Sandy's Books Read in 2023, #5

Having regained reliable connectivity, I wanted to share some scenery, artistic and otherwise, from my September jaunt to Vancouver Island.

The sunsets were gorgeous, though the forest fire smoke from central Washington obscured the beautiful Olympic Mountains. I especially liked the dark silhouette of trees against the skyline. Mobile phone camera limitations notwithstanding, there were indeed lovely rosy streaks above the golden tones. I take lots of sky photos as models for my textile artwork (posting next, to explain).

Dinner at a friend's property overlooking the Straits of Juan de Fuga was splendid. The most astounding sight however, was this massive cruise ship, seemed like it was practically right next to the little breakwater a couple hundred yards off my friend's beach!


Apparently carrying 3,000 passengers for a weekend of frolic, the ship was heading in on a Friday night to dock at Victoria's Ogden Point (a deep port facility originally for shipping after the Panama Canal was opened). In the background we could see other ships waiting for the pilot boats to guide them in. Port Townsend and Port Angeles are on the American shore behind all this activity.

Lastly, there were several hikes along shore side trails.
~ looking across the Haro Straits to the (American) San Juan Islands.

We were watching an Orca fin surfacing and disappearing, though I missed catching that in a photo. There is a GBH (Great Blue Heron) on that reef, though it is too far away to see in this image. I think the herring or perhaps grilse, were running, because of the whale rising and diving, and lots of herons ~ a reason I do miss my coastal roots.

About my artwork: textile wall hangings using fabric to "paint" the subject matter.

Skies. One cannot buy commercially printed fabric which looks natural, unless coincidentally the Indonesian batiks succeed. Usually, I am relatively satisfied with painting high-quality 100% cottons to do this.
~ A fabulous book for those interested in 'sky dyes', by Micky Lawler.

I painted these "skies" outside in the shade on my patio.
and ~

Stormy skies are my most challenging.
~Usually the piece looks like a rag used to wash the kitchen floor.

This painting is my most successful so far. I have yet to use it in any work. If I stayed off LT and also abandoned my TBR list for a few months, I'd probably get lots of artwork done.

Reading list update ~

January
1. Fuzz (Ed McBain) ***½
2. A Murderous Grudge (JM Roberts) ***
3. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz) ***
4. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting (Sophie Irwin) ****½
5. My Lady Judge (Cora Harrison) ****
6. The Black Swan (Nassim Taleb) ***½
7. Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques (Peter Reinhart) ****
8. Evolutions in Bread (Ken Forkish) ****
9. Breaking Bread: A Baker's Journey (Martin Philip) ****
10. Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques (Jeffrey Hamelman) ****
11. Bleeding Heart Yard (Elly Griffiths) ***½
12. The Maid of Ballymacool (Jennifer Deibel) ***½

February
13. The Cartographers (Peng Shepherd) ****½
14. The Last Mapmaker (Christina Soontornvat) ***½
15. Canoe & Camera (Thomas Sedgewick Steele) ***½
16. The Railway Children (E. Nesbit) ****
17. Miss Benson's Beetle (Rachel Joyce) **
18. Green Rider (Kristen Britain) DNF (see comment #52)
19. A Civil Contract (Georgette Heyer) ****
20. Murder on Black Swan Lane (Andrea Penrose) ***½
21. Venetia (Georgette Heyer) ***½
22. Eight Days of Luke (Diana Wynne Jones) ***

March
23. Conrad's Fate (Diana Wynne Jones) ***½
24. Writ in Stone (Cora Harrison) ****
25. Murder in the Mystery Suite (Ellery Adams) ***½
26. Foster (Claire Keegan) ***½
27. Eligible (Curtis Sittenfeld) ***½
28. Murder at Half Moon Gate (Andrea Penrose) ****
29. Murder in the Paperback Parlor (Ellery Adams) ***
30. The Sting of Justice (Cora Harrison) ****
31. Camps in Rockies (W. A. Baillie-Grohman) ***
32. Murder at Kensington Palace (Andrea Penrose) ****
33. Murder at Queen's Landing (Andrea Penrose) ***½
34. Eye of the Law (Cora Harrison) ****

