Welcome to Litsy!

The Lego streetscape got set up today, we put up some of the shelves yesterday. I knew exactly where I wanted this extended shelf and what I was putting on it, now the tricky part with the other shelves and where to put them and what on them. The bookshop that is part of this is on a bookshelf with books about bookshops and libraries. As one does

My first Ann Cleeves

I enjoyed it. Vera didn't appear until half way through. Was beginning to think she'd never show up 🤣

Next up on audio

It‘s a good day to stay inside and read!

Whereas after four chapters of Butter I felt like I‘d been reading it forever, it was easy to get through 535 pages of this intriguing mystery. I was literally going to leave it on the shelf for a while longer, but it was picked as one of the June selections for Bloody Scotland Book Club. Best laid plans!
#serieslove2024

I have four books out from the library, and I‘m actively in the middle of at least two books for June, so of course I started another book today!

My #hyggehourreadathon was so successful, I read three chapters then laid down and slept for two hours! Not the book‘s fault though.

This book was very different from what I expected, but not in a bad way. You don‘t get the detective‘s pov until close to the end of the book, but I think it gives more room to explore the characters and their motivations. It did calm the suspense down some, but the mystery was still a good one, with a side of environmentalism that still hits today. I enjoyed it, and I‘d definitely read more in the series.

Having watched the TV series, I didn‘t know what to expect from the books. The two seem to have more differences than commonalities. One thing about this particular book was the length. I almost hung it up at one point, but I stuck with it and I‘m glad I did. It‘s hard to catch the rhythm, but once caught, the book moves along. I think I‘ll stick with the series. Vera just gets under your skin. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've read 8 of the books in the Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleeves. I know the show is wildly successful on Brit box, but I highly recommend reading the books. Vera is the female "Columbo" in all her curmudgeonly ways!

I was looking for a new detective series (not cosy but more character driven than thrilling) and this was just the ticket! I really enjoyed the isolated rural setting, the three women sharing a house while doing a wildlife survey, and how the many threads of their personal lives gave so many possibilities for “whodunnit”. Vera was a prickly obstinate source of joy when she finally turns up. I‘ve ordered the 2nd one already 😁

I‘d been looking for another series I could listen to while gardening and doing chores and whatnot. I really enjoyed the first books of the author‘s Two Rivers series, so I elected to give the Vera Stanhope series a go. This was good and I really like Vera‘s outsider personality and aesthetic- she‘s tough and smart and great at her job but she‘s not cool or attractive in the conventional sense. She‘s chubby, pushy, and middle aged. I relate! 😂

I've watched random episodes of “Vera“ at my parents' over the years but it was only recently I learnt the character is based on a book series. This first book isn't as focussed on Vera herself as in the TV series - she doesn't put in an appearance till nearly halfway through. There were times when I could hear Brenda Blethyn's voice when reading the dialogue, but the book still stands on its own terms as a good mystery.

"IF YOU WERE TO LOOK FOR Baikie‘s Cottage on an Ordnance Survey map you would not find it mentioned by name, though Black Law Farm is."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

Vera book and TV (but different stories)

#coffeeandabook

And a second post for #cloakanddaggerchristmas. This one checks the Columbo box: watch an episode of a TV mystery show. I've been watching the Vera series, just finished series 1 last night.

These are based on the Vera Stanhope novels (first one tagged) by Ann Cleeves, which I have not read yet, but which I think I would like to after having watched the show.
@merelybookish

Slacking on my reading. Binge watching on Vera tv series. That‘s what I‘ve been doing lately. 😂 I want to watch season 11, so did a mini marathon viewing. Almost caught up now, onto season 9. Anyone else a fan of the series? Loving the beautiful north-east Northumberland setting too.

July book stats. My favorite book for July is The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves. My least favorite is Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery.

“I expect you think I‘m odd…eccentric…That‘s not the case, and if I do have a reputation for eccentricity, I have one too for getting results.”-Vera Stanhope

A couple books with #purple covers, plus a belated #bird on the cover. #curiouscovers

#CurrentlyViewing season 4 #VeraStanhope #AnnCleeves

An excellent mystery that has me ready to read the next book in the series. I‘d guessed the murderer, but the why wasn‘t what I expected. Interestingly written, focusing on various characters before pivoting to Vera Stanhope, the driving force of the book. Looking forward to reading more Vera mysteries. It fulfilled my first #novelNovember goal, too 😄

A beautiful day to sit on the patio and read for the #novelNovember readathon.

Not sure why I didn‘t post about this when I started it a couple days ago. Halfway through and enjoying it. Intrigued, because I know it‘s the first Vera Stanhope novel, and I‘m enjoying watching the series, but surprised that she didn‘t appear until about a third of the way through the book, and she still hasn‘t been a driving force. Of course I picture her as Brenda Blethyn 😄

#CurrentlyListening on #Hoopla

Day 15 - #3Books #ThatHaveBeenMadeIntoTVSeries
#VeraStanhopeSeries
#PillarsOfTheEarth
#TheAlienist

Although it got off to a slow start, I like the way it's structured. Assumptions are made, then reassessed as we learn about the 3 scientists. That said, the book picked up more once the investigation gets under way, thanks to the women asking questions & beginning to put the pieces together, but also b/c they are more developed characters & see each other more fully. It was interesting & I ended up looking forward to seeing how it would resolve.

"God," he said. "Save me from forceful women."

I have a feeling my husband says this every day upon waking. ?

Day 20 - #ItAllComesTogether #TropesInAugust
#TheCrowTrap #AnnCleeves

Ann Cleeves sets up all the clues throughout her books and you still can‘t guess who did it until It All Comes Together in the end.

Day 14 - #Top20Series #20Days20Series
#VeraStanhopeSeries #AnnCleeves

I love Brenda Blethyn's embodiment of Vera Stanhope so when this popped up in Libby, I had to read it! Clever structure and entertaining to read. The author held back a necessary clue as Vera received it, and I'll have a hard time forgiving her for that. It's a cheat. But overall I enjoyed the book and will read more in the future.

Really enjoyed this book!!

Unbelievably the 10th (!) series of Vera starts tonight in the UK.

Those of us that enjoy the books and/or the tv series might be interested in this article.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50971819

Not many authors have two big tv series with Vera and Shetland!

Husband: three new booksleeves?
Me: yeah, it‘s #nanowrimo , I‘m supposed to be writing...
Husband: Ohhh, of course, forgot what month it was.

Time for a new booksleeve! #crafts

Trying out this one for size.

I forgot to take an actual photo of the book before I returned it. Read this for my book club this month. I‘ve had a sinus infection currently and so some bits in the middle felt hazy. It was a super slow burn of a book. I wish the ending had more of an epilogue. I am curious about watching the tv show episode for this book. I have a hard time imagining them shrinking 530 some pages of a book into like an hour show.
#anncleeves #vera #verastanhope

This pains me to mark as so-so, because I LOVE the TV show, Vera, which is based on this series. But I did not love this book. It‘s the first in the series, and you don‘t even meet Vera until the 41% mark and we don‘t really get to know her or see events through her perspective until 75% of the way through. It is a twisty and clever procedural, but you don‘t get the info you‘d need to solve on your own until the big reveal at the end (👇🏻)

I have a question for Littens who are Ann Cleeves fans. So I started the tagged book, the first in the Vera Stanhope series. I love this genre and was really hoping to get hooked on a new (to me) series, but I‘m having a hard time getting into it. I‘ve read 187 pages, but I‘m just not caring about it yet. And Vera hasn‘t even been introduced! I assume I should keep going, so I‘m looking for some encouragement. Maybe the other books pick up more??

I finished Expert Level of Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge! Now I will have more time for #austeninaugust2019. Interesting story structure. Told from 3 perspectives. It's only quite a ways in that Detective Vera comes in and later it switches to her perspective. Excellent Who Done It. I would read 2nd in this series to see where it goes.
#goodreadssummerreadingchallenge
Stay Awhile: Read a book with more than 500 pages.

What it looks like when:
1. Plants in that flowerbed you haven't gotten around to fixing the irrigation in need a good soaking.
2. You need to charge your phone so Audios not an option.
3. You're trying to finish up your July books before start of #austeninaugust2019.
You move the hose from plant to plant and read in between. Oh yeah I'm a Master Gardener. 😎 #multitasking

Very different from what I expected. Not so much about the mystery itself, but more about strong character building. An enjoyable read, and most likely a good pick for people who enjoy a whodunnit, but without the gruesome details and fast paced action.

#sweetdisposition #maymoviemagic
A link to the band name - best my poor brain can do today. I‘ve read number one in this series so far!

Finally starting the Vera series! It was a bit of a slow burner for me at first, especially because the reprint edition has huge margins and the book feels so much longer. But I liked how Cleeves set up the stories of each woman, and I like Vera as a protagonist. (I prefer her to Jimmy Perez, to be honest...) Looking forward to more.

More plane reading. An ebook from our library. Kept me engaged during a mostly sleepless journey. New word ‘neb‘.

Reading with the cat, who doesn't share the ottoman very well 😹

This didn‘t work well as a chaser for a much more fast-paced mystery. It is rather plodding and character development goes on for chapters and chapters —and after all that I didn‘t care about the characters anyway. About midway through, a solid detective character named Vera Stanhope emerged. She is certainly fascinating and funny enough to carry a series, and I understand that the series improves a lot.

Solid crime novel with a lot of environmental aspects. It felt more like a stand alone novel until the last 1/3 when it started to introduce the detective and her backstory -- that piece felt a little clunky.