Classy and Trashy Readers' Salon: Winter 2022

[Moorhead Public Library]

Here's a spot to discuss our Winter Reads. Don't forget to keep track of the titles for Book Blizzard (either on Beanstack or a paper form) to win prizes! - deb

[Karen]

Book Blizzard starts Jan 1? Is that right?

The big thing in my recent reading was the new Outlander book, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. I read it in the week after it was released and listened to the audiobook in the past week. It was exciting to get a new book after a 7.5 year wait.

Other recent books that I've really liked have been Katherine by Anya Seton (historical fic about Katherine Swynford who was ancestress to a bunch of British kings and queens, including all the Tudors), the first Murderbot novel after four novellas, Network Effect, and CJ Sansom's Revelation, the 4th in the Shardlake series of Tudor mysteries. I've liked other stuff too, but I think these the most in the recent past.

[Moorhead Public Library]

Yes - Book Blizzard kicks off Jan 1! We'll have paper forms here in the library, or if you use beanstack you can just enter the challenge on that and make sure you remember to enter any books you read during it.

I finished Tied up in Tinsel (I love how salty Alleyn gets in parts of it), but then couldn't decide what to start next so just listened to some of one of my favorite Susannah Kearsley books: The Shadowy Horses. It was lovely. Happy Holidays to Everyone! - deb

[Moorhead Public Library]

Just a quick update on what I've bene reading - I cruised through a few more Marsh mysteries, and then decided to get serious about the Wheel of Time. For those of you who don't know, I started that series back in 1994 or '95 when you still had to wait for each new book to come out. I kept up with it I think until Winter's Heart, but at that point I felt like I needed to refresh my memory on the earlier books and just never really got around to it.

So then a while ago I started wanting to finish the series and started it from the beginning...but by Crown of Swords I was so irritated with so many of the characters I started dragging my feet. and dragging them some more. But I finally finished it! I'm hoping the characters get less annoying in the book I'm now on, Path of Daggers. - deb

[Karen]

I haven't actually been reading anything on text format (I've been doing a lot of Kakuro puzzles and some random other things), but I've been listening quite a bit. I listened to The Name of the Wind for the upcoming discussion and loved it all over again. That was a long one. And, I listened to and enjoyed Magpie Murders.

I'm also trying to listen to some of the books on my TBR list. Those include 3 books I won last year in Book Blizzard, so I just finished The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton and started The Hidden Hours by Sara Foster. I hope to get to the third soon too.

And, on a recommendation from a friend, I listened to The Little Shop of Found Things, which I liked but didn't love. And, I had heard about Brown Girls somewhere because I had put it on hold and it came in for me. It was told in kind of first person plural "we" which is unusual (though I read one like that about Astronaut Wives or something a while back) and it took me a little while to get used to that, but I ended up liking it too.

Oh, and I listened to Lin Enger's The High Divide because I've been meaning to for a while and liked that, but not as much as I hoped, and not as much as at least one of his other books.

[Kathy]

Glad to see that you’ve been reading the wheel of Time series Deb. Would that series be appropriate for an eighth grade boy who is an avid fantasy reader? Years ago I had a teen volunteer who loved that series. I’m assuming it’s appropriate for a young man based on this volunteer’s experience but would love your input. The avid reader is my grandson. Thanks.
I’m just finishing the book writers and lovers by Lily King. It’s a very conversational book and would not recommend it highly unless someone is looking for a light snd recently published read . Kathy PS Did you all see the new west side story movie? If not it is fantastic. The music and casting of characters was phenomenal

[Moorhead Public Library]

I think it would be appropriate for an 8th grader if they're kind of mature? Although I'm by no means great at judging that kind of stuff. There's definitely violence (there's a war between good and evil going on, so that's kind of a given), and some torture (although I don't think it's necessarily super graphic in terms of blood and gore, but enough to psychologically creep you out...) and a tiny bit of sex (but again, not super graphic).

If anything I might wonder if an 8th grader would get bored w/ parts of it (I'm kind of bored where I am right now...so that's not necessarily an age thing). Is he 14? 15? I think that's probably an okay age to start reading them, but probably wouldn't start younger. - deb

[Kathy]

Sounds good Deb. He is 13 and has read all of the Harry Potter books several times plus many other fantasy series.

[Kathy]

Hi Ladies! Somehow all my friends on Goodreads were deleted in the recent past. Could those of you on goodreads send me a friend request? I am Kathy Vander and joined in December 2008. I have 308 ratings. Thanks for taking the time to search for me and friend me! You can see my picture in this feed hopefully! Deb, can you ask Jenny Rodger to friend me too and also Brittany, your ILL staffer?? Thanks! It's going to be a process to rebuild my friends!

[Moorhead Public Library]

Hi Kathy,
I let Jenny and Brittany know, and I tried finding you from my personal goodreads account but I failed! I found 3 Kathy Vanders, but 2 didn't have any books and one only had one. I'll try again from home. Maybe it will work better on my computer.

Meanwhile, I'm finally getting back into the Wheel of Time and - I think - enjoying it as much as when I originally started it (but that's hard to say since it was so long ago and I have a horrible memory).

I just finished Knife of Dreams and the pace really picked up in that one - there were victories, forsaken captured, kingdoms won, and all sorts of good stuff. Also, after a spell without Matt he's had a bigger roll in the past couple of books again. He's probably my favorite character....at least at the moment. His character seems the best at bringing humor into the story.

- deb

[Karen]

I couldn't find you on a search either, Kathy, but when I clicked on your name where it is blue above your post it took me right to you and I friended you, so I think you should be able to accept or whatever and we should be good.

Long day of meetings and work today, so I'll try to tell you about my recent reading tomorrow.

[Kathy]

Hi Deb! If you click on my name in my post (it is blue) you can find and friend me. Brittany found and friended me today. thanks! Hopefully Jenny can find me. If not I'll try looking for her once again.

[Moorhead Public Library]

Okay - I added you as a friend to the Moorhead account, and will try from my personal account at some point too.

Meanwhile - I finished the Wheel of Time! At least pretty much. I haven't read the novellas like New Spring, but I've now read all the major books. And except for a couple of books in the middle I really enjoyed it.

So now I'm trying to decide what to tackle next. I read the first book in the Laetitia Rodd mystery series and have started the first book in that Expanse series. Thus far I'm not completely sucked into either series, but we'll see as I get further.

Hope to see you tomorrow night!

- deb

[Kathy]

Good morning! Thanks for adding me as a friend to Moorhead!! I so appreciate seeing what others are reading. This will be wonderful. Hope you will add me as a friend too. Any more thoughts on whether Wheel of Time is appropriate for a 7th grade avid boy fantasy reader?? This gramma has to be in the know!
I just read Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen and Minnesota 1918 flu fire and war. Both were wonderful reads. I'm working on Anxious People by Fredrick Backman but really think it's a waste of time. It has a most unusual writing style and I'm curious to see how the plot resolves, but that writing style is enough to make any reader turn neurotic:)
Congratulations on the approval to collect sales tax for a new library! I hope to get your May book read and join the discussion. I believe it is I Capture the Castle, correct?? For now, we are in warm places and then April will be filled with medical appointments and procedures.

[Moorhead Public Library]

I'll look forward to seeing you in May, Kathy! And yes - the book is I capture the castle. I still am just not sure about recommending Wheel of Time for a 7th grader. If he's a big reader and kind of mature for his age, probably? It's definitely intended for an adult audience, but I can imagine myself having read it when I was in middle school (although back then we called it jr high).

As for the sales tax - we don't have approval for it yet, just approval to put it on the ballot in November. Make sure any Moorhead friends know about the vote!

After my Wheel of Time marathon, I'm kind of hop-skipping-around in my reading. I meant to do the Expanse books, but then I didn't get very far before it was due back in Libby. I've gone back to Inspector Alleyn a bit, checked out the Laetitia Rodd series, and am currently going back to the Rivers of London series. I might linger on Rivers of London a bit and try to get caught up on it. - deb