Book a Week 2019 - BW43: 52 Books Bingo - Sacred

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to week forty-three  in our 52 Books rambling roads reading adventure. Greetings to all our readers, welcome to all who are joining in for the first time and everyone following our progress. Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as the central spot to share links to your book reviews. 

Our next 52 books Bingo category is Sacred. Everyone's definition of sacred is personal and the rabbit trails are numerous and varied when it comes to Sacred literature from history to inspirational to spiritual growth and more. 

The Scripture of Mankind by Samuel Charles Braden, attempts to define what is sacred literature and asks "What constitutes sacred literature? How does it differ from ordinary literature? Well, first of all, not in its being religious. For there is much religious literature that is not regarded as sacred; and a great deal of the content of so-called sacred literature is not necessarily directly religious at all, though indirectly it is usually in some way linked up with religion. In sacred literature are found history, legislation, poetry, letters, fables, myths, drama, genealogies, prophecy, visions, laments, martial songs, indeed almost the whole gamut of literary variety is to be found." 

The Internet Sacred Text Archive is a font of online books covering religion, mythology, and folklore. 

Peruse Goodreads listopia Different Takes on Religion and Spirituality to the Sacred and Secular to Desert Spirituality. 

Dip your toes into Sacred Geometry or Sacred Poetry to Thoreau on the Sacredness of Libraries or dive into the Sacred Sea. 

Read a book with Sacred in the title, spell it out or use a synonym. 

Read an old friend that is sacred to you for its mirth, depth, ever expanding hope or joy. 

Have fun following rabbit trails of thought and imagination. 

 What are you reading this week?

 

Link to week 42

[Robin M]

I'm still in a fluffy reread mode but think I may dive into Purgatoria for sacred category.  Meanwhile I'm reading M.L. Buchman's Light up the Night which is #11 in the Night Stalker series.  A huge thank you to Karen for sending me her ARC of Nora Robert's  The Rise of Magicks, the third book in the Chronicles of the One.   Looking forward to reading it.   

[Negin]

Hi Robin and thank you, as always, for my favorite thread!

I read The Forever House - 5 Stars - This is the second book that I have read and loved by Veronica Henry. I adored this one right from the get-go. It is a chick-lit romance, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s about a family living in a home called “Hunter’s Moon” set in my favorite part of England, the beautiful Cotswolds. Although it’s all a bit predictable, it was a truly heart-warming read. I already miss some of the wonderful characters.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“So often there was sadness and grief lying underneath perfection.”

“If this bloody disease has taught me anything, it's to spend more time with people you like.”

“She reflected that there was nothing more satisfying as a mother than to see your children settle with someone who felt right.”

Here are some pictures from our time in Ronda, our favorite place that we visited in all of Spain. 

-

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

The book is fantastic. It’s not perfect, since no book is, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine.

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Negin

[mumto2]

Robin,  this thread is timely.  Thank you!  I keep looking at the Sacred box on my Bingo Card wondering what to use.  I still haven’t decided 😉 but now know one of my favorites Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman will work if I decide to reread it again......just read it last year.  I love this mystery series and my library has it on audio @Liz CA.

1 minute ago, Robin M said:

I'm still in a fluffy reread mode but think I may dive into Purgatoria for sacred category.  Meanwhile I'm reading M.L. Buchman's Light up the Night which is #11 in the Night Stalker series.  A huge thank you to Karen for sending me her ARC of Nora Robert's  The Rise of Magicks, the third book in the Chronicles of the One.   Looking forward to reading it.   

That is so sweet!  When Kareni mentioned receiving the arc I was pretty excited for her!  Now I get to be happy for Robin!  I put a hold on it and am number three so know I have it pretty quickly.  I put the hold on at least a month ago btw.

