It can get even worse - when they use your last name along with the middle name.  {shudder}  That didn't happen to me much, but my brother was a whole other story. 

Finished "The Bark Before Christmas" by Laurien Berenson which was very good.  I ended up  buying it from Amazon, even though I was number one for about a year it still never came up.  So I went with the .01 cent deal and 3.99 shipping.  I think that is a great deal.  I'm now reading 'Ming Tea Murder' by Laura Childs.  I love this series and the Cackleberry series, but I really do not like the scrapbooking series much. 

Becky ~ How are you feeling?

Received "Bruno, Chief of Police" yesterday. Saw that it was positively reviewed by Jeanne a couple of years ago, lol, and I'm looking forward to starting it. Started and finished "The Flemish House" by Georges Simenon yesterday, that one was a Maigret new to me (I didn't think there were any), and enjoyed it as always.

Thanks for the info on "The Bark Before Christmas," Joy. I'm nowhere near #1, but it certainly explains why I'm not moving, lol! Kind of odd it seems, I've always thought that was an enjoyable and popular series, so it's a bit difficult to explain the dearth of postings.

Jodi, I read Bruno, Chief of Police a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. At first, I thought it was trying to be a "Three Pines" copycat, but once you set that idea aside, it gets better. I didn't think it was great (I've had book 2 on my library list since then and haven't yet gotten around to it) but decent. I am not really a fan of anything French--when I do read them, I have to read in print as the accent grates on my nerves, or else I change it in my head to Monty Python and the Holy Grail fake French...which is amusing, but probably not the author's intent! LOL I even tried listening to one of the Three Pines books and had to quit and order it in print.

I am still plugging away on A Watery Grave...if I did try to read this before, I don't remember it but it has three strikes against it already...it's set in the 1830's (one of my least favorite historical time periods) and in America (one of my least favorite historical places--odd, I know, but I'm more of a medieval nut, and we just weren't around then!) and it's a nautical mystery (not a fan of ships and olde-tyme naval stuff) so...I will try to stick with it, otherwise I won't be able to complete the Bonus category for "3 books on your shelf for a year or more" but if it gets unbearable I'll just quit. My other two books aren't mystery--one sci fi and one steampunk.

Cheryl

Joy --- I am about finished with the Predisone regimen and am some better, but nothing near really good.  Yesterday I did make an appointment with an Allergist and have to wait until 4/28!!!  Then I called 2 Internists whom had been recommended to me.   The first takes no new patients.  The second I have to wait until June for an appointment.  I asked the phone answerer if I were a current patient and needed to see the doctor for an illness would I have to wait until June.  Yes is the answer.  They have nurse practioners who see the patients for ordinary illnesses.  I asked what would happen if I were having a gall bladder attack and she said I would be told to go to the Emergency Room.  I really see no sense in pursuing this guy --- have been trying to figure out who he does see --- perhaps folks for an annual physical and testing.  Just seems ridiculous to me.  So back to the drawing board on that one.  Also in the State of Oklahoma nurse practioners cannot prescribe most medicines without a doc's signature --- a Bill in the House was just voted down to allow them more freedom to prescribe medicine.  So it will come back up next year!!!!  Such a place ---- have to push thinking of moving away from here out of my mind --- at least as long as mother is alive.  I am beginning to wonder if being close to cousins is worth the negative aspects of Oklahoma!!!!

Becky, Oklahoma sounds "interesting," to say the least! And...I want the doctor darn it - not a nurse practitioner. Okay if you are going to a walk in clinic or just need a dressing changed or something, but for "the" visit...nope. Hope you find a good internist who will have time for you! I just have a general practitioner, but he's a good diagnostician - everything from tendonitis to an infection in the chest cartilage, fits me in when I have the "crud." and gives me a steroid RX for "just in case," since I often get the crud! Becky, one thing I learned from my new insurance, BCBS, is that anyone can go to their website and find doctors taking new patients (I had to search for a plan that mine was in). Then you can call, and ask how old they are, what the average time for an appointment is, and anything else you might want to know. I'd forgotten that but did it once a zillion years ago and called around to find one that I thought would be compatible. 

