Weekly Reading Round-Up
I’m still in Pink XII lockdown (and will be until March 15), but my wonderful college roommate dropped by with a life-saving package of books for those moments in between speed-writing and toddler-wrangling.
This week’s pick? Tanya Huff’s Summon the Keeper. Where has this book been all my life? Wonderfully quirky, with laugh-out-loud snarky narrative. Oh, yes, and a talking cat.
As I return to the Pink salt mines… what have you been reading this week?
I won an ARC of Beatriz Williams’ new book, Tiny Little Thing. Just got started but I expect it to be as fabulous as the rest of her books.
In the middle of Gaelen Foley’s Knight Misc. series and can’t put it down. It is wonderful. Also finishing up Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, which I love.
I didn’t want to bring my big HB copy of Jasmine with me on the ship, but I am catching up now. I did read a lot in the last 2 weeks.
First Frost by the amazing Sarah Addison Allen
Fever 1793, a YA by Laurie H Anderson, don’t pass by the YA category, there is some great writing there.
The Heiress of Lynn Hagh, a terrific historical mystery by Karen Charlton.
It’s been a busy week so all I read was Mort(e) by Robert Repino and Jackdaw by K.J. Charles. Today I started Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear.
Not sure if it was in the last week but I read The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (written very much in a Victorian literary style with a slow buildup but an excellent creepy house/ghost story), Rooms Lauren Oliver (an interesting modern take on the creepy house/ghost story) and Boy Snow Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (loosely a Snow White retelling with elements of magical realism & thought provoking questions about race).
In the last couple of days I read Tender is the Storm by Elizabeth Thornton and about 75% of Velvet is the Night. I had very mixed feelings about these. I loved the setting of the French Revolution and the underlying spy plot of the first one. BUT these were published in the early 90s and both books are heavy on the forcible seduction aspect. Along with that there is a lot of the virgin/whore dichotomy with the virgin on a pedestal and the other women being disparaged. I know there is historical accuracy in that but it really affected my ability to enjoy what otherwise would have been a great read. I’m on the fence as to whether I’m going to finish the second book and I’m doubtful I will read anymore Thornton.
I finally finished devouring Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. How is this book so amazing, like even more amazing then when I first read it almost ten years ago? Now I’m re-reading Susanna Clarke’s Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories while weeping inside that these two books are all she’s written (so far).
I read The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen.
I’m reading Dragonwyck by Anya Seton and I LOVE it!
Joan, if you love Dragonwyck, try Green Darkness and Katherine, both by Seton. Wonderful also and she is one of my all time favorites. Everything she wrote was terrific.
Reading Katharine Ashe’s I Loved A Rogue.
Fabulous.