Book a Week 2017 - BW19: W. Somerset Maugham

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to  week 19 in our 2017 adventurous prime reading year. Greetings to all our readers and those following our progress. Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks  to share a link to your book reviews.

 

 

Our armchair travels are taking us to India as we follow in the footsteps of W. Somerset Maugham. This post is brought to you by Jane who kindly offered to guest post this week and lead the readalong of The Razor's Edge.

 

 

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If I had only one word to describe W. Somerset Maugham's writing, it would be "exquisite." Not that I have read everything produced by this prolific novelist and playwright, but those works that I have read never disappointed.

 

Maugham was a best selling author in his day with many of his novels being made into films. What is often called his masterpiece, Of Human Bondage, was transformed from page to screen three times. The same is true for The Painted Veil. I can't help but wonder if the exotic settings of many of Maugham's novels contributed to his popularity in the teens, twenties and thirties. The Moon and Sixpence, loosely based on the life of painter Paul Gauguin, is set in Paris and Tahiti, The Painted Veil in China. The book we are about to read, The Razor's Edge, will carry us to India. But more on that book later.

 

Maugham was born in 1874 into a family of lawyers. He lost his mother at age 8, his father two year's later. His childhood under the care of his uncle was dismal and lonely.

 

Eventually Maugham finds his path. He attends medical school, but on the side he is always writing. London's turn of the century slums where he does medical work provide insight into the human soul.

 

When WWI begins, Maugham is too old to enlist but joins other literary comrades in the so called Literary Ambulance Corps. Before America's involvement in the war, Hemingway, E.E. Cummings, Archibald MacLeish were among the volunteers. Robert Service and Jerome K Jerome were also among the drivers. (Idea for a 2018 Bingo square: WWI Literary Ambulance Corps author!!)

 

After the war, Maugham joins British intelligence which leads to another book, Ashenden: Or the British Agent.

 

The Razor's Edge comes later in this career. Published in 1944, this novel focuses on a wounded WWI veteran who abandons his comfortable American life to pursue truth. From war to the Depression, from Chicago to Paris to India, we shall follow Larry Durrell as he seeks to find the meaning of his life.

 

Some of you may read the book quickly, but for the sake of our busy BaWers, let's slow the pace of the discussion down. I propose that we read Parts One and Two this week and then open the discussion on Sunday, May 14th.

 

I suspect when all is said and done that many of you will also find the writing of W. Somerset Maugham to be exquisite.

 

********************************************

 

Story of Western Science – Chapter 14

 

 

*********************************************

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 18

Edited May 7, 2017 by Robin M

[Robin M]

I finished Lord of Chaos, #6 in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.  I feel like jumping immediately into #7 since my mind is still immersed in Rand's world, but before I do, have a few other worlds to visit.   Currently in Jane Yellowrock's world with Faith Hunter's newest in her series - Cold Reign.  Razor's Edge is waiting in the wings.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Robin M

[Chrysalis Academy]

I was also confused about when we were meant to start The Razor's Edge, so I finished Part 1 & 2 last week, but I'm going to hold off on continuing till we discuss the first part. It's funny, I read this book back in 2005-ish for a book group, and I remembered nothing about it. I had a toddler and was pregnant in 2005, so that might explain it, but I'm treating this like a fresh new read - I have some vague memories of the characters but no recollection of what happens. I'm enjoying it quite a lot, though. I'll look forward to talking about it with you guys next week!

 

Other than that, I'm very uncharacteristically just reading one book at the moment. I almost never do that. It's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which is convoluted enough, with its multiple characters and flashbacks, that I probably wouldn't be able to follow it if I read it any other way. I'm enjoying it. Dh is off work and we're taking Spring Break this week, putting in a garden and maybe going camping, so I think I'm going to mostly candy-read.  I have Cory Doctorow's new book Walkaway coming in at the library, and a Georgette Heyer mystery Footsteps in the Dark, which I picked up on the library paperback for-sale rack. It's one of the few GH's that I've never read and didn't own. I'm also reading Bring Up the Bodies and A Feast for Crows, both parts of series that I've read before and am impatiently waiting for the next book.  :toetap05: . Get with it, Hilary Mantel and GRR Martin! 

 

All this talk of The Wheel of Time and the TV version makes me think it might be time to revisit that series again . . . maybe this summer. So many books.

[Lady Florida.]

Our armchair travels are taking us to India as we follow in the footsteps of W. Somerset Maugham. This post is brought to you by Jane who kindly offered to guest post this week and lead the readalong of The Razor's Edge.

 

 

************************************************

 

Thank you Jane! Since I started early I can already say I'm enjoying this book, but I'll hold off on saying more. I haven't completed anything by Maugham before. I tried to read Of Human Bondage about a year ago, but twice let it go back to the library. I think the timing was off but it also might have been the novel itself. I'm liking The Razor's Edge much more even though I'm not far into it.

 

 

I finished Lord of Chaos, #6 in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.  I feel like jumping immediately into #7 since my mind is still immersed in Rand's world, but before I do, have a few other worlds to visit.   Currently in Jane Yellowrock's world with Faith Hunter's newest in her series - Cold Reign.  Razor's Edge is waiting in the wings.

 

I like that feeling of staying with a world/characters when I'm in the middle of a series. Sometimes I need a break, but other times I just don't want to leave a particular world.

 

I was also confused about when we were meant to start The Razor's Edge, so I finished Part 1 & 2 last week, but I'm going to hold off on continuing till we discuss the first part. It's funny, I read this book back in 2005-ish for a book group, and I remembered nothing about it. I had a toddler and was pregnant in 2005, so that might explain it, but I'm treating this like a fresh new read - I have some vague memories of the characters but no recollection of what happens. I'm enjoying it quite a lot, though. I'll look forward to talking about it with you guys next week!

 

Other than that, I'm very uncharacteristically just reading one book at the moment. I almost never do that. It's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which is convoluted enough, with its multiple characters and flashbacks, that I probably wouldn't be able to follow it if I read it any other way. I'm enjoying it. Dh is off work and we're taking Spring Break this week, putting in a garden and maybe going camping, so I think I'm going to mostly candy-read.  I have Cory Doctorow's new book Walkaway coming in at the library, and a Georgette Heyer mystery Footsteps in the Dark, which I picked up on the library paperback for-sale rack. It's one of the few GH's that I've never read and didn't own. I'm also reading Bring Up the Bodies and A Feast for Crows, both parts of series that I've read before and am impatiently waiting for the next book.  :toetap05: . Get with it, Hilary Mantel and GRR Martin!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who jumped the gun on The Razor's Edge. I'm about at the same place as you too, though I read one chapter of Part Three. I'll put it aside for a bit so I can be around the same place as everyone else.

