On The Same Page discussion

#49 Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer
4 red stars.

I'm finding it rather difficult to settle on a rating for this book. I liked it. I even loved it. BUT. It took me 12 years to finally actually finish reading it, starting it several times and petering out about 1/3 of the way through. So clearly it could have been half the length even though I like chunky books. It "jumped the shark" in half a dozen different ways, as the author indulged in quite a bit of Mary Sue-ness, not to mention making her protagonist a thoroughly 20th century woman in her thinking. Or the fact that she meets and is friends with so many famous names - Margaret Fuller, Maria Mitchell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, etc. etc. On the plus side, the writing drew me in over and over with beautiful descriptions and poetic language. The philosophical ideas gave me much food for thought. And the way the author wove so much detail, and meanderings into her tale, and I think carefully crafted the parallels to Moby Dick itself - I could almost copy my review of Moby Dick and use it here: "Long, rambling, and something of a sea monster of a book. Called by one early critic "a chowder of a book," I would have to agree. At times it is brilliant, laugh out loud funny, thought-provoking, philosophical, and I can certainly appreciate all the historical detail."

Clearly the author of Ahab's Wife has structured her book on Moby Dick. There are "excerpts" (quotations from various other literature) as a sort of "preface" in both books. The chapters are mostly short, and there are a lot miscellaneous ruminations about all manner of things. The book is also illustrated with woodcuts reminiscent of the 1930 edition of Moby Dick with illustrations by Rockwell Kent. Reading them in parallel, I had no sooner read a chapter titled "Nantucket" in one, to find a chapter titled "Nantucket" in the other. Also having just read about Ishmael and Queegueg attending a service at the Seamen's Bethel Chapel, then we have Una and her parents attending the same chapel with its prow of a ship for a pulpit. Then we have Ishmael and Queequeg eating chowder at the Try Pots Tavern, run by Mrs. Hosea Hussey and comments about the cow whose milk is rather "fishy" because of what the cow eats. In the other book we have Kit and Giles arriving at the Lighthouse where Una lives with her aunt and uncle. They have chowder for supper, and her aunt says she got the recipe from Mrs. Hussey at the Try Pots, and Giles and Kit regale them with descriptions of Mrs. Hussey's necklace made of fish (cod) vertebrae, and the cow dining on fish remnants out back. So I would say they jive very well reading them together. My only change if I did it again, would be to aim to finish Moby Dick a bit sooner, perhaps at the point where Una learns Ahab and the Pequod are gone in Chaper 131 (p. 572). That would leave almost 100 pages of Ahab's Wife without any accompanying Moby Dick, but it would fit better with the overall chronology.

I could change my mind again, but I have settled on 4 red stars, the main criteria being would I read it again. And yes, I would.

Description: "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last."
This is destined to be remembered as one of the most-recognized first sentences in literature--along with "Call me Ishmael." Sena Jeter Naslund has created an entirely new universe with a transcendent heroine at its center who will be every bit as memorable as Captain Ahab. Ahab's Wife is a novel on a grand scale that can legitimately be called a masterpiece: beautifully written, filled with humanity and wisdom, rich in historical detail, authentic and evocative. Melville's spirit informs every page of her tour de force. Una Spenser's marriage to Captain Ahab is certainly a crucial element in the narrative of Ahab's Wife, but the story covers vastly more territory. After a spellbinding opening scene, the tale flashes back to Una's childhood in Kentucky; her idyllic adolescence with her aunt and uncle's family at a lighthouse near New Bedford; her adventures disguised as a cabin boy on a whaling ship; her first marriage to a fellow survivor who descends into violent madness; courtship and marriage to Ahab; life as mother and a rich captain's wife in Nantucket; involvement with Frederick Douglass; and a man who is in Nantucket researching his novel about his adventures on her ex-husband's ship. Ahab's Wife is a breathtaking, magnificent, and uplifting story of one woman's spiritual journey, informed by the spirit of the greatest American novel, but taking it beyond tragedy to redemptive triumph.

Cumulative pages: 16,648

Laurel wrote: "#48 Moby-Dick or, The Whale
Reread. Still 3 green stars.

My 2012 review: Long, rambling, and something of a sea monster of a book. Called b..."

Glad you still enjoyed it Laurel. It's still one of my faves and have read it a few times. Never thought of reading Ahabs Wife, and may need to add that to my tbr. What's 1 more book.?? 😂

October plans:

Just got back from a few days in Rapid City to see my 94-year-old mom. I took her a little book I discovered on Amazon last month about her immigrant ancestor on her father's side. She stayed up that night to finish reading it! I still have to finish it myself...
READ Go Be Free: The Story of Jacob Milliron - An American Pioneer
Travel is always good for listening to audiobooks, and I had some holds become available on Libby, so I'll finish up
READ The Heart of Summer and then get back to
READ A Game of Lies
After that it'll be this month's book club book
READ West With Giraffes

In print and ebook formats, I'm still reading
READ Poison, Your Grace and then I have
READ To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn borrowed from the library, which were to be my RTT September reads (royalty)

The RTT theme for October is "adultery" - so I'm planning to read
Hester

Other October challenges are Black or orange covers, genre read Horror, "S" locations for A Good Yarn (Oct & Nov), and the RTT 4th quarter theme of Medieval/Vikings. There's a new book coming out on Oct. 8 which would cover most of those:
The Book of Witching - it is set in Scotland (Orkney Islands), has an orange and black cover, and is labeled Horror. I don't know if I'll be able to get a copy without purchasing it, so we'll see. I'm not a big horror fan, so I don't have a lot to pick from on my TBR, but this might work:
DNF Cat Out of Hell which is labeled both Horror and Humorous and would give me a head start on my "Cat" theme for next year. And it has a black cover.
For the RTT theme I might try
A Sacred Storm set in 8th century Sweden and has both an orange and black cover. I've read the first book in the series and liked it.
Some other possibilities from my 2024 lists are
Sour Puss - next in series and a black cover
One for Sorrow - from my 2023 leftovers and an orange cover
READ Behind Closed Doors - set in Switzerland, and on my "door" theme list. This one might wait until Nov.

Other than that, I have started
...And Ladies of the Club which I plan to read over 3 months. It's another of my leftovers and I really want to get it read THIS year.

October log:

Finished:
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey - finished Oct. 3
Go Be Free: The Story of Jacob Milliron - An American Pioneer - finished Oct 5
Poison, Your Grace - finished Oct 6
The Heart of Summer - finished Oct 6
A Game of Lies - finished Oct. 12
The Covenant of Water - finished Oct 15
West With Giraffes - finished Oct 27

Currently reading:
Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom - started August 2
...And Ladies of the Club - restarted on Sept 26
To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn - started Oct 6
Lady Macbeth - started Oct 28

Next up:
Hester
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Behind Closed Doors

Possibly Pending:
The Book of Witching
Cat Out of Hell
A Sacred Storm

Paused, but theoretically still reading...
The Ice Swan - for the Jan. cover color challenge - started on Feb. 23
A Faraway Island - started June 3

Still might read:
Mister Darcy's Dogs - started August 21
Ygerna: A Pendragon Chronicles Prequel Novel
The Last Pendragon
The Summer Queen
Queen By Right
The Iliad
Stormbird (reread) - audiobook
The Assyrian and sequel The Blood Star
A Vision of Light random pick from my lists by a coworker
The Beacon at Alexandria
Gods and Kings
Song of Redemption

New Acquisitions:
All the Glimmering Stars - free with Amazon Prime
The Leopard Unleashed: Book 3 in the Wild Hunt series - Amazon .99, have the first two.
The Temple of Fortuna - Audible credit
The Darkest Shore - Audible 2 for 1 sale
Sparrow - Audible 2 for 1 sale
An Age of Winters - October Amazon first reads
A Tribute of Fire - October Amazon first reads
The Snow Hare - Chirp sale

#50 The Truths We Hold: An American Journey
4 red stars

Kamala Harris wrote this book after she won a U.S. Senate seat in the 2016 election, but Hilary Clinton had lost the Presidential race. And we all know how that turned out. Truth is not exactly a word to be associated with the winner of that race. Clearly this book was written as a prelude to campaigning for the Presidency in 2020. It focuses largely on Kamala's many accomplishments up to then in her ground-breaking legal career. And it gives us some insights into her childhood, especially the influence of her mother. I would have liked more personal stories. Still, I'm glad to have read this, and I can say I am duly impressed with her integrity, and her deeply held desire to serve the people. All people. Especially the rights of women, and those who have been failed by our justice system and our health care system. This is a woman who has made a difference in people's lives. I look forward with great optimism to what she has yet to accomplish.

Description: The daughter of immigrants and civil rights activists, Vice President Kamala Harris was raised in an Oakland, California, community that cared deeply about social justice. As she rose to prominence as one of the political leaders of our time, her experiences would become her guiding light as she grappled with an array of complex issues and learned to bring a voice to the voiceless. In The Truths We Hold, she reckons with the big challenges we face together. Drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values as we confront the great work of our day.

Cumulative pages: 16,984

#51 Go Be Free: The Story of Jacob Milliron - An American Pioneer
5 blue stars

I was "tickled pink" to learn of this recently published little story about one of my maternal ancestors. I don't know if it is aimed at children, but it reminds me of all the unpublished stories my paternal grandmother wrote about her ancestors. Like those stories, it is a highly fictionalized account. But it is based on some solid genealogical research which has been lovingly presented on the Facebook page "Following Jacob Milliron." I follow that page, and that is where I learned of this little book. I was delighted to buy two copies, so I could take one to my 94-year-old mother, who did her own research on her Millison branch of the family for many years. She stayed up past her bedtime to finish reading it when I gave it to her last week. I especially love the photos of places and documents. As it happens, I was able to visit the old Milliron Church (now called Weber Memorial Chapel), pictured in the book, on a trip last month to Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania. I got to ring the bell, and had my picture taken standing in the pulpit. It was a surprisingly emotional experience. I know this little book meant a lot to my mom, and that alone is worth 5 stars. Thank you, Tim Milliron. And a thank you to genealogist Tom Chapman for his research and work on the Facebook page.

Description: In 1750, Johann Jacob Muehleisen boarded a passenger ship called Patience. He traveled from Western Germany to the New World seeking opportunities for him and his family. A skilled blacksmith, Jacob embarked on a journey to fulfill his dream of freedom and land ownership. Would Jacob realize his ambitions or would he find the New World too challenging and go back to his hometown in Germany, returning to a lifetime of indentured servitude?

Cumulative pages: 17,045

#52 Poison, Your Grace
4.75 blue stars, rounded up

Set in the spring of 1552, this book two in the Simon and Elizabeth series takes place six years after the first book. Elizabeth Tudor is now about 19 and Simon is about 20, apprenticed to an apothecary and hoping to marry his sweetheart, Hannah, as soon as he is certified. The sickly Edward VI is on the throne. When the apothecary is summoned to Whitehall Palace to investigate a poisoning, Simon and Hannah find themselves involved in helping Elizabeth behind the scenes. Once again, this author has impressed me with her historical detail, subtle humor, and an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing. This is no cozy mystery, but would be entirely suitable for young adults. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Description: As England's young king struggles with illness, one of his advisors is poisoned. Elizabeth Tudor, fearing her brother was the target, asks her old friend Simon Maldon to investigate the crime. With the help of his fiancee, Hannah, Simon, now an apothecary's apprentice, braves the corridors of power to protect the king. In the days after the first murder, a knight, a baron, and a serving girl also die in mysterious circumstances, but it is unclear how their deaths benefit any of the possible suspects. In order to find out, Simon employs various (sometimes embarrassing) disguises, and Hannah uses her position as Elizabeth's newest chambermaid. As the crimes multiply, the danger they face grows. In the end, Elizabeth herself is accused of the murders. To save the princess he admires, Simon faces a fight for his life against a wickedly clever adversary who will not be caught.

Cumulative pages: 17,339

#53 The Heart of Summer
4 red stars
A fairly solid entry in this 6th of the series. We've deviated from the main characters for a couple of books. This one returns us to our main characters, Hanna and Brian, as they work out their relationship fears from past losses. Along for the ride is Hanna's mother Mary, her daughter Jazz, Brian's son Mike, Fury the handyman, and Conor the library assistant and his new bride Aideen. Nothing earth-shaking here. Just a visit to a place that has come to feel familiar and comfortable. And a satisfying ending that leaves you with a wistful and contented sigh. There are two more books in this series that don't seem to have been published in the U.S. yet.

Description: Summer has finally arrived on Ireland’s west coast. On the Finfarran Peninsula, Hanna Casey is looking forward to al fresco lunches with friends and balmy evenings with her boyfriend Brian in their stunning new home in beautiful Hag’s Glen. With a painful divorce behind her and family drama finally settled, Hanna begins to plan a romantic holiday getaway for the two of them. But life takes a turn when Brian's adult son suddenly moves in and Hanna unexpectedly runs into Amy, a former flatmate from Hanna’s twenties in London. Reminded of her youth—and all the dreams and hopes she once had—Hanna begins to wonder if everything she now has is enough. When Amy suggests a reunion in London with old friends, Hanna accepts. While it’s only short hop to England, Hanna feels like she’s leaving Brian far behind. And when she’s offered a new opportunity—the chance to be more than a local librarian in the little rural community where she grew up—Hanna is faced with a difficult choice: to decide what her heart truly wants.

Cumulative pages: 17,707

8 books ahead of schedule. Holy Cow! How did that happen?

Laurel wrote: "October plans:

Just got back from a few days in Rapid City to see my 94-year-old mom. I took her a little book I discovered on Amazon last month about her immigrant ancestor on her father's side. ..."

Great updates, Laurel! Blessings to your Mom! 94 is so awesome.

Really surprised to get my hold on Libby for The Covenant of Water. Was expecting 7 more weeks, but this was a "skip the line" copy. I didn't even know they had such a thing. The catch is, I can only have it for 7 days. Since the book club meets in 7 days, that works, however it is 31 hours of listening, so that means 4.5 hours a day! I've cranked up the speed to 1.5 so that means about 3 hours/day... We'll see!

#54 A Game of Lies
5 blue stars.
Almost a purple rating from me. But I think if you have not read the first book, you will be sorely missing some needed background on the main characters. I love the setting, and I love that the characters speak Welsh. The meaning is usually quite clear, and the author usually provides an immediate English translation. The characters are complex, and sometimes infuriating. Ffion Morgan has not seen Leo Brady in over a year when the book begins. And although it is clear she has feelings for him, it isn't clear if she can get over her fear of commitment. I'm well and truly hooked on this series, and looking forward to #3 being released next year. Oh yeah - Dave the dog is a hoot!

Description: Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for. Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won't just be eliminated - they'll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they'd ever imagined, and they're trapped. The disappearance of a contestant wasn't supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she's watched on screen, and find out who these people really are - knowing she can't trust any of them. And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

Cumulative pages: 18,075 (highest annual total yet, and I've met my goal for the year!)

#55 The Covenant of Water
4.5 blue stars, rounded up.

This is a big, meaty tome of a book. The audiobook is narrated by the author and I highly recommend it, if only for the Indian accent. I found I was able to crank the speed up to 1.5 without any loss of comprehension, and I even had it at 1.75 since I had a "skip the line" copy that only allowed a one-week checkout. Maybe this would have been 5 stars if I had been able to savor it more slowly. Or maybe I would have gotten lost in the dual (or triple?) storylines that didn't come together until the end. And the endless cast of characters would have had me paging back to recall them to my memory. The novel covers 77 years of the twentieth-century, full of birth and death, love and loss, secrets, heartbreak, and redemption. The Christian emphasis is intentional but not too heavy-handed. History perhaps takes a backseat. This is more of a family saga than a historical novel. Since I finished, I have been pondering all the ways that water features in the book, from giving birth (water breaking), baptism, the landscape, to literary references like Moby Dick, and the drowning of Ophelia (Hamlet). Our book club had a lot to say about all the themes covered, especially on medicine, healing, and the importance of connection.

Description: Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants. A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the difficulties undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. It is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.

Cumulative pages: 18,799

Mid-October, and then some, update:

Can't say I've added anything, other than the unexpected holds that I've already read and reviewed above. Warm days are spent out in the yard/garden. I've still got all those plants I bought in May to get in the ground. Most of them look quite dry and beyond hope by now, but you never know what might just come back in the spring if I can just get them in the ground. Then I went on a garden shopping spree last week and came home with 4 lilacs, and some day lilies and sedum that looked interesting. I got 3 of the lilacs planted yesterday, plus the two elderberry shrubs I bought in May. Just asked for tomorrow off (supposed to be 73!) and got it, so.... let's see if I can't make a big dent in those remaining plants!

I've also had the fun of mice in the house the last couple of weeks. With 5 cats, they weren't going to last long, but after 3 in one evening, I called a pest control company and they came out on Friday. Only found a couple of spots - mainly where the garage is attached the cement floor had a gap and they filled that in for me, plus a couple of other holes. I'm happy to report that no more mice have been seen, though I do feel slightly guilty for depriving the cats of their live cat toys... (just kidding.)

So okay, I do want to add one title: I've had The Running Grave for awhile, and it just seems like such a good Halloween project...

Other than that, this seems like a good opportunity to touch base with my big Pyramid Challenge (post # 8) because I think it is actually within my reach to complete it this year! Titles that can fill more than one slot will have priority, and ditto if they fit a cover color challenge or are a "B" title.
One from each list - need 2: these are the most likely choices:
The Beacon at Alexandria
A Sacred Storm - dups as the Oct. cover challenge, but I haven't gotten to it yet...
READ Lady Macbeth - another good Halloween possibility?
One for Sorrow - ooh, that could also be an Oct. cover

Themes - need 2:
READ The Ice Swan - started back in January and would really like to get back to it!
READ Behind Closed Doors - also an "S" location for A Good Yarn.
The Door - also needed for Translations (see below)

Leftovers - need 5! Why is this category always so difficult, when these are the books I MOST want to get read!
The Summer Queen
Queen By Right
...And Ladies of the Club - working on this one through December!
Ygerna: A Pendragon Chronicles Prequel Novel
The Fall of Atlantis

Titles that start with B - need 2:
READ Behind Closed Doors
The Beacon at Alexandria

Non-fiction - need 1:
Wanderland

Translations - need 2:
READ A Faraway Island - started, need to finish!
The Door
I could also use The Iliad and The Odyssey for this one and was hoping to get to them this fall, but so far not....

I've also been having great fun planning my 2025 lists. I'll be doing "C" titles, a cat theme, chronicles, cozy mysteries, Cornwall, and other things that start with C. All the Pyramid challenge categories will start with C as well.....

#56 West With Giraffes
4 red stars.

A little slow for an adventure tale, and not enough there for a romance. But it's an interesting imagining of the true tale of driving two giraffes across the country during the dust bowl. Enough historical detail to be interesting. The characters are borderline caricatures, but I enjoyed them, and I have to warn that there are some disturbing scenes involving animals for those who are sensitive. Obviously it is the giraffes who are the heart and soul of the story. I enjoyed it enough to give it 4 stars, so above average.

Description: Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes.

Cumulative pages: 19,180

Laurel wrote: "#56 West With Giraffes
4 red stars.

A little slow for an adventure tale, and not enough there for a romance. But it's an interesting imagini..."

I just finished this one too! Same rating for me a 4 star although it took me months to finish it. Not that I didn't enjoy reading it but it was a quiet novel and it was in ebook format (which I'm not a fan of).

November update:

Hoo boy, here it is November already. I feel like I'm on a train going right over a cliff, with the election coming up. Also my mom landed in the hospital again yesterday with a broken hip! The poor woman can't get a break! (Oops - no pun intended...) She had surgery today, a sort of partial hip replacement, I guess? All went well - no complications. But I'm afraid my reading mojo needs to be light-hearted and cozy for the next couple of weeks at least. After that, maybe I'll feel like I can breathe.

So, for bookclubs this month, I'll be reading
READ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Perspectives)
READ Remarkably Bright Creatures (Daytimers)
Currently reading
READ Lady Macbeth for A Good Yarn. Set in Scotland.

I have NOT gotten to any of my October challenges yet:
Hester (RTT Oct. theme is adultery)
DNF Cat Out of Hell (horror genre theme)
and something with an orange or black cover. Maybe leaning toward
Sour Puss for that. Everything else I have is either a months-long waiting list, or is chunky and will take months to read anyway.

The genre challenge for November is Domestic Suspense. This might be an excuse to read another book by Clare Macintosh. I borrowed on Libby
READ I Let You Go
The RTT theme is memoir or biography. Perhaps if I finish
READ Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom that will count? It also has teal lettering which is the Nov. cover color. Otherwise
READ The Temple of Fortuna works for that.

And that's an impossible 9 books which doesn't include any of the leftovers and things that I laid out in the last update. Maybe I'd better quit posting and spend the evening reading!

November log:

Finished:
Lady Macbeth - finished Nov 10
Remarkably Bright Creatures - finished Nov 15
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - finished Nov 18
To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn - finished Nov 20
The Life and Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi - finished Nov 22
The Caiman - finished Nov 22
I Let You Go - finished Nov 28

Currently reading:
Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom - started August 2
...And Ladies of the Club - restarted on Sept 26
Queen By Right - restarted Nov 1
Cat Out of Hell - started Nov 21
Behind Closed Doors - started Nov 30

Next up:
Lessons in Chemistry
The Temple of Fortuna

Possibly Pending:
Sour Puss
The Book of Witching

Paused, but theoretically still reading...
The Ice Swan - for the Jan. cover color challenge - started on Feb. 23
A Faraway Island - started June 3

Still might read:
A Sacred Storm
Ygerna: A Pendragon Chronicles Prequel Novel
The Summer Queen
Hester

New Acquisitions:
The Coming of the Wolf - Amazon .99
The Pendragon's Blade - Amazon .99
Song of the Pendragon - Amazon .99
The Purrfect Murder - Audible, free
also got the next 3 in the series....
The Complete Damian Seeker collection, books 1-5 - Amazon, 2.99
The Winter List - Amazon, .99
Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured - print book, library discard
The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford - Kindle. $13.99 - I splurged on this one. Could have sworn I had it already, but apparently not. I have all the other books in the series.
The Lion of Wales: The Complete Series Books 1-5 - Chirp audiobooks, .99
Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon - free on Amazon

#57 Lady Macbeth
4.5 blue stars, rounded up.

This is not Shakespeare's Macbeth, but an attempt to portray real people living in 11th-century Scotland. This Lady Macbeth is true to the Celtic tradition of female warriors, but grappling with the changes wrought by Christianity and shifting to a more patriarchal society. The historical research is very good, though perhaps the author gets a little bit repetitious with explaining the genealogical connections and political structure of the Scottish royal lines. She is no romantic, but is thoroughly pragmatic. Is she ambitious, or just a mother trying to protect her son's birthright? She is definitely a fiercely strong woman. I might have wished for a little more depth, but then it would have been a very long book. I would read more by this author, and I would reread this book. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Wanda McCaddon, and I thought she was excellent.

Description: Lady Gruadh—Rue—is the last female descendant of Scotland’s most royal line. Married to a powerful northern lord, she is widowed while still carrying his child and forced to marry her husband’s murderer: a rising warlord named Macbeth. As she encounters danger from Vikings, Saxons, and treacherous Scottish lords, Rue begins to respect the man she once despised. When she learns that Macbeth’s complex ambitions extend beyond the borders of the vast northern region, she realizes that only Macbeth can unite Scotland. But his wife’s royal blood is the key to his ultimate success. Determined to protect her son and a proud legacy of warrior kings and strong women, Rue invokes the ancient wisdom and secret practices of her female ancestors as she strives to hold her own in a warrior society. Finally, side by side as the last Celtic king and queen of Scotland, she and Macbeth must face the gathering storm brought on by their combined destiny.

Cumulative pages: 19,507

#58 Remarkably Bright Creatures
4.5 blue stars, rounded up.

Perhaps a bit generous, but this heartwarming story was just what I needed right now. Far-fetched but somehow totally believable. We are privy to the thoughts of the sentient and highly intelligent aging octopus, Marcellus, who loves to escape his tank and collect treasures. He forms a friendship of sorts with the older woman, Tova, who works as a cleaner at the aquarium. Tova is dealing with the loss of her husband of 47 years, and still grieving the loss of her only son, who disappeared 30 years ago. She tends to push away the friends who care about her, but she has a soft spot for Marcellus and the stray cat she takes in. When she sprains her ankle, and can't work temporarily, a young drifter is hired to fill in for her. He's 30, has just broken up with his wife, and comes to Sowell Bay looking for the father he never knew. His mother abandoned him when he was nine, so he also has a lifetime of loss and grievance. There's a bit of a mystery here, which is actually completely predictable, but you'll want to keep reading for the happy-ever-after ending you know is coming.

Description: After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Cumulative pages: 19,875

Mid-November update:

For a change, I'm not feeling hopelessly behind in my reading. Not that I have been behind, just that I had more I wanted to read than I could fit in. I will have finished all my book club books for this month by this evening, so the rest of the month can focus on catching up with some of my challenges. I've got four audiobooks lined up on Libby and Audible, and I may be traveling to visit my mom for Thanksgiving, so lots of listening time. I'm not going to repeat titles here - they are all mentioned in my Nov. update above, so nothing new to add.

I only have one book club book to read for Dec. so more time to focus on finishing up challenges, and maybe some fun cozy Christmas or "winter" titles. I have only two books to read to reach my 2024 Goodreads goal of 60 books. Three books to equal last year's total, and four to break my annual record. I've already beaten my record for total # of pages read this year.

I am also having great fun planning next year's goals and challenges. A couple years ago I decided I was going to go through the alphabet as a way to reduce my TBR ocean. Still finishing up As and Bs, but next year will start titles that begin with the letter C. I've also decided I am embracing my childless crazy cat lady status next year. A Good Yarn book club is ending (as well as my Daytimers group) and you all know I love my "themes." I may not do my random reads lists next year, and instead go with random themes that all start with the letter C, and maybe add some C authors to focus on as well. So, so far, I have the following... Oh - and I should also say I am retiring in January! So my focus is going to be on comfort reads and cozy activities.

Cats
Cozy mysteries
Series with "Chronicles" in the title.
Cornwall
Composers
Christmas?
Chocolate
Castles
Colors?
Maybe I'll do a Coloring book challenge - pick a different coloring book every month.
How about a cookbook challenge? Focus on a different cookbook every month (I have like 150 cookbooks, at least...)
Authors to focus on:
Elizabeth Chadwick
Bernard Cornwell
Willa Cather

I thought this year would be agonizingly slow, because I've had to postpone retirement until I was 70. Now here it is only two months away!

Laurel wrote: "#58 Remarkably Bright Creatures
4.5 blue stars, rounded up.

Perhaps a bit generous, but this heartwarming story was just what I nee..."

Okay, I finally added this one. Everyone seems to really enjoy this book.

Great update!!

"C"'s the day or year... (get it?) I keep wondering why my family thinks I'm not funny.

Bill wrote: ""C"'s the day or year... (get it?) I keep wondering why my family thinks I'm not funny."

I get it. Thanks, Bill.

#59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
2 yellow stars.

I don't know enough about autism to speak to the authenticity of this portrayal. I do know that autism is a spectrum, and that every autistic person may have some of these characteristics and others not. What this book did NOT do was to portray autism in a sympathetic light. I found the character difficult. I found his "logic" to be sometimes illogical. I was troubled by his tendency to react violently to situations and people that he felt threatened by. This is not someone I want to encounter on a subway, or try to get to know. And while I could appreciate his courage in acting independently (and autistic people CAN live independently), I felt that his upbringing and his education were seriously lacking in giving him life skills. His parents were depicted as completely inadequate - a mother who ran away because she couldn't handle him anymore - and a father who then told his son his mother was dead. And (view spoiler)[he killed the neighbor's dog out of anger that his wife was having an affair and had run off with the neighbor's husband (hide spoiler)]. Sorry, but if I were Christopher, I would have reacted the same way. Christopher is just supposed to forgive his father, and eventually try to rebuild the trust that was broken? I don't buy it. And frankly, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. The best part of the book was Christopher's journey to London to find his mother. I could applaud his bravery and persistence, and wanted him to succeed.

Description: Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. Routine, order and predictability shelter him from the messy, wider world. Then, at fifteen, Christopher’s carefully constructed world falls apart when he finds his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork, and he is initially blamed for the killing. Christopher decides that he will track down the real killer, but the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths and ultimately brings him face to face with the dissolution of his parents’ marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn into the workings of Christopher’s mind. And herein lies the key to the brilliance of Mark Haddon’s choice of narrator: The most wrenching of emotional moments are chronicled by a boy who cannot fathom emotion. The effect is dazzling, making for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing is a mind that perceives the world literally.

Cumulative pages: 20,101

#60 To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn
3.5 pink stars.

The story of Anne Boleyn, as told through the eyes of her lady-in-waiting Margaret Wyatt. I would characterize this as young adult fiction. It leans toward being historically accurate up to a point, but lacking depth, and the real personages are fictionalized beyond recognition. The love stories, both Anne and Henry, and Meg and her fictional love interest are tepid at best. It fares better as inspirational fiction - a woman learning to trust God through difficult times and her love interest drawn to the priesthood, but later falling in with the Reformers. It also does a good job portraying strong women within the restrictions (and brutality) of the times. My biggest problem was with the "made up" Tudor language. I wanted to throw the book at the wall every time she said "afore" - sometimes three times in one paragraph. Here's an example: "Henry had studied Scriptures in great detail as a young man, afore Arthur's death, and he felt compelled to go back and look at them anon to see from whence he might have turned from our Lord's affections." Or using 'tis, 'twas, and 'twould all within a few sentences. Drove me batty. But overall, 'twas a good story, for certes.

Description: After Anne Boleyn catches the eye of King Henry VIII, her dearest friend, Meg Wyatt, accompanies her to the thrilling court of Tudor England. But as Anne and Henry’s affections grow, Meg faces heartbreak; the man she loves commits himself to God rather than her. Meg makes her own vow: to ensure Anne’s well-being as they navigate the intricate web of power and politics. As the court crawls with climbers, both women find themselves caught in a world filled with ambition, betrayal, and danger, with only each other to rely on. Anne falls out of favor and is sentenced to die, and Meg expects a bleak future. Then, a glimmer of hope sparks from an unexpected source, reigniting a long-held ember in her heart. Fanning that into flame, though, comes at a cost.

Cumulative pages: 20,441

5 1/2 weeks until the end of the year update:

It's too soon to do my December update, but I feel the need to take stock of my challenges while I still have time to figure out if I can accomplish all of them. Honestly, I have never even come close before. But here I am with more than 5 weeks left, and I have met my Goodreads goal of 60 books, and will blow past my highest total ever. That was 61 last year, and I could well have over 70 by the end of the year.

So what else do I want to do? Well, at the beginning of the year I set up a "pyramid" challenge with different categories from 1-12 titles (post # 8). These were intended to be sort of stretch goals, and I am very, very close. I have filled 65 "slots" out of 78, 13 to go and titles can fill more than one slot.
DONE Titles from 12 different lists - need 1
DONE from my "themes" lists - need 2
from my "leftovers" lists - need 5
Titles that start with B - need 2
DONE Nonfiction - need 1
DONE Books originally written in a language other than English - need 2

For book clubs I only have one book to read in December - the book for Daytimers. For Perspectives, I am leading the discussion and have already read the book. A Good Yarn has ended due to the holidays and we won't be continuing next year. I do have a T location title lined up, but we won't be meeting to discuss our picks. Will I do U-Z next year anyway? Probably not, but maybe....

For the Reading Through Time group, I have Oct, Nov, and Dec to complete. I've read at least one book for each of the quarterly topics. I wish it were more...

Cover color challenge - I just have November to do.
Genre challenge - currently reading Nov., and that just leaves Dec.

This is a lot of books for 5 weeks, so I'm resorting to looking for the shortest books on my TBR.

So here's what I'm currently reading, or contemplating. There are more than one possible title for some of the challenges, so I won't be reading ALL of these...

READ I Let You Go - audiobook, currently reading for the Nov. genre challenge.
READ The Life and Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi - currently reading for the RTT Nov. theme AND fills my 1 nonfiction slot in the pyramid goals. It is also very short.
Queen By Right - currently reading. Definitely not short, but it is one of the Leftovers on my list.
READ A Faraway Island - started, but paused. I'll pick it up after Saint Francis. It is one of the translated books I need.
DNF Cat Out of Hell - just downloaded on Libby. For the Oct. Horror genre category (although I think it is more humor than horror - nevertheless it has a horror tag on Goodreads, so it counts. It's a pretty short book at 163 p.
READ Lessons in Chemistry - our Daytimers book for Dec. - I have it checked out on audio CD
Dec. genre is probably going to be "Holiday" books and the RTT Dec. theme is "Reader's Choice", so both of those can be filled by
A Midwinter's Tail
If I have extra listening time in Dec., one of my online groups is reading
Gingerbread and I have it checked out on Libby.
I've got
READ The Temple of Fortuna lined up on audio for the Nov. cover color which is teal.

That just leaves the rest of the pyramid goals"
For Themes -
READ Behind Closed Doors - I own this on audio. It also fills a B title slot, and it fills the other Nov. cover color which is lavender.
I'd like to read
READ The Ice Swan which I started back in January, but it is 400 p. and I'd have to start it over at this point. We'll see. I've put a hold on
READ The Door in the Wall which is a much shorter children's book.

Leftovers. This is going to be the most difficult. Too many of my leftovers were chunky titles, and only one can fill another slot.
The shortest ones on my list are
READ The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford - 106 p.
Her Royal Spyness - 348 p. but it also fills the 1 remaining slot for 12 different lists. And it is lavender....
Death at La Fenice - 270 p.
Cup of Blood - 298 p.
I REALLY wanted to finish
...And Ladies of the Club this year, but I haven't been keeping up with it, and it is over 1,000 p. So probably not happening. I also wanted to finish
The Summer Queen but I'm going to save that for next year, when Elizabeth Chadwick will be one of my focus authors.
That leaves one more B title:
I'd like to read
The Beacon at Alexandria which I had started briefly at one point. One shorter alternative from my TBR, is
Brave: The Junior Novelization which I have.
And one more translation. I have a hold on
The Door which could also be one of my theme slots, but the waiting list is 6 weeks. So probably wouldn't get it in time. From my TBR I have
READ The Caiman which is a 40 p. picture book. It was a world language day freebie, so I have it.
One more alternative for Nonfiction and 12 different lists is
The Lost Words - it is short and looks utterly charming, so I have put in an ILL request for it.

Finally, not needed for any challenges, but I'd REALLY like to finish reading it -
READ Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom - I'm halfway through it, and don't want to carry it over to next year.

Now, I really should be reading instead of spending hours on an update of what I'd like to be reading. Ha ha! Can I finish the Saint Francis booklet tonight?

P.S. I know this looks overwhelming, but I added up page numbers of the print books (not counting audio) and if I can manage about 60 pages a day, I can do it. The audiobooks I'm not worried about. I do a lot of driving, and I'll be visiting my mom which is good for 16 hours right there. Oh! And I just took the first two weeks of Dec. off!! Actually, I'm off starting the Wed. before Thanksgiving. I still have a lot of PTO to use up before I retire. So I'll have lots of extra time to read! I'm so excited! 20 days off! I'm calling it "retirement practice..."

Laurel wrote: "Remarkably Bright Creatures
4.5 blue stars, rounded up.

Perhaps a bit generous, but this heartwarming story was just what I needed right now. Far-fetched but somehow totally believable."

Laurel, I loved this book too - like so many others. I was floored when I read an article a couple of months after I read the book about an octopus named Inky who had escaped its aquarium tank. I hadn't known it was a thing.

You wrote a great review of the book! It is one that really stuck with me.

You're very organized. Good luck with your final books of 2024.

#61 The Life and Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi
2 orange stars.

This is very short, and gives an idea of the outlines of his life. The Kindle edition was marred by quite a few typos. I must have read something about Saint Francis before, as there were things that were familiar to me. There were not a lot of Saint Francis' own prayers. When did he write them? Who translated them? The prayers to and about Saint Francis - who wrote them? What is the source for these? There is no context. A nice little summary with a few prayers and nothing more. I can't really recommend this.

Description: One part biography, one part prayer book, The Life and Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi is an essential book for any Christian. Saint Francis of Assisi is quite possibly the most popular of all Christian saints. Perhaps it is his adoration for all living things or his unrelenting generosity that has made so many people open their hearts to him. Perhaps it is the deep conviction and piety expressed not only by the saint himself, but in his name, in the Franciscan orders throughout the centuries. Whatever the reason, in a world that is quickly developing in a direction diametrically opposite to the saint's own simple asceticism, Saint Francis of Assisi still stirs strong emotions and compassion. How close he found God, in the very nature around him, is inspiring.

Cumulative pages: 20,526

#62 The Caiman
3.5 pink stars.

A rather sweet story about a man in Venezuela who raised a baby caiman and kept it as a pet. Apparently it is a true story - the author says that she used to ride the caiman when she was a child. I shudder to think of children actually playing with a 10-foot alligator. Nor do I condone keeping wild animals as pets. Nevertheless, we get a little glimpse here of life in another country. The illustrations are simple but full of the colorful flora and fauna of Venezuela.

Translated from Spanish by Amy Brill, and first published in English by Amazon Crossing Kids in collaboration with Amazon Crossing.

Description: When Faoro the clockmaker adopts a baby alligator, he has no idea that someday their story will travel far and wide. But the town of San Fernando de Apure would never forget this kind young man and his adoring alligator, who played with the neighborhood children, took part in Faoro’s wedding, and, eventually, mourned his loss. Now their story is being shared with the world. In this delightful picture book first published in Venezuela, the author brings us back to her own childhood in Venezuela, as one of the children who used to visit this famous caiman, to tell the story of a man who loved animals and how his friendship with his alligator sparked a lasting legacy.

Cumulative pages: 20,566

Bill wrote: ""C"'s the day or year... (get it?) I keep wondering why my family thinks I'm not funny."

I think it was funny.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it!

I am off today, and off for almost three weeks - somewhat unheard of for me, but that's why I have so much PTO to use up before my retirement in January! I turned in my letter of retirement to my boss on Monday, so it is official now. No going back!

I put up the Christmas tree on Saturday, and got my outdoor decorations up - a new snowman and the deer that I got last year. one has fallen down and I need to get outside and fix it. But I am procrastinating again. I also need to make a pie to take to my sister's house tomorrow. And a butternut squash dish using the only squash I got from my garden... And I still have to put mulch around the cherry tree and lilacs that I planted this fall. Our unusually warm weather has suddenly turned VERY cold. So I guess our Minnesota winter has arrived.

But while I'm procrastinating I shall update the books that I got at the church "reuse" sale on Sunday. I also got a book from a friend in Wales this week. He sent me a copy of his autobiography Mae'n Wlad i Mi by Edward Morus Jones. Yes, it is in Welsh. I am very interested to read it, but I expect it will take me a long time. I do read Welsh, but I'll be stopping to look up vocabulary probably quite frequently!

Okay, on to the other books:
Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why
The Gnostic Gospels
Out of the Garden: Women Writers on the Bible
Ring of Seasons: Iceland--Its Culture and History

Also some early music LPs. All for $2.50 (bag sale). I'm a happy camper! And looking forward to three weeks of having lots of reading time!

#63 I Let You Go
4 red stars.

This is my third book by Clare Mackintosh, and they all follow a somewhat similar pattern with a twist halfway through, then going back and adding things from a different point of view. This was her debut novel. There were some subplots that really didn't need to be there, and then they weren't even resolved. So a few loose ends. The main plot was heartbreaking. I'm almost tempted to add a horror tag. This could definitely trigger some people with the death of a child, animal cruelty, and domestic abuse. Parts are painful to read. So be warned. It starts a bit slow, but definitely picks up the chill factor after the twist in the middle. I should have docked another half a star for the ending, but this had to be a red, not a pink, book. I did love the setting, and could picture it as a movie.

Description: On a rainy afternoon, a mother's life is shattered as her son slips from her grip and runs into the street... I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray as she moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, trying to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and desperate to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past. At the same time, the novel tracks the pair of Bristol police investigators trying to get to the bottom of this hit-and-run. As they chase down one hopeless lead after another, they find themselves as drawn to each other as they are to the frustrating, twist-filled case before them.

Cumulative pages: 20,937

December plans:

Ah, December. That busy, busy month of choir concerts and events, visiting my Mom, and all the craziness of the holidays, cooking, shopping, etc. Actual reading time may be hard to fit in, although I have pre-emptively taken the first two weeks of December off. And visiting my Mom means two days of driving or about 16 hours of audiobooks, so there's that. Still, I find that by this time of the year, I want to be unencumbered by the things that I set for goals, and to have some lighter just-for-fun reads to finish the year.

I am probably going to abandon
DNF Cat Out of Hell. This was for the October "horror" genre. I have read about 1/3 of it, and I really don't care if I read any more of it. The humor/horror combo isn't working for me. Maybe if weren't the holiday season... I will still count it for the purposes of the challenge.

I have surpassed my goal of 60 books, or 18,000 pages for the year. In fact it is the best year I have ever had. So yay!

I am oh so close on the pyramid goals (see message #8 for explanation...) Here's what's left...
2 "theme" titles. Currently reading
READ Behind Closed Doors - this also fills a B title slot in my pyramid challenge.
READ The Door in the Wall - this is a children's book and very short.
2 B titles. Besides Behind Closed Doors, I'd like to get back to
The Beacon at Alexandria
5 leftovers. I am currently working on
Queen By Right and I have a short one I can easily fit in
READ The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford
For the rest, I'm going to redefine leftovers to include things I've started THIS year that I don't want to be leftovers next year. That includes
READ The Ice Swan
READ Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom and
READ A Faraway Island. I also need this one for
1 translated title I do have a hold on Libby for
The Door, but the waiting list says 5 weeks, and that will be January. Anyway, I won't need it if I finish the other.

For my book club, I need to read
READ Lessons in Chemistry
And for A Good Yarn (which isn't meeting any more) I have
READ The Temple of Fortuna which finishes the trilogy I started this year, and it is the last book I need for the monthly color challenges.

I think that finishes ALL the challenges, except to read a "holiday" book for the December genre challenge. So, the rest of my plans are for lighter and fun things.
Sour Puss and maybe
READ Six Geese A-Slaying - two favorite series authors. These are both audiobooks, so I'm not worried about fitting them in. And the latter will be my "holiday" book.
Gingerbread - this is for a group read that doesn't start until Dec. 30, so if it goes into January, I don't care.

Oops, no - forgot I haven't read anything yet for the RTT 1st quarter challenge, which was Prehistory. So will try and squeeze in
READ People of the Wolf

You have a busy month planned. Lessons in Chemistry is wonderful.

Bill wrote: "You have a busy month planned. Lessons in Chemistry is wonderful."

Busy, but several of those titles are quite short. And I'll have the road trip to visit my mom, which gives me lots of extra listening time!

December log:

Finished:
Behind Closed Doors - finished Dec 3
The Temple of Fortuna - finished Dec 6
The Door in the Wall - finished Dec 12
Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom - finished Dec. 17
A Faraway Island - finished Dec. 17
People of the Wolf - finished Dec. 20
Lessons in Chemistry - finished Dec. 26
The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford - finished Dec. 28
The Ice Swan - finished Dec. 29
Six Geese A-Slaying - finished Dec. 31
The Body in the Transept - finished Dec. 31

Currently reading:
Queen By Right - restarted Nov 1

Next up:
Gingerbread
The Lost Words

Still might read - NEXT YEAR:
Sour Puss
The Beacon at Alexandria
...And Ladies of the Club - restarted on Sept 26. Won't finish in 2024.
A Sacred Storm
Ygerna: A Pendragon Chronicles Prequel Novel
The Summer Queen
Hester
The Door

New Acquisitions:
Good as Goldie: A Breaking Cat News Adventure
Wales: The First & Final Colony - purchased for book club
The Celtic Gods: Comets in Irish Mythology
The Rebel Nun - Chirp audiobooks on sale

#64 Behind Closed Doors
3.5 pink stars.
Interesting idea for a flawed main character - she suffers from bipolar disorder, and has been on the sidelines for a year after attempting suicide. An okay start to a series, although I thought the little prequel was more interesting in terms of developing her character. The plot was interesting, but didn't have much in the way of suspense until near the end. I was bored with the pace at times, and I saw the twists coming. It's a slow moving police procedural with Beatrice assigned to lead a team new to her in a foreign country, Switzerland in this case. From the author's website, each book in the series is intended to be a standalone, with Beatrice working in different international locations. The next book is set in Wales and London, so I hope we will see more of her boyfriend and her wacky gay neighbor who figured so prominently in the prequel. I gave this the extra half star because I will read more of the series.

The author grew up in Wales, but now lives in Switzerland.

Description: An unethical banker suffocates. A diamond dealer slits his wrists. A media magnate freezes in the snow. A disgraced CEO inhales exhaust fumes. Four unpopular businessmen, four apparent suicides. Until Interpol find the same DNA at each death. Beatrice Stubbs, on her first case since a personal tragedy, arrives in Switzerland to lead the investigation. But there's more to Zurich than chocolate and charm. Potential suspects are everywhere, her Swiss counterpart is hostile and the secretive world of international finance seems beyond the law. Battling impossible odds by day and her own demons at night, Beatrice has never felt so alone.

Cumulative pages: 21,251

#65 The Temple of Fortuna
4.5 blue stars, rounded up

Amara's elderly patron, Demetrios, has finally offered marriage to his courtesan. He allows her to return to Pompeii to see her 3-year-old daughter before the wedding. Of course, she hopes that Demetrios will allow her to bring her daughter back to Rome. This also gives her time with her former lover, the slave Philos. This is both bittersweet and awkward. Rufina doesn't remember her mother. Amara and Philos still have feelings for each other, but it would be impossible for them to act on them. Amara has tried to get Rufus to sell Philos to her, but so far Rufus (her former patron) has refused. And then there is the detestable Felix, who continues to extort money from Amara's businesses in Pompeii because he knows the secret about the love affair between Amara and Philos, and exposure would mean the end of her freedom, and ruin to those she loves. But Fortuna has something else in mind. The eruption of Vesuvius allows Amara, Philos, and Rufina to flee and envision a different life for themselves. But what has happened to those they left behind - Julia, Victoria, Britannica, Rufus, Demetrios, and Felix? Amara mourns the loss of her friends, and fears the survival of those who could still do her harm. This was a suspenseful but satisfying ending of the trilogy. Also, the epilog is clearly a teaser for another novel or series centered on a different character. I have given this one 5 stars, because I could see myself rereading the whole trilogy again.

Description: Amara's journey has taken her far; from enslavement in Pompeii's wolf den brothel to her new life as a high-powered courtesan in Rome, but her story is not over yet. While Amara plays for power in Rome's imperial palace, those dearest to her remain in Pompeii. But it is 79 CE, and mighty Mount Vesuvius is about to make itself known . . .

Cumulative pages: 21,635

#66 The Door in the Wall
5 purple stars

Newbery Medal, 1950. A solid historical adventure story, about a crippled boy who is left to the care of a monk when his father goes off to fight with the King (Edward III) in Scotland, and his mother has gone to serve the Queen in London. It is perhaps a bit slower moving than children might like today, but I enjoyed it and would have loved it as a child. Perhaps I read it then. Who knows? I did like medieval stuff even then. There are lots of details woven in about life at that time, food, clothing, warfare, crafts, and music. And the usual inspirational tone of overcoming adversity, working hard, seeing challenges as opportunity, and that even a crippled boy can serve the King and be a hero. I would recommend this for 2nd-4th graders. A bit of a rose-colored version of the Middle Ages, but entirely suitable for younger children.

Description: Ever since he can remember, Robin, child of Sir John de Bureford, has been told what is expected of him as the son of a nobleman. He must learn the ways of knighthood. But Robin’s destiny is changed suddenly when he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. Fearing a plague, his servants abandon him, and Robin is left alone. A monk named Brother Luke rescues Robin and takes him to the hospice of St. Mark’s, where he is taught woodcarving and patience and strength. Says Brother Luke, “Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.” Robin learns soon enough what Brother Luke means. When the great castle of Lindsay is in danger, Robin discovers that there is more than one way to serve his king.

Cumulative pages: 21,763

Mid-December update:

No changes to report. I'm on track to finish all my challenges for the year if I read 70 pages a day for the rest of the month. This doesn't include the books that are audiobooks, but I'm not worried about finishing those.

I have been working on my 2025 lists. There will be some big changes next year. The biggest is that I will be retiring on January 23! I expect that to mean I will be able to read more, of course that remains to be seen. I probably won't be driving as much, so what will that mean for audiobooks? Two of my current book clubs are ending. That's because they are library-based and I will no longer be there. The current membership decided they did not want to continue without me. I do plan to add the St. David Society's book club to my activities. They only meet every other month. I have not participated previously because they meet when I am working, and that will no longer be a problem. I may or may not continue with the church book club, Perspectives. If I stay, I am not commited to participating every month. It depends on what books are picked. But it does challenge me to read more on social justice type issues. I've heard there is a book club at the library here in town. I don't know if it is monthly or every other month, but they pick an author instead of a book to read. I might check that out.

I finished adding slips for all the books I've added to my Goodreads TBR this year. I use the slips to pick my random reads for the next year. I had thought about not doing random reads, but then I decided to focus on titles that begin with C, and create shorter lists. So those lists are done. Now I just have to settle on what categories to choose for my Pyramid Goals (12 books that start with C, 11 historical fiction, 10 cozy mysteries, 9 cat books, etc.) I think I have 4 authors that start with C for quarterly goals, and then may use one of the pyramid slots for other C authors. Same with some C locations - I'll make short lists for 4, and then put all the rest into a pyramid slot... And then fill out the pyramid with some categories that really don't need to be lists. I'm probably over-thinking all this. Ha ha! Oh- and I still have to do my cat theme list, and my chronicles theme list to do.

Above all, I just want to have fun with my book choices. That's why my themes this year are things like cats, cozy mysteries, children's books, chocolate, Christmas, castles, and places like Cornwall and the Cotswolds. I don't read every book on every list. The challenges all allow me to pick any book to fit a challenge theme. And it only has to be one book. I do have an annual goal, both number of books and number of pages. I'm thinking about 75 books and/or 25,000 pages for 2025.

How exciting!! Happy retirement :)

Can't wait to see what your challenge ends up looking like

#67 Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom
3.5 pink stars

I enjoyed this. Yaffe takes us through the history of JASNA, and the quirky people devoted to everything Jane Austen. I would have liked more about some of the fan fiction itself, but there are websites devoted to that. This is pretty lighthearted, although it seems there is perhaps a rather fine line between people who just want to have fun with their fandom, and those who take themselves WAY too seriously!

Description: They walk among us in their bonnets and Empire-waist gowns, clutching their souvenir tote bags and battered paperbacks: the Janeites, Jane Austen’s legion of devoted fans. Who are these obsessed admirers, whose passion has transformed Austen from classic novelist to pop-culture phenomenon? Deborah Yaffe, journalist and Janeite, sets out to answer this question. Along the way, Yaffe meets a Florida lawyer with a byzantine theory about hidden subtexts in the novels, a writer of Austen fan fiction who found her own Mr. Darcy while reimagining Pride and Prejudice, and a literature professor whose roller-derby nom de skate is Stone Cold Jane Austen. Yaffe goes where Janeites gather, joining a pilgrimage to historic sites in Britain, chatting online with fellow fans, and attending the annual ball of the Jane Austen Society of North America—in period costume. For anyone who has ever loved a Jane Austen novel, a warm and witty look at the passionate, thriving world of Austen fandom.

Cumulative pages: 22,035

#68 A Faraway Island
4 red stars.

A children's book, 1st of a series, about two Jewish children sent to live in other countries as antisemitism made things increasingly difficult in Germany and those countries (like Austria) that had fallen under German rule. It's a sobering and realistic look at what life might have been like for these children. Only about 500 children were admitted into Sweden. Adults were not allowed, and so these children had to leave their families, not knowing if they would ever go home or see their parents again. The books were bestsellers in Sweden and were adapted into a popular television series. Parts of this book might be hard to read for younger children. Stephie struggles to fit in, is bullied by other children, and is placed with a somewhat cold and very strict family. And gradually over the book, more and more is revealed of some the horrors faced by the family in Vienna before Stephie and her sister were sent to Sweden. It does end on a more hopeful note, and I would like to read the rest of the series.

Description: It's the summer of 1939. Two Jewish sisters from Vienna—12-year-old Stephie Steiner and 8-year-old Nellie—are sent to Sweden to escape the Nazis. They expect to stay there six months, until their parents can flee to Amsterdam; then all four will go to America. But as the world war intensifies, the girls remain, each with her own host family, on a rugged island off the western coast of Sweden. Nellie quickly settles in to her new surroundings. She’s happy with her foster family and soon favors the Swedish language over her native German. Not so for Stephie, who finds it hard to adapt; she feels stranded at the end of the world, with a foster mother who’s as cold and unforgiving as the island itself. Her main worry, though, is her parents—and whether she will ever see them again.

Cumulative pages: 22,284

#69 People of the Wolf
3 green stars.

I'm not sure how much this sticks to anthropological history, but much of it seemed "off" to me. Too patriarchal and misogynistic for starters. If this is set in approximately 12-13,000 BC I would expect to find a matriarchal system if anything. I also think the kind of shamanism depicted here borders on fantasy. But, taken as a sort of mythical origin narrative, it's a pretty good story. There is plenty of realism in depicting nomadic tribes competing for limited resources in a changing world, and dealing with living in an arctic climate. Personally, I could have done with less realism around hunting and butchering animals for food. The story revolves around two brothers, born under somewhat mystical circumstances, who end up leading two groups of people struggling to survive. One is a "true" dreamer, a shaman forced to give up love and any kind of attachment, in order to give himself fully to the dreams and visions that guide him to lead his people south to a warmer climate. His brother, on the other hand, is too full of himself, and seems to become more and more insane in his quest for power. His is a tale of rape and bloodlust, and he seems completely separated from any kind of empathy or compassion for others. The tale gets a little confused bouncing around between at least three different groups of people bound for a potentially bloody confrontation at the end. There were some strong and interesting women characters. So all in all, I'll give it 3 stars, and I may or may not read any more of this long series.

Description: In the dawn of history, a valiant people forged a pathway from an old world into a new one. Led by a dreamer who followed the spirit of the wolf, a handful of courageous men and women dared to cross the frozen wastes to find an untouched, unspoiled continent. Set in what is now Alaska, this is the magnificent saga of the vision-filled man who led his people to an awesome destiny, and the courageous woman whose love and bravery drove them on in pursuit of that dream.

Cumulative pages: 22,732

#70 Lessons in Chemistry
5 purple stars.

This one is hard to review. I liked it very much, obviously. But why? It's a hilarious satire, but it's also heartbreakingly real at times. I grew up in the 60s, and I can definitely relate to all the ways that women were (and still are) treated unfairly and aren't taken seriously - ESPECIALLY smart women. I could tell some stories of my own. So it hits home. It's also about life, about faith, and about family. There's a bit of a mystery, although that was somewhat predictable. And if none of that entices you - the dog steals the show!

Description: Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Cumulative pages: 23,122

5 days until the end of the year update
Can she do it? She's going to try...

Just started
READ Six Geese A-Slaying for my December "holiday" genre read. I'll easily finish.

For "leftovers", I'm still reading
Queen By Right
READ The Ice Swan and
READ The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford
That last one is really a short story or novella.

I have one "B" title yet to read. The one I had planned is too long. I just downloaded
READ The Body in the Transept. It's also a Christmas story, so bonus.

Whether I can do all 5 in 5 days, I don't know. I have the next three days totally off and nothing else planned, so wish me luck!

#71 The Unpleasantness at the Battle of Thornford
5 blue stars, but only because I love the characters...

This was very short, but for those longing for the next Father Christmas novel it will have to do. I adore these characters and the moral dilemmas that Father Christmas must wrestle with. The mystery is decent. But this should be numbered 3.5, not 4. Still waiting patiently for Nine Ladies Dancing. For the price, this should have been a full-length novel, and unfortunately there were a number of typos or perhaps scanning errors in the Kindle edition.

Description: When a costumed, pike-spiked body turns up after a traditional historic reenactment of
the 1645 Battle of Thornford, the Reverend Tom “Father” Christmas and the villagers of Thornford Regis find themselves in a battle of their own as they deal with events from the murky, more recent past.

Cumulative pages: 23,228

#72 The Ice Swan
3.5 pink stars

A very clean historical romance. Reminds of some of Kristin Hannah's earlier stuff. It would make a great movie, moving between Russia, Paris, and Scotland, palaces and cathedrals, and with some very engaging side characters. Then you have the medical scenes, and the ballet scenes, the escape from a burning Russia, villains, chase scenes and a kidnapping. I think Downton Abbey had a bit of influence on the author. The writing is... interesting. Sometimes it soars, and sometimes it is just a little bit odd, with purple metaphors that somehow are just not quite right. One reviewer commented it seemed like it had been written in a different language and run through Google translate. But it wasn't enough to detract for me. Just a raised eyebrow now and then. As for the romance, perhaps it was too clean. I really wasn't convinced. The conflicts were the usual misunderstandings blown out of proportion, and too easily resolved by a side character saying just the right thing. But on the whole, I did enjoy this.

Description: Fleeing the murderous flames of the Russian Revolution, Princess Svetlana Dalsky hopes to find safety in Paris with her mother and sister. But the city is buckling under the weight of the Great War, and the Bolsheviks will not rest until they have erased every Russian aristocrat from memory. Svetlana and her family are forced into hiding in Paris’s underbelly, with little to their name but the jewels they sewed into their corsets before their terrifying escape.

Born the second son of a Scottish duke, the only title Wynn MacCallan cares for is that of surgeon. Putting his talents with a scalpel to good use in the hospitals in Paris, Wynn pushes the boundaries of medical science to give his patients the best care possible. After treating Svetlana for a minor injury, he is pulled into a world of decaying imperial glitter. Intrigued by this mysterious, cold, and beautiful woman, Wynn follows Svetlana to an underground Russian club where drink, dance, and questionable dealings collide on bubbles of vodka.

Out of money and options, Svetlana agrees to a marriage of convenience with the handsome and brilliant Wynn, who will protect her and pay off her family’s debts. It’s the right thing for a good man to do, but Wynn cannot help hoping the marriage will turn into one of true affection. When Wynn’s life takes an unexpected turn, so does Svetlana’s—and soon Paris becomes as dangerous as Petrograd. And as the Bolsheviks chase them to Scotland, Wynn and Svetlana begin to wonder if they will ever be able to outrun the love they are beginning to feel for one another.

Cumulative pages: 23,628