rabbitprincess grooves through 2023, part 2

In 2023, my usual categories get a surf-rock makeover thanks to the exciting musical stylings of Los Straitjackets! After many years, I finally got to see them live in 2022 backing Nick Lowe, who opened for Elvis Costello. Great show! Great tunes!

ROOT ticker:


2-for-1 TBR ticker:

General fiction - Out of Limits

1. Ithaca, by Claire North
2. Ratlines, by Stuart Neville
3. The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood
4. Stone Blind, by Natalie Haynes
5. Atalanta, by Jennifer Saint
6. Run Silent, Run Deep, by Edward L. Beach
7. The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Nasukawa (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
8. The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman: The Arabic Epic of Dhat al-Himma, translated by Melanie Magidow
9. The Third Man, by Graham Greene
10. The Librarianist, by Patrick deWitt
11. The Cruel Sea, by Nicholas Monsarrat
12. The Maintenance of Headway, by Magnus Mills
13. Volkswagen Blues, by Jacques Poulin (translated by Sheila Fischman)
14. Starlight, by Richard Wagamese
15. What You Are Looking for Is in the Library, by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts)

General non-fiction - Brains and Eggs

1. Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru, by Hugh Bonneville
2. Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, by Brené Brown
3. The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English, by Hana Videen
4. American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI, by Kate Winkler Dawson
5. This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You, by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
6. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, by Brené Brown
7. Love and Let Die: James Bond, The Beatles, and the British Psyche, by John Higgs
8. Code Gray: Death, Life and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi
9. Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone, by Sarah Jaffe
10. Walk Through Fire: The Train Disaster That Changed America, by Yasmine Ali
11. My Word Is My Bond: The Autobiography, by Roger Moore
12. Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, by David Eagleman
13. Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, by Gyles Brandreth
14. The Emotional Brain: Lost and Found in the Science of Emotion, by Dean Burnett
15. If I Betray These Words: Moral Injury in Medicine and Why It's So Hard for Clinicians to Put Patients First, by Wendy Dean and Simon Talbot
16. The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown
17. What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine, by Danielle Ofri
18. And Finally: Matters of Life and Death, by Henry Marsh
19. The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work, by Simone Stolzoff

Historical fiction - All Men Are Liars

(I take as my definition of "historical fiction" fiction about a time period 50 or more years before the book's publication.)

1. Kenneth, by Nigel Tranter
2. Children of the Mist, by Nigel Tranter
3. The Swift and the Harrier, by Minette Walters
4. Three Fires, by Denise Mina
5. Voices of the Dead, by Ambrose Parry

Historical non-fiction - Time Bomb

1. Fatal Rivalry: Flodden 1513: Henry VIII, James IV and the battle for Renaissance Britain, by George Goodwin
2. The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom, by Nancy Goldstone
3. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, by David Grann
4. The Invasion of Canada, by Pierre Berton
5. The LGBTQ+ History Book (DK Big Ideas Simply Explained)
6. Necropolis: London and Its Dead, by Catharine Arnold
7. The Morning After: The 1995 Quebec Referendum and the Day that Almost Was, by Chantal Hébert and Jean Lapierre
8. Lost at Sea: Eddie Rickenbacker's Twenty-Four Days Adrift on the Pacific--A World War II Tale of Courage and Faith, by John Wukovits

Mystery - Crime Scene

1. The Widow of Bath, by Margot Bennett
2. Whose Body?, by Dorothy L. Sayers
3. Blood on the Tracks, ed. Martin Edwards
4. The Widening Stain, by W. Bolingbroke Johnson
5. Gideon’s River, by J. J. Marric
6. The Curse of La Fontaine, by M. L. Longworth
7. Burial of Ghosts, by Ann Cleeves
8. Exile, by Denise Mina
9. The Franchise Affair, by Josephine Tey
10. The Twyford Code, by Janice Hallett
11. The Sea Mystery, by Freeman Wills Crofts
12. The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, by M. L. Longworth
13. The Murder Room, by P. D. James
14. A Question of Blood, by Ian Rankin
15. The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars, by Anthony Boucher
16. Fell Murder, by E. C. R. Lorac
17. Like Love, by Ed McBain
18. The Second Murderer, by Denise Mina
19. The Devil's Flute Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo (translated by Jim Rion)
20. The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman
21. A Noël Killing, by M. L. Longworth
22. A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny
23. Jigsaw, by Ed McBain

French - Rey Criollo
(I know this is Spanish, not French, but it's the closest I've got)

1. Tintin: Objectif Lune, by Hergé
2. Tommy Douglas, by Vincent Lam (translated from English by Alain Roy)
3. Maigret et le corps sans tête, by Georges Simenon

Rereads - Lately I've Let Things Slide
(such as... re-reading)

1. The Gun Seller, by Hugh Laurie
2. Endless Night, by Agatha Christie
3. Emily of New Moon, by L. M. Montgomery
4. Emily Climbs, by L. M. Montgomery
5. Emily's Quest, by L. M. Montgomery

Audio - Kawanga!

1. The Diary of River Song, Series 6 (Big Finish)
2. Doctor Who: The Blood Cell, by James Goss (read by Colin McFarlane)
3. My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, by Annabel Pitcher (read by David Tennant)
4. Missy, Series 1 (Big Finish audio drama)
5. UNIT: Extinction (Big Finish audio drama)

Plays - Tempest

1. Oedipus the King, by Sophocles (translated by David Grene)
2. Disraeli: A Play, by Louis Napoleon Parker

SFF - Space Mosquito

1. All Systems Red, by Martha Wells
2. Legends and Lattes, by Travis Baldree
3. The Diary of River Song, Series 6 (Big Finish audio drama)
4. Doctor Who: Marco Polo, by John Lucarotti
5. Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Vol. 1: Weapons of Past Destruction, by Cavan Scott
6. Doctor Who: The Blood Cell, by James Goss (audio, read by Colin McFarlane)
7. Here and Now and Then, by Mike Chen
8. Can't Spell Treason Without Tea, by Rebecca Thorne
9. Missy, Series 1 (Big Finish audio drama)
10. Dr. Who & the Daleks: The Story of the Films, by John Walsh
11. The Deviant Strain, by Justin Richards
12. Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 1: After Life, written by Al Ewing and Rob Williams, illustrated by Simon Fraser
13. Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 2: Serve You, written by Al Ewing, illustrated by Simon Fraser
14. Babel: An Arcane History, by R. F. Kuang
15. UNIT: Extinction (Big Finish audio drama)

Miscellaneous reads - Itchy Chicken

Short stories and essays

1. Last Leaves, by Stephen Leacock
2. Remainders of the Day, by Shaun Bythell
3. Testament of a Generation: The Journalism of Vera Brittan and Winifred Holtby, ed. Paul Beatty

Graphic novels and art books

1. Tintin: Objectif Lune, by Hergé
2. Heartstopper, Vol. 4, by Alice Oseman
3. The Tea Dragon Society, by K. O'Neill
4. The Tea Dragon Festival, by K. O'Neill
5. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 2, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
6. The Tea Dragon Tapestry, by K. O'Neill
7. Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Vol. 1: Weapons of Past Destruction, by Cavan Scott
8. A Man and His Cat, Vol. 2, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
9. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 3, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
10. Spy x Family, Vol. 1, by Tatsuya Endo (translated by Casey Loe)
11. A Man and His Cat, Vol. 3, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
12. Miroslav Šašek, by Martin Salisbury
13. A Man and His Cat, Vol. 4, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
14. Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 1: After Life, written by Al Ewing and Rob Williams, illustrated by Simon Fraser
15. A Man and His Cat, Vol. 5, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
16. Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 2: Serve You, written by Al Ewing, illustrated by Simon Fraser

Poetry and other miscellaneous books

1. The Atlas of Unusual Languages, by Zoran Nikolić
2. An Emotional Dictionary: Real Words for How You Feel, from Angst to Zwodder, by Susie Dent
3. The Legend of Zelda™: Tears of the Kingdom – The Complete Official Guide, by Piggyback Interactive
4. Writing with Style: The Economist Style Guide, by Lane Greene

Group reads - You Inspire Me

I'll list the CATs and KITs most likely to fit my reading, but I'll just see what books I read happen to fit the prompts rather than try to read books in an assigned month.

ClassicsCAT
January - Adventure Classics - pamelad
February - Before 1900- TessW
✔ March - Classics Adapted to Movies and TV - JayneCM - Emily of New Moon, by L. M. Montgomery
✔ April - Classic Mysteries - DeltaQueen - Endless Night, by Agatha Christie
May - Children's Classics - LadyoftheLodge
✔ June - Humour - VivienneR - Last Leaves, by Stephen Leacock
July - A Classic You Always Wanted to Read - NinieB
✔ August - Classics in Translation - pamelad - Oedipus the King, by Sophocles (translated by David Grene)
September - Non-fiction Classics - SallyLou
October - Classics by Women - MissWatson
November - The Ancient World - Robertgreaves - The Aeneid, by Virgil
December - Re-read a Classic - kac522

GeoCAT
January -- Central and Eastern Europe (Jackie_K)
✔ February -- A place you would like to visit (mathgirl40) - Kenneth, by Nigel Tranter (set in Scotland)
March -- Australia & New Zealand (pamelad)
April -- South America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (NinieB)
May -- Polar regions, islands, bodies of water (JayneCM)
June -- South Asia and South East Asia (MissBrangwen)
✔ July -- Western Europe (susannah.fraser)
August -- Central and Western Asia (Tess_W)
September -- Africa (whitewavedarling)
October -- Canada and US (DeltaQueen)
✔ November -- East Asia (MissWatson): Doctor Who: Marco Polo, by John Lucarotti
December -- Books you didn't get around to reading in the earlier months (Robertgreaves)

SeriesCAT
✔ January - JayneCM: A series that is new to you: All Systems Red, by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries, #1)
✔ February - pamelad: A series in translation: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 2, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
✔ March - LadyoftheLodge: YA/children Objectif Lune, by Hergé (Tintin is filed as juvenile literature in my library system)
✔ April - LibraryCin: A series that you don't need to read in order (or could be read as a one-off): Doctor Who: Marco Polo
✔ May - Helenliz: Trilogies: The Tea Dragon Tapestry, by K. O'Neill
June - whitewavedarling: Series by a favorite author
✔ July - Robertgreaves: Nonfiction series - Tommy Douglas, by Vincent Lam, translated by Alain Roy (Extraordinary Canadians series); Miroslav Šašek, by Martin Salisbury (The Illustrators series)
August - DeltaQueen50: A series you have been meaning to get back to
September - NinieB: A series that began more than 50 years ago
October - clue: Asian setting
November - VivienneR: Historical series
December - Tess_W: Set in a country/region where you do not live

MysteryKIT
✔ January—TV/movie detectives—lowelibrary Whose Body?, by Dorothy L. Sayers
✔ February--classic settings—MissBrangwen Blood on the Tracks, ed. Martin Edwards
March--paranormal—majkia
✔ April—tartan noir—VivienneR A Dark Matter, by Douglas Johnstone
May--true unsolved mysteries--mstrust
June—vintage--DeltaQueen50
✔ July—police procedural and private detectives—LibraryCin The Murder Room, by P.D. James
August--past and future—antqueen
✔ September--college/university setting--thornton37814 The Widening Stain, by W. Bolingbroke Johnson
October--locked room—majkia
November—senior sleuths/kid sleuths—LadyoftheLodge
December—cozy mystery—lowelibrary

RandomKIT
January - Hidden Gems - The Aeneid, by Virgil (oldest book on my to-read-own shelf on Goodreads)
✔ February - Second or Two - The Maintenance of Headway, by Magnus Mills (second book by this author that I will have read)
✔ March - Water, Water Everywhere - Gideon's River, by J.J. Marric
April - The Seven Ages of (Wo)man - Sword of Honour, by Evelyn Waugh (covers the "soldier" age)
✔ May - Royal names - Disraeli: A Play, by Louis Napoleon Parker (Louis is one of Prince William's middle names)
June - Walls - If Walls Could Talk, by Lucy Worsley
✔ July - The Muppets - Volkswagen Blues, by Jacques Poulin, translated by Sheila Fischman (blue car on cover, fave Muppets are blue, also summary mentions a cast of odd characters, which describes the Muppets rather well)
August - Tell me something good
September - The Wild West
October - Treats, not tricks
November
December

BingoDOG - Sasquatch



✔ 1. Art or craft related: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 2, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
✔ 2. Popular author's first book: The Master Key, by Masako Togawa
3. Topic you don't usually read about
✔ 4. Book that taught you something: Whose Body?, by Dorothy L. Sayers
✔ 5. Bestseller from 20 years ago - The Murder Room, by P.D. James / Shakey: Neil Young's Biography, by Jimmy McDonough
✔ 6. STEM topic: Code Gray: Death, Life and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi
✔ 7. Author under 30: Babel: An Arcane History, by R. F. Kuang (26 at the time of publication)
✔ 8. Number or quantity in title: The Third Man, by Graham Greene
✔ 9. Author is your zodiac sign Ithaca, by Claire North
10. Features inn or hotel
✔ 11. Next in series you've started: Heartstopper, Vol. 4, by Alice Oseman
✔ 12. Features music or musician: This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You, by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
13. Read a CAT
✔ 14. Small town or rural setting: Emily of New Moon, by L. M. Montgomery
15. Features a journalist or journalism
✔ 16. Set on plane, train, or ship: Blood on the Tracks, ed. Martin Edwards
✔ 17. Memoir: Playing Under the Piano, by Hugh Bonneville
✔ 18. Features member of cat family: A Man and His Cat, Vol. 2, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
✔ 19. More than 1000 copies on LT - Oedipus the King, by Sophocles (6009 members had copies at 2023-02-23)
20. Involves an accident
✔ 21. Book on the cover: Remainders of the Day: A Bookshop Diary, by Shaun Bythell
✔ 22. 4+ rating on LT: Legends and Lattes, by Travis Baldree (rating of 4.24 at 2023-01-06)
23. Switched or stolen identities:
24. Local or regional author
25. Plant in title or on cover

The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom, by Nancy Goldstone
Category: Time Bomb, You Inspire Me (July GeoCAT: Western Europe)
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/234610988

I felt like I was reading this forever, but Goodreads tells me it was only five days. Perhaps it felt longer because I was making an effort to read only one book at a time. The subject matter is interesting.

