A Little Reading

Book Beginnings: Antique Hunters and Long time, no see

2026-03-27T09:57:00.005-05:00

The Antique Hunter's Murder
at the Castle
by C.L. Miller
Atria Books, March 2026

First sentences

The snow was descending in sheets as Bella turned her rental car down the long drive to Fawside Castle. It blanketed the world around her.

About the Book

Description from the Publisher:

"Hot on the heels of an art forger, a member of the Lockwood Antique Hunter’s Agency disappears while investigating an isolated castle deep in Scottish countryside. Freya and Aunt Carole race to her last known location and arrive in the wintry, snow-covered Scottish Borders.
At the castle, they discover ... a murdered laird in the vegetable garden and his priceless collection of silverware has been stolen. Local police believe Freya’s missing team member was involved with the robbery and murder...but where is she now?
As a snowstorm descends on the castle, Freya and Carole call in back-up to help uncover what happened that fateful night. As each question is met with more mystery, the clock is ticking to find their friend and the murderer before they are cut off from the outside world."

Initial Thoughts

This is the third book in C.L. Miller's Antique Hunter series of cozy mysteries, and I haven't read either of the other two books. As usual, I'm jumping into a series with no background and no experience with the characters or story lines. Most of the time, I don't have a lot of problems catching up. But I think it might have been a mistake with this series. I'm not connecting as quickly as I'd like and I seem to be spending way too much time trying to figure out relationships and back stories. So I'm not enjoying the book as much as I likely would if I'd read the others.

Of course, that's my fault and not a fault of the book or the author. And I'm only about a third of the way through, so things might change. Freya and her Aunt Carole are interesting characters, and the story is moving along at a nice rapid pace. So, we'll see how things develop as I get further into the book – if I get further into the book.

One other thought: This is the first time I've posted anything here on the blog in over a year – aside from my annual lists of books I've read. I keep promising myself that I'll start blogging and reviewing again, and I go right on breaking that promise. So, we'll see how things develop here, too.

Please note: The sentence quoted above comes from an advance reader's copy of the book (yes, I'm a little late getting it read). I've checked it against the US edition which came out earlier this month, but haven't compared it with the UK edition. I notice that the titles seem to be different, so I suppose there could be other things that don't match up.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading (or one that's caught your eye), along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc. It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a nice chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

Reading in 2026

2026-01-01T14:56:00.013-06:00

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2026. Once again, I'll be aiming for 50 books. I always hope for 50 books, though I never really expect to make that goal. But in 2025 I read 49 (including children's books), so I have high hopes for 2026.

JANUARY

1. The Final Problem: A Novel. Arturo Pérez-Reverte; trans. by Frances Riddle (2023/2026; fiction / mystery; 303 pages)
2. More Than Enough: A Novel. Anna Quindlen (2026; fiction; 256 pages)

FEBRUARY

3. Cast, In Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris Mystery #1). Simon Brett (1975; fiction / mystery; 203 pages)
4. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances: A Novel. Glenn Dixon (2026; fiction; 224 pages)

MARCH

5. The Man Who Died Laughing (Stewart Hoag #1). David Handler (1988; fiction / mystery; 298 pages)

6. Stonecliff. Robert Nathan (1967; fiction; 100 pages)

7. Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough Chronicles #3). Colin Watson (1962; fiction / mystery; 154 pages)

........

APRIL

8. The Aspern Papers. Henry James (1888; fiction; 119 pages) - This was a re-read.
9. The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle (Antique Hunters #3). C.L. Miller (2026; fiction / mystery; 304 pages; reading now)

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MAY

........

JUNE

.......

JULY

........

AUGUST

........

SEPTEMBER

........

OCTOBER

........

NOVEMBER

........

DECEMBER

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Children's Picture Books Read in 2026

1. Bea and Mr. Jones. Amy Schwartz; illus. by author (1982; 32 pages)

2. Knight Owl. Christopher Denise; illus. by author (2022; Caldecott Honor book 2023)
3. No Roses for Harry! (Harry the Dog series). Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1958; 32 pages)
4. The Rock from the Sky. Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2021)
5. This Is Not My Hat (The Hat Trilogy #2). Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2012; Caldecott Medal Winner 2013)
6. A Tree Is Nice. Janice May Udry; illus. by Marc Simont (1956; Caldecott Medal Winner 1957)

7. The Velveteen Rabbit. Margery Williams Bianco; illus. by William Nicholson (1922)
8. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin. Lloyd Moss; illus. by Marjorie Priceman (1995; Caldecott Honor book 1996)

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Monday Reading Report and 2025 Wrap-Up

2025-12-29T14:35:00.007-06:00

I haven’t published much on the blog this year. Almost nothing, actually. I’ve had some personal challenges this year that took up time and energy I might otherwise have devoted to reviewing and book discussions. But even though I haven’t posted much, I’ve still been reading and taking note of what others are reading. So instead of talking about what I'm reading here at year's end, I thought I’d do a little wrap-up report on what I read during the year, and look at a few stats.

I've listed the books alphabetically, with their ratings. The star ratings are those I use for rating books at LibraryThing. Here’s the system I use over there:

✭✭✭✭✭ = All-time favorites and new discoveries that I loved - not many get this rating
✭✭✭✭ = Really liked it - an author I might consider reading again
✭✭✭ = An enjoyable read, but nothing extraordinary; most books will fall into this category
✭✭ = It was OK, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to others
✭ = Mediocre; disappointing; had trouble finishing
DNF (Did Not Finish) = Books I started reading and then put aside. This doesn't necessarily mean I didn't like a book, just that I wasn't able to finish it or didn't feel like continuing with it. Might or might not finish it later.

Excluding Dr Seuss and a couple of other children's books that were re-reads of childhood favorites, I didn't discover any 5-star reads this year. However, there were a few that came very close. For top three I'd choose Huxley's Crome Yellow, Zorrie by Laird Hunt, and Ready for My Close-Up by David M. Lubin. Surprisingly, none of those were mysteries or thrillers.

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First, some stats. Lists of books read will follow.

Total number of books read = 49 (almost made it to the 50-book goal)
Number of DNF books (not included in the list) = 7 (I think)
Number of fiction books = 44
Number of nonfiction books = 5
Total number of pages read = I have no idea, but I intentionally avoided chunksters this year
Number of books published in 2025 = 7
Number of books published before the year 2000 = 27
Number of non-crime related fiction books = 12 (ignoring the kiddie lit, which – thankfully – did not have anything to do with crime)
Print books vs Electronic books = 18 print / 31 ebooks
Number of audio books = 0 (I don't like them much)
Number of library books = 0 (shame on me)
Best book to read aloud = Fox in Socks, by Dr Seuss
Best book to read if you want a good laugh = Anguished English, by Richard Lederer

Adult Titles Read in 2025:

Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, by Richard Lederer; illus. by Bill Thompson (1987) ✭✭✭✭
The Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster (2002) ✭✭✭✭
The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2), by Erle Stanley Gardner (1933) ✭✭✭✭
Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921) ✭✭✭✭½
Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25), by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025) ✭✭✭✭
The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1), by Robert B. Parker (1973) ✭✭✭✭
Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen (Gordon McAlpine) (2013) ✭✭✭✭
I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4), by Alan Bradley (2011) ✭✭✭✭
The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1), by Ann Cleeves (2025) ✭✭✭
Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1), by Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025) ✭✭✭½
A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2), by John le Carré (1962) ✭✭✭✭
Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4), by Robert Thorogood (2025) ✭✭✭½
The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland", by Jenny Woolf (2010) ✭✭✭½
Origin (Robert Langdon #5), by Dan Brown (2017) ✭✭✭
The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1), by Stuart Palmer (1931) ✭✭✭½
The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (2016) ✭✭✭½
Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21), by Rex Stout (1952) ✭✭✭✭
Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream, by David M. Lubin (2025) ✭✭✭✭½
Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12), by Eva Gates (2025) ✭✭✭
Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1), by Gladys Mitchell (1929) ✭✭✭
Strange Houses: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021) ✭✭½
Strange Pictures: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2022;2025) ✭✭✭
The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11), by Eva Gates (2024) ✭✭✭½
Writers and Their Notebooks, by Diana M. Raab (2010) ✭✭✭
Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #01), by W.J. Burley (1968) ✭✭✭
Zorrie, by Laird Hunt (2021) ✭✭✭✭½

Children's Middle Grade and Young Adult Titles:

The Experiment, by Rebecca Stead (2025) ✭✭✭✭
Little Jeanne of France, by Madeline Brandeis (1929) (this was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4), by James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrrill (1987) ✭✭✭✭
The Velvet Room, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965) ✭✭✭✭

Children’s Books - Picture Books and Easy Reading:

The Christmas ABC, by Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962) ✭✭✭✭
Doctor Dan the Bandage Man, by Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965) ✭✭✭✭✭
The Fuzzy Duckling, by Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949) ✭✭✭✭
If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998) ✭✭✭✭
I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965) ✭✭✭✭
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭½
The Library, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
Nurse Nancy, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960) ✭✭✭✭
The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭✭✭✭
Tawny Scrawny Lion, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952) ✭✭✭✭
The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000) ✭✭✭✭
XO, OX: A Love Story, by Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017) ✭✭✭✭

Hard to Categorize:

The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour (Miss Petitfour #2), by Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022) ✭✭✭½

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2025-01-06T00:45:00.002-06:00

It's been quite a while since I posted a Monday reading update. I haven't really been doing much blogging here at A Little Reading (only two posts last year!), but I'm still reading and thought I might try to get the blog going again. Of course, I've said that before and yet, here I am a year later, saying it all over again. So we'll see how it goes.

During the Christmas holidays, I read three books. Three very different books, all of them chosen to fulfill various reading challenges over at LibraryThing....

The Donaldson Case
by Diana Xarissa (2016)

The X-Files: Ground Zero

by Kevin J. Anderson (1995)

James

by Percival Everett (2024)

I haven't finished any books in this new year, but I've got a couple started....

The Mystery of Lewis Carroll

by Jenny Woolf (2010)

Origin

by Dan Brown (2017)

Jenny Woolf's study of Lewis Carroll has a lengthy subtitle: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland." She brings up many interesting questions about Carroll and has some intriguing - and occasionally unpredictable - answers. I'm enjoying the book, though I'm not sure I accept or agree with all her theories and explanations.

I've just started Dan Brown's Origin (the 5th book in his Robert Langdon series), but so far it's just as fast-moving as all his other thrillers. So even though it's something of a chunkster (between 500 and 700 pages, depending on the edition), I think it might be a quick read.

Happy New Year, everyone!
Have a great week, and Happy Reading!

Reading in 2025

2025-01-01T01:00:00.051-06:00

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2025. Once again, I'll be aiming for 50 books. And, once again, I don't expect to hit that mark.

JANUARY

1. Origin (Robert Langdon #5). Dan Brown (2017; fiction / thriller; 482 pages)
2. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4). Alan Bradley (2011; fiction / mystery; 305 pages)
3. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland". Jenny Woolf (2010; nonfiction / biography / literary history; 336 pages; reading now)
4. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 336 pages)

FEBRUARY

5. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12). Eva Gates (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 272 pages)
6. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11). Eva Gates (2024; fiction / cozy mystery; 297 pages)

MARCH

7. The Ugly Duckling. Hans Christian Andersen; adapted & illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000; children's picture book / fable; 40 pages)
8. The Relatives Came. Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; children's picture book; 32 pages)

9. Hammett Unwritten. Gordon McAlpine (2013; fiction / mystery; 178 pages)

APRIL

10. Fox in Socks. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965; children's picture book / humor; 62 pages)

11. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965; children's picture book / humor; 64 pages)

12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960; childlren's picture book / humor; 63 pages)

13. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; children's picture book; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; 32 pages)
14. XO, OX: A Love Story. Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017; children's picture book / humor; 32 pages)
15. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25). Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025; fiction / mystery; 253 pages)

16. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language. Richard Lederer (1987; nonfiction / cultural history / language; 157 pages)
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1). Stuart Palmer (1931; fiction / mystery; 280 pages)

MAY

18. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1). Gladys Mitchell (1929; fiction / mystery; 266 pages)
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21). Rex Stout (1952; fiction / mystery; 226 pages)

20. The Book of Illusions. Paul Auster (2002; fiction; 333 pages)

JUNE

21. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2). John le Carré (1962; fiction / mystery; 158 pages)
22. Writers and Their Notebooks. Diana Raab (2010; nonfiction / essays; 206 pages)

JULY

23. The Lorax. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971; children's picture book; 72 pages; this was a re-read)
24. If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998; children's picture book; 32 pages)
25. The Library. Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995; children's picture book; 40 pages; this was a re-read)

26. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #1). W.J. Burley (1968; fiction / mystery; 224 pages)

AUGUST

27. Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream. David M. Lubin (2025; nonfiction / cultural history / film; 301 pages)

28. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2). Erle Stanley Gardner (1933; fiction / mystery; 264 pages)
29. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4). James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrill (1987; children's fiction / mystery; 144 pages)

SEPTEMBER

30. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4). Robert Thorogood (2025; fiction / mystery; 251 pages)
31. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1). Robert B. Parker (1973; fiction / mystery; 210 pages)
32. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1). Ann Cleeves (2025; fiction / mystery; 384 pages)

OCTOBER

33. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour (Miss Petitfour #2). Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022; children's literature / fantasy; 159 pages)
34. Strange Houses: A Novel. Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021; fiction / mystery / horror / weird fiction; 203 pages)
35. The Princess Diarist. Carrie Fisher (2016; nonfiction / memoir; 272 pages)

NOVEMBER

36. Strange Pictures. Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2022; fiction / mystery / horror; 240 pages)
37. Crome Yellow. Aldous Huxley (1921; fiction / satire; 223 pages)
38. The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery / cozy mystery; 112 pages)

39. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man. Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read)

40. Nurse Nancy. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read)

41. Tawny Scrawny Lion. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages)

42. The Fuzzy Duckling. Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages)

DECEMBER

43. The Night Before Christmas. Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read)

44. The Christmas ABC. Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages)
45. The Experiment. Rebecca Stead (2025; children's literature / science fiction; 268 pages)

46. The Velvet Room. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965; fiction / children's literature; 228 pages)
47. Zorrie. Laird Hunt (2021; fiction; 176 pages)
48. The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery / cozy mystery; 108 pages)

.......

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Book Beginnings: The Queen of Poisons

2024-05-17T16:11:00.007-05:00

The Queen of Poisons
by Robert Thorogood
Poisoned Pen Press, June 2024

First sentence

Suzie Harris was on a mission.

About the Book

Description from GoodReads:

The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer...

Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a town council meeting. When traces of aconite—also known as the queen of poisons—are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why?

The police bring Judith, Suzie, and Becks in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart's content… which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger?

The Marlow Murder Club is about to face their most difficult case yet...

Initial Thoughts

Well, my first thought isn't exactly about the book — it's about my reading/blogging life. It's been quite a while since I put up a post for Book Beginnings. Actually, it's been quite a while since I posted anything at all on the blog, aside from my list of books read. More than a year, in fact. During that time I've been through a lot of major life changes, and for a long time I wasn't able to do any reading — so there wasn't really much of anything to blog about. But time moves on, and the books are starting to whisper my name again. And now that I'm back to reading, I want to try to get back to blogging, too. They tell me it's therapeutic.

So, here goes....

Not the most magnetic opening, is it? I'm not sure that first sentence would draw me in if I wasn't already familiar with the Marlow Murder Club books.

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club series of mystery novels. The two earlier books are The Marlow Murder Club (2021), and Death Comes to Marlow (2023).

The "Murder Club" of the series consists of three amateur sleuths — a couple of middle-aged women (Becks and Suzie) and a third member who by now should be nearing 80 (Judith was 77 in the first book). I love finding books that feature older women doing interesting things and not just waiting around for dementia to set in, while letting their offspring and nieces and nephews have all the adventures. Judith lives on her own (well, in the first two books, anyway), enjoys swimming nude in the Thames, and solves mysteries. So, naturally, I fell in love with her immediately.

I've read and enjoyed the first two books, although I thought the second was not as satisfying as the first. That frequently happens in a book series. So I'm hoping this third offering turns out to be as intriguing as the first.

Please note: The sentence quoted above comes from an advance reader's copy of the book. I've checked it against the UK edition which came out in January. The book is scheduled to be released in the USA in June.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Books Read in 2024

2024-01-02T21:40:00.053-06:00

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2024. I used to aim for 50 books a year, but for 2024 I'm just hoping to do better than the dozen books I read last year.

JANUARY

1. City of Glass (New York Trilogy, Book 1). Paul Auster (1985; fiction / mystery; 203 pages)
2. Ghosts (New York Trilogy, Book 2). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 100 pages)
3. The Locked Room (New York Trilogy, Book 3). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 179 pages)
4. Heads You Lose (Inspector Cockrill #1). Christianna Brand (1941; fiction / mystery; 196 pages)

FEBRUARY

5. Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8). Agatha Christie (1932; fiction / mystery; 288 pages)
6. World's Fair. E.L. Doctorow (1985; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages)
7. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Chris Grabenstein (2013; fiction / children's literature; 293 pages)

MARCH

8. The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively (1977; fiction; 224 pages)
9. Experimental Film. Gemma Files (2015; fiction; 314 pages)
10. Last House. Jessica Shattuck (2024; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages)

APRIL

11. After Annie. Anna Quindlen (2024; fiction; 273 pages)
12. Hamnet. Maggie O'Farrell (2020; fiction / historical fiction; 321 pages)
13. Unexpected Night (Henry Gamadge Mysteries #1). Elizabeth Daly (1940; fiction / mystery; 221 pages)

MAY

14. The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. Sarah McCammon (2024; nonfiction / memoir / culture; 288 pages)
15. Oracle Night. Paul Auster (2003; fiction; 260 pages)
16. Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey. Karen Wilkin (2009; nonfiction / art / art history; 123 pages)
17. Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty. Alexander Larman (2024; nonfiction / history; 525 pages)
18. Toyland: Classic Illustrations of Children and Their Toys. Pamela Prince; designed by Barry Zaid (1990; art / art history / children's books; 44 pages)

JUNE

19. Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (1847; fiction; 465 pages)

JULY

20. If Death Ever Slept (Nero Wolfe #29). Rex Stout (1957; fiction / mystery; 208 pages)

21. Death and the Dancing Footman (Roderick Alleyn #11). Ngaio Marsh (1941; fiction / mystery; 356 pages)

AUGUST

22. A Grave Mistake (Roderick Alleyn #30). Ngaio Marsh (1978; fiction / mystery; 260 pages)
23. Death in a White Tie (Roderick Alleyn #7). Ngaio Marsh (1938; fiction / mystery; 329 pages)

SEPTEMBER

24. Final Curtain (Roderick Alleyn #14). Ngaio Marsh (1947; fiction / mystery; 301 pages)
25. The House Takes a Vacation. Jacqueline Davies; illus. by Lee White (2007; children's picture book; 32 pages)

OCTOBER

26. Du Iz Tak? Carson Ellis; illus. by author (2016; children's picture book; 2017 Caldecott Honor Book; 48 pages)
27. White Snow, Bright Snow. Alvin Tresselt; illus. by Roger Duvoisin (1947; children's picture book; 1948 Caldecott Medal Winner; 32 pages)
28. Have You Seen My Duckling? Nancy Tafuri; illus. by author (1984; children's picture book; 1985 Caldecott Honor Book; 32 pages)
29. The Dweller on the Threshold. Robert Smythe Hichens (1911; fiction; 292 pages)

30. The Celery Stalks at Midnight (Bunnicula #3). James Howe; illus. by Leslie H. Morrill (1983; children's literature / horror / humor; 81 pages)
31. Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps #1). R.L. Stine (1992; children's literature / horror; 108 pages)
32. Three Days in June. Anne Tyler (2025; fiction; 176 pages)

NOVEMBER

33. We'll Prescribe You a Cat. Syou Ishida; trans. by E. Madison Shimoda (2023/ 2024; fiction; 301 pages)
34. Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Joan Didion (2021; nonfiction / essays; 194 pages)

35. Every Time We Say Goodbye (Jane Austen Society #3). Natalie Jenner (2024; historical fiction; 336 pages)

36. The Little Island. Margaret Wise Brown; illus. by Leonard Weisgard (1946; children's picture book; 1947 Caldecott Medal Winner; 48 pages)

37. They Were Strong and Good. Robert Lawson; illus. by author (1940; children's picture book; 1941 Caldecott Medal Winner; 72 pages)

38. The Queen of Poisons (Marlow Murder Club #3). Robert Thorogood (2024; fiction / mystery; 272 pages)

DECEMBER

39. The X-Files: Ground Zero (X-Files #3). Kevin J. Anderson (1995; fiction / science fiction / sci-fi fantasy; 340 pages)
40. The Donaldson Case (Markham Sisters #4). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery; 105 pages)
41. James. Percival Everett (2024; historical fiction; 307 pages)

.......

📚📚📚📚📚

Books Read in 2023

2023-09-06T14:41:00.008-05:00

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2023. I'm getting a late start with the list, and didn't manage to do any reading in January or February. But my goal for 2023 is a lot lower than most years. If I read a book or two a month during the rest of this year, I'll be satisfied.

MARCH

1. High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell (1933; fiction)

APRIL

2. Wild Strawberries (Barsetshire #2). Angela Thirkell (1934; fiction)
3. Bramton Wick. Elizabeth Fair (1952; fiction)

MAY

4. The Windsors at War: The King, His Brother, and a Family Divided. Alexander Larman (2023; nonfiction / history)

JUNE

5. Landscape in Sunlight. Elizabeth Fair (1953; fiction)

JULY

6. Death Comes to Marlow (Marlow Murder Club #2). Robert Thorogood (2023; fiction / mystery)

AUGUST

7. Looking Glass Sound. Catriona Ward (2023; fiction / horror)

SEPTEMBER

8. The Heiress. Rachel Hawkins (2024; fiction / thriller)

OCTOBER

9. The Messy Lives of Book People. Phaedra Patrick (2022; fiction / women's fiction / adult fantasy)
10. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael. Beth Morrey (2020; fiction / women's fiction)

NOVEMBER

11. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died (Emily Dickinson Mystery #2). Amanda Flower (2023; fiction / mystery / historical fiction)

DECEMBER

12. When You Are Engulfed in Flames. David Sedaris (2008; nonfiction / humor / essays)

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2022-12-12T01:31:00.001-06:00

I have no idea what happened to the last month or so. Time flies, right? But I know what's happened to the last couple of weeks — for me, anyway. I came down with COVID right after Thanksgiving and I've been pretty wiped out ever since. I think I might be on the mend now, but I don't wanna speak too soon. I thought I was on the mend last week, too — and then, the dreaded rebound set in. So at the moment I'm in wait-and-see mode, with fingers crossed.

But even with the brain fog, I've managed to finish a few books, so far this month....

Gambit
(Nero Wolfe #37)

by Rex Stout (pub. 1962)

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng

(21st book in the Pendergast series)

by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(expected pub. - Jan. 2023)

Terminal Freeze

(Jeremy Logan #2)

by Lincoln Child (pub. 2008)

Those are by three of my favorite authors — I expected them to be entertaining, and they didn't disappoint.

Not sure what's on the list for the rest of December, but at the moment I'm reading a classic bit of humor by another of my favorite writers. Because, right now, I could definitely use a few laughs....

How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes

by Will Cuppy

(first pub. 1931)

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

Book Beginnings: The Cloisters

2022-11-04T17:19:00.000-05:00

The Cloisters
by Katy Hays
Atria Books, November 2022

First sentence

Death always visited me in August.

About the Book

Description from GoodReads:

When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, she expects to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination.
Desperate to escape her painful past, Ann is happy to indulge the researchers’ more outlandish theories about the history of fortune telling. But what begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into obsession when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future. When the dangerous game of power, seduction, and ambition at The Cloisters turns deadly, Ann becomes locked in a race for answers as the line between the arcane and the modern blurs.

Initial Thoughts

I've only visited the Cloisters Museum once, but it was an amazing experience, and I'd love to go back someday. And I've always been interested in tarot cards and their history. So The Cloisters sounds like it could be just the book for me! Haven't actually started it yet, but that first sentence is something of a grabber, so I have high hopes.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc. It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2022-10-03T00:07:00.003-05:00

September seems to have disappeared while I wasn't really paying attention. But that's OK — it's never been one of my favorite months, even though it's my birthday month. Or maybe BECAUSE it's my birthday month. Anyhoo, I find it's suddenly October, a much nicer month (imho).

I don't think I posted a reading update during September, so here's what I read last month:

J.R. Silver Writes Her World

by Melissa Dassori

Small Angels

by Lauren Owen

Stay Awake

by Megan Goldin

Back to the Garden

by Laurie R. King

And here's what I'm reading right now:

Late Harvest Havoc
by Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen

The Final Equinox

by Andrew Mayne

I haven't been posting any reviews here on the blog this year, and I regret that. I like to say at least a few words about everything I read, so in the future I can go back and see what I thought about the books. Because, you know, the memory isn't getting any better as the years melt away. So, I'm hoping to get a few reviews up this week. At least, that's the plan right now.

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

Book Beginnings: Stay Awake

2022-09-15T23:57:00.001-05:00

Stay Awake
by Megan Goldin
St. Martin's Press, August 2022

Opening Lines

Wednesday 2:42 A.M.

Starbursts blink from streetlights like they're sharing a secret as I wake to find myself slumped in the back of a cab, without any recollection of how I got here, or where I'm going.

About the Book

Description from GoodReads:

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers—a stranger who now lives in her apartment and forces her out in the cold. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing, and in its place is a bloodstained knife. That’s when she sees that her hands are covered in black pen, scribbled messages like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.
Two years ago, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, the same message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing as she tries to piece together the fragments of her life. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget—permanently.

Initial Thoughts

I was attracted to Stay Awake because that storyline reminded me a bit of the movie "Memento" (2000, Directed by Christopher Nolan), which was about a man with short-term memory loss trying to investigate his wife's death. I enjoyed the movie, but I'm happy to report that beyond that basic similar plot device, the stories in the book and film are (thankfully) completely different.

Following the thoughts and actions of a central character who keeps forgetting what happened to her just a few paragraphs back is challenging. It's an interesting exercise that works sometimes, but sometimes just becomes irritating.

I'm hoping to stay interested enough in this one to finish it, since I've started and abandoned several other books recently. And I really do hate to keep adding books to that "Did Not Finish" pile.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Book Beginnings: Small Angels

2022-09-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

Small Angels
by Lauren Owen
Random House, August 2022

Opening Sentence

Tell it to the trees.

About the Book

Description from NetGalley:

Lucia and her sisters grew up on the edge of Mockbeggar Woods. They knew it well—its danger, but also its beauty. As a lonely teenager, Kate was drawn to these sisters, who were unlike anyone she’d ever met. But when they brought her into the woods, something dark was awakened, and Kate has never been able to escape the terrible truth of what happened there.
Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church set alongside dense, green woods in the village that her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up in. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to learn of unsettling stories about Small Angels and Mockbeggar Woods. And worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn’t possibly be real.
Now, Kate is returning home for the first time in years—for Sam and Chloe’s wedding. But the woods are stirring again, and Kate must reconnect with Lucia, her first love, to protect Chloe, the village, and herself. An unforgettable novel about the memories that hold us back and those that show us the way forward, this is storytelling at its most magical.

Initial Thoughts

When I read that opening, I couldn't help thinking of the old phrase, "Tell it to the Marines!" Maybe it's all those World War II movies I watched as a kid.

And no, I wasn't around during World War II. (Well, almost but not quite.)

Not that there would be anything wrong with that.

I just watch a lot of old movies.

But back to Small Angels. I'm about three-quarters of the way through the book, and it seems like I've been reading it forever. It's not that I haven't been enjoying it, but I do think it's much too long. Hoping to finish it up tonight, although it's one of those books you might not want to read at bedtime.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2022-08-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

I keep trying to bring this blog back to life, but I don't seem to be having much luck. This has been a really hectic summer around here, and I haven't had much time for reading or blogging. Yeah, I know — excuses, excuses.....

And since I haven't had a huge amount of time for reading, I've mostly been looking for quick reads that don't challenge my brain too much. Mostly whodunnits, thrillers, and lots of children's books. Comfort reads. Here's what I've finished in recent weeks:

Chrysalis
by Lincoln Child

(Jeremy Logan series, Book #6),

Death by Beach Read
by Eva Gates
(Lighthouse Library series, Book #9),

And the kiddie lit:

Amelia Bedelia

by Peggy Parish
illus. by Fritz Siebel
(First book in the series)

Mrs Armitage on Wheels

by Quentin Blake

Many Moons

by James Thurber

illus. by Louis Slobodkin

Afternoon of the Elves

by Janet Taylor Lisle

This week I'm finishing up yet another book for young readers...

Howliday Inn
by James Howe

(Bunnicula series, Book #2)

...and another thriller...

The Omega Factor

by Steve Berry

So far, it looks like not much is going on this week, and it's way too hot to try to do anything outdoors. Maybe a good time to get some reading done. I've got my fingers crossed! (Not really — the arthritis put a stop to that years ago.)

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

Book Beginnings: Dream Town

2022-07-08T00:06:00.019-05:00

Dream Town,
by David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing, April 2022

Opening Lines

It was New Year’s Eve, 1952.
Aloysius Archer was thirty years old, once a decorated soldier, and next a humbled inmate. He was currently a private detective with several years of intense experience trolling the darker side of life.

About the Book

Publisher's Description:

1953 LA. Private investigator and World War II veteran Aloysius Archer intends to ring in the New Year with old friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan. Screenwriter Eleanor Lamb interrupts to hire Archer.
After events escalate — mysterious calls, the same car outside her house, and a bloody knife in her sink—Eleanor fears for her life. First a dead body turns up inside of Eleanor’s home . . . and then Eleanor herself disappears.
To find both the murderer and Eleanor, Archer enlists Callahan and his partner Willie Dash. The investigation takes him from mob-ridden Las Vegas to glamorous Hollywood to the darkest corners of Los Angeles—a city where beautiful faces belong to cutthroat schemers, cops can be more corrupt than criminals . . . and powerful people who took his client will kill Archer on their trail.

Initial Thoughts

This is not the book I'm currently reading. Actually, I'm still reading the same book I've been reading for the last couple of weeks. Just can't seem to find much time for reading these days. So I thought I'd preview one of the books I've been planning to read. Or maybe I should say hoping to read.

Dream Town is the third book in David Baldacci's series of mystery novels centered around private investigator Aloysius Archer, set in the 1950s. I haven't read either of the earlier books, but I've been curious about them for quite a while. I have read other books by Baldacci, and I know he's a great story-teller. So even though I haven't started this one yet, I think it's moving up to the top of my Read-Right-Now! pile.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2022-07-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late getting this posted. I'd like to say I've been so busy with holiday fun, I just haven't had time to read or blog today. But that would be a bit far from the truth. I've mostly just been sitting around, watching Wimbledon on TV and playing with the NY Times Spelling Bee word game. So, not a lot of excitement around here on this July 4th. Which is OK — I like a quiet life.

Haven't done a great deal of reading lately, anyway. Universal forces seem to be conspiring against me this summer — whenever I settle down with a good book, something else crops up that needs tending to. But at least it keeps me moving and prevents total stagnation. And at my age, you do need that push.

Since my last update, I've only finished two books...

Black Orchids

(Nero Wolfe #9),

by Rex Stout

and...

The Marlow Murder Club,

by Robert Thorogood

Both of those were very enjoyable, and would have been quick reads without all the real-life interruptions.

This week, I'm hoping to finish this one....

Death by Beach Read

(Lighthouse Library Mystery #9),

by Eva Gates

Then, I might get back to one I had to put aside for other things last month...

The Omega Factor,

by Steve Berry

That should be enough to keep me occupied for the next few days. Happy 4th of July to everyone here in the U.S., and...

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

Book Beginnings: The Marlow Murder Club

2022-06-03T09:41:00.002-05:00

The Marlow Murder Club,
by Robert Thorogood
Poisoned Pen Press, May 2022

Opening Lines

Mrs. Judith Potts was seventy-seven years old and entirely happy with her life. She lived in an Arts and Crafts mansion on the River Thames, she had a job she loved that took up just enough of her time and no more, and best of all, she didn’t have to share her life with any man.

About the Book

Publisher's Description:

Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times newspaper.
One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar.
Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.
When another body turns up, they realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…

Initial Thoughts

I was originally attracted to this book because of that main character. A 77-year-old woman who lives happily on her own, swims in the Thames, and solves mysteries! How could I not love that? Especially since Judith Potts isn't a great deal older than I am. Not that we're terribly alike otherwise. I'm extremely happy that I do have a man to share my life. I don't drink whisky. And you'll never catch me swimming in the Thames. Still, I found her just really intriguing.

It's not the book I thought I'd be reading this week, but when I discovered that the author, Robert Thorogood, is the creator of one of my favorite British TV series — Death in Paradise — I just couldn't resist. I'm about a third of the way through the book, and it keeps surprising me. I love that. Definitely enjoying it, so far.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Reading Update - 30 May 2022

2022-05-29T22:48:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted a reading update for quite a while. As usual, the year seems to be getting away from me — here we are at the end of May already. And I ask my usual end-of-the-month question: How did that happen?

In the last few weeks I've finished several recently-published books...

The Hidden,
by Melanie Golding

The Christie Affair,
by Nina de Gramont

City of the Dead,

(Alex Delaware #37)
by Jonathan Kellerman

The Children on the Hill,

by Jennifer McMahon

The Fashion Orphans,

by Randy Susan Meyers

and M.J. Rose

...and a couple of vintage mysteries...

The Case of the Silent Partner

(Perry Mason #17),

by Erle Stanley Gardner

The Moving Target

(Lew Archer #1),

by Ross Macdonald

All were enjoyable. Some more than others, of course. Hope to get some reviews up this week.

At the moment, I've got three or four books going. This week, I'll be trying to finish The Omega Factor, a new thriller by Steve Berry, coming out next month.

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

Book Beginnings: The Children on the Hill

2022-04-29T17:23:00.001-05:00

The Children on the Hill
by Jennifer McMahon

Gallery/Scout Press, April 2022

Opening Lines

The Monster
August 15, 2019
Her smell sends me tumbling back through time to before.
Before I knew the truth.

About the Book

Publisher's Description:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.
1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she’s home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.
Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.
Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.
2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.

Initial Thoughts

Jennifer McMahon has become one of my favorite writers. I've read several of her psychological thrillers, and this one is the best yet. Nice and creepy. I'm about halfway through the book and loving it. Hoping the ending is as good as everything leading up to it!

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Book Beginnings: City of the Dead

2022-04-15T00:30:00.001-05:00

City of the Dead
(Alex Delaware #37)

Ballantine Books, February 2022

Opening Sentence

Four fifty-three in the morning was too early for anything.

About the Book

At 5am in the upscale neighborhood of Westwood Village, two removal men are making a routine pick-up when they make a fatal hit. It's a man — who appeared from nowhere — naked and with no means of identification.
Not long after, a woman is found dead in a house nearby, which neighbors suspect to be a brothel. Could the man have come from there?
When LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis calls brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware to the scene, the case gets even more complicated. Delaware has met the woman before. She's a psychologist too.
Are the two deaths linked? Or is there a darker force at work? (--Penguin Books UK website)

Initial Thoughts

Ah, yes. When I read that first sentence, my first thought was "Amen!" I definitely admire all those people who can start getting things done that early, but I have trouble waking up before ten or eleven A.M. Even back when I was working and had to be in the office by eight A.M., I didn't wake up until ten or eleven.

This is number 37 in Jonathan Kellerman's super-successful mystery series starring forensic psychologist Alex Delaware. I've only read one other book in the series, but really enjoyed it. And so far, I'm really enjoying this one, too. I had been going through a bit of a reading slump earlier this year, but City of the Dead has helped lift me out of it, at least for the moment. Hope to finish it up over the weekend.

The first book in the series, When the Bough Breaks (1985) was adapted into a film starring Ted Danson as Alex Delaware. I haven't seen it, and Ted Danson doesn't really match my mental picture of Delaware, but he'd probably be good in the role. I'm not usually enthusiastic about seeing film versions of books I've enjoyed, but I do think this series would be great on screen.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Book Beginnings: The Christie Affair

2022-03-10T21:15:00.000-06:00

The Christie Affair

by Nina de Gramont

St. Martin's Press, February 2022

Opening Sentence

A long time ago in another country, I nearly killed a woman.

About the Book

Mystery novelist Agatha Christie famously disappeared for eleven days back in 1926. Nina de Gramont's new novel The Christie Affair is historical fiction that centers around the unexplained disappearance, told from the point of view of the woman who was having an affair with Agatha's husband at the time. It's a tale of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder — a clever reimagining of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.

Initial Thoughts

I'm a big Agatha Christie fan, and I generally enjoy a good historical fiction read. So this was sort of a natural choice for me. But I have to admit — the thing that really attracted me to this book was that cover. (Shame on me!)

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Reading Update - 21 February 2022

2022-02-21T01:22:00.000-06:00

February is not my favorite month of the year. It's cold. It seems like the longest month of the year even though it's the shortest. And it's spelled funny. It's just usually a very frustrating time of year. But even with all that frustration, I generally get a lot of reading done in February. This year, for some reason .... not so much.

So far this month, I've read a bunch of children's books, but haven't finished any grown-up books. Second childhood? Perhaps. Anyway, here's what I've read this month....

But I do have a couple of adult books going, too. Right now, I'm about halfway through this one....

It's definitely a grown-up read. Now I just need to keep myself from sliding back into toddler mode so I can finish it!

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

Reading Update and January Wrap-Up

2022-01-31T11:38:00.002-06:00

Wow, we're already a month into the new year! That just seems really unbelievable. So far, 2022 is whizzing along even faster than 2021 — or maybe I just feel that way because we've been so busy around here. Busy, but not doing a huge amount of reading, I'm sorry to say. The hubby had surgery earlier this month and I've mostly been concentrating on getting him back up and running! (Well, not exactly running — let's say up and moving around like a normal human being again.)

So with all the medical drama, I've only managed to finish two books in January....

Homicide Trinity, by Rex Stout (first published, 1962)
is made up of three separate Nero Wolfe novellas (or long short stories).

The Stately Home Murder, by Catherine Aird,
(first published 1969)
is the third book in her Inspector Sloan mystery series.

Both of those were very enjoyable and just what I needed to help me through a dreary month. And, if all goes as planned, I should finish up one more feel-good book this evening....

Rabbit Hill, written and illustrated by Robert Lawson

First published 1944

That last book was awarded the Newbery Medal for 1945, and I'm a little surprised I never read it as a child. Last year, I read a lot of kiddie lit, and I'll probably read a lot of it this year, too — it's like comfort food for the mind and spirit. And right now my mind and spirit could both use a LOT of comfort.

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

Edgar Award Nominees Announced

2022-01-22T21:10:00.002-06:00

The Mystery Writers of America have announced the nominees for the 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, commonly referred to as the "Edgars." The annual awards honor the past year's best writing in mystery fiction and nonfiction. There are also awards for television writing, published or produced in 2021.

Since this is my favorite genre, I always like to see who's been nominated every year. Gives me lots of titles to add to my (already ridiculously long) TBR list, and helps me find new authors I might want to try. This year, I'm embarrassed to admit, I haven't read any of the nominated works, and I've only seen one of the TV shows (the “Happy Families” episode of the Midsomer Murders series, written by Nicholas Hicks-Beach; available on Acorn TV).

The awards celebration is scheduled to take place on April 28, 2022 at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square, as well as online. I'm not going to include all the nominations here (you can see the full list on the MWA website), but these are a few of the books I'm looking forward to checking out.

Cold-Blooded Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #3)

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Category: Best Juvenile Work

From the publisher:

Myrtle Hardcastle – twelve-year-old Young Lady of Quality and Victorian amateur detective – is back on the case, solving a string of bizarre murders in her hometown of Swinburne and picking up right where she left off in Premeditated Myrtle and How to Get Away with Myrtle.
When the proprietor of Leighton’s Mercantile is found dead on the morning his annual Christmas shop display is to be unveiled, it’s clear a killer had revenge in mind. But who would want to kill the local dry-goods merchant? Perhaps someone who remembers the mysterious scandal that destroyed his career as a professor and archaeologist. When the killer strikes again, each time manipulating the figures in the display to foretell the crime, Myrtle finds herself racing to uncover the long-buried facts of a cold case – and the motivations of a modern murderer.

The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet

by Katherine Cowley

(Tule Publishing – Tule Mystery)

Category: The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award

From the publisher:

Upon the death of her father, Mary Bennet's life is thrown into turmoil. With no fortune or marriage prospects, Mary must rely on the kindness of her relatives. When a mysterious late-night visit by an unknown relative – a Lady Trafford from Castle Durrington – leads to an extended stay and the chance for an education, Mary gratefully accepts the opportunity.
But even as she arrives at the castle, she's faced with one mystery after another. Who is Lady Trafford really and what is she hiding? Do her secrets and manipulations place the small seaside community at risk of an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte? Always curious, Mary sets out to discover the truth. But when she discovers the dead body of a would-be thief she outed prior to her father's funeral, Mary jeopardizes her position at the castle and her family's good name in her quest for the truth.
Never underestimate the observation skills of a woman who hides in the background.

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World

by Mark Aldridge

(HarperCollins Publishers – Harper360)

Category: Best Critical/Biographical

From the publisher:

From the very first book publication in 1920 to the upcoming film release of Death on the Nile, this investigation into Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world’s favorite fictional detective.
This book tells his story decade-by-decade, exploring his appearances not only in the original novels, short stories and plays but also across stage, screen and radio productions. The hardback edition includes more than 400 illustrations.
Poirot has had near-permanent presence in the public eye ever since the 1920 publication of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. From character development, publication history and private discussion concerning the original stories themselves, to early forays on to the stage and screen, the story of Poirot is as fascinating as it is enduring.
Based on the author’s original research, review excerpts and original Agatha Christie correspondence, Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World is a lively and accessible history of the character, offering new information and helpful pieces of context, that will delight all Agatha Christie fans, from a new generation of readers to those already highly familiar with the canon.

The Reason for the Darkness of the Night:

Edgar Allan Poe and the Forging of American Science

by John Tresch

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Category: Best Critical/Biographical

From the publisher:

We all think we know Poe – the most popular American writer around the world, dissolute puzzle-maker, pioneer of detective fiction, and author of haunting, atmospheric verse. But what if there was another side to the man who wrote “The Raven” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”? What if Poe were as well known for his speculations about the birth of the universe or his “Sonnet–to Science”? In The Reason for the Darkness of the Night: Edgar Allan Poe and the Forging of American Science, John Tresch offers a bold new life of one of the nineteenth century’s most iconic writers. By shining a spotlight on a time when the line between speculative endeavors and scientific inquiry was blurred, Tresch reveals Poe to have been much more than a practitioner of science fiction – in fact, he was an avid commentator on scientific developments, publishing and circulating in literary milieux that also played host to lectures and demonstrations by the era’s most prominent scientists, semi-scientists, and pseudo-intellectual rogues. As one newspaper put it, “Mr. Poe is not merely a man of science – not merely a poet – not merely a man of letters. He is all combined; and perhaps he is something more.” Beginning with his study of mathematics and engineering at West Point, and taking us through the tumultuous years leading up to publication of “The Raven,” Tresch shows that Poe nurtured a fascination with science from his earliest days as a writer. In works such as “A Descent into the Maelstrom” and “Mesmeric Revelation,” Poe explored subjects ranging from the physics of vortices to occult psychology, later turning his attention to the origins of the universe in a dazzling lecture that would win the admiration of Albert Einstein and other twentieth-century physicists. Throughout, he lived and suffered for his ideas, and remained a figure of brilliant contradiction: he gleefully exposed the hoaxes of the era’s pseudo-scientific fraudsters even as he perpetrated hoaxes himself. The Reason for the Darkness of the Night is the richest portrait yet of a writer whose life is synonymous with mystery and an entertaining, erudite tour of the world of American science just as it was beginning to come into its own.

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Looking Forward

2022-01-20T21:34:00.064-06:00

Now that I've signed up for the New Release Challenge this year, I've started watching publication schedules a little more closely than I have in recent years. And I've put together a list of soon-to-be-published books that seem interesting. I definitely can't hope to read all of them, but I'm hoping it'll help keep me focused on what's coming up in 2022. (And I do love a list!) I'll try to remember to add to it as I discover new titles throughout the year. (Not every book published during the year will make the list — just books that sound like something I'd like to read.)

JANUARY Releases

Chivalry. Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Colleen Doran (Dark Horse Books; 11 Jan)
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. Eva Jurczyk (Poisoned Pen Press; 25 Jan)
Devil House. John Darnielle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 25 Jan)
The Maid. Nita Prose (Random House / Ballantine; 4 Jan)
The Twyford Code. Janice Hallett (Viper; 13 Jan)

FEBRUARY Releases

Beneath the Stairs. Jennifer Fawcett (Atria Books; 22 Feb)
City of the Dead (Alex Delaware #37). Jonathan Kellerman (Random House / Ballantine; 8 Feb)
The Christie Affair. Nina de Gramont (St Martin’s; 1 Feb)
Dead Silence. S.A. Barnes (Tor Nightfire; 8 Feb)
The Family Chao. Lan Samantha Chang (W.W. Norton; 1 Feb)
The Fashion Orphans. Randy Susan Meyers and M.J. Rose (Blue Box Press; 1 Feb)
A Game of Fear (Inspector Rutledge #24). Charles Todd (William Morrow; 1 Feb)
Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age. Dennis Duncan (W.W. Norton; 15 Feb)

MARCH Releases

The Book of Cold Cases. Simone St. James (Berkley Publishing Group; 15 Mar)
The Cartographers. Peng Shepherd (William Morrow / Custom House; 15 Mar)
French Braid. Anne Tyler (Knopf; 22 Mar)
I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir. Harvey Fierstein (Knopf; 1 Mar)
Portrait of an Unknown Lady. María Gainza; trans: Thomas Bunstead (Catapult, 22 Mar)
Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times. Azar Nafisi (Dey Street Books; 8 Mar)
Secret Identity. Alex Segura (Flatiron Books; 15 Mar)

APRIL Releases

The Children on the Hill. Jennifer McMahon (Gallery / Scout Press; 26 Apr)
The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare. Kimberly Brock (Harper Muse; 12 Apr)
Sea of Tranquility. Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf; 5 Apr)

MAY Releases

Blame It on the Brontës. Annie Sereno (Grand Central / Forever; 3 May)
The Cherry Robbers. Sarai Walker (Harper / Mariner Books; 17 May)
The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened. Bill McKibben (Henry Holt & Co.; 31 May)
The Hacienda. Isabel Cañas (Berkley; 3 May)
Hidden Pictures. Jason Rekulak (Flatiron Books; 3 May)
Hide. Kiersten White (Del Rey Books, 24 May)
The House of Marvellous Books. Fiona Vigo Marshall (Fairlight Books; 19 May)
The Library. Bella Osborne (Aria; 1 May)
The Marlow Murder Club. Robert Thorogood (Poisoned Pen Press; 3 May)
Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance. Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.; 17 May)
River of the Gods: Sir Richard Burton, Sidi Mubarak Bombay, John Hanning Speke, and the Epic Search for the Source of the Nile. Candice Millard (Doubleday; 17 May)
The Shores of Bohemia: A Cape Cod Story, 1910-1960. John Taylor Williams (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 17 May)
Take Your Breath Away. Linwood Barclay (William Morrow; 17 May)

JUNE Releases

Death By Beach Read (Lighthouse Library Mystery #9). Eva Gates (Crooked Lane Books; 7 Jun)
A Face to Die For (Eve Duncan #28). Iris Johansen (Grand Central; 14 Jun)
The Goldenacre. Philip Miller (Soho Press; 28 Jun)
Hatchet Island (Mike Bowditch #13). Paul Doiron (St. Martin's / Minotaur; 28 Jun)
The House Across the Lake. Riley Sager (Dutton; 21 Jun)
In Search of the Magic Theater. Karla Huebner (Regal House; 1 Jun)
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. Clare Pooley (Penguin Viking; 7 Jun)
The Kingdom of Sand. Andrew Holleran (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 7 Jun)
Lapvona. Ottessa Moshfegh (Penguin; 21 Jun)
Local Gone Missing. Fiona Barton (Berkley; 14 Jun)
The Omega Factor. Steve Berry (Grand Central; 7 Jun)
The Woman in the Library. Sulari Gentill (Poisoned Pen Press; 7 Jun)

JULY Releases

Acts of Violet. Margarita Montimore (Flatiron Books; 5 Jul)
Chrysalis (Jeremy Logan #6). Lincoln Child (Doubleday; 12 Jul)
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Random House - DelRey (19 Jul)
Fellowship Point. Alice Elliott Dark (Scribner /Marysue Rucci Books; 5 Jul)
The It Girl. Ruth Ware (Gallery/Scout Press; 12 Jul)
J.R. Silver Writes Her World. Melissa Dassori; illus. by Chelen Ecija (Christy Ottaviano Books; 19 Jul)
The Poet's House. Jean Thompson (Algonquin Books; 12 Jul)
The Retreat (Detective Elin Warner #2). Sarah Pearse (Pamela Dorman Books; 19 Jul)
Upgrade. Blake Crouch (Ballantine Books; 12 Jul)
What Moves the Dead. T. Kingfisher (Tor Nightfire; 12 Jul)
When We Were Bright and Beautiful. Jillian Medoff (Harper; 5 Jul)

AUGUST Releases

Daisy Darker. Alice Feeney (Flatiron Books; 30 Aug)
The Deepest Black. Randall Silvis (Poisoned Pen Press; 2 Aug)
Elizabeth Finch. Julian Barnes (Knopf; 16 Aug)
Small Angels. Lauren Owen (Random House; 2 Aug)
Stay Awake. Megan Goldin (St. Martin's; 9 Aug)

SEPTEMBER Releases

Back to the Garden. Laurie R. King (Random House - Bantam; 6 Sep)
The Bad Angel Brothers. Paul Theroux (Mariner Books; 6 Sep)
Because I Could Not Stop for Death. Amanda Flower (Berkley; 20 Sep)
The Deception. Kim Taylor Blakemore (Lake Union Publishing; 27 Sep)
Fairy Tale. Stephen King (Scribner, 6 Sep)
Lucy by the Sea. Elizabeth Strout (Random House; 20 Sep)
Other Birds. Sarah Addison Allen (St. Martin's ; 13 Sep)
The Other Side of Night. Adam Hamdy (Atria Books; 27 Sep)
We Spread. Iain Reid (Gallery/Scout Press; 27 Sep)

OCTOBER Releases

Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-Seventh Street, Manhattan. Darryl Pinckney (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 25 Oct)
The Dark Between the Trees. Fiona Barnett (Solaris; 11 Oct)
The Dark Room. Lisa Gray (Thomas & Mercer; 25 Oct)
Ghostwritten: Four Novellas. Ronald Malfi (Titan Books; 4 Oct)
Marmee. Sarah Miller (William Morrow; 25 Oct)
Our Missing Hearts. Celeste Ng (Penguin; 4 Oct)
Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World. Irene Vallejo; trans. by Charlotte Whittle (Knopf; 11 Oct)
Shadow Sister. Lindsay Marcott (Thomas & Mercer; 18 Oct)

NOVEMBER Releases

Bleeding Heart Yard (Harbinder Kaur #3). Elly Griffiths (Mariner Books; 15 Nov)
The Cloisters. Katy Hays (Atria Books; 1 Nov)
Dead Men Don’t Decorate (Old Town Antiques Mystery #1). Cordy Abbott (Crooked Lane Books; 8 Nov)
Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century. Roseanne Montillo (Atria Books; 1 Nov)
The Magic Kingdom. Russell Banks (Knopf; 8 Nov)
Murder at Black Oaks. Phillip Margolin (Minotaur; 8 Nov)
Now Is Not the Time to Panic. Kevin Wilson (Ecco; 8 Nov)
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. Lisa Unger (Park Row; 8 Nov)
The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey. Serena Burdick (Park Row; 1 Nov)

DECEMBER Releases

Devil's Delight (Agatha Raisin #33). M.C. Beaton, R.W. Green (Minotaur Books, 13 Dec)
The Ingenue. Rachel Kapelke-Dale (St. Martin's Press; 6 Dec)
Night Shift (Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery #13). Robin Cook (Putnam's Sons; 6 Dec)
Showstopper (Peter Diamond #21). Peter Lovesey (Soho Crime; 6 Dec)
Stella Maris (Passenger #2). Cormac McCarthy (Knopf; 6 Dec)
The Widowmaker. Hannah Morrissey (Minotaur Books; 6 Dec)
Young Bloomsbury: The Generation That Redefined Love, Freedom, and Self-Expression in 1920s England. Nino Strachey (Atria Books; 6 Dec)

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