As March Madness is close to the end, the baseball season is soon to start and for those of us who are not into sports, TV time can get a little tricky to maneuver there.
Fortunately, if some of your regular favorite shows are being rescheduled due to sports coverage, there are a good number of viable alternatives to check out on cable and/or streaming with the additional bonus of being based on some very good books.
At the moment, Shogun is airing on F/X and Hulu with this fresh take on the iconic James Clavell novel getting good reviews from audiences and critics alike. Set in feudal Japan, John Blackthorne(Cosmo Jarvis) a maritime pilot on a Dutch ship, finds himself in the midst of political intrigue between Lord Toranaga(Hiroyuki Sanada) and those who oppose his rise to a position of power second only to the Emperor.
Blackthorne’s ship was captured by Toranaga’s forces and with the help of Lady Mariko(Anna Sawai) as translator, finds a way to make himself useful to Toranaga. However, the conflict around him is far more complicated than he knows with his growing affection towards Mariko adding fuel to such deadly fire.
I remember the original miniseries from 1980 starring Richard Chamberlain (he was the go-to guy for this genre back then) and wound up reading a lot of Clavell due to this show. This new version appears to have much more of a focus on the historical drama elements of the plot than the romantic ones , a flip from the earlier adaptation. Definitely a good direction to go in here indeed:
Debuting this week on Paramount + and Showtime is A Gentleman in Moscow , based on Awor Towles ‘ acclaimed novel about a Russian exile trapped in his own country.
Ewan McGregor plays the title character,Count Alexander Rostov, one of the few remaining members of the aristocracy after the revolution. He was in Paris during most of the upheaval of Russia so on his return, Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in the attic of a once grand hotel.
Making a few friends (as well as keeping one enemy close) during his decades long stay, Rostov learns to take life as it comes but not without finding what joy can be had along the way.
I read most of the book(had to put it on pause due to other concerns) but this series might get me to restart it . The writing was lovely and picturing McGregor as the lead is certainly quite the incentive:
One book that I definitely did finish was Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty, which is now available on Peacock as a limited run series.
When matriarch Joy Delaney(Annette Benning) goes missing with only her overturned bicycle as a clue, suspicion falls hard on her husband Stan (Sam Neill) with their quartet of grown children taking sides over what actually happened.
Since I don’t have Peacock, I can’t say how well this adaptation is done but based on my recall of the book, it’s a rather intriguing and engaging story that does need a good amount of time to tell throughly:
Finding new books to read and new TV shows to watch can go hand in hand as the need to change up with the seasons and adjust to changing circumstances make such things an emotional necessity.
Fortunately, books still remain as adaptable catnip to studios and viewers alike so the odds of running out of one or the other are rather slim. Even in such daunting times as these, a new take on a previously published story can be welcome relief to shelter under with the book itself as an inviting umbrella to add to the fictional fortress of safety there:
Despite the persistent chill in the air, spring has officially begun according to the calendar today. One way to keep warm inside until the weather outside matches up with that is to gather together some chilling books for the next Seasons of Reading challenge, Spring Into Horror.
The sign-ups for this readathon (hosted by the excellent Michelle Miller) started yesterday and since this event doesn’t begin until the first of April-not a joke-there’s plenty of time to join in. Now, you are only required to read one scary book and it doesn’t have to be horror (mystery, thriller,etc are fine) but I am running a full gambit in my TBR trio of terror this time around!
First up is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Silver Nitrate, which follows a pair of film fans into a cinematic nightmare.
Audio engineer Montserrat and aging actor Tristan have a shared love of movies since their childhood and the discovery of a once famous film director, Abel Urueta, living nearby brings some much needed excitement to their lives.
That excitement is way more than they bargained for as Urueta convinces them to help him finish a long abandoned film project in order to break the occult spell placed upon the movie by its Nazi occultist screenwriter.
Willing to bet on the film becoming a hit that could change their lives for the better, Monserrat and Tristan agree to help Urueta but the magic tied to the movie is very real indeed, bringing forth a potentially deadly price to pay for any fame and fortune here.
Moreno-Garcia is great at embracing genre norms and taking them up to the next level in more ways than one, so I am definitely looking forward to this one. Plus, she adds her love of cinema into this popcorn flavored mix of fear and frenzy, making this story worth the price of admission for sure:
Next up is The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett. Told via text, email and group chat app, this novel follows two ambitious reporters eager to get the full story on a past tragedy first in order to secure book deals.
Amanda Bailey already has a publishing contract to write about the cult who intended to offer up a baby as a sacrifice to save the world. Eighteen years later, no one knows who that child, rescued from its intended fate, was or where he or she is now.
Oliver Mendes is also planning to write a book about the cult and his research has him running neck in neck with Amanda as the two of them are determined to interview that mystery child for their work before the other one does. Where their journey towards the truth takes is truly stranger than fiction to say the least.
I’ve heard great things about this book, particularly from Booktuber Mara at Books Like Whoa, so I had to get this as soon as possible and this readathon is just the perfect opportunity to dive on in here. Plus, it appears that Hallett also wrote a screenplay for a 2011 thriller film called
Retreat starring current Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, which might be an interesting watch along companion to this challenge , we shall see:
For the finale, I have the acclaimed Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, which focuses more on the women pursuing justice for the dead rather than the serial killer who achieves notoriety for his crimes.
Pamela is a survivor of a murder spree in her college dorm which took the lives of two of her friends when she meets Tina, who believes the same man murdered her friend Ruth over four years ago.
Getting very little help from the authorities, these women team up to track down the man who not only left a gruesome mark on their lives but continued to destroy others along the way. Their mission, however, is justice not revenge because he wasn’t worth such an effort as the latter.
By keeping these women front and center of the narrative instead of the killer, Knoll brings new light to such dark material that showcases the power that those subjected to violent crime can reclaim as their own, which is the kind of story we need right now in this genre:
Spring Into Horror will be here soon and I wish my fellow readers who take this literary journey a happy bookish time. I have a link above in the second paragraph of this post if you want to know more about SIH and/or like to sign up for some scary page turning time.
I know the world around at the moment is fraught with far too many real terrors , based on the daily headlines alone, as it is and yet, reading something scary can be a good coping method.
Depending on the book, it could be a welcome yet brief escape from those menaces and possibly renew your spirits as such internal/external challenges are dealt with in a way that reality rarely provides.
Best case scenario, you can talk about something other than the news or reality TV with good book buddies and perhaps watch a scary movie or two to take the edge off, worth a try, I think!:
Despite the lingering chill in the air, spring is definitely coming upon us and the best way to get ready for that delightful season is by stacking up a few good books for reading.
My Book of the Month Club selections for this month include a special award winning book, awarded by the readers no less.
Abby Jimenez’s Yours Truly won the Book of the Year award (aka BOTY) from BOMC, voted on by the subscribers and this is my first time getting a BOTY edition, which I find pretty sweet!
While this novel is not a direct sequel to Part of Your World (I wound up getting a BOMC edition of that last month and so far, it’s a great read), one of the supporting characters from that story is in the central spotlight here.
Brianna Ortiz has enough to deal with as it is, with her brother desperately needing a kidney transplant and getting her divorce over and done with without having to handle a potential new rival at work.
As it turns out, Jacob Maddox is not interested in taking that promotion away from anyone; he’s just trying to handle this new job along with his social anxiety that tends to make bad impressions for him.
Brianna is less than thrilled with him but after receiving a letter of apology from Jacob for his rudeness towards her, she’s willing to give him another chance. As the two of them grow closer, they discover that each of them can help the other outside of work in ways neither of them could imagine.
When I finish up with Part of Your World, I fully intend to dive into this engaging tale of romance and emotional growth. Congratulations to Abby Jimenez for this win and I hope that her next book will be another BOMC favorite for all:
I paired that up with A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen, a fantasy novel with Norse mythology and a strong female lead.
Freya has been concealing the fact that she is one of those “blessed by blood” from the gods,destined to be a shield maiden who will fight for the next great king amongst her people for a long time.
However, when her cruel husband learns the truth, he is quick to bring her forth to Snorri, their tribal leader in order to get a divorce. Snorri grants that request and takes Freya as his bride, wanting to be the one who benefits from her intended fate.
He even assigns his firstborn son Bjorn as her personal protector, having no idea how attracted to each other they are. While Freya is still sorting out her place in court and dealing with her feelings for Bjorn, she knows one thing that they do not; a fated person has the final say on what their destiny will or won’t be.
I’ve been wanting to read more fantasy this year so this sounds like a great place to start. The book is the first in a new series and hopefully, I will be able to get the next one in a BOMC edition. Even if that doesn’t work out, having a warrior woman read on hand feels excellently awesome right about now:
Then I went to my local library and picked up the third book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen mystery series by Mia P. Manansala entitled Blackmail and Bibingka.
Bibingka is a traditional dessert served around the winter holidays as we find coffee shop owner Lily and friends planning for at their growing business along with her aunt’s restaurant in the small town of Shady Palms.
When her cousin Ronnie comes back to town with a new winery ready to set up shop, Lily is naturally suspicious as he’s been known as Mr. Unreliable in more ways than one. However, his mother wants to give him the benefit of the doubt and asks Lily to go with her to meet his new business partners.
That meeting starts off well enough but when the wife of one of Ronnie’s new associates dies from drinking a bottle of wine that Ronnie prepared, it’s up to Lily to use those sleuthing skills of hers to save him from being unjustly punished for murder.
While there are plenty of suspects around, a blackmail demand sent before the killing points toward a past situation that may or may not involve Ronnie. Can Lily solve more than one mystery and still start the holiday season off right?
I do like this series as Manansala has a lively way with describing the food and family relationships that are truly delicious to read. Finding these titles at my library is such a tasty treat indeed:
Also, in pursuit of more fantasy books, I came across The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Millet.
Alaine learned about how one could strike a deal with the Fae on the title location from her grandmother , who claims that how her husband was able to get the family farm that she has inherited.
With the farm not doing well and her younger sister Delphine planning to marry a man that will move her to the city, Alaine starts to wonder if that old story was true and if so, can she make such a bargain to improve her own situation in life?
Turns out Delphine has a similar notion as she’s not that confident among the socialite class that she is trying to put a part of these days. As each sister makes her exchange with the Fae folk, the price they truly have to pay is most unexpected indeed.
This does sound interesting (not to mention that the cover is gorgeous!) so I’m willing to give it a go. Rowenna Miller is a new to me author and perhaps I might check out more of her work if the page turning magic clicks with me. It’s truly magical how one good book can lead you to another and another:
It will be nice to have a good full season of spring this year-lately it seems as if spring is a short bridge from winter to summer that keeps getting shorter all the time.
Hopefully, that path will extend out a little further this time around.
In the meanwhile, we have plenty of books ready to bloom on our shelves and before I go, I must mention that I gathered up a few books for future reading projects at a Leap Year sale at Better World Books.
Two of them I’ll talk about later this month but the other two are being set aside for my Meeting of the Marys challenge. Along side Romantic Outlaws(a duel bio about Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley), I will be rereading The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White as well as Shelley’s Frankenstein in a nice Penguin Classic Deluxe Edition.
The other new to me read will be Vindication of the Rights of Women by Wollstonecraft . Considering the state of things regarding women’s rights these days, I have a feeling that this early feminist work will be very relevant in a not so reassuring way.
With any luck, I will be able to start this challenge before the end of spring (need to complete my Jane Journey first!) and enjoy a little compare and contrast with this mother/daugther team , the latter being a most memorable literary diva whose influence still springs forward today:
As some of you may know, I have been doing a book challenge for some time now called Series-ous Reading, where I would talk about books in certain genre series such as cozy mystery or historical fiction.
Well, for this year I decided to change things up a bit and try something new that I’m calling Trilogy Time; reading three sets of trilogy novels that each follow a different prompt. Also, this is a seasonal challenge so my blog updates won’t be every single month(which can make this whole thing much easier to enjoy).
So, for the winter/early spring start of this project, my prompt was “Read an author that’s new to you “ and while Nora Roberts is rather well known, I had never tried her works until now. At the last rummage sale I went to, I impulsively picked up her Irish Born trio and figured that was a good place to set off from.
The first book, Born In Fire,is set in Ireland and introduces us to the Concannon sisters, namely Margaret May,aka Maggie, the oldest daughter whose talents with glass blown sculptures catch the attention of art curator Rogan Sweeney. It’s a passion of hers that was encouraged by her late father and has steadily improved over the years with some local interest but not much more than that until now:
Rogan plans to open a gallery featuring Irish artists and wants Maggie to be under contract with him. She, however, is less than thrilled with anyone trying to control her or her work, even though the money would greatly help out her younger sister Brianna, who runs a bed and breakfast out of her house while taking care of their angrily demanding mother Maeve.
Eventually, Maggie and Rogan come to terms but their relationship quickly goes beyond business. With both of them sharing a stubborn determination to have their own way in certain situations, this love connection is fraught with issues indeed!
One of the top strengths of Roberts ‘ writing that I noticed right off the bat is her keen sense of characterization; she knows how to create realistic people who make understandable errors and can be compelling without overdoing the drama.
While Rogan annoyed me at times, he eventually became less of a domineering figure as the story went on and Maggie’s stubbornness is not just a quirk- her deep connection to her late father(a rather flawed yet lovable fellow who we briefly met in the introduction) and her mother’s bitter resentment regarding her own life choices being taken out on Maggie go a long way towards adding nuance to the character.
Another good thing here is that supporting players are given subplots that don’t wholly rely on what the main characters do or don’t do(one romantic story line in particular) resolved nicely.
Granted, some of the man/female dynamics here are a touch dated(the books were written in the 1990s) but not so much that you wince upon reading it, not to mention heated debates about the use of phone answering machines. I never was a fan of those so I’m Team Maggie on that issue:
All in all, Born In Fire was certainly engaging enough that I am reading book two in this trio and looking forward to the third one. For a long time, I was a snob about Nora Roberts and other romance writers but fortunately, maturity and expanding my literary horizons have helped me get over such nonsense.
Nora Roberts seems to be a lovely person who champions the causes of her sister authors and artistic freedom to boot from what I have seen online and I am finally glad to be reading some of her books. I doubt that I’ll be reading all of Roberts as one of my favorite Booktubers (Mara. of BookslikeWhoa ) has been doing but this trilogy is definitely opening that particular door for me.
Born in Fire has certainly kindled a bookish flame that hopefully won’t burn out any time soon:
Meanwhile, I am well into Born In Ice, which focuses on Brianna who has a handsome American writer staying at her B&B for a month. He’s planning on getting some inspiration for his next book and Brianna is his instant muse for sure here!
Having read book one, this second volume is much more relaxed in its storytelling yet some interesting secrets and lies are popping up that will enhance the plot points and character development along the way.
My next update probably won’t be until I get to Born In Shame, which should be interesting to say the least. Nora Roberts is quite the author that I am pleased to add to my home library collection and to share that pleasure with others is a true bookish bonus:
Even with Leap Day this year, February was a short month which is probably why my goal for finishing my TBR trio of books for the Winter’s Respite readathon (hosted by Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading) ended up at two and a half books completed.
That’s the story I’m going with, anyway. So, let’s start on a positive note with My Rooomate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine. Set in modern day Chicago, struggling artist Cassie is thrilled to find a roommate situation where the rent is only 200 dollars a month and in a posh neighborhood to boot!
However, her mysterious handsome co-occupant, Frederick J, Fitzwilliam, is an odd one indeed. Despite his old fashioned manners and charming eagerness to accommodate her every need, Cassie can’t help but wonder what his deal is.
With him keeping night hours and her daylight, most of their interactions are in the form of notes left for each other on the kitchen table, with Frederick’s being very elegantly written as if he used an inkwell and quill.
Things are going along quite nicely until one day, Cassie comes home to find blood bags in the communal fridge and Frederick has some major explaining to do. Turns out he’s a vampire who recently awakened from a magically induced coma that lasted a hundred years.
His intentions towards her are honorable as Frederick seeks a guide to the new world he’s in now, not to mention a more reliable source than his prankster vampire pal Reginald. Cassie is reluctant at first but ultimately decides to stay.
.While the two of them form a friendship bond, those feelings eventually turn more serious ,especially when some of Frederick’s past comes forth to claim him. Can Cassie save him from a dreadful eternal fate that could doom their love and living arrangements?
I have to say that this book is a charmer with the vibes of a nineties romcom, only far sweeter and mostly more up to date humor. In terms of tension, this story veers closer to Once Bitten than What We Do in the Shadows but overall, a satisfying vampire romance with light and lively energy:
Next, I picked up Bookshops & Bonedust , a prequel to Travis Baldree’s popular Legends & Lattes.
Usually, I am not into prequels but this was a worthy exception to that particular rule. We met a younger version of Viv, the warrior orc from L&L as she’s forced to recover from a serious battle injury in the sleepy seaside town of Murk.
Bored and frustrated, Viv winds up at the local bookstore run by Fern, who is prone to profanity yet has a great knack for selecting the right book for the right customer. As time goes on, Viv encourages Fern to improve the store and helps clean the place up, adding new furniture and coming up with ideas to help her make an actual profit.
Fern is not her only friend in town but Viv isn’t trying to make any permanent plans as she’s waiting for the band of mercenaries who left her there to return for her. However, the very danger that brought Viv to Murk might still be around and pose a real threat to her new companions in more ways than one…
That’s all I intend to say about the plot because despite it being an early look into a world already established, B&B has some surprising moments of its own. Baldree really has that storytelling magic and I have no doubt that he’ll give us a sequel or two to his big hit yet this one is just a page turning delight that blends reading, found family and high magic into a spell worth being enchanted by:
As for This Spells Love by Kate Robb, I am halfway into the book and will keep going, just at a more leisurely pace.
Our leading lady here is Gemma, who finds herself in an alternate universe after performing a “love cleanse “ spell to get over a breakup. One of the main drawbacks of this new reality is that her best friend Dax doesn’t know her at all and it’s his kiss that set this whole magical event into motion.
With only a month until a reversal spell can be cast, Gemma has to get to know Dax all over again and he to know her without being told about their previous existence. His kiss is vital to reset Gemma’s world but this new start to their relationship has a romantic element that has her reconsider this entire plan but should she?
In my opinion at this point in the story, I say”Yes, you should stay in this particular realm indeed!” Not only is she getting a chance at love with Dax, Gemma owns a beauty shop that she loves instead of the soul crushing corporate job she held back in the other reality(the retail scenes are very realistically funny) and amazing new friends, some of whom she played matchmaker for and they’re very happy together!
This sounds much better than going back to a world where your up tight ex boyfriend is, if you ask me. Of course, I’m sure that complications will arise as the story moves forward, making these choices tricky. I am certain though that that special kiss destined to change worlds will be worth waiting for:
Well, I do think this was a nice way to start off a new year of reading and much thanks to Michelle Miller for getting the bookish party started off in style! I am already putting books aside for the next readathon, Spring Into Horror, that begins this April. Should be frightening fun for sure!
Reading experiences like this are great, particularly when we’re in the midst of such sad and bad news at the moment. Not that we should ignore what’s going on(far from it!) but a nice break from the ongoing tensions are crucial for coping.
With that in mind, let’s look forward with a spring in our step to match the new season ahead of us and perhaps a song or two in our hearts. Books are magical in that sense, indeed and they can give us everything just as long as we promise to be there:
With the Academy Awards soon to be handed out in a couple of weeks, I thought it was time to highlight some of the nominees as Oscar Night is my SuperBowl!
A good number of the films this year up for honors are based on books and/or graphic novels and while many know about the major league contenders who hold that distinction, for this post, I wanted to focus on a few that might not be as prominently featured.
Granted, American Fiction has been strongly showcased with five nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Jeffrey Wright as Monk Ellison, a well respected writer and college professor who has become increasingly annoyed by the stereotypical novels that have grown undeservedly popular with his intended audience.
Out of frustration, he writes his own mocking version of these books and is unpleasantly surprised when publishers find this work to not only be a potential bestseller, they’re eager to pay him major money and get him a movie deal.
The more he tries to tank the project (including pretending to be an ex-con on the run as his author persona), the more it gets green lit by those self same “enlightened “ people. The time does come when Monk has to decide just how far he can go with this before things get more out of hand.
One of the film’s nominations is for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer/director Cord Jefferson based this movie on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, which shows how good writing is always timely.
With recent focus on how race is portrayed by the publishing industry with novels such as The Other Black Girl and Yellow Face, the spot on accuracy of this story from over twenty years ago is eerily adept indeed:
In the Best Live Action Short category, we have both a film with a well known star and based on a lesser known short story by an author best known for children’s books, quite the odd brew there.
Then again, director/writer Wes Anderson is sort of an intellectual Tim Burton type there but even so, his version of Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is not your usual nominee for this cinematic section.
Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role as an already wealthy man who learns how to see beyond his senses in order to earn more gambling money. However, that talent does more than make him richer financially, causing Henry to take his new found ability to new heights.
Apparently, this mini movie is meant to be the first in a quartet of adaptations of Dahl’s short stories that were written for much older readers. Whether or not it wins on Oscar Night, bringing these smaller works to wider audiences is definitely a win in more ways than one:
Meanwhile in the Best Animated Feature category, we have Nimona, based on the beloved graphic novel by ND Stevenson.
Chloe Grace Moretz voices the title character, a mischievous shapeshifter who declares herself the sidekick to disgraced knight Ballister Boldheart(Riz Amed).
Together, they seek to clear Ballister’s name but even as that evidence comes to light, complications arise that pushes their friendship to a breaking point that may not be repairable. Yet, a greater wrong is out there to be righted and perhaps only the two of them are the perfect partners for that job.
It’s hard to predict a clear winner in this category as the latest Spiderverse movie was excellent but voters might not want to give this series back-to-back awards(they should in my opinion!). Also, many were surprised at The Elementals from Pixar getting a spot here as its reception from audiences and critics was mixed at best.
That does allow for a smaller film to potentially get the Oscar gold and while it may a long shot, Nimona does have a decent chance at least. The fans who loved the original source material would certainly be cheering loudly if that came to pass:
At least Oscar Night should be entertaining this year, even if the already predictable sweep for Oppenheimer happens. That film is fine, I’m sure ,but it checks too many typical boxes on the Oscar checklist for my taste.
I was happy to see America Ferrera get a Best Supporting Actress spot for Barbie(many of the other award shows seemed to be overlooking her performance) and hope that Ryan Gosling performs “I’m Just Ken”, although the Billie Elilish Barbie song is probably going to take the Best Original Song award home.
No matter who wins what, it is good to know that many of these wonderful silver screen moments started as words on a page in a book. Hopefully next year, we’ll find more great stories in print brought to cinematic glory being honored by the Academy with reader and viewer agreement alike:
Reading challenges for me are a good way of not only diving into subjects that you’ve neglected for awhile but also a solid method for reducing a TBR pile or two.
Another bonus is an excuse to do some rereading with my Jane Journey as a good example.
Since late last year, I’ve been tackling a trio of Jane Austen themed nonfiction and pairing each book up with an appropriate Jane Austen novel. I’m on the final book in that trio, Jane Austen and the Navy by Brian Southam , and not only finished a reread of Mansfield Park but started sailing with Persuasion yet again.
While Jane Austen and the Navy(pretty interesting read, particularly if you’re into the naval history of the Regency period) is the last stop on this tour, my travels with Jane are too good to end here. So,for my final leg of this journey, I will be visiting the family Dashwood via Sense & Sensibility , fittingly as it’s her first published work.
Part of this reason for this additional reread is the upcoming Hallmark Channel new adaptation of the book, which promises to be a very Elinor focused version and that alone pleases me greatly.
Don’t get me wrong; Marianne’s romantic issues are understandably designed to take center stage and lend much development to her character.
I, however , am much like Elinor in many respects and find her quietly yet just as heartrending emotional experience with love as equally compelling. Hopefully, Elinor will get her small screen spotlight to properly portray her inner resolve:
Yet, I do have plans for my next nonfiction/fiction pairing which I am calling a Meeting of Two Marys.
Those ladies are mother and daughter, neither of whom got to know each other at all. Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley are biographically compared in Charlotte Gordon’s Romantic Outlaws, which looks at their legacies and the influence one had over the other, even from beyond the grave.
I must admit that Mary Shelley is much more familiar to me than her mother, although they both touched upon controversial topics in their writings respectively. While The Vindication of the Rights of Women is a feminist classic, Shelley’s Frankenstein is far better known and resonates strongly with each generation with it’s themes regarding the nature of science, parenting and ethical experimentation.
Nonetheless, I would like to know more about each of them and this compare/contrast should be a good place to start(although Mary Shelley is quite the attraction here):
Now I’m sure you’re thinking “Oh, she’s going to reread Frankenstein “-no, not just yet, folks.
My fictional reread is going to be The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White. The title character is the foster sister of Victor Frankenstein, who is prone to moodiness and solitude and her role is to be of comfort and make him more sociable to the outside world.
When Victor goes off to college, Elizabeth grows concerned about her position in the family and enlists her girlfriend Justine to help her find him and see if Elizabeth can still be of use to him.
Upon discovering his whereabouts, she finds that Victor’s obsession with creating life and conquering death has gotten way out of hand. What lengths will she go to in order to save him from himself and is that even the best thing for her at all?
This is a very engaging take on the Frankenstein mythos and it’s great to see the ever expanding pop culture impact of Shelley’s story come to new life. Should be a nice offset to the duel biography (I will probably reread the original Frankenstein along the way) and to maybe read more of Kiersten White as well:
This mix and matching of nonfiction and fiction has certainly made this TBR clearance all the more fun, that’s for sure.
Speaking of fun, I have been enjoying those Hallmark “Loveuary” Jane Austen inspired movies(Paging Mr. Darcy was the best one so far) but I am a bit worried about the latest one, An American in Austen, airing this weekend.
Our leading lady finds herself in the bookish realm of Pride and Prejudice, with Mr. Darcy being more interested in her fine eyes than Lizzy Bennet’s, which will not do for many reasons.
The premise is great but also very similar to the British miniseries Lost in Austen that a good number of Austen fans know of and love quite a bit. Hopefully, this take on the same notion will not suffer too much in comparison and simply be an agreeable time shared by all. We shall see and perhaps these two projects will be a beloved double feature for future Austen binge watching:
While the chilly nature of this season can be a downer, one thing that always parks me up is the chance to add a new book to my reading stack. Corny, perhaps, but true nonetheless.
For example, I started February off with a Book of the Month Club box and my main selection was a debut historical fiction by Avery Cunningham, The Mayor of Maxwell Street.
Set in Chicago of 1921, young ambitious reporter Nelly Sawyer is eager to prove her journalistic merits by seeking out the facts about our title character, who is said to be the one running the criminal underworld in the city.
To further her quest, she enlists the aid of speakeasy owner Jay Shorey, whose charms are not lost on her at all. However, what challenges Nelly more are the elements of corruption within the system that Jay seems a little too well connected to.
Coming from a wealthy family, Nelly’s foray into the newspaper business was intended to just merely be a temporary stopover on the road towards a suitable marriage yet as time goes on, her dreams about the future are pointing more in the direction of an independent life with Jay by her side. Can she find the right path for her goals as well as her heart before it gets too late?
This does sound intriguing and discovering a new author is such a treat, especially when they’re expanding upon what we know about the past. A book like this is like diving into an epic miniseries that’s always on tap when it comes to the realms of fact and fiction playing well together:
Meanwhile, I received some book mail that also introduces me to someone I haven’t read previously.
Although in this case, this writer is not a first timer.
Sara Shepard is best known for her series (and popular TV show adaptation) of teen thrillers , Pretty Little Liars, but her upcoming novel Nowhere Like Home takes place amongst adults.
Our leading lady is Lenna, struggling to manage being a new mother with little emotional support from her husband. Running into her old friend Rhiannon from high school, she is relieved to find someone who seems to understand what she’s going through.
Rhiannon is not only happy to lean an ear to her troubles, she even suggests that Lenna join her at a “mommune” where she can get some relaxation and guidance from other women in the same situation. It’s an offer that Lenna doesn’t refuse but all too soon, she may wish that she did.
As I said, Sara Shepard is a new to me author and with that in mind, this ought to be an entertaining read at the very least. The story line here gives me that domestic thriller movie vibes from the late 1990s/early 2000s that packed quite a few punches there, plot and character wise so let’s see how this story cradle is rocked:
Finally, I decided to do a little “shopping my shelves “and discovered a hidden bookish gem of social climbing scandal storytelling.
Upon tuning into the new season of F/X’s Feud, I recalled a novel that dealt with the same subject and quickly searched my various TBR piles to see if that book I paused in was still on hand and thankfully, The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin was readily available.
The swans of the title are the upper class women that Truman Capote befriended, mainly Barbara “Babe” Paley during his literary rise of the mid 1950s and into the sixties/early seventies.
His witty comments and wickedly gleeful gossip made him very well sorted after for parties and other social events among that crowd yet the trust placed in him by many of the ladies regarding their personal secrets turned out to be a serious mistake.
Eventually, Truman used those hidden insights as material for a book, excepts of which were published in magazines. While names were changed, it was crystal clear just whose dirty laundry was being aired. That unexpected exposure lead to those ties of friendship being broken between Capote and his beloved “swans” but what was the ultimate price to be paid by all involved?
While Feud: Capote vs. the Swans is based on a nonfiction title (Capote’s Women by Lawrence Leamer), Melanie Benjamin’s novel delves into the inner emotional stakes for Babe and Truman, showcasing just how much they felt like soulmates, which made their social severance all the more painful.
I’m going to keep watching Feud while getting myself reacquainted with this book and hope that others do so as well. No doubt that the nonfiction the show is based on is good but this novel adds a certain nuance that the TV version might not display in the same way:
With the news getting as gloomy as the weather these days, it helps to have a few good books to find comfort in for a while there. Most of my reading is going well, especially my readathon pace and those Jane Austen Hallmark movies are a nice diversion too.
This weekend’s viewing has Love and Jane on the schedule as Alison Sweeney plays a woman getting romantic advice from Our Dear Jane directly. Certainly promises to be popcorn worthy amusement that allows for a proper book suitable for diving into during the commercials(a pastime that I eagerly encourage):
February is fast upon us and so is Valentine’s Day themed entertainment of which the Hallmark channel is abundantly ready to provide.
This year’s slate of romantic movies from Hallmark are all Jane Austen themed (starting with Paging Mr. Darcy this upcoming Saturday) and I thought that this would be a good opportunity to highlight some recent Jane Austen related novels for your reading pleasure.
Since the Hallmark series includes a new adaptation of Sense & Sensibility, author Nikki Payne’s Sex, Lies and Sensibility seems to be an ideal choice. The Dash sisters, Nora and Yanne, are picking up the pieces of their lives following a couple of shocking revelations, one of which involves their late father.
Their best chance at rebuilding a new future is in renovating a rundown inn near the beach in hopes of making a go of it before foreclosure is inevitable. A very eager assistant to this project is Ennis aka Bear Freeman, a local tour guide who thinks that this new business could expand on his own career goals, not to mention that he’s rather fond of Nora and she starts to feel the same.
However, will those secrets of the past get in the way of Nora and Bear’s budding romance or be cast aside for the good of all? This follow-up to Payne’s Pride and Protest is perfectly suited for this season of love(especially since it’s being released on February 13) and with this story being more of an Eleanor focused love story, many S&S fans will be delighted indeed:
For readers like me whose favorite Austen novel is Persuasion, Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin is definitely our cup of storytelling tea.
Our leading lady is Nada Syed, whose dreams of launching an advice app are cut short by a devious business partner and forces her to step back into a job that she hates.
Can this long ago romance be revived and if not, should anyone else know about their lovelorn past in the present? Jalaluddin really has a flair for Austen themed stories (Ayesha At Last is such a joy!) and her take on this particular book promises to be just as enchantingly engaging:
Speaking of enchanting, Melinda Taub’s The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch certainly sounds promisingly page turning there.
In this lively take on Pride and Prejudice, Lydia is born with magical powers (her sister Kitty was once an actual cat) that despite her best efforts, often lead her astray. Due to making a bargain with a demon in order to save herself and Kitty, Lydia must endure the dubious charms of Mr. Wickham, whose motives for mischief are sinister in more ways than one.
Despite the disapproval of Mr. Darcy, Lydia is even willing to use her mystical skills for the benefit of his sister Georgiana, suffering under a most dire curse. Can Lydia and her coven of friends set things right that once went wrong or doom them all to shades that would pollute more than Pemberley?
This does sound like fun and I for one enjoy mixing a dose of supernatural elements into a Jane Austen brew of bookish amusement-quite diverting to be sure!:
Normally, I don’t watch the Hallmark Channel very often but this time around, my dial will be tuned into these Austen themed films for my ultimate Valentine treat.
After all, what do we live for but to have something to watch other than sports and to allow our neighbors to enjoy their games on their own while we amuse ourselves in such agreeable company(of course, if you like both, that’s what DVRs are meant for!):
While I may have mixed feelings about the Oscar nominations announced this week(very happy for America Ferrera being up for Best Supporting Actress in Barbie but wish the director and lead actress were similarly honored), it’s all good for this year’s Edgar Awards.
This set of awards are for mystery/thrillers/suspense,etc…and rather prestigious for the whole genre. For once, several of the nominees are either on my TBR, currently being read or in one case, part of my shelved library.
In the Best First Novel by an American Author category, Ritu Mukerji’s Murder by Degrees is a prominent book. Set in Philadelphia of 1875, Dr. Lydia Weston is called upon to assist with a police investigation regarding the washed up body of a woman believed to have been one of her patients.
While she does suspect that the unfortunate victim was Anna Ward, who works as a maid in the household of a rather influential family, Lydia is not certain of the circumstances that lead to her possible demise. Her social connections may make it easier for her to learn things that the police can’t yet Lydia risks a great deal here as her own position in society is precarious as well.
This is such a wonderful development for a new author and I am taking my time with this story as it’s too good to quickly devour. Instead, taking the time to enjoy the subtle nuances of the plot points and social class structures is truly rewarding:
A fun portion of the Edgar’s is the special categories dedicated to iconic authors such as Mary Higgins Clark and Sue Grafton.
One of those sections is named for Lillian Jackson Braun(best known for her The Cat Who..mystery series) and I spotted a name very familiar to me amongst the nominees: Vivien Chien.
Chien’ cosy culinary themed mystery books, The Noodle Shop Mysteries, is a favorite of mine and seeing the most recent entry, Misfortune Cookie,get a nom here is so great!
The leading detective of these books is Lana Lee, who has found herself to be doing well as manager of her family’s restaurant near Cleveland , Ohio and in this installment, she takes a trip to California with her uptight sister Anna May for both business and pleasure reasons.
While attending a restaurant convention, Lana witnesses a fight between a quirky reporter and a fortune cookie vendor that later leads to the reporter “accidentally “ falling to her death.
As it turns out, the woman in question was a good friend of Lana’s Aunt Grace(who she and Anna May are staying with at the moment). Did this woman’s tragic demise have anything to do with that earlier argument or was that just the way the fateful cookie crumbled?
This is such an engaging series and a lively one at that, with a youthful main character surrounded by enough amusing family and friends to rival the likes of Stars Hollow itself. Really keeping my fingers crossed for this tasty mystery morsel to win:
While the Edgars do cover other areas such as YA, true crime and paperback originals, the one category that I wish I was more brushed up on is the Best Television Episode Screenplay section.
Most of the nominees there come from the Peacock series Poker Face(there’s one for ABC’s Will Trent and the AMC show Dark Winds), that stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, whose uncanny ability to detect the truth makes her ideal for solving crimes but difficult when it comes to other things in life.
Since I don’t have a subscription to Peacock, this show is only known to me via the great reviews from critics and viewers alike. There’s no doubt in my mind that PF will win(and probably deserves to) my best guess for which episode gets that honor is “Dead Man’s Hand” written by Rian Johnson. He not only created this show(inspired by the classic Columbo) but has revived interest in the old school style of mystery sleuthing with his films Knives Out and its follow-up The Glass Onion.
Hopefully in the future, Peacock will be on my streaming lineup but until then, Poker Face should get the acclaim it deserves and I’m pleased to see such genre love be well rewarded:
Since the Edgars won’t be handed out until May 1st, there is plenty of time to catch up on the reading and I’m already underway with one of the Best Novel nominees, All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby, and plan to dive into another one soon after that, Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll.
Congratulations to all of the nominated authors in all categories and may many more readers discover a new book or two , thanks to this list. In the meanwhile, I do recommend what I hope will be a future nominee in the TV category, Death and Other Details , currently airing on Hulu.
Mandy Patinkin stars as former great sleuth Rufus Cotesworth who teams up with former client Imogene (Violett Beane) on a high seas murder case. So far, it’s a snappy salute to the closed room mystery with some fine performances and well worth your entertainment time, along with a couple of good books of course:
Finally, I am able to showcase my holiday book loot(or in this case, after holiday)in full. Lots of great book buying bargains tend to crop up between Christmas and New Year’s and I was fortunate enough to get a half off discount for a book that’s been getting great reviews along with wonderful word of mouth praise.
Jessica Knoll’s Bright Young Women follows several women who are sadly connected by a serial killer’s attack upon a college dormitory in the late 1970s. One of them in particular, Pamela, was an eyewitness that survived and is determined to see this man behind bars.
The tact taken with this novel is to solely focus on the women affected by the violence and to not even say the killer’s name (it’s suggested to be based on Ted Bundy).
I was a true crime reader way back in the day, with only books and made for TV movies to rely on instead of the podcasts, documentaries and websites readily available today. This book reminds me of those times and it’s good to see some of the old school techniques blended into the new:
Since I decided to skip the January selections at Book of the Month Club, I went shopping at Better World Books and along with My Roommate’s a Vampire, my main purchase was All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby.
Sheriff Titus Crown is new to Charon County in more ways than one and a deadly school shooting on his watch only adds to the mounting pressure placed on him here.
The shooting in question was committed by a former student targeting a teacher and the student’s demise at the hands of the police urges most everyone to have Titus wrap up this case quickly and quietly. However, his investigation reveals a number of hidden secrets that promise to be messy to bring to light.
Last year, I read Cosby‘s Razorblade Tears and that book seriously slapped, hard enough to leave a memorable mark on my brain. While the tone of this book might be slightly different from that prior work, no doubt about the same intensely engaging quality still being there:
Just when I thought I was done with newer books, one of my library loans was due back in and I couldn’t resist getting a couple of more reads.
Along with J. Ryan Stradal’s Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, I borrowed Homecoming by Kate Morton, which was a contender in the Mystery category in the recent Goodreads Choice Awards.
This blend of historical fiction with mystery is set in Australia as Jess , a journalist who has come to the aid of her injured grandmother ,discovers a trove of information regarding a tragic event in her family’s past.
Seeing as this long ago happening still haunts her grandmother to the point where she’s risking her physical safety, Jess vows to find the truth about what did occur back in 1959 and what can still be done about it. Will that knowledge bring real comfort or open barely healed wounds for all concerned, though?
I heard plenty of people talk how great this book is during the Goodreads Choice discussion and it’s been awhile since I dove into one of Morton’s well developed tales of the past forming the choices of those in the present.
Plus. a good chunky novel like this seems perfect for settling down with under warm blankets as we are truly getting some real winter weather this season:
I seem to have caught the mystery/thriller bug this early in the year but I might save at least two of these books for a future readathon this spring.
Cold weather does feel ideal for mystery reading and viewing; something about the outer chills matching the inner ones from such materials, I suppose. As much as I am thrilled with the True Detective: Night Country premiere (first time ever watching this series and it’s already a must-see!), it would be nice to be able to check the new Agatha Christie adaptation as well.
Then again, patience is a virtue that readers know all too well and is usually well rewarded so perhaps time is not that flat a circle as some might think:
Already halfway through to the middle of the first month of this new year and I’m all signed up for my first readathon of 2024!
Seasons of Reading (hosted by the excellent Michelle Miller) will be holding its annual Winter’s Respite readathon this upcoming February which lasts the whole month long. You can read what you want, no theme necessary but I chose to do a themed TBR here.
My general idea for this challenge is “cosy magic”, a genre that’s getting more popular these days.
Not trying to bandwagon my book reading yet it does sound so appealing right about now that it is hard to resist.
Since the supernatural fits into this category (for me, anyway), my first selection is My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine.
Cassie is an artist living in Chicago who just lost the lease on her apartment and spots an almost too good to be true online ad for a new place. One if the catches is that this is a roommate situation, with the current resident keeping nighttime hours.
Despite her doubts, Cassie takes the deal and most of her communications with the mysterious Frederick J. Fitzwilliam are by thoughtful notes left for her, which is weirdly charming. However, one day she discovers bags of blood in the fridge and confronts him only to learn that yes, he’s a vampire and no, his intentions are not devious.
As it turns out, Frederick has awoken from a hundred years sleep and is really looking for a mortal friend to help ease him into modern society. Cassie decides to help him out but is their relationship going to be truly friendly or potentially something a bit more romantic?
I picked this book up as part of my after holiday shopping and it arrived in the nick of time for this readathon TBR lineup. Vampire stories are usually a favorite of mine and this light hearted approach to the genre should be quite entertaining:
For my next pick, I went with Kate Robb’s This Spells Love, which was a BOMC selection from last year (how odd it is to say “last year “ regarding a few months ago!).
Our leading lady is Gemma, who decides to get over a bad breakup by performing a spell with her giddy Aunt Livi that goes seriously awry. Due to spell casting under the influence of alcohol, Gemma wakes up to a whole new life that doesn’t include her best friend Dax(who she kissed as part of the enchantment).
While kissing Dax again could break the spell, it’s not as easy as it sounds since Dax has no idea who she is or once was to him. Along with getting reacquainted with him, Gemma finds better opportunities in this alternate universe than in her previous life and starts to wonder if this present reality is worth trading in after all.
With Valentines Day coming soon (according to all of the candy displays set up everywhere right now), this seems to be an ideal read indeed:
Speaking of ideal, Bookshops & Bonedust, the prequel to Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes, was destined to be on my reading list.
Apparently, the author intended to write a sequel that had a Murder She Wrote vibe to it originally but it just wasn’t working. Eventually, he chose to add a bookish take to the backstory of Viv, a warrior woman that ends up running a coffeehouse after her fighting days are done.
Just goes to show you that creativity is not a straight nor narrow path there and sometimes that is truly for the best:
Happy reading to all who sign up for this(or any other) readathon and there is a link above to check Winter’s Respite out if you’re interested.
February is a good time to catch up on your reading since the weather is usually pretty rough around that time and it looks as if we might be getting some real snow falling soon. A good steady flow of snow is perfect for cozy winter reading, if you ask me:
