Book a Week 2022 - BW16: Renew, Rebirth, Recharge, Restore

[Robin M]

 

“Revel in your freedom. Live wholeheartedly,

laugh loud, love much, spread joy, be truthful,

and give yourself to everything.

You, who are already whole, can lose nothing.

Your ego may fall from time to time,

but you will not. Live big!” ~~Robert Holden

 

Happy Easter, my friends. Our letter of the week is R and the word, the theme this week is renewal, rebirth, recharge, or restore. 

 

“Poetry is the renewal of words, setting them free,

and that’s what a poet is doing:

loosening the words.” ~~Robert Frost

 

Or how about: resurrection, rejoice,  renaissance,  revival, or rejuvenation. 

 

“It is not easy to convey a sense of wonder,

let alone resurrection wonder, to another.

It’s the very nature of wonder to catch us off guard,

to circumvent expectations and assumptions.

Wonder can’t be packaged, and it can’t be worked up.

It requires some sense of being there

and some sense of engagement.” ~~Eugene H. Peterson

 

Revel in whatever Re- word you chose this week, because, you guessed it; it's all related to reading or rereading our favorite books. 

 

“A truly great book should be read in youth,

again in maturity and once more in old age,

as a fine building should be seen by

morning light, at noon and

by moonlight.” ~~ Robertson Davies

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

 

 

Link to book week 15

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

[Robin M]

Happy Easter to all who celebrate! 

I’m sipping Middlemarch in the mornings and set the science fiction tale of Red Mars aside for the moment in favor of the dusty fantasy novel – The Way of Kings  by Brandon Sanderson. I’m enjoying it way more than other. 

“Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them…”

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for the thread, as always. 

I read Monet's Palate Cookbook - 4 Stars 

 

[Lady Florida.]

Good afternoon and Happy Easter to those who celebrate. We don't but I do continue a tradition from my family by making Easter Pie. It's an Italian meat and ricotta pie that's kind of a cross between quiche and calzone. I'll be getting it started soon.

Last night's full moon was gorgeous.

Oh, books. That's why we're here. 🙂

I've been meaning to try CJ Sansom's Shardlake series for years. I finally started and zipped through the first two - Dissolution, then Dark Fire. I enjoyed both and will definitely continue the series. I'm currently reading The Sentence by Louise Erdrich and loving it.

 

[Mothersweets]

Last night I finished #9 in the Joe Pickett series, Below Zero, by C.J.Box. Loved it! Not sure what I feel like reading next; lots of library holds to choose from. 

Robin, I hope you're enjoying Middlemarch. It's one of my favorites. There is a miniseries done by the BBC? Masterpiece Theatre? Anyway, it's a good adaptation of the story and you might enjoy it once you are done reading the book. Also, my son-in-law is a big fan of Brandon Sanderson so I have The Way of Kings in my TBR pile. I'll be interested in hearing what you think about it!

[Kareni]

Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

@Lady Florida., your Easter pie sounds delicious!

**

I've finished a number of books since I last posted.

Rescue You (Dogwood County Book 1) by Elysia Whisler was a very enjoyable contemporary novel featuring two romances. Much of the story centers around a dog rescue so fair warning that abuse to dogs features in the story.

"She needs a fresh start. He’s got scars that haven’t healed. With the help of some rescue dogs, they’ll discover that everyone deserves a chance at happiness.

After a year of heartbreak and loss, the only thing keeping Constance afloat is the dog rescue she works at with her sister, Sunny. Desperate for a change, Constance impulsively joins a new gym, even though it seems impossibly hard, and despite the gym’s prickly owner.

Rhett Santos keeps his gym as a refuge for his former-military brothers and to sweat out his own issues. He’s ready to let the funny redhead join, but unprepared for the way she wiggles past his hard-won defenses.

When their dog rescue is threatened, the sisters fight to protect it. And they need all the help they can get. As Rhett and Constance slowly open up to each other, they’ll find that no one is past rescuing; what they need is the right person—or dog—to save them."

**

I also enjoyed the contemporary romance, When All the World Sleeps by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry, which had a lot of dark moments. (Significant adult content)

"Daniel Whitlock is terrified of going to sleep. And rightly so: he sleepwalks, with no awareness or memory of his actions. Including burning down Kenny Cooper’s house — with Kenny inside it — after Kenny brutally beat him for being gay. Back in the tiny town of Logan after serving his prison sentence, Daniel isolates himself in a cabin in the woods and chains himself to his bed at night.

Like the rest of Logan, local cop Joe Belman doesn’t believe Daniel’s absurd defense. But when Bel saves Daniel from a retaliatory fire, he discovers that Daniel might not be what everyone thinks: killer, liar, tweaker, freak. Bel agrees to control Daniel at night — for the sake of the other townsfolk. Daniel’s fascinating, but Bel’s not going there.

Yet as he’s drawn further into Daniel’s dark world, Bel finds that he likes being in charge. And submitting to Bel gives Daniel the only peace he’s ever known. But Daniel’s demons won’t leave him alone, and he’ll need Bel’s help to slay them once and for all — assuming Bel is willing to risk everything to stand by him."

**

I also reread with pleasure Transcendence  and the companion work Luffs both by Shay Savage. (Adult content)

"It’s said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn’t have the ability to comprehend language?

Ehd’s a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness. He’s strong and intelligent, but completely alone. When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it’s obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate. He doesn’t know where she came from, she’s wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him a headache. Still, he’s determined to fulfill his purpose in life – provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.
Elizabeth doesn’t know where she is or exactly how she got there. She’s confused and distressed by her predicament, and there’s a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome. She’s not at all interested in Ehd’s primitive advances, and she just can’t seem to get him to listen. No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant – and often hilarious – struggle.
With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winter months. As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time."

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

Jo Walton’s Reading List: March 2022

https://www.tor.com/2022/04/07/jo-waltons-reading-list-march-2022/

 

C. S. HARRIS ON HISTORICAL FICTION AND HER ICONIC REGENCY-ERA SERIES

https://crimereads.com/c-s-harris-on-historical-fiction-and-her-iconic-regency-era-series/

 

Podcaster and Author Anne Bogel Recommends Six Books with a Strong Sense of Place

https://strongsenseofplace.com/2020/01/14/author-and-podcaster-anne-bogel-recommends-six-books-with-a-strong-sense-of-place/

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

Thank you for the thread, Robin!  I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter Sunday.
 

@KareniYour CS Harris link is very timely as I finished the latest in her series earlier this week.  It was very good and I won’t say more because I know at least one person here is planning to read it soon.

@Lady Florida. I’m so glad you are enjoying Shardlake.  He is another favorite of mine.

I read the first in a new historical mystery series this week by Karen Odden called Down a Dark River.  It was good but I am not sure that it’s quite the St. Cyr and Shardlake level so will need to wait for more books in the series.😉. Seriously it came close but I listened to it and I frequently enjoy things more on audio than in print with a good narrator. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57067990-down-a-dark-river

I also read Genevieve Cogman’s latest in her Invisable Library series which many here have read some of.  The Untold Story wraps up a lot of lose ends and was perhaps better than the last few have been.  I enjoyed it and it could be classed as a bit of an end.  She says she will revisit the characters in the future but has other plans for now. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57593991-the-untold-story
 

Finally I finished both my O (The Eye of Osiris, Dr. Thorndyke) and P (So Pretty a Problem, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29228523-so-pretty-a-problem) this week.  I have a potential books for Q and R in my stack.
 

 

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

 

@KareniYour CS Harris link is very timely as I finished the latest in her series earlier this week.  It was very good and I won’t say more because I know at least one person here is planning to read it soon.

@Lady Florida.

Me! 🙂

Weirdly, I can't delete my quoted name on the app.

[Kareni]

I've recently finished two books.

I enjoyed the fantasy Winter of the Owl: Seasons of the Lukoi Book One by Iris Foxglove, and would happily read more by the author. (Adult content)

"Sava has the best house in all of Lukos. He built it himself, dreaming of the day when he and Milan, the man he loved, could live there and brave the harsh winters of Lukos together—only to be devastated when Milan was found dead in the spring. Fraught with grief, Sava resigns himself to spending his winters alone.

Then a stranger appears on his doorstep, and everything changes.

Victor is a scholar from Gerakia, a land known for its long summers and vibrant history, and he has never been more unprepared in his life. Abandoned on the inhospitable island of Lukos after a disastrous relationship, Victor has to adapt quickly to survive. It helps, of course, that he’s taken in by Sava, who has the biggest heart of any man Victor has ever known. Victor and Sava start to make a home together, growing close as snow falls outside, but the true danger of a Lukos winter is closer than they suspect..."

**

I also continued my Doyle/Acton reread with Murder in Material Gain by Anne Cleeland.

Regards,

Kareni

[Jenny in Florida]

I finished I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir, by Harvey Fierstein during my walk last night. I enjoyed this one, which is an immersive journey through NY theatre from the 1960s forward. I had a lot of "I didn't know he was involved in that!" moments and enjoyed the celebrity "sightings" sprinkled throughout. 

This morning, I downloaded a novel called Cover Story, by Susan Rigetti, which I saw recommended somewhere. I love a good con-artist story, so I'm looking forward to this one. My wait list number for Bright Ruined Things, Samantha Cohoe, came up at the library just after I started the Fierstein book, and I had to delay delivery. I'm hoping that will cycle back around by the time I finish Cover Story.

I am still also theoretically reading:

• Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown (Still sitting on my bedside table, where it prompts guilt every time I walk past it.)

And most recently finished:

• I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir, Harvey Fierstein
• 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

[Kareni]

I happily completed my reread of the Doyle/Acton mystery series with Murder in Immunity: A Doyle & Acton Mystery by Anne Cleeland. This is currently the last book in the series, so I'll have to wait for the author to release another.

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

3 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

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.")

This looks interesting. It's been years since I saw The Godfather but the book sounds like something I'd enjoy.

3 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold

I've been looking at this one for a few months. What did you think?

[Kareni]

Some currently FREE books for US Kindle readers ~

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss

Murder by the Cup: a witch, paranormal cozy mystery (Le Doux Mysteries Book 1) by Abigail Lynn Thornton

Dead & Buried (Partners in Crime Book 1) by T.K. Eldridge

Witchy Reservations: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Mystic Inn Mystery Book 1) by Stephanie Damore  

LGBT: 

His Grandfather's Watch by N.R. Walker 

Love In Slow Motion (Love Beyond Measure) by E.M. Lindsey

Regards,

Kareni

[Storygirl]

I just finished listening to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. This fills my W spot while working my way through the alphabet, and it's also on my scratch-off "best books" poster. I read it on audio, and when I realized it was not exactly my favorite, I sped it up and finished the 26 hour book in 13 hours. I'm sure I missed some details, but it didn't matter to me. It was too weird and not satisfying enough for me, with a sprinkling of violence and sex that I fast-forwarded through. But I get to cross it off my poster, and I'm not sorry to *have read* a book by this Japanese author, even though it wasn't my favorite reading experience.

[Jenny in Florida]

Also, in keeping with this week's re- theme, I stumbled across a poem I hadn't read since I was a teenager in my graphic design class this past weekend. Although I always connected more with Brautigan's prose, I enjoyed the serendipitous opportunity to re-visit this poem:

All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace

I like to think (and
the sooner the better!)
of a cybernetic meadow
where mammals and computers
live together in mutually
programming harmony
like pure water
touching clear sky.

I like to think
(right now, please!)
of a cybernetic forest
filled with pines and electronics
where deer stroll peacefully
past computers
as if they were flowers
with spinning blossoms.

I like to think
(it has to be!)
of a cybernetic ecology
where we are free of our labors
and joined back to nature,
returned to our mammal
brothers and sisters,
and all watched over
by machines of loving grace.

[Jenny in Florida]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

I've been looking at this one for a few months. What did you think?

It's hard to say I "enjoyed" the book, given the subject matter. However, I was thoroughly engaged. Rubenhold knows her stuff, historically, and paints a vivid picture of the time and place. I also greatly appreciated that her focus is on the victims--on representing them as fully rounded, living, real human beings--instead of on their presumptive killer. 

If you haven't already done so, I recommend listening to Rubenhold's podcast. Although it covers the same general topic, there isn't a lot of overlap in material between the podcast and the book. And her exploration of the "Ripperologist" culture and why many people within it do not appreciate her own work is fascinating.

[Storygirl]

A few other audio books that I have finished recently:

The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams. This is the first book in a series, and now I'm looking forward to reading more. Nora offers informal bibliotherapy at the bookshop that she owns in a charming little town, but she has her own traumatic past -- and related physical and emotional scars -- to deal with. She unexpectedly befriends three other women. They come together to solve a murder, after suspecting that the sheriff is inept or corrupt, and then the stakes are raised when one of them is arrested after a second murder. Lots of book titles are woven into the tale, which is fun for book lovers, and one of the new friends owns a bakery, where she bakes personalized scones perfect for each customer. The women agree to share their personal secrets with each other to build trust while they are getting to know each other better, so we learn their backstories (hence the name they give themselves -- the secret, book, and scone society). Fun!

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. Pippi's zany escapades remain delightful even when re-reading, and the audio was fun. This title is also on my scratch-off book poster, and though I've read it previously with my kids, I decided to do a reread before scratching off the title. Short and delightful.

Still Life by Louise Penny. This was a re-read for me as well, though it's been many years. I've decided to work my way through this series and wanted to start with the first. There is a reason that I stopped reading them (maybe partway through the second book?) but I think I can wend my way past it this time, because I've heard that the books just keep getting better as you go on.

[SKL]

Howdie, I finished Autism in Heels.  Now I've moved on to Sisterhood on the Spectrum, by the same author.  It has a lot of the same autobiographical info as the previous one.  And I don't really like this author's voice somehow.  But some of the info seems useful.

I need to get back to Crash-Proof Your Kids.  My eldest just got her temps, and her sister can get hers in 2.5 months.  I need to do a minimum of 50 hours with each of them driving me around before they can get their licenses.  Until today, I didn't fully realize how much time that is, LOL.  Anyhoo, I think it will be best to have a plan, so I'm hoping that book helps me structure things.

My kids have to read a couple of popular novels for English class.  I am considering whether I should buy one of the audiobooks and listen with them.  I probably shouldn't though.

[Robin M]

I'm 12 chapters in on Middlemarch and it's a slow read as the writing takes some getting used to but enjoying it.  Also about a 6th of the way in on Sanderson's Way of Kings  which is so very different from Wheel of Time but has a whole slew of characters I'm getting used to and enjoying it so far. Both are chunky books so going to take me a while. 

Took a reading break to watch Tick Tick Boom which is amazing. Damn, Andrew Garfield (Yes, the amazing spiderman) can sing. Neither of my guys like musicals so watched by myself.  Jonathan Larson is the songwriter who wrote the Broadway play Rent and died from an aortic aneurism right before it was released.  The movie starts 5 years before he died and takes place in New York during the height of the aids epidemic so friends are dying, others are becoming more successful, while Larson struggles to make a name for himself.  The movie is deep, and funny, dramatic, and heartwarming and will make you laugh, make you cry, make you sing. All the singers were amazing.  I need to get the soundtrack or watch the movie several dozen times. It was that good.

 

[mumto2]

4 hours ago, Storygirl said:

I just finished listening to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. This fills my W spot while working my way through the alphabet, and it's also on my scratch-off "best books" poster. I read it on audio, and when I realized it was not exactly my favorite, I sped it up and finished the 26 hour book in 13 hours. I'm sure I missed some details, but it didn't matter to me. It was too weird and not satisfying enough for me, with a sprinkling of violence and sex that I fast-forwarded through. But I get to cross it off my poster, and I'm not sorry to *have read* a book by this Japanese author, even though it wasn't my favorite reading experience.

I am a huge Murakami fan but did not enjoy Wind Up Bird Chronicle at all.  I was so disappointed in that one and pretty much just that one.  I am just saying this in case another occasion ever occurs where you may want to read a Murakami.  😉😂

I am now almost caught up with my alphabet as I finished Q.  I finished Kate Quinn’s The Diamond Eye https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58490567-the-diamond-eye?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=BHOtIYK1YE&rank=1  Not as good as The Rose Code but good.  From GR....

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv), wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son--but Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper--a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.

Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC--until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.

Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever. (

Edited April 21, 2022 by mumto2

[Robin M]

In my web wanderings today, 

A literary celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking reign featuring 70 titles for the Big Jubilee Read.  An intriguing list of reads to make our way through. 

NYPL is making banned books available as ebook for all to read beginning with Speak by  Laurie Halse Anderson, 
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender , Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by  Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and The Catcher in the Rye by  J.D. Salinger.

Educators Weigh In on Summer Reading Lists in SLJ/NCTE Survey and have changed the Summer Reading list for students. 

And since it's Poetry Month, She Reads has 37 Poetry Collections to Read  in 2022.

 

[Vintage81]

It's been a while since I've posted an update. I've completed 8 more books...

