Lady Violet Investigates by Grace Burrowes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Thursday, March 30, 2023
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Review: What Moves the Dead
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love the Tor cover!
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Monday, March 27, 2023
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Review: Ravishing the Heiress
Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Thomas does something rare in romance books: she takes her time. There are a lot of stories built on the idea of loving someone since childhood: but mostly they have one or two scenes in the past and leap to the present, and the main of the story takes place over a few weeks. It's not uncommon to leap again into the future to show a highlight of the happy ever after, as an interstitial piece or as background in a series of related characters. And that's nice: seeing that the HEA incorporates changes and adjustments and growth.
But Thomas goes longer: in this case, more than eight years. It's fascinating. Her people don't make just one mistake, they make many, and different kinds at different times, under different stresses. Whatever implausible incidents start the relationship, the longer view makes the relationship feel more real, in part because there's more nuance and variation in their interactions.
And is it just me or do romances have more sad to them these days? Not sad endings, but more real-life grief and hardship and such. Again, I like it for nuance and depth, but also it makes the HEA feel more joyous and more deserved.
in sum: Thomas is just a damn good novelist.
Library copy
First lightening bug sighting of the year, speaking of joyous.
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Monday, March 20, 2023
Review: The Story of Doctor Dolittle
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
A charming twist: last night my daughter read aloud to me, since I was feeling a little under the weather.
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Review: The Inimitable Jeeves
The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
Tragically, I failed to put a fresh book in my work bag. Happily, I discovered this in a desk drawer. It's good to keep an emergency book on hand.
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Review: Rob Roy
Rob Roy by Walter Scott
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
Jan 6, 2015
It's been so long since I started this that I had to go back and re-start. And then I almost immediately lost interest again and picked up something else.
Two tries seems over eight years says yeah, no.
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Review: The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
I couldn't go on reading The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo without reminding myself how Dumas writes, and starting this story, which I only vaguely know of.
Started 2017, abandoned 2023
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Review: The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
I couldn't go on reading The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo without reminding myself how Dumas writes, and starting this story, which I only vaguely know of.
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Saturday, March 18, 2023
Friday, March 17, 2023
Review: Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia
Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was the PandBat's homework. I'm not sure if she's supposed to be reading it all herself, but 54 pages is still a bit daunting, so the Possum and I took turns reading with her. If the reading goes too slowly, because of sounding out words and so forth, she starts to lose track of the plot and the humor.
Plus, reading aloud is a skill I'd like both of the Offspring to develop.
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Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Review: Proof by Seduction
Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Library copy
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Thursday, March 09, 2023
Wednesday, March 08, 2023
Review: A Dance in Moonlight
A Dance in Moonlight by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
15 February 2021
While reading Not Quite a Husband I was thinking how sad it was. And unlike the books of Jasmine Guillory which I have enjoyed so much, there wasn't any of the main characters hanging out with their good friends and beloved relations. This, too, is very sad, and not just in one section near the end when the lovers encounter the barrier that keeps them apart.
Now that I think about it I recall that Rosamunde Pilcher is quite often very sad. So I guess that is a thing that I can appreciate in a book. Huh.
***
Well that shows me. The mood wasn't even a tiny bit sad after I stopped to write that. There were friends and relations and snacks. All manner of things are well.
***
13 July 2021
Another recent read that wasn't showing up. Seems like Goodreads is having some problems. It is not dealing well with rereads and changed text. Argh.
Anyway, lovely story, with unusual choices.
Library copy
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Tuesday, March 07, 2023
Review: Claiming the Duchess
Claiming the Duchess by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
26 May 2021
Maddeningly I know I only recently wrote the blurb below, but I don't know when because I didn't date in and somehow never before noticed that there isn't an obvious published or last updated or some such date that I can find.
Anyway, since I am finally getting around to all the books in the series
A re-read seemed appropriate as a refresher. And also, I wanted to take the taste of another, very different but displeasing book out of my mouth, as it were.
This fit the bill rather well. Having seen the same characters rather later in their lives, it was fun going back to a very sweet beginning.
I don't think I've ever mentioned how charming it is that Thomas thanks her readers in her acknowledgments. Obviously, the pleasure is all mine. But it's a lovely thing to do, nonetheless. A counter example to those authors who behave badly.
***
I started to feel bad that I couldn't remember this better after only a couple of months. Then I realized I was off by a year. So, not as obviously losing my mind. One unexpected way in which reading is good for memory.
Library copy
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Review: Tempting the Bride
Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Over the three novels and three interstitial stories in this series Thomas provides many variations on the theme of love at first sight and some of the ways that plays out over time. The timescale, roughly a decade, leaves room to see what those first impressions mean to an HEA. It also permits characters to make dumb-ass choices, know that they are foolish, and consider what to do next. It raises the stakes and allows people a chance to learn and forgive.
Also, there's an added bonus. It is standard practice to have everyone find their partners gorgeous, but this series puts everyone's looks into a relative ranking: there's a beauty who elicits very different reactions from all the characters than the other women do. Plus we get to see a bit of everyone aging, which is rare.
Finally, I should mention how much I appreciate the historical grounding. It's just fun how people react to novelties and to innovations that have already become unnoticed.
Library copy
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Thursday, March 02, 2023
Wednesday, March 01, 2023
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