Retro Reads discussion

Business as Usual was a lovely read :O)
And I have The Feast on my shelves too - another opportunity to get to it.

Lesley wrote: "Christmas Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Any Wodehouse scholars here? Jill the Reckless & The Little Warrior are combined on Goodreads but they seem to be different books."

According to Fantastic ..."

Thanks for that, Lesley. Always good to have another source of reference, especially for such a prolific writer.

OK, for my last book I will choose The Stars Look Down by A.J. Cronin. Thank you and Merry Christmas to all!

Elinor wrote: "OK, for my last book I will choose The Stars Look Down by A.J. Cronin. Thank you and Merry Christmas to all!"

Thanks for the Christmas wishes Elinor - & I've added your book!

Elinor wrote: "OK, for my last book I will choose The Stars Look Down by A.J. Cronin. Thank you and Merry Christmas to all!"

Thank you Elinor, Merry Christmas to you and the rest of the group!

Here are my picks:

The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton
Thomasina by Paul Gallico
The Cheerleader by Ruth Doan MacDougall
Good Morning, Young Lady by Ardyth Kennelly
Betsy and the Great World by Maud Hart Lovelace

Peggy wrote: "Here are my picks:

The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton
Thomasina by Paul Gallico
The Cheerleader by Ruth Doan MacDougall
[book:Good Morning, Young Lad..."

Added your picks, Peggy. I don't think I've read Thomasina, but I remember the Disney film.

I’ve been making a list of the pool books I want to read, and it is getting ridiculously long!

Peggy wrote: "Here are my picks:

The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton..."

That has been on my TBR list for years! And I just put it on hold, yay!

Abigail wrote: "I’ve been making a list of the pool books I want to read, and it is getting ridiculously long!"

I hear you, Abigail! I've got 20 titles on my list already...

Same here!

My five picks -

Book #1 The Blue Sky of Spring / Elizabeth Cadell (1956) Finished Feb 09 4 stars Review

Book #2 Mistress of Mellyn / Victoria Holt (1960) Finished April 15 5 stars Review

Book #3 Murder in the Snow / Gladys Mitchell (1950) Finished Apr 24 2.5 stars Review

Book #4 The Tamarind Seed / Evelyn Anthony Finished 06/16/2023 Rated 4 stars Review

Book #5 The Mallen Streak / Catherine Cookson (1973) Finished 06/23/2023 Rated 4 stars Review

Book #6: Business as Usual / Jane Oliver Finished 06/29/2023 Rated 4 stars Review

Book #7 Queen Lucia / E.F. Benson ; Finished Sep. 14 ; Rated 3 stars Review

Book #8 Mapp and Lucia / E.F. Benson ; Finished 4 Nov ; Rated 4.5 stars Review

Book #9 Towers in the Mist / Elizabeth Goudge Finished 16 Nov ; Rated 2.5 sad stars Review

I'm going in for one more since I've had to abandon one of my picks. Let's see if I get it finished by 11/30!
Book #10 Charlotte Fairlie / D.E. Stevenson Finished Nov. 27 ; Rating 4 stars Review


Madonna of the Seven Hills / Jean Plaidy (1958) -- Not going to read this as two sources I had have now disappeared from the shelves!

QQ - will it be alright for me to use this post to keep track of what I've read? This would just be a list and I will make a separate post with review for your count, Carol.

Added your book Lesley - & its fine for you to use that post to keep track of your reads.

Mistress of Mellyn was my favourite Holt!

I thought I had Madonna of the Seven Hills, but I have half a dozen Plaidys - but that wasn't one of them. Her books turn up regularly at op shops though.

So all our entrants have selected their books! If anyone else wants to enter, you have till the 31st of December to choose five books originally published between 1900-1980. After the 31st of December, people can still join, but not select books. :)

& adding books to the challenge is now closed.

Any member is still welcome to participate though - just post in this thread!

I'm intending to start with one of my selections - probably Georgina

I decided to choose 12 from the pool, one a month, starting with The Moonflower Vine

Of course that's an open ended list 😉

CindySR wrote: "I decided to choose 12 from the pool, one a month, starting with The Moonflower Vine

Of course that's an open ended list 😉"

Great idea, Cindy! I will probably start the year off with one of my five, not sure which one yet…

Questions for Carol -
Is there going to be a separate thread where we keep track of which books we have read? or do we just add on to this thread? Same format as last year?

Not that I've actually read anything yet... Just want to be prepared!

Barb in Maryland, I'm glad you asked because I get confused with all the groups I am currently in - should probably cut back but then I see something I really want to read coming up in a group. ;-)

Jackie wrote: "Barb in Maryland, I'm glad you asked because I get confused with all the groups I am currently in - should probably cut back but then I see something I really want to read coming up in a group. ;-)"

Same here, Jackie ;)

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Questions for Carol -
Is there going to be a separate thread where we keep track of which books we have read? or do we just add on to this thread? Same format as last year?

Not that I've actually..."

Hi Barb

It is exactly the same as last year except that Lesley has asked to keep track of her reads in one of her posts. Anyone else is welcome to do that.

Cindy has organised a separate challenge https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... so if you have any questions about it, please ask Cindy in that thread. :)

& I'm first to complete a read! Sadly it was terrible!

#1
Book 1 Georgina Sad to say I started with a dud. This was Ms Darcy's first book & reads like she collected Heyer sentences & strung them together. Finished 09/01. 1★

What a pity! But at least you’re on the board and showing us the way. I hope to get to my first retro read(s) before the end of the month. One more group read to go before I start.

Abigail wrote: "What a pity! But at least you’re on the board and showing us the way. I hope to get to my first retro read(s) before the end of the month. One more group read to go before I start."

& hopefully no one has bought this one intending to read it! I'm confident my other choices will be good.

What a pity but I also believe your other choices will be better. And it is a great start!
As for me, I should read one of mine soon ish - crossing fingers.

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& I'm first to complete a read! Sadly it was terrible!

#1
Book 1 Georgina Sad to say I started with a dud. This was Ms Darcy's first book & reads like she collected Heyer sentences &..."

Carol--Sorry this one was a dud. I read all of Clare Darcy's books as they came out (she had published 14 books between 1971 and 1981; the last 4 posthumously as she died in 1978). I enjoyed them, as I was desperate for anything Heyer-ish, and they fit the bill. The author was an American and I think she did some of her research by reading GH! I haven't re-read any of them in 40 years. I did get my hands on a copy of 'Georgina', but abandoned it because the print was so tiny!

Rotten luck, Carol, but thanks for the heads-up, I was going to try that one!

I’ve started my first pool read - reading The Zimmermann Telegram, along with books for a couple other groups. As always, lovely, deeply researched writing, and very entertaining - she packs in so much information, makes my head spin! But I’ve always enjoyed her passion for history - she really brings it alive. I’m always slower reading nonfiction, it’ll probably take me most of January, especially juggling with other books.

This is Elinor #14 here and I finished my first read, Music In The Hills. Actually since January 1 I have devoured all three books in the trilogy about the Dering family and enjoyed them all. Thanks for the recommend, Abigail Bok.

Elinor wrote: "This is Elinor #14 here and I finished my first read, Music In The Hills. Actually since January 1 I have devoured all three books in the trilogy about the Dering family and enjoyed ..."

Added to your name, Elinor!

#3 reporting in with book #1 (read Jan 11 )
Call It Courage

I have read this dozens of times since I first read it in 4th grade. It has always been, and remains, a 5 star read.

My review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#15 reporting: I finished my first book, “I Married Adventure” by Osa Johnson on January 11.
She was only 16 years old when she married Martin who was nearly 26. They are considered to be among the first conservationists as they encouraged taking photographs instead of trophies. The stories surrounding their travels in the South Pacific and Africa are sometimes cringe-inducing, especially comments regarding the natives. However, they were a very young couple who brought the world to the early movie-going masses. There is a museum in Osa’s hometown of Chanute, Kansas, called “Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum.” Glad to have learned about this adventurous and popular couple of the 1920s & 1930s.

Added your book Kate.

Could everyone add the date they finished the book to their post?

Just to help me in case I make a mistake & have to backtrack. :)

#8 with book 1 (finished 15th January)

The Night of Fear by Moray Dalton

This was a very enjoyable country house murder mystery, good characters and an intriguing case.

Lynnie wrote: "#8 with book 1 (finished 15th January)

The Night of Fear by Moray Dalton

This was a very enjoyable country house murder mystery, good characters and an intriguing..."

You're on board, Lynnie!

#7 with book 1

The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara W. Tuchman

Finished January 15

5 stars, brilliant, entertaining, what I’ve come to expect from this historian. Reads like a spy thriller!

#2 checking in with book 1, Yoked with a Lamb by Molly Clavering. I gave it four stars and reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Finished 1/16/23.

Lynnie wrote: "#8 with book 1 (finished 15th January)

The Night of Fear by Moray Dalton..."

Just started :O)

#5 here with my first pool read of 2023 and I loved it!

The Moonflower Vine

finished this morning 1/17

my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Added your books, Cindy & Abigail. :)

Thanks!

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Added your books, Cindy & Abigail. :)"

Did you see mine, Carol? Message 134. Thanks in advance!

Susan in NC wrote: "
Did you see mine, Carol? Message 134. Thanks in advance!"

No sorry I missed it. I have added it now. :)

😘

#1 with Book #2
The Tamarind Seed by Evelyn Anthony. I prefer the other two Anthony's I have read but this is still a top notch old fashioned espionage novel. Finished 19/01. 4.5★

Elinor #14 here, with Book #2, The Corner Shop by Elizabeth Cadell. Finished January 18, 2023. 3.5 stars

Elinor wrote: "Elinor #14 here, with Book #2, The Corner Shop by Elizabeth Cadell. Finished January 18, 2023. 3.5 stars"

Added to your total, Elinor. :)

#7 with Book 2, The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

5 stars, finished January 21

Always enjoy a visit with Bertie and Jeeves, perks me up no end! Here’s a link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Susan in NC wrote: "#7 with Book 2, The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

5 stars, finished January 21

Always enjoy a visit with Bertie and Jeeves, perks me up no end! Here’s a link..."

Added to your total Susan :)

#2 here, with book #2 finished (Jan. 22) with a huge sigh of relief: Towers in the Mist by Elizabeth Goudge. I love Goudge but I pretty close to hated this book, 2 stars. Reviewed here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

Abigail wrote: "#2 here, with book #2 finished (Jan. 22) with a huge sigh of relief: Towers in the Mist by Elizabeth Goudge. I love Goudge but I pretty close to hated this book, 2 stars. Reviewed h..."

Updated your count Abigail. I haven't loved every Goudge I've read either.

Thanks, Carol!