Book a Week 2018 - BW14: April backpacking coast to Coast

[Robin M]

Welcome back to the upgraded forum and to week fourteen 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.

 We bid goodbye to March and Ireland as we begin April Backpacking Coast to Coast in Iceland with a grand  Góðan daginn.   We are going to follow in the tracks of our authors of the month - Arnaldur Indriðason and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir - as well as learn about Iceland's bookish history.  Plus spend some time exploring Reykjavik’s bookstores and the National and University Library of Iceland.   Watch and listen to what writers Sjon and Magnason have to say on how Iceland inspires their creativity. 

Check out the long list of nominees for the International Dublin Literary Award 2018 as the shortlist will be released on April 4th.  Icelandic Literature Center's From Sagas to Novels talks about how authors have made the world their subject. Get ready for your armchair travels with  What to read before going to Iceland,  books set in Iceland as well as Goodread's long list of Popular Icelandic Authors. 

Our flower of the month is part of the Rosaceae family - the Mountain Aven -  which is Iceland's national flower.  Also called the Dryas octopetala.  In Icelandic, the name of this species is both Holtasóley and Hárbrúða.  For this month's Blossom Bookology challenge, you need only spell out AVEN.  If you wish to challenge yourself, you may choose to spell out any of the related words.  

For our Brit Trippers, the next leg of our trip runs along Dere Street starting in North Yorkshire. Dere Street runs north towards Scotland and the Romans used it as a travel route for their legions stationed on the borderlands and on Hadrian’s Wall. Lots of things to explore in Yorkshire from the beautiful scenery to animals and authors including James Herriot.

 Rabbit trails: Harry Potter Scenery Walk, Helmsley,  Riveraulx Abbey,  James Herriot All Creatures… ,  Brimham Rocks,   Fountains Abbey,  For Wallace and Gromit fans,  Wensleydale sheep,  Middleham Castle, and Richmond Castle

 
Have fun armchair traveling through Iceland and following rabbit trails! 

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

 What are you reading? 

 

 Link to Week 12 / 13

[Robin M]

Howdy, glad to see we are back online.  Missed you all!!!!   Will have to play later and figure out the new bells and whistles.  

I'm currently reading Sheri Cobb South's Dinner Most Deadly.    Will fill in on more reads later. Back to lessons!  

[Mothersweets]

Hi everyone! I sure missed you all!

Speaking of North Yorkshire, I've recently been binging on a new-to-me show - The Yorkshire Vet - it follows a veterinary practice in Thirsk, North Yorkshire - where James Herriot of All Creatures Great and Small practiced. Super interesting!

I didn't do a ton of reading, mainly just finished up a few books so I could get them back to the library on time.

Thornhill A spooky graphic novel aimed at middle readers (I think?). It was ok. My 13yo and 17yo both read it and were so-so about it. It kind of left us all scratching our heads and going, "Huh?" and "Hmmm, maybe".

Picnic at Hanging Rock I waited for this to come in from the library for almost two months! And then I read it and it was meh. Maybe the movie version is more engrossing?

Dead Water (Shetland Island #5) Oh Jimmy Perez, I don't care how many cups of instant coffee I have to drink, or how much traipsing back and forth over the island I have to do, I always enjoy my time spent with you. ❤️ ? Thank goodness there are still three books in the series that I have yet to read (AND series 4 should be available in the US soon!).

Right now I am reading The Miniaturist, The Last Anniversary, and listening to The Durrell's of Corfu.

 

[Kareni]

It's nice to be back!

6 hours ago, aggieamy said:

I'm curious as to how the file upload feature works ... giving it a try ... now

 

What a lovely photo, aggieamy!

5 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

... a pic I took of my stack of not-English reading a while back that wouldn't post because it was too big... let's see if this works! :D

 

That's quite the stack, Matryoshka!

4 hours ago, Maus said:

23. "Honey for a Child's Heart" by Gladys Hunt.  Looking for some great new read-alouds.

 

I liked that book, too.  One of my favorites in that vein is the out of print  Reading for the Love of It: Best Books for Young Readers  by Michele Landsberg.

3 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Trying the photos........ This is my current EPP project.  That’s what I have been doing... 

 

What a lovely piece!  What is EPP if I may ask?

2 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Murder in Thrall by Anne Cleeland.  I listened to the first three in this series because it is one big continuous story.  They are interesting but I have to admit part of that was my horror that the main male character is a stalker and the female is just fine about the stalking.  These characters are strange and do some pretty awful things as the story progresses......they are both police detectives. Adult content.

 

Yes, strange is a good description of the series, and the hero is decidedly unheroic.  That said, I do like the books and have re-read the series a number of times.

Regards,

Kareni

[-M-]

Hello, again! Earlier today, I posted in the previous thread, but thought I’d check in here, too. This week I’m reading Celeste Ng’s two novels, Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere.

[tuesdayschild]

It is so nice to have the forums back up and running!  Enjoyed the pictures being shared on last times thread!  Being without a venue to discuss books, our Easter weekend visitors got bludgeoned coerced into talking books with me – desperate times call for desperate measures.

