What are You Reading Now?: February 1, 2024

Will be wrapping up The Half Has Never Been Told. The Wings Upon Her Back and 1652: The Cardinal, the Prince, and the Crisis of the 'Fronde' will follow.

I'm just past halfway through Lucia's Progress, a.k.a. The Worshipful Lucia, the 5th in E.F. Benson's 6-book Mapp and Lucia series, enjoyable comedies of manners about small time life among the English privileged set between the World Wars.

In physical book form, I'm reading The Darien Gap by Martin Mitchinson. It's a troubling read, as there range a variety of real dangers, from the natural to the killed-by-guerillas and narcos. I mind this more than I usually would, as my brother and his wife are headed to said Darien Gap tomorrow for a backpacking trip through its jungle.

I'm listening to So Big by Edna Ferber with fascination. I've never read anything like it before; it's terrific.

I just started reading Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill for a readalong on Instagram.

I read Kaharlyk by Oleh Shynkarenko this week.

audio novels via Libby and hoopla ~

Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop by Tricia O'Malley

Mrs. Plansky's Revenge by Spencer Quinn and started today Happy, Happy, Happy, My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander by Phil Robertson.

Seams like Murder by Tilly Wallace is a historical cozy mystery that takes place in New Zealand.

Started The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson and plan to also begin The Queen's Gambit this week.

The Mother’s Day Murder – Lee Harris
3.5***

This is book twelve in the cozy mystery series featuring former nun Christine Bennett. A young novice appears at Chris’s door one evening. She’s come to Chris for help; the novice, Tina, was adopted and thinks she has found her birth mother, but she wants some corroborating evidence before approaching the woman. Before Chris can get answers, however, Tina is murdered, and the police suspect the woman Tina believed to be her mother of committing the crime.

I really like this series. I like Chris Bennett’s careful approach to solving the mysteries that come her way. She’s deliberate and cautious, but she inspires confidence in those she questions. She’s also discreet, careful not to spread rumor and innuendo but wait for facts to back up any suspicions before sharing the information with authorities or others.

I like to read series in order, and this series is best done so because the relationships of the main characters evolve over time. I was “forced” to read this one out of order because my library no longer carries the full series, and I couldn’t wait for inter-library loan. But I will do better about planning ahead in the future.

The Reptile Room – Lemony Snicket
Digital Audiobook narrated by Tim Curry
3***

This is book two in A Series of Unfortunate Events, detailing the (mis)adventures of the Baudelaire orphans.

I can see the appeal for children, as it plays on their fears of abandonment while also playing up their resourcefulness and ability to get the best of the bad guy. I like how the three siblings work together, each with his/her own strengths.

I, of course, am WAY past the age for the target audience, and I was somewhat turned off by the outlandishness of the scenario. Still, it’s a fast read and I’m sure children will find it delightful.

I listened to the audiobook. I love Tim Curry and he is marvelous as a narrator for this series. He oozes oily wickedness when voicing Count Olaf, and I love the asides to explain the “harder” vocabulary words.

The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz
Christian historical romance set in 1774 Virginia
A few of the author's recent titles have been set in 18th century Virginia with cameo appearances by characters from a previous novel.

Index, A History of The

A history of the book index and how we sort information.

>3 ahef1963: I read showboat which of course is her well know work. I think I may try So Big. Thanks

Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
Book on CD performed by Charlie Thurston.
5*****

Kingsolver’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel is a re-telling of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield set in Appalachia. Like the original, the book explores the effects of poverty, especially on children.

Damon Fields, known as Demon Copperhead, is the son of an unwed teen mother and a deceased teen father. While his mother struggles with self-doubt, poor decision making, lack of education and drug and alcohol addiction, Demon is left to basically raise himself. He has a cushion in the Peggot family, who do their best to see that he’s fed and clothed, but mostly watch helplessly as he struggles.

Oh, but this was sad and tugged at my heartstrings. Certainly, there were moments, even years-long stretches of time when Demon was well cared for and seemed to have beaten the odds. These interludes made it that much more difficult for me to bear one more bit of bad news in regard to Demon, but it seemed that his entire life was destined for one bad break after another. That he could survive, much less thrive, in such an environment seemed impossible.

But Demon is nothing if not resilient. Does he fall down the rabbit hole of alcohol / drug use? Does he mistake attraction for love? Yes, to both. But he also proves himself a loyal friend, and a dutiful son. There were many times when I was struck by a reminder the author inserted to let the readers know this is still a child … he’s nine, or eleven, or fourteen. Ultimately, Demon stole my heart, and I was cheering for him by the end.

I could not help but be reminded of J D Vance’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy, where he also reveals the pull of drug use that so many of the residents of the region feel they need to dull their circumstances, and he complains that the government’s attempts to help the poor are misguided at best.

Charlie Thurston does a stupendous job of narrating the audiobook. He really brings Demon to life.

>4 PaperbackPirate: I couldn't read Heart-Shaped Box at night - in fact, I had to leave it downstairs when I went to bed. It really creeped me!

I'm reading Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. It's a little wordy, but really good!

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective – Kate Siegel
1*

From the book jacket: For anyone seeking to satisfy their Harriet the Spy, Encyclopedia Brown, or Nancy Drew nostalgia, this charming, entertaining debut based on the popular @katiefliesaway TikTok series stars a twentysomething former kid detective who’s coaxed out of retirement for one last case.

My reactions
The premise sounded cute for a cozy mystery, but I just never got into this book. What should have been a fast, entertaining read, turned into a drudge that took me more than a month to read, as I kept getting bored and putting it aside for more interesting books.

If I had read the blurb and realized this was based on a TikTok series, I probably would have passed on it entirely. But I didn’t read it in advance. My bad.

The plot begins with a plea from her brother to help solve who is stalking his girlfriend, Olivia. Charlotte quickly discovers that is just a ruse to get her to come to the city and hang out. Oh, but a person in Olivia’s office has been murdered, and another colleague goes missing. Isn’t it a wonderful coincidence that Charlotte happens to be in town; bring on the sleuthing! There doesn’t seem to be any police involvement so who else will solve the case(s)?

All of that sounds ridiculous enough, but Charlotte and her friends use the most irritating (to me, at least) dialogue. Other than going to clubs, they act more like middle-schoolers than the mid-twenties young adults that they supposedly are. They frequently repeat themselves and state the obvious. I had ceased to care long before Charlotte figured out who the culprit was, so the reveal was both a letdown and a relief that the thing was finally over.

I give it one star for the cute premise.

The Lonely Girl
Edna O'Brien
4/5 stars
Caithleen and Baba, first encountered in The Country Girls are now living in Dublin, where they discuss men, drink gin, and try to look fast. Cait, in the pursuit of true love, becomes involved with the fanatically domineering Eugene Gaillard. Painful disillusion and occasional moments of bliss in her life make this a bittersweet tale, and it is told with all the perception and wit that is the hallmark of Edna O'Brien. I am really enjoying this series Synopsis From Good Reads Fiction

I am rereading a horror In the Dark of the Night by John Saul and plan to start reading the second book of the Grace Designs mystery series Backstitched and Stabbed by Tilly Wallace

I finished The Worshipful Lucia (a.k.a. Lucia's Progress), the fifth book in E.F. Benson's humorous Mapp & Lucia series about the foibles of the small-town, upper class set in England between the World Wars.

Next up for me will be Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt. The book was recommended to me by a friend who is, in fact, a history professor. We were talking about Europe right after World War Two while watching our dogs goof around in our local dog park. He told me about this book and said I'd really enjoy it. So the next day I ordered it on the NY Public Library website. It's 800 pages, but I will soldier on.

The new thread is up over here.

>16 Copperskye: It's kind of terrifying. I might have to put it in the freezer!

>13 b.ray: I borrowed and read a library copy of this book. It was interesting!

>3 ahef1963: I shall follow that one up So Big.

Girls in Their Married Bliss / Epilogue
Edna O'Brien
4/5 stars
I enjoyed this book, the third in the series about a group of women and how they lived their lives. This book also included an epilogue which was separate in the trilogy I read. Books Off My Reading List

>25 JulieLill: Never have but have wanted to read her. Glad for the reminder!