rabbitprincess has a hard day's night in 2022 - Part 2 - I'm going parading before it's too late!

In 2022 I'll be dressing up my usual categories with quotes from one of my favourite movies, A Hard Day's Night.



The only change from last year is that I've replaced the transportation category with one for books that were nominated for or received an award.

2022 ROOTS ticker:



2-for-1 TBR ticker:

General fiction
Ringo: "You can learn from books."
Grandfather: "Parading's better."

Still not sure if this is the best quote. I'll have to watch the movie again to see if I can find a different one.

1. Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
2. Tigerman, by Nick Harkaway
3. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (Serial Reader)
4. The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
5. The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
6. Lady Susan, by Jane Austen (Serial Reader)
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey (Overdrive)
8. Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett (Overdrive)
9. Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes
10. The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield
11. The Sisters Sputnik, by Terri Havro
12. Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)
13. The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes
14. The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)
15. Elektra, by Jennifer Saint
16. 1989, by Val McDermid

General non-fiction
Reporter: "How did you find America?"
John: "Turn left at Greenland."

1. The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
2. Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape, by Patrick Laurie
3. Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael J. Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz
4. I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston
5. This Is Going to Hurt: The Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay
6. Tiger in the Sea: The Ditching of Flying Tiger 923 and the Desperate Struggle for Survival, by Eric Lindner
7. The Tenth Nerve: A Brain Surgeon's Stories of the Patients Who Changed Him, by Dr. Chris Honey
8. Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Asperger's and an Extraordinary Mind, by Daniel Tammet
9. A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, by Sara Manning Peskin
10. Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
11. Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, by Natalie Haynes
12. We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, by Simu Liu
13. Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing, by Peter Robison
14. Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
15. Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew, by Michael D. Leinbach (Overdrive)
16. The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet, by Nell McShane Wulfhart
17. This Much Is True, by Miriam Margolyes
18. The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, by Terry O'Reilly and Mike Tennant

Historical fiction
George: "He's very fussy about his drums, you know. They loom large in his legend."

1. Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather (Faded Page)
2. Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman
3. The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter

Historical non-fiction
Man on train: "Don't take that tone with me, young man. I fought the war for your sort."
John: "I bet you're sorry you won!"

1. The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream, by Charles Spencer
2. This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch

Mysteries
Norm: "Hey, have you seen Paul's grandfather?"
John: "Of course, he's concealed about me person."

1. DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
2. The Journeying Boy, by Michael Innes
3. The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
4. The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
5. The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
6. The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
7. The Darkest Evening, by Ann Cleeves
8. The Red Power Murders, by Thomas King
9. The Heron's Cry, by Ann Cleeves
10. Bloody January, by Alan Parks
11. Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett (Faded Page)
12. The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny
13. Death at the Château Bremont, by M. L. Longworth
14. Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler (Faded Page)
15. Murder in the Rue Dumas, by M. L. Longworth
16. The Heretic, by Liam McIlvanney
17. Cold Skies, by Thomas King
18. 'Til Death, by Ed McBain
19. The Wintringham Mystery, by Anthony Berkeley
20. Obsidian, by Thomas King
21. Cover Your Tracks, by Claire Askew
22. Outside, by Ragnar Jónasson (tr. Victoria Cribb)
23. Dead Man's Grave, by Neil Lancaster
24. Death in the Vines, by M. L. Longworth
25. Poison, by Ed McBain
26. Meet Me at the Morgue, by Ross Macdonald
27. The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
28. The Way Some People Die, by Ross Macdonald
29. Death on Gokumon Island, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Louise Heal Kawai)
30. Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)
31. The Rising Tide, by Ann Cleeves
32. Murder on the Île Sordou, by M. L. Longworth
33. Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey
34. Overture to Death, by Ngaio Marsh
35. 1989, by Val McDermid
36. The Blood Tide, by Neil Lancaster
37. The Sleeping and the Dead, by Ann Cleeves
38. The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne, by M. L. Longworth

French
Croupier at Le Cercle Club: "Pas bingo, m'sieur, banco."

1. Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon
2.

Re-reads
Grandfather: "I thought I was supposed to be getting a change of scenery, and so far I’ve been in a train and a room, and a car and a room and a room and a room!"

1. McNally's Trial, by Lawrence Sanders
2. The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle
3. With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix
4. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, by Lilian Jackson Braun
5. Death at Windsor Castle, by C.C. Benison
6.

Audio
John: "I could listen to him for hours."

1. Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper, by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
2. The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (performed by Hugh Fraser)
3. The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama box set)
4. Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
5. Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)
6. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (performed by Lorne Cardinal)
7. Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, No. 4), by Jonathan Morris (performed by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)

Science fiction and fantasy
The Beatles: "Hey mister, can we have our ball back?"

I chose this one because the Beatles are sitting in the train one moment, then the next they're running outside the train, keeping pace with it, pretending to be schoolboys to annoy Man on Train. It is never explained how they accomplish this ;)

1. Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper, by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (audio, performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
2. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian (ebook, comic)
3. Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole
4. Feral Creatures, by Kira Jane Buxton (Overdrive)
5. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande (ebook, comic)
6. The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama box set)
7. The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie
8. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean (ebook, comic)
9. Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch
10. Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
11. The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells (Serial Reader)
12. Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse, by Alex Kingston
13. Witchmark, by C. L. Polk (ebook)
14. Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)
15. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher
16. A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
17. Spear, by Nicola Griffith
18. Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, No. 4), by Jonathan Morris (audio, read by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)

Plays, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, miscellaneous books
Paul: "Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt -- ZAP!"

Plays
1. Ivanov, by Anton Chekhov (translated by Ronald Hingley)
2. Kim's Convenience, by Ins Choi
3. Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw

Short stories
1. The Mary Celeste and Other Strange Tales of the Sea, by J. G. Lockhart
2. Buffalo Is the New Buffalo, by Chelsea Vowel

Graphic novels and art books
1. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian
2. Emily Carr: Life and Work, by Lisa Baldissera
3. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande
4. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean
5. Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh
6. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, by G. Willow Wilson
7. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why, by G. Willow Wilson
8. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 1, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
9. Positively Introverted: Finding Your Way in a World Full of People, by Maureen "Marzi" Wilson
10. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Vol. 4: The Endless Song, written by Nick Abadzis, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini and Elena Casagrande
11. Heartstopper Vol. 1, by Alice Oseman
12. Kent Monkman: Life & Work, by Shirley Madill
13. A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
14. Natsume's Book of Friends, Vol. 1, by Yuki Midorikawa (translated by Lillian Olsen)
15. Heartstopper, Vol. 2, by Alice Oseman
16. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton
17. Heartstopper, Vol. 3, by Alice Oseman
18. Cézanne: Visions of a Great Painter, by Henri Lallemand

Poetry and miscellaneous books
1. Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, by Shaun Bythell
2. Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, by Christof Spieler
3. Toksvig's Almanac: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year, by Sandi Toksvig
4. What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Questions, by Randall Munroe

Group reads (CATs and KITs)
Paul, about his grandfather: "He's a king mixer. He hates group unity so he gets everyone at it."

AuthorCAT
✔ January - pamelad: Indigenous Authors - DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
✔ February - Thornton37814: 19th Century Authors - Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
March - Clue: Authors First Published at Age 40 or later - Stolen Blessings, by Lawrence Sanders (first published at age 50, with The Anderson Tapes)
✔ April - lsh63: Debut Authors - The Ruby's Curse, by Alex Kingston
May - Kristelh: Authors From Your Own Country - Un jardin au bout du monde, by Gabrielle Roy
June - LibraryCin: Non-Fiction Authors
✔ July - Tanyadogearedcopy: Asian Authors - We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, by Simu Liu
August - DeltaQueen: Prize Winning Authors
September - Tess_W: African Authors
October - dudes22: Authors in Translation
November - DeltaQueen - Authors who set their books against real events
December - Salylou61: Favorite Authors

CATWoman
✔ January -- sallylou61 -- Biography/autobiography/memoir by women - This Much Is True, by Miriam Margolyes
✔ February -- Pamelad -- Women in Translation (Women authors and/or translators) - The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter)
March -- NinieB -- Women Pioneers
April -- Jackie_K -- Women of Color
May -- Pamelad -- Classics by Women
June -- sallylou61 -- Books set in cities or about cities by women
✔ July -- LibraryCin -- Women in Science - The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
✔ August -- susanna.fraser -- Children's/YA/Graphic Novels - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, by Nancy Springer
September -- DeltaQueen -- Women during War
October -- Robertgreaves -- Women and Crime
November --DeltaQueen -- Issues as seen through women's eyes
December -- lsh63 -- Prize Winner by a Woman

ShakespeareCAT
✔ January NinieB King Lear & Its Themes (themes: ageing, madness, father-daughter relationships) - A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, by Sarah Manning Peskin
February Susanna.Fraser rom com Much Ado About Nothing
March Silver Wolf Book based on a Shakespeare Play
✔ April pamelad Hamlet Revenge - The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie
May- Tanya-dogearedcopy -Shakespeare’s Kings / Medieval History - Powers and Thrones, by Dan Jones
June miss_watson Julius Caesar. Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus Ancient History
July- Tess_W Measure for Measure, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice theme: justice - or Rumpole, because of Phyllida Erskine-Trant, the Portia of the chambers
August mstrust Lesser known works
September thornton37814- Shakespeare sonnets/poems
October Christina_reads Macbeth Themes: murder, witchcraft, politics
November KristelH books fiction or nonfiction about Shakespeare/Globe Theater.
December ladyoftheLodge A Winter's Tale

MysteryKIT
✔ January—DeltaQueen50—series - DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
✔ February--clue--cold case crimes - The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
March--majkia—small towns, big secrets
✔ April—mstrust—noir/hard boiled - The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
✔ May—Robertgreaves—detectives in translation - The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
June--Tanya-dogearedcopy--historical fiction mysteries
✔ July—christina_reads—Golden Age - The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
August--majkia--technothrillers
✔ September--lowelibrary--animal mystery - The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, by Lilian Jackson Braun
✔ October--LadyoftheLodge--mysteries featuring food - Murder on the Île Sordou, by M. L. Longworth
November—Tess_W—Gothic
December—thornton37814–Holiday Mysteries

RandomKIT
✔ January - Home Sweet Home - The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (name of a house in the title)
✔ February - Cats - Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)
March - Hobby Love - Foundations of Safety Science, by Sidney Dekker
April - April Showers
✔ May - May Flowers - Sunny Side Up, by Susan Calman
✔ June - Cookin' the Books - Infused: Adventures in Tea, by Henrietta Lovell
July - Dog Days of Summer - Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth
August - Canada!
September - Harvest/autumn - Last Leaves, by Stephen Leacock
✔ October - What's in a name - Pascoe's Ghost, by Reginald Hill
November - City
December

BingoDOG
John: "They usually reckon dogs more than people in England. You'd expect something more palatial."



Award winner:
✔ Year of publication ending in 2: DreadfulWater, by Thomas King (first published 2002)
Modern retelling:
✔ Book for which you'd love to see the movie: A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher (this would make a fun animated movie)
✔ Features a dog: Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett
✔ Title contains a Z: Monthly Girls' Nozaki-Kun, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
✔ Published the year you joined LT: Death at the Château Bremont, by M. L. Longworth (published 2011)
✔ By a favourite author: Death at Windsor Castle, by C.C. Benison
A long book (for you):
✔ A gift: The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
✔ Title contains a month: Bloody January, by Alan Parks
Weather word in the title:
Read a CAT:
✔ Travel or journey: Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, by Christoph Spieler
About sisters or brothers:
A book club read: Birdie, by Tracey Lindberg (on the shortlist for my MIL's book club in 2019/20)
✔ Flowers on the cover: Sunny Side Up, by Susan Calman (her shirt has sunflowers on it)
✔ Book in translation: The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
✔ Non-fiction: The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
Character shares a name with a friend:
✔ Set in a capital city: Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey (set in London)
✔ Children's or young adult: The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, by Nancy Springer
✔ Set in another country: The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
✔ LGBTQ+ author: Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
✔ Silver or gold on the cover: Infused: Adventures in Tea, by Henrietta Lovell

Award winners and nominees

Director: "I won an award."
John: "A likely story."
Director: (coldly) "It’s on the wall in my office."

This category is for me to catch up on all the award winners and nominees I have in the to-read pile. I follow Canada Reads, the Giller Prize, the Governor General's Awards, the Edgar Awards, the Daggers, and the McIlvanney Prize, among others.

1. The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald (Edgar Award nominee for Best Novel, 1962)
2. The Marrow Thieves (Governor General's Award winner for English-language children's literature, 2017; Governor General's Award nominee for English to French translation, 2019)
3. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, by Nancy Springer (Agatha Award nominee for Best Children's / Young Adult, 2009; Edgar Award nominee for Best Juvenile, 2010)
4. Edge of the Grave, by Robbie Morrison (McIlvanney Prize nominee, 2021)
5. A Matter of Time, by Claire Askew (McIlvanney Prize nominee, 2022)
6. The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence (Governor General's Award for Fiction winner, 1974)

Possible books from the to-read pile:

The Navigator of New York
The Saga of Gosta Berling
Volkswagen Blues
Undermajordomo Minor
The Diviners
Temps glaciaires
The Wycherly Woman
The Missing
A Fine Balance
The Custodian of Paradise
Halifax, Warden of the North

Other books:

Starting off the new thread with a couple of reviews.

Obsidian, by Thomas King
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218298502

I've read nearly the whole DreadfulWater series this year and regret nothing. Only one more book and I'll be caught up.

Infused: Adventures in Tea, by Henrietta Lovell
Category: Non-fiction, June 2022 RandomKIT
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218298467

Three stars for the writing, an extra half-star for the fact that I'll try the leaf-to-water ratios she suggests for brewing loose leaf tea.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread from me too!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!

Happy new one! You're doing great on your categories!

Happy new thread and thanks for all the great memories of "A Hard's Day's Night"!

Happy new thread! I enjoyed revisiting all the quotes. :)

>12 rabbitprincess: Keeping an eye on your Award Winners and Nominees. I started with the Paul Norlen translation of The Saga of Gosta Berling, but gave up on it and read the old, dramatic Pauline Bancroft Flach version.

Happy new thread! Loved revisiting the Beatles and looking forward to following along in the second half of 2022.

Happy new thread!

>14 RidgewayGirl: >15 dudes22: >16 Jackie_K: >17 MissWatson: >18 Tess_W: >19 NinieB: >20 DeltaQueen50: >21 christina_reads: >22 pamelad: >23 VivienneR: >24 mstrust: Thank you all for the new-thread wishes! It feels good to go into the second half of the year with a fresh slate. And yes I do think I'm going to need a rewatch of A Hard Day's Night after going through all those quotes again :)

>19 NinieB: Hoping to finish my plays category soon and get a French book on the board, which will make me happy.

>22 pamelad: I seem to have the Norlen translation, so I'll see how I get on with it. Good to know there's another translation available if I end up not liking that one.

****

Witchmark, by C. L. Polk
Category: SFF
Source: Tor.com Ebook of the Month Club
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212681610

I picked this up from the Tor.com ebook of the month club and it was all right. I made the mistake of putting it down partway through and totally lost momentum, so I felt more meh about it than I wanted. But the series that it begins, The Kingston Cycle, is only three books, so I've requested the second book from the library to see what happens next.

Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing, by Peter Robison
Category: Non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218365839

Of course I'm going to read a book about plane crashes and accident investigation and safety. I recommend this if you've read The Last Nine Minutes, by Moira Johnston, or books about the Challenger disaster (e.g., The Challenger Launch Decision or Truth, Lies and O-Rings). The Johnston book is referred to in this book, and Boeing's corporate culture is compared to NASA's around the time of Challenger. I haven't actually read the Challenger books I've mentioned but am sure they would make good companion pieces.

Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)
Category: Audio, SFF, February RandomKIT (Cats — Senator Hame is a cat-person)
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179423593

This was all right, but not my favourite Big Finish. The Tenth Doctor impression bordered on caricature for me; I didn't think Ten spoke through clenched teeth all the time.

June recap

So it turns out that being among my own books encourages me to read more. I just don’t get as much reading done when I visit my parents. June yielded 16 books read:

Cold Skies, by Thomas King
Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh
Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells
Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
’Til Death, by Ed McBain
Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, by Natalie Haynes
Doctor Who: The Ruby’s Curse, by Alex Kingston
We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, by Simu Liu
Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes
The Wintringham Mystery, by Anthony Berkeley
Obsidian, by Thomas King
Infused: Adventures in Tea, by Henrietta Lovell
Witchmark, by C. L. Polk (ebook)
Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing, by Peter Robison
Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)

My favourite book, as I thought it might be, was Big Feelings: How to Be Okay Things Are Not Okay. I loved Fosslien and Duffy’s previous book and will have to get my own copy.

