You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Time to topple a book (or more), chat, eat, drink, and spill your secrets.

Your goal - for each book you read tell us how it relates to you. And not just that it's your favorite color/genre, but why, what draws you to it. If it's a family connection, share a story. In other words, not just the facts, but the stories behind them.

Happy reading!

I'm reading Scents and Sensibility. Chet and Bernie series. Chet is a dog and the stories in this series are all told from his POV. I love animals and always get upset when bad things happen to them. My first dog was a surprise, and I couldn't say "surprise" so he ended up being named Prize. First pet I remember having.

I also love thrillers and mysteries. Chet and Bernie always get in a heap of trouble with their Little Detective Agency. Keeps me on the edge of my seat. Exactly where I like to be.

Almeta and I just finished coffee cold brews and are now drinking Long Island Iced teas.

Debra wrote: "I'm reading Scents and Sensibility. Chet and Bernie series. Chet is a dog and the stories in this series are all told from his POV. I love animals and always get upset when bad th..."

I love the Chet & Bernie series! I just picked up Sound and Fury at the bookstore last week. The best scene was when Bernie mentioned going on a wild goose chase and Chet was disappointed there weren't any actual geese. ;)


I'm back from visiting the park (OMG so gorgeous outside) and on page 4 of Cinder. No Long Island Iced teas, but I do have some wine for later. ;)

Hey everyone I have a book all ready to go but we are having a family picnic so I will be on later

Colleen, those wild goose chases disappoint Chet every time! I LMAO at some of the things Chet does and thinks.

Hey all, I've just woken up from what was going to be a pre-Toppler nap but it overran slightly, oops!

I'm starting my Toppler with You a thriller about obsession and how modern technology has made this so much easier for the stalker.

I chose this as not only am I a fan of a good thriller, I am an avid supporter of online safety and being self aware of how vulnerable you can be online. I'm also fascinated by how quickly and easily things can escalate into unwanted attention. They're issues that have come up frequently in my reading about woman's rights.

Sorry to get so serious so early on!

I am reading Father of the Rain by Lily King. It is set in New England on the Atlantic Ocean, and I love the ocean. When I was a child, I lived in North Carolina about an hour from the ocean, but we had a summer cottage on Nags Head and spent part of every summer there even after we moved away from North Carolina. The book is also about a girl's relationship with her father and how she cares for him at the end of his life. My dad is 83, healthy, and able to live alone, but he does get lonely if I don't visit every other day, and he needs help with things like business now, so I think I will be able to relate to this book. Finally, I selected this book because Lily King has become one of my favorite authors since we read Euphoria as a group; I love that book! I am trying to work my way through all her books.

I really want to sneak over to my Pompeii book and find out what is happening in Italy, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow. Alas! Woe!

I am just about to make a start on Strange Meeting by Susan Hill. The title is taken from a poem by Wilfred Owen who is my favourite war poet. Also, I have recently done a couple of online courses about the First World War and have become very interested in trying to better understand the trauma that many men suffered, both physical and psychological, the attitudes of wider society towards the war and the close relationships that developed between some of the men and it sounds like this book explores these themes so I am hoping that it will be a thought provoking and rewarding read.

I'm just getting started reading False Colours.

It's such a good book. It really shows how a family can help each other when the times get rough. I'll be back with other insights as I find them.

I've already add 3 books. This thread is dangerous!

(I'll write about my book as soon as I am in my computer)

@ Connie - I am heading to Nags Head next Saturday for the week. 5 friends and myself have been going to Nags Head the week before teachers have to go back to school (4 of us are teachers) for the past 19 years - our last R & R before the chaos. Love it there.

I am reading Eveless Eden an intelligent, witty book about a journalist who falls for a photo journalist. I picked up this book for the toppler because when I was younger I wanted to be a National Geographic photographer and travel to exotic places. The dialogue in the book is really smart and reminds me of the old 1940's movies starring Bogart/Becall, Tracy/Hepburn. At my house we have been known to stay in our jammies all day watching old movies.

My problem: I am sitting outside on a perfect summer's day watching baby bird, butterflies, and dragon flies that I am not getting much reading done.

@Jayme, hope you have a lovely week at Nags Head! What a great way to spend the last week before school starts! (Charging your batteries)

@ Sandra, does your tbr look like mine? Sagging! : )

@Debra, sounds like you and Almeta have everything under control. I think you are having the best party. : )

I'm at my sister in law's at the moment without a book. So I'm going to be late starting. Still not sure what to read either.

I just got started, reading ,
I'm a midwife so thought it might be interesting. Seems to be a (view spoiler)[ plague of some sort has hid San Francisco. Death is rampant. Survival is the name of the game. (hide spoiler)]. Not sure how this will relate to my life, but will see.

Almeta and I are in danger. We are sitting here drinking our Long Island ice teas and chatting away! Help!

Well, you only need to read one book. Like I said-- best party! And I am obviously not reading! Haha

Started Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints: A Brothers Grimm Mystery.

Also started finished another Long Island Iced Tea.

Hope your frog turns into a prince (or prints), Almeta.
And please drink a Long Island Iced Tea for me if you're up to it.

Now, I am off to read my book.

I am listening to the audiobook version of Orphan Star by Alan Dean Foster. Until recently, my favorite genres were science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries. For most of my life these have been almost the only types of books that I read.

This one is part of a series that I loved some 20 years ago, but then lost track of. It turns out that the author has continued it, so I've been thinking of continuing it, but it's been taking me longer than I expected with all of the other books that keep popping up and claiming my attention.

I don't have your problem, Jayme. It's overcast and gloomy here, a perfect day for reading. I'm about 33% into my book and things are getting creepy.

Interesting thing about this book is that the main character shares the same name as a doctor I had when I had surgery many years ago. He was also the ex-husband of the CEO of a company I used to work for. Small city. Everyone knows everyone, or at least about them. So not only is this book in my favourite genre, I know a real person with the name of the main character.

I wish I had Almeta and Debra's problem. It's too quiet in my apartment. There were a couple of workmen with a ladder just outside my window earlier. That offered a bit of a distraction for a few minutes.

I need to think about what I want to eat. I didn't go out and buy any snacks, and I feel too lazy to cook anything. I'll have another cup of coffee and think about it some more. :)

One of the people (dead) in my book is named Tamara - that's my name

Janice, Seed is very creepy. Enjoy the chills!

I'm over 1/3 finished listening to A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans, the true story of a large black wolf who interacted over a period of years with the people of Juneau, Alaska. This book relates to who I am in several ways:

1. I've always liked wolves, and this book tells not only of Romeo, but also delves into the history and behaviors of wolves in general.

2. The book was recommended to me by my daughter, Kate. She is an animal lover who is about to adopt a beautiful Palomino horse that has been in rehab for almost 3 years after being rescued from a severely abusive environment. Kate volunteers there, and their bond over the past year has helped Honey to trust people again.

3. As I posted in the other thread, on Tuesday I tripped and ended up with road rash on my face. In 2005, I went to Alaska with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to participate in the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon. A few miles in, I tripped and ended up on my back. An ambulance was called, and the medic had to wrench my dislocated shoulder into place. At the hospital, x-rays confirmed a fracture in my left upper arm. My arm was immobilized for 6 weeks, followed by 3 months of physical therapy. The next year I returned to Alaska as a walk coach for the same event, assigned to be the Sweeper for the half marathon, walking to the end with the very slowest walkers.

4. I've also taken two Alaskan cruises and have visited Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier, the location for this book.

I should finish around 8:30 Central Time, and I've still not decided on my second book for thie Toppler.

Theresa, that sounds so wonderful about your daughter and the horse. I'm sure it's beautiful to see the bond between them.

I won't be joining in afterall. I am having a very busy weekend with no time to really read much. I just popped in to see how things are going.

I've been collecting frogs since I was a teenager, although I have slowed down that hobby considerably. It got so everyone was buying frogs for me and some pretty tacky ones at that.

During my last move, I culled the lily pad and kept only a few favorites. Still with that stock reduction, you will find frogs peeking at you from many surfaces of my home.

My favorites are a faux ivory adolescent frog who has not yet lost his tadpole tail and another one that has been carved from a tree burl.

Cheese and crackers and just a plain cola for late lunch with Debra. No more alcohol if I plan to finish this book!

I'm about halfway through You and have drank a few mugs of tea so thinking I need to move onto to something a little different, might go for a disaronno on the rocks. Should also eat something too I guess :-)

Home and don't know where the day went! Got lots of reading to do!

I'm about 22% done. It's the 15 th anniversary of geocaching, so I'm taking a break to fund a cache.

Janice wrote: "...t's too quiet in my apartment. There were a couple of workmen with a ladder just outside my window earlier. That offered a bit of a distraction for a few minutes. ..."

My living-room window view is of a small woods straddling a Rouge River tributary called Tonquish Creek. It can be idyllic, except I have an unseen neighbor on the other side who can not seem to live without noise. I believe he has every motorized garden gadget known to man, which he alternates using practically every day.

He also blasts his music to the world. Not always bad, since he has fairly good taste. He does like an occasional opera, to which he sings along badly. He and his partying friends recently sang "Under the Boardwalk" over and over again through the night.

Anyway....my point before I rambled on...oh, workermen...
There is now some sort of construction going on over there and so I hear sawing and banging throughout the day. Most amusing are the exclamations from the workers.

***buzz buzz** "Uh oh", "Ah, F**k!" or "Ooops", etc. :D

I'm sure my neighbor has no idea how many mistakes are being made on whatever it is that he is having built while he is away at work. Hehehe!

@Debra LOL - yes, Chet is a wonderful character!

@Sam How are you liking 'You'? It's the Aug/Sept book selection at the mystery group and it looks intriguing.

I'm 180 pages into Cinder, reading in snatches between doing housework. Now it's time for wine, so I'll pick it back up later. So far, it's better than I expected it'd be. I guess maybe it's not over-hyped after all...

Colleen wrote: "..The best scene was when Bernie mentioned going on a wild goose chase and Chet was disappointed there weren't any actual geese. ;) ..."

Yeah, Bernie (the human) uses so many catch phrases that I wouldn't even give a second thought if it weren't for Chet (the dog) interpreting them literally and being confused or disappointed that the thing did not literally happen.

I'm reading The Cat, the Sneak and the Secret, the seventh and latest book in a series of cozy mysteries about a woman named Jillian and her cats. She has several. I relate to the book in many ways, but I'd like to give you some background before I try to explain. It's kind of a long story, about family and stray cats, so I plan to tell it in installments over the course of the toppler.

Episode one is about my mother, Doris. She was the quintessential cat lady, and we had cats as far back as I can remember. She never let a stray cat go unfed. She never let a potentially neglected cat go unfed. When a neighbor a block away was laid up, mother would walk down the alley to his house to feed Mr. Henderson's cat. Of course, many of the cats were feral, and quite a few were happy to sign on for the meal plan. More and more of the cats came to live with us. And when you have feral cats around, you have pregnant cats. Much of my childhood, one cat or another, sometimes two, were raising litters of kittens in my mother's bedroom closets. It was cute when there were two litters at once. Sometimes the mothers would put the kittens together and take turns sitting with them. Other times one mother would seem to get jealous, and kidnap one of the other cat's kittens to take back to her own box. My father died when I was nine, and after that it was just the three of us, me, my mom and my older brother. When my brother and I went off to college and then moved away, the cats were her family. Many years later, on her deathbed, we promised her we would take care of her cats.

To be continued.

Taking a break from reading and distractions to eat something. I'm having bagel halves with onion chive cream cheese, ham, red onion, and tomato slices. I've got chicken simmering to make lemon chickn orzo soup later. This is definitely my healthiest Toppler ever :p

I'm reading Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science. When I was younger (way before CSI), I wanted to study bones, but I didn't want to take medical classes, although I used to want to have my body end up in medical school (with my arm draped over a student's shoulder). And then I heard about the Body Farm. I was hooked. This book isn't about the Body Farm, but the research done there has led to a lot of techniques that are used today in solving causes of death and identifying bodies. I'm signed up to go to the Body Farm and sometimes imagine my body in different scenarios - leaned up against a tree, half submerged in water, locked in a car trunk. How fascinating it is to think that one day my body might be helpful in solving a crime.

Sam wrote: "... being self aware of how vulnerable you can..."

I have an issue with restaurant counter personnel (in an attempt to appear more personal I'm sure), asking my name with my order, then yelling it out again when my order is ready. I really don't want the other strangers standing in line or eating at the tables to know my name. (Nothing to do with on-line..I know.☻)

What is to stop some one, with bad intentions, from then catching my attention in the parking lot by calling out my name?

I always give a false moniker.

Just starting my book now, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in His Adventure on Earth This is one of the first movies I have ever watched as a kid, and I am still a movie lover.

I also still have the E.T. stuffed animal that I got as a child he sits on my dresser.

Also another neat fact the letters in ET. are the initials of my husband and I.

Connie wrote: "...]. It is set in New England on the Atlantic Ocean, and I love the ocean. ..."

Pretty fond of the ocean myself, but prefer the Pacific variety. One of the best apartments I ever had was a tiny over a garage two room affair....with a view of the Pacific from a big picture window.

Sunset and a glass of wine every day after work, and I didn't care how small my space was!

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "... Kate. She is an animal lover who is about to adopt a beautiful Palomino horse that has been in rehab for almost 3 years after being rescued from a severely abusive environment...."

I volunteered for a couple of years for an organization called Equest. They adopted horses that were put out to pasture for one reason or another, and then provided rides and schooling for children with disabilities.

Although I liked to ride, my job there was to take care of the horses' grooming, tack and mucking stalls. I also ran beside the horse and rider to make sure the child was safe...THAT was a work-out!

Okay, very little of this previous discussion has anything to do with anything that is in my book choice!

Gretel (The Gretel) has just gone under-cover in a brothel as a Dominatrix in order to gather clues.

I once worked in a brothel. NOT!!!!!;P

OK, I'm reading Second Chance Summer by: Morgan Mattson, It is a YA book One of my favorite genres, it also takes place in the summer, my all-time favorite season, it is also about family, my very favorite thing!

jaxnsmom wrote: "... I'm signed up to go to the Body Farm and sometimes imagine my body in different scenarios - leaned up against a tree, half submerged in water, locked in a car trunk. How fascinating it is to think that one day my body might be helpful in solving a crime. ..."

I kept gathering papers to donate my body and then discarding them. Then I sent off a set without my signature (Blocking?)

Finally I read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Mary Roach convinced me to commit. She says we shouldn't expect our lives to be saved or bettered, because of someone's donated loved one, if we are not willing to do so ourselves.

Have you read any Jefferson Bass novels?

Colleen wrote: "@Sam How are you liking 'You'? It's the Aug/Sept book selection at the mystery group and it looks intriguing. ..."

It was the July/August read at Stephen King Recommends Group. On hold at the library. (view spoiler)[I am now 7th in line! Maybe next July.☺ (hide spoiler)]

Casceil wrote: "I'm reading The Cat, the Sneak and the Secret, the seventh and latest book in a series of cozy mysteries about a woman named Jillian and her cats. She has several. I relate to the..."

Casceil, that is quite the episode. Both of our cats were rescued from the alley. My husband had started feeding strays and we had a little colony. One of the daughters of the original stray he fed was killed just when her 3 surviving kittens were almost weaned. My mother has the third one. DH, who didn't want to keep ours, now loves them and would like to get more. I think he'd happily be a cat man if I let him.

I am halfway through Strange Meeting and I love it so far. It's quite slow paced but I think it works well here as it is allowing the central relationship to really build and develop. The scenes in the trenches are also suitably realistic and hard-hitting and I like the two main characters a lot. The only complaint I have so far is about the size of the print. It's tiny!

My eyes are in desperate need of a rest so I am going to call it a night now. Happy reading everyone!

I finished listening to Orphan Star and am now starting How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics. This book fits my life as when I was in high school my mother was told that I was gifted in math, plus she gave me my first cookbook when I turned 6. This book is a combination of both of those, using recipes to illustrate math principles. Maybe I'll finally start to get trigonometry, the one area I could never figure out.

Almeta wrote: "***buzz buzz** "Uh oh", "Ah, F**k!" or "Ooops", etc. :D"

I hear quite a bit of that actually. Soundproofing isn't all that great in this building. I think my hearing problem is psychosomatic. I'm trying to tune it all out.

Colleen wrote: "@Sam How are you liking 'You'? It's the Aug/Sept book selection at the mystery group and it looks intriguing."

Well I've just finished it Colleen and I can say that you are not going to be disappointed, it is rather chilling and somewhat sobering. I shan't say too much for fear of spoiling it but it was gripping!

Almeta wrote: "Sam wrote: "... being self aware of how vulnerable you can..."

I have an issue with restaurant counter personnel (in an attempt to appear more personal I'm sure), asking my name with my order, the..."

I've always wondered that myself, thankfully in the UK that only seems to happen in Starbucks, which is not a place a frequent. Most other places just shout either an order number or what the order is.

Being an avid fan of thrillers, horror etc. I'm always thinking the worst of people and even the sensibility of take out for one meals makes me wonder at times as it screams out the fact that you're on your own, for that night if nothing else. I'm forever cringing when out and about how much information people shout out about themselves without a second thought, even without the addition of alcoholic lubrication.

Although it could be that I am just overly suspicious and have an inherently low opinion of people...

Casceil wrote: "I'm reading The Cat, the Sneak and the Secret, the seventh and latest book in a series of cozy mysteries about a woman named Jillian and her cats. She has several. I relate to the..."

That would be my daughter-in-law. It's a good thing they live on a farm because the cats have lots of room to chase mice and play.

Oh and I've now started Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life just to continue with my ever growing passion and interest in feminism and equality.

jaxnsmom wrote: "Taking a break from reading and distractions to eat something. I'm having bagel halves with onion chive cream cheese, ham, red onion, and tomato slices. I've got chicken simmering to make lemon ..."

Now I feel guilty! I'm going to wait for my hair to dry and then I'm stepping out to get some KFC. All I've eaten so far today is toast and jam for breakfast, and some trail mix for lunch because I wasn't hungry.