What are you reading the week of October 30, 2021?

Sorry that I'm late again. I've been up late all week reading into the wee hours of the morning. I finished Connie Willis' Blackout and now I'm about two thirds of the way through All Clear. It's been an absolutely engrossing story of three time traveling historians trapped in wartime London during the Blitz. The books would make a terrific Netflix series. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I've knocked off Kongo Class Battleships (easy enough since it's mostly a picture book), I'm about 80% through British Submarines in Two World Wars (somewhat ahead of schedule), 40% through Sea Change (somewhat behind schedule), and will probably start Seapower States next (since I doubt that I'll get a renewal). The Nancy Kress novel has nothing to do with naval affairs!

Finished Light of Impossible Stars, working on Revolt: The Worldwide Uprising Against Globalization.

Still reading Odd Thomas, Piranesi, and Gideon the Ninth.

I have 25 pages left of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It's so good! Off to see how it ends...

Finished reading the entertaining light book, The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds. it's as intriguing for the philosophical musings as for the mystery.

started this OverDrive audio selection ~

What to Do When Someone Dies: A Novel
by Nicci French

Enjoying Elizabeth Strout’s Oh William, and tonight, I will read the final chapter of A Night in the Lonesome October.

Silhouette In Diamonds: The Life Of Mrs. Potter Palmer
Ishbel Ross
4/5 stars
This is the fascinating story of Bertha Honore, who in 1871 married millionaire Potter Palmer of the famed Chicago Marshall Field’s and Palmer House. She was very involved in philanthropy and when the Chicago fire destroyed the city, she helped her husband recoup his finances and also helped to restore Chicago. When her husband died, she continued to help others. The book also explores the time period in which she lived and the famous people she met and worked with. I never heard of her but what an intriguing biography and history of that time period.

Not far into and enjoying Merivel A Man Of His Time by Rose Tremain I have just finished Tremain's latest Islands of Mercy very good reading.

Three Sisters: A Novel by Heather Morris
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout

Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens
4/5 stars
Set in the late 60’s, Kya Clark, also known as the Marsh Girl, lived a solitary life in Barkley Cove in North Carolina working on her art. Harassed by Chase, one of the boys from town, she is thought to have killed him when he has gone missing. Did she do it or is she a victim of the town folks who don’t like her. Intriguing story and hard to put down!

At Bertram’s Hotel – Agatha Christie
Digital audiobook performed by Stephanie Cole.
3***

Miss Marple takes a holiday in London at the well-known Bertram’s Hotel. She always stays at this property; she enjoys the traditional décor, the attentive staff, the high tea, and people watching as the many guests flow in and out of the property. But unknown connections between various guests become apparent after an elderly, and rather forgetful, cleric goes to the airport on the wrong day.

Christie excels at creating complicated plots with many suspects and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. She has plenty of surprises in store with this one as well. I had, unfortunately for me, seen the PBS Masterpiece mystery series episode, so knew where it was heading, but I still found it fascinating to watch how Christie wove the elements together.

Stephanie Cole did a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has the skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters. I do like the way she interprets Miss Marple.

>1 fredbacon: Maybe going forward you can switch to a MONTHLY thread to lessen the work.

>13 BookConcierge: and >1 fredbacon:

I second that suggestion. Maybe a fresh start in January would be a positive change.

>13 BookConcierge: I'm more likely to forget if it's only monthly. The problem the past couple of weeks was that I was staying up late reading Blackout and All Clear. I found them so compelling that l would read until I couldn't keep my eyes open. I would read until 2 or 3 am and then have to get up and go to work. Now I've started on Doomsday Book.

>15 fredbacon: Connie Willis tends to have that effect on people! :-)

(P.S. Doomsday Book is one of the few books that actually made me cry. Not telling you at what point. You'll get there.)

>15 fredbacon: >16 LyndaInOregon: I’ve never read Connie Willis but now I’ve got Blackout on my wishlist. Thanks guys!

Babylon’s Ark– Lawrence Anthony
Audiobook read by Simon Vance
4****

Subtitle: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo

Lawrence Anthony was a well-known conservationist and advocate for animals, running a game reserve (Thula Thula) in South Africa when images on CNN of the war in Baghdad caught his attention. He was horrified at the potential loss of wildlife at that war-ravaged city’s zoo, and knew he had to somehow go help. And so, against all odds, he did. This is the story of his work there.

It’s quite the adventure. From just getting into the war zone (the zoo being in the middle of the action), to dealing with the continued looting, to begging for supplies and then for security everything was a challenge and a half. He paid staff out of his own pockets, and scrounged food for them and their families so that the precious supplies at the zoo could be allocated to keeping the animals there alive. And then he discovered the many “private” zoos … from Sadam’s son, Uday, and other wealthy owners he rescued many mismanaged and starving animals. His was truly a labor of love, and one hopes that his efforts have continued to pay dividends in better treatment, more habitat-enhanced enclosures, and a renewed local pride in this marvelous resource for both education and amusement.

Simon Vance does a fine job narrating the audio. He’s narrated Anthony’s other books as well, and I really enjoy the way he reads them.

Started on Ava's Man by Rick Bragg .

Just finished Red Mist, by Patricia Cornwell. I used to enjoy the Kay Scarpetta series, but it has gotten overinflated and cluttered up with additional characters. This 500-page doorstop spent 250 pages setting things up, and I nearly tossed it several times. Once it got down to what we read them for -- the howdunnit leading to the who ... it was pretty good, but a tough grind to get there.

Finished Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. Liked it better than I thought I would. Next up is Touch by Claire North.

The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
Malcolm Gladwell
4/5 stars
Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite authors and this book, though short, is a fascinating look at the "Bomber Mafia", strategists who during WWII debated precision bombing - targeting critical infrastructure instead of randomly bombing areas.

>16 LyndaInOregon: Doomsday Book is a trip, for sure! The Oxford Time Travel series is a really interesting take on time travel (to me at least!) and Doomsday Book is a great suspense/horror read- it genuinely gave me the willies at a couple points. I'm not sure I'd be able to read it the same way after living in a pandemic, especially with some of the descriptions of the black plague spreading, but I'm a freakin' ball of anxiety and PTSD, so YMMV.
I recommend the sequel, To Say Nothing of the Dog, but I will caveat it with the note that it is a VERY different tone and setting from its predecessor; it's a comedy-of-manners to Doomsday Book's action-suspense.

>3 seitherin: I freakin' loved Gideon the Ninth! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The scenes with Gideon and Harrow are so fun to read :D

Finished Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. She has a particular talent for writing dull books. Currently taking a dip into Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner.

The new thread is up over here.