Robin M Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Welcome to February's month of love as we celebrate Creative Romance Month as well as an Affair to Remember month and National Weddings month. And lest we forget, February 4th is Thank a Mailman Day. Did you remember to send those letters you wrote? A to Z and Back Again - Our letter and word of the week are E and Earnest Speaking of earnest and romance, our Crime Spree hostesses Sandy and Amy have a challenge for you to partake in. Take it away, ladies: Few things go together better than crime and romance. Actually, there are hundreds of things that go together better, but few things are as exciting to read as Romantic Suspense. These novels are equally balanced with the romance playing as bit a part as the mystery/suspense elements. Are you a fan? Authors to explore: For a gothic feel check out: Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart If you like modern heroes/heroines escaping likely murder, then check out: Nora Robert/JD Robb, Laura Griffin, Marie Force For a sweet Christian take on Romantic Suspense: Terri Blackstock and Dee Henderson Suspense? Romance? Werewolves/Vampires/Ghosts? We got that too! Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Jayne Ann Krentz Challenge: Bat your eyes at your favorite getaway driver and read a book featuring someone in love and in danger. Thank you ladies! Batting my eyes earnestly at Juan, my oh so hunky getaway driver, as we drive hastily away from some serious risky business we found ourselves part of. Happy trails, mi amors! **************** Link to Book week four Visit 52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges. 7 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Finished Year one in Drew Hayes Super Powereds, a ya science fiction series. Think of this as a light hearted Harry Potter. Easy to read since it was originally published as an online book to be read chapter by chapter. There are just enough clues and mystery to intrigue you enough to keep reading. The characters, both kids and adults, are engaging, devious, distrustful, and wary enough of each other that it keeps them from forming attachments until they gain each others trust. Yet, still each one of them has something to hide. Makes for an interesting read and enough so to go on to the second book. The series was given to me by my brother with fits the Selected by a Friend category with Bingo. Started my sip read of nonfiction read of A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, which is a mini version of his MFA class on Russian Short Stories. About to begin Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco who is our Book on Book choice for February. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Robin, thank you for the thread. I got a bit more reading done this week, which was a pleasant relief, still not as much as I would have liked, but I'm thankful. I'm reading a few non-fiction books. Isn't this reading nook pretty? “… because commonsensically speaking, a room full of good books had to better for your health than a room with no books in it at all.” ― Susan Branch, "Martha's Vineyard, Isle of Dreams" For those of you who haven't come across her books yet, I thought that they were lovely. I think that I need to re-read her books from time to time. She wrote a trilogy. They were written out of order, but that's no big deal. The illustrations are a delight. Here's my review of her first one. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I've read 7 books this month. That's a January record for me and I am thoroughly stoked about it. 1 - Fiction, 6 - Non-fiction I don't know if I'll be able to finish another book by the end of the month but I'm going to try. I had one DNF book, Fingersmith. It is one of the books from David Bowie's 100 and I just couldn't get into it, I have another from that list, Hawksmoor, and it is not something I would choose to read. Dark, macabre, and written in a way I have never seen. It's difficult for me to engage so it might be returned and filed as another DNF. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I had to shelve (virtually, since it's an audiobook) the Alison Weir novel. It was just hitting me way wrong at the moment. I switched over to an audiobook I borrowed from the library because the loan period expires in just a few days. Based on the reviews, I was concerned it was also not going to work for me. It's not great literature, but it turns out I'm really engaged. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman The Victorian and the Romantic: A Memoir, a Love Story, and a Friendship Across Time, Nell Stevens You Have the Right to Remain Fat, Virgie Tovar I See You Made an Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50, Annabelle Gurwitch You're Leaving When? Adventures in Downward Mobility, Annabelle Gurwitch Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, Elizabeth Buchan I am currently reading: Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown (Well, it's sitting on my bedside table, and I have read the intro.) That Summer, Jennifer Weiner No clue what I'll read next. I'm having kind of a yucky couple of weeks, emotionally, and finding things that don't make that worse is definitely a challenge. I keep going over my Storygraph TBR list and thinking, "Not right now." 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I'm about to finish Free Fire (Joe Pickett #7) by C.J. Box. This one takes place in Yellowstone Park and I'm enjoying the different setting although the murders have been unusually gruesome. And I'm in the middle of an Agatha Christie Christmas collection (try saying that five times really fast!) - Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery and am loving it. The narrator for the audio version is really good. @Negin - I loved Susan Branch's trilogy and agree - her illustrations and storytelling are delightful! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Thank you Robin! I am so excited to have a month devoted to Romatic suspense and want to share some truly awesome gothic book covers that are on my to be read list..... 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 From the moment Romatic Suspense in February was decided I have been collecting books for the Gothic part of romatic suspense. Gothic is a genre my mother loved and she certainally passed her love my way! When I had read everything mystery in the children’s section at our small library she handed me a Mary Stewart (Moon spinners) and I was hooked. I kept the tradition going for Dd and gave her Mary Stewart’s too. My mom also gave me Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and many more. New discovery on the gothic front is Dorothy Eden who I just ran into this week and added Ravenscroft https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3347099-ravenscroft to my list. I put my gothic hoard into my currently reading on GR if anyone wants to look…https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/51042385-mumtotwo I can’t wait to start reading all these awesome gothic mysteries. I have a stack by Terri Blackstock (an under explored author for me) ready to go when I want something more modern. I am giving her Moonlighters series a try first but have quite a variety on hold. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15739201-truth-stained-lies?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=NpsastdFgl&rank=1 I have Wilkie Collins The Moonstone waiting for a relisten so I can compare the original shivering sands with Victoria Holt’s version. Something I have wanted to do for a few years. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18955630-the-shivering-sands I seem to have a Moon theme going on here….maybe I need to start a 10 collection! Lol Finally, if anyone wants a great YA oldy from my days in the children’s section Lois Duncan’s Down a Dark Hall might be the Book for you. This was my intro to Gothic way back when. Boarding school scary…..great stuff. I read it many times! .https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/538757.Down_a_Dark_Hall?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=oCHIXZ9U9h&rank=2 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) Hello again! My reading year in 2021 was similar to most everyone else's in 2020 - I had a hard time finding books I wanted to read or staying interested once I started them. When I scrambled to update Goodreads the last few days of December I was surprised to find that I did have a few very good ones, but only a few. Speaking of that update I apologize if I spammed your GR feed with a bunch of books at the end of the year. I tried to tell it not to post updates but I think it did anyway. So far 2022 is better, though I could have said that this time last year. I've read 9 books in January, 2 of which I started the last few days of December. Not in the order I read them: Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty - This is the family that gave the world Valium and Oxycontin, knowing full well the addictiveness of the drugs. If they had not pushed for them to be sold to the general public and kept them for their initial use the drugs themselves would not have been a problem. They're needed sometimes, especially the pain medication but $$$$ made them greedy. Awful, awful people who are still not held accountable for their actions. 5 stars Hotel Scarface: Where Cocaine Cowboys Partied and Plotted to Control Miami - In the late 1970s through the 1980s and part way into the 90s, these drug dealers helped make Miami the murder capital of the US. I remember those days well because before there was Florida Man my state often made the news due to Miami's crime rate. The movie Scarface was based on the hotel in this book and Al Pacino's character was based on the men who used the place as their offices. The book had so much: Cubans fleeing Castro at the beginning, Cubans from the Mariel boat lift, Columbian drug lords, big name actors, musicians, pro sports personalities, politicians, and the Iran-Contra connection. The only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of rating it higher (well 2 reasons) is that there were some repetitive parts and because it probably doesn't have a wide target readership. The rest are mysteries: The Dark Vineyard - Bruno, Chief of Police #2 - I read the first in this series last year and enjoyed it but I don't remember why I didn't continue. I'm pretty sure it was because of library availability but thankfully my library has more of this series. Bruno is the police chief (obviously lol) in a small village in France. Besides the mystery there are wonderful descriptions of food and French wine. I don't generally rate mysteries (though mumto2 once said I should) but I do plan to keep reading this series as long as I can get the books from the library. I read 4 Charles Lenox mysteries and am now caught up with that series. The author has a tendency to insert modern sensibilities into his Victorian characters but I still enjoy the books: An Extravagant Death is the most recent of the "current" Charles and the other three are prequels from when the character was younger - The Woman in the Water, The Vanishing Man, The Last Passenger. Dead, Dead, Girls - A Harlem Renaissance Mystery - I enjoyed this but it was slow in some parts and I wasn't crazy about how it ended. I'll probably read the next one but it won't come out until later this year. Murder in the Crypt - I saw this one on @mumto2's update when I was browsing GR. I enjoyed it and am now on the second one. I'll put what I'm currently reading in the next post so this doesn't get too long. Edited January 30, 2022 by Lady Florida. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Thank you for this weekly thread, @Robin M. Sandy @mumto2 and Amy, thanks for your piece about romantic suspense: "For a gothic feel check out: Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart If you like modern heroes/heroines escaping likely murder, then check out: Nora Robert/JD Robb, Laura Griffin, Marie Force For a sweet Christian take on Romantic Suspense: Terri Blackstock and Dee Henderson Suspense? Romance? Werewolves/Vampires/Ghosts? We got that too! Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Jayne Ann Krentz" I've read all of the above authors save for Terri Blackstock and Dee Henderson. Happy reading all! Regards, Kareni 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Some bookish posts ~ 5 MYSTERIES THAT WILL KEEP YOU COZY DURING WINTER https://crimereads.com/5-mysteries-that-will-keep-you-cozy-during-winter/ 5 PARANORMAL COZIES TO HELP YOU ESCAPE EVERYDAY REALITY https://crimereads.com/5-paranormal-cozies-to-help-you-escape-everyday-reality/ 5 SFF Books With Romantic Kissing Scenes by Charlie N. Holmberg https://www.tor.com/2022/01/18/5-sff-books-with-romantic-kissing-scenes/ Regards, Kareni 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I'm currently reading 4 books but I'm going to have too many library books in the next few days. All are Kindle books except for the one audio book. Gulag - This library ebook clocks in at 678 pages so and I intend it to be a slow read. Finding Nouf - also a library ebook Murder at the Abbey - The 2nd in the series I learned about on @mumto2's GR feed. I always want a light mystery for bedtime reading and this series is perfect for that. This one is Kindle Unlimited but even though I don't have to worry about a due date I'll probably finish it quickly. I hadn't been listening to audio books because I was binging light humorous history podcasts but I want to start listening to books again. Mythos - Stephen Fry. This is my audio book. It's a pretty simplistic retelling of the Greek myths with his thoughts thrown in here and there. I like Stephen Fry and it's an easy way to get back into audio books so I'm enjoying it. My library holds coming in this week - I Will Die in a Foreign Land - I had this one on hold and when I didn't claim it my hold was automatically rescheduled for Feb. 2nd. River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Road - This one is being released in the US on Feb 1st. Either I got my pre-publication library hold in early or there isn't much interest in my area because I'll be getting this one the day it comes out. That will be FOUR library ebooks checked out at the same time. Reading four books at a time (5 if you count the KU and 6 if you count my audio book) isn't a big deal for me. Having four library books with due dates close together will be a challenge however. Hopefully I'll be able to renew some of them if I don't finish. Lastly, a non-book related update - Dh Bill retired at the end of the year. His last day was Dec. 29th but he had to go in on the 30th to turn in his badge and debrief. He stopped by the launch console where he worked and they had a little gathering for him. He came home with a cool photo of the SpaceX boosters landing on the pad (not the ship) and everyone signed around the mat. In non-Covid times there would have been a bigger celebration but what they did was nice. We're still working out a routine and he's trying hard not to be underfoot all the time. Send your good thoughts that I can handle him being home all day every day. 😂😂😂🤣🤣 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Thanks Robin for carving out time to craft these BaW threads. I'm enjoying Sandy and Amy's Crime Spree input this year too, and I'm going to see what I can find on audio to meet this challenge (should be easy-ish (?) ). I've just about finished my letter E listen: Fallen Into the Pit by Ellis Peters, narrated by Simon Prebble. I'm sure I've listened to this in the past but cannot recall much of it. (Covers some post WWII issues and tensions.) I have about 3 hrs left on Devils by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and in an odd way it's become easier (?) to cope with the main character as the narrator exposes his deeds and the tragic denouement looming. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 15 hours ago, Negin said: Robin, thank you for the thread. I got a bit more reading done this week, which was a pleasant relief, still not as much as I would have liked, but I'm thankful. I'm reading a few non-fiction books. Isn't this reading nook pretty? “… because commonsensically speaking, a room full of good books had to better for your health than a room with no books in it at all.” ― Susan Branch, "Martha's Vineyard, Isle of Dreams" For those of you who haven't come across her books yet, I thought that they were lovely. I think that I need to re-read her books from time to time. She wrote a trilogy. They were written out of order, but that's no big deal. The illustrations are a delight. Here's my review of her first one. Oh my goodness, I would love to have a reading nook like that! Lovely review! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 11 hours ago, Granny_Weatherwax said: I've read 7 books this month. That's a January record for me and I am thoroughly stoked about it. 1 - Fiction, 6 - Non-fiction I don't know if I'll be able to finish another book by the end of the month but I'm going to try. I had one DNF book, Fingersmith. It is one of the books from David Bowie's 100 and I just couldn't get into it, I have another from that list, Hawksmoor, and it is not something I would choose to read. Dark, macabre, and written in a way I have never seen. It's difficult for me to engage so it might be returned and filed as another DNF. Awesome! Maybe the David Bowie 100 isn't for you and need to move onto a different list? 10 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said: No clue what I'll read next. I'm having kind of a yucky couple of weeks, emotionally, and finding things that don't make that worse is definitely a challenge. I keep going over my Storygraph TBR list and thinking, "Not right now." Hugs! Hope things get better for you. 9 hours ago, Mothersweets said: I'm about to finish Free Fire (Joe Pickett #7) by C.J. Box. This one takes place in Yellowstone Park and I'm enjoying the different setting although the murders have been unusually gruesome. I really need to read the first book. I have on eshelves. 8 hours ago, mumto2 said: Thank you Robin! I am so excited to have a month devoted to Romatic suspense and want to share some truly awesome gothic book covers that are on my to be read list..... Love the cover of The Shivering Sands! I have a few gothic romances hiding around here somewhere. Will have to dig them out. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 8 hours ago, mumto2 said: Finally, if anyone wants a great YA oldy from my days in the children’s section Lois Duncan’s Down a Dark Hall might be the Book for you. This was my intro to Gothic way back when. Boarding school scary…..great stuff. I read it many times! .https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/538757.Down_a_Dark_Hall?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=oCHIXZ9U9h&rank=2 I have a few of Duncan's buried somewhere. Will have to dig them out. 7 hours ago, Lady Florida. said: The Dark Vineyard - Bruno, Chief of Police #2 - I read the first in this series last year and enjoyed it but I don't remember why I didn't continue. I'm pretty sure it was because of library availability but thankfully my library has more of this series. Bruno is the police chief (obviously lol) in a small village in France. Besides the mystery there are wonderful descriptions of food and French wine. I don't generally rate mysteries (though mumto2 once said I should) but I do plan to keep reading this series as long as I can get the books from the library. Added the first book to my wishlist. Thanks! 7 hours ago, Lady Florida. said: Dh Bill retired at the end of the year. His last day was Dec. 29th but he had to go in on the 30th to turn in his badge and debrief. He stopped by the launch console where he worked and they had a little gathering for him. He came home with a cool photo of the SpaceX boosters landing on the pad (not the ship) and everyone signed around the mat. In non-Covid times there would have been a bigger celebration but what they did was nice. We're still working out a routine and he's trying hard not to be underfoot all the time. Send your good thoughts that I can handle him being home all day every day. 😂😂😂🤣🤣 All very interesting books. I remember when my dad retired, suddenly mom couldn't do anything right because now dad had a better way to do it. It took time but after a while, he took up some new hobbies that didn't involve mom. 😁 3 hours ago, tuesdayschild said: I've just about finished my letter E listen: Fallen Into the Pit by Ellis Peters, narrated by Simon Prebble. I'm sure I've listened to this in the past but cannot recall much of it. (Covers some post WWII issues and tensions.) I'll have to check it out. I liked the Brother Cadfael series. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 7 hours ago, Kareni said: I've read all of the above authors save for Terri Blackstock and Dee Henderson. Both are quite good! Thank you for the great links! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 @Lady Florida.I am looking forward to hearing what you think of Murder at the Abbey and the rest of the series. At the moment that series is paused because I keep buying myself more cheap kindle books for the Crime Spree so should be reading those. At some point I need to subscribe to Unlimited for a month or two and read some of the great series they seem to have now including this one! @KareniThose links really added to my hold’s list. So many fun paranormal mysteries to try! @tuesdayschildI was just looking at Fallen into the Pit so was sort of surprised to see it appear here. I might be trying it.....on my maybe list since I can get it from a library.😉 @Robin MI love those old covers so much. I can’t wait to dig in to the stories! I am still plugging along reading Armadale and enjoying it overall. It’s a bit wordy.....you can definately tell it was released in episodes and he was paid for length I suspect! I started Part 3 last night and hope to finish tomorrow night. I am reading it for about an hour a day. I am also reading a Francis Bacon mystery by Anna Castle which I am enjoying. Death by Disputation is the second in the series and I am finding it a much more ......captivating I guess, than the first in the series. I think I like Anna Castle which is good because I bought a box set of her Moriarty mysteries awhile ago. 😂 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25843064-death-by-disputation I just started listening to a modern day new release gothic The Sanatorium which is set in an abandoned TB hospital turned luxury resort, decorated to reflect the hospital which is not my idea of luxury btw. People are disappearing at this point and the Swiss Alps setting is pretty intriguing. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56935099-the-sanatorium 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 I followed the recommendation and finished Dauntless (The Lost Fleet #1) by Jack Campbell. I added the series to my list. I am still working through Leviathan Falls, have a few choices downloaded on audible, and I added The Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts to my TBR pile on behalf of this thread. @mumto2you'll have to let me know how it goes, The Sanatorium has been on my list for a while. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 1 hour ago, mumto2 said: @Lady Florida. At some point I need to subscribe to Unlimited for a month or two and read some of the great series they seem to have now including this one! I am still plugging along reading Armadale and enjoying it overall. It’s a bit wordy.....you can definately tell it was released in episodes and he was paid for length I suspect! I started Part 3 last night and hope to finish tomorrow night. I am reading it for about an hour a day. I have Kindle Unlimited for 4 months because of my new Kindle. I'm about halfway through my 2nd month and trying to borrow as many KU books as I can during this time. Whether or not I keep it after the free trial remains to be seen. Amrandale! I forgot to mention in my update that I had recently downloaded the free Kindle version (just Armandale, not all of his books in one like yours). I haven't started reading it yet and was tickled to read your first post about it. The only Wilkie Collins books I've read are The Moonstone and The Woman in White. I enjoyed both. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 11 hours ago, Robin M said: Awesome! Maybe the David Bowie 100 isn't for you and need to move onto a different list? <snip> He has been my favorite musical artist for so many years I can't remember a time David Bowie wasn't a part of my life. My tennis racquets are even named after a David Bowie song, Sound & Vision. I thought reading the books that influenced him would be entertaining and give new meaning to his music and lyrics. Did you know he traveled with a portable bookcase? His private library is extensive and priceless. I think I may have to be a bit more deliberate in selecting books from the list. Obviously, I will no longer be reading all 100 (although it's not really a list of books because there are some magazines on the list as well; magazines I cannot locate here in the midwest or online). 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 @Lady Florida. - Good luck with DH's retirement. I'm sure you'll be posting wonderful updates about joint ventures and hobbies soon. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 @mumto2 I love Gothic romance/suspense! I went on a binge of them a few years back ☺️I've read The Shivering Sands and think I even have a copy of The Red Carnelian around here somewhere. I don't think I've read any Dorothy Eden so I'll definitely look for her at the library. Have you ever tried anything by Madeline Brent (the author was actually a man named Peter O'Donnell)? He is another author I think you would like and the books always have terrific covers: And here is a Mary Stewart cover because they are always so fabulous 😊 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 @MothersweetsI will be looking for Madeline Brent now. The Tregaron name is somehow familiar so I might have read it......The Moonraker cover is awesome and fits my accidental moon theme! 😉 I love all these covers...... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 (edited) Arg! I think I'm going to give up on the Book on Book Bookology and switch it to align with Crime Spree. I have a feeling the rest of the books are going to be along the same lines. The first book was a dnf. Now Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum is a bust. I loved Name of the Rose. Unfortunately with FP, I'm hate to admit it, but I just don't understand it and I tried. Half the words they are using, I would need to be a walking dictionary / encyclopedia / math and science wiz to do so. And maybe not even then would I understand. I flipped through the book after reading the first few chapters and it's just more of the same. So giving up. Edited January 31, 2022 by Robin M 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Louise Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Hello all. Finally got some more reading in! Firstly, I read Ann Prachett's book of essays, The Previous Days. I was given it for Christmas but had felt reluctant to start it. I can't say I liked it - I felt like I didn't gel with Ann, the person - but I think moments in the essays will linger. I also gave myself permission to read a glorious bit of commercial literature (lol). This Has Been Absolutely Lovely, by Jessica Dettmann...'Family is forever, and there's nothing you can do about it.' Highly recommend as a vacation read! It's soap, but charming soap. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel-in-CA Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Speaking of window seats, Jack London's home in Sonoma, CA is equipped with a reading nook style window seat in EVERY SINGLE window!! On both stories, by the way. The House of Happy Walls is a great place to visit. From there you can hike to the skeleton of Wolf House one way and to the cottage at Beauty Ranch (owned by London) another way. https://jacklondonpark.com/jack-london-museum/ 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 @mumto2 you might want to check out some of the deals. https://www.techbargains.com/deals/amazon-kindle-unlimited-membership It's worth checking to see if you qualify for 3-months for $0.99. 🙂 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 This afternoon I finished The Lost Book of Adana Moreau: A Novel by Michael Zapata which my distant book group will be discussing tomorrow evening. This was an intriguing read that started like a fairy tale but then went all over the place; it bopped around from the 1920s to 2005 and then to the 1930s and back. It had a lot of sadness. "The mesmerizing story of a Latin American science fiction writer and the lives her lost manuscript unites decades later in post-Katrina New OrleansIn 1929 in New Orleans, a Dominican immigrant named Adana Moreau writes a science fiction novel. The novel earns rave reviews, and Adana begins a sequel. Then she falls gravely ill. Just before she dies, she destroys the only copy of the manuscript.Decades later in Chicago, Saul Drower is cleaning out his dead grandfather’s home when he discovers a mysterious manuscript written by none other than Adana Moreau. With the help of his friend Javier, Saul tracks down an address for Adana’s son in New Orleans, but as Hurricane Katrina strikes they must head to the storm-ravaged city for answers.What results is a brilliantly layered masterpiece—an ode to home, storytelling and the possibility of parallel worlds." Regards, Kareni 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Currently FREE for US Kindle readers ~ The Sisters of Woodside Collection by Mary Kingswood Empire Under a Dying Sun by Joseph O. Doran Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 On 1/30/2022 at 1:02 PM, mumto2 said: Oh, I have a hardcover of this one around somewhere. I remember loving it as a teen. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 (edited) I'm going to toss early Susan Howatch into the discussion of Gothic Romance/Suspense. From Wiki, I think these would fit the category: The Dark Shore (1965) The Waiting Sands (1966) April's Grave (1967) Call in the Night (1967) The Shrouded Walls (1968) The Devil on Lammas Night (1970) I do love Holt (favorite: Pride of the Peacock), some Whitney (she gets a little too weird for me in her later books favorite: The Trembling Hills), and especially Mary Stewart (favorite: This Rough Magic). Last week I started Simon Vance's reading of The Great Divorce and Abolition of Man - which are two books in one, included in Audible subscription. I finished yesterday (both are short). Vance is the perfect narrator for Lewis, I'm convinced. I'm making more of an effort to read A Midsummer Night's Dream. Edited February 1, 2022 by ladydusk 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Oh my goodness I haven’t thought of Victoria Holy in decades! My public school library had those in middle school and I read so many of those through my boring classes. (It also had VC Andrews Flower in the Attic series, which I read then. Talk about inappropriate books on school shelves!) I’ve read all of the In Death series by JD Robb Another suggestion if people want a bit of a love story and thriller - Dean Kootz has several. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Kindle book on sale today. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 And this one. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 2, 2022 Author Share Posted February 2, 2022 I am so proud of myself. I'll admit it, I'm a bookaholic and made it through January without out buying any new books. Nor did I read any ebooks. I read only physical books have had on the shelves, forever and a day it seems like, for the month of January. May not seem like that big of a deal, but given that last year I forsake physical books in favor of ebooks, it is. I have absolutely no desire to read ebooks at the moment. Let's see how long that lasts. Right now I'm concentrating on reading all the wonderful physical books and enjoying myself. All Shall Be Well (#2 Kincaid and Duncan) - Deborah Crombie (Police Procedural, 268) Three Body Problem - Cixin Liu (Science Fiction, 416) Ghostbusters 1 and 2 novelization - Richard Mueller/Ed Naha (Audiobook) Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon (Historical Fiction, 1930's, 684) Devlin Diary #2 Clair Duncan - Christie Phillips (HF murder mystery, 1672/2008, 427) Wolf Hall #1 WH Trilogy - Hilary Mantel (HF, 1500's, 604) Eternal - Lisa Scottoline (HF Italy, 1937-57, 465) Made to Kill - Adam Christopher (Science fiction, 1965, 234) Super Powered Year One - Drew Hayes (Science Fiction, 730) The top two I enjoyed the most are Wolf Hall and Super Powered Year One. I completed nine books which according to Goodreads is 3847 pages. Four science fiction, four historical fiction, and one police procedural. Six were dusty books of which two were repeat authors. One new release and one new to me author sent to me by a friend. Plus one audiobook which was James choice. And I managed to review each one as soon as I finished reading. Not too shabby. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 I just finished Masquerade in Lodi (Penric & Desdemona) by Lois McMaster Bujold which I quite enjoyed. If you choose to read this fantasy series, you should begin with Penric's Demon. Regards, Kareni 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 10 hours ago, ladydusk said: I'm going to toss early Susan Howatch into the discussion of Gothic Romance/Suspense. From Wiki, I think these would fit the category: The Dark Shore (1965) The Waiting Sands (1966) April's Grave (1967) Call in the Night (1967) The Shrouded Walls (1968) The Devil on Lammas Night (1970) I do love Holt (favorite: Pride of the Peacock), some Whitney (she gets a little too weird for me in her later books favorite: The Trembling Hills), and especially Mary Stewart (favorite: This Rough Magic). Last week I started Simon Vance's reading of The Great Divorce and Abolition of Man - which are two books in one, included in Audible subscription. I finished yesterday (both are short). Vance is the perfect narrator for Lewis, I'm convinced. I'm making more of an effort to read A Midsummer Night's Dream. Sounds like a great addition to the list! I have only read her Saga’s like the C of E series......unfortunately she doesn’t seem to have her Gothic’s in a Kindle version or I would happily try one for $2.99 or less. 😉. I set a price limit on my purchases for the crime spree.......that way my decision making is somewhat easy. I recently bought This Rough Magic which I remember enjoying too. The Moon Spinners has always been my favorite. I just checked Pride of the Peacock out on Overdrive. I had it marked and your recommendation moved it to the top of my list! @Robin M You are off to a great start this year! @melmichiganI finished listening to The Sanitorium https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56935099-the-sanatorium earlier today. I enjoyed it overall but there were a few medical? type things that were rather horrifying that may stay with me longer than I would like. The audiobook was well done. The Who was a surprise which is always good in terms of what I call stranded together Murder mysteries. I guess my rec is if it’s Overdrive via your library try it as you probably enjoy it it but if you are spending audible credits I would hesitate. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VickiMNE Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 I just finished Into Thin Air about the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster expedition. And today on the news I saw that some crazy German is attempting to summit Mt. Everest in winter without supplemental oxygen. 😱 Currently reading Anxious People and enjoying it very much. Inadvertently both these books feature a snowy setting--so it is a good thing I'm sitting and reading in front of the fireplace! Late last year, I read and highly recommended The Spy and the Traitor. The kindle version of the autobiography of the spy (Oleg Gordievsky) is currently FREE at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5HOA3Y I just downloaded it, couldn't resist at that price. 😉 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage81 Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 2 hours ago, VickiMNE said: I just finished Into Thin Air about the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster expedition. And today on the news I saw that some crazy German is attempting to summit Mt. Everest in winter without supplemental oxygen. 😱 DH and I recently watched this documentary on Netflix called 14 Peaks about this guy from Nepal named Nims Purja who climbed the 14 tallest mountains (I think all over 8000m) in under a year. It was a pretty good documentary. I just read that he climbed K2 without supplemental oxygen in the winter. Pretty crazy! https://www.climbing.com/people/nirmal-nims-purja-the-man-who-climbed-k2-in-winter-without-supplemental-oxygen/ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) Appreciating all the posts, and have been chasing a few rabbit trails from them. And tossing this quick-ish post up while I have a lull. @Lady Florida. waiting to see what your thoughts are on Gulag.... I have it in my listening queue and am wondering how intense the content is going to be. @mumto2 what would be your favourite Mary Stewart? (trying to narrow down my options with the many I have not read. I was thinking of, perhaps, Airs Above the Ground). Suggestions from other Stewart appreciators welcomed 🙂 Quite a few library holds came due which is a good problem to have, perhaps 😛 Here's what I kept: The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland, narrated by Kristin Atherton (started) Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan The Complete Felse Investigations: The Felse Investigations by Ellis Peters (13 novels in one) Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson, narrated by Penelope Rawlins I'm going to make a try to read a few Felse books, as i did enjoy the first book in the series (the writing is not quite as good as Cadfael @Robin M, but I found it enjoyable as a vintage police procedural). The latest Charles Todd audiobook, A Game of Fear which is narrated by Simon Vance, is in my audible library, and I’ve decided I must not start it until I’ve finished Devils. Really hoping the Todd duo have gifted Ian Rutledge some significant changes in his love life and with his mental health. Edited February 3, 2022 by tuesdayschild 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 2 hours ago, tuesdayschild said: @mumto2 what would be your favourite Mary Stewart? (trying to narrow down my options with the many I have not read. I was thinking of, perhaps, Airs Above the Ground). Suggestions from other Stewart appreciators welcomed Airs Above Ground is a great one! I haven’t been talking about it because I read it relatively recently. My sentimental fave is The Moonspinners because it was my first. Lots of people love This Rough Magic best. I finished reading Armadale earlier today. Overall I liked it quite a bit and I am glad I persevered though all 700 pages! It was serialized over 13 months......13 months to reach the end. What patience! I sort of understand the wordy repetitiveness with that in mind. After finishing I sort of sat there and thought how much it had in common with Woman in White in terms of the feeling at the end. I am going to go and read some other authors and my E book. I will return to Wilkie soon, Actually really soon as I need to listen to The Moonstone in the next week or so. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuesdayschild Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 39 minutes ago, mumto2 said: Airs Above Ground is a great one! I haven’t been talking about it because I read it relatively recently. My sentimental fave is The Moonspinners because it was my first. Lots of people love This Rough Magic best. That helps narrow the field, thank you. 40 minutes ago, mumto2 said: I finished reading Armadale earlier today. Overall I liked it quite a bit and I am glad I persevered though all 700 pages! It was serialized over 13 months......13 months to reach the end. What patience! I sort of understand the wordy repetitiveness with that in mind. After finishing I sort of sat there and thought how much it had in common with Woman in White in terms of the feeling at the end. I am going to go and read some other authors and my E book. I will return to Wilkie soon, Actually really soon as I need to listen to The Moonstone in the next week or so. (The bit I bolded above) That's exactly how I felt after Armadale too, and the similarities with Woman in White (which is still my favourite Collins book). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 @tuesdayschild Airs Above the Ground is one of my favorite Mary Stewart's. And I'm looking forward to hear what you think of Journey to the River Sea - it's a long-time favorite at my house. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Last night I finished the young adult science fiction Earth Girl by Janet Edwards which I quite enjoyed. This had an intriguing premise; it was set on Earth in 2788 at a time when most of the inhabitants are handicapped. They are considered handicapped because they cannot survive on the other planets that humanity has settled. I would like to read on in the series but my library has only this book...sigh. "Just because she's confined to the planet, doesn't mean she can't reach for the stars. 2788. Only the handicapped live on Earth. Eighteen-year-old Jarra is among the one in a thousand people born with an immune system that cannot survive on other planets. Sent to Earth at birth to save her life, she has been abandoned by her parents. She can't travel to other worlds, but she can watch their vids, and she knows all the jokes they make. She's an "ape," a "throwback," but this is one ape girl who won't give in. Jarra makes up a fake military background for herself and joins a class of norms who are on Earth for a year of practical history studies excavating the dangerous ruins of the old cities. She wants to see their faces when they find out they've been fooled into thinking an ape girl was a norm. She isn't expecting to make friends with the enemy, to risk her life to save norms, or to fall in love." Regards, Kareni 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 And I finished another book yesterday. I quite enjoyed the contemporary romance, All the Feels by Olivia Dade. (Adult content) "Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, Gods of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he's dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling. Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit. When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all." Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel-in-CA Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 I've been enjoying a fantasy series by Helen Lowe. The first two were at my library; I was *forced* to buy the third and immensely frustrated to find that another book is still in process (or at least Amazon doesn't list #4 and the author's page has no info). The books are The Heir of Night, Gathering of the Lost and Daughter of Blood (no, there are no vampires). The premise of a group of warriors moving from one world to the next and not thinking much about the consequences to existing residents reminds me of P.C. Hodgell's books, but the world is quite different. I really enjoyed these. However, the last one came out in 2016, so who knows if or when #4 will arrive??? Oldest dd's boyfriend brought his car to school with him after New Year's....and promptly had the catalytic converter stolen. Please avoid ever parking your car on the street in San Francisco!!! Repairs are apparently over $2K with a 3-4 month waiting list for the part and the presumption of another theft once the repair is done. He's trying so hard to finish his degree but it's an uphill battle, especially as he's a first-generation ESL student who moved here when he was 15. Anyway, I just feel for him. Really, I think all my life I've taken for granted the gift my parents gave us of a college education. My dad went to college on the GI bill and he was so determined to make education a priority. Homeschooling was just sort of the logical progression of that in the next generation, at least for us. Sorry, that was a big digression from "books I've read." I'm moving on to My Dear Hamilton for this week, a book club read. Wishing for more fantasy with good, strong worldbuilding. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage81 Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 I have completed 5 more books… A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw - this was kind of a weird book. I don’t read too many mystery thrillers, but overall I enjoyed this one. The “big twist” was fine, but the explanation for it was a little lacking. Also, there was a huge editing mistake about 1/4 through the book that was a big spoiler. Luckily, I’m terrible at guessing the big mystery/reveal, so it was only after I finished the book that I really noticed it. 🤣🤦🏼♀️ Anyways, I still thought it was 4 stars What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon - I was kind of disappointed in this one. Part of the story dealt with Irish history/politics and part of it dealt with a love story (via a time jump, which was strange). I just didn’t really see how those two things went together. 🤷🏼♀️ It was just okay. 3 stars The other books I read were for school. Two were for our Ancient Greece study…Archimedes and the Door of Science and The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Greece. The other was for our U.S. Geography study…What Was the Great Chicago Fire. Nothing super spectacular, but they all got the job done. I’ve been wanting to start The Song of Achilles…it’s on my nightstand staring at me. 👀 But, I’m just not ready for all the emotions I know it will bring. I’ll get there. I’m a member of Book of the Month and I picked this random fantasy book called Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang, so I’m giving that a try. Have any of you heard of/read this one? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 3 hours ago, Laurel-in-CA said: I've been enjoying a fantasy series by Helen Lowe.... This sounds intriguing, so I'm downloading a sample. 3 hours ago, Laurel-in-CA said: Oldest dd's boyfriend brought his car to school with him after New Year's....and promptly had the catalytic converter stolen... I have a friend who lives in the wine country. She just had the same thing happen when her car was parked at a public school. Her car is a Prius, and she also has a long and expensive wait. Regards, Kareni 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 1 hour ago, Vintage81 said: I’m a member of Book of the Month and I picked this random fantasy book called Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang, so I’m giving that a try. Have any of you heard of/read this one? I'd not heard of it, but the description is certainly appealing. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Regards, Kareni 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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