Betty (dudes22) Tries to Catch Up in 2018 - Pt 2

Welcome to part 2 of my 2018 challenge. My name is Betty and I’ve been a member of LT since Jan, 2008 so this is 10 years for me and I'm so glad I found it. Where does the time go? I really want to work on my series books, (which I said last year too) and my TBR pile (but I say that every year), and all those books I’ve wanted to read and haven’t gotten to, and all those book bullets….well, you get the idea. I’m hoping that now that the move is over, I’ll be able to find more reading time. I also want to spend more time quilting this year. I may actually binge-read a few of my series and those that have been neglected in the last few years.

I set my goal at 100 books each year and I’d like 75 of those to come from my TBR pile.

Tickers







2018 new, secure links to the wikis:

2018 Random Cat: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2018_RandomCAT

2018 Mystery Cat: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2018_MysteryCAT

2018 Color Cat: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2018_ColorCAT

2018 Bingo Dog: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2018_Bingo_Dog

I saw this on a profile and thought it was also a good indication of how I rate books:(with a couple of my own adjustments)

My Rating System
Unforgettable
Excellent
Recommended
Almost all cozies & series mysteries
Respectable
Not recommended
DNF

1. JANUARY:



Color Cat: Black River by S. M. Hulse

Mystery Cat:Nemesis by Jo Nesbo

Random Cat: Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Black River by S.M. Hulse

1. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
2. Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
3. Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg

2. February:



Color Cat: Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith

Mystery Cat: Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs

Random Cat: Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs

4. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
5. All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie
6. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
7. The Enemy: A Reacher Novel by Lee Child
8. Black River by S.M. Hulse
9. Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs
10. Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
11. The Alto Wore Tweed by Mark Schweizer
12. Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith

3. March:



Color Cat: Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

Mystery Cat: The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill

Random Cat:

13. The Collectors by David Baldacci
14. The Dante Connection by Estelle Ryan
15. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
16. The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill
17. Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie
18. Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

4. April:



Color Cat: My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith

Mystery Cat: The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey

Random Cat: Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

19. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
20. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
21. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
22. Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
23. My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith
24. Dark of the Moon by John Sandford
25. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny

5. May:



Color Cat: The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier

Mystery Cat: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Random Cat: The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

26: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
27: The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
28. Mother of Malawi by Al Gibson
29. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
30. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
31. Voodoo River by Robert Crais
32. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
33. Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein

6. June:



Color Cat: Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich

Mystery Cat:

Random Cat: To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn

34. To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn
35. The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen
36. Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
37. Sunset Express by Robert Crais
38. An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch
39. Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

7. July:



Color Cat: The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme Simsion

Mystery Cat: By The Time You Read This by Giles Blunt

Random Cat: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

40. The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme Simsion
41. By The Time You Read This by Giles Blunt
42. Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
43. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
44. Call For the Dead by John Le Carre
45. A Murder of Quality by John Le Carre
46. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
47. One Shot by Lee Child
48. Mistletoe Man by Susan Wittig Albert

8. August:



Color Cat: Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

Mystery Cat: His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King

Random Cat: All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

49. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming
50. His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
51. A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King
52. Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
53. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

9. September:



Color Cat: The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs
Mystery Cat: Still Midnight by Denise Mina

Random Cat:

54. Love Songs From a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill
55. The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
56. Essential Klimt by Laura Payne

10. October:



Color Cat: The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri

Mystery Cat:

Random Cat: The Moor by Laurie R. King

57. Still Midnight by Denise Mina
58. The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs
59. The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri

11. November:



Color Cat: Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert

Mystery Cat: Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert

Random Cat:

60. The Moor by Laurie R. King
61. Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert
62. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

12. December:



Color Cat:

Mystery Cat:

Random Cat:

63. The Spy Who Came In From the Cold by John Le Carre

Color Cat:



Jan (black) - Black River by S. M. Hulse
Feb (brown) - Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith
Mar (green) - Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie
Apr (yellow) - My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith
May (blue) - The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
Jun (purple) - Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
Jul (pink) - The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme Simsion
Aug (grey) - Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
Sep (metallic) - The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs
Oct (orange) - The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri
Nov (red) - Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert
Dec (white) -

Mystery Cat:



Jan - Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
Feb - Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs
Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
Mar - The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill
Apr - The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
May - The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Jun
Jul - By The Time You Read This by Giles Blunt
Aug - His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King
Sep - Still Midnight by Denise Mina
Oct - The Spy Who Came In From the Cold by John Le Carre (finished in Dec)
Nov - Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert
Dec

