Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the Folder and thread to tell us what your monthly reads for March 2024 were. How did you start the year ?

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

Let's try again....I lost my first post. Grrrr.....

March was a pretty good reading month, with some easy, light reads that were just right for travel.

84, Charing Cross Road (3-star) - this was a nice book about long distance friendships and how we can connect with each other and help each other in difficult times, even if we've never met in real life.
Review; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Three Andy Carpenter books. I listened to all of these in audio format while out jogging. They are all fun and entertaining. What I like most about this series is that the mysteries are usually quite well thought out and the characters are warm and interesting.
New Tricks (3-star)
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Best in Snow (4-star)
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Santa's Little Yelpers (3-star)
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

An Important Family (2-star) - very disappointing. It started out well and went down the ho-hum, nothing happens road.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Half Way Home (3-star) - an interesting sci-fi book about teenagers left on a planet to fend for themselves. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It's a different premise than anything I've read before about colonizing new planets. Interesting idea for a story.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I had a good month for March. I completed 7 books, which is a lot for me. I doubt I will get as much read in April, though, because we have a lot going on in the next month.


Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich
5 Stars

I think the Stephanie Plum books are getting funnier the further I get into the series. There was a lot of this book where I was laughing so much! Evanovich has a good way of describing these scenes to where you can picture it and that makes it even funnier.

**********

A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean
5 Stars

I can't say enough good things about this book. It was absolutely amazing!!! The author pulled me in and I kept wanting more. When the truth about one thing was revealed, something else came to light and I had to know what was going to happen. It was fast paced and so emotional.
**********

Never Lie by Freida McFadden
4 Stars

This was a pretty good read. McFadden's writing isn't stellar at some points. There were a few thoughts that were unnecessarily repeated several time and a couple of grammatical errors, but the twists in her books really make them worth finishing. This is my 2nd one by her and I'm sure I'll check out a few more.
**********

A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa
5 Stars

This was such a heartbreaking read, but inspirational at the same time. It's amazing that the author lived through all the horrors he went through while in North Korea. It's hard to imagine a government having complete control over your entire life. And the way they treated their citizens was awful.
This book was translated from Japanese, and I have to say that the translating was done very well. A lot of times I feel translated books are translated into choppy English that doesn't make a lot of sense, but this one flowed really well.
**********

For the Sake Of by Judith Sonnet
4 Stars

A book NOT for the faint of heart.
This was my first time reading this genre (extreme horror). I love horror movies, so I was interested to see what these books would be like. I had a hard time trying to decide what rating to give it. While it was such a grotesque story, it was like a train wreck you didn't want to look away from. It was like Hostel meets Saw meets Criminal Minds. The author did a good job of making you want to know what was next. I was disappointed in the ending, though. It was a bit of a let down. But I will probably read something else in this genre in the future.
**********

Sisters Behaving Badly by Maddie Please
4 Stars

This was such a cute book. It had a few LOL moments and I enjoyed the predicaments that Kitty was getting into. And of course it was heartwarming with a happy ending, too.
**********

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
3 Stars

Ended up being disappointed in this. The author put too much mumbo jumbo in the middle of the storyline. Metaphors and philosophical stuff just to take up space. Half of what was written didn't even pertain to the story. There were too many POVs. I got confused as to who was who a couple of times. Won't be reading this author again.
**********

The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb
5 Stars

This one surprised me. It started off a bit slow, but then really pulled me in. It was different than what I thought it was because it turned out to be a Gothic horror/ghost story. But I enjoy the paranormal, so it was a good read.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I had a good month for March. I completed 7 books, which is a lot for me. I doubt I will get as much read in April, though, because we have a lot going on in the next month.

[bookcover:Top Secret ..."

Kim, what a good month of reading you've had!
I also enjoy the Stephanie Plum series. It's been awhile since I've read one. Thanks for the reminder.

Petra wrote: "Let's try again....I lost my first post. Grrrr.....

March was a pretty good reading month, with some easy, light reads that were just right for travel.

84, Charing Cross Road (3-st..."

Sorry you lost your first post, Petra. :( Thanks for trying again.

It looks like you had a nice overall reading month.

I read 84, Charing Cross Road quite a long time ago. I recall that it was good.

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I had a good month for March. I completed 7 books, which is a lot for me. I doubt I will get as much read in April, though, because we have a lot going on in the next month.
.."