My least favourite book this month was The World Set Free. I’m not having much luck with my Serial Reader reads.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — I think at this point the only reason I’m not declaring this done is that I’d have to find an open bookshelf for it.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — I was so close to continuing it this month; I read the discussion questions at the end of the chapter I left off at.
Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon — Getting a French book on the board.
The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes — Innes can be hit or miss for me. This is a hit so far because it has been extremely nerdy about boats.
The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship, by Chaney Kwak — I found out about this via Libro.fm’s list of non-fiction audiobooks for Pride month. Seemed an appropriate book to pair with The Black Tide and to follow up on Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing (in that both involve transportation disasters).
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal) — I’d like to have some audios on my list that are not Doctor Who stories. This was the first book I bought on Libro.fm!

July plans

On Canada Day, I usually read a book by an Indigenous author. To that end, I’d intended to read Obsidian this year, but I read it early. Instead, I’ll read the audio of The Inconvenient Indian (I’ve read it in print, and it is excellent).

The rest of the month has more aviation-related books (of course in a year when I haven’t broken those out into a separate category) and some graphic novels: Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 (we’re really enjoying the Disney+ series) and Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 1, a manga my cousin recommended when I was craving some slice-of-life stories.

Hope you had a happy, peaceful Canada Day!

rp, I saw this and thought of you.

>27 VivienneR: Thanks, Vivienne! I stayed home and played a lot of computer games. Today I ate a lot of strawberries -- my BF went to a pick-your-own place this morning and came home with 8 litres! (We gave just over half to his parents and his sister and BIL, but we still have a lot left.) Hope you've been having a good weekend.

>28 RidgewayGirl: Ahahaha that is brilliant! Thanks for sending it.

Happy new thread and happy Canada Day weekend! I was glad to hear that the situation was relatively calm in Ottawa yesterday.

>30 mathgirl40: Thanks, Paulina! I haven't been downtown for Canada Day since at least 2017 (the 150th was going to be much too crowded), and I was definitely not going to go this year. Hope you've been having a good weekend!

>32 mathgirl40: Yes, I've been having a nice relaxing weekend so far! Avoiding the Ottawa downtown sounded like a smart move this year. :)

Sixteen books in a month is pretty incredible. I think I managed five. Enjoy your strawberries!

Happy new thread! Hope that the second half of the year kicks off well.

>28 RidgewayGirl: that's just brilliant!

>33 mstrust: They were so good! And we got more in our farm produce box, which is a weekly delivery this summer and fall.

>34 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen!

****

I've been sitting on a backlog of reviews. After having a great reading month last month, I naturally didn't feel like reading much so far this month.

The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship, by Chaney Kwak
Category: Non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218406148

A nice short book that would go over well if you like narratives of transportation disasters. I haven't read David Foster Wallace's A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, but someone who has might like this book as well.

Fly Girl: A Memoir, by Ann Hood
Category: Non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218854623

I've read a lot of aviation memoirs lately, so they're starting to blur together. This was good, a quick read once I got started.

This Charming Man, by C. K. McDonnell
Category: SFF
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218955787

My copy of this clocked in at nearly 500 pages, and a large 500 pages to boot -- made the book hard to hold for long periods, so I constantly stopped and started. In contrast, Rivers of London books are generally smaller and more comfortable to read for long periods. That said, I did like This Charming Man: it has an original plot, a colourful cast of characters, and amusing articles reproduced from The Stranger Times, the newspaper investigating the unworldly happenings at the heart of the story. I just wasn't able to immerse myself in it as much as I had hoped I would.
And yes I did have the Smiths song stuck in my head the whole time, thanks to the title.

Saturday is review day, apparently.

Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
Category: Non-fiction, May RandomKIT (flowers on the cover)
Source: Perfect Books
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202391981

I was having a little reading slump this week so decided to breeze through this in a day. It was just what I needed.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, by G. Willow Wilson
Category: Graphic novels and comics
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/219272726

Another quick read. I've been really enjoying the Disney+ adaptation. I prefer the adaptation, probably because I saw it before reading the book. But I like comparing the two mediums, so I'll keep reading the comics.

Another Saturday, another review day!

Cover Your Tracks, by Claire Askew
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/219582374

This was a quick read and very good. I liked it better than the second book in the series and about as much as the first book. Looking forward to the fourth, A Matter of Time.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why
Category: Graphic novels and comics
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/220956441

I liked this better than the first volume because the plot was completely different from the Disney+ adaptation, so I wasn't unfairly comparing the comic to the TV show.

The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield
Category: General fiction
Source: Perfect Books
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/207356675

I was wavering between 3.5 and 4. On the side of 3.5: I found it a big book (long for the story) and because I will likely read the sequel, but I won't be rushing out to get it like I would, say, the next Lady Astronaut book by Mary Robinette Kowal. On the side of 4: the tech and space talk is highly credible, the author's note about what's real and what's not is good, and I really appreciated the fact that even though there was a romance, there were no sex scenes! (I am very much Team Give the Characters Their Privacy).

Edit to add: Content warning for an eye injury in the prologue -- I am REALLY squeamish about eye stuff, so I had to read that part rather quickly.

>37 rabbitprincess: Haha, I'm totally on that team too! Just shut the door, and we'll carry on with the story when you've finished.

Hello rabbitprincess and Happy New Thread! My day to catch up on LT seems to be late Saturday afternoons, except sometimes it's a Sunday afternoon into the evening. Either way, looks like you're reading some really interesting and incredible books.

>25 rabbitprincess: I've never read a book on the Challenger disaster but thank you for mentioning these. I might have to bring myself around to that topic.

>28 RidgewayGirl: LOLOLOL!! Love it! (and I still think of you when I hear a Talking Heads song on the radio)

>38 Jackie_K: Exactly! I don't need to see it to believe it. I'm the same way with movies and TV.

>39 threadnsong: Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find those Challenger books interesting. I'm continuing the space theme by reading Bringing Columbia Home.

****

Outside, by Ragnar Jónasson (translated by Victoria Cribb)
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/219892237

A stand-alone mystery/thriller, which is a nice change in the world of so many series, so little time. At least worth a library borrow.

Kim’s Convenience, by Ins Choi
Category: Plays
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/219015383

I've never watched a full episode of the show adapted from this play, but I have seen enough clips from it to be able to picture the characters in the show while I read. The edition I read contains pictures from the Fringe Festival and Soulpepper Theatre productions and commentary from Ins Choi about how the play came to be and how it was adapted for the screen.

Probably the last book I'll finish in July:

The Sisters Sputnik, by Terri Havro
Category: General fiction (this is how the library categorized it, and this category’s a bit smaller at the moment)
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/219272811

I am a sucker for a multiverse story, and this was a good solid read. It's definitely not a sunny multiverse story though: it's a post-apocalyptic dystopia, so perhaps a book to save for the right headspace.

July recap

A slightly slower month this month, probably because I played a lot of computer games and watched videos online.

The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship, by Chaney Kwak
Fly Girl: A Memoir, by Ann Hood
This Charming Man, by C. K. McDonnell
Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, by G. Willow Wilson
Cover Your Tracks, by Claire Askew
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why, by G. Willow Wilson
The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield
Outside, by Ragnar Jónasson (translated by Victoria Cribb)
Kim’s Convenience, by Ins Choi
The Sisters Sputnik, by Terri Havro

My favourite book was Sunny Side Up, because I finished it in a day.

My least favourite book is hard to pick, because there was nothing below 3 stars. So you know what, I won’t pick one this month.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still not calling it done, haha.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — I’ve resumed reading it. Skipped the discussion questions from the previous chapter; might come back to them later.
Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon — Normally I consider Maigrets easy to read, but not this month!
The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes — After a sustained effort, I’m stuck. Chipping away at it.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal) — I'm at Chapter 9, and Lorne Cardinal is doing an excellent job at bringing out the deadpan, laser-sharp wit in King's writing.
Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit — Reading this on Serial Reader. Only 15 issues, and a quick read, which I like.

August plans

Later this week I'm heading to my parents' place for a bit, so I will likely sneak a book or two off their shelves. Perhaps I’ll continue the Verlaque and Bonnet series; my mum ended up buying all of them!

And because I’ll be travelling, I’ll probably be dipping into my collection of digital comic books and ebooks from Tor.com over the course of the month.

>42 rabbitprincess: Safe travels, rabbitprincess, and ooooh Tor.com ebooks! Sounds like some great reading.

Enjoy your visit with your family, RP!

>43 threadnsong: I have so many ebooks piled up! A couple of them are actually three-in-one, so I definitely count each one of those three books separately in my reading stats ;)

>44 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! I leave Thursday morning and am back on Wednesday. So a week away, but a weirdly constructed week so that I can avoid travelling on a weekend.

