Book a Week 2021 - BW35: Fictional Librarian - Jess Brightwell

[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 post Saturday night before I go to bed.  

**************************

Happy Sunday!  As we slide into September, it's time to climb back aboard our airship, the Pum Deg Dau o Lygrau and weigh anchor and sail into the world of The Great Library, one of the series written by Rachel Caine who passed away last year. Our librarian of the month is Jess Brightwell, a young book smuggler on the streets of London who is admitted to the Great Library in Alexandria as a postulant. 

 There are a variety of ways to complete this challenge with plenty of rabbit trails. Read a book with one or more of the following (but not limited to) and have fun exploring:

 ·         Spell out the first and/or last name of the character's name - one book per letter from the title on the cover.

·         Spell out the first and/or last name of the author - one book per letter.

·         Read one or more books in the series.

·         Read any book written by the author.

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

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

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

 

Dear Rachel Caine: A Thank You and Goodbye. 

 

**********************

Count of Monte Cristo 

Chapter 88. The Insult

Chapter 89. The Night

Chapter 90. The Meeting

 

 

Link to week 34

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]

I'm currently reading Louise Penny's latest book in her Armand Gamache series - The Madness of Crowds.  

"You’re a coward.

Time and again, as the New Year approaches, that charge is leveled against Armand Gamache.

It starts innocently enough.

While the residents of the Québec village of Three Pines take advantage of the deep snow to ski and toboggan, to drink hot chocolate in the bistro and share meals together, the Chief Inspector finds his holiday with his family interrupted by a simple request.  He’s asked to provide security for what promises to be a non-event. A visiting Professor of Statistics will be giving a lecture at the nearby university.  While he is perplexed as to why the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec would be assigned this task, it sounds easy enough. That is until Gamache starts looking into Professor Abigail Robinson and discovers an agenda so repulsive he begs the university to cancel the lecture.

They refuse, citing academic freedom, and accuse Gamache of censorship and intellectual cowardice. Before long, Professor Robinson’s views start seeping into conversations. Spreading and infecting. So that truth and fact, reality and delusion are so confused it’s near impossible to tell them apart. Discussions become debates, debates become arguments, which turn into fights. As sides are declared, a madness takes hold.  Abigail Robinson promises that, if they follow her, ça va bien aller. All will be well. But not, Gamache and his team know, for everyone.

When a murder is committed it falls to Armand Gamache, his second-in-command Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and their team to investigate the crime as well as this extraordinary popular delusion.

And the madness of crowds."

Also have Rachel Caine's Great Library series in my virtual stacks and looking forward to rereading Ink and Bone as well as first time read of Heat Stroke, #2 in her Weather Warden series.

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Robin M

[mumto2]

Thank you Robin!
 

The Great Library series is another series I read rather obsessively for awhile and apparently missed the new book on so am behind. My library had my next one available on audio so I will be listening later this week. https://www.goodreads.com/series/121043-the-great-library

My current audiobook was chosen for my Classic Crime category in 10’s and seems to be a winner on audio........Lawrence Block’s Burglar’s Can’t Be Choosers https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/402739.Burglars_Can_t_Be_Choosers?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9TEKAZtRt1&rank=2. I have seen the name Lawrence Block on bookshelves but never tried one and so far Bernie, his gentleman burglar, is sort of a happy blast of fresh air from the 1970’s.

I also ventured into another of Robin’s librarian series this week by listening to Jenn McKinley’s On Borrowed Time https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20500886-on-borrowed-time This is another series I started and dropped because the holes were so long and I got tired of waiting. I liked this cozy enough to put the next on hold so hopefully I will manage to catch up in 2021!😉. It helps that my library has them all on audio now so I will be able to listen and quilt.

Kelley Armstrong has a new series called Cursed Luck which is also the name of the first book in the series. I really enjoyed listening to the first book and went back and reread 1.5 which I read earlier this month.....getting the order right really improver 1.5 btw.😉. This series is built on the premise that the immortals of Greek myth are alive and living lives among us. They have many children some immortal some not. Many of these children have special gifts and in the first book 3 sisters are featured who are curse weavers......they have no idea they are descended from gods btw they just happen to live in a tourist town know for its occult shops. I really loved these books! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55046544-cursed-luck

 

 

 

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for the thread. 

I read Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House - more than 700 pages about the Kennedys - 3 Stars

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Negin

[Negin]

My daughter sent this to me. Yes, I've been posting my reviews on Good Reads for a few years now, but as someone pointed out, GR may not always be around. I often regret not having kept a book log, at the very least, of all the books that I've read in my adult years or even sooner. I'm starting to back up my reviews on Word. I haven't read all of the replies. If you don't have time to read the replies, just read the original post. It certainly resonated with me. A friend of mine wrote this:

"I started keeping a simple Word document of titles only, separated by fiction, nonfiction, skimmed, and DNF. I write one line about each book. I'm so glad I started doing this! I don't think I could journal about them, though - so I keep it really short and simple."

[Kareni]

11 hours ago, Robin M said:

Also have Rachel Grant's Great Library series in my virtual stacks and looking forward to rereading Ink and Bone as well as first time read of Heat Stroke, #2 in her Weather Warden series

That would be Rachel Caine. I enjoyed her Weather Warden books years ago! (I like Rachel Grant's books, too.)

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

5 minutes ago, Kareni said:

That would be Rachel Caine. I enjoyed her Weather Warden books years ago! (I like Rachel Grant's books, too.)

Regards,

Kareni

Thank you, Kareni.  I keep getting Rachel Caine and Grant mixed up.  I read Grant's Tinderbox a few years back. I should revisit her Flashpoint series as well. 

[Kareni]

I recently finished Nora Roberts' The Awakening: The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 1 which I somehow managed to miss even though I see that @Robin M and @mumto2 both read it. I enjoyed it.

"In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword - representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own....

When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious 20-something mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: Her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father - and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.

This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying, "Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home." Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies - through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny....."

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

3 hours ago, Negin said:

My daughter sent this to me. Yes, I've been posting my reviews on Good Reads for a few years now, but as someone pointed out, GR may not always be around. I often regret not having kept a book log, at the very least, of all the books that I've read in my adult years or even sooner. I'm starting to back up my reviews on Word. I haven't read all of the replies. If you don't have time to read the replies, just read the original post. It certainly resonated with me. A friend of mine wrote this:

"I started keeping a simple Word document of titles only, separated by fiction, nonfiction, skimmed, and DNF. I write one line about each book. I'm so glad I started doing this! I don't think I could journal about them, though - so I keep it really short and simple."

Good idea. I keep a list of books on my blog but don't write one line reviews on every single one.  

[Robin M]

4 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Kelley Armstrong has a new series called Cursed Luck which is also the name of the first book in the series. I really enjoyed listening to the first book and went back and reread 1.5 which I read earlier this month.....getting the order right really improver 1.5 btw.😉. This series is built on the premise that the immortals of Greek myth are alive and living lives among us. They have many children some immortal some not. Many of these children have special gifts and in the first book 3 sisters are featured who are curse weavers......they have no idea they are descended from gods btw they just happen to live in a tourist town know for its occult shops. I really loved these books! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55046544-cursed-luck

Sounds good. I like Armstrong's books so will have to check it out. 

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

A COZY MYSTERY WRITER ON THE HISTORY OF CLASS AND TEA

https://crimereads.com/a-cozy-mystery-writer-on-the-history-of-class-and-tea/

SOPHIE HANNAH ON THE LITERARY SIDE OF AGATHA CHRISTIE: "HER STYLE IS NOT SIMPLISTIC BUT, RATHER, BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE."

https://crimereads.com/sophie-hannah-agatha-christie-literary-style/

5 POETRY CHALLENGES TO ENRICH YOUR READING LIFE

HOW BOOK STANDS LET ME LOSE MYSELF IN BOOKS AGAIN

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I just finished Holdout: A Novel by Jeffrey Kluger; this is a just published science fiction book that I enjoyed.

"When evil forces are going unchecked on Earth, a principled astronaut makes a spilt-second decision to try to seek justice in the only place she knows how—the International Space Station.

Walli Beckwith is a model astronaut. She graduated at the top of her class from the Naval Academy, had a successful career flying fighter jets, and has spent more than three hundred days in space. So when she refuses to leave her post aboard the International Space Station following an accident that forces her fellow astronauts to evacuate, her American and Russian colleagues are mystified. For Walli, the matter at hand feels all too clear and terrifying for her to be worried about ruining her career. She is stuck in a race against time to save a part of the world that seems to have been forgotten, and also the life of the person she loves the most. She will go to any length necessary, using the only tool she has, to accomplish what she knows is right."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Currently (in some cases, briefly) FREE for Kindle readers ~

The Quest For The Holy Hummus and, The Vegan Charade (The Chickpea Chronicles Book 1) by James Allinson

Bringing Home The Rain: The Redemption of Howard Marsh 1 (The Jubal County Saga) by Bob McGough

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I haven't finished anything since my last post but I did abandon one book. I've been "currently reading" Leonard and Hungry Paul for a while now but I haven't actually been reading it. After renewing it twice at the library I decided not to go for a third renewal. 

As it turns out I didn't get caught up on The Count so I'll be trying to do that this week in addition to my other reading. 

I'm really enjoying The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

 

On 8/29/2021 at 10:39 AM, Negin said:

 Yes, I've been posting my reviews on Good Reads for a few years now, but as someone pointed out, GR may not always be around.

I know websites come and go but was this speculation or is there something on the horizon concerning GR? I never used to keep track of books I read and want to read but once I started I did it all on Goodreads.

[Kareni]

According to the search feature, it's been almost five years since I read a book by Devon Monk which I find a little hard to believe. Time flies?!

Last night I finished Wayward Souls (Souls of the Road Book 1) by Devon Monk; I enjoyed this paranormal novella and hope to read on in the series.

"Betrayals and secrets, devils and saviors, fae folk and foul, and a magic stronger than even the gods can tame...

Lovers Lula and Brogan Gauge have dealt with magic, monsters, and gods for eighty years. Bound to travel the lonely roads of Route 66, Brogan’s a spirit with no chance of leaving the earthly realm while Lula, neither human nor monster, is only half-alive.

Their search for a way to break their curse might finally come to an end if the ghost in Illinois is telling the truth about a magical journal.

Lula and Brogan aren’t alone in wanting the journal. If they don’t get to it first, their chance at freedom might just turn into the fight of their un-lives..."

Regards,

Kareni

[Negin]

14 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I know websites come and go but was this speculation or is there something on the horizon concerning GR? I never used to keep track of books I read and want to read but once I started I did it all on Goodreads.

Mostly speculation, I think. Mind you, many have been frustrated by GR, because of their customer service, as well as so many fake/paid reviews. I think people have noticed these changes since GR was bought by Amazon.

My daughter told me that there's a site that a lot of people are saying is a better alternative to Goodreads. She's just getting into it and said that it's easy to transfer all our reviews/ratings over to that site. I haven't tried yet, but from what I hear, it seems promising. She says that one of the nice things about this site is that their recommendations are far better than GR. GR recommendations, as most of us know, stink. It's on my immediate list of things to do. My list of things is always growing!

[mumto2]

7 hours ago, Negin said:

Mostly speculation, I think. Mind you, many have been frustrated by GR, because of their customer service, as well as so many fake/paid reviews. I think people have noticed these changes since GR was bought by Amazon.

My daughter told me that there's a site that a lot of people are saying is a better alternative to Goodreads. She's just getting into it and said that it's easy to transfer all our reviews/ratings over to that site. I haven't tried yet, but from what I hear, it seems promising. She says that one of the nice things about this site is that their recommendations are far better than GR. GR recommendations, as most of us know, stink. It's on my immediate list of things to do. My list of things is always growing!

Some random thoughts.......

I heard about the Storygraph site a few months ago and investigated.  I decided moving over was too much work right now so would love to hear about your daughter’s experience with it.

Generally GR does what I want it to do.......keeps track of the books I have read so I don’t check them out of the library and attempt to read them again.  That said I recently had a couple of incidendents where read seemed to be version specific so I ended up wasting time rereading book that I wasn’t that fond of the first time through......I was more than half way before I knew I had read it.

I need to update but I have started keeping a paper list of titles and authors again because nothing is forever........the list is in the book where I make my notes for challenges etc

[Lady Florida.]

Thanks @Negin. Like @mumto2 I feel that GR does what I want it to. I don't pay attention to reviews unless they come from people I'm friends with, and I think their awards are skewed towards most hyped books. I use it to keep track of what I read, liked, disliked, and want to read. I rarely engage in the social aspect. I do like having friends there and if I take a recommendation it's probably going to be from a friend, not the GR algorithm. 

[Kareni]

Today, September 2, only

Are you a voracious romance reader? For ONE DAY ONLY, stuff your Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Apple Books or Google Play ebook reader with 500+ FREE ROMANCE READS!!!

Link here

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is coming to Amazon Prime.  Here's the trailer.  I think it's going to be completely different from the book.

Currently reading Darynda Jones First Grave on the Right 

Charley is a walking s**t magnet and keeps going from disaster to disaster, usually those of her own making. 

"Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely."

It's exactly the fluff I needed after reading Penny's depressing Madness of Crowds.

[Robin M]

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

Today, September 2, only

Are you a voracious romance reader? For ONE DAY ONLY, stuff your Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Apple Books or Google Play ebook reader with 500+ FREE ROMANCE READS!!!

Link here

Regards,

Kareni

Thank you for contributing to my sweet tooth for romance. Off to peruse the selections.  No need to send out a search party since you all will know where I am if I don't return anytime soon.  😀

[Maus]

I'm behind posting again. But I have a couple of photos from the Museum of Clean to go with book 57. I thought it was cool that somehow they have Empress Sisi (Austria)'s toilet in the middle of nowhere, Idaho. And my mom had a Compact Vac, exactly like the one in the photo. That's what I had to use when it was my turn to vacuum, and years before that, I remember trying to ride it like a horse, attacking my brother with it, trying to suck our faces off, etc. 

57. "Weekend Makeover" by Don Aslett. We went to his Museum of Clean when we were in Pocatello, Idaho last month. It's been years since I last read one of his books, so I thought I'd see what our library has. 

56. "Saints, Vol. 2. (LDS)

55. "Written Out of History" by Mike Lee.

54. "A Time for Truth" by Ted Cruz.

53. "Scorch Trials" by James Dashner. Audible. 

52. "Quidditch Through the Ages" by J.K. Rowling. Audible. 

51. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling/Newt Scamander. Audible. 

50. "An Excellent Mystery" by Ellis Peters. Audible.

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.

[Kareni]

What neat pictures, @Maus; thanks for sharing. The Museum of Clean sounds like a fascinating place.

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

Link to week 36