With the times that we’re living in now, some entertainment budget decisions are necessary and with that said, I am taking an extended break from my book subscription box services.
After all, late summer and early fall are perfect for catching up with my already oversized TBR piles, plus I have other options (more on that later) for fresh reads.
In the meantime, my July box from Book of the Month Club was so good that I finished one of the books already!
Now, before I talk about that title, I need to mention that my main selection was a Member’s Favorite that was very well received last year, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston(just a few chapters in and so far, pretty good) and the other was the latest from Christina Lauren, The Romance Revival.
Emory Martin loves her husband Luca but it feels as if she loves her job more these days, due to the development of a secret compound that could revive the dead.
Rushing home one night, upon realizing that she’s late for their anniversary dinner, Emory witnesses Luca being in a car accident and she happens to have said miracle cure right at hand…
Luca is restored physically but his memory is a mess to say the least. He can’t even remember being married to Emory who not only has to go into coverup mode with the world at large but perhaps this bizarre situation is the ultimate opportunity for a relationship do-over.
This may sound very sci-fi scary but Lauren tends to be more invested in the human emotional aspects of any of their STEM themed stories and I’m sure that is the case here. Should be interesting to see how well this trip down memory lane for our leads works out indeed:
The book that I did finish was Kirsty Greenwood’s Romantic Hero, which I was eager to engage with after enjoying her earlier novel The Love of My Afterlife.
We met Gertie, a romance writer whose series of cowboy themed books is awaiting its big finale.
Unfortunately, Gertie is rather stalled at the moment as her boyfriend abruptly decides to end their four year relationship. That heartbreak is complicated further by the encroaching deadline for her new book and some emotional wounds left unhealed.
In need of some inspiration, she joins her flighty but kind heated neighbor in taking part in a “manifestation ritual “ that results in a character from her books suddenly showing up in her apartment.
His name is River Oakley, the resident bad guy, and he is just as confused as Gertie is about what’s going on. They soon realize that the best way to fix both of their problems is to get Gertie’s boyfriend back and River is no stranger when it comes to making other men jealous enough to return to their original love.
But is that what Gertie really wants or needs? As they get to know each other better, it turns out that there’s more to their story than either one of them ever imagined.
As with her previous novel, Greenwood is blessed with the knack to blend romcom charm with true pathos and a nice touch of whimsy that makes for a truly enchanting read.
There are a few small references to Love of My Afterlife but you don’t have to had read that one before diving into this one (but you read that one as well!).
Even if you haven’t read any cowboy romances, this could definitely change your tune about that in more ways than one:
Onto Aardvark Book Club and yes, I did get the new Chuck Tingle book, Fabulous Bodies, and finished it right away.
It’s a wild ride and while I think Lucky Day was a little more emotionally strong, Fabulous Bodies is engagingly awesome and would make a great horror movie for those bold enough to try.
I paired that with a debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey. Set in England of 1979, twelve year old Miv and her best friend Sharon decide to make the title list in order to see if they can track down the notorious Yorkshire Ripper, whose crimes are coming close to home.
Part of her motivation for this search is that her family might be moving to a more distant area due to not only the murders but her mother’s declining mental health. Miv figures that the best way to prevent that from happening is finding the killer yet despite her list, things are not as certain as they may seem.
I’ve heard plenty of great praise from critics and readers alike about this book and will be happy to make it’s acquaintance in the fall(saving it for a reading project) when it should be rather suitable for the season, I’m sure:
As for my regular reading, I do have the High Summer readathon next month (see my previous post for more information) and a fall reading project that I need to plan properly for.
For newer books, I do have a library trip to make soon(nearly finished all of the books that I borrowed last time, a nice accomplishment for me!) and some backlist reading to get through to boot. It’s good to take the time to enjoy what you do have on hand and wait until a little later for new books; patience does pay off in the end!
