September 2023: What are you reading?

[Vintage81]

24 minutes ago, 4kidlets4me said:

I loved that book, and all of his other books as well. My Best Friend's Exorcism is probably my favorite. I'm saving his newest one for later this year.

Oooohhhh yes…this one is definitely on my TBR! 

[Quarter Note]

@bookbard, remember a few weeks ago when you urged me to read The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge?  I finished it a few days ago, and I loved it!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  How could I have ever gotten to my age and not read that book?  It was absolutely beautiful. ❤️  

[GailV]

Pouring Concrete: a Zen Path to the Kingdom of God by Robert Harwood. I heard him on a podcast and thus gave him a try. Meh.

The Power of Awe: Introducing the Scientifically Proven A.W.E. Method by Jake Eagle and Michael Amster. I heard the authors on the 10 percent Happier podcast, loved the concept (micro-dosing mindfulness), and decided to read the book even though the podcast pretty much told everything you need to know to do it. The first 40-50 percent of the book I really regretted that decision -- so very boring -- research and studies, Porges and polyvagal theory, blah blah blah. Then they delved into Perception Language, which I'd not heard of before, and I was absolutely fascinated. Loved the rest of the book. I will be proselytizing about A.W.E. (Attention, Wait, Exhale/Expand - takes about 15 - 30 seconds) for weeks to come.

[Kareni]

I continue to ignore my many unread library books and happily finished rereading The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I recommend this fantasy; one of the things I like about it is that the main character is a genuinely good person. (FIC 83, RR 40, NF 9, NS 21, GN 2, PIC 1///)

"The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three half brothers in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne–or his life."

Regards,

Kareni

[Laurel-in-CA]

On 9/11/2023 at 2:23 PM, Quarter Note said:

@bookbard, remember a few weeks ago when you urged me to read The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge?  I finished it a few days ago, and I loved it!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  How could I have ever gotten to my age and not read that book?  It was absolutely beautiful. ❤️  

That author's Pilgrim's Inn series is also very good, as is Scent of Water.

[Grace Hopper]

@Kareni I loved The Goblin Emperor. 

[Brittany1116]

Finished Lottie Moon. Easy to read and in top half of the YA missionary bios I have read now.

Rereading (via audio) Whatever Happened to Penny Candy for eldest child's co-op class preparation.

Just started the 2021 version of Teach Your Own by John Holt and Pat Farenga. 

[Kareni]

53 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

@Kareni I loved The Goblin Emperor. 

It's such a wonderful book! How do you feel about the author's other books?

Regards,

Kareni

[Grace Hopper]

43 minutes ago, Kareni said:

It's such a wonderful book! How do you feel about the author's other books?

Regards,

Kareni

I just went through my reading lists and couldn’t find a note that I’d read Witness for the Dead. I feel sure I finished it. I thought it was good, iirc, but it wasn’t as good as The Goblin Emperor. I confess I get slowed down when fantasy authors give their characters long, hard to pronounce names, and sometimes that makes the plot and/or pacing of the whole story seem slow. Perhaps you are better at reading odd names easily and it doesn’t bother you. 
 

I would like to read Angel of the Crows, and I think I checked it out back in 2020 after reading Goblin, but I got sidetracked on a Mrs Pollifax bender and returned it unread. I should put it back on my list and aim for October, sounds like a good spooky season read. Have you read it? I like just a little spookiness. 😁👻

[Kareni]

@Grace Hopper, I read Witness for the Dead as well as the next book featuring that same lead character. I enjoyed them but not nearly as much as The Goblin Emperor. I tried Angel of the Crows, but it was not speaking to me so I soon set it aside. (I abandon books with ... abandon!) If/when you read it, I look forward to learning your thoughts.

I do hear you on the difficulty of the names in The Goblin Emperor. I confess that the only name I know is Maia's; the rest of the names simply pass before my eyes. My daughter tells me that she gifts the characters simpler names.

