#WondrousWednesday

1. I was thinking it would be something from C18th and I‘d have to research publication dates, but then I remembered The Tale of Genji from C11th
2. The number of books in a series isn‘t a consideration for me
3. The one I‘m most sad about is Reginald Hill‘s Dalziel and Pascoe series because I think he had a lot more to say about the state of the world.

Thanks for the tag @Andrew65

#TitlesAndTunes #GuiltyPleasure

So my definition of a guilty pleasure is things I enjoy without thinking they are in any way objectively good.

I love a hockey romance, especially a romance between hockey players - no literary value, no new ideas or things to learn, just the warm & fuzzies & bit of smut doesn‘t go amiss 😆

The song is one I absolutely hated when it was released - annoyingly catchy rubbish pop🤮 When I hear it now I sing along 😎

Putting together my monthly #BookReport I realised I hadn‘t reviewed this one. It‘s another look at Americans abroad in the early 20th century. It had its moments, but it‘s not one of Wharton‘s best. #WhartonBuddyRead

Finally getting started with #Trollopeing. How are you all going with it #BandOfTrollopes?

The dialogue in the first half of this book was so funny I had to put it down every few pages to regather myself. The second half had some funny moments, but was more concerned with finishing off the story which it did quite satisfactorily. If political satire is your thing I recommend it. #ozfiction

Once I got into it I found the story entertaining, but I'm uncomfortable about cheering on murderers & also, although it is important to cast light on the issues, about the representation of Indian society as told by an expat for consumption by westerners. Plenty to discuss at camp! #CampLitsy23 @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain

This is not an MM romance, nor is it a coming out story. I think I‘d describe it as a coming to terms story. It‘s about the ongoing impact of the reactions of friends & family & of the attitudes of the cis gay male community & the wider society. In many respects it‘s an examination of Arthur Less‘s question of what it is to be a “good gay”. It‘s funny & sad & ultimately hopeful. I liked it a lot. #ozfiction. #gaymay🏳️‍🌈.

While this 3rd book in the series doesn‘t live up to the first one, Winging It, it was still an entertaining read and I loved the cameos from Dante and Gabe. #Romantsy #GayMay 🏳️‍🌈

Thank you, Jessie, for sending this to me. It is so kind and thoughtful of you. I‘m blessed to have you as a friend🙏🥰😘

The story of a broken marriage & the long term impacts on the children. Unfortunately the telling is so disjointed that it made little emotional impact on me beyond general sadness. I think the #IslandVibe here is the isolation of the characters & maybe the structure of the story - anecdotes across time & character like a scattered chain of islands across the sea. Or it‘s just that they spent summer holidays on Phillip Island 🤷🏻‍♀️ #ozfiction

Visit to Geelong to see the Clarice Beckett exhibition. The top photo is the one I‘d take home. Bottom left a wall mural on the way to Books Around (bottom middle) where I found the DE Stevenson first edition at bottom right. A good day all round!

I‘m 10 chapters in and I‘m not feeling it. Does it get better? I don‘t want to bail because it‘s my first #CampLitsy23 book. Any encouragement gratefully received.

Finally got around to reading my April #Bookspin book! Another fun romp through the Burg with Stephanie Plumb. Ranger was a lot more visible than he has been for a while and I enjoyed seeing more of Joe‘s Grandma Bella.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
Some great characters (particularly Kate & young Henry) & amusing escapades kept me reading & enjoying in spite of the “blame the woman for the man‘s infidelity” theme (Lucy & Mrs Farrell both). I agree that holier-than-thou types can be annoying, but shouldn‘t Andrew have had the guts to actually discuss that with L instead of running away with Mrs F? I hope Kate is happy, but I don‘t think Robin is much of a prize.

Retired police detective Tom Kettle is visited by officers investigating one of his unsolved cases, stirring up memories, both sweet & painful. It took me a while to get into the book, the narrative is very much in Tom‘s mind which wanders & occasionally hallucinates, making it difficult to get a grip on the story, but gradually it unfolds in all its horror & tragedy. It made me cry. It‘s a tough but worthwhile read. #52BookClub23 #SetinDublin

Making use of waiting for my daughter's graduation ceremony to begin🙂

#BookReport
Apart from the Persephone, April was a month of light and easy reading, most of it extremely enjoyable. I plan on trying some more literary titles in May.

#TitlesAndTunes #IslandVibes

This pair came into my mind immediately for this prompt, although I doubt that they will go together very well. I‘ve been meaning to read the book for a while. The song is an old favourite - pity it‘s May😆

I thoroughly enjoyed this charming modern version of a Georgette Heyer style regency romance. It was just the light, frothy fun I‘ve been needing lately. #Romantsy
#52BookClub23 #TypographicCover

I always enjoy the way Alexis Hall writes, so enjoyed this, but it felt a bit all over the place, with a lot of secondary characters & a lack of balance in the development of the 2 MCs. I was expecting an over the top regency romp like Something Fabulous, but apart from one delightfully ridiculous poetry reading scene, it was closer in tone to the more angsty A Lady For A Duke. I wish he‘d slow down his writing pace & give more time to each book.

On the plus side, I thought this was a well written #romantsy (although the sex scenes were a bit cringe-y) and I liked the heroine very much. BUT, the hero began with some bad behaviour he never apologised for and went on to display behaviours that seem to me to be headed towards coercive control and for which his apologies were less than convincing. Thanks @StayCurious and fellow #LittensLoveRomance readers

Another intriguing mystery from Georgette Heyer which has been keeping me entertained on my morning walks. Unfortunately it lacked the humorous element of many if the others I've listened to, and it's a bit over long, but enjoyabke overall. #52BookClub23 #FeaturingAnInheritance

It was ok, I guess, but the characters‘ back stories were less convincing than they should have been. #romantsy

Here are my suggestions for #CampLitsy23

I think that Bad Art Mother may not be readily available but I decided to include it anyway because it sounds super interesting (conflict between selfless motherhood and artistic selfishness), it‘s on the Stella Prize shortlist and I thought I‘d give it a bit of publicity 🙂

Looking forward to seeing the final voting list you come up with.

My #Bookspin book this month is Going Rogue, no 29 in the Stephanie Plum series but I realised I hadn‘t read no 28 yet so I settled down with that instead. Stephanie gets involved in a murderous entanglement between rival computer hackers, one of whom has plans that rival the schemes of the villains in superhero movies! It was a fun quick read, more enjoyable than many of the more recent books in the series.
#52BookClub #ABookWithASubtitle

I enjoyed As It Was for its romantic, unaffected, innocent sensuality. The frankness was surprising in a book of the time, particularly one written by a woman, but was undoubtedly part of its charm. For me, though, World Without End was problematic. While I don‘t doubt there were mental health issues, I found his behaviour troubling & thought she “doth protest too much” in her assertions of their great passion.
#PersephoneClub

This year‘s #StellaPrize shortlist. I can‘t believe Hydra is on there. I thought it was terrible.

This is a proper North By North-West type Everyman unwittingly caught up in a tangled web of crime story that would be worth reading whoever wrote it. But told in the rambling, surrealist style that Bob Mortimer has made into a comedic art form (I swear I heard it in his voice throughout and I was not trying!) it is an unalloyed delight.
#52BookClub #WrittenByAComedian

I‘m hearing the call of Barsetshire. What do you say fellow buddy readers? Shall we get the band back together for some more #Trollopeing with Doctor Thorne? #BandofTrollopes

An Australian cozy crime type story set on the streets of Melbourne‘s inner north and featuring a youngish female PI with a big family and an emotionally complicated backstory. It‘s an OK central mystery, but overall a bit over complicated with subplots. I enjoyed the local references but, I don‘t know, it was all a bit meh🫤 #Ozfiction #52BookClub #RelatedToTheWordMurder

Well, that was such an entertaining read! I laughed a lot. Rather than a straightforward autobiography, it is more a series of anecdotes, told in roughly sequential order, from the life of a warm, witty, self deprecating and very charming man. He is upfront about his views on politics (unapologetically left wing) & on the people he has met (mostly positive) & while he shares stories about his famous friends he never gossips. 👇

And this is why I love both Sam Neill and Judy Davis 🤣

Loving this memoir too.

The sequel to These Old Shades, this is one is even more fun. Vidal and Mary are a perfect example of the (probably very dangerous for the female psyche) romance trope of the rake tamed by the love of a good woman. Even more enjoyable was the return of the irrepressible Leonie and her very grand Monseigneur. #romantsy

#Bookspin list for April. I managed to start last month‘s book, but I haven‘t finished yet☹️ Will try to do better this month. Thanks Sarah😘

#BookReport for March. A bit better reading month than the last couple. I think Lantana Lane was my favourite, I‘m certain it was the most unexpectedly enjoyable.

Romance, adventure and treachery amongst 19th century smugglers and landed gentry on Romney Marsh. As usual, reading KJ Charles is a lot of fun. #Romantsy

Edited because I just read this described as “a pulse-quickening queer Poldark” and that needs to be shared🤣

Initially a was a bit ho hum about this, the coincidence of the initial meeting with Isma, the instant connection with Aneeka (I did suspect her motives) but then it got really interesting and made me think hard about the personal, moral and political questions it raises. But the end has left me rather annoyed. What a cop out. I read this for my IRL book group. Should be an interesting discussion.

Usually, 1950‘s rural Queensland is the stuff of my nightmares, but I was amused and weirdly charmed by this tale of the goings on of a community of pineapple growers on small holdings somewhere in the tropical inland.
#52Books23 #SetinAustralia #ASecondHandBook

We are all familiar with the idea that the commencement of World War II caused massive change for the British which required a lot of adjustment. This book explores the ways the end of the war required just as much adjustment as service personnel settled back into civilian life, those who didn‘t serve made room for them and everyone came to terms with all that had happened while they were separated. 👇
#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

The love triangle was the least of this book for me. Ellen is too enigmatic, Newland is too hypocritical and May is too conventional to rouse much emotion in me. But the writing sparkles, the descriptions of the the attitudes and protocols of 18th century high society in New York are fascinating and the minor characters are frequently amusing. #WhartonBuddyRead. Thank you for the great discussion @Graywacke @Lcsmcat and fellow buddy readers.

Brooke and Jesse used to be friends, but teenage awkwardness turned them into enemies, at least in Brooke‘s mind. When they move to the city to begin Uni and unexpectedly find themselves housemates they have to work out how to get along. It‘s YA, although not being marketed as such. I enjoyed it well enough and got a few laughs from it, but I didn‘t enjoy it as much as her first book. #ozfiction

There‘s nothing objectively wrong with this MM #romantsy, I just didn‘t like where the story went. It didn‘t work for me.

After another month of not even looking at my #bookspin titles, I am just going to repost February‘s list as March‘s and replace the one and only book I read from it with a new one. Thanks Sarah😘

I also received these via BD. Who do I have to thank for more great reads?

Thank you so much to my very generous friends for these fabulous gifts for my birthday last week.
Cathy great choices from my TBR 😀 I enjoy our reads together & look forward to many more😘
Lee the cover is beautiful! I hadn‘t realised how few Welsh books I‘ve read until I thought about it when I opened this. Time to make that right😘
Leah I love the bookmark & coaster & I‘m absolutely up for obscure Canadian novels😆😘
Barbara great stalking😆😘

Another sad #BookReport. I really need to stop seeing people and doing stuff and spend more time reading instead 😆

A duo of hockey m/m #romantsy. Not the best I‘ve read, but not the worst either.

A light pick. I found I needed to take it in small doses. Lord Peter and Bunter had their moments, I was quite touched by the PTSD episode. While I was happy with the resolution of the mysteries, I can‘t say I liked the way Sayers chose to explain it all in so much detail. This is my first Sayers. My husband is a fan, hence the Folio edition. #GoldenAgeCrimeClub

Gender roles, societal expectations, parental styles, child development, psychosomatic illness, toxic masculinity & consumerism all receive attention in this surprising story from the 1920s. No wonder it ruffled a few feathers back then. The characters are so well written, the children particularly finely drawn. I was glad it ended the way it did, but couldn‘t help feeling a little dread for the family‘s likely fortunes post 1929.
#PersephoneClub

Just getting started. The passage about the teddy bear struck a chord with me. This is my daughter's bear. Once upon a time he was pure white in a red velvet suit. She carted him everywhere with her from the time she could walk until she started school (well, except when he was lost & we all dropped everything to search for him😬) She's 23 now and he still sleeps in her bed and comes out whenever she's feeling fragile.
#PersephoneClub