April 2023: What are you reading?

[Vintage81]

Happy April!! 💐

I guess spring is officially here. I have to admit that spring is not my favorite season. 🫣 I like all the new plants/flowers, but I hate the bugs, and we get a lot of them here…scorpions, centipedes, tarantulas! I have actually come to accept the tarantulas, though, because they eat the scorpions. 🤪 Anyways, I hope you all are enjoying some warmer weather! 

My March reading was okay, but I got a little derailed with YouTube and a new favorite…K-dramas! I’m hoping to get back on track this month. I’m currently reading The Rose Code by Kate Quinn for my book club and so far I’m enjoying it.

I hope y’all are all doing well and are reading lots of great books! 

Happy reading! 

[Kidlit]

Technically this was a March finish but I'm just now getting around to posting it.  I listened to Weyward by Emilia Hart.  It was an excellently done audiobook, but I have mixed feelings about the story. With the exception of a couple of implausible plot points (that really got on my nerves!), I'd say it is a really well-written novel.  However, and I say this as someone who isn't terribly sensitive to such things, this author really doesn't like men.  It's the story of three women from the same family in different time periods (one of the newly-popular multiple viewpoint novels) who suffer because of men.  The first woman the reader meets is being tried for witchcraft in England in the 1600s; the second is a sixteen year old girl who is all but held captive in her English manor home during World War I; and the third is a modern woman with a completely evil, abusive boyfriend whom she flees at the beginning of the novel. They are all tied together by their similar experiences and also their familiarity with nature, especially birds and insects, that will do their bidding.  This part of the story doesn't  come out fully until toward the end.  Depending on how you view it, you could call it magical realism or witchcraft, I suppose. A heavy theme in the novel is the poor medical treatment of women and a negative view of sex due to all of the abuse. 
 

Did I like it?  Hard to say.  🤣

[Hilltopmom]

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

The Loving Push by Temple Grandin

Go See the Principal by Gerry Brooks

Beneath a Scarlett sky on audible

plus whatever other quick fiction reads come in on my library requests  🙂

 

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by Hilltopmom

[Kidlit]

19 minutes ago, Hilltopmom said:

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

The Loving Push by Temple Grandin

Go See the Principal by Gerry Brooks

Beneath a Scarlett sky on audible

plus whatever other quick fiction reads come in on my library requests  🙂

 

 

I didn't realize Gerry Brooks has a book! (And I rhyme. . .🤣)

[Hilltopmom]

3 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

I didn't realize Gerry Brooks has a book! (And I rhyme. . .🤣)

Yep- I’m taking a PD class on it!

[math teacher]

I'm listening to Dandelion Summer on audible. Love it so far!!

[Vintage81]

9 hours ago, Kidlit said:

Technically this was a March finish but I'm just now getting around to posting it.  I listened to Weyward by Emilia Hart.  It was an excellently done audiobook, but I have mixed feelings about the story. With the exception of a couple of implausible plot points (that really got on my nerves!), I'd say it is a really well-written novel.  However, and I say this as someone who isn't terribly sensitive to such things, this author really doesn't like men.  It's the story of three women from the same family in different time periods (one of the newly-popular multiple viewpoint novels) who suffer because of men.  The first woman the reader meets is being tried for witchcraft in England in the 1600s; the second is a sixteen year old girl who is all but held captive in her English manor home during World War I; and the third is a modern woman with a completely evil, abusive boyfriend whom she flees at the beginning of the novel. They are all tied together by their similar experiences and also their familiarity with nature, especially birds and insects, that will do their bidding.  This part of the story doesn't  come out fully until toward the end.  Depending on how you view it, you could call it magical realism or witchcraft, I suppose. A heavy theme in the novel is the poor medical treatment of women and a negative view of sex due to all of the abuse. 
 

Did I like it?  Hard to say.  🤣

This book is on my TBR shelf! Sounds....intriguing. 😂

[Kareni]

My first book of the month was another reread namely Written In Red (A Novel of the Others Book 1) by Anne Bishop. I enjoyed this once again; the real question is whether I'll be able to resist reading on in the series. Be warned that this series contains violence and gore. (FIC 30, RR 14, NF 2, NS 5//)

"Enter the world of the Others in the first novel in New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s thrilling fantasy series: a place where unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—rule the Earth and prey on the human race.

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Indie Sale (Fantasy, Sci-fi and Horror) 

The sale runs from April 1st until the 3rd.

All books are $1.99, $0.99, or free

Link here

Regards,

Kareni

[Laura Corin]

I'm reading two books, as usual.

A Golden Age Japanese detective novel, The Honjin Murders, recommended in the podcast Shedunnit, and the biography of John Donne Super-Infinite. Both recommended. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I'n still carrying The Hormone Fix. I want to try the eating method to see if it helps but I've been on the road a lot and I struggled starting the plan while traveling.

I began Star Trek The Next generation Survivors by Jean Lorrah. Tasha Yar was never my favorite character and she is the protagonist in this story. I am enjoying reading a Star Trek book whilewaiting for the final episode of Picard.

[Kareni]

Three books on my wishlist are currently free for US Kindle readers ~

The Human Familiar (Familiar and the Mage Book 1) by Honor Raconteur

 

High Barrens (Tales of Haroon Book 1) by Alice Sabo

 

Daros by Dave Dobson

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

From the Word Wenches ~

What We're Reading!

Regards,

Kareni

[MEmama]

I just ordered three books from my favorite local bookshop this morning and I'm very excited. In full transparency it's been since pre Covid since I've had the bandwidth to actually finish a book, but I'm hoping to change that trajectory. It's a lofty goal atm.

Anyway, these will be in my hands soon and hopefully I can stay awake long enough to actually enjoy them:

The Seven Necessary Sins of Women and Girls: Mona Eltahawy https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Necessary-Sins-Women-Girls/dp/0807013811

When Women Were Dragons: Kelly Barnhill https://www.amazon.com/s?k=When+women+were+dragons&i=stripbooks&crid=2UP5FA83ASZE5&sprefix=when+women+were+dragons%2Cstripbooks%2C104&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Circe: Madeline Miller https://www.amazon.com/Circe-Madeline-Miller/dp/0316556327/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1F3NMW9XA8IZ5&keywords=circe+book+madeline+miller&qid=1680625411&s=books&sprefix=Circe%2Cstripbooks%2C102&sr=1-1

[Kareni]

Enjoy your new books and happy reading, @MEmama! I hope that you will successfully meet your goal.

Regards,

Kareni

[lynn]

Started this month reading The Passage

[QueenCat]

I'm reading Five Presidents by Clint Hill. He is a secret service agent that served under Five presidents,  starting with Eisenhower. 

[MEmama]

7 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

Circe is so good. I hope you enjoy it! I'm waiting on the audiobook of The Song of Achilles from the library right now. 

I'm glad to hear another recommendation! There might be a general theme to my current booklist... 🙂 

[BeachGal]

Just started The Rape of the Mind: The Psychology of Thought Control, Menticide, and Brainwashing by Joost Meerloo. A friend of mine who came to the US several decades ago as a Russian refugee recommended it.

[QueenCat]

9 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay - this is a horror novel that has some very interesting ideas dealing with religion and feminism but I feel like the book was lacking. It's told from the perspective of a woman whose family was the subject of a reality TV show about whether her old sister was possessed. It's worth reading but there are better books. 3/5 stars

 

This is my friend's cousin!

[KrissiK]

I finally finished "A Gentleman in Moscow". I was on a trip for a week and a half and literally had no time to read. However, on my trip I picked up "That Affair Next Door" by Anna Katherine Green. Nineteenth Century detective fiction. The first couple of pages have gone well, so I am looking forward to that. I also started "Purgatory Ridge" a Cork O'Conner book by William Kent Krueger. I think it's the 4th one in the series.

 

[Kareni]

I've finished several books ~

For my distant book group, I read Clock Dance: A novel by Anne Tyler. I found this to be a very quick read. I enjoyed the last section of the book the most but found the ending rather abrupt.

"A novel of self-discovery and second chances from the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning author—Willa Drake has had three opportunities to start her life over: in 1967, as a schoolgirl whose mother has suddenly disappeared; in 1977, when considering a marriage proposal; and in 1997, as a young widow trying to hold her family together.

So she is surprised when in 2017 she is given one last chance to change everything, after receiving a startling phone call from a stranger.

Without fully understanding why, she flies across the country to Baltimore to help a young woman she's never met. This impulsive decision, maybe the first one she’s consciously made in her life, will lead Willa into uncharted territory—surrounded by eccentric neighbors who treat each other like family, she finds solace and fulfillment in unexpected places."
**

I quite enjoyed All Gremlins Great & Small by T.M. Baumgartner and look forward to reading the book that follows this contemporary fantasy novella.

"Four years ago, Nessa’s careful life imploded when her husband disappeared during the first portal storm. Shimmering gateways to thousands of worlds appeared and vanished, sweeping away the unlucky. Later, the portals settled, but only a suicidal risk-taker would willingly touch one.
Nessa rebuilt her life and her veterinary practice, now specializing in xenotics — the creatures that resulted from evolutionary paths on other worlds. But she still leaves supplies along the route Mark was traveling, in case he makes his way back.
Hiking with a stranger to restock aid stations, Nessa realizes the portals have changed again. And this time she is the one in danger."

**

I also enjoyed yet another reread of Stray (Touchstone Book 1) by Andrea K. Höst. This science fiction book is FREE for Kindle readers. This is one of my comfort books.  (FIC 31, RR 15, NF 2, NS 6//)

"On her last day of high school, Cassandra Devlin walked out of exams and into a forest. Surrounded by the wrong sort of trees, and animals never featured in any nature documentary, Cass is only sure of one thing: alone, she will be lucky to survive.

The sprawl of abandoned blockish buildings Cass discovers offers her only more puzzles. Where are the people? What is the intoxicating mist which drifts off the buildings in the moonlight? And why does she feel like she's being watched?

Increasingly unnerved, Cass is overjoyed at the arrival of the formidable Setari. Whisked to a world as technologically advanced as the first was primitive, where nanotech computers are grown inside people's skulls, and few have any interest in venturing outside the enormous whitestone cities, Cass finds herself processed as a 'stray', a refugee displaced by the gates torn between worlds. Struggling with an unfamiliar language and culture, she must adapt to virtual classrooms, friends who can teleport, and the ingrained attitude that strays are backward and slow.

Can Cass ever find her way home? And after the people of her new world discover her unexpected value, will they be willing to let her leave?"

Regards,

Kareni

[Grace Hopper]

I am a few chapters into The Midnight Library. 
 

Someone please tell me it gets….brighter?

 

[KrissiK]

51 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

I am a few chapters into The Midnight Library. 
 

Someone please tell me it gets….brighter?

 

I loved that book. It was interesting.

[Kassia]

4 hours ago, Grace Hopper said:

I am a few chapters into The Midnight Library. 
 

Someone please tell me it gets….brighter?

 

I didn't like it but I'm super picky with fiction and most (all?) people I know who read it loved it.

I'm reading Next Level:  Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals through Menopause and Beyond by Stacy Sims. 

Just finished Idiot, by Laura Clery.  I was so-so about this but it was better than I expected.  I don't even know why I read it since I've never heard of her before.  

 

[MEmama]

4 hours ago, Kassia said:

I didn't like it but I'm super picky with fiction and most (all?) people I know who read it loved it.

I'm reading Next Level:  Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals through Menopause and Beyond by Stacy Sims. 

Just finished Idiot, by Laura Clery.  I was so-so about this but it was better than I expected.  I don't even know why I read it since I've never heard of her before.  

 

I need this.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts (helpful? Insightful? Woo?)

[marbel]

I've read/listened to 3 Jane Harper murder mystery novels in quick succession: Exiles, her newest, and then rereads of The Dry and Force of Nature, her 2 previous books featuring Aaron Falk, a police investigator in Australia. They are good books and worth the reread as I'd forgotten many of the details. Also I have a huge crush on Aaron Falk. 😊 There is some overlap in the 3 but it's not exactly essential to have read the first two, I don't think. 

I'm stalled on The Pickwick Papers but pick it up now and then. Also stalling a bit on Moby Dick but getting in at least 2 chapters a week. 

I started and rejected a few other books. 

Oh, I also started Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them by Dan Saladino. It's interesting and I'm only not finishing because I started it too late in my library loan period and it has to go back today. I'll request it again in the future and start it right away next time. Though it's interesting, I'm not sure it'll be one I'll reread so not planning to buy it for now. 

[Kassia]

2 hours ago, MEmama said:

I need this.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts (helpful? Insightful? Woo?)

I just started it but it was highly recommended to me by many friends and I expect it to be very informative.  Kind of funny for me to be reading it now.  I'm struggling with severe depression and anxiety and not even close to "kicking ass, feeling great, and crushing goals."  

[MEmama]

36 minutes ago, Kassia said:

I just started it but it was highly recommended to me by many friends and I expect it to be very informative.  Kind of funny for me to be reading it now.  I'm struggling with severe depression and anxiety and not even close to "kicking ass, feeling great, and crushing goals."  

Exactly the same, sister.

I think I'll add to my shelf for when (it is WHEN, right?!?) the feeling emerges from wherever it's hiding. 
 

Also though, are you okay? Sending ❤️

[Kassia]

41 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Exactly the same, sister.

I think I'll add to my shelf for when (it is WHEN, right?!?) the feeling emerges from wherever it's hiding. 
 

Also though, are you okay? Sending ❤️

I'm sorry you're struggling too.  

I'm not okay but getting through each day if that makes sense. I feel guilty talking about it here when it seems like so many are going through a lot more than I am.  

Hope we're both kicking ass, feeling great, and crushing goals soon.  Sending ❤️ right back at you.

[Vintage81]

13 hours ago, Grace Hopper said:

I am a few chapters into The Midnight Library. 
 

Someone please tell me it gets….brighter?

 

We read this for our book club a couple of years ago. Most of the others in the group really liked it, but I thought it was just meh. I didn't really care for the main character...I could just never get attached to her, if that makes sense. So many people love this book, so I consider myself an outlier on this one. ☺️

[KrissiK]

6 minutes ago, Vintage81 said:

We read this for our book club a couple of years ago. Most of the others in the group really liked it, but I thought it was just meh. I didn't really care for the main character...I could just never get attached to her, if that makes sense. So many people love this book, so I consider myself an outlier on this one. ☺️

i didn’t really get attached to the main character, either, but I thought the premise was fascinating and i liked the writing.

[Vintage81]

2 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

i didn’t really get attached to the main character, either, but I thought the premise was fascinating and i liked the writing.

I agree that the premise of the book was interesting. For me, the characters are pretty important, so if I struggle to connect to them, it's hard for me to connect to the story. I think I just start focusing on that, or something. ☺️ I went back and looked at the notes I took after I read the book, and I didn't feel like this book really expressed Nora's sorrow and depression very well...at least I didn't feel it. Since that goes along with the premise of the book, maybe that's why I had a hard time with it. There were some issues I had with the ending of the book too, but I don't want to spoil anything! This was not a bad book, by any means. I'd still consider reading more books by this author in the future. 

[Vintage81]

19 minutes ago, Vintage81 said:

We read this for our book club a couple of years ago. Most of the others in the group really liked it, but I thought it was just meh. I didn't really care for the main character...I could just never get attached to her, if that makes sense. So many people love this book, so I consider myself an outlier on this one. ☺️

Also, just quoting myself...I often call myself the "black sheep" of my book club because my opinion on our books often tends to be different from the others. Or sometimes maybe I just have more opinions than others!!! I don't know, maybe I'm just weird! 🤪 

[Kareni]

I reread another favorite, Quarter Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 1) by Nathan Lowell, which I'd describe as mellow slice of life science fiction. 

ETA: Continued on and read Half Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 2) by Nathan Lowell

(FIC 31, RR 17, NF 2, NS 6//)

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

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

Regards,

Kareni

[Laurel-in-CA]

I got on a Celia Lake tangent. - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Celia-Lake/author/B07M8PMXJ4?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Alternate Edwardian England with magic and associated mysteries to solve. Magical graduates of various skills-focused schools, with their own sub-houses. Not much crossover with normal people. The characters show up from novel to novel and there are several series that give chronologies for different figures. I found them engaging and fun.

Next book is Haunting of the Bonaventure Circus, for my book club.

Meawhile spending LOTS of $$ as house furnace AND water heater have needed replacement and bringing up to code. No eating out or anything else for a few months as we restock the exchequer!!

[Kidlit]

I finished  The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell this morning.  I would call this an entertaining *almost* cozy mystery in which the murder is secondary to all the character building.  This is yet another one of those books told from multiple perspectives. In this case, it's a whopping eight different characters or so. With that many characters, I suppose it's not unexpected that a few of their voices sound similar to me.  (Well, maybe not similar, but not different enough to be distinguished from the others by anything but plot.  Can you tell character development is the MOST important part of any story for me?). Anyway, I enjoyed this one a good bit, despite any "flaws" I might've perceived. 

[marbel]

19 minutes ago, Kidlit said:

I finished  The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell this morning.  I would call this an entertaining *almost* cozy mystery in which the murder is secondary to all the character building.  This is yet another one of those books told from multiple perspectives. In this case, it's a whopping eight different characters or so. With that many characters, I suppose it's not unexpected that a few of their voices sound similar to me.  (Well, maybe not similar, but not different enough to be distinguished from the others by anything but plot.  Can you tell character development is the MOST important part of any story for me?). Anyway, I enjoyed this one a good bit, despite any "flaws" I might've perceived. 

This one just came in on Libby today! So I'll be shoving other books aside to start this one tonight or tomorrow.

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by marbel

[KrissiK]

On 4/7/2023 at 8:36 AM, Vintage81 said:

I agree that the premise of the book was interesting. For me, the characters are pretty important, so if I struggle to connect to them, it's hard for me to connect to the story. I think I just start focusing on that, or something. ☺️ I went back and looked at the notes I took after I read the book, and I didn't feel like this book really expressed Nora's sorrow and depression very well...at least I didn't feel it. Since that goes along with the premise of the book, maybe that's why I had a hard time with it. There were some issues I had with the ending of the book too, but I don't want to spoil anything! This was not a bad book, by any means. I'd still consider reading more books by this author in the future. 

I find, personally, that what appeals to me in a book changes over time and I think people all have different things that they value in a book. In the past I only went for plot driven books.  I was addicted to Harry Bosche books for a while. Now, it's good writing. That's why I liked "A Gentleman in Moscow" so much. I like authors who love words and use words well.

Some people like good plots, some like relatable characters. Some people like good character development. It's all different.

 

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by KrissiK

[Kassia]

22 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

. Now, it's good writing. That's why I liked "A Gentleman in Moscow" so much. I like authors who love words and use words well.

 

 

 

Good writing makes such a difference!  A good story can be awful with bad writing, but good writing can keep me reading something I ordinarily wouldn't enjoy much just because the writing is so beautiful.  It's really amazing.  

[KrissiK]

9 minutes ago, Kassia said:

Good writing makes such a difference!  A good story can be awful with bad writing, but good writing can keep me reading something I ordinarily wouldn't enjoy much just because the writing is so beautiful.  It's really amazing.  

Some writing can just be intoxicating. It's like, who cares about the plot or the characters. I just want to roll around in these words forever.

[cuckoomamma]

I just finished The German Wife. I’ve read a lot on WWII, but this was a new perspective and would recommend it.

[Kareni]

Continued my reread spree with Full Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 3) by Nathan Lowell which I enjoyed once again. (FIC 31, RR 18, NF 2, NS 6//)

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I recently finished Trading in Danger (Vatta's War Book 1) by Elizabeth Moon which I enjoyed. This is a science fiction novel.  (FIC 32, RR 18, NF 2, NS 6//)

"Kylara Vatta is the only daughter in a family full of sons, and her father’s only child to buck tradition by choosing a military career instead of joining the family business. For Ky, it’s no contest: Even running the prestigious Vatta Transport Ltd. shipping concern can’t hold a candle to shipping out as an officer aboard an interstellar cruiser. It’s adventure, not commerce, that stirs her soul. And despite her family’s misgivings, there can be no doubt that a Vatta in the service will prove a valuable asset. But with a single error in judgment, it all comes crumbling down.

