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Posted (edited)

Happy Sunday, my lovelies!  Since the majority of you live in areas several hours ahead of me and I’m late to bed, late to rise on Sunday, I will be posting before I go to bed, since technically it’s Sunday in my neck of the woods.

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Today is the 77th Anniversary of the D Day invasion when allied forces launched operation Overlord to free northwest Europe from Nazi occupation. 156,000 United States, British, and Canadian troops stormed five beaches that day in a large amphibious assault.   One historical tidbit is the French Resistance had been told the invasion would begin shortly after the first three lines in Paul Verlaine's Chanson d’Automne was read on BBC's Radio Londres in a real time radio broadcast 

 

Chanson d'Automne

Les sanglots longs
Des violons
De l’automne
Blessent mon coeur
D’une langueur
Monotone.

 Tout suffocant
Et blême, quand
Sonne l’heure,
Je me souviens
Des jours anciens
Et je pleure;

 Et je m’en vais
Au vent mauvais
Qui m’emporte
Deçà, delà,
Pareil à la
Feuille morte.

 

Autumn Song

translated by Arthur Symons

 When a sighing begins
In the violins
Of the autumn-song,
My heart is drowned
In the slow sound
Languorous and long

Pale as with pain,
Breath fails me when
The hours toll deep.
My thoughts recover
The days that are over,
And I weep.

 And I go
Where the winds know,
Broken and brief,
To and fro,
As the winds blow
A dead leaf.

 

We honor those soldiers who fought and died in service to our countries.

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Count of Monte Cristo Readalong

Chapter 52. Toxicology
Chapter 53. Robert le Diable
Chapter 54. A Flurry in Stocks

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Link to week 22

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.

 

Edited by Robin M
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  • Robin M changed the title to Book a Week 2021 - BW23: Chanson d'Automne by Paul Verlaine
Posted

Currently reading S.K. Dunstall's Stars Uncharted which is a quite fascinating space story so far: 

"Three people who are not who they claim to be:

Nika Rik Terri, body modder extraordinaire, has devoted her life to redesigning people's bodies right down to the molecular level. Give her a living body and a genemod machine, and she will turn out a work of art.

Josune Arriola is crew on the famous explorer ship the Hassim, whose memory banks contain records of unexplored worlds worth a fortune. But Josune and the rest of the crew are united in their single-minded pursuit of the most famous lost planet of all.

Hammond Roystan, the captain of the rival explorer ship, The Road, has many secrets. Some believe one of them is the key to finding the lost world."

 

We watched Blade Runner 2049 last night which was full of twists and turns and just when thought we'd figured it, out,  it twisted again. Slow moving dark film but it was really really good. 

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Posted

Thank you for the thread @Robin M

I have been concentrating on making progress on my Bookchains where I connect one word from a recently finished book’s title or author name to a new book.  I have been having fun with the planning and basically spent this week reading for the two separate bookchains I have been working on.  The aim is 21 books in each a they let me dabble in authors that I have either been meaning to try or stepped away from because ........multiple reasons!😂

So last week I read Flight by Laura Griffin which was the latest in her Texas Murder Files series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54500040-flight.  She is an author that challenges brought me back to recently and I pick her books whenever they are a possibility.  Well done thrillers that still let me sleep.😉

That led me to a blast from my past........the plucky reporter that is Irene Kelly.  I don’t know when I last thought of Jan Burke’s series and am sure I read them all back in the early 2000’s but midway through there is one called Flight.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/269240.Flight  So I read it.  It made me happy so I am currently listening to the next in the series Bloodlines.  Bloodlines is going to lead me to a favorite series by Susan Conant.......before I use the name Susan to explore something new. 
 

Following my other book chain I listened to The Murder Room by PD James.  I don’t think I have read it before and I enjoyed the Britishness of that one.......i am homesick.  From there I listened to Rex Stout’s Murder by the Book,  very satisfying.  I think I like Nero Wolfe better on audio, not sure why.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77611.Murder_by_the_Book.  Then on to a beach read featuring military spouses.  In a Book Club Far Away https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304061-in-a-book-club-far-away is sending me back to a Laura Griffin book called Far Gone. So I seem to be back to where I started this post!🙃 It follows book chain rules so it’s all good.

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Posted

Some bookish posts from reddit:

An author who can seduce my stomach.

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/nl8r15/an_author_who_can_seduce_my_stomach/

 

Give me the best autobiography you have read

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/ns196c/give_me_the_best_autobiography_you_have_read/

 

I’m a high school literature and composition teacher who is building a classroom library out of books that ARE NOT “chapter books,” and I need as many suggestions as possible. Specifics and examples inside.

https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/nqu86o/im_a_high_school_literature_and_composition/

 

Regards,

Kareni

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Posted

I read a few things over the weekend; interestingly, all of them had a paranormal component.

I completed my reread of the Touchstone series with Snow Day (Touchstone Book 6) by Andrea K Höst which I enjoyed once more.

**

Also read Enduring Fear by Jessica Wilberforce; I enjoyed this but I'm not sure if I'm motivated to continue.

"Socially awkward.
Irresistibly powerful.
Quirky 24-year-old Sephy has moved to Yorkshire to escape her troubled past. Now she has a good job, a home and a devoted best friend - all the ingredients she needs to live the drama-free, normal life she craves.
Being normal isn't easy for someone who can perceive other people's auras, though. Sephy can tell at a glance whether someone is essentially good or bad and what mood they're in, but keeping this a secret leaves her feeling isolated and alone.
When she is rescued from impending danger by Joseph, she finally feels a connection with someone. She is intensely drawn to him and is overjoyed when she is offered a job in the legal practice run by his enigmatic family. His father, Thomas, is kind and welcoming, but other family members, and even Joseph himself, are strangely wary of her.
When an old adversary threatens her once more, Sephy is forced to face her demons. In doing so, she learns that there's more to Joseph and his family than meets the eye - and when she uncovers her own true nature, she realises that they may have every reason to fear her.
Sephy is not weak, and she is far from defenceless.
She has power.
Lots of it.
Now she just has to decide how to use it."

**

And Runaway Fate: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Moonstone Cove Book 1) by Elizabeth Hunter; I enjoyed this and will likely read on if the sequels should present themselves. It sounds strange to say, but it was rather nice to see a happily married couple in a book.

I know that @melmichiganand @Robin M have both read books by this author. How about you, @mumto2? Have any of you read this book? 

"Katherine wasn’t looking for anything extraordinary in her life. She had a job she loved, a husband she adored, and a home in the beautiful seaside town of Moonstone Cove.

Okay yes, she worked too much and had fallen out of touch with all her friends, but that happened to everyone, right? And sure, she was feeling a little creaky in the mornings and couldn’t drink coffee after noon, but that was just life in middle age.

Four minutes was all it took for fate to run away with anything that resembled normal.

Now Katherine is trying to place mysterious psychic visions into her previously ordered life. She’s playing referee between a displaced Southern mama and a sarcastic mechanic with a chip on her shoulder. And her quiet life has been upended by a mysterious rash of violent acts by students at her school.

Thankfully, her new friends have powers of their own, and together they just might discover who or what has it in for the quiet citizens of Moonstone Cove."

Regards,

Kareni

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Kareni said:

 

And Runaway Fate: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Moonstone Cove Book 1) by Elizabeth Hunter; I enjoyed this and will likely read on if the sequels should present themselves. It sounds strange to say, but it was rather nice to see a happily married couple in a book.

I know that @melmichiganand @Robin M have both read books by this author. How about you, @mumto2? Have any of you read this book? 

"Katherine wasn’t looking for anything extraordinary in her life. She had a job she loved, a husband she adored, and a home in the beautiful seaside town of Moonstone Cove.

Okay yes, she worked too much and had fallen out of touch with all her friends, but that happened to everyone, right? And sure, she was feeling a little creaky in the mornings and couldn’t drink coffee after noon, but that was just life in middle age.

Four minutes was all it took for fate to run away with anything that resembled normal.

Now Katherine is trying to place mysterious psychic visions into her previously ordered life. She’s playing referee between a displaced Southern mama and a sarcastic mechanic with a chip on her shoulder. And her quiet life has been upended by a mysterious rash of violent acts by students at her school.

Thankfully, her new friends have powers of their own, and together they just might discover who or what has it in for the quiet citizens of Moonstone Cove."

Regards,

Kareni

There is a second, Fate Actually, that is out, and the third comes out tomorrow.  She also has the Glimmer Lake series on the Paranormal Women's Fiction side, which actually comes before the Moonstone Cove books chronologically (There is only a very small tie in.)  I still love her Elemental books, The Elemental Mysteries (Beatrice and Giovanni Vecchio), the Elemental World books, and the Elemental Legacy (Tenzin and Ben, Beatric and Giovanni's son).  I believe @Robin M mentioned the Irin Chronicles, which started it all for me, and are in the kindle unlimited library right for anyone that hasn't read them. 

Edited by melmichigan
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Posted

@melmichigan, thanks for your lengthy reply. I searched the board and see that I read  A Hidden Fire: Elemental Mysteries Book One  and The Genius and the Muse back in 2013 and The Scribe: Irin Chronicles Book One a year later. I don't have Kindle Unlimited and unfortunately my library doesn't have any of her books.  I picked up one of the author's Cambio books, Shifting Dreams, which I'll get to at some point.

Regards,

Kareni

  • Like 3
Posted (edited)

@KareniI have only read the Elemental series.  It’s good......I have reread some of them!  My library has a couple other books by Elizabeth Hunter but they are random ones like number three in a series which for me makes trying them hard.......I always prefer in order!😉

Not sure if anyone here has read the Schuyler Sisters series by Beatriz Williams https://www.goodreads.com/series/165486-schuyler-sisters    I have only read the first one but found the intriguing.  The rest have been on the list........so today I started Our Woman in Moscow which simply sounded good as I love Cold War spy novels and quickly connected this book as another part of the Schuyler story.  Honestly I wish it wasn’t connected because I keep trying to make it fit with what I remember which is a bit distracting. That said I am enjoying it  and it is the right level of concentration for an audiobook to sew to!    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55200703-our-woman-in-moscow?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7bX2tOuw6G&rank=1 

Edited by mumto2
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Posted
56 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

.I always prefer in order!😉

You're in good company!

Runaway Fate was quite different from what I remember of Hunter's Elemental series. I suspect you'd enjoy it, too.

Regards,

Kareni

 

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Posted

Books 13, 14, and 15 of this year were the book of Amos in the Bible, specifically ESV, Murder on the Orient Express, and Animal Farm.  All small books and rereads except for the Agatha Christie title of which I had previously watched the Hollywood version.

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Posted

I read the final three books in a five book series.

Each book features a different couple; however, there is a storyline that begins in the first book and concludes twenty year later in the fifth book. I enjoyed all the books, but I  recommend reading the series in order. (Several of the books have significant adult content)

Regards,

Kareni

  • Like 3
Posted
On 6/7/2021 at 1:48 PM, Kareni said:

And Runaway Fate: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel (Moonstone Cove Book 1) by Elizabeth Hunter; I enjoyed this and will likely read on if the sequels should present themselves. It sounds strange to say, but it was rather nice to see a happily married couple in a book.

I know that @melmichiganand @Robin M have both read books by this author. How about you, @mumto2? Have any of you read this book? 

Not yet. It does look interesting. I'll have to get it.   I did read several books in the different series including Irin, Elemental World, Elemental mysteries, Cambria several years ago and probably should revisit them.  

 

I started a new to me series Krewe of Hunters by Heather Graham Phantom Evil about a paranormal investigation team.   Don't know how much of the series I'll read since there are 35 books. I'm enjoying Phantom Evil right now. 

"Though haunted by the recent deaths of two teammates, Jackson Crow knows that it’s the living who commit the most heinous crimes. As a police officer using her sometimes-otherworldly intuition, Angela Hawkins already has her hands full of mystery and bloodshed. Under the oversight of Adam Harrison, Jackson and Angela will join a newly formed unit of the FBI, with the extraordinary opportunity to use their psychic talents.

And the first assignment calls to them too strongly to resist. In a historic mansion in the French Quarter, a senator’s wife falls to her death. Most think she jumped; some say she was pushed. Yet others believe she was beckoned by the ghostly spirits inhabiting the house—once the site of a serial killer’s grisly work. In this seemingly unsolvable case, only one thing is certain: whether supernatural or all too human, crimes of passion will cast Jackson and Angela straight into danger.
 

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Posted

Yay! I finished my library books before they are due!

46. "The Rational Bible: Exodus - God, Slavery, and Freedom" by Dennis Prager. Yes, THAT Dennis Prager. I assume his interpretation here is a fairly typical Jewish interpretation, so it was interesting to compare (& occasionally contrast) it to my Latter-day Saint interpretation. 

45. "A Better Heart: The Impact of Christ's Pure Love" by Tom Christofferson. (LDS)

44. "That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon's Perspective on Faith & Family" by Tom Christofferson. (LDS)

43. "Surviving Columbine" by Liz Carlston.  (LDS)

42. "The Right Side of History" by Ben Shapiro.

41. "Guerilla Learning" by Grace Llewellyn and Amy Silver.

40. "Don't Burn This Book" by Dave Rubin.

39. "The Madness of Crowds" by Douglas Murray.

38. "The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye" by Nancy Springer.

37. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline" by Nancy Springer.

36. "The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan" by Nancy Springer.

35. "The Case of the Bizarre Bouquet" by Nancy Springer.

34. "The Case of the Left-Handed Lady" by Nancy Springer.

33. "Stuff Matters" by Mark Miodownik. Audible Book.

32. "Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World" by Sy Montgomery. Audible Book.

31. "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism" by Barry M Prizant. Audible Book.

30. "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park. 

29. "The Kidnapped Prince: The Life of Olaudah Equiano" by Olaudah Equiano, adapted by Ann Cameron. 

28. "Journey to Jo'Burg" by Beverley Naidoo. 

27. "United States of Socialism" by Dinesh D'Souza.

26. "For the Love of Europe" by Rick Steves. 

25. "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. Audible book.

24. "The Case of the Missing Marquess" by Nancy Springer. 

23. "Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen" by J.K Rowling. Audible book. 

22. "Blackout" by Candace Owens.

21. "An Excellent Mystery" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

20. "The Pilgrim of Hate" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

19. "Dead Man's Ransom" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

18. "4:50 from Paddington" by Agatha Christie. Audible book.

17. "Man in the Brown Suit" by Agatha Christie. Audible book. 

16. "The Mysterious Mr. Quin" by Agatha Christie. Audible book. 

15. "I Will Repay" by Baroness Orczy. Audible book. 

14. "Dead Man's Ranson" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

13. "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy. Audible book.

12. "The Devil's Novice" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

11. "The Sanctuary Sparrow" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

10. "The Virgin in the Ice" by Ellis Peters. Audible book. 

9. "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?" by Caitlin Doughty. 

8. "Law and Disorder: The Legendary Profiler's Relentless Pursuit of Justice" by John Doublas and Mark Olshaker. Audible book. 

7. "The Leper of St. Giles" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

6. "The Cases That Haunt Us" by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Audible book. 

5. "From Here to Eternity: Travelling the World to Find the Good Death" by Caitlin Doughty. 

4. "Not a Day Care: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth" by Dr. Everett Piper. Audible book. 

3. "The Innocence of Father Brown" by G.K. Chesterton. Audible book.

2. "St. Peter's Fair" by Ellis Peters. Audible book.

1. "The Mysterious Mr. Quin: A Harley Quin Collection" by Agatha Christie. Audible book.

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Posted

Bonemaker by Sarah Beth Durst - I think the author was recommended here. There was a lot about teamwork, different kinds of magic with different kinds of bones, an evil magician against whom there were a number of setbacks before the final victory. I enjoyed it well enough.

I also read the first Bridgerton Collection - books 1-3 - but I am not sure I will continue. A bit too much more than bodice-ripping for me. I think my adult kids gave up the series too for the same reason.

And Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, I see Murderbot as mostly female....I think partly due to the fascination with media series (are women more likely to binge view than men?) and identification with female human characters.

Scheduling dh's prostate surgery this afternoon -- probably a month out. And figuring out all the extra paperwork associated with not just one medical plan but a 2nd one (the cancer rider that only reimburses, so we have to submit billls in detail *after* paying them). Thankful to have it but implementation is more complicated and expensive than expected. Ain't that the truth!!

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Posted

Over the past few days, I enjoyed rereading The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold.

"A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril returns to the noble household he once served as page and is named secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the place he most fears: the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions.

But it is more than the traitorous intrigues of villains that threaten Cazaril and the Royesse Iselle here, for a sinister curse hangs like a sword over the entire blighted House of Chalion. And only by employing the darkest, most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge -- an act that will mark him as a tool of the miraculous . . . and trap him in a lethal maze of demonic paradox."

Regards,

Kareni

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