Familyhistorian's Reads for 2023 - Part 2

Jedburgh Abbey, Jedburgh Scotland

Oh hey, welcome to Meg’s thread. I am a bookaholic. Not that that’s a shameful thing but it might be catching as my fellow 75ers and enablers can attest to. There will be talk about books, reading, Wordling and probably travel in 2023. Come along for the ride.

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I write about genealogy and history on my blog. I’m getting ready for another year of exploring and writing about my ROOTs (the family kind). You can see my latest blog posts at: A Genealogist’s Path to History

Challenges
Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2023 – WWI (1914-1918)
April-June 2023 – 20th Century: Between the Wars (1919-1938)
July-September 2023 – 20th Century: World War 2 (1939-1945)
October-December 2023 – Modern History: 1946 – the Present Day

Monthly

January: Our Feathered Friends - The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys - DONE
February: Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! - Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie - DONE
March: Notorious Women
April: April Fool
May: The Big City – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
June: The Fabulous Fifties
July: Revolutions
August: Migration and Immigration
September: School Days
October: Traditions
November: Indigenous Peoples
December: Reader’s Choice

2023 Nonfiction Challenge

January: Prizewinners and Nominees
February: Hobbies & Pastimes. Gardening, Genealogy, Travel etc. - Trespassers in Time: Genealogists and Microhistorians by Anne Patterson Rodda - DONE
March: Empires
April: The Sea/Ocean
May: Literary Biography
June: Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples/First Nations
July: Explorations and Expeditions
August: The World of the Land, Trees and Plants
September: Family Ties
October: Crimes, Mysteries, Puzzles, Enigmas
November: Matters of Faith and Philosophy
December: As You Like It

List of books for challenges

Reading Through Time

Quarterly

January-March 2023 – WWI (1914-1918)
April-June 2023 – 20th Century: Between the Wars (1919-1938)
July-September 2023 – 20th Century: World War 2 (1939-1945) - An Unlikely Spy by Rebecca Starford
October-December 2023 – Modern History: 1946 – the Present Day - Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Monthly

January: Our Feathered Friends - The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys
February: Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
March: Notorious Women - Wild Romance by Chloe Schama
April: April Fool
May: The Big City – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - Sweet Thames by Matthew Kneale and/or The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
June: The Fabulous Fifties
July: Revolutions
August: Migration and Immigration
September: School Days
October: Traditions
November: Indigenous Peoples
December: Reader’s Choice

2023 Nonfiction challenge

January - prizewinners and nominees - Having it so Good: Britain in the Fifties by Peter Hennessy - 2007 winner of the Orwell prize for political writing
February: Hobbies & Pastimes. Gardening, Genealogy, Travel etc.
March: Empires
April: The Sea/Ocean
May: Literary Biography
June: Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples/First Nations
July: Explorations and Expeditions
August: The World of the Land, Trees and Plants
September: Family Ties
October: Crimes, Mysteries, Puzzles, Enigmas
November: Matters of Faith and Philosophy
December: As You Like It

Shared Reads

Peter Ackroyd's History of England series, a shared read of the series with Paul. I still need to acquire some of the books.

A History of England: Foundation - own
Tudors: The History of England from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I - own
Civil War: Volume III: The History of England this was also published as Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution - I own both titles
Revolution: The History of England from the Battle of the Boyne to the Battle of Waterloo - need to get *
Dominion: The History of England from the Battle of Waterloo to Victoria's Diamond Jubilee - own
Innovation: The History of England Volume VI - need to get *

Group Reads

11/22/63 by Stephen King in May

Little Free Library

Books culled in 2022



Books culled in 2023

January - 16



LT Your Library number starting 2023 - 2944

Books read in January 2023

1. Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble
2. Sunshine on Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
3. The War that Saved My Life by Kimbery Brubaker Bradley
4. Mindful of Murder by Susan Juby
5. The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
6. Klaus by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora
7. A Different Kind of Normal by Abigail Balfe ER book
8. A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
9. The Papers of Tony Veitch by William McIlvanney
10. Silk by Alessandro Baricco
11. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffith
12. A Career in Books by Kate Gavino
13. The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra
14. Wake by Shelley Burr
15. Material Girls: Why Reality Matters for Feminism by Kathleen Stock
16. The Devil to Pay by Liz Carlyle
17. Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence by Ken Auletta
18. Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb
19. The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys
20. Spook Street by Mick Herron
21. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Books read in 2023

Books acquired in 2023

Acquisitions in January 2023

We Were Strangers Once by Betsy Carter
Cold Snap by Maureen Jennings
Shadowlands: a Journey Through Britain's Lost Cities and Vanished Villages by Matthew Green
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman - I've read this already but wanted my own copy.
Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson
Remember Love by Mary Balogh
Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas
Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb
Cold Case BC by Eve Lazarus
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco - from the little free library
Ancestors: The Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials by Alice Roberts - Santa Thing book
On the Waterfront by Mike McCoy - ER book
Color Capital of the World: Growing Up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company by John W. Kropf - ER book received as a PDF due to high postal rates to Canada

Welcome!

Lovely topper, Meg. There are several abbeys of that ilk scattered across Britain which I love to visit with Hani from time to time.

Happy new thread. xx

From the old thread
I've read 9 books of the 'in death' series but not in the correct order.

Happy new thread Meg!

>13 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I've seen a few abbeys and cathedrals in my travels in Britain, Paul. When I took that photo we were on a rail tour in the west of Scotland where the focus was on castles. We saw many of those but just the one abbey.

>14 Ameise1: I think there are 54 books in the series now, Barbara. They're good on their own but it pays to read them in order because there are lots of changes in the lives of the main characters.

>15 quondame: Thanks Susan!

>1 Familyhistorian: Happy New Thread! We saw Jedburgh Abbey (from the outside) when we went to Northumberland on holiday in 2020 and had a brief jaunt across the border. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go in as most tourist sites in Scotland were still closed because of COVID at that time.

Happy new thread, Meg!

Happy new one!

Sweet Thursday, Meg. Happy New Thread! Nearly 20 books for Jan? I think that is excellent. I may get to half of that.

Happy new one, Meg

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Meg! Love the topper photo. I have been collecting those In Death books, and have read the first several. Some year I am just going to dive in and binge read them.

