The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

The Five Wounds – Kirstin Valdez Quade – 4.5****
What Quade’s characters share is that desire to “be someone else” and/or somewhere else, but no real means of achieving that. They dream, but are somehow powerless to change their circumstances, falling back on old patterns of behavior, afraid to let go of their past to head into the future. Despite how they infuriated me, and how often I wanted to just shake some sense into them, I wound up really loving these characters.
LINK to my full review

I finished Until Forever and starting Murder on the Orient Express

Starting Book Lovers

How To Raise an Elephant – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Book # 21 in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series set in Botswana and featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe and the other employees (partners?) of the agency, as well as friends and relatives. As is typical for this series, the mysteries are not murders, but a cousin who has some financial difficulties, or a woman with a straying husband, and also figuring out why the suspension in Mma Ramotswe’s beloved little white van seems to have gone bad … not to mention the peculiar smell coming from the back of the van.
LINK to my full review

All I Want For Christmas Is a Cowboy – Jessica Clare – 3***
Young woman with a stressful job decides to go to her family’s cabin in Wyoming over Christmas for some alone time. Misses the turn in a blizzard, crashes her car and is rescued by a handsome cowboy. It's a predictable, fast holiday cowboy romance. And I did so like looking at the cover!
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 2*, - 4*, - 3*

Reading:
The Dressmaker's Gift - Kindle
The Wisdom of Father Brown - Ebook
Nine Perfect Strangers - Audiobook
Kneaded to Death - Library
Pleating for Mercy - Library

The Shop On Royal Street – Karen White – 2.5**
This is the beginning of a spinoff series from White’s popular Tradd Street novels (which I haven’t read). White has included all the tropes of Southern gothic and chick-lit romance: ghosts, family secrets, an irascible grandmother, enemies-to-friends (lovers), a stereotypical Southern Belle best friend who speaks in cute-n-colorful Southernism. It was a fast read, but I’ve already forgotten it.
LINK to my full review

The Last Coyote –Michael Connelly – 3.5***
Book # 4 in the Harry Bosch series has our detective on ISL – Involuntary Stress Leave – after an “incident” involving an altercation with his supervising officer. This is a pretty dark episode in the series. But the reader gets to know much more about Harry and the way he operates, his background and what drives him. Despite the attention paid to his psychological problems, though, there is still a mystery to be solved with many clues, multiple suspects and enough twists and turns to keep any fan of thrillers interested and engaged.
LINK to my full review

Starting:
The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds - library
Under the Skin - library

Also reading:
Book Lovers for book club

Letters From Father Christmas – J R R Tolkien – 4****
This lovely volume duplicates the letters from Father Christmas which were sent to Tolkien’s children beginning in 1920 and continuing for the next twenty-three years. The letters relate the many adventures Father Christmas and his helpers – The North Polar Bear, elves, etc – have both in preparation for the big day and throughout the year. I much enjoyed the inventiveness of these missives and loved the hand-drawn illustrations.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Dressmaker's Gift - Kindle
The Wisdom of Father Brown - Ebook
Nine Perfect Strangers - Audiobook
The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds - Library
Under the Skin - Library
Book Lovers - Library for book club

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Dressmaker's Gift - Kindle
The Wisdom of Father Brown - Ebook
Nine Perfect Strangers - Audiobook
The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds - Library

Starting:
A Sense Of Place - Own
The Devotion of Suspect X - Library
Reading Up a Storm - Library
Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen - Library
Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors - Library

Finished Daughter of the Forest and starting Christmas Sweets

The Heartbreak Bakery – A R Capetta – 3***
A teen who is unsure which pronouns to use displays feelings through baking. At the outset, I had some difficulty with the constantly changing pronouns – not just Syd but Harley and others seem unsure which pronouns they prefer on any given day. But I got over this and began to enjoy this YA romance. Syd is a great character, and I liked how Capetta explored relationships and changing feelings and how we need to learn to communicate openly and honestly.
LINK to my full review

Shroud For a Nightingale – P D James – 3***
Book 4 in the Adam Dalgliesh mystery series has the detective investigating two deaths at a school of nursing, Nightingale House. I really like how Dalgliesh is so methodical and contemplative. He never rushes to a conclusion, and carefully constructs and explores the possibilities before proclaiming a case is solved. This one took several turns I didn’t expect.
LINK to my full review

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

Reading:
The Dressmaker's Gift - Kindle
Nine Perfect Strangers - Audiobook
A Sense Of Place - Own
The Devotion of Suspect X - Library
Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors - Library
News of the World - Library
A ​Court of Silver Flames - Library
Strangers on a Train - Library
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter - Library

Holly Jolly Cowboy – Jessica Clare – 3***
Totally predictable, given the genre, but hey, there are cute dogs in abundance, not to mention that hunky cowboy. And, of course, perky, optimistic Holly will bake and cook her way into his heart. Will there be bumps in the road to romance? How could there not be? Will there be tears shed and hearts broken? Certainly. Will there be a happy ending? No doubt. This Holiday Cowboy Romance is enjoyable at any season.
LINK to my full review

Finished Christmas Sweets and starting The Nine Lives of Christmas

Scones and Scoundrels – Molly MacRea – 1*
I know this is a cozy mystery and don’t expect the kind of gore and mayhem from a hard-hitting police procedural. But I DO expect a murder and a reasonable effort by the amateur sleuth to investigate. Here the big murder doesn’t happen until page 206, and the ladies manage to get into serious danger just because they were thinking about possibilities, and somehow the murderer caught on to them. B O R I N G … And I’m done with this series.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*

I usually struggle with books set in cultures whose names of people and places are hard for me to pronounce. It makes my reading choppy as I have to spend time each time figuring out the name is pronounced...and then trying to remember one hard name from another.

This book had that problem also. Usually it results in a 3* read. However, the characters were limited to 5 primary ones...and the place names were the same over and over through the story, so I got beyond that and really understood and enjoyed the story. The ending was both tragic and correct as an Asian story often is.

This book earned that 4*.

The Burden of Proof – Scott Turow – 3.5***
Turow turns his attention to the defense attorney from Presumed Innocent , Alejandro “Sandy” Stern. It opens with a shocking discovery. And quickly expands to a complicated legal mess, involving securities / commodities trading, that frankly lost me in its complexity. I really loved how Turow wrote Sandy and his relationships. This is really more character-driven than most legal thrillers. But the plot complexities, however puzzling to me, were also what kept me interested and engaged and wondering and guessing right to the end … which is a stunner.
LINK to my full review

The Christmas Cookie Collection – Lori Wilde – 2**
I knew going into it that this collection of novellas (originally published separately) would be a schmaltzy romance. I’ve read another work by Wilde previously and liked it; I found this one charming for its genre, though unremarkable. It was a fast read, but I’ve basically forgotten the characters and their stories already.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 3*

Reading:
The Dressmaker's Gift - Kindle
Nine Perfect Strangers - Audiobook
Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors - Library
A ​Court of Silver Flames - Library
Strangers on a Train - Library
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter - Library

I finished The Nine Lives of Christmas and starting The Murder on the Links

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

Started: Remarkably Bright Creatures - Library

Blonde- Joyce Carol Oates

End of Watch – Stephen King – 4****
Book three in the Bill Hodges Trilogy has the retired detective (now a private investigator) and his partner, Holly Gibney, intrigued by the recent murder / suicide involving a survivor the original Mercedes Killer rampage. King gives us a fast-paced, intricate plot, with complex characters, and a fascinating exploration into brain activity and the possibilities. I really like Bill Hodges, but I love Holly, and she really shines in this episode
LINK to my full review

Paper Money – Ken Follett – 2.5**
Before he rocketed to fame with Eye of the Needle , Ken Follett published a couple of crime novels under a pseudonym: Zachary Stone. In this one he explores how crime, high finance and journalism are connected through corruption, with the action taking place in a single day. The relatively small volume is tightly packed, with a dozen (or more) characters and a complex plot, which tested my ability to focus. I’m not sure the mid-1970s plot has stood the test of time very well.
LINK to my full review

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

Reading:
The Dressmaker's Gift - Kindle
Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors - Library
Strangers on a Train - Library
The Hollow Hills - Library
Art's Blood - Library
Hickory Dickory Dock - Library

Flower Net – Lisa See – 3***
Before she rocketed to fame with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan See wrote a short series of mysteries, of which this is the first. What I liked most about this book was the look at China – from karaoke bars to the neighborhoods housing the working class, from high-powered businessmen to prostitutes, See gave the reader a look under the blanket of the typical tourist-friendly experience. The plot is convoluted and full of twists and turns, as much political intrigue as murder mystery. Not her best book, but it held my attention.
LINK to my full review

The Sweetness of Water – Nathan Harris – 5*****
In his debut work, Harris explores rural Georgia shortly after the end of the Civil War, when slaves had been emancipated and Union soldiers moved in to enforce the terms of surrender and “reconstruct” the South. Full of complex characters and gripping scenes that move the plot forward, this is a marvelous debut. Harris explores moral dilemmas and the difficulties of trying to do the right thing against a post-war upheaval and tension. He gives us characters with strong principles who can be blind to their flaws, some of whom overcome and some who give in to those weaknesses.
LINK to my full review

Whip Hand – Dick Francis – 3***
Book # 2 in the Sid Halley series. The plot is intricate and includes a couple of different mysteries, both of which involve unscrupulous business dealings and which involve Sid’s two loves: his ex-wife Jenny and thoroughbred racing. Sid is forced to face his greatest fears and answer for himself: Is there anything you’re afraid of?
LINK to my full review

I am reading Attachmentsby Rainbow Rowell

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

Reading:
Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors - Library
Strangers on a Train - Library
The Hollow Hills - Library
Art's Blood - Library

I need to start more books (17 library books on desk to start since all holds have come in at same time); but the last two are due in 3 days, and I have barely gotten into them. Yikes!

However, I will start 3 new ones for alternative sources (non-physical books).
The Paper Bag Christmas - Audiobook
Zen in the Art of Writing - Ebook
Buried Magic - Kindle

ver:
Lady In Waiting – Anne Glenconner – 3.5***
Subtitle: My Extraordinary Life In the Shadow of the Crown. Glenconner has spent her life as an intimate friend of the royal family. As a child she played with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. She served as a Maid of Honor for Elizabeth II’s Coronation, and as Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret. She was married to Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, and they bought an developed the Caribbean island, Mustique – THE place where Jet-setters escaped in the 1970s-‘80s. A fascinating autobiography.
LINK to my full review

I finished Attachments and starting The Last Bow

This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing – Jacqueline Winspear – 4****
Jacqueline Winspear, perhaps best known for her Maisie Dobbs cozy mystery series, turns to autobiography / memoir in this wonderful work. With honesty, humor, tenderness and compassion she explores her family background and her own childhood in the English countryside. I doubt I would have picked up this heartfelt and touching memoir were it not a book-club selection. I’m so glad I read it, and I think knowing Winspear’s own background will give me additional insight into her fictional characters.
LINK to my full review

Naughty in Nice – Rhys Bowen – 3***
Book five in the Her Royal Spyness cozy mystery series had Lady Georgiana Rannoch headed to the Riviera to try to retrieve a snuffbox that has been stolen from Queen Mary’s collection. I came late to this party, but I’m really enjoying this series. Bowen took inspiration from some real-life historical coincidences to build her mystery. Coco Chanel really did spend time in Nice with her business partner Vera Bate Lombardi; she really did put on a fashion show that featured jewels on loan from Queen Mary. I enjoyed hobnobbing with these people as much as Georgie did!
LINK to my full review

The Boxcar Children – Gertrude Chandler Warner – 4****
This is the first in a very popular series for children. First published in 1942 it introduces readers to the four orphaned siblings: Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny. They may be alone except for one another but they are very resourceful and work well as a team. It’s a grand adventure and a charming story with a happy ending.
LINK to my full review

Neither Here Nor There – Bill Bryson – 2**
Subtitle: Travels in Europe. First published in 1993, this is not aged well. I’ve read several of Bryson’s books and found some of them hugely entertaining. But not this one. He seems far too snide and complaining, the “Ugly American” come to life.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 3*, - 4*

Reading:
Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors - Library
Strangers on a Train - Library
The Paper Bag Christmas - Audiobook
Zen in the Art of Writing - Ebook
Buried Magic - Kindle
Frill Kill - Library

Being Dead Is No Excuse – Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays – 3***
"The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral" is charming and has some great casserole recipes. Metcalfe and Hays have crafted a charming book on the etiquette of funerals in the South, specifically in the Delta, from the proper hymns to sing, to the use of Cream of Mushroom soup, to the power of the restorative cocktail. They sprinkle in a wealth of anecdotes on colorful friends and relatives who have had proper send-offs and give us the recipes to create our own funeral masterpieces. Funny and informative.
LINK to my full review

Cooking With My Sisters – Adriana Trigiani – 3***
Trigiani is well-known for her fiction, frequently drawing from her family history to draw her characters and launch her plots. This book is a combination of memoir and cookbook, in which she relates many family stories and provides the recipes that bring back those memories. A delicious treat.
LINK to my full review

Starting Enter a Murderer

Anxious People – Fredrik Backman – 3***
It starts with a really bad idea born of desperation, follows a group of strangers at an apartment viewing who are now hostages, and the two police officers (father and son), who are trying to find the truth. It’s a bit chaotic, much as the real-life scenario would be, and the reader is kept guessing as to what really happened for most of the book. The ending is totally unrealistic, but nonetheless satisfying, as befits a fable.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*

Started:
Enter a Murderer
This Lie Will Kill You
To Love and Be Wise

Cathedral Of the Sea – Ildefonso Falcones – 4****
Spanish journalists / reviewers have called Falcones “Spain’s new Dan Brown” or proclaimed “A new Ken Follett is born!” I can certainly see why those comparisons are made. This is an epic historical novel focusing on one character’s connection to the church, and more importantly to the Virgin Mary. It’s an engaging story that kept me turning pages – all 611 of them!
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
Family History 101: A Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Ancestors - Library
Strangers on a Train - Library
The Paper Bag Christmas - Audiobook
Zen in the Art of Writing - Ebook
Buried Magic - Kindle
This Lie Will Kill You - Library

The Lincoln Highway – Amor Towles – 4****
This is a quest and a road trip, a saga of family and friendship, an exploration of morals and principles against temptations which are seemingly impossible to resist. It begins when Emmett and his younger brother Billy decide to set out for California and a new start in life. But their plan gets derailed when two friends show up and suggest a “side trip” to New York. The result is an odyssey worthy of Homer, but rather than ten years, THIS odyssey takes only ten days. I loved these characters, though I am not sure I like the ending, which leaves the reader to imagine what will happen next, and hungry for more details of future adventures.
LINK to my full review

Started:
Death in D Minor - Library