Book a Week 2022 - BW9: Golden Age of Mystery

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday!  This month we’re waving goodbye to February and winter in my neck of the woods, and saying hello to March and the beginning of spring. We are also celebrating Women's History Month and women who were vital to history.  And speaking of history, our Crime Spree hostesses Sandy and Amy are taking us back to the Golden Age era this month.  Take it away, ladies: 

 

If you find yourself spending the weekend in your curmudgeonly uncle’s manor and he ends up murdered, you’re probably in a Golden Age mystery. Luckily, you’re innocent of the crime if you’re young, beautiful, and in love. But if you happen to be a ne'er-do-well that recently been cut out of the will then…

This website is fantastic for exploring even more authors. Who are some of your favorite Golden Age authors?

Authors to explore:

 ·         Agatha Christie’s website is a fun place to lose an hour

·         GK Chesterton

·         EC Bentley

·         Dorothy Sayers

·         Margery Allingham

·         Edmund Crispin

·         Georgette Heyer

·         Patricia Wentworth (sidenote from Amy: Skip the first book and start here.)

·         J. Jefferson Farjeon

·         Josephine Tey

 Challenge: Evade Scotland Yard by choosing a new to you Golden Age author to read.

 

Thank you, ladies.  Juan and I are trying to stay out of sight of the gents at Scotland Yard as we follow in the footsteps of the queens and gentlemen of the Golden Age. 

Which brings me to our A to Z and back again -- Our letter and word of the week are I and Informer.

Have fun investigating! 

 

Link to book week 8

Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges.  

[Robin M]

I'm currently halfway through the fourth book in Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s Cemetery of Lost Books series with Labyrinth of the Spirits, a historical fiction story set in Barcelona in 1959 which is really good. 

"Nine-year-old Alicia lost her parents during the Spanish Civil War when the Nacionales (the fascists) savagely bombed Barcelona in 1938. Twenty years later, she still carries the emotional and physical scars of that violent and terrifying time. Weary of her work as investigator for Spain’s secret police in Madrid, a job she has held for more than a decade, the twenty-nine-year old plans to move on. At the insistence of her boss, Leandro Montalvo, she remains to solve one last case: the mysterious disappearance of Spain’s Minister of Culture, Mauricio Valls.

With her partner, the intimidating policeman Juan Manuel Vargas, Alicia discovers a possible clue—a rare book by the author Victor Mataix hidden in Valls’ office in his Madrid mansion. Valls was the director of the notorious Montjuic Prison in Barcelona during World War II where several writers were imprisoned, including David Martín and Victor Mataix. Traveling to Barcelona on the trail of these writers, Alicia and Vargas meet with several booksellers, including Juan Sempere, who knew her parents.

As Alicia and Vargas come closer to finding Valls, they uncover a tangled web of kidnappings and murders tied to the Franco regime, whose corruption is more widespread and horrifying than anyone imagined. Alicia’s courageous and uncompromising search for the truth puts her life in peril. Only with the help of a circle of devoted friends will she emerge from the dark labyrinths of Barcelona and its history into the light of the future."

 

Saturday night we watched A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with Tom Hanks about Fred Rogers and his affects on a hard hitting reporter sent to write a story about him. Thought provoking movie about feelings, not bottling them away, compassion, making up, and grief. Hanks did an excellent job of playing Rogers and Matthew Rhys as the tough reporter who learned to deal with his feelings. There was a moment in the movie, a full minute of silence, which was quite profound. 

[Negin]

Thank you for the thread, Robin!

We haven't seen "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" yet. We loved the documentary about Fred Rogers, whatever it was called. I'll see if I can convince the family to watch this one as well, since I seldom have the time to watch anything by myself. 

I read Worldly Escapes: Across America and around the globe - 3 Stars

Edited February 27, 2022 by Negin

[mumto2]

I finished my first ever book yesterday by Miles Burton aka John Rhodes who was a super prolific Golden Age author. http://www.classiccrimefiction.com/rhodebiog.htm I have to say The Secret of High Eldersham was a great read and moved through plot points at an incredibly rapid rate so it was impossible to get bored as long as you are following along…….I read the first 20 pages while falling asleep and ended up starting over because I missed too much about the murdered publican.  I will definitely be reading more by this author!  FYI, This book is also on the list of 100 best Classic Crime books found in this book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34136879-the-story-of-classic-crime-in-100-books

From Goodreads……Samuel Whitehead, the new landlord of the Rose and Crown, is a stranger in the lonely East Anglian village of High Eldersham. When the newcomer is stabbed to death in his pub, and Scotland Yard are called to the scene, it seems that the veil dividing High Eldersham from the outside world is about to be lifted.

Detective-Inspector Young forms a theory about the case so utterly impossible that merely entertaining the suspicion makes him doubt his own sanity. Surrounded by sinister forces beyond his understanding, and feeling the need of rational assistance, he calls on a brilliant amateur and ‘living encyclopedia’, Desmond Merrion. Soon Merrion falls for the charms of a young woman in the village, Mavis Owerton. But does Mavis know more about the secrets of the village than she is willing to admit.

 

[Mothersweets]

Last night I finished Out of Range (Joe Pickett #5) by C.J.Box. I had to backtrack to #5 after finishing #8 because I skipped over it somehow. I'll mail  #6, 7, and 8 back to my uncle and will start on #9 as soon as he sends it. Meanwhile, I had 5 books come in from the library and just have to decide which one to start with!

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

If I Don't Remember What I Read, Did I Really Read It At All?

Clean Beach Reads: Classics, Literary Fiction and Breezy Reads

https://purplecrayonyourworld.com/clean-beach-reads-classics-literary-fiction-and-breezy-reads/

What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable

https://modernmrsdarcy.com/quick-lit-february-2022/

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Last night I stayed up late reading  Prisoner by Lia Silver; I enjoyed it, but it definitely ends on a cliffhanger.  I see that I've owned the book since 2014, so it was definitely time!

"Echo was created to be a weapon.

Echo was born when a secret laboratory tried to genetically engineer the perfect assassin. Two clones survived: Echo, the success, and Charlie, the failure. Stronger and faster than any normal human, Echo knows no life but killing, and has never loved or been loved by anyone but her frail sister. But that’s about to change…

DJ Torres made himself into a Marine.

DJ was born a werewolf. But he grew up to be a rebel, and left his pack to join the Marines. When his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan and his best friend lay dying in his arms, DJ bit him to save his life. Revealed as a shifter, DJ is imprisoned in the lab and subjected to mind games and experiments. But the lab rat is about to bite back…

Can two misfit people fit together?

Echo was engineered to surpass the limits of the human body, but she doesn’t know how to relate to other human beings. No one thought DJ could make it as a Marine, but he doesn’t know when to quit. When they’re forced to partner up, will they betray each other as their only chance to escape? Or will they risk everything on a love that crosses the battle lines?"

Regards,

Kareni

[Jenny in Florida]

I finished Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World, by Danielle Friedman, which I enjoyed very much. I went looking for similar books, but haven't found anything that seems like it will scratch that same itch. I also listened to Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains, by Cassie Chambers, which was very engaging. I will admit that the epilogue left me sobbing on my exercise mat this morning, but it was worth it.

I am currently reading:

• The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold (Just downloaded the audio this morning.)
• Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown (I finally picked this up again and read the first couple of sections.)

And most recently finished:

• The Violin Conspiracy, Brendan Slocumb
• Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School, Kendra James
• That Summer, Jennifer Weiner
• Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, Elizabeth Buchan

Edited February 28, 2022 by Jenny in Florida

[Kareni]

And last night I finished Laura's Wolf (Werewolf Marines Book 1) by Lia Silver which I enjoyed. The characters deal with PTSD, and an author note indicates that she is a therapist who treats such patients in real life.

"Roy Farrell is convinced that he has no future.

Roy never wanted to be anything but a Marine. But on his last tour of duty, he was bitten by a werewolf. Next thing he knew, he was locked up in a secret underground laboratory. Despite the agony caused by his newly enhanced senses, he managed to escape his captors. Unable to return to the Marines, his entire life shattered, he hid out in the woods of Yosemite.

Laura Kaplan is desperate to escape her past.

Reformed con artist Laura was acclaimed as a hero for her courage during a bank robbery gone violently wrong. Overcome with guilt over the people she couldn’t save, she fled the city to seek solace in a lonely cabin in Yosemite. But she can’t run forever from the dark secrets of her past.

Can two broken people heal each other?

After Roy is badly wounded saving Laura from a mysterious enemy, they take refuge together in her snowed-in cabin. Forced to depend on each other for their very survival, they must come together to save their lives, face their fears, and find their hearts.'

Regards,

Kareni

[bookbard]

Over the last couple of weeks I've read a lovely non-fiction (Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer), re-read a good Australian book (An Imaginary Life by David Malouf - an imagined life of Ovid) and read his novella Ransom, about Priam and Achilles. I also read an early Laurie R King (Beginnings) which I enjoyed, and kind of enjoyed She Who Became The Sun by Australian Shelley Parker-Chan (very violent fantasy), then read and didn't end up enjoying A Stranger in Olondia by Sofia Samatar (also violent fantasy), even though the first chapter was riveting.  I tried to read Enchanted by Alethea Kontis but sadly found it unreadable. Currently re-reading Shadow Unit ebook series by Emma Bull and friends for the trillionth time, even though I have to skip bits that are too gory (kind of urban fantasy, practically historical fiction now about the 2000s which feel like a long time ago).

 

[ladydusk]

On 2/27/2022 at 3:01 AM, Robin M said:

Authors to explore:

Don't forget Ngaio Marsh. I enjoyed her book When in Rome, I'd like to try more.

[Storygirl]

For my letter I book, I listened to the audio version of I Let You Go by Clare Macintosh. Although this thriller has a twist that surprised me, it was obviously set up just to fool the reader and was not necessary for the plot, which I didn't like. There was also a subplot that was not my cup of tea. However, the character development was interesting enough, and the plot complex enough, that I will probably give this author another chance. She's written several other well-received thrillers. I find that sometimes an author's debut book is not my favorite, and I like their later books better, after they have improved their craft.

I also read ahead for next week's J book and chose Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. This is the first in a long book series starring a time traveling historian. The tone is humorous and fast paced. (Although my feelings about the pace are partly due to listening to it at double speed.) The narrator recounts how she was recruited to work at a mysterious time traveling institute, has several adventures during her training period, then has a major mission back to the age of the dinosaurs, during which she faces danger from multiple fronts. And then there is another action-packed episode in ancient times to cap off the story. This was a fun read, but I found that it careened from one thing to another too often. I'm not feeling inspired to find out what happens next, so I doubt I'll read further in the series, unless I'm hit by a mood for something light.

I think it would be enjoyed by fans of the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. Though I've only read one of those, as well. I admire the idea of these stories about wise-cracking time-traveling literary and historical detectives so much that reading the books ended up being slightly disappointing, but I know they are beloved by many, so it's probably just me.

 

[Kareni]

12 hours ago, bookbard said:

Currently re-reading Shadow Unit ebook series by Emma Bull and friends for the trillionth time....

This sounds intriguing, and (happily) I appear to own the first book. I shall investigate!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I just finished a book that I very much enjoyed and would recommend. (One caution is that the book deals with (highlight to read) SPOILER ALERT**assisted suicide***END SPOILER.) I just noticed that the book is currently on sale for $1.99 for Kindle readers.

The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence 

"A rare meteorite struck Alex Woods when he was ten years old, leaving scars and marking him for an extraordinary future. The son of a fortune teller, bookish, and an easy target for bullies, Alex hasn't had the easiest childhood.
But when he meets curmudgeonly widower Mr. Peterson, he finds an unlikely friend. Someone who teaches him that that you only get one shot at life. That you have to make it count.
So when, aged seventeen, Alex is stopped at customs with 113 grams of marijuana, an urn full of ashes on the front seat, and an entire nation in uproar, he's fairly sure he's done the right thing ...
Introducing a bright young voice destined to charm the world, The Universe Versus Alex Woods is a celebration of curious incidents, astronomy and astrology, the works of Kurt Vonnegut and the unexpected connections that form our world."

The description above is fairly accurate, and I'll admit that I now have an interest in reading something by Kurt Vonnegut!

Regards,

Kareni

[AnneGG]

I was so excited to read The Lady’s Mine by Francine Rivers. I rarely get my hands  on new books, but by some miracle the library had it. I was SO disappointed. A good story, but it felt like a basic “Christian romance.” I didn’t get mad and cry or laugh a single time. 
 

 

[Kareni]

This afternoon I finished a reread of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison; this is a favorite book!  Note: It's currently on sale for US Kindle readers for $2.99.

"The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne–or his life."

Regards,

Kareni

[Vintage81]

Since I last posted, I’ve finished 4 books…

• West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge - This book was exactly what the title says…a story about a man who travels across the country from New York west to California with a pair of giraffes. It was a heartwarming read and during an interesting time, the Dust Bowl. It got a little slow during middle, but I still enjoyed it. 4 stars
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan - Coincidentally, this book also took place during the Dust Bowl. I don’t think I’ve read many books during this time period so to have two at the same time was funny. 😄 I read this one aloud with DDs. It’s about a girl living on a large ranch in Mexico when tragedy strikes and her and her mother must travel to California to work. Another good one. 4 stars
• The last two were books to finish up our study on Ancient Rome…The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome and What Was Pompeii?…both got the job done. 
   

I’ve now started The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin, which is our book club pick for the month. I can already tell it’s going to be a tear jerker. I’m 50 pages in and really enjoying it. It’s funny too. 

DDs and I have started reading The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. Oh man, y’all…….this book is full of stuff! It’s a multi POV of three people. Two are girls who’s fathers work at the reactor site of Chernobyl. The other POV is one of the girl’s  grandmother, who lives in Kiev during WWII and must flee because she’s Jewish. We’re only 10 chapters in and I’m on the edge of my seat. The people are dealing with the reactor explosion, the loss of loved ones, there’s abuse, there’s discrimination, the whole USSR propaganda (which also leads to interesting discussion of what’s happening today), and we’ve barely touched on the WWII stuff. This was yet another coincidence because I had planned this book to read way back at the beginning of the school year.

I think after these two books I’m going to need a much lighter read. 🤣

[Laurel-in-CA]

I read House of Shadows and The Last Daughter of York by Nicola Cornick this week. I must say, I really enjoyed both of these historical semi-fictions. House of Shadows carries 3 or 4 different narrative times and character threads forward, alternating between them. That took a bit of getting used to, but she did tie it all together at the end. This week I've needed a reason to escape the news, so I got some new yarn too and I've started a baby blanket while I read.

[tuesdayschild]

@mumto2 your comment about The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books has me dusting off my copy and putting it where I can see it 😛.

On 3/2/2022 at 6:31 AM, ladydusk said:

Don't forget Ngaio Marsh

This. ☺️

The books of hers I like, I prefer reading as audiobooks .... though I side-step James Saxon as a narrator as he uses way too much affectation.  

@AnneGG  I appreciate your comments on Rivers newly released book. I saw another comment somewhere (? perhaps Goodreads?) mentioning that this was a rewrite of one her books published in the 1980's 🤷‍♀️

@Kareni  I can't recall what you thought of the second book in Goblin Emperor series, and would enjoy rehearing your thoughts on it.

Opps, I've run out of time to chat anymore, ... I'm enjoying seeing what you're each reading (and crafting).

Edited March 3, 2022 by tuesdayschild

[tuesdayschild]

Post birthdays  - we no longer have a teenaged person in our home  - I’ve continued on in my easy to read/listening lane with the following books:

• Hannah Coulter: Port William Bk6 ~ Wendell Berry, narrated by Susan Denaker. (For letter H)
• Every Living Thing: All Creatures Great and Small Bk8 ~ James Herriot, narrated by Christopher Timothy (For letter L)
• Holy Disorders (A Gervase Fen Mystery) ~ Edmund Crispin, narrated by Paul Panting (For one of my Golden era crime spree titles.  Golden era writers are some of my favourite go to authors for comfort listening).

I’ve been slowly listening through the BBC Radio 4 episodes of The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and at approx. 45 minutes long they make for a well-produced quick listen.

• Series 1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b007jnfq   
• Series 2 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b007k4dc   
• Series 3 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b00g3t1k   

[Mothersweets]

15 hours ago, Kareni said:

This afternoon I finished a reread of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison; this is a favorite book!  Note: It's currently on sale for US Kindle readers for $2.99.

"The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne–or his life."

Regards,

Kareni

Seconding this! A somewhat low-key but overall satisfying read. I loved Maia and his determination to be a good emperor and the world-building was fascinating.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Mothersweets

[Junie]

The Goblin Emperor is sitting in my TBR Soon basket.  Maybe I'll dig into it this week.

So I'm not sure when the last time I posted about the books, I've read.  I recently finished:

The Professor's House by Willa Cather -- I enjoyed it, but it's not my favorite.  My Antonia is, I think, still my favorite novel of all time.  Unfortunately, it was my introduction to Willa Cather and I don't think that anything will ever top it.

Ahsoka by E.K. Johnson -- This was a pre-read for one of my girls.  It was clean and decent enough story telling that I was able to finish the book.  I'll call that a win.

Killers of the Flower Moon -- Such a good book about such a terrible story.  Non-fiction that reads like fiction is something that I would like to read more of.

The Once and Future King -- I slogged through this because I was pre-reading it for one of my homeschoolers.  She's into fairytales, myths, and legends, so she really enjoyed it.  (Me, not so much.)

[Kareni]

8 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

@Kareni  I can't recall what you thought of the second book in Goblin Emperor series, and would enjoy rehearing your thoughts on it.

I enjoyed The Witness for the Dead; however, my feelings for it in no way compare to those I have for The Goblin Emperor. That said, I will reread it at some point, and I plan to read the follow on book that is due out this summer. Just a note to say that The Witness for the Dead follows a minor character from The Goblin Emperor and is set in a different place.

Regards,

Kareni

[ladydusk]

Over the weekend I finished None Greater which is a popular theology book about the superlativeness of God. It was very good.

This morning I finished Aristotle's Poetics which took longer than it should have considering how short it is.  I enjoyed it. I particularly, though, liked the Dorothy Sayers essay that applied the Aristotle to Detective Fiction.  Seeing how she used the work as a framework/paradigm was very helpful. 

Still powering through Kristin Lavransdatter ... 8.5 hours to go! 

[Storygirl]

I finished an audiobook in just two days, due to listening to it while I was out running errands yesterday morning. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. And... I don't know. I don't shy away from dark mysteries, so I thought this would be right up my alley, but I found it so-so. I think part of the problem is that the writing style is rather terse and clipped, and it just didn't move me, while listening to it on audio. Perhaps I would have appreciated this one more, if I'd read the paper version (though now I'll never know). All of the characters are very flawed. Typically, this is fine for me, because I like complex plots and characters. However, even the ones that you are meant to root for make major mistakes that kept me from liking them. And without really liking a character, I have a harder time holding interest. 

This book does have a twisty ending that wraps things up in an unexpected way. If I'd been reading, rather than listening, the ending may have been enough to make me end up liking the story, but by the time I got there, I was unfortunately just ready for the book to be done, so that I could move on to the next one.

[VickiMNE]

I might have missed seeing this author but one Golden Age mystery writer both my husband and I enjoy is Cyril Hare.

Although I've not posted much, I've been steadily reading.  I've managed to pick a number of long books (500+, 600+, 700+ pages) recently.  I'm glad I read them, but it is a good reminder that most people, even accomplished, gifted authors, cannot pull off 700+ page stories without some bogging down.....

Some of my recent reads:

 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (2 stars).  This started out SO WELL but honestly, the story dragged, the main character lost all my initial sympathy with his repeated stupid life choices, and the final scenes in Europe/America were too unbelievable.  

Touchstone by Laurie King (4 stars).  Sadly, it appears the next book in the series is *much* darker, so I'll be skipping it.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (4 stars).   Interesting but you have to invest brain power to follow the five+ people with an intertwining story which arcs over centuries.

The One-in-a-Million-Boy by Monica Wood (4.5 stars--I reserve 5 stars for books I think everyone *should* read; 4.5 for my personal favorites which this book is).  A very satisfying, unusually written story full of endearing but flawed characters--I love "character" books, so right up my alley.

 

[Kareni]

53 minutes ago, VickiMNE said:

The One-in-a-Million-Boy by Monica Wood (4.5 stars--I reserve 5 stars for books I think everyone *should* read; 4.5 for my personal favorites which this book is).  A very satisfying, unusually written story full of endearing but flawed characters--I love "character" books, so right up my alley.

This does sound good (though I'm guessing there might be tears).

And now I'm interested in knowing your "5 stars for books I think everyone *should* read" books!

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

4 hours ago, VickiMNE said:

I might have missed seeing this author but one Golden Age mystery writer both my husband and I enjoy is Cyril Hare.

Thanks for the recommendation!  I actually have his With a Bare Bodkin in my stack to try and have been looking forward to it.  You have probably moved it up my virtual stack!  I had planned to use it for H but a book I had checked out of the library “won” that week.😉 We had a hard time picking our authors for this month because there are so many great Golden Age authors.  Our hope is people will explore the categories a bit and find something that they enjoy.  That said,  I love recommendations. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43155323-with-a-bare-bodkin?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Yv5q51Z0ZL&rank=1

I just finished listening to The Last Divide by JS Dewes which is a @Robin M recommendation.  It’s good, as in 5* good.  I would describe it as a cross between the Expanse and The Linesman.  Planning to listen to the next one soon! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53205794-the-last-watch

Speaking of The Linesman,  my purchase request from at least two years ago was answered for Stars Divided which is by the same author. That was unexpected and sort of forced me to do a reread of the first in the Stars Uncharted series because I remembered nothing!  They were both enjoyable but I doubt I will be reading that series again. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43878803-stars-beyond

[Junie]

Well, I've had Alas, Babylon in my TBR Soon basket since New Year's.  I've been re-visiting books that I read in high school, and this is one that I was planning to read this spring.  I just re-shelved it to be read much, much later. 😞  I just can't right now.

[Robin M]

26 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I just finished listening to The Last Divide by JS Dewes which is a @Robin M recommendation.  It’s good, as in 5* good.  I would describe it as a cross between the Expanse and The Linesman.  Planning to listen to the next one soon! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53205794-the-last-watch

Awesome, glad you enjoyed it.  The next one is just as good.  

 

[Kareni]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

I just finished listening to The Last Divide by JS Dewes which is a @Robin M recommendation.  It’s good, as in 5* good.  I would describe it as a cross between the Expanse and The Linesman.  Planning to listen to the next one soon!

I read this (actually pre-Robin) and enjoyed it but not as much as you. Had I had the second book on hand when I finished the first, I'd have read it. However, by the time book two arrived, I'd lost my momentum. I may have to give it another try sometime.

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

Speaking of The Linesman,  my purchase request from at least two years ago was answered for Stars Divided which is by the same author. That was unexpected and sort of forced me to do a reread of the first in the Stars Uncharted series because I remembered nothing!  They were both enjoyable but I doubt I will be reading that series again. 

I hear you. I enjoyed Stars Uncharted, but I consider the Linesman books to be personal favorites.

Regards,

Kareni

[Maus]

Well, now! I thought I posted last week. I know I typed it all out. Apparently, I did not actually ever click 'Submit Reply,' so it's all gone! And I turned in everything that was due, too, so I'll have to try to remember! I think this is all of them.

51. "Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter For a New Generation" by Roosevelt Montas.
50. "The House of Unexpected Sisters" by Alexander McCall Smith.
49. "Paw and Order" by Spencer Quinn.
48. "The Sound and the Furry" by Spencer Quinn. (Overdrive)
47. "A Fistful of Collars" by Spencer Quinn.
46. "Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
45. "Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
44. "Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
43. "Death of a Dentist" by M.C. Beacon. (Overdrive)
42. "Death of a Macho Man" by M.C. Beacon. (Overdrive)
41. "Death of a Nag" by M.C. Beacon. (Overdrive)
40. "Death of a Charming Man" by M.C. Beacon. (Overdrive)

39. "Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
38. "Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
37. "Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
36. "Agatha's First Case" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
35. "A Highland Christmas" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
34. "Death of a Village" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
33. "Death of a Dustman" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
32. "Death of a Celebrity" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
31. "Death of a Poison Pen" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
30. "Death of a Traveling Man" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
29. "Death of a Greedy Woman" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
28. "Death of a Prankster" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
27. "Death of a Snob" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
26. "Death of a Hussy" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
25. "Death of a Perfect Wife" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
24. "Death of an Outsider" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
23.  "Death of a Cad" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
22. "The Road Home" by Richard Paul Evans.
21. "The Forgotten Road" by Richard Paul Evans.
20. "The Broken Road" by Richard Paul Evans.
19. "The Dog Who Knew Too Much" by Spencer Quinn.
18. "To Fetch a Thief" by Spencer Quinn.
17. "Paper Towns" by John Green.
16. "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming" by Christopher C. Horner.
15. "Death of a Gossip" by M.C. Beacon. (Audible)
14. "Unnatural Death" by Dorothy L. Sayers. (Audible)
13. "Clouds of Witness" by Dorothy L. Sayers. (Audible)
12. "Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America" by John McWhorter. 
11. "Thereby Hangs a Tail" by Spencer Quinn.
10. "Whose Body?" by Dorothy L. Sayers. (Audible)
9. "Hallowe'en Party" by Agatha Christie. (Audible)
8. "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty. (Audible)
7. "Dog On It" by Spencer Quinn. 
6. "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis. (Audible)
5. "The Abolition of Man" by C.S. Lewis. (Audible)
4. "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. (Audible)
3.  "The Thirty-Nine Steps" by John Buchan. (Audible)
2. "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis. (Audible)
1. "Unsettled" by Steven E. Koonin.

[ladydusk]

12 hours ago, Maus said:

Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter For a New Generation" by Roosevelt Montas.

That sounds interesting - I haven't heard of that. Worth the time? 

[mumto2]

Mystery on the Channel by Freeman Willis Croft’s has taken me a couple of days to digest.  The author was an engineer and his main detective Inspector French of Scotland yards goes about solving crime in the 1930’s using every tool his engineer’s brain had available.  Other words this book is the math version of a CSI case.  I loved his experiments……some GR readers apparently found that part boring but I really liked the order and logic of his investigation.  Another winner……..I have bought a couple more of his on Kindle and am really excited about this Golden Age author.

The Goodreads description……. Mystery in the Channel is a classic crime novel with a strikingly modern sub-text. The story begins with a shocking discovery. The captain of the Newhaven to Dieppe steamer spots a small pleasure yacht lying motionless in the water, and on closer inspection, sees a body lying on the deck. When members of his crew go aboard the yacht, they find not one male corpse but two. Both men have been shot, but there is no sign of either the murderer or the pistol. The dead men, it quickly emerges, were called Moxon and Deeping, and they were chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the firm of Moxon General Securities, one of the largest financial houses in the country. Inspector Joseph French of Scotland Yard is called in, reporting directly to the Assistant Commissioner, Sir Mortimer Ellison. French soon discovers that Moxon’s is on the brink of collapse. One and a half million pounds have gone missing, and so has one of the partners in the business. Moxon and Deeping seem to have been fleeing the country with their ill-gotten gains, but who killed them, and how? French faces one of the toughest challenges of his career, and in a dramatic climax, risks his life in a desperate attempt to ensure that justice is done. (less)

[wintermom]

I finished reading an Agatha Christie (Mr. Parker Pyne) while staying with my mom, so I found a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. I would have thought that Arthur Conan Doyle would be considered one of the Golden Age of Mystery. Isn't he from around the same time as Chesterton?

[mumto2]

4 hours ago, wintermom said:

I finished reading an Agatha Christie (Mr. Parker Pyne) while staying with my mom, so I found a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. I would have thought that Arthur Conan Doyle would be considered one of the Golden Age of Mystery. Isn't he from around the same time as Chesterton?

Doyle is a bit earlier I believe and was never a part of the Detection Club so is generally considered a Grandparent of Crime which were highlighted back in January.  According to Martin Edwards book The Story of Classic Crime in 100 books mentions that Doyle doesn’t quite make the Golden Age cut in part because of mainly shorter works and serialization if I understood properly.  He also mentions the ability to identify the villain easily in the Holmes stories.  It’s been a long time since I read one so.........  Golden age fiction generally has much tighter plotting and is much more of a who did it. As I delve more and venture into the authors like Freeman Willis Croft’s I have to say it is very noticeable compared to Wilkie Collins for instance.
 

I just ran into this rule list for the detection club https://murder-mayhem.com/the-detection-club-rules

Edited March 5, 2022 by mumto2

[Negin]

Not really a sale, but a good deal. Two books. 

   

[Negin]

Another sale. 

 

[wintermom]

12 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Doyle is a bit earlier I believe and was never a part of the Detection Club so is generally considered a Grandparent of Crime which were highlighted back in January.  According to Martin Edwards book The Story of Classic Crime in 100 books mentions that Doyle doesn’t quite make the Golden Age cut in part because of mainly shorter works and serialization if I understood properly.  He also mentions the ability to identify the villain easily in the Holmes stories.  It’s been a long time since I read one so.........  Golden age fiction generally has much tighter plotting and is much more of a who did it. As I delve more and venture into the authors like Freeman Willis Croft’s I have to say it is very noticeable compared to Wilkie Collins for instance.
 

I just ran into this rule list for the detection club https://murder-mayhem.com/the-detection-club-rules

Thanks so much for this link! I love this quote from it:

Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them and not placing reliance on nor making use of Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?

[ladydusk]

On 3/3/2022 at 1:10 PM, ladydusk said:

Still powering through Kristin Lavransdatter ... 8.5 hours to go! 

Finished! Wow. 

Utterly undone at the beauty and wrenched heart. 

[Robin M]

On 3/3/2022 at 5:39 PM, mumto2 said:

Speaking of The Linesman,  my purchase request from at least two years ago was answered for Stars Divided which is by the same author. That was unexpected and sort of forced me to do a reread of the first in the Stars Uncharted series because I remembered nothing!  They were both enjoyable but I doubt I will be reading that series again. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43878803-stars-beyond

Funny, because I was going to start Stars Beyond, but couldn't remember anything about Stars Uncharted even though I read it last year. I thought I'd reread it, but looked through the story, said oh yeah, that's what is was about. Not reading it again.  Maybe next year. 

[Robin M]

2 hours ago, ladydusk said:

Finished! Wow. 

Utterly undone at the beauty and wrenched heart. 

Congratulations. And now you make me want to try again.  Moving it up in the pile.

[Robin M]

I finished the 4th book in Carlos Ruiz Zafon's the Cemetery of Lost Books, The Labyrinth of Spirits which was really good. Although it can stand alone, there was so much cross over with the other characters and I'd forgotten so much,  I felt like I was missing out on something.  I read the first book, pretty sure I finished the 2nd, but don't remember the third, so may have to go back and read the whole series from start to finish.  I was about two thirds through the book thinking the Cemetery of Lost books was only going to rate a fleeting appearance at the beginning when it became part of the story.  So much happened in this story, it could have been made into two books.  It was such a complicated web, I feel like I should reread the whole series all over again from start to finish in order to absorb it all and appreciate it. 

 

[ladydusk]

1 hour ago, Robin M said:

Congratulations. And now you make me want to try again.  Moving it up in the pile.

The audio at 1.5x is the only way I made it through!

Edited March 6, 2022 by ladydusk

[Robin M]

Link to week 10 - please continue conversation in new thread

[Maus]

On 3/4/2022 at 8:23 AM, ladydusk said:

That sounds interesting - I haven't heard of that. Worth the time? 

I liked it, and it was validating to my personal feelings about what education means. Here's a quote from the book that I saved because I like it so much:

 "We err fundamentally if we think of education in narrowly instrumental terms -- when we confuse it, in other words, with training. To educate means, literally, to "draw out," to educe from the student something that is already there and whose successful cultivation represents the fulfillment of the highest human good. Education, in this sense, is liberal education -- education not for making a living but for living meaningfully."

He chose to alternate between autobiographical snippets of his life as an immigrant, his arguments for the value of "great works" programs, and reflections of the significance of several great works. I thought that worked well.