Familyhistorian's Reads for 2022 - Part 5

Welcome to my thread. My name is Meg and I live on the west coast of Canada in a land of soaring trees and rugged mountains. This place feels like home now because I miss the sight of abundant foliage when I travel elsewhere. But I’d really like to travel elsewhere. I was just getting into the swing of having more time to travel when everything shut down. Still there were things to keep me busy, like writing and reading. I must have been doing a lot of that in the last year because keeping up with the threads was more of a challenge than usual. I’d like to say that I’ll do better this year but, who knows. We’ll see what this year brings.

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I write about genealogy and history on my blog. I’m currently trying to take my maternal line back further based on some clues found in the letters I have been studying. You can see my latest blog posts at: A Genealogist’s Path to History

Challenges

Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2022 – 19th Century Europe (& rest of the world, excluding Northern America) - A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn - DONE
April-June 2021 – 19th Century Northern America (includes Civil War; excluding the Old West)
July-September 2021 – The Old West
October-December 2021 – 20th Century: Before WW1 (1900-1913)

Monthly

January: Eastern Philosophies & Religion - Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart - DONE
February: Rural Life - The Black Country by Alex Grecian - DONE
March: We are Time's Subjects - The Victorian and the Romantic by Nell Stevens - DONE
April: Technology - Radio Girls by Sarah Jane Stratford - DONE
May: Beginnings - Fall of Angels by Barbara Cleverly - DONE
June: The Golden State
July: Mental Health – Then and Now
August:
September: Harvest Moon
October: Musically Speaking
November: Ends and Endings
December: Reader’s Choice

2021 Nonfiction Challenge

January: Prizewinners and Nominees - Canada's Odyssey: A Country Based on Incomplete Conquests by Peter H. Russell - DONE
February: Welcome to the Anthropocene
March: Espionage (and Counter-Espionage) - Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II by Henry Hemming - DONE
April: Armchair Traveling - Road through Time by Mary Soderstrom - DONE
May: From Wars to Peace
June: Science & Medicine
July: Cross-Genres
August: Books by Journalists
September: Biography
October: From the ‘Middle Ages’ to the Renaissance
November: Books About Books
December: As You Like It

List of books for challenges

Non-fiction:

February: The Making of the British Landscape (start early, close to 700 pages)
March: Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II
April: Road Through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move
May: Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power
June: The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, Disease
July:
August: Britain 1940: The Decisive Year on the Home Front
September: Chanel
October:
November:
December:

Reading Through Time

Monthly

January: Jade Dragon Mountain
February: The Black Country
March: The Victorian and the Romantic
April: Radio Girls
May: Fall of Angels
June: The Black Dahlia
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:

Quarterly
January-March:
April-June: Battle Cry of Freedom
July-September:
October-December:

Little Free Library

Books culled in 2022

January - 7

February - 0 (there's a fence around my usual LFL)

March - 7

April - 7

May - 7

Books read in March 2022

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville
Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb
Glass Town: The Imaginary World of the Brontes by Isabel Greenberg
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci
Death of a Dude by Rex Stout
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida
Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood
The Inheritance of Soloman Farthing
The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James
Betrayal in Death by J.D. Robb
Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
The Secret of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Pulp by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II by Henry Hemming
A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Sharpe’s Tiger by Bernard Cornwell
To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters
The Victorian and the Romantic: a memoir, a love story, and a friendship across time by Nell Stevens

Books read in April

The Fallen Architect by Charles Belfoure
Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb
Death of an Avid Reader by Frances Brody
Murder by Matchlight by E.C.R. Lorac
Death Wears a Mask by Ashley Weaver
Christine Falls by Benjamin Black
Who Buries the Dead by C.S. Harris
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne
Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
Sharpe’s Triumph by Bernard Cornwell
Capote’s Women by Laurence Leamer
The Answer Is… by Alex Trebek

Books read in 2022

Books acquired in 2022

Acquisitions for April 2022

So far they are:
The Nazis and the Occult by Paul Roland
The Runaway Heiress by Meg Tilly
The Lady has a Past by Amanda Quick

Welcome!

HI Meg and happy new thread to you!

>13 mdoris: Hi Mary, you're quick of the mark! Thanks for the new thread wishes.

Happy new one!!

Happy new thread, Meg! Have I already congratulated you on reaching 75 already!! If not..."Congratulations". I'm most impressed.

>15 Berly: Thanks Kim!

>16 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for both, Reba! The books are going down easy lately. The secret to reading fast is all those library holds that have to get back to the library quickly.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Meg!

I got an email from Ancestry today with a 1950 U.S. census hint, so I'm looking forward to checking it out at work today and seeing if more of my family has been indexed.

HAppy new one!

Happy new one, Meg. What am I looking at in the topper? It's pretty but I can't figure it out.

Congrats on the 75 already! Wow! I likely won't reach it this year, as I am off to such a slow bad start. Oh well...

Sweet Thursday, Meg. Happy New Thread! Still waiting on springtime here...sighs.

Happy new thread, Meg.
And congratulations on reaching 75!

Happy new one, and congrats on hitting the goal!

Happy new one, Meg! And 75 already? Well done!

Happy new thread, Meg.

>18 quondame: Thanks Susan!

>19 bell7: Thanks Mary! I hope that you find more family on the 1950 census. The release is causing a lot of buzz in US genealogy circles, not so much here.

>20 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita!

>21 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. The topper is an installation in a park. It's a statute of fish made from found objects and, I would imagine, it has something to do with the local high school.

Happy new thread, Meg!

>22 msf59: Thanks Mark! Spring has been here for a while but the temperatures are lower than usual. I love all the spring flowers.

>23 FAMeulstee: Double thanks, Anita!

>24 drneutron: Thanks Jim, and thanks re the 75!

>25 katiekrug: Thanks Katie, the books are going down easy lately.

>26 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

>29 alcottacre: You snuck in there when I wasn't looking, Stasia. Thanks for the new thread wishes!

76. Reunion in Death by J.D. Robb



In Reunion in Death Dallas was after a female killer who had just got out of jail. The woman had a special hate on for Eve Dallas, the female cop who had helped put her there. The killer targeted wealthy older men but she was willing to make an exception to make Roarke one of her targets. This episode in the In Death series had Eve traveling back to Dallas where she remembered more of her past.

Quite a few possibilities with this one.
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>33 Familyhistorian: I am slowly re-reading the series. The next one up for me is Conspiracy in Death, one of my favorites from the "early" books.

77. The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams



With a name like The Wicked City, of course most of the action in the book happened in New York. The narrative was based in two eras, however. Prohibition NY followed the gritty life of Ginger Kelly, a woman with a past even if she didn’t appear old enough to merit one. The more up to date part of the story was about Ella, a forensic accountant who dumped her husband after catching him the act with a prostitute. She moved out of the apartment they shared to a new-to-her abode in an older building which featured strange goings on and a dishy neighbour/handyman. The two narratives cross each other because of the proximity of their location and also due to family links. It was an interesting read and appears to be the first installment in a three book series.

>36 Familyhistorian: Too bad my local library does not have a copy of that one!

>35 alcottacre: I liked Conspiracy in Death when I read it again recently. I'm doing a not so slow reread of the series myself and, judging by the fact that as soon as I take one of the books out of the library a hold goes on it shortly afterwards, it seems like someone else is doing a read or reread of the series right behind me.

>37 alcottacre: My library has three of the books and from the descriptions they are all related.

>38 Familyhistorian: My re-read of the series is going slowly because I am re-reading several other series as well. It is a great one to re-read - as someone other than us thinks so too!

>39 Familyhistorian: Yeah, I will have to look for them all at some point.

>40 alcottacre: I really like seeing how the relationships between the characters develop over the course of the series. I think that's one of the best things about the series.

Maybe you should suggest that your library get them.

>27 Familyhistorian: That makes sense. What kind of timeline does Canada use in releasing the census to the public? (I've used some, but my French Canadian ancestors were in the US by 1930 so I haven't looked for more recent ones.)

>34 Familyhistorian: I lucked out today with my second guess having four right letters: three in the right place, and the only one in the wrong place had to be the first letter.

Hello Meg. Your lists are wonderful. WOW! I am not as committed to specific categories, I so wish I could focus my reading, but I find I simply grab a book from a shelf because spontaneity is a large part of how I've always been regarding the books I read.

I admit to wishing I could focus more like you do! Congratulations of reading 77 books thus far!

Happy Day!

>36 Familyhistorian: The Wicked City looks like a good one, and I'm a sucker for books about New York City's gritty and glitzy past.

Judy reads the Eve Dallas books and occasionally passed one along to me but I can't make head nor tail of them.

>41 Familyhistorian: Oh, I definitely agree. I love the fact that Robb has created dynamic characters who change over the series, both personally and in their relationships.

I have ordered the Beatriz Williams books elsewhere and hope to have them soon.

Happy Friday, Meg!

Hi Meg my dear, happy new thread dear friend.

Happy new thread, Meg!

Meg, Mattea Roach is on Global National tonight, last piece before the end of the broadcast. Mostly a stats thing but exciting. I guess I should have realized it but I just never thought about it - in addition to everything else, she is also the youngest Canadian champ to go this far.

>42 bell7: The census in Canada is released after 92 years, Mary. So the 1931 census should be released next year.

I haven't done Wordle yet today. Hope mine attempt work out like yours did.

>43 Whisper1: Hi Linda, the lists come from the challenges that I follow. I try to use them as a prompt to read books on my shelves. I have a tendency to buy books and shelve them reading mostly library books.

I hope you had a wonderful day!

>44 magicians_nephew: I like books that are set in cities I know and New York fits that bill. Finding out about the history through fiction is an added plus.

Too bad that the Eve Dallas books don't work for you. I started reading them from the beginning which probably helps.

>45 alcottacre: The characters are well done in the series for sure, Stasia.

I hope you enjoy the Beatriz Williams books.

>46 johnsimpson: Thanks John. I've been very remiss in visiting the threads. I'll have to come buy to yours soon.

>47 richardderus: Thanks Richard.

>48 jessibud2: I caught the tail end of that story on Global, Shelley. It was a replay of Ken Jennings intro to last night's game from what I saw.

Her last couple of games have been close ones.

Another one with lots of possibilities
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78. Road through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move by Mary Soderstrom



It’s hard to classify Road through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move. It braided together memories from the author’s life with history that went back to the early days of human history. The one constant through the narrative was travel as people moved from one place to another. Through the lens of memoir the author was able to share her knowledge of the past and concerns about how the building of roads brings about climate change endangering our future.

>57 Familyhistorian: Oh, I want to read that! I read Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future during the pandemic and never had enough coherent thought to write the review it deserves. Maybe this month....

Anyway. Happy weekend, Meg!

>58 richardderus: Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future was written later and looks like it would continue her thoughts on the past and climate change. My library has it. Thanks for putting that on my radar, Richard.

Enjoy your weekend!

79. Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford



I love reading books set in London, especially historic ones. Radio Girls was set between the wars when BBC radio was just starting out. The protagonist was Maisie, a down on her luck young woman desperate to get a job. She ends up working at BBC and finds her talent as a writer. Her desire for stories led her to investigate a fascist plot.

The author wove together a fun suspenseful story which included some of the real personalities who worked at BBC radio at the time. It also showed how women were treated in the work force and the factions at play in England in this uncertain time.

>60 Familyhistorian: - I have that on on the shelf, Meg. Good to hear that you liked it.

80. A Deceptive Devotion by Iona Whishaw



Who knew that being able to speak Russian would once again embroil Lane Winslow in another mystery in British Columbia? But it did. Lane ended up hosting a woman who was looking for her missing brother as the woman only spoke Russian. Or did she? Was she everything that she purported to be? Lane began to have her doubts. Then there was that hunter that turned up dead.

The story in A Deceptive Devotion all came together in the end as the action became more intense. In spite of all the distractions, the main characters were able to keep their commitment to each other as well, even if there were a few second thoughts along the way.

>61 jessibud2: It was a good one, Shelley. I like learning history along with my fiction.

This took me a while
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>64 Familyhistorian: The answer was the only one by the time I got there (#5). I was still sure it was incorrect. Yet it was not.

>63 Familyhistorian: That is a good point, Meg, but of course we do need to be careful as sometimes the fiction glamourises or twists the story, but then again so do some historians!

>65 richardderus: If you mean today's Wordle I got it in 5 as well.
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>66 PaulCranswick: Historic fiction should be treated with some skepticism but I find it a good way to find out the gist of an event or era. If I want to know more factual information I can turn to non-fiction information about the same era or event but even that needs to be read widely. History is open to interpretation.

>68 Familyhistorian: Exactly right Meg - I love historical fiction too and it normally prompts me to want to read non-fiction about the time and place or incident too.

>69 PaulCranswick: I find it very handy to love historical fiction as a genealogist. I tend to read stories set in places where my ancestors lived, fought and worked.

>70 Familyhistorian: I think, as a genealogist Meg, you could not do your job without a love of all things historical!

>71 PaulCranswick: I definitely helps, Paul!

>60 Familyhistorian: Radio Girls added to the wishlist.

>73 magicians_nephew: It's a good one. I hope you enjoy it!

Really should have figured this one out sooner!
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81. Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley



I’ve read and enjoyed many of Lucy Knisley’s graphic memoirs. I hadn’t heard about Stepping Stones before reading about it on another thread. My library had a copy and it was soon in my hands. This memoir reached further back than the others to the author’s childhood. Her parents split up and she ended up moving to the country with her mother. (Not Lucy’s idea.) After a time she ended up with a stepfather who had two daughters who came to visit on the weekend. There were a lot of bumps along the road to becoming a family. The story was about the bumps.

It took me a few tries
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82. Band Sinister by KJ Charles



In Band Sinister, Amanda Frisby and her brother Guy lived in seclusion in the country. Amanda had a London season once but it did not go well as the siblings’ mother had scandalized the ton by running off with her next door neighbour, Sir James Rookwood. The lovers ran away to the continent and died shortly thereafter. The Frisbys and Rookwoods had nothing to do with each other from that day forward. Well, until Amanda rode onto Rookwood land when Sir Philip Rookwood’s younger brother and heir and his nefarious friends were in residence. She fell and injured herself grievously.

It must be admitted that she trespassed with intent. As a budding gothic novelist she wanted to find out more about Sir Philip’s hellfire club. Only she was too badly injured to take notes or to be moved. In fear for her reputation, her brother, Guy had to stay there too. But the club and its members were not as rumoured and Guy’s virtue was in more danger than Amanda’s.

An interesting one I should have seen quicker.
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>79 Familyhistorian: I got it in 4 as well but would've been 3 if I hadn't gone all alphabetical and used DRAIN before TRAIN.

>78 Familyhistorian: I enjoyed that read thoroughly! I almost always do, with Author Charles.

>80 richardderus: I was just on your thread so saw your progression to the Wordle word of the day. It should have taken me less time to come up with the answer though given that I live close to a hub.

I enjoyed the Regency from author Charles and looked to see if my library had any more. All e-books, I'm afraid.

>81 Familyhistorian: I think so many folks read romances the way others watch tv that the libraries are surrendering to the ereader frenzy.

Happy Wednesday, Meg. Glad to know Stepping Stones was a good one. I am also a Knisley fan.

>82 richardderus: That's probably right but unfortunate.

>83 msf59: I've got quite a few Knisley GNs on the shelf, Mark, but I hadn't heard of that one. I'm trying to cut down on book buying due to lack of space so borrowed it from the library.

Hi Meg. May is very much a family month for me as my grandson is celebrating his birthday tomorrow and then my hubby the next day. We went for Sunday brunch at Seasons in the Park and tomorrow night we are all going for Chinese food. Not having to cook tomorrow means a little more reading time for me!

>86 DeltaQueen50: Happy May Birthday month to you and your family, Judy. Sounds like you will have fun celebrating. In my immediate family it's just my son and I and we get through any birthdaying at the beginning of the year. He's in January and I'm about two weeks later in February.

Hi Meg, Would you like me to post my copy of Black Drop? I'll probably just donate it to the local charity shop otherwise. But no worries if not!

>88 charl08: I'd gladly receive your copy of Black Drop, Charlotte. I'll send you a PM.

I barely pulled this one off.
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>90 Familyhistorian: Well at least you did't strike out ;)

Happy Friday!

>91 figsfromthistle: It was a close thing, Anita. Enjoy your day!

I'm falling behind in write ups for the books I've read. I'll get to them soon but I've been rearranging my kitchen because of mice and looking at what there now is to do in Scotland as I plan the trip that was delayed for two years. Off to a Zoom meeting first.

83. The War Against Miss Winter by Kathryn Miller Haines



Last year I started writing a mystery set in WWII so, when I was on a visit to Victoria most of the books I picked up were set in WWII (because everyone knows bookshops are one of the places to learn about a city, right?) One of those books was The War Against Miss Winter. It was set in NYC so the reach of the war was somewhat tempered. The heroine was a down on her luck actress, the titular Miss Winter. The narrative was in her voice and the language used the idiom of the time, not always successfully. The book included a play, a playwright and murder in a serviceable mystery.

Here are the rest of my acquisitions for April before I forget:

Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Olivia Campbell
Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery

How wonderful Meg that you are planning a trip to Scotland. Daughter #2 was studying in Edinburgh a number of years ago and we had of course to visit. Loved it! We did some exploring in the Orkney Islands in early April before the crowds of tourists began. All very interesting. There is so much more that I would like to explore there!

>96 mdoris: Hi Mary, the trip planned for 2020 was much more ambitious so it's a bit harder to get enthusiastic about the upcoming trip to Scotland. This will be my third trip to Scotland not counting the stops we made in Glasgow and Edinburgh on the cruise in 2019. I enjoy visiting Scotland but I'm not sure how this trip will pan out.

>97 Familyhistorian: I think we are all left with travel jitters and it has been so long that we are sort of racking our brains how to do it. I will be following your travels. Unlikely for me to be going anywhere soon!

>98 mdoris: Travel jitters is a big part of it, Mary. I have an Alaska cruise coming up this year as well. Both of this year's trips are ones that have been booked for a few years.

This seemed like an odd one
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>100 Familyhistorian: It was weird, wasn't it. My five was better, honestly, than I expected. It was between GAUGE and BADGE, and I chose BADGE first!

>101 richardderus: It stumped me for the longest time!

But you got it!! Hope you have fun in Scotland. : )

>103 Berly: It eluded me for a while, Kim. Planning for Scotland goes on. We'll see how it turns out.

This one kept me busy for a long time
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84. Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova



Remembering, it’s something we all do but we all forget as well. Just how does it all work? That’s what the book, Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting set out to tell the reader. It also offered reassurance for people who were tempted to turn every senior moment into a sign that they were swiftly heading down the path to Alzheimer’s.

The examples given were US centric, I have a hard time picturing a US penny, or any penny as my country has phased them out, but the messages were clear and the chapters easy to follow as the information ranged from the science to real life examples. There were also recommendations. It looks like I’ll be trying to get more sleep. Not only does sleeping on them consolidate memories but getting at least 7 hours allows for enough deep sleep to let your body clear the gunk out of your brain.

It's been unseasonably cold and rain has been predicted every day, not optimal conditions for a parade. But this was the first May Day Parade that Port Coquitlam has been able to celebrate since 2019. We were lucky. The weather cooperated. These pictures were taken when groups were starting to marshal for the parade. The group for PoCo Heritage was towards the beginning at A10.



Looking ahead from our spot.



The groups on the side streets like this one would feed in later.

I didn't get any pictures of my group which was too bad because one of them was a little guy on a scooter dressed in jeans with suspenders, a long sleeved shirt and a newsboy cap. He got more attention than the rest of us!

I got to see and take pictures of the tail end of the parade.



There were pipe bands



Groups with messages



Active groups, although these martial artists seem to have run out of steam for the most part



Sometimes it's better to ride, the young guy in this van was still waving most of the time.

A tow truck and a wrecked car marked the end of the parade.

85. Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon



In a tale of adventure set when Vikings had started marauding, bringing death and misfortune to those whose wealth they coveted, an unlikely duo roamed. There was a bond between the giant black ex-soldier and the gaunt scarecrow physician forced through their adventures on the road. These were the Gentlemen of the Road. This tale saw them follow a young stripling with the bravado to lead a leaderless army. But, as with an adventure, the path the army and the youth they were following was not a straight one. It took the skill and cunning that the scarecrow and the African had honed on the road to bring this adventure to a satisfying conclusion.

Great pictures of your local parade Meg! Nice that the weather cooperated!

A May Day parade had to feel so good after being caged up for a couple years. I'm happy with you that the weather goddesses were feeling benevolent.

>111 mdoris: Thanks Mary. We were very lucky with the weather!

>112 richardderus: It did feel good, Richard, almost like things were back to normal. We'll just have to see if the city brings back some of their other activities this summer. The weather looked dicey ahead of the event so it was really good that it didn't rain on our parade.

I forgot to do Wordle several days this week, and I already knew today's was a bear. I got it--but barely. A genealogist from New Hampshire summed it up pretty well when she said, "That's not a word I use." I think we use the opposite word more often.

>115 thornton37814: I almost forgot to do Wordle today, Lori. Just finished it in fact. Even when I used the word it was a shot in the dark.
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Dodging BBs left, right, and center, Meg, but you got me with Radio Girls.

Have a wonderful week!

>117 alcottacre: Radio Girls is a good one, Stasia. Have a great week!

Not bad for having none of the letters at the opening
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>119 Familyhistorian: Oh yeah! I'm pleased for you, Meg, and while I was luckier in my choices I got it in 3, as well.

>120 richardderus: I think we both deserve a pat on the back, Richard.

>110 Familyhistorian: I remember reading that and thinking it ok, Meg, but strangely for me I can remember very little else about it.

>122 PaulCranswick: It wasn't a memorable book but a good adventurous read, Paul. I don't think it will stick with me either.

86. Fool's Puzzle by Earlene Fowler



I’m interested in quilting which was probably why a copy of Fool’s Puzzle ended up on my shelves. It didn’t explain why I waited so long to read the book though. The mystery was good and I liked the amateur sleuth, Benni Harper. She was a feisty woman trying to get her life back together after the unexpected death of her husband. That death and a few more were all tied together like things are in small towns, at least in fiction. This was the first in a series and I think I’ll look up the second book.

This was a stretch
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>125 Familyhistorian: The answer took me 5 because I needed slot #4 to give me the answer.

>126 richardderus: Just like I wouldn't have known where the correct but misplaced letters went with out slot #3.

>124 Familyhistorian: I enjoy that particular series and think I have them all at this point. I really need to get them re-read. There is nothing earth shattering in them, but the writing is solid and I enjoy a good cozy mystery every now and again.

87. Purity in Death by J.D. Robb



In Purity in Death, Dallas and her crew where tracking down a vigilante group who were targeting offenders who did well by preying on the weak. The group targeted drug dealers who sold to minors or repeat offenders who never did jail time. Press coverage could be spun in their favour but Dallas had a problem with the group appointing themselves judge and jury. It also looked like the targets were being reached through their computers, a computer virus that attacked the operator. This was another good entry in the series.

>128 alcottacre: I wasn't expecting much when I picked up the book but I was pleasantly surprised. My library has the next in the series so I'll get it from there.

>130 Familyhistorian: I hope you enjoy the series, Meg!

>129 Familyhistorian: I still haven't read anything in the "In Death" series despite so many of my pals swearing by it.

>130 Familyhistorian: Thanks Stasia, I think there's a good chance of that with how much I liked the first book in the series.

>132 PaulCranswick: I really enjoy the "in Death" series, Paul, but having said that I've lent the first book in the series to two of my friends and neither of them could get into it.

Sometimes it takes a long time for the right word to fit in with the already guessed letters
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I'm supposed to be working on a press release for PoCo Heritage so, of course, I'm on LT. PR is not my forte even though I seem to keep getting stuck with it.

Probably should have got this sooner.
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So Meg what do you think of this lovely day? Great for ducks, wool scarves and umbrellas! Geeesh!

>138 mdoris: It was so cold it felt like March, Mary. At least today makes up for it although it's still not as warm as it should be.

Currently 24C here, Meg, with humidex making it feel like 28C. Too hot for my taste, thanks. I have not turned on my a/c yet, just came inside and will finish gardening/potting/planting a bit later, when the sun moves away from my gardening spot in the back. We will be back in the teens by the weekend, though and that is fine with me.

Happy PoCo-release-done relief, Meg. Hoping the whole weekend is a haze of good reads and delights as yet undreamt-of.

88. Tight Rope



Tight Rope paired a former trapeze artist with a gunman who had rumoured gangland connections. There was something going on that not only threatened her life and livelihood but had more far reaching consequences. The book, set in the ‘50s used the well-known tropes of that era combined with the settings and clothing to fashion a compelling historical mystery/romance.

>141 richardderus: Thanks Richard. It was good to get that done and off to be edited but I also have to think up advertising for PoCo Heritage's new venture and I'm behind on that as well.

I hope your weekend with the books is a delightful one!

>143 Familyhistorian: I really enjoyed today's reviewed book. It was fun, undemanding reading: First Time for EVerything: A Novel

Sunday's is shaping up well, too: Bitter Orange Tree lovely, lyrical writing, less of the man-pining that led me to dismiss Celestial Bodies from my 2019 reviewing queue.

Appropriate?
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>144 richardderus: I'll have to check them out on your thread, Richard. All the things I "should be" doing are good at keeping me away from the threads.

It's still unseasonably cold here but I got in a long walk today without getting rained on. My day started off with a Zoom meeting with a genealogy group. Then I hurried off for my walk before the weather decided to change. I also finished up my course work for the week (I'm taking a Pharos course about Scottish genealogy). We're having a chat session tomorrow and I wanted to be ready. I also started my column for the BCGS journal. Probably a good thing because tomorrow is the deadline.

I also remembered to Wordle. Another 4.
Wordle 329 4/6

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Happy Sunday, Meg. Have things warmed up there? I have a copy of Gentlemen of the Road on shelf. I should add it to the current TBR pile.

Hi Meg, and a belated happy new thread.

>1 Familyhistorian: Springtime. Lovely.

>3 Familyhistorian: I’m glad to read that you’re planning some genealogical jaunts this year, fingers crossed that the new Covid world stays low-key for them to occur. I also liked reading about the story read aloud by one researchers at a genealogy course you were attending, letting you delve more into a grandfather’s recent move to Regina coinciding with the Regina Cyclone.

Congrats on 75!

>106 Familyhistorian: Interesting about sleep’s being able to consolidate memories. 7 hours of deep sleep is hard to imagine for me now, but 6 hours straight is back in my sights.

>107 Familyhistorian: - >109 Familyhistorian: So nice to see pictures of the parade. Thanks for sharing. I particularly like the men in kilts…

>134 Familyhistorian: I bought a friend of mine the first in the series. She’s read it, but I haven’t heard any noises about her continuing the series, alas.

HI Meg, >106 Familyhistorian: I read that one too and thought it was good and then a further book on Sleep Why We Sleep that was very good. Fatigue is a huge problem post stroke and I worry some times that I am sleeping my life away.

Ugh to further bad weather. I want some sunshine!!!!! Still wearing the winter woolies.

Hoping for you and the Torontonians to exchange weathers for a while...they need coolth and y'all need warmth.

>148 msf59: Hi Mark, no it is just as cold and wet as it has been. I was just looking out the window not looking forward to going out for my walk today. Gentlemen of the Road was a departure for Chabon but interesting.

>149 karenmarie: Thanks for the congrats, Karen. I'm deep in the planning for the upcoming genealogical jaunt. Fingers crossed that all goes well. It was fun to be in the parade and to be able to catch a few of the groups at the end of the procession, particularly the men in kilts.

Some people just don't know what they are missing when they give up on the In Death series. Must be more than just us who like them or the series wouldn't be so long! Good luck on extending your nightly shut eye to 6 hours.

>150 mdoris: That looks like an interesting book on sleep, Mary. I didn't realize that you were recovering from a stroke. It makes sense that fatigue would be a problem after that.

I'm really getting tired of the rain and cold with no end in sight!

>151 richardderus: Toronto's warm weather would be welcome, Richard, but sudden warming would probably create flooding because the rain is still falling as snow in the north and in the mountains close to here. After last year's devastating weather events I've become careful of what I wish for.

>155 Familyhistorian: - I wish Richard's wish could be averaged out. I'd be more than happy to send you a bit of our warmth if you could send me a bit of your *coolth*...

>156 jessibud2: Would you like the rain too, Shelley? We'd be more than happy to send that along as well.

This took hardly any time at all
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89. The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley



It was the Tremayne name that lured me in. I was looking for a story of adventure and derring do akin to Indiana Jones. What I got was a tale of two adventurers sent out by the East India Company to smuggle plants out so that the company could grow trees to produce quinine of their own. The Bedlam Stacks was a slow moving story that showed the difference between the natives and the incomers through fantasy and strange topography. It was not what I was expecting.

Today started off with a chat session for the Scottish genealogy course I'm taking. After that I finished my column for the BCGS journal and sent it in before heading out for a walk in the rain. After that I booked tickets for Bard on the Beach for a June show. Surely it will have stopped raining by then!

Lucky you, the Bard on the Beach plays are so good!

>161 mdoris: A friend and I went to Bard at least once sometimes twice each summer for years, Mary. It was hard when the performances were put on hiatus for two years with only virtual events put on. I was never tempted to tune in. It will be good to get back to regular performances again.

90. The Dragon Man by Garry Disher



The Dragon Man was the first book in a police procedural mystery series set in Australia. No one was a true hero and many of the cops had feet of clay. When as the investigation dragged on and one of their own had much at stake they pulled together to get the investigation finished. Having the main protagonist be a high ranking officer with a wife in jail for trying to kill him was an interesting choice.

>163 Familyhistorian: I read Whispering Death last year and liked it, but haven't picked up any more. Partly because the library didn't have them! They did have his new series though, which I hope he continues.

>163 Familyhistorian: I haven't heard of that one, Meg, but I will make a note to look out for it.
Does irritate me a little that work by Australian and New Zealand based authors seem to be difficult to obtain elsewhere and it is unfair but there is so much good stuff there. In many ways I have the same grumble about Canadian authors - they should be more easily available in Malaysia but I often have to order them online. Hopefully when I move to the UK it may be easier to get some of the books I like.

>164 charl08: It looks like my library has all the books in the Hal Challis series so I'm lucky there, Charlotte. They have a few of his other books too including one about writing fiction. Is his new series the Paul Hirschhausen one?

>165 PaulCranswick: It's the first in the series, Paul. You'd think that you'd be more likely to get Australian books there. We might get books later here than in other countries but we get a good variety.

91. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty



I have read very few renowned US authors but after reading The Ponder Heart I can understand the value placed on some of their works. This short book was pitch perfect in voice and detail as it related the story of Uncle Daniel Ponder as seen through the eyes of his loving but exasperated niece, Edna Earle. It was almost like being transported there in person with the background to pick up on all the nuances of what was occurring.

This worked out alright
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92. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate



The Tennessee Children’s Home had a good racket going, taking kids and charging for adoptions. Before We Were Yours was the imagined story of a family who lived on the river during the depression. In this family, there were five children who were taken from their parents and placed in the home. The tale was about what happened to them after the home got hold of them. The story was also about a woman in the present day who stumbled across clues to this horrendous past as she was trying to navigate the expectations of her own life. As she was pulled deeper into the investigation of the past, what she wanted for her own future changed.

It was a compelling story which brought a past era when thoughts about children and families, and peoples’ places in the world were different than they are today.

My Mondays are full of meetings. When everything was on Zoom I could fit them all in. Now that my 10:30 Heritage Writers meeting is in person, I knew that I would miss out on my 12:00 Masterclass. So after the 10:30 meeting I went for a walk taking advantage of the fact that the sun was actually shining. It wasn't until I got to the end of the PoCo Trail that I wondered if I actually had a genealogy DNA meeting at 1:00. I didn't think so because I'd downloaded my email to my phone that morning and there hadn't been anything about a meeting but I downloaded my mail again anyway.

Well, there must have been a delay on the email. There it was, the reminder for the 1:00 meeting. It was 12:45. I was about 15 minutes walk from the parking lot where I'd left my car. I started hoofing it back but when I was beside a grove of trees I heard something odd and stopped and looked. There were a couple of owls, I think, or maybe it was just one but it was making enough noise to be two. Three young girls on scooters stopped to see what I was doing and I pointed out the owl. One of them said it was a toy come to life.

Well, that delayed me a little and by the time I got close to the parking lot I could see there was a train starting up. It looked like a long one, tanker cars. That meant I had to go home the long way because of the level crossings on the shorter route. I did make the meeting but I missed the first part. I was in time for the video though and had a good story to tell so it all worked out.

93. Murder at Archly Manor by Sara Rosett



The amateur sleuth in Murder at Archly Manor was Olive Belgrave, a young woman with an aristocratic upbringing but scraping by on her last pennies as she attempted to find a job to support herself. When a relative asked her to look into the background of her cousin’s fiancé and offered her cash to do so, she could hardly refuse. Besides, it meant that she would be at a house party at Archly Manor where she would be fed.

The case quickly turned to murder and Olive was determined to find out what had happened as all the obvious clues pointed to her cousin having done it. Needless to say, she didn’t have the support of the police but a male friend turned up to help her with the investigation.

Everyday words seem to be the hardest to figure out
Wordle 332 5/6

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>173 Familyhistorian: Having 3 of the letters in correct position from #2 on, I was *little*disgruntled* at having to take five guesses to get the one they were looking for.

>172 Familyhistorian: Was that one on Indlesale recently, I wonder, since I know it for some strange reason....

Glad that The Ponder Heart hit the spot!

>174 richardderus: I can imagine that was frustrating, Richard. It came to me in a flash once I made my 4th guess. There are not that many words that have the second and third letters in that order.

You might remember Murder at Archly Manor from Sandy McPherson's thread. That's where I picked up the BB.

The Ponder Heart was a gem of a book.

>175 Familyhistorian: That must be it! Sandy has a lot to answer for....

>176 richardderus: And she's not around to take our flack. How dare she!

Bwaahahah ~ that's what *you* think.
*smirk*.

Glad you read Murder at Archly Manor, Meg. I hope you enjoy the saga, it's lightweight fun, a big thing for me during this "time of life with the viruses".

I can't remember now where I learned about that author. Possibly because I'd been reading another vintage series, Sara Rosett's name hove into view.

>178 SandyAMcPherson: I wondered if that would bring you out of hiding, Sandy.

Murder at Archly Manor was lightweight and good. I have another of the books but it's the third one. I have a vague memory of you not being impressed by the second one. My library has books by Sara Rosett but from a different series. I miss following your thread, you often read books that were BBs for me.

Easier today
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Hi Meg! Heh, we're onto Sandy's secret now...speak her name in vain, she will appear.

It's going to ramp up to summer temps this weekend, so my morning was busy. I spent it moving books, vacuuming, getting ready for the a/c to be installed...then moving everything back. But my reward came:
I got, for the 5th time in 108 games played, Wordle in 2!!

>170 Familyhistorian: I've had no desire to read that one because I remember the stories from local TV far too much.

>181 richardderus: Good on you for getting Wordle in 2, Richard. I haven't Wordled yet today so don't know how that will go.

Summer temperatures, I can't relate at this point. We're still unseasonably cold and it's still snowing on the mountains! Not sure what is up with that and hopes are that the melt doesn't happen too fast.

Sandy was very fast on the response when I took her name in vain, wasn't she? She's out there lurking!

>182 thornton37814: I can understand that, Lori. It was something I'd never heard about so an interesting and concerning history to learn.

>159 Familyhistorian: I think that I will give that one a pass for now.

>168 Familyhistorian: I loved that one when I read it recently. It is definitely one that needs to be read with a southern drawl, don't you think?

>170 Familyhistorian: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I just need to get it read!

>185 alcottacre: Good call. I found Bedlam Stacks an unexpectedly slow read. The Ponder Heart would have benefited from a southern drawl, Stasia. I got a nudge from Linda (Whisper1's) thread to read that last one. Maybe my thread will nudge you in turn.

Took longer than it should have
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>187 Familyhistorian: The dreaded Guessing Game Syndrome. It's a real hiss-boo kind of experience.

It was a gorgeous afternoon here after a dank morning. But we are braced....

>187 Familyhistorian: That one just had lots of options. I had the middle 3 letters and finally decided to double one.

>188 richardderus: There were many options to that puzzle. I hope today's is better. Keep cool, Richard.

>189 thornton37814: I had the same problem and was glad that I came up with the right answer in time, Lori.

>170 Familyhistorian: I read Before We Were Yours a few months ago. It was sad to think that children could simply be taken, never to return.

>192 Whisper1: Hi Linda, Before We Were Yours was in my stacks for a while. It was your thread that gave me the nudge to read it after i saw what you had posted about the book.

I barely pulled this one off
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Well, my weather app said sun for today but I still needed my umbrella for part of my walk. The owl treated me to another show today.

Slightly better than yesterday
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94. Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb



The underlying theme of Portrait in Death was mothers. Dallas’ best friend, Mavis, was in the early stages of pregnancy, Roarke found out something unexpected about his mother and the murders themselves were inspired by the bond to a mother. Once again the team was on the hunt for a serial killer but Dallas was distracted by what was going on with Roarke and a few of the usual crew were dealing with injuries. It was another good read in the series.

Showing some improvement
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I spent most of today staring at a computer screen. As there were a bunch of other people with me, other family historians in the Questers group I'm part of. There was a lot of chit chat, as well as advice given and stories told.

I got in a walk on a nearby trail before I settled in front of my computer.



It was nice to see the bunnies were back.

Another 4
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The Victoria Day long weekend is usually the signal for the start of summer so people tend to go camping. Of course that means that it usually rains on this weekend but the weather gods have already rained on us enough in May it seems because it was actually sunny!
Great for meeting in the park with a bunch of former coworkers.

>199 Familyhistorian: I love it when I spot rabbits or hares in the wild, Meg. One of the joys of the unspoilt acres of Yorkshire is that rabbits are still in abundance.

I always think of what a wonderful book Watership Down is at such times too!

>202 PaulCranswick: I don't see many rabbits around here, Paul. Too much wildlife of the predatory type. I appreciate going to places where I can see them.

We have a pair of rabbits who visit us daily and seem quite comfortable with our presence -- watching from under a nearby bush as I garden sometimes or from 10 feet away on the front lawn as I took a grocery delivery the other day. They're delightful.

>199 Familyhistorian: Very agreeable sighting indeed...summer must feel welcome given how nasty the spring's been up your way. I never look forward to summer, really, but it's not hustling its bustle here. I'm ever so grateful!

*smooch*

Hi Meg, I am finally getting caught up here. Our summer seems to be coming and going these days! Today was cool but I see the sun is trying to break through the clouds now so maybe this afternoon will be warmer. I enjoyed Dragon Man when I read it and at some point I will be reading the next book in the series. Kittyhawk Down.

>204 RebaRelishesReading: I hope you remain delighted with them, Reba. They sound like nice visitors.

>205 richardderus: It's not quite summer yet, Richard. There's just the promise of it on its way. It's still 16C. Not shirt sleeve weather yet. I like the heat although I do draw the line at 40C and over. I hope your summer takes a long while to get to you.

>206 DeltaQueen50: Festivals are gearing up as though they're expecting sunny weather, Judy. I hope they're right. I'd like a forecast of a whole week without rain. I hope to get back to the series that starts with Dragon Man soon.

That was easy
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95. Fall of Angels by Barbara Cleverly



Christmas in Cambridge in 1932 and Detective John Redfyre had been set up by his aunt when she gave him a ticket to a local musical evening and, unbeknownst to him, the other ticket of the pair went to a young woman whose family had given him grief in the past. In this performance, the grief came in a different form and involved him in the investigation of a murder. How was the young woman and possibly even his aunt involved? Fall of Angels details Redfyre’s investigation as he gets to the bottom of the story.

I had ambitious plans to get some things done today. That was before I got a phone call telling me that I'd been exposed to someone who'd tested positive for Covid with a rapid test. I then went pharmacy hunting for a box of rapid tests of my own. When I came back to get my car I found that seagulls had been using it for target practice in the parking lot. So I may have gotten stuff done but it wasn't what I planned when I started my day.

96. Irish Chain by Earlene Fowler



The second book in the Benni Harper mystery series was Irish Chain, in which Benni was sponsoring a senior prom. Not surprisingly the murders in this episode involved seniors and past secrets. The history explored was that of WWII when San Celina’s residents with Japanese backgrounds were rounded up and sent to camps, leaving their businesses and homes. It was a complex history and its aftermath was playing out in present day San Celina. It was a good one and makes me wonder what’s coming in the next book in the series.

97. The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life by Dr. Robin Stern



I’ve often seen the term gaslighting but wasn’t really sure what it meant. That’s why I borrowed a copy of The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. It was very much a how to book; how to spot this kind of manipulation and deal with it. It was advice that I probably could have used in previous phases of my life but somehow I muddled through on my own with a few pointers here and there. The book was full of interesting scenarios though – possible fodder for fiction?

98. Marriage on Madison Avenue by Lauren Layne



The third and last book in the Central Park Pact Series, Marriage on Madison Avenue, was the story of Audrey Tate, the Instagram influencer and her best friend and confidant, Clark West, a serial playboy. Their story was that romantic trope of the friends pretending to be engaged to get others off their backs. We all know what happens with that one but it was told with humour and insight into their back stories which brought a freshness to the tale.

I took my first ever rapid test this morning - thank you YouTube for making sense of those directions. Now, as you can probably tell by the flurry of book write ups, I'm off to the library. It is raining once again *sigh*

>216 Familyhistorian: I hope you're negative, Meg.

>214 Familyhistorian: I think it's a waste to possess this information and not use it in fiction somehow!

>212 Familyhistorian: Ick. No fun at all!

Happy Wednesday, Meg. Love the bunny sighting. We have 2 or 3 visit our backyard on a regular basis.

>217 richardderus: I was negative, Richard, or else I wouldn't be going to the library especially since I take public transit. Yeah the gulls got my car good but at least they only got the passenger side of my windshield so I could see to drive home! I'm cogitating on how to use gaslighting in fiction, I'm sure I can work it in somewhere.

>218 msf59: Nice to have bunnies visiting, Mark. I have to drive over a bridge to a place where I can see them. Maybe there are fewer coyotes over there.

Had to reach for this one. Not sure what that says about me.
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Glad to read that your test was negative, Meg.

>222 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy. I wasn't looking forward to staying home if it had turned out positive. Not only did I have to go and pick up my library holds but I'm going to a concert on Friday. Plus I would have had to alert everyone at the gathering on Monday as my exposure was on Sunday. So, definitely a good thing it was negative.

Very good news about a negative test.

>213 Familyhistorian: Had to recalibrate . "Senior Prom" meant senior in high school? or Seniors as is older adults?
>214 Familyhistorian: "Gaslight" is a famous play done on and off here. The movie stars a young and sexy Angela Lansbury and is worth a look.

>224 mdoris: Thanks Mary. I wasn't looking forward to quarantine!

>225 magicians_nephew: That would be senior prom as in seniors in an old folks home.
The book referenced an even older film version of "Gaslight" with Ingrid Bergman. Maybe the Angela Lansbury one is a remake. No, it looks like its the same one, according to Google but there were two movies with the same name.

Sometimes it just takes longer than it should.
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Not bad for playing while distracted. I was in a board meeting.Wordle 342 5/6

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>215 Familyhistorian: I read the first on at the beginning of the year and enjoyed it. Thanks for the reminder about that series.

Have a great weekend

>230 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, it's a trilogy so not much of an investment in time and it's a good one too.

This time I blew it. Back to square one.
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>232 Familyhistorian: Today's might be a challenge, too. I hope your new streak begins strong!

>233 richardderus: Thanks Richard. It was probably my own fault for leaving it until the end of the day and then trying to watch Jericho of Scotland Yard at the same time. I'll try to do one thing at once for today's.