MickyFine Roars Through 2020, First Outing

I'm Micky, 33-year-old librarian and general reading nerd. I'm a collections librarian for the public library system in Edmonton and as a result I read a solid chunk of non-fiction as I select it for work every day. The rest of my reading is a wide mix of genres but there's usually a healthy dose of romance, fantasy, graphic novels, and historical fiction in the mix. I don't have any big reading goals this year, although I might dabble in the BookRiot Read Harder challenge for the year. In addition to books, I'm likely to discuss life events (sometimes featuring Mr. Fine), whatever I'm watching on TV, and our cats, Smee & Ash. Posters and lurkers alike are welcome.

January
1. The Night Mark - Tiffany Reisz
2. Spider-Gwen: The Life of Gwen Stacy - Jason Latour
3. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - Abbi Waxman
4. Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen: Sitting in a Tree - Brian Michael Bendis & Jason Latour
5. Teen Titans: Year One - Amy Wolfram
6. Ayesha at Last - Uzma Jalaluddin
7. Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince: Night of Knives - V.E. Schwab
8. The Psychology of Time Travel - Kate Mascarenhas
9. An Inspector Calls - J.B. Priestley
10. And Dangerous to Know - Darcie Wilde
11. The Bodies in the Library - Marty Wingate
12. F-Bomb: Dispatches from the War on Feminism - Lauren McKeon
13. Cabin Pressure, Series 1 - John Finnemore (re-read)
14. Cabin Pressure, Series 2 - John Finnemore (re-read)
15. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon (re-read)
16. Northanger Abbey - Val McDermid
Favourites:


February
17. Book, Line, and Sinker - Jenn McKinlay
18. Kill the Farm Boy - Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
19. Cabin Pressure, Series 3 - John Finnemore (re-read)
20. One Hundred Years of Struggle: The History of Women and the Vote in Canada - Joan Sangster
21. Marilla of Green Gables - Sarah McCoy
22. Paper Girls Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan
23. Cabin Pressure, Series 4 - John Finnemore (re-read)
24. Emily Climbs - L.M. Montgomery
25. Lumberjanes: Indoor Recess - Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh
26. Magic for Beginners - Kelly Link
27. Fry's English Delight, Series 1 - Stephen Fry
28. Josie and the Pussycats, Vol. 1 - Marguerite Bennett & Cameron DeOrdio
29. The Undrowned Child - Michelle Lovric
30. Paper Girls Volume 2 - Brian K. Vaughan
31. Fry's English Delight, Series 2 - Stephen Fry
32. Paper Girls Volume 3 - Brian K. Vaughan
33. Paper Girls Volume 4 - Brian K. Vaughan
34. Paper Girls Volume 5 - Brian K. Vaughan
35. Fry's English Delight, Series 3 - Stephen Fry
36. Fry's English Delight: Word Games - Stephen Fry
37. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade - Diana Gabaldon
Favourites:


March
38. Dream Lake - Lisa Kleypas
39. Fry's English Delight, Series 4 - Stephen Fry
40. Naughty on Ice - Maia Chance
41. Valour and Vanity - Mary Robinette Kowal
42. Fry's English Delight, Series 5 - Stephen Fry
43. Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz
44. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake - Sarah MacLean
45. Paper Girls Vol. 6 - Brian K. Vaughan
46. Information Hunters: When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe - Kathy Peiss
Favourites:

My rating system:

/ = Ran screaming in the other direction (aka did not finish)
* = Suffered through it for reasons I'm still not sure of
** = Had far more flaws than virtues
*** = A read I don't regret but could use some improvement
**** = A good, solid read that I might revisit
***** = Loved it beyond reason and will probably re-read in short order

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge

Read a YA nonfiction book
Read a retelling of a classic of the canon, fairy tale, or myth by an author of color - Ayesha at Last
Read a mystery with no violence against women
Read a graphic memoir
Read a book about a natural disaster
Read a play by an author of color and/or queer author
Read a historical fiction novel not set in WWII - Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade
Read an audiobook of poetry
Read the LAST book in a series
Read a book that takes place in a rural setting - Marilla of Green Gables
Read a debut novel by a queer author
Read a memoir by someone from a religious tradition (or lack of religious tradition) that is not your own
Read a food book about a cuisine you’ve never tried before
Read a romance starring a single parent
Read a book about climate change
Read a doorstopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman - Outlander
Read a sci-fi/fantasy novella (under 120 pages) - Magic for Beginners
Read a picture book with a human main character from a marginalized community
Read a book by or about a refugee
Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the US or the UK - The Undrowned Child
Read a book with a main character or protagonist with a disability (fiction or non)
Read a horror book published by an indie press
Read an edition of a literary magazine (digital or physical)
Read a book in any genre by a Native, First Nations, or Indigenous author

This thread is officially open for business. Grab the cocktail or mocktail of your choice and let's get ready to ring in a fabulous new year!

Best wishes for 2020!

Ballsy margaritas for all!

Re-posting my book meme from 2019's reads as they always get short shrift at the tail end of the old thread. Enjoy!

Describe yourself: Big Mushy Happy Lump

Describe how you feel: Chaotic Good

Describe where you currently live: The Blue Castle

Your favourite time of day is: Everything, Everything

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Paris by the Book

Your favorite form of transportation: 4:50 from Paddington

Your best friend is: A Useful Woman

You and your friends are: Renegades

What’s the weather like: The Sunny Side

You fear: Crime and Punishment

What is the best advice you have to give: How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps

Thought for the day: We Should All Be Feminists

How I would like to die: Three Bedrooms, One Corpse

My soul’s present condition: As You Like It

What is life for you: A Purely Private Matter

>5 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana!

>6 richardderus: Ooof, I like being able to feel my lips (especially around midnight) so I think I'll pass on those, RDear. *smooch*

>7 MickyFine: Ha! I should go touchstone my responses, I guess...

Hi Micky - happy new year and new thread!

Brought my paloma for refreshment...

Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!

Welcome back! To kick off the Roarin’ Twenties, how about a bee’s knees?

Happy new year and happy new thread!

Love that '20s topper, Micky. I wonder what look the upcoming '20s will be known for?

Happy reading in 2020, Micky!

Dropping a star, so I can follow you! I will try not to just lurk so much this year...

My 2020 75-book challenge thread is here

Wishing you 12 months of success
52 weeks of laughter
366 days of fun (leap year!)
8,784 hours of joy
527,040 minutes of good luck
and 31,622,400 seconds of happiness!!

Dropping a star- Happy new year and happy reading! Can't believe it's the '20s!

Happy New Year, Micky. I hope 2020 is a great year for you.

Happy New Year! Dropping off my star and looking forward to your reading :-)

Happy New Year Micky!

Happy new year, Micky! Love the picture at the top of the thread. Appropriate for the (new) 20's.

Happy New Year, Micky!

Hope 2020 is kind to you!

Happy New Year!

>10 katiekrug: Oooh, I'm a teetotaller but that looks good.

>11 PaulCranswick: Happy New Year, Paul!

>12 drneutron: An excellent idea, Jim. That honeycomb looks delicious!

>13 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi!

>14 Familyhistorian: It'll be fun to find out Meg. I can just hope that adorable shoes like the ones in the topper come back into vogue. ;)

>15 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita.

>16 SandyAMcPherson: Nice to see you, Sandy. I'll drop by your thread soon.

>17 Berly: That's lovely, Kim. Thank you!

>18 jennyifer24: Thanks, Jenny!

>19 BLBera: Thanks, Beth.

>20 archerygirl: Thanks, Kathy.

>21 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel.

>22 PawsforThought: Thanks, Paws. I think it'll be a fun theme for the year.

>23 jnwelch: Same to you, Joe.

>24 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. Wishing the same for you and yours.

>25 leahbird: Happy New Year, Leah!

Happy 2020! Thread is starred :)

Happy New Year, Micky!

>27 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>28 lkernagh: Same to you, Lori!

Happy New Year! I've dropped my star. Now we will see if I can keep up. :)

Book 1



The Night Mark - Tiffany Reisz

Faye Barrow has been living in a haze since she lost her beloved husband, Will, four years ago. When she's offered a job taking photographs in a coastal community in South Carolina she agrees and finds herself fascinated by the abandoned Bride's Island lighthouse. One night at the lighthouse Faye is pulled out to sea and wakes up find herself in 1921 in the care of the lighthouse keeper who's a doppelganger for her dead husband. Now Faye must grapple with what force pulled her back to 1921, why it brought her there, and whether she really wants to ever get back to 2015 at all.

I received this book as a gift from a friend in 2018, who I think picked it because I'm a fan of Outlander (and time travel in general). I can see the readalike elements here but this odd little book is probably not going to scratch your Outlander itch. If read quickly, I think the plot would hold together well but read over the course of four days I found myself questioning a lot of things and trying to figure out just why the author had structured her novel the way she did. Her writing is solid and she beautifully evokes a small beach town in the present as well as the isolated life at the lighthouse in 1921. Her characters are a little rougher and Faye in particular spends a lot of time thinking in the same circles for chapters at a time and then suddenly changing her mind without any real explanation of why. The romance also feels a bit underwhelming, which is unfortunate. Not a terrible read but I can't really recommend it either.

Rating: ***

Book 2



Spider-Gwen: The Life of Gwen Stacy - Jason Latour

Gwen grapples with Venom and how to take responsibility for her actions.

There is so much good stuff going on in this final volume of the Spider-Gwen comics. Gwen tries to figure out her balance with Venom, she looks at how best to take responsibility for everything she's done as Spider-Woman, and there's some fun multiverse stuff going on. Do I wish that her ending had a bit more resolution or had taken some more story beats? Yes. But what's here is pretty solid.

Rating: ***

>30 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn!

Starred your thread and eagerly anticipating all the BB's you'll provide this year!

>31 MickyFine: Hmm. I have that around here somewhere. Now I'm wondering if I should just cull it (sooo many booooks).

Have a great year of reading!

Happy New Year, Micky! Dropping my star here.

>31 MickyFine: ...what >35 lycomayflower: ^^^ said...

>34 aktakukac: Aww, thanks, Rachel!

>35 lycomayflower: >38 richardderus: I mean I can give a bunch of spoilers about the things that bugged me if it would help inform your decision...

>36 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

>37 AMQS: Always happy to see you, Anne!

>39 MickyFine: Nah, that's okay. I think the thinking in circles and lackluster romance are enough to knock it off the TBR.

>12 drneutron: Ohman, those things are so good. Dangerously good.

Can't wait to see what you get up to this year, Micky!

>31 MickyFine: I like your review.
I surface-skimmed this title at the library when it was on display and I was returning my DNF titles.

Yes, for me, surface-skimmed is different to a general skim. Surface is read the first two pages and then randomly blast through the a few pages here and there to see if the writing appeals, rather than gleaning the gist of the plot.

It felt very flat-lined, from what I sampled. Too much of the protagonist thinking, thinking thinking. And that impression may have stemmed from my not caring at all for A Year By the Sea.

>39 MickyFine: I think Laura's got it right. This, however, is what caused me to flinch away: "Now Faye must grapple with what force pulled her back to 1921, why it brought her there, and whether she really wants to ever get back to 2015 at all."

Oh nay nay nay, I say unto thee thrice more, nay nay nay.

(Besides, spoilering will get you a mob of malcontents armed with cyberpitch and e-feathers. Best not to.)

>31 MickyFine: etc... I mean, as someone who has no interest in reading the book, I would be interested in spoilery things that specifically bugged you. With appropriate spoiler tags, of course, but I'm assuming that's a given.

>41 London_StJ: Nice to see you around again, London!

>42 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks, Sandy.

>43 richardderus: That is completely fair. And spoiler tags should save me from the mob. ;)

>44 bell7: Hmmm, things that bugged me in The Night Mark - a not at all exhaustive list: 1) The blurb on the book (and my own) completely skips the fact that the book starts off with the main character married to another man who is not the husband she's still mourning. And that marriage does not reflect well on either character. 2) The rules of time travel are never, ever explained but there's tons of potential hypotheses thrown around. 3) The main character time travels back and forth multiple times at weird points in the narrative. 4) The main character and her husband's doppelganger "fall in love" and while the author tries to make it clear that they've fallen for each other and not the people they resemble... it's not so convincing.

>26 MickyFine: You mean heels that you can actually dance comfortably in with straps that keep them on your feet, Micky? Love those kinds of shoes.

I just finished Darcie Wilde's A Useful Woman and I'm pretty sure that I got that one from your thread. I did not want to put it down, it was so good!

>46 Familyhistorian: Precisely. Glad to see you enjoyed A Useful Woman. It's one I'm very pleased to have on my bookshelf.

Book 3



The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - Abbi Waxman

Nina is perfectly content with her life. She works at a local independent bookstore in her tight-knit neighbourhood in Los Angeles, she has her cat, Phil, her trivia team and book clubs, and more than enough reading to fill any time she has left. But one day everything is thrown into chaos when she finds out that her father, whom she never met, has included her in his will and she is suddenly embroiled in the drama of her newly discovered, large family. Plus, the team captain of an opposing trivia team appears to maybe like her. All Nina wants is to sit in her house and read but she may just discover that expanding her world for all these new people is worth it after all.

I adored this book. It's funny and sweet and full of bookish and pop culture references. Nina's a sympathetic protagonist who's a textbook introvert with some chronic anxiety added into the mix. It's not high literature but if you're looking for a charming comfort read, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Rating: *****

>48 MickyFine: - YESSSSS! Loved that one, too. I even bought a copy for my permanent library because I could see myself re-reading it.

>49 katiekrug: My husband gifted it to me for Christmas and I'm very happy to have it in my permanent collection because I can also see it being a re-read.

Book 4



Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen: Sitting in a Tree - Brian Michael Bendis & Jason Latour

Miles Morales is recruited by SHIELD to track down his father, who may have disappeared into an alternate universe. In the process he teams up with Gwen Stacy. Sparks (and puns) fly as the two webbed wonders try to figure out just what the heck is going on.

Fun and cute read with two of my favourite spider-people and lots of multiverse hijinks.

Rating: ***

Book 5



Teen Titans: Year One - Amy Wolfram

When the members of the Justice League start acting super weird, their teen sidekicks decide to team up to save the world and their mentors.

It's a silly and fun take on the origins of the Teen Titans. I mostly can't help wondering why neither Robin nor Aqualad can have pants though?

Rating: ***

>46 Familyhistorian: Did you read any more of the series, Micky?

Sounds like you have some good reads on your bookshelf. I really liked Nina Hill when I read it too.

>48 MickyFine: So glad you enjoyed this! I have it checked out from the library but there are a few reads ahead of it :)

>45 MickyFine: More, louder nays.

>48 MickyFine: Oh hell. *trudges off to Ammy*

Yay for The Bookish Life of Nina Hill! I loved it, too.

>48 MickyFine: Ooh, sounds great!

>45 MickyFine: Sounds like one to skip, yup yup yup.

>48 MickyFine: I've seen Joe and others loving that one, but you have convinced me to officially add it to the TBR list.

>53 Familyhistorian: I have read the second book, Meg, which is good although not quite as sparkling as the first book. I've currently got the third book checked out from the library right now but probably won't tackle it until my vacation in a little over a week.

>54 curioussquared: Hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

>55 richardderus: *sing-songs* You're welcome!

>56 jnwelch: Such a charmer, Joe.

>57 jennyifer24: I definitely recommend it, Jenny.

>58 bell7: Woohoo. Always happy to nudge someone over the edge.

Hi Micky! Hope you're having a great week!

>60 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel. It's been going by quickly, which is great.

Book 6



Ayesha at Last - Uzma Jalaluddin

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge: Read a retelling of a classic of the canon, fairy tale, or myth by an author of color

Ayesha Shamsi has set aside her dreams of being a poet for a more practical career as a teacher. Despite several jibes from her extended family about her age, she's perfectly content not being married yet and has absolutely no interest in an arranged marriage. Her cousin, Hafsa, on the other hand wants to receive one hundred proposals before picking a potential husband. While dealing with all of these familial and cultural expectations, Ayesha meets Khalid who comes off as the most traditional and judgmental Muslim she's ever met. When the two are thrown together multiple times working on a project at the local mosque, will Ayesha's first impressions hold up or will Khalid prove to be a different man?

Jalaluddin's contemporary riff on Pride and Prejudice set in a Muslim community in the suburbs of Toronto is a delightful reimagining of Austen's story. She draws parallels between the cultural expectations placed on women in Austen's time with those in the Muslim community. For the most part her characters are sympathetic and well-rounded (although her villains seem a bit too one-dimensional to be real) and it's a delight to see them to go through the expected plot beats. An enjoyable read for Janeites and readers who enjoy diverse romances.

Rating: ****

Book 7



Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince: Night of Knives - V.E. Schwab

Prince Maxim continues to struggle to gain the respect of his soldiers and so he signs up for the magical challenge the Night of Knives. But greater dangers than the deadly challenge wait in the wings.

I thoroughly enjoyed this narrative, which continues to explore Maxim's back story. I found the challenge this time made for more compelling reading than the prior volume. However, deciphering what precisely is happening during some of the magic fight sequences remains difficult to decipher (although I always find fights a bit difficult to sort out in static image format). Definitely recommended for fans of the Shades of Magic series, whether or not you read or enjoyed the prior comics volume.

Rating: ****

>62 MickyFine: Clever idea, though I expect it's not for me. I'm glad Jalaluddin pulled it off.

>62 MickyFine: I've seen these gns somewhere and assumed they were adaptations of the series ... but I gather that they're not. Since I enjoyed the books, and you've enjoyed the comics, I've ordered the first volume. Thanks for the rec!

Hi Micki, stopping by and taking a BB in the process for the Waxman book. Hope you are keeping warm! Talk about a nasty cold front you guys are experiencing right now. My niece has already informed me that she will be wearing snow pants for her commute tomorrow morning in Calgary.

Hi Micky! I'm glad you enjoyed The Bookish Life. I enjoyed it also, though not a 5-star read for me. A very fun read, I thought. You got me with Ayesha at Last - sound good!

>62 MickyFine: You got me with that one!

>64 swynn: I hope you like it, Steve.

>65 lkernagh: Happy to hand out a BB for that book, Lori. I definitely wore my snow pants today (and probably will all week). At least I've got a light at the end of the tunnel - I'm going on vacation to Maui on Saturday. :D

>66 AMQS: Hi Anne! Happy to see you and happy to see Ayesha appeals.

>67 archerygirl: Nice! Hope you like it, Kathy.

Book 8



The Psychology of Time Travel - Kate Mascarenhas

In 1967 Britain, four women discovered the means for time travel but as the team went public one of the team members suffered a breakdown. In order to save their discovery, she is exiled from the group. Fifty years later, time travel is big business. Ruby Rebello knows that her Granny Bee played a role in the initial research into time travel but it's not something her family talks about. But when Bee receives a news clipping outlining a mysterious death a few months in the future, Ruby becomes obsessed. Who is the dead person? Could it possibly be Bee? And why did someone send the announcement in the first place?

I really enjoyed this time travel novel. Mascarenhas creates a broad cast of characters, almost entirely female, and explores just what time travel would mean for both society as well as the psyches of the individuals who participate in it. At the same time, she crafts a fascinating mystery full of twists, turns, and red herrings. I never once knew what was coming and never got farther ahead of the author than she really wanted me. Plus all of the characters are fascinating even when they're not sympathetic. Recommended.

Rating: ****

>69 MickyFine: That one sounds good. Onto the list it goes. Good to know about the second in the Rosalind Thorne series, Micky. I won't expect too much of it.

>69 MickyFine: I picked that one up as a Kindle deal last year. Have to bump it up.

>69 MickyFine: You got me with this one! On the list it goes.

>69 MickyFine: I was more reserved about that read than you are. It scraped a three out of me, but entirely because it treated the time-travel elements as convenient instead of integral to the two principal story lines, the ones involving Grace and her awfulness to any and all others, caring for the women whose lives are bitterly disrupted was made difficult.

>69 MickyFine: This was returned a little bit ago while I was out working at the circ desk. And when I put it back on the new (adult) fiction shelf, I saw The Bookish Life of Nina Hill just sitting there. Both are already on my TBR list, but I was good and left them on the shelves for other patrons. I need to get through a few more books I already have checked out first!

>68 MickyFine: - How fabulous! Happy countdown to vacation time! We have snow flurries here in Victoria, but it is that darn cold wind that stops me from engaging in the "happy snow dance". Well, that and the fact that the building I work in has the vents sent for fresh air intake so some people are bundled up in their jackets at their desks. :-)

>69 MickyFine: Oooh, yes, that one's going on my wishlist, too - it sounds amazing!

>70 Familyhistorian: I'm on the third Rosalind Thorne mystery right now, Meg, and quite enjoying it so far. As one might guess from the title, there's a Lord Byron connection.

>71 swynn: Sounds like a good idea to me, Steve. Hope you enjoy it.

>72 curioussquared: Hope you like it Natalie!

>73 richardderus: Hmm, I have questions about your spoiler note. Did you mean Grace or Margaret? Margaret is a horrible woman who definitely suffers from power corrupting and utterly deserved her comeuppance. I'm curious about your reasons if it was Grace that you reacted to so strongly. Her cavalier attitude to death is problematic but it is one all the time travelers share and I found her somewhat charming in her oddities.

>74 aktakukac: Such restraint, Rachel! I'm very impressed.

>75 lkernagh: Cold work spaces are the worst, Lori. Thankfully our newly renovated space is pretty comfortable temperature-wise so far. It's just getting here and keeping warm at the same time that feels like a major quest at the moment.

>76 scaifea: I hope it lives up to your expectations, Amber. :)

We're currently in midst of a massive cold snap. This morning it was -34C (-29F) and feels like -44C (-47F) and we're supposed to get more of the same for most of the week. Thankfully, my parents, Mr. Fine, and I are leaving for Maui on Saturday for two weeks of vacation and I cannot wait. I've currently got a handful of ebooks on my device borrowed from the library for the trip plus I plan to bring and re-read Outlander as reading screens on the beach (or any bright sunlight) doesn't tend to go well. I've already dipped into the ebooks though so we'll see if I need to borrow more books before we leave.

>78 MickyFine: Yikes!! I cannot even conceive of temperatures that cold, and I went to college in Wisconsin, but I think the coldest it ever got was something like -15F. Stay warm so you can make it to Maui!

Belated happy new year Micky!

>48 MickyFine: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill has gone on my list. And you didn't make me add Ayesha at Last (>62 MickyFine:) but only because I found a copy in Oxfam earlier this month and already have it on my shelves (relieved you enjoyed it though).

>69 MickyFine: I've heard good things about The Psychology of Time Travel so that's another added to the list! :-)

>78 MickyFine: Enjoy your holiday - hope you get lots of books read!

>69 MickyFine: That looks really interesting.

>78 MickyFine: wow, I didn’t realize that it had gotten so cold out there! I haven’t heard complaints from my BIL in Red Deer in a while.
Winter forgot to come to Ontario this year. We had a green Christmas and our temps have been around 5c lately. I think it’s supposed to drop and snow this weekend, finally!

Enjoy your trip! Two weeks away sounds amazing!

>77 MickyFine: Option A under the spoiler tag, though Option B was almost as strong a response.

>79 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie. My snowpants are currently one of my favourite items of clothing right now. ;)

>80 souloftherose: Same to you, Heather! Happy to share a few BBs with you and I plan to have a great trip!

>81 The_Hibernator: It's a really different approach to a time travel novel, Rachel, and I quite enjoyed it.

>82 ChelleBearss: Yes, it's been super cold out here and, of course, it's supposed to warm back up right after we leave for Maui. There's been a lot of cold temperature memes floating around on my FB feed.

>83 richardderus: Good to know. *smooch*

Book 9



An Inspector Calls - J.B. Priestley

The Birling family are celebrating the engagement of their daughter when an inspector arrives at their door announcing the suicide of a local girl. As the evening unfolds, the entire party realizes that they played a role in the girl's descent.

This audio drama features Toby Jones as the inspector who makes for a powerful accuser as he slowly unravels the mystery. While the denouement feels a bit preach-y, there's plenty to enjoy here.

Rating: ***

Book 10



And Dangerous to Know - Darcie Wilde

When the notorious Lady Melbourne asks for Rosalinde Thorne's help in tracking down some missing letters, Rosalind is a bit apprehensive. The letters involve both the infamous Lord Byron and Lady Melbourne's daughter-in-law, Lady Caroline Lamb, and the proximity to the potential for so much scandal is dangerous for someone in such a precarious social position as Rosalind. However, when Adam Harkness of Bow Street informs Rosalind that a body was recently found on the Melbourne estate and sent by cart to the Bow Street coroner, Rosalind knows she must assist in the investigation.

I really enjoyed this third entry in the Rosalind Thorne mystery series. The historical details continue to be well done and the mystery is just as suspenseful as one could hope. The Lord Byron angle in this plot makes for intriguing reading, although I wish the author had included an historical note at the end of the book to clarify what was historically accurate and what was her own invention. The romantic triangle remains a small back burner subplot in this entry, although Rosalind's inability to make a decision is a much more sympathetic position in this series as her choice will have a massive impact on her social standing. Recommended for fans of the series.

Rating: ****

Ooh, a Maui vacation sounds amazing - hope yours is!

Finally found you, Micky!! A belated Happy New Year from me.

>48 MickyFine: >62 MickyFine: >63 MickyFine: >69 MickyFine: Into the BlackHole it goes!

Your thread is very dangerous for the BlackHole it seems!

>78 MickyFine: I hope you have a wonderful time in Maui!

>86 MickyFine: This series sounds like one I would really enjoy. I hope I can find the books some time or other. My local library does not have any of them.

Hi Micky! Thanks for dropping by my thread. Darn - BBs all over the place here.

>78 MickyFine: Brrr ... -34°C? How/ why do you people live there?

Wait - Maui? Why now when I was there a couple of weeks ago? Enjoy your holiday; it’s a lovely place.

>85 MickyFine: >86 MickyFine: I'm not familiar with either series. Sound interesting though.

Have a great trip, Micky!

Have a fun winter escape!

Oh - and look out for whales. We could see them from land, breaching and spouting. Magical.

>87 AMQS: Just got here last night, Anne but it's already off to a great start. The warmer temperatures alone make it great. :)

>88 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Happy to see you around again and adding so many titles to your Black Hole. You could maybe try getting the Rosalind Thorne series by interlibrary loan if your library offers it. I think you'd enjoy them.

>89 humouress:


Thanks for the trip well wishes, Nina.

>90 thornton37814: Hi Lori. An Inspector Calls is just a single one-off play to the best of my knowledge but the Rosalind Thorne series is one of my new favourite discoveries.

>91 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>92 jennyifer24: Thanks, Jenny!

>93 humouress: Most definitely, Nina. My Dad brought multiple pairs of binoculars so we'll be able to whale watch from our balcony if we want. I get seasick pretty badly so none of the whale watching cruises for me though.

>94 MickyFine: HAHA yep!
A friend of mine married a fella from New Zealand and she posted a video of them trying to get a Huntsman spider out of their house. It looked terrifying and I literally would have cried.

>94 MickyFine: How else do you get interesting visitors?

>94 MickyFine: Yyyyyyup, that's why. At least on the spider front.

Enjoy being temporarily warmer, with (hopefully) other people who can take care of the creepies for you!

>94 MickyFine: LOL!! I just sent that picture to Marina who is looking at schools, including a couple of schools in MN. Might help her decide, especially if she's worried about the cold :)

Hope you have a wonderful, wonderful time!!

>94 MickyFine: Yes!! I'd rather live in a cold place than have to move out of my house because that spider is in it!

>96 ChelleBearss: Ugh, that would be horrifying. Crazy cold and snow seems mildly more appealing. ;)

>97 humouress: I'll pass on those visitors, thanks.

>98 London_StJ: Thanks, London. Happily Maui is pretty low on the scale of places with terrifying creatures that will make me jump back and squeal. And Mr. Fine is around to tackle anything that does.

>99 AMQS: LOL. Sounds like an excellent plan, Anne.

>100 jennyifer24: Right there with you, Jenny.

Full reviews to come later but noting here that so far on the trip I have ditched Whispers and finished The Bodies in the Library. The F-Bomb is in progress but I'm reading it slowly to avoid being too frustrated over the state of feminism. I'm also re-reading Outlander at a sedate pace - Claire has just arrived in the past and reset Jamie's shoulder (so about 50 pages complete out of 850).

We went to Barnes & Noble today and I snagged copies of all four of the Lord John books as the American covers are much more aesthetically pleasing than the Canadian ones. We also stumbled across the Maui Friends of the Library bookstore where I snagged a ST: TNG novel (Dark Mirror, for those interested) I remember reading and rereading a ton as a pre-teen.

>102 MickyFine: Oof, sorry Whispers didn't work out for you. I have a sentimental fondness for that series, having discovered it in my teens, but I will admit that the writing is not stellar.

Found you hi! *

>102 MickyFine: We also stumbled across the Maui Friends of the Library bookstore
Only, only, only you. I mean, I've been to Maui and I have never even conceptualized that there might conceivably *BE* a "Maui Friends of the Library" still less that they'd have a *bookstore*!

Happy to note that you're having a good trip.

>102 MickyFine: Lol, I hope you're getting some sun in between all the book buying! :)

>102 MickyFine: My landlords' daughter lives on Maui and I shall have to inquire into this Maui FOL bookstore and see if she knows about it...

>94 MickyFine: I'd rather have -35 oC and none of those critters.
It doesn't stay that cold here, for long periods.

>84 MickyFine: Me too (padded snow pants)

Hi Mickey! Slowly I'm making my way around the threads and placing stars. Looking forward to hearing about your reading this year.

Double posting, Micky - guess I am being reprimanded by your thread for not posting more!

-35 degrees!? Yikes. No wonder you were jetting off to Maui!

>102 MickyFine: >105 richardderus: I did discover there were three of the Maui FOL shops around the island but we were only there for three days so I didn’t visit any of them. I did raid a Barnes & Nobles on Oahu though, so not to worry.

>101 MickyFine: The Hawai’ian islands are so far from anywhere that all their scary beasts are (accidentally) imported. Including, unfortunately, mosquitoes - though we were lucky enough not to meet any.

>103 foggidawn: No apologies necessary. It did get me in the mood for my trip as it does describe Maui very well but the rough writing made it difficult to make myself read the whole thing. I did skim the end to figure out who she ended up with though. :)

>104 BBGirl55: Hi Bryony!

>105 richardderus: Mr. Fine was the one who made me go in in the first place. It's in a mall in Kahului and while my Dad perused the tool department at Sears (he's still lamenting the demise of Sears in Canada) we wandered the mall and found it.

>106 curioussquared: Plenty of sun, Natalie, I promise.

>107 bell7: It's got a pretty expansive collection. One of those used bookstores where many of the shelves are double stacked.

>108 SandyAMcPherson: Agreed, Sandy.

>109 Kassilem: Thanks for dropping by, Melissa.

>110 PaulCranswick: Nice to see you, Paul. And yes, it was lovely to escape the frigid temperatures for a taste of what feels like summer.

>112 humouress: So far I haven't encountered any mosquitoes yet and we went for a walk in the woods yesterday so I'm feeling pretty lucky.

Finished F-Bomb back on Friday and will review it after I get home. I'm making good progress on Outlander and have passed the halfway mark. I'll probably get through a big chunk today as we're planning a lazy beach/pool day. I've also got Val McDermid's Northanger Abbey on the go as an ebook so I can read in the car after dark. So far it's sweet but not really bringing enough of an original twist to make me love it. But she hasn't screwed up Henry Tilney (my favourite Austen man) so there's hope.

Trip continues to be fabulous with lots of sun, plenty of sight seeing, and excellent food. Sad that we'll head home at the end of the week although I do miss the cats.

>114 MickyFine: Hmm, Northanger Abbey; we did the original in school and (of course) it didn’t go the way I expected. Maybe I should re-read that.

Glad you are enjoying your trip and soaking up the warmth!

>115 humouress: I really love the original, Nina, and definitely recommend a revisit.

>116 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

We did the Hana highway on Wednesday and listened to a couple seasons of Cabin Pressure during the drive (new for my parents and a re-listen for me). Thursday I managed to get through the last chunk of Outlander between shopping stops. Today was another beach/pool day so I also finished the modern Northanger Abbey (preview of my eventual review - just read the original version instead). We have an overnight flight tomorrow but I have checked out an ebook copy of Book, Line, and Sinker to keep me entertained during any driving during the day and waiting in airports before I (hopefully) sleep on the plane.

I'm very happy for you that it's been a good, relaxing time in Hawaii. I hope the flight home is safe and uneventful. And yay for Tilney's safety in new authorial hands!

Sounds like your sun-drenched time in Maui was just what the doctor ordered! So glad you had a good time, though it's almost impossible to do otherwise in paradise.

>78 MickyFine: -29F?!? Yikes!!! Although I do get it (>94 MickyFine:), though surely there must be someplace in between that would work.

Looks like you have had a lovely time on the island(s), Micky! I am most curious: Is Cabin Fever a podcast and if so, how would you describe it?

All people in the northern latitudes should be able to deduct a week's trip to a sunny, warm climate (between November 1 and March 1) from their taxes.
Seriously, it's for the health benefit because , even with supplements, we are seriously deficient in Vitamin D.
FACT!
And the money deducted from your taxes is at your marginal rate, so maybe not that big a saving.
However ~ the corollary is that the health care system would be less burdened because we'd be healthier! No? What's not to like?

Just popping by to let you know that there's a vote happening on my thread.

>119 richardderus: Trip home was quiet and uneventful. Happily reunited with the fur babies and lamenting the loss of the humidity, which made my curls so fantastic. ;)

>120 Storeetllr: The sunny vacation was excellent. I'm ok with the -29C. It doesn't last super long.

>121 lkernagh: Cabin Pressure was a BBC Radio 4 comedy play series. It's excellent and I highly recommend it.

>122 SandyAMcPherson: That sounds brilliant.

>123 BBGirl55: I'll pop by your thread to vote then. :)

Prepare for a post-vacation reading review round-up.

Ditched



Whispers - Robin Gunn Jones

Does an excellent job of evoking Maui but the writing was a little rocky and the plotting a bit awkward. I could see this being a sentimental favourite if I'd read it when I was younger but I think I'm a little too old to be wrapped up in this story.

Apologies to Foggi for not loving it.

Rating: /

Book 11



The Bodies in the Library - Marty Wingate

Hayley Burke has only been in her position as curator at the First Edition Society library for a few months. Begun by Lady Georgiana Fowling, the society celebrates the works of female writers from the Golden Age of mysteries. The only problem is Hayley has never picked up a mystery in her life. When one of the members of an Agatha Christie fanfiction group that Hayley has invited in to the library for their weekly meetings is found dead, Hayley finds herself turning to Miss Marple for inspiration in figuring out who the murderer might be.

A charming first entry in a new cozy mystery series that pays homage to the classics while remaining original. The setting in Bath is well-evoked and I enjoyed having a protagonist who's in her forties. The mystery was well done and I look forward to more books in the series.

Rating: ***

Book 12



F-Bomb: Dispatches from the War on Feminism - Lauren McKeon

Canadian investigative reporter McKeon delves into conversations with leaders of the anti-feminist movement in an effort to understand the growing appeal of the movement and what it means for the future of feminism.

Some of the chapters in this book are infuriating but it is worth exploring what about feminism is driving women away from the feminist movement. McKeon's conversations towards the end of the book with young women do leave the reader with hope for the intersectional future of feminism.

Rating: ****

Book 13



Cabin Pressure, Series 1 - John Finnemore (re-read)

A BBC Radio comedy play about the hijinks of the four crew members of a single plane charter airline. Full of laughs and charm.

Rating: *****

Book 14



Cabin Pressure, Series 2 - John Finnemore (re-read)

Yet more hijinks at MJN that inevitably yields laughs.

Rating: *****

Book 15



Outlander - Diana Gabaldon (re-read)

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge: Read a doorstopper (over 500 pages) published after 1950, written by a woman

The first time I've re-read this book since the release of the TV series. It was fun to examine what was changed and how much I remembered from various plot details.

Rating: *****

Book 16



Northanger Abbey - Val McDermid

Sigh. I am very fond of the original version of this book and the modern retelling unfortunately fell flat. McDermid expends more time trying to recreate passages from Austen's novel rather than taking the frame of Austen's narrative and trying to do something interesting with it in a modern context. I mostly spent the novel wishing I'd re-read the original instead. Not terrible but not recommended.

Rating: ***

I'll do my January summary and the review of my first book of February (hopefully) tomorrow. And then on to attempting to catch up on threads. *eyes unread messages uneasily*

>127 MickyFine: Book 11 is looking very appealing...
If I could borrow it from Overdrive, I would have a good airplane-read!

>131 MickyFine: I am planning to read that one next month. I love the series and am looking forward to the book very much.

>126 MickyFine: Yeah, I can see your points on the writing and plotting. Ah, well.

I need to get round to Outlander soon. *sigh*

>134 SandyAMcPherson: It is available in ebook format as I borrowed mine from OverDrive. Have you tried the Libby app? Much smoother interface than the old OverDrive one.

>135 PaulCranswick: I hope you enjoy the book just as much, Paul.

>136 foggidawn: Every book its reader. ;)

>137 scaifea: They are a time commitment, Amber, but I really enjoy the space for character development that comes with a chunkier novel.

January Summary






Numbers in parentheses are for year to date.

Books read: 16 (16)
Books ditched: 1 (1)

Fiction: 12 (12)
Non-fiction: 4 (4)

Adult: 13 (13)
YA: 3 (3)
Children's: 0 (0)

Library: 12 (12)
Mine: 4 (4)
Borrowed elsewhere: 0 (0)

Re-reads: 3 (3)

Female authors: 11 (11)
Male authors: 6 (6)
Non-binary authors: 0 (0)

Pages: 4,432 (4,432)
Hours: 9 hours, 50 minutes

Average rating: 3.81 (3.81)

Average time to read book: 3.47 days (3.47 days)

Favourite book(s): The Bookish Life of Nina Hill was the big winner this month.

Book 17



Book, Line, and Sinker - Jenn McKinlay

The small town of Briar Creek faces a potential explosion of tourists when the small Maine town becomes the focus of a treasure hunter looking for some of Captain Kidd's treasure on one of the outlying islands. But when library director, Lindsey, and her new boyfriend, Sully, discover a body at the excavation site, things begin to look more grim. At the same time, Lindsey's ex-fiance has shown up in town having suddenly decided he wants her back.

Not a bad entry in the series but not as fun or as sparkling entry as the first two. I predicted the whodunnit pretty far in advance but I enjoy the characters enough I don't mind spending time with them even if I know where the book is going. If you're a fan of the series, you'll like this entry.

Rating: ***

>127 MickyFine: *ow*ow*ow*
*trudges off to library*

>140 MickyFine: Um, almost. I ducked just in time. But as always your aim is excellent.

>138 MickyFine:, I have a hunch all I can obtain on my PL system is through Overdrive (CLUNKY! yes) and Cloud Library.

I have had the worst time trying to plop the e-book Cloud Library loan onto my Kobo e-treader. I moaned about that awhile back on my thread and asked for help. I solved one problem, but Kobo does not seem friendly to anything but Overdrive. I have no trouble if I just leave the e-book on my computer except I am not a fan of reading there. I like the handy e-reader for travel and "in bed" reading at night.

>141 richardderus: Book 17 was indeed a BB for me (as well as Marty Wingate).
Was it the cover that is so vintage that grabbed your attention, RD?

>124 MickyFine: - Thanks Micky! Adding it to my audio list. ;-)

>143 SandyAMcPherson: No, the covers of both have c-a-t-s on them and I will ordinarily reject anything with...them...on.

Mysteries! I do love to read about solving crime.

>145 richardderus: Ha! Too bad...
Yes, mysteries of the cerebral sort, like British procedurals, are great reading areas.

>141 richardderus: Always welcome, RDear. *smooch*

>142 SandyAMcPherson: Putting on my librarian hat, Sandy, and clarifying that the Libby app IS OverDrive. The app is called Libby but it's the same content as OverDrive and the user experience is much smoother. If your model of Kobo allows for app downloads, I highly recommend it.

>144 lkernagh: Happy to oblige, Lori. Be warned you may laugh aloud in public with it. :)

>145 richardderus: Actually, book 17 has a doggo on the cover (his name is Heathcliff). Change your mind at all?

>131 MickyFine: I reread that last year and recently I started to rewatch the series with Nate as he has never seen it. I had forgotten all the little things that were so different between them.

>147 MickyFine: ...that's one...so, um, not really so terribly much, no.

Your Maui holiday sounds blissful. The boys voted against the Road to Hana so we went looking for green turtles instead (which we didn’t find but we had already seen some on Hawai’i). My youngest got to do his favourite beach activity which is to roll in the surf and get coated in sand - so then we had to find some way of hosing him down before getting back into the car.

>122 SandyAMcPherson: You've got my vote.

>129 MickyFine: Looks good.

>141 richardderus: *sigh* Isn’t it? My protections against BBs are time, memory and availability: I read too slowly to be able to possibly manage to read all potential BBs; by the time I’ve finished reading, I’ve forgotten most of them; and should I go looking for them, a lot of them aren’t available as e-books in my libraries (or have already been borrowed by other patrons).

>138 MickyFine: >147 MickyFine: Hmm ... Libby. It’s just becoming available in my libraries (outside the States) but I understand it’s only better than Overdrive if you’re reading on one device? If I’m out, I’ll use my phone but at home I prefer the bigger tablet screen. Mind you, I haven’t managed to get Overdrive to sync my bookmarks anyway. But I’m curious as to ‘smoother interface’. I have already downloaded Libby but the one time I tried to use it, the books I was looking for were unavailable. I’ll give it a go.

>148 ChelleBearss: I want to watch the series with Mr. Fine. But I have a LONG list of things I want to watch with him so who knows when I'll get to it. Right now the shows that are my picks that we watch together are Veronica Mars and No Tomorrow.

>149 richardderus: Fair enough.

>150 humouress: We had good luck with our turtle spotting on our trip. There's a small strip of beach near the condo where we stayed that sometimes gets them and the one evening we went to spot some, we saw three. Then there's another beach (not far past Mama's Fish House on the start of the road to Hana) where we went on a different day and saw 18 of them!

Also, you're welcome for the BB.

As for Libby, I find it syncs really smoothly between my phone and my iPad (and my phone is an Android, too). The only time it was a bit twitchy was when I was in Maui and had things in airplane mode with wifi turned on. Then it wasn't so great at syncing. But I highly recommend giving Libby a try, and you can always feel free to pick my librarian brain about it. :)

Book 18



Kill the Farm Boy - Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

Once upon a time there was a great Chosen One... We all know how that story goes but when farm boy, Worstley, and his goat have a magical encounter with a pixie and go on a quest to a nearby tower covered in thorny vines the Chosen One story begins to head in a very different direction. Along the way they'll encounter a ferocious and tall female warrior whose chain-mail bikini sets off her dark skin to perfection, a Dark Lord who really just wants some good cheese, a bard who's a bit cursed and looks more rabbit-ish than she'd like, and a rogue who is terrified of chickens. How this ridiculous crew could ever save the kingdom is really beyond anyone's comprehension but it's worth finding out.

I put this book on the TBR because the two follow-up novels have fantastic (and punny) titles. I'm so glad I did. Dawson and Hearne lampoon the young white male Chosen One narrative and instead create a diverse group of characters whose adventures are hysterical and compelling. While weaving their fantasy tale the authors manage to make very silly jokes, some decent puns, and clever commentary on the current culture. The blurb on the book compares it to Monty Python and Discworld and I'll simply add that it appealed to the part of me that loved Galavant. I definitely plan to read further in this ridiculous and charming series.

Rating: ****

Book 19



Cabin Pressure, Series 3 - John Finnemore (re-read)

The show really hits its comedic stride in this third season. It includes what is probably my favourite episode of the whole show, Ottery St. Mary. It's also the point where Anthony Stewart Head begins his part as a recurring supporting character.

Rating: *****

>152 MickyFine: Ooh hello....

Cabin Pressure is on audio? There are some familiar faces from TV on there.

Oooh, I like your rating system. Mind if I steal it?

>152 MickyFine: Ooh, I had kind of looked at this one, but the description I read made it sound like it might be too raunchy for my taste? But your description has rekindled my interest somewhat.

>154 norabelle414: I knew the Galavant reference would get you. :)

>155 humouress: Yup. It was a BBC Radio 4 series.

>156 jenknox: Go right ahead!

>157 foggidawn: I mean, there is the occasional fart joke, one of the company is a goat who poops frequently (sometimes for comedic effect), and there's a small recurring gag about phallic towers but I wouldn't classify it as raunchy. If it helps at all, I think you would like it.

>158 MickyFine: Hmm. I wonder what I was reading that gave me that impression? Oh, well. Onto the list it goes. (You also remind me that I've been wanting to watch Galavant...)

>159 foggidawn: You really should watch Galavant. I have feeling you'll adore it. Hopefully you enjoy Kill the Farm Boy too. :)

And two announcements for books coming out in October that I'm pretty excited about:

V.E. Schwab has announced The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Naomi Novik has announced A Deadly Education. *gleeful grin*

>161 MickyFine: Hah, I got that email, too. :-D So excited for both of those books!

>161 MickyFine: Ooh, I was JUST wondering if it was about time for a new Novik last week. Now to finish reading all the Temeraire books...

>48 MickyFine: Just finished Nina basically in one sitting (thank you snow day!)- loved it! Thanks for the book bullet!

I'm reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes and was trying to remember an earlier event so ended up rereading about 200 pages of The Fiery Cross, oops. The risk for spoilers is real! I can only check the books when I can't remember something :-)

Glad you had a great trip!

Ok, Cabin Pressure has gone on the list - sounds ideal for future holiday driving.

Ooh, a new Naomi Novik!! Will look forward to that one. You had a tremendous reading month in January! And an enviable vacation. Hope it was as lovely as it sounds.

I have never read Outlander (or seen the show) but I've had the first book in my pile for ages. I love the original Northanger Abbey so will stay clear of the modern retelling.

>162 foggidawn: I figured you would share my excitement. *claps hands in glee*

>163 curioussquared: I have to admit I haven't read much Novik but her new series sounds great.

>164 jennyifer24: Yay for another lover of Nina! With Outlander, if I need a plot refresher I'll sometimes resort to Wikipedia. They've got pretty decent plot summaries there.

>165 souloftherose: It would be perfect for that.

>166 AMQS: Hi Anne! Lovely to see you. And yes, Maui was utterly delightful. The only downside was I had to come home and go back to work. ;)

Ahem. Your colleagues in Saskatoon are tweeting these marvies:

...and you are...?

>168 richardderus: Those are adorable.

Book 20



One Hundred Years of Struggle: The History of Women and the Vote in Canada - Joan Sangster

Sangster writes an overview history of the women's suffrage movement in Canada, highlighting its regional nature and expanding it beyond the well-known white, middle-upper class women who have dominated the narrative like Nellie McClung and Emily Murphy (although they get their due as well). Sangster explores efforts to get the vote from 1840 through to the long overdue provision of the vote to indigenous peoples in 1960. In between she highlights the differing struggles women faced in the Maritimes, BC, the Prairies, Ontario, and Quebec. She also explores suffragist leaders from the labour and socialist movements whose political views focused on equality for all (to a lesser or greater extent) rather than more conservative suffragists who looked to preserve the power of the white ruling class.

Beyond knowing that my own province extended the vote to women in 1918 and some details about the Famous Five and the "Persons" case, my knowledge of the suffragist movement in Canada was severely lacking. While the writing in this book is a little more on the academic than generalist side of the line, it made for fascinating reading. Seeing some of the horrifyingly racist stances that both governments and advocacy groups took were disheartening (in particular learning that in addition to all of her excellent work for women's suffrage that Nellie McClung was also in favour of eugenics was disappointing) but an important element in exploring what earning the vote for women entailed. It was also worth reading to see Sangster questioning the narrative that women's work during WWI was the impetus that proved to men in government that they were worthy of the vote. An enlightening first volume and I now have plans to read the rest of the works in this series that takes more concentrated focus on suffrage movements in the major regions of Canada as well as amongst particular cultural groups. Recommended for those with an interest in Canadian women's history and the suffrage movement.

Rating: ****

Isn't it appalling that it took until the 1960s to get votes for indigenous/African American people, and now those same votes are under threat again?

*sigh*

OMG I'm sooooo excited for new books by Naomi Novik and V.E. Schwab!!!

Happy weekend!

>172 bell7: I thought you might share my excitement!

It's a long weekend in my neck of the woods (Family Day on Monday). I've got some plans for the weekend and Mr. Fine has secret Valentine's Day plans, which we're doing on Saturday as we've got family stuff going on tonight, but we've already agreed to make Monday a lazy, do nothing day. I'm so excited for it.

>127 MickyFine: My local library actually has that one, so I hope to get to it soon.

>170 MickyFine: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation.

I hope you have a wonderful long weekend!

Enjoy your long weekend!

>173 MickyFine: I also share your excitement for lazy, do nothing days. Today was mine, but enjoy your Monday!

>174 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. I hope you enjoy both of those BBs whenever you get to them.

>175 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>176 bell7: I hope you're having a fantastic do nothing day, Mary.

Book 21



Marilla of Green Gables - Sarah McCoy

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge - Read a book that takes place in a rural setting

In this prequel to the Anne books, we see Marilla as she grows up from a young teen living at Green Gables through the decisions that set her life on the path where we find her when Anne Shirley arrives in the Cuthberts' lives.

I had some trepidation going into this novel as I have so much love for the Anne books (and the film adaptations from the 80s) that I wasn't sure if I could deal with anyone else mucking about with L.M. Montgomery's characters. Happily, I didn't hate the book. Does McCoy have the same way with words as Montgomery? Most definitely not but her writing and plot are perfectly adequate. My biggest issue with this book is that I can't see the version of Marilla that McCoy crafts in her book, becoming the character we meet through Anne's eyes. She seems too open-hearted at the end of this novel to be the woman we see sixteen years later who takes an orphan on a trial basis. However, I don't want to discourage anyone from reading the novel because it is compelling reading but I found it best to view the book as a slightly alternate reality version of these characters.

Rating: ***

Book 22



Paper Girls Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan

Early on the morning of November 1, 1988, four twelve-year-old girls are working their newspaper route in their small town in Ohio when all hell breaks loose. People begin to disappear and there are literal monsters in the streets and while no one could possibly believe it, these four girls may be the only ones who can figure out what's going on.

I adored this first volume in this series. Our four main characters are flawed but realistic portrayals of pre-teen girls in the 1980s thrown into a fascinating sci-fi plot that is mysterious and (thus far) well constructed. I am super eager to see where this story goes.

Rating: ****

>140 MickyFine: >178 MickyFine: Our ratings were the same for Book, Line, and Sinker, but you liked Marilla of Green Gables a little better than I did. I was quite disappointed in it.

>180 thornton37814: I can see why you would be, Lori. It probably helps that it had been a while since I'd read any L.M. Montgomery so I didn't have her writing as fresh in my memory.

Hi there Micky! Katie suggested to me that you were the listener-to-of-radio-plays, not she; I wonder, then, if you can and/or will elucidate for my unaudial self what differences characterize the radio play/audio drama from multiple-reader audiobooks.

>182 richardderus: I'll do my best. A radio play/audio drama is what it says on the tin - a play done in audio format. Sometimes they're written specifically for the medium (the BBC and L.A. TheaterWorks do a lot of these) and sometimes they are traditional theatre plays or books adapted to the medium. For example, there's a new audio adaptation of Angels in America that got a lot of reviewer love last year. In most cases they have a full cast although occasionally smaller roles are doubled by members of the cast much like live theatre. The content is usually just dialogue, although occasionally they'll use the conceit of a narrator to set up some scenes - I've encountered this in audio drama adaptations of Jane Austen and also Pygmalion.

A multiple-reader audiobook, can be any book that the producers have decided to have read by more than one person. It happens a lot for books where there are chapters done from different characters' perspectives. However, I've also seen it for things like essay collections where different readers do different essays. In this case, they're reading the book to you as it is on the page. Since I find the description-y bits (as I call them) pretty dull being read to me, I enjoy just radio plays as those are all dialogue and action. YMMV.

Hopefully that helps clear that up for you. If you're looking for some audio dramas to try, I'm always happy to make recommendations. :)

>182 richardderus: and >183 MickyFine: - This is the production of Emma I'm listening to, and which prompted Richard's question on my thread:
https://www.audible.com/pd/Emma-Audiobook/B07F3YYJS2?qid=1582051939&sr=1-1&a...

Given its length (a little over 8 hours) compared to other audios of the book, I think much is left out of the description-y bits :) And there are sound effects (the clink of china, for example). I expect all the dialogue is present, but I'm not entirely sure... Emma Thompson does the overarching narration, but each character is voiced by someone else.

I'm enjoying it!

>184 katiekrug: That one sounds like it would technically fall on the audio drama side of the line. Although I know some audiobooks do use ambient noises to supplement the novel.

>185 MickyFine: - I am vaguely ashamed that it's technically abridged, but I've read Emma before and am really just using it as a refresher before going to see the new film :)

Thank y'all most kindly! I think I'm clear...drama≠novel, in audio as much as in print.

I think I'll, erm, save your kind offer of audio-drama recommendations for a time when I am better able to remain conscious.

>186 katiekrug: No shame, Katie! It's Emma with Emma Thompson! Whatever the version, that's worth experiencing. :)

>187 richardderus: No worries, Richard. *smooches*

Book 23



Cabin Pressure, Series 4 - John Finnemore (re-read)

I'm including the final episode Zurich in this series, although they were technically separate items.

Such a lovely conclusion to this comedy series. Plenty of jokes but also full of wonderful resolutions for all of these characters. Every time I finish this series I'm always tempted to go back to the beginning and start over again. So much love.

Rating: *****

Book 24



Emily Climbs - L.M. Montgomery

Emily unexpectedly leaves the familiarity of New Moon for three years of high school in Shrewesbury. The only condition from Aunt Elizabeth is that Emily can only write non-fiction while she goes to the school. It's a challenge for Emily, one that's nearly matched by the many trials that come with boarding with her Aunt Ruth, but one that forces her to grow in her writing. At the same time, Emily grows into a young lady and while she continues to get into occasional scrapes, she also becomes more mature as she considers her next steps into the adult world.

While not the strongest of Montgomery's novels, there's still plenty to enjoy here. It's simply impossible to read one of Montgomery's novels without ending up with the urge to take a wander in some woods. Emily is a heroine worth rooting for and as this is a first time read, I'm fascinated to see just where Emily ends up as she pursues her career as a writer.

Rating: ****

Book 25



Lumberjanes: Indoor Recess - Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh

When an epic thunderstorm traps the whole camp in the Mess Hall, our favourite campers promise Jen that they'll be good and stay indoors. While Jo and Molly get caught up in testing a board game by one of their fellow campers, Mal, Ripley, and April go on a snack run to the kitchen and end up finding far more than they bargained for.

I really loved this entry in the series. The board game testing is really fun and, of course, any time one goes into an off-limits area at this camp everything gets weird.

Rating: *****

Book 26



Magic for Beginners - Kelly Link

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge: Read a sci-fi/fantasy novella (under 120 pages)

Disclaimer: this review is solely for the title story.

Jeremy and his group of friends are obsessed with The Library, a strange fantasy show set in a library where the characters remain the same but the cast is forever changing. When his mom inherits a Las Vegas wedding chapel and a phone booth in the middle of nowhere in Nevada, Jeremy calls it and is convinced one of the characters answers the phone.

I picked this story from a list of suggested titles BookRiot made for their sci-fi/fantasy novella challenge mostly because it included a library. While I'm not sure a 58-page story is really a novella, I'll defer to their judgment. This story is deeply weird. And weird in a way that leaves me unsure even how to rate it. It was so weird that I was left with absolutely no inclination to read the other stories in the collection but the writing is by no means bad. There are also a few sentences that were beautiful or very funny but they're surrounded by so much weird that I don't know what do with them. YMMV.

Rating: ***

>179 MickyFine: My local library has that one and I have now placed it on hold.

>190 MickyFine: I have never read any of Montgomery's "Emily" books. I am going to have to fix that oversight.

>170 MickyFine: Back to the issue of suffrage, the fight for the working classes and under classes and then ladies and then ethnic minorities to get the vote in one sense shows how far we have come as a society but on the other hand, the difficulty these obviously universal rights were to obtain by those who didn't have them is a quite stark reminder that those with power will try their damnedest not to relinquish it.

Nowadays the tactics are much more subtle and deeply sinister.

1) Blatant gerrymandering of constituencies to try to fix demographics to gain election for the most number of the ruling class.

2) The complicatedness of voter registration plans including deadlines and all manner of tricks designed to keep those likely to vote out the ruling elite off the voter registers.

3) The requirements of residence in determining right to vote. The homeless are largely disenfranchised, transient workers are largely disenfranchised, long term expatriates like myself are largely disenfranchised. I am as British as Boris Johnson but I was denied a vote in the Brexit referendum because I am not resident in the UK. Twaddle.

4) Stupid electoral systems don't help either. Clinton faces off against Trump in a virtual two horse race to see who becomes President of the entire United States of America. Hillary gets significantly more votes than Chump but loses the election because of its useless Electoral College system that also foisted Dubya on its populace.

Sorry for the mild rant, Micky, but the right to vote and the need to not have that vote wasted is one of my bugbears.

>193 alcottacre: Be warned that the first volume of Paper Girls has a bit of a cliffhanger-y ending. I immediately put holds on the next five volumes. And I hope you enjoy the Emily books. They're generally regarded as the most autobiographical of Montgomery's works.

>194 PaulCranswick: I hear your frustrations, Paul. We've got the "first past the post" system here in Canada and while Justin Trudeau initially promised election reform when his party was elected the first time, he eventually reneged on it and said that changing the system was "too complicated." Too much to expect a politician to turn around and change the system that got them elected in the first place. Now that's he's in a minority government the prospect of election form seems decidedly faint.

Book 27



Fry's English Delight, Series 1 - Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry hosts this BBC 4 Radio 4 program exploring the features and quirks of the English language over the course of four episodes exploring puns, metaphors, quotations, and cliches. The English here is decidedly British but there's plenty to enjoy as Fry highlights experts on the topic. The number of common words that originally started as metaphor would blow your mind, for instance. If you're a language nerd or just a Stephen Fry fan, there's plenty to enjoy here.

Rating: ****

Book 28



Josie and the Pussycats, Vol. 1 - Marguerite Bennett and Cameron DeOrdio

A revisiting of how Josie, Valerie, and Melody formed their band and began their rise to international superstardom.

It was cute and occasionally funny (I enjoyed the use of "comic book science") but the characters failed to make me love them in the way I hoped to so I don't feel compelled to continue following the adventures of the band.

Rating: ***

Josie and the Pussycats have a comic book series...huh...I remember them on Saturday morning cartoons as part of the Scoobyverse.

I do love Stephen Fry's humo(u)r and erudition. I can listen to him rabbit on about anything.

Hi Micky, stopping by to get caught up an to wish you a wonderful weekend. I see you have been busy reading! Like RD, I remember the Saturday morning cartoon show, Josie and the Pussycats. Talk about a flashback! ;-)

>168 richardderus: I don't access Twitter... LibraryThing is better for my interests.
And moi? I am just adding A Deadly Education to my LT wish list because the lame SPL hasn't even got it on their order system. I know this because I have a SPY in the system. *evil laughter*

>147 MickyFine: Thank heavens for your library hat. Thanks for the clarification.

>196 MickyFine: >198 richardderus: I am with RD about Stephen Fry. Unfortunately my local library has exactly 1 of his books - and I already read it.

>170 MickyFine: and >171 richardderus: Appalling situations like these keep cropping up.
This morning, I read this news article about racist language in Vancouver land title covenants. It is disgraceful that such 'rules' haven't long been abolished.

>198 richardderus: It's part of the rebooted Archie Comics universe, Richard, so you could revisit all the comics of your youth. :) And Stephen Fry is a delight to listen to. I've already moved on to Series 2.

>199 lkernagh: I had a bunch of short reads in a row so it looks far more impressive than it is, Lori.

>200 SandyAMcPherson: If they're like my library, we typically don't order titles more than 3 months in advance - partly to keep holds queues from exploding months before we get the book and partly to avoid any drama if publication is pushed back. Always happy to pull out the librarian hat, Sandy.

>201 alcottacre: Such a bummer. They're releasing his Heroes in the US this summer (finally, we've had it in Canada for over a year) so you might try making a suggestion for purchase for the audiobook of it.

>202 SandyAMcPherson: It sometimes boggles the mind the things that haven't been changed yet, doesn't it Sandy?

I'm way behind on threads and just visiting yours now, Micky. After reading your review of the latest Rosalind Thorne I was tempted to put a hold on the second book in the series but I checked on the holds waiting for me to pick up. There are 7 of them. I think I'll hold off on the second volume for a while! One of the books to be picked up is Paper Girls. It sounds like that will be dangerous for the holds list too!

Are your temperatures more civilized now? We are seeing signs of spring so it is coming. I hope you stored up enough warmth in your trip to Maui.

You got me with BBs for the latest Rosalind Thorne as well as the One Hundred Years of Struggle. I want to pick your brain about a librarian type question. I'll send you a pm.

>196 MickyFine: I am with RD on Mr Fry, Micky. I would happily listen to him reading off his shopping list.

Have a great Sunday.

>204 Familyhistorian: I know the feeling, Meg. I've got a larger than usual tower of library books checked out at the moment but somehow can't resist placing holds anyway. I hope you enjoy, Paper Girls and the BBs I've handed out!

Our temperatures are in the weird pre-Spring mode. So some days it still feels like winter with lows in the mid-negative teens and highs at -5C and other days we get on the plus side of the scale. Lots of yo-yoing in the long range forecast.

>205 PaulCranswick: He's got a great voice, I agree.

Happy Monday, Micky! Just catching up a bit here...

I may have to try out Cabin Pressure if I can find it on DVD once I get home from the dogsitting job (they have a DVD player, but I can't figure out how to work it). And I have several volumes of The Lumberjanes at home with the hope that I will read them sometime this year. I'll have to bump them up a bit on the TBR pile.

>207 bell7: Hi Mary. Happy Monday to you too. Hope you're still enjoying that long weekend of yours. :) Cabin Pressure is actually an audio series - it's available for purchase in OverDrive so depending on who does selection for your library you may want to drop a bug in their ear.

Book 29



The Undrowned Child - Michelle Lovric

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge - Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the US or the UK

It's 1899 and Teodora has spent most of her eleven years longing to visit Venice. When strange happenings in the city lead to an invitation for her scientist parents to provide aid, Teodora finally gets her wish. But while her parents work to determine what is going wrong, Teo will be drawn into a secret world of mermaids, ghosts, and other unbelievable creatures who know exactly what is causing the increasingly alarming changes in Venice. A dark power is rising in the city, one who wants to destroy everything and everyone in Venice and Teo may be the only person who can stop it.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. The concept and setting are interesting and I adored the mermaids. It's also obvious the author loves Venice and does leave the reader with a case of wanderlust. However, several plot events just made me crazy because they involved Teo doing exactly what she was told not to or passively watching something happen and doing nothing just so the plot could move forward. I'm also not sure who the audience is for this novel. The villains in this novel are gruesome and scary even for this adult (although admittedly I'm not great with horror-ish elements) but the protagonist is only eleven. My library has this in their teen collection and I'd only recommend it for upper middle grade readers. Not a bad read and if you enjoy a tinge of horror to your fantasy, this one may work better for you.

Rating: ***

Book 30



Paper Girls Volume 2 - Brian K. Vaughan

Enormous spoilers for Volume 1 below!

Erin, Mac, and Kimberley have been thrown into the future and arrived in 2016 where they almost immediately encounter Erin's older self. While they attempt to determine whether KJ is also in 2016 or if she's travelled elsewhere in time, new threats arrive that will have Erin questioning who she is, who she wants to become, and who to trust.

So. So. Good. Excellent sci-fi twists and more than one Erin makes for fascinating reading. The art is jaw-droppingly gorgeous in sections. The dirigible-esque time ship gets a beautiful two-page spread that made me say, "Wow." I'm definitely going to be racing through the next available volumes in my TBR stack.

Rating: ****

Book 31



Fry's English Delight, Series 2 - Stephen Fry

This second series of the BBC Radio 4 program sees Stephen exploring the idea of correct English and whether it actually exists, the concept of speaking proper English and what that really means, and delving into the history of the word "hello." The audiobook also includes a bonus episode on gibberish. All fascinating stuff and Stephen, of course, makes a wonderful host as he talks with various experts and exercises his obvious love for the constantly evolving beast that is the English language.

Rating: *****

And for any Star Trek: The Next Generation fans, BookRiot made a list of recommended reads based on who your favourite character is. Because I love almost all of them, I got a bunch of new titles to add to The List.

Book 32



Paper Girls Volume 3 - Brian K. Vaughan

Our four heroines are reunited in the prehistoric past, where the locals are dealing with weird repercussions from time travel. At the same time another time traveler has also arrived at the same time and her reception is less than friendly.

Characters develop, a little more of the big plot is revealed, and, of course, the volume ends with a cliffhanger that leaves me very glad I've got the next volume in hand.

Rating: ****

Book 33



Paper Girls Volume 4 - Brian K. Vaughan

The girls have landed in 2000 where the two time-traveling factions are duking it out on a massive scale.

So much goodness both on the character development front and the plot front. There's also a lot more details about one of the time traveling factions, which is super fascinating to explore.

Rating: ****

Book 34



Paper Girls Volume 5 - Brian K. Vaughan

The girls, along with older Tiffany, arrive in the distant future where the old-timers faction has their base. While they try to figure out how to get back to 1988 they'll encounter people they'd least expected to find.

Every volume of this series is just as good as the previous one and it's fascinating to see timelines return back to different points in the narrative from a different perspective. Again, the volume ends with a cliffhanger and I'm impatiently waiting for my hold to come in.

Rating: ****

Book 35



Fry's English Delight, Series 3 - Stephen Fry

This third series over the course of four episodes covers:

1. The QWERTY keyboard: its origins, its influence on English and communication, potential replacements, and its likely future.
2. The influence of an individual's sex on how they speak
3. The weirdness that comes in contradiction
4. The potential future of the English language; what will English look like in 200 years?

As ever, Fry is just as delightful as his subject.

Rating: ****

>203 MickyFine: Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate your librarian's hat!
Perhaps the SPL could make the title publicly unsearchable until the book is actually catalogued... then the wait times are more realistic. I might ask my local librarian at my favourite branch...

Book 36



Fry's English Delight: Word Games - Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry explores whether English is innately playful and whether word games are good for your brain. An extended episode that is as delightful as the previous series.

Rating: ****

Book 37



Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade - Diana Gabaldon

BookRiot Read Harder Challenge - Read a historical fiction novel not set in WWII

Lord John and his brother, Hal, prepare for their mother's imminent remarriage as well as their upcoming deployment to Europe. At the same time, a conspiracy against the throne has potential implications for the family honour and pages from Lord John's father's last journal begin making an appearance.

Gabaldon excels at crafting gorgeous historical fiction and her Lord John novels are just as enjoyable as the main Outlander series. Fans of the latter will be pleased to see Jamie making an appearance in this volume but there's plenty here to make any reader happy. The world building is gorgeous, the plot is well-crafted, and the central mystery is twisty enough to keep anyone guessing.

Rating: ****

February Summary







Numbers in parentheses are for year to date.

Books read: 21 (37)
Books ditched: 1 (1)

Fiction: 14 (26)
Non-fiction: 7 (11)

Adult: 17 (30)
YA: 1 (4)
Children's: 3 (3)

Library: 18 (30)
Mine: 3 (7)
Borrowed elsewhere: 0 (0)

Re-reads: 2 (5)

Female authors: 10 (21)
Male authors: 13 (19)
Non-binary authors: 0 (0)

Pages: 3,167 (7,599)
Hours: 10 hours, 3 minutes (19 hours, 53 minutes)

Average rating: 3.89

Average time to read book: 3.24 days

Favourite book(s): Kill the Farm Boy takes the prize for making me laugh frequently.

>220 MickyFine: You had quite the productive February!

>220 MickyFine: You piled up the reads in February! Impressive. I love the Frys best of them all.

>221 curioussquared: It looks impressive, but most of them were quite short. We'll see how March looks in comparison.

>222 richardderus: It's an excellent favourite to choose, RDear. *smooch*

Hi Micky. Great reading going on in your life.
Being in a librarian role is probably a fantastic situation for being at the head of the line to see what is coming down the turnpike!

I finished Marty Wingate's The Bodies in the Library and gave it a rating. Wasn't quite up my alley but I'm looking forward to dipping into some Jenn McKinlay novels when I have motored through my recent library cascade.

Book 38



Dream Lake - Lisa Kleypas

Alex Nolan is haunted by the legacy of his childhood growing up with alchoholic parents. He's also recently started being haunted by a literal ghost who can't remember who he is or why he's there but seems to be tied to Alex. While grappling with whether he's actually cracking up, Alex meets Zoe Hoffman who is the complete opposite of Alex. He knows the best thing for her is to keep himself far away from her but her sparkling personality and general aura of love and kindness may be too much for him to resist.

Meh. I usually enjoy Lisa Kleypas's novels but this one fell flat for me. The slight paranormal aspect to the novel here isn't particularly compelling and while I liked Zoe, I didn't care much about Alex. In this case, the predictability of the novel wasn't reassuring as it often is in romance novels, but rather mildly irritating. I also didn't care much about the hints of what lies ahead in the next novel in the series for one of the secondary characters in this novel. Not recommended.

Rating: ***

>224 SandyAMcPherson: I usually am only super on top of what's coming up in the non-fiction realm of things, since that's what I order for work. When it comes to fiction, if the title is big enough to make professional newsletters and such I might know about it but I'm often in the same position as the average library user. :) I hope you enjoy the McKinlay when you get to her.

Book 39



Fry's English Delight, Series 4 - Stephen Fry

Just as educational and fun as always. This series includes episodes on the mouth, brevity, persuasion, and class.

Rating: ****

Yay for Paper Girls! It's so nice to have a fellow aficionado, Micky. I love their camaraderie, and the character development, and the bouncing back and forth in time. Every volume of this series is just as good as the previous one and it's fascinating to see timelines return back to different points in the narrative from a different perspective. Yes! Agreed.

I want to read more Stephen Fry. I loved Mythos, and we got to see him tell stories and history from it in London last Fall. A standing ovation after a 3 hour "lecture" - I'm not sure who else could've pulled that off. We had the best time.

>228 jnwelch: He reads the audiobook of Mythos and I'll be trying it as I feel like that particular book might be the exception to my issues with audiobooks. They're releasing his follow-up book, Heroes, on audio this June. If you want to listen to Stephen Fry talk even more...

As for Paper Girls, it's a series I'm considering acquiring for my personal library it's so good.

>210 MickyFine: Unfortunately for me, my local library only had the first book in the series. I am EXTREMELY disappointed in this happenstance.

>219 MickyFine: I need to read that one. I love the Outlander books so much that I have been afraid to give the Lord John books a fair shake, fearing that they would not live up to the others.

>230 alcottacre: I had the same concerns, Stasia, and I've really enjoyed them. They're also easier on the hands then the Outlander chunksters. ;)

Book 40



Naughty on Ice - Maia Chance

Lola and Berta are invited to a small village in Vermont to recover a ring at a Christmas party. Then they are forced to stay when one of the guests is murdered and our detecting duo become the prime suspects. In order to clear their names, and get home by Christmas, they've got to figure out who the real murderer is. But as the bodies pile up, the risk becomes that one of the next victims will be them.

The change of locale for this fourth entry in the series makes for some interesting changes. A thoroughly enjoyable mystery and one where I figured out the whodunnit before the detectives but not so far in advance that it made the detectives seem less intelligent than they should be. There's a lot of hints in this entry that this may be the last volume in the series and enough threads are tied up that I'm pleased if it is. However, I'll be equally happy if Lola and Berta have further adventures.

Rating: ****

Book 41



Valour and Vanity - Mary Robinette Kowal

Jane and Vincent have split up from Jane's family who are traveling through Europe to spend extended time in Venice to further explore the applications of setting glamour in glass. But a misadventure early in their journey has long-lasting implications for the couple.

The fourth entry in this series is stronger than earlier titles. I enjoy not only that Kowal continues to explore the rules of the gentle magic she has included in her universe but also explores the realities of living in a marriage after several years. Solid historical fantasy that I continue to appreciate. Recommended for fans of the series.

Rating: ****

Life Update

Life is very full at the moment. Mr. Fine and I are in the early phases of finding a house to buy, which is both fun and a bit terrifying. We looked at a couple places yesterday and will be looking again next week. I'm also awaiting a surgery date, which based on wait time estimates should be any time between now and May (I'm not seriously ill but the surgery will come with six weeks of recovery). Of course that adds a whole other level for me to be anxious about along with the house hunting. So reading might spike or completely plateau in the coming weeks and months.

>234 MickyFine: I'm hoping the surgical intervention proceeds apace despite the current crisis. I'm a big believer in "if I need it, do it now" school of medical practice.

I have a cataract forming in my left eye that's not "bad enough" to need surgery yet. I loathe waiting!

>234 MickyFine: Good luck with the house hunting and even better luck with the surgical procedure.

>235 richardderus: I cannot bring myself to wish a friend that I hope you get worse quickly so that you can get the treatment you crave. Take care dear fellow.

Revisiting your thread reminded me to put 2 more holds on books. Now I just hope they don't come in too fast! Good luck with your house hunting and surgery. I hope that the timing on both works out well.

>231 MickyFine: Good to know!

>232 MickyFine: I will have to check and see if my local library has that series. Thanks for the recommendation, Micky!

>233 MickyFine: I have only read The Calculating Stars by Kowal. I will have to look for this series by her too.

>234 MickyFine: Good luck with the house hunting and the surgery, Micky! I know anxiety-inducing both can be.

Well apparently posting about waiting for a surgery date was the secret to finally getting a date. I'm scheduled in a couple days before the Easter long weekend.

Now to hope that the same will apply to finding a house as I'd like to get that lined up before surgery.

>235 richardderus: I hear you on waiting, Richard. It's particularly difficult to plan life when you have something up in the air like that.

>236 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>237 Familyhistorian: I hope your holds come in at just the right time, Meg.

>238 alcottacre: Glad to see I've handed out more BBs, Stasia. And thanks for the empathy, the anxiety levels fluctuate about both over the course of the day.

>239 MickyFine: Glad to hear that you got that scheduled. Good luck with the house hunt!

>236 PaulCranswick: Thanks, PC. The damn thing's just irritating at present because I no longer drive.

>239 MickyFine: Rah rah rah!! Surgery date set; now the house-hunting whammys need to fly northwestward.

>239 MickyFine: Hoping surgery goes well, and hurrah for no more waiting in limbo for the date! Good luck on the house hunting as well.

>240 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi. So far house hunting is going ok. Looking at a bunch of places Tuesday evening, with one second viewing.

>241 richardderus: Thanks, RDear.

>242 bell7: Thanks, Mary.

Book 42



Fry's English Delight, Series 5 - Stephen Fry

As ever, these episodes remain as informative and entertaining as the ones that came before. Episodes cover: the letter X, intonation, conversation, and colour in language.

Rating: ****

Book 43



Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz

A dual narrative, meta-fictional delight in which a literary agent reads the latest novel in a mystery series, which owes a significant debt to the Golden Age of Mysteries, and at the same time ends embroiled in a mystery of her own.

A really fun read for mystery fans but not one I can talk about much to avoid giving away things. Suffice to say, if you're a fan of Agatha Christie or her cronies, you'll enjoy this one too.

Rating: ****

Hope your surgery goes well and your recovery includes much entertainment and no pain.
Good luck with the house hunt!

>232 MickyFine: Those Maia Chance mysteries look great fun!
I will see if I can find a library e-book to borrow, should I just happen to run out of reading my current stack.

>246 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle, for both!

>247 SandyAMcPherson: I quite enjoyed them, Sandy. I hope your library has them as ebooks.

Ditched



Murder is Binding - Lorna Barrett

Ugh. I wasn't thrilled with this book from the first page where the protagonist immediately comes off as catty towards other women. But hoping it would be a minor issue, I pressed on because I'm always a sucker for a bookish cozy mystery. I really shouldn't have. The protagonist appears to have NO women friends (or really any friends), is internally judgmental about everyone, and more than once internally refers to her one staff member in her bookshop as "the help." *cringe* And age can't be an excuse as the book was published in 2008. What made me immediately close this ebook and send it back to the library though was that after discovering the murder victim has a daughter with Down's syndrome, in passing the information on to another character, she used the "r" word. And that was it. I'm done. Not at all recommended.

Rating: /

Eek! I think I have this one on my Kindle. And there it shall sit, unread. Thanks for the warning.

>250 katiekrug: Happy to help, Katie!

Well, Mr. Fine and I are going to look at a few houses tonight including a second viewing for the house we checked out during an open house on Sunday. At this point I'm really happy that people are still willing to let us look at their houses (although if you're selling right now, I suppose you're also happy that people are still trying to buy). Only real change is our realtor has instructed us to bring gloves to wear, which isn't hard given the current temperatures still being below 0C. Stay tuned for updates on the second viewing house...

It's been a crazy few days. My library had me start working from home on Wednesday, which has been fine so far although the cats seem confused that I'm home all day but not hanging out on the couch like I usually do when I'm home.

In exciting news, Mr. Fine and I had our offer accepted on a house last night! We're supposed to take possession mid-May. It's interesting doing things like bank drafts right now with the COVID-19 restrictions but so far everything is going smoothly. Here's crossing fingers that conditions go through with no hiccups.

Congrats on the house! One less thing to worry about :)

Yay, congrats on the new house!

>252 MickyFine: Congrats on the house! Hope it all goes through smoothly despite the current situation :D

>252 MickyFine: Congrats on the house Micky! Lovely to hear good news right now. Hope things continue to go well despite it all.

>252 MickyFine: Congrats - that's good news! My dad's a real estate lawyer and he was telling me today about how things have slowed down tremendously, because it's hard to get inspections and all the other steps done. Hope everything continues to go smoothly and you're able to get in mid-May as planned.

>252 MickyFine: Congrats on the house! I hope everything goes smoothly!

Hi, Micky.

Congrats of having your house offer accepted. Exciting times!

You mentioned liking bookish cozy mysteries. That made me think of two that aren't quite that, but I thought you might like: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, and The Bookshop of Yesterdays.

Hope things continue to go smoothly regarding the house. Congratulations!

Thanks, Katie, Natalie, Kathy, Paws, Jenny, Mary, Joe, and Rachel for the house congrats.

>259 jnwelch: I've read and loved Nina Hill, Joe, but I'll keep my eye out for your second recommendation. :)

Book 44



Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake - Sarah MacLean

Callie Allendale has spent a decade doing everything society has expected of her and all it did was land her squarely in spinster seating on the edge of every ball. When her younger sister gets engaged, Callie is finally spurred to think about what she'd do if society's rules didn't apply to her. Of course, while pursuing the first item on the list she encounters the notorious Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston and they both discover the delights of breaking the rules together.

Such a lovely romance, I've now added Sarah MacLean to my list of favourite authors. Callie is a great heroine, who happens to be plus-sized, and her goals to break out of the rules that bind women of her class are admirable and aren't really about snaring a man. Ralston is brooding and handsome and everything one can ask of a hero in an historical romance. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series and more of MacLean in general.

Rating: ****

Book 45



Paper Girls Vol. 6 - Brian K. Vaughan

The conclusion to the Paper Girls series sees the resolution of the time war and it won't end how you think. Excellent and satisfying conclusion.

Rating: ****

>252 MickyFine: Yay!

>262 MickyFine: It sounds like I need to check her writing out.

>262 MickyFine: I'm not into romance but this one sounds like it might be worth a read! Although, I'm irked that the heroine is plus-size but the cover art is NOT. I know authors don't have a lot of control over cover design but that's seriously irritating.

>262 MickyFine: I don't read much romance, but I follow Sarah MacLean on social media because she's fab. I'm glad to hear her books are, too.

Congrats on getting your offer accepted, Micky. I hope everything goes smoothly with the rest of what needs to be done before you take possession.

I really should look for some copies of Paper Girls for my granddaughter. She's run out of things to read and of course all the libraries are closed.

I think the series would be a good choice while the family waits to see if the school will do some online teaching. The playgrounds are closed as well so walks are being taken. That wears thin after awhile especially with rain forecast and possible snow flurries where they live.

Hope your move is set for warmer weather. Like the middle of May!

I’m glad your surgery date is confirmed; one less thing to worry about. Congratulations on your offer being accepted!

>265 leahbird: Exactly!

>264 richardderus: Thanks, Richard.

>265 leahbird: Joys of marketing. Especially since the book was published in 2010 and the body positive movement was not as well-known at that point.

>266 PawsforThought: They sure are, Paws.

>267 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. So far everything is going ok. *knock on wood*

>268 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy. Keep in mind that Paper Girls is decidedly an adult graphic novel. While the main characters are 12, there is lots of content that would be most appropriate for older teens and up. As for our move, it will be late May so odds are better the weather will be decent.

>269 humouress: Well, not so much on the surgery date, Nina. The provincial health system has postponed all elective surgery for (at least) the duration of the public health emergency. But at least I'll actually be able to help with the move rather than point and direct. :)

Hi Micky, congrats on the house! Hope everything goes well. I was wondering about the surgery. All things considered, postponement is probably better. Are you able to work from home? And wow - a direct hit every time you mentioned Stephen Fry. OOF!

Well done with the house, Micky.

Moving house is specifically prohibited here in Malaysia at the moment. For those in rented accommodation with expired or expiring tenancies a Police permit is required both to leave the last home and to enter the new one.......and there are no movers working!

Thankfully I am on a long lease in my present condo.

Congrats on the new house!

>271 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! Yup, my job looks basically the same whether I'm at work or at home since I primarily do selection. Just a heavier emphasis on ematerials than physical right now. Enjoy all the Stephen Fry.

>272 PaulCranswick: Well, we won't be moving until the end of May and we're hopeful that physical distancing measures may be lifted by then. It'll be us, family, and some friends doing the move so that makes things simpler.

>273 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle.

Still waiting for final approval on the financing (and freaking out about it at intervals). With all things COVID-19, banks are being extra cautious but our broker keeps telling me he has no concerns so I'm hoping I'm worrying over nothing. House inspection went smoothly. We're going to need to replace shingles and the hot water tank sooner rather than later, but nothing scary or massive is wrong with the house. I have also finished a book but Mr. Fine wants some quality time this afternoon so I may not review it until later.

I'll take any and all prayers, good thoughts, etc. for the financing side of things. :)

Absolutely sending prayers and good thoughts on the house financing your way! Hope it all goes smoothly, Micky.

Micky--Wishing you financial housing success! And patience on the whole surgery thing. Best of luck and stay well!!

>270 MickyFine: Woah, good thing I mentioned thinking the Paper Girls series would be a good choice for my granddaughter. I hadn't realized it was an adult/older YA graphic novel.

Saved! Thanks for the warning.

Thanks all for the prayers and good will. We received final approval yesterday. We'll take possession mid-May. :)

Thankfully, I'm among the 25% of staff at my library that is considered essential and did not receive temporary layoff notice this week. Living in hope that I remain essential for the duration of the closure.

>278 MickyFine: Hurrah!

>278 MickyFine: That's great news!
Nate and I are essential too ... although since he is front line policing I would have preferred him to get laid off. Kinda worried that he is going to bring this home.

Book 46



Information Hunters: When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe - Kathy Peiss

A history focused on the work of American librarians and information professionals who worked to collect materials during the war years for intelligence purposes as well as working to preserve and restitute materials that were hidden during the war.

It's a bit hard to review this one as I'm fully aware that I was not in the best head space for focusing on the text when I read it. I will admit to being disappointed that the book was so US-focused as there were occasional references to work being done by the British and Russians in the same field and I would have been curious to see how their work compared. The introduction also notes that the author's uncle was one of the lead officers who did work for the Library of Congress in Europe during the war years collecting material. These sections were the most interesting and other passages with a long litany of acronyms and names working on similar projects didn't hold the same spark. Interesting reading but note that this one requires a good ability to focus when diving in.

Rating: ***

March Summary





Numbers in parentheses are for year to date.

Books read: 9 (46)
Books ditched: 1 (2)

Fiction: 6 (32)
Non-fiction: 3 (14)

Adult: 6 (36)
YA: 0 (4)
Children's: 0 (3)

Library: 9 (39)
Mine: 0 (7)
Borrowed elsewhere: 0 (0)

Re-reads: 0 (5)

Female authors: 5 (26)
Male authors: 4 (23)
Non-binary authors: 0 (0)

Pages: 2,328 (9,927 7,599)
Hours: 15 hours, 7 minutes (23 hours, 35 minutes)

Average rating: 3.89

Average time to read book: 3.48 days

Favourite book(s): Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake hit just the right spot for me this month.

>278 MickyFine: That is *excellent* news all the way around! So happy for you.

>281 MickyFine: Being in the US, I suspect my response will be more gung-ho than yours is so I requested it from the local. I'll get it post-plague and that works well for me.

Stellar stats, Micky. I hope the Fine Family remains hale and happy.

>279 PawsforThought: Thanks, Paws!

>280 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. Wishing you and yours good health.

>283 richardderus: Aww, thanks RDear. I'm sure you'll enjoy the book a lot more. :)

It's a new quarter, time for a new thread (no foolin'!). Follow the link below!