so-soAt times over dramatic and at other times so many obstacles thrown into the narratives, this first in a projected quartet was just okay for me. I was also a little confused why the voice of a secondary character became a point of view for just a few chapters. Perhaps this is just not the book for me!
With the #192025 challenge drawing to a close, it‘s time to think about #192030 challenge—read one book originally published for each year from 1920 to 2030, starting January 1st and running through 2030.
The only rule is to select a book by original publication! You can make the challenge fit your needs in other way, including different authors, genres, or fiction or nonfiction.
Tagging those who initially expressed interest! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
We‘re two weeks away from the next #LiteraryCrew discussion! Discussion on the 30th.
As we prepare for our next discussion, start thinking about titles for next year. I‘ll post a Google form soon to submit suggestions for our voting round. Everyone came with a great list of titles this year; can‘t wait to see next year‘s suggestions!
mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Prairiegirl_reading, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, IriDas, Lkempf
We‘re less than two weeks away from our next #ChristiesCapers discussion! To anyone who has started it, how is it going? #AgathaChristieClubR3
janeycanuck, suvata, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, Deblovestoread, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Teresereading, Laughterhp, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, MaGoose, ElizaMarie, bcncookbookclub, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, PageShifter, willaful, kimrenee, BookNook, AnishaInkspill
It‘s been a day…month…year! Today is Zeke‘s 14th Gotcha Anniversary but it was unexpectedly spent with the roofers deciding to do my roof today (I knew they were coming this week, but not TODAY) which meant a day of noise and hiding (cats hid, I hovered especially by Xander who cannot have too many scares due to his heart).
A bright spot was my #SundayBuddyRead envelope in my mailbox. I‘m looking forward to another year of good reading!! ❤️ Yay!!
pickGhosts, pirates, a bad-smelling perfume, an abandoned home, and a missing Carson Drew. Sounds like a case for Nancy! A fun read with Nancy and her friends. I commented earlier on the abruptness of Ned‘s arrival. And hooray for Bess for showing she can be extra strong in a difficult situation! #NancyDrewBR
Better late than never! It‘s been a morning here. Zeke has been unwell the last couple of days, and then the roofers came without notice to replace my roof today. Yay for a non-leaky roof, but I was not prepared for the minimal notice I received about them coming today (and neither were the cats). My apologies.
I have 6 questions posted as spoilers for our discussion. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching #NancyDrewBR .
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, CSeydel, Ruthiella, dabbe, Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, KristiAhlers, peanutnine, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze6. I think young me would have been terrified for Nancy and her friends in a cave that floods during high tide! Adult me knows they're going to get out, but young me probably would have had nightmares!
The perfume that acted as poison was a good touch, in my opinion. And thankfully, no exploding oranges.
What did you think of Nancy's adventures in this one? #NancyDrewBR
5. Before we go to the adventures and dangers, we have to talk about the side characters! Bess and her determination to get George out of the water was amazing! Go Bess!
I felt bad for everyone who had been swindled by the villains and hope that restitution comes to them (I finished this really late last night and cannot remember if Carson found all of the stolen money).
I also missed Hannah in this one! #NancyDrewBR
4. Let's look at the story line now. I've seen some in the group comment on this story line seems more plausible, and I agree. We'll talk about the dangers and the adventures in a later question.
Abandoned homes. Haunted caves. Shysters peddling Mon Coeur. It was interesting to me how all of these elements were tied up in the end. #NancyDrewBR
3. One thing that struck me with this was the various foods served at the cafe. Food plays a big role throughout the series, as we've commented on in the past, but this time really stood out for me. Fish pudding and salmon meringue especially.
Has anyone ever tried these? I'm including a recipe for fish pudding. I lead a fairly sheltered food life, so I was not aware of either dish prior to this book! #NancyDrewBR
2. Nancy, in part, is on the case of the tolling bell in the haunted cave. We hear discussion about the Paul Revere bells, which are indeed noteworthy.
Had you heard of Revere bells? Link in the comments to a Wikipedia post about them for a little background information. #NancyDrewBR
1. Nancy and her friends are on vacay! But, with a little bit of work and sleuthing thrown in. The 1946 and the 1973 versions are pretty similar--the 1946 version is titled “The Mystery or the Tolling Bell“ versus the 1973 version that is just “Mystery of the Tolling Bell.“
What did you think of this story overall? How does it compare to the prior 22 books? #NancyDrewBR
“At the steering wheel was Ned Nickerson, a friend of Nancy‘s who was staying nearby to sell insurance to parents of two college friends.”
Seriously?!? Can I roll my eyes that Ned happens to be in the same small town as Nancy and her friends??? It was lovely when he was in South America and not brooding over Nancy‘s mystery-loving personality. 😂
#NancyDrewBR
I picked this up from the library today—it sounds so good—and notice the end paper and the message on the page edges. I already have very high hopes for this one. Now, just to find the time to actually read it…😂
pickIt was enjoyable to visit an older title by Krentz. The hours flew by quickly for this audio. Paranormal energy, books that give off special vibes—definitely a good distraction listen.
The September #ChristiesCapers is the sixth book featuring Hercule Poirot. Let‘s hop on the blue train and solve the mystery using our little gray cells.
Discussion on September 28th. All are welcome! Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the tag list. #AgathaChristieClubR3
janeycanuck, suvata, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, Deblovestoread, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Teresereading, Laughterhp, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, MaGoose, ElizaMarie, bcncookbookclub, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, PageShifter, willaful, kimrenee, AnishaInkspill
We‘re two weeks away from our next #NancyDrewBR discussion! What special talent will Nancy show off this time??? Can she discover the mystery of the tolling bell? Discussion on the 15th!
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, CSeydel, Ruthiella, dabbe, Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, KristiAhlers, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze
Named by the Modern Library as one of the top 100 published of all time, Ragtime is the #LiteraryCrew ‘s selection for September.
We‘re a low key #BuddyRead . Read at your own pace throughout the month. I‘ll post periodic check-ins. Discussion on the 30th!
All are welcome to join. If you would like to be added/removed from the tag list, let me know!
mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Prairiegirl_reading, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, IriDas, Lkempf
so-soI really enjoyed a different series by this author and though to try this. It was okay…parts of the story are slow going, and I was not very engaged with 16 year old Christopher as the narrator. The reveal is interesting, but not quite enough to move this up from a so-so. I do recommend a tissue nearby for the author‘s note—it‘s very moving.
It‘s time for our #ChristiesCapers discussion! I have five questions posted as spoilers; you can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtags.
Next month is another Poirot novel; this time, we‘re traveling on the Blue Train! Official post tomorrow! #AgathaChristieClubR3
janeycanuck, suvata, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, Deblovestoread, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Teresereading, Laughterhp, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, MaGoose, ElizaMarie, bcncookbookclub, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, PageShifter, willaful, kimrenee, AnishaInkspill5. The ending...Poirot faking his own death to unmask the rest of the Numbers! We of course know that Poirot cannot possibly die at the end of this book, but imagine being a reader in 1927. Would you believe that Poirot was dead?
Incidentally, critics do say that this aspect was a good Poirot move...the book is not great, but at least there is a glimmer of the real Poirot in this move. #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
4. Let's think about the characters beyond Poirot. We have Hastings back in this novel, and we fall into the conspiracy rabbit hole with this group of individuals who wish to control the world. Any thoughts on the Numbers? Any other characters worthy of discussion? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
3. Poirot the action hero?!? Poirot's portrayal in this novel differs a bit from our prior reads. We still see Poirot putting together the pieces to the international crime cartel, but it just feels...well, different. Think back to our prior Poirot reads. Compare and contrast Poirot's methods in The Big Four versus his prior cases. Can the Poirot we know really be an action hero??? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
2. The Big Four was actually a number of short stories thrown together into a novel. The stories first appeared in 1924 as a serial in magazines. In 1926 Christie decided to adapt the short stories into The Big Four. Critics cite the mishmash of stories, somewhat quickly put together to try and present a full length novel. Do you agree? Would this book have worked better as a collection of short stories? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
1. The Big Four did not receive many positive reviews upon its publication in 1927; in fact, Christie called it “that rotten book,“ and critics rate it as one of their least favorite works by Christie.
