On Reading

I must read every single day.

I cannot remember a time when I couldn't read.

Reading is one of the greatest joys in my life.

When I think about heaven, I think about a library containing all the books that exist,

and the time to read them.

Is that sacrilegious?

I don't know.  But it is a hope of mine.

My Sister Donnie Reads to the Next Generation

Krista, Sara, Lisa, Natalie, and Gavin

Baker's Creek, Circa 1998

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved 

I've been running from behind all year,

but I've finally posted the books I've read so far this year.

I read every book at least twice:

the first time for the narrative, the second for how the author constructed it.

Right now I have at least four books I'm reading,

not to mention several magazines.

It's ridiculous!  😂

I visit Barnes & Nobles almost every week.

I look forward to my special time all week long.

I settle in with a grilled cheese sandwich, coffee, and a stack of magazines and books.

It's my happy place.

Me, Happily Reading

Aurora, Colorado, USA

January 9, 2019

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved 

How about you?  Do you love to read?

Where is your happy place?

I'm linking to Gillena's Lunch Break,  Nicole's  Friday Face Off, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Debra's She Who Seeks.

Happy weekend!  

May you be enjoying your happy place and what you enjoy most!

 

 Till next time ~

 Fundy Blue

 

Standing Into Danger                                    https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

 Copyright ©2026 – All rights reserved.

My next post will be IWSG Day

Wednesday, July 1st. 🤞 

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

      

Just Released: The 2021 IWSG Anthology Dark Matter: Artificial!

The 2021 Insecure Writer's Support Group anthology, Dark Matter:  Artificial

was released on Tuesday, May 4, and I can't wait for my copy to arrive!

I have read and reread the previous five anthologies,

and I had the honor of having my short story "Dare Double Dare"

published in last year's Voyagers:  The Third Ghost.

I am excited for the ten talented authors featured in Dark Matter:  Artificial,

a mix of authors from previous IWSG anthologies and others new to this series.

Being included as an author in an IWSG anthology is a wonderful opportunity.

It's like a boot camp for editing, publishing, and promoting a book,

and you have the support of the IWSG members to cheer you on.

I hope the authors have a fun ride and learn lots

under the guidance of the publisher Dancing Lemur Press, LLC.

I had a chance to ask the authors a question: 

When did you discover science fiction as a genre, 

and what compelled you to write science fiction? 

I hope you enjoy their answers and learn something about them.

If you're a SciFi fan, perhaps you'll discover some new authors and books to read. 

  Olga Godim

  Nano Pursuit 

  https://olgagodim.wordpress.com

I started reading science fiction when still at school, but those books were rare and far between. The reason: I grew up in Soviet Russia. The authorities of the state didn’t approve of speculative fiction. They wanted writers to sing hymns to the Communist Party, but science fiction writers tended to set their stories in the far future, with no mentioning of Communism. So, not many were published. And of course, fantasy wasn’t published at all, nor translated from other languages. Magic and Communism didn’t mix together well. I didn’t even know the genre existed until I immigrated to Canada.

Before my emigration, I read what science fiction was available in Russia: a couple of translated authors, like Arthur Clark and Isaac Asimov, and a few home-grown science fiction writers, but frankly, none of them made much of an impression on me. I wasn’t a devotee of the genre.

Only after I came to Canada, I discovered the wide field of speculative fiction existing in the English language, including such sci-fi giants as Lois McMaster Bujold with her Vorkosigan saga. I also loved the recent Murderbot stories by Martha Wells, but aside from that, I rarely found what I wanted in science fiction. Maybe that’s why I started writing it: to launch the stories I felt the lack of into the science fiction realm.

Mark Alpert

Vera’s Last Voyage

http://www.markalpert.com/ 

I've loved science fiction ever since I read Isaac Asimov's "I, Robot" when I was twelve years old. I studied astrophysics in college and became an editor at Scientific American. So when I sat down to write my first novel, it seemed perfectly natural to invent a story about a hidden Theory of Everything discovered by Albert Einstein. That book, "Final Theory," was published by Simon & Schuster in 2008 and translated into more than twenty languages. Over the next decade I wrote nine more science-fiction novels, focusing on everything from robotics ("The Six," published by Sourcebooks in 2015) to genetic engineering ("The Coming Storm," published by St. Martin's Press in 2019). It's my lifelong passion. My story in the Dark Matter anthology, "Vera's Last Voyage," is based on the life of the late Vera Rubin, the astronomer who discovered the best evidence for dark matter but never got the respect she deserved, partly because of sexism.

Deniz Bevan

One to Another

http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/ 

I first discovered science fiction as a child; one of my favourite books was a gift from my grandmother: The Spaceship Under the Apple Tree by Louis Slobodkin. I also used to order science fiction books at random during the Scholastic book fairs at school. Time Twister by Ged Maybury and Omni:Skyborn by Marci H. Krutchten were particular favourites. My experience of reading science fiction has been sporadic and random -- and always pleasurable!

Elizabeth Mueller

Resurgence

http://www.elizabethmueller.com/

I believe I was in middle school when I first discovered that Science Fiction was a book genre, despite growing up with the original Star Trek series. 

One thing I didn't appreciate about reading SciFi was that it info-dumped with technicalities as though the author had to prove every nuance that made the story tick. I've been mulling over writing in this genre lately, and Dark Matter was my perfect opportunity for my official attempt.

Kim Mannix

Rift 

 https://makesmesodigress.com/

My first discovery of it would have come through watching science fiction TV and movies with my parents when I was small. Though it wasn't the first science fiction book that I encountered, I remember reading John Wyndham's The Chrysalids at about age 11, and that certainly had an impact on me. It made me realize that the genre could be both imaginative and important in its impact. As for writing it myself, I tend more towards horror or dark fantasy, but once in awhile the attraction of the strange and wonderful world of science fiction creeps in. 

Stephanie Espinoza Villamor

Artificial 

https://stephanieespinoza.com/

My dad has always been very big into science fiction--two of his favorite movies are The Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet, both of which have artificially intelligent characters in the form of "Gort" and "Robby the Robot." It was only natural that I would grow up to be a sci-fi geek, interested in robots! We've watched episodes of Lost in Space and Star Trek together, attended all kinds of conventions, and then I probably started reading science fiction around middle school. More recently I've enjoyed playing sci-fi video games too! But except for one childhood story attempt I called "Holly and the Hologram," I never felt compelled to write science fiction until now. I thought it would be too hard for me, so I stuck with mostly fantasy instead. But after the IWSG anthology prompt, I've been inspired to play more with the genre and ended up writing another sci-fi short story that will be published in a local anthology! I hope to keep experimenting as I have fun with science fiction writing!

 

Tara Tyler

Sentient   

https://taratylertalks.blogspot.com/

I started my journey into sci-fi as a teen. Michael Crichton and Isaac Asimov were my faves! In fact, when I came up with my idea for POP TRAVEL, I wanted to send it to Michael Crichton, but I was sad to discover he had passed away. So I decided to write it myself and he has been a powerful influence in my sci-fi adventures.

C.D. Gallant-King

Space Folds and Broomsticks 

 http://www.cdgallantking.ca/

My earliest sci-fi influences were definitely Star Wars and ROBOTECH - a giant-robot anime from the early 1980s that was heavily re-written for North American audiences. It had everything I love about sci-fi and adventure stories in general: serialized storytelling, deep space dogfights between starfighters, romantic drama, unexpected character deaths, a small group of human survivors facing off against a massive alien armada. It's not a coincidence that ROBOTECH shares a lot of similarities with the mid-2000s reboot of Battlestar Galactica, one of my favourite modern sci-fi series. My first sci-fiction stories were me basically doing fan-fiction of Star Wars and ROBOTECH. My current stories are still me basically doing fan-fiction of Star Wars and ROBOTECH.

(I also love Arthur C. Clarke, but I'll never be able to write that well.)

Steph Wolmarans

The Utten Mission 

https://www.teasighcreate.com/

I have known science fiction since I can remember stories. My childhood movie memories include ET, Flight of the Navigator, Short Circuit, Batteries Not Included, and the list goes on. I fell in love with the original Dune movie because it irritated family members when they came to visit and my dad put the tape in. When I discovered in middle school that it was based on a book, my love of reading was born. That same year, I started coming up with my own story ideas. I always wanted to write about other worlds so people could find themselves lost in stories the way I was.

Charles Kowalski

Resident Alien

https://charleskowalski.com/

Science fiction has always been a part of my life. As a boy, cars, trains, even airplanes were too earthbound for me; I wanted spaceships. I grew up with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica. My favorite stories were the ones that took me out of this world, into fantastical realms or distant planets. (My nearest and dearest would probably agree that I'm still a little spacey.)

I always dreamed of writing science fiction, but it was decades before I seriously put my hand to it, partly because it took me that long to discover its real purpose: not just "fiction based on science" but "fiction AS science," a laboratory of the imagination where you can put a slice of the human experience under a microscope, add or change some element, and observe the result. In "Resident Alien," the slice of life I wanted to examine was the experience of immigrants, oppressed minorities, and formerly enslaved people, and the variable I wanted to change was: "What if we were all in the same boat? What if the struggle for freedom and equality were not a conflict of one race against another, but of the entire human race together?"

* * * * *

Dark Matter: Artificial

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

 

Discover dark matter’s secrets…

 

What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets?

 

Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature. Featuring the talents of Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, C.D. Gallant-King, Tara Tyler, Mark Alpert, Olga Godim, Steph Wolmarans, Charles Kowalski, Kim Mannix, Elizabeth Mueller, and Deniz Bevan.

 

Hand-picked by a panel of agents, authors, and editors, these ten tales will take readers on a journey across time and space. Prepare for ignition!

 

 

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database; articles; monthly blog posting; Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram groups; #IWSGPit, and a newsletter. https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

 

Release date: May 4, 2021

Print ISBN 9781939844828 $14.95

EBook ISBN 9781939844835 $4.99

Science Fiction: Collections & Anthologies (FIC028040) / Space Exploration (FIC028130) / Genetic Engineering (FIC028110)

LINKS:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S7LP369

iTunes - https://books.apple.com/ca/book/dark-matter-artificial/id1548059392

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-matter-artificial

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-matter-insecure-writers-support-group/1138581452?ean=2940164777661

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56632113-dark-matter

* * * * *

I wish Dark Matter:  Artificial lots of success!

It's so exciting to receive that first royalty check!

 

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

     

\

IWSG: Wednesday, March 3, 2021 ~ Indulge!

  

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.






To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre and JQ Rose

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is: 

Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy March, Everyone!

Since I recently discovered my DNA is 41% Irish, 

I'm wishing you the luck of the Irish this month.

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

I recently wrote about this topic, so I'll just say

that when it comes to reading, I am an omnivore.

I read all kinds of fiction and nonfiction,

and I typically read 30-40 books a year.

I have many reasons for choosing books to read.

Some are gifts, some are recommendations,

some cover passions of mine, some catch my eye and entice me.

And sometimes I just want to relax with a little mind candy.

This past year I challenged myself to read more books by IWSG members.

It has been a rewarding experience,

and I am amazed by the storytelling talents of IWSG's members.

A little intimidated too!

I've shared reviews of some of the IWSG books I've read in my posts.

Here are some more:

Well of Ash by Elle Cardy (Lynda R. Young):

A lyrical story about seventeen-year-old Ashina who flees her stifling foster home in a fit of anger and frustration.  Unfortunately, Ash lands in the poorest and most dangerous district of her city.  When she is stalked by a shadowy old man, she seeks refuge in a rooming house near a mysterious Great Well, one of many in her world.  An eerie blue light and ominous whispers awaken Ash and lure her out a window into the night and into an inescapable quest for answers to the frightening events entangling her.  While she is helped by Lacc, a handsome young rat catcher and Sooty, an amethyst-scaled, purple-eyed fire dragon, Ash must confront her past and solve the mystery of the Prudentia Great Well on her own.  Or die in the process.  I enjoyed this heart pounding story of adventure and romance, and I would dearly love a fire dragon of my own!

The Ninja Librarian by Rebecca M. Douglas:

Of course I had to read books by my fellow Voyager anthology writers, and Rebecca's humorous, rough-and-tumble book set in Skunk Corners entertained me from beginning to end.  The book is a collection of tall tales, with each chapter a standalone story featuring the town's school teacher and the librarian who just arrived to take over the town's underused library.  Teacher Big Al blends into the illiterate town by pretending her tea is whiskey and by sneaking into the library at night.  But Tom, the unassuming white-haired-librarian, has a secret ninja side, and his misadventures with Big Al slowly draw the citizens of Skunk Corners into a more literate future.  This book is ageless.  I would have read it with pleasure to my third graders, and I enjoyed it as a retired adult.

Mateo's Law by Sandra Cox:

This is the first paranormal western romance I have read, and it was compelling.  Sheriff Mateo Grey and Chief Deputy Blair Delaney must solve the mystery of a black wolf attacking animals and humans in Grizzly, Montana.  Grey is completely at home in the wide open spaces of Montana, but Delaney is a transplant from Atlanta, a southern belle with a foul mouth.  Of course they find themselves attracted to each other!  Throw in Grey's blood brother Jesse, Chief of the nearby Blackfoot Reservation who no longer speaks to Delaney, a lone wolf who lives on Grey's property, a lost child, marauding wolves, and shapeshifting, and you have a fast-paced, poignant, sexy thriller.  Loved it!

A Fighting Chance by Chrys Fey:

This is the final book in Fey's Disaster Crimes series; and it focuses on Thorne and Amanda, not on Beth and Donovan, the protagonists of the previous five books.  It is a searing tale of Amanda's fight to survive after horrific sexual assault and abuse by her ex-boyfriend Damon.  Beth's best friend Thorn, an Orlando Police Department detective, has quietly loved Amanda, but hasn't pursued her for fear of frightening her away.  Amanda is attracted to Thorn, but is terrified of getting close to another man.  When they take tentative romantic steps toward one another, Damon retaliates with murderous intent. Will Amanda and Thorn forge a healing, loving relationship, or will Damon destroy it before they have A Fighting Chance?  This is an inspiring, uplifting story that will linger with you long after you race through its pages.

Plunge:  One Woman's Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

by Liesbet Collaert:

This is a surprising travel memoir. Yes, Liesbet shares vivid sailing adventures in warm tropical waters and angry Pacific storms, but she also examines herself and her relationships with unflinching honesty and truth, delving into deep questions we all must confront in life.  Her prose flows in this well-structured book like her sailboat Irie surfing big following seas, carrying us through its shifting emotional tones of courage, passion, heartbreak, and pathos.  Readers will admire Liesbet for living on her own terms and taking risks most of us would never dare to consider.  And they will adore her lovable dogs, Kali and Darwin. Liesbet reminds us that we only live once and that we should plunge into the journey fully with open hearts, open minds, and courage. 

The Circle of Friends series, books 1 and 2,

Lori and Sarah by L. Diane Wolfe:  

If you've been engaged with the IWSG Day blog posts, then you likely know of talented member, author, publisher, and motivational speaker Diane, aka Spunk on a Stick.  Diane was motivated to return to writing as an adult by the adage that everyone needs "something to hope for and someone to love."  I've raced through the first two books in the series and look forward to reading the remaining three.   

    Lori's dream is to swim for Olympic gold.  She appears to have it all, beauty, athleticism, and wealthy, supportive parents along with drive, organization, and determination.  But Lori is shy and lacks confidence.  When high school quarterback Jason rescues her from a bullying attack, romance flourishes.  Will this help or hinder her in her quest for Olympic gold?

    Lori's best friend Sarah is studying for a career in biochemistry at Georgia Tech.  While successful in her courses, she is less successful socially.  Bold and intelligent, this tomboy connects with guys as a good buddy rather than a romantic partner.  She falls into a relationship with college football receiver Matt who just happens to be Jason's best friend. With high school behind them, these friends struggle with adult issues and confronting their pasts while reaching for their ambitious futures.

    These two books will inspire you and fill you with optimism.  They illustrate that if you work hard enough you can achieve your dreams or reach for more meaningful ones and that you can overcome low self-esteem and difficult family relationships in the process. They provide strong doses of encouragement and hope and will lift you up.

*  *  *  *  *

If you haven't indulged in books written by your fellow IWSG members, I encourage you to try a few.  You will be impressed by the talent and creativity of fellow members.  Don't let their successes fuel your insecurities.  Use them to propel your own success as a writer. You can learn so much about reading members' books, and the authors will cheer you on with stories of their personal journeys and support you with a wealth of experience and professional insights.  And always remember, as spunky Diane says, "With a positive attitude, any goal can be achieved!" 

Published!

April 24, 2020

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

 

I invite you to stop by the IWSG Anthology blog today.  Blog coordinator  Stephanie Espinoza Villamor  is featuring author Steph Wolmarans and her short story "The Utten Mission" today:

iwsganthologies

Print copies of Dark Matter: Artificial are available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and from the publisher, Dancing Lemur Press! eBooks are also available. Release date is May 4, 2021.Day

Happy IWSG Day, everyone! 

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue 

Pursuing a Lifelong Passion ~ My List of Books Read 2018

Are you an avid reader?
I am.  Reading is one of the greatest pleasures in my life.

Explore any reader's home,
and you will spot signs that an avid reader lives there.
Walk through my home and you will invariably see
a big coffee table piled with books and magazines,
a bedside nightstand crowded with books,
a bathroom floor stocked with magazines, 
and multiple bookcases overflowing with books.

Some of my earliest memories are of my mother reading to me at bedtime.
I would snuggle under the covers in my lamplit bedroom,
and Mom would sit on the edge of my bed and open a book
to magical worlds which filled my imagination and hers,
worlds wildly different from our staid Charlottetown apartment
at the corner of Fitzroy and Edward:
Heidi and Peter roaming over high meadows in Switzerland,
fantastical whales, elephants, and kangaroos coming to be,
and chimneysweep Tom transforming into a water-baby.
Those early books awakened my young mind
to travel, Earth history, and evolution.

My Grandmother MacBeath's Apartment Building and Home
at the Corner of Fitzroy and Edward

(We lived in the two-story apartment with the red and white door in the mid-1950s.)

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Map Data:  Google

But before those books there were others, 
wonderful picture books, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales;
and best of all Bambi!

Many young children have books they beg a parent
to read over and over again.  That book for me was Bambi,
and I distinctly remember my mother groaning one evening
as she reached for it and opened its inviting pages again.
I loved Bambi and his forest friends,
Thumper the rabbit and Flower the skunk.

Sometimes I feel like I was born reading.
I don't remember a time that I couldn't read.
The first book I distinctly recall reading was ~
Can you guess which one? ~ 
Bambi, of course!

One winter evening the wind was keening about the eaves,
and my mother was, yet again, turning the pages of Bambi,
in the warm shelter of my dimly lit bedroom.
She and I were reading it aloud together.
I was soon to be four and very excited at the prospect.

Almost Four
Roy and Me

Circa late 1953
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

Suddenly my mother stopped and said,
"Why Weesie, I bet you could read this book to me!"

"I can!" I replied with the assurance of a girl almost four.
"I know every word."

"I know you've memorized Bambi, but memorization is different from reading.
When you read you know each of the words on the page."

"I know, Mom!  I can read the words."

"Let's see," she replied.
She turned to a page in the book and pointed to a word.

"Bambi," I read.  "Give me a hard one, Mom."

She paged through the book randomly and pointed at a variety of words.

"The, antlers, thicket, grass, shyness... ."

Goodreads

"Good for you, Weesie!
You can read the words.
Now start at the beginning
and read Bambi to me."

I've been avidly reading ever since. 


Bambi Walt Disney 1949
A Big Golden Book
Vintage Childrens Story
Golden Press





My mother successfully passed on her love of reading to her five children,
and my brother, sisters, and I have passed that same love on to our next generation.
Currently my mother's only great grandchild Ella is experiencing the joy of being read to.

Reading magazines in the bathroom?
My father is responsible for that particular reading behavior of mine.
The bathroom was the one place he could find a little solitude
in our crowded MacBeath home.

My father greatly influenced my reading as I grew,
mostly by his example of reading voraciously,
his driving me to dictionaries to hunt down the meanings of words,
and his sharing of snippets of news or funnies from his daily newspapers.

I literally cannot get through a day without reading.
I must read.
Before I've finished one book,
I've got the next one lined up to go.

I'm grateful to both of my parents for encouraging my reading addiction,
but it's those treasured hours cuddled up with my mother
which set me on a lifelong journey of devouring books.

My Mother Reading in a Sunny Spot

Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada

Circa 1947

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Right now I'm flying through Fear:  Trump in the White House 
by Bob Woodward, a book my brother gave me for Christmas.
A tease and an instigator, Roy delights in engaging with me on Trump.

Queued up is Abaddon's Gate by James S. A. Corey,
the third volume in The Expanse series, 
a fabulous sci fi ride into humanity's future.

What are you reading?
I'd love to hear.
Happy reading in the new year!

My Father and His Roommate Reading

I used to sneak his goosenecked lamp under my covers to read

(when I was supposed to be sleeping)!

Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada

Circa 1947

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Here's my list of books read in 2018:

  1.  The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon

  2.  The Curse of the Narrows by Laura M. MacDonald

  3.  Area 51:  An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret
      Military Base by Annie Jacobson

  4.  Sold by J. L. Campbell (IWSG author)

  5.  Flaming Games by Chris Fey (IWSG author)

  6.  Origin by Dan Brown

  7.  The Spy House by Matthew Dunn

  8.  Revelation by C. J. Sampson

  9.  Lunch in Paris:  A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard

10.  Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson

11.  The Rain Drop That Wanted to Stop by Pat Hatt (IWSG author)

12.  Tick Tock:  A Stitch in Crime by various authors (IWSG anthology)

13.  The Perfumed Sleeve by Laura Joh Rowland

14.  The Connective by Pat Hatt (IWSG author)

15.  The Disconnective by Pat Hatt (IWSG author)

16.  A Higher Loyalty by James Comey

17.  The Hellfire Club by James Tapper

18.  House of Dreams by Pauline Gedge

19.  Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

20.  Reread Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson
       (after visiting Padua and Florence, Italy)

21.  The Last Volcano:  A Man, a Romance, and the Quest
       to Understand Nature's Most Magnificent Fury by John Dvorak

22.  Delivered by Pat Hatt (IWSG author)

23.  Detoured by Pat Hatt (IWSG author)

24.  The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

25.  Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

26.  Civilisation by Ken Clark

27.  Giotto:  The Scrovegni Chapel by Stefano Zuffi

28.  The Royal Pavillion Brighton:  The Palace of King George IV
       edited by David Beevers

29.  Northanger Abbey by Jane Austin

30.  Whiteout by Ken Follett

31.  The Child by Fiona Barton

32.  The Haunted Mesa by Louis L'Amour

33.  Trixie Belden:  Mystery in Arizona by Julie Campbell

34.  That Month in Tuscany by Inglath Cooper

Still Reading by Lamplight

Aurora, Colorado, USA

January 9, 2019

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved