January Reading

It started a couple of years ago as a New Year's Resolution to keep track of the books I read each month. So here I am again in 2013 with a list of the books I read in January. If you subscribe to my posts, they will come directly to your email inbox --just enter your email address into the box on the right hand side of the screen. And now for the books:

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin (library) liked it
The Long Lavender Look by John D. MacDonald
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (library) this is fiction, but let me tell you, if you want a book about walking and finding yourself, this was 100 times better than that Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan (library) This book was the basis of the movie, The Town. Very good, I 'll read more by this author
A Tan and Sandy Silence by John D. MacDonald
The Longest Way Home by Andrew McCarthy (library) So Andrew McCarthy has been a travel writer for publications like National Geographic Travel for years! Who knew?! A bit self-involved and whiny, but not any worse than the other brat packer books out there recently.
An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd (library) I'm a fan, so I enjoyed this latest Bess Crawford mystery
Scarlet Ruse by John D MacDonald--working my way thru all of these in chronological order
Who Could That Be at This Hour by Lemony Snicket (library) love the vocabulary and references to other books
 Double Cross The True Story of D Day Spies by Ben MacIntyre (library) This is the second book by this author about Spies during WWII that I have read and I really like this stuff!
American Ghost by Janis Owens (library)liked it. What Sharyn McCrumb or Margaret Maron do for Appalachia, Owens does for BackCountry Florida
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (library) YA dystopian book, I liked it. Sort of "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret" and the world is ending at the same time!
Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter This book was the inspiration for the movie Shooter, starring Mark Wahlberg
The Confession by Charles Todd (library) Inspector Ruthledge mystery -fans of Downton Abbey might enjoy these post WWI mysteries
The St. Zita Society by Ruth Rendall (library) I am a fan and enjoyed this one had an "upstairs downstairs" feel to it

The Caller by Karin Fossum (library) Norwegian murder mystery so it was odd

The Last Girls by Lee Smith-- southern nostalgic, I liked it
Comstock Lode by Louis L'Amour-- believe it or not, this is my first Louis L'Amour, not counting one that I listened to on tape one year, my sister used to have a ton of his paperbacks, but I just had never read any of them. Found this one left behind on an aircraft and I needed something to read and it was in my bag
Evening by Susan Minot-- Maine nostalgic, I liked it

19 books read this month


Now I know that some of you are fans of Goodreads and I had been on it a couple of years ago and did not use it and for one of my new years resolutions I thought I would go and start using Goodreads to keep track of my reading. Well, I spent one night trying to add some books and so forth and I got so frustrated that I said ," Nope, not going to do it". This must have been why I did not use it years ago. I did not find it all that user friendly. And I like to think of myself as pretty computer literate. But if you like it great! Just not my cup of tea.

Monday's Postcard: Mysteries

I am especially fascinated with cards that depict things that no longer exist, like the "Gunther's Observation Tree" in Burien, WA and this rock formation called "The Snarling Tiger" in Puget Sound, WAI have tried to research and find out about the Snarling Tiger with no luck. However, there are a few references to Gunther's Observation Tree

The Observation Tree postcard is used and the postmark is for 1915. The Snarling Tiger postcard is unused and in excellent condition, but it is hard to pinpoint it's age. It has an undivided back which leads me to believe it is at least pre 1907. If anyone out there has any information about the snarling tiger rock formation on Puget Sound, please let me know!

Monday's Postcard: Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was Ryan's Mom's birthday. So I would send her a card like these to wish her a Happy One!

Monday's Postcard: Texas

Two very different views of Texas. Both of these cards were postmarked from 1942. Bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas and Oil Fields. Do you guys remember the opening to the movie Vacation? they have old postcards Vacation Opening Credits, it reminds me of my collection! :-)

Monday's Postcard: Seattle

When I first moved to Seattle, I started to collect antique postcards of the local area. I like to see how things have changed over the years. These cards are from the 1940's according to the postmarks on the back.      Here is a view of 4th and Pike Street in Seattle today:
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Books I read in December 2012

Well, we are coming to an end of another year of reading.

I read 213 books in 2012 compared to 250 books in 2011 and for those of you that are impressed with my totals, I must admit that I have a lot of down time in which to read. My job involves a lot of sitting around and waiting. I spend a lot of time in hotel rooms and if I can stay off the computer and turn off the TV, I can get a significant amount of reading done. At home, I do not have children or pets to distract me from reading. In fact, I can blame the wifi on the airplanes for my having read fewer books in 2012 compared to 2011. Many of my hours of reading are spent on my 4-5 hour flights to and from work. When they added wifi to the airplanes, I started spending more time on the computer and less time reading. I resolve to remedy that in 2013.

Books I read in December 2012:


A Night Too Dark by Dana Stabenow (library) Kate Shugak mystery, always a pleasure to read.
Stolen Prey by John Sandford (library) Love this author and the Prey Series with Lucas Davenport. I inhaled this one in 4 hours (402 pages) broken down to 3 hours during flight from SEA to PHX and 1 hour on the flight from PHX to LAX these were not working flights, I only get to read so much when I am sitting in that middle seat just like any other passenger :-)

Pioneering Palm Beach by Janet DeVries and Ginger Pedersen My friend Janet co-authored this book and it was very interesting tale of early Florida. If you have any interest in Florida history, this is a must read!!
 The American Way of Eating : Undercover at Walmart, Applebee's, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table by Tracie Mcmillian (library) liked it a lot...reminded me of Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Object Lessons The Paris Review (library) a collection of short stories--not so great
A Play of Piety by Margaret Frazer--this one takes place in/around a medieval hospital, so if you like that sort of thing (like the medical info in the Outlander books) you might want to give this one a read
Familiar by J. Robert Lennon (library) interesting, is Elisa delusional or in a parallel universe? Odd book but I enjoyed it
Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper by John D MacDonald
Dress Her In Indigo by John D MacDonald
Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow (library) another Kate Shugak, I don't know how I got behind on these, but I am catching up :-)
On the Run by John D. MacDonald
My Mother was Nuts by Penny Marshall (library) I am a fan, so I really liked it
Orphan Trains by Stephen O'Connor (library) inspired by the Chaparone by Laura Moriarity I just wanted to learn more about the Orphan Trains. Very interesting.
Deadly Welcome by John D. MacDonald
The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham rereading a classic
A Working Theory of Love by Scott Hutchins (library) lots of great SFO imagery
The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobson (library) odd, reminded me a lot of" The Light between two Oceans", just that it took place on an island with a lighthouse and had themes of isolation and death.
The Vault by Ruth Rendell (library) Love it!! I am a fan
Dare Me by Megan Abbott (library) very like Mean Girls or Pretty Little Liars
Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow (library) another great Shugak combined with the Liam Campbell character, so if you are a Stabenow fan this is a must read

20 books read in December

 Six of my favorite books this year have been:  
I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley :Part of the Flavia de Luce series which I adore Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George :big fan of hers and I liked her YA novel too, The Edge of Nowhere
Working the Skies: The Fast Paced, Disorienting World of the Flight Attendant by Drew Whitelegg :just a great book about what my job is like!  
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn : so creepy
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty : set me on the road to a lot more reading about Orphan Trains and Louise Brooks and the silent film era I learned a lot and I enjoyed the book a win-win.
 If Walls Could Talk by Lucy Worsley : just really interesting and well done for a nonfiction book