MusicMom41's 2009 Reads--4th verse

Once again I will try to start a new thread.

The 3rd stanza is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/72252

We'll see if this works!

ETA Success!

Now I get to be the first one on YOUR new thread!! :D

October Summary:

Book Talley for October: Books Acquired 12 (0 read)
Books Read PL 4 (Pages: 1,266)
Books Read non PL 5 (Pages: 993)
Audio Books heard 0 (hours)
Audios Acquired 0
Total 9 books, 2,259 pages
2 fiction; 7 nonfiction

Books Read in October:

Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone
Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The House of Seven Gables
Hill, Susan: Woman in Black
Houston, Victoria: Dead Angler
Innes, Michael: One-Man Show (aka A Private View
Kamkwamba, William: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (ER)
Kreisler, Fritz: Four Weeks in the Trenches
Quinn, Spencer: Dog On It
Wells, H.G.: The Island of Dr. Moreau

Best in October:

Fiction: Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone
Nonfiction: Kamkwamba, William: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Books Acquired in October:

Steinbeck, John: Tortilla Flat
Montgomery, L.M.: Emily of New Moon
Eames, Anthony: 4:55 to Baghdad
McCullough, David: The Path Between the Seas
Cooper, Susan: The Boggart
Bryan, Patricia L. & Thomas Wolf Midnight Assassin
Pears, Iain: The Raphael Affair
Camilleri, Andrea: The Shape of Water
Goodwin, Jason: The Janissary Tree
Thomas, Will: Some Danger Involved
Marton, Kati: Enemies of the People
Masumoto, David Mas: Wisdom of the Last Farmer

Wow! Angela, how did find me before I posted a link? You are good! Glad you came over.

Looks like you acquired some good books in Oct. I'm still going with The Raphael Affair and also will be curious as to your opinions on some of these others.

Here are my monthly "bests" so far in 2009:

Best in Jan.:
Willis, Connie: Doomsday Book (fiction)
McGregor, Robert Kuhn: Conundrums for the Long Weekend (nonfiction)

Best in Feb:
Jerome, Jerome K.: Three Men in a Boat (fiction)
Horwitz, Tony: Confederates in the Attic (nonfiction)

Best in Mar.:
Kay, Guy Gavriel: Tigana (fiction)
Douglass, Frederick: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (nonfiction)

Best in April:
McKinley, robin: The Hero and the Crown (fiction)
Weldon, Fay: Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen (nonfiction)

Best in May:
Lewis, C.S.: Till We Have Faces (fiction)
Oliver, Mary: Evidence (nonfiction)

Best in June:
Salinger, J.D.: Franny and Zooey (fiction)
McPhearson, James: Battle Cry of Freedom (nonfiction)

Best in July:
McKillip, Patricia: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (fiction)
Steinbeck, John: Travels with Charley (nonfiction)

Best in Aug.:
Willis, Connie: To Say Nothing of the Dog (fiction)
Granger, John: Harry Potter’s Bookshelf (nonfiction)

Best in Sept:
Windling, Terri: Wood Wife (fiction)
Brent, Frances: The Lost Cellos of Lev Aronson (nonfiction)

Best in Oct.:
Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone
Kamkwamba, William: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (nonfiction)

Thanks for stopping by Linda. I probably won't get to The Raphael Affair until late this month or in December. I will be picking that one up first when I get to those mysteries I just bought. :-)

I like the idea of your monthly "bests." The two I've read are all-time favorites of mine, so I'll have to try more of your other recs.

I would say, looking at that list, that we have succeeded in our efforts to introduce you to the genres of fantasy and science fiction!!!

# 8

Thanks, Bonnie. Which two did you read?

# 9

Roni--Wow--I just counted--7 or my favorite fiction reads this year are scifi/fantasy. You may have created a monster! ;-D

BTW Stasia and I already have our November and January scifi/fantasy reads planned.

I, too, like your idea of the monthly best. I might copy it to use in my 999 challenge!

Found you again ..and starred you again.

I enjoyed The Raphael Affair when I read it earlier on in the year. I hope you sit in a really cosy chair when you start reading it because you'll not want to put it down until you finish it.

I've got Tigana as one of my 2009 best reads too.

>10 MusicMom41: What have you planned for November and January?

I love your monthly best list - I don't know if I read enough non-fiction to have separate favorites, but I think I might adopt the practice of designating a single best book of the month for next year. What a great idea you had!

Good idea to have a best of the month. I think I'll do that at year's end, though I might pick only one for each month.

Argh! Lots of thread catching up, yet again....

Wood Wife sounds fantastic - definitely going to be added to the Wishlist.

Well done on completing the 999 Challenge!

Jan--feel free to copy ; I doubt if that idea is original with me, although I don't remember anyone else doing it. However, I borrowed the idea of "best in category" when I finished my 999 challenge this year. That was fun, too.

