Autumn in August engages in some Persuasion

 

Thank you all for attending yet another discussion of Autumn in August, where our attention now turns to Jane Austen and her final completed work, Persuasion.

While there have been other adaptations of this classic novel(as of this writing, two more are being filmed), I have a particular fondness for the 1995 film as it is the reason that I started reading Jane Austen in the first place.

Back when the movie debuted in US theaters, the critical acclaim for it made me interested in reading the book(and later seeing the film on home video) which then lead to more and more engagement with Austen's literary world. I guess you could say it imprinted Austen on me.

Persuasion is unlike most of Austen's work as it's leading lady Anne Eliot(Amanda Root) is not the usual young girl searching for love heroine. Rather, she's a woman in her late twenties, considered "out of bloom" by the standards of the day who lives with her vain widowed father Sir Walter(Corin Redgrave) and her equally awful older sister Elizabeth(Phoebe Nicholls).

Since Sir Walter and Elizabeth insist upon living above their means-"A barnonet must be seen to live like a baronet!"-the only recourse to save the family from out and out financial disgrace is to move to the city of Bath and rent out their estate to a fresh from the Napoleonic wars well off Navy man, Admiral Croft(John Woodvine) and his wife. 

As it happens , that admiral is related by marriage to a former love interest of Anne's, Captain Frederick Wentworth(Ciaran Hinds).

Wentworth and Anne fell in love several years ago, intending to marry if not for the persuasion of Lady Russell(Susan Fleetwood), a family friend who gives motherly advice to all of the Eliots but to Anne especially. 

With Sir Walter and Elizabeth only tolerating her at best(and treating her like a servant at worse), it's not surprising that Anne at 19 was willing to listen to Lady Russell at the time.

However, upon hearing that Wentworth might be back in her life, Anne has found that the decision she made back then perhaps wasn't the best one for her own happiness:

Anne is sent to stay with her married younger sister Mary Musgrove(Sophie Thompson), who always "fancies herself ill" and is a great complainer when things don't go her way.

With the Musgroves being way nicer people, Anne is happy to be at their homestead of Uppercross for now. Also, she hopes to avoid being in Wentworth's company even though his brother-in-law and sister (Fiona Shaw, who is a real delight along side Woodvine) are completely lovely folks to be around.

Wentworth does eventually make friends with the Musgroves-the daughters of the house are very happy to know him!-and meet up with Anne again. They are awkwardly polite for the most part, unsure of each other's true feelings. 

However, on more than one occasion, it does appear that Wentworth, despite his attentions to one Musgrove girl, still has some regard for Anne there:

Before Anne rejoins her father and sister in Bath, an incident on a trip to the seaside town of Lyme Regis causes both Wentworth and Anne to wonder about their potential future together.

Upon reuniting in Bath, things are still uncertain between them as Anne is now being courted by her formerly estranged cousin Mr. Eliot (Samuel West).

Is Anne meant to marry Mr. Eliot and perhaps save her family estate or is this the time to truly follow her heart?

This film is so well done with director Roger Michell bringing such a natural setting and tone to the story. The characters look and feel like actual people instead of fancy dress up figures. 

The script by Nick Dear also drops a few references to the wider world with the now ending war against Napoleon(and possibly starting up again!) and the changes in social class with the now enriched military veterans.  

As some Austen fans know, the original book had more than one ending planned and Dear was able to nicely incorporate that extra material seemlessly into the screenplay.

Best of all is the chemistry between Root and Hinds, who are subtle yet strong when the plot needs them to be:

That subtle energy comes in handy when Anne finds out how Wentworth really feels, thanks to a letter that is the most romantic declaration ever written in my humble opinion!:

While I do look forward to seeing the newer adaptations of Persuasion, this version will always hold a special place in my literary heart.

Please join us next time for our fall finale feature, You’ve Got Mail.  I know that there’s plenty of mixed emotions about this movie but I think we can find a good common ground that doesn’t involve fighting over caviar garnish:

Autumn in August enters The Age of Innocence

 

Welcome back for our second presentation in the LRG summer series, Autumn in August, where we look at another Edith Wharton adaptation, the 1993 Martin Scorsese helmed film ,The Age of Innocence.

Set during the Gilded Age in New York, our leading man here is Newland Archer(Daniel Day-Lewis), who is about to marry into another well connected family with May Welland(Winona Ryder) and couldn't be happier or so it seems.

When May's cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska(Michelle Pfeiffer) arrives in town, her reputation for scandal threatens  the insular social order of their world. Newland does what he can to smooth the ruffled feathers but finds it hard pressed to blame Ellen for making what turned out to be a bad marriage for her.

When assigned to Ellen's divorce case by his law firm, Newland has to tell her the realities of New York society("Everything is labeled but everyone is not") and while he does succeed in persuading her to hold off on the divorce, Newland fervently wishes that she was free to be with him:

Newland does marry May yet even after a year's separation, finds that his passion for Ellen has not died down. Rather, it has increased and those feelings are shared by her.

With Ellen back in his social circle, he makes many excuses to be alone with her but their intimacy is never truly consummated. Despite the pain they might cause to both themselves and others, Ellen and Newland find it hard to resist taking that next step:

As Newland makes plans with Ellen, he soon discovers that his secret is not as secret as he thinks. Sooner than he expected, Newland realizes that this momentous decision in his life is not his alone to make.

Before I talk about the overall look of the film, I must make the case for May Welland. Repeatedly throughout the film, she is described as a shallow and rather unintelligent person, “ a curtain drawn over an emptiness.”

Granted, she’s doesn’t take an interest in things outside of her personal realm but May is not at all stupid. She knows full well Newland has doubts before and after their marriage and doesn’t hesitate to use what emotional weapons she has in her arsenal to get what she wants.

If anything, she’s more honest than he is when it comes to their relationship. Also, there’s no malice about her actions or intentions. May is just doing what a woman of her status was taught to do and she does it elegantly:

Scorsese spared no expense when it came to making this film as lush looking as possible. From the art on the walls to the table settings at a casual meal, the jewel box tones of this era highlight the hidden codes and hints of such a vicious circle of people.

