dougal Douglas to do "human research" to bridge the gap between industry and the arts, they are in no way prepared for the mayhem, mutiny, and murder he will stir up.
Review:
I did not understand this book, at all. Even "wickedly farcical fables" should have some string of logic to them, I would hope. I also don't understand the cover for the audiobook I listened to. Maybe it is to represent the loud fashion of the era the book is set in, which I believe to be 1960 London, when Spark wrote it, making it, at the time, a contemporary novel. I had to resort to the Wikipedia article to make sense out of the story. According to Wikipedia,
"The text draws upon the supernatural, as well as issues of Irish and Scottish migrancy and offers a critique of the sterile and unremarkable nature of the lives of the Peckham working class."
Ooookkkkkaaayyyy.... I got snippets of the working class bit and if Dougal is to represent the issues that an Irish or Scottish migrant to England faced, that makes sense. The whole devil/shape-shifter aspect of Dougal's character is probably supposed to lend a fable-like quality to the story but it is so subtle that Dougal just really comes across as a human annoyance to a segment of Peckham's population. Spark lets her razor sharp wit flow into characters - all flawed souls - as is her norm, but Dougal tends to overshadow Spark's gift for exposing the human condition of her characters to examination. The end result is a rather strange story that my mind is still trying to make heads or tails of.

Not one of Spark's better stories, IMO.

35lkernagh
nov. 7, 2015, 10:28 pm


Book #95 - The Granny by Brendan O'Carroll
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 1996
Acquisition date: March 29, 2014
Page count: 192 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.00 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the book back cover:
Raising a brood of unruly, high-spirited kids on her own didn't slow her down. Twenty years of eking out a living from her produce stall on Moore Street hasn't turned her into a quitter. Not even a French lover who wants her to become a "sexual animal" can take the starch out of Agnes Browne. But now, outside the maternity ward of Dublin's Rotunda Hospital, she has just heard the one word that stops her cold:

"Granny!"

Who would have believed it? Only yesterday they were children themselves. Now they are having "chisellers" of their own, and for the first time in her life, Agnes Browne feels old. But with a daughter stuck in an unhappy marriage, a homesick son in London, another son headed to prison, and another grandchild on the way, it seems that the Browne clan needs their mammy more than ever. And Agnes is more than up for the challenge - until she's faced with a crisis of her own. Which will prove once and for all that nothing brings a family together like trouble. And nothing heals a family like love.
Review:
I really love these stories. O'Carroll has single handedly wrapped the Browne family up in a myriad of emotions and circumstances, while at the same time presenting from a far a big, unfeeling world that, when you look up close, is really just a tiny world where warmth and compassion can be found, even in some of the most dire of circumstances. It is the continuation of a family saga that has the close, intimate feel of a story being told at the kitchen table over a hot cup of tea. Delightfully funny, movingly compassionate and just plain 'real', O'Carroll continues to captivate me with the very down-to-earth adventures and misadventures of the Browne family.

A really good quality read. Prepare to have some kleenex at hand... there are some good tear-jerking moments within the pages of this third book in the trilogy.... which is now a tetralogy courtesy of The Young Wan, a library book I am looking forward to diving into.

36lkernagh
Editat: nov. 8, 2015, 11:42 am

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


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







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

UPDATE: WEEK 17
Kilometers walked this week: 59.2
Kilometers walked in total: 911.55
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: Smack in the middle of Glacier National Park, just north and east of Rogers Pass Summit, heading for Golden and the Alberta border.
Points of interest along the way: Not much to report except that I know that this part of BC is breathtakingly beautiful, and really treacherous for winter driving. Getting closer to the Alberta border.... only some 140 KM to go. ;-)

37-Eva-
nov. 8, 2015, 7:25 pm

>32 lkernagh:
I have a bunch of coworkers from the Philippines and they start Christmas in October and sometimes as early as September!

38lkernagh
nov. 8, 2015, 8:08 pm

>37 -Eva-: - OMG... sounds like they are on the same holiday calendar schedule as the retailers are!

39Roro8
nov. 8, 2015, 11:50 pm

The Brendan O'Carroll books you've been reviewing sound like my type of book. My library has the first one as an audio, narrated by the author. I don't often do audio books but this one might be worth a try.

40RidgewayGirl
nov. 9, 2015, 3:40 am

Good luck finding your tree lights!

41Nickelini
nov. 10, 2015, 4:10 pm

.... and I still need to continue my hunt for new Christmas lights for the tree. I don't know if any of you recall, but last year the lights on the tree decided to burn out on what seemed like a nightly basis after the tree was already up. Now, I love the warm white/candlelight mini-lights. I don't do the colours or the clear/bright white lights that have that awful blue tinge to them. After spending hours in stores and on-line today, I am just beside myself with how difficult it is to find a 100-light warm white mini-lights set that look like traditional Christmas lights and not something that a tech company came up with. Stores seem to have tonnes of the bigger outdoor lights but the indoor tree lights have gone to LED lights in weird shapes like mini-cubes. I have a couple of stores to check out tomorrow. Fingers crossed this doesn't become a colossal chore. I found exactly what I wanted on-line through an American outfit but damn if I am going to pay in $30 in shipping for a $20 set of Christmas lights. I must be getting old.

I found some warm indoor mini lights -- Real Canadian Superstore. $16 for a box of two 100-light strings. The box says "Life at Home" on the top left corner, then "INDOOR clear miniature lights". I think they came in strings of 50 as well. I plugged them in and they are warm--not that ghostly cool hi-tech glow. Good luck, if you haven't found them already.

You're right--they are hard to come by now. I don't mind the cool ones as much as you do, but if you're trying to match the stuff you already have, it looks awful.

42lkernagh
nov. 10, 2015, 10:57 pm

>39 Roro8: - How exciting! I didn't look to see if my library has the audiobooks. I could sit back and enjoy the stories all over again!

>40 RidgewayGirl: - Thanks! I was successful. I found a 100-light strand of warm white LED lights with the traditional faceted bulbs. Our tree theme is reds, golds and natural elements (pine cones, wood, etc) as ornaments, which is why I like the softer, warm white effect of the lights. *Whew!* I can now focus on all the other pre-Christmas mayhem.... I am thinking of doing some baking for presents but I still need to find some recipes. That is next on my to-do list. ;-)

>41 Nickelini: - Ooohhhh... looks like you scored a deal, Joyce! The warm white lights I found (as mentioned above in my response to >40 RidgewayGirl:) were at Canadian Tire for $19.99. The brand appears to "Holiday Collection". Something tells me that the "Holiday Collection" is generic or Canadian Tire packaging for the product. Either way, I am happy to have lights, and they even come with a three-year limited warranty, so I can breath a sigh of relief for now. ;-)

43lkernagh
Editat: nov. 10, 2015, 11:13 pm

Lest we forget


Lest we forget” artwork, Horse Guards Avenue
Part of the “Year of the Bus Sculpture Trails” in central London.
Peter (CC BY SA 2.0)

44Nickelini
nov. 11, 2015, 2:05 am

>43 lkernagh: Nice Remembrance Day picture. Very "In Flanders Fields"

Glad you found the lights you like. We change our colours every year, and funnily enough, my daughter and I decided today to do red and gold this year, just like you. It allowed us to buy new ornaments at the Superstore.

45lkernagh
nov. 11, 2015, 10:19 pm

>44 Nickelini: - It must be a lot of fun to change your holiday colours each year! I do love the look of reds and golds. ;-)

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

Wonderful weather today for the Remembrance Day ceremonies. I managed to get in a nice 12 kilometer walk this morning. This afternoon was spent making pineapple coconut muffins, bread and for dinner, roasted veggies in a Parmesan garlic cream sauce over pasta for dinner. I have started my Christmas crafting - which I plan to continue working on this evening.

