Little Pixie`s Bookshelf 2014

[Little Pixie]

Gad Zooks!!!! I am, like, totally impressed!

 

Hee hee, thanks. 

 

Books read : 172                        TBR 733              New Books Bought : 196                       Total Cost : £354.78

 

I`d forgotten to take 50 (  ) books off my TBR pile, just updated it. 

 

733 still looks pretty big though. 

[Little Pixie]

Oh there you are, I was wondering where you'd got to.  Glad to hear you've got it all sorted now 

 

Hopefully there`ll be some money back from the Govt. to put towards the flood prevention costs ; if only they`d ban councils from allowing houses to be built on flood plains....   

 

 

 

I've decided to abandon my statistics next year - they're stopping me from enjoying my reading!  The advantage being that I won't be keeping tabs on my TBR pile anymore     

 

 

Oof, if I did that, I`d still be living in la-la-land where I thought I had only 2-300 books to read... You`re pretty disciplined though - and have limited space - whereas I`m thinking that I don`t really need to see the carpets ( overspill book piles...   )

 

I`ve rather liked the `competitiveness` of reading lots of books, though I assumed it would save me from buying too many books. 

[Little Pixie]

 

Welcome back ! I'm glad your PC issues and internet issues have been sorted. I'm a bit jaleous of the internet speed ours is ~1.6 MB. You've done a lot of reading in your absence here!

 

 

It`s down to 3.06 today ; I suppose it`ll skip around till all of the town is broadband-ised.  1.6 ??  << shudders >> 

 

I hope you enjoy all your new books  ! Have you read many Terry Pratchett books?

 

 

Thank you !   I`ve read all of the Discworld books up to Raising Steam ( that one arrived today ) ; I haven`t tried many of his other books.   I`ll get round to buying The Long Earth series ; I think you`ve read the first one ? 

[Athena]

Thank you !   I`ve read all of the Discworld books up to Raising Steam ( that one arrived today ) ; I haven`t tried many of his other books.   I`ll get round to buying The Long Earth series ; I think you`ve read the first one ? 

Wow, that's a lot! I haven't yet read The Long Earth and I've read I think 22 Discworld novels (the first 22). I have also read the Johnny Maxwell books and The Carpet People. I haven't been reading Pratchett's books a lot the past few years, for some reason.

[Little Pixie]

Wow, that's a lot! I haven't yet read The Long Earth and I've read I think 22 Discworld novels (the first 22). I have also read the Johnny Maxwell books and The Carpet People. I haven't been reading Pratchett's books a lot the past few years, for some reason.

 

Oh, I also read The Carpet trilogy. 

[Little Pixie]

Books read : 172                        TBR 733              New Books Bought : 196                       Total Cost : £354.78

 

Well, the poor cat had to go back to the vet yesterday ; she was scratching around her ear ( same side as where she had the abscess and conjunctivitis ) and pulled out a chunk of fur. It was all weepy and bleeding. The vet thinks it was a residual infection from the last time, and Xiao-Xiao`s had more antibiotics and steroids, plus the vet cleaned up the site and clipped her claws ( just to blunt them a bit, `cos of all the screatching at the wound . ) The furry princess wet herself in her carrier, then poohed at the vets` - she`s so scared, I feel so sorry for her. She has a new carrier now ( she had a wicker one, then a picnic hamper ; now she has a plastic one with a grille at the front). The vet checked her ears and teeth too, and put a stain in her eye ( there`s damage from whatever caused the conjunctivitis - the vet thinks probably a fight now -  and she has a small scar on her pupil). 

 

Hopefully hopefully hopefully, this is the last visit ; it was her 7th visit in the past 3-4 months, including her yearly check-up for jabs - the insurance has covered everything past the initial £75, so that`s been around £350-400. 

[Little Pixie]

Latest books read :

 

 

173   Donna Leon - Through a Glass darkly

 

The 15th Inspector Brunetti book. Brunetti investigates a murder on the isle of Murano, famous for its glass factories. A fun, quick read, plus you get to spend time with Brunetti and his family.

 

 

174   Andrea Cammilleri - The Snack Thief

175   Andrea Cammilleri - Excursion to Tindari

176   Andrea Cammilleri - The Scent of the Night

177   Andrea Cammilleri - The Voice of the Violin   

 

I hadn`t read any of the Inspector Montalbano books for a while, so had a bit of a binge read. Set on Sicily, there`s plenty of lovely scenery and good food, plus farcical situations. Montalbano manipulates his investigations to get justice, in a `lone wolf with a pack of eager police subordinates` way. 

 

 

178   Melissa Bank - The Girls` Guide to Hunting and Fishing

 

I had this in my TBR pile for ages, having got it free with a magazine ( in the olden days when you got a free book with a magazine, instead of sparkly nail varnish...) It`s a girlie cover, so I was expecting something a bit like Bridget Jones, but this is Bridget Jones and then some. It starts with Jane at the age of 14 and follows her till her mid-30`s ; laugh-out-loud funny, endearing, touching. There`s a depth to it that I hadn`t expected, with some great lines :

 

“Finally, I asked how you got a boy to like you back. She said, 'Just be yourself,' as though I had any idea who that might be.” 

 

It`s not perfect ( it`s a series of short stories, instead of one long narrative ) but it makes me want to read Melissa Bank`s other book. Soon. 

 

179   Alexander McCall Smith - The Good Husband of Zebra Drive

180   Alexander McCall Smith - The Miracle at Speedy Motors

181   Alexander McCall Smith - Tea-time for the Traditionally Built

182   Alexander mcCall Smith - The Double Comfort Safari Club

 

No1 Ladies` Detective Agency binge-read. I had a bit of an over-dose on these ; they`re frothy at times, farcical at times, and feel so real to me, that if something bad happens to one of the characters, I have to keep reading to make sure they`re okay. The mysteries which Mma Makutsi and Mma Ramotswe solve aren`t particularly taxing, but they`re sweet stories of life in Botswana.

 

183   Stuart Palmer - Four Lost Ladies

 

One of the later books in the Hildegarde Withers series. Retired NY schoolmarm Hildegarde investigates missing women by going undercover as a rich single lady in an upmarket hotel. 

 

184   Patricia Moyes - The Curious Affair of the Third Dog

 

Inspector Henry Tibbett and wife Emmy go to stay with her sister in the country and come across a mystery involving greyhounds. A bit unbelievable at times ( I couldn`t really see the Henry I`ve been reading about in so many books, cross-dress to evade some villains ) but still a nice diversion.

 

185   John Le Carre -  The Little Drummer Girl

 

One of those books which take ages to get through, but stay with you afterwards. Charlie - jobbing actress -  gets recruited by Mossad to go undercover and foil a bombing. 

 

186   JL Carrell - The Shakespeare Secret

 

Fast, thrilling read, though a bit too complex at times, making it difficult to follow. Kate Stanley - director at the Globe Theatre and previous academic at Harvard - gets drawn into a Dan Brown-ish mystery involving Cardenio, a missing play. 

 

187   Amanda Cross - Death in a Tenured Position

 

Professor Kate Fansler goes to Harvard in the 1970`s to help out a fellow female academic, who`s being bullied by the rest of her ( all male ) English Department.  People talk in long paragraphs and quote English Lit, but it all feels quite real. 

 

 

188   Daniel Silva - The Confessor

 

Gabriel Allon - art restorer, former Mossad agent - investigates the death of an old friend in Germany and gets drawn into a conspiracy involving the Vatican. There`s a jaw-dropping twist and plenty of action. 

Edited November 14, 2014 by Little Pixie

[Little Pixie]

More books bought ...

 

The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon - Alexander McCall Smith   £2.81

 

Belshazzar`s daughter - Barbara Nadel  £1.78   Described as Istanbul`s Donna Leon.

 

Strange Weather in Tokyo - Hiromi Kamakami   £1.78

 

A tale for the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki      £2.81

 

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party - Alexander McCall Smith    £2.09      

                             

How the Light gets in - Louise Penny     £2.81

 

Sweet Death Kind Death,  Players Come Again, Trap for Fools,   No Word from Winifred - Amanda Cross    £2.77, £1.97, £1,97, £2.80

 

Thus was Adonis Murdered - Sarah Caudwell    £1.98

 

Blood Trail, Blood Price - Tanya Huff   £2.80

 

The Indigo Necklace - Frances Crane    £1.19   

 

Books read : 188                        TBR 731              New Books Bought : 210                       Total Cost : £378.69

Edited November 14, 2014 by Little Pixie

[Athena]

Poor Xiao-Xiao ! I hope she will feel better soon. I'm glad the insurance covered most of the costs.

 

You've read a lot! I've got a lot of the books of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency on my TBR, I'm glad you like them !

 

Congratulations on the new books! I hope you enjoy them .

[Little Pixie]

Poor Xiao-Xiao ! I hope she will feel better soon. I'm glad the insurance covered most of the costs.

 

You've read a lot! I've got a lot of the books of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency on my TBR, I'm glad you like them !

 

Congratulations on the new books! I hope you enjoy them .

 

Thank you. 

 

Xiao-Xiao`s eating well and has been out for walks today, plus had lots of cuddles, so I think she`s on the mend. 

 

I think you have to be in the right mood to read the Botswanan books; they`re quite a slow, gentle read ( but it`s like eating crisps, once you read one book, it`s easy to keep reading one after the other ). 

[Little Pixie]

Book 189    The Indigo Necklace - Frances Crane

 

Published in the 1940`s, this is from a mystery series with Pat and Jean Abbott, set mainly in the US. This one takes place in New Orleans ( though one character works at a military hospital in Lake Pontchartrain, Kate  )  in an old, decaying house populated with a large, extended family. Jean hears a murder being committed and the case involves working out how on earth it was done, and where a body was hidden. It`s a fast, fun read, and you can really picture the bars, restaurants, fashions and weather in the book. 

 

Frances Crane bio  

Edited November 15, 2014 by Little Pixie

[Athena]

Thank you. 

 

Xiao-Xiao`s eating well and has been out for walks today, plus had lots of cuddles, so I think she`s on the mend. 

 

I think you have to be in the right mood to read the Botswanan books; they`re quite a slow, gentle read ( but it`s like eating crisps, once you read one book, it`s easy to keep reading one after the other ).

I'm glad to hear she's on the mend . Thanks, I'll keep that in mind! Several people have recommended them to me .

[Kylie]

I'm so behind in people's reading threads...I just came here and found that I'm only up to page 11 of 26 (back in April). Yikes!

 

Book 189    The Indigo Necklace - Frances Crane

 

Heh. Do you remember that back in April you were hopeful that you might read 150 books this year? Um, slight understatement! I wish I could read as fast as you!

 

OK, I'm going to time-travel back to April now. It'll probably take me the rest of the year to catch up on your thread (so I guess I'll see you in 2015?)

[Kylie]

Sorry to be replying to things from so long ago...(I've had to remove lots of emoticons).

 

I'm afraid one of our calicos passed a few months ago.    One of three sisters, they were born in May, 1997.  She had a cancerous kidney tumor. 

 

The rest are doing fine, even the almost 21 year old.  Her lungs and mouth work a treat! 

 

Sorry to hear about your cat. Is your 21-year-old an indoor cat? I know indoor cats are supposed to live longer, and my boy is always indoors, so I hope he'll live as long as your cats.

 

she might have had flu as a kitten, and that`s why she sneezes and snores at night ( `cos it`s left her with hayfever ) - glad it`s all over for another year !

 

I'm a hayfever sufferer myself, so I feel for your cat, but at the same time I think it's a little bit cute to picture a cat snoring and sneezing. 

 

I had to stop using Whiskas 6 or 7 years ago, the cats seemed to love it, but soon vomited it right up.  

I use, for canned, Purina Friskies and Iams for dry.

 

I had to stop feeding my cat Whiskas dry food because he always swallowed it whole and then he had problems with his teeth because he hadn't been chewing his food. After an expensive trip to the vet to fix his teeth, I'm now feeding him larger dry food, which he has to chew (he also doesn't throw it up as much). It's much more expensive but I figure it will be cheaper in the long run to look after his teeth!

 

Just a quick post - Xiao-Xiao had her op today for that abscess - 30 min op under general anaesthetic - the vet found a tiny* splinter in the abscess, hopefully that`s what the problem was, though he said it`s difficult to tell if it`s all sluiced out now, `cos the bits can be so small. She`s back home now with a `buster collar`, ie, a cone of shame. The poor girl`s completely spaced out, very unsteady on her feet ; she`s currently dozing near her food dish ( she`s having tiny amounts of food, ` cos she hasn`t eaten for 24 hours. )

 

Aw, poor Xiao-Xiao (by the way, how do you pronounce that name?) The abscess sounds very painful and uncomfortable. When Jasper went in to have his teeth fixed they put a little needle in his leg to put him under. He was just a little bit unsteady when he came home and I bawled my eyes out in pity for him.   Such a minor thing in the scheme of things. I can't imagine how much worse it was for you and Xiao-Xiao.

 

I saw the pic you posted of Xiao-Xiao on her one-year anniversary of being with you. She is gorgeous! I love calico cats.

 

OK, I'm all caught up now, and poor Xiao-Xiao is still unwell! She has had a rough year indeed. Please give her a cuddle for me.

[pontalba]

Kylie,  Interesting about Whiskas, I haven't tried the dry one.

And, last week we had to have Tuffy, the 21 year old put to sleep.  The last month or so she'd really gone down, strength wise.  She got so she couldn't maneuver for the most ordinary things.  Miserable day, that was.

 

 

 

I've decided to abandon my statistics next year - they're stopping me from enjoying my reading!  The advantage being that I won't be keeping tabs on my TBR pile anymore   

 

  I think you are taking the Wise Course.......

 

 

.................if only they`d ban councils from allowing houses to be built on flood plains.... 

 

 

Good Luck with that one!     As long as some real estate developer can make some money off of it, that won't happen.

 

 

Books read : 172                        TBR 733              New Books Bought : 196                       Total Cost : £354.78

 

Well, the poor cat had to go back to the vet yesterday ; she was scratching around her ear ( same side as where she had the abscess and conjunctivitis ) and pulled out a chunk of fur. It was all weepy and bleeding. The vet thinks it was a residual infection from the last time, and Xiao-Xiao`s had more antibiotics and steroids, plus the vet cleaned up the site and clipped her claws ( just to blunt them a bit, `cos of all the screatching at the wound . ) The furry princess wet herself in her carrier, then poohed at the vets` - she`s so scared, I feel so sorry for her. She has a new carrier now ( she had a wicker one, then a picnic hamper ; now she has a plastic one with a grille at the front). The vet checked her ears and teeth too, and put a stain in her eye ( there`s damage from whatever caused the conjunctivitis - the vet thinks probably a fight now -  and she has a small scar on her pupil). 

 

Hopefully hopefully hopefully, this is the last visit ; it was her 7th visit in the past 3-4 months, including her yearly check-up for jabs - the insurance has covered everything past the initial £75, so that`s been around £350-400. 

 

Thank you. 

 

Xiao-Xiao`s eating well and has been out for walks today, plus had lots of cuddles, so I think she`s on the mend. 

 

I think you have to be in the right mood to read the Botswanan books; they`re quite a slow, gentle read ( but it`s like eating crisps, once you read one book, it`s easy to keep reading one after the other ). 