The story itself is just as lovingly designed, with a wonderful cast that includes Richard E. Grant, Olivia Dukakis and Miriam Margolyes as Mrs. Manson Mingott aka "the dowager empress of New York society"-she is such a joy to watch! A special casting bonus is the narration that pops in at just the right moments, done by the late great Joanne Woodward, the perfect cap off to this feast of a film:

Please join us next time as we venture into Jane Austen country with 1995's Persuasion, the movie that got me reading Austen's work in the first place. I know that there are other versions with very fine qualities about them(which I have enjoyed) but I measure all of those against this one:

Autumn in August visits The House of Mirth

 

Welcome to the premiere of the LRG end of summer salute that is Autumn in August, where films that invoke the feel of those impending cold weather months are showcased for discussion.

Our first feature presentation is the 2000 adaptation of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth which stars Gillian Anderson as Lily Bart, a New York socialite in the late 19th century who is starting to age out of the marriage market.

Lily is lovely and charming enough to land a suitably rich husband yet she doesn't have much of a follow through mode when a target is in her sights. 

The one man that does truly captivate her heart and mind is Lawrence Selden(Eric Stolz), a well to do lawyer who admires Lily yet is not in the marrying for social advancement game-part of that is due to having affairs with married women but we'll get to that soon enough!

Before I get back to the plot, it must be said that the chemistry between Anderson and Stolz in these roles is a low hum of electric tension, which is precisely what such characters need to have on screen. Many of the casting choices in this film are excellent but the key parts were most important for this particular story and very well done indeed:

Part of  Lily's problem is that most of of her friends are superficial at best and self serving at the worst. 

While there are a few who wish her well such as social hanger-on Carry Fisher(Elizabeth McGovern), most of the women in her social circle are either overly judgemental like her Aunt Julia(Eleanor Bron) or false faced such as the quietly scheming cousin Grace Stepney(Jodhi May) who "reluctantly" tells her aunt of Lily's various misdeeds.

Those misdeeds come from Lily misunderstanding what it means when the husband of one of her good friends, Gus Trenor(Dan Ackroyd, who plays pompous entitlement extremely well here) offers to help her "invest" some money in order to pay her ever increasing bills. Turns out she takes him at his literal word and actually believes saying "thank you" is proper enough but as Gus says, "When a fellow pays for dinner, he's usually given a seat at the table." *shudder*

 There's also Simon Rosedale(Anthony LaPaglia), a social climber who is honest enough about his intentions towards Lily but can't stand by her when things get rough. Worst of all of them is Bertha Dorset(Laura Linney) who hates her husband enough to openly cheat on him yet begrudges a former lover like Selden to being with anyone else, especially Lily. She's quite the frenemy from hell and as all of these forces gather about Lily to do her in, Selden is slow to stop her social downward spiral:

The deeply cut irony of all of this is that Lily Bart truly has principles. Yes, she makes many mistakes but when time and again, it is pointed out to her that by enacting a moral compromise or two, her situation can improve, Lily says no.

That does seem naive of her yet it's also honorable. As time goes on, Lily refuses to be on the level of her detractors such as Bertha(who she does have solid evidence of her adultery in the form of letters on) and regardless, she doesn't want to gain her social salvation in such an underhanded manner.

Granted, some of that reluctance is due to Selden's prior involvement with Bertha, however when push comes to shove, Lily would rather swallow the bitter pills that Bertha forces upon her in public than become as nasty as her former friend is:

The House of Mirth is not a happy tale to tell but it is beautifully told nonetheless. Writer/director Terence Davies does create visually appealing outdoor scenes yet it's those inside sections of the story that are the most memorable. If you enjoy elegant dialogue in ornate rooms, this is the movie for you!

What really seals the deal is that at times, the movie feels like a stage play and yes, that is a compliment. Lily's journey is one of those quietly brutal dramas that would make for a gripping Broadway production and it's chief mode of decoration is the emotional intensity that swirls up when least expected.

The strongest connective thread is the relationship between Lily and Selden, which is done to perfection by both actors no matter what setting they happen to be in. If you haven't seen THOM, I fully recommend it as it does the book justice while giving the story a few unique touches of it's own:

I do hope that you all enjoyed this first outing of Autumn in August and please do join us next time for more Edith Wharton entertainment as Martin Scorsese gives his operatic take on The Age of Innocence-popcorn is always welcome!:

 

The High Summer Readathon, a Library Haul and other bookish blog plans

 

Even though the summer seems to be half gone, there's plenty of warm weather time left to enjoy and if you're like me, staying in the shade is certainly the best option.

With that in mind, next month brings us the High Summer readathon from Seasons of Reading(courtesy of Michelle Miller). Beginning August 1 and ending on the 31st, you are encouraged to do as much page turning as possible to soothe your spirits or cool off during the latest heat wave, whichever arrives the soonest!

My TBR for this readathon will be small with Jennifer Weiner's Big Summer and Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern to start with(yes, there's a bit of a theme there!).

The main titles for this particular challenge will be a Larry McMurtry double feature starring The Last Picture Show and it's follow-up, Texasville. The former was a huge breakthrough novel for McMurtry that became an award winning film in 1971.

TLPS chronicles the emotional triangle between best friends Sonny and Duane,along with local beauty Jacy during their last summer together in the small Texas town they call home. Between bouts of fighting, bad romance choices and sudden departures, these three find their own way to set about deciding the path of their future lives.

The sequel Texasville takes place about thirty years later , reuniting the trio and their remaining friends and ex-lovers back in their old home town. The film adaptation,which did have the original cast and director back on board, did not get the warm reception that the first movie did(then again, neither did the book).

Oddly enough, I read Texasville years ago without having read TLPS(my intro to McMurtry was Terms of Endearment) so probably much of the character content and references to past events missed me by a mile.

 Well now is the perfect time to remedy that and with McMurtry no longer with us, the best way to appreciate his legacy is by reading one of his best known works and yes, it's perhaps underrated companion piece:

In addition to the High Summer readathon, another wonderful book related event has occurred for me and that is the grand reopening of my local library branch!

I went there yesterday and it was so good to walk through those doors again. I only hope that recent resurgences in our sadly still ongoing health crisis doesn't force it to close down once more(btw, I and my immediate family are fully vaccinated and I encourage everyone who can to do the same).

Not only was I able to finally return my pre-pandemic loans-I confess that I read just two of the four that I borrowed-but I made my first library haul of 2021 as well. All of them are mysteries and I began one of them already, The Book Supremacy by Kate Carlisle.