Regards,

Kareni

[marbel]

I finished The Whispers (Ashley Audrain). It was quick listen but one of those books that made me feel slightly yuck after I finished it. It's the story of 4 women, affluent neighbors in a gentrified suburb, with one Big Drama in the story and lots of little dramas around it. There were some very graphic depictions of sexual activity which always annoy me. All in all I felt like I could have used my reading/listening time better.

ETA: infertility and miscarriage figure prominently in this book as well.

I've started (on audio) An Expert in Murder (Nicola Upson), which casts Josephine Tey as herself, assisting in a murder investigation. I've read some Tey (my mother loved her) and find her books hit or miss, but I want to reread The Daughter of Time, which I had thought OK about 30 years ago but might better appreciate now. 

Also started A Room with a View (E M Forster) as a bedtime book (paperback) but finding it a bit slow and can't get through more than a few pages at a time. I suppose that might be good for bedtime reading, but maybe I need to pick it up during the day! 

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by marbel

[4kidlets4me]

I finished Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. First of all I can't believe she wrote this as a teenager, wow! I went into this expecting a horror novel, yet there was nothing actually horrifying about this book! Do you think 19th century readers were scared when reading this? Instead of being afraid I just found it incredibly sad. I got annoyed with how many times Frankenstein fainted, came down with a fever, got delirium etc. Seriously dude, buck up! 4 stars.

[Kassia]

6 minutes ago, 4kidlets4me said:

I finished Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. First of all I can't believe she wrote this as a teenager, wow! I went into this expecting a horror novel, yet there was nothing actually horrifying about this book! Do you think 19th century readers were scared when reading this? Instead of being afraid I just found it incredibly sad. I got annoyed with how many times Frankenstein fainted, came down with a fever, got delirium etc. Seriously dude, buck up! 4 stars.

I felt the same way about how young Mary Shelley was when she wrote it and how sad the story actually was instead of scary.  I checked Goodreads and I also gave it 4 stars. It's been a while since I read it, but I am pretty sure the same things annoyed me.  🙂  

[bookbard]

On 9/12/2023 at 7:23 AM, Quarter Note said:

@bookbard, remember a few weeks ago when you urged me to read The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge?  I finished it a few days ago, and I loved it!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  How could I have ever gotten to my age and not read that book?  It was absolutely beautiful. ❤️  

Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's a wonderful book.

I found a new series which I'm enjoying. If you like fantasy with explorations of religion and politics, kind of like The Goblin Emperor, you should like City of Stairs. I am reading the second one at the moment and it's good too. 

[Kidlit]

Just finished the audio of Jill Duggar's new book Counting the Cost.  It's not an enjoyable read, but it is well done and feels very genuine.  Jill's reading of her own story heightens all this, of course. 

[Ottakee]

2 hours ago, Kidlit said:

Just finished the audio of Jill Duggar's new book Counting the Cost.  It's not an enjoyable read, but it is well done and feels very genuine.  Jill's reading of her own story heightens all this, of course. 

I am 185th in line for the book.  

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

I am 185th in line for the book.  

Number 204 here.  

I'm reading Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton. 

[Kareni]

11 hours ago, bookbard said:

If you like fantasy with explorations of religion and politics, kind of like The Goblin Emperor, you should like City of Stairs. I am reading the second one at the moment and it's good too. 

My husband also enjoyed City of Stairs and the sequels.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kidlit]

2 hours ago, Ottakee said:

I am 185th in line for the book.  

I used an Audible credit! I use all the library apps I have access to AND I still have an audible acct, so I usually have a bank of credits. 

[Kareni]

Bookish posts ~

Jo Walton’s Reading List: August 2023

Let Your Reading List Be Your Travel Guide

It’s Time To Pick Up a Crunchy Autumnal Book

Regards,

Kareni

[4kidlets4me]

I finished The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. I think this is the 4th or 5th book I've read by this author and this one was just as great as the others. My favorite is still The Sundown Motel. If you like creepy ghosts looking for revenge this one is for you! 4 stars.

[Grace Hopper]

41 minutes ago, 4kidlets4me said:

I finished The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. I think this is the 4th or 5th book I've read by this author and this one was just as great as the others. My favorite is still The Sundown Motel. If you like creepy ghosts looking for revenge this one is for you! 4 stars.

Oh, Simone St James is a great author for spooky season reads! I don’t typically look for ghost stories but her writing intrigues me. 

[Kareni]

I just finished Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession, and Greed Along Coastal South Africa by Matthew Gavin Frank which my book group will be discussing on Wednesday. I found it a rather depressing read and would give many content warnings. (FIC 83, RR 40, NF 10, NS 21, GN 2, PIC 1//)

"For nearly eighty years, a huge portion of coastal South Africa was closed off to the public. With many of its pits now deemed “overmined” and abandoned, American journalist Matthew Gavin Frank sets out across the infamous Diamond Coast to investigate an illicit trade that supplies a global market. Immediately, he became intrigued by the ingenious methods used in facilitating smuggling particularly, the illegal act of sneaking carrier pigeons onto mine property, affixing diamonds to their feet, and sending them into the air.

Entering Die Sperrgebiet (“The Forbidden Zone”) is like entering an eerie ghost town, but Frank is surprised by the number of people willing—even eager—to talk with him. Soon he meets Msizi, a young diamond digger, and his pigeon, Bartholomew, who helps him steal diamonds. It’s a deadly game: pigeons are shot on sight by mine security, and Msizi knows of smugglers who have disappeared because of their crimes. For this, Msizi blames “Mr. Lester,” an evil tall-tale figure of mythic proportions.

From the mining towns of Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, through the “halfway” desert, to Kleinzee’s shores littered with shipwrecks, Frank investigates a long overlooked story. Weaving interviews with local diamond miners who raise pigeons in secret with harrowing anecdotes from former heads of security, environmental managers, and vigilante pigeon hunters, Frank reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town.

Interwoven throughout this obsessive quest are epic legends in which pigeons and diamonds intersect, such as that of Krishna’s famed diamond Koh-i-Noor, the Mountain of Light, and that of the Cherokee serpent Uktena. In these strange connections, where truth forever tangles with the lore of centuries past, Frank is able to contextualize the personal grief that sent him, with his wife Louisa in the passenger seat, on this enlightening journey across parched lands."

Regards,

Kareni

[4kidlets4me]

I finished Lone Women by Victor Lavalle today. I was worried I wouldn't like it as much as The Changeling but I did! It was just as great but a little less creepy. 5 stars.

[Vintage81]

Just finished The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry. This is a dual timeline which starts in 1939 when two sisters, Hazel and Flora, are evacuated from London during Operation Pied Piper. The girls ended up living in a charming town with a mother and son. Being 6 years old at the time, Flora would get scared of things, so 14 year old Hazel would comfort her by telling her stories about a magical fairy tale land just for the two of them...Whisperwood. For a while things were going well, until one day the children were playing by the river and Flora suddenly vanishes. She was never found, the police coming to the conclusion the girl probably drowned. Fast forward twenty years and Hazel is still carrying the guilt of losing her sister. Hazel works at a bookstore and one day a special book shows up called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. She's confused because the only other person to know about this magical land was Flora. This gets Hazels mind racing and hoping...could Flora be alive?

I loved the premise of this story...books, fairy tales, magical places, WWII...so many things I love. It didn't suck me in as much as I'd hoped, but it was still a good read. The pacing was questionable at times. The twist/ending happened pretty quickly after a pretty slow-paced story. (4 stars)

[Grace Hopper]

1 hour ago, Vintage81 said:

Just finished The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry. This is a dual timeline which starts in 1939 when two sisters, Hazel and Flora, are evacuated from London during Operation Pied Piper. The girls ended up living in a charming town with a mother and son. Being 6 years old at the time, Flora would get scared of things, so 14 year old Hazel would comfort her by telling her stories about a magical fairy tale land just for the two of them...Whisperwood. For a while things were going well, until one day the children were playing by the river and Flora suddenly vanishes. She was never found, the police coming to the conclusion the girl probably drowned. Fast forward twenty years and Hazel is still carrying the guilt of losing her sister. Hazel works at a bookstore and one day a special book shows up called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. She's confused because the only other person to know about this magical land was Flora. This gets Hazels mind racing and hoping...could Flora be alive?

I loved the premise of this story...books, fairy tales, magical places, WWII...so many things I love. It didn't suck me in as much as I'd hoped, but it was still a good read. The pacing was questionable at times. The twist/ending happened pretty quickly after a pretty slow-paced story. (4 stars)

This sounds like a really interesting premise!

[Vintage81]

Just realized I forgot to post about finishing another book last week...Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman. This one is about what happens in California when a catastrophic drought leads to all of the water supply running out. They call it the Tap Out. It's kind of an interesting thought experiment, and the story definitely took us on a journey (I read this one aloud to DDs). I think there were some plot holes and it was kind of unsatisfying not knowing how or why some things ended up the way they did...they just were. It was still fun, although it made us thirsty reading it! (3.5 stars)

[Kassia]

On 9/15/2023 at 5:56 PM, Kassia said:

 

I'm reading Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton. 

Finished this.  It was pretty good.  I'm not a big Harry Potter fan, but it had some behind the scenes stuff and it was a quick easy read.  

 

On 9/4/2023 at 4:42 PM, Kassia said:

 

Then I read All the Colors Came Out: A Father, a Daughter, and a Lifetime of Lessons.  This memoir broke my heart.  It was written by a daughter whose father died of ALS.  I cried at the end and reread parts of it and cried all over again.  

I just read another book by this author (Kate Fagan),  What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen.  Very sad.  "This is the story of Maddy Holleran's life, and her struggle with depression, which also reveals the mounting pressures young people - and college athletes in particular - face to be perfect, especially in an age of relentless connectivity and social media saturation. "

[GailV]

Reverse Meditation by Andrew Holecek. I have an author-crush on Holecek, and I think this is now my favorite book of his.

[Vintage81]

27 minutes ago, GailV said:

Reverse Meditation by Andrew Holecek. I have an author-crush on Holecek, and I think this is now my favorite book of his.

Author-crush…I like that ☺️

[dirty ethel rackham]

I'm finishing up We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker on audio.  A friend was reading it for her book club and loved it.  Maybe it is a better read than a listen, but I'm finding it very depressing.  It is about a 13 year old girl and her younger brother who lose their mother to murder.  30 years earlier, their mother's little sister was killed in a tragic accident and a local kid was handed a hard sentence.  The police chief was the childhood best friend to the kid who went to prison.  It is a part murder mystery and part I don't know what to call it.   

I keep waiting for something good to happen, but every time there is a hint of something good, it gets ripped away.  I feel like my heart is getting stomped on over and over again.  This is why I could not finish The Great Alone.  This wasn't the best choice of an audiobook for my commute as I've wiped away tears as I was pulling into work.  I have about 90 minutes left and am still waiting for someone to get a reasonably satisfying ending.  

[Kareni]

Any other romance fans here?

Stuff your e-reader with over 1,000 free romances. Offer is valid between Sept 20 and Sept 22, 2023.

https://www.romancebookworms.com/

Regards,

Kareni

[lynn]

The Private Life of Spies and the Exquisite Art of getting Even

The Light We Give

A Burning

[Kareni]

Did you enjoy the three books, @lynn?

I read the second with my book group a few years ago and liked it.

Regards,

Kareni

[Amoret]

On 9/12/2023 at 10:12 PM, Kareni said:

I tried Angel of the Crows, but it was not speaking to me so I soon set it aside. (I abandon books with ... abandon!) If/when you read it, I look forward to learning your thoughts.

I just finished this! I loved the Goblin Emperor and liked the Witness for the Dead books quite a bit. I have mixed feelings about this one, but I am glad I read it. It was a light and quick read, which was a nice change of pace from my other books. Addison included an end note that explained that the book started out as a type of Arthur Conan Doyle fan fiction, which makes sense (I think that the Baskerville section may have been a stand-alone short story at one point, or at least it read that way). It was like a whole series of little Sherlock-Holmes style murder mysteries with the Jack the Ripper through narrative. I thought the world was interesting, but feel like it didn't wholly hold together. I mostly liked the characters, and I thought the premise was intriguing, but strange. Lately, I have been drawn to books with characters who feel like outsiders or who don't quite fit in to their societies, and I am always interested to see how they navigate their worlds. This was a central theme in Angel of the Crows, and I liked how the book traced the ways the main character managed to build a small community of other misfits and to find a place in the strange version of Victorian London that Addison creates.

This is one of the qualities I like best about Ursula K. LeGuin's fiction, and I have been working my way through her collected works. I just finished (or mostly finished) Always Coming Home. This book was a monumental achievement, and it was clearly a tremendous amount of work. It reads like an anthropological study of a post-technology, post-apocalyptic society in the far future that has returned to nature. It is a mixture of fiction narrative, "non-fiction" elements about the world and society, poetry, drama, art, maps, and more. I wanted to love it because I love so much of her work, but I just ... didn't. I thought it was strange and difficult to read, and the society seemed joyless. Maybe that was the point? I have to think about it more, but it felt like work to get through.

I am just over half way through The Pickwick Papers -- it is one of the last two Dickens novels I have left to read (Martin Chuzzlewit is the other), and it is also slow going. I gave up on it twice previously, but have kept on with it this time. It gets *much* better once Sam is introduced. It is funny, though, and parts are genuinely wonderful. I had a graduate seminar in Dickens, which I loved dearly, and it has been interesting to fill in gaps in my understanding of the progression of his works. I feel like Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford was written in response to this book. It was first published in Dickens's Household Words, and it explicitly pokes fun of his Pickwick Papers, but in an endearing lighthearted way. If PP is about the adventures of men who never stay home, Cranford is about the adventures of women who never leave their town. Of the two, I prefer Cranford, but PP is worth reading.

I have also been reading Peter Elbow's Writing Without Teachers (which, I think, is the origin of the idea of group peer review in writing classes [or one of the early proponents of the practice], which is VERY different than the way it is commonly used in classrooms today). If you are interested in composition theory and practice, you should read it. I just got his Writing With Power from interlibrary loan. It looks interesting, but it's too early to tell if it has any useful advice or insights.

My favorite recent find, though, is a collection of poems by Mary Oliver (Devotions). I have never read much poetry for pleasure, especially contemporary poetry, but hers are wonderful and accessible. Each one is a sort of small meditation on nature, meaning, and identity.

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Amoret

[Kassia]

Pickwick Papers is DH's favorite book!  🙂 

[Kareni]

@Amoret, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on Angel of the Crows and more. Thank you!

Regards,

Kareni

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

@Amoret, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on Angel of the Crows and more. Thank you!

Regards,

Kareni

Me too!  I put Cranford on my to read list because of her post.  🙂 

[Amoret]

22 minutes ago, Kassia said:

Me too!  I put Cranford on my to read list because of her post. 

After you read it, you might consider watching the recent BBC version of the book. It is based primarily on Cranford, but it also combines elements from some of Gaskell's other works. It is a well cast and fun adaptation.

[Kareni]

I've finished several works ~

Total Creative Control (Creative Types Book 1) by Joanna Chambers

was an enjoyable contemporary romance featuring a script writer and a personal assistant (both male). (Adult content)

"Sunshine PA, meet Grumpy Boss...

When fanfic writer Aaron Page landed a temp job with the creator of hit TV show, Leeches, it was only meant to last a week. Three years later, Aaron’s still there...

It could be because he loves the creative challenge. It could be because he’s a huge Leeches fanboy. It’s definitely not because of Lewis Hunter, his extremely demanding, staggeringly rude...and breathtakingly gorgeous boss.

Is it?

Lewis Hunter grew up the hard way and fought for everything he’s got. His priority is the show, and personal relationships come a distant second. Besides, who needs romance when you have a steady stream of hot men hopping in and out of your bed?

His only meaningful relationship is with Aaron, his chief confidante and indispensable assistant. And no matter how appealing he finds Aaron’s cute boy-next-door charms, Lewis would never risk their professional partnership just to scratch an itch.

But when Lewis finds himself trapped at a hilariously awful corporate retreat, Aaron is his only friend and ally. As the professional lines between them begin to blur, their simmering attraction starts to sizzle

… And they’re both about to get burned."

**

I enjoyed His Last Christmas in London by Con Riley which features a restaurant critic and a photographer (both male and with an age difference of some twenty years). I will happily read more by this author. NOTE: this book is currently FREE. (Adult content)

"Falling for his final client won’t make leaving London easy…

Ian ~ A talented, young photographer desperate to stay in London.

Guy ~ An older, fierce food critic, determined to keep him in his city.

Ian shouldn’t be attracted to a scathing food critic like Guy Parsons, not after the last time he fell for someone older, arrogant, and gorgeous. He knows better than to let dramatic good looks sway him since his last heartbreak. Besides, he’s accepted a new job at the far end of the country and won’t be staying in London.

Having one month left doesn’t seem enough now Ian’s fallen in love with the city. Working as Guy’s photographer for December might help him afford to stay for longer, even if he hates Guy’s brand of restaurant reviewing. When Guy turns out to be worlds away from the last man Ian fell for, shared meals soon result in shared secrets and feelings."

**

I also enjoyed We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye by Layne Deemer. In this romance, a young woman from the present day visits a rather retro café only to come to realize that it's 1934 there. She and the café owner become involved. NOTE: this book is currently FREE. (Some adult content)

"Sylvie Masters has been climbing the corporate ladder in search of an office with a view. She's sure once she's made it to the top, everything else will fall into place.

But here she is in the corner office lined with windows and life has never looked so dull. Everyday is a replica of the one before. Life is predictable. And boring.

Until she walks into Cole's Café. It's there she learns that happiness isn't earned. It's discovered. You just have to look for it."

**

I also read a fantasy novella that is the start of an upcoming series, The Untouchable Sky  by Will Forrest. This is FREE at the link I provided. It details a young man becoming aware that he has magical powers. Content warnings for prior abuse.

"It’s hard to stay ordinary when you have the power to reshape the world

After a lifetime of cruel treatment for his illness, his strangeness, his sensitivities, all Jaime wants is to be ordinary.  Unfortunately he’s heir to a magical legacy with the power to reshape the world. Or so says the most extraordinary man he’s ever met.

A member of the Royal Society of Magisters, Lord Adrian Lear is charming, persistent, and thoroughly convinced that Jaime is a water-worker, able to bend the element to his will, to use as a tool or weapon.  A fact too strange for Jaime to believe, yet when their lives are put in danger by Lear’s age-old enemy, Jaime’s untested power may be the only hope they have to survive."

(FIC 86, RR 40, NF 10, NS 22, GN 2, PIC 1///)

Regards,

Kareni

[GailV]

Trust the Plan:the Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy that Unhinged America by Will Sommer. Yikes.

As I started reading I decided I needed to alternate this with something else so I didn't get too depressed. I randomly chose from the stack:

The Four Agreements: a Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. And what a bizarre combo that was -- Ruiz is really likes the metaphor that our words are magic, and we poison the world with the black magic of our negative words. Welp, that pretty much sums up QAnon. It was sort of eery to read the two books together. Other than that, Four Agreements was rambling and repetitive, and could've been an essay. But, whatever, good for the author for making this into an entire little industry of books and cards. Love the cover art. May conspiracy theory enthusiasts everywhere read it and take it to heart.

I just got notified that 2 holds are in, including Codename Charming. Yay! I need a palate cleanser, and that's exactly what I expect from the book!

[marbel]

I finished An Expert in Murder (Nicola Upson), a book placing novelist Josephine Tey in a fictional murder mystery related to her play "Richard of Bordeaux" (which she wrote as Gordon Daviot). I listened to the audio and thought it was pretty good.  I'd go on with the series as it's easy enough to  listen to.

I just started the audio of Northern Spy (Flynn Berry) a story set in Northern Ireland, related to IRA terrorism. It's keeping my interest though I dislike that it's told in present tense; I don't know why that annoys me but it does.

I really want to read something more than mysteries and other easy fiction right now, but whenever I start something "harder" (such as a classic novel) or some nonfiction, I just set it aside. I suppose it doesn't really sound like a problem, but I want to figure out how to shake myself out of it. Even a beloved book like Les Miserables seems too hard right now. Anyone relate? I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been in this situation!

 

[Kidlit]

I finished The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown in audio sometime in the last couple of weeks.  It's narrative nonfiction and compellingly told, despite the "harrowing" subject matter.  I did not love the narrator but adapted to his voice well enough to finish it.   I'd recommend it for history buffs who have the emotional fortitude for a tale of physical and psychological extremity.  

[GailV]

Codename Charming by Lucy Parker. @Kareni reviewed this a few weeks ago. Sweet and fluffy fun.

[Kareni]

I quite enjoyed the contemporary romance Role Playing by Cathy Yardley though it took a while to grab me. This featured a woman (48) and a man (50) who become friends in an online game. Due to a misunderstanding, he initially thinks she's his mother's age while she thinks he's her son's age. (Adult content and language)

"Maggie is an unapologetically grumpy forty-eight-year-old hermit. But when her college-aged son makes her a deal—he’ll be more social if she does the same—she can’t refuse. She joins a new online gaming guild led by a friendly healer named Otter. So that nobody gets the wrong idea, she calls herself Bogwitch.

Otter is Aiden, a fifty-year-old optimist using the guild as an emotional outlet from his family drama caring for his aging mother while his brother plays house with Aiden’s ex-fiancée.

Bogwitch and Otter become fast virtual friends, but there’s a catch. Bogwitch thinks Otter is a college student. Otter assumes Bogwitch is an octogenarian.

When they finally meet face to face—after a rocky, shocking start—the unlikely pair of sunshine and stormy personalities grow tentatively closer. But Maggie’s previous relationships have left her bitter, and Aiden’s got a complicated past of his own.

Everything’s easier online. Can they make it work in real life?"

(FIC 87, RR 40, NF 10, NS 22, GN 2, PIC 1//)

Regards,

Kareni

[Quarter Note]

On 9/12/2023 at 5:47 PM, Laurel-in-CA said:

That author's Pilgrim's Inn series is also very good, as is Scent of Water.

Oh, thank you!  I'll put those on my list as well!

[Quarter Note]

On 9/14/2023 at 3:22 PM, 4kidlets4me said:

I finished Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. First of all I can't believe she wrote this as a teenager, wow! I went into this expecting a horror novel, yet there was nothing actually horrifying about this book! Do you think 19th century readers were scared when reading this? Instead of being afraid I just found it incredibly sad. I got annoyed with how many times Frankenstein fainted, came down with a fever, got delirium etc. Seriously dude, buck up! 4 stars.

I had the very same reaction to Frankenstein..  I read it summer 2022 (without wanting to) because my daughter was going to read it for a class the next semester.  I was amazed that I really enjoyed it!  What a great discussion book - it brought up all kinds of questions to think about.

[Quarter Note]

On 9/15/2023 at 4:38 AM, bookbard said:

Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's a wonderful book.

I found a new series which I'm enjoying. If you like fantasy with explorations of religion and politics, kind of like The Goblin Emperor, you should like City of Stairs. I am reading the second one at the moment and it's good too. 

Thank you!  I'll look into that one, too!

[Kassia]

Just finished an intense memoir, Everything/Nothing/Someone.  

Now I'm reading Loud by Tana Douglas (the first female roadie).  

[Quarter Note]

On 9/21/2023 at 12:15 PM, Amoret said:

I am just over half way through The Pickwick Papers -- it is one of the last two Dickens novels I have left to read (Martin Chuzzlewit is the other), and it is also slow going.

Oh, Amoret, keep going!  I loved Pickwick!  Honestly, the second half is much better than the first.  It ends gloriously.  

I really think that Pickwick was Dickens' warm-up novel.  You see him working out everything there that you come to love in his later works.