Weekly Reading Round-Up
My apologies. I am going to have to be mum about most of what I read this week, since I’m judging yet another contest, which means that all of the books I’m reading for that are off-limits. (There is some draconian language in the judging form about that.)
The one book I read this week that I can talk about is Bee Ridgway’s The River of No Return
Again, apologies for being boring this week! I should be done with my contest reading soon, and then we’ll be back to my usual hodgepodge of new books, used bookstore finds, and old favorites.
What have you been reading this week?
I’m about half-way through a Christian-oriented time travel romance entitled Thieves by Robert Crawson. An unhappy and doubting Roman Catholic priest questions his faith as he becomes romantically involved with a beautiful young professional woman. Then he is supernaturally time-transported back to eye-witness the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. I’m thoroughly HOOKED…it is such a singularly unique story.
This week, I discovered an interesting book, quite out of the ordinary: Gods behaving badly, by Marie Philips. What would happen if the Greek Gods were still living among us, incognitto, but still making the world go round, with Appolo in charge of the sun, for example, and were loosing their power… And what if Aphrodite, crossed by Appolo, asked Eros to make him fall in love with a mortal, but she doesn’t love him back? It was quite funny, the Gods having their main characteristics turned into their worst faults, it’s quite different from what I’ve been reading, but I liked it. Pretty much! 🙂
Then, on the subject of Greek mythology, I decided to re-(re-re-re-re-re)read an all-time favourite of mine, Three Fates, by Nora Roberts. I almost know it by heart, but I love reading it as much I did the very first time! It might my favourite NR book, equal with Homeport… WWho wouldn’t love a thief that is sexy and gentleman (and just enough rakish to make your heart beat faster?)?
If anybody has any recommandation around those two plots (greek mythology and sexy thieves), please don’t hesitate to share!! 🙂
Gods Behaving Badly sounds like fun, Celine! I had a huge fascination with mythology when I was a teenager, so I may have to read this just to reminisce.
Not many Greek mythology books are coming to mind at this minute, but I did remember that Margaret Atwood has a book called the Penelopiad about Penelope from the Odyssey. I haven’t read it, but it’s been on my list forever. It can’t be bad, though. Atwood plus the retelling of a myth? It’s got to be good.
And Colleen McCullough did one, too, about Odysseus…. (Seriously, that woman has written just about everything.)
I have the “Penelopiad” and I know I read “Penelopiad”, but to be honest, I can’t remember having much of a reaction to it.
Oooh, I have one to recommend, not myth per se, but related– “Homer’s Daughter” by Robert Graves. Basically, if the Illiad and the Odyssey were written by a woman.
I’m so excited for The River of No Return. Thanks for introducing it to us! And for so generously doing the giveaways. 🙂
This week I finished the last of Lisa Kleypas’s Travises series. Of the three, Blue-Eyed Devil, the second book, was my favorite, but they were all very good.
I’ve also been reading the Wool series by Hugh Howey. It’s a self-pubbed series of dystopian/sci-fi short stories that is soon to be traditionally published. The first story is free on Amazon right now. I never would have read them if not for a great recommendation from a reader I trust, but I’m so glad I did! They are definitely out of my usual reading niche, but it’s nice to change things up once and a while. The first story is only 50ish pages, so if you need a quick, free read, check it out.
Oh, this is not a book, but I meant to mention it anyway since I know a lot of people here like British TV shows.
A friend introduced me to a British comedy show from the 90s called The Vicar of Dibley, and I’m in love with it. It’s so funny! It’s on Netflix streaming if you’re interested.
Have you seen the Christmas episode yet, where they do the pageant on Owen’s farm. So. Funny. (And something of an inspiration for the pageant scene in “Mischief of the Mistletoe”.)
Really? Very awesome. I haven’t seen that one yet. I’m just starting the second series, so I have several more to go. I love all the townies.
I ADORE Vicar of Dibley! One of the best BBC comedies ever. The DVD extras are almost as good as the show, with the Johnny Depp Comic Relief episode, Ballykissdibley, the Ballykissangel cross over, but my favorite is the Antiques Roadshow one with the David Rockney Smurf!
Julie – Thank you. Now I have something to be lazy with during the 3 day weekend. 🙂
I second the thanking of your generosity! I learn about so many great books from you and your reviewers, and always a bonus to get a chance to win one!
I started Gone Girl this week. Only a few chapters in but liking it a lot so far. My friend heard that you hate all the characters by the end of the book. I can definitely see that already, but looking forward to the rest of it
I also started The Winter’s Sea but had to put that on hold because Gone Girl is a library book I’ve been waiting months for. Didn’t get very far into that either but liking that as well.
This week I enjoyed Alan Bradley’s “The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag”, Victoria Holt’s “The Mask of the Enchantress” and Phyllis A. Whitney “Woman Without A Past”.
I always feel very fortunate that every evening I have a chance to read to my kids – especially when I can go back to the favourite books of my childhood like this weeks C.S.Lewis'”The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe” and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “the Secret Garden” among others.
After finishing The Garden Intrigue I read Insane City by Dave Barry, the latest of his comic adventures about the weirdness of Florida, and the third Questionable Content compilation. Now I’m reading Pulling Up Stakes, part two, by Peter David. It’s a very funny serial about a vampire hunter who is also a vampire.
I re-read Richard Matheson’s Somewhere in Time (fka Bid Time Return). Friend of mine re-watched the movie, which made me re-watch the movie, and then I re-read the book. I’m such a time travel romance freak. It’s almost making me think to go back to the Outlander series. I stopped after Voyager as it was starting to drive me batty.
I’ve been re-reading Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, wonderful YA about a convent in Brittany that trains girls to be assassins for death. Cannot wait for the sequel!
I read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, a dystopian story about a British boarding school where the students are actually clones that will donate their vital organs once they reach middle age. The story is very compelling as the world of the book is essentially the same as ours except for this one vital difference. The story is not so much about the science of it as it is about the nature of morality, humanity, and society. I also watched the movie with Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield–it was an ok, but the book was genius.
I am currently reading Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway which is about a clockmaker who accidentally unleashes a 1950s doomsday device.
I am also about 25 pages into The Taker by Alma Katsu but put that down to focus on Angelmaker because it is due back at the library 🙂
So far this week I am reading:
Time of the Dark, by Barbara Hambly. I’m trying to read more scifi, and I adored her Bride of the Rat God.
Opal Fire by Barbara Annino. I was introduced to her through an anthology containing a short story by Debora Geary, who I love.
A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury, by Edith Pargeter. Part of my 2013 reading challenge: to read anything by Edith Pargeter as I love medieval historical fiction
And
Spell of the Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning. Her Fever series was recommended to me last year. I so fell in love with it that I have since started reading her Highland romance series.
I have a question to pose… if one was looking for murder mysteries set in the 1920s, what would you recommend? Obviously there’s Dorothy L Sayers and even modern writers writing about the time period, like Carola Dunn…
Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge series (starts after WWI) or Bess Crawford series (starts during WWI). And, of course, Agatha Christie.
Thanks SusanN!