This series has a bookbinder, Brooklyn Wainright, as it's detective heroine and in this 13th entry of the Bibliophile Mysteries, she's celebrating her honeymoon with new husband and regular love interest Derek Stone in France. Brooklyn and Derek are having the time of their lives yet when they go home to San Diego, it turns out that something they bought in Paris is more sinister than your standard souvenirs.

Brooklyn's purchase of a first edition of Ian Fleming's The Spy Who Loved Me(a bit of a gag gift as Derek used to work for MI6) was rather a lucky buy that upon appraisal is worth far more than what she paid. While agreeing to let the book be displayed at a spy themed shop run by an old pal of Derek's, a break in and subsequent murder proves to Brooklyn that this Bond book has more secrets than what's between the covers.

While this is my first time with this series, getting into the plot and characters is relatively easy and readily engaging. With any luck, Brooklyn may become a new favorite literary leading lady of mine:

I paired that with another Kate Shackleton novel by Frances Brody entitled A Snapshot of Murder and the beginning of a newer series from Ellie Alexander.

Death on Tap introduces us to Sloan Krause, a top notch craft beer brewer who changes her place of employment due to her husband Mac getting way too friendly with one of the barmaids.

She decides to work at Nitro, a direct competitor to Mac's family business but when Sloan finds the brew master dead in one of Nitro's beer tanks, her life changes yet again. Mac is the prime suspect and despite her disgust, Sloan finds that she has no choice other than finding the true killer to help her family, in-laws and all.

I do like Alexander's Bakeshop Mystery series yet since I'm not into beer, I haven't picked this one up before. Giving Sloan Krause a fair shot should be fun and hopefully as intoxicating as her other mystery treats:

Last but not least, for those of you who check out my Series-ous Reading posts, the next review will have to wait until September. Taking it easy during these increasingly overheated days seems right to me(my fall book preview will be in September as well). The wait will be worth it, folks.

Rest assured that I am still reading those Culinary Cozy Feast books there and plan to serve up a double platter of fishy doings with Barbara Ross' Clammed Up(which I did like quite a bit) with Killer Crab Cakes by Livia J. Washburn not long after Labor Day.

Instead, my big blog focus will be on Autumn in August, my new end of summer film festival that starts next week with The House of Mirth starring Gillian Anderson as the ill fated Lily Bart. Nothing says autumn like Edith Wharton in New York, if you ask me:

There is still time to sign up for the High Summer readathon(follow the link in the second paragraph of this post) and whatever your remaining summer plans are, I hope that a good book accompanies you where ever that may be.

I know that staying close to home is not something many of us want to do these days but there are advantages to doing just that. For one, no fighting about how books you can pack versus other so-called essentials like fresh clothes and toothpaste-the more books, the better, I say!:

The summer reruns of reading

 

We're getting into that part of the summer season where TV reruns start to conquer the entertainment landscape. Yes, there are some original shows out there(both on cable and streaming) but they are becoming few and far between there.

Some replays are fun and if you think about it, rereading a book is similar to rewatching a few of your favorite shows-relaxing, amusing and pretty sure that you're going to have a good time. Also, you might pick up on some finer points about the plot or characters that you have missed the first time around.

I'm in the middle of a couple of rereads at the moment that are really making this midsummer slump work well for me and perhaps one or two of them might make for fresh reads for you too:

WAITING FOR TOM HANKS: A great excuse for rereading is to buy a new copy in a different format and since I first read Kerry Winfrey's ode to romcom movies in an ebook edition, getting it in paperback is more than enough reason to jump back in.

Annie Cassidy loves the romcom genre so much that any potential mate has to fit into the Tom Hanks standard for her-funny, kind, smart and bonus points for owning a houseboat!

She's also writing a screenplay for a romantic comedy so when a film company comes to town, getting a job on set is a great gig for her. However, the movie's leading man is Drew Danforth, a former sitcom actor who needs a big hit after his big screen action film takes a box office nosedive.

While her best friend Chloe thinks that Drew could be Annie's Tom Hanks, she is firmly convinced otherwise, insisting that his goofy antics off screen and mocking banter with her in real life make him a serious non contender. Yet, as she gets to know him, Annie begins to see a better side of Drew that causes her to reassess him on the TH scale. Can he really be her ultimate Hanks or is Annie's romantic comedy focus limiting her options in life and love?

This story is so much fun, with engaging characters, well timed dialogue and good hearted humor, just like your favorite romcom film. I also have the sequel Not Like The Movies on hand(which gives Chloe a movie themed love story of her own!), making for a great double feature of reading here. Plus, I am planning to rewatch You've Got Mail later this summer as part of my Autumn in August challenge and references to that film abound greatly within these pages:

EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS: This is another "ebook to print copy" purchase that I plan on getting to later this season. Truth be told, it's one of those up all night reads that I want to slowly savor the second time around.

Malcolm Bradshaw has a pretty quiet life, working at a mystery themed bookstore with a mostly silent partner. A bit of excitement stirs up one day as a FBI agent comes calling to ask about an old blog post made for the shop's website.

The post listed eight mystery titles that Malcolm felt laid out the best plans for the perfect murder. He did it just for a lark but as it turns out, someone has taken his deadly TBR seriously and has so far knocked off three people using those books as guides.

While the agent hopes that Malcolm can help her stop the killer before he/she gets to the end of that particular reading list, Malcolm is not only surprised but scared to tell her everything he knows. He does know way more than he's willing to say but is not sure that his secret is going to save anyone, including himself.

I've read some of the books on the title list,btw, before and after this book was published and some of them have been made into great movies-Double Indemnity, Deathtrap and Strangers on a Train. That last one, I definitely have in my home video library and should probably rewatch that beforehand, in order to enhance my literary mood:

THE CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY: At the moment, my current classic reading is focused on Edith Wharton, most of which is rereading. However, since I've only read TCOTC once before, this almost feels like a new book to me.

The center of the story is Undine Spragg, the daughter of new money folks whose fierce determination to never miss out on the best makes her a hard person to live with if you can't bankroll her every whim.

She goes through more than one husband in this quest for more and the point that I'm at in the book has her with official husband number one(Undine has a bit of a secret past in that department!) Ralph, a dreamy eyed poet who finds that his supposed muse of a wife is simply a mortal woman with a pretty face.

Wharton does justice to all of her characters here by not painting Undine as a one note villain, rather just a product of her upbringing and a reflection of the social standards of the day. Ralph and his old school money notions are satirically skewered as well and he won't be the last spouse to be mocked in this book, no doubt about it!

There are plans underway to adapt TCOTC for Apple TV with Sophia Coppola at the director's helm. I think it will do very well with both audiences and critics, considering how modern our leading lady is.

 So far in the book, she already has a press agent and if she were in our present day world, Undine would be a social media darling with her Instagram page blowing up on the regular , rocking the latest in fashion and other trendy goods. She's the true blue material girl for all time indeed:

I guess reruns do serve a purpose other than to fill up the time. They can be comfortable places to mentally crash or spots of new discovery for the viewer that expand upon an already established fan base.

They can also provide plenty of time for rereading a good book or two, which is always a welcome idea. Getting too wrapped up in reruns can also led to trouble but that is another tale for another time and channel:

Starting my sweet summer Series-ous Reading time with a plate of Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

 It's been awhile since I've been in Hannah Swensen country,so to speak, so to begin my summer session of Series-ous Reading, it felt right to pick up Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke.

Set during the month of June, the biggest event in Lake Eden is the opening of a luxury condo development funded by wealthy scion Roger Dalworth, who has Hannah's realtor sister Andrea setting up the reception and showing everyone the major renovations to the place.

Hannah is asked to serve her latest culinary hit, the title cupcakes, and while all assembled seem to be having a great time, a sudden storm followed by a shocking fall from the balcony of the penthouse quickly dampens the mood. Fortunately, the person who fell,Barbara Donnelly, is alive yet sadly, is injured enough to warrant a hospital stay until her memory improves. 

With Barbara insisting that her brother(who doesn't exist as far as anyone knows) threw her off the balcony, Hannah has a new mystery on her hands which takes her away from the Cookie Jar kitchen briefly but not long enough to enjoy the ready sweet success the business is having:

What is unsettling Hannah even more is the news that Doctor Beverly Thorndike(aka Doc Bev), her former rival for dentist and occasional beau Norman, is back in town and the fiance of Roger Dalworth to boot!

Being engaged to one of the richest men in the area isn't enough for her as Doc Bev sets her sights on Norman once again. She's not subtle about her intentions either, from taking him for a spin in the fancy new Maserati that her current love interest brought her to flaunting her presence in town in front of Hannah and friends when arriving in person to pick up an order of those special red velvet cupcakes.

Dealing with Doc Bev is hard for Hannah but she's willing to be the better person in this situation and that notion is put to the test in a deadly way all too soon. While making a delivery run, Hannah notices that a car went into the lake and the unconscious driver is Doc Bev!

 Hannah doesn't hesitate to jump in and rescue her but despite those efforts, Doc Bev is gone for good . To make  matters worse, Hannah's other part time boyfriend, police detective Mike, considers Hannah the prime suspect after an autopsy reveals that Doc Bev was poisoned and her last meal was , you guessed it, those particular cupcakes. Obviously, she's innocent but Mike has this annoying habit of being all by the book when it comes to crime solving(a standard that doesn't appear to apply to his love life there!).

So, Hannah has to prove that she didn't do it as well as figure out what happened to Barbara, not to mention fix a situation left over from the last book(Cinnamon Roll Murder)-not too much on her plates is there,folks? Personally, I'm not sad to see Doc Bev get taken out of the picture. 

She was such a nasty person to begin with and the whole fight over Norman deal was starting to get a little too much "The Boy is Mine"-don't get me wrong, Norman is a great guy worth fighting for but Hannah should have a better reason to appreciate him than another woman on the scene:

Nonetheless, it was good to meet up with Hannah again and while the various mysteries crisscrossed quite a bit, the story and well known characters were still  compelling enough to hang out with. 

Turns out that this is a good time to get reacquainted with the residents of Lake Eden as the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel is planning to air another Murder She Baked adaptation this summer!

Based on the book Cream Puff Murder, this installment is entitled Sweet Revenge where Hannah has to solve a murder at her local gym just before her wedding to Mike starts(I know she doesn't marry Mike in the books but rest assured, some fans will be happy to see them walk down the aisle). It sounds like light hearted summer viewing fun to me: 

In the meanwhile, the next summer serving in my Culinary Cozy Feast is from Barbara Ross with Clammed Up.

The first entry in her Maine Clambake Mysteries introduces us to Julia Snowden, who goes to her seaside home town of Busman's Harbor to help the ailing family business out. Thanks to her brother in law Sonny, the Snowden Family Clambake is deeply in debt with lackluster summer time attendance making it all the more difficult to keep the family financially afloat.

As a way to increase business, Julia expands their culinary services by catering events. Unfortunately, the first big outing is a wedding which comes to a quick end upon discovering the best man hung out to gruesomely dry at the family island venue!

Between that awful incident and a fire set during regular service, Julia finds herself taking up detective duties to not only save her business but perhaps a couple of lives as well. I'm not much of a seafood person yet the descriptions of the clambake are tempting indeed. I do look forward to sampling more of this series both in and out of the summer season there:

Settling up my Sci-Fi Summer reads

 As of last week, the Sci-Fi Summer readathon(sponsored by Michelle Miller of Seasons of Reading) came to an end and as usual, I managed to finish three out of the four books that I set aside for this fun challenge.

First to be read and completed was Mike Chen's We Could Be Heroes, which which has an unlikely duo pairing up to solve more than one mystery about their lives.

Jamie,aka The Mind Robber, uses his mental superpowers to rob banks as nonviolently as possible with his ultimate goal being to escape to a distant island accompanied by his cat named Normal.

Zoe,whose superheroine name is Throwing Star, works as a food delivery person by day and hunts down criminals at night, hoping to somehow find a way to regain her memories. Two years ago, she woke up alone in a fully paid for apartment with only a name tag and a note explaining her extraordinary abilities. Since then, she's tried to figure who and what she is, not to mention meant to do with her life.

Jamie also has a similar memory loss situation and after an encounter in their alter ego personae, they run into each other at a support group for those suffering from memory problems. Instead of attacking each other, they compare notes and decide to team up to find some answers.

