Book a Week 2018 - BW11: Maeve Binchy and John Connolly

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Physical books - 3 (reduced from 7 at the beginning of the year)

 

My Kindle is sitting on it, though, and there are about 10 TBR books on it.

 

I like your idea of adding to the pile, I've been wondering what I'm going to do with that space once I finish the stack. The stack has actually been the base for an antique milk glass tea pot that I fill with seasonal flowers during the spring and summer. Yes, the top book has a permanent indention from three years of being the main tea pot coaster.  :glare:

 

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I went up to get another book and have to laugh at myself. One I have already started and am about halfway through; Hollow City  The Second novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, The bookmark is an airplane ticket from two years ago and I found receipts for chai purchased at the airport tucked among the pages. I cannot remember why I didn't finish the book.

 

I will refresh myself with the storyline and begin from where I left off. With a cup of chai, of course.

[mumto2]

Four books (all library currently) on my nightstand plus Kindles.

 

The Fantastic Beasts trailer was fun so thank you for the link. I’m looking forward to it now and was really disappointed to see November is the release date.

[Kareni]

Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

a one day only sale on this classic work of crime fiction:  The Exploits of Juve (The Fantômas Novels Book 2) by Marcel Allain and  Pierre Souvestre 

 

I've just begun and am enjoying: Ice Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 1) by Emma Jameson

 

Monstrous Creatures: Lore & True Tales: Encounters with Creatures of the unknown  by  Steph Young

 

short story collection: The Eclective: The Apocalypse Collection

 

short story collection:  The Eclective: The Haunted Collection

 

Stolen Magic (Shadows of the Immortals Book 1) by Marina Finlayson

 

Her Angel Protector: Sexy Paranormal Angels and Demons Romance by Charmaine Ross

 

Regards,

Kareni

[LuvToRead]

My nightstand is a small bookshelf. Although it is pretty deep so it may actually be a cabinet of some sort.  Anyway, I bought it at an auction for 50 cents several years ago.  Currently, there at 5 books, my Kindle, and a stack of magazines on top of it.  

[LuvToRead]

I finally finished "The Reading Group" by Elizabeth Noble to fulfill "e" in Rose so I am moving on to clover.  I am reading "Murder at Mansfield Park" by Lynn Shepherd.  This will be for Northamptonshire and "L" in clover.  I have "The Outlaws of Sherwood" checked out and ready to go for Nottinghamshire by Robin McKinley.  This would also be for "O" in clover.  I am also trying to find something set in Ireland too.  

Edited March 14, 2018 by LuvToRead

[mumto2]

I finally finished "The Reading Group" by Elizabeth Noble to fulfill "e" in Rose so I am moving on to clover. I am reading "Murder at Mansfield Park" by Lynn Shepherd. This will be for Northamptonshire and "L" in clover. I have "The Outlaws of Sherwood" checked out and ready to go for Nottinghamshire by Robin McKinley. This would also be for "O" in clover. I am also trying to find something set in Ireland too.

The Outlaws of Sherwood is my O for Clover also. It's on the nightstand with 2 chapters read.

 

For Ireland I read and enjoyed Haunted Ground by Erin Hunter. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/905451.Haunted_Ground. It was on one of Robin's lists. It was good. I liked the archeological mystery (a body discovered while digging peat) that was featured with the present day missing woman and child. This was the first in a series that I will probably read more of in the future.

[Robin M]

--

Also: is there an updated postcard list? I'm thinking the one I have is not the most current one and I'm not certain my name is on the list either as I have had a couple of requests for my address.

Out and about today, so I’ll pm everyone this afternoon with the most current list.

 

😘

[LuvToRead]

The Outlaws of Sherwood is my O for Clover also. It's on the nightstand with 2 chapters read.

 

For Ireland I read and enjoyed Haunted Ground by Erin Hunter. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/905451.Haunted_Ground. It was on one of Robin's lists. It was good. I liked the archeological mystery (a body discovered while digging peat) that was featured with the present day missing woman and child. This was the first in a series that I will probably read more of in the future.

 

Thanks for the recommendation.  My library system has several copies so I will have to put a copy on hold.

Edited March 14, 2018 by LuvToRead

[Butter]

How many books are on your nightstand?

Hundreds since they're all on my Kindle and I have a significant number of books in my to be read folder on there.  I have 14 in my reading now folder for that matter.

 

We really enjoyed the first one and while I like the trailer for this one I can't help thinking how far it appears to stray from the canon. First of all, Dumbledore has his long beard even as a young man, it just isn't white yet. Secondly he defeats Grindlewald so I wonder why he's giving Newt the task. Hopefully the movie will explain those things. 

JK helped write the screenplay so I'm sure the movie will explain things.  Trailers often are misleading anyway.

 

I finished reading Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden.  I pre-read it for Cameron for school.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.  It was a bit violent, but that was expected since it's historical fiction about Genghis Khan's life from when he was about 12 until he conquered/joined several tribes and became Genghis.  It's the first of a series.  I think I'll read the others (at least eventually).

[Cascadia]

I finished The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch. This was the third in the Charles Lenox series, and it seems like a good place to stop, at least for a while. Several story arcs, both major and minor, seem to be completed, and I feel like the characters are left in a good place. I'm a few weeks ahead of the Brit Trip buses, so I'm not sure where I will meander to next.

 

I also finished The Little Book of Hygge. I gave it 3 stars on GR, but that should really be 3.5. It did explain the concept quite well, but by the last third of the book I was skimming because I felt like "I've GOT this already, I don't need any more examples!" I probably will try to implement some of the suggestions, as well as showing DH the section on lighting for discussion.

[Robin M]

Question of the Day (as inspired by TAC)

 

How many books are on your nightstand?

Too many.  I probably should limit it to just a few that I'll read for the month but my reading mood changes too often.  I have 15 on top and 23 sitting on the floor in front of the nightstand. I am making headway but they keep having babies because as soon as make a space, I'll rotate in a few from other bookshelves or from those boxed up.   :tongue_smilie:

 

[Mom-ninja.]

 

I finished The September Society by Charles Finch. I like this series, and plan to read the third. I am able to ignore most of the anachronisms, but I couldn't get past male characters referring to a female character as "pregnant." I'm not an expert on Victorian manners, but that seems like it would have been out of bounds.

I also can't get past mistakes of such caliber. 

 

 

After I finish these two 'shelf' books, I have one left to finish my second shelf and then I'm going to spend the rest of 2018 reading from my shelves but picking books from them based on Bingo and Brit Tripping.    

 I like the idea of shelf reading. I need to do that. 

 

Finished: Uncle Dynamite by PG Wodehouse. Hilarious. I'm having a real love affair with this Uncle Fred chap. Highly recommend if you like Jeeves and Wooster. 

 

 

I love Uncle Fred!

 

 

As for my bookshelf, kindle and 2 books. 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Mom-ninja.

[PeacefulChaos]

I also finished The Little Book of Hygge. I gave it 3 stars on GR, but that should really be 3.5. It did explain the concept quite well, but by the last third of the book I was skimming because I felt like "I've GOT this already, I don't need any more examples!" I probably will try to implement some of the suggestions, as well as showing DH the section on lighting for discussion.

 

 

I hope to implement some, too.  One thing I absolutely can't do, though... the candles.  The overwhelming number of CANDLES.  :lol:  I guess I could buy those fake ones lol.  

[JennW in SoCal]

Too many.  I probably should limit it to just a few that I'll read for the month but my reading mood changes too often.  I have 15 on top and 23 sitting on the floor in front of the nightstand. I am making headway but they keep having babies because as soon as make a space, I'll rotate in a few from other bookshelves or from those boxed up.   :tongue_smilie:

 

 

LOL, Robin! You win!! 

[Mothersweets]

Hello all ~ I haven't been keeping up with the threads but will try to go back and catch up if I can.

 

Thanks to a foot injury, I have been able to spend some time reading and finished the Alfred Kropp trilogy this week. This series is young adult fiction and definitely geared towards young males. The stories are engaging (an underdog protagonist, knights, swords, spies, action sequences,fast cars, pretty girls) and are easy reads. The editing leaves a bit to be desired as there are spelling issues and missing words in all three. I am not faulting the author but the publishing company (Bloomsbury)  should be doing a better job; especially when names are misspelled within the same paragraph.

 

9. Alfred Kropp The Seal of Solomon - Rick Yancy

10. Alfred Kropp The Thirteenth Skull - Rick Yancy

 

I am still on target for my "no spend" reading challenge. I have managed to refrain from buying any books and am working through the (literally) dusty books sitting on my nightstand. The Alfred Kropp series has been sitting there for about 3 years. I have three books left in that stack and will be able to move on to the books languishing on my Kindle. I make sure I get my free Kindle First book each month and those are piling up as well.

 

I looked at my Goodread's TBR list and find myself wanting to go to the library and find some of those titles. I must refrain, however, as one of my personal challenges this month is to clear my Nightstand Stack (even DGD is cheering me on during this endeavor). Her school is currently doing Readermania and we have been reading together.

 

I haven't been listening to any audiobooks lately and need to stop by the library and pick up a couple to listen to while I exercise.

 

I hope everyone else who began the No Spend challenge is sticking to it.

--

Also: is there an updated postcard list? I'm thinking the one I have is not the most current one and I'm not certain my name is on the list either as I have had a couple of requests for my address.

 

Uuummmm, well....I've only purchased about half of what I wanted. That counts for something, right? :)

 

 

Question of the Day (as inspired by TAC)

 

How many books are on your nightstand?

 

 

I have two kindles, The Long Masquerade, and War and Peace on my nightstand.  

[Butter]

I read Blackwood Relic by Andrea Pearson.  It's a short story, a redneck horror.  It's very light on the horror (maybe a little creepy) and has a lot of humor.  It's a fun, very quick read.

[Raifta]

I haven't bought any new books this year!  

 

Although when I take the dog for her long weekend walk, I pass by a giant Little Free Library (it was a warming hut for the river skating trail and has room for multiple people to stand inside it and peruse the giant 5 shelf bookshelf full of books).  I have taken about 5 or 6 books from there and read most of them.

 

There's probably about 8 books on my nightstand.  A couple I'm currently reading, most of the others are library books but a couple are books that have been there for so long that the spines are discoloured from sun fading.  One my dad loaned me about two years ago. I actually want to read it for a Bingo square this year, so I hopefully will get around to it.

[mumto2]

Too many.  I probably should limit it to just a few that I'll read for the month but my reading mood changes too often.  I have 15 on top and 23 sitting on the floor in front of the nightstand. I am making headway but they keep having babies because as soon as make a space, I'll rotate in a few from other bookshelves or from those boxed up.   :tongue_smilie:

 

 

 

Am I the only one who has been busy reading these titles? Great collection! :lol:

 

 

 

 

I hope to implement some, too.  One thing I absolutely can't do, though... the candles.  The overwhelming number of CANDLES.  :lol:  I guess I could buy those fake ones lol.

 

I am sort of relieved that the candles are an issue for someone else. When I read the Hygge book my reaction was along the lines of sounds lovely but could not happen in my house because of the candles. Candles are not Dh's thing at all and they would make him miserable which is not the point of hygge. I do think the book has made me think about what things my family does find cozy implement a few.

 

I tend to keep a supply of lighter books on my kindle in case I can't sleep. Thank you Overdrive. ;) Last night I finally started a Miss Silver who is Patricia Wentworth's version of Miss Marple. Miss Silver is formally considered to be a detective apparently but otherwise I find them close. Little grey haired ladies with a steel spine solving crime......The Case is Closed opens with a young woman escaping on the wrong train from her ex-finacee. It quickly shifts to the young woman meeting a odd woman who essentially tells her that her cousin's husband, who was convicted of a murder that spent months on the front pages, didn't do it. The girl becomes an amateur sleuth and spends quite a bit of time in Bedfordshire. Woot! Not as much Miss Silver solving as is typical in the two others I have read recently and it did drag for my because everyone kept reading the trial transcripts. That said the murder plot was good so I rounded up from the 3.5 stars and gave it a 4 over on Goodreads.

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1440133.The_Case_Is_Closed

[Butter]

I finally finished ready True Stories of Crime from the DA's Office by Arthur Train.  It had been sitting half finished for months.  It was just really rather dull.  I love true crime, but this one was pretty bad. Everything was told in a just the facts, this happened, then this happened sort of way.

[tuesdayschild]

I'm glad I subscribed to this thread early in the week as schooling and the rest of life does not allow much time to be on the forums.

(I've enjoyed flicking through the emails from this thread - so many interesting rabbit trails to archive for later reading.)

 

Completed:

The Reluctant Widow ~ Georgette Heyer  audiobook (5)  (Regency title square/ West Sussex) 

A favourite Heyer title to replay.  Very clean romance, regency mystery.

 

The Monogram Murders: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery Bk1 ~ Sophie Hannah  (2.5) Settings: London/ Great Holling – a faux English village.

I’m pleased I went into this audiobook with the mindset that this story included “Poirot†and was not written by Agatha Christie otherwise I would have ended up as disappointed as many other goodreads members were! 

Brilliant narration by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

 

Frederica ~ Georgette Heyer  (5)  London.  Watford, Hertfordshire.   Another favourite Heyer audiobook to replay – I just adore Heyer’s Felix.  Georgette Heyer is an undemanding author to play when hands are busy-ish and my brain is relatively free.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/441695870?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1    ETA: another goodreader's review, which includes a quiz and map J

 

Audiobooks being played:

First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill ~ Sonia Purnell  enjoying this so much

 

Not a book , but a Great Courses listen about books that I'm chipping away at this term:

Books That Have Made History: Books That Can Change Your Life  (TGC) ~ Prof. Rufus Fears   

 

Edited March 16, 2018 by Tuesdays Child

[Penguin]

I hope to implement some, too. One thing I absolutely can't do, though... the candles. The overwhelming number of CANDLES. :lol: I guess I could buy those fake ones lol.

I have not read the book but I did live in Denmark for six years. Yes, candles really are EVERYWHERE. Edited March 15, 2018 by Penguin

[SKL]

I finished Uncle Tom's Cabin.  Next I decided to read a kid novel, Hatchet, because my kids read it in school and I didn't want to miss out.  :p  I will probably finish that tonight, and next up is Condoleezza Rice's recent book on democracy.

 

Oh yeah, in tween audiobooks, we finished Extra Credit and started Seraphina.  In between we managed a couple chapters of Little Men.  Our read-aloud is still a kiddy book called The Children of Noisy Village - I bought this because it was set in Sweden, and we were going to travel there (that was almost a year ago).

Edited March 15, 2018 by SKL

[Kareni]

Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

a one day only sale on this classic work: Sixes and Sevens by O. Henry

 

Historical romance novellas:  The Scoundrel Who Loved Me   by Laura Landon,‎ Lauren Smith,‎ Ella Quinn,‎ and Kristin Gabriel 

 

Mind If I Come In  by K.L. Phelps

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mothersweets]

 

 

Frederica ~ Georgette Heyer  (5)  London.  Watford, Hertfordshire.   Another favourite Heyer audiobook to replay – I just adore Heyer’s Felix.  Georgette Heyer is an undemanding author to play when hands are busy-ish and my brain is relatively free.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/441695870?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1      Includes a quiz and map J

 

 

 

 

I love your review of Frederica! It's one of my favorite GHs, too. :)

[tuesdayschild]

I love your review of Frederica! It's one of my favorite GHs, too. :)

Agreeing!!

Frederica is a great book :)

I can't take credit for that goodreads review, it's not mine; I linked it for the balloon chase map and because the reviewer's sentiments echo mine.

 

ETA: went back and edited my post.  

Edited March 16, 2018 by Tuesdays Child

[Lady Florida.]

I'm having trouble finishing my current book club book, Imagine Me Gone. It had promise at the start but I'm slogging through the middle. I never feel guilty abandoning a book I don't like unless it's for book club. I always try to finish the book because I feel that if I don't at least try it's an insult to the person who chose it. I don't know if that's a valid reason for slogging through a book, but I can't shake it.

 

 

  Next I decided to read a kid novel, Hatchet, because my kids read it in school and I didn't want to miss out.  

 

Ds loved that book. He always liked books about kids (especially teens) having to make it "in the wild" as he put it.

[aggieamy]

Too many.  I probably should limit it to just a few that I'll read for the month but my reading mood changes too often.  I have 15 on top and 23 sitting on the floor in front of the nightstand. I am making headway but they keep having babies because as soon as make a space, I'll rotate in a few from other bookshelves or from those boxed up.   :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Wowza lady. You really need a custom nightstand/bookcase!

 

I'm glad I subscribed to this thread early in the week as schooling and the rest of life does not allow much time to be on the forums.

(I've enjoyed flicking through the emails from this thread - so many interesting rabbit trails to archive for later reading.)

 

Completed:

The Reluctant Widow ~ Georgette Heyer  audiobook (5)  (Regency title square/ West Sussex) 

A favourite Heyer title to replay.  Very clean romance, regency mystery.

 

Frederica ~ Georgette Heyer  (5)  London.  Watford, Hertfordshire.   Another favourite Heyer audiobook to replay – I just adore Heyer’s Felix.  Georgette Heyer is an undemanding author to play when hands are busy-ish and my brain is relatively free.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/441695870?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1    ETA: another goodreader's review, which includes a quiz and map J

 

That's a pretty good reading week!

[aggieamy]

My nightstand. Now the truth will be out that I'm not some sort of fancy lady and I drink my evening tea out of a plain mug using a washcloth as a coaster. You'll also see the world famous Amy bookmark system of using a second book as a bookmark for the first book. It's interesting how many of the books on my nightstand were recommended by BaW gals.

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2018 by aggieamy

[Kareni]

Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

a one day only sale on this classic:  Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

 

"The women of an English country village star in this Victorian classic that inspired a BBC series, from the author of North and South.
 
Welcome to Cranford, where everyone knows one another and a cow wears pajamas. It’s a community built on friendship and kindness, where women hold court and most of the houses—and men—are rarely seen. Two colorful spinster sisters at the heart of Cranford, Miss Matty and Miss Deborah Jenkyns, are daughters of the former rector, and when they’re not playing cards or drinking tea, they’re feeding an endless appetite for scandal and weathering commotions to their peaceful lives, from financial troubles to thieves to an unexpected face from the past."

**

 

Also currently free:

 

The Big Blue Ball: A Memoir  by Mike McIntyre

 

Travelled Far: A Collection Of Hiking Adventures  by Keith Foskett

 

LGBT: Spring Break (Accidental Roots Book 3) by Elle Keaton

 

LGBT: City Boy (Hot Off the Ice Book 1)  by A. E. Wasp

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

My nightstand. Now the truth will be out that I'm not some sort of fancy lady and I drink my evening tea out of a plain mug using a washcloth as a coaster. You'll also see the world famous Amy bookmark system of using a second book as a bookmark for the first book. It's interesting how many of the books on my nightstand were recommended by BaW gals.

 

 

So ladies, how do I attach photos?  I had wanted to share a stack of my books a while ago for fun, but couldn't get it to attach unless I reduced it to microscopic size.  I am not a member of any of those photo websites...  is there any other way??

 

PS. Your nightstand is so much tidier than mine! :tongue_smilie:

[Loesje22000]

So ladies, how do I attach photos? I had wanted to share a stack of my books a while ago for fun, but couldn't get it to attach unless I reduced it to microscopic size. I am not a member of any of those photo websites... is there any other way??

 

PS. Your nightstand is so much tidier than mine! :tongue_smilie:

I wondered that too, as I don’t seem to be able to attach photo’s from my ipad

[Granny_Weatherwax]

11. Hollow City The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children - R. Riggs

 

Next up: Library of Souls R. Riggs

[Robin M]

So ladies, how do I attach photos?  I had wanted to share a stack of my books a while ago for fun, but couldn't get it to attach unless I reduced it to microscopic size.  I am not a member of any of those photo websites...  is there any other way??

 

PS. Your nightstand is so much tidier than mine! :tongue_smilie:

 

 

I wondered that too, as I don’t seem to be able to attach photo’s from my ipad

 

I was telling Amy earlier I kind of do it in a roundabout way.  I upload to facebook under 'only me' and then I do copy image and paste into the wtm word icon.  Sometimes the pictures come out really big so have to shrink them in paint first. If you have a blog, you can copy and paste the url for the picture into the image icon. 

 

 

I finished Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (science fiction)and Elizabeth the First Wife (literary fiction) by Lian Dolan in the past couple days. Both new to me authors and very well written. 

 

Coming up on St. Patty's day -  11 Novels from Irish Writers and 13 More Irish Writers.

 

I just saw a scary good trailer for The Quiet Place.  I usually don't like horror movies but this one looks like more of a pyschology thriller.  

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

 

Stunning Harry Potter Cakes for All Potterheads!  by Adiba Jaigirdar

 

Hungering for Grass and Leaves: Books About Nature and Wildness  by Elisa Shoenberger

 

10 Books You Didn't Know Were Banned in Prisons  by Emilly Prado

 

19 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reading Suggestions for International Women’s Day  by Matt Staggs

 

3 Math Books for Pi Day  by Patricia Thang

 

Our 13 Favorite Science Books of the Past Two Decades  by Keith Rice

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Maus]

Well, I need to login in more regularly.  I'm getting library books ready to return and realized I haven't reported my reading for several weeks.

 

16. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J,K. Rowling. (London and Surrey)  We've been continuing our bedtime audible listening as a family.

 

15. "Why Don't Students Like School?" by Daniel T. Willingham.  Excellent!

 

14. "Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd" by Alan Bradley. (London and fictional Bishop's Lacy)  I missed this one, and was delighted to see it listed when I went to the library catalog to reserve the latest one.

 

13. "Eye of the Crow" by Shane Peacock. (London)  A young adult series featuring the boy Sherlock Holmes.  Not quite what I expected, but I liked it.  I'll try the next in the series.

 

12.  "Secret Adversary" by Agatha Christie.  (London and fictional England, and WWI at the beginning -- The opening scene is set on the sinking Lusitania.) 

11.  "Mysterious Affair at Styles" by Agatha Christie.   (London and fictional England, and WWI -- Hastings is home from the war for convalescence.  So to go with it, I read the poem, "In Flanders Field" by John McRae, and several of the other poems on the same site.)

10.  "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling. (London or Surrey)

9.  "An Unsuitable Job For a Woman" by P.D. James. (Mainly Cambridge, some London)

8. "Creative Schools" by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica.

7.  "CopShock: Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)" by Allen R. Kates.

6. "Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child's Education" by Susan Wise Bauer.

5. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling.  (London or Surrey)

4. "Guerrilla Learning: How to give your kids a real education with or without school" by Grace Llewellyn and Amy Silver. 

3. "Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety" by Daniel Smith.

2. "Mother had a Secret: Learning to love My Mother & Her Multiple Personalities" by Tiffany Fletcher.

1. "Life's lessons Learned" by Dallin H. Oaks. (LDS)

 

 

Edited March 17, 2018 by Maus

[Critterfixer]

I don't want to admit the number of books on my desk for reading. I don't have a nightstand, just a filing cabinet. I've not been a good reader this week. Been dealing with working out the details on this short story and figuring out what scenes I need. So far I like what I've written. Hopefully the weekend will be restful and I can make a dent in my pile.

[Mothersweets]

Agreeing!!

Frederica is a great book :)

I can't take credit for that goodreads review, it's not mine; I linked it for the balloon chase map and because the reviewer's sentiments echo mine.

 

ETA: went back and edited my post.  

 

Oh haha, I didn't realize! :)

 

 

I just saw a scary good trailer for The Quiet Place.  I usually don't like horror movies but this one looks like more of a pyschology thriller.  

 

 

I've been waiting forever for this movie to come out - it looks good! And with Emily Blunt and Jon Krasenski!! I love it that they are married irl - they seem like nice people. 

[Kareni]

I just finished Burn Bright (Alpha and Omega) by Patricia Briggs.  The storyline was fairly complex, and I could wish there had been more time spent on the relationship between the two leads; however, I enjoyed it nonetheless.  And, yes, I was surprised at the identity of the traitor.

 

"They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok's pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf--but can't stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills--his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker--to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn..."

**

 

I also dipped into our board host's newest book, Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child's Education by Susan Wise Bauer.  I enjoyed what I read, and it was fun to see a few quotes by people whose names are familiar (Nan, Lori, perhaps Jane).  I'd recommend this book to parents with school age and younger children.

 

"Our K–12 school system is an artificial product of market forces. It isn’t a good fit for all―or even most―students. It prioritizes a single way of understanding the world over all others, pushes children into a rigid set of grades with little regard for individual maturity, and slaps “disability†labels over differences in learning style.

 

Caught in this system, far too many young learners end up discouraged, disconnected, and unhappy. And when they struggle, school pressures parents, with overwhelming force, into “fixing†their children rather than questioning the system.

 

With boldness, experience, and humor, Susan Wise Bauer turns conventional wisdom on its head: When a serious problem arises at school, the fault is more likely to lie with the school, or the educational system itself, than with the child.

 

In five illuminating sections, Bauer teaches parents how to flex the K–12 system, rather than the child. She closely analyzes the traditional school structure, gives trenchant criticisms of its weaknesses, and offers a wealth of advice for parents of children whose difficulties may stem from struggling with learning differences, maturity differences, toxic classroom environments, and even from giftedness (not as much of a “gift†as you might think!).

 

As the author of the classic book on home-schooling, The Well-Trained Mind, Bauer knows how children learn and how schools work. Her advice here is comprehensive and anecdotal, including material drawn from experience with her own four children and more than twenty years of educational consulting and university teaching.

 

Rethinking School is a guide to one aspect of sane, humane parenting: negotiating the twelve-grade school system in a way that nurtures and protects your child’s mind, emotions, and spirit."

**

 

I read and enjoyed Josh Lanyon's male/male contemporary mystery The Mermaid Murders (The Art of Murder Book 1) and would happily read more in the series.  (Some adult content)

 

"Special Agent Jason West is seconded from the FBI Art Crime Team to temporarily partner with disgraced, legendary “manhunter†Sam Kennedy when it appears that Kennedy’s most famous case, the capture and conviction of a serial killer known as The Huntsman, may actually have been a disastrous failure.

The Huntsman is still out there…and the killing has begun again."

**

 

I also enjoyed Ice Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 1) by Emma Jameson; this book is currently free to Kindle readers.

 

"Anthony Hetheridge, ninth Baron of Wellegrave, Chief Superintendent for New Scotland Yard, never married, no children, no pets, no hobbies, and not even an interesting vice, will turn sixty in three weeks. With the exception of his chosen career, too sordid for his blue-blooded family to condone, his life has been safe and predictable. But then he meets Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield – beautiful, willful, and nearly half his age. When Hetheridge saves the outspoken, impetuous young detective from getting the sack, siding with her against Scotland Yard’s powerful male hierarchy, his cold, elegantly balanced world spins out of control. Summoned to London’s fashionable Belgravia to investigate the brutal murder of a financier, Hetheridge must catch the killer while coping with his growing attraction to Kate, the reappearance of an old flame, and the secret that emerges from his own past."

 

 

I then went on to read the third book in the series (since I don't own book two) which I also enjoyed.  I'll need to backtrack and read book two when I can get a copy since I missed out on a lot of relationship building between the two lead characters.

 

Something Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 3)  by Emma Jameson

 

"Anthony Hetheridge, ninth baron of Wellegrave and chief superintendent for Scotland Yard, will marry Kate Wakefield in three weeks. It's inevitable--the invitations are out, the flowers are ordered, the cake is chosen. But murder waits for no man, and no wedding.

In London's prestigious West End, a disgraced CEO has been murdered at Hotel Nonpareil, an exclusive destination. No one, it seems, liked Michael Martin Hughes. Not his estranged wife, Thora, or his defiant son, Griffin. Not Hotel Nonpareil's manager, its head of security, or perhaps even the two most important women in Hughes's life: his future bride, Arianna, or his secret girlfriend, Riley. And before Hughes died, he incurred the wrath of none other than Sir Duncan Godington, longtime nemesis of both CS Hetheridge and DS Paul Bhar.

Hetheridge, Kate, and Bhar find themselves under tremendous pressure to uncover the killer as fast as possible. Have Scotland Yard and Downing Street lost confidence in Hetheridge? Find out as you return to the world of Ice Blue and Blue Murder in Something Blue, the third in the New York Times bestselling Lord & Lady Hetheridge mystery series."

 

I've now begun the fourth book in the series.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Butter]

I finished reading Cut in Darkness by Heather Sunseri.  It's the second In Darkness book and it was really, really good.  It's about an FBI agent investigating a rash of opioid overdoses that trace back to a motorcycle gang.

[Kareni]

Here's a Kindle book on sale for $1.99 that might interest some:

 

Scribblers, Sculptors, and Scribes: A Companion to Wheelock's Latin and Other Introductory Textbooks by Richard A. LaFleur 

 

Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

 

a one day only sale on this classic:  Dubliners  by James Joyce

 

urban fantasy:  Stolen Magic  by Marina Finlayson

 

fantasy:  The Flaw in All Magic  by Ben S. Dobson

 

mystery:  New Orleans Mourning: #1, Skip Langdon series  by Julie Smith

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I finally finished listening to the entire Harry Potter series again. I started listening to the first one last year when I was waiting for an Overdrive audio book (don't recall the title) to come in. The problem is I can never read or listen to just one Harry Potter book. I have to read them all and I have to read them in order (or listen in this case).

 

I did have another book waiting and I started it today. The only way I'll get through all of the Divine Comedy is to listen to it, so that's what I'm doing. I can never get past hell lol. Hopefully by listening I'll get all the way to paradise.  :laugh:  

 

I have this version. 

[Robin M]

Link to week 12 - please continue conversation in new thread