The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Finished: - 4*

Ha Ha! The universe is at it again!

I just finished a book about 007 and gave it 2*, because it really was a slug to read for me. And, I decided that spy novels were not my cup of tea.

Then comes along the next book. This one is a paranormal cozy mystery...and is a spy story! And, I loved it! What fun to find a normal (?) physic woman caught up in spying and trying to get back a special drone from really bad guys for her country's security. And, no, I did not see the thief/murderer coming at all. Really surprising!

This was what I expected from the writer of the 007 novel and did not get! What a joy to find that here!

How the Penguins Saved Veronica – Hazel Prior – 3.5***
Veronica McCreedy is an eighty-five-year-old woman who is inspired by a documentary on penguins to visit Antarctica. After all, she can’t leave her fortune to her recently discovered grandson, as he is an unemployed pot-smoker! The plot is outlandish and unrealistic but completely engaging and heart-warming. Veronica reminds me of many other cranky, outspoken elderly main characters (Ove and Olive Kitteridge, to name two). Everyone learns a lesson or two about cooperation and teamwork, and about opening one’s heart to the possibility of love.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
Nora Roberts Land - Kindle
French Rhapsody - Ebook
The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece - Library
Warrior Fae Trapped - Audiobook
The Vine Witch - Kindle

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli – 3.5***
The story of this high-school drama centers on Simon Spier, a gay 15-year-old, who’s not yet out to his family or friends. Ah, the drama of high school relationships. There’s a lot to digest here, from family dynamics to first love to what it means to be a true friend, and Albertalli handles it pretty well. I can see why this would be a popular YA title for any teen.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*, - 3*, - 4*, - 4.5*

Reading:
Warrior Fae Trapped - Audiobook
Fever Season - Library
Come, Tell Me How You Live - Library
The Night Whistler - Library
The Chalk Circle Man - Library

Murder 101 – Maggie Barbieri – 2.5**
Alison Bergeron is an English professor at a small, private college on the banks of the Hudson River in the Bronx, who finds herself the focus of a murder investigation when the body of one of her students is found in the trunk of her Volvo, which she reported stolen a few days previously. As a mystery, this was not very well plotted, and I found the reveal completely unrealistic and dissatisfying. But I did find the nascent romance between Alison and Crawford interesting. And I might read another book in the series just to see how that pans out.
LINK to my full review

Starting: The Cafe by the Sea - ebook

Gorky Park – Martin Cruz Smith – 2.5**
As the snow begins to melt, three frozen bodies are found in Moscow’s Gorky Park. This is the first in a series, and Smith gives us an interesting cast of characters, including a dwarf who does reconstructive sculpture from bones to help identify crime victims, and a rich, ruthless and well-connected American mogul. Investigator Arkady Renko will have to battle the KGB, FBI and New York City police to solve this case. It started with a bang, but I began to lose interest with all the subplots and political intrigue. And I found the ending disatissfying.
LINK to my full review

I am reading Acorna's Rebels

State Of Terror – Hillary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny – 3.5***
Clearly Clinton provided the behind-the-scenes information on the workings of government on this scale, while Louise Penny crafted the plot, which was fast and furious and held my attention throughout. I wish Clinton hadn’t relied so much on taking digs at # 45, because the basic plot would have worked without that, and it just makes the book seem like a thinly veiled criticism of our former leadership.
LINK to my full review

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

Reading:
The Night Whistler - Library
The Cafe by the Sea - Ebook
Ink and Bone - Library
It Takes a Witch - Library
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
Frey - Kindle
The Wizard's Butler - Audiobook

Finished Acorna's Rebels and starting The Best of Me

To Be Continued – Charmaine Gordon – 3***
I wasn’t expecting much from this coming-of-middle-age book, but I found it to be pretty entertaining. Oh, I did have some issues with the main character, but she eventually got her act together, found a new therapist, a new best friend, a new guy, and a new career. It was a fun, fast read.
LINK to my full review

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

Reading:
The Cafe by the Sea - Ebook
Ink and Bone - Library
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
The Wizard's Butler - Audiobook
Falconer's Judgement - Library
The Butterfly and the Violin - Library

:
The Winds of War – Herman Wouk – 5*****
Book # 1 in the Henry Family saga introduces us to Commander Victor Henry, his wife Rhoda, and their children: Warren, Byron and Madeline. Victor wants a battleship, but he’s been selected to serve as Naval attache in Berlin. It’s 1937 and he’ll have a front-row seat to history. This is a larger-than-life story to tell, and Wouk captures the reader’s attention from the beginning, weaving the family’s personal soap opera drama into the fabric of history. This was a re-read for me, but I found it just as engaging and thrilling as the first time. I’ll probably give in and re-read the sequel as well.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 3*

Reading:
The Cafe by the Sea - Ebook
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
The Wizard's Butler - Audiobook
The Butterfly and the Violin - Library
Family Secrets - Kindle

A Fistful of Collars – Spencer Quinn – 3***
Book # 5 in the Chet and Bernie mystery series, has Bernie Small hired to “babysit” a notorious bad-boy Hollywood actor who’s the star of a movie being shot on location in his area. Of course, Bernie goes nowhere without his partner, Chet, who is a dog and also narrates the tale. I just love this series. I never get tired of Chet’s way of interpreting what he witnesses.
LINK to my full review

I finished reading Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park and starting Can You Keep a Secret?

Started: Yarn to Go

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Cafe by the Sea - Ebook
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
The Wizard's Butler - Audiobook
The Butterfly and the Violin - Library
Pick a Better Country: An Unassuming Colored Guy Speaks His Mind About America - Own

The Upright Piano Player – David Abbot – 3.5***
This work of literary fiction is a striking debut. Abbott gives us the story of Henry Cage, a successful businessman who seems to have it all: a fine home, a successful career, and a reputation for being a principled and upstanding man. But his outward success hides personal failure. Although I liked it, the structure of the book left me feeling dissatisfied, and with more questions than answers.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 5*, - 4*

Reading:
The Secret of the Blue Trunk - Ebook
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
Silent in the Grave - Library
Pick a Better Country: An Unassuming Colored Guy Speaks His Mind About America - Own
The Messenger of Athens - Library
Silent is the Grave - Kindle

The Kill Artist – Daniel Silva – 3***
This is the first in a series starring Gabriel Allon, whose cover is that of an art restoration specialist. The action is fast and furious and sometimes confusing, as is to be expected in an espionage thriller. There are more twists and turns than a casual reader can keep track of. And a basic knowledge of of Israeli / Palestinian relationships and politics is necessary. This is a long-running series, with over twenty books, but I doubt I’ll pick up another. Just not my cup of tea.
LINK to my full review

Dashing Through the Snow – Debbie Macomber – 3***
Last minute plans to travel from San Francisco to Seattle nearly thwart Ashley Davison and Dashiell Sutherland. Stranded at the airport they decide to share the last remaining rental car. Their road to HEA includes several detours: an abandoned puppy, a pair of petty thieves, and an FBI agent who has mistakenly identified one of them as an international terrorist. But never fear. It’s a holiday rom com and a lovely distraction, so curl up in a comfy chair, with a warm blanket and the beverage of your choice and enjoy.
LINK to my full review

Much Ado About You – Samantha Young – 3***
Evie Starling, a thirty-three Chicagoan who’s just broken up with her boyfriend and been disappointed one time too many at work, decides to take a Bookshop Holiday in England to re-evaluate and regroup. She doesn’t expect to meet the devastatingly handsome local sheep farmer (and his even cuter dog). A charming rom com with all the usual tropes. Perfect for a light holiday read.
LINK to my full review

The Mummy Case – Elizabeth Peters – 3***
Book three in the popular Amelia Peabody cozy mystery series. Amelia and her handsome husband, Radcliffe Emerson, want permission to dig in a specific area for a long-lost pharaoh’s tomb. But the authorities were not pleased with Emerson’s past behavior and give him a site far from the desired pyramids of Dahshoor. They bring along their incredibly precocious son, Ramses, who wants a dig of his own. Peters writes these books as if they were Amelia’s memoirs and uses a formal style of writing that helps transport the reader to the late 19th century.
LINK to my full review

American Gods – Neil Gaiman – 2.5**
Gaiman is a hit-or-miss author for me. I’ve loved some of his works, others, not so much. This one clearly falls into that last category. In fact near the beginning I was tempted to DNF it entirely. Am I glad I persevered? Not exactly.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 3.5*, - 4*, - 3*

Reading:
The Secret of the Blue Trunk - Ebook
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
Pick a Better Country: An Unassuming Colored Guy Speaks His Mind About America - Own

Starting:
Secret of the White Rose - Library
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise - Library
How the Light Gets In - Library
Quietly in Their Sleep - Library
The Watchmaker's Daughter - Kindle

I am reading Spin the Dawn

Balzac And the Little Chinese Seamstress – Dai Sijie – 5*****
During China's Cultural Revolution, three young men are sent to a mountain villages for re-education. One of them has a secret horde of books. The other two are captivated by the books and also by the little seamstress, daughter of the district’s tailor. Sijie gives us descriptions of the harshness of the terrain and of their forced labor. The scenes in the coal mine were particularly harrowing. But there are many humorous scenes, as well. I have read this little gem of a novel several times. It is luminously written. For me, it answers the question, "Why do you read so much?"
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*

Reading:
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
Pick a Better Country: An Unassuming Colored Guy Speaks His Mind About America - Own
Secret of the White Rose - Library
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise - Library
Quietly in Their Sleep - Library
The Watchmaker's Daughter - Kindle
Her Deadly Touch - Audiobook

Starting:
How the Light Gets In - Library

The Children’s Train – Viola Ardone – 3.5***
This is a story based on true events, set in post-WW2 Italy, when children from impoverished families in the south were sent north to wealthier communities / families who could care for them. How can the mother reconcile her decision to send her child to safety with the result of a child who is returned so different from the one she sent away? How can a child forgive his mother for her inability to provide more? I’m sure my book club with have much to discuss.
LINK to my full review

Reading Up a Storm – Eva Gates – 3***
Book number three in the Lighhouse Library Mystery series. Cozy mysteries are my go-to comfort reads and this doesn’t disappoint. They’re fast and fun and I love Lucy’s cat, Charles Dickens!
LINK to my full review

I finished reading First Test and reading Ten Big Ones

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

Reading:
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good - Library
Secret of the White Rose - Library
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise - Library
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle

Starting:
How the Light Gets In - Library
Make Mine Magic - Audiobook
One More for the Road - Ebook

The Secret, Book & Scone Society – Ellery Adams – 2.5**
I really like Adams’ “Books By the Bay” mystery series and thought I’d give this series a try, though I was skeptical about the “comfort scones” and Nora’s ability to cure someone’s ills by recommending the right book. I didn’t understand why Nora and her friends decided to investigate the death of a total stranger. By the end of the book, we’ve learned each of the women’s terrible secret, and there are a couple of promising romantic relationships. But I just got the feeling that Adams was trying too hard. Still, I did really love all the book references!
LINK to my full review

The Creation of Eve – Lynn Cullen – 4****
Based on the true, but little known, story of Sofonisba Anguisola, the first renowned female artist during the Renaissance period, this is a captivating work of historical fiction. I knew nothing about this extraordinary woman, and only a little about the court of King Felipe II. Cullen crafts a compelling story that includes intrigue, romance, mystery, politics and the frustration felt by a woman shackled by society’s conventions.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 3*, - 4*

Reading:
Secret of the White Rose - Library
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
How the Light Gets In - Library
Make Mine Magic - Audiobook
One More for the Road - Ebook
The Astral - Library
Deep Shadow - Own

Unfriended – Rachel Vail – 2.5***
I found this in the YA section but it’s more middle-school than young adult, in my opinion. Vail gives each of the central kids a voice, changing narrators from chapter to chapter. Some are told as a series of text messages. All are told in first person, and I occasionally lost track of which kid was narrating. Being a middle-school drama there’s the expected “mean girl” behavior and cyber bullying, but I thought it took far too long for Vail to get to a positive message. Not my cup of tea, though I can see why some tweens might like it.
LINK to my full review

Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell – 3.5***
Subtitle: The Story of Success. Gladwell looks at hugely successful people who are “outliers” … far out of the norm. Examples include Bill Gates and The Beatles. He tries to explain how luck, opportunity, and the right birth year or month help these people succeed. Of course, ten thousand hours of practice is also a key element. I was interested in what Gladwell had to say and found the various essays easy to absorb and understand.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*

Started: The Ladies of the Secret Circus - Audiobook

The Case of the Missing Books – Ian Sansom – 3***
This is the first in a new series starring Israel Armstrong, the librarian in charge of the mobile library van in the small Irish village of Tundrum. It was mildly entertaining and I did like all the book references, but I prefer more actual mystery in my cozy mysteries. I doubt I’ll read any more of the series.
LINK to my full review

Finished Ten Big Ones, Eleven on Top and starting Home from the Sea

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

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - Library
The Ladies of the Secret Circus - Audiobook
One More for the Road - Ebook
And Still I Rise - Library
Deep Shadow - Own
First Frost - Library
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith - Library

Artemis – Andy Wier – 4.5****
I wondered if Weir could possibly top The Martian , or at least equal it. Well, now I know. And I love that this time he features a feisty, intelligent woman as the lead character. I love a good crime caper, and this is one. Lots of twists and turns that kept the action moving and my interest high.
LINK to my full review

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? – Caitlin Doughty – 3***
Doughty, a funeral home director, answers questions posed by kids about death, dying and funerals. She’s forthright and honest, but also sprinkles her remarks with some lighthearted banter. It’s a pretty fast read, and quite informative.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
The Ladies of the Secret Circus - Audiobook
One More for the Road - Ebook
And Still I Rise - Library
Deep Shadow - Own
First Frost - Library
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith - Library

The Confessions of Frannie Langton – Sara Collins – 4****
This work of historical fiction looks at slavery, colonialism, drug addiction, medical experimentation and lesbianism in early 19th century England. This is Collins’s debut novel and it’s an ambitious one. Frannie narrates her story beginning in 1826, when she is already jailed for a double murder, and going back to 1812 and her youth in Jamaica. Frannie is a marvelous character – educated, observant, loving, strong and yet vulnerable. The story was as addicting as the laudanum frequently prescribed for “nervous ladies.”
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 3*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
The Ladies of the Secret Circus - Audiobook
One More for the Road - Ebook
Deep Shadow - Own
First Frost - Library
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe - Library

Finished "Home From the Sea". Starting First Warning: Acorna's Children