Started Love Is the Way by Bishop Michael Curry. He reads the audio and he has a lovely reading voice. Also the book is just wonderful.
The secret of chimneys is I think her fifth book, if my kids havenāt rearranged my collection on my mantle (Google could easily confirm but am lazy).
Itās not one of my favorites.
I still need to finish Giantās Bread. I told myself I would read Christieās complete collection in publication order and damnit I will, but that darn Westmacott in there is just not easy reading for me.
Canāt wait until I get to her autobiography. I read it my senior year for my thesis paper and recall it not being something I wanted to pick up again.
Picked up a copy of Pricksongs and Descants from a record/book store in New Paltz for like $3. By Robert Coover.
Meh. About 50 pages in.
Uses the ācā word often as a body part. Reads more like a precocious teenager using some āadultā language as āartā b/c he knows he wonāt get into trouble.
Think an adult version of āFractured Fairy Tales.ā
Jesus and John Wayne on audiobook.
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Been thinking about that one.
Started Nick Hornbyās Just Like You. I like hornby and this is good so far
Theyāre pretty easy reads, and at times the translation can lead to some awkward wording, but theyāre enjoyable enough, and pretty quick reads (I can read 1 novella in a sitting without feeling like it was a stretch).
Iām already halfway through book #3 (The Blood of Elves, the first novel). Season 1 of the Witcher was based on the two novella collections (with some new material), and season 2 was a mix of the 2nd novella collection + 1st novel, I believe.
OTOH, I believe the games were all new material and arenāt considered ācanonā. (Iām currently 1/2 through The Witcher 3 after buying it a couple years ago, and it sitting unplayed).
Currently 1/3 of the way through the Silmarillion, 1/3 through The Light Fantastic, 1/3 through Perdido Street Station, 1/2 through Blood of Elves, and 2 chapters into Elven Star (book 2 of the Death Gate cycle). I read 1 chapter of each last night.
Iām in a weird reading mood right now.
I added Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City last night, despite not finishing any of these yet.
I finished The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie. It was a little uneven and rushed in the last half, but I thought it was pretty good overall. Itās kind of funny that itās listed as the first Superintendent Battle book, because Battle isnāt even in most of the book and the focus is hardly ever on him. And thatās actually good. The book puts the main focus on a character/suspect who Battle allows to investigate on his own. Heās by far the more interesting character. Battle is clearly sharp but little personality comes out in this book.
I still need one more book for the winter reading program and, unless the 2nd Thursday Murder Club shows up, everything else I have right now is moderately long. I might see if Overdrive has another Agatha Christie or something.
In the Battle books, heās barely in them. Thatās just fine.
I like the Seven Dials one, but the one I really like is Towards Zero.
Battle is never the main character in āhisā books, and often a different character is the key person to solve the mystery, but Battle is necessary to make the arrest/finish the job.
One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite.
Only two unread Agatha Christies were available and Iāve also seen at least a couple Murder On The Orient Express movies, so I grabbed The Unexpected Guest, which turned out to be a play. I give that one a big thumbs down and Iām working on Orient Express to clear my palate.
Yeah I didnāt like The Unexpected Guest, either.
I finished Murder on the Orient Express. Having seen the movies, it was kind of interesting to see more of how it played out as it went (the suspects going from not telling their connections to going out of the way to point them out, in particular)
I think next Iāll see how the Louise Penny / HRC book is. Iām almost hesitant to start because I suspect Iām gonna be reading it far more critically than I would a typical book. And especially since I only got to the first paragraph and found out it is apparently a novel about a woman secretary of state. I hope it is easier to separate fact from fiction than I expect it will be.
Finished One of the Good Ones. A good story for those who like YA.
Started Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book has been around a few years but did the pandemic propel it to the too ten books or was it something else? It returned to my radar bc I saw it in a list of 10 bestselling books of 2021. My library has a 6 month hold on it. Reading for book club this month.
And since Atomic Habits is short, Iām also listening to Mustard Seed by Laila Ibrahim. Itās part of a series that started with Yellow Crocus. Bahni Turpin is the narrator, which may have been how I found this series. She is the same narrator who reads The Hate U Give, and Iām in awe at her interpretation of the Southern Belle. She nails it.
finished nick hornbyās Just Like You. Liked it, as I do pretty much all of his stuff. Hoping i can do one a month for 2022.
There are some MASSIVE eyerolls in the Penny/Clinton book. In addition to the whole general woman secretary of state thing and the obvious Trump allusions
A mention Ruth Zardo, one of Zardoās books, and being FINE
A mention of not inhaling
Etc
But the biggest one that I just got to is that one of the characters ends up holed up in Three Pines QC. Really??? It is already ludicrous when that happens in an Inspector Gamache book, but this takes it to a new level and really brings you completely out of the book. It hasnāt happened yet, but I suppose Gamache is going to lend his assistance, then him and the secretary of state will get some coffee in Olivier and Gabriās bistro, then maybe Clara will paint Hillaryās picture and then sheāll browse for a book in Myrnaās store. Way to make an OK book really suck.
Gamache - check
Myrna - check
Ruth - check
bistro - check
No Clara yet and no mention of Gabri and Olivier yet, despite them being in the bistro.