>17 SandDune: Hi Rhian, too bad you couldn't go inside. We don't remember seeing the inside of Jedburgh Abbey either. It was an impressive sight from the outside, though and it was sunny so we stayed outside. It was just the beginning of that hot sunny spell last summer.

>18 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita!

>19 figsfromthistle: Thank you Anita!

>20 msf59: Hi Mark, actually I'm behind in my reviews so the list of January reads will be updated once I get around to them. January reads are 21 at this point and the month isn't over.

>21 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley!

>22 drneutron: Hi Jim, thanks and thanks for making this group possible!

>23 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, I started buying the in death books when they first came out in paperback but there were so many of them and I moved so I gave most of them away. I kept the first one Naked in Death because I like books that are the origins of series. That was one of the books that I reread. But it was Stasia that inspired me to start a reread of the series. I read the first book for the third time then decided to make my way through the rest of the series.

In the later books, there is one incident they refer back to a lot, that had to do with the Icoves. I wanted to refresh my memory about that. I found that story in #21 Origin in Death. So make note of that one when you reach it. Enjoy your read of the series when you get to it.

>26 Familyhistorian: Thanks for that, Meg! I am making a note of it right now. I have also read that very first book several times.

Wow, 18 books already read in January Meg, well done!

Hi Meg my dear, Happy New Thread, dear friend.

>27 Crazymamie: For me, the first book is the best in that series. I like to be reminded of where Dallas and Roarke came from. It also makes me wonder how the author came up with the concept of those two characters that has taken the series so far. Of course, the supporting cast has a lot to do with it.

>28 mdoris: Hi Mary, thanks but I'm actually behind on my reviews.

>29 johnsimpson: Thanks for the new thread wishes, John!

19. The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys



What is on my book shelves is often a surprise even though the majority of the contents are catalogued. This time I was looking for a book that had birds in it and couldn’t come up with much. But book titles are cunning and often defy search engines. I found The Evening Chorus which fit the bill.

This was a tale of WWII involving an RAF pilot who became a POW and kept his sanity by watching some redstarts beyond the fence. There were also chapters which focused on his young bride left at home. When they were apart for so long the inevitable happened. The tale showed both the effects of war and how people are uplifted by the beauty of nature.

A near run thing
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>32 Familyhistorian: I do like Helen Humphreys, Meg and she writes well about WW2.

We are now neck and neck in books read but I won't keep pace much longer, I fear!

Today I had an appointment with my optometrist. I've been going to the same optometry in Vancouver place since 1974, well, except for the years I spent out of the city when I was in Calgary and Halifax. The doctor I see now is the son of the doctor I first saw back then. My present optometrist only works part time seeing his regular patients and discusses his coming retirement with me at the last few appointments I've had.

Even though it is far, I like making the trek because his office is close to Broadway and Granville. The big Chapters store is on one of the corners. My eyes were dilated after my appointment but I could see enough to pick up a few books which were:

We Were Strangers Once by Betsy Carter
Cold Snap by Maureen Jennings
Shadowlands: a Journey Through Britain's Lost Cities and Vanished Villages by Matthew Green
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman - I've read this already but wanted my own copy.

>34 PaulCranswick: I've read a couple of Helen Humphrey's books and liked them both. The other was The Frozen Thames which I found charming. I have one more book that I've finished but haven't reviewed yet, Paul. But then again, I have a few non-fiction books I have started and should get into further which will probably slow me down. One of those is the first of Peter Ackroyd's History of England series. I'm also reading Having it So Good: Britain in the Fifties which was going well until I got bogged down in the Cold War.

20. Spook Street by Mick Herron



It seems a while since I last read a Slough House novel but the characters in these are so well drawn that it took no time to get back up to speed. Spook Street started with a bang, a horrid bang with a flash mob being obliterated so the real spies at Regent’s Park were already on high alert. Not that it should affect the Slough House gang. But of course it does especially when David Cartwright, Rivers granddad was losing it but still knew there was something going on. So that meant River was drawn into an investigation with links to past Cold War era covert operations.

It was a good, page turning tale with more than a few bodies in addition to the flash mob piling up.

Happy new thread, Meg. The Humphreys sounds really good. I keep meaning to start the Slough House series. Everyone seems to love it.

>38 BLBera: The Humphreys book was really good, Beth. The Slough House series is very different. It's an irreverent and slightly absurd view of the intelligence community and it's the characters that really make it work. They are quick reads too because you just need to know what's going to happen next.

>37 Familyhistorian: I liked that one, too. You remind me that I should read the next one.

>40 Ameise1: Yes, Spook Street kept the pages turning, Barbara. The next one is London Rules and it looks like there are lots more in the series to catch up on. I don't like to read them too close together though but sometimes that means I forget to get the next one.

Took a while since I started out with nothing
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>41 Familyhistorian: London Rules is the next one for me too. Perhaps I'll take it with me when I'm going to Davos for the skiing holiday.

>43 Ameise1: That sounds like a good plan, Barbara. London Rules seems like the right kind of book to take on vacation.

Hi Meg. I read Slow Horses by Mick Herron some time ago, I really liked it but for some reason I haven't gotten to book #2 yet. Need to nudge this one closer to the top!

>46 Familyhistorian: Hi Judy, there's lots of books in the series now. Probably time to get back to them. I really enjoyed my latest read Spook Street and I'm just debating when to add the next one to the mix.

>44 Familyhistorian: 😀👍

>47 Ameise1: Have a wonderful vacation!

Fun one today
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Busy day yesterday. I took my car in for its biannual service then met a couple of friends for lunch at a brand new restaurant in my area. Cactus Club just opened the new location in Coquitlam on Tuesday and the joint was hopping.

Close one
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I've been reading a lot of books lately, all at the same time so the reviews aren't coming as quickly as they were at the beginning of the month. On top of that, I feel like I'm behind on so many things. That's not just the threads on LT either, but of course, I'm behind on those too. It doesn't help that my library holds keep showing up.

On Saturday I got up early for me so I could take the Skytrain to VPL and pick up my latest library books; five of them. It had to be early because I had a writing webinar at 2 pm. Today it was housecleaning. My son is coming to dinner. Maybe I can catch up on my to do list on Monday.

