2017 Reading List August

                                        Johann Hanza (Austrian)   On the Terrace, no date

Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson (library) Thriller, I had just seen the movie and so of course had to read the book. I really liked it. They do a good job of keeping the suspense intense.
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre (library audiobook) Just loved listening to this one in the car, because of the British Accent of the reader!! LOL But a very interesting book on how cosmetic companies and drug companies, etc use "bad science" to make their products look attractive.
Pacific Burn by Barry Lancet Thriller about a Japanese Antique expert who is also a private detective.
Under Orders by Dick Francis (audiobook) Sid Halley is the protagonist in this one, a jockey who was injured and is now a detective. I enjoy the Dick Francis books and have read all of them, so I like to return to them over the years (like I do with Agatha Christie)
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (library) I really enjoyed this one and inhaled it, reading it in one sitting!! Lot's of fascinating tea history here. And a love story etc.
Maud by Melanie Fishbane (library) I really enjoyed this fictional account of Lucy Maud Montgomery's life.
The Short Drop by Matthew Fitzsimmons (library) A thriller about a missing girl with ties to a presidential candidate. I enjoyed it.
Skies of Ash by Rachel Howzell Hall (library) a murder mystery with a black female police detective in Los Angeles. I really liked Elouise Norton and I will be reading more by this author. The relationships between the characters reminds me of the TV show The Closer. The female detective, her support staff of detectives, her partner, they all remind me of characters from that show.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (library) Why do we not learn about this stuff in school? Mass murder of members of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma. I really enjoyed it, because I learned so much
V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton (audiobook) I had not read this one in a while (I am on the waiting list for "Y" at the library!!) This latest run of audiobooks happened when I drove all over Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska chasing the 2017 Eclipse !
Get Real by Donald E. Westlake (audiobook) The Dortmunder crew gets involved in a reality TV shoot!! Very entertaining.
Farewell, Dorothy Parker by Ellen Meister (audiobook) The Ghost of Dorothy Parker comes to visit a movie reviewer and helps her to improve her life. I enjoyed it, although it was quite silly and stuck to many romance novel cliches.
Franny and Zoey by J. D. Salinger rereading this one on the airplane flying back from Denver and our Eclipse trip. It is one of my favorite books. And I reread it often. I also love Nine Stories by Salinger
Wrongful Death by Robert Dugoni This author was recommended by Diana Gabaldon, so I am happy to read him, plus his books are set in the Pacific Northwest! I enjoyed the Seattle locales.



To Be Read:

Poison Feather by Matthew Fitzsimmons
The Beguiled by Thomas Cullinan
We Love You Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge
So  You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
Wonder by R. J. Palacio

2017 Monday's Postcard: The Queen Mary

Some postcards from the Queen Mary. I have been lucky enough to spend the night on the ship (it is now a hotel) And I really recommend it. I enjoyed staying there. I had fabulous rooms every time and I really love the history and tradition of the ship.

2017 Monday's Postcard: Grand Canyon

1971 The Watchtower

1984

I don't know if my Arkebauer and DeVries family members were HIKING in the Grand Canyon, but they definitely visited and sent postcards back! I have not even hiked it YET. Happy Eclipse day to everyone!!!

2017 Monday's Postcard: New Jersey Beaches

These New Jersey Vacation postcards range from the 1960's to the early 1980's. So if you can't get to Florida....looks like New Jersey in August is just as good!! I am sure Chris Christie agrees.....

2017 Monday's Postcard: Florida

Vacationing in Florida was definitely a thing with my family!! I might have more postcards from Florida than any other location. All of these postcards come from a box that my cousin Holly sent to me last year. The cards range from the 1930's to present day and are from all over the world!

2017 Reading List July

                   Alfred Chantrey Corbould (British)  A Girl Reading in a Sailing Boat, 1869


Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane (library) Fast moving thriller, I read it in one sitting. Highly recommend.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin (library) YA novel about art and suicide and the struggle with mental health for a talented teen artist. Told through interviews after her death, very gimmicky, but I enjoyed it
Wild Nights by Benjamin Reiss (library) Why do we sleep 8 hours in the night, why do people have trouble sleeping. Is this the way we are supposed to sleep? what about naps etc. This book examines all these issues and I enjoyed it. I am one of those who has no problem sleeping and I find out that I am in the minority.
Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley (library) A girl has an allergy to people. She cannot touch other people. a bit depressing in my opinion, I didn't get the upbeat part....
Golden Prey by John Sandford (library) Lucas Davenport is now a Federal Marshall, so his cases take him out of Minnesota. Most of the action takes place in Texas. Good Thriller
The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart (library) Now I want to go out and try to make some fancy cocktails. This book is about plants and how we turn them into alcohol and make alcohol tasty!
In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck (library) with the Union problems we are having at my work, I have been reading stuff about unions, I really enjoyed this one, I had never read it before.
The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch (library) Set in Bavaria in the 1600's, basically a murder mystery. I loved the Bavaria setting having just gotten back from Munich. And if you are a fan of Ellis Peters Father Cadfael books etc those types, you might like this too.
No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts (library) Set in small town, North Carolina. Local boy leaves and becomes successful and returns home to see the girl that was his first love. Sort of a Great Gatsby type story.
I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth The Trip by John Donovon (library) This book was written in 1969 and deals with teen homosexuality. This is a 40th anniversary edition audiobook and I really enjoyed it. I can't believe I did not know of or hear of this book prior to now.
Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon (library) collection of short stories and novellas in the Outlander story line. Of course, I love it!
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie (library) Hercule Poirot, I needed a book that was published in the year of my parents birth for the Summer Book Bingo at the Seattle Library! 1936!! LOL
Land of Shadows by Rachel Howzell Hall (library) murder mystery, grimy LA underbelly type thing etc etc
Citizen Keane by Adam Parfrey (library)  The real story behind the Big Eyes painting. I had seen the movie with Amy Adams just recently, so this was very interesting.
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay (library) reading this one and then seeing the movie, I am reminded of the Beguiled which is also has been remade recently. Now I have to track down that book by Thomas Cullinan.



To be Read:
The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner
Light it Up by Nick Petrie
The History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps by Christopher West
In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni
Castle of Kings by Oliver Potzsch