#RiotGrams Day 4 My "current read" from the library is Jason Fagone's "The Woman Who Smashed Codes". I saw the author's thread on twitter. I'd encountered the Friedmans before at a Folger exhibition on cryptography.

#RiotGrams Day 3 "Three Word Titles". I didn't include Mary Robinette Kowal's Shades of Milk and Honey that starts the series, because it didn't fit the prompt. #janeaustenwithmagic

#RiotGrams Day 2 "Orange covers" A rather recent addition to the TBR pile. I came across it in an airport bookstore (I seem to pass through the dull ones!) and bought it later.

Current audiobook is Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" read by Dan Stevens. I enjoyed it so much I bought it. What impressed me was how quickly Christie creates characters. Stevens handles all the voices skillfully. I have my doubts about the new movie adaptation. (I'd really like to try a reading challenge based on Orient Express' route but some stops might be a challenge.)

#RiotGrams Day 1 - "Shelfie" shows part of my history/non-fiction shelves. Heavy on Elizabeth I and Wars of the Roses.

I listened to the audiobook version read by the author. I was surprised how quickly I listened to it. I enjoyed the snapshots of the campaign, but there were thought-provoking policy questions. The funniest bit was when she was describing her husband rearranging their library to her dismay.

I watched the 1980s film version of this book ages ago, but I don't remember if I ever finished the book. The pace of the early part was a bit plodding with the flashbacks and "oh had we but knowns" but it picked up later. I wasn't enthused with Hugh Fraser reading the audiobook either.

This was my first Anne McCaffrey book ages and ages sgo -- I was always annoyed because the blurb highlighting the female Talents felt so inaccurate. The men were still more heavily featured frankly and always in solid control of their abilities. But I still have a fondness for early Pegasus books...

I finished this prequel to Seanan McGuire's Every Heart a Doorway, giving us Jack & Jill's backstory. I love McGuire's descriptions -- places where she compared/contrasted the twins' experience was particularly lovely and memorable.

Finished the second book in the series -- dipping into 1938 prewar Hollywood. Fascinating the real details the authors have put into these books even for cameos.

I appear to be continuing my trend from last year in reading novellas. I had heard great things about this one and OMG I love Murderbot. Their survey team of scientists are conducting tests on the planet when shenanigans start happening. Murderbot really just wants to watch their stories, but what can you do? High level of snark ensues. It is start of series which I'm glad because I want more adventures...

I was frustrated with this. I liked the world building, but wish it'd been done as a full novel. It's the first in a series and everything felt tidy/wrapped up at end, but I almost it was too quickly for my taste.

#RiotGrams Yellow covers - not that many on my shelves but have a Finishing School one.

#RiotGrams day 1 is a shelfie. You can't see it but it's actually one of my graphic novels/manga shelves. I'm badly in need of more bookshelf space...

Library request came through yesterday, so I get to read the second book!

I was surprised how fast I blew through this Golden Age of Hollywood mystery featuring the costume designer Edith Head as a featured sleuth. She isn't the main POV which helped. Hollywood is shown in all of her name dropping glory when studios were ultra protective of their stars.

I had read her earlier "We Should all be Feminists" essay/TED talk, so I jumped when I saw this was coming out. It was just what I needed to read, especially this year. Adichie writes this letter as a response to a friend that worried about raising a feminist girl. The results are sometimes very specific to her culture and friendship, but still sadly universal.

Steampunk/ urban fantasy cross with slow burn attraction between partners as they race to solve a crime. Nifty world building. Written by Ann Aguirre and her husband. There is one more book in the series Silver Mirrors.

Set in 1940 San Francisco, this queer fantasy novella shows a group of women living and loving life, even in a time when it wasn't wholly acceptable. There's with a whiff of magic realism tossed in. I might have enjoyed following some of the other girls' adventures. The story sucks you in to the very end.

WOLP is a delightful view of the Book World. I will never look at my Nano novels and their collection of characters the same way again! That said there is a rather timely warning at the end when Tweed (an antagonist I rather liked) warned Thursday about revealing the "truth". The speech remind me of Outer Limits-- "we control the vertical..." #24in48

Spending my evening in the Well of Lost Plots... I will never look at my side characters in my writing quite the same way again. #24in48 #readathon

Amazing and heartbreaking book. Started out a little slow, as it interweaved all the dramatis personae involved on two continents, showing all the sheer hubris involved. I was having some shivers remembering similar things said about Titanic, only magnified in wartime.

Reading Dead Wake for my library book club #aplrideread. I hadn't expected to finish it this weekend for #24in48 but I'm getting through the last chunk very quickly. The descriptions of the survivors are pretty harrowing.

"Just when I think I have the galaxy at my mercy, some hopelessly outnumbered young hothead destroys my most insidious death machine using some hitherto-undiscovered weakness. I'm suing the manufacturer after that last debacle." Back to Thursday and the Book World. Any resemeblance is intentional.

Thanks to @balletbookworm for suggesting searching for this page, because it sure gets buried after the year turns over. What the numbers don't reveal immediately is I read a lot of audio and shorter fiction this year.

After two failed attempts, I finally finished Jasper Fforde's 2nd Thursday Next. While i love universe, I am a little frustrated by Fforde changing things up so much each time. But i forgive him for the characters and Jurisfiction and Pickwick of course.

I forgot I had this postcard from a Jasper Fforde signing, showing the same library scene.

(and yay for Litsy on my Fire tablet now.)

I've made it to the Jurisfiction library where everyone is quite mad.

1950. Huntsville, Alabama. Greg Henkins wants nothing more than to enjoy his last leave before heading to flight training. Having put off her beau, Betty Parrish wants a New Year's kiss and maybe a new beginning. Nice sweet romance for NYE. I love Greg and Betty together. (included in the Round Midnight collection with Midnight Clear)

A lovely holiday romance that serves as a prequel for Emma Barry & Genevieve Turner's Fly Me to the Moon 1960s astronaut series.

1948. Annapolis Maryland. An admiral's daughter is dead set against becoming a navy wife. An earnest midshipman is determined to prove her wrong. I liked that Joe let Frances decide for herself what she wanted. #readathon

I read "Girl in Dior" for a different #readathon so it's fitting I followed it up with Goetzinger's next work "Marie Antoinette Phantom Queen". Inspired by a story of two girls meeting the Queen's ghost. In 1934 an artist is haunted by Marie Antoinette while fending off her caricaturish stepson.

This gives you some of the interiors showcasing the Louvre. The idea is every painting or sculpture or item in the museum has a soul or inner story to tell. The artist learned to tap into the souls with his visits. #readathon

Jiro Taniguchi is one of my favorite manga artists. Such clean lines and yet still a dreamy quality about his storytelling. We get a tour of the Louvre when an artist finds a space between dream and reality. The Van Gogh section gave me Doctor Who feels, but I loved the Japanese painter learning from the beauty of a French landscape. #readathon

Starting my #readathon off with getting some progress done on this. Gilded Age New York! Emmett's a hard sell at times, but I love Lizzie.

This included five novellas about the Jeannie Lin's Tang Dynasty China, including one brand new one. Even if you haven't read the full books, you'll be swept away in these stories. I think my favorite was "An Illicit Temptation" with an alliance bride falling for her guard instead. Politics and diplomacy were part of so many of the stories and the characters' decisions. I won a copy as a member of the author's mailing list. #romantsy

Getting in a little prep time for NaNoWriMo with this book on plotting romace. My books tend to have a romantic subplot so I thought it might help to read up on the genre quirks. (There's a Scrivener template available on her website too.)

A bonkers traditional Regency romance from Marion Chesney from the 1990s I read on my Kindle Unlimited trial. Fake pregnancy, murder, poisoning, blackmail, terrible spouses -- it has a little of everything! The second half of the book with the fun secondary pair feels like a totally different book! #osrbc

A clever Ravenclaw! This fox lover is slightly confused but she has her books, so she's good.

I read this on the recommendation of SmartBitches Trashy Books podcast discussing holiday romances and loooooved it. Such "good book noises" after finishing this. I never realized Regency house parties were my catnip but they totally are. Add in an infamous rake and bookish miss -- neither of whom are quite what they seem -- and you get a delightful read for the upcoming holiday season.

(first post, hope I'm doing this right!)