46lkernagh
nov. 11, 2015, 10:19 pm


Book #96 - Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri - audiobook read by Grover Gardner
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 304 pages / 5 hours, 26 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.cam book listing webpage:
A rash of burglaries has got Inspector Salvo Montalbano stumped. The criminals are so brazen that their leader, the anonymous Mr. Z, starts sending the Sicilian inspector menacing letters. Among those burgled is the young and beautiful Angelica Cosulich, who reminds the inspector of the love-interest in Ludovico Ariosto’s chivalric romance, Orlando Furioso. Besotted by Angelica’s charms, Montalbano imagines himself back in the medieval world of jousts and battles. But when one of the burglars turns up dead, Montalbano must snap out of his fantasy and unmask his challenger.
Review:
An okay mystery but I think I am starting to tire of the Inspector Montalbano books. Between the latest in what has become a string of romantic liaisons/infatuations for Montalbano, and his continuing childish behaviour when it comes to paperwork and meeting with his boss the police commissioner, I am finding my patience for him as a character is starting grow a little thin. At least with Ingrid the stories didn't dive into the juvenile behaviour, or at least, not as much. On the plus side, Cat, Fazio and the coroner continue to amuse me and I do get a kick out of the fact that Montalbano and his group refer to the forensic team as "the circus".

Time for a change of pace. I think I am overdue for a visit with Kinsey Millhone so my audio reading will head over to the US and California. Sicily can wait.

47thornton37814
nov. 12, 2015, 11:16 pm

>46 lkernagh: I think I prefer to space them out. I guess I don't tire of them so quickly that way. I'm listening to one on this trip. He is having one of those liaisons and has a wreckless attitude toward his paperwork.

48lkernagh
nov. 13, 2015, 8:54 pm

>47 thornton37814: - Spacing the Montalbano reads out sounds like a good idea. I am happily ensconced back in the world of Kinsey Millhone and will probably spend my next two audiobook reads with her.

He is having one of those liaisons and has a wreckless attitude toward his paperwork.

LOL! let me guess.... are you listening to The Age of Doubt? ;-)

49lkernagh
Editat: nov. 15, 2015, 7:56 pm

Happy Sunday, everyone! Wonderful weekend both weather-wise and activity wise out here on the island. Took advantage of the rather inclement weather yesterday to get started on my Christmas Crafting projects. For those of you that have been around for previous year's threads, I like to make my own Christmas ornaments and Christmas cards, time permitting. This year has been a really good year for crafting and I apologize upfront of the rather obvious theme you will see depicted in the pictures below. This year I have had a lot of fun digging into my store of craft supplies acquired from previous holiday seasons and the purchase of a 25 foot roll of wired ribbon that I fell in love with at Micheal's ($5.00 purchase with a 50% off coupon) - it totally fits my red/gold theme for the holiday season. ;-)

Christmas Craft Projects:

First up was the creation of a wreath for the front door. I have looked at the pre-made wreaths on offer at Micheal's and other establishments and I decided, "I can do better". Kind of a brash statement to make considering I am crap at making bows, but I am really happy with the end result:



The greenery and gold-painted acorns were a $5.50 purchase at a dollar store. You already know about the wired ribbon. The holly berries were from my craft stash... I think I bought them 5 years ago and have been looking for a way to make use of them ever since.

The wreath only used up part of the wired ribbon. I love adding new ornaments to my collection every year. This year, because I love all things steampunk and because I wanted to do something different than the glass globe ornaments that one can fill and customize, I bought what I like to call apothecary vials, inserted sections of wired ribbon for the following result:



The red ribbon and the gold hanging string are from my craft supplies, having been purchased in previous years.

Since we are getting close to the Christmas card sending season, I have had a lot of fun creating the following different cards using still more of the wired ribbon - 25 feet of ribbon goes a long way! - along with the red ribbon, poinsettia appliques and stickers from my craft supplies:



I am still working on the final details of the 'saying' that will be included inside the cards. I like to include poetic or literary quotes when possible and the hunt for the perfect quote for this year's cards continues. I am also still researching recipes for baked goods to be included in gift tins. I love the overall busyness of this time of year!

As you can probably guess, crafting and reading don't exactly go hand-in-hand, unless you are an audiobook reader like I am. Some book reviews and an update on my Trans-Canada virtual walking journey to follow.

50lkernagh
nov. 15, 2015, 7:46 pm


Book #97 - L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton - audiobook read by Mary Peiffer
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1995
Acquisition date: July 14, 2013
Page count: 352 pages / 9 hours, 9 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: Adapted from the amazon.com book listing webpage:
Kinsey's skills are about to be sorely tested. She is about to meet her duplicitous match in a couple of world-class prevaricators who quite literally take her for the ride of her life. "L" is for Lawless: Call it Kinsey Millhone in bad company. Call it a mystery without a murder, a treasure hunt without a map, a quest novel with truly mixed-up motives. Call it the return of Kinsey as bad girl - quick-witted and quick-silvery, smart-mouthed and smartalecky - poking her nose into everyone's dirty laundry as she joins up with a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde in an Our Gang comedy that will take her halfway across the country. America's favorite borderline delinquent is back with her one-liners on tap and her energy level on high, romping through her fastest and funniest adventure in this, her twelfth foray into the alphabet of crime.
Review:
Oooohhh Yaaaaahhh..... Back in the saddle with Kinsey. I don't know if it is my extended absence from the series or the writing, but this is a goodie! Really grass roots crime stuff coupled with Kinsey attitude and penuche for getting into a big ass mess. I do love the whole retro feel of these stories. Can anyone remember the last time an "imprint" of a credit card was taken? Okay, I shouldn't talk since that did happen to me once on my recent trip to Vegas but in my home environment, those machines went the way of the Doodoo bird a good 10 years ago. Grafton has a wonderful way with diving deep into the details without making the whole deluge of information the reader is subjected to coming across as a sweeping influx of 'blah'.

An excellent mystery, an wonderful recipe for disaster and a rather interesting lesson about how far does one take one's "good neighborly" intentions to heart.

51lkernagh
nov. 15, 2015, 7:47 pm


Book #98 - The Young Wan by Brendan O'Carroll
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 2003
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 224 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: Adapted from the amazon.ca book listing webpage:
Before she was a Mammy, before she had Chisellers, and before they made her a Granny, Agnes Browne was Agnes Reddin, a young girl-or a Young Wan- growing up in the Jarro in Dublin. In the heart of 1940s working-class Dublin, together with her soon to be lifelong best friend Marion Delany, young Agnes manages to survive the indignities and demands of Catholic school, the unwanted births of siblings, days spent in the factories and markets, and nights in the dance hall as rock-and-roll invades Dublin. But on the eve of her wedding night, the Jarro is alive with gossip—will Agnes be turned away at the altar? For the whole parish knows Agnes's not-so-well-kept secret. And with a mother falling further into dementia, and a younger sister turning to a life of crime, it's up to Agnes alone to keep her splintering family together, while trying to create one of her own.
Review:
Always tricky when a trilogy becomes a tetralogy, especially when the trilogy ends the way O'Carroll's did with The Granny. I should have known that O'Carroll had a plan when he wrote the fourth book as a prequel and what a prequel it is! While the first three books had a slightly vignette feel to them, being a more or less a loosely woven tale of multiple story threads, The Young Wan is a tightly written story, with a logical progression to it. The humour is still there for the reader to enjoy but this time it is a bit muted, with the focus being on the hardships Agnes's family faced.

All of the books in the Agnes Browne series are a treat to read but I would be remiss if I did not say that I found The Young Wan to be the best one. Given that it is a prequel, one could probably read The Young Wan first as a kind of back story prep for the trilogy but I think reading the books in publication order is the way to go.

52lkernagh
Editat: nov. 15, 2015, 9:46 pm


Book #99 - M is for Malice by Sue Grafton - audiobook read by Mary Peiffer
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1996
Acquisition date: July 14, 2013
Page count: 384 pages / 9 hours, 32 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the author's website book listing webpage:
"M" is for money. Lots of it. "M" is for Malek Construction, the $40 million company that grew out of modest soil to become one of the big three in California construction, one of the few still in family hands.