Caroline--I plan to save The Raphael Affair for a really relaxed week so I can enjoy it. I love to read mysteries in one sitting when I have the time!

Roni--Our November scifi/fantasy reads are Fire and Hemlock and Barrayar. In January we plan to read The Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy. We may slip Elantris in there if I can find a copy.

Sandy--Thanks. I enjoy thinking about and evaluating the books at the end of the month--I think is has helped me choose better books to read, overall. And it also ensures that I read at least one nonfiction every month!

Hi, Linda. I'll bet you will have trouble choosing just one book each month. You read a lot of good books. :-)

flissp--I hope you enjoy Wood Wife. It is very intense but I found it compelling and beautiful.

>17 MusicMom41:: Re Fire and Hemlock. I just was just dragooned into taking over a reading group from someone who is moving away. It's part of a "get kids having trouble reading to read more" project locally. It is guided by the premise that, if you can get them interested in one kind of reading, you can eventually wean them to others...this particular set of kids are interested in trying fantasy. I dunno whether there's any evidence that this theory holds water (*smile*) but one of the staff knew I had about a billion fantasy books and, therefore, would be "perfect" for this. The arm-twisting was painful.

Anyway, the outgoing person had themes for each month. Next month's is that boys will read a book with a male main character and girls one with a female main character. I'm going to have the boys tackle Feist's Faerie Tale...it should be creepy enough for them. I'm debating between The Blue Sword and Fire and Hemlock for the girls.

>10 MusicMom41:: Got hooked on Connie Willis after reading To Say Nothing of the Dog--a favorite that I've read in full at least three times. Tigana is a book that I keep noticing. Gotta go see if it's already on my wish list. Cheers!

Now I've found you! I have you starred!

I like the "best of month" idea, too. Though at the pace I'm reading lately, it might be in danger of turning into "only of month" if I did it on my thread.

>17 MusicMom41: yay for Fire and Hemlock!! I love that book SO much.

May I read them along with you? Please? Do you have a time for finishing and talking about them?

#17 Tad

I enjoyed The Blue Sword a lot when I read it and liked the prequel, The Hero and the Crown, even better--although younger people might like her first one more. Getting them interested in fantasy is a good idea--weaning them off of it is another matter. For years I've been trying to wean my adult sons off fantasy--instead I've become a fantasy fanatic--to their great delight!

{note to self: Faerie Tale--creepy; avoid!} :-)

#20 Bonnie

I read two Connie Willis books this year and they will definitely be rereads! She was one of the best discoveries I've made on LT.

#21 Terri

Glad you found me! Pick one best a month--that will help insure that you read at least one--that's why I pick a best nonfiction as well as fiction--so I read at least one nonfiction a month!

#22 Flossie

That's encouraging! I'm starting it on Thursday--I will have extra time to read that day and I will be well into the other book I'm reading--The Suspicions of Mr. Wicher.

#23 Roni

We'd love to have you join us. Remember, I'm not a fast reader. Since I read in the day time and Stasia reads mostly at night I usually tell her in the evening how far I've gotten that day. I plan to start on Thursday--unless I have some extra time tomorrow. I'll let you know.

You want to know how I found your thread first? I was on the main page of this challenge - the one where all the threads are listed, and your new thread popped up at the top of the list when I hit the 'refresh' button. It was simply a matter of pefect timing! :)

Thanks for solving the "mystery." As they say, timing is everything! ;-D

>27 MusicMom41:: "...timing is everything!"

You all are so funny! You could use that joke in your job, Carolyn!

Hey, Bonnie--in my job that is no joke! :-D We just had performance classes this week and the metronome is coming out for several students next week!

I'm going to join in the chorus of people who like the idea of monthly bests!

I like the monthly bests idea, too. Perhaps we should start a thread for the entire group so that everyone could share theirs?

#17 Fire and Hemlock, Fire and Hemlock!!

MusicMom, I hope you enjoy it - it's a lovely book.

Great idea, Stasia!

#33: Here you go, Zoe (and any other interested parties): http://www.librarything.com/topic/76469

Well, I started this thread two weeks ago and haven't posted a review yet! I am about to remedy that. I have been reading with the little free time I've had lately and today I decided I have better catch up with the reviews. I was beginning to feel like a High School student who is behind in his homework. I'll post a couple tonight and post the rest later--don't want to overload the circuits!

Book 108:

Innes, Michael: Comedy of Terrors (aka There Came Both Mist and Snow)
Mystery (11/01/09)
Library 147 pages

The second story in the Appleby Omnibus I started last week takes place earlier than the previous novel, published in 1940, and has an entirely different character and tone than One Man Show. Appleby is younger and not married, an active Detective on the force. Rather than an omniscient 3rd person narrator, this novel is a first person narrative by one of the main characters. Early on I had a suspicion about this book that made me think I knew what would happen and who the villain would be. I suspected that this book would be an homage to a famous Agatha Christie novel. In addition to the fun of trying to figure out the clues and guess the puzzle I had a delightful time trying to decide if, indeed, I had been correct in my first assumption or if Innes was trying to lead us on by a ruse to make us suspect that. I even considered the possibility that Innes didn’t even have that book in mind when he wrote this story. Because of all these layered factors I enjoyed this story the best of the three in this book. And the title was very appropriate! Recommended—3 ½ stars.

Book 109:

Masumoto, David Mas: Wisdom of the Last Farmer
Memoir/California (11/05/09)
PL 239 pages


When I moved to Central California several years ago the first new author I discovered was Davis Mas Masumoto, a local farmer whose now classic Epitaph for a Peach had just been published. It became a book that was very special for me because it helped me learn to understand and to love the new area in which I now lived. I have been reading his books ever since and this newest one is another gem to cherish. This is a memoir done in a collection of essays about the changes in life when his father, with whom Masumoto has been operating the family farm ever since he came home from college, has a major stroke and gradually Mas assumes the role of being the primary farmer on the family land. This is a beautiful book of how a family works together through good times and bad and farming becomes a metaphor for life. The book also gives a picture of life in rural central California and a look at the Japanese immigrant farmers of the early to mid 20th century with the problems they had and how they gradually moved from being migrant workers to become owners of farms, both before and after the interment during WWII. Any one who is interested in this aspect of our nation, both its history and future, will enjoy this book. A bonus is that Masumoto writes in lyrical prose that is a pleasure to read. 4 stars

#109: Adding that one and Epitaph for a Peach to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendations, Carolyn!

>36 MusicMom41:: Epitaph for a Peach looks interesting; I'll find a copy.

I think I'm about to add three more books for my Wishlist -- both Masumoto books, and the mystery, too!

Trying to catch up on all the threads and I'll be adding Four Weeks in the Trenches to the TBR pile.

Stasia, Tad and Terri--I hope you enjoy the book. It will give you a little bit of the "feel" for the area where I now live. :-)

Terri--I think you will like the mystery; Stasia was the one who recommended it!

Mike--that is a very short book--about 80 pages--but it is a personal account which I found interesting. My favorite part was where he recounted the one area where his music training actually helped him do something no one else could do! He was only in the war for 4 weeks, but it was a fascinating account for those of us who have never actually experienced combat.

Book 110:

Summerscale, Kate: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher
History/ True Crime (11/07/2009)
Library 304 pages

I ordered this book from the library because it was mentioned in one of the footnotes to The Moonstone that Mr. Whicher was the Scotland Yard detective who was the model for Collins’ character, Detective Cuff, in that novel. In fact, Kate Summerscale makes a good argument that Mr. Whicher was the model for characters of several authors, including Charles Dickens, and that Whicher’s career was contributory to the popularity of the new type of novel that was the “detective story.”

The central idea for this true crime book is the account of the murder and subsequent investigation of a young child who disappears in the middle of the night from his bed, which is in the room he shares with the nanny. The details of how this case played out are intriguing and give a good idea of how the new Scotland Yard detectives went about their work. I also enjoyed the historical details about Victorian life and mores. In this area Summerscale has written a fascinating story of life behind closed doors in the middle of the 19th century, revealing how the different classes viewed one another and demonstrating the mood of the nation in this era.

I do have a few quibbles with the book in that it could have been more tightly written. The author did a prodigious amount of research but she should have done a better job editing. Also annoying for me was the use of editorial metaphors in order to explain events. These slowed the pace of the story and didn’t add to the reader’s understanding. However, these were minor complaints and I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Victorian era and/or true crime stories. If you like love Victorian literature (which I do) this is a book you will enjoy. 3 ½ stars

Book 111:

Jones, Diana Wynne: Fire and Hemlock
Fantasy (11/10/09)
Library 420 pages

Polly Whittaker is getting ready to go back to college when something triggers a memory she didn’t realize she had. This starts her on a search to discover what had happened to her in the past that she no longer remembers.

Diana Wynne Jones has crafted an exciting and mysterious fantasy novel using the legends of Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer as the basis of her story. Polly discovers her past has many layers and a best friend that she doesn’t remember. The riddle of the past must be solved before she can go onto the future. Although this is a YA book, readers of any age who love of good fantasy tales will enjoy this book. 3 ½ stars

Book 112:

Innes, Michael: The Secret Vanguard
Mystery (11/12/09)
Library 142 pages

This was the third Appleby mystery in the omnibus. It was also published in 1940, and seemed to be the earliest one written of the three. The story takes place in Scotland shortly before the outbreak of WWII. A young woman traveling on a train to visit relatives overhears a man quoting a poem by Swinburne and realizes that he has added an extra verse, which she finds puzzling and amusing. But this chance encounter catapults her into the middle of a plot that involves famous scientists, German spies, and the stealing of secrets. It was an entertaining romp with a lot of action and surprises that were reminiscent of The Thirty-nine Steps and some of Helen MacInnes’ books written about this era. Recommended for a rainy afternoon—3 stars

Mr. Whicher goes onto my wishlist! Gotta love those Victorian mysteries...

I wish my local library had more of Michael Innes' books!

#42 Excellent review. I read this book a while back and also enjoyed it very much. I agree with you that the pace slows down unnecessarily in the middle.

#42 - Bumping this one up on the wish list. Great review!

Just stopping by to say Hello!

#42--The Masumoto book looks great; I didn't realize he had written another. I remember reading Epitaph for a Peach for a freshman discussion group when I went off to college--it's such a wonderful book.

Hi, Just trying to catch up on the threads and had to read about 250 posts on this thread and your last thread. Once you get behind it's almost impossible to catch up!

It looks like you've had some very good reading since the last time I checked in here. I very much enjoyed your thoughts on The Wood Wife by Terri Windling. I've had it on the TBR pile for a long time and will bump it up!

All good reviews .... you HAVE been busy. ;-)

I've had to add Fire and Hemlock to my wishlist. It was just too tempting not to. I love Victorian mysteries, but somehow Mr Wicher does not quite resonate for me.

Thanks to all for stopping by. I have not disappeared--just been swamped with RL this time of year. I'm using the 5 minutes I have before leaving for a wedding to post the next book. Hopefully Monday and Tuesday--I'm taking those days off!--I will be able to catch up on LT! :-)

Book 112:

L’Engle, Madeleine: The Weather of the Heart
Poetry (11/15/09)
PL 96 pages

I was reading this book in August and misplaced it. Last week I found it and reread many of the poems and finished the book. L’Engle’s poetry ranges from okay to brilliant flashes of light. In rereading, I discovered that some of the poems that didn’t seem to have those flashes the first time, spoke to me more deeply the second time. I’m finding it difficult to review this book because it seems to be a collection of personal “communions” that she is sharing with the reader as one would share with a friend. These poems are spiritual and because she is a Christian they are written from that perspective. However, I would not call most of these “Christian” poems because the emphasis is on a spiritual inner life rather than on any religion. Many times I felt that “aha!” moment of seeing myself in her poetry.

Here are a few examples. The first one I posted in October on the previous thread because it was my “birthday” poem this year. It is also the poem that give the title to the book.

To a Long Loved Love: 3

I know why a star gives light
Shining quietly in the night;
Arithmetic helps me unravel
The hours and years this light must travel
To penetrate our atmosphere.
I count the craters on the moon
With telescopes to make them clear.
With delicate instruments I measure
Secrets of barometric pressure.

Therefore I find it inexpressibly queer
That with my own soul I am out of tune,
That I have not stumbled on the art
Of forecasting the weather of the heart.

Here are two others I particularly love.

…Set to the Music of the Spheres

Pain is a partner I did not request;
This is a dance I did not ask to join;
whirled in a waltz when I would stop and rest,
Jolted and jerked, I ache in bone and loin.
Pain strives to hold me close in his embrace;
If I resist and try to pull away
His grasp grows tighter; closer comes his face;
hotter his breath. If he is here to stay
Then I must learn to dance this painful dance,
Move to its rhythm, keep my lagging feet
In time with his. Thus have I a chance
To work with pain, and so may pain defeat.
Pain is my partner. If I dance with pain
Then may this wedlock be not loss but gain.

Sonnet, Trinity 18

Peace is the center of the Atom, the core
Of quiet within the storm. It is not
A cessation, a nothingness; more
The lightning in reverse is what
Reveals the light. It is the law that binds
The atom’s structure, ordering the dance
Of proton and electron, and that finds
Within the midst of flame and wind, the glance
In the still eye of the vast hurricane.
Peace is not placidity; peace is
The power to endure the megatron of pain
With joy, the silent thunder of release,
The ordering of Love. Peace is the atom’s start,
The primal image: God within the heart.

Great poems as usual. And you're right, Music Mom. These poems aren't necessarily religious (except for the very last line of the 3rd poem and I'm not above substituting words that have more meaning for me). Thanks! Happy reading and Happy Thanksgiving too!

That looks very interesting. I had no idea L'Engle wrote poetry - I may just have to check that out.

I hope you're enjoying the whirlwind season!

Book 113:

Penny, Louise: A Fatal Grace
Mystery (11/17/09)
Library Audio Unabridged

This is the second book in the series about Armand Gamache of the Montreal police. This story also takes place in Three Pines as did the first book. Penny gives us another great mystery with strong, interesting characters and a plot with a nice twist—even if the method of murder is somewhat implausible. It was a great audio book for our trip and both Jim and I enjoyed it. 4 stars

Book 114:

Mlodinow, Leonard: The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives
Math/Science (11/23/09)
PL 219 pages

This was a delightful romp through the history of the development of the mathematics for determining probability and statistics. We used it as our car book for our trip north for Thanksgiving with me being the narrator, reading aloud to my husband who was driving. We both enjoyed it because the language was in “laymen’s” terms so I had no trouble understanding the math and the anecdotes the author uses to illustrate his points were interesting enough that they entertained my scientist husband and created several discussions for us. In some ways it was even better than a book on CD because it was easier to stop and discuss a point without losing the next part of the narration. Highly recommended for those who are interested in math and science for the layman--4 stars

I'll be adding The Drunkard's Walk to my list - it sounds like a lot of fun! Thanks, and happy Thanksgiving!

#57 I saw this book at the library a couple of months ago and added it (and about a dozen other science-related books) to the wishlist. I may not actually read all the books I found that day, but I'll definitely make a point of getting this one - it sounds even better than it looked!

I already have The Drunkard's Walk in the BlackHole or I would add it again. I really need to locate a copy.

Well, I finally have a free evening so I decided that since the first week of December is almost over I'd better finish up November! Here's a review--finally!--of my last Nov. book.

Book 115:

Bujold, Lois McMaster: Barrayar
Science Fiction (11/27/09)
PL 350 pages

In September Stasia and I read the first book in the Cordelia’s Honor duo, Shards of Honor, and we were both disappointed in it. I was reluctant to take the time to read this sequel, but Roni encouraged us to do it and now I’m glad I did. In Barrayar the characters are better developed, the pacing of the story allows the reader to become involved with the plot before the action kicks in, and I felt that this time she had an overarching theme that I found very compelling. Throughout the novel there was an emphasis on all aspects of relationships between the characters--especially family-type relationships. The politics were a plot device that led to the action but the family issues seemed to be more important to the theme of the story. There even seemed to be times when these relationships involved people who became part of a "family" even when not actually biologically or legally related. If this were read for a book discussion group I this aspect of the novel would make a fascinating topic to explore.

In retrospect I’m also glad that I read Shards first because knowing the back story of the recurring characters made their further development more interesting and understandable. I found this book thought provoking and enjoyable. Although it won’t make my “all time great” list I will probably read it again sometime and it was the best fiction book I read this month. Recommended—4 stars

edited because I forgot to post the review before I "submitted!" I'm not tired--much! :-D

Book Talley for November:

Books Read: 8 books, 1,917 pages + 1 audio
5 fiction; 4 nonfiction

Books Acquired: 6 + 1 audio = 7

Best in Nov.:
Fiction: Bujold, Lois McMaster: Barrayar
Nonfiction: Masumoto, David Mas: Wisdom of the Last Farmer

Books Read in November:

Innes, Michael: A Comedy of Terrors
Masumoto, David Mas: Wisdom of the Last Farmer
Summerscale, Kate: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher
Jones, Diana Wynne: Fire and Hemlock
Innes, Michael: The Secret Vanguard
L’Engle: The Weather of the Heart
Penny, Louise: A Fatal Grace (Audio)
Mlodinow, Leonard: The Drunkard’s Walk
Bujold, Lois McMaster: Barrayar

In the last 8 days since I finished Barrayar I have been reading my ER book, An Artist in Treason, and a mystery, The Skull Beneath the Skin by P.D. James (the second Cordelia Gray mystery). So far I have read about 80 pages in each of them--and that is about the pace I hope to be able to maintain for the next two weeks. Even though I only have 5 more books to read to reach my goal of 120 books this year I might not make it. But it has been a good year so far, so I won't be unhappy. Just frustrated! :-)

Book 116:

Christie, Agatha: A Holiday for Murder (aka Murder for Christmas)
Mystery (12/8/09)
PL 167 pages
This was an enjoyable British Country House mystery from the pen of Agatha Christie with all the requisite features including the locked room, the dysfunctional family brought together for the holidays, shenanigans about inheritance and an ingenious if highly improbable method of murder. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon while I drank tea and “nursed” my cold.

Book 117:

Stout, Rex: Three Doors to Death
Mystery (12/10/09)
PL 181 pages

I took another afternoon off to try to get well before the upcoming marathon of rehearsals and performances this weekend and next week. “Vintage” mysteries have always been a favorite way of mine to “de-stress” and this set of 3 novellas was great because I could nap between them!

The first on, Man Alive, is about a prestigious women’s clothes designing company in which one of the partners commits suicide in a bizarre manner but a year later his niece is certain that she sees him in disguise a fashion show and asks Wolfe to find him. It was entertaining but not difficult to figure out.
Omit Flowers, the second story, is a murder that Nero is requested by his friend Marko to investigate because a former great chef is accused and Marko thinks he is innocent. The main suspects, since we assume the chef that the police arrested is innocent, are the children of a founder of a famous an highly profitable chain of restaurants when the man their mother married starts to take over the business. Although I figured out the murderer fairly quickly this one had a twist to it that I didn’t catch until nearly the end. I love it when I get surprised, so this one was my favorite.

Door to Death is about Wolfe having to help the gardener he wants to hire to substitute for Horstmann beat a murder rap. Readers who like to see Wolfe have to get out of his comfortable environment and “rough it” for a while will like this one. In this one it was also more difficult to spot the culprit.

The Skull Beneath the Skin and An Artist in Treason have been put on hold until after the 16th when I will be finally on my vacation and hopefully fully recovered from my cold/flu.

Hope you're feeling better soon, Carolyn!!

You're right. When sick, nothing better, reading-wise, than Agatha Christie and Rex Stout.

Wishing you a speedy recovery, Carolyn!

This is the season for the Snuggly - my aunt swears that it's averted a couple of colds brought to her home by nieces and nephews. I still think copious gallons of chicken soup and hot lemon tea works wonders too. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, especially at such a busy time of year for you! Hope you are better soon. Dick Francis also works well for me when I need to de-stress.

Feel better soon, Carolyn!

Just wanted to add some healing vibes.

Thanks so much for the good wishes, everyone! Our Christmas Cantata went very well this morning and I took a long nap when we got home. I am slowly getting better--I just need time to get more rest! I have rehearsals tomorrow and then the student recital on Tuesday. Wednesday we plan to go up to the Vallejo house to get ready for our Chicago family (son, daughter-in-law and 2 grandsons ages 4 & 7) to come for Christmas vacation this Friday. By the end of the week I hope to be catching up on all the great reads y'all have been doing!

I did check out Stasia's list today and I second her recommendation on Their Eyes Were Watching God. I read that about 20 years ago with my Savannah Reading Group and we loved it! I will be reading it again next year because they decided to reread it since several new members haven't read it yet. I'm really looking forward to it--it is a fabulous book.

Two more "comfort" reads.

Book 119.

Stout, Rex: Curtains for Three
Mystery (12/12/09)
PL 161 pages

These three novellas provided another relaxing afternoon to recuperate from a 3 ½ hour morning rehearsal and resting up for the Cantata performance tomorrow. The first one, The Gun with Wings, involved two mysteries: who murdered the operatic tenor plus why and by whom the gun was moved. I figured out the answer to the first question fairly early but the second question ended up having a twist to it that I didn’t see until nearly the end.

Bullet for One involved an industrial designer being murdered while going for an early morning horseback ride in Central Park. It was a typical Nero Wolfe puzzle with lots of suspects but it wasn’t too hard to figure out how it had been accomplished. Never trust an air tight alibi!

My favorite was Disguise for Murder because it had the best elements of a Nero Wolfe mystery including Inspector Cramer at his “finest” and a very neat twist that I will have to admit was pretty fair and completely fooled me. The hint was well disguised but when Wolfe explained his reasoning to Cramer I was mad at myself for not catching it!

Book 120:

Stout, Rex: Murder by the Book
Mystery (12/13/09)
PL 199 pages

A list of names in a dead man's apartment, a cryptic quotation from the Bible, and a mysterious missing book that it seems to have been deadly to read are the elements in a multiple murder case. It was a pretty “puzzle” and kept me guessing until nearly the end.

Wow! Don't envy you the next couple of days, but sounds great after that. You really get to start celebrating early. Do you have your shopping all done, or do you do it once you're at Vallejo?

Thanks, bonnie. I did survive.

We left the morning after the recital and came up here to get ready for Christmas. We've been having a great time with everyone and will continue until the 30th when our family and grandchildren have to go home. Hubby & I will stay up here for a few days before I have to get back to work after the New Year weekend. I hope to get time to catch up on LT then.

I did get some reading done--but no time for reviews, so just a few comments.

Book 121:

Spencer-Fleming, Julia: All Mortal Flesh
Mystery (12/21/ 09)
Library 322 pages

This is the 5th entry in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series and the most intense one yet. Although I have never been able to watch TV soap operas I have now discovered that I can get hooked on reading one! The plots are fairly transparent—although this one did have one surprise for me. However, once that was revealed I had no trouble figuring out the rest of the “mystery.” In spite of that, I’m glad that I have two more waiting for me before I “catch” up to the author. I’m concerned how she is going to resolve the difficult situation in which she has enmeshed our favorite characters.

