Hi, all! Apologies for not being around much on the website recently. It’s been a bit of a crazy fall so far. But I’ll have more If You Likes and Teaser Tuesdays for you soon!
In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been reading this week:
— Florence King, Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady
. I took a break between ghost stories to read an old favorite, Florence King’s tongue in cheek memoir of growing up in a rather eccentric family in D.C. in the 1940s. For me, it’s not so much what she writes as how she writes it; this is a woman who knows how to make the English language dance a jig for her.
— Jennifer Crusie, Maybe This Time
. Speaking of tongue in cheek humor…. Jennifer Crusie is another one who always makes me laugh and read phrases out loud. This is her take on The Turn of the Screw
, a ghost story set in an English castle transplanted to Ohio, with the usual screwball cast of characters. I’d read it again right away but for the fact that there are other Crusies on my shelf waiting for a re-read.
What have you been reading this week?
I read Tasha Alexander’s The Counterfeit Heiress. That was an interesting story. Afterwards I read The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush. Now I’m in Three Pines in the midst of The Long Way Home, Louise Penny.
I’ve really been trying to read the latest Outlander and I just can’t. The series has fallen so far from where it started. I’m bored and the reviews I’ve read are not encouraging.
You are not alone
I couldn’t make it past the first book. The characters aged far too much between books.
Coincidentally, I’ve been listening again to the audiobook of Jennifer Crusie’s Welcome to Temptation, which I love. Crusie’s books work really well in audiobook.
I’ve been reading Dracula by Bram Stoker for the first time all week.
Christina, I read Dracula for the first time last year (don’t know how I’ve missed it for so long) after reading Deanna Raybourn’s The Dead Travel Fast, which is excellent.
Another take on Dracula is Syrie James’ Dracula, My Love, told from Mina’s point of view.
I’m not sure what took me so long either. I will add those toe to my list.
More Garwood for me with The Bride and The Lion’s Lady. Then my first Kleypas with Secrets of a Summers Night. All lots of fun and lovely.
I love Lisa Kleypas and have read all of her Wallflower series. Again the Magic is somewhat of a prequel to this series and also excellent. After reading the Wallflower series I then devoured her Bow Street Runner series.
Excellent! Can’t wait to get her other wallflowers but did just pick up the first in the gamblers series.
Little Coquette, by Joan Smith, a traditional older Regency, yummy.
I know there is more, can’t think of them!
I finished the re-read of “The Masque of the Black Tulip” and enjoyed every minute. Then, due to a costume I’m making for an upcoming Steampunk Convention I re-read “Alice in Wonderland.” It has been years and years since I’ve read it and the book was just as wonderful as I remember. Now I’m reading the first in George Mann’s Steampunk Series about Newbury and Hobbes, “The Affinity Bridge.” It’s all English charm and zombies.
I just re-read Crusie’s FAKING IT. I love it and WELCOME TO TEMPTATION.
I reread Four Corners of Night by Craig Holden. Then I read The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and now I’m reading Daring by Elliott James.
I read Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels. It was very interesting, and reminded a little of Nora Roberts.
I just finished 2 books in 2 days, ones I have been reading in tandem. Deanna Raybourn’s Night of a Thousand Stars was terrific. After following Lady Julia for several years it tied up a few loose ends. And Tracy Grant’s Beneath A Silent Moon was every bit as good as her newer books, though much darker. I heartily recommend both!
Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn was fantastic. I want more in the Vespiary series!!! Also finished Haunted by Kay Hooper. Her Bishop/SCU novels are quickly losing interest for me. Far too gory, too much focus on “special abilities” and not enough on characters. Think I am done with this series.
I finished Deanna Raybourn’s Night Of A Thousand Stars and it was fantastic. I am really looking forward to seeing what she will do next with her new publisher.