2022 What Are You Reading?

[Janice]

I am reading Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (a reread), The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine, and my Bible chronologically.

[Kathryn]

Rereading Hamnet for my book club. Read it when it first came out and really liked it.

[Andrew]

I am reading 1412 by Simon Fairfax, the third book in his medieval series of spies and intrigue.

[Dem]

Just finished by Rachael English

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/4541919122

[Abigail]

Just finished a quick reread (for my Jane Austen book group) of The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh by Molly Greeley. Loved it just as much the second time.

[PattyMacDotComma]

Just finished Aussie author Anni Taylor's suspenseful One Last Child (Tallman Valley's Detectives, book 1), which takes place in the beautiful, mysterious Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Complicating things is that one of the abducted children is Detective Kate Wakeland's granddaughter.
4★ My review of One Last Child

[PattyMacDotComma]

This is a bright, appealing children's picture book that would be good for pointing out shapes and finding items from one page to the next. Chelsea O'Byrne is both author and illustrator, and it's lovely.
4★ My review of If I Were King with several of her illustrations

[Dem]

Finished and enjoyed Free: A Child and a Country at the End of HistoryFree: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi

My Review: /www.goodreads.com/review/show/4534581738

[PattyMacDotComma]

Another one for the kiddies (and grown-ups).
Love Grows Everywhere is a charmer of a small picture book by Barry Timms with some enormous ideas, wonderfully illustrated by Tisha Lee. Diversity and acceptance abound in glorious colour! I want to live there. 😊
5★ My review of Love Grows Everywhere with several of the illustrations

[PattyMacDotComma]

One for the word nerds, like me.
Jumping sharks and dropping mics by Gareth Carrol explains a lot of the idioms and phrases that have slipped into everyday English. Some I know and use, some not so much. Very entertaining.
4★ My review of Jumping Sharks, etc with several examples

[Alice]

I am enjoying Murder in an English Glade by Jessica Ellicott. I enjoy this series. Characters are well written. Good depiction of classes after WWI. Beryl is lots of fun. Start with book one of this series if you want to read something new.

[Abigail]

Just finished a mystery published in 1945, Holy Disorders by Edmund Crispin (not one of his best), and starting a memoir, Lost & Found: A Memoir by Kathryn Schulz.

[Chris]

Well, I can't believe it is almost March and I am picking up my first HF book of the year!!! Will begin Kathleen Grissom's Glory Over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House.

I did just finish a non-fiction history book The Sledge Patrol: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Victory by David Howarth. I certainly didn't know there were any type of sorties on Greenland!

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished The Virgin Widow by Anne O'Brien. Rated 3 stars. Set during The War of the Roses. Enjoyed more then I thought I would.
Link to my short review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Chris wrote: "Well, I can't believe it is almost March and I am picking up my first HF book of the year!!! Will begin Kathleen Grissom's Glory Over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House.

I did ju..."
Chris; The Sledge Patrol: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Victory sounds fascinating! Recommending to our library.

[Abigail]

About to start Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym, a group read in another group. Hoping I have time to read The Book Thief, which I didn’t get around to when it first came out.

[PattyMacDotComma]

Facts and Other Lies: Welcome to the Disinformation Age, by Aussie author Ed Coper, is just as unnerving as you probably gather it is from the title. The current division in many democracies has been caused by bad actors with thousands of automatic bots that set us off down fake rabbit holes. Started with the printing press, escalated to social media.

You may be sent one way, while I'm sent another. CLASH! If democracies crumble, guess what happens next?!

5★ My review of Facts and Other Lies

It's long, but I've included a lot of examples from this terrific book.

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished Let Slip the Dogs #5 Francis Bacon by Anna Castle. Rated 5 stars. My favorite entry in this delightful historical mystery series set in 16th century England during the reign of Elizabeth I. Loved the Audio narration by Philip Battley!

[Kathryn]

Just started Black Cloud Rising. My husband is a Civil War buff, so he will probably enjoy it when I'm finished with it.

[Paul]

Hi All!

Been busy these past weeks with my own writing (Ancient Egyptian fiction), but still found time to rest my keyboard fingers, put up my feet, sit back in my lounge chair and begin to read a book written by someone else.

The book is The Etruscan by Mika Waltari and is one of his later works. Waltari's style of writing can be difficult to read but well worthwhile, as he is both an excellent story teller and a genius at recreating the times that he writes about. His earlier book, The Egyptian is still one of my favourites.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

[Janice]

When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson

[Sophie]

I just started Minette Walters ‘The Last Hours’ after loving her most recent novel ‘The Swift and the Harrier’. I love discovering new HF authors.

I also have The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks ready to go and I can’t wait 😝

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I am reading 4:50 from Paddington

[Julia]

I'm just starting The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig ...

[Donna]

Kathryn wrote: "Just started Black Cloud Rising. My husband is a Civil War buff, so he will probably enjoy it when I'm finished with it."

I’m waiting for this from the library.

[Janice]

I am rereading The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

[Abigail]

I loved E. Nesbit as a kid!

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished A Morbid Taste for Bones #1 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Rated 4 stars. The series is set in early 12th century England although this entry takes place in Wales.

I loved the mini series featuring Derek Jacobi as Cadfael. While reading I followed the story on Hoopla Audio. Excellent narration by Patrick Tull. And Derek Jacobi narrates #3; very much looking forward to his narration!

The charm of this series is the character development. Cadfael's past history has given him both the ability to see through those who are manipulative and petty but to also see the beauty in life and people that others miss. He's definitely a complicated character!

[PattyMacDotComma]

It was such a delight to meet the fantastic Amanda Gorman in the bright children's book by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. So young (only 24 on the 7th!), so talented, so inspiring. America's first Youth Poet Laureate.
4.5~5★ My review of Amanda Gorman with some illustrations and a photo

[PattyMacDotComma]

Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished A Morbid Taste for Bones #1 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Rated 4 stars. The series is set in early 12th century England although this entry ta..."

I keep meaning to start that series, Peggy, and I've run across a handful of reviews lately, so maybe the fates are conspiring, eh?

[PattyMacDotComma]

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan is a departure from her Irish detective series. This finds a US group trying to rescue wrongly convicted people from Death Row. But were they wrongly convicted?
4★ My review of The Murder Rule

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished A Morbid Taste for Bones #1 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Rated 4 stars. The series is set in early 12th century Engl..."

Patty; For such a short historical mystery (200 pages) the author packs a lot of insight into human behavior!

[Chris]

I just finished Kathleen Grissom's Glory Over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House. Loved it. Even more riveting than her first novel and so much to ponder over.

[Paul]

Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished A Morbid Taste for Bones #1 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Rated 4 stars. The series is set in early 12th century England although this entry ta..."

Hi Peggyzbooksnmusic,

I agree. I've also read several of the Brother Cadfael books (including 'A Morbid Taste for Bones) and enjoyed them all immensely. Ellis Peters was a very talented writer who wrote a large number of other books. I also enjoyed the Cadfael TV series too. Derek Jacobi is one of my favourite actors - he was fantastic, (worthy of a TV Oscar, if one existed) in the 'I Claudius' TV series.

If you like medieval mysteries, then 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco is a good book to read.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Abigail]

Starting Village School by Miss Read (a trip to 1955).

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Paul wrote: "Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished A Morbid Taste for Bones #1 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Rated 4 stars. The series is set in early 12th century Engl..."

Paul; Thanks for recommending The Name of the Rose!

[Kathryn]

Down the Common: A Year in the Life of a Medieval WomanIt is a novel about a year in the life of a medieval woman.

[PattyMacDotComma]

Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished A Morbid Taste for Bones #1 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Rated 4 stars. The series is set i..."

Paul wrote: "Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished A Morbid Taste for Bones #1 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Rated 4 stars. The series is set in early 12th century Engl..."

Thanks, both, for the recommendations Brother Cadfael and for The Name of the Rose, Paul.

So many books, so little time!

[PattyMacDotComma]

Hurray! Aussie author Adrian Hyland finally gave us a new book! Constable Jesse Redpath is another smart, tough female character from the Northern Territory. She's stepping on the toes of the local Victorian cops, investigating a death at Canticle Creek. Excellent!
4.5~5★ My review of Canticle Creek

[Alice]

I am reading Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters book 3 in the series. I have not read this series in several years. I have forgotten what a wonderful character Brother Cadael is. He is kind, gentle wonderful people skills. I love all the discussion of herbs and medicine of the 1100s. Truly a wonderful series

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Alice wrote: "I am reading Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters book 3 in the series. I have not read this series in several years. I have forgotten what a wonderful chara..."

Alice; I've started #2 Brother Cadfael One Corpse Too Many. Really enjoying this author's depiction of Medieval life in 12th century England. Cadfael has become one of my favorite fictional characters!

[Abigail]

Finished Village School by Miss Read and on to How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith, which is so far very interesting and written in an engaging style.

[PattyMacDotComma]

Everyday Magic is hardly everyday, but there's plenty of magic. Jess Kidd has written a delightful book for youngsters, which is fun for grown-ups, too. Orphan, witches, potions, it's all here!
4★ My review of Everyday Magic

[Alice]

I am in the mood for American Historical Fiction. I am reading
The First Lady and the Rebel: A Novel by Susan Higginbotham. Books is about Mary Todd Lincoln and her sister Emily. Good story, very interesting

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished One Corpse Too Many #2 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Historical mystery set in 12th century England. Rated 5 stars and added to my favorite shelf. Excellent dialogue, realistic characterizations and an entertaining mystery.

[PattyMacDotComma]

Aussie author Candice Fox has really established herself as a thriller writer, with the new TV series Troppo, set in the North Queensland tropics, based on her first book, Crimson Lake. Her latest, The Chase, finds 600+ prisoners turned loose in the Nevada desert, including those on Death Row. Why? You may well ask. I can see another film prospect here!
4★ My review of The Chase

[Robin P]

Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished One Corpse Too Many #2 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Historical mystery set in 12th century England. Rated 5 stars and added to my favorite she..."

I loved that series on audio. Patrick Tull was the narrator and he really brought it to life. The stories do get a bet predictable but the historical background keeps evolving and later you even get to know more about Cadfael's past.

[Robin P]

I am listening to Plague Pits & River Bones. This series is set in the Regency or early Victorian era in England. It's not quite as good as the Sebastian St.Cyr series mentioned above by C.S. Harris or the Wexford and Sloane series by Andrea Penrose, but I still enjoy it.

[Laurel]

A newer series that I have become very fond of begins with Plague Land. There are now 5 books in the series. Here's my review of the first one: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Robin P wrote: "Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished One Corpse Too Many #2 Chronicles of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Historical mystery set in 12th century England. Rated 5 stars an..."

Robin; I usually prefer reading over audio but I think I'm going to prefer this series on audio. Patrick Tull's voice interpretations add so much to my visualization of the characters!