Well done, Kim. Not only did you get in a lot of books but you had only one disappointment.

I haven't read a Janet Evanovich in quite a long time. I think I quit around #5 or so as they were too repetitious. Maybe I should pick it up again but start with the later books.

Petra wrote: "Let's try again....I lost my first post. Grrrr.....

March was a pretty good reading month, with some easy, light reads that were just right for travel...."

Interesting variety, Petra. As previously mentioned, I liked the Helene Hanff books about the bookshop & her relationship with the employees to be charming. And some sighs, too, as i learned of what post-WWII life was for England.

Thanks for sharing about them. The Sci-fi is one i'll keep in mind but certain yet. Lord of the Flies was far from engaging to/for me. :-)

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I had a good month for March. I completed 7 books, which is a lot for me. I doubt I will get as much read in April, though, because we have a lot going on in the next month...."

Good reading month for you, Kim. Somehow i failed to recognize that you are a fan of the horror genre. What fodder for imagination they are.

I'm grateful that you shared with us about these.

Hello everyone! For the month of March, I read a grand total of four books.

The first one I read was Hail of Brimstone by J.R White. If you want my full thoughts on it, you can go here.

Although this is a sequel to Shadow of Wolves, Hail of Brimstone is, for the most part, pretty much just a standalone story where Kit, his friend John, and some guys named Priest and Swede have to retrieve this special revolver that can shoot fire and temporarily corrupt a person, facing a devil-like being from time to time.

Now let me make one thing perfectly clear. While I didn't enjoy this entry as much as Shadow of Wolves, Hail of Brimstone is far from being a terrible book. It's got some great action, some great character development and interactions, quite a bit of creativity (especially with the devil-like being and a number of the action scenes) and some damn good bits of writing. However, what drags it down for me is that, with the exception of Pret (who gets banished to Off-Page Land by the end of chapter seven), it makes little to no effort to develop or make me care about its side characters, especially Swede and Priest. Also, the way one of the devil-like being's powers work was so "Well if you could do that, why didn't you do this?" and easy to fix, that I'm genuinely shocked it was just left the way it was. Like, seriously?

Rating: B-

Another book I read was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. My review can be found here.

Much like other entries in the Hercule Poroit series, this is a whodunit. But this time, the main character is Dr. Sheppard, who basically assists Poirot in the murder investigation.

So, fun little story. Back in early March, I was having a tough time choosing between this book and Death On The Nile for my next Hercule Poriot read and madrano told me that The Murder of Roger Ackroyd stayed with him longer. I can genuinely see why.

For one thing, Dr. Sheppard (the main character) was written in a way where the reader isn't quite sure what he's going to become. He's a bit of a wild card in a sense and it was a great way to keep me turning the pages. In addition to the superb quality of the writing style, one thing that this entry made me realize was how the Hercule Poriot series has Hercule show his "eccentric, but gets results" kind of personality in different ways depending on the needs of the case, with this entry in particular having him spout things that seem nonsensical, but make sense when you give it some thought. It's a clever way to maintain consistency while keeping things fresh. Also, much like Pretty Dead Queens, this book has a bonus mystery, only this time it's unravelling the mysterious nature of one of the suspects. I'm a sucker for bonus mysteries and this one certainly hit the mark for me. Another great thing about this book is that it's very careful to not reveal the guilt or innocence of the suspects too early or too late. The twist at the end, though, definitely stole the show. I won't say much about it, but in short, it will basically shatter your perception of one of the characters, but in a way that doesn't make it feel like it comes outta left field. Unfortunately however, much like with The Mysterious Affair at Styles, there are way too many characters. I'm thinking that this is an early installment problem because later entries, such as Murder on The Orient Express, don't seem to have this problem, though I'll have to read more later entries to know for sure.

Rating: A

Third up was A Man and His Cat Volume One by Umi Sakurai. I talk all about it here.

The plot of this one is very simple. Man gets cat and they experience various ups and downs as they try to adjust to their new situation.

If you want something heartwarming, if you want something hilarious, if you want something that's gonna leave a big smile on your face and a spring in your step when you're all done reading it, stop everything and please, please read this book! It's that awesome, I'm dead serious. Needless to say, I'm picking up the next installment.

Rating: A+

The final book of this month was Going to Ground by Ali Sparks. I got a whole review on it here if you're interested.

Unlike the previous two entries in the series, Going to Ground has Dax and the gang on the run from government agents and some weird orb thing.

