My first Library Haul(and LibraryThing prize!) of 2020

Getting settled into a new year of reading can be daunting at first but it does help to take up a regular routine or two to start your bookish engines there.

Having been away from my local library during the holidays, it was wonderful to make my first visit of 2020 this past weekend with at least one book to return(which lead to another loan, that I'll get to momentarily).

What made this trip special was the joy of discovering a new book on the shelf that I've been wanting to check out ever since I first heard about it. The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis has the literary sisters Bronte find themselves  becoming a trio of sleuths as news of a strange death and disappearance at a nearby estate peaks their considerable interest.

With the assistance of their brother Bramwell, Emily, Anne and Charlotte look into what happened at Chester Grange, where the second wife of Robert Chester is missing with only a blood stained bed to suggest a gruesome departure. From hearing the eyewitness account of Matilda French, the current governess of the household and old school friend of sisters Emily and Charlotte, the sisters feel that they have no choice but to use their considerable skills of observation to find out the truth.

This leads them on a search that entails conducting interviews in disguise, finding clues in unlikely places and discovering hidden rooms within the manor house itself. Can the Bronte sisters solve this mysterious situation before another dire event takes place?

This book is intended to be the first in a mystery series and I certainly like this premise. Granted, out of the three Brontes, I'm more of a Charlotte person yet it ought to be entertaining and enlightening to see all of them in crime fighting action here:

During my last library visit, I decided to try a novel by Fiona Davis entitled The Address and it was such an engrossing read that upon my return, I went in search of another one of her works of historical fiction.

Luckily for me, The Chelsea Girls was readily available and quickly added to my pile of  new must reads. The story takes place in New York during the mid-1950s as two ladies of the theater reunite at the title hotel.

Hazel and Maxine became friends during WWII as USO performers on tour to entertain the troops. Now, five years later, they hope to combine Hazel's talent for play-writing and directing with the star power that Maxine has been generating on the Broadway stage to mark their mutual paths to fame and glory.

Unfortunately, their dreams are threatened by official demands to testify about "Un-American activities" as the McCarthy blacklist era begins. Can Hazel and Maxine stay true to their bonds of friendships as well as their professional goals, despite the pressure building from all sides?

This sounds intensely intriguing and I won't be surprised to see a few modern day parallels in this tale of attempted repression of artistic women:

To round out my library loan picks, I went with another debut mystery novel that is starting off a fresh new series and from the looks of it, this is one that I'm definitely going to like.

Marty Wingate's The Bodies in the Library is set in Bath, England as new  curator of The First Edition Society, Hayley Burke, discovers that the world of books is not as safe as one would think.

In addition to not having read any of the classic mystery titles in the collection that she's in charge of, Hayley also has to deal with a cranky co-worker and a local fan fiction writers' group that she has allowed to use the FES quarters who keep fighting among themselves about the proper way to add vampires or zombies to the works of Agatha Christie.

When the group leader is found dead one morning in the FES library, Hayley finds inspiration from Agatha Christie's The Body in the Library to find the killer before things get more out of hand. While she may not be a Miss Marple, Hayley may turn out to be a true detective in the making. I'm already reading this book and it's quite the Christie inspired cup of tea indeed:

When I arrived home, laden with books, there was a nice surprise in my mailbox from LibraryThing. LT does a monthly giveaway of upcoming titles and I won a copy of Little Wonders by Kate Rorick, best known for the Diary of Lizzie Bennet webseries tie-in novels.

When determined super mom Quinn Barrett unleashes her anger at her pre-school age son for not wanting to wear the homemade Halloween costume she created for him in public, she never expected that meltdown to become a viral sensation.

Newcomer Daisy Stone took the video but only meant to share it with her best friend back in California as a private joke. Instead, that slip of Quinn's perfect persona mask has taken on an internet life of it's own, making the once envied suburban diva the talk of the town.

While Daisy's unconventional ways make her reluctant to admit her part in this slow moving mess, she can't help but to reach out to Quinn, who's struggling to regain what sense of self she has left. This take on modern motherhood seems to be mixed with humor and heartbreak yet with a strong dose of unlikely friendship that should make for a solid good read. The book is due out in March and I think it'll be one to watch out for there.

Well, I do have quite a bit of reading on my hands, with the Winter's Respite readathon(reading two books at once for that one!), plus my Series-ous Reading and preparing for a review of Sanditon next week. No rest for the page turning wicked there!

Considering the cold weather on the way and the current news headlines, I think that a good book or two or more is the right choice for my entertainment needs(especially after the disappointing Oscar nominations, which I'll discuss later on) at this time.

For the moment, my first of many library hauls this year is off to a good start and the biggest decision on that score is long book or short book? At least that's a fun choice to make!:

Ringing in a New Year of Series-ous Reading

Welcome back, friends, for another year of Series-ous Reading where I talk about various books from established series and before we begin with the new, I must wrap up last year's list with the last book I read for that purpose.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary is the first title in author Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope novels which are set in England during WWII. Maggie was born there but grew up in America, due to both of her parents being killed in a car crash when she was a baby.

She was raised by her aunt in Boston and encouraged in her studies yet when word came of her grandmother's passing and her house in London in need of selling for any sort of inheritance, Maggie went over overseas to do just that. However, the escalation of the impending war with Germany made her hard for her to find a buyer so Maggie decided to take in a few roommates and see how she could help the war effort.

Despite her incredible math skills, the only solid position she could get in the government(thanks to some help from her good friend David) was as a replacement secretary to Winston Churchill. Seems that the former occupant of that position met with a rather deadly end.

Regardless of her disappointment, Maggie takes on the job and finds that while Churchill is a rough talker, he's also incredibly clever and even has a bit of a sense of humor about him, making those long hours of work at 10 Downing Street far more bearable there:

As the bombing raids in London begin, Maggie and her friends, such as Paige, her favorite roommate and best friend from college back in the US and Chuck, who is engaged to a solider headed for the front lines, do their best to keep their spirits up.

However, when a raid strikes down one of their own, Maggie becomes more determined to be of real use.

She spots a potential secret code in a newspaper ad for women's fashion(the skirt has a strangely sequential design of dots and dashes) and tries to bring this espionage in open sight to the attention of others in the department yet is politely but firmly shut down.

 Nonetheless, she is intent on finding the truth and as it turns out, there is a hidden secret regarding her family's past that leads her down an unexpected path of spies and secret plots that threaten the nation. I don't want to say more than that as this book is an entertainingly engaging adventure with characters that are well rounded and suspenseful plot points that keep those pages a-turning.

What I liked the most about this story was Maggie, a smart, capable woman who stayed on point despite being underestimated by the men around her and who was a good friend even to those who betrayed her trust. In truth, this reminded me of the short lived TV show Agent Carter, which really should've stayed on the air for longer than it did. Fortunately, Maggie Hope seems to have more staying power in print:

So, yes, my last Series-ous Reading of 2019 was a wonderful treat and for this new bookish bout in 2020, the next entry in the Maggie Hope series, Princess Elizabeth's Spy, is part of the literary line-up.

In fact, that book is part of a special category called Second Acts, which will highlight those crucial follow-ups to the debut novel in a book series. The first one may set up shop but the second steadies the balance for more to come.

Along with Princess Elizabeth's Spy, the second book selections include Dying For Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson and A Medal for Murder by Frances Brody, plus another book that I'll get to in a moment.

 Speaking of Frances Brody, I plan to read more of her Kate Shackleton series such as Death of an Avid Reader, A Woman Unknown and Murder in the Afternoon. Having read a later book in her series set in post WWI England about a lady photographer who becomes a detective last year, I thought it would be right to catch up on her other mystery entries as well. Also, I have more of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson stories to read as my mom has gone far ahead of me on that score!

For now, my first Series-ous Reading selection of 2020 is the second book in the Agatha Raisin mysteries from the late great author M.C. Beaton, Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet.

Sadly, Ms. Beaton(aka Marion Chesney) passed away on New Year's Eve at the age of 83. Before the Agatha Raisin books, she was well known for her Hamish Macbeth detective series,which also became a popular TV series in the UK much like the Raisin books are right now.

She also wrote a number of historical romances and mysteries under various pen names such as Charlotte Ward, Ann Fairfax and Jennie Tremaine. In total, she had over 160 books published during her lifetime and many of her colleagues describe her as a witty, warm hearted yet no nonsense lady who they felt honored to know. As a very new reader , I send my condolences to her loved ones and wish them some peace of mind during such a sorrowful time.

I hope to do justice to my write-up on the second Agatha Raisin novel, which I've already started, and perhaps I might try some of the Hamish Macbeth books,too. For now, Agatha's continuing adventures as  the city savvy country sleuth are a great way to get this new year of Series-ous Reading started:

Setting up a New Year's brunch of new books for the start of 2020

It seems that we're just about done with 2019(thank goodness!) and apart from a tasty brunch to look forward to, a new book is the perfect thing to get your brand new year started.

Of course, my preferred brunch would be made up of books and this short yet savory list of upcoming reads for January and February of 2020 promises to be an appetizing menu for good reading indeed:


FEASTING ON HISTORICAL FICTION:

 Marie Benedict brings forth another overlooked lady of history with Lady Clementine, best known to many as the wife of Winston Churchill. Their marriage was a true partnership with Clementine helping her husband weather many a political storm even before he became Prime Minister.

With her assistance, Winston was encouraged to make major social changes such as support for the women's suffragette movement as well as crafting many of the speeches he gave to rally support from the government and the people.

However, balancing her family life with working with Winston was a real challenge, particularly as WWII loomed ever closer. Nonetheless, she persisted for the betterment of all. This engaging novel ought to be an enlightening surprise to those who think of Winston Churchill as a one man show-rather, he was the more prominent face of a dynamic duo that worked together to save the world(January):

In Allison Pataki's The Queen's Fortune, our leading lady is Desiree Clary, whose destiny becomes entwined with that of future ruler of France, Napoleon Bonaparte.

While her sister Julie is engaged to his brother Joseph, Desiree is swept off her feet by Napoleon, who promises to make her his bride. However, during his rise to power, she is supplanted by the older yet glamorous Josephine who eventually takes her place by his side upon the throne.

As Desiree stays within his social circle by marrying one of his  most valuable generals, Napoleon's ascent and ultimate fall from glory is witnessed by her to the bitter end. Pataki does have a flair for royal drama and this look at a potential queen cast aside promises to be a popcorn worthy page turner(February):

RIVETING SLICES OF RESISTANCE:

Gish Jen brings us to a not-too-distant future in her upcoming novel, The Resisters, where teen baseball star Gwen decides to use a golden opportunity to change her status for the better.

 As a member of The Surplus in AutoAmerica, she has no decent quality of life, unlike the ruling class known as The Netted. Her skills at pitching have caught the eye of a Netted recruiter who thinks she's their best bet to beat ChinRussia's team.

That chance would mean Gwen leaving her old friends behind, such as Ondi, who was punished by the government for sharing what they considered to be "forbidden" information online, as well as her family that resists the new way of the world as they sadly try to recall what life was like before. Will she do what is best for her or best for the next generation to come?

Gish Jen seems to be moving in a new direction with her work here and that sounds great, especially if we get an Orwellian take on A League of Their Own out of this creative change-up(Feb).

 
Megan Angelo's debut novel The Followers starts off in 2015 as celebrity reporter Orla makes a new online star out of her vapid roommate Floss. The instant success goes right to their heads but a bizarre accident called The Spill changes their lives, along with the rest of the world, for good.

By 2051, there are state sponsored celebrities whose lives are scripted for the entertainment of the internet masses and one of them, Marlow, decides to do a little research into her own backstory before tackling the pregnancy story line that's been issued to her.

As it turns out, Marlow's past is connected to Orla and Floss, making her rethink everything that her publicly viewed life has become. Will she be able to find her own tale to tell or forced to stick to the script no matter what? Angelo offers us a new way to examine our media obsessed and tech dominated culture with clever use of heart and mind(Jan.):

SAVORING THE FLAVOR OF MYSTERY:

It's nice to be at the start of a new cozy mystery series and Ellery Adams already has the third entry in The Secret, Book and Scone Society series ready for the new year.

In The Book of Candlelight, the residents of Miracle Springs are doing their best with the torrential rains in their area that are causing the local inns to be overcrowded with travelers left stranded by flood waters.

Book shop owner Nora decides to help out, not to mention drum up a little business, and while she's eager to assist, the watery discovery of a dead body has her calling in her trio of good friends to find a killer.

The deceased is Danny, a pottery maker whose accidental death is anything but that. The clues to his demise may be linked to a rather old diary and the mysterious Inn of Mist and Roses, that takes Nora and company down a dangerous lane of inquiry that could put them all at risk. However, even the most sinister situations can be conquered with good, well meaning friends on hand and Adams provides that enchanting element in abundance(Jan):

 

 Happy New Year to all and I'll see you on the other side of the calendar page soon. There are so many wonderful stories to look forward to in 2020, both on and off screen, and while we have quite a bit of strife to go through, books can offer us plenty of hopeful heroes and heroines to inspire our journey together.

Speaking of heroines, I know that one of my all-time favorites will be returning to the silver screen with her golden lasso charged up and prepared for the necessary throwdown to come. With any luck, I'll be among the movie going crowds ready to cheer her on this summer:

Miss Emma Woodhouse invites you to a Jane Austen birthday party!

For many of us, Jane Austen's birthday is an early Christmas present as that good lady was kind enough to enter the world in December of 1775(making this the 244th celebration of her life and works).

As an Austen fan myself, I do enjoy honoring her special day and for this year's party, one of her finest leading ladies who has the distinction of having her particular story named after her, Emma, is the perfectly proper hostess for this occasion.

While I may not be as taken with Miss Woodhouse as many of my fellow Austenians are, I have grown to appreciate her numerous good qualities along with watching the various film/TV adaptations of her tale over the years. For this year's entertainment, let us take a look at some of those excellent visual visits to Emma's home of Highbury:

My favorite of the adaptations is the 1996 made for TV version starring Kate Beckinsale, who fully embodies the headstrong heroine in my mind.

The supporting cast has plenty of wonderful British actors such as Mark Strong who plays a rather firm yet endearing Mr. Knightley, a youthful Samantha Morton as eager to please Harriet Smith and Bernard Hepton makes for a delightfully nervous Mr. Woodhouse.

In fact, Hepton had played an Austen father figure before this production in a BBC miniseries of Mansfield Park(with Samantha Bond as his daughter Maria, who shows up here as Miss Taylor/Mrs.Weston). A nice little bonus there for British TV admirers!

With a script by Andrew Davies, who made a few welcome changes such as harvest dance to wrap the story up, and the film folk who made the quite successful Pride & Prejudice series featuring a certain wet shirted actor, this take on Emma is uniformly charming. I usually watch it around this time of year as I do consider Emma to be a Christmas movie(it does have a pivotal plot point during a Christmas party outing) and a birthday treat all in one:

Also in 1996, a theatrical edition of Emma was released with Gwyneth Paltrow in the title role, Toni Collette as Harriet and Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley.

Granted, I'm not a big fan of this film but I do credit writer/director Douglas McGrath for having a nice flair for the comedic tones of the original novel.

Not to mention that many of the casting choices that were made, with Alan Cumming as the eternally ingratiating Mr. Elton, Ewan McGregor as the deceptively delightful Frank Churchill and Juliet Stevenson as the inevitably obnoxious Mrs. Elton, were well suited for the humorous themes focused on here.

It's also an elegant looking film, with even small scenes being brought to vivid life with rich colors and smartly selected settings that kept your eye most agreeably engaged:

One of the best modern adaptations was the web series Emma Approved, created by the same folks who gave us The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and this online saga also won an Emmy just like LBD did.

Joanna Sotomura's performance as Emma Woodhouse, lifestyle coach, is instantly appealing and her co-stars are a fine fit as well. Brent Bailey as her Mr. Knightley is a real charmer here.

What I really liked about this series(which had a brief revival last year) was how well they updated the story to a 21 century time period, with Harriet being Emma's office assistant, a sweetly shy gal with musical talent, Robert Martin turned into IT guy Bobby and Miss Bates as Maddie Bates , a family friend with a small accounting business of her own.

Out of all of the portrayals of Miss Bates, the well meaning yet incredibly chatty neighbor who can't resist praising her beloved niece Jane Fairfax to the skies, I truly adore this incarnation of her with a oddly flavored jam making hobby and keen financial sense:

While the most recent Emma adaptation in 2009 wasn't everything I hoped for,  I did find great pleasure in seeing  Jonny Lee Miller play Mr. Knightley.

Miller not only has wonderful chemistry with Romola Garai(who does a lovely version of Emma Woodhouse in this series), he is no stranger to Jane Austen country.

He's appeared in two versions of Mansfield Park, the first a small role as one of Fanny Price's little brothers in the 1983 BBC miniseries(the only decent adaptation of the book so far, in my opinion) and the other as Edmund Bertram in the eyebrow raising 1999 movie.

 His talents are better served in this version of Emma, making a perfect partner for Miss Woodhouse to match her considerable wits against here:

 To conclude this Emma themed party, we have the early gift of a fresh new film due out in 2020, with Anna Taylor-Joy as our handsome, rich and clever heroine. With any luck, this movie will set off a wave of Jane Austen interest that will sustain us throughout the year.

Happy birthday, Miss Austen, and thank you ever so much for creating such amazing female characters  in print that generation after generation can't resist reviving for us on screens big and small:

Making a merry meal out of my Christmas Spirit readathon

Yes, I am a bit tardy with this wrap-up of my reading for the Christmas Spirit readathon,hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading, but I hope to be forgiven due to the hectic nature of this time of year.

I did at least finished two of the three books that I selected for this holiday challenge and both titles gave me a truly tasty start to the season.

First up was A Cup of Holiday Fear, the tenth entry in Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mystery series, where Juliet "Jules" Capshaw is celebrating Christmas with her newly married mother and charming stepdad police detective that everyone calls "The Professor", plus her family of staff members old and new at the beloved family bakery Torte.

The whole town of Ashland,Oregon is more than happy to embrace the holiday spirit(which also helps the local economy) but other than regular grouch Richard Lord, the only other person around who has no interest in the festivities is theater director Lance. Jules is determined to get him into the swing of seasonal things but Lance is not too keen on that, especially since his family ties are rather frayed at the moment.

