foggidawn reads in 2019: thread the second

Welcome! I'm foggi, and this is my twelfth year on LibraryThing and my ninth year in this group! I'm a collection development librarian/youth materials selector (means I buy all the kids' and teen books) for the public library system in a medium-sized Ohio town, and a voracious reader.

I'll read anything that catches my fancy, but here are some of the kinds of books I particularly like:

Books for kids and teens

Fantasy for any age -- plus the occasional work of science fiction

Inspirational fiction, if the writing is good

Mysteries, particularly cozies and golden age British detective stories

The occasional memoir or biography

Here are some of the other things I like, which can distract me from reading, but which I may occasionally post about here:

Theatre -- both viewing live theatre and participating in community theatre. I wasn't successful in my pursuit of the latter in 2018, but perhaps I will have better luck this year.

Sewing -- it's a love/hate relationship, really. I'm only barely proficient at it, so it's slow going when I get on a sewing kick, but when it goes right, I love the results.

Gardening -- I've been trying container gardening lately, and though I didn't harvest much last year, I'm hoping for better outcomes this time around.

Gaming -- I love board games when I can find people to play them with (which is not as often as I like) and I occasionally play video games, but most often I waste my time playing games on my phone. Right now, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Pokemon Go.

Dogs -- My Sophie (pictured above) passed away on April 12th of this year. I am very lonely without a dog, so am hoping to adopt another later this year.

Family -- I recently became a first-time aunt! I'm always looking forward to my next chance to see the baby, and I'm working on building up his library. Also, my parents recently retired and moved to their newly-built cabin in rural Pennsylvania, so I foresee many visits there, as well.

Thanks for visiting my thread!

2019 Reading Resolution

For the past two years, I've had some success making a New Year's resolution regarding reading. I usually read as my whimsy takes me, but I've found I can manage a small set list of books to conquer. The first year, I tackled some of my oldest TBR books. Last year, I read ten "classic" works that had been languishing on my shelf. This year, I face my no-longer-secret shame: unread Early Reviewer books.



I've been participating in the LTER program for at least ten years now, and I'm usually pretty good about reading and reviewing the books I receive. However, over the years a handful have slipped through the cracks. This is the year to fulfill my obligations to those books. There are only eight of them, though the Jim Henson bio is a bit of a chunk. (Better tackle it sooner, rather than later.) Here are the titles:

The Wonderling by Mira Bartok DNF, reviewed 1/20/19
The Apprentices by Maile Meloy
Unspoken by Dee Henderson
The Book of Pearl by Timothee deFombelle
Shakespeare's Prop Room by John Leland DNF, reviewed 2/25/19
Jim Henson by Brian Jay Jones
All Things New by Lynn Austin (galley in black binding) Read, reviewed 3/13/19
Wren Journeymage by Sherwood Smith (ebook, not pictured)
Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas by Juana Medina (received in 2019, not pictured) Read, reviewed 3/22/19

I'm allowing myself to DNF any of these books that don't grab me, as long as I have read enough of them to be able to articulate in a review why they did not work for me.

I don't usually do a lot of challenges, but I'm going to try slotting in the books after I read them with the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. I'm going to see if I can be okay with not reading every single category, or if I spend December looking for a self-published business book written in prison...

The Book Riot Read Harder Challenge

1 - An epistolary novel or collection of letters
2 - An alternate history novel
3 - A book by a woman and/or AOC (Author of Color) that won a literary award in 2018: The Poet X
4 - A humor book: Heart and Brain
5 - A book by a journalist or about journalism: The Undateable
6 - A book by an AOC set in or about space
7 - An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America: Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas
8 - An #ownvoices book set in Oceania
9 - A book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads: Finessing Clarissa
10 - A translated book written by and/or translated by a woman: The Winter Promise
11 - A book of manga
12 - A book in which an animal or inanimate object is a point-of-view character: The Lost Girl
13 - A book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse: The Girl He Used to Know
14 - A cozy mystery
15 - A book of mythology or folklore
16 - An historical romance by an AOC
17 - A business book
18 - A novel by a trans or nonbinary author
19 - A book of nonviolent true crime
20 - A book written in prison
21 - A comic by an LGBTQIA creator
22 - A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009
23 - A self-published book
24 - A collection of poetry published since 2014

Books Read (so far) in 2019

(Rereads are in italics, new favorites in bold.)

1. Awkward: The Science of Why We’re Socially Awkward and Why That’s Awesome by Ty Tashiro
2. The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen
3. A Rather Lovely Inheritance by C.A. Belmond
4. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
5. The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth
6. A Rather Curious Engagement by C.A. Belmond
7. A Rather Charming Invitation by C.A. Belmond
8. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
9. The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
10. The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
11. The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
12. Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
13. Heart and Brain by Nick Seluk
14. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
15. The Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan
16. A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos
17. The Undateable by Sarah Title
18. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story by Debbie Tung
19. Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
20. In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan
21. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
22. Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
23. Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan
24. How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson
25. The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
26. The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu
27. Level 13: A Slacker Novel by Gordon Korman
28. Kind of Coping by Marzi Wilson
29. Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

Happy new thread!

>5 quondame: Thanks!

Happy new one!

Looking forward to seeing how the ER review pile proceeds (amongst other TBRs). It can be challenging when you get a a 500+ tome to review, though (looking at the Jim Henson biography). Good luck with that. Henson was a creatively amazing person but I've never considered reading a biography. I guess I should think about that...

>7 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

>8 SandyAMcPherson: Yes, the Henson bio is a bit intimidating...

Found and starred!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread! Cute dog!

Hello Foggi! Too cold here to play Pokemon Go, but keeping up with you through your thread!

Happy new thread, foggi!

Happy new thread!

>10 fuzzi: Yay!

>11 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

>12 thornton37814: Thanks! She's my sweetheart.

>13 compskibook: Good to see you! Yes, I'm gaming from the Great Indoors, myself.

>14 ronincats: Thanks!

>15 scaifea: and Thanks!

(30 books read)



The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock -- Boy, a hunchback goatherd, is taken into service by a pilgrim in his way to Rome. The pilgrim is on a quest to recover seven relics of St. Peter, and needs Boy to help him. Along the way, the reader will learn that both travelers have their secrets...

I very much enjoyed this medieval quest tale. It's a quick read with some lovely moments and an interesting twist (I thought I knew Boy's secret after the second chapter, but as it turns out, I was quite wrong!). I'm not sure how much appeal it will have for kids, but it would make a good readaloud. And it's definitely the sort of book I'd recommend to adults who enjoy the occasional juvenile title.

Happy new thread! The Book of Boy is already on my list. Glad you liked it!

>18 aktakukac: Thanks! Hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

>17 foggidawn: Ha -- a BB for me!
Thanks for your little review snippet. The Book of Boy sounds just the kind of story I would love after I get through this so-far rather ponderous one I've just started:



The forger's spell: a true story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the greatest art hoax of the twentieth century.
It may be fine as I read farther. I like non-fiction art heist stories and this review caught my attention awhile ago. It's a title that's been on my library TBR list for quite awhile!

Happy new thread foggi!

From your last thread, happy to find another fan of the Lady Trent series :-) I saw on Goodreads that she has a new book coming out this year called Turning Darkness Into Light which from the blurb is about Lady Trent's granddaughter. I'm quite excited about that one.

>20 SandyAMcPherson: Yes, it sounds like The Book of Boy might be just the thing for you. I found it a quick read.

>21 souloftherose: Ooh, I am definitely intrigued!

Just dropping by and waving, Foggi. :)

>23 MickyFine: *waves back*

Happy New Thread, foggi! Who’s the photogenic furry one in the topper?

On Amber’s recommendation, I just read and, like you, enjoyed The Book of Boy. I loved her D.J. Schwenk books, starting with Dairy Queen, about a girl who loves to play football.

>25 jnwelch: That's my Sophie in the photo above. And I also enjoyed Dairy Queen and its sequels a while back.

I *loved* The Book of Boy, and out of the three Newbery books this year I would have picked it at the medalist. I thought the other two were good but not over-the-top great like this one.

>27 scaifea: I would say it was my favorite of those three, as well.

>17 foggidawn: You got me with The Book of Boy, too. Onto the list it goes!

>29 curioussquared: Oh, enjoy!

(31 books read)



The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo — Teen poet Xiomara grapples with first love, questioning faith, and her fraught relationship with her mother.

I almost gave up on this book early on. The angst was nearly too much for me. However, I gave the book a second chance, and I’m glad I did. Xiomara is a character who really struggles and earns the things she accomplishes by the end of the book. There’s a lot of powerful, raw emotion here. Recommended.

(Meets Read Harder challenge #3: A book by a woman and/or author of color that won a literary award in 2018 -- this book won the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature)

>17 foggidawn: ouch, I took a bullet on that one...

I recently read Adam of the Road which you might appreciate.

>32 fuzzi: I'd like to eventually read all of the Newbery Medal winners, so Adam of the Road is one that I'll get to someday. Glad to hear that you liked it.

>32 fuzzi: Another BB for me too. That's a great-sounding read. Thanks.

Not a book review, but I did list theatre in my interests above, and I just wanted to note that I'm currently loving the Come From Away soundtrack. The Broadway tour is coming to Cleveland this summer, so I think I'm going to try to see the show then.

Glad to hear it's got another fan. It's coming on the Canadian tour next season I think, and I might try to scrape together the money to go see it, especially since Mr. Fine is from Newfoundland.

>34 SandyAMcPherson: It does sound intriguing, doesn't it?

>36 MickyFine: I had thought it was something I would like to see, but when I heard that it was coming to the area, I checked out the soundtrack (Hoopla to the rescue once again!), and now it's a lot higher on my must-see list.

Speaking of shows that I'm planning on seeing, March is going to be a good month for that: this weekend I'm going with a couple work friends to see a local production of Mamma Mia, and at the end of the month I'm going with my family to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway! Pretty excited about that, let me tell you! I bought the tickets nearly a year ago, but kept it secret at that point because the tickets were Christmas presents. Of course, I could have mentioned my plans at any point since Christmas, but I'd gotten in the habit of not saying anything.

>37 foggidawn: Exciting!!!

>37 foggidawn: That sounds awesome!! I hope it's amazing. I just signed up for priority ticket access to the San Francisco staging of Cursed Child as it's a little easier for me to jet down there than all the way to New York :) Shows are scheduled to start in October.

>32 fuzzi: >33 foggidawn: I *loved* Adam of the Road. Definitely one of the better Newbery Medalists, I think.

Ooooh, so exciting that you're going to see Cursed Child! I look forward to your thoughts on it.

>31 foggidawn: That makes two positive reviews I have seen of that one recently. Will keep an eye out for it.

>38 norabelle414: Right?

>39 curioussquared: Cool! I hope you get good tickets when they go up for sale.

>40 scaifea: Good to know.

>41 MickyFine: Thanks! I am sure I’ll post my opinions here.

>42 PaulCranswick: It won several awards. Definitely worth checking out.

(32 books read)



Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan — Corporate headquarters has pulled the plug. It’s four days before Christmas, and it’s Manny’s last shift as manager of the Red Lobster. He’ll have to contend with snow, cranky holiday shoppers, staff who may or may not come to work, and carving out time to shop for a gift for his pregnant girlfriend — all the while dealing with his own emotions about the waitress he’s still in love with.

This melancholy slice-of-life story strikes me as realistic and well-written. There are no big surprises in terms of plot, but by the end you find you care about these characters and their drama. If this sounds like the sort of book you enjoy, I’d recommend it.

I've not read Last Night at the Lobster, but I really enjoyed Emily, Alone, by Stewart O'Nan. I do like a good slice of life book. I'll keep that one in mind. Currently I have such a number of TBR's and keep in mind books - but that is much better than a reading slump where nothing seems to suit me.

>45 vancouverdeb: I haven’t read anything else by O’Nan, but I wouldn’t be opposed to doing so. And yes, it’s best to have plenty of options. I’m in a sort of mini-slump right now, I’m afraid. I can’t seem to settle on anything.

>45 vancouverdeb:, >46 foggidawn: I wonder if the reading slump is related to all of us reading like crazy because it is (was) winter and a new challenge year started? I'm in the same place like vancouverdeb, I just can't seem to hit a read that is new to me (NTM) and enjoyable.

I slogged and then skim-dipped through my last NTM book (reviewed here) and have just decided this one is a DNF and not counting towards my 75-challenge.

For light relief, I re-read a Newbery award, The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. ZKS novels generally act like a tonic for me but I'm now labouring with The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The idea is interesting but the story just doesn't engage me.

>31 foggidawn: I started Poet X last month, and stopped because I didn't feel ike dealing with the angst. But I'll get back to it.

>44 foggidawn: I read that when it came out because it had been praised on a program I watched. I liked it a lot even though it wasn't my usual genre. It was well-written.

>47 SandyAMcPherson: I checked out the Book of Boy soon after it was released last year and didn't get more than a few pages into it, but then when I checked it out more recently, I didn't have a problem. Maybe it's the sort of book that requires a certain mood.

>48 The_Hibernator: I was so close to DNF'ing it early on, but found that I liked it better once I got through the first quarter or so.

>49 thornton37814: Same here: not a normal read for me, but an enjoyable one.

>31 foggidawn: Oh good - I'm so glad you hung in there with The Poet X, foggi. What a book.

Jeez, you're reading (and theater-ing) in my groove these days. I enjoyed The Book of Boy (at Amber's recommendation), and Last Night at the Lobster, too. We LOVED "Come from Away" when we saw it in New York. That music is even more compelling in the context of the play. I hope you get to see it when it comes.

>51 jnwelch: Already bought the tickets!

(33 books read)



All Things New by Lynn Austin -- In the aftermath of the Civil War, privileged Josephine Weatherly grapples with the realities of life in the South, now that their whole way of life has changed. And then she falls in love with a Yankee... Meanwhile, former slave Lizzie tries to imagine a new life for her family, now that the possibilities seem limitless.

I found this book moderately enjoyable, but I didn't think it was on par with other books that I've read by this author. The characters seem to preach at one another quite a bit, so the dialogue comes across as heavy-handed. Plot and secondary characters take a backseat to the main characters' grappling with moral and spiritual issues. Reconstruction-era Virginia is pretty bleak, with no easy solutions to the problems left in the aftermath of the war, so the way the book wraps up seems a little forced and unrealistic. Readers who enjoy historical inspirational fiction may enjoy this, but it's not one that I'd recommend to those unfamiliar with the genre.

(Hey, I finally finished (as opposed to DNF'd) one of my unread ER books! I think this one languished so long because it was a bound manuscript, rather than a proper ARC, so a bit of a hassle, physically, to grapple with.)

>53 foggidawn: Austin's writing seems very uneven. I've read some of her work that is better than others. I suspect editor has a lot to do with it.

>54 thornton37814: That makes sense. This one was very talky, and too much of the plot relied on people overhearing things.

>54 thornton37814: I hate it when they are too "conversation-driven."

Hi foggi! I know your thread is not new anymore, but congrats very belated.

I remember reading Amber's enthusiastic review of The Book of Boy, and now yours! I need to get to it soon.

>35 foggidawn: Come From Away was briefly in Denver and everyone who saw it loved it, and I so regret that I couldn't go. I hope it comes back.

>44 foggidawn: I really enjoyed Last Night at the Lobster. I think it's the only Stewart O'Nan I've read, but I have Emily, Alone on my shelf and I think my book club has it selected as a book we will read this year.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! I'll hopefully get to sharing my thoughts on it soon. Sneak preview: it was great!

>56 thornton37814: That's a good word for it.

>57 AMQS: Thanks for visiting! Hope you enjoy The Book of Boy when you get to it. Last Night at the Lobster is my first O'Nan, too.

>58 leahbird: I was following your adventures on Facebook, and it looked like you were having a marvelous (if exhausting) time.

(34 books read)



Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede -- Tired of life as a princess, with all of its rules and traditions, Cimorene runs away to be a dragon's princess, and finds herself much more suited to that life. While in the caves of the dragon Kazul, Cimorene uncovers a plot by the Society of Wizards, and befriends a witch, a fellow captive princess, and a prince who has been partially turned to stone.

This is an old favorite of mine, one I turn to when I need a light read that I am sure to enjoy. It always does the trick. If you're a fan of humorous, fairy-tale-inspired fantasy, I recommend this book.

>60 foggidawn: Lovely to see Dealing with Dragons mentioned.
This was a great favourite in our family. I don't have a copy anymore, having passed it on to the grandchildren. I always liked the strong female characterizations.

>61 SandyAMcPherson: I purchased used hardcover copies so as to get the ones with Trina Schart Hyman's cover art (as pictured above). And yes, the characters are great, particularly Cimorene, Kazul, and Morwen. I also have a slight literary crush on Mendanbar (who appears in the next book, which I'm reading now).

>60 foggidawn: This is one of my old favorites too. I love the whole series.

Have you read Dragon Slippers? I just read it a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it, and I felt like the dragons in that book reminded me of Wrede's dragons.

>63 curioussquared: Yes, I have read Dragon Slippers, and liked it quite a lot.

(35 books read)



Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede — Mendanbar, King of the Enchanted Forest, has a problem: someone appears to have burned a large chunk of his domain, and he thinks it might have been the dragons. At the advice of a witch, he goes to see Kazul, the King of the Dragons. Kazul is missing, and Mendanbar and Cimorene set out to find her.

This is a delightful quest that expands on the world established in the previous book. Readers get to learn more about the Enchanted Forest and its magic, as well as meeting some of the colorful residents of the surrounding area. New characters Mendanbar and the magician Telemain are just as much fun as returning favorites. Readers who enjoyed the first book should pick this one up as soon as possible.

>60 foggidawn: I listened to this one on audio a few years ago and didn't really bond with it, but I'm wondering if I just didn't like the narrator. I may need to try again sometime. But I *love* Trina Schart Hyman's stuff. So gorgeous.

>66 scaifea: I seem to remember trying the audiobook version for a reread a while back and not loving it. A good (or bad!) narrator can make all the difference. I think you should try it again sometime.

(36 books read)



Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede — The wizards are up to no good again, and this time it starts with a seven-foot-tall rabbit named Killer who ran afoul of the residual effects of a spell. The wizards have stolen Mendanbar’s sword, and Cimorene, Morwen, Kazul, and Telemain set out on a quest to recover it — along with a couple of Morwen’s cats and Killer, who seems to have an absolute genius for getting into magical mishaps.

There’s so much to love here. The interactions between characters are fantastic, the humor is delightful, and the plot moves briskly on through various twists and turns. This is my favorite book of the series, even though it does end in a whopping big cliffhanger. Read it, but have the sequel at hand.

(37 books read)



Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede — On the day when a wizard destroys the front door of their house, Daystar’s mother hands him a sword and tells him not to come home again until he can explain why she sent him away. Questing his way through the Enchanted Forest, Daystar befriends a lizard, a fire witch, and a young dragon, and encounters elves, dwarves, witches, wizards, and many others before his quest is complete and he learns the truth about his extraordinary sword.

Not my favorite of the series, but still a very good book, and it does an admirable job of answering the questions left unanswered at the end of the previous book. It’s a good ending to the series, but I never want the series to end — maybe that’s why I don’t love this book best of all?

(38 books read)



New Kid by Jerry Craft -- Jordan's parents are excited to send him to prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School. Jordan, not so much. He'd rather attend an art-focused school, but he promises his parents he'll give RADS his best shot. As it turns out, he's one of a small handful of minority students, which adds a whole extra level of difficulty to being the new kid.

This is a great and timely addition to the realistic graphic novel shelf, and fans of Raina Telgemeier's books are sure to gravitate to it. It has the potential to be a good discussion starter, and will give readers a lot to think about without being heavy-handed. There are plenty of fun, funny moments, and the strong characters have lots of appeal. Recommended.

>69 foggidawn: You know that this book was the first one written in the series? And I read it before the others were written, so it's always been my favorite entry point into the series. 'Cause you don't know what the hell is going on (you are as clueless as Daystar, as it happens) and the fact that it's a discovery rather than a culmination puts that added spice to it. Then she went and wrote the backstory in the other 3 books.

(I would go into the 5th or 6th grade classrooms on Read Across America Day and read them the first chapter, then donate the series to their classroom.)

>71 ronincats: Yes, I knew it was the first book written, but I've always read them in chronological order. But recommending them in publication order is an interesting idea...

>72 foggidawn: The Samaria series by Sharon Shinn is like that. I first read the series in publication order and felt terribly disappointed. There are too many 'spoilers'. I don't agree that The Alleluia Files should be 3rd in the series, even if that's the order Shinn wrote the novels. In re-reading the series recently, I liked The Alleluia Files as the final book. And Jovah's Angel, which I just re-read is best as the 4th (second to last) book. Spoilers otherwise. Just MHO.

>73 SandyAMcPherson: I've read other things by Shinn, but I haven't gotten around to that series yet. If/when I do, I'll have to look into reading order before I start, I see.

>70 foggidawn: New Kid looks interesting, I will look out for that one.

>75 sirfurboy: Hope you enjoy it!

(39 books read)



Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend — Morrigan Crow is cursed. She’s always known it, just as she’s always known that she, like all of the other cursed children born on the last Eventide of the previous Age, will die on the final Eventide of this Age. But, when Eventide arrives, Morrigan is swept away by the charismatic Jupiter North, to be a candidate for entrance into the Wundrous Society. Only nine places are available, so the 500+ candidates must face four trials. There’s one big problem: the fourth trial requires each candidate to display a knack — something good, and interesting, and useful. Morrigan doesn’t have one. Jupiter says he will take care of it, but how can he? And of course, those first three trials won’t exactly be a walk in the park...

I knew I would like this book. Other readers whose opinions I trust recommended it to me. Reviews and summaries and blurbs all appealed to me. I carried it with me on at least two vacations, but never started it. Had it been overhyped? Would it prove a disappointment?

Reader, it did not disappoint. I loved it: the whole mad, creative world of Nevermoor and the Hotel Deucalion in particular, prickly Morrigan and her happy-go-lucky pal Hawthorne, the trials, the plot twists, the hilariously funny lines throw in here and there — oh, just everything! It’s not entirely like Harry Potter, but I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Harry Potter — and I know that’s a dangerous comparison to make. You may have noticed that I don’t make it often.

Also? Jupiter North. He’s infuriating. I think I love him.

>77 foggidawn:

"Also? Jupiter North. He’s infuriating. I think I love him."

I've not read this book (or heard of it) but I can relate to this statement on such a deep level!

Off to go check this book out!

>78 leahbird: Book boyfriends are the best. I’m adding him to my list.

>77 foggidawn: So glad it didn't disappoint. The second book is just as good. Waiting for the third.

I just loved Nevermoor. I have the second book on my spring order list. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, too!

>80 ronincats: and >81 AMQS: I think you two were the ones who recommended it to me, so thanks! I am reading the second book now, and am sad that I can't find any information on when the third book will arrive. That's the problem with reading series that are still being written!

Good review of Nevermoor, foggi! You convinced me. I'm adding it to the WL.

>83 jnwelch: Hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

>77 foggidawn: Glad you liked this one so much! It's been on my radar for a while. I'll get to it eventually :)

>85 aktakukac: It took me quite a while to finally get around to it, but I'm glad I did!

(40 books read)



Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas by Juana Medina -- For as long as she remembers, Juana's immediate family has consisted of herself, her Mami, and her dog Lucas. But, suddenly, things are changing. Mami is wearing her hair in a different, fussy way that Juana doesn't like, and Mami is also wearing perfume and lipstick more often. Mami also has a new friend, Luis, who likes photography and jazz and occasionally takes Juana and Mami to his country house for a weekend. (Actually, Juana finds that she also likes photography and jazz, and she really likes the country house where she and Lucas can have lots of messy outdoor fun.) But still, she's not sure about Luis. One of her cousins says that her Mami and Luis will probably get married. What will that mean for Juana and Lucas? Will she have to wear a fussy, itchy dress and be a flower girl? (Not if she doesn't want to, Mami promises.) Will Luis move into their apartment -- or are even bigger changes on the way?

This illustrated chapter book, like the first book in the series (Juana and Lucas), is a pleasant story, great for newly independent readers, especially those who know a little (or a lot of) Spanish, as Spanish words are sprinkled, untranslated, throughout the text (definitions are not provided, but most can be inferred from context). Recommended to readers who enjoyed the first book in the series.

(This was an Early Reviewer book received this year, so it wasn't originally on the list above, but I'm adding it now. I'm also counting this for Read Harder Challenge #7 - An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America -- I'm fudging a bit, as this book is actually set in Bogata, Colombia, but parts of Colombia are in Central America.)

>77 foggidawn: Okay, you got me. I hadn't heard of this before! Putting it on hold now :)

>88 curioussquared: Hope you like it!

Oh yay - I didn't know there was a new Juana and Lucas book!

>90 AMQS: Yes, but it’s not out until May. For once, I have read and reviewed an Early Reviewer book before the release date!

(41 books read)



Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend — Morrigan thought it would be so simple once she was accepted into the Wundrous Society. She would have a place in the world, a purpose, and eight friends who would stick as close as family. She would learn how to use her astonishing abilities. Of course, nothing goes as expected...

This book was just as good as the previous one, with tantalizing hints of future wonders and complexities. I could hardly put it down, and I’m itching to pick up the next one (if only it were published)! For those hesitant to start an unfinished series, let me reassure you that there’s no cliffhanger here — this book’s plot wraps up satisfactorily, though of course there are plenty of hints about future adventures.

(42 books read)



Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee — Tash is at her sister’s graduation when Unhappy Families, the web series she wrote and directs, goes viral. Suddenly, instead of a few hundred people watching her modern adaptation of Anna Karenina, she has over forty thousand subscribers. Over the course of the summer, Tash will deal with drama onscreen and off, balancing filming schedules and the delicate egos of temperamental actors, family drama, friendship drama, and a tentative text and email relationship with another vlogger — except Tash is asexual, so she’s trying to figure out how that might work when they meet in person.

These characters are so great — realistically flawed and sometimes awful to each other, but you find yourself rooting for them all the same. I loved all of the parts about filming the web series, which rang true to me in terms of actors and techies interacting. I also loved Tash’s warm and (mostly) loving family, and the fact that a certain plot twist regarding them really came as a surprise to me. Plus, it’s set in Lexington, Kentucky, my favorite place, so I got an extra thrill when familiar spots were mentioned.

One small quibble: Ormsbee chose to make Tash’s dad Eastern Orthodox, so Tash mentions that a few times, but I never get the sense that the author knows much about Orthodoxy and how it differs from other branches of Christianity. For instance, Tash talks about hearing a certain Bible verse at an Easter service, but the readings for Pascha (Orthodox Easter) are set, and don’t include that verse. Later, she mentions attending services at “Christ Church Cathedral,” but that’s not a very likely name for an Orthodox cathedral, which would typically be named for a saint or a feast of the church. Lexington has a Greek Orthodox Church, Panagia Pantovasilissa (Holy Mary Queen of All) and an Antiochian Orthodox Church, St. Andrew. I can totally see why the author would want to use a fictional church name rather than a real one (she made up a fictional high school, though mentioned real establishments elsewhere in the book), but she could have chosen a name that fits existing naming conventions. But I’ve already written more about Orthodoxy in this review than the author did in the entire book, so like I said, it’s a very minor issue. All in all, an enjoyable book that I stayed up late to finish, and one I’d recommend if you enjoy realistic YA fiction.

The Nevermoor books are already on The List but I'm happy to hear another positive review from a source, I trust. :)

And you got me with a BB for Tash Hearts Tolstoy.

>94 MickyFine: The Nevermoor books are so good. And I'm always glad to hand out book bullets!

(43 books read)



Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu — If you could escape grief by giving up your memories, would you? Something terrible happened to Elodee’s family, and now her parents have decided to move to Eventown for a fresh start. Elodee and her twin sister Naomi are initially excited about the things they remember from a visit a few years ago: the amazing ice cream shop, the beautiful views at the end of a hike, the way the air always smelled like roses. But while Naomi is eager to embrace the perfection and blend in to life in Eventown, Elodee misses her creative, imperfect way of doing things. In Eventown, she can use the recipes she was given to cook perfect meals every time, but she’d rather try her own wild flavor combinations, even if they don’t always turn out the way she wants. And she would rather remember the things Eventown wants her to forget, even if the memories sometimes hurt.

I thought the premise here was interesting, but it felt to me like the author belabors the point. For a relatively short book, it dragged at times, and the narration rambled. I got sidetracked by details: a rose bush is described as blooming in March, in a place where Elodee mentions the need for down coats? (In Eventown the roses apparently always bloom, but this rose bush was blooming in their old town.) Elodee’s cooking skills are pretty advanced, but otherwise she and the other kids seem young for their age. Also, considering that one of the main messages of the book is about embracing discomfort and the messiness of life, I thought the ending was a little too neat. All in all, this didn’t entirely work for me, but it’s gotten great reviews and a lot of people love it. If you enjoy juvenile fiction with magical realism, and don’t mind concept trumping plot, you might like this better than I did.

I'm back from my New York City trip to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway! I still have some problems with the script (characterization, etc.) that I mentioned in a review back when the script was first published, though in some instances those irritations were mitigated by the experience of seeing it performed, rather than just reading it. The acting was top-notch (of course) and the stagecraft was beyond fantastic. I'm still trying to figure out how they achieved certain effects, and it's always fun to speculate how those things could be scaled down when the rights are available for the show to be produced by smaller venues. They transformed the whole theatre for this show, so the carpet, wallpaper, light fixtures, etc. are all themed, which was really neat. If you're a Harry Potter fan and can manage it, I'd recommend seeing a live production. Both my cousin and I had read the script some time ago, and both of us were glad it wasn't fresh in our minds, so that many details still came as a surprise. I may reread the script, now that I have seen the show, because I thought some things might have changed, but perhaps it's just faulty memory.

I also got to visit The Strand, though my time there was way too short. The only books I bought were Peek-A-Who? by Elsa Mroziewicz for my nephew, and To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han for my cousin who was traveling with us. I bought myself a refrigerator magnet, as a souvenir of the trip. That's one place I'd really like to visit again someday, though all in all I am not a big city person and won't feel a hankering to return any time soon, I imagine!

I did finish a few books, so I'll try to get to those reviews soon.

>97 foggidawn: Glad you enjoyed the trip and the show! That's cool that they transform the whole theater, and honestly does make me want to go to a live show a bit more. I visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in California a few years ago and it was fun for a similar reason -- just being surrounded by the world.

>97 foggidawn: So glad you enjoyed the trip and the show, Foggi! I'm pretty sure the play will be in production for ages so I can hope I'll get to see it eventually. :)

(44 books read)



Archenemies by Marissa Meyer -- Nova remains undercover with the Renegades, while Adrian has his own secret identity as the Sentinel. If either secret is discovered, it will mean disaster. But the two find themselves drawing closer, despite the secrets that they can't share. Meanwhile, the Renegades develop a new weapon, and Nova struggles to find something to help the Anarchists achieve their goals.

I don't know, I just feel like this book has a bad case of Middle Novel Syndrome. It has some action, but none of the big plot twists of the first book. I'm also not terribly invested in the love story. I listened to the audiobook, and had a big gap in the middle of listening, and I found I wasn't anxious to get back to the story. Most of what happened seemed to be setup for the final book, which I look forward to reading -- especially since none of the predictions I made in my review of the last book were fulfilled in this one, but I still think they will be in the next one!

My predictions were: Ace Anarchy, possibly via Phobia, used Nova to kill Adrian's mother -- if she was asleep when she fell, she couldn't fly and save herself. Also, Ace Anarchy ordered the hit on Nova's parents, which is why he showed up at the apartment after it was over -- he killed the hit man and took Nova into his custody.

>100 foggidawn: I agree with you on the Middle Novel Syndrome and on the romance fronts. I almost feel like the romance could be cut and there would still be a really strong novel series here. I'm intrigued by your predictions and look forward to seeing whether they're fulfilled in the final book.

I am happy you liked the show. It was amazing! So much better seeing it than reading the script!

>98 curioussquared: Yes, it’s a neat, immersive experience. The difference is that the play is affiliated with Rowling, but not with Warner in any way, so they can’t use the familiar movie imagery (house crests, Dark Mark, etc.) or music, so they had to design their own.

>99 MickyFine: I hope you do get to see it! The theatre was packed, so I don’t think there’s any danger of it ending soon.

>101 MickyFine: I agree, the romance is superfluous.

>102 compskibook: True! Though I’m glad they published the script. It would have been better in book format, though (especially if Rowling had actually written it).

(45 books read)



A Bachelor Establishment by Isabella Barclay — Widow Elinor Bascombe has accepted that her life is confined to an impoverished estate, managing and economizing to keep the property together. Lord Ryde, notorious rake and owner of a nearby estate, has come home only to collect rents and scrape together as much money as he can wring from his own lands before departing again. When the two meet, sparks fly, and when Elinor is wounded by a stray gunshot and is taken to Lord Ryde’s home, she manages to set his whole world on end. To tell the truth, he kind of enjoys it. But was it really a stray gunshot, or was the bullet meant for her — or for him?

This was a pleasant, brief Regency with a bit of a mystery to it. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to fans of the genre. My enjoyment was marred slightly by the proliferation of typos in the ebook version.

Glad you enjoyed the show. It sounds fantastic! A Bachelor Establishment sounds like one I should add to the list, too.

>105 aktakukac: Thanks! The show was fantastic, indeed. I've seen A Bachelor Establishment on a couple different threads, so it's making the rounds around here.

>97 foggidawn: My feelings exactly. The stage craft was insane and a month later my sister and I are still dissecting some of the effects. Truly spellbinding.

Hi foggi! I just placed an order yesterday and on it is the new Nevermoor book as well as Eventown, which I am curious to read after the one I just finished. I would LOVE to see the Harry Potter production as I have heard amazing things about it, but like you I had quibbles with the book and might have preferred to leave the series the way it was in my head.

>104 foggidawn: Glad you enjoyed this, foggi.

>109 ronincats: Thanks for recommending it!

(46 books read)



Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher — On her way home from a visit to the next town, Bryony is caught in a sudden spring blizzard. Sure that she will die in the storm, she is surprised to come upon an enormous manor house. She meets no occupant there, though food and fire and comforts are provided for her. When she starts to leave the next morning, the rose from her breakfast table tucked into her saddle bag, an enormous beast stops her at the door, demanding her future as forfeit for the theft of the rose. In one week, Bryony must return — and stay forever.

I do love Beauty and the Beast retellings, and this is a very good one. It has a great deal in common with Robin McKinley’s Rose Daughter, so if you enjoyed that one, you’ll probably like this one, too. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Justine Eyre, whose talent is imminently suited for this sort of work. Fans of fairy tale retellings should certainly take note.

(Thanks, once again, to @ronincats for the recommendation.)

I just realized I missed responding to a couple of posts above — sorry!

>107 leahbird: Spellbinding is the word for it! I’d love to know, for instance, what kind of cloth they used for the robes. They have just the right amount of swish.

>108 AMQS: Yes, I know Rowling signed off on the script, but I don’t give it equal weight in my mind with the books. The show is worth seeing, though.

Adding Bryony and Roses to my list, foggi. I don't know that I've ever read a Beauty and the Beast adaptation. This sounds like a good place to start, and I am always looking for a good audio recommendation. Have a great weekend!

>113 AMQS: My very favorite Beauty and the Beast adaptation is Robin McKinley’s Beauty, but Bryony and Roses is very good, too, especially the audiobook.

Fire Rose is a pretty good retelling of Beauty and the Beast too.

>115 drneutron: Wow, someone else has read Fire Rose! I liked it, but it is sometimes missing from lists of Lackey's books and though I don't recall details I'd include it among the Elemental Masters series.

>115 drneutron: Interesting!

>116 quondame: I’ll have to read it next time I want a fairy tale retelling.

I'm not much of an expert on Beauty and the Beast, Foggi, but I am not beast enough not to wish you a wonderful Sunday. xx

>118 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul — hope you had a pleasant day, as well.

(47 books read)



Nate Expectations by Tim Federle — Nate has loved everything about being on Broadway, but when his show closes, he must return to the Pittsburgh suburbs his family calls home. He dreads attending public high school, but is surprised to find that it’s not quite what he expected. His Broadway experience seems to have given him a certain amount of... could it be? ... popularity? As he attempts to stage an ambitious musical version of Great Expectations with the help of long-time bestie Libby, he starts to worry that his secret New York City boyfriend is pulling away from him.

A fun ending to Federle’s Nate series. Though Nate is a little older than he was in the first book, the tone and content are still appropriate for upper elementary and middle school readers. I thought the character development was lacking a bit, especially concerning a certain new relationship, where I just didn’t feel any emotional connection. Still, I’d recommend this to readers who enjoyed the first two books.

(48 books read)



Lessons from Lucy by Dave Barry — Humorist Barry offers a series of lessons on aging, garnered from observing his 10-year-old family dog.

This is a little more serious in tone than much of Barry’s writing, but still had me laughing out loud at certain points. (Indeed, a certain anecdote about shenanigans with the Rock Bottom Remainders had me literally in tears of mirth.) None of Barry’s conclusions are particularly earth-shattering or original, a fact which he cheerfully acknowledges, but if you like both Barry and dogs, I’d recommend it — particularly the audiobook, which is read by the author. (The dog does not die, which is a huge plus and a rarity in books about dogs!)

>116 quondame: It’s actually the first of the Elemental Masters series, and I think I remember that she wrote this one before planning a series.

>122 drneutron: I know the copy I have surprised me when we moved into our current house 20 years ago - I think it was from my husband's collection - and that was before any of the others except for the Grey stories and it seems like @jjmcgaffey is one of the few who knows what those are.

>122 drneutron: and >123 quondame: I've read some Lackey, and enjoyed what I have read, but she's never been an author that I've felt the need to read comprehensively. I'll certainly give this one a go at some point, though.

(49 books read)



Fame Adjacent by Sarah Skilton — When she was a pre-teen, Holly was part of an ensemble educational television show. Her co-stars have gone on to win acclaim in music, movies, and television, but Holly . . . didn’t. Now, a big reunion is scheduled, and Holly hasn’t been invited to join the rest of the cast. She plans to crash the reunion . . . just as soon as she gets out of rehab for her Internet addiction.

I wanted to like this much more than I did. The premise of a child star who was the only one who didn’t make the jump to adult fame interested me, but I found that I didn’t much care for Holly as a character. I think she’s meant to be an unreliable narrator, but she comes across as inconsistent. The plot didn’t hold together for me, either — a large chunk of it is the main character and her romantic interest road-tripping across the country with very little money, but I kept wondering if neither of them had heard of wire transfers, because both had family they could have contacted when things got really tight. I also got stuck on nitpicky details, like: has this author never been to a Cracker Barrel? Because you don’t usually buy a bucket of fries there, nor do you get up to refill your own drink. I think the name you’re searching for is McDonald’s. And I’ve never seen camping equipment at Lowe’s, though I won’t rule out the possibility that they might carry some, somewhere. Clearly, these are minor details that I should just get over, but they knock me right out of the story. I did read a large chunk of this in the vet’s office, waiting to find out why my dog seems to be falling apart (she will be all right, I think, but it’s been an anxious week), so that may have colored my reading experience, but I can’t really recommend this one unless your tastes are considerably different than mine.

>125 foggidawn: Getting little details wrong bugs me also (see my most recent review for an example). Sorry this was a thud for you. Better luck with your next read.

And also glad to see that Sophie is doing ok.

>125 foggidawn: Sorry it was disappointing, and sorry about the anxious week at the vet's :( I hope Sophie is ok!

I’m sad to report that yesterday’s vet visit left me with an optimism that has proven unfounded: Sophie’s kidneys are starting to fail. I’m hoping for a few more months with her, but the end is in sight.

>128 foggidawn: Oh Foggi. I'm so sorry for that news. Sending big hugs for you as often as you need them over the next few months.

>128 foggidawn: I'm so sorry.

Oh, no. I'm so sorry to hear that you've only got a little bit of time left with sweet Sophie. I'll be thinking about you both, because I know how very hard that is.

Sophie passed away in her sleep last night. I had hoped she’d stay with me a little longer, but she declined pretty sharply over the past few days, and especially yesterday evening.

>125 foggidawn:, >132 foggidawn:, Sending sympathy about your sweet Sophie. For us, losing our English Setter was like losing a child. Dogs ~ such warm-hearted companions.

Thanks also for remarking about the niggles you had in Fame Adjacent. I dislike inconsistencies and apparent lack of real knowledge, as well.

I'm reading (trying to read?) The Book of Speculation and there are small comments that drive me out of the story. One that was near the beginning, really set me aflame: the protagonist, Simon, throws a barnacle-encrusted anchor chain over his bare shoulder and walks into the ocean to redeploy some marker buoys. My immediate reaction was, "What utter rubbish." Does this author not know what those barnacles would do to his skin? And the Atlantic ocean in early June would be perishingly cold. Granted, a minor observation.

I'm so sorry for your loss, foggi.

>132 foggidawn: So sorry for your loss, Foggi. Keeping you in my thoughts.

>132 foggidawn: I'm so sorry to hear about Sophie. Dogs bring us so much joy and leave such big holes when they leave :( Skelly, Otter and I are thinking of you.

Sending you so much love, Foggi. The 4th anniversary of the passing of my last dog, Daisy, came up about a week ago and I was caught up pretty quickly in the pain and sadness of that time but it just as quickly shifted to a bittersweet joy of all the time we had together. I hope the love in your heart helps dull the pain.

>132 foggidawn: I'm so sorry for your loss.

>132 foggidawn: (((((hugs)))))

It's been three months since we had to have Tirzah PTS. Our adopted rescue, Cleo, has helped us SO much with our grief. We miss Tirzah, always will, but the pain of loss isn't as bad with Cleo loving on us.

I'm so sorry for your loss, foggi. Yet I am glad that she went quickly and without prolonged pain. Losing our loved ones is always so difficult. ((((foggi))))

>132 foggidawn: So sorry you lost Sophie :'(

So sorry for your loss, foggi.

Oh, sweet Sophie! I am so sorry.

Thank you all for your messages of sympathy. The past few days have been very hard, and everything hurts. I took Sophie to my parents’ farm, and we found a place for her there. In the fall, I’ll plant some spring bulbs to go around the stone we used to mark the spot. Now I’m back home, and headed back to work today. I did finish an audiobook while driving to the farm and back, so I’ll try to get that review up soon.

I'm so sorry about Sophie.

>144 foggidawn: Those sound like lovely plans for Sophie's resting place. Sending along more hugs.

>111 foggidawn: Bryony & Roses is high on my wishlist. I discovered T. Kingfisher's more recent novels at the end of last year and now I've read those I want to read her older books too.

>128 foggidawn:, >132 foggidawn:, >144 foggidawn: So sorry to hear the news about Sophie. Sending hugs :-(

Our beloved, departed pets are resting in the woods at my mom's house. It is a lovely place to visit and imagine them frolicking there.

(50 books read)



The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett -- When a monster appears in a stream near her home and tries to eat her brother, Tiffany Aching, who has recently decided to be a witch, goes in search of a magical education.

Nobody can turn a phrase quite like Sir Terry. Though I'm not as much of a Discworld aficionado as some, I do love to visit there every once in a while, and the Tiffany Aching books are a lovely, self-contained bit of the sprawling Discworld universe. Plus, they have the Nac Mac Feegle, which are well worth the price of admission. Crivens!

(51 books read)



My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn -- Elle's life hasn't been going very well, ever since her mom got addicted to painkillers and subsequently sent to prison. Elle has been in a series of heinous foster homes ever since, until her sixteenth birthday, when she gets the news that her father, whom she has never met, wants her to come live with him in Tokyo. Suddenly, Elle is thrust into the glamorous life of a wealthy expat teen, attending the International Collegiate School, falling in with the popular crowd, and living in her father's penthouse apartment in the luxury hotel and office skyscraper that he owns. The downside? Her father works pretty much all the time, her Japanese grandmother is cold and unfriendly (and racist), and the popular crowd isn't welcoming to some of the other friends Elle has made. As Elle experiences all of the wonders of her new city, she can't help but wonder: how long will this dream life last?

I must admit, I didn't care for this one very much. Elle sure does whine a lot. Plus, there's a lot less plot and a lot more description of Elle doing touristy things, like going to a cat cafe and a robot restaurant. None of the characters have much depth, and Elle literally crushes on the first guy she sees at her new school. None of Elle's actions have consequences, so when she does things like skipping a swim meet to hang out with the popular crowd because she's piqued that her dad won't come to the meet or literally running away from home with her boyfriend, so that her family has to get the police involved to track her down via her credit card, she never gets so much as a telling off, nor does she have that internal moment of realization that maybe she didn't do the right thing. There's no indication that her actions, particularly that last one, aren't a good strategy to get her way. On top of that, I thought that there were some problems with the writing. The perspective is first person, but often in describing the sights of Tokyo, the author used vocabulary that Elle probably wouldn't have. She didn't always sound like a believable teenager to me.

Also . . . look, I'm sure there are some dreadful foster homes out there, and I realize that the narrator needed a terrible situation for Elle to be rescued from. But, having recently watched a colleague go through the arduous process of getting approved to provide foster care, I did wonder how much research the author did on the current state of foster care before writing this book. (She had Elle placed in not one, but three, terrible foster homes, and mentioned that Elle's friend Reggie had also experienced nothing but terrible foster homes, so it wasn't supposed to be an isolated case.)

I'd only recommend this book for Japanophile readers who are fascinated with the culture and want to read something like a Tokyo travel guide with a bit of a plot. I know very little about the culture and nothing about the language, so I can't speak to the accuracy of those parts of the book. For a similar but better read, I'd recommend Seven Days of You by Cecelia Vinesse.

(52 books read)



Refining Felicity by Marion Chesney — Two spinster sisters in financial difficulties hit on the idea of advertising their services as chaperones for difficult misses. Their first charge is the hoydenish Felicity, whose father encouraged her to ride to the hunt and wear boys’ clothing, but whose mother hopes to see her married, preferably to a certain lord who lives nearby.

I read all of Chesney’s Regency romances as a teen, and stumbled across the audio version of this series while looking for a light read just now. I wasn’t crazy about this one — the Tribble sisters are good fun, but I didn’t care for the romance plot and found the male lead in particular quite distasteful. I’ll probably give the next book in the series a try, since the romance in that one will feature different characters.

>151 foggidawn: I enjoyed all the Tribble sister books, though sometimes they were just a tad far-fetched. I also liked the Six Sisters series, but the House for a Season was my absolute favorite set, mainly because of the servants. Have fun!

>152 fuzzi: House for the Season is the series I recall best, so probably the one I enjoyed most. I listened to some of the second in the School for Manners series yesterday, and I’m liking it better than the first. I think the romance in that one just rubbed me the wrong way.

(53 books read)



Perfecting Fiona by Marion Chesney -- At first meeting, delicate Fiona Macleod doesn't seem to need the services of Amy and Effy Tribble, chaperones to difficult misses. Fiona is soft-spoken and accomplished, but somehow, her suitors all leave without proposing marriage. Can the sisters figure out how Fiona manages to repulse all suitable gentlemen -- and why?

I liked this second entry in the series much better than the first, though it still had its weaknesses. They kept saying that Lord Peter was a rake, but I never saw much evidence of it in his actions. I did love the soft Scottish burr that the narrator used for Fiona's voice. I will probably continue listening to the series, as it's pleasant and doesn't require too much focus.

I'm having a hard time concentrating on physical books right now. I'm about 1/3 of the way through The Priory of the Orange Tree, which is good, but an enormous brick of a book. I also just started a children's book that I'm due to write a review of, so we'll see how that goes. Plus, for Orthodox Christians, this week is Holy Week, so I am attending a lot of church services and listening to audiobooks while I go back and forth.

>155 foggidawn: I saw the page count on that one today as I was ordering it for the library. I'm hoping readers are not deterred by the size.

>156 thornton37814: It’s simplifying the number of books I have to bring for a weekend away, since it’s unlikely I’ll manage to finish it and need another!

(54 books read)

Enlightening Delilah by Marion Chesney — Delilah’s heart was broken years ago by Sir Charles Digby, and ever since then she has gone about breaking the hearts of other men. Can the Tribble sisters cure this incurable flirt?

This book goes in some rather dark directions for an otherwise lighthearted Regency series (attempted suicide, attempted murder, attempted rape, murder of the attempted rapist). Once again, I found the male lead not very likable, and the sisters’ antics are starting to feel a bit one-note. I’ll listen to the next book in the series, but if I don’t care for that one, I may give it a rest.

>158 foggidawn: the last book was my favorite...you could skip the others.

>159 fuzzi: I liked the fourth one better than the third (review to come). I’m taking a break from them at the moment, but will probably listen to the next two before too long. Next time I want Chesney, though, I’ll hunt out the House for the Season series.

(55 books read)

Finessing Clarissa by Marion Chesney -- Tall, red-haired Clarissa Vevian is inordinately clumsy, especially when she is feeling nervous or upset. After their recent mishaps, the Tribble sisters are glad to have any clients at all, but can them make a match for Clarissa? Fortunately for all concerned, the Earl of Greystone has already met Clarissa and has taken an interest in her situation. Now, if the Tribbles can just encourage that interest to become something more than brotherly...

I liked this book much better than the previous one. There was a sub-plot that involved some intrigue and violence, but it wasn't as dark as the previous book, so it just added some spice to the main romantic plot. I think Clarissa is my favorite heroine of the series so far. I'll no doubt continue listening to the final two books before long.

(Meets the Book Riot Read Harder challenge #9: A book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads.)

(56 books read)

Curse of the WerePenguin by Allan Woodrow — reviewing elsewhere; just including it in my count here.

(57 books read)



Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman -- Eleanor Oliphant lives a very proscribed and ordered life: she wears the same outfit every day, eats the same food every day, and on Friday evening she buys a frozen pizza and two bottles of vodka to get her through the weekend. Once a week, she has a phone call with her mother. As long as she doesn't let herself think too much about the traumatic events in her past, such as the fire that left her with a scar on her face, she's fine. Completely fine. Things begin to change for Eleanor after three unrelated events: she attends a concert and develops a crush on a handsome musician, her work computer contracts a virus and must be fixed by scruffy IT guy Raymond, and she and Raymond witness an elderly man have a fall in the street outside their office and come to his aid. Suddenly, Eleanor is having interactions with new people, gaining new perspectives, and starting to come to terms with her past.

I really appreciated the author's light-handed touch with Eleanor's character development. She's clever yet extremely socially inept; I could occasionally (uncomfortably) relate. There's a lovely balance between humor and pathos throughout the book. Though the focus is tightly on Eleanor, many secondary characters have a nice depth to them. I highly recommend this book, particularly the audiobook version, as the narrator conveys the Glaswegian accent beautifully in a way that my imagination would have entirely failed to do.

I read this one for book club, and I think it will provoke some really good discussion, so I'm looking forward to hearing what other members have to say.

>163 foggidawn: I think your review is the one that's nudged me closest to reading this one. It's definitely on the mental maybe list now.

>164 MickyFine: I liked it more than I expected to.

>163 foggidawn:
Eleanor was one of my favourite reads in 2018. You really start to care about her.

>166 Deedledee: Yes, you really do.

(58 books read)



Animating Maria by Marion Chesney -- Maria, the Tribble sisters' latest charge, is ladylike and accomplished, if a bit dreamy. It's her wealthy but vulgar parents who really need schooling if Maria is to marry her duke.

Once again, I found the romance here not to my taste -- bullying and arrogance are not romantic traits to my mind. I did enjoy the continuing escapades of the Tribble sisters, and will read the final volume in the series for their sake, but this probably isn't a series I will revisit once this reread is through.

>163 foggidawn: Loved Eleanor!

>169 curioussquared: It's a great book. I'm interested to see what others in my book club think of her.

(59 books read)



Marrying Harriet by Marion Chesney -- Harriet, the straitlaced daughter of a Methodist minister, is the Tribble sisters' latest charge. They hope to match her up with some clergyman or other, but the rakish Lord Charles Marsham keeps coming around and interfering with their plans. Meanwhile, Harriet has matchmaking plans of her own: to get the Tribble sisters' longtime gentleman callers to come up to scratch!

I thought this was a nice conclusion to the series. The romantic plot was much more pleasant than some of the earlier books in the series, and the overarching plot concerning the Tribbles concluded satisfactorily. That said, I'm not sure this reread was worth my time. I enjoyed Chesney very much as a teen, but this particular series didn't do much for me this time through. I may try one of her other series eventually, because some of the humor is delightful, but I probably won't do so right away.

>171 foggidawn: glad you liked Harriet. That was my favorite of the series.

>172 fuzzi: My favorite would either be Harriet or Clarissa.

>164 MickyFine:, Me too. Not that I need any new BBs.

>163 foggidawn:, so can you understand what is being said, when you hear a Glaswegian accent? I was completely flummoxed in Glasgow when I went into a McDonald's restaurant looking for the Loo. Lost cause that was (a kind non-Glasgow person assisted with a referral down the road).

Yes, I can just hear you all laughing!

>174 SandyAMcPherson: Heh. The narrator may have taken it a little bit easy for all of us non-Glaswegians!

(60 books read)



The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves -- Annika and Jonathan were college sweethearts until something happened to separate them. Ten years later, they meet again and rekindle the old relationship, but can they move past their shared history?

I liked the characterization in this story, particularly of Annika, who is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. However, I thought the pacing was really off. I spent most of the book thinking, "This is nice, but where's the tension? Where is this going?" Jonathan and Annika seem to reconnect effortlessly, with only the slightest hesitation at first. The narrative shifts from their "present" (fall 2001) to their past (1991-1992), so there's a bit of suspense in wondering what happened in the past to separate the two of them, and that revelation does heighten the drama, but the real meat of the story happens in the last 30 pages of the book, in a twist that I feel I should have seen coming, but didn't. I think this book would have been stronger if that event had been more the focus of the story, rather than its rushed climax.

(Fulfills Book Riot Read Harder Challenge #13 - A book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse.)

>176 foggidawn: I read this one last weekend. I agree with you that the pacing felt off. I was also surprised by the twist, although looking back, I shouldn't have been so surprised. It was unrealistic that Annika drove all the way to NYC by herself when she could barely drive at all . I was a bit disappointed in this one, overall.

>177 aktakukac: I agree with your spoiler text. Yes, the more I think about this book, the less satisfied I am.

(61 books read)



Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn -- Emily and her husband and daughter have recently relocated to California, and it hasn't gone as well as they had hoped. Their finances are shaky, their apartment is small, and Emily hasn't connected with any women in the area yet. When she's invited to a Christmas get-together, she hesitates to let these women into her heart, and when the conversation turns to topics that are sensitive to Emily, she feels a strong desire to flee. Can she stick with this warm and welcoming group -- or would it be better for their family to return to the east coast?

In this book, Gunn introduces a new main character, but several of her existing characters make an appearance here, particularly Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen. Readers unfamiliar with Gunn's many, many books about Christy can easily follow the plot of this book without fear of missing too much, though it's obvious that this character has a backstory in Gunn's world. I found that this book benefits from better editing than her last trilogy of Christy stories. Readers who enjoy gentle women's fiction in the inspirational genre should find this a pleasant read, and will look forward to more books about these women.

(62 books read)



The Bride Test by Helen Hoang -- Khai thinks he's incapable of feeling deep emotions such as love. When his mother brings Esme over from Viet Nam to be his wife, he's resistant, but she's determined to make this opportunity work out, for her own sake, and for the daughter she left behind. Will Khai and Esme find true love, or will their secrets and differences keep them apart?

I found the author's first book (The Kiss Quotient) a little too steamy for my taste. This book certainly has those elements, but there's more build-up, so I found it more palatable. It's interesting light reading, albeit with plot elements that always irritate me (major issues that would be resolved quickly if the characters would just talk to each other; characters keeping major secrets when they know it will be a bigger issue the longer they hold onto them). It's a fun read that touches on some deeper issues, and would make for an interesting book discussion if your book group is okay with some strong language and graphic sex scenes.

>180 foggidawn: And you've left me still on the fence about whether I want to read that one because I also found Hoang's first book had too much sex for me and I read a lot of romance so that's saying something.

>181 MickyFine: In the first book, it was right there at the start of the book, and I couldn't get past it to get to the plot or the characters, if that makes sense. In this book, the author gives us more character development and establishes the plot first.

>179 foggidawn: I'm glad the editing was better than her Christy books. I haven't tried to pick up anything written by her in a long while.

>183 thornton37814: I grew up reading her teen books and her Glenbrooke series (in my opinion, her best writing), and so I often pick up her new books when I notice that there is one, for nostalgia's sake. She continued writing Christy's story, with the last three books being about Christy as a new mother. She self-published those, and I could tell. This most recent one is with Multnomah again, and seems a little better in quality.

>180 foggidawn: My hold on this one just came in, so I'll be getting to it fairly soon. Good to know there's some character development and plot establishment earlier on. I thought the first book was average, so I'm hoping this one will be an improvement for me.

>182 foggidawn: That is helpful. I think I'll give this one a try and then make a decision about whether she's just too steamy a writer for me.

>185 aktakukac: I'll be interested to see what you think.

>186 MickyFine: Sounds like a plan! She's borderline too steamy for me; I probably won't seek out her other books, but the plot of this one intrigued me.

It seems like it's been a while since I had reading to report. I've stalled on The Priory of the Orange Tree, and while I don't want to DNF it just yet, I'm having a hard time convincing myself to pick it up. I'm listening to A Place for Us, which is so good, but the title has the effect of getting the West Side Story soundtrack stuck in my head for days on end. It's long-ish, for an audiobook, so I probably won't finish it for at least another week yet. I'm also reading a middle-grade book sent for me to review, which is okay but not fantastic. I had hoped to get some reading done this weekend, but instead did some gardening (I got all of the plants for my container garden into their containers) and cheese making (I took an Indian cooking class last week, and wanted to try making paneer while the demonstration was still fresh in my mind). So, a pretty good weekend, but not as full of reading as I might like.

>187 foggidawn: Ooo, cheese making. That sounds fun. (And delicious!)

I second the oooo about paneer. One of my favourites!

>188 lycomayflower: and >189 MickyFine: Thanks! I'll definitely be doing it again!

(63 books read)

Owl's Outstanding Donuts by Robin Yardi -- Reviewing elsewhere; just including it in my count here.

(64 books read)



Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann -- After a rough breakup, Alice isn't sure she ever wants to be in a relationship again -- until she meets Takumi, who breaks the mental scale she's used for years to measure cuteness. Alice is bi-romantic asexual, and unpacking that with any potential romantic partner is always a lot of work. Plus, Alice and Takumi are immediately such good friends that she doesn't want to ruin anything. Meanwhile, Alice is fighting with both her parents (who want her to go to law school, when she has no interest in that) and her best friends, who are getting married (to each other) and may be accidentally excluding Alice sometimes.

There are lots of things to like about this book, but it has a few issues as well. For the most part, I liked the characters, especially Alice (which is good, since the reader spends so much time in her head). She's super cute, and I really want to be her friend. Takumi is a little too perfect for me to believe in him, and Feenie (Alice's bestie) is just confusing to me. Lots of people are loving this book for the diverse representation, which is awesome. Though I can't personally judge how well it's done, the fact that it exists seems like a good thing. My main issue with the book was the plot, or lack thereof. If you require a book with a lot of action and progression, this one probably isn't for you. Alice does stuff, or more often, avoids stuff, so if people having problems communicating is a pet peeve for you, this book also probably isn't your thing (it's a pet peeve for me, but if I didn't read any books where communication issues were a key point, what would I read?). I also didn't feel that the ending wrapped things up particularly well, which is fairly true to life, but doesn't make for an entirely satisfying reading experience. If you like slice-of-life stories with diverse representation, give this a try.

>192 foggidawn: Yay for diverse representation but it doesn't sound like my reading jam. Hopefully it finds lots of readers who adore it though.

>193 MickyFine: The author has a second book out this summer, and I'm on the fence as to whether I want to read it. I probably will, if I come across it when I'm in the mood for realistic YA..

(65 books read)



A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza -- On the surface, everything looks good: it's Hadia's wedding day. Her family is all present, even estranged brother Amar, who ran away three years previously. But, looking closer, anyone can see that the situation is tenuous, and any wrong move might cause an emotional explosion. What caused Amar to leave, all those years ago, and what will happen after the wedding?

This novel meanders through the life of the family, slowly building to certain key points. The plot isn't straightforward, so you might read a scene from when Amar was a teenager, followed by a scene from when Hadia was a little girl, followed by a scene from what's happening at Hadia's wedding, for instance. It works well to build dramatic tension, since it's not the story of one major scene, but rather the story of the life of a family. The book deals with a lot of deep questions about faith and familial love. It was interesting to me to see a story so deeply grounded in a faith that is not my own, and to see the similarities and differences of how that played out in the family pictured in the book. (I felt a little sorry for middle sister Huda, though, who was the only member of the family who never got to be a point-of-view character!)

I listened to the audiobook, and while that was helpful to me, especially in the matter of pronouncing unfamiliar names and such, I found that the structure of the book itself is not ideal for the audio format. Since scenes are not presented chronologically, and there's often no indicator between them other than a slight pause in the narration, it was often hard to figure out where I was in the story, whether what I was hearing was a continuation of the current scene, or a new scene in a completely different year. So, I don't know if I would necessarily recommend the audiobook, but I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a sweeping family drama.

(I really did want it to end with Amar returning, so the bittersweet ending was a bit of a disappointment. But at least the author held out some hope that it might happen.)

>192 foggidawn: I've seen that one around but haven't been drawn to it, and I think your review confirmed my initial judgment. It's definitely one of those books where I'm glad it exists, though!

>195 foggidawn: Sounds interesting -- I'll keep it in mind!

Hi foggi! Catching up here. I also really enjoyed the audio of Eleanor Oliphant, and hope that when the movie is made it can still be a Glasgow story. It feels like an unbreakable element in my opinion.

I also go through patches where I can't concentrate on print books, even if I have time to read them. I'm always glad for audio in those cases, though my audio days are coming to an end soon until school starts again in August.

>197 AMQS: Oh, I agree -- the setting is so strong in that book. And yes, I've been going through a rough patch in regards to a lot of things, and reading print is one of the areas that has suffered. I'm determined to finish The Priory of the Orange Tree this month, and after that maybe I can get through some of the other books that have been waiting around for me to get to them.

foggi, I'm sorry. Let me know if there's anything I can do (we have a room if you need a getaway). Take care.

>199 AMQS: Aw, thanks! I will keep that in mind. I will get through this; I'm just still grieving pretty hard for my dog.

Extra dose of hugs for you, Foggi.

>201 MickyFine: Thanks. Keeping busy seems to help, and I’ve certainly done that this weekend. I had dinner Friday with an out-of-town friend, went to a wedding on Saturday, and had a big day at church today (the bishop’s annual visit; I am the choir director, so had changes to the usual service order to contend with), then went to see the live-action Aladdin remake with another friend. Now I have a headache, which I’ve heard referred to as an introvert hangover from too many social interactions. I think that’s apt!

It’s been a really good weekend, especially today: the choir sounded the best it ever has, with only one small rough patch, so we got a lot of compliments on that, and also all of the cabbage rolls I made for the potluck got eaten and praised. I liked the movie — not as much as the original, of course, but my favorite parts were some of the things they added for this version. If anybody else has seen it and wants to discuss, I’d be glad to elaborate!

Oh, and I did finish The Priory of the Orange Tree — will review tomorrow, provided my headache goes away.

Hope your headache does go away - for your sake, and because I look forward to your thoughts on The Priory of the Orange Tree. Not fun to spend your weekend headachy :(

>204 AMQS: The headache seems to be pretty much gone this morning, hooray! I'm thinking I will start a new thread for June (just a couple days late) with my Orange Tree review.