I tripped across a book I once had and loved a long time ago: Edward Gorey’s The Doubtful Guest. One of the reasons I loved it at the time was that the Guest looked so much like my dog Wolfie, but it was also just delightful on so many levels. The Guest was as clueless as Wolfie was in real life, and the hosts were as patient and equally confused as I was in real life. So I bought it again and read it again and loved it again. Just a few minutes of unadulterated pleasure with some warm memories of a fine, fine dog.
What did you read this week?
107 Responses
It’s 10 years already since Wolfie left ??? Time flies far too fast.
Gorey is great! I haven’t read the Guest and when I checked at amazon, the first copy it offered cost the peanuts of 226 Euro. Slightly over my budget. The second copy is supposedly in Middle English and published on Jan. 1 1652.
Amazon gone bonkers, obviously, probably thanks to some minor detail in my search. My other (more) trusted platforms have the book available at a normal price and with a pub date of 1998. Sounds more reasonable.
All of these ramblings and yet, I don’t have recommendations to offer.
I’m slowly reading/listening to some books good for escapism.
And I filled a notebook with Canadian stuff and memories around my kid’s year abroad: it served as a prop for an art project of her’s, a tiny detail (resembling our memories). Nothing of the inside of the book can be read but you glimpse that the notebook is filled with text and illustrations.
It was great to be involved in he piece’s creation by just being her listening/sounding board while exploring ideas – and apart from my tiny contribution it’s totally her oevre, the sketches, the design and realization: a proper installation, artful and three-dimensional, with so much loving detail. A good preparation for next semester’s focus which is architecture.
Yes, I’m very proud of her – art is important!
Bookwise, I listened to Duke it Out by EJ Russell and continued with Duke the Hall (following the guys from Duking It Out 18 months later preparing for their wedding with difficulties as the plot that saw them shipwrecked in book 1 continues). Only, it’s set around Christmas. With spring looming I don’t much feel like going back to winter. So paused the series hoping it’ll still be available free as part of my subscription when I feel like picking it up again.
Another EJ Russell book: Mystic Man, also free as part of my subscription.
I just like the author’s style, the kindness of her MCs, the cozyness. They all have a very cozy vibe and in neither of her books the MCs have to really be unsure to have found the right one. Here in this novella (ca 3,5 hours) the conflict is almost non-existing: One risk-averse guy moves from the West coast to Connecticut on a kind-of-whim (well, hurt from the past relationship), meets a cute guy, cute guy likes him back. Minor hurdle, then re-connection and wham, HEA. Too good to be true in real life, but hey, I’m here for EJR’s brand of escapism.
In parallel, I’m reading Ziggy’s Voice by Saxon James, book 2 in the “the Wilde Men” series. Similarly, the plot revolves aroud two guys finding each other, working through their personal beefs and finding their HEA (I’m not there yet). One MC also has trust issues because of childhood trauma, the other is sunshiny but too romantic, so he gets dumped regularly as too clingy. That’s basically the plot so far. Enough conflict in theory, but not what I seek at the moment. Book 2 doesn’t work too well as a standalone and I haven’t read book 1, so feel wobbly: three brothers have bought an abandoned small town the Californian wilderness for their tiny construction company (consisting of them 3?) to flip. Only the town isn’t abandoned – a very weird group of “‘Wilde men” (named after their leader and MC of book 1) are living there in secret. Almost non-verbal electrician Ziggy is one of them. He’s helping the brothers in their project in spite of their project threatening his sanctuary. Hm. I’m curious of Ziggy’s past though, what made him such a shy guy, so I’m set to finish the story (2/3 through), but I won’t hurry to pick up the rest of the series. I just don’t get the guys, neither the brothers (Kennedy is the least complicated of the three) nor the Wilde men. Plus, I do have trouble to buy into the construction aspect: She had me kind of angry after reading one title in her older series about a group of friends in a small town, the one around a construction company owner and the tiny disaster aka the newest hire. Maybe I’m just too used to construction being a heavily regulated industry.
However, I truely hope that we’ll get many, many more books by this author, considering that currently she’s fighting cancer (got diagnosed with leukemia not long ago). I do wish her nothing but the best!
I don’t see much time for reading in the next weeks: the Olympics will be officially opened tomorrow. Some of the competitions have already started e.g. today, the women’s hockey tournament.
And HR will be finally shown here by HBO max. Hubby asked me to rewatch it with him. We’ll avoid the (judging from the trailer) awful synchro though. Have caught the Italian dubbing – not much better. One episode per week, grrrr.
Aww .. that sounds really lovely, and the illustrations look great!
Best thing I read this week was “When the Moon Hits Your Eye” by John Scalzi (2025) – a sci-fi novel with an absurd premise Scalzi takes seriously, and yes very funny in places. There are lots of vignettes, lots of little sub-stories, rather than a MC-driven story, and I almost think it would work better read over a month rather than in a couple of days. I had a lovely discussion with friends about which were our favorite stories – it would be perfect for a book club.
“The Lost Man” by Jane Harper (2018) was also good, and I agree with Lian about it being a “long slow burn” of a murder mystery, set in the Australian outback. I really liked how strongly the MC’s love of the harsh landscape came through and there was also a whole lot of stuff in here about justice and redemption and subtle forms of violence. Will read more Harper. Thanks to Lian for the recc.
Read a fantasy debut “It’s Not A Cult” by Joey Batey (2025) and have very mixed feelings about it. I don’t think I was the right reader for this book but I can absolutely imagine someone else loving this convoluted dream-like story about a band and creatures that are possibly ancient gods or possibly hallucinations. Warnings for violence, although thankfully ungendered for once.
