Play Book Tag discussion
Member ChallengeTracking 2016-20
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LibraryCin/Cindy's 2018 Challenges
12x12 Series, PBT Decathlon, ScaredyKITLibrary of Souls / Ransom Riggs
3.5 stars
Trying to do a summary without giving anything away in the previous books: Jacob and Emma, along with talking dog, Ambrose, need to help the others. (Hey! It’s a “Ridiculously simplified synopsis”, like I used to sometimes add on shelfari!)
This one picked off right where the 2nd book left off. It took me a while to remember what was going on and to get back “into” it, but I quite enjoyed it once I did. I don’t think I liked it as much as the first book, though I still love the old photographs and how the author used them to come up with a story, but I liked it better than the 2nd book.
12x12 Oh Canada, AlphaKIT, RandomCAT, BingoDOG, Reading Through TimeInto the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest / Wade Davis
3.25 stars
George Mallory made three attempts to summit Everest in the early 1920s. On his third attempt in 1924, he and a young, inexperienced Sandy Irvine went missing, and no one knows whether they made it to the top or not. This book looks at all three attempts, plus the people who were involved, many who also fought in WWI.
I really liked the last 1/3 of the book (4 stars worth), but the first 2/3 were hit or miss for me. There were parts that seemed really good, but they just didn’t hold my interest. Some of the stuff on the war was very well-written, but overall, that part of the book just wasn’t all that great for me. However, in the last 1/3 of the book, which followed the last two attempts at Everest in 1922 and 1924, I was fascinated (as I usually expect to be when reading about Everest!). It is possible (but hard to say for sure) the not-holding-my-attention in the first 2/3 of the book (over 400 pages!) could simply be due to stress in my life at the moment. There were also a lot of people involved, so sometimes I would lose track of who was who.
12x12 PBT, PBT, PBT Decathlon, AlphaKIT, BingoDOG???In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran / John Taylor
4 stars
John Taylor of Duran Duran was born Nigel John Taylor and he was an only child. He and his best friend, Nick, later formed what would become Duran Duran. This book looks at John’s life.
I enjoyed more of his childhood and personal life than the details of Duran Duran, to be honest. He did mostly keep to his own life and didn’t share too much of the other guys’ lives beyond the group (so no “dirt” dished out in this book!). John shared more of his seemingly happy childhood than details on the alcohol, drugs, and women as he got older (and successful!), though there was some of that, as well. However, despite being short on details, I still really enjoyed this. There were lots of photographs spread throughout the book and it was quick to read.
12x12 Travel, RandomCAT, BingoDOG, Trim the TBRMachete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak / Jean Hatzfeld
3 stars
The author first wrote a book where he interviewed 14 survivors of the genocide in Rwanda. I haven’t read it, though I've read plenty of other books about it. It was only later that he thought to interview some of those who killed during the genocide. In this book, the interviews were interspersed with history, sometimes a description of interview process and how it came about that the author decided to write this one, sometimes the voices of some of the survivors are included.
The killers just came across to me as very cold, no remorse – to them, it was a job. I wonder if that’s why the book didn’t affect me all that much? I felt detached while reading it. Overall, I’m rating it ok, but for me, there are much better books about Rwanda out there.
LC, the book you read was published in 2011. In 2012 Mallary and Irvine were found on Everest. Yesterday I saw a YouTube video of climbers found Mallory and Irvine. I don't want to give anything more away. Just a head's up: The videos show the body. No where near perfect, so beware--if that bothers you.Here is a link to a blog where no images of Mallory's body is shown.
http"//www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/what-cl...
Oh! Thank you! I will take a look, probably on the weekend.
12x12 Animals, Trim the TBR, ColourCAT, BingoDOG, PBTThe Gerbil Farmer's Daughter: A Memoir / Holly Robinson
3.5 stars
This follows Holly Robinson as a child and teenager, and into the start of college. She grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s and her unorthodox father, while in the Navy, decided to pursue his interest in breeding gerbils, a new type of animal to be potentially used in laboratory research.
I enjoyed the book, but was disappointed to discover that the gerbils were being bred for research purposes (I hadn’t realized that initially), rather than as pets. Other than that, I did enjoy the story, the information about the gerbils, etc. There was also a little bit of humour here and there in the book.
12x12 CAT Challenges, MysteryCAT, BingoDOG, RandomCATSnow White Must Die / Nele Neuhaus
4 stars
Tobias is just coming home after 10 years in prison for murdering two teenage girls (his own age) in the small town he lived in. He was convicted on (damning) circumstantial evidence, and that he had blacked out and couldn’t even remember if he’d done it himself. In those 10 years, his family lost so much. There is a new girl in town, Amelie, who befriends Tobias, and tries to find out more about the case. Meanwhile, the townspeople are not happy that Tobias is back.
I really liked this. The viewpoint shifted quite often, which was fine, but there were a lot of characters, so I was getting people confused for a while. Especially amongst the police, as they would sometimes refer to the same person by their first name and other times, by their last name. There was some following of the two main police officers, but I didn’t find either of their personal stories all that interesting. Tobias’s story was, by far, the best part of the book.
12x12 Audio, RandomCAT, AlphaKIT, Mystery SubgenreFool Me Once / Harlan Coben
3.5 stars
Maya, former military, witnessed the murder of her husband, but soon after, sees him on her nanny cam! She sets out to find out what’s going on – is her mind playing tricks on her?
This was good, but maybe not as much as many of his other books. There were plenty of twists, and I definitely didn’t see the end coming! I really disliked Maya, though, and I was still left a little bit confused about one thing at the end. As a side note, I listened to the audio, and the narrator did a nice job.
12x12 Nonfiction, Listopia, Passport ChallengeMountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World / Tracy Kidder
3.5 stars
Before Paul Farmer became a doctor, he spent some time in Haiti with poor people. He already had an anthropology degree. He realized that helping these people get well was what he wanted to do with his life. And workaholic that he seemed to be (at least doing this, what he loved to do), that’s what he did! And, he started a foundation (Partners in Health) that expanded to Peru and Russia and beyond. They treated mostly TB and HIV.
This was good. Impressive, everything he did/does, but at the same time one wonders how he managed/manages to get everything done. He had to also navigate political interactions, as well.
12x12 PBT, PBT, Travel Across Canada, Trim the TBRSmall Beneath the Sky: A Prairie Memoir / Lorna Crozier
3.5 stars
Lorna Crozier is a poet. She was born in 1948 and grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. This tells of her life, much of it during her childhood. Her family didn’t have a lot of money and her father was an alcoholic.
I liked this. I wasn’t sure at first, as there are short chapters that just seem descriptive, which I guess shows more of her poetic side, but those sections didn’t interest me nearly as much as her life stories. I grew up in Southern Sask, and my dad grew up in Swift Current, so it’s always fun to read about places you know. It’s a short book, and she did skip over a lot of stuff. Overall, though, I did enjoy the parts about her life and the familiar places.
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, Trim the TBR, Mystery Subgenre, RandomCAT, AlphaKITCharley's Web / Joy Fielding
4 stars
Charley (Charlotte) is a columnist for a newspaper. When she is contacted by a child murderer on death row to write her side of the story, Charley is a bit hesitant, but decides to do it. Meanwhile, she and her two kids’ lives are being threatened due to some of what she’s writing in her columns.
This really pulled me in. I wanted to keep reading, and I did! I finished it faster than I’d expected, but the drawback is that I’m afraid I might forget it quicker, as well. However, it was a great read while I was reading, that’s for sure! Definite twist ending I certainly didn’t see coming!
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, Mystery Subgenre, MysteryCATGone Without a Trace / Mary Torjussen
4.5 stars
One day, when Hannah comes home from work, she finds her boyfriend, Matt, gone. All his stuff is gone, and her stuff is put back in its place from before he moved in. It’s as if he was never there. All his online profiles are gone, all photos that included him are missing, including from Hannah’s devices, all emails and texts are gone. There is no trace of him.
I got sucked into this right away! This sure kept me wanting to read! And the twist!!! I didn’t see it coming at all, but to be honest, I usually don’t. Hannah was extremely obsessive, and there was plenty to not like about her, but I still felt badly for her and wanted her to find Matt. I couldn’t believe the way her best friend, Katie, was treating the whole thing – I did not like that at all. I will stop there; I don’t want to say too much more, for fear of accidentally giving something away.
12x12 NonfictionThe Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts / Joshua Hammer
2 stars
According to the title (and subtitle), this is meant to be about librarians in Timbuktu (a city in the African country of Mali) who saved over 300,000 manuscripts from Al Qaeda after they occupied Timbuktu. Really, there was some about the guy collecting all these manuscripts, and later on, about evacuating them all; but, the majority of the book was really about the history of Islam, and the history of the area.
I was disappointed. I guess I’m just not that interested in the history, at least the way it was written in this book, anyway. I listened to the audio, which may have had a bearing on what I thought, but in all honesty, I still don’t think I would have liked it.
