This is a Good Book Thursday, Oct 8, 2020

~ Jenny

I’ve mostly been rereading my own works-in-progress along with some research books, old school in hardcover. I’d really missed underlining in the real world. I reread an old Mary Stewart and was surprised by how light on the romance it was. As in, no arc. And I’d loved that book many decades ago, too. I’m desperate to find something to take my mind off the increasingly bizarro news, so I will keep searching for re-reads. The problem is that I’ve reread my fave Heyers, Francises, Allinghams,Aaronovitch’s, and Murderbots so many times I can recite them now. So maybe Pratchett and Wodehouse. I can read Baxter falling down the stairs several more times without fatigue, I’m pretty sure.

What are you reading?

91 thoughts on “This is a Good Book Thursday, Oct 8, 2020”

  1. Just finished reading The Left-handed Booksellers of London and enjoyed it. It called up a lot of the fantasy of the 80s and 70s that made up my formative reading years, and Merlin was an absolute delight.

  2. Dear Ms Crusie,
    I read Jennifer Crusie.

    I have been lurking in the shadows on your online forums and diligently been reading your posts without commenting ( I think). I am not so comfortable with this public posting.
    Now I must speak up. I can’t bear it anymore.

    Please ms Crusie, from the bottom of my heart, I beg of you.

    Please write (finish) and release a new book. Nita certainly, but also Anna (most definitely) and Surprise Lily (absolutely) and Stealing Nadine and so on.
    Those short snippets of your works in progress that you have shared are better than most published books in the romance genre.
    I use your books as an example when my friends and family berate me for reading romance.
    I need your books! I crave your books!

    So, please?

    Kindest regards
    Karin
    Zealous admirer from Sweden

    1. Dear Karin,
      I really am trying (g). My agent and my daughter feel the same way about me finishing SOMETHING, and actually so do it.
      It’s just plots, plots are hard (she whined).
      Also, you have excellent taste. Thank you.
      Welcome to Argh!
      Jenny

  3. I’ve just re-read Spectred Isle by KJ Charles because I needed something I had read so often that I could put it down and work.

    Several of us here recommend her frequently, but appreciate she won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I recommend trying either Charm of Magpies or A Fashionable Indulgence. Or Spectred Isle (the one I’ve read most recently always being a favourite).

    A very good friend sent me an amazing birthday present from London (18900km). A tin of luxury hot chocolate, a container of tiny marshmallows, a mug, and a book of poetry (The Poetry Pharmacy)

    Here is one that seems topical:

    Sometimes by Sheenagh Pugh

    Sometimes things don’t go, after all,
    from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
    faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don’t fail;
    sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

    A people sometimes will step back from the war;
    elect an honest man, decide they care
    enough, that they can’t leave some stranger poor.
    Some men become what they were born for.

    Sometimes our best efforts do not go
    amiss, sometimes we do as we meant to.
    The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
    that seemed hard frozen: may it happen for you.

    1. I’ve always loved that poem, but couldn’t remember the author. Thanks for sharing it.

  4. Also, this which I think I’ve read every day since I got it last week.

    Everything is going to be all right.
    Derek Mahon

    How should I not be glad to contemplate
    the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window
    and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?
    There will be dying, there will be dying,
    but there is no need to go into that.
    The poems flow from the hand unbidden
    and the hidden source is the watchful heart.
    The sun rises in for spite of everything
    and the far cities are beautiful and bright.
    I lie here in a riot of sunlight
    watching the day break and the clouds flying.
    Everything is going to be all right.

  5. I kind of debated if these were appropriate for Good book Thursday, let’s just say they’re more “good enough” than good. Considering how I’ve had a tough time concentrating, I’ll take it.