>52 Familyhistorian: You've written much as I have been experiencing.
I'm only 10 books in for reads this month because so many other demands have appeared post December. And yes, PL book cascades, too.

I did read most of the posts on the earlier thread, though before arriving here (*polishes fingernails on shirt*).

>53 SandyAMcPherson: Well, the earlier thread is short, Sandy lol. But yes, it seems that everything geared up again in January except me. I feel like I'm constantly scrambling and forgetting things. Sorry to see that you feel the same.

Seen today walking down a street on my way home.

>55 Familyhistorian: Meg, I love the image of the mountains in the distant. And, congratulations for reading 20 books in January!

Hi Meg, and happy new thread. Hope your dinner with your son was enjoyable, and good luck working your to-do list today.

From your last thread and >6 Familyhistorian:, I’m impressed that you and Paul are reading Peter Ackroyd's History of England series.

>3 Familyhistorian: The Chubb Family of Evershot in Dorset, a provisional line of descent, being open to possible amendment. I love the wording, if not the uncertainty. I’m smiling at Mary Rideout nee Maidment had a child 3 years after husband died, and sorry the Maidment line connection hasn’t panned out so far.

>8 Familyhistorian: and >9 Familyhistorian: Well, looks like you’ll have met your challenge in about April if you continue the way you’ve begun.

>26 Familyhistorian: I still haven’t read #s 54-56. I need to acquire #55 and then #56 when it’s released on February 23rd. Heck, I might even read them this year. *smile*

>55 Familyhistorian: Gorgeous view.

Ran out of guesses
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>56 Whisper1: Thanks Linda. I can only see that mountain when the sky is clear. It looms up at the end of the road as though it is quite close but it is miles away.

>57 karenmarie: Thanks re the to do list, Karen. There are a few things I'd like to get done before the end of the month but we'll see how that goes.

I've made a start on the first of the History of England books, The History of England: Foundation and Paul has graciously said he will wait until later in February to read the next in the series. I'm finding it a bit slow in the beginning at the start of the foundation laying. It should pick up though.

I thought the Maidment line would be a good place to start with seeing if I could find the Dorset connection but since it is proving difficult will move on to another family line. Both of my parents had roots there so that makes for a lot of possibilities.

I haven't read the latest in death books. I plan to include them in at the end of my reread of the series. That's going well. It's almost like reading new to me books. Thanks re the photo.

>55 Familyhistorian: Loving the blue sky Meg!

>61 mdoris: Hi Mary, had to take a picture to remind me because blue sky dosen't happen that often.

>58 Familyhistorian: Bad luck with that one, Meg. I had noted on my thread that I got lucky because this was one of the horrible ones with multiple possibilities.

>45 DeltaQueen50: I am the same, Judy. Read the first one and liked it but haven't yet moved onto number two.

>63 PaulCranswick: You did good to come up with the right one, Paul. There were just too many possibilities. I'm not very far along in the Slough House series but it is still entertaining and it's interesting to see the machinations of the Regent Park big wigs who are considered the "real spies" being shown up by the ones considered as rejects.

>58 Familyhistorian: Oh no! What rotten luck.

Hello, Meg! Your thread is reminding me that I need to get back to the Slough House series - I absolutely love these on audio. I am ready for the short story The Catch and then Slough House. They recently came out with the collected short stories for this series, which is nice Standing by the Wall.

>55 Familyhistorian: Love the mountain view!

>65 figsfromthistle: It was but I’m back on track today
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>66 Crazymamie: I hadn't read any Slough House books for a while and it was good to get back. I'm sure you'll find that too, Mamie. Thanks for the info on the short stories and the short story collection.

We don't get days with clear days that often so I had to take advantage of seeing that mountain shot. It wouldn't be possible today - we have snow.

21. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson



When you live in a small village where everyone knows everyone a person has a certain niche to fill. Major Pettigrew, a widower of senior years, was a respected member of the community. He was involved in the social life of the villagers, playing golf and entering into plans for the village dance. Of course, being an eligible bachelor, the women in the elder set had plans for him.

The death of his younger brother unsettled him and his interest in a local woman made him start questioning his place in village life. For she’s deemed an unsuitable woman, the local shopkeeper, Mrs. Ali, a widow of a different background. Their story and Major Pettigrew’s ultimate stand on the issues brought out by their attraction for each other made for a great story in Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.

Hi Meg my dear, i am glad that you enjoyed Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, i wish it could be made into a film or a two or three part drama.

>69 Familyhistorian: I read that one many years ago and liked it. Very nice review, Meg.

>70 johnsimpson: Hi John, you might get your wish. I looked Helen Simonson up and her Wikipedia page contained the information that the film rights to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand were bought. Something might come of that.

>71 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie, John put me onto it after I read and reviewed The Summer Before the War.

>69 Familyhistorian: I loved that one as well, Meg. I need to read The Summer Before the War.

>73 BLBera: Both of those books are really good, Beth. I just wish she had more out.

The rest of my January book acquisitions:

Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson
Remember Love by Mary Balogh
Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas
Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb
Cold Case BC by Eve Lazarus
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco - from the little free library
Ancestors: The Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials by Alice Roberts - Santa Thing book
On the Waterfront by Mike McCoy - ER book
Color Capital of the World: Growing Up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company by John W. Kropf - ER book received as a PDF due to high postal rates to Canada

That last one looks like it could be good. High postal rates to Canada? Lol. Where is it coming from?

>75 Familyhistorian: It was coming from the US, Shelley. You can tell by the way they spelled colour in the title. The other ER book also came from there but the return address was for a company so I think businesses get preferential rates in the US. They should try living in Canada and mailing books here! Last year I mailed out books at Christmas - the cost of the book and the cost to mail it were the same - $25.

Took a while for this to come to me
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>77 Familyhistorian: - I have, on occasion, mailed books where the postage was way more than the book. This is the main reason I seldom do that any more.

>77 Familyhistorian: There is a "media mail" rate for printed materials that saves a LOT of money in the U.S. Maybe you could drive across the border to do your book mailing :)

>79 jessibud2: The cost of mail is prohibitive, Shelley. It has gone up a lot since the early '80s when I sent a lot of household goods through the mail from Halifax to Vancouver as the cheapest way to move them.

>80 RebaRelishesReading: I wish we had "media mail" rates here, Reba. It would probably cost more to drive down to the US than the cost of postage when the cost of gas is factored in these days.

>69 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, indeed a succinct review that conveys the theme perfectly.

I read that one years ago, so charming a story and yes, (>70 johnsimpson:) what a good drama it would make. It's not in my LT library, I guess it was before I belonged. My previously-read books are in my offline records which I looked up only to find that I never listed books with "date read".

A weird word to come up with
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>82 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks Sandy. I don't waste much time thinking about reviews so what you see is what comes from the top of my head. I hear you about what your previous lists left out. My current self is often disappointed in what my previous self did or didn't do.

Not a word I use often now that I think about it
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>85 Familyhistorian: I do use it from time to time and I still struggled :(

>86 RebaRelishesReading: I think the words are getting harder as we go along, Reba.

I thought it couldn’t possibly be this word but tried it anyway
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Hi Meg, I've finished The Word is Murder and enjoyed it very much. Thanks so much for that BB.

>89 Ameise1: I'm glad you liked it, Barbara. Have a great Sunday!

22. The Well of Ice by Andrea Carter



In The Well of Ice, it was December in Glendara and Ben O’Keefe and her assistant were working full out due to the upcoming Christmas closure. That was until the local gathering place, the Oak Pub, burned down and a woman went missing. Then, on a visit to Dublin, Ben ran into the man who killed her sister, Luke Kirby, newly released from jail.

All of these events come wrapped up with the tactics of eco-warriors, the get togethers dictated by the Christmas season and the ongoing tension in Ben’s relationship with Sergeant Tom Malloy. It was a satisfying mystery which signalled changes in the lives of the main characters in the story.

I'm off to the library again today to pick up more holds but I haven't finished many of the books I already have out. It also seems harder to find the time to write although I'm participating in a few writing related events like the Family History Writing Challenge that runs through February and also participated in a course over Zoom which was put on by the Creative Academy for Writing. The course was Reigniting Your Creative Spark: The Art of Cracking Your Own Creative Code. I have to find the time to work through the workbook that was part of this course. It looks like it will be very inspirational.

I barely made it back home in time for the second session of this class which was yesterday afternoon. I'd been out to stay with a friend and we were out shopping until the last minute before I had to hit the road. It's about an hour drive depending on traffic and traffic was pretty heavy yesterday.

After chairing a meeting for PoCo Heritage on Friday, I drove out to her place. We took in the newest of the Avatar movies. It's our practice in January or February to get together for our birthdays which are in those two months. We exchange gifts. It was too funny this time. We delved into our gift bags at the same time and both pulled out a musical jewellery box! Great minds think alike?

>91 Familyhistorian: Have you read the first one of this series Death at Whitewater Church and would you recommend it?

You sound very busy Meg, How did we manage when we were working? Time is simply disappearing.

>91 Familyhistorian: Yes I did and I really liked it. It’s a series I would definitely recommend.

>94 mdoris: I know, Mary. I’m not sure how I ever managed to fit everything in. I know I got less sleep!

Took a bit for the penny to drop
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>95 Familyhistorian: 😀

>91 Familyhistorian: That is one I will definitely look out for, Meg.

>98 Ameise1: I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

>99 PaulCranswick: The Well of Ice is the third in the series, Paul. It's a good one as are the other two that came before it.

I've enjoyed the first two in the series by Carter, so I guess The Well of Ice is next for me. Good to know it's a good one.

I found this harder than it should have been
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>102 BLBera: It's not only a good one, Beth. There are some major changes hinted at for the main players and some other past items resolved.

Many words can fit between the first and last letters
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I used my time in a writing sprint this morning researching an ancestor rather than writing about him. Not what I was supposed to be doing, I know. But it got me so much further ahead when figuring out the story I want to tell. Now I have an idea of how he met his wife but there's a lot more research to do. Soon after he meets her he's off to fit in the Civil War.

Researching is the best and many hours can disappear.

>107 mdoris: Oh yes, all those rabbit holes to go down!

Today I took my walk along the Coquitlam River. It was running high and wide.



The entrance to one of the parking lots was flooded.



But the water must have receded some because the flood gate under the railway bridge wasn't closed

Such a lot of words with the same three letter ending
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23. You Are What Your Grandparents Ate: What You Need to Know About Nutrition, Experience, Epigenetics & the Origins of Chronic Disease by Judith Finlayson



My interest in genetic genealogy has been tweaked by epigenetics. I want to know more about the new discoveries in this field which was the reason I read You are What Your Grandparents Ate. I thought the main thrust of the narrative would be about epigenetics. After all, it was in the subtitle. But so were a lot of other things. The beginning of the book did talk about the topic but then concentrated more on how what we eat affects the human body through all its phases and beyond to subsequent generations. There was a lot of information about nutrition which was a bit of an eye opener for me. (Let’s face it. I was in denial about a lot of my eating habits.) So, when I went to the grocery store yesterday I bought differently, foregoing the baked treats. All that healthy stuff costs more but I suppose it will pay off in better health.

>111 Familyhistorian: I will be looking for that book. It sounds very interesting. If it is true, heaven forbid what will happen to the present generation growing up. I went to Costco today and it is really something looking at other people's carts. Yikes.

>112 mdoris: What a lot of us eat becomes even scarier after reading the book as the results of the "Western diet" does not come off well in so many ways. I'm sure you'll find it enlightening, Mary.

Thanks Meg, it is now on reserve and finding its way to my local library.

I did so much "food" reading years ago but got very discouraged. There is a never ending employment circle between Food and Drugs and the food producers executives. They are in each others pockets. I think Marion Nestle (no relation to the food producers) was an excellent book if I remember correctly. You might be interested in that one!
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

>114 mdoris: >115 mdoris: I hope the book is a good one for you, Mary. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health looks interesting. I haven't read much about the food industry and I know that many of their practices are concerning.

Took a while to find the right combination
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My reading has slowed down some and I'm way behind on the threads. I haven't been writing much either but need to buckle down to get my blog post done for tomorrow. Not sure why I'm feeling sluggish but a winter person I'm not. Somehow cold weather makes it harder to get out of bed in the morning.
After that pep talk to myself, perhaps I should get something done!

