NanaCC's 2013 Reading

Currently Reading: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Currently Listening: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

My 2013 Reads:

22- Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
21 They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie (Kindle)
20- Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
19- Lucia in London by E. F. Benson
18- Hide & Seek by Ian Rankin
17- At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill *****
16- Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Kindle) *****
15-Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell (Kindle)
14- Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
13- Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson
12- Team Of Rivals: The Political Genius Of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Kindle) *****
11- Enemies, A Love Story (Kindle Single) by Josh Schollmeyer
10- The Sirens Sang of Murder by Sarah Caudwell
9- The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe
8- England, England by Julian Barnes
7- In The Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
6- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Kindle)
5- The Princess Bride by William Goldman (Kindle) *****
4- Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell *****
3- A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle
2- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Kindle) *****
1- Cashelmara by Susan Howatch (Kindle)

Audio:

12- Bossypants by Tina Fey
11- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
10- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
9- The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
8- A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
7- Dark Fire by C. J. Sansom
6- Dissolution by C. J. Sansom
5- Peril At End House by Agatha Christie
4- The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan, the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto
3- Sidetracked by Henning Mankell
2- The Man Who Smiled by Henning Mankell
1- The White Lioness by Henning Mankell

Anna Karenina is one of those books I avoided. I admit, I was intimidated. I have been pleasantly surprised. According to my Kindle, I am 12% done. So far, very enjoyable, and not a difficult read.

Hi Nana - Me too! regarding Ana Karenina! I had no idea! Now it's one of my all time favorites. Loved it - want to read more Tolstoy but for some reason am hesitant. Think I may as well dive into War and Peace this year tho - not like I can't put it down if I hate it, right? I felt pretty silly when I realized how much I loved the book, hello duh! It's Tolstoy! but in my mind that was horrible high school classics and to be avoided at all costs. Please keep us posted as you continue. I'm interested to hear what you think.

Merrikay

My 2012 Reads:

Paper Copy:

In Sunlight, in a Beautiful Garden by Kathleen Cambor
The Shortest Way to Hades by Sarah Caudwell
Dulcimer Street by Norman Collins
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (2012 Favorite)
The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken
Charming Billy by Alice McDermott
The Bird Artist by Howard Norman
The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
A Lesson in Secrets: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear
The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear
Elegy for Eddie: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear

Kindle:

The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum
He Who Fears The Wolf by Karin Fossum
Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum
The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum
Black Seconds by Karin Fossum
The Indian Bride by Karin Fossum
When The Devil Holds The Candle by Karin Fossum
Broken Harbor: A Novel (Dublin Murder Squad) by Tana French
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer
Sick puppy : a novel by Carl Hiaasen
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
Defending Jacob : a novel by William Landay
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross) by James Patterson
Far to Go by Alison Pick
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Mrs. Tim of the Regiment: A Novel by D.E Stevenson

Audio:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
The Water Room: A Bryant & May Mystery by Christopher Fowler
Seventy-Seven Clocks: A Bryant & May Mystery by Christopher Fowler
Ten-second Staircase: A Bryant & May Mystery by Christopher Fowler
White Corridor: A Bryant & May Mystery by Christopher Fowler
The Victoria Vanishes: A Bryant & May Mystery by Christopher Fowler
Bryant and May on the Loose by Christopher Fowler
Bryant & May off the Rails by Christopher Fowler
Bryant & May and the Memory of Blood by Christopher Fowler
Bryant and May and the Invisible Code by Christopher Fowler
Falling Off Air by Catherine Sampson
War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk (2012 Favorite Audio)

Merrikay, I think the Kindle took away the intimidation about the size of the book. That was a big part of it. Holding a big book like that for a long time would have felt more like exercise. :)

Hi, Nana! I may be joining you in Anna Karenina, although I think I might read Eugene Onegin first for comparison.

The kindle is perfect for ginormous, intimidating books. You have no real feeling for how little you've actually read and with the shorter pages, even the longest unbroken paragraph seems manageable. I'm reading Infinite Jest on mine and it has kept me going -- not to mention being able to physically carry it around with me.

Hello, Nana, and welcome to LT. I've met your lovely daughter, and hope you find this site as rewarding as I do. I have Anna Karenina on the "soon, now" pile, although I did read it back when I was in high school.

>7 RidgewayGirl: I completely agree. I had Infinite Jest sitting on my shelf unread for years because of the sheer size and weight of it. I bought it on Kindle and was finally able to read it. The links to the footnotes were very helpful.

Welcome, NanaCC! I've read maybe 3 Karin Fossum crime novels but they never really caught on with me, though I do like the Mankells and some of the other Nordic writers. I just finished an Anne Holt (older Norwegian novel from the 90s) and am reading a Susan Hill now (I have several books in the works, it's just that I've put them aside as I'm more in the mood for a crime novel now).

Hello NanaCC! I'm another one who has met your lovely daughter; her superb recipe for roasted root vegetables is now a Thanksgiving tradition. Like others here, my Kindle is invaluable for reading chunksters. I'm working my way through the complete Chronicles of Barsetshire and I have all of Jane Austen's works on it for pleasurable re-reading. And every so often I succumb to one of Amazon's tantalizing email promotions :)

I see you read Bring up the Bodies last year. What did you think? Have you read Wolf Hall? I loved them both!

>11 lauralkeet: I loved Bring Up The Bodies and Wolf Hall. I had a hard time putting them down.

>10 avaland: I had purchased 7 Karin Fossum books when Amazon had them as the Kindle deal of the day. I really enjoyed them, although some were definitely better than others. Although my list has them all together, I didn't read the books in that order. They were interspersed throughout the year.

>7 RidgewayGirl: I love my Kindle. I am never at a loss for something to read, and seem to have been able to read more books than I have in the past several years. Of course having retired has helped that, as well.

Hi Nana! I believe we have a mutual friend. I loved Wolf Hall but am intimidated by the size of Bring Up the Bodies. Still, I will definitely read it at some point.

>13 amandameale: I loved Bring Up The Bodies. I thought it was better than Wolf Hall. We all know the history, but the story was so compelling that I found it hard to put down. Of course I finished it too quickly, and then was disappointed that it was finished.

I finished listening to Sidetracked by Henning Mankell. I was first introduced to the Kurt Wallender character through Masterpiece Mystery starring Kenneth Branagh. I was intrigued. After all, I can picture Kenneth Branagh as I read. They are good Scandinavian crime novels. The last three that I've read are better than the first ones.

Started listening to The Island at the Center of The World by Russell Shorto. Yes, I spend a lot of time in the car.

>13 amandameale:, 14: I've also enjoyed C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake mysteries, which take place in the same time period. I'm currently reading the third one, Sovereign.

>15 NanaCC:: Don't you just love Branagh in that role? We've seen them all on PBS but just discovered they are also now available to stream via Netflix, and watched The Fifth Woman last weekend. I've only read one of the books though (Faceless Killers).

I am still reading Anna Karenina, and must say it is wonderful. Thinking how foolish I was to have shied away from it for so long. I'm about 25% through (according to Kindle), and from the opening sentence, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way", I was pulled into it. There are so many characters, some likable, many not. I found the names a bit confusing at first, but as I read on, they became easier. The short chapters make it easy to stop in convenient places. I'm curious to find out how my impressions of the characters change as I read on.

Hi NanaCC and welcome to LT and Club Read. I'm a big fan of your daughter's and am glad she convinced you to join us here. I love Anna Karenina and, as I've said elsewhere, I had a completely different reaction to it when I read it in my 40s from when I read it in my teens. I'll be intersted in what you have to say about it when you finish it.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

As I said when I first started reading it, I can't believe I never read it before. The book is wonderful. I was pulled into it from the opening sentence. "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way".

You all know the story. There are lots and lots of characters. Some likable, and many not. The story is told with loads of detail, which I loved. I thoroughly enjoyed a few scenes that I had seen criticized in some reviews. Levin mowing with the peasants was beautifully told. The detail of a scene where Levin contemplates the meaning of life while helping a beetle cross a blade of grass puts the picture vividly in your mind.

The book has two love stories: Anna & Vronsky and Levin & Kitty whose lives are connected through the people they know. However, Anna, Kitty and Levin only meet briefly in the story. Anna & Vronsky's passionate love affair is doomed from the start, and you can feel it rushing toward disaster in the chapters leading to Anna's deranged state of mind. On the other hand, Levin & Kitty find a more spiritual love. Levin's gloomy outlook is transformed as he searches for the meaning of life, and finally discovers it within himself. The political discussions make me want to learn more about the time period and then the buildup to the Russian Revolution.

Now the big decision - what will I read next.

Nice review, Nana. I'm almost caught up with you--I should finish it this week. What were the scenes you liked that you had seen criticized?

Chris, in reviews where the reader didn't like the "wordiness" of the book as a whole, the example they used was the length of the scene describing Levin mowing with the peasants. They also felt the scene with the family hunting for mushrooms was overly long. I really enjoyed those scenes. I felt they painted a picture. Those are the only two scenes that I remember specifically mentioned. But the readers who gave those reviews didn't like the book overall.

