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FINISHED!
LAUREL CA
S- Scent of Evil

P-Port of Sorrow

R-The Ruby Brooch

I-

N-No Certain Rest

Completed April 29/14
G-Girl Jacked

I just noticed this a few day ago, so I am late getting started!
DONE, all 5 are finished! As of May 23/14-


Thanks, Michael. I especially enjoyed Scent of Evil, in the Lt. Joe Gunther series. This is the third I have read and I just bought the next in the series,

Forgot to mention the mystery centred around the discovery of a body, at Antietam dating back to the famous battle, written by Jim Lehrer of PBS fame-a historical mystery, with half of the story taking place at the actual battle.No Certain Rest

Good morning, Laurel. Hope you're well. Some great book titles there!:)





Also reading



DCI Banks- Peter Robinson
Inspector Barnaby- Carolyn Graham
Nero Wolfe-Rex Stout
Travis McGee-John D. MacDonald
Lucas Davenport-John Sandford
Joe Gunther-Archer Myer
Dalziel & Pascoe-
Inspector Morse-Colin Dexter
Dalgleish-P.D. James
Cooper & Fry -Stephen Booth
DCI Lynley-Elizabeth George
Charlie Parker-John Connolly
Dave Robicheaux-James Lee Burke
Kate Shugak-Dana Stabenow
Emilia Cruz-Carmen Amato
Harry Stoner-Jonathin Valin
Father Koesler-William Kienzle
Kate Burkholder-Linda Castillo
Lalla Bains-R.P.Dahlke
Kurt Wallender-Henning Mankell
Amerotke-Paul Doherty
Brother Athelstan-Paul Doherty
Nic Kosta-David Hewson
Bernie Gunther-Philip Kerr
Sgt. Windflower-Mike Martin
DCI George Gently-Alex Hesler
Ron Ketchum-Joseph Flynn


Hi Laurel. Hope you're well. The Shining is an excellent book, one I've read and loved.




Started

Hi Laurel. How're you? The Lovely Bones is a great book and movie!!

First up-BA with a History Major-what else for me!!!
I need 3 tasks from Lang. Arts & Athletics, Literature, Science & Math, and Social Science
PLUS:
All of the tasks from the History Major section.
My 3 tasks for Lang. Arts & Athletics are:
-biography about an actor-use biog of Lee Marvin that I have on TBR

-main character is an athlete

-sport-related word in title


My 3 tasks from Literature are:
-genre tags of book club

-book that has won a literary award, using posted list

-read an epistolary novel OR reread a classic from high school or university

My 3 tasks from Science &Math are:
-animal on cover

-main character is a dr. or a nurse

-number in title or sub-title

My 3 tasks from Social Sciences are:
-characters are from different classes

-features relationships with people of different cultures

-features a trial

HISTORY MAJOR PORTION: ALL TASKS
-2 nonfiction books with genre of history


-read a HF book set in each of the following locations: N.A., S. A., Europe, Africa, Asia
North America: Gone for a Soldier

South America:

Europe:

Africa:

Asia:

-pick 3 Time Period Coverage, with 1 book set in each: Ancient BC-4thC., Medieval 5thC. -13thC., Renaissance 14th C.-16th C., Early Modern 17th C. -18th C., Modern 18th C. to 1960
1. Ancient:

2. Medieval:

3. Modern:

- read a book with a strong historical basis which features one of time travel, historical fantasy

-read a HF book that has been a group read in the HF Group I need to choose from:







- a nonfiction with a genre of history

- dual storyline with one story set in the present and the other set at least 50 years ago, from present

-read an HF book that features a spy or a traitor

-HF book that is part of a series

-read a biography or memoir

-read a book with a castle on the cover

-noble title in the title

-first published in 2013/14

-features a main character who is in a guild (carpenter, merchant, doctor, lawyer) journeyman cabinet maker. COMPLETED Here is my review-/review/show...

-group read in HF group

Okay. Ignore me. What did I do to you?

Nothing. I am not in the mood to talk. I have a very elderly, seriously ill mom, and I need a distraction, by myself! Thanks for asking.

HF SUB-GENRES: traditional, multi-period epics, sagas, western HF novels, historical mysteries, romance historical novels, historical thrillers, HF adventure novels, time-slip novels, alternate history, HF fantasy novels
Task: pick 1 sub-genre and read 5 books from that genre
I am choosing historical mysteries.



. :The Hanover Square Affair|10518312]



Tasks: read 1 book from 9 other categories on the sub-genre list
Traditional:

Multi-period Epic:

Saga:

Western HF novel:

Romance Historical novel:

Historical thriller:

HF Adventure novel:

Time-slip:

HF Fantasy:
Additional Tasks: pick 6. Read 1 HF book
-which depicts a real historical person Count Belasarius, Robert Graves
-which depicts a real historical event

-has 750+ pages

-main character is in a profession that is no longer popular or needed eg. Blacksmith
I am using gladiator

-takes place in a city that no longer goes by the same name


-takes place on an island-United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Crete, Madagascar, Iceland, Cuba, Cyprus, Bahamas, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines- choosing Ireland

-is an epistolary novel

For literary HF, use 1001 Books Before You Die list, & Guardians' 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read.
***An epic is multi-generational, covering at least 50 years, with the story featuring a specific place vs a saga, which is a multi-generational story covering at least 50 years and 3 generations, & featuring a family
Sorry to hear that, Laurel. I won't bother you anymore.

HF SUB-GENRES: traditional, multi-period epics, sagas, western HF novels, historical mysteries, romance hair orbital novels, historical thrillers, HF adventure novels, time-sl..."
This looks like a lot of work, but I bet the end result will be well worth it. I'll be lucky to just make my 50 this year. All of a sudden, I don't feel like reading. Guess I'm just tired. But school is out, little league baseball is over, Johnny is going to spend two months in Alabama with his mom. Maybe things will slow down and I can relax and read.
How is the new baby doing?


Read 1 book by 3 of the HF MASTERS on this list: I love this list!
James Clavell, Dorothy Dunnett, Howard Fast, George MacDonald Fraser, Robert Graves, Georgette Heyer, Louis L'Amour, Norman Mailer, Patrick O'Brian, Jean Plaidy, Mary Renault, Sir Walter Scott, Anya Seton, Irving Stone, Sigrid Undset, Leon Uris, Gore Vidal
1.

2. TrinityLeon Uris
3.James ClavellTai Pan

HF Classics:ANY 3 books from The Complete Idiots Guide Book list, in my HG group
Dissertation Topic:
Choose a topic and read 7 books related,to that topic. At least 5 must be HF, up to 2 can be NF related to the topic.
Types of topics are:
-around a specific historical event like a war or discovery of America, or perhaps the Exploration/settling of Canada
-around a country or geographical area through various time periods
-focus on a specific (most likely a family)likely royal, like the Tudors
-focus on a nationality like the Romans or Vikings
-focus on a particular century or time period like the Dark Ages
-sub-genre of HF, as described in the MA programme
Choosing The Civil War:
1.

2.

3.

May 11/15
4.

5.

6.

7.

Minor Topic:
Choose a different topic from above and read 3 books in that area. One can be NF.
Ancient Rome:
1.

2.

3.

A total of 71 books, to complete all portions.

HF SUB-GENRES: traditional, multi-period epics, sagas, western HF novels, historical mysteries, romance hair orbital novels, historical thrillers, HF adventure ..."
She is doing really well, just past 6 months, getting her first tooth. Hopefully, once Johnny is gone on holiday, you can get some rest and get back to reading for pleasure. I like this HF setup, but I am going to do it on my own time schedule, so it may take me a LONG time! Neither of our mothers are doing well, so reading and planning takes my mind off it all. One is 94, the other is 95. Longevity is not necessarily a good thing.

They did, but my mom has lost almost all of her older memories, and has no short term memory at all. Severe demientia, combined with other diseases, is a terrible thing to watch. My husband's mom, although only a year and a bit younger, still can talk about WW 2, the depression, special vacations etc, but also has limited short term memory, based on about a ten year span. The brain's capabilities are astounding. My mom does not know us, but she can still do pairs of opposites pretty quickly. You give a word, she comes up with the opposite. She has frequent hallucinations, usually involving my dad, who has been gone for more than 20 years. Last week she was upset because she didn't finish washing the wooden front porch on the house she grew up in, around the early 1920's. Often very sad, but you have to chuckle, because if you don't, you would cry a lot.





Great Mystery Series of the 00's
It has some great books on it & new series I need to investigate.


I always enjoy Nevada Barrs ' work, despite the fact that I haven't been reading about National Parks Ranger Anna Pigeon's exploits, in sequential order. This is one of her earlier works, number four in the series. California's Lassen Volcanic National Park is the setting, and Anna is there, high in the mountains, serving as a medical technician for crews fighting a major forest fire. There is plenty of interesting information about this extremely dangerous job, the strategies involved to combat almost any challenge a fire can throw at the fire crews, and roles of the support staff who work behind the scenes to make sure the fire crews work under the safest conditions possible, with the required materials. Anna and her crew are well prepared until a rare combination of circumstances creates the horrific, dreaded firestorm. While struggling to evacuate an injured member of the crew, the firestorm occurs. Barr's description is incredibly vivid, and it seemed that I could hear the roar of the flames, the tremendous heat created, and visualize the scrambling of the crew to take cover under their individual protective fire tents. Once the firestorm passes, and the crew members emerge to a ravaged, eerie landscape, only to find that one of their number has been stabbed in the back! With this particularly grisly discovery, Anna's crew is stranded in this devastated area, with bad weather moving in and no help available, even by emergency helicopter, with a murderer amongst them. Barr has essentially created the equivalent of the traditional murder at the isolated manor house, with a set number of suspects, cut off from the rest of society, with motives to be uncovered. Various members of the crew must struggle with the stress of the situation, personal injuries, bad weather, cold, snow, and a scarcity of food, water and medical supplies. Personalities may be at odds, and all of this turmoil takes places among the dangers of hidden pockets of red hot embers, the sulphurous fumes of volcanic pools and bubbling mud pots, and a mountainside landscape ravaged by the firestorm. Having toured the bubbling mud pot areas of Yellowstone, it was not difficult to conjure up the sights and smells Barr wants the reader to imagine. To Barr's credit, such an experience is not necessary to encourage you to turn those pages quickly, to sift through the clues Anna collects as she talks to those around her, and observes their interactions. An interesting, atmospheric and exciting read. Additionally, this book left me with a better understanding of the terrible dangers faced by all of those fire crews we see on tv during the forest fire seasons in Canada and the United States. Anna has done them proud in Firestorm.


#34-5. #131-5 #146 didn't count, used book from the wrong Ireland #220-5
#255-15 #336-10. #601-30
TOTAL: 75
8 books read so far

Booksinorder.com.
Gives order of books in series, and standalones

Booksinorder.com.
Gives order of books in series, and standalones"
Checked it out. This site is great!

Booksinorder.com.
Gives order of books in series, and standalones"
Checked it out. This site is great!"Glad you like it! I stayed a few minutes, plan to go back and browse.


I have a fondness for World War II fiction, and this book by famed science fiction writer Richard Matheson has joined the ranks of my favourites like








"I intensely disliked my father's fifth wife, but not to the point of murder." I read those fourteen words, and I was hooked! That is the compelling first sentence in this standalone novel by the master storyteller, Dick Francis. This book has convinced me that I want read all of his work, which is a massive collection of horsey based writing! Francis uses a brilliant concept for the structure or plot, if you want to call it that, of this mystery. Narrated by Ian Pembroke, an amateur jockey, Francis weaves a complicated story about Ian's father Malcolm, an incredibly rich gentleman who makes his money by buying and selling gold. Before Ian will help his father, they must try to mend a three year-long rift in their relationship, tied to Malcolm's decision to marry wife number five, despite Ian's pleas to drop her. Someone has tried to kill Malcolm, shortly after his fifth wife, Moira, has been found murdered at their large country home. Who suspects him of this crime, you say? The police, and most of his family, numbering in the twenties, if you count stepchildren, daughters/sons-in-law, and ex-wives. There are so many members of this family that Francis kindly provides a list of them, at the front of the book! To cope with the threat to his freedom and his life, Malcolm, as he is called by all of his children rather than Dad or Father, decides to spend huge chunks of money on a variety of causes and items. This flagrant spending causes the family members to come running to Malcolm, suggesting that he has gone mad after murdering Moira, and he intends to throw away their inheritance on anything or anyone but them! In desperation, Malcolm turns to his son Ian, afraid for his life and needing help to get out from under his family's verbal and physical attacks. Who among this large group is capable of murdering Moira, and/or Malcolm? Francis masterfully creates detailed personalities for all of the twenty plus members of Malcolm's extended family. The interaction between the ex-wives and their children, step-children and each other, bring to mind a very large knot found within a ball of wool when I am knitting. Unravelling this ball takes patience as I well know, and Francis leads us through this unravelling with elegant detail, vivid characterizations, and considerable suspense. All is revealed, and by book' s end, he leaves you marvelling at his plotting and characterization. A gem of a book! I count myself officially a member of the Dick Francis fan club.

smitch:
smother, as in "be ready to start your smother at any moment!" From The Eagle Of The Ninth
testudo:
:


This is the fourth in the Lt. Joe Gunther series by Archer Mayor, and I finished it in short order! I am happy to say that I have many more of Joe's cases to explore, given that he has written twenty-five books. This one is the best so far. A mysterious survivalist dies in the Brattleboro, Vermont hospital as the result of a previously sustained gunshot injury. While investigating the area surrounding his cabin in the outskirts of town, a skeleton is unearthed. This is no ordinary skeleton, in that it has an unusual metal knee, dating back as it turns out, to the sixties. Additionally, when the stranger in the hospital died, he had prepaid his medical bill with a wad of mouldy cash, taken from an equally musty red backpack. While the skeleton with the knee replacement is being transported to town in a hearse, the vehicle and Joe's car are riddled with machine gun fire. How are all of these events connected? Following a few sparse leads takes Joe away from small town Barttleboro, to the big city of Chicago. Joe is more than a little uncomfortable in the mega urban and police environment of the Windy City. Mayor paints an interesting portrait of different aspects of Chicago, and the big city mentality of policing vs small town Brattleboro. Joe ultimately teams up with a soon to be retired detective, and they manage to find common ground to work on the case. The Sixties' political radicalism comes into play, as does the Outfit, the CPD's term for the Mafia. Joe is severely tested by this case, physically, mentally and professionally. The



Waiting for her first novel, in October-WWII, Canadian Bird's Eye View


Well, it has been an interesting couple of weeks! My mother-in-law, who is 94, has been in the hospital twice in the last five weeks, and has had a couple of close calls after a fall at her nursing home, pneumonia and some heart issues. She is back at her nursing home for now, and we are tempting her to eat with all of her favourite summer fruits. My mom is not doing well either. I told you recently that her dementia is fairly progressed. Well, she no longer recognizes us, which is tough. Additionally, she has congestive heart disease, and failing kidneys, all a result of being 95 and a half, plus having been diabetic for the last thirty years. So, she has more bad days than good, and we are taking it one day at a time. We were down to see her on Monday-she is about a 90 min. drive away. So with both of them ailing, each time the phone rings, it is a little nerve-wracking. Fortunately, reading and working in the garden helps. We are staying close to home, just in case.
Did your Fourth celebrations get totally rained out? At least Albert did minimal damage in Florida, as far as we heard up here. I know your grandson was away for a bit, hope you enjoyed the "quiet".
Thanks so much for checking on me! I have read some really great books, and am getting ready to read

Just out of curiosity, how many books do you read at one time, Laurel?
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Thanks for the update. Sounds like something I would definitely like. I will check it out. Very cool that you got visit that pub.