• Always Only You by Chloe Liese - This is book 2 in the Bergman Brother series. I liked this one better than the first. We follow Frankie, who works as a PR person for a hockey team. Because she works for the team, she's not allowed to date any of the players, but of course one of them catches her eye...Ren Bergman. They both have issues to deal with. He's super shy and has some social anxieties and she is autistic and has rheumatoid arthritis. These books are always predictable, but I enjoyed the journey these two took. 4 stars
• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys - This is one of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint. I love her books because she always writes about things that I know very little about but I come away fascinated. This book is set in Romania 1989 when communist regimes are falling  all across Europe. The main focus in the world is Germany and the Berlin Wall...but what about Romania? We follow Cristian and his family and all they have to endure during this time. As usual, I loved this one. 5 stars
• Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey - Another book 2 in a series, the Bellinger Sisters series. I think I liked this one equally as much as the first. This one has a bit of a twist in that the male protagonist is trying to overcome the stigma of being promiscuous and how that affects his relationship with the girl he's fallen for. 4 stars
• A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross - My first fantasy book in a while. We follow Jack who hasn't been home in many years. He's been away in the city studying to be a bard. He's called back to his home village by his old nemesis because she thinks his skills as a bard can help with the problem of some missing lasses. This had Irish folklore and an interesting magic system. It was a bit slow at times, but it was still pretty good. 3.5 stars
• For our ancient civilizations study for school we read two books pertaining to ancient China...Genghis Khan: 13th Century Mongolian Tyrant and China: Land of Dragons and Emperors. Also, since the beginning of the year, we've been reading about all of the world's different religions with the book A Little History of Religion by Richard Holloway. All three books were helpful to our study...4 stars
• When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller - This book was one I read aloud to my DDs. It was the Newbery Medal winner for 2021 and sadly I didn't like it. It followed a girl named Lily, who along with her mother and sister, moved in with her sick grandmother. On their drive there, Lily started seeing a magical tiger who promised to help make her grandmother better, but tigers were known to be untrustworthy. There were several things I didn't like about this book, but in the Author's Note at the end, the author talked about the Korean folklore she had researched to put into the book and it was barely there. To me, there was so much more opportunity to work it in and that was really disappointing because that's why I wanted to read this book. 2 stars  

[Kareni]

I have finished two more books.

Scales and Sensibility (Regency Dragons Book 1) by Stephanie Burgis was an entertaining regency era romantic fantasy. I've previously enjoyed a different book by this author and would happily read the next book in this series.

"Sensible, practical Elinor Tregarth really did plan to be the model poor relation when she moved into Hathergill Hall. She certainly never meant to kidnap her awful cousin Penelope's pet dragon. She never expected to fall in love with the shameless - but surprisingly sweet - fortune hunter who came to court Penelope. And she never dreamed that she would have to enter into an outrageous magical charade to save her younger sisters' futures.

However, even the most brilliant scholars of 1817 England still haven't ferreted out all the lurking secrets of rediscovered dragonkind...and even the most sensible of heroines can still make a reckless wish or two when she's pushed. Now Elinor will have to find out just how rash and resourceful she can be when she sets aside all common sense. Maybe, just maybe, she'll even be impractical enough to win her own true love and a happily ever after...with the unpredictable and dangerous "help" of the magical creature who has adopted her."

**

I also enjoyed the lighthearted science fiction novel The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi; it's my first book by this author and I would happily read more.

"When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm, human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.

It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who have found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.'

Regards,

Kareni

[Storygirl]

I listened to the audio of Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead. This is the first book of his that I've read, and I admire his facility with language. But I can't say that I enjoyed the story. Set in 1960s Harlem, the story is about Ray, who owns a furniture store and does some shady fencing of stolen goods on the side. He starts the book trying to stay on the straight and narrow, despite growing up with a criminal father, but his cousin ropes him into a job in the first section of the book that then connects Ray to some unsavory characters. There are two other sections of his story, separated by a few years each in time, during which Ray gets deeper involved in crime yet maintains his overall veneer of respectability. I have a really hard time liking books like this, where I dislike the main character. Ray is a congenial guy who is actually likeable as a character, but his actions really didn't win me over to the story.

I'm interested in reading Whitehead's other recent work, though, in the future.

I also finished another book that I didn't like. The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang. Another book where I despised the actions of most of the characters. Three adult sons of a boorish and mean Chinese restaurant owner wrestle with their places in their family and the business after their mother leaves their dad to join a Buddhist nunnery. So many of the characters were unlikable to me. And the decisions of the characters that I did like were so poor that I really couldn't root for anyone in the book. I realized at the end that it was modeled after The Brothers Karamozov, but since I never read that classic, the similarities went over my head. Evidently this book is meant to be funny, at least in parts? Maybe you have to know the classic story in order to get the humor. It was not funny at all to me. I almost stopped it halfway through but since there is a plot turn in the middle, I decided to give it a chance. Kind of wish I had just given up on it. It is getting a ton of good press, though. The author runs the famous Iowa creative writing workshop.

I think reading these two books at the same time (one on audio and one in print) probably made me like each of them less. I really need a book with a character that I like for my next read.

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today. 

[Kareni]

3 hours ago, Storygirl said:

I really need a book with a character that I like for my next read.

Do you ever read fantasy? If so, I recommend The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

For literary fiction, I recommend A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel by Amor Towles

ETA: One more title ~ Akin by Emma Donoghue

Regards,

Kareni

[Storygirl]

5 hours ago, Kareni said:

Do you ever read fantasy? If so, I recommend The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

For literary fiction, I recommend A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel by Amor Towles

ETA: One more title ~ Akin by Emma Donoghue

Regards,

Kareni

Thanks! I do like fantasy. When I was a teen, it was my very favorite genre, but I haven't read as much over the past few decades. I did read The Goblin Emperor last year after seeing it recommended by so many people!

I have A Gentleman in Moscow on my list, after enjoying The Lincoln Highway earlier this year. I should bump it up! I do like character focused books (which explains my partiality to series, where I can follow the same character for many, many books).

I haven't read anything by Emma Donoghue yet. I'll add her to my list!

Thanks!

I picked up a Nancy Drew today (I own a bunch of the old yellow hardbacks), thinking it would be a good palate cleanser. Light and easy, and I need to mark off my Crime Spree choice before the month ends anyway.

[Kareni]

This afternoon I finished an enjoyable alternate universe romance. Interestingly, I see that the book has  been rewritten and re-released with a new cover. Now I can't help but wonder how my version differs.

The UnTied Kingdom by Kate Johnson 

"Major Harker is fighting on the losing side of an endless civil war in a third world country. It’s called England.

He’s a man with a lot of problems. His sworn enemy is looking for a promotion. The general wants him to undertake some ridiculous mission to capture a computer, which Harker vaguely envisions running wild somewhere in West Yorkshire. And some damn idiot has just flown out of nowhere and nearly drowned herself in the Thames.

She claims to be a popstar called Eve. Harker doesn’t know what a popstar is, although he suspects it’s a fancy foreign word for ‘spy’. Eve knows all about computers, and electricity, and the words to many seditious songs. Eve is dangerous. There’s every possibility she’s mad.

And Harker is falling in love with her."

Regards,

Kareni

[Maus]

Our weather got nice, so we've been trying to enjoy exploring. I haven't read as much.

54. "The Best Hits on Routh 66: 100 Essential Stops on the Mother Road" by Amy Bizzarri.
53. "Travel Route 66: A Guide to the History, Sights, and Destinations Along the Main Street of America" by Jim Hinckley.
52. "Saints at War in the Philippines: Latter-day Saints in WWII Prison Camps" by Michael H. Hyer. I had a great uncle who was at the Battle of Corregidor. He was transported from the prison camp Cabanatuan in the Philippines to the Hoten pow camp in Manchuria (also known as Mukden) via the hellship Tottori Maru. I figured this book would give me a pretty good sense of what his experience was like, though the men featured here went on different ships to different pow camps.

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.

[mumto2]

I have fallen into a Jane Harper rabbit hole on audio this week in part because of my bookchains.  I have listened to both The Dry and Force of Nature this week.  They were good, not great, in terms of a police procedurel type of mystery but the Australian setting made them pretty awesome.  I just checked another stand alone out, The Lost Man.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/556546.Jane_Harper

[Storygirl]

@mumto2 I've read all of Jane Harper's books and enjoyed them. I think her writing is excellent, particularly her sense of place, and I agree that I wish her plots were, I don't know -- not better, because they are complex and well developed. But maybe plot takes second place in her books, after setting and characterization. I keep reading and enjoying, and I anticipate that soon she will write one that hits that sweet spot that I am looking for in a mystery.

The Lost Man is grittier than the other. In more than one way, because it is set in the desert.

[Storygirl]

I binged a Nancy Drew mystery last night -- #1 The Secret of the Old Clock. I probably read this a dozen times when I was growing up, because we owned it, along with about 20 others (plus even more Hardy Boys). I still own them, though my kids never read them. After this re-read for the Crime Spree challenge, I'm contemplating loading them up and taking them to the used bookstore, because they take up a lot of room on my shelves and will never be read again by me or my kids.

Though it is not well written, I can see the kernel of my life-long love of mysteries in this series. In this first one, Nancy solves the mystery on her own (while consulting with her father) but doesn't have her friends or boyfriend helping her yet.

[Robin M]

Week 17 is live.  🙂