Have a great time!

Have a fun time with family & reading/books!

>42 rabbitprincess: Have fun with your parents! It seems like they have a good library for borrowing.

I'll add The Inconvenient Indian to my wishlist, sounds good. Hope there was plenty of interesting stuff on your parents' shelves. I love checking out other people's shelves. It can be a bit of a hazard at work, I'm easily distracted by academics' collections.

>46 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer!

>47 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess! I believe we're also planning to buy books and bake cookies to eat while reading said books :)

>48 VivienneR: They really do! My brother and I actually buy books for them based on whether we would want to borrow the books ourselves.

>49 charl08: It is excellent, well worth reading. And yes, I love poking around other people's bookshelves too!

****

Wrapped everything up at work today, so it's vacation time. I've packed only one print book for myself, but four books from my shelves that my mum wants to borrow.

Also wrapping up the review of the one book I've read so far this month:

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 1, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
Category: Graphic novels and comics
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/219582450

This is a cute little slice-of-life manga (so no big plot or high stakes) that my cousin recommended for me. The "Monthly Girls" of the title refers to the fact that Umetaruo Nozaki, the Nozaki-kun of the title, is secretly an artist for a monthly manga magazine targeted to teenage girls and young adult women (known as shojo or shoujo manga). This was my first-ever manga and an education for me! I liked that this was light and cute and will read the second volume for sure.

Have a fun time!

>51 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

I've unearthed a possible cataloguing error. One of the books my mum wanted to borrow, I can't find anywhere, and I suspect I might have given it away. Unless it's already at her place for some reason.

Hope you have a lovely vacation!

Have a great holiday!

>53 christina_reads: >54 Jackie_K: Thanks, Christina and Jackie!

****

Got home earlier this evening. The focus of my vacation was seeing Elvis Costello at Massey Hall (opening act: Nick Lowe backed by Los Straitjackets), and it was a great show. I also saw Thor: Love and Thunder (enjoyed it) and sorted through books, yarn, and knitting needles. My mum has acquired my grandma's collection of knitting supplies, so our goal was to consolidate her supply with Grandma's and then maybe I can grab a few things from the supply as well.

At one point we went used-book shopping, so I came home with a few books:

Horizon, by Helen MacInnes
Wanderers of Time, by John Wyndham (previously published under a pseudonym)
Singing the Sadness, by Reginald Hill
Sacré Blues: An Unsentimental Journey Through Quebec, by Taras Grescoe
Doctor Who: Conundrum, by Steve Lyons
A Snowball in Hell, by Christopher Brookmyre

****

Now to catch up on reviews!

Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit
Category: General fiction
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/221153937

The last couple of chapters were problematic in their portrayal of Native Americans, and that lowered my rating somewhat.

Dead Man’s Grave, by Neil Lancaster
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222010086

This is the first book in the DS Max Craigie series. I was able to read my mum's library copy because she'd borrowed it just before I visited. It was pretty good, certainly a page-turner, but I had reservations about some elements. We'll see what the second book is like (my library just ordered it, so I've placed a hold).

Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew, by Michael D. Leinbach
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/220911162

Goodreads tells me that this was a book bullet from VictoriaPL, and for this I thank her, because this was an excellent book. Highly recommended if you're interested in reading about the space program. Now I need to find a book about Atlantis, which had a scary close call that seemed to foreshadow Columbia's final flight.

Death in the Vines, by M. L. Longworth
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222231099

I'm continuing to enjoy the Verlaque and Bonnet Provençal Mysteries. My mum's bought the whole series, so I'll get to dip into them whenever I visit. They're nice light page-turners, and I always crave wine and baguettes and cheese while reading them.

>55 rabbitprincess: Wow. I'm envious of you seeing Elvis Costello and especially Nick Lowe. Did Lowe sing All Men are Liars?

Sounds like a good trip all round.

>56 RidgewayGirl: I don't remember him singing that one, but most of my Nick Lowe knowledge comes from the Los Straitjackets' instrumental tribute album, What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Los Straitjackets. I do know he played Cruel to Be Kind and Tokyo Bay!

>57 Helenliz: It was a really good trip :)

A short work week this week, only two days, but I'm still glad for the weekend. Managed to finish a book I've had on the go since late June:

The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes
Category: General fiction
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965502

I bought this because I've been collecting Hammond Innes books, this one features ships, and part of the book is set in Cornwall. It was good, although it did drag a bit in places. Still, closer to a hit than a miss.

I must have been energized by finishing a long-standing book, because I started and finished two books this past weekend.

The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, by Nancy Springer
Category: Award winners and nominees (Agatha Award nominee 2009, Edgar Award nominee 2010)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/221142200

The Enola Holmes series continues to be a fun read!

Poison, by Ed McBain
Category: Mystery
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70473922

I was wavering between 3.5 and 4, but I think I'm closer to a 4 on this. It was horrifying in places, yes, but I read the whole thing in a day, which speaks to how compelling it was.

This week was the mid-month readathon over on Litsy. I set myself a goal to read three books and managed to read all three in the course of the week. The first was Poison, reviewed in my previous post, and the other two were the first two books listed below.

The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet, by Nell McShane Wulfhart
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218675397

This book is broader in scope than Come Fly the World, which focused particularly on Pan Am, and it would likely appeal to readers of that book. I found it very interesting and am glad I hung onto it by renewing it three times :)

Meet Me at the Morgue, by Ross Macdonald
Category: Mystery
Source: BMV
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/112239309

A stand-alone from the author of the Lew Archer series. Very good.

Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw
Category: Plays
Source: library
Rating: unrated
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218406011

Henry Higgins annoyed me sufficiently that I bailed on this play after Act II, and then reading about this play I discovered that had I stuck it out, I might have been satisfied with how things wrapped up. But I took way too long to get to this play and am not feeling motivated to finish it. That said, I felt it unfair to rate this play based on my reading experience.

Hi, I am finally catching up on your thread!

I enjoyed reading about the trip to your family, so many bookish activities!

>40 rabbitprincess: "A stand-alone mystery/thriller, which is a nice change in the world of so many series" Oh yes! While I love my series, I really enjoy reading a stand-alone and being done with it!

>61 rabbitprincess: I read Pygmalion a long time ago (I guess seventeen years?). My highschool boyfriend had to read it for a class and wanted to throw it into the trash afterwards, which I couldn't bear, so I snatched it from him and read it, and I have it to this day (plus a book-loving husband who wouldn't do such a thing, haha!)

Los Straightjackets!!! I'm gonna see them at some point, some day. Glad you had a good time!

>61 rabbitprincess: Oh my! A stab in the heart!;) I was Mrs. Higgins in my school's production of My Fair Lady!

>64 Tess_W: Well how about that, so was I!

>64 Tess_W: >65 Jackie_K: Ha! That's a great coincidence! And see that's why I went with "unrated" rather than giving it a low rating. My reaction was definitely more on me than the play ;)

>63 mstrust: Yes, they were fab! They played 2 songs on their own in the middle of Nick Lowe's set, and one of them was Kawanga, one of my favourites. Would love to see a full show with them, or one where Nick Lowe is headlining with them as his backing band.

I've been sitting on a few reviews again!

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
Category: Mystery, Group reads (July MysteryKIT)
Source: Waterstones Glasgow Sauchiehall Street (if I remember correctly)
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/160840613

A British Library Crime Classic I picked up on my last trip to Scotland. It was fine, not terrible. I might end up taking it to my preferred local used bookstore; they give good credit for these ones, from what my friend told me.

The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit
Category: General fiction
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222410936

I liked this better than Five Children and It. If I'd read it as a kid, I would probably have read it more often than The Enchanted Castle, which was the only E. Nesbit I read as a youngster.

Edge of the Grave, by Robbie Morrison
Category: Award winners and nominees (McIlvanney Prize 2021)
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222483010

Apparently the first in a series, this had a LOT going on in it and I'm not sure where the series would go next. But Glasgow in the 1930s is a compelling setting (I love Glasgow-based crime fiction in general), so I'd likely read another book, as long as it was shorter.

August recap

Got a bit more momentum this month, with 14 books read:

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 1, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)
Dead Man’s Grave, by Neil Lancaster
Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew, by Michael D. Leinbach
Death in the Vines, by M. L. Longworth
The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, by Nancy Springer
Poison, by Ed McBain
The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet, by Nell McShane Wulfhart
Meet Me at the Morgue, by Ross Macdonald
Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)
Edge of the Grave, by Robbie Morrison

My favourite book was Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew. Couldn’t put it down once I started. A well-calibrated mix of technical details and compassionate storytelling.

