too many mysteries

3 that I have either stopped or skimmed the remainder. They are pretty good mysteries but I get bored with the plots.
The Dying Light by Henry Porter, 2009. Like an episode of Spooks, and well enough written but I sent it back to the library 2/3 of the way through. Never got back to Stardust by Joseph Kanon, leaving it half read.

Listened to The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly, 2009, but pushed the skip button for the last 3 CDs. Plot was too predictable and serial killers don't really interest me.

So am very happy to start two good books:
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, 2009. Good writing, really good writing and interesting characters - twin sons Marion and Shiva Stone, born in a mission hospital in Ethiopia in the 1950s. Verghese is a doctor and writer and he writes very well. I may have to buy this book.

Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel The Lacuna, 2009. Not as appealing as her earlier novels and I've had a harder time getting into it, but it's good now. The main character is a boy - half Mexican - living in the 30's in Mexico with his wayward mother. So far he has been educated in the Three Muskateer's school of literature and is about to enter school for the first time at age 14.

mitts

mitts for Mum, really nice sock wool that shrinks after a few washings so I'm not going to make any more socks of it.

Books

Am enjoying The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre 2009. Good novel, interesting topic. The flawed father tries to deal with the ramifications of spending years burying abuse scandals for his bishop.

Just listened to Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg, 2009. A good legal mystery. Good characters, set in Toronto.

Half way through Stardust by Joseph Kanon, 2009. I have been liking it but am not sure I'll finish it. It is pretty good but other books are calling.

Socks and booties

Colourful sock









purple sock










Booties for Laura



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Books

Extraordinary Canadians Lucy Maud Montgomery by Jane Urquhart 2009. Thoughtful book - well written. Interesting discussion of women writers, how they were dismissed as not real writers. Makes you want to go back and read all the books again.


Midnight Fugue by Reginald Hill, 2009. First books I've read by him, the TV series is certainly true to the books. It was good.

Listening to Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery in the car, by Spencer Quinn 2009 although that is a pseudonym. Very funny mystery, the dog is the narrator and he is a pretty goofy dog.

Started Beijing Coma by Ma Jian, 2009. Serious book. Well written, but may be too bleak to finish.

The Blue Shawl is done

My first, and maybe last?, attempt at a shawl.










click on image to see larger view

Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason, 2009. Good mystery. Indridason is an Icelandic writer of crime fiction, this is book number 6 of a series with Erlendur – the detective.

The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece by Eric Siblin, 2009. Very interesting book, well written, he tells the story of the six suites composed for cello by J.S. Bach in the early 1700s. It's part history, part investigation, all music.

Just started Margaret Drabble's interesting book, The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws 2009. I like it so far.