So the what am I reading question..........I started Sins of the Father by JAJance because I didn’t have my devices synced and got hooked!  I still adore JP Beaumont the main character in this long running mystery series that I have read and reread.  This book is busy tying up the threads in his rather messy history and as a fan girl I am a happy reader for others start nearer the beginning of the series.  This is another that I have been rereading thanks to Kindle......my library no longer had hard copies of the start of the series.  I think this one is part of my how to spell Toby Peters plan which is how it got chosen.😉

Still working on a Small Death in Lisbon and Delivering the Truth.  For my audio I started Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness and am loving it.  It’s for my Asian Detective category and is set in the north of Thailand near the Chinese border.  The detective is a nurse ethicist ......she is the nurse in charge of ethical practices for the hospital which is how she was consulted for her case.  I will definitely be listening to the rest in this series!  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28449133-murder-at-the-house-of-rooster-happiness

I love the photos Negin.  I can’t believe those houses on the cliff.  Are they purposely built into the cliff or has time put them at the edge?

[Kareni]

23 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

This is another that I have been rereading thanks to Kindle......my library no longer had hard copies of the start of the series.

It's nice to have multiple reading options these days. I know that libraries have limited funds, but it can be frustrating when they have incomplete series due to loss or damage.

I'm curious, mumto2. Does your Kindle allow you to read books bought through Amazon or are you geographically constrained to buy only British books? (My daughter, who lives in South Korea can purchase Kindle books because her account is tied to her American email account.)

Regards,

Kareni

[Liz CA]

@mumto2 Thank you for the Faye Kellerman recommendation. I will check into it on my Overdrive. Thank you so much for sharing your favorite titles. Right now I am so snowed with work and commuting that I really appreciate not having to research new material!!!

Reading:

I am still finishing "Wild Lupines" by Link. It is such a deep book on many levels. I hope I can get the book by Kellerman since I will be done with Wild Lupines in a few days. Since I have a few other recommendations, I can come back to those, like "The Tamarack Murders" and the "Miss Julia" series.

Audiobook:

Since Overdrive had not a single title I was looking for last week, I resorted to a much beloved stand-by, the Peabody series. I got "The Mummy Case" on Audio and while I like it and the narrator is pretty good she is not as good as Barbara Rosenblat who narrated the later titles in the series. 

Next Audio will be either "The Golden One" by Peters or Faye Kellerman's "Sacred and Profane" depending on if it's available as book or audio.

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

Antipodean noir: Is crime Melbourne's biggest export?

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/antipodean-noir-is-crime-melbourne-s-biggest-export-20191011-p52zxw.html

7 Memoirs by Women Who Know Their Way Around Politics

https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/g29272898/women-in-politics-memoirs/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CYS - 100819&utm_term=BookRiot_CheckYourShelf_DormantSuppress

Four Speculative Novels Featuring Important Elections

https://www.tor.com/2019/10/01/four-speculative-novels-featuring-important-elections/

TREVOR NOAH: TOP TEN BOOKS

http://onegrandbooks.com/shop/curators/trevor-noah/

1969 BOOK CLUB: TOP TEN BOOKS

http://onegrandbooks.com/shop/curators/1969-book-club/

PETE BUTTIGIEG: TOP TEN BOOKS

http://onegrandbooks.com/shop/curators/pete-buttigieg/

Regards,

Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

To books first, then back to reading this new thread next.

I wanted to get started on these next three books early, I want to count them for next months spelling challenge, as life in November is looking like it could get beyond busy.  (Knowing that Robin has finished their money pit is encouraging for us as Dh works on ours.)    I currently reading/listening to:  Bodies from the Library: Selected Lost Tales of Mystery and Suspense by Masters of the Golden Age ~ Tony Medawar,  Some Danger Involved: Barker & Llewelyn Bk1 ~ Will Thomas , narrated by Antony Ferguson, and, The Spanish Bride ~ Georgette Heyer, narrated by (?)   I’m actually enjoying this historical fiction, which is heavy on the history.  

ETA: the sacred challenge for this week is enticing.......  

Completed:

• Medic on the Move: Even Further Adventures of a Scottish Country Doctor, Bk3 ~ Dr Tom Smith (audiobook) (3) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3013228816  
• Suffering Is Never for Nothing ~ Elisabeth Elliot   N/F (cc) kindle book (5)  Some books touch me at such a deep level that when it’s time to try and pen a review and convey that, it isn’t very successful.