What does perk him up a bit is a murder that lands right in front of them, as the annual Dickens feast at the Winchester hotel is plagued by a number of mishaps, including the shocking death of Cami, an unwelcome guest planning to buy the hotel and tear the long standing building down. While Jules wants to help the present owners, Mr. and Mrs, McBeth, with their situation, she can't help but wonder if someone much too close to them is the chilly culprit.

I do like how Lance manages to regain the Christmas spirit with the opportunity to solve a case and that Jules didn't have to push him too hard into getting out of Scrooge mode. Their friendship is one of the high points of the series and just listening to their engaging debates is part of the fun here:

The mystery does get solved without too much ruckus, although there are a couple of dramatic twists and turns added in to keep the plot points lively.

What is always on focus is the holiday mood,from the local Christmas parade to the charming details of the Dickens feast that has live carolers, specially chosen ornaments given out by Santa to the guests and of course, appearances by Ebenezer Scrooge(wouldn't be right without that classic character around!).

Plus, this being a foodie mystery, the recipes described here are merrily mouth watering. I'm not much of a cook for many reasons but this is one book that does tempt a person to try making some of these sweetly scrumptious treats.

Or you could just watch Ellie Alexander's 31 Days of Cookies videos online this month as a holiday release special. Since her next Bakeshop Mystery won't be available until June of 2020(Nothing Bundt Trouble, I adore that title!), these videos are a good way to keep your reading spirits bright until then:

I then paired this delicious drink of detection with a nice slice of Christmas Cake Murder, courtesy of Joanne Fluke. Since this story is an origin tale of sorts, I don't have to worry about getting too far ahead of myself with the Hannah Swensen stories.

This book takes place while Hannah is home from college during the holidays, hoping to help her despondent mother Delores deal with the recent death of much loved husband and father , Lars. Thanks to a pair of local ladies, the chance to liven the spirits of a longtime resident of Lake Eden seems to do the trick.

 Elderly widow Essie Granger takes a bad fall and has to stay in hospice until a better living arrangement can be found for her. Her reminiscences of the Christmas Ball, once held at a hotel in need of revival, that also had a Christmas Cake parade inspires Delores to bring that tradition back. She recruits just about everyone about her to take part, especially Hannah who loves to bake.

Hannah is not only happy to see her mother take part in the world again but she's ready to make a major life decision for herself. Upon the disappointing romance that she had with a professor at her school, Hannah wants to leave college to start up a bakery of her own in town. Delores is more than thrilled at that notion and eager to help her daughter in that endeavor. Given their usual tension in the books, it's nice to see Hannah and Delores bond like this.

It's also great to check out the cake recipes that Hannah and friends are looking into for the parade of cakes, with a major one being an "unbeatable" lemon bundt cake. Bundts are perfect picks for this time of year as they make for excellent wreath cakes, if you ask me:

The murder part of the story occurs as Hannah finds a set of notebooks in which Essie was writing a "novel" that she allows Hannah and family to read.

The plot of that work in progress involves a woman on the run as her husband was targeted by gangsters. While Hannah is completely engrossed in the story, she has a sneaking suspicion that what she's reading is more than an attempt at fiction.

The overall story,however, is very laid back and a completely relaxing read for the holidays. It's fun to see Hannah before her official sleuthing days(and boyfriends to choose from!). Fluke does have several Christmas themed Hannah Swensen books and while I haven't read them all, this one may become my favorite, right after Plum Pudding Murder, that is!:

Thanks again to Michelle Miller for setting up this readathon(and again, sorry for the lateness of this post!) and I am making plans for Winter's Respite this upcoming January. In the meanwhile, if you are seeking a Christmas themed movie that hasn't been played over a thousand times on TV by this point, I highly recommend The Man Who Invented Christmas.

Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens plays a charming but not too sugar coated version of Charles Dickens as he struggles to write A Christmas Carol. Plenty of great English actors such as Christopher Plummer in the cast, with a nice whimsical take on the writing process and that old school British vibe makes for a delightful cinematic surprise here. Happy Holidays, folks with good reading to all and to all, a good holiday movie tonight!:

Molly Greeley shows us that Charlotte Lucas is more than The Clergyman's Wife

As any Jane Austen fan would attest to, it is quite the universal truth that Pride & Prejudice is the most popular novel that Miss Austen wrote and as such, there is no shortage of books that expand upon that story.

While many of those works focus on Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, we do occasionally get novels that talk about some of the supporting players(such as Mary Bennet) and it is so refreshing to see where those pivotal characters on the story sidelines end up.

One such tale is The Clergyman's Wife by debut author Molly Greeley. The title refers to Charlotte Collins, formerly Lucas, who was able to help both her friend Elizabeth and herself by accepting the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins, cousin of the Bennet family who is also heir to their estate of Longbourn.

We met up with Charlotte three years after the events of P&P, where she is reasonably content with her lot in life. While Lady Catherine's constant interference is almost a daily occurrence and her husband's eagerness to do his patron's bidding can be a bit much, Charlotte does have her own home to command along with the joy of having a thriving daughter named Louisa and keeping up a correspondence with her dear friend Elizabeth Darcy:

Nevertheless, Charlotte is rather lonely and longs for someone to truly talk to. That much needed friend turns up unexpectedly due to another one of Lady Catherine's endeavors.

A local farmer, Mr. Travis, is prevailed upon by Her Ladyship to assist in planting a set of rose bushes at the Collins' home. During his visits, Charlotte finds his company more than just agreeable as he is a man with a sense of humor and intellectual pursuits beyond his regular line of work.

Despite her reluctance to seek out his companionship, Charlotte decides to increase her role as parish wife and make a few home visits to those unable to attend church regularly. That list happens to include Mr. Travis' father, who was once a gardener for Lady Catherine's estate, and by bringing little Louisa along, she delights both father and son.

However, other occasions occur that throw Charlotte and the younger Mr. Travis together, making her quietly yet steadily nervous that their true feelings about each other may be revealed to the world:

Those emotional struggles come to a head as a not entirely unexpected life event happens, causing Charlotte to seriously consider what the next phase of her life should be and with whom.

This book is written in a lovely contemplative style, giving us clear insights into Charlotte's past as well as her present, all of which are in tune with the source material.

Greeley paints a delicate portrait of not only Charlotte but the small section of the world in which she lives, allowing a larger canvas for those with no choice other than revolving about Rosings, which is beautifully described and easy to see why walking those grounds would be worth dealing with Lady Catherine's vexing whims.

