What I've Been Reading So Far In 2023
Jan-March
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
My Goodreads Year In Review, 2022
A Look At My Year In Books, 2022
If you use goodreads to track your books, you can find your year in review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2022
From Penny Dreadfuls to Historical Fiction - Where History Is Lost To Story
These days when I finfish a book, the phrase "penny dreadfuls" comes to mind. That does not mean the book was dreadful. Quite the opposite! They were often thrilling reads, based on sensational stories.
Penny dreadfuls, popular from approximately 1830 into the 1890s a story published in weekly parts of 8 to 16 pages, each costing one penny. The ‘dreadful’ part derived from the tendency of such works to dwell on murder, robbery and the seamy side of urban life. In other words, they were not works that educated and uplifted.
In the 1890s, Alfred Harmsworth began publishing half penny publications, with "more respectable" content. Originally these were high minded moral tales. But before long, they too became dreadfuls, publishing stories similar to the originals. So much so that A. A. Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh, said, "Harmsworth killed the penny dreadful by the simple process of producing the 'ha'penny dreadfuller'".
Over time, the phrase "penny dreadfuls" came to refer to any time wasting sensationalist fiction.
Today we have a tendency to regard reading as a superior activity, no matter what is being read. Those of the Victorian Era would not have agreed. That didn't mean they wouldn't read the penny dreadfuls, merely that there was a distinction between quality literature that enhanced the mind, and sensational dreadfuls that merely entertained it. One hundred years later, that distinction appears to be completely lost.
I read a lot of modern penny dreadfuls. I love thrillers and murder mysteries. I also love historical fiction. More and more frequently however, I become a bit frustrated, because the line is so blurred. I start out thinking I'm reading an account based on true history, and then find that I'm reading a thrilling tale of adventure and crime, with a mention of a historical event thrown in once or twice.
"Historical Fiction" can mean a lot of things. I remember my grandmothers bodice ripper paperbacks being referred to as "historical fiction". Adults around us would use that phrase with a smirk on their face, "Historical Fiction" meant smut, plain and simple. Bodice rippers were the 1980s version of penny dreadfuls, much more salacious than anyone could have dreamed would be commonly available in print, in 1880. By definition, those bodice rippers (so named for the photos on the covers) are true historical fiction.
"Historical fiction is a literary genre where the story takes place in the past. Historical novels capture the details of the time period as accurately as possible for authenticity, including social norms, manners, customs, and traditions. Many novels in this genre tell fictional stories that involve actual historical figures or historical events."
In other words, I expect too much when I read a book labeled Historical Fiction.
We need another category. Something between Non Fiction and Historical Fiction, where the historical events are researched and portrayed accurately, but extra fictional characters are added in, or an additional modern story line is added with historical flashbacks, preserving the integrity of the history.
The historical fiction most of us are reading today is, in my mind, more dangerous than the smut our parents were hiding from us 50 years ago. Todays historical fiction distorts history completely. [ahem.... Marie Benedict. Although perhaps it is unfair to call her out, she's far from alone - she just happens to write about a lot of my favorite Pennsylvania based subjects, and therefore draws my ire more than most.]
Actual historical events as we know them have been distorted and sensationalized until there is no distinction between fact and fiction. It's hard not to confuse the two even when you have read the historical background. Stories make an impact, facts are forgotten. That's just our nature.
We start to believe that we are reading noble, educational, works, learning as we are entertained, when in fact, we're all reading nothing more than penny dreadfuls. Even worse, history is being rewritten in our minds, facts completely lost in exchange for salacious stories.
That seems unnecessary, when you realize how many salacious stories already fill our factual history.
2021 In Review - My 5 Favorite Reads
Five Of My Favorite Reads in 2021
My favorite genres are history, including both local history books and historical fiction, and murder mysteries. In addition to the books below, I also really enjoyed the Hamish Macbeth Series by M.C. Beaton (I read the Agatha Raisin series by the same author in 2020) and the week between Christmas and New years I read the Midwinter Murders by Agatha Christie. It's perfect for that time of year, not only because it's a seasonal theme, but because the stories are short, requiring just enough thought to be interesting, but not so much as to be tedious.
Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts. Historical Fiction, very factual, based on the life of Maud Baum, widow of the author of the book The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Dual timeline, it switches between Maud's youth as the daughter of a leading suffragette, and her mission to make sure the 1939 movie stayed true to Franks vision. It was a fantastic read, well done, and very interesting. https://amzn.to/3pCxRlI
Another book for my list of "How did I now know this??" In 1939, Quintuplets were born in Ontario Canada. Not only were the babies tiny, but they were born in a little farmhouse with no electricity. They shouldn't have survived - and yet they did. And then, In an effort to protect them from hucksters and showmen, the Ontario government took custody of the five identical babies, sequestering them in a private, custom-built hospital across the road from their family — and then, in a stunning act of hypocrisy, proceeded to exploit them for the next nine years. The Dionne Quintuplets became a more popular attraction than Niagara Falls, ogled through one-way screens by sightseers as they splashed in their wading pool at the center of a tourist hotspot known as Quintland. Their faces sold everything from Baby Ruth candy bars to Colgate toothpaste. The Miracle and Tragedy of Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller is a quick and easy read, based on true events, even though it seems more fantastic than any fiction I read this year. https://amzn.to/3EIACX0
I first learned about the quintuplets from a mention of them in my absolute favorite fiction series this year - The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache books by Louise Penny. I've read a couple of these before, out of order, and I have to admit, I never really understood all the fuss. But consistently, for years, these are rated as the BEST on every book list I am on. So this year I started at book 1, and by book 3, I was telling everyone I know that they need to read these books. Read them in order. It shouldn't matter, but it does. Learning the characters faults and failures, and seeing the mercy and grace that comes out of those faults and failures - it's inspiring in a way you would never expect from a series that is technically murder mysteries. Absolutely, hands down, my favorite books this year. Not only have I loved the Gamache books, but reading them has inspired us to check out assorted art and poetry books that came up in the series, as well as things like the Quintuplets story. I made a sign for our home with one of the quotes from the books - "Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering. There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." That quote is actually from a song, which introduced us to a new artist... ( Don't let her recent co-author color your view - it's a completely separate book. I certainly won't touch that one myself - I am well practiced at keeping politics out of my life.)
Well, Normally I'm well practiced at keeping politics out of my life. Another one of my favorites this year did delve a bit into Russian politics in the 1980s. The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 25th 1986, but I truthfully knew very little about it. The book details the reasons behind the explosion, and should probably be read by everyone, so we never allow that history to repeat itself. Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham. https://amzn.to/3EBfIZT
For a much lighter read, The Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer was really good! . There's a tv series based on these that I have not yet seen, but as a lover of all things Sherlock Holmes, I loved these books. So far I have only read the older ones, but I was happy to see the author took advantage of the fame brought by the tv series to pen two more this year. https://amzn.to/3406g5u
And because I'm terrible at just picking five favorites... I also loved the Historical Fiction Florence Nightingale Mysteries by Christine Trent https://amzn.to/3qIVybw, Dan and I continued to enjoy the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt on our road trips Light mysteries, funny, but not silly - smart funny. Carpenter is a lawyer, who runs a dog rescue. He managed to tie in a lot of mafia plots & big conspiracies, all without being silly, nor being too serious. https://amzn.to/3Hq9Ynk and I have been REALLY enjoying the essays in What The Dog Saw by Malcom Gladwell. I'm really not sure what I think of Gladwell just yet, and I can't say I would fully trust his interpretation of all events, but he has this knack for finding people who think differently, or have unique qualities or experiences. They make you think, and in a good way, I think. https://amzn.to/3EGOykh
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New Book Releases September 2020
New Book Releases, September 2020
The Books I'm Adding To My Fall To Read List
Miss Fortune Series - Printable Book List In Order
The Miss Fortune Series By Jana DeLeon is a laugh out loud cozy mystery series. Fortune Redding is a CIA assassin, and her name has been leaked. She's laying low in Sinful Louisiana, where she gets into more capers than she ever did on the job.
Find the books on Amazon here:
https://amzn.to/3AqfaEv
https://amzn.to/3AqfaEv
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Kate Burkholder Series In Order - Printable List
The Kate Burkholder series is about a woman who grew up Amish, left the church, then came back to the town she grew up in, as the Chief of Police. There, in her hometown, she now solves brutal crimes in the Amish community.
Warning -Many of the murders in this series are quite graphic, but most can be skimmed. These are not cozy mysteries.
Find the books on Amazon here:
https://amzn.to/2X5S7QV
https://amzn.to/2X5S7QV
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Phryne Fisher - Printable List Of Books In Order
The books are all listed nicely on the site above, but printing from that page did not work well for me, so I reformatted a bit. And then I added a text only version, for those who do not use HP Instant Ink.
Find the Books on Amazon Here:
Download a PDF of all three check list pages here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gus7dENEDT9i5PMISKTKqHqEgeD4a6Qt/view?usp=sharing
(Just print page 3 if you want to save ink)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gus7dENEDT9i5PMISKTKqHqEgeD4a6Qt/view?usp=sharing
(Just print page 3 if you want to save ink)
Or right click on the images below and choose "save as".
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The Hannah Swenson Books In Order - Murder She Baked On Hallmark
The 6th Murder She Baked Mystery is coming to Hallmark in August
Sweet Revenge: A Hannah Swensen Mystery on Sunday, August 8, at 9 pm
Find the Books On Amazon Here:
(several of them are free on Kindle)
I started reading the Hannah Swenson books 20 years ago, when the series was new. They are cozy mysteries, light, often ridiculous. Then love triangle "resolution" about ended my reading streak for this series - I'm still annoyed by that twist. However, after reading the books for so long, I find myself still reading the new ones, even though they are truly quite bad.
The Hallmark Mystery series, Murder She Baked, is probably one of the most annoying of the Cozy Mysteries they run. Yet I still watch them. I have no explanation nor excuse, and I feel no need to think about this too much.
So I no longer like the books. I mock the movies as I watch them. And yet, I still read them, and still watch them. With the new Hallmark movie coming this month, I realized I was behind in the books. I keep a section in my planner for book series that I read, so I can track which books I have not yet read. These are the pages I just made up quick for my planner, for this series. You can download them as a pdf here:
Or You can just right click on the images and "save as".
I've included a text only version below the photos, for those of you who do not have HP instant ink.
Amazon First Reads - A Free Book Each Month For Prime Members
Each month editors choose one book in each genre, for pre-release. Amazon prime members can choose one to download each month for free. They've had some really great selections, from popular and best selling authors - and even a category for book club reads.
Find This Months Selections Here:
Book Chat - May & June 2020
What I Have Been Reading, Not Reading, &
What I'm Most Looking Forward To Reading Next
My online book clubs have all gone to socially relevant and politically themed reads. So not my thing. Don't get me wrong, I love a good historical novel with social relevance - just not when it's being jammed down my throat as the "must read" to capitalize on current issues, and especially when it's not particularly good, nor well written. I like to come upon my social relevance a bit more naturally. :-)
For me, this month, that surprisingly came from a 2008 historical fiction book about the Salem Witch Trials. I know - I wasn't expecting that either. And even more odd, this is almost a light summer read. It's listed as Christian Fiction - but it's not really, it's more of a young adult historical fiction novel, in my opinion. It's definitely a much lighter read than the Crucible. :-) In The Shape Of Mercy by Susan Messiner, College student Lauren Durough take a part-time job with 83-year-old former librarian , to transcribe the journal entries of her ancestor Mercy Hayworth, a victim of the Salem witch trials. It's dual time line, historical fiction, and it was a really good read.
Another light read - in May I read A Bad Day For Sunshine, by Darynda Jones. It's listed for those who like Janet Evanovich, and it does have a bit of that vibe. Funny, even silly, with some obvious "seriously, how can you be so dense?" moments. The underlying mystery and back story in this, which is billed as a series but only has one book so far, seems a bit darker and deeper than Evanovich's mysteries, or perhaps just a bit more personal, since the main character is involved. I enjoyed it, and will watch for the next one - I'd like to know the whole back story, and you don't get that in the first book. (This appears to be a bit different than the authors normal books - I haven't read the paranormal series she is most known for)
This was just a charming, light, read. Pure fiction, you won't really learn much about Austen in this book, although there's enough reference to her life and works to make it appealing to her fans. Not only do the characters in the novel discuss Austen books and characters, but in some of their dialogue, you may spot lines from Austen books as well - slipped in to the modern dialogue with no hint of their origin, for those who are not devout Austen readers.
There IS a Jane Austen society, but it is in no way reflected in this book - this story is truly 100% fiction. That in no way made it a less enjoyable read. The real Jane Austen Society - http://www.janeaustensoci.freeuk.com/
In one review, someone called this a "quirky thriller". I don't know how to describe this myself, so we'll start with that. This is an old series - written in the 1950s. So it's a vintage quirky thriller. :-) And it's got a sort of Great Gatsby-ish feel.. Wealth, privilege, (not for Ripley himself, mind you) and an unintentional serial killer that you end up empathizing with enough to root for him to get away with his crimes... and that's just book one in the series.
A quirky gatsby-ish vintage noir thriller.
This made it onto my list a couple of years ago when a more recent thriller was reviewed as a "Complete rip off of The Talented Mr Ripley". I can remember that review, but I cannot remember what the modern book was. I can tell you for certain that it was not a rip off of The Talented Mr Ripley, because I have never ready anything like this Ripley series. I don't even know if I'll read the rest of the books. I've heard he gets married in the next installment, and I almost have to read that now, because I can't figure out how that would work. But then, I could have never figured out how the first book would work either.
It's unique.
I've been reading Paretsky's detective series for close to 30 years now. I didn't particularly love this one, didn't hate it either. It's one of those quick reads that I remember enjoying, but a month later, I can't really tell you the plot. 20 some years ago, this series, the Sue Grafton series, the Sharon McCone series by Marcia Muller - female private detectives were popular in the 90s. I read them all, and I will continue to read them as long as the authors write them. They are like visits with old friends - we may no longer have a strong bond, I never particularity liked a lot of their life choices, but we've been through a lot together and it's still nice to visit from time to time.
In this books defense, I was expecting more of a Fredrik Bakman book, or something along the lines of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - and there is absolutely NOTHING in this books description that should have made me expect that. I don't know where I would have gotten that idea even.
This is a perfectly good read. The characters are interesting. The story line works, and it is all wrapped up pretty neatly at the end. It is simply not my preferred genre. Honestly, throw a murder in there, and I probably would have loved this book. Use all the gossipy neighborhood drama as the background for a whodunit, and I'd be a huge fan. Which really makes no sense at all, as I'd be reading the same story, with the same gossipy neighborhood drama.
Three stars from me, but that's more a reflection on me as the reader than on the author and the book. :-)
This was supposed to be my "gripping thriller" to break me out of my reading slump, as nothing I read recently was anything I particularly loved. I expected this to be something I wouldn't be able to put down, and that I would really enjoy. It was.. well, not the worst thing I've read recently. I spent half the book thinking the main character was an absolute idiot, and that her "friends" were too implausibly willing to go along with her gullibility. Still I could sympathize a bit with her, it was written in a way you gave her a little leeway for her stupidity. But then it went way too far. And after that, for the end of the book, I was into eye rolling, no freaking way that even makes sense, sighing. It has a good plot. It has potential. The shocking twist ending could have been something great - but it was just stretched a bit too far, and apparently I wasn't in the mood.
When a book like this has so much possibility to be really good, and falls short, I often like it even less than a mediocre book . It's probably a 3 star read really - but I gave it two stars, out of extreme disappointment for what it could have been.
This is a "Gritty Scandanavian Noir Mystery". So I probably liked it more than if the same story had been written in the USA setting, as I tend to be less judgmental of the characters when they are in other countries. (I'm not going to analyze that - it is what it is.) There's a lot going on, too many characters, too many points of view... and yet I really did enjoy the book. Perhaps I related a bit too well to the cranky old lady in the center of the story. :-) The mystery didn't go quite where I thought it would - which is always nice. This was a debut novel for Engleberg, and it looks like it will be a series. I'll definitely watch for a sequel.
John Grisham set out to write a Beach Read, just to prove he could. The result was Camino Island, and I remember loving it. Probably in part because it was so uncharacteristic of a Grisham book, but it was also a great summer read. Mystery, an island, a bookstore - all of my favorite things. The sequel, Camino Winds.. well, it was a good quick summer read. Somehow I just didn't get the characters straight from the last book right away, and it left me a little muddled from the start. If I had read them back to back, I think I would have enjoyed this more. As it was, I constantly felt like I was forgetting something I should know, which truly does not make sense, as this would be a fine stand alone read.
DID NOT FINISH
Which seriously, almost never, happens. I (too) frequently read things I hate. But I just couldn't with this. It was such a mess that I was annoyed constantly, and I just don't need extra reasons to be annoyed these days. Dark, depressing, confusing, unlikable characters.. and the plot is seriously just a chaotic mess. I had this on my To Read list for two years. It released with rave reviews, won all sorts of awards, and it's both Historical Fiction and a Mystery - my two favorite genres.
But I just couldn't muddle through on this one. I noticed that recent reviews all are similar to my thoughts - making me wonder how many of the original glowing reviews were paid, or incentive reviews. :-( This is where I miss our local in person book clubs - I always got the best, honest, book recommendations there!
Currently Reading
"The Book Charmer swept through the book community last year. Bloggers raved about this gem with the perfect combo of sleepy Southern town, independent women and a magical friendship. I was curious" wrote Perspective Of A Writer.
That is exactly why I picked this book up myself. And then Reading Envy said "this book ended up feeling like a combination of Gilmore Girls (small town culture only in NC mountains) and Parks and Rec (city planner saving the town with festivals and committees and more.)"
Well, ok. This should be a good summer read. No murder, but I may enjoy it in spite of that. So far it has a lot of characters, and a lot going on, and I'm a little confused on which story this book will be about.. but I am enjoying the writing and the characters, even if it does feel like i'm reading two different books at once, at the moment.
It's through that review that I came across this book themed podcast this week that I am looking forward to listening to - it's from Reading Envy - http://readingenvy.blogspot.com/ I frequently struggle to find podcasts I like, but a couple of years ago I stumbled across Grisham's book tour, and I loved it. I am not even a big John Grisham fan, but his chats in bookstores with different authors about books was just fantastic. It's from 2017, but it is still online here - https://www.jgrisham.com/book-tour-with-john-grisham-podcast-live-now/ (That's what caused me to read Camino Island, which I really did love, even if I wasn't quite as in love with the sequel this year.)
I'm also still reading The Splendid & The Vile by Erik Larson
And by "still reading" I mean, it's loaded on my phone, in my books app, and I'm a few chapters in.. but I just can't seem to get into it. I think that has more to do with the state of our current world and my mindset than the book.
Erik Larson is one of my favorite authors. Devil In White City is one of my absolute favorite books - it made the staircase list in our home (we each picked three books). Winston Churchill is one of my favorite historical subjects. I am fascinated by the brash, rather horrible, man who accomplished so much for this world. But I just cannot seem to get into this book. That's ok - it will wait until I'm in a better frame of mind for it.. :-)
And, insanely, I'm "still reading" Behind Shooters Bar, by Danville resident Kay Derr. I adore Kay, she was in my Sunday School Class. This book is about her own personal mystery, and it's set in our local area. I'm going to LOVE This book, I just know it. So why has it taken me two years to read it? Because it's paperback, and I keep setting it down and losing it. (I typically only read ebooks on my phone - which has it's own "reading light" at bedtime, and is always with me) It would seriously probably take me an hour total to read this book start to finish. As soon as I locate it again, I'm going to set it by my chair on the porch, and I'm sure I will finish it in no time.
What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month:
Released June 30 2020
In the past year I've been reading about Amelia Earhart making unplanned visits to our local area when flying through, and then I read Beryl Markham's amazing memoir West With The Night and before that I read Fly Girls by Keith O'Brian... so lots of early female pilots. I've really been enjoying the early aviation history. Her Last Flight is historical fiction set in 1940's Hawaii (about 50 years after the book Moloka'i, the book about the leper colony in Hawaii, and still a few years before it would become part of the United States. My husband's great Aunt , Laura (Fague) Truckenmiller wrote a paper on "The Kingdom Of Hawaii" for a speech at Bucknell, and I suspect this book will cover some of the same topics - how Hawaii went from a Kingdom to a state - as it's about the right time frame. Coincidentally, Laura also survived a plane crash over Brazil in 1932 - she was an interesting woman!) And although I haven't read the book, it seems fairly obvious that Her Last Flight is based on Earhart's last flight.
."In 1947, photographer and war correspondent Janey Everett arrives at a remote surfing village on the Hawaiian island of Kauai to research a planned biography of forgotten aviation pioneer Sam Mallory, who joined the loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War and never returned. Obsessed with Sam’s fate, Janey has tracked down Irene Lindquist, the owner of a local island-hopping airline, whom she believes might actually be the legendary Irene Foster, Mallory’s onetime student and flying partner. Foster’s disappearance during a round-the-world flight in 1937 remains one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries. "
I'm so excited to read this book - and at the same time I'm afraid it can't possibly live up to my expectations. It is however, Beatriz Williams, so I do have good reason to hope it may possibly even exceed them.
If you are looking for more on Earhart, The Sound Of Wings was recommended to me by a woman in a book club I was in -so far I have loved every book that woman recommended to me, so I trust that when I get to this one, I will love it as well.
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