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

I’m back on the rebel bus for the Brit Trip.  Completed since last check-in:

• The Rags of Time: DC Smith # 6  ~ Peter Grainger   (3) (London / West Norfolk)
• Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death: Bk1 ~ James Runcie  (library book) (2)  Cambridgeshire
• The Talisman Ring ~ Georgette Heyer  (re-listen) (4)  Sussex     Phyllida Nash is a favourite narrator.
• Time and Tide : DC Smith #7 ~ Peter Grainger (3.5)  Norfolk
• Why Didn’t They Ask Evans ~ Agatha Christie (re-listen)  (2.5)   Denbighshire, Wales / London
• Hidden Places ~ Lynn Austen (4.5) USA 1930’s. Christian fiction with an underlying mystery: who is Gabe Harper?  My review  

Books being played or read:

• The Book of Psalms (in a standard KJV bible)
• Sister Eve, Private Eye ~ Lynne Hinton  (library book)   (USA)
• Three Men in a Boat ~ Jerome   London, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire

Still sipping my way through these titles:

• First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill ~ Sonia Purnell 
• The Divine Comedy ~ Dante/Longfellow    I’ve just started Paradiso (it’s taken me nearly two years to get this far.  This is definitely not a read I can rapidly consume – I like to pause and ponder over this poem)
• North and South ~ Elizabeth Gaskell     Manchester, Cornwall. London. (switching between audio & e.book)
• The Richest Man in Babylon ~ Clason  

[LaughingCat]

10 hours ago, SKL said:

Still only about halfway through Seraphina (audiobook with the kids).  It's pretty long and not super easy to follow.  (I don't drive them around as much any more, so that drags it out.)  We also read the Book of Ruth as part of their scout requirements.  Haven't made any progress on our read-aloud lately.

1

I'm reading Seraphina -- about halfway and about to give up on it -- anyone have reasons I should stick with it? 

Otherwise I've been reading mostly romance and weight loss books ...nothing really to share there though.  

[Robin M]

Woot! This is interesting. Feel like we just moved and are still unpacking all the boxes.  Not sure where the box with the dishes went yet?  :)    Haven't quite finished the taxes yet so will be finishing this week.  Last week kind of passed in a blur.  We are firing our contractor who hasn't show up the past four weeks.  He say's he'll come by tomorrow (after I requested a command performance) for an accounting but I have the feeling he's going to bail.   John's already found a new guy although it's going to be more expensive.  Where's the emoticon for bashing your head against a brick wall.  :0

We watched The Last Jedi which was absolutely awesome - many many layers and looking forward to watching it again. 

My Buying ban is officially over with four books purchased on the first:  Faith Hunter's Flame in the Dark, Alexandra Bracken's Wayfarer,   Jordan Rosenfeld's Writer's Guide to Persistence, and Tarryn Fisher's Mud Vein.  

I finished Clover with Michael Connolly's The Overlook-  Yeah! 

C: Chosen - K.F. Breene (#1 Warrior Chronicles, fantasy, 412, e)
L:  Louise Penny - Glass Houses ((#13 Armand Gamache, mystery, 400)
O: The Overlook - Michael Connolly (#13 Harry Bosch, detective, 277)
V: Carrie Vaughn - Discord's Apple (paranormal, 300, e)
E: Elizabeth the First Wife - Lian Dolan (Literary fiction, 282, e)
R: Rachel Caine - Ill Wind (#1 Weather Warden, paranormal, 345, e)

Over the break I read Alexandra Bracken's The Passenger as well as C.E. Murphy's Atlantis Fallen.   In my backpack for  April's trip through Iceland I have Yrsa S.'s Last Rituals and Michael Ridpath's Far North. Still working slowly through Jordan's Crossroads of Twilight.

Glad to be back!   Hugs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robin M]

1 hour ago, tuesdayschild said:

IHere is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

13 so far! 

[Robin M]

8 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Trying the photos........ This is my current EPP project.  That’s what I have been doing...  I have finished a few books too!

 

eta......I can’t believe I can post pictures!  How incredibly fun!

 

 

Gorgeous! Love the colors! 

[mumto2]

4 hours ago, Kareni said:

 

 

What a lovely piece!  What is EPP if I may ask?

EPP is English Paper Piecing.  It’s a really old technique where the fabric is basted onto pieces of paper cut to the exact size to fit together and sewed together by hand.  I have examined really old quilts where they left the paper in, speculating for added warmth, and loved looking at the scrap paper.  I will come back and link the Bronte quilt from Haworth that someone I have met recently remade using EPP.  The new quilt is now the one on display to preserve the old one.

https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/quilt-display-has-brontes-covered-1-7855110

 

Yes, strange is a good description of the series, and the hero is decidedly unheroic.  That said, I do like the books and have re-read the series a number of times.

I couldn’t figure out how else to describe it.  They are just plain odd because it seems like every character is corrupt.  I do have the next couple located at a different library but think I need a break from listening to these.  I suspect they are quick easy books to read.

 

Quote

 

 

[PeacefulChaos]

Whew.  The forum forgot me so I just got that straightened out... I think!

 

I'm so glad the forums are back!  Since I was last here, I finished The Expatriates, which was a pretty good read.  I also read My Absolute Darling, which was a less good read.  I'm not someone who is generally bothered by violence in books, but this one really did bother me.  I didn't like that part of it at all, and almost abandoned it a couple times; but the little part of me that was just curious enough to see what was going to happen would come back the next day to see how it ended.  And it ended fine.  But I guess I'll be on the lookout in the future for books that may have similar content of as graphic nature as this had, and not read them.  

 

So I learned something new about myself, I guess, with that?

 

Other than reading, last week we introduced our kids to someone very important - Indiana Jones!   I used to have all 3 (originals, obviously) movies on VHS but never got them on DVD and they aren't on Netflix, so they'd never seen them.  At the library last week I perused the DVD section (which is surprisingly well stocked!) and found them there!  So that was a happy day lol.  

 

And lastly, inspection/loan/all that has gone through and been approved for the house, and we close Tuesday the 10th.  So packing.  UGH PACKING!! o.O

[JennyD]

Hello everyone!  Delighted that we are all back again.

Last week I read The Book of Separation, a memoir by Tova Mirvis.  Mirvis is a novelist who has written several books, two of which involve the Memphis Orthodox Jewish community in which Mirivs herself grew up.  The memoir is the story about how she left both Orthodoxy and her marriage.  She is an excellent writer (I have read and enjoyed her novels as well) and while at times it seems like she is (understandably) holding back a lot from the retelling, ultimately I found it quite compelling.

I also read Elizabeth George's latest Inspector Lynley novel, The Punishment She Deserves.  The last few in the series were so bad that I had vowed not to read any more, but it was on the Lucky Day shelf at the library, and the first few pages were good, so I took a chance.  And it was really good!  So much better than the last books -- very glad to have my faith in the series restored.

Finally, I started reading Roxane Gay's book of essays, Bad Feminist, only to put it down again because it is all about movies, books, and songs with which I'm totally unfamiliar.  I like her perspective but I just had no idea what she was talking about in many of the essays, so I eventually gave up and returned it to the library.

 

[Kareni]

31 minutes ago, JennyD said:

... it was on the Lucky Day shelf at the library ....

 

Our library also has a Lucky Day shelf.  Now I'm wondering who else amongst us has the same.

52 minutes ago, PeacefulChaos said:

Other than reading, last week we introduced our kids to someone very important - Indiana Jones!   ...

And lastly, inspection/loan/all that has gone through and been approved for the house, and we close Tuesday the 10th.  So packing.  UGH PACKING!! o.O

 

Congratulations on being approved for the house.  And good luck with the packing.

I think that one of the joys of parenting is introducing our children to important things from our past.  In my house, those important things included my favorite original Star Trek novels plus the television show, MASH, ABBA songs, Don Camillo books, and other culturally significant stuff!

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

EPP is English Paper Piecing.  It’s a really old technique where the fabric is basted onto pieces of paper cut to the exact size to fit together and sewed together by hand.  I have examined really old quilts where they left the paper in, speculating for added warmth, and loved looking at the scrap paper.  I will come back and link the Bronte quilt from Haworth that someone I have met recently remade using EPP.  The new quilt is now the one on display to preserve the old one.

https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/quilt-display-has-brontes-covered-1-7855110

 

Ah, thank you for the explanation!

If you continue on with the Anne Cleeland books, I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts.  FYI: The characters do not become any less corrupt!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

Woot! This is interesting. Feel like we just moved and are still unpacking all the boxes.  Not sure where the box with the dishes went yet?  :)   ...

My Buying ban is officially over with four books purchased on the first:  Faith Hunter's Flame in the Dark, Alexandra Bracken's Wayfarer,   Jordan Rosenfeld's Writer's Guide to Persistence, and Tarryn Fisher's Mud Vein. 

 

I think the box with the dishes is hidden somewhere with the dog's bowl.

Happy book buying!

2 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

 

Fun question!

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

13 so far! 

 

Do you care to name them?

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

Finished

Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy (York)
St Ælred of Rievaulx, Spiritual Friendship (North Yorkshire)
Philip Roth, Goodbye, Columbus
William Faulkner, The Wild Palms

Currently reading

Anonymous, Life of St Cuthbert (Durham)
Geraldine Jewsbury, The Half Sisters (Tyne and Wear)
Tolstoy, Essays

 

 

 

 

[Kareni]

Here's what I've read since the board went away ~

— Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover – This was a rather harrowing read, but it was gripping and I finished it in a day.

— How to Stop Time by Matt Haig – This an enjoyable novel about a man who ages incredibly slowly. When the story begins he looks about forty but is over five hundred years old. The story raises some interesting questions to ponder.  I think this might become a movie; if so, I'd be interested in seeing it.

— A Country Christmas by Josi Kilpack, Carla Kelly, and Jennifer Moore. I was interested in reading this collection of historical romance novellas because it contained a work by a favorite author, Carla Kelly. I very much enjoyed Kelly’s The Christmas Angle (no, that is not a spelling error) and look forward to her forthcoming book which will continue the story of these two characters. The other two stories left me untouched.

— the contemporary romance suspense work Whispers to the Heart by Kimberly Reeves which is currently free to Kindle readers. I finished this but the description was more appealing than the story.

— the contemporary romances Blind Seduction and Color Blind by T. Hammond which feature a woman (who is blind) in a love triangle. Particularly interesting is the fact that she and her dog can communicate. I’d happily read more in this series.

— Blue Murder, book two of Emma Jameson’s Lord and Lady Hetheridge series, which I had not previously read (though I’d read all the other books up through five). The first three books are on sale for 99 cents for Kindle readers here.

— Kim Fielding’s The Little Library which I quite enjoyed along with her story No Place Like Home. These are both male/male contemporary romances.

— reread with pleasure Marie Force’s One Night With You: A Fatal Series Prequel Novella (currently free to Kindle readers) along with Fatal Affair, Fatal Justice, and Fatal Consequences .

— Remedial Rocket Science by Susannah Nix – this was a pleasant new adult romance.

— Wet Heat by R.D. Hero – this was a quick male/male romance involving werewolves; the world was unusual and I was left with questions.

2 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

 

I can't answer this question as regards the year to date.  Of the works I just listed above, eight were by authors that were new to me.

Regards,

Kareni

 

[Matryoshka]

3 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

Great question!  21/28 so far. :)

And since Kareni asked for a list...  ;)

1. Clare Dudman
2. Haldor Laxness
3. Reza Aslan
4. Clifford D. Simak
5. Keigo Higashino
6. Yuri Herrera
7. Joan Slonczewski
8. Frank Herbert
9. Kory Stamper
10. Stefanie Zweig
11. Peter Heller
12. Jaroslav Kalfař
13. Kei Miller
14. China Miéville
15. María Rosa Menocal
16. Mur Lafferty
17. Gail Tsukiyama
18. Mary Doria Russell
19. Ayobami Adebayo
20. Margareta Magnusson
21. John Hooper

[tuesdayschild]

3 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   

 

Thanks to the Brit Trip challenge I've read more new-to-me fiction authors than I usually would.  New non-fiction authors are easier to collect.    (The follow-on thought was should NF works count towards new to you authors?   I say surely they must if it's in a story styled format and is not a textbook?  Or am I one of the few that would count N/F authors? )

22 new authors so far this year.

11 Fiction authors:

1. Heron Carvic
2. Charles Todd 
3. Clare Vanderpool
4. Peter Grainger
5. Kazuo Ishiguro
6. Sophie Hannah
7. Lynn Austen
8. James Runcie
9. David Veart
10. Martha Wells
11. Lynne Hinton

11 Non- Fiction authors:

1. Diane Ackerman
2. Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor
3. John Geiger 
4. Donnie Eichar  
5. David I. Levy
6. Erik Vance
7. Tom Sancton
8. Steven Johnson
9. Ian Hunter
10. Amy Williams
11. Sonia Purnell

[Matryoshka]

4 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

Thanks to the Brit Trip challenge I've read more new-to-me fiction authors than I usually would.  New non-fiction authors are easier to collect.    (The follow-on thought was should NF works count towards new to you authors?   I say surely they must if it's in a story styled format and is not a textbook?  Or am I one of the few that would count N/F authors? )

Lol, I didn't realize we shouldn't include n/f authors... 5 of the ones I listed in mine were n/f... ;)

[Robin M]

3 hours ago, Kareni said:

Do you care to name them?

Regards,

Kareni

Fun! Looks like the majority of books this year so far have been new to me:

 

1.    Alexandra Bracken 
2.    Anna Richland 
3.    Benjamin Netanyahu  (nf)
4.    Emma Hamm 
5.    Gene Doucette 
6.    J.C. Daniels 
7.    Joanna Bourne 
8.    K.F. Breene 
9.    Laura Kinsale 
10.  Leon Leyson (Nf)
11.  Lian Dolan 
12.  Linda Sue Park (nf)
13.  Lisa Unger 
14.  Melissa Olson 
15.  Mindy McGinnis 
16.  Natalie Goldberg (nf)
17.  Rachel Caine 
18.  Rob Thurman 
19.  Robyn Cadwallader 
20.  Tahereh Mafi 
21.  Tarryn Fisher 
22.  Thor Heyerdahl - Kon Tiki  (NF)
 

[tuesdayschild]

4 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Lol, I didn't realize we shouldn't include n/f authors... 5 of the ones I listed in mine were n/f... ;)

I did :D and I'm counting myself in good company then since both Robin and yourself have counted the N/F authors too.

[LuvToRead]

I feel like a loser compared to the rest of you!  (insert big smiley face)  I finished one book last week "The Outlaws of Sherwood" and I did't like it.  I am almost finished "Dying in the Wool" by Francis Brody which i am enjoying and I am listening to Herriot's "All Things Bright and Beautiful".  

• C-
• L-Murder at Mansfield Park - Lynn Shepherd
• O-The Outlaws of Sherwood
• V-
• E-
• R-

I am having some problems finding all these great titles for the Brit Trip through my library system, so next up for me is "The Crow Trap" by Ann Cleeves for Northumbria.  I am skipping Durham and Tyne and Wear for now.  

[marbel]

9 hours ago, Kareni said:

<snip>

I think that one of the joys of parenting is introducing our children to important things from our past.  In my house, those important things included my favorite original Star Trek novels plus the television show, MASH, ABBA songs, Don Camillo books, and other culturally significant stuff!

<snip>

Yes, very important part of parenting!  We called it American Cultural Education and it included Elvis, Waffle House (we don't live in the south so it is a treat when we visit), various blues musicians my husband likes, the book Rascal, some '60s tv shows like Gilligan's Island and Beverly Hillbillies*... among other things I can't think of right now.  

*When my son was a baby, we could calm him down by singing the theme from the BH... "come and listen to the story of a man named Jed..."

I checked my Goodreads list to see what new authors I have read this year. Since it's a new quarter I'll just list my reading for the year (it's a shorter list than many of you have! :-) ) and * means new-to-me author.

1. A Christmas Party, Georgette Heyer
2. Closed Casket, Sophie Hannah*
3. No Wind of Blame, Heyer
4. The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri*
5. The Convenient Marriage, Heyer
6. Claire of the Sea Light, Edwidge Danticat*
7. Quick Service, P.G. Wodehouse
8. Footsteps in the Dark, Heyer
9. Lydia Cassat Reading the Morning Paper, Harriet Scott Chessman*
10. Ghostwalk, Rebecca Scott*
11. The Blackhouse, Peter May*
12. The Man in the Queue, Josephine Tey
13. Olive Twist, Charles Dickens
14. Missing, Presumed, Susie Steiner*
15. Whose Body, Dorothy Sayers
16. Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, Maria Semple*
17. The Sunne in Splendour, Sharon Kay Penman*
18. Force of Nature, Jane Harper
19. Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng*
20. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie

So, 10 out of 20!  

