TIFFIN'S First for 2020

Ice storm at the end of 2019:



Carried on from: https://www.librarything.com/topic/310078

Well, we're in the 20s again! My mother was born on 12 January 2020, so she is having her 100th birthday in less than two weeks. It seems so remarkable for her to see them coming around again.

I don't have any expectations that the global situation is going to improve in this coming year, although if a certain tyrant gets unelected that should give a lessening of global tensions. In the face of frightening global issues, not the least of which is climate change and global warming, I have decided that all I can do is to work from the microcosm that is me, my home, my family and friends. I am making efforts to leave less of a carbon footprint by reducing the use of plastics as much as I can, to eat more vegetarian meals, to wear the clothes I have (except bathing suits which unfortunately rot out in the pool from the chlorine). I want to be conscious and mindful, conscientious and heedful.

Although I do try to be kind and compassionate, I'm sure there is always room for improvement. I shall continue to be as generous as I'm able.

No resolutions per se, although I do want to eliminate refined sugar as much as possible. A confirmed lover of dark chocolate, this will be hard but I am determined.

So happy 2020 to all of you dear LT friends, fellow readers. To those of you who visit here, thank you. Your kind words and visits do cheer me. I'm still my mother's main support, which is only increasing as she continues to age, so I appreciate your understanding for my having curtailed my LT activities beyond posting my reads.

Sending a good Celt blessing to you all.

Welcome back, Tui! I like your thoughts on the year ahead. I hope it's a good one for you.

ETA: If I've jumped in too soon, let me know and I'll remove this and come back when you're open for business.

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

Your mother was born in 1920! Mama was born on May 30, though she's been dead since Christmas Eve 1999.

Have a wonderful 2020, my dear old pal.

Welcome back!

Best wishes for 2020!

Happy New Year Tui. Wishing you some cracking reads in 2020.

Thanks, Laura--quite ready for you, and Happy New Year to you too.
Lovely thoughts, thank you, Paul. Happy New Year!
Thanks for the good wishes, Richard. Back atcha!
Thanks, Jim. I've lost track of how many years it is but here we go again! Happy New Year to you and thanks yet again for shouldering this load.
Thanks, Caro! Happy New Year to you too!

Hi DianaNL, haven't seen you around before. If you are a newbie, welcome to LT.

Happy reading in 2020, Tui!

You too, Anita! xo

>2 tiffin: I am making efforts to leave less of a carbon footprint by reducing the use of plastics as much as I can, to eat more vegetarian meals, to wear the clothes I have.

My New Year’s resolutions are very similar, Tui.

You're kind of my inspiration, Rhian!

>13 tiffin: Ooh, I’m blushing now!

1: The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

Kindle edition {added}



How lovely to start the year off with what was pretty much a five star read for me. What a fascinating story she tells about Merrick Tremayne, a gardener and explorer from Heligan, Cornwall who worked for the East India Company. Charged with bringing cinchona trees out of Peru to combat malaria in India, Natasha Pulley weaves a wonderful story around Tremayne: part real, part magic realism which drew me in like one of the markayuqs in the tale, leaving me with that quixotic wistful fullness we feel when a wonderfully told tale comes to an end. I loved her The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, and look forward to reading her next book.

Enjoy your 2020 reading!

Thanks, Lori, you too!

>15 tiffin: congratulations on a good read to start the year off Tui.

2: The Invisible Library, by Genevieve Cogman

Kindle edition

3: The Masked City, The Invisible Library Vol. 2 by Genevieve Cogman

Kindle edition



They are a bit pricier than I usually buy for zer Kindle but I had a gift card, so I went wild. I like this series but don't know if I'll continue.

Happy New Year, Tui! Lovely that your mother is turning 100. Do you have plans for her birthday?

Hi Cush, Happy New Year to you too. We're taking in cupcakes and ice cream for the folks in her dining room at lunch time. I have the letters from the Queen and Governor General to put up on her wall. There will be a big balloon with 100 on it. But apart from that, no big fuss as she wouldn't enjoy it. Getting quite deaf and already blind, it would just be too confusing and exhausting for her.

4: The Lives of Tao, Book 1 of the Tao novels by Wesley Chu

Kindle edition

5: The Deaths of Tao, Book II of the Tao novels by Wesley Chu

Kindle edition

6: The Rebirths of Tao, Book III of the Tao novels by Wesley Chu

Kindle edition



A precursor trilogy to the Io series.

>15 tiffin: My local library has The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, so I am going to have to give it a try. Thanks for the recommendations of both books, Tui.

>19 tiffin: >20 tiffin: I have read the first book of the series and own the second, so I get to dodge those particular BBs.

I hope your mother enjoyed her milestone birthday!

Hi Stasia! She did enjoy it, thank you. I hope your arm is healing well.

7: Ash Princess, Book One, by Laura Sebastian

Kindle edition



Interesting enough to carry on to the second book.

8: Lady Smoke, Ash Princess Book Two, by Laura Sebastian

Kindle edition



Third book not out until February. Pretty good so far.

9: Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown, by Anne Glenconner

Hardcover, Hodder & Soughton



A fascinating read.

>30 tiffin: I've hovered over that Tui, glad it was a good read. I'll wait for the paperback.

>20 tiffin: I found them to be prohibitive on Kindle so I borrowed them from the library; I'm eager to dive into the latest, The Secret Chapter, but I'm a sucker for a sexy dragon shifter. YMMV.

I liked the Tao series! I hope you'll enjoy the Ios as well.

Richard, I had already read the Ios! Cart before horse. The Invisible Library books are out of my price range too. I don't know if our village library would carry them.

Oh! Yeah, now you know the basis of the series. Chu is my kind of writer...character and plot and worldbuilding get balanced attention.

I hope the library surprises you pleasantly. The Library that balances the multiverse is a trope I love.

10: A Sea of Troubles, Book 10 in the Commissario Brunetti series, by Donna Leon

Kindle edition

11: The Course of True Love, in the Monstrous Little Voices series, by Kate Heartfield

Kindle edition



Amusing.

>35 tiffin: it is ages since I read a Donna Leon Tui. I read some of the early ones, as I love Venice.

Me too, Caro. It's what I like about the books: what they eat, the different factions and snobberies, the characters.

12, 13, 14, 15: Extensis Vitae, books 1, 2, 3 & 4, by Gregory Mattix

Kindle edition



I am always interested in how different authors handle post-apocalyptic societies so when this showed up on BookBub inexpensive kindle buys, I thought I'd take a gander.

This series was written by an ex US military man, so there is more than I ever wanted to know about the various kinds of weaponry. There is also a lot of gore, so right up front there it is so those with more delicate sensibilities can veer away. It struck me as a series that would appeal to those who had grown up with war games on their X boxes. So there are the caveats.

It is, at its base, a classic good vs. evil tale, with power and greed the usual currency. In post apocalypse US, caused by an asteroid which slam dunked itself in the mid-west, people have gathered together in pods living at a subsistence level while others have formed cities using slave labour. Still others live in wealthy compounds, running vast industries which deal in things like skins for rehabilitation, AIs, advanced weaponry. The story starts off with the smallest and most humble, working its way up to the apex of the power chain. The baddies are really bad, the good guys are more complex as characters, many wearing the albatrosses of pre-apocalypse lives.

Did I like it? Well, I tend to need a bit more subtlety to really like a tale like this, a little less wild west, and ride 'em cowboy. However, there were elements which were quite imaginative, bordering on science fiction, so it wasn't that bad on the whole. It was fast paced without being frenetic (except during a battle scene). There were some good characters, well drawn. He handled the issues around choosing the right way fairly well, although I found him too heavy handed around the matter of honour. It had a lot of "Beyond Thunderdome" about it.

>36 tiffin: Oh, I enjoyed that series! It was a fun idea, and for the most part well done. Heartfield was a delightful discovery for me, I've gone on to appreciate her Alice Payne novellas from that anthology.

>39 tiffin:: You mean Monstrous Little Voices--yes, I think I'll pick up more of them.

>41 tiffin: Yes indeed! The whole anthology is only $5.99, which is pretty darn cheap.

That might be Amurcan but I'll look for it, Richard. Thanks!

16: Natural Causes, Book I of the Inspector McLean mystery series, by James Oswald

Kindle edition



Very gritty but set in Scotland, Edinburgh to be precise, so I liked that aspect of it. Inspector McLean is a bit fey, which is fun. I don't know if his character might develop more in the next book. A bit out of the Kindle price point I like to stay in, so I might try the library.

17: The Unkindest Cut, a Monstrous Little Voices book 3, by Emma Newman

Kindle edition

18: The Book of Souls, Book 2 of the Inspector McLean series, by James Oswald

Kindle edition



Carrying on with Inspector McLean. Enjoying tootling around Edinburgh, although the stories are quite noir.

19: The Hangman's Song, Book 3 of the Inspector McLean series, by James Oswald

Kindle edition



They are chronological, so best read in order if anyone else is interested.

*ow*ow*ow*

Natural Causes is added to the cart.

20: Dead Men's Bones, Book 4 of the Inspector McLean Series, by James Oswald

Kindle edition

21: Prayer for the Dead, Book 5 of the Inspector McLean series, by James Oswald

Kindle edition

22: The Damage Done, Book 6 of the Inspector McLean series, by James Oswald

Kindle edition

The Kindle editions of the McLean series ends after Book 7, although there are 3 more books (one pending). I may have to use the library for them. The joy of being a completist!

Although these are gritty police procedurals on one level, they have a fey supernatural element to them which might not appeal to mystery purists. As a somewhat fey Celt type, this doesn't bother me at all because I know there are "more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy" but those of you with rational scientific minds might find it annoying. Plus, I really like his characters.

23: Written in Bones, Book 7 of the Inspector McLean series, by James Oswald

Kindle edition



The last one available on Kindle, at least for now. I'll try the village library for # 8.

>44 tiffin: >46 tiffin: >47 tiffin: >49 tiffin: >50 tiffin: >51 tiffin: >53 tiffin: New series to me. I just added the first to my Overdrive TBR list. Only one of the two libraries had it.

A lot of people didn't like Book 7, feeling that Oswald was getting formulaic and somewhat boring. It was probably the weakest of the lot, for me.

24: Safe and Sound by Fern Michaels

Kindle edition



I'm not quite sure what I just read. The best analogy I can come up with is if you've ever bought a grab bag of fabric because it was so inexpensive, without getting a particularly good look at the material, getting it home to find out it's like 1950s pyjama material in colours you don't particularly like, you'll know how I felt about this story. Apparently it's one of a huge series of books about these women who form a sisterhood (this was book 29), going around doing good things and rescuing people. So when one of their number befriends an eight year old child genius who is being treated like crap by his adoptive parents, they leap into action.

The writing was simplistic. The plot was obvious. The characters were cookie cutter predictable. I only finished the book because my Kindle was on the bathroom counter, so it helped to fill in the, er, time.

Oh well, it was cheap.

Your description of that book made me laugh! How did you come into possession of this lovely gem?

Through BookBub cheapo notifications, Laura.

>56 tiffin: Yes, not your most glowing of recommendations, Tui!

Have a lovely weekend and I hope your next book is a better fit.

Paul, I'm reading a good old reliable brother Cadfael, set during the time of Maud and Stephen's battles. Sometimes being in a monastery garden is just the ticket!

>60 tiffin: From the outhouse to the cloister garden. Yep, it's Tui's place!

>61 richardderus: Hahaha. That is some place you got there, Tui.

Much like my mind, Richard!

>62 PaulCranswick:, >63 tiffin: Heh. I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

If you can fathom this, Tui, there are presently thirty-two books in that series, including a digital short, and as Michaels shows no signs of flagging, there will be more. She's clearly on JD Robb/Nora Roberts's trail with the "In Death" series record of fifty books in her sights.

26: Rotherweird, by Andrew Caldecott

Kindle edition



Five star! What a world Caldecott has created, what a story he has told! Two more books in the series, and I'm delighted that there are.

25: Pilgrim of Hate, by Ellis Peters

Kindle edition



In my excitement to post about Rotherweird, I forgot to post the Cadfael book I read before it. Good standard brother Cadfael fare.

Heavens, Tui! I can't believe that I haven't visited you earlier this year. Now. I've sat down and am looking around and taking everything in.
I hope that your mother enjoyed her 100th birthday! You'll remember that my mom is 98 and that I'm with her a good 12 or 13 hours a day. She has recovered well from another compression fracture in her spine although it has cut her ability to stand or walk by another minute or two. Otherwise, everything is good.
Now I'm leaving to research Rotherweird and The Bedlam Stacks. Thanks!
I have just discovered Eve Dallas and the *In Death* series, Stasia's favorite and loved by several others around here. I'm reading #2 and have #3 at hand. Only 47 or so yet to go to catch up.

Peggy, so good to see you! I'll look into Eve Dallas, thanks. I am grateful for the wonderful care givers who look after my mom's physical needs day in, day out. I would be unable to do so. I do remember that your mom lives with you, and that you care for her. You are blessed to genuinely like each other--my mom's anxiety disorder (a lifelong problem) makes her a difficult case, as does her blindness and increasing deafness, inability to stand or walk, etc. Amazing that she has lived to be 100!

>65 tiffin: Lovely! The Kindle edition is only $3.99, so that's loaded.

27: Wyntertide, Book II of the Rotherweird series by Andrew Caldecott

Kindle edition



I love the story he's telling, love his characters, love the intelligence of the writing.

28: Lost Acre, Book III of the Rotherweird series by Andrew Caldecott

Kindle edition



Despite having moved predominantly to Kindle reading to curtail amassing more books than I can realistically contain in this small house, every now and then I read something that I want to have in hardbound, to see it on the shelf, to know it's there, to reread it when nothing else beckons. This series by Andrew Caldecott is one of those reads. The world he has created is so quirkily *other*, so fierce and enchanting, with its characters from the depths of old and present England so finely drawn that I almost ached when it drew to its end.

In the bio info at the end of the 3rd book, I read that "Andrew Caldecott is a QC specialising in media, defamation and libel law, as well as a novelist and occasional playwright. He represented the BBC in the Hutton Inquiry (into the death of biological warfare expert and UN weapons inspector David kelly), the Guardian in the Leveson Inquiry (into the British press following the phone hacking scandal), and supermodel Naomi Campbell in her landmark privacy case, among many others........but informed by his love of history, which he studied at New College, Oxford, he was seized by the notion of a city-state hiding a cataclysmic secret: the result, his first book Rotherweird."

No lightweight, he. No pedantic lawyer type either. These three books are suffused with the old magic of ancient England, with art, architecture, science but more, with powerful loyalties, deep kindness, and love. A five star read for me is one that tells me a story that transports: it is literate and challenging, its characters are exquisitely drawn, whether good or evil. I believe while I'm there, with no willing suspension of disbelief required because the world created is so complete. I feel respected as a reader. So perhaps I will indulge this one rare time, and send for the hardbound set. After all, Hilary Mantel loved it too.

Well that sure looks interesting. You’re the one who introduced me to Shardlake so when you like a series I pay attention!

It is fantasy, Laura, so it might not be quite to your taste? Even on Kindle, it isn't inexpensive. I just ordered the hardbound set to sit with my Folio Tolkien and Gormenghast trilogy!

>73 tiffin: ahhh, well you might have a point. I don't really read fantasy and somehow on a first reading of your post, I thought it was a mystery series. I've also since discovered my library doesn't have it. Too bad!

Tui, I now have Rotherweird safely on my Kindle, but I really, really have to finish one something before I can start it in good conscience. I also understand that I don't need to be distracted by too much else while I read it.
I know how wonderful it is that my mother has been a best friend all my life. Technically, I don't live with her - just 12 hours a day with breaks for swimming, etc. I come home at night, and she does very well by herself. Long may this state of affairs flourish!

>65 tiffin: Funny, I downloaded this from a Kndle offer recently Tui. May be a while til I get to it, but I do like to have something different to turn to from time to time.

You remind me I still have Gormanghast to read, it's been in the pile some while.

>28 tiffin: My local library has the first book in the series and that is it, so I think I am going to bypass that one.

>30 tiffin: Adding that one to the BlackHole.

>39 tiffin: Passing that series by - not a fan of gore.

>44 tiffin: It is unfortunate that my local library does not carry that series.

>56 tiffin: I am not sure I have ever read any of Fern Michaels books and feel pretty safe in continuing in that state.

>65 tiffin: Adding that one to the BlackHole too. The entire series looks terrific. Thanks for the recommendation, Tui!

Hi Stasia, thanks for dropping by. Your list made me smile.

29: Cards of Grief by Jane Yolen

Kindle edition



I hadn't read one of her books in years. A good story.

30: Kurintor Nyusi, by Aaron-Michael Hall

Kindle edition



I feel like I've read this before. The second in the series doesn't seem to be available. I think I'll just let this one go.

Still reading the new Mantel book. Gorgeous writing!

>71 tiffin: I have had Rotherweird on my kindle for some time but haven’t got around to it. Maybe it’s the sort of immersive read that I need at the moment.

31: The Night they Killed Joss Varran, by George Bellairs

Kindle edition



I get these through the George Bellairs group online which releases them periodically. Inspector Littlejohn series.

32: Murder on Wheels, by Stuart Palmer

Kindle edition



This was so silly!

33: Forced Conversion, by Donald J. Bingle

Kindle edition



Kind of disappointing, all in all.

34: Three Shot Burst, by Phillip DePoy, Foggy Moscowitz mystery Book 2

Kindle edition



I liked this one. Smart, fun characters.

35: Icepick, by Philip DePoy, a Foggy Moscowitz mystery Book 3

Kindle edition



Another series! Really liking Foggy Moscowitz & Co.

Going back to read the first book in the series. I can't afford the 4th yet, so I wishlisted it until the price drops.

36: Cold Florida, by Phillip DePoy, Book 1 in the Foggy Moscowitz mystery series

Kindle edition



Had to double back to read Book 1. Just love this guy's writing.

Well, you've got me intrigued by Foggy Moscowitz. I'm going to have to make his acquaintance, I think.

I really like your reading style Tui - when you like something and you know you like it you follow through.

First the Caldecott books. I am soon going to start the first one (In April) and then the Philip Depoy books (who is new to me).

Also have to say that both authors are blessed by wonderful book covers.

I hope you like him, Linda.
Thanks, Paul. Similar terrier! DePoy is new to me too.

37: Easy, A Flap Tucker mystery, by Phillip DePoy

Kindle edition



I didn't enjoy this as much as the Foggy Moscowitz series but that might be because of the location of this one. Strip clubs, bars, and the like. The character of Flap Tucker didn't draw me in as much either. However, several of this series are going for $0.00 with Amazon Prime, so I'll give them a go because, you know, lockdown, pandemic, and all that.

38: Too Easy, Book 2 of the Flap Tucker mysteries, by Phillip DePoy

Kindle edition



Hey, they're free with Prime, so why not?

39: Easy as One, Two, Three, Book 3 of the Flap Tucker mysteries, by Phillip DePoy

Kindle edition



Reading right along with the freebies! I liked the last two settings better than the first.

40: Dancing Made Easy, Book 4 of the Flap Tucker Mysteries, by Phillip DePoy

Kindle edition



On to # 5. Hey they're free!

41: Dead Easy, Book 5 of the Flap Tucker mysteries, by Phillip DePoy

Kindle edition



Well, that's the last of this series to date. It got better after the first book. Just enough quirkiness to keep me going.

Hope you have had a lovely, peaceful, safe and healthy weekend, Tui.

Thanks, Paul. Safe and healthy is everything right now, isn't it?

42: The Outlaws of Sherwood, by Robin McKinley

Kindle edition



I like Robin Hood tales. McKinley writes this one well.

I wanted my message this year to be fairly universal in a time we all should be pulling together, whatever our beliefs. Happy Celebration, Happy Sunday, Tui.

You are so thoughtful, Paul. Thank you! Happy Spring will do it just fine for me, with a soft rain falling and the robins singing.

So, I'm reading Cold Florida, and loving it. Thanks for putting me on to Phillip DePoy, Tui. I see he has a few more outside the two series you've been reading, including an Appalachian series that LT thinks I'll like based on my fondness for Sharyn McCrumb. I think I'm hooked.

Hooray! I read the whole Foggy Moskowitz series then went to the Flap Tucker series. He really has an eye for a character.

43: Death in Room Five, by George Bellairs

Kindle edition



Another freebie. I like the Inspector Littlejohn mysteries by Bellairs.

44: Daughter of Time, Book 1 of the After Cilmeri series by Sarah Woodbury

Kindle edition



Time travel to 13 Century Wales. Don't know if I'll carry on with it or not.

45: Waters of Eternal Youth, by Donna Leon, Book 25 in the series

Kindle edition



A trip to Venice with Commissario Brunetti never disappoints.

46: The Good Knight, The Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mysteries Book 1, by Sarah Woodbury

Kindle edition



Pandemic escapism continuing.

47: The Samurai's Daughter, by John J. Healey

Kindle edition



The follow up to "The Samurai of Seville". At the end of the first book, the Samurai and his daughter, Soledad Maria aka Masako, left Spain for Japan. This story covers their return to Spain, and to Masako's return to her inheritance and life there. It's a good story.

48: Mystery on Hidden Lane, Book 1 of the Eve Mallow mysteries, by Clare Chase

Kindle edition



A cosy. Perfect pandemic reading.

49: Mystery at Apple Tree Cottage, Book II of the Eve Mallow mysteries, by Clare Chase

Kindle edition



Another cosy.

50: Brimstone Angels, Neverwinter Nights, Book I, by Erin M. Evans

Kindle edition



More pandemic reading.

51: The Mapmaker's Daughter, by Katherine Nouri Hughes

Kindle edition



A really interesting historical fiction about the life of Cecilia Baffo Veniero, kidnapped at a young age, and brought to Suleiman's court in Topkapi. She was renamed Nurbanu, married one of his sons, Selim, becoming the mother of a future sultan. This book is a deathbed look back over her life. I found it fascinating as it overlapped the period of Catherine de Medici, Elizabeth I, the Templars in Malta, while looking at the forces at play in the Mediterranean region at that time.

52: Hidden by Linda Gillard

Kindle edition



More cheapo pandemic reading.

53: A Bloody Hot Summer, by Trevor D'Silva

Kindle edition



A purportedly Christie-esque mystery.

54: A Case of Blackmail in Belgravia, a Freddy Pilkington-Soames AdventreBook 1, by Clara Benson

Kindle edition



Out of sequence--I forgot to enter it. Can't even remember if I liked it or not either.

Finished Slightly Foxed, The Real Reader's Quarterly, No. 62, Summer 2019. I read this when I'm having trouble sleeping.

>111 tiffin: I lurked and avoided this one once before. Tonight I took a BB to the Kindle, and now have my copy. Thanks, Tui.
I trust that you and yours are staying well.

Hi Peggy: as well as can be. Haven't seen Mom since 11 March but have spoken with her on the phone from the nursing home. They have tested all the residents who, at this point, are Covid-19 free. *touch wood* may it last. I wouldn't put the Hughes book in the category of Hilary Mantel's Cromwell but who could be!

>113 tiffin: The "purportedly" gives me pause.

Happy weekend reads.

55: The Sword & Shield, by Emma Khouri

kindle edition



This felt like a déja vu read.

>118 richardderus:: Yeah, when something claims to be like someone famous in a genre, I take it with a lump of salt. Happy weekend reads to you too, Richard.

56: The Fear Hunter, by Elise Sax

Kindle edition



Lots of fun! First of a series too--whoo hoooo!

>121 tiffin: I got sucked in to that deal as well. I hope it's good.

It's kind of funny so far!

I was just coming here to say that to you!

57: Some Like it Shot, by Elise Sax

Kindle edition



Didn't grab me quite as hard as the first one in the series, but I'll keep reading because I have to know how it's all going to end.

58: Miss Seeton's Finest Hour, by Hamilton Crane

Kindle edition



Somewhat of a prequel to the Miss Seeton mystery series, to say how she got started. Very WWII in its language and style.

59: The Queen of the Tearling, Book I, by Erika Johansen

Kindle edition



Interesting so far.

60: The Invasion of the Tearling, Book II, by Erika Johansen

Kindle edition



Past, present, and future are being played around with. I hope it will all come clear in the last book.

61: The Fate of the Tearling, Book III, by Erika Johansen

Kindle edition



Well, this was an ambitious project! I wondered if she would pull it all together, and pull it off, but she did a credible job of it.

62, 63, 64: The Miss Seeton Series: Books 1-3, by Heron Carvic

Kindle edition



This is out of sequence because I read it before the Tearling series but forgot to enter it. Cosy English mysteries with the brolly wielding innocent art teacher, Miss Seeton. All of five feet tall, she nonetheless outwits all the bad guys and endears herself to the police.

A belated happy birthday, Tui.

Hope you enjoy the last part of your Sunday.

Thanks, Paul! We're supposed to get rain tonight, which we need badly.

65: Resurrection Row, by Anne Perry

Kindle edition



A Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery.

66: The Eye of Love: A Novel, by Margery Sharp

Kindle edition



I had a strange sense of déja vu while reading this.

67: Stolen Songbird, Malediction Trilogy Book One, by Danielle L. Jensen

Kindle edition



Quite good. I'll read the whole series. Onward!

68: Hidden Huntress, Malediction Trilogy Book Two, by Danielle Jensen

Kindle edition



On to the third book!

69: Warrior Witch, Malediction Trilogy Book Three, by Danielle Jensen

Kindle edition



An enjoyable trilogy. Well written with compelling characters, and a romping good story line.

70: Between Mountain and Sea, Book I of the Paradise Chronicles, by Louisa Locke

Kindle edition



I'm enjoying this science fiction tale. Book II ready to go!

71: Under Two Moons, Book II of the Paradise Chronicles, by Louisa Locke

Kindle edition



Onward to book three!

72: Through Ddaera's Touch, Book III of the Paradise Chronicles, by Louisa Locke

Kindle edition



I enjoyed this trilogy. It has the potential to be continued as a series but ended in a good spot.

73: Master of Sorrows, The Silent Gods series Book I, by Justin Travis Call

Kindle edition



Another of my BookBub cheapies. I don't see any sign of the second book yet.

74: A Reputation Dies, the Rutherford Trilogy Book I, by Alice Chetwynd Ley

Kindle edition



A Georgette Heyerish period mystery. A cosy mystery.

75: Eleanor, the Books of the Five, Book I, by S.F. Burgess

Kindle edition



Written with a very obvious English bent ("he was stood over there", "he was sat", etc.), and the odd spelling mistake (peaked for peeked), I was nonetheless interested in the tale Ms. Burgess was telling about dying people being brought through from our earth into an alternative world, recreated as avatars of earth, air, fire, and water. Conlan, the would be king who brought them into his world, is trying to remodel his misogynistic cruel society into one which gives all people a chance. So despite the odd patch of roughness, Burgess is weaving a complex tale, with lots of imagination.

76: Will, the Books of the Five, Book II, by S.F. Burgess

Kindle edition



Will's transition into the avatar of water was a flawed process, causing a lot of problems for him and the others of the Five. This is his story.

77: Amelia, The Books of the Five, Book III, by S.F. Burgess

Kindle edition



As the avatar of air, this is Amelia's story in the story of the Five. No sign of Book IV yet.

Congrats on hitting 75!

thanks, Jim! How do you DO that (keep track of all of us)?

>143 tiffin: Congratulations on reaching 75, Tui!

Thanks, Anita!

I'm a little bit late, Tui, but congratulations for passing 75 books already.

Congratulations on your 75! Read on my friend, read on. Do it again!
And you shoved a BB at me with *Between Mountains/Sea* and free for Kindle too. Thanks!

Oh thanks, Paul and Peggy! Heatwave + pandemic = nothing to do but sew masks and read.

78: Dream London, by Tony Ballantyne

Kindle edition



An inadvertent re-read. It wasn't marked as read in my Kindle. About 1/3 of the way into it, I began to remember it but by then I was intrigued enough to keep going.

Yay for hitting 75 reads Tui.

Thanks, Caro!

79, 80, 81: Modern Magick, Books 1-3, by Charlotte E. English. Book I: The Road to Farringale, Book II: Toil and Trouble, and Book III: The Striding Spire

Kindle edition



Very light, fairly fun, and thankfully not mentally challenging in the least.

82, 83, 84: Modern Magick, Vol. 3, Books 7-9, by Charlotte E. English, containing The Wonders of Vale, The Heart of Hyndorin, Alchemy and Argent

Kindle edition


Carrying right along....

85: The Magick of Merlin, Modern Magick Vol. 10 by Charlotte E. English

Kindle edition



That's all she wrote, folks--so far. Apparently there are two more coming. There needs to be, as Ms. English left things hanging. These books aren't heavy duty by any means but they are well written with, thankfully, no errors of spelling or grammar.

86: The Scandal at Bletchley, the first in the Hilary Manningham-Butler mysteries by Jack Treby

Kindle edition



I wasn't too taken with this, to be honest. Perhaps Treby is setting the base for further Manningham-Butler books but I didn't like the character of Manningham-Butler herself/himself.

87: The Bridge Kingdom, by Danielle L. Jensen

Kindle edition



I hope I'm not going to insult anyone's tastes here, but there is a recent kind of fantasy trope which features a fierce empowered young woman who out-thinks and out-performs the broad shouldered, washboard abdomened male character but still has unbridled lust for the latter, with torrid sex by page 167. I might have liked reading that kind of story when I was 13 but it doesn't hold my interest these days. I get impatient with it. This book was one of those. Brutal childhood from a cruel father on her part, with many lies told to misrepresent the king of the enemy kingdom. Many messes made until clarity is achieved, and it still goes pear shaped anyway.

It wasn't that the writing was bad. It wasn't. It's just that the tale itself didn't grip me, wasn't different enough, didn't take me otherwhere. It goes on to a second book but I doubt I'll pursue it because even though book one left us hanging, I just don't care enough to keep going.

88: A Striking Similarity, Book 1 of the Ottawa Detective Series by Kevin Hopkins

Kindle edition



When I told one of my lads (who lives in Ottawa) that I wouldn't bother reading this if I were him because it's kind of stodgy and kind of dull, he said, "Oh, just like Ottawa then".

89: The Corner Shop, by Elizabeth Cadell

Kindle edition



This was delightful. At least, I hope it really was, not just in contrast to the previous two books I read.

>160 tiffin: ugh, I hate it when books get all formulaic like that.

>161 tiffin: ha!

>162 tiffin: I hope so too, Tui. Happy reading!

>163 lauralkeet:: Laura, it seems to go with the genre in recent years.

90: The Cuckoo in Spring, by Elizabeth Cadell

Kindle edition



Again, enjoyable but she did seem to copy a plot of the first one I read--speaking of formulaic.

91, 92, 93, 94: Victorian San Francisco Mysteries, Books 1-4, by M. Louisa Lock. 1: Maids of Misfortune, 2: Uneasy Spirits, 3: Bloody Lessons, 4: Deadly Proof

Kindle edition



These were kind of fun. Annie Fuller runs an upscale boarding house which was left to her by her aunt but to make ends meet, gives out financial and practical advise under the guise of being a medium, Madame Sibyl. Her boarding house is full of characters like her cook, Beatrice O'Rourke, her maid, Kathleen Hennessey, along with a handful of permanent residents who are really like her extended family. She moved from New York to San Francisco to take on the house, converting it to a boarding house to stay afloat. Annie is widowed but her husband was an abusive jerk. Her father had left her considerable assets under the control of this husband, who blew threw all her money, leaving her pretty destitute and having to fend for herself. She is a financial and stock market whiz, but in this era in California few people are willing to listen to this kind of advice from a woman.

Lock researches her stories well. Whether dealing with the ins and outs of education at the time, or the workings of a printing house, her backgrounds for each story are convincing. Interesting to read stories set at this time when San Francisco was just getting going as a city.

>166 tiffin: Hmmm. I'll do my best to remember these, Tui. Thanks, and hope you are staying well.

95: Motley Tales, by Charlotte E. English

Kindle edition

This was a private publication from Ms. English's website, with chapters from a dozen of her stories to give a sampling of them. Enough to go on to know what you might like to read further.

96: Fatal Assignation, Book 2 of the Rutherford Trilogy, by Alice Chetwynd Ley

Kindle edition



Might as well read the 3rd book, if it's out.

97: Masquerade of Vengeance, Book 3 of the Rutherford Trilogy, by Alice Chetwynd Ley

Kindle edition



Fun period mystery series.

98: Paragon Walk, by Anne Perry

Kindle edition



Mr. and Mrs. Pitt at it again.

99: Bessie Bell and the Goblin King, Tales of Aylfenhame, by Charlotte E. English

kindle edition




I really enjoy her writing.

100: Die Noon, by Elise Sax

Kindle edition



Good to have a book that made me smile, grin, smirk in the middle of a filthy pandemic. It's like verbal slapstick, with a satisfying dose of crazy.

>173 tiffin: Well I dropped it in my Kindle basket, for free. Maybe something to do with my Prime sub.

Yay to reaching 100 reads Tui.

Thanks, Caro!

101: A Doom With a View by Elise Sax

Kindle edition



What an imagination Sax has!

>173 tiffin:, >176 tiffin: Love her titles!

102: Jurassic Dark by Elise Sax, Goodnight Mysteries Book 3

Kindle edition



Well, I have to know how it all ends, don't I?

103: Coal Miner's Slaughter, by Elise Sax, Goodnight Mysteries Book 4

Kindle edition



And onward!

104: Wuthering Frights , by Elise Sax, Goodnight Mysteries Book 5

Kindle edition



And it's a wrap! Loads of fun. The perfect antidote to a pandemic for me.

105: The Single Soldier by George Costigan

Kindle edition



A quietly powerful story of a small village in France during WWII through to the early days of Germany's defeat. A first novel for Costigan, yet the writing is that of an experienced writer. His characters are quite perfect. A really good read.

Thanks for the nod to Die Noon, Tui. I can certainly use an antidote to "new phase pandemic* right now, and it is free for Kindle.

106: The Girl With Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story, by Hyeonseo Lee

Kindle edition



By turns fascinating, harrowing, and shocking, Hyeonseo Lee's flight from North Korea, as well as her childhood, is about as far from my life in Ontario as one can go. Her drive and dogged determination are beyond admirable, her story fascinating.

107: Miss Seeton at the Helm, by Hampton Charles

Kindle edition



A good antidote to the book above. Miss Seeton, her umbrella, and her sketchbook, once again.

108: New Orleans Mourning, Book One in the Skip Langdon Mysteries boxed set, by Julie Smith

Kindle edition



The first in the series explains the layers and strata of society in New Orleans, with the newly minted policewoman, Skip Langdon, getting her feet wet in her new role as a cop--she was previously a member of the upper crust in New Orleans society. I don't know what I think of the style of this murder mystery but am interested enough to keep reading about the denizens of this quirky American city.

>183 tiffin: that seems like a diversion from your usual fare, although it looks very interesting. And yet I can see why you'd need the antidote in >184 tiffin:.

Miss Seeton sounds fun - I've just bought the first one!

>186 lauralkeet:: I am avoiding the heavy stuff these days but was curious about life in North Korea. It sure let me know. Also about China and Laos.
>187 CDVicarage:: She is fun, Kerry. A brolly wielding savant.

>185 tiffin: I used to love Skip Langdon. I think I have the whole series in 1970s mass pbs.
>184 tiffin: I can never remember whether Hampton Charles or Hamilton Crain wrote the first, and better, Miss Setons. (Apparently, it's Charles.) I think I still have a bunch of both also in the ratty mpb form.

Your topper >1 tiffin: is helping me feel cooler today Tui.

It's a bit out of date, isn't it, Caro!