Cheryl, I love the Three Pines series, but I don't know if I would have ever thought to compare Bruno. As for the French, as a long time Simenon/Maigret enthusiast, that doesn't bother me at all - but I do all print. (Have a bunch of audios that I'm "saving" 'til my eyes give out!) I doubt I would enjoy them in audio, especially knowing no French!

I swear I have the best doctor in the world!  He is a DO and I've had him for years.  He runs a one doctor office (no nurse practitioners) and has a small group of different docs doing on call for weekends, holidays, etc.  If you call with a question, HE calls you back himself.  No nurse, receptionist, etc. And he calls back within 15 minutes.  I pretty much figure if he hasn't called you back within 45 minutes or so he is probably dead.   After I go for a regular check up and have bloodwork done, HE calls me by 9:00 the next day to go over the results.  He is a pearl of great price.  :)

I'm about 1/2 through Bruno, Chief of Police and although the beginning was slow, I'm enjoying it so far. I like books like this (and Three Pines and others), where you have a policeman who is more cognizant of the local people, rather than just fingerprints, forensics and clues.

Joy, your doctor sounds like a treasure indeed! Mine is also a DO, but did get so busy he had to add a new physician as he felt the wait times were getting unacceptable. I think with Obamacare, many (at least the GOOD ones) are getting a bit overloaded. Only new patients get the newer guy (I saw him once when my doctor had an emergency, don't like him), but the office personnel stays and stays.

My PCP doesn't have nurse practioners.  If I needed to see him today I'd get "squeezed" in.  I can usually get an appointment when I want one, at the time I want it too.  If I call and want to talk to him he calls back after office hours, 5 pm. 

Question - what is a DO?  I was recently looking for a new doctor and saw it on several different ones listed but haven't gotten around to looking it up yet.

Cynthia

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O. or DO) is a professional doctoral degree for physicians and surgeons offered by medical schools in the United States. A holder of the D.O. degree may become licensed as an osteopathic physician, with equivalent rights, privileges, and responsibilities as a physician with a doctoral degree in medicine (M.D.).^[1] D.O. physicians are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine and surgery in sixty five countries,^[2] including all fifty states in the US, and constitute seven percent of all U.S. physicians. In 2015, there were more than 96,000 osteopathic medical physicians in the United States.

I had one until her retired.  He was our family doctor and not only diagnosed my dad needing a heart by pass (when they were new).  He id the paperwork for him to go on disability.  Plus my dad had the surgery when he was 53 and lived for another 30 years without having another procedure.

Always seemed to have time for his patients and would somehow squeeze everyone in if you needed to see him that day.  

Thanks Geri!

I had thought maybe that might be it but when I asked a woman in my bible study class about it, she didn't think so. I had asked her because her son is in a residency program now to become one.

Cynthia, many people scorned DOs in years past.  They would say they're not "real" doctors.  I know at one time they did not do surgery.  I see now they do.  Mine was really like an old time general practitioner.  It seemed like he knew what to do about all your aches and pains.

Oh My, I started to read Once a Crooked Man / David McCallum.  Money laundering, drugs and murder so far.  Then I picked up The Death Season / Kate Ellis, Marla can you believe me reading #19?  I started to read the series a year ago so that's saying a lot about it.  And yesterday I got three books that my hand is itching to pick up!  I'm smacking it into behaving but it's not easy!  What a variety, a sci fi, an HF and #5 The Battered Body / J B Stanley and to think I didn't care for the first one!  I have the sixth on on my shelf thanks to Jodi.  Oh, that's the last of the series.   hmmm

Wrapped up my March with a non-mystery last night, "Am I Old Yet? : The Story of Two Women, Generations Apart, Growing Up and Growing Young in a Timeless Friendship," and found it very enjoyable. I've always gravitated toward older friends, and found this to be hearwarming, a quick read, and a pleasant change. Now...back to mysteries, and hopefully some that fit the challenge categories!  

April has snuck up on us!

April Showers! What are you reading?