April recap

Big non-fiction books slowed me down a bit in April, giving me 13 books read.

Gideon’s River, by J. J. Marric
The Curse of La Fontaine, by M. L. Longworth
Burial of Ghosts, by Ann Cleeves
Exile, by Denise Mina
Emily of New Moon, by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
Love and Let Die: James Bond, The Beatles, and the British Psyche, by John Higgs
The Franchise Affair, by Josephine Tey (Faded Page)
Code Gray: Death, Life and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi
Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 2, by Yuki Midorikawa (translated by Lillian Olsen)
The Master Key, by Masako Togawa (translated by Simon Grove)
Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions, by Francesca T. Royster
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 3, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom, by Nancy Goldstone

Favourite book this month was Love and Let Die: James Bond, the Beatles, and the British Psyche. So much to think about and a book I want to get my own copy of so that I can read it again.

My least favourite book was Gideon’s River. The subplot was utterly distasteful.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, by Annabel Pitcher — it’s taking me longer than I would have thought to read this. If I get too much slower I might borrow the ebook from the library and finish it in print.
Evelina, by Frances Burney (Project Gutenberg) — Very slow going because it’s an ebook, so in theory I could read it at mealtimes, but the rest of the internet proves too distracting.
Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, translated by Hermann Pálsson — I foolishly started this as a bus book, but have moved it to an at-home book.
Testament of a Generation: The Journalism of Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby, ed. Paul Berry — a great collection that is working much better as a bus book.
Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone, by Sarah Jaffe — very appropriate reading just before May Day. I’ve also been feeling a bit burned out in my current job, so it seemed like a good time to pick this up.

May plans

I’d like to read some more short books this month and finish an audiobook!

Happy new thread, RP! The Goldstone book looks interesting!

Happy New Thread!

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread! Hope you have an excellent next couple of months of reading!

Happy New Thread!

Happy New Thread! Love catching up with your many reads.

>13 rabbitprincess: Love and Let Die: James Bond, the Beatles, and the British Psyche is going on my wishlist. After I read it, it will be a birthday present for my DIL who is very difficult to buy for.

ETA Happy new thread. Love going over your lists again.

>13 rabbitprincess: Have added Testament of a Generation to the Wishlist--I loved Testament of Youth and have enjoyed Holtby's fiction. Is this collection mostly nonfiction?

Thanks, everyone, for the new-thread wishes!

>14 MissWatson: The Goldstone book was quite interesting, but I felt it took me a long time to read because I have to think harder about who everybody is. Obviously I need to read more French history.

>17 Jackie_K: Hoping so! I'm always extra impatient to finish a book early in the month.

>20 VivienneR: I have a feeling you'll like it!

>21 kac522: Yes, it's all newspaper articles/columns, essays, and book reviews on a few different themes. I need to find a more readable edition of Testament of Youth; the Penguin Classics one has rather small line spacing for my liking.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, by Annabel Pitcher
Category: Kawanga!
Source: Libro.fm
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216773020

Ended up finishing this with the ebook from the library. It was fine, but I might have had too-high expectations for it.

Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone, by Sarah Jaffe
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/235095288

The introduction was good, but then the first chapter went on seemingly irrelevant tangents and I didn't relish reading a whole book's worth of that. Normally I would not even mark as read a book I read so little of, but I wanted to make sure I am not tempted to pick up this book again in future.

Happy new one.

How disappointing about Work Won't... The title seems to promise so much. I hope your next read is more enjoyable.

>24 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! Yes, that one was something of a disappointment. Fortunately, I followed it up with a much better one:

Stone Blind, by Natalie Haynes
Category: Out of Limits
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/238876452

I loved this! There were some great turns of phrase that made me laugh out loud, and I actually gasped out loud at a couple of shocking places (like when the Gorgoneion realized who the sea creature she looked at was, when Perseus rescued Andromeda).

>25 rabbitprincess: I agree, it was really very good.
I also finished Fatal Rivalry. Until the battle chapter I would describe the writing as "stodgy". It was interesting, but it didn't flow off the page.

>25 rabbitprincess: Taking a BB for Stone Blind!

I'd also be interested in seeing your review of The Challenger Launch Decision. I recall walking into my university's student centre where the launch was being shown on a big screen. I'd just left a class so didn't know what had happened, and was struck by the eerie silence in the crowded building.

>26 Helenliz: Stodgy is the perfect word for it!

>27 mathgirl40: That must have been terrible for them to see and to walk into unsuspectingly. The book is very good but taking me a while.

****

I got a bit stuck in my reading lately, but have managed to clear away the backlog now.

Walk Through Fire, by Yasmine Ali
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/239081231

I'd never heard of the Waverly train disaster before, but this book told me everything I'd need to know. I also didn't know this was the catalyst for establishing FEMA. Recommended if you like books about disasters.

Testament of a Generation: The Journalism of Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby, ed. Paul Berry
Category: Itchy Chicken
Source: By the Lake Books, Burlington, ON
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217134414

This was an interesting collection of journalism. I liked Holtby's writing better than Brittain's, but overall very good.

My Word Is My Bond: The Autobiography, by Roger Moore
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965539

Interesting that this of all things got me out of a reading slump. I read it in a couple of days. Contains two sets of photos, a plus in a biography!

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, by Rebecca Thorne
Category: Space Mosquito
Source: library
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/239692603

I wanted to like this and could perhaps have given it more of a chance, but it felt so similar to Legends and Lattes that I just couldn't continue. That said, if you didn't like Legends and Lattes but like the *idea* of a cozy fantasy novel, perhaps this might do the trick for you instead. (Of course, that depends on what you didn't like about L&L.)

It's a long weekend here so plenty of time for reading. I finished a lovely re-read.

Emily Climbs, by L.M. Montgomery
Category: Lately I’ve Let Things Slide
Source: pilfered from parents
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/31480/reviews/70475954

This is at least my third time through the trilogy and I enjoy it just as much every time.

>29 rabbitprincess: Never knew about this series. Will check it out with book 1!

>30 Tess_W: Often people will prefer either Anne or Emily, of LMM's heroines. I'm an Emily girl myself.

****

A lot of non-fiction is coming due at the library, so I wanted to get this one read quick. There was no real hurry on it, but I've renewed it twice.

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, by David Eagleman
Category: Brains and Eggs (appropriately enough)
Source: library
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/237223569

This book was published in 2011, which in 2023 feels somewhat dated. I will be interested to compare it with a more recent book, The Emotional Brain by Dean Burnett.

>29 rabbitprincess:, >31 rabbitprincess: I'm more of an Anne person, I think. I only read the first book of the Emily series and she was OK, but I didn't feel compelled to read on.

I have The Blue Castle from the library right now, but haven't started it. Have you read that one?

>32 kac522: We need both Annes and Emilys in this world! I have read The Blue Castle and loved it.

****

Continuing to work on non-fiction from the library. This one had 278 holds on it, so I couldn't renew it.

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, by David Grann
Category: Time Bomb
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/240069774

This was a very good shipwreck book (I've read a few). What impressed me about this incident was how little known it was, despite involving Lord Byron's grandfather (which I would have thought would make it more well known). Grann tells a story well, so this is worth picking up if you've liked his other books.

>33 rabbitprincess: - Another BB for my husband. I'll have to check the hold list at the library.

>34 dudes22: My work here is done :D Hopefully the holds line at your library is a bit shorter than mine!

****

Children of the Mist, by Nigel Tranter
Category: All Men Are Liars
Source: Book Trader, Brockville
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228377516

So far all of my historical fiction read this year has been by Nigel Tranter. Not my fault he was prolific about Scotland! This was a very good one. Apparently Tranter's mother was descended from the MacGregors, so no wonder he wrote so much about them.

Edit: yikes, I had the wrong touchstone at first; the first result for that title is a romance novel. Oh my.

Atalanta, by Jennifer Saint
Category: Out of Limits
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/240288809

Interesting that 4 of the 5 general fiction books I've read so far this year have been Greek-myth retellings. This was fine, but I got stressed out partway through and had to read the end to see how it turned out.

>35 rabbitprincess: - "Well my work here is done" - I can always count on you for at least 1 if not more BBs for my husband.

>37 dudes22: Has he read Run Silent, Run Deep? I have that one on deck for June :)

May recap

It’s Zelda’s fault that I read less this month: 12 books read.
(I’ve been watching streamers play the new Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, and I finally decided to start the previous game, Breath of the Wild, for myself.)

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, by Annabel Pitcher (audio, read by David Tennant)
Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone, by Sarah Jaffe
Stone Blind, by Natalie Haynes
Walk Through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America, by Yasmine Ali
Testament of a Generation: The Journalism of Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby, ed. Paul Berry
My Word Is My Bond: The Autobiography, by Roger Moore
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, by Rebecca Thorne
Emily Climbs, by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, by David Eagleman
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, by David Grann
Children of the Mist, by Nigel Tranter
Atalanta, by Jennifer Saint

Favourite book this month was Stone Blind. Also seriously considering getting my own copy.

My least favourite book was Work Won’t Love You Back. I bailed partway through the first chapter.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan
Evelina, by Frances Burney (Project Gutenberg) — Still very slow going.
Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, translated by Hermann Pálsson — This book has earned the title of “book buried under library books on the coffee table”.
Missy: Series 1 (Big Finish audio drama) — I’ve listened to the first story, “A Spoonful of Mayhem”, and it was delightful.
The Invasion of Canada: 1812-1813 by Pierre Berton — the first half of my Pierre Berton’s War of 1812 omnibus. I read the second half several years ago.
The LGBTQ+ History Book (DK Big Ideas Simply Explained) — I love these Big Ideas Simply Explained books, and this is a timely read for Pride Month.
Disraeli: A Play in Four Acts, by Louis Napoleon Parker — A random find in my grandma’s library that I’m reading for the May RandomKIT.

June plans

A little bit of everything is on deck this month. If I can read more consistently at all, that would be helpful.

>39 rabbitprincess: Oh, I'm looking forward to your comments about the Orkneyinga Saga! I bought it in 2016 but haven't read it yet.

>33 rabbitprincess: I do love me some shipwrecks! I requested this from my library and am 3/3 so the estimated time is 18 weeks.

>35 rabbitprincess: Another BB! My interest is in James I

>40 MissBrangwen: I would like to get back to it sometime!

>41 Tess_W: Excellent! I have another shipwreck book on my holds list that sounds interesting: Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester.

>42 Tess_W: I think I probably will end up reading The Wisest Fool as my next Tranter; it's all about James VI/I!

Disraeli: A Play, by Louis Napoleon Parker
Category: Tempest
Source: pilfered from grandparents
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/92648638

A random book pilfered from my grandparents' collection. It was a quick read and made me think I should read more about Disraeli and Gladstone.

Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, by Gyles Brandreth
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/240691628

As you might expect from a Gyles Brandreth book, it's very long and contains many anecdotes told to him by famous personages and sometimes involving him. But the picture painted was interesting if the Royal Family (or at least the Queen) interests you.

The Emotional Brain: Lost and Found in the Science of Emotion, by Dean Burnett
Category: Brains and Eggs (appropriately enough)
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/240691647

Emily’s Quest, by L. M. Montgomery
Category: Lately I’ve Let Things Slide
Source: pilfered from parents
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/31481/reviews/70475983

The Twyford Code, by Janice Hallett
Category: Crime Scene
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/241162981

I appreciated the construction of this book, but nearly ended up bailing. Could have been at least partly my slumpy mood.

I'm sorry to hear that the "Work Won't Love You Back" was a dud - it does sound like an interesting premise. And I did not know that it was a train wreck that helped to create FEMA. They're an organization that seems to have always existed. And yeah, the Greek Myths seem to yield a large variety of re-tellings; thank you for sharing them!

And happy June reading month - hope it continues to be a good one for you.

>48 threadnsong: Yeah, I didn't know that about FEMA either! I assumed it was some kind of natural disaster like a hurricane that inspired its creation. Walk Through Fire was really interesting and I would definitely recommend it.

Greek myth retellings seem to be having a moment and I am here for it!

I keep getting distracted by video games and having too many books on the go to settle on one, but we'll make it work. I have the day off on Monday, so that should help. Hope your June is going well!

Spy x Family, Vol. 1, by Tatsuya Endo (translated by Casey Loe)
Category: Itchy Chicken
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/241430044

Manga to the rescue of my reading numbers once again! This book has a long holds list at the library and I can see why. Quite fun. Will have to request Vol. 2 soon.

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 3, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
Category: Itchy Chicken
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/239580427

Still being rescued by the manga. Basically, if manga involves a cute cat, I'm probably interested.

If I Betray These Words: Moral Injury in Medicine and Why It's So Hard for Clinicians to Put Patients First, by Wendy Dean and Simon Talbot
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/241163034

Hard to do this book justice with a short review, but it is well worth reading.

>52 rabbitprincess: I am always interested in medical ethics. This one will go on my someday soon list. Thanks for your review.

>52 rabbitprincess: - I can't say I'm surprised by your review. I've heard snippets like that before. It doesn't sound like any solutions are offered.

>53 beebeereads: It's a good one. I hope you find it interesting!

>54 dudes22: The book does show how various doctors have coped with the system and how it is possible to bring about change, but it's definitely a challenge.

June recap

Haven’t felt like reading much of anything this month for various reasons (travel, video games, just not being interested in much), so I ended up with 8 books this month:

Disraeli: A Play in Four Acts, by Louis Napoleon Parker
Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, by Gyles Brandreth
The Emotional Brain: Lost and Found in the Science of Emotion, by Dean Burnett
Emily’s Quest, by L.M. Montgomery (reread)
The Twyford Code, by Janice Hallett
Spy x Family, Vol. 1, by Tatsuya Endo (translated by Casey Loe)
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 3, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
If I Betray These Words: Moral Injury in Medicine and Why It's So Hard for Clinicians to Put Patients First

Favourite book this month was Emily’s Quest. A reliable re-read!

My least favourite book was Disraeli: A Play in Four Acts. It was OK but not reaching 3 stars.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan
Evelina, by Frances Burney (Project Gutenberg) — Still very slow going. I think I might set it aside for now and maybe wait to get a print copy.
Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, translated by Hermann Pálsson — This book has earned the title of “book buried under library books on the coffee table”.
Missy: Series 1 (Big Finish audio drama) — I’ve listened to the second story, “Divorced, Beheaded, Regenerated”. Any guesses as to which historical figure this story involves?
The Invasion of Canada: 1812-1813 by Pierre Berton — the first half of my Pierre Berton’s War of 1812 omnibus. My hometown library has an ebook version, so I’ve been reading that; my print copy is at my parents’ place.
The LGBTQ+ History Book (DK Big Ideas Simply Explained) — I love these Big Ideas Simply Explained books, although I do have to read them a bit at a time because they pack so much information in. Glad to be able to renew this, though, to have more time with it.
Un jardin au bout du monde, by Gabrielle Roy — a collection of novellas that are slower going than I would have thought.
Run Silent, Run Deep, by Edward L. Beach — the classic WW2 submarine novel. This one has held my interest the most lately.

July plans

I’ll be visiting my parents for a week, so I’ll most certainly be raiding their crime fiction shelves (and reading my copy of The Invasion of Canada, picking up where I’ve left off).

Hope the trip goes well and the shelf raiding is productive. >:-)

>57 Helenliz: I’ve set aside two books to read and plan to start one of them today! I’m also here to go through papers of mine and other things that are stored here, so it’s a quietly productive time (well, except when I start cackling at some old piece of writing I did at the age of 8).

Putting this book on my parents’ shelves now that I’m done with it.

The Sea Mystery, by Freeman Wills Crofts
Category: Crime Scene
Source: Book Trader
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/765063/reviews/228377410

This entry in the Inspector French series isn’t THAT much of a sea mystery, but it’s pretty good nonetheless. It does spoil The Cask, an earlier entry in the series, so proceed with caution if you don’t like spoilers. I’m just going to have to wait a while before I read that one :D

>58 rabbitprincess: Oh yes, been there.
When I cleared my parents house I went through it all. My parents had kept all sorts of things that never needed to see the light of day. Although i will say that my teachers had a very good handle on me very early, reading my school reports was a hoot!

>60 Helenliz: The fun discovery this time was a bunch of library receipts from high school and a reading log from school when I was 9. My Goodreads list is that much more up to date now! (I am also amused that Past Me loved to read true ghost stories; they’re too scary for me now!)

The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, by M. L. Longworth
Category: Crime Scene
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/21551636/reviews/243500119

This installment of the Verlaque and Bonnet series experiments a bit with the telling of the story and it’s an interesting experiment. I now have 3 books left in the series and should finish it sometime next year, at the rate I’m reading them (one per visit to my parents).

The Invasion of Canada, by Pierre Berton
Category: Time Bomb
Source: gift from parents, part of an omnibus
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/361985/reviews/240956279

I read this as part of an omnibus that also contains Flames Across the Border; both books together cover the War of 1812. It’s a good read, much more compelling for me in print despite the size of the book (I’d tried an ebook but no dice).

>61 rabbitprincess: I loved this insight into your past as a reader. I found a little notebook I kept recording the books I'd read when I was about 11 and let loose on the high school / secondary school's collection of fiction. Sadly my reviews were at their longest three lines long and more commonly consisted of variations between "good" and "very good"!

>64 charl08: Oh that must have been such a great find, even with the rather concise reviews! I wish I’d kept a more consistent reading log, especially of series. I know I read a LOT of 87th Precinct novels in high school but can’t for the life of me remember which ones. Ditto the Hardy Boys; I’m actually buying some of the paperback ones at book sales now to see if any seem familiar.

The Murder Room, by P. D. James
Category: Crime Scene, You Inspire Me (July MysteryKIT)
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/421/reviews/243500663

“Almost liked it, but not quite” sums up my thoughts rather well. It took a frightfully long time for the first murder to happen, and the story didn’t pick up until the second murder (which was suitably horrifying). I also found the solution not quite fair play, relying a bit on coincidence and something that was either withheld from the reader or presented too subtly for me to remember at all, despite reading this book in just 2 days.

Now that I'm home again, time to catch up on library books that have been on my shelves for a while. (I have three more to pick up tomorrow...)

Miroslav Šašek, by Martin Salisbury
Category: Itchy Chicken, You Inspire Me (July SeriesCAT)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/240290469

I've been charmed by Šašek's illustrations ever since I came across a This Is London wall calendar in late 2018/early 2019, so naturally I snapped up this short biography of the author, which is part of a series called The Illustrators published by Thames & Hudson. A good read.

Run Silent, Run Deep, by Edward L. Beach
Category: Out of Limits
Source: Book Trader
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/228377460

A lucky find at a secondhand bookstore. Very good.

The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
Category: Out of Limits
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/239580349

A nice quick read with lots to think about.

Missy: Series 1 (Big Finish audio drama)
Category: Kawanga!, Space Mosquito
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/168247445

This box set puts at the forefront Missy, the Twelfth Doctor's major nemesis in Doctor Who. My favourite story was "Divorced, Beheaded, Regenerated", which as you might expect from the title features Henry VIII.

>68 rabbitprincess: Run Silent has been on my shelf for years....thanks for reminding me! I'm reading WWII books this quarter so I'll go find it! Glad you liked it.

>68 rabbitprincess: Never heard of this, but my dad is a big fan of WW2 stuff so will try and see if this is one he'd like.
Thank you!

>70 Tess_W: Excellent! I hope you like it.

>71 charl08: I hope it does the trick! There was also a movie starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster.

>69 rabbitprincess: 'Divorced, beheaded, regenerated' is SUCH a brilliant title, isn't it?!

>68 rabbitprincess: I remember the movie more than the book - maybe it was shown on TV in the early 70's? Either way, I'm glad you had a chance to read this classic.

>69 rabbitprincess: What a clever name for this story! And enjoying how Dr. Who keeps developing over the decades.

What fun to see your early library logs and reading lists! If only our younger selves knew they were really writing for our older selves.

>73 Jackie_K: It so is! I think I may have applauded when I read the title.

>74 threadnsong: Quite possibly. The book seems to be tricky to find in print, or at least I haven't come across it easily. My library certainly didn't have it. The movie is on the Tubi app, which seems to be a free-with-commercials streaming service. Might look into it.

And yes it has been really fun to see some of the stuff Younger Me created -- a lot of it I remember, but some of it I have zero recollection of writing!

>74 threadnsong: >75 rabbitprincess: You can read the book online here with a free account.
https://archive.org/details/runsilentrundeep00beac_0/mode/2up

Someone in the 1001 group mentioned this website as a fantastic resource to find all those OOP 1001 books and I have been able to find everything I have looked for so far. I need to read on my computer as it is not Kindle friendly (without converting files, which I am not going to bother with) but that has not been a problem.

>76 JayneCM: Good to know!

The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman: The Arabic Epic of Dhat al-Himma, translated by Melanie Magidow
Category: Out of Limits
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/242683063

I picked this up after seeing it on Litsy. It was a quick read for a myths-and-legends sort of book; lots of short chapters.

A Question of Blood, by Ian Rankin
Category: Crime Scene
Source: a friend who accidentally bought a second copy of this
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/242951163

I received a copy of this from a friend who'd accidentally bought a duplicate when she was used-book shopping. A Rebus is always a good read.

The Third Man, by Graham Greene
Category: Out of Limits
Source: library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/239577119

A very long-standing entry on my to-read list but a bit of a disappointment; Greene himself preferred the movie version of the story and because I'd read the preface stating that, I couldn't get into the story.

The LGBTQ+ History Book (DK Big Ideas Simply Explained)
Category: Time Bomb
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/241060733

Consistently interesting, crammed with information.

The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars, by Anthony Boucher
Category: Crime Scene
Source: Christmas present
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/210003550

This was a lot of fun and a fair-play mystery. Makes me want to read Holmes again!

July recap

A better month this month, with 13 books read.

The Sea Mystery, by Freeman Wills Crofts
The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche, by M. L. Longworth
The Invasion of Canada, by Pierre Berton
The Murder Room, by P. D. James
Miroslav Šašek, by Martin Salisbury
Run Silent, Run Deep, by Edward L. Beach
The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
Missy, Series 1 (Big Finish audio drama)
The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman: The Arabic Epic of Dhat al-Himma, translated by Melanie Magidow
A Question of Blood, by Ian Rankin
The Third Man, by Graham Greene
The LGBTQ+ History Book (DK Big Ideas Simply Explained)
The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars, by Anthony Boucher

Favourite book this month was The LGBTQ+ History Book. So much to learn, and I love the DK Big Ideas Simply Explained series.

My least favourite book was The Third Man, which I had to push myself to finish more than my other 2.5-star read, The Murder Room.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan — finished Chapter 5 yesterday.
Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, translated by Hermann Pálsson — I’ve unearthed this and put it on top of the coffee table, so maybe I’ll read more of it sometime :D
Un jardin au bout du monde, by Gabrielle Roy — a collection of novellas that are slower going than I would have thought.
Fell Murder, by E.C.R. Lorac — was reading this for the Golden Age Crime Club on Litsy but didn’t finish it in time. Should be able to finish this week.
The Librarianist, by Patrick deWitt — a new deWitt novel is always a cause for celebration for me! (Never mind that I haven’t read Undermajordomo Minor yet.)
The Cruel Sea, by Nicholas Monsarrat — continuing a small theme of nautical books that I started last month with Run Silent, Run Deep.

August plans

I have a few non-fiction books on my shelves this month, so I hope to get into those. And having a day off work will hopefully give me some good reading time.

The Librarianist, by Patrick deWitt
Category: Out of Limits
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/244094236

A good novel because it's Patrick deWitt, but I've liked the other ones I've read more. I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this, though! There's some good characters and observations. I was just restless reading it.

>83 rabbitprincess: Patrick deWitt is a fine author, but Undermajordomo Minor is one you can skip, in my opinion.

>84 rabbitprincess: I reserved this at the library before it was on the shelf and read about 30 pages and then decided it wasn't the time for it. I'm not entirely sure that's true, but I'll try it again later, just couldn't get into it, and that's partly because it was so different than I exected.

>85 RidgewayGirl: Ha that one's on my on-deck shelf at the moment! I'm probably still going to read it because the summary gives me Grand Budapest Hotel vibes, and I loved that movie. Of deWitt's work, The Sisters Brothers has been my absolute favourite.

>86 clue: That could have been part of it for me as well; I had a lot of books out from the library and had to keep this one past its due date to finish it. Even though we don't have fines anymore for overdue materials, perhaps that time pressure had an effect on my reading.

>84 rabbitprincess: On my TBR deck....hmmmm!

>88 Tess_W: One reader's opinion, your mileage may vary, etc. :)

Dr. Who & the Daleks: The Official Story of the Films, by John Walsh
Category: Space Mosquito
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/244094309

Good on the library for ordering this! I knew nothing of the Peter Cushing films (except that Peter Cushing played the Doctor), and I learned a great deal from this book. Would be interested in seeing at least the first movie (before deciding whether to watch the second).

The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/244556325

Just what I needed to read at this time. Will probably get my own copy to read again.

What Doctors Feel, by Danielle Ofri
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/239576943

Continuing a small theme of "dealing with emotions". I've read other books by Ofri and liked this one as well.

And Finally: Matters of Life and Death, by Henry Marsh
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/244706430

Now caught up with the Henry Marsh oeuvre.

Fell Murder, by E.C.R. Lorac
Category: Crime Scene
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/243975061

Not my favourite Lorac mystery. It presents a good view of WW2 England from the homefront, but the murder took too long and I didn't really care whodunnit.

The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work, by Simone Stolzoff
Category: Brains and Eggs
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/245094727

I liked this book but did feel a bit dismayed reading it because I do my best to disconnect from work but it is still quite stressful. Time for a midlife crisis perhaps :D

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 4, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
Category: Itchy Chicken
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/243228945

I love this series and will not stop reading it! Super cute.

The Cruel Sea, by Nicholas Monsarrat
Category: Out of Limits
Source: Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/134021630

A very good WW2 novel. Apparently sea battles are my jam. This one could have done with more female characters though. The Wrens did make an appearance so perhaps a novel focused on them would be interesting.

Like Love, by Ed McBain
Category: Crime Scene
Source: church book sale
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/130511216

A short book but with an unsatisfying, at least for me, solution. Also, rather a lot of objectification of women. Not a keeper.

>97 rabbitprincess: - My hubby just read The Wager by David Grann and gave it high marks. Might be something you'd like.

>99 dudes22: It is indeed! I read it earlier this year, although in a bit of a rush because it had a lot of holds on it and I couldn't renew. Glad your hubby liked it too!

>96 rabbitprincess: I just picked up the first volume from the library. The cat is so adorable!

Hello and happy mid-August! Glad to see you are continuing your read of interesting books on so many different subjects. And thanks for your honest reviews.

>96 rabbitprincess: A Man and His Cat sounds charming! I just checked and my library has the series, so I've added it to my library wishlist.

>101 JayneCM: Enjoy! He is super adorable :)

>102 threadnsong: Thanks for stopping by! I do like to change it up quite a bit in my reading, alternating fiction and non-fiction to keep from getting bored :)

>103 mathgirl40: Hurray! It's been the perfect little serotonin boost over the course of the year. I was following 3 different manga series over the past year but have decided to see this one through and then go back to the other two.

The Swift and the Harrier, by Minette Walters
Category: All Men Are Liars
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/245431564

I love historical fiction but haven't always been able to settle with it. This one was great, despite the huge hardcover. I liked the matter-of-fact, highly competent Jayne, and the English Civil War is a period I haven't read much about.

This might be an interesting pairing with the Ambrose Parry series featuring Simpson, Fisher and Raven, in that both books feature female physicians plying their trade in a very male-dominated field (although they're a couple of hundred years apart).

The Maintenance of Headway, by Magnus Mills
Category: Out of Limits, You Inspire Me (February RandomKIT: second book read by a particular author)
Source: Foyles, London
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/98385218

This short novel / novella made a refreshing change of pace. Mills works as a bus driver, so the rhythm and the scenarios feel 100% accurate. Definitely my favourite of the two Mills novels I've read so far.

>106 rabbitprincess: I love Magnus Mills, started with The Restraint of Beasts, and thought I'd read this one but haven't recorded it. A second read won't hurt if I'm wrong. Which other Mills book have you read?

>107 pamelad: The Scheme for Full Employment, which I liked, but I loved Maintenance of Headway more.

>105 rabbitprincess: Ooooo, I have read Minette Walters before and really liked her. Since I love the English Civil War this is definitely one I'm going to pick up!

>109 Tess_W: Excellent, I hope you like it!

August recap

Not a terrible month: 12 books read.

The Librarianist, by Patrick deWitt
Dr. Who & the Daleks: The Official Story of the Films, by John Walsh
The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown
What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine, by Danielle Ofri
And Finally: Matters of Life and Death, by Henry Marsh
Fell Murder, by E. C. R. Lorac (Faded Page)
The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work, by Simone Stolzoff
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 4, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
The Cruel Sea, by Nicholas Monsarrat
Like Love, by Ed McBain
The Swift and the Harrier, by Minette Walters
The Maintenance of Headway, by Magnus Mills

Favourite book this month was Dr. Who & the Daleks: The Official Story of the Films, by John Walsh. It was really well put together and interesting.

My least favourite book was Like Love, by Ed McBain, which was more unpleasant than my other two-star mystery read, Fell Murder.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan — finished Chapter 5 yesterday.
Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, translated by Hermann Pálsson — I’ve unearthed this and put it on top of the coffee table, so maybe I’ll read more of it sometime :D
Un jardin au bout du monde, by Gabrielle Roy — a collection of novellas that are slower going than I would have thought.
UNIT: Extinction, by Andrew Smith — a Big Finish boxed set that I have ready on my phone.
Necropolis: London and Its Dead, by Catharine Arnold — Robertgreaves read this fairly recently, so I took that as my cue to pull it off the shelf.
The Second Murderer, by Denise Mina — Denise Mina taking on Philip Marlowe was too intriguing to resist! I’m liking it so far.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: The Complete Official Guide -- This is a simply MASSIVE book about the most recent Legend of Zelda game for Nintendo Switch. My other half will be playing the game eventually (he's occupied with another game at the moment), so I'm reading up on it first so that I know more than he does :D

September plans

Hoping to focus on my own books this month, while making my way through the Legend of Zelda book.

Well, my library hold for The Librarianist has finally come in and I hope I like it more than you did. I quite liked (but didn't love) The Sisters Brothers and disliked Undermajordomo Minor, but I hope the subject matter will make me finally like deWitt's writing.

I recently added The Librarianist to my library list and when this month's RandomKIT was announced I was reminded that The Sisters Brothers was a good fit and something I'd like to re-read. Like >112 RidgewayGirl: I wasn't charmed by it the first time but I'm currently about halfway through and really glad I gave it another go.

>112 RidgewayGirl: I liked the concept of The Librarianist very much, and the characters, but I felt the middle dragged on a bit.

>113 VivienneR: Yay! I really loved The Sisters Brothers from the off, with the exception of one scene. I should read it again!

The Second Murderer, by Denise Mina
Category: Crime Scene
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/246121481

I'll read pretty much anything by Denise Mina, and I really liked her take on Philip Marlowe. Dare I say this is my favourite Marlowe novel? Yes, I dare.

Necropolis: London and Its Dead, by Catharine Arnold
Category: Time Bomb
Source: Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/145799867

This is an interesting book, although because of when it was published it does feel like it ends a bit early; it was published in 2006.

The Devil’s Flute Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo (translated by Jim Rion)
Category: Crime Scene
Source: library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/246696092

My face nearly froze into a perma-grimace on finishing this book. Definitely the squickiest motive I've read so far in this series. But reminders of David Peace's Occupied City and the well-employed suspense brought this up from the bottom of my ranking of the Kindaichi books I've read.

The Deviant Strain, by Justin Richards
Category: Space Mosquito
Source: By the Lake Books
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/164421095

A Ninth Doctor novel that was just the ticket for my slightly peaky reading mojo. I read this in a few hours and enjoyed it very much.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 1: After Life, written by Al Ewing and Rob Williams, illustrated by Simon Fraser
Category: Space Mosquito, Itchy Chicken
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162694649

Absolutely loved this comic. The Doctor and Alice have a good dynamic, and the chapters of the story built on each other but were also satisfying adventures in and of themselves.

Volkswagen Blues, by Jacques Poulin
Category: Out of Limits
Source: Friends of Library and Archives book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/89848680

A Canada Reads finalist in English translation in 2005 (but published much earlier, in the 1980s), this was a good read.

Three Fires, by Denise Mina
Category: All Men Are Liars
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/247705736

I'll read pretty much anything Denise Mina writes, especially if it's a novella, because short fiction has been working well for me lately. I liked this but would probably like Rizzio better, if only because I'm more familiar with the history in that one.

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 5, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
Category: Itchy Chicken
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/247705471

Quite possibly my favourite in the series so far. An emotional story indeed!

The Legend of Zelda™: Tears of the Kingdom – The Complete Official Guide, by Piggyback Interactive
Category: Itchy Chicken
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/248211406

We haven't started playing Tears of the Kingdom yet, but when the library ordered this I had to pick it up to see how it was organized. It's a fantastic resource: complete walkthroughs of the main questline that avoid story spoilers as much as possible (and give warnings!), combat tips, an atlas (perhaps the most useful part), and more. The only quibble I have is the font is a bit small, but that can be excused because there is a LOT of information to cram into this book.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 2: Serve You, written by Al Ewing, illustrated by Simon Fraser
Category: Itchy Chicken, Space Mosquito
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162694685

After starting a chunkster (Babel), I naturally gravitated to a comic. This is a good one.

Starlight, by Richard Wagamese
Category: Out of Limits
Source: Great Glebe Garage Sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/241215859

I love Richard Wagamese's work, so even an unfinished novel is still great.

>125 rabbitprincess: I totally agree!

>125 rabbitprincess: That was my first Wagamese book and it made me a fan. He died too soon.

>126 DeltaQueen50: >127 VivienneR: It ended at the most tantalizing place, too! The editor part of me wonders if Wagamese did write more beyond the end point or if what was published was the most ready for publication.

Babel: An Arcane History, by R. F. Kuang
Category: Space Mosquito
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/248944266

A book set in Oxford featuring translators at the heart of a revolution was bound to pique my interest (former translator ahoy). I loved this. It's a big book but I couldn't put it down. And now I have a book hangover as I try to figure out what to read next.

>129 rabbitprincess: I keep seeing this everywhere, but the chunksterness of it is putting me off so far. Really very tempting though, especially re your comments about it being linked to language (which I clearly should have worked out from the title!)

>129 rabbitprincess: Glad to see you liked this so much. It's on my tbr list for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

>129 rabbitprincess: Happy to see the positive review and 5-star rating! I've already bought the book on a friend's urging, but now I am even more excited about it!

>129 rabbitprincess: There were some very interesting ideas about translation in there and the concept of the tension between a word and its translation as a source of energy was brilliant. I was less entranced by the YA feel of the rest of the book though. Still, I'm looking forward to reading Yellowface.

>130 charl08: I was waiting for it from the library for quite a while, so when it finally arrived I knew I had to push to read it quickly! But that said, it read very well.

>131 pamelad: Hope you like it!

>132 christina_reads: Haha I am a bit worried about hyping it up, but I do hope you like it!

>133 RidgewayGirl: My translation theory class was nowhere NEAR that interesting, even setting aside the whole silver-working business (which was really neat). I didn't get YA vibes from Babel, but that could be because my stereotype of YA is that it has teenage protagonists, usually in some sort of dystopia with attribute-sorting systems (as in Divergent), love triangles (as in Twilight), or fights to the death (as in Hunger Games).

I've put The Poppy War on my list and will have to read Yellowface as well!

Hope to Die, by David Jackson
Category: Crime Scene
Source: Book Depository
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201426266

The second of a short (only four books) series featuring DS Nathan Cody, based in Liverpool. It's a police procedural with some gruesome details. Not on the same gore level as Stuart MacBride, but certainly gorier than I've been reading lately. It was fine, short and snappy.

Writing with Style: The Economist Style Guide, by Lane Greene
Category: Itchy Chicken
Source: library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/248445774

The best part is about how to write carefully about numbers and statistics. The rest feels oddly prescriptive and fussy. Stick to Dreyer's English; it's funnier and more flexible.

What You Are Looking for Is in the Library, by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts)
Category: Out of Limits
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/248655790

This was exactly what I needed to read. I loved discovering how all the characters connected and was happy for all of them figuring out what they wanted to do in life.

I'm travelling today, so I'll post my September recap now and add to it later if I happen to finish anything else.

September recap

Thank you, comics, for getting me to 15 books read this month.

The Second Murderer, by Denise Mina
Necropolis: London and Its Dead, by Catharine Arnold
The Devil’s Flute Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo (translated by Jim Rion)
The Deviant Strain, by Justin Richards
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 1: After Life, written by Al Ewing and Rob Williams, illustrated by Simon Fraser
Volkswagen Blues, by Jacques Poulin (translated by Sheila Fischman)
Three Fires, by Denise Mina
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 5, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: The Official Guide
Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Vol. 2: Serve You, written by Al Ewing, illustrated by Simon Fraser
Starlight, by Richard Wagamese
Babel: An Arcane History, by R. F. Kuang
Hope to Die, by David Jackson
Writing with Style: The Economist Style Guide, by Lane Greene
What You Are Looking for Is in the Library, by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts)

Favourite book this month was Babel: An Arcane History. As a former translator, I needed to read it, and now I will read everything Kuang has written.

I had two 2.5-star books this month : The Devil’s Flute Murders and Writing with Style: The Economist Style Guide. The former had an unpleasant motive for the murders, and the latter was prescriptive and fussy.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker
The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, by Diane Vaughan
Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, translated by Hermann Pálsson — I’ve unearthed this and put it on top of the coffee table, so maybe I’ll read more of it sometime :D
Un jardin au bout du monde, by Gabrielle Roy — I learned recently that Roy has a very individual writing style, so that might explain why I've been struggling with this.
UNIT: Extinction, by Andrew Smith — a Big Finish boxed set that I have ready on my phone.

October plans

I’m at my parents’ for 10 days so will be raiding their shelves. The most recent Louise Penny (A World of Curiosities) and the new Thursday Murder Club (The Last Devil to Die) are on the list.

Glad to hear you loved Babel. I did too, and I'm reading Yellowface at the moment.

Enjoy the visit with your parents. Lucky for you they have a well-stocked lending library.

>137 rabbitprincess: The local library has this on order, so I've put myself on the reservation list. It sounds like a happy book.

>139 mathgirl40: I'll have to add Yellowface to my list as well! But first, The Poppy War.

>140 VivienneR: They sure do! I am never short of choices.

>141 pamelad: Excellent! Yes, I found it quite heartwarming.

Catching up with reviews from my vacation.

UNIT: Extinction (Big Finish audio drama)
Category: Space Mosquito, Kawanga!
Source: Big Finish Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179544480

This was a fun listen. Even though the Doctor isn't around, the other characters carry the story well, especially Osgood :)

The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman
Category: Crime Scene
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/250028696

All caught up with the Thursday Murder Club. I regret nothing.

A Noël Killing, by M.L. Longworth
Category: Crime Scene
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/250074270

It might have been more logical to save this for my Christmas visit to my parents, but I couldn't wait that long. Only two more books in the series to go.

Voices of the Dead, by Ambrose Parry
Category: All Men Are Liars
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/250204163

All caught up with Raven, Fisher, and Simpson.

A World of Curiosities, by Louise Penny
Category: Crime Scene
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/250074359

All caught up with Gamache and the Three Pines gang, and my vacation reading!

The Morning After: The 1995 Quebec Referendum and the Day that Almost Was, by Chantal Hébert and Jean Lapierre
Category: Time Bomb
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/245094245

Although the history in this book isn't that old, I'm counting it as history. It's an alternative history of sorts: interviewing key political figures in Canada to find out what they might have done or what they were prepared for if the 1995 Quebec referendum had resulted in a Yes vote (to separate Quebec from Canada). A short, easy read.

Lost at Sea: Eddie Rickenbacker's Twenty-Four Days Adrift on the Pacific--A World War II Tale of Courage and Faith, by John Wukovits
Category: Time Bomb
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/244094284