"M" is for the Malek family: four sons now nearing middle age who stand to inherit a fortune—four men with very different outlooks, temperaments, and needs, linked only by blood and money. Eighteen years ago, one of them—angry, troubled, and in trouble—went missing.

"M" is for Millhone, hired to trace that missing black sheep brother.

"M" is for memories, none of them happy. The bitter memories of an embattled family. This prodigal son will find no welcome at his family's table. "M" is for malice.

And in brutal consequence, "M" is for murder, the all-too-common outcome of familial hatreds.

"M" is for malice...and malice kills.
Review:
This one is more of a sleeper mystery, with a fair bit of attention being given to Kinsey's romantic interests and her newly found family relations. The first half of the book was very slow - great for listening to while engaged in other tasks - but it does pick up the pace and I have to admit that I thought I had identified the culprit, only to be found wrong as the story reached its "tell" plateau. As the saying goes, "The devil is in the details". As always, I continue to enjoy my "retro" journeys with Kinsey, being reminded of bygone days where answering machines were separate devices usually located beside the phone and not some password protected access system one dials in or connects to. Kinsey's love for peanut butter and pickle sandwiches continues to bring a smile to my face: I haven't had one of those sandwiches in decades and yet still remember, like it was yesterday, eating the very same sandwich as a teenagers, although my preference was for dill pickles. ;-)

Another good installment in the Kinsey Millhone series and the perfect accompaniment to listen to while engaging in my Christmas crafting activities.

53lkernagh
nov. 15, 2015, 7:49 pm

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


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







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

UPDATE: WEEK 18
Kilometers walked this week: 43.8
Kilometers walked in total: 955.35
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: South of the Columbia River, about to skirt the southern end of Marl Creek Provincial Park,

heading for Donald and the Alberta border.
Points of interest along the way: Over half of the walking journey of the Trans-Canada highway was heading due north before finally heading east. Getting closer to the Alberta border.... only some 104 KM to go. ;-)

54Roro8
Editat: nov. 15, 2015, 7:50 pm

I love your "apothecary" jars. I may just have to copycat you on that one if I can find some. Brilliant idea!!

55rabbitprincess
nov. 15, 2015, 7:53 pm

Beautiful crafting!

56lkernagh
Editat: nov. 15, 2015, 8:00 pm

Thanks! I do love this time of year.

I love sharing ideas for others to use. Copycat away. ;-)

57Nickelini
nov. 15, 2015, 8:28 pm

Lovely arts & crafts! I often make homemade cards and it's a lot of fun. Well done.

>45 lkernagh:- It must be a lot of fun to change your holiday colours each year! I do love the look of reds and golds. ;-)

It's not as lavish as it sounds. I have a base of clear, white, gold and silver ornaments, and a small box of really good ornaments that I've collected over the years (all either gifts or bought after Christmas at 70% off sales). Then every few years we "splurge" and buy a fun colour at the Real Canadian Superstore or Ikea (cheap!). The base is always the same and then swap in something that we didn't do last year. And I've been collecting ornaments since 1988, so we're looking at a total purchase of probably $4 a year.

58lkernagh
nov. 15, 2015, 9:32 pm

>57 Nickelini: - I love the colour splurge idea. A great way to add a touch of something different each season!

This topic has reminded me of a story worth sharing. My mother has a huge stash of assorted Christmas ornaments, acquired through various means and not always complementary to existing ornaments in the stash. The grand kids, for the past 10 years or so, have been brought in to set up and decorate the tree for my folks... really handy considering two of the grand kids hit the 6 foot mark in height and can easily attach ornaments to the higher points of the tree that other members of the family would require a step ladder to reach. Two years back I was home visiting during that auspicious time when Mom wants the tree pulled out and decorated. The task feel to me, as per my Mom, and I made a very diligent effort to review all of the ornaments and choose which ones I felt would go together as an overall theme. "Auntie Lori's" approach to tree decorating was viewed with much skepticism from... believe it or not... the family at large because I hadn't just taken every ornament in my Mom's possession and put it on the tree, in a haphazard fashion. As much as I love a theme for my Christmas tree, the rest of my family isn't really concerned with 'subtle' matters like coordinating ornaments and themes. ;-)

59-Eva-
nov. 15, 2015, 9:40 pm

>49 lkernagh:
As usual, your stuff is beautiful! I especially love those vials.

60Nickelini
nov. 15, 2015, 10:37 pm

>58 lkernagh: Oh yeah, I'm a "theme-tree" person as well, but your family tree sounds fabulous! I have learned that sometimes it's better to just let it go and see what happens. Great story, thanks for sharing it with us.

61dudes22
nov. 16, 2015, 7:43 am

I like the fact that you have so many left over craft items to use and they all look great. I like that ribbon you bought - good investment. I'm mostly a clear glass ornament person with some special ornaments and then red. I was always a person who liked that silver tinsel on a tree and wanted it put one one strand at a time, while my husband wanted to throw on several and just see where they landed. So I started collecting glass icicles of various sizes and shapes and I love them on my tree. I saw a project recently for a wreath made with a round foam shape and cupcake papers that I might try since I need a new wreath for the front door.

62mathgirl40
nov. 16, 2015, 7:59 am

>33 lkernagh: Nice book haul! I loved Up and Down and enjoyed meeting Terry Fallis at a local event last year. I've got No Relation on my shelf, waiting to be read.

Your Christmas cards and decorations are gorgeous!

63AHS-Wolfy
nov. 16, 2015, 9:17 am

>49 lkernagh: So talented! Everything looks fantastic. Congratulations!

64DeltaQueen50
nov. 16, 2015, 6:05 pm

Lori, I am in total awe at your crafting ability! That ribbon is gorgeous and you've managed to really make it stand out and become the star.

65Chrischi_HH
nov. 17, 2015, 5:13 am

Great crafting! I planned on doing my own cards last year, but didn't get to it in the end. I'll try again this year. We also change ornament colour of the Christmas tree more or less every year. Usually it's a family decision (managable with 4 people) and then my sister is the one actually decorating.

66lkernagh
nov. 17, 2015, 10:08 pm

>59 -Eva-: - Thanks Eva!

>60 Nickelini: - You are right. There is something appealing about a tree with just a jumble of ornaments acquired over the years, and probably all with special meaning..... but I still like to see the greenery of the tree. ;-)

>61 dudes22: - You have the right approach in that you have a neutral colour (in the clear ornaments) that can be incorporated into any colour scheme you may fancy. I learned when I had cats to stop putting tinsel on the trees - the cats tended to eat it - and I love that you have found icicles in different sizes to replace the tinsel. The wreath project sounds interesting. I like the idea of the cupcake liners. If you do make the wreath, please post a picture!

>62 mathgirl40: - Thanks! I am really looking forward to diving into the Terry Fallis books, possibly as a holiday season diversion.

>63 AHS-Wolfy: - Thanks Dave!

>64 DeltaQueen50: - Well, my crafting abilities are always shown in fine form with the use of craft glue and double sided craft tape, which I have found to be very useful as an emergency hem fix, just in case anyone hasn't thought of that before. ;-)

>65 Chrischi_HH: - Thanks! I have to either convince myself that I will make cards - and have a plan - by nearly November or I just don't follow through with making my own cards. Love that the colour theme is a democratic process! I have been spoiled in that there is just my other half and myself and he leaves the decorations to me. At least he never tires of the red/gold theme I keep using.
----------------

Crazy early winter weather today in the form of torrential rain and winds at times up to 70-90KM. I was completely soaked by the time I walked into the office (I also have one blown out umbrella that I need to see if it can be fixed or needs to be consigned to the dust heap). Calmer now and I am looking forward to a night of reading. I am currently reading Amsterdam by Ian McEwan as my physical book read and listening to Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant, a bit of a travel memoir of experiences transplanting from New York City to living in the Mississippi Delta. Both are good reads so it comes down to a coin toss if I spend the night crafting to the Grant book or curled up with the McEwan book.