    In the last 2 weeks I’ve read
    WHAT YOU WISH FOR by Katherine Center. A good writer and it reminded me a little bit of a Hallmark movie, but not in a bad way? I loved the setting (Galveston island, Texas, one of the few places in Texas I’d like to visit) the hero (he was goofball at the the core who had experienced some trauma and become a bit damaged). The heroine veered a little bit too far into Manic Pixie Dream Girl at times for me. She would make (what I thought) was a stupid, not well-thought out decision and then think. . . but why is everyone so mad at me? And I would think “well, honey. . . ” I would definitely read something else by this author and just hope the heroine had more sense.

    WELL PLAYED by Jen DeLuca. Cute, but not nearly as good WELL MET, which is one of my favorite romances of the last few years.

    The TROUBLE series by Stephanie Tromly. TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE, TROUBLE MAKES A COMEBACK, etc. I checked this out of the library on the whim. YA romance mystery and it was available. The good? Very good banter, fun quirky heroes, and an interesting mystery arc that keeps getting deeper with each book while a smaller one is tied up in each book.

    The bad? Lots of catty “mean girl” behavior from everyone (to the point where I honestly thought- did a man write this?), including the heroine at times, and a bit too much teen drama over love triangles. Ordinarily that would be an automatic do not finish from me, but I found them weirdly compelling.

    1. If you’re looking for another Katherine Center book, Jill, you might like Things You Save in a Fire. The main character in that one is a female firefighter, and I think at its core, the story overall has a good heart and there’s a dash of romance in it, too.

    4. RE: Katherine Center: I’ve just started reading her (probably based on a recommendation in here). I enjoyed both “What You Wish For” and “Things You Save in a Fire,” but my favorite one so far is “Happiness for Beginners.”

  6. Taking them as ONE book, I re-read The Shattered Court, The Forbidden Heir, and The Unbound Queen by MJ Scott.

    That was a really good read. I read parts daily and a bit extra when I was sick on the weekend. I really enjoyed the plot and characters.

    How to Build a Healthy Brain by Psychologist and former British Bake-Off contestant is cheap on Amazon.com.

    For everyone having troubles with food and depression and anxiety, Kimberley really helps via her Instagram lives.

  7. I found this poem a little while ago, and I reread it every so often to hearten me.

    Not by Erin Hanson

    You are not your age, nor the size of clothes you wear,
    You are not a weight, or the color of your hair.
    You are not your name, or the dimples in your cheeks.
    You are all the books you read, and all the words you speak.
    You are your croaky morning voice, and the smiles you try to hide.
    You’re the sweetness in your laughter, and every tear you’ve cried.
    You’re the songs you sing so loudly when you know you’re all alone.
    You’re the places that you’ve been to, and the one that you call home.
    You’re the things that you believe in, and the people whom you love.
    You’re the photos in your bedroom, and the future you dream of.
    You’re made of so much beauty, but it seems that you forgot
    When you decided that you were defined by all the things you’re not.

  8. I read Courtney Milan’s ‘The Duke Who Didn’t’ and wasn’t really swept up, though as everyone said, it got better as it went on. Then I tried loads of samples that didn’t hook me, and finally ‘The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts’, which I also nearly bailed on (OTT horrible hero), but am glad I stuck with (plus it was cheap to buy!). The heroine’s frustrations with the ‘hero’ drive her to start writing a Regency romance, which is great fun (and only a minor strand in the story). Off to the library, which says it has the next one: it’s the start of a series, though complete on its own. I think it would appeal to fans of Katie Fforde and Trisha Ashley.

  9. Jennifer,
    May I just say that your books make me literally laugh out loud! I Re-Read them. Agnes and the Hitman and Charlie All Night and Fast Women are among my absolute favorites! But I have yet to find one that I didnt fall in love with! I find a piece of myself in every one of them. I could live in Agnes world forever, or Nell’s, I love the detective part, ( also loved that Gabe was in Maybe This Time).

    Currently I am Re-Reading Spilled Milk by K.L. Randis. I just finished reading Midnight Sun ( Stephanie Myer), Relationship Goals(Pastor Michael Todd), and re-reading The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks ( Another fave. I’ve read it at least 20 times.)

    I just wanted to tell you how much your stories and your characters mean to me. They feel like part of me. I Re-Read your books over and over and over just to visit with the characters. Thank you.

  10. I read The Garden of Forgotten Wishes by Trisha Ashley earlier this week. It was good, but I had a hard time staying immersed. That might have had nothing to do with the book, I have a hard time staying focused on anything right now.

    I’m now reading The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards. It is different than anything of hers that I have read before and I am loving it. I’ve not quite finished, but as long as it ends well, it is excellent.

    I also keep coming back to Anna. I love Anna and Nate. I know how much work you put into the craft, but the writing seems spontaneous and free, it’s very funny and I am completely invested in their story. Bits of it pop into my head every once and a while when I am doing chores or other odd moments. They are a very good distraction from a world that needs a lot of distraction right now, so thanks.

  11. If you’re in the mood for something comforting that’s not a re-read, I strongly recommend Sarah Caudwell’s four British legal mysteries, starting with Thus Was Adonis Murdered. They are witty in a way that reminds me of Wodehouse.

    The novels themselves are epistolary, showcasing the personality of each of the barristers, who collectively try solving mysteries with a pompous Oxford don whose gender is never made clear. They often find themselves in humorous situations at socail events, and there’s plenty of delightful word play. The solving of the case is often based on an obscure legal matter.

    So wonderful, plus Edward Gorey illustrated the covers for the paperback editions!

    1. Sarah Caudwell’s mysteries are great, and humorous, but I would call it a gentle humor, unlike Wodehouse which tends toward farce. I highly recommend them to everyone.

      1. I agree that overall the humor is gentler than Wodehouse, but the series is not without its share of farcical scenes!

        Cantripp in particular always struck me as a character that could have easily been found in a Wodehouse.

    2. Caudwell practiced high and, yes, gentle wit (thank you Gary Hayenga). When I heard she died, I felt sorrow — no more visits with her crew.

  12. For those of us who need something to read that takes our mind off things, I highly recommend a series of stories and essays I am reading Eat Joy by Natalie Eve Garrett. There is a recipe with each to use the term recipe loosely (Mix up a box of cake mix and eat it from the bowl with your fingers? Really?) So far I have not read an entry I did not enjoy. It is perfect at bedtime as a comfort read.

    1. Okay I am going to experiment here because I have forgotten the correct order of do the italics things for book titles so just ignore this – Eat Joy/

        1. It did at last. Okay the dash has to go inside the . I once found a site that told me all this stuff and I DID NOT BOOKMARK IT because of course it is so easy I would remember it. Sigh.

          1. I fixed it on the dashboard.

            The code here is
            more than symbol-em-less than symbol-word you’re italicizing-more than-slash-em-less than.
            Which seems like a lot of trouble. All caps works for titles, too.

  13. I’ve read “The Spare” by Miranda Dubner over the weekend: the first chapters (those I read as excerpt before buying it) were really good. The rest proved to me what an advantage a good editor brings to a book. It desperately needed one.
    Back to reading samples. Or my Ancient Greek textbook, sadly ignored for the last couple of months. Will regret this in today’s first class after community college shut down all courses. Although numbers have reached the highest point since April, sigh.

  15. Thanks for all the good book recommendations! I need them this week–all the newly published Regency novels I’ve tried aren’t doing it for me. So I’m on the 2nd Thursday Next novel, Lost in a Good Book. Also leafing through a gorgeous book on Japanese gardens, since I will never make it to Kyoto in person.

    Best wishes to The Girls, Jenny–like others, I am eager for a new Crusie novel. This morning I was thinking about River of Dreams and Sam. Makes me smile.

  17. I just finished The Lantern Men from Elly Griffiths. This is the latest in her Dr. Ruth Galloway mystery series which features a forensic archeologist and a police inspector.

