Staci426's Cat Category Challenge

So I’ve decided to give the Category Challenge a try this year. I did it once back in 2010 and actually completed it. I decided to go for a cat themed challenge. I’ve found different breeds and some famous, or maybe not so famous cats for each category. I will be doing 14 categories with an aim of 7 per category for a total of 98. If I stick to the same reading pace as last year, it should be doable for me. I really like the idea of the CAT Challenges as well and hope to participate in as many of them as I can.

ETA: I decided I wanted to add a running list of the books I've read so far. It's easier for me to keep records that way. I'll also keep track of how many 1001 Books I'm up to.

JANUARY
1. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie ***1/2 (mystery)
2. Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L. A. Meyer ***1/2 (YA/historical)
3. WWW: Wonder by Robert J. Sawyer ***1/2 (sci fi)
4. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear ***1/2 (historical mystery)
5. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (fantasy) ****
6. Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano **** (historical)
7. Buried Deep by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2 (sci fi/mystery)
8. Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy ***1/2 (non fiction)
9. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout **** (mystery)
10. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore **1/2 (fiction, 1001 books #168)
11. Seize the Day by Saul Bellow *** (fiction, 1001 books 169)
12. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño **** (fiction, 1001 books 170)
13. The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman ***1/2(fantasy/graphic novel)
14. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem *** (sci fi, 1001 books 171)
15. Tithe by Holly Black (YA/fantasy) ***
FEBRUARY
16. I, Claudius by Robert Graves ***1/2 (historical)
17. Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill ***1/2 (mystery)
18. Mirage by Nina Burleigh ***1/2 (non fiction)
19. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare ***1/2 (historical children's)
20. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark ***1/2(fiction, 1001 books 172)
21. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks **** (sci fi)
22. Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri **** (mystery)
23. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey ***1/2 (non fiction)
24. Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy ****1//2 (memoire)
25. Life Itself by Roger Ebert ***1/2 (non fiction)
26. Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley *** (fiction, 1001 books 173)
27. Death and Judgment by Donna Leon **** (mystery)
MARCH
28. Before Versailles by Karleen Koen ***1/2 (historical fiction)
29. The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall **** (mystery)
30. Palisades Park by Alan Brennert ***1/2 (historical fiction)
31. The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson ****1/2 (fantasy)
32. Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell ***1/2 (historical fiction)
33. The Walking Dead Vol 17: Something to Fear by Robert Kirkman **** (zombies/GN)
34. Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn **** (sci fi/GN)
APRIL
35. Redshirts by John Scalzi **** (sci fi)
36. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart *** (YA/mystery)
37. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera *** (fiction/1001 book 174)
38. The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol **** (mystery)
39. Rimbaud: the Double Life of a Rebel by Edmund White **** (biography)
40. Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper ***** (non fiction)
41. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters ***1/2 (fiction)
42. Life of Pi by Yann Martel ****1/2 (fiction/1001 book 175)
43. Cinder by Marissa Meyer ***1/2 (fantasy)
44. Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz ****(fiction)
MAY
45. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie ***1/2 (mystery)
46. Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton *** (non fiction)
47. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett **** (mystery)
48. The Walking Dead Vol. 18 by Robert Kirkman **** (zombies)
49. The Walking Dead Vol. 19 by Robert Kirkman **** (zombies)
50. Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre ***1/2 (fantasy)
51. After the Quake by Haruki Murakami *** (fiction/1001 books #176)
52. The Walking Dead: Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (horror)
53. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff **** (mystery)
54. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card **** (sci fi)
55. The Cider House Rules by John Irving ****1/2 (fiction/1001 books #177)
JUNE
56. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson **** (fantasy)
57. Paloma by Kristine Kathryn Rusch **** (sci fi/mystery)
58. Fosse by Sam Wasson ***1/2 (biography)
59. Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sue Townsend ***1/2 (fiction)
60. Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern *** (classics/1001 books 178)
61. The White Princess by Philippa Gregory **** (historical fiction)
62. The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri **** (mystery)
63. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan ***1/2 (horror)
64. Speaking From Among the Bones byAlan Bradley ***1/2 (mystery)
JULY
65. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare **** (YA/historical fiction)
66. Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines ***1/2 (fantasy)
67. White Heat by M. J. McGrath **** (mystery)
68. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies **** (fiction/1001 books 179)
69. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds ***1/2 (sci fi)
70. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan **** (historical fiction)
71. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett **** (mystery)
72. Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani **** (historical fiction)
73. The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman **** (fantasy)
74. The Victim by Saul Bellow *** (fiction/1001 books 180)
75. Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler **** (vampires)
76. Enchantment: the Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto ***1/2 (biography)
77. The Dark Monk by Oliver Pötzsch **** (mystery)
78. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker **** (historical/fantasy)
79. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein *** (sci fi/1001 books #181)
AUGUST
81. The Walking Dead, Vol 20: All Out War Part 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (zombies)
82. Rules of Engagement by Bruce Alexander ***1/2 (historical mystery)
83. A Mind to Murder by P. D. James *** (mystery)
84. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna **** (fiction/1001 books #182)
85. Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey **** (sci fi)
86. Toms River by Dan Fagin ***1/2 (non fiction)
87. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J. K. Rowling **** (fantasy)
88. Medicus by Ruth Downie *** (historical mystery)
89. Morgue Drawer Four by Jutta Profijt ***1/2 (mystery)
90. You Must Remember This Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age by Robert J. Wagner *** (non fiction)
91. The White Devil by Justin Evans *** (ghost story)
92. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert **** (historical fiction)
SEPTEMBER
93. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. ***1/2 (sci fi)
94. Summer by Edith Wharton ***1/2 (fiction/1001 books 183)
95. A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking ***1/2 (non fiction)
96. Blood Pact by Tanya Huff **** (paranormal mystery)
97. Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham ***1/2 (fairy tales)
98. Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell ***1/2 (historical fiction)
99. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde ***1/2 (fantasy)
100. Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill ***1/2 (mystery)
101. A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates *** (fiction)
102. Pines by Blake Crouch ***1/2 (horror/thriller)
103. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster ***1/2 (non fiction)
OCTOBER
104. Cold Magic by Kate Elliott ***1/2 (fantasy)
105. City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris **** (mystery)
106. The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory ***1/2 (historical fiction)
107. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill *** (horror)
108. Frank: the Voice by James Kaplan *** (biography)
109. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan ***1/2 (YA/horror)
110. The Walking Dead: Fall of the Governor, Part 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 (horror)
111. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr *** (historical fiction)
NOVEMBER
112. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker ***1/2 (mystery)
113. A Needle in the Right Hand of God by R. Howard Bloch *** (non-fiction)
114. The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay ***1/2 (historical fiction)
115. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin *** (sci fi/1001 books 184)
116. The Walking Dead Vol 21: All Out War Part 2 by Robert Kirkman **** (horror)
117. Revelation by C. J. Sansom ***1/2 (historical mystery)
118. The Godfather by Mario Puzo **** (fiction/1001 books 185)
119. Divergent by Veronica Roth ***1/2 (sci fi)
120. Thunder Dog by Michael Higson **** (non fiction)
DECEMBER
121. Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novick **** (historical/fantasy)
122. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie ***1/2 (mystery)
123. Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman **** (mystery)
124. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust ***1/2 (classics)
125. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor **** (fantasy)
126. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald ***1/2 (classics)
127. Recovery Man by Kristine Kathryn Rusch **** (sci fi/mystery)
128. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin ***1/2 (historical mystery)
129. The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn ****
130. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke ***1/2 (sci fi)
131. As you Wish by Cary Elwes **** (memoir)
132. Oh Myyy: There Goes the Internet by George Takei ***1/2 (non fiction)
133. Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear *** (sci fi)

DID NOT FINISH

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (fantasy)
Olive Branches Don't Grow on Trees by Grace Mattioli (fiction)
Contact by Carl Sagan (sci fi)
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (fiction)
Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud by Julia Navarro (historical/thriller)
Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers (historical fiction)
Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark (mystery)
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (fantasy/mystery)

1. The Cheshire Fantasy Cat: (fantasy) From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the disappearing cat known for it’s wide grin. This picture is an illustration from an 1866 publication of the book.


1. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay ****
2. Monster by A. Lee Martinez ***1/2
3. The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson ****1/2
4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer ***1/2
5. Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre ***1/2
6. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson ****
7. Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines ***1/2
8. Cold Magic by Kate Elliot ***1/2
9. Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novick ****

2. Spot the Sci Fi cat (science fiction) Data's cat from the TV series, Star Trek the Next Generation.


1. Buried Deep by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2
2. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks ****
3. Redshirts by John Scalzi ****
4. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card ****
5. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein ***
6. Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey ****
7. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. ***1/2
8. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin ***
9. Divergent by Veronica Roth ***1/2

3. The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat (historical fiction) The Egyptina Mau cat is believed to be one of the oldest breeds of cat. They are seen in murals dating back to Ancient Egypt. They are one of the few natural cat breeds with spots.


1. Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano ****
2. I, Claudius by Robert Graves ***1/2
3. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare ***1/2
4. The White Princess by Philippa Gregory ****
5. Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani ****
6. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker ****
7. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert ****
8. The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory ***1/2
9. The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay ***1/2

4. Macavity the Mystery Cat (mysteries) From T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats which was adapted into the Broadway musical, Cats. I haven’t read the poems yet, but Cats is one of my favorite musicals and I knew I had to use at least one of them here. This picture is from the musical.


1. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear ***1/2
2. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout ****
3. Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri ****
4. The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol ****
5. The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri ****
6. White Heat by M. J. McGrath ****
7. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett ****
8. A Mind to Murder by P. D. James ***
9. Revelation by C. J. Sansom ***1/2

5. Chartreux le chat francais (French related books). The chartreux is a French breed of cat. They are known for their blue-gray water resistant fur and orange eyes. Books in this category will be either in French, by French or francophone authors or take place in France or other French speaking countries.


1. Mirage by Nina Burleigh ***1/2
2. Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy ****1/2
3. Before Versailles by Karleen Koen ***1/2
4. Rimbaud: the Double Life of a Rebel by Edmund White ****
5. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan ****
6. Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell ***1/2
7. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker ***1/2
8. A Needle in the Right Hand of God by R. Howard Bloch ***
9. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust ***1/2

6. Jersey the Cat from NJ (NJ related books) Jersey is my sister’s family’s cat. He’s been missing now for a few weeks, so it looks like he probably won’t be coming home. He was a sweet boy. Since I’m a Jersey girl, I wanted to read books that take place in NJ or by NJ authors.


1. Tithe by Holly Black ***1/2
2. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey ***1/2
3. Death and Judgment by Donna Leon ****
4. Palisades Park by Alan Brennert ***1/2
5. Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz ****
6. Toms River by Dan Fagin ****
7. A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates ***
8. Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan ***
9. Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman ****

7. 1001 Arabian Mau Cats (1001 books to read before you die) The Arabian Mau is not a very common cat, it is only recognized by one fancier organization out of Germany. But it looks like a nice cat. 1001 Arabian Nights is one of the books in the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, so I thought it would work for this category. I’ve been working on the list for a while and hope to hit 200 in 2014.


1. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore **1/2
2. Seize the Day by Saul Bellow ***
3. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark ***1/2
4. Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley ***
5. Life of Pi by Yann Martel ****1/2
6. After the Quake by Haruki Murakami ***
7. Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne ***
8. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies ****
9. The Victim by Saul Bellow ***

8. Church the Horror Cat (horror/supernatural) From the book and movie Pet Sematary by Stephen King. I haven’t read the book or seen the movie yet, so not sure how big of a part he plays in the story, but he definitely looks like a cat that fits the category. I’m working my way through King’s bibliography but probably won’t make it to Pet Semetary in 2014.


1. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters ***1/2
2. The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
3. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan ***1/2
4. Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler ****
5. The White Devil by Justin Evans ***
6. Pines by Blake Crouch ***1/2
7. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill ***
8. The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor Part 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
9. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan ***1/2

9. The Russian Blue Foreign Cat (Non-US books) There are many cat breeds with other counties in their names, but I picked the Russian blue so I could post a picture of my other sister’s Russian blue, Princess, who passed away recently. This category will be books by non-US authors, books that were translated or books that take place in countries other than the US.


1. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño ****
2. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem ***1/2
3. The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall ****
4. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera ***
5. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett ****
6. The Dark Monk by Oliver Pötzsch ****
7. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna ****
8. Morgue Drawer Four by Jutta Profijt ***1/2
9. City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris ****

10. Libby the Seeing-eye Cat (eye/vision related books) I didn’t think I would find any cats for this category, but when I did a search for seeing eye cats I found Libby, a cat who guides around a blind and deaf dog, Cashew. I’m legally blind, so enjoy reading books relating to vision. This category will be books with Eye in the title or where a character is blind or visually impaired.


1. WWW: Wonder by Robert J. Sawyer ***1/2
2. Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper *****
3. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff ****
4. Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sue Townsend ***1/2
5. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds ***1/2
6. Rules of Engagement by Bruce Alexander ***1/2
7. Blood Pact by Tanya Huff ****
8. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr ***
9. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson ****

11. Doobers, Murphy, Maggie & Pepper my Real Life Cats (non fiction) These are my babies.


1. Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy ***1/2
2. Life Itself: a Memoir by Roger Ebert ***1/2
3. Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton ***
4. Fosse by Sam Wasson ***1/2
5. Enchantment: the Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto ***1/2
6. You Must Remember This Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age by Robert J. Wagner ***
7. A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking ***1/2
8. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster ***1/2
9. As You Wish by Cary Elwes ****

12. Stewie the Longest Cat (series) Most of the series I read tend to be long and on going. I did a search for the longest cat breeds and came across Stewie, a Maine Coon, with the Guiness record of being the longest cat. He measures in at 48.5 inches.


1. Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L. A. Meyer ***1/2
2. Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill ***1/2
3. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart ***
4. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie ***1/2
5. Paloma by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ****
6. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley ***1/2
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J. K. Rowling ****
8. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde ***1/2
9. Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill ***1/2

13. Garfield the Comic Cat (comics/graphic novels) Who doesn’t love that lazy, lasagna loving cat. He started out as a comic strip, so thought he would work for this category.


1. The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman ****
2. The Walking Dead Volume 17: Something to Fear by Robert Kirkman ****
3. Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn ****
4. The Walking Dead Volume 18: What Comes After by Robert Kirkman ****
5. The Walking Dead Volume 19: March to War by Robert Kirkman ****
6. The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman ****
7. The Walking Dead, Vol 20: All Out War Part 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
8. Fables Vol 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham ***1/2
9. The Walking Dead, Vol 21: All Out War Part 2 by Robert Kirkman ****

14. Lions: These are the books that have been lyin’ around on my shelves or to read lists for a while. I’m very motivated to read physical books that I own this year. The majority of my reading is usually audio and e books. I’ve moved my reading lamp into a more comfortable place and already have a few books pulled from the shelves to start with.


1. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie ***1/2
2. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell ***1/2
3. The Cider House Rules by John Irving ****1/2
4. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare ****
5. Medicus by Ruth Downie ***
6. Summer by Edith Wharton ***1/2
7. The Godfather by Mario Puzo ****
8. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie ***1/2
9. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor ****

RandomCAT

January: Janus Rules
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore features the word gate in the title

February: Children's Lit
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare won the Newbery in 1962

March: Books with birds in the title or on the cover
The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall

April: Poetry
Rimbaud: the Double Life of a Rebel by Edmund White biography of the poet.

May: Motherhood

June: The Rose
The White Princess by Philippa Gregory roses, White Cloud, White Diamond, White Spray, Princess of Wales, Crown Princess Margareta
The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri rose: Opening Night Rose

July: Books about books
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines Fantasy where libriomancers can use magic to pull things out of books into today's world.

August: Back to School
The White Devil by Justin Evans takes place in an English boarding school.

Sepember: Toronto Film Festival
A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Blood Pact by Tanya Huff takes place in Toronto

October: LT Book Bullets
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr I've seen this one on at least two different people's threads, but cannot remember who. Someone also mentioned it for this month's CAT as well.

November: Disasters
Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson a blind man and his guide dog survive the collapse of the World Trade Center

Wish Upon A Star: Childhood dreams

GeoCAT

January: Canada/US focus on immigration
Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano Italian immigants to NY at the turn of the century

February: North Africa and the Middle East focus on the Holy Land
Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt by Nina Burleigh The book takes place mostly in Egypt, focusing on Napoleon's invasion there from the view of the scientists he brought along. There is a brief mention of the Holy Land for the focus when it talks of Napoleon's failed campaign in Syria
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare takes place in Judea at the time of Christ, so fits the Holy Land focus as well as the general Middle East location.

March: Central America & the Caribbean focus on Commonwealth Nations
The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson written by a Jamaican author and takes place on a fictional Caribbean island.

April: Eastern Europe focus on Occupation
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera takes place in Czechoslovakia around the time of the Soviet Occupation in 1968, so fits the location and focus.

May: South Asia focus on India
Bangkok 8 by John Burdett mystery set in Thailand
Thailand by Haruki Murakami One of his short stories in after the quake about a Japanese doctor who takes a vacation in Thailand.

June: Islands & Bodies of Water focus on the Atlantic Ocean
The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri Takes place in Sicily which is an island.

July: The Polar Regions focus on Antarctic Research Stations
White Heat by M. J. McGrath a mystery that takes place on Ellesmere Island in the Nunavut Territory of Canada.

August: Western Europe focus on Relisous Changes
The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna Finland
A Mind to Murder by P. D. James England
Medicus by Ruth Downie England
Morgue Drawer Four by Jutta Profijt Germany

September: Eastern Asia focus on the Vietnam War
Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill Dr. Siri number 4 takes place in Laos

October: South America focus on the Amazon

November: Australia & Oceania focus on the Outback
The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay Takes place in England and Australia during the time it was a penal colony.

December: Sub-Saharan Africa focus on Southern Africa
Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman Takes place mostlly in Zambia
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor takes place in a fictional post-apocalyptic African country

MysteryCAT

January: Detectives
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear book 2 in the Maisie Dobbs series.
Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout Book 1 featuring Nero Wolfe

February: Series
Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill Number 3 in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series
Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri number 5 in the Inspector Montalbano series.
Death and Judgment by Donna Leon Book 4 in the Commissario Brunetti series set in Venice

March: Children's & YA Mysteries
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart started this one for this CAT, but didn't finish until April.

April: Nordic Mysteries
The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol Book 1 in the Nina Borg series which takes place in Denmark.

May: Golden Age Mysteries
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

June: Police Procedurals
The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri Montalbano is an inspector with the Italian Police.

July: Noir & Hard Boiled
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

August: British Mysterise
A Mind to Murder by P. D. James Number 2 in the Adam Dalgliesh series

September: Book Themed Mysteries
The Booktaker by Bill Pronzini
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde number 3 in the Thursday Next series

October: Foreign Mysteries
City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris takes place in Saudi Arabia

November: Historical Mysteries
Revelation by C. J. Sansom Set during 16th century England

December: Cozy Mysterise
A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie Miss Marple

I've got three books finished so far this year. Off to a good start.

1. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie ***1/2
Category/genre: Lions/Mystery
Format: Hardcover from my shelf, 208 pages

This is the third book featuring Miss Marple. Although, I was starting to get a little worried, thinking it wasn't a Miss Marple book, we didn't actually meet her until around page 145. Jerry and Joanna Burton rent a house in the country so Jerry can recuperate after a bad accident. They get involved with the town's mysterious annonymous letter scandal that's all the gossip and soon someone ends up murdered and Jerry is not getting the rest and relaxation the doctor has prescribed. This was an entertaining quick read. I put this one into my Lions category since it's been sitting on the shelf since April 2011.

2. Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L. A. Meyer ***1/2
Category/Genre: Steweie the Longest (series) Cat/Historical/YA/Adventure
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Katherine Kellgren, 14 hours 9 minutes

This is the second book in the Bloody Jack Series. These books are great fun, quick reads. Jacky is dropped off the ship in Boston to attend school and learn how to become a proper lady. But things don't go as planned. This one was a little slow getting started for me. But overall it was a good story. I will continue with the series.

3. WWW: Wonder by Robert J. Sawyer ***1/2
Category/Genre: Libby the Seeing-eye Cat/Science Fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible, read by multiple narrators, 11 hours 9 minutes

This is the conclusion of the WWW series. I thought it was a satisfying end. Caitlin is trying ot help Webmind from being destroyed by the government and Webmind is just trying to help the world. I put this one in my vision category. Caitlin was blind, but now has vision in one eye and is still trying to adjust to being able to see.

Currently reading:
Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear (mystery/audio)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (fantasy/ebook)
Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy (fiction/book)

Interesting categories! As a Stephen King fan, I can tell you that you picked a good cat to represent your horror/supernatural category. Not giving anything away, though. Good luck with your challenge!

I love cats and I'm amazed to find that a cat helps a blind dog! Have you enjoyed the videos on YouTube featuring Henri, the French cat. They are hysterically funny. "I don't have opposable thumbs. I oppose everything."

Yay, Data's cat! :) Welcome aboard and enjoy the challenge!

I really like the fact that you based your personal reading challenge on a cat theme. Your descriptions of the cats chosen are very interesting.

Hello to a fellow Staci (different spelling on my end). Good luck with your challenge.

Your cat theme is wonderful! I was fascinated to learn about a seeing eye cat for a dog. The Bloody Jack series is great fun .... and makes for a perfect historical fiction read!

Lovely cat-egories and lovely cat-pictures :)

I can't believe no one else has done a cat theme for the CATegory challenge! So simple, yet so brilliant! I really like your creative categories, especially Macavity the Mystery Cat and Lions.

Thanks for the welcome everyone! I've always been a cat lover and thought it would make for a fun challenge theme. I ususally have no creativity when it comes to things like this lol. It was fun trying to find a cat to fit each category. I never thought I would actually find a seeing-eye cat when I threw that into the search and was amazed to discover Libby.

Welcome back, Staci. I love your Cat Theme and it really works well with the Cat Challenges that we have going here. Looking forward to following along with your progress this year.

EEE!!!

LOVE your theme, Staci!!

So sorry to read about Jersey. There's always hope!! I also hope to see more pics of your babies as the year goes on! ;)

Meow!

Finished another book:

4. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear ***1/2
Category/Genre: Macavity the Mystery Cat/Historical Mystery
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Kim Hicks, 10 hours 21 minutes

This is the second book in the Maisie Dobbs series. I almost was not going to go on with this series. I enjoyed the first one, but wasn't overly enthusiastic about moving on. But I'm glad that I did. I enjoyed this one. I like Maisie and I will continue to see where things go. This one could fit into several different categories, but I decided to put it into mystery for now. This one also fits for this month's MysteryCAT, private detective theme.

Currently reading:
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (fantasy/audio)
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book) for RandomCAT
Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy (book) for GeoCAT
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (fantasy/ebook)

5. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay ****
Category/Genre: The Cheshire Fantasy Cat/Historical Fantasy
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Simon Vance, 19 hours 27 minutes

This is Kay's foray into a fictional version of Ancient China. Tai has finished the traditional two years of mourning for his late father when he is given an unbelievable gift which now makes him a target. I really enjoy Kay's work. This was a good example. His writing is beautiful and I really connected with the characters here. I have to say though, I think Kay works better in print than in audio for me. This is the second of his that I listened to and I haven't enjoyed his audios as much as the books I've read in print. Still a great book though.

...when he is given an unbelievable gift which now makes him a target. This is well worth a BB :)

Finished two more books this weekend:

6. Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano ****
Category/Genre: The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download; read by Angela Dawe; 11 hours 44 minutes

This story is based on the life of the author's grandmother. She came to New York from Italy around the turn of the century. It tells what prompted her to come here and how she and her family made a life for themselves in this new place. It also brings up dealings with the Black Hand, a precursor to the Mafia. I was drawn into this story and these characters right from the start. I also had relatives that came over from Italy around this same time, so it was interesting to see what life might have been like for them. The writing here was not the best, but for me, the overall story made up for that. I also think the reader did a great job on the audio.

7. Buried Deep by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2
Category/Genre: Spot the Sci Fi Cat/Sci fi mystery
Format: Audible download; read by Jay Snyder; 12 hours 48 minutes

This is book four in the Retrieval Artist series. I'm really enjoying this series. They are fast paced mysteries, set in an interesting future, where we're living on the moon and other planets with an intersting cast of alien races. This one focused heaviliy on the human/alien relationship and cultural clashes. Jay Snyder also does a great job with the reading of the audio books. Looking forward to continuing with the series. I put this one into the Sci Fi category for now.

Currently reading:

Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy (nonfiction/audio)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (fantasy/ebook)
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book)
Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy (stories/book)

I'm loving the cat-theme! Looking forward to seeing what you read this year.

Finished a few more books since my last post:

8. Cat Daddy by Jackson Galaxy ***1/2
Category/Genre: Doobers, Murphy, Maggie & Pepper my real life cats/Non fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible, read by the author, 6 hours 24 minutes

I enjoy watching the TV show My Cat From Hell, so thought it would be interesting to read Galaxy's book. He talks about how he got into working with cats, his drug, alcohol and food addictions and his relationship with his boy, Benny. It's told in a straight forward, conversational style. Galaxy did a great job with the reading. At the end he gave some cat tips. Overall, it was a pretty good listen.

9. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout ****
Category/Genre: Macavity the Mystery Cat/Mystery
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Michael Prichard, 8 hours 48 minutes

This is the first book in the Nero Wolfe series. It seemed like everyone over on the MysteryCAT thread was reading this, so I decided to give it a try. And I am so glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I liked how the story was told from Wolfe's assistant, Archie's, point of view. I loved his descriptions of Wolfe. The narrator did a good job with the reading. This is a long series and I look forward to the journey ahead.

10. A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore **1/2
Category/Genre: 1001 Arabian Mau Cats/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Mia Barron, 12 hours

This is one of the newest additions to the 1001 Books list and that's the only reason I read it. It also fit in to this month's RandomCAT. This is supposed to be a coming of age story, Tassie, a young farm girl off to college in the city. I felt like she never really grew as a character and she was just going through a series of events during a year in her life. I never felt a connection to her or any of the other characters. I did not enjoy this book. I was expecting something different based on the description I had read. I also was not crazy about the reader. If I hadn't been listening on double speed, I never would have been able to finish with her normal speed voice. Overall, a disappointment.

11. Seize the Day by Saul Bellow ***
Category/Genre: 1001 Arabian Mau Cats/Fiction
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Grover Gardner, 3 hours 47 minutes

This was another book I never would have read if not for the 1001 Books list. It was a very quick listen, less than four hours. It's basically, one day in the life of Tommy Wilhelm, a failed actor, separated from his wife and kids, trying to make something with the last of his money. This was an Ok read for me, nothing spectacular. I enjoyed Grover Gardner as the reader.

Currently working on:
2666 by Roberto Bolaño (fiction/audio)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (fantasy/ebook)
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book)
Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy (stories/book)
The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman (fantasy/graphic novel/ebook)

I'm sorry to hear A Gate at the Stairs was such a disappointment. I read one of her short story collections years ago, and came away from it feeling rather non-plussed. I hadn't hated it, but I had been rather bored. I'd hoped her longer fiction would be more worthwhile :( Sometimes I wonder about that list. I'm loving Life of Pi, which I'm reading now, but I read Story of the Eye from that list last month, and...well, oh my. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of 2666!

I had never even heard of Lorrie Moore before her addition to the list, so wasn't sure what to expect. I've cone across some great books which I would have never read if not for the list, but there have definitely been some not so great as well. I'm looking forward to Life of Pi, hoping to get to it some time this year. I'm really enjoying 2666. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one either, but so far, so good. It is quite long though, my audio edition is over 39 hours.

>38 whitewavedarling:, 39 I've read a couple of Lorrie Moore books from the 1001 list -- Anagrams and Like Life. I think she is better at short stories, but they are so realistic and so bleak (think "the problem that has no name" from The Feminine Mystique for the 80s/90s) that while I can see the writing is excellent, I don't enjoy them.

Well, it's only February and I'm already getting behind on posting. I've finished quite a few books since my last post. I feel like I'm making great progress numbers wise this year. I hope I can keep up this reading pace for the year. So here's what I've finished for January and the beginning of February:

12. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño ****
Category/Genre: The Russian Blue Foreign Cat/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by multiple narrators, 39 hours 15 minutes

This was a massive audio book which I thought would take me forever to finish, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this and finished in only five days. I'm glad to have discovered this thanks to the 1001 books list and look forward to reading more of Bolaño's works. I put this one into my foreign category since it was written by a Chilean author, translated into English and takes place in several different countries.

13. The Sandman Vol 3: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman ****
Category/Genre: Garfield the Comic Cat/Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Format: Ebook

So, I'm actually not finished with this yet, but I'm keeping it on the list. I bought this in separate issues, it's made up of 4, I thought I read them all, but have one more to go which I will get to soon. I'm really enjoying these comics. This one is actually made up of four separate stories that could probably be read in any order in the series. This one is going into my comic/graphic novel category.

14. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem ***
Category/Genre: The Russian Blue Foreign Cat/Science Fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible, read by Alessandro Juliani, 7 hours 42 minutes

I decided to read this since it was on the 1001 books list. It was a little slow moving, but interesting. I kept picturing George Clooney since I had seen the movie years ago. I really enjoyed the narrator, thought he did a great job on the audio. I decided to put this one into my foreign category since it was translated from Polish.

15. Tithe by Holly Black ***
Category/Genre: Jersey the Cat from NJ/YA/Urban Fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, read by Kate Rudd, 7 hours 28 minutes

This is book one in the Modern Tales of Faerie series, but I felt like it was later in the series. I felt like I was missing background about what was going on. I put this into my NJ category since the book takes place in NJ and Holly Black is from Jersey. That was the one thing I did enjoy about the book, the references to places that weren't far from where I live and that I've actually been to before. Not sure if I'll continue with the series.

16. I, Claudius by Robert Graves ***1/2
Category/Genre: The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible, read by Nelson Runger, 16 hours 48 minutes

This was an enjoyable listen taking place in Ancient Rome. It was told in first person by Claudius writing his autobiography. I liked that format, although, he seemed to jump around a bit which was slightly confusing. But overall, a good listen. I put this one into my historical fiction category.

17. Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill ***1/2
Category/Genre: Stewie the Longest (series) Cat/Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible, read by Clive Chafer, 6 hours 46 minutes

This is the third book in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series that takes place in Laos in the 1970's. I'm so glad to have discovered this series, these books are great. I put this one into my series category. It also works for this months' MysteryCAT since it's part of a series.

18. Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt by Nina Burleigh ***1/2
Category/Genre: Charteux the French Cat/Non Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Cassandra Campbell, 10 hours 25 minutes

This was about exactly what the title says, Napoleon's expedition to Egypt, focusing on the savants, the group of French scholars who accompanied him. It talked about their adjustment to the different culture of Egypt and their exhaustive research of the region and discoveries, most notably, the Rosetta Stone, which ended up being taken by the English. This worked for this months GeoCAT since it takes place mostly in Egypt and it touched slightly on the focus of the Holy Land when there was a brief account of Napoleon's campaign there. I put this one into my French category, since this was a French expedition.

19. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare ****
Category/Genre: The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat/Children's Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Mary Woods, 6 hours 58 minutes

I came across this book while browsing my library's Overdrive collection of historical fiction. From the very brief description, I thought it would work for the GeoCAT, then upon further discovery, found it also worked for the RandomCAT since it was a Newbery winner in 1962. The book takes place in Judea at the time of Christ and is about an orphan who wants revenge on the Romans for killing his father and learns about a carpenter who people may think will be the leader they are looking for. I really enjoyed this. I was raised Catholic, but am not very religious, but enjoy reading these biblical related stories.

20. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark ***1/2
Category/Genre: 1001 Arabian Mau Cats/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Nadia May, 3 hours 59 minutes

This was a quick enjoyable listen. About an unconventional teacher at an all girl's school in 1930s Scotland and her group of favorite students. I really enjoyed the writing here. Another good book I never would have discovered if not for the 1001 list. Nadia May also did a great job with the audio. This brings my total from the 1001 list to 172.

21. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks ****
Category/Genre: Spot the Sci Fi Cat/Science Fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible, read by Peter Kenny, 13 hours 30 minutes

This is the third book in the Culture series. I think the books can stand alone on their own, but I prefer to read them in publication order. This one was great. It was told in an unusual style. Alternating chapters tell the story of Culture operative Cheradenine Zakalwe, who was not born into the Culture, but recruited by Diziet Sma. Chapters one and moving forward tell of Sma trying to get Zakalwe for one last mission and the Roman numeral chapters going down, tell the story working backwards of Zakalwe's work with the Culture. It was slightly confusing at times, especially in audio format I think, but overall it was great.

I've also abandoned two ebooks:

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
Genre: Fantasy

I actually started this book last November and it was taking me forever to get into it. I just did not connect with the characters or the world here. I was surprised, I thought I would really enjoy this. I did enjoy Jemisin's other book that I read, The Killing Moon

Olive Branches Don't Grow on Trees by Grace Mattioli
Genre: Fiction

I found this book in a list of books that take place in New Jersey. The only reason I actually decided to buy it was because of the author's name. My mom's maiden name is Mattioli and I thought she could be a distant cousin, especially since she is from NJ also. I couldn't even make it past page 5, the writing was just not good at all. I could not continue reading.

I'm currently working on:

Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy (book)
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book)
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz (fiction/ebook)
Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri (mystery/audio)

You're making good progress, Staci! I'm glad someone else didn't like The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms -- I was definitely not a fan either!

Super impressed you made it through the audiobook of 2666 in 5 days - it took me 5 months to read the darn thing and most of it just went over my head! ;-)

I am also glad that you mentioned that you did like The Killing Moon as I just downloaded it this week.

re: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I was surprised by this one. I don't think I had heard any bad reviews about it and kept forcing myself to try to finish it thinking it would eventually click, but it just didn't work for me. I'm glad I read The Killing Moon first. I probably would not have tried after my failed attempt at The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I don't remember much of the details about The Killing Moon, it's been awhile, but it had a different feel that worked better for me than The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

#43 I basically have no life other than going to work (where I can actually listen sometimes too depending on what I'm doing) and with audio books I usually listen at double speed, so when I'm enjoying one, I try to listen as much as possible. 2666 also had some great narrators which is helpful when listening to long books. I'm sure I missed a lot of what was going on, but what I did understand, I enjoyed.

Excellent progress! I have I, Claudius on Mt. TBR, so I'm very happy to hear it's a good read.

I was sick for a little bit, didn't get any reading done for almost a week. But here's the list I had finished before I got sick and since I've gotten better. Even for not doing any reading when I didn't feel well, I still can't believe how many books I've gotten finished already this year.

22. Excursion to Tindari by An drea Camilleri ****
Category/Genre: Macavity the Mystery Cat/Mystery
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Grover Gardner, 6 hours 29 minutes

This is book five in the Inspector Montalbano series which takes place in Sicily. In this installment, a young man is murdered and an older couple are missing. They happen to live in the same building. Is there some connection? I really enjoy these books. I love Camilleri's writing and his characters. The story was good too. Looking forward to more. This one can fit in several different categories, but I put it into Mysteries for now. It also works for the February MysteryCAT, series.

23. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey ***1/2
Category/Genre: Jersey the Cat from NJ/Non fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Dana Ivey, 6 hours 4 minutes

This was a fun listen. It's the story of the Gilbreth family, dad, Frank, mom, Lily, and their twelve children living in Monclair, NJ during the first half of the 20th century. The parents are efficiency experts who raise their family using the same techniques they would to run a company. The book was written by two of the kids and relates anecdotes of their childhood and parents. I had seen and enjoyed the movie that was made based on the book (the 1950 version) and didn't realize that it was based on a true story until I came across the book. This one goes into my New Jersey category since the family lives here.

24. Cet été qui chantait by Gabrielle Roy *****
Category/genre: Charteux le chat françaid/Memoir
Format: Paperback from my shelves, 202 pages

I don't remember ever buying this book, but am so glad that I did and that I've finally read it. I had started it in January for the GeoCAT, but didn't finish until mid-February. Even though, it's so short, it's in French and it's been awhile since I've done any reading in French. I'm not even really sure how to categorize this book. It's a series of short reflections about Roy's summer at her home, by the river in the Québec country. She can take an ordinary thing, like her neighbor's cow, a cherry tree in her yard, and bring it to life with her beautiful descriptive writing. This was a real gem. So glad to have found it.

25. Life Itself: a Memoir by Roger Ebert ***1/2
Category/Genre: My Real Life Cats/Non fiction
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Edward Hermann, 14 hours 16 minutes

This was an enjoyable listen. I didn't really know much about Ebert, I just knew him from his show. It was interesting to learn about how he got into writing about the movies and his life and how it's changed now since his cancer has left him unable to eat, drink or talk. The narrator did a good job too. This one goes into my non fiction category.

26. Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley ***
Category/Genre: 1001 Arabian Mau cats/Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, read by Robert Whitfield, 9 hours 12 minutes

The only reason I read this one was because it's on the 1001 books to read list. I'm not really sure what was going on, I wasn't really paying close enough attention when I was listening. I'm sure I missed what he was trying to say here. It was Ok, but I don't think I was in the right frame to listen to this one when I did. I might have to give it another listen, or read the print form sometime in the future.

27. Death and Judgment by Donna Leon ****
Category/Genre: Jersey the Cat from NJ/Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, read by David Colacci, 9 hours 16 minutes

This is book 4 in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series that takes place in Venice. This is another enjoyable Italian mystery series. I really like the character of Brunetti, especially his relationship with his family. I will definitely continue with this series. I put this one in my NJ category since Donna Leon is from New Jersey. This one also works for the February MysteryCAT.

28. Before Versailles by Karleen Koen ***1/2
Category/Genre: Chartreux le chat français/Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Grover Gardner, 15 hours 57 minutes

This is my first book finished for March. This was a good historical fiction taking place in 1661 at the court of Louis IV. Cardinal Mazarin has just died and he must govern France on his own now. It tells of a brief period in his life which put him on the path to becoming one of the greatest kings in history. This was an Ok read. I usually enjoy Grover Gardner as a narrator, but I don't think he was right for this book. But overall, it was a good read.