67Roro8
nov. 18, 2015, 3:14 am

>66 lkernagh:, both options sound good to me, difficult choice. I'd start with crafting and listening, then switch. That way you get to do both!

68luvamystery65
nov. 18, 2015, 11:37 am

>49 lkernagh: I love that you decided to make the cards in addition the wreath and ornaments. Very beautiful Lori.

69lkernagh
nov. 18, 2015, 11:12 pm

>67 Roro8: - I love your suggestion! Last night I ended up vegging on the couch watching the two-hour episode of Once Upon a Time. Didn't get much reading or crafting done. ;-)

>68 luvamystery65: - Thanks Roberta! Things on the crafting front just kind of clicked for me this past weekend. Really happy about that!

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

Pretty much spending my Wednesday night putzing around making bread, surfing LT, paying bills and submitting questions why my health care provider thinks I have more than one health care plan coverage. The things that crop up when you submit online for reimbursement of an eye exam. ;-)

70paruline
nov. 20, 2015, 10:28 am

You've just described what sounds to me like a pretty productive evening, even for a week night: baking, paying bills, relaxing on LT... Good luck getting answers from your health care provider!

71VivienneR
nov. 23, 2015, 9:35 pm

Your Christmas crafts are beautiful, Lori. You are so talented.

72lkernagh
nov. 29, 2015, 10:06 pm

>70 paruline: - The answer from the health care provider came in very quickly - 30 minutes after I had hit submit. They acknowledged that it is a known error on their end so I guess I can say that they are on top of it? :-)

>71 VivienneR: - Thanks. I find working with a theme makes it easier to come up with ideas.

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

Sorry I haven't been around over the past week. RL has decided to give me a couple of really unpleasant kicks to the gut, making the lead up to the holiday season extra stressful. I won't be around much on LT until the RL issues are put to bed. I know I am hosting the January 2016 RandomCAT and wanted to let everyone know that I will be posting it mid-December over on the 2016 group thread as per usual. Thankfully, walking is a great way to get away from the stresses that keep crashing down, to think things over and to take a deep breath before going back into the breach. Reading has also been working as a balm/escapism this last little while. I am not up to preparing any reviews so snapshot reviews will have to do, for now. Snapshot reviews and walking update can be found below.

73lkernagh
Editat: nov. 29, 2015, 10:22 pm


Book #100 (and ROOT)
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan - 4.30 decimal rating /
- Beautifully written story. Loved the moral agenda/issue angles McEwan portrays here.


Book #101
Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta by Richard Grant - 3.40 decimal rating /
- A memoir with a bit of comic flare similar to Maarten J. Troost but not quite as good. Great examination of the racial issues of the region and the big heart that is the American South.


Book #102
Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet - 4.10 decimal rating /
- Perfect escapism reading. Think an underworld version of the Iron Druid Chronicles with a female reaper of souls reluctantly battling demons and hob-nobbling with Olympian Gods and religious deities. Good stuff.

74lkernagh
Editat: nov. 29, 2015, 10:10 pm

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


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







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

UPDATE: WEEKS 19 & 20
Kilometers walked this week: 99.3
Kilometers walked in total: 1,054.65
Current province: (BC) and (AB)
My current location on the map: In Alberta, south of Lake Louise, following the Bow River, heading for Eldon and Castle Junction.
Points of interest along the way: I have FINALLY made it across the BC border into Alberta! *WOOT!* Traveling through the Rocky Mountains is a wonder to experience, anytime of the year. The weather in Victoria during week 20 was very Alberta in appearence for this time of year: Woke up to frost every morning with crisp, cold blue sky sunshine days. Lovely. ;-)

75RidgewayGirl
nov. 30, 2015, 2:20 am

Take care of yourself, Lori. And you can ignore us - we'll be here when you are ready. Being able to get out of the house and physically away from the stress is a good thing, even if for only a little while. I hope the weather allows you many walks.

Also, Alberta is the best province.

76luvamystery65
nov. 30, 2015, 9:30 am

Hang in there Lori. Sending you my best.

77Nickelini
nov. 30, 2015, 10:24 am

Hope life straightens out and settles down for you! I can't believe you did 99 km last week! Well done, you. I can't even imagine, because earlier in the year when I was doing 40 km/week, I thought that was a lot. Feeling lazy over here . . . .

78rabbitprincess
nov. 30, 2015, 5:32 pm

Woo hoo, you're finally in Alberta!!

I hope things calm down for you soon and that you have perfect walking weather to help you de-stress.

79DeltaQueen50
nov. 30, 2015, 5:39 pm

I am loving this sunny yet frosty weather as well, although one needs to be a little careful when walking outside cause it can be slippery in places. Take care of yourself, Lori.

80dudes22
nov. 30, 2015, 6:53 pm

Sometimes the holidays themselves are stressful without anything additional cropping up. Take care of yourself and we'll see you when you can stop in.

81-Eva-
nov. 30, 2015, 11:14 pm

Hope real life sorts itself out soon! Like dudes22 said, it's not like the holidays aren't stressful enough without added extras.

82cbl_tn
des. 1, 2015, 6:18 am

Adding my wishes that RL smooths out for you very soon. I'm glad the reading and the ohysical activity helps relieve some of the stress.

83AHS-Wolfy
des. 1, 2015, 6:37 am

Hope things settle down for you soon. Just know that this place will be here when you have the time for it. Take care of yourself Lori!

84mamzel
des. 1, 2015, 11:42 am

We'll be here when you get back. Hope things straighten out quickly and easily.

85thornton37814
des. 1, 2015, 8:34 pm

Praying your life gets back on an even keel soon.

86Roro8
des. 3, 2015, 6:24 am

Sorry to hear things have been not so good in your life at the moment. I hope you manage to work things out.

87VivienneR
des. 5, 2015, 10:16 pm

I hope things get back to normal soon and you can enjoy all that is good in this beautiful season.

88MissWatson
des. 6, 2015, 7:58 am

Take time for yourself and my best wishes that the new year will treat you more kindly.

89mathgirl40
des. 6, 2015, 6:53 pm

I'm sorry to hear about the RL issues. I too find both walking and reading great ways to deal with the stress. Please take the time you need to take care of yourself!

90Chrischi_HH
des. 7, 2015, 4:55 am

Take as much time as you need, we will all still be around. But good that you know how to escape the stress at least for shorter periods.

91lkernagh
des. 20, 2015, 12:09 pm

Hi All. I'm back.

I missed everyone here on LT. Thank you Alison, Roberta, Joyce, rabbitprincess, Judy, Betty, Eva, Carrie, Dave, mamzel, Lori, Ro, Vivienne, Birgit, Paulina and Chrischi_HH for the well wishes.

RL was a bit of a strain over the last 4 weeks but things are now settling down and returning to some semblance of normal. The lead up to the holiday season is hectic enough... I really could have done without the sudden health issue (me), the quasi mid-life crisis (him), the extraneous insanity at work (both), the frustrating shopping experience for some new home furnishings AND the usual pre-holiday stress. I usually aim for a low-key holiday season so this has been quite the draining experience. I am happy to report that ALL - health issue, mid-life crisis, work, home revamp and pre-holiday issues - are now all resolved with a lovely, shiny lining for the future. NOW I can have my low-key holiday season. ;-)

The health issue was one of those "I am getting older" wake up calls. *Sighs* Basically, I rolled over in bed one night and experienced an excruciating pain through my left shoulder and arm. Don't know what I did - Doctors are not sure either - but whatever I did, I ended up with drastically restricted use of my left arm for several days. Basic activities like brushing and washing my hair, putting on clothes, tying shoes and other routine activities were impacted as I had limited mobility of my arm (couldn't raise my left arm beyond a certain point, without assistance from my right arm and wicked stabs of pain). Didn't help that I am left-handed. At least the doctor visits and x-rays were able to determine that no pinched nerves or permanent damage occurred, although apparently I have some arthritis to look forward to in my 70's. Well, yay for that. Best guess diagnosis is that I experienced a combination of repetitive muscle strain (think excessive computer time) coupled with my now diagnosed rotator cuff problem and - BANG! - it was over 10 days before I regained full arm movement back in my left arm. In the process of recovery, I severely limited my computer time - hence, no LT time - no bread baking - *WHAH!* - or any other extraneous activities, and had to teach myself how to do certain task with my right arm, which made life a bit challenging.

