I haven‘t read a bad book by Thrity yet, but this book is my favorite so far. Powerful, ultimately uplifting book that doesn‘t flinch at tough topics. An early contender for my favorite of the year… and I haven‘t even gotten to the end of January!

This series is my favorite fantasy series. The main character is real, the concept is excellent and the story is well written. Book 4 just came out, so I am rereading the 1st three.

Deserving of all the awards it has won! Beautiful writing, wonderfully told story of the main character‘s life - just enough rambling and wandering from topic to topic to give you the feeling you are being told this story. This is a brilliant character study that also gives a real sense of time and place.

Memento meets the MI-5 meets X-men LOL enjoyed it.

Humorous, irreverent, historical and imaginative.

Occasional dry, sometimes stilted language. Otherwise a good, well-paced spy-thriller

Reread (via the audiobook narrated by the talented Ruby Dees!) this amazing novel in honor of ZNH‘s birthday this week.

Beautifully written, deep characterization. Had to read at a bit slower pace to enjoy the details and language

The multiple narrators and the moving back and forth in time worked well here to keep the tension up. The characters were all well-drawn and the history incorporated well.

@BookNAround #lastfirst

1. The Huntress by Kate Quinn 2. Dunbar by Edward St Aubyn 3 100 books

More irreverent humor from Moore. Not as raunchy as his books involving Pocket, but not clean LOL. Historical setting + Roswell + schemes involving snakes leads to a typical crazy / hilarious plot.

She promised Robert Mapplethorpe she'd tell their story and it took her many years, but what a great story it is. Patti is an amazing artist and her young adult life with Robert as they struggled to live as artists is poignant and funny and powerful. She narrates the audiobook - all the more magical.

Enjoyed the characters, the political intrigue, and a nice twist. A well done allegory about women's place in the world during an period in time where few felt women should be in the halls of power.

Another excellent read, albeit not as good as The Shadow of the Wind. Zafon has an excellent way of painting beautiful descriptions and becoming mood.

My month

A group of traditional widows have a lot to teach Nikki about the plusses and minuses of traditional Sikh culture. Nikki is to teach the older immigrant women to read and write. These women aren't as interested in learning to write as they are in finding a voice. A bit thriller, a bit cultural clash, a bit comedy, a bit erotica, and a whole lot of fun, while addressing issues of cultural change, old vs modern values and women finding their voice.

Classic whodunit with a unique structure; think Agatha Christie stuck in Groundhog Day. The cast of characters is great and Turton does well giving them unique traits. Plenty of classic twists and turns, but add in the wrinkles created by moving from host to host and reliving the same day 8 times, others who would kill to solve the murder first, and failure results in a reset - it sounds confusing but isn't, which is a credit to Turton.

💥 boom. Barry‘s novel is a twisty game of who wiped out an entire town in Australia with a word and how is that connected to stories like the Tower of Babel? Intelligent, fast-paced with memorable characters and secret societies of... linguistic philosophers.

Deserves more attention: 2 excellent distant relatives 69 years apart but strangers until thrown together. Donoghue captures the nostalgia & regrets of aging and the confidence & nonchalant attitude of a preteen determined to not be seen as pitiable. Donoghue deftly tackles current social issues & the complex nature of living in Nazi-occupied France yet keeps the story intimate. The two discovering points of similarities often had me laughing.

Another very good novel by Allende - the only flaw that kept it from being a 5 star read was that I didn‘t feel as connected to the characters early on. It might have been the scope or maybe that there was a big focus on history that at times distances me from characters. Still a good read - especially the Neruda connections.

I love Weir‘s fiction because as a preeminent historian the books are filled with the details that immerse the reader in that world and are accurate in the history save what isn‘t recorded. Weir admits to enjoying filling in the blanks. Katherine of Aragon was a great read and I found myself admiring Katherine.

A complex, relatable, and remarkable heroine that brings a great voice to a story dances through history, culture, and mythology all while being unique. The characters are great, the story fast-paced, and the writing is vivid.

Fascinating read about a girl from an ethnic minority in China and how she confronts the modernized world while still keeping her identity and how the daughter she gave up who was raised in America comes to learn of her own heritage.

Read again because this is a favorite that holds up — and is even perhaps more relevant. And also because it is an wild ride! 😆😎

An amazing read / listen (cast including the awesome Bahni Turpin). Beautiful writing that I slowed down to savor. So many times I caught myself rewinding or rereading sections. Morgenstern is so creative and she has created her own mythological/ fairytale world that feels ancient while still being thoroughly modern.

A favorite author‘s new novel arrived today.

If you want a great Fantasy with amazing world building, great, memorable characters, and a twisty plot, then pick up the first of Samantha Shannon's series cheap today. Alternate UK / Europe where those with psychic abilities are outlaws and have a complex underworld society... throw in an alien race and political machinations and you get a great novel.

The flip side tale of Hook and his connection to Peter Pan. Always enjoy a good villain origin story and Henry doesn't disappoint. 2019 no. 19

A pretty good apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel that does well with the horrors of the event that causes the apocalypse as well as the immediate years following. 2019 no. 18

Well-done detective novel that has a recent case with a connection to an old case. Good lead character, well-paced and good twists. 2019 no. 17

A surprisingly dark, somewhat unstable lead is the focus of the novel set in an alternate Ottoman Empire. The sibling relationship is done well and the three maim characters are complex. Not typical YA - looking forward to the others on this series. 2019 no. 16

Strong female characters, diverse, interesting world, excellent story, and talking dragons. Can‘t ask for much more. Shannon has become one of my favorite world-builders and story-tellers. 2019 no. 15

While it is a selection from the original novel, it is worth it for the cast. 2109 no. 14

Excellent audiobook version. I enjoyed the complicated family saga, the beautiful descriptions of St Thomas and Paris, and loved he main character. Hoffman is master wordsmith. 2019 no. 13

The strength of the book is the sense of place but it‘s weakness is too many cliches in the story and to some extend the characterizations. Overall, there is enough here to keep it from being meh - but barely. 2019 no. 12

I love Pérez-Reverte's more 'serious' books, but this proved a good, historically grounded swashbuckling tale. Alatriste is far from perfect and makes a great main character. Looking forward to other books in the series. 2019 no. 11

Five women, living in a world where abortion and IVF have been outlawed. Timely, powerful. 2019 no. 10

The crew is back together and facing more uphill battles. Love the world and the characters and the second holds up well against the first. 2019 no 9

A gut-punch of a novel tackling the unfairness of a biased judicial system and the reality of prison separations on couples. A painful, powerful story that manages to be both personal and universal. 2019 no 8

Big world, big cast of characters, great story. Despite the number of characters most have unique voices and the world-building is top-notch. A sisterhood that raises assassins and other specialized arts. There are also those with blood from 4 older tribes with power. Roll those together as well as villains who want those with such blood, and throw in typical 'girls in school' issues and you get a great tale 2019, no 7

Another immersive trip into the past by Diamant, this time through the 20th century through one woman born to immigrant parents into a world rapidly changing, especially for women. Memorable voice of a woman who came into her own as she tells the story of 'how she became the woman she is to her granddaughter. 2019, no 6

2019 no. 4 -- A Detective named Hawthorne is talked into sharing his story with an author - named Anthony Horowitz and together they investigate the death of a woman who planned her own funeral only hours before. Meta at its witty best, Horowitz pulls off what should be an egotistical failure, but instead is a brilliant mystery with a lot of information on TV shows and being an author and so much more. A brilliant read.

2019 no. 3 -- I enjoyed this one almost as much as the first two in the R&I series. Jane and Maura make a good team, despite their differences.

2019 no. 3 Another excellent R&I novel -- Maura and Jane have a great working relationship and Gerritsen does an excellent job at weaving in their personal background stories as well as the procedural parts, a twisted plot, and their relationship. Not my favorite of the R&I books, but still a great read.

2019 #2 -- not my favorite Hosseini novel. The structure failed to consistently reveal and move the story and felt unfocused too often. There were moments that engaged me, then moments where I was disconnected from the story. I don't feel I wasted time on it, but the book left me untouched.

Okay, I've been remiss this year in posting my progress - so off we go to posting all the books I've read this year. #1 -- Of the Langdon Series this one held up to Angels and Demons. Brown is by no means a master of prose, but he has thrillers with conspiracies down.

A new main character in the world Holmberg created in the Paper Magician. Entertaining, lighter read in an engaging, creative world.

Wonderful magic system rooted in traditional Indian dance - I believe it may be Bharatanatyam, or Kathak which was developed during the Mughal Empire. Strong female characters who stand at a moment of change for their world. Not quite a perfect read but one of the better for that I read this year.

Part of a collection of novellas from Amazon available free to prime members. I love Crouch's dark sci-fi and this was no exception. Fast-paced, thought-provoking, and intense.