    Ms. Griffiths writes these books in a strange tense, unlike any other series I’ve read and the people are interesting. There is a strong romantic tension between the archeologist and police inspector, but he’s married to another woman who is a very nice lady and he’s also Catholic so they’re more soul mates than anything else.

    I really like this series.

  18. I am reading a book my BIL published “Trick or Doggy Treat” by Diane Wing. Everyone is very nice and cooperative and talented to a ridiculous degree, but it does make for a light, cheerful read. I especially like that everyone’s dogs are part of the cast of characters. There are references to earlier happenings, so I would recommend starting with the first one, which I hear is cheap right now. I plan to read that one to find out how girl met dog.

    Other than that, it’s been re-reading all the way.

  19. I started SEP’s new book and got stuck in the middle. It may get better, but I don’t have the heart to soldier on.

    Nest up is Eoin Colfer and a new adult novel about an age weary dragon hiding out in the bayou. He is always funny.

    And I started my annual October reread of Maybe This Time 🙂 the ghosts put me in the mood for halloween.

    I still enjoy Mary Stewart. Her heroines are more determined than most of her contemporaries and I always appreciate their relationships with children and young people. They are steadfast, which is a biggie for me. The romance is always on the light side, I agree. We don’t see much of her heros and they tend to be suspicious. I do appreciate the ivy tree for the twist I didn’t see coming.

    2. I love Mary Stewart’s romantic suspense heroines b/c I feel like they show how you can write a heroine who is not “tough” and still be compelling and sympathetic. I feel like it’s an overused cringy word, but I’d describe them as “plucky” or maybe just as “every women.”

    4. I recommend you soldier on with Dance Away With Me by SEP. I loved it. Hero is like Banksy. Loved the story. And in the end when the hero is talking to the baby I loved that interaction. So sweet.

  20. I read the new Walt Longmire mystery, Next to Last Stand by Craig Johnson. It was good. Walt is back to solving odd mysteries, in this case a local resident of a veterans retirement home dies and a million dollars cash is found in his room. Walt’s curiosity gets the better of him as he tries to figure out if a crime has been committed.

    1. Didn’t want to return to Craig Johnson until you summed the plot, and it all came rushing back. Next to Last will be next. Thank you.

  21. The past week was good for me in terms of reading.
    Amanda Quick’s Close Up was a superb romantic thriller. Very engaging: the 1930s, California, a killer on the loose. Yummy, although more thriller than romance.
    Lyssa Kay Adams’s Undercover Bromance was a good book too, but not nearly as good as the first in the series, The Bromance Book Club. That one was outstanding. I can’t wait for the next book of the series.
    Jayne Davis’s An Embroidered Spoon was a charming regency, dealing with class disparity. That seems a trope that crops up more and more often in historical romances recently. Or maybe it is just me.

  22. I finished Annie Darling’s The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts, which someone above mentioned. I did have some small issues with both the protagonists, but mostly loved it and have already ordered the second one in the series.

  23. I read Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir which is gothic (edging to borrow maybe) sci fi but witty with it. Not my usual thing but I enjoyed it and will read the next one. And Beach Read by Emily Henry which was entertaining. Waiting impatiently for the mail system to deliver the next Morrigan Crow book and the new Megan Whalen Turner.

  24. I’ve been re-reading Mary Stewart and I think a lot of the romance is inferred more than shown. But great stories. When I read them I thought of course they were romances and it’s only re-reading that I see how much of it was suggested and I continued what was on the page in my head.

    Been another week of more trying to read than actually reading. I have Elizabeth Bear’s Machine (White Space #2) which I’ve been looking forward to, and Battle Ground by Jim Butcher, but haven’t started yet. I did read Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares which was on Bookbub, I’d liked Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist so I nabbed it, and it was really a fun, cute read. If you need cute fun, highly recommend.

  25. I’m definitely into lightweight escape reading. I enjoyed Honor Raconteur’s new entry in The Case Files of Henri Davenforth, “Three Charms for Murder” (yay! Felix kittens!) And I enjoyed a couple of romance novels that were recommended on this site, “The Chai Factor” by Farah Heron, and “The AI Who Loved Me” by Alyssa Cole.

  26. Over the past week I binge-read basically everything by New Zealand author Jay Hogan. When I read them I hear Taika Waititi, and wow do I want to go to NZ someday.

    Also read ‘A Murderous Relation’ by Deanna Raybourn; M/M novella ‘That Summer in Spain’ by Lawrence I. Hill; ‘Forever Mine’ by Erin Nicholas; and ‘The Chocolate Touch’ by Laura Florand.

    The Nicholas book required suspension of disbelief as the hero is (at 32) a world expert on hemophilia. Not saying that’s impossible, but maybe unlikely that someone that age would be running a research division at a big-city children’s hospital. 🙂

    Those amour et chocolat books by Florand are super sensual, meaning very much about sensation (not so much about sex). Also they make me hungry.

  27. I skipped all the other comments-there were 44-in favor of sharing my own tales of wo and whoa. There are three dead computers in the man cave. One HP Tower and two mini-computers. I love the mini-computers. They are sorely missed.

    I have a fairly recent Kindle Fire Tablet reader and a fairly formidable phone. The dotter, who bought an identical phone points out that it is a powerful computer all by itself, and it is time-past time-that I learn to use its features.

    I know the phone has a Kindle app. I’ve used it. So, addressing the phone in my hand, I took a chance. “Alexa,” I says, “I want to read after words by Brenda Margrit.” (Sorry if I pronunciated your name wrong, Brenda.) Across the room, in the charging station, Alexa starts reading the book. Jo, the new Kindle Fire, has Alexa installed onnit. It’s also just charging because the battery was dead, and it’s only back up to 6%. It was dead because I’d just listened to an audio book, the first book in the Belisarius series by Drake and Flint. Brenda’s book is not an audio book. Alexa is reading the ebook to me and doing an amazing job!

    Besides the surprise of Alexa reading an “ordinary ebook” aloud, this is the first time I have every addressed Alexa. Ever. Nor have I ever spoken to Cortana nor Sir E. I told Alexa to pause, then used Alexa to read my email and do other stuff I hadn’t been able to do this week.

    The dotter asked (fearfully, I think, since its her classroom for the twins) if I wanted the Chromebook back. I said no, having snuck out to Best Buy earlier in the week and bought another one for myself. It’ll be waiting for me when I get home from work.

    I have read other books the week gone by, but none compare with Alexa reading After Words to me. 🙂

    1. That’s amazing, Gary! I use read aloud in Word to proof my stories, but never thought of Alexa. She probably would do a much better job. I hope you “both” enjoyed it! LOL!

  28. I’ve been rereading the Ilona Andrews series featuring Nevada and Catalina Baylor (Burn for Me, Sapphire Flames, etc.). Adventure and romance and somehow satisfying despite/because of the violence. I’ve been rereading various Patricia Wrede and Tamora Pierce books, too — young adult books can have a certain sureness that I find comforting in these times.

  29. I am reading sci fi & fantasy at the moment. Mostly enjoyed Charlie Jane Anders’ The City in the Middle of the Night, except that the main character made the same mistake several more times than I was willing to accept. Otherwise, good.

    After much swearing and dropping-of-tools, I have just finished assembling our new treadmill. It will be nice to be able to exercise without having to do the “how alarming is today’s air quality advisory” decision-making, but treadmills are awfully boring. Gotta bulk up my collection of good audiobooks…

  30. I read Smacked, non fiction by Eileen Zimmerman , about discovering her ex husband, a lawyer making 1.4 million a year, was also injecting drugs. He died of a heart infection caused by bacteria entering his bloodstream at one of the injection sites. It’s well written and on sale on Kindle ,$1.99 , now.

  31. Read & immensely enjoyed Novik’s Deadly Education. Highly recommend YA fantasy with a lot of snark and a great arc of emotional growth for the main character.

  32. I have been rereading The White Magic Five and Dime – A Tarot mystery by Steve Hockensmith, This is the first book in a 3 part series, It has humorous interpretation of a tarot card at the beginning of each chapter. it is free on Kindle unlimited. it is a gentle mystery ( good story – limited violence) I love the main character and the story.

    1. Those are really great mysteries. I wish he would write more of them. Ooh, and it looks like I only have the third on in eBook. And the first one is free for purchase on Kindle, i.e. even if you don’t have Kindle Unlimited, and the 2nd is only $2.99 for a limited time. Snap.

  33. I was introduced to Mary Stewart while in high school and have to confess that there were parts I had to go back and read a few times. I think I have them all, including the Merlin ones. I was just going through my bookshelves the other day and decided it was time for a reread. This Rough Magic and My Brother Michael were my favorites.

    1. Mary Stewart’s My Brother Michael comes the closest of her books to have a romance arc, I think. Maybe that’s why it’s my favorite.

      My definition of a romance arc is seeing a growing amount of connection as well as affection and complementarity between the heroine and the hero.

      I think stories told in a first person heroine’s voice face problems maintaining balance: (1) is she gushing too much about him? (2) is she ignoring her feelings about him — and unfairly hiding them from the reader? (3) how can she tell what his feelings are (in fact, this dilemma seems to fill way too many pages of many books)?

  34. What an interesting 24 hours. Yesterday at supper time we had a five minute storm that resulted in a day without power. Lit up the candles and read our kindles until time for bed. So much for watching the VP’s debate. So today after my husband got the generator running, it was an hour for the refrigerator and recharging kindles, phones tea time for me coffee for him and so on. Off and on today. I had a theory that if I took all the dishes out of the dishwasher and hand washed them the power would come back on. Not. Then it was sweeping the leaves off the deck because I couldn’t power up the leaf blower. Nope. To save the kindles for tonight I started reading a Sharon Sala book In Shadows from my stash of paperbacks. Every time I go to put it down something interesting takes place. It is about an undercover FBI agent whose cover is blown when someone recognizes him. Anyway the power came back at supper time tonight, so we’ll be able to hear the story on the news of the great fly caper during the debate.

    1. You’ve probably Heard About the VP debate today in any case! I looked at my email this afternoon and CafePress had sent me an email offering 35% off on “Election Gear.” Top offerings were a mug printed with “THE FLY 2020” and a thermal drink cup with “I’m still speaking.” Turnaround time is pretty quick! Apparently the fly kept to the 2-minute rule.

  35. I re-read AGNES AND THE HITMAN over the weekend, staying up past 3am to do so. I haven’t done that in ages. Loved it all over again and laughed out loud a lot. Keep writing, Jenny!

  36. I won a copy of Bringing Down the Duke in a Goodreads drawing and enjoyed it, so when my library got copies of the sequel, A Rogue of One’s Own, I quickly snatched it up. I think I liked this one even better than the first. As well as having a very appealing romantic lead, it had an interesting background of a time when things were changing and society was struggling to adjust. I also enjoyed the interplay between the four friends.

  37. I’ve just received NEFERTITI, QUEEN AND PHARAOH OF EGYPT: Her Life and Afterlife, by Aidan Dodson, which will be a thorough dive into what we currently know about her (more than we used to — most of the commonly available material is decades old if not much more, and a lot of theories have been exploded or fizzled out).

    I also have a couple of off-the-wall cookbooks, >—/——/—<, by Jammy Lannister. My brother says that mostly this sort of cookbook has traditional recipies with fancied-up titles, but I always hope that they can produce something different — but edible — for his annual Halloween dinner party. This year probably party for two of us plus kittens.

    I am rereading Kerry Greenwood's Corinna Chapman books, now up to COOKING THE BOOKS. DEATH IN DAYLESFORD, the new Phryne Fisher, is scheduled for release November 1. In Australia, where I'm not. Grrrr.

    1. Clearly my attempt at italics didn’t work! The cookbooks are
      THE WICKED BAKER: Cakes and treats to die for, by Helena Garcia
      and
      GAME OF SCONES: All Men Must Dine: A Parody, by Jammy Lannister

    2. You can order it through BookDepository and get it 1-2 weeks after it’s November publication date (I frequently order through them when the US release date is months behind the original publishers)

      From the summary, it seems as though Greenwood is fleshing out one of her previous short stories featuring the lady detective.

  38. I reread Lyn Kurland’s Stardust of Yesterday and pulled out a couple more of hers to read. Then the baby got hold of Ballet Shoes. I rescued it, read it, and am now reading Movie Shoes. I may go thru a few of them but next, I have to stat Robyn Carr’s Return to Virgin River because she is on my blog next week.
    Jen, I am avoiding the new story. Right now I can’t take one more book friend whose story I’m never going to see.
    It’s a sting left over from my past.
    My mom brought home a lot of new boyfriends. Some of the were very cool. But we would get to thinking they would be part of our lives and then she’d drop them. It was a bad idea to get too attached.
    I really hoped you’d finish Nita and I’m sure you will one day. I still want to be first in line to read the finished product.

  39. I read The Ten Thousand Doors of January. And it was stunning. Not an easy read in parts, but a deeply satisfying fantasy.

    Also The Redemption of Alexander Seaton by Shona Maclean (also writes as SJ Maclean). What is it about some of these Scottish authors who manage to evoke time and place so brilliantly? Another difficult read in parts, because it’s historical and there are witch hunters, but also very good.

  41. I feel anchored amidst clamoring social chaos by the persistence of earth’s cycles.
    Emily Dickinson drops by when the seasons change.
    “O Fraud that cannot cheat the Bee” – the ultimate saccharine test.
    edickinson.org Houghton library H122C

    These are the days when Birds come back – 

    A very few – a Bird or two – 

    To take a backward look.

    These are the days when skies resume 

    The old – old sophistries of June – 

    A blue and gold mistake.

    Oh fraud that cannot cheat the Bee. 

    Almost thy plausibility 

    Induces my belief,

    Till ranks of seeds their witness bear – 

    And softly thro’ the altered air 

    Hurries a timid leaf.

    Oh sacrament of summer days, 

    Oh Last Communion in the Haze – 

    Permit a child to join –

    Thy sacred emblems to partake – 

    Thy consecrated bread to take 

    And thine immortal wine!

  42. Just read Craig Johnson’s Land of Wolves, which I’d hesitated at getting because his previous novel, Depth of Winter was unrelentingly grim. Land of Wolves was good, thought I’m wondering if Craig is looking to wind down the series.

    I also recently read Jodi Taylor’s Just One Damned Thing After Another which is the first book in her Chronicles of St. Mary’s time travel series. It involves time traveling historians, boatloads of snark, hints of the supernatural and some romance – great fun! I’m now reading the first book in another of her time travel series called Doing Time, which is a spin off of the St. Mary’s series and is about an organization called the Time Police. More time travel with dodgy law enforcement, snark, the supernatural and some romance. If you like Connie Willis, you’ll probably like Jodi Taylor.

  43. I read Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I downloaded the ebook to read the at midnight on the release date (why yes, I am a big fan…why do you ask?) and it was worth the wait.

    Now I have to wait for a few of my other favorite authors (and there are a few of them) to write more books! In the meantime, there are books enough to read/re-read on my shelves to last a while

  44. Yikes !!! Go to the Smartbitchestrashybooks.com she interviews Martha Wells about Murderbot !!!!

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