Bingo Dog:





1. The Dante Connection by Estelle Ryan
2.
3. Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
4. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
5.
6. Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg
9. Every Note Played by Lisa Genova
8. Sunset Express by Robert Crais
9. The Collectors by David Baldacci
10. Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs (Mardi Gras)
11.
12. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
13. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
14. Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich
15. The Alto Wore Tweed by Mark Schweizer
16. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
17. Dark of the Moon by John Sandford
18. Love Songs From a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill
19. Black River by S.M. Hulse (Jan Color - Black, Jan Random - BB)
20. Essential Klimt by Laura Payne
21. Mother of Malawi by Al Gibson
22. Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
23. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
24. Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
25.

Isn't that interesting? I've had some good reading so far and am hoping that continues to the end of the year. And I've started to think about next year.

Book 34: To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn
Jun Random: Unusual Narrator

This is the third book in the Chet and Bernie series where Chet the dog is the narrator. This time Chet and Bernie are searching for an elephant and trainer that are missing from the circus. The mysteries aren't that involved and there is a lot of filler in the books, but I like them for some light reading now and then.

lovely new thread.
>18 dudes22: yes, that's the magic of language. Thinking about next year already?! I can't believe it's June already!

Happy new thread! Hope you've been having a good weekend :)

Book 35: The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen

I read this book for my book club which is in a couple of weeks. It's one of those split stories. Joanna has returned to her home because her father has passed away. While going through his things, she finds a letter he wrote to a woman in Italy after WWII which was returned as undeliverable. Based on what the letter says, she decides to go to Italy to find out more about her father and the war. The other story is the one of her father in the war. Shot down over Italy and hiding out from the Germans, a local woman tries to help him.

It was an ok book. Fairly predictable plot. But there was a bright spot in the food that was mentioned.

>20 Helenliz: - Thanks - I have to start thinking early because I have no imagination :)

>21 rabbitprincess: - Thanks, rp. OK weekend. Working on a baby quilt for a shower next weekend. And I lazed away today finishing a book.

Happy new thread, Betty. It's never too early to think about next year. I'm jotting down ideas already.

Happy new thread, Betty. I agree that it's never too early to think about next year's challenge, I've been giving it some thought as well. I like the way you have set up this year's challenge by the month and that is one idea that I am thinking about.

>24 MissWatson: - Thanks. I figured I wasn't the only one.

>25 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks, Judy. I've done this the last couple of years because I haven't come up with an idea that let me fit in what I wanted to read into categories. But I think I've got something I can work with for next year.

Happy new thread! I love seeing your images again, normally missed when I jump to the latest message.

No, you are not the only one thinking about next year! I usually jot down ideas then discard them after a little thought. I like your monthly plan and might copy it next year.

>27 VivienneR: - Thanks Vivienne. I sort of felt it was taking the easy way out, but it does make it easy to read what you want.

Happy new thread, Betty! June sounds like the perfect time to start thinking about next year, although, anytime is a good time to think about another reading challenge. :-)

Happy new thread!

>29 lkernagh: - >30 thornton37814: - Thanks

Book 36: Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
June Color Cat: Purple

I still like this series. In some ways, I guess you could say it's repetitious, with various combinations of similar circumstances. Once again, Stephanie Plum is trying to find individuals who have failed to show up for court helped by her side-kick Lula. This time, while trying to catch one, they steal a ice cream truck which had already been stolen by the person they're chasing and a dead body falls out of the back frozen and covered with chocolate sauce and nuts. Let the mayhem begin!

>32 dudes22: they are repetitive, but I read them for Lula and Grandma Mazur.

Book 37: Sunset Express by Robert Crais
BINGO Block: X in the title

Private Investigator Elvis Cole is hired by Teddy Martin's defense team to find proof that Detective Angie Rossi tampered with the evidence in Martin's wife's death. She had been accused previously of the same thing and Martin's lawyer thinks she may have done it again. This is one of my favorite series and if I had the next one, I'd be starting it right away because I can't decide if the end of the book is a cliff-hanger or not.

Book 38: An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch

This series takes place in Victorian England (this book in 1875) so there's no DNA help, no fingerprint help, no phones, no cars, none of the things that move a mystery along. It makes a nice change. In this book in the series, Lenox takes a little time off from his Parliamentary job to help his protégé John Dallington with a client. Lenox still misses his days of solving mysteries and likes the opportunity to help out. The mystery involves a man who is pretending to be someone else and threatening one of the Queen's social secretaries.

Book 39: Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

I really enjoyed this book in the Elm Creek Quilters series. The series is about Elm Creek Manor which holds weeklong quilting retreats. Previous books have focused on various members of the group or some aspect of quilting. One was about how quilts were used as part of the underground railroad. In this book, two of the members of the original group of quilters are leaving and the group is looking for two new people to teach and join the group. Almost like a series of short stories, there are chapters for each person who is applying for the job, giving their background story for some context about why they are applying.

I found I had an emotional reaction to some of the stories. One made me angry, another sad, and another very frustrated. And I couldn't wait to keep reading to find out who was chosen. So I gave it a higher rating than I usually give series books.

So half-way through the year and I realize I won't meet my goal this year. But that's ok. I've been doing a bit of quilting that's been taking up some of my time.

>37 dudes22: As long as you're enjoying the books you are reading, that's the main thing ;)
I found my reading slowed down a bit in May and June, possibly because I'd been reading like gangbusters for the first third of the year and wanted a bit of a break.

>38 rabbitprincess: - I find I am enjoying the books and not worrying this year about actually making my goal. I'll probably never be a 20 book a month reader anyway.

Book 40: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
July Color Cat: Pink

Don Tillman tends to see the world in terms of black and white. He's also extremely logical, lives his life by a strict timetable, and doesn't always think about the consequences when he speaks. He's decided that he needs a wife and creates a 16 page, double-sided questionnaire to find one. Then he meets Rosie who comes to him because he is a genesis to help her find her biological father. Even though she doesn't fulfill many of the requirements of the Wife Project, they become friends as they work on her problem. You know what's going to happen, but it's still a fun read to get there.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I show that I took a BB on this from Lori (ikernagh) for this back in 2015, but I remember others talking about it too around that time too. Good BB.

Book 41: By The Time You Read This by Giles Blunt
July Mystery: Police Procedural

There are two parallel stories in this book - in one, Lise Delorme, Joh Cardinal's sometimes partner, is sent some child porn photos from Toronto because one of the pictures has something in it that the Toronto police have identified as being in the town of Algonquin Bay where Lise and John are police officers.

If you are reading this series and haven't gotten this far yet, skip the rest of this.

In the other story, John's wife has died and everyone but John believes it to be suicide. John has trouble believing it and is investigating, without police help, to prove that she might not have committed suicide.

Police procedures that somewhat of a backseat in this book, but since the series is mostly a police procedurals series, I'm still counting it. I found that I was at times annoyed, frustrated, angry - multiple emotions that are a sign of a good author to me.

>41 dudes22: I haven't tried the Giles Blunt series. I may need to give them a try if they are police procedurals.

>41 dudes22: This was my favourite book in the series! And strangely enough, one of my RL friends is reading this one right now as well.

>40 dudes22: - So glad to see you enjoyed it! And such a perfect summer-time read, too. ;-)

>41 dudes22: - The only Giles Blunt book I have read to date is Breaking Lorca one of his stand-alone novels, which I read waaaayyyy back in 2009. Apparently I gave that one a 4 star rating, so I probably should be adding more Blunt books to my reading pile. Great review!

>42 thornton37814: - Lori - I like the series. I would say they're "serious" police procedurals. Not extremely violent in description, but probably one of the most violent that I read.

>43 rabbitprincess: - rp - I think it's my favorite so far too.

>44 lkernagh: - Lori - I understand that there is another Rosie book, which I may try sometime. I do like the way Blunt writes. I may try his stand-alones too.

Book 42: Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
Bingo Block: Poetry or Play

I had originally thought that I probably wouldn't be reading anything for this Bingo Block because I rarely read poetry, but after reading Judy's (DQ)review of this book, I decided to get it from the library and give it a try. I enjoyed it quite a bit although I'm in no position to review it.

Book 43: Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnsons

I've finally gotten back to the Sheriff Longmire series. When an Asian woman is found by the side of the road, Walt Longmire's memories of his time in Vietnam resurface while he solves the murder.

Book 44: Call For the Dead by John Le Carre

A couple of things lately have piqued my interest in this series. I saw an interview with the author about his new book in this series A Legacy of Spies after 25 years. And I think there was some conversation here about the series. I think someone said that it takes a couple of books to get into it. I grabbed the first 2 at the library and I liked this first book and Smiley immediately.

Sorry for the condensed comments on books. Summer seems busier this year for some reason. Next week is Vacation Bible School at church and we have a group of young adults (early 20s - young to me) coming from Brazil to help out. I'm helping with the cooking events for them (as opposed to the campers) and spent yesterday making 5 batches of cupcakes and 3 of cookies. (I already had 4 batches of cookies in the freezer and made 4 pans of bar cookies on Monday.) Today I'll deliver the first tray of cookies for lunchtime and try to make a couple of batches of frosting for the cupcakes which are for a dinner tomorrow night. The flavors I chose for the cupcakes are Strawberry Lemonade, Orange Creamsicle, Oreo Cookies and Cream, Root Beer Float, and Maple Bacon. And I've got some cute ideas for decorating them. I'll try to remember to take a picture.

>49 dudes22: Hope they enjoy the cupcake flavors. I had a bite of a maple bacon donut once. We were at a genealogy conference in Richmond, Virginia. One of my friends found this incredible donut shop. It was pretty late when we all headed that way. It was summer, and it was already dark outside. To be honest, I couldn't see what I was eating. She insisted we all try a bite of this donut. (She'd purchased several; she kept a whole one for herself.) I think Jeff and I opted for something more traditional like chocolate!

>49 dudes22: They'll have so much fun with your cupcakes! I belong to a group that feeds high school and college age Habitat volunteers and they are always so appreciative.

>46 dudes22: As I also very rarely read poetry, I was happy to find a volume of poems that I could simply enjoy and not have to analyze it line by line to figure out what the poet meant! Your cupcakes sound delicious, I would have a hard time choosing which one to choose.

Here's a picture of a couple of the finished cupcakes. I did about 1 1/2 doz of each kind. From the left in front: Rootbeer Float, Starwberry Lemonade, Orange Creamsicle, Maple Bacon (kind of in the back), and Oreo Cookies and Cream. I kept these back for my hubby.

YUM!

>53 dudes22: *steals the cookies and cream one*

The cupcakes were well received although I found some of the frostings a little sweet. I had quite a few left over that weren't frosted that are going to another function tomorrow night. So I'm going to try and tweek the frostings on a couple to another recipe I use.

Book 45: A Murder of Quality by John Le Carre

I liked book 2 in the Smiley series too and will keep going with this series. In this book, Smiley is asked by an old friend from his wartime days to check out a letter she received from the wife of a master at a private school saying she thought her husband might kill her. When Smiley gets to the town, turns out she is dead.

>53 dudes22: - Love the cupcakes and the flavours you chose to make! YUM!!!

Book 46: Those Who Save Us Jenna Blum
July Random: Getting to Know You
Bingo Block: Longest on TBR pile

Trudi was a young child when she and her mother are brought from Germany to America by an American soldier at the end of WW II. Now that she is an adult, she is a professor of German history at a Minneapolis university. Her mother not only will not speak of the war, but speaks almost never. Trudi applies for and receives a grant to study what ordinary German citizens did and thought during WWII. The story alternates between Trudi and her project and her mother's story about her life during the war. I enjoyed the stories right up until the end which was rather unsatisfactory. Too many coincidences and just an ending which was a little too convenient. I might have rated it higher except for that.

As for it filling my Bingo block for one of my longest books in my TBR, I hang my head to say that when I decided to start adding my TBR books to LT, this was one of the first ones back in Jul 2009. Who knows how long I had it before then. And there are even more still on the TBR pile that I added back then too. So many books, so little time.

>53 dudes22:
Oh, those are lovely - well done!! I love cupcakes because of the pretty, but all frosting is too sweet for me, so it comes off before I eat them... :)

>60 -Eva-: - Thanks, Eva. I've managed to find a basic recipe for frosting that I don't find too sweet - pudding mix made with only 1/2 the milk, cream cheese, and whipped cream. The pudding mix changes flavor depending on what kind I want and sometimes I add flavorings. It's not too sweet and not tooo heavy. I managed to adapt a few of the original frostings that I found too sweet.

>61 dudes22:
That's a great idea. The whipped cream, I imagine, helps enormously, but does it hold up?
I have a coworker who adores frosting, though, so we tend to share cupcakes - she takes the top and I take the bottom. :)

>62 -Eva-: - Well, Eva, I either use a frozen whipped topping (which is what the recipe calls for) or I use a whipped cream stabilizer that I order from a baking site that I get stuff from. I think that once the cream cheese in the frosting gets cold again (I do put them in the fridge), it helps to firm it up enough.

>63 dudes22:
That sounds a lot better than the cupcakes I usually have. Feel free to send some over! :)

Book 47: One Shot by Lee Child

I'm so glad I still have plenty of Jack Reacher books to read. I really enjoy this series. In this book, Jack sees on TV that someone he investigated for a serial killing when he was in the Army 14 years ago, has apparently just killed 5 people randomly. What he doesn't know is that the only thing the guy has said after he was arrested is to find Jack Reacher. The usual mahem ensues.

Book 48: Mistletoe Man by Susan Wittig Albert

China Bayles runs an herb shop and has recently added a tea room with her friend Ruby. Getting ready for Christmas is hectic and then her supplier of mistletoe turns up dead - an apparent hit-and-run. Of course China gets involved in solving the mystery.

Even though I enjoy these cozy mysteries as a pleasant diversion, I'm always a little surprised that the authors have their amateur sleuths make some rather strange decisions that put them in danger. For example, deciding to go somewhere on a cold night with freezing ice, no cell phone and not telling anyone where they are going. Sometimes it's just a little far-fetched.

Book 49: All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Aug Random: Let's Go to the Mountains

Fourth book in a series about an Episcopalian minister set in the Adirondack Mountains who see3ms to get involved in mysteries. When the chief of police's wife is found murdered, she can't help but get involved. Lots of plot twists and red herrings and a surprise ending. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next book.

I haven't been posting book covers because the new security program I put on my computer won't let me copy them when I'm in Microsoft Edge. Only when I use Internet Explorer. I need to go back and see if there's a way to change that. What a pain.

Book 50: His Majesty's Hopeby Susan MacNeal
Aug Mystery: Historical Mystery

The next book in the Maggie Hope series which takes place during WW II. Maggie has now been trained for the black ops division and is going into Germany to plant a bug in a high official's office. She ends up doing more than she was supposed to. Couple of reveals and an interesting ending. Not sure how long til I get to the next one, but it should be interesting.

Hubby and I are off to Baltimore on Thurs for the weekend as a birthday trip for him since his birthday is next week. Also the Orioles are playing the Red Sox (we're Boston fans) and we're going to see one of the games. There's a lot of military/history stuff which he likes and also eating crabs. We did this a few years ago and had a great time. Fingers crossed that the weather is good.

Have a nice trip, Betty!

There was a discussion over on Lori’s (ikernagh) thread about favorite ice cream flavors and, when I mentioned I’m usually making Blueberry Honey this time of year, casvelyn asked me to share the recipe. Rather than highjack Lori’s thread, I’ve decided to post it here.

In the interest of full disclosure, this is a recipe that I found in The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto . I made one little change substituting honey for the sugar in the blueberry part.

Blueberry Honey Gelato

Base :
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar

Whisk egg yolks and sugar together. Heat milk and cream to 170 degrees. Temper egg yolk/sugar mixture by adding hot milk to eggs @ 1 ladle at a time while wisking. After adding about ½ the milk, add egg mixture back into pan and heat to 176 degrees. Remove from heat, pour through a sieve, and cool to room temp, stirring every 5 -10 minutes so no skim forms. I cool it overnight in the fridge, but the recipe says 4 hours is enough.

Blueberry Mixture

3 cups blueberries
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
¼ cup sugar (I use honey.)

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and let sit for 30 minutes. Then cook over med-low heat till berries pop and thicken @ 10 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate. (I cool them overnight)

Place blueberries and ½ base mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Whisk into remaining base. Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to your makers directions.

>72 dudes22: Thanks! My dad keeps bees and he's getting ready to harvest the honey soon. I know what I'll be making!

>73 casvelyn: - I hope you enjoy it.

Book 51: A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King
August Mystery Cat: Historical Mysteries

Russell and Holmes are visited by an old friend of Mary's who is an amateur archaeologist and brings Mary an ancient papyrus that she thinks may have been written by Mary Magdalene. When she is runover and killed the next day, Mary and Sherlock discover she was murdered and are asked by the police to help find out who did it. I continue to enjoy the relationship between Russell and Holmes which seems a rather modern one for that period.

Book 52: Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
August Color Cat: Grey

I've seen this series mentioned a few times here but never wrote down who shot me with the BB. I finally decided to start this series for a couple of reasons. One is that a friend of ours that we see in Mexico each year (who lives in Minnesota) mentioned that she's heard him speak a few times at book readings (libraries?). And I found his stand-alone novel on the take one/leave one shelf there and it's at the top of my "best book read this year" list right now.

Anyway - I found this a little grittier than some of the series I read (i.e. more bodies, etc) and had a few times where I needed to close the book for a few minutes because I almost didn't want to know what was going to happen. But, because this is a series, I at least knew that the main character would make it to the end of the book. But it was still suspenseful.

A judge is found dead and at first it is thought that he committed suicide. And a child is missing. But Cork O'Connor, the ex-sheriff, thinks that it might not be suicide, and the child is missing because he saw something he shouldn't have.

>22 dudes22: I'm glad to see you liked this so much. I'm exactly like you, I know people who highly recommend the series and I've seen it mentioned on LT numerous times but haven't gotten around to actually reading the first book, primarily because I already have so many series going. Oh well, what's one more when it looks like I'll really like it.

>77 clue: - I know what you mean. I have a few more series I'm hoping to get to soon. Hope you like it when you get to it.

Book 53: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

I finished this a few days ago, but wasn't sure what I should write about it. It was a very difficult book to read. I only knew the broadest outline of the story of young boys who were coerced into fighting on either side of the war in Sierra Leone, some for the army, some for the rebels. Ishmael was only twelve when his village was attacked and he fled. At the age of thirteen he joined the army and was fighting the rebels. The boys were given drugs to keep them high so they would fight and kill without questions. I found that I kept thinking of my 14 year-old nephew and trying to imagine him doing these things. It really brought home to me how horrific this was. At sixteen he was taken from the from the fighting by UNICEF and sent to a place for rehabilitation. Eventually he came to the US.

I think because this was a memoir, it was easier to understand what went on instead of just a dry recitation of facts; it was told on a personal level. There was a chronology at the end of the book giving a very brief listing of what happened in the history of Sierra Leone.

Book 54: Love Songs From a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill
Bingo Block: Related to the Pacific Ocean

This was the darkest of the Dr Siri books that I've read so far. While Dr Siri is trying to help solve three murders, he takes a trip to Cambodia and ends up in a prison. The book moves between these two stories. Only knowing that there are more books in this series had me optimistic that all would be fine in the end.

Book 55: The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

I didn't realize when this book was chosen for my RL book club, that it was a story based on the sinking of the Titanic. It's the story of Tess Collins who is given a job as a lady's maid to Lucille Duff Gordon with the implication that Lady Duff Gorden will help her to get a job in dressmaking when they get to New York.

Some of the characters in the book are based on real people, Lady Duff Gordon among them. I did learn a little bit more about some of the inquest that was held about what happened which was interesting. However the romantic part of the story didn't interest me that much.

>80 dudes22: I've only read one Dr Siri book so far and keep meaning to get more but somehow other books keep getting in the way. Your post is a reminder to be more focussed next time I go to the library.

Book 56: Essential Klimt by Laura Payne
Bingo Block: Beautiful Cover

Klimt is a painter whose work I enjoy a lot. I think part of it is the mosaics in his paintings remind me of quilts. Probably his most famous painting is "The Kiss" which is the one on the cover. He also used a lot of gold (and silver) in his paintings which unfortunately doesn't show in a book very well. The book has a short introductory biography of his life and then his works are arranged in order with an explanation of each work. Little is actually known about his thought process or why he painted what he did. Many of his paintings have erotic or sexual themes but no one seems to know why. He actually produced his work in a relatively short period of time as he died at 56.

Some better pictures of "The Kiss":



ETA: I got these pictures from one of the basic search engines.

I had a pretty bad reading month in Sept and I'm not sure exactly why. Only 3 books finished and the Klimt book was a lot of pictures so more of a browse than a read. I'm still reading my Mystery Cat book and I never got to the Random or the Color Cat. Maybe I can fit them in in Oct. I did finish another couple of batches of grape jelly yesterday so that's done for this year. And I made my step-daughter a pistachio cake for her birthday.

>84 dudes22: Hope you have a good reading month in October! And I hope that the rest of your September was good, if not the reading part of it.

Betty, I read The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott a new years ago and felt very much like you did about it. I much preferred A Touch of Stardust by the same author.

>85 rabbitprincess: - I fear that as it gets closer to the end of the year, my reading will continue to suffer. Whoever said that retirees aren't busy was wrong. Right now the only thing I remember doing of any significance was making grape jelly.

>86 DeltaQueen50: - I read the description and that doesn't really sound like something I'd like either. But I always appreciate your suggestions.

Book 57: Still Midnight by Denise Mina
Mystery Cat: Sept - Noir and Hardboiled

This is the first book in the Alex Morrow series which has been mentioned here by a few people. I wasn't sure how much I was liking the main character, but then Kay mentioned that she thought it was the weakest of the series. I usually give a series a couple/few books to get going before I decide, I'll keep going for now.

This first book is about a kidnapping and also sets up some office dynamics which are interesting. I was a bit confused at the very end of the book as I'm not sure things were exactly wrapped up neatly.

Book 58: The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs
September Color CAT

Another book in the tea shop series by Laura Childs, this was my least favorite book so far. There's a film festival in Charleston and Theodosia is one of the judges. Then a film director is murdered and Theodosia is asked to investigate (but not officially). I found a couple of things that were annoying and when the murderer is revealed, I just felt he/she hadn't been mentioned in the book enough. And the reason was dumb. But I love the Charleston setting and the tea and the food, so I'll keep reading.

Book 59: The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri
October Color Cat: Orange

Next book for me in the Insp Montelbano series. Usually somewhere in the middle of the book I lose track of what's going on (at least this time I did) and how it all meshes together, but I catch up by the end and do enjoy these.

Well, not a great reading month for me. I'm still trying to finish my Random book for this month The Moor by Laurie R. King. I like this series but not this book so much and so it's taking me a little longer to get it read. (more about that when I post my review next month)

I've also been busy organizing and cutting out fabric for a quilt that I'll be hand-piecing while we ae away this winter. I'm really excited about it, even though I know it will probably take me a year or more to finish. A great excuse to root through my stash of fabric and maybe buy just a little bit more.

>91 dudes22: - I haven't gotten my usual crafting bug yet this fall - just too darn busy at the moment - but your quilting project is enticing me to think about spending some time going through my craft trunk this weekend.

>92 lkernagh: - Hope you find something fun to do.

>91 dudes22: Just the right time of year to start rooting through a fabric stash in search of ideas. My stash seems to have grown in much the same way as my tbr bookshelves.

>94 VivienneR: - I hear you. But, of, course, I still had to order and buy a "few" more pieces of fabric that I thought I might need.

Book 60: The Moor by Laurie R. King
Oct Random: Playing Cards - King

I was disappointed in this book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. In this book, they are on the Dartmouth Moor where the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book The Hound of the Baskervilles takes place. Apparently the hound and the coach have been seen on the moor again and a man has been killed and Holmes's godfather wants their help in discovering what is taking place. It's just that nothing much takes place in the book. Near the beginning, they spend @30 pages wandering the moor in the rain looking for clues. And then there are numerous walks in and around the moor interviewing people without much more development in the story. And after all that, the answer wasn't really that good.

I like the series and will continue but this wasn't the best by far.

Book 61: Bloodroot by Susan Wittig Albert
Color Cat: Red
Mystery Cat: Cozy

This series features China Bayles, an herb store/tearoom owner from Pecan Springs, Texas who solves mysteries. (I was going to say murders, but that's almost a sub-plot in this book in the series). China's mother calls from Mississippi to say she needs China's help and so China travels there where she finds that her aunt has hit a man with her cane and he is now missing. This book is more about China's family history although there are a number of mysteries that are solved and they all intertwine. I liked this a bit better than some of the cozies I read. It was more straight-forward and she didn't have one of those "I'm-an-amateur-but-I'm-going-to-go-into-this-dark-house-by-myself" moments. Better than some I've read.

>97 dudes22: I've dipped into a couple of those over the years, but not that many. I do have a couple in TBR boxes in the house, I think.

>98 thornton37814: - I'm always (I guess you would say) surprised that people don't always read series in order. I think I do now because I read a book once that I didn't realize was part of a series at first and when I went back and read an earlier one, the daughter went from being in college to something like eight and her twin brothers weren't born yet. Not that they were important to the stories usually, but I like the continuity.

>99 dudes22: Honestly, I think I read the first one when it came out and didn't like it that much at the time. I think I dipped into later installments based on availability when I was ready to try the series again. Like you, I generally try to read them in order, but sometimes I know I'm not likely to read the entire series, and the China Bayles is one of those.

>100 thornton37814: - I think I like her series more than some others because there is some interesting information included about the different herbs.

Book 62: Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

" There's no end to how far back you can go, of course, when you're tryin g to figure out where something started.,"

When Lori (Ikernagh) reviewed Mary Lawson's other two books a couple of months ago and I went to take a BB, I found that Mary Lawson was already on my radar because I took a BB from Judy (DQ) last year for this book. I decided to recommend it to our new book club and we had our first meeting yesterday and everybody seemed to like it and also plan to read more by her. We had quite a discussion on character or destiny (and the parallel nature/nurture) which was only mentioned in a few paragraphs.

The book is written in a past/present manner. It's narrated by Kate who was the third of four children when their parents die in a car crash when Kate is seven. They live in a small town in northern Ontario - Luke and Matt are older teenagers (19 & 17) and then Kate and Bo who is one and a half. Luke decides that he will not go to college to be a teacher but will instead take care of the family so that they can stay together. How they manage and the story of their neighbors in Crow Lake is the past.

Kate as a college professor and researcher is part of the present. She's been invited to return to Crow Lake to celebrate her nephew's graduation. She still has a lot of unresolved feelings about her family and debates whether to bring her boyfriend or not.

Mary Lawson has packed a lot into a small book. The story moves slowly but steadily, building tension for what is to come without being too obvious. I'm looking forward to reading her other books.

>102 dudes22: Crow Lake has been on my TBR for some time. I need to get to it!

I'm glad that you and your book club enjoyed Crow Lake, Betty. This is a book that when I think about it, it seems like I am thinking about people that I actually knew. I need to read more by this author!

>103 RidgewayGirl: - I was thinking at first that it was you that hit me with the BB. Then I looked in your library and saw it hadn't been rated and figured out it was Lori and Judy I should blame. You should try to get to it.

>104 DeltaQueen50: - I think I've figured out a way to fit her 2nd book into my challenge for next year.

For those who are fans of the Joe Hill books, the big news today here in RI is that they are filming part of a series based on his novel NOS4A2 in a town up the road and the parking bans as a result. It's supposed to be on AMC and the news release says is supposed to premier next year.

>106 dudes22: That's exciting! It's fun to see places you're familiar with on film.

Well I have three books I'm trying to finish before the year is over. The Spy Who Came In From the Cold by John Le Carre, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, and The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff. I haven't managed to keep up with any of the Cats or the Bingo this year so it's probably a good thing that I've based my challenge next year on those.

I haven't posted here for a couple of weeks. I'm still reading The Spy Who Came In From the Cold and finally(!) almost at the end. The holidays and cookie baking have been taking up a large portion of my time and I'm so tired I can't get through more than a page at night before I'm asleep. Between family functions and gifts I do around 17-20 trays of cookies a year. I also did some fruitcakes (mine is really good - not like those bought ones) and some cranberry-nut breads. And spiced nuts - I like to take these as a small hostess gift if we do a visit. This year I did 15 different kinds of cookies, including a couple of vegan ones. There were a couple more I wanted to do, but didn't get them done.

I had picked today to deliver a few for those people I won't see again before Christmas (nail tech, etc) and of course the weather is supposed to be awful. Luckily it will be rain and not snow, but also a lot of wind.

>109 dudes22: I'll bet you are tired! It's really nice that you go to the trouble of baking for friends and family. That tradition, like many others, isn't as common as when I was growing up. I do a little baking but nothing like you have done. Tonight my 3 single nephews come to my house for a "Christmas" dinner of BBQ, their requested entre, and I've baked cookies, banana bread and a pie for each to take home. Tomorrow I'm taking a friend to another city about 100 miles away so that she can shop at a children's bookstore so its doubtful I'll spend any time in the kitchen. Monday I'll bake more sugar cookies in the morning and that's the end of the baking for me. Unfortunately it doesn't seem much like Christmas to me yet.

>110 clue: - That sounds like a nice thing you do for your nephews, Luanne. Single guys always like to eat and appreciate a home-cooked meal. Especially with goodies to go.

I was delivering a couple of tins of cookies today and the lid popped off of one and the whole thing landed on the floor. Luckily, I do have extra cookies still.

To all my friends here on LT:

Book 63: The Spy Who Came In From the Coldby John Le Carre
Mystery Cat: Oct - Espionage

Finally managed to read the book I had planned on for the Oct Mystery Cat. I've just started this series this year. I'm finding the writing style a little different than I'm used to and found it a rather confusing book. I thought I knew what was going on, only to be wrong in the end.

Since the year is winding down and I don't expect to finish any more books, I thought I'd post my best-reads-of-the-year list:

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Black River by S.M. Hulse
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
Every Note Played by Lisa Genova
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

And, surprisingly, no duds this year.

Excellent that you had no duds!

Wow, no duds is very impressive! Glad you enjoyed your 2018 reading.

No duds! Excellent!

Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with good health and good reading.