While Elizabeth and Darcy play a small part in this story, having Charlotte's viewpoint on that relationship is great to see and certainly grants the constant P&P reader a very nicely done perspective on that there:

While it does add greatly to the pleasure of enjoying this engaging novel, The Clergyman's Wife can offer considerable delights for those who have not yet read Pride and Prejudice with it's heartfelt depiction of a woman trapped in a social role and making the best of things as she can.

I am very happy indeed to have taken part in the blog tour for this wonderful book (you can find out more about the tour at Austenprose )and this touching tale of what could be is something that I sincerely believe Jane Austen herself would appreciate:

Meg & Jo prove that these Little Women are for all seasons

If you asked me "What is the first book that was imprinted on you as a child?", my instant answer would be "Little Women by Louisa May Alcott."

I still have the illustrated hardcover version that was given to me as a Christmas present low these many years ago(and yes, I do have a couple of other editions besides that one) and make a point of it to reread this tale of the sisters March every so often.

With that in mind, I must tell you that it's been a pure delight this season in reading Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra, a modern day retelling of the LMA classic. As the title indicates, the focus here is on the elder March sisters but Beth and Amy are included as well(plus, they're getting their own book-more on that later!) but instead of New England, this story is set in North Carolina, where Marmee runs a small farm as Father March is a military chaplain who works with displaced veterans during his off hours.

Although all of the girls are grown-up in this novel, we do get some flashbacks to their younger years and even a version of "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents", which you can't leave out of any Little Women themed story, not at all!:

All of the March daughters are living on their own and far from home except for Meg, who is a stay at home mom dealing with rambunctious twins Daisy and DJ. Her husband John was a coach at the local high school but left that job in order to take a better paying one as a car salesman.

Meg was working at the bank, enjoying the use of her practical skills in helping folks get much needed loans, but gave that up to be the traditional mother. It seems that neither of them are completely happy with this set-up and things get more complicated when Meg's mother starts having serious health problems.

While she wants to be all things to all of the people in her life, Meg is beginning to see that boxing herself into too many corners is not the best solution. She needs to be reminded of her innate greatness perhaps with the aid of a certain sister there:

Speaking of Jo, she's in New York pursuing her writing dreams, which have taken an interesting turn.

After her journalism job was downsized, Jo started up a foodie blog that is steadily growing a following. What pays her bills, however, is her prep cook position at Gusto, one of the most popular restaurants in the city.

Owner and head chef Eric Bhaer is as passionate about his food as he is about Jo, as the two of them start up a slowly simmering yet sexy romance. Trouble is, he despises the whole internet food scene with a particular scorn for "hipster bloggers."

While Jo hasn't been forthcoming with her true online identity, she is worried that telling him would cool their intimacy off for good. Yet, it's only a matter of time before that revelation needs to be made and the sooner, the better as it's only fair that Jo be as open about her artistic inspirations as Eric is:

Both sisters soon realize that they have to work together as their parents' situation, with some financial woes making Marmee's ongoing medical problems worse, is in need of all of the March women to make it work as best as possible.

The plot goes between Meg's viewpoint and Jo's, allowing a solid back and forward that anchors the reader nicely. While the settings and situations may be more modern in scope than the source material, Kantra keeps things on an even keel, putting the emotional growth of the characters first which is what makes Little Women such a compelling literary icon in the first place.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a follow-up to this book planned for release sometime next year entitled Beth & Amy, with the former being a singer/songwriter and the latter a fashionista in Paris. Meg & Jo has an excerpt to that book at the end of this one yet don't wait for both of these novels to be available at once as M&J will most assuredly whet your page turning appetite and should not be delayed at all costs!

With the approach of a new cinematic Little Women, it is wonderful to have a great companion book of sorts to enjoy while waiting for movie tickets and popcorn. Meg & Jo is a clever, engaging read that honors the legacy of Alcott while breathing a little fresh life into it's leading ladies, a pleasure not to be denied indeed:

My last Library Haul of 2019, plus a taste of Turkey Day Murder

Welcome back, folks, and I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving celebrations with as little as fuss as possible and plenty to eat.

 After my holiday festivities, the highlight of Thanksgiving weekend for me was making one last visit to the library for this year, at least.

Since this season is going to be rather busy,along with the weather getting more comic book villain chilly(in the aftermath of the first snow storm of the year as we speak), I needed to pick up a couple of titles that could last me until January,due to renewals, and my choices fell into the historical fiction realm.

The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory takes us to the infamous Lady Jane Grey, whose father placed her on the English throne in order to block Catholic Princess Mary from claiming the crown. While Jane's fate was quickly sealed, we also get a look at what happened to her two sisters, Katherine and Mary, who felt they would be safe from the royal wrath of the new Queen.

However, as Katherine makes a secret marriage and her sister makes similar errors in judgement, it appears that all three siblings may be reunited sooner than expected in a rather tragic way. It's been awhile since I've read Gregory yet I do like her work and watching the Spanish Princess miniseries on Starz earlier this year(which has a Part Two set for 2020!) has whetted my bookish appetite considerably here:

My other selection was a Fiona Davis title, The Address. The residence in question is the Dakota hotel in Manhattan, well known in the best and unfortunately infamous sense of the term.

In 1884, Sara Smythe leaves London to take a job as a maid in the Dakota and becomes professionally and personally involved with Theo Camden, the architect of the place. Her connection to him goes from being somewhat respectable to outright scandalous, taking her to an end that she may not have deserved.

Her story is discovered in 1985 by Bailey, a recovering party girl putting her energy into remodeling the apartment in the Dakota that she inherited. As Bailey digs more into the past, she finds that Sara's secrets have an unexpected link to her present day life. Can this renovation of a former glory bring a bit of closure to Sara's sad tale and show Bailey a new path for her future?

I have heard good word of mouth about Davis' books and thought this one would be a great way to check her out, so to speak. I also like that part of the novel is set in the Gilded Age, giving the story a backstage pass to an Edith Wharton experience vibe:

 Before that library trip, I downloaded a copy of Leslie Meier's Turkey Day Murder to get the spirit of the seasoning happy holiday and it was a fitting appetizer of a read.

Lucy Stone is our detective here, in the small Maine town of Tinker's Cove , and her part time job as reporter for the local paper brings her to a contentious town meeting where Native American activist Curt Nolan is angering opponents and allies of his cause alike.