I am way too light on nonfiction this year.  And a bit heavy on the G. Heyer. Need to work on that!  

 

[mumto2]

52 minutes ago, LuvToRead said:

I feel like a loser compared to the rest of you!  (insert big smiley face)  I finished one book last week "The Outlaws of Sherwood" and I did't like it.  I am almost finished "Dying in the Wool" by Francis Brody which i am enjoying and I am listening to Herriot's "All Things Bright and Beautiful".  

• C-
• L-Murder at Mansfield Park - Lynn Shepherd
• O-The Outlaws of Sherwood
• V-
• E-
• R-

I am having some problems finding all these great titles for the Brit Trip through my library system, so next up for me is "The Crow Trap" by Ann Cleeves for Northumbria.  I am skipping Durham and Tyne and Wear for now.  

I didn’t like the Outlaws of Sherwood either.  Glad you are enjoying Frances Brody.  I finally gave up and requested them all so am hoping no one else puts them on hold while I am working my way through the stack!

Books set in the Northeast frequently cross the borders of all 3 counties.  Durham, Sunderland (T and W) and Newcastle are pretty close together in reality.  A friend who lives up there lives in one, works in another, and has aa activity that takes him to the other most weeks.  I am hoping to find a book that does the same.  ;).  I have the second in the Vera series on hold and am planning to finally read Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/511259.Aunt_Dimity_Beats_the_Devil which I have had to return unread a couple of times  (popular book ;) ). 

 

[mumto2]

39 minutes ago, marbel said:

Yes, very important part of parenting!  We called it American Cultural Education and it included Elvis, Waffle House (we don't live in the south so it is a treat when we visit), various blues musicians my husband likes, the book Rascal, some '60s tv shows like Gilligan's Island and Beverly Hillbillies*... among other things I can't think of right now.  

*When my son was a baby, we could calm him down by singing the theme from the BH... "come and listen to the story of a man named Jed..."

 

 Have to get used to these boxes.  Way too easy to type in the light blue quote boxes.

We love sharing our television  history with the dc’s! Thanks to Dvd’s  it’s amazing what we have been able to accumulate.  Beverly Hillbillies and Gilligan’s Island are both in the collection.  So is Petticoat Junction!  I loved Petticoat Junction and unfortunately  my parents hated it.  :(  I still get a weird satisfaction out of being able to watch an episode whenever I want!  Star Trek, Dr. Who, Lost in Space, and odd lesser known shows like Time Tunnel are part of the collection too.  

Dh grew up in a large city and had great tv reception so seems to have watched everything from the 60’s and 70’s at some point while I was fortunate when we had two clear channels.......he bought a season of Happy Days recently so they could see who Fonzie was.  My culture comment was along the lines of that’s the really popular show I couldn’t watch but heard about every week at school.  I loved it when we got cable TV!

[mumto2]

I just found a new website to search for books by location called TripFiction.  Here is Northumbria https://www.tripfiction.com/find-a-book/?location=Northumberland&bauthor=&genre=&title=&order=rating

[Raifta]

I'm almost scared to post on the new forums, but here's my first try.

I've read 20 new to me authors so far this year - mix of fiction and non-fiction and I wouldn't hesitate to include the non-fiction ones.

I think the books I've read since last posting are as follows:

-Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - partly read for my rebellious trip through Britain, partly because I love Austen.  This is a reread (probably for the third time) for me, and I've also seen at least one movie version but the one thing that really struck me this time is how Elinor strikes me as a classic example of a woman who is bearing The Mental Load.  She has to think for everyone and act on behalf of everyone and I felt for her quite a bit - in fact, I found the book somewhat painful to read because almost everyone else, with the possible except of Colonel Brandon, and including her spouse-to-be, seemed to be either utterly incapable or simply mean.

-Relish by Lucy Knisley - this is a graphic novel memoir about her experiences growing up with food, farms, chefs, catering, fancy restaurants combined with experiences in little markets etc.  Her love of food was palpable and the recipes she illustrated almost all looked delicious.  I enjoyed this book quite a bit and passed it along to my kids to read as I felt that there was nothing inappropriate for them in there.

-Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson - I've read some Bryson before but not this one. I picked it up off my bookshelves since I figured it would cover a lot of Brit Tripping ground and it certainly does.  However, I've realized that my rebel bus is so rebellious that I'm not even keeping track of where I've been in Britain.  Perhaps that TripFiction link will help some.  Or I might just keep on reading books set in Britain and just not care about how many counties I get around to visiting.  At any rate, back to the book - like a few other books I've read recently that were written in the 90s, this one was occasionally jarring due to jokes about people (because they are women, or because they are large, or because they are of a certain ethnicity) that I don't think would make the cut today.  By and large I enjoyed it but I'm torn as to whether or not I'll keep it.  I don't think I'll reread it and I'm not sure it's a book that I would recommend to my kids.  Probably best to let it go free in the world.

Currently I'm reading Jerusalem by Guy Delisle - a graphic novel memoir of his experiences living with his partner and kids for a year in Jerusalem while his partner worked for MSF.  So far, fascinating.

Also reading Le chardon et le tartan, which is Outlander in French.  It is slow going.  I'm trying to finish a chapter in 3 days, which is about the saddest thing I've probably ever typed.  However as it is umpteen pages long with umpteen chapters, this might take me all the way to the end of 2018 to finish it at that rate.

And reading Moose Magic by Miles Smeeton, about a British couple who end up buying land in Canada and turning it into a wild game reserve.  So far great for the bus ride to/from work.

[LuvToRead]

2 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I didn’t like the Outlaws of Sherwood either.  Glad you are enjoying Frances Brody.  I finally gave up and requested them all so am hoping no one else puts them on hold while I am working my way through the stack!

Books set in the Northeast frequently cross the borders of all 3 counties.  Durham, Sunderland (T and W) and Newcastle are pretty close together in reality.  A friend who lives up there lives in one, works in another, and has aa activity that takes him to the other most weeks.  I am hoping to find a book that does the same.  ;).  I have the second in the Vera series on hold and am planning to finally read Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/511259.Aunt_Dimity_Beats_the_Devil which I have had to return unread a couple of times  (popular book ;) ). 

 

 

My library system as several of Frances Brody's books so hopefully I will read more.  I hope you enjoy the Aunt Dimity novel.  I love that series!  

[Lady Florida.]

So glad we're back. I tried to spend some time on Goodreads while the boards were down but it isn't the same. :)

I only finished two books while we were gone. 

Imagine Me Gone is one, and I truly hated it. The person who chose it posted an apology on our book club's facebook group page and said our meeting should be interesting. It seems even she didn't like it.

I also finished listening to Dante's The Divine Comedy. Now that I finally made it through all three books I can understand why most people prefer Inferno to the other two,. It's just so much more interesting. Plus it's funny to see how Dante put his adversaries in the various levels of hell.

I'm currently almost finished reading Inspector Brunetti # 7 - A Noble Radiance, and almost finished listening to Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. 

Still working my way through a Middlemarch reread and am glad I decided to reread it. I love this novel so much even though there are parts I don't understand (the church hierarchy and the political reform stuff mostly goes over my head).

[Robin M]

Morning, my lovelies.   I just finished reading Dinner Most Deadly by Sheri Cobb South. I'm totally hooked now and downloaded the next book. I have to find out what happens between John and Julia!  :) Then on to For Deader or Worse.  Thank you Kathy for lending me the books.  I'll pass them on when I am done.  

[Kareni]

A couple of posts that may be of interest ~

For the Brit trippers from the Word Wenches site by Nicola Cornick: Poldark Country

"There’s something about Cornwall, isn’t there. It rivals Scotland in the imagination as a romantic setting for a novel. It's wild, rugged and magical. Perhaps it all started with Daphne Du Maurier and with Winston Graham’s Poldark books and the TV series. I know it did for me.  I grew up on the original BBC dramatization of Poldark, though my teenage heart was mostly given to Dr Enys rather than to Ross. When the more recent dramatization came out I felt it couldn’t possibly match the first one but it carved its own niche in our affections as well as raising interest in the ancient skill of scything. And as for Daphne Du Maurier’s books, well, Frenchman’s Creek is still up there on my all-time favourites list, and Jamaica Inn not so far behind. Both Du Maurier and Winston Graham created the atmosphere of historic Cornwall so evocatively that I was desperate to visit (which was neither quick nor easy 40 years ago from Yorkshire!)..."

**

From Tor. com:

Scientific Magic: Five Books That Reconnect Us to Astrology  by Julia Whicker 

Five Books with Perfect Animal Sidekicks  by Laura Bickle

Regards,

Kareni

[TravelingChris]

I think I have read 5 new authors this year and two were so/so,two were horrible, and one was okay but not sure I will read more books.  One horrible was my own choice and one was a book club read.  The two so/so were also book club reads.  The last so/so was David Gran. Which leads me to rate my next book-

Killers of the Flower Moon- The Osage Murders and the birth of the FBI by David Gran. ***               I can only give this book three stars because of the writing of the author.  He is a journalist and wrote a story-like non-fiction account of the murders of the Osage (and two others) and some of the early FBI history.  I had no idea about these murders and didn't have any knowledge of the FBI before it turned into what it is like today in the 1930s.  I thought the story was well worth telling but book was way too long compared to his information and it was confusing too since he kept changing where he was chronologically all the time.  It seems like extraneous material was added.  I do not mind story telling non fiction-- I loved In Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, and am a fan of Erik Larson.  David Gran needed a good editor.

During the break I read Murder on the Oxford Canal by Faith Martin-- ***,  I liked this book  when I was reading it but it didn't have any extra issues (things I want to learn more about be it religious practices of Navaho or police in Italy or something that makes me think nor was it a character and setting that was particularly appealing to me.  I have a hard time expressing why it didn't really appeal to me.  I like both well written cozies and police mysteries too.  This one just didn't do it but it was a pleasurable read, just not pining for next book in series.

[aggieamy]

17 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

 

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

 

What a great questions!

I've read about 29ish books this year. The new authors are:

• Joyce Dennys, Henrietta's War <- Highly recommend to the Brit Trip gang
• Frances Brody, Kate Shackleton series
• Margaret Lovett, The Great and Terrible Quest
• Dana White, How to Manage Your Home
• Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad
• Don McNair, Editor-Proof Your Writing
• Sharon Bolton, Lacey Flint series <- Another highly recommend
• LM Boston, The Children of Green Knowe
• Alison Bruce, Gary Goodhew series

Interesting. About a third of my books this year have been new to me authors.

15 hours ago, Kareni said:

I think that one of the joys of parenting is introducing our children to important things from our past.  In my house, those important things included my favorite original Star Trek novels plus the television show, MASH, ABBA songs, Don Camillo books, and other culturally significant stuff!

 

Around here it's the Marx Brothers movies, Ghostbusters, Scooby Doo, Agatha Christie, and Georgette Heyer. And eating sushi.