Also, my Autumn in August watch of the first season of The Forsytes is about to begin, so I do hope to see you all while the tea is being poured in both senses of the term:
Hello again, folks and happy to be back in the blogging saddle, so to speak. Hope your summer has been a good one so far, especially when it comes to reading.
With July nearly over with, we have the High Summer readathon from Seasons of Reading (hosted by Michelle Miller) to look forward to. It runs for the entirety of August and a 24 hour reading event is included as well.
There’s no set theme here, although I gave myself one and that was to choose books with the word “summer” in the title(innovative of me*eyeroll*). However, I also found that traces of Jane Austen could be detected in the novels that I selected or so it appears to me. Look over this list and see if you agree:
First up is Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood, a follow up of sorts to an earlier book , Not in Love, which I happened to recently read.
Maya has had a crush on her older brother‘s best friend Conor for years, especially after he came to her emotional rescue after a bad breakup in college.
However, Conor refuses to go beyond the bounds of friendship seeing as not only does he have a business partnership with Maya’s brother, there’s a fifteen year age gap standing between them.
She equally refuses to completely give up on the possibility of a relationship and after some time apart, Maya and Conor find themselves thrown together at a destination wedding where they wind up sharing a villa in Sicily. Can they make that love connection work or is this just a summertime thing?
Since I did read Not in Love, the familiarity with the characters that I already have should make this smooth sailing. Plus, this central relationship reminds me of Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley, who also share similar circumstances of age and family ties to complicate their budding romance as well:
Next up is Carley Fortune’s One Golden Summer , which also happens to be a follow up to a previous book, only I didn’t read that one (in fact, this will be my first read with this author).
Alice has always loved photography, particularly when she was seventeen and visiting her grandmother’s cottage by the lake. She took a photo of three of her peers in a speedboat that made more of an impact than she ever imagined.
Years later, while helping her grandmother try to enjoy their summer at the cottage, she runs into Charlie, one of the subjects of that photo. They manage to make the connection that wasn’t possible before yet can it last beyond Labor Day?
I’ve heard that this story works as a standalone despite being connected to Every Summer After(it’s the basis of a new online series entitled Every Year After)and I have heard good things about Carley Fortune’s work so this seems to be a good place to start. Also, this story is very close to the second chance romance subgenre enough to give Persuasion vibes:
And lastly, I decided to round this list out with These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean.
Alice Storm is returning home after many years apart from her complicated family due to the death of her controlling father Franklin. In order to gain their inheritance, she and her other siblings must complete a set of tasks within a week or forfeit any of the family’s wealth.
Alice’s situation has two major problems; the first being that she has to spend the entire week with her troublesome family at their private island home and the second being that the executor of Franklin’s will is Jack Dean, a man that she had a brief romantic encounter with on her way to the island.
Fighting on more than front-Jack is staying with the Storms to monitor their situation here-Alice is getting pulled emotionally in several directions but which one of those is the one that she truly wants?
Word of mouth on this book has been great(especially from Book of the Month Club readers as this was a popular selection last year) and I do like an engaging family drama with a bit of romance added in for extra flavor.
As for an Austen connection, this does make me think of Sanditon, in which the offbeat antics and small scandals of the Parker family greatly gave that adaptation some special summer seasoning indeed:
If you are interested in signing up for the High Summer readathon, I have included a link in the second paragraph of this post to lead you towards the SOR site to do so, with more information available there.
Hope to see many more reading friends join in the late season fun and thank you in advance to Michelle Miller for hosting this excellent literary party.
Now, you may be saying “What’s with all the Jane Austen mix and matching here?”and well, Austen is very much in my mind and not just because I’m rereading Mansfield Park at the moment.
Arriving in theaters this fall is a new film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility that is directed by a woman(Georgia Oakley) with a screenplay written by a woman(Diana Reid) and starring such notable actresses as Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitronia Balfe and Fiona Shaw.
