Sunday, September 07, 2014

Sunday Summary: 2014-09-07

It's time for a new feature on this blog—a summary of the past week's reading. I'm going to link up with The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Where I've been reading

We took a short road trip this week, driving to Las Vegas and back. So, with four days in the car and nothing else to do, I caught up with a lot of reading. Since we were road-tripping, I've been reading from the TBR list, including the new books I listed in last week's Stacking the Shelves post. Before we left home, I finished both of the new library books. That left me with a bunch of TBRs on my Kindle and one paperback book that I've promised to another reader through BookObsessed. I did complete one of the review books from Netgalley, so look for my first Netgalley review later this month.

After returning home, I've had the rest of the week as vacation, so I goofed off, reading when I wasn't sleeping or watching TV.

What I read

In Fire Forged, edited by David Weber I started reading this collection of three short works—don't know if they're properly novellas or what—back in July. I read the last story, “Let's Dance” during this trip to finish the book. At the beginning of the year, I announced that I was planning to complete reading all the Honor Harrington books this year, and now I've struck another one off the list. “Let's Dance” refers to the Audubon Ballroom, the resistance group fighting against genetic slavery. While on a diplomatic mission to the Silesian Confederacy, Honor finds herself allied with the Ballroom in a mission to rescue slaves from a shipping depot. Unfortunately, the Silesian rulers are taking bribes from the slavers and don't want Honor to get involved at all. Filling in the back story for the Wages of Sin thread in the Honorverse, I did enjoy this story and now I'm ready to tackle the next novel, Mission of Honor.

Format: Kindle
Source: gift from nimrodiel

The Dancer and the Raja by Javier Moro Quick summary: this historical novel seemed more like a non-fiction book, but was quite readable. The story starts just before World War I when a teen-aged girl from Spain sails to India to become the fifth wife of the Raja of Kapurthala. One thing I really came away with was a new perspective on the English dominion in India—from the point of view of the maharajas. As I mentioned earlier, I downloaded this book from Netgalley and plan to submit a review as well as posting the review here to the blog and at Goodreads. The release date is 23 September, so I'll be posting a review just about then.

Format: Kindle
Source: Netgalley

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton What can I say about Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series? Well, it's getting awfully close to “Z”, and I sure hope she doesn't stop writing about Kinsey just because she's run off the end of the alphabet. In U is for Undertow Kinsey is asked to unravel a 20-year-old case of a kidnapped toddler. The story moves back and forth between the present and the time of the kidnapping. Given that today in this book is 1988, the flashbacks were to the “summer of love”, days of hippies and draft dodgers. I found this book very enjoyable and look forward to locating a copy of the next in the series.

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: purchased in 2010

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters Oh my! What a delightful mystery series I'm starting to read. A Morbid Taste for Bones is the debut novel featuring Brother Cadfael, a former crusader and now Benedictine monk with skills in herbalism and healing. Although Cadfael thought he'd have a quiet life in the monastery, he soon finds out that he's called upon to use his deductive skills to uncover a murderer. Since Ellis Peters (pen-name used by Edith Pargeter) published 20 books in this series before her death in 1995, I have a lot of fun reading ahead of me.

Format: ePub
Source: library via Freading

10 comments:

  1. so glad they are republishing the Cadfael series, I read them all and was so sad when I reached the last volume. The Middle Ages is my favorite period in history, so well done! Enjoy, they are ALL awesome!

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    1. I am enjoying them so far. I'm so glad to be able to borrow the eBooks via my library instead of spending money for them.

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  2. I think I read all Sue Grafton's books until.. the P ? I should continue. A morbid taste for bones was my favorite of all Cadfael's novels ! I'm glad to say I went to visit Shrewsbury while in Great Britain. Have a great week !

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    1. Oooh! I've been to England many times, but have never visited Shrewsbury. However, Shropshire Blue is my favorite British cheese -- named for the county of Shropshire in which Shrewsbury is found.

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  3. I never read Sue Grafton but her staying power is amazing as she a large fan base even as she edges towards Z. I am intimidated by the series though, because I can't see myself reading her whole backlist to catch up to the new ones.

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    1. My 2014 reading direction has mostly been reading long back-lists of mystery series. I've started M C Beaton's Hamish McBeth series, Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael series, and read all the way through Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series.

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  4. I haven't read Sue Grafton in ages but I always enjoyed them when I did. I really wasn't aware the series was still going so I will have to go look for the ones I missed. I keep meaning to read the Ellis Peters series but haven't gotten there yet. Glad to know you enjoyed it. Your vacation sounds wonderful! Have a great week!

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    1. Not every one of Grafton's books is outstanding, but they all entertain. The most recently published is "W".

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  5. I haven't tried Sue Grafton though I always wanted too..would have to start at the beginning and she is already almost done with the alphabet isn't she..lol. Cadfael's sounds familiar did they make a tv show based on him? Might have to give that one a try as well. :)

    Stormi
    http://www.booksmoviesreviewsohmy.com/the-week-in-review-2/

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    1. As I replied to Katherine P above, the most recently published is "W".

      From 1994 to 1996, ITV in England broadcast a dozen or so episodes. The series was picked up by PBS in the USA, broadcast as part of their "Mystery!" series (now "Masterpiece Mystery"). Available on DVD and from some streaming services.

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