Edited October 20, 2019 by tuesdayschild

[tuesdayschild]

Q:  Would anyone remember a mystery series mentioned a good while back, which I think was either historic or vintage and the authors (surname?) name began with "e"?     (Pass, is a good answer too.   I've tried to look back through the threads  🙃 to find it ....) 

[mumto2]

4 hours ago, Liz CA said:

@mumto2 Thank you for the Faye Kellerman recommendation. I will check into it on my Overdrive. Thank you so much for sharing your favorite titles. Right now I am so snowed with work and commuting that I really appreciate not having to research new material!!!

Reading:

I am still finishing "Wild Lupines" by Link. It is such a deep book on many levels. I hope I can get the book by Kellerman since I will be done with Wild Lupines in a few days. Since I have a few other recommendations, I can come back to those, like "The Tamarack Murders" and the "Miss Julia" series.

Audiobook:

Since Overdrive had not a single title I was looking for last week, I resorted to a much beloved stand-by, the Peabody series. I got "The Mummy Case" on Audio and while I like it and the narrator is pretty good she is not as good as Barbara Rosenblat who narrated the later titles in the series. 

Next Audio will be either "The Golden One" by Peters or Faye Kellerman's "Sacred and Profane" depending on if it's available as book or audio.

Thank you, I was starting to worry I was being a bit obnoxious.  Your library seems to have a large Overdrive audio selection so if I know I have seen something I liked that is a mystery as an audio at my library I have been tagging you.  Your commute is long and I am sure books make it much more pleasant!

The Faye Kellerman series actually starts with The Ritual Bath which is also good.https://www.goodreads.com/series/40352-peter-decker-rina-lazarus

 

5 hours ago, Kareni said:

It's nice to have multiple reading options these days. I know that libraries have limited funds, but it can be frustrating when they have incomplete series due to loss or damage.

I'm curious, mumto2. Does your Kindle allow you to read books bought through Amazon or are you geographically constrained to buy only British books? (My daughter, who lives in South Korea can purchase Kindle books because her account is tied to her American email account.)

Regards,

Kareni

Too the best of my knowledge I can’t intermix both Amazon’s on one Kindle.  At one point I wanted to but gave up because my tech help bought another Fire for me!😂.  So I have an old British Kindle Fire which is attached to an Amazon UK account.  

My main Kindle is attached to the US Amazon account which was started with one of the earliest readers.  My original Kindle account started at least two years before Kindle arrived in England.  Lots of people brought them over who had US connections but having one was really cool at one point.  Every time I leave the US I get my International Warning is refreshed which has to do which using my 3G on my reader but no book buying constraints.  My fire is perfectly normal.

1 hour ago, tuesdayschild said:

Q:  Would anyone remember a mystery series mentioned a good while back, which I think was either historic or vintage and the authors (surname?) name began with "e"?     (Pass, is a good answer too.   I've tried to look back through the threads  🙃 to find it ....) 

 

Looking through my book that I record books read for challenges in.......these are what I can find that might qualify.  Hope one of these is it!

.Ellis Peter(Cadefel)

Kathy Lynn Emerson(Several historical.......the Face Downs which oddly I just put hold’s on some this morning),

Jessica Ellicott (Cozy and historical ....),

Emily Brightwell (Cozy, older series, not bad),

 I used Rhys Bowen’s Evans series a couple of times which isn’t historical.

Edited October 21, 2019 by mumto2

[Pen]

I’ll try this:

Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PN75L72/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.XpRDb7D9X7XG

[Kareni]

41 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

...I have an old British Kindle Fire which is attached to an Amazon UK account.  

My main Kindle is attached to the US Amazon account...

Ah, that makes sense. I was trying to figure out how you could make that work.

1 hour ago, tuesdayschild said:

  Would anyone remember a mystery series mentioned a good while back, which I think was either historic or vintage and the authors (surname?) name began with "e"? 

Here's a list of possibilities from Wikipedia

• C. M. Eddy Jr. (1896–1967)
• Edogawa Ranpo (1894–1965)
• Martin Edwards (born 1955)
• Kerstin Ekman (born 1933)
• Amelia Ellis (born 1977)
• J.T. Ellison
• James Ellroy (born 1948)
• Ben Elton (born 1959)
• Kathy Lynn Emerson
• Maggie Estep (1963–2014)
• Loren D. Estleman (born 1952)
• Janet Evanovich (born 1943)
• Elizabeth Eyre (pseudonym for Jill Staynes and Margaret Storey)

This list from the Cozy Mystery site has some other options.

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

This week I finished Updike's Rabbit, Run -- yes, a few decades late -- and my Apollinaire's Selected Writings. (10x10 category: Les Enfants de Baudelaire, or Symbolists, Surrealists, and Other Anti-Realists. Halfway through my spooky October book, The Other by Thomas Tryon. Not unreadable, but relies too much on "psychological horror" cliches. I'll finish but I'm not recommending it.

[Robin M]

On 10/20/2019 at 12:31 PM, mumto2 said:

That is so sweet!  When Kareni mentioned receiving the arc I was pretty excited for her!  Now I get to be happy for Robin!  I put a hold on it and am number three so know I have it pretty quickly.  I put the hold on at least a month ago btw.

I'll send it your way when I'm done. 🙂

 

21 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

I wanted to get started on these next three books early, I want to count them for next months spelling challenge, as life in November is looking like it could get beyond busy.  (Knowing that Robin has finished their money pit is encouraging for us as Dh works on ours.)   

Sending lots of good vibes and plenty of patience.  Wine is a plus or in my case, margaritas.  So happy our money pit is now our money maker.  Upstairs is a mess, but we're organized downstairs which is all the customers see.  

[JennW in SoCal]

Hey there book friends!  I haven't posted since probably mid- August, when I left for almost 3 weeks of travel first to New Mexico then to Ireland and Scotland. I came back and went straight into the orchestra pit, then went to NYC, came home and went back into the orchestra pit. Whew! I've lurked here most weeks, start to post, but was daunted at catching up on everything until I had one of those face palm "d'oh" moments. I don't need to do it all at once! I can quickly catch up on books, then will follow Negin's excellent example and just post a picture or two a week from my travels. 

First, a reading update:
Mysteries:
Dept. Q series Keepers of Lost Causes and The Absent One. The second title was a bit gruesome and hard to get through,  so am waiting a bit before trying #3. 
Widows of Malabar Hills by Sujata Massey  A historical mystery featuring a female Parsi lawyer in 1920s Bombay. Good -- worth finding more in the series
The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves  A well-crafted locked room mystery in the Vera Stanhope series.
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith. An Isabel Dalhousie novel because I wanted more Edinburgh in my life!
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves, the first in her newest series set in Devonshire. Quite good, with many similar characters to ones in her Shetland series.
Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke.  East Texas noir. African American Texas Ranger stumbles into murder investigation with racial hatred overtones.  Really good.

Fiction:
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. Set in Malaysia during WWII with a mixed race protagonist. It is really well written, evocative but a little unwieldy due to sprawling plot.
Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie. Oh my goodness this book is so delightful!!! It was first published in 1947 and is about a ship wreck in the Hebrides bringing much needed relief to a pair of small Hebridean Islands that have been without whisky due to war-time shortages. The wrecked ship was full of cases of whisky bound for the US. 

Sci-fi/Fantasy
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson It is not, as the title suggests, a macho, battle-scene heavy sci-fi novel. It is a story of two princesses caught in the politics of a city in a culture they little understand. I enjoyed it far more than I had anticipated.
Murderbot series #1.  I know -- I need to find the rest of them and read them! It was a perfect-length novella after finishing something much longer when I still had an hour or two of a flight back home. 
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. First contact with alien species on an expedition mounted by the Jesuits. Apparently people LOVE this book, but I found it just o.k. "
And a reread of Lord of the Rings -- haven't started Return of the King yet...

Here's a couple of photos from County Sligo in western Ireland, the spiritual home of WB Yeats. Ben Bulben is in the distance in the first photo, and the second photo is of his gravestone in the church yard of Drumcliff Church where his great-grandfather was rector.  The words on his gravestone are taken from his poem,

Edited October 22, 2019 by JennW in SoCal

[Robin M]

@Negin and @JennW in SoCal  Gorgeous pictures, ladies and love reading about your adventures, Jenn.  

