Robin M Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Happy Sunday, my lovelies. Welcome to our October Spooktacular reading month. It's time to dip your toes into the water and scare yourself silly. Read thrilling stories stocked with the mysterious and shocking, paranormal stories brimming with ghosts and goblins, or urban mysteries packed with vampires and werewolves. If you are anything like me, I can't stand horror books filled with blood and guts. Give me a psychological thriller any day, roiling with nail biting, spine chilling suspense, creepy settings, and characters you certainly wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Choose from a wide variety of classics to the contemporary, or the Hitchcockian and Lovecraftian to Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill, to Dean Koontz, to the men and ladies of suspense. If you haven't read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, now would be the perfect time. Put away all your preconceived notions from the movies as the book is very different and will shock and amaze you. If you have read it, dip your toes into retellings of the story as well as the reimagining's of Bram Stoker's Dracula. From the really scary to the mild: The 20 Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2020 Best Horror of 2020 31 Psychological Thriller Books That Mess with Your Head Lock Your Doors: 8 Young Adult Thriller Books 2020 Halloween reads for Kids and Teens Currently on my night stand are Dean Koontz's Devoted, Josh Malerman's Bird Box, Dan Simmon's Hollow Man, and Marisha Pessl's Night Film, to name a few. Hmm! Which should I read first? ~Cheers to a spooktacular reading month~ Link to week 39 Visit 52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as share your book reviews with other readers around the globe. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 Currently reading: Jordan/Sanderson's WOT The Gathering Storm as well as Menna Van Praag's Patron Saint of Lost Souls. Ebook wise Nora Robert's Night Tales series and currently on #3 Night Shade. "Colt Nightshade has no patience for the bureaucratic red tape that entangles law enforcement and sets the guilty free. Lieutenant Althea Grayson believes in the rules and procedures that help keep order over the chaos that threatens society. Together, they are a teenage girl’s only hope of survival against a ruthless criminal. Their methods couldn’t be more dissimilar, but Colt senses a kindred rebellious spirit simmering beneath Althea’s tough cop exterior—and a passion waiting to be ignited." Added the latest book in the Black Daggerhood to my virtual shelves, The Jackal (#1 BDB Prison camp) " "The location of the glymera’s notorious prison camp was lost after the raids. When a freak accident provides Nyx clues to where her sister may still be doing time, she becomes determined to find the secret subterranean labyrinth. Embarking on a journey under the earth, she learns a terrible truth—and meets a male who changes everything forever. The Jackal has been in the camp for so long he cannot recall anything of the freedom he once knew. Trapped by circumstances out of his control, he helps Nyx because he cannot help himself. After she discovers what happened to her sister, getting her back out becomes a deadly mission for them both. United by a passion they can’t deny, they work together on an escape plan for Nyx—even though their destiny is to be forever apart. And as the Black Dagger Brotherhood is called upon for help, and Rhage discovers he has a half-brother who’s falsely imprisoned, a devious warden plots the deaths of them all…even the Brothers." In our continuing MCU viewing - watched Avengers: Age of Ultron last night. Really good and who cares about the laws of physics when you're a superhero. 🙂 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Happy October, Robin, and thank you, as always, for this fabulous thread! I read Glow from Within - 4 Stars - This book was a birthday gift from my daughter. We both love skin care and talking about all the girly stuff. I was an esthetician back in my late teens. In an ideal world, that’s probably the career that I would have stuck with. I first heard of Joanna Vargas when she was a guest on Caroline Hirons’s YouTube channel. There are a few channels that I follow, although it takes me forever to catch up and find the time to watch them. Joanna Vargas is an esthetician who really knows her stuff. Although I don’t agree with her on every single point, which is pretty much impossible even in the best of worlds, I am looking forward to trying out some of the products that she mentions. Some are quite pricey, but others seem to be a bit more reasonable. I really appreciate all the other suggestions and tips – eating healthy, limiting sugar, sleep, and so on. Again, in an ideal world, I would have regular facials at one of her amazing salons. Here is my favorite tip: “My number one nutritional beauty tip is absolutely my favorite skin fix: drink a green juice every day and try to eat green vegetables with every meal.” 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 I plan to probably read Frankenstein and or Dracula — but closer to Halloween 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 (edited) Wrapping up The Ambassadors today, by virtue of putting aside all the work I actually had to do and buckling down to read. The October 'Spooky Read' challenge is one I will always go for, Robin! This year I'm determined to read (having had one false start) Richard Marsh's The Beetle, a supernatural thriller published the same year as Dracula. Middle Girl is almost done with Gatsby, so I suppose that re-read better be next on my list. Also have to get done some reading for her senior year English lit. course.* My last English course with her. Our reading list, for those interested: William Dominik, Roman Verse Satire, Lucilius to Juvenal (she's reading the Latin, I'm reading the English) James Sutherland, English Satire Edward Lucie-Smith, ed., The Penguin Book of Satirical Verse We'll probably throw in some full readings of poems that are partial in the Penguin collection, like The Dunciad and Absalom and Achitophel. The course was originally going to be "Latin and English Satire," but soon found we had cast our net too wide and ditched the prose. The Roman satires persist only on the justification that the Renaissance English satirists made such heavy use of them. *ETA: Left out the course title! "English Satiric Verse." Edited October 4, 2020 by Violet Crown 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 I should slip Frankenstein into my queue. Reading The Kill Artist by Silva. First book of the series and it's tying up some loose ends for me by providing background info of the earliest events. Listening to Murder in Little Italy by Thompson and still working on Trauma and Recovery by Herdman. Will be reviewing Seeking Safety by Najavits for work as soon as it arrives. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Last night I finished At the Slightest Sound: a military paranormal romance (Shadowforce: Psi Book 1) by M. L. Buchman. It was a pleasant read but not my favorite from the author. I would, however, read on in the series. "Complete version of previously serialized stories.-a Shadow Force: Psi romance-Delta Force recon specialist Hannah Tucker needs out of the Colombian jungle and she needs out now.Night Stalker pilot Jesse Johnson aims to oblige...until his helicopter is shot down. He finds that more than a little inconvenient.Stalked by guerillas, crocodiles, and other jungle unfriendlies, they must learn to control skills they never knew they had — or even existed!Together they discover an unpredictable psychic ability to project sound and distract their enemies. Though the crocodiles remain unimpressed.Their introduction to a secret military force, whose unique psi talents lay hidden in the shadows, launches them into a whole new world they never imagined." Regards, Kareni 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Some bookish posts ~ A list from 2013 from the Dear Author site. Do look at the comments, too. Best of the Non Regency Historicals https://dearauthor.com/need-a-rec/if-you-like-misc/best-of-the-non-regency-historicals/ MYSTERY WRITER JACQUES FUTRELLE DIED ONBOARD THE TITANIC, BUT HIS GREATEST DETECTIVE CREATION LIVES ON https://crimereads.com/mystery-writer-jacques-futrelle-titanic/ From SBTB ~ The Rec League: Sexy Mysteries https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/09/the-rec-league-sexy-mysteries/ Do Not Offend the Gods: 8 SFF Books Featuring Deities by Megan Whalen Turner https://www.tor.com/2020/09/30/do-not-offend-the-gods-8-sff-books-featuring-deities/ Regards, Kareni 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 I didn't post last week, but I've been tearing through some books for the girls: Puppy Patrol books: Lost and Found, Stars and Stripes, Forever Sam, Orphan Puppy I also read the two books pictured below: Hero Tales: Several short stories divided into chapters, mostly about Christian missionaries. The Wednesday Wars: As a former English teacher whose dad served in Vietnam, I had much I could relate to in this book. Also, my mom was about the same age as the main character's sister, so I could relate to much of what was told about her, including her love of the Beatles and having a friend with a VW Beetle (except in my mom's case her brother owned the Beetle and it was purple.) I thought the story was well told and some parts actually made me laugh out loud. Which, apparently, is really good advertising because some of my girls wanted to read the book just to find out if it was really that funny. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 I finished listening to the new book by Katherine Addison of Goblin Emperor fame on BaW. The Angel of the Crows had very little in common with the Goblin Emperor......no fantasy otherworld but a steampunk London inhabited by all sorts of atypical creatures mixed with some vampires and werewolves. It was an interesting world and well developed. That said it was a very familiar world inhabited by “odd” creatures retelling very familiar mystery stories to most of us. The main characters name is Dr. Doyle which is as much of a clue as I feel comfortable giving........https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52378874-the-angel-of-the-crows. I totally enjoyed listening to the book/stories but it wasn’t The Goblin Emperor’s level of good. I gave it four stars......the narrator was excellent and I ❤️Crow. I moved on to listening to Burn which was recommended by a BaWer......maybe Kareni. I am enjoying it.... and great Dragons! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50175239-burn?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IJvJE8IvTn&rank=1 I also read Hidden by Laura Griffin https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49189727-hidden. Another excellent book by this author in the romantic suspense genre. It’s the first in a new series but still set in Texas. I have some cozy mysteries on my kindle that are next up! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, mumto2 said: I moved on to listening to Burn which was recommended by a BaWer......maybe Kareni. I am enjoying it.... and great Dragons! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50175239-burn?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IJvJE8IvTn&rank=1 Yes, I liked that one, too! Regards, Kareni 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 10 hours ago, Dreamergal said: The long read which could span a few weeks is this one. This is a book about two cousins, George V (QEII's grandfather) and Tsar Nicholas of Russia (the Romonovs).They were friends too. I have always heard George V offered sanctuary to his cousin and then rescinded it. The family was killed in several documentaries. This book has always been on top of my TBR pile. It went straight to the top because I am in anticipation of a soon-to-be released book which I think might hold parallels to this one though not with such severe consequences. This looks good. Last year, I read and loved Nicholas and Alexandra. This seems like it would go well with it. Adding it to my list. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Today only, free for Kindle readers ~ The Autobiography of Charles Darwin by Charles Darwin "Darwin wrote his autobiography in 1876, at the age of sixty-seven, hoping it would prove interesting to his children and grandchildren. Preparing the book for a wider audience, his family initially sought to protect his legacy by removing passages they found too personal or controversial. This restored edition, which appeared one hundred years after the publication of On the Origin of Species, was edited by Darwin’s own granddaughter Nora Barlow, who wished to share the text as it originally existed in her family’s archives. Shedding light on the women in Darwin’s life and his evolving views on religion, The Autobiography of Charles Darwin delves deep into his brilliant yet shy and reclusive personality, from his childhood love of nature to the reception of his groundbreaking theories on evolution. It also includes previously unpublished notes and letters on family matters, as well as Darwin’s dispute with Samuel Butler." Regards, Kareni 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel-in-CA Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 I have been having a lot of fun with Donna Andrews' fluffy mystery series, which was recommended here. It makes a good distraction from fire news, bad air, and keeping the windows shut in triple degree heat with no a/c....oh, and the seemingly eternal job search. I don't know how dh keeps going! Hopeful news, we are over 25% containment now and the sky is blue....only a little smoky and the weather is cooling nicely. My technical writing web site went live last night, thanks to ds's help and dd's logo design skills. If you know anyone who might be in need of business, proposals, or biometrics writing or want writing coaching for their kids, please pm me! So far I've had one client and he liked my work and I had fun doing his rewrites. My reading this coming week is going to be all non-fiction, about copy writing, social media marketing, content writing & etc. as I try to expand my skills. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 3 hours ago, Dreamergal said: Then you might love this book too I've always been fascinated by Queen Victoria's family tree. The Tsar and George V were especially supposed to be very close. I only knew of the Romanavs as part of Russian history as taught during school, not the various relationships to other royals especially the BRF. It makes for very fascinating reading once you know the relationships between the royal families of Europe especially against the background of WWI. Thank you! Adding this to my list. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 I love diving into spooky reads in October. I don't go for horror, but spooky, eerie, supernatural, weird happenings--love it! I have two spooky reads in the house and 2 on my library hold list that hopefully come through this month. I've started Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House--love her writing. I also have The Woman in Black waiting. Can't remember the holds, but they came from the same list of recommended reads. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 I love diving into spooky reads in October. I don't go for horror, but spooky, eerie, supernatural, weird happenings--love it! I have two spooky reads in the house and 2 on my library hold list that hopefully come through this month. I've started Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House--love her writing. I also have The Woman in Black waiting. Can't remember the holds, but they came from the same list of recommended reads. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 I finally finished last months spelling challenge! SEPTEMBER - Sarah Dunant S.........River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey A.........In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander R.........Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik A.........The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison H.........The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa D.........A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vince U.........Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins N.........Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh A.........The Bromance Book Club by Lissa Kay Adams N.........Burn by Patrick Ness T..........Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 I read with pleasure The Orphans of Raspay: A Penric and Desdemona novella in the World of the Five Gods (Penric & Desdemona Book 7) by Lois McMaster Bujold. This is a series that is best read in order. Regards, Kareni 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Kindle book on sale today. These days, I'm absolutely addicted to "The Crown" and I love Churchill. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 (edited) I spent a couple of hours yesterday thinking/google searching spooky book ideas........after much contemplation I am going with light fun cozy type books that include ghosts, witches, and pumpkins! I added a few to the stack.......I also included the audio for a book in the Otherworld series by Kelli Armstrong that I appear to have missed. Waking the Witch is the story of Savannah all grow up......so far I am loving it. The Otherworld is a favorite series which I already reread parts of more than once ......oddly I actually did a buddy read with dh’s bestie a few years ago. The guy was hooked and shared his book stash 😂 Somehow we missed this one! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6725785-waking-the-witch I am also reading the first in what appears to be a fun cozy series sets in 1920’s Cotswolds. In Nobody’s Sweetheart Now Lady Adelaide’s husband’s ghost rather inconveniently reappears......I am only a few pages in but enjoying it . @aggieamy you might want to put this one on hold! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39970739-nobody-s-sweetheart-now Finally dogs...... @Penhave you tried Susan Conant? I used to love her series and ran into them yesterday. I have a few new to me’s in that series too. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367674.Ruffly_Speaking?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Y8Rk6qf9hB&rank=1. I also finished a cute Bassett Hound (mistaken identity by dog walker) romance. Probably not for Pen but a fun light romance with dogs featured. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49109508-you-lucky-dog Edited October 6, 2020 by mumto2 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Today only, free for Kindle readers ~ The Teeth of the Tiger (Arsène Lupin Book 10) by Maurice Leblanc Also free: Frankenstein (Gothic Classic - The Uncensored 1818 Edition) by Mary Shelley This Changes Everything (McLaughlin Brothers Book 1) by Jennifer Ashley Winter's Kiss (Starling Bay Book 1) by Sienna Carr Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 I've got a stack of mysteries on my night table and audible player (phone! Lol) and reading chair that are all like 85% finished. What is wrong with me? I don't know. I don't know that anyone does. So the next time I report in I'll have a huge long list of finished books. Or I'll be 90% finished. And @mumto2 is being so patient because almost all the books are one's she's recommended I read. I hope she doesn't give up on recommending books to me because I'm a slow reader these days. John and I are making our way through all the classic Roald Dahl books alternating with the Enid Blyton books. So that'll keep us busy for a long time to come. Apparently I'm getting through read alouds. Maybe I should see if John is interesting in listening to some cozy British historical mysteries at night?!?! I say that as a joke but I think Sophia was only two years older than him when she listened to her first Agatha Christie. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 I just finished and enjoyed The Little Way of Ruthie Leming, which has me thinking a lot about the value of community. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Today only, free for Kindle readers ~ In the Dark, Soft Earth: Poetry of Love, Nature, Spirituality, and Dreams by Frank Watson "Dig into this delectable journey through the dark, sensual, and ravishing poetry of Frank Watson. Ruminate the searing to the sultry as you absorb this haunting lilt of burning carnality. The poems ignite rapid and surprising shifts in focus and perspective as they twist and turn your preconceptions, allowing the implications to linger in your thoughts.Vignette verses explore the workings of love, nature, spirituality, and dreams with sprinklings of tarot symbolism and jazzy blues. Together these verses contemplate the subtle underpinnings of a soft earth."Hear what reviewers and readers have said about In the Dark, Soft Earth:“An intoxicating, acutely observant collection where landscapes shift continuously and meaning is in a constant state of flux.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 My current nonfiction is The Cold War by Martin Walker. It just came to me while listening that a “spook“ also means a “spy”. So perhaps spy genre fits via wordplay into Halloween too 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Yes, worked my way through Susan Conant. But it’s been awhile so there are likely to be several new to me. I don’t usually find myself hooked by romance genre books, but I do have a special affection for Basset Hounds, fictional and real. On 10/6/2020 at 8:46 AM, mumto2 said: Finally dogs...... @Penhave you tried Susan Conant? I used to love her series and ran into them yesterday. I have a few new to me’s in that series too. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367674.Ruffly_Speaking?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Y8Rk6qf9hB&rank=1. I also finished a cute Bassett Hound (mistaken identity by dog walker) romance. Probably not for Pen but a fun light romance with dogs featured. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49109508-you-lucky-dog 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Shawneinfl said: I just finished and enjoyed The Little Way of Ruthie Leming, which has me thinking a lot about the value of community. I loved The Benedict Option and he talked about his return home some. He has a new book out........ @aggieamy Not leaving you alone! Has John tried Encyclopedia Brown? He might like those...... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 21 hours ago, aggieamy said: alternating with the Enid Blyton books I'm so sorry. I hear you about too busy to read. Ironically I'm too busy reading (other people's stuff) to read (my own stuff). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Some bookish posts ~ INTERVIEW: Megan Whalen Turner is Back, and So is Eugenides https://dearauthor.com/features/interviews/interview-megan-whalen-turner-is-back-and-so-is-eugenides/ Five Unforgettable Books Involving Amnesia https://www.tor.com/2020/09/18/five-unforgettable-books-involving-amnesia/ ON DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM A RICH HISTORY OF RUINS by Anna Lee Huber https://crimereads.com/on-drawing-inspiration-from-a-rich-history-of-ruins/ From the Word Wenches: What We're Reading--September 2020 https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2020/09/what-were-reading-september-2020.html Regards, Kareni 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 (edited) My current book, The Talented Mr. Ripley, besides being light and fun, rewards the reader of Henry James. The eponymous protagonist, sent on the same mission to Europe as the protagonist of The Ambassadors, is asked casually by the man sending him whether he's read "a certain Henry James novel." Ripley, pretending to be (among other things) a Princeton graduate who majored in English, of course hasn't read it (a clue that his employer already knows he's lying?), and later tries but fails to get a copy of The Ambassadors, which book would of course give him some important information about what's actually going on. I find myself smiling at how Patricia Highsmith so often sets out, in one plain sentence, complicated psychological interactions that take James a chapter to convey to the reader (who must carefully attend throughout). Fortunately I have time for Ripley because Middle Girl misplaced her almost-finished copy of Gatsby. It was found yesterday under a sofa cushion. These events have nothing to do with Wee Girl's falling slightly behind in the current round of the Crown Family Reading Competition. Edited October 7, 2020 by Violet Crown 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Tsk, tsk, Violet Crown, have you resorted to hiding your daughter's book? Regards, Kareni 4 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 29 minutes ago, Kareni said: ON DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM A RICH HISTORY OF RUINS by Anna Lee Huber https://crimereads.com/on-drawing-inspiration-from-a-rich-history-of-ruins/ I was already looking forward to reading the next Verity Kent! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 (edited) 23 minutes ago, Kareni said: Tsk, tsk, Violet Crown, have you resorted to hiding your daughter's book? Regards, Kareni 'Tain't me, guv. ETA: It's like a cozy mystery! Everyone has a motive! Edited October 7, 2020 by Violet Crown 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 23 minutes ago, Violet Crown said: 'Tain't me, guv. ETA: It's like a cozy mystery! Everyone has a motive! Too true! I hadn't considered that Wee Girl and Professor Crown might also be suspects. You're clearly a suspicious bunch.... Regards, Kareni 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 On 10/4/2020 at 8:10 PM, Junie said: I thought the story was well told and some parts actually made me laugh out loud. Which, apparently, is really good advertising because some of my girls wanted to read the book just to find out if it was really that funny. We enjoyed Wednesday Wars as a read aloud a year ago. There is a pseudo-sequel called Okay For Now that centers in Doug Sweitek. It was more serious and less funny, but sweet. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 3 hours ago, Kareni said: Too true! I hadn't considered that Wee Girl and Professor Crown might also be suspects. You're clearly a suspicious bunch.... Regards, Kareni Who put Gatsby under the sofa cushion? Me: Winning precious time to finish my own book. Dh: If she did less English, she'd do more math. Wee Girl: I will win the Reading Competition no matter what it takes. Middle Girl: I am very tired of analyzing the symbolism of ash heaps and harbor lights. Cat: NO MOAR DIVIDD ATTENSHUN 4 DA HOOMAN 3 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 I just finished the contemporary romance Spoiler Alert: A Novel by Olivia Dade which I very much enjoyed, even when it made me cry. (Adult content) "Olivia Dade bursts onto the scene in this delightfully fun romantic comedy set in the world of fanfiction, in which a devoted fan goes on an unexpected date with her celebrity crush, who’s secretly posting fanfiction of his own. Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. The world may know him as Aeneas, star of the biggest show on television, but fanfiction readers call him something else: Book!AeneasWouldNever. Marcus gets out his frustrations with the show through anonymous stories about the internet’s favorite couple, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone discovered his online persona, he’d be finished in Hollywood. April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she’s long hidden her fanfic and cosplay hobbies from her “real life”—but not anymore. When she dares to post her latest costume creation on Twitter, her plus-size take goes viral. And when Marcus asks her out to spite her internet critics, truth officially becomes stranger than fanfiction. On their date, Marcus quickly realizes he wants more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. But when he discovers she’s Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to keep from her. With love and Marcus’s career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?" Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Well the plot of The Talented Mr Ripley has just departed from the plot of The Ambassadors in a Surprising Manner. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) Hi. I have not had a chance to post an update this week. An American poet won the Nobel Prize for literature this year. I have read a bit of her poetry, but it was long ago and I can’t even recall if I liked it. I’ll have to take a fresh look. Edited October 8, 2020 by Penguin 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 This morning I finished The Book of Two Ways: A Novel by Jodi Picoult. I've read quite a few books by this author, and she almost always manages to surprise me in some way. This book was no exception. It was incredibly well researched; I learned about Egyptian death practices and hieroglyphics, quantum physics, and death doulas. I enjoyed it. "Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She’s on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: Prepare for a crash landing. She braces herself as thoughts flash through her mind. The shocking thing is, the thoughts are not of her husband but of a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong.Dawn, miraculously, survives the crash, but so do all the doubts that have suddenly been raised. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, there is her husband, Brian, their beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, in which she helps ease the transition between life and death for her clients.But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a career Dawn once studied for but was forced to abandon when life suddenly intervened. And now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the choice she once made.After the crash landing, the airline ensures that the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation to wherever they want to go. The obvious destination is to fly home, but she could take another path: return to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways—the first known map of the afterlife.As the story unfolds, Dawn’s two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried with them. Dawn must confront the questions she’s never truly asked: What does a life well lived look like? When we leave this earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices . . . or do our choices make us? And who would you be if you hadn’t turned out to be the person you are right now?" Regards, Kareni 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 9 minutes ago, Dreamergal said: Guess which book I am reading now ??? I love fan fiction more than cosplay but a book about both and the premise was intriguing. Your reviews sealed it. Thanks for the rec. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! I hope you'll enjoy it. Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Kindle book on sale today. Not exactly uplifting to say the least. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Green Leaves Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 I haven't posted here this week because I am STILL making my way through Le Pere Goriot. But here I am. @Penguinthank you for the news about Louise Gluck yesterday. Personally, I don't feel very excited about Gluck's poetry (I should read more though) but for some strange reason it got me thinking about Laura Riding, a poet I hadn't read since I was a teenager. Laura Riding eventually abandoned poetry to devote herself to linguistics. She was often accused of being too abstract, too elitist, and gets written off as a kind of Ivory Tower figure, but I think there's something gorgeously sincere about her. I was very happy to find this piece in the Brooklyn Rail about Laura Riding and the complicated ways we all talk about a poet's role: https://brooklynrail.org/2014/07/books/looking-for-mrs-laura-riding-jackson-the-anti-social-peoples-poet-from-jamaica-queens-to-woodruff-avenue-brooklyn 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Currently free books for Kindle readers ~ If She Were Blind (The After Twelve Series Book 1) by Laney Wylde Murder at Mondial Castle (The Discreet Investigations of Lord and Lady Calaway Book 1) by Issy Brooke LGBT.I enjoyed this book.: Any Given Lifetime by Leta Blake Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 One more free book. This is a fantasy that I read recently; it has a very unusual set up. Plumbess Seg by Jude Fawley "For as long as she can remember, Seg has lived in the Orphanage. She was brought there by her spiteful mentor, Plumbess Roc, to learn the art and danger of Plumbing—to become a Plumbess. But when Seg struggles, when she finds nightmares in Plumbing’s dark recesses, she always turns to another Plumbess—the warm, caring Plumbess Zag—for solace.Until Zag dies.Seg blames Eck for Zag’s death—Eck who was raised by snakes, Eck who left a scar on Seg’s neck when they were children. When Seg finally leaves the Orphanage, to find a Pipe Lord and do her work, she's weighed down by loss, hatred, and the heavy Lead around her neck, which reopens her old scar. But she takes her plunger in hand and follows the pipes, even though they lead back to her nightmares—and back to Eck." A review: "An enjoyably original tale: part steampunk, part horror, and part fantastical commentary on the effects of human-generated droughts and floods and the connection between civilization and proper drainage." --Kirkus Review Regards, Kareni 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 Last to Die by James Grippando Who done it / legal thriller type fiction part of a series Has a subplot involving child slavery in cocoa industry in Africa that for me elevates it above mere who done it / thriller 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 I just finished a really fun cozy by Miranda James called Cat Me if You Can. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48709977-cat-me-if-you-can It’s part of a long interconnecting series so I am not saying @aggieamyor anyone else needs to read this one but it had a great setting. A group of series regulars plus some extras all went on holiday together to have a Gilded Age cozy mystery convention of sorts. They talked about greats like Patricia Wentworth, Christie, Peters.......so fun! Of course one of the members started murdering people...... A new to me series was mentioned by Elizabeth Peters that I have requested from my library. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66512.The_Murders_of_Richard_III A really appealing picture was painted of Allingham’s Albert Campian series https://www.goodreads.com/series/55933-albert-campion-mysteries so I may skip ahead and try again as I have failed at reading those. 😂 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted October 10, 2020 Author Share Posted October 10, 2020 Another busy week with no time to post. Just finished J.R. Ward's The Jackal, the latest in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Good, with background on Rhage and the beginnings of how the mansion came to fruition. @Kareni You were so right about Buchman's At the Slightest Sound, the first book in his Shadow Force series. It felt like being dropped in the middle of a party and you're supposed to know everyone there, but it's a roomful of strangers, in the middle of some fantastic story and they don't bother to explain the beginning. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted October 10, 2020 Author Share Posted October 10, 2020 Web wanderings this morning. @JennW in SoCal Come out, come out, where ever you are.... We miss you. Are you and your hubby involved in the New York Comic Con? Who else hasn't checked in lately? New York Comic Con 2020: The 8 Panels We’re Most Excited to Watch Ready Player Two | A Conversation with Ernest Cline and Wil Wheaton Short list for the historical writers crown awards has been announced 15 Eerie and Unnerving Novels That Will Get Under Your Skin Forget Sleep. These 7 Gripping Horror Stories Will Keep You Up All Night Reading 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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