Book a Week 2022 - BW15: 52 Books Bingo - Rebellion

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday! Years ago, when I introduced my son to Star Wars, never did I realize there was a difference between legend, canon and non canon.  Since then, we've watched quite a few you tube vloggers discuss and theorize over the movies, the books and tv shows, even video games and how they contribute to the world of Star Wars, the Force, the battle between good and evil, and the rebellion. Which brings us to our next 52 Books Bingo category: Rebellion.  

As defined by Dictionary.com, it is "open, organized, and armed resistance to one's government or ruler," or "resistance to or defiance of any authority, control, or tradition."  Literary Rebellion comes in many shapes and sizes,  the characters fighting for or against something; refusing to bow to authority, their parents, their friends; questioning, resisting, searching for change.  

 

Literary Rebellion by twelve Nobel Prize Laureates

11 Women in Classic Novels Who Rebelled Against Their Time Periods

21 YA Books About Rebellion

100 Must Read Books about Revolutions, Rebellions, and Uprisings.

Your guide to books in the 'Star Wars' canon

Dissident Rebel Literature

 

Who is your favorite rebellious character? 

Which bring me to our Letter and Word of the Week:  O and Obstruct

 

Link to book week 14

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

[Robin M]

I finished four books this week and I think my books are in rebellion because they were all rather intense and none of them ended on a happy note. It's hard to say I enjoyed them as they all left me with a sense of loss and wishing better things for the characters. 

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, narrated by Klara, a robot.  She is an artificial friend, is made stronger by the sun and very observant. She is picked to be the companion to Josie, an ailing child, and goes to live with her and the mom. Klara sees the Sun as some sort of God and comes to believe that if she manages to destroy a "Cootings" machine (I think it's an asphalt paver) which spreads dark foggy pollution and blocks the sun, the Sun will save Josie's life.  Filtered through the eyes of Robot it doesn't  seem like an emotional story, but more philosophical. The humans around her aren't sure of some of the things she does, but go along, hoping she will make things better.  I really didn't like the ending because when she was no longer useful, the humans in her life, treated her like an appliance. 

(Dystopian Fiction, New to me author, 320)

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith was an interesting read. The narrators are Claire who is a librarian for unwritten books in Hell. Ramiel, a fallen angel a watcher relegated to processing the departed at Heaven's gates. Leto, half demon, half man who finds himself with no memory, and Brevity, a muse helping Claire.  While they are trying to return a runaway character to his book, enemies and allies are thrown together in a quest to find and destroy the devil's bible in order to prevent a war between Heaven and Hell. In the meantime God evidently has disappeared and Uriel, an archangel is in charge in Heaven. She's not a nice angel and wants to destroy Claire and all those involved with finding the dark bible. It's an intriguing concept, but quite a dark story with bits of humor thrown in.  I didn't dislike the story, but again I didn't love it an I found it hard to root for any of the characters. 

(Dusty, Fantasy, e)

A Cold Dark Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow is quite good and I look forward to reading more of the series. Our heroine is Kate Shugak, an Alaskan Aleut, a retired investigator who lives alone in the Alaska National Park, but near her family in the tiny village of Niniltna. She's asked to find two men who have disappeared and during the course of her investigation, she is drawn back into the life and problems of family and friends. The theme of man against nature and man against man with plenty of action with murder, angst, betrayal, grief, as well as humor throughout the story.  I liked Kate, her byplay with different characters and hope she finds her happily ever after.  

(Dusty, mystery, new to me author, 173, e)

The Round House by Louise Erdrich is told from the viewpoint of thirteen year old Joe, with some asides from when he was an adult,  and it is easy to forget his age as he is put through the ringer with the assault on his mother and trying to figure out who the culprit was and do something about it.  The characters live on the Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota and provide the reader with an enriching background of Native American culture, history, myths and laws.  The story goes from dark to light to dark again. It's a story rooted in taking care of family,  grief, loss, hope, betrayal, strength, and the consequences of action.  Once you get used to Erdrich's lack of punctuation for the dialogue,  the story will capture and hold you to the page.

(Native American Fiction, Literary, 368)

I'm debating on what I'll read next. Maybe something light to clear my reading palate. 

We watched Death on the Nile which was very good.  My one and only complaint is the camera panning around the characters in circles drove me crazy.  And they all did a good job of keeping 6 feet between each person for the majority of the time.  

Edited April 10, 2022 by Robin M

[Negin]

Thank you for the thread, Robin. I'm trying to rack my brain to think of my favorite rebellious character. I can't recall any right now. 

I read 7 Easy Ways to Show Your Employees You Care - 1 Star

Exotic Gardens of the Eastern Caribbean - 5 Stars

The Four Winds - 1 Star

      

[mumto2]

Thank you, Robin!   So Rebellion and my favorite rebellious character?  I just did a lot of scolling thru your lists.  My favorites for the title at this point would be either Jane Eyre or Scarlett.  I need to think of one of my own!

I read two mysteries by Golden Age authors last week.  The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51821676-the-body-in-the-dumb-river  The murder was solved by the use of stomach contents to tell the time of the last meal.  Early forensics……this week I plan to read a Dr. Thorndyke who was the first forensic dectective.  George Bellairs could become almost a comfort read for me as once again I found him to be an easy author to read……his Death of a Busybody was also a good mystery.

My second Golden Age author was Francis Duncan, who I have also read before. Murder has Motive was set set around a village’s desire to raise money for charity by preforming in a play.  Murders start happening and Mordecai Tremaine is on hand to solve them.  Mordecai is rather like Miss Marple in the sense that a elderly man who spent his life selling tobacco should not be solving murders as they travel England visiting friends!  It was enjoyable and I will be reading more because my Overdrive owns them. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29228522-murder-has-a-motive

 

[wintermom]

9 hours ago, Robin M said:

 

Who is your favorite rebellious character? 

 

I don't read many books with rebellion in them. I was fascinated by many rebellious characters in Les Miserables. Such an amazing book (or collections of books, whatever the current thought is). I didn't actually finish it, as I got bogged down in other things. I may return to it and read on. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by wintermom

[Negin]

Thought to share this. 

[Kareni]

I've recently finished a couple of books ~

A Peculiar Combination: An Electra McDonnell Novel by Ashley Weaver which I see that @mumto2 read last year. This was an enjoyable mystery set in world war two England. It also happens to be on sale for $2.99 for US Kindle readers.

“FIRST RULE: DON’T LOSE YOUR CONCENTRATION.

Electra McDonnell and her family earn their living outside the law. Breaking into the homes of the rich and picking the locks on their safes may not be condoned by British law enforcement, but with World War II in full swing, Uncle Mick’s locksmith business just can’t pay the bills anymore.

SECOND RULE: DON’T MAKE MISTAKES.
So when Uncle Mick receives a tip about a safe full of jewels in an empty house, he and Ellie can’t resist. All is going as planned—until the pair is caught red-handed. But instead of arresting them, government official Major Ramsey has an offer: either Ellie agrees to help him break into a safe and retrieve blueprints crucial to the British war effort, or he turns her over to the police.

THIRD RULE: DON’T GET CAUGHT.
Ellie doesn’t care for the major’s imperious manner, but she has no choice. However, when they break into the house, they find the safe open and empty, and a German spy dead on the floor. Soon, Ellie and Major Ramsey are forced to put aside their differences to unmask the double agent, and stop Allied plans from falling into enemy hands."

**

I also enjoyed the historical romance Someone Perfect (The Westcott Series Book 9) by Mary Balogh. 

"Sometimes, just one person can pull a whole family apart. And sometimes, it just takes one person to pull it back together. For fans of Bridgerton, New York Times bestselling Regency Romance author Mary Balogh shows how love truly conquers all in this new Westcott family novel.

As a young man, Justin Wiley was banished by his father for mysterious reasons, but now his father is dead, and Justin has been Earl of Brandon for six years. A dark, dour man, he nonetheless takes it as his responsibility to care for his half-sister Maria when her mother dies. He travels to her home to fetch her back to the family seat at Everleigh Park.

Although she adored him once, Maria now loathes Justin, and her friend Lady Estelle Lamarr can see immediately how his very name upsets her. When Justin arrives and invites Estelle and her brother to accompany Maria to Everleigh Park to help with her distress, she begrudgingly agrees for Maria's sake.

As family secrets unravel in Maria's homecoming, Justin, too, uncovers his desire for a countess. And, while he may believe he's found an obvious candidate in the beautiful 25-year-old Lady Estelle, she is most certain that they could never make a match..."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

HISTORICAL NOVELS FEATURING REAL PEOPLE OF THE PAST AS MAIN CHARACTERS

Maybe I Am Trying to Read Too Many Books At Once

SIX NARRATORS WITH UNUSUAL PERSPECTIVES

Regards,

Kareni

[Storygirl]

One of my books this week would fit in with the Rebellion theme: Sentence by Louise Ehrdrich. So much going on in this story. The first chapter details how Tookie ended up serving time in prison when younger, then marrying the man who arrested her. Then the rest of the novel moves forward to 2019, when Tookie works in the real-life bookstore Birchbark House (owned by author Ehrdrich, who casts herself as a minor character) in Minneapolis. While worrying about a ghost in the bookstore -- an annoying customer who is sticking around after death -- Tookie also experiences the pandemic, local reactions to the George Floyd murder, and her step-daughter moving in with an unexpected baby. The characters' Native American heritage plays an important role in the story, as Tookie wrestles with her feelings about being an ex-felon married to an ex-cop during a time of  great social unrest. The ghost element is treated as real and not imaginary, and the themes about death are thought provoking, yet the story is firmly set in real life.

I can't say that I completely loved it -- I found the first chapter a bit hard to get into before settling into the main story, and there were one or two times when Ehrdrich allowed herself to express virulent political opinions, when I thought it was unnecessary for the story. However, it was a unique story that will stick with me. I enjoyed the bookstore setting, the way that she wove in book and author recommendations, and the various ways that she explored the multiple meanings of the word, "sentence" (as well as other words) without it seeming pretentious. It would be an interesting book to discuss in a book club or class.

[Storygirl]

I finished my U book -- Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent, on audio. I really liked this one, even though I have some mixed feelings. The book begins with  international bestselling children's book author Oliver unexpectedly beats his wife and almost killing her. The rest of the story, told from various points of view, including Oliver's, details what led up that that violent moment. This thriller is basically a detailed and interesting character study, well plotted. The revelations were not really surprises to me, because there were enough hints that I was able to figure out most of the twists, but I enjoyed the unfolding of the story, anyway.

The thing that bothered me about it is that the two main women in the story -- Oliver's wife and his college girlfriend -- do not get voices in the story. Their stories are told second-hand by other characters. Although the book works, it did bother me that the victims were voiceless, while Oliver's voice dominates the tale.

[Storygirl]

I also did a reread of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery. I have a reading-challenge poster, and this book is on it; otherwise, I would not have picked it up again. I'm sure this is an interesting book to discuss in a philosophy class and could be absorbing to dissect in a literary analysis essay, but outside of academic consideration, I find the book to have a a condescending tone and the plot to be pretentious. It's only masquerading as a children's book, and, in my opinion, is twee. There, I said it!

My other book this week was Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie. Number 3 in the Duncain Kincaid/ Gemma James series. Kincaid and James are called to investigate a drowning in the Thames -- the victim happens to the the son-in-law of Sir Gerald and Dame Caroline Asherton, prominent opera stars, and the estranged husband of their artist daughter. I'm not a fan of how the Kincaid-James romance moves forward in this book (they become married later on in the series), but I'll overlook that and root for their relationship as I continue in the series.

[Storygirl]

We are around 1/4 of the way through the year, so I thought I would do an assessment of my reading progress.

For my entire life, I've been an avid reader and have never gone a day without a book. But my reading slowed down a lot over the past two decades during my parenting years and since the advent of internet usage. This year, I rediscovered audio books and learned how to use the Libby app on my phone. I also started listening to book podcasts and created an ever lengthening TBR list. I decided to branch out and read beyond my usual list of favorite mystery authors. I've been reading both backlist titles and more new releases.

So far this year I've finished 47 books. I didn't keep a list of books that I've finished in previous years, but at a pace of less than a book a week, I'm sure I've been averaging less than 50 per year. I have one book that I didn't finish, and two long reads that I am in the middle of reading bit by bit-- The Stand by Stephen King and Don Quixote.

I'm having a fun reading year so far!

[SKL]

Howdie!  I am almost finished with Autism in Heels.  The last third of the book gets dark, sad, and disturbingly relatable.  I don't entirely agree with her take on everything, but it is a lot of food for thought for sure.

[wintermom]

3 hours ago, Storygirl said:

I also did a reread of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery. I have a reading-challenge poster, and this book is on it; otherwise, I would not have picked it up again. I'm sure this is an interesting book to discuss in a philosophy class and could be absorbing to dissect in a literary analysis essay, but outside of academic consideration, I find the book to have a a condescending tone and the plot to be pretentious. It's only masquerading as a children's book, and, in my opinion, is twee. There, I said it!

My other book this week was Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie. Number 3 in the Duncain Kincaid/ Gemma James series. Kincaid and James are called to investigate a drowning in the Thames -- the victim happens to the the son-in-law of Sir Gerald and Dame Caroline Asherton, prominent opera stars, and the estranged husband of their artist daughter. I'm not a fan of how the Kincaid-James romance moves forward in this book (they become married later on in the series), but I'll overlook that and root for their relationship as I continue in the series.

I was supposed to read The Little Prince in its original French for a French class and I never finished it. I was fascinated more with the story about the author being a pilot and flying over cities at night and learning to recognize them from the pattern of lights. That sounded so cool. I was never interested in the prince, though. 

[Storygirl]

I'm giving up on False Witness by Karin Slaughter. I do like her work, and I very rarely decide not to finish, so this is rare for me. However, in this case, there is a brutal act in the first chapter that the story line keeps referring back to in greater disturbing detail. And this is turning me against the main character, whom I feel I should be rooting for. I'm disappointed and kept forging on for a bit, but I'm deciding to give up about 1/3 of the way through. I have a stack of books waiting in the wings, so I don't need to keep investing in one that feels Ick to me.

[mumto2]

40 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

I'm giving up on False Witness by Karin Slaughter. I do like her work, and I very rarely decide not to finish, so this is rare for me. However, in this case, there is a brutal act in the first chapter that the story line keeps referring back to in greater disturbing detail. And this is turning me against the main character, whom I feel I should be rooting for. I'm disappointed and kept forging on for a bit, but I'm deciding to give up about 1/3 of the way through. I have a stack of books waiting in the wings, so I don't need to keep investing in one that feels Ick to me.

Karin Slaughter is an author I used to really enjoy but now don’t even start to read.  I read all of her Grant County series as soon as it was released years ago but have pulled away from her books because of the violence also.  I am not sure if those early books were less descriptive in their violence or if my tolerance was higher.🤷‍♀️ I just looked at GR to get the Grant County name and noticed I seem to have abandoned all of her books I have started in recent years.......

[Lady Florida.]

@mumto2 I didn't realize the latest Sebastian St. Cyr is out until I saw your Goodreads update. I just put it on hold at the library. I really enjoy that series.

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today. 

[mumto2]

@Lady Florida. St. Cyr is possibly my favorite.  Glad my book title dump this morning onto GR was helpful!  I am finishing my current book so I can start it!😉

I did finish listening to Anne Bishop’s latest Crowbones yesterday.  I liked it but maybe not as much as others in that series.  I believe @Kareni has already read it.

My current book...........

• I am roughly halfway through my first Dr. Thorndyke mystery.  Everywhere I turned during my crime spree research the name R. Auston Freeman kept appearing. Years ago I actually bought a collection of his books for my kindle as “emergency” reading for Caitlin and I expecting them to be sort of a Victorian Quincy in nature.  I actually remembered that purchase and managed to recover it for Crime Spree.  Freeman is credited with all sorts of firsts in the genre.

  I decided to start a couple of books in to the series with The Eye of Orisis because I needed an O.  That said I haven’t been disappointed so far even though Dr. Thorndyke has been more of an assistant to his young surgeon friend than the main character so far.  From Goodreads………

  John Bellingham is a world-renowned archaeologist who goes missing mysteriously after returning from a voyage to Egypt where fabulous treasures have been uncovered. Bellingham seems to have disappeared leaving clues, which lead all those hunting down blind alleys. But when the piercing perception of the brilliant Dr Thorndyke is brought to bear on the mystery, the search begins for a man tattooed with the Eye of Osiris in this strange, tantalisingly enigmatic tale.

   

  His Goodreads bio…..

  Richard Freeman was born in Soho, London on 11 April 1862 and was the son of Ann Maria (nee Dunn) and Richard Freeman, a tailor. He was originally named Richard and later added the Austin to his name.

  He became a medical trainee at Middlesex Hospital Medical College and was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.

  He married Annie Elizabeth Edwards in 1887 and they had two sons and after a few weeks of married life the couple found themselves in Accra on the Gold Coast where he was assistant surgeon. His time in Africa produced plenty of hard work, very little money and ill health, so much so that after seven years he was invalided out of the service in 1891. He wrote his first book, ‘Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman’, which was published in 1898. It was critically acclaimed but made very little money.

  On his return to England he set up an eye/ear/nose/throat pactice but in due course his health forced him to give up medicine although he did have occasional temporary posts and in World War I he was in the ambulance corps.

  He became a writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. The first of the books in the series was ‘The Red Thumb Mark’ (1907). His first published crime novel was ‘The Adventures of Romney Pringle’ (1902) and was a collaborative effort published under the pseudonym Clifford Ashdown. Within a few years he was devoting his time to full-time writing.

  With the publication of ‘The Singing Bone’ (1912) hee invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective’s attempt to solve the mystery). Thereafter he used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.

  A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.

•  

 

 

[Ottakee]

I tend to read books that are very different than most of the ones posted here.  While on vacation, I just finished the audio book version of We Are Not Like Them which is excellent.  Very though provoking and both sides tugged at my heart.

Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten. As adults, they remain as close as sisters, though their lives have taken different directions. Jen married young, and after years of trying, is finally pregnant. Riley pursued her childhood dream of becoming a television journalist and is poised to become one of the first Black female anchors of the top news channel in their hometown of Philadelphia.

But the deep bond they share is severely tested when Jen’s husband, a city police officer, is involved in the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager. Six months pregnant, Jen is in freefall as her future, her husband’s freedom, and her friendship with Riley are thrown into uncertainty. Covering this career-making story, Riley wrestles with the implications of this tragic incident for her Black community, her ambitions, and her relationship with her lifelong friend.

Like Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage and Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things, We Are Not Like Them explores complex questions of race and how they pervade and shape our most intimate spaces in a deeply divided world. But at its heart, it’s a story of enduring friendship—a love that defies the odds even as it faces its most difficult challenges.

The above is the Amazon excerpt.

[Jenny in Florida]

Between health stuff and work deadlines, I got a little derailed from both reading and posting on these threads. I had to sort back through my notifications to figure out when I last updated (March 15, apparently).

In any case, I'm still staying just barely ahead of my book-a-week goal and, fingers crossed, back on track to keep up.

Just this evening, I downloaded I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir, by Harvey Fierstein. I've been on the wait list at the library since before the official publication date, and my number finally came up yesterday.

I am still also theoretically reading:

• Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown (Still sitting on my bedside table.)

And most recently finished:

• The American Heiress, Daisy Goodwin (Enjoyed this one, although I felt like it ended somewhat abruptly.)
• Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather, Mark Seal (Enjoyed this one very much. It has prompted my husband and me to finally get around to watching Godfather 1 and 2 so that I can regale him with "fun facts.")
• The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live, Danielle Dreilinger
• The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold 
• Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains, Cassie Chambers

[Kareni]

This evening I finished rereading Quarter Share Book 1 of 6: Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper by Nathan Lowell which I enjoyed once again. One of the nice things about this space opera series is that it does not include battles; rather it's about day to day life on board a trading ship.

"The Golden Age of Sail has Returned -- in the Year 2352
When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter. Ishmael, who only rarely visited the Neris Orbital, and has never been off-planet alone before, finds himself part of an eclectic crew sailing a deep space leviathan between the stars.

Join the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, a Manchester built clipper as she sets solar sails in search of profit for her company and a crew each entitled to a share equal to their rating."

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

I seem to be stuck on M -- 

Finished ebook City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte which was a weird combination of music art history and magical realism.  Liked this quote in particular

“Sarah, I may not see him with my eyes, but every time I pick up my violin or sit down at the piano and play Beethoven, he’s sitting there with me. I can feel him there. I guess I assumed everyone else did, too.” She was not bullshitting, Sarah could tell. “You literally feel his energy? Like he’s there with you?” “Sure. Mozart, too. All the composers, really. That’s what music is, it’s immortality.” 

And something Merphy Napier a book blogger had mentioned that once you hear about it, will see it in all your books, mostly used wrong.   The word undulating 

"As she turned the key the ground beneath her hands and knees began vibrating, almost undulating."

Dipped my toes into two dusty books:   George Eliot's Middlemarch and enjoying it. Started out as a sip read at breakfast and found myself reading at lunch as well.  Plus started Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars in the evening and there's lots of rebellion amidst the different cultures. 

 

[Kareni]

I started Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus yesterday and was one-more-chaptering until I finished the book at midnight. I very much enjoyed it (well, excerpt for the parts that made me sad). I received my PhD in Chemistry in the latter eighties, and the book reminded me of how grateful I need to be for women of earlier decades who fought battles that I did not. There is a very good review here.

"Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. 
 
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo." 
Regards,

Kareni 

[Kareni]

Hello all,

For World Book Day, Amazon is offering ten free Kindle books. You can see them here ~

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/b%3Fie%3DUTF8%26node%3D17728818011&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiSzcqYjJT3AhUSIDQIHQyvCCQQFnoECAQQAg&usg=AOvVaw3KOAp1SY9QxryDRZGOXpaQ

Regards,
Kareni

[Storygirl]

19 hours ago, Kareni said:

I started Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus yesterday and was one-more-chaptering until I finished the book at midnight. I very much enjoyed it (well, excerpt for the parts that made me sad). I received my PhD in Chemistry in the latter eighties, and the book reminded me of how grateful I need to be for women of earlier decades who fought battles that I did not. There is a very good review here.

"Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. 
 
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo." 
Regards,

Kareni 

This one is on my list was featured today on the Book a Day NPR podcast. I'm glad you liked it! I'm on the library waiting list for it.

[Kareni]

I hope that you won't have to wait too long, @Storygirl, and that you'll enjoy it, too.

Regards,

Kareni

[Ottakee]

5 hours ago, Kareni said:

Hello all,

For World Book Day, Amazon is offering ten free Kindle books. You can see them here ~

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/b%3Fie%3DUTF8%26node%3D17728818011&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiSzcqYjJT3AhUSIDQIHQyvCCQQFnoECAQQAg&usg=AOvVaw3KOAp1SY9QxryDRZGOXpaQ

Regards,
Kareni

Thanks.  I “bought” several of them.   

[Storygirl]

I finished a number of books this week.

V -- Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocum. A short time before competing in the Tchaikovsky competition, Ray discovers that someone has stolen his $10 million Stradivarius violin. Although a whodunit, this debut novel focuses mainly on the background story of how Ray, a disadvantaged Black student, found a beat up family fiddle in his grandmother's attic and made his way in the music world against his family's wishes. The story soars with the descriptions of the music.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. I read a lot of classics when growing up and then as an English major, so I'm sure this was a re-read for me. This time on audio. There are some contemporary spins on this novel that are on my TBR list, and it will be fun to read them after the original.

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. This was was new to me. I enjoyed the first half better than the second. I think the story spends too much time on secondary characters toward the end and would have liked it better with some editing. Interestingly, this story of Carrie, who was a kept woman, was considered too scandalous in the day and was edited to make it more palatable early on. Very tame for our current standards, however.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Storygirl

[Storygirl]

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. When a creative writing instructor hears one of his students explain a fail safe plot, he is sure it will be a wildly popular bestseller. After a few years, when it is has never been published, he discovers the student died, and so he takes the idea and writes the book himself. It becomes a blockbuster. As we would expect, someone begins to harass him online, threatening to reveal his secret, and then author starts to unravel the true story behind the book's plot. A fun thriller for book lovers.

Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee. After several serious literary books this week, I enjoyed this middle grade novel that tells how Maizy learns of her family's history while helping her grandparents in their Chinese restaurant. A delight to read and also taught me a few things about immigrant history that I didn't already know. On audio.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennet. This novella was fun and was read by the author on audio. When Queen Elizabeth borrows a book from a library bookmobile to be polite, she discovers a late-in-life love of reading that keeps her from wanting to do her regular duties and annoys much of her staff.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Storygirl

[Robin M]

Week 16 is live