Book a Week 2021 - BW25: Summertime Reads

[Robin M]

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 Saturday night before I go to bed.  

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Happy Father's day to all our dads! It's officially Summer in our neck of the woods and we are a hot 105 degrees at the moment.  Thank goodness for air conditioning! Are you in the mood for a light summer read or something more heady?  Perhaps that chunky book you've been meaning to read for quite a while. And if you are on the other side of the world celebrating the start of Winter, maybe a fun beach read will help make those long winter nights seem just a bit warmer.  Maybe you could use a literary hug.  

Dive into summer reading with a book set during the summer, with a character named summer, or challenge yourself to spell out summer.  Read a book in which things heat up, nature wise or relationship wise.  *grin*   Read a book set on a beach or set in a beach town, near the water somewhere, or even on the water.  Read a book picked by the queens of writing beach reads. 

Have you ever thought about what your favorite literary characters get up to during the Summer?  Or which literary characters love to read?  What are they reading now?  Hmm! 

Dive into the books of summer and have fun following rabbit trails! 

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Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 58. M. Noirtier de Villefort
Chapter 59. The Will
Chapter 60. The Telegraph

 

 Link to week 24

 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.

 

[Robin M]

We are free at last, at last, and can ditch our masks if we choose. I felt slightly naked as I went grocery shopping Saturday as if I were forgetting something. Little did I realize the mask had also been effective at masking odors as well. Perfume, chicken cooking in the deli, something slightly burnt at the hot wok, disinfectant. Hmm? Although it’s nice to see all the smiles as well as grumpy faces, I still felt the need to check my pocket for my mask. It’s become a security blanket. I may need it a bit longer. 

Melvin is a bit thinner but feisty as ever, and it's been a battle of wits deciding who is going to give first every time I drop a pill down his throat.  I really need to trim his nails. Ouch. He faked me out this morning and spit the pill out after about five minutes. Little devil!  Our vet finally saved the day and my hands and I picked up compounded medication today.  As long as he's eating and feisty and not in pain, we'll keep plugging away until he tells us when.

It's crazy hot out so we are curled up cozy and cool with hubby reading Unsettled about climate science, kiddo is reading Ghostbusters, and I’m reading Devon Monk’s Wayward Souls (#1 Souls of the Road) about a couple, one slightly more than human, the other a spirit, stuck on route 66 searching for a magical journal. I’m hoping Monk will write a sequel at some point because I really like these characters. 

[Negin]

Robin, thank you, as always, for the thread. Yes, you described it perfectly. Masks do feel like a security blanket. We still have to wear ours. I know that I'll feel funny once we no longer have to. 

Our dog is taking pills at the moment also. Thankfully, my son helps out with that. 

And yes, it's extremely here also. More than usual, but it's always hotter here at this time of year. 

I read Bill Bryson's African Diary - 3 Stars

[Kareni]

The book I just finished had a character named August; it's not quite Summer, @Robin M, but it's close! 

I quite enjoyed One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston; it's a romance with a unique premise. It has a time slip element and the main characters are two women. (Adult content)

"For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all."

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Thank you for the thread @Robin M 

I have carried on trying to get to the midpoint in both my book chains before the end of June because I frequently get stuck and have to wait for a hold for a month or so when attempting this challenge.  It’s hard to catch up when I let myself get too far behind! 
 

For one bookchain I finished Far Gone by a favorite author Laura Griffin because I needed the word “far”......it’s one of her stand alones and I wasn’t overly impressed with this one.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144058-far-gone  Moving on from there I read an older Laura Lippmann titled After I am Gone using “Gone” and found that I really enjoyed it even though not a single character was especially likable.  No one to root for!😉  It focused on the family and mistress of a criminal (gambling) after he left the country due to a conviction. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18089975-after-i-m-gone  I am now waiting for the release of Laura Lippmann’s latest Dream Girl.

I am listening to Mr. Churchill’s Secretary for my other bookchain.  Somehow I have never gotten around to this cozy series which seems to tell interesting bits of WWII history.  This book is concentrating on IRA activity.....https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10161216-mr-churchill-s-secretary  I plan to follow this with the next in the series which is called Princess Elizabeth’s Spy before waiting for a hold that I am excited about with Spy in the title. 

 

 

[Ali in OR]

I finished Pachinko last night which was excellent, but will now be moving on to lighter fare. I've started The House in the Cerulean Sea and also have The Then Thousand Doors of January, both overdue at the library since they delivered 6 books to me when I was at my busiest at school. Then I hope to catch up with the Bridgertons and I have a few more Rivers of London books to read.

[Kareni]

Currently FREE for Kindle readers ~

The Man in the Brown Suit (Colonel Race Book 1) by Agatha Christie

I Do All The Cooking! by Andrew Stanek

The Silvered Duchess of Oldingham Manor: A Historical Regency - Hanna Hamilton

The Bookseller and the Earl - Callie Hutton

Advanced Physical Chemistry: A Fun & Flirty Curvy Girl Romance  Susannah Nix

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

This afternoon I read Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan. I enjoyed this romance novella featuring two older women.

