September 29, 2014

The Blood of an Englishman by M. C. Beaton

What a surprise… Agatha Raisin has an iPad and a cellphone!  I haven’t read or listened to an Agatha Raisin in a while and was pleasantly surprised to find that she has moved into the new millennium.   The Blood of an Englishman had all of the elements that I would expect in an Agatha Raisin mystery, including the rural English villages and Agatha’s quirky personality.  I listened to and loved the Audible.com version of this M. C. Beaton mystery.  Definitely a good listen and I’m sure it’s an equally good read.

Currently Reading

There Was and There Was Not  by Meline Toumani

I was thrilled when a Goodreads First Read Selection; There Was and There Was Not arrived in the mail. The topic of historic and current conflicts between Turkey and Armenia is of great interest to me.  I, like the author Meline Toumani, live in New Jersey, where there are both Turkish and Armenian communities.  I’ve had personal experiences that have involved dealing with people from both communities and recognize that there is a serious, long-standing conflict between the two cultures.  When I saw that there was a book that dealt with these conflicts and was written by an Armenian-American, I was immediately interested.  Setting all other books aside, I started reading it last night.  The book is very engaging and enjoyable reading so far.  More to follow…

The Intellectual Devotional: Biographies  by David S. Kidder

My husband and I found the Intellectual Devotionals several years ago, in a Barnes & Noble sale bin.  Intellectual Devotional: Biographies is our second book by Kidder and we’ve been reading it for less than a year.  We’re on page 262+… on track to finish by the end of the year.  We read at mealtime, usually breakfast.  It gives us food for thought and discussion.  We often find ourselves looking up more on our iPads.  Some of the biographies are like a history review.  Others are people we’ve never heard of.  It’s educational and keeps our minds working.  It also gives us something to discuss besides the daily barrage of depressing world news.  Actually, reading about history helps to put some of the current events into a different perspective.  Definitely a good oral read to share with a partner… more to follow.

September 28, 2014

The Moonlight Palace by Liz Rosenberg

The Moonlight Palace by Liz Rosenberg was another one of Amazon Prime’s First Read Kindle books.  I enjoyed the Singapore setting and culture that was woven into the story.  I would classify it as another young adult fairytale, complete with an aging castle.  There was no graphic violence and nothing I would consider gruesome.  It was just a sweet story about a young girl’s coming of age in Singapore, with a happily-ever-after ending.  Definitely a quick, but good read.

 Have a Nice Guilt Trip by Lisa Scottoline & Francesca Serritella

I’m going to have to give this an unusual review, because I love Lisa Scottoline for a variety of reasons.  I love her Rosato & Associates mysteries.  I love that she lives in and uses the Philadelphia area in her books.  I love her daily posts to Facebook, with her darling King Charles Spaniels.  I loved the Giveaway that she had with the release of Have a Nice Guilt Trip.  All of that being said, I didn’t love the Audible version of Have a Nice Guilt Trip.  I think that it’s possible I might have enjoyed reading it more than listening.  I’m definitely anxiously awaiting the release of Betrayed: A Rosato & Associates Novel on November 25, 2014.  Sorry, but for me, Have a Nice Guilt Trip was not a great listen.

September 27, 2014

Lock In by John Scalzi

Absolutely loved Lock In by John Scalzi!!  We listened to the Audible audio version and it was great.  This is science fiction at its best.  The character and plot development was totally realistic and terribly thrilling.  Current world events have made the near-future fiction seem even more possible.  The audio version also included Unlocked: An Oral History of Hayden’s Syndrome: A Tor.com Original (Kindle single).  It really explained a lot and would probably be a good prequel, if you haven’t already read the book.  I’m sure the read would be as good as the listen.  Definitely a GREAT audio book!!!

The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Paper Magician appears to be the first in a series of magician stories by Charlie N. Holmberg.  It was one of my Amazon Prime Kindle First Read choices and it was a good one.  The story is a modern fairytale involving an apprentice’s quest to save her mentor, meeting both good and bad magicians along the way.  As with all fairytales, it was at times sweet and at other times quite gruesome.  I enjoyed it as an adult and am sure that young adults would also like it.  Some of the gruesome parts are quite graphic and might be too much for younger children, so I’d exercise caution and preview it first.  The Paper Magician was definitely a good read.  I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, The Glass Magician, which will be released on November 4, 2014.

Iceland: A Second Visit by P. J. Hammond

Iceland: A Second Visit by P. J. Hammond is a lovely book, filled with beautiful paintings and lively adventures.  I was lucky enough to meet Mrs. Hammond this past summer while vacationing in northern Vermont.  We had an engaging conversation in which she shared some of the background for the paintings and stories.  I thought of our meeting while reading the book and enjoying the illustrations.  The book and the author are both true gems.  Definitely a wonderful read.

Traveling With Wildflowers by P. J. Hammond

After reading P. J. Hammond’s book, Iceland: A Second Visit, I was lucky enough to find a signed copy of her first book, Traveling With Wildflowers.  Once again, Mrs. Hammond’s book included both her adventures and her beautiful paintings.  This time, she wrote about her journeys across the northern United States and Canada to Alaska.  While on her travels, she painted many of the wildflowers that she saw along the way.  The book is invaluable, because she also researched and identified the flowers that she had painted.  This makes it a good reference book, in addition to being a lovely memoir.  I was finally able to identify some of the wildflowers that I’ve seen in the north country of New England and Michigan.  I loved reading Traveling With Wildflowers!  It’s definitely a great read, one that I’m sure I will revisit again many times.