My least favourite book with a rating was Five Children and It, whose last two chapters had some cringey stereotyping of Indigenous people.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still not calling it done, haha.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — Might pick this up again??
Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon — I put this in my purse as an extremely optimistic bus book on the few occasions I take the bus, but that hasn’t worked out so far.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal) — Still working on this one, often while I do digital puzzles.
Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 1, by Yuki Midorikawa — another manga. This one is darker than Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, so I’m having a harder time with it.
The Way Some People Die, by Ross Macdonald — I’ve been on a Macdonald kick lately. Once I read this, I need to get The Barbarous Coast and The Doomsters, neither of which I’ve bought, apparently. Then I’ll have the whole set.
Elektra, by Jennifer Saint — Female-centred retellings of myths? Yes please! This one could almost be titled Elektra and Cassandra, because they alternate first-person POVs.

September plans

I have a large number of large library books out, and I’m balancing that with shorter books I own. The trick will be to stay off the internet and Twitch streams. I do have two days off this month: Labour Day and Truth and Reconciliation Day (on which I will be reading Indigenous literature).

>68 rabbitprincess: The Railway Children is one of my favourites! I also love the 1999 film, it is so heartwarming and sweet.

>69 rabbitprincess: Great plans! I did not know about Truth and Reconciliation Day and just read the respective wikipedia article. Thanks for mentioning it so I could learn about it!

I have The Five Children and it on my shelves, but not The Railway Children. For me the film is the memory from childhood.

>70 MissBrangwen: The Jenny Agutter film is a little older than that, 1970. That's the one I grew up with.

>71 Helenliz: I haven‘t seen that one, but I know that it‘s beloved by many! Jenny Agutter is the mother in the 1999 film, so that is a nice touch of continuity.

>69 rabbitprincess: I have The Inconvenient Indian on my library list. I hope I can borrow it this month.

The Railway Children was a favourite when I was a child but the appeal didn't reach my adult years. I found it a bit preachy the last time I read it.

>70 MissBrangwen: You're very welcome! This year is I think the second year we'll have had it.

>71 Helenliz: Both are available in the public domain, which is handy if you're looking to save shelf space but still read them.

>72 MissBrangwen: That's neat! I like when remakes bring in an element of the original (even if I grumble about remakes of perfectly good movies sometimes).

>73 VivienneR: This month would be perfect for reading The Inconvenient Indian. I'm really enjoying Lorne Cardinal's narration.

This week has been mostly consumed by video games; I bought Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is just as hugely addictive as I'd heard (although I hadn't appreciated just HOW addictive until I started playing...). I've been forcing myself to take breaks, though, for the odd bit of reading and reviewing. Here are all the books I've read so far this month!

Elektra, by Jennifer Saint
Category: General fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222483361

I am here for all these new retellings of mythology through a woman's perspective! This was good, although I kept trying to mentally compare it to what Natalie Haynes said about the story in Pandora's Jar.

The Way Some People Die, by Ross Macdonald
Category: Mystery
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213554257

Lew Archer is my favourite hardboiled detective hero, and it was especially a treat to read this one after playing a bunch of Grim Fandango, a noir-style point-and-click adventure game.

Positively Introverted, by Maureen “Marzi” Wilson
Category: Comics
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/223033699

Comics are an easy way to rack up the numbers, and I liked this one a fair bit.

A Matter of Time, by Claire Askew
Category: Award winners and nominees (McIlvanney Prize nominee, 2022)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/223033969

All caught up with the DI Helen Birch series (only 4 books so far, if you're looking for a new series). This book is set over the course of a single day and the pacing is very good.

I'm finally catching up with your thread and am very happy to hear that you enjoyed the Elvis Costello concert! I would have loved to see him in concert.

Also glad to see your positive review of The Apollo Murders, as that is one I'm considering reading. Thanks for the warning about the eye injury. My father suffered an eye injury when I was young so I'm a bit squeamish about that myself.

>76 mathgirl40: It was a good show! Toronto was pretty packed, though, because Motley Crue and Def Leppard were playing at the Scotiabank Centre the same night.

You're most welcome! It's something that isn't warned about often, but it's something I would have liked to know about going in.

****

Still not a lot of reading this week. I'm picking at lots of different books but not finishing anything. Going to read some comics this weekend to get my numbers up :)

Death on Gokumon Island, by Seishi Yokomizo (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/223168270

This is my least favourite of the Kosuke Kindaichi mysteries I've read so far. I liked the premise but found the pacing slow (it took 80 pages for the first murder to happen). I wouldn't recommend starting out with this one. On the plus side, although this book does mention an earlier book, The Honjin Murders, it doesn't actually spoil said book.

Me again with another batch of reviews for the week. Even with trying to focus on comics, I didn't finish very many!

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 4: The Endless Song, written by Nick Abadzis, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini and Elena Casagrande
Category: Comics, SFF
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695021

This was fine but forgettable. Could also have been my reading fog.

Heartstopper, Volume 1, by Alice Oseman
Category: Comics
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/223934782

This was very cute, and I've already requested Volume 2.

This Much Is True, by Miriam Margolyes
Category: General non-fiction, January CATWoman (biography/autobiography/memoir)
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/223934904

I like an autobiography with a lot of photos and an engaging narrative voice. This one delivers on both fronts.

This Much is True is one I'm really keen to get on audiobook - she has the most amazing and hilarious voice!

>79 Jackie_K: Yes, that would be a great performance!

****

Sherlock: Chronicles, by Steve Tribe
Category: Misc books
Source: Christmas present
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/124504761

This was very good and made me want to rewatch Sherlock -- as if I need more distractions from reading ;)

>80 rabbitprincess: Oh, that is on my shelf as well! I have only browsed it so far, but want to read it properly. I still hope for a new season one day!

>80 rabbitprincess: In the meantime, I get my Benedict fix from Doctor Strange :D

****

A nice little re-read to close out the month.

The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, by Lilian Jackson Braun
Category: Rereads, September MysteryKIT (animal mysteries)
Going Through the Stacks!
Source: pilfered from parents’ library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/72567997

Lots of boxes checked with this book: a Going Through the Stacks book (one of my longer-term shelf residents that hadn't been read in a while), a 2022 MysteryKIT entry, and apparently a 2021 RandomCAT entry if my tags are anything to go by. And it made me feel like I'd accomplished something reading-wise this week ;)

September recap

A slightly shorter month and a slightly shorter reading list, with 11 books read:

Elektra, by Jennifer Saint
The Way Some People Die, by Ross Macdonald
Positively Introverted, by Maureen “Marzi” Wilson
A Matter of Time, by Claire Askew
Death on Gokumon Island, by Seishi Yokomizo (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 4: The Endless Song, written by Nick Abadzis, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini and Elena Casagrande (comic, ebook)
Heartstopper, Vol. 1, by Alice Oseman (comic, ebook)
This Much Is True, by Miriam Margolyes
Sherlock: Chronicles, by Steve Tribe
The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye, by Nancy Springer
The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, by Lilian Jackson Braun (reread)

Both of the Sherlock-adjacent books I read this month (the Tribe and the Springer) were excellent, each meriting 4.5 stars, but I’ll give the edge to The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye because I devoured it in a much shorter timeframe.

My least favourite book was Death on Gokumon Island, because it was slow-paced, taking 80 pages for the first person to be murdered.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still not calling it done, haha.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — Might pick this up again??
Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon — I put this in my purse as an extremely optimistic bus book on the few occasions I take the bus, but that hasn’t worked out so far.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal) — Still working on this one, often while I do digital puzzles.
Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 1, by Yuki Midorikawa — another manga. This one is darker than Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, so I’m having a harder time with it. Hoping spooky October will be a good way to finally finish this.
Wandering Ghosts, by F. Marion Crawford — this is a Serial Reader read I stalled out on. It’s a collection of short stories where the first two stories were great, then the third one seemed boring. I might skip it and move to the fourth story.
The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence — an even more optimistic bus book.
Kent Monkman: Life & Work, by Shirley Madill — I request most of the Art Canada Institute books; they’re well organized and always interesting, and this one is no exception.
The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, by Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant — a book version of the CBC radio show The Age of Persuasion, which I’ve never listened to, but the book sounded interesting. I’ve had this on my to-read list since 2009!

October plans

I’ll be at my parents’ for a week this month, so I’ve earmarked a couple of ebooks to read and plan to borrow one or two of theirs while I’m there. Also added a tiny dose of spooky to my reading: hoping to re-read From the Dust Returned, by Ray Bradbury.