What makes this entry so enjoyable for me is that it's able to build upon the events of the last entry while carving out its own identity. It's fun, it's suspenseful, it allows one of the more minor characters from the series a chance to shine and show how cool he can really be, and it has an ending that strikes a perfect balance between happy and tragic. That being said, it does have its issues, like an incredibly forced moment in chapter nine that made no sense and kind of soured my perception of a character that I actually liked and the confusing reveal of the orb's true identity.

Rating: A-

Overall, a vast improvement from February.

A very solid month for you, Hailey. I enjoyed reading your reviews.

Alias Reader wrote: "A very solid month for you, Hailey. I enjoyed reading your reviews."

I'm glad to hear that, Alias!

Alias Reader wrote: "I haven't read a Janet Evanovich in quite a long time. I think I quit around #5 or so as they were too repetitious. Maybe I should pick it up again but start with the later books"

For the most part, you don't need to read them in order. There's usually a quick background review in the beginning of the books, telling you about Stephanie and what she does.

madrano wrote: "Somehow i failed to recognize that you are a fan of the horror genre."

I've only ever stuck to movies up until now. LOL! I had heard a lot about the genre and wanted to check it out. My emotions react different to movies than they do books (ex: I cry a lot easier at a movie than I do an emotional book), so I wanted to see how I'd feel about an extreme horror one. The good thing is that most of them are shorter books. LOL!

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of March, I read a grand total of four books.

The first one I read was Hail of Brimstone by J.R White. If you want my full thoughts on it, you can go here.

Although ..."

You've had an interesting and solid month of reading, Hailey.

I haven't read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd yet and am now very intrigued.
A Man and His Cat, Volume One sounds like a fun and interesting read.

Petra wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of March, I read a grand total of four books.

The first one I read was Hail of Brimstone by J.R White. If you want my full thoughts on it, you can go h..."

I certainly did, Petra. It looks like your reading month was an interesting one too.

In regards to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and A Man and His Cat Volume One, I highly recommend checking them out if you're looking for something great to read this month or just in the future in general.

Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of March, I read a grand total of four books. ..."

Thank you for sharing about these books, Hailey. I must say your comment about the first tickled my fancy. To wit: "some guys named Priest and Swede have to retrieve this special revolver that can shoot fire and temporarily corrupt a person, facing a devil-like being from time to time.

Now that is a kind of revolver that intrigues. I appreciated, as well, your paragraph about this book which had spoilers within spoilers!

I was tickled to read that you liked Ackroyd, too. Your point about too many characters rings true too often in mysteries for me.

Unfortunately, the longer review link, for A Man & His Cat, led to the Christie review, so i couldn't read the particular points you made. It sounds fun, though, and i like your enthusiasm for it.

It was fun to read your thoughts about this Shapeshifter installment. Your point about the orb is particularly apt. What was that about? Read the next installment for the answer? Maybe?

Thanks for sharing your opinions about these books with us, Hailey.

madrano wrote: "Hailey wrote: "Hello everyone! For the month of March, I read a grand total of four books. ..."

Thank you for sharing about these books, Hailey. I must say your comment about the first tickled my ..."

You're welcome, madrano. I fixed the Man and His Cat section so that it links to my review on it. Sorry about the issue. I have no idea how that happened.

Anyway, to answer your question about Going to Ground, it appears that the identity of the orb will be explored in the next installment, Dowsing the Dead (which I'm currently reading at this time).

As all the books i read in March were for my Challenge, i am just supplying the link to the review page, rather than going into detail here. I will share the post's number. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Blacker the Berry...--Wallace Thurman. Apparently the first novel about the way other African Americans treat those with darker shades of skin than their own. POST 53

The Education of Little Tree--Forrest Carter. Warm and good story, told by a man who was a renowned racist. POST 57

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks--Crystal Wilkinson. A book of the author's family history, both real & imagined, coupled with plenty of recipes. POST 58

Hello, Transcriber--Hannah Morrissey. Debut novel set in a Michigan small city. POST 65

Wandering Stars--Tommy Orange. This is actually a sequel to a book i haven't read, making it less interesting, to be honest. There There. I didn't know this when i read it, btw. POST 70

The Luminous Face--Carolyn Wells. Mystery set in the 1920, NYC. POST 75

Aednan: An Epic--Linnea Axelsson. Story of governments dramatically changing the lives of indigenous people, this time the Sami of northern Scandinavia. POST 82

This was a decent reading month with my favorite probably being The Blacker the Berry....

I am currently reading “The House in the Cerulean Sea”. It’s a great read so far. Has anyone else read it? The second book in this series is being released in September 🙂

I also read:

Book Lovers
The Perks of being a Wallflower
The Unsinkable Greta James
We were Liars
The way I used to be
Love and other words

Nicole wrote: "I am currently reading “The House in the Cerulean Sea”. It’s a great read so far. Has anyone else read it? The second book in this series is being released in September 🙂

I also read:

Book Lovers..."

Welcome to Book Nook Cafe, Nicole ! Thank you for sharing your March reads with us.

I also read and like very much The Perks of Being a Wallflower I gave it a 4/5 rating.


I do love the covers that T.J. Klune has on his books. I've not read the one your reading. I did read and was disappointed in Under the Whispering Door. Though the reviews all said that The House in the Cerulean Sea is much better.

Nicole wrote: "I am currently reading “The House in the Cerulean Sea”. It’s a great read so far. Has anyone else read it? The second book in this series is being released in September 🙂

I also read:

Book Lovers..."

It's great to see your book list, Nicole. I read & liked Perks, too. The film made from it was disappointing but, for me, that is usually the way movies turn out.

Thank you for sharing with us here.

I'm impressed with everyone's month! Here are my reviews ...

Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight by Peter J. D'Adamo ⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



The Lovers by Vendela Vida ⭐️⭐️⭐️


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



Gift of a Letter: Giving the Gift of Ourselves-- Add Richness and Grace to Your Life Through the Art of Letter-writing by Alexandra Stoddard ⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Thanks for sharing John. I hope April is a better month for you.

As to Gift of a Letter. It seems now it's old fashion to even send simple birthday cards or other greetings. I guess I'm old fashion, I still send cards but I realize I'm a dying breed. Though I don't send Tiffany stationary ! LOL

Nicole wrote: "I am currently reading “The House in the Cerulean Sea”. It’s a great read so far. Has anyone else read it? The second book in this series is being released in September 🙂

I also read:

Book Lovers..."

Thank you for sharing your March books with us, Nicole. I've been curious about The House in The Cerulean Sea. So I checked out a preview of it on Amazon recently and I really enjoyed it. I'm hoping to read the full book some time soon.

Here are my March reads. I gave a full review for each during the month in the Book Salon Thread.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Genre: Fiction- dystopian
Format: eBook
Rate: 2/5 rating. Did not meet expectations
The premise is a flu kills 99.9 % of the earths population. It kills people withing a few days. The novel starts off with an interesting premise. However, nothing much happens for the bulk of the book and I didn't connect or care about the characters.
If you like dystopian novels I would recommend The Stand by Stephen King and Swan Song by Robert McCammon as they are far superior to this novel. 2/5 rating

To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Format- eBook
Genre: Science non fiction
Rate: 3/5 stars - Good
Part one is titled, Leaving Earth. He discusses the five layers of the Earth's atmosphere. Part two is about the Sun. Part 3 explores the planets in our solar system. Part 4 takes the reader from the Big Bang on to black holes, time warps, worm holes, the Multiverse, parallel worlds, time travel and more. To be honest, part 4 was really beyond my ability to grasp very much. All in all, it was a good book. I gave it 3/5 stars.

The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
Genre: fiction. law, thriller
Format: eBook and Audio
Rate: 4/5 stars. Exceeded expectations.
I read the eBook as I listened to the audio. The audio was superbly done by Ari Fliakos. The novel was inspired by an article Grisham read in an edition of the Atlantic magazine titled "The Law School Scam".
For-profit law schools are a capitalist dream of privatized profits and socialized losses. But for their debt-saddled, no-job-prospect graduates, they can be a nightmare. The book follows four students who are pushed over the edge by the law school scam.
I enjoyed the book and gave it a 4/5 rating. Grisham does know how to write a page turner.

The First Ladies by Marie Benedict
Genre: Historical fiction
Format: eBook
Rate: 2/5 did not meet expectations.
The novel is the fictionalized account of the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune. I was unfamiliar with Mary McLeod Bethune. I appreciated learning about her and all the wonderful hard work she did for civil rights. For me, the book was way more fictional then historical. Many parts just didn't ring true. There is an author note at the end of the book saying as much. I found the book disappointing. However, since it gave me an intro to Bethune, I moved my rating from a 2 to 3/5 stars.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
Genre: fantasy, fiction
Format: Audiobook
Rate: 2/5 rating. Did not meet my expectations.
The narrator Kirt Graves did a nice job. Fantasy is not my favorite genre. For me, however, the fatal flaw was that it was just boring. The set up at the start was good. Wallace is a grumpy old lawyer who only thinks of work and treats his employees badly. He suddenly drops dead of a heart attack. He ends up at a tea shop which is sort of a gateway to "heaven" or something. I thought it was going to be a sort of mash up of Scrooge, It's a Wonderful Life and The Wizard of OZ. Nope. Unfortunately, nothing much happens. The little bit of humor falls flat. It became repetitive and had little substance. Unimaginative cliches abound.
I gave this one a 2/5 rating. Did not meet my expectations.

Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by K. Anders Ericsson
Format: eBook
Genre: Self Help
Rate: 3/5 rating. --Good
This is a How To improve in your area of interest book. It can be anything from art, sports, chess, math, music, memorizing a string of numbers or anything else. Deliberate practice is not just spending hours grinding away studying or practicing a skill. It is specifically practicing but going just a tiny bit beyond your comfort zone. It is purposeful practice that has well-defined specific goals. It's very focused. It's all about putting together a bunch of small steps to reach your long term goal. To be sure you have to put in the daily practice. I gave the book 3/5 rating. Which is good. I took a star away as the author can get a bit too into the weeds, repetitive and long winded at times. The book would have benefited from some serious editing.

True Biz by Sara Nović
Genre: Fiction
Rate: 3/5 Good
The novels focus is mostly on three people. Charlie is deaf and both her parents can hear. Austin is deaf and so are his parents. February is headmistress of River Valley School for the Deaf. She is CODA, a child of a deaf Adult. I did appreciate all the info on ASL, lip reading, and cochlear implants and the Deaf community.
I couldn't decide if I would rate this book a 3/5 or 4/5. I decided to give this novel 4/5 rating because I felt I learned a lot and I appreciated that the author provided links for additional info.
The story I would give a 3/5. The plot was a bit convoluted and dragged at times. The ending was ambiguous. Though the author does address this choice in the author notes at the end.

madrano wrote: "As all the books i read in March were for my Challenge, i am just supplying the link to the review page, rather than going into detail here. I will share the post's number. https://www.goodreads.co..."

Deb, you are really getting ahead on your Challenge! That's a good number of tasks to knock off the list.

I've read There There and found the writing strong. I didn't know there was a sequel and will be checking the library for Wandering Stars.

Nicole wrote: "I am currently reading “The House in the Cerulean Sea”. It’s a great read so far. Has anyone else read it? The second book in this series is being released in September 🙂

I also read:

Book Lovers..."


Nicole, great reading month!

John wrote: "I'm impressed with everyone's month! Here are my reviews ...

Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight by..."

John, I had a copy of Eat Right 4 Your Type once. I don't think I still have it; I'll have to check.

I also like writing letters and notes but don't have many people to write to anymore. I still write birthday cards, thank yous and a note when there's the occasion to do so.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my March reads. I gave a full review for each during the month in the Book Salon Thread.

Station Eleven| ..."

Nice month of reading, Alias. Sorry about the three 2-star books. Let's hope April gives you none.

I've been interested in Station Eleven but also on the fence about it. I've read a book this month, too, where nothing much happens and wouldn't want to repeat that experience quite yet.

To Infinity and Beyond sounds very interesting. I have a hard time grasping the physics of Space, too (or any kind of Physics theories) but do like reading about space.
One book that I found was easier to follow the concepts of Space physics was Black Hole Survival Guide. I quite liked this book. It has pictures to demonstrate the concepts. Therefore, the actual book version would possibly be better than an audio book.

RE: Black Hole Survival Guide by Janna Levin

Petra wrote: Post #29

"One book that I found was easier to follow the concepts of Space physics was [book:Black Hole Survival Guide. I quite liked this book. It has pictures to demonstrate the concepts. Therefore, the actual book version would possibly be better than an audio book..."

Thanks, Petra, for the title.

I think Tyson explained it well enough. Also the book does have some nice photos. I think you would enjoy it. Only the last section is on black holes, alternate universe etc. The ideas are hard to grasp. At least for me in this universe. I am sure in another parallel universe I have no problem understanding it as I may be a physicist ! :)

LOL at "alternative universe physicist". Maybe I'll join you there and finally understand these concepts.

Alias Reader wrote: "The Rooster Bar by John Grisham"

This sounds like one I might check out.

John wrote: "I'm impressed with everyone's month! Here are my reviews ...

Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight by..."

John, i think i'd probably read only the parts about "my" type, too. It's an fresh notion, i suppose, which may well help many.

I'm sad to learn there is a disappointing novel by Vida, as i've liked other novels i've read by her. Although, i'm wondering if i haven't seen similarities in another of her characters but liked the setting enough to ignore that. Possibly so. Your points about the 10 year old & the landlady sound valid. I suppose it's another way to look at grief but with the disconnection, a disppointing one.

I read Stoddard's book in '91, according to my Books Read List. As you note, that was long before emails or, really, even before it was easy to just type up a letter. Much has changed. As i recall, i found it motivational, reminded me in a letter-writing slump, what i treasure about hand written letters. I continue to write & send them, although often accompanied by a longer, newsy computer letter, too. I just can't disconnect from the handwriting, even though mine shows my age.

That written, i still remember thinking what a load of crap she was selling as far as what you need. Sure, the nice stationery with letterhead or illustration is pleasant but i've written letters on napkins, memo pads and yellow legal pad paper with no recipient complaining. (Although most mentioned the paper, which was my point, of course.)

Sometimes i think such authors write about equipment "needed" to fulfill some page-requirement from the publisher. I would rather she shared wording for letters which are challenging to write, such as condolence or you-haven't-heard-from-me-in-15-years types. :-)

Thanks for sharing your reviews with us. I will definitely save that particularly Vida for last or so.

Alias Reader wrote: "Here are my March reads. I gave a full review for each during the month in the Book Salon Thread. ..."

This is a nice, varied list, Alias. I am sure they gave you plenty of satisfaction. Well, except for Station 11. My brother recommended the streamed series to me on Easter, telling me i should give it another try, as he found it rewarding. He hadn't read the book, so maybe there is something there? I doubt it, but i thought i'd share that conversation bit.

Thanks for sharing the list. Having written about the books throughout the month, i know it's a bit of a hassle to write once more. However, my experience has been that it makes it easier when i want to learn who read what & when, which, oddly, i sometimes want to know.

Petra wrote: "
I've read There There and found the writing strong. I didn't know there was a sequel and will be checking the library for Wandering Stars...."

Thanks for the comments on my progress, Petra.

My problem was that GR stated this was "The eagerly awaited follow-up to Pulitzer Prize-finalist Tommy Orange’s breakout best seller There There." Which i took to mean his second book, not a sequel. So, clearly i was the problem, as i suspected. Or, also my fault, i decided against the long wait for There, and went with this one.

As far as i could tell, it covered many of the same people, however, the bulk of the novel was about 21st century addictions, going into detail i have little patience for. Those reading the first, would probably pick up on many things i just didn't "get" as part of the picture earlier presented.

If you give it a go, i look forward to your thoughts/comparisons, so to speak.

Petra wrote: "One book that I found was easier to follow the concepts of Space physics was Black Hole Survival Guide. I quite liked this book. It has pictures to demonstrate the concepts. Therefore, the actual book version would possibly be better than an audio book.-..."

I just looked it up, Petra, & i see you read it a couple of months before i did. Indeed, you recalled Alias had put it on the Recommended List & I commented i wanted to read it. Your review led me to actually follow through. So, a belated thank you.

I just looked up my notes & see that, unlike you, i did not find the illustrations, by Lia Halloran informative. Indeed, i noted that i spent far too much time trying to see how they complimented what Levin wrote. To be fair, though, i am a word person and drawings often leave me asea.

Nice stroll down Memory Lane there. Thanks.

madrano wrote: "To be fair, though, i am a word person and drawings often leave me asea...."

I enjoy pictures and graphs. They can clarify things for me. But sometimes a picture is no help at all, I must admit.

madrano wrote: "As all the books i read in March were for my Challenge, i am just supplying the link to the review page, rather than going into detail here. I will share the post's number. https://www.goodreads.co..."

Interesting reads, madrano. I think the one that caught my attention the most was Hello Transcriber. The blurb laid out the premise in an interesting but easy to understand way and it makes me want to read a preview of it on Amazon some time soon.

However, the one thing that bugs me about the blurb is that the drug dealer's name is Candy Man. I'm sorry, but to me, it's such a stupid and cliched name for a drug dealer. Hello Girls did this and it was pretty dumb there too.

Hailey wrote: "However, the one thing that bugs me about the blurb is that the drug dealer's name is Candy Man. I'm sorry, but to me, it's such a stupid and cliched name for a drug dealer. Hello Girls did this and it was pretty dumb there too...."

I agree, Hailey. As i recall, that cliche was why they chose it but i still wished the author had avoided it. The fact it was attached after a 9 years old victim died made no difference to me because there was no indication the child thought it was candy, so why do it?

I had a pretty good reading month in March, partly due to Easter , when I had a week off work, so I had more time to enjoy reading. This is what I read:

The Picture of Dorian Gray
This was a re-read for a book club. I enjoyed it, as usual, even though it does have it's flaws. The main one which irritated me this time was that Oscar Wilde seemed more interested in displaying his cleverness than telling a good story. I still enjoyed it though and gave it 4 stars this time.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
This was a somewhat whimsical book, the main theme of which was how second chances can occur in unexpected ways. It was a pretty slight feel-good story and I gave it three stars.

The Singing Sands
This is a book from the Golden Age of crime writing. It was unusual because although the main character was a Scotland Yard detective, he was on leave due to stress which was implicitly due to overwork. Most of his work colleagues would not help him investigate a mystery that caught his attention because he was supposed to be resting. So it read like a cosy crime not a police procedural. I gave that 4 stars.

The Dying Game
This was marketed as a homage to And Then There Were Noneby Agatha Christie. However, I don't agree it was. It was set in an alternate future (because some of the events that shaped the future were events in the 1980's that did not occur in our world). I think it's a political thriller, set in a somewhat dystopian near future (in 2037). I gave it 5 stars.

Mr Foreigner
I gave this 1 star and I did not finish it. The characters did not interest me, so I was not interested in what happened to them.


Kitty and the Midnight Hour
I was in the mood for an entertaining, plot driven book and this delivered. I gave it 3 stars.

Midwinter Sacrifice
This was an ambitious book, that I don't think the author quite delivered. He seemed to be trying to write a character-driven crime book, so it moved more slowly than most police procedurals I have written. At some times the plot really plodded along and I would have given it 1 star. At others it was compelling and I would have given it 5 stars. It was difficult to decide how to rate it, but I opted for 3 stars.

KeenReader wrote: "I had a pretty good reading month in March, partly due to Easter , when I had a week off work, so I had more time to enjoy reading. This is what I read:

The Picture of Dorian Gray
This..."

I enjoyed reading your reviews, Keen Reader.

I hope you enjoyed your week off from work !

Nice reading, KeenReader!

I'm intrigued by The Singing Sands, because of your write-up.
I agree with Alias about enjoying your reviews. I really enjoy them.

KeenReader wrote: "I had a pretty good reading month in March, partly due to Easter , when I had a week off work, so I had more time to enjoy reading. This is what I read:

The Picture of Dorian Gray
This..."

It looks like you had quite the smorgasbord, KeenReader! I've been really getting into the works of Agatha Christie and The Singing Sands seems like something that would be up my alley.

Mr Foreigner basically gives me Lost Girls and Love Hotels vibes and I do not mean that as a compliment. No joke, I wrote an insanely unhinged review of the latter and if you have the time, you can read it here. Though, unlike LGALH, I have not been able to locate a free preview of Mr Foreigner anywhere online, which is very strange to say the least.

Hailey wrote: "Mr Foreigner basically gives me Lost Girls and Love Hotels vibes and I do not mean that as a compliment. No joke, I wrote an insanely unhinged review of the latter and if you have the time, you can read it here. Though, unlike LGALH, I have not been able to locate a free preview of Mr Foreigner anywhere online, which is very strange to say the least."

Mr Foreigner was first published as Whore Banquets. You might find it online with that title, but I wouldn't bother if I was you. I read your review of LGALH and if you read Mr Foreigner you will definitely be writing another one that's very similar, with the added criticism that the plot moves at the speed of a glacier.

The Singing Sands is good, and if you like Agatha Christie, Josephine Tey's books are worth checking out. The singing Sands is about 6th in her detective series, but I've read them out of order and still enjoyed them. I didn't like the first of the detective books ( The Man in the Queue ) though and if that was the first book of hers I'd read, I wouldn't have read any more of her books, which has taught me to not judge an author based on just one book.

Petra wrote: "Nice reading, KeenReader!

I'm intrigued by The Singing Sands, because of your write-up.
I agree with Alias about enjoying your reviews. I really enjoy them."

I think Josephine Tey is an excellent, and rather overlooked writer from the Golden Age of crime. My favourite of her books is Miss Pym Disposes although that is not a typical Golden Age crime book. It is set in a teacher training school and the main character has gone there to deliver an inspiring-
end-of-course lecture to the young women who are just finishing their studies. The crime doesn't occur until the book is almost finished, which frustrates a lot of readers. I think it's a prototype of a psychological thriller and Ms Tey shows you all the rivalries and disagreements that could be motives for the crime when it eventually occurs.

KeenReader wrote:

though and if that was the first book of hers I'd read, I wouldn't have read any more of her books, which has taught me to not judge an author based on just one book.."

Excellent point, Keen Reader.

I wasn't a fan of Rules of Civility. However, when I read Amor Towles The Lincoln Highway it was one of the best, if not the best, book I read that year.

KeenReader wrote: "I had a pretty good reading month in March, partly due to Easter , when I had a week off work, so I had more time to enjoy reading. This is what I read:

The Picture of Dorian Gray
This..."

Thank you for sharing these titles & your thoughts on them. I fully agree with your assessment of Dorian Gray. Had Wilde just avoided the lists of things Dorian studied over those years, i would have been fine, but it appeared he needed the reader to know how smart he was. Pass. Still, such a wonderful premise.

You've tempted me with a couple of the other titles, as well. Thank you for that. Particularly of interest is the Satoshi Yagisawa novel--what's not to like (love?!) about a book shop?

I see you wrote about Tey, as well. Reading your comments on her Singing Sands, i was reminded of the sole Tey i've read. I read The Daughter of Time because i was told it was about time travel. Ok, it wasn't. Instead, Inspector Grant is in the hospital & decides to use the confinement to explore the case of Richard III & whether or not he killed his young nephews, as purported in history.

I read it in '17, at a time when our 45th President had tested my faith in the truth. So, reading about "Tonypandy, which is when a false story becomes so overtold that people believe it is true", i came to see how old this practice is. Trump is just the most recent in a long line of lying politicians. ANYway, i liked Tey's approach & keep meaning to return to her...but have not yet. Singing may do the trick.

Again, thank you, KeenReader!

As a PS to my last post. What a surprise that there are 6 people waiting for the Yagisawa novel & 10 for the Tey! Cool!

madrano wrote: "... Particularly of interest is the Satoshi Yagisawa novel--what's not to like (love?!) about a book shop?"

I'm not surprised there's a waiting list for the Yagisawa, there was at my library too. I hope you like it, if you do there's a sequel that will be published in English in July. I'm already looking out for it's waiting list (my library sometimes opens the wait lists early before they even have the books, with a warning that you will be waiting months for the book. I think they do it to work out how many copies to order).
I am surprised by the wait list for the Tey. The readers at your library have excellent taste! I have read The Daughter of Time and it shocked me. Growing up in the UK, I was taught Richard III = Evil child-killer, no question about it. When I found out that The Daughter of Time was first published in 1951 (long before my history lessons) and I was not even informed that some historians questioned this version of events I was disgusted. Especially as we were old enough to research and debate this and it would have made the lessons a lot more interesting.

KeenReader wrote: " (my library sometimes opens the wait lists early before they even have the books, with a warning that you will be waiting months for the book. I think they do it to work out how many copies to order)...."

While that may be frustrating, at least you know it has been ordered. My library (maybe all of them do this) has a "Notify Me" list. If they list a book but haven't purchased it, i add my name to that list. Then, if they subsequently acquire it, i'm notified. I like that system, too.

KeenReader wrote: "Daughter of Time was first published in 1951 (long before my history lessons) and I was not even informed that some historians questioned this version of events I was disgusted. Especially as we were old enough to research and debate this and it would have made the lessons a lot more interesting...."

Indeed! What an opportunity to make literature & history exciting for students. We first learned that there was a question about those deaths by Richard's hand when we visited the UK in '95. We were walking the wall in York and there was a nice display, asking visitors to consider the question. Wow, we thought. lol