The first trailer has been released and this looks like a winner to me. As much as I adore the 1995 Emma Thompson version (and enjoyed the 2008/2024 TV movies as well), this feels like a brand new introduction to Austen’s debut novel for generations familiar and fresh to her classic work.Definitely worth braving the summer heat for:
So, for the first time in my participation in Seasons of Reading’s Sci-Fi Summer readathon, all of my books were science fiction (I’m more of a fantasy fan) and it was quite the rocket ship ride indeed.
First up was a Star Wars novel by Dave Wolverton, The Courtship of Princess Leia. Set in the aftermath of the original trilogy, Leia is an ambassador seeking allies to help fight off the last remaining enemies from the former Empire and a very powerful star system ruled by a Queen is willing to make a deal.
Trouble is, one of the conditions is for Leia to marry her son, Prince Isolder, and eventually become queen herself as this is a matriarchal society. While it’s a tempting offer in more ways than one, Han Solo naturally has his own ideas about that arrangement.
This all leads to Han grabbing Leia and flying off to a remote planet that he just won in a poker game. As luck would have it, Luke Skywalker is also interested in this particular planet due to reports of “Jedi witches” living there and he joins Prince Isolder in going after them.
Now, I have to say that since this book was written in the mid 1990s, it’s not considered part of the official Star Wars literary canon , which doesn’t mean that it’s not entertaining. On the contrary, if you don’t take SW lore too seriously, that will increase your enjoyment all the more.
It’s more like a “What if” kind of story, which allows for some wild moments as Luke getting captured by one of the Jedi witches (who develops a serious crush on him) and C-3PO being the wingman for Han in his pursuit of Leia(who is rightly annoyed at him for most of the book).
C-3PO even goes so far as to compose a love song extolling Han’s good points and actually sings it, with the backup chorus sounding an awful lot like Leia!! Too funny for words, I swear!
If you ever come across this book and just need some sweet sci-fi relief, The Courtship of Princess Leia is funky fine old school fun that you should treat yourself to:
For something completely different, I joined in the Juneteenth event for Sci-Fi Summer that highlighted Black authors.
Since I had recently bought a copy of Octavia Butler’s modern classic, Parable of the Sower, this seemed to be perfect timing.
Published in 1993, the future America that our lead character is in stretches from 2024 to 2027. Lauren lives in a closely protected community that struggles with just as much anxiety over the limited resources of their world as those living outside of the surrounding wall do.
Facing food shortages, the high prices for water and dwindling utilities, Lauren wants to help her neighbors out and keep their homes safe but she can also see ahead and begin to prepare for the worst to come.
When the walls of her gated community do come tumbling down, Lauren has to strike out on her own and join the many others taking to the road in search of a better life. The one thing that helps her keep on going is the faith that she created, Earthseed.
Those beliefs are small enough, words in a journal that she keeps but perhaps they’re strong enough to start a new chapter in the book of life for her and other folks that she’s met along the way.
This is one of those books that has you saying “Why did I wait so long to read this?!” It’s a captivating look at finding hope in a hopeless world and Butler certainly had some serious insights into what our country would become if certain things were left unchecked (truly eerily accurate at times).
I do plan to read the follow-up book, Parable of the Talents, at some point and it’s a shame that the planned third book, Parable of the Trickster, wasn’t completed due to Butler’s passing in 2006. Nevertheless, this novel was one of the best reads I’ve had this year and will no doubt be more appreciated as time goes on:
And finally, my third read was a debut novel by Sierra Branham called Love Galaxy.
The title refers to an intergalactic dating show broadcast through the Expan Empire that marries off royalty. Artemis aka Temmi, has no interest in this show as she’s too busy struggling to keep her family from being tossed out into the streets. Her homeworld is literally toxic and her job as trash collector barely covers what essentials they have.
On her route, she runs into a regal couple stealing a smoke near the bins she’s supposed to collect and that less than friendly encounter leads Temmi to being a contender on Love Galaxy. The couple in question are this year’s main players, the twin siblings of the Emperor with one of them set to inherit the throne.
At first, she refuses but a secret offer of money and aid for her family has Temmi reluctantly signing on for the show. While she is meant to be courting the prince, her attraction to his feisty sister is becoming hard to ignore but are those feelings mutual and even so, a good strategy for the ultimate win?
There’s more than romantic intrigue going on as a string of strange deaths among the other contestants is being kept under wraps and some political secrets and plots to boot. Branham intends for this book to be the first in a series and it’s certainly an excellent start.
Clever writing and engaging character development are key ingredients in this sci-fi stew but the slow burn of the central romance is the fire that simmers this story towards perfection:
My thanks to Michelle Miller for hosting another great readathon and I look forward to High Summer reading later this season.
I’m taking a week or two off from blogging since things will be pretty calm on the bookish front. I do plan to return before the end of July so please watch this space!
Before I take my mini-break, I have a few words to say about the new Supergirl movie. Yes, I saw it on opening weekend and despite what you may have heard, it’s not a bad film at all.
Rather, it’s part rollicking space adventure and part emotional journey into grief and rage. The basic plot line here is as Kara copes with the loss of her world in a reckless pub crawl manner, she encounters Ruthye, whose family was murdered by vicious Brigands and is seeking revenge.
Kara defends Ruthye at a local bar but declines on taking up a revenge quest. Only when her beloved dog and fellow survivor Krypto(and as a cat person, I adore this pupper!)is poisoned by one of the worst of the Brigands, is she willing to hunt them down.
I didn’t read the graphic novel series that this was based on but while some of the adaptation changes are causing some grumbling, that’s not the main cause for complaint here.
Many find fault with the script and some insist that the main villain, Krem, is not dynamic enough. Without getting into spoilers, I think the script and the style of the movie is a lot like Kara herself; brash, funny, emotionally intelligent and kickass when needed to be.
Not every single motivation needs to be trotted out and over explained; even a sci-fi superhero story can allow for an element of mystery towards the characters there.
As for Krem, he’s mainly a catalyst for the plot and a rather nasty piece of work that you want to see defeated, so his job was well done as far as I’m concerned. There’s direct parallels to human trafficking that might make some look to recent headlines and squirm but art often times is a reflection of our shared reality and it’s not always a pretty picture.
An impactful message that this movie delivers to women and girls is that being good is far more important than being nice. You can be tough when you need to and rude if necessary but being a good person is the best. That’s something too many people don’t want to hear or others to learn but it’s the right message for these times and beyond.
Also, Lobo was fun(Jason Momoa was a great casting choice) and Milly Alcock gives an excellent performance as does Eve Ridley(Ruthye). A great standalone film that deserves more praise than censure, in my opinion.
This movie does have a different vibe than last year’s Superman and it’s supposed to! Kara’s life experiences are very much different than Clark’s and that makes for more interesting storytelling not less. Kara says it herself; “Clark sees the good in everyone and I see the truth.”
If you get the opportunity to see this in theaters, it’s very much worth your time and hard earned money. I suspect that even with the low numbers at the box office on opening weekend, Supergirl will slowly yet surely gain a wider audience from positive word of mouth and fans going back for more viewings. Give it a fair chance, that’s all I ask and you might be pleasantly surprised indeed:
As we approach the end of June and the beginning of July, the mid seasonal phenomenon known as Summerween is now upon us.
Granted, this concept is still rather new to me yet, I figure why not? The whole Christmas in July deal is so widely accepted that even the Hallmark channel makes TV movies for it, so why not have the perfect excuse to dive into horror during heatwave season?
With that in mind, I have a few reading suggestions for those seeking a good scary book in their trick or treat beach bags-first up is the newest offering from Chuck Tingle, Fabulous Bodies.
Our leading lady is Poppy, fashion influencer by day, grave robber by night (more of a Door Dash for the recently deceased, if you will).
While she’s less than thrilled about that particular side hustle and is looking to get out of that situation as quickly as can be, there’s one last job that Poppy thinks might be the one to cash out on.
That gig has her snatching the body of flashy rock star Eddie Michaels, one of her favorite singers. All goes well until Eddie rises up and insists that Poppy help him finalize a certain supernatural deal before dawn. They always say, don’t meet your heroes but Poppy is about to discover just how horribly true that can be!
The novel is due out in early July but since Summerween can extend into that month, it should definitely be worth the wait:
If you’re seeking something more readily available, Marion by Leah Rowan is out and about now.
This reimagining of the classic Psycho book and film has Marion Crane staying at the Billings Motel in upstate New York when her bus breaks down on the highway.
Her encounter with the current manager, Norm, who also takes care of his ailing mother, seems pleasant enough yet when surprised in the shower later that night, it’s Norm who winds up with his life swirling down the bathroom drain instead.
As Marion is already in enough trouble after stealing money from her boss in Manhattan in hopes of rescuing her sister from a toxic marriage, this unexpected mess is another obstacle to clean up. However, that turning of the tables gives her a sinister spark to the fuse of her inner fury that goes off in quite a deadly direction.
This just sounds great, even if you haven’t seen Psycho,as this particular twist of the genre knife to such an iconic template of terror can be fearfully refreshing indeed:
For something a little more on the gothic side of scary, there’s plenty of good word about Melissa Albert’s The Children .
Guin and her brother Ennis are best known as the inspiration for their late mother Edith’s popular fantasy novels, ironically the very work that she neglected them for.
Their response to the ongoing fandom is Guin writing a glowing memoir about her childhood but when Ennis creates an art piece that hits a little too close to home, the ghosts of their mutual past come forth to haunt them, perhaps in more ways than one.
Readers and critics alike do seem to agree that Albert’s take on the emotional impact of art in good ways and bad does make for a compelling story here. It’s already a book club favorite and who knows, it could be a chilling movie someday but for now, this certainly should do well in the theater of the mind:
Well, happy Summerween to all who celebrate and may you frolic in the fear factor you have chosen!
As for me, I’m still working on my science fiction reading challenge but perhaps next month, I can treat myself to a couple of vampire novels on my TBR that I have been meaning to get to. Vampires are perfect for summer fun after all, with the whole “Up all night/Sleep all day “ deal and very popcorn friendly…with fangs of course!:
This past weekend was quite the wild ride even for those of us who are not into sports (that said, YES, Knicks in Five!!!!!) yet there were milder pleasures to be had as well.
For example, a church in my neighborhood usually has a big tag/rummage/etc. sale twice a year-fall, then spring-but this year, their second sale was this June(due to roadwork in the area). It’s a great chance to get some great deals and when it came to books, I found a nice trio of reads to add to my eternally growing pile.
Now, I have read Nick Hornsby before yet it’s been awhile so finding a nice British paperback edition of Funny Girl was hard to resist. Set in England during the 1960s, newly crowned beauty queen Barbara Parker decides to move from her hometown in Blackpool to London in order to achieve her dream of becoming the next Lucille Ball.
Through a series of rather fortunate events, Barbara remakes herself as Stella Straw, the rising young star on a hit sitcom. But will her ambitions allow for anyone else to matter in her life?
This novel was adapted into a British TV series called Funny Woman and received at least two seasons, both of which are available to watch in the US via PBS Passport(that I thankfully have)-should be a fun read along experience to be sure!:
Then, I came across Three Days in June by Anne Tyler, another author that I haven’t read for some time. Seems a good enough time to get reacquainted here.
The three days in the title are centered around the wedding of Gail Barnes’ daughter Debbie and Gail has plenty of her own troubles without dealing with all of that.
She just lost her position at the fancy private school she worked at for thankless years, her ex-husband Max has shown up with a rescue cat that their soon-to-be son-in-law is allergic to and if that’s not enough, Debbie has dropped a major bombshell of a revelation that could change the course of everyone’s life.
Tyler is best known for low key drama with strong emotional high points when necessary and this certainly sounds like a prime example of her smartly elegant work. This ought to be a good way to get to know her again indeed:
For something completely different, Ten Restaurants That Changed America was the final course on my book buying menu that day.
Culinary historian Paul Freedman highlights this top ten of groundbreaking dining establishments from the classic Delmonico’s in New York to Antoine’s in New Orleans, more commercial venues like Howard Johnson’s and modern day icons such as Sylvia’s in Harlem, New York.
The cultural changes that each place brought to American society when it came to fine dining are showcased in loving detail along with gorgeous photos, menus and even recipes! I was so lucky to find such a nice hardcover edition like this!
I may be just a Food Network watcher (and Top Chef fan) but it is interesting to learn more about the everyday art of cooking and especially, cooking for the delight of others. No doubt that this book will be a banquet of delicious insights to savor with each turn of the page:
Books weren’t the only good buys I made that day; my haul also included some fresh bed linens, a lovely tablecloth and a pair of damaged yet repairable Disney villain figures (with help from my mom!).
Whether it’s a tag, rummage, yard or flea market sale, these secondhand shopping events are great opportunities to not only get a good buy(particularly in our harsh economic environment right now) but to connect a little with your fellow buyers and sellers in friendly commerce. I know those last two words sound like an oxymoron but it is possible, folks, truly!
Anyway, it was an extra nice way to enjoy the weekend with some bargain hunting fun outside of watching reruns of Flea Market Flip.
However, the host of FMF now has a new show on Hulu called That Thrifting Show, where teams of two compete to design living spaces with secondhand items found online and off . The winning team gets to keep everything they bought, plus the other team’s purchases as well!
It’s definitely a good time to be had if thrift shopping is your thing and yes, there is a second season n the works. For some creative comfort viewing, this show is truly a bargain to behold(plus, you can read during the commercials!):
Like everyone else, my book buying budget does have its limits(especially these days) yet I still consider it a necessity to get new reads whenever I can.
To that end, I was happy to get a June box from Book of the Month Club and to finally get one of their Centennial editions-celebrating the 100th anniversary of BOTM-which was Catcher in the Rye, a book that I haven’t read in a long time and should be an interesting cultural experience to go through again.
In addition to These Summer Storms(which I mentioned last time), my third pick was The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee. The title character here is a samurai swordswoman for an intergalactic corporation whose final ties to the company have now been severed, leading her to follow her former employer into eternal retirement.
However, the current powers that be insist that she take on one last mission which, due to personal connections, she really can’t refuse. Also, this gives Isako a shot at revenge as her former apprentice, Matim, is behind the corporate scheme that set all of this into motion.
Fonda Lee is best known for her Green Bone Saga trilogy, which I’ve wanted to get into but haven’t been successful on that front. Since this novel is a standalone, my chances of clicking with her work might be better.
With strong yet sensitive leading ladies and creative world building that Lee’s books have been highly praised for, it would be totally remiss of me not to give this story a serious try:
This past weekend, I went to my local library and after returning three books(two of them I actually finished), I only borrowed two, one of which is a cozy fantasy and the other a more ferocious one.
Julie Leong’s The Keeper of Magical Things is definitely on the milder side as we are introduced to Certainty Bulrush, whose minor magical abilities are not enough to be considered fledged mage in the guild that accepted her but potent enough for a special assignment.
She must work along side Mage Aurelia, whose off putting manner makes her difficult to say the least, in transporting a set of slightly magical items for storage in the remote village of Shpelling. They are to set up a warehouse to properly sort out the objects from counter spelling each other as well as keep an eye on the little cat dragon that followed them and maintain as low a profile as possible.
After awhile, Certainty and Aurelia not only find a way towards a friendship, they also grow to believe that some of the packed away items might be more useful out in the regular world. Can they discover a path to truly make that happen or will they bring down more trouble on their heads?
