Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts

Monday, January 15, 2024

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

This book centers, as the title would suggest, around Miss Margery Benson. Her life is a drudgery. Teaching is not fulfilling and a drawing one of her pupils does of her wakes her up to her reality. She basically implodes her life that day. Her last effort? A trip to New Caledonia to find the golden beetle that reminds her of the happiest times in her life. But first she must find the perfect traveling companion. She ends  up with Enid Pretty, a young flibbertigibbet whose past is not at all spotless and who meets none of the requirements Miss Benson had advertised for. But, as often happens (especially in fiction),  Miss Pretty is exactly what Miss Benson needs.
I didn't love the ending though, with this being a more literature-minded book, I guess I should have expected it. 

Three and a half stars
This book came out July 23, 2020
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own


Thursday, December 7, 2023

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

I heard about this book on a podcast and thought it sounded interesting. And it was. The whole story revolves around one man who finds himself thrust into the role of a villain. Formerly a journalist and now a substitute teacher, Charlie is divorced and living with his cat. Cats now that he's found another one. But his life is upended when his uncle dies. Charlie didn't know much about the man so he is absolutely shocked by the flowers at the funeral home celebrating his death and the man who comes to stab the dead body. When Charlie goes home, he only barely avoids being blown up in a fire that destroys his entire house. 
Suddenly, Charlie is thrust into a world with literal life-or-death stakes. He also has to deal with dolphins that not only talk, they're unionizing. Oh, and the cats are intelligent as well. In fact, they're management. And they've been watching Charlie.
A different take on the role of villains and it took some time to get on board but I quite enjoyed it in the end.

Four stars
This book came out September 19, 2023
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Deborah Goes to Dover by Marion Chesney

Miss Pym was somewhat disappointed by love in the last book. But she is going to continue her travels. And this particular trip is going to lead her to a fight. One that her footman, Benjamin, is taking part in. But it is this fight that introduces her to Lady Deborah Western. Deborah has grown up with her twin brother and she is more comfortable in pants than in a dress. But her time acting as a man may be coming to an end as she is now nineteen and other people, including their neighbor the Earl of Ashton, are starting to take notice of her as a woman. 
An old enemy pops up in this book but is summarily taken care of. 
An okay addition to the series but I (and I think Chesney) are ready for that last book in the series.

Three stars
This book came out September 1, 1992
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Penelope Goes to Portsmouth by M.C. Beaton, Helen Lisanti

This book is absolutely crazy. We still get Miss Pym but she is sort of not interested in matchmaking anyone on the coach to Portsmouth since none seem like they would suit. Yes, there is the painfully naive merchant's daughter, Penelope, and the aristocrat's son who she might normally try to pair but Lord Augustus really is just too dissipated. At least, he seems that way until Penelope begs him to try and save Benjamin, a man who cannot hear or speak but is accused of thievery and is due to be hanged. Augustus steps up and... distracts... the evil Lady Kasey (sp?) to find the broach. Benjamin is freed! But there is more than half the book left. 
Still to be read are kidnappings, fires, near drownings, murder for hire, a marriage that Miss Pym doesn't believe in, one she does, and a night at the opera for Miss Pym.
I don't know how all of this fit in such a small book and I really can't believe that this book was published but, outside of the parts I was aghast at, I did enjoyed the end of the ride.

Three stars
This book came out January 1, 1992
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own


Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Beatrice Goes to Brighton by Marion Chesney

Lady Beatrice is a widow- a happy widow at that. But now her father has promised her in marriage to another brutish man so she decides to travel by coach to Brighton. Hopefully, but the time she comes back, those hopes will have been dashed. She intends to be cold to the other coach passengers but, of course, one of them is Miss Hannah Pym. The others include a dumpy man, a woman with a child, a soldier, and a small woman with big eyes.
At the first stop, a few things happen. Lady Beatrice is taken by a brutish man into another carriage. She says it is of her own free will but Miss Pym is not convinced. Benjamin, her footman who was thought not to have hearing or speech is found to have both. She is left behind but is helped by Lord Alistair.
Miss Pym is at it again though, trying to convince Lord Alistair that Lady Beatrice is not quite the harridan she appears while convincing Lady Beatrice that Lord Alistair is going to be her best choice if she doesn't want to marry the brute. 
A little disappointing because this one isn't nearly as crazy as the last one but still a nice addition to the series. 
I liked that we got more in the way of Miss Pym and her budding relationship with Sir George.

Three stars
This book came out in 1991
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own



Friday, October 27, 2023

Belinda Goes to Bath by M.C. Beaton

Hannah Pym is off on her next adventure, heading to Bath (she can't bring herself to call it "The Bath"). Her group of traveling companions does not at first appear to be as congenial as the last group but she is intrigued by the young lady who is dropped off by carriage with a companion. It seems that Belinda is an heiress but she didn't "take." To try and get out of her own life, she ran away with a footman. It was not the usual story as the footman didn't want to do anything other than help her leave the house but the damage was done. Her aunt and uncle are sending her to Bath to live with her very Methodist great aunt and she has to go by coach as part of her punishment. 
The carriage has an accident and Miss Pym, Belinda, Miss Wimple (the companion), and the quarreling couple, the Judsons, are all put up by the Marquess of Frenton. He has other visitors, the Jordans, who are under the belief that he is going to propose to their daughter Penelope. Having the lovely Belinda in the house does look like it  might cause those plans to derail. 
The first book in this series was a romance. This book has some romance in it but is more fiction than anything else. I have also recently read the third book in this series and that goes completely off the rails.

Three stars
This book came out August 1, 1991
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own


Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Mythos by Stephen Fry

Fry has a habit of creating sentences that make me pause my recording so that I can think about them, mull them over, taste them in my mind’s mouth. In other words, he’s a really good writer. And he has taken that skill to update the myths of Greece into a modern day story book. Over 15 hours of learning about the Gods and their foibles. It starts with the Titans and runs through Zeus and his many, many, many, …  many love affairs as well as the rest of the pantheon of the gods. 

Four and a half stars
This book came out 
Followed by Heroes
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

This is Shaffer's first published book and, while very enjoyable, reads to me a lot like a number of YA books that feature a reclusive artist setting up a game (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mr. Lemoncello's Library, etc.) except that the main focus is on Lucy Hart, 24 years old. When she was younger, Lucy became enchanted with a series of books set on Clock Island. They were written by Jack Masterson and Lucy, a younger child whose older sister was ill so she was often left by herself, wanted nothing more than to be his sidekick. So she went to the island. But she was sent home. Years later, she is a teacher's aide who wants nothing more than to adopt a boy in her school. But she is in debt, living with a number of roommates, and doesn't have a car. In other words, not a great candidate for adoption. But then, Jack announces a contest and the person who wins will get his latest manuscript. Lucy is one of the four people invited. 
In thinking about the book after I read it, I don't know much about Lucy other than the high points above nor anyone else in the book, including Hugo Reese, the man who ended up illustrating the newer editions of Jack's books and the other person featured in this story. And a couple of times I forgot I wasn't reading a YA book - I think it was partly the set up but also partly the language and perhaps a bit the fact that excerpts from Jack's stories are interspersed in the story. But I really did enjoy this book and hope that Shaffer keeps writing. 

Four stars
This book came out May 30, 2023
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Heroes by Stephen Fry

HIGHLY recommend listening to Fry read this book. I think it enhances the stories that he has brought into the 21st century (or at least the 20th). 
Stephen Fry has taken a number of the Greek myths and updated them for today. They are incredibly enjoyable and make the myths more accessible for today's readers. 

Four and a half stars
This book came out November 1, 2018
Follows Mythos
Followed by Troy
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Florida Woman by Deb Rogers

Jamie found herself in jail for... reasons. As a part of her release, she is wearing an ankle monitor and volunteering at Atlas. It's a shelter for rescue macaques. It's also a former midwife school. It's also the home of Flora whose daughter seems to be in charge of Atlas.
The longer Jamie stays, the more she finds herself drawn to the women running the program. But she is also confused by a number of strange things that are happening in the sanctuary. She doesn't want to mess up her chance at staying out of jail so she's sticking to the letter of the law. But things are starting to make a little less sense than usual.
I KNOW I've read a book with similar themes and beats. I knew what was going to happen even before the author started dropping broader and broader hints. It was an enjoyable book but I don't think I enjoyed it as much as the All the Books crew did.


Three and a half stars
This book came out July 5, 2022
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Murdle by G. T. Karber

This is a really interesting idea, turning a number of logic puzzles into a series of short mysteries. And the logic puzzles are already built into the book which is wonderful, if you have the print book. 

Four stars (printed book)
This book comes out June 13, 2023
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Jeeves and the Mating Season by P.G. Wodehouse

This story is even more twisted than the usual Jeeves as Bertie sets out to deceive. He shows up at Deverill Hall but is pretending to be Gussie Fink-Nottle. So Jeeves is, obviously not his valet. Instead, it is a friend playing the part, one who is in love but his beloved's family doesn't want her to marry an actor. Esmond Haddock's plethora of aunts understand that feeling as they would really prefer that he not marry Corky who is in town to help her vicar uncle but is, in actuality, a Hollywood actress. One whom Gussie admires and starts to fall in love with when he shows up to the hall as Bertie.
Oh what a tangled (and often confusing with the casual racism of the time that is jarring to a modern ear) web that will take all of Jeeves' brilliance to untangle.

Three and a half stars
This book came out in 1949
Followed by Ring for Jeeves
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse

Edwin, the less-than-helpful Boy Scout, makes another appearance in this book as Bertie and Jeeves are in Steeple Bumpleigh. Jeeves has finally won his bid to be able to go fishing on his break. Bertie is supposed to stay in a separate home but it is burned down on his first day there through Edwin's actions. This is not great as Lord Worplesdon (Edwin's father, also father to the fearsome Florence Craye who once tried to marry and "improve" Bertie) needed that cottage to make some super secret side deal that he doesn't want anyone, ANYONE, to know about. 
More engagement confusion as Florence is affianced to the local police constable who definitely does not look kindly on her former fiance. Also, there is also Xenobia "Nobby" Hopwood who wants to marry a friend of Bertie's before he goes off to write scripts for Hollywood but her uncle (Lord Worpledon) doesn't trust writers.
A mass of confusing stories as usual but still a fun read.

Three stars
This book came out in 1947
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible
Opinion are my own

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

The cow creamer. It is all about a silver cow creamer. "Pop" Bassett wants the creamer and steals it out from under the nose of Bertie's Uncle Tom. So his Aunt Dahlia commands him to steal the creamer. Bertie would rather not but he heads out to the estate anyway as he has been sent a series of frantic telegrams from Gussie Fink-Nottle whose engagement to Angela Bassett seems to be on the line. When Bertie arrives, he discovers that Roderick Spode, a man who is in love with Angela but Jeeves is able to spike his guns. There is also an engagement between Stephanie Bink (the niece of Pop Bassett) and an old friend of Bertie's, "Stinker" Pinker, now a curate, as well as some kerfuffle related to a policeman's hat. 
Of course, all is finished satisfactorily and Jeeves has convinced Bertie to sail off on a world-round cruise.

Three and a half stars
This book came out October 7, 1938
Followed by Joy in the Morning
Opinions are my own

Monday, March 7, 2022

Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Bertie never learns. In this book, he is absolutely certain that he knows best. However, it will come as no surprise that all he knows is how to create chaos. It is, of course, up to Jeeves to sort out the relationships between Gussie Finknottle and Madeline Bassett (else she might turn her eye back to Bertie(!)). There are also issues arising between his gambling aunt and Uncle Tom once again. 
When Bertie recommends the same course of action to both his aunt and Gussie, he ends two engagements and almost causes Anatole (the unparalleled chef from previous books). Luckily, Jeeves is there to step in.

Four stars
This book came out October 5, 1934
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own

Saturday, September 18, 2021

The Golden Ball And Other Stories by Agatha Christie

Every once in awhile Agatha Christie, Queen of the Mystery, would write stories that just had a happy ending. Often they had a twist, but are not mysteries. And they are all delightful. she also wrote some books that were more supernatural in bent. These are not as good but somewhat interesting. 
The first story has a widowed mother who wants the best for her children and a cheap house to let might just find it -- and some happiness for herself as well. A couple of stories feature young men throwing away a sure thing only to find something better. One has a young man reading fanciful stories that make him a strong man in his own life. 

Three stars
This book came out in 1971
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Sunday, August 29, 2021

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

At eighty years old, Kathleen is ready to get out and <i>live</i> again. She used to host a series called the Summer Seekers where she went around the world and was televised doing it. Her daughter, Liz, was rather resentful that her mother was never home. That's why she's the consummate homemaker now. But that means that she's always having to be six steps ahead of whatever her husband and their twin daughters are doing so that everything goes right. But that's exhausting. And now her mother has had an intruder. True, she took care of the man with a frying pan but that's just evidence that the woman isn't eating correctly. 
But Kathleen isn't ready to go to the "peaceful rest home" that her daughter is pushing on her. She wants to have one last adventure: Route 66 in America (Kathleen is British.) But she knows she shouldn't drive so she puts out an ad.
Martha is mid-twenties and already divorced. Her family continually favors her prettier, more successful sister. Does she like to drive? Maybe not but it's a) a job and b) a chance to get out of her family's house. 
So Kathleen and Martha are off. Of course, they are going to learn some truths about themselves because this is a fiction book. They will also have some fun. But Liza will learn the same thing staying home in England and reconnecting with the life she had before her twins were born.
For everything that is going on in this book, it's a rather quiet read. Morgan's non-romance books are often like that. I didn't like that there were so many threads that it felt like a few stories got shortchanged.

Four stars
This book came out May 18th, 2021
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own


Friday, June 4, 2021

Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins

This book absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. I wept through most of it even though it used a trope (time hopping) that I usually do not enjoy. It was just a little too woo for me and that brought it down but it was overall a highly enjoyable read. Higgins is usually a romance writer and, while I wouldn't put this book firmly in that category, regular readers won't be disappointed.
Joshua is on the autism spectrum and he knows that he will never find anyone who understands him as well as his wife Lauren. But Lauren is now dead having passed away from an incurable disease that slowly robbed her of her ability to breathe. It was a drawn-out process that hurt them both but also left Lauren enough time to leave Joshua a series of letters to be delivered roughly monthly. She knew that he would have time adapting and she wanted to make sure he had a life after her death. Some of the tasks are small, some are larger, but she hopes that they will help him recognize that there is life after death and that his next great love might have been in front of him all along.

Four stars
This book come out June 8th
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own



Saturday, April 10, 2021

Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Ufda. The casual racism in this book does NOT hold up well. The story is, as usual, quite funny but it is not a book that aged like a good wine.
Bertie has gotten hold of a banjo. If you've read previous books in the series, you realize that this is going to be a problem. In fact, it not only gets Bertie kicked out of his apartment, Jeeves leaves him as well. Big Problem. Except Bertie doesn't see it that way. He hires another valet and gets himself out of London since one of his previous fiancee's was seen in the company of two of his former antagonists. Well, it turns out that he might not have reason to worry since the former fiancee is now more interested in his friend Chuffy. But the course to true love never does run smoothly in fiction and it may be that Jeeves's intervention is needed after all.  

Two stars
Follows Very Good, Jeeves!
Followed by Right Ho, Jeeves!
This book came out in 1933
Audiobook borrowed from Audible Premium Plus
Opinions are my own



Wednesday, February 10, 2021

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

I've had this book on my shelf for a REALLY long time. I finally started it and was surprised how readable it ended up being. After all, it is LIT-erature. Classics and readability don't always go together. And the out of order storytelling became a little hard to follow in places but overall, the story of Tomas and Tereza as well as some side characters including Tomas's side piece.

Three stars
This book came out in 1984
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own