I really need to get my passport and renew hubby's sooner than later as you all are giving me the itch to travel.  Once we get through the CA Real id process, then we can get our passports.  I flunked the first round in the process as I had my church marriage certificate which didn't meet  requirements and somehow spaced with James birth certificate and had the abstract versus the formal version. Both State certified items have been obtained and we will once more be braving the hordes at the dmv.   Hubby successfully jumped through all the hoops so at least I got his documents right.  Oh well. 

 

 

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

The 10 Best Debut Novels of the Decade

https://lithub.com/the-10-best-debut-novels-of-the-decade/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CYS - 100819&utm_term=BookRiot_CheckYourShelf_DormantSuppress

I enjoyed this Reddit post:  Slice of Life Fantasies?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/dh1cy2/slice_of_life_fantasies/

 

From the SBTB site:  BOOK REVIEW The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe by Carrie S.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the-mysteries-of-udolpho-by-ann-radcliffe/

A Therapist Picks Her Favorite Advice from Self-Help Books

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1543-a-therapist-picks-her-favorite-advice-from-self-help-books?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=True Story&utm_term=BookRiot_TrueStory_DormantSuppress

5 Books Where Gods Walk the Earth

https://www.tor.com/2019/10/17/5-books-where-gods-walk-the-earth/#comment-833540

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Several books that are currently free for Kindle readers ~

Engaged in Trouble (An Enchanted Events Mystery Book 1)

I Temporarily Do: A Romantic Comedy (Cordially Invited Series Book 1)

Snow in Vietnam: A Novel by Amy M. Le

Regards,

Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

Thank you @mumto2 and @Kareni  for helping with my elusive, mystery, author - none of those seem to fit with what I think, now, I may be mis-remembering; however,  from what you've posted upthread ,  you've gifted me some new books/authors to try.      'e' seems to one of my hardest letters to find fiction books I feel like reading this year.  The letter 'y' is worse 😜    

On the 'e' spelling challenge, after so many of you mentioned enjoying/reading it, and then @Pen giving it a spooky reads boost I finally started The Seven and 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle on audio this week:  it's rather good, and suspense filled enough for me.

Good to read that your pit has become a maker!  Thank for gifting those thoughts our way @Robin M.   It looks like we may (?) be moving home, and business office, into our rather unfinished house soon.  (Which we think has more going for it, than against it.)   

[tuesdayschild]

I’ve finally managed to complete July’s reading challenge, as I’ve already shared the other titles  read to spell David Small, I'll just post the Rabbi portion:

• R= At Home in Thrush Green, Bk8 ~ Miss Read
• A=  Flowers for the Judge: Albert Campion Bk7 ~ Margery Allingham
• B=  A Blunt Instrument ~ Georgette Heyer, narrated by Uli Burve  
• B=  Bony and the Kelly Gang: Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte Bk25 ~ Arthur W. Upfield, narrated by Peter Hosking    (Vintage.  Australia)
• I=   I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships ~ Michael S. Sorensen

[SKL]

Howdy!  I've been reading more than usual this past week ... I must be procrastinating on my work, LOL.

I finished Leota's Garden pretty fast.  It did get better, but man that author drags things out.  I mean just freaking communicate and get it over with.  I'm not sure if I will participate in the book club meeting or not.  I can't relate to a lot of it (dysfunctional family drama) because I don't have grown kids, and my parents and siblings pretty much all get along.  So what do I say, this book really doesn't do it for me?  Or just listen?  I did like the way they brought Bible references into the character's thinking, but I also felt like they went overboard to the point of being cheesy.

I started a recommended parenting book called "Get out of my life - but first can you take me & Rachel to the mall?"  So far I dunno ... this guy who wrote it doesn't seem to understand girls.  He says they cop an attitude because they desire to fight with their parents.  That was never true for me.  I asked my 13yo if that was true for her.  She grinned and said, "sometimes!"  LOL.

I also started The Great Wheel by Robert Lawson.  It was recommended on here when I mentioned  I was taking my kids to Chicago.  My kids weren't interested in reading it during our trip, so I put it aside for a future read-aloud, but then I decided to just read it myself.  It's kinda fun - one of my kids (the engineer type) might like it more than the other one.  It does require a dictionary, and a warning about racial terms.

I got through a couple more chapters of our long-standing read-aloud about Spy School.

We are about one-third of the way through the audiobook A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

 

[mumto2]

32 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

Thank you @mumto2 and @Kareni  for helping with my elusive, mystery, author - none of those seem to fit with what I think, now, I may be mis-remembering; however,  from what you've posted upthread ,  you've gifted me some new books/authors to try.      'e' seems to one of my hardest letters to find fiction books I feel like reading this year.  The letter 'y' is worse 😜    

On the 'e' spelling challenge, after so many of you mentioned enjoying/reading it, and then @Pen giving it a spooky reads boost I finally started The Seven and 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle on audio this week:  it's rather good, and suspense filled enough for me.

Good to read that your pit has become a maker!  Thank for gifting those thoughts our way @Robin M.   It looks like we may (?) be moving home, and business office, into our rather unfinished house soon.  (Which we think has more going for it, than against it.)   

E is so hard.  I am working on my Toby Peters E’s right now.  I discovered that Delivering the Truth is by Edith Maxwell so just need to finish that and one of my E’s will be done.  Keep us updated on your move........you are staying in the same area right?

@JennW in SoCal  I have been thinking about you So was glad to see your post with the lovely pictures.  I think there are more Murderbot coming next year!  

@Kareni  I just moved Linesman to the front of the stack and am enjoying it!😉. Thanks for the freebie links as always.

@Robin M   Glad you are all moved in!

[Kareni]

On 10/22/2019 at 8:55 PM, mumto2 said:

 

@Kareni I just moved Linesman to the front of the stack and am enjoying it!😉. Thanks for the freebie links as always.

Yay for enjoying Linesman! And my pleasure as regards the links.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Over the past few days, I reread Bone Rider by J. Fally and The Sentinel by Eden Winters both of which I enjoyed once again. Incidentally, The Sentinel is currently free for Kindle readers. (Both books have adult content.)

I also read Our Pet by S. M. Matthews which was a pleasant read. (Significant adult content)

 "Abducted by aliens? Yes.
Mistakenly bought as a family pet? Yep.
Actually, unexpectedly starting to enjoy the ride? I just might be.
I've been abducted, sold, and then sold again, all before I even knew what was going on.
Luckily for me, I might just have been bought by the three nicest....guys....in the universe.

Maisy has to adapt to her new life traveling through space, lucky for her she has a set of three alien brothers to help her along...big, furry and very affectionate, these brothers only come as a set."

 Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

@Negin and @JennW in SoCal thanks for the beautiful travel photos!

I got The Beleaguered City by Mrs. Oliphant through ILL. Old, not-so-in-demand-books are always fun to request through ILL because they usually come from the venerable Enoch Pratt Library in downtown Baltimore, and you often get an actual old book. The Pratt Library was founded in 1882 and is one of the oldest public libraries in the USA. It was just that novella, not a set of stories - but I was not disappointed since I got to enjoy a deliciously old and somewhat dusty copy of The Beleaguered City. Thank you, @Violet Crown for the suggestion. While I enjoyed it enough, it was not what I expected. I did not do any research so I mistakenly assumed that it would be set in Scotland. Finding myself in France was unexpected. I also discovered that it could fit my Good Catholic/Bad Catholic category. That was a plus. But I had wanted something spookier, and it was not very spooky. So I stayed up too late last night reading Edgar Allen Poe stories. I am alternating between beloved stories and new-to-me stories.

I've also been meaning to comment on Gossip at Thrush Green (#6). I liked it, but there was one eye-roll-worthy subplot. Some of the young folks were (gasp!) smoking marijuana. Of course, much of the gasping and gossiping about this tsk-tsk situation was done at a cocktail party where the upstanding residents of Thrush Green were slugging down their whiskey. The whole subplot just felt out of place in this series. @tuesdayschild you mentioned #8 upthread. How was it?

 

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Penguin

[Kareni]

Today I read/looked at Mapping Manhattan: A Love (and Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers by Becky Cooper which proved to be a quick read. I can imagine this book might be enjoyed by New Yorkers as well as those who like maps and/or art.

 "Armed with hundreds of blank maps she had painstakingly printed by hand, Becky Cooper walked Manhattan from end to end. Along her journey she met police officers, homeless people, fashion models, and senior citizens who had lived in Manhattan all their lives. She asked the strangers to “map their Manhattan” and to mail the personalized maps back to her. Soon, her P.O. box was filled with a cartography of intimate narratives: past loves, lost homes, childhood memories, comical moments, and surprising confessions. A beautifully illustrated, PostSecret-style tribute to New York, Mapping Manhattan includes 75 maps from both anonymous mapmakers and notable New Yorkers, including Man on Wire aerialist Philippe Petit, New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov, Tony award-winning actor Harvey Fierstein, and many more."

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I finished The Linesman and it really was very good.  I will be reading the rest of the series as soon as I get the chance.

My Overdrive checkouts are rather plentiful currently 😉 and so is my paper stack as I just picked up our library hold’s.  So it probably will be a couple of weeks at least before I continue.  I now think I have a majority of the books that I need to finish my assorted challenges......I just need to read them!

I started listening to a favorite Poirot today Death in the Clouds and also have the Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books in progress for my Sea Voyage Bingo Square.  It’s quite interesting,  seems to be a history of Columbus and Hernando.  Centering on Hernando’ universal library....he cataloged and kept common written pamphlets etc.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41758062-the-catalogue-of-shipwrecked-books

Trying rather desperately to finish A Small Death in Lisbon so I don’t have to turn my devices off! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/368250.A_Small_Death_in_Lisbon?ac=1&from_search=true

[Negin]

7 hours ago, Kareni said:

Today I read/looked at Mapping Manhattan: A Love (and Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers by Becky Cooper which proved to be a quick read. I can imagine this book might be enjoyed by New Yorkers as well as those who like maps and/or art. 

Kareni, I recently ordered this and it's on its way. I used to live in NYC. Looking forward to reading it. 

[Kareni]

10 hours ago, Negin said:

Kareni, I recently ordered this and it's on its way. I used to live in NYC. Looking forward to reading it. 

I hope you'll enjoy the book, Negin. There is also a blank map form at the end of the book if you wish to make your own map and send it in for possible inclusion to the associated website. I was surprised at the variety of maps-- some were quite simple, others were works of art!

Regards,

Kareni

 

[tuesdayschild]

On 10/23/2019 at 4:55 PM, mumto2 said:

E is so hard.  I am working on my Toby Peters E’s right now.  I discovered that Delivering the Truth is by Edith Maxwell so just need to finish that and one of my E’s will be done.  Keep us updated on your move........you are staying in the same area right?

It is.   Thanks to the springboard  @Kareni and yourself provided with that elusive letter 'e' vintage author, I think I'm going to try an Edmund Crispin  and E.C.R.  Lorac      I will do. Yes, we're staying in the same town (makes things so much easier).  

On 10/24/2019 at 7:03 AM, Kareni said:

Yay for enjoying Linesman! And my pleasure as regards the links.

Adding my thanks here too, for the links you share each week; and, for mentioning that book, it has become one of my favourites for this year.

On 10/25/2019 at 9:02 AM, Penguin said:

I've also been meaning to comment on Gossip at Thrush Green (#6). I liked it, but there was one eye-roll-worthy subplot. Some of the young folks were (gasp!) smoking marijuana. Of course, much of the gasping and gossiping about this tsk-tsk situation was done at a cocktail party where the upstanding residents of Thrush Green were slugging down their whiskey. The whole subplot just felt out of place in this series. @tuesdayschild you mentioned #8 upthread. How was it?

You're review is just confirming why I don't feel inclined to listen to that book in the series.   Here's my review for At Home in Thrush Green Bk8...   Dorothy Watson is not a favourite Thrush Green dweller for me, and she features quite a bit in this book along with her annoying brother and his wife, so that made this a barely 3 star read for me. 

 

[Robin M]

Week 44 is live now