Clue's Challenge In A Challenge for 2018, August - December

FICTION

1. The Last Days of Café Leila by Donia Bijan
2. Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford DNF
3. The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
4. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
5. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
6. Cross Country Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini
7. Setting Free the Kites by Alex George
8. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
9. The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
10. The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford
11. Blood Sisters by Barbara Keating
12. Perennials by Julie Cantrell
13. Season of Yellow Leaf by Douglas C Jones
14. The Velveteen Daughter by Laurel Davis Huber
15. The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughn
16. Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen
17. The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam
18. Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest
19. Cat Talk by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest
20. Storm in the Village by Miss Read
21. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
22. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
23. Reply to a Letter to Helga by Bergsveinn Birgisson
24. The Secret Life of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg
25. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
26. Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer
27. Voyage to Somewhere by Sloan Wilson
28. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
29. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
30. Mermaids of Bodega Bay by Mary Birk
31. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
32. It Can't Be October Already by Jeffrey Archer
33. My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
34 Transcription by Kate Atkinson
35. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
36. That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay
37. The Romanov Empress by C. W. Gortner
38. Caroline by Sarah Miller

MYSTERIES and THRILLERS

1. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton
2. Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M.C. Beaton
3. Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Mary Wingate
4. The Jasmine Moon Murders by Laura Childs
5. Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs
6. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton
7. The Graves a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
8. The Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton
9. The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch
10. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton
11. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffith
12. Miss Zukas and the Raven's Dance by Jo Dereske
13. Blood Orange Brewing by Laura Childs
14. Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by M.C. Beaton
15. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White
16. Dream of Orchids by Phyllis A. Whitney
17. The Religious Body by Catherine Aird
18. Hot Money by Dick Francis
19. Sworn to Silence - Linda Castillo
20. Dragonwell Dead - Laura Childs
21. Leaving Everything Most Loved - Jacqueline Winspear
22. Iron Lake - William Kent Kruger
23. The 9th Girl - Tami Hoag
24. Cover Her Face - P.D. James
25. November Road - Lou Berney
25. Lethal White - Robert Galbraith
26. Murder in the Mystery Suite - Ellery Adams

BIOGRAPHIES and MEMOIRS

1. Maman's Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan
2. Underfoot In Show Business by Helene Hanff
3. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

NONFICTION

1. The Arthur Avenue Cookbook: Recipes and Memories From the Real Little Italy by Ann Volkwein
2. All-American Murder by James Patterson
3. Braving The Wilderness by Brene Brown
4. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
5. Chasing the Rose by Andrea di Robilant
6. The White Darkness by David Grann

My Own Calendar CAT Challenge for August will be a reread of Frankenstein in honor of the author, Mary Shelley. Shelley's birthdate is August 30, 1797. I'm in my sixties and I remember that a biography of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly was the first adult biography I read. I must have been twelve or thirteen and of all the biographies I could have read I don't think there would have been any other that had as much impact. I wish I knew the title so I could reread it too!

August already? I need to work in the last six BINGO squares, I plan to read two this month. I'm also in the Big Book challenge (over 600 pages), and planned to read 6 this year. I've completed 3 with another underway so just 2 more to work in. I've written 10 times this year that I want to read Stone's Fall by Iain Pears and that's up for the next BB for sure!

Completed CAT Challenge 8/29

Happy new thread! I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on Paths of Glory, which I have in audio.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Lori, and good luck with the final Bingo squares!

Thanks everyone!



Dragonwell Dead by Laura Childs

The 8th title in the Tea Shop mystery series where Charleston, S.C. is the setting. Both historic Charleston and the characters keep me reading.

3.5/5

Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear

The 10th in the Maisie Dobbs series is set in London in 1933. DI Caldwell asks Maisie to investigate the murder of an Indian woman. The DI and his men are overwhelmed with cases and in what little time they have given this investigation nothing has been accomplished. Maisie accepts the case but unfortunately the murder of a second Indian woman, a friend of the first victim, is discovered. In addition to these cases, Maisie is also investigating the disappearance of a fourteen year old boy.

On the personal side, Maisie is still wringing hands over the decision to marry James Compton, her previous employer's son. I find Maisie's romantic life a distraction and I wish Winspear could either make the romances meld better with the plot or discontinue them.

3.5/5

I live in a small city, a little over 100,000 population, and we haven't had a good independent bookstore since Vivian's Bookstore closed due to retirement probably twenty years ago. Vivian's was all a bookstore should be with an owner that knew books very well and encouraged people to "just drop by and join the conversation." It was a joy to visit.

So, imagine my thrill when I learned a new bookstore, Bookish, was opening. Owned by two former teachers, grand opening was last Saturday. I wasn't able to get there until Monday afternoon and braved a heavy rain storm when I was able. The store is located in the downtown area in an old brick building. It is small but attractively arranged with built in and free standing white bookcases. I was surprised at how small the inventory is but hope that it will grow as time goes by. I suspect the inventory is composed of books the owner's like, quality fiction for the most part, but very little mystery/suspense/thrillers, no romance, and very little science fiction/fantasy. I wasn't able to see the nonfiction well due to other browsers but it was a small selection. There is a charming children's area and it looked well stocked.

So, the question is can they survive on this? I don't know. I've thought a lot about it and maybe this is what they want, a store that is primarily of quality general adult fiction and children's books. I tried to engage one of the owner's as I checked out but she seemed rather shy and mostly just answered my questions. None of this deters me, I plan to go back next month and I'll see what differences there may be. At this point I'm worried that the selections won't sustain a large enough clientele. Then again, although I've been to hundreds of bookstores, I've never owned one.

I bought:

Varina by Charles Frazier
The Address by Fiona Davis (in paperback)
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

I forgot to mention that most of the fiction was recent releases and about 90% were hardbacks. Hmmm.

>12 clue:, Sometimes I wonder if people (like me) dream of owning a bookstore, so that they eventually make that happen even if they're not necessarily prepared to own one, or really suited or personable enough to own a successful one. We have two relatively local used bookstores where I live, and one of them is simply wonderful in every way. The other... well, I went in once. The owner barely glanced up from what she was reading when my husband and I walked in, and we went up to the counter to see if we could leave her the small bag of books we'd brought to trade in while we browsed, she told us something along the lines of, "Well, we only talk paperbacks, and I doubt I'll want any of these, but I'll look." I'm not sure if she had something against us because of our looks (my husband with long-ish hair, me with bright red streaks in mine) or if it was that she'd never seen us before or what, but I'd never been spoken to so condescendingly by a business owner/worker. Needless to say, we browsed, but didn't feel the need to buy anything from her, and she didn't keep any of our books. I have a feeling she caters to retirees and beach-goers who devour romances and pay good prices for used copies while she gets them for practically nothing, but I don't think she was Ever suited to owning a bookstore.

Nevertheless, I hope your new owners are more friendly and get interested in bringing in books/areas that potential patrons request. There's a Really small one about an hour north of where I am that has almost all hardbacks, and sounds a lot like what you've described, except that they also have a lovely, small poetry room that I adore, and the owner is a sweet southern woman who'll talk anyone's ear off. They do monthly readings from local writers that bring in a lot of business, though, and are located in a busy enough section of the city that they get a lot of foot traffic, so I know those things make a difference in them being able to stay open.

clue, my city is smaller than yours and has a thriving small independent bookstore with a fairly small selection - I can't go there with a specific book in mind as I'm inevitably disappointed when I do, but I can usually find a few books that look interesting when I browse. And they have a ton of author events, book clubs and similar events to draw people in.

As for getting to know the owner; if you visit regularly and attend an event or two, you'll end up in conversation. Small bookstores rely on regular customers and I've adjusted my book budget to allow me to buy a book there every so often - we have to keep these small independent stores alive!

Paths Of Glory by Jeffrey Archer

This is based on the life of George Mallory the mountaineer who may have successfully reached the Everest summit in 1924 on his third attempt. It's an interesting account of the early Everest attempts and of the personal and political maneuvering behind them. It's unknown if Mallory reached the summit though Archer writes as if he did and after reading Archer's account, I hope so. Mallory's body was discovered May 1, 1999 about 600 feet short of the summit.

Although we understand that Archer has taken privilege with Mallory and others the characters seem as real as they really were. At the end he has written a few factual sentences on each of them so we know what they did in their lives after 1924.

3.5/5

Happy new thread and YAY for new bookstore opening in your area and hopefully they will grow their inventory.

>13 whitewavedarling: The romance angle sounds plausible to me because we have a large used store here that only stocks romances and paranormal books. An odd mix for sure. I agree that its hard to believe stores can stay in business when they have nothing but disdain for their customers as many seem to.

>14 RidgewayGirl: I definitely want to support them and plan to go back in a few weeks. I'll be interested to see what they have the second time around but like you, I'm sure I'll find something.

Voyage to Somewhere by Sloan Wilson

Sloan Wilson wrote three novels about his personal experiences in the Coast Guard during WWII. In this first book Lieutenant Barton thought he was heading for a cushy office job after spending two years at sea during WWII. Instead, without even seeing his family, he was immediately assigned to command a small supply vessel. This new but untried ship would sail from California to New Guinea and stop at various islands along the way picking up and delivering assorted supplies. Anxious to get his first orders, he was chagrined when he learned they would be sailing to Hawaii...to deliver canned pineapple.

Learning about the first cargo may have been better than meeting his crew. Of the twenty-six sailors aboard, only five had been to sea. As soon as they left port, training commenced and so did an alarming amount of seasickness. During the next year his crew would experience a lot of monotony as they waited to be loaded, to be unloaded, and to receive orders. But it wasn't all monotony, the sailors also experienced torpedoes, typhoons, heroism and burial at sea.

The second book is Ice Brothers, all are standalones, and is about patrolling the coast of Greenland. I look forward to reading it too.

3.5/5

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The supreme monster book. I hadn't read this since I was in school but I remember how brave I thought I was to read it. Actually, I think I may appreciate it more now. At that time I was enraptured by the author and was more interested in a biography of her.

4/5

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

The Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor series is a popular suspense series both on LT and elsewhere. This is the first of the 15 books and establishes the protagonist, a former sheriff who was removed from office. Cork is married though the marriage is in serious trouble and he is trying to be a good father to three. When his small town's judge is murdered and the high school student who delivers the judge's newspaper goes missing the same day, O'Connor can't keep himself out of the investigation, eventually uncovering a web of conspiracy and corruption among the town's most powerful.

The characters were okay but will become better with age. The plot I thought was too convoluted but I loved the setting, Minnesota during the winter was done so well I was cold even with it being 100 degrees outside!

I plan to continue the series.

3/5

Let's all get a facial on September 30, it's National Mud Pack Day! I don't know of any place where I live that will put mud on your face but I think it would be all right to use more modern techniques for our beauty treatment. To honor Mud Pack Day, I'm going to read a book that has been on my "to read" list a long time, Cover Her Face by P.D. James. COMPLETED 9/28/2018.

The 9th Girl by Tami Hoag

The 9th Girl. a mystery/thriller in the Sam Kovac/Nikki Liska series is the fourth book in the series but the first I've read. It begins on New Year's Eve in Minneapolis when a fender bender on a busy, icy street causes a trunk to pop up and a body to fall out. The car of course careens away. When Kovac and Liska arrive they find a body, possibly of a teen girl, whose face has been melted with acid and whose body has been stabbed 17 times.

Hoag's experienced and battle weary detectives are well developed and likeable. I was as frustrated by the investigation, which leads to a selfish, twisted mother and to bullies instead of friends, as the detectives were.

I don't know if I'll go back to book 1 or go on the book 5, but I liked this and will carry on.

4/5

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

This is the best chic lit I've read in a long time. The protagonist is a textbook illustrator who takes gardening classes to prepare for illustrating a book for a new client. She's also a mother of two young girls and a widow who witnessed her husband's death in an accident.

Abbi Waxman manages the comic with the serious very well and the comic really is comic, there are some laugh out loud sentences. This is a debut novel and as soon as I finished it I put her next book on hold at the library. I can always use a laugh!

3.5/5

Mermaids of Bodega Bay by Mary Birk

For me this is just an average light mystery with an element of romance thrown in that was not believable. As I read I thought the plot, which revolves around a missing child, would make a good TV movie. To satisfy me the characters would need some changes but the mystery itself is good as is the writing.

3/5

>23 clue: The Garden of Small Beginnings has been on my radar because of the bright and cheerful cover...glad to know you enjoyed it!

>25 christina_reads: I think it was the cover that first caught my eye as well. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to read it.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

Manhattan Beach takes place in Brooklyn a few years before and during WWII. The action swirls around Eddie Kerrigan, a minor member of a crime syndicate, his daughter Anna who on shear gumption becomes a Naval Yard diver during the war, and Dexter Styles a syndicate boss with regrets.

A traditional historical novel, it invokes the flavor of Brooklyn during the war and is supported by solid historical research.

3.5/5

Cover Her Face by P.D. James

P.D. James began writing while still working as a civil servant. Her husband, a doctor, returned from WWII with mental illness and she became the family breadwinner. This is her first book and became the first in the Adam Dalglicsh mystery series. Published in 1962, it was also developed for PBS Mystery.

I have liked P.D. James books and was curious about the first. A classic mystery, a young woman is found murdered in a bedroom behind a locked door. There are several people staying in the house who would be happy to see her dead.

The only problem I have is that the Dalglisch character lacks development but that will change as she writes more. Overall, an enjoyable read from the classic mystery shelf.

3.5/5

November Road by Lou Berney

Frank Guidry is a lieutenant in Carlos Marcello's New Orleans crime family. When President Kennedy is killed in Dallas, Frank's heart jumps to his throat. He was sent to Dallas to set up a getaway just a week before. He doesn't know if the two events are connected but he does know two things for sure, the FBI won't fail to gather every clue and if Carlos is behind the shooting, he won't let anyone with knowledge against him live. Frank has no choice but to go on the run.

Charlotte Roy of Woodrow, Oklahoma married into a good family. Her brother-in-law and father-in-law are lawyers. Her husband on the other hand is an alcoholic ne'er do well. Charlotte is smart and curious and in addition to suffering with her husband's behavior, she desperately wants to see and do things that aren't offered in Woodrow. She eventually screws up her courage, gathers up her two young daughters, and goes on the run. And as the song says, two worlds collide.

While Berney is good with relationships, whatever they may be, this is a crime novel saturated with suspense and murder. The best crime novel I've read in awhile, it was hard to put down but also hard turning the pages because I was fearful of what would come next.

4.5/5

>29 clue: I loved Lou Berney's The Long and Faraway Gone so this one is already on my Kindle and I am eager to get to it as it sounds like an excellent read.

>29 clue: I love Lou Berney! That one is definitely going on my wish list!

I'm very eager to read November Road. I loved The Long and Faraway Gone.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

At 647 pages the 4th in the Cormoran Strike series is full of clues that twist and turn. I was afraid they wouldn't come together in the end but they do, and the conclusion makes complete sense. I've not had a disappointment with this series so far and look forward to the next one. It would be okay with me if it was shorter, but then this is J.K. Rowling so I'll not count on it.

4.5/5

I keep seeing great things about the Galbraith books. One of these days I will just have to cave in and read the first book. ;-)

The White Darkness by David Grann

My understanding is that David Grann's new book started life as an article in The New Yorker. Even as a book is it only 146 pages.

From childhood David Worsley idolized explorer Ernest Shackleton. He became an Army officer emulating the behavior of his hero. Due to an obsession that never wavered, Worsley became an adventurer himself by successfully tracing Shackleton's route in 2009 (Antarctica) at the age of 49. Six years later he made an attempt to make the first solo crossing of the Antarctic.

It is Worlsey as adventurer that Grann makes the focus of the book, not a study of the expeditions but rather a profile of the unusual man who made them. I'm not a particularly adventurous person but I like reading about those who are and Grann's writing along with stunning photographs made this a good armchair adventure that could be completed in an evening.

4/5

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

This is the second historical novel by the writing team of Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. The first was about Thomas Jefferson's daughter and this is about Alexander Hamilton's wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. The authors saw the play Hamilton: An American Musical when it first came to Broadway. While they were astonished by what they call "an incredible work of historical fiction", they also became curious about Hamilton's wife Eliza and wanted to know more about her than they learned from the play and from the book it was based on, (Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton). It didn't take them long to decide this woman's accomplishments should also be told.

Eliza's story is far too tumultuous and long, almost one hundred years, for me to say much here. It's well known that she is responsible for saving much of Hamilton's correspondence, essays and other writing, dogging both his friends and enemies, even taking them to court, to obtain documents that were important to the establishment of an American government. She was also an advocate for poor women and children, something women of her social class wouldn't normally do, and after her husband's death worked as the manager of an orphanage.

Although this is a novel, the writers share their research with readers. It is their custom to make visits to sites connected to the subject and I enjoy reading about their experiences and impressions of those places that still remain. They also make the list of all of their sources available online, something that few writers of historical fiction do.

At about 650 pages, the authors are through and professional. The book is very readable though and gives us a better understanding of what Revolutionary women committed to being and doing.

I think I should note that Stephanie Dray is a former teacher and lawyer and Laura Kamoie has a doctorate in history and is a former assistant professor at the U.S. Navel Academy. They both live near Washington, D.C.

4.5/5

Transcription by Kate Atkinson

Don't go to Transcription looking for Jackson Brodie, this book is totally different. Complex, sometimes confusing in my opinion, but also intriguing. During some sections I literally couldn't stop reading.

Juliet Armstrong is 18 when she begins work in 1940 as a transcriptionist for MI5, England's intelligence organization. The job is to secretly listen in to meetings between an undercover agent and British Nazi sympathizers, making a transcript of the conversations. In addition to the undercover agent, there are many supporting characters, most MI5 employees. Later she will have additional work that will involve Juliet in some undercover work herself. Atkinson skips back and forth in time between 1940 and 1981 so we also know what happens to Juliet after the war.

My thoughts skip back and forth when thinking about the book. While reading it I was very engaged, although once in a while I felt disconcerted with one particular character. Now that I have finished, I think I may want to go back and read it again, the ending was so unexpected that it left me gaga.

Don't let me discourage you from reading it, although I finished it, somehow it doesn't feel like it. I'm glad I read it though and will be waiting impatiently for her next book.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A year after Kate's husband is killed in an accident she realizes she has been sleepwalking through the entire year and letting her mother-in-law control her. After finding an old postcard she decides on a whim to hit the road and see if she can find Lost Lake, the resort she visited once as a child. The result is the usual but always fun Sarah Addison Allen. A little magical realism, a few quirky characters, a touch of romance and a second chance.

3/5

I was so busy last week I ended the week tired and cranky and needed some soothing reading for the weekend. Looking through the shelves I decided it was the right time to reread That Part Was True by Deborah McKinley. I read it in 2015 and kept it for this very purpose.

This is the review I wrote in 2015 with just a small edit:

That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay is a charming little book, perfect for rainy day reading. Eve Petworth, a 55 year old English woman, was married at a young age, divorced shortly thereafter, and has never remarried. She is financially well off, and has been able to pursue her favorite things; gardening, cooking and reading, at her home in the English countryside. She begins a friendship through correspondence quite unintentionally when she writes a short fan letter to Jackson Cooper, the American author of a very popular detective series. Jackson has recently separated from his second wife and is facing both his 50th birthday and a midlife crises. In the first letter Eve quotes this description of eating a peach from Jack's latest book: "leaning over and holding back his green silk tie with one arm while the juice christened the shirt cuff of the other". From that they learn they share an interest in good food, including tree ripened fruit. Eve is an accomplished cook and Jack cooks too, so they begin to share cooking tips and recipes. The letters, interspersed through the book, become a balm for both of them in their sometimes troubled lives, and in addition to expanding their knowledge of cooking they help guide each other to a happier existence. I like books that have a twist at the end, and this even has that.

4/5

The Romanov Empress by C.W. Gortner

There has been a lot of historical fiction published about the Romanovs of Imperial Russia but this is the first I've seen about Maria Feodorovna, the wife of Tsar Alexander III and the mother of Tsar Nicholas II.

Minnie as she was called by her family, was a Danish princess when she married Alexander (Sasha) in 1866. They had six children together and one of them, Nicholas II, would become Tsar following his father's death. Minnie outlived three sons, Nicholas, Alexander and Misha. As is well known, Nicholas and Misha were killed during the Revolution as were Nicholas' wife Alexandra, their five children and other family members. Had Minnie been in the capitol when the Revolution began in 1917 she would probably have been executed as well.

The author has written this compelling account in Minnie's voice, a voice that carefully supported social reform when neither her husband or son would hear of it. How different her later life would have been if they had! Gortner's portrait of Minnie is of a strong, opinionated woman who enjoyed her privileges but was not unaware of the struggle to survive many Russians fought.

The book is well written and easy to follow from Minnie's happy childhood through the years of war and death. Gortner is a new author to me but he's written other historical novels on famous women and I'll take a look at them too. He included a list of fifteen books that he used as primary sources in developing Minnie's portrait and I'm always happy to see the supporting materials used in writing historical fiction.

Another plus for this book - it completes my Bingo card!

4/5

>40 clue: This one goes on my wish list - I have read one other book by C.W. Gortner, his Mademoiselle Chanel which was very well done.

Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller

This fictional account of Caroline Ingalls, the mother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, was authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust. It begins shortly before Caroline and her husband Charles leave family and friends in Wisconsin to settle in Kansas, Indian Territory in 1870. It was during this time that the United States was reclaiming the Territory and Indians were being relocated to what would become Oklahoma.

It's unlikely I would have read this had it not been my book club's selection for this month. In general I think the experiences of pioneer women in fiction are rarely realistic. I was pleased the author included the lack of female companionship as a hardship for Caroline and that Caroline acknowledges, though only to herself, that she has sacrificed and put both herself and her children in harms way so that her husband can follow a dream she doesn't share.

The book could have been more but concise but was interesting enough to keep me reading.

3/5

I'm wrapping 2018 up tonight and hope to post the first 2019 book late tomorrow.

A total of 73 books read:

38 Fiction
26 Mysteries/Thrillers
3 Memoir/Biography
6 Nonfiction

Favorite 5 are 3 Fiction and 2 Nonfiction:

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
November Road by Lou Berney

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Big Books Read (over 600 pages) - 5

A good year was had reading books and reading LT!

>44 thornton37814: Thanks Lori, now that is a happy cat!

Congrats on wrapping up your 2018 challenge! I just bought The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and am really looking forward to reading it.

Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with good health and good reading.