6 hours ago, LuvToRead said:

I feel like a loser compared to the rest of you!  (insert big smiley face)  I finished one book last week "The Outlaws of Sherwood" and I did't like it.  I am almost finished "Dying in the Wool" by Francis Brody which i am enjoying and I am listening to Herriot's "All Things Bright and Beautiful".  

• C-
• L-Murder at Mansfield Park - Lynn Shepherd
• O-The Outlaws of Sherwood
• V-
• E-
• R-

I am having some problems finding all these great titles for the Brit Trip through my library system, so next up for me is "The Crow Trap" by Ann Cleeves for Northumbria.  I am skipping Durham and Tyne and Wear for now.  

Don't forget that a book set in generic England (a lot of Agatha Christie books, for instance) will work as a Wild Card and can be substituted for counties that you can't find a book for.

5 hours ago, marbel said:

I am way too light on nonfiction this year.  And a bit heavy on the G. Heyer. Need to work on that!  

 

Indeed. You need more Heyer. That's what you were meaning to say, right? :)

[aggieamy]

40 minutes ago, Kareni said:

A couple of posts that may be of interest ~

For the Brit trippers from the Word Wenches site by Nicola Cornick: Poldark Country

"There’s something about Cornwall, isn’t there. It rivals Scotland in the imagination as a romantic setting for a novel. It's wild, rugged and magical. Perhaps it all started with Daphne Du Maurier and with Winston Graham’s Poldark books and the TV series. I know it did for me.  I grew up on the original BBC dramatization of Poldark, though my teenage heart was mostly given to Dr Enys rather than to Ross. When the more recent dramatization came out I felt it couldn’t possibly match the first one but it carved its own niche in our affections as well as raising interest in the ancient skill of scything. And as for Daphne Du Maurier’s books, well, Frenchman’s Creek is still up there on my all-time favourites list, and Jamaica Inn not so far behind. Both Du Maurier and Winston Graham created the atmosphere of historic Cornwall so evocatively that I was desperate to visit (which was neither quick nor easy 40 years ago from Yorkshire!)..."

**

From Tor. com:

Scientific Magic: Five Books That Reconnect Us to Astrology  by Julia Whicker 

Five Books with Perfect Animal Sidekicks  by Laura Bickle

Regards,

Kareni

 

Thanks for the interesting Brit Trip link!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

After three tries with IT support, I'm in.

Not much reading the past two weeks. My buying ban ended this morning due to the early morning purchase of an audible book to listen to on the highway as I traveled to Chicago to see my husband who was admitted for a possible heart attack.

We're here in the hospital waiting for test results. It's been an emotional 18 hours.

[aggieamy]

12 minutes ago, The Accidental Coach said:

After three tries with IT support, I'm in.

Not much reading the past two weeks. My buying ban ended this morning due to the early morning purchase of an audible book to listen to on the highway as I traveled to Chicago to see my husband who was admitted for a possible heart attack.

We're here in the hospital waiting for test results. It's been an emotional 18 hours.

I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a stressful time. How's he doing?

[Granny_Weatherwax]

5 minutes ago, aggieamy said:

I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a stressful time. How's he doing?

He's hooked up to monitors and is tired. He was at work  and I think that exacerbated the situation. Union reps and mid level managers have been in and out and calling. Not asking about how he's doing but inquiring about diagnoses and legalities. I'm quite perturbed.

[Kareni]

22 minutes ago, The Accidental Coach said:

... My buying ban ended this morning due to the early morning purchase of an audible book to listen to on the highway as I traveled to Chicago to see my husband who was admitted for a possible heart attack.

We're here in the hospital waiting for test results. It's been an emotional 18 hours.

 

Sending good thoughts for your husband and for you.  I hope that the test results will prove positive.

Regards,
Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

18 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

 

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

 

I just looked at my Goodreads list of this year's books. Of the 27 books I read so far almost half - 13 - were by new to me authors. I read two books by one of the new authors (Amor Towles).

Of the not new to me authors,  4 were reareads and 3 of those rereads were by the same author (JK Rowling - the last 3 HP books). Two others, a different author each, are next in a series.

I need to get out more. Out of my comfort zone that is. Actually that's why I like book clubs and groups, both online and in person. Connecting with other readers helps me find books I like in the genres I like, but it also helps me find books I would probably never have found on my own and in genres I might not have considered.

In my defense though, I did plan for 2018 to be the Year of the Reread for me, and there are still a few more books I hope to reread before the year is out. Fortunately we're early in month number 4 so I have time to both reread books and find new ones <smile-smile-laugh-laugh and I really wish we had our emoticons back already>

[Mothersweets]

40 minutes ago, The Accidental Coach said:

After three tries with IT support, I'm in.

Not much reading the past two weeks. My buying ban ended this morning due to the early morning purchase of an audible book to listen to on the highway as I traveled to Chicago to see my husband who was admitted for a possible heart attack.

We're here in the hospital waiting for test results. It's been an emotional 18 hours.

 

I'm so sorry to hear this.

[Mothersweets]

18 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

 

Here is a question I got to ponder over the weekend: Q: How many new to you authors have you read so far this year?   Anyone here like to take a stab at that question?

 

•  

 

I've read 18 books this year - half of them were new to me authors:

1.Elizabeth Wein - Code Name Verity

2.Shaun Bythell - Diary of a Bookseller

3.Kevin Hazzard - A Thousand Naked Strangers

4. Tara Westover - Educated

5. Laline Paul - The Bees

6. Katherine Arden - The Bear and the Nightingale

7. Mimi Matthews - The Lost Letter

8. Pam Amy - Thornhill

9. Joan Lindsay - Picnic at Hanging Rock

I've also had a hard time staying on the bus :) - the link mum provided should really help, thanks!

[tuesdayschild]

46 minutes ago, The Accidental Coach said:

He's hooked up to monitors and is tired. He was at work  and I think that exacerbated the situation. Union reps and mid level managers have been in and out and calling. Not asking about how he's doing but inquiring about diagnoses and legalities. I'm quite perturbed.

Such stress for you and your family.  (hug) 

[tuesdayschild]

44 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

Actually that's why I like book clubs and groups, both online and in person. Connecting with other readers helps me find books I like in the genres I like, but it also helps me find books I would probably never have found on my own and in genres I might not have considered.

1

Nodding in agreement!  I've tried many authors I didn't even know existed thanks to BaW participators.

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, The Accidental Coach said:

After three tries with IT support, I'm in.

Not much reading the past two weeks. My buying ban ended this morning due to the early morning purchase of an audible book to listen to on the highway as I traveled to Chicago to see my husband who was admitted for a possible heart attack.

We're here in the hospital waiting for test results. It's been an emotional 18 hours.

 

1 hour ago, The Accidental Coach said:

He's hooked up to monitors and is tired. He was at work  and I think that exacerbated the situation. Union reps and mid level managers have been in and out and calling. Not asking about how he's doing but inquiring about diagnoses and legalities. I'm quite perturbed.

Oh I'm so sorry. I hope you get positive news soon.

How awful and downright unfeeling of them. I'm sorry you're having this add to your stress.

[Lady Florida.]

I finished the audio book of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet this afternoon while folding laundry and unloading the dishwasher. I enjoyed it very much. It truly was a story that was both bitter and sweet. 

I can't decide what audio book to choose next. I picked up a few on sale not long ago (3 books for 2 credits and I happened to have exactly 2 credits). The book above was one of them. I also got Alexander the Great and The Cider House Rules.  I haven't decided yet which one I'm in the mood for.

[Kareni]

I enjoyed this ~ Female-Authored Fantasy Flowchart!

Regards,

Kareni

[Cascadia]

For someone who doesn't post very often, I sure missed y'all! I read a lot during the Blackout, and today we went to the neighboring county to sign up for library cards in order to access books from Overdrive (our county library only has kids books via Overdrive). Luckily they allow residents of our county to sign up for free.

I have no idea which Brit Trip bus I am on - I seem to be hopping from one to the other, rushing ahead, and taking meandering side trips. Here are my recently read books:

36. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley (fictional England)

37. A Poisoned Season, Tasha Alexander (London)

38. A Fatal Waltz, Tasha Alexander (London, Yorkshire)

39. Third Son's a Charm, Shana Galen (London)

40. How the Heather Looks, Joan Bodger (see below for *21 county list*)

41. Tears of Pearl, Tasha Alexander

42. Rogue in Red Velvet, Lynne Connolly (Leicestershire, London)

43. Temptation Has Green Eyes, Lynne Connolly (London)

44. The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times, Jean-Charles Nault

45. Someone to Love, Mary Balogh (London, Somerset)

 

How the Heather Looks - Wow, this family had quite an adventure traveling through England and Scotland with two small children. The author was very knowledgeable about children's stories, and I ended up buying a few books that she mentions in the text to make sure than my children don't miss out on them before they are too old. I have listed all of the counties for places that are specifically mentioned in the text, but I did not attempt to figure out which counties they drove through that weren't mentioned.

Bedfordshire

Berkshire

Buckinghamshire

Cheshire

Cornwall

Cumbria

Devon

Durham

Gloucestershire

Hampshire

Kent

Northamptonshire

Northumberland

Nottinghamshire 

Oxfordshire

Scotland (Dunbar, Edinburgh)

Shropshire

Somerset

Surrey

Sussex

Wales (Monmouthshire)

Yorkshire (N)

Yorkshire (W)

[mumto2]

5 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said:

He's hooked up to monitors and is tired. He was at work  and I think that exacerbated the situation. Union reps and mid level managers have been in and out and calling. Not asking about how he's doing but inquiring about diagnoses and legalities. I'm quite perturbed.

Hugs,  I am appalled at the sensitivity of his associates.  I hope you get good news soon!

[mumto2]

3 hours ago, Cascadia said:

 

How the Heather Looks - Wow, this family had quite an adventure traveling through England and Scotland with two small children. The author was very knowledgeable about children's stories, and I ended up buying a few books that she mentions in the text to make sure than my children don't miss out on them before they are too old. I have listed all of the counties for places that are specifically mentioned in the text, but I did not attempt to figure out which counties they drove through that weren't mentioned.

Bedfordshire

Berkshire

Buckinghamshire

Cheshire

Cornwall

Cumbria

Devon

Durham

Gloucestershire

Hampshire

Kent

Northamptonshire

Northumberland

Nottinghamshire 

Oxfordshire

Scotland (Dunbar, Edinburgh)

Shropshire

Somerset

Surrey

Sussex

Wales (Monmouthshire)

Yorkshire (N)

Yorkshire (W)

I need to go through our threads and update the Brit Tripping ideas list and have to admit I have absolutely no idea how to list this book .  What a goldmine of counties!  I may just list it as ZEngland Multiple Counties.  I just ordered my own copy.  ;)

In response to the “How many new to you authors have you read this year?” question......I think about 20.  There are a couple of authors with familiar common names that I didn’t count because I think I may have read other older series by them at some point.  I have to admit Brit Tripping has definitely made me try some new authors, generally with success.  :).   Honestly BaW in general has expanded my reading greatly.