rhian_of_oz Reads in 2022 - January to June

I'm Rhian and this is my fourth year in Club Read. My reading goal for this year (like the previous three years) is to make a dent in my TBR pile. As at 31 December 2021 the TBR count was 150.

Currently reading:
Synners by Pat Cadigan
Dune by Frank Herbert (bookclub)
The Lady With The Gun Asks The Questions by Kerry Greenwood

Next up:

Suggested June reads (based on Category challenges or group reads):
MysteryKIT (historical) - Miss Kopp Won't Quit, Death in Daylesford, The Devil and the Dark Water
RandomKIT (food, beverage, cooking) - How to Make Gravy,
CATWoman (set in cities) - The Pull of the Stars, The City of Brass, The Doll Factory, The Other Einstein, Shatter City
SFFKIT (series) -
Victorian - North and South, The Law and the Lady

Priorities from wishlist(WL) or TBR
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (WL)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (TBR)
Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah (WL)
The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel (TBR)
A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw (WL)
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (TBR)
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (TBR)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (WL)

Series to finish:
Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card
Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
Perhaps The Stars by Ada Palmer
Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson
The Rosewater Redemption by Tade Thompson
Death's End by Cixin Liu

CR BBs
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart (LadyoftheLodge)
Instead of a Letter by Diana Athill (PaulCranswick)
Subdivision by J Robert Lennon (Simone2)
Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis (amysisson)
Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer (BLBera)
Gilded by Marissa Meyer (shadrach_anki)
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (japaul22)
The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding (LadyoftheLodge)
A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (wandering_star)
The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts (AnnieMod)
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten (LibraryLover23)
Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson (AnnieMod)
Joan is Okay by Weike Wang (RidgewayGirl)
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (Cariola)
The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh (RidgewayGirl)
The Book of V by Anna Solomon (torontoc)
The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks (Cariola)
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel (BLBera)
Bewilderment by Richard Powers (dchaikin)
The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel (LibraryLover23)
The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden (japaul22)
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine (Trifolia)

Bookclub Recommendations
Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (Trafalgar)
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (Trafalgar)
The Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem (Trafalgar)
S by Doug Dorst (Trafalgar)
The Catalyst by Charles L Harness (Ten Low)
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Ten Low)
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Borne)

Wishlist from other sources
The Nature of Ice by Robyn Mundy (Cold Coast)
Wildlight by Robyn Mundy (Cold Coast)
Bruny by Heather Rose (The Museum of Modern Love)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (Agnes Grey)
Melbourne Circle: Walking, Memory and Loss by Nick Gadd (GR)
The Gaps by Leanne Hall (GR)
October, October by Katya Balen (GR)
Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart (series)
The Fell by Sarah Moss (Ghost Wall)
Cold Earth by Sarah Moss (Ghost Wall)
The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss (Ghost Wall)
Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans (Their Finest Hour)
Old Baggage by Lissa Evans (Their Finest Hour)
A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas (series)
Missing by Tom Patterson (BSB)
Fury by Kathryn Heyman (GR)
The Nancys by R W R McDonald (GR)
The Killing Kind by Jane Casey (GR)
Sweetland by Michael Crummey (The Innocents)
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (BSB)
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (Stefen)
Horse by Geraldine Brooks (BSB)
Made by Humans by Ellen Broad (Dr Karl)
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (someone at bookclub)
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (Natalie)
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (FB)

Quarter 1

January

1. Cold Coast by Robyn Mundy


2. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte


3. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss


4. Their Finest by Lissa Evans


5. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart


6. I Miss You When You Blink by Mary Laura Philpott


7. Trafalgar by Angelica Gorodischer


8. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood


9. A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

February

1. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro


2. A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn


3. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty


4. The Innocents by Michael Crummey


5. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens


6. Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart


7. The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas


8. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon


9. Lilies, Lies and Love by Jackie French


10. Ten Low by Stark Holborn

March

1. The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel


2. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers


3. The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity MacLean


4. Widow's Welcome by D K Fields


5. The Hair-Carpet Weavers by Andreas Eschbach


6. Exhalation by Ted Chiang


7. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

QTD
Books owned pre-2022: 11 (42.31%)
Books purchased in 2022: 3 (11.54%)
Books gifted in 2022: 0 (0.00%)
Borrowed books: 12 (46.15%)

YTD
Books owned pre-2022: 11 (42.31%)
Books purchased in 2022: 3 (11.54%)
Books gifted in 2022: 0 (0.00%)
Borrowed books: 12 (46.15%)

TBR: 146

Quarter 2

April

1. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi


2. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey


3. Better Off Dead by Lee Child


4. Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb


5. The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

May

1. Borne by Jeff VanderMeer


2. Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan


3. Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan


4. Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout


5. Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart


6. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

June

1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus


2. A Man of Shadows by Jeff Noon


3. The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn


4. Miss Kopp Won't Quit by Amy Stewart


5. Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter


6. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict


7. One Italian Summer by Pip Williams


8. Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood


9. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

QTD
Books owned pre-2022: 9 (45.00%)
Books purchased in 2022: 5 (25.00%)
Books gifted in 2022: 0 (0.00%)
Borrowed books: 6 (30.00%)

YTD
Books owned pre-2022: 19 (42.22%)
Books purchased in 2022: 8 (17.78%)
Books gifted in 2022: 0 (0.00%)
Borrowed books: 18 (40.00%)

TBR: 140

I love your rigorous approach to attacking your TBR pile. I'm far to lenient with mine...

>7 labfs39: Thank you. Though you may be less impressed when I tell you that I started 2021 with 129 on the TBR pile and will likely finish 2021 with around 150 :-).

>8 rhian_of_oz: LOL. A good faith effort then

Edited to add: I stopped worrying about my TBR when I moved to Maine because the floor to ceiling bookcases filled with books provide an extra layer of insulation. It's necessary for the integrity of the house, right?

>9 labfs39: Hehe. It's been eleventy billion degrees here for the last few days so maybe I can use the insulation argument to install more bookshelves.

>10 rhian_of_oz: eleventy billion? Goodness. I would invest in books with snow in the title.

>8 rhian_of_oz: That’s still not bad though - just +21 is almost a negative number for TBRs. :)

>10 rhian_of_oz: This could be the criteria I use to pick my next book to read - anything about winter or cold or snow :-).

>12 AnnieMod: LOL!

>11 labfs39:, >13 rhian_of_oz: I've just realised that the book I have out from the library and need to finish by 4 January is Cold Coast!

I should send you these since we have 6" of the white stuff outside, which is more than enough...

The Snow Child
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Smilla's Sense of Snow
Snow Still
Snow (wait, I'm reading this one...)
Silent Snow, Secret Snow
A breath of snow and ashes
Snow country
Snow falling on cedars
Moon of the crusted snow
Waiting for Snow in Havana
Talking to High Monks in the Snow
Snow Crash

That would cool you off!

>15 labfs39: Thank you for the list. I've already read five and The Snow Child is somewhere on Mt TBR. The temperature has dropped today and will be relatively cooler until Monday so I think I shall save this book until then.

I'll have a look at the others and will no doubt take at least one BB. And it's not even the new year yet!

>16 rhian_of_oz: I meant it as a joke, Rhian, but if you find BBs, I guess that's good? I haven't read them all myself, but I do own them. The Snow Child is a favorite of mine, however.

>17 labfs39: Oh yes I realise you weren't necessarily serious, but who amongst us doesn't see a list of books (for whatever purpose) and think hmmm :-).

>18 rhian_of_oz: Lol. True

Hi Rhian, I cannot at all work with percentages (well I am able to but my mind doesn't work like that), but I admire that you can do it to have a better overview of your reading!

I see that you are reading Agnes Grey right now which is one of the three novels I wrote my final thesis about. I have fond memories of it although I don't think it's perfect. I am looking forward to your thoughts and comments!

Oh, and The Snow Child is on my wishlist, too and has been for several years!

>18 rhian_of_oz: “…but who amongst us doesn't see a list of books (for whatever purpose) and think hmmm”

That’s going to cover most us. Happy 2022.

>20 MissBrangwen: Hi Mirjam, I initially started the percentages as a means to identify a baseline target for reading my existing books, which was *supposed* to lead to reducing my TBR pile. Given that pile increased by 21 in 2021 (practically a decrease by CR standards :-)) recording percentages failed. But I love numbers so I shall keep on.

I am enjoying Agnes Grey so far, mostly because I like Agnes Grey herself, though I certainly hope her circumstances improve (I'm only up to chapter 4 where she has just had her first visit home).

If you decide that this is the year to read The Snow Child and you would like a buddy to read it with, let me know.

>21 dchaikin: That's what I figured :-D.

Happy 2022 to you too Dan. I hope to be more active in CR and while our reading doesn't overlap by much, I always enjoy reading your reviews.

Happy New Year! Looking forward to your thread again in 2022.

>24 AlisonY: Happy 2022 to you too Alison. I shall do my best to make my thread worth your time (:-D), and look forward to following your reading again this year.

Here's to another year of reading!

>26 markon: Here, here! I look forward to following your reading - you're off to a great start with The Stone Sky.

Hi Rhian--glad you are back for another year. Like you, my goal is (and has been for many years, at least for every year since I joined LT in 2009) to reduce the TBR pile. And each year I have failed miserably, to the extent that it now stands at more than 2000. Yikes!

Hi Rhian. I’ll be following along to see what you are up to. I won’t talk about my TBR. I always say I’m going to make a dent, and we know how that goes.

>28 arubabookwoman: Over 2000! That sounds ... intimidating. How do you choose what to read next?

>29 NanaCC: LOL. I'm starting to feel not so bad about my 150 unread books :-D.

I'm pleased to see your 2022 thread is up and I look forward to following you again this year.

>30 rhian_of_oz: As someone with a similarly large and sometimes intimidating TBR... whim, and sometimes a random number generator is how I generally go about choosing what to read off of mine.

>32 shadrach_anki: I have considered but, so far, resisted the use of a random number generator :-).

Happy New Year, Rhian. Good luck with your reading plans in 2022.

>30 rhian_of_oz: It is intimidating, and then I get too paralyzed to make a choice. But I also fail miserably at following rigid plans or lists. So this year, as described on my thread, I am using a random number generator to choose 10-12 titles every 2 weeks. I will then choose what to read from that list. No way can I read that many books, but I will probably read 2-4 before moving on to the next 2 week list.

>34 BLBera: Happy New Year to you too Beth. Do you expect to read more once you retire or do you have other plans for the extra time you'll have?

>35 arubabookwoman: That sounds like a great method, I hope it works out for you.

Cold Coast by Robyn Mundy

This is based on the true story of Wanny Woldstad who was Svalbard's first female trapper. It tells of her first overwintering (in 1932/33) with Anders Saeterdal, an experienced trapper who took a chance on her.

The story is told in alternating chapters with one set from the perspective of a fox born in the preceding summer, and the others telling Wanny and Anders' tale.

This is a beautiful book, describing both the beauty and the harshness of an Arctic winter. Trapping was not for the faint-hearted, and we see Wanny grow in confidence with each skill she attains.

This was a great start to my reading year and I would definitely recommend it (and not just to those sweltering through a southern summer ;-)).

Now I'm off to see if I can find an English version of Wanny Woldstad's memoir "First Woman Trapper in Svalbard" (which I suspect doesn't exist) as well as hunt down Ms Mundy's other works.

>38 rhian_of_oz: My sister once went to Svalbard on a cruise. She was not impressed (although admittedly it was in summer rather than winter). She described it as being like ‘the Rhondda valley on a wet Sunday in the 1950s’ which was most definitely not meant to be a compliment.

>38 rhian_of_oz: How interesting. How did you come across this title?

>40 labfs39: The author gave a talk at a local bookstore. I didn't attend (I'm not sure why not) but the book stuck in my mind so when the library had it on 'special' display it was clearly meant to be :-).

>39 SandDune: LOL

>38 rhian_of_oz: already adding to my TBR list!

Whoops!

>43 japaul22: I hope you enjoy it.

Happy New Year, Rhian.

I have starred your thread to take advantage of similar time zones!

>46 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul, happy 2022 to you.

Happy New Year, Rhian!

>48 karspeak: Thanks Karen, same to you. I'm glad to see you back at CR for another year.

>36 rhian_of_oz: I don't have any plans yet, Rhian. I intend to spend the summer thinking about what I want to do. I would like to travel; we'll see how the pandemic goes.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

After her family's circumstances are reduced, Agnes (our narrator) undertakes to become a governess to bring in some much needed income.

I'm a little ambivalent about this one. Her portrayal of the Misses Murray, especially Rosalie, is superb - quite a biting commentary on the entitlement and self-centredness of the privileged class. And I absolutely love Mrs Grey's response to her father's letter upon the death of her husband.

On the downside, Agnes comes across as quite self-righteous and smug - this is most evident when she visits Rosalie at Ashby Park.

The romance was both predictable (as soon as the man in question was first mentioned it was obvious what was going to happen) and melodramatic (Agnes declares that she would rather die than never see him again), and weirdly also underwhelming (though I think this may be a result of the first person POV as well as Victorian reserve). But she does capture so well the excitement and self-doubt of first love.

I don't regret reading this and might consider reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall sometime in the future.

>51 rhian_of_oz: "Agnes comes across as quite self-righteous and smug"

True. But she used to be in better circumstances and never expected (or learned) to be humble. I tend to see Agnes with her head high and being really above it all, believing herself to be and to deserve better. Then Fate smacks her again.

>51 rhian_of_oz: Victorian theme! I’m curious about Anne, but haven’t read her, and found myself really interested in your review.

>38 rhian_of_oz: Cold Coast sounds very interesting. Thanks for the review.

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Silvie (our narrator) and her parents spend her dad's summer holidays with an archaeology professor and his students in an Iron Age 'reenactment'. How far will they go in reproducing the past?

This was brilliant. A BB from Joyce (Nickelini) there is a lot of love for this book around CR.

What is so good about it? Silvie is a great character, not quite a child but not yet an adult, and not ground down by her "overbearing father" (this is how he's described in the blurb on the back!).

Silvie's dad Bill is abusive and a bigot, hung up on the idea of 'real' Britons (he'd be a Brexiteer for sure). This makes the glimpses we see of him teaching Silvie when they're having adventures even more heartbreaking. Ms Moss perfectly depicts the 'walking-on-eggshells' attitude of Silvie and her mum, never knowing how he is going to react to anything they say or do. Or don't say or don't do. No wonder her mum is so exhausted all the time.

The overall atmosphere is moody and somehow oppressive despite it being summer. Are moors really that scary because they seem to be often written that way.

The believability of the climactic scene depends on the relationship between Bill and Jim (the professor). This mostly happens 'off camera' though we see it developing each day as they come back to camp. This demonstrates the danger of men like Bill who, while being repulsive, can somehow seemingly lead others into behaviour they would previously have considered unthinkable.

This book packs a lot into a relatively small number of pages. I would definitely recommend it. And now I need to troll through old CR threads to see which other books of Ms Moss I need to add to my wishlist.

>55 rhian_of_oz: I've only read her first book, and pretty sure I need to read them all...

I liked Agnes Grey - it felt authentic to me in a lot of ways, even though I totally agree that the narrator is self-righteous. I think I'm in the minority that I liked it better than The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which I thought was over-dramatic and over-written.

I also really liked Ghost Wall! It was fun to relive it through your review.

>57 japaul22: Thanks for your comments on The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. It's on my wishlist (though I probably won't read it this year) and I'll be interested to see how the two books compare.

>55 rhian_of_oz: I loved Ghost Wall - Sarah Moss is one of my favourite writers.

>55 rhian_of_oz: yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed Ghost Wall. It made me want to search out more Sarah Moss too...but I haven't followed through yet.

Great that you liked Ghost Wall. The only other book I've read by her was Cold Earth, which I had some problems with at the time, but it sits quite positively in my memories. Maybe one to get from the library.

Their Finest by Lissa Evans

This is set in England during WW2 from spring 1940 to summer 1941 and follows three people whose lives intersect on the set of a film about the Dunkirk evacuation. When we first meet them Ambrose Hilliard is a leading man past his prime, Catrin Cole is a copywriter, and Edith Beadmore is a costume restorer at Madame Tussaud's.

This is a pleasant enough book. The author mentions that part of the inspiration was a book (How We Lived Then by Norman Longmate) describing life on the home front during WW2 and that's what this was really - a slice-of-life, with the movie giving it a bit of continuity/structure (kind of).

This was a bookclub recommendation in relation to Kallocain. I can't remember the exact reason given at the time, but I think the link is government propaganda films.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book but I wouldn't *not* recommend it either. If you're looking for a nice easy read with some mildly interesting characters and a bit of humour, drama and pathos then this is the book for you. I won't be looking for other works by this author.

Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart

This is the first in the Kopp Sisters series and is set in 1914/15 in Paterson New Jersey. It opens with the Kopp sistes - Constance, Norma and Fleurette - being involved in an accident where their buggy is hit by a car. The driver of the car not only refuses to take responsibility but embarks on a campaign of terror to force the sisters to drop their claim for damages. Constance fights back.

This was a lot of fun, though it dragged a bit and the ending was a little flat. I didn't realise until I'd finished that this was "... historical fiction based on real events and real people." with the author being quite clear which bits are/aren't true.

This was a BB from Cheryl (LadyoftheLodge) via the latest book in the series. I would recommend this if you like such series as Maisie Dobbs, Phrynne Fisher and Amory Ames.

I intend to read the second book in the series - Lady Cop Makes Trouble.

I'm another Moss fan; she is great with atmosphere. I just finished her latest The Fell, which is about COVID. I've loved all her books that I've read.

I liked Their Finest better than you did; in fact I have really loved both Crooked Heart and Old Baggage.

>65 BLBera: I've still to go through Moss' books and work out what else I want to read. I suspect the list will be long.

I find when I reflect on Their Finest I think on it fondly, so I might have to revisit my position on not reading her other work.

I bought Their Finest, (but haven't read it yet,) based on how much I loved Crooked Heart. Everytime I look on my list on Netflix, and see the movie based on Their Finest, I think I need to read that book!

>62 rhian_of_oz: I read V for Victory and Old Baggage (but not Crooked Heart which apparently I should have read first) over the summer and enjoyed both of them. I didn't love them but they were great holiday reads.

>64 rhian_of_oz: Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
I think that's the only one in the series that I've read but I follow her on FB where she sometimes posts about her research. Before she got into historical fiction-ish, she wrote a bunch of books about gardening and plants, which where I initially came across her.

According to FB memories on this day 11 years ago I put myself on a book buying ban because my TBR pile was 50 :-).

What's the expression? Sweet summer child?

I'm shocked - shocked! - to find that anyone in Club Read has a TBR bigger than 50 ;-p

>70 rhian_of_oz: What's the expression? Sweet summer child?

LOL! Like Margaret, I too am clutching my pearls in shock

>55 rhian_of_oz: - Good review--I've heard a lot of praise for Sarah Moss, and it seems like this one would be a good starting point with her work. Also, now I'm wondering about moors too. It does seem like a lot of scary or at least dramatic stuff is going on there.

I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott

I follow Ms Philpott on FB because she used to draw cartoons about penguins with people problems (I can't recall how I heard about her in the first place) so when I saw her book in my local charity shop I snapped it up.

The sub-title of this book is 'Dispatches from a relatively ordinary life' and that's a fair description. It's a collection of essays about her life.

This was easy enough to read but it wasn't (per the blurb on the back of the book) deeply affecting. For me anyway. I suspect, based on some gushing reviews I read, that I am not the target audience for this book.

I don't have to necessarily be living the same life as someone to be able to empathise with them, and in some of these essays I could see where she was coming from even though I'm not like her. But some of them had me shaking my head in confusion/disbelief. One essay in particular is about how she struggles to remain accountable to her accountability groups. Firstly, I didn't even know accountability groups were a thing. Secondly, she has multiple accountability groups. Thirdly, she recognises that the groups are optional but also recognises that she needs the external obligation to ensure she meets her own goals. I suspect if you're like the author you would possibly chuckle in recognition but all I could think was 'why would you?'.

This was okay, the term that keeps springing to mind is 'vanilla'. If you're a so-called 'Type A overachiever' then this might resonate more for you.

Trafalgar by Angelica Gorodischer

Trafalgar Medrano is an intergalactic salesman who always has a story about his adventures in space.

Each story is narrated by someone that Trafalgar has related his tale to, and includes the circumstances under which the storytelling occurs. The stories are independent though the author requests that they are read in order even though they don't necessarily follow chronologically.

I'm still not sure what I think about this book, even after having discussed it at bookclub, so I guess confused is the best description.

I'm not sure if it's supposed to be satire. I suspect I've missed things by not being familiar with Argentinian culture, and/or by not having read any of Trafalgar's favourite authors (Balzac, Cervantes, and Borges to name a few). The blurb on the back describes it as "Part pulp adventure" and it definitely has that feel to it.

I think some of the problem is expectation - our bookclub reads primarily speculative fiction, science fiction and fantasy - and while this contains stories set on other planets, I'm not sure I'd necessarily call it science fiction. Reading something like Hitchhiker's Guide I *know* that it is explicitly, deliberately silly, but with this one I'm not sure if it's meant to be ridiculous or if I'm supposed to take it at face value.

Sigh. This isn't *bad* but I don't think it's for everyone. I think maybe the audience are those that remember and/or enjoy the "golden age" of science fiction. Or maybe those that like outlandish adventure stories regardless of where they take place.

>75 rhian_of_oz: I liked that one a lot more than you did (my review is in the work if someone wants to read it). But I agree that it won't be for everyone. I don't think it is the Golden Age SF where the closest connection is (even if some of the stories can connect with it) - I think the style is closer to Eastern European SF style from before the fall of the Berlin Wall - in some ways anyway. But that may not be correct either - it may be my brain connecting there because that's what I know somewhat well. :)

>76 AnnieMod: Thanks for your comments and for pointing me toward your review. It's interesting isn't it how much expectation plays in one's opinion of a book.

>77 rhian_of_oz: Yep - I was interested to see what you saw in the book (and I also think that had I read it in a different time, I may have not had the same thoughts). Which reminds me that I really need to go back to Gorodischer.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Set not too long after the events of The Handmaid's Tale this book tells the story of the beginning of the end of Gilead told from the perspective of Aunt Lydia, Agnes a young woman raised within Gilead, and Daisy a young woman raised in Canada.

Just as expectation played a part in my opinion of Trafalgar so too did it for this book. I went in not expecting The Handmaid's Tale and therefore quite enjoyed this book at a surface level. Is it Man Booker worthy? Well I only read one other book on the 2019 short list and one other on the long list (according to LT CK) so I'm not sure I'm in a position to judge, but it's definitely nowhere near as good as Wolf Hall or Bring Up The Bodies (which I read last year).

I liked the concept of Aunt Lydia and the question she raises: if you were in her position would you revolt to your death, or would you take the long view and work from within?

The sections from the POV of the young women had a more YA feel and therefore seemed a bit more, hmm, melodramatic than the Aunt Lydia sections. And more predictable. And a little more unlikely.

Apparently the reason this was written is because people wanted to know how Gilead fell. What I've realised as I've written this 'review' is that that's not what I was interested in. I was always more interested in the beginning of Gilead and how women like me adapted (or didn't). So I would've liked a book more like the Lydia sections told from different POVs such as a Martha, a Wife, an Econowife, etc describing the choices they made at the beginning and the small (or large) rebellions they undertook to undermine Gilead and bring about its collapse.

I'm not disappointed because I didn't have high expectations. I don't regret reading it but I also would've been just as happy if there'd been no sequel.

>79 rhian_of_oz:
I loved all your comments. Having read this in 2022 for my book club, I can respond.

I enjoyed The Testaments very much. Was it ManBooker worthy? I don't think so, but I believe this was one of those big awards that is awarded for earlier work. I think this happens in the Oscars quite regularly too. In retrospect, everyone knows an author/actor was robbed of their rewards for their great work, so then a later, lesser work gets the prize.

if you were in her position would you revolt to your death, or would you take the long view and work from within?: I've thought about this, more when my daughters were young, and I've always seen myself as one to take out as many of oppressors before I'm killed. But also, I was raised Mennonite with a strong pacifist tradition, which I respect, so a bit of a cognitive disconnect there.

I was always more interested in the beginning of Gilead and how women like me adapted (or didn't). So I would've liked a book more like the Lydia sections told from different POVs such as a Martha, a Wife, an Econowife, etc describing the choices they made at the beginning and the small (or large) rebellions they undertook to undermine Gilead and bring about its collapse.

Yes, yes, yes.

I'm not disappointed because I didn't have high expectations. I don't regret reading it but I also would've been just as happy if there'd been no sequel.

Again, yes, yes, yes.

I enjoyed reading it, but I was happy to leave HT as a stand alone.

>79 rhian_of_oz: I just read this one too! If this were a novel on its own, I would have enjoyed the story. But as a sequel to HT, I was disappointed. Like you both, I wanted to learn more about how Gilead came about and get more into the heads of the people forced to endure it. I loved how HT ended because I don’t think the story is meant to have a happy ending. I really waivered on whether to read The Testaments and I kind of regret doing so. Glad I’m not the only one feeling this way.

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

This is a take on the Sherlock Holmes canon where our favourite detective is a cover for Charlotte Holmes, a young woman for whom the Society role expected of her has no appeal.

This was fun! As the first in a series there is a lot of setting up and backstory and introduction of the main players, and admittedly the revelation of the solution to the mystery was a bit anti-climactic, but I didn't care.

This was a BB from wandering_star for which I am very grateful. I'm very much looking forward to the next instalment.

>82 rhian_of_oz: I love this series, such a great take on the Holmes books. I myself sometimes have to watch what I eat in concern of maximum tolerable chins, lol.

>83 raidergirl3: Ha, me too!

>82 rhian_of_oz: so glad you enjoyed it!

>79 rhian_of_oz: I was annoyed by The Testaments. (I should give it credit for encouraging me to reread HT, but I don’t like giving it any kind of credit.) I appreciate your review, and agree HT didn’t need a sequel.

>86 dchaikin: I deliberately didn't look at any reviews before reading it, but had enough of a vibe from CRers to adjust my expectations going in.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Klara (our narrator) is an Artificial Friend (AF) who is purchased as a companion for Josie, a mid-teen with an undisclosed illness.

I mostly enjoyed this very much. I like Klara's voice, liked trying to piece together her world based on what she observed, and that world seemed interesting. And then the climax happened and I was like 'um what?'. After that the ending was also a bit of a let down.

I read the reviews here on LT to find out what I missed and it doesn't appear I missed anything - it simply seems that most reviewers didn't have the problem with the "resolution" (I'm trying very hard not to spoil anything) that I did. It broke my suspension of disbelief. I probably would've been happier if this had finished at the end of Part Five. In fact I think my biggest problem with this book is Part Six.

So yes I would recommend it, but with a caveat about the last part. A lot of the reviews referred to Never Let Me Go and it turns out this is already on my wishlist, so I'll be interested in my what I think about it when/if I get around to reading it.

P.S. Here I was thinking that I'd never read this author before and it turns out I have two of his books - A Pale View of the Hills ("I liked it, except the ending left me feeling ... unsatisfied.") and When We Were Orphans (which I made no comments about and have barely any recollection of reading). Maybe fourth time will be the charm :-).

>88 rhian_of_oz: how about Remains of the Day? Think that is his most acclaimed book and it was made into a movie. Never Let Me Go is one of my rereads. I love it. Never Let Me Go has a major similarity with Handmaid’s Tale. For some reason I hate it in HT. But don’t mind it in NLMG.

>89 dianeham: I've picked up Remains of the Day a couple of times and it hasn't really captured me. Maybe one day.

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

This is the fifth book in the Veronica Speedwell series.

In the autumn of 1888 Veronica and Stoker are asked to retrieve an expensive gift given by Prince Albert Victor (grandson of Queen Victoria) to an inappropriate paramour. When the courtier making the request suffers a heart attack, they discover she has received an allegation that the prince is Jack the Ripper. Their investigation reveals that these two events are part of a larger plot to bring down the monarchy.

All this is very well but the real question is: will Veronica and Stoker final resolve their hitherto unresolved sexual tension?

So yes, some of what happens in this book is a bit ridiculous but I don't care. At this stage I am still all in on this series and am not reading it at all critically.

I will definitely be reading the next in the series with the only question being how long I can hold off before getting it.

Very much agree with all the comments on The Testaments. I enjoyed it, but like you all, not as much as a sequel.

Also, very interested in A Study in Scarlet Women. I've been looking for a new, fun mystery series since the couple I follow haven't been coming out fast enough!

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

When Joy Delaney goes missing, her four adult children worry that their father was responsible, and wonder whether the mysterious Savannah was also involved.

This is a real page turner - I think I read it in only a couple of sittings - but I somehow feel manipulated.

This quote from another LT review perfectly describes the structure of this book.

Moriarty has a formula: a thing has happened. We jump forward and back, slowly joining the time lines, hearing different perspectives from different characters. There is probably a twist, usually a couple, definitely a red herring or two.

So as I'm reading I know this is what Ms Moriarty is doing to suck me, and I'm slightly resenting being sucked in by it.

One review described this as a slow burn character study of a dysfunctional family which is sort of accurate. Except they're not really that dysfunctional. The only characters that I felt were genuine were Joy and Stan (her husband) - the children bordered on caricature - which I think made me feel this was more soap opera/melodrama than drama.

I liked the resolution of the mystery of what happened to Joy, but I could've done without the last three chapters. (It seems I'm having a real problem with endings!)

I suspect this might be a case of "it's not you, it's me". I really liked Ms Moriarty's work until Nine Perfect Strangers, a book I was really enjoying until the point I wanted to throw it across the room in disbelief. I might read her next one, but she is no longer an automatic-read author for me.

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

I'm not sure I can describe this any better than the blurb on the back.

It chronicles David Copperfield's extraordinary journey through life, as he encounters villains, saviours, eccentrics and grotesques

This was my first reading of this Victorian classic and I'm not sure there's much I can say about it that hasn't been said better by others (though I must admit it has been amusing to read some of the negative reviews).

Yes it is long, and yes some of the characters aren't very nuanced, but I don't care. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not sure what I was expecting going in but I certainly wasn't expecting it to be funny. I liked the characters I was supposed to like (seriously how sweet are Traddles and Sophy), and disliked the characters I was supposed to loathe (boo hiss to Uriah Heep). I occasionally had to reread sentences that I didn't parse on the first pass, but at other times his use of language was exquisite.

I'm glad I read it and would definitely recommend it.

>94 rhian_of_oz: Great comments on David Copperfield. I could pretty much say the same thing about most of the Dickens that I've read. I will get to this one eventually, but the length makes it never quite the right time to pick it up

>95 Nickelini: I took approx six weeks to read it (it was a library book hence the time limit) and I found the pace of a couple of chapters a day quite achievable. My reading frequency combined with the way the book was written means it was also easy to pick up the thread each day.

>96 rhian_of_oz: Did you read other books at the same time? What gives me pause is the idea of spending 6 weeks reading only one book. That's a long time to be in one world

>97 Nickelini: Oh definitely, I started and/or finished 11 other books in the period I was reading it.

>98 rhian_of_oz: Niiiice! That's the way I'd have to do it too

>94 rhian_of_oz: nice. I'm only about halfway and feel about the same as you captured.

>88 rhian_of_oz: ok, I know I'm two weeks late, but I'm curious what aspect of the resolution of Klara and the Sun let you down (if you answer, use the spoiler code).

>100 dchaikin: I found the fact that the Sun cured Josie to be disappointing - I wasn't expecting it and I didn't believe it in the context that the world of Klara was our world but in the future.

I thought the last part (Part Six) was a bit boring, almost rushed, and somewhat implausible (as if an expensive bit of kit is likely to be left in a junkyard to rot).

I think I would've been happy if it had ended at Part Five - where it *seemed* like Josie had been cured but it wasn't definitive, and therefore left the future unknown.

The Innocents by Michael Crummey

Set in the early 1800s in an isolated part of Newfoundland, the Best family are eking out a living in a hostile environment when the pre-teen Ada and Evered are left orphaned and alone after the deaths of their parents and baby sister Martha. Ada will not leave Martha, so they try and continue on in the same manner as their parents. We follow them as they grow up and struggle to survive, literal babes-in-the-woods.

This was pretty amazing but I'm not sure I can articulate exactly what makes it so good. The writing is excellent, Ada and Evered are compelling, and the pacing is spot on. It contains the right mix of action and introspection. There's some content that could make people uncomfortable but I don't feel that the author was being deliberately controversial.

I thank the many CRers who put this on my radar. I would definitely recommend this and I will be hunting down other works by Mr Crummey.

>102 rhian_of_oz: That sounds great. This Canadian really needs to get to Crummey

>102 rhian_of_oz: you described it perfectly how hard it is to describe. Such a great book!

>101 rhian_of_oz: on Klara and the Sun with spoilers: ok. Thanks. It’s a weird quick change without explanation, and so a copout in some ways. But ( apologies here. Not sure you want to hear my thinking on this) I find that interesting - that lack of explanation. Did the sun or Klara actually play a role? Did she just get over it by chance at that moment? (I read one post that feels this shows Josie was replaced by one of those things and it was done so skillfully that not even Klara could tell.) I personally like it because of the borderline uncomfortable suggestions it has for the author’s ideas on faith and rational thinking. I mean I don’t have this concern, but i still like how he handles it.

>102 rhian_of_oz: I’m just finishing this one up on audio and totally agree! Crummey is a fantastic author. His characters and his settings, everything is superbly illustrated.

>105 dchaikin: Oh yes, I'm always happy to hear what you think.
It only just occurred to me, after reading your thoughts, that I've taken Klara's observation of Josie's recovery as if it's true (and intended to be read this way). And this is despite assuming she had misinterpreted the 'resurrection' of the beggar and his dog by the Sun. It never occurred to me that Klara inferred causality where none existed. Huh.
Even with this 'revelation' I still think the last Part could be ditched.

>107 rhian_of_oz: yeah, that’s an interesting aspect. What to trust with Klara? And how does her liquid reduction taken by Josie’s father impact her and what we can trust? And the beggar! I had forgotten! That seems important now. I admit I liked the end a lot ☺️ - i mean where Klara ended up. It was really curious and showed something about Klara’s perspective, what she understood and didn’t and, oddly, what she felt. Maybe it told us something about Manager too, although I can’t figure that out. It’s a fun but maybe problematic book.

Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart

** Please note that this will contain spoilers for the first book in the series.

This is the second in the Kopp Sisters series.

When Constance was made a sheriff's deputy I expected that the series would then continue to be her and the sheriff solving mysteries. But it turns out there's no law that allows her to be a deputy, so while she waits for the sheriff to sort it out she becomes the jail matron.

Her situation becomes more complicated when a prisoner she's responsible for escapes. With no official role in the prisoner's recovery, Constance strikes out on her own to recover the fugitive.

The blurb on the back describes this as a romp and that nicely captures the feel of this. In hindsight I like the fact that Constance's professional life didn't suddenly become easier because it certainly wouldn't have done in real life. I also like that it is based on real events.

I will definitely be reading the next one.

The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas

On a small river island in Oxford the Kendricks Workshop makes magic dolls. Despite the family business being established by four sisters, tradition has evolved such that only the men of the family can make and enchant dolls.

Persephone is a sales assistant who yearns to learn the secrets of doll-making. Larkin is an ambitious young man who also wants to learn the magic, and when he arrives on the island he becomes a catalyst for change.

I'm not entirely sure what the point of this book is. Is it a mystery, a romance, a treatise on the unfairness of the patriarchy?

I read this because I really enjoyed her previous novel The Psychology of Time Travel. I liked this well enough though not as much as the first.

I wouldn't *not* recommend this but I'm not entirely sure who the audience would be.

Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Lucy Graham appears almost out of nowhere to capture the heart of Sir Michael Audley and become the mistress of Audley Court. George Talboys returns from a long stint in Australia making his fortune to find out that his wife Helen has died. Quite coincidentally George's friend Robert, who is with him when reads the news about his wife, is Sir Audley's nephew. They are visiting Audley Court when George mysteriously disappears.

While the secret is not technically revealed until later in the story, it is quite clear what the secret is. Well at least it's clear what *this* secret is.

I liked this a lot, especially the cat-and-mouse tussle between Lady Audley and Robert. Such fun! There is a hint (and it really is only a hint) of a love triangle, there's blackmail, there's murder! Or is there?

Some of it I found amusing - how fast Robert fell in love, how quickly madness was diagnosed - but given the density of the writing it is quite an easy read.

I'm so glad I read this and would happily recommend it.

Lilies, Lies and Love by Jackie French

** Please note this may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.

This is the last book in the Miss Lily series.

Seven years after Nigel's death, Sophie and Lily and their family and friends are living a quiet life at Sophie's property in Australia when Sophie is asked to seduce King Edward VIII to prevent him marrying Wallis Simpson.

I read this because I am occasionally a completeist but I wasn't expecting to like it given the outrageous premise, however it actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting.

There are a number of loose ends tied up in relation to various characters, and there is an event in the book that I wasn't expecting but was entirely plausible given the circumstances.

I realise I was quite fond of all of the characters so in some ways I am sorry to read the last of the series, despite the sometimes far-fetched scenarios.

I'm not entirely sure who I would recommend this series for. It has unconventional women, espionage and action, but is also about love and relationships. But you need to slightly suspend disbelief.

Ten Low by Stark Holborn

On the edge of Accorded Nations territory, Factus is technically under Accord control but in reality it's like the wild west, people scrabbling and scrapping for scarce resources. Add in the Seekers and the mysterious Ifs and it's every person for themselves in the struggle to survive.

Ten Low is a fugitive on the losing side of the war, a medic trying to atone for her past. General Gabriella Ortiz is a genetically engineered child soldier without a purpose now that the war is over. Their paths cross when the General crash lands as part of a plot to kill her, and Ten makes a promise to keep Gabi alive.

Space western is probably the best way to capture the essence of this story. There's plenty of action, a classic odd couple, a bit of mystery, some treachery and betrayal, and a quest. Someone in bookclub likened it to Mad Max (the original 1979 movie) and I think that's a good comparison. Overall a bit of fun.

Not sure i’m up for a space western or seducing Edward VIII, but enjoyed your posts. Just catching these and your intriguing review of Lady Audrey’s Secret.

I've gone back to university this year and I've found it harder and more time-consuming than I was anticipating. Four weeks in I finally feel like I have a handle on what's required.

I'm still making time to read (one of the benefits of a long commute) but I'm a bit behind on reviews. Now that I have the study schedule sorted I will hopefully have some brain capacity (the bit freed from panicking about uni :-D) to catch up.

>115 rhian_of_oz: Congrats! What are you studying?

>116 labfs39: Thanks. I'm doing a Master of Predictive Analytics.

>117 rhian_of_oz: Interesting. Which field do you hope to go into with that very versatile skill set, or do you know yet?

I'm interested in learning what a Masters in Predictive Analytics is. What general subject is this: business, math?

>119 raidergirl3: It's about analysing data using maths (well using programming that does the maths) to build models for prediction. We're at a stage now where we have the computing power sufficient to deal with the sheer mass of data that exists.

>118 labfs39: I'm interested in everything :-) so I think my options are academic research or consulting firms. But I have a couple of years before I need to make my decision.

>115 rhian_of_oz:

Congrats! I was a mature university student in my late 30s-early 40s and I have wonderful memories of that time. It was busy though! I hope you can find time to enjoy it

>121 Nickelini: Thanks. I still feel like I'm am worrying all the time - this week it's about an assignment due Monday. I'm not sure 'enjoy' is exactly the word I would use but I know I've definitely made the right decision, so maybe, eventually, the joy of learning will outweigh the worry.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel

I'm not entirely sure how to even describe what this book is about.

It begins with Vincent drowning, and from there we go back in time to meet her half-brother Paul who is a bit of a loser. We then move forward in time where Vincent and Paul are working at a hotel in their home town when Paul does something in inexplicable and loses his job. Meanwhile Vincent meets Jonathan, the owner of the hotel, and the next thing we know she is living a life of luxury as Jonathan's "wife". It turns out Jonathan is running a Ponzi scheme and when he is arrested Vincent disappears.

As detailed as the above is, it doesn't come close the describing most of the plot. There are so many characters and so much going on.

The writing is good and there were lots of interesting stories in it, but when I finished I wasn't entirely clear what the point was and was left feeling vaguely dissatisfied.

Some of this was due, I think, to the fact that from the beginning I thought I was going to get a story about an interesting woman. The story wasn't mostly about her and she turned out to be not that interesting.

This is one of those weird books that I wouldn't necessarily recommend, but wouldn't not recommend either.

>117 rhian_of_oz: Good for you on jumping back into school again! I went back for my master's when I was 48, and it was by and large a really good experience. I had a deeper well of knowledge, more discipline, and generally more experience with all the basics I needed for school. On the minus side, I had a lot less stamina than I did in my undergrad years, and I had to take better notes because I didn't quite retain things the way I used to. But for the most part, all good, and I think your concentration is really interesting.

>124 lisapeet: You've nailed it exactly.

There's some things that have changed over the years. Being able to take notes using my laptop is brilliant because I can type faster than I can write. Also the learning is less about memorising and more about application (so open book tests), though that may just be the course I'm doing.

>115 rhian_of_oz: i I remember a dear colleague who responded to my "but I'll be thirty by the time I finish" with "how old will you be if you dont" so I did, never looked back and stayed in a field ii am still passionate about
What ever you decide to do, don't let doubt or fear stop you!

I'll add my voice to those that returned to school as "mature" students. I loved it although I certainly couldn't do all-nighters at 40!

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

This is the fourth and (sadly) final instalment in the Wayfarers series.

Gora is an uninhabitable planet in the mostly unremarkable Tren system. What stops it from being completely unremarkable is that it is an interspatial hub, and when you have travellers you need to provide them with entertainment and services.

Oolou owns a modest-sized dome on Gora called the Five-Hop One-Stop which she runs with the (occasional) assistance of her prepubescent son Tupo.

They are hosting three guests - Pei, Roveg and Speaker - when a technology failure stops all traffic to and from Gora. And while stranding strangers together in a confined (ish) space is a common trope what makes this different is that none of the characters are human.

I'm a massive fan of all of Ms Chambers' work and this is no different, but it's hard to describe the appeal. As one reviewer put it, this is a virtually plotless, character-driven story. Some other common descriptions are heart-warming, feel-good, compassionate, sweet, cheesy, warm-fuzzies, overly sugary.

I feel like if you are already a fan then you will love this. If you aren't then it might depend on what you're in the mood for. While it is technically part of a series you could easily read and enjoy this without having read any of the others.

Now I have to decide whether to pay a ridiculous amount for A Psalm for the Wild-Built in hardcover or wait and hope Tor publishes it in softcover (I don't like my chances based on the Murderbot Diaries novellas).

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity MacLean

Tikka Molloy is working as a lab tech in Baltimore when she flies home to Sydney upon receiving the news that her older sister Laura has cancer. While home Tikka and Laura talk about the Van Apfel sisters, their friends and neighbours who disappeared one summer about 20 years ago. What follows is a retelling of the time leading up to the disappearance.

I'm not sure what to make of this. It's very nostalgic - even though I'm (based on the timeline) 10 years older than Tikka and grew up in a different part of Australia there is much that is familiar. And in my pre-teen years I definitely had an older girl that I was intrigued by and idolised. But it doesn't really feel like it has a resolution.

The comparison to Picnic at Hanging Rock is superficial in my opinion - I don't feel like this book has the oppressive atmosphere of Picnic, and while there is mystery surrounding the disappearance, the potential causes are very human (i.e. not supernatural).

This was very readable but I was left feeling slightly dissatisfied with the ending.

Abandoned in Death by J D Robb

This is the 54th entry in the In Death series.

A young woman is found dead on a park bench, immaculately made up and dressed in decades-old fashion, with a sign saying "Bad Mommy!". Eve and team are in a race against time to save the other women they believe the perpetrator is holding.

This one was a little different to the others in that we are told the perpetrator's "reason" by way of flashbacks, and we also have some POV by one of the women being held. Then we have the usual mix of investigation and personal for Eve and the gang. The whodunnit was a surprise, though looking back it shouldn't have been. But then I don't read these to test my puzzle/mystery-solving skills.

At this stage I don't think any of these books work as stand-alone - there is simply too much backstory and history to recap every time. But if you already like the series then I think you will like this one.

>130 rhian_of_oz: "At this stage I don't think any of these books work as stand-alone"

Even though only 3 years had passed in the story (which I'd admit caught me a bit by surprise when it was mentioned in the book - I knew they were not covering a lot of time per book but 3 years sounded too short considering all that had happened. And yet...) :)

>131 AnnieMod: I saw your comment about 3 years in your review and just about fell off my chair. Makes me want to see if I can work out how long Mavis was actually pregnant for. :-)

>132 rhian_of_oz: I had not kept track but the few things I did recheck added up properly so I suspect Robb did not slip in her math. I am just so used to a year passing in a book (or sometimes 2 or 3) that this surprised me. But then we rarely see more than a week in any installment so…

Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart

This is the third book in the Kopp Sisters series, so the following may contain spoilers for the other two.

Constance now has her deputy sheriff's badge and in this instalment her focus is on morality crimes where young women were jailed or sent to a reformatory sometimes just because their families didn't want them living independently. At the same time Fleurette runs away to join a travelling vaudeville show and Constance is torn between fighting for the rights of young women to live how they please and wanting to protect Fleurette from the world.

These aren't "traditional" mysteries where there is a crime to be solved and we follow along with our detective picking up clues. They're probably more an exploration of issues of the time in a well-told story. It was interesting for me to see how women's independence was curtailed and controlled under the vague concept of "morality".

I also enjoy the Historical Notes at the end of each book where you find out which parts of the story are based on real events.

I am very grateful for LadyoftheLodge for putting this series on my radar and definitely intend to read the next instalment.

One more heartfelt congratulations on your return to school. I'm another who had a gap of several years, and put it to good use, between undergrad and grad school. I went back for a Masters Degree in English Lit/Creative Writing at 31 after 7 years away from academia. I was definitely more prepared for the rigors of grad school at that point than I would have been right out of undergrad studies.

>135 rocketjk: Thanks Jerry. I last studied full-time over 20 years ago (post graduate) and I don't remember it being so much work. The advantage of having spent the last 30+ years in the workforce is that I know how to work hard. Thankfully my results are reflecting my efforts!

Good luck wrapping up the semester!

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

When we first meet Elizabeth Zott she is a single mother to Madeline, a chemist hosting a popular daytime cooking show, and depressed.

We then find out how she came to this point, as well as what happens next.

One of the blurbs on the front cover states "Sparks joy with every page". I'm not sure whether the blurber actually read the book because there are many pages that are decidedly unjoyful.

It's quite hard to describe this book in terms of tone. Most of it is fish-out-of-water darkish-humour, interspersed with heart-warming scenes. But there is quite a bit showing what it would've meant to be an "unconventional" woman in 1950s and 60s America. Or actually even a conventional one.

The ending is quite twee but I found that doesn't bother me as much as it otherwise might.

I'm glad I read this but I'm torn as to whether I'd recommend it because it is both light and not.

>138 rhian_of_oz: One of the blurbs on the front cover states "Sparks joy with every page". I'm not sure whether the blurber actually read the book because there are many pages that are decidedly unjoyful. I hate it when a blurb steers me wrong! Not so much if they say they liked it and I didn't, but if they say it's happy when it's not, etc. Drives me crazy.

>139 LibraryLover23: Thankfully I chose this book based on a review from a local bookstore and not on the blurb, so I was more bemused by it that disappointed.

Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit by Amy Stewart

This is the fourth in the Kopp Sisters series.

It's an election year which means Constance is going to get a new boss, either the indifferent William Conklin or the actively hostile John Courter. While the election campaign goes on in the background (mostly) Constance is trying to help Anna Kayser, a woman whose husband routinely has her committed to an asylum so he can carry on with other women.

Despite Constance being a deputy sheriff these aren't really crime books. It's actually a bit hard to describe them, but I like them very much. I especially like the Historical Notes at the end where we find out how much of the preceding story is true.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next instalment.

Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

When we first meet Maddie and Logan they are ten years old and best friends. Something terrible happens and Maddie and her dad move to the wilds of Alaska. Six years later Maddie and Logan are reunited but there is old, unfinished business to be dealt with.

I've read all Ms Carter's series and I like that her young women characters are competent and can take care of themselves and in this regard Maddie is no different. I also like that she's an outdoorswoman and also is interested in fashion - I don't think these are either-or characteristics.

The plot however requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, and I mean a LOT. And I could probably get past that except I didn't like grown-up Logan or the romantic relationship between Maddie and Logan.

I knew when I grabbed this at the library that it was going to be a light (which is what I wanted) but still good/fun read so I'm quite disappointed by it.

If you like YA I would recommend Ms Carter's Gallagher Girl series but I definitely wouldn't recommend this one.

One Italian Summer by Pip Williams

Pip and her husband Shannon dream of living "The Good Life" a la the 1970s TV show but their move from Sydney to five acres in the Adelaide Hills doesn't result in the life they had hoped for.

Deciding that what they need is real-life experience, they take their two sons to Italy for a summer of WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms).

This book is part love letter to Italy, part journey of self discovery, and part how-to- on subsistence farming. It has a lovely warm tone and is easy to read.

I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it as a light and entertaining escape from your day-to-day.