March, 2023: Reads & Review

 

 

Goal: 100 books and 1500 hours
YTD: 54 Books Read, 455 Hours Spent
This Month: 24 Books Read, 214 Hours Spent

 

At the beginning of March, we finally moved my folks into their new apartment. My sister and brother handled the actual move while DH, DD and I babysat my parents at a nearby hotel for three nights. They are now slowly but surely settling into the new routine but are still overwhelmed by the number of new things they have to learn. Glad it is finally accomplished. The rest of the month was tame in comparison.

Reading-wise, it was a pretty good month. Two books were DNF -- one because I was not thrilled by the characters and the other because the voice of the lecturer was driving me crazy. I met a few new authors this month, a couple of whom I look forward to reading more of. Many thanks to my book buddies for pointing me in new directions. I am slowly making my way through all of your faves.

 

 

Best of the Month: The Daughter of Time, Chasing History, Empress of the Nile, The Long Fall
Worst of the Month: Notorious London, Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Books still on hold:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Since Feb 10. Now 380th in line (from 808) on 85 copies. Estimated wait, 9 weeks.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Since Feb 22. Now 29th (from 91) on 13 copies. EW, 5 weeks
Witches Abroad. Since Mar 16. Now 9th (from 15).on 3copies. EW, 6 weeks.

 

THE READS

•  Proof of Guilt -- Charles Todd -- NEW28
Love the series. Love the MC. Loved the book.
4 stars.

•  N or M? -- Agatha Christie -- NEW29
Enjoyed the mature Tommy and Tuppence. They have aged well.
3.5 stars

•  The Stargazey -- Martha Grimes -- NEW30
Another series I am enjoying working my through piecemeal and in no specific order.
3.5 stars

•  Wyrd Sisters -- Terry Pratchett -- NEW31
Brush up your Shakespeare. I have to go back and read this one again. It did not have my full attention and I lost a lot.
3.5 stars.

•  Whistlestop -- John Dickerson -- NEW32
On the campaign trail (US presidential, that is). An easy listen.
3.5 stars

•  Magnificent Rebels -- Andrea Wulf -- NEW33
Just too 'up-close-and-personal' with a group of people I would never want to spend that much time with.
3 stars

•  The Daughter of Time -- Josephine Tey -- NEW34
At last I have gotten my hands on this one. Loved it. Loved that it broke out of the mold of the typical crime investigation.
4 stars.

•  Fortune Favors the Dead -- Stephen Spotswood -- NEW35
•  Murder Under Her Skin -- Stephen Spotswood -- NEW37
The same applies to both books. The anachronisms and modern language drove me up a wall. The use of Ms was not in vogue until the 60s. Up until that point, it was used in writing when the choice of Miss or Mrs. was unknown to the writer. Bagels did not go mainstream until the 1970s. Air-conditioned office and government building were not the norm in the 1940. One has "fetishes", not "fetishisms". Two was enough, thank you; I'm done.
3 stars

•  Open Season -- CJ Box -- NEW36
Good but frustrating. I'll try another one eventually. Maybe.
3.25 stars

•  The Case of the Canterfell Codicil -- PJ Fitzsimmons -- NEW38
Finely-honed sense of humor. No one is left unscathed.
3.75 stars

•  Finley Donovan Is Killing It -- Elle Cosimano -- NEW39 -- DNF
I could not get past the set up. Nasty exes are too hard to deal with. I lasted 15 minutes before moving on.
DNF

•  The Old Contemptibles -- Martha Grimes -- NEW40
She drags us from Wodehousian character descriptions to down right heart-break. Delightfully twisted plot.
3.5 stars.

•  The Messy Lives of Book People -- Phaedra Patrick -- NEW40
Published by Harlequin. Reads like a Hallmark movie.
3 stars

•  The Word is Murder -- Anthony Horowitz -- NEW41
Loved it. Fun plus homage to AC Doyle and the writers. Love that the author is his own Watson. Looking forward to more.
3.5 stars

•  Chasing History -- Carl Bernstein -- NEW42
Memoir. What is was like breaking into the world of print journalism in the early 1960s.
4 stars

•  N or M? -- Agatha Christie -- Re-read

•  A Fine Summer's Day -- Charles Todd -- NEW43
I liked the mystery but I was not interested in the MCs back-story and would have preferred to have it remain shrouded in mystery.
4 stars nonetheless.

•  Great Courses: Notorious London -- Paul Deslandes -- NEW44 -- DNF
Regardless of the topic, I could not bear his lecture style.

•  Great Courses: Reconsidering JFK -- Michael Shelden -- NEW45
Nothing new here. The man warts and all.
3.5 stars

•  The Inugami Curse -- Seishi Yokomizo -- NEW46
I am fascinated by this series: Golden Age mystery style for the Japanese audience.
3.5 stars.

•  The Wife of Bath -- Marion Turner -- NEW47
Scholarly but approachable. Where was this when I was in high school?
3.5 stars

•  Empress of the Nile -- Lynne Olson -- NEW48
So sorry that I could not have read this before we went to Egypt (but it was published just after we got home). Fascinating. Engaging. Easy read.
4 stars.

•  The Long Fall -- Walter Moseley -- NEW49
Meet Leonid McGill! Interesting dude. Morally complicated but basically on the side of the angels.
4 stars