As a treat, my other half and I went away to Seattle last weekend to recharge our batteries. It has been a while since we had last been to Seattle so it made for a fun change to our normal weekend routine.

Ironically enough, it now seems daunting/challenging to get back into the swing of LT life so I will be taking things slowly and coast as opposed to plowing into the new year.

Not much to report on the reading front. I found myself gravitating to TV as a form of relaxation and got hooked on a new-to-me TV show "Hot in Cleveland". I do have one book review to post - an LTER book so full review to follow - and I have even managed to update my walking journey.... although there hasn't been all that much walking to update over the past three weeks. ;-)

92lkernagh
des. 20, 2015, 12:11 pm


Book #103 - Christmas, Actually: A Holiday Collection by Katie Rose, Guest Pryal
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: LTER
Format: E-book
Original publication date: July 12, 2015
Acquisition date: December 4, 2015
Page count: 189 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing webpage:
You never know how Christmas will turn out! Festive and fun, or dreary and dull? While the holidays are magical for some, they are somber for others. Christmas, Actually is a holiday collection that runs the gamut of seasonal emotions: humor, hope, joy, confusion, excitement. Curl up next to the fire, and laugh, cry and dream along with the characters in this collection of holiday tales. Christmas past, Christmas present, and Christmas future... All play a part in Christmas, Actually.
Review:
This was a perfect read for my rather frazzled, pre-holiday work and personal life stressed out mind to sink into. The collection contains five wonderfully contemporary - and one uniquely futuristic - story that really brings home the holiday season for me. Why did I enjoy the stories so much? It is all about the characters and experiencing their family/relationship/ "coming to terms with the hand life has dealt them" issues during one of the most stressful Christian holiday seasons of the calendar year. The stories are fresh. Even though the characters are facing - or trying to avoid facing - issues that have arrived on their doorsteps unannounced, been festering inside them for years, or are a result of OCD tendencies in the pursuit of the "perfect" holiday display, there is still a sparkle, a vibrancy that communicates, "all is not lost". I should mention that the stories are not focused on the Christmas holiday. That just happens to be the common link of the stories. Life continues to happen at this time or year, for good or for bad, and these stories are about finding the good in the craziness that consumes so many people. I also liked the fact that this collection of stories by different authors, didn't have that disjointed smashed together anthology feel to it. I could flow from one contemporary story to the next without experiencing that jarring "different author, drastically different writing style" effect that can occur in some anthologies. I found the futuristic story to be more experimental in form, which was good and bad. Good in that the author completely re-worked the birth of Christ as salvation story and gave it a really interesting futuristic, pending apocalyptic vibe. Bad in that the Chris Aftermaths character came across as an exaggerated emphatic individual, giving the story an extra level of drama it really didn't need.

Overall, a well put together collection of holiday stories that helped me to escape the stresses of my own crazy and unplanned pre-holiday insanity. Balm of the senses.

93lkernagh
Editat: des. 20, 2015, 4:52 pm

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


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







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

UPDATE: WEEKS 21, 22 & 23
Kilometers walked this week: 53.8
Kilometers walked in total: 1,108.45
Current province: (AB)
My current location on the map: In Banff, which happens to be one of my favorite places!
Points of interest along the way: I love the Rocky Mountains between Lake Louise and Banff. So beautiful. As you can see, my walking has taken a serious nose-dive. I am stunned that it took me three weeks to walk the same distance I was average on a weekly basis during the summer and fall. Time to pull my socks up and get back into the walking mode. Now, if only the darn weather would cooperate.. ;-)

94RidgewayGirl
des. 20, 2015, 12:13 pm

You could just go ahead and leave 2015 behind and start over on the 2016 category challenge.

And I'm glad you've healed and are set to enjoy a calm and restorative holiday season.

95VivienneR
des. 20, 2015, 12:18 pm

So sorry to hear of your problems. It's a shock to discover that we are not invincible. I hope your improvement continues and you will be well again to enjoy your low-key Christmas, walking, and LT in 2016.

96cbl_tn
des. 20, 2015, 1:11 pm

It's good to see you back and hear that things are improving from your low point a few weeks ago. Keep that arm rested and have a lovely, low-stress holiday!

97lkernagh
des. 20, 2015, 1:35 pm

>94 RidgewayGirl: - Very tempting thought to just start fresh in 2016!

>95 VivienneR: - I have been joking at work that I should have read the fine print on the warranty for some of my body parts. LOL! Today is the first day in 4 weeks that I am attempting to make bread from scratch and I have noticed that my left shoulder - in particular, the upper muscle region - is not happy with the 5 minutes of hand kneading I just did. We may be sticking to bakery bread for another couple of weeks. The last think I want is to do some repeat damage to my arm. ;-(

>96 cbl_tn: - As per my comment above to Vivienne, it would appear that your suggestion to keep the arm rested is a good one! We have had some fun trying out some of the local bakery breads but it is hard in that so many of the breads they make include whole seeds. My other half has a problem with passing whole seeds through his digestive system (as you know, our bodies don't digest seeds, they pass on through) so it has been challenging buying bread that is "seed-free" and still of the whole grain variety that we love to consume.

98rabbitprincess
des. 20, 2015, 2:36 pm

Ouch on the arm injury! Hope you're able to continue taking it easy.

99Tanya-dogearedcopy
des. 20, 2015, 2:57 pm

Glad to see you near full recovery! :-)

100lkernagh
des. 20, 2015, 4:54 pm

>98 rabbitprincess: - I don't do pain very well so "Ouch" is the perfect term! I will have the ability to continue to take it easy, if I slow down and don't do anything stupid like dive into a bunch of holiday baking that could aggravate my arm. Thankfully, I just have shortbread and mincemeat tarts on my baking list so we should be able to manage that, I ope. ;-)

>99 Tanya-dogearedcopy: - Thanks!

101dudes22
des. 20, 2015, 5:27 pm

Glad to hear you're better. It's a tough time of year to be slowed down by any type of illness.

102Nickelini
des. 20, 2015, 5:35 pm

Glad that you're back and that you're still walking!

103thornton37814
des. 20, 2015, 9:14 pm

Glad to hear you are doing better. I turned something in my left shoulder about a week ago and have a little pain in it. It's slowly improving. Just from my little bit of pain, I'm glad I am not suffering to the extent you have have been and can empathize with you.

104DeltaQueen50
des. 21, 2015, 1:32 am

Great to see you posting, Lori. Glad to hear you are recovering as this time of year takes a lot of stamina. Boy, a stress free, low-key holiday sounds so good, unfortunately I seem to have more commitments than ever this year!

105MissWatson
des. 21, 2015, 4:10 am

Glad to see you're back and mending and I hope that you will have a low-stress holiday season!

106AHS-Wolfy
des. 21, 2015, 7:21 am

Happy to see you back and on the road to recovery Lori. Make sure it stays that way!

107mamzel
des. 22, 2015, 12:08 pm

Sorry to hear about your arm. How strange! At least you're able to keep up with your walking goals. And it gave you a chance to catch up with a fun series. Yay Betty White!

108lkernagh
des. 23, 2015, 9:11 pm

Thanks Betty, Joyce, Lori, Judy, Birgit, Dave and mamzel. Great to be back.

>101 dudes22: - Part of me - a very small part of me - wishes I had the flu or something that would convince me to stop moving forward with various holiday plans. Having a bit of a gimped shoulder doesn't seem to cut it some how as a "Get out of Holiday Prep" card.

>102 Nickelini: - Walking continues, but I am starting to grudge this dreary, rainy weather we are having. Makes it hard for me to want to go out walking in it, know that I will come home cold, damp and in need of a hot shower or bath. ;-)

>103 thornton37814: - Oh, Lori. Not good. I hope your shoulder is on the mend. ;-(

>104 DeltaQueen50: - I hope the holiday commitments don't overwhelm you, Judy! If it involves gret times with family, then it is all worth it. ;-)

>105 MissWatson: - I will join you with fingers-crossed for a low-stress holiday season. Today we managed to deal with the old furniture we no longer need due to the home improvement project so I can breath a sigh of relief that that isn't still hanging over my head... or creating interesting obstacles in the house.

>106 AHS-Wolfy: - Thanks Dave! I promise to do my darnedest to stay on the road to recovery. :-)

>107 mamzel: - I am hooked on Hot in Cleveland! The whole cast works great together and I love the verbal zingers they sling at each other. Betty White is fantastic. Loved her, and the whole cast of Golden Girls, but it is really fun to watch her teaching her younger cast mates a thing or two. ;-)

109lkernagh
Editat: des. 23, 2015, 9:46 pm

As I mentioned above, it feels good to be back and on the mend. My arm is a little stiff today but I know that is from a combination of bread kneading, computer work and lugging some heavy furniture around so more rest for the arm and just overall taking things easy over the holidays is in the forecast. We are currently experiencing a lot of dreary, cold rain. Oh well, I should stop hoping for a White Christmas where we live. ;-)

I just have two more baked goodies to make and one last run out to the grocery store tomorrow morning and the house will be set for the holidays. It just isn't Christmas without mincemeat tarts, shortbread and a box of mandarin oranges to munch on in the house.

110lkernagh
Editat: des. 23, 2015, 9:24 pm

As we are fast approaching the holiday, I want to wish all my LT friends

111Nickelini
des. 23, 2015, 9:57 pm

I am starting to grudge this dreary, rainy weather we are having. Makes it hard for me to want to go out walking in it, know that I will come home cold, damp and in need of a hot shower or bath.

Oh, I hear you! Some days I don't mind, but mostly, I look for a clear break or just skip it. Yesterday we drove up to Baker -- I didn't feel like skiing, but thought I'd go for a walk. It was gorgeous! They have the most snow of any ski hill in the United States at the moment. But it was -7C, so I just stayed in the lodge, looking out the window, drinking tea and finishing Smilla's Sense of Snow, which I was finding a bit of a slog. No wifi, so I hunkered down and read with the winter wonderland around me. No walk, yet again.

112karenmarie
des. 24, 2015, 9:57 am

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Lori!

I don't post often, but do enjoy your threads.

113RidgewayGirl
des. 24, 2015, 11:40 am

Happy Holidays, Lori. May they be merry and bright. And less rainy.

114VivienneR
des. 24, 2015, 3:38 pm



Merry Christmas Lori!

115rabbitprincess
des. 24, 2015, 4:04 pm

Merry Christmas, Lori!

116paruline
des. 24, 2015, 5:17 pm

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season and a great reading year in 2016!

117lkernagh
des. 24, 2015, 5:18 pm

>111 Nickelini: - Your trip to Baker sounds wonderful, Joyce!

>112 karenmarie: - Thanks! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, karenmarie!

>113 RidgewayGirl: - Merry, bright and less rainy sounds like the perfect Christmas Day formula to me! Thanks!

>114 VivienneR: - What a gorgeous picture! Thank you, Vivienne!

>115 rabbitprincess: - Merry Christmas RP! If you have snow, please throw a snowball for me! ;-)

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

It is Christmas eve afternoon in my neck of the woods. Shortbread and mince tarts have been baked, the house has a full supply of mandarin oranges, the day old spelt bread has been cubed and is drying out in the oven for stuffing and I am just waiting for the yogurt to drain so that I can make this Lemon Dill Yogurt Dressing for the spinach salad that will part of tonight's dinner. Christmas can now happen. ;-)

I have tried to make the rounds of the threads with happy holidays wishes so if I have missed your thread, I apologize!

118lkernagh
des. 24, 2015, 5:18 pm

>116 paruline: -Thanks paruline!

119dudes22
Editat: des. 25, 2015, 7:18 am

Merry Christmas Lori!

120Roro8
des. 26, 2015, 12:02 am

So nice to see you back Lori.

Merry Christmas to you!

121kac522
Editat: des. 26, 2015, 1:38 am

Glad things settled down before the holidays, Lori. Wishing you peace and health in 2016...and lots of good reading!

122lkernagh
des. 26, 2015, 3:47 pm

>119 dudes22:, >120 Roro8: and Betty, Ro and Kathy!

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas. Ours was low-key as planned. My other half and I had a good chuckle when we discovered that we had both bought the exact same Christmas card to give to the other! It would appear that we tend to think more a like than originally thought. Either that or the card selection at Hallmark was exceptionally bad this year. ;-)

Our Christmas day dinner was a non-traditional one. Went for seafood instead of the usual turkey and still managed to stuff ourselves on bacon-wrapped scallops, jumbo prawns in garlic butter, oven roasted asparagus and shiitake mushroom risotto with warm mince tarts and brandy infused whipping cream for dessert. Tonight's dinner will be a more low-key affair. Probably a chicken stir fry.

Not sure if I will get another book read before 2016 rolls in, but I do have two more books to add to my finished in 2015 count. That and the end of year meme.....

123lkernagh
des. 26, 2015, 3:47 pm


Book #104 - The Leprechauns of Union Township by James F. Walsh
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: E-book
Original publication date: January 4, 2014
Acquisition date: February 16, 2014
Page count: 176 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing webpage:
When a descendant of Irish immigrants to America relocated from a bustling city to the quiet back acres of an Indianan rural township in Marshal County where there were hills, valleys and eskars formed in ancient times by mile high ice, as if in Ireland, the wonderful power of Celtic imagination was actuated. There were leprechauns everywhere!
Review:
Sweet and charming are the first two words that come to mind to describe this short story collection. The stories are wholesome fairy-tale reading, especially as the idea of two young children being lost overnight in the woods doesn't seem to raise any alarm bells in town, but hey, fairy-tales only incorporate part of reality. Part of me wished that the fairyland influence was more pronounced in the stories but I had to remind myself that the idea of a tiny leprechauns the size of a thumb and are able to stand on a toadstool or perch on a shoulder don't really need to take up a whole lot of real estate. A hollowed out log can be a cavernous banquet hall for these tiny folks!

Overall, a charming collection of short stories with some good morals and values for readers to appreciate.

124lkernagh
des. 26, 2015, 3:48 pm


Book #105 - The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 1999
Acquisition date: February 22, 2009
Page count: 304 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the public library website book listing webpage:
Jane Rosenal sets out on a personal and spirited expedition through the perilous terrain of sex, love, relationships, and the treacherous waters of the workplace. What is love, she wonders, as she scrutinizes the wiles and ways of older, possibly wiser women; casts a questioning eye toward various species of couples; and holds out her wrists for a spritz of perfume from her beautiful boss ... How do you find it (and keep it) - and above all, who makes the rules? From being swept off her feet by an older man into a Fitzgeradesque world of cocktail parties, country house and rules-that-were-made-to-be-broken, to a soul-searching game of strip poker in a floating house in St. Croix and repairing to the self-help shelves for assistance with a budding romance, Jane learns not only when to fish and when to cut bait, but who really makes the rules.
Review:
This is one of those strange books that I find to be a sophisticated, compelling read at the start but by the end I am a bit done with the overall smartness of the writing, if that makes any sense. As a series of connected stories - with Jane as the lynch pin - younger Jane comes across as worldly beyond her years, with a learned adult's range of philosophical colloquialism to carry her forward. The writing style has its pluses and minuses. As a series of bursts of pointed communications, Banks is able to provide pinpoint focus to what she wants to convey. On the down side, the stories have a bit of a disjointed feel to them. It also doesn't help when some of the more mini-bursts do nothing more than to give the stories that Fitzgeraldesque feeling. The following are just two examples of what I am talking about:
"He was some sort of boxing champion," she told me the night she took me out to celebrate my graduation. "He was always punching someone in the nose."
"Macho," I said.
"No," she said. "It was the clarity of expression that appealed to him."
- - - - -
I say that getting married isn't like winning the Miss America Pageant; it doesn't all come down to the bathing suit competition.
"What do you think it comes down to?" she says.
I say, "Baton twirling."
Don't get me wrong. Banks does have an unerring ability to assess and bring forward "in perfect pitch what it's like to be a young woman coming of age" during the late 1990's and possibly even today. At times fresh and funny, the stories that resonated more with me were the ones with the harder hitting real-life focus beyond just the relationship of the moment. While I found the stories to be interesting overall, Jane as a character started to wear off on me, especially when some of the things coming out of her mouth left me wondering if she shouldn't be drinking martinis and smoking cigarettes at some flashy 1920's literary party than engaging in conversation with her girlfriend while driving the expressway into the Bronx to go shopping at Loehmann's. Just saying....

