You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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WoF RozI started off by reading Christmas Cupcake Murder from the Hannah Swensen series. I'm almost finished with the series, so I decided to read the next book in the series for this challenge.
I read Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder. I picked it because I'm anxious to finish the series. It's long (29 books).
In this book, Hannah Swensen is still baking delicious cookies, still trying to decide what to do about her love life and still getting involved in finding a murderer who she always seems to (stupidly) confront on her own, even when she knows she shouldn't. She's lucky she has good friends looking out for her. The girl never learns. I still like the series and rate the books in the middle of the rating spectrum. The book didn't blow me away but I've invested considerable time in Hannah and her family. I think I'm waiting for her to realize that she would be happy with one particular man and so I continue. One other thing. I'm amazed by the amounts of food these characters eat at a sitting, Plates and plates of cookies/cupcakes/slices of cake and multiple servings of main courses at dinner. Why aren't they obese? Fiction logic, I guess.
WoF CherieI started off reading Murder at the Mena House for my yearly challenge. It is the first book by the author that I had ever read and I found out that it was the first book in the Jane Wunderly Mystery series, so I decided to read the next book in the series.
I read Murder at Wedgefield Manor. I enjoyed this second book a little more than the first book, probably because I had already been introduced to many of the characters in the story, not just the main character, Jane Wunderly. Her Aunt Millie and cousin Lillian, and her friend Marie, from the first story were also in this one. The last character from the first book, Redvers, also showed up, just after a murder was confirmed. Redvers is a somewhat mystery man. He and Jane helped the police solve a murder in Egypt in the first story, and it seems that they will do the same in the second book, although the Police are not really interested in her helping. The story is set in the early 1920s. Jane is taking flying lessons at Lord Hugh's estate, while she is staying there with her Aunt Millie. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
WoFI was reading All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover and I decided to read a book in the same genre: romance.
I read Really Good, Actually The book was a quick read. I thought that the main character, Maggie had some interesting things to say about life and love and what they mean to her. She recently went through a breakup from the love of her life and they decided to get a divorce. The both seem quite young when they first marry and many of the events are based on her dating experiences, social life and housing arrangements as her life changes following the divorce. It was funny in parts especially when they are all at the dinner party and exchanging modern life stories. That was the most entertaining part of the book.
WoFSharonBisktI was reading Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. This is a novel playing off the trickster antics of Anansi the spider and his two sones. I decided to read another book about a well know trickster: Coyote.
The book I was lead to read was Night Broken by Patricia Briggs. In this book, Coyote is summoned by his daughter for help…always a scary thing to do as Coyote plays multiple tricks and the answer is never what you think it will be. There was also a good bit of shapeshifting going on which Coyote delights in! In this book, Mercy, Coyote’s daughter had previously given him a magic staff for safekeeping which she needs to get back to its magical owner. And that incites many events.
WoF KabradaI was reading The Blood Card, book #3 of the Brighton Mysteries and decided to continue with the series.
So I read (actually listened to) The Vanishing Box. The book is set in the pre-Christmas season of 1954 and once again the investigation of DCI Edgar Stephens lets him involve his friend and variety magician Max Mephisto, whose current main show act, performed with his daughter (and Stephens' fiancée) Ruby, is the "Vanishing Box" trick the book title refers to.
The first murder victim is a young girl who lives in a guest house where some of the variety performers are also lodging. Soon after, two more people are killed, both involved in the show and thus the investigation focusses there - until two letters come into play and lead the investigators onto the right track.
I really liked the book but will now take a break from the series. The next instalment is taking place 10 years later, so that should work well.
WoF ShirleyI read Into Iraq by Michael Palin. He diarised his trip to Iraq to make a documentary. His journey took him from the UK "into" Iraq. (Interesting that he uses the word "into" to describe his destination, when usually we would say "We're going "to" Japan" or "We're going "to" the islands". It implies that he is an outsider who goes "into", like going into someone else's house.