I am currently working on:
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (book/fiction)
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz (ebook/fiction)

Not sure what audio book I'm going to listen to next.

28 books is quite respectable, especially seeing as it's only the beginning of March - congrats!

Sorry to see you have been sick. I hope you are feeling better. Congrats on the February reading!

Wow, you've read a lot of audiobooks! Hope you're feeling better.

Thanks everyone! I am feeling much better now.

Rabbitprincess, I do most of my reading in audio format because of vision problems. I can still read print books, but it just takes so much longer for me to finish that way. I usually listen at double speed and have an hour commute to work each way and can sometimes listen while I'm working, so can get a lot of listening done when I want.

>47 staci426: Would you say that Cet été qui chantait is a good way to learn about Québec country (landscapes, people ...) ?

#52. Yes, I think it would be. I don't really know a huge amount myself about Québec, but I do remember thinking while I was reading that it did feel very québecois, if that makes any sense. I would maybe use it as a starting point. I think you're from France, and as a native French speaker, it should be a quick read for you. I will definitely be reading more of Roy's work and looking for other québecois authors.

>53 staci426: That's great, I don't think that I've ever read any québecois authors, so this one is going on the BB list :)

I hope you enjoy it electrice!

So, March is turning out not to be as good as January and February so far. I was sick again for a bit and I've been in a bit of a book slump. I've managed to finished two more books so far, plus I've abandoned one.

29. The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall ****
Category/Genre: The Russian Blue foreign cat/Mystery
Format: Audible download, read by Sam Dastor, 9 hours 24 minutes

This is book 3 in the Vish Puri mystery series. Puri is a chubby private detective in India. In this installment, he is investigating the poisoning of the father of a famous cricket player from Pakistan. He's also got a side investigation going on about some missing moustaches. This is such a fun series. Puri is a great character. I think Hall does a good job with the other characters in the series as well. The narrator also does an excellent job with the audio for these books. Looking forward to the next one.

30. Palisades Park by Alan Brennert ***1/2
Category/Genre: Jersey the Cat from NJ/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Mark McCarthy, 17 hours 27 minutes

This is the story of the Stopka family amidst the backdrop of the Palisades Amusement Park in North Jersey from the 1930s until the park closes in 1971. Eddie and Adele own a French fry stand in the park and the kids, Toni & Jack, spend their summers at the park, enjoying the rides and salt water pool and later helping in the stand. Toni dreams of becoming a high diver, to her mother's dismay, and Jack wants to be an artist. The main character though, is the park. Brennert does a great job of evoking that feeling of time and place. The main drawback for me here was the reader, I did not enjoy him at all and I think that detracted from my overall enjoyment of this book.

Did not finish: Contact by Carl Sagan
Genre: Science Fictioin
Format: Audio download from library, read by Laurel Lefkow, 14 hours 45 minutes

I wanted to read this since it was on the 1001 books to read list. It started off pretty good, but then started to drag a bit and I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to continue. I'll probably come back to it at some point, though. I am interested to see where things go. It just wasn't the right read for me at the time.

I am currently working on a few print books which have been taking a bit of time, but which I'm enjoying:
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster and Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I've also just started The Walking Dead Vol. 17 Something to Fear by Robert Kirkman. Not sure what I'm going to listen to next.

Sorry to hear you've been unwell! And a book slump too. What a double whammy. Hope you feel better and that the slump ends soon!

Thanks rabbitprincess! I am starting to feel better and I think I'm coming out of that slump. Just finished a great book.

31. The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson ****1/2
Category/Genre: The Cheshire Fantasy Cat/Fantasy
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Gin Hammond, 10 hours

This book was a pleasant surprise. I decided to give it a try for this month's GeoCAT since the author is Jamaican and the setting is Caribbean. It takes place on a fictional Caribbean island. Calamity is in her 50s, has just buried her father and is starting menopause. She realizes the ability she used to have of finding things as a child has returned and one of the things she finds is a child stranded on the beach by her home. Where did this mysterious child come from and where are his parents? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was written in Caribbean dialect and beautifully read by the audio narrator. It was almost musical. I had read Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring last year and enjoyed it, so was looking forward to reading more of her work. I liked this one even more.

32. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell ***1/2
Category/Genre: Lions/Historical Fiction
Format: Audible download, read by Tom Sellwell, 12 hours 56 minutes

This is the third installment in the Saxon Chronicles series. The setting is mid-9th century England. King Alfred is trying to unite England and broker peace with the Danes. Uhtred, an Englishman who was raised by the Danes when he was orphaned, has allegiences to both Alfred, his king, and the Danes who raised him. This book takes off right where the second book ended. It's been a few years since I read the first two books, but I was able to fall right back into Uhtred's world with this one. Great historical writing in this series, you really get a feel for the place and time. Also a good narration on the audio. Hopefully it won't be as long until I get to the next in the series. I put this one into my Lions Category, since I got it from Audible over two years ago.

Currently working on:

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz (fiction/ebook)
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book)
The Walking Dead Volume 17 by Robert Kirkman (graphic novel/ebook)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart (YA/mystery/audio) I started this one for the March MysteryCAT, but not sure if I'll get it done by the end of the month. Heading to my sister's for the weekend where I usually don't get a chance to read. It's still a fun series though, so am looking forward to reading it anyway.

Well I did get a little reading in this weekend at my sister's. I finished two graphic novels:

33. The Walking Dead Vol. 17: Something to Fear by Robert Kirkman ****
Category/Genre: Garfield the Comic Cat/Horror
Format: Ebook read on my iPad, 144 pages

I thought the last few volumes were a bit slow going, but this one definitely picked up the pace. There was a lot happening here, with some things that I did not see coming. Almost caught up. Looks like the next couple of volumes are on sale online which is good.

34. Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn ****
Category/Genre: Garfield the Comic Cat/Science Fiction
Format: ebook read on my iPad

The planet Landfall and it's moon, Wreath, have been at war. Two opposing soldiers fall in love and desert the service to try to live together in peace and raise their newborn daughter. But both sides are trying to stop them. I was pleasantly surprised by this. I didn't really know much about it, but it sounded interesting and I was able to get the first issue free online and I was drawn right in and bought the rest of the issues that made up the first volume. The story is actually being told in a kind of flashback from the daugher's point of view. I think both the artwork and the writing are really good. It's an interesting blend of fantasy and science fiction. Looking forward to more.

I’ve fallen way behind in my posting here, but not in my reading. I’ve gotten quite a few books finished since my last post:
April
35. Redshirts by John Scalzi **** Genre: Sci Fi/Category: Spot the Sci Fi Cat. This was a quick fun read.
36. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart *** YA Mystery/Stewie the Longest Cat (series). Didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first two in the series.
37. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera *** Fiction/The Russian Blue Foreign Cat: I think I missed a lot of what was going on here. But one more checked off the 1001 list and fit the geoCat for the month.
38. The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol **** Mystery/Macavity the Mystery Cat: I enjoyed this Scandinavian mystery which took place in Denmark.
39. Rimbaud: the Double Life of a Rebel by Edmund White **** Biography/Chartreux le chat français: I thoroughly enjoyed this biography of the French poet. Brought me back to my college days as a French major. I actually did my senior paper on Rimbaud. Wish this book had been around back then.
40. Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper ***** Nonfiction/Libby the Seeing Eye Cat: The author tells the story of her cat, Homer, who happens to be blind. I fell in love with this amazing cat.
41. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters ***1/2 Fiction/Church the Horror Cat: this wasn’t horror, but more supernatural/ghosty.
42. Life of Pi by Yann Martel ****1/2 Fiction/1001 Arabian Mau Cats: I really enjoyed this one. Martel’s writing was beautiful. I especially loved his descriptions of the zoo. Also enjoyed the movie.
43. Cinder by Marissa Meyer ***1/2 SciFi/Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling/The Cheshire Fantasy Cat: This was an interesting take on the Cinderella story.
44. Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz **** Fiction/Jersey the Cat from NJ: I really enjoyed this one about an admissions officer from Princeton University. I felt a strong connection to Portia the main character and had dreamed of going to Princeton myself when I was growing up. I did not enjoy the movie with Tina Fey.
May
45. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie ***1/2 Mystery/Stewie the Longest Cat: This was an enjoyable Miss Marple.
46. Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton *** Memoir/My Real Life Cats: I was slightly disappointed in this one. I wanted more about the food and restaurant parts of her life.
47. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett **** Mystery/The Russian Blue Foreign Cat: Really enjoyed this first in a series that takes place in Thailand.
48 & 49. The Walking Dead Volumes 18 & 19 by Robert Kirkman 4* each Horror/Garfield the Comic Cat: Two enjoyable installments. Almost all the way caught up.
50. Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre ***1/2 Fantasy/The Cheshire Fantasy Cat: I was pleasantly surprised by this one. My second enjoyable read by the author.
51. After the Quake by Haruki Murakami Fiction/1001 Arabian Mau Cats: This was a collection of short stories written after the Kobe earthquake of 1995. Each story has some connection to the quake. Even though they are short stories, I felt like some of them were not complete.
52. The Walking Dead: the Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 Zombies/Church the Horror Cat: This is the second novel in the series that focusses on the Governor and Woodbury. Not as good as the first, but will continue the series, just because I want to see how it goes.
53. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff **** Mystery/Libby the Seeing Eye Cat: I really enjoy this series about Vicky Nelson, former Toronto cop turned private investigator due to having retinitis pigmentosa. This is the vision problem that I have as well. Huff does a great job of capturing some of the issues that this can cause.
54. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card **** Sci Fi/Spot the Sci Fi Cat: I really enjoyed this one. Went into it not knowing what to expect and found it very good. There was a nice interview with the author at the end of the audio as well.
55. The Cider House Rules by John Irving ****1/2 Fiction/Lions: This is my second book by John Irving that I’ve read and been very impressed with. He creates such great characters. Thoroughly enjoyable. I put this one in my Lions category since it’s been on my library wish list for a few years now.

For June seems like I’ve been reading/listening to a lot of chunksters. Almost 29 hours for The Well of Ascension, over 21 for Fosse & 19 each for Tristram Shandy & The White Princess. Need a couple of quick ones.

56. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson **** Fantasy/The Cheshire Fantasy Cat: Book 2 in the Mistborn series. Sanderson is always enjoyable. This is a great series.
57. Paloma by Kristine Kathryn Rusch **** Sci Fi/Mystery/Stewie the Longest Cat: This is book 5 in the Retrieval Artist series. I really enjoy this series and this was a good installment.
58. Fosse by Sam Wasson ***1/2 Biography/My Real Life Cats: I love dance and musicals and when I saw this wanted to read it. Didn’t really know anything about Bob Fosse before. Now I want to watch all of his movies. I found the ending a little abrupt, of course, he died, but that was where Wasson ended it. I was expecting some sort of summing up or something.
59. Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sue Townsend ***1/2 Fiction/Libby the Seeing Eye Cat: this is the sixth book in the Adrian Mole series, my first, but I didn’t fell lost. It was told in diary format and was quite fun. I don’t really feel like I need to go back and read the earlier books. May read the later ones. This is in my vision category because the author became registered blind due to diabetes and incorporated a character with vision impairments into the story.
60. Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne *** Classics/1001 Arabian Mau Cats: I was totally lost with this one for some reason. But I thought the audio narrator, Anton Lesser, was great. I probably would have given it up if not for his narration.
61. The White Princess by Philippa Gregory **** Historical Fiction/The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat: This is book 5 in the Cousins’ War series about the Wars of the Roses. This one focuses on Elizabeth of York, the wife of Henry VII. This has been a great series.

So that brings me up to date of what I’ve been reading. Not sure what my next audio will be, just finished The White Princess, but I do have a few print books going now:
Medicus by Ruth Downie (historical fiction/ebook)
The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman (fantasy/graphic novel/ebook)
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book)

Wow, that's an amazing amount of books!

Thanks MissWatson! I can't believe how many books I've finished already this year.

I found a quick one that I listened to today while I was at work:

62. The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri ****
Genre/Category: Mystery/Macavity the Mystery Cat
Format: Audio download from library, 4 hours 59 minutes, read by Grover Gardner

This is book five in the Inspector Montalbano series which takes place in Sicily. I really enjoy this series and this was a good installment. This also works as a CATtrick for this month. Montalbano is a police inspector for MysteryCAT, it takes place on Sicily for GeoCAT and there is a rose called Opening Night Rose for RandomCAT.

63. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan ***1/2
Genre/Category: YA Horror/Church the Horror Cat
Format: Audio download from library, 11 hours 48 minutes, read by Tara Sands

This is book 2 in the Forest of Hands and Teeth series. This one takes place several years after the first. Overall, I enjoyed it. I did find the main character, Gabrielle, a little annoying at times, but not to the point where I didn't want to finish. It's been a while since I read the first one, so don't remember all of the specific details, but this one felt much more action packed to me and that it moved along quicker. I will keep going with the series.

You've made impressive headway!! Congrats!

Thanks, Eva!

Finished my last book for June:
Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley ***1/2
Genre/Category: Mystery/Stewie the Longest Cat (series)
Format: Audio download from library, 10 hours 2 minutes, read by Jayne Entwistle

This is book five in the Flavia de Luce series. In this installment, they are opening the tomb of St. Tancred at the local church, but discover the body of the church's organist. Flavia is there to help solve the crime. This is a fun series. I especially enjoy the audio narration by Jayne Entwistle, she does a fabulous job. Looking forward to the next one.

I did also finish two issues of The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, #21 & #22. These are part of the Season of Mists which contains issues 21-28. So far off to a good start.

I just started listening to Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips. It's been on my wishlist for years, but I'm thinking I might not make it through this one. I'm a little more than an hour in and it's not grabbing me.

Ok, I couldn't do it. I gave up on Gods Behaving Badly after about two hours. It just wasn't interesting me, plus I found the narrator a little annoying. I started The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare which I'm enjoying much more.

>67 staci426: Absolutely my favorite book as a child! (The Witch of Blackbird Pond, of course, not Gods Behaving Badly.) Hope you enjoy it!

>68 christina_reads: I thoroughly enjoyed it! I wish I had known about this authoer when I was a kid. This was her second book this year that I've read and liked. Her books would have been right up my alley when I was younger.

So, off to a good start for July. Already finished four books.

65. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare ****
Genre/Category: YA Historical Fiction/Lions
Format: Audio download from library, 6 hours 33 minutes, read by Mary Beth Hurt

Kit Tyler moves to the colony of Connecticut to live with her aunt's family after the death of her grandfather. She had lived a privileged life on the island of Barbados and struggles to fit in amongst the strict Puritan society of the 17th century. This was my second enjoyable book by this author. Even though she writes books for younger readers, I think they are just as enjoyable for adults. I hope to read more from her. I put this one in my Lions category since it's been on my wishlist since 2010.

66. Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines ***1/2
Genre/Category: Fantasy/The Cheshire Fantasy Cat
Format: Audible download, 10 hours 33 minutes, read by David DeVries

Isaac Vainio is a libriomancer, someone who has the ability to pull objects out of books to use in the real world. He had been living a quiet life as a librarian, but is pulled back into things when he is attacked by vampires and must get to the bottom of what is going on. This was a fun quick listen. The writing isn't the greatest, but I loved the idea and there were great references to classic sci fi & fantasy works throughout. I will continue with the rest of the series.

67. White Heat by M. J. McGrath ****
Genre/Category: Mystery/Macavity the Mystery Cat
Format: Audio donwload from library, 13 hours 12 minutes, read by Kate Reading

This is book 1 in the Edie Kiglatuk series which takes places on Ellesmere Island in the Nunavut Territory of Canada. Edie is a part time teacher and Arctic tour guide. She tries to enlist he help of police sergeant, Derek Palliser, to investigate the death of one of the members of her recent tour group, which the town elders have declared a suicide. I discovered this book when I was searching for possibilities to read for this month's GeoCAT and was so glad that I did. I really enjoyed it. Edie is a great character and you really get a feel for the Arctic setting. I'm looking forward to more.

68. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies ****
Genre/Category: Fiction/1001 Arabian Mau Cats
Formats: Audible donwload, 10 hours 2 minutes, read by Marc Vietor

This is the story of Dunstan Ramsey from the village of Deptford in Ontario, Canada. He is writing about his life during the first half of the 20th century to the Headmaster at the school where he has worked. I'm not good with summaries, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I never would have picked it up if it were not on the 1001 books list. The writing is excellent. This is the first in a trilogy and I will read the rest even though they aren't on the list.

I just started listening to Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds and still working on Medicus by Ruth Downie on my iPad and reading the actual paper book of A Passage to India by E. M. Forster.

>70 staci426: Fifth Business is looking promising, it's definitely a hit.

>71 electrice: Hope you enjoy it. I knew nothing about it going in, only that it was on the 1001 list, but was glad that I decided to pick it up.

Finished two more audio books this weekend:

69. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds ***1/2
Genre/Category: Sci fi/Libby the Seeing Eye Cat
Format: Audio Download from the library, 22 hours 12 minutes, read by John Lee

I was looking to read a good sci fi, so decided to give this a try, but was a little overwhelmed by it. I think it might be better in print form. John Lee is a great narrator, but I felt confused a lot of the time about what was going on. There were a lot of abrubt point of view shifts. I think you should not be distracted when reading this. I did enjoy it, but finished it with a feeling of not really knowing what happened. I think I'll go back and read it in print. I put this into my vision category because one of the main characters, Dan Sylveste, has some issues going on with his eyes and vision throughout the book.

70. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan ****
Genre/Category: Historical Fiction/Charteux le chat français
Format: Audible download, 12 hours 15 minutes, multiple narrators

This is the story of the van Goethem sisters, Antoinette, Marie & Charlotte, living in the poorest section of Paris in the late 1800s. They have to try to support themselves after the death of their father and having an alcoholic mother, so the youngest two join the ballet school at the Paris Opera in hopes of making it as a dancer on the stage. Marie also starts modeling and is the subject of many of Degas' works. I really enjoyed this one. I didn't realize this was based on real people until the little note at the end. I got a real feel for the place and time. My one complaint was with the narration, they used an inconsistent and not very good French pronunciation of some of the words and names throughout the audio. I'm not sure how they decided when to use the Frnch accent. Overall, though, a very enjoyable read.

I just started The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett and am thoroughly enjoying it so far.

I am still undecided if I want to read Buchanan's The Painted Girls. I liked here debut novel, The Day the Falls Stood Still but I struggled a bit with parts of that story. I think if I do choose to read The Painted Girls I will avoid the audiobook.

>73 lkernagh: Yeah, I would not reccomend the audio if you do decide to read The Painted Girls. What was it about The Day the Falls Stood Still that was a struggle? I've had that one on my shelf for a while, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

the ending was rather abrupt for me and left me with some unanswered questions but what I really struggled with was the brilliant research Buchanan invested in her setting and the hydro electrics but it seemed as if she was torn between writing a romance novel and writing a solid historical fiction piece and didn't come to a final conclusion of which story she was writing.

>75 lkernagh: That's a little disappointing. I'm not really a fan of romance, so I probably won't be rusing to read it. The Painted Girls didn't have that problem.

So, I've finished a few more books since my last post:

71. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett ****
Genre/Category: Mystery/Macavity the Mystery Cat
Format: Audio download from library, 5 hours 56 minutes, read by William Dufris

I read this one for the MysteryCAT, hardboiled/noir and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the characters of Nick & Nora Charles were great. I wish he had written more with them.

72. Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani ****
Genre: Category: Historical Fiction//The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat
Format: Audible Download, 13 hours 52 minutes, read by Simon Vance

I really enjoyed this author's first novel, The Blood of Flowers, so was really looking forward to this one, and I was not disappointed. This one tells the story of Princess Pari, favorite daughter of the recently deceased shah of Iran in the 16th century.

73. The Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman ****
Genre/Category: Fantasy/Garfield the Cartoon Cat
Format: Ebook read in individual issues 21-28

I've really been enjoying these. In this installment, Lucifer decides to retire from running Hell and leaves the key to Morpheus.

74. The Victim by Saul Bellow ***
Genre/Category: Fiction/1001 Arabian Mau Cats
Format: Audio download from library, 9 hours 31 minutes, read by Joe Barrett

I wasn't that crazy about this one. I only read it because it was one of the 1001 books to read. This was my second by Bellow and didn't really care for either. I'll probably wait a while before I tackle the rest of his from the list.

75. Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler ****
Genre/Category: Vampire Fiction/Church the Horror Cat
Format: Unabridged Audible Download, 12 hours 17 minutes, read by Tracey Leigh

This was an interesting take on a vampire story. A seemingly young girls awakes in a cave, badly injured and unable to remember anything. This was my first by this author. I put this into my Horror category because of the vampires, but I wouldn't really consider it a horror story. I look forward to reading more from Butler.

76. Enchantment: the Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto ***1/2
Genre/Category: Biography/My Real Life Cats
Format: Audio download from library, 11 hours 45 minutes, read by Kimberly Farr

This was a good biography about Audrey Hepburn. I didn't really know anything about her, other than some of the movies she was in, but she had an interesting life. I want to go and watch those movies now.

77. The Dark Monk by Oliver Pötzsch ****
Genre/Category: Historical Mystery/The Russian Blue Foreign Cat
Format: Audible Download through Amazon Unlimited, 14 hours 46 minutes, read by Grover Gardner

This is book 2 in the Hangman's Daughter series. It takes place in 17th century Germany. In this installment, the hangman and his daughter are investigating the poisoning death of the local priest. I've really enjoyed both of the books in this series so far. I haven't read much of anything that takes place in Germany, so it's a nice change.

78. The Golem and the Jinni ****
Genre/Category: Historical Fantasy/The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat
Format: Audio download from library, 19 hours 42 minutes, read by George Guidall

I'm glad to have finally gotten around to reading this one. I thought it was good. Even though it was a fairly long audio, I finished it pretty quickly.

August is starting off slow for me, haven't finished anything yet this month. I haven't actually started anything yet other than the next volume of The Walking Dead. Nothing is catching my interest for some reason. I'm still working on the ebook Medicus by Ruth Downie and the book A Passage to India by E. M. Forster. My print reading is very slow. I did finish one last book in July, bringing my total for the year up to 80. (My numbers in my first post are not correct, I'm missing a book in the list, I have to figure out where it goes).

80. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein ***
Genre/Category: Sci Fi/Spot the SciFi cat
Format: Audio download from library, 16 hours 17 minutes, read by Christopher Hurt

This is the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human born on Mars and raised as a Martian, who comes to Earth. This was Ok. It was my first Heinlein. I picked this one because it was on the 1001 books to read list. It felt dated and was very dialogue heavy. Also, the audio recording quality was very poor. There were some interesting ideas here, but overall, it was a little disappointing.

Finally finished a few things for August:

81. The Walking Dead, Vol 20: All Out War Part 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2
Genre/Category: Horror/Garfield the Comic Cat
Format: ebook read in individual issues

I've finally gotten almost caught up. This was an Ok installment. One of the characters was really getting on my nerves though. Looking forward to see how everything plays out.

82. Rules of Engagement by Bruce Alexander ***1/2
Genre/Category: Historical Mystery/Libby the Seeing Eye Cat
Format: Audio download from library, read by John Lee, 9 hours 4 minutes

This is actually the last book in the Sir John Fielding mystery series which takes place in 18th century England. Fielding is a blind magistrate. The story is told from his assistant Jeremy's point of view. In this insallment, a man jumps off a bridge, it's ruled an accident, but is it really murder? This is the first in this series that I've read. I've been wanting to read this series because I'm intersted in books with blind and visually impaired characters. This was the only one my library had available in audio format. I enjoyed it. Hopefully I can find the earlier books in the series to read those too. I guess this one fits the GeoCAT for this month too since it takes place in England.

I'm currenlty working on two audios, A Mind to Murder by P. D. James for the MysteryCAT & GeoCAT and Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey, book 2 in the Expanse series. And I'm slowly making my way through my print books, Medicus by Ruth Downie on my iPad and A Passage to India by E. M. Forster in paper.

I paused, but may have stopped entirely, after volume 18 of The Walking Dead. If someone reviews a later volume and gives it a high rating, I may return.

>79 staci426: Sir John Fielding Mysteries series is going on the BB list. I'm intrigued about how he's doing his work despite his blindness.

>80 -Eva-: I'm hoping things pick up with the next volume as well. I'm not ready to give up on the series yet, but I'm hoping it starts getting better again. Just like I'm hoping the TV series picks up next season, was a little disappointed with the last season or so there.

>81 electrice: I'm looking forward to going back to read the earlier books. He gets a lot of help from his assistant, Jeremy, so I am interested in seeing how that relationship developed over the series. I was surprised to discover that the character was actually based off an actual historical figure.

I've fallen behind on my posting again this month. Hopefully I can get myself caught up.

83. A Mind to Murder by P. D. James ***
Genre/Category: Mystery/Macavity the Mystery Cat
Format: Audio download from library, read by Roy Marsden, 6 hours 51 minutes

This is book 2 in the Adam Dalgliesh British mystery series. An employee of a psychiatric facility is found murdered in the basement. It was an Ok story. The ending was a bit abrupt, I thought. But Dalgliesh seems like he might turn into an interesting character. Will continue with the series to see how things work out.

84. The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna ****
Genre/Category: Fiction/The Russian Blue Foreign Cat
Format: Audio download from library, read by Simon Vance, 4 hours 36 minutes

This was an interesting quick read. Another book I never would have come accross if not for the 1001 books list. I picked this one for the GeoCAT, it's Finnish. The main character, his name escapes me at the moment, hits a hare with his car. This triggers something in him, he nurses it back to health and drops out of his current life and travels around the country with the hare. I enjoyed this one.

85. Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey ****
Genre/Category: Sci Fi/Spot the Sci Fi Cat
Format: Audible download, read by Jefferson Mays, 19 hours 50 minutes

This is book 2 in the Expanse series. Most of the action in this one takes place on Ganymede. There seems to be an unprovoked attack and a group of sick children go missing. One of the children's father hires Holden to try to find his daughter. I'm really enjoying this series. Looking forward to seeing what happens next.

86. Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation by Dan Fagin ****
Genre/Category: NonFiction/Jersey the Cat from NJ
Format: Audio download from library, read by Dan Woren, 18 hours 31 minutes

Toms River is a town near the Jersey shore where there was a children's cancer cluster in the 1990s which was thought to have been because of the pollution from the local chemical plant. I live in Toms River, but did not move here until after the events in this book. I did grow up in the next town over though, so had always heard the stories about the cancer and things like "don't drink the water in Toms River". It was a strange experience reading a book about actual events that happened in places that I know and even mentioning people that I knew. I never realized the full extent of the situation that was going on. I can't say this was an enjoyable read, only because of the topics it covered, but it was very well-done and I do recommend it if you are interested in this sort of thing.

87. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J. K. Rowling ****
Genre/Category: Fantasy/Stewie the Longest Cat
Format: Audio download from the library, read by Jim Dale, 21 hours 36 minutes

I finally finished the series. This was my first read through and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it was a good ending. I flew through this over 21 hour audio in less than 2 days. Now that I've finished the books, I want to go back and re-watch the movies and watch the ones I missed.

88. Medicus by Ruth Downie ***
Genre/Category: Historical Mystery/Lions
Format: Kindle ebook read on my iPad, 384 pages

This was book one in the series featuring Gaius Petrieus Ruso. He is a medicus in the Roman army stationed in Deva, Britannia. Two slaves have turned up dead in the town and he is reluctantly pulled into the investigation of their deaths. This was Ok. It kept my interest enough for me to want to finish and find out what happened, but I probably won't be continuing with the series. I put this one into my Lions category since it was one of the first Kindle books I purchased, back in 2011.

89. Morgue Drawer Four by Jutta Profijt ***1/2
Genre/Category: Mystery/The Russian Blue Foreign Cat
Format: Audio download from Amazon Unlimited, read by Andrew MacLeod, 7 hours 1 minute

This is the first book in the series told from the point of view of Pascha who is recently deceased, but able to make himself known to the cororner, Martin. He tries to get Martin to investigate his death, claiming that it was murder, not an accident. This was a fun book. It takes place in modern Germany, which is a location I have not read much about. Pascha is a great character. I look forward to reading more of this series.

90. You Must Remember This Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age by Robert J. Wagner ***
Genre/Category: Memoir/My Real Life Cats
Format: Audio download from library, read by the author, 6 hours 25 minutes

This sounded really interesting. I've been on a classic Hollywood kick lately. But I was a little disappointed. It started out with a history of Hollywood and the surrounding areas and then, there were just a lot of descriptions of the houses, parties and hang out locations of some of the celebrities during that time.

Ok, finally caught up. I am currently working on:

Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker (mystery/ebook)
A Passage To India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book)
The White Devil by Justin Evans (ghost story/audio)
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert (historical fiction/audio)

Two more books done to finish out the month:

91. The White Devil by Justin Evans ***
Genre/Category: Ghost Story/Church the Horror Cat
Format: Audio download from library, read by Christian Coulson, 12 hours 49 minutes

Andrew Taylor is an American boy who's father is giving him one last chance not to screw up by sending him to an English boarding school. As he struggles to fit in, he starts seeing ghosts and his classmates are dying and becoming sick. With the help of his housemaster, they try to figure out who the ghost is and why it's there. This was an Ok story. It had a gothic atmospheric feel to it. I decided to give it a read now for the August RandomCAT since it takes place at a boarding school.

92. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert ****
Genre/Category: Historical Fiction/The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat
Format: Audible download, read by Anne Noelani Miyamoto, 17 hours 27 minutes

This is the story of Rachel Kalama, a young girl diagnosed with leprosy in the 1890s and is forced away from her family to live in the settlement Kalaupapa where lepers are isolated from the rest of the world. I really enjoyed this. Brennert does such a good job of giving you a real feel for the time and place. He has also created a great bunch of characters and gets you to really feel what they are going through.

93. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. ***1/2
Genre/Category: Sci Fi/Spot the Sci Fi Cat
Format: Audio download from library, read by Tom Weiner, 10 hours 56 minutes

This was an interesting post-apocalyptic story. It focuses around a monestary that is trying to preserve the scientific knowledge that they have been able to find from before the nuclear war. And spans the centuries following the war and the rebuilding of civilization. I really enjoyed this one.

94. Summer by Edith Wharton ***1/2
Genre/Category: Fiction/Lions
Format: Audio download from library, read by Lyssa Brown, 6 hours 8 minutes

This was a quick listen off the 1001 books list. Charity Royall is a young New England woman who was adopted into a local family and wants to be independent. She falls in love with a local visitor from the city. So far I've really enjoyed everything from Edith Wharton that I've read, and this is no exception. Her writing and characters are great. I put this one in my Lions category since I've been working on the 1001 list for a few years now, all of the books on that list have been on my to read list for a while.

95. A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking ***1/2
Genre/Category: Science/My Real Life Cats
Format: Audio download from library, read by Erik Davies, 4 hours 22 minutes

I guess this is supposed to be a more accessible version of version of Hawking's original A Brief History of Time. I'm not a very scientifically inclined person but I thought this was good. I'm probably not going to really remember much of what I've listened to here, but at least I feel like I've got a basic understanding of things. I don't think I'll be reading the original though. This one also fits for this month's RandomCAT.

I've also got two abandoned books:
The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud by Julia Navarro I just couldn't get into this one, about a break in at the Cathedral of Turin with flashbacks tracing the history of the holy shroud that is kept there. One of the big negatives for me was the narrator. I did not like her accents.

Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers This one had been on my too read list for awhile and I was excited to find that my library had the audio download. But I couldn't make it very far because of the narrator. Just because a book takes place in France doesn't mean you have to use a French accent when reading. I'll definitely go back to this one in print though.

I'm currently working on:
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (fiction/book)
Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker (mystery/ebook)
Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham (fantasy/graphic novel/ebook)
Blood Pact by Tanya Huff (paranormal mystery/audio)
Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell (historical fiction/audio)

>95 staci426: Ooh! I also have A Briefer History of Time lined up for the RandomCAT! Was going to read the original, but my parents' copy has gone AWOL and the library only had the Briefer History available when I went to download an e-copy. Thanks for the review! :)

>86 staci426: A Canticle for Leibowitz seems interesting. I've got the feeling that it's more about reflection and less about action ?

Just because a book takes place in France doesn't mean you have to use a French accent when reading. LOL, we call this frenglish in France. We're often have an horrible english accent, I fear to hear what it was like in your book :)

>87 rabbitprincess:. Hope you enjoy it rabbbitprincess. I thought about trying the original, but found A Briefer History for audio download from the library, so went with that one.

>88 electrice:. Yes, it was very interesting, and definitely not a lot of action.
Yeah, accents can be tricky in any language. In this case, I don't think I would have enjoyed this narrator even if she wasn't trying to use a French accent.

So, I’ve been neglecting my thread for a while now. I’ve finished quit a few books since my last post and am actually almost finished with my challenge. I only need to finish two more books. Here are my reads since my last post:

96. Blood Pact by Tanya Huff **** Category/Genre: Libby the Seeing Eye Cat/paranormal mystery
97. Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham ***1/2 Garfield the Comic Cat/Fantasy
98. Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell ***1/2 Chartreux le chat francais/historical fiction
99. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde ***1/2 Stewie the Longest Cat/fantasy
100. Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill ***1/2 Stewie the Longest Cat/mystery
101. A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates *** Jersey the Cat from NJ/fiction
102. Pines by Blake Crouch ***1/2 Church the Horror Cat/horror/thriller
103. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster ***1/2 My Real Life Cats/non fiction
104. Cold Magic by Kate Elliott ***1/2 The Cheshire Fantasy Cat/fantasy
105. City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris **** The Russian Blue Foreign Cat/mystery
106. The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory ***1/2 The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat/historical fiction
107. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill *** Church the Horror Cat/horror
108. Frank: the Voice by James Kaplan *** Jersey the Cat from NJ/biography
109. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan ***1/2 Church the Horror Cat/YA/horror
110. The Walking Dead: Fall of the Governor, Part 1 by Robert Kirkman ***1/2 Church the horror cat/horror
111. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr *** Libby the Seeing Eye Cat/historical fiction
112. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker ***1/2 Chartreux le chat francais/mystery
113. A Needle in the Right Hand of God by R. Howard Bloch *** Chartreux le chat francais/non-fiction
114. The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay ***1/2 The Historical Egyptian Mau Cat/historical fiction
115. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin *** Spot the Sci Fi Cat/sci fi
116. The Walking Dead Vol 21: All Out War Part 2 by Robert Kirkman **** Garfield the Comic Cat/horror
117. Revelation by C. J. Sansom ***1/2 Macavity the Mystery Cat/historical mystery
118. The Godfather by Mario Puzo **** Lions/fiction
119. Divergent by Veronica Roth ***1/2 Spot the Sci Fi Cat/sci fi
120. Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson **** Libby the Seeing Eye Cat/non fiction
121. Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novick **** The Cheshire Fantasy Cat/historical/fantasy
122. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie ***1/2 Lions/mystery
123. Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman **** Jersey the Cat from NJ/mystery
124. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust ***1/2 Chartreux le chat francais/classics

There were not really any major stand outs in the bunch, but there were several enjoyable reads. The King’s Curse was a good ending to the Cousins War series by Philippa Gregory. Looking forward to moving on to her Tudor Series next year. I was surprised by how much I did end up enjoying the Godfather. I’m not a big fan of Maffia stuff and have never seen the movie. I only read it as one of the 1001 books to read and I’m glad that I did. Mrs. Pollifax on Safari was a fun surprise. I needed something in my NJ category, the author is from NJ, and it worked out nicely for this month’s Africa GeoCAT. I will go back and read the rest of the series. I also really enjoyed Thunder Dog, it was about a blind man who survived the collapse of the World Trade Center during 9/11 with the help of his guide dog. I enjoyed how he also included information about living as a blind person. It has definitely pushed me closer to making the decision to get a guide dog for myself.

So, I only need two more books to finish my challenge, both of which I am currently working on, Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor to finish out my Lions category. This has been in my Audible wishlist for over a year now. Although my original motivation for this category was to read books that have been sitting on my shelves, that hasn’t actually worked out. But all of the books have been in my to read lists for over a year. And the last book which is for my non fiction category is Oh Myyy!: There Goes the Internet by George Takei. This is a Kindle book on my iPad which I should be able to finish by the end of the year. Now, I need to start thinking of next year’s categories. I haven’t even started trying to come up with anything yet.

>91 staci426: I could hear Takei say that title! He can be really funny.

I'll be (re)reading Mrs Pollifax on Safari for the GeoCAT as well! It's a fun series.

>92 mamzel: mamzel: Yes, me too. I sometimes even notice I'm reading it in his voice in my head. It's a fun read so far.

>93 rabbitprincess: rabbitprincess: Yes, it was fun. Glad to have discovered it and looking forward to reading the rest of the books.

So I finished my last two books to complete my challenge:
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor was an enjoyable fantasy which takes place in a post apocalyptic Africa to finished out my Lions category, had been in my Audible.com wish list for over a year now. And then As You Wish by Cary Elwes finished out my Real Life Cats/Non fiction category. This was a fun memoir of his experiences working on the Princess Bride which happens to be one of my favorite movies.

I’ve also finished a few more books that I didn’t put into any category since they were all full:
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald ***1/2 Classics
Recovery Man by Kristine Kathryn Rusch **** SciFi/Mystery
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin ***1/2 Historical Mystery
The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn **** Non-Fiction
Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke ***1/2 SciFi

I’m working on two more books which I hope to finish by the end of the year:
Oh Myyy: There Goes the Internet by George Takei this was going to be my last non fiction selection, but it’s taken a bit longer to finish then I had expected and Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear a sci fi which is taking me a while to get into.

Congrats on completing your challenge!

Congratulations!

Hurray! Congratulations!

Well done! I've enjoyed following your thread and reading your reviews! Here's to many more great books in 2015!

Congratulations!

Thanks everyone! I'm hoping to get next year's thread set up over this long weekend coming up.

I ended up finishing my last two books for the year Oh Myyy: There Goes the Internet by George Takei. This was an entertaining look at his experiences with social media. The last one was Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear a science fiction story which I didn't enjoy that much. I don't know if I just wasn't paying enough attention to the audio, but I still don't really understand what was going on.

Congrats on finishing! See you over in 2015!