I loved the pictures that Tolstoy painted with his descriptions. I could see the characters and expressions. The little details like the beetle on the blade of grass, and the bee in the honey added so much color to the story.

For my next book, I decided to go with a book from the shelf. I selected A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle.

I did love both of those chapters.

I hope you like A Star Called Henry! As you know, I liked it a lot. It made me think of your family history, particularly your grandfather on the roof of the post office during the Uprising. It was the first book in a trilogy, and I heard such negative things about Oh Play that Thing that I stayed away, but I may have to rethink that.

Enjoyed your review of Karenina, which I love so. I enjoyed the immigration and women's rights being addressed. Careful with the interest in Russian history now - I have gotten myself in a messy middle of a big pile of books because of that!

Merrikay, I saw your ever growing list of Russian books on another thread. :) At least if you don't enjoy them, you know that you didn't spend a fortune. Not that that seems to stop any of us when it comes to books. Your time on the other hand...... I know that it is fiction, but I have Doctor Zhivago on my Kindle. I am going to be on vacation in two weeks, for two weeks, and thought that might be a good time to read that one. I believe that it is much different than the movie version. Have you read it? Just not sure if it will be a good "vacation book", with the distractions of two very energetic small children in the background.

Chris, I started A Star Called Henry yesterday. I do enjoy Roddy Doyle's books. This one seems very different from the others I had read (not a bad thing). I was drawn to it because of family history, and am disappointed to hear your thoughts on the other two books. I was thinking that I was in for a good long read.

would you believe not only have I not read it, but I'm the only person in the world my age who has not seen the movie! I'm going to remedy that soon! Where will you be going?

>25 NanaCC: I haven't read the other two yet--I just heard bad reviews for the second one.

I would say don't read Doctor Zhivago on vacation, but that's just me. I loved it, but I don't think it's compatible with two energetic kids.

Merrikay, I am headed to Marco Island, Florida. I have been doing this trip with my youngest daughter and her family for the past four years.

As for the movie Doctor Zhivago, I saw it about 45 years ago when it was released in the theater. I received the Keira Knightley version for Christmas, but want to read the book before I watch that one.

Chris, Thank you for the advice. I had a feeling that might be the case.

I read and loved A Star Called Henry several years ago. I've since picked up the other two books in the trilogy. I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

I saw the (original) movie of Doctor Zhivago after I read the book (thought I was the last person in the world to do so!), and the movie is SO different from the book. I would definitely recommend reading the book first. I loved it. And I love Anna Karenina too, and love all the Levin and the peasants scenes, including the one where Tolstoy gets inside the horse's head.

I will read Doctor Zhivago after vacation. I think I will need some quiet time to read that one. I loved everything about Anna Karenina. The visual images were incredible. I understand that the new movie version of Anna K is visually amazing as well. I am not sure if it is still in theaters, but I really want to see it.

I've never seen the movie of Doctor Zhivago, but I do love the book.

Nana, Anna Karenina is pretty much gone from the theaters, but maybe we can watch it together when it comes out on DVD.

That's too bad, Chris. Maureen said it was beautiful on the big screen. She went to see it before she started the book to give her incentive to keep going.

Amazon has the dvd unless I'm reading it incorrectly. I wish I'd seen it on the big screen also. I'd better get to Les Mis before it's too late!

Merrikay, I believe that Amazon has the original movie from the 60's and a TV miniseries starring Keira Knightley. I am pretty sure that the one that was just in theaters has Keira Knightley and Jude Law. I can't imagine that it would be on DVD already.

http://www.amazon.com/Anna-Karenina-Keira-Knightley/dp/B008220C38/ref=sr_1_2?s=m...

well look at this link and see what you think. I keep finding conflicting info online about the release date being this month or March.

Altho, I think I'll just rent it.

That sure looks like the new one. It didn't come up when I searched. When I get back from vacation, I will need to check it out. Thank you.

I just finished A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a great novel covering the historic events surrounding the Easter Rising and the early years of Irish independence.

Roddy Doyle's writing style pops like bullets ricocheting off the page. The book starts with Henry's birth into the slums of Dublin, Ireland in 1901. The descriptions of the poverty, filth and hunger which drive Henry to the streets at the tender age of five are brutal. Henry is fighting against social injustice and his story takes him to the fight for independence from Britain by Irish rebels. The scenes at the General Post Office, the center of the Easter uprising in 1916, are told with Henry fighting side by side with the leaders of the rebellion. Afterwards, he becomes Michael Collins' man training rebels and planting the seeds of revolution, until the end of the book where he becomes his own man.

On a personal note, as I read the scenes around the Easter uprising, I was thinking about my grandfather who was there doing his bit. In a copy of his application for the military service pension act, one of the questions was related to service during the week of April 23 to 27, 1916. His description of "particulars of any military operations or engagements or services during this period" were "Roof GPO from Monday to Wednesday. Basement til Thursday morning. Roof til Thursday evening. Instrument room til Friday evening. Moore Lane and Moore Street until Surrender on Saturday." Those few lines written by my Grandad became very real to me as I read those scenes in the book.

This is my favorite of the books I've read by Roddy Doyle.

Great review, Nana, and I love the personal details!

Sounds like a great book!

For Anna Karenina, I am hoping to see the Russian version, available from Netflix, because I loved the Russian version of War and Peace.

#38 Have you read At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill? Another brilliant story about young men involved in the events leading up to the Easter Rising.

I was going to start The Princess Bride by William Goldman, but found Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell just sitting there calling to me. It is a quick read, so I think I will sneak that one in before The Princess Bride.

Oh, I LOVE the Sarah Caudwell mysteries, although it must be 20 years since I read them. So sad that Caudwell died.

I have only read The Shortest Way To Hades. I loved the Edward Gorey illustration on the cover of the edition I had. One of my favorite campy scenes ever is where Selena & Julia unintentionally attend an orgy, and Selena winds up reading Jane Austen while the madness goes on around her.

You might like Orna Ross Before the Fall and the rest of that trilogy. I don't usually do trilogies but evidently that is only because I haven't seen a good one before! It covers I think three generations of Irish battle for independence. I'm going to check out A Star Called Henry for sure. Thanks for the great review!

I think I want to see ALL versions of Anna Karenina! Maybe even the tv one.

Merrikay, I think that the TV one is a BBC production, so I am sure it would be very good.

Echoing Linda at #41--At Swim, Two Boys is a great book. One of my favorites of the year that I read it.

>41 laytonwoman3rd: & 47 At Swim, Two Boys sounds like one I would like. On my list, thank you.

Chris, do you have it?

Enjoyed reading your thoughts on A Star called Henry especially that personal bit about your grandfather. Glad you enjoyed Doyle's book.

Thank you, Barry. That was one my daughter, Chris (cabegley on LT), gave to me many years ago. I was tied to a job that didn't let me do much reading other than audio books in the car, so I am catching up on some really good books now that I've retired.

Your reviews are really good. I am creating quite a list of TBR as I read all of the great threads in Club Read.

Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell.

This is the first of the four Hilary Tamar mysteries written by Caudwell. I had previously read The Shortest Way To Hades and loved it. How could you not love a book that is intelligent and witty with lots of literary references thrown in. The dialog is quick, crisp and very British. Some have likened the writing style to Jane Austen. Think of the humor of Bertie Wooster and the charm of a Dorothy Sayers or Agatha Christie mystery. Third in the series is The Sirens Sang of Murder, and then The Sibyl In Her Grave. Unfortunately, Caudwell died at an early age, so I will need to be satisfied with just four of these clever stories.

The protagonists are Oxford Professor and amateur sleuth Hilary Tamar and friends - five young London barristers, Cantrip, Selena, Timothy, Ragwort, and Julia. In "Adonis", accident prone Julia is on an Art Lovers' tour of Venice where she finds herself the prime suspect in the murder of one of the tour participants. The story is told mostly through letters and narration within letters as the gang sits in coffee shops and pubs trying to solve the mystery to get their friend out of the mess in which she's found herself.

Professor Tamar expresses concern about the friends allowing Julia to go off alone on a vacation. One of them responds that that there is little need to worry as the tours of the city will be made with a guide. Professor Tamar responds:

"..the qualities for a guide are not those of a nursemaid or a guardian of the mentally infirm. The poor fellow will take his eye off her for a moment and she will wander off. What then?"
"She will ask the way back to her hotel."
"She will have forgotten the name of her hotel."
"We have made her write it down on a piece of paper."
"She will have lost the piece of paper. She will find herself alone in a strange city. She will not know where she is or what she ought to do."
"The same thing," said Selena, "happens in London at least once a fortnight."

I highly recommend this delightful series. I think that the "Sirens" will be calling me in a few months.

The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan, the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto. (Audio version)

Painstaking translation for the past 35 years of original Dutch records by Charles Gehring, director of the New Netherland Project, are the foundation for the book. According to Shorto, the original documents may have been "lost" by the British to minimize the importance of the Dutch settlement. Better minds prevailed, and despite several fires and near disaster, much of the material was saved and has been stored at the New York State Library in Albany.

At the beginning of the book, we are asked to imagine a time machine traveling backwards in Manhattan, stripping away buildings, steel structures, and asphalt to bring back the land that was flattened, add back the streams and rivers that were forced into sewers, and the wildlife that has been pushed to other locales, until we see an untouched land with waves lapping at the shore. That is, until on the horizon we see sails.

I have spent almost my entire life in the tri-state area around Manhattan. I enjoyed hearing the non-Anglican names related to people, towns, rivers and counties that I have heard since I was a little girl, and about their roots in the earliest Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. We were taught that Manhattan was settled by the Dutch, but that was the extent of its place in our local history. We hear familiar names - Henry Hudson, Peter Minuet, and Peter Stuyvesant; and some unfamiliar names - Adriaen van der Donck, lawyer and proponent of the tolerant society upon which the melting pot of New York City is built, ideas counter to the Puritan ideals that were the basis for the settlement in Massachusetts. The Dutch settlement founded in 1623 was lost to the British in 1664, but its influence on the character of Manhattan remains. The concept of District Attorney to represent the victim of a crime (van der Donck was the first), cookies instead of biscuits, the term boss, and even Sinterklass (Santa Claus) all have their origins in the early Dutch settlement.

I really wish that I had been reading this book, instead of listening to the audio. I understand that the book has maps and pictures which would have added to the experience. I also would have liked to go back and reread a few parts. Hard to do that with an audio book while driving in New Jersey traffic. There was a reference to a woman last name of Moody (an English name and my father's surname) who married a Dutchman. But I missed how that came about. There was a reference to Fort Gorges on Hogs Island off of Portland, Maine (named after Sir Ferdinando Gorges, an early English colonial entrepreneur and founder of the Province of Maine). My ears perked up as I heard this mentioned, because as we take the ferry from Portland to Great Diamond Island, we pass this little piece of history. There were similar instances where having the book would have been helpful.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the colorful early beginning of the Island of Manhattan. I would not recommend the audio book. I hope to find a copy at my local library so that I can go back and find the bits that I missed.

These both sound interesting, Nana. I thought I had Island at the Center of the World on my kindle, but it is just on my wish list.

I really enjoyed The Island at the Center of the World too, and I do think it's more interesting for people who live here. The book does have photos and an extensive bibliography, but I think the only maps are on the inside covers of the book.

I checked the index for Moody, and found a Lady Deborah Moody who was "a self-possessed London aristocrat" who had "converted to Anabaptism and declared herself ready to die for the outré notion that baptism must be withheld until the recipient was old enough to understand its meaning." She fled from London to Massachusetts but they threatened to expel her so she left for New Amsterdam. Kieft (I forget exactly who he was but he was in charge in some way) gave her and her followers title to the southwestern end of Long Island, and she sketched the plan for the community of Gravesend and established herself and her followers in what is now Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Sheepshead Bay, "the first New World settlement founded by a woman."

I don't live in Manhattan, but this book sounds fascinating to me. Maybe it's that some of my ancestors were probably Dutch immigrants, although not until the 18th century. I'll be checking the library for this one too.

>54 rebeccanyc: Thank you for the great tidbit about Lady Deborah Moody. I knew it was interesting. I generally listen to mystery books on audio, because for the most part if you miss something, it isn't vital. I tried to scroll back about three times on another part that I didn't quite catch, and decided better to watch the road than try to hear it again. There were so many anecdotes like that, that I think having book in hand makes much more sense.

>55 laytonwoman3rd: I think the book would be enjoyed by anyone interested in the early history of our nation. My grandmother used to say that we were English, Irish, Dutch and she even threw in an "indian princess". One of these days I want to trace back to see where and when it all began.

Linda, I do think others might find it interesting too. As NanaCC points out, many of the old Dutch names and traditions have lasted to the present day including, I like to think, the openness of NYC to people from around the world.

The Island at the Center of the World sounds more interesting after each review I read and even after each comment about it after those reviews. Nice review.

>58 dchaikin: I stopped by my local library, and they had one copy. I was able to bring it home and browse through to see the bits I had missed. The pictures were interesting, and having the additional notes and index were helpful. I would still recommend the print version over the audio for those reasons. I do think it would also work well on the Kindle.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

I have loved the movie, and now I can say I love the book. This is one of the books where the dialog in the movie is so evident. I could picture the actors and their voices as I read. Who doesn't know the line "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die." Mandy Patinkin's voice was in my head. About a year and a half ago, my niece got married. Her uncle was doing one of the readings. He started with "Mawidge...". Of course everyone knew he was quoting Peter Cook's line as the Impressive Clergyman.

If you are looking for a book to make you laugh, this might be the one to read. If you haven't seen the movie, what are you waiting for?

I also loved this charming book and movie. Reading your review makes me smile.

Thank you, Dan. That was the way the book made me feel. :)

So glad you enjoyed it, Nana! It's one I reread periodically, when I need a fun read.

Love the movie. Never thought about reading the book!

Avidmom, I was the same. I never thought about the book. When I mentioned that I was planning on "fun" reading for vacation, Chris (cabegley) suggested this one. So glad I listened to her suggestion. I smiled the whole way through it.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This was a great book to read while on vacation. If you don't mind coarse language, unlikeable characters, in a page turner of a story, then this just might be the book you wanted. The story of Nick and Amy. The perfect couple, with the perfect marriage, until they're not. There are many plot twists, none of which I can tell you, because that would spoil all the little gotcha's. in case you can't tell, I really liked it. As much as I was pulled into last year's highly touted Defending Jacob, with its big twist at the end, Gone Girl did that time and again.

I think that books like this are so often badly written and lazily plotted that we are thrilled (thrilled, I tell you!) to get one that holds together, delivers everything it promises and is written by someone who knows what they're doing. I loved it, too.

>67 RidgewayGirl: I agree. I really liked the chapters alternating between the voice of Nick and the voice of Amy. It really felt like two people were telling the story.

Yay, I am glad you liked it! And I think I kind of agree with RidgewayGirl, it's so easy to do this sort of thing badly that it's extra-impressive when it's done well.

Bragan, I see that you added Sharp Objects to your list. Will you be reading it soon? I am curious to see how it stacks up to Gone Girl.

I've put it on my wishlist, because I'm definitely interested to read more of Flynn's stuff, but I have no idea, alas, when I'll get around to picking up a copy, let alone reading it. The TBR Pile is a little out of control at the moment, to put it mildly.

bragan, so it's more than ten books, then?

Yes. Yes it is. It currently stands at, um... 657 books. With almost that many more on the wishlist, too. I want to read everything! I don't know why I am somehow unable to accomplish this. :)

I liked Gone Girl too, but as you suggested, as a beach read. Did you see that it was long-listed for the Women's Prize for fiction (former Orange prize)? I didn't think of it as an award book as I read it, but more as a well done pop fiction/suspense book. Are you surprised to see it in award contention, or do you think the writing was well done enough to warrant it?

I think the book was well done, but I am not sure it was a prize winner. Perhaps in a mystery/suspense category.

In The Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

In his preface, Larson states "This is a work of nonfiction". As with Devil In The White City, Larson writes in a novelistic style, that makes it easy to read.

On Thursday, June 8, 1933, President Roosevelt placed a call to William E. Dodd, a history professor at the University of Chicago. He asks him to serve as ambassador to Germany, and gives him two hours to decide. The post is one that four other men had declined. It seems that no one wanted the job, and Roosevelt felt the pressure to fill the vacant position. Hitler has just become Chancellor and stories of violence have already started. Dodd accepts the post and brings his wife, son and daughter to Berlin. At first the family, especially Dodd's "flamboyant daughter" Martha, are swept up by the glamor of the diplomatic parties and by the members of the Third Reich. As they witness first hand some of the incidents that have been reported, their assessment changes. Dodd tries to warn the State Department and the President of the dangers that Hitler represents. But no one wanted to hear him, until it was too late. There were a few exceptions, but for the most part Dodd's warnings fell on deaf ears. The people of the State Department were more interested in having Dodd push the Germans into repaying the huge amounts of money, $1.2 billion that they owed to creditors after the Great War (WW1).

The story concentrates on Dodd's first year, although Dodd was in the post until 1937. It touches very little on the events after 1934. A lot of the story centers around Martha and her "love life". It seems she was quite popular, and dated Germans, Americans and Russians. I enjoyed the book, and I think it was fairly well written. It is chilling to think that the signs of the terror that was to come were there for everyone to see, but were ignored.

Interesting review. I've seen this book around, but it hasn't tempted me so far.

It does sound interesting. I liked Devil in the White City, but for some reason have been reluctant to read any more of his books. Why doesn't Larson cover Dodd's whole time in the post?

Chris, the book concentrates on the first year where Hitler's power is growing, and everyone in Germany fears everyone else. People were turning in people with whom they had grudges. At the end of the first year of Dodd's posting, on June 30, 1934, Hitler's strongmen (Goebbels and Goring, along with Himmler) told Hitler that Rohm and several of the SA were going to revolt. It was a trumped up charge, and whether Hitler knew that or not is not known. Hitler personally led a group of his trusted men in a purge called operation Hummingbird. They had a list of people they wanted to get rid of and pulled them out of bed, or from their homes, and shot them as enemies of the state. President Hindenburg sent Hitler a telegram of praise thanking him for nipping treason in the bud. The purge became known as "The Night of the Long Knives". Germany's controlled press praised Hitler for his actions, and his popularity grew. On August 2, Hindenburg died and Hitler declared himself "Fuhrer and Reich Chancellor". The last part of the book covers the period as Dodd becomes increasingly frustrated as his warnings are ignored. German troops occupied the Rhineland in March 1936 and the Olympics were held in Berlin. He requests a leave to meet with Roosevelt in Washington, and decides that it is time for him to resign. He has never been liked by the people in State Department, as he didn't fit the mold of the typical ambassador. At the end of 1937 he is replaced, and the book describes his last years at home. The daughter provides an interesting bit of the story. Her love affair with a Russian and its leading her into the "spy" role herself. I was surprised at the amount of anti semitism in the State Department at the time. I knew that most of the Americans favored isolationism.

It was a fairly quick read, and if I hadn't been on vacation with the kids, it would have gone quite fast. I wanted to see how it unfolded. If I were giving it stars, I would say about 3.5.

I'm with you on the 3 stars for In the Garden of Beasts. I wanted to read it and learned some interesting things - it was one of the first WWII books I've read, but just didn't want to finish it - it slowed down or something. Still, I'm glad I read what I did.

Also with Gone Girl I appreciated the plot and did read it all but didn't like it nevertheless. You put your finger on why - I didn't like the people and didn't want to spend time with them.

England, England by Julian Barnes.

This was a Booker Prize finalist for 1998. It is a fairly clever satire, taking on memory, and what is real and what is not. In our world, where entertainment is everywhere, do we appreciate the reproduction more than the real thing? In the first part, Martha is a precocious child trying to define her first memory, and trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her father who has left her mother. In the second part, the now 39 year old Martha is hired to become the Special Consultant / Cynic for the wealthy egomaniacal Sir Jack Pitman. (I kept thinking about Donald Trump, because of a review I had read before starting the book). Jack wants to have one last "great idea", and decides to take over the Isle of Wight and turn it into a replica of England. England, England would have all of England's history complete with half sized replicas of all things England including Harrod's conveniently located in the Tower of London, Big Ben, Stonehenge, Robin Hood, The Battle of Britain and many other things British. His idea was that tourists could experience everything in a few days without actually having to go to all of the real places. His researchers determine that tourists would enjoy faux England more than the real thing because their memory of the real thing is flawed anyway, and any differences will go unnoticed. His idea works, that is until it doesn't. Some of the characters begin taking their roles too seriously, and Martha takes the blame for the mayhem that ensues. As England, England grows in popularity, "old" England declines and reverts back to a simpler way of life, without the trappings of a commercialized tourist driven economy. At the end of the book, Martha is back in "old" England and once again thinking about memory, happiness, and contentment.

Just a quick comment, I am not a prude when it comes to sexual scenes in books, but there was one particularly perverted sexual fantasy played out that I could have done without. I can say that I enjoyed the book, but I can't say that I loved it. The writing is very good and there are some very humorous scenes, but as a whole, it left me feeling a little flat.

Good review of England, England which sounds an interesting idea. However as I was underwhelmed by Julian Barnes's The sense of an Ending I probably won't read it.

Thank you, Barry. I felt that there was so much more he could have done with it. It just fell flat.

Peril At End House by Agatha Christie. I just finished the audio version of this enjoyable book. Hugh Frasier is the reader for the story which is narrated through the voice of Hercule Poirot's sidekick Hastings. I believe Frasier played Hastings in some of the BBC productions, and his reading of this book was very good.

The story begins with Poirot and Hastings vacationing on the Cornish Coast. Poirot has retired from his career as the illustrious sleuth with the luxurious mustaches; or so he thinks, until he meets the accident prone Nick. Poirot believes that Nick is the target for murder, and he and Hastings set out to solve the mystery.

A great way to make the time in the car pass quickly.

The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe

How do you talk about a book that punches you in the stomach. This book was the winner of the 1992 Irish Times-Aer Lingus Prize and nominated for the 1992 Booker Prize. It is the story of a young life spiraling into a hellish world of insanity. The first sentence "When I was a young lad twenty or thirty or forty years ago I lived in a small town where they were all after me on account of what I done on Mrs Nugent." gives you a fairly good indication of where this story is taking you. Francie Brady is the product of a suicidal mother and a drunken father. His neighbor, Mrs. Nugent, is overheard gossiping about them. This, plus the jealousy he feels toward the neighbor's son Philip, and the loss of his best friend to Philip is just the beginning of his trip down the rabbit hole. The story is told by Francie, with stream of consciousness that is at times humorous, and at times brutal and frightening. The book is well written, and at times made me feel like crying for this boy who so obviously needed help. I recommend it, but be warned, it is not for the squeamish.

Good review of The Butcher Boy and you are right it is not for the squeamish. It all feels far to real and near to home.

Agreed, Barry. Thus the choice of an entertaining Caudwell book to get my mind off it before bedtime.

I remember hesitating before passing it along to you. I liked your review--it brought it all back for me.

#85 - well, I'm intrigued now.

Chris, Thanks for passing it to me. 99% of my reading list is from you, so I generally know it will be something I will enjoy.

Thank you, Dan. It is disturbing, but definitely worth reading.

Dissolution by C. J. Sansom

Laura (lauralkeet) recommended Sansom's Matthew Shardlake mystery series during a discussion of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies. The stories are set in the same time period, and while not as polished as Mantel's books, this was a well written and very entertaining mystery full of characters and historical detail.

As the story begins, it is 1537, the protestant reformation is in full swing, the monastic houses are being dissolved and their riches added to the King's coffers, and Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour has just been buried. Thomas Cromwell, the KIng's feared Vicar General sends Matthew Shardlake, one of his Commissioners to the Abbey of Scarnsea, one of the next to be dissolved, to persuade the Abbott to comply with the dissolution. Not only does Matthew have to get the result that Cromwell wants, but he must investigate and solve the murder of his predecessor at the Abbey. The story is full of the politics of the time. There are fictional characters like Shardlake, and historical figures like Cromwell.

I believe that some people have tried comparing Dissolution to Mantel's books, and that might not be a fair comparison. It is a completely different kind of book. I found it to be an enjoyable first book in a series that I will surely follow. This was the Audible version narrated by Steven Crossley. The perfect kind of book to listen to in the car, or while doing chores.

Your review of The Butcher Boy reminded me that I own it, and now I'm anxious to resurrect it from the piles. Thanks!

Linda, you are welcome. It was on my pile for ages. I'm glad that I read it.

>91 NanaCC:: what a surprise to see my name in print! I'm really glad you enjoyed Dissolution. I agree, it's not at all like Mantel's work. Lighter, for one thing. More fun. An intelligent mystery. And a perfect example of the benefits of LibraryThing: I used to say, "I don't read mysteries." Then my LT friend tiffin tore through this series, reading and raving about each book in rapid succession, and that convinced me to give them a try. Of course I was hooked, and I'm very happy to see someone else getting to know my buddy Shardlake.

Laura, it was an excellent suggestion. Thank you. I love historical fiction, and this time period is a favorite.

Dissolution sounds like a good read--and they have it at my library! Onto. The wish list it goes.

>96 cabegley:: oh yes Chris, I'm sure you'd enjoy it.

The Sirens Sang of Murder by Sarah Caudwell

In the third of Caudwell's Hilary Tamar mysteries, the young barristers of the Chancery Bar at London's Lincoln Inn call on Professor Tamar to help them unravel a problem they are having with a tax-law case that is worth a fortune. They are trying to find a missing heir, and in the process discover that two of the members of the legal team involved in the case are dead. They are worried that there may be more. Once again, most of the story is told through the reading of letters to and from London and (in this story) the Channel Islands.

I need to add that I love these intelligently crafted stories. The writing is wonderful, crisp and witty. Each time I have written about one of the stories, I have said that Caudwell's style is a little bit like P. G. Wodehouse with Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie thrown in for good measure. Interestingly, reading the blurbs at the beginning of this book, two quotes caught my eye.

"As warm, witty, and elegant as it's predecessors..... We'd swear she was the illegitimate offspring of P. G. Wodehouse." - The Denver Post

"Caudwell's books are both whimsical and comic... P. G. Wodehouse, I am certain, sits now at the right hand of God, and the place on His left is reserved for Sarah Caudwell." - The Drood Review of Mystery

The second quote is particularly poignant as Caudwell died at a young age about ten years after that was written. If you haven't tried this series and enjoy Wodehouse, Sayers or Christie, a good laugh, and very British humor, I would highly recommend it.

Oh, I love Sarah Caudwell. So sad she died so young. Nana, where do you stand on the is Hilary Tamar a man or a woman question?

Rebecca, I am a big fan of Sarah Caudwell. It is just so sad that there are only four books in that series. My take on the Hilary Tamar mystique is that Hilary is a woman. I only think that, because, for the most part, Hilary is referred to as Hilary throughout the stories. In the stories the women (Selena and Julia) are always referred to by their first names, whereas the men (Cantrip and Ragwort) are always referred to by their last names. Of course Timothy is referred to as Timothy, so I could be completely wrong. :-)

I always thought she was a woman too, Nana, but that was before I learned that it is considered a mystery as to whether Hilary is a man or a woman. It is too late for me to change my mind, since I read the whole series thinking of her as a woman, but I'm always interested in what other people think!

Enemies, A Love Story (Kindle Single) by Josh Schollmeyer

When Roger Ebert passed away a little over a week ago, my daughter suggested that I read this short story about Ebert and his rival and friend Gene Siskel. The book tells of their relationship from its early beginnings as rival movie critics for competing newspapers. Through interviews with producers, directors, co-hosts and others who touched, or were touched by Siskel and Ebert, Schollmeyer tells how these bitter rivals became friends. Their styles were very different. Siskel was the brash "I'm right" kind of guy, who pushed his deadlines to the last minute. Ebert was the more polished writer, and was always done long before their deadline came. Their banter was loved by the fans of the show. When Siskel became ill with brain cancer, he didn't reveal the seriousness to Ebert, or other staff from their show. When Siskel died, Ebert was stunned and heartbroken. He mourned not having been able to say goodbye. Later, when Ebert became ill with cancer, he struggled to hold on to the show that he and Siskel had created. With Ebert's death, we have lost a remarkable writer whose critique could make or break a movie with the direction of his thumb.

#102 - You know, I never watched Siskel and Ebert, but of course, knew about them and saw them quoted everywhere. An end of an era.

Dan, I think that the way they played off of each other was the thing that resonated with their fans. It was interesting to read about their relationship, and the differences in the way they handled their illnesses.

>52 NanaCC: imagine a time machine traveling backwards in Manhattan, stripping away buildings, steel structures, and asphalt to bring back the land that was flattened, add back the streams and rivers that were forced into sewers, and the wildlife that has been pushed to other locales, until we see an untouched land with waves lapping at the shore
I highly recommend browsing a library copy of Mannahatta -- illustrations show early Manhattan and compare it side-by-side with today.

I had mixed feelings about In the Garden of Beasts. The first hundred pages were riveting and the book overall provided excellent background on why the US largely ignored growing concerns about Hitler. I devoured Devil in the White City, but even then saw some OCDness in his writing; in this one I thought he got frankly repetitive.

I’m intrigued by The Butcher Boy and doubly intrigued about Hilary Tamar -- gender can remain an open question over four novels?! Love your appreciation of Ebert (and Siskel).

Thank you for stopping by, MJ.

For Island At The Center of the World I went to the local library and borrowed their one and only copy. There were parts of the book that I wanted to go back and read because in the audio version I had missed a few things while driving. I also wanted to see any maps and pictures that I didn't have with the audio version. I am really glad that I did that. Now I will have to get a copy of Mannahatta. That description in "Island" conjured images of time lapsed photography with everything being stripped away.

I felt the same way as you did about In The Garden of Beasts. I felt that it fell short in comparison with Devil in the White City which I really enjoyed.

I loved the Sarah Caudwell books as you probably can tell. I still have one to go. And sadly we will never know if she ever meant to disclose Tamar's gender.

I have Manahatta and it is a beautiful and fascinating book to browse through. I doubt I will ever do more than that, although I would like to.

I have added Mannahatta to my wishlist, and will check to see if the library has a copy.

(Oops. Posted to wrong thread.)

>109 StevenTX: No worries, Steven. I was a bit confused, but figured out what had happened. :)

Dark Fire by C. J.Sansome; Narrated by Steven Crossley

This was book 2 in the Matthew Shardlake mystery series. The time is 1540, and Shardlake has been asked to help a young girl accused of murder. The girl has refused to speak in her defense even though she has been threatened with torture. Thomas Cromwell intervenes, and offers Shardlake two weeks to prove her innocence, in exchange for Shardlake finding a weapon of legends, "Dark Fire". Filled with political intrigue, King Henry VIII is now married to Anne of Cleves and has disliked her from the moment he met her. He is already plotting his divorce and has been dallying with Catherine Howard. Thomas Cromwell, having engineered the marriage to Anne of Cleaves is on shaky ground, and in this story, wants to be able to give the king "Dark Fire" to give The king and himself political security.

The story is enjoyable, and the historical background makes it more than just another mystery. I recommend this series. The audio version is very good. For me, this is the perfect kind of book for some of the long car rides I need to do.

I will dip into the Mathew Shardlake mystery series at some time, have you read book no1 Colleen.

Barry, I have. It was Dissolution. I gave my thoughts of it in post #91. I was tempted to dive right into Book 3 now, as I have it on my iPod, and as I said, they are terrific for a long drive. Laura (laurelkeet) had first recommended this series, and I am finding it as good as she said it was going to be. I decided to do another book, so that I don't get burned out on the series.

Very disappointed that Ian Rankin's first book in the Inspector Rebus series is not on audio. That series was recommended to me by a few folks here on Club Read. I will have to start that series with the library editions.

It makes me so happy when someone likes a book I liked. Hard to explain the feeling but I'm sure you understand. I plan to read the 4th Shardlake soon.

Laura you made a wonderful suggestion, and I am so happy that you did. :)

Dark Fire sounds really interesting! It reminds me a bit about a book I read years ago called Veil of Lies which was also a mystery set in England but in the 1300s. (There are a lot more to the series but I haven't read them - I should, though, as the author is local.) I love historical fiction. I'll keep that series in mind.

>116 avidmom: Avidmom, the series really is quite good. Dissolution is the first book. By the way, I am still reading Team of Rivals and enjoying it very much. My comments will not be nearly as detailed as yours, but it was your journaling of the book that pushed it to the top of my TBR. Thank you.

Team Of Rivals: The Political Genius Of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

This book had been on my wish list for quite some time, but it wasn't until AvidMom gave us a wonderful detailed journal while reading the book, that it made its way to the top of my list. I am so glad that it did.

The book is full of detail, starting with descriptions of Lincoln's rivals for the Republican nomination. It follows Lincoln's early career, his nomination as the Republican candidate in 1860, and his election as President. He enters the White House as the southern states begin to break away from the Union. His ability to see the big picture helped him put together a strong Cabinet with his rivals filling the positions. He didn't want a bunch of "yes men" in his cabinet, but wanted the best of the best who would challenge him with their ideas. He believed in keeping his friends close and his enemies closer. The book follows the course of his presidency through the harrowing years of the Civil War. The rumpled rail splitting lawyer becomes one of the most respected men in history, earning the love and respect of some of his biggest adversaries. He had a remarkable sense of timing, and knew when to hold back and when to make the big moves that would have lasting impact. These moves included the timing of enacting The Emancipation Proclomation and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery.

On April 14, 1865 the war was at its end. He and Mary took a ride together and were happier than they had been in many years. They talked of their future, and hoped to travel someday - to Europe and the Holy Land, over the Rockies to California, then back home to illinois, where their life together had begun. That night at Ford Theater Lincoln was assassinated, and by the next morning, he was pronounced dead. His cabinet members in attendance were heartbroken. Stanton by his deathbed pronounced that "now he belongs to the ages".

Lincoln never got to take the trips that he wanted to, but Goodwin relates -"...the scope of Lincoln's legacy by the time the new century arrived. In 1908, in a wild and remote area of the North Caucasus, Leo Tolstoy, the greatest writer of the age, was the guest of a tribal chief "living far away from civilized life in the mountains." Gathering his family and neighbors, the chief asked Tolstoy to tell stories about the famous men of history. Tolstoy told how he entertained the eager crowd for hours with tales of Alexander, Caesar, Frederick the Great, and Napoleon. When he was winding to a close, the chief stood and said, "But you have not told us a syllable about the greatest general and greatest ruler of the world. We want to know something about him. He was a hero. He spoke with a voice of thunder; he laughed like the sunrise and his deeds were strong as the rock....His name was Lincoln and the country in which he lived is called America, which is so far away that if a youth should journey to reach it he would be an old man when he arrived. Tell us of that man."
"I looked at them," Tolstoy recalled, "and saw their faces all aglow, while their eyes were burning. I saw that those rude barbarians were really interested in a man whose name and deeds had already become a legend." He told them everything he knew about Lincoln's "home life and youth....his habits, his influence upon the people and his physical strength."
Tolstoy went on to observe, "This little incident proves how largely the name of Lincoln is worshipped throughout the world and how legendary his personality has become. Now, why.....his supremacy expresses itself altogether in his peculiar moral power and in the greatness of his character.....""

The book is long, but well worth the investment of time for anyone interested in our country's history. I could go on and on, as the detail is rich and the use of diaries and letters provides so much of the actual sentiment's of those involved. Suffice it to say that Goodwin is a wonderful writer and has presented us with the story of a remarkable man.

I read the Kindle version of the book, and synched it to my iPad so that I could look at the pictures and maps there. That worked very well.

First off, congratulations on finishing Team of Rivals. I'm so glad you loved it as much as I did!

My sweetie loved the Lincoln book and has been nagging encouraging me to read it for several years. I can see you're going to add to the pressure I feel!

Nice review, Nana. I took a shortcut and saw the movie Lincoln instead. I've heard great things about Team of Rivals, and your review backs that up, but I'm not likely to tackle it anytime soon. I have three huge volumes about the Civil Rights era on my shelves which I acquired with good intentions, and I'm just finding long works of non-fiction less appealing these days.

>119 avidmom: avidmom, it's all your fault. :-)

>120 rebeccanyc: Rebecca, no pressure, but it is well worth reading. I loved the whole book, but once I got into the Civil War portion of the book, I had a hard time putting it down. I have read a lot of books about the Civil War, but this put a "real" element to a lot of it. For instance, I knew that McClellan was a terrible General. But I didn't realize what an obnoxious a#! he was. His own letters tell the tale against him.

>121 lauralkeet: Laura, I understand how you feel. There are so many books that I know I should read, but I have to get myself in the right frame of mind to read them. I have not seen the movie, and I understand that this book was part of the inspiration, but that it only touches on one aspect of the book. We still share our love of Shardlake. :)

Good review of Team of Rivals. I have handled the book as I gave it as a birthday present to a friend who is an avid lover of history books.

Thank you, Barry. It is quite a hefty book, and while I probably should have read the paper book so that I could say I did some exercise while I was reading it :), I opted to read the Kindle version so that I could have it with me when I went out. Maybe your friend will share it back to you when they are finished.

Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson

This is a delightful British satire set in the Cotswolds of England during the 1920's. Nothing much happens, but what doesn't happen, happens hilariously. The premise takes some quaint middle class English characters trying to emulate the upper class as they climb the social ladder. Lucia is the Queen Bee and everyone in the town of Riseholme revolves around her until a newcomer arrives in the village and soon becomes a rival for the attention of everyone in the town. Morning gossip, leisurely pursuits, everyone knowing what has or will happen lends itself to a very enjoyable book.

I found myself laughing out loud at parts of it. Quite enjoyable.

What a timely review of Queen Lucia, at least for me. I looked up the town of "Riseholme" and saw that it is a fictional location based on Broadway, Worcestershire. I'll be spending a day there next month. So I've just downloaded Queen Lucia (free!) to the Kindle, and it'll be one of my reading resources for the trip.

>125 NanaCC:: Nothing much happens, but what doesn't happen, happens hilariously.
Oh, this sounds just as wonderful as everyone else has said it is. (how's that for a poorly worded sentence?) I'm really looking forward to reading it later this month. But first: my current read, Life After Life, and then a Barbara Pym, A Glass of Blessings. All just what the doctor ordered, actually.

>126 StevenTX: Steven, I am sure your trip will be enjoyable. I spent a week in the Cotswolds in the early 1980's. It is lovely.

>127 lauralkeet: Laura, It is really a quick read. My reading time slowed down to a crawl this week, as I am with two of my grandchildren.

A Test of Wills by Charles Todd

I like to listen to mysteries while driving in the car, and just finished listening to the first book of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series. I enjoyed the story and would give it 4 stars, but the reader was not my cup of tea. He sounded like someone trying to sound like a very posh upper class British narrator, and it just sounded way too phony for me.

This historical crime novel takes place just after WWI. Inspector Ian Rutledge is just back from the war, suffering from shell shock, and trying to settle himself back into his job as Inspector at Scotland Yard. His superior, Superintendent Bowles, assigns him to a case that has political implications. The main suspect is a friend of the Royal family and a decorated war hero. The Superintendent seems to want Rutledge to fall on his face. While fighting his own mental demons, Rutledge follows the twists and turns of the evidence in order to solve the tricky case. There are several red herrings thrown in, and a clear culprit does not emerge until the end of the book.

If you like a good mystery, I think you would enjoy this book. But don't waste your time on the audio version. That part was annoying.

Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin

In February, Avaland reviewed Ian Rankin's newest Inspector Rebus crime novel and it piqued my interest. I do like to read series in the order in which they were written, so I decided to go back to the beginning. As with any mystery or crime novel, it is hard to review it without giving away too much of the story. As so often happens with a first book, I have a feeling that as much as I enjoyed this one, they will get better as I work my way through the series.

In this book, Detective Rebus is part of the team investigating the murders of four young girls. Rebus is flawed. He drinks, he smokes, and he fights his mental demons that are a product of his time in the SAS. These flaws all lend themselves to the gritty character of the book. I will definitely read the series. I enjoyed this one very much.

Thank you, Avaland!

Avaland put me onto Ian Rankin a few years back, too. For some reason, I haven't read another since Knots and Crosses. Must do something about that. I love those flawed detectives!

Must. resist. another. series!!

>131 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I love them too. But I really have to be careful. There are so many books in this series that I could just read them all for the next couple of months. And there was a time I would have done that. I will probably read a few more during the summer, but I will never reduce the TBR if I just read Rebus' tales one after the other. :) I will read them all eventually.

>132 lauralkeet: Laura, I know how you feel. I have almost finished listening to The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell. Two car trips to Boston last week made that one go very quickly. I am very tempted to listen to the third Shardlake, but I want to savor that series. :)

I really do like to complete a series, and that can take place over years. I keep hoping that Christopher Fowler will come out with another book in his Bryant and May series. They are a fun book to listen to in the car.

Rebus "Rules" - well in Edinburgh at least.

Bas, Rebus has definitely jumped onto my pile of cool characters. Unfortunately, I get addicted to series like this, and I went so far as to ask the library to try to get me the second book in the series. They took about a week to find the first one. With so many books in the series, it could be a problem for my TBR pile.

I'm going to try to keep my mystery series addiction to Camilleri; I don't need another one!

Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell

Azincourt, the French spelling, was a bloody battle fought on St Crispin's day, October 25, 1415. Henry V wanted to fight the French. In his mind, he was the rightful ruler of both England and France. Cornwell says that whether the battle shook Europe as much as historians have said has been debated, but it is true that a greatly outnumbered English army defeated the formidable French army it faced. Shakespeare made the battle famous in his play Henry V. Henry left England with a huge army of archers and men at arms. He anticipated swift capture of Harfleur and then a march into French territory to force the French to battle. The capture of Harfleur took much longer than anticipated, and during that time Henry's army was cut in half. Dysentery added to the devastation. Henry opted to march forward despite the odds. He felt a quick eight days march to Calais and then return to England would give his country a moral victory. The French, however, blocked the fords crossing the Somme and the march took weeks. Lack of food, dysentery, rain, slogging through mud meant even more misery. The one thing the French had not allowed for was the skill and determination of the archers - 5,000 archers with longbows, which the French did not have. The arrows flew. Imagine thousands of arrows flying toward you. The battle was over within four hours, and the English won the day.

The names of most of the archers and many of the men-at-arms in the book were taken from the muster rolls, but the dialog is all Cornwell's imagination. The story follows one archer, Nicholas Hook, whose name was real but in a fabricated storyline, which is at times very unrealistic. It adds color to the story. The battle scenes are bloody and the cursing is extreme, but Cornwell's research has made it seem very real. War is hell, and you can feel it in these scenes.

This is the first book I've read by Cornwell. I would be tempted to try another some day.

I don't know if I will be tempted by Agincourt, Bernard Cornwell as I have recently read a biography of Henry V in which the battle was described in great detail. You can have too much of a good thing perhaps.

Ah yes. I had added 1415: Henry V's Year of Glory to my wish list. Your wonderful review pushed it there. I believe the book you read was more biographical. This one is a well researched historical fiction. The battles are described in detail, right down to the excrement. A totally different kind of book. I am planning on reading Shakespeare's play soon, and hope to get to your book sometime later this year. I want to read everything, and it will never happen.

Hi Colleen! I've enjoyed catching up with your thread today. Great stuff!

Agincourt does sound really good, but I'm a little wary as I know that Bernard Cornwell has many admirers and there are many, many titles...I know I'd find it difficult to just stop at the first...

Paul, I do believe that he has been pretty prolific. That isn't always a good thing. Many of his books are parts of a series. I believe that Agincourt is one of his stand-alone novels.

As I was watching a Memorial Day parade today, I was reminded of a tidbit that Cornwell put in the historical notes at the end. He said "I cannot confirm that the British two-fingered salute began at Agincourt as a taunt to the defeated French, demonstrating that the archers still possessed their string fingers despite French threats to sever them, but it seems a likely tale." If true, it is an interesting piece of trivia.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

11 February 1910, Ursula Todd is born, and dies before her first breath. 11 February 1910, Ursula Todd is born, and makes it a little further before she dies. This happens repeatedly, where she relives her life and makes choices that lead her in different directions. She dies in a number of different ways. The book follows Ursula's life through the two World Wars, with some of the best scenes taking place in London during the Blitz.

There have been so many wonderful reviews of Life, that it is difficult to add anything new. I think that it is beautiful and unique. We have all had those moments where we've said, "what if I had done it differently". Atkinson did that here.

I rarely say I will read a book again. There are just too many books that I haven't read. This is one of those rare exceptions. Life After Life was so good. I couldn't put it down, and when I finished, I didn't want it to end.

I haven't seen one negative review of Life After Life...I've already put it on my wishlist, but it's good to see one more raised thumb.

Thanks for the Life After Life review. I reserved it at my library, but I'm still only number 41 out of 53 requesting the book. Looking forward to it, though!

>142 NanaCC: Huh! I've seen so many references to Life After Life but you put it onto my wishlist, thank you!

Glad you enjoyed Life After Life It seems to have hit the spot with most people.

Don't you kind of want to re-read it just to pick up more details? I feel like I probably missed all kinds of subtleties.

>143 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I don't think you will be disappointed. I think it is going to be one of my favorites for the year.

>144 japaul22: Japaul (Jennifer), it is worth the wait, although I got it for my kindle. I couldn't wait after seeing the buzz it created.

>145 detailmuse: MJ, Glad to oblige. :)

>146 baswood: Bas, sometimes when there is so much hype around a book, it can wind up being disappointing. This was not in that category. I really enjoyed it.

>147 lauralkeet: Laura, Exactly! I feel as if there were so many little things I might have missed. I thought that some of the scenarios were turning me around like in a game with a blindfold and when I stopped, I wasn't sure which way I was going. It was a fun ride.

Catching up a bit here - lots of interesting reads.

Queen Lucia sounds like a great read, and is available at Project Gutenberg. Yay!

The Rebus series does improve - at least I thought so. I'd read Knots & Crosses and thought it was OK, then happened to skip to the 4th or 5th in the series and liked it much better. I've only read 3 or 4 of them, but now would definitely pick it up again if the opportunity arose.

>149 ljbwell: LJB Thank you for stopping by. Queen Lucia was definitely fun. I enjoyed Knots and Crosses very much, and asked the library to find a copy of the second book, Hide & Seek. They found it sooner than I expected, so I may have to take a break from At Swim, Two Boys. We'll see. It depends upon how much reading time I get.

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell, Narrated by Dick Hill

The 6th in the Kurt Wallender series involves a serial killer who is a woman out for revenge. The setting is a small town in Sweden called Ystad. Part police procedural, part mystery, the story doesn't zoom by. Instead it methodically follows the approach the police need to use to find the murderer. We know who the murderer is from the beginning of the book, but we don't really know the why until the book is nearing the end. I am a fan of Mankell's books, and of the Masterpiece series starring Kenneth Branagh as Wallender. Dark and brooding - European noir at its best..

>141 NanaCC:

That's what I was taught at school. Seems plausible and I think it's the best explanation for the English two-fingered salute (then there's the silly thing from the playground:

Q - Why did Churchill always give a V salute?
A - Because Hitler was behind him of course!

(Interesting that London kids in the 1970s STILL made references to the long dead Churchill and Hitler (also the old "Hitler has only got one ball..." ditty to the tune of Colonel Bogey of "Bridge Over The River Kwai" film fame) and 'playing' war games of Brits against Germans... What an impact the post-war UK popular culture had in cementing Britain's role during WWII!)

Just added Life After Life to the wishlist. Great review - sounds like a very satisfying read.

Paul, My mother was in London during WWII. I grew up hearing the stories, and as a kid here in New Jersey I remember that the boys all played war games. During the early 70's here in the states, Vietnam was just winding down. It was such a polarizing war, that I don't think kids played those battles in the same way. I got a chuckle out of your little ditty.

As for Life After Life, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Life After Life sounds fascinating!

Avid, it certainly is....

At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill

Another book to rip your heart out... and I mean that in the very best way possible. Fabulous!

The words are beautiful. You might want to look up the 1916 Easter Uprising in Ireland if you are not familiar with it, as it is the backdrop to this beautiful coming of age love story of two 16 year old boys, Jim Mack and Doyler Doyle, and of their friend Mr. MacMurrough (MacEmm). They are the lead characters in the story, but so is the growing rebellious spirit that leads to the Irish Republican Army and the Rebellion that took place the week of April 23 - 27, 1916. The secondary characters in the book were wonderful too. Mr. Mack, Jim's father, is a shopkeeper who is a little out of touch with reality as far as his son is concerned, and totally taken by surprise by the events of the Easter Uprising. He doesn't understand why anyone would want to be out from under British rule. Also, Mr. MacMurrough's aunt Eveline, an aging woman of means who is quite vested in a free Ireland. There are others, and their places are so important to the story as a whole. I know that some people have found the book difficult to read. The dialect is at first difficult, (and I grew up hearing a lot of that), but if you stick with it, the prose is like music. It takes you along on a beautiful dance through this story of love and loyalty. This could be called gay fiction, but it really is so much more than that. I gave it five stars.

Thank you to Linda (laytonwoman3rd) for the recommendation.

"the prose is like music. It takes you along on a beautiful dance through this story of love and loyalty. This could be called gay fiction, but it really is so much more than that" That nails it. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

Great stuff Colleen.

Linda, it was a great suggestion. And, Chris had it on her bookshelf (my go to place for books), it was just meant to be. I just read your review. That was beautiful.

Bas, that book was great stuff...

Hide & Seek by Ian Rankin

This was the second book in the Inspector John Rebus mystery series. In this story, Rebus deals with a dead junkie, possible cult influence, and a few more dead bodies along the way. The characters are fun. Rebus is a flawed detective. He drinks, he smokes, he's divorced and he's lonely. Through it all he is a cop with integrity. The story is clever, and just gritty enough to give it an edge. It is a well done police procedural. Very enjoyable escape fiction. I think it falls somewhere between a 3 1/2 and a 4 rating. I gave it a 4, because of the enjoyment factor.

Great review! Sounds fun.

Merrikay, I am in the mood for a bit of lighter fare right now. That one hit the spot. And it is a pretty good series from every review I've seen.

Lucia in London by E. F. Benson

This is the second of six novels in the Mapp and Lucia series, which take place in 1920's England. Lucia is a social climbing snob, whose antics are hilariously funny. Her name is Emmeline Lucas and her husband is Philip. She insists upon her friends calling her Lucia with the Italian pronunciation and she refers to her husband as Peppino, sprinkles her conversation with a few Italian words and makes up the rest, and professes to be a lover of art and music of which she knows very little.

Lucia is the queen bee in the fictional town of Riseholme, as we find out in the first book Queen Lucia. The characters of the town are wonderful. In this book, Lucia's husband inherits a house at 25 Brompton Square in London, after his aunt dies. After a short pretense of grief for the aunt who has been in an asylum for the past seven years, Lucia plots to keep the house in London. Of course her neighbors who know everything about everyone in Riseholme want to find out everything about the Lucas' new fortune. Meetings on the green are always started with "Any news?", and of course now there is real news. Everyone leaves it up to George, Lucia's delightful neighbor, to find out what will happen next. Will Lucia move to London? Will they sell the house? How much is the annual income? And what about the aunt's pearls?

Lucia's antics in London are hilarious. She plays the social climbing game expertly, and does not let herself be embarrased when she makes mistakes. She is so good at it, that some of the socialites are delighted, and form an informal group of "Luciaphiles" who help her climb the ladder just to see what will happen. Of course her friends in Riseholme are hurt by Lucia's rejection, and plot to show her that they can get on without her.

Benson has written another delightful story satirizing popular culture of the 1920's. There are several laugh out loud sequences in this silly story filled with great British humor. If you enjoy Wodehouse, I think you would enjoy this series - but start at the beginning with Queen Lucia.

Good review, Nana--I'm so glad you like this series.

>164 NanaCC: E. F. Benson is one of my favourite authors. Mapp and Lucia are priceless. I believe the stories became even better with the move to Tilling and the introduction of Elizabeth Mapp. And if I hadn't already, I completely lost my heart to them when I saw the TV series with Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales and Nigel Hawthorne.

Vivienne, I was not aware of the TV series, but now I must find it. :) I am sure it is wonderful.

>164 NanaCC:: As you know I recently discovered this series. I'm looking forward to more!

Laura, They are really quite enjoyable. I am avoiding reading them all one right after the other, which I really wanted to do. There are six in total, so I think I will spread them out over the summer. The copy I just finished was falling apart as I turned the pages. Chris had a rubber band around it, so I can't be held accountable for that. :) I think she said that she got them all at a library sale. They are now sitting on my shelf waiting to tempt me......

I appreciate your thoughts on Life after Life I've been on the fence about whether to add this to the TBR mountain (volcano, more like) for a while, but now I think I'll go for it. I think there is another similarly titled novel out now that I have heard about but I've been too lazy to suss out which is which.

Thank you for stopping by Yolana. I've never read anything else by Kate Atkinson, so can't compare to her other books, but I really think Life After Life lived up to the hype. I'm curious about the other book you mention. There is another book called Life after Life by Jill McCorkle. I think it came out in March of this year. Not sure how or why two authors would pick the same title... Is that the one you mean?

I believe it is, I've never read anything by Atkinson either, so I'll get to know another author which is good form me. branching out and all that.

>161 NanaCC: - Ian Rankin has said that he didn't really get it right until the 5th or 6th book.

I too can recommend the Mapp and Lucia TV series, looks a little 'cheap' now in production values but the cast is great. I own all the novels but haven't got to them yet but I have read E.F. Benson's ghost stories which are excellent.

>173 Jargoneer: Thank you for that comment. I am enjoying Rebus so far, so I can imagine if they get better, they will become favorites of that genre. When I read a series, I do like to read all of the books in order, and with the number of books in this series I think I will be reading them for quite a while.

I will probably wait to look into the Mapp and Lucia TV series, until I have completed reading the books. I am really enjoying them.

>172 yolana: Yolana, I joined LT in January, and I seem to branching out with new authors in all directions.

Just purchased the six Mapp and Lucia books for my kindle. I've seen too many positive reviews on LT lately to resist the $.99.

Jennifer, I hope you enjoy them as much as I have been enjoying them. Quick and easy to read with a baby in your lap. You could read them aloud, and the baby would sense the humor in your voice. :)

Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama

A friend gave me this book for Christmas several years ago, and I am just getting to it now. This is historical fiction that takes place in rural China during the 1920's and 30's, where a baby boy is favored, and in poorer families, a young girl's fate is either to marry a man she has never met, or to be sold to a silk factory where most of her earnings will be sent to her parents to help them survive. It seems that the latter turns out to be the better scenario, as the girls bonds are often stronger than any they experienced in families struggling to survive, and they do achieve a sense of independence that they never would have had at home. The main character, Pei, is sold at the age of eight to the silk factory where she lives with other girls who have been committed to the same life. At first afraid and unable to understand what has happened to her, she soon bonds with several of the girls and develops a special bond with a girl named Lin. It is a coming of age story, set against the landscape and culture of the time as the Japanese are starting to invade China.

I enjoyed the story and wanted to finish it. However, I think that as it was the author's first book, it may have suffered a bit from of lack of development. I would try another book by the author at another time.

They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie

This happened to be a Christie that I hadn't heard of, so when it showed up on the Kindle Daily Deal, I couldn't resist. She wrote this one in 1951 and the setting is right after WWII. It is more of an adventure story than a mystery, with several interesting characters. Victoria Jones has just been fired and meets a handsome young man in the park. Edward tells her he is on his way to Baghdad for his job, and before long, Victoria has decided to follow him, after all, what else does she have to do? She has no money, but lies her way into a job as a companion to an elderly woman who just happens to be headed there. And so, the adventure begins. Spies, murder and international intrigue. Madcap fun....

I was reading this one while I was walking on the treadmill. It did help me get through several miles. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

>178 NanaCC: That sounds like a fun story.

I was reading this one while I was walking on the treadmill. It did help me get through several miles. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Hmm. I need to get a Kindle. : )

The memory is a curious thing: I haven't read They Came To Baghdad for AGES, yet as soon as you said "Victoria Jones" it all came back to me. :)

>179 avidmom: Avid, the Kindle is great on so many levels. Fits easily in my handbag so I can take it anywhere. I also have an iPad, which I can synch to the Kindle. That came in handy for the treadmill, because with my aging eyes it made it very easy to read. Although, I could have changed to a little bigger font on my Kindle and done the same thing. The iPod is great for listening to books on the treadmill. I do that too. Toys are great!

>180 lyzard: Liz, thank you for stopping by. The Kindle deal today is a Miss Marple. I am very tempted, but I remember the story in that one, and I already have more books than I can possibly finish. But $1.99 is so hard to resist.

I already have more books than I can possibly finish

Oh, like THAT'S an excuse! :)

I'm just waiting for my husband to move on to a better iPad so I can turn it into an e-reader for yours truly - between the Mapp and Lucia series (which I read about here!), classic ghost stories, and more, it would be great.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

From the book's description:
"The story begins in 1962. On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat. She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying.

And the story begins again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio's back lot - searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier."

This book is an Audie Award Nominee, Fiction and Best Solo Narration, 2013. RidgewayGirl had given it a lovely review a little while ago, which pushed it to the top of my TBR, and since it was on my iPod, to the top of my listening list. Edoardo Ballerini's wonderful Italian lent magic to the scenes that took place in 1962 Italy, and he was able to switch to an American accent for the current day scenes in Hollywood, Seattle and Idaho. There are intertwined stories that work beautifully. Even Richard Burton, Liz Taylor and the film Cleopatra play a role. (Ballerini's Richard Burton was terrific). It is full of colorful people. Part satire, part love story, it made me laugh and it made me care about a few of the characters.

I gave it 4 stars. I really enjoyed it.

I'm glad you liked Beautiful Ruins. I wondered how it would work as an audiobook -- I'm glad it was successful.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Neil Gaiman

This was the perfect book to listen to on a car trip from Connecticut to Cape Cod, with a 10 year old and 14 year old grandchild.

The story is creepy enough to keep everyone, including me, happy for the entire journey. Coraline Jones and her family have moved to a new flat in a big old house. The neighbors insist upon calling her Caroline, her parents tend to ignore her, and she is left on her own to wander about. Her father tells her to explore, and she asks her mother what is on the other side of the door that they never open. Her mother opens the door to a brick wall. Left on her own, she opens the door and finds the brick wall is gone. She goes through the door, and what she finds there....well, enough said. Creepy and dark, this tale is quite a lot of fun. (Although, I can understand why my 12 year old granddaughter won't watch the movie version.)

The book has won:
Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Children's Literature, 2003
Hugo Award Winner, Best Novella, 2003
Nebula Award Winner, Best Novella, 2003

Neil Gaiman's narration is wonderful.

>186 NanaCC: My son's school showed the movie version of "Coraline" as a fundraiser a few years ago. It was very strange - entertaining but odd. We both liked it but not enough to want to watch it again. :)

I didn't realize it had won so many awards.

Funny, I watched the movie a couple years ago, and feel I ought to see it again...it was so unusual I don't think I got all I might have from it. Knowing more what to expect, I think I'd appreciate it better on a second go-round. But the parents seriously creeped me out.

Ah, Linda, it must have been her "other" parents who creeped you out. It is very creepy. :)

Avid, I haven't seen the movie, but the book was really quite good. The ten year old said he liked it, but it was creepy scary. He did not have any nightmares, so that was a good thing.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

I really enjoyed this book, but I am having a terrible time writing about it.

During WWII, Charles Ryder and his company of soldiers are setting up camp at a big old private house and as he hears the name of the house, memories of prior visits to that house come back to him. The book takes those memories back twenty years to his first time at Brideshead, as Ryder relates his history with the occupants of the house.

There are just so many things to think about after reading it. This is a story of love and loss, passion and longing, old money vs. new money, marriage, adultery, and perhaps most of all agnosticism vs. the faith of Catholicism. The writing is beautiful.

I would definitely recommend this book.

Colleen, have you seen the 1980s miniseries of Brideshead Revisited, starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews? It's excellent. I intend to read the book someday.

That's a book I keep meaning to read!

>191 lauralkeet: Laura, I have not seen the miniseries. Chris told me that it was wonderful. It is on my to do list, and I am curious to see how closely it followed the book.

>192 rebeccanyc: Rebecca, I hope you do get to read it someday.

#189 Oh, yes, definitely the "other" parents.

Nana - Sometimes seems like the more I like a book the harder it is to write about it.

Merrikay, I think you are right.

I recently saw a BBC production of Brideshead Revisited that caught some aspects of the book really well: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412536/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Glad you enjoyed the book Colleen.

Thank you, Bas. I will check into that one. The book was really good. :)

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I listened and I am glad that I did. Tina Fey is funny. I loved the fact that she can poke fun at herself, her family, her co-workers, her bosses - well, you name them, I think to Tina anyone may be fair game. I am not sure that I would have enjoyed a paper copy of this book. Timing is everything in comedy, and she does it wonderfully here.

The last time someone praised the audio book of Bossypants, I thought "I have to get that." Well, I haven't, but now I'm thinking, "I have to get that"!