The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Finished: Elizabeth Street

Finished: - 4*

finishing up

next to read is Red Queen
then the shadow queen
then the outsider

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Currently Reading:
The Question of Red - Kindle
The Prague Cemetery - Library
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War - Library
North of Havana - Library
Murder in the Aisle - Kindle

Although I am enjoying more than I expected Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War, it is non-fiction and thus doesn't fulfill the need for a good story. Therefore, I started the other two listed after it.

The first two books in my list are a bit of a slough. I will read them...but they are easy to put down.

The Order

How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

Finished: - 3*, - 4*

Currently Reading:
The Prague Cemetery - Library
North of Havana - Library
Murder in the Aisle - Kindle
Sketchy

Still slowly making headway through The Prague Cemetery. I can only take 20 pages at a time due to the fact that much of the text is full of names, places, and foreign words that I am having trouble relating to sufficiently.

reading The Case of the Spellbound Child

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Currently Reading:
The Prague Cemetery - Library
The Mangrove Coast - Library
Murder in the Aisle - Kindle

Fair And Tender Ladies –Lee Smith – 5*****
Ivy Rowe tells her story from her parents’ meeting to her old age through letters she writes to her friends and family through the years. Ivy is curious and adventurous, intelligent if lacking education, forthright, determined, and self-reliant. She makes mistakes and deals with them. She observes the workings of the world as it changes around her but remains true to her tiny corner and her mountain ways. Her letters are full of every emotion of life – hope, despair, joy, sorrow and love.
My full review HERE

Finished: - 3*, - 4*

Started:
The Big Four - Library ebook
The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator - Kindle

A Deadly Education

Finished: - 4*, - 3*, - 4*

Reading:
The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator - Kindle
Before We Were Yours - Library
Cards on the Table - Library

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
River Bodies - Kindle
Before We Were Yours - Library
The Lost Man - Library

Finished: - 4.5*

Reading:
River Bodies - Kindle
The Clockmaker's Daughter - Library
The Lost Man - Library
A Pepper Brooks Mystery Collection: A Cozy Box Set Books 1-3 - Kindle

Espresso Shot – Cleo Coyle – 3***
Coffeehouse Mystery series book # 7 finds Clare Cosi in the uncomfortable position of catering a wedding reception for a bridezilla who seems to attract danger. I like this series. It’s populated with a nice cast of recurring characters. There are plenty of suspects and some twists and turns to keep the reader (and Clare) guessing. I find all the references to foodie culture and explorations of different cuisines, desserts and beverages (including various coffees) entertaining.
My full review HERE

Finished: - 3.5*, - 4*

Reading:
River Bodies - Kindle
The Penelopiad - ebook
A Pepper Brooks Mystery Collection: A Cozy Box Set Books 1-3 - Kindle

I finished The 8th Confession

Started several books yesterday:
The Enduring Semioles: From Alligator Wrestling to Casino Gaming - Own
The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories - Library
The Black Notebook - Library
The Heat Islands - Library

and one this morning:
The Lady in the Morgue - ebook

I am reading The Bartered Brides

Finished: - 3*, - 3*, - 4*

Reading:
The Enduring Semioles: From Alligator Wrestling to Casino Gaming - Own
So Much Pretty - Library
The Penelopiad - ebook
The Lady in the Morgue - ebook
River Bodies - Kindle
A Pepper Brooks Mystery Collection: A Cozy Box Set Books 1-3 - Kindle

Thirteen Moons – Charles Frazier – 5*****
Frazier’s sophomore effort returns to the rural Carolina landscape, covering nearly a century from the 1820s to the very beginning of the 20th century. The tale is told by Will Cooper, who as a twelve-year-old orphan was sent into the wilderness as a “bound boy.” It’s a marvelous story, and beautifully told. Will’s life is full of adventure and opportunities, as well as peril and mistakes. Frazier puts the reader into an America that is long gone but vividly portrayed. On finishing, I find that I want to start again at the beginning, savoring every word.
My full review HERE

Finished The Bartered Brides and starting Cloaked

I am reading A Long Petal of the Sea-Allende never disappoints me-lovely read

A Discovery Of Witches – Deborah Harkness – 4****
Book one of the All Souls Trilogy introduces the reader to Diana Bishop, descended from a long line of powerful witches, but uninterested in learning to use her magic skills, and Matthew Clairmont, who is a renowned vampire. It’s a combination of fantasy, romance, suspense, mystery, and historical fiction. I was engaged from page one and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
My full review HERE

A Bend In the Stars – Rachel Barenbaum – 3***
A debut work of historical fiction set in 1914 in Russia and featuring a brother and sister who are brilliant scientists determined to succeed and worried about escaping. I think the many subplots were a bit too ambitious. I was interested, but I was exhausted by the constant danger, and longed for peace for the characters and for me.
My full review HERE

The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead – 5*****
In the 1960s Jim Crow South, a young man on his way to college makes a life-changing mistake and winds up in the notoriously draconian Nickel Academy reform school. I was completely engrossed in this story. I loved how the relationships between the boys at Nickel developed, how they helped one another even when they could not understand one another. The last part of the novel moves forward in time when one of the boys has grown up and is in New York. But while he’s achieved a measure of success, he is still haunted by what happened in his youth. Whitehead’s use of this structure made the pivotal scene all the more impactful.
My full review HERE

Finished: - 4*

This was a short book about the wife of Odysseus. I have never read the classic tales of Odysseus' journeys, but Margaret Atwood tells the reader enough to make the story of his wife tie in. I loved the Greek chorus of the twelve maids telling their sides.

Expect to finish later today:
- 3*

Reading:
So Much Pretty - Library
The Lady in the Morgue - ebook
River Bodies - Kindle
A Pepper Brooks Mystery Collection: A Cozy Box Set Books 1-3 - Kindle [currently on book #3]

Presumed Innocent – Scott Turow – 4****
This is a fast-paced story with several twists and turns and lots of political and personal intrigue to keep the reader guessing and turning pages. Turow’s tight writing gave me the sense of suspense and impending doom that I expect from a mystery/thriller like this. The final reveal is a bit of a stunner.
My full review HERE

Starting:
Elephants can Remember
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

Julie – Jean Craighead George – 3***
Book two of the Julie of the Wolves series, has our heroine returning to her father’s home and trying to reconcile the traditional Eskimo ways with the newer structure of village corporations, industry and working with the white man. The push/pull of old vs new, of childhood vs adulthood, of nature vs business form the central conflicts in the story.
My full review HERE

The Girl Who Drank the Moon – Kelly Barnhill – 4.5****
This is a delightful fantasy / fairy tale that deals with prejudice, fear, the importance of family, and the courage to do the right thing. I loved these characters (a witch, a swamp monster, a tiny dragon, and a magical child) and their “family dynamic.” While it’s aimed at the middle-school crowd, it is easily enjoyed by adults.
My full review HERE

Finished: - 3.5*

Just started The Evening and the Morning, at 913 pages it will be found a home for the winter challenge as I also have 5 other books going right now and won't get far into it before the 1st.

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground – Rita Williams-Garcia – 4.5****
This was wonderful on so many levels, from the history of the blues to the serious work of grieving over the loss of a family member to the need to face our troubles and talk about problems so that we can understand and forgive one another. Appropriate for middle-school readers and adults.
My full review HERE

Reading:
So Much Pretty - Library
The Lady in the Morgue - ebook
River Bodies - Kindle
Elephants can Remember - Library
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie - Library
Repo Girl - Kindle

I am reading [book:Dollface: A Novel of the Roaring Twenties|15850930

Doña Barbara – Rómulo Gallegos – 3.5***
This classic of South American literature was first published in 1929. It is an epic tale of two cousins who are fighting for control of a vast estate / ranch in Venezuela. The novel is an early example of magical realism and Gallegos weaves together adventure, fantasy, and romance, using vivid description and outlandish storytelling. The various outdoor scenes were particularly exciting – I could practically taste the grit and feel the dust in my nostrils. If there was any element that made me downgrade the rating, it was the tendency towards melodramatic soap opera.
My full review HERE

Finished: - 4*

The War of the Worlds – H G Wells – 4****
Classic science-fiction horror. I knew the basic premise going in and had heard snippets of the famous radio broadcast by Orson Welles, but had never read the original. The first-person narrative lends a sense of urgency and immediacy to the narrative. The reader feels completely immersed in the story. Wells includes significant tension; while there are a few moments of respite, I found it a very anxiety-producing read.
My full review HERE

Finished: - 3*, - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
Any Witch Way You Can - Library
River Bodies - Kindle
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie - Library

It Takes a Witch – Heather Blake – 2**
The premise of this cozy mystery is pretty lame. The murder plot (main reason to read a cozy mystery in my humble opinion) was moderately interesting. I also thought the romantic interest was handled fairly well, with a nice promise of more to come. But I’ll probably never know what happens between Darcy and Nick, because I have no plans to continue this series.
My full review HERE

Started Blue Dahlia.

Caroline: Little House Revisited – Sarah Miller – 3.5***
Readers familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, will find this very familiar. Miller chooses to retell Wilder’s stories for an adult audience, focusing on Laura’s mother, Caroline. I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction, though I cringed at the lead character’s attitudes towards the Native American population. Miller does not gloss over the very real challenges of pioneer life – the lack of supplies, or routine comforts we take for granted.
My full review HERE

Finished: - 4*

A fun, quick read with crazy characters...and a twist I did not see coming.

Asuran

Fraternity – Diane Brady – 3***
In 1968, a visionary priest recruited 20 black men to the College of the Holy Cross and changed their lives and the course of history. This was a very interesting look at how their experience influenced these young men. Brady focuses on seven of the recruits, but the person who really stands out in this tale is Rev. John Brooks, the priest who recruited the students, fought for funds, mentored them, and championed their causes.
My full review HERE

A read-a-thon is starting! Lots of books to get done.

Starting:
The Alienist - Library
Night - Library
Murder in Belgravia - Library ebook
An Unsuitable Job For A Woman - Library

In progress:
River Bodies - Kindle
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie - Library
Blue Dahlia - Library

Next Year in Havana – Chanel Cleeton – 3***
Another work of historical fiction that relies on the bifurcated story line. Basically you have two romances each featuring a privileged young woman with a man who is not in her class, one in the 1950s and the other in 2017. It held my attention, and had some interesting historical elements.
My full review HERE