Monday Mash Up

Monday, November 27, 2023 ~~ Books and More

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THOUGHTS

I miss our big, annual family and friends Thanksgiving gathering. We had our last family Thanksgiving in 2019 and didn't even know it would be our last. What I don't miss is the drive home and back in the holiday traffic! Barely on the highway and a voice from the back seat is already asking, "are we there yet?" No idea how hubby ended up in the back seat. We made that awful 'Boston to Philadelphia straight through NYC' drive for 40 years. I don't miss it. I just miss the fun part of being home with the family and I miss that my grandson is not learning the joy of extended family.

TICKETS

Nothing until December 17.

THE BOOKS

Starting with this week's books. I'm ending the year with a quest to level Mt. TBR -- so I can buy more books. Looks like November will be a record setting month, even if it has been a feast of "necessary roughage." My record month was April, 2020, when I read 28 books and I'm already into book 28 with 4 more reading days to go.

Field of Thirteen by Dick Francis

A lovely but mixed bag of short stories from one of my favorite authors. Each story was prefaced with why it was written and who had commissioned it. They span almost his entire career.
3.5 stars

 

Evan's Gate by Rhys Bowen
Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen
Evanly Bodies by Rhys Bowen

Finishing the series and leveling TBR. I'm sorry this is the end but she stopped writing the series when she started the "Her Royal Spyness" series. Definitely filed under "necessary roughage" but still a well written, well crafted cozy series.
On average, 3.5 stars

Great Courses: 10 Big Questions of the American Civil War by Caroline Janney

American History Lite -- or so I thought as I started the lecture series. Turns out I was wrong. In barely four hours, Janney gives us a birds-eye view of the Civil War (a war that, imo, continues to be fought today, 168 years later). She covers the big issues of why the war was fought and its lasting effects on our nation (conscription, income taxes, women's rights to name a few). She doesn't take sides and she doesn't apologize; she just explains the war in over-arching terms -- something I really needed. This is not about the battles and war strategy. It doesn't cover the big what-ifs.
3.75 stars

The Alchemist of Fire and Fortune by Gigi Pandian
The Alchemist of Riddle and Ruin by Gigi Pandian

Continuing to hack away at Mt. TBR. I started the series in 2015 and have been reading it in fits and starts. The first few books were definitely better and I will continue to read as long as I can get the books for free. I also tried the author's Jaya Jones series but walked away after 3 books.
3.25 stars

 

ENDNOTE

Well, so much for leveling Mt. TBR. Audible's site-wide sale started early Sunday morning and I've added 22 books so far (all stuff I can't get at the library and all less than $5, my self-imposed limit).