Weekly Reading Round-Up
This week, I did something I never, ever do. I re-read one of my own books.
I don’t usually like reading my own work once it’s in proper book form. There’s too high a likelihood I’ll stumble across words I should have changed or paragraphs I should have chucked. But I had promised to write a new piece about Miles and Henrietta and it occurred to me that it had been some time since I had written their book. By some time, I mean six years. How did that happen? It didn’t feel like that long. But there it was. I wrote the bulk of The Masque of the Black Tulip
In any event, a long time ago.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Henrietta and Miles still sounded much the same way on the page as they did in my head, although rather amused to find that Turnip Fitzhugh had begun the book as “Reggie” and gradually morphed into “Turnip” by the end of the book. Odd to think of Turnip being called Reggie by anyone other than Sally, isn’t it?
But I digress. This was meant to be Reading Round-Up, not “Memory Lane: Black Tulip Edition”. Now that I’m done with Black Tulip, I’m re-reading a very old Elizabeth Peters novel, The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits
What have you been reading?
You know what, I think I’m going to re-read Black tulip just before you publish the bonus! I might re-read the whole series, in the course of the year, juste to keep me waiting for your next book!
As for me, I spent the whole week with Jamie and Claire fraser. And I’m only half way through the book, so I guess that I’ll spend another week with them! It’s my first time with Jamie and I have to admit that I’m totally hooked…
Oh, and how did you find The Distant Hours???
I am working on the House at Riverton –lovely and goes perfectly with Downton Abbey. I have also begun Elizabeth Boyle’s Bachelor Chronicles series (just finished this Rake of Mine and began on Love Letters from a Duke). Highly entertaining.
Ha Celine…I too have spent the week with Jaime & Claire in Voyager. I have to admit, it’s getting a little old. I thought the phrase “s&%t happens” was one of the themes to my life, but these two take the cake. It’s getting a little old to be honest. I should finish it up this weekend and seriously doubt I’ll continue with the series.
I’m still slogging away at Tess of the d’Urbervilles. I really really want to like this book, and it has its moments, but I’m so bored…
About 1/2 way through A Dance With Dragons, and slogging my way through Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I waited weeks to get that ebook from the library, and all I’ve done is confirm that in novels, anway, the spy genre ain’t for me.
I felt the same way about the Outlander series – loved the first one but each one progressively got a little less great. The last one really irritated me. However, do I love all of Kate Morton’s books.
This week, I’m finally reading the ARC of Teresa Grant’s “Imperial Scandal” and it’s fantastic!
I just finished The Other Life by Ellen Meister. Very good. Now I am smiling through Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil
I just finished The Other Life by Ellen Meister. Very good. Now I am smiling through Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil.
Girls, you’re making me wonder whether I shall continue the series after Outlander! It’s not the first time somebody tells me that the rest of the series is far from being as good as the first installment…
Oh my, do finish the Outlander series, ladies. Although book 7 was not as good as the rest …
I am reading the “Anne trilogy” by Posie Graeme-Evans (Innocent, The Exiled and The Uncrowned Queen). I am nearly finished with the middle book and wish I could slow down so that I won’t be finished. Takes place in the 1460s. King Edward IV must have been a real stud, his wife Elizabeth Wydeville a real b%^&*$ because I have read about this pair in other books, and they’ve been portayed the same way. Excellent reads.
I also just loved Mariana, The Rose Garden and The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley.
I just finished Frances Burney’s 900+ page Cecilia, Memoirs of an Heiress with the same satisfaction as reading Evelina: simply WONDERFUL! What heroines!
I also read the novelette Winning the Wallflower by Eloise James and BLUSHED all the way through it.(whew!) Thanks Celine, for mentioning The Duke is Mine; I’ve read nothing but raves about it.
Pam: I’ve also read Tess and you’ll soon find that, regardless of the outcome, Hardy is a MASTER storyteller.
Finally, I also finished an advance copy of THE GARDEN INTRIGUE and my lips are zipped.
Ok, here’s what I’ve been up to, hopefully the start of school will NOT slow my reading, like I dread it will.
1) Something Borrowed, the second in Paul Magrs Brenda & Effie series. Wonderful, fun, and had a very Downton Abbey meets Doctor Who backstory.
2) Death Comes to Pemberly by PD James, which was totally disappointing. She seems to be a Wickham sympathisier and I figured out all the plot twists way to early. I mean getting one or two right, but ALL, sheesh, no suspense.
3) Tintin, the first three volumes, well, if you don’t count the out-of-print Congo and Soviet ones. How does Tintin always get guns and then have drugs planted on him? Really!?!
4) Cinder, which is a Bladerunner/Firefly esque retelling of Cinderella. It seems to really be working but left it on a cliffhanger and now I have to wait a year! Thank you Lauren for no cliffhangers.
5)Sweet Revenge by “Andrea Penrose” which you recommended Lauren and which was totally delightful, though made me very hungry because of it being about chocloate.
6) Currently reading The Girl Who Played with Fire. I was unimpressed with the first book, but I MUST finish the books, I just MUST!
And now, I have a random question that’s been bugging me for weeks, the name Count Threep came into my head, what book/play/show/etc is this from? Or is it just my mind playing games with me?
This is not so much what I’m reading now, but what I’m reading in the future. one of the goodreads groups, A History of Royals, is doing a Read Royals challenge for the year. Though you might like to join in.
Jeffrey, The Duke is Mine was such a great read! A bit different from the two other books in the Fairy Tales series, I found, but I absolutely loved it in the end!
(you might be happy to learn that based on your recommandation a few weeks ago, I bought The Unexpected Miss Bennet and have just received it…)
I read gideon’s Corpse, by Preston & Child ….far from their best effort
I am almost done with The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. Chapters alternate between Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker trying to solve a murder, and modern day Baker Street Irregulars tryiong to solve a mystery about Conan Doyle. Really enjoying it .
I read the Hunger Games Trilogy this week by Suzanne Collins. I could not put these books down, they were fabulous!
I just finished reading Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart and The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran (both of which I loved!).
Silk is for Seduction is fabulous, one of my favorite historical romances from 2011.
I read A Discovery of Witches and The Rose Garden this week and I loved them both! A Discovery of Witches reminded me of an adult Harry Potter crossed with Twilight. And Susanna Kearsley is just fabulous.
Earlier this week I read Pilgrims by Garrison Keillor, and now I’m reading A Lady Awakened by Cecelia Grant.
Ok so it always weirds me out when we skip a week (like last week)and then nobady mentions it. It’s all this week I read… This is especially weird since I usually read about one book every other week.
So since the last reading round-up I read:
Rapture In Death In Death #4
by J. D. Robb
I liked this one pretty well. It was a little more fun than some of the others. I liked seeing different dynamics in the book.
In Harm’s Way Heroes of Quantico #3
by Irene Hannon
Probably my least favorite of the trilogy but still really good. I loved the romantic elements more than the suspense elements. I really enjoyed the whole series. I am reading so many series right now I am happy to have finished one.
Finally I read most of I Thee Wed by Amanda Quick, Vanza #2. Love, love love. I really enjoy Amanda Quick in general. Her style is so distinctive.
Making my way through “The Lost Dauphin” as recommended her. There is so much I don’t know about Marie Antoinette and the Revolution. What an eye opener, right on the heels of finishing the Orchid Affair which included an appearance by the Purple Gentian~ swoon~
Elizabeth: I initially thought of one of the lost lords from Lewis’s Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but then realized I was thinking about Lord Rhoop. Close? Yeah, not so much. So, Count Threep doesn’t ring a bell. Hope you figure it out. . .and let us know.
I’ve read a lot lately.
“Copper Beach” Jayne Ann Krentz
It was okay.
Lisa Dillon’s latest “Walking Back to Happiness” was really great.
Gil McNeil’s “one knit one pearl” is a fantastic book! I love Jo’s family. I’ve also read a few novels by Carola Dunn on my Christmas Kindle. Regency in the style of Georgette Heyer. I recommend checking her out.
SusanN, you are the second person to think of C.S. Lewis… hmmm, will have to investigate further!
Count Threep is a character from the KingKiller Chronicle (Name of the Wind, and Wise Man’s Fear). Ring a bell?