Weekly Reading Round-Up
It’s been rather a blurry few weeks of boxes and book events, but I managed to sneak in a few books along the way.
I was in the Adirondacks for a few days, which meant, naturally, that I had to re-read Julia Spencer- Fleming’s Adirondack-set Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries
Dealing with boxes of books naturally meant rediscovering back of the shelf books, which then had to be read, like Antonia Fraser’s 1980s mysteries, The Cavalier Case
For the new stand alone, I re-read Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth
Right now? I’m taking solace in a little bit of Angela Thirkell’s gentle 1930s satire of English village life (High Rising
What have you been reading this week?
Since I posted last I’ve read The Other Daughter. This is my favorite of all your books so far. LOVED IT!! I also read Pirate’s Alley by Suzanne Johnson (FUN), The Pearl that Broke its Shell Nadia Hashimi (Fantastic), Reagan the Life H.W. Brands (I have an irrational love of Ronald Reagan and love modern history. It was a good read but probably only for people with similar interests), The Bourbon Kings J.R. Ward (total soap opera – horrible people doing horrible things. Very entertaining), Butterfly Swords Jeannie Lin (Harlequin Historical set during Tang Dynasty China), and In Cold Blood Truman Capote (Classic for a reason!)
Isn’t the rule of thumb that when moving you realize how much you don’t need? My friend Aaron’s theory is just take 75% of your stuff and get ride of it now to save trouble later 😉
I’ve been alternating between binge reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer Comics (because it’s fall and slaying Vampires seems seasonal) and reading EVERYTHING Sherlock Holmes. Yes, EVERYTHING! Finally getting to the cases wherein Watson isn’t so fawning over Holmes.
I read A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny, whom I adore.
I also read Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson and Loved it!
I finally caught up on the Outlander series, and just finished Written in my Own Heart’s Blood. That took me a long time! 🙂
I’m almost finished reading Tasha Alexander’s A Fatal Waltz. Who doesn’t love a Lady Emily mystery? 🙂
I read Lure of the Moonflower (sniffle), a middle grade novel called Watch the Sky about a young boy who comes to realize that his stepfather is more than a little off his rocker and reread Pratchett’s I Shall Wear Midnight.
Have you read The Shepherd’s Crown yet?
I haven’t yet, my copy will not be here until October. One of the joys of living in the boonies!
It’s pretty darn good. Not ‘I Shall Wear Midnight’ good as Terry didn’t have time to do a final polish, but still, I’m glad to have read it and had it.
I finally have started The Lure of the Moonflower! Yay! I’ve been way behind on books for my book clubs, so I’ve powered through Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) and a new book on Billie Holiday: The Mysician and the Myth by John Szwed. Both excellent reads.
Also on the reading shelf this week: The Woodcutter by Kate Danley (interesting fantasy fairy tale mashup) and The Master (Kresley Cole’s second Gamemaker book-because who doesn’t love a book with lots of sexy sexytime to read before bed?)
I finally finished The Other Daughter this week, and I adored it. Lots of special treats for the Pink fan, which I loved…plus the storyline put me in mind of the film, “What a Girl Wants,” and I could not help but imagine Colin Firth as the Earl of Ardmore, especially towards the end.
On the whole it has been a unsatisfying month for reading for me. The highlight was Beatriz Williams Overseas, which was beautifully romantic and so suspenseful I couldn’t put it down. I also read Moonflower. Sorry to have to say this but on the whole I didn’t enjoy this one. The last few chapters were really good and I loved all the extras at the end, but I just felt that Jack, Jane and the donkey analysing each other went on for far too long and it got stuck in the middle. A much bigger disappointment was Deanna Raybourn’s A Curious Beginning. I was really looking forward to it and I didn’t like it at all. The big problem for me was that I really didn’t like her heroine, she was so annoying, opinionated, self-absorbed and stupid that I wanted to smack her. The obvious padding in the middle was annoying too, it just took too long to go anywhere.
Just wanted to say you rock! Re AAR.
The highlights of my reading journey since the last post has to be the Sebastian St. Cyr series. I am so glad I saw it recommended here and glad I finally started it. I have finished book 6 and am ready to begin #7. Among the St. Cyr, I fit in Moonflower and Deanna’s A Curious Beginning.
I’m pretty much in agreement with Suzanne about both of those. Sad to see the Pink series end, but felt the beginning took too long to get started -loved the end. I was really looking forward to Deanna’s new series, but the heroine never really grew on me and seemed too bizarre for her time. I liked the heroe, Stoker, and will probably give the next book a try to find out more about him.
I ended the week with a YA historical from the American Girl collection – Girls From Many Lands. This was the second in this series I’ve read and find them very enjoyable, quick reads, with great research from the time periods they represent. Written by different authors, this book, Cecile: Gates of Gold, by Mary Casanova takes place in France, 1711. Cecile is a peasant girl who helps a noblewoman fallen from her horse, and ends up with a position as her servant at Versailles. The earlier book, Isabel Taking Wing is set in Elizabethan England. I bought the collection to eventually give to my granddaughter (now 8), but want to read all of them first.
I finally got around to reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Quite simply one of the best reads of my life.