125lkernagh
des. 26, 2015, 3:51 pm

End of Year Book Meme:

Just fill in the answers with books you've read this year. Here are my answers to the meme:

Describe yourself: A Disobedient Girl
Describe how you feel: Crazy
Describe where you currently live: Main Street
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The White Rhino Hotel
Your favorite form of transportation: Pelquin's Comet
Your best friend is: Mariana
You and your friends are: Remembering Laughter
What’s the weather like: Something Wicked This Way Comes
You fear: Gods Behaving Badly
What is the best advice you have to give: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Thought for the day: I is for Innocent
How I would like to die: Getting Stoned with Savages - okay, not really but it was the best title response I could come up with. ;-)
My soul’s present condition: Pure

126dudes22
des. 26, 2015, 9:08 pm

>122 lkernagh: - My husband and I bought the same card for each other once at Christams too. And last year we each bought the other egg poachers to use in the microwave.

I need to start looking at my books for answers to the meme.

127VioletBramble
des. 26, 2015, 9:22 pm

Happy Holidays Lori!

128VivienneR
des. 27, 2015, 4:00 pm

>125 lkernagh: I love this list! Especially your favourite form of transportation!

Hope you don't mind, I took your idea and started a new thread: "End of the Year Book Meme".

129-Eva-
des. 27, 2015, 4:25 pm

Hello there! Good to hear you got to have a reasonably pain-free Christmas! :) I love that you got each other the same card - great minds think alike...?

130thornton37814
des. 28, 2015, 8:51 pm

>125 lkernagh: I'm holding off on the meme until I know I've finished my 2015 reads. I'm certain I'll finish 2 more and probably at least 3. I'd love to finish a 4th one!

131lkernagh
des. 29, 2015, 7:54 pm

>126 dudes22: - Sounds like you and your husband are like-minded thinkers, Betty!

>127 VioletBramble: - Thanks Violet! I hope your holidays have been wonderful.

>128 VivienneR: - Some of the meme questions can be a little challenging to come up with answers for. ;-) This year was better than previous years. Wonderful on starting a meme thread! I must track it down!

>129 -Eva-: - Hi Eva, pain-free Christmas is my idea of a good Christmas. ;-) I am still chuckling over the 'same cards' thing.

>130 thornton37814: - Sounds like a good plan, Lori. I have finished one more book and hope to finish two more before we ring in 2016. ;-)

132lkernagh
des. 29, 2015, 7:55 pm

I have been taking advantage of the post-Christmas weather we have been having to get in some serious walking time. Other than that, continuing to take it easy and get in some reading time. I have also been experimenting a bit in the kitchen. I attempted to make this yeast-free bread made with baking powder and club soda and something didn't quite work out as hoped. I probably should have followed the recipe "to the letter" and maybe I should have turned to oven down a bit - I have noticed that living at sea level, I need to adjust recipe temps by 25-50 degrees but I wasn't sure if the recipe was also originally created at sea level - and that may have stopped the secondary eruption of dough from rising out of the top of the loaf. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of that one. ;-)

Now to post my last walking journey update for 2015 and I have one more book completed and review ready for posting.

133lkernagh
des. 29, 2015, 7:55 pm

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


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







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

UPDATE: WEEK 24
Kilometers walked this week: 12.7
Kilometers walked in total: 1,121.15
Current province: (AB)
My current location on the map: Still in Banff National Park, now east of the Banff township and heading towards Harvie Heights.
Points of interest along the way: The Mount Rundle mountain range (a smaller range within the Rockies) provides wonderful scenery while traveling from Banff towards Canmore and Calgary. This week also ranks as the lowest week for km walked. Time to get back into the walking mode, but it is just so darn hard during the holidays.... ;-)

134lkernagh
Editat: des. 29, 2015, 9:51 pm


Book #106 - The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy - audiobook narrated by Bronson Pinchot
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 480 pages / 9 hours and 5 minutes of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing webpage:
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the princes stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.
Review:
With this first book in what is currently a three book series, Healy has taken the characters from four of the classic fairy tales and created a unique tale of princely - and princessly - adventure, with a wonderful comic flare to it. Yes, our "Princesses" are still in the picture, even if the focus is on the guys. Under Healy's pen the princesses are not the "damsels in distress" to be rescued and swept off their feet like in the original stories. Nope. Far from it, and one of the reasons I found this story to be a delightfully fresh, charming and entertaining tale for me: the interesting character makeovers Healy has given the princesses really did it: the nasty despot Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty; the adventure seeking Ella (Cinderella); the still caring but "I need my own space" Snow White and Rapanzel the healer. Even the princes are wonderful: Rapunzel's fighter with anger management issues Prince Gustof; Ella's dainty flute playing, spoon collecting Prince Frederick; Snow White's some what dim but lovable Prince Duncan and dashing Prince Liam who is doing whatever he can to stay clear of marriage-hungry Briar Rose. If that isn't enough to entice you to read this one, there is also an eloquently spoken gentle giant, a temper-tantrum throwing 10-year-old robber king and an evil witch who has a thing against bards who never seem to get the story right - don't we all? - to give our adventurers more than enough to keep them occupied. In a nutshell, Healy has done for fairy-tales what Marie Phillips did for Camelot with her The Table of Less Valued Knights: provided readers with a comically different take/point-of-view on those childhood staples. Good stuff. I have already downloaded and started listening to the next book in the series, The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle.

135andreablythe
des. 30, 2015, 12:18 pm

Happy Holidays and New Year!
(I'm so far behind that I'll never catch up on everything, so this is the speed read version...)

>49 lkernagh:
Love the crafts, especially the little jar ornaments. How cool!

>73 lkernagh:
Picture of a scythe on the cover immediately grabs my attention. Love stories about female reapers, so I may have to pick that one up.

>125 lkernagh:
How fun. Although getting stoned by savages sounds like not so much fun. ;)

>133 lkernagh:
Fantastic work on your trans-canada challenge. Getting over 1100 km is a huge amount of walking.

136lkernagh
Editat: des. 30, 2015, 6:55 pm

Thanks Andrea! Graveyard Shift was, and probably still is, a free e-book download. I am still trying to track down book two in the series as the Kobo store - for some strange reason - does not have book two, but they do have book three and I think even book four in the series. Crazy. The story is great fun, if you do decide to read it!

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

The 'early to bed' kind of gal that I am was up rather late last night and was still awake when the 4.3 earthquake occurred near Victoria. No big impact, in fact, if I had been a sleep I probably would have slept right through it but still a reminder that Victoria and most of the BC coast is an earthquake zone.

Taking it easy this afternoon. Getting back into the practice/habit of making my own bread. Kind of had to as the bakeries I went to are all shut for the holidays until Jan 2nd or later. One of the downsides of living in a sleepy town like Victoria... some stores do shut for Christmas and don't reopen until after New Years. ;-)

I am hoping to get a couple of more books read before 2016 becomes official.

137lkernagh
Editat: des. 30, 2015, 6:02 pm


Book #107 - np by Banana Yoshimoto - translated from the Japanese by Ann Sherif
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 1994
Acquisition date:November 26, 2014
Page count: 194
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website booklisting webpage:
A celebrated Japanese writer has committed suicide, leaving behind a collection of stories written in English, N.P. But the book may never be published in his native Japan: each translator who takes up the ninety-eighth story chooses death too -- including Kazami Kano's boyfriend, Shoji. Haunted by Shoji's death, Kazami is inexorably drawn to three young people whose lives are intimately bound to the late writer and his work. Over the course of an astonishing summer, she will discover the truth behind the ninety-eighth story -- and she will come to believe that "everything that had happened was shockingly beautiful enough to make you crazy."
Review:
One thing I love about Yoshimoto's writing is her ability to capture reality while at the same time transporting the reader into another world. The world of Yoshimoto's stories have all the necessary elements of our reality while at the same time infused with a feeling of magical surrealism. Reading her stories I feel as though they are projected on a large movie screen and I am sitting so close I feel as though I can reach out my hand and almost touch the action playing out before me. Yoshimoto admits in the afterword that she tried to touch on as many themes of interest to her as possible, so the story is a blending of lesbianism, incestuous relationships (what she refers to as "love within the family), telepathy, empathy, religion, occult, and so on. A lot to cram into a mere 194 page book! A lot to examine/analyze or if you are like me, to just enjoy how Yoshimoto makes it all work as a cohesive story. The story also touches on a topic that fascinates me as a reader: the role of a translator and written works. The following quote struck me as being particularly apt:
"You become so involved with the writer's style that it starts to feel like your own. You spend hours every day with it, and then you end up feeling that you alone had created it in the first place, and then your thoughts fall into sync with the author's, and that's very peculiar. Why, sometimes I get so far into an author's thought processes that I feel no resistance at all. I become unable to distinguish my thoughts from hers, and sometimes I find myself thinking the way she would, not just about the book, but about my own life, even when I am not translating. Particularly if the author has a very strong personality, a translator gets drawn in so tightly, much more so than an ordinary reader would."
Another fascinating read by an author I find isn't afraid to push some boundaries with her writing.

138rabbitprincess
des. 30, 2015, 6:41 pm

Oh yes I did hear about the earthquake! Glad to hear there was no major damage for you.

139lkernagh
des. 30, 2015, 6:59 pm

No damage and I just realized that my post about the earthquake probably makes no sense since it refers to a comment I had made over on my 75 group thread. Basically, my first impression was that something heavy dropped and clattered on the roof. Itt was my other half who thought it was an earthquake. It is the first earthquake I have felt in some time now here on the island so I am kind of hoping this doesn't become a pattern. ;-)

140mathgirl40
des. 30, 2015, 9:00 pm

I'm finally catching up with my favourite threads and glad to hear that some of the stressful situations in your life have been resolved. Sorry to hear about the shoulder and arm problems. I've also been plagued with these issues in the past (from computer work and knitting). I've trained myself to be ambidextrous with my computer mouse, so that I can switch when one arms starts getting sore.

I've not read NP yet, but I do like Banana Yoshimoto's writing a lot.

141VivienneR
des. 31, 2015, 5:17 pm

142lkernagh
des. 31, 2015, 8:58 pm

>140 mathgirl40: - Smart idea to become ambidextrous! I have to remind myself to mix things up a bit and not engage in repetitive activities with the same arm. Yoshimoto is quite the writer! Have you read Lizard? Great stories!

>141 VivienneR: - Awe, thanks Vivienne! What a wonderful Happy New Year card!

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

I managed to squeeze in two more reads to close out my 2015 reading on a high note, mainly because it was 'flippin' cold today! I am not used to seeing the morning frost on the roofs of the houses on the street still there at noon. Great 'reading indoors' weather. ;-)

Two more reviews and a yearly wrap to follow and then we can say good by to 2015.

143lkernagh
des. 31, 2015, 8:58 pm


Book #108 - The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy - audiobook narrated by Bronson Pinchot
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2013
Acquisition date:N/A
Page count: 512 pages / 10 hours, 18 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website booklisting webpage:
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You remember them, don't you? They're the Princes Charming, who finally got some credit after they stepped out of the shadows of their princesses—Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Briar Rose—to defeat an evil witch bent on destroying all their kingdoms. But alas, such fame and recognition only last so long. And when the princes discover that an object of great power might fall into any number of wrong hands, they are going to have to once again band together to stop it from happening—even if no one will ever know it was they who did it.
Review:
Big sigh of relief that book two in The League of Princes series has proven to be just as much fun as the first book. Nice to see the friendships and budding romances develop along with the characters. The story has its slow bits, which was okay as I was enjoying the dynamics that were building between the characters. It was nice to see all of the characters back, including Prince Liam's younger sister Lila, Ruffian (the bounty hunter) and Briar Rose. Especially Briar Rose.... what a great character! She kind of reminds me of Regina/Evil Queen in Once Upon a Time, she has that kind of nasty side to her that isn't 100% evil. Not sure I like the voice Pinchot gave to Snow White, although I have to admit that he did capture her slightly sappy personality very well. Looking forward to continuing with series as a lovely bit of escapism reading... especially given the interesting "tidbit" of information offered at the end of this one.

144lkernagh
des. 31, 2015, 8:59 pm


Book #109 - Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto - translated from the Japanese by Ann Sherif
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 1995
Acquisition date:November 26, 2014
Page count: 180 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.00 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the book inside cover flap:
In each of these six stories, the reader experiences Yoshimoto's original spin on magical realism and her own special Japanese kind of postmodernism - a blending of the traditional and popular culture, of the "old ways" and modern values through contemporary fiction of life and love. In each unique story, Yoshimoto's characters find themselves caught in emotional webs that they often initially fail to understand, but they discover themselves and in the process reinvent themselves through the power of the stories they tell.
Review:
This is Yoshimoto's first book of short stories, which she wrote after Kitchen and np. While Yoshimoto may not be confident about the success of her attempt at different narrative approaches with these stories (as she states in her afterword) - I found all six stories to work very well in communicating the raising awakening of awareness, hope and healing in her characters. If you have never read any of Yoshimoto's works, I can recommend this short story collection as the perfect forum to first experience Yoshimoto's gift for writing down to earth stories that explore such heady topics of time, healing, karma and fate.

145lkernagh
des. 31, 2015, 9:01 pm

Year End Summary:

# Books Read: 109
# Pages Read: 31,770
Average # pages read per day: 87.04 pages
# ROOTs read: 34
Best reading month stats:
- - - # books read: August (13 books read)
- - - # pages read: August (4,150 pages read)
- - - highest overall rating: February (4.07 decimal rating)

Top 10 Reads in 2015 (by decimal rating):




A Thousand Hills by Stephen Kinzer - 5.00
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - 4.85
Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich - 4.80
The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull - 4.70
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - 4.65
Alphabetique by Molly Peacock - 4.40
Light Boxes by Shane Jones - 4.40
The Aspern Papers by Henry James - 4.40
The Wars by Timothy Findley - 4.40
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan - 4.30

146lkernagh
des. 31, 2015, 9:01 pm

I want to wish all my LT friends a wonderful end to 2015 and hearty welcome to 2016!


147rabbitprincess
des. 31, 2015, 9:03 pm

Looks like you had a great reading year! Here's to another great reading year in 2016!

148lkernagh
gen. 1, 2016, 1:10 pm

Thanks RP!

149paruline
gen. 2, 2016, 6:58 pm

Sounds like you had a great reading year! Happy New Year!

150andreablythe
gen. 4, 2016, 11:57 pm

Happy New Year!

I wasn't able to keep up toward the end, but I'm looking forward to booking it with you in 2016. :)

151LisaMorr
gen. 5, 2016, 7:10 pm

Congrats on a great reading year and here's to 2016!

152lkernagh
gen. 5, 2016, 10:45 pm

Thanks Paruline, Andrea and Lisa! I am hoping that 2016 will be another great reading year. ;-)