Unwrapping some bookish TV gifts in the new year

As we prepare for both the Christmas holiday-while in the midst of Hanukkah and close to Kwanza-plus New Year’s Eve, looking forward to what lies ahead ought to be a good thing.

With that in mind , I thought that the best way to wrap up this year and get ready for the next is to highlight some upcoming book based TV in 2023.

First up is the third season of All Creatures Great and Small,beginning on January 8. This time around, our leading man James is getting ready to marry the love of his life Helen, joyous times indeed.

However as the start of WWII hovers over Britain, even the quaint corner of their world is about to be affected.
 This latest PBS incarnation of the beloved James Herriot books is charmingly good without being total brain candy, a rare treat not to be missed there:

Speaking of PBS, the third and officially final season of Sanditon will be making weekly Sunday visits in March.

Hopefully, this last look at this cast of characters from Jane Austen’s final unfinished novel will find a happy ending or two as Charlotte Heywood is preparing to marry one man while in love with another. 

What many of us have a keen interest in seeing is Georgiana Lambe finding her true happiness as well as a major love interest! Despite both of these leading ladies having trouble in that department, this season ought to give them a proper send-off in that regard.

I do admit that I was surprised to see the revival of this show after the chaotic reception of Season One but it was definitely worth all the fuss to get it back, I suppose (some of that fuss we could’ve done without from certain folk but not even they got everything they particularly wanted).

The best benefit of this series was a fresh look at Jane Austen’s world for fans of long standing and newly interested alike and saying goodbye here may lead to a hello to more such material in the future:

Meanwhile, heading to Netflix, not only are we getting a season three of Bridgerton, a spinoff series is awaiting us in the wings.

Bridgerton: A Queen’s Story is a prequel that focuses on how Queen Charlotte met and married George III. We will also get a look at the younger version of the indomitable Lady Danbury here as well as the future matriarch of the Bridgerton family to boot.

How much of this eight part series will be connected to the original Julia Quinn novels that inspired the show, I do not know. There isn’t a official release date for either incarnation as of this writing either.

What I am certain of is that the powers that be for Bridgerton are smart enough to see that the strength of the show is firmly rooted in its vibrant female characters and this early glimpse into their past experiences is a bonus for all concerned:

Now for something completely different, AMC is continuing their Anne Rice related projects with Mayfair Witches in January.

Based on a series of novels from the late Anne Rice, we begin with Dr. Rowan Fielding whose every day life and flourishing medical career is being upended by a family legacy of magic. Particularly by the growing presence of a guardian spirit known as Lasher who is bound to guide the latest heir to the mystical dynasty.

Just how good this show may be is yet to be determined but judging on the positive word of mouth from AMC’s renewed look at Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, I say that we’re in for quite the grand ride:

With that, I wish everyone a very happy holiday season and hope to see you in the new year. 2022 has been one for the books, as they say , and with any luck, 2023 will bring us better times for all.

Despite the challenges ahead of us, I do feel that we can get through such trying moments and strive forward with our heads held high to brave the worst of it together. I have no solutions for how yet a knowledge that such things can be weathered does encourage me to do my small bit to uplift our collective spirit.

Yes, I will be back with more reading challenges to join in(ready for the next Seasons of Reading readathon to be sure!),more of my Series-ous Reading to focus on and perhaps make a few more bookish friends along the way.

Meanwhile, folks, stay safe and enjoy a good book or two as you take a wintery sleigh ride into the new year:

Shelving another year of Series-ous Reading with a Homicide in Hardcover

We’re near the end of my run of Series-ous Reading for 2022 and I have to say that it’s been a pretty good romp of page turning here.

My theme for this year, Siaterhood of Sleuthing, has taken me back and forth in time and some places in between. However, these last two titles have brought me to a spot both familiar and yet brand new all at once.

After reading Kate Carlisle’s Bibliophile Mystery books out of order for awhile now, it was my pleasure to finally get to the one that started it all, Homicide in Hardcover.

Brooklyn Wainwright is a successful bookbinder in San Francisco, mostly happy in her work and life. The few not so bright moments include a rival in her personal and professional paths named Minka as well as an abrupt parting of the ways with her mentor Abraham.

One of those issues is remedied when Brooklyn attends a celebration at the Covington Library in honor of an upcoming rare book exhibit. Abraham is not only pleased to see her but more happier than he’s been in years with the world in general.

Sadly, that reunion is literally short lived as later in the evening, Brooklyn discovers Abraham in a library workroom as he takes his last breath which includes a warning to her “Remember the devil!”

That cryptic sentence seems to refers to his last book restoration commission, a rare bejeweled edition of Faust by Goethe, said to be cursed. While she has serious doubts about the book’s curse, it becomes hard to deny that this particular volume is the source of very direct malevolence towards those who keep it in their possession:

As Brooklyn takes over the restoration of Faust, she finds herself the target of several strange attacks, not to mention the unwelcome scrutiny of Derek Stone, a private security agent with ties to MI-6. 

Determined to get justice for Abraham(as well as take her own name off the list of suspects) she sets forth to find the real killer , only to encounter a secret about her mentors past that could alter the present in more ways than one.

Having already enjoyed this series with it’s literary lore and lively characters (one of the strengths of Carlisle’s writing is how she catches you up quickly with the overall backstory of all assembled), my main purpose was to have that “see where it all began “ vibe and in that, this book was a warm welcome indeed.

Carlisle not only creates an engaging heroine in Brooklyn, armed with book knowledge and candy treats to sustain her during long bouts of restoration, but makes both her friends and enemies equally as compelling themselves.

Of course, seeing Brooklyn and future love interest Derek tackle their first mystery together was the ultimate sweet treat in this bookish box of chocolates. Their repartee reminds of detective TV shows such as Bones, Castle or that old school classic Remington Steele with partners in crime solving and romance working to save the day or their next date-which ever comes first!:

That leads to my current and last for this year’s Series-ous Reading which is the second book in this series, If Books Could Kill.

In this entry, Brooklyn has just arrived at the Edinburgh Book Festival where she runs into several old friends (and her arch nemesis Minka to boot), plus Kyle, a former boyfriend and book dealer.

He asks her to help him verify a collection of poems by Robbie Burns, with this particular edition being seen as seditious due to Burns alluding to a romantic dalliance with a member of the Royal family. Finding it hard to believe that anyone would be hunted down over a three hundred year old rumor, Brooklyn nonetheless decides to assist him in this matter for old times sake.

That decision is regretted swiftly as Kyle is found dead at a tourist attraction with the murder weapon being one of Brooklyn’s bookbinding tools. Who would both want to kill Kyle and frame her as well in such a short amount of time? Lucky, Derek is on the scene but can Brooklyn fully trust him after seeing him at the airport with what appears to be his wife and child?

So far, this story is engrossing but I’ll have a fuller review in the new year, along with the beginning of a fresh round of Series-ous Reading. The theme for 2013 is Triple Play, where I will be reading three mysteries by the same author in a row.

For example, in January,February and March, I will be reading and reviewing three of Ellery Adams’ Book Retreat series: Murder in the Mystery Suite, Murder in the Paperback Parlor and Murder in the Reading Room. 

Just like Carlisle’s books, I’ve already read one of the latest titles in this series and wish to go back for more.

Other authors on this lineup include Stephanie Barron(Jane Austen Mysteries), Rhys Bowen (Her Royal Spyness) and Julie Hzny(White House Chef Mystery). Not only a fun way to catch up on my many TBR piles but to get a better sense of continuity within each series.

It’s also the best form of entertainment binging and as they say, three is the magic number there. Hope you all will join me next year for these extended visits with these modern day queens of mystery:

My last library haul of 2022

 One of the things that I’m grateful for this year is being able to make regular trips to my local library.

 Granted, due to time and current circumstances, my visits have become bimonthly at best yet just having that brief break in my daily routine to pick up a few new(to me) books is such a joy that I treasure each and every chance I get.

For this last library haul of the year, my luck was good as the third book in Marty Wingate’s First Edition Library Mystery series , The Librarian Always Rings Twice, was right on the shelf. 

Set in Bath, England, our leading lady is Hayley Burke, the curator of  Middlebank House, a small private collection of Golden Age mysteries by the late Lady Georgiana Fowling, who fancied herself a mystery writer as well.

Hayley has just convinced the board of directors,along with the indomitable Mrs. Woolgar, to allow once a week public viewings of Her Ladyship’s library and while that plan seems to be going well despite frequent questions about whether they have a tea room available, a couple of unexpected visitors cause some unwelcome ruckus indeed.

One of those visitors is John Aubrey, who claims to be Lady Fowling’s grandson, the result of a secret affair between her and his late grandfather. While his evidence of such lineage is rather vague, John is very familiar with Lady Fowling’s detective novels, which were privately published and given to only a select set of people.

This new arrival angers Charles Henry Dill, the obnoxious nephew of Lady Fowling who has wormed his way into a “personal assistant “ job at Middlebank. He takes the first chance he gets to physically attack John during one of the open to the public sessions, an act he’ll soon regret.

When a friend of John’s is found dead in front of Middlebank, his resemblance to John Aubrey becomes a motive for murder with Charles Henry a prime suspect in the case. 

As much as she dislikes Charles Henry, Hayley knows that he’s not a killer and reluctantly but reliably takes up a sleuthing role to clear his name. She also wants to find out the truth about John Aubrey as well, perhaps solving two mysteries for the sad price of one fatality.

I do enjoy this series, with such delightfully literate and quirky characters and since I did visit Bath many years ago(including the Jane Austen Center, where Hayley used to work!), these cozy capers are a great way to go back.

Although the title of this particular entry references a James M. Cain novel and film, the book most referred to within the story is a Daphne Du Maurier work entitled Frenchman’s Creek. I’m a hundred pages into the book right now so perhaps by the end, both of these references will connect themselves:

Interestingly enough, my next selection has drawn comparisons to Du Maurier’s classic Rebecca as well as Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, a great read indeed.

The Hacienda by Isabel Canas takes place after the Mexican War of Independence, which leaves young Beatriz Hernandez and her mother in serious need of a safe haven. By marrying widower Don Rodolfo Solorzano and retreating to his estate known as the Hacienda San Isidro , she appears to have a chance to start a new life.

However, a number of strange events, along with the ominous attitude of the family housekeeper, give Beatriz some suspicions regarding how the first wife of Don Rodolfo died.

Her only ally is Padre Andres who, against his better judgment, is willing to cleanse the house via exorcism. However, the spirits that haunt San Isidro may be aided by more corporal entities, who would do anything to protect what secrets may be hidden upon such less than hallowed grounds.

I’ve heard good word of mouth about this debut novel and even though scary stories aren’t usually considered seasonal fare this time of year, it’s more than worth it to dive into these new creative waters. 

With the likes of Du Maurier and Moreno-Garcia as muses for this gothic tale, no doubt that I am in for a real treat here:

To round things out, my last pick was Amor Towles’ The Lincoln Highway, a book that I hope spurs me into finishing another title by this author.

The plot of this set in the 1950s novel is focused on newly released prisoner Emmet Watson, who finds no better choice than to leave his hometown with his younger brother Billy in search of a new life in San Francisco.

 Billy believes that their mother, who left their Nebraska farm years ago , is out there and with their father dead, is the only chance at family either of them has left.

That journey becomes plagued with obstacles such as a pair of former acquaintances of Emmet’s deciding to “borrow “  their car, forcing the brothers to hop trains in order to travel. Along the way, they met various friends and foes who show them the best and worst that life has to offer, hoping to ultimately find a place to truly cal home.

Towles is best known for his novel A Gentleman in Moscow, a book that I did enjoy yet didn’t quite finish at the time(I got distracted to say the least on that). Nevertheless, the whimsical energy of that story left such a pleasant memory that I do want to try again anew here.

While A Gentleman in Moscow had some Wes Anderson movie vibes for me, The Lincoln Highway feels more like O Brother, Where Art Thou? in nature which is good because the Coen Brothers are grand masters of offbeat storytelling and that sets a fine template for this engaging adventure to be sure:

Well, I do plan to take my time with this trio of reads and hope to have completed all three in the early days of the new year soon to be. Nothing like a good book to snuggle up with during the bleakness of winter there!

I look forward to find more such paperbound gems in 2023 and if all goes well, to visit my local NY Public Library branch more often. In such troubling times as these, our public libraries are becoming targets of ignorance and abuse, something that we need to hold strong against now more than ever.

One sure thing about libraries is that despite the odds, they fight hard to be the welcoming refuge of knowledge and art that people need in times like this. Also, there is plenty of bookish joy to be found for those who seek it there and let’s resolve to engage in that as well next and every year:

The LRG Best Books of 2023

With the last month of this year officially upon us, it’s time for me to reveal my picks for Best Books of 2022.

This is a Top Five list but rest assured, there were many other great books that I throughly enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend (a shout out to some of them will appear at the end of this post).

To start things off, Gabrielle Zevin’s  Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is making the rounds on many a best of list and for good reason. While this novel focuses strongly on the development of video games from the eighties until now, the central theme here is far from a game.

When Sam Masur reconnects with Sadie Green in college (their initial friendship started in a children’s hospital over multiple games of Oregon Trail), their mutual love of video games, particularly role playing ones, not only sparked up a new bond, it lead to them becoming major creative forces within this growing industry.

Aided by their friend Marx, Sam and Sadie made some of the most imaginative games ever that ignited generations of fans. However, obstacles such as sexism and egotism were harder to dodge than any pixel made menace.

All in all, T&T&T is a tale of love and friendship, which lasts longer than any online challenge or real world difficulty in the end. This may be Zevin’s masterpiece and I don’t say that lightly:

Another out of this world read that’s rightfully on a number of best books as well is Sea of Tranquility by Emily St.John Mandel.

This is one of those “don’t know too much before reading “ type of books but I can safely say that this is a time travel story that has several different people sharing a strange moment of music and sound together across multiple realms.

The one person meant to simply observe it all decides to make a choice that does and doesn’t affect these realities and the price paid is heartbreakingly beautiful indeed.

I know this sounds like a complicated story yet it’s easy to get into and almost hypnotic in it’s pacing that compels you to stay up as late as possible to see what happens next. Such a treasure is worth diving into at least once:

For something completely different, Deanna Raybourn gives us Killers of a Certain Age as four retired hit women find out that their professional career departure is meant to be permanent.

This quartet of seemingly meek and mild older ladies, lead by the boisterous Billie, are set up as pawns in a power struggle from their former employers but despite what the younger generation thinks, these women, who cut their teeth on hunting down Nazis, are far more formidable than they appear.

For those looking for less than likely leading ladies in an action packed drama with some humor and heart, this novel is all and a slice of cheesecake:

Natalie Jenner followed up her charming debut novel, The Jane Austen Society, with another literary themed tale of books and people connecting in Bloomsbury Girls.

Set in post WWII London, the trio of women who work at this previously all-male bookstore are doing their best to match their colleagues in making the shop more appealing to a wider set of readers(which the business financially needs ).

Despite the individual efforts of shy Evie, modest Grace and the dynamic Vivien, their attempts to improve the shop and their personal lives keep being held back from true success. Only by working together can these women find a way towards a better bookish tomorrow.

You don’t have to have read The Jane Austen Society first(even though there is a shared character) to appreciate Bloomsbury Girls, although the two books do make for a lovely literary pairing for any true reader indeed:

For my nonfiction selection, Not All Supermen by Tim Hanley continues the author’s winning streak of engaging in depth looks at the comic book industry.

Hanley chronicles the development of male and female archetypes within the pages of both Marvel and DC Comics from Superman to the X-Men and how the current and changing times have been reflected in these iconic characters.

Hanley also looks at the behind the scenes office politics that allowed for rampant sexism and other bias based attitudes to flourish over the decades. Despite these challenges, inspiration and hope to create a better world both on and off page is still a solid reason to keep this format going by bringing much needed change and representation to the forefront.

You can still love a genre and be able to criticize it as well as encourage those involved to do better, which Hanley does brilliantly here and in his other works that focus on the likes of Lois Lane, Betty and Veronica, Wonder Woman and even Catwoman. By flipping the script and using our real skills against the naysayers can genre fare strive to be the heroes that we all long to be:

Like I said before, there were so many great books to highlight this year and while it would take way too to list them all, I do want to salute these particular authors for their fine work in 2022:

Love and Other Disasters by Anita Kelly: A cooking competition romance that celebrates more than one form of love. This is a delicious dish of a read to slowly savor.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin: Fans of Mr. Malcolm’s List(great movie,btw!) will rejoice in this clever bit of romance and social satire in Regency England.

 The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray: A delightful blend of Jane Austen characters dealing with an Agatha Christie mystery in the midst of their house party. A good time to be had by all here!

I hope that this list is useful for your holiday shopping as well as your personal TBR piles for next year. Reading is definitely the gift that keeps on giving all year round but it is nice to have a proper excuse for getting and giving more books, that’s for sure: