February 2023: What are you reading?

[Vintage81]

Happy February! ❤️

We’re in the middle of a freeze warning here in Texas, so that means everyone is freaking out and hibernating. Ha! 🥶 I should be reading more, but I’ve gotten sucked in to watching YouTube videos. 🤣 I will get back on track soon!

I hope everyone is enjoying the new reading thread…I’m loving all of the different things y’all are reading! My TBR list has definitely been growing. 

I look forward to hearing all about your February reads. Happy reading! 

[Kassia]

3 hours ago, Vintage81 said:

 

I hope everyone is enjoying the new reading thread…I’m loving all of the different things y’all are reading! My TBR list has definitely been growing. 

I look forward to hearing all about your February reads. Happy reading! 

Me too!  I have an embarrassing FIFTY books on hold at the library!  I had to suspend most of the holds because there's no way I can read all of those books if they come in at the same time!  I need to spend more time reading and less time finding new books to read but I love seeing what everyone is reading!  ❤️ 

I'm reading The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir.  Very good so far.  

[marbel]

Yay for February! Spring is coming.

I've abandoned way more books since the beginning of the year than I have completed. Just having such a hard time settling on something. 

I did finish two audiobooks in a mystery series I recently came across: The Sedleigh Hall Murder and The Farming Murder (Eric Ward series) by Roy Lewis. I chose them because of their narrator - John Lee, one of my favorites. (I was searching Hoopla for books narrated by him specifically.) Anyway, they are decent stories, easy listening (because I like the narrator!) and don't tax the brain. I will probably continue the series. 

I'm continuing with Moby Dick via The Big Read (audio) however I have run into a flaw. Some of the narrators are not as good as others, and some have been hard for me to understand.  The quality of the audio varies too. So I just read those chapters. I need to refer to the book periodically for the notes anyway. It's still slow going but I am enjoying it. 

And I'm in a Dickens mood after my husband and I completed a beautiful jigsaw puzzle based on his books (https://www.laurenceking.com/products/the-world-of-charles-dickens) so I've started Hard Times.

Also re: previous conversation, I'm waiting for a copy of Miss Pym Disposes from the libary. Well, I had one, but it was old, and the acid paper made my eyes sting. I looked for a newer edition and it's on the way. 

So February looks to be a good reading/listening month! 

Looking forward to hearing from all the other readers. Though as @Kassiasays, I need to spend more time actually reading than looking for/at new books, talking about books... 😄

[alysee]

Today I started Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda. So far it hasn't hooked me in yet but I'm only about 40 pages in. 

[ScoutTN]

Still rereading all the Hornblower books. 

Death in Brittany, recommended on another thread.

Out of the Silent Planet for Close Reads 

 

[WildflowerMom]

I'm finishing up Grocery by Michael Ruhlman.  

I'm starting on Shoeless Joe by WP Kinsella and The Year of Less by Cait Flanders. 

[Lady Florida.]

I meant to jump in last month but never got around to it.

I read 7 books so far this year although 2 were holdovers from December that I finished in January.

Shards of Earth, Adrian Tchaikovsky - one of the ones from December. I don't often read sci-fi but when I do I like a good space opera. This fit the bill and I'll read the others in the series later this year when the mood strikes.
River of the Gods, Candace Millard - the other one from Dec. If you're friends with me on Goodreads it will look like it took me 4 months to read it but I actually started reading it in October then put it aside until December when I picked it up again.
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus - read this for my book club. It was okay though a few things annoyed me. I love going out with friends and discussing books so it was worth reading. 
Razor Girl, Carl Hiaasen - I love me some crazy Florida stuff! As a nearly lifelong Floridian I know that a lot of the over-the-top stuff in his books can and often has actually happened here. 😂
The Age of Doubt, Andrea Camilleri - #14 in the Inspector Montalbano series that I've been reading for many years.

