What non-mystery books are you reading? (2021-2022) Showing 801-850 of 1,030

[Jackie]

Sid wrote: "Lord Ickenham is otherwise known as Uncle Fred. He appears in a couple of Blandings stores and one or two of his own, I think - but I've not read them."

I read a short story called "Uncle Fred Flits By" I think it was. I laughed until I cried!

[Sandy]

I will have to meet Uncle Fred. I continued my self-medication with
Terry Pratchett's Truckers. He had a unique sense of humor.

[Sandy]

Jackie wrote: "Sid wrote: "Lord Ickenham is otherwise known as Uncle Fred. He appears in a couple of Blandings stores and one or two of his own, I think - but I've not read them."

I read a short story called "Un..."

A little investigation shows that I own an audible version of Stories by Heart which has that has that Uncle Fred story.

Thanks.

[Sid]

Sandy wrote: "I will have to meet Uncle Fred. I continued my self-medication with
Terry Pratchett's Truckers. He had a unique sense of humor."

Another Pratchett fan here, Sandy. I don't like all his books (I can't be doing with Rincewind, for example) but his best are brilliant; wise, clever, humane, extremely funny and completely engrossing.

[Jackie]

Sandy, I look forward to hearing what you think!

[Kirsten]

I'm reading Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

[Saira]

Reading The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo

[Tania]

Sid wrote: "Lord Ickenham is otherwise known as Uncle Fred. He appears in a couple of Blandings stores and one or two of his own, I think - but I've not read them."

Sorry, yes; Lord Ickenham is Uncle Fred, of Uncle Fred in the Springtime and Cocktail Time, and others, I'm sure. He's a hoot. ☺

[Tara]

Started a new audiobook, The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century by Joel F. Harrington. Its interesting that in 16th century Germany, executioners operated like a guild, albeit one that although it was well-paid, was not all well-respected.

[Marwan]

Started reading Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel García Márquez

[Abigail]

Started Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart.

[Jill]

I am about to start Dartmoor, the Saving by B.J. Burton A story about the Dini, little people living on Dartmoor

[Abigail]

Reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou, about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos.

[Sandy]

Jill wrote: "I am about to start Dartmoor, the Saving by B.J. Burton A story about the Dini, little people living on Dartmoor"

That sounds fascinating. Please report back when you finish.

[Jill]

Sandy wrote: "Jill wrote: "I am about to start Dartmoor, the Saving by B.J. Burton A story about the Dini, little people living on Dartmoor"

That sounds fascinating. Please repo..."

Finished this and really liked it. At first it started like a young children's book but soon changed to something more . This is not a genre I would normally choose but I was totally engrossed.

[Sandy]

Thank you. Guess I'll add it to my TBR. I ashamed how very long that TBR is.

[Jill]

Sandy wrote: "Thank you. Guess I'll add it to my TBR. I ashamed how very long that TBR is."

I think everyone in this group has an ever growing list now. It seems to be read one and add five

[Sid]

I've read the first few chapters of No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy from NetGalley. Enjoying it very much so far.

[Abigail]

Just read a true-crime book “ripped from the headlines” about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. Now I’m back to my usual fare, a reread of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim.

[Carolien]

Abigail wrote: "Just read a true-crime book “ripped from the headlines” about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. Now I’m back to my usual fare, ..."

I love The Enchanted April! Enjoy!

[Jackie]

I just started Much Dithering and can tell I'm going to love it.
I'm not really enjoying living in the 21st Century so I'm glad to visit earlier times in books. Although if I had to live there I suppose I'd complain about not having the internet!

[[deleted user]]

E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! just started to read this series of books l9ve them already they are kids books but not unreadable as an adult.

[Abigail]

Thanks, Carolien! I think I enjoyed it even more on the second reading than I did on the first.

[Susan in NC]

Jackie wrote: "I just started Much Dithering and can tell I'm going to love it.
I'm not really enjoying living in the 21st Century so I'm glad to visit earlier times in books. Although if I had t..."

I feel you, Jackie, especially whenever I check the headlines! I forgot I have this on my TBR pile, I could use the humor…

[Susan in NC]

Jackie got me thinking about reading something humorous, so I decided to read Bramton Wick by Elizabeth Fair, my last choice for the Retro Reads Book Pool (we were able to contribute five titles to the pool, but can read as many as we like).

[Judy]

Ooh, I've liked the Elizabeth Fair books I've read so far, Susan - I enjoyed Bramton Wick, hope you do too. I liked Seaview House even more (then again that one is set in my home area) but wasn't quite so keen on The Mingham Air. I still have three to go!

[Susan in NC]

Thanks, Judy, good to know!

[Tania]

Judy wrote: "Ooh, I've liked the Elizabeth Fair books I've read so far, Susan - I enjoyed Bramton Wick, hope you do too. I liked Seaview House even more (then again that one is set in my home ar..."

I've also enjoyed her books and been meaning to read The Mingham Air, which is then last of her currently published books for me to read, however.... Scott, from Furrowed Middlebrow recently announced that a previously lost manuscript had been found and there will be a new title called The Marble Staircase coming out this summer, along with a load of Noel Streatfeild (as Susan Scarlett) books. Happy days!

[Judy]

That's exciting news about the lost Elizabeth Fair manuscript, Tania! Also about the Noel Streatfeild (Susan Scarlett) books - I saw the cover of one of these on Twitter which was very eye-catching. She was one of my favourite authors when I was a child, and I enjoyed reading one of her reprinted books for adults, Parson's Nine, last year.

[Rosina]

I enjoyed Elizabeth Fair too - I realise that I had read five, and the sixth has now joined the TBR queue

[Kirsten]

I've been reading Irresistible by Melanie Harlow

[Nike]

I'm reading The Cleansing Power of Yoga: Kriyas and other holistic detox techniques for health and wellbeing by Swami Saradananda

[Tania]

I've been re-reading The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard
recently and am now on Casting Off. I just love these books and will be really sad when I get to All Change; but no doubt I'll re-read them again in a few years time.

[Carolien]

I'm nearly done with The Island of Missing Trees which has been interesting and beautifully written. You do have a fig tree as narrator which takes a bit of getting into, but the characters are complex and I know very little about Cyprus. The Bastard of Istanbul was one of my favourite books last year and I still want to read the rest of Elif Shafak's books.

[Abigail]

I should give the Cazalet Chronicles another try since you like them, Tania. I got bogged down halfway through the first one because I hate reading about adolescent girls obsessing about their changing bodies, which is doubtless a stupid reason to give up.

[Tania]

Abigail wrote: "I should give the Cazalet Chronicles another try since you like them, Tania. I got bogged down halfway through the first one because I hate reading about adolescent girls obsessing about their chan..."

Well, the next one is told largely from the point of view of the three girls, but by that time they are worrying about the war and it becomes more about trying to handle the emotional turmoil that comes with that, plus a large and very distinct cast of characters. I think these would work very well as audiobooks. That said, we can't all like the same things always. : )

[Judy]

Carolien wrote: "I'm nearly done with The Island of Missing Trees which has been interesting and beautifully written. You do have a fig tree as narrator which takes a bit of getting into, but the ch..."

I really liked this one too, despite the fig tree narrator! I haven't read anything else by Elif Shafak but will hope to do so before too long.

[Jackie]

Susan in NC wrote: "I started Vittoria Cottage by D.E. Stevenson for an August read with the Retro Reads group."

I'd forgotten about this! I loved it and should re-read it, so thank you for the reminder.

currently enjoying the heck out of PG Wodehouse's Uncle Fred in the Springtime which I have never read before.

[Susan in NC]

Jackie wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I started Vittoria Cottage by D.E. Stevenson for an August read with the Retro Reads group."

I'd forgotten about this! I loved it and should re-..."

You’re welcome, dearest, and Thank YOU for the reminder that anytime, especially these sad and uncertain times, is an excellent time for Wodehouse! “Pure sunshine on the page…”

[Jill]

I have just started The Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore I have read 3 others by this author and really enjoyed them. This one is a bit different as it is a ghost story

[Abigail]

Finished The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia (Mexican magical-realist historical fiction) and need a break between highly charged emotional books, so I’m going to read The Lark Shall Sing by Elizabeth Cadell before embarking on a reread of Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin.

[Judy]

I really liked The Greatcoat, Jill, hope you do too.

[Tania]

Abigail wrote: "Finished The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia (Mexican magical-realist historical fiction) and need a break between highly charged emotional books, so I’m going to read The Lar..."</i>.

I've had this one on my kindle for ages and started it several times. Must get to it soon.

<i>Jill wrote: "I have just started [book:The Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore I have read 3 others by this author and really enjoyed them. This one is a bit different as it is a ghost story"

I do like the sound of this one; I haven't read her yet, but have been meaning to.

[Abigail]

I’m enjoying The Lark Shall Sing so far but have a vague sense that I may have read it before.

[Jackie]

I just started the second of a new to me series that I guess is called Urban Fantasy? I really enjoyed the first one.

Murder of Crows

[sabagrey]

Recently I came across Elisabeth Gaskell "North and South" - both author and book were totally new to me. Sounds strange, but then I'm a non-native speaker without background in English literature. The book was mentioned in some GR group or other: here's to GR! five stars ...

ah well ... and then I came across the BBC miniseries. five stars again

[Abigail]

The BBC series of one of Gaskell’s other books, Wives and Daughters, is another lovely one! It’s my favorite of her books (she died just before finishing it but the end works fine for me) but I enjoyed the BBC version even more than the book—it was shapelier, if you get my meaning. Cranford is more a collection of stories than a novel, and it has a good BBC version as well.

I am currently rereading Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin and loving it just as much the second time.

[Jackie]

Just started Vision in Silver, the third in a series. I skimmed some reviews and find others, like me, really like the books despite serious flaws. This is my second author considered Urban Fantasy and while she isn't as good as Patricia Briggs, that is a very high bar.

[Abigail]

Currently reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

[Judy]

I remember liking that one, Abigail, though as so often I sadly don't remember the book in any detail.