First accomplishment of the day
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Hi Meg, hard to believe that it's Friday already - where does the time go? I can see patches of blue sky breaking through so I think I will take a chance on going for a walk today. My granddaughter has a part time job at Starbucks so I definitely will be dropping by there for a coffee (even though Starbucks isn't my favorite).

>120 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I can see the sun coming in my windows. Definitely not the forecast promised but so much better! Enjoy your walk and visit to Starbucks (not my favourite either but family is family.)

Bit of a tough time of year but the peek-a-boo sunshine is helping today. Hope you can get your writing projects done!

>121 Familyhistorian: Always great when the weather turns out better than it is reported to be. I miss weather reports to be honest as we don't have seasons as such here, no hurricanes or tornadoes (thankfully), no history of earthquakes - just a climate breeding indoor indolence.

Have a lovely weekend, Meg.

24. Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet



The narrative of Case Study was told from two points of view. In keeping with the title of the novel, one was that of a psychotherapist, Collins Braithwaite. Not that he was actually qualified but still he treated people because he had a high opinion of himself and a degree. The other main character was a young woman, the sister of one of Braithwaite’s patients who offed herself and the sister ostensibly wanted to find out why. She presented herself for therapy under the assumed name of Rebecca.

It was an odd story, taking a peek into the psyches of both characters, who were not what they seemed. Indeed, they were covering up a lot of questionable things in their pasts and their presents. The story was interesting but odd.

>122 mdoris: Hi Mary, it's great to have another day without rain even if the sun seems to be hidden. I got my blog post done in the nick of time so that's taken care of for now. Hope you enjoy the weekend.

25. Tombstoning by Doug Johnstone



David Lindsay had put school and his home turf of Arbroath behind him. He was now living large in Edinburgh in job that had promised much but was failing – website design no longer needing a professional for the masses to achieve. Out of the blue he received an email inviting him to his school reunion. First thought was not to go back. He’d shaken the dust of Arbroath off after the broken body of his school friend, Colin, had been found at the bottom of a cliff. But the email was sent by Nicola, a girl he’d quite fancied. Of course, he had to go.

So began the story, part mystery, part thriller of the school reunion and the deaths by tombstoning, the daring pastime that attracted the youth of Arbroath to the practice of jumping off the local cliffs. There was something much more sinister afoot than youthful death daring in the story Tombstoning.

>123 PaulCranswick: Changing weather isn't all it's cracked up to be, Paul. There is something to be said for weather that is consistent without too many unpleasant surprises. No history of earthquakes is a big one too given that we live on a fault line here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

An odd one
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>124 Familyhistorian: I've got a hold on that one at the library. I should be getting close to the top of the list to check it out soon.

Happy weekending

>129 figsfromthistle: It's an odd one, Anita. I find that with Burnet's books which differ a lot from each other. Have a wonderful weekend!

That was easy
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Mondays are often full days for me. I'm not sure why various groups want to hold their meetings on those same days. It worked well when they were all on Zoom but now that the first one which is held at 10:30 is in person it makes it more of a challenge. At least those meetings are only twice a month but, as I race back home to get to my computer, there is always the possibility of a train holding up traffic. I made it to both of my meetings today. Next week looks like it will be more of a challenge.

The word came to me from out of left field. Strangely, it was right

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26. The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks



I knew some of the basic facts of the Lindbergh kidnapping. It’s a story that is part of the American mythology. In The Lindbergh Nanny, the bare bones of the tale were made whole through the eyes of young Charlie Lindbergh’s nanny, Betty Gow. Through her we see the household, the Lindberghs and their servants as well as that of Mrs. Lindbergh’s family, the Morrows.

Telling the tale through the eyes of someone close who was affected by what happened and had dealings with both the employers and employed brought more feeling to the narrative. It gave the reader someone to carry them through the story and the strange setting of the depression era with its have and have nots.

Caught once more by too many options
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>134 Familyhistorian: - Oh, that one looks good, Meg! I also know only the bare bones of the story. Just as an aside, I have read some of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's work and her youngest daughter, Reeve Lindbergh, is also an author. I have read 3 books by her, memoirs, and really loved her writing.

>136 jessibud2: It's a good one, Shelley, new out too, I think. I'll have to check out the books by the Lindbergh ladies. I've never heard of any works by them.

>137 Familyhistorian: - The three I read, own and loved, by Reeve Lindbergh are, in this order:
Under a Wing, No More Words, and Forward From Here

Probably the most famous one by Anne Morrow Lindbergh is Gifts From the Sea. I also have but haven't read North to the Orient and Locked Rooms and Open Doors

>135 Familyhistorian: I went through just about the same list of incorrect options. Grrrrr!

>138 jessibud2: Thanks for the information and recommendations on the Lindbergh books, Shelley. It's always good to have more reads to look forward to and, you never know, I might run out of books to read! I hope the books are treating you well.

>139 RebaRelishesReading: Did it get you too, Reba? There were far too many options on that one!

Another hard one but at least I figured it out
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Happy Wednesday, Meg. Any more flooding issues? Glad to hear you found a copy of East of Eden. I hope you can join us for the Group Read.

>143 msf59: The water looks like it has receded, Mark, but it's still running pretty high. I'm looking forward to the group read of East of Eden.

I went to a second hand bookshop yesterday to look for a copy of East of Eden for the group read. They had it hidden in the back but I soon had it in my hot little hands. A few more books came home with me as well. So my book store haul was:

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
Bait by Karen Robards
Affair by Amanda Quick

They'll count toward my Thingaversary. As of February 10, I marked my 15th year on LT. That means 16 books (which is about what I usually bring home in new acquisitions in a month anyway but at least this time I have an excuse.)

HI Meg, I got You Are What Your Grandparents Ate today from the library and it looks excellent. Thank you!

Oh nice book haul!

Finally, one that didn’t have too many possible answers
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>146 mdoris: It's one that made me really question how I was eating, Mary. See if it does the same for you.

Thanks re the book haul. I knew there was a reason I don't go there frequently. Hard to pass up books at second hand prices!

Needed a bit of help with this one
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27. Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris



The seeds of the hunt featured in Act of Oblivion were planted in 1649, when King Charles I was brought to trial by Parliament. Those who signed his order of execution, some reluctantly, were known as regicides. While Cromwell was in charge, their act seemed justified, but when Charles II was offered the crown back after Cromwell died, the writing was on the wall.

Most of those who gave themselves up to the law were executed horribly. Other signatories fled for foreign lands some to Holland and a couple, Edward Whalley and William Goffe, two colonels of the New Model Army, made their way to the American colonies. This was the story of the hunt for the two men, a fine weaving of known facts and speculation which resulted in a gripping tale.

Hi Meg! I can't believe I missed your entire second thread!

Wordle has been a bit tricky for me lately with my stread being broken a few times. :( haha sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't.

Have a great weekend! Hope it's a dry one.

>151 Carmenere: Hi Lynda, good to see you here. I know what you mean about the threads. I've actually missed whole ones lately. Seems like things are passing me by.

Hi Meg and congratulations on your 15th Thingaversary! I will be celebrating 15 years in June. I am already working on a list of Thingaverary books.

>153 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, congratulations on your upcoming Thingaversary. I think a lot of us joined around the same time. Good luck with your list.

28. Creation in Death by J.D. Robb



Continuing my reread of the in death series, I read Creation in Death. In this episode, Dallas and her crew were on the trail of a killer targeting women of about 30 with brown hair. The women were tortured. Once they succumbed, their bodies were left displayed in public parks. Nine years before, Feeney with Dallas as his partner, had tracked a similar killer, then he stopped. There were similar types of killings in other cities around the world.

It looked like the torturer/killer was back and now Dallas was in charge of the hunt. But who was hunting who now that Dallas fit the killer’s criteria?

I had to walk away before this one came to me
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Lately, I've been heading into Vancouver on Saturdays to pick up my holds at the library. There were three of them waiting for me. It's getting difficult to juggle them all as so many of them have people waiting. I'm reading as fast as I can!

On my way back to the Burrard Skytrain Station I walked through Robson Square. I'm not sure if there were two or three different groups of demonstrators there. Guess everyone had to take advantage of the dry weather.

The books I brought home in this run were:

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes

>157 Familyhistorian: I have a lot of holds coming up as well. Lately though the books that I have ben waiting for are not grabbing my attention. I have been sending books back without reading because of my mood. Quite frustrating!

Anyhow, Happy Sunday!

>155 Familyhistorian: I liked that one.
Happy weekend, Meg.

Happy Sunday, Meg. Glad you snagged a copy of Cannery Row. It is also one of Joe's favorites and it is relatively short too. This will also be my 15th year, (in June). It still amazes me, how we keep chugging along.

Hi Meg!

>69 Familyhistorian: I loved this book when I read it in 2011, giving it 4 stars. I haven’t read her The Summer Before the War.

>75 Familyhistorian: Interesting acquisitions, such a wide range of interests!

>77 Familyhistorian: Gaack. Makes me appreciate media mail here more than I already do.

>111 Familyhistorian: Interesting book and ideas. I was thinking about my maternal ancestors recently and they all ate what they grew, canned, raised/slaughtered, and etc. from the family farm. I’m hoping that helps me out, but like you I need to get rid of the baked treats and for me, other sugared items.

>145 Familyhistorian: Belated congrats on 15 years on LT. We joined about the same time. I never specifically buy books for my Thingaversary because I just always buy books as the mood strikes. 16 a month? You outpace me in most years.

And, I’m caught up on your blog again. Heh regarding having bits and pieces on paper, thumb drives, and etc. I’m the same way. Good luck with your US ancestor. So far I’ve only found one US ancestor who fought in the US Civil War, although since my family’s been here in what became the US since the 1630s I probably have hundreds of them. This, however, is the brother of a paternal g-g-grandfather – 3rd great uncle? He was wounded early. I love his name – Christopher Columbus Patrick. And, having just looked him up again, FamilySearch has more info, going back another 3 generations to Coleraine, Londonderry Northern Ireland. There’s a name change, too, from Kilpatrick to Patrick. 🤗

Walking away from this one helped too
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>158 figsfromthistle: I often feel like doing that with holds, Anita. Sometimes by the time I get them it’s hard to remember why I requested them in the first place and most times I’m not in the mood to read them but I mostly make myself read them. Maybe I should follow your lead and send them back unread.

>159 Ameise1: I enjoyed all the in death books that I've read so far. I read up to #50 as far as I can recall. I'm doing a reread before going on to the new ones I haven't read. Have you read much of the series, Barbara?

Have a great rest of your weekend.

>160 msf59: I remembered what you said about the books set in Selinas, Mark. That's why Cannery Row made it into my used book purchases. There is a lot of difference in the relative size between that book and East of Eden!

A lot of us joined LT in 2008. Took me a while to find the social side of the site which is a big part of why the site keeps chugging along.

>165 Familyhistorian: I joined in 2011 and spent the first months doing very little other than cataloguing until I stumbled upon this group. Best slip I made, I reckon.

>161 karenmarie: Hi Karen, ha maybe I can blame all my acquisitions on my wide range of interests. Another reason is that I'm interested in the history of the areas my ancestors ended up and they ended up in a lot of different place. That was true of my 3 x great uncle who was a Civil War Soldier. He was born in Scotland, brought up in PEI and Canada West and slipped over the border to the US when he couldn't find his family after he had been away working. He ended up in Illinois so I don't think he had much choice but to join the fight. It was his sister who was the mother of Tom Thomson, the Canadian artist.

Interesting that you've found where your Kilpatrick/Patrick line came from in Ireland. I've been struggling for years to find out where my Irish line came from. They ended up in the East End of London which makes things more difficult. Give your early American colonial ancestors you might be interested in Act of Oblivion as a lot of the action takes place in the colonies. There was even an episode involving King Philip's War.

>166 PaulCranswick: That's what I did at first, Paul. I catalogued my books. Didn't clue in for a couple of years that there was a social side. I had an excuse though as I was working full time, going to school part time and volunteering as well. Not much time for social stuff!

