Books Read in 2010

You may click on highlighted titles to read a review:

December - 8

77. Mourn Not Your Dead - fourth in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series

by Deborah Crombie

mystery, 1996

Kindle book - 20

finished, 12/31/10

76. Mrs. Malory: Death of a Dean (also known as Death of a Dean) - seventh in the Mrs. Malory series

by Hazel Holt

mystery, 1996

finished, 12/28/10

75. A Murder is Announced - fourth in the Miss Marple series

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1950

Kindle book - 19

finished, 12/27/10

74. The Sittaford Mystery

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1931

Kindle book - 18

finished, 12/20/10

73. Evening Class

by Maeve Binchy

fiction, 1996

second reading

Kindle book - 17

finished, 12/14/10

72. This Year It Will Be Different and Other Stories

A Christmas Treasury

by Maeve Binchy

fiction, 1996

finished, 12/13/10

71. Dive Deep and Deadly - first in the Luanne Fogarty series

by Glynn Marsh Alam

mystery, 2000

Kindle book - 16

finished, 12/6/10

70. Leave the Grave Green - third in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series

by Deborah Crombie

mystery, 1995

Kindle book - 15

finished, 12/2/10

November - 3

69. A Cotswold Killing - first in the Thea Osborne series

by Rebecca Tope

mystery, 2004

Kindle book - 14

finished, 11/28/10

68. The Christmas Letters

by Lee Smith

fiction, 1996

fourth reading

finished, 11/25/10

67. The Moving Finger - third in the Miss Marple series

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1942

Kindle book - 13

finished, 11/22/10

October - 5

66. Scarlet Feather

by Maeve Binchy

fiction, 2000

second reading

Kindle book - 12

finished, 10/25/10

65. All Shall Be Well - second in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series

by Deborah Crombie

mystery, 1994

Kindle book - 11

finished, 10/17/10

64. Arctic Chill - seventh in the Reykjafvík Murder Mysteries

by Arnaldur Indridason

translated by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb

mystery, 2005

finished, 10/16/10

63. Billy Boyle - first in the Billy Boyle World War II Mystery series

by James R. Benn

mystery, 2006

Kindle book - 10

finished, 10/11/10

62. The Dark Vineyard : A Mystery of the French Countryside - second in the Bruno, Chief of Police series

by Martin Walker

mystery, 2009

Kindle book - 9

finished, 10/1/10

September - 10

61. The Marriage Bureau for Rich People - first in the Marriage Bureau for Rich People series

by Farahad Zama

fiction, 2009

Kindle book - 8

finished, 9/26/10

60. The Double Comfort Safari Club - twelfth in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series

by Alexander McCall Smith

fiction, 2010

Kindle book - 7

finished, 9/25/10

59. Bruno, Chief of Police - first in the Bruno, Chief of Police series

by Martin Walker

mystery, 2008

Kindle book - 6

finished, 9/18/10

58. The Body in the Library - second in the Miss Marple series

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1942

Kindle book - 5

finished, 9/15/10

57. Winter of Secrets - third in the Constable Molly Smith series

by Vicki Delany

mystery, 2009

Kindle book - 4

finished, 9/12/10

56. Best Foot Forward - a sequel to Rules of the Road

by Joan Bauer

young adult fiction, 2005

library book

finished, 9/12/10

55. A Share in Death - first in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series

by Deborah Crombie

mystery, 1993

Kindle book - 3

finished, 9/10/10

54. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing - second in the Vish Puri series

by Tarquin Hall

mystery, 2010

Kindle book - 2

finished, 9/6/10

53. A Graceful Death

by Ann Summerville

mystery, 2009

finished, 9/4/10

52. The Murder at the Vicarage - first in the Miss Marple series

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1930

Kindle book - 1

finished, 9/2/10

August - 10

51. Rules of the Road

by Joan Bauer

young adult fiction, 1998

library book

finished, 8/29/10

50. Into the Dark - third in the Echo Falls series

by Peter Abrahams

young adult mystery, 2008

library book

finished, 8/25/10

49. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax - second in the Mrs. Pollifax series

by Dorothy Gilman

mystery, 1970

third or fourth reading

library book

unabridged audio read by Barbara Rosenblat

finished, 8/25/10

48. Behind the Curtain - second in the Echo Falls series

by Peter Abrahams
young adult mystery, 2006
library book
finished, 8/22/10

47. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax - first in the Mrs. Pollifax series

by Dorothy Gilman

mystery, 1966

third or fourth reading

library book

unabridged audio read by Barbara Rosenblat

finished, 8/18/10

46. Down The Rabbit Hole - first in the Echo Falls series

by Peter Abrahams

young adult mystery, 2005

library book

finished, 8/16/10

45. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

by Allison Hoover Bartlett

nonfiction, 2009

library book

unabridged audio read by Judith Brackley

finished, 8/8/10

44. Alphabet Juice

by Roy Blount, Jr.

