Retro Reads discussion

Lesley wrote: "#12 Lesley
Book #3 Murder in the Snow / Gladys Mitchell
Finished Apr 24
2.5 stars
To be honest I was a bit disappointed in this book, and yet I'm sure Gladys Mitchell..."

Added to your tally, Lesley!

#9 with book no 4 finished

The Rector's Daughter, 5*s

This was a re-read for me, and whilst I find it heartbreakingly sad, the writing is superb.

Added to your tally, Tania.

That book does sound intriguing. I have had good luck with the Virago imprint in the past.

#7 with book 7, Chip of the Flying U

Finished 4/29/23, 4 stars, very enjoyable, different, quick read - can’t remember last time I read a book set in the Old West

Susan in NC wrote: "#7 with book 7, Chip of the Flying U

Finished 4/29/23, 4 stars, very enjoyable, different, quick read - can’t remember last time I read a boo..."

Added for you Susan! You now share the lead with me. :)

Susan in NC wrote: "#7 with book 7, Chip of the Flying U

Finished 4/29/23, 4 stars, very enjoyable, different, quick read - can’t remember last time I read a boo..."

& this one has a free copy on Amazon, so I snapped it up. I think my next read for this challenge will be Queen Lucia
though.

Ah, always a delicious choice!😊

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "#7 with book 7, Chip of the Flying U

Finished 4/29/23, 4 stars, very enjoyable, different, quick read - can’t remember la..."

Oh, wow, thanks - time flies with so many great books to choose from! I’ve got some library requests that have come through to read, then I’m thinking about trying A Coffin for Dimitrios. I’m enjoying getting out of my reading comfort zone a bit, trying genres I rarely read. It just came to me, since I enjoyed “chip”, a western, and couldn’t remember last one I read - it was News of the World by Paulette Jiles, a couple years ago. That was lovely, also!

Susan in NC wrote: "Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "it was News of the World by Paulette Jiles, a couple years ago. That was lovely, also! ,..."

The movie starring Tom Hanks as Captain is free to watch on Amazon FreeVee, (with ads). It's really good but book is better.

Thanks.

#5 finished book #6 today May 3, 2023
[book:The Tamarind Seed|1751571

It was OK, spy stories are not my thing, but there is an old movie based on the book I'd like to see.

CindySR wrote: "#5 finished book #6 today May 3, 2023
[book:The Tamarind Seed|1751571

It was OK, spy stories are not my thing, but there is an old movie based on the book I'd like to see."

Entered for you Cindy.

I liked this one, but I loved the other two Anthony's I have read. I have heaps of her books as I got them from Little Free Librarys or the throw out pile from op shops. She is well out of fashion now.

#7 with book 8, The Dancing Bear, , 4-1/2 stars, finished 5/6/23.

Read for the pool but also for another group, as a follow up to the author’s memoir about life in the Blitz, A Chelsea Concerto. That one really stayed with me, it was tragic and horrific, but also had lighter, inspiring, humorous moments. This one was devastating, but very well done, just relentlessly sad; but in fairness, it was written first, I think by the time she wrote “Concerto” she balanced the horror of war with a bit of lighter touches. Besides, as I was reading this, kept thinking of the Berlin Wall, Cold War to come, heartbreaking. I’m drained, off to read something frivolous! But recommended.

You're in the lead Susan!

I'm looking forward to reading more Faviell.

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "You're in the lead Susan!

I'm looking forward to reading more Faviell."

Thanks, Carol. I’d like to read more by her as well, she must have been a wonderful person, she tries to help so many people, alleviate what suffering she can, it would have been hard to keep going and trying to help, surrounded by such horrific suffering.

#14 Elinor here, with my #5 read, Chip of the Flying U. This was a charming romance, and my only caveat is that the author wrote all the cowboy dialogue phonetically with a Western drawl, which was hard to follow at times. However, I loved all the cowboys (and horses) with their homespun attitude toward life. I wonder if it really was a simpler time. (I love Western stories but I stopped watching the TV series Yellowstone because it paints such a gruesome picture of modern-day Montana).

Elinor wrote: "#14 Elinor here, with my #5 read, Chip of the Flying U. This was a charming romance, and my only caveat is that the author wrote all the cowboy dialogue phonetically with a Western d..."

Oh, no, does it? I haven’t watched it, but I’ve been tempted with the scenery, I don’t like anything too dark or gruesome, though, the nightly news is enough for me, so thanks for letting me know!

Elinor wrote: "#14 Elinor here, with my #5 read, Chip of the Flying U. This was a charming romance, and my only caveat is that the author wrote all the cowboy dialogue phonetically with a Western d..."

Added for you Elinor. In future could you please add your finish date? It does help me if I go a bit wrong with the count.

& if you have the time could everyone have a look at message #3 & make sure I have your totals right. Thanks! :)

Elinor wrote: "I love Western stories but I stopped watching the TV series Yellowstone because it paints such a gruesome picture of modern-day Montana..."

Elinor and Susan, yes, Yellowstone was a big disappointment to me, could hardly make it thru season 1. Even the good guys were bad!
Has anyone seen the prequel 1883?

CindySR wrote: "Elinor wrote: "I love Western stories but I stopped watching the TV series Yellowstone because it paints such a gruesome picture of modern-day Montana..."

Elinor and Susan, yes, Yellowstone was a ..."

I haven’t seen either show, sorry, but thanks for this opinion. Especially since the pandemic, I’ve heard about this or that “must-see” show, but don’t watch much, honestly.

#4 here and I have finished book #2
Apricot Sky on May 8, 2023.

I gave it 4 stars but am not linking to my review because as much as I liked the book, my review needs work.

Jackie wrote: "#4 here and I have finished book #2
Apricot Sky on May 8, 2023.

I gave it 4 stars but am not linking to my review because as much as I liked the book, my review needs work."

Oh, I’m glad you enjoyed it Jackie - I loved the romance, and the children’s POV about summer holidays, and how they fly by…

Added your book Jackie :)

thank you! it's a wonderful book, I suspect I will re-read it some day maybe during an icy winter.

Yes, you read my mind! ;)

#7 with book 9, A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler, finished 5/19/23

4.5 stars, very exciting classic crime thriller, definitely would read more by this author! Here’s a link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#11 with book no. 4: Yoked with a Lamb, finished a few days ago (5/17-ish).

3-stars. I did enjoy it, although not quite as much as the Clavering that was in the Book Pool last year. In some ways, it was a bit more weighty than what I've come to expect in a "middlebrow" book - with the topics of gossip and infidelity at the center of it - but there were aspects of how the topics were addressed that gave me a bit of pause. That said, the scene-setting was lovely and some of the characters enormously appealing. Great fodder for conversation!

Added your books Jenn & Susan!

I'm still hoping to get hold of the Ambler!

& to all my friends who recommended the Mapp & Lucia books - thanks very much! I'm loving Queen Lucia so far! :)

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Added your books Jenn & Susan!

I'm still hoping to get hold of the Ambler!

& to all my friends who recommended the Mapp & Lucia books - thanks very much! I'm loving Queen Lucia so far! :)"

Those are some of my favorites, I even bought the CD with Prunella Scales (of Fawlty Towers fame) as Mapp, and Geraldine McEwan as Lucia - perfect casting!

#1 Book 8 Queen Lucia Loved this - found it very funny! No wonder Noel Coward was a Benson fan! 5★ Finished 21/05.

#7 with book 10, The Blessing by Nancy Mitford.

4 stars for this hilarious, wicked social comedy - finished 5/22/23.

I was so glad to finally read this Mitford novel I picked up used many years ago. It was outrageous in some ways to a modern reader - the adulterous French husband, the naive English wife who’s supposed to look the other way, the diabolically spoiled seven-year-old “blessing” (curse, more like), of the title. Definitely to be taken as satire, but fun and funny! Here’s my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Wow, you’re way ahead of the pack, Susan! I hope to read more of the book pool books but each month brings me so many enticing group reads.

Susan in NC wrote: "#7 with book 10, The Blessing by Nancy Mitford.

4 stars for this hilarious, wicked social comedy - finished 5/22/23.

I was so glad to ..."

Added. You are just streaking away with this Susan!

Well, my last two by Nancy Mitford and Eric Ambler, were two writers I’d always wanted to read but hadn’t yet. My library had an old hardcover of the Ambler available, and I had a used copy of the Mitford I picked up years ago, and they’re both quick reads. Seemed like a good time to fit them in, before diving into group reads, or the latest in a series I’ve been reading, and which just came in at my library!

I imagine I’ll be done for a bit, although “The Corner Shop” by Cadell looks delightful, and I was able to get it cheap on kindle. I’ll fit it in sometime!

#7 with book #11, The Corner Shop , four stars, finished 6/2/23.

This was fun, fast, light-hearted and charming! My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#10 with book #1 The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia

It was very interesting, introducing a part of WWII I had no knowledge of and Siberia as an actual environment where the family lived for 4 years in a village. Thank you whoever nominated it!

Carolien wrote: "#10 with book #1 The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia

Thank you whoever nominated it!..."

You're welcome! Glad you liked it as much as I did!

Carolien, you are on board now!

Susan entered your book as well. :)

Thanks, Carol!

#9 with book number 5 finished.

Queen Lucia 5*s.

This is another favourite that I decided to re-read and still love it. I have an omnibus edition soo may well read the others in that before getting to Mapp and Lucia.

Tania wrote: "#9 with book number 5 finished.

Queen Lucia 5*s.

This is another favourite that I decided to re-read and still love it. I have an omnibus edition soo may well read the others in that..."

Added for you Tania. & you have given me an idea. On to a new post! :)

#1 here with book #9 finished 13/06
Penny Plain 4★
Sweet & charming, but the heroine (to 21st century eyes) was a bit of a Mary Sue.

So other than the 4th Lucia Book, I have read all the pool books in my possession! (that I haven't already read that is!) But I can get hold of at least 1 of the Wodehouse titles.

Great job, Carol! Hope you can score a few more before the end of the year.

Number #9 with book number 6 finished 9/6
The Dancing Bear (I forgot this one was in the pool). 4*s

A memoir of a very interesting time, Berlin in the immediate aftermath of the war. I loved it, but not quite as much as A Chelsea Concerto, her experiences during the blitz.

Tania wrote: "Number #9 with book number 6 finished 9/6
The Dancing Bear (I forgot this one was in the pool). 4*s

A memoir of a very interesting time, Berlin in the immediate aftermath of the wa..."

I liked this one a lot too! I'm hoping to get to A Chelsea Concerto before the end of the year!

Thanks. I'm sure you'll love it when you get to it.

Tania wrote: "Number #9 with book number 6 finished 9/6
The Dancing Bear (I forgot this one was in the pool). 4*s

A memoir of a very interesting time, Berlin in the immediate aftermath of the wa..."

I agree.

Reader #3 with book #6, finished 14 June. 4 stars for this charming tale.

The Corner Shop by Elizabeth Cadell

I can always count on Cadell for a feel-good read and this was the perfect palate cleanser after a heavy dose of very tense mysteries.

It was fun and funny, wasn’t it?! Glad I finally read her, always good to have another light, funny, feel-good author up my sleeve. Thanks to all my GR friends who have brought such authors to my notice over the years!

Susan in NC wrote: "It was fun and funny, wasn’t it?! Glad I finally read her, always good to have another light, funny, feel-good author up my sleeve. Thanks to all my GR friends who have brought such authors to my n..."

That is one of the great things about GR groups & friends. I have discovered so many authors I wouldn't have known of otherwise!

@ Barb - added to your count. :)