Also checking back in, and wow! What a blast to see Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello on the same program. And thank you for the BB on the Columbia. It was such a tragedy and I do want to know how they brought everyone home.

Enjoy your read of Ray Bradbury - he is the perfect author for the month of October.

>84 threadnsong: Great to see you! Yes, it was a fantastic show. Worth the trip for sure. I think I might pick up the Bradbury next. Still playing a lot of video games and finding it hard to tear myself away and read, haha.

The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, by Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/224565462

This was OK, but a bit dated. Although the copy I read was published in 2020, it was merely a reprint of the original paperback edition (the book was published in 2009).

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher
Category: SFF
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/225205986

This was a lot of fun! I'll be looking askance at gingerbread men from now on, though ;)

What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, by Randall Munroe
Category: Misc books
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/225503790

I liked this book a lot too. I really enjoy xkcd and Munroe's writing, and the bite-size questions and answers fit my reading energy at the moment.

>86 rabbitprincess: Glad you enjoyed A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. I know what you mean, just in case they decide to throw something at you just as you're about to eat them!

>86 rabbitprincess: Those dastardly gingerbread men. I'm hoping this one is going to be the first in a long series.

>87 Helenliz: It was exactly what I needed! There's so much good younger fiction out there these days. Makes me wish it had been around when I was younger.

>88 charl08: Me too! I love that it was hanging around for a while but then got published at exactly the right moment.

****

Getting ready to head down to my parents' for a week, so I'm making sure all my reviews are set.

The Mary Celeste and Other Strange Tales of the Sea, by J. G. Lockhart
Category: Short stories
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965565

These are non-fiction stories, but I'm putting them in the short story category anyway because there's nothing there yet. This was OK; there are probably better books out there on this topic.

Kent Monkman: Life & Work, by Shirley Madill
Category: Art books
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222627327

I really like the Art Canada Institute's series that focuses on individual artists. I think I'd seen Monkman's work before briefly but knew very little about him. This was a great read.

Enjoy the visit with your parents!

>89 rabbitprincess: Enjoy your family!

>90 VivienneR: >91 Tess_W: Thank you both! It was a good time, just what I needed.

****

Back from spending a week at my parents' place with a few books read. I was clearly on a mystery kick.

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
Category: Comics and graphic novels
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/223033430

This was super cute and I definitely did NOT cry a bunch of times while reading it. It might be my favourite of the three manga series I've tried so far; the other two are Monthly Girls' Nozaki-Kun and Natsume's Book of Friends.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, by Nancy Springer
Category: Mystery
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228016903

I will always read more Enola! Just one more before I'm caught up, then I can FINALLY watch the Netflix series.

The Rising Tide, by Ann Cleeves
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/227336690

Caught up with Vera much earlier than scheduled because my mum managed to get a hold of this from her library, and I read it while I was visiting.

Murder on the Île Sordou, by M. L. Longworth
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228017144

I generally like the Verlaque and Bonnet series but not this particular installment. It took too long for the murder to happen and there were too many sex scenes before the murders happened. With regard to sex scenes, I am Team Close the Door and Let Me Know When You're Done.

Another review dump!

Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey
Category: Mystery
Source: Book Bazaar
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/117653024

I picked this up simply because it was the Sgt Cribb adventure that had been unread the longest. I should really try to look for Abracadaver, which is the only book in the series I don't have access to (I read A Case of Spirits from the library and own most of the others).

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 1, by Yuki Midorikawa (translated by Lillian Olsen)
Category: Graphic novels
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222482798

I started this in August and am only just finishing it now. It was a bit scary, so I read it during the day, and then I was getting confused by the panel layout, even with a guide on how to follow the manga; sometimes the dialogue suggested multiple layouts. But I'm glad I persevered, because Chapter 4, "A Swallow Underwater", was beautifully done, and the little yokai cheering squad who showed up in Chapter 3 were a hoot. Glad to be adding more manga to the ridiculous number of series I follow ;)

And one last review before the October wrap-up.

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal)
Category: Audio
Source: Libro.fm
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/12848384/reviews/187430806

This was the book that started me on Libro.fm, and a very good audiobook it is. I'd love it if Lorne Cardinal read more of Thomas King's work. I could imagine him as Thumps DreadfulWater, the protagonist of King's mystery series set in Montana.

October recap

Managed to put down the video games long enough to read 12 books.

The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, by Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, by Randall Munroe
The Mary Celeste and Other Strange Tales of the Sea, by J. G. Lockhart
Kent Monkman: Life and Work, by Shirley Madill
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)
The Rising Tide, by Ann Cleeves
Murder on the Île Sordou, by M. L. Longworth
Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey
Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 1, by Yuki Midorikawa (translated by Lillian Olsen)
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal)

This month I’ll give the nod to A Man and His Cat, because it was SO adorable and a very easy read.

My least favourite book this month was Murder on the Île Sordou, because there were too many sex scenes and the murder took too long to happen (over 100 pages). Apparently this is the second month in a row that I’ve had a mystery take too long to get to the murder.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still not calling it done, haha.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — Might pick this up again??
Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon — I made more progress on this today and expect to finish it this week.
Wandering Ghosts, by F. Marion Crawford — this is a Serial Reader read I stalled out on. It’s a collection of short stories where the first two stories were great, then the third one seemed boring. I might skip it and move to the fourth story.
The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence — an even more optimistic bus book.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers — one of my many Tor.com ebooks that I thought I’d read on vacation but didn’t end up finishing. It’s good so far, though.
Buffalo Is the New Buffalo, by Chelsea Vowel — a collection of short stories that also includes commentary on the themes and history explored in each story.
Drunk on All Your Strange New Words, by Eddie Robson — haven’t started this yet, but it’s sci-fi involving translation, written by a Big Finish writer, so I have hope that it will be good.

November plans

My biggest plan is to read the new Thursday Murder Club, The Bullet That Missed. I have also very optimistically put two historical fiction novels on my on-deck shelf. The goal is to pick one of them to at least start this month.

>94 rabbitprincess: Every time I see you posting Thomas King I think that I want to read more of his writings!

>95 rabbitprincess: Have fun reading in November! It is my goal to read more historical fiction, but most of the novels I want to get to are so long…

>96 MissBrangwen: Thanks for stopping by! It does seem like that most of the historical fiction I pick up is big fat mass market paperbacks. I keep thinking "oh these will be good for a rainy afternoon or reading a chapter at a time" and neither of those things happens.

And I've requested more Thomas King: The Back of the Turtle.

****

Of course I find out that my favourite used-book sale is back to in person this weekend after I've already made plans. Sigh.

Oh well, I did go to a used bookstore with my parents a couple of weekends ago. Here's what I bought:

The Barbarous Coast, by Ross Macdonald
The Doomsters, by Ross Macdonald
Run Silent, Run Deep, by Edward L. Beach
The Sea Mystery, by Freeman Wills Crofts (in a green Penguin paperback, no less)
The Lion's Whelp, by Nigel Tranter
Children of the Mist, by Nigel Tranter

Now I FINALLY have all of the Lew Archer novels for real this time. Once I read those and the short stories, I'll probably go back to the beginning of the series and do a re-read.

First book of November is one I bought at a previous edition of my favourite used-book sale.

Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon
Category: French
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/135780449

Took me only 11 months to get a book in my French category, haha. Can I read another one? I do have a few Maigrets stockpiled, as well as some Adamsberg. I am also going to tackle the French translation of Extraordinary Canadians: Tommy Douglas, because I accidentally requested it from the library instead of the English original. Oh well, that just means I can renew it a bunch of times more easily :D

>97 rabbitprincess: Nice haul from the used book store! Ross Macdonald books are not easy to find in my experience.

>97 rabbitprincess: Ooh, I love the green Penguin mysteries! I have a couple of them myself and try to keep an eye out for them when I'm in used bookstores.

>98 rabbitprincess: I'm trying to fill up my French category too. Earlier this year, I bought a collection of 8 Maigrets for my e-reader. My French vocabulary is not so good, so I rely heavily on the translation facility provided by my Kobo reader.

>97 rabbitprincess: You've got some interesting sea mysteries and legends on your shelf! I tried to add your book on the Mary Celeste to my wishlist, but stopped at the rating you gave it. Of course, if I happen to see it at the library or in a used bookshop, all bets are off!

>99 VivienneR: Most of the ones I own were reprinted by Vintage / Black Lizard fairly recently; they may still be available online through Chapters/Indigo.

>100 mathgirl40: Yes, they're so nice-looking! And the books printed in that edition, or at least the ones I've found, seem to be shorter than a lot of modern mysteries.

