Book a Week 2022 - BW51: December Solstice

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday! The December solstice is upon us and it's time to celebrate.  It's Winter in our neck of the woods and whilst we're preparing for Christmas and enjoying hot toddies by the fire, it's Summer in the Southern Hemisphere (those lucky dawgs), and folks are enjoying fruity rum drinks on the beach. 

 15 Books celebrating Christmas around the World

The Reason for the Season: 9 Books That Celebrate the Meaning of Christmas

RD's 35 Best Christmas Books to read around the holidays

Book Girl's Guide to 30 Best Christmas Books for  Adults

 For some reason, I've been in a winter mood all year long, indulging in reads set in frigid cold settings, characters braving the elements, all the while falling in love, finding killers, solving mysteries, or simply exploring.  

 I discovered a new to me series this year in Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series which is 22 books long but well worth reading.  Once I started reading, couldn't stop.   I can also recommend James Rollins Ice Hunt to Alistair Maclean's Ice Station Zebra to to Nalini Singh's Caressed by Ice to Hampton Side's non fiction tale of In the Kingdom of Ice, . They are all quite good.

Read a book With Snow, Ice or Frost on the Cover or in the Title

Read a Romance Book with Ice in the title. 

Read a book with Winter in the title 

Read about Eskimos, penguins, the Iditarod, or polar bears. 

Tolstoy's Therapy 15 of the Best Books to read on cozy winter days.

Our letter and word of the week are B and Brrr! 

 

****

Link to Book week 50

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

 

[Robin M]

Currently in Palo Alto where we celebrated my father in law's 90 birthday. Got to visit with many of the extended family we haven't seen for a several years. A good time was had by all.  Brunch with fil tomorrow,  then home. 

I finally dove into Katherine Addison's the Goblin Emperor and enjoying the heck out of it. Feel sorry for Maia but he's trying. 

I think my winter read will be Vinge's Snow Queen. Another dusty books that I'm finally ready to dive into. 

[mumto2]

This week’s theme is perfect for my mood!  I have been loading my kindle with all types of romance books, especially holiday romances.  I just added Linda Howard’s Ice to my virtual stack! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6283048-ice?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WxOC5qDtR2&rank

On holiday leave from the service, Gabriel McQueen is sent into a brewing ice storm to make sure that his father’s distant neighbor, Lolly Helton, who has fallen out of contact, is safe and sound. It’s a trip that Gabriel would rather not make, given the bitter winter weather—and the icy conditions that have always existed between him and Lolly. Arriving at Lolly’s home, Gabriel spots strangers through the windows—one of them packing a weapon—and kicks into combat mode. But once Lolly is rescued, the heat—and the hunt—are on. Snowbound, unarmed, and literally under the gun, Gabriel and Lolly must depend on each other to endure the merciless forces of nature and evade the ruthless enemy out in the blackness of the silent night—and out for their blood

Edited December 18, 2022 by mumto2

[AroundtheCorner]

I’ve been miserable with a dental infection, so I haven’t read nearly as much as I’d hoped, and I’ve fallen behind on the threads. 
 

@mumto2 I think you asked about my favorite classic crime authors. I don’t have one yet!  I’ll have to get back to you. I’m excited for the new subscription. 
 

@Vintage81 I’ve read The Downtairs Girl. I enjoyed it. It was a different perspective in that era that I hadn’t read before. 
 

@Robin M That sounds like a lovely trip/visit!
 

I haven’t been able to read this past week. I’m just finally starting to feel human again. But the week before, I read:

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. I enjoyed this one. I nice quick holiday read.  

“A feel-good, holiday rom com about identical twins who swap lives twelve days before Christmas”.

 

And The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews. I mostly liked this one.  There were a couple of things I questioned, but overall it was a sweet book.   
“When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love--but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it. 

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit--beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?”

I hope to get a couple more holiday books in this week.  I hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Happy Reading!

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

@Robin M - I'm glad you're enjoying your trip. Give your FIL our sincerest wishes for a happy birthday!

 

I have finished two books this week, both by Terry Pratchett.

The World of Poo and A Blink of the Screen.

My hard copies of Unf*ck Yourself and Stop Doing that Sh*t are here and I am going through them taking notes on more salient points. I listened to SDTS a couple of weeks ago and realized I needed the print copy so I could write some things down. They are short books and I hope to be finished with both by the end of the year. If not, UY will become one of my first reads for 2023.

We had our first snow of the year and the temps are dropping into the -s at night so I chose The Dark is Rising for my next read. I think it's perfect for the Solstice and Christmas week.

Put on hold: Strata

Strata is a science fiction/space fantasy by Terry Pratchett and I'm just not feeling it a the moment. It's a library book and I just renewed it so I have three more weeks to make headway.

I will be doing a lot of driving over the next two weeks and need to download an audiobook. I'm thinking a nice winter adventure or holiday book.

[Kareni]

15 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I just finished Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six,  a new release by Lisa Unger.  It’s my last letter needed to complete my A to Z by author.  Woot!  Another challenge done!

Congratulations!

10 hours ago, Robin M said:

I finally dove into Katherine Addison's the Goblin Emperor and enjoying the heck out of it. 

Glad to hear this. The Goblin Emperor is one of my favorites.

2 hours ago, AroundtheCorner said:

I’ve been miserable with a dental infection, so I haven’t read nearly as much as I’d hoped...

Ouch! I hope that you will soon be recovered.

 

2 hours ago, Granny_Weatherwax said:

I will be doing a lot of driving over the next two weeks and need to download an audiobook.

Safe travels and happy listening!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I recently finished The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen which I quite enjoyed. I think that several here might like it, too. (And it happens to be on sale for $2.99 for US Kindle readers as I write this.) It is a mix of fantasy and romance, and it has epistolary content which is a plus for me. It also has a lot of dead bodies. (Some adult content)

"Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.  

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. 
 

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.  
If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?"

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

A bookish post ~

103 best book covers of the year

https://lithub.com/the-103-best-book-covers-of-2022/

Regards,

Kareni

[PeacefulChaos]

Just popping in to say hi - I haven't been around on the boards in a few years and I am planning on joining BAW for 2023.  Thought I'd go ahead and start lurking. 😉  😄

 

[Robin M]

16 hours ago, PeacefulChaos said:

Just popping in to say hi - I haven't been around on the boards in a few years and I am planning on joining BAW for 2023.  Thought I'd go ahead and start lurking. 😉  😄

 

Welcome back to WTM! We are in a state of flux right now since I wont be hosting 52 books here on the board in 2023 and Vintage81 has volunteered to continue but with a revamped what are you reading thread. No decisions yet as to whether that will be weekly, biweekly, or monthly.   

Edited December 19, 2022 by Robin M

[Mothersweets]

Hello everyone! I've finished two books this past week - An English Murder by Cyril Hare. A country-house murder-mystery classic, as a party of people find themselves snowed in on Christmas Eve with a murderer among them...    Listened to this and while the reader was a bit plodding, the overall story kept me guessing until the end.

Tell It All: A Woman's Life in Polygamy by Fanny Stenhouse. Fanny Stenhouse’s famous work Tell it All is a withering attack on the practice of polygamy that developed as a prominent tenet of Mormon faith in the nineteenth century. This was first published in 1874 and I found it surprisingly readable and even slyly humorous a few times. 

@Robin MI'm so glad you're enjoying  The Goblin Emperor ! 

 

[mumto2]

1 hour ago, Mothersweets said:

Hello everyone! I've finished two books this past week - An English Murder by Cyril Hare. A country-house murder-mystery classic, as a party of people find themselves snowed in on Christmas Eve with a murderer among them...    Listened to this and while the reader was a bit plodding, the overall story kept me guessing until the end.

Tell It All: A Woman's Life in Polygamy by Fanny Stenhouse. Fanny Stenhouse’s famous work Tell it All is a withering attack on the practice of polygamy that developed as a prominent tenet of Mormon faith in the nineteenth century. This was first published in 1874 and I found it surprisingly readable and even slyly humorous a few times. 

@Robin MI'm so glad you're enjoying  The Goblin Emperor ! 

 

I’m plodding my way through Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon.  I also have a group of people trapped by snow in a house with the owner missing.  It’s supposed to be a classic like An English Murder which I almost picked.   Maybe next year…..

[Kidlit]

I haven't been participating this year, just mostly lurking. I never got the hang of the challenges!  I did want to share the book I finished yesterday.  It is so good!  Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng is my first book by her, but now I want to go back and read her backlist. Here's the publisher's summary:
 

 

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve "American culture" in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old. 

Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn't know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn't wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change. 

Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It's a story about the power—and limitations—of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact. 

 

[PeacefulChaos]

4 hours ago, Kidlit said:

I haven't been participating this year, just mostly lurking. I never got the hang of the challenges!  I did want to share the book I finished yesterday.  It is so good!  Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng is my first book by her, but now I want to go back and read her backlist. Here's the publisher's summary:
 

 

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve "American culture" in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old. 

Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn't know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn't wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change. 

Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It's a story about the power—and limitations—of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact. 

 

That's on my list for 2023!  I haven't read anything else by her yet but this one looked like one I'd enjoy the most!

[Robin M]

23 minutes ago, PeacefulChaos said:

That's on my list for 2023!  I haven't read anything else by her yet but this one looked like one I'd enjoy the most!

I have it in my virtual stacks as well. 

[Robin M]

10 hours ago, Mothersweets said:

I'm so glad you're enjoying  The Goblin Emperor ! 

I enjoyed it so much it definitely will be worth a reread in 2023. Also decided I need to read The Witness for the Dead from Addison's The Cemeteries of Amalo Book series. 

[Kidlit]

1 hour ago, PeacefulChaos said:

That's on my list for 2023!  I haven't read anything else by her yet but this one looked like one I'd enjoy the most!

It is very good!  An IRL friend asked me if it ends happily, and I had to say no, given the subject matter. I did tell her that it ends with some hope, and that's my criteria for what makes a sad story tolerable in terms of its sadness. 

[Kareni]

3 hours ago, Robin M said:

I enjoyed it so much it definitely will be worth a reread in 2023. Also decided I need to read The Witness for the Dead from Addison's The Cemeteries of Amalo Book series. 

Be aware that the Amalo books do not feature Maia. I enjoyed them but don't feel compelled to reread them as I do with the Goblin Emperor.

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

5 hours ago, Robin M said:

 

Be aware that the Amalo books do not feature Maia. I enjoyed them but don't feel compelled to reread them as I do with the Goblin Emperor.

Thanks. I know but as usual since decided to read Addison, feel compelled to read her other books.  Lol!  I think its a compulsion once discover new to me author to read their whole backlist. 

[mumto2]

I just finished my Christmas Crime Spree mystery,  Murder in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44076519-mystery-in-white. I have saved the book all year to read now and it wasn’t nearly as good as my anticipation of it!  I wanted to finish the year of the crime spree with a book by a solid golden age author.  It started out as what I personally call a Locked House Party mystery but the house wasn’t exactly locked!  A group of strangers decide to leave a stranded snow bound train to walk to a station that might have train service on the day before Christmas.  They quickly become hopelessly lost and take shelter in a recently abandoned house where the kettle is hot!  Chaos sort of reined.  But, but it remained entertaining throughout.  It will likely never be a reread but I do enjoy the author.

[Kidlit]

I had another finish:  Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan. This Christmas novella is also very good.  It highlights the historical and social plight of women and girls in the Magdalen Laundries in Ireland by coming at it sidewise through the hardworking, solidly dependable man, Bill Furlong. Furlong reflects on his own life and the "small things like these" that have led him to the steady life he enjoys with his wife and five daughters, despite his own inauspicious start in life.  The third person limited narration reminds me a lot of one of my favorite Christmas stories, Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck. Highly recommended!

Edited December 21, 2022 by Kidlit
He has five daughters, not three

[Kareni]

16 hours ago, Robin M said:

I know but as usual since decided to read Addison, feel compelled to read her other books.

In that case, it might interest you to know that she has also written under the name Sarah Monette.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Currently free for US Kindle readers ~

The Hidden Moon: A Lotus Palace Mystery by Jeannie Lin

Unbidden Melody (Warrender Saga) by Mary Burchell 

 

Double Vision (Vista De Lirio Mysteries Book 1) by Elizabeth Hunter

 

Choosing Theo: The Clecanian Series Book 1 Kindle Edition by Victoria Aveline

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Vintage81]

Okay, so I thought my last post would be my last post of the year, but I've read 3 more books! 

• I finished The Downstairs Girl by Stacy Lee - I loved this book. The story follows Jo Kuan, who is Chinese American living in Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1800s. Jo starts off by working as an assistant in a hat shop, but then ends up working as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of a very wealthy man. This is a family she's worked for before, and she is not enthusiastic about working for them again. Jo doesn't know much about her parents but she is determined to find out about them. She also ends up working as the author of an advice column using a pseudonym and some of her columns raise eyebrows in this ever-changing time. This book does not revolve around any huge historical events, but it does tackle big themes...sexism, racism, and classism in the South at the time. I read this aloud with my DDs and we really enjoyed the witty writing of the author. It also gave us lots of things to discuss. (5 stars)
• Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I won't say too much about the plot of this book because I think it's hard to explain and best to just read it. I will say there are multiple timelines and this reminded me a lot of the Marvel show Loki. I think I understand where the author was going with this, but I'm not entirely sure. Apparently there are two other books that kind of go with it, although I don't think they're required to read with this one...they just make it better. (The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven) Now that I've read this one, I honestly don't know which order to read the other two in. I fear I've messed this up. 🫤 (no rating because I don't yet know how I feel about it)
• Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz - This story follows Hazel Sinnet who lives in Edinburgh in the early 1800s. Hazel is determined to become a surgeon. Obviously at this time in history that wasn't possible for most women, so Hazel has to go to great lengths to try. She attempts to attend classes dressed as a boy, but ends up getting kicked out. She makes a deal with the teacher: if she can pass the medical exam on her own, then he'll allow her to enroll in further classes. However, in order to prepare her for the test, she needs to study the human body. She meets Jack Currer, who is a resurrection man. He digs up dead bodies and sells them to the schools and he also might be able to help out Hazel. The story takes off from there. This was an interesting story and I really enjoyed it. There was a strange twist at the end which leads into book 2 (being released in February 2023), so I'm intrigued to find out where this story goes. (4 stars)

I'm still chugging away at Jane Eyre, but it's so slow for me. I'm enjoying the story, just not the amount of time it's taking me to get through it. 😩 I'm currently sitting at 89 books read for the year. I'd love to get to 100, but with Jane slowing me down, I highly doubt I'm going to read 11 books in the next 8 1/2 days. 🤣

 

On 12/19/2022 at 2:31 PM, Robin M said:

Welcome back to WTM! We are in a state of flux right now since I wont be hosting 52 books here on the board in 2023 and Vintage81 has volunteered to continue but with a revamped what are you reading thread. No decisions yet as to whether that will be weekly, biweekly, or monthly.   

I think I'll start out with a monthly thread and see how it goes. 😊

[Kidlit]

48 minutes ago, Vintage81 said:

 

• Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I won't say too much about the plot of this book because I think it's hard to explain and best to just read it. I will say there are multiple timelines and this reminded me a lot of the Marvel show Loki. I think I understand where the author was going with this, but I'm not entirely sure. Apparently there are two other books that kind of go with it, although I don't think they're required to read with this one...they just make it better. (The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven) Now that I've read this one, I honestly don't know which order to read the other two in. I fear I've messed this up. 🫤 (no rating because I don't yet know how I feel about it)

I think I'll start out with a monthly thread and see how it goes. 😊

I read Station Eleven last summer and LOVED it.  I need to read her other novels!

I'm looking forward to participating in 2023 monthly thread!

[MariaLucas]

On 12/18/2022 at 9:02 PM, Kareni said:

I recently finished The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen which I quite enjoyed. I think that several here might like it, too. (And it happens to be on sale for $2.99 for US Kindle readers as I write this.) It is a mix of fantasy and romance, and it has epistolary content which is a plus for me. It also has a lot of dead bodies. (Some adult content)

"Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.  

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. 
 

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.  
If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?"

Regards,

Kareni

I started reading it yesterday. Actually, I'd never heard about such a book until my sis recommended me read it. I'm not ready to share my experience yet, but I hope I'll enjoy reading. In general, I can say that I read a lot of books often because it's part of my education. I have two literature classes each week, and I just can't to read. But usually, I don't have a chance to choose a book and have to read what is a part of a program. The last time it was Pay It Forward, and I loved it. I also wrote a paper on that book, and it was a little bit more complicated than a reason. But thanks to this site https://studymoose.com/literature/pay-it-forward-book where I read interesting and informative pay it forward book summary, I managed to finish writing pretty fast. And also, the info given there helped me to understand the book better, and I can sincerely recommend it to everyone, for sure it is worth your attention.

Edited February 9, 2023 by MariaLucas

[Kareni]

I enjoyed a reread of a science fiction favorite ~ Linesman (A Linesman Novel Book 1) by S. K. Dunstall 

"The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy…

Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.

Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.

The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever."

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I finished the first in a newish thriller series by Charles Cumming and really enjoyed it.  It was a bit James Bondish and I couldn’t stop listening…….https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58611213-box-88

Lachlan Kite is a member of BOX 88, an elite transatlantic black ops outfit so covert that not even MI6 and the CIA are certain of its existence — but even the best spy can’t anticipate every potential threat in a world where dangerous actors lurk around every corner. At the funeral of his childhood best friend, Lachlan falls into a trap that drops him into the hands of a potentially deadly interrogation, with his pregnant wife, also abducted, being held as collateral for the information he’s sworn on his own life to protect.


Thirty years earlier Lachlan, then just out of the upper class boarding school where he was reared, was BOX 88’s newest recruit. In the haze of a gap year summer, in which the study of spycraft was intertwined with a journey of self-discovery, he cut his teeth on a special assignment on the coast of France, where a friendship allowed him special access to one of Iran’s most dangerous men. Today, Lachlan’s nostalgia for the trip is corrupted by recollection of the deceit that accompanied it but, in order to save his family, he’ll be forced to revisit those painful memories one last time.

A pulse-pounding narrative that straddles two eras — 1989 and 2020. 

[mumto2]

I actually spent 10 hours at my sewing machine today trying to get a quilt assembled that I will hopefully be able to gift over the holidays.  Otherwords, I finished a second book too.  I am another Goblin Emporer fan but hadn’t listened to The Grief of Stones yet.  It’s good……..Robin managed to motive me to finish it this year.  As a bonus it’s my A and I have now finished the “A to Z and back” challenge.

[Robin M]

12 hours ago, Vintage81 said:

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I won't say too much about the plot of this book because I think it's hard to explain and best to just read it. I will say there are multiple timelines and this reminded me a lot of the Marvel show Loki. I think I understand where the author was going with this, but I'm not entirely sure. Apparently there are two other books that kind of go with it, although I don't think they're required to read with this one...they just make it better. (The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven) Now that I've read this one, I honestly don't know which order to read the other two in. I fear I've messed this up. 🫤 (no rating because I don't yet know how I feel about it)

I didn’t know they were connected.  Have read Stations Eleven, but not Glass Houses, but have it and  SoT on my nightstand. According to a book blog review, 

“Both tales are connected to each other as they both feature some of the same characters: Vincent and her half brother Paul. However, and I hope I’m not saying too much, the events of Sea of Tranquility take place in a slightly altered timeline:  ….  To that end, can you say that Sea of Tranquility is a sequel to The Glass Hotel, or is it just merely a companion novel(la)? Hard to tell, but readers of Sea of Tranquility will find it fun to spot all the Easter eggs that link it to the previous novel. That said, you don’t have to have read The Glass Hotel to enjoy Sea of Tranquility, though it might help to be familiar with Mandel’s work first.”

 

I think I may need to do a reread of Stations Eleven since its been a while to appreciate the other two.  

[Robin M]

4 hours ago, mumto2 said:

I actually spent 10 hours at my sewing machine today trying to get a quilt assembled that I will hopefully be able to gift over the holidays.  Otherwords, I finished a second book too.  I am another Goblin Emporer fan but hadn’t listened to The Grief of Stones yet.  It’s good……..Robin managed to motive me to finish it this year.  As a bonus it’s my A and I have now finished the “A to Z and back” challenge.

Yay! decided had to have Grief of Stones in my tbr pile to read when finish Witness for the Dead and couldn’t resist browsing a bit and added a few more fun books to my virtual stacks.  My will power is gone. Buying ban may be going into affect a few days early.  I start the year with absolutely nothing on my amazon wishlist in order to avoid impulse shopping. But of course it starts to get quite long by the end of May.  Don’t know if I saving money that way or just fooling myself, but it works. Most of the time.  🙃

[marbel]

On 12/20/2022 at 11:42 AM, mumto2 said:

I’m plodding my way through Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon.  I also have a group of people trapped by snow in a house with the owner missing.  It’s supposed to be a classic like An English Murder which I almost picked.   Maybe next year…..

I just finished this one - yes, plodding is a good word. It's a very odd book! But it had been on my Christmas season reading list for a few years, so I'm glad I got it done.

So, I haven't been hanging out here much for a couple years, but saw on another thread that BAW is ending, so I wanted to stop in and say thanks to @Robin Mfor all the years of work she put into this thread!  And all the others who created fun challenges. Fond memories of Brit-tripping, which I have still not quite completed... 

[marbel]

18 hours ago, Vintage81 said:

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I won't say too much about the plot of this book because I think it's hard to explain and best to just read it. I will say there are multiple timelines and this reminded me a lot of the Marvel show Loki. I think I understand where the author was going with this, but I'm not entirely sure. Apparently there are two other books that kind of go with it, although I don't think they're required to read with this one...they just make it better. (The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven) Now that I've read this one, I honestly don't know which order to read the other two in. I fear I've messed this up. 🫤 (no rating because I don't yet know how I feel about it)

I love Emily St John Mandel and have read all of her books at least once; I think I've read Station Eleven 3 or 4 times. The first time I read Sea of Tranquility I was like "what was that?" and reread it within a few weeks. 

All of her books are standalone, but there are definitely connections. I'd say that Sea of Tranquility has the most connections to The Glass Hotel. I feel like Station Eleven is unlike all the others and is my favorite of all her books - among my top 5 books of all time. But every time I read one of her books I find something new, so don't take this as a definitive pronouncement. I am a EStJM completist, but not a scholar or expert. 

You can't mess up. But do read her other books! 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I finished two short audiobooks this week.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans and narrated by Richard Thomas (John Boy Walton of The Waltons). Such a good Christmas story made better by Richard's narration. He should narrate more audiobooks. Such a pleasure to listen to.

A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber. I've deleted it off my phone already and am uncertain who the narrator is. She was pleasant to listen to. Nice little story although I was perturbed by the main character a few times. I listened to this one while cleaning up the dog's blood yesterday (not an experience I want to repeat).

I hope to be able to sit a while today and make progress on The Dark is Rising as the weather is perfect for that book. I tried to read a bit before going to bed last night but I drifted off immediately.

I have more driving ahead of me this weekend and will need another audiobook. I was thinking about another short Christmas story. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it. I'll need to download it from Libby, Axis 360, or Prime.

Edited December 23, 2022 by Granny_Weatherwax

[Vintage81]

11 minutes ago, marbel said:

I love Emily St John Mandel and have read all of her books at least once; I think I've read Station Eleven 3 or 4 times. The first time I read Sea of Tranquility I was like "what was that?" and reread it within a few weeks. 

All of her books are standalone, but there are definitely connections. I'd say that Sea of Tranquility has the most connections to The Glass Hotel. I feel like Station Eleven is unlike all the others and is my favorite of all her books - among my top 5 books of all time. But every time I read one of her books I find something new, so don't take this as a definitive pronouncement. I am a EStJM completist, but not a scholar or expert. 

You can't mess up. But do read her other books! 

Thank you! I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one who felt that way after Sea of Tranquility. 😂 This is our book club book this month so it’ll be interesting to see what the others have to say. Also, thank you for the info on her other books…I’ll add them to my TBR! 

[Robin M]

3 hours ago, Granny_Weatherwax said:

have more driving ahead of me this weekend and will need another audiobook. I was thinking about another short Christmas story. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it. I'll need to download it from Libby, Axis 360, or Prime.

Safe travels!  

[Kareni]

I just finished the young adult graphic novel Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu which was an enjoyable read.

"Eric Bittle may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and very talented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It is nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There’s checking (anything that hinders the player with possession of the puck, ranging from a stick check all the way to a physical sweep). And then, there is Jack—his very attractive but moody captain."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kidlit]

10 hours ago, Granny_Weatherwax said:

 

I have more driving ahead of me this weekend and will need another audiobook. I was thinking about another short Christmas story. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it. I'll need to download it from Libby, Axis 360, or Prime.

I loved Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan.  I know it was available on audio on Hoopla through my library's catalog.  I imagine it would be especially lovely with the right narrator. 

[Robin M]

I just finished Ilona Andrews Clean Sweep and realized I'd never read it.  I must have started but didn't finish for some reason eons again and it's been languishing in my virtual stacks.  Another dusty book completed.  Have the rest of the Innkeeper chronicles in my stacks ready to go for 2023. 

I wanted to complete my reread of  Cemetery of Lost Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon this year. Currently on the 3rd book The Prisoner of Heaven which is 282 pages so that's doable.   I'll end out the year with The Labyrinth of the Spirits which is more hefty at 800 pages so maybe, maybe not.  We'll see. 

Have been updating my goodreads but for some reason the numbers are not matching up with my manual count on the blog. I'm pretty sure I added everything so scratching my head over that one. 

Edited December 24, 2022 by Robin M

[Laurel-in-CA]

RobinM - I really enjoyed the Innkeeper Series!

I've been finishing baby blankets and achieved my goal -- 10 handmade blankets to the pregnancy care center -- just dropped off yesterday, along with some crocheted hats too. And baking -- unusual for me since I can't eat the sweet things, but for some reason I am experimenting with cookies this year.

I read two Dana Stabenow books about the Coast Guard and international terrorism: Blindfold Game and Prepared for Rage. Enjoyed them but will they motivate me to try her Kate Shugak series???

Waiting for me I have The Island of Extraordinary Captives by Simon Parkin, about a WWII internment camp on the Isle of Mann that included a lot of intellectuals who had left Germany. Also The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel.

Since the last time I posted I also read Charles Martin's series: The Waterkeeper, The Recordkeeper, The Letterkeeper. The first one was particularly intense and very good. The last two were worthy sequels. Focused around fighting human trafficking, but also on human redemption and compassion even for evil-doers.

Thanks again for all the years of Book a Week and looking forward to a new chapter of Talking About Books discussions!

[Robin M]

Link to week 52