What was your impression of this novel? How does it compare to other Poirot novels we read? If this was your first time ever reading a Christie mystery, would you pick up another one? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3
It‘s time for our #LiteraryCrew discussion! I have 7 questions posted as spoilers; you can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtags.
I realized I never posted the graphic for next month‘s Ragtime, so I will get that posted today.
7. O'Connor mentions a few islands that inspired this story, including St. Kilda. To get a perspective of the islands and the harshness of life, not to mention the village remains, I have a Mirror article link in the comments. #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
6. We have to talk about the whale! Do you think the whale was a good omen or a bad omen? O'Connor uses the arrival and departure of the whale's remains as an arc for the story. Why do you think she did this? What does the whale symbolize? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
5. How do you think Edward and Joan's work will affect the island? We already know that the “writings“ they did reflect a different perspective of the island and the community?
On a bigger scale, how will World War II affect the community? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
4. Edward and Joan arrive on the island to write a book, allegedly. Did you opinion of Edward and Joan change throughout the novel? Why do you think they came to the island, chose this island? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
3. Let's talk about the islanders (we'll save Edward and Joan for our next question). What were your impressions of Monad? Of Llinos? Of the community? Why do you think those still living on the island chose to stay? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
2. For me, the setting was a powerful aspect of the novel--I could feel the dampness mentioned throughout the novel. How did the setting contribute to the storytelling? Could this story be set in a different location or time? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
1. Overall, what did you think of the novel? Think about the flow of the story and O'Connor's use of vignettes to power the narration. Did this style work? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead
pickI devoured this book! O‘Connor writes a descriptive and cautionary tale of declining island life on a fictitious island off the coast of Britain in 1938. Does a deceased whale washed up on shore bring good or bad tidings? Manod, the MC, narrates a few months of life on the island, when the whale and soon after two British strangers arrive. Beautifully written. #LiteraryCrew
#Xander #CatsOfLitsy
#NotBookRelated , but I have some positive news to share. And, let‘s face it, we all need some good news at this point! Don‘t get me started…😡
Zeke had his follow up appointment with the specialist today, and the specialist is pleased with his progress, his weight gain, and his overall physical health. We‘re waiting for blood test results to make sure his body is responding well to the chemo.
Littens, it‘s been exhausting! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
panOof. I had high expectations for this one—female serial killer who chooses a victim while she works at a beach resort every July—but it fell flat. The writing never fully engaged me, and it took a really, really long time before MC Lily acknowledges what she does every summer (if you did not read the cover nor any book summaries, you‘d be very confused with the aside comments she makes up until this point). There are other things that confuse ⬇️⬇️
so-soI liked but didn‘t love this one. A cast of diverse characters set in a world of magicians and illusionists, this mystery also features secret rooms and stairs and misdirection. The story had a bit of repetition to it, but it sets up well for Tempest to continue solving mysteries. I love Grandpa Ash! I‘ll read the second one, eventually. #Zeke #CatsOfLitsy
A little late reporting back but this past weekend‘s #NetGalleyReadathon helped me organize my “to do” list for #NetGalley and focus on my next plan of attack.
I did not submit any reviews on NetGalley, but I identified 7 books I need to review and will hopefully trickle them into the system before our next readathon.
I have 17 in progress books! Yikes! But, now I have a list and can determine which to finish reading. Life always seems to ⬇️⬇️⬇️
We are a little less than 1.5 weeks away from our next #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead discussion! I‘ve seen some positive reviews already from group members, so I hope this sparks some great discussion on the 31st.
As a heads up, our next book is Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow. I‘ll post the official graphic either today or tomorrow, when I have a free moment and remember (!), but wanted to make sure everyone was aware now.
mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Prairiegirl_reading, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, Lkempf
We‘re a little less than 1.5 weeks away from our next #ChristiesCapers discussion!
This will be the third time reading this one for me, and I fully admit it‘s not a favorite of mine. I‘ve seen posts already that others may agree; the discussion will be interesting!
See you August 31st! #AgathaChristieClubR3
janeycanuck, suvata, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, Deblovestoread, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Teresereading, Laughterhp, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, MaGoose, ElizaMarie, bcncookbookclub, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, PageShifter, willaful, kimrenee, AnishaInkspill
A huge thank you to Cuilin and Denise for not only hosting #NoPlaceLikeHolmes but also for the surprise goodies for participating in the group‘s discussions. I love everything, and I‘ve yet to read Moriarty, so this is perfect.
It was so odd to not have a Holmes story this past weekend! 😂
Your kindness is so appreciated, and thank you again for all of the work of hosting and posting!
pickThis is like watching a train wreck involving a bunch of shady people—a real show that pits 5 people against each other, but a really sick, twisted reality show with people who have done some pretty bad things in their past. I gasped a couple of times while listening to this, and I just had to keep listening. A bit banana pants, but it also shows how bloodthirsty people can be. I‘ll have to check out more by Gudenkauf; good distraction listen.
September‘s #NancyDrewBR takes us away from River Heights and into another mystery that includes the kidnapping of Carson Drew! Oh my!
Discussion on September 15th. All are welcome to join. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the tag list!
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, CSeydel, Ruthiella, dabbe, Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, KristiAhlers, peanutnine, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze
Better late than never! My weekend goals for the #NetGalley #Readathon #NGG .
I will probably not make it to actually completing a book this weekend, but my account and pending reviews definitely need a thorough examination and update. I think I owe at least 4 reviews to NetGalley of books I completed the last few months, but I always find others that I read and forgot I also got from NetGalley (I have way too many books to read in my account).
Let‘s discuss Heath Castle and a missing heiress! I have five questions posted as spoilers. You can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching #NancyDrewBR .
Next month, Nancy has to uncover The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, which now makes me think of Hemingway and For Whom the Bell Tolls. 😂
Official post tomorrow!
rubyslippersreads, DebinHawaii, DGRachel, BarkingMadRead, Jennifer3, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, MariaW, CogsOfEncouragement, AnneCecilie, Born.A.Reader, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, StayCurious, bookandbedandtea, Laughterhp, Sace, Bren912, kwmg40, CSeydel, Ruthiella, dabbe, Julies_Bookshelf_Adventures, Enchanted_Bibliophile, Allylu, TheAromaofBooks, Charityann, Roary47, KristiAhlers, peanutnine, PageShifter, AmandaBlaze5. A Chaucer reference! Nancy makes note that she learned to read Middle English, as she read Chaucer. I was amazed at this.
The other quirky element I wanted to mention was Salty, who I dearly wish we see again, and his clam song. I think I actually giggled when I read his lyrics. Something about a door-to-door clam salesman does make me wonder about product safety...
Were there any elements that surprised you or made you giggle? #NancyDrewBR
4. Think about the adventures in this one. It almost seemed like a comedic adventure when Bess was trapped because of the dogs, George was without clothes in the outbuilding, and Nancy, who decided sleuthing was better than helping George, gets locked in the tower. But, there were some creepy adventures too--bet me I'd lay on the ground of an abandoned garden!
What did you think of the adventures in this one? #NancyDrewBR
3. Did anyone else have an issue with Julianna not letting her sister know she was alive? I had hoped her accident left her with amnesia, preventing her from remembering her past. Alas, no. So crazy!
But, Nancy and friends (no Ned, who's in South America!) must find Julianna and also uncover the secrets of the castle. They meet some shady people along the way. Thoughts on the characters in this book? #NancyDrewBR
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