Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren (2011) 5/5 stars (my review here)
The Upas Tree
by Florence L. Barclay (1912) 3/5 stars
This is a Christmas story of sorts by one of my favorite Edwardian romance authors, about sacrifice, misunderstanding, and redeeming love. This is not her best, as she tries to incorporate a bit of the supernatural into it which weakens the rest of the story. Otherwise, though, it's an enjoyable, if light, novel that will appeal to those of us who appreciate this genre and the times and mores of Edwardian England.
Peter Shandy series, book 1
This was a witty, intelligent mystery. The solution wasn't fully satisfying, but I enjoyed it tremendously overall and look forward to reading more by MacLeod.
Heads You Lose by Christianna Brand (1941) 4/5 stars
Inspector Cockrill series, book one
The six members of a winter house party become suspects when first one neighbor, then another, is found decapitated. This is a mostly well-written mystery which, if not subtle, was still enjoyable.
Crimson Snow: Winter Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards (2016) 4/5 stars
This is a collection of twelve short stories by Golden Age of Crime authors, many since forgotten, that take place around Christmas. The variety is excellent, but the quality is mixed -- as is to be expected with an anthology.
To Crack a Soldier: A Nutcracker Retelling by Sarah Beran
(2023) 4/5 stars
The war is over, and it finds Alexander wounded in both body and mind. After he witnesses a battle between a lovely ballerina and her regiment against another army with a grey mouse as their standard, he falls into the world of Faerie where he discovers that his music is the weapon the ballerina has been seeking.
In this is a delightful portal fantasy, Beran pays tribute to the classic "The Nutcracker and The Mouse King", while using her own characters, magic system, and worldbuilding. The nods to the original story are nicely done and I enjoyed making the connections. The book does touch on serious topics, but is overall a fun and lighthearted tale with a gentle love story, likable main characters, and engaging adventure. I found it immensely enjoyable and satisfying, and look forward to reading more by the author.
Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century by Melanie Rigney (2020) 3/5 stars
This book consists of brief and very basic biographies of twenty-one modern female saints. In addition, the author includes a short paragraph about the world background of the saint, two verses that resonate with that saint's particular characteristic, one quote from the saint, and a few other resources and quotes; the entire chapter per saint is around five pages. The longest section of each chapter is called "Living Radically Today", in which the author attempts to connect the saint's calling to some incident in her life or the life of a friend. I mean no disrespect to the author when I say this, as I am certain she put her heart and soul into these, but I found these entries to be most often tenuous and not always relatable. It would have benefited from more details on the lives of these saints and how each one affected her world, along with more quotes (in context). On the plus side, I was introduced to many new-to-me saints that I would like to research more in depth.
Rose Petals and Snowflakes: Snow White and Rose Red meets Sense and Sensibility by Kendra E. Ardnek (2021) 4/5 stars
The Austen Fairy Tale series, book one
This is a delightful pastiche, and Ardnek stays true to the spirit of each story. The sisters are very much the fairy tale sisters, but at the same time, their personalities match Elinor and Marianne nearly perfectly. I loved finding the tributes to the classics, yet enjoyed Ardnek's original world, characters, and plot equally well. There were times I struggled to understand the magic system, but I think that might be due more to reader than author. Overall, it's well-written, sometimes humorous, full of heart, and completely enjoyable.
Walk with Care by Patricia Wentworth (1933) 4/5 stars
Benbow Smith series, book three
When a politician's young secretary finds himself being framed as a blackmailer and thief, he begins his own investigation in an attempt to outwit his unknown enemies. This is an generally well-written novel of domestic espionage, quite tense at times, and, if unrealistic, still fully entertaining. I would recommend reading this series in order, as some characters reappear.
When a politician's young secretary finds himself being framed as a blackmailer and thief, he begins his own investigation in an attempt to outwit his unknown enemies. This is an generally well-written novel of domestic espionage, quite tense at times, and, if unrealistic, still fully entertaining. I would recommend reading this series in order, as some characters reappear.
Crown and Cinder: Pride and Prejudice derails Cinderella by Kendra E. Ardnek (2022) 4/5 stars
The Austen Fairy Tale series, book two
This is another delightful fairy-tale-plus-classic combination. Ardnek puts a different spin on Cinderella and combines it nicely with Austen's famous story, all the while excellently blending it with her original plot, world, and characters. The story continues from the first book, so they must be read in order, but it was wonderful to continue to follow previous characters and see them interact with the ones in Crown and Cinder. I'm thoroughly invested in this world now, and am looking forward to reading the next in this series.
Audiobooks Completed:
The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham (1955) 4/5 stars (my review here)
Hide my Eyes by Margery Allingham (1958) 5/5 stars (my review here)
The Warden by Anthony Trollope (1855) 4/5 stars
The Chronicles of Barsetshire, book one
Original review from September 2022: Septimius Harding is an upright clergyman who is the devoted warden of a local charity. John Bold, his young friend (and his daughter's suitor), becomes convinced that the charity is not being managed according the original intents, and involves Mr. Harding in the agony of a public debate.
The Chronicles of Barsetshire, book one
Original review from September 2022: Septimius Harding is an upright clergyman who is the devoted warden of a local charity. John Bold, his young friend (and his daughter's suitor), becomes convinced that the charity is not being managed according the original intents, and involves Mr. Harding in the agony of a public debate.
This, the first of the Chronicles of Barsetshire, deals with a hot contemporary topic, and Trollope handles the subject well. However, had this been the first novel I had read by him, it would probably have been my last. Happily, I read the Palliser novels first (all six of which were five star reads for me), so I know what gems Trollope can write. As it is, The Warden lacks the sparkle, humor, and charm of the Palliser books, and while still well-written, is not compelling. Despite this, I will continue the series, in anticipation of great things to come.
Note: Upon this rereading, I must raise my rating to four stars. My first reading came immediately upon the heels of the Palliser novels, and I think I unfairly compared the two. At this point, some two years later, I can appreciate The Warden much more without the immediate memory of the other series. I'm eagerly looking forward to continuing the Chronicles of Barsetshire now. (counting towards The Classics Club)
Did Not Finish:
Cleopatra's Daughter: From Roman Prisoner to Egyptian Queen by Jane Draycott
Draycott has tried to write a biography of Cleopatra Selene without there being enough resources available to do so. She relies heavily on "may have", "might be", "possibly", "probable", "assume". The bits that are not about her, but about the world around her, were interesting, but the actual "biographical" information was not, nor was it well written. I tried to plow on through, hoping that as Cleopatra Selene aged, more of her life would have been accurately recorded, but -- with less than 100 pages to go -- I finally gave up.
Homecoming by Kate Morton
I have really enjoyed previous novels by Morton, but this one dragged, especially when the "nonfiction novel" was introduced. I made it through ten hours, but with nearly eight left to go, I just could not go on.
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