Ann’s Comments (group member since Dec 20, 2013)

Ann’s comments from the CPL's Book a Week Challenge group.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. My grandmother was born on St. Patrick's Day, so I always think of her when I'm wearing the green.
I've been thinking of this all week, and come up with different characters each time. You started with Tolkien so I'll continue: from the Hobbit, it is Thorin's death that affected me, as did Boromir and Théoden's in the Lord of the Rings.
Anne Perry is also very good and making the deaths in her mysteries count, thematically and emotionally.

Happy Pi Day! This week I've been binging on Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series, this week I've read Die Laughing, A Mourning Wedding, Fall of a Philanderer, and Gunpowder Plot, and am now reading The Bloody Tower (set in the Tower of London). I finished last month's dewey challenge, Rising Strong by Brene Brown (and now have The Gifts of Imperfection on my TBR pile), and am also currently reading The Templars: The History and the Mth by Michael Haag.


I'm going to have to try Following Gandalf- it sounds interesting.

In an odd coincidence, one of the NookBooks that I found on their under 2.99 page and have started reading is The Templars: The History and The Myth by Michael Haag. It's been very interesting so far, began with the history of the middle east long before the Templars were created.

Let me know what you think of the Circus Fire. I might have to read it, if it's well written. I'd be interested to see what he says about it. I read a children's book about the fire years ago. And I was told that my father's half-sister was at that circus performance.

Since I last posted, I've read After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson (very good), Indirect Lines by Dana Marie Bell (a friend of mine, very funny), Cater Street Hangman and Callander Square by Anne Perry, Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb, and The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones (awesome series, can't wait to see what she does next). I'm now reading Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn. I'll probably read my Dewey challenge book next. :)

I finished Scoundrel and read the rest of the series (Rebel and Stranger), and then read Jesse Hayworth's Mustang Ridge series (Summer, Winter, Harvest, Firelight, and Coming Home to Mustang Ridge). Not sure what to read next.

My Dewey book for February is Rising Strong by Brene Brown. I found her books because she wrote the forward for The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer, and read her book Daring Greatly. So now I'm interested to see what she says in this book.

The best part for me is finding out what happens next (although you can't have what happens next until you have how the characters act and react based on what happened first). The characters have to be believable, but my favorite question is always... and then what happens.

Good Luck with the cookoff. I use cocoa powder in my chili (and cumin). :)

I've finished Blind Justice, Blood on the Water, and Corridors of the Night and so am caught up on the William Monk series. I am now rereading The Blades of the Rose series by Zoe Archer: I've read Warrior, and am now reading Scoundrel. It's an enjoyable series, written by a friend of mine. Not sure what to read next, probably my two Dummies books.

My cookbook for the month is called One Pot, and has some lovely ethnic recipes: there are a variety of ethnic dishes. The recipe I want to try first is beef cooked in whole spices. The pictures are quite tempting.

I have checked out two Dummies books in the 000s for this challenge: Microsoft Surface for Dummies and Twitter for Dummies. Hopefully I'll learn all of the cool tricks the Surface can do, and set up my own Twitter account.

It's a dangerous business going out your front door.
J.R.R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Would you know when about you can put up the page for this year's program? Just curious. Thanks.

I finished Dark Assassin, and have read Execution Dock, Acceptable Loss, A Sunless Sea, and am now reading Blind Justice (only 2 more to go). I might binge read this weekend, although with the news that Alan Rickman passed away, I might have to do a Harry Potter movie marathon.

Ingrid wrote: "Well, I came down w/ pneumonia, along w/ my daughter & husband so that has put me behind about a week. No getting to the library or trying an Aidan cookbook yet. I just finished Felicia Day's You'r..."
I hope you're feeling better. Let us know what you think of Gillian Anderson's book when you finish, I was thinking of checking that out from the library.

Julie wrote: "I'll probably Finish Manners and Mutiny today.
I'm not positive what I'll start on next for this week.

I am curious though, when is the drawing for the 2015 52 book challenge?

[bookcover:Manners..."
I've read most of her Parasol Protectorate books and thought they were very good, and I read Etiquette & Espionage, and enjoyed it. Maybe I'll reread those and finish the series when I am through with my Monk book binge.

I'm still working on my Monk-a-thon: I finished Funeral in Blue, Death of a Stranger, and The Shifting Tide, and am now reading. Dark Assassin. (after this there are 6 Monk books and I am caught up). Not sure what to read next.

Cool idea. I've got loads of cookbooks, and was thinking that I should use them more (or donate them and use the shelf space for other books). I can't wait to start. :)

Julie wrote: "I did it! I just finished book number 52, now I just have to log almost all of them in the library system. :D"
Yay! Congrats. :)