Book 122:

Aitmatov, Chingiz: Jamilia (Trans. James Riordan)
Fiction (12/22/09)
Library 96 pages

A lovely, almost poetic, novella that talks of art, music and love in addition to hard labor in the midst of difficult times in Russia during WWI.

Book 123:

Indridason, Arnaldur: Jar City
Mystery (12/24/09)
Library 275 pages

This is the first book in a new, for me, mystery series that I had seen recommended by sjmmcreary on LT. It is a police procedural set in Iceland with an intriguing plot and an interesting main character. The writing style (in translation, of course) was enjoyable, portraying gruesome details in a manner that you felt the “horror” without being disgusted by graphic detail. The mystery was not only engaging but presented in a manner that even minor characters were interesting and the solution was puzzling for the this reader until the detective figured it out. In fact, there were times I wish I could have been in on the team consultations as they tried to determine the motive and perpetrator of the crime. This is a series I look forward to continuing.

#74: I am a fan of the Julia Spencer-Fleming books, too. I even appreciate the titles!

I already have Jamilia in the BlackHole. Alas, my local library does not have it.

I have Jar City somewhere in my house. I will have to uncover it for reading in the new year!

#74, 75 I also love the Julia Spencer-Fleming books and devour each new one as soon as it comes out. (the next one is coming in June!)

Glad that you enjoyed Jar City - I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the series as much as I have.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday - it sounds wonderful to have the whole family come for several days. I was thrilled when our weather turned bad and my two grown sons weren't able to go home as early as they'd planned. :-)

Congratulations on reading 123 books!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

>74 MusicMom41:: I'm glad you liked Jamilia. I'm going to try to find some more Aitmatov. I'm hoping that Jamilia was typical of his style.

Happy New Year to you!

Count me among the Spencer-Fleming fans.

Happy New Year to you, and happy reading in 2010! :)

Thanks, Linda and Terri--

Everyone has gone and Jim and I are spending a quiet New Year’s Eve as we rest up from all the excitement of December. I spent thee day straightening up the house and doing laundry so did not get a chance to finish book #125 this year—I have two I’m still working on: The Book Thief and An Artist in Treason. Tonight I plan to try to get my summary for the year done and set up my thread for 2010 so I can start the New Year “off and running”! I also have to find everybody's new 2010 threads. I'm probably already behind on those! :-(

Book 124:

Thompson, R.A.: The Russian Settlement in California, Fort Ross, Sonoma County
Nonfiction/History (2009-12-30)
PL 32 pages (double column and small print!)

This history of the 29 years the Russians spent in their settlement in California (1812-1841) was written in 1898 and subtitled “Why the Russians Came and Why They Left” has recently been reprinted for The History of the American West collection. I have always been interested in Fort Ross because my grandfather’s family was friends with the G.W. Call family who were the last owners of Fort Ross before it became a State Park. My grandfather worked on the Call ranch in the summers when he was a teen and in later years my father was a visitor there when his family came to visit on their vacations.

Thompson’s account of the history of this historic site begins with a story of how the settlement came to be and a description of what happened during those 29 years, especially the political machinations of the powers who were jockeying for position in settling California. The Russians were encroaching on Mexican/Spanish territory; hence the settlement was built as a fort to deter the Mexicans from trying to oust them. Two extra missions were established to prevent the Russians from encroaching any further. The British also hoped to gain a foothold in this area by obtaining permission to build a harbor at San Francisco, about 80 miles south of Fort Ross. Americans were also migrating to this area and establishing control of the interior of the California Province, especially the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys because Mexico was working to maintain control of the coastal area up to the coastal range—the mountains on the west side of California.

Thompson’s writing style is charming, easy to read and includes interesting anecdotes which bring the history to life. In addition to his own consecutive and concise history he includes excerpts from the writings of two explorers who came to Fort Ross: Sir George Simpson, Governor in Chief of the Hudson Bay Co. who came to try to get Mexico to allow him to establish a British port at San Francisco; and Captain Otto Von Kotzebue, a Russian sailor and scientist who had dreams of ousting the Mexicans and claiming all of California. These contemporary observations are especially interesting and revealing. Recommended for history buffs--3 1/2 stars

Sounds like we are spending our evening doing the same thing, Carolyn! I'm still straightening up the house, and we had no company, alas. You've had a great year with your reading and it's been fun riding along. See you tomorrow on the "other side"--I also refused to start the 2010 threads beforetimes, so we are both far, far behind! ;-) Happy New Year!

Roni--I have 57 minutes to finish 2009! I will start my new thread tomorrow just as soon as I read the first few chaper in The Riddle-Master of Hed. :-)

Reading Summary for December:

Book Talley for December:

Books Acquired 14 (1 read)
Books Read PL 6 (Pages: 994)
Books Read non PL 3 (Pages: 693)
Audio Books heard 0 (hours)
Audios Acquired 0
Total 9 books, 1,687 pages
8 fiction; 1 nonfiction

Best in Dec.:
Fiction: Aitmatov, Chingiz: Jamilia
Nonfiction: Thompson, R.A.: The Russian Settlement in California, Fort Ross, Sonoma County

Books read in December:

Thompson, R.A.: The Russian Settlement in California
Christie, Agatha: A Holiday for Murder
Stout, Rex: Three Doors to Death
Asimov, Isaac, et.al. ed.: The Twelve Crimes of Christmas
Stout, Rex: Curtains for Three
Spencer-Fleming, Julia: All Mortal Flesh
Aitmatov, Chingiz: Jamilia
Indridason, Arnaldur: Jar City

Happy New Year, Carolyn! Nice summary.

Reading Summary for 2009:

Book Talley for 2009

Books Purchased 173 (34 read this year)
Books Read PL 81 (Pages: 18,878)
Books Read non PL 36 (Pages: 8,558)
Audio Books heard 7
Audio Books bought 2 (2 heard this year)

(Total books read/heard: 124)
(Total Pages read: 27,436)

Monthly Best in 2009:

Best in Jan.:
Willis, Connie: Doomsday Book (fiction)
McGregor, Robert Kuhn: Conundrums for the Long Weekend (nonfiction)

Best in Feb:
Jerome, Jerome K.: Three Men in a Boat (fiction)
Horwitz, Tony: Confederates in the Attic (nonfiction)

Best in Mar.:
Kay, Guy Gavriel: Tigana (fiction)
Douglass, Frederick: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (nonfiction)

Best in Apr:
Lewis, C.S.: Till We Have Faces (fiction)
Oliver, Mary: Evidence (nonfiction)

Best in June:
Salinger, J.D.: Franny and Zooey (fiction)
McPherson, James: Battle Cry of Freedom (nonfiction)

Best in July:
McKillip, Patricia: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (fiction)
Steinbeck, John: Travels with Charley (nonfiction)

Best in Aug.:
Willis, Connie: To Say Nothing of the Dog (fiction)
Granger, John: Harry Potter’s Bookshelf (nonfiction)

Best in Sept:
Windling, Terri: Wood Wife (fiction)
Brent, Frances: The Lost Cellos of Lev Aronson (nonfiction)

Best in Oct.:
Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone (fiction)
Kamkwamba, William: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (nonfiction)

Best in Nov.:
Bujold, Lois McMaster: Barrayar (fiction)
Masumoto, David Mas: Wisdom of the Last Farmer (nonfiction)

Best in Dec.:
Aitmatov, Chingiz: Jamilia (fiction)
Thompson, R.A.: The Russian Settlement in California, Fort Ross, Sonoma County (nonfiction)

Top Ten Reads for 2009:

Fiction

Willis, Connie: Doomsday Book
Lewis, C.S.: Til We Have Faces
Kay, Gavriel Guy: Tigana
Windling, Terri: Wood Wife
Hawthorne, Nathaniel: The House of Seven Gables

Nonfiction

McPherson, James: Battle Cry of Freedom
Kraft, Heidi Squier: Rule Number Two
Weldon, Fay: Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen
Steinbeck, John: Travels with Charley
Brent, Frances: The Lost Cellos of Lev Aronson

I will set up my 2010 thread in the morning. Check here if you want to get a link.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I am happy to see that a couple of our Halloween reads made your favorites. Look forward to your thread for 2010.

Go Giants!!!

Hi BDB--I'm looking forward to the Halloween read in 2010--one of my best months of reading in 2009.

What surprises me is that 3 of my fiction authors, Willis, Kay, and Windling, I had never heard of until this year. LT has really broadened my horizons.

See you in 2010--I already have you starred. Now I just have to find time to read the threads!

Spring training is just around the corner! I hope we have a catcher by then.

MM's 2010 thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/80787#1687246

(I must have a curse on my head! First it took me 3 tries in 10 hours to be able to get my thread accepted by LT and now I can't get it to make a link? maybe when I post it will turn blue. I am definitely a book person--not a "techie!")

Your link is working!

The wonderful thing is that all three of those new fiction authors are over in science fiction and fantasy!! Hey, hey!!

roni

I also noticed that. You and Tad abetted by Stasia have corrupted me! :-D Half of my "best monthly" reads were scifi/fantasy by authors I had never heard of before. Maybe that's why I feel compelled to read Anna Karenina this year--I need an antidote. :-}

I am guilty of corrupting the reading morals of a MusicMom. I plead the 5th :)

Stasia

:-D but you are forgiven!

Good!