Michael Palin was the main character, and he went on a journey, so I decided to read West with Giraffes, a book where the MC goes on a journey. Michael Palin's journey was not a pleasure trip, and neither was the one taken by Woody in West with Giraffes. The book is set in 1938, when a zookeeper in San Diego acquires 2 giraffes from Africa, and they are transported by ship firstly to New York, where a hurricane destroys the ship, and one of the giraffes is hurt. Woody is a 17-year-old orphan with nowhere to live, and he happens to see the giraffes, and becomes entranced. He manages to talk his way into driving the truck to transport the giraffes across the country to California.
I enjoyed the story, partly because it is based on true events.
WoF MarnieI was reading The Girl in the Ice and decided to read Moon Called for this challenge. Both books are first in a series and have strong female main characters. Will continue on with both series ( sigh add 36 books to my TBR.)
WoF AyaI was reading How Do You Live? by Genzaburou Yoshino and decided to read Twenty-Four Eyes which set in Japan and has similar genres: Children, Historical Fiction, and Japanese Literature.
The story was about a teacher named Miss. Oishi and her twelve pupils, and it sets around 1928-1946. Even though it's supposed to be a children book, I learned a lot about the culture, history, and society of Japan. I could see how our society had changed and how strong the patriotism back then. I hope I can read this kind of book again in the future.
WoF AnneFindsJoyConnection #1: both books mpg western
Connection #2: both storylines had main characters described as quick-draws with their guns.
Connection #3: both books are #1 in a series
I was reading An Easy Death which had a mpg of western. It's an alternate history, and the setting is southwestern country known as Texoma. It's also got some paranormal magic in it too, so a mash of genres. The main character is gunslinger Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose. I read this for Annual challenge task for mpg of western. I though it was a fun read, I liked the strong female main character. I'll continue the series.
I then read , Texas Ranger , which also has a mpg of western, and it's a mystery. The main character, Rory, is a Texas Ranger, who's strong and impulsive. It had a fast paced st,oryline that kept me engaged, and was a satisfying read. I read this for Annual Challenge task of book set in Texas. I'll continue the series.
WoF AshleyI was reading Fairy Tale and decided to listen to the audiobook Later. The author of both books is Stephen King.
I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick listen, especially for a Stephen King book (only 248 pages). This book is a thriller/paranormal story. The main character Jamie can see dead people but I wouldn’t say this is a ghost story. I gave it 5 stars.
WoF Jane ReadsMy January read for this challenge was Decked by Carol Higgins Clark. My February read is Murder Served Neat by Michelle Hillen Klump.
Connection: the authors of Decked and Murder Served Neat both have three names.
Decked was great.
Murder Served Neat - alas, not so much. It's the sequel to A Dash of Death, #1 in the Cocktails and Catering Mystery series. I read both cozy mysteries only to fill slots in my Year-Long Challenge - and gave each one three stars. Murder Served Neat started off promisingly (not as much excruciating detail about concocting new cocktail recipes as book #1), but during the book's climax the MC pulled some major TSTL moves - which just ruined it for me.
WoF FionaI was reading Illuminae and then read Am Ende sterben wir sowieso. Illuminae is the first book in the Illuminae Files series and Am Ende sterben wir sowieso is the first book in the Death-Cast series. I loved both books and will continue both series.
Illuminae is set in the future and follows a teenager trying to save the universe with her ex-boyfriend and a crazy AI. The book was written in such an interesting style. It had conversations, protocols, diary entries and all kinds of wild pages. It was really an awesome reading experience.
Am Ende sterben wir sowieso or They Both Die at the End follows two teenagers that got a call saying they will die in the next 24 hours. It was both sad and beautiful.
WoF - Lynn I was reading Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and connected to and read The Bullet That Missed
Both are cozy mysterys, both have 60+ aged amateur detectives, and both are so much fun!
WoF PragyaI was reading The Romantic Movement: Sex, Shopping, and the Novel. It belonged to philosophy genre. So I picked The Art of War for philosophy genre.
Paperback, 273 pages
The Art of War is about tactics and military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought. It is a bit dry, to read bullets after bullets of war strategy. Although people have likened to use it in boardrooms and business alike, since I do not like or belong to the corporate world, I couldn't really think of the tactics outside of a war ground. The book was informative but will not see any practical use from me.
When I logged the start of this, I had just started A Fine Balance, but then realized it wasn't actually definitely set in Mumbai, so I had to abandon it for the moment. Luckily, the book that easily connected to it because it is by the same author, my book for this challenge, IS set in Mumbai, so I read that. I enjoyed Family Matters quite a bit. It was 434 pages. It was a hard story about a complicated family, well-written and a quick read for me.
I was reading In A New York MinuteI decided to link to my February book via the idea of time Minute in title of book read and
Noon - as a time of day in my February book
The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters
I have read several of this series mainly because they fit other challenges (the SRC and Pick a Shelf's 15 for 15). They are generally an easy read. A cross between cosy mystery and archeological fiction. In this one Emerson and Peabody travel to a different area with the same preponderance of dead bodies. I found this one a struggle. It was very long winded and I found the narratiion annoying with the narrator seeming to fall out of the right voices at times. I am not sure I could answer a set of comprehension questions about the book. I am also not certain that i want to read more although I have at least 2 on my TBR
Wof Anna MI was reading Miss Mole and I decided to read Agnes Grey. Connection: both books are written by authors whom I've never read before. Surname is in the tittle (Mole, Grey) and main characters are working to earn their living ( Mole works as a housekeeper and Grey as an governess). Both books were great reads :)
WoF Tricia I was reading My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and decided to then read The Winners by the same author for this challenge.
It's the third in this series and set about 2 years after the previous book. We follow the lives of a huge cast of characters from neighboring towns. Although the towns have a deep hatred for each other, they also have a lot in common, especially their love of hockey. In this installment we are reunited with familiar characters, meet new ones, and get answers to some nagging questions from the first two books. It's heartwrenching and uplifting all at the same time.
WoF AlmetaHad been reading Two Nights in Lisbon 27 Jan
Read The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings.
Both books were published in 2019.
I originally enjoyed the theme that there are special cameras which reveal troths about the subjects photographed. As the story progressed, it became uncomfortable to have so much espoused. I'm not convinced of the ending"s ourcome.☺
WoF name: KristieI was reading Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun when the challenge began. I chose to read Sudden Death as my challenge book. Both books are #4 in their series and in the mystery and humor genres.
I don't want to give anything away, but this series is about an attorney who is now wealthy and only takes on clients when he wants to and thinks they're innocent. In this one he is representing a football player who was charged with murdering a friend and fellow football player.
WoF JaymeI was reading The Christmas Wish when the challenge posted. I chose to read Snowed In for Christmas by Sarah Morgan. Both books have Christmas in the title and are holiday themed.
I was pleasantly surprised with this holiday book. I was expecting the typical "Hallmark" Christmas story, (nothing against Hallmark - I watch it every year) but this was so much more. It was smart, funny (I laughed out loud several times) and I even shed a tear or two. This was one Christmas story where there wasn't a villain or domineering boyfriend just people with all their quirkiness and insecurities.
Put this on your holiday reading list for an uplifting read during the holidays. I gave it 5 stars for the holiday genre.
WoF - JaniceI was reading Song of the River by Sue Harrison. I read The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah. Both authors have the same initials - S.H.
I enjoyed this adventure of Hercule Poirot. It was written by Sophie Hannah who has the approval of Agatha Christie's family to continue the Hercule Poirot stories. I like trying to figure out the clues along with Hercule and determine how he arrives at his conclusions. In this book, there are two confessors to the murder and his job is to unravel the truth and I did manage to figure out some of the clues. There were lots of red herrings which were fund to sift through.
WofF TrudyAnI was reading The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. I decided to read The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut. Connection: both books are set in Africa, (the first in Zimbabwe, the second in South Africa).
The Good Doctor is set in a tiny, remote hospital; MCs are two doctors, both of whom are unlikeable characters. One is young, naive, and idealistic, and the other is a middle-aged cynic; both have beliefs in what is good or ethical. The story contrasts previous and post-apartheid challenges.
I was reading The Starless Sea which was a GR Choice nominee for fantasy. My connection book that I read was The Chosen and the Beautiful which was also a GR Choice nominee for fantasy.This is a book I have wanted to read for awhile. It's a retelling of The Great Gatsby and I LOVED her other book I read last year Siren Queen. I liked the book fine but it wasn't as good as The Siren Queen
WoF margoI read The Whistling. The connection is that and Gillespie and I (the book I was reading at the time the challenge was published) is that they are both set in Scotland.
I was very excited to read this story , it ticked all my boxes. A gothic horror set in an isolated house on a remote Scottish island. The MC was a young woman with no family who came to serve as Nanny to a traumatised little girl. Hints of ghostly activity and all kinds of nastiness.
I found the plot very slow, predictable and the characters one dimensional. The only good thing I can say about this one is that the narrator had a pleasant voice. It didn't hold my attention and by time of the big reveal I couldn't have cared less! I'm glad I read it but only because it's now off of my list.
WoF VickiI had been reading The Night Market by Jonathan Moore and followed it up with Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. The authors share the same last name and both are set in San Fransisco.
I am pretty surprised at how much I liked Bloodsucking Fiends. The last book of his I read (Coyote Blue) I didn't like and it had put me off his books for a while. This one had a good plot with a likable MC in Tommy. I own book 2 of the trilogy and will continue it one day
Vicki wrote: "WoF VickiI had been reading The Night Market by Jonathan Moore and followed it up with Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. The au..."
Good to know Vicki - I have tried a couple of Christopher Moore because I feel like I want to like them but the first was a big thumbs down. I'll try Bloodsucking Fiends and see if I like that one!
WoF - Lilisa I was reading Boxed Wine at Sunset last month. The book was set in Vanuatu.
For this month’s challenge I read Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu, which is also set in Vanuatu.
My reading experience couldn’t have been more different. I loved last month’s read. This month’s not so much. What I thought of this challenge’s read: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
WoF - RusalkaI was reading Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
I decided to go down the Ann route, as I had a few authors on my shelf who's name is Ann or Anne.
I ended up reading Raven Black by Ann Cleeves. I am very glad I had the opportunity to read a book by Ann Cleeves finally. I've watched Vera and Shetland, and so I've wanted to check out the books for a while. Raven Black is the first book in Shetland books with Jimmy Perez.
The book just made me want to go visit the islands (and Annerlee) more. It described wonderfully the problems and the claustrophobia of being on a small island with a small population, particularly for teenagers and young people, but also for misfits or those who have been rejected by society. The mystery was well done, and even though I have watched this story on tellie, I didn't pick the whodunnit.
Recommend!
WoF Emma R.I was reading The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning for the Book Riot's Read Harder challenge. Another book I was planning on reading for that challenge was Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories is an interesting book. It is an anthology of horror stories taking place in the Arctic. It is published by the only independent publishing company located in the Canadian Arctic.
I don't usually read horror stories, so I don't feel like I can speak to the quality of the book in that manner. I did like all of the stories though. There was a wide range of themes in the book, but my favorites were the post-apocalyptic ones
WoF - JennI was reading Judgement on Janus and read the second book Victory on Janus but haven’t managed to get on other than the app 🤦♀️ I will try to update this tomorrow at work 🤞
Badges have been posted. Please let me know if I've missed anyone.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories (other topics)The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning (other topics)
Raven Black (other topics)
Bel Canto (other topics)
Boxed Wine at Sunset (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ann Cleeves (other topics)Ann Patchett (other topics)
Jonathan Moore (other topics)
Christopher Moore (other topics)
Jonathan Moore (other topics)
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For example, I am currently reading Song of the River. It is book 1 in a trilogy, so I could read book 2. It's set in pre-historic times and in what is now Alaska. So I could read another book set in pre-historic times or in Alaska. I could pick a word from the title and link to it by another book with one of the words in the title. I could read another book by the same author, or an author who has one of her names. The possibilities should keep you gophering for a while. As long as you can explain the connection so that it make sense to me, you're good. (hide spoiler)]
There will be no scoring. When you report your completed challenge, link the book you started with, and how it connects to the book you chose. Give a short blurb about your book.