12x12 Off the Shelf, ColourCAT, RandomCATThe Courage Tree / Diane Chamberlain
4 stars
When Janine’s 8-year old, Sophie, goes away to a camp with the other Brownies/Girl Scouts, it’s an adventure for her. Sophie is in end-stage renal failure, but has been feeling so much better on an alternative herbal mixture that is being tested. On the way home, she and another little girl are in a second vehicle with a younger leader. When their vehicle doesn’t return home, time is ticking on Sophie’s treatment. What happened? Janine and her ex-husband, Joe, are frantic to find Sophie!
This was really good. Another page-turner that kept me wanting to stay up late and read! Oh, Joe and Janine’s parents just made me want to smack them all, though. In addition to a couple other characters.
12x12 Trim the TBR, Trim the TBRJack of Fables, Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape / Bill Willingham
4 stars
Jack Horner/Jack the Giant-Killer is a big shot in Hollywood, but when he walks away from it, he is captured and brought to a “retirement home” for Fables. Really, it’s a prison and they aren’t allowed to leave. Jack manages to convince the others to try to escape.
I quite enjoyed this! As with all the Fables graphic novels, the illustrations are amazing. I enjoyed the little gallery at the end of various sketches of some of the characters, as well. I liked the new characters at the prison, the Page sisters (called “librarians” but really, their jobs have them in “Retrievals”, “Security” and “Research”). I will definitely be continuing this spin-off series! (Now, if only I would go back and finish the original Fables series – I only have a couple more to go!)
12x12 Oh Canada, RandomCATBlack Chuck / Regan McDonell
4 stars
Real’s best friend, Shaun, has died, and Rael feels responsible, though all he remembers is beating Shaun up that night; after that, he can’t remember. Shaun’s 16-year old girlfriend, Evie, is pregnant. As Real tries to come to grips with what happened, he and Evie become closer.
This started off kind of slow, but I liked both Rael and Evie and how they related to each other. I’m not sure how big or small the town was meant to be, but it had a small town feel, with the teenagers drinking, partying, and drugs being available.
12x12 Mystery Subgenre, Mystery SubgenreThe Chamber / John Grisham
3.5 stars
Adam Hall is a new lawyer. In Mississippi, Sam Cayhall, a (former) KKK member, is on death row for bombing a building in 1967 where a Jewish lawyer worked; the bomb went off when the lawyer’s 5-year old twin sons were there and both were killed. When Adam learns that Sam is his grandfather (Adam was only 3 when his father left Mississippi and changed all their names so as to not be associated with his own racist KKK father), he decides to head to Mississippi to fight the death sentence against Sam.
This was good, but maybe not quite as good as many of Grisham’s others. I think it was a bit slower. There were sort of two parts to it: the legal case being made and the pro/con death penalty, but also the story of a family with secrets, as Adam and Sam (and Adam and his aunt, Sam’s daughter) get to know each other. I thought about upping my rating just a little bit at the end, but decided I’d stick with how I felt through the majority of the book and go with 3.5 stars “good”.
12x12 KIT Challenges, AlphaKITYou Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation / Susannah Gora
4 stars
This book looks at ‘80s teen movies, including many John Hughes’ movies. The book takes the reader behind the scenes in the movies and we learn about the actors, as well as John Hughes and the other directors. There are chapters on “Sixteen Candles”, “The Breakfast Club”, “St. Elmo’s Fire”, “Pretty in Pink”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Some Kind of Wonderful”, and “Say Anything”.
What a fun book for someone who was a teenager in the 80s (me)! I’ve seen all but two of the movies (and now feel like I should see those two!). Many of the actors were part of what became labelled the “Brat Pack”, based on an article written that was originally meant to be about Emilio Estevez, but became about a group of them who were out together one night. To be honest, I’d not even realized the phrase was meant (at the time) to be derogatory; I never read the article, nor had I realized that’s even where the term originated. So, I did learn plenty about the actors and the movies. I also want to go back and re-watch some of the movies I’ve already seen. My favourites were “Pretty in Pink” (I love Duckie!) and “Some Kind of Wonderful”.
12x12 Series, ScaredyKIT, ColourCATBrimstone / Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
3 stars
In this Pendergast novel, someone is found, seemingly burned from the inside-out and there is a burnt hoof-print in the room.
I liked the beginning and end of the book, but much of the middle lost my interest. I’ve listened to many of the Pendergast novels, but have not been happy with them, so I finally tried an ebook, but I’m not sure it’s worth another chance. This one was way too long, and I don’t think I’m enjoying them enough to continue on. The ending has me a bit intrigued, but I’m not sure it’s enough. Hmmm, I’ve looked back and I liked more than I thought of the previous books. I guess it’s just the couple I didn’t like as much that stuck in my head. Maybe I should keep going, after all.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR, PBT DecathlonDeadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History / Kalee Thompson
4 stars
In 2008, a fishing trawler sunk in the Bearing Sea in Alaskan waters. There were 47 people on board. They were hours away from any help, but Coast Guard helicopters made their way there, along with a ship to help rescue as many people as possible.
The book started off a little “slower” (though still good), with cutting back and forth between the sinking of the boat and background information. At times, I found it a bit hard to follow… but only at first. As the book continued on, I got to know the people better (though there were a lot of people, so it was still easy to get some of them mixed up), so it helped me “place” where we were in the story (whether “current” timeline or background info on the people, or the history of the area, or the fishing industry, or whatever). In the end, I thought it was really good. The book was primarily put together based on interviews with the people involved.
LibraryCin wrote: "12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR, PBT DecathlonDeadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History / Kalee Thompson
4 stars
In 2008, a fishing trawler sunk i..."
This book sounds interesting. I sometimes am interested in books that describe weather/conditions and how people cope with. I have like you read book:The Children's Blizzard|240373] and Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History.I am going to look at your weather list to see what I can find at the local library 😎
I have just added to my tbr list Man vs. Weather: Be Your Own Weatherman :-)
Hope you enjoy them, Cynda! Yes, I really enjoy disaster/weather stories, as well.
12x12 Animals, PBT, Trim the TBRPrimates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas / Jim Ottaviani, Maris Wicks
4 stars
This is a YA graphic novel that tells of the lives and great ape studies of Jane Goodall (chimpanzees), Dian Fossey (gorillas), and Birute Galdikas (orangutans).
This was really good! I’ve read about Goodall and Fossey before, but nothing about Galdikas (though I’ve now added one of her books to my tbr!). Because it’s a fairly short graphic novel that covers all three women, it skips a lot of detail, but I really enjoyed the information that was there, and I loved the illustrations! There is also a very nice bibliography included at the end. Beautiful graphic novel about three amazing women.
12x12 Travel, PBT, BingoDOGNumber the Stars / Lois Lowry.
4 stars
It’s 1943 and the Nazis have occupied Denmark for a few years now. Annemarie is 10-years old and lives in Copenhagen. Her best friend, Ellen, is Jewish. When Ellen’s family learns that the Nazis will start relocating Jews, they make plans to hide, and Annemarie’s family is helping.
This is told from Annemarie’s point of view. So, there is a lot she doesn’t know, but she can often tell when something is bad or wrong. It’s a very short book (but, of course, it’s intended for kids), but very good. I didn’t know of the Nazi occupation of Denmark (or, I guess, hadn’t really thought about Scandinavia during the war), so it was interesting to me to learn about what happened there (and that Sweden, on the other hand, was left alone by the Nazis). Lowry included an author’s note at the end to explain what was real and what was fiction; I always appreciate that in my historical fiction.
12x12 Audio, Trim the TBR, ListopiaPeter the Great: His Life and World / Robert K. Massie
2 stars
This is a biography of Peter the Great, who was Tsar of Russia in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Of course, it’s also a history of Russia at the time. Entwined with that (due to wars) is some history of Sweden.
I should start by mentioning that I listened to the audio. It was very very loooooong. And boring. At least, the entire looooong middle section about warring with Sweden (or Tsweden, as pronounced by the narrator – like tsar; and unfortunately, we also got words like tsea and tsince), just isn’t all that interesting to me, so I tuned out. The stuff about Peter’s family life and Russian architecture – that held my interest a bit more, but not by much, unfortunately. But, oh my god – listening to that guy pronounce many words starting with ‘s’ as if they start with ‘ts’ - gaaahh! I should also add that I do find the history/biography of women more interesting to start with. Also, I seem to prefer female narrators – not all the time in either case, but often. So, all those factors may have lessened my interest in this one.
12x12 KIT Challenges, Travel Across Canada, AlphaKIT, ScaredyKIT, Trim the TBRThe Unquiet Past / Kelley Armstrong
4 stars
This is one of 7 books in the “Secrets” series, all written by different authors. The premise behind the series, as a whole, is that, in 1964, an orphanage in Ontario has burnt down. The oldest kids are sent off on their own with only a small piece of info given to each of them about their past.
In this one, Tess is given only a phone number (but it’s out of service) and an address in a town in Quebec. The address leads to a large abandoned house. Tess has visions, and has never told anyone other than her very best friend about them. She gets an eerie feeling in this house. What happened here and what is Tess’ connection to the place?
I really liked this. I loved the super-creepy feeling at one point in the story. Wow, this author was very good with creating that creepy atmosphere! This is the second book I’ve read in this series, and I do plan to continue on.
12x12 CAT Challenges, MysteryCAT, Passport Challenge, ScaredyKIT, BingoDOG, ColourCATPerfume: The Story of a Murderer / Patrick Suskind
2.25 stars
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was an orphan and people didn’t like him from when he was a baby and wanted nothing to do with him. Mostly, he didn’t want anything to do with other people either. To other people, there was something very odd about him. Though others didn’t necessarily know it, Grenouille had an amazing sense of smell, unlike any other human.
WTF was that ending!? Despite how slow-moving the book was, with a TON of description (slow-moving and lots of description is not usually my thing), I was ready to rate this 3 stars (ok) or possibly even 3.5 stars (good), but if I was the kind of person to throw a book across the room (I’ve never done it), this is the book I would have thrown due to the ending! WTF was that!? Other than the end, I surprised myself by not skimming and being completely bored by all the description of the scents and such. But, seriously!? What a ridiculous ending! Oh, the title is a bit misleading; well, there are murders, but they are almost all within a very short interval close to the end of the book. I’m giving it the extra .25 star for somehow managing to keep my interest despite all the description and nothing happening.
12x12 Audio, Travel Across Canada, BingoDOGWhere I Belong / Alan Doyle
5 stars
Alan Doyle grew up to become lead singer of Great Big Sea. He grew up in a small town, just outside St. John’s, Newfoundland with 3 siblings and a very musical family; in fact, they were known as “The Doyles from Petty Harbour” and everyone knew they were musical. The book is told as a series of stories, and include stories of his family and friends, music, religion (Catholic vs. Protestant), fishing, and more.
I listened to the audio, read by Alan himself. I loved it! The accent and the phrases, and he’s so funny! I laughed out loud many times (people on transit probably stealing odd glances toward me?)! Oh, what a great storyteller! Listening to the audio, he actually played a recording of a brief conversation with his mom, and when there were lyrics in the text of the book, he sang them. Sigh…
I had a roommate/best friend in my 20s who was from Newfoundland (in fact, from The Goulds, near Petty Harbour, where Alan went to high school) – the accent and phrases and funny stories all made me think of her. He’s only a few years older than me and my friend, so I recognized many things/places that she talked about, as well. Oh, I even remember her mentioning the high school band he was in – I think she showed me a yearbook photo of them with the FA on the drums (for First Attempt).
I really don’t think people would need the personal (or in my case, secondary) references to enjoy this, though. I highly recommend the audio!
12x12 PBT, PBT, Reading Through Time, BingoDOG, Trim the TBRChina Dolls / Lisa See
4 stars
It’s 1938. Grace is from small-town Ohio, where she and her parents were the only Orientals, though her parents brought her up to be completely American, and has left her abusive home to go to San Francisco to try out as a dancer at an expo. While trying to find her way around Chinatown, she meets Helen, who was raised in a very traditional Chinese family/home. She convinces Helen to come with her to try out, as well. At the tryouts, they meet Ruby, another dancer, who wants to become famous. They become friends and live through WWII trying to make ends meet as entertainers in the Oriental clubs, and later on, touring the “Chop-Suey Circuit”.
I really liked this! I have to admit, I liked Grace best of the three girls, and I found her story the most interesting. The book is told in alternating chapters from each of the girls’ points of view. Each chapter is titled with the girl’s name, so I was able to follow this quite easily. It was really interesting to learn about the Chinese entertainers from the time period.
12x12 Off the Shelf, Trim the TBR, ColourCATFrench Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew / Peter Mayle
2.5 stars
The author writes about food and wine in France.
I think I received this via a “white elephant swap” a while back. I’m not a foodie, and I’m sure someone who appreciates food, particularly French food, would get much more out of this. I found most of the food he discussed quite disgusting. I also don’t drink alcohol, including wine, though I think there was only one chapter on wine (maybe two?). At the same time, he actually is an engaging writer. And there were a couple chapters near the end that didn’t talk about food that I found more interesting – one was about food critics and travel guide ratings, and one was an entertaining chapter as the author and his wife stayed at a spa for a few days.
LibraryCin wrote: "12x12 Off the Shelf, Trim the TBR, ColourCATFrench Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew / Peter Mayle
2.5 stars
The author writes about food and wine in France.
I t..."
I don't drink wine either Cin. Yet I find that juice works fairly well for deglazing sautee pans. I could buy more expensive sparking grape juice, but I find the regular ole grape does the job adequately. Sometimes I have had only had prepared apple or orange juice or whole lemons or limes. I just make a choice about what flavor would work best.
Just in case this helps with cooking in general, not so much to convince you about a cookbook.
Thank you, Cynda! I don't cook much, so this is good to know!
12x12 Oh Canada, Travel Across CanadaNorth of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both / Cea Sunrise Person
4 stars
It was the 1970s. Cea was born to a 15-year old mom at a time when her mom, grandparents, aunts, and uncle were leaving California for Alberta to live out in the wilderness. They lived primarily in a tipi during Cea’s first 5 years of life. After that, her mom, Michelle, found Karl, so they left Cea’s grandparents behind to head to BC to live in a cabin… at which time Karl mostly managed to steal things they needed (including sleeping arrangements). Michelle seemed to only be able to function when she had a man to take care of her and Cea. Oh, yeah. Also, the drugs… that includes Cea’s grandparents. And the nudity, and sex. No one cared about privacy.
Interesting story. Sure don’t agree with how they lived, and the poor girl had such a crazy life. I liked that she continued her story, though not in as much detail or in nearly as many chapters (the bulk of the book/story was her childhood), into her teen years (when she became a model) and adulthood and how she dealt with her “unusual” background. People compare her dysfunctional family life with Jeanette Walls and “The Glass Castle”. It’s been a few years since I read it, but the neglectful parents/adults sure fit the theme! Toward the end, I considered upping my rating, but decided to go with how I felt reading the majority of it.
12x12 Travel, PBT, ListopiaCatherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman / Peter K. Massie
3 stars
Catherine the Great was Empress of Russia in the mid- to late-18th century. This looks back at her entire life and reign.
I listened to the audio and there were parts that were ok and parts that I liked. I suppose (no surprise to me) I enjoyed the parts about her personal life more than about her reign. In fact, I probably enjoyed the first half better for that reason – the second half was after she became empress. I think I’ve read one other book about her, but had forgotten about her very childlike husband, Peter III (the grandson of Peter the Great). I thought it was a decent biography, though another friend who likes history was bored by it. In my opinion, though, it was much better than the author’s book on Peter the Great!
12x12 PBT, PBT, ColourCAT, AlphaKIT, Trim the TBRThe Lake House / Kate Morton
4 stars
In 1933, when Alice was a teenager, her 11 month old brother disappeared one night during a party. In 2003, Sadie, a detective, has been suspended from her job and is in Cornwall when she comes across the mystery of Alice’s baby brother, Theo, so she tries to figure out what happened to the little boy.
I quite liked this. There are a lot of perspectives and a lot of jumping around in time, which usually don’t bother me, but even when in the past, I really had to pay attention to the start of the chapters (which outlined what time period we were in), as we even jumped between the 1930s and earlier than that. The end was quite a coincidence, though I think there as an attempt to explain coincidences a bit earlier (though in a different context). It wasn’t impossible, but still a bit far-fetched. This and “The Distant Hours” are the ones I’ve rated the lowest by her, though 4 stars is still very good, in my opinion. Have to admit that, going through a stressful time, there were times when I had a bit of trouble focusing, but I don’t think I really missed anything for it.
12x12 Nonfiction, RandomCATWeeds: In Defense of Nature's Most Unloved Plants / Richard Mabey
3 stars
This is mostly a history of plants that may be considered weeds – basically, plants that are somewhere where a human doesn’t want it to be. It looks at how they travel, plants that were used medicinally, how they (re)populate decimated areas. He looks at how they’ve been viewed in history, including in literature, and more.
It was ok. Some parts were interesting, and others were dry. I probably tuned out a lot when he was looking at literature (except “In Flanders Fields”, which has more meaning).
12x12 KIT Challenges, ScaredyKIT, Travel Across Canada, PBTNever Let You Go / Chevy Stevens
4.5 stars
Lindsey’s ex-husband, Andrew, has been in jail for the past decade. He was abusive toward Lindsey, and she has since built a new life for her and her daughter, Sophie. Unfortunately when Andrew gets out of jail, he comes back to the town where Lindsey and Sophie live.
I have not yet been disappointed in a Chevy Stevens novel. I found this very fast-paced and suspenseful, and I wanted to keep reading. I listened to the audio, which was very well done; it was read by two different narrators, one for Lindsey and one for Sophie. The book does jump around in time (now and then) and perspective (Lindsey and Sophie). Very very good, in my opinion! There was what I thought of as a coincidence at the end, but without saying too much, it turned out to be planned, so not a coincidence, after all.
12x12 TravelThe Thirteen Problems / Agatha Christie
2.5 stars
This consists of short stories, but joined together by way of a group of friends, including Miss Marple, who gather to tell mysteries and try to solve them.
I still like the character of Miss Marple, but short stories are not my thing. I’m coming to learn that Agatha Christie isn’t really my thing, either. I actually liked the interactions between the friends, but my mysteries themselves weren’t very interesting. Unfortunately, my mind wandered throughout most of them.
12x12 Animals, Trim the TBRThe Cat Who Went to Paris / Peter Gethers
4 stars
The author was a writer of screenplays and books, and never liked cats. When a girlfriend and his brother got together to get him a Scottish Fold cat (their ears are bent down), he fell in love instantly! But, his lifestyle involved a lot of travel. Right from when the little kitten, at 6 weeks old, came to live with him and flew across the country to do so, Peter brought Norton with him most of the time when he was travelling. Norton had no problems with it. He loved people and people loved him.
Love this little cat! What a charmer! Felt badly that he was separated from mom and siblings at only 6 weeks, though (that’s really too soon; from what I’ve read, ideal is 12 weeks to be completely socialized, though most breeders and many rescues will send them out at 8 weeks, when they are physically ready). I’m not sure the years/decades Norton lived, but the book was written in 1991, so maybe less attention was paid to that back then? There were cute little cat illustrations at the start of each chapter, as well.
12x12 Trim, Trim the TBR, PBTCult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement / Irene Spencer
3 stars
Irene Spencer was part of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Mormons) and one of multiple wives of Verlan LeBaron. The LeBaron’s were not thought highly of; in fact, it was thought they were crazy. Verlon’s brother Ervil thought himself a prophet, and when people didn’t follow him, he decided it was time for “blood atonement” - that is, those who didn’t follow him should be killed.
Irene Spencer wrote an earlier book (Shattered Dreams) that I liked much much more. It followed her life. In this one, she was on the sidelines (somewhat), though her and her husband’s lives were in danger. I have to admit, when I started reading it, I was expecting a continuation of her first book (though I don’t recall where her earlier book left off, so maybe there wasn’t much to continue?), so it took me a while to realize that this wasn’t her own story this time, so it took a while to get a little more interested. There are a lot of people, so sometimes hard to remember who’s who. Overall, I’ll rate this one “ok”.
12x12 Travel, PBT DecathlonThe Little Stranger / Sarah Waters
3.75 stars
Dr. Faraday is called out to an old house (mansion?), Hundreds Hall. It’s now falling apart, but when Faraday was a child, his mother was one of the servants. Now, the house has only three inhabitants: Mrs. Ayers, and her two adult children, Roderick and Caroline. They have only two servants, young Betty and Mrs. Bazeley. As Faraday is treating various members of the family, he comes out to the house more and more. He becomes entangled in the lives of the Ayers, and the creepy old house. The old house that seems to… have a mind of its own…?
It’s not a fast paced book, but it’s very creepy in parts. There was one part close to the start that was a bit slower for me, but the rest of it, despite the slowness of it, kept me interested. Definitely creepy, though, and I quite liked the ending.
12x12 Oh Canada, Reading Through Time, Trim the TBR, BingoDOGThe Headmaster's Wager / Vincent Lam
3.5 stars
Percival is a Chinese man living in Vietnam during the war. He runs an English school, and he longs to go home to China. When his son is arrested and later released, Percival arranges to have his son sent to China so that he’ll be safe. As Percival moves on with his life with Vietnemese-French woman Jacqueline, he worries about his son.
This one started really slowly for me. It went back and forth in time, and with a few characters having both Chinese and English names, I was slightly confused, initially. Once we got about a third of the way into the book (and mostly, those characters with multiple names were known by their English names), it picked up for me. This was about the time Percival’s son was son was sent away – or maybe when he was arrested. Anyway, it really picked up for me. There were some parts that were more political that I wasn’t as interested in. I know next-to-nothing about the Vietnam War, so initially I felt like that also made it a bit harder to follow the story, but again, it seemed to get clearer as the book went along. Overall, I’m rating it “good”.
12x12 CAT Challenges, Passport Challenge, Travel Across Canada, PBT, ColourCAT, Trim the TBRThe Concubine's Children / Denise Chong
4 stars
This is a biography of three generations of a Chinese-Canadian family. Chan Sam came to Canada and left his Chinese wife at home, but soon brought a beautiful younger Chinese woman to Canada as his concubine: May-ying. May-ying gave Chan Sam 3 daughters; before the 3rd one (Hing) came along, the other two had been taken back to China to live with Chan Sam’s Chinese wife. Hing, the daughter who stayed in Canada, was mostly neglected by her drinking, gambling mother. Hing’s daughter, Denise, is the author of the book. The book does focus mostly on May-ying, but it also tells the story of the family in China, as well. I can’t recall the phrase in the book, but something along the lines of a split family.
I thought this was very good. It covers a good portion of the 20th century, so it also includes a bit of history of how Chinese people were treated in Canada, and North America, in general, over that century. The story was interesting, and it did primarily focus on the most interesting person, in my opinion, May-ying. There was also a nice set of photos included – photos of those in both Canada and China.
12x12 Series, AlphaKITThereby Hangs a Tail / Spencer Quinn
4 stars
This is the 2nd Chet and Bernie mystery; Bernie’s a PI, and Chet is his partner and dog. When Chet and Bernie are hired to be bodyguards for a show dog, Princess – although being bodyguards are not their usual “thing” – things go wrong when both Princess and her owner are kidnapped.
The story is told from Chet’s point of view. It took a chapter or two at the start of the book for me to remember/get used to this, but after that, I quite enjoyed the dog’s POV. It added some humour and we got to see some things that Bernie didn’t get to see, particularly between Chet and Princess. I didn’t like Princess, initially (neither did Chet), but she grew on me (as she did Chet), and I quite enjoyed their interactions after that. I’m pretty sure I liked this better than the first book in the series and I will definitely be continuing on. (Hmmm, reread my review, and I guess I rated both books the same, after all!)
12x12 Off the Shelf, Mystery SubgenreChocolate Chip Cookie Murder / Joanne Fluke
3.5 stars
Hannah owns a cookie shop and when one of her delivery guys turns up shot in the alley behind, she helps out her brother-in-law, a cop, with the investigation.
I mostly enjoyed it. You could tell it was written a while back (published in 2000 – I actually though a little earlier while reading), as the technology is not up-to-date. My ebook had an extra novella (that I quite liked!) tacked on at the end that had more current technology – it was written in 2006. There are many cookie recipes at the end of some of the chapters (I think every chapter in the novella had one). You could probably make an entire cookie recipe book out of just the recipes included! I liked the characters and the small town feel. After the main novel, I wasn’t sure if I would continue the series, but after reading the novella, I decided that I would.
12x12 Nonfiction, Trim the TBRWe Are the Romani People: Volume 28 / Ian Hancock
3.5 stars
I thought this was a good introduction to history and culture of the Romani people (more commonly known as “gypsies”). It was interspersed with photos and cartoons, and it was written by a Romani. I knew nothing, beyond stereotypes. I have read one fictional book that stuck in my mind and created an interest in reading some nonfiction about Romani. In addition to history (including slavery and the Holocaust), more detail about some of the culture included food (including a few recipes) and language. There were also some well-known/notable Romani people (and descendants) listed (including Charlie Chaplin, Rita Hayworth, Django Reinhardt, Michael Caine, Bill Clinton). Good book, certainly a good introduction, in my opinion.
12x12 Off the Shelf, Travel Across CanadaJane of Lantern Hill / L.M. Montgomery
3.5 stars
Jane has been living in Toronto with her rich grandmother and her mother as long as she can remember. She doesn’t even realize her father is still alive and living on Prince Edward Island, until a letter comes asking if she can stay with him for a summer. Her (hateful!) grandmother hates Jane’s father, and all Jane knows is to hate him, and she doesn’t want to go. But, when she meets her dad, she is pleasantly surprised.
I enjoyed this! LM Montgomery’s books are pretty simple, and the end was tied up with a nice bow, but I still enjoyed it, overall.
12x12 SeriesThe Secret Place / Tana French
3.5 stars
When 16-year old Holly, a girl who attends a boarding school, goes to a detective who helped her in the past, she brings with her a card – a card with a secret. The person who wrote the card says she knows who killed Chris Harper. Chris was murdered the year before. The detective, Stephen, is a cold case detective and goes to the original detective on the case to see if they can try again to solve the murder.
I listened to the audio and liked both narrators, but I did lose interest a bit more in the girls’ voice. One of the narrators (a male) voices the parts told from the POV of Stephen. The female narrator told the story from the girls’ points of view in the time leading up to the murder, and after the murder – the bit of time until Holly goes to Stephen with the card. Overall, it was good, but not nearly as good as the other books in the series to this point, in my opinion. I do love listening to the Irish accents on the audio, though.
Play Book Tag
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Jane Bites Back / Michael Thomas Ford
3.5 stars
It’s current day. Jane Austen (now known as Jane Fairfax) is a vampire and is running a small bookstore in a town in New York State. She has written a novel and has been trying for a long time to get it published, but she has been rejected 116 times! She is friends with Lucy, the woman who works for her, and is fighting possible romantic feelings for a local man who is interested in her, Walter.
I really enjoyed this! It’s just a light, enjoyable read and I enjoyed the literary characters. Funny thing – yes, it’s a vampire novel (so obviously unbelievable to start with!) – there were a few little things I found unbelievable, though they were little things. It’s the first book in a series (or trilogy?) and I do plan to continue.