2023 - What Are You Reading? Showing 1,201-1,250 of 1,321

[PattyMacDotComma]

Water. We begin life in water, we are made up mostly of water, we play and exercise and refresh ourselves in water. The protagonist in award-winning Irish author John Boyne's new novel is both drawn to it and repelled by it. I'm biased - I always love his work. 😊
My review of Water

[Tiziana]

I finished a pleasant Christmas read, a cozy mystery set in early 20s :

Murder on a Midnight Clear by Sara Rosett

here is my 4 stars review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Tammy]

I am rereading a oldie Texas Woman byJoan Johnston

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

The Boatman: suspenseful, traditionally-inspired ghost stories by Annalisa Crawford

Annalisa Crawford is one of my favourite indie authors for a reason. If you are a short story fan, do try this collection. Don't worry about the ghosts - it's not a horror book.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

Finished Dead to the World and probably start Beach Read

[Tiziana]

just finished a Christmas novella set in Regency era
The Duke Who Hates Christmas by Bianca Blythe

Here is my review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

A Disappearance in Fiji by Fijian Indian Australian author Nilima Rao is a charming debut historical mystery series set in 1914 Fiji featuring Police Sergeant Akal Sing and exposing some of the underbelly of Fiji’s colonial past. A great read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[PattyMacDotComma]

Kids, Christmas, myths. Kid Christmas: Of The Claus Brothers Toy Shop is David Litchfield's colourful interpretation of a Santa Claus /Saint Nicolas origin story. Beautifully done. I think kids will love it.
My review of Kid Christmas with many illustrations and a summary of the story

[Tiziana]

If you like medieval novellas, this is a very nice one :
A Knight's Redemption by Catherine Kean

My review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Brian]

Just finished Verses in the Sand - an enjoyable tale of a British officer and Irish rebel stranded on an island during the Napoleonic wars - the officer teaches the rebel to read and write. The rebel then starts to write poetry in the sand each day.

[Donna]

I decided to tackle Tombland by C.J. Sansom. It’s the final book in the Matthew Shardlake Tudor England series, and a real chunksterat 850+ pages.

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie. Rated 4 stars. Highly recommend this classic mystery.
Link to my spoiler free review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrew]

I'm reading Act of Oblivion https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... by Robert Harris, which covers a sparsely covered period in American history (mid 17th c.) for a gripping fictional account of two regicides' pursuit in New England by a James II bureaucrat.

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Andrew wrote: "I'm reading Act of Oblivion https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... by Robert Harris, which covers a sparsely covered period in American history (mid 17th c.) for a gripping fi..."

Really enjoyed this novel! Rated it 4 stars. Read on Kindle while listening to excellent Audio narration by Tim McInnerny. Looking forward to your thoughts when you finish.

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished Shadow of the King #3 Pendragon's Banner by Helen Hollick. Rated this title 3 stars as I felt it could have been 100 pages shorter. Overall I would give the series as a whole 4 stars. Heartbreaking ending to a well written retelling of the Arthurian legend.

[Alice]

I finished A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie . Very good, not easy to figure out and Hercule Poirot was excellent. Not trying to read the tiny font in the book is another matter.

[Cheryl A]

Andrew wrote: "I'm reading Act of Oblivion https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... by Robert Harris, which covers a sparsely covered period in American history (mid 17th c.) for a gripping fi..."

This was my library's Historical Fiction Book Club selection for November. Everyone really enjoyed it - great descriptions of "New England", the roles of church and one of the best explanations of the whole English Republic/Restoration

[PattyMacDotComma]

I just enjoyed The Mystery Writer by one of my favourite authors, Aussie Sulari Gentill. This one has a couple of Aussie characters in the US, caught up in murder, conspiracies and preppers. Good stuff!
My review of The Mystery Writer

[Dem]

Finished The Caretaker by Ron Rash

My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/5900420213

[Tammy]

Rereading Storm Winds byIris Johansen

[Kassie]

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens

[Andrew]

Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Andrew wrote: "I'm reading Act of Oblivion https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... by Robert Harris, which covers a sparsely covered period in American history (mid 17th c.) fo..."

Thanks!

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Kassie wrote: "Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens"

Have heard a lot of good things about this. Hope you enjoy it. :)

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Linghun by Ai Jiang

Anyone who loves allegorical dark reads ought to give this a go. The content gets quite dark and disturbing though, so take that into consideration before picking it up.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jassmine]

Rosh wrote: "Linghun by Ai Jiang

Anyone who loves allegorical dark reads ought to give this a go. The content gets quite dark and disturbing though..."

I read this one this year too! It wasn't really for me, but glad you enjoyed it!

[PattyMacDotComma]

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave shows the cruel reality of life in Finland's harsh and frozen far north in the 1600s. Witch-hunting was rife. Based on true events.
My review of The Mercies

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Jassmine wrote: "I read this one this year too! It wasn't really for me, but glad you enjoyed it!

Oh, sorry it didn't work much for you. It's a mood read, I guess. I liked the darkness of the emotions. :)

[Jassmine]

Rosh wrote: "Oh, sorry it didn't work much for you. It's a mood read, I guess. I liked the darkness of the emotions. :)"

I'm not really sure what went wrong, I quite liked the first half, but I felt that it unraved a little toward the end. Idk, it was an interesting read for sure.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Jassmine wrote: "I felt that it unraved a little toward the end."

I agree! My rating also dipped because of the ending. The initial part was solid.

[Janice]

I am rereading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and the Book of Luke in the Bible. <3

[Rachel]

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave shows the cruel reality of life in Finland's harsh and frozen far north in the 1600s. Witch-hunting was rife. Based on true e..."

Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. It sounds interesting.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

The Girls Left Behind by Emily Gunnis

An interesting historical mystery. Has a few plot holes and too many timelines, but is entertaining.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Tammy]

Rereading before donating a historical romance The Border Lord and the Lady by Bertrice Small

[PattyMacDotComma]

Rachel wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave shows the cruel reality of life in Finland's harsh and frozen far north in the 1600s. Witch-hunting ..."

It is definitely interesting, Rachel, and pretty true to the facts, although the author has created fictional characters for their part in the story.

[PattyMacDotComma]

I've just enjoyed The Long Game, the first of Aussie author Simon Rowell's series featuring Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer. Her new service dog, Harry, is helping her get back in harness herself after a bad bout of PTSD.
My review of The Long Game (Detective Zoe Mayer #1)

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished Anne of the Island #3 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Rated 4 stars. Read on Kindle (own) & listened on Hoopla Audio. Excellent narration by Tara Ward! Love this delightful series first published in 1910's.

[PattyMacDotComma]

I've liked all of the P.J. Tracy Monkeewrench series, but my favourite so far is #7, Cold Kill (aka The Sixth Idea. Suspenseful (plausible!) threat to today's world. Great read.
My review of Cold Kill - The Sixth Sense

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

Good Girls by Leesa Gazi

A great option for literary fiction lovers. Not a thriller though - don't believe that cover.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Julie R]

Rachel wrote: "Julie R wrote: "Rosh wrote: "Julie R wrote: "I'm reading The Songbook of Bennie Lament by Amy Harmon."

That's one amazing book! I absolutely loved The Songbook of Benny Lament. I h..."

I'm stuck on page 154 and I just can't get into it! Maybe I'll put it to the side for awhile. I usually love her books.

[Tiziana]

I finished last night a Christmas read set in the 1920s.
It's from the series :
Lord Edgington Investigates, installment #4, but it has written as a standalone :
The Mystery of Mistletoe Hall by Benedict Brown

Here is my review :
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished The Murder at the Vicarage #2 Miss Marple by Agatha Christie. Rated 4 stars. Classic mystery published in 1930.

[PattyMacDotComma]

You know that guy you haven't seen for a while and you ask, "Hey, Bob - what've you been up to?" and he always has a funny anecdote about his latest venture? That's Aussie writer Robert Skinner, and he's put his stories together in I'd Rather Not: Essays. Best enjoyed separately, like letters from a friend.
My review of I'd Rather Not

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde

I am an outlier for this one, though CRH's books usually work for me.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Janice]

Peggyzbooksnmusic wrote: "Finished Anne of the Island #3 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Rated 4 stars. Read on Kindle (own) & listened on Hoopla Audio. Excellent narration by Tara Wa..."

I love this series too! <3

[Janice]

I just finished rereading Northanger Abbey and the Book of Luke and have started Christmas at Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Sequel (Paperback) - Common by Regina Jeffers.

[Peggyzbooksnmusic]

Finished The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan. Rated 3 stars. Enjoyable holiday contemporary romance set in Scotland.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I am currently reading A Scandal in Battersea

[Barbara]

I recently finished reading The Witches of Vardo, a heart-wrenching story of the persecution of women in seventeenth century Norway. Themes of gender discrimination, power politics and false conspiracy theories are still relevant today.
The Witches of Vardø
Further detail, her is my review: The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I highly recommend this book. The characters were vivid and sympathetic. Even though I knew that the story was unlikely to end well for those accused of witchcraft, I read on, feverishly anxious to know what happened to those I most identified with. The book revealed with startling pathos the precarious position of even those women who conformed to social expectations of how members of the “second sex” should conduct themselves. Women who chose to enter into illicit love affairs, or to voice criticism of a powerful man at the wrong moment, were even more likely to face severe retribution. I was also fascinated by the relationships among individual women caught in this hellish campaign to silence them, some opting with incredible courage to hold out against the demand that they incriminate other women, and others succumbing to torture and other insidious forms of pressure to break the bonds of sisterhood. Another fascinating aspect of the book was the inclusion of characters who belong to tribes of nomadic herders who followed their ancestral faith and customs that offered an alternative to prevailing Christian dogma with its emphasis on the seductive power of the devil.
As a historian, I appreciated the end note of the author clarifying to what extent the book conforms to factual evidence. The author notes that she chose to paint one important female protagonist as a more complex character than she appears in the historical sources, because these source materials reflect the male tendency to blame women rather than the dominant males who made the decisions. Given the silencing of female voices, historical fiction of high quality like The Witches of Vardo is an excellent way of coming to terms with the legacy of this epoch in addition to being a fascinating read.



View all my reviews

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I finished A Scandal in Battersea and will be reading The Nine Lives of Christmas o8

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~]

The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou

A historical crime drama based on an actual incident in the 1950s. I had a great time reading this.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...