HI Meg, Interesting the discussion about joining up to this wonderful site. I joined in July 2011 and don't think I spent a lot of time on it but had a massive stroke in July 2012 and afterwards had to teach myself to write again. So I discovered this social side and was able to spend vast amounts of time just composing and re-writing and editing and exploring the depths of the site too and learning how to do the for pictures and editing and thank goodness for spell check as spelling became a big problem that I had never had before.. For me L.T. was a god-send and so great to find like minded people who love books.

>169 mdoris: Hi Mary, I didn't realize that you'd had a stroke. From reading the various threads, it seems that 75ers try to get back to the social side of the site asap. From the various comments made, it looks like the interaction helps in the recovery and the support from the group seems to be a boost too. It also helps that we're all bibliomaniacs.

>164 Familyhistorian: I've read 9 so far.

I joined in 2014 as a way to catalogue and keep track of my books. It is only in the last 3 years that I have really embraced the social side here. It is too bad that I did not do so sooner because the social side with all the wonderful people I have come to know is the best part!

>171 Ameise1: You've got plenty ahead of you then. Pay special attention when you get to Origin in Death. The investigation into the Icoves is the catalyst for some things that happen in the later books.

>172 figsfromthistle: That's the same thing that happened to me, Anita. I joined to catalogue my books. I joined in 2008 and found the social side of LT in 2013. So five years later - similar to your timeline. Engaging with other readers is great but also dangerous. All the talk about books increased my book buying habit which is not good but on the flip side, it did expand my reading horizons.

A respectable showing
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29. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton



The story of The Forgotten Garden, started with a little girl who somehow ended up traveling by herself from England to Australia. Who was she and what family did she belong to? Hard to say as she didn’t remember her name. In 1913, there communication was limited and the likelihood of finding out who she was remote so the harbourmaster and his wife took her in. It wasn’t until later than she found out she wasn’t born to the couple. That set the lost girl, Nell, on the hunt for her past, a quest that would occupy her and her granddaughter in turn.

It was a story told in multiple time lines both in Australia and in Cornwall. At times I almost got lost in the various strands of the narrative. That may be why it took quite a long time to get to the end of the book. But I was glad that I did.

It was a strange day here weatherwise. We started off with brilliant sunshine but it was chilly. I got to see it out the window as I took part in a two hour writing sprint. Errands today included buying travel insurance for a couple of planned trips. I now have travel insurance for the year. Good to get that out of the way.

Once my appointment was over I went for a walk and got hailed on. Made a stop at the bakery then home for lunch. For my afternoon walk, rain started mid way through. Had a snack and then it was time for the Zoom meet up with my writing cohort. So, when I think back on it. Maybe I did get a few things accomplished today.

Sometimes the answer comes too quickly
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30. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie



It has been a while since I read an Agatha Christie mystery. I always preferred Miss Marple but, when the Suchet Poirot TV adaptations came out I found the Poirot adaptations were the best for watching. One of the shows that I saw was the adaptation of Dumb Witness. Reading the book, I had the impression that quite a few things were changed in the adaptation except, of course, for the thing that clues Poirot in to the murder. That was the dog Bob and his habit of rolling his ball down the stairs. It was interesting to compare the novel to what I remembered of the TV show. I didn’t remember the murderer in either case. I wonder if they were the same in both versions. I’m not even sure of that.

>176 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I listened to it eight years ago and I really liked it. I have listened to five audiobooks by her so far and found them all great.

>180 Ameise1: It must have been hard to keep track of the timelines in an audiobook, Barbara. Is it always the same reader?

>181 Familyhistorian: Not so much, I'm used to following audiobooks. Yup, it was always the same reader.

Got me again
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>182 Ameise1: Good for you for being able to tune into books that way, Barbara. I've never listened to an audiobook all the way through. I'm not sure that it would work for me.

31. The History of England: Foundation by Peter Ackroyd



There are a number, a very large number, of books on my shelves that I’ve collected over the years because they deal with subjects I’m interested in. That means one of the largest overall topics is History. With a nod to the history of my family, I’ve collected books about the places where they have lived. They didn’t stay put much so I come by that naturally.

I own a lot of history that is focused on England and a few of those books are by Peter Ackroyd. He has a series about the history of England. I recently finished The History of England: Foundation, the history of England from the Stone Age to the reign of the first Tudor King. It was a reminder of history that I already knew about, in some cases, but now I have a better idea of how the episodes I knew about fit in to the overall chronology. Interspersed between the chapters about the doings of those in power, where short chapters about the lives of ordinary folk, social history which I found really interesting.

I love histories that include social history as well. A list of kings and their accomplishments is much less interesting to me.

Hello, Meg! I can't believe that I aught up with you just in time for you to hit me with The History of England: Foundation by Peter Ackroyd. YIKES! Adding it the The List because like Rachel, I love when social history is included.

>179 Familyhistorian: Skipping your review for now because I have not read that one yet.

Hoping that Thursday has been kind to you.

Another hard one
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>186 The_Hibernator: Social history is what interests me the most as well. The people down on the lower end of the scale were just getting on with things while the people in power mucked about.

>187 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, glad I got you with The History of England: Foundation but be warned its the first book in a series.

Dumb Witness is a fun Christie. I'm not sure that I read the book before, either but it's hard to say because I read a lot of Agatha Christie in my early teens which is long enough ago that I don't remember.

>190 Familyhistorian: Heh, it the unusual book I remember anything about 3 months after I read it.

>191 quondame: I'm usually the same, Susan, but with short mysteries I can sometimes remember but not over decades.

An awkward one to solve as it was US spelling again
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32. Boiling a Frog by Christopher Brookmyre



The third Jack Parlabane mystery (my second), was Boiling a Frog. The intrepid reporter went too far this time, taking on the Catholic Church. He was caught breaking into Father Shelley’s office. Not an unusual way for him to find journalistic gold but he’d the church wasn’t forgiving, even though professing to be in the forgiving business. But there was more going on behind the scenes. It wasn’t until he’d been in jail and in fear for his life that Parlabane figured that out.

It was a strange tale with church and state as bedfellows in an uneasy and unorthodox alliance. Hard for Parlabane to get on top in this one incarcerated as he was and as complex as the fiddle he was investigating became.

Yesterday was a full day for me. I had barely enough time for a short walk before sitting in on a Board Meeting for PoCo Heritage. I prefer morning meetings so I have the rest of my day free. My errands had to be slotted in around the meeting so afterwards I drove to the grocery store and parked there while I went for another walk in that area.

I was standing on a corner waiting for the walk light on Guildford. The arrow for cars turning left had just stopped and I was about to get the go ahead when an SUV sailed through on Johnson, the cross street, not stopping at all. It was a miracle that it just hit one car as there were lots of vehicles stopped on Guildford in the pause after the left turn arrow. What had the driver of the SUV being doing that they hadn't seen the red light?

33. The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell



Once again the author has brought someone from history to life in The Marriage Portrait. This time the person chosen was Lucrezia d’Medici, a young woman, whose marriage to, Alfonso, the ruler of Ferrara. She was especially young as she took the place of her oldest sister who died while betrothed to the same man.

The story painted a vivid picture of life for a young bride suddenly transplanted into a world of intrigue and deadly power. It truly was a picture as much of the action happened around the painting of her portrait, the marriage portrait. It was an undertaking which kept the new duchess alive for the duration of its creation.

A close run thing
Wordle 616 6/6

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abide, eight, witty, linty, misty, fifty

>196 Familyhistorian: Good review Meg! It helped bring the book back for me. Are you getting some snow? A dusting is happening here and some fierce wind.

>198 mdoris: No snow yet, Mary, but it's supposed to be on its way. They seem to be predicting snowmaggedon. I'm off downtown in a few as soon as my devices are charged up enough. I just hope the weather doesn't affect the Skytrain.

Something weird happened to LT on my phone this afternoon. I had no starred threads and couldn’t see the posts I had already read and the ones I still hadn’t accessed. Looks like things are working alright now but I was forced to read a book instead of catching up with some threads 🧵

On other news snow is now falling here. It didn’t start until I was home from Vancouver for a couple of hours but when I was in downtown Vancouver earlier the flakes were already coming down.

>200 Familyhistorian: I think LT had quite a glitch for awhile yesterday.
I had to redo a book review post and I know I posted on your thread Meg, because I asked about the effect of snow on sky train service.

Glad you made it home before the 'snowmaggedon'.

>201 SandyAMcPherson: Yeah, LT did seem odd yesterday. Skytrain service wasn't affected when I was on it yesterday. They had received enough warning and were set up for it. I'm on the Millennium Line and our trains are normally just two cars long but when there's snow that goes up to four cars. Even before the snow yesterday they were at four cars.

A quick one today
Wordle 617 3/6

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abide, spool, syrup

Today we had a group day at the BCGS library scheduled but when the snow started to fall yesterday afternoon the organizer decided to cancel. A good thing too because we got dumped on. I slept in because I didn't need to set the alarm to get to the meeting. By the time I looked out, the parking lot had been ploughed and some kind neighbour had shovelled the walkways. There was still snow on and around my car, that heavy wet stuff that's hard to lift when you get a shovel full.

I eventually freed my car and got to the grocery store. I went for a short walk while there. Not everybody got the memo about clearing the sidewalks. Walking was tricky. It was even worse for the elderly man whose wheelchair was stuck on a partially cleared sidewalk. He was trying to get it loose but he was frail. I stopped to help and we were attempting to clear the snow with our feet but the old guy was wearing sneakers (general footgear in the snow in this neck of the woods) and I was wearing boots that are more for fashion than snow. A guy who came to help was wearing real snow boots and helped the old guy to get free. It's really a shame that they don't clear the sidewalks so that people who are handicapped can get around.

We just got a dusting and it was mostly gone today except areas in the shade. Amazing how strong the sun is when it decides to shine! Thanks for your story about the elderly man in the wheelchair trying to navigate his way out of the snow. How very frustrating it must be.

>205 mdoris: A dusting would have been easier to handle. I think we got something around 30 cm and snow heavy enough to break tree limbs.

Another quick one
Wordle 618 4/6

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abide, slope, rouse, worse

34. Lady Violet Finds a Bridegroom by Grace Burrowes



The Lady Violet mysteries are aimed at readers of historical romance. Happily, as a widow Lady Violet was free to move around and visit. In Lady Violet Finds a Bridegroom she was invited to a friend’s wedding in Scotland but the groom went missing. Not for long though, as Violet was determined to get to the bottom of what was going on. Her friend’s happiness depended on it.

A word that readily came to mind after watching The Movies That Made Us last night
Wordle 619 4/6

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abide, party, plaza, polka

35. Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia



I’m always on the lookout for new mysteries, because I really need more series in my life (just kidding). Dead Dead Girls sold me with the cover. Not only was it a mystery but it was historic as well, set during the Harlem Renaissance. Young women were turning up dead and Louise, a party girl partially estranged from her family, was concerned. It wasn’t until she was dragged into the case by a detective who insists on her help that she finally began to get a handle on what was going on.

It was a tale that had a lot of interesting elements but the pace didn’t pull me in. Maybe other readers find it more to their taste.

It looks like it's finally raining here but that will probably change as the afternoon fades into night. There is another coating of snow and the sidewalks are only cleared in some places. A few events that I usually attend in person have been cancelled and I'm happy for that. Hills, snow and spotty snow removal don't make for easy night driving.

36. Trespassers in Time: Genealogists and Microhistorians by Anne Patterson Rodda



I’m not sure if I picked up Trespassers in Time: Genealogists and Microhistorians as a general genealogy reference or a possible source how to find out about my Irish ancestry. It delivered on both by explaining the various flavours of microhistory and then demonstrating some using Irish examples. Unfortunately, most of the Irish sources used were after my ancestors left the country. Still, there were some that might proof useful.

That's weird Meg as we are not that far away from each as weather systems go. It has been a brilliant day of sunshine here and the dusting of snow is disappearing except in shady areas. Still must be careful on dog walks of icy patches.

>213 mdoris: Actually, I don't think it's raining it's just the sound of snow melting but we got about 30 cms on the weekend and it snowed yesterday and this morning. There is a new but shorter layer of snow on my car again.

I saw this on my walk today. Snow castle? Igloo?

So fun for the kiddos.

>214 Familyhistorian: It's good that someone enjoys it!