Weekly Reading Round-Up

Since I’m immersed in dread revisions, the horrible, scary bit where you’ve torn apart the book but haven’t put it back together yet (and are beginning to wonder whether the original version was really that bad or if maybe you should be giving it all up and trying sheep-farming), it was time for some serious comfort reading from the back of the Old Books I Haven’t Read In A While section of the bookshelf. Which produced:

— Dorothy Cannell’s Down the Garden Path, a madcap mystery in which a young woman goes in undercover in a stately home to discover the truth of her origins (hmm, not like that has anything in common with my manuscript). I found this back in the Middle School Book Fair when I was a tween and I have such warm, fuzzy memories of the joy of discovering Dorothy Cannell’s prose.

— Joan Wolf’s Royal Bride, in which our Regency heroine, the younger sister, marries the ruler of a small European principality when her sister, the intended bride, elopes with the Prince’s cousin day’s before the wedding. Political intrigue in a made-up European sovereign principality? Yes, please!

— Carla Kelly, The Wedding Journey, in which a shy physician in Spain during the Peninsular Wars marries the daughter of a scapegrace officer in order to save her from being prostituted to pay her father’s debts. Cut off from the rest of the regiment by the spite of the would-be despoiler, they then have to make their way back through Spain and Portugal to the British lines. As always, Carla Kelly tells a compelling story. (Confession: this wasn’t one of the Old Book Brigade. This was part of a recent care package from my wonderful college roommate. But it has that comfort read feel.)

And I think that’s about it for me…. What have you been reading this week?

26 Comments

  1. Kristen Allen-Vogel on November 14, 2014 at 10:27 am

    Over last weekend I read Flight of Magpies by K.J. Charles, and since then I’ve been rereading Les Miserables which I expect will take me through another week.

    • Mary Lou on November 14, 2014 at 2:07 pm

      Only a week for Les Mis? Took ME 3 months, and I still never finished it!

      • Kristen Allen-Vogel on November 15, 2014 at 11:21 pm

        Well, about two weeks total, I’ve been reading it since Monday. I can assume I’ll actually get to read it at the pace I want to since I’m on vacation.

  2. Sheila on November 14, 2014 at 10:58 am

    Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout

    Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop, an anthology, great fun.

    Lucky Us, by Amy Bloom

    The manga version of Pride and Prejudice, beautiful drawing, but I think I liked the Classics Illustrated Comics better.

    Finished The Deception of the Emerald Ring, just can’t slow myself down once started.

  3. Susan Gorman on November 14, 2014 at 11:48 am

    I have read several novellas this week. Sophie Jordan’s An Heiress for All Seasons, Anna Campbell’s Her Christmas Earl and the three novellas in Maya Rodale’s Bad Boy Millionaire series.
    I read At the Billionaires Wedding by Maya Rodale, Caroline Lindon, Katharine Ashe and Miranda Neville and had to read about Jane and Duke.
    Reading an ARC of Shana Galen’s Viscount of Vice now.

  4. Patti C on November 14, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    I’m reading LOCK IN by John Scalzi, THE ACCIDENTAL HIGHWAYMAN by Ben Tripp and TALKING TO GIRLS ABOUT DURAN DURAN by Rob Sheffield, which is totally taking me back to the 80s :)!

  5. Lori Kramer on November 14, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    I’m reading The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon. I’ve been rereading the Outlander series for awhile but switching to seasonal reading soon. I have a full list lined up!

  6. Mary D. on November 14, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    I’m reading of ARC of Eileen Dreyer’s Twice Tempted. It’s part of the Drake’s Rakes series. There are spies, dastardly traitors and assassins, and two brilliant lady astronomers.

  7. Gina on November 14, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    I’m in the middle of These Days by Jack Cheng, very interesting, as well as Valiant by Holly Black. I have to say, I’d have liked the Holly Black books a lot more at 16, because as an adult, I think these teens make a lot of poor decisions. But it’s still a fun series.

  8. Jan Siler on November 14, 2014 at 12:32 pm

    The Auschwitz Escape by Joel Rubenstein and The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer. Interesting combination of subject matter for sure. I always seem to revert to Georgette Heyer and Lauren Willig when I need a pick-me-up!

  9. Pat D on November 14, 2014 at 1:07 pm

    This week I read The Button Man by Mark Pryor. This is the 3rd or 4th in this series about the head of security for the US Embassy in Paris. Really good! After that, The Low Road by A.D.Scott. Another great series set in the Highlands in the 1950s. For light reading I just finished Darynda Jones’s Seventh Grave and No Body. It is paranormal, romance, mystery, and humor. I love the heroine’s smart ass remarks.
    Currently I am in the middle of Dead Water by Ann Cleeves, part of her Shetland series.

  10. Am7 on November 14, 2014 at 1:10 pm

    Thank you for the reading round-up. I just finished Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs #3. I’ve been trying to figure out what to read next.

  11. Joanne M. on November 14, 2014 at 2:01 pm

    Enjoying Charlie Lovett’s First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen.

  12. Kimberly on November 14, 2014 at 2:30 pm

    I just finished Voyager (#3 in the Outlander series). This is my first time to read the series. So far I’ve read 2,859 pages and it’s only 3 of the books. lol A certain author (I’m looking at you, Diana Gabaldon) needs an editor who can make her trim things down a bit.

  13. Heather on November 14, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    I’m finally back in a reading mood, though I’m still awaiting a big video game release, “Dragon Age: Inquisition” (only 4 more days!). I’m about to dive into “Revival” by Stephen King, and in prep, read “Joyland” because one of the main characters goes there for some reason. Didn’t find out more, because spoilers! I’m also inching my way through “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner. It’s been really popular with the teens at my B&N, but so far, it’s been slow going. The slang they use is reminiscent of that in “A Clockwork Orange,” and it’s been tough to really understand what’s going on. Sticking with it, though!

  14. Alice on November 14, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    I re-read The Deception of the Emerald Ring. Reminded me how much I love it and the series. So I got online and ordered the entire Pink Carnation series in its entirety. Wish they would hurry up and arrive! In the meantime read Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflower series. Loved them all! That and her Hathaway family series are some of my favorites. Then re-read An Inquiry Into Love and Death by Simone St James. My favorite of hers. Why do we have to wait until April for her next book???

    • Betty S. on November 14, 2014 at 10:01 pm

      Love Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflower series and her Bow Street Runner series!

  15. Miss Eliza on November 14, 2014 at 8:32 pm

    I’m finally back in the real world (was at a Steampunk immersion convention last week and weekend, hence the Steampunk reading.) I finished the 3rd George Mann Newbury and Hobbes book, ‘The Immorality Engine’ which was good and read the most recent, ‘The Executioner’s Heart’ which was AMAZING! Devoured it and want more now! So I’m settling for the complete Newbury and Hobbes short stories.

  16. Christy on November 14, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    I just finished reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and have started reading Madame Tussand by Michelle Moran. I have enjoyed both.

  17. Betty S. on November 14, 2014 at 10:10 pm

    I read books 3 and 4 in Mary Balogh’s Survivor’s Club series – The Escape and Only Enchanting. This series is about seven people (6 men and 1 woman) who suffered different injuries in the Napoleonic Wars and recuperated at the Duke of Stanford’s estate to make their way back into the a normal life. The Duke is the seventh survivor since his son was killed in the war and his wife committed suicide because of it. All of these books have been great – it’s hard to wait until May for #5.

    Am now reading Jane Feather’s All the Queen’s Players – intrigue in the court of Elizabeth I among spies, courtiers, and playwrights (one Christopher Marlowe is a character).

    Have also enjoyed rereading The Deception of the Emerald Ring.

  18. Bekah on November 14, 2014 at 10:18 pm

    I just finished The Night Circus and I loved it!! Such beautiful imagery. Also going along with Bubblebath Reader in Emerald Ring this month.

  19. Lynne on November 15, 2014 at 12:47 am

    Just closed Theft of Life and it was the best of Imogen Robertson. For everyone who has followed the Westerman/Crowther series, this is her finest to date, a must-read! And I just started the Miss Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood – a really charming mystery. (The TV series is also very well done.)
    PS – Lauren – Sheep farming?? Please, keep writing books. Sheep are such messy creatures.

  20. Jeffrey on November 15, 2014 at 7:05 am

    Somehow, I’m already reading my first Christmas story of this season. It is another winner by Shanna Hatfield entitled The Christmas Bargain, a faith-based sweet romance at the turn of the century in eastern Oregon. She is rapidly becoming one of my favorite contemporary authors.

  21. Céline on November 15, 2014 at 9:39 am

    I am with you with the (dread) revisions!! I have spent all my time burried in them, the whole week, and it didn’t leave me much time to read! So, I am re-reading Princesses of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George, a retelling of the 12 dancing princesses tale!

  22. SuzanneH on November 17, 2014 at 9:29 pm

    I read Tasha Alexander’s latest Lady Emily mystery, The Counterfeit Heiress. It was terrific! Possibly the best of them so far, along with Death In The Floating City. Then her Christmas novella, Star Of The East, which was a very small, simple story but utterly charming. Then Deanna Raybourn’s final Lady Julia novella, Bonfire Night, which was fantastic! I am going into mourning at the end of that series, it was so good. After that I read Stephanie Barron’s latest Jane Austen mystery, Jane And The Twelve Days Of Christmas. Once again I think it was one of the best of the series so far, I couldn’t put it down.

    • Betty S. on November 19, 2014 at 9:33 pm

      Suzanne,
      I’m getting ready to read Twelfth Night and Bonfire Night before I start my Christmas reading. I, too, will be mourning the end of Lady Julia and Nicholas.

Leave a Comment