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Book a Week 2018 - BW12 and BW13: March Equinox


Robin M
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Due to the shutdown during the forum upgrade, I am combining Week twelve and thirteen.   

 

Happy Sunday and welcome to Week Twelve and Thirteen in our Open Roads Reading Adventure. Greetings to all our readers and to all following our progress.  Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks  to share a link to your book reviews.

 

 

The March equinox is upon us and Spring is in the air in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern half of the world. I'm feeling a bit flighty this week so I have a mini challenge for you.  

 

Read a book with any of the following:

 

 

  • Air in the title
  • Something Air like in the title - Wind, breeze, Sky, etc. 
  • Something in the Air on the cover - Plane, clouds, birds, etc.
  • Subject contains something to do with Air - Man versus nature
  • Character has a job in the Air - Pilot, trapeze artist. etc. 
  • Read three books and spell out AIR
  • Contains Air within a word in the Title of the Book - stair, affair, millionaire, etc. 
  • Contains Air within the author's name. 
  • Unscramble Air - Ria, Ira, Ari - and read a book with that word in the title or by an author with that name.
  • Substitute another word for air that relates to the March Equinox and choose any of the above. 
  • Choose any word relating to the March Equinox including Equinox, Hemisphere, Vernal, Autumn, flowers, etc. and plug it into the Word unscrambler. Choose any 4-letter word and read a book with that word in the title. 

 

Use your imagination and have fun following rabbit trails of flight. 

 

 

 

Given angel's wings, where might you fly?

In what sweet heaven might you find your love?

Unwilling to be bound, where might you move,

Lost between the wonder and the why?...

 

~Nicholas Gordon, poemsforfree.com

 

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

 

Wk 12: For all our Brit Trippers, keep following Ermine Street and travel East and West Riding of Yorkshire. Yorkshire is one of the largest areas in England and well … this will explain how it’s divided up better than we could!

 

Rabbit trails: Haunted Brodsworth Hall  Coinisbrough Castle  Cleveland Way  Bird Watching  Scarborough  More Robin Hood! Whitby Bronte Waterfall  Fossils

 

 

WK 13:  Jump on the bus to York.  We end the first leg of our trip in historic wonderful York! Famous for its walls, Roman history, Viking history, and War of the Roses.

Rabbit trails: 

 Other York Attractions Sculptures at Harrogate

 

 

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

 

 

What are you reading?

 

 

 

Link to Week 11

 

 

 

 

 

 

ETA:  changes due to forum upgrade and shutdown

 

 

Edited by Robin M
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What's on my reading plate this week:

 

For air mini challenge - Inkwitch by Lindsay Fairleigh as well as Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird.

 

Also delving into J.C. Daniel's Blade series and currently on second book Night Blade.

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Robin, thank you, as always for this lovely thread. Yorkshire is one of my favorite parts of Britain and I have so many fond memories there. Bill Bryson, one of my favorite authors, lives there. And of course, James Herriot was there.

I loved "Bird by Bird". 

 

I read Dressed for Death - 3 Stars - This is the third Donna Leon book that I have read. I truly enjoy the Venetian ambience while reading her books. Most of all, I really do like the protagonist, Guido Brunetti. Not only does he love his wife and children, but he’s also hard-working and upright. This is quite a refreshing change! He often goes home for lunch and of course for dinner, and let me just say that the food descriptions are superb. There’s even a Brunetti cookbook that I’m seriously considering.

The story here was good, but not the best. I wish that I liked this series more. I have to be honest. I probably wouldn’t continue with these books if we weren’t planning on visiting Venice soon. I’ve been reading these mainly for the atmosphere. 

 

9780802146045.jpg

 

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.

 

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Thank you for the links, Robin - the one on Brodsworth Hall was super interesting!

 

The Long Masquerade by Madeleine Brent   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9517666-the-long-masquerade  Standard gothic adventure/romance that I really love :)  I think there are only a couple more of this author's that I have yet to read. This one was well done but I did have to suspend belief ( a little more than usual - ha) in order to buy in to the ending.

 

The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews. I enjoy reading this author's blog so thought I would try one of her books - I think it was a 99cent kindle deal.  Well-written story of an newly-impoverished Victorian woman working as a governess when she is reunited with a former beau who had broken her heart. The story was pretty standard but the characters were interesting and I wished we could have read more about them. This was set in London and Hertfordshire so I'm adding it to my Brit Tripping list. 

 

 

 

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I read Dressed for Death - 3 Stars - This is the third Donna Leon book that I have read. I truly enjoy the Venetian ambience while reading her books. Most of all, I really do like the protagonist, Guido Brunetti. Not only does he love his wife and children, but he’s also hard-working and upright. This is quite a refreshing change! He often goes home for lunch and of course for dinner, and let me just say that the food descriptions are superb. There’s even a Brunetti cookbook that I’m seriously considering.

The story here was good, but not the best. I wish that I liked this series more. I have to be honest. I probably wouldn’t continue with these books if we weren’t planning on visiting Venice soon. I’ve been reading these mainly for the atmosphere. 

 

 

 

 

I have similar feelings about this series and I've read six of the books so far. I love Brunetti and his family. I love that he's happily married, his kids are pretty normal, and he isn't battling his own inner demons as he hunts down criminals. I too wish I liked the series more. It's refreshing to find such a nice guy as the fictional detective. 

 

But the endings aren't always satisfying. Sometimes the bad guys literally get away with murder, especially if they're rich and/or well connected. That's probably more realistic than a neat and tidy wrap up with justice and the good guys prevailing, but it can also be tiring. I downloaded the 7th book from Overdrive a few days ago but haven't started it yet because I'm not sure if I'll be happy with it.

 

I'm going to have to look into the cookbook. I often find my mouth watering while he's having lunch or the family is having dinner. :D

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Fraidycat, a board member, has published a KIndle book that is "available for free today - Sunday, March 18 and tomorrow Monday the 19th."  Her post is here and here's a link to her book:

 

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We are finally in Yorkshire! :)

 

I have lots of Yorkshire books on hold and it is really doubtful that I will manage to read most of them. I'm still in Notts reading the Outlaws of Sherwood. For Agatha Christie I finally have The Man in the Brown Suit on audio. I have also started my CS Harris reread in honour of the new book coming out this April. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39149.What_Angels_Fear

 

First up on my list for Yorkshire is A Second Chance which is the third in Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St.Mary's series. This series is fun and a clever twist on time travel IMO. They are historians traveling back to witness and clarify history. I read some of these out of order a few years ago and had to stop. I am currently armed with the book of shorts and am hoping to read the books in order that I skipped. We shall see.......the group is based near Thirsk so North Yorkshire. Thirsk is where James Herriot was a vet IRL.

 

I also have the next in Frances Brody's series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18514251-murder-on-a-summer-s-day. I saw Amy has the first one on her nightstand. ;)

 

Then I have several Robert Barnard mystery books. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8252.Robert_Barnard He is a highly successful series author with many books set around Yorkshire. He also appears to be a Bronte expert although I haven't had the opportunity to read any of his Bronte books. I am planning to start here https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1585017.No_Place_Of_Safety in his Charlie Peace series. I have read a couple of his other books and enjoyed them. If you recognize the name but can't figure out why Robert Barnard writes the introduction to Josephine Tey's mysteries.

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I currently have a few on the go. I did borrow white chrysanthemum for the challenge but ended up only reading parts of it as it was a little darker than I can deal with right now. It's a story of two Korean sisters, one of whom was kidnapped to become a "comfort woman" during the Korean Japanese war. Definitely difficult reading, and of course being fiction I'm not sure how strictly accurate it is.

 

I also have Princess Masako (prisoner ofnyhe chrysanthemun throne) which I also borrowed for the chrysanthemum thing. Quite interesting and very reasonable - I've learned a lot about Japanese culture that I didn't know before. I knew there were a lot of inequalities for women but didn't know how significant. The book is older so I'm not sure how much has changed in the last 10 years.

 

On a lighter not I have "miracle at speedy motors" and Sunshine on Scotland Street by AMS and also and audio one in the car by him as well. Can't remember the title - something to do with olive oil but it's delightful - especially read aloud! I seem to always have a lighter author that I binge read on and this is it for now!

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This week I read The Windfall, by Diksha Basu.  Pleasant, light novel about a Dehli couple that comes into sudden wealth.

 

I also started and discarded two different memoirs: Finn Murphy, The Long Haul: A Trucker'sTales of Life on the Road.  I had been looking forward to reading this but I just could not get into it.  Same for â€‹The Abu Dhabi Bar Mitzvah, by Adam Valen Levinson. I really thought this was going to be great, and I was very interested in his accounts of various locales in the Middle East.  But it is horribly overwritten and he seems to come up a little short on the self-awareness front.  I tried to stick with it but about 50 pages in I just gave up.

 

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Happy Sunday and welcome to Week Twelve in our Open Roads Reading Adventure. Greetings to all our readers and to all following our progress.  Mister Linky is available weekly on 52 Books in 52 Weeks  to share a link to your book reviews.

 

 

The March equinox is upon us and Spring is in the air in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern half of the world. I'm feeling a bit flighty this week so I have a mini challenge for you.  

 

 

 

Hahaha. I love it. 

 

Thank you for the links, Robin - the one on Brodsworth Hall was super interesting!

 

The Long Masquerade by Madeleine Brent   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9517666-the-long-masquerade  Standard gothic adventure/romance that I really love :)  I think there are only a couple more of this author's that I have yet to read. This one was well done but I did have to suspend belief ( a little more than usual - ha) in order to buy in to the ending.

 

 

Alrighty. I haven't read any Madeleine Brent and it sounds just like something I would love. Please assign me one to read. You're choice. Just pick your favorite or one you think I would enjoy. I probably won't be able to get to it until after Easter but I will add it to my nightstand!

 

I'm reading Imager by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. this week. I guess I can unscramble that for air? So far I'm enjoying it. Given that I generally dislike books written in first person, that's saying something.

 

I'm not a big fan of YA books and I think it's because most of them seem to be written in first person and it's generally a big turn off for me. I don't know why! I have read some wonderful books that are first person but a majority of the books I love are third person.

 

We are finally in Yorkshire! :)

 

 

 

 

I'm so happy to be in Yorkshire too. Highly recommend James Herriot for a strong feel of the land and people. His books are generally loosely connected short stories so you can grab one of his books from the library and just read a story or two for fun. Or fall in love with him and read them all. 

 

I have one book with an "A" in it to finish and them onto Frances Brody!

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We couldn't take staying in town anymore and took a spontaneous Spring Break trip to Houston, so I did lots of walking and driving but not so much reading. So I'm still on my books from last week, except I did finish my East Riding of Yorkshire BritTrip book:

 

26. Snorri Sturlason, King Harald's Saga

 

As we all recall, Harald Hardrada ("the Ruthless") fought and lost against King Harold at Stamford Bridge in East Riding, emboldening William the Bastard (sorry) of Normandy to invade the southern coast and leading to England and English as we know them. King Harald's Saga is part of Sturlason's Heimskringla, Icelandic sagas of the Norse kings, written in the 13th century.

 

Currently reading the next BritTrip book, Tristram Shandy, set in York (despite Sterne's coy but not very serious attempts to disguise the location). It's improved a lot since college.

 

Also reading various other things, including short fiction for Middle Girl. This week we read Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," which has not improved with time. Good night, I forgot how heavy-handed that story is.
 

 

"They do say," Mr. Adams said to Old Man Warner, who stood next to him, "that over in the north village they're talking of giving up the lottery."

 

Old Man Warner snorted. "Pack of crazy fools," he said. "Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while. Use to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn by heavy soon.' First thing you know, we'd all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly. "Bad enough to see young Joe Summers up there joking with everybody."

 

"Some places have already quit lotteries," Mrs. Adams said.

 

"Nothing but trouble in that," Old Man Warner said stoutly. "Pack of young fools."

 

 

In my head I was hearing Dueling Banjos from Deliverance. Da-da-da-da, da-da, da-da, da...

 

ETA: Checking in late, sorry Amy! We had a late-evening family game of charades, in which I vindicated myself by successfully pantomiming Les Fleurs du Mal (Middle Girl got it).

 

 
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Let's see... this week:

 

I've been working on Too Small to Ignore, which is so good.  Granted, it's right up my alley, being Compassion International and all, but goodness.  I :wub: it.  

 

I just got The Expatriates on Overdrive, which will finally be my E in Chrysanthemum :lol:  ...

 

I finished Crazy Rich Asians, which was okay, funny, overall entertaining, but not awesome or perfect.  I am interested in seeing the movie, though. 

 

I worked some more on Uncle Tom's Cabin.  I know it will take me a little while.  Sometimes such good things happen that I'm just so glad; but most of the time, I'm disgusted by the attitudes of the slave seller and others who make excuses for why slavery is a 'good' thing.  

 

I also finished Venus Plus X, which was a super easy read; I started it in bed on Friday night (weekends are the only time of week I can read in bed at night; on weeknights DH always goes to sleep too early for me to do so) and I was wide awake at 6:30 Saturday morning for some strange reason (seriously, I NEVER wake up that early unless I have to!) so I just took it out to the living room and ended up finishing it lol.  :P  I really enjoyed that one.

 

Last night I started Over Sea, Under Stone.  Only a couple chapters in, so far it hasn't completely snagged me, but it's good, so I know I'll get hooked at some point.  At least I probably will! 

 

 

I'm going to see what my library has for Air.  :D  Just for kicks!

 

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Most people look at their mileage, or gas consumption, to judge how much driving they've been doing. Me? It is the progress I'm making on my audiobooks. I've listened to 10 hours of Middlemarch in 10 days, and I haven't been driving every day! Hoping this week I can instead be productive with some knitting or quilting while listening. I'm really enjoying it.

 

I read Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile last week. I knew "who dunnit" before the death(s) on the Nile happened, but the fun was in the characters and watching Poirot solve the case.

 

I know some of you here are Louise Penny fans. Usually I am too, but I had to abandon the latest novel, Glass Houses. It got a little too convoluted for me -- don't want to say too much to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I'm clearly in the minority on this book, based on the reviews at Goodreads. And I've got guilt about not liking it as she says in the afterward that she started writing it while her husband was dying -- she wanted to escape for a few hours each day to Three Pines and the characters she loved. I do love those characters and the setting. Love the importance of art and poetry in their lives. Wished I ate as well as they do. But this particular story -- one aspect of it really -- ticked me off!

 

 

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... We had a late-evening family game of charades, in which I vindicated myself by successfully pantomiming Les Fleurs du Mal (Middle Girl got it).

 

I'd love to have seen your pantomime!  Congratulations to you and to Middle Girl, too.

**

 

I have continued my reading of Emma Jameson's Lord and Lady Hetheridge series which I started last week.  I finished Black & Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 4) and Blue Blooded (Lord & Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 5).

 

I am now up to date with the series with the exception of book two.   (The first book in the series Ice Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 1) remains free to Kindle readers.)  I'd recommend reading this series in order.

**

 

I also re-read Anne Bishop's Lake Silence (The World of the Others) which I enjoyed once again.

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Alrighty. I haven't read any Madeleine Brent and it sounds just like something I would love. Please assign me one to read. You're choice. Just pick your favorite or one you think I would enjoy. I probably won't be able to get to it until after Easter but I will add it to my nightstand!

 

 

 

 

 

*doing a happy dance* 💃 I'm recommending Moonraker's Bride https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19498.Moonraker_s_Bride. If you have a hard time finding a copy, let me know and I will loan you mine. :)

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I have similar feelings about this series and I've read six of the books so far. I love Brunetti and his family. I love that he's happily married, his kids are pretty normal, and he isn't battling his own inner demons as he hunts down criminals. I too wish I liked the series more. It's refreshing to find such a nice guy as the fictional detective. 

 

But the endings aren't always satisfying. Sometimes the bad guys literally get away with murder, especially if they're rich and/or well connected. That's probably more realistic than a neat and tidy wrap up with justice and the good guys prevailing, but it can also be tiring. I downloaded the 7th book from Overdrive a few days ago but haven't started it yet because I'm not sure if I'll be happy with it.

 

I'm going to have to look into the cookbook. I often find my mouth watering while he's having lunch or the family is having dinner. :D

Kathy, you summed it all up perfectly. And yes, those food descriptions :D! We'll be going to Italy in several weeks' time and I'll think of you whenever I have delicious food. 

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I am still plugging my way through The Brothers Karamazov!  Because I'm listening to it on audio, I only listen when on longer drives by myself, so that kind of limits it.  And this week my phone started acting funny and I couldn't get any sound on the volume.  I can't figure it out!

 

I have been doing a lot of rereading of fluffy Heyer novels.  I hadn't read it in a decade, but I reread Cotillion and am currently rereading Frederica.  I also re-read Bab: a Sub Deb by Mary Roberts Rinehart, which is a scream.  I highly recommend it.  

 

Still also reading Pro Apologia Vita Tua very, very slowly.

 

So I"m either reading super slowly or rereading.  Not much to post about!

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Hahaha. I love it. 

 

 

Alrighty. I haven't read any Madeleine Brent and it sounds just like something I would love. Please assign me one to read. You're choice. Just pick your favorite or one you think I would enjoy. I probably won't be able to get to it until after Easter but I will add it to my nightstand!

 

 

I'm not a big fan of YA books and I think it's because most of them seem to be written in first person and it's generally a big turn off for me. I don't know why! I have read some wonderful books that are first person but a majority of the books I love are third person.

 

 

 

I'm so happy to be in Yorkshire too. Highly recommend James Herriot for a strong feel of the land and people. His books are generally loosely connected short stories so you can grab one of his books from the library and just read a story or two for fun. Or fall in love with him and read them all. 

 

I have one book with an "A" in it to finish and them onto Frances Brody!

First person is rapidly taking over third person in adult literature too, I think. I simply despise first person and usually, I will put the book back on the shelf if I turn a page and find first person POV. Sometimes I'm putting ten to twelve books back on the library shelf when I'm browsing.

I hate it because I have an extremely difficult time visualizing the story and characters with first person POV. I am unable to immerse. 

However--Imager is an adult fantasy and it is really a good example of really well-written first person. The author has over forty books traditionally published and it shows. He was able to use the POV to its best advantage and not totally lose the story. The politics and worldbuilding is a little too heavy, and the climax was a little confusing, but it was well written and highly visual. I put it on my list to read again if I'm ever asked to revise a third-person POV into a first.

 

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Kathy, you summed it all up perfectly. And yes, those food descriptions :D! We'll be going to Italy in several weeks' time and I'll think of you whenever I have delicious food. 

 

Since you know what annoys Brunetti about tourists you'll know how not to act. :)

 

You'll probably post before you leave but in case I miss it, have a wonderful trip!

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I did it! Finished my flower for January. I might have cheated on using 'and" in The Great and Terrible Quest but I was getting desperate!

 

C – The Children of Green Knowe
H - Henrietta's War
R -  Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
Y – Young Men in Spats
S - Stormy Petrel
A – The Great and Terrible Quest
N – Now You See Me
T - Past Perfect, Present Tense
H - How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
E - Editor-Proof Your Writing
M - The Scarlet Slipper Mystery
U -  Uncle Dynamite
M – The Magic Words

 

R – The Red House Mystery

O –

S – Sad Cypress - In progress

E –

 

C – Cambridge Blue

L –

O –

V –

E –

R –

 

 


ETA: Checking in late, sorry Amy! We had a late-evening family game of charades, in which I vindicated myself by successfully pantomiming Les Fleurs du Mal (Middle Girl got it).

 

 

Well that's the coolest thing I've ever heard. :)

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17. "The Nature Fix" by Florence Williams.  Loved this!  It matches our personal experience.  Our kids have a huge reduction of OCD symptoms and are even less autismy when we are out hiking.


 


16. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J,K. Rowling. (London and Surrey)


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


14. "Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd" by Alan Bradley. (London and fictional Bishop's Lacy)


13. "Eye of the Crow" by Shane Peacock. (London)


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)


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We couldn't take staying in town anymore and took a spontaneous Spring Break trip to Houston, so I did lots of walking and driving but not so much reading. So I'm still on my books from last week, except I did finish my East Riding of Yorkshire BritTrip book:

 

26. Snorri Sturlason, King Harald's Saga

 

As we all recall, Harald Hardrada ("the Ruthless") fought and lost against King Harold at Stamford Bridge in East Riding, emboldening William the Bastard (sorry) of Normandy to invade the southern coast and leading to England and English as we know them. King Harald's Saga is part of Sturlason's Heimskringla, Icelandic sagas of the Norse kings, written in the 13th century.

 

Currently reading the next BritTrip book, Tristram Shandy, set in York (despite Sterne's coy but not very serious attempts to disguise the location). It's improved a lot since college.

 

Also reading various other things, including short fiction for Middle Girl. This week we read Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," which has not improved with time. Good night, I forgot how heavy-handed that story is.

 

 

 

In my head I was hearing Dueling Banjos from Deliverance. Da-da-da-da, da-da, da-da, da...

 

ETA: Checking in late, sorry Amy! We had a late-evening family game of charades, in which I vindicated myself by successfully pantomiming Les Fleurs du Mal (Middle Girl got it).

 

So glad you were able to have a break!

 

Stamford Bridge, the historical site, is close to where we live. I must pass within 10 minutes of it at least once a month on my way to York. Surprisingly no one really knows what it is. I sure did, when we first moved it was on my top 10 list of places to visit. I asked directions and got some strange answers. It wasn't until later I discovered that Stamford Bridge is the name of Chelsea's football stadium near London! As a historical site it was a disappointment.

 

I want to add my congrats to middle girl!

 

  

Most people look at their mileage, or gas consumption, to judge how much driving they've been doing. Me? It is the progress I'm making on my audiobooks. I've listened to 10 hours of Middlemarch in 10 days, and I haven't been driving every day! Hoping this week I can instead be productive with some knitting or quilting while listening. I'm really enjoying it.

 

I read Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile last week. I knew "who dunnit" before the death(s) on the Nile happened, but the fun was in the characters and watching Poirot solve the case.

 

I know some of you here are Louise Penny fans. Usually I am too, but I had to abandon the latest novel, Glass Houses. It got a little too convoluted for me -- don't want to say too much to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I'm clearly in the minority on this book, based on the reviews at Goodreads. And I've got guilt about not liking it as she says in the afterward that she started writing it while her husband was dying -- she wanted to escape for a few hours each day to Three Pines and the characters she loved. I do love those characters and the setting. Love the importance of art and poetry in their lives. Wished I ate as well as they do. But this particular story -- one aspect of it really -- ticked me off!

 

 

I listened to Glass Houses. There was quite a bit a the end where Louise Penny spoke about her writing that was really interesting. I will admit I loved it but I sort of love Gamache. Huge crush here!

 

Speaking of knowing what was going to happen we recently all watched the new Murder on the Orient Express movie. Dd and I thought it was great! Hubby complained to dd about how long the train was stuck ie. boring. She patiently explained that it got stuck in the book also with a look of horror because he didn't know. Obviously it had to get stuck so the crime could be solved! At least someone in my family gets my love of mysteries. Ds wisely kept his mouth closed! :lol:

 

 

I'd love to have seen your pantomime!  Congratulations to you and to Middle Girl, too.

**

 

I have continued my reading of Emma Jameson's Lord and Lady Hetheridge series which I started last week.  I finished Black & Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 4) and Blue Blooded (Lord & Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 5).

 

I am now up to date with the series with the exception of book two.   (The first book in the series Ice Blue (Lord and Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series Book 1) remains free to Kindle readers.)  I'd recommend reading this series in order.

**

 

I also re-read Anne Bishop's Lake Silence (The World of the Others) which I enjoyed once again.

 

Regards,

Kareni

I have Lake Silence but Dd has it in her room. I also have it on hold on overdrive. It is due soon and has holds so in suspect I will be waiting for my overdrive version. I am glad to know you liked it enough to read twice!

 

Mothersweets, I missed your quote but Brodsworth is a huge favorite. We have a membership and have spent a huge amount of time there over the years. It has a good playground where we used to go to meet friends.

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I finished two children's books last week:

 

Pax by Sara Pennypacker: a beautifully written story about a 12 year old boy and his pet fox. Due to separation, Pax has to learn how to survive in the wild. The inner world of the animals was my favorite part of the book. Chapters alternate boy-fox POV. It is a bit tricky to know whether or not to recommend it, though. It is a melancholy book and set against a backdrop of war. But I loved it :)

 

Brøderne Løvehjerte (Brothers Lionheart) by Astrid Lindgren.  Another melancholy book. An exciting fantasy novel in a unique world with an ending that completely caught me off guard. I am still trying to process it  :svengo:

 

I am almost done with Iza's Ballad by Magda Szabo, a heartbreaking mother-daughter story translated from Hungarian.

 

ETA: Might be time for something cheery after such a sombre trio of books!

 

 

 

Edited by Penguin
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26. Snorri Sturlason, King Harald's Saga

 

As we all recall, Harald Hardrada ("the Ruthless") fought and lost against King Harold at Stamford Bridge in East Riding, emboldening William the Bastard (sorry) of Normandy to invade the southern coast and leading to England and English as we know them. King Harald's Saga is part of Sturlason's Heimskringla, Icelandic sagas of the Norse kings, written in the 13th century.

 

 

Stamford Bridge, the historical site, is close to where we live. I must pass within 10 minutes of it at least once a month on my way to York. Surprisingly no one really knows what it is. I sure did, when we first moved it was on my top 10 list of places to visit.

 

I find this utterly delightful, both VC's reporting about her reading and Mumto2's searching for the exact historical spot. It could ONLY happen here in BaW land!

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I deviated from my plan and set aside the third Miss Peregrine book and read Dead Space: Martyr instead. My DS recommended Dead Space to me many years ago and it has been the foundation book in my TBR stack. It has also been a source of mom guilt since he was excited for me to read it way back when. It's sci fi/ horror and DS kept telling me he was sorry about the violence. Meh, it wasn't too bad. I don't know anything about the video game series but I'm certain the game is much more violent than the book.

 

I am happy to write that..

#11 Dead Space: Martyr

 

is complete.

 

On to the Miss Peregrine and my nightstand will be cleared.

 

Does anyone else feel the weight of responsibility of books not read or TBR? I feel like I am freeing myself of a self-imposed burden.

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Brit Trip inspiration. Yorkshire Dales ... can't you just see James Herriot on his way to deliver some lambs?!?!

 

tumblr_nt38lsDIGY1qb0bzxo1_1280.jpg

 

Photo rights to: Raymond Bearsall

 

Robin - if this isn't good enough credit to the photographer let me know and I'll delete the photo.

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Brit Trip inspiration. Yorkshire Dales ... can't you just see James Herriot on his way to deliver some lambs?!?!

 

tumblr_nt38lsDIGY1qb0bzxo1_1280.jpg

 

Photo rights to: Raymond Bearsall

 

Robin - if this isn't good enough credit to the photographer let me know and I'll delete the photo.

Yes, the photo credit works great.  What a beautiful picture! I wish I were there now.   :auto:

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*doing a happy dance* 💃 I'm recommending Moonraker's Bride https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19498.Moonraker_s_Bride. If you have a hard time finding a copy, let me know and I will loan you mine. :)

 

I LOVE that book.  It's so sweet.  (Anyone else surprised the author was really a man?)

 

I finished The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba.  It was so good.  I really enjoyed it.  It's truly amazing what one can do when they set their mind to it.

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When we use the ferry to Kingston upon Hull nearby York, we have to leave the ferry early and try something to do to break the driving.

One year we visited the James Herriot Museum while heading to the lake district. Dd just read all creatures great and small :)

 

For now we read and watched Elle s’appalait Sarah. Unfortunetly the dvd had no subtitles, in any language, so dd had to deal with the french... good practice for the french exam this week :D

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Finished two books this week...

 

22. Inés del alma mía/ Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende - Historical fiction about Inés Suárez, who helped to conquer Chile and found the city of Santiago, told in the first person as her reminiscences as an old woman told to her stepdaughter Isabel.  Allende does know how to tell a sweeping saga.  3.5 stars

 

23. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (audiobook) - picked this up because all my Overdrive holds refused to unhold!  :glare:  so I picked something that was available and short.  Also, it won a Pulitzer and I saw on GR some other people had read it and liked it.  Hmmm... meh.  Set in Peru (as was part of Inés, above) in the 1700s.  It probably didn't help that this was narrated by Sam Waterson, who has a very distinctive voice.  I alternated between hearing a NYC DA or Saul from Frankie and Grace... neither is a good fit for this story!  And WHY would they not pick someone who can pronounce Spanish names???  Especially ones of main characters! Gaaaah!!  I honestly didn't find the storyline compelling either.  Meh.  2 stars.

 

Currently reading:

 

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell - for my SciFi book club.  Not very far in yet, but enjoying it so far!

 

- Middlemarch (audiobook) - Finished Book One, just a wee bit into Book Two.  

 

Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo (audiobook) - finally came in from Overdrive hold!!!  Liking it so far.  Good narrator.

 

We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates (ebook) - a few articles in.  Very, very good.  I'll agree with others who have said that his retrospective musings/commentaries on his own pieces are every bit as interesting as the pieces themselves, and really help to give context.

 

The New Spaniards by John Hooper - still reading!

 

Coming up:

 

Swedish Death Cleaning came off Overdrive hold unexpectedly - not ready for another ebook! - may have to let it expire...  I'm pondering the next Erlendur for my next German book...

 

 

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I just finished a non-fiction book that I enjoyed.  It's a very quick read, so I was happy to be reading a copy from the library.  (Be aware that a few of the illustrations are adult in nature.)

 

Do Geese See God?: A Palindrome Anthology  by William Irvine with illustrations by Steven Guarnaccia

 

"This mysterious form of wordplay known as the palindrome—in which a group of phrases can be read both forwards and backwards—has bewitched and beguiled readers for centuries and, due to its mirrored, dualistic quality, was at one point considered to have magical powers. Now, in the hands of palindrome master William Irvine, combined with these witty and exquisitely drawn illustrations by Steven Guarnaccia, the result is a delightful mix of literary and absurdist humor. In the spirit of Edward Gorey, Do Geese See God? will appeal to all lovers of wordplay, codes, puzzles, anagrams, crossword puzzles, and linguistic brainteasers."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Bringing this over from last week's thread:

 

 

Question of the Day (as inspired by TAC)

 

How many books are on your nightstand?

 

My nightstand is decidedly uninspiring as regards books; it has two dusty books that I abandoned a year or so ago.  You're now motivating me to donate them.  (ETA: I just added them to one of my donate boxes.)

 

[And speaking of donating books, the Friends of the Library organization in the big town next door is collecting books for their upcoming sale.  I have packed EIGHT ETA: NINE! boxes (the boxes usually hold reams of paper) of books that are to be picked up tomorrow.  I cannot tell you how delighted my husband is to have regained some floor space!  The books are primarily homeschooling books that I was unsuccessfully trying to sell.]

 

The coffee table is far more interesting than my nightstand.  It contains

 

-- two books that my husband is slowly reading in his minuscule free time:  What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions and Eating Korea: Reports on a Culinary Renaissance.  Both of these make him laugh.

 

--  three books that I won by author Jeff VanderMeer

 

--  two books I won by author Mia Sheridan.  One is her popular Archer's Voice (only 3500+ Amazon reviews) which I read some years ago and the other is her forthcoming More Than Words: A Love Story

 

-- the latest Mary Balogh historical romance that I have yet to read, Someone to Wed (A Westcott Novel)

 

-- an old collection of stories; I'm partway through the story by Mary Balogh: Blossoms

 

My book group met last week to select books for the next fifteen months.  Three books I suggested are on our list; they are also languishing on the coffee table.

 

-- The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

 

-- A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent

 

-- News of the World: A Novel

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Oh, Yorkshire.  Way back in 1992 when I was single I went on an organized walking trip, the Coast-to-Coast walk across the north of England. Stared at the Irish Sea, ended at the North Sea.  It was glorious and Yorkshire might have been the best part. (Maybe tied with the Lake District?)  We stayed in a lot of interesting places, but in Glaisdale our B&B was just magical.  I loved it so much. 

 

In 2005 my family (husband, 8 year old son, 6 year old daughter) had the opportunity to spend a month traveling in the UK.  I had to take them to Yorkshire, and... we got to stay at the same B&B for a couple of nights. AND IT WAS STILL MAGICAL! Sorry to shout. But, you know how sometimes a memory of something is so wonderful but then you go back and it's not so great?  Didn't work that way this time. The memory was sound.  My family loved the place and we hated to leave.  

 

Last week we took a little spring break trip (no magical B&B this time, just a decent Best Western) and I got to finish The Sunne in Splendour.  Lots of counties; I think I'm going to use it for Nottinghamshire.  Other than that, I didn't get much reading done.  My daughter doesn't see vacation as a time for hanging around with books.  She likes to GET OUT and moving.  I'm a little behind in my long-term reading - War and Peace is not doing it for me, and I didn't take it along on the trip but will pick up my chapter-a-day routine today.  

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I just finished Murder at Mansfield Park, although I think the author did a job well done, I could not like the book.

 

Meanwhile I received Kate Shackleton #1

And I wonder about the title,

Dying in the wool

Can be about death, painting or having a lot experience? The latter is from a dutch saying ‘door de wol geverfd zijn’ but I am not sure it also exist in this meaning in English.

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I just finished Murder at Mansfield Park, although I think the author did a job well done, I could not like the book.

 

Meanwhile I received Kate Shackleton #1

And I wonder about the title,

Dying in the wool

Can be about death, painting or having a lot experience? The latter is from a dutch saying ‘door de wol geverfd zijn’ but I am not sure it also exist in this meaning in English.

 

I just finished Murder at Mansfield Park last night, and I really liked it, but it took me awhile to get to into it.

 

I am also picking up Dying in the Wool today at the library LOL!  I think the title is a play on the words "dyed in the wool".  I am assuming someone died in a wool mill or something similar.  I don't think the title has any great meaning, but I could be wrong.

Edited by LuvToRead
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I just finished Murder at Mansfield Park, although I think the author did a job well done, I could not like the book.

 

Meanwhile I received Kate Shackleton #1

And I wonder about the title,

Dying in the wool

Can be about death, painting or having a lot experience? The latter is from a dutch saying ‘door de wol geverfd zijn’ but I am not sure it also exist in this meaning in English.

 

 

I just finished Murder at Mansfield Park last night, and I really liked it, but it took me awhile to get to into it.

 

I am also picking up Dying in the Wool today at the library LOL!  I think the title is a play on the words "dyed in the wool".  I am assuming someone died in a wool mill or something similar.  I don't think the title has any great meaning, but I could be wrong.

 

I started this just a few nights ago. Ha. How funny we'll be doing an unofficial Yorkshire read along.

 

The title is a play on the location (wool mill) and murder (to dye cloth "dyeing" vs to die "dying"). That's how I interpret it anyway. I imagine that's actually very confusing to a person that isn't a native English speaker.

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I started this just a few nights ago. Ha. How funny we'll be doing an unofficial Yorkshire read along.

 

The title is a play on the location (wool mill) and murder (to dye cloth "dyeing" vs to die "dying"). That's how I interpret it anyway. I imagine that's actually very confusing to a person that isn't a native English speaker.

I knew there was something going on!

I misspelled dyeing in my mind.

 

Dyeing wool translated to dutch give you also a dutch saying. (Have been dyed through wool)

Something like ‘had your feet wet before’ or ‘street smarts’ if translating machines are correctly, and that is where I became confused :D

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I just finished Murder at Mansfield Park last night, and I really liked it, but it took me awhile to get to into it.

 

I am also picking up Dying in the Wool today at the library LOL! I think the title is a play on the words "dyed in the wool". I am assuming someone died in a wool mill or something similar. I don't think the title has any great meaning, but I could be wrong.

I didn’t like to wait 160 pages for the murder ;)

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If you haven't already done so, you might like to join Tor.com's eBook of the Month Club.  This month's free book is Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer.

 

"For his crimes, Mycroft Canner is required to wander the world being as useful as he can to all he meets.

 

Carlyle Foster is a sensayer—a spiritual counselor in a world that has outlawed the public practice of religion, but which also knows that the inner lives of humans cannot be wished away.

 

The 25th century world into which Mycroft and Carlyle have been born is as strange to our 21st-century eyes as ours would be to a native of the 1500s. It is a hard-won utopia built on technologically-generated abundance, and also on complex and mandatory systems of labelling all public writing and speech. What seem to us normal gender distinctions are now distinctly taboo in most social situations.

 

To us it seems like a mad combination of heaven and hell. To them, it seems like normal life.

 

Available FREE  from March 20th to March 23rd. Download before 11:59 PM ET March 23rd, 2018."

**

 

A one day currently free classic for Kindle readers ~ 

 

Sanders of the River (The Commissioner Sanders Stories Book 1) by Edgar Wallace

 

"Thrilling adventures of colonial Africa from the creator of King Kong

In the jungles of West Africa, Commissioner Sanders is the highest representative of the British crown. The health and safety of a quarter-million natives—who speak countless languages and worship untold gods—are his responsibility. Whether disciplining a boy king, expelling troublesome missionaries, or fighting to contain outbreaks of sleeping sickness and beri-beri, Sanders and his lieutenants must be quick, decisive, and fair. The fate of the empire—not to mention their lives—depends on it.
 
These rollicking escapades, based on Edgar Wallace’s travels in Africa, offer an entertaining glimpse into a world—and a mindset—long lost but endlessly intriguing."

 

Regards,

Kareni

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I started this just a few nights ago. Ha. How funny we'll be doing an unofficial Yorkshire read along.

 

I feel like I should start reading Murder on a Summer's Day which is my Frances Brody so I can be part of the read along! ;)

 

I am stalled on my The Outlaws of Sherwood book. I read a few pages and find something else to do. Bores me. ;( I don't think it's a bad book but possibly not the book for a history enthusiast who lives near Sherwood. I personally believe Robin was many men, every village had a Robin which could be my problem. This book condenses strands of the popular stories into one book from what I can see. I will finish but at a few pages a day.

 

Something I consulted for Brit Trip planning gave The Man in the Brown Suit https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15820391-the-man-in-the-brown-suit and Death Comes to a Village https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22376877-death-comes-to-the-village as being set in Nottinghamshire. I read them both and couldn't find the villages but am leaving them in Notts. I really enjoyed listening to The Man in the Brown Suit which is also part of my Agatha Christie challenge. I don't remember it particularly fondly as a book so it was nice (and a relief :lol: ) to find enjoyment in the recording. Death Comes to a Village is a nice fluffy cozy with a hint of romance. I actually have the next book started because I really enjoyed the characters so much!

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Following by email.  (Thank you for all the links shared and books you each mention!!)

 

I enjoyed a browse through Steve McCurry's readers photos

 

With my rebel Brit Trip I've just disembarked from the Yorkshire bus  (love that photo of the Dales shared this week) after reading

Venetia ~ Georgette Heyer (3.5) audio.             

Phyllida Nash is one of my favourite narrators!                           

(Counties and towns Venetia visits:  Yorkshire, York, East Sussex, London.)                                                                     

I enjoy books that refer to other works of literature and to have someone else compile this annotation for others to refer to, makes the listen even more enjoyable.

 

A Long Shadow  (Inspector Ian Rutledge #8) ~  Charles Todd  (3.5)  e.book                                                     

(London, Sussex, Northamptonshire. Hertfordshire, Suffolk.)  

The only book in this series I've read, so I quite enjoyed it.   I can't read books via a screen for too long, so this has taken me nearly three weeks to get through. 

 

52 books in 52 weeks titles completed this week :

First, Catch Your Weka: A Story of New Zealand Cooking ~ David Veart (4.5)                                                              

If you enjoy reading books about NZ history, historic cookbooks, and, cooking, I do, then you’ll find this book so interesting.  I’m keen to try the potato scones from a WWII, New Zealand, cookbook.

 

Just started:

North and South ~ Elizabeth Gaskell                                                                                                                   

(Cornwall? / London)           Switching between audio & e.book.  I’ve decided to restart this book from the beginning, as it got laid aside for other reading in 2016.

 

ETA: weird formatting!

Edited by Tuesdays Child
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Some bookish posts ~

 

 

Here's a horrible question that I can not begin to answer: 

 

If You Could Only Read One Author for the Rest of Your Life, Who Would it Be? by Deepali Agarwal

**

 

25 Classic Crime Books You Can Read in an Afternoon by Dwyer Murphy

**

 

My Formative SFF: Forgotten Classics of the ’70s and ’80s  by Elizabeth Bear

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

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What an awful question! JRR Tolkien.

 

Also thanks to aggieamy (I think!) I picked up Editor-Proof Your Writing. This looks like a book I'm going to enjoy using this spring and summer with my completed novel that I'm querying and later with the sequel that is still in first draft stage right now.

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