Interesting history of the Black Plague outbreak in Europe in the mid-1300s. I liked all the quotes and stories about individuals living at the time. Kelly also devotes an appropriate amount of text to the cruel atrocities committed by Christians against Jews using wild conspiracy theories as their excuse.

The villian origin story of Coriolanus Snow adds nuance to his character, and now I want to read the entire series again. Ambitious, determined, and on the sociopathic side of the personality spectrum, he was always going to be ruthless in pursuit of power, but it is interesting to see how manipulative authority figures and events slowly mold him into the particular monster he becomes.

Part 2 (tagged book is part 1). "If a woman wants her husband to prefer one of his children to another, she should make him eat half the tips of his dog's ears and make the child eat the other half, and by the truth of the Gospel they will love one another so much that they will scarcely be able to bear being apart." Well, ladies, there you have it. Medieval wisdom.

Kind of fun, but not scary, and a lot of very granular detail about everything the main character does. I wish it had been more scary and 1/3 shorter.

Reacher stumbles into a major crime operation, as usual. Within a couple of hours of making her acquaintance, he has an FBI agent taking orders from him on how to conduct the investigation. Later in the story, an FBI agent with even more authority also lets him take over command because, you know, he was an MP in the army over a decade ago. Seriously, Lee Child? Still an interesting enough mystery to read to the end, but come on!

I enjoyed this and laughed a lot. Be aware that it is not a history of England's monarchs but is instead a British comedian's commentary on them, with little sidetracks into other topics that he is reminded of throughout.

Every fantasy fan has their own pet peeves and dealbreakers regarding the suspension of disbelief required for this genre. One of my dealbreakers is prophecy. I think that trope is just lazy writing, and I always wind up wishing I had bailed when I persevere after some opaque prophetic verse is introduced. So exiting this novel at 15%.

"Edward II wasn't crowned until 7.5 months after his father's death. He had spent the intervening time going to France to sort out the details of his marriage to Philip IV's daughter Isabella--the dowry, the accompanying treaty, is it OK that the bride's 12 and the groom seems gay, that sort of thing-- and demonstrating what a terrible king he was going to be." ???

I did not enjoy this as much as The Searcher. The criminal shenanigans were hard to believe. But still a good read.

Enjoying a quiet Sunday, which since 10 am has consisted of indoor activities to hide from the heat. Reading a good book that makes me glad I don't live in a small village or have kids. French's writing style somehow chills me out even though the story is full of menace and occasional bursts of violence. #hyggehour #readathon @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

A monk, a werewolf, an elf, a vampire, a necromancer, a woman who has had every job in the world, and a warrior who cannot die make up the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. Their latest mission is to escort a street thief who is believed to be the long lost heir to the throne of Troy. It is a fun, swashbuckling adventure with lots of violence and plenty of dark humor, much of it directed at the Catholic church.

I couldn't relate to any of the many characters, who are sometimes called by their first names and sometimes their last names, which makes it even harder to keep them straight. It starts in 1663 at a wealthy English estate and then picks up in the same place in 1961. I bailed at around 25% as it seemed to be going nowhere interesting.

I love these characters and wish there were more books in the series. Only negative for this book is that it causes crisis fatigue; you can't go very many pages without an emergency.

How to properly evaluate a teen girl who has experienced trauma and now is withdrawn, says spooky things in a weird voice, and believes a witch is watching her, per the actual psychologist (and a reporter she barely knows but eagerly joined in this trip) in this book:

1. Pack a bag and move into the family's small house for an undecided length of time.
2. Have one private conversation with the afflicted girl of maybe 30 minutes' duration.
👇

Solid but has some very unrealistic parts, which bothers me only because this series is mostly believable so the unbelievable BS really stands out. Also, there is a bit where Devine is extremely proud of himself for figuring some things out and delivers a long, clearly practiced speech to a female FBI agent about how he has really outsmarted her, talking over her attempted interjections, which is irritating.

Damning account of how the English government suppressed Ireland's economy for centuries, then victim blamed them when the famine happened and mostly refused to help. Lots of quotes from respected English officials expressing anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry and occasionally coming right out and publicly stating the famine was a fortuitous way to bring down the unsustainable population. Good but long and repetitive.

Thanks for the suggestion in your post, @AllDebooks ! Just put it on hold. Anyone know if it is better in print or by audio?

I'll be honest: I started this book partly because the cover looks like an evil universe baby version of my friend Lisa. But then I could not stop reading and ended up devouring it in a couple of days. Best thriller/horror I have read in a long time. Spooky, weird, and full of possibilities. The very likeable main character is neuroatypical and goes about trying to solve corporate sabotage cases in unusual but effective ways. Hesketh's journey👇

Two psychopaths who convince themselves they do good by only torturing and murdering "bad men" have a baby and try to stop killing. I see this as a comedy of manners in that it humorously mocks the entitlement of the rich, and the audio is great. But it glorifies vigilante murder more than making fun of it, and sometimes Haze's cluelessness about practical life and Fox's dishonesty are annoying rather than funny.

"Why even be a fake alcoholic if I couldn't speak my slightly altered truth and be embraced as a survivor?" --rich, privileged serial killer trying to overcome his addiction to killing by attending AA meetings, not understanding why no one feels sorry for his stress endured when trying to get into an Ivy League school and being forced to learn ballroom dancing. ?

Watching the 1983 BBC version of Mansfield Park, which is on Prime currently, and I recommend it for three reasons:
1. Angela Pleasence as Lady Bertram does the best portrayal of a vapid, drug addict idle housewife I have ever seen.
2. Fanny, played by Sylvestra Le Touzel, occasionally gets this look on her face that clearly says "Go ahead, keep it up, I am plotting to murder you all with an ax."
3. It follows the book very closely.

I used to be active on this site but quit when it wasn't available on Android anymore. Due to changes in my hybrid in-office/WFH schedule, am on my personal laptop and tablet more often so will try to get active on here once again. Reading the tagged book, which is weird but intriguing.

3 stars. Mystery set in the Swiss Alps in a tuberculosis residence turned trendy hotel. I think Pearse tries to create a sense of spookiness and claustrophobia when a storm blocks everyone in with a killer, but I didn't find it suspenseful, maybe because I didn't connect with any characters so wasn't invested. I did love the setting as it reminded me of an 1800s hotel I stayed at above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

I know this is supposed to be a scary scene, like OMG the stalker is impersonating people to get close to Brooke (she had a fling with him but broke it off when her husband moved back in), but all I can think is, "What, you thought a guy living in a sailboat was rich? Maybe he isn't a stalker, maybe he's just broke!" ?

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in British medieval history. Edward I did terrible things: expelled all Jews from England, used trickery and atrocities to conquer Scotland, and subjugated the Welsh and forced them to fight in his wars, to name a few. But there is no question he was an exceptionally strong, effective king and a brilliant strategist. Morris lays out a very good case that his reign forged Britain as we know it. 👇

Myron, a "sports agent" who never seems to actually work, investigates a double murder when one of his clients, who was believed to be dead himself, is accused. I hated the audio reading (especially wanted to tear out my earbuds whenever Myron's parents are speaking), and the whiny drama caused by Myron's ex and their lovechild is pretty annoying. But the possible serial killer mystery was good enough to get me through.

This looked fun, about a sick young woman offered a chance to save herself by becoming a villainous character in her favorite fantasy series, but the writing is so juvenile and simplistic that it just didn't work for me. I only made it 50 pages. Maybe it gets better.

This is a brilliant, Pulitzer prize winning novel about North Korea based on Johnson's research of defectors' accounts and his own visit to the country. It's difficult to read, but well worth it to have a better understanding of how people survive under a ruthless, totalitarian, evil regime that echoes Orwell's 1984. It explores the psychology of a man who does every awful deed he is told to but somehow clings to his humanity.

This definition of the blues is not entirely wrong. 🤣

I loved this as much as the first in the series. The audio reader is outstanding and comes up with a perfect, unique style for each character. Themes include the consequences of self-serving or incompetant commanders calling the shots during war and what it means to be a "good person." Our main characters are scattered, all in some way dealing with various fronts of the raging war. Brutal, bloody, and sprinklered with wonderfully dark humor.

Funny, witty love story about an arranged marriage between a werewolf and a vampire. Excerpt is from the vampire bride's perspective at the wedding.

Excellent fantasy set in a highly militarized country with a tight grip on information revealed to the public. The fantasy part: dragons, gryphons, and some sort of evil wizards.

I put off starting this book because I knew that a Pulitzer prize winning book about North Korea would be awful. And it is deeply disturbing, but the psychology of how people survive in that nightmare society is fascinating. So well written. Here is one of my favorite passages so far--an American is asking a North Korean if he feels free. The Americans have been asking questions that illustrate their utter lack of understanding, like👇

This is a gem. Listen to the audiobook if you possibly can as it is excellent. Fantasy genre, but not over the top with the supernatural elements. Rather, this is a darkly humorous political and war adventure. There is a lot of violence and some torture, but it doesn't have the gratuitous torture porn feel of George R R Roberts Game of Thrones series. I really enjoyed how Abercrombie pokes fun of bureaucracy.

Mediocre, predictable detective novel about three PIs with unexplained vast wealth. One is a heroin addict who largely escapes the typical consequences of that problem because he is extremely rich. I did like how, unlike most detective novels, this story has the PIs working several cases at once, but that is about all I liked.

A fictional account of what might have happened to a NY Supreme Court Justice in 1930. It was a real life case that was never solved. Interesting portrayal of life during that time, where if you weren't willing to use crooked means to get ahead, you would never get anywhere.

Not very scary and gets bogged down in incredibly detailed description. The imagery is lush, but we don't need lush, wordy descriptions of every single moment. Would be better if 50% shorter. Opal is emotionally stunted and can't live much after the trauma of her mom's death, just takes care of her brother. But sometimes her childish reactions and decisions (she is 26) feel unrealistic, and she treats her mature 16 YO brother like he is 10.

Got up early for a hike and was waiting for my friend to pick me up, then realized that is tomorrow. Oops! So had unexpected time to catch up on Litsy. Going to finish the tagged audiobook, make lemon lavender cookies and baked beans for a BBQ, and walk in the clear sunshine.
Recommend the new Quiet Place movie, but bring earplugs because they jack the volume up to create a contrast between noisy city and terrified silence. #saturdaychatterday

Elizabeth, suburban real estate agent, suspects she is causing people's deaths by wishing them dead. It's an OK story, but psychic visions are involved, and that always gets a bit silly, whatwith shifting parameters that make zero sense other than to create drama. There is also a stalker who is embarassingly outrageous and clicheic. But PI Rex, quirky Ravinia (E's long lost cousin), and E's bratty daughter, Chloe, are fun.

I have seen this wonderful movie version more times than I have read the book. I wish I could pay a historian specializing in Regency England to watch it with me and answer all my questions. For example, what is that long brush on Jane's vanity? She is brushing her hair with a normal brush, so what is that?

I don't watch or listen to dramatized real crime shows. This book is about a real crime show, with entire chapters describing the setup and film directions of the show. I find it boring. Just not my thing.

Over half of this book is quite good, about a man who has some sort of possibly supernatural mutation or deformity that drives people to want to murder him on sight, so he lives in isolation below the city. Scary and interesting adventures ensue, and then Koontz takes a hard turn into religion. Just a ridiculous Catholic apologist story. Felt like bait and switch, but I finished it. Seriously corny, absurd ending.

I just don't find this mystery, about the disappearance of a teenager 30 years prior, interesting enough to finish.
#foodandlit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

Good murder mystery about a retired cop trying to solve a case he never cracked. I know Iceland was last month but just now getting around to posting. #foodandlit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

Beautifully written story set in an Irish farming town. The reader is outstanding. Highly recommend. Don't be intimidated by the 15 hour run time. It doesn't feel long.

The real tragedy of global warming: you can't just drop a body into a glacier crevasse and assume it will stay hidden anymore. What is this world coming to when a hard working murderer in Iceland can't count on ice to hide a victim? #foodandlit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

Solid mystery thriller about Noah, whose police chief mom just made a drunken confession before shooting herself in the head, and Grace, who is determined to clear her murdered dad's name. As they and the FBI investigate, they uncover some nasty corruption in the Austin PD, and romance brews between Noah and Grace. This opening dedication is a lovely bit of foreshadowing.

Atmospheric thriller set in a remote village of 10 in Iceland. Una moves there to teach the town's two children. It's a ghost story--or is it? Una has some mental health issues, which are worsened by the darkness and isolation. Is her host's house haunted? Are the villagers hiding some secret that involves two mysterious children's deaths decades apart? Or are the villagers just average unwelcoming hermits, and Una is unravelling? #foodandlit

Such a sense of isolation and depression overcoming the main character. I find this interesting for #foodandlit because it evokes what is probably a uniquely Icelandic mileau--tiny, dying fishing village where the lack of sunshine throws many into mental crisis, few people interested in befriending a newcomer, within an island nation with few outsiders. Una seems more unstable all the time. Photo is the actual village.

@TexReader @Catsandbooks
Just checked out a few Icelandic thrillers for this month's #foodandlit. Starting with this one, which begins with a substitute teacher barely making ends meet in the city intrigued by a want ad: "Teacher wanted at the edge of the world."