Weekly Reading Round-Up
With the Forgotten Room tour only a few days away, my mind’s been a bit muddled, so I’ve been taking refuge in some old friends: Jo Beverley’s Winter Fire
Winter Fire is Georgian (I do love the Georgians) and St. Raven is Regency, but what they both have in common are incredibly sensible heroines. If those heroines get into absurd situations, it’s not from any lack of common sense; it was because it was the best option open at the time. Watching characters do the wrong thing for the right reasons is one of the great joys of my life– so much more satisfying than watching characters doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
Right now, I’m reading a late Victorian Gothic sent to me by a friend: Madeleine Brent’s A Heritage of Shadows
What have you been reading this week?
In other news, The Forgotten Room appears in stores in just three days!
Library Journal just gave The Forgotten Room a starred review, declaring, “Engaging, complex characters and an intriguingly twisty plot of false leads will help readers justify a weekend spent reading, without interruption please! An excellent suggestion for fans of historical fiction, mysteries, and family relationships, all with a hint of romance.”
There’s still time to pre-order your copy– or you can come find us on one of our many tour stops over the next two weeks.
Happy weekend and happy reading!
I FINALLY finished read Wuthering Heights… yes, it’s sin I never got to it till now, but it’s so depressing and full of mean people. I also read Neil Gaiman’s selection of short stories, Unnatural Creatures, which was uneven, but one or two of the selections were phenomenal!
If you think Wuthering Heights was depressing, don’t ever read Tess of the D’Urbervilles – truly depressing.
I’m reading “Come Hell or Highball” by Maia Chance – a really fun mystery set in the 20s with a great sidekick.
I have had a week of fabulous reading:
These Shallow Graves, by Jennifer Donnelly, a Gilded Age mystery, really good.
Midwives, by Chris Bohjalian, how did I miss this when it first came out
Along the Infinite Sea, by Beatriz Williams, yummy!
Best book I have read in a long time: The Magician’s Lie by Greer McAllister. Very compelling.
I just finished The House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure. Oh boy, that was good. The story went in all sorts of unexpected directions. It is set in the Gilded Age in New York City. I’m currently reading the Scent of Death by Andrew Taylor. It is set also in New York during the Revolution. What makes it interesting is our hero is English and the tale is from the perspective of the British and the Loyalists. Almost done. Still waiting for the answers to all the mysteries in this tale.
I read
Among the Mad Maisie Dobbs #6 by Jacqueline Winspear, which was great!
Defending Hearts by Shannon Stacey which was great and the ending was superb!
And
The Look of Love by Sarah Jio!
Wow, Madeleine Brent brings back some memories. I spent a good deal of my teenage years reading her books several times. I still have quite a few of them and pull one out to re-read occasionally. Her books were right up there in gothic romance with Victoria Holt.
I have finished Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness and Molly Murphy mysteries. I felt quite bereft when I closed the cover of the last one. I really loved them and didn’t want to finish. Thankfully the new Molly Murphy is coming out on the 1st of March, so not that long to wait.
I also read Julie Klassen’s The Painter’s Daughter with Betty S, which was fantastic, followed that with her Lady Maybe. I was surprised to find it has had very mixed reviews, but I thought it was gripping and had such compelling characters, I couldn’t put it down.
I loved The Painter’s Daughter and enjoyed reading it with Suzanne H. I followed that with a book of short stories, What Happens Under the Mistletoe, two with Scottish characters, and set from 1805 to 1885. Quick and delightful.
I’m now 3/4 through 13 Hours in Benghazi, written as a nonfiction narrative. I wanted to read it before seeing the movie. This book is compelling and a story of true modern day heroes who displayed such courage as they were willing to sacrifice their own lives to provide protection for Americans overseas.
My favorite Madeleine Brent is Moonraker’s Bride. Robin loves Tregaron’s Daughter. And Robin informed me a couple of months ago that Madeleine Brent is actually a man.
I’m reading Clementine, a biography of Clementine Churchill. Fascinating! She was actually much more interesting than I ever imagined. Churchill would have been toast without her. She reined in his tendency to run roughshod over everyone in his path. She was raised poor by an aristocratic mother and fought his tendency to spend, spend, spend as he was taught by his mother and father. They would have gone under monetarily and politically without her good sense.