Book a Week 2019 - BW6: Whodunit Bookology - Inspector Chen Cao

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday and welcome to week six in our 52 Books rambling roads reading adventure. Greetings to all our readers, welcome to all who are joining in for the first time,  and everyone following our progress. Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as the central spot to share links to your book reviews. 

 Our Whodunit Bookology detective of the month is Inspector Chen Cao, created by Qui Xiaolong who was originally born in Shanghai China in 1953 and currently resides in the United States. 

Inspector Chen Cao was introduced with the publication of Death of a Red Heroine in 2000.  The Inspector Chen series is set in Shanghai China in the 1990's and Chen Cao works as a homicide detective in the Shanghai Special Cases Bureau. The character is in his early thirties and also writes poetry and works as a translator.  Inspector Chen must navigate his way through government politics while trying to solve murders.  The series provides fascinating cultural and historical insight into China during a time of transition. 

There are a number of ways to complete the bookology challenge, including but not limited, to the suggestions below:  

 ·         Read the first book in the series.

·         Read one book per letter in the character's first or last name.

·         Read one book per letter in the author's first or last name.

·         If you're feeling really ambitious, one book per letter in the character's first and last name.

·         Follow in a character's footsteps and read a book set in the country or time period of the character. 

·         Follow in the author's footsteps and read a book set in their place or time of birth.

·         Read a book with the first or last name of the character or author in the title.

Check out Big Thrills Interview with Xiaolong - Perceiving China Through a Poetry-Spouting Sleuth as well as delve into the history of China during the 1990's,  emerging Chinese authors, and best novels that take place in China.

Have fun following rabbit trails.

 What are you reading?

 

Link to week five

[Robin M]

I finished a reread of Devon Monk's Ordinary Magic Series which is just as good the second time around.  Also completed The Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb Smith for my flufferton read and it was a delightful read.  

Ready to return to The Source at least until J.D. Robb's newest In Death book Connections in Death arrives which is being released on Tuesday.

My newest sip read is A.J. Jacobs Thanks a Thousand which is quite good so far.  

"Author A.J. Jacobs discovers that his coffee—and every other item in our lives—would not be possible without hundreds of people we usually take for granted: farmers, chemists, artists, presidents, truckers, mechanics, biologists, miners, smugglers, and goatherds.By thanking these people face to face, Jacobs finds some much-needed brightness in his life. Gratitude does not come naturally to Jacobs—his disposition is more Larry David than Tom Hanks—but he sets off on the journey on a dare from his son. And by the end, it’s clear to him that scientific research on gratitude is true. Gratitude’s benefits are legion: It improves compassion, heals your body, and helps battle depression.

Jacobs gleans wisdom from vivid characters all over the globe, including the Minnesota miners who extract the iron that makes the steel used in coffee roasters, to the Madison Avenue marketers who captured his wandering attention for a moment, to the farmers in Colombia.Along the way, Jacobs provides wonderful insights and useful tips, from how to focus on the hundreds of things that go right every day instead of the few that go wrong. And how our culture overemphasizes the individual over the team. And how to practice the art of “savoring meditation” and fall asleep at night. Thanks a Thousand is a reminder of the amazing interconnectedness of our world. It shows us how much we take for granted. It teaches us how gratitude can make our lives happier, kinder, and more impactful. And it will inspire us to follow our own “Gratitude Trails.”

Love this tidbit he quoted from Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity

"It is easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting."

 

And last but not the least - A reread of Death of a Red Heroine 

Edited February 3, 2019 by Robin M

[tuesdayschild]

@aggieamy  answering a question from a few weeks back: Yes, I did enjoy Benevent Treasure  - comparing it to other Miss Silver books  - I gave it 4+/5.   Loved the clever twist with the money at the end.

Another fun thread here Robin, thank you for all the work you put in!  (Off to link hop 😉)

I’m working on spelling  Chen Cao and Qiu for the whodunit challenge, and if I don’t make that at least Cao and Qui.  Here’s hoping overdrive will deliver on the rest of the China/Chinese focused reads I’ve got on hold for this month. 

My Dc celebrate their birthdays, Ds on the 16th, Dd on the 18th, Dsil's birthday is on the 17^th, Dh’s parents 61^st wedding anniversary on the 21st; and, Dd is about to start back to academic learning for the year this week so I’m not sure how much reading I’ll achieve this month.

Currently reading/listening to:

• The Tech-Wise Family:  Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place ~ Andy Crouch   N/F  Christian Content  (audio)  A BaWer recommended this last year  (thank you!)
• Carnegie's Maid ~ Marie Benedict, narrated by Alana Kerr Collins   (epukapuka audio)
• Wings Above Diamantina: Inspector Bonaparte Bk 3 ~ Arthur Upfield    (library CD) (Australia)
• Being Maori Chinese: Mixed Identities ~ Manying Ip  New Zealand N/F  (epukapuka)

New Sip Read:  A Year With C.S. Lewis:  365 Daily Readings From His Classic Works ~ C.S. Lewis, edited by Patricia Klein (pub 2003)

[Negin]

I read Coronation on Carmel - 4 Stars - This book will only be of interest to Baha’is. It’s the second in a series of three, about the establishment of one of the shrines in Haifa, Israel. The shrine and the gardens surrounding it, which I’ve had the bounty of visiting a few times, are a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

I would give it 5 stars, but all the lengthy endnotes are seriously annoying. Regardless, these books are thoroughly researched and beautifully written. 

“On the negative side was an ally of Nazi Germany, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, someone determined to eliminate the Guardian (of the Baha’is) and his Shrine.” “The Mufti, driven by his desire to expel the British and Jews from Palestine, became a Nazi ally.”

He was known as ‘The Arab Fuhrer’ and openly incited violence against Jews his whole life. Haj Amin al-Husseini recruited Bosnian Muslims for the SS who ultimately slaughtered 90% of Bosnia's Jews. “He was linked with an organizer of the Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann. The Mufti remained in and near Germany, lavishly supported by the Nazis, broadcasting anti-Allies and anti-Jewish propaganda until 1945. On radio, he called for the destruction of the Jewish settlements in Palestine.”

“Edward Keith-Roach, the former District Commissioner in Haifa and then Governor of Jerusalem, described the Mufti as ‘alert, shrewd and crafty’, one who played on religion ‘to the nth degree’. 

Eventually, after the re-formation of Israel the mufti's nephew, Rahman Abdul Rauf al-Qudwa al-Husseini, took over leadership of the region's Muslims. He renamed himself Yasser Arafat.

I did not know that the decision of the Allied troops to land in Normandy took place in Tehran, Iran. In November 1943, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin all met in Tehran, before the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944. 

MY RATING SYSTEM
5 Stars
The book is fantastic. It’s not perfect, since no book is, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine. 
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.

 

[Kareni]

Some bookish links ~

From the Word Wenches: What We're Reading in January

  Min Jin Lee Recommends 5 Books By Women

BEYOND LOTR: 4 EPIC FANTASY NOVELS FROM OUTSIDE THE UK

10 FANTASY NOVELS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR FANS OF HARRY POTTER

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

 

Robin, A great thread with fun links.  I am planning to spell Chen Cao this month.  I also plan to read one of the books starring one of my favorite fictional detectives but may end up doing that in March due to availability.  I am on number 4, A Tale of Two Cities.

Currently reading my book starring last month’s Detective,  Hecule Poirot, A Peril at End House.  As I am attempting to reread Christie in publication order I decided to wait for a Poirot for the Detective Challenge.  This is another Christie where my memory is not overly clear......My memory is that this one is simply OK so it will be interesting to see how I feel at the end.

I started the new Flavia by Alan Bradley.  My daughter is reading it too and we seem to be going through it at the same pace, rather slow.   The Golden Tresses of the Dead has so far managed to make it difficult to fall back to sleep.  I generally have a somewhat gentle book to read a few pages of in the middle of the night going and thought this book would do at 3am since I already had it up on my reader.  An event in chapter 2 or 3 made me have to get up and make a cup of tea in order to go back to sleep.....I switched back to Poirot too.  😂  I don’t want to do spoilers but read the first part when you have a half hour or so to get beyond something I found ridiculous but icky at the same time if you are a fan.  

Finally I have Sarah Perry’s Melmoth.  I am 25% of the way through and am seriously considering abandoning it.  It started well but seems to have stalled.  I really want to read this now I have started because it is set in Prague so far.......one of my 10’s is the Brexit Express.  I would love to have the Czech Republic for one of my 10 non UK EU countries.

Still listening to The Others series by Anne Bishop.

@tuesdayschild  Happy Birthday to both of your children!  My mom birthday was also on the 16th.

@Kareni The bottom two links aren’t working for me.  Going back to read the first ones!  Thank you!

 

Edited February 3, 2019 by mumto2

[purpleowl]

I didn't have much reading time last week. Still working on the Martyn Lloyd-Jones book. 

[Ali in OR]

I finished just my second book of 2019--Pancakes in Paris (for book club). It's a memoir from the guy who started a diner called Breakfast in America in Paris. I thought it was just ok--in a season where I don't have that much reading time, I thought it was wasted on this book. Still reading Smilla's Sense of Snow which is bogging down now. It will get my frequent complaint that it should have been edited down to 300 pages or less (it's 499--one short of a chunkster). Way too much time at sea with characters who weren't in the first half of book. And I've started Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons which I'm loving--definitely worth my reading time!

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

Kareni The bottom two links aren’t working for me.  Going back to read the first ones!  Thank you!

I believe they should now work.  Thank you.

Regards,

Kareni

[Matryoshka]

Finished 4 books this week, which balances out the big Zero last week... 

8. Ghostwritten by David Mitchell - First in my foray to read through the David Mitchell oeuvre.  It does start out as seeming to be vastly different stories, but it all connects in the end. I'm glad I read this one as a hardcopy, as I needed to flip back a number of times to check things in the other stories as connections were made.  I do love how he can change voices and register utterly from one character and story to the next.  I already recognized one character from Cloud Atlas!  I really liked it, and look forward to reading the next installment...   4 stars.

9. The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden - the final installment of the series that started with The Bear and the Nightingale.  I've loved this series (which I thought was just going to be a standalone book when I read the first!), and this brought things to a satisfying conclusion, while still going in directions you might not expect.  4.5 stars.

10. La comemadre by Roque Larraquy - yep, this is one little bundle of weird!  Like the Mitchell, there are two stories (set just over 100 yrs apart) which don't seem to have any relation, but then they do get connected in the end.   3 stars.

11. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (audiobook) - A lovely book full of warmth and charm.  I liked it, but wasn't wowed by it like many seem to be.  I do find the very ending to be a bit implausible (along with some other details along the way), but it fits the tone of the book.   Probably the only book you can read set during Stalin's era that you'll ever find full of warmth and charm, lol.  3.5 stars.

Still working on The Tangled Tree and The Cross (Kristin Lavransdatter #3), and enjoying both.  My next audio selections refused to come free on Overdrive and I had listening time, so I downloaded a short book, The Census by Jesse Ball.  Then of course one of my other audios did show up, which will be next - Sing, Unburied, Sing.  I've also started on one of my SciFi book club books, Living Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, which looks to be a quick and somewhat silly read.  

[Guest]

Quote

Author A.J. Jacobs discovers that his coffee—and every other item in our lives—would not be possible without hundreds of people we usually take for granted: farmers, chemists, artists, presidents, truckers, mechanics, biologists, miners, smugglers, and goatherds.By thanking these people face to face, Jacobs finds some much-needed brightness in his life. Gratitude does not come naturally to Jacobs—his disposition is more Larry David than Tom Hanks—but he sets off on the journey on a dare from his son. And by the end, it’s clear to him that scientific research on gratitude is true. Gratitude’s benefits are legion: It improves compassion, heals your body, and helps battle depression.

 @Robin M, this sounds terrific! Right up my alley. I have read Jacobs before...maybe he was the Year of Living Biblically guy? I think maybe. 

I am in the late middle of Ship of Smoke and Steel. Not so much a genre I would read but DS19 and I have been discussing systems of magic in novels and I decided to read this one. (It is interesting reading this book with the magic system info in the back of my mind.) It’s an intelligently done book and the magic system is very logical; the world building and character development is decent and the plot is pretty good. My only annoyance with the book is there’s quite a lot of variant sexuality theme present in the book for my taste. It disqualifies it as a book I want my younger son to read, which is unfortunate. 

I recently finished reading Gretchin Rubin’s The Happiness Project for my IRL book club. That’s a no for me. I did not like that book much and I find Rubin quite annoying. 

I have begun listening to Michelle Obama’s Becoming on audiobook. It’s enjoyable, but it feels a bit “meh, so what“ so far. 

[Violet Crown]

Finished this week Thomas Szasz, The Age of Madness. Sort of a source book for the psychiatrist-author's crusade against involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in general and corporal treatment methods (particularly electroshock therapy) in particular. There's an enraged account of mistreatment from the son of a Victorian prime minister who was institutionalized unwillingly; there's a bit from Sylvia Plath's Crossing the Water; there's an abridged Chekhov story, "Ward 6." It's all a bit dated in its anti-psychiatry-industry fury (published 1973), but it's such an unusual compilation on a theme as to be worth reading. Also, a good cover by Edward Gorey, in his Anchor Paperbacks days, which makes it 2019's first entry in the A is for Amy Who... 10x10 category:

Also read an Elizabethan chronicle play, Edward III, by the prolific "Anonymous" but (they think) probably partly by Shakespeare. So that's another one for The Hollow Crown category.

Currently reading Nikolai Gogol's Diary of a Madman and Other Stories, which I suppose keeps up last week's theme of madness and institutionalization.

[KathyBC]

Just finished a whodunit, Robert Galbraith's Lethal White. I enjoyed most of it. The first part felt laborious, as the two main characters continue to string other relationships along when they clearly want to be together. At the end I felt the plot was a little *too* complex, and the lengthy explanations by the villain just too unbelievable. I can't believe I could find anything to dislike by this author, but there you have it.

Edited February 4, 2019 by KathyBC

[JennW in SoCal]

I finally finished a couple of books last week: 
Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds is a lovely, quiet and fascinating look at the birds encountered in the Seattle area. Lyanda Haupt is not only an ornithologist and keen observer of nature, but a gifted writer. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville was filled with far more detailed gritty violence than I like. But the haunted protagonist was a compelling character, and it was a well written and plotted thriller. It painted a bleak picture of The Troubles and of the uneasy peace of today, and I spent some time on the internet to read up on the factions and history. 

I'm enjoying listening to Michelle Obama read her memoir, Becoming. She comes across as down to earth, and as Lady Florida commented, it is fascinating how much we have in common while yet having had such different life experiences. She talks, without blame or resentment, about the realities of being one of the few Black women in Princeton or in the Chicago law firm where she first worked. But she also talks about all the things familiar to all of us -- family and love and figuring out life.

I started a whimsical travel book, A Secret Map of Ireland. Rosita Boland, an Irish poet and journalist, traveled to each of the 32 counties of Ireland and visits something interesting and unique in each county. Not unique as in the oddball giant statues we have in the USA, but interesting, historical and off the beaten path. It isn't a standard travel book, but her own explorations of her country.

And for reading during these tough winter days in Southern California (I had to put a sweater on this morning), I've got an Ian Rankin mystery, A Question of Blood.

[madteaparty]

Oh man, I think it’s a book-a-month update for me! 

Anyway I finished Jude the Obscure, Invisible Man (Ellison) and The Crucible this month. Invisible man was an audiobook and the best non-kid audio I’ve heard. I’m almost moved to leave my first review. I also finished a little book called Order of the Day which won Prix Goncourt but it was only sort of okay. I think what happens is that certain classes are obsessed with certain periods or topics and you write about that period or topic and you win. I felt the same about the nanny book. 

i started The Nightingale, which I guess was very popular a few years ago (someone recomended it to me at a farmers market or  some such). And i’m just not a fan, at all. The “mon dieu”s thrown in are really patronizing and the rest of it is not enough to justify the annoyances. So this one is going back, a library book and thank god.

i thank whoever recomended A Gentleman in Moscow because I’m enjoying this as a nighttime read. 

Eta that I’m in a sort of Zweig mood and am re reading his short stories. It’s like reading them anew though because I was a child when I read them first. Paradise lost too, starting next week, but only bc it’s assigned to DS. I’m not thrilled. 

Eta: besides the couple of chapters on Halliburton, I’d love a book set about or around the Swiss alps as I’m heading there soon and have lots of time on hand as my people ski and I don’t...I think I’m looking for atmospheric more than collection of facts...

Edited February 4, 2019 by madteaparty

[marbel]

Thanks as always, Robin, for the thread!
 

I finished a very flufferton read this week:  Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen. The story was fun, lots of potential, but not well-written at all.  My daughter semi-recommended it to  me - I had mentioned that I was looking for something light and easy. She had read it a few years ago and said she didn't remember much, but that it was light and easy.   I kept thinking that it would have made a fun movie if made in the '30s (it was set in 1932) - a madcap comedy starring Carole Lombard. But not now; if a movie was made now, it would be terrible. The book was clean, as in no actual sexual content, but there was constant mention of sex, the main character's virginal status (and how that needed to be corrected) and at least one sex-obsessed character. It just got annoying (not offensive) to me. I'm sure a modern movie would be full of innuendo and action.  

Having said all that, I would read on in the series when I need something light.  I think I have read that the books get better.

Oh, and that book has a couple scenes in Essex, so I picked up another Brit-trip county (I'm still keeping track as they pop up). 

I also started Paul Theroux's Deep South (nonfiction, travel) which is charming so far.  I am not from the South, but my husband is and I've spent some time in limited places (north FL, south GA, western NC) and even though the bits I've read happen in Alabama, it seems familiar.  This is a long book, a sip read, so I will be leisurely.

ETA: @madteaparty, you are the only person I've come across who felt the way I did about The Nightingale. I could not finish it. So many people I know raved about it, but I couldn't get very far. 

Edited February 4, 2019 by marbel

[madteaparty]

27 minutes ago, marbel said:

ETA: @madteaparty, you are the only person I've come across who felt the way I did about The Nightingale. I could not finish it. So many people I know raved about it, but I couldn't get very far. 

Yeah, it happens to me quite a lot with popular books...

Similar happened with Behold the dreamers. You know, where it mentions the Lehman executive shredding things? Well I can say with some confidence there would not have been any shredding..Book tossed! 

And then there’s some authors I ready don’t get. One was quoted in an article I read that they don’t understand their popularity either. So it’s not just us;)  but the awards rain on...

[Guest]

15 hours ago, KathyBC said:

Just finished a whodunit, Robert Galbraith's Lethal White. I enjoyed most of it. The first part felt laborious, as the two main characters continue to string other relationships along when they clearly want to be together. At the end I felt the plot was a little *too* complex, and the lengthy explanations by the villain just too unbelievable. I can't believe I could find anything to dislike by this author, but there you have it.

Interesting. I have had this on my TBR list for a while. I liked or loved the other books in the series, though each one seemed darker and more convoluted than the previous one. The main characters’ relationship tension became more important to me in the third book than the mystery story.

The one thing that has really hooked me in these books is that I cannot solve the mystery. She lays down the false trails nicely. (Or I am exceptionally dense.) 

[Penguin]

I finished two books over the weekend: Lincoln in the Bardo, which I had as an audiobook. Loved the writing, loved the storytelling. It worked really well as an audiobook - there are so many characters and voices. Penguin has a nice Character Key to go with the audio version. I only looked at it once, but I did find it helpful. But it was a tough read - it punched me in the gut at times. It didn't help that I am grieving the recent loss of a friend. I had to put it aside for a bit.

Also finished the mega-chunkster Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Finally! It seemed to go on forever, but in the end I feel like it was worth my time. The last 20% or so had a fast-paced, satisfying climax. At some point, I will watch the miniseries. I think it was @tuesdayschild who recommended it (?).

[Robin M]

19 hours ago, Quill said:

@Robin M, this sounds terrific! Right up my alley. I have read Jacobs before...maybe he was the Year of Living Biblically guy? I think maybe.

Yes, it is the same author.  Great read so far.  😉   Totally enjoyed Year of Living Biblically.  Hubby liked Drop Dead Healthy which was the impetus for starting 10k walks.   We also have It's all Relative on our shelves. 

 

[madteaparty]

29 minutes ago, Penguin said:

I finished two books over the weekend: Lincoln in the Bardo, which I had as an audiobook. Loved the writing, loved the storytelling. It worked really well as an audiobook - there are so many characters and voices. Penguin has a nice Character Key to go with the audio version. I only looked at it once, but I did find it helpful. But it was a tough read - it punched me in the gut at times. It didn't help that I am grieving the recent loss of a friend. I had to put it aside for a bit.

One of my all time favorites, but i’m a Saunders fangirl . Can’t imagine doing it as an audiobook though *bows to penguin*. I was reading several greek plays at the time with DS and this had the same feel...the other astonishing thing about this one, to me, was how he was able to convey a character’s entire life, especially for some of the side ones, in a few lines of (bardo) dialogue...who does that? 

Edited February 4, 2019 by madteaparty

[KathyBC]

39 minutes ago, Quill said:

Interesting. I have had this on my TBR list for a while. I liked or loved the other books in the series, though each one seemed darker and more convoluted than the previous one. The main characters’ relationship tension became more important to me in the third book than the mystery story.

The one thing that has really hooked me in these books is that I cannot solve the mystery. She lays down the false trails nicely. (Or I am exceptionally dense.) 

I enjoy convoluted mysteries and attempting to sort out the false trails from the likely solution, too. This was still a compelling read for sure. I'll be interested to see if the opening scenes annoy you as much as they did me. 😁

[JennW in SoCal]

20 hours ago, KathyBC said:

Just finished a whodunit, Robert Galbraith's Lethal White. I enjoyed most of it. The first part felt laborious, as the two main characters continue to string other relationships along when they clearly want to be together. At the end I felt the plot was a little *too* complex, and the lengthy explanations by the villain just too unbelievable. I can't believe I could find anything to dislike by this author, but there you have it.

 

Yep. My ds and I listened to it last summer and I remember the relationship between Cormoran and whatshername drove us both absolutely nuts. And the whole damsel needing rescue trope at the end. I wish she (the author, for those who don't know is JK Rowling writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith) would just write solid mysteries featuring Cormoran as he is a great character. 

[Liz CA]

Books (Reading): 

I am little ( a lot ) behind. I am just now finishing "Curtain - Poirot's Last Case." I am also reading "The Hunt for the I 5 Killer" by Henderson which is non-fiction and a rather interesting glimpse into police work.

Audiobooks:

I am listening to "Lie to Me" by J T Ellison and it seems full of twists but also full of what seems Ellison's typical treatment of Tea. It's an Audiobook and I feel like turning down the volume when I am at a red light and children are crossing the street in front of me.  🙂

Next on the Reading List:

I am looking at "The Weaver Takes a Wife" for the Flufferton week and because conveniently Robin suggested it. 🙂 Is there more to it than just romance? I have to have something interesting...even if it's not a murder.

ETA: My library doesn't have the "Weaver takes a Wife" so I need another suggestion for Flufferton.  😄

Edited February 5, 2019 by Liz CA

[Kareni]

12 hours ago, Liz CA said:

: My library doesn't have the "Weaver takes a Wife" so I need another suggestion for Flufferton.  😄

Your library will most likely have some books by Georgette Heyer.

Do you read on a Kindle? Here are some books that look promising that are currently free:

Jill Barnett's Bewitching (Regency Magic Book 1)

Tessa Dare's Once Upon a Winters Eve (Spindle Cove 1.5)

Rebecca Hagan Lee's Barely a Bride (Free Fellows League Book 1)

Adele Clee's To Save a Sinner

Brenda Hiatt's Gabriella (Hiatt Regency Classics Book 1)

Regards,

Kareni

[Liz CA]

2 minutes ago, Kareni said:

Your library will most likely have some books by Georgette Heyer.

Do you read on a Kindle? Here are some books that look promising that are currently free:

Jill Barnett's Bewitching (Regency Magic Book 1)

Tessa Dare's Once Upon a Winters Eve (Spindle Cove 1.5)

Rebecca Hagan Lee's Barely a Bride (Free Fellows League Book 1)

Adele Clee's To Save a Sinner

Brenda Hiatt's Gabriella (Hiatt Regency Classics Book 1)

Regards,

Kareni

 

Thank you!

I use Overdrive (linked to two local libraries) on my phone.

[Robin M]

Happy Chinese New Year - It is the year of the Pig.  Off the shelf presents 12 books featuring the 12 Zodiac animals

Celebrate black history month with these selections

Ala announces their top books for 2019

Ten podcasts to listen to when in a reading slump or even when you're not.  😀

February's best psychological thrillers

 

😘

[Kareni]

Some more bookish posts ~

5 Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Dystopian Tests That Aren’t What They Seem

Centuries lost ‘Bristol Merlin’ uncovered at city’s Central Library

GORGEOUS AND UNIQUE PERSONALIZED BOOKMARKS YOU’LL WANT RIGHT NOW

NEW YEAR, NEW MONEY: 4 PERSONAL FINANCE BOOKS FOR MILLENNIALS 

Regards,

Kareni

[tuesdayschild]

On 2/4/2019 at 10:15 AM, mumto2 said:

@tuesdayschild  Happy Birthday to both of your children!  My mom birthday was also on the 16th.

Thank you ... they are doing all the planning this year, so it's the easiest birthday, for me, that we've ever hosted for them 🙂      Hope the 16th is a day to remember the good memories with your mum (hug).

On 2/5/2019 at 7:59 AM, madteaparty said:

Swiss alps as I’m heading there soon and have lots of time on hand as my people ski and I don’t...I think I’m looking for atmospheric more than collection of facts...

No recommendations, but happy reading time in the Swiss Alps  😉

On 2/5/2019 at 9:46 AM, Penguin said:

Also finished the mega-chunkster Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Finally! It seemed to go on forever, but in the end I feel like it was worth my time. The last 20% or so had a fast-paced, satisfying climax. At some point, I will watch the miniseries. I think it was @tuesdayschild who recommended it (?).

I think the recent recommendation on BaW for the book was from @mumto2      The ebook hit my overdrive account this week, so I was really pleased to see your review here and the unintended encouragement for me to 'hang in there' for the ending.

22 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I started Francis Chan's Crazy Love 

Interested to read your thoughts on this one.  So many readers, in another reading circle I hang around the edges of, are either all for this book or really against it.

Edited February 6, 2019 by tuesdayschild

[mumto2]

21 hours ago, Liz CA said:

Books (Reading): 

I am little ( a lot ) behind. I am just now finishing "Curtain - Poirot's Last Case." I am also reading "The Hunt for the I 5 Killer" by Henderson which is non-fiction and a rather interesting glimpse into police work.

Audiobooks:

I am listening to "Lie to Me" by J T Ellison and it seems full of twists but also full of what seems Ellison's typical treatment of Tea. It's an Audiobook and I feel like turning down the volume when I am at a red light and children are crossing the street in front of me.  🙂

Next on the Reading List:

I am looking at "The Weaver Takes a Wife" for the Flufferton week and because conveniently Robin suggested it. 🙂 Is there more to it than just romance? I have to have something interesting...even if it's not a murder.

ETA: My library doesn't have the "Weaver takes a Wife" so I need another suggestion for Flufferton.  😄

A couple other of common favorite Flufferton authors Mary Balogh and Mary Jo Putney.......hopefully you will be able to find one  of these on Overdrive .

On 2/4/2019 at 3:46 PM, Penguin said:

I finished two books over the weekend: Lincoln in the Bardo, which I had as an audiobook. Loved the writing, loved the storytelling. It worked really well as an audiobook - there are so many characters and voices. Penguin has a nice Character Key to go with the audio version. I only looked at it once, but I did find it helpful. But it was a tough read - it punched me in the gut at times. It didn't help that I am grieving the recent loss of a friend. I had to put it aside for a bit.

Also finished the mega-chunkster Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Finally! It seemed to go on forever, but in the end I feel like it was worth my time. The last 20% or so had a fast-paced, satisfying climax. At some point, I will watch the miniseries. I think it was @tuesdayschild who recommended it (?).

Glad you enjoyed it!  I really liked the book but ended up more luke warm on the recent miniseries......I don’t think we ever finished it.  Part of my family’s desire to watch was much of it was apparently filmed in a village where my kids have done bell ringing.  Honestly we didn’t recognize a thing beyond York!  We gave up on the scenery and eventually it was deleted.........obviously I knew the story and I think Dd has read it too.

23 minutes ago, tuesdayschild said:

Thank you ... they are doing all the planning this year, so it's the easiest birthday, for me, that we've ever hosted for them 🙂      Hope the 16th is a day of good memories with your mum (hug).

I think the recent recommendation on BaW for the book was from @mumto2      The ebook hit my overdrive account this week, so I was really pleased to see your review here and the unintended encouragement for me to 'hang in there' for the ending.

😀birthday’s do get easier as kids get older.  Glad you will be able to sit back and enjoy it. 

So the new Flavia is done and when I went to Goodreads to mark it as read I discovered my upsetting bit was sitting there in the book description.  Too bad I didn’t read that!  It was a finger in the wedding cake......I still would have read the book but probably would have been happier knowing beforehand!

 

[tuesdayschild]

Books ....

Every week spent here, my goodreads wishlist grows.  Thanks BaWers   😘   ( I really enjoy how one reader here can just  flat out "love" a book and the next BaWer says meh. 😄)

I'm amazed I'm managing to make a few inroads on my reading challenges by completing some more letters out of the spelling challenge, and complete two titles for my 10x books by Downunder (NZ & Aust) authors.   Why is it sometimes I think I'm not going to be able to spend much time reading/listening to books and then that's exactly when I do?  Hmmm, wonder if there are tricky book fairies at work 😉

Completed: 

• Wings Above Diamantina: Inspector Bonaparte Bk 3 ~ Arthur Upfield (3) (library CD) (Australia)  Vintage read.  I really enjoy Upfield’s word paintings of the Australian landscapes – beautiful.
•  Being Maori Chinese: Mixed Identities ~ Manying Ip  New Zealand N/F  (epukapuka) (3-4)    (a very kiwi comment: I found this to be a perfect pre-Waitangi Day read)

 Just started:   

• One Child:  The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment ~ Mei Fong, narrated by Janet Song (epukapuka)  N/F China

 

 

 

[Guest]

Quote

Just started:    

• One Child:  The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment ~ Mei Fong, narrated by Janet Song (epukapuka)  N/F China
•  

Sounds fascinating! Let us know what you think of it. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Hello everyone~ 

As always you are an inspiration to keep reading. I think, however, I am going to have to extend some grace to myself and slow down a bit. My schedule has become full now that men's tennis season is in full swing and I have been experiencing some anxiety about meeting my goals. Between reading, exercising, and organizing the house - along with all of my work duties - I think I am pushing myself too hard. I think it's the perfectionist in me. I want to be able to research books and run to the library and look through stacks ror read Goodreads reviews and carefully choose audiobooks.  When I'm reading I feel guilty that I'm not exercising or doing housework. When I'm exercising I think I should be reading to keep up with my reading goals.  Similar things are happening at work. When I'm learning new drills I think I should be recruiting. When I'm recruiting I think I should be working on on-court skills.

I honestly don't know how you ladies get so much done (not that I'm imparting any blame or feeling of pressure from you to reach any type of goal,, reading or otherwise).

I just finished a book I didn't enjoy, Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady, because it was short, free, and would keep me on track for a book a week. I think I need to give myself permission to abandon books that are meh and to adjust my reading challenge until my work schedule lightens up in April. I think I'll shoot for a book every two weeks. I also have to realize that there are seasons in life for everything and my current season is filled with something I love beyond measure, my sport.

Does this make sense? Maybe I simply need a cup of chai.

[marbel]

3 minutes ago, The Accidental Coach said:

<snip>

I just finished a book I didn't enjoy, Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady, because it was short, free, and would keep me on track for a book a week. I think I need to give myself permission to abandon books that are meh and to adjust my reading challenge until my work schedule lightens up in April. I think I'll shoot for a book every two weeks. I also have to realize that there are seasons in life for everything and my current season is filled with something I love beyond measure, my sport.

Does this make sense? Maybe I simply need a cup of chai.

Do you need outside permission?  I will gladly grant it to you, and I am pretty sure everyone else on this thread will too.  (Not to be presumptuous.)

Reading is supposed to enhance your life.  If your reading goals are adding stress, adjust them!  Unless you are a student and need to read a certain book, or have a specific life goal that requires certain reading, read what you like when you like.

Last year I read almost nothing but fluff novels. I read one - count it, one! - nonfiction book. This year I have determined to read more nonfiction and I've achieved that goal, but... low bar, right?  I am already back into Flufferton Abbey and it's very comfy here... 

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, The Accidental Coach said:

Hello everyone~ 

As always you are an inspiration to keep reading. I think, however, I am going to have to extend some grace to myself and slow down a bit. My schedule has become full now that men's tennis season is in full swing and I have been experiencing some anxiety about meeting my goals. Between reading, exercising, and organizing the house - along with all of my work duties - I think I am pushing myself too hard. I think it's the perfectionist in me. I want to be able to research books and run to the library and look through stacks ror read Goodreads reviews and carefully choose audiobooks.  When I'm reading I feel guilty that I'm not exercising or doing housework. When I'm exercising I think I should be reading to keep up with my reading goals.  Similar things are happening at work. When I'm learning new drills I think I should be recruiting. When I'm recruiting I think I should be working on on-court skills.

I honestly don't know how you ladies get so much done (not that I'm imparting any blame or feeling of pressure from you to reach any type of goal,, reading or otherwise).

I just finished a book I didn't enjoy, Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady, because it was short, free, and would keep me on track for a book a week. I think I need to give myself permission to abandon books that are meh and to adjust my reading challenge until my work schedule lightens up in April. I think I'll shoot for a book every two weeks. I also have to realize that there are seasons in life for everything and my current season is filled with something I love beyond measure, my sport.

Does this make sense? Maybe I simply need a cup of chai.

It makes sense. I do the same thing sometimes, always thinking I need to be doing something else. Book goals shouldn’t take over your life, and they shouldn’t rob the joy of reading articles, say, which don’t add to book counts (Ahem....telling myself this...) 

[Violet Crown]

On 2/4/2019 at 12:59 PM, madteaparty said:

Eta that I’m in a sort of Zweig mood and am re reading his short stories. It’s like reading them anew though because I was a child when I read them first. Paradise lost too, starting next week, but only bc it’s assigned to DS. I’m not thrilled. 

Eta: besides the couple of chapters on Halliburton, I’d love a book set about or around the Swiss alps as I’m heading there soon and have lots of time on hand as my people ski and I don’t...I think I’m looking for atmospheric more than collection of facts...

On Paradise Lost: you might try getting Stanley Fish's classic of Reader Response Criticism, Surprised By Sin, which is very readable and makes PL more readable. I need to re-read PL myself soon.

For the Swiss Alps, surely Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain?

When dh attended a conference in the Swiss Alps and brought me, neither of us skied so we hit the snowy hiking trails, and it was fantastic.

 

Edited February 6, 2019 by Violet Crown

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said:

Hello everyone~ 

As always you are an inspiration to keep reading. I think, however, I am going to have to extend some grace to myself and slow down a bit. My schedule has become full now that men's tennis season is in full swing and I have been experiencing some anxiety about meeting my goals. Between reading, exercising, and organizing the house - along with all of my work duties - I think I am pushing myself too hard. I think it's the perfectionist in me. I want to be able to research books and run to the library and look through stacks ror read Goodreads reviews and carefully choose audiobooks.  When I'm reading I feel guilty that I'm not exercising or doing housework. When I'm exercising I think I should be reading to keep up with my reading goals.  Similar things are happening at work. When I'm learning new drills I think I should be recruiting. When I'm recruiting I think I should be working on on-court skills.

I honestly don't know how you ladies get so much done (not that I'm imparting any blame or feeling of pressure from you to reach any type of goal,, reading or otherwise).

I just finished a book I didn't enjoy, Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady, because it was short, free, and would keep me on track for a book a week. I think I need to give myself permission to abandon books that are meh and to adjust my reading challenge until my work schedule lightens up in April. I think I'll shoot for a book every two weeks. I also have to realize that there are seasons in life for everything and my current season is filled with something I love beyond measure, my sport.

Does this make sense? Maybe I simply need a cup of chai.

The inspiration I get here is so nourishing.  But you should definitely give yourself a break if you're feeling overwhelmed.  We've all got different stuff going on in our lives!  My kids have now all moved out, so I do have more reading time (in fact, it helps me a lot to feel like I have something to do!).  And I only work very part-time.  Much easier to read with no kids around to teach or run hither and yon.

One way I get way more 'read' is audiobooks.  While I mostly listen in the car, those can also be done while doing something else like exercise or housework.  In fact, I keep telling myself I'm going to start a huge declutter while listening to books.  That has yet to happen, but now that the kids really are all out (youngest moved out just last month), I think it's time!

I'm with you on the researching books and carefully choosing what's next is half the fun.  I've got a huge list on Goodreads, but each year I also make a Word Doc with what I want to tackle that year.  It keeps changing (and getting added to as the inspiration keeps coming), but it's much less overwhelming than the 1000+ books on my GR to-read list!  Anything I don't get to on that list I just paste into the next year's list - no guilt!  And that way I've always got a good idea of what's coming next, which also helps me read more as I've always got the next book lined up.  I've usually got 1-2 print books, an ebook, and an audio going in parallel as well, so I've always got something to read if I've got a few minutes or more.  Yes, yes, I have far too much time on my hands now that I don't have homeschooling to suck it all up! 

[Kareni]

3 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said:

I think I need to give myself permission to abandon books that are meh and to adjust my reading challenge until my work schedule lightens up in April. I think I'll shoot for a book every two weeks. I also have to realize that there are seasons in life for everything and my current season is filled with something I love beyond measure, my sport.

Does this make sense? Maybe I simply need a cup of chai.

It makes eminent sense. Abandon with gusto, and enjoy your chai.

Regards,

Kareni

[madteaparty]

2 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

On Paradise Lost: you might try getting Stanley Fish's classic of Reader Response Criticism, Surprised By Sin, which is very readable and makes PL more readable. I need to re-read PL myself soon.

For the Swiss Alps, surely Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain?

When dh attended a conference in the Swiss Alps and brought me, neither of us skied so we hit the snowy hiking trails, and it was fantastic.

 

Thank you, on both counts!

I’m reading PL because DS has been assigned it in a class, and I like to read along. So he’s confined to a particular edition, but I am not I suppose 😉 thanks again! Eta that I’m trying to get into a better mood about this reading, and considering I’m the world’s biggest-CS Lewis-fan-who-is-not-Christian-and who-loves-everything-but-Narnia, Milton makes sense, yes? Can’t wait to read Screwtape letters with DS 🙂

i tried Magic Mountain on my kindle a long while back and I couldn’t. I don’t think it’s a kindle book. I think I will place it on hold at library, thanks!

Edited February 6, 2019 by madteaparty

[Kareni]

I continued my Anne Bishop reread and have finished Marked In Flesh, Etched in Bone, and Lake Silence ... ahhh. Now I am more than ready for her forthcoming book.

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

First abandoned book of the year! Why do I read dh's recommendations? For thirty-five years I've been trying books he recommends and regretting it. Anyway after nearly 200 pages, How Late It Was, How Late wasn't getting any better. "Is this book going anywhere?" I asked. "No, not really." "But it did win the Booker Prize." "Yes.... Though one of the committee members resigned after it won." "Resigned why?" "He said 'This book is c**p.'"

So I've switched to a collection of Henry James stories. Such a relief. Every time I read him, I ask myself, Why do I ever read anything besides Henry James? Maybe this should be my new challenge. Read all of Henry James.

[Mothersweets]

Hi all! Hope everyone is keeping warm and cozy this week!

I'm late in posting this week because I couldn't log in! Not sure what is going on but hopefully this will post ok. 

I managed to finish one book last week and really had to force myself to do even that. I read Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer and apparently I read it back in 2016 but have ZERO memory ofit - haha! I even gave it 4 stars! Not sure why as I was thoroughly annoyed with it about halfway through - soo much talking and talking and restating every thought in 5 different ways. ugh. I gave it 2 stars this time around. 

I have started and put down 2 other books - the first is In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen  - ok Amy, you tried to warn me! It started out ok but now I am a little over half way through it and I just can't go on. The plot 'twist' is super obvious and and it feels as though the author is using characters from Downton Abbey. Also, the part where *spoiler -highlight to readthe sister in Paris is being tortured and she barely blinks when the Nazis are shoving sticks under her fingernails?! Ridiculous. 

The second book was The Winterwood by Dorothy Eden. Oh dear. This one wants to be a gothic romance set in the early to mid 19th century (I think?) but felt so modern that I was confused for a bit. The major thing that bothered me was how the main character ( a young, penniless woman all alone in the world, of course) happens to meet a man with his daughter in a  Venetian  town square and decides that she loves him and that he loves her, even though he is already married. What?! She ends up becoming the governess to the daughter and away we go. Throw in a hysterical, jealous (but beautiful!) wife, a wealthy great-aunt who is about to pop off, and a creepy, unknown cousin that suddenly shows up from nowhere, and the husband who keeps making eyes at our heroine and I just couldn't go on. Another ugh.

Sorry for all my complaining.   I just picked up another book from the library and maybe this one will get me out of my reading slump.

[KathyBC]

9 hours ago, The Accidental Coach said:

Hello everyone~ 

As always you are an inspiration to keep reading. I think, however, I am going to have to extend some grace to myself and slow down a bit. My schedule has become full now that men's tennis season is in full swing and I have been experiencing some anxiety about meeting my goals. Between reading, exercising, and organizing the house - along with all of my work duties - I think I am pushing myself too hard. I think it's the perfectionist in me. I want to be able to research books and run to the library and look through stacks ror read Goodreads reviews and carefully choose audiobooks.  When I'm reading I feel guilty that I'm not exercising or doing housework. When I'm exercising I think I should be reading to keep up with my reading goals.  Similar things are happening at work. When I'm learning new drills I think I should be recruiting. When I'm recruiting I think I should be working on on-court skills.

I honestly don't know how you ladies get so much done (not that I'm imparting any blame or feeling of pressure from you to reach any type of goal,, reading or otherwise).

I just finished a book I didn't enjoy, Rock Needs River by Vanessa McGrady, because it was short, free, and would keep me on track for a book a week. I think I need to give myself permission to abandon books that are meh and to adjust my reading challenge until my work schedule lightens up in April. I think I'll shoot for a book every two weeks. I also have to realize that there are seasons in life for everything and my current season is filled with something I love beyond measure, my sport.

Does this make sense? Maybe I simply need a cup of chai.

 

6 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

The inspiration I get here is so nourishing.  But you should definitely give yourself a break if you're feeling overwhelmed.  We've all got different stuff going on in our lives!  My kids have now all moved out, so I do have more reading time (in fact, it helps me a lot to feel like I have something to do!).  And I only work very part-time.  Much easier to read with no kids around to teach or run hither and yon.

One way I get way more 'read' is audiobooks.  While I mostly listen in the car, those can also be done while doing something else like exercise or housework.  In fact, I keep telling myself I'm going to start a huge declutter while listening to books.  That has yet to happen, but now that the kids really are all out (youngest moved out just last month), I think it's time!

I'm with you on the researching books and carefully choosing what's next is half the fun.  I've got a huge list on Goodreads, but each year I also make a Word Doc with what I want to tackle that year.  It keeps changing (and getting added to as the inspiration keeps coming), but it's much less overwhelming than the 1000+ books on my GR to-read list!  Anything I don't get to on that list I just paste into the next year's list - no guilt!  And that way I've always got a good idea of what's coming next, which also helps me read more as I've always got the next book lined up.  I've usually got 1-2 print books, an ebook, and an audio going in parallel as well, so I've always got something to read if I've got a few minutes or more.  Yes, yes, I have far too much time on my hands now that I don't have homeschooling to suck it all up! 

I had a tedious household chore to do that took about 90 minutes. I was excited to try listening to a podcast, which certainly made the time pass more enjoyably, but later wondered if I should have been listening to an audio book instead. Silliness.

[Mothersweets]

On 2/3/2019 at 6:05 PM, Quill said:

 @Robin M

I recently finished reading Gretchin Rubin’s The Happiness Project for my IRL book club. That’s a no for me. I did not like that book much and I find Rubin quite annoying. 

 

I tried reading that a few years ago and couldn't finish! and I agree - she is annoying. 

On 2/3/2019 at 10:06 PM, KathyBC said:On 2/4/2019 at 12:26 PM, marbel said:

Thanks as always, Robin, for the thread!
 

I finished a very flufferton read this week:  Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen. The story was fun, lots of potential, but not well-written at all.  My daughter semi-recommended it to  me -

I thought the same thing but it gets better in the later ones in the series. I read the first one but listened to the next 5 or 6? on audio and they're a fun bit of fluff. The narrator does a really good job. 

On 2/4/2019 at 1:43 PM, Quill said:

Interesting. I have had this on my TBR list for a while. I liked or loved the other books in the series, though each one seemed darker and more convoluted than the previous one. The main characters’ relationship tension became more important to me in the third book than the mystery story.

The one thing that has really hooked me in these books is that I cannot solve the mystery. She lays down the false trails nicely. (Or I am exceptionally dense.) 

Agreeing with you and Kathy and Jen on this series! I read the first two and am not sure if I want to keep going. I like Cormoran but didn't like how his secretary gets too huffy if he isn't sweetness and sunshine to her. 

On 2/4/2019 at 1:46 PM, Penguin said:

Also finished the mega-chunkster Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Finally! It seemed to go on forever, but in the end I feel like it was worth my time. The last 20% or so had a fast-paced, satisfying climax. At some point, I will watch the miniseries. I think it was @tuesdayschild who recommended it (?).

I really enjoyed the miniseries! The costuming and set design was so well done and the story really different from anything I've seen recently. Great acting, too!

[madteaparty]

39 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

First abandoned book of the year! Why do I read dh's recommendations? For thirty-five years I've been trying books he recommends and regretting it. Anyway after nearly 200 pages, How Late It Was, How Late wasn't getting any better. "Is this book going anywhere?" I asked. "No, not really." "But it did win the Booker Prize." "Yes.... Though one of the committee members resigned after it won." "Resigned why?" "He said 'This book is c**p.'"

So I've switched to a collection of Henry James stories. Such a relief. Every time I read him, I ask myself, Why do I ever read anything besides Henry James? Maybe this should be my new challenge. Read all of Henry James.

That’s the only Booker that didn’t work for me. Normally it’s the only award that works exactly. 

[Penguin]

54 minutes ago, Mothersweets said:

I really enjoyed the miniseries! The costuming and set design was so well done and the story really different from anything I've seen recently. Great acting, too!

Thanks, I knew somebody had mentioned it! I really need to do a better job remembering who-recommended-what. 

[mumto2]

I seriously thought about abandoning Melmoth by Sarah Perry https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36628420-melmoth and read a few more pages that were interesting so I continued........I probably should have quit!  Reading it was a bit of a roller coaster and it didn’t end satisfying so I gave it 2*.  The reviews on Goodreads are overall great.

It is supposed to be a modern Gothic set in Prague with Melmoth the Watcher, watching.  I will say Melmoth,  the woman who denied Jesus at resurrection and forever wanders as a witness to evil, was creepy.  The jackdaws were so overdone,  they were always looking through windows etc.  I am pleased because it actually works for two of 10 catagories .......Brexit Express and Robin’s Sound of Silence because of Cobblestone Streets.  I don’t plan to use it for both but until I replace the Cobblestone it will be recorded there.

[Matryoshka]

9 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I seriously thought about abandoning Melmoth by Sarah Perry https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36628420-melmoth and read a few more pages that were interesting so I continued........I probably should have quit!  Reading it was a bit of a roller coaster and it didn’t end satisfying so I gave it 2*.  The reviews on Goodreads are overall great.

It is supposed to be a modern Gothic set in Prague with Melmoth the Watcher, watching.  I will say Melmoth,  the woman who denied Jesus at resurrection and forever wanders as a witness to evil, was creepy.  The jackdaws were so overdone,  they were always looking through windows etc.  I am pleased because it actually works for two of 10 catagories .......Brexit Express and Robin’s Sound of Silence because of Cobblestone Streets.  I don’t plan to use it for both but until I replace the Cobblestone it will be recorded there.

 

I don't think I'll ever read another Sarah Perry after the slog that was The Essex Serpent.  

[LaughingCat]

Read Breakdown by Katherine Amt Hanna on the recommendation of my DH -- who mostly reads only a couple dystopian books per year, which is NOT my favorite genre by a long shot.  After I grilled him quite a bit to find out if I was going to have any negative surprises, I quite enjoyed it.  It was a gentle dystopian romance if you can imagine such a thing. 

Also read Trail of Lightning which I enjoyed.  It's interesting to me that many fantasy novelists lately have a dystopian type background  -- which does not bother me at ALL vs actual dystopian novel.   I suppose have read too many dystopian novels with relatively random deaths of primary characters, or sometimes not so random deaths of almost all characters or a sad depressing outcome or all of the above  (I'm looking at you, On the Beach).  

Might have to put  Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel   on my list to retry with all the love it is getting here lately.  I tried it once a while back but didn't get past the 1st chapter.

ETA: I was going to say my reading has been anti-cozy this week so far-- but actually Breakdown was fairly cozy considering my expectation of it was anti-cozy 😄 

Edited February 7, 2019 by LaughingCat2

[mumto2]

8 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

Read Breakdown by Katherine Amt Hanna on the recommendation of my DH -- who mostly reads only a couple dystopian books per year, which is NOT my favorite genre by a long shot.  After I grilled him quite a bit to find out if I was going to have any negative surprises, I quite enjoyed it.  It was a gentle dystopian romance if you can imagine such a thing. 

Also read Trail of Lightning which I enjoyed.  It's interesting to me that many fantasy novelists lately have a dystopian type background  -- which does not bother me at ALL vs actual dystopian novel.   I suppose have read too many dystopian novels with relatively random deaths of primary characters, or sometimes not so random deaths of almost all characters or a sad depressing outcome or all of the above  (I'm looking at you, On the Beach).  

Might have to put  Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel   on my list to retry with all the love it is getting here lately.  I tried it once a while back but didn't get past the 1st chapter.

ETA: I was going to say my reading has been anti-cozy this week so far-- but actually Breakdown was fairly cozy considering my expectation of it was anti-cozy 😄 

Totally agree on the dystopian novels....There are so many out there and dystopian seems to be crossing over into my definition of urban fantasy.  I like those as long as most of my favorites stay alive.  I really enjoyed Trail of Lightning.  Nora Roberts new Of Blood and Bone is going to be read soon.......I keep hesitating because of my relisten of The Others series,  not sure that I won’t confuse things. 

@Mothersweets  I keep getting signed out too.  I was off for a few hours this morning.

Edited February 7, 2019 by mumto2