Leong’s earlier novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes, is on my BOTM reading challenge list(that I hope to get to very soon!) and I was going to wait until I read that one first but with both books being standalone stories(set in the same universe)it didn’t make sense to wait that long. Besides, these novels sound like total delights and why should I deny myself the joys of such an enchanting world:
The other library loan is quite the massive volume but having read Joe Hill before, it ought to be relatively fast paced.
King Sorrow begins with college student Arthur who is being blackmailed into stealing rare books from the university library and the only solution that he and his friends can think of is to summon the title dragon demon to rid them of their enemies.
Trouble is, King Sorrow demands an annual tribute for his services and as the years go by, the price becomes more difficult to pay. Can Arthur and company rally again to end this ongoing nightmare or are their real problems just getting started?
I’ve heard nothing but elaborate praise from critics and readers alike about this book and even if I completely exhaust my renewal options here, there is no doubt in my mind that this will totally be worth it. Plus, given the state of things right now, conjuring up a dragon doesn’t sound that bad:
Speaking of libraries, I must say a few words about the recent passing of a favorite fictional librarian who helped a certain Slayer save the world a lot.
Anthony Stewart Head had many featured acting roles in his life and career, starting with a series of coffee commercials that inspired a novel to roles in fantasy shows like Merlin, comedies such as Ted Lasso and even a Jane Austen adaptation (2007’s Persuasion).
However, he is and will be best remembered as Watcher Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who began as the hapless school librarian at Sunnydale High and then later an owner of the local magic shop( which as one character noted had the longevity potential of a Spinal Tap drummer).
His blend of extensive knowledge, sharp movements of sarcasm and fatherly love for his charges made him a key player in this often changing yet steadfast supernatural drama that more than one generation calls their emotional home.
During these past few days, I have seen numerous fans and contemporaries give him nothing but absolute praise for his generous nature on and off screen and so many people crediting Giles with the reason they become librarians and that’s quite the legacy indeed.
It is beyond sad to see good folks leave us for worlds unknown yet it can be comforting to discover the positive impact they left for us, no matter how small it might seem.
Anthony Stewart Head was a fine figure of a person who used his artistic talents to breathe life into what could’ve easily been a stock character and made him someone worth living up to, flaws and all. Plus, instilling a love of literary based knowledge in the bargain is a great bonus, even if it’s a bit smelly:
Glad to be back in the blogging game again and hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend there!
Well, June is bursting out all over with great books and bookish plans for the summer season, some of my own literary online projects I would like to share here today.
One of my big seasonal blog events is Autumn in August, where I watch and discuss movies/TV shows that have that fall feeling, especially during those overheated dog days at the end of summer.
This year, I thought that this was the perfect time for me to watch the latest adaptation of John Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga that aired on PBS a few months ago.
Simply titled The Forsytes , this series has a stellar cast with the likes of Francesca Annis, Stephen Moyer and Eleanor Tomlinson on board and unlike other versions, is not a one and done deal. This is only Season one, with season two already being filmed and a third season in the works.
I’ve read the massive book(it’s several books and short stories collected in one volume) that this generational tale of a Victorian family dealing with their particular set of secrets and lies is based upon and no, not doing a reread of that right now-my TBR is overflowing as it is!-mainly to enjoy this take on that story on its own terms.
I suspect that the success of The Gilded Age (so excited for Season Four!) helped to bring this fresh look at the Forsytes along and that’s just wonderful, if you ask me. Nothing like a little historical fiction friction to liven up those warm weather days to come:
Speaking of English high drama, I’m also planning to revisit Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park as a duet reading with a similarly themed book(more on that in a moment).
Before I started my book buying break last month, I did treat myself to a new edition of MP, a Penguin Classic Deluxe, to be precise. Since I only have Emma in this particular edition series (a very nice review copy from the publisher) and really like the cover art done for this one, it’s as good an excuse as any for a reread.
Of course, that’s not the only reason for taking another another stroll through Mansfield; Fanny Price is a rather misunderstood heroine in the Austen cannon and while she might not be as lively as Lizzie Bennet or Emma Woodhouse, her quiet strength and steadfast demeanor puts her in good company with such ladies as Elinor Dashwood and my absolute favorite, Anne Eliot.
It is a shame that Fanny doesn’t get many good options when it comes to love(Edmund Bertram is the weakest tea when it comes to Austen leading men).
Sometimes, I wonder if Fanny could’ve made a go of it with Mr. Rushworth-they did spend time together during that play debacle and while he’s a bit of a doofus, Mr. Rushworth was certainly not a mean guy. Well, perhaps my mind will change in that regard although one thing is for certain here and that is Aunt Norris is the WORST!:
Part of the reason for my MP revisit is that I am catching up on Claudia Gray’s Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney mystery series with my next read being The Rushworth Family Plot.
If you’re not familiar with this series, it takes place in a reality where all of Austen’s characters interact with each other and our amateur sleuths are the eldest son of Darcy and Elizabeth(Jonathan) and the daughter of Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland (Juliet). The young couple do have romantic feelings for each other yet the nature of their investigations does keep them from getting too involved in that quarter, for the moment…
This time out, Jonathan and Juliet are paying a call on Edmund and Fanny when news of an alarming nature concerning Mr. Rushworth reaches them, not to mention a certain family member coming back into the Bertram’s lives with equally shocking information. Can our detective duo assist in righting these matters or will this family scandal simply never end?
As I said, I do pity Mr. Rushworth a little despite his silliness and simple nature. Of course he would be the target of another sorry scheme but hopefully, some justice will be done for him here.
I do enjoy this series-a new entry entitled The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield is due out soon-and happy to see Mansfield Park get some more recognition in the reimagining genre:
In the meantime, I have made a good start in Seasons of Reading’s Sci-Fi Summer readathon (The Courtship of Princess Leia is a fun ride so far) yet I am already setting up shop for the next readathon on the schedule.
In August, SOR has the High Summer readathon and my big idea for thst one is to read books that have the word Summer in the title. Yeah, a bit on the nose to be sure but there are two books on my waiting to be read pile that meet that requirement and I just added a new one to my June Book of the Month Club box.
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean actually deals with a family named Storm and yes, their relationships are rocky indeed. We meet Alice first, a school teacher heading back to her family’s island home after the sudden death of her father.
On her way there, she has a brief hookup with a rather handsome stranger named Jack who turns out to be the manager of her late father’s business affairs. Alice, along with her mother and other siblings, have certain tasks to accomplish in order to receive their inheritance and Alice’s main assignment is to stay at the house for one week.
That is truly easier said than done and oddly enough, Jack also being there does make it somewhat more bearable. Can more than one broken bond be mended here or should Alice make the choice that’s really right for her and her alone?
Word of mouth for this book has been great and it does sound like an excellent beach read that should burn down the metaphorical house indeed:
Whatever your summer plans are, do allow yourself to have a little fun. With all of the chaos surrounding us these days, recharging your emotional batteries is important to maintain your spirits. Do what you can reasonably do that is safe, affordable and entertaining but refuse to let others force you into their misery.
That being said, I’m probably going to watch the Tony Awards this weekend, despite their being on a certain negative network. My big reason for is to see the big musical number for The Lost Boys, which is up for several awards including Best Musical.
Yes, THAT Lost Boys, the 1987 summer vampire film featuring the Coreys and Richard Gilmore as a vampire king is a big Broadway show with original songs(guess it was too expensive to get the movie soundtrack rights) and flying vampires on stage!
I just have to see that live on TV and then avoid that channel like Dracula dodges the sun ! Please forgive me in advance but sometimes, you gotta dive into some whimsy when and where you can:
