Book a Week 2016 - BW 26: british village cozy mysteries

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday dear hearts!  This is the beginning of week 26 in our quest to read 52 books. Welcome back to all our readers, to those just joining in and all who are following our progress. Mr. Linky is all set up on the 52 Books blog to link to your reviews. The link is also below in my signature.

 

52 Books Blog - British village cozy mysteries: Woot! Woot! We have reached the half way point in our reading year. How are you enjoying your armchair travels so far?  With the historic vote this past week in the United Kingdom, figured it is apropos for Sandy, our very own mumto2, who hails from England, to talk to us about British Village Cozy Mysteries.  

 

******

 

When I first heard the title for my introduction week, I thought it would be easy because I love Miss Marple and have read many mystery series.  For those who aren’t familiar with the term, Cozy Mystery generally refers to a mystery that features an amateur sleuth who seemingly stumbles onto their mystery.  The setting is frequently limited to a small geographical area, hence my village heading.  The characters are normally likable, and there is a serious sprinkling of red herrings throughout the books.  The books are generally not graphic either in terms of murder descriptions or adult content. 

 

So my search for British Village Cozy Mysteries began.  I felt pretty confident because I have been reading mystery series since my childhood obsession with Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon.  The first thing I did was take a look at many lists of cozy books and start separating out those set in the United Kingdom.  To my surprise many of the popular authors listed did not meet my graphic criteria because of violence (Elizabeth George and Stephen Booth) which was a bit of a concern for my project.  I went through many lists and started ordering the first in many series from various libraries; then I started reading.  I recently discovered that since joining BaW, I have read well over 100 British Cozy Mysteries according to the huge variety of lists available on the internet.

 

Some of my favorite lists are:

 

Cozy Mysteries Unlimited

 

Criminal Element, starting with this article

 

Stop You’re Killing Me Newsletter’s list which can do counties

 

CozyMystery.com

 

Over the course of my research, I came to the conclusion that my British sleuths have a hard time staying in one place and have an occasional tendency to swing to the more graphic side of things. Even Agatha Christie had some topics that I really wished she would have skipped when my 11 year old was reading them!  I have put together an assortment of mystery series that to the best of my knowledge are as cozy as Christie because she is definitely the queen of the genre.

 

I have decided to let a few professionals mix with the amateurs if they have village settings because Christie had her share of Inspectors.

 

To start with we have the classic authors like Josephine Tey, and her Alan Grant Series, Ngaio Marsh and Patricia Wentworth. Dorothy Sayers is classic but not always cozy.

 

 

Then we progress to Catherine Aird’s long running series, Inspector Sloan, Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid, and Robert Barnard’s Perry Trethowan (adult topics in the first book) which features a policeman within village settings; at least some of the time.

 

Professional sleuths of a village variety also exist in M.C. Beaton’s Hamish MacBeth who never wants to leave his Scottish fishing village.  The Welsh equivalent is Rhys Bowen’s Constable Evans  who just wants to live in his village at the base of Snowden.  Then there is G.M. Malliet’s Max Tudor, a former MI5 spy turned village vicar.  

 

There are also numerous post-WWI cozies with woman who have turned to crime-solving after losing their significant others in battle.  My favourites in this sub genre are Carola Dunn’s Daisey Darymple, Frances Brody’s Kate Shackleton, and Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs.

 

For someone looking for a more traditional village cozy mystery Simon Brett, Hazel Holt, Margaret Mayhew, Veronica Healy, Elizabeth J. Duncan,, and M.C. Beaton, all have series to choose from.

 

If you desire royal connections, Her Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen , C.A. Belmond’s Penny Nichols, and Sharyn McCrumb’s Elizabeth McPherson can offer some of those.

 

For a crime solving ghost try Aunt Dimity by Nancy Atherton. Or for a sweet widow of a crime lord who keeps moving house, try Mrs. Pargeter by Simon Brett.

 

A rather young sleuth is Flavia De Luce in Alan Bradley’s wonderful series.

 

For a truly odd cozy sleuth there is Suzette A. Hill’s Reverend Oughterard. He did it in the first book and apparently spends the rest of the series trying to cover up his crime!

 

Happy exploring!

 

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

 

History of the Renaissance world - Chapter 43 and 44 

 

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

 

What are you reading this week?

 

 

 

Link to week 25 

 

Edited June 26, 2016 by Robin M

[Robin M]

I'm heading to the airport  in the morning to fly to Arizona so would appreciate it if one of our early risers would bump the thread in the morning.    Besides my loaded Ipad which I can't read upon take off, (grumble grumble)  I have Michael Scott's The Necromancer in my backpack for reading on the plane.   

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2016 by Robin M

[Violet Crown]

Thread bumped!

 

We've returned from our Roman Holiday and have better internet access now. A very good touristy time, seeing Everything, walking miles daily over stone paving so waking up with extremely sore feet and lovely memories. But no reading involved other than the guidebook. After so many Victorian novels I felt I should be standing in the piazze in my ankle-length dress poring over my Baedaker as a helpful but complicated ex-pat English gentleman swoops in to guide me to the Catacombs of Priscilla and Santa Maria Maggiore.

 

This week it's back to Scottish literature with short story collection A Beleaguered City by Margaret Oliphant (1880). Dh and Middle Girl have already read it and judged it Odd.

[Loesje22000]

I read 'The Zero Waste Home' and think it is an odd book.

'get no children so you get less waste' might be true but not my piece of cake.

She is also that focused on lesser Waste, she takes to little notice of the entire environmental problem.

 

I also finished a book about 'Abigail Adams', Tress recommended me.

I liked the book very much, and think it should translated in Dutch ;)

 

I am still working on 'The Social Contract' from Rousseau, and added some readings from and about Grotius/Hugo de Groot.

 

[Violet Crown]

I am still working on 'The Social Contract' from Rousseau, and added some readings from and about Grotius/Hugo de Groot.

Nice! We expect some wise insights into political philosophy from you in the near future. Maybe you can explain Brexit to me in terms of social contract theory. Heaven knows I can't make out much from the BBC coverage.

[Negin]

Robin, have a wonderful time in Arizona! :)

 

I read The Story of a New Name - 4 Stars - This is the second book in the Neapolitan series by Elena Ferrante and I found it to be so much better than the first one. I’ve now become familiar with and care more for the characters. Also, the names are no longer confusing to me! I’m really enjoying the story of these two friends and look forward to continuing with the series. 

 

 

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.

[Loesje22000]

Nice! We expect some wise insights into political philosophy from you in the near future. Maybe you can explain Brexit to me in terms of social contract theory. Heaven knows I can't make out much from the BBC coverage.

 

:D

I doubt I will have original thoughts about political philosophy....

I am glad if I understand what they wrote, and how it influenced our current laws.

 

A Dutch institution made a lesson fiche about Brexit for Highschool students.

But we mostly learned recognizing the leaders, opinions from both sides, and how to read and interprete 'spot prents' ( is that the same in English?)

I presume you passed that level...

[Loesje22000]

I love the Miss Marple stories.

I remember being confused watching them on TV, as there are several actors playing that role.

In dutch there is no Volume available with just the Miss Marple stories.

Always a mix of Poirot, Miss Marple and Tommy and Tuppence stories.

[ErinE]

.

Edited November 8, 2016 by ErinE

[6packofun]

I read Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.  Really enjoyed it...one review says it's a cross between World War Z and The Martian and I somewhat concur.  The ending was somewhat abrupt, but I like the storytelling through interviews, journal entries and news articles.  It's the story of a young girl who is out riding her bike and falls into a hole.  I perfectly square-shaped hole in which lies a huge metal hand.  The girl grows up to become a physicist chosen to head up the research into what this artifact is and can do...

 

Now I'm on My Last Continent by Midge Raymond.  Seems like a modern Titanic (the movie) story set in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and revolves around main characters who study the habits of 3 species of penguins.

[Ali in OR]

I finally finished Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross this week! Do not read if you want something uplifting. Lots of interesting ways to kill off main characters in the middle ages. But I did find the whole series worthwhile and am glad to have read it--wished I had read them all in one year. I also read Jackaby which was a fun, quick read. I'm hoping one or both of my girls will pick it up too. I picked up another one hopefully for all three of us--Goodbye Stranger, a book Sonlight recommended for middle schoolers. The girls and I are also reading Pride and Prejudice aloud and I think they're enjoying it--they're laughing at the right lines and I don't have to explain too much.

 

Negin, I also picked up The Story of a New Name this week, but haven't started it yet. It's about twice the size of the first one which I found a little intimidating. But it's 29 pages too short to be the 500 page Bingo square! I'll probably start it this week.

 

Mumto2, I will have to print out the first post (I'm a print kind of girl) for a fabulous list of books I can just grab at the library for a fun read. Thanks so much!

[melbotoast]

Just had to pop in to recommend the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series by Susan Wittig Albert. It talks about Miss Potter's life after buying a farm and living in a small village. Great if you love cozy mysteries + historical fiction + a bit of whimsy.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I read Job: A Comedy of Justice, Heinlein's attempt at a blasphemous satire.  It was mildly entertaining, but not nearly so good as Good Omens.  Heinlein is incapable of writing a believable female character, I think - not that he was inordinately sexist, but a product of his time to such an extent that his books feel so very dated by the flatness of the female characters alone.  I'm now reading High Rise - sort of a Lord of the Flies about grownups - and having a similar issue.  

 

My other newly started book is Homer's Daughter, which I'm actually really enjoying - an interesting take on the Odysseus story, in which the Nausicaa of The Odyssey is actually a Sicilian princess and the epic's author.  

 

Other than that, still plugging away with Marquez - listening to 100 Years of Solitude, which I don't much care for, and reading Love in the Time of Cholera, which I do like very much.  I read this book for the first time years ago, during a very dramatic period of my life, and even wrote a poem about memory and eggplants.  It's holding up for me so far.  Weirdly, I can't remember what happens or how it ends.  I'm realizing, though, that Marquez is the modern master of the epithet:  maybe not a Homeric epithet, but a little, almost throwaway, defining phrase which defines an everyday object or event - which you had thought you understood - in a way that turns all your ideas and assumptions upside down.  They are these little surprising bon mots just sprinkled through the text, and they make it so enjoyable to read. That would be a fun term paper, to close read the book and pull out all these little gems and analyze them.  Ahh, in a different life . . . 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2016 by Chrysalis Academy

[Chrysalis Academy]

I finally finished Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross this week! Do not read if you want something uplifting. Lots of interesting ways to kill off main characters in the middle ages. But I did find the whole series worthwhile and am glad to have read it--wished I had read them all in one year. I also read Jackaby which was a fun, quick read. I'm hoping one or both of my girls will pick it up too. I picked up another one hopefully for all three of us--Goodbye Stranger, a book Sonlight recommended for middle schoolers. The girls and I are also reading Pride and Prejudice aloud and I think they're enjoying it--they're laughing at the right lines and I don't have to explain too much.

 

Negin, I also picked up The Story of a New Name this week, but haven't started it yet. It's about twice the size of the first one which I found a little intimidating. But it's 29 pages too short to be the 500 page Bingo square! I'll probably start it this week.

 

Mumto2, I will have to print out the first post (I'm a print kind of girl) for a fabulous list of books I can just grab at the library for a fun read. Thanks so much!

 

 

Hmm, I was thinking of taking Kristin Lavransdatter with me on my vacation in August, but your review has given me pause. Maybe it's more of a winter doldrums book?  I'll have to think about that. 

 

Goodbye Stranger was a great book, Shannon and I both read and enjoyed it when it was first published.

 

I can't wait to read Pride & Prejudice with my girls!

[Ali in OR]

Hmm, I was thinking of taking Kristin Lavransdatter with me on my vacation in August, but your review has given me pause. Maybe it's more of a winter doldrums book?  I'll have to think about that. 

 

Goodbye Stranger was a great book, Shannon and I both read and enjoyed it when it was first published.

 

I can't wait to read Pride & Prejudice with my girls!

 

You're fine with KL 1 or 2--just save book 3 for winter! I loved the setting in medieval Norway as I most likely had ancestors living there then (mom's mom was born in Norway), so that was always interesting to me. The whole series looks at the long-term costs (and some  pleasures) of Kristin choosing the dashing, beautiful, but weak in character Erlend instead of the responsible guy that dad picked out for her. Very well done.

[mumto2]

Just had to pop in to recommend the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series by Susan Wittig Albert. It talks about Miss Potter's life after buying a farm and living in a small village. Great if you love cozy mysteries + historical fiction + a bit of whimsy.

That is a series that I have been planning to try because Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles (set in Texas) is a long running personal favourite of mine. They are available in my overdrive but the first one in the series is never available when I am in the mood. My stacks of research are still pretty substantial. ;) I will get to it before year end, I think. :lol:

[JennW in SoCal]

Mumto2 -- thank you for the wonderful list. I can tell your research has just been sheer drudgery -- a slog through all those books you hate :laugh:

 

A delightful change of pace in life has resulted in my getting stuff done around the house and still having time to indulge in just reading. I need to strike this balance more often! I've read Jar City, the Icelandic mystery, finally finished the epic Dawn of Wonder and am half way through Naomi Novik's Uprooted.  Next up is Station Eleven and a few mysteries.

 

We saw an excellent production of Macbeth last week with a standout leading actor and really effective staging. But I was a little bugged by the addition of a music soundtrack.  Most of the music worked in serving the staging of the production, and yet, some of it seemed unnecessary as if the director felt a modern audience, used to movie and television soundtracks, needed music underscoring in order to understand the tension or the madness of Lady Macbeth. I can't quite put my finger on why it bothers me -- I love good lighting, something which of course Elizabethan audiences didn't have -- so why should canned music seem so jarring? Anyway I'm curious.  Have any  of you who attend theater, especially Shakespeare, noticed the addition of music to productions?  Do you like it?

[Stacia]

ErinE, I love The Great Gatsby. I'm always dumbfounded by the hate the book gets, but I suppose it's a love it or hate it kind of book. I had read it in high school (loved it then) & then re-read it again a few years ago when the Leonardo DiCaprio version of the movie came out. Btw, if you have read Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, you might have lots of fun reading Nick & Jake. Nick & Jake is just loads of fun with Nick Carraway & Jake Barnes (main character in The Sun Also Rises) writing letters/having adventures amidst a bunch of other famous characters, both fictional & real.

 

And, on a different note for ErinE, my dd finished The Aeronaut's Windlass a couple of days ago & loved it. She approved it for me because...

 

the cat does not die. I loved him when he was introduced in the beginning of the book, but was worried that he would be killed off later in the story. Dd assured me I can safely read the story, lol. (I am a wuss when it comes to animal characters in books or movies.)

 

 

I finished Warlock Holmes by G.S. Denning. I found it a really fun & well-done take-off on the Watson & Holmes duo. Very enjoyable & perfect summer reading for me.

 

I guess that next up for me are Uprooted (for book club) & The Plover (because I want to read something by Brian Doyle again).

 

Also, my mom's surgery is coming up this week, so any good wishes, thoughts, or prayers for her would be most appreciated. Thanks. :grouphug:

[Ethel Mertz]

Mumto2 - Great post! My 'to-read' list just grew exponentially!