When Curt is found dead at the local high school football game, there are way too many suspects to consider yet Lucy did promise one of his dear friends to look into the case. Between her sleuthing and Thanksgiving Day preparations, she has quite a lot on her plate but Lucy is determined to find a good solution for all concerned.

The small town setting of the story and Lucy's attempts to cope with the holiday hassles, such as her  fresh from college son Toby dropping in with some uninvited guests, was comfortably charming to read. While this happens to be the seventh title in her Lucy Stone series, Meier makes a new reader like me feel right at home in her little corner of the world.

Although the mystery elements were nicely done, the main appeal of the book is Lucy dealing with her everyday life, adding a cozy old fashioned sitcom feel to the story( her husband's attitude at one point, however, is rather too old school for my taste!). I have no doubt that I will be tuning into this holiday themed mystery series again, sometime soon:

Well, this has certainly been a nice start to my winter holiday season and yes, my Christmas Spirit readathon is doing well,too, with having finished up A Cup of Holiday Fear and taking a piece of Christmas Cake Murder for my next literary serving.

I do like this time of year despite the increasing cold temperatures or because of them, perhaps? After all , it is more comfortable to read indoors than out during December, especially since gloves do tend to slow down your page turning indeed:

Giving thanks for a Series-ous Reading slice of Key Lime Pie Murder

While I did chose Joanne Fluke's Key Lime Pie Murder as a fitting literary treat for my Series-ous Reading selection for this November, it's not exactly a fall season type of book. Mind you, that's on me not the author and this was a fun read regardless of that but I really know that this was a warm weather mystery that I saved for a rainy day there.

For one thing, the story is set in early summer as the town of Lake Eden is consumed with the annual Tri-County Fair and Hannah Swensen is doing her part to make the good times roll.

Business may be slow at The Cookie Jar but Hannah and her bakery partner Lisa are doing well enough with a fair ground booth, plus our leading lady was chosen as one of the judges for the various pastry contests being held at the fair.

The judging is going well and it helps to keep Hannah from worrying too much about her beloved cat Moishe(who is acting strangely, even by his usual standards!) there. However, when she discovers the body of Willa, a local home economics teacher who was one of Hannah's fellow judges, after dark upon leaving the fair, the good old summer time mood is definitely over.

I do love how the whole town throws itself into the festivities, especially when Hannah has to play magician's assistant in place of Lisa(she gets claustrophobic during a "lady in the box" trick) and Delores, Hannah's cheerfully determined mother, sets up a dunking booth for her favorite charity with the full intention of having all of her daughters take their turn in getting drenched for the cause.

One of the more amusing sub plots here is Hannah's determination to taste a deep fried candy bar, available at a booth run by a rather sweet natured lady, but not wanting anyone else to see her eating something so decadent. Granted, I wish Hannah didn't feel so self conscious about enjoying a guilty pleasure like this but I can safely say that she does get her sweet reward in the end:

As to Hannah's love life, we get a lot more of Norman here than Mike and hell, yes, I'm all for that.

The two main men in her orbit are back to their not-so friendly rivalry mode(after teaming up against a third guy looking to romance Hannah in the prior entry, Cherry Cheesecake Murder) but it's Norman who spends more time with Hannah, helping her with the new mystery as well as with Moishe.

Also, when Hannah gets upset about the way Mike and Norman casually talk about Willa's death-on the same night that she's found the brutally murdered woman, mind you-and kicks them out of her house, it's Norman who is the first to apologize.

Sure, Mike is a cop and his depersonalized take on murder is understandable yet Hannah only gets his true feelings on that by accidentally overhearing a conversation that Mike has with another police officer! It would have been better if he just told Hannah himself because this way just lets him off the hook too easily.

Look, Mike is a decent guy but Norman is the real keeper in my opinion. He not only gets Hannah and supports her in all of her endeavors, the man even had a special staircase built in his house for Hannah's cat to enjoy(a house they designed together,btw). I do know who she does end up with yet can't help but hold out hope for Norman to be the one when all is said and done. He's the Luke to her Lorelai in my mind, at least:

The murder mystery is solved in the regular manner of these stories(Hannah finds body, Hannah hunts for clues, Hannah winds up fighting off the killer) but it's well handled and we see enough of Willa in the story to have some true sympathy for her demise.

Even though this isn't a Thanksgiving themed story, there's plenty of family bonding moments and good friends on board to make this book feel just right for the season.

Plus, pie always makes me think of Thanksgiving -it's the official dessert of the holiday if you ask me-and what ever flavor you prefer, it's the perfect end note to the edible melody that we all share on this day:

I'll be back in December(taking a little turkey day time off here) with more book talk which includes a couple of blog tours for titles featuring Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and a modern take on Little Women, so watch this space!

Yes, the Series-ous Reading will continue as well and plans are under way for another round of this reading and reviewing in 2020.

 For my 2019 finale, I'll be diving into the first book of Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series, Mr. Churchill's Secretary and the one that comes after it, Princess Elizabeth's Spy ,will be part of a special feature for Series-ous Reading 4.0-more details next month!

Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to all and looking forward to meeting Maggie Hope to see how she starts her amazing WWII adventures. No doubt working for Winston Churchill will be quite the challenge but I have every confidence that Maggie will prove herself to be equally formidable:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Spirit readathon time!

While I am a strong advocate for the spirit of Thanksgiving, getting ready for the big winter holiday that's right around the corner in advance is just a smart thing to do.

With that in mind, my TBR for the upcoming Christmas Spirit readathon which is hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading(who is also having a longer holiday themed challenge at her other site) is ready to be revealed.

 Although your list for this readathon doesn't have to be made up of only Christmas themed books, I'm keeping mine short and sweet,particularly with the culinary cozy mysteries that are perfectly flavored for fun here:

A CUP OF HOLIDAY FEAR: This tenth entry in the Bakeshop Mystery series has Juliet "Jules" Capshaw planning to make merry with her pastry crew at Torte as they plan to attend a special celebration, a seasonal feast in the spirit of Charles Dickens, at the local Winchester hotel.

Jules and her mom have known the owners,Jon and Emma McBeth, for years and are surprised to hear that they're selling the place, especially to a rather obnoxious woman who is planning to make too many changes to the hotel and none of them for the better.

Nonetheless, the party is going well yet a sudden snow storm and a deadly discovery in the wine cellar has Jules taking off her Santa hat and putting on a sleuthing cap instead. Can she save Christmas present before someone else's future holiday plans are put on permanent hold?

I've been enjoying this series for quite some time and it's nice to have a holiday edition that's done with a Dickensian flair. As a bonus, author Ellie Alexander is doing a "31 Days of Cookies" video series along with a big giveaway at the end of it, a truly sweet gesture indeed:

CHRISTMAS CAKE MURDER: It may seem like I'm skipping ahead in the Hannah Swensen series but this story happens to be a prequel of sorts ,so it's more like turning back time sans Cher.

Joanne Fluke gives us an origin story here as Hannah is home from college, hoping to make the first Christmas season without her beloved father,who recently passed away, more bearable for her mother Delores.

During their busy holiday plans, they come across a unfinished manuscript for a mystery novel by local widow Essie Granger(who is in the hospital recovering from a fall).

 Mother and daughter read a bit from the work in progress each night, becoming more intrigued with the plot but not realizing that it's based on an actual scandal from the past. Will those secrets be revealed at the upcoming Christmas Ball, being revived in Essie's honor, or be buried even deeper than an unwanted fruit cake in the trash?

This sounds like a sweet seasonal treat and you just know the cake recipes included within this tempting tale will be lusciously lovely as well:

CHRISTMAS ON THE ISLAND: Jenny Colgan's novels are always a delight and when she sets up a series such as the Mure Island books, having a holiday story among them is like placing the perfect bow on a well wrapped present.

Mure Island is off the coast of Scotland, a small yet colorful village where the arrival of a wealthy new neighbor has sparked new life for the community. Part of that spark also comes from Flora, who has moved back home and found a new dream by opening up Cafe By The Sea, plus bringing her former boss Joel along for the ride.

While their romance is going smoothly, a major announcement that must be made by Flora could change the whole course of their future together. It helps to have her family nearby for support but their reactions can be as unpredictable as Joel's might be. Can she keep the good holiday feelings flowing or could this be the last Christmas for them both?

A Jenny Colgan Christmas is something to eagerly savor and who knows, maybe someday one of her wonderful books might become one of those holiday movies that folks clamor to watch every year:

The Christmas Spirit readathon begins on November 25 and ends on December 8, which is a good way to start your season off with some peppermint scented page turning. Also, with the weather getting colder, this is a good excuse to stay inside and read rather than venture out into the chilliness except perhaps for a sleigh ride or two:

My October readathon has come to a FrightFall end

Here we are in the early days of November and yet I must look briefly back at Halloween, which heralded the end of the FrightFall readathon(hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading). My finale was short and sweet, with sadly one book left unfinished but hopefully not for long.

The last book that I did complete was The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco by Laura DiSilverio, the first in a series and ironically enough, the last one from that trio that I read.

The title group is a book club set in the small town of Heaven, Colorado and our leading lady is Amy-Faye Johnson, who is building up her event planning business quite nicely. As the story begins, she rescues a kitten on her way to a meeting with a new client, which sets things off on a topsy-turvy vibe.

That vibe gets even more wonky as Amy-Faye learns that her new client Madison Taylor is planning a wedding and that her intended groom is Doug, a former beau of Amy-Faye's who she has had an on-again,off-again relationship for years. With Madison being the one to announce the upcoming nuptials, it's clear that Doug is definitely over her but Amy-Faye is not so sure that she's done with him just yet:

A welcome distraction from that problem for Amy-Faye is her Readaholics meeting to discuss Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, their latest selection.

The group includes such biblio buddies as Brooke, who is hoping to have a baby via adoption much to the objection of her snooty in-laws, Lola, the gentle hearted florist raising her younger sister with the help of their grandmother(she becomes the owner of Amy-Faye's rescue kitty,btw) and Maud, whose love of mystery books reflect her deep suspicions about the world at large.

While the talk is a lively one, the follow-up meeting to watch the classic film version is delayed due to the shocking discovery made by Amy-Faye the next day. Another Readaholics member, Ivy Donner, is found dying by poison in her own kitchen. The authorities later rule her death as a suicide, which all of her friends find rather hard to believe, particularly Amy-Faye, who decides that it's her duty to find out who the killer is.

The story is well paced,allowing the other members of the group to contribute to the case(especially Maud, with her computer skills and tendency to see conspiracies  almost everywhere) while keeping Amy-Faye at the center of the action. Plus, weaving in elements of The Maltese Falcon into the overall arch of the mystery is nicely done.

My only regret is that there are only three books in this Book Club Mystery series and because of a library loan, I've read them out of order and now I'm done. Perhaps Laura DiSilverio will bring these characters back in the near future but until then, I do recommend checking The Readaholics series out as it's the stuff that bookish dreams are made of:

Meanwhile, as of this writing, I have not yet finished Gaudy Night but still intend to keep it in circulation among my regular reading. In a way, it might be best to do that as Dorothy Sayers is not a writer that you want to fast forward through.

The plot features Harriet Vane, an author whose casual romance with Lord Peter Wimsey(the main detective in Sayers' novels) not only helped her from being executed for a crime she didn't commit but now may be of some use in a new mystery she's landed herself in.

Upon attending the college reunion event of the title held at Shrewsbury, Harriet notices some strange drawings and notes left for her on campus. Thinking that they are due to her past notoriety, she discards them yet some time later, she gets a request from the Dean to quietly look into a string of odd occurrences that have popped up at Shrewsbury since Gaudy Night ended.

 Acts of vandalism, including the burning of collegiate robes, and vulgar notes with vague threats keep happening and since Harriet is a mystery writer, it is thought that she might have a better insight into who might be doing all of this. She does her level best ,however, it soon becomes clear that she is in need of serious assistance in this matter and fortunately, Lord Peter is able to provide just that. In addition to that, Harriet has to examine the mystery of her own feelings for Lord Peter, a man she is drawn to yet is uncertain of committing to when it comes to marriage.

This is my first major attempt at reading Sayers and I do enjoy the leisurely elegance of her writing, so taking my time with Gaudy Night feels like a good call:

All in all, this was a good FrightFall to be had and much thanks to Michelle at Seasons of Reading for hosting another wonderful readathon. Later this month, SOR will have the Christmas Spirit readathon and yes, I do have books ready for that!

I hope that my fellow FrightFall readers enjoyed their page turning terrors as well but weren't frightened too much. Scary stuff is fun at times but if it makes you crawl into your favorite hiding place,too reluctant to come on out, that might be a sign to take your literary fear fest down a level there:

Preparing for the holidays with some November/December reads

Halloween is only a few days away but the end of the year with it's holidays is much closer than we think. Between getting that turkey dinner ready and selecting those potentially perfect presents, this could reasonably be considered the most stressful time of year.

Despite that, good times are meant to be had and whether you're in gift giving mode or just in need of a little portable entertainment, we have quite a number of new books arriving this November and December that should suit you fine.

My small handful of recommendations is rather fiction friendly yet it dips into history, mystery and a touch of magic to make your seasonal reading bright indeed:

PAGE TURNING MAGIC: After the success of The Night Circus, many have been waiting for another amazing novel from Erin Morgantstern and it appears that our patience will soon be well rewarded.

The Starless Sea gives us Zachary Rawlins, a dedicated book lover who once found a doorway into a mystical realm known as The Harbor on The Starless Sea, where stories truly come alive. Having lost his chance to explore this strangely wonderful realm years earlier, he joins up with a secret society in order to regain entry.

While Zachary is able to enter The Harbor, he discovers that it's in disrepair and in need of revitalization. Part of the problem is that the secret society he's in wants to close all of the doors for good so with the aid of Mirabel, whose motives are as secretive as her past, and Dorian, a society member who has broken away from the group's goals, Zachary takes up the quest to save the bookish day.

This sounds like a fairy tale written for readers to embrace and no doubt that many of them will want to see how this enchanting tale ends, happily or otherwise(November):

TALES OF TWO WIVES:

 In Caroline Scott's debut novel The Poppy Wife , our leading lady is Edie, whose husband Francis never came back from the WWI front and while she's had time to deal with his loss, her doubts about his demise resurface when a photo of him arrives in the mail.

Determined to know the truth, she recruits Francis' younger brother Harry to accompany her on a trip to France in order to trace what may have been  the final footsteps of their mutual beloved.

However, with Harry's haunted memories of the past and the possibility of Edie finding answers to questions many would prefer she not ask, this search for closure promises to be both painful and enlightening all at once. Scott was inspired by her own family history to write this emotionally compelling story and it may inspire others to find the fact within their own familial fictions(November).

Pride and Prejudice fans have enjoyed quite the literary year in 2019 with so many wonderful P&P retellings and author Molly Greeley has another fresh take on Jane Austen's iconic novel to add with The Clergyman's Wife.

The lady of the title is Charlotte Lucas, now settled into the role as Mrs. Collins, who spends her days at Hunsford being the dutiful "helpmeet" of her dull husband and dealing with the nearly daily demands of his patroness, Lady Catherine De Burgh.

Charlotte does find some joys in life, mainly her young daughter Louisa, but when she encounters Mr. Travis,one of Lady Catherine's tenants, her firmly held notions about the practical nature of marriage are seriously put to the test. Was her friend Elizabeth right all along about marrying for love and if so, is it too late for Charlotte to change her own fate?

It's good to see a familiar story with new eyes and Charlotte's perspective is a welcome one indeed. There is a blog tour planned for this engaging twist on P&P and I am fortunate to be included in that line-up, so watch this space, as they say! Meanwhile, let us all look forward to being pleasantly surprised by the spotlight to be shined upon our dear Charlotte this season(December): 

MYSTERY SOLVING MAIDENS:

 M.C. Beaton's upcoming Agatha Raisin adventure, Beating About the Bush, has the spunky lady detective taking on an unexpected client while diving into some corporate capers.

Agatha is asked to look into the goings-on at a factory in the Cotswalds that had a recent fire but also stumbles across what appears to be a human leg clad in the same sock and shoe as Mrs. Dinwiddy, the secretary to the factory owner Mr. Morrison.

As it turns out, the leg in question was a fake but when Mrs. Dinwiddy turns up dead, the culprit being blamed is a donkey named Wizz-Wazz, who Agatha likes much better than the folks at Morrison's. Determined to prove the donkey's complete innocence in the matter and get to the bottom of what's really happening at the factory, Agatha is on the case yet can she handle more than one crime at a time?

Having caught on to the delights of Agatha Raisin due to the current British TV series, this new mystery sounds as smart and funny as the episodes that I've seen on screen. Of course, books and TV do have different standards but in this instance, this series does well on either medium.

 However, that doesn't mean you should avoid the new book for the show-in fact, they ought to go great together like spiked tea and crumpets(December):

 Beatriz Williams is known for having her historically set novels have interconnecting characters but when it comes to her upcoming book The Wicked Redhead, the literary ties are a direct hit.

In this follow-up to her previous work, The Wicked City, we catch up with on the lam lady Ginger Kelly and her federal agent lover Oliver, who have fled to Florida upon the aftermath of their dealings with Prohibition gangsters.

A favor is called upon them both from Oliver's decidedly upper class mother, Mrs. Marshall, who is taking care of his younger brother Billy, who was caught up in their prior mess. Ginger is requested to help with his recovery by playing the part of his pregnant fiance.

While Ginger is less than thrilled with this situation, she is willing to go along with it. It would help if Oliver was standing by her side but his new undercover assignment has him keeping more than an understandable distance from her. Will this all work out or are Ginger and Oliver about to part ways for good?

This book is intended to be the second in a trilogy and while I do need to read the first one, Beatriz Williams knows how to make any new reader feel right at home in her past meets present world of feisty female characters(December):

I hope that everyone has a great holiday season and takes the time to savor the year's end, starting with Thanksgiving, a day that doesn't get the full attention it deserves these days. I know that I've said this before but I think a gentle reminder can't hurt.

Thanksgiving is a good way to slow down and appreciate what you do have in life, with a nice meal and some good folks to share it with. It's a time where the whole point is to enjoy yourself in the comfort of your own home, where ever that may be, and try not to fret about anything too much even if your turkey is deep fried instead of roasted(turkey doesn't have to be your main course but that's a whole other topic there). Savor the goodness, folks, and do it with laughter if you can: