Joanne (coppers) Reads in 2016 - Part 2

Time for a new thread - welcome to old friends and new visitors!

Sunrise in the Colorado mountains to start off March.


Of the books I read in 2015, these are the ones that I liked the best, at the time and in retrospect. Angle of Repose was outstanding. In the order I read them:

Stars Go Blue by Laura Pritchett
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Mama's Bank Account By Kathryn Forbes
Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat
Dead Wake by Eric Larson
This House of Sky by Ivan Doig
Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

The only challenge I'm sort of committing to this year is the Canadian Author Challenge and then only reading one of the two authors per month:
January - Kim Thuy, Ru
February - Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches (dnf)
March - Farley Mowat, Born Naked
April -

January 2016
1. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby 3.75 stars OTS #1
2. Ru by Kim Thuy (CAC) 4 stars
3. This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison 4.25 stars
4. Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe by Sandra Gulland 4.5 stars OTS #2
5. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George 3.25 stars
6. Gumption by Nick Offerman (audio)
7. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
8. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi 4 stars

February 2016
9. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier 4.5 stars OTS #3
10. Small Victories by Anne Lamott (audio) OTS #4
11. American Housewife by Helen Ellis
12. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies OTS#5
13. Thin Air by Ann Cleeves OTS #6 4 stars
14. Bruno Chief of Police by Martin Walker OTS #7 4 stars

March 2016
15. Boys in the Trees by Carly Simon (audio)
16. Born Naked by Farley Mowat (CAC) 3.75 stars
17. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audio)
18. The Last Great Dance on Earth by Sandra Gulland OTS#8
19. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson OTS#9
20. The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker
21. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling (audio)

April 2016
22. Black Diamond by Martin Walker
23. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (audio)
24. Inside the Rise of HBO by Bill Mesce (LTER)
25. The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz OTS #10
26. The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan 4.5 stars
27. The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker
28. The Christmas Escape by Anne Perry (LTER) (audio)
29. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (LTER)

May 2016
30. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift
31. The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker
32. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine by Alexander McCall Smith (audio)
33. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
34. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths

June 2016
35. The Resistance Man by Martin Walker
36. English Creek by Ivan Doig
37. Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (audio)
38. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Looks like you're off to a good start in 2016!

Hi Pirate! Welcome!! I'm happy with my books so far!

14. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

This is the first book in a series about a policeman in a small French village. It was a winner! 4 stars

My current reads are Botany of Desire, The Last Great Dance on Earth, Sunshine Sketches, Boys in the Trees (audio), and (maybe) 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. I'm feeling a little overextended.

Is it safe? Happy new thread. I loved the food in Bruno books. Makes me feel hungry now thinking about it!

The sunrise picture is beautiful. Looks chilly though...

Happy new thread, Joanne!

Happy New Thread, Joanne.

I am pleased to see that Bruno is a good read - I must get to it soon.

Happy New Thread, Joanne. I love the Bruno series very much. What a beautiful photo.

Happy new thread, Joanne! I loved Bruno, Chief of Police, and I have the next two waiting patiently on the shelf.

Happy new thread. Love the photo up top -- Colorado is such a beautiful place!

Beautiful photo.

>6 Copperskye: That one looks like fun. Needing a new mystery series.

Happy new thread, Joanne. Darn, you got me with Bruno, Chief of Police - I'm trying not to get sucked in to more series.

>8 charl08: And I love that Bruno cooks!

>9 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

>10 PaulCranswick: I think you'd like Bruno, Paul.

>11 Ameise1: Thank you, Barb!

>12 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie - I really wanted to jump into the second book as soon as I finished the first. A sure sign of a good book.

>13 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, Thanks!

>14 nittnut: Thanks Jenn! Bruno was a good read - written with a lot of warmth and love of the countryside.

>15 BLBera: Hi Beth, Me too! But new series are fun, so what the heck.... There are one or two series that I'm not entirely sure I'm going to return to, so I need to fill in the gaps.

Happy New Thread, Joanne! Love the sunrise topper.

How was the Carly Simon memoir?

>17 msf59: Hi Mark, thanks! I finished it this morning, still mulling it over....I recommend it, though, if you like her music.

I am still watching Making a Murderer. Ep 6. It is growing on me. Who knew, I would like white trash and bad cops so much. Grins...

Are you watching anything good?

>19 msf59: The repugs "debating", lol, but it's not good. More like WWE.

Still loving Billions and Better Call Saul! We were watching The People v OJ, but it's wearing thin.

Bosch is starting up again in a week or two.

Who can continue to watch these debates? Ugh! I never remember it being this often and this bad.

I am enjoying Better Call Saul too. I have heard good things about Billions.

That's a lot of books you have going at once, Joanne. I have faith in you...you can do it! I am resting up from Disney World and gearing up for Colorado. I sure hope we can work in a meetup.

Happy weekend, Joanne.

>21 DianaNL: Good morning, Diana! Happy Saturday!

>22 msf59: I wanted to turn it off but it was just so bizarre.....

>23 Donna828: Donna's back! I hope you all had a great time! I shuffled my books a little bit, finished the audio, replaced Sunshine Sketches with Born Naked and found 13 Ways uninteresting. It's all good! Speaking of good, I'm looking forward to your CO trip!

>24 Ameise1: Beautiful! Happy weekend to you, too, Barbara!

Happy New Thread, Joanne. Going back to your prior thread, I have Raven Black on my TBR shelves and you've encouraged me to give it a go soon. Having a strong sense of connection to Scotland (although I've never been to the Shetlands), I think I'll like the series. My understanding is that the PBS/BBC series "Vera" is based on characters by Ann Cleeves but I'm not sure whether it's this series or a different one.

And I love your brief but persuasive comments about Bruno, Chief of Police. :-)

Hi Ellen, Cleeves' Shetland series will make you want to go to Shetland. Even though people get murdered....I plan on rereading Raven Black one of these days.

The Vera TV series is based on another series about a detective named...Vera. The first one is Crow Trap and I have it queued up to start one of these days. There is also a new TV series based on the Shetland books (lucky author!). I'm anxiously waiting my turn with it at the library.

Sometimes I like a book and have nothing more to say than "I like it - please give it a try!" and so I go with it. I'm also pretty quiet so there's that, too. :) Bruno also has a strong sense of place and the author obviously loves the French countryside.

15. Boys in the Trees by Carly Simon(audio)

Boys in the Trees is Carly Simon’s open and honest memoir of her childhood, early career, and stormy life with James Taylor. It seemed to run a little long – a little too much angst and perhaps a little bit TMI, but for fans of Carly Simon, of which I was one in my teens in the 70s, this really is an interesting look at her life, the music, and the times. Her childhood, had she had a father whose depression was treated and a mother who was less self-absorbed and more watchful, could have been magical. Simon’s relationship with Mick Jagger and shipboard encounter with Sean Connery were probably my favorite parts. Her stormy marriage to James Taylor was ultimately sad. She seems to take the struggles she had in life in stride, and is open in her thoughts and feelings. The audio production was great – lots of musical interludes included and she reads well (especially knowing she has an issue with stuttering). 3.75 stars

Happy Sunday, Joanne! Good review of the Simon memoir. I will have to try that one at some point.

I am really enjoying Girl Waits With Gun and it is terrific on audio.

Hi Mark! I'm so glad you like Girl Waits With Gun! It was a fun read and I liked revisiting my home state and county.

Have a great week! We're having temps in the 60-70s (well except for tomorrow). Too warm but kind of nice.

I'm getting ready to watch DA. Sad to have it end...

>27 Copperskye: "There is also a new TV series based on the Shetland books..." I will have to find that!

We are also getting ready to watch the final DA episode. And similarly sad to have it end. It will certainly go down as one of my all-time favorite series.

What a great list Joanne!

>28 Copperskye: Sounds good. I am getting Hunger makes me a modern girl from the library - another bio of a musician. I wad sold by the reviewer so hope I like it as much as they did.

I watched the final Shetland episode (hopefully just of this series) this weekend (delayed by football coverage. Very Annoying). It was a good end to a season long (six episodes) case. They've definitely improved as they went along.

I think I would be a bit disappointed that the latest season of Shetland was not based on Cleeves' books. I missed it, but I added the DVD of the first two seasons to my wish list.

Happy new thread, Joanne!

>31 EBT1002: I hope you liked the final DA as much as I did, Ellen. I thought it was perfect!

>32 augustau: Hi Kris! Thanks and what a nice surprise to see you! And hopefully we'll see you in person soon.

>33 charl08: That's a musician I'm not familiar with. Good to know the series was good to the end!

>34 thornton37814: Hi Lori, I still haven't watched either Vera or Shetland - both series based on Cleeves' books - but I'm looking forward to them both!

>35 lkernagh: Hi Lori - thanks!

Hi Joanne - The Carly Simon memoir sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

>28 Copperskye: I will look out for that one, Joanne.

I like both James Taylor and Carly Simon as performing artists but they really didn't seem a match made in heaven - even more tempestuous than Hani and I! On the rare occasions we have a quiet day one will turn to the other and say - "Hey we didn't fight today!" - the other will respond "It's not too late!". In our case boisterousness keeps us interested and ultimately happy in their case it was a disaster.

Have a lovely weekend.

Happy Friday, Jo! I was so behind, but now I'm all caught up with your thread. The audiobook by Carly Simon sounds interesting; I may have to borrow it sometime soon, maybe for April which I am dubbing Enchanted April in honor of my reading books about relationships.

Looking forward to seeing you soon! In the meantime,

Happy new(ish) thread, Joanne! Have a lovely Sunday....

>37 BLBera: It was interesting, Beth, and mostly in a good way!

>38 DianaNL: Adorable! Thanks Diana, I hope you have a great week!

>39 PaulCranswick: Sounds like you and Hani both enjoy your sparring and there's more love behind it than anything else. :)

>40 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, Enchanted April - love it! See you Friday!

>41 katiekrug: Hi Katie, Nice to see you! Have a great week!

Friday! Wheeee!

>43 Storeetllr: Boo to the snow! I hope the roads are clear by the afternoon. It's been so warm. I had planned on getting there around 4ish....

Just stopping by to say hello...got caught up in travel and work and have been barely adding books to my own thread. Hope you have a lovely weekend!

>45 witchyrichy: Hi Karen, Thanks for stopping by! I'm having a hard time keeping up with my own thread, too, and have several books to add. At least I'm still reading!

We had a very nice LT meetup Friday evening - Donna (Donna828), Anne (AMQS), Kris (augustau), and me. We missed Mary (storeetllr) who wasn't feeling well and decided not to share any germs. We met at the Tattered Cover on Colfax and had a nice dinner next door at The Good Son Tap House. I had fun and I'm pretty sure everyone else did, too. I'm so lucky to have such a lovely group of women to talk books and pets and birds and kids with. We did forget to take a photo, though. :(

I bought a copy of Far From the Madding Crowd and a discounted book of Billy Collins poems, The Trouble With Poetry.

>46 Copperskye: I would have loved to have been a thorn amid so many roses, Joanne.

Have a lovely weekend.

>46 Copperskye: Is that the same one where we met? If so, that was a great place to eat! Glad you had a good meetup!

Great reviews Joanne.

I started The Little Paris Bookshop last year but was having trouble getting into it so I put it aside. It is always interesting to see other perspectives on dealing with grief so maybe I should give it another go.

Happy Sunday, Joanne! Hooray for another Meet-Up! I am sure it was another delight.

Hope those books are treating you well.

>47 PaulCranswick: You would hardly have been a thorn, Paul, but what a great addition you would be to our little group!!

>48 drneutron: Hi Jim, No, when you were here we met at Ted's Montana Grill and went to the TC in Littleton. This time we met at the larger Colfax store in Denver. The restaurant was good but a little loud (but it was a Friday night). We could meet at either place next time you're in town!

>49 fairywings: Hi fairywings, welcome! I liked large swaths of The Little Paris Bookshop but then there were some large swaths that I thought were on the dull side. Overall, though, I liked it.

>50 msf59: Hi Mark, Can't wait for you to join us at a meet-up! Beautiful Sunday here, we're headed up to Boulder for a late lunch.

Still need to report on some books.....

What a great review of the Carly Simon book. I'll be on the look out for that one.

Happy Sunday!

>52 Whisper1: Hi Linda! It was interesting!



16. Born Naked by Farley Mowat

Mowat’s memoir of his childhood in rural Canada during the 1920s–30s is entertaining and light hearted. I read this for the Canadian Author Challenge. I had never read the author before but I might read Never Cry Wolf now. 3.75 stars

17. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (audio)

I’m not sure I would have had the patience to read this as most of the story involved interviews with suspects. Dan Stevens’ narration of the audio book, though, was perfect, and had me anxious to keep listening. I loved the ending. I've only read a few other Agatha Christie books - I loved And Then There Were None. 3 stars for the book, 4.5 for the narrator

18. The Last Great Dance on Earth by Sandra Gulland

This is the final book of a historical fiction trilogy about Josephine Bonaparte. As good as the first two books, although ultimately sad. I loved all three books - Gulland made Josephine and Napoleon come alive and I'm sorry their story has ended. I loved the format, which was a series of diary entries. 4.5 stars, 5 stars for the trilogy

*wave*

Hi Jenn!

Meanwhile in Colorado.....this could really go either way....

19. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

A haunting novella, perfectly formed. 4.5 stars

Currently reading The Dark Vineyard, the second book in Martin Walker's Bruno series. I like it even more than the first book.

Happy Wednesday, Joanne! I loved Train Dreams, too. And you are making me want to dive into The Dark Vineyard, as I have it sitting right here - especially since you say you are liking it even more than the first book.

Another fan of Train Dreams here!

Spring in Colorado, not as bad as the March 2003 storm, but still pretty intense. The squirrel is happy.


Skye's happy, too.

>59 Crazymamie: Pour yourself a glass of wine and dive right into The Dark Vineyard!

>60 katiekrug: I've had it sitting on my shelf for a year or two. Such a little gem!

I want 70 and sunny!! Wah!! It was a chilly, raw day here but at least I stayed dry.

So glad you loved Train Dreams. What a perfect little gem, that one was. I NEED to read more Johnson.

I want 70 and sunny too! Have you read anything else by Denis Johnson besides Train Dreams? I haven't but suspect I will.

Hope you survived the March Madness Blizzard (I heard someone on the news call it that, sorry)! Skye looks like she enjoyed being out in it, anyway! The pic of your backyard makes it look magical!

>61 Copperskye: Lovely pictures of the snow. Sky with the ball reminded me of a guy I saw playing with football with his dog. It made me laugh as the dog was so good at dribbling, the guy could hardly get near the ball to kick it.

>62 Copperskye: You don't have to tell me twice, Joanne! And WOW to that snow!

>61 Copperskye: If it was going to do that around here, I'd prefer for it to have happened last weekend while I was in Raleigh so I'd have had an excuse to stay put.

>64 Copperskye: I did read a short crime novel, called Nobody Move, that I enjoyed. I have also wanted to read Tree of Smoke forever.

Did you get much snow?

Have a wonderful Easter.

Joanne, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Happy Easter weekend, Joanne!

Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed Train Dreams. I read it a couple of years ago and also loved it.

And I love love love the photos of the squirrel under the bird feeder and Skye with a toy in the snow. I know it can be hard to have a late-spring snowstorm but it is so lovely. I have wonderful memories of throwing snowballs for a friend's dog and the delightful look of confusion when he would chase it and then have it simply disappear. He would look over his shoulder at me like "I know you threw that ball but where did it go??" Fun.

Have a wonderful weekend, Joanne!

Stopping by to wish you a Happy Easter Joanne. I would be joining the squirrel and Skye enjoying the snow. We did have a brief dusting of snow earlier today - I am currently visiting family in Alberta - but that lasted a whole 5 minutes. The sun is now shining and drying everything. Crazy spring weather. ;-)

Did it melt and is your grass all green underneath? Might be spring...

Hi Joanne - Great reviews. You've convinced me to try the Bruno series.

We also got dumped on this week - 10 inches. It's mostly gone, raining today. I hope we're done with it.

It sounds like you had fun at the meet up -- no book acquisitions?

>65 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, I did the smart thing and didn't drive anywhere on Wednesday and by Thursday, the roads were fine. Luckily, I had the option to do that! Skye loves losing and finding her toys in the snow.

>66 charl08: Hi Charlotte, My Copper once interrupted a soccer/football practice by running after a ball and then nosing it out of bounds.

>67 Crazymamie: Yay Mamie! :)

>68 thornton37814: Hi Lori, I prefer storms on Fridays when I have no plans... :)

>69 msf59: About 18", Mark. The roads were clear by the next day, though. I'm going to read more Johnson for sure!

>70 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, you too.

>71 Ameise1: Adorable, you, too, Barbara!

>72 DianaNL: Too cute, Diana, thanks!

>73 RebaRelishesReading: You too, Reba, thanks!

>74 EBT1002: I don't know why I waited so long to read it, Ellen, especially since it's such a short book. Skye plays a nose game with her ball in the snow. She burrows it down into the snow and then tosses it back up with her nose and pounces on it. It's especially fun on a hillside when it rolls away. She'll do that for five or ten minutes at a time. It's pretty cute to watch. I hope you're having a great weekend!

>75 lkernagh: Hi Lori! April is pretty snowy here, too. Our typical spring weather!

>76 nittnut: Happy Easter to you, too, Jenn. We still have lots of snow on the grass but I'm sure it's getting pretty green under there!

>77 BLBera: Hi Beth, Snow and then rain, how springlike! Bruno is a lot of fun. I couldn't resist starting the third book. I did buy two books - Far From the Madding Crowd and The Trouble With Poetry. The first was for me, the Billy Collins for my son's Easter basket (yes, I still do an Easter basket for my adult son, a family tradition). Have a good Easter!

>78 weird_O: Happy Easter, Bill! My teeth are hurting just looking at all those Peeps! How did I not know they were made in the Lehigh Valley...?

Happy Easter all!!

Happy Easter!

He doesn't seem very happy! Maybe it's the bunny ears. Happy Easter to you, Mary!

I thought of you and Skye when I saw the picture, though I know you would never think of putting rabbit ears on Skye. :)

Joanne - I always did Easter baskets for my adults kids, too. One year, I suggested that we could forego them, and you would have thought they still believed in the Easter bunny. So, they still have baskets.

I hope you had a happy Easter.

Hi Joanne! It was nice to see you a couple of weeks ago. You got me with Train Dreams. Looks like a good one. I think Marina read Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat a few years ago and liked it.

Hope you're having a great week!

>83 Storeetllr: Lol. I didn't get the bunny ears out this year and felt a little bad about it. Skye barely tolerates costumes of any kind - they come off pretty fast. She was happy just eating carrots and pretending to be a bunny that way. A FB group I belong to for the study goldens had literally hundreds of photos of goldens proudly (well, not all) wearing their bunny ears over the weekend.

>84 BLBera: That's so sweet, Beth! I have a clipping saved of an Anne Landers or Dear Abby column from several years ago. A woman wrote in, surprised at an Easter gathering, that the hosts still put an Easter basket together for their adult children. And several others at the table did as well. Anne/Abby thought it was a wonderful tradition which I was glad to read! It's the little things that mean so much, imo.

>85 AMQS: I would have loved Farley Mowat when I was in junior high. I'm glad I'm catching up now. It was great to see you, too, Anne! Looks like a little more snow on the way this week...

20. The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker

This second book in the Bruno/French Countryside series starts off with an arson fire and concerns itself with wine making, GMOs, inheritance laws and all sorts of small town events and people. Not to mention food. Bruno is a very likable small town cop with an army background. He's chosen to stay in St Denis because he likes the country life not because he's some kind of a bumbling fool. Luckily, the crimes come to him and make for some interesting plots.

I couldn't help myself and started book #3 almost immediately.

Bruno has a Basset Hound, Gigi, who he actually uses as a hunting dog. Another hunting dog was a character here, a breed I've never heard of and so, of course, I had to look up. Here's a photo of a Porcelaine, a French scent hound:

Beautiful dog breed! I've always preferred dogs with longer coats, though I don't like having to always clean up the shed dog hair, but I do like the way these guys look. I googled it too, and love that they are called Porcelaine because their coats are so shiny and smooth they look like porcelain statuettes.

And those beautiful long ears! Handsome dogs! (Although I agree with you on the long hair breeds.)

It looks like someone photoshopped some long legs onto a Basset Hound! It's funny sometimes, the things fiction teaches us.

Oh, adorable dogs! I mean, they're no golden retrievers, of course (or border collies), but still... *grins*

Beautiful dog.

Regarding Mowat, "...I would have loved Farley Mowat when I was in junior high."
I have Never Cry Wolf from the library and I think I'm going to have a similar reaction.

>87 Copperskye: Gosh, never seen one of those before. They look very intelligent to me.

>90 PaperbackPirate: I thought the same thing!

>90 PaperbackPirate: Agree! I thought the same thing. I'm learning a lot in this series - truffles in the latest.

>91 scaifea: Well, no, Amber, especially not as adorable as our own! :)

>92 EBT1002: I have Never Cry Wolf out from the library but I don't think I'm going to get to it. I wonder if it has the same sly humor that I enjoyed in Born Naked? I'll have to read it sometime to find out.

>93 charl08: They do look like deep thought dogs, don't they? Apparently they are uncommon, from what I read about them now that I've heard of them, and dropped in popularity after the revolution (1789). That, seemingly, would have given them a lot of years to recover and the dogs that remain are mostly found in Switzerland and France. I found very little about them on the internets, but this was short and interesting: (Can you tell I'm a bit of a dog nut? It's just such a strikingly handsome old breed.)

http://musingsofabiologistanddoglover.blogspot.com/2011/12/unusual-breed-porcela...

>94 Storeetllr: Me too! (I'm such a slow typer!)

Hi Joanne! I hope you can give Never Cry Wolf, a chance at some point. It is very good, plus it is a shorty.

I am enjoying The Hummingbird. This one also might be your cuppa.

>97 msf59: The Hummingbird is one of your Booktopia books, isn't it? I'm glad it worked for you. I like the cover which is a step in the right direction for me. :) I will get to Never Cry Wolf one of these days. Bruno seems to be taking up all my reading time lately and I really want to get to the next Canadian author for April. I have Sweetland ready to go.

I love Martin Walker's series. Wishing you a relaxed weekend, Joanne.

Another Bruno fan!

Thanks for the pretty flowers, Barbara! Have a great week!

21. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling (Audio)

Mindy Kaling is smart, funny, and forthright which makes for an engaging audio book. 3.5 stars

22. Black Diamond by Martin Walker

The black diamond of the title refers to a very expensive truffle and this entry in the Bruno series deals with theft in the truffle market, Vietnamese immigrants, and a local mayoral election. This continues to be a great series - each book is better than the last - and I'm finding myself thoroughly invested in the life of Bruno and the citizens of St Denis. 4 stars

Current reads are the next Bruno, The Crowded Grave, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, and on audio, Modern Romance.

Oh! Loved Oscar Wao (on the third try). I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it when you've finished reading it.

Wasn't it the most beautiful day today!?! As I was driving to work, I couldn't help but think everything looked cleaner, clearer, fresher.

You are sailing through those Bruno books, Joanne! I need to get a move on. So great that the series holds up.

>102 Copperskye: Loved this one. Mouth watering!

>103 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! I've tried to read Oscar at least once before and couldn't get past the first five or six pages. I tried a little harder this time and I'm glad. Chris promised me I'd like it if I just kept at it. Beautiful day yesterday and crystal clear! I almost got blown away in this afternoon's wind though!

>104 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, I usually try to not read series books one after the other - they can get repetitive sometimes. Not the case here, though, at least not yet!

>105 charl08: Hi Charlotte, I love that Bruno cooks and is so casual about it. He just whips together simple, gourmet (to me) meals at the drop of a truffle!

Happy weekend, Joanne.

I started reading the second Bruno book yesterday even though I hadn't finished up any of the others I have already started. I thought you should know. Happy Saturday, Joanne!

>107 Ameise1: Beautiful tulips, Barbara, thank you!

>108 Crazymamie: Yay for Mamie! I hope you like it. I was just chatting up the series to Julia on FB. Did you skip the first one?

Nope. I read the first one last year and loved it.

>110 Crazymamie: I am inordinately relieved to hear that you didn't just skip the first one! :) Also that you loved it.

Boomer's 4th birthday was yesterday. She was born in a shelter so I know the actual date - first time ever knowing my cats' birthdate. Here she is enjoying the funnies with Skye.

Joanne, I look forward to your comments on Oscar Wao. It's on my Pulitzer Prize list to read this year. I will need some encouragement!

Happy Birthday, Boomer! I love a literate cat. Poor Skye got bored with her section. Off of those comics, Kitty!

>112 Copperskye: A very happy birthday to the smart cat Boomer! Maybe you should try sitting her down on the business pages to see if she can tip you to some hot stocks. :-)

Happy Birthday Dear Boomer!

Happy Sunday, Joanne! Hope you had a good weekend. How is Oscar Wao, coming?

I am really enjoying Evicted, although it is heart-rending at times.

Happiest of Birthdays to Boomer!! What a beautiful cat. (And you know how I feel about that lovely pup, too.)

A very Happy Birthday to Boomer! Morning, Joanne! Every great once in a while I am naughty with starting a series and just jump in where ever, but most of the time I behave myself and start at the beginning.

>113 Donna828: I'm slowly working my way through Oscar Wao, Donna. Not sure what the final verdict will be.

>114 rosalita: A fine idea, Julia! What could possibly go wrong? She'd be as good a guesser as me! :)

>115 PaperbackPirate: Hi Pirate - thanks!

>116 msf59: Oscar Wao is competing with two other books so it's a slow go. I have Evicted on hold at the library. I've been hearing good things.

>117 scaifea: Thanks Amber! They're both keepers!

>118 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. And yeah, same here!

>112 Copperskye: Love the picture - they both look so relaxed. I'm waiting for Evicted too - hope it comes soonish - although not so soon as I have books to finish first!

I finished The Dark Vineyard, and I think I have to go straight into book three. Have. To.

<87 Joanne so happy to find another Bruno fan. I think this series is similar to M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series, although Bruno certainly has a lot more going for him than Hamish. I just finished #7 The Children Return which was outstanding. Walker is growing as a writer and storyteller with each book.

>120 charl08: Hi Charlotte, They are pretty comfortable with each other except that Skye won't let Boomer sleep next to her - she gets up and moves. Hope Evicted times out right!

>121 Crazymamie: I know the feeling, Mamie!

>122 tututhefirst: Yay, Tina's a Bruno fan, too! I'm so glad to hear they get even better - not that I don't already think they're great. I've heard of the Hamish MacBeth series but haven't read any. I'll keep it in mind.

23. Modern Romance: An Investigation by Aziz Ansari (audio)

Far more in depth than you'd expect from this very funny actor/comedian/writer. A look at how dating has changed in the age of instant communications. Not for everyone, and I'm certainly not a part of what I'd consider the target audience, but I found it irreverently entertaining. Loved how he made fun of us lazy audio listeners.

Happy Sunday, Joanne.

Hi Joanne! Are you snowed in? We spent the day digging out, but I am happy: we still had the Chorale's Spring Concert (and Marina's last) before the snow really took over. Love the photo of Boomer -- very beautiful cat!

>125 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! Those are storks, right? Beautiful!

>126 AMQS: Hi Anne, Oh, I'm so glad to hear they didn't postpone the spring concert because of the snow! How bittersweet it must have been for you all. I haven't left the house since we went out to lunch on Saturday - well, except to walk the dog. Maybe this will be the end of the snow for us this year?? I hope so. It's going to be so green when this all melts! Have a great week!

Yep, they are storks, actually making their nests around here.

>128 Ameise1: I'd love to see those in the wild. They're beautiful!



24. Inside the Rise of HBO by Bill Mesce

This was an Early Review book and pretty good. 4 stars

25. The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Oh Oscar...I'm not so sure your life was wonderous. Not always an easy read, but I wound up liking it quite a bit. Although I loved the way the story was structured, it took me a long time to warm up to the writing style (and I’m not sure I completely did). There were pages that I loved, and then pages that I couldn't wait to get past but then eventually the whole book began to win me over. Overall, I’m very glad I read it, it was a great story. I loved the narrator and loved discovering that he was the character from another Diaz book I read. Not for everyone and this could definitely be a book you could hate as easily as love. Those sensitive to violence or profanity should probably steer clear. 4.25 stars

Hi Joanne :) Hope you're not buried too deeply. Got to love springtime in CO.

Hi Jenn, I loved waking up to more snow this morning. :( Boy oh boy, it is going to be muddy by Saturday!

>130 Copperskye: I've started that one a couple of times since "winning" it in the swap thingy at Booktopia Boulder lo these many years ago, but never managed to get very far. Your review is encouraging me to try again and push through the dodgy bits. So thanks for that, Joanne!

Nice comments on Oscar Wao, Joanne. It's one of my favorite books ever, but as you point out so well, it's not for everyone. It is rewarding to reread, too.

Snow!? It's been in the 70s and 80s here! I hope we're done with the white stuff.

>133 rosalita: I had started it a couple of times, too, Julia, until I finally decided to stick to it. It wasn't an easy read, but I'm glad I finally read it.

>134 BLBera: Even though our taste in books is so similar, Beth, if you had told me you hated it, I wouldn't have been surprised. It really is a book that could go either way with people. I was thinking as I finished it that it would make a good reread although the odds of me actually reading it again are slim. We should have warm temps, 60s -70s, by Friday. Yay!

Oscar was one of my favorite books of the year a few years ago. Glad you enjoyed it, Jo!

>136 Storeetllr: Have you read This is How You Lose Her, Mary? When I discovered Yunior was the narrator was about the time I was fully on board with Oscar.

Hi, Joanne! Hooray for Oscar Wao! I also really liked that book, but This is How You Lose Her was the one that really soared for me.

Are you guys done with the snow now?

Happy Belated Birthday to Boomer!

I did end up reading Never Cry Wolf and I absolutely loved it. I recommend putting it back on hold at your library. ;-)

I still haven't read anything by Junot Diaz and I think I need to change that.

>130 Copperskye: I must get to this! So many books...

>138 msf59: Gee, I hope we're done with the snow, Mark! My son has Drown, too, but I'm not sure I want to read it. I might give it a few years.

>139 EBT1002: :) Thanks Ellen! I was able to renew Never Cry Wolf on my kindle. I want to read it!

>140 charl08: I have no idea what you'd think of it, Charlotte. Too many books is something I can relate to!

26. Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero by Timothy Egan

Timothy Egan's latest - I don't know why more people aren't reading it!

Immortal Irishman is the story of Thomas Francis Meagher (pronounced Mahr) who was born into a wealthy Waterford family, became an Irish orator and revolutionary, and spoke out against the British during the Great Hunger. For his activities against the crown, he was first sentenced to death but then transported to Tasmania to live out his sentence. From there he escaped and traveled to New York. During the Civil War, he fought for the Union and was appointed a General by President Lincoln. He recruited his fellow Irishmen to form the Irish Brigade, leading them in the bloody battle at Antietam. Bereft and disillusioned after the war, he headed West and was appointed acting governor of the Montana Territory. His death could be its own murder-mystery. His life, really two lives, was filled with pain, longing, and heartache but also optimism and faith - a true adventure - and Timothy Egan did a great job telling it. It may have started a little slow, but it's a true page-turner, peppered with fascinating bits of information. You probably don’t need to be Irish to love it, but it doesn’t hurt.

A bookish connection – The county seat of Meagher County, Montana, is White Sulphur Springs, Ivan Doig’s home town. Doig wrote about his upbringing there in the absolutely lovely This House of Sky.

>142 Copperskye: - That's on my library WL. Great review, Joanne - I am looking forward to it even more now!

Oh good! I hope you like it, Katie.

>142 Copperskye: Great review. That just landed on my pile. :)

Ooh, Immortal Irishman looks like a great read, and I already love Timothy Egan. Thanks, Joanne!

>145 nittnut: Thanks Jenn!

>146 AMQS: I was just on your thread, Anne. That was actually my first by Timothy Egan. I own both The Worst Hard Time and Burn, but I haven't read them yet! :(

27. The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker

I'm a little miffed, Mr Walker. A little miffed. Still, 4 stars.

^ Well, you've got me so curious. But I have to read the first one first. :-)

ETA: So I just put it on hold at the library (the first one, that is). I'm overrun by books, both library and owned, but I can't resist.

What Ellen said. Off to check out this series.

>148 Copperskye: Ha! great bit of teasing, Joanne.

Have a lovely weekend.

>137 Copperskye: No, but I will now! Thanks, Jo.

Also, miffed? You are such a tease.

>142 Copperskye: That one does sound interesting. I'm probably not adding it to my TBR list because I have too much already on it, but it does sound good.

>149 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, Bruno is a fun series with a great sense of place - and the French countryside is tough to beat. Sometimes I feel like I collect books more than read books. I always have a pile of books from the library, as if I didn't have anything at home to read!

>150 BLBera: It's a good one, Beth!

>151 PaulCranswick: I don't want to talk about it, Paul..... The weekend was too short. As usual.

>152 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, I loved that there was a connection between the two books. I think you'd like the stories, too.

>153 thornton37814: That sounds sensible, Lori! I've finally come to the conclusion that I will never read all the books I'd like to read but I do like hearing about books others are enjoying.

My current reads are The Devil's Cave (the next Bruno book...I couldn't stay away) and Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler's take on The Taming of the Shrew.

Howdy, Joanne! Good review of Immortal Irishman. Thumb! I am a big fan of Egan and I am glad to hear he knocks another one out. So many terrific NNF titles rolling out. Happy Times!

>147 Copperskye: Thanks for the heads-up on the Egan book. I read The Big Burn earlier this year and thought it was quite well done.

Edited to add: I don't know if I dare start that Bruno series. My library only has the first four books and if it's as good as you say I won't want to stop.

>155 msf59: Thanks for the thumb! Immortal Irishman is just your cuppa, Mark.

>156 rosalita: Hi Julia, I need to get to The Big Burn! Well, at least your library has the first books in the series. And four books is a good start! :) My library tends to get rid of the first books of series leaving me with nothing to even try. Ebooks has helped a bit with that problem, though.

I hope this weekend is a slow burning candle for you Joanne.

What a wonderful thought, Paul. I hope you have a great weekend, too!

I just brought the first Bruno home with me from the library today. It looks fun. :-)

Have a great weekend, Joanne!

28. The Christmas Escape by Anne Perry (LTER - audio)

A poorly timed ER win as it arrived around Feb 1.

Pretty much what I was expecting – a short and light little Holiday mystery, although maybe a little light on the Christmas theme. (I was concerned about listening to it in April but really, the most Holiday thing about it was the name and maybe the lovely illustration on the CD box.)

Englishman Charles Latterly travels to a small, Italian island for a Holiday getaway as a balm for his loneliness. Frictions soon surface among the guests at the villa in which he is staying. Nature herself then creates another, perhaps greater, danger.

This was my first book by Anne Perry and I’m tempted to give another of her books a try. Maybe another Christmas mystery but maybe sometime in December. Latterly seemed to be a recurring character and a quick check indicated he is a minor character in her William Monk series. The narrator, Steven Crossly, does a great job and added greatly to the book’s appeal. 3 stars

>160 EBT1002: Yay for Bruno! I hope you like it, Ellen, and it doesn't suffer the neglect that my library books sometimes do. Happy weekend to you!

I have about 30 pages left in Anne Tyler's charming Vinegar Girl and I'm just getting into my latest Bruno, The Devil's Cave.

Hi Joanne - What timing for your ER! I love Anne Perry's series. Both are very good, especially if you like historical mysteries. I just got the first Bruno from the library. I probably won't get to it until after the end of the semester.

Have a great weekend.

I'm looking forward to getting to Vinegar Girl when it comes out here.

Hi Joanne! I took my copy of Oscar Wao down from its shelf and on my actual TBR pile. Your excellent review was the incentive. I may not get to it in May but it will get read sometime this year.

I've been curious about those Anne Perry Christmas books. I might give one a try in December. Anything to promote some Christmas spirt. I am usually all Bah-Humbug about the amount of shopping I have to do.

>163 DianaNL: What a pretty kitty! I'm well, Diana. Happy weekend to you!

>164 BLBera: I definitely going to try one of Perry's series and I'm very glad to hear you like them, Beth. Not that I need another series but I do like historical mysteries. I hope you like Bruno!

>165 charl08: I just finished it today, Charlotte, and loved it!

>>166 Donna828: Hi Donna! I will be very interested in your thoughts on Oscar when you get to it. I was curious about Anne Perry's Christmas books, too, which is why I requested it. The timing was off a bit, although if I was listening to it this weekend, the snow falling outside would have at least looked Christmassy!

>161 Copperskye: I've got another of Perry's Christmas stories, Jo, in print not audio. I'll bring it next time we meet up, even if it's July. :) If I remember correctly, A New York Christmas was not all mistletoey and jingle-belly either, so you'll be able to save it for December or read it in the summer.

Hi Mary, Sounds like a plan! A New York Christmas sounds good. We should do lunch sometime, especially since we missed you last time we all met. And I'm not saying that because I need another book to read. :)

"jingle-belly" LOL!

Wasn't it great to see the sun today?

Hi Joanne

I'm stopping by to wave hello.

>170 Whisper1: Hi Linda! Always so good to see you here!



29. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (LTER)

Hogarth Press commissioned popular authors to retell some of Shakespeare’s classics. Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl is an updated version of The Taming of the Shrew and since I haven’t read Shakespeare's original, I can’t make a comparison. What I can say is this was a sweet story full of Tyler’s trademark quirky characters and situations. No one does family dynamics with heart and truth better. Kate Battista's scientist father needs a way to keep his lab assistant, Pyotr, legally in the US and what better way than to have him marry his eldest daughter? It’s a bit of an absurd premise, but Tyler makes it work. Having just read her A Spool of Blue Thread a year ago, reading Vinegar Girl felt like a wonderful bonus book. A quick, humorous, and highly entertaining read. And I loved the cover! 4.25 stars

My current books are The Devil's Cave and Mothering Sunday.

Great comments, Joanne. The cover is beautiful, and it seemed like Tyler was having fun with this.

>172 BLBera: Thanks Beth, I agree, I think she probably had fun with it! I know I had fun reading it. Here's another book you'd like:



30. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift

A day in the life of a maid and the young gentleman next door, England, circa 1924. At times emotionally exhausting, and at 177 pages, a great reminder that a writer doesn’t necessarily need to use a lot of words to pack a wallop. Beautifully done. 4.5 stars

I'm on the reserve list at my library, Joanne. I hope it waits to come in until I'm done with grading. The next two weeks are intense.

>174 BLBera: I'm sure you're looking forward to finishing up your grading and getting some free time to breathe, Beth. I hope the end of the semester goes smoothly!

Mothering Sunday was very, very good.

Hi Joanne! I'm slowly getting caught up, after most of a week away from LT... I've heard some raves about Mothering Sunday... Looking forward to it!

>173 Copperskye: Looking forward to reading this a lot. Thanks for building the anticipation!

Happy Mother's Day :)

>176 katiekrug: A week away, Katie? Have fun/good luck catching up! I'll be very interested in your opinion of Mothering Sunday when you get to it.

>177 charl08: It's a good one, Charlotte!

>178 nittnut: Thank you, Jenn, and happy Mother's Day to you as well! I hope you had a great day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and to everyone who has a Mom. I had a lovely day with my son. I'm lucky he lives close enough to come home to visit on days such as this. I still miss my own mom. Here we are a very long time ago when we were both very young.

What a great photo. You look quite a lot like your mother. :)

Lovely photo. Lovely thoughts. Glad you had a nice Mother's Day.

>179 Copperskye: So succinct and yet so beautifully worded, Joanne. Thanks for sharing. You make me wish that I had had that, and I so very rarely get caught up in what wasn't.

Happy Monday to you - hoping it was kind.

>180 nittnut: Thank you, Jenn. On both counts.

>181 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba.

>182 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie. I hope you had a nice day with your brood! Monday was swell..I took the day off. :)

Current reads are The Devil's Cave (still), and English Creek (finally).

Hi, Joanne! I hope your weather has been better than ours. Sighs...

Mothering Sunday sounds very good. I will keep an eye out.

I am loving This House of Sky. His writing is gorgeous. Hope you enjoy English Creek, the only Doig I have read.

>184 msf59: Typical May weather around here, Mark. Not bad. It's funny how quickly 50 degrees seems chilly when only a few months ago it felt pretty darn good.

Mothering Sunday is just your cuppa. I'm so glad you are enjoying This House of Sky! English Creek is very good, too. A good book to get lost in.

I did have a very nice day with my brood, thank you. And I have finished The Crowded Grave, so now I know what your cryptic comment meant in >148 Copperskye:. I concur.

Oh dear -- I wasn't reading The Crowded Grave when Joanna posted. I'm nearly finished now and anxious to get to it and finish now that I went back and read that comment...gotta run....

Happy weekend, Joanne.

>186 Crazymamie: It surprised me, Mamie, and not in a good way....

>187 RebaRelishesReading: I need to go check your thread, Reba!

>188 Ameise1: That's adorable, Barbara. Thanks for the smile!

31. The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker

In this book #5 in the Bruno or “A Mystery of the French Countryside” series, a punt with the body of a naked woman is seen floating down the river. As Bruno begins his investigation, more strange circumstances occur and there appears to be more than Satanism going on. The setting is bucolic but the situations are anything but. These aren’t cozy mysteries; they are much darker and yet they have a light touch of humor and characters with whom you can’t help but want to spend time. Maybe over a casually prepared gourmet meal with some local wine. An entertaining page-turner. 4 stars

Happy Sunday, Jo!

>179 Copperskye: Wonderful photo of you and your mom on the Jersey Shore!

The Devil's Cave sounds good. I'm going to have to get with the Bruno mystery series one day soon.

>190 Copperskye: That's the next one up for me. Got to get through the Naples series and then I'll be on it. Can't wait. (They do make you want to sit down to a casually gourmet meal, don't they?)

>189 Copperskye: Me, too, Joanne! AND you have already read the next one!! I am hoping to get to that one very soon.

I have the first Bruno waiting for me at the library, Joanne. I'm almost done with grading = 1/2 of one class left! Then, I can get to some of the books that are waiting patiently.

>191 Storeetllr: Mary's back! Thank you, it's a favorite of mine. I think you'd like the Bruno series.

>192 RebaRelishesReading: The Naples series? Is that My Brilliant Friend, etc? I have that one on my tbr shelf.

>193 Crazymamie: I'm impatiently waiting for my turn with the next one, Mamie.

>194 BLBera: I'm sure you'll like it, Beth! Yay for being almost done with grading! My first-year-teaching son is very happy that his school year ends in two weeks (and grades need to be in the next day). He hasn't had a chance to read a book in months.

I have been just buying them, as I tend to reread a lot, and I could definitely see me rereading through the entire series once I have finished it.

Right, Joanne, "the Naples series" starts with My Brilliant Friend. I'm on the third now and still enjoying the series although I liked the first one best.

>190 Copperskye: I'm tempted to go back to this series with all the enthusiasm around here! Dangerous...

>196 Crazymamie: I'm lucky that my library has them as ebooks. And the next one just became available - yay! I did wind up buying most of the Montalbano books because they weren't available to borrow. And I have all the Gamache books just because I like them so much and plan to reread at least the first couple. These series books really do add up, not so much in dollars but in shelf space.

>197 RebaRelishesReading: I'm going to try to read My Brilliant Friend this summer. I'm glad you're enjoying them!

>198 charl08: Come on board, Charlotte. You know you want to! :)

32. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine by Alexander McCall Smith

The latest entry in the sweet and gentle Mma Ramotswe series, read by Lisette Lecat, whose narration makes the books utterly delightful.

Hi Joanne -- you know, I think I pre-ordered that one as an ebook. I need to check my "device". I love that series.

33. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

A sweet teen love story with the darker elements of domestic violence, child abuse, poverty, and bullying. Interestingly, the author set the story in late 1980s Omaha, NE and included a lot of cultural, mostly musical, references. I don't read a lot of YA books but this one was a winner. I found it hard to put down.

>201 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, It's a good one and I love revisiting the characters. I highly recommend the audio versions if you haven't tried them.

>202 Copperskye: It is funny Joanne but you wouldn't associate someone with a name like "Rainbow" with tales of 'domestic violence, child abuse, poverty, and bullying'.

I have seen a number of her (?) books on Yasmyne's shelves so I ought to give one of 'em a try.

Have a great weekend.

I keep bumping Eleanor & Park down the pile. I need to get to it soon.

My first fledgling leaves the nest in two weeks. The feelings! I didn't cry when he went to Kindergarten, didn't mind the transformation into adolescent (not too much, anyway). His teenage shenanigans led me to believe I'd throw a party when he moved out. Apparently not. Good grief. You'd think I'd be happier that I got one kid to this point alive.

Hooray for Eleanor & Park. I loved that one too!

Happy Saturday, Joanne! I am currently loving Lab Girl. This might be your cuppa too...just sayin'...

Hi Joanne - It sounds like I should add Eleanor & Park to the list.

>201 RebaRelishesReading: & >203 Copperskye: I have tried the audio versions and like them a lot. In fact, I found The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine on my Kindle but ordered the audio anyway because my husband enjoys them and it will be a good book to listen to on the drive east.

>204 PaulCranswick: I know, right, Paul? Should be all peace, love, and understanding. A worthwhile read, though, hopefully not based on personal experience.

>205 nittnut: Such a mixture of feelings, I'm sure, Jenn. But congrats on a job well done since they're supposed to leave the nest and in one piece! Where's he off to?

>206 msf59: I read a review somewhere about Lab Girl, maybe the NYT, and I'm glad you're liking it. Audio?

>207 BLBera: it was a good and memorable read, Beth!

>208 RebaRelishesReading: Enjoy Reba! A good way to spend a fraction of your drive time!

Currently I'm reading The Resistance Man, The Woman in Blue, and English Creek. Eventually I'll finish one of them. They're all great.

Anyone else watch Doctor Thorne on Amazon yet? We loved it.

I don't get by very often but I always come away with book ideas: the Bruno series looks fun. I'm also adding Eleanor & Park as I've been dabbling in YA lit again. Finally, thinking Vinegar Girl would be good, too.

And...I keep seeing Doctor Thorne on my Amazon suggested list. Glad to know it's good.

Enjoy English Creek: it was my favorite of the trilogy.

Hi Karen, Nice to see you, however often you manage to stop by! I haven't gotten around much myself lately. Glad I could tempt you with some good reads. If you're in the mood for YA, you'll love Eleanor & Park. I am enjoying English Creek and Jick's attempts to understand the adult world around him.

34. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths

The 8th book in the Ruth Galloway series. I love Ruth and the books are getting better and better.

Hi Joanne - Now we have to wait for the next one. :(

Luckily, I have some other books lying around to read or I'd be impatiently drumming my fingers waiting for it, Beth. :) It's not always easy being all caught up.

Hi, Joanne! Yes, I listened to Lab Girl on audio. Actually, the author did a fine job on the audio.

Glad you are enjoying your Doig. Are you going to read a Proulx?

Hi Mark, I'm waiting for my library to get the audio version of Lab Girl. Looks good! I wasn't planning on reading Prouix this month although I have my eye on her new one. I also want to reread The Shipping News some day. So maybe....:)

35. The Resistance Man by Martin Walker

Book #6 in the Bruno series, and a good murder mystery. The secondary train robbery story didn't seem to go anywhere, though, and considering the title, I had expected it to. And Walker can be hard on his four-legged characters. Still 4 stars. I think I need a break from these for a while but I'm not sure how long I can stay away.

Hi Joanne!

I've yet to get to The Woman in Blue. Like you, I really enjoy the character development in the Elly Griffiths series.

Hi Deborah! Thanks for visiting. The Woman in Blue is so good - I'm really looking forward to the next one!

I finished English Creek (touchstones, why Treasure Island?) and started Fangirl a few days ago. I need to start another but haven't quite committed. On audio, I'm listening to Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen.

36. English Creek by Ivan Doig

I'm so glad I finally read this! I didn't realize that it would be a coming of age story, with one of Doig's charming young narrators. Jick McCaskill looks back to the Montana summer of 1939, when he was 15 and trying to make sense of the adults in his life and the changes going on around him. 4.25 stars

You're pushing me to add Doig to my reading this year, Joanne.

>220 Copperskye: Doig's best books are the ones with young adult narrators!

Glad you liked it!

Happy Friday, Joanne! Hooray for English Creek. It was my first Doig. I hope to bookhorn in another of his this year.

I am loving both Jane Steele & The Fair Fight. Both of these might interest you. Just sayin'...

Have a great weekend!

>221 BLBera: *gentle push* You won't be sorry, Beth. I highly recommend This House of Sky to start.

>222 witchyrichy: I agree, Karen! I plan to read Dancing at the Rascal Fair (love that title) this fall.

>223 msf59: Hi Mark! It was a good one, all right! Those two titles are new to me - I need to check them out.

Hi Joanne - I just got a $75 gift card to Barnes & Noble - I'll have to check to see if they have the Doig.

Hi! Looking forward to the 26th. Remind me to bring that Anne Perry book I promised you.

I just read a book you might like, if you haven't already read it. It's the one MDR talked about at her Epitaph book signing last year: American Ghost by Hannah Nordhaus.

>225 BLBera: Nice Beth! I hope they have it! :)

>226 Storeetllr: Me too! I have the audio of the Christmas Perry and you're welcome to it. We can trade. I have American Ghost on my Kindle. I think it was a $1.99 deal a while ago. Of course, I haven't read it. Sounds like you liked it - I'll have to give it a try.

I have obviously read the wrong books by Doig, Joanne. I read Bucking the Sun and The Sea-Runners and, whilst I didn't dislike them, they didn't wow me either.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Finding the time to get caught up here and making note of the Bruno series - and remembering that I still need to finish the Inspector Montalbano books. Humm... maybe I should finish one series before I take on another series. ;-)

>228 PaulCranswick: I've seen mixed reviews of both of those books, Paul, although I haven't read either. I cannot recommend This House of Sky more. The Whistling Season is another favorite.

>229 lkernagh: I'm taking a break from the Bruno series, Lori, and the Montalbano series is the one I want to get back to. I don't let one series get in the way of starting another, obviously. :)

>230 DianaNL: Lovely Diana, thanks! Summer is my favorite time of year!

THANK YOU for taking the time to make my first Library Thing meetup so memorable! I appreciate you reaching out to Anne and Mary as well. This afternoon will be the highlight of my trip to Denver!

And thank you, Karen, for suggesting we get together and taking out the time from your conference. It was great to meet and chat with you and and hopefully you'll be back again sooner than 6 years!

I bought a copy of Book Scavenger on my way out. I love the cover and it sounds intriguing. Thanks for the coupon! :)

So much fun!

>234 Storeetllr: Absolutely! I only wish the TC had stayed open a little longer!



37. Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen (audio)

As a long time copy editor at the New Yorker, Mary Norris knows a lot about grammar and word usage and she managed to take a pretty mundane topic and turn it into an interesting book. I listened to the audio version, read by the author. It took a bit to get used to her voice, but it turned out to be a surprisingly entertaining and funny book.
3.75 stars.

Just dropping by to say hello. Hope you're having a lovely summer. :)

Hi Joanne - I'll add it to my list. I love witty books about grammar.

Hi Jenn! Thanks for stopping by. I'm afraid the summer is going to slip by too fast, as usual....

Hi Beth, Good, good, good!

>235 Copperskye: I think I'd like that one, too.

I think you would, Ellen!

>235 Copperskye: I may have to add Mary Norris's book to my TBR list. I'll be visiting with my English teaching buddies in the next few weeks and it could spark some lively conversation!

It could be a good choice, Karen! Hope your trip home was uneventful.

July 1, as good a time as any for a new thread....