When I'm reading French novels, I usually have my iPad beside me with the Usito dictionary open in Safari: https://usito.usherbrooke.ca/

>101 threadnsong: Yeah, the Marie Celeste book is probably more of a borrow or a cheap bookstore buy. Although heck, I'd be happy to send you my copy if you wanted it ;)

Nice haul! I've always wanted to read the Beach book!

>103 Tess_W: It's hard to find! I was glad to have stumbled upon it.

Happy to get a few long-standing reads off the board.

Buffalo Is the New Buffalo, by Chelsea Vowel
Category: Short stories
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222577889

I really enjoyed this collection of stories, especially the author's commentary after each story explaining the allusions and the choices she made when putting them together.

Heartstopper, Vol. 2, by Alice Oseman
Category: Graphic novels
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228539970

This series is so incredibly cute. I cried multiple times reading this volume.

Pascoe’s Ghost and Other Brief Chronicles of Crime, by Reginald Hill
Category: Short stories, October RandomKIT (what's in a name?)
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/89848511

I think I've gone off Reginald Hill. This collection was published in 1979 and feels drab and dated. Also tired of how the narration describes female characters (often with references to their figures and how clothes accentuate them).

>105 rabbitprincess: I feel the same about Reginald Hill. I still have a couple of his on the shelf but those will be the last from this author for me.

>106 DeltaQueen50: It doesn't bode well for the Joe Sixsmith novel I bought this year, Singing the Sadness.

****

Finally a chance to catch up on some reviews. These reviews make me up to date on two series!

The Bullet That Missed, by Richard Osman
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228126131

The Thursday Murder Club is always a hoot. That is all.

Deep House: A DreadfulWater Mystery, by Thomas King
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228209267

This book handled the COVID-19 pandemic well; it didn't pretend that it didn't happen, but it didn't go into too many details about how Chinook actually dealt with it. And fans of Freeway, DreadfulWater's cat, will enjoy this installment.

>105 rabbitprincess: I have a few Reginald Hill books unread because I began to dislike Pascoe's wife in the tv series - a long time ago, I know. But the opinion surfaced again in the last Hill I read.

>107 rabbitprincess: I haven't read any DreadfulWater mysteries yet but they are high on my list to try. I loved Indians on Vacation.

>108 VivienneR: Indians on Vacation was so good! I loved it.

****

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
Category: SFF
Source: Tor.com ebook of the month club
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216255089

This took me a while to read because it's cozy and contemplative, and I haven't had the patience for that lately. But once I did, this was good. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea.

Spear, by Nicola Griffith
Category: SFF
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228539711

Loved this King Arthur retelling! I'm going to have to re-read all of the stories Griffith cited in the author's note, particularly Malory (which I've never read cover to cover, just in parts for a university class about King Arthur).

Death at Windsor Castle, by C. C. Benison
Category: rereads
Source: passed along from Grandma
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/282872/reviews/82844804

Before The Windsor Knot, there was this series by C.C. Benison, in which Queen Elizabeth II and trusty Canadian housemaid Jane Bee solve murders. This one is my favourite of the series, and it's even more cool to read now that I've actually been to Windsor Castle.

>109 rabbitprincess: Spear is climbing high up my wishlist! Suddenly I see it everywhere on LT.
The Benison looks like fun!

>109 rabbitprincess: While I haven't come across Nicola Griffin's re-telling of the King Arthur legends, I am partway finished with Diana Paxson's The Hallowed Isle. I'm amazed still at how differently the legends of King Arthur can be told. And yes, Mallory. He's on my shelf, illustrated, and someday I'll sink back into his work.

>107 rabbitprincess: I've read a number of Thomas King's books but none from this series. Taking a BB for it.

>110 MissBrangwen: I feel very cool reading something new and fresh :) And yes, the CC Benison is quite fun. It was a random mystery novel my grandma gave me after she'd read it (she liked reading mysteries but wasn't a big re-reader, so she'd give them to me or my mum when she'd finished).

>111 threadnsong: It is amazing how many ways the stories can be reinvented!

>112 mathgirl40: Excellent, enjoy!

>109 rabbitprincess: C.C. Benison's Death at Windsor Castle was wonderful! Your Grandma had good taste in mystery novels. I just wish Benison would get busy and write more.

I've not seen anything about Spear before, but will take a hit for it here. I think the unexpected enjoyment various Greek myth retellings have offered recently have changed my perspective a bit.

>114 VivienneR: Part of me wishes he'd complete the series, but part of me also thinks this series was a bit of lightning in a bottle and it wouldn't be the same written now.

>115 charl08: Yes, I'm really enjoying this wave of mythical retellings!

****

Wrapping up November. Recap coming soon.

Drunk on All Your Strange New Words, by Eddie Robson
Category: SFF
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/223168674

It took me an embarrassingly long time to get to this (I'd renewed it five times...), but I ended up reading it in a day. A protagonist who's an interpreter, and a locked-room mystery, and sci-fi? There's a lot to like.

The Eight of Swords, by John Dickson Carr
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228539380

I stopped reading this after JDC introduced a female character by "assuring" the reader that she wasn't one of these so-called independent heroines; she would just stand around and admire the male hero. I am therefore going to make my next read 1989, by Val McDermid, just to spite him.

November recap

After a slow start to the month, I managed to put away 11 books.

Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon
Buffalo Is the New Buffalo, by Chelsea Vowel
Heartstopper, Volume 2, by Alice Oseman (Overdrive)
Pascoe’s Ghost and Other Brief Chronicles of Crime, by Reginald Hill
The Bullet That Missed, by Richard Osman
Deep House, by Thomas King
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
Spear, by Nicola Griffith
Death at Windsor Castle, by C. C. Benison (reread)
Drunk on All Your Strange New Words, by Eddie Robson
The Eight of Swords, by John Dickson Carr

Continuing my trend of really enjoying graphic novels, Heartstopper, Vol. 2 was my favourite book this month. I have Vol. 3 lined up on my iPad!

I had two 1-star books this month but will grant “least favourite” status to The Eight of Swords. Normally I like John Dickson Carr books, but this book had an unexpected anti-feminist streak that made me abandon it unfinished.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still not calling it done, haha.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — If I recall correctly, I did pick this up for a bit earlier in the month.
Wandering Ghosts, by F. Marion Crawford — I’m still stalled out on this. Perhaps I’ll knuckle down and finish it off at some point this month. Ghost stories are a thing at Christmastime as well ;)
The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence — this became an at-home book because of the sex scenes, which I was embarrassed to read on the bus.
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan — I read the preface and the first chapter, then put it down for a bit. Hoping to tackle a bit more of it before going to my parents’ for Christmas. I borrowed this from a colleague, though, so it will not come home with me.
Kenneth, by Nigel Tranter — feeling optimistic about historical fiction :) And depending on the timing, I can bring this to my parents’ place and leave it there when I’m finished.
Tommy Douglas, by Vincent Lam (translated into French by Alain Roy) — I accidentally borrowed the French translation of this entry in the Extraordinary Canadians series, but I need practice reading French that isn’t related to work anyway.

December plans

I’m heading to my parents’ on the 14th, so before then I absolutely need to read 1989, by Val McDermid (I won’t be able to renew it). I’ve put a couple of library books on my iPad, and I’ve decided which books of my parents’ I plan to read while I’m visiting. I may need to save some room in my reading itinerary for Christmas presents too :)

It's December 1 and my 2023 challenge is set up. Here's a relevant Christmas tune that is groovy enough to be played year-round: Here Comes Santa Claus - Los Straitjackets

Review dump before heading to my parents' today.

Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman
Category: Historical fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/229570311

This was a common sight in my school library as a kid but I never got around to reading it. More fool me, because it was great.

The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence
Category: Award winners (Governor General’s Award for Fiction, 1974)
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/135780695

This took me a few months to get through. Laurence writes well and has some interesting storytelling techniques (especially the "mini-movies" that show people's memories of a given situation), but I despised Brooke and the power dynamics of his relationship with Morag.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton
Category: Graphic novels
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/229570354

My words are inadequate to describe this book. All I can say is read it.

Overture to Death, by Ngaio Marsh
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/229721696

I could have sworn I'd read this before, but apparently not. I would have remembered reading a book with a character called Idris Campanula (it took me a little while before I stopped trying to picture Idris Elba, haha).

1989, by Val McDermid
Category: General fiction
Source: library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/230153069

I wanted to like this, but there is so much going on and I have so little brainpower that I got impatient and skipped to the end to find out whodunnit.

I keep meaning to get to Margaret Laurence. I have a BB I took from japaul on my recommended list and it's been there a few years. Have a great time with your folks.