Relaxed with Cat Sebastian’s first two Cabot novellas. Read “Peter Cabot Gets Lost” (2021) first and rather liked the MCs and this 1960-set post-college road trip across the country as the figure out their next steps and fall in love. Very nearly grumpy / sunshine except it’s not quite that simple.
Then went back to “Tommy Cabot Was Here” (2021), which is a reunion story between Tommy and his old high school lover, now a teacher at his son’s school. Really liked a lot of this and loved Tommy, but it felt a little rushed toward the end. Would love it if she expanded it a bit. The next novella is queued up on my kindle 😊
And the good news is that there is a new Jane Harper coming out in April!
Yuri, I’m so glad you loved The Lost Man. It’s one of the most powerful books I’ve read for ages.
I too loved Lost Man, as I did The Dry, Force of Nature and The Exiles. I’m delighted to hear a new one is coming out. As someone else here has said (sorry, can’t remember who), the Australian outback makes a formidable character in contemporary aussie fiction (Gary Disher (sp?) Peter Temple).
I’m caught up in Irish fiction currently: Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry. In this novel, the MC is a recently retired cop living in a seaside town reflecting on his life (the uncovering of the terrible truths of the church: priests, laundry girls, etc. etc.), which was itself (not surprisingly) filled with tragedy. It’s not clear what’s true and what isn’t. The writing is of course fabulous. I recommend it highly.
Also read The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal. So-so. I think I would have liked it more when I was younger. I found it somewhat arch, even forced at times. Still I enjoyed myself.
In addition, I listened to Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance (yes, I am suffering a bout of insomnia) and find it so reassuring deep in the night.
I am a few chapters into a book randomly picked up on kindle unlimited called Penelope: A Madcap Regency Romance, by Anya Wylde.
The heroine shows up as a guest for the London season with a pet goat in tow, and I initially thought I was getting the Grand Sophy, but she turns out to be accident-prone, naive and has a Cinderella back story. She will, however, also end up with the stern master of the house who had to take on responsibility too young and lost his joy.
I am not ready to pass final judgement on the novel but I am enjoying the read so far. It has flung most of the Regency conventions to the wind already- the heroine got drunk at dinner the first night, the hero has to wear a false moustache when in the presence of his irascible grandfather, and they are somehow tolerating the goat in the parlour. What the heck, I might as well read on and see what else happens!
Something tells me this author does not realize that while it is a myth that goats eat anything including tin cans, they are excellent climbers (see my former station wagon) so putting it in the parlour is …risky.
There’s a whole episode of M*A*S*H written around a goat eating the pay, and a guy’s important report. It’s hilarious.
The best thing I read all week was the first two chapters of Arresting Anna.
Other than that re-reads of my own keeper shelves and quite a pile of them went straight to the local charity bookshop so can’t recommend.
I’ve just started a new-to-me series of Val McDermid books (I’m 47th on the waiting list for the latest Karen Pirie one at the library). Dead Beat is set in Manchester, when it was a big music centre in Britain, and introduces Kate Brannigan a female PI. Only 55 pages in but looking good so far.
I loved the Kate Brannigan series! Great stories that hold together, uber-competent MC and there is even light humor. Imho this series is on a par with the Karen Pirie stories.
Yes! The first two chapters stuck with me in my head after reading and I really wanted to get back to it subconsciously. That doesn’t happen very often to me anymore, so I take it as a very good sign for Arresting Anna.
I just started a biography of Queen Elizabeth II. It was written 20 years ago, so her later years are not documented. So far, the most interesting thing is that with royals, the commitment to the job outweighed family. She had been raised that way, and when she became queen she didn’t think anything of it. So far (and really, I’m not that far in), I don’t think Charles or Anne spent Christmas with the parents yet – they had grandparents and nannies, etc. to take care of them.
This week I read Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen. A murder mystery that takes place in 1952 San Franciso. The MC is a former cop who has been “disgraced” by being caught up in the raid of a gay bar/club. It has a mystery noir feel to it. The Lavender house is a house where everyone can be themselves (most are gay) — in order to stay “safe” they keep people out but in this case it appears the murder has been committed by someone in the house itself – the MC investigates. Got to admit this one kept my interest, the story held together well and the noir feel worked. I will definitely read more by this author. Thanks Tammy for the recommendation!
Our conversation here on Argh Ink led me to reread “Backslide” by the Undiagnosable from Ao3. The M/M second-chance-like story between two former hockey players. I really loved this story. It has an ambiguously happy ending. This author is one of my absolute favorites on Ao3 and doesn’t leave their best stuff up on Ao3 for long.
I also read another story on Ao3 by Theundiagnosable entitled Coastal Shelf. I gather the characters are based on tv characters that I don’t know (from a show entitled 9-1-1) so I read it without any frame of reference and still really enjoyed it. The story is that of a ghost who finds that in the afterlife she is powerless to affect the lives of her still-living loved ones, specifically her husband and the man he is falling in love with. I’m not sure the ending totally worked but I this is another story by this author that has stuck with me.
I just started the new Josh Lanyon novella “The 12 Days Ultimatum” — M/M romance between FBI special agents. So far so good!
I’m sad because I finished the Mrs. Jeffries murder mystery series by Emily Brightwell 41 books I read exclusively while on the treadmill or rowing machine. The stories center around the very astute housekeeper of a Victorian Scotland Yard detective who helps him solve murders with the staff. I enjoyed it very much the characters are lovable, and Mrs. Jeffries is a strong MC.
I am now in the middle of Eloisa James’ The Duke is mine. I am in the middle and it has a difficult moral dilemma for the FMC. I love the author’s humor and even if the sex is explicit, the story holds up without it.
•Sue Wilkes, A Visitor’s Guide to Jane Austen’s England, 2014.
A nonfiction book with seven chapters on various aspects of daily life of interest to readers of Austen novels. It does not cover more peripheral matters such as the Napoleonic Wars, and discusses even the food of the era only in passing. Hence I found it to be a little scattershot and certainly not a one-stop comprehensive reference manual. However, for what it is, it is readable and well researched. About fifteen percent of its pages are endnotes and an even higher proportion is taken up by the selected bibliography. In Kindle Unlimited.
Thanks! A good reference
More movies & TV down the hatch, including a re-watch of ’10 Dance’ which anybody could have guessed I would watch more than once. Ahem. This week’s reading:
1. ‘The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ by Stuart Turton. An extremely clever and ultimately satisfying but often exhausting and occasionally frustrating book. Opens on an English country-house guest waking up injured in the woods with no memory and immediately hearing what seems to be a murder. Time period: not defined; there is a car but most people are in carriages or on horseback, but as we later learn, this particular estate is something like purgatory. I’m giving you that spoiler because if you go in thinking ‘ooh, Agatha Christie-ish,’ you will be confused/enraged. Very well written aside from two instances of ‘lays’ for ‘lies,’ gripping, somewhat abrupt ending.
2. ‘One More Kiss: The Broadway Musical in the 1970s’ by Ethan Mordden. Another great resource replete with snark about critics.
3. [re-read] my own MM ‘Four Queens’ stories. Novelettes ‘Fishnets & Tinsel’ and ‘We Shall Be Changed,’ novellas ‘Triple X’ and ‘Come to Me.’
4. two MM DNFs. ‘Off Plan’ by May Archer, abandoned at 5% because I didn’t like any of the characters and the one-sentence paragraphs were annoying, ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ by Alexa Milne, abandoned at 14% because nothing was happening except two single dads (one of whom was “straight”) being dads and I lost interest. Which is a shame because the setting intrigued me.
5. ‘Anything Goes’ by John Barrowman, first installment of his memoirs. This multi-talent sounds like a handful.
6. ‘Confessions of a Prairie Bitch’ by Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie on ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ This is an excellent book and I’ve become a fan.
7. ‘The Code of the Woosters’ by P.G. Wodehouse, a very funny farce involving 2 sets of incompetent lovers, a silver serving piece coveted by 2 ridiculous old men, a country house, a would-be fascist leader with a silly secret, and Jeeves.
8. ‘Spring Magic’ by D.E. Stevenson. A sweet and soothing WWII-set novel about a 26 yr old woman who leaves the Cinderella life with adoptive aunt & uncle, after bombs fall near their London home, on advice of family doctor and goes to Cairn, Scotland which she’s seen in a painting. 🙂 There she meets locals, then officers’ wives, then Army men. A slow-growing romance gets a thrilling climax during a bombing. A strong subplot concerns one of the wives, whose Captain-rank husband is a philandering dick, but who won’t leave him, which is educational for the romantic MCs.
“Lays for lies” – oh my. I still remember my grade four teacher trying to explain that to a baffled group of ten year olds.
One of the annoying verb mistakes (or, for linguistic liberals, reflections of a change in language) that I have been seeing is, especially in reported speech or a long stretch of narrative in past tense, using “may” instead of “might” as the past tense of the auxiliary verb “may.”
May for might is very confusing! I do hope it is a passing fad.
I’ve been fighting ‘may’ for ‘might’ for some time, but I’m afraid it’s winning.
I have the impression that lays for lies has become the standard in American English. I see it all the time.
I really loved confessions of a prairie bitch.
I enjoyed Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, too.
Wodehouse- the Shakespeare of the early 20th century ( without the tragedies!)
Interesting review of Seven Deaths which was everywhere for a while. I read Turton’s “The Devil and the Dark Water” – similarly historically frustrating and clever, but I like books with likable characters and it never quite engaged me.
•Thomas Doscher, Right of Vengeance, The Vixen War Bride, Book 7, 2026.
(MILD SPOILERS FOR EARLIER BOOKS!). Evidently starting a new subseries, the novel opens about five years after book 6. Ben Gibson continues in the job he acquired at the end of the last book, after the US Army RIFed him. (A RIF or Reduction in Force, is US government-speak for what the civil economy calls a layoff, or in Britspeak, “making redundant.”) Gibson is now chief military advisor to the Va’Shen Emperor, but still lives in Pelle, now rebuilt as Pel’Garan. He spends most of his time training native troops in guerilla warfare, against the day when the Dark Ones may return. Despite this, as the novel opens he is summoned to the capital to advise the Emperor on the negotiations over the treaty to end the occupation, to be signed between Va’Sh on the one hand and the human Coalition made up of Terran nations and colony worlds on the other. Soon after Gibson arrives in the capital, however, the Emperor instead assigns him to investigate a just-happened high-profile attempted assassination, where the evidence of guilt seems to point to a certain US Army colonel. Gibson would be delighted to see this particular colonel executed, since Gibson knows that the colonel is guilty of war crimes that the US Army has covered up for political reasons. Unfortunately, it becomes clear to Gibson that the colonel has been framed for the murder attempt, and in any case that convicting him likely would impede the treaty negotiations. Further complications ensue.
This is a reasonably fair-play sf mystery, a switch in subgenre from earlier books in the series. I am fairly certain that the Dark Ones military threat is again going to become prominent in the series soon. Still, Gibson has now picked up the additional title of Inquisitor of the Empire, so more mystery books could follow. I recently complained a bit about the depressing noir ending to a Michael Mammay sf mystery, and we have another noir ending here, a case of a partial defeat of justice snatched from the jaws of victory. It is, however, an outcome justified within the novel. On the domestic side, in the five years since last seen, Gibson and his Va’Shen wife Alacea have adopted a war orphan as their daughter and we see developments in Alacea’s career. Other interesting things go on that I do not have space to cover here. I read this novel practically in one sitting and I recommend it. It would lose some impact if read in isolation from the earlier books, but it would probably make sense on its own, although I don’t recommend trying that.
(I’m hoping to get one more book written up today. We’ll see.)
I have nothing to add. I’m not done with it yet, but it is an excellent addition to the series. I hope there will be more.
I am reading, on the recommendation of someone here last week I think, Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood. I’m enjoying the book, although I don’t love the past/present back and forth, but my biggest complaint is not anything to do with the author. Publishers are trying to save money these days by making books cheaper to print–this book is one in many I have seen recently that have TINY print and fainter than usual ink (really, does making the print lighter really save that much money?). I’m sixty-five and I have crappy eyes. Every time I sit down to read books with print like this, I end up with eyestrain and a headache. I got this one from the library, but if I picked it up at a bookstore, I wouldn’t have bought it. I feel a Cranky Crone rant coming on…
I’m also rereading my own book for the tarot coming out next year, and as usual, I’m pretty impressed with Past Me’s writing, and wishing Present Me could write half as well.
I’m getting more and more attached to my Kindle for that reason: I can choose the size and boldness of the print. Tiny, faint type is especially extreme in guidebooks – I’ve really struggled to read those I’ve borrowed from the library. I’m guessing they’re all designed by twenty-somethings on big computer monitors.
Indeed, Jane, I agree. But the best, for me, is using the Kindle app on my MacBook Air set on a little table in front of my sofa: wonky thumb joints make holding the Kindle a mite painful. Plus, for some reason, the pages on my Kindle (the device) turn too swiftly, or too slowly (?).
For DH when we thought he would have open heart surgery I bought the Book Seat which holds the book for you.
Thank you, Debbie. I’ll look into that.
I use my Kindle at night when I read in bed before turning out the light for exactly that reason. By then my eyes are too tired for anything else (and I have a dim light by the bed on purpose). But when I read with breakfast, I like an actual print book to hold. Sigh.
Looked for The Doubtful Guest for the Nook. Nothing, but, I did purchase A Heap of Living’ by Edgar Guest. He wrote 11,000 poems. It is a book of his poetry. Will give it a whirl as still not reading many new books. I see a few books in the comments so far. Will go back and read all when I get back from visiting my sister. She is out of the emergency ward and into a room.
I am re-reading a couple of Mary Balogh novels. Easy on the mind. Spending time with GD and Lance and the other horses is really wonderful. I can see why horse therapy for PTSD is really healing. Horses are really lovely to be around. My friend Jen who owns a horse barn too, says horses are really just toddlers.
Back to books; think I will randomly close my eyes and pick a new book off the bookcase. Have a lot, need to read a lot. I was buying books with the mind of reading a lot when I retired. Not working for pay any more so…I had better get cracking. Think I will start off with a biography, of which, I have a lot. One day I should count all the books. I have some lovely children’s books.
Purchased many Folio books. Really great editions of classics and modern. Pricey but books and shoes are my addiction.
Folio books?
The Folio Society make beautiful reprint editions of classic books. Before I got my first kindle I invested in quite a few of them ‘for my retirement’ but now read mostly on my kindle (for text only) or ipad (for illustrated books)…
We started watching The Night Manager. Very good. We have an ongoing discussion with eldest Son and DIL about books, movies, and series. We actually have similar tastes. He teaches film, etc., so we must keep up. Sometimes we surprise them. They just got into Murderbot which I have been telling them they must read and watch.
It is really not a good book for e books because it’s almost all drawings.
This was in reference to the Gorey.
Carol, If horses are just toddlers, and if we buy into the idea that women are, through biology or early social conditioning, more likely than men to find child-raising fulfilling, perhaps that helps explain why girls on our society are more likely than boys to be horse-crazy. (On the other hand, in societies lacking fast cars or terrain to operate them on, boys seem quite prepared to be horse-crazy, but to view horses more as transportation than as creatures to interact with.)
Love the idea of a random book choice – when its from your own shelves one can be sure of getting something good!
I read Witches Get Stuff Done, by Molly Harper. It was recommended by Deborah Blake, and I enjoyed it. It has a lot of humor and snark, a “found family”, and a haunted house. The MCs are self-aware, but sad. They improve over time.
I found a couple of books on the shelves that I hadn’t read in a while, so I’m reading those, plus Cotillion, recommended here. It’s a slog, after reading more modern, faster-moving books. I finally got to the part including Freddy, so it’s better, now.
Jenny and Bob, and some other authors, have ruined me for anything that doesn’t move along and have some kind of humor.
Ditto.
I DNF’d so many books the past few weeks. I’m rereading Mhairi McFarlane’s Mad About You now, and I’m putting Witches Get Stuff Done next on my list.
Brooke, I ordered the two follow-up books to Witches… and am looking forward to reading them.
I liked them both, if that helps.
I listened to the second in Lev AC Rosen’s Evander Mills mysteries, Bell in the Fog. See Christina’s helpful review of the first one above! The second book was even better than the first. Now Evander is navigating his way out in both senses of the word in the real world, solving a mystery involving an ex while trying to figure out who he really is and what he stands for. The heat in this book simmers nicely but rarely boils. So nicely written.
I read the Right of Vengeance, book 7 in The Vixen War Bride series by Thomas Doscher and Patrick says it all above – I also read it in one sitting (on a plane though so that’s cheating) and I also was not disappointed. Although I had to roll my eyes slightly at the conclusion of how the overworked war bride resolves her issue, without giving any spoilers I’ll just say it’s conclusion of a male writer who overly reveres the Japanese society that the alien species is based on. That was only a small fly in the ointment though; I love this series.
Unfortunately, hockey lovers and I know Dodo in particular you were curious about this book, I started The Kennedy Rule by KC Carmichael and dnf’d it the first chapter in. Right now I just can’t bear to read a subpar hockey book when I could go rewatch Heated Rivalry instead. In fact, I think I’ll do that anyway.
Josh Lanyon came out with a late in the day Christmas novella The 12 Days Ultimatum – two FBI agents/lovers one of whom gives the other an ultimatum along the lines of show me that you’re committed to me or else. It was actually more thoughtful than it sounds as the other agent struggles his way through the ultimatum. There was an unresolved mystery lurking in the background that I’d like to see more of. I loved it. Josh has not lost her touch.
I also read Tilt by Lucien Burr which is really the first instalment in a longer book. Two medieval knights, competing against each other in jousting tournaments, and a squire caught between them. It was neither Captive Prince nor A Consort for a King and His Husband, which I had hopes for, so…was ultimately disappointing.
And finally, I tried Worth the Wait, a self-proclaimed second chance romance by CF White, where the boy who left the seaside English town to join the army comes back to his teen love who is now a copper. I had high expectations especially since it started off in a well-written groove but I was hoping for more Two Guys Solving Cases and Falling in Love and that wasn’t quite the trope so I won’t continue this series but I wouldn’t warn anyone off.
Tammy, your verdict on The Kennedy Rule isn’t surprising, I had the same reaction when reading the sample. I might have dipped into the second chapter, but nope. As you said, no wasting time with subpar hockey stories.
I’m aware that she’s likely not on your top two tiers, Tammy ;-), but there’s a new title in the Hockey Guys series by Sarina Bowen out soon (early March), with blurb and cover and an earlier publication date than previously announced. Since I recently re-listened to the first three titles and liked them more on re-read, I’ve pre-ordered the new one (My Kind of Guy) via Kobo and hurray, got the first two chapters already. Minor league goalie in a hockey slump and bartender (very snarky in book 2) playing beer league who’s VERY hesitant about the younger guy. Very refreshing not to have the superstars as MCs. Plus: Goalie. Nicely weird one on top (speaks French with his posts even though he doesn’t know French).
Sarina has been edging her way into tier two with her most recent series – the last book is even on my re-read list although I haven’t actually re-read it. So I’m also planning on reading the new one.
And I have a TON of either new hockey writers or new-to-me writers that I haven’t tried yet. They’re all on my TBR list and I will make my way through them steadily, looking for a gem.
Is the new Sarina Thrown off the Loop? I got it as physical book because the ebook was almost as expensive. It’s still on my tbr shelf, sigh. The follow-up is already announced.
I was referring to My Kind of Guy.
Tammy, I agree that Doscher is way over-relying on the Japanese parallel, but I’m not convinced that we’re done with Alacea’s lifestyle choices. I suspect further modifications may be coming up in the next book, assuming it gets written.
I hope you are right!
Tammy, Me too! I’ve been very wrong sometimes before about where a series was going.
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown – true story about USA’s unexpected gold medal win in rowing at 1936 Olympics.
The movie version was very good.
I love Edward Gorey’s work. I read from “Ted to Tom” a while back. Featured the illustrated envelopes from a correspondence with Gorey. Wonderful.
This week I read JD Robb’s latest, “Stolen in Death.” I liked that it wasn’t a serial murderer case. It was more of a heist story. Fun change of pace. But I unfortunately guessed the main plot twist, also guessed the murderer, at the earliest points for both. That happens sometimes. But it’s frustrating. Still, I enjoyed the book.
I hadn’t thought about Gorey in decades and then inexplicably Gorey House started to show up in my facebook feed. Algorithms are strange. (Maybe because I follow the Hirshfeld foundation?) I love his work. He is unique. He also used to go to every single NYC Ballet performance even all 40 Nutcrackers and some rehearsals. For 25 years. That’s commitment. I need to go find my Amphigoreys.
I have almost finished The Household and The Making of History by Mary Hartman. She argues that the Industrial Revolution was largely made possible by western Europe’s pattern of late-marriage for women among the peasantry, allowing the women to work, earn, and save before marriage and also reducing their child bearing years. She uses a number of case studies to look at how this affected behaviors (particularly the Salem witch trials and the heresy trial of Montaillou). I don’t feel she proves the argument but she does set out a strong hypothesis for others to study. I would describe it as both feminist and social history, with an emphasis on how everyday people shaped history.
I started the book on Jane Austen’s clothes which is delightful to dip into. The author takes each reference to an item of dress in Austen’s letters and show us illustrations of what it would have looked like and convinces me at least that Austen cared a lot about her clothes and was actually pretty fashionable. I am reading it in small bites.
I also started her letters but am annoyed to find that the book I took out of the library is not her complete letters . I am trying to decide whether I really want to just keep reading, or to order the complete letters, or do both. The edition I want isn’t in my library. doesn’t seem to be available in e book, and seems to be on back order. I think the letters are easier to follow since I just read two biographies and have a better sense of who people are. That makes me reluctant to wait. They are charming letters and often snarky.
I am also reading in small bites the Swerve, How the World Became Modern, and at 40% in I still don’t really think I know what his argument is. It won the Pulitzer, the National Book Award and a “best book of the 21st c (so far)” Kirkus award, so I keep at it. It’s interesting in that it’s about how a poor Italian became a top Papal secretary and what he did with it and well written. But at 40% I think we should have some idea where he is going.
I DNF a Wodehouse. I thought it would cheer me up but I think this is not the time for silly hijinks of wealthy high class Brit’s. And I am getting that from the Epstein file fall out. (I am amazed at some of the people he was connected with. Noam Chomsky? Also, while I have always been troubled by Woody Allen grooming the child of his girlfriend and then marrying her, his wife’s comments about a 15 yo entrapping Weiner were appalling. )
I also read Margery Allingham’s first mystery, the white cottage mystery , so you don’t have to. You’re welcome. (No Campion, who first appeared in the Crime at Black Dudley.)
We also watched The Body in the Library, chosen because Christie said she wanted Joan Hickson to play Miss Marple. Only half way through did I realize it was filmed after Christie died. It’s quite well done. But now we will be watching figure skating and possicou other Olympics.
Do try to find the complete Austen letters. (Thanks—NOT—to Cassandra it’s only one volume). I read her letters just as often as I do the novels.
Ok rereading is a reason to buy the complete one.
Love the sound of The Household book. Have you read The Domestic Revolution by Ruth Goodman?
Apparently I put it on my wishlist before it was published. I have now downloaded the sample to consider buying. Thanks!
I enjoyed Behind Frenemy Lines by Zen Cho (M/F romcom) and Road Trip (m/m YA romance) by Lisa Henry & Sarah Moon. Then felt in the mood for more light reads, so decided to give myself a month of Kindle Unlimited, which I first tried a couple of years ago (as a free trial). This time they’ve given me a couple of months for £4, so will make the most of it & then cancel. I’ve accumulated a KU wish list, so lots to try. I started with The Amazing Alpha Tau Fratmas Experience, which was a fun coda – I fell for Marty again. Then read a segue from Road Trip, featuring a minor character plus more glimpses of Marty; but neither book was as good as the Alpha Tau series. Switched to Eli Easton’s Howl at the Moon series, which is fun – currently on no. 3.
I’ve also been reading guidebooks for my Italian trip, and the Rough Guides are beating Lonely Planet hands down. I’ve got the Rough Guide to Italy plus Bradt’s Emiglia-Romagna, which is heavy on the cultural stuff. Both as ebooks so they’re legible (unlike the print RG & LP) and portable.
I usually check out several publishers when I’m planning a trip because they have different strengths. That said, I’m partial to Dorling Kindersleys in general. They’re very visual!
•Jim Butcher, Twelve Months, 2026. (Dresden Files book 18). Audiobook read by James Marsters. In the real world it has been six years since the last Dresden novel, and four years since even a fairly minor novella (which latter work Kindle tells me I’ve read, although I don’t really remember it). Twelve Months, however, opens almost immediately after the massive struggle in Battle Ground (2020), a fight between nearly pure evil beings on the one side and somewhat lesser evil ones allied with relatively good ones (and arguably a few absolutely good ones) on the other. That battle has destroyed a good chunk of Chicago and killed people dear to Harry Dresden, notably his longtime friend and more recent lover, Karen Murphy. The present novel follows the twelve months following the battle, as grieving Harry tries to help with the situation in a city only gradually returning to order, while also struggling with more personal matters, including the facts that: (1) he and his onetime apprentice Molly, independently and for what seemed like good reasons at the time, had each agreed to serve in the relatively evil Winter Court of fae, (2) Harry’s half brother Thomas lies in a magical coma and will die if not cured of a deserved curse soon, and (3) Harry has been ordered to marry a certain vampire, ostensibly to seal an alliance, although each side hopes to doublecross the other. Harry’s solution to these problems is not as satisfactory as he might have wished, but almost everything comes out at least a little better than it was when he started. Also, the author’s exploration of the process of the gradual lessening of grief strikes me as plausible.
One particular annoyance that first appeared early in the series and figures again here is the distinction drawn between souls and shades. Souls of dead people go immediately to the afterlife. Shades are said to be merely psychic imprints, a sort of memory. That general idea seems to be in wide circulation, but in the Dresden books the shades are so flexible and responsive to circumstance that to an outward observer they seem to be self-aware, which in classical philosophy or theology, pretty much implies that they have souls, so that every death generates a new ensouled being, but with a set of old memories. This to me is not elegant, nor is an author hand-waving and assuring us that even though shades walk like souls and talk like souls, there is really no “there” there. (Nor am I sure that Butcher has quite done that hand-waving.)
Anyway, I recommend the novel despite any flaws, although it would help to have read at least Battle Ground first. Marsters’s audio reading is, as usual, excellent.
I finally gave up on the series because I couldn’t handle how dark it was. (I even have a cat named Harry Dresden, which tells you how much I loved it.) There was a long gap between the book that came out in 2020 and the ones that came out before it, and between not remembering what happened, and the increasing darkness in the world, I had Battle Ground sitting on my shelves for a few years before I realized I was probably never going to read it.
But sorry to hear that Karen Murphy died. Spoilers, dude.
Deborah, I think that was a joke, but I’m not spoiler-warning a book from 2020! You’ve had your chance!!
I found some earlier novels to be darker than this one, but I too probably could have done without the hyper-complicated rivalries among the nearly amoral fae and vampires that Harry is navigating in the last several novels.
I was cleaning up my kindle. The two books below sat there for a while.
Tansy Rayner Roberts’s novella Tea and Sympathetic Magic was very short and totally absurd, a little bauble of a story that blended regency romance with magic. I smiled the entire time (maybe a couple hours) it took me to zip though it.
Julia Huni’s A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement was the opposite. I didn’t like it, although I did finish it, but it was a struggle. The idea was fascinating, but the execution sucked. The entire book seemed semi-professional at best. No more this author for me.
Then I read a library book – Heather Webber’s South of the Buttonwood Tree. It was a so-so novel that combined a bit of contemporary women’s fiction, a bit of magic realism, and a lot of strange ‘southern’ mindset that felt more 19th century than contemporary. Someone in the book said “illegitimate child” as if it was a shameful fact. As far as I know, it is not, not in the 21st century America. Or it shouldn’t be, and I’m not sure I want to read about the people who have this kind of obsolete attitude. Still, it was a decent story with sympathetic women protagonists. If those protagonists were smarter or behaved with more common sense, I would’ve liked it even better.
Olga, I’d have to know more about the facts, but as a general rule an author is responsible for the word choice of a character inside quote marks only when there is reason to believe that the author agrees that the word choice is appropriate. (Possibly with the exception of a few trigger words. I might count “bastard” in its original sense as one of those, but not “illegitimate child” as simply something for *a character* to say.)
It might be relevant if it is in regards to access to benefits (and paternity has not yet been proven). Or possibly inheritance. Otherwise, no.
Debbie, Even if not “relevant,” the term could be validly used in dialog by an evil character, or by a generally good one being portrayed as set in their old-fashioned ways, or one who has not yet quite thought things through. Olga condemns the fact that someone in the book used the term and thought the act shameful as if that’s sufficient to condemn the book, or at least that bit of dialog. Unless there’s more to it that she left unexplained, it isn’t.
Patrick of course. I was just trying to explain why in certain contexts it might be used by a character for spelling out a legal situation and not as if it was shameful.
It is just my opinion, Patrick. I’m not condemning anyone.
I read The Keeper of Magical Things, and was underwhelmed. I liked The Teller of Small Fortunes a lot, but this second book tipped over into a bit TOO cosy for my tastes.
The Path of Thorns by AG Slatter, was not the least bit cosy. A very dark and Gothic fantasy about a young woman who goes to a semi isolated house as a governess, but who has intentions, skills and connections to the house’s owners that are only gradually revealed. Wonderful book, gorgeous writing. I got a bit frustrated with the protagonist’s desire to please certain people, but it was understandable given her upbringing, and she figured it out in the end.
Now reading Cait Nary’s Seasons Change, which is kind of heartbreaking but also very good.
Cait Nary is really good – she is on my reread loop.
Christina, I ended up loving Season’s Change. Are her other books as good?
Her next one isn’t as good although still worth reading. And then she writes a more rom-com one called Lucky Bounce that I love.
Thanks Tammy. I did like the look of Lucky Bounce. She’s only got the three, right?
Recently, I have been lurking more than recommending as I have been very busy at work but I do have a book to recommend this week.
I am in a book club and as often happens in book clubs, the choices are not always to my taste but the discussions are always a lot of fun.
For once, I have really enjoyed our latest book : This Motherless Land by Nikki May. It is meant to be loosely based on Manfield Park but the plot is actually very very different. The author is Anglo-Nigerian and she takes us back and forth between the South West of England and Lagos.
I don’t know anything about Nigeria so it was fascinating to learn something about it. There is also a lot about culture shock going back and forth and as I live myself between two cultures I found that very interesting too.
There is a lovely HEA at the end which some people in the bookclub were a bit snooty about but which is definitely a plus for me!
Finally, the book kept me up reading until 3 am which doesn’t happen often to me anymore.
Have any of you read it too? I’d love to know what you thought about it if you have.
Haven’t read it but it sounds interesting. Putting it on the list 🙂
Just finished Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife. Interestingly done mystery!
I’ve been listening to Murderbot books, finished the first two short ones, and started Network Effect. The narrator is very good.
Currently reading JAK’s latest, The Shop on Hidden Lane. Good mystery with engaging characters, but the star is the dog Bruce. He’s not a dust bunny but he loves his bling. He and Luke remind me of Hudson and Rex, a Canadian series.
Watched Wicked–for Good and the third season of The Gilded Age. Both lavish in detail and full of topical social commentary. Great parallel structure in Gilded Age showcasing the upper crust of both white and black New York society.
I re-read The Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews and finished off with the latest Hidden Legacy novella – “Beast Business” which is up to the standard of the rest of the series. Interestingly enough, “Beast Business” has about 50% MMC POV as well as 50% FMC where usually Ilona Andrews’ books are majority one POV. The book also contains one new short story from Arabella’s POV. The novella story needs to be read first otherwise Arabella’s story won’t make sense.
I tried but could not read “The Wolf and His King” by Finn Longman. The writing seems to me to be trying to be poetic and artistic and I just can’t deal with metaphorical writing at the moment. I’ll try to go back to this book when I’m more in the mood.
I read the “Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse” series by Jim C. Hines which features a band of rag-tag janitors who are the only survivors of a biological attack on their ship. They have to race against time and a whole slew of self-serving characters if they are to stave off an interstellar war. I liked it, it has nice competent actors with rational reasons for their actions, on all sides of the conflict.
I am currently reading “Ballad of the Bone Road” by A.C. Wise where a pair of paranormal detectives are investigating mysterious shenanigans at a hotel. In this world, the Fae used to be a major part of society, but for some reason left the world about 40 years ago. It now seems that they are attempting to return, which may be a good thing or a bad thing. The characters are interesting so far and the plot is pretty engaging.
Beast Business looks interesting (therefore, thanks for the alert), but at $6 for just over 200 pages, to my eyes overpriced. I’ll wait in hopes that a library acqures it or it goes on discount. Or until I’m in a splurgy mood.
I enjoyed Beast Business too! For anyone that hasn’t read the Hidden Legacy series, I’d start with the other books first though (and they may be easier to find at the library.)
I also thought Janitors was just plain funny – loved that about it.
Another Edward Gorey fan here! The Doubtful Guest is tied with The Unstrung Harp, or Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel for my favorites. (The Unstrung Harp is the best portrayal of the many stages of novel-writing I’ve ever seen. I think of it every time I finish a novel, at which point “Mr. Earbrass is conscious, but very little more.” I’m so grateful to Elizabeth Bear for mentioning it long ago in her old LiveJournal.)
Also, I absolutely love Gorey jigsaw puzzles. I see so many more details as I work on them.
I tried to post on here a few minutes ago but so,shoe my post disappeared so am trying again. I am in the middle of reading Smallhope and Pennyroyal. I wasn’t too sure of it when I first started it but am now enjoying it.
I smile every time I see a Masterpiece Mystery on PBS because Edward Gorey did the opening credits and they are fun to watch every single time! As for books I’ve read lately, I really enjoyed Verity Fox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin. It’s a relatively cozy and sweet (YA?) fantasy about a trainee witch who is sent to Foxfire to see if she can help the villagers with a curse upon their town.
I’m still in a re-reading phase. I bought The Secret of Chimneys (Agatha Christie) because I couldn’t remember if I’d read it. I’m halfway through and I think I have read it before but a very long time ago. I think I’ll find the third Inspector Battle book next.
I started Heyer’s April Lady, skipped to the end and consigned it to the charity shop pile. I’ve had enough of indulged idiotic males and the idea of marriage as an answer to financial woes. Shades of the Epstein scandal.
I also re-read My First Crusie, Manhunting, which is always a delight. How about a book of epilogues ( I know, bad word) where each chapter features a Crusie couple taking a break at the Toby’s Corners resort, which is now run by one of Kate and Jake’s children? I still yearn for the Manhunting cover that was on the library book I borrowed repeatedly – the photo of Kate and Jake going nose to nose over the bar.
Rachel, that sounds like a much better cover than the one I have of Manhunting. If I remember right, it is pretty irrelevant to the actual story.
Manhunting was also my first Crusie, picked off the book store shelf somewhat randomly. “I’ve got the fish to prove it.” And now…here we are.
That was the original cover. A photograph?
I like the one with the fishhook and the boxers with hearts on them.
Full disclosure: I hated that title, but it was my first book and HQ insisted.
In my Amazon basket: Ben Elton’s autobiography – I read bits of it in the supermarket aisle and it really gripped me. Also Picnic on Craggy Island: the Surreal Joys of Producing Father Ted by Lissa Evans. I love her fiction and loved Father Ted on TV.
I’m eagerly waiting for the latest Chalet School fill-in, The Chalet School in Peril by Katherine Bruce. It overlaps with my favourite CS book, Chalet School in Exile, which tells how the school had to leave Austria after the Anschluss with some key characters having to flee on foot across the mountains to Switzerland after trouble with the Nazis.
I just finished a re-read (in audio) of the Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas. Which reminded me to check for news of the next book, and it’s got a Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244718289-the-vanished-sister Publication date is September 29, 2026.
I tried Thomas’s new non-Lady-Sherlock book a while back, and it just wasn’t for me.
Tough stuff at work this week had me sleepless last night, but I was reading Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood, with a very opinionated, smart young woman experiencing Italy in 1933. It’s YA so No Sex Please, We’re British, based on Much Ado about Nothing, and charming. But I’d quite like a sequel to know all the characters survived WW2.
A week without the Word Opera. Heretical! Like I said last GooBooThurs, book 6 is finito and open ended.
I’ve been… not re-reading so much as re-skimming the early books. Skipping some stuff in favor of “the good parts.” For example, the day Protagonist Steve discovers that Beloved Sister Angie is also a recycled time traveler. How? They’re arguing because he has money no teenager should have. She thinks he’s dealing drugs, when really, he’s just gambling with a bookie who works out of the same place as one of the dealers. When she realizes that his illegal profits are not drug related, she utter an utterance from a movie that won’t be filmed for years, and he calls her on it.
The movie? HEATHERS. The utterly anachronistic utterance? “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw!”
—Variation on a Theme Book 1, Chapter 53: Déjà Vu All Over Again.
One of the Good Parts.
The earliest example of this means of identifying fellow time travelers that I know of is in Tim Powers’s The Anubis Gates, 1983, where one traveler casually whistles to himself the Beatles song “Yesterday” during the Regency, although it’s not a Regency novel by any reasonable stretch of the word.
I was going to add that I wouldn’t be surprised if the gimmick was used in some more obscure story earlier. Most supposed firsts turn out that way.
There’s a third recycled time traveler who Steve exposes by quoting innocuous dialog from TWIN PEAKS in a later book. The dialog turned out to be totally nocuous.
A sort of precursor might be the ad with the mushroom cloud and hidden ATOM in the newsmagazine in Asimov’s The End of Eternity. It’s intended to signal the traveler’s home time (which has archive copies of the magazine) about how to contact him, but if an independent time traveler happened to read that issue in 1934 they also could have found him. Not popular culture like the other clues, however.
If anyone else occasionally (or used to) visit “All About Romance”, they’ve just announced they’re closing as at the end of March. I used to spend a lot of time there before finding Argh, but I’m still sad to see a place that introduced me to so many new books and authors go.
I am so so grateful for Argh and this community. Thank-you Jenny for making it possible.
You are most welcome, but I’m the grateful one. This is a great community, and you take such good care of each other.