To say more would spoil the fun but I do have to say that it's not surprising that author Mike Chen happens to be a fan of DC's Legends of Tomorrow as these two would definitely fit right in to any season of the show.  Don't get me wrong; Chen has plenty of original takes on the genre here with a good amount of comic book inspired creativity.

What his writing does share in common with LOT is the offbeat moments of humor that expand and lighten the mood at times, the growing friendship that compels both of the main characters and pushes them beyond their superhero/villain roles,along with making a world with such powerful beings seem very relatable.

While the overall mystery is engaging, it's the smartly written character development that makes this story soar:

Next up was Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson, a YA novel that is intended to be part one of a duology.

Seventeen year old Andra Watts was nervous enough as it is when her family planned to leave Earth to a settlement on the planet Holymyth, requiring her to enter a pod for a cryogenic sleep that would last a hundred years.

When she does finally awakens, it's a thousand years later and everyone that Andra knows and loves is long gone. Instead, an exiled prince named Zhade informs her that she's seen as the "Third Goddess", who is supposed to save the planet and in particular, the central city of Eerensed.

Hoping to find a way back to Earth, Andra reluctantly agrees to work with Zhade, who has a few scores to settle in Eerensed, and present herself to the current ruler Maret, who is Zhade's half brother and in need of a way to fix the protective dome that keeps the city residents safe from the ravages of the outer desert surroundings.

Andra does her best but things are always not what they seem, especially when it comes to Zhade and his secret plans. Can she save the day or is the universe fully aligned against her?

Since this is a first half of a bigger story(part two, Devil in the Device, is set to be out in August), I have to say that so far, I am intrigued. The characters are engaging and with the new forms of language that Andra and the reader learn to decipher keeps your mind alert as you go along. I look forward to finding out what is in store for Andra and company as it should be a sight to see:

To round things out, my last read for this Sci-Fi Summer was Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie, another part one but in what is called The Bloodright Trilogy.

Ettian is a student pilot at the Umber Academy, having enrolled years after his Archon home world was conquered by the Umber empire, leaving him an orphan with tragic memories of his past.

Nevertheless, he is determined to put that all behind him and become a useful member of this galaxy's dominant society. That plan is upended when his best friend/roommate Gal is revealed to be the heir to the Umber empire, which places a huge target on his back.

Believing that Gal will be a better and more peaceful ruler than his parents, Ettian risks everything to protect him from those looking to take Gal down and/or use him as a political bargaining chip. As the two of them find refuge on a distant planet, new allies are made and different plots to get Gal to a safer place are created and rewritten. One thing that is for certain are the emotional bonds that they share which go beyond friendship yet could make them, Ettian in particular, more vulnerable to their enemies.

This story falls into the YA/New Adult realm but it's a page turning read regardless of the category. Skrutskie gives her characters the right amount of emotional complexity and nuance that gels her world building nicely. She also adds a couple of twists and turns that I didn't see coming until the end that makes me eager to get book two(Oaths of Loyalty, due in September) as soon as possible!

I also hope that since this story is narrated by Ettian and the second installment is probably going to be told from Gal's perspective, that the third installment has Wen, a scrappy street survivor with bloodright issues of her own, at the helm there. She's extremely compelling and smartly kickass, so I'm not the only one who wants her to have her own book, I'm sure:

Thanks again to Michelle at Seasons of Reading for making Sci-Fi Summer possible and I hope that everyone who joined in for the bookish fun had a great reading time. The next readathon on the SOR roster is High Summer in August and I do have a TBR pile under way for that. A couple of titles will take me to Larry McMurtry country, which will be both a renewal and a discovery all in one for me:

Setting up some summer duets of reading

 

As it is officially-according-to-the-calendar the first day of summer, I thought this would be a good time to arrange a few bookish duets.

By that I mean pairing up some of my TBR titles based on author and my own personal seasonal needs. To start, a recent completed read of mine is Jennifer Weiner's latest novel That Summer, where two women with similar names met up yet only one of them knows the real connections between them.

When Daisy Shoemaker keeps getting emails addressed to a Diana S, she's sort of not surprised since her actual name is Diana(her husband Hal insisted on calling her Daisy). By letting the "other Diana" know of the messages she's missed, Daisy finds herself striking up a friendship with this woman, who seems to be more sophisticated and polished than herself.

As it turns out, Diana is not what she seems but her intentions are not directly about Daisy; rather it's about what happened to her fifteen years ago at the same Cape Cod beach where the Shoemakers still vacation at. Those events changed her life in a profound way and finding those responsible for that may change Daisy's life as well.

I don't want to say more to avoid spoilers but many of the themes and plot points have current event connections. The interwoven narratives here(including Daisy's offbeat and charming daughter Beatrice) form an emotional quilt that creates a solid canvas for the characters to showcase their inner lives and outward concerns upon. It's been awhile since I've read Weiner but she doesn't miss a beat in setting up her story lines and making them work in a way that would please Tim Gunn very much indeed.

It turns out that Weiner's previous novel, Big Summer, is briefly referenced in That Summer, which gives me plenty of reason to go back and fully read it this time around.

When budding Instagram influencer Daphne gets a call from high school frenemy Drue, she's more than justified in wondering why. A prank that Drue played on her lead to Daphne's internet fame but it was the last straw in a series of passive aggressive mind games that shut down their alleged friendship for what Daphne considered to be permanent.

Drue is about to get married in a high society Cap Cod set wedding but has no real gal pals to act as her bridesmaids. She begs Daphne to do her this one last favor, stating that it would help both of their public personas. While not fully trusting her, Daphne agrees to be part of the wedding and at first, things seem to go well. Unfortunately, a shocking tragic event places her at the center of a murder mystery that needs to be solved to save her own future!

This sounds like one of those "why-didn't-I read-this-sooner?" books but hey, better late than never, right? Especially when it comes to one of my all-time favorite writers and yes, Jennifer Weiner is high on that list:

I am planning to do some rereading this summer and for that reason, Daisy Jones & The Six is on my literary playlist. I first read this much talked about Taylor Jenkins Reid novel as a library loan(back in the before times!) mainly to see what all the fuss was about.

Well, this oral history of the title music group(said to be loosely based on Fleetwood Mac) was a truly pleasant surprise. As the unseen interviewer brings the various  talking point by members of the band, torn between original lead singer Billy Dunne's artistic vision and newcomer Daisy's more improv approach to music, you get a full fledged portrait of fellow travelers on the musical journey of their lives.

However, before climbing aboard that tour bus again, I want to dive into TJR's latest novel, Malibu Rising.  Set in the summer of 1983,  Nina Riva is preparing to host her annual beach party despite the fact that her tennis pro husband's split with her is very much public news.

Nina is the eldest daughter of famed singer Mick Riva, a distant parent at best. That made Nina the go-to for her other siblings such as pro surfer brother Jay, their half brother Hud whose photography has helped bolster their careers and younger sister Kit, determined to make her own mark on the surfing world.

As this present day party gathers together, some secrets from the past(and a few recent activities) make their way to the surface, making this family reunion more of a fire hazard than a late season festival to say the least.

If that doesn't sound like ideal summer reading, I don't know what is! So far, the book is good juicy entertainment and should offer plenty of fun out of the sun page turning delights as I go on:

 

Arriving in August is another cool novel from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this time set in the 1970s, Velvet Was The Night. As the gorgeous cover art suggests, this a noir tale where a dreamy eyed secretary named Maite becomes caught up in a missing person case that may lead to murder and political intrigue.

While looking into the disappearance of her neighbor Lenora, an art student involved in the protest movement against the government, Maite at first teams up with Ruben, Leonora's exe.

As time goes on, Maite crosses paths with Elvis, a young government operative who usually is sent to break up student protests. However, when ordered to track down Leonora, he finds himself drawn to Maite and the two of them join forces to seek out Leonora along with the truth.

Since it'll be awhile before that book is out and about, that gives me time to read one of SMG's earlier works, The Beautiful Ones.

When Nina makes her debut into society during the Grand Season, she hopes that her special telekinetic abilities can stay hidden long enough to make a good first impression.

Unfortunately, that doesn't work out too well for her yet the return of Hector Auvray to town is a game changer for her. His powers are similar to hers and have made him a famous performer with world wide approval.

Hector is charmed by her talents and offers to tutor Nina, who soon falls in love with him. Those feelings are not quite mutual as Hector's motivations for seeking her out stretch back to a former romance with someone in Nina's family circle, who is none too pleased with his supposed change of affections.

This blend of period drama and magical powers is the type of amazing story telling that SMG is an expert in and brings to vivid life on page. The Beautiful Ones should make waiting for Velvet Was The Night a pleasant experience in more ways than one:

I'm sure that many of you out there can match up some of your lingering TBR titles to create a duet or two for summer reading season.  It's almost like a musical duet as you find the right words to tap your mental feet along to and perhaps even share with one of your super friends to enjoy:

Announcing the Autumn in August summer movie festival!

 

As some of you may know, I have in the past set up the month of August as Bad Movie Month where the best of the worst was reviewed. While that was a lot of fun, the terrible no-good very bad year we shared in 2020 didn't feel right for such an entertainment outing.

The RomCom Comfort Food film fest that I did instead was a nice change of pace that I hope amused other folks as well during such a rough time. 

For this upcoming late summer season, my creative spirits decided to do something a little different yet again. So, LRG is happy to announce the Autumn in August movie festival, a quartet of films that just have that Fall feeling, plus are literary inspired as well. After all, those dog days of summer tend to be heavily humid and what better time for a good book and movie combo to chill out with?

 THE HOUSE OF MIRTH: Since I've been rereading Edith Wharton lately, it only seems fitting to include a couple of her adaptations here. This 2000 film stars Gillian Anderson as Lily Bart, a socialite in late 19th century New York who is starting to age out as a viable candidate for a wealthy marriage.

Part of Lily's problem is her utter lack of guile in claiming a husband, something that one of her married frenemies Bertha Dorset(Laura Linney) has in abundance. Particularly when it comes to Lawrence Selden (Eric Soltz), a bachelor lawyer who has no issue with a discreet affair or two yet can't bring himself to declare himself in love with Lily. 

The downfall of a social butterfly who is truer to her scruples than the upper class folk around is bittersweet and beautiful, with director Terrence Davies giving Lily Bart the true elegance that she yearns for onscreen:

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE: The first Edith Wharton novel that I ever read was due to this 1993 version, a pet project of director Martin Scorsese who saw little difference between the honor code of the criminal underworld and the  strict yet silent social order of New York in the 1970s.

As Newland Archer(Daniel Day-Lewis) finds himself torn between his sweetly doting fiance May(Winona Ryder) and hoping to be divorced Countess Ellen Olenska(Michelle Pfeiffer), it turns out that more than his heart is at stake. 

Subtle forces from within and without his immediate social circle do their best to steer him in what they consider to be the right direction yet the strong weapon in that arsenal is most unexpected indeed.

The film did win Best Costume Design at the Oscars that year but it really should have gotten Best Adapted Screenplay as well with Scorsese and co-writer Jay Cocks bringing this tightly woven world of words to a richly vivid cinematic life:

 

PERSUASION: Of course, I had to bring Jane Austen into this and like Age of Innocence, I was drawn to this posthumous work due to a film version. This 1995 Roger Mitchell(Notting Hill) production showcases the passionless plateau that Anne Eliot, played by Amanda Root, finds herself upon.

Stuck between her cold hearted father and chilly older sister Elizabeth, who must "retrench" due to their lack of financial management, and her always fancing herself ill younger sister Mary's household, Anne soon discovers that her former love interest Wentworth (Ciaran Hinds) is back and has done well for himself in his naval career.

Each of them finds the other in their social orbit at differing times, not sure of being just friends or reconnecting their romance. Will Anne allow herself to be influenced again in this situation or will this decision be taken out of her hands by other means?

While I know that other Persuasion adaptations are in the works as we speak, this one holds a special place in my bookish heart that no other can possess. Yes, I will certainly give the newer films a fair chance and appreciate them on their own merits yet this down to earth edition is like the porridge that Goldilocks chose for me:

YOU'VE GOT MAIL: Yes, folks, a film actually set in modern times! Although the technology necessary for the plot is rather old fashioned, it is fitting as director/writer Nora Ephron based this 1998 NYC located movie on a 1940 Jimmy Stewart romcom.

As rival booksellers Joe Fox(Tom Hanks) and Kathleen Kelly(Meg Ryan) run into each other while fighting to claim a section of the city as their literary providence, romance is not far behind.

When Joe realizes that his secret online pen pal is Kathleen, things change in more ways than one but is a happily every after completely ruled out here?

Out of the three romantic comedies that Hanks and Ryan starred in together, I find this one to be the absolute best(Joe Vs. The Volcano is, however, highly underrated). The dialogue is a delight as are co-stars such as Jean Stapleton, Dabney Coleman and Dave Chappelle. Plus, the movie starts in the fall, so it's truly picture perfect for this occasion:

So, this is my line-up for Autumn in August and I cordially invite you all to stop in for a spell later this summer. My favorite time of year happens to be Autumn and it will be nice to relax during heat wave season with the promise of cooler days when school supply shopping is a treat for all ages:

Starting my summertime Series-ous Reading with a taste of Arsenic and Adobo

 Yes,Virginia, summer is definitely here and it's such a perfect time to stay in the shade with a tasty culinary cozy mystery at hand along with a cool glass of iced tea to sip between chapters.

My latest Series-ous Reading selection is a debut novel from Mia P. Manansala called Arsenic and Adobo, meant to be the first of Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series set in Shady Palms,Illinois. Lila is our leading lady, who has recently moved back to town to help her Aunt Rosie with the title restaurant.

Lila is also trying to get over a major bad break-up and it doesn't make it easier when her obnoxious high school exe keeps showing up for dinner. Derek Winters is a food blogger who persists in giving bad reviews of Tita Rosie's Kitchen yet keeps coming back for more and this time with his stepfather Ed Long, who happens to be the landlord.

 While the restaurant has a strong following for it's flavorful dishes, those reviews are making it harder for Tita Rosie to make ends meet but Lila is determined to not let Derek and Ed ruin the good food feeling for everyone:

 Ed's been looking to shut the place down for awhile now and during this visit, might have a solid reason to do so as Derek drops dead during the dessert course!

 Even though Derek was diabetic, his death wasn't caused by that ailment which puts Lila in the top spot as prime suspect in the case. In order to clear her name and have the now closed restaurant reopen, Lila has no choice but to investigate as the detective in charge is quick to blame her for what's happened.

With the help of her friend Adeena, Lila discovers that other local eateries have been targeted by Derek and shaken down by the health inspector who happens to be good friends with Ed Long. Is that the  reason for Derek's demise or is there something even more unsavory afoot here?:

I do love restaurant settings in books and Mia P. Manansala makes the most of that element here as part of Lila's inquiries take place at various other eateries, which is a smart way to expand the horizons of this story(as well as establish future mystery locations!). Also, Lila's bond with her family and friends added some good character seasoning to this first course of what I hope is a feast of great tales to come.

Detective Park did annoy me a little as even I could tell that Lila was being framed(okay, you get an anonymous call about hidden incriminating items right AFTER a very public death at the restaurant and those objects just happen to be exactly where you were told they were, easy to find? Seriously, dude, way to be a dupe there!) However, it seems that he's going to be a future love interest as well as his brother(who I like way better!), so I'll give him a chance in the next book.

The next entry in this series is Homicide and Halo-Halo, due out in February of 2022 and this time around, Lila has to look in a revived beauty pageant in order to keep her cousin Bernadette from being accused of offing the head judge! Food,family and murder is what makes a delicious cozy mystery page turning good:

Meanwhile, for this month's Series-ous Reading selection, I'm heading back to Lake Eden to sample Hannah Swensen's Red Velvet Cupcake Murder.  After  all, my mom is still way ahead of me when it comes to Joanne Fluke and I really need to catch up!

The title treats are being served at the opening of a luxury hotel/condo by wealthy owner Roger Dalworth, which goes smoothly until the police secretary Barbara Donnelly has a sudden fall from the penthouse balcony!

While Barbara managed to survive that incident, her fuzzy recollections send Hannah off on another mystery only to be sidetracked by the death of Doc Bev, her former rival for Norman's affections. Can she solve both cases in time to avoid an arrest warrant by Mike, who is more loyal to the law than to any of his lady friends, that's for sure!

As it happens, this story is set during the summer season and a cupcake sounds like a great way to have a winter delight taste just right in heat wave times:

Setting out towards the stars for this Sci-Fi Summer readathon

 

With the big holiday weekend coming up, making those summer plans is more timely than ever and as mine are of an indoor nature, I'm pleased to share with you all my TBR for the Sci-Fi Summer readathon this June!

Hosted at Seasons of Reading by Michelle Miller, this month long look at science fiction and fantasy is still a new item on the literary roster here yet it's a great way to challenge yourself if this particular genre is one that you haven't tackled too much on a regular basis.

 This year, my list of four titles happens to be all hardcover editions(two of which I won in a giveaway last year) and at least two of them are set in outer space, which is as about as sci-fi that you can get there!

That pair of books also happen to be the one that I received from VirtualCon, with Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie where two fellow classmates at an intergalactic military academy go on the run after one of them is discovered to be the heir to the despotic empire that rules the galaxy.

As they seek sanctuary and allies, the reluctant prince and his protector face a good number of challenges, including that his royal family is responsible for the death of his companion's parents and home world. Can these obstacles be truly overcome to save the universe and make right those things that have gone wrong? This book is the first in a trilogy and I hope that I enjoy it enough to check out the next entry in the series.

Speaking of series, the other Virtual Con prize book also appears to be the first in a duology. Lora Beth Johnson's Goddess in the Machine is set in the year 3102, the last moment in time that Andromeda aka Andra expected to wake up in.

When she and her family went off to live on a new planet, Andra was told that her cryonic sleep would only be a hundred years but it turned out to be a thousand years later instead, with everyone she knew and loved being long gone.

In order to return to Earth, Andra teams up with Zhade, an exiled prince looking to boost his social status by exploiting the popular notion that she's an awakened deity meant to save their world. Will Andra be able to find home somewhere in the universe and maybe true love as well?

This does sound cool and since the second book(Devil in the Device) is due out later this summer, my timing for this story could be perfect:

For something a bit more down to earth, Mike Chen's We Could Be Heroes has a rather unlikely pair of friends as our leads. When Jamie recognizes Zoe at his  memory loss support group meeting, it's not a sign of good things to come.

As it turns out, both of them woke up in unknown locations two years ago, each given only a one year apartment lease and a note that explains what their super powers are. Given such strangely similar circumstances, they decide to work together to achieve their goals-Jamie wants to steal enough money to retire to a remote island with his beloved cat Normal while Zoe just wants her memories back.

While Jamie is fine with using his mental powers to help Zoe, what he finds in her thoughts changes the game for both of them in more ways than one. I do love superhero themed novels and this story promises to be more than just an action packed adventure but also a powerful emotional journey well worth taking:

 

To make this TBR a true quartet, my last selection was The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang, the first in a trilogy that has been getting serious praise from critics and fans alike.

When orphan girl Rin passes the entrance exam to the Sinegard, the top military school in the Nikara Empire, no one was more surprised than she. Thrilled to be leaving a harsher than Cinderella life as well as being able to avoid an arranged and unwanted marriage, Rin is determined to make her mark but there is much against her.

Scorned by the student body, Rin works even harder to keep her spot yet her difficulties increase when she finds that she has a talent for shamanism, a powerful magic that is at best hard to control.

Gaining reluctant help from a teacher feared mad by others, Rin manages some grasp of her new found abilities only to learn that she has a connection with ancient gods thought to be long dead. Using that knowledge and sorcery skill is dangerous but with the Empire on the brink of another war, Rin may be their only chance at victory. Yet, what cost to her soul?

I am truly looking forward to this book as it's been awhile since I dived into an epic novel and series and this feels like the beginning of a beautiful book friendship:

  Sci-Fi Summer begins on June 1 and ends on the 30th(there is a link to the sign up post in the second paragraph of this entry, if you'd like to join in the fun) and I hope that  everyone involved with this seasonal challenge will enjoy their reading selections here.

I will be taking next week off , due to not only the Memorial Day weekend but my mom's birthday, which falls around the same time, and will see all of you in June soon. Science fiction and fantasy really do feel like summer time treats, whether it's a great book,movie, video game or song, which could combine for a great pop culture party indeed:

Setting up a sweet stack of summer beach reading

 

We are very close to Memorial Day weekend which, to many, is the official start of the summer season and signs are good for having a much better time outdoors and inside than last year.

With the announcement of rules being relaxed for the fully vaccinated (I am in that category but still keeping it cautious for now), more folks are making big vacation plans and the one thing that you need whether you are going to the beach or staying home in the shade is a good book.

So, this trio of new/upcoming releases might help you out in that department. Pair one or more of these novels with the cold drink of your choice and prepare to be properly entertained:

DIAL A FOR AUNTIES: Jesse Q. Sutanto's screwball romcom novel begins with Meddy(short for Meddelin) Chan dealing with the fact that her loving but overbearing mother has set up a blind date for her via a dating app.

Meddy is used to giving into to her mom and her mother's quartet of formidable sisters, even to the point of becoming the photographer for their mutual event planning business.Yet,this latest arrangement is way too much but when told that the man in question is running the hotel where the family business has been hired for a major league wedding, she once again gives in.

As the date winds down, Meddy not only finds the guy obnoxious , she soon learns that his expectations for the evening are totally different than hers. Fighting him off in the car, an accident occurs and Meddy is shocked to see that he's dead!

Going home for help, Meddy is both relieved and anxious than her mom and assembled aunts are very willing to help her get rid of the body, as long as it doesn't interfere too much with the wedding plans for the next day. Juggling both the big celebration and the need to stash the corpse before it's discovered in one of the coolers mistakenly brought to the hotel, Meddy runs into Nathan, a former love who is in charge of the event.

Can Meddy rekindle an old flame while discretely dispatching a dead man and making sure that the wedding of the year goes off without a hitch? Well, I'm the midst of this book right now and it's a pure page turning delight. Suranto gives this modern day story a classic fictional flair with dark comedy in the style of films like Arsenic and Old Lace as well as Clue. A perfect comedy cocktail flavored with family love and laughter:

THE SUMMER JOB: In this debut novel by Lizzy Dent, our leading lady is Birdy, who agrees to give notice for the title occupation on the behalf of her best friend Heather. 

However, once she arrives at the Scottish inn where Heather was to be a sommelier, Birdy can't see why she shouldn't take this golden opportunity and simply be Heather for the summer. Granted, she has no experience with wine pairing but the place looks to be a simply set-up vacation spot that won't give her too much trouble.

When Birdy arrives, it turns out that the inn has had a major upgrade and a renowned chef named James is at the culinary helm who expects her to know her vino. Can Birdy manage to be a suitable sommelier and a possible partner in love with James or will more than one summer be ruined?

This does sound like fizzy foodie fun, with a nice mix of romantic comedy. No doubt you can pair this summer themed story with a great vintage or a savory season of Top Chef:

LOVE SCENES: This behind the scenes story from Bridget Morrissey stars Sloane Ford, an actress who just lost her steady role on a TV show and her boyfriend to boot.

With a family legacy to live up to, Sloane reluctantly agrees to be a producer for a WWII drama that has her mother as a supporting member of the cast. In addition to that, her dad and stepsister are tag teaming as director and to top it all off, Joseph Donovan, a major star who undermined Sloane during a past project, is the leading man!

To make matters worse, her mother insists that Sloane be Joseph's acting coach, a task that she dutifully performs while expecting very little for her pains there. Surprisingly, Joseph  seems to have turned a new leaf and is starting to make amends for his past behavior.

When the lead actress leaves the film in midstream, Sloane is eager to step into the role yet her onscreen chemistry with Joseph is not enough to make their potential relationship work in real life. Will Sloane be the star of her own life or keep playing second banana to others, including Joseph?

I do love a Hollywood themed tale and this one has plenty of popcorn passion on deck. While movie watching in theaters is still a bit uncertain, Morrissey offers us some movie magic between the covers of this engaging read. After all, a book like this certainly could be the literary equivalent of Netflix and chill this summer indeed:

There is still a good amount of time to make your summer holiday plans and while you stay safe and travel wisely, picking the right reads are just as essential as choosing the right brand of sunscreen lotion.

Even if you keep closer to home, setting the right mood for your book reading is not impossible. A good chair, some excellent lighting and some snacks can make all the difference when it comes to enjoying the summer breeze with a breezy new book: