Monthly Group Reads: Reading the Poll Losers Instead?

[Jane]

Reading The Traitor's Niche. Finding it surreal and an allegory on Albania against Enver Hoxha dictatorial regime, the theme of many of Ismail Kadare's other novels. Some references to the author's The Three-Arched Bridge. Enjoying it as much as I liked the latter.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

If there are references to Three Arched Bridge, do you think I should read it before Traitor's?

I am still about 7 books away from trying Kadare. When it lost the poll I could no longer fit it into my June reading schedule.

[Jane]

Possibly but Kadare does explain a little bit. You won't know what the Inn of the Two Roberts is and the Ujana e Keqe and of course, the Bridge and its gruesome history.

I'll have to go back and try The Pyramid again.
Should I post my review of Traitor's now or wait? I had thought it was the May loser but apparently I got that wrong.

[Barbara]

The Siege Winter by Samantha Norman. I just finished reading this book and I surely thought it was one of the books polled on in this group but I do not find reference to it. I found it a good read with well rounded characters and a good basis in historical research for accuracy of the surroundings to the story line.

[Jane]

Barbara wrote: "The Siege Winter by Samantha Norman. I just finished reading this book and I surely thought it was one of the books polled on in this group but I do not find reference to it. I found it a good read..."

It has also been put out under title: The Winter Siege. Did you check that?

[Dawn]

It was an April 2015 medieval read Barbara. See this thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Megan]

The Witchfinder's Sister
I didn't care as much about the personal and familial dramas, but I was engaged with the book once the emphasis shifted to the witch trials. 4*

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Would you say it is definitely fantasy (without giving away spoilers of course) or is it hard to say without spoiling the read for someone?

Of the reviews, I have read that the reader is guessing all the way through whether the things that seem supernatural are or are not.

I figured that, by the reviews, that it may not be fantasy historical. That the supernatural stuff can be rationalised if you want to rationalise it.

[Megan]

Terri wrote: "Would you say it is definitely fantasy (without giving away spoilers of course) or is it hard to say without spoiling the read for someone?

Of the reviews, I have read that the reader is guessing ..."

(I am assuming your post was about The Witchfinder's Sister)
Definitely not historical fantasy. The narrator might have some beliefs along the line of things that influence luck, and she might believe in witches in the way that people did back then. But I had no problem reading this as straight historical fiction.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Thanks, Meagan. That was what I thought. Or at least, what I had picked up from reviews...but wasn't entirely sure.

[Jane]

Have started The Winter Isles just yesterday and after only 2 or 3 chapters am enjoying it. I was on an Island of Lewis and Iona reading binge, so had to read this one.

[Marilyn]

I’ll pass on both. I just read about the disaster of 9 AD and the alternative sounds too depressing.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Look forward to your review of Winter Isles, Jane.

[Jane]

Terri wrote: "Look forward to your review of Winter Isles, Jane."
I'm disappointed it didn't win. So far, I think folks are missing something if they don't read it.

[Allison]

^I added it as soon as I saw it in the polls!

[Jane]

Allie wrote: "^I added it as soon as I saw it in the polls!"

Good, I'm not the only one reading it, then.

[Allison]

Well I’m not reading it at the moment lol but it sounds really good!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I think either book in that poll would have made a good read for members...buuuutttt I was glad Dunstan won though, because I already own it and because it is a fab read. :-) Thoroughly enjoying it.

[Megan]

I'm reading A Crowning Mercy for the poll loser read in October. It's definitely different from solo Bernard Cornwell works, with more romance. I'm not sure how I feel about the "collecting 4 seals of power" aspect either.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

"collecting four seals of power" hmm...I didn't realise it had such a plot. I read one of the ones he wrote with his wife but it mustn't have been this one. I remember the one I read seemed to have a lot of Cricket in it. lol. That's all I remember.

[Megan]

Just finished A Crowning Mercy

3.5* I liked the depiction of Civil War England fairly well, especially the witch trial. I didn't like the shallow characters (beautiful = good! ugly = bad!) and how one-sided the conflict was made. The quest for the seals seemed faintly ridiculous (it's basically a secret conspiracy around an insanely large amount of money) and the insistence on the fanciful names was annoying. But not too bad overall, and it did keep me reading.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Great. Thanks for sharing that. I'm really glad you did. This as not the one I had read for sure. (the one with the Cricket in it! lol..not even right era).