"Mrs. Bertrice Martin—a widow, some seventy-three years young—has kept her youthful-ish appearance with the most powerful of home remedies: daily doses of spite, regular baths in man-tears, and refusing to give so much as a single damn about her Terrible Nephew.

Then proper, correct Miss Violetta Beauchamps, a sprightly young thing of nine and sixty, crashes into her life. The Terrible Nephew is living in her rooming house, and Violetta wants him gone.

Mrs. Martin isn’t about to start giving damns, not even for someone as intriguing as Miss Violetta. But she hatches another plan—to make her nephew sorry, to make Miss Violetta smile, and to have the finest adventure of all time.

If she makes Terrible Men angry and wins the hand of a lovely lady in the process? Those are just added bonuses."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

Tales of Faerie

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2021/06/tales-of-faerie.html#comment-6a00d8341c84c753ef026bded8e73c200c

 

Five SFF Books That Set Sail for Adventure

https://www.tor.com/2021/06/11/five-sff-books-that-set-sail-for-adventure/

 

Epistolary SFF Novels

https://www.rachelneumeier.com/2020/07/18/epistolary-sff-novels/

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I'm participating in the adult summer reading program at my local library. One of the challenges is to read a book with a color in the title. I just finished Blue Guardian (Hybrid Book 1) by S.J. Madill; I enjoyed the book and would happily read on.

"It's been forty years since the end of the war. Despite struggling with millions of refugees, humanity looks to the future. Their uneasy allies — the Palani — look to the past, and remember the vast empire they once ruled.

New Fraser is a human colony deep in Palani space. Once a thriving Palani world, it's now an empty ruin, given to the humans to establish a settlement. The new colonists are wary of their alien hosts, even as they try to build a new life.

Zura Varta is a living legend among the Palani. For eight hundred years, Mahasa (General) Varta led the forces of the Palani empire. She's fought countless battles, and gained a reputation for ruthlessness. But now the war is over, and the old warrior struggles to cope with a 'peaceful' galaxy that no longer needs her.

Living in the debris of the past, the humans and the Palani struggle to create their futures amid the barren lawlessness of the frontier. And on New Fraser, the colonists are about to meet their new governor…"

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I pretty much read the latest JA Janice in one sitting, which is something I rarely do anymore.  It wasn’t anything special beyond being a good story with characters I enjoy.  This one featured her Ali Reynolds character but did a bit of a crossover to JP Beaumont when Ali needed an investigator in Washington state.  I am not going to bother to link because this story was very based on a long character history but I have to say I was impressed.

[melmichigan]

I finished Saint's Passage by Elizabeth Hunter.  This is the first book in her new spin off series Elemental Covenant. While I still find Tenzin and Ben to be my favorite couple in this world I enjoy Brigid and Carwyn and will follow the series.  

I'm reading the second book in the Fire and Ice Trilogy by K.F. Breene.  These are available on kindle unlimited and I enjoy the back and forth between Darius, and ancient vampire, and Reagan, a non human.  The authors style is fun. The first book got some slack because it isn't really romance, but paranormal/urban fantasy.  The trilogy is part of a larger world in the Demon Days & Vampire Nights series.

[Kareni]

Tor’s Free eBook selection for the month is Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. (Ends June 26)

See here for details.

Regards,

Kareni

[Miss Tick]

I'm on vacation this week, as evidenced by finishing two books since Friday. Yay!

First was Leave the World Behind by Ramadan Alam. A family checks in to their Airbnb in New York, and then things start to fall apart. One thing I particularly liked were the parenthetical comments on racism made by many of the characters. They deftly uncovered things that are often left unsaid just below the surface.

Continuing the Post-Apocalyptic theme I read The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. This one was slightly more hopeful. The writing style was more stream of conscious. Someone's i had to reread a bit to figure out what was said a loud and what was not. 

I came here to find my next great read!

Oh, and for the SFF fans, NPR is collecting votes for the best SFF books of the last 10 years. You can vote for up to 5 books, so be sure to leave a spot for All Systems Red by Martha Wells, ok? @Kareni are the Linesmen books new enough?

[Kareni]

2 hours ago, SusanC said:

Oh, and for the SFF fans, NPR is collecting votes for the best SFF books of the last 10 years. You can vote for up to 5 books, so be sure to leave a spot for All Systems Red by Martha Wells, ok? @Kareni are the Linesmen books new enough?

They are indeed! The first book was published in 2015. I'll be interested to learn the results of the poll.

ETA: I voted. I included Linesman and the Martian as well as Murderbot!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I quite enjoyed the fantasy The Shadow Mark by Mason Thomas. I suspect I will reread this at some point. I look forward to reading more by the author.

"Auraq Greystone, once a military officer with a promising future, exists on the fringe of society. Accused of murder, Auraq is on the run from the ax—until two fugitives crash into his solitary life. One is a young man named Kane. The glowing marks on his arm pulse with an otherworldly power, and they have made him the target of a sinister organization called the Order of the Jackal. When the old man protecting Kane dies in an ambush, Auraq swears an oath to take his place.But the runes are far more significant than they realize. They are a message from the shadow realm, a dark memory of the past—one holding evidence of a bloody massacre and its savage architect; one that will shake the kingdom to its foundation. Risking arrest and execution, Auraq fights to get Kane to the capital city where the cryptic marking can be unlocked. And with assassins close on their trail, Auraq might never get the chance to show Kane what’s in his heart—or the way their journey together has changed him.The Shadow Mark is an epic tale of magic, murder, conspiracy, betrayal, and—for the two men tasked with unraveling the mystery—love and redemption."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Today only, June 24

For June 24th only, hundreds of romance ebooks across a variety of subgenres are FREE!!

www.romancebookworms.com

Regards,
Kareni

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today. 

[Maus]

On a road trip with my kids, listening to Audible books as I drive. We also finished two Great Courses by our favorite professor, Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius: World War I, and The Rise of Communism. (We were halfway through the World War I course before our trip started, so we finished that and moved on to the other.)

49. "Tales of Beadle the Bard" by J.K. Rowling. Audible.

48. "Maze Runner" by James Dashner. Audible.

47. "Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle. Audible.

46. "The Rational Bible: Exodus - God, Slavery, and Freedom" by Dennis Prager. 

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.

[mumto2]

Recently The Bride by Julie Garwood caught my attention from a “bookish” comment I read on the SBTB (pretty sure) blog.  I put a hold on it and was pleasantly surprised by the book when it showed up.  I read a lot of historical romances but rarely venture before 1800 so this book set back in the 12th century was sort of out of my comfort zone!😂. Set in the Scottish Highlands an English lady is forced to marry a Laird.  Not the most accurate but I will likely go on to read the second book in the series soon! @Kareni have you tried these?  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39799149-the-bride

[Kareni]

I don't think I've read The Bride, @mumto2(if I did, I've long since forgotten it). I've heard many positive things about the book; I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

This afternoon I finished Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel by Casey McQuiston which I quite enjoyed. (Definite adult content)

"What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic."

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

I've finished my reread of Nora Roberts McGregor series and diving back into Charles and Anna in the Alpha and Omega series with Wild Signs. Enjoying finding out more about Bran and Leah's history. 

For our writers onboard I discovered Natural Readers, a great text to speech online program which is helping me edit my current wip. Between Grammarly and Natural Readers, spending a lot of time revising and editing.  

For those following the saga of Melvin, we're taking it one day at a time. The compounded medication is working well ,although we're having good days and bad days and he's still feisty . He's very persnickety about his food and what works one day doesn't work the next.  But he is getting weaker and I have a feeling he won't be sticking around for much longer. 

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

...and diving back into Charles and Anna in the Alpha and Omega series with Wild Signs...

You're tempting me to do a reread of the Alpha and Omega stories!

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

For those following the saga of Melvin...

Enjoy your time together.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Currently FREE for Kindle readers ~

The Garden on Sunset: A Novel of Golden-Era Hollywood (Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels Book 1) by Martin Turnbull

• The Broken Heart of Arelium (War of the Twelve Book 1) by Alex Robins
• The Dragon of New Orleans (The Treasure of Paragon Book 1) by Genevieve Jack 
• Switching Hour: Magic and Mayhem Book One by Robyn Peterman
• LGBT: Off Campus (Bend or Break Book 1) and Nothing Like Paris (Bend or Break Book 2) by Amy Jo Cousins 
• ETA: The Heart of Midlothian - Sir Walter Scott  

Regards,

Kareni

[Teaching3bears]

I haven’t posted in a while but I have read several books in the past couple of months, mostly on Kindle and mostly light reading.

Last Things by Betta Ferrendelli

A Colorful Life by Melissa Storm

Mental Notes by Elle Ann Brown

(These last two were very similar in the setup of their plots.)

The Foreigner State  by Jamie Crothall

The Family Upstairs  by Lisa Jewell

A Summer of Surprises: A Seashell Cottage Book  by Judith Keim

(This was definitely a summer book!)

The Tinkerer’s Daughter by Jamie Sedgwick

(This was my favourite and I highly recommend it for adults, young adults and older children.)

😀

 

 

 

[Robin M]

Welp, it was sooner than later. My boy, my furbaby, my cat cuddling buddy, crossed the Rainbow Bridge this afternoon.  From birth to death, Melvin has blessed our life with so much joy and unconditional love. Will really miss him.

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by Robin M

[mumto2]

@Robin MHugs......I am so sorry.

[Kareni]

My sympathies to you and your family, Robin.

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Link to week 26