February 2023 Wrap-Up

 

No physical books read this month.

Audio Books Completed:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) 5/5 stars

I've loved this book since high school, and I enjoyed my reread immensely.  Austen's writing is witty, funny, intelligent, and perceptive, and while Pride and Prejudice is not my favorite of her works, it's still a five-star experience.

A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman (2018) 3/5 stars

In this Victorian-era story, Frances Wynn, the American born Countess of Harleigh, finds her early widowhood to be quite a bit more exciting than her married life.  She moves to London with her young daughter, takes on the coming-out of her teenaged sister, is accused of murdering her late husband, becomes involved with a spate of high society robberies, and tries her hand at detecting.

This is a fun, light mystery, generally well-written. The prominent characters are likeable, especially Frances herself, who narrates the tale.   Historically, it is mostly accurate, though it doesn't keep the feel of the times. Plot-wise, it's not always believable nor particularly twisty or surprising, yet is still fully entertaining enough to make me want to continue the series.

A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman (2019) 3/5 stars

The second in the Countess of Harleigh series is also fun and light, despite featuring two murders, scandal, and danger.  The same characters feature, and are as engaging as in the first book.  The solution is easy to see but it is an entertaining tale nonetheless.  The problem is that it misses the mark on Victorian atmosphere several times, with things that are just possible, but not probable, and made some of the book ring false for this armchair historian.  

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman (2020) 3/5 stars

In the third of the Countess of Harleigh novels, a series of accidents at a country house party begins to look like attempted murder.  As with the previous two, it's a light and fun mystery set in Victorian England, with engaging characters and an entertaining plot.  Freeman kept to the era better than she did in the second book, a gave it a more twisty story and a less obvious solution.

A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by  Dianne Freeman (2021)  3/5 stars

The fourth of the Countess of Harleigh novels follows the style of the others, and so is a light and fun story, with likable characters and an interesting plot, and a generally authentic late Victorian atmosphere.  I had no trouble deducing the culprit early on, but that is probably due more to my 40 years of reading mysteries than to obvious foreshadowing.  Like the rest of the series, it was enjoyable but not exceptional.

Castle Shade by Laurie R. King (2021) 5/5 stars (my review here)

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (1994)  3/5 stars
After finishing the last (so far) of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, I had a desire to revisit the early books.  The gist of my 2017 review (here) still stands.  It feels like fan-fiction, Russell is too perfect, and the final conflict is overly melodramatic, so technically-speaking it's not worth more than three stars (though later better-written books have earned a well-deserved five).  Despite that, I loved it like a guilty pleasure, like eating an entire box of chocolates all at once: I totally enjoyed myself, but I would be ashamed to admit it.

Did Not Finish:
The Untold History of the Potato by John Reader

Because I enjoy this type of nonfiction -- one that focuses on a person, thing, or event and uses that as the touchstone for reporting what went on around that focus -- I was excited to read this.  I listened to the audio book for two hours, but it was slow and dull and not engagingly written.  When I realized that I'd zoned out for about thirty minutes and would have to go back and re-listen, I decided I'd just rather quit.

Top Ten Tuesday: Mystery Writers

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is  a "genre freebie", with the instructions to pick a genre and build some sort of a list around it.  Mysteries are pretty much my favorite books to read, a fondness that started in early preteen years with Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, and has never taken a back seat to any other genre.  I have a preference for British crime novels over those taking place in the U.S., but there are still some American authors I enjoy.  Here's a list, in no particular order, of some favorites.

• Arthur Conan Doyle: The Holmes stories can be brilliant and thrilling, and Holmes himself is such an appealing character.  He was (and remains) my first literary crush, and these tales were the first grown-up mysteries I ever read, as a young preteen.  The first collection, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, contains my favorite stories, "A Scandal in Bohemia, "The Man with the Twisted Lip" and, "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle".
• Agatha Christie: She's popular for a reason!  Her plots and twists can be amazing, though some of the later books suffer, to my mind, by trying to fit in with modern times. Hers were the second "adult" mysteries I read as a preteen and I've stayed faithful to her ever since.  She wrote some of my absolute favorites, including Murder on the Orient Express (1934), And Then There Were None (1939), Crooked House (1949), and A Pocketful of Rye (1953).
• Dorothy L. Sayers: Sayers produced intelligent, twisty, and entertaining mysteries, with The Nine Tailors (1934) being among my favorite mysteries of all time. That said, I have a strong dislike for Wimsey's love interest, Harriet Vane, and can't fully recommend those that feature her.  (For my discussion on Harriet, read this post.) 
• Margery Allingham: Oh how I love Albert Campion!  He's second only to Holmes as a literary crush.  Allingham's books are often more adventure than mystery, but they are generally extremely fun and often memorable.  While favorites include The Fashion in Shrouds (1938), Traitor's Purse (1941), and The Tiger in the Smoke (1952), I recommend the series (read in order) wholeheartedly -- with the exception of The Crime at Black Dudley. Campion plays only a bit part in that one, and it will really only be of interest to the true Campion fan.
• Ngaio Marsh: Marsh's early books are good, some of them fantastic.  However, I find that from Spinsters in Jeopardy (1953) until the end of her career, the quality decreases and she fails at modernizing them. I certainly recommend the early ones, though;  Surfeit of Lampreys (1941) and Colour Scheme (1943) are particularly memorable.
• Mary Roberts Rinehart: This American author is responsible for many fun works of general fiction (When a Man Marries, 1909, springs to mind), but her mystery/suspense novels are even better.  Her first published book, The Circular Staircase (1908), for example is a fully entertaining five star read.  She was the originator of the "had I but known" plot, and woven into her witty prose and delightfully convoluted plots, it's an art. 
• Anna Katharine Green: Justly popular during her lifetime (1846-1935), Green is one of my favorite American authors.  She was among the first authors of the modern "detective story", wrote legally accurate fiction, and is often credited with creating the first "girl detective".  For those today that can appreciate novels with the particular mores of her time period, Green's mysteries are well-worth reading.  Some of my favorites are the three featuring Miss Amelia Butterworth: That Affair Next Door (1897), Lost Man's Lane (1898), and The Circular Study (1900).
• P. D. James: Her intelligent, engrossing mysteries are generally as memorable as they are excellent.  Cover Her Face (1962) and Original Sin (1994) are favorites, but I do not recommend her psychological thriller Innocent Blood (1980) due to a really icky bit at the end.
• Ann Cleeves: I only discovered Cleeves and her Vera Stanhope series in 2020, but she became an instant favorite.  Vera is totally believable, the plots are intricate and engrossing, and the writing is both intelligent and smooth.  Harbour Street (2014) is probably my favorite, but I recommend the entire series (read in order).
• Tana French: I didn't find French until 2019, but it was insta-love.  Her debut novel (Into the Woods, 2007) blew me away, and most of her other books have created similar reactions.  French excels at creating an uneasy atmosphere, drawing the reader deeply into the story, and writing endings that haunt.  Broken Harbour (2012) was another stunning one, though I recommend all of the Dublin Murder Squad series (read in order).

And one more. . .  
Laurie R. King: While the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes started off reading like fan-fiction, I was still hooked from book one because of Russell's personality and the closeness of King's Holmes to canon.  Her writing and plots continually improved until she has become a firm favorite.  I recommend the series -- it must be read in order -- and found Justice Hall (2002), The Murder of Mary Russell (2016) and the latest, Castle Shade (2021), to be five star reads.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Heroines

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is "favorite heroines".  I'm a few days behind, but here we go! (These are not in any particular order.)

• Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery.  What's not to love about spunky, good natured, generous-hearted, lovable Anne!  Watching her mature throughout the series is truly delightful.
• Anne Elliot from Persuasion by Jane Austen.  It's my favorite Austen book, and she's my favorite Austen character.  I admire her inner strength and good attitude.
• Miss Marple from various mysteries by Agatha Christie.  Nosey old lady on the outside, astute, intelligent observer on the inside; it's always fun to see how she makes connections and understands motivations.
• Mary Russell from the Russell and Holmes series by Laurie R. King.  As I've mentioned many times, I've been a Sherlock Holmes fangirl for nearly four decades now.  King writes Holmes well, and weaves in her immensely likable original character in such a natural way, that (though I started the series with low expectations) it quickly became a favorite series.  Mary is intelligent, courageous, and married to Holmes.  What more could you want?
• Vera Stanhope from the series of the same name by Ann Cleeves.  Vera is so real -- she's fallible and scarred, but still good-hearted and determined.  Plus, Cleeves is a masterful mystery writer.
• Fanny Price from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.  This is my second favorite Austen novel.  Fanny is kind and soft-hearted, but still strong and stands up for her convictions.  I don't think this book or heroine gets enough love.
• Éowyn from the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Another feisty and brave heroine, determined to do what she feels is her duty.  
• Mina Harker from Bram Stoker's Dracula.  She endures a great trial and suffering, yet does not waver in her Christian faith, and exhibits a good deal of courage despite her fear.    
• Jo March from Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott is another intelligent and courageous heroine, spunky and kind-hearted, and genuinely likable.
• the Lady Teldra from the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust.  While not the main character of any of the Vlad novels, she plays an important part.  Her gentleness and bravery are admirable and she quickly became a favorite in the series.

Top Five Wednesday: Illustrated Covers

This week's Top Five Wednesday challenge is for favorite illustrated covers.  I could go to my shelves and easily pick five, if not ten, covers I love, but I'm only going to feature these three today because they are new acquisitions and  seeing them was insta-love.  I've only read the first, but enjoyed it greatly (my review here) and am looking forward to the others.

Castle Shade by Laurie R. King

Marie, Queen Consort of Romania

Castle Shade 
Laurie R. King
2021
5/5 stars

When Mary Russell's husband and partner, Sherlock Holmes, announces they are going to Transylvania to sort out whispers about vampires, she laughs at him.  It turns out, however, that Queen Marie of Romania  is in genuine need of help to stave off a spate of rumors of supernatural events, and to protect the Princess Ileana from threat.

As usual, King blends her original story with the canon personality of Holmes in a convincing way.  The story goes between Russell's first-person point-of-view and the third-person chapters that follow Holmes both smoothly and naturally.  Russell is genuinely likable, Holmes garners respect and admiration, and their relationship is as believable as possible, given the circumstances, and immensely entertaining.  Actual facts are woven in with the fiction nearly seamlessly, with the personalities of the historical figures being convincing, and the supporting cast, as it were, seeming lively and realistic.  It's not difficult to determine the culprit in this adventure, but the characters, plots, atmosphere, and general personality of the book make it completely engrossing and memorable.  Castle Shade is closer to 4.5 stars technically speaking, but it's worth the higher rating for the pure pleasure and satisfaction it gives.

Top Five Wednesday: Published Before the 2000s

This week's Top Five Wednesday challenge is for books published before the 2000s, a super-easy topic for me!   I picked only five-star books that I haven't featured lately in reviews or discussions.

1. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard (1885)  

I wrote an in-depth review here, so I won't say much other than I am a huge Haggard fan-girl.  His novels are exciting, fun, and generally well-written, and this is the best of them all.

H. Rider Haggard

2. Modern Instances by Ella D'arcy (1898)

This is a magnificent collection of short fiction by a master of the genre.  I wrote a detailed and glowing review here.

Ella D'arcy

3. Pemberley Shades by D.A. Bonavia-Hunts (1949) 

This is the best Jane Austen pastiche/sequel that I've read. My full review is here.  Sadly, I've never been able to find reliable information on the author.

4. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym (1952)

Loved this one, and pretty much all that I've read by Pym.  My thoughts and discussion for the Classics Club are here.

Barbara Pym

5. The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy (1958)

Oh my gosh, ya'll, this book!  I laughed so hard, so often.  My full review is here, and I even included a favorite passage.  (Disclaimer: I read this book nearly ten years ago, and taste does change, so I can't guarantee that I'd love it that much now.  Read at your own risk.)

Elaine Dundy

 

2022 Wrap-Up and January 2023 Wrap-Up

2022 Wrap-Up
Last year was a good year for reading.  My goal was for 75 books and despite those enormous tomes from the Palliser series I passed that, without pushing myself or stressing over it, and finished with a total of 83: 65 audio books and 18 physical books.

some of my stats from Goodreads

January 2023 Wrap-Up

Books Read:

Birthday Party by C.H.B. Kitchin (1938)  5/5 stars  (my review here)

Sherlock Holmes & the Christmas Demon by James Lovegrove (2019)  4/5 stars

This is one of the better Holmes pastiches that I've read.  There were only a few times that Lovegrove gave the great detective lines or emotions that, for me, didn't fit the canon.  The story was well-written and the mystery interesting, with enough twists and humor to keep the book engrossing and entertaining.  Lovegrove has written novels for two other Holmes spinoffs, "the New Adventures" and "the Cthulhu Casebooks", as well as two more in this particular (unnamed) set; I enjoyed the Christmas Demon enough to definitely continue to the next book, and perhaps to check out the other series as well.

 

Audio Books Completed:

The Album by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1933)  4/5 stars (my review here)

The Window at the White Cat by Mary Roberts Rinehart  (1910)  4/5 stars

The plot is complicated to explain, but it is full of drama and mystery, with good twists, funny moments, plenty of red herrings, and a satisfying solution.  It's written in Rinehart's signature witty style with much cheeky "had I but known" foreshadowing, and as such is a delight to read.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811)  5/5 stars
No need to write a plot synopsis, or "review" a book this well known.  It's a (4th? 5th? 6th?) reread, and I find I love it more each time.  Austen's dialogue is fantastic, and her sharp wit and (sometimes overlooked) snarky humor are often laugh-out-loud funny.  Those that see it as only a romance are perhaps missing Austen's sardonic social criticism, her main focus on sisterly love and affection (reread that final sentence), and her brilliant studies of the characters, even some lesser ones.  While it's not my favorite Austen, it's still a five-star read.

A Dead Liberty by Catherine Aird  (1986)  3/5 stars

Though full of Aird's usual wit and strong, entertaining writing, this short mystery is only average, with an easy-to-solve crime and a not-fully-convincing tying-up of ends.  

The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters (1982)  5/5 stars

This is a complex and satisfying mystery taking place in the High Middle Ages, which, though a reread, held me gripped throughout.  Peters is known for her excellence, and this is a strong example of why.  The plot, the characters, and the historically accurate atmosphere all combine to make it engrossing, enjoyable, and memorable.
  

Did Not Finish:

The Wisdom of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
I found the first volume of Father Brown stories to be a mostly-entertaining four-star read.  These, however, did not have any sparkle or charm, despite my desire to love them.  I made it through six-and-a-half of the twelve stories and dreaded continuing, so I cut my losses and quit.

Top Five Wednesday: Over 400 Pages

This week's Top Five Wednesday challenge is for books over 400 pages long.   I decided to pick only five-star books that I haven't featured lately in reviews or discussions.

1. Lilith by George MacDonald (1895) 800 pages (my review is  here)

This is a masterfully written allegorical Christian fantasy  that is dark, dense, mentally-stimulating, and memorable.  C.S. Lewis referred to MacDonald as his "master", saying “indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him.”  

2. In the Woods by Tana French (2007) 431 pages (my review is here) 

This is the first in French's Dublin Murder Squad series, and she started out with a real winner.  I found it to be a riveting and impressive read -- the rest of the series does not disappoint, either.  When you go to read the series, though, be forewarned and don't expect happy endings and neat solutions; French leaves the reader disturbed and ruminating on the book for days.

3.The Explorers Guild: A Passage to Shambhala by Jon Baird and Kevin Costner, with illustrations by Rick Ross (2015) 770 pages 

Oh my gosh, y'all, I loved this novel!  It's a magnificent, ambitious book -- part graphics, part words -- which kept me riveted throughout the entire 770 pages. The story itself is reminiscent of H. Rider Haggard, with larger than life characters and thrilling adventures. The visual details enrich the story immensely, and while the prose was dense, it was well-written and captivating. I am saddened that, despite being labeled the first in a series, no other volumes were written. I don't recommend it universally, as it will be too much of a commitment for some readers, but I, personally, found it enthralling.  (Disclaimer: my husband did NOT love it.)

4.The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (2015) 608 pages (my review is here)

This is an outstanding YA sci-fi, told in a variety of formats; it's well-written, original, creative, fully engrossing, and accessible despite it's length.

5. Heartless Marissa Meyer (2016) 464 pages (my review here)

This is a prequel to my favorite duology, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  Meyer skillfully blends her original ideas with Carroll's characters/plot, and creates a masterpiece for Alice fans.  You need to be familiar with the two books, though, to appreciate it.  I recommend a reread immediately before starting this one.

And one more: 

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder (2010) (my review here)

Here's one more five-star favorite that falls a bit under the 400 page mark, depending on which edition you read.  It's the first in the Burton & Swinburne series, an amazing faux-Victorian, alternate history, steampunk-fantasy adventure that is well-written, engrossing, and exceptionally good. Bonus: it features my historical crush, Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton (below).