 

I finished another 4 books this week: A Cast of Falcons by Steve Burrows has just been published. It is the 3rd in a series of 3 birding mysteries. This 3rd one took me quite a while to get into as it finally hooked me a bit more than halfway through. I re-read the first Mrs. Pollifax book (The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman). I read these books decades ago with my mother and am re-reading them now as a way to feel closer to my mother (who died over 2 years ago). Nice, fun read and I will be reading the 2nd book in that series this week. I also read the 12th book in the Miss Julia series (Ann B. Ross). I highly recommend this series; it's light, funny, and addictive. I also read the 8th in the Lucy Stone series by Leslie Meier. I'm enjoying this light, cozy, New England-based series as I am acquainted with the author.

 

I have a lot of reading time this week (Yay!). I'm currently part way through Lionel Shriver's new book, The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047. Fascinating read, especially in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

[Kathleen.]

oops, I forgot to put in our books last night  :huh:

 

I read Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" - I learn something new every time I read that play.  My 10yo read "Twelfth Night" retold by Bruce Coville.  She's preparing for another puppet show.

 

:001_smile:

[Jane in NC]

Wow--we're off to a great start this week thanks to Mumto2!  Thanks for the research. 

 

Negin--Ferrante is on my long term list.  Somehow I feel that I should finish the My Struggle saga (Knausgaard) before committing myself to another.

 

ErinE--Another fan of Gatsby, a perfect novel in my eyes, even if it does not have warm and fuzzy characters.

 

Jenn--Related to the music issue, we saw a community theater production that had a screen displaying snarky memes on it.  The show was a comic ensemble piece where occasionally there was a relevant graphic on the screen but I missed more than one punch line by focusing on the screen not the actor.  Weird from my perspective.  Is there a need to multi-task?

 

I am behind in reading HoRW but I am still reading it. I am also plodding my way through Steinbeck's Once There Was a War.  An essay or two a day is all I manage.

 

I am hanging out with Jenn in Iceland though, currently reading Arnaldur Indridason's Voice.  What compelling books!

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm also a huge fan of The Great Gatsby.  My high school boyfriend's last name was Baker, and so of course I was going to marry him and name our daughter Jordan.  Just because . . . 

[mumto2]

Jenn and Jane, I am contemplating joining you in Iceland but am trying to figure out where to start. Goodreads says Reyhjavik Nights is the first, book 0, but my library catalogue says it number ten. The catalogue implys Jar City is first, goodreads says it's book 3. Which one first.....remember I really prefer to read in order.

[Onceuponatime]

I love, love, love cozy mysteries. Right now I'm still working on Dreaming Spies by Laurie King and loving it. It kind of qualifies as a cozy and of course some of the main characters are British, but it takes place in Japan. The author gives us a wonderful glimpse of Japanese culture in the 1920's. Plus, the text is liberally sprinkled with Haikus and the spirit of Haiku artist Matsuo Basho travels through the story with us. I enjoy books that educate you through good fiction.

[JennW in SoCal]

Jenn and Jane, I am contemplating joining you in Iceland but am trying to figure out where to start. Goodreads says Reyhjavik Nights is the first, book 0, but my library catalogue says it number ten. The catalogue implys Jar City is first, goodreads says it's book 3. Which one first.....remember I really prefer to read in order.

 

Jane has read more of these than I have, so she should be able to steer you in the right direction.  Jar City was the first translated, I believe, so often gets listed as the first.  I'm woefully out of order with the two I've read because they are so hard to find require the patience of placing holds and waiting. I do so much better when the books I want are on the shelves in my area library branches! 

 

Then again the holdings in the two big library systems in my county just baffle me. All too often the titles I see recommended here are simply not available, even on Overdrive.  It's a large county, 3.3 million people, but they all seem to read the same mass market paperbacks!   

 

Going stop whining and search for which Indridason books actually available in the greater county area, then start putting a few on hold...

 

ETA  Alright, so my fussing about local libraries was a bit unfair!  The city system's new app for smart phones is quite brilliant, with an easier to use catalog than on-line, including a map showing where the book is currently available. I've got 2 of the Icelandic titles on hold -- Reykjavik Nights and Silence of the Grave. 

Edited June 26, 2016 by JennW in SoCal

[Mothersweets]

Love this week's topic-cozy mysteries are so much fun! Her Royal Spyness series is my favorite.

 

Last week I read French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair Living in the Loire Valley by Linda Kovic-Skow. I enjoyed it but had a hard time getting over the author's deception in the early part of the book. I also read the sequel and liked it better. I'm on my phone otherwise I'd explain more!

 

I did finish the shawl I was knitting for my dd's piano teacher. We gave it to her on Wednesday and she loved it.😊

[Jane in NC]

Jenn and Jane, I am contemplating joining you in Iceland but am trying to figure out where to start. Goodreads says Reyhjavik Nights is the first, book 0, but my library catalogue says it number ten. The catalogue implys Jar City is first, goodreads says it's book 3. Which one first.....remember I really prefer to read in order.

 

Warning, warning. This list has spoilers but it will tell you the order and which books have been translated. 

 

I read Jar City, Silence of the Grave, then the fourth of the translated books, The Draining Lake.  Not sure how I missed Voices (#3 of the translated) but I am reading it now. I don't have the solution to the mystery after reading #4, but I did know some of the background story going into this book. So while order is not imperative, in terms of background character information, more is revealed as the series progresses.

 

Now to confuse the matter, the linked list explains that Reykjavik Nights is the first of the "young" Erlendur books.  So while the action occur earlier chronologically in Erlendur's life, this book was penned later. 

 

After we finish these books, Jenn and I are meeting up in Iceland.  Or is that just another of Jane's fantasies slipping into the conversation?

 

[Jane in NC]

I did finish the shawl I was knitting for my dd's piano teacher. We gave it to her on Wednesday and she loved it.😊

image.jpg

 

Just gorgeous, Mothersweets! 

 

[ErinE]

ErinE, I love The Great Gatsby. I'm always dumbfounded by the hate the book gets, but I suppose it's a love it or hate it kind of book. I had read it in high school (loved it then) & then re-read it again a few years ago when the Leonardo DiCaprio version of the movie came out. Btw, if you have read Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, you might have lots of fun reading Nick & Jake. Nick & Jake is just loads of fun with Nick Carraway & Jake Barnes (main character in The Sun Also Rises) writing letters/having adventures amidst a bunch of other famous characters, both fictional & real.

 

And, on a different note for ErinE, my dd finished The Aeronaut's Windlass a couple of days ago & loved it.

 

I put it on my TBR list. I need to read The Sun Also Rises again. I'm sure we have it as DH likes Hemingway.

 

I'm glad your daughter liked The Aeronaut's Windlass. The character you mentioned was so well written and true to his nature.

[mumto2]

I love, love, love cozy mysteries. Right now I'm still working on Dreaming Spies by Laurie King and loving it. It kind of qualifies as a cozy and of course some of the main characters are British, but it takes place in Japan. The author gives us a wonderful glimpse of Japanese culture in the 1920's. Plus, the text is liberally sprinkled with Haikus and the spirit of Haiku artist Matsuo Basho travels through the story with us. I enjoy books that educate you through good fiction.

I really like the Marry Russell series too. :) It was on my starter list but I ended up weeding it out mainly due to length. They are on Cozy lists, but I started feeling like all British mysteries were on someone's cozy list! My original list was huge, really huge!

 

I have been busy reading Jane Steele today and loving it. Not what I was expecting at all. I thought it was going to be a violent retelling of Jane Eyre. There is violence but this is it's own story. You could definitely read and enjoy it without having read Jane Eyre. I looked around for a link and liked this one best. http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/jane-steele-lyndsay-faye/

[mumto2]

Warning, warning. This list has spoilers but it will tell you the order and which books have been translated.

 

I read Jar City, Silence of the Grave, then the fourth of the translated books, The Draining Lake. Not sure how I missed Voices (#3 of the translated) but I am reading it now. I don't have the solution to the mystery after reading #4, but I did know some of the background story going into this book. So while order is not imperative, in terms of background character information, more is revealed as the series progresses.

 

Now to confuse the matter, the linked list explains that Reykjavik Nights is the first of the "young" Erlendur books. So while the action occur earlier chronologically in Erlendur's life, this book was penned later.

 

After we finish these books, Jenn and I are meeting up in Iceland. Or is that just another of Jane's fantasies slipping into the conversation?

 

I think I will start with Jar City or maybe I should start with the beginning. I think I will make the big decision tomorrow! But just so you guys know I want to go to the Iceland party too! :)

[Stacia]

I think I will start with Jar City or maybe I should start with the beginning. I think I will make the big decision tomorrow! But just so you guys know I want to go to the Iceland party too! :)

 

Me too! I want to go to Iceland too! :D

 

And, I already checked & my library branch has a copy of Jar City on the shelf, so I'm hoping I remember to grab it when I'm at work tomorrow.

 

P.S. For non-fiction Iceland (w/ what I suspect is a much lighter touch than Arnaldur's stories), check out Gnarr! It was a light, quick, easy read (& I was easily able to read it in one sitting). I think Kathy read it too & enjoyed it. If we go to Iceland, I think we should try to meet him while there. :)

 

[Stacia]

This week it's back to Scottish literature with short story collection A Beleaguered City by Margaret Oliphant (1880). Dh and Middle Girl have already read it and judged it Odd.

 

I love that they didn't just judge it odd but, rather, Odd with a capital "O". :lol:

 

Now I'm intrigued.... :leaving:

 

I read 'The Zero Waste Home' and think it is an odd book.

'get no children so you get less waste' might be true but not my piece of cake.

She is also that focused on lesser Waste, she takes to little notice of the entire environmental problem.

 

I don't remember that part of her book (fewer children = less waste). But, I would guess she was saying that probably in terms of overpopulation in general?

 

I read the book a few years ago & really liked it. I didn't think she was trying to tackle or take notice of the bigger/entire environment problem, rather looking at it on a micro-/family/individual level to show concrete things each person can do to help. So many know there are big environmental problems, but the problems seem so big, so overwhelming, so global in nature, it is sometimes paralyzing or confusing for an individual to figure out what, if anything, s/he can do. I think her theory is to present many small things that individuals can do. And, over time & en masse, hopefully all these small items might add up for the greater good. As you say, she doesn't address bigger groups -- be they companies, governments, etc... -- & their influence & impact, nor does she address the bigger issues/impacts/consequences. But I don't think that was the focus of her book.

 

Even though she's French, she has lived in the US a long time. I wonder if there is some thought gap between how the US (or US population in general) faces environmental responsibility & impact vs. a European viewpoint? And, extending it further out, vs. all other areas of the world? Her message may have specific impact some places but not so much in others.

 

I read Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.  Really enjoyed it...one review says it's a cross between World War Z and The Martian and I somewhat concur.  The ending was somewhat abrupt, but I like the storytelling through interviews, journal entries and news articles.  It's the story of a young girl who is out riding her bike and falls into a hole.  I perfectly square-shaped hole in which lies a huge metal hand.  The girl grows up to become a physicist chosen to head up the research into what this artifact is and can do...

 

Glad to hear it's good. I have it on my to-read list (I think coming from a list Kareni linked recently).

 

Other than that, still plugging away with Marquez - listening to 100 Years of Solitude, which I don't much care for, and reading Love in the Time of Cholera, which I do like very much.  I read this book for the first time years ago, during a very dramatic period of my life, and even wrote a poem about memory and eggplants.  It's holding up for me so far.  Weirdly, I can't remember what happens or how it ends.  I'm realizing, though, that Marquez is the modern master of the epithet:  maybe not a Homeric epithet, but a little, almost throwaway, defining phrase which defines an everyday object or event - which you had thought you understood - in a way that turns all your ideas and assumptions upside down.  They are these little surprising bon mots just sprinkled through the text, and they make it so enjoyable to read. That would be a fun term paper, to close read the book and pull out all these little gems and analyze them.  Ahh, in a different life . . . 

 

Ah, I'm the opposite. I hated Love in the Time of Cholera, but enjoyed (mostly) One Hundred Years of Solitude.

 

Love your statement re: his epithets & being able to study them for an entire course/research paper. You are so right & the idea is just delightful, imo.

 

We are such a group of book nerds! :hurray: :lol:

 

Mumto2 - Great post! My 'to-read' list just grew exponentially!

 

<snip>

 

I have a lot of reading time this week (Yay!).

 

Echoing the many statements thanking mumto2 for today's post. I'll probably use it for myself a bit & will definitely keep it handy for my dad since he loves cozy mysteries.

 

Glad you're finding some reading time this week, Ethel. How are you feeling now?

 

I'm also a huge fan of The Great Gatsby.  My high school boyfriend's last name was Baker, and so of course I was going to marry him and name our daughter Jordan.  Just because . . . 

 

Love it.

 

I love, love, love cozy mysteries. Right now I'm still working on Dreaming Spies by Laurie King and loving it. It kind of qualifies as a cozy and of course some of the main characters are British, but it takes place in Japan. The author gives us a wonderful glimpse of Japanese culture in the 1920's. Plus, the text is liberally sprinkled with Haikus and the spirit of Haiku artist Matsuo Basho travels through the story with us. I enjoy books that educate you through good fiction.

 

I need to get back to this series someday.

 

I did finish the shawl I was knitting for my dd's piano teacher. We gave it to her on Wednesday and she loved it.😊

image.jpg

 

No wonder she loved it! It's gorgeous & amazing. Just fabulous!

[Ethel Mertz]

Glad you're finding some reading time this week, Ethel. How are you feeling now?

 

 

Back to normal - or at least what passes as "normal!" Whether or not I've ever been "normal" has been a topic of much debate...

[AFwife Claire]

Ha!  I am so thankful for this thread!  I've been on a bit of a cozy mystery kick lately, since school's been done.  I love the Her Royal Spyness series also, and I've just recently read a few Kate Carlisle ones (not British themed though).  

 

I have been casting my mind back, trying to remember this one series I started several years ago about an American lady who now lives in England with her husband, a retired investigator/police type man.  I really enjoyed the 3-4 or

fthem I read, and I could even remember some scenes in my mind, but I couldn't find them just by randomly walking down aisles in my library or anything.  It has really been bugging me!  So I opened one of the links in the first post, the British Themed Cozy Mysteries Unlimited list, and there it was!  The "Dorothy Martin" series by Jeanne Dams!  I'm so happy to get that mystery out of my brain!  And now I have several other series to look into as well . . .

[Jamee]

I know I pop in and out of here, but LOVE the list! Surprisingly, I'm keeping on track this year and have already finished 26 books.  My goal this summer is to tackle the books that I've put aside over the years and get them finished. I'm currently reading BFG though for the movie release this week. 

 

A series that came to mind with this category though, that I didn't see on the list: https://www.goodreads.com/series/44901-44-scotland-street I've only read the first one, but it was enjoyable. 

[Angelaboord]

I should learn not to say things like, "I hope this week will be less stressful." Abby's cardiologist dropped a bomb on us out of the blue; her hole is apparently not closing as he had hoped and he recommends surgery ASAP to avoid coming down with more respiratory viruses, etc. and having to put it off or chancing her getting really sick. And our AC went out. We'll need to replace the unit. Kind of an afterthought in the face of open heart surgery, but the timing could have been better.

 

I had to take a break from worrying this weekend so I finished Crooked Heart by Alissa Evans. Quite a good book, and just the kind of thing I needed to take a break from worrying. The publisher's blurb makes it sound either like suspense or a "black comedy", but it's really neither. Warm, somewhat humorous, hopeful historical fiction set during the London Blitz. The main character, Noel Bostock, is a 10 year old orphaned evacuee with a love of murder mysteries and an excellent vocabulary.

 

We don't know the date of the surgery yet, but I guess that tomorrow I am going to resume worrying and trying to get things set up for a two week hospital stay. I have no idea if I will have the ability or the mental capacity to read , but I am trying to gather some books because that's what I do. Can anyone suggest any good uplifting but not sappy books that are not emotionally taxing at all? Crooked Heart was a good one but I've finished it already. I was thinking of putting The Awakening of Miss Prim on the list. And I might check out some of those cozies, too. Any other suggestions? I might be in the mood for more historical fiction.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Ali in OR]

"Liking" just for support, Angela. I'm sorry that surgery is in the picture. They will take good care of you all in the PICU. But there is no avoiding the stress I think.

 

Uplifting easy reading? Hmmm...

 

The Rosie Project

Georgette Heyer romances

maybe a cozy mystery???

 

Sorry--not too much on my shelves seems to fit.

[Mothersweets]

Just gorgeous, Mothersweets!

 

 

 

No wonder she loved it! It's gorgeous & amazing. Just fabulous!

Thank you both! It was a learning experience for me; I learned couple new skills and am pretty comfortable reading a chart now.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Hugs to you and Abby, Angela. I hope it all goes well.  :grouphug:

[Jane in NC]

Angela, my ultimate comfort books are those by Miss Read. She came with me when my infant son had surgery and she held my hand through sleepless nights.

 

Sending you and your family good thoughts.

 

Hugs.

[nrg]

Let us not neglect M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin and the inimitable Ladies' Number 1 Detective Agency. I do love a light fluffy cozy.

[ErinE]

We don't know the date of the surgery yet, but I guess that tomorrow I am going to resume worrying and trying to get things set up for a two week hospital stay. I have no idea if I will have the ability or the mental capacity to read , but I am trying to gather some books because that's what I do. Can anyone suggest any good uplifting but not sappy books that are not emotionally taxing at all? Crooked Heart was a good one but I've finished it already. I was thinking of putting The Awakening of Miss Prim on the list. And I might check out some of those cozies, too. Any other suggestions? I might be in the mood for more historical fiction.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Prayers and good thoughts are sent your way. Keep us posted.

[Kareni]

Thanks for your post, mumto2.

 

Best wishes, Angela, your daughter's surgery. 

 

And to your mother, Stacia, with her surgery.

 

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Mom-ninja.]

finished Vanity Fair. Whew, long book. Enjoyed it though. 

[Stacia]

:grouphug:  Angela. Hope Abby's surgery goes well for her & that she has a quick & healthy recovery.

 

Not sure about light, uplifting reading, but have you read The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim?

[Loesje22000]

 

I don't remember that part of her book (fewer children = less waste). But, I would guess she was saying that probably in terms of overpopulation in general?

 

I read the book a few years ago & really liked it. I didn't think she was trying to tackle or take notice of the bigger/entire environment problem, rather looking at it on a micro-/family/individual level to show concrete things each person can do to help. So many know there are big environmental problems, but the problems seem so big, so overwhelming, so global in nature, it is sometimes paralyzing or confusing for an individual to figure out what, if anything, s/he can do. I think her theory is to present many small things that individuals can do. And, over time & en masse, hopefully all these small items might add up for the greater good. As you say, she doesn't address bigger groups -- be they companies, governments, etc... -- & their influence & impact, nor does she address the bigger issues/impacts/consequences. But I don't think that was the focus of her book.

 

Even though she's French, she has lived in the US a long time. I wonder if there is some thought gap between how the US (or US population in general) faces environmental responsibility & impact vs. a European viewpoint? And, extending it further out, vs. all other areas of the world? Her message may have specific impact some places but not so much in others.

 

 

I can see that cultural differences might be a bigger influence then I realized.

In my eyes I read a book about minimalistic living, not necessary about waste reduce or a greener life.

(several chapters start with getting rid of your stuff, in my eyes that increases your waste)

 

I got not the impression she was talking about overpopulation.

But I can have misread the text.

I got the feeling she used her 'refuse - reuse' model on the topic of children. (adoption is better then getting own children, no children is the best)

 

The book had its positives too:

I found a Flemish blog about someone who also reduces her waste extremely, but integrates the ecological footprint aspect.

I used more of my internet time for searching alternatives.

I checked my local waste, recycle and compost 'rules' and several of her 'solutions' are simply not allowed where I live.

 

So the book did not made a 'click' with me.

[mumto2]

Ha! I am so thankful for this thread! I've been on a bit of a cozy mystery kick lately, since school's been done. I love the Her Royal Spyness series also, and I've just recently read a few Kate Carlisle ones (not British themed though).

 

I have been casting my mind back, trying to remember this one series I started several years ago about an American lady who now lives in England with her husband, a retired investigator/police type man. I really enjoyed the 3-4 or

fthem I read, and I could even remember some scenes in my mind, but I couldn't find them just by randomly walking down aisles in my library or anything. It has really been bugging me! So I opened one of the links in the first post, the British Themed Cozy Mysteries Unlimited list, and there it was! The "Dorothy Martin" series by Jeanne Dams! I'm so happy to get that mystery out of my brain! And now I have several other series to look into as well . . .

 

Jeanne Dams is on my to read list and probably just moved a few books higher! :)

 

 

 

I know I pop in and out of here, but LOVE the list! Surprisingly, I'm keeping on track this year and have already finished 26 books. My goal this summer is to tackle the books that I've put aside over the years and get them finished. I'm currently reading BFG though for the movie release this week.

 

A series that came to mind with this category though, that I didn't see on the list: https://www.goodreads.com/series/44901-44-scotland-street I've only read the first one, but it was enjoyable.

 

 

I had forgotten about the Scotland Street series which is a favourite of Shukriyya's I believe. I wish I had read one for my list! When I think of that author I always think of Ladies Detective Agency which has the wrong location. Another series to try!

 

 

I can see that cultural differences might be a bigger influence then I realized.

In my eyes I read a book about minimalistic living, not necessary about waste reduce or a greener life.

(several chapters start with getting rid of your stuff, in my eyes that increases your waste)

 

I got not the impression she was talking about overpopulation.

But I can have misread the text.

I got the feeling she used her 'refuse - reuse' model on the topic of children. (adoption is better then getting own children, no children is the best)

 

The book had its positives too:

I found a Flemish blog about someone who also reduces her waste extremely, but integrates the ecological footprint aspect.

I used more of my internet time for searching alternatives.

I checked my local waste, recycle and compost 'rules' and several of her 'solutions' are simply not allowed where I live.

 

So the book did not made a 'click' with me.

I have to admit this book sounds fascinating but I suspect I would also find many of the solutions a bit difficult to implement due to local recycling rules.

 

Eta. I got so involved in my multiquote plus family members with needs invaded me twice I forgot to add some messages onto my post.

 

Angela :grouphug: and prayers to you and Abby. Regarding the reading for the hospital I would probably go for cozy mysteries and historical romances. Maybe the first in a couple of series so you can just get the next one if you end up reading a lot.

 

Stacia :grouphug: and prayers for your family also.

 

Mothersweets, I love the shawl! I think we both need to make one for ourselves.....

Edited June 27, 2016 by mumto2

[Loesje22000]

  

I have to admit this book sounds fascinating but I suspect I would also find many of the solutions a bit difficult to implement due to local recycling rules.

 

I have the book for sale ;)

 

We are not allowed to compost bamboo toothbrushes, or put them in the garden waste container par example.

I found toothbrushes 100% made of recycled plastic though.

 

 

A waste free supermarket is not available in my area.

We should drive at least an hour for it by car, and more car use is not sustainable too.

 

The book opened the discussion in our household about paper tissues vs. fabric handkerchieves,

but made us also wonder how she cleans her toilet if she does not use a toilet brush (it is one of the items she got rid of)

[Violet Crown]

Today I finished The Penguin Book of Scottish Verse, which I have been reading intermittently for the last few weeks and which has prompted the acquisition of several more collections by particular poets, not to mention a need to re-read my Burns when I get home. The editor, Tom Scott, is one of the poets anthologized, and his contribution has me keeping my eye out for more of his work.

 

I've posted a few of the poems from this collection; but here's one last, about Mary Queen of Scots, by twentieth-century poet Marion Angus; this one in modern English rather than medieval Scots (you're welcome).

 

ALAS! POOR QUEEN

 

She was skilled in music and the dance

And the old arts of love

At the court of the poisoned rose

And the perfumed glove,

And gave her beautiful hand

To the pale Dauphin

A triple crown to win –

And she loved little dogs

And parrots

And red-legged partridges

And the golden fishes of the Duc de Guise

And a pigeon with a blue ruff

She had from Monsieur d’Elboeuf.

 

Master John Knox was no friend to her;

She spoke him soft and kind,

Her honeyed words were Satan’s lure

The unwary soul to bind.

‘Good sir, doth a lissome shape

And a comely face

Offend your God His Grace

Whose Wisdom maketh these

Golden fishes of the Duc de Guise?

 

She rode through Liddesdale with a song;

‘Ye streams sae wondrous strang,

Oh, mak’ me a wrack as I come back

But spare me as I gang.’

While a hill-bird cried and cried

Like a spirit lost

By the grey storm-wind tost.

 

Consider the way she had to go,

Think of the hungry snare,

The net she herself had woven,

Aware or unaware,

Of the dancing feet grown still,

The blinded eyes –

Queens should be cold and wise,

And she loved little things,

Parrots

And red-legged partridges

And the golden fishes of the Duc de Guise

And the pigeon with the blue ruff

She had from Monsieur d’Elboeuf.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Violet Crown