Two audio books -

Spare, Prince Harry - Yes I did. I had an Audible credit and couldn't decide what to use it on so I went with this. I believe him and I feel sorry for him. 
A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare 1599, James Shapiro - One would probably only like this they're interested in Shakespeare or the Elizabethan period. What I found interesting is that many lines in his plays were actually digs at what was happening at the time. This is something Elizabethan audiences would "get" that we don't. Also, while I liked listening to this there were a number of dry sections. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed reading a print version as much.

Currently reading -

The Border, Erika Fatland - She's a journalist from Norway. This book is about her journey along all the countries that border Russia, the 2nd longest border in the world (the longest is US/Canada). I'm learning a lot about countries I didn't know much about if anything at all. I've even learned of some countries I didn't know exist.
Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolever - The only other book of hers I read is The Poisonwood Bible, which I really liked. This one is quite good but a difficult read (subject matter) in some parts. It's intense so I'm reading it a little at a time.
Orley Farm, Anthony Trollope - It's been a long time since I read a classic and was really in the mood for one. I love Trollope.

 

1 hour ago, WildflowerMom said:

I'm starting on Shoeless Joe by WP Kinsella

I read that many years ago and really enjoyed it. Have you ever seen Field of Dreams? I did but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book having seen the movie first. After reading that one I ended up following a rabbit trail about the 1919 World Series and read Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series (nonfiction). 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Lady Florida.

[Faith-manor]

I have read "The Big Book of Trains" 3 times already today because of the 3 year old. Usborne, Dk, whomever you are, I hate you so much right now.

I have The Scarlet Letter with me which I have read before, more than once, but haven't been through in a few years. The local library asked me to do a book club with some local high schoolers who hang out there, all want to major in English and Literature, and have their literature cut to the bone at the high school. I figure I need a fresh read before I get back and embark down that road. The 3 year old, however, is doing a marvelous job of foiling my plans. (Also looks disparagingly at Eric Carle and his stupid caterpillar.) 

[WildflowerMom]

17 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

I read that many years ago and really enjoyed it. Have you ever seen Field of Dreams? I did but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book having seen the movie first. After reading that one I ended up following a rabbit trail about the 1919 World Series and read Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series (nonfiction). 

I love Field of Dreams!   I'm hoping to get back into watching baseball this year and thought it might get me excited for the upcoming season.     If you're a Mickey Mantle fan and/or Roger Maris fan, 61 is a good book.   And the book about Mantle written by his family, A Hero All His Life is excellent.    

[Storygirl]

Yesterday, I finished the YA book All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir on audio. This book has been on my radar for awhile, and I kept bumping my hold on the Libby app but finally listened to it. And the timing was great, because after I finished it, I found out that at the end of January,  it won this year's Prinz Prize for YA literature. It also won the Youth National Book Award and the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award, so it has been widely lauded.

The story has three narrators -- two high schoolers and one woman, who is the mother of one of the teens and honorary aunt of the other. On audio, each perspective had a separate narrator, which I enjoyed. Noor was orphaned in an earthquake in Pakistan as a young child and is the ward of her uncaring uncle, who brought her to America. She's been friends with Salahudin since she first arrived in the states, but the two recently had a falling out, when Noor confessed that she had feelings for Sal, and he rebuffed her. Salahudin's mother. Misbah, is the third narrator, and she tells her story from the time of her arranged marriage as a teen, in Pakistan, and how she and her husband came to own the motel, which she manages and where they live. Toward the beginning of the book, Misbah dies, and Salahudin is left alone to try to save the hotel, because his alcoholic father is no help.

That is just the set up of the story -- a lot happens from there on, including the continuing story of Misbah's past, which slowly connects to things happening in the present. The characters are complex and fully developed. There is a moment in the story when one of the characters makes a pivotal decision that at first I greatly disliked. "Oh, no! I can't believe the author went there; this may be ruined for me." However, the way that Tahir develops the story from that point actually turned the book from an average teen relationship book into a deeper exploration of the consequences of decision making and made the story richer in the end.

A bit of the story is set in Pakistan, and the characters have to deal with issues related to immigration and racism.

[Kidlit]

36 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

Yesterday, I finished the YA book All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir on audio. This book has been on my radar for awhile, and I kept bumping my hold on the Libby app but finally listened to it. And the timing was great, because after I finished it, I found out that at the end of January,  it won this year's Prinz Prize for YA literature. It also won the Youth National Book Award and the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award, so it has been widely lauded.

The story has three narrators -- two high schoolers and one woman, who is the mother of one of the teens and honorary aunt of the other. On audio, each perspective had a separate narrator, which I enjoyed. Noor was orphaned in an earthquake in Pakistan as a young child and is the ward of her uncaring uncle, who brought her to America. She's been friends with Salahudin since she first arrived in the states, but the two recently had a falling out, when Noor confessed that she had feelings for Sal, and he rebuffed her. Salahudin's mother. Misbah, is the third narrator, and she tells her story from the time of her arranged marriage as a teen, in Pakistan, and how she and her husband came to own the motel, which she manages and where they live. Toward the beginning of the book, Misbah dies, and Salahudin is left alone to try to save the hotel, because his alcoholic father is no help.

That is just the set up of the story -- a lot happens from there on, including the continuing story of Misbah's past, which slowly connects to things happening in the present. The characters are complex and fully developed. There is a moment in the story when one of the characters makes a pivotal decision that at first I greatly disliked. "Oh, no! I can't believe the author went there; this may be ruined for me." However, the way that Tahir develops the story from that point actually turned the book from an average teen relationship book into a deeper exploration of the consequences of decision making and made the story richer in the end.

A bit of the story is set in Pakistan, and the characters have to deal with issues related to immigration and racism.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! As a children's librarian just getting immersed again in the world of books after teaching for several years, I appreciate you review. It sounds like a book deserving of the Printz!

[Kidlit]

I'm currently reading  The Girls in the Stilt House in print and David Copperfield in audio.  I hope to finish my print book soon and will check back in to share some thoughts. 

[Vintage81]

50 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

Yesterday, I finished the YA book All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir on audio. This book has been on my radar for awhile, and I kept bumping my hold on the Libby app but finally listened to it. And the timing was great, because after I finished it, I found out that at the end of January,  it won this year's Prinz Prize for YA literature. It also won the Youth National Book Award and the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award, so it has been widely lauded.

The story has three narrators -- two high schoolers and one woman, who is the mother of one of the teens and honorary aunt of the other. On audio, each perspective had a separate narrator, which I enjoyed. Noor was orphaned in an earthquake in Pakistan as a young child and is the ward of her uncaring uncle, who brought her to America. She's been friends with Salahudin since she first arrived in the states, but the two recently had a falling out, when Noor confessed that she had feelings for Sal, and he rebuffed her. Salahudin's mother. Misbah, is the third narrator, and she tells her story from the time of her arranged marriage as a teen, in Pakistan, and how she and her husband came to own the motel, which she manages and where they live. Toward the beginning of the book, Misbah dies, and Salahudin is left alone to try to save the hotel, because his alcoholic father is no help.

That is just the set up of the story -- a lot happens from there on, including the continuing story of Misbah's past, which slowly connects to things happening in the present. The characters are complex and fully developed. There is a moment in the story when one of the characters makes a pivotal decision that at first I greatly disliked. "Oh, no! I can't believe the author went there; this may be ruined for me." However, the way that Tahir develops the story from that point actually turned the book from an average teen relationship book into a deeper exploration of the consequences of decision making and made the story richer in the end.

A bit of the story is set in Pakistan, and the characters have to deal with issues related to immigration and racism.

This book has been on my radar for a while. I’ve read Sabaa Tahir’s Ember in the Ashes series and really enjoyed it. I’m hoping to get to this one soon! 

[Robin M]

Happy February and thank you for the thread, Vintage 81!

I took a book detour and read Peter Tremayne’s first book in his historical fiction Sister Fidelma series – Absolution by Murder set in 7th century Ireland and was quite good.  Also the sister was a member of St Brigid at Kildare which is grand since today is St. Brigid’s day.  It was quite interesting to read the history about the Synod and the differences between the Roman and the Celtic churches. I liked Sister Fidelma and will probably read more of the series.

“As the leading churchmen and women gather at the Synod of Whitby in 664AD to debate the rival merits of the Celtic and Roman Churches, tempers begin to fray. Conspirators plot an assassination, while mysterious, violent death stalks the shadowy cloisters of the Abbey of St Hilda. When the Abbess Etain, a leading speaker for the Celtic Church, is found murdered suspicion inevitably rests on the Roman faction.

Attending the Synod is Fidelma, of the community of St Brigid of Kildare. As an advocate of the Brehon Court, she is called on to investigate the murder with Brother Eadulf, of the Roman faction. However, the two are so unlike that their partnership is described as that of a wolf and a fox – but which is which?

More gruesome deaths follow and the friction among the clerics could end in civil war. Can the solution to the mysteries avert such a conflict?”

 

Back to reading 2034 which is really good and scary.  China has developed cyber warfare and are  refusing to back down from their possession of the South China Sea.   They have technology that wipes out all electronics and communication so the U.S. battleships keep getting destroyed.  Which means the U.S. needs to go back to analog tech which some of the commanders are  totally against because they love their technology.  But the president is also threatening to go Nuclear which has caused a pause in the action.

Edited February 1, 2023 by Robin M

[Momof4sweetkids]

Listening to Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner on Libby. I'm really enjoying the story, though I don't feel like I'm learning quite as much about WW2 through it as I did with We Were The Lucky Ones.

Just started Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa Terkeurst today. A few friends are reading it and I'm curious about how she interprets boundaries biblically.

 

With the kids, I just finished the Anna Hibiscus series by Atinuke. My favorite read aloud I've done in the past year. 

[Kareni]

Last night I finished my reread of the Touchstone series with Snow Day (Touchstone Book 6) by Andrea K Höst. I enjoyed it once again.

(FIC 9, RR 7, NF 1, NS 2//)

Regards,

Kareni

[ScoutTN]

Enjoying E.B. White’s essays! A boardie tipped me off to this book. Very fun.

[Ali in OR]

I am reading Lauren Groff's Matrix for my book club read this month. Based on a real person I think...12th century, large unattractive woman is sent away from Eleanor of Aquitane's court to become prioress of a convent where there is not enough money or food and everyone is sick but she turns it around.

[lynn]

The Case for Christ and The Great Alone

[happi duck]

I just finished my next book club book and liked it a lot!  West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

[Jenny in Florida]

I finished four books in January:

• The Whalebone Theatre, Joanna Quinn (Royal Reading Room selection)
• You Just Need to Lose Weight: And 19 Other Myths about Fat People, Aubrey Gordon (Fulfilled my popular science prompt for the StoryGraph genre challenge)
• Butts: A Backstory, Heather Radke
• City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert (Royal Reading Room selection)

I enjoyed and would recommend all four of them.

As of whenever I go out for a walk later, I'll start Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico. 

In general, throughout the year, my plan is to read at least one or two of the Royal Reading Room selections and check off at least one of the prompts on the StoryGraph challenge until I finish all 10 of those. I was looking for a way to give my reading some slight sense of direction this year.

[Hilltopmom]

I’ve been busy with PD classes but just picked up:

A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

still listening to The Beekeeper of Allepo- it’s not the best walking book, maybe I need to speed up the playback rate

After these, IEP season starts and I’ll be busy testing and writing IEPs- limited time to read for fun and my brain turns to mush.

[Vintage81]

47 minutes ago, happi duck said:

I just finished my next book club book and liked it a lot!  West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

I read that one last year and enjoyed it too!  

[Storygirl]

1 hour ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I finished four books in January:

• The Whalebone Theatre, Joanna Quinn (Royal Reading Room selection)
• You Just Need to Lose Weight: And 19 Other Myths about Fat People, Aubrey Gordon (Fulfilled my popular science prompt for the StoryGraph genre challenge)
• Butts: A Backstory, Heather Radke
• City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert (Royal Reading Room selection)

I enjoyed and would recommend all four of them.

As of whenever I go out for a walk later, I'll start Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico. 

In general, throughout the year, my plan is to read at least one or two of the Royal Reading Room selections and check off at least one of the prompts on the StoryGraph challenge until I finish all 10 of those. I was looking for a way to give my reading some slight sense of direction this year.

I didn't know that Queen Camilla had a book related website!

[Kareni]

A bookish/crafty post ~

I encountered this post today on the SBTB site. Since it's about books and crafts, I decided to share it here ~

Crafty Book Tracking

Regards,

Kareni

[Vintage81]

Just finished up Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. This was a book I read aloud to DDs and was their first time reading a Sanderson book. I’ve read the first two books in his Mistborn series. (Someday I’d like to read his Stormlight Archives books, but man are those huge books!)

Overall, we really enjoyed the book…we may continue the series next school year (depending on how long the next book is 😝). The story was way less complex than Mistborn, but still enjoyable. It reminded me a lot of Top Gun, except in space. 🤣 We all gave the book 4.5 stars. 

[Pintosrock]

I just finished Heroes of Havensong (Owl Crate Jr) and it ended on a cliffhanger! Nooo! It was just released, so it's probably going to take forever for the next book to come out.

I'm almost done reading The Ogress and the Orphans to dd8. Next we'll read the Neil deGrasse Tyson biography (Black History month read?)

Half a chapter left of La telaraña de Carlota. Next I think I'm going to try a collection of Hermanos Grimm. 

Book club book was The One, by John Marrs. Terrible! But I don't go in for thriller stuff. Next is Jurassic Park, which I don't think I've ever read! 

I see we have some Brandon Sanderson fans here. I'm also waiting on my kickstarter book to arrive. Going to read it in print, not electronically, so I'm just waiting and waiting...

[Indigo Blue]

On 2/1/2023 at 2:10 AM, Kassia said:

Me too!  I have an embarrassing FIFTY books on hold at the library!

Ha! I read your first sentence very quickly and thought you meant you had one of THE (embarrassing to put on hold) “Fifty” books on hold. FTR, I haven’t read any of them, lol. 😂

[Indigo Blue]

I just read Spare and really enjoyed it. 

[LostSurprise]

I finished all of my not-long-term books from my last post as well as: 

Ballad for Sophie, a French graphic novel about the intertwined lives of two musicians during and after WWII. 

An Immense World by Ed Young, which is a total biology geek out about the intricate world of animal perception. 

Some Lois McMaster Bujold Penric and Desdemona series. (They're all novellas, so they're pretty quick on audio.)

Now I'm working on: 

The Spare Man, sort of a Thin Man murder mystery in space, mentioned by someone last month.
The Black Count, non-fiction about Alexander Dumas' father who was half-Haitian, half-French and was a general under Napoleon. Lots of historical view of slavery in the French Caribbean colonies and running into the French Revolution. 
And So Long, See You Tomorrow which is litfic and part of my shelf clearing effort. 

[Kidlit]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:04 AM, Lady Florida. said:

I meant to jump in last month but never got around to it.

I read 7 books so far this year although 2 were holdovers from December that I finished in January.

Shards of Earth, Adrian Tchaikovsky - one of the ones from December. I don't often read sci-fi but when I do I like a good space opera. This fit the bill and I'll read the others in the series later this year when the mood strikes.
River of the Gods, Candace Millard - the other one from Dec. If you're friends with me on Goodreads it will look like it took me 4 months to read it but I actually started reading it in October then put it aside until December when I picked it up again.
Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus - read this for my book club. It was okay though a few things annoyed me. I love going out with friends and discussing books so it was worth reading. 
Razor Girl, Carl Hiaasen - I love me some crazy Florida stuff! As a nearly lifelong Floridian I know that a lot of the over-the-top stuff in his books can and often has actually happened here. 😂
The Age of Doubt, Andrea Camilleri - #14 in the Inspector Montalbano series that I've been reading for many years.

Two audio books -

Spare, Prince Harry - Yes I did. I had an Audible credit and couldn't decide what to use it on so I went with this. I believe him and I feel sorry for him. 
A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare 1599, James Shapiro - One would probably only like this they're interested in Shakespeare or the Elizabethan period. What I found interesting is that many lines in his plays were actually digs at what was happening at the time. This is something Elizabethan audiences would "get" that we don't. Also, while I liked listening to this there were a number of dry sections. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed reading a print version as much.

Currently reading -

The Border, Erika Fatland - She's a journalist from Norway. This book is about her journey along all the countries that border Russia, the 2nd longest border in the world (the longest is US/Canada). I'm learning a lot about countries I didn't know much about if anything at all. I've even learned of some countries I didn't know exist.
Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolever - The only other book of hers I read is The Poisonwood Bible, which I really liked. This one is quite good but a difficult read (subject matter) in some parts. It's intense so I'm reading it a little at a time.
Orley Farm, Anthony Trollope - It's been a long time since I read a classic and was really in the mood for one. I love Trollope.

 

I read that many years ago and really enjoyed it. Have you ever seen Field of Dreams? I did but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book having seen the movie first. After reading that one I ended up following a rabbit trail about the 1919 World Series and read Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series (nonfiction). 

This was definitely one of my most affecting books of 2022.  Its also prompted me to finally pick up David Coppeefield. So good!

[Jenny in Florida]

11 hours ago, Kareni said:

A bookish/crafty post ~

I encountered this post today on the SBTB site. Since it's about books and crafts, I decided to share it here ~

Crafty Book Tracking

Regards,

Kareni

I'm working on this one. I'm hoping, in addition to being a fun way to track books for this year, that it works as a gateway to getting me back into the habit of crafting. 

[Ottakee]

On 2/1/2023 at 10:57 AM, WildflowerMom said:

I'm finishing up Grocery by Michael Ruhlman.  

I'm starting on Shoeless Joe by WP Kinsella and The Year of Less by Cait Flanders. 

I just read and was motives by The year of Less

[WildflowerMom]

12 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

I just read and was motives by The year of Less

Awesome!   I haven't started it yet, but will this weekend.    

[Kareni]

12 hours ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I'm working on this one. I'm hoping, in addition to being a fun way to track books for this year, that it works as a gateway to getting me back into the habit of crafting. 

I hope you'll share a picture when you finish the project, Jenny!

Regards,

Kareni

[happi duck]

16 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

I just read Spare and really enjoyed it. 

I'm regretting not buying this.  I've been first on the library holds forever it seems!  I'm looking forward to reading it

[Kareni]

18 hours ago, Vintage81 said:

Just finished up Skyward by Brandon Sanderson.

I liked that, too!

15 hours ago, LostSurprise said:

The Spare Man, sort of a Thin Man murder mystery in space, mentioned by someone last month.

That might have been me. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

16 hours ago, LostSurprise said:

The Black Count, non-fiction about Alexander Dumas' father who was half-Haitian, half-French and was a general under Napoleon. Lots of historical view of slavery in the French Caribbean colonies and running into the French Revolution. 
 

I read that and found it interesting. I like how the author tied the father's life in with the son's novels.

[Vintage81]

Last night I finished Jane Steele by Lindsay Faye. I really liked this one! It sounds strange to say, but I actually enjoyed reading this book more than Jane Eyre. 🫣 

This is not really a Jane Eyre retelling, but the author keeps many elements of the original story, although there are some significant changes. The basics are there…Jane, who is without parents, lives with her aunt, then moves into an all girls school, then goes on to live with a man and work as a governess for his ward, etc. However, Jane Steele is pretty different from Jane Eyre. She is much more confident and she does indeed become a murderess. The word serial killer is used, but I feel like that isn’t the right term. She kills sometimes in self defense and sometimes to help people she cares for. She’s also inspired by Jane Eyre and mentions her often throughout the book…

”I have been reading over and over again the most riveting book titled Jane Eyre, and the work inspires me to imitative acts.”

The beginning of the story was the best part. It started to drag towards the end and how the author wrapped things up was a bit confusing. However, it really surprised me. I thought this book was going to be a bit satirical (which it was, but in different ways) and Jane was going to be this crazy killer on a rampage, but it ended up being more serious, dealing with some heavy topics like abuse and trauma. I really enjoyed how the author worked in the original story and how the book felt similar to Jane Eyre, but also still had its own unique story and characters. (4.5 stars)

[TravelingChris]

I just finishe the IT Girl and know am reading a non fiction about a serical killer that was running around the country on railways, axing entire families and a lot of people were executed, imprisoned or strung up by citiznes illegally because it was before the information age.  HIs methodolosy was burcheriung an entire family in their house or apartment, stacking bodies, etc.   When the guy wirting this book first heard about these of these murders, he dedided to investigate these murders which happened for two and a half decades starting in the late 1900s

 

[Kareni]

I enjoyed Setting the Hook (Love's Charter Book 1) by Andrew Grey which is a contemporary romance featuring two men who have to make life changes to be together. (Adult content) (FIC 10, RR 7, NF 1, NS 2//)

"It could be the catch of a lifetime....

William Westmoreland escapes his unfulfilling Rhode Island existence by traveling to Florida twice a year and chartering Mike Jansen’s fishing boat to take him out on the Gulf. The crystal-blue water and tropical scenery isn’t the only view William enjoys, but he’s never made his move. A vacation romance just isn’t on his horizon.

Mike started his Apalachicola charter fishing service as a way to care for his daughter and mother, putting their safety and security ahead of the needs of his own heart. Denying his attraction becomes harder with each of William’s visits.

William and Mike’s latest fishing excursion starts with a beautiful day, but a hurricane’s erratic course changes everything, stranding William. As the wind and rain rage outside, the passion the two men have been trying to resist for years crashes over them. In the storm’s wake, it leaves both men yearning to prolong what they have found. But real life pulls William back to his obligations. Can they find a way to reduce the distance between them and discover a place where their souls can meet? The journey will require rough sailing, but the bright future at the end might be worth the choppy seas."

Regards,

Kareni

[KrissiK]

i’m having a really slow start this year. I am in the middle of “Becoming Elisabeth Elliot” by Ellen Vaughn. it’s a really good book.

[Robin M]

January was an interesting reading month with an assortment of books from magical realism to steampunk, to romance, to urban fantasy, to historical fiction, plus two non fiction writing books for a total of 4519 pages  which on average is 150 pages a day.

1Q84 was a chunky read at 935 pages and took me most of the month to finish.  Write for Life was the shortest but was meant to be read in six weeks. However, I just kept reading because I was ready to implement her suggestions rather than wait.  I managed to clear 5 dusty physical books and 1 dusty ebook from my shelves and discovered six new to me authors.  Reviews are on goodreads or on my blog.

After Dark – Haruki Murakami, (Magical Realism, Japan, 256)

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty –  Akwaeke Emezi,(Romance, e)

Clockwork Angels – Kevin Anderson and Neil Peart (Steampunk, dusty, e)

Black Orchid Blues – Persia Walker (Mystery, 20’s Harlem, dusty, 270)

Kitty and the Midnight Hour – Carrie Vaughn (Urban fantasy, reread, e)

Who Need Enemies – Keri Arthur (Urban Fantasy, Australia, e)

Kitty Goes to Washington – Carrie Vaughn (Urban Fantasy, reread, e)

The Blue – Nancy Bilyeau (Historical Fiction, England, dusty, e)

Write for Life – Julia Cameron (NF, Writing, 208)

1Q84 – Haruki Murakami (Magical Realism, reread, 996)

A Swim in the Pond in the Rain – George Saunders (NF, Masterclass, dusty 432)

The Winter Lodge – Susan Wigg (Romance, e)

Absolution by Murder (#1 Sister Fidelma – Peter Tremayne (Historical Fiction, 664 AD, dusty, e)

 

For February I’m looking forward to the release (all preordered at the end of the year, so doesn't count against my buying ban) of JD Robb’s Encore in Death, James Rollins Cradle of Ice, and Samantha Shannon’s A Day of Fallen Night.

[TravelingChris]

Finished reading The Man on the Train.  I found it so interesting- not just the mystery.  The authors included so much side history in too.

[Kassia]

Just finished The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir.  Fascinating story but a bit too scientific for me at times.

Starting The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, which I think was recommended here last year.  Totally different type of book and I'm enjoying it so far.  

 

 

 

Farley Mowat

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I am so excited. My public library hosted a January reading contest. For every book read, readers were given a ticket to enter a drawing for a variety of reading boxes (books, blanket, treats; it all depended on the box theme). I entered all 8 of my tickets in the cozy mystery drawing and won!! I have never won a thing from the library reading contests despite participating for years.

My box had 8 cozy mysteries 📚, a library blanket, hot cocoa ☕, cider, and some candy 🍬. Two of the books are signed by the author (a local woman).

I plan on sitting in the hot tub tonight and enjoying one of the books and a cup of cider. I have to look through the books and determine if one or more of them will fit into one of my book bingo categories.

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Granny_Weatherwax

[Kassia]

@Granny_Weatherwax congratulations! What a perfect prize.  I've won a few prizes from our public library and it is always fun to win no matter how big or small the prizes have been.  

[Kareni]

What fun, @Granny_Weatherwax! I hope that you have a great evening and find some good reads amongst your prize books.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Last night I finished The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain for my old, now online, book group. While I enjoyed the book, I felt a little distant from the characters. I did find it very British which was fun. (FIC 11, RR 7, NF 1, NS 2//)

"Every day, Albert Entwistle makes his way through the streets of his small English town, delivering letters and parcels and returning greetings with a quick wave and a “how do?” Everyone on his route knows Albert, or thinks they do—a man of quiet routines, content to live alone with his cat, Gracie.
 
Three months before his sixty-fifth birthday, Albert receives a letter from the Royal Mail thanking him for decades of service and stating that he is being forced into retirement. At once, Albert’s simple life unravels. Without the work that fills his days, what will he do? He has no friends, family, or hobbies—just a past he never speaks of, and a lost love that fills him with regret. And so, rather than continue his lonely existence, Albert forms a brave plan to start truly living, to be honest about who he is . . . and to find George, the man with whom he spent one perfect spring and summer long ago.
 
One painful yet exhilarating step at a time, Albert begins searching for George and revealing his story to those around him. As he does, something extraordinary happens. Albert finds unlikely allies, new friends, and the courage to help others—even as he seeks the happiness he’s always denied himself."

Regards,

Kareni

[WildflowerMom]

I got a free trial for audible and one of the books I got was The Body Keeps the Score.   It is so highly recommended, but I had to stop after the first few chapters.  It is highly triggering.   

I'm almost done with Shoeless Joe.   I'm going to watch Field of Dreams (for the 100th time) when I finish. It has accomplished what I hoped it would and now I'm excited (really really excited!) for baseball season.    

Almost done with Grocery.  It really is a good book if you like non-fiction and behind the scenes type things.  

I'll start The Year of Less probably at the end of the week.    

I'm also starting Burn on audible.    
 

On another note, I've decided I don't like audio books.  I may be the only person in the world to say that, lol.     I'm going to listen to Burn because it was one of my audible credits, but after that, I'm done.   🤷🏻‍♀️