Today I traveled south on the Ermine Road to Huntingdonshire. Sorry, I couldn't resist and where else could I ever say that! ;). Other words I road along with dh on a work related drive on the A1.....which meant I got to read! Finally finished the new Flavia The Grave's a Fine and Private Place https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34837078-the-grave-s-a-fine-and-private-place. It wasn't the best or the worst in the series which sort of sums it up without spoilers. The family plus Dogger go on holiday to recover from the trauma from the last book. Their holiday is interrupted when Flavia encounters her next case. Without her lab Dogger assists in some clever chemical testing. In this book Dogger steps forward as a solid steadfast friend who is healing from his WWII experience which was truly the best bit for me. Truly a reliable adult in Flavia's life, woot! I was disappointed that it was set at Buckshaw, still in a made up village setting but not the one I love. The only real location given was that this village is a stopover for some on their way to Exeter. From where I ask! :lol: I am not sure if there is another book planned for this series but want to say I felt satisfied with this one's ending. I was rather horrified at the end of Brinded Cat so am relieved to be able to say it no more are written I am good. I am looking forward to other's reactions.......

No, I wish we were going with him! Dh's contribution includes a copy of the little red book so your Mao suit memories would fit in well with our preparation! I thought about teaching him how to eat with chop sticks but am afraid that would totally freak him out. He isn't a Chinese food fan at the best of times, prefers his food very mild...I see lots of rice in his future! We plan to order some basics as an intro this weekend and have a feast. We will love it and I hope he will. Any ideas for a good basic dish that he might actually be able to get there? The quilt is all paper pieced which I love to do. The white is boring me hugely but that part should be done in the next week.

I went searching for The Flower Master and found several others in the series. No Flower Master which was disappointing. I have them marked on my wish lists for future reading. I really enjoyed the Inspector Chen book. I get to quiz my friend's hubby about it this weekend because we are preparing him for a month long business trip to China. Reading that book was my contribution to the project. ;) I am going to be honest and say Tom's Midnight Garden is another fabulous read aloud. I had never heard of it before moving here and was rather unimpressed by the library. This an 12 or so other books(Narnia an Wind in the Willows) were it for the children's classics so Tom's Midnight Garden was read. Loved it, it's an old movie also. I am a Lucy Boston quilt fan. Really, really, huge fan. I adore her work! I am actually working on one of her famous patterns right now called Patchwork of the Crosses https://www.greenknowe.co.uk/gallery11.html Mine is bolder, reds, greens, and purples on white. I made a table runner for a friend last year in those colours and loved it so am using the colour scheme for something bigger. I haven't been to her house yet but plan to go with or without dd this year. Last year my trip kept getting postponed due to others commitments.... I have decided dh can be my quilt buddy. :lol: Yes, he will be sitting on a bench in the garden while I explore the quilts! Thank you for finding a picture, I couldn't visualize it and hadn't had a chance to go hunting. I love seeing other's craft ideas. So Quilt, is this the right idea?

I love books about the Tudors and immerse myself periodically. I am currently listening to a Fiona Buckley series which could be so much better which sent me hunting for something better. I ran into a great booklist http://thetudorenthusiast.weebly.com/tudor-books.html. So many great ideas! I have spent a huge amount of time going through this list and could spend several more hours. Amy, you must look........

I looked up the quote which I believe is what the title originates from back when I read it. Just found it again......the full quote is "Unless some sweetness at the bottom of the pie lie, who cares for all the crinkling of the pie". Which is essentially saying if the pie isn't sweet it doesn't matter what it looks like! My fil used to say something pretty similar when I baked for him to remind me to add an extra cup of sugar to his pies so the quote was a familiar one. My pies are never attractive but he made sure they were sweet! The English version of the title imo refers to Flavia's ability to find the good in her life which on the surface is a sad one. So her pie is ugly but tastes nice.....She searches for sweet things along with her need for the truth(the venom, I guess). The Dutch version's title seems to have a different emphasis because it is referring to the venom primarily. Not as optimistic? The Lindgrin book looks great but I couldn't find it in English. I am tempted to try and find a German translation for dh and dd. Eta..I was writing when Alice posted. Glad to see she has the same quote!

Not a cooking cozy but the best that was available. Generally I enjoy Flavia and am wondering if the translation into Dutch took away a bit of the charm because Sweetness was probably the best one in the series! ;). The end feeling was right because you are comfortably giving it to your dd. I think a good cozy is one that I would have happily given to my dd at about 15. So happy to have your lists back! I had a great time reading them this morning. ? I really need to read Rethinking School. I keep reading everyone's perspectives on it and a small part of my brain has been chanting but you are done, so why read another home ed book. My love for SWB was the only motivating factor but you somehow convinced me I might just enjoy it. ;) In the next coupe of months I will read it. Onto the Olympics..... Not stalking you but I read some of the Olympic thread and noticed you are a Hamilton fan also. He is wonderful and has a new book out called Finish First https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35540971-finish-first?ac=1&from_search=true which is on my list just because it's Scott Hamilton. What a true gentlemen. I am curious about what he has to say on this topic. A friend just made a knitted quilt which I love. I knit and quilt so it's tempting. I hope you plan to show us when you finish! You probably know the answer to one of my location questions....Do the Father Brown books give an actual location. I skimmed an couldn't find one. Also hate small print ;) I wouldn't put Sunshine in the top 100 either. It was good but not that exceptional. My hold on the latest Wayward Children appeared last night. At some point I will need to hop off the Brit trip bus to read it!

:grouphug:

So it's good that I have books returning to the library with only a brief glance! :lol: ;)

Ooooh, a new Patricia Briggs! I didn't know about that one. It's now on hold. :lol: I am setting a few books aside for you so don't order it. ;) I am listening to a book in Fiona Buckley's Ursala Blanchard. This one is set in Hertfordshire but the next one is in Cambridgeshire. So you know what I am trying to do! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11442842-to-ruin-a-queen I am currently reading The Man in the Queue by Tey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243400.The_Man_in_the_Queue and The Grave is a Fine and Private Thing the latest Flavia De Luce https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34837078-the-grave-s-a-fine-and-private-place. Now for Cambridgeshire.... I am planning to read Mistress of the Art of Death by Arian Franklin. This is a series that I have tried unsuccessfully to read in the past but my bf loves it. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2228348.Mistress_of_the_Art_of_Death I am also looking forward to Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18929647-cambridge-blue I have had a Sci Fi audio that is supposed to have a Cambridge connection on hold for quite awhile called The Three Body Problem. Who knows if it will arrive in time. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20518872-the-three-body-problem?ac=1&from_search=true

Loesje, I know you have access to Agatha Christie books via your library but am wondering if you have access to Josephine Tey, specifically Man in the Queue? Also assuming Dorothy Sayers is easy?

I spent part of the night being very quiet reading and browsing on my fire while hubby was sleeping beside me. Can't remember what led me to this list of the best Murakami books https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/63604-the-10-best-haruki-murakami-books.html but was very surprised to discover that thanks to this years marathon reading of the Rat trilogy I only have one more to go and I will have read all of his "bests." Next January will probably find me reading Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10374.Hard_Boiled_Wonderland_and_the_End_of_the_World?ac=1&from_search=true. I have to admit it wasn't my planned choice before finding this list but a sci fi detective story by Murakami probably is good. :) I finished my London based Carola Dunn. It was rather blah. Set in the natural history museum which thanks to a dinosaur obsession that the dc's had I know pretty well. ;) I had expected to love this one so ended up disappointed. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/610775.Rattle_His_Bones

I will be honest and say most weeks my IP is only used for making rice and potatoes but it is used most days for one or the other. I even bought an extra pot liner because I needed one. I don’t have a great deal of cupboard or counter space but am happy to give space to th IP because I actually use it. I have used it for beans etc successfully. The best thing about it is it can do more if needed. Love it! My dh has been happily referring to the IP as my fancy rice cooker;) so when we priced rice cookers we were surprised to discover I didn’t spend much more but actually have something that can do so much more.

My 2p........ We used FLL briefly when it first came out before Kindles. We liked it and I think it would work well with the way you are going to be traveling. I think it will get the job done. Don’t overthink. One of the best things I did during our big move was buy notebooks in the style of Draw Write Now. The top half of the page was blank for a drawing and the bottom half had big lines for handwriting practice. My kids drew a picture and wrote what we had done most days. Easy to do in the evening when winding down the day. These books are treasures. Pretty sure they came from Rainbow Resources.

Regarding the boards....my likes aren't showing. Consider all posts as liked and read. Kathy, I am sending healing thoughts and hope on have a peaceful weekend with your feet up reading a good mystery! I finished Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3902077-among-the-mad. Definitely not my favorite Maisie Dobbs but I have finally finished it after checking it out on Overdrive several times. Looking forward to continuing the series after a bit of a break. This book was sad and highlights the poor care given to the WWI veterans in the years following the war. The setting was primarily London and Kent but she does travel to a mental hospital in Buckinghamshire I believe. Forgot to write it down and the book is gone! I am back on my Charles Finch audio book marathon. Twenty minutes left in An Old Betrayal https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17286755-an-old-betrayal and I have the next one ready to go.

Kareni, I am so sorry for your loss but glad you were able to be with her. Your tribute is lovely. What an incredibly interesting lady. You have been missed greatly here.

Praying!!!

I just finished my search for the David Tennant Mansfield Park and no luck. It was listed as a not owned version on the bottom of the overdrive page so I recommended it! Who knows?

I wondered how you did on your annual Superbowl trip with James. I chuckled hearing you forgot your card and he had to pay.......my son is always prepared to pay but is really happy when someone else does! I have finished listening to both The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Whose Body?. I know I have only read each book once but have seen the Christie TV adaption multiple times which probably influenced this result. I found the first book by Sayers to be much better because Poirot took ages to figure things out and I got bored! :lol: I didn't remember all the characters as well in Sayers so it was much more entertaining. Still quilting. I had a audio book come in that I had reserved called Yesterday by Felicia Yap https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35088466-yesterday. I have no idea why I had this on hold but did listen to an hour of it. It is set in Cambridgeshire in a weird alternative world. Consider it abandoned. The cover was pretty.......

The Harry Potter books visit many counties before they finish. Sorcerer’s Stone covers both London and Surrey. Chamber of Secrets adds in Devon. After that I believe several more counties start appearing. Librarything lists them. :)http://www.librarything.com/work/5403381/commonknowledge/ I finished my cozy mystery with egg cozy in the title. Really good. Do you know what an egg cozy is? Yes, I actually do have patterns thanks to my Simply Knitting subscription but dislike soft boiled eggs so will never use them.https://www.loveknitting.com/santa-hat-egg-cosy-knitting-pattern-by-amanda-berry

Mansfield Park is on my list of books to listen to soon. I am now looking forward to it. I love David Tennant.......so just need to find the one he narrates. Glad you are enjoying The Man in the Queue. It’s on my list for this week/or at least soon also but as a reread. Planning to read the Tey books in order of publication too.

I think I have that one on my Kindle too! I like her Evans books fwiw. I have accomplished very little today other than feeding my family because I can’t make up my mind which book to read. I started two during the night .....I started a Maisie Dobbs mystery that is due to be returned in a couple of days. I like it so need to keep reading! Also my planned Deborah Crombie is started(not great)is on my kindle and walks around the house with me. Progress on both while feeding people. 😀 The book that seems to be the big distracting draw is a paper book that computer programs love to recommend to me so it must be good, right? It has been being recommended since my big cozy kick a couple of years ago regularly. I checked The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cozy out of the library a few weeks ago to try and figure out the setting/county. Today was the day as I plan to go to the library on Thursday with a bag of returns.. I still have no idea which county beyond the first bit is in London but am beyond halfway. No serious idea who did it because my main suspect is now dead. It’s a house party mystery set in the 20’s. It actually has an inspector with Scotland Yard connections. It’s gentle and not the least bit thrilling so not sure why I keep reading.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1793992.The_Affair_of_the_Blood_Stained_Egg_Cosy

Ok, you asked. ;). Not really sure, but I think it is because I accidentally signed in via the Goodreads icon once on my main page when setting up my new device.....not sure what the proper name is but the home page where they offer me tons of icons that I will never use. It’s actually a different device that I think is connecting the overdrive but I think they are “friends†now thanks to updates. This is beyond kindle syncing because I suspect my iPad with the kindle app is also involved. Don’t I sound paranoid......:lol: I have always gone in to Goodreads via my most visited websites, still do. Anyway I think I connected things that I would have preferred not to by clicking that icon and typing in my account password. That’s all I can think of. I could ask my cyber security major but would probably regret the lecture. 😳 . It’s good that you discovered the accidental membership and were able to cancel.

I finished Chrysanthemum also. C. The Crow Trap by Ann Cleve’s H. The Legend of the Highland Dragon by Isabel Cooper R. River of Darkness by Ronnie Airth Y. Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zezinho S. Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh A. A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase N. No Other Duke Will Do by Grace Burrowes T. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd H. Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami E. Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Farrell M. The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch U. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan M. The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch

One of my devices updates Goodreads thanks (sarcasm) to a recent update whenever I check a book out on Overdrive it puts it in my Currently Reading. Technically it’s true I guess but I am not necessarily the reader for everything I check out. Briefly I thought it was a programming issue but Read is totally different! :lol: That is so wonderful! What lucky little girls.......especially the one having The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe read to her. I love Narnia in general and would totally love to cuddle up and read it to someone right now. Laundry basket. 😂

Yes, those ears are potentially the oddest Murakami "thing" yet! :lol: Thank you so much for thee Agatha Christie challenge!!! I love it! I am actually already listening to The Mysterious Affair at Stylesso I have officially started working on it apparently. ;) I finished A Test of Wills by Charles Todd https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129561.A_Test_of_Wills and have to say I liked not loved it. I found it a slow read and found myself comparing it to another post WWI England read that I read while prepping for Brit Tripping also and River of Darkness won. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness. I will read more but may let the next in thee series go back to the library while I work on my stack because I have some great books! :) I am finishing Moonshadow by Thea Harrison. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32176915-moonshadow Well done fantasy so far that happens to cover two county's Shropshire and Northumberland so far. A young magical woman is offered a special manor house if she can open the door. The estate is the scene of a huge magical war apparently. Now for my London\Scotland Yard stack...... Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76884.Kissed_a_Sad_Goodbye The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243400.The_Man_in_the_Queue Whose Body by Dorothy Sayershttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192893.Whose_Body_ Rattle His Bone by Carols Dunn https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/610775.Rattle_His_Bones Gnomon by Nick Harkaway https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34974738-gnomon which is my rebel book ;) I have several more checked out but have prioritized! :lol: