Weekly Reading Round-Up
It’s been a week of governesses and companions for me, mostly re-reads.
— Elsie Lee, Silence Is Golden
One of only three Elsie Lee historicals (she’s better known for her 1960s and 70s romantic suspense), this one is her Victorian orphan book. It has all the classic hallmarks of the Gothic– orphaned companion, large house, sinister overtones, handsome and brooding master.
— Mary Stewart, Nine Coaches Waiting
What can one say about Nine Coaches Waiting
— Sherry Thomas, Tempting the Bride
I’ve only just started this one– the sequel to Ravishing the Heiress
What have you been reading this week?
Still reading it, but Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman is wonderful! Mix Gone With the Wind, The Far Pavilions, and Zemindar, and you have an unforgettable love story in 19th century India.
I love Olivia and Jai. I found an ARC years ago at the library bookshop. Fifty cents. Best book deal ever!
I read The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, sort of historical magical realism in 1899. Now I’m reading The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison, psychological thriller which the reader knows is building up to a murder at the end.
I finally finished Elizabeth Gaskell’s “North and South,” which had a bit of a slow start for me, but was very worthwhile. Now I’m reading Donna Thorland’s “The Turncoat.”
If you haven’t already, be sure to see the “North & South” mini series. A BBC production, I think, and just excellent if you love the book.
Okay, okay, I give up. After reading over-and-over all of the plaudits of Nine Coaches waiting, it is on my must-read list.
I just finished The Darcys of Pemberley and the SS Mr. Collins’s Last Supper, both by Shannon Winslow. Ah, entertainment at its best! I’ve got her next one: Return to Longbourn on my Kindle.
I’m in the middle of Midnight Marriage, A Georgian Romance by Lucinda Brant. I have previously read her Salt Bride and both are seductively entertaining.
Uh, oh, Jeffrey, watch out! Once you read Nine Coaches Waiting you’ll be hooked on gothics and won’t be able to resist a book cover with a woman running away from a house! Enjoy.
I need something gothic, so I picked up Mrs. God by Peter Straub, quick read that I really disliked. Just too crude and not enough going for it, like he wanted to be Shirley Jackson, but no one is that awesome except Shirley Jackson.
I then moved onto the newest Kate Morton. I really enjoyed it, even if the ending was a little too obvious for me, it still was a great read, though I still enjoyed The Forgotten Garden more.
Now I’m reading Flame Trees of Thika in full force and have developed a great fear of ants and ticks and termites, which was there before, but now is increased 100 fold.
I just picked up a stack from the library:
The Conquest of Lady Cassandra by M. Hunter
The Turncoat by Donna Thorland
A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
A Little Folly by Jude Morgan
Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb
Marked by the River, book six in the Mercy Thompson series by Paticia Briggs
I just read What Darkness Brings by C.S. Harris and I liked it, but I’m tired of the villain Jarvis and I wish something drastic would happen.
Finished Deborah Crombie’s latest and it has a
CLIFFHANGER!!! The book was mostly about Gemma’s murder case and I’m not a big Gemma James fan. I like it when Duncan Kincaid is the main protagonist.
I’ve got a bad feeling Crombie is going to get rid of Kincaid in some way, I hope I’m wrong.
I don’t know why my posts haven’t gone through the last few weeks, but I’ll try again. It’s been a busy week for me, having arrived back in Italy for what I hope (!) will be my last big chunk of research, so I buried myself in comfort reads.
I finally got around to Charles Finch’s latest installment in the Charles Lenox series, A Death in the Small Hours. These books are among my favorites, and I liked this one well enough but think Finch might be a bit stuck in the formula at this point–gentleman sleuth-turned MP misses sleuthing. I’ll certainly and eagerly read his next book, though. Then, on the plane, I read his short story An East End Murder. Again, diverting but not much beyond.
Now I’m indulging in one of my favorite guilty kindle pleasures: Jill Mansell (Rumor Has It).
I’m glad you enjoyed A Place of Secrets, Lauren! I’ll be checking out some of Hore’s other books when I can.
All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer Fleming
Fifth book in the Rev. Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series
Very good, but soooo gut-wrenching particularly in the end.
The Cocoa Conspiracy The wit was not as needle sharp as in Sweet Revenge, but still very good. I adore Arianna and Saybrook.
Just finished “Mistletoe” and am starting “Night Jasmine”. I also have found a clever mystery series at the library by Catriona McPherson, an author from Scotland. Set in the early 1920’s, the protagonist is a lady detective named Dandy Gilver. Well written with some rather dark themes. I love this column – you’re all adding to my list. (Maybe not such a good thing……).
I spent the week reading Donna Kauffman’s Sweet stuff, the second installment in the Cupcake Club series and it was such a treat! I started right with the second installment becausse the hero is a writer and is faced with a choice to make. I found his questionning about where to go with his next novel very very interesting. The love story was sweet and cute – and the cupcakes seemed delicious. Read the whole book with my stomach growling! 🙂
Now, I’ve finally got around to reading Juliana Gray’s latest, A Duke never yields!