Welcome to Litsy!

Only read 6 pages of this during the week so it‘s my pick for #FridayHappyRradingHour
The office I read in has a door to our porch so I am answering the door as well- our first trick-or-treaters were a tiny Spider-Man and a transformer.

I get it if you are too busy with Halloween to join in. Happy Halloween!
🎃

My local library reopened over the weekend after a long remodel, and I just got a chance to stop in today… it looks amazing and the selection is small but well-curated (I mean, check out this haul!!)
Now to figure out which to read first… 🤔

Before dinner book & wine. My husband made a delicious Burmese dinner. 🧡
Now off to the World Series!

23.2025

I love this book!!!! It is a Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell novel. I love the story telling of the book. I will be continuing this series. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

The narrator was a challenge initially. The story is fantastic.

Next audible

Loving this cozy book so far!! Sherlock Holmes and a 15 year old female detective? Yes, please! I'm really enjoying King's writing; almost every chapter is a different case that Holmes and new apprentice, Mary Russell, solve. Very #heartwarming novel and #comingofage story. Detective stories that have happy and resolved endings just fill me with such joy and comfort.

#adultliterature #deduction #solve #humor #historicalfiction #Holmes #queenbee

I bought this awhile back, planning to read it right away. Like all of us, it then sat on a pile. I was worried at first that it was going to be rambling, but then it started to get past the set up of Mary‘s partnership with Holmes & into an intriguing case that had some suspense. I‘ll probably continue with the series with audio. #bookspin from September

Book 1 of Mary Russell and Holmes series
#CurrentlyReading
#SherlockHolmes
#retelling
#apprentice
#HistoricalFiction

Enchanting! I loved this foray into the life of Sherlock Holmes from the perspective of a young woman who became a friend and associate of his in his later years. Funny and fresh, I will definitely read more of Mary Russell‘s adventures with Holmes. Was delightful on #audio too! The perfect book to paint to, this novel has been on my #TBR for nearly a decade! #BookspinBingo #20in4 @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65

The tagged booked has been on my shelf for a long time. Moving it up for my #backlistbonanza challenge. #jumpintojanuary #redcover

#currentlisten #BookspinBingo #MountTBR @TheAromaofBooks

Challenge 22 of 50: A book published in the 20th century

Set in the 19th, and published juuuuust at the end of the 20th. I adore this book, it is easily in my all time favorites and one that I will revisit time and time again. This is the first book in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

#popsugar #readingchallenge #2020 #mystery #series #sherlockholmes

The description of WWI early in this novel is painfully applicable to our current pandemic status. 😳

“Can you take the long view?” Holmes asks. I only pray that I can.

After 16 books I‘m headed back the the beginning and I love Mary‘s voice so much. I wish I‘d found these books 20 years ago when they were first published.

#sherlock #sherlockholmes #mystery #comfortread

“I was fifteen when I first met Sherlock Holmes, fifteen years old with my nose in a book as I walked the Sussex Downs, and nearly stepped on him.”

I picked this book up on a whim, with no idea it is the start of a 14 book series or that it would match the flowers so well.

#currentlyreading
#firstlinefridays
@ShyBookOwl

An audiobook reread of the first book in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. I need to refresh my memory so I can start getting caught up on the later books in the series. Recommend this different approach to the world of Sherlock Holmes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A wonderful addition to the Sherlock Holmes stories. In his retirement, Holmes meets fifteen year old Mary Russell, a match for his intellect (even if female), soon she becomes his apprentice and the adventures begin. It‘s a rainy day here in Yorkshire, so Pablo and Coco are hanging out in my room, here they are having a brief respite from the romp they‘ve been having, very distracting.

Today I enjoyed the last of the sun (for a while, heavy rain and much cooler temperatures forecast), listening to the bees whilst reading this fabulous take on Sherlock Holmes.

Do any of you dive straight in to the next book?

My intended* TBR pile for June *completely subject to change, depending on my mood.

Finishing up this marvelous book tonight while enjoying some popcorn, tea, and the company of my sweet fur babies! What an excellent start to the weekend! 🤗🍿☕😻📚💕 Happy Friday night, littens! #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #roxas #moukou

Picnic lunch at the park! 😀💕

WOW! Today I received very special birthday packages from the one and only @DaveGreen7777 !! Look how much he spoiled me! 😲 Star Trek! Black Widow! Rey funkos! BOOKS! And a starter pack for Magic because he and I are going to be taught how to play by @Meaw_catlady ! I am the luckiest girl in the world! 😀 I am so blessed in my friends! 🤗💕 Thank you SO MUCH Dave! I love everything so much and your kindness and friendship mean the world to me! 💕

This book is about a young girl, Mary Russell, who finds herself as an apprentice to the renowned Sherlock Holmes. While the explanations and the detectives‘ logic was slightly confusing at times (maybe because I listened via audiobook instead of being able to read the details), I found the book to be fun, intriguing, and filled with truly likeable characters. I especially loved the dry banter between Russell and Holmes.

Enjoyable book on a dreary afternoon... it was not a gripping page turner, but it did keep me interested.

I was tagged by @annkuch13 to take part in the #FiveFingerStack challenge

👍 Book I liked - “The Beekeepers Apprentice” by Laurie King.

👆Book I always recommend - “Mistborn: The Final Empire” by Brandon Sanderson.

🖕Book I didn‘t like - “Unholy Ghosts” by Stacia Kane.

💍 Character I‘d marry - Captain Kathryn Janeway from Star Trek Voyager.

🤙 Pinky promise I‘ll read soon - “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier.

I nominate @Branwen @Meaw_catlady

I realized I never actually put up my September 2019 books, but I just combined them with my October 2019. Discovered in the Mary Russell& Sherlock Holmes Mysteries in October and have been absolutely smitten. They broke my reading slump for sure!

I liked the premise of this book - retired Sherlock Holmes meets young, sharp-minded Mary Russell and she becomes his pupil. If you like Sherlock Holmes, you will probably like this book. If not, this book probably won‘t make you change your mind.

1st book of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Holmes is a retired beekeeper and meets Mary who is 15 years old. She becomes his female apprentice and partner. Her intelligence is a good match for his. Their 1st case is the kidnapping of a US Senator‘s daughter. Laurie King‘s writing is engrossing. Humorous in parts with lots of twists and turns. Looking forward to book 2 and highly recommend this series to Sherlock Holmes‘ fans!

Day 2 - #covercrush #7days7covers

I need to read more books in this series!

Tagging @phatsallylee in case you want to join in!

Post a book cover you love each day for 7 days. No explanation needed. Tag someone new each day.

Bailing at 16%. Too much Mary. Not enough mystery.

Young Mary Russell runs into the retired Sherlock Holmes on the downs of Sussex and proves to be as acerbic and sharp-eyed as the old master. They strike up a friendship that grows over time, as Sherlock gradually begins allowing Mary to assist in his cases. This Sherlock is a touch more human than Doyle's; perhaps it's the times, perhaps it's the narrator. But this is Mary Russell's story, and she's a good choice to carry on the tradition.

I‘ve had flowers & bees on the mind, maybe because of the verdant beauty that‘s been rampant this month. I stumbled across these purple blooms Veronica spicata (Spiked Speedwell) at Trader Joe‘s the other day - they made me think of fuzzy bumblebees and meadows scattered with wildflowers. This whimsical daydream led to an attempt to watercolor one of my favorite creatures, the honey bee. 🐝

Really enjoying this audiobook! I‘m excited to read more in this series because Mary is cool!

Book 33 of the year, finished April 29, audio

I really enjoyed this. I like the original Holmes stories and this has the feel of it, King worked in many of the less well known characters from the series and captured the feel of the original stories while expanding on them.

Im a little disappointed that there's a 10 week wait on overdrive for the 2nd in the series.

I read this book once, many years ago, and remember enjoying it but not a lot of details. Now I'm reading it for a class. I guess we'll see how it holds up!

Thank you @Eggs for this #WondrousWednesday! 😊
1. I‘m currently developing an urban fantasy story about social workers for paranormal beings, so I daydream a lot about story details.
2. Accountant for a skilled nursing facility. 🤓
3. Took a break from “The Path of Daggers” but plan to go back to it.
4. Tagged!
5. I‘m tagging these wonderful Littens @bewareofwords @stacybmartin @Linear @KrystleTheBookSlayer @RvnclawWhovian @Meaw_catlady

Sherlock Holmes partners with a young lady ( his neighbor in Surrey) and together they solve mysteries. I like her strong willed and confident narration and there are great references to his previous cases. The first in the Mary Russell series.

I started this series some years ago but stopped after the third book. Why? I‘m not sure. There are 15 books in the Mary Russell series and I hope to make it past the third book this time. Starting again at the first book is just lovely. King is a great writer and she‘s created a feisty character in Mary Russell. And of course there‘s Sherlock Holmes and I love how King has developed his character.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, in which teenage Mary Russell teams up with a “retired” Sherlock Holmes. I‘m more familiar with the myriad Sherlock adaptations & permutations than with the original—so any variations from the original characters didn‘t really bother me. Mary‘s POV is effective, and though she‘s a bit too good at everything, she‘s likable and a good foil to this version of Sherlock. I‘ll definitely pick up others in this series!

Mary Russell becomes an apprentice to Sherlock Holmes and the pair soon become embroiled in a twisty mystery. I liked Mary‘s brains and feistiness, though she was too perfect to be believable. And Holmes. Well, he was more likable and less perceptive in this retelling and not much like the character we know. The author does to him what Meyer did to vampires—she made him sparkly and without much bite.

A well-written mystery that wasn‘t my jam.

Happy birthday @gradcat ! My favorite mystery book/series is the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King, and my favorite drink recipe is probably some good hot apple cider with a dash of spiced rum 🥳

What does it say about me that upon reading this, before my eyes moved on to the beginning of the next line, my brain completed the sentence with “in the sheets”? ?

I‘m curled up by the Christmas tree, wearing my new reading socks and indulging in some belated Jólabókaflód goodness. We had a great day with family today and a gorgeous Christmas Eve service last night—at 11 p.m. So I‘m looking forward to an early night! Merry Christmas, Littens!!

This has been a lousy week. Really, really lousy. So this is how I‘m closing out my Saturday: book, bath, wine, chocolate. Maybe it‘s a total cliche, but I don‘t care! Imma read my book and get my bath on, and dangit, next week will be better.

(Disclaimer - I listened to the audio) This is a fantastic story of an aging Sherlock Holmes and his young partner. The story flows quickly and the author has a fantastic way of creating visual imagery. I found myself laughing aloud often and will certainly read this again!

Just starting this one from my super #sss @slightlyfoxed 💙

How did I know know about this series?!?!

Who was into Sherlock retelling? I remember someone suggesting it for subject of the month. Just got this one. According to Lee Child this is a great series.