Safe travels and have a great time!

>119 rabbitprincess: So glad you liked Catherine, Called Birdy! It's one of my childhood favorites, and when I reread it earlier this year, I still loved it.

You had some good reading before going off on a family visit. Have a great time.

Adding to the well-wishes for your visit with the folks! Finishing up the 2022 threads I'm following before diving into their 2023 threads. Can't wait to see yours.

Happy Christmas . . . I enjoyed your review of Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands. I was aware of the book but didn't think it was something I'd want to read, but I just saw it made Barak Obama's top books of 2022, which makes me think it may be worth a look. Also your review, of course

>120 dudes22: I’d certainly recommend The Stone Angel over The Diviners, also because The Diviners is the last book in the loosely connected Manawaka Cycle. If you like to read series in order, that may be a consideration.

>121 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit! Hope you have a great time with your sister :)

>122 christina_reads: Always nice when a childhood favourite lives up to the nostalgia!

>123 VivienneR: I did! I’ve had some good reading since then, but not as much. I always get less reading done at my parents’.

>124 threadnsong: Thanks for stopping by and for the well wishes!

>125 Nickelini: Obama has excellent taste in books! Merry Christmas to you as well :)

For Christmas I received two Doctor Who novelizations: The Eaters of Light, by Rona Munro; and The Fires of Pompeii, by James Moran. I also received my own copy of Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton, which I’d read from the library.

Review dump of the books I’ve read so far while at my parents’. My mum received a couple of books from her library that I’d wanted to read, so that enabled me to cancel holds.

The Blood Tide, by Neil Lancaster
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/27697585/reviews/231171050

I liked this second book better than the first in the Max Craigie series, but I agree with my mum that the ending kind of fell flat in one aspect.

Heartstopper Vol. 3, by Alice Oseman
Category: Graphic novels
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/23554968/reviews/230153160

What better holiday reading than graphic novels? I love this series and have already requested Volume 4.

The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter
Category: Historical fiction
Source: By the Lake Books
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/403245/reviews/149483935

This trilogy lives with my parents, even though I bought the books. I read the first book a while ago but am just now getting to the second. A short historical fiction novel, which isn’t common in my experience.

The Sleeping and the Dead, by Ann Cleeves
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/1158432/reviews/231172782

A republished stand-alone novel, this was solid, but I felt it went on a bit long.

...My mum received a couple of books from her library that I’d wanted to read... Is that because you bought them for her, rp? And Ducks is a book worth owning, good job getting a copy of your own!

>129 RidgewayGirl: That IS the case with some of her Christmas presents… I bought her the latest Louise Penny and Ian Rankin on the full understanding that I would read them at some point ;)

With our public libraries we’ll both place holds on books we want to read and race to see who gets it first. If she happens to have a book out when I’m visiting and I wanted to read it too, I’ll sneak a read in before she returns it.

A couple more books read over the past couple of days.

Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, No. 4), by Jonathan Morris (audio, read by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)
Category: Audio, SFF
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/13702184/reviews/139864948

Another Doctor Who audio snack that I made short work of yesterday while knitting.

The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne, by M. L. Longworth
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/16143920/reviews/231171138

The Verlaque and Bonnet series scratches the cozy-mystery itch nicely for me. I liked this book better than the previous one, but felt it needed an author’s note to explain how the imagined lost Cézanne fits into the historical record.

One more book from my parents’ collection before returning home.

Cézanne: Visions of a Great Painter, by Henri Lallemand
Category: Art books
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/1528271/reviews/231788810

After reading The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne, I wanted to read more about Cézanne’s art. Fortunately my parents had a book I could read quickly. This was pretty good. Now I want a proper biography!

>130 rabbitprincess: I can remember several times that I got a book for Christmas with a book mark already in it. And mum saying, apologetically, that's as far as she'd got.
One year we did buy each other the same book!

>133 Helenliz: Haha! I usually let my mum read her present first, although if she hasn’t read it after a year, I consider it fair game.

December recap

12 books to round out the year.

Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman
The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton
Overture to Death, by Ngaio Marsh
1989, by Val McDermid
The Blood Tide, by Neil Lancaster
Heartstopper, Vol. 3, by Alice Oseman (Overdrive)
The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter
The Sleeping and the Dead, by Ann Cleeves
Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, #4), by Jonathan Morris (audio, performed by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)
The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne, by M. L. Longworth
Cézanne: Visions of a Great Painter, by Henri Lallemand

Continuing my trend of really enjoying graphic novels, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands was my favourite book this month. I borrowed it from the library and received my own copy for Christmas.

Another month in which I didn’t have any books lower than 3 stars. Perhaps the Cézanne: Visions of a Great Painter was OK but not my favourite.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still not calling it done, haha.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — I brought this home with me for Christmas but did not read a single page.
Wandering Ghosts, by F. Marion Crawford — I considered bailing on this but I don’t want to end the year with a bail. I’ll bail in January.
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan — Now that I’m back from my parents’ place, I’ll continue reading this.
Kenneth, by Nigel Tranter — I’ve made good progress so far but won’t finish before the end of the year.
Tommy Douglas, by Vincent Lam (translated into French by Alain Roy) — I accidentally borrowed the French translation of this entry in the Extraordinary Canadians series, but I need practice reading French that isn’t related to work anyway.
All Systems Red, by Martha Wells — Finally getting to check out Murderbot!

January plans

I shuffled some things around on my on-deck shelf and am getting a few library books in. I’m not sure where my mood will take me—I just hope I’ll read!

2022 in review:

Total books read: 148

Number of books read in each category (these will add up to more than the total number of books read because I posted a few in multiple categories)

“You can learn from books” (General fiction): 16
“How did you find America?” (General non-fiction): 18
“He’s very fussy about his drums” (Historical fiction): 3
“I fought the war for your sort” (Historical non-fiction): 2
“Have you seen Paul’s grandfather” (Mysteries): 38
“Pas bingo, m’sieur, banco” (French): 1
“a train and a room and a car and a room and a room and a room” (Rereads): 5
“I could listen to him for hours” (Audiobooks): 7
“Hey mister, can we have our ball back” (SFF): 18
“Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt – ZAP” (Plays, short stories, GNs, art books): 27
“He hates group unity so he gets everyone at it” (Group reads/CATs): 22
“I won an award” “A likely story” (Award winners and nominees): 6

I definitely did not read as much as last year: this year I read 148, and last year I read 167. I was spending a lot more time gaming, especially in the fall when I bought my Switch, and I had personal stuff going on in the spring.

Breakdown of my usual categories and comparison against last year:
• I read fewer books in both general fiction and general non-fiction than I did last year.
• I read way less history than usual: five books total, in contrast to 19 books from last year.
• I read way more mysteries this year: 38 in 2022. Clearly when I was reading, I was reaching for my comfort genre.
• I didn’t meet my French or re-read goals, but I was short by only 1 in both cases.
• I read slightly fewer audiobooks than last year.
• I actually read more in the CATs and KITs than I did last year: 22 books vs 19. I think getting to the books when I felt like getting to them really worked.
• I read the same number of SFF books as I did last year (18).

Top books of the year (five from each quarter):
Picks of Q1 (Jan/Feb/Mar)
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay
The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
DreadfulWater, by Thomas King

Picks of Q2 (Apr/May/Jun)
Death at the Château Bremont, by M. L. Longworth
The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid, by Craig Russell
Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When You’re Not Okay, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh
Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, by Natalie Haynes

Picks of Q3 (Jul/Aug/Sep)
Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew, by Michael D. Leinbach
The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye, by Nancy Springer
Sherlock: Chronicles, by Steve Tribe
Heartstopper, Vol. 1, by Alice Oseman

Picks of Q4 (Oct/Nov/Dec)
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
Heartstopper, Vol. 2, by Alice Oseman
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton
Buffalo Is the New Buffalo, by Chelsea Vowel
Heartstopper, Vol. 3, by Alice Oseman

Congratulations on your reading year, >136 rabbitprincess:. Reading 147 books is no mean feat, and I really enjoyed your categories and samples from "Hard Days Night." Have a wonderful 2023 and see you on your new thread!

A great reading year! I've taken a few BBs from your list of picks. I'll be visiting your new 2023 thread shortly.

>137 threadnsong: >138 mathgirl40: Thank you both! Managed to pull some good reading out of the hat. Looking forward to a fresh year!

I also discovered I'd forgotten to add a book to my reading list, but had reviewed and tagged it as "read in 2022", so 1989, by Val McDermid, brings me up to 148 books for the year.