 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been on my TR list since Jane wrote of her love for le Carre some time ago. It's on my library wish list and I'll get to it eventually. I keep reading about where to start with this author and depending on which blog post or Goodreads review I read, it's always a different book.

 

I hear you on Hilary Mantel needing to get that next book finished! I read both books and watched the mini series, and have been impatiently waiting for the third book. I feel like I should reread the first two as a refresher. I couldn't finish reading GRR Martin after the first book, even though I love the tv series  - yes, it's graphically violent and there's gratuitous sex, both of which I usually don't like, but it's also well written, well-acted, and the casting is perfect. Anyway, I know fans of the books, including my own dh, are really impatiently waiting for the next one. He's put it off for years now, IIRC.

[Angel]

Happy birthday, Angel.  Hope you feel better soon and glad you are enjoying James Rollins Sigma Force books. 

 

:grouphug:

That was the third book I've read in the series and my least favorite. The 6th Extinction was my favorite so far

 

  

I finished Lord of Chaos, #6 in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.  I feel like jumping immediately into #7 since my mind is still immersed in Rand's world, but before I do, have a few other worlds to visit.   Currently in Jane Yellowrock's world with Faith Hunter's newest in her series - Cold Reign.  Razor's Edge is waiting in the wings.

You are finally getting somewhere!! 🤗

 

 

  

I was also confused about when we were meant to start The Razor's Edge, so I finished Part 1 & 2 last week, but I'm going to hold off on continuing till we discuss the first part. It's funny, I read this book back in 2005-ish for a book group, and I remembered nothing about it. I had a toddler and was pregnant in 2005, so that might explain it, but I'm treating this like a fresh new read - I have some vague memories of the characters but no recollection of what happens. I'm enjoying it quite a lot, though. I'll look forward to talking about it with you guys next week!

 

Other than that, I'm very uncharacteristically just reading one book at the moment. I almost never do that. It's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which is convoluted enough, with its multiple characters and flashbacks, that I probably wouldn't be able to follow it if I read it any other way. I'm enjoying it. Dh is off work and we're taking Spring Break this week, putting in a garden and maybe going camping, so I think I'm going to mostly candy-read.  I have Cory Doctorow's new book Walkaway coming in at the library, and a Georgette Heyer mystery Footsteps in the Dark, which I picked up on the library paperback for-sale rack. It's one of the few GH's that I've never read and didn't own. I'm also reading Bring Up the Bodies and A Feast for Crows, both parts of series that I've read before and am impatiently waiting for the next book.  :toetap05: . Get with it, Hilary Mantel and GRR Martin! 

 

All this talk of The Wheel of Time and the TV version makes me think it might be time to revisit that series again . . . maybe this summer. So many books.

TV Version .... of Wheel of Time???? I would love that! Though I don't know that it would work. There is not the s*x and language that's in Game of Thrones in Wheel of Time and I would hate for them to ruin it.

[Angel]

I finished listening to the 2nd Michael Vey book, The Rise of the Elgin, today. I'm not sleeping well with this cold/allergies but too tired to actually put on my glasses and read so just been mindlessly killing zombies and listening to the book.

[Kareni]

...

Our armchair travels are taking us to India as we follow in the footsteps of W. Somerset Maugham. This post is brought to you by Jane who kindly offered to guest post this week and lead the readalong of The Razor's Edge.

 

Thanks for the post on Maugham, Jane; he's an author about whom I'd known little.

**

 

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers ~

 

Monsieur Lecoq by Émile Gaboriau

 

"The seminal detective novel by Émile Gaboriau, who was hailed by André Gide as“the father of all current detective fictionâ€

 

Policemen patrolling the streets of Paris hear a commotion in a nearby bar. When they go inside to investigate, they find 3 men dead and 1 gravely wounded. The injured man, taken into custody by the police, claims to have murdered the others in self-defense, but he dies without giving any further information. Who was this man? His attire is that of a soldier, but his long, unkempt hair suggests he led a different kind of life. Without knowing the true identities of the murderer or his victims, how can this case be solved? It is up to the immensely perceptive Monsieur Lecoq and his uncanny powers of observation to solve this tangled homicide."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Angel]

Just looked up the tv rumors...thanks for the heads up Rose!

[mumto2]

As I posted last week I think I will receive my copy of Razor's Edge on Wednesday. This is going to be a busy week with lots of travel so I will hopefully have plenty of time to read after I receive it.

 

I am fairly close to finishing The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett. Loving it so far. I wish it was a true story not fiction. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30422489-the-lost-book-of-the-grail

 

From there I need to at least try The Women of the Castle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653967-the-women-in-the-castle before Overdrive snatches it away tomorrow. I do have it safely on my reader with the wifi off if I decide to finish it. It sounds amazing but it also sounds like a book that I could be pretty irritated with if ......well, this list is potentially long. :lol: So I plan to try it while I have it!

 

I have a stack of fun historical romances and the next Lee Child's Reacher for mindless entertainment. ;)

[Mom-ninja.]

Finished The Feminine Mystique. By today's standards, it is classist, racist, and imo derogatory towards women who do stay home with children. I won't discredit the entire book. The second wave of feminism had a lot to overcome, and perhaps this is why they swung towards the other extreme end of saying all women who are "just a housewife" are wasting their lives and "not providing anything of value to society." 

 

I have a wee bit of a problem with such statements. But again the book was published in 1963. A rocky time in the US.

[Faithr]

I finally finished The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. I enjoyed it. I blogged about it. Still working very slowly thru City of God but I did finish book 19. Just started a book on Stoicism and CBT which I am finding fascinating.

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

Thank you Jane! Since I started early I can already say I'm enjoying this book, but I'll hold off on saying more. I haven't completed anything by Maugham before. I tried to read Of Human Bondage about a year ago, but twice let it go back to the library. I think the timing was off but it also might have been the novel itself. I'm liking The Razor's Edge much more even though I'm not far into it.

 

Ditto - I haven't read any other Maugham either, that I remember, although I have The Magician marked as Read on goodreads - but no memory of it. I also tried and abandoned Of Human Bondage but have meant to revisit it someday.

 

I like that feeling of staying with a world/characters when I'm in the middle of a series. Sometimes I need a break, but other times I just don't want to leave a particular world.

 

Yep, me too.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who jumped the gun on The Razor's Edge. I'm about at the same place as you too, though I read one chapter of Part Three. I'll put it aside for a bit so I can be around the same place as everyone else.

 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been on my TR list since Jane wrote of her love for le Carre some time ago. It's on my library wish list and I'll get to it eventually. I keep reading about where to start with this author and depending on which blog post or Goodreads review I read, it's always a different book.

 

This is my first Le Carre. I watched the movie (on netflix, at home) a few years ago, and I have to confess I did not follow it at all - too complicated, too many characters, too many flashbacks. I have no memory of who The Mole is. I'm glad to be reading it, after this I may have to re-watch the movie and this time maybe I'll understand it!!

 

I hear you on Hilary Mantel needing to get that next book finished! I read both books and watched the mini series, and have been impatiently waiting for the third book. I feel like I should reread the first two as a refresher. I couldn't finish reading GRR Martin after the first book, even though I love the tv series  - yes, it's graphically violent and there's gratuitous sex, both of which I usually don't like, but it's also well written, well-acted, and the casting is perfect. Anyway, I know fans of the books, including my own dh, are really impatiently waiting for the next one. He's put it off for years now, IIRC.

 

Yes, we just finished watching Wolf Hall - so wonderful! What an amazingly well-done miniseries, although of course there is so much more to the books. I'm eager for her to finish the next one.

 

I had kind of the opposite experience with Game of Thrones - I read the books, but for a long time I couldn't watch the series, because it was so graphic. Finally I did watch it when it came on Netflix last year, and then I realized that I needed to re-read the series, because by Season 6 the show is in a pretty different place (past the end of the written series, and several characters with very different plot events) so that I needed to read it to remind myself what "really" happened, LOL.   I can't re-read the first book, though, I found it the most upsetting of any of them - still, as disturbing as later events have been, I found book 1 the most shocking and upsetting - Bran's storyline, Lady, Eddard . . . after all that, I can handle anything!  Although some scenes, like the Red Viper's defeat in the duel by The Mountain, were way easier to read than to watch.

 

I'm looking forward to the next season and the next book - at this point, they've become separate works and I can enjoy them each on their own merits.

[Negin]

I read Eyewitness Travel Guides: 15-Minute French - 5 Stars - actually I've been going through it every day for the past several weeks, not something I just started and finished in the past week. This is a fun and innovative phrase book that has helped me to brush up on my French. Like all DK books, which I always enjoy, it’s full of illustrations.

 

and The Little Prince - 3 Stars - This was a charming and beautiful book that reminded me to have a sense of wonder and joy, to take time, and to not get overwhelmed by all the trivial and meaningless things. Like some books that are supposedly geared for children, I can’t imagine this one being suitable for children at all. It’s the sort of book that I can imagine picking up and re-reading from time to time.

 

Some of my favorite quotes:

 

“All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.â€

 

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.â€

 

   

 

MY RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars

Fantastic, couldn't put it down

4 Stars

Really Good

3 Stars

Enjoyable

2 Stars

Just Okay – nothing to write home about

1 Star

Rubbish – waste of my money and time. Few books make it to this level, since I usually give up on them if they’re that bad. 

 

 

[Matryoshka]

Finished 3 books this week.

 

49. The Plover by Brian Doyle.  Wow.  This book was just marvelous.  I wasn't all that excited to read it, as the apparent 'guy finds himself while on boat' plot didn't speak to me so much, but so many loved it decided I'd give it a try.  Wow, I just loved it.  It didn't go at all the way I thought it would in the beginning, and kept surprising me.  But I loved every bit of it.  And beautiful language, too.  :wub:   5+ stars.

 

50. Happiness, Like Water by Okparanta Chinelo.  Alternatively, this should have been a book I loved.  Short stories about women from another culture (Nigeria).  I usually really like short stories, and I like reading perspectives from other cultural vantage points, and I tend to really like stories about women.  It was okay.  Didn't hate it.  Meh.  2 stars.

 

51. Mockingbird by Walter Tevis. This is a dystopia set in far future New York where robots are pretty much keeping things going, and humans have nothing to do but entertain themselves, so spend their time doped up and high and not interacting with each other because they are raised in dormitories to value Privacy and Inwardness.  Lots of them kill themselves. And they've all forgotten how to read.  Even the robots don't know how.  Published in 1980, it's weird to see a future that came up with robots in cloned human bodies with wiped imprints of human minds (this is one of the main characters), telepathic buses, and fusion batteries that never wear out but never got past the typewriter and landline phones.  Someone finds an old primer and teaches himself how to read, and stops taking the drugs.  And there's more to it.  I had to suspend belief (if no one's talking to each other practically at all, how do they even know how to speak much past a few basic phrases?), but in spite of that I really liked it.  Same guy wrote The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Color of Money.  4 stars.

 

 

Currently reading:

 

- Secondhand Time (audio book): Still really liking it, just it's 23 hours long!  Will have to finish the last three hours in the next two days before it expires!

 

- Hidden Figures (ebook): I'm also really liking this.  It does probably help that I saw the movie first.

 

 

Coming up: 

 

I've had Razor's Edge here all week but didn't have time to get to it, so I'm actually very happy to find out I'm not behind! :D  I have read Of Human Bondage, but not any other Maugham.  Pachinko just came in on Overdrive in audio, so I'll start that as soon as Secondhand Time goes back.  I think my next ebook is going to be Station Eleven, as that's my other book for SciFi book club this month.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Jane in NC]

Hello everyone. 

 

Well I'll dive in with a couple of things that perhaps can be discussed among those who have read a bit of The Razor's Edge as others dip their toes in.

 

While Maugham is certainly not one of the "Lost Generation", that younger group who was profoundly affected by WWI, I can say that his character Larry Darrell certainly seems to be.  Darrell returns from WWI and does not wish to pursue the path of career and affluence that is expected of those of his class.  Instead he wants to "loaf" by which he means read William James for ten hours a day or learn ancient Greek.

 

Post Traumatic Stress is not fully understood today and was certainly less acknowledged after earlier wars.  "Shell shocked" was the term used for WWI vets who could not return to "normal" life immediately upon their return home.  Darrell does not seem to be suffering from a physical disorder as much as an emotional desire to find meaning.  Do you think that this is directly a result from his war experience or do you think it is his age as a young man embarking on determining his future course?

 

And what about Elliott Templeton?  I like how Maugham doesn't judge the man but lets the reader form her own thoughts.

 

Finally, I think it is rather ingenious how Maugham uses his own persona as a character in this book.

 

Delighted to hear that Maugham is being enjoyed!

 

ETA:  I hope this post does not prevent anyone from joining the readalong.  The questions posed are things to be considered as parts one and two of the book are read.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Jane in NC

[Jane in NC]

Huzzah!  Matryoshka is another Plover convert!

 

My reading this week included get a leg up on The Razor's Edge as well as a few pages in Wolf Hunt by Bulgarian author Ivailo Petrov.

 

The discussion of M.M. Kaye earlier led me to read one of her children's novels, The Ordinary Princess which I liked very much.  Sometimes it is just so pleasant to read a sweet fairy tale.

 

A friend gave me two Nevada Barr books, Track of the Cat, and Ill Wind.  She said that the former comes earlier in the series but she thought Ill Wind was a better book so I should start with that one. Ill Wind takes place at Mesa Verde so she thought I'd enjoy the archaeological features described in the book and I am.  Not sure how I feel about the detective though.  Barr's writing is fair.  My friend who like me has read many mystery series and has a hard time finding new ones that are engaging feels that Barr's entertainments are acceptable--not outstanding. I glanced through some old posts here on the boards and really couldn't find any BaWers that are particularly enamored with her books.

 

Be well everyone!

Edited May 7, 2017 by Jane in NC

[Butter]

What are you reading this week?

 

I finished Let It Snow, a collection of three short stories written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle.  Each story is a sweet standalone, but they also all intertwine giving "the rest of the story" for side characters from the other stories.

 

Not sure what my next book will be.

 

I'm pre-reading Lost to the West (stories about the Byzantine Empire) for Cameron for next school year.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Butter

[Matryoshka]

I'm pre-reading Lost to the West (stories about the Byzantine Empire) for Cameron for next school year.

 

I really liked that book. I learned a lot about bits of history I'd never learned about.

 

Let us know what you think!

 

ETA: You are talking about this book, right?  I got confused for a minute on rereading because you mentioned 'stories about' which sounded like fiction; this book is a non-fiction history book - thought maybe there was another book by the same name.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Matryoshka

[mumto2]

Huzzah! Matryoshka is another Plover convert!

 

My reading this week included get a leg up on The Razor's Edge as well as a few pages in Wolf Hunt by Bulgarian author Ivailo Petrov.

 

The discussion of M.M. Kaye earlier led me to read one of her children's novels, The Ordinary Princess which I liked very much. Sometimes it is just so pleasant to read a sweet fairy tale.

 

A friend gave me two Nevada Barr books, Track of the Cat, and Ill Wind. She said that the former comes earlier in the series but she thought Ill Wind was a better book so I should start with that one. Ill Wind takes place at Mesa Verde so she thought I'd enjoy the archaeological features described in the book and I am. Not sure how I feel about the detective though. Barr's writing is fair. My friend who like me has read many mystery series and has a hard time finding new ones that are engaging feels that Barr's entertainments are acceptable--not outstanding. I glanced through some old posts here on the boards and really couldn't find any BaWers that are particularly enamored with her books.

 

Be well everyone!

Jane, Thank you for the wonderful start to The Razor's Edge.

 

I definitely haven't read the latest Nevada Barr because I remember it being taken back by Overdrive. It's likely I have missed a couple of other recent ones also. As you so aptly put it they are something I will read if it is available but not hugely enamoured by. Some have definitely been better than others, so a bit uneven. I particularly enjoyed Winter Study for it's setting and suspect you might enjoy that aspect of it also. .https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2039223.Winter_Study

Edited May 7, 2017 by mumto2

[Butter]

I really liked that book. I learned a lot about bits of history I'd never learned about.

 

Let us know what you think!

 

ETA: You are talking about this book, right?  I got confused for a minute on rereading because you mentioned 'stories about' which sounded like fiction; this book is a non-fiction history book - thought maybe there was another book by the same name.

 

Yes, that's the one.  Stories about may not be the best description, but in a way it is stories because it does a bit of the telling through the true stories.  So far I'm liking it.

[Matryoshka]

Yes, that's the one.  Stories about may not be the best description, but in a way it is stories because it does a bit of the telling through the true stories.  So far I'm liking it.

 

History that reads like story is the best. :)  

 

I really liked the parts about the fall of Rome and the Crusades.  A completely different point of view, so many details that are completely left out of the "Western" telling of these stories.  And the Vikings were all over the place.  I'd recommend this book to anyone.

[Jane in NC]

Jane, Thank you for the wonderful start to The Razor's Edge.

 

I definitely haven't read the latest Nevada Barr because I remember it being taken back by Overdrive. It's likely I have missed a couple of other recent ones also. As you so aptly put it they are something I will read if it is available but not hugely enamoured by. Some have definitely been better than others, so a bit uneven. I particularly enjoyed Winter Study for it's setting and suspect you might enjoy that aspect of it also. .https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2039223.Winter_Study

 

Yeah, that is the one I thought I would read next.  I'm wondering if a less than engaging story might be the trade off for some wonderful settings.

 

[Mothersweets]

Just today I finished Valerie by Joan Smith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1149111.Valerie.  Yes, it's  Regency fluff but a little different - it's funny and there's a bit of a mystery, too. It looks like our Amy read it last year but only gave it 2 stars :( . I, on the other hand, loved it! The humor was a complete surprise and it just hit the spot for me. :)

 

I've also been listening to Ready Player One and am thoroughly enjoying it. Will Wheaton does a remarkable job narrating. 

 

 

I'm thinking about joining in the group read of The Razor's Edge. I'll have to see if my local library has a copy. Wasn't it made into a movie years ago with Bill Murray?

Edited May 7, 2017 by Mothersweets

[Kareni]

Those of you with an interest in historical recipes might enjoy this post ~

RedHeadedGirl’s Historical Kitchen: Farced Eggs

 

And yarn people might enjoy this post ~

Stuff You Should Be Knitting: Color

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I've recently finished three books ~

 

Unboxed by Amy Crook

 

This book/world has a premise which I found quite intriguing.  A couple of observations:  First, I could wish the book were less graphic, because I think others who might enjoy the magic aspect will not read it due to the adult content. [And then there's the fact that my adult daughter (who gave this to me as a gift since it was on my wish list) has expressed an interest in borrowing it. I'm not sure what she'll think of her mother's taste in books!]  Second, the author spends considerable time writing about all of the eating and drinking the characters do.  Most of that drinking is of tea and to a far lesser extent alcohol, while the eating is of biscuits and pastries with occasional breaks for curries and other savory foods.  The book would likely be 25 percent shorter were those scenes to be omitted. This would probably not be a good book to read if you're hungry or thirsty!  All that said, I did enjoy the book and will likely re-read it at some point.  I'd certainly like to read more by this author. (Significant adult content; this is a romance featuring men.) 

 

If you'd like to get a taste of the magic system the author has created, you might download the sample; I think that had no adult content.

 

 

"It's a world of small, personal magics. Noah is a Finder of lost items, a very minor talent that he mostly uses to make a bit of cash during the slow months in his jewellery shop. Brandon is a Fixer, making broken or worn-out objects whole again. Eaton, as a Lie Detector, has the perfect talent for his career with the police.

Every person is born with either a key or a locked box. Each box has one key, and every key can unlock one box. How can these three friends hope to stay close and still find their soulmates? Especially with someone stealing keys and replacing them with well-crafted, soulless counterfeits."

**

 

I also re-read (yet again!) Written In Red: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop after deciding to buy my own Kindle copy.  It's still on sale for $2.99.

**

 

And I read the science fiction romance  Stranded with the Cyborg  by Cara Bristol which happens to be currently free to Kindle readers.  This was a pleasant read, but I doubt it's a book I'll re-read.  (Adult content)

 

"Ten years ago Penelope Isabella Aaron had been a pain in Brock Mann’s you-know-what. Much has changed in a decade: “PIA†as he code-named her, has grown up and is about to attend her first Alliance of Planets summit conference, and Brock has been transformed into a cyborg after a near-fatal attack. Now a secret agent with Cyber Operations, a covert paramilitary organization, Brock gets called in, not when the going gets tough, but when the going gets impossible. So when he’s unexpectedly assigned to escort Penelope to the summit meeting, he balks at babysitting a prissy ambassador. But after a terrorist bombing, a crash landing on a hostile planet, and a growing attraction to his protectee, Operation: PIA may become his most impossible assignment yet."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lori D.]

Copy-pasting from the end of last week's thread:

 

I just watched Lost in Austen and it was a fun little movie...

 

Lost in Austen is one of my guilty pleasures. I watch it often.  :)

 

If you enjoyed Lost in Austen, then 

 is an absolute must-see.

Also: 

, as Bollywood meets Austen.   ;)

 

Edited May 8, 2017 by Lori D.

[ErinE]

I tried potty training my daughter this week along with house training the puppy. That lasted a few hours. DD2 will wait though I'll keep offering the potty. She still has a month or so until she's three.
 
I've requested The Razor's Edge and expect it soon.
 
Books read last week:

• Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You edited by Mardy Grothe. Non Fiction - Quotations. A short book of quotations using chiasmus, a literary device in which words or concepts are presented then reversed. Think JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country". I particularly enjoyed the implied chiasmus like Kermit the Frog's "Time's fun when you're having flies." Kareni had pointed out this editor's series of books and I requested this one first. Recommended if you enjoy quotes and word play.
• Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Fantasy. Death's granddaughter fights to save the winter holiday's god the Hogfather. This book was fantastic, as I mentioned last week, one of my favorite Pratchett's thus far. The main character is a nanny who takes no nonsense from spiders in the cellar, monsters in the closet, or bogeyman under the bed. Highly recommended, but read Mort and Reaper Man first, which are both excellent books as well.
• Song of Erin by B.J. Hoff. Romance - Inspirational. An Irish immigrant makes her way to the United States. A "Name in the Title" Bingo Read, I didn't enjoy the book much as inspirational romance isn't my typical genre to read. When the climax requires a literal deus ex machina, I have a tough time enjoying the book. I think if you enjoy Christian romance this book would probably be a good read since the descriptions are well done.
• A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. Fantasy. A magician travels between alternate Londons to remove a dangerous stone from the reach of powerful villains. I'd borrowed this book twice before and returned it to the library, never opened, so I missed out on an excellent read. The third time's the charm! The main character is at risk due to his own folly while the co-protoganist Delilah Bard is wonderfully criminal and delightfully sarcastic. Plus, the book has a complete story arc which is missing from many multi-book fantasies. Highly recommended.
• Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella. Chick Lit. After misunderstanding her long-time boyfriend's intentions, a British woman meets up with an old flame and marries him. Several years ago, I'd read everything by Madeleine Wickham, both under the Sophie Kinsella pseudonym and her own name, as I enjoy the "Shopaholic" series. This book had a similar feel to her most famous series, but the main character was off-putting, jumping from eternal love with one man to heated lust for another within a few chapters. I realized it was a re-read within a few chapters, but finished the book anyways.
• Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee. Nonfiction - Writing Advice. An overview of the purpose of story and the craft of writing for the screen. I think I could have absorbed the information better in a class environment. Otherwise, I think Save the Cat! summarizes many of McKee's points more succinctly. There's a wealth of analysis and a list of movies to review in the back as well as a bibliography. Recommended if you liked Save the Cat! but want more theory.

Still working on A History of India and Don Quixote. I need to find another Pratchett read. My next books in the sub-series I've read would be Sourcery, Thief of Time, or Wintersmith. There's also the Witches Equal Rites or The Watch Guards! Guards!. Any recommendations?

Edited May 8, 2017 by ErinE

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finished Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It was certainly an engrossing read, though I had guessed the outcome - it wasn't much of a shock. Spy novels aren't really my thing so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but it was certainly very well written, great characters, and some really good scenes.

 

We went and saw the movie version of The Circle today. I am super annoyed because they completely - completely - changed the ending. The book's ending was surprising, chilling, and thought provoking. The movie's ending was a Holllywood ending through and through, and it negated the whole message. I hate it when they do that - it's as if they focus-grouped various endings and picked the one with the most smiles instead of frowns. Ugh.   That said, it was well made and well acted, and followed the book quite closely until the end. The criticisms I've read - that Mae seemed ambivalent or confused - I don't agree with, she was supposed to. But I do see why people complain that it's not clear what the message is. That's because the totally changed it & dumbed it down! So surprising, given that the author was involved in the screenplay, I'm not sure why he would let them do this to his story.  Well, I guess I can - money.  But that's pretty bogus, IMHO.   :cursing:  :cursing:  :cursing:

 

 

[Angelaboord]

First, I have a question: what audiobooks would y'all recommend that might engage a family with kids aged 20-4? (Well, there's a 1 year old, too, but she's not involved in this math. [emoji6]) We're going to pick up our oldest at college this week, which is about a 14 hr drive, and have a short D.C./VA vacation before heading home. Those who have listened to Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, does it have anything that would be inappropriate for ages 11 and under? Most of my boys are keen on mythology, and my older daughter wants to listen to it because it's Neil Gaiman.

 

I read Make It Happen by Lara Casey this week, which is, I believe, a Kindle Monthly Deal for $2.99. I recently started using her Power Sheets for goal setting and have found them very helpful, so when I saw this deal I picked it up. I must confess to being a little disappointed. I highlighted a lot, but I thought the book was very uneven. It's part memoir, part motivational speech about living your life intentionally instead of just reacting to everything, very Evangelical (I think) Christian. Some of the memoir bits were ok, but the middle kind of devolved into generic territory. All in all, I think the Power Sheets are way more helpful, and you don't need the book to use them. In fact, having both seems kind of redundant.

 

Since we're going to be packed kind of tight on this trip, I'm going to try to "limit" myself to bringing my iPad mini with the kindle app. Of course I have at least 20 unread books in my virtual stacks, but I will probably add a few more that I'm in the mood for "just in case." [emoji2]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[aggieamy]

Happy Sunday and welcome to  week 19 in our 2017 adventurous prime reading year. Greetings to all our readers and those following our progress. Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks  to share a link to your book reviews.

 

 

Our armchair travels are taking us to India as we follow in the footsteps of W. Somerset Maugham. This post is brought to you by Jane who kindly offered to guest post this week and lead the readalong of The Razor's Edge.

 

 

************************************************

 

If I had only one word to describe W. Somerset Maugham's writing, it would be "exquisite." Not that I have read everything produced by this prolific novelist and playwright, but those works that I have read never disappointed.

 

Maugham was a best selling author in his day with many of his novels being made into films. What is often called his masterpiece, Of Human Bondage, was transformed from page to screen three times. The same is true for The Painted Veil. I can't help but wonder if the exotic settings of many of Maugham's novels contributed to his popularity in the teens, twenties and thirties. The Moon and Sixpence, loosely based on the life of painter Paul Gauguin, is set in Paris and Tahiti, The Painted Veil in China. The book we are about to read, The Razor's Edge, will carry us to India. But more on that book later.

 

Maugham was born in 1874 into a family of lawyers. He lost his mother at age 8, his father two year's later. His childhood under the care of his uncle was dismal and lonely.

 

Eventually Maugham finds his path. He attends medical school, but on the side he is always writing. London's turn of the century slums where he does medical work provide insight into the human soul.

 

When WWI begins, Maugham is too old to enlist but joins other literary comrades in the so called Literary Ambulance Corps. Before America's involvement in the war, Hemingway, E.E. Cummings, Archibald MacLeish were among the volunteers. Robert Service and Jerome K Jerome were also among the drivers. (Idea for a 2018 Bingo square: WWI Literary Ambulance Corps author!!)

 

After the war, Maugham joins British intelligence which leads to another book, Ashenden: Or the British Agent.

 

The Razor's Edge comes later in this career. Published in 1944, this novel focuses on a wounded WWI veteran who abandons his comfortable American life to pursue truth. From war to the Depression, from Chicago to Paris to India, we shall follow Larry Durrell as he seeks to find the meaning of his life.

 

Some of you may read the book quickly, but for the sake of our busy BaWers, let's slow the pace of the discussion down. I propose that we read Parts One and Two this week and then open the discussion on Sunday, May 14th.

 

I suspect when all is said and done that many of you will also find the writing of W. Somerset Maugham to be exquisite.

 

********************************************

 

Story of Western Science – Chapter 14

 

 

*********************************************

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 18

 

Thanks Jane! I'm pulling it off my shelf now.

 

Just today I finished Valerie by Joan Smith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1149111.Valerie.  Yes, it's  Regency fluff but a little different - it's funny and there's a bit of a mystery, too. It looks like our Amy read it last year but only gave it 2 stars :( . I, on the other hand, loved it! The humor was a complete surprise and it just hit the spot for me. :)

 

 

I saw your review so I went back and read that book description trying to remember what I disliked about it. I can't remember! I either LOVE Joan Smith books or think they are at best MEH. Cousin Cecilia and Winter Wedding are my favorite comfort reads. 

 

I tried potty training my daughter this week along with house training the puppy. That lasted a few hours. DD2 will wait though I'll keep offering the potty. She still has a month or so until she's three.

 

 

 

 

Potty training is so stressful! We tried with John right when he turned 3 and he did okay with it but it was a lot of effort on our part. Then we went up to see my folks for a long weekend and he peed in his pants the whole weekend so we put diapers back on. About two months ago (DS 3.5 yo) I was giving DS a bath and while I was drying him off he told me to hurry up and get his diaper on so he could go potty.  :mellow:  :confused1:  :glare:

 

Well. I ran to his bedroom and hid all the diapers and told him we were out. He shrugged and got on the potty. Since then he's been good to go. 

 

Kids. They are literally the reason we get grey hairs in out 30's.  :laugh:

 

I guess the point of my story was "don't worry about it". You've got 15 years until she goes to college and that's the only hard deadline.  

[aggieamy]

So I've lost my Kindle. On a normal day that would be a very sad situation. BUT! I'm 3/4 of the way through an MM Kaye mystery and I want to know how it ends.  

 

Anybody know where I could have put it? I checked all the usual spots ..

*The loo (I'm embarrassed to admit that might have been a location but sometimes I have to escape from John for few minutes)

*My purse

*Inside a cookbook because I frequently use one book as a bookmark in another book (C'mon! I can't be the only one.)

 

Nowhere to be found.

 

Sigh.

 

If you are so inclined please pray to St Anthony that I find it. We're going on a trip in a few weeks and it has to be found before then.  

 

 

 

 

When WWI begins, Maugham is too old to enlist but joins other literary comrades in the so called Literary Ambulance Corps. Before America's involvement in the war, Hemingway, E.E. Cummings, Archibald MacLeish were among the volunteers. Robert Service and Jerome K Jerome were also among the drivers. (Idea for a 2018 Bingo square: WWI Literary Ambulance Corps author!!)

 

 

 

I love this idea! Please Robin - let's make this a thing in 2018!

 

[Kareni]

First, I have a question: what audiobooks would y'all recommend that might engage a family with kids aged 20-4? (Well, there's a 1 year old, too, but she's not involved in this math. [emoji6])  ....

 

Well, one suggestion would be the Hank the Cowdog books.  We, the parents, were mightily entertained by them to the extent that my husband read aloud the then thirty-five books in the series as my daughter grew from five to ten.

 

So I've lost my Kindle. On a normal day that would be a very sad situation. BUT! I'm 3/4 of the way through an MM Kaye mystery and I want to know how it ends.  

 

Anybody know where I could have put it? ....

 

Have you checked the freezer?  (I hope you find it soon.)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

A friend gave me two Nevada Barr books, Track of the Cat, and Ill Wind.  She said that the former comes earlier in the series but she thought Ill Wind was a better book so I should start with that one. Ill Wind takes place at Mesa Verde so she thought I'd enjoy the archaeological features described in the book and I am.  Not sure how I feel about the detective though.  Barr's writing is fair.  My friend who like me has read many mystery series and has a hard time finding new ones that are engaging feels that Barr's entertainments are acceptable--not outstanding. I glanced through some old posts here on the boards and really couldn't find any BaWers that are particularly enamored with her books.

 

 

 

I read Track of the Cat several years ago as a Kindle Owner's Lending Library loan. I thought it was just okay and didn't go any further in the series. I wasn't really impressed, and I do read a lot of mysteries.

 

 

I'm pre-reading Lost to the West (stories about the Byzantine Empire) for Cameron for next school year.

 

 

I really liked that book. I learned a lot about bits of history I'd never learned about.

 

Let us know what you think!

 

ETA: You are talking about this book, right?  I got confused for a minute on rereading because you mentioned 'stories about' which sounded like fiction; this book is a non-fiction history book - thought maybe there was another book by the same name.

 

I love this group. I followed the link to the book and saw that a couple of BaWers already put it on their to read lists. :) It looks interesting (Amazon had a better synopsis than Goodreads) so I added it to my list too. 

 

 

So I've lost my Kindle. On a normal day that would be a very sad situation. BUT! I'm 3/4 of the way through an MM Kaye mystery and I want to know how it ends.  

 

 

 

Ugh. I hope you found it, or find it soon. It's somewhere in the house, right? 

[Lady Florida.]

I thought I added these to my multi-quote in my last post. Apparently not.

 

 

 

I've also been listening to Ready Player One and am thoroughly enjoying it. Will Wheaton does a remarkable job narrating. 

 

 

 

 

I listened to the audio version of that novel too and thought Wil Wheaton was the perfect choice for the narrator. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed Lost in Austen, then 

 is an absolute must-see.

Also: Bride and Prejudice, as Bollywood meets Austen.   ;)

 

 

I haven't read Austenland but read the second one, Midnight in Austenland (a mystery that takes place at the resort). The movie looks fun.

[aggieamy]

Two picture book reviews are in:

 

Everybody Poops is hilarious and we've read it at least a dozen times. At least! I just ordered our own copy from Amazon.

 

DS right now is asleep in bed with The Elves Hat book tucked in beside him.   :wub:

 

Tomorrow we'll attempt another two from the library stacks.  

[mumto2]

Two picture book reviews are in:

 

Everybody Poops is hilarious and we've read it at least a dozen times. At least! I just ordered our own copy from Amazon.

 

DS right now is asleep in bed with The Elves Hat book tucked in beside him. :wub:

 

Tomorrow we'll attempt another two from the library stacks.

So cute! Glad he is enjoying his books!

 

My lost kindle was recently in the car. It fell off the center area and was on the floor in the backseat....similar colour to the floor. My kindles also seem to sit on the microwave frequently...first out of the way spot as I dash in to the kitchen to save something that I forgot about!

[Lori D.]

First, I have a question: what audiobooks would y'all recommend that might engage a family with kids aged 20-4? (Well, there's a 1 year old, too, but she's not involved in this math. [emoji6]) We're going to pick up our oldest at college this week, which is about a 14 hr drive, and have a short D.C./VA vacation before heading home. Those who have listened to Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, does it have anything that would be inappropriate for ages 11 and under? Most of my boys are keen on mythology, and my older daughter wants to listen to it because it's Neil Gaiman.

 

Yea for bringing home the college student! Neil Gaiman sounds fun. :)

 

All-ages friendly books:

Letters from Father Christmas (or the Audible version read by Derek Jacobi!)

The Hobbit -- here's a free audio production version

Just So Stories -- Jim Weiss version; free Librivox version

Rikki Tikki Tavi -- ($0.69 Audible version)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The Book of Dragons (free Librivox version)

 

Also, what about some fun radio plays for some variety, or a fun animated movie for playing on the i-pad?

 

If your family enjoys Disney movies, a collection of favorite Disney tunes and have fun singing along -- my 20s-something DSs have done this our road trips back and forth to college.  :laugh:

[Lori D.]

I haven't read Austenland but read the second one, Midnight in Austenland (a mystery that takes place at the resort). The movie looks fun.

 

Yes, I read both books. The second is actually kind of disturbing to me and not so fun -- domestic violence and obsessed relationship kind of not fun.  :eek: 

 

Austenland the movie is much lighter and gentler and funnier than either of the books. :) It's a gentle poke at Austen-ophilia (lol), while still *being* a lovely little modern Austen-like romance.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Lori D.

[ErinE]

First, I have a question: what audiobooks would y'all recommend that might engage a family with kids aged 20-4? (Well, there's a 1 year old, too, but she's not involved in this math. [emoji6]) We're going to pick up our oldest at college this week, which is about a 14 hr drive, and have a short D.C./VA vacation before heading home. Those who have listened to Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, does it have anything that would be inappropriate for ages 11 and under? Most of my boys are keen on mythology, and my older daughter wants to listen to it because it's Neil Gaiman.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I enjoyed Norse Mythology, but wouldn't recommend it for 11 and under. It's graphically violent.

[Robin M]

 

I love this idea! Please Robin - let's make this a thing in 2018!

Yes ma'am. I'll put it on the list.

[Penguin]

We have arrived in the Netherlands and (more-or-less) adjusted to the time zone. I was hoping that we could catch the end of the tulip season at Keukenhof, and we did! Supposedly, the tulips are beyond the peak but they looked pretty spectacular to us :) Just my mom and I went, and it was a lovely afternoon for the two of us.

 

On bookish things:

 

First bookish stop was the Tolkien Shop. For Tolkien fans (I am one), this is a bit heaven-on-earth. I hadn't thought about it before, but single-author bookshops are exceptionally rare. The entrance sign on the door says "No admittance except on party business." Besides every Tolkien related book you can think of,  there is also a museum section. The one I admired most was the edition illustrated by Tove Jansson.

 

I came away with a copy of the Hobbit in Dutch. Dutch keeps calling me, and I keep resisting...until I am here, and then I wish I had been studying Dutch all along. I think I will have room for one or two more books in my suitcase, but that is probably the limit. 

 

Leiden has this really amazing poem project. Poems are painted on the walls as murals, and are written in the original language. - I think there are about a hundred of them around the town. Every time I come, I try to photograph a few more as I stumble upon them. It is kind of like playing Pokemon Go but with poetry  :) So far, I have found six that are new-to-me: one Japanese, two Spanish, one Russian, one English, and one Dutch. I don't know how to put pictures in a post, or I would do that. If you search Google Images for Leiden Wall Poems, you can see a whole bunch of them.

 

Loesje!!!!!!I hope you stop in here this week so I can ask you more questions about some Dutch books :)

 

 

Edited May 8, 2017 by Penguin

[Chrysalis Academy]

Angela, our very best car-trip audio book ever was Treasure Island, read by Alfred Molina. He does a fantastic job, and it was gripping for all from the ~6 year old to the 40+ year olds!

 

I agree that Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology is PG-13.

[Butter]

Yes, I read both books. The second is actually kind of disturbing to me and not so fun -- domestic violence and obsessed relationship kind of not fun.  :eek:

 

Austenland the movie is much lighter and gentler and funnier than either of the books. :) It's a gentle poke at Austen-ophilia (lol), while still *being* a lovely little modern Austen-like romance.

 

I loved both (I'm a Shannon Hale fan in general), but I actually like Midnight in Austenland better, BUT that may be because I saw the movie before I read Austenland.  I highly recommend watching the movie first.  Or maybe it doesn't matter.  The big twist is a shock the first time no matter what I suppose.

 

Last night I finished reading the 4th Key of Kilenya book, Rise of Kilenya by Andrea Pearson, to the boys.  I am seriously loving this series.  Aimed at 9-12 year olds, but still exciting for me, too.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Butter

[Kareni]

We have arrived in the Netherlands and (more-or-less) adjusted to the time zone. I was hoping that we could catch the end of the tulip season at Keukenhof, and we did! Supposedly, the tulips are beyond the peak but they looked pretty spectacular to us :) Just my mom and I went, and it was a lovely afternoon for the two of us.

 

...  Leiden ..

 

I went with my mother and sister on a trip to the Keukenhof several years ago; it truly is a great place to visit.  Like you we were there at the end of the season, but we also thought it spectacular.

 

My mother was born and raised in Leiden though we didn't make it there on our trip.  I hope to see it at some future date.  The poem project sounds lovely.

 

Do you have a Dutch connection that draws you to The Netherlands/the language?  I hope you enjoy the remainder of your visit!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

A one day only currently free classic for Kindle readers (though I think this was on sale previously) ~

 

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

 

"A dramatic autobiography and powerful firsthand account of slavery, written by America’s most influential abolitionist

First published in 1845, Narrativeof the Life of Frederick Douglass is an eye-opening depiction of American slavery. Part autobiography, part human-rights treatise, it describes the everyday horrors inflicted on captive laborers, as well as the strength and courage needed to survive.
 
Born into slavery on a Maryland plantation in 1818, Frederick Douglass spent years secretly teaching himself to read and write—a crime for which he risked life and limb. After two failed escapes, Douglass finally, blessedly boarded a train in 1838 that would eventually lead him to New York City, and freedom.
 
Few books have done more to change America’s notion of African Americans than this seminal work. Beyond its historical and social relevancy, it is admired today for its gripping stories, intensity of spirit, and heartfelt humanity."

**

 

and another currently free book for Kindle readers ~ Un Authored Letters   by Tara Allred

 

"Dr. John Sanders has given Rebecca Brownell a new chance at life. After an isolated childhood, an abused adolescence, and an institutionalized existence, Rebecca is finally free to conquer her demons and build a promising life.

However, just as it appears Rebecca has achieved her dreams, eerily personal letters begin arriving in the mail. Letters sent from an unidentified source who knows far more about her past than anyone should. Letters which question and threaten Rebecca's sanity.

Un Authored Letters is the inspiring tale of a woman's troubled past, a man's quest to protect her, and their fight against a mysterious foe. It's a story of trust strained by illness, love tried by lies, and promises terrorized by illusive danger."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Last night I finished Joanna Chambers' historical romance A Gathering Storm (Porthkennack Book 2) which I enjoyed.  While this book is second in the series, all of the books stand alone and are only linked by their location in Cornwall.  (Adult content)

 

 

"When grief-stricken scientist Sir Edward Fitzwilliam provokes public scorn by defending a sham spiritualist, he’s forced to retreat to Porthkennack to lick his wounds. Ward’s reputation is in tatters, but he’s determined to continue the work he began after the death of his beloved brother.

In Porthkennack, Ward meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward to the Roscarrock family. Ward becomes convinced that Nick, whose Romany mother was reportedly clairvoyant, is the perfect man to assist with his work. But Nick — who has reason to distrust the whims of wealthy men — is loath to agree. Until Fate steps in to lend a hand.

Despite Nick’s misgivings, he discovers that Ward is not the high-handed aristocrat he first thought. And when passion ignites between them, Nick learns there’s much more to love than the rushed, clandestine encounters he’s used to. Nevertheless, Nick’s sure that wealthy, educated Ward will never see him as an equal.

A storm is gathering, but with Nick’s self-doubts and Ward’s growing obsession, the fragile bond between the two men may not be strong enough to withstand it."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I now have a copy of Razor's Edge and will start reading when I have some peaceful moments.

 

I finished The Lost Book of the Grail https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30422489-the-lost-book-of-the-grail. I ended up giving it five stars because it was great. While I was reading it I kept thinking how much many of my BaW friends would have enjoyed it for 2016 Bingo which had an Arthurian square. It was a hard one for many and I did not enjoy what I read for it!

 

I gave in and simply put new holds on a few of my soon to expire books. I need fluffy for the next few days because I am constantly going to be interrupted. It's amazing how much better I feel for admitting that! The Razors Edge can be my needs concentration book. Since it appears to be lots of small chapters it's perfect! :)

[Ali in OR]

I'll try to catch up on the thread later. Just a quick post to say I finished Etched in Bone early in the week and this morning I just finished the most recent Sebastian St. Cyr, Where the Dead Lie. It was a good one and there are a few threads woven in that I expect to be followed in future books. Can't wait!

 

I have News of the World which I want to pick for our book club but it's not out in paperback until June which may be an issue. Also have Razor's Edge. Just wish I had more reading time!

[mumto2]

Recently someone (maybe Noseinabook) posted that they had read the recently released prequel to Kim Harrison's The Hollows series which I have enjoyed a few of. It's one of those series I need to go back and start fresh because I have absolutely no idea which ones I actually read. So I requested the prequel thinking it was a novella. I just went to read a few pages and noticed a 4 digit number starting with a 7 on the bottom of my kindle. Just looked at Goodreads and it's a 450 page book. Eek! Will see how it goes......

[Kareni]

An enjoyable post from the Book Wenches site ~

 

Books About Books by Susan Fraser King

 

"Recently I read an intriguing and wonderful novel, which I mentioned in our last What We’re Reading post—The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell. The story centers around the last of the Bronte family, and her relationship to that legacy, to books, literary questions and secrets--a top-notch and enthralling literary mystery. And I realize, enjoying that read so much, that I'm especially drawn to this sort of sub-sub-category: books about books. I love mysteries, thrillers, romances too, where a primary focus of the book, no matter the genre, centers on books or a book, an author, an old or ancient mystery, a field of knowledge: I love books about books. 

 

"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." --Louisa May Alcott

 

"The love of learning, the sequestered nooks / And all the sweet serenity of books." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

It’s more than another bibliophilic compulsion (as in, never enough books!!). Novels about books pose literary questions and pursue mysteries about rare books, ancient texts, medieval manuscripts, later literary treasures—and the stories often involve authors, collectors, harboring or investigating secrets contained in books. All of these things absolutely fascinate me, and I gravitate to this kind of book often. Lately I'm in that sort of mode, hungry for books within books, stories about writing, authors, stories, and I'm grazing through my bookshelves looking for just such reads...."

 

Regards,

Kareni