February AlphaKIT: A and B

Welcome to the 2022 AlphaKIT. This is an unofficial challenge for the 2022 Category Challenge Group. Each month has two letters selected for you to use however you choose.

There are no rules. Just have fun and enjoy reading.

and

Please remember to update the wiki with your reading:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2022_AlphaKIT#February:_-_Letters:_A_and..."

My book club's choice for February is "A House in Bali" by Colin McPhee. I have plenty of options for 'A' but I think I will go for "Dial A for Aunties" by Jesse Sutanto

At the moment planning on:

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
Blood of Dragons - Robin Hobb
City of Blades - Robert J. Bennett

I have three titles in my February stack for “B”:

1. Blightborn (The Heartland Trilogy #2; by Chuck Wendig);
   
2. Bad Marie (by Marcy Dermansky) and;
   
3. Running the Rift (by Naomi Benaron)
   

We’ll see if I can get an “A” title in there before the short month is out; but my reading goals for that month are a bit ambitious already! 😜

>1 majkia: Oh, I love this month's top pictures!!! The A looks like a medieval initial from a codex, and the B is so pretty with the bird, book and butterfly. Lovely!
Thanks for choosing those.

Got some good ones picked out!

25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know
✔Antique Auctions Are Murder
✔Arsenal of Democracy
Batten Down the Belfry
Behind the Frame
Big Trouble in Little Greektown
Fatal Booking
Killer Words by V.M. Burns
Murder by the Bookend
✔Mystery of Albert E. Finch
✔Night of the Assassins
Setting Trick: Practical Problems in Bridge Defense
✔Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams
✔Wedding Bell Blues

Love the pictures this month!

MY plan is to continue my series reading with Dead Man's Bones By Susan Wittig Albert and Beartown by Fredrik Backman.

I am planning on reading Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men by Colin Bateman and Missing by Karin Alvtagen.

Looks like I will have lots of options for B from what I'm reading for other challenges, but for A, not as many. At the moment, leaning toward:

- Elizabeth of York / Alison Weir

But I might still have other options come up.

I will probably read something from my Amish collection, and one by Linda Byler (a fave author).

Might see about getting to A is for Arsenic, which I have had on the shelf for a little while now.

Not sure about my 'A' book yet, but one of my goals this year is to make sure I regularly return to authors I already love, so I'm making my 'B' book the next book in the Tufa Series by Alex Bledsoe. I devoured the first few, and then bought the new releases as they came out but didn't get around to continuing. It's time to correct that!

>12 whitewavedarling: - I used the AlphaKit last year and again this year to keep up with my series (yes - I have that many). I find it's helping.

>13 dudes22: Good to know! I think I might have a book that'll cross between SFFKit and the 'A' if I can just track it down, but I'll definitely keep that in mind!

Have settled on Who? by Algis Budrys.

I read Hotwire by Alex Kava for A

I read The Little Amish Matchmaker by Linda Byler for both letters. This was a fun and easy read, a gift from my sister.

Currently reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

I just finished The Lion in the Living Room by Abigail Tucker.

My first book for this was "Kanarische Inseln - Archipel der Glückseligkeiten", a book about the Canary Islands by Claudia Diemar.

I'm reading When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson. It's a reread for me - making my way through the Jackson Brodie books again before finally indulging in the latest book.

I just finished my first B book, Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold.

>22 christina_reads: I really liked that one.

I read The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri for A.

Read The Wicked King by Holly Black for B

Starting "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Read Black Mamba Boy for B. Not convinced.

Finished Pet by Akwaeke Emezi.

Rose in Bloom / Louisa May Alcott
2 stars

I don’t really have a summary because I wasn’t really interested/paying attention. It seems Rose (raised with a bunch of boy cousins – I know this from the previous book) was away and has returned. I think she might now be looking for a husband. If she isn’t, others are (Phoebe?), as there is lots of talk of “lovers”. Oh, I do remember Rose wanted to become a philanthropist.

I listened to the audio, but neither the narrator nor the story made this interesting enough to really listen to what was going on. I rarely paid attention. Oh, and cousins getting married kind of creeps me out.

I read "A Street Cat Named Bob" by James Bowen and loved it.

>23 fuzzi: Me too!

I just read An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts by Silvia Zucca, which works for both letters.

Finished The Time Traveler's Magic by Anna Applegate for my 'A' book. I'm afraid I was decidedly unimpressed, but the review's done, so it's behind me.

I read Eye in the Door by Pat Barker.

COMPLETED Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.

Starting These Precious Days by Ann Patchett.

Another B book - The Black Lung Captain by Chris Wooding.

Just finished Asylum by Patrick McGrath.

Read The Color Purple by Alice Walker for A.

I finished Auf der Datumsgrenze durch die Südsee by Klaus Scherer as my second A book. It is a travelogue about a trip in Oceania to different islands located along the international date line.

I just finished The Bright Ages for both letters.

COMPLETED Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

Starting "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood

I finished another short A book: Aquis Submersus by Theodor Storm, a tragic love story taking place after the 30 Year War.

Starting Blood of Dragons.

Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects / Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
4 stars

The subtitle pretty much says it all. Chapters include insect anatomy, sex, the food chain, symbiosis between insects and plants, insects and human food, insects as “janitors”, industries, and more.

I found this really Interesting, but I’m afraid I won’t remember much. There were so many little tidbits of information, it will be hard to remember. I have heard it before, but even if they are pests, insects really are beneficial, and humans would be hard-pressed to live on a planet without them.

Finished Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman. Probably my least favorite of the works I've read from her. Full review written. (2.5* for me)

Just finished Only Beloved by Mary Balogh for another B book. Good but not great, in my opinion, but I'm glad I read it to finish off the Survivors' Club series.

I've completed my B book, a reread of Bowdrie by Louis L'Amour and am now reading my A book, A Life on the Road by Charles Kuralt, which I am enjoying very much.

I have completed my A & B reads for February with Missing by Karin Alvtegen and Five Roundabouts to Heaven by John Bingham.

COMPLETED Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Elizabeth of York: The First Tudor Queen / Alison Weir
3.25 stars

Elizabeth of York was Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville’s daughter. During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, they were Yorkists. Elizabeth married Henry VII, who was a Lancaster, thus bringing the two sides together. Between them, they began the Tudor era, and Henry VIII was their son. This is meant to be a biography of Elizabeth.

I only say it’s “meant to be” a biography because, as with so many women of the time (including queens), there is just so little information about them. So, really, I feel like it’s more of a history of what happened around her during her life, often with musings as to what Elizabeth may have been doing or feeling at certain times or about certain things. It’s a long book, over 500 pages, and nonfiction, which does tend to go slower for me. There’s a lot of information, much of it I didn’t know (I think this is the first book I’ve read specifically focusing on Elizabeth), and even though I found much of it interesting, there are still dry parts.

I read Black Box by Amos Oz which has Bs and A.

I finished The Black Tide by Hammond Innes for my second "B" book.

The As are really my thing this month! I finished another one: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Starting "The Accordionist" by Fred Vargas

B I spent the afternoon with hot chocolate, napping and, reading, Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1; by Patricia Briggs) instead of the other couple of books on my nightstand. “Alpha & Omega” is a paranormal romance series featuring werewolves, a spinoff from the popular Mercy run of titles which are not required reading for this one. Ann & Charles are two werewolves who have met and are talking things slow as they try to figure out their relationship-- all while trying to deal with a rogue wolf attack that poses a threat to the pack's security. I was actually hooked after reading the prequel last month (where Ann & Charles meet), and while this has a pretty good action line that keeps the plot moving, I did find myself glossing over a few places where the person speaking or what was going on wasn't 100% crystal clear. I'm okay with stopping here; but if the next title in the series were to show up as a Kindle deal or whatever, I would probably pick it up. Maybe I'll give the Mercy series another try one of these days too.

A I'm currently listening to Koh-i-Noor (by Anita Anand & William Dalrymple; narrated by Leighton Pugh). This is a narrative NF title about the famed diamond that is the basis for The Moonstone (by Willie Collins) and which currently sits in the British Royal Crown. The first part is written by Dalrymple (the Scottish historian who wrote The Anarchy) and delves into the history of the gemstone. A lot of this material is replicated in ‘The Anarchy’-- so, a little disappointing because "been there, done that"; but I'm looking forward to Anand's section which delves into the more recent issues around the "cursed" jewel. This is a short book so I should be able to finish by the end of the week.

For some reason I've read a ton of B books this month, but only one A book! Odd how that happens sometimes. Anyway, I just finished Case with Four Clowns by Leo Bruce. I usually enjoy vintage mysteries, but this one was frankly boring. Try Case for Three Detectives instead.

COMPLETED The Accordionist by Fred Vargas

Starting "A House in Bali" by Colin McPhee

Finished A is for Arsenic for, unsurprisingly, A. Interesting and entertaining.

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place / Alan Bradley
3.75 stars

After a recent tragedy, when Dogger takes Flavia and her sisters on a trip by boat, Flavia manages to find a body in the water. As she investigates, she also figures out what happened with three women who’d been poisoned at a church years earlier.

I liked this one. As usual, I listened to the audio and upped my rating by ¼ star for Jayne Entwistle. I liked that Flavia’s sisters seemed to be a bit nicer this time around. For some reason, I don’t remember really “noticing” the humour, but I did this time around. I’m sure I probably did, but for some reason it just didn’t stick in my head.

I read All the Feels for one more A.

A Street Cat Named Bob / James Bowen
4 stars

James had just gotten himself into housing and off the streets. He was a recovering heroin addict when he found an orange cat he called Bob. James was still struggling to feed himself, let alone feed a cat, and take on vet bills as Bob was injured when he first came to James. James was a busker and continued to busk with Bob at his side. Bob helped out in that he attracted a lot of attention, so James made a lot more money than he otherwise would have. When James was kicked out of his favourite busking spots (he was not where musicians were supposed to play), he (and Bob) switched to selling the “Big Issue”, a weekly magazine sold by people down on their luck and trying to get their lives on track.

I really liked this. Bob and James saved each other. It was eye-opening to read about James’ (and likely similar stories to many others living on the streets) homelessness and life on the streets, and how hard it was for him to kick his addiction. It is a quick book to read. The book itself only goes for a couple of years after James and Bob found each other, but looking them up online after finishing, I am saddened to hear that Bob died after being hit by a car in 2020.

>61 LibraryCin: I've had that one on my recommended list, but not actively sought it as yet. Thanks for the review!

My third B book was a Newbery:


Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (Newbery Honor 1995)

Catherine is a free-spirited knight's daughter in thirteenth century England. At the request of her older brother she keeps a journal for a year, and so the reader gets a view of life during the Middle Ages.

I enjoyed this work, and how the author developed Catherine from a petulant child into a more mature maiden, but still "Birdy".

My A & B books this month:
A:
Linda Tressel by Anthony Trollope
B:
Lyubka the Cossack by Isaac Babel
The Sleeping Beauty by Elizabeth Taylor
Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson
Burmese Days by George Orwell
A & B:
"Betrothed" from Two Tales by S. Y. Agnon
At Home by Bill Bryson

I finished two B books this month. Thought I had an A too, but never got to one. Maybe I can still squeeze one in.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith, 3*
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, 4*

I did finish listening to Koh-i-Noor (by Anita Anand & William Dalrymple; narrated by Leighton Pugh); but don't have much to add to my comments above (#55),. The second half of the book focuses on the diamond, Queen Victoria and, Duleep Singh (the boy king who was forced to surrender the diamond to the East India Company). I found this article from Smithsonian Magazine which pretty much covers it all-- and it has pictures!:
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-koh-i-noor-diamondand-why-brit...

So I covered both A & B this month with one book apiece-- interestingly, neither from the titles I pulled at the beginning of the February!
A: Koh-i-Noor (by Anita Anand & William Dalrymple; narrated by Leighton Pugh)
B: Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1; by Patricia Briggs)

>62 fuzzi: I didn't put it in my review, as - to be honest - I didn't really notice, I suspect because I was lost in the story itself. But, some people thought it wasn't written very well. Just as a "warning", so you know ahead of time. May help you determine whether or not you want to seek it out.

A
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
B
Borders by Thomas King and Natasha Donovan
A and B
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Hope to have another A done in a couple days.

>66 LibraryCin: thanks for the heads up.

Where are book editors?

COMPLETED Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Starting Sundowner Ubuntu by Anthony Bidulka

Got my A in: Amatka by Karin Tidbeck.

I should finish And Now, Miguel tonight.

COMPLETED Sundowner Ubuntu by Anthony Bidulka

I have 2 "B" books still going that probably won't be finished today - Beartown by Fredrik Backman and Dead Man's Bones by Susan Albert Wittig. How fast this month went!

>71 fuzzi: and I did finish it! It's reviewed and added to the Wiki.

completed The Orchard by Yochi Brandes

I finished my B Book yesterday: The Beautiful Ones - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I really enjoyed this historical-style romance. The magical elements are very light, so those who want a lot of magic may want to look elsewhere.

A lot of B authors this month:

Emily Carr: Life and Work, by Lisa Baldisseri
Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael J. Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, by Shaun Bythell
Feral Creatures, by Kira Jane Buxton

I added The House of Wings before midnight on Monday.

A little late, but I finished Beartown by Fredrik Backman for my "B" read this month.

My final book for February was Who is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews.