Weekly Reading Round-Up
Happy Friday, all!
I started the week off with the most recent in Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series (think Harry Potter meets police procedural with a secret supernatural police unit in modern London). This one opens with a man killed by magic in London’s silver vaults, and, unsurprisingly, soon-to-be-dad Peter Grant is on the case.
Next up was another autobuy for me: T. Kingfisher’s Nettle and Bone. This one has a very dark Robin McKinley vibe (think Deerskin rather than Beauty), and I put it aside, not because it wasn’t good (it is) but because I realized I wasn’t in the right mood for it, and I’d much rather read it and love it when I’m ready to wander through the door in the hedge to the darker realms of faerie tale than trudge through it distracted.
On a side note, T. Kingfisher also writes as Ursula Vernon, and in my other capacity, as Lord High Bedtime Reader, I’ve been reading the Danny Dragonbreath series to the four year old, who is in love with the sentient potato salad (no, seriously– if you’ve read the Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, you will immediately wonder if there’s any relation to Bob, the sentient sour dough starter). These books are such joy to read because they’re not at all dumbed down for kids. And, really, it’s never too early for them to start learning about lycanthropy.
Right now, since a distracted mind and golden age mystery novels go well together, I’ve followed up a recommendation from a friend and dipped into Nicholas Blake’s 1930s Nigel Strangeways mysteries. The first is set at a boarding school and is making me want to re-read Josephine Tey’s Miss Pym Disposes and Angela Thirkell’s Summer Half, since it’s so very much of the same tone and world.
What have you been reading this week?
p.s. in other news, the Pinkorama is open for entries, the Team W Mother’s Day gift pack is still available from Bank Square Books and the new Team W tour schedule is up on my Events page!
I have been finishing up the Emma Rhodes mysteries by Cynthia Smith. I will finish up today with the last.
Finished C.S. Harris’ latest in her St Cyr Regency mystery series, and was unfortunately disappointed (no spoilers) in that a confrontation that I have been anticipating for several books did not/could not occur…but was still an interesting read, set against backdrop of Paris and Napoleon’s return for the 100 days in 1815.
Now reading Mary Kingswood’s Stranger at the Cottage, Regency mystery/romance that connects to one of her previous series (so much fun to get updates on old friends!); good so far!
I also read the latest Sebastian St Cyr and loved it,but, like DJL, was disappointed that the long hoped for confrontation did not occur. I have recently discovered Grace Burrowes’ Lady Violet Investigates books. They’re delightful.
I recently watched the adaptation of Nicholas Blake’s ‘The Beast Must Die’ and it was well done. It always blows my mind that he is Daniel Day-Lewis’s father! This week I finished devouring the first three books in the Truly Devious series and am saving the forth as a treat. I then read the final Lisa Kleypas Wallflowers book and it was kind of meh, but then again, ‘Devil in Winter’ was SO GOOD it was hard to followup the third volume. Now I’m reading Heyer’s ‘A Civil Contract’ but have literally just started so no opinion as yet.
I just reread one of my all-time favorites: Lauren’s novel That Summer. I absolutely love atmospheric mysteries set in two time-periods–can anyone recommend some more? (“And, really, it’s never too early for them to start learning about lycanthropy” = best sentence I’ve read this month.)
Excited for peep contest! Starts today?
I’m going to start posting them on Monday! So we get to enjoy them all next week….