Classy and Trashy Readers' Salon: September and October 2020

[Moorhead Public Library]

Hi everyone! Feel free to use this thread to discuss any books you happen to be reading this month. I'll be posting what I read on my vacation soon! - deb

[Moorhead Public Library]

I am just coming off of an awesome vacation where I read/listened to a number of good books. I kicked it off with the newest Hidden Legacy book by Ilona Andrews, 'Emerald Blaze.' This isn't my favorite Ilona Andrews series but the book was still entertaining. The series just feels a little more teeny-bopper to me than the others.

I also read the the new Westcott book by Mary Balogh, 'Someone to Romance.' Didn't completely get sucked into this one like some of the others in the series, but I liked seeing Jessica get her own book and am thinking maybe I just wasn't in quite the right mood for it?

Then I finished the Deborah Crombie book that I was on - 'The Sound of Broken Glass.' AGAIN, not my favorite. I'm kind of thinking nothing was going to make me completely happy and it's a good thing I had vacation. Although there's been an ongoing conspiracy-type storyline that is not my favorite thing (too serious) and that also probably dampened my enjoyment. I'm really hope they get some resolution to that in the next book.

Then I dove into the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton. These are so fluffy, and so fit my mood, that not even a seriously atrocious narrator could ruin them for me. I went through the first 3 books in a marathon and plan to continue with the 4th. Has anyone else read them? - deb

[Kathy]

Aunt Dimity sounds like so much fun! Someday (after I get through all my history books) I'll have to try them:) I'm continuing to read about the 1918 Pandemic and am still reading Pandemic 1918 and Minnesota 1918. I've recently finished Unsheltered, Pachinko, and The Island of Sea Women. All were good reads although none are on my all-time favorite books list.

[Karen]

I think Sam reads Aunt Dimity and likes them, but I haven't tried them yet myself. I am still working my way through The Far Pavilions which I'm loving, but it's long and I have limited reading time and I keep taking breaks to read library/book group books. Right now I'm reading Montana Sky, though I'm still sure I won't be done by discussion time on Tuesday.

I'm listening to the updated Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope, which is fine so far, but not blowing me away.

Last week I had a great few days of new installments in mystery series when I listened to the latest Armand Gamache (All the Devils Are Here) and read the new Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes (Riviera Gold). I also liked Christina Baker Kline's new one, The Exiles.

One that I loved not too long ago was Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. I think I put a hold on it because an author mentioned it at a Zoom discussion I went to, but when it popped up I didn't remember anything about it. But, once I started listening I really enjoyed it.

[Kathy]

Far Pavilions is somewhat of a classic by now. I have never read it but maybe someday! We'll have to get it on one of our book club lists:)

[Moorhead Public Library]

I realized I forgot to mention another book I read and really liked - 'The Last Smile in Sunder City' by Luke Arnold. On the surface it shouldn't really be my thing - a bit too grim, noir, etc. Magic has been destroyed, magical creatures have died or had to adapt to living w/out magic, the main character is one promise away from suicide. But the hardboiled descriptions actually made me smile and chuckle (not sure they were supposed to, but it helped lighten the book a bit) and I feel like there was a thread of hope that gets thicker as the book progresses...at least enough to keep me from throwing the book across the room in despair. Looks like it's the start of a series, so we'll see if I'm right about that.

The idea of hope brings up another thing I liked about the book -the world is complex enough that although the destruction of magic is clearly horrible and tragic, the existence of it wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, especially for the main character, Fetch (although he clearly misses it). So I'm not sure as a reader if I hope for the return of magic, or something different. I'm definitely rooting for Fetch, the main character. His backstory with all his mistakes totally won me over and I'm set for him to at least make progress towards some sense of redemption or peace. I'll be very disappointed if it turns into an ongoing tragedy.

On a final note, there's some great myths behind the magical creatures and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the world in the next book. Hope you're all intrigued because I've added 'Last Smile' to our list of picks for next year :) - deb

[Karen]

I just finished The Far Pavilions a little while ago and I loved it! I hadn't realized that some of the characters are real historical figures and at least some of the book is based on real events, but I learned some stuff when I looked at something online and then read more just after I finished.

Yesterday, I finished listening to Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell, which is about Shakespeare's acting company, including his brother Richard who was an actor (in the book - I just checked and it seems that little is known about the real Richard). I enjoyed it. Having done a couple of Shakespeare-related courses online over the past few months, there were a bunch of familiar people and places that came up in it.

I also recently finished listening to Anxious People (the new one bu Fredrik Backman), which I liked, but maybe not quite as much as some other of his. It was quirky and lighter than some of his too; and The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue about the Spanish Flu epidemic in a hospital in Ireland, which was good too.

[Moorhead Public Library]

I finished the next book in the Deborah Crombie series - 'To Dwell in Darkness.' There's still the ongoing possible conspiracy, made more complicated by the introduction of a character who seems to have been threatened (and eventually possibly killed) by people with power to cover things up. And the murder in the main story line was especially creepy in this one. So still waiting for the series to veer a bit away from the suspense and more towards the cozy. With that said, I'm still enjoying it, especially the relationships between the different characters and some of the random historical/geographical info you get about London. - deb

[Moorhead Public Library]

It's been a while since I posted and I've finished a few books. I read a couple of Lindsay Buroker books from the Star Kingdom series - "Crossfire" and "Gate Quest." Buroker is an independent author I really like who writes sci-fi/fantasy. I think she'd be the opposite of grimdark - so noblebright or hopepunk? I'm not really in on that whole discussion - but while her books definitely have some serious aspects it's well balanced by camaraderie and humor. I'd compare her tonally to something like "Firefly." (but let's not bring up Joss Whedon....it's all too disheartening). I'd tried requesting some of her books for the library some time ago and we couldn't get them through our distributor, but now some of them are on hoopla! She also has really good deals on the kindle formats on Amazon if any of you read that way.

I also FINALLY got through the book that at least starts to wrap up (and maybe completely does?) the whole conspiracy theory storyline in the James/Kincaid series by Deborah Crombie: "Garden of Lamentations." After futzing about and not communicating they finally all worked together to get a handle on things (really, it stretches belief that these characters are able to maintain strong relationships - but I still love 'em).

Hope you all have been reading some good things! I'm now on 'The Shoemaker's Wife' for Tuesday's discussion :)
- deb

[Moorhead Public Library]

So, I just realized I never put up a separate post for October's Salon...so I just renamed September so it includes October. I'll get a new post up in November. In the meantime, I've finished a couple of books since my last post. I'm all caught up on the Deborah Crombie series, having finished the most recently published one, "A Bitter Feast." I'm not sure why I've enjoyed this series so much - the characters behave in ways that would cause more problems in real life I think than they do in the books - but I'm sad to be all caught up. The mysteries kept me thinking, and I really liked the narrator (I listened to all of them). I hope another one comes out soon while I'm still on my mystery kick.

So I went searching for another mystery series to start, and landed on P.D. James's Dalgleish. I've finished the 1st book in the series - 'Cover Her Face.' I wouldn't say I enjoyed it as much as the Crombie books, but I did enjoy it. Keeping track of all the characters helped keep me focused, and although I noticed some people have complained about the narrator, I quite like her.

There's some definite....snobbishness?...that seems to be built into the books and kind of dates them (I've started the 2nd one). Many of the characters are condescending, which makes it easy to keep an emotional distance and be critical/condescending of them. I'm all about emotional distance and not getting caught up in angst right now, so I'm enjoying that. Hope you're enjoying whatever you're reading! - deb

[Karen]

Wow. I haven't posted here in more than a month. I've read/listened to a bunch of books since then, but I'll only mention a few. I listened to the second Deborah Crombie book, which I enjoyed. I haven't gotten to the bug, multiple book conspiracy yet, though.

I also listened to another Chet & Bernie mystery and I always love hearing things from the POV of Chet, the dog.

In an unintentional theme, I listened to The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman, set in the 1918 pandemic - good but sad, though it ends on a more hopeful note - and Pandemic by Robin Cook, which I didn't like as much as I hoped to.

I'm almost finished listening to Ken Follett's new prequel to Pillars of the Earth, The Evening and the Morning. I'm really enjoying it overall, though, in part because it's a prequel and I know it needs to end where Pillars begins, there are things that I predicted early on would happen that have or seem to be about to happen (but maybe I'm wrong - I should see later today when I expect to finish).

The other big book I recently finished was Jane Austen's Letters ed. by Deirdre Le Faye, which I enjoyed, though it wasn't a quick read. Having done the free online JA course multiple times (and another time coming up in late Nov) and read a few biographies, this was the next thing that I was determined to get to and I'm glad I did.

I finished the first of 4 novellas by 4 different authors in The Deadly Hours this morning. The first was by Susanna Kearsley, but I didn't like it as much as I enjoy many of her books. I still plan to read the others especially since the last is written by CS Harris whose books I love.

[Amy]

Greetings! I highly recommend The Library Book by Susan Orlean. I think you will enjoy it if you are interested in libraries, history, and/or historic preservation. The fire at the LA library is really only one story in the book.

[Karen]

Yes! I listened to The Library Book a year or two ago and I did enjoy it.

[Kathy]

Karen, you get a medal for all the reading you accomplish!! I've read a bit too--much more than normal, but then life isn't normal right now! I've recently read Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis, Redhead by the Side of the Read by Anne Tyler, Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carre, and am in the beginning of Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. They are all quite different but interesting. Hope to start The Chaperone when I finish Fall of Giants.

[Karen]

Thanks Kathy. But, I don't need a medal since I find the reading reward in itself. It helps that I've been listening to the most recent few audiobooks at 2.25x speed. I wouldn't be able to get through nearly as many books if I couldn't listen at high speeds. And, the slow narration might drive me nuts, too. LOL

I finished The Evening and the Morning and ended up giving it 4 stars on here, but might have given it 4.5 if that had been an option. I did really like it and things didn't happen quite the way I predicted, though some was kind of similar. It was only predictability that bugged me. Otherwise, it was great! I like all his historical fiction, though I haven't read many of his earlier spy/thrillers.

The Chaperone came in for me too, but I'm currently listening to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I might have to listen to one other before I get to it.

[Moorhead Public Library]

Kathy wrote: "Karen, you get a medal for all the reading you accomplish!! I've read a bit too--much more than normal, but then life isn't normal right now! I've recently read Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis..."
Kathy - how was Eight Perfect Murders? I've checked out out like 5 times but haven't managed to start it...

[Moorhead Public Library]

Okay - I'm going to squeeze one more entry in this month. I've been continuing my mystery marathon. I've read a total of 3 Dalgleish books (the 1st 3 in the series). I've been enjoying them even though they're a little more serious than my usual cup of tea (and really, Dalgleish is kind of annoying).

Then for a break from Dalgleish I gave Ngaio Marsh a try and read 'Artists in Crime,' the 6th book in the Alleyn series. Normally I try to go in order, but I couldn't find the 1st book available in Hoopla or Libby. I enjoyed it - it had a lighter tone than the Dalgleish ones, and some of the dialogue made me think of Gilmore Girls, which I appreciated.

And since I finished that one I guess I've been in a mood because nothing's been making me happy. I've started: 'The Gift of the Magpie' (Donna Andrews), 'Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding' (Rhys Bowen), and 'Shroud for a Nightingale' (PD James). None of them were quite what I was in the mood for so I stopped 1/2 an hour or so (of listening)....

...but then I remembered the new Anthony Horowitz is coming out soon, a sequel to 'Magpie Murders' which I don't remember at all, so I started re-reading that - and it made me happy! Am I only only moody reader? - deb

[Karen]

I don't usually actually stop reading/listening to a book but there are times that I keep hoping to get to the end of something because I am just not enjoying it at that time. So, I can be a moody listener/reader, but I usually plow through anyway. Which may not be a good thing, but there you go...

[Kathy]

Moorhead Public Library wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Karen, you get a medal for all the reading you accomplish!! I've read a bit too--much more than normal, but then life isn't normal right now! I've recently read Out of the Silent Plan..."

[Kathy]

Ha! I think I checked it out about 5 times too:) I finally read it and enjoyed all the references to murder mystery titles mentioned in it. In general I thought it was above average but not page-turning-can't put-it-down reading. Try it and let me know what you think!!