October 2018 Wrap Up

I spent more time cross-stitching and working word puzzles than I did reading this month, as my list shows!

Books Read:
The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen  3/5 stars  (my review here)

Audio Books Completed:
Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley  4/5 stars
This biography focuses on Austen's various homes, and the importance of the idea of home to her.  It also emphasizes her sense of humor and relates the importance of the women in her life.  It is a comprehensive biography, but the prose is not lively enough to make it an engaging read.

Diamond Dust by Peter Lovesey  5/5 stars
Murder comes too close to home for Peter Diamond, and he finds himself both a suspect, and a vigilante investigator.  This is the best of the series so far (I'm reading them in order).  It was well-written, believable, and engrossing.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce  5/5 stars (my review here)

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce  4/5 stars (my review here)

Malice in Wonderland by Nicholas Blake  4/5 stars
Nigel Strangeways is called in to investigate a series of increasingly worrisome practical jokes that threaten to ruin the reputation of the vacation retreat of Wonderland.  This was a fun, generally believable, and intelligently written Golden Age mystery.

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle  4/5 stars
While not as good as the short stories, it's still a mostly satisfying Holmes mystery.

Did Not Finish:
O, Jerusalem by Laurie R. King
This Russell and Holmes novel returns to the early days of their partnership, to expand on an adventure briefly mentioned in the first of the series, the Beekeeper's Apprentice.  It is a spy novel taking place in post WWI Palestine, and after listening for about an hour, I just wasn't interested enough to finish it.  While I love mysteries, I don't care for spy thrillers.  I'll definitely continue with the next in the series, though.

The Smiler with the Knife by Nicholas Blake
I have liked what I have read of the Nigel Strangeways mysteries, and this one began well.  It then became a national security/domestic espionage story, and (as I said above) I just don't care for this sub-genre.

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
This audio book was read by the author.  I made it less than five minutes before I had to stop.  Serle is a terrible narrator.  Just horrible.  I can't believe that this production was released!  I'm still interested in the book, and may pick it up another time.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
In this YA book, the descendants of Holmes and Watson meet at school, become friends, and solve a mystery together. The premise was cute, and the execution seemed to be good for as much as I read, but it was too YA for me.  Plus, instead of enjoying it, I was made to just want to read the real thing.

Pride by Ibi Zaboi  my review here

October 2018 OwlCrate

I got this month's OwlCrate, as I was intrigued by the subject, Lost in the Library, and by the promise of a Pride and Prejudice retelling.  

The crate contained two books, Pride by Ibi Zaboi (see my review here), and Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. 

Also included were a packet of tea and an infuser, book socks with "book nerd" on the soles, an original print of the Mirror of Erised, and a canvas clutch big enough to hold a book. 

While I liked the items in the crate, especially as they were not fandom-based except the Harry Potter print, I was disappointed with the books.  Pride I found impossible to finish, and Shadow of the Fox does not appeal to me at this time (though I may be in the mood for YA fantasy at a later date).  I also did not like the books in the last few OwlCrates I got last year, so I doubt I will order another; it seems our book tastes do not coincide any more.

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Pride
Ibi Zoboi
2018
Did Not Finish

In this Pride and Prejudice retelling, Zuri and her four sisters live in a Brooklyn hood.  Zuri watches in disgust as the rich Darcy family refurbish the house across from her apartment block.  When they move in, Zuri's older sister Janae and the oldest Darcy brother take an instant liking to each other, to Zuri's consternation.  She and the other Darcy boy, Darius, find themselves thrown together, but she considers him snobbish and can't stand to be around him.

I really wanted to like this book, since it's a Pride and Prejudice remix.  Sadly, while the writing was mostly good and the nods to the original clever, Zuri has a chip on her shoulder the size of her hood which makes her completely unlikable, and the book an unpleasant read.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy 
Rachel Joyce
2014
4/5 stars

This, the companion book to the Unexpected Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, is Queenie's side of their story.  She has a secret that she must share with Harold, to ease her mind before she dies. Writing a letter to Harold as she waits for his visit, Queenie discusses her relationship with Harold and his family, and various bits of her past, as well as slowly revealing the secret.   Queenie also introduces other residents of the hospice in touching vignettes.  Events that were not fully explained in Harold Fry are filled in excellently and believably.  The prose is generally beautiful, the characters surprisingly real, and, while it seems predictable and mundane at first, the secret develops into a complex plot. Though it lacks the charm of Joyce's first novel, Queenie Hennessy is moving, well-written, and engrossing; it will linger in the mind for days after reading. 

Note: this book must only be read after reading the Unexpected Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

The Last September
Elizabeth Bowen
1929
3/5 stars

Set against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence, the Last September is a novel of an upper class Irish family reacting to the unsettled times.  While shots are being fired in other areas, they are having tennis parties, teas, and dances with the British troops.  It is also a coming of age story, of a sort, as Lois, the young woman of the house, experiences what might be love for the first time.

This satirical novel of manners is has beautiful prose that is often poetic.  Unfortunately, the story is slow moving and sometimes unwieldy, making it a difficult read at times.  The characters, while well drawn, aren't easy to connect with, and the plot is not gripping.  When the ending comes, it comes too late to provide an emotional punch.  For a short novel, it took entirely too long to read, and does not come recommended.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Rachel Joyce
2012
5/5 stars

"Everybody's the same but also unique."  Harold Fry

Harold Fry receives a letter from a former colleague, Queenie Hennissy, informing him that she is dying of cancer.  Overwhelmed by emotions, he decides that rather than write to her, he'll visit her in person, by walking the six hundred miles to her hospice.  He convinces himself that as long as he walks, Queenie will live.  Armed with nothing more than his wallet, a light coat, and yachting shoes, Harold sets out on a journey that will change his life.

This beautifully written novel is about second chances, hope, and self discovery.  Joyce writes a believable tale that is not overly sentimental, while still being emotional.  Harold, and his wife Maureen, are sympathetic characters that the reader will come to care about and cheer for as the novel progresses.  This is a complex story, that is never too lighthearted, nor too serious, but walks nicely in between.

This is a reread for me.

September 2018 Wrap-Up

Books Read:
Seaview House by Elizabeth Fair  4/5 stars
Another charming, well-written, lightly romantic, English village novel; highly enjoyable.

Miss Buncle Married by D.E. Stevenson  4/5 stars
This follow up to Miss Buncle's Book (my review here) is a delightful, cheerful, enjoyable read.

Olivia in India by O. Douglas   3/5 stars  (my review here)

The Two Mrs. Abbotts  by D.E. Stevenson  4/5 stars
This is the final of the Miss Buncle books, and like the first two, it is charming, fun, and well-written.  I'm sad that there are no more books about Miss Buncle and her community.

Peace Breaks Out by Angela Thirkell  4/5 stars
This fifteenth in Thirkell's Baresetshire Chronicles is just as good as the previous volumes.  In this one, WWII comes to an end, and the characters have to adjust to the lack of war, and find peace time most difficult.  It's witty and snarky, lightly romantic, and fully satisfying to read.

Audio Books Completed:
Shades of Milk and Honey by  Mary Robinette Kowal  3/5 stars (my review here)

The Whole Art of Detection by Lyndsay Faye  4/5 stars
This "continuation" of the Sherlock Holmes stories has all the flavor of the original, but the mysteries are not as believable or as intricate as Dolye's.  Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read for the dialogues between Holmes and Watson alone.

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie  4/5 stars
As with most all of Christie's mysteries, this one was entertaining and intelligent.

Calamity Town by Ellery Queen  4/5 stars
While one important point of the mystery was not quite credible, the rest of the story was interesting and, if not riveting, was still a good read.

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie  4/5 stars
In this stand-alone mystery, Jack Argyle is found guilty of the murder of his mother, but two years later his alibi is verified.  Now the rest of his family are under suspicion, and the true killer will not hesitate to kill again to remain unidentified. This is one of my favorite Christie mysteries: it is intelligent, well-written, and believable.  I highly recommend it.

The Accusers by Lindsey Davis   3/5 stars  (my review here)

Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie  5/5 stars
This is a well-written, credible, and highly entertaining mystery.  I highly recommend it.