Book a Week 2020 - BW26: Ladies of Fiction - M.M. Kaye

[Violet Crown]

10 hours ago, Penguin said:

I give up on the trivia question. Is it Mystery and Manners?

I had some head scratching over the IWW reference. I was thinking Wait. What? Was FO'C in the Industrial Workers of the World union? And then I realized you meant the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Ha ha.

Flannery O'Connor was a Wobbly! No that was Helen Keller, wasn't it?

I had been thinking of A Memoir of Mary Ann, which I recall reading was in fact ghost-written by O'Connor, whose name is on the introduction; but poking around the internet I don't find any support for authorship beyond "light editing." So unless I can dig up my original source I'll have to withdraw the trivia question. Darn. Mystery and Manners is in the LoA collection. It's so weird, holding the volume, to realize how very little we have of her. Have you read the southern short story writer Breece D'J Pancake? He died young also and left nothing but a small volume of stories of incredible promise.

ETA: ... and I see that LoA is publishing a collection of Pancake's writings this October. https://www.amazon.com/Collected-Breece-DJ-Pancake-Fragments/dp/1598536729

Edited July 1, 2020 by Violet Crown

[SereneHome]

Just popping in to say that I am so very thankful for this weekly thread (although I admit to not reading every post, but will get back to Violet's conversation about banning books)

I am almost done with A House with no windows , learning bits and pieces about Afghanistan.

Also, thanks to this thread - got two M.M. Kaye's books from the library - one for me, one for my oldest. Very intrigued to read it as I don't know anything about her.

[Penguin]

 

3 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Flannery O'Connor was a Wobbly! No that was Helen Keller, wasn't it?

Fun Fact: Tom Morello is a card carrying member.

Have you read any Daniel Berrigan? I have lined up this trio for my Good Catholic/Bad Catholic 10x10:

To Dwell in Peace: An Autobiography by Daniel Berrigan

The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (play) by Daniel  Berrigan

The Catonsville Nine: A Story of Faith and Resistance in the  Vietnam Era by Shawn Francis Peters

Edited July 1, 2020 by Penguin

[Penguin]

A lot of books end up on the banned lists due to sexual content. The books by Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker that I see on the B&N list have rape or sexual assault content. The American Library Association's List of Banned & Challenged Classics gives extensive detail on the specifics of the challenges to the classics.

My concern is for access to books that contain LGBTQIA+ content. According to the ALA, eight out of ten of the Most Challenged Books of 2019 were challenged for LGBTQIA+ content. Please notice I said "access to" not "the disappearance of."

Edited July 1, 2020 by Penguin

[-M-]

I finished two more books in June: 

#123 Circe (Madeline Miller; 2018. Fiction.)
Read with my older daughter as part of our informal summer reading program. Both of us described it as a page-turner and finished it in one day. Related links here and here.

#124 The Godmother (Hannelore Cayre; 2019. Fiction.)
Light and quick with a few witty observations. Perhaps it will work better as a movie?

p.16
People say I’m bad tempered, but I think this is hasty. It’s true I’m easily annoyed, because I find people slow and often uninteresting. For example, when they’re banging on about something I couldn’t give a crap about, my face involuntarily takes on an impatient expression which I find hard to hide, and that upsets them. So, they think I’m unfriendly. It’s the reason I don’t really have any friends, just acquaintances.

 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Melissa M

[Pen]

14 hours ago, Robin M said:

Waving hello!  Coming up for air after working on editing a story and taxes.   

Out of curiosity I looked up banned books on Barnes and Nobles online store.  Interesting list which includes Toni Morrison, Alice Walker,  Maya Angelou but they don't have any explanations. I guess if they contain any mention of slavery, it's a bad thing now.  Conjecture on my part, however, I'll be adding to my library slowly but surely as the books on the list are ones I've already read or  books I want to read. More later on the conversation with @Violet Crown and @Penguin as I have thoughts but hubby just came home so no time to gather those thoughts into something coherent at the moment. 

 😘

 

Books Banned by whom or what or where?  They seem to be available there at B and N.

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

A book by Georgette Heyer written when she was seventeen: The Black Moth  

"The debut novel from the beloved New York Times–bestselling “Queen of the Regency Romance” (Lauren Willig).
 
Accused of cheating at cards, Jack Carstares left England seven long years ago, sacrificing his honor for that of the actual culprit: his eldest brother. Disgraced, Jack turned his talents toward becoming a highwayman, an occupation he has no intention of giving up upon his return to his beloved South Country.
 
Determined not to claim his title as the rightful Earl of Wyndham, Jack roams the countryside on horseback. Encountering his old adversary, the notorious Duke of Andover, also known as the Black Moth, Jack thwarts the attempted abduction of the lovely, dark-haired Diana Beauleigh.
 
More determined than ever to have her, the duke continues to pursue Diana, but she is not about to surrender her virtue to him, having lost her heart to the mysterious outlaw who rescued her. If he can defeat the Black Moth for good, Jack may finally reclaim his honor—and bridge the gap between his tarnished past and his hope for Diana’s hand . . .
 
Written when Georgette Heyer was only seventeen, in an attempt to entertain her younger brother, this Georgian-era romance continues to captivate readers to this day. "

Regards,

Kareni

[Violet Crown]

11 hours ago, Penguin said:

Have you read any Daniel Berrigan? I have lined up this trio for my Good Catholic/Bad Catholic 10x10:

Who knew about Morello! Definitely a fun fact. Trying hard to stay apolitical here on our lovely peaceful book thread, but I have been unhappy at some of the unreflective "let's abolish the union, it's just a front for criminality" rhetoric in the protests. There was quite enough of that in the 80s. I say no more.

I was pretty well soaked in the Berrigan brothers back in the day (speaking of the 80s), along with Merton, Tillich, and other favorites that the sweet Baby-Boomer Holy Cross nuns urged on me as a teenage convert. I even got to hear Sr Helen Prejean (and went to a protest she led!). I felt pretty quickly, though, that I belonged to another generation. Or possibly century. Please give details on those books as you read them!

9 hours ago, Penguin said:

My concern is for access to books that contain LGBTQIA+ content. According to the ALA, eight out of ten of the Most Challenged Books of 2019 were challenged for LGBTQIA+ content. Please notice I said "access to" not "the disappearance of."

My curiosity is piqued. This isn't an area I know much about: I read Radclyffe Hall in college but really nothing since. I can imagine threats from more than one direction. What are you seeing or hearing that concerns you the most?

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Junie]

I finished another book in Spanish!

Jugando con Proposito (Playing with Purpose) is a book of short biographies of Christian baseball players.  I love baseball and am familiar with a lot of the terms, so this book wasn't as difficult as it could have been, considering I'm not fluent in Spanish.  The book was written several years ago, so most of these players are not still playing, but I knew who most of them were.  Ds19 would be embarrassed that I didn't know all of them.

Fun fact: One of the co-authors is a friend of mine. :)

[Kareni]

This evening I finished the most recent book in the Vorkosigan series ~  Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen  by Lois McMaster Bujold. I enjoyed the book. I've now finished the series save for one novella that I've yet to lay my hands on.

Regards,

Kareni

[Penguin]

@Pen I will try to answer your question, but the best thing I can do is to direct you to the American Library Association's Office For Intellectual Freedom Banned & Challenged Books page. How is that for a run-on title?!

When we talk about banned and challenged books in the USA, we are usually talking about actions that have been taken by communities rather than the government. That is why books can show up on a banned list but be readily available for purchase. Let's just take Alice Walker's The Color Purple as an example since it was on both that B&N list and the ALA page about banned classics. I mostly see challengers who wanted it removed from high school reading lists and school libraries, but one public library is also mentioned. 

George by Alex Gino has made the ALA's Top 10 Most Challenged List every year since its publication in 2015, and held the top spot in 2018 and 2019. Why? Here is what the ALA says about it for 2019:

Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”

Here are some quotes from the ALA's FAQ page:

"A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.  A banning is the removal of those materials."

"Books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." The ALA continues on to say that while the motivation might be commendable, the Library Bill of Rights states that " Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” 

Banned Books Week happens once each year at the end of September, and it has become quite the celebratory event and a showcase for banned books. 

Hope this helps. It is a fascinating topic!

Edited July 2, 2020 by Penguin

[Penguin]

@Violet Crown I grew up as a cradle Catholic just outside of Baltimore, and lived in Catonsville for a bit. I have been wanting to deep dive into The Catonsville Nine for a long time! I also saw Sr. Prejean speak. It was at Wake Forest University roundabout 2007. I still haven't read her book or seen the movie, though.

I had to look up Tillich. That's Paul Tillich, I presume. I'm intrigued.

I need to wrap some other books up before I get to Berrigan. I am currently actively reading seven books, and that is unmanageable for me. It was an experiment and it has failed.

With regard to my concern about access to LGBTQIA+ books, I was merely referring to the fact that they are so challenged and then lack of access can follow. I don't have any more insight than that. 

 

Edited July 2, 2020 by Penguin

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

Henry Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

 "Both a picaresque and Bildungsroman, The History of Tom Jones follows the life of its hero from his discovery as a foundling on the property of Squire Allworthy in England’s West Country to his banishment from the estate and subsequent journey to London to escape an arranged marriage. Tom’s many dalliances and misadventures throughout add to the charm of this bawdy romantic comedy.
 
Written in the eighteenth century, it is “a classic English novel that captures the spirit of its age and whose famous characters—Squire Western, the chaplain Thwackum, the scheming Blifil, seductive Molly Seagrim, and Sophia, Tom’s true love—have come to represent Augustan society in all its loquacious, turbulent, comic variety” (The Guardian, “The 100 Best Novels”)."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

From the Word Wenches:

What We're Reading in June

A quiz: Regency Slang with Food & Drink

From CrimeReads:

11 NOVELS OF VACATIONS GONE HORRIBLY AWRY 

P. D. JAMES: A CRIME READER’S GUIDE TO THE CLASSICS

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

41 minutes ago, Kareni said:

Some bookish posts ~

From the Word Wenches:

What We're Reading in June

A quiz: Regency Slang with Food & Drink

From CrimeReads:

11 NOVELS OF VACATIONS GONE HORRIBLY AWRY 

P. D. JAMES: A CRIME READER’S GUIDE TO THE CLASSICS

Regards,

Kareni

The PD James article is really fascinating.  I have only read two books by James even though her books should really be some of my favorites  by description.  After reading this I plan to dive back in this fall.......I read Cover Her Face during Brit Tripping and never got back to the author as I was too busy Brit Tripping.😉. Now I need to decide where I want to hop back in........I normally am rather boring and read in order but wondering if I should skip ahead a bit.

I have been having fun working on my book chain........I am now on number eleven in order and hope to have 20 for 2020 by New Year.  These are all light reading.....so of whatever appealed with the right word.  I have started breaking the author’s names into parts in order to have a bit more freedom.😉  So far......

Dragon Actually by GA Aiken

Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs

Rock a Bye Bones by Carolyn Haines

Rock with Wings  by Anne Hillerman

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Shades of Earl Grey by Laura Childs

Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs

Unforgivable by Laura Griffin

Scorched by Laura Griffin

Scorched by Rachel Butler

Falling for Rachel by Nora Roberts

and my current read Hideaway by Nora Roberts.  I compulsively read this all morning but am suddenly burnt out on the book......there is only so much evil mother a mom can take!  I will finish it but I am now tired of it.......

[Violet Crown]

@Penguin Now you've got me thinking on some of the books I need to (re-)read for my Bad Catholic category. I've got E. A. Wallis Budge's translation of Palladius's Lausiac History (5th century account of 4th century hermits) going right now: our conversation has convinced me to move Henri de Lubac's oldie-but-goodie Catholicism to the top of the pile. Followed by Romano Amerio's Iota Unum. And Jaroslav Pelikan's The Christian Tradition (Lutheran --> Orthodox, but I'll count it anyway). Okay, let's see if I can follow through.

[Violet Crown]

@mumto2 Very impressive ladder reading!

[Lori D.]

46 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

The PD James article is really fascinating.  I have only read two books by James even though her books should really be some of my favorites  by description.  After reading this I plan to dive back in this fall.......I read Cover Her Face... and never got back to the author... Now I need to decide where I want to hop back in........I normally am rather boring and read in order but wondering if I should skip ahead a bit...

Interesting. I only had time for the first few paragraphs of the article (I'll go back and finish when I have time -- and thanks, @Kareni for linking that! 😄 )... But that made me want to go back and re-try some of P.D. James' earlier works, as I've only read 1-2 of her later Dagliesh mysteries and while they were fine, they felt so unemotional, that I had a hard time clicking with the characters/world to want to read more... Now I'll need to re-think P.D. James. 😉 

On a side note, I did LOVE her book Children of Men. Very well-written. Also, the movie version, while incredibly different from a completely other perspective and worldview, was also well-done as a film.

Edited July 2, 2020 by Lori D.

[Robin M]

On 6/29/2020 at 4:49 AM, Melissa M said:

■ The Mad Scientist’s Daughter (Cassandra Rose Clarke; 2016. Fiction.)
Books that might have appealed to my much younger self still show up in my stacks and occasionally on my shelves. What can I say? A bag of Jax cheese curls or a box of Nabisco sugar wafers will sometimes end up in the pantry, too. Let’s just be grateful I don’t pull out a tube top or my neon green belt, eh?

LOL!  Oh my, what memories.  I loved sugar wafers!  I don't regret giving up the mini skirts. Totally dumb to wear when you have a bottom locker in school. No telling how many people I flashed. 😁

[Kareni]

I read a couple of shorter contemporary romance works by Sarina Bowen last night.  I read the standalone novella (a favorite of mine) Blonde Date: An Ivy Years Novella 

as well as a short piece, Yesterday, that works best if you've read a particular one of the author's full length novels. Both pieces can be found in the collection Extra Credit: Three Ivy Years Novellas (The Ivy Years Book 6) by Sarina Bowen.

I enjoyed them both. (Adult content)

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

On 6/30/2020 at 11:02 AM, Violet Crown said:

I think I agree with everything else you say in your post (I feel like I should quote each of your sentences and say, Ed McMahon-style, "You are correct, sir!"), so I've just pulled out the only one I disagree with; and that only on the technical grounds that I don't think writers should be examined at all. I mentioned Edmund Spenser earlier. He literally, seriously, advocated genocide. I don't care. The Faerie Queene is beautiful and important and should be read. Ezra Pound was a literal (not the new sense of 'literal' but the old one) Fascist (not the new sense of 'Fascist' but the old one) and was nearly hanged -- probably should have been -- for his acts of treason. I don't care. His Cantos are genius and should be read. Louis-Ferdinand Céline was a Nazi (not the new sense...) collaborationist. Don't care. Jean Genet was a sexually depraved criminal. We have evidence that Chaucer was a rapist. Don't care, don't care, don't care. I think it's time we stopped examining the writers, and we know it's time because the examinations are becoming so silly. I advocate a salutary return to the "Well-Wrought Urn" school of criticism, until we all come to our senses.

After taking several literature courses in college and researching authors, I pretty much agree with you. I studied George Bernard Shaw back in the day which result in never wanting to read another one of his books.  Wrote a post about it - separating fact from fiction - which some disagreed with, but that's okay. It lead to some interesting conversations.   Should we care about a person's background?  Maybe yes, maybe no.  I think with the long dead authors, we can overlook their backgrounds, take it into context, and realize that maybe because of the way they thought,  the stories written resulted in some important works.  Living authors, I would have a problem with, especially if their fiction is just fact disguised. I really don't want to see in to the head of someone glorifying violent acts when I know it's true.  I don't want to know about a author (and actors too) politics, personal life, etc. when it comes to fiction. If I took into account, every single person's ideology that I don't agree with, there would be no books to read, no movies to watch.

[Robin M]

23 hours ago, Pen said:

 

Books Banned by whom or what or where?  They seem to be available there at B and N.

Penguin's answer is perfect. 

4 hours ago, Penguin said:

@Pen I will try to answer your question, but the best thing I can do is to direct you to the American Library Association's Office For Intellectual Freedom Banned & Challenged Books page. How is that for a run-on title?!

When we talk about banned and challenged books in the USA, we are usually talking about actions that have been taken by communities rather than the government. That is why books can show up on a banned list but be readily available for purchase. Let's just take Alice Walker's The Color Purple as an example since it was on both that B&N list and the ALA page about banned classics. I mostly see challengers who wanted it removed from high school reading lists and school libraries, but one public library is also mentioned. 

George by Alex Gino has made the ALA's Top 10 Most Challenged List every year since its publication in 2015, and held the top spot in 2018 and 2019. Why? Here is what the ALA says about it for 2019:

Reasons: challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”

Here are some quotes from the ALA's FAQ page:

"A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.  A banning is the removal of those materials."

"Books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." The ALA continues on to say that while the motivation might be commendable, the Library Bill of Rights states that " Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” 

Banned Books Week happens once each year at the end of September, and it has become quite the celebratory event and a showcase for banned books. 

Hope this helps. It is a fascinating topic!

 

To add to what Penguin said, many of these are books that parents have challenged for a variety of reasons and don't want to see them in school libraries where kids have access to.   them.  I remember when I was a junior in high school and my parents (Military - strict Catholic)  objected to me reading one of the assigned books for english.  I don't remember if it was Clockwork Orange or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest. ( I still haven't read them to this day.)   They went to the teacher and principal of the school and talked them into letting me read something else because they felt strongly it was inappropriate for me to read. They didn't challenge and try to get it banned for everyone which is what other parents, groups, churches, etc have tried to do over the years.  Some of these books have been banned from school libraries as you'll find from the ALA information, but haven't been banned from the public reading so are available in book stores.  Which upsets the people who challenge the books because they would like to see them gone completely and nobody be allowed to read them.  

[Robin M]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

The PD James article is really fascinating.  I have only read two books by James even though her books should really be some of my favorites  by description.  After reading this I plan to dive back in this fall.......I read Cover Her Face during Brit Tripping and never got back to the author as I was too busy Brit Tripping.😉. Now I need to decide where I want to hop back in........I normally am rather boring and read in order but wondering if I should skip ahead a bit.

I have been having fun working on my book chain........I am now on number eleven in order and hope to have 20 for 2020 by New Year.  These are all light reading.....so of whatever appealed with the right word.  I have started breaking the author’s names into parts in order to have a bit more freedom.😉  So far......

Dragon Actually by GA Aiken

Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs

Rock a Bye Bones by Carolyn Haines

Rock with Wings  by Anne Hillerman

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Shades of Earl Grey by Laura Childs

Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs

Unforgivable by Laura Griffin

Scorched by Laura Griffin

Scorched by Rachel Butler

Falling for Rachel by Nora Roberts

and my current read Hideaway by Nora Roberts.  I compulsively read this all morning but am suddenly burnt out on the book......there is only so much evil mother a mom can take!  I will finish it but I am now tired of it.......

Woot, woot! Good job.  Yes, I know what you mean with Hideaway. The evil momma drove me crazy.

I have yet to read anything by P.D.James and she's been on my list of authors to check out one of these days.  I almost choose her for one of the Ladies of Fiction but decided to hold off.  Don't remember why.  I'll work her in next year somehow.

Edited July 2, 2020 by Robin M

[Robin M]

In my internet wonderings while procrastinating:

Plan a bookish staycation. What a good idea as we have no where we want to go, while one of my employees is having fun times, planning a rv vacation roving here, there, and everywhere. 

Having flights of fancy!  Let Your Imagination Soar with These 9 Bird-Inspired Titles

For our writers:  Are You Trying Too Hard to Write? Stop, Drop, and Listen to Your Broccoli.   Guess I need to listen to the broccoli!  Hmm, I wonder what cauliflower might tell me. 🙃

 

 

[Violet Crown]

4 hours ago, Robin M said:

I really don't want to see in to the head of someone glorifying violent acts when I know it's true.  I don't want to know about a author (and actors too) politics, personal life, etc. when it comes to fiction.

V. S. Naipaul's A Bend in the River has a scene where the protagonist/first-person narrator beats his lover. Naipaul apparently based that on an incident where he beat his mistress (they had a sado-masochistic affair). Would that make the book unreadable to you? (Not trying to back you in a corner; just probing.)

[Robin M]

1 hour ago, Violet Crown said:

V. S. Naipaul's A Bend in the River has a scene where the protagonist/first-person narrator beats his lover. Naipaul apparently based that on an incident where he beat his mistress (they had a sado-masochistic affair). Would that make the book unreadable to you? (Not trying to back you in a corner; just probing.)

It wasn't on my radar before because I haven't read any of Naipaul's books. If I came across it, the blurb didn't interest me.  But yes, it probably would make me think twice about reading it. Years ago,  I used to work in the county's District Attorney's office in the Domestic Violence division helping people fill out restraining orders and heard all kinds of stories about who did what to whom.  Which is probably why I don't like reading about those types of things.  

Edited July 3, 2020 by Robin M

[Pen]

😢 basically Kincaid / James Deborah Crombie books have run out (except for last which isn’t available as audio via library , so I have to choose between buying it as audible or reading it as text...

 

what series can I go to next?

 

 

[Kareni]

44 minutes ago, Pen said:

😢 basically Kincaid / James Deborah Crombie books have run out (except for last which isn’t available as audio via library , so I have to choose between buying it as audible or reading it as text...

what series can I go to next?

I've not read that series, but here are some links that might help ~

Authors similar to Deborah Crombie

Books similar to Water Like a Stone (Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James, #11)

Scotland Yard Detectives Who Become Involved (I like the first series listed here)

Partners!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

One more link of interest, @Pen ~

https://www.literature-map.com/deborah+crombie

Regards,

Kareni

[Pen]

5 minutes ago, Kareni said:

I've not read that series, but here are some links that might help ~

Authors similar to Deborah Crombie

Books similar to Water Like a Stone (Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James, #11)

Scotland Yard Detectives Who Become Involved (I like the first series listed here)

Partners!

Regards,

Kareni

 

Im not sure that it’s the Scotland Yard and involved aspect...   

I would class Louise Penny Gamache series 

Similar also Bruno Chief of Police  series

the Comissario Brunetti series

they have a community, a growing group of characters, mystery to drive the book, reasonably happy endings, not too much terrible mayhem ...

 

[Kareni]

This link looks informative, @Pen ~

I love Deborah Crombie

Or perhaps this ~

7 series to read next after you've run out of Louise Penny novels – Modern Mrs Darcy ETA: This column has some 300 plus comments. @mumto2, I think you'll like this, too.

It appears that Deborah Crombie and six other authors have a joint blog. You might enjoy reading some of her posts there ~

Jungle Red Writers

7 smart and sassy crime fiction writers dish on writing and life. It's The View. With bodies.

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

😢 basically Kincaid / James Deborah Crombie books have run out (except for last which isn’t available as audio via library , so I have to choose between buying it as audible or reading it as text...

 

what series can I go to next?

 

 

Ok, I will play!😁

For something a bit different but still British here are some the common popular series at my library in England when I worked there.......we actually kept lists in a binder of the series orders different people were reading and would reserve the next somewhat automatically. Great Service.  I would rate these as slightly more gritty than the Duncan Kincaid books btw

Peter Robinson and his DCI Banks https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102139.Gallows_View?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=uYwLpfc8jh&rank=1   This series I have never been able to read as I love the tv show.  It just doesn’t translate for me........Set in Leeds, Yorkshire btw 

Stephen Booth writes a series set in Derbyshire.  Lots of picturesque countryside very accurately portrayed.  Author was sort of local......  I find them to be at the edge of my comfort zone but many sweet little old ladies devoured these so I think my judgement is just plain off with this series.  Maybe I just didn’t like the crimes happening in familiar settings.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96265.Black_Dog?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kMFcS1kBCv&rank=1

Finally a series I actually listen to Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear.  I am almost out of these and have been pacing myself for years.       https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/462033.Maisie_Dobbs?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=QpwGiiOaYi&rank=1       

One of my favorite US based series is China Bayles by Susan Wittig Albert             https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/761668.Thyme_of_Death?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1qM31OZNdJ&rank=1  I think you would really like this series so make sure you take a look. Set in the Texas hill country it features a former attorney who now runs a herb shop.  One of the reasons I am so excited about my book chain is I have figured out how to fit the latest two books in this series into the chain!      
 

I also love David Baldacci’s books on audio....several series so pick one and listen.  These are the ones I have tried..... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11007587-zero-day?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JODy80RNM1&rank=5         https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23153154-memory-man?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JODy80RNM1&rank=1.
 

 

Edited July 3, 2020 by mumto2

[mumto2]

@Pen  Looking at Kareni’s lists Linda Costillo and Julia Spencer Fleming have also been fun to listen to.

[Violet Crown]

15 hours ago, Robin M said:

It wasn't on my radar before because I haven't read any of Naipaul's books. If I came across it, the blurb didn't interest me.  But yes, it probably would make me think twice about reading it. Years ago,  I used to work in the county's District Attorney's office in the Domestic Violence division helping people fill out restraining orders and heard all kinds of stories about who did what to whom.  Which is probably why I don't like reading about those types of things.  

Fair enough. It would be the content of the scene that would keep you from wanting to read it, then, and not (or not necessarily) the reflection of Naipaul's personal life?

Edited July 3, 2020 by Violet Crown

[Kareni]

Last night I finished Into Thin Eire: Another John Pickett Mystery by Sheri Cobb South  which I quite enjoyed. The only problem was that it had been some time since I'd read the prior book, and I'd forgotten key details. This is a series that is best begun with book one and read in order.

"Now you see her...
Still haunted by memories of his last case, in which an innocent woman was accidentally killed, Bow Street Runner John Pickett welcomes the challenge of a new assignment in the West Country. Unfortunately, this time he’ll have to leave his beloved wife, Julia, behind, as he’ll be traveling in company with Harry Carson, a member of the Foot Patrol whose swaggering self-confidence is an uneasy fit with Pickett’s reserve. After three days of trying without success to make contact with the man who sent for him, Pickett receives word from Bow Street that Julia has been abducted. Suddenly his current case takes on much more ominous implications. And if the man behind it all is the one Pickett fears it is, then Julia is in mortal danger . . ."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

And this afternoon I finished the novella Penric's Demon: Penric & Desdemona Book 1 by Lois McMaster Bujold which I quite enjoyed. I look forward to reading more in this series.

 "On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a riding accident with an elderly lady on the ground, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught. As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. Her avowed god is The Bastard, "master of all disasters out of season", and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. From that moment on, Penric's life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him.

Set in the fantasy world of the author's acclaimed novels THE CURSE OF CHALION, PALADIN OF SOULS and THE HALLOWED HUNT, this novella has the depth of characterization and emotional complexity that distinguishes all Bujold's work."

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

9 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Fair enough. It would be the content of the scene that would keep you from wanting to read it, then, and not (or not necessarily) the reflection of Naipaul's personal life?

Yes, the content more than anything else. Which is probably why I'm drawn so much to the whole Science Fiction and Fantasy genre. Escapist literature. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Robin M

[mumto2]

I did finish Nora Robert’s Hideaway earlier today. It wasn’t her best book but did fit the easy reading description after I got used to the......shall we say larger than life bad characters in the book.   
 

[mumto2]

Happy 4th of July!  🇺🇸
 

I finished a book by Kylie Logan that recently appeared of @Kareni wonderful links.  Honestly The Scent of Murder wasn’t the book I had been anticipating filled with interesting “cadaver dog” stuff.  The focus just wasn’t on the dog which was sad for me. I was hoping for a bit more dog, maybe the second in the series will be better in terms of dog interest😂. . But the book was a decent cozy mystery and I did enjoy it ..............after I got over the fact it wasn’t a dog themed cozy but apparently a school administrator cozy.😉 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150534-the-scent-of-murder

[Violet Crown]

48 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

Happy 4th of July!  🇺🇸
 

I finished a book by Kylie Logan that recently appeared of @Kareni wonderful links.  Honestly The Scent of Murder wasn’t the book I had been anticipating filled with interesting “cadaver dog” stuff.  The focus just wasn’t on the dog which was sad for me. I was hoping for a bit more dog, maybe the second in the series will be better in terms of dog interest😂. . But the book was a decent cozy mystery and I did enjoy it ..............after I got over the fact it wasn’t a dog themed cozy but apparently a school administrator cozy.😉 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150534-the-scent-of-murder

Okay, everyone recommend a book for Sandy with significant Dog Interest. We can fix this.

J. R. Ackerley, We Think the World of You

Eta: I had the wrong Ackerley dog book! My Dog Tulip is definitely not for everyone.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Violet Crown

[mumto2]

22 minutes ago, Violet Crown said:

Okay, everyone recommend a book for Sandy with significant Dog Interest. We can fix this.

J. R. Ackerley, We Think the World of You

Eta: I had the wrong Ackerley dog book! My Dog Tulip is definitely not for everyone.

😂 so I was heading back to the tread to quote you and you changed the post.  I actually thought My Dog Tulip sounded rather sweet assuming the narrator is good.  My library has the audiobook.  I put it on my audio list! 🤷‍♀️ I need to go back and look for the new title! Thank you....I really didn’t mean to sound so pathetic.

 The second book in the cadaver dog series sounds great.......probably very little dog again,. but I put it on hold!

19 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I’ve no idea if this is any good @mumto2, but I picked it up for $2 on Kindle. One of the reviewers said the main character is the dog, so maybe this will have more 🐶 for you. 
 

Before It’s Too Late 

https://www.amazon.com/Before-Late-F-B-I-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B07HLYR1R4/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=before+its+too+late+book&qid=1593872142&sprefix=before+its+too&sr=8-3

That was what I was I expecting. My library had the first in the series so I will start there!  The title is Lone Wolf.....sounds like a werewolf book not a black lab.  😉.  Thanks!

[Lori D.]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

... The focus just wasn’t on the dog which was sad for me. I was hoping for a bit more dog, maybe the second in the series will be better in terms of dog interest😂

 

Perhaps check out the Chet and Bernie mystery series? It's all about the dog -- it's not a talking dog, but totally from the dog's perspective and told in first person from the dog's thought-narration of events. It actually works very well, is very humorous, and is very clever. Chet is often an unintentionally unreliable narrator when he gets distracted at a key moment in the investigation by something a dog would find of high interest, so like Chet, we miss the important detail. Conversely, sometimes Chet is the one who discovers something important, but since he can't speak, he can't communicate it to Bernie, his retired police-detective-turned-private-eye partner -- so we have a clue that Bernie does not. A nice "true crime" edge to the mysteries, too, so they don't end up just being sappy or goofy. Very enjoyable series!

BTW -- there is a slight arc to life-events of the characters, so it's best if you can read them in order. Dog On It is the first book. (There are also several short stories but do not have to be read.)

Edited July 4, 2020 by Lori D.

[mumto2]

24 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

Perhaps check out the Chet and Bernie mystery series? It's all about the dog -- it's not a talking dog, but totally from the dog's perspective and told in first person from the dog's thought-narration of events. It actually works very well, is very humorous, and is very clever. Chet is often an unintentionally unreliable narrator when he gets distracted at a key moment in the investigation by something a dog would find of high interest, so like Chet, we miss the important detail. Conversely, sometimes Chet is the one who discovers something important, but since he can't speak, he can't communicate it to Bernie, his retired police-detective-turned-private-eye partner -- so we have a clue that Bernie does not. A nice "true crime" edge to the mysteries, too, so they don't end up just being sappy or goofy. Very enjoyable series!

BTW -- there is a slight arc to life-events of the characters, so it's best if you can read them in order. Dog On It is the first book. (There are also several short stories but do not have to be read.)

I read and enjoyed the first one in this series a few years ago.  I definitely need to go looking for more.  Thank you!

[Lori D.]

18 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I read and enjoyed the first one in this series a few years ago.  I definitely need to go looking for more.  Thank you!

Looks like he's up to 10 full-length Chet & Bernie novels now. I realize I haven't read the 2 most recent ones yet either, so I'll have to go looking for those. 😄 

[Kareni]

3 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Perhaps check out the Chet and Bernie mystery series? It's all about the dog -- it's not a talking dog, but totally from the dog's perspective and told in first person from the dog's thought-narration of events. It actually works very well, is very humorous, and is very clever....

I also read a few of these some years ago. I seem to recall thinking they were like Hank the Cowdog books for adults.

4 hours ago, Violet Crown said:

Okay, everyone recommend a book for Sandy with significant Dog Interest. We can fix this.

Okay, some lists for you, @mumto2:

IF DOGS COULD TALK: SEVEN BOOKS NARRATED BY MAN'S BEST FRIEND

Books written from dog’s point of view – What’s your favorite?

Books w/Dog Narrators and/or Talking Dogs

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Two more ~

The 40 Best Books for Dog Lovers, From Charley to Marley

(Keep scrolling to see all forty titles.)

Also Dogs who write: Books written by canines

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Happy 4th of July!

 

 

 The Two Towers is currently available for free on Kindle Unlimited! 

[Kareni]

Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

...no idea if this features a dog!...

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens

"After losing his inheritance, a young man strives to make his own fortune, in this witty, wide-ranging saga by the iconic nineteenth-century novelist.

When young Martin Chuzzlewit falls in love with his grandfather’s devoted nursemaid, the elder Chuzzlewit is furious and decides to disinherit the boy. Thus, Martin is thrust into the world to find his own way.

An apprenticeship with an architect seems like a fine start. But not long after Martin begins working for Seth Pecksniff—who has a secret agenda in hiring him—Martin’s grandfather maneuvers to have him dismissed. Eventually, Martin makes his way to America in the company of his friend Tom. But the trip is an unmitigated disaster, and they are plagued by misfortune until they turn tail and race back to England. Little does Martin know there are far more surprises awaiting him in this novel of twists and turns, dreamers and schemers, greed and murder, from the Victorian era’s literary master. "

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

So now I am hunting for books with dogs...............😂

Pretty much all the best cozy mystery dogs I have met are on this list........  .         https://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/favorite-dogs-in-cozy-mysteries.html.           Picked a couple new ones to try.   

I have found some dogs in thrillers.....planning to try these......all rescue dogs

Ryder Creed https://www.goodreads.com/series/137360-ryder-creed   

Robert Crais https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15755201-suspect?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=qaIpuR5rs9&rank=2   

Katie Rugle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25880375-hold-your-breath?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=q9KnZ81DhZ&rank=2  

Edited July 4, 2020 by mumto2

[Robin M]

My contribution to the dog pile:  Roxanne St. Claire's Dogfather series. which were just made available on kindle unlimited. I've enjoyed them all. 

"Daniel Kilcannon is known as “The Dogfather” for a reason. It’s not just his renowned skills as a veterinarian, his tremendous love of dogs, or the fact that he has turned his homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains into a world class dog training and rescue facility. Ask his six grown children who run Waterford Farm for him, and they’ll tell you that their father’s nickname is due to his uncanny ability to pull a few strings to get what he wants. And what he wants is for his four sons and two daughters to find the kind of life-changing love he had with his dearly departed wife, Annie. This old dog has a few new tricks…and he’ll use them all to see his pack all settled into their happily ever afters…one by one.

ETA:

Almost forgot:  Must Love Wieners by Casey Griffin - Hilarious and sweet. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Robin M