Weekly Reading Round-Up
It’s been a literary trip down memory lane for me: I’ve gone into full scale comfort read mode (I’m in the final, agonizing phases of those revisions), which means… Scottish women’s fiction. Specifically, Alexandra Raife’s Drumveyn
I adore these books. They’re all very much period pieces at this point (the period in question being the 90’s), but they’re still heart-tuggingly relevant when it comes to the central theme of people making new lives for themselves and becoming part of a community. Belonging has one of my favorite tropes, the heroine running a hotel, while Drumveyn and Wild Highland Home are also very much house books, about people digging into their home and their community and, in the process, finding themselves (with a side of Monarch of the Glen
What have you been reading this week?
The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg. I took a chance on these with zero expectations and I’m so glad that I did. These are the authors first books and they are amazing. Very creative and enjoyable plotline, very well written, intrepid heroine and sweet hero. Cannot wait for the third book to come out in June. Highly, highly recommended!
Finishing the Hathaway series by Kleypas and then continuing series by Julia Quinn and Sarah MacLean. Loads of fun partly because I was able to meet them at KissCon here in Seattle!
I have been doing a re-read of some of Daphne Du Maurier’s book, just finished Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, now I’m reading The Scapegoat for the first time. Very interesting in that it’s two people who are identical and switch lives… not necessarily willingly…
I sometimes have a hard time with Daphne Du Maurier because her heroes are such jerks. I find myself often wishing the heroine could find someone better. I especially felt this way with “Jamaica Inn.” Still, love the atmosphere and the plots are so intricate.
But then again Mary Yellan isn’t that great a catch either… I like her because the people are realistic in that they are not all perfect. And totally, the atmosphere isn’t to be beat.
That is an excellent point! The heroine in Rebecca was so meek I wanted to throttle her.
My favorite Du Maurier is My Cousin Rachel, but let’s just say it’s different than Rebecca.
I just started My Cousin Rachel last night!
I read Frances Brody’s latest Kate Shackleton story: Death of an Avid Reader. Excellent, as usual! Then Off Kilter by Hannah Reed, a new Scottish Highlands series, modern times. Right now I’m in Ho-Ho-Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett.
I just finished rereading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Before that I reread Ninety-Three by Victor Hugo.
I finally finished House of Leaves and (after catching my breath, god, what a book) moved on to Ship of Theseus. Also just went to Half Price and picked up some Oscar Wilde!
I read
Still Life by Louise Penny, Inspector Gamache #1(which was great).
The Girl is Trouble Iris #2 by the always wonderful Kathryn Miller Haines. (It was great too!)
For some reason, I couldn’t find the weekly reading round-up on Friday. So nice to see it!