 

Yikes!  Glad she has improved!  Poor baby. 

 

 

Book 189    The Indigo Necklace - Frances Crane

 

Published in the 1940`s, this is from a mystery series with Pat and Jean Abbott, set mainly in the US. This one takes place in New Orleans ( though one character works at a military hospital in Lake Pontchartrain, Kate  )  in an old, decaying house populated with a large, extended family. Jean hears a murder being committed and the case involves working out how on earth it was done, and where a body was hidden. It`s a fast, fun read, and you can really picture the bars, restaurants, fashions and weather in the book. 

 

Frances Crane bio  

 

Downloaded to my Kindle.......somehow.....

[Kylie]

Kylie,  Interesting about Whiskas, I haven't tried the dry one.

And, last week we had to have Tuffy, the 21 year old put to sleep.  The last month or so she'd really gone down, strength wise.  She got so she couldn't maneuver for the most ordinary things.  Miserable day, that was.

 

I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope you're both doing OK. Tuffy certainly lived a good, long and undoubtedly happy life with you. 

[Little Pixie]

I'm so behind in people's reading threads...I just came here and found that I'm only up to page 11 of 26 (back in April). Yikes!

 

 

Heh. Do you remember that back in April you were hopeful that you might read 150 books this year? Um, slight understatement! I wish I could read as fast as you!

 

OK, I'm going to time-travel back to April now. It'll probably take me the rest of the year to catch up on your thread (so I guess I'll see you in 2015?)

 

 

I just can`t keep up with a lot of things on here, which is a shame - but I figure we can either read about books or read books...  .. And I eventually get round to things in a mass-read, too. 

 

A lot of my books have been mysteries of around 300 pages, so the reading hasn`t been too onerous ( plus I do recommend going to bed early to read).

 

Hmm, I was also hopeful that I`d make a dent in my TBR this year. Well, that hasn`t happened. 

Edited November 20, 2014 by Little Pixie

[Athena]

Hmm, I was also hopeful that I`d make a dent in my TBR this year. Well, that hasn`t happened. 

Awww . If I'm correct in reading back your thread, your TBR went up slightly now compared with at the beginning of the year? You'll get there in the end . My TBR went up too .

 

So I'm not sure if I'd be a good help .

 

I do find sometimes though that this forum stimulates me to read more. Yes, it does take some time to read posts, but I find it also encourages me to read more.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Athena

[Little Pixie]

I'm a hayfever sufferer myself, so I feel for your cat, but at the same time I think it's a little bit cute to picture a cat snoring and sneezing. 

 

The sneezing is very cute ; sometimes she looks at you with a surprsied expression on her face just before giving this little wet sneeze. 

 

 

 

Aw, poor Xiao-Xiao (by the way, how do you pronounce that name?) The abscess sounds very painful and uncomfortable.   When Jasper went in to have his teeth fixed they put a little needle in his leg to put him under. He was just a little bit unsteady when he came home and I bawled my eyes out in pity for him.    Such a minor thing in the scheme of things. I can't imagine how much worse it was for you and Xiao-Xiao.

 

OK, I'm all caught up now, and poor Xiao-Xiao is still unwell! She has had a rough year indeed.   Please give her a cuddle for me.

 

 

It`s pronounced shao-shao ( shhhh + ow, as in ow, I stubbed my toe  )  It means ` little sunshine`.

 

Poor Jasper. One of my neighbour`s took in a feral cat who had to have his teeth out ; he was so much happier afterwards. 

 

Is Jasper having Go-Cat crunchies ? 

 

I shall give the Furry Princess a cuddle from you ; she loves cuddles. 

[Little Pixie]

Kylie,  Interesting about Whiskas, I haven't tried the dry one.

And, last week we had to have Tuffy, the 21 year old put to sleep.  The last month or so she'd really gone down, strength wise.  She got so she couldn't maneuver for the most ordinary things.  Miserable day, that was.

 

 

Oh, that`s so sad. Poor Tuffy.    How are the other cats coping ? It`s awful when  you lose a furry family member.  

 

 

Good Luck with that one!      As long as some real estate developer can make some money off of it, that won't happen.

 

Plus, it makes so much extra work/money for builders doing repairs...Grr. 

 

 

Downloaded to my Kindle.......somehow..... 

 

 

 

Hee hee. Hope you like it. I`ll get more from the same author when cheapie books turn up ( that one was £1.19 in paperback, then it suddenly went up to £9+ after I`d bought it...   )

[Little Pixie]

Awww . If I'm correct in reading back your thread, your TBR went up slightly now compared with at the beginning of the year? You'll get there in the end . My TBR went up too .

 

So I'm not sure if I'd be a good help .

 

I do find sometimes though that this forum stimulates me to read more. Yes, it does take some time to read posts, but I find it also encourages me to read more.

 

 

Ooh, I just looked, and my TBR at the start of the year was 737, so it`s actually gone down ( it`s 731 now ) ! Though there`s an Abbey Fair on Saturday, and they have books, so.... 

 

Well, it does help to not feel alone in the swampy midst of a big TBR. 

 

I think I`ve felt like reading more, too. Though I think I`ve felt like buying much more... 

[pontalba]

Oh, that`s so sad. Poor Tuffy.    How are the other cats coping ? It`s awful when  you lose a furry family member.

 

 

 

Plus, it makes so much extra work/money for builders doing repairs...Grr. 

 

 

 

 

Hee hee. Hope you like it. I`ll get more from the same author when cheapie books turn up ( that one was £1.19 in paperback, then it suddenly went up to £9+ after I`d bought it...   )

 

We'd had to keep her separate from the other cats for a couple of years because as she aged and became weaker, they became more aggressive around her.  Of course that didn't make her back down even a little bit...       she'd stand there and scream right in their faces.  Oy.  Scared me to death, I can tell you. 

 

So, they hadn't seen much of her in the last couple of years. 

 

She had the studio to herself, with her own couch, TV, DVD player and exercise equipment!   She was a good cat, and her name fit well. 

[Athena]

Ooh, I just looked, and my TBR at the start of the year was 737, so it`s actually gone down ( it`s 731 now ) ! Though there`s an Abbey Fair on Saturday, and they have books, so.... 

 

Well, it does help to not feel alone in the swampy midst of a big TBR. 

 

I think I`ve felt like reading more, too. Though I think I`ve felt like buying much more... 

 

That's pretty good!! I wish you lots of fun book buying . I agree, it also helps me to know I'm not alone in that . Yes, book buying is so addictive and pleasant .

 

We'd had to keep her separate from the other cats for a couple of years because as she aged and became weaker, they became more aggressive around her.  Of course that didn't make her back down even a little bit...       she'd stand there and scream right in their faces.  Oy.  Scared me to death, I can tell you. 

 

So, they hadn't seen much of her in the last couple of years. 

 

She had the studio to herself, with her own couch, TV, DVD player and exercise equipment!   She was a good cat, and her name fit well.

I know I already said it, but I'm still sorry for your loss, Kate .

[Little Pixie]

We'd had to keep her separate from the other cats for a couple of years because as she aged and became weaker, they became more aggressive around her.  Of course that didn't make her back down even a little bit...       she'd stand there and scream right in their faces.  Oy.  Scared me to death, I can tell you. 

 

So, they hadn't seen much of her in the last couple of years. 

 

She had the studio to herself, with her own couch, TV, DVD player and exercise equipment!   She was a good cat, and her name fit well. 

 

Aw, what a sweetie ! 

[Little Pixie]

Hmm, I must do another TBR count, `cos I think I`ve gone wrong somewhere ( not that it matters, it`s just for fun ! ) I think I might`ve taken off too many books ( and got confused with re-reads.. ) I might be 40 books out, oslt.