April
35. The Nonesuch (Georgette Heyer) ****
36. The Clairvoyant Countess (Dorothy Gilman) ****
37. Kaleidoscope (Dorothy Gilman) *****
38. Hot Art (Joshua Knelman) ****

May
39. Playing for Pizza (John Grisham) ***½
40. The Last Remains (Elly Griffiths) ****
41. Who Cries for the Lost? (C. S. Harris) ***½
42. The Periodic Table of Elements (Jon Chad) *****
43. Amazing cows! (Sandra Boynton) *****
44. Penric's Labors (Lois McMaster Bujold) ***
45. Lavender House (Lev AC Rosen) ****
46. The Missing Heiress (Karen Charlton) **

June
47. Me Three (Susan Juby) ****
48. The Sinister Booksellers Of Bath (Garth Nix) ****
50. Troubled Waters (Sharon Shinn) *****
51. Visual Thinking (Temple Grandin) *
52. Royal Airs (Sharon Shinn) *****
53. Scales of Retribution (Cora Harrison) ***
54. Jewelled Fire (Sharon Shinn) ***½
55. Unquiet Land (Sharon Shinn) ***½
56. Solstice Wood (Patricia McKillip) ***½
57. Sketch by Sketch (Sheila Darcey) **
58. Unplugged (Gordon Korman) ***½

July
59. The Broken Citadel (Joyce Ballou Gregorian ) ***
60. Decision at Delphi (Helen MacInnes) ***½
61. Court of Fives (Kate Elliott) ***½
62. Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World (Jenn Grannerman & Andre Sólo) ***½
63. A Lady's Guide to Scandal (Sophie Irwin) ****
64. Jacques Pépin Art Of The Chicken ****
65. The Apothecary (Maile Meloy)****
66. The Plot (Jean Hanff Korelitz) DNF

August & September
67. Shadowland (Meg Cabot) ****
68. Ninth Key (Meg Cabot) ***
69. Izzy Hoffman is Not a Witch (Alyssa Alessi) **½
70. Reunion (Meg Cabot) ****
71. An Illusion of Thieves (Cate Glass) ***½
72. Stargirl (Jerry Spinelli) ***
73. A Bone from a Dry Sea (Peter Dickinsen) ****
74. The Tightrope Walker (DorothyGilman) ****
75. Darkest Hour (Meg Cabot) **½
76. Haunted (Meg Cabot) ***½
78. Jade Dragon Mountain (Elsa Hart) ***
79. The Dressmaker (Kate Alcott) ***½
80. Twilight (Meg Cabot) ***½
81. Maddie's Ghost (Carol Fisher Saller) ****
82. Stone Soup (E. B. Mann) **½
83. A Donnybrook Affair (Robert E. Kearns) **
84. Calvin and the Sugar Apples (Ines F. Oliveira) *
85. Murder at The Mena House (Erica Ruth Neubauer) ***
86. Murder at Wedgefield Manor (Erica Ruth Neubauer) **

October
87. Come Hell or Highball (Maia Chance) *½
88. The Descent of Woman (Elaine Morgan) **
89. Last Call at the Nightingale (Katharine Schellman) ***½
90. The Reluctant Widow (Georgette Heyer) ***½
91. The Body in the Garden (Katharine Schellman) ***½

🍁 🎃 Currently reading 🎃 🍁

Re-reading: I really didn't retain as much as I thought would "stick"
Daniel Kahneman
Thinking, Fast and Slow A BB from Lucy (sybilline).

(Libby Page). A BB from Kerry (CDVicarage)

(Katharine Schellman). Book 1 in another Schellman series, a BB from Foggi.

Off my own shelves: With Lawrence in Arabia ~

Okay, warning,

Come Hell or Highball ~ ~ Maia Chance

😡 ~ I was really on fire about this book; if you enjoyed it, *fine*. I am not criticizing anyone's choices or their liking the fun aspects or whatever was entertaining.

Spoiler alert
Nevertheless, how can the publishing industry not get past the homophobic stereotyping, not to mention the garbage reveals that insinuate the culprit did it because of his place on the gender-identity spectrum? This is such a medieval attitude and publishers can darn well influence authors to think about how offensive such careless writing affects people's attitude. Kind of like, quit calling black Americans niggers or apes, fer criss sakes.

My review was succinct, and more polite on the general book page:
Nothing like indulging in highballs, detective novels, and chocolate layer cake to cope with stress and a loveless marriage. I expected a romp and a light-hearted approach to detecting. However for me, the stereotyping of the characters was insensitive and downright passé. I didn't care much about the story but when you're stuck in an airport with flight delays...

On that ranty note, I do welcome you all ~ ,
and offer top notch beverages of the caffeinated sort, enjoyed at the Fernwood area café The Parsonage in Victoria. All in-house baked food, too.

Happy new thread Sandy!

Some patience, not a whole lot though!

Happy New Thread, Sandy! Many good reads ahead.

Plenty of patience from me, Sandy, I well know how difficult making a new thread can be.

Happy new one. xx

Hi Sandy! Happy new thread and belated congratulations on reaching 75 in September.

I loved the “We Do Not Have WiFi – Talk to Each Other – Pretend It’s 1995” sign. I’ve taken a snapshot of it and may post it on my thread, with proper credit to you, of course. *smile*

HAppy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>7 quondame: Hi Susan.

Thanks ~ ~ my morning laugh about not a whole lot (of patience).

It was bad timing (for being on a computer) for the electrical power problems, especially the kind that dips and flickers with fluctuations. There wasn't a wind to account for it, either. Of course I kept unplugging my lap top but it was only at 20% so I persisted.

We have had no rain to qualify as anything but "join-up-drops" and then (thankfully, I assure you) 2 days of rain (not torrential). I did wonder if, in this day and age, water can "leak" into something that dried out tremendously? Not that I expect anyone to answer that, but curious minds, you know?

>8 vancouverdeb:, >9 PaulCranswick:, >10 karenmarie:, >11 figsfromthistle:, and >12 foggidawn: : thanks for kind wishes. I hope I manage better to visit everyone; I do struggle to think of what to post but I assure you all that I have enlarged my book bullet list rather astonishingly this past month.

>10 karenmarie:, I am always happy to contribute the amusing and decorative images that abound here. The café is the real source but on LT, I guess that doesn't matter.

New 🧵 orisons, Sandy! *smooch*

>15 richardderus: Hi Richard. Thanks for the orisons, as you love to say. I usually need to look up the meaning but I do know it's a best wishes-y thing.

Also, in case new posters want to see the fabulous café I discovered (new to me since I last visited the area), worth putting on your radar should you ever plan to travel on Vancouver Island.

Happy new thread, Sandy!

>17 drneutron: Thanks Jim.
I was just now cruising through your thread, not having visited for awhile. Lots of interesting discussions.

I liked hearing about the space samples (OK that's not technical, yeah) and so forth. I should check out the science news more often on BBC. I think benitastrnad was the one saying it was more in-depth, globally-speaking.

Happy New Thread , Sandy! Many good reads ahead. Lovely photo toppers!

>5 SandyAMcPherson: We definitely agree about this double-plus ungood thing. Yuck.

Happily the photos and pretty artwork made up for the lingering bad taste of that crummy book.

*smooch*

>19 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb. I hope you're reading good stuff.
I have a couple BBs in the TBR from you. They must be popular titles, I'll have a longish wait.
Thanks re my photos up top. It's been awhile since I wrote about the artwork I like doing. I was derailed by pandemic stress these last couple years and couldn't seem to settle to designing anything. Read lots, though!

>20 richardderus: Always nice to find agreement from fellow LT-ers! Thanks for dropping by to say so.

Hi Sandy. Rather late to wish you a happy new thread but I have not been posting much lately. Love your toppers, though, while I am not a fan of cruise ships, I do love skies! You have a talent!

>22 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. Thank you for your kind remarks. Nice to see you here.

Though I am not officially productive (and use textiles as a purely meditative pastime), it is a satisfying process. I even have a small following hereabouts in my 'neck of the woods' who are very supportive.

I hope your journey caring for how your mother is looked after has some rewards. Look after yourself, too!

>5 SandyAMcPherson: I enjoyed both versions of your critique, and you had every right to be Crabby!

I love textile art, and I hope you'll share more examples of your work. If I were granted 3 chances to be able to create anything, a generational novel would be No. 1, and a quilted landscape "painting" would be No. 2 on my list. Still pondering No. 3, but it would probably be musical.

>24 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda, I like your creative dreams. Go for it!

Thanks for your support in liking both versions of my book reviews.

I made various textile items from when I was about 12 y.o. My father taught me 'cause he was the sewist in our family. I mostly made simple stuff like aprons, dolly clothes and later I tried my hand at dressmaking.

That didn't go so well but I was a dab hand at curtains, even "drapes". It was the 1960's by then so it was a "thing" converting Indian (as in from India) tablecloths into bedspreads and 'soft goods' as I learned to call the placemats and so forth. I liked the Indian cottons not to mention other gorgeous fabrics like sari.

I eventually moved into the art world rather than strictly 'quilting' patchwork. Lots of fun, with no rules and angst over whether something joined up properly at the seams. Met a lot of nice people and when I retired, was able to devote actual real time to fooling around in my studio.

I hope you will give that generational novel a chance. What's not to like?

I joined NaNoWriMo many years ago and wrote 3 stories with support from that online community. It was a hoot. The author talks and support were gratifying.

Nothing publishable but it was very satisfying. I wrote a kid's book for my granddaughter and 2 "memoir fiction" novels. I didn't take it very seriously having published a fair number of technical articles throughout my working life. I'd had enough of editing and revisions!

"I'd had enough of editing and revisions!" I did so much editing and revising in my work life that it's really hard for me to start from scratch to write something. And when I do, it's hard for me to stop editing myself. There's plenty of material in my family history for a great novel, I feel. (Doesn't everybody? And they're probably right.)

I have no skill at sewing. In high school and early college I did make some simple skirts and A-line dresses for myself. But I didn't show any talent for innovation or design. I'm strictly an admirer when it comes to fabric art.

I love seeing your art, Sandy. Like Linda, I hope you'll continue to share them with us. It's always fun to see what 75ers get up to besides reading.

>26 laytonwoman3rd: The fun big thing about writing memoir fiction is that it can be family factual, except using pseudonyms for the real people's names (so no one has a hissyfit and gets on your case).

*Best of all*, you don't have to be accurate. Tell a story. Make it an adventure. Create some other consequences that could have happened.

From NaNo, the best advice from my first year was to "draw a picture of yourself as The Editor". Then find a closet and put the editor inside then shut the door! Keep the door mentally locked. Don't show your work to anyone until you are ready.

For me, writing like this is totally addictive.

>27 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Thank you for telling me that my arty sideline (fabric-junkie-addiction) will appeal. An incentive for me to get some of the UFP (unfinished pieces) done and dusted.

It is fun to see what others are doing in their lives. There are several needlecrafters (including knitters) that are so talented. I am all thumbs and one big-messy, especially knitting. The cross-stitch and embroidery talents on LT are stellar.

>28 SandyAMcPherson: I love that advice...put "Editor Me" in a closet. I must try that. I recently completed a set of stories about my life using prompts from Storyworth.com, and it was fun. Our daughter gave my husband and me a subscription to their service that included weekly questions for a year, and a hardcover book collecting them at the end. You can add photos, swap questions or make up your own in order to accommodate stories you really want to tell, and do some design of the final product (some of which costs extra, of course). A very worthwhile project that, for me, turned out to be something of a memoir...which I was..ahem...editing right up to nearly the last day of my subscription.

NaNoWriMo is an excellent turbocharger for writers. Filled to the brim with good ideas and tips. Best of all is the kick to WRITE. You can fix it later, but by definition can not fix what does not exist.

>30 laytonwoman3rd: Very intriguing, Linda. I've not heard of Storyworth.com. Sounds like a good way t generate incentive.

>31 richardderus: Amen! For sure.

Happy new thread, Sandy. Your sunset picture at the top is so pretty!

>2 SandyAMcPherson: I also really like your skies paintings! I wish I had the talent to do something like that.

>33 atozgrl: Irene! How nice to see you drop by. Thank you for the comment on sky painting.
It's easy and fun, though I make many that aren't as successful. I posted my recent favourites. The effects are simple, you know? Big crystals of salt (not the fine table salt kind) dropped onto the wet cloth with fresh streaks of fabric pain and presto! there's a random pattern of colour.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadian friends.

>35 richardderus: ha ha ... Turkey ~ our National bird (politically-speaking)...

~
#88. The Descent of Woman: The Classic Study of Evolution (Elaine Morgan)
I was intrigued by the references to this book in Peter Dickinson's A Bone From a Dry Sea. While Dickinson's story only nibbled at the edges of the theories of Morgan's treatise, The Descent of Woman delves fully into a feminist interpretation of the evolutionary and cultural aspects of human evolution.
For my money, the science behind the author's premise was flimsy, perhaps even the source of unfounded speculation that wound its way into Morgan's narrative. Interpretations and theory in human evolution have sparked tremendous controversy, as different agencies favour their preferred view point. Using the biblical Genesis story does little to promote credibility for how the females actually lived. And therein lies a great flaw to a supposedly academic text.

One never 'proves' a theory and my reading of this book begs the question why were other interpretations of the evolution of humans not discussed? Those may counter the author's point of view, but there was nothing written to convince the reader that Morgan's ideas have superior merit. The attitudes expressed came across as an agenda to promote female equality, yet the ancient historical record is not of the quality to establish the life females lived on the basis of a societal culture.

~
#89. Last Call at the Nightingale (Katharine Schellman)
Interesting era to read about from the view of impoverished Irish sisters and the New York scene during Prohibition years. The plot was fairly convoluted and at times seemed repetitive in the twists. Strong characterizations and subtlety with the gay/lesbian inclinations were well written. Story pacing a bit uneven but overall an engaging mystery. Didn't find the wrap up very well finessed. Perhaps a lead into Book 2? The author was via a BB from foggi, who posted about The Body in the Garden. I'm liking Schellman's writing style in her mysteries.

>37 SandyAMcPherson: Oh dear...more "redressing the balance without evidence" non-fiction (of sorts). I read an angry Algerian-French woman's screed aganist populism and right-wingnuttery. Yes, yes, it's not my worldview either, Nabila, but now that we know we agree what shall we DO?

I need no help whatsoever getting worked up and outraged by the many cruelties and injustices in the world. What shall I, we, DO ABOUT IT?!

*ahem*

Sorry I shouted. I'm just done with being whipped into a pointless frenzy.

>38 richardderus: *pat, pat* there was no intention to whip up a frenzy, so I'm sorry you had reason to feel outraged.
I figured *my* job was to call out the pseudoscience. It is an old book (1972) and why it was ever reprinted beats me.

I was more than a little astounded to see it argued in the publicity blurb as "the first to irrefutably argue the equal role of women in human evolution". There were certainly no grounds to claim the arguements were irrefutable,

I remember >37 SandyAMcPherson: from way back. As a response to The Naked Ape it was quite delightful.

>40 quondame: I read Desmond Morris's book so long ago now that I honestly don't remember what I thought of it. Having moved into a mind set of calling out bad science many years ago, I would probably see your p.o.v. regarding The Naked Ape, if for no other reason than poking a stick in Morris' eye.

Happy new thread, Sandy. I love your paintings. I wish that were a talent of mine.

>34 SandyAMcPherson: I never would have guessed that salt made those effects. How interesting!

Have a great week, and happy Thanksgiving!

Hope that you have had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend thus far, Sandy.

Happy newish thread, Sandy. Thanksgiving wishes too. I'm behind on LT as usual or maybe more than usual because of travel part of which was on one of those colossal vessels such as pictured in your post #1.

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you had a great thanksgiving weekend!

*smoochiesmoochsmooch*

~

#90 The Reluctant Widow (Georgette Heyer)
Classic Heyer romance set in a rather Gothic circumstance.
This was a comfort re-read ~ I found it more amusing than previously, though the MC still strikes me as rather whiny.
With Heyer's acclaimed expertise in Napoleonic history, it was unsatisfying in the details relating to French agents operating in Britain at the time. Some of the adventurous parts could have dominated the action rather than Elinor's overdone (though admittedly justifiable) complaints about the high-handed treatment by Lord Carlyon.

>48 SandyAMcPherson: Definitely one of my top five. I've seen this criticism of Elinor before - whiny - but I think my first read was in audio and the reader - Cornelius Garrett - brings out the humour of it so well that I didn't notice the whiny-ness!

>42 BLBera:, >43 atozgrl:, >44 PaulCranswick:, >45 Familyhistorian:, >46 figsfromthistle:, >47 richardderus:, >49 CDVicarage:
Thanks for stopping by to leave your footprints. It's lovely to see y'all dropped by to visit.
I'm a little overwhelmed with the long list of 'have-to-do' errands and appointments this week and next week looks intimidating too. Flu and Covid vaccinations shots all at the same time . I wonder if I'll regret that idea....

Kerry, I think your experience with the audio reader - Cornelius Garrett - was a great choice. I have trouble hearing these audio files on my lap top, and I don't have good earphones either. I should perhaps find out what good devices are out there for listening to podcasts, for example.

>48 SandyAMcPherson: I liked it when I read it, though I admit I thought Carlyon was doing her a favor running her life because Elinor would obsess for days about one lump or two in her *shudder* tea.

>50 SandyAMcPherson: I'd guess you won't regret doing the jabs on the same day. The COVID jab gave me a rotten day and a lousy night's sleep, but the cases are very much on the rise here and I've had no hints of trouble.

Hi Richard. I hope the jabs are, in fact, offered on the same day, despite having both arms sore. It will save a lot of scheduling and clinic visits. I wasn't sure I booked it properly, though. I hate this online booking that doesn't clearly explain how to book both. The intro blabs away about it, but seems to then divide into either a flu shot or a covid immunization.

The reading goes apace in my neck of the woods. I have a small library cascade again. I seem to mismanage more than two books on the go at the same time.
I dragged my feet in getting on with The Vintage Shop of Second Chances (Libby Page) because I had another ebook ~ The Body in the Garden (Katharine Schellman) ~ on the go as well.

I missed that Libby Page's book expired, so I'm back in the queue. I was enjoying Vintage Shop, but it sort of palled on me at one point.

I am also reading an old (1924) book off my own shelves: With Lawrence in Arabia, this history was intriguing me to the exclusion of my library loans. It's much more readable than Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
Published 1924 ~ ~ my father's copy, a birthday gift in 1935.
Although a dated writing style and a bit "over-the-top" adulation, I am certainly enjoying the story of the WWI desert campaigns.

Edited to note that the birthday gift book noted above (1935) was given to my father by a good friend of his, not me. I wasn't born yet (despite what certain people on LT have to say in that regard).

A gift from 1935, that's cool, Sandy, and, I know, way before your time!

>53 Familyhistorian: ha ha, Meg.
Thanks for dropping by. Glad to see you on the threads again.

>52 SandyAMcPherson: Oh, okay. You were born after 1935. I appreciate knowing what the cover story is so I don't accidentally blow it. :-P

I read that book, coincidentally, after my father's father died in 1978. He'd bought it himself when it was new...had the sticker from May Company on its back cover board...and Dad, in a rare selflessly generous act, sent it to his bookish son. Mama damn near keeled over when it arrived. My opinion of the style marches with yours, and almost fifty years later my strongest memory of the book is the pipe-smoke aroma.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, OTOH, was one of the most torturous slogs of my 1990s reading. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life was a breeze in comparison, and both were 1992 projects.

>55 richardderus: You remember what you read in 1978 ??!
That was back in the ice ages, before PC's even ... oh yes, pencil and paper times.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, OTOH, was one of the most torturous slogs of my 1990s reading .
Indeed!

>56 SandyAMcPherson: Mostly the sense memories, not the details of them all...but some books do make deep, deep divots in one's psyche.