nonfiction, 2008

library book

abridged audio read by the author

finished, 8/5/10

43. The London Eye Mystery

by Siobhan Dowd

juvenile mystery, 2007

finished, 8/4/10

42. American Bloomsbury

by Susan Cheever

nonfiction, 2006

second reading - book report here

library book

unabridged audio read by Kate Reading

finished, 8/2/10

July - 5

41. Sarah Orne Jewett - A Writer's Life

by Elizabeth Silverthorne

nonfiction, 1993

finished, 7/31/10

40. Thereby Hangs a Tail - second in the Chet and Bernie series

by Spencer Quinn

mystery, 2010

unabridged audio read by Jim Frangione

finished, 7/28/10

39. The Draining Lake - sixth in the Reykjavik Murder Mysteries

by Arnaldur Indridason

translated by Bernard Scudder

mystery, 2004

finished, 7/18/10

38. Past Perfect

by Susan Isaacs

fiction, 2007

library book

unabridged audio read by Randye Kaye

finished, 7/16/10

37. A River in the Sky - 19th in the Amelia Peabody series

by Elizabeth Peters

mystery, 2010

unabridged audio read by Barbara Rosenblat

finished, 7/12/10

June - 6

36. The Lost Art of Gratitude - sixth in the Isabel Dalhousie series

by Alexander McCall Smith

fiction, 2009

unabridged audio read by Davina Porter

finished, 6/28/10

35. Voices - fifth in the Reykjavik Murder Mysteries

by Arnaldur Indridason

translated by Bernard Scudder

mystery, 2003

finished, 6/25/10

34. A Nun in the Closet

by Dorothy Gilman

mystery, 1975

third reading

unabridged audio read by Roslyn Alexander

finished, 6/23/10

33. Eloise

by Kay Thompson, drawings by Hilary Knight

children's picture book, 1955

library book

finished, 6/21/10

32. Mystery Mile - second in the Albert Campion series

by Margery Allingham

mystery, 1930

library book

unabridged audio read by Francis Matthews

library book

finished, 6/15/10

31. Silence of the Grave (Icelandic title, Grafarpögn) - fourth in the Reykjavík Murder Mysteries

translated by Bernard Scudder

mystery, 2002

finished, 6/14/10

May - 5

30. Noah's Compass

by Anne Tyler

fiction, 2009

library book

unabridged audio read by Arthur Morey

finished, 5/31/10

29. The Torso (Swedish title, Tatuerad Torso) - second in the Inspector Huss series

by Helene Tursten

translated by Katarina E. Tucker

mystery, 2000

finished, 5/30/10

28. Death On Demand - first in the Death On Demand series

by Carolyn G. Hart

mystery, 1987

library book

finished, 5/21/10

27. Detective Inspector Huss (Swedish title, Krossade tanghästen) - first in the Inspector Huss series

by Helene Tursten

translated by Steven T. Murray

mystery, 1998

finished, 5/17/10

26. The Mapping of Love and Death - seventh in the Maisie Dobbs series

by Jacqueline Winspear

mystery, 2010

library book

finished, 5/4/10

April - 8

25. Superfluous Death (US title - Mrs. Malory Wonders Why) - sixth in the Mrs Malory series

by Hazel Holt

mystery, 1995

finished, 4/30/10

24. Murder on Campus (US title - Mrs. Malory: Detective in Residence) - fifth in the Mrs Malory series

by Hazel Holt

mystery, 1994

finished, 4/28/10

23. Dog On It - first in the Chet and Bernie series

by Spencer Quinn

mystery, 2009

finished, 4/23/10

22. Arbor Day Square
by Kathryn O. Galbraith, illustrated by Cyd Moore
children's book, 2010
finished, 4/23/10

21. Jar City (also known as Tainted Blood; original Icelandic name was Myrin) - third in the Reykjavík Murder Mysteries

by Arnaldur Indridason

translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder

mystery, 2000

finished, 4/17/10

20. Betsy~Tacy and Tib - second in the Betsy~Tacy series

by Maud Hart Lovelace

juvenile fiction, 1941

read multiple times

finished, 4/13/10

19. Counter Culture

The American Coffee Shop Waitress

by Candacy A. Taylor

nonfiction, 2009

finished, 4/8/10

18. Please Pass the Guilt - a Nero Wolfe mystery

by Rex Stout

mystery, 1973

finished, 4/7/10

March - 5

17. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

fiction, 2010

finished, 3/29/10

16. Death of a Witch - twenty-fifth in the Hamish Macbeth series

by M.C. Beaton

mystery, 2009

library book

finished, 3/21/10

15. Death of a Gentle Lady - twenty-fourth in the Hamish Macbeth series

by M.C. Beaton

mystery, 2008

library book

finished, 3/17/10

14. The Stabbing in the Stables - seventh in the Fethering series

by Simon Brett

mystery, 2006

library book

finished, 3/12/10

13. Beatrix Potter

A Journal

nonfiction, 2006

finished, 3/4/10

February - 6

12. Ordinary Jack

Being the First Part of The Bagthorpe Saga

by Helen Cresswell

juvenile fiction, 1977

second reading

library book

finished, 2/25/10

11. The Most They Ever Had

by Rick Bragg

nonfiction, 2009

finished, 2/23/10

10. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - first in the Flavia de Luce series

by Alan Bradley

mystery, 2009

finished, 2/20/10

9. An Unsuitable Attachment

by Barbara Pym

fiction, 1982 (published posthumously - submitted to twenty publishers, beginning in 1963 and refused)

finished, 2/11/10

8. Carney's House Party

by Maud Hart Lovelace

juvenile fiction, 1949

library book

finished, 2/3/10

7. The Pantry

Its History and Modern Uses

by Catherine Seiberling Pond

nonfiction, 2007

finished, 2/2/10

January - 6

6. The Murder on the Links - second in the Hercule Poirot series

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1923

finished, 1/28/10

5. An Irish Country Girl - fourth in the Irish Country series

by Patrick Taylor

fiction, 2010

finished, 1/21/10

4. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline - fifth in the Enola Holmes series

by Nancy Springer

young adult mystery, 2009

library book

finished, 1/15/10

3. Betsy~Tacy - first in the Betsy~Tacy series

by Maud Hart Lovelace

juvenile fiction, 1940

read multiple times

finished, 1/10/10

2. Talking About Detective Fiction

by P.D. James

nonfiction, 2009

finished, 1/4/10

1. An Irish Country Village - second in the Irish Country series

by Patrick Taylor

fiction, 2008

library book

unabridged audio read by John Keating

finished, 1/3/10

A little bookkeeping

The next couple of posts will be empty. They are just my collection places for this year's books.

Typically British Reading Challenge

Book Chick City is hosting the Typically British Reading Challenge, which you know is right up my alley, or as the British say, street. I read a lot of British fiction, and so am joining the highest level:

"Cream Crackered" – Read 8 Typically British novels

For more information, you may click the picture on the sidebar of the adorable dog.

Addendum: On January 22, I decided to drop this challenge.

You've Got Mail Reading Challenge

You may have seen a picture on the sidebar of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail. Well, Book Psmith is hosting a challenge in which we read:

the authors and books highlighted, mentioned or pictured throughout the film

I thought this sounded wonderful so I joined. Many of the books are children's books which I have either never read or haven't read in a long time. You may find the complete list and more information by clicking the photo from the movie.

Reporting on the 2009 books

This is the book geek posting of the year because I like to know these statistics.

62 books read: 58 print; 4 audio

43 by women
19 by men

Genres:

29 fiction
22 mystery
6 nonfiction
4 juvenile
1 young adult

Publication dates:

27 - 2000s

6 - 1990s

2 - 1980s
6 - 1970s
1 - 1960s
3 - 1950s
5 - 1940s
7 - 1930s
3 - 1920s
2 - 1900-1919

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

62. Sarah's Key
by Tatiana de Rosnay
fiction, 2007
finished, 12/28/09







On Hallowe'en night some friends and Tom and I had an unusual evening. No, nothing eerie or scary. We went to visit our 'in-town' friends so we could see the little trick or treaters. In a while, two other couples came by and we all had dinner together. Eight adults who ate together for the first time ever without any of our children present. We remarked upon this fact quite often. As we were sitting around, a man asked Tom and I if we read. When we said yes, he began to rave about a book he and his wife had just read called Sarah's Key. The man said he couldn't put it down. Well, you gotta know this doesn't happen in my 'real' life very often. I have one friend with whom I talk books, but mostly that's it. Occasionally someone will mention a title, but for someone to love a book so much as this, well, I went right out and bought a copy.

Oh my gosh, I hated having to put it down to do other things in my life. It goes back and forth between 1942 and 2002 in France; a device I just love in books. We begin in 1942 with the dreaded banging on the door. A little girl and her mother are taken away. While they are packing up some things, the girl locks her younger brother in a secret cupboard, sure that she will be back soon to let him out. The father is hiding in the cellar when the police come. This sounds like other horror stories of the Nazi years, and it is, except for a startling fact. The men who come to get this Jewish family are not German, but French. One is the neighborhood policeman who used to pat the little girl on the head. Yes, the police are of course under German orders, but the cruelty they inflict upon their own fellow citizens makes them culpable in their own right.

In the next chapter, we meet forty-five year old American born Julia, who is married to a French man. They have an eleven year old daughter. The woman is a journalist and is going to do a story on what we now know as the Vélodrome d'Hiver roundup. On that awful day in July of 1942, thousands were taken away from their homes. She has never heard of the event. This may not be surprising because she is an American, but she finds people who went to school in France who never learned about it in school or from others. A sad, hidden secret.

Not only do the two stories alternate, they also interconnect, and there comes a point where the action stays in one period.

Some books are easier for me to write about than others. In a case like Sarah's Key, I really hate to give away the story. I knew nothing of this book except for our friend's enthusiasm, and I loved discovering the story for myself. If you want to know more details you can certainly find them at online bookstores or other blogs (though I haven't read about it anywhere yet). What I will say is that I was utterly in this book as I read it. I had to pull myself away to re-enter the world of my kitchen. I so rarely read something deemed as a 'bestseller' but I can see why this one is. I gave it to our daughter Margaret for Christmas, and she began and finished the book in a flash.

So, we have our friends, our daughter, its bestseller status, and now me. I can't imagine anyone not falling under the spell of this fantastic story. The event is true and the story is fictional, though the reader feels certain that it is real in many ways. The book is suspenseful and warm at the same time. We feel for the woman in the present day, as we feel for the young girl in 1942. Excellent book, that's all I can say.

Sarah's Key was great way to end a great year of reading. I won't do any favorites lists, other than the crime fiction one I did the other day. Mostly each and every book was my favorite while I was reading it; from Laurie Colwin to Henning Mankell. In general, I don't read books which I don't love. If I don't enjoy being within its pages, I put it aside and pick up another. Reading is my fondest pastime, which the dictionary tells us is:
an activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment rather than work.
Exactly.

Interesting article about Henning Mankell

Henning Mankell creates a 'female Wallander' following star's suicide
Grief-stricken author ends award-winning crime series after actress who played Wallander's daughter takes her own life

Paul Gallagher
The Observer, Sunday 27 December 2009

As a dysfunctional, divorced, middle-aged man with personal issues, Swedish detective Kurt Wallander has become a famous figure in crime fiction.

His creator, Henning Mankell, is about to introduce a female protagonist, caught up in an equally grim world of bizarre multiple murders, who may prove as popular as the portly figure who has captivated millions of readers worldwide. But Judge Birgitta Roslin might never have been created had a tragic, lonely death close to Mankell not forced him to adapt his award-winning formula.

Wallander first appeared in Sweden in 1991 in Faceless Killers, with the English translation arriving in 1997. Nine Wallander mysteries were written, set in bleak, flat farmland inhabited by few around the small town of Ystad in southern Sweden. Having introduced Wallander's daughter, Linda, early on as a supporting character, and later as a policewoman, played by Johanna Sällström in the Swedish TV series, the author decided to "retire" the male detective and embark on a natural progression.

In Mankell's imagination, Before the Frost, published in 2002, was to be the first in a projected three-part series where Linda would take centre stage. But in 2007, Sällström committed suicide. The 32-year-old was found alone by police at her Malmö home on 13 February 2007, shortly after being released from a psychiatric unit.

Depression, traced to her surviving the 2004 tsunami when she was on holiday in Thailand with her young daughter, Tallulah, was believed to be the cause, though no suicide note was found. Sällström had clung on to life that day by holding on to a tree with one hand and her three-year-old daughter with the other. The experience had a devastating effect.

After her death, Mankell was unable to write another novel with Linda, saying his grief and guilt were too great. The result was Birgitta Roslin, who has to endure the same sort of grim daily grind as Wallander. She plays the central role in The Man From Beijing, Mankell's latest novel, to be released in the UK in February.

Traditional Wallander themes are all present, with the opening chapter containing a crime as horrific as the one that first confronted Wallander in Faceless Killers: the victim of a savage murder is found in a sleepy hamlet buried in the snow. A crime unprecedented in Swedish history is uncovered, with 18 more victims found dead. Roslin reads about the massacre and realises she has a family connection to one of the couples and decides to investigate after disagreeing with the police's actions.

Although Mankell released a new Wallander book, The Worried Man, this year in Sweden – 10 years after the detective's last appearance and with an English translation expected by 2011 – the author has said it will be the final novel in the series. But British fans will only have to wait another week for a fix, with Kenneth Branagh returning on 3 January in the first of three new feature-length episodes based on Mankell's books.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009

My top ten crime fiction reads of 2009

Kerrie is asking for people's top ten favorite crime fiction reads of this year from which she will collate the books and come up with the best crime fiction reads of 2009.

These are the rules:

it is about crime fiction you've read in 2009. Year of publication doesn't matter.

about 10 titles in the format of title, author (no need for description etc).

any order will do. If you think one was so much better than the others, you might like to put it in your list twice.

You have until Jan 7 to do it.

You can help on your own blog by writing about what I am doing and pointing people to this post, so they can come here and contribute their list.

If you want your lists to be counted, you'll need to go to the site and leave them in the comments.

Here are my favorites in alphabetical order. The two I loved the very best are those by Henning Mankell.

Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (sixth in Maisie Dobbs series)

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell (first in Wallander series)

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear (fourth in the Maisie Dobbs series)

Ruling Passion by Reginald Hill (third in Dalziel & Pascoe series)

The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall (first in Vish Puri series)

The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan by Nancy Springer (fourth in Enola Holmes series)

The Cruellest Month by Hazel Holt (second in the Mrs. Malory series)

The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell (second in Wallander series)

The Skeleton in the Grass by Robert Barnard (stand-alone)

Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany (second in Molly Smith series)

If you want to read my book reports, you may click the titles.

First line meme

This idea came to me from Melanie via Kate.

Once again, this fun meme is great for the end of the year. Take the first line of each month's post over the past year and see what it tells you about your blogging year.

I found it to be quite an interesting little exercise. It very clearly shows the sort of stuff I write about here. Poems, books, quotes, farm and garden life, my animals, and pictures, with a little music thrown in. Who would think that just the first post of each month could exemplify one's blog?


January: (from a poem) Another fresh new year is here...

February: (from a book report) I wonder if all of us who write about books on our blogs have our special favorite reviews.

March: (from a book report) I didn't keep all the books from when my kids were little, but I knew that I would want to read the Melendy family series again someday.

April: (talking about a singer) I'm admitting it to the world.

May: I wanted to pass along some information regarding my cat, just in case even one person is in a similar situation.

June: (from a poem) If I might see another Spring,

July: (from a today's picture)






August: (from a quote du jour) At the height of the Nazi blitz of London in 1940, special 'raid libraries' were set up at the reeking entrances to the underground shelters to supply, by popular demand, detective stories and nothing else.

September: (from a today's picture) You might ask, why on earth is she showing a dead tree?






October: (I included the title to make sense of the first line) Not a plague of locusts, but...
... of ladybugs.

November: (from a quote du jour) I like spring, but it is too young.

December: (from a book report on a Christmas book) I've often longed to spend Christmastime in England.

An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor

61. An Irish Country Doctor - first in the Irish Country series
by Patrick Taylor
fiction, 2007
library copy
unabridged audio cd, read by John Keating
finished, 12/23/09




After enjoying An Irish Country Christmas so much, I listened to the first in the series, An Irish Country Doctor, which chronicles the coming to Ballybucklebo of young Doctor Barry Laverty. I am completely smitten with these books, and am now listening to the second in the series. I love the characters, and how they connect to one another in the village. I find the medical treatments in this small place in the mid-1960s fascinating. And it is lovely watching this young doctor fall in love with the place and its people. And now, I'll let the author speak for himself.

Our Own Christmas Story

Bo Ling Chop Suey Palace as it appeared in A Christmas Story in 1983.



Yesterday Tom read some Christmas wishes online that went something like this: we wish you a happy day, whether you are celebrating around the tree or going out to a movie and then a Chinese restaurant. I thought, my gosh, we are going to be an alternative stereotype this day! Because, as I wrote, we celebrated around the tree on the 24th, so on the real Christmas day we went to the opening of Sherlock Holmes and ate out afterwards at our favorite Chinese restaurant. It wasn't this one, which was used in the movie A Christmas Story, but was our favorite local Chinese restaurant, where we walk in and they know us, and even know what we like to order. We went with friends and had just the best time. The restaurant was packed and the man who waited on us said it's like this every Christmas. Incidentally, I loved the movie. It doesn't hurt that it stars two of my favorites, Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, as the great detective and Dr. Watson. All the trailers have shown lots of action, but there are also quieter, more contemplative parts. I have never enjoyed these characters as much as in this film. And Rachel McAdams was great as Irene Adler. You get to see London as it really must have been in those Victorian days. I could almost feel the air and smell the smells.

Merry Christmas to you!

Christmas Snapshots

Because Margaret has to work on Christmas day, we celebrated our Christmas this evening. It was such a lovely time.

Are we watching a cheery Christmas movie? Nope. Michael gave us Jaws!

Christmas Eve day bookkeeping

I can't believe I'm beginning this today, but well, there you are. I've added a new bloglist called 'Mostly Books.' I am moving blogs which are 'mostly' about books from my 'Across' lists to that list. I'm going to do this gradually, when I have a few minutes at the computer.

Addendum: I decided to call it 'Bookish' instead; a word I'm very fond of.

If you find yourself listed there and don't feel you belong there, email me and let me know. If you do not find yourself there, and believe your blog is mostly about books, again, please get in touch.

A Christmas poem

An old friend sent this poem on beautiful paper with holly leaves and berries on it as her Christmas card this year. I had never read it before but have since found it all over the internet, attributed to various authors. My friend had 'author unknown' so that's how I am posting it. It may not be a perfect piece of poetry, but I found the words very moving.

Christmas
Author Unknown

I have a list of folks I know, all written in a book

And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look.

And that is when I realize that these names are all a part,

Not of the book they're written in, but of my very heart.

For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime

And in that meeting they've become a rhythm in a rhyme.

And while it sounds fantastic for me to make this claim,

I really feel that I'm composed of each remembered name.

And while you may not be aware of any special link

Just meeting you has changed my life a lot more than you think.

For once I've met somebody, the years cannot erase

The memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face.

So never think my Christmas cards are just a mere routine

Of names on a Christmas list forgotten in between.

For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you,

It's because you're on the list of those I am indebted to.

For I am the total of the many folks I have met

And you are one of those I prefer not to forget.

And whether I have known you for many years, or for few

In some way you have had a part in shaping things I do

And every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew.

The winner of the Bookmarks Magazine subscription is...

Julia Whitmore!

The Holiday

I love, love, love this movie. It is about four people, each with their own problems and imperfections, who find out who they really are and thus find true happiness during a Christmas holiday.

Cameron Diaz plays a movie trailer company owner in Los Angeles who has just found out her live-in boyfriend is cheating on her. She's mad, she throws things, she socks him, but she doesn't cry.

Kate Winslet plays a journalist in London who writes about weddings, and has been in a hopeless, three-year relationship with a co-worker. He has just announced his engagement to someone else who works in the same office.

Jude Law works in the book publishing business in London, and is involved in meaningless one-night stands.

Jack Black is a movie music writer who has a girlfriend of a few months.

How all these people come together and change one another's lives is the 'plot' of the film. The women do a house exchange for the Christmas holiday which is how Diaz and Law get together, and Winslet and Black become friends. Another very important, and inspired, character in this film is an old Hollywood screenwriter played by Eli Wallach. I don't think I've even seen him in a finer role. He is subdued and subtle and thoroughly loveable. He and the Kate Winslet character form a quick, yet firm and lasting friendship which emboldens both of them.

That's about all I want to say in case you haven't seen it. I wouldn't want to spoil this really wonderful story for you. I'll just add that I think I'm a little in love with Jack Black when he plays a calm, romantic character. Of course, I think he is superb in movies such as High Fidelity and The School of Rock but I think Hollywood should offer him more of these toned-down sorts of roles. And Jude Law is as beautiful as ever in this film, and his character such an appealing one. Kate Winslet is utterly wonderful in the role of a woman who just can't get herself out of this 'toxic, twisted' relationship. And Cameron Diaz hasn't cried since her parents broke up when she was a teen. You bring these personalities together, played by actors who truly make the characters come to life, and you've got a terrifically entertaining and enlightening movie.

Oh, and the Cotswolds' house is my perfect home. It was manufactured specially for the movie. The outside, the setting, and the rooms are my ideal. I pause the dvd just to look at the shelves and dishes and tables and lamps and books. I so love it.

A little PS:

There is one more thing I'd like to mention. There is a little homage to one of my all time favorite movies, A Man and A Woman. The writer, director, and producer Nancy Meyers offers a playful short scene with the Diaz and Law characters. There are no words spoken but he picks her up and swings her in his arms; she is wearing much the same coat as the Anouk Aimee character, and even has the same hairstyle.

Baked French Toast, recipe two

I made this yesterday for a breakfast-at-night supper, and it was fantastic.

Baked French Toast

Cut bread into 1-inch squares; enough to cover the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Lightly beat 2 eggs, 3 Tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Stir in 2 1/4 cups milk.
Pour over bread, turning pieces to coat well.

At this point, you may stop, cover, and refrigerate over night, if you wish.

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Combine 1/2 cup flour, 6 Tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional).
Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Scatter 1 cup blueberries and/or strawberries (this time I used just strawberries) over the bread.
Sprinkle with the crumb mixture.

Bake about 40 minutes until golden brown.

I heated some maple syrup and poured it over the top. Out of this world delicious! You may see another 'Baked French Toast' in the recipes on the sidebar, but this one is a little different. I enjoy them both.

Three more days to sign up for the giveaway if you are interested!

Canine Christmas Cards

This is the card Margaret and her boyfriend sent out.
Lexi on the left, Piglet on the right.

This is the card we sent out. Ben on the left, Sadie on the right.

An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor

60. An Irish Country Christmas - third in the Irish Country series
by Patrick Taylor
fiction, 2008
library audio cd
unabridged, read by John Keating
finished, 12/15/09








Time is the oddest thing. As I listened to this really terrific story, I was reminded of when I first watched on PBS, and then read, the James Herriot stories. I thought to myself that this could be the same kind of heartwarming story for Northern Ireland as All Creatures was for Yorkshire. And then, (this is where time comes in) I realized that when I first learned of the Herriot books it was the 1970s and his tales are set in the 1930s. So, I was looking back forty years. And then I realized that this book is set in 1964; forty-five years ago. And the part that astounds me is that I was 16 years old then! Is this possible? I don't think so. I think it has to be some kind of trick time is playing on me.

I had never heard of Patrick Taylor's books until I happened to see this cd at the library. He is a very good writer, and this book is filled with details of the village, Ballybucklebo and its inhabitants, and the work of country doctors during this time. This one has a Christmas theme, with the younger vet, Barry Laverty disappointed that his girlfriend, Patricia may not be coming for Christmas. The older vet, Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly (named for Oscar Wilde), wonders if he can reconnect with a woman from his youth. The housekeeper in this book is Mrs. Kincaid, who takes care of the house and the meals, and the men, as well. A serious concern in An Irish Country Christmas is the arrival of a third doctor in the area. Are there enough people to support three doctors? And then they begin to hear of some very odd treatments the new doctor is offering. A woman nearly dies because he hasn't dealt properly with her situation. Though this is the third book in the series, I didn't find it hard to follow. I was completely charmed by the setting, the story, the Irish lilt in the excellent narration. I've now begun the first book in the series.

You may visit the author's website and read about the books, the area, the dialect.

Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway if you are interested!