Book a Week 2018 - BW25: June Solstice

[Robin M]

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

Happy Father's day to all our dads. The June Solstice is upon us as of the 21st and we are celebrating the beginning of Summer or Winter depending on your location.

What do you look forward to during summertime or wintertime?  Summer makes me think of lazing about by the pool or a beach or maybe hanging out on the patio.  Perhaps imbibing in a cocktail or a cold glass of ice tea.  During Wintertime - bundling up, brisk walks, sports, roasting coffee beans and fireplaces.  And of course, reading:  I'm in the mood to revisit some old friends, learn something new, do a bit of armchair travel, maybe experiment with new recipes, and follow a few rabbit trails. 

 Read a book set on a beach such as Roxanne St. Claire's Barefoot Bay series or with a  beach on the cover.  Better yet, read a book set on an island for 52 Books bingo.   Cozy up for some wintertime reads, put on your snowshoes for a trip through the Arctic, or pretend to go skiing.  

Read a book with summer in the title such as Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer or Ben Aaronvitch's Foxglove Summer  or winter in the title such as Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale or Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler.

Whip up a summer or winter cocktail and learn about mixology, discover a new to you recipe, or get ready and fire up your grill.  Discover the delights in roasting your own coffee or becoming a tea aficionado.

Slip on your garden gloves and get ready to dig in the dirt with The 10 Books Every Gardener Should Read or The Best Vegetable Gardening Books.  

Our Brit Trip armchair travels are taking us to Suffolk this week. Suffolk has been the home to many noted British artists and composers – Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable, and Benjamin Britten.

Rabbit trails: Rendlesham Forest Incident (The UK’s Roswell),  Mid-Suffolk Light Railway,  Kentwell Hall, and  House in the Clouds

Join me in a bit of Summer and/or Wintertime reading fun!

What are you reading?

Link to week 24

[Robin M]

Currently on page 637 out of 825 in Crossroads of Twilight. Slow reading due to character plotting and scheming and not a whole lot of action. Started historical fiction story The Golden Tulip by Rosalind Laker which is quite good containing lots of history about art, Amsterdam, tulips and more.  

This past week I finished Lara Adrian's Born of Darkness (#1 hunter legacy) which is a Midnight Breed spin off as well as Georges Simenon's Pietr the Latvian.

[Negin]

I'm still slowly catching up on reviews of books that I finished right before we left for vacation.

I read Inferno - 3 Stars - Dan Brown’s books are all quite similar. The main reason that I chose to read this was for the Italian setting, specifically Florence, as well as a bit of Venice. I finished it right before we left for Italy. Dan Brown truly shines when it comes to fascinating information and facts, all of which made our stay in Florence even more enjoyable. Here is a picture that we took of the Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi Gallery (both places played a major part in the book). 

I have to be honest however. I don’t think that I would have bothered with yet another Dan Brown book if we weren’t doing this trip. I used to love his books, but my tastes have changed. I now find them to be rather repetitive and formulaic – sort of like John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks.

I also managed to finish Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary right before we left - 5 Stars - This review is a mix of a review of this book and of Duo Lingo, so please bear with me. I love learning languages and often wish that I was a polyglot. Time and practice are my challenges. Before traveling somewhere, I like to learn a few basic phrases. Once we knew that we were traveling to Italy and already being familiar with Duo Lingo French, I started Duo Lingo Italian. For me, Duo Lingo is perfect for long-term, ongoing daily practice. However, I don’t care for it nearly as much when I feel pressed for time as I did before our trip. I found it to be a bit frustrating and a waste of time to learn odd phrases such as “You are either with us or against us” ?, phrases that I am unlikely to use during a trip. I’d rather spend my time learning how to order in a restaurant, for example. This book and some short You Tube videos were far more helpful with all that. 

Most Italians speak English, at least in the major tourist destinations. This is not always the case in the countryside, such as Tuscany and Umbria. We took this picture in beautiful Pienza, one of my favorite places ever. 

Learning the basics was definitely useful. A few times, I was asked if I was Italian! Some asked if I had been studying the language for a while. Those remarks made me laugh and guess that they were just being polite. I wish that I actually was fluent! Italian is now my second favorite language. French is my all-time favorite.

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.

[Violet Crown]

No books finished due to touristing with the family, homeschooling in the crevices, and trying to read too many books at once. Under way: Chaucer, Edinburgh writers Elspeth David and Muriel Spark, Hebridean poet Iain Crichton Smith, and local novelist John Buchan. Instead of reading today we went to some local Highland Games and watched burly men in kilts fling hammers, cabers, and weights around a grassy field while pipe bands shrilly competed and dozens of girls performed Highland dance for the tourists and the judges. Absolutely grand.

[Lady Florida.]

Well this is weird. I liked Robin's post then went to like Negin's and Violet's (the only other posts at the time of this writing) but it wouldn't take. I keep getting a message saying "there was a problem reacting to this content". Consider your posts liked, and if you haven't posted yet consider yours liked too in case the problem persists. ?

I've posted in recent threads but I don't think I've given a book update in a while. 

I recently finished two audio books of the Kate Shackleton mysteries - Dying in the Wool - #1 and A Medal for Murder - #2. Now I'm listening to Fingersmith. I bought it with an Audible credit and had been listening to it but then with all that went on with FIL I felt the need for a cozy so I put it aside while I listened to the other two. I'm about halfway through Fingersmith and it's hard to describe. It's Dickens with a twist. There are thieves, pickpockets, con men, and orphans. And lesbian love. Lesbian Dickens. Oliver Twist with gay romance. I can't figure it out yet. The other twists are even more unbelievable than some that Dickens throws at you. I'm not sure of the main plot just yet because there are several subplots that try to break out and become the main one. I want to know what happens to the two protagonists so I'll finish it. Hopefully I'll have a better idea by then of whether or not I liked it. *Note - I don't finish books I don't like because there are too many books and not enough time. The fact that I'm still listening means I don't dislike it.

I'm also slowly working my way through A Moment in the Sun and for my mystery fix I'm reading the first Sebastian St. Cyr book, What Angels Fear. 

[tuesdayschild]

Lots of interesting links this week Robin!  

Wondering if there are any other Wintertime readers here; or,  are you all navigating the start of Summer?   

@Negin Love the photos!    (Like Kathy the boards won't let me click 'like' on your post, so doing that here.)

Kathy,  I keep thinking about and your family.

Book check-in:

For Suffolk I read   A Casualty of War:  Bess Crawford #9 ~ Charles Todd (3.5). 

Other Suffolk options were:

• A Long Shadow  (Inspector Ian Rutledge #8) ~  Charles Todd  (4)  (London/ Sussex/ Northamptonshire/ Hertfordshire/ Suffolk).   
• The Gate Keeper  (Ian Rutledge #20) ~ Charles Todd  (4)  (audiobook)  London/ Essex/ Suffolk /Surrey
• or, an, as yet, unread title, The Shadowy Horses ~ Susanna Kearsley    (Audio epuk)   (Eyemouth in Berwickshire, Scotland.) Suffolk/ Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland/ York.

My current reads:

• The Silmarillion ~ J.R.R. Tolkien   Audio   I've been wanting to read this for ages, it's one of Ds's favourite books.  Others who also like a heads up about content in books,  Ds made a mention about chapt 19 (which is the one chapter that focuses on The Children of Hurin ).  
   

  incestuous brother/sister relationship 

     
• All Roads Lead to Austen ~ Amy Smith  N/F  (this is actually a Latin American adventure with Austen’s books on board)  still reading as the writing style is engaging.  One swearing excerpt -  where she vilifies a man - no f-bombs so far.

Completed (incs  Brit Trip rebel bus):

• Judi Dench & Michael Williams: With Great Pleasure ~ BBC Radio 4 Variety show (poetry etc)  (4)  I love Charlotte Mitchell’s Just Incase poem; and when Judi Dench reads it, it’s delightful.  (contains some bawdy humour)
• Sanditon ~ Jane Austen  (audio)  (2)   Sussex    I didn’t enjoy this unfinished work anywhere near as much as The Watsons

Sip Reads that I’m continuing to make slow n steady progress in are How the Heather Looks ~ Joan Bodger , and, The Book of Psalms  (KJV) 

mumto2's mentions of The Woman in White has me wanting to start that audio too - I had a sneak listen and it sounds like my sort of enjoyment-read.

 

[Ali in OR]

Still reading Nancy Horan's Under the Wide and Starry Sky about Robert Louis Stevenson and his American wife Franny. Enjoying it, but also finding it a bit long for my tastes (~460 pages I think).

[Matryoshka]

Finished four books this week; most were fairly short!  And I just hit 52 books! ?

49. La aventura de Miguel Littín clandestino en Chile by Gabriel García Márquez - someone here had suggested I try out García Márquez' nonfiction.  A much more straightforward style, and an easy read.  An exiled Chilean film director smuggles himself into his native country to make a film about life there under the Pinochet dictatorship, complete with an elaborate disguise and three European film crews, none of which knowing that the others exist.  Anticlimactically, no one seems to notice he's there and things go rather smoothly.  Now I feel like I should hunt down this documentary, and I've also been inspired to check out a couple of volumes of Pablo Neruda's poetry since there was a whole section waxing on about how great his poetry was and how his house was now a pilgrimage site. 3 stars.

50. The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam (ebook) - set in a small city in Pakistan sometime in the past decade or two.  I didn't quite place an exact time. I really liked this book in spite of the violence (not graphically described, just a lot of bad things happen) and tragedy, the main characters were all very likable, and amidst all the chaos there was beauty and love.  I read two other books with similar themes recently, Home Fire and Exit West, and I'd say this is by far my favorite.  4.5 stars.

51. All Systems Red by Martha Wells - second pick for my SciFi book club.  A fun adventure in which a security android who has hacked its own governor module to gain free will and uses it mostly to download and watch entertainment ends up saving the day for the group of scientists that its assigned to when another group on the planet is mysteriously killed (since supposedly no one else is on the planet with them...) 3 stars.

52.  Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot (ebook) - A short memoir told in essays chronicling the author's getting through hospitalization for suicidal ideation when her boyfriend dumps her (all the essays are written as letters to him), diagnosed with bipolar and her journey to trying to get well, dealing with baggage from her chaotic and dysfunctional childhood and trying to figure out how to have healthier relationships, although she's still kind of a hot mess by the end.  During this time she's also attending grad school for writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts. 3 stars.

Currently reading: 

- Die Madonna im Pelzmantel / Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali - Turkish novel translated into German. I am really enjoying this one.

- Darktown by Thomas Mullen (ebook) - recommended by Stacia.  About the first black police officers in Atlanta. Just started it; interested to see where it goes.

- The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexeivich (audiobook) - still listening.  The stories are running together a bit for me.

[mumto2]

2 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

Well this is weird. I liked Robin's post then went to like Negin's and Violet's (the only other posts at the time of this writing) but it wouldn't take. I keep getting a message saying "there was a problem reacting to this content". Consider your posts liked, and if you haven't posted yet consider yours liked too in case the problem persists. ?

 I'm also slowly working my way through A Moment in the Sun and for my mystery fix I'm reading the first Sebastian St. Cyr book, What Angels Fear. 

I experienced similar problems earlier today and was also kicked out of WTM due to the level of users per error message when I started to reply.  I just checked and my likes worked.  I hope you enjoy your first St. Cyr! ?

Tuesday, I did manage to finish Woman in White and loved it.  Around the 8 hours left mark events happened and I was forced to listen to several hours that day so you have been warned!  Oddly I was able to stop pretty easily at 2 plus hours.....lol. Great recording.

I am currently listening to the BBC recording of I Capture the Castle for Suffolk.  I am enjoying it but it is a dramatization so much shorter.  Yesterday, I went on to read the next Robin Paige cozy, Death at Gallows Green which actually started at a house party in Suffolk where Kate befriends Beatrix Potter.  Quite a bit of interesting biographical info mixed in with the fictional.  I didn’t like this installment nearly as well as the first but I have already downloaded the next in the series but planning to read a Carola Dunn next because I am caught up to the bus currently and I want to read this series in order so need to proceed for later Brit Tripping.

I also read a Kareni recommendation called The Last Wolf by Maria Vale. I enjoyed it,  uhmmmmm,  had a hard time putting it down actually.  It’s a bit different, obviously werewolf/shifter paranormal but in the style I am used to.  Adult content.  Basically,  if you enjoy paranormal books you might enjoy it.

[Kareni]

44 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I also read a Kareni recommendation called The Last Wolf by Maria Vale. I enjoyed it,  uhmmmmm,  had a hard time putting it down actually.

I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it, mumto2!
**

Some currently free books for Kindle readers ~

historical fiction set in the Byzantine era: Tobias (The Triptych Chronicle Book 1)  by Prue Batten

contemporary:  Painting the Moon (Chilton Crosse Book 1)  by Traci Borum

Regards,
Kareni

[Mothersweets]

Hello all!

Last week I finished 3 books.

Sir Philip's Folly (Poor Relations book 4) by Marion Chesney I listened to this on audible. The narrator is Davina Porter and she does an excellent job. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first three but it was still amusing. I've already started on book five.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz I gave this one 5 stars. The author is the man who created Foyle's War and also Midsomer Murders (I think?). Foyle's War was my first real foray into police procedurals/murder mysteries and so I have a soft spot for Mr.Horowitz. ? This mystery had me guessing the entire time and I loved it! I know it is for sure in Somerset and London and I think it might have a bit in Sussex. Has anyone else read this?

The House on the Cliff by D. E. Stevenson This was ok. I think I am expecting the wrong thing from these books. I want them to be like Mary Stewart books - young woman on her own, there is a bit of adventure, a little bit of danger, and eventual romance. Not a whole lot happens and the heroine wasn't super likable. Ho hum. If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to send it on!

[Mothersweets]

Negin, I love the pics and am so glad you enjoyed your trip!

Tuesday and mum, I've wanted to listen to the Woman in White for a while and you've both talked me into it now! 

[aggieamy]

5 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Finished four books this week; most were fairly short!  And I just hit 52 books! ?

 

52 right at the halfway mark! So ... I guess you're done with your reading for the year and can now pick up some other hobbies. 

Do you have a number you're trying for? I can't remember who here just reads what they read and who has a goal in mind for the year.

2 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I experienced similar problems earlier today and was also kicked out of WTM due to the level of users per error message when I started to reply.  I just checked and my likes worked.  I hope you enjoy your first St. Cyr! ?

Tuesday, I did manage to finish Woman in White and loved it.  Around the 8 hours left mark events happened and I was forced to listen to several hours that day so you have been warned!  Oddly I was able to stop pretty easily at 2 plus hours.....lol. Great recording.

I am currently listening to the BBC recording of I Capture the Castle for Suffolk.  I am enjoying it but it is a dramatization so much shorter.  Yesterday, I went on to read the next Robin Paige cozy, Death at Gallows Green which actually started at a house party in Suffolk where Kate befriends Beatrix Potter.  Quite a bit of interesting biographical info mixed in with the fictional.  I didn’t like this installment nearly as well as the first but I have already downloaded the next in the series but planning to read a Carola Dunn next because I am caught up to the bus currently and I want to read this series in order so need to proceed for later Brit Tripping.

I also read a Kareni recommendation called The Last Wolf by Maria Vale. I enjoyed it,  uhmmmmm,  had a hard time putting it down actually.  It’s a bit different, obviously werewolf/shifter paranormal but in the style I am used to.  Adult content.  Basically,  if you enjoy paranormal books you might enjoy it.

So much to respond to here.

Re: Woman in White. I'm glad you liked it! Yay. It's always been a favorite of mind. The ending is so tense and exciting and you just have to know what happens that I think it would be difficult to listen to because at least with page reading you can try to read faster. With an audiobook you can jump the speed up but then it sounds like Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are reading the book.

Re: I Capture the Castle. That's what I'm reading too. You'll be way faster than me though this week.

34 minutes ago, Mothersweets said:

Hello all!

Last week I finished 3 books.

Sir Philip's Folly (Poor Relations book 4) by Marion Chesney I listened to this on audible. The narrator is Davina Porter and she does an excellent job. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first three but it was still amusing. I've already started on book five.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz I gave this one 5 stars. The author is the man who created Foyle's War and also Midsomer Murders (I think?). Foyle's War was my first real foray into police procedurals/murder mysteries and so I have a soft spot for Mr.Horowitz. ? This mystery had me guessing the entire time and I loved it! I know it is for sure in Somerset and London and I think it might have a bit in Sussex. Has anyone else read this?

The House on the Cliff by D. E. Stevenson This was ok. I think I am expecting the wrong thing from these books. I want them to be like Mary Stewart books - young woman on her own, there is a bit of adventure, a little bit of danger, and eventual romance. Not a whole lot happens and the heroine wasn't super likable. Ho hum. If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to send it on!

Re: DE Stevenson.

I love both DE Stevenson and Mary Stewart but they write such different books. MS is known for her suspense and twists and Stevenson is more ... I don't know exactly how to describe it ... cozy and gentle. Usually what you think is going to happen in the book is exactly what happens. I read her books looking more for the characters and slice of life and gentleness rather than plot. I think you've already read a few of my favorite DE Stevenson's books (Miss Buncle's Book and Celia's House) but you might try Amberwell next. It's got more plot than some of her books and it's a great audiobook. 

Re: Magpie Murders

I clicked on you link to Goodreads and noticed that not only you but Erin, Sandy, and Angela loved this book. Okay. That seems good enough for me! I've got it on reserve from the library now. 

 

@Negin - I just love your pictures! Thanks for sharing. 

[Negin]

3 hours ago, aggieamy said:

 

- I just love your pictures! Thanks for sharing. 

You are so kind. Thank you!

[Negin]

8 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

 

@Negin Love the photos!    (Like Kathy the boards won't let me click 'like' on your post, so doing that here.)

 

 

Thank you so much!

[mumto2]

20 hours ago, Negin said:

I'm still slowly catching up on reviews of books that I finished right before we left for vacation.

I read Inferno - 3 Stars - Dan Brown’s books are all quite similar. The main reason that I chose to read this was for the Italian setting, specifically Florence, as well as a bit of Venice. I finished it right before we left for Italy. Dan Brown truly shines when it comes to fascinating information and facts, all of which made our stay in Florence even more enjoyable. Here is a picture that we took of the Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi Gallery (both places played a major part in the book). 

I have to be honest however. I don’t think that I would have bothered with yet another Dan Brown book if we weren’t doing this trip. I used to love his books, but my tastes have changed. I now find them to be rather repetitive and formulaic – sort of like John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks.

I also managed to finish Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary right before we left - 5 Stars - This review is a mix of a review of this book and of Duo Lingo, so please bear with me. I love learning languages and often wish that I was a polyglot. Time and practice are my challenges. Before traveling somewhere, I like to learn a few basic phrases. Once we knew that we were traveling to Italy and already being familiar with Duo Lingo French, I started Duo Lingo Italian. For me, Duo Lingo is perfect for long-term, ongoing daily practice. However, I don’t care for it nearly as much when I feel pressed for time as I did before our trip. I found it to be a bit frustrating and a waste of time to learn odd phrases such as “You are either with us or against us” ?, phrases that I am unlikely to use during a trip. I’d rather spend my time learning how to order in a restaurant, for example. This book and some short You Tube videos were far more helpful with all that. 

Most Italians speak English, at least in the major tourist destinations. This is not always the case in the countryside, such as Tuscany and Umbria. We took this picture in beautiful Pienza, one of my favorite places ever. 

Learning the basics was definitely useful. A few times, I was asked if I was Italian! Some asked if I had been studying the language for a while. Those remarks made me laugh and guess that they were just being polite. I wish that I actually was fluent! Italian is now my second favorite language. French is my all-time favorite.

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.

I am going to echo everyone else and say your pictures are lovely and the make me want to go to Italy.  We have never been there.  Dd keeps reminding us that she would be happy to learn Italian and go as translator so you Duolingo comments made me laugh.  Her first choice would be duo and you are right Duolingo may not be the most practical for quick getting around as a tourist language skills.  It’s nice that people thought your Italian was great.  I suspect it is!  ?

One of my favorite memories of a France trip was watching Dd flirt with cute French boy at a pizza restaurant .  He was sent from the kitchen because he spoke some English when the staff heard our family talking between ourselves.  Dd  had planned to just take care of ordering in French when she knew what we wanted.   They were both utterly determined to speak the language they had been learning......so he was happily using interesting English phases while she was using French.  I feared for my food because I wasn’t sure if their duel language menu pursuit was working.  Our pizzas were really good.......lol

Since some here remember Eaglei.......I want to let you know that Eaglei has an update post on her son’s prayer thread.  Sorry I can’t figure out how to link.  I think of her and her husband frequently and was glad of the update.  I can’t believe it’s been three years......

[Mothersweets]

12 hours ago, aggieamy said:

 

Re: DE Stevenson.

I love both DE Stevenson and Mary Stewart but they write such different books. MS is known for her suspense and twists and Stevenson is more ... I don't know exactly how to describe it ... cozy and gentle. Usually what you think is going to happen in the book is exactly what happens. I read her books looking more for the characters and slice of life and gentleness rather than plot. I think you've already read a few of my favorite DE Stevenson's books (Miss Buncle's Book and Celia's House) but you might try Amberwell next. It's got more plot than some of her books and it's a great audiobook. 

Re: Magpie Murders

I clicked on you link to Goodreads and noticed that not only you but Erin, Sandy, and Angela loved this book. Okay. That seems good enough for me! I've got it on reserve from the library now. 

 

 

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll get that one next. I think I'll plan my DE Stevenson reading for when I've just finished something scary or intense and need a palate cleanser, lol. I hope you like Magpie Murders! 

[Violet Crown]

Thanks for the notice, Sandy.

[Kareni]

My book group will be meeting on Thursday, and I just finished the book.  It's just as depressing as I remember from when I read it the first time some years ago.  I'll be interested to hear what others in the group think of it.

Kindred  by Octavia Butler

"Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end, long before it has a chance to begin."

Regards,
Kareni

[Negin]

17 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I am going to echo everyone else and say your pictures are lovely and the make me want to go to Italy.  ?

..

I hope that you get to go to Italy! I wish the same for all my friends. It's a beautiful (yet also sometimes chaotic) country. 

Your pizza restaurant story had me smiling!

[Teaching3bears]

I am reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  I am on page 145.  He paints a picture and the book has a beautiful surreal, magical quality but I am pushing myself through at this point.  The characters lack depth and motivation and quite frankly, I was expecting much, much more from such an acclaimed book.  Maybe it will get better as I read more?  Did you like this book?  Does it live up to its reputation?

[LuvToRead]

I was in Hamphshire and read "Mist of Midnight" by Sandra Byrd.  It was a gothic romance with a bit of mystery and suspense.  I enjoyed it, but it didn't really pull me in until the end.

I am also working on Tulip.

T-The Long Stitch Goodbye - Amanda Lee - cozy mystery, the main character owns an embroidery shop
U
L-Fatal Chapter  - Lorna Barrett-cozy mystery set in a small town with a bookish theme
I-The Invention of Sarah Cummings - Olvia Newport - currently reading
P-

I am also planning on reading ""Mediterranean Summer" by David Schalleck for the summer challenge.

 

 

[mumto2]

4 hours ago, LuvToRead said:

I was in Hamphshire and read "Mist of Midnight" by Sandra Byrd.  It was a gothic romance with a bit of mystery and suspense.  I enjoyed it, but it didn't really pull me in until the end.

I am also working on Tulip.

T-The Long Stitch Goodbye - Amanda Lee - cozy mystery, the main character owns an embroidery shop
U
L-Fatal Chapter  - Lorna Barrett-cozy mystery set in a small town with a bookish theme
I-The Invention of Sarah Cummings - Olvia Newport - currently reading
P-

I am also planning on reading ""Mediterranean Summer" by David Schalleck for the summer challenge.

 

 

How did you like the Amanda Lee embroidery shop cozy?  I keep looking at them and can't decide.

I haven't found a Summer book yet but I did find a Garden book I am really looking forward to.  Life in the Garden https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35074095-life-in-the-garden?ac=1&from_search=true should make a good sip read.  ?

I finished my Carola Dunn cozy To Davy Jones Below https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/293063.To_Davy_Jones_Below?ac=1&from_search=true.  I think it was better than most in the series because the character assortment was limited because of the shipboard setting.  I quite enjoyed It and discovered my Overdrive had the next in audio so I am listening to that......5 minutes in!  Lol   Davy Jones Below started in London and the boat departed from Liverpool for the Brit Trippers.....

[LuvToRead]

43 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

How did you like the Amanda Lee embroidery shop cozy?  I keep looking at them and can't decide.

I haven't found a Summer book yet but I did find a Garden book I am really looking forward to.  Life in the Garden https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35074095-life-in-the-garden?ac=1&from_search=true should make a good sip read.  ?

I finished my Carola Dunn cozy To Davy Jones Below https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/293063.To_Davy_Jones_Below?ac=1&from_search=true.  I think it was better than most in the series because the character assortment was limited because of the shipboard setting.  I quite enjoyed It and discovered my Overdrive had the next in audio so I am listening to that......5 minutes in!  Lol   Davy Jones Below started in London and the boat departed from Liverpool for the Brit Trippers.....

I like them, but they are very cozy.  Some people prefer a bit more...grit or intensity  maybe?  I prefer slow paced books, and these fit the bill.   I don't embroider myself, but I enjoy reading about it.

[Kareni]

I just finished a re-read of Michelle Diener's science fiction romance Dark Horse (Class 5 Series Book 1) which was a nice fun read after the sadness of Kindred.

"Some secrets carry the weight of the world.

Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally--a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.

Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.

She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.

In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse."

Regards,
Kareni

[mumto2]

2 hours ago, LuvToRead said:

I like them, but they are very cozy.  Some people prefer a bit more...grit or intensity  maybe?  I prefer slow paced books, and these fit the bill.   I don't embroider myself, but I enjoy reading about it.

Sounds like I need to give them a try.  I seem to be in the mood for cozy mysteries that are a bit more gentle lately and I like craft mysteries.  

[LuvToRead]

26 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

Sounds like I need to give them a try.  I seem to be in the mood for cozy mysteries that are a bit more gentle lately and I like craft mysteries.  

They are quick reads, so if you don't like it you won't be out much time.  I hope you enjoy them!

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I'm abandoning Incarceration. The first half was interesting and I enjoyed it. The second half, however, is not my cuppa. Whereas the first half detailed the history of and current status of American prisons, the second half is all about how Christians should approach the prison system and how best to minister to prisoners and those who have been in prison. I haven't read much of the second half but it's not keeping my attention and I wasn't ready for the sermon-like shift.

With the belief that Incarceration will be abandoned, I stopped at the public library and picked up the audiobook and hardback copy of The Woman in White. The audio version my library has is 26 hours long. That's going to be a lot of yardwork and painting. :)

 

[Robin M]

On 6/17/2018 at 12:05 PM, Negin said:

 

 

Wonderful pictures and I'm totally fascinated by the Ponte Vecchio and the colorful buildings on the side of the bridge. Are they houses or shops? 

[Robin M]

On 6/17/2018 at 12:23 PM, Violet Crown said:

No books finished due to touristing with the family, homeschooling in the crevices, and trying to read too many books at once. Under way: Chaucer, Edinburgh writers Elspeth David and Muriel Spark, Hebridean poet Iain Crichton Smith, and local novelist John Buchan. Instead of reading today we went to some local Highland Games and watched burly men in kilts fling hammers, cabers, and weights around a grassy field while pipe bands shrilly competed and dozens of girls performed Highland dance for the tourists and the judges. Absolutely grand.

Sounds like lots of fun.    Burly men in kilts and highland dances.  Pictures - pretty please.  I both read and seen the movie 39 Steps and thinking I must read John Buchan again. Which of his books would you recommend next?  Happy touristing!

[Robin M]

Kathy --  WTM wasn't even letting me get online for half the day yesterday with a message saying it was too busy.  Fingersmith sounds quite intriguing. 

Tuesdayschild -   look forward to hearing what you think of Shadowy Horses.  Added it to my wish list.  Enjoyed Ben Kane's historicals about the Roman Legion so thinking I would probably enjoy this one. 

Ali - I love long books - especially ones about art and books and authors so  added Under the Wide and Starry Sky to my wish list

Matryoshka -- Yeah for reaching 52 books!  I haven't tried any of Marquez's non fiction. Something else to look into. 

Mum -  I keep hearing good things about Woman in White.  I'll have to add it to my want list.  The Last Wolf looks good too. Thanks for the heads up on EagleI.  What an amazing family! Melted into a puddle hearing about her son leaving messages for them with the pastor.  

Teaching3bears - With One Hundred Years of Solitude there is a lot of symbolism in the story but using the same names over and over again can get confusing.  It's kind of like an acquired taste.  Don't push through if you aren't enjoying it.  I read it for a class so had to finish and analyze but it is a strange story.  

 

 

[Robin M]

The Golden Tulip by Rosalind Laker was an amazing read. It is an art history story set in the 1700's in Amsterdam. Mixture of art and history with the social mores of the day.  Her writing totally captured me and I was rooting for the characters, both fictional and historical.  I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

[Negin]

8 hours ago, Robin M said:

Wonderful pictures and I'm totally fascinated by the Ponte Vecchio and the colorful buildings on the side of the bridge. Are they houses or shops? 

Thank you, Robin.

The buildings are mostly jewelry shops. They used to be all butchers and fishmongers, etc. from around the 13th century. From the 16th century, they were all replaced with jewelry shops because of the stench, etc. 

[marbel]

@Negin, your photos are wonderful!   Thanks for sharing and giving me a little vicarious peek into Italy.

I was complaining last week that I couldn't find a book to really get into.  I've picked up and discarded so many over the past couple of weeks!  I think I have finally found it:  Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.  I'm alternating between audio and kindle book.  It did have a slow start, but now I'm fully engaged and loving it.  And I want to watch the old TV show which has Alan Rickman as a slimy, scheming  chaplain.  

It is set in a fictional county, so the bonus is that I have a wild card for Brit-tripping.  I am badly in need of a few!

 

[mumto2]

2 hours ago, marbel said:

@Negin, your photos are wonderful!   Thanks for sharing and giving me a little vicarious peek into Italy.

I was complaining last week that I couldn't find a book to really get into.  I've picked up and discarded so many over the past couple of weeks!  I think I have finally found it:  Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.  I'm alternating between audio and kindle book.  It did have a slow start, but now I'm fully engaged and loving it.  And I want to watch the old TV show which has Alan Rickman as a slimy, scheming  chaplain.  

It is set in a fictional county, so the bonus is that I have a wild card for Brit-tripping.  I am badly in need of a few!

 

I have read great reviews for Barchester Towers.  I am glad you are enjoying it! ?

Guess who Robin Paige really is?  She is a husband\wife team............Susan Wittig Albert is the wife!  Lol,  as I read I have actually been comparing these books to her China Bayles series which adore and now I know why.  I will now be reading her Beatrix Potter series for the Lake Country.........

I hope everyone enjoys Woman in White as much as I did!  It's a really long audio book but I found it easy to remember the story when I couldn't listen for a few days.  The duel book and audio generally work really well for me.

[Violet Crown]

19 hours ago, Robin M said:

Sounds like lots of fun.    Burly men in kilts and highland dances.  Pictures - pretty please.  I both read and seen the movie 39 Steps and thinking I must read John Buchan again. Which of his books would you recommend next?  Happy touristing!

Unfortunately I didn't bring my phone; since I can't get cellular service anyway, and anywhere we go involves lots of walking, I often leave the extra weight at home. But I assure you it was even more glorious than you imagine.

I'm really enjoying my current Buchan, Witch Wood, which is a light, fun read, set in Scotland in the turbulent 1640s. However Buchan assumes his reader has a basic familiarity with the people and events of the Scottish and English Civil Wars, the Covenanter Rebellion, the theologies of the Episcopal Church of Scotland versus the Kirk, and the basics of Scots dialect. More accessible to Americans, and my favorite Buchan so far, is Penguin's collection The Strange Adventures of Mr Andrew Hawthorn & Other Stories. For his adventure novels, Middle Girl recommends the ones set in South Africa, but failed to provide me any titles.

This morning I finished the collection of Elspeth Davie short stories, which I highly recommend (if one can find them in the US). I've had trouble finding women writers, so it's nice to add Davie and her fellow Edinburgher Muriel Spark to the list.

Negin, I love the photos. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Edited June 20, 2018 by Violet Crown
Davie, not David

[Violet Crown]

6 hours ago, marbel said:

@Negin, your photos are wonderful!   Thanks for sharing and giving me a little vicarious peek into Italy.

I was complaining last week that I couldn't find a book to really get into.  I've picked up and discarded so many over the past couple of weeks!  I think I have finally found it:  Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.  I'm alternating between audio and kindle book.  It did have a slow start, but now I'm fully engaged and loving it.  And I want to watch the old TV show which has Alan Rickman as a slimy, scheming  chaplain.  

It is set in a fictional county, so the bonus is that I have a wild card for Brit-tripping.  I am badly in need of a few!

 

 

Trollope! And the best thing is that each novel in the series is twice as thick as the previous one, so you're good to go for a long time. ?

Isn't Barsetshire supposed to be Somerset? No, never mind.

[marbel]

1 minute ago, Violet Crown said:

 

Trollope! And the best thing is that each novel in the series is twice as thick as the previous one, so you're good to go for a long time. ?

Isn't Barsetshire supposed to be Somerset? No, never mind.

Never mind indeed.  If it's true, I don't want to know about it.  I need that wild card, and I have a book planned for Somerset.  :-)

I don't know why I have never read Trollope till now.  Well, I read The Warden many years ago and found it dull. I might have been too young, but in any case, I gave up on Trollope. Some years later I read something in which the opinion was set forth that to enjoy the Barsetshire novels one does not need to read The Warden, and it was a good thing because, according to that individual, it's boring.  Some years after that, my husband read Barchester Towers (not having read The Warden) and chortled all the way through.  So, finally, here I am. 

[Penguin]

I have been having trouble with Goodreads today. It says that it is over capacity. Is anyone else having trouble?

Since we are talking about reaching the half way point of the year, I will give my Bingo update. Looks like I am at 12/25.These are the ones I have done or are in progress:

Written or set in 14th century: The Wreath by S. Undset

Art: Head in Flames

MicroHistory: The Last Castle (about the Biltmore)

Book to Movie: Wonder

Translated: My Brilliant Friend

Philosophical: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I read this last year, but listened to him read it along with my son. It was worth two reads.

Biography or Memoir: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Free Space: Iza's Ballad

Nobel Prize winner: The Cross by S. Undset

Fantasy: Forgotten Beasts of Eld

Comic or Graphic Novel: 9/11 Commission Report

Self-Help: Make it Ugly

I'll fill in the author names later - my Internet signal is flaky and I don't want to lose my post.

[LuvToRead]

5 minutes ago, Penguin said:

I have been having trouble with Goodreads today. It says that it is over capacity. Is anyone else having trouble?

 

Me too!!

[LuvToRead]

4 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I have read great reviews for Barchester Towers.  I am glad you are enjoying it! ?

Guess who Robin Paige really is?  She is a husband\wife team............Susan Wittig Albert is the wife!  Lol,  as I read I have actually been comparing these books to her China Bayles series which adore and now I know why.  I will now be reading her Beatrix Potter series for the Lake Country.........

I hope everyone enjoys Woman in White as much as I did!  It's a really long audio book but I found it easy to remember the story when I couldn't listen for a few days.  The duel book and audio generally work really well for me.

I loved this series. Talk about cozy!  Sometimes I just need a warm book like these, it's good for my soul.  I didn't love the China Bayles series, but I liked the Victorian series.

[Lady Florida.]

8 hours ago, marbel said:

 

I was complaining last week that I couldn't find a book to really get into.  I've picked up and discarded so many over the past couple of weeks!  I think I have finally found it:  Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.  I'm alternating between audio and kindle book.  It did have a slow start, but now I'm fully engaged and loving it.  And I want to watch the old TV show which has Alan Rickman as a slimy, scheming  chaplain.  

 

 

I hate when I get in a reading funk and nothing appeals to me. I get antsy when I don't have something to read and not being able to find something that grabs me makes it worse. I'm glad you finally found something, plus it reminds me I want to get back to the Chronicles of Barchester. I read three of the books (The Warden, Barchester Towers, Doctor Thorne) and meant to start Framely Parsonage but got sidetracked. My absolute favorite Trollope (note that I've only read 4 of his works so far) is The Way We Live Now. 

[Kareni]

Yesterday and today I enjoyed re-reading Michelle Diener's science fiction romances Dark Deeds (Class 5 Series Book 2)  and  Dark Minds (Class 5 Series Book 3).  These are fun reads.

Dark Deeds:  "Rescue might just be the death of her.

Far from home . . .
Fiona Russell has been snatched from Earth, imprisoned and used as slave labor, but nothing about her abduction makes sense. When she's rescued by the Grih, she realizes there's a much bigger game in play than she could ever have imagined, and she's right in the middle of it.

Far from safe . . .
Battleship captain Hal Vakeri is chasing down pirates when he stumbles across a woman abducted from Earth. She's the second one the Grih have found in two months, and her presence is potentially explosive in the Grih's ongoing negotiations with their enemies, the Tecran. The Tecran and the Grih are on the cusp of war, and Fiona might just tip the balance.

Far from done . . .
Fiona has had to bide her time while she's been a prisoner, pretending to be less than she is, but when the chance comes for her to forge her own destiny in the new world she's found herself in, she grabs it with both hands. After all, actions speak louder than words."

and

Dark Minds:  "The mind is the most powerful weapon of all . . .

Imogen Peters knows she's a pawn. She's been abducted from Earth, held prisoner, and abducted again. So when she gets a chance at freedom, she takes it with both hands, not realizing that doing so will turn her from pawn to kingmaker.

Captain Camlar Kalor expected to meet an Earth woman on his current mission, he just thought he'd be meeting her on Larga Ways, under the protection of his Battle Center colleague. Instead, he and Imogen are thrown together as prisoners in the hold of a Class 5 battleship. When he works out she's not the woman who sparked his mission, but another abductee, Cam realizes his investigation just got a lot more complicated, and the nations of the United Council just took a step closer to war.

Imogen's out of her depth in this crazy mind game playing out all around her, and she begins to understand her actions will have a massive impact on all the players. But she's good at mind games. She's been playing them since she was abducted. Guess they should have left her minding her own business back on Earth…"

Regards,
Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

I’m having trouble quoting and posting, this is my last try, if it gobbles it up again, regardless,  I’m off to bed to listen to The Woman in White.

Robin M  It may be a while before I go back and have another try at Shadowy Horses - I started it after a few books I'd really enjoyed, one that touched me deeply, and then started Shadowy Horses.  I made it through 3 chapters and wasn't in the frame of mind to enjoy it.  I think I may have another try during (my) summertime as a light read. You may have read it before then

 marbel   looking forward to your ongoing review of the full, unabridged version.  I enjoyed the abridged, dramatized, version (years back) and keep sidestepping the unabridged series… the hours of reading in there is daunting!

mumto2   I’m with  LuvToRead  on The Beatrix Potter books by Susan W Albert. My Dd & I enjoyed them, spread them out, over a year.   Interesting fact about Robin Paige – hoping our local library gets some of ‘their’ books in!

For those who may need to purchase the audiobooks for  The Woman in White, and, The Barchester Towers:

 by purchasing the $0.00 kindle on amazon first,  a selection of audio books for each title is then available for about $8.70 USD each on audible, or amazon.   (I’ve wish-listed some Trollop audios for when my self-imposed buying ban ends ?)

• Free kindles for Anthony Trollop’s books  
• Free kindle for The Woman in White

[mumto2]

Barchester Towers.....I found an audiobook on Overdrive.  I Have several that I want to listen to first but am intrigued.

Before I forget to post a picture, The bookcase quilt is done.  This quilt is pretty personalized to the girl who will be receiving it.......pets, family jokes, color selections........

[Mothersweets]

16 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

Barchester Towers.....I found an audiobook on Overdrive.  I Have several that I want to listen to first but am intrigued.

Before I forget to post a picture, The bookcase quilt is done.  This quilt is pretty personalized to the girl who will be receiving it.......pets, family jokes, color selections........

This is wonderful! You are so talented!

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

The bookcase quilt is done.  This quilt is pretty personalized to the girl who will be receiving it.......pets, family jokes, color selections........

What lovely work, mumto2!  What is your next quilting project?

Regards,
Kareni

[Violet Crown]

Beautiful! You are gifted.

[LuvToRead]

6 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

 

I didn't mean to hit quote on this post, but accidentally did and now I don't know how to get rid of it.  (If someone can tell me how to undo a quote I would appreciate it)

I really wanted to tell Mumto2 her quilt is beautiful.

[Robin M]

22 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Unfortunately I didn't bring my phone; since I can't get cellular service anyway, and anywhere we go involves lots of walking, I often leave the extra weight at home. But I assure you it was even more glorious than you imagine.

Totally understand as I usually get caught up in the moment of whatever I'm doing and forget to take pictures, even if we have a camera. Enjoy!