Expelled from the Academy in disgrace–and returning home to her humiliated family, a storm of high-profile media coverage, and the gaping void of her own future–Ky is ready to face the inevitable onslaught of anger, disappointment, even pity. But soon after opportunity’s door slams shut, Ky finds herself with a ticket to ride– and a shot at redemption–as captain of a Vatta Transport ship.

It’s a simple assignment: escorting one of the Vatta fleet’s oldest ships on its final voyage . . . to the scrapyard. But keeping it simple has never been Ky’s style. And even though her father has provided a crew of seasoned veterans to baby-sit the fledgling captain on her maiden milk run, they can’t stop Ky from turning the routine mission into a risky venture–in the name of turning a profit for Vatta Transport, of course.

By snapping up a lucrative delivery contract defaulted on by a rival company, and using part of the proceeds to upgrade her condemned vehicle, Ky aims to prove she’s got more going for her than just her family’s famous name. But business will soon have to take a backseat to bravery, when Ky’s change of plans sails her and the crew straight into the middle of a colonial war. For all her commercial savvy, it’s her military training and born-soldier’s instincts that Ky will need to call on in the face of deadly combat, dangerous mercenaries, and violent mutiny. . . ."
Regards,

Kareni

[Kidlit]

I listened to Tana French's The Searcher in audio, which was very well done.  I enjoyed the story and its setting (Irish countryside) a lot.  It goes have a LOT of language, particularly the F word.  I mean--a LOT.  That's the only thing that gives me pause about continuing with French's novels.  I can tolerate it some, but again, this was a lot. 
ETA:  too bad I'm not getting paid for how many time I used the phrase a lot--I'd have A LOT of money. 🤣

Edited April 12, 2023 by Kidlit

[Ellie]

Eye candy. Currently, my bedtime eye candy is Anne McCaffrey's Pern trilogy. 🙂

[marbel]

7 hours ago, Kidlit said:

I listened to Tana French's The Searcher in audio, which was very well done.  I enjoyed the story and its setting (Irish countryside) a lot.  It goes have a LOT of language, particularly the F word.  I mean--a LOT.  That's the only thing that gives me pause about continuing with French's novels.  I can tolerate it some, but again, this was a lot. 
ETA:  too bad I'm not getting paid for how many time I used the phrase a lot--I'd have A LOT of money. 🤣

Ah, If you can get beyond the language I highly recommend her other books. I've read them all, some multiple times, and I found The Searcher to be a disappointment and the weakest of her books. But yes, there is language in all. 

[Vintage81]

Yesterday I finished The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This is the first book I've read by this author. It was an interesting story about the women codebreakers in England during WWII. The book follows a trio of women and their journeys throughout the war. The book felt a little bit long at times and funny enough the part I liked the least was the bit about the Rose Code. 😝 Overall, though, I enjoyed learning about these women and another facet of WWII I knew nothing about. (4 stars)

[Kidlit]

1 hour ago, marbel said:

Ah, If you can get beyond the language I highly recommend her other books. I've read them all, some multiple times, and I found The Searcher to be a disappointment and the weakest of her books. But yes, there is language in all. 

Thanks for the recommendation.  I actually found the story line, especially the part about Cal's moral compass and the parts about the young men leaving the countryside or giving up, quite compelling.  I didn't particularly love how the mystery was resolved, but it was slightly less important to me in this novel than the characters.  It reminded me a little of Inspector Gamache in that way. 

[KrissiK]

1 hour ago, Vintage81 said:

Yesterday I finished The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This is the first book I've read by this author. It was an interesting story about the women codebreakers in England during WWII. The book follows a trio of women and their journeys throughout the war. The book felt a little bit long at times and funny enough the part I liked the least was the bit about the Rose Code. 😝 Overall, though, I enjoyed learning about these women and another facet of WWII I knew nothing about. (4 stars)

“The Woman Who Smashed Codes: The True Story of Love, Spies and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies” by Jason Fagone. I read this book several years ago. It’s about Elizebeth Smith Friedman, an American code breaker during WWII. Absolutely brilliant woman. I loved this book. You should pick it up.

Edited April 12, 2023 by KrissiK