Weekly Reading Round-Up
One of the benefits of the Flu-That-Won’t-Go-Away is that it means plenty of time to read– especially old favorites. This week, I’ve read:
— Angela Thirkell, Wild Strawberries
For those who haven’t discovered Thirkell, think Nancy Mitford crossed with P.G. Wodehouse. She has a wonderful eye for the frailties of human nature, but displays them with affection.
— Nancy Mitford, Love in a Cold Climate
In my twenties, I preferred Mitford’s broader, more slapstick satire, like Highland Fling and Pigeon Pie, but I’ve come to a tardy appreciation of Love in a Cold Climate, which pokes fun more subtly.
— Mary Stewart, Wildfire at Midnight
A remote Skye fishing lodge… a series of shocking murders… and, of course, your choice of brooding heroes. Classic Mary Stewart fun.
— Anne de Courcy, The Viceroy’s Daughters
The lives of the three Curzon daughters as they careen through the 20’s and 30’s.
— M.M. Kaye, Death in the Andamans
Possibly my favorite of the M.M. Kaye “Death in…” books (my wonderfully garish 80’s copy is beginning to lose pages), a murder mystery set in the Andaman Islands in the late 30’s.
What have you been reading?
I’m on Book II of the Fire & Ice cycle, A Clash of Kings, in prep for the Game of Thrones miniseries on HBO next month.
I have been reading like crazy. I found a great series depending on what you like to read. I found an author “Karen Marie Moning” thats pretty good. I read her “Dark Series” & am on her “Highland series”. Both excellent.
Just finished Teresa Medeiros’ new one…Goodnight Tweetheart. So very funny, sweet, cute, and heartwarming. It’s a super quick read – loved it!
I read the Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. I liked both very much. The plot of Love in a Cold Climate bothered me though.
This week I read Lisa Kleypas’s Only with Your Love. It was really great. Very over-the-top romance.But it was magical.
Brothers of Baker Street, by Michael Robertson. This is the second in an amusing mystery series with yet another Sherlockian connection: these lawyer-brothers have offices in a modern building at 221B Baker Street , and their lease obliges them to answer all mail sent there to Sherlock Holmes. Fun and mayhem ensue…
I re-read the wonderful Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale for my friend’s blog event, fairy tale fortnight. Then, needing something entirely silly I’m reading Terry Pratchett’s The Fifth Elephant.
I read the next two Her Royal Spyness books by Rhys Bowen–A Royal Pain and Royal Flush. They were, as heroine Georgie would say, ripping good fun. I love the public library!
I just finished The Orchid Affair and loved it as I have loved all of the others. I’ve been reading the classics again. Jane Austen’s Persuasion is probably my favorite of her books.. its not as popular as the others but the letter Captain Wentworth writes to Anne is just stunning. If you haven’t read its well worth it.
In the last month or so I’ve read Mistletoe; loved Turnip becoming a ‘real’ character and not just a caricature. I finished Orchid Affair on Monday – loved it, there is new life in the series that just makes me anxious for the next book.
Finally, I’m currently reading Clara and Mr. Tiffany; about the Tiffany glass works and the woman designer(s) who helped to make Tiffany a household name in glass design. It’s truly a fascinating turn of the century read.
I read a biography of the Mitford sisters several years ago and have been wanting to read Nancy and Jessica’s books. Your constant support will undoubtedly spur me on! Maybe this will be the Summer of the Mitford Sisters…
I’m reading…Fools Crow by James Welch, which is reeeeaaalllly good so far. Also, My Wicked Marquess by Gaelen Foley, which is decent so far.
I just finished reading The Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz. It is the second book in her Spellman series and I enjoyed it. I am currently reading Shameless by Karen Robards. It is a bit more romance than I usually read, but after reading the first few chapters, I am hooked.
I do totally agree with you Amy! I’ve been reading both Karen Marie Moning’s series for a year now and I’m totally in love with her characters! She’s such a great author!!!
As far as I’m concerned, I finished To Dance with Kings (Rosalind Laker) and I read the third installment in Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series, Iron Kissed. A very good urban fantasy series, one of the best, with KMM’s Fever series! I think I’m going to indulge myself with a few mangas now, before rereading Jane Eyre (before watching the new movie, which is due in Canada next week)
The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson
I have about 20 pages left and I really like it so far. It funny and original and I really feel like the author captures the nerdy teenaged boy voice accurately.
Well I’ve finally finished the Outlander series and, honestly, they just got more and more disappointing as the series went on. The first few were fantastic, but the last two were so very blah. I was warned that the end of the last would be a cliffhanger, but I’m finding that I don’t care all that much. On the bright side, I won’t be waiting with bated breath for the release of the next book.
Yes for Spellman and Mercy Thompson!
I’m currently reading The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O’Rourke. It works on the premise that the Darcy in Pride & Prejudice was based on a real person who travelled back in time and briefly romanced Jane.
I just finished “A Discovery of Witches” and I *adored* it (I know that reviews have been mixed). I would call it the lovechild of “Harry Potter” and “Outlander” (with a little “Da Vinci Code” thrown in). I found the romance between the witch (Diana Bishop) and the vampire (Matthew Clairmont) to be very compelling, the settings to be very vivid, and I’m super-eager to see where the plot is going next!
@Christine – I really love the first 4 books in the “Outlander” series. I’ve made it through “Fiery Cross” once, and I’ve not yet made it through “Ashes” (or “Echo”, both of which are staring at me from my bookshelf). I agree with you that the earlier books are stronger.
Larissa, I’m so happy to read that you liked A Discovery of Witches! I’ve got that book on my TBR pile and am planning to dive into it next. I thought that the premise sounded fun and I liked the few sample pages I read.
I’m finishing up Blameless, the third book in the Parasol Protectorate series, which I LOVE! I’m so sad that Gail Carriger is only planning to write 5 books in this series. I think it has so much potential for continuing storylines as the supporting characters are so interesting and multi-dimensional.
@Larissa – I don’t want to say it’s a waste of time to read Ashes and Echo. I really wanted to see how the story progressed, but it’s definitely missing that spark that was there before. In previous books, I remember reading certain parts and wondering why it was in there, but in the end, she tied everything together. With those last two, I really felt at times that she was writing just for the sake of making the book longer, particularly in the last one.
You’ve intrigued me with your description of “A Discovery of Witches.” I will have to check that one out.