1tiffin
Who Am I?
I've noticed that various 2025 threads put personal introductions at the start of them. I blithely assumed that after 18+ years here, we all pretty much know each other by now in the 75 group, but as there are new people who might drop by, it doesn't seem like a bad idea.
I'm a retired college administrator, having worked at Trent University for 30 years, who foolishly thought I'd have all the time in the world to read, garden, quilt, swim, just be, when I retired in 2008 but life dictated otherwise. The thing no one tells you is that while you might be retired, you are also getting older with various attendant health changes (eyesight! attention span!) and therefore are slowing down correspondingly, so forgive me if I don't visit your threads as often as I should. Some threads are such active places that I simply can't keep up. That said, visitors are always welcome here.
Going into 2026:
In December of 2025, I lost a very important person in my life and indeed in the lives of many of us here: Caroline McElwee. Caroline lived her life with such mindfulness and purpose. Her thread was a place of colour, art, beautiful photographs, joy, wisdom, and comfort. I have determined that going forward I will try to honour her by trying to bring some of that beauty into my own thread here. So you'll be seeing more of the things that bring richness into my life but it is entirely due to my life having been enriched by this beautiful woman with whom I communicated every day for the last 18 years. Bless you, my friend, and thank you.
This is a continuation of the last thread of 2025: https://www.librarything.com/topic/367227#
2tiffin
List of Books Read in 2026
(unless specified, most reads are 3.5 to 5 stars)
Brackets with a number inside indicate the number of the book in a series.
1. The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
2. The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
3. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
4. The Wreck of the River of Stars by Michael Flynn (aborted, may finish later)
5. The Rabbit Factor (1) by Antti Tuomainen
6. The Moose Paradox (2) by Antti Tuomainen
7. The Beaver Theory (3) by Antti Tuomainen
8. The Bookshop of Secrets by Kerry Barrett
9. The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
10. Jade Dragon Mountain (1) by Elsa Hart
11. The Twits Chronicles, (1-3) by Tom Alan Robbins
12. White Silence (1) by Jodi Taylor
13. The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura
14. In the Sanctuary of outcasts, a Memoir by Neil White
15. Booklover's Death (4) Britanny Mystery series, by Sandrine Perrot
16. Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher
17. A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants by Ann Claire
18. Two Truths and a Murder (5) by Colleen Cambridge
19. The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening (1) by Naomi Kuttner
20. The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting (2) by Naomi Kuttner
21. Two Suns at Sunset (1) by Gene Doucette
22. The Madness of Kings (2) by Gene Doucette
23. The Ocean in the Sky (3) by Gene Doucette
24. The Wisdom of Sand (4) by Gene Doucette
25. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (1) by Benjamin Stevenson
26. Robo Recall (1) by A.R. Grayson
27. Robo Recall: Rogue Matriarch (2) by A.R. Grayson
28. The Runing Grave (7) by Robert Galbraith
29. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
30. A Fox in the Fold by Candace Robb
31. Threads of Memory (1) by Richard Pierce
32. Listening Still by Anne Griffin
33. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
34. A Jewel in the Crown (1) by David Lewis
35. Infinity Upgrade by J.N. Chaney
36. Bright of the Sky (1) by Kay Kenyon
37. The Gilded Nest (9) by Sarah Painter
38. The Crow Moon (10) by Sarah Painter
39. The New Ka'Adri by R.S. Penney
40. King Rat by China Mieville
41. Flying Gas Can (1) by J.N. Chaney
42. Scattered Hopes (2) by J.N. Chaney
43. A Traitor in Whitehall (1) by Julia Kelly
(unless specified, most reads are 3.5 to 5 stars)
Brackets with a number inside indicate the number of the book in a series.
1. The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
2. The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
3. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
4. The Wreck of the River of Stars by Michael Flynn (aborted, may finish later)
5. The Rabbit Factor (1) by Antti Tuomainen
6. The Moose Paradox (2) by Antti Tuomainen
7. The Beaver Theory (3) by Antti Tuomainen
8. The Bookshop of Secrets by Kerry Barrett
9. The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
10. Jade Dragon Mountain (1) by Elsa Hart
11. The Twits Chronicles, (1-3) by Tom Alan Robbins
12. White Silence (1) by Jodi Taylor
13. The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura
14. In the Sanctuary of outcasts, a Memoir by Neil White
15. Booklover's Death (4) Britanny Mystery series, by Sandrine Perrot
16. Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher
17. A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants by Ann Claire
18. Two Truths and a Murder (5) by Colleen Cambridge
19. The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening (1) by Naomi Kuttner
20. The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting (2) by Naomi Kuttner
21. Two Suns at Sunset (1) by Gene Doucette
22. The Madness of Kings (2) by Gene Doucette
23. The Ocean in the Sky (3) by Gene Doucette
24. The Wisdom of Sand (4) by Gene Doucette
25. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (1) by Benjamin Stevenson
26. Robo Recall (1) by A.R. Grayson
27. Robo Recall: Rogue Matriarch (2) by A.R. Grayson
28. The Runing Grave (7) by Robert Galbraith
29. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
30. A Fox in the Fold by Candace Robb
31. Threads of Memory (1) by Richard Pierce
32. Listening Still by Anne Griffin
33. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
34. A Jewel in the Crown (1) by David Lewis
35. Infinity Upgrade by J.N. Chaney
36. Bright of the Sky (1) by Kay Kenyon
37. The Gilded Nest (9) by Sarah Painter
38. The Crow Moon (10) by Sarah Painter
39. The New Ka'Adri by R.S. Penney
40. King Rat by China Mieville
41. Flying Gas Can (1) by J.N. Chaney
42. Scattered Hopes (2) by J.N. Chaney
43. A Traitor in Whitehall (1) by Julia Kelly
3tiffin
Hi Jim: I know you'll be around to welcome everyone to the new year, so let me welcome you and thank you for all the work you do for us as group admin. Happy 2026!
4richardderus
HNY Tui my friend!
6richardderus
>5 tiffin: I shall do my dead-level best.
7PaulCranswick
New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.
Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026, Tui.
8tiffin
Happy New Year, Paul. Is your project that big diamond shape with the needle on it? What on earth is it? Did you design it? Wow!
9tiffin
Wishing all my LT chums and lovely acquaintances every good wish for 2026. Good health to everyone, many happy hours of fine reading, with your joys many and your sorrows few!
10laytonwoman3rd
Starred you...
11lauralkeet
Happy New Year, Tui. I love your opening post and your intentions for the year ahead.
13thornton37814
That quilt is lovely!
16tiffin
Thanks, Beth. Happy New Year to you too. I love the photo of Skara Brae on your profile. It's on my bucket list but my days of travel might be numbered.
17tiffin
1: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Kindle edition {added}
Satoru had to give away his first beloved cat and has never quite got over it. When he is adopted by a stray whom he names Nana, he is determined to never repeat this mistake again. When circumstances in his life are forcing this decision on to him again, Nana thinks they are travelling around in his grey van to visit his childhood friends. He delights in sitting in the van with Satoru (although he was utterly terrified by the ocean), travelling around Japan with the person he loves, and who very obviously loves him.
We learn the reason why Satoru is having to face trying to try to find a good home for Nana as the book draws to a close. I confess that I had already guessed the reason but it didn't spoil things because Nana is about the last to get it. But when he does, there's no stopping him. This is a book written by a cat lover for other animal lovers (there are dogs in it too), with a bittersweet affirmation that we'll see our cherished fur folk again. It isn't a soppy tale but it does speak to the hearts of those of us who love our four-legged housemates.
Kindle edition {added}
Satoru had to give away his first beloved cat and has never quite got over it. When he is adopted by a stray whom he names Nana, he is determined to never repeat this mistake again. When circumstances in his life are forcing this decision on to him again, Nana thinks they are travelling around in his grey van to visit his childhood friends. He delights in sitting in the van with Satoru (although he was utterly terrified by the ocean), travelling around Japan with the person he loves, and who very obviously loves him.
We learn the reason why Satoru is having to face trying to try to find a good home for Nana as the book draws to a close. I confess that I had already guessed the reason but it didn't spoil things because Nana is about the last to get it. But when he does, there's no stopping him. This is a book written by a cat lover for other animal lovers (there are dogs in it too), with a bittersweet affirmation that we'll see our cherished fur folk again. It isn't a soppy tale but it does speak to the hearts of those of us who love our four-legged housemates.
18tiffin
2. The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, by Roland Allen
Paperback, Pub. Biblioasis {added} Reading in honour of my dear late friend, Caroline McElwee
Currently reading. Three chapters in, reading slowly at the kitchen table. Loving it so far. Other books will be read around it.
Notes:
1. Reading the intro where Allen tells the story of Moleskine notebooks, I thought, "I have a Moleskine around here somewhere". Sure enough, a Star Wars edition right in front of me on my desk. Inspired by the use people put their notebooks to, I bought a couple of 5 x 8s to record things I don't want to forget.
2. I loved the story about Michalli du Ruoda, Michael of Rhodes, the Greek sailor who worked himself up through the ranks of Venetian rowers to get as high as he could go on Venetian ships without being a noble or owner. He kept notebooks full of really advanced mathematical problems, business issues, and family matters. From his notebooks, the researchers learned that he hated the limitations imposed on him by birth and class.
Paperback, Pub. Biblioasis {added} Reading in honour of my dear late friend, Caroline McElwee
Currently reading. Three chapters in, reading slowly at the kitchen table. Loving it so far. Other books will be read around it.
Notes:
1. Reading the intro where Allen tells the story of Moleskine notebooks, I thought, "I have a Moleskine around here somewhere". Sure enough, a Star Wars edition right in front of me on my desk. Inspired by the use people put their notebooks to, I bought a couple of 5 x 8s to record things I don't want to forget.
2. I loved the story about Michalli du Ruoda, Michael of Rhodes, the Greek sailor who worked himself up through the ranks of Venetian rowers to get as high as he could go on Venetian ships without being a noble or owner. He kept notebooks full of really advanced mathematical problems, business issues, and family matters. From his notebooks, the researchers learned that he hated the limitations imposed on him by birth and class.
19SandDune
>17 tiffin: >18 tiffin: Those look like a couple of great books to start the new year, Tui. And I love your quilt.
I am starting to get used to having a cat sitting on my lap again after a break of 7 years. The only downside is that she likes to play with my wool when I am knitting or crocheting!
I am starting to get used to having a cat sitting on my lap again after a break of 7 years. The only downside is that she likes to play with my wool when I am knitting or crocheting!
20tiffin
>19 SandDune:: Happy New Year, Rhian! Thanks for dropping by. The quilt is an oldie goldie but it's still a favourite. Did you get your cat recently? Hard to replace Daisy but being feline rather than canine should make her quite distinct.
21SandDune
>20 tiffin: We actually have got two cats, brother and sister, Seren and Smot. They are just over five months old, and we got them just before Christmas. It's Smot who likes to sit on laps - Seren is happy to sit next to me and clamber on me, but he doesn't want to curl up and go to sleep on my lap. We will be getting another dog, but not quite yet.
Smot is on the left and Seren is on the right.
Smot is on the left and Seren is on the right.
23thornton37814
>17 tiffin: I enjoyed that one when I read it in ARC form some time ago. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it.
24tiffin
>23 thornton37814:: I've really been enjoying Japanese Lit. in translation over the last few years, Lori. Thanks for dropping by.
25richardderus
Hi Tui! I'm back from the Bronx and feeling hopeful about my possibilities there. I'll be happy if I get it.
27PaulCranswick
>8 tiffin: Yes the one with the spire sticking out of the top is the one I have been involved with for the last seven years.
I didn't design it, Tui, as my skill sets are commercial and contracts so I am the fellow who seeks to get paid for all the work done and argues about changes made and delays caused.
The design is meant to signify the first Malaysian Prime Minister's declaration of independence from the UK in 1957 ( the Malay word for "independence" or "freedom" is merdeka and that is why the building is called Merdeka 118 (it is 118 stories and 678.9 metres high). It is exactly adjacent to the stadium in which the declaration was made by the Prime Minister's raised fist.
Have a great weekend.
I didn't design it, Tui, as my skill sets are commercial and contracts so I am the fellow who seeks to get paid for all the work done and argues about changes made and delays caused.
The design is meant to signify the first Malaysian Prime Minister's declaration of independence from the UK in 1957 ( the Malay word for "independence" or "freedom" is merdeka and that is why the building is called Merdeka 118 (it is 118 stories and 678.9 metres high). It is exactly adjacent to the stadium in which the declaration was made by the Prime Minister's raised fist.
Have a great weekend.
28richardderus
>26 tiffin: Waiting is so not-fun it's not even funny.
29tiffin
3: Hercule Poirot's Christmas, by Agatha Christie touchstones don't seem to be working for this title
Kindle edition {added}
I read this years and years ago, so had managed to forget the plot, and indeed that I'd even read it, only kind of remembering it about 2/3 of the way through the book. I should have remembered because my mother read every single Agatha Christie that she could get her hands on, and I followed along after her reading all her Library gleanings.
Typical Hercule Poirot fare, Sherlock Holmes with a French accent. But fun because Agatha drops clues for we pigeons to peck at along the trail.
Kindle edition {added}
I read this years and years ago, so had managed to forget the plot, and indeed that I'd even read it, only kind of remembering it about 2/3 of the way through the book. I should have remembered because my mother read every single Agatha Christie that she could get her hands on, and I followed along after her reading all her Library gleanings.
Typical Hercule Poirot fare, Sherlock Holmes with a French accent. But fun because Agatha drops clues for we pigeons to peck at along the trail.
30LizzieD
For goodness sake. I thought I had read at least every novel that AC wrote. I've never even heard of this one though, and I suspect that it will have to remain unfound and unread unless it tumbles into my lap. Otherwise, I think I join you as an AC Pigeon Sister.
31tiffin
I don't know anything about the actual story, Peggy. If it was a post-death release or just what. Cripes, what if it was an AI job!
32LizzieD
YIKES! I don't belong in this world; I just don't.
ETA with a big WHEW! *HC's Christmas* was published in 1938 and in the states as *Murder for Christmas* or *A Holiday for Murder*. That last one sounds familiar, but I haven't catalogued it. Further personal research is pending.
ETA with a big WHEW! *HC's Christmas* was published in 1938 and in the states as *Murder for Christmas* or *A Holiday for Murder*. That last one sounds familiar, but I haven't catalogued it. Further personal research is pending.
34tiffin
4: The Wreck of the River of Stars, by Michael Flynn
Kindle edition {added} Set aside halfway in
I don't know if I'm going to be able to finish this book. It's very dark. The River of Stars is an ancient space ship which once flew under great sails and was a luxury ship that took the very wealthy around our universe. But her mode of flight is now passé, even with the addition of a form of nuclear power, and her crew is aging, trapped aboard this obsolete ship. It is well written but oh so grim. I may have to set it aside.
Kindle edition {added} Set aside halfway in
I don't know if I'm going to be able to finish this book. It's very dark. The River of Stars is an ancient space ship which once flew under great sails and was a luxury ship that took the very wealthy around our universe. But her mode of flight is now passé, even with the addition of a form of nuclear power, and her crew is aging, trapped aboard this obsolete ship. It is well written but oh so grim. I may have to set it aside.
35tiffin
5: The Rabbit Factor, Book 1 of the Rabbit Factor series, by Antti Tuomainen
Kindle edition {added}
Being a nerd with a good sense of humour, if I say so myself, is a bit of a niche market when it comes to creating a character who will appeal to both of these elements but Tuomainen has managed to do so with the character of Henri Koskinen, an insurance actuary with a profound love of and respect for Mathematics. When Henri loses his job and inherits an adventure (not amusement) park from his dead brother, his life takes off in a whole new direction. When he learns that his brother had heavy debts owed to some very bad and dangerous gangster types because of the latter's gambling debts, Henri has to scramble for his own life to fend off these baddies. He has fallen in love with the adventure park, you see, and wants to save it and the jobs of its employees. How he goes about doing so is very funny in a noir kind of way. What a cast of characters!
Kindle edition {added}
Being a nerd with a good sense of humour, if I say so myself, is a bit of a niche market when it comes to creating a character who will appeal to both of these elements but Tuomainen has managed to do so with the character of Henri Koskinen, an insurance actuary with a profound love of and respect for Mathematics. When Henri loses his job and inherits an adventure (not amusement) park from his dead brother, his life takes off in a whole new direction. When he learns that his brother had heavy debts owed to some very bad and dangerous gangster types because of the latter's gambling debts, Henri has to scramble for his own life to fend off these baddies. He has fallen in love with the adventure park, you see, and wants to save it and the jobs of its employees. How he goes about doing so is very funny in a noir kind of way. What a cast of characters!
37tiffin
6: The Moose Paradox, The Rabbit Factor Series Book 2, by Antti Tuomainen
Kindle edition {added}
I started this second book in the Rabbit Factor series with a bit of a sinking feeling because a character I didn't like very much made an unexpected reappearance. I persisted, however, and things worked themselves out. Can't give any details because they would be definite spoilers. Henri Koskinen is coming into his own as the owner of the adventure park YouMeFun but also as the artist Laura's love interest. It's fun watching this nerdy geek explore falling in love whilst applying mathematical theory to his emotions.
Tuomainen has a quirky sense of humour with a very dry delivery. I read a review somewhere about the Rabbit Factor which criticized the story for being somewhat dumb, shallow, and not particularly funny but having been raised in a family with a decidedly Monty Pythonesque sense of humour which also delighted in pawkish dryness, I felt any shortcomings were that particular reader's own rather than the author's. It isn't a yee haw slap your knee kind of funny which has to explain its jokes but rather that particular flavour of situational humour delivered with dry understatement which delights those of us from northern climes.
Kindle edition {added}
I started this second book in the Rabbit Factor series with a bit of a sinking feeling because a character I didn't like very much made an unexpected reappearance. I persisted, however, and things worked themselves out. Can't give any details because they would be definite spoilers. Henri Koskinen is coming into his own as the owner of the adventure park YouMeFun but also as the artist Laura's love interest. It's fun watching this nerdy geek explore falling in love whilst applying mathematical theory to his emotions.
Tuomainen has a quirky sense of humour with a very dry delivery. I read a review somewhere about the Rabbit Factor which criticized the story for being somewhat dumb, shallow, and not particularly funny but having been raised in a family with a decidedly Monty Pythonesque sense of humour which also delighted in pawkish dryness, I felt any shortcomings were that particular reader's own rather than the author's. It isn't a yee haw slap your knee kind of funny which has to explain its jokes but rather that particular flavour of situational humour delivered with dry understatement which delights those of us from northern climes.
38tiffin
7: The Beaver Theory, The Rabbit Factor Book 3, by Antti Tuomainen
Kindle edition {added}
The third book carries on with Henri trying to mop up the messes a certain brother has landed him in, as well as the adventure park. It is also a further exploration of their love as Henri and Laura decide firmly to become a couple, with Henri moving in with Laura in her apartment. Her career as an artist has taken a wonderful leap, while Henri tries to stave off another group of baddies who would put YouMeFun under. His personal life is expanding as he joins a group of dads who try to find the funds to send their daughters on a trip to Paris.
Tuomainen continues on with his ingenious ways and means of creating deceased persons. I find his books an excellent antidote to the madness and venom erupting in a country to the south of us which has taken over our collective consciousness and media. If nothing else, his stories are a good place to hide out. Happily, they are a good deal more than that.
Kindle edition {added}
The third book carries on with Henri trying to mop up the messes a certain brother has landed him in, as well as the adventure park. It is also a further exploration of their love as Henri and Laura decide firmly to become a couple, with Henri moving in with Laura in her apartment. Her career as an artist has taken a wonderful leap, while Henri tries to stave off another group of baddies who would put YouMeFun under. His personal life is expanding as he joins a group of dads who try to find the funds to send their daughters on a trip to Paris.
Tuomainen continues on with his ingenious ways and means of creating deceased persons. I find his books an excellent antidote to the madness and venom erupting in a country to the south of us which has taken over our collective consciousness and media. If nothing else, his stories are a good place to hide out. Happily, they are a good deal more than that.
39tiffin
8: The Bookshop of Secrets, by Kerry Barrett
Kindle edition {added}
Lara Hope's father had always urged her to go to Lisbon, Portugal, to find her late mother's family, including supporting her with learning to speak Portuguese. So after her father's death, Lara sets out to Lisbon armed only with their house address and a beginner's bit of Portuguese. Unfortunately, her grandparents have been deceased for a while. As she makes the classic tourist mistake of counting her money in plain sight while sitting in front of the hotel where she had spent the night, a thief on a bicycle snatched her passport and wallet leaving her penniless and stranded.
Fate and good luck place her in The English Bar where her skills as a barmaid from her days as a struggling actress give her the means to live. Meanwhile, in the larger picture, the rumblings of WWII are becoming louder as Hitler threatens the Netherlands and France, and Great Britain. Lara gets swept up in the work to help fleeing refugees, as well as the efforts of all those who would stand against fascism and the Nazis in more covert operations. Characters like Edward and Wallis Simpson make their appearances but it is the small group of British expats and the Porguguese who are trying to hold the Nazis at arms length who form the real character base. As a group who sometimes has no idea what they are doing, Lara and company bring an unexpected creativity and varied set of skills which seems bumbling and unlikely at times, but which somehow works.
Kindle edition {added}
Lara Hope's father had always urged her to go to Lisbon, Portugal, to find her late mother's family, including supporting her with learning to speak Portuguese. So after her father's death, Lara sets out to Lisbon armed only with their house address and a beginner's bit of Portuguese. Unfortunately, her grandparents have been deceased for a while. As she makes the classic tourist mistake of counting her money in plain sight while sitting in front of the hotel where she had spent the night, a thief on a bicycle snatched her passport and wallet leaving her penniless and stranded.
Fate and good luck place her in The English Bar where her skills as a barmaid from her days as a struggling actress give her the means to live. Meanwhile, in the larger picture, the rumblings of WWII are becoming louder as Hitler threatens the Netherlands and France, and Great Britain. Lara gets swept up in the work to help fleeing refugees, as well as the efforts of all those who would stand against fascism and the Nazis in more covert operations. Characters like Edward and Wallis Simpson make their appearances but it is the small group of British expats and the Porguguese who are trying to hold the Nazis at arms length who form the real character base. As a group who sometimes has no idea what they are doing, Lara and company bring an unexpected creativity and varied set of skills which seems bumbling and unlikely at times, but which somehow works.
40tiffin
9: The Queens of Crime , by Marie Benedict
Kindle edition {added}
Set in London, England, between the great wars in 1930. Given grudging and tenuous membership in "The Detection Club", five of the greatest women crime writers of the era have formed a pact to prove to the males of the club that they have every right to belong and are not substandard women but superb writers. Dorothy L. Sayers is their leader but the group includes others who are no slouches when it comes to creating, writing, and solving mysteries: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. The Queens of Crime.
They decide they will prove their mettle by solving a murder mystery which has eluded the French and English police: the murder of a young English nurse working in France. Using re-enactment, not to mention their incredible imaginations and network of contacts, the intrepid five go back and forth between France and England amassing evidence, at no little risk to themselves.
I enjoyed this mystery, not in the least for Benedict's clever portrayal of each writer as well as her understanding of what it was like to be a woman writing in the 1930s.
Kindle edition {added}
Set in London, England, between the great wars in 1930. Given grudging and tenuous membership in "The Detection Club", five of the greatest women crime writers of the era have formed a pact to prove to the males of the club that they have every right to belong and are not substandard women but superb writers. Dorothy L. Sayers is their leader but the group includes others who are no slouches when it comes to creating, writing, and solving mysteries: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. The Queens of Crime.
They decide they will prove their mettle by solving a murder mystery which has eluded the French and English police: the murder of a young English nurse working in France. Using re-enactment, not to mention their incredible imaginations and network of contacts, the intrepid five go back and forth between France and England amassing evidence, at no little risk to themselves.
I enjoyed this mystery, not in the least for Benedict's clever portrayal of each writer as well as her understanding of what it was like to be a woman writing in the 1930s.
41tiffin
10: Jade Dragon Mountain: A Novel, Li Du Novels Book 1, by Elsa Hart
Kindle edition
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery set in early 1700s in China near the Tibetan border. Li Du, a former librarian with the Imperial Library, has been exiled by the emperor so is working his way from the north to visit his cousin who is the magistrate in the town of Dayan in the south, making the journey mostly on foot. He arrives in Dayan only to be surprised by the number of people and animals clogging its streets. He learns that the Emperor is due to arrive soon to order the eclipse of the sun, and that his cousin will be orchestrating the whole complex and showy production.
However when a Jesuit astronomer is found murdered in the magistrate's castle-like home, Li Du is thrust into solving the whole mystery. There are as many agendas as there are tribes, and secrets galore. Li Du is eager to get out of town before the Emperor arrives but he also feels ethically inclined to stick around to try to solve the murder.
Excellent bunch of characters, all convincingly written. A nicely complex plot. I do like tales set in this era and location.
Kindle edition
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery set in early 1700s in China near the Tibetan border. Li Du, a former librarian with the Imperial Library, has been exiled by the emperor so is working his way from the north to visit his cousin who is the magistrate in the town of Dayan in the south, making the journey mostly on foot. He arrives in Dayan only to be surprised by the number of people and animals clogging its streets. He learns that the Emperor is due to arrive soon to order the eclipse of the sun, and that his cousin will be orchestrating the whole complex and showy production.
However when a Jesuit astronomer is found murdered in the magistrate's castle-like home, Li Du is thrust into solving the whole mystery. There are as many agendas as there are tribes, and secrets galore. Li Du is eager to get out of town before the Emperor arrives but he also feels ethically inclined to stick around to try to solve the murder.
Excellent bunch of characters, all convincingly written. A nicely complex plot. I do like tales set in this era and location.
42tiffin
11: The Twits Chronicles, Books 1-3 with 2 unpublished short stories, by Tom Alan Robbins
Kindle Edition
This was a bit of a jumbled mess, with the unpublished short stories mixed in with the three other stories. Which was a shame, really, because the parts that weren't all mashed up were quite funny.
Kindle Edition
This was a bit of a jumbled mess, with the unpublished short stories mixed in with the three other stories. Which was a shame, really, because the parts that weren't all mashed up were quite funny.
43tiffin
12: White Silence, Book 1, by Jodi Taylor
Kindle edition
I should have paid more attention. It said "a supernatural thriller" and *GACK* it was! I didn't want to be thrilled, I wanted to be cosied. I don't know if I'll read the 2nd and 3rd books or not.
Kindle edition
I should have paid more attention. It said "a supernatural thriller" and *GACK* it was! I didn't want to be thrilled, I wanted to be cosied. I don't know if I'll read the 2nd and 3rd books or not.
44CDVicarage
>43 tiffin: I've loved all the rest of Jodi Taylor's books but never dared to read this series - I don't like to be scared!
45tiffin
I'm the same, Kerry. Loved her time travel stories but this was a bit de trop for my state of mind at the moment.
46PaulCranswick
>38 tiffin: "I find his books an excellent antidote to the madness and venom erupting in a country to the south of us "
Then we should all read them, Tui.
Then we should all read them, Tui.
47tiffin
13: The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura
Kindle edition {added}
When the bookshop arrives in cherry blossom season, appearing to those who need its healing charms, Sakura and her cat Kobako dispense coffee and exactly the right book to souls who need its special kind of magic. A gentle book designed to soothe those of us feeling the hooks and barbs of these rough times.
Kindle edition {added}
When the bookshop arrives in cherry blossom season, appearing to those who need its healing charms, Sakura and her cat Kobako dispense coffee and exactly the right book to souls who need its special kind of magic. A gentle book designed to soothe those of us feeling the hooks and barbs of these rough times.
48tiffin
14: In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, A Memoir by Neil White
Kindle edition {added}
This memoir was an unexpected pleasure. When Neil White commits the white collar crime of moving money he didn't really have from bank account to bank account to cover up how much he was over-extended in his publishing business and life, he is caught, tried, and sentenced to 18 months in the strangest prison in Carville, Louisiana: a combination prison and the last colony in the U.S. for people afflicted by leprosy. This is the story of his incarceration there, of his fellow prisoners and the patients living beside them. It is also the story of his personal journey to redemption.
White's values, prejudices, and misconceptions underwent a radical transformation in Carville. He tells the story of this journey with humour and, by the end of the book, with humility. I loved the characters and their stories. I felt like I had been somewhere utterly unique and transformative in the pages of White's quiet yet important memoir.
Kindle edition {added}
This memoir was an unexpected pleasure. When Neil White commits the white collar crime of moving money he didn't really have from bank account to bank account to cover up how much he was over-extended in his publishing business and life, he is caught, tried, and sentenced to 18 months in the strangest prison in Carville, Louisiana: a combination prison and the last colony in the U.S. for people afflicted by leprosy. This is the story of his incarceration there, of his fellow prisoners and the patients living beside them. It is also the story of his personal journey to redemption.
White's values, prejudices, and misconceptions underwent a radical transformation in Carville. He tells the story of this journey with humour and, by the end of the book, with humility. I loved the characters and their stories. I felt like I had been somewhere utterly unique and transformative in the pages of White's quiet yet important memoir.
49tiffin
15: Booklover's Death, Brittany Mystery Series Book 4, with Sandrine Perrot, by Christophe Villain
Kindle edition {not added}
I haven't read the first three books of this detective series so I was thrown into Sandrine Perrot's life a bit precipitously but didn't have any trouble going with the flow. When a lover of books is murdered in his own library in Bécherel, the Cité du Livre of Brittany, Perrot has to figure out who would have wanted him out of the picture and why. Meanwhile something is going on in her own life, which would have been clarified somewhere in the first three books of the series. An easygoing mystery but interesting enough.
Kindle edition {not added}
I haven't read the first three books of this detective series so I was thrown into Sandrine Perrot's life a bit precipitously but didn't have any trouble going with the flow. When a lover of books is murdered in his own library in Bécherel, the Cité du Livre of Brittany, Perrot has to figure out who would have wanted him out of the picture and why. Meanwhile something is going on in her own life, which would have been clarified somewhere in the first three books of the series. An easygoing mystery but interesting enough.
50tiffin
16: Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher
Kindle edition
I had never read one of hers, so I thought I would. She's very good with characters. Not normally my kind of read but her people and their circumstances were interesting enough to keep me going to the end. Set in England and Scotland.
Kindle edition
I had never read one of hers, so I thought I would. She's very good with characters. Not normally my kind of read but her people and their circumstances were interesting enough to keep me going to the end. Set in England and Scotland.
51tiffin
17: A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants, by Ann Clair
Kindle edition
Very light. Very.
Kindle edition
Very light. Very.
53tiffin
19: The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening, Book 1, by Naomi Kuttner
Kindle edition
This one is out of order because I read it back when I was recovering from a broken shoulder but forgot to add it, mostly because I couldn't type.
Dante, a retired assassin for M15, has retired from the profession to New Zealand, living as quiet a life as possible in a small town. Things don't work out that way for him and he gets caught up in saving a young friend from murder charges.
Kindle edition
This one is out of order because I read it back when I was recovering from a broken shoulder but forgot to add it, mostly because I couldn't type.
Dante, a retired assassin for M15, has retired from the profession to New Zealand, living as quiet a life as possible in a small town. Things don't work out that way for him and he gets caught up in saving a young friend from murder charges.
55tiffin
21: Two Suns at Sunset, Tandemstar: The Outcast Cycle Book 1, by Gene Doucette
Kindle edition {added}
This reminded me a bit of Pratchett's Discworld in its quirkiness and the kinds of names used, although it isn't as funny to me in the way Discworld is. Detective Makk Stidgeon is a cholem or outcast with the tattoo to prove it, who has the misfortune to have to solve the murder of a renowned scholar, Prof. Orno Linus who was also Brother Linus of the House, a powerful religious order. Lots of red herrings, dangerous and powerful men, secrets and more murders.
Things didn't quite wrap up in Book 1 so I purchased Book 2 but it looks to go off in another direction entirely. We'll see.
Kindle edition {added}
This reminded me a bit of Pratchett's Discworld in its quirkiness and the kinds of names used, although it isn't as funny to me in the way Discworld is. Detective Makk Stidgeon is a cholem or outcast with the tattoo to prove it, who has the misfortune to have to solve the murder of a renowned scholar, Prof. Orno Linus who was also Brother Linus of the House, a powerful religious order. Lots of red herrings, dangerous and powerful men, secrets and more murders.
Things didn't quite wrap up in Book 1 so I purchased Book 2 but it looks to go off in another direction entirely. We'll see.
56LizzieD
Hi, Tui. I'm always happy to see you here checking in with the fun stuff. I just finished How to Read a Book and don't remember whether I got the hint from you. I loved it though, so thank you if you had a hand in getting it to me!
57tiffin
It wasn't me, Peggy, but thanks for the book tip. And thanks so much for dropping by. Recovering from a second fall whereby I managed to get a concussion, so I'm just grateful to be able to read at all, even if it's just the "fun stuff".
58LizzieD
Oh my goodness, Tui. I'm sorry. Fear of falling looms large and will loom larger. It hovers on the edge of consciousness - a second's distraction or no fault of our own at all, and down we may go. I'm thrilled that you're reading after the concussion. Almost all that I read these days is "fun stuff," and I don't have any reason at all except that it's what I want to do.
59PaulCranswick
The loss of balance and mobility is something I think all of us fear with the encroaching years.
60tiffin
22: The Madness of Kings, Tandemstar, the Outcast Cycle Book 2, by Gene Doucette
Kindle edition {added}
Kindle edition {added}
61tiffin
23: The Ocean in the Sky, Tandemstar, the Outcast Cycle, Book 3, by Gene Doucette
Kindle edition {added}
Kindle edition {added}
62tiffin
24: The Wisdom of Sand, Tandemstar the Outcast Cycle, Book 4, by Gene Doucette
Kindle edition {added}
Ended not with a bang but a whimper, at least for me, because the Outcast of the titlehadn't been dealt with although the implication is strong that it WILL be . Will there be another book at some point? Who knows?
Kindle edition {added}
Ended not with a bang but a whimper, at least for me, because the Outcast of the title
63tiffin
25: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, Book 1, by Benjamin Stevenson
Kindle edition {added}
I'd read more mysteries by this author.
Kindle edition {added}
I'd read more mysteries by this author.
64laytonwoman3rd
>63 tiffin: That one's on my TBR pile; my daughter read it, and enjoyed it.
65tiffin
>64 laytonwoman3rd:: Perfect distraction away from you-know-who.
66tiffin
26: Robo Recall: A Near Future Cyberpunk Romantic Thriller, Book 1, by A.R. Grayson
Kindle edition
Dr. Amelia Westford has created a prototype AI who can pass for human and has named him Eiji but he surpasses even her own expectations as his intelligence and emotional EQ grow exponentially. Set in Tokyo, she and Eiji are forced to escape to Seattle, Washington as they are hunted by her ex-husband's killing machine AI "Hunter". Shades of Blade Runner where humans feel threatened by robots so enact cruelties against the sentient beings they have created.
Lots of action with great atmosphere and almost clinically drawn detail. I enjoyed this one.
Kindle edition
Dr. Amelia Westford has created a prototype AI who can pass for human and has named him Eiji but he surpasses even her own expectations as his intelligence and emotional EQ grow exponentially. Set in Tokyo, she and Eiji are forced to escape to Seattle, Washington as they are hunted by her ex-husband's killing machine AI "Hunter". Shades of Blade Runner where humans feel threatened by robots so enact cruelties against the sentient beings they have created.
Lots of action with great atmosphere and almost clinically drawn detail. I enjoyed this one.
67tiffin
27: Robo Recall: Rogue Matriarch, Book 2, by A.R. Grayson
Kindle edition
Eiji is experiencing growing pains as he pushes against the boundaries of his life in Dr. Amelia Westford's apartment. He wants freedom, wants to live his life fully, but the danger involved in trying to do so can't be ignored, nor can the increasing tension and violence between humans and robots. He ends up in real danger caught between the recalls and destruction of sentient beings like himself and the uprising fight back of robots who no longer want to be victims.
There is a third book coming but it won't be out until later in the summer.
Kindle edition
Eiji is experiencing growing pains as he pushes against the boundaries of his life in Dr. Amelia Westford's apartment. He wants freedom, wants to live his life fully, but the danger involved in trying to do so can't be ignored, nor can the increasing tension and violence between humans and robots. He ends up in real danger caught between the recalls and destruction of sentient beings like himself and the uprising fight back of robots who no longer want to be victims.
There is a third book coming but it won't be out until later in the summer.
68tiffin
28: The Running Grave, Book 7 of the Cormorant Strike series by Robert Galbraith
Kindle edition {added}
Although there is some ugly grim stuff in this story, it is well written. I had a strange sense of deja vu while reading it, as though I had started it at one time and had set it aside. I suppose the grimness is no surprise from a brain that came up with Voldemort and Nazguls. Can't say that i actually enjoyed reading it but I did persist to the end.The Robin/Cormorant relationship is going nowhere in this book, for those who are reading the series to see if it gets resolved.
Kindle edition {added}
Although there is some ugly grim stuff in this story, it is well written. I had a strange sense of deja vu while reading it, as though I had started it at one time and had set it aside. I suppose the grimness is no surprise from a brain that came up with Voldemort and Nazguls. Can't say that i actually enjoyed reading it but I did persist to the end.
69LizzieD
>68 tiffin: Your spoiler is maybe the main reason I continue to read the series, Tui. I'm more immune to the grim, ugly stuff than you, but it seems to me that she is relying less on shocks and more on writing a good mystery. I thought that her latest Strike/Robin, The Hallmarked Man, was even less ugly than this one. I wonder what others of her readers think, but I'm too lazy to ferret out reviews.
Be well, friend!
Be well, friend!
70laytonwoman3rd
Lethal White was the last one of the Cormoran Strike novels I read, and I don't intend to read any more of them. That one was bloated, made use of an extremely rickety old trope at the end, and I got very tired of the toxic relationships both main characters were mired in. Decided I didn't care a bit whether they ever got together or not. And then I learned what a wretched human being Rowling is, really, so I could let on that I quit reading the series because I didn't want to put another nickel in her purse.
72tiffin
>70 laytonwoman3rd:: I made a half-hearted attempt to find Rowling's exact words about the whole trans thing so that I could read them for myself to decide whether or not I felt her opinions had any merit or not but never did find what she actually had said and, having more serious stuff going on in my personal life, never pursued it further. However, according to Google, she has donated millions through her Volant trust to support those who experience social inequality. She created and funds the Ann Rowling Regenetive Neurology clinic in Edinburgh in honour of her mother who had multiple sclerosis. She supports victims of sexual violence, single mother initiatives, various other works for women and children, Doctors Without Borders, etc. So while her opinions may or may not diverge from my own about what constitutes male and female biology, I do respect the efforts of someone in putting her vast wealth to work to amend some of the ills of the world. I also loved and will always love the Harry Potter series. So that's all I can fairly say about that author.
>71 lauralkeet:: Hi Laura. Are you nodding at yourself there? hoho
>71 lauralkeet:: Hi Laura. Are you nodding at yourself there? hoho
73lauralkeet
>72 tiffin: Oops, I was nodding at Linda's post.
I loved the HP books and films too, and I guess I'm glad she's directing her money to worthy beneficiaries, but I'm no longer a fan of the author. This recap might help, if you're interested: A timeline of JK Rowling's anti-trans shift
Many involved in the HP films, including the three young stars and Ralph Fiennes, have publicly spoken out against her.
I loved the HP books and films too, and I guess I'm glad she's directing her money to worthy beneficiaries, but I'm no longer a fan of the author. This recap might help, if you're interested: A timeline of JK Rowling's anti-trans shift
Many involved in the HP films, including the three young stars and Ralph Fiennes, have publicly spoken out against her.
74laytonwoman3rd
>72 tiffin: It's a very complicated issue, that's for sure. There's been exaggeration and misrepresentation on both sides. If you want to dig into it, I found This article.
I feel Rowling has put herself in the spotlight by debating matters that ought to be medical, not social, and while she raises some valuable points, her celebrity gives more weight to her opinions than is warranted. She should be cognizant of that and leave the public discussion to professionals and people who are actively dealing with sexual identity issues. I know she's done a lot of good with her $$$, but I'm uncomfortable with her now, even so.
I feel Rowling has put herself in the spotlight by debating matters that ought to be medical, not social, and while she raises some valuable points, her celebrity gives more weight to her opinions than is warranted. She should be cognizant of that and leave the public discussion to professionals and people who are actively dealing with sexual identity issues. I know she's done a lot of good with her $$$, but I'm uncomfortable with her now, even so.
76LizzieD
This is interesting, and I'm glad to have a resource that I likely won't look at, Linda and Laura. Thank you for the other side of the coin, Tui. I'm sad to say that some of my most loved authors turned out to be shabby, nasty, petty human beings. I wish it were not so, but I'm not going to stop reading them because their beauty and wisdom went into their books but not their relationships.
77lauralkeet
>76 LizzieD: I'm not going to stop reading them because their beauty and wisdom went into their books but not their relationships.
I like the way you expressed that, Peggy.
I like the way you expressed that, Peggy.
78laytonwoman3rd
>76 LizzieD: >77 lauralkeet: Yes, Peggy---if we chose our authors by their personal beliefs and behavior, we'd run out of choices quickly. And humans are only....human...after all.
79tiffin
D.H. Lawrence said, to paraphrase, don't trust the artist, trust his art. He could be a bit of a jerk too. And then there is Herman Melville who was an absolute rotter to his wife.
80tiffin
29: The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
Kindle edition {added}
I enjoy this intrepid group of seniors . Nothing like a good mystery to haul Elizabeth out of her grief.
Kindle edition {added}
I enjoy this intrepid group of seniors . Nothing like a good mystery to haul Elizabeth out of her grief.
81tiffin
30: A Fox in the Fold, book 14 of Owen Archer mysteries by Candace Robb
Kindle edition {added}
A dangerous man from Owen Archer's past has come to his peaceful town, threatening the people he protects as well as his family. Another skillfully crafted story set in 1376 with competing bishops, vengeance and enmity, excellent characters like Magda the healer, Archer's family, and the denizens of the town.
Kindle edition {added}
A dangerous man from Owen Archer's past has come to his peaceful town, threatening the people he protects as well as his family. Another skillfully crafted story set in 1376 with competing bishops, vengeance and enmity, excellent characters like Magda the healer, Archer's family, and the denizens of the town.
82tiffin
31: Threads of Memory, Thread Witch Book 1, by Richard Pierce no touchstones
Kindle edition
Some interesting concepts but the prose was a bit purple for my taste. Doubt if I'll read the 2nd and 3rd books.
Kindle edition
Some interesting concepts but the prose was a bit purple for my taste. Doubt if I'll read the 2nd and 3rd books.
84tiffin
33: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Paperback
This was splendid. I do love how she writes her characters.
Paperback
This was splendid. I do love how she writes her characters.
85tiffin
34: A Jewel in the Crown, The Secret Churchill Files Book 1, by David Lewis
Kindle edition
I suspect this was a reread but it was still lots of fun.
Kindle edition
I suspect this was a reread but it was still lots of fun.
86tiffin
35: Infinity Upgrade, Infinity Upgrade Book 1 by J.N. Chaney
Kindle edition
Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away is a grubby little planet with a silicone moon where every newborn person gets implanted with an AI, except for Cal Bennett whose mother was likely a whore, so he was born beneath all the systems in place. The richer citizens got fancier AIs which can do much more than those implanted in the denizens of Lower Town, the age old dichotomy between rich and poor. Cal works in a dangerous job in a mine, so all he has it chronic exhaustion, strong shoulders and arms, and cardio pulmonary disease with a probably life expectancy of three more years.
When he tries to save the life of an old woman being attacked by a couple of thugs, she passes along her AI to him as she is dying and his life is changed forever. Powerful forces want that AI, the last invention of the scientist Cal tried to save. Neither Cal nor the AI he has inherited know what is expected of them, so the journey/adventure/fight is a learning process for both of them.
Book 2 is out at the end of May.
Kindle edition
Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away is a grubby little planet with a silicone moon where every newborn person gets implanted with an AI, except for Cal Bennett whose mother was likely a whore, so he was born beneath all the systems in place. The richer citizens got fancier AIs which can do much more than those implanted in the denizens of Lower Town, the age old dichotomy between rich and poor. Cal works in a dangerous job in a mine, so all he has it chronic exhaustion, strong shoulders and arms, and cardio pulmonary disease with a probably life expectancy of three more years.
When he tries to save the life of an old woman being attacked by a couple of thugs, she passes along her AI to him as she is dying and his life is changed forever. Powerful forces want that AI, the last invention of the scientist Cal tried to save. Neither Cal nor the AI he has inherited know what is expected of them, so the journey/adventure/fight is a learning process for both of them.
Book 2 is out at the end of May.
87tiffin
36: Bright of the Sky, Book 1 of the Entire and the Rose series, by Kay Kenyon
Kindle edition
Just started.
Kindle edition
Just started.
88lauralkeet
>84 tiffin: I have about 20 pages remaining in The Things we Never Say and it is indeed splendid.
90tiffin
37: The Gilded Nest, Book 9 of Crow Investigations by Sarah Painter
Kindle edition
Catching up with this series as it winds down. Lydia Crow has moved into Uncle Charlie's high end home after his death, taking over the leadership of the Crow clan but she isn't happy there. It's Charlie's house, not hers, and the role of head of the Crow family sits uncomfortably on her shoulders. She misses her real home, the apartment above the cafe (see "The Magpie Key"), and her real work as a P.I. Her relationship with DCI Fleet is pretty solid, although Paul Fox (head of the Fox clan) still flits in and out of her life in his disruptive manner. Lydia and Fleet are trying to track down who is doing copycat murders around the Ripper's old haunts in London, except this time all the victims are males. Jason the ghost has made the move to Charlie's house with her but he doesn't like it there much either. Lots going on in this edition.
Kindle edition
Catching up with this series as it winds down. Lydia Crow has moved into Uncle Charlie's high end home after his death, taking over the leadership of the Crow clan but she isn't happy there. It's Charlie's house, not hers, and the role of head of the Crow family sits uncomfortably on her shoulders. She misses her real home, the apartment above the cafe (see "The Magpie Key"), and her real work as a P.I. Her relationship with DCI Fleet is pretty solid, although Paul Fox (head of the Fox clan) still flits in and out of her life in his disruptive manner. Lydia and Fleet are trying to track down who is doing copycat murders around the Ripper's old haunts in London, except this time all the victims are males. Jason the ghost has made the move to Charlie's house with her but he doesn't like it there much either. Lots going on in this edition.
91tiffin
38: The Crow Moon, Book 10 of Crow Investigations by Sarah Painter
Kindle edition
That's the series wrapped up for me.
Kindle edition
That's the series wrapped up for me.
92tiffin
39: The New Ka'Adri, Epic Literary Universe Series, by R.S. Penney
Kindle edition
I don't know about "Epic Literary" but definitely very comic bookish.
Kindle edition
I don't know about "Epic Literary" but definitely very comic bookish.
93tiffin
40: King Rat by China Miéville
Kindle edition
A chilling reworking of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story, Miéville imagines the story in a London where the rats carry out their revenge against the creepy Pied Piper. A reread, I read this when Miéville first released it back in the 1980s, the book which began his fantasy/fantastic literature career. It has held up well over time.
Kindle edition
A chilling reworking of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story, Miéville imagines the story in a London where the rats carry out their revenge against the creepy Pied Piper. A reread, I read this when Miéville first released it back in the 1980s, the book which began his fantasy/fantastic literature career. It has held up well over time.
94PaulCranswick
Happy Canada Day. x
96tiffin
41: Flying Gas Can, A Backyard Starship Series Book 1, by J.N. Chaney and Aaron S. Bunce
Kindle edition
Gaelin Starks, former Guild Peacemaker, now down on his luck on a dead end planet, in thrall to a cruel alien boss and his android enforcer with a sadistic streak, Gaelin sees no way out of the mess he's in which have cost him his job, his wife and child, and his self respect. Fellow former Peacemakers made him an offer he couldn't refuse: to gather up a team of other spacefarers to try to figure who or what was making stars disappear throughout several galaxies. So he did and they boldly went where no one had gone before.
I have no idea if the scientific bafflegab is legit or not and tended to skim over it as tiny brain does not compute these things, although I enjoy them.
Kindle edition
Gaelin Starks, former Guild Peacemaker, now down on his luck on a dead end planet, in thrall to a cruel alien boss and his android enforcer with a sadistic streak, Gaelin sees no way out of the mess he's in which have cost him his job, his wife and child, and his self respect. Fellow former Peacemakers made him an offer he couldn't refuse: to gather up a team of other spacefarers to try to figure who or what was making stars disappear throughout several galaxies. So he did and they boldly went where no one had gone before.
I have no idea if the scientific bafflegab is legit or not and tended to skim over it as tiny brain does not compute these things, although I enjoy them.
97tiffin
42: Scattered Hopes, Flying Gas Can Book 2, by J.N. Chaney and Aaron S. Bunce no touchstones
Kindle edition
The consummate evil known as the Fold succeed in their plan to dominate all existing worlds in all known universes by making the remaining denizens of the remaining unconquered worlds forget that the destroyed worlds ever existed. Gaelin Starks and his crew, along with their ship Erebus and their smaller dragon ship, have allied with the Scattered, survivors of the Fold's destruction of their worlds. The Fold are getting even closer to the Milky Way, making Gaelin's efforts to stop them even more urgent.
Kindle edition
The consummate evil known as the Fold succeed in their plan to dominate all existing worlds in all known universes by making the remaining denizens of the remaining unconquered worlds forget that the destroyed worlds ever existed. Gaelin Starks and his crew, along with their ship Erebus and their smaller dragon ship, have allied with the Scattered, survivors of the Fold's destruction of their worlds. The Fold are getting even closer to the Milky Way, making Gaelin's efforts to stop them even more urgent.
98tiffin
43: A Traitor in Whitehall, Book 1 of Evelyn Redfern mysteries, by Julia Kelly
Kindle edition
The Blitzkrieg is just starting in London during WWII as Evelyn Redfern takes on a position in a typing pool of women typing up top secret documents about the British war effort. Churchill is frequently in the building in these well guarded rooms under ground but a mole has leaked information to the Germans. When an unpopular member of the typing pool is murdered, Evelyn joins forces with a somewhat mysterious man who is more than he seems, David Poole, as they seek to discover the identify of the mole and who might have murdered Evelyn's co-worker, and why.
Kindle edition
The Blitzkrieg is just starting in London during WWII as Evelyn Redfern takes on a position in a typing pool of women typing up top secret documents about the British war effort. Churchill is frequently in the building in these well guarded rooms under ground but a mole has leaked information to the Germans. When an unpopular member of the typing pool is murdered, Evelyn joins forces with a somewhat mysterious man who is more than he seems, David Poole, as they seek to discover the identify of the mole and who might have murdered Evelyn's co-worker, and why.
