VivienneR reads the Language of Flowers part 2

This will be my 9th year at the Category Challenge and where I feel most at home on LibraryThing. I’m retired and live with my husband in the south east corner of British Columbia where we enjoy hot summers and snowy winters. I’m fortunate that my son and daughter-in-law live nearby, our only family in Canada. As I’ve mentioned often, I am originally from Northern Ireland and like to keep up with Irish authors.

This year my categories come from the language of flowers. I’m also doing a Queen Elizabeth II challenge for the Platinum Jubilee celebrating her 70 year reign in 2022 where I aim to read one book by a British author published in each year of her reign. If I manage to get halfway this year I’ll be happy.

Part 2 update: I've trimmed a couple of categories because with so many they were a bit unwieldy.

 

Currently reading:

            

Recently read:

              

QEII Platinum Jubilee
Lily of the Valley is said to be Queen Elizabeth’s favourite flower - Up first is my plan to read a book by a British author published in each year of her reign, with a different author each year. I hope to get at least half read this year.

Double-dipping: Because this will probably be a high volume category, I will allow any of these titles to be used in CATs, KITs or Bingo if they happen to fit.

1952 Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
1953
1954
1955
1956 Five on a Secret Trail by Enid Blyton
1957 Ten Pollitt Place by C. H. B. Kitchin
1958
1959 My Friends the Miss Boyds by Jane Duncan
1960
1961 Thunderball by Ian Fleming
1962 The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side by Agatha Christie
1963 Collected Short Stories Vol. 1 by W. Somerset Maugham
1964
1965
1966 Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
1967
1968 The Private Wound by Nicholas Blake
1969 Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
1970
1971
1972 Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin by P.G. Wodehouse
1973 Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
1974 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré
1975 Judas Country by Gavin Lyall
1976 So Much Blood by Simon Brett
1977 The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and six more by Roald Dahl
1978
1979
1980 Rumpole's Return by John Mortimer
1981
1982 Mr. Bliss by J.R.R Tolkien
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987 The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters
1988 Spy Hook by Len Deighton
1989 The Sirens Sang of Murder by Sarah Caudwell
1990
1991 Jericho by Dirk Bogarde
1992 A Dubious Legacy by Mary Wesley
1993 The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
1994 Dead Lagoon: An Aurelio Zen mystery by Michael Dibdin
1995
1996 Reality and Dreams by Muriel Spark
1997 Asylum by Patrick McGrath
1998
1999 Chocolat by Joanne Harris
2000
2001
2002 The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
2003
2004
2005
2006 Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser
2007
2008 When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
2009
2010 The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart
2011
2012
2013 Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
2014 Tigerman by Nick Harkaway
2015
2016 Real Tigers by Mick Herron
2017 Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
2018 Ghost Wall by Patricia Moss
2019 The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
2020 The Shadows by Alex North
2021
2022

Familiar faces
Blue Hyacinths mean constancy - I’ve always loved these little Grape Hyacinths that pop up every year no matter how much they are disrupted in the fall clean up. Some of my favourite authors will appear here.

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews

Spring by Ali Smith

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The List by Mick Herron

Moonlight over Paris by Jennifer Robson

Fresh faces
Daffodils say new beginnings - for new-to-me authors.

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny

Open Season by C.J. Box

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol

Arrivals
Bluebells mean kindness - be kind to new arrivals by not letting them languish on the shelf

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

It Had To Be You by Jill Churchill

Departures
Sweet Pea indicates departure - here I’ll be departing from UK, US, and Canadian settings for travel to other countries.

The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen

The Embroidered Towel by Mikhail Bulgakov

Descent Into Night by Edem Awumey translated by Phyllis Aronoff & Howard Scott

Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness by Sicelo Mbatha

RandomKIT
Gerbera means cheerfulness - perfect for my favourite KIT.

January - Home sweet home: Ten Pollitt Place by C. H. B. Kitchin
February - Cats: Tigerman by Nick Harkaway
February - Cats: LT's Theory of Pets by Stephen King
March - Hobby Love: Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor
March - Hobby Love: So Much Blood by Simon Brett
April - April Showers: Snow by John Banville

MysteryKIT
Daisy means innocence - and we know there is always an innocent party in a mystery.

January - Series: Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton
February - Cold Case: The Shadows by Alex North
March - Small Towns: Death of an Honest Man by M.C. Beaton
April - Noir: Exit Music by Ian Rankin

AlphaKIT
Bouvardia indicates Zest for life - used to find all the letters especially the tricky X and Z. A tenuous link I know…

Year long Z: The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart
Year long Z: Dead Lagoon: An Aurelio Zen mystery by Michael Dibdin
Year long X: Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser
January R & H: Midnight Fugue by Reginald Hill
January R & H: Real Tigers by Mick Herron
February B: The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
February A: Asylum by Patrick McGrath
March S: Reality and Dreams by Muriel Spark
March P & S: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
March S: The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and six more
March S: Spy Hook by Len Deighton
April J: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
April L: Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser
April L: A Dubious Legacy by Mary Wesley

CATs
Forget-me-not is for remembrance - I will try to remember CATs here, maybe not every month, but the ones that catch my fancy.

ShakespeareCAT
April - Revenge: Rizzio by Denise Mina

AuthorCAT
April - Debut: There There by Tommy Orange

ScaredyKIT
April - Serial killers: The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

BingoDOG
Gardenia for good luck - an absolute necessity for playing Bingo!



1. When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
2. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
3. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
4. Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt
5.
6.
7. Five on a Secret Trail by Enid Blyton
8. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
9.
10. Real Tigers by Mick Herron (Shirley)
11. Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin by P.G. Wodehouse
12.
13. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
14. The Holdout by Graham Moore
15. Collected Short Stories Vol. 1 by W. Somerset Maugham
16. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. Jericho by Dirk Bogarde
22. Dead Lagoon: An Aurelio Zen mystery by Michael Dibdin
23.
24. Heart of the City by Robert Rotenberg
25.

category: QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the valley 1975

Judas Country by Gavin Lyall

The operator of a small airline has been hired to fly twelve cases of champagne to a hotel in Nicosia, Cyprus. On arrival he finds the hotel in receivership and not only is there no payment but he is roped into helping out as chef and manager to try and keep the business afloat. He is aided by his partner who is fresh out of a two-year stretch in an Israeli jail. When an important guest requests champagne, well, the twelve cases still on the 'plane are the obvious source, until one box is opened and found to contain arms. Complicating matters even further, the champagne drinker is an archaeologist who claims to have discovered an artifact of fabulous historical importance. This is an exciting thriller if not very serious and I enjoyed that there was plenty of authentic aviation details including a dicey flight to Israel that has the reader hanging on by their fingernails. Lyall gave a very accurate portrayal of the area just after the Cyprus Emergency in the fifties when terrorist attacks were still common. Published in 1975 this an excellent example of thriller novels of the time. This was only my second Lyall book but I'll be looking for more.

>13 VivienneR: I've read a few by Gavin Lyall and so far my favourite is Spy's Honour. He's a good find.

>14 pamelad: Oh thank you for that recommendation! I'll look out for it. I really enjoyed this one.

Happy new thread! And it's great to see the love for Gavin Lyall! One of the few spy thriller writers from my early reading years that I have hung on to. My own favourite is The secret servant. So many snarky comments about Number Ten...

Love the flowers again.
Good to see you filling in your QEII challenge. It'll be interesting to see which are the difficult years to fill.

Happy new thread! I will have to look up Lyall, as I've never read anything of his.

Happy New Thread. I like when a new thread is started since it gives me a chance to look through categories and reads - something I tend not to do now that LT skips you right to the bottom. Looks like your QEII category is filling in nicely.

Happy new thread! Still enjoying what a great job you did executing the "Language of Flowers" theme.

Gavin Lyall sounds like a good find.

>16 MissWatson: Thanks for another Gavin Lyall recommendation! And I believe that one is available at the library.

>17 Helenliz: QEII has certainly proved to be a challenge. I have found the 1980s and 90s have been the hardest to fill.

>18 Tess_W: Thank you. I'm sure you will enjoy Lyall, Tess.

>19 dudes22: Thank you, Betty! There are a couple fewer categories than there were at the beginning of the year.

>20 NinieB: Thank you, Ninie!

>21 hailelib: I'd only read one Lyall up until now so this one was a shoo-in when I saw it at the library.

Happy new thread! Your thread makes me think it's Spring.
I have a pot of Desert Marigolds on my front porch that I've grown from seeds. They've sent up a stalk nearly a foot tall with a bud that may open any day.

Happy new thread! You've got off to a great start, 20 books read already!

>13 VivienneR: Aviation thrillers are my catnip! I'll have to be on the lookout for this one.

>23 mstrust: Thanks for dropping by! I saved marigold seeds from my favourite variety last year and I'm all ready to start them inside. It's a bit early yet, but at least I'm ready. Good luck with yours.

>24 Jackie_K: Thanks Jackie! I have to admit I am getting a bit obsessive with my QEII challenge. I tried not to, but from previous experience knew it might happen.

>25 rabbitprincess: I thought of you as I read the details of that hair-raising flight. :)

You have gotten off to a great start, Vivienne. And your thread is so pretty. I can't wait for spring!

Thank you, Beth. I'm looking forward to spring too! We have one sunny spring-like day and then back to winter the next day.

category: QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the valley 1993 & AlphaKIT

The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker

Barker's novel portrays life during the Great War both at home and in the trenches as well as the lasting effects that many suffered and their treatment. The government and public chose to blame homosexuals and pacifists for the failures of war in a flood of misinformation parallel to what we are experiencing in the pandemic a century later. I found the sex scene in the opening pages to be a gratuitous, attention-grabbing, and unneccesary. This is the Booker prize winning, second book of the Regeneration trilogy that, for me, did not live up to the excellence of the first in the series.

However, it prompted me to add Memoirs of an Infantry Officer and Sherston's Progress the second and third volume of Complete Memoirs of George Sherston by Siegfried Sassoon to my library. I already have the first volume.

I’m just catching up, Vivienne. I think I may have to try something by Gavin Lyall. Of course you’ve added to my list. No surprise there. 😄

>30 NanaCC: Nice to see you dropping by, Colleen. I try to keep up with everybody's threads but it's an impossible task! I think you'd like Gavin Lyall.

>29 VivienneR: I have the first in that trilogy in the stacks because it's one of the books listed in The Modern Library: The 200 Best Novels in English Since 1950, and I am making my way through it. So, I am happy to read that you thought the first book was excellent.

>32 Crazymamie: Yes, I enjoyed the first book more than the second but I know others would say the entire trilogy is excellent. I'll watch out for your opinion, Mamie.

category: QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the valley 2018

Ghost Wall by Patricia Moss

Silvie's father, a bus-driver by profession, is obsessed with Iron Age reenactments in Northumberland. Like all their summer holidays, mother, father and seventeen year-old Silvie live like ancient Britons, using knowledge of the era and foraging for food. This time they join an archaeology professor and three students who are on an "experimental archaeology" course. The tension mounts throughout the book as it becomes apparent that there will quite possibly be a human sacrifice. The story was made more interesting by the class difference, a working class northerner and family joined by educated southerners. The males bonded, drumming and chanting, with one finally proving to be just as obsessed and brutal as the other. I raced through this short book hardly able to wait for the ending. The writing is beautiful with appropriate references made throughout the story suggesting reasons men and women behave as they do. Disturbing but unforgettable.

Happy New Thread! I enjoyed looking at these beautiful blooms again. I am waiting for spring already - we had a blue sky yesterday but today it's more grey, rain and fog.

>34 VivienneR: Interesting review. Bodies of Light by Sarah Moss is one of my possible reads this month although I am not sure if I will get to it. But I have heard so much about this author during the last weeks on LT.

>34 VivienneR: Great review! I have this one in the stacks - I have loved everything I have read by her.

Great comments on Ghost Wall; Moss is great with creepy atmosphere.

I keep meaning to start the Regeneration trilogy. Maybe this year...

>35 MissBrangwen: We are enjoying some lovely sunshine but there is still lots of snow on the ground. Still, it makes me think spring is near. I have had Bodies of Light and The Tidal Zone on my shelves for much too long. Now I am planning to get to them soon.

>36 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie! Glad to hear you've enjoyed her books too.

>37 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Ghost Wall's atmosphere was super-creepy, not my usual choice, but this one was fantastic. Pat Barker didn't quite hit the mark for me with this one. It was good, but not as good as the first one in the trilogy. Maybe my expectations were too high.

category: QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the valley 2014 & RandomKIT February

Tigerman by Nick Harkaway

The island of Mancreu in the Arabian Sea is facing an unavoidable environmental disaster that will obliterate the island. Lester Ferris is a British army sergeant there to see things through to the end. Then he met Robin, a boy who is a fan of pop-culture and comic books, and I might add, Harkaway's finest character creation. This is a playful story that can be categorized as adventure and sci fi while being realistic and heartwarming. Lester's affection for Robin is so moving.

Nick Harkaway is the son of John le Carré, one of my favourite authors.

Many thanks to AHS-Wolfy for the BB.

>39 VivienneR: Wow, I didn't know that Nick Harkaway was John le Carre's son! My husband likes Harkaway's books, although I've never read one myself (they look a bit big and intimidating!!).

>39 VivienneR: Ooh that's a lovely cover! Glad you liked it.

>40 Jackie_K: Haha yes his books are not exactly novellas!

>40 Jackie_K: Like RP says, they are not exactly novellas. But some long books take a long time to read, and some, like Tigerman, just zip by without effort. I just heard that Harkaway also writes crime novels (said to be 'different') under the pseudonym Aidan Truhen, an anagram of Diana Hunter, one of his characters. I'll be on the lookout for the name.

>41 rabbitprincess: I love the cover!

>42 VivienneR: Wow, I'm going to have to keep an eye out for those! I did not know about them.

>43 rabbitprincess: That was my reaction too!

>44 VivienneR: I already have The Price You Pay on its way to me from the library!

>45 rabbitprincess: Lucky you! It's not at the library here yet but I put it on my library list.

Familiar Faces - blue hyacinths

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I was distracted during my reading of this last year and as I said at the time, I didn't give it the attention it deserved. I just got Osman's second book in the series and decided a reread of the first one was a good idea. Not surprisingly, it was even better this time.

>47 VivienneR: - I will get to this sometime this year!

>48 dudes22: Me, too!

>47 VivienneR: Such a fun series -- I can't wait for book #3 to come out!

>47 VivienneR: I was surprised how much I liked this book. I can't seem to move #2 higher on my list. This has pushed me to move it up higher...maybe March??? I'll look forward to your comments.

>48 dudes22: >49 Crazymamie: You are both in for a treat!

>50 christina_reads: I'm kind of hoping #3 doesn't come out until I've at least read #2.

>51 beebeereads: I mostly leave a little time between episodes in a series but I'm looking forward to #2 sometime this year.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the valley 1997 & AlphaKIT

Asylum by Patrick McGrath

The story is told by a psychiatrist familiar with the case and stupidly it took me half of the book before I realized why this particular person was relating events. It's a compelling story, very well written but sordid! And filled with hideous people. Stella, the wife of doctor working in a high security psychiatric hospital, has a steamy affair with one of the patients, a patient who murdered his wife. When he escaped from the hospital with her help, she left her husband to move in with him. Obviously this is not going to end well for Stella.

This is a difficult one to rate because it's so sordid and unpleasant. However, Ian McKellen, the audiobook narrator, gave a five-star performance.

I'm putting McGrath on my WL as I've yet to read anything from him and he looks good for many horror themes. Thanks for the review!

>54 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! I'm glad to have been able to add to your horror list!

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the valley 2020 & MysteryKIT cold cases

The Shadows by Alex North

If this was meant to scare me, it didn't. On the other hand, that was no surprise because the last time I was pleasantly scared by a book, I was about seven years old. However, the creepiness was presented in a way that made me feel I should be shivering in fear instead of rolling my eyes. This second book from North did not measure up to his first, The Whisper Man. It appears the horror genre is just not for me.

>56 VivienneR: I think that horror is the hardest genre to get right. There's a narrow place between "not scary enough" and "ok, that's just silly" and very few books land in the sweet spot.

>56 VivienneR: I'm not a horror fan, but there are exceptions: most of Shirley Jackson's novels; Uncle Silas and Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. The horror is understated rather than full-on vomit-worthy.

>57 RidgewayGirl: That explains it! North was just plain silly!

>58 pamelad: "vomit-worthy" That's hilarious! I'm not particularly looking for horror but it has recently been jumping off the shelf at me. Thank you, I'll put Sheridan Le Fanu on the watchlist.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the valley 1989

The Sirens Sang of Murder by Sarah Caudwell

Caudwell's books are witty and sophisticated mysteries set in the elite legal world of Lincoln's Inn. This one was excellent, a complex mystery about a tax law case involving a large fortune. It was set up in a way to protect beneficiaries from officialdom, except that the beneficiary's name has been lost. Filled with fabulous characters and the interesting setting of the Channel Islands, Monaco and the Caymans this was a lot of fun. My favourite character is Cantrip, a barrister who is a dedicated supporter of technology and communicates hilariously by the (then) current state-of-the-art telex machine. Aided as usual by Oxford scholar Professor Hilary Tamar, whose gender is Caudwell's secondary mystery.

>60 VivienneR: I wish Sarah Caudwell had been able to write more books.

Echoing >61 pamelad:. I think there were only four, and they were so good.

>61 pamelad: My wish too, Pam.

>62 NanaCC: And those four are hard to find.

>60 VivienneR: Taking a BB for Sarah Caudwell's books. I see that a couple of them are available at my public library.

Fresh Faces - Daffodil

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny

This is a realistic political thriller, which is no surprise considering the author knows exactly what it's like to be a powerful woman in a high position. It was fast-paced, easily followed, and held my attention throughout. I loved that Gamache got a part. I found it a bit long, though.

>64 mathgirl40: I hope you enjoy them, Paulina!

>65 VivienneR: I wonder how this compares to A President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson? I read that one and enjoyed it because it was fast-paced as well, but I decided not to read the second one because in the end, it did not leave an impression. That is why I don't know if I should put State of Terror on the WL or not - but it would be interesting to compare the books.

>60 VivienneR: Going on my WL!

>65 VivienneR: Okay, I was going to pass on this one since it is more "political," but if Gamache has a part--maybe not!

>67 MissBrangwen: I have A President is Missing too but I suspect it will never reach the top of the tbr heap. It was Louise Penny's name that was the main attraction for State of Terror.

>68 Tess_W: If you are a fan of Hillary Clinton, you will enjoy it.

>69 thornton37814: Gamache and Three Pines have a very small appearance near the end. The story is very political and although she doesn't mention real names or #45, it is obvious who she is talking about.

>38 VivienneR: Vivienne, I often find that in trilogies, my favorite is the first one. I think there are too many trilogies these days.

I've seen favorable comments in a couple of threads about State of Terror. I'll have to add it to my list.

I think I have the Caudwell on my shelves; maybe your comments are the impetus I need to finally read it.

>71 BLBera: Yes, I imagine that's because a trilogy is planned ahead of time it must be difficult to keep the interest high while spreading it out over three volumes.

Clinton's book is a good political thriller even if you know nothing of the participants. It was good, worth a read, but not out of the ordinary.

I hope you enjoy the Sarah Caudwell. I don't know anyone else who writes like that - serious legalese language with a touch of P.G. Wodehouse. I wish she had written more.

>70 VivienneR: Maybe I'll just look for the Gamache mention and skip the book!

>63 VivienneR: I'm lucky to have all four. When I looked her up I found that she also wrote short stories though I don't remember having come across any of them.

>73 thornton37814: That's an idea! :)

>74 hailelib: Oh, lucky you! I just ordered another one (that's my New Year resolution in tatters).

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 2010 & AlphaKIT Z

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

Stuart manages many storylines in this whimsical novel with none of the characters fading into insignificance. Outside visiting hours the Tower of London is a self-contained community with its own doctor, chapel and even a pub, The Rack and Ruin, where the Beefeaters socialize and play Monopoly. When the Palace decides to move a large menagerie of exotic animals gifted to the Queen from their current home at London Zoo to the Tower, Beefeater Balthazar Jones is given the job of taking care of them. It's a move that doesn't sit well with the Ravenmaster who worries about the effect on the ravens traditionally kept at the Tower, but is more likely worried that they will somehow reveal his philandering.

Balthazar and his wife, Hebe, are still mourning the loss of their beloved son and this new distraction for her husband is too much for Hebe who packs up and leaves. The story moves back and forward from the Tower of London to the London Underground Lost Property Office where Hebe works, matching the often bizarre finds with owners. The Tower's chaplain, Reverend Septimus Drew, a bachelor, though not by choice, writes steamy romances under the pseudonym Vivienne Ventress (that gave me a laugh out loud moment) and falls in love with the barmaid, Ruby Dore.

Throughout the book the Tower's history becomes a major theme providing fascinating details. Stuart has performed a magical feat with this captivating book, making the characters simultaneously funny, sad, and lovable in a story that is lighthearted yet serious. I loved every moment.

>76 VivienneR: - I hesitated to read your review because this is still on my TBR pile. In the end, I decided to read your review because this has been on my TBR pile for a while (a long while). I'm glad I did and I think I'll put this on the soon pile.

>77 dudes22: There is so much more to the book than what I described. I was captivated by the fable-like story. I hope you get to it soon and enjoy it as much as I did.

Departures - Sweet Pea : Denmark

The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen

As usual for me Department Q's fantastic characters are the biggest attraction in Adler-Olsen's books. We learn a little more about them as the series advances and I'm glad to see Carl Mørck and Assad are becoming more friendly with each other as they investigate another cold case, together with Rose, an essential part of the team but whose presence this time out was somewhat muted. The plot was a tad drawn out but Adler-Olsen can always bring it all together in the end. A nod to William Frost who successfully translates the incomparable humour.

This was an audiobook read by Graeme Malcolm who reads M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series of which I've listened to a lot. The voice is so familiar that I wouldn't have been surprised if Hamish had turned up.

>76 VivienneR: Lighthearted yet serious is a good recommendation, so I've found it on Overdrive and added it to the wish list.

>80 pamelad: I hope you enjoy it, Pam!

>77 dudes22: I could have written this exact same thing. I think I tried it once and couldn't get into it but put it back on the shelf. Gotta try it again.

>82 clue: I hope you give it another chance, Luanne. Maybe you couldn't get into it because not a lot happens at the beginning. As well, there are some places where it's not to be taken literally, like Balthazar's rain collection, which is a pretty weird hobby! There is a purpose for it that is revealed at the end.

Arrivals - Bluebells

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

Another terrific suspenseful mystery from Hawkins, usually referred to as author of The Girl on the Train, this one involved murder instigated by revenge. But who to believe? It is also made more interesting by including excerpts from a novel one of the characters is writing, which echoes the plot.

I acquired this one as soon as I saw it because I enjoyed the first so much. I'm glad to say I found this one just as captivating from the first page.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1982

Mr. Bliss by J.R.R Tolkien

Tolkien wrote and illustrated this delightful book for his own children when they were young but it was not published until 1982. His handwritten story and illustrations are reproduced in the book with printed text on opposing pages. It was inspired by his own driving mishaps with his first car in the early 1930s. Full of humour and silliness, it's just the kind of story to have youngsters hooting with laughter. And the illustrations of the yellow car with red wheels are beautiful.

Despite my friend attempts to get me to try Tolkien, this was my first book. Now I am ready to try more.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1966 & Bingo Retelling

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

When I first read Jane Eyre as a pre-teen I accepted that the madwoman in the attic was indeed suffering from some sort of mental condition that made her a mental blank, scary but easily written off on the printed page, and that Jane's story was the romantic, sad story - more appealing to readers of my age. Later I was able to see Rochester for what he really was yet for years I clung to Jane's tale of a love story gone wrong. Rhys explodes this idea and reveals the barbaric tragedy, telling it from a different angle in this novel.

Rhys' prequel makes sense to anyone familiar with Jane Eyre but that familiarity is not necessary to appreciate it. Rhys never names Rochester or even Antoinette's husband's name, although he begins to call her 'Bertha', Eyre's name for Rochester's wife, the madwoman in the attic.

The novel begins in the lush tropical landscape of the Caribbean that gives a false sense of comfort. Antoinette's father died leaving nothing but debt and after a time living in dire poverty her mother married the wealthy Mason who arranged a marriage for Antoinette. Before long her new husband is sleeping with the servant and believing malicious reports from dubious sources about Antoinette. While Rhys shows some sympathy for the crumbling world of slave owners after emancipation, the dangers they face set the stage for the eventual atrocity.

While the story is memorable I can't say I enjoyed it. However, it makes Jane Eyre more conceivable given the Victorian mores of the time. However, that sad love story of my childhood is gone forever.

Andrea Ashworth's introduction calls this a "shimmering" novel illuminating the other side of the story, and goes on to explain how the text was created - with a lot of author obstruction - from scribbled fragments on scraps of paper stored in bags under the bed, a vision that is at odds with her description. As I read, I kept envisioning those dusty bags of paper. Evidently Rhys had some experience of mental distress. That the book was ever published is thanks to Diana Athill, literary editor for Andre Deutsch.

On reading more about Jean Rhys I found that when she finished school in England and refused to return to the Caribbean as her parents wished, she worked for a while as a chorus girl, adopting the name Vivienne.

>86 VivienneR: I'm also currently reading this one!

>87 Tess_W: I was down to about 20 pages last night but couldn't finish it knowing I'd never sleep. I'll be interested in reading your comments, Tess.

>88 VivienneR: It might be another week yet.....I "lost" the book and had to order another one. My library has no copies nor do any of the used bookstores near me. I'm awaiting it's arrival from Amazon. I was about half way through when I "lost" it. I could have left it at my mothers or it could have fallen out of the car when I was loading and unloading it. A mystery!

>89 Tess_W: Oh, sorry to hear that, Tess. Strangely, my original copy is missing too and I had to borrow the book from the library, a bit tattered but readable. I hope you find yours.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1996

Reality and Dreams by Muriel Spark

Tom Richards is a film dirctor who creates his films from brief incidents in his life. The current dazzling cinematic creation is 'The Hamburger Girl', inspired when he saw a girl cooking hamburgers at a campsite. Scintillating.

This one is not her best, but I never fail enjoy Spark's books, beautifully written, witty, with just a dash of vinegar.

February Summary

Books read this month: 16
Read to date 2022: 35

The Best: ❤️
The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart
Ghost Wall by Patricia Moss
Judas Country by Gavin Lyall
Tigerman by Nick Harkaway
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Sirens Sang of Murder by Sarah Caudwell
The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

The Rest:
The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny
Asylum by Patrick McGrath
Mr Bliss by J.R.R. Tolkien
Reality and Dreams by Muriel Spark

Also Ran (not duds, just not winners for me)
The Shadows by Alex North
LT's Theory of Pets by Stephen King

The Hanging Girl is my next Dept. Q book. Glad to see it was good.

>93 hailelib: The stories can be very dark, but I keep reading because I love the characters.

I need to return to the Dept. Q series. I really enjoyed the first and just hadn't gotten around to reading the next in the series yet. Glad to hear that the series continues to be good.

>95 mathgirl40: I enjoyed the first one too, but then hated the second that I felt was full of gratuitous violence. It was a while before I was brave enough to continue the series.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley: 1972
& Bingo - Gardenia: published in a year ending with 2

Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin by P.G. Wodehouse

Montrose (Monty) Bodkin has a lot in common with Bertie Wooster: he gets up to as many antics and falls in love with the same ease, but he is less of a comic caricature. Although he inherited wealth, he is not from an aristocratic family. He has been told by his fiancee's father that he must earn his living for one year to get permission to marry. Monty gets a job with Ivor LLewellyn, a Hollywood tycoon while he and his ambitious wife, Grayce, seek out the rich and titled in England. At the centre of the story is a valuable string of pearls, surrounded by the Llewellen's recently acquired friends and a private detective they hired, who are all odious villains. This was a lot of fun and I liked it even more than Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster stories, although I believe he could have ended it successfully a hundred pages earlier.

AlphaKIT - Bouvardia : March P

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

Typical of Kinsella, this is fresh and sparkling, with some romance naturally. Katie left her rural Somerset home to follow her dream to live and work in London. When she was fired through no fault of her own, she went back home and helped her father and step-mother to start a glampsite on the farm. "Glamping" was a new word to me and I had to look it up to find out it is a combination of glamour and camping. With Yurts, wifi, 400 thread count sheets, and every luxury, this is not the camping I've ever experienced. I enjoyed this fun novel that demonstrates just how much a young woman can achieve.

>98 VivienneR: Sounds like a fun book. On my WL is goes. I'm very familiar with glamping as my sister has a 60 foot camper---it's "glamping!"

>99 Tess_W: Oh, lucky you! I thought it was the height of luxury when I got a tent I could stand up in.

>100 VivienneR: Oh, I've never "glamped" in it! My sister lives about 2000 miles from me, but I do "visit" her when she is closer!

>101 Tess_W: Ah, then we can both add glamping to our wish lists.

RandomKIT - Gerbera - Hobby love: Theatre

Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor

Said to be a fictionalized biography loosely based on John Millington Synge, best known as one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, and his fiancée at the time of his death. While fictionalized biographies are not my preferred genre because they leave me wondering just what is fiction, what is not, this is a poetic and moving story. Although based on fact, it is undoubtedly fiction, telling the story of an unseemly relationship between Molly Allgood, an ambitious teenager from a poor family, and Synge, the passionate son of a prosperous landowning family, and the struggle to accept their differences. Told by Molly in 1952 in her alcohol-soaked declining days, she is an unreliable narrator. O'Connor's afterword admitted that most events in the book never happened. It's a well-written beautiful story but I'm still not a fan of fictionalized biography.

>103 VivienneR: I've not read this one, but I did read O'Connor's Star of the Sea many years ago and thought it was fantastically written. Bleak, but very very good.

>104 Jackie_K: Thank you Jackie, that's one I'll watch out for. I haven't explored the library holdings for O'Connor yet. Good to have a recommendation.

MysteryKIT - Daisy - small towns, big secrets

Death of an Honest Man by M.C. Beaton

Another very enjoyable tale about Hamish Macbeth policing Lochdubh. Sonsie features again in this story - or is it really Sonsie?

>98 VivienneR: Glamping remains camping, no matter how much glamour is added. In my experience. it still involves the unpleasantness of a trip to a very cold loo seat at 2 in the morning.
I'm not a fan, can you tell? We had our work away day the last 2 years at a glamping site. *shudder*.

>107 Helenliz: Funny to hear that because I thought of you as I read the book! I remembered your description of the work away days that sounded like they would fit the glamping definition. I've always enjoyed camping but I really don't think 400 thread count sheets etc. would make it any different. Sitting around the most luxurious camp fire would still make you smell like a kipper.

I hope your next work away days are spent in a luxurious hotel.

>108 VivienneR:
>107 Helenliz:

My sister's glamper, has its own toilet & shower, oven, and fridge! The "fun" part is sitting around the campfire well into night and during the day hiking. But always nice to come "home" to a hot shower, even if the shower stall is about a 2 x 6 box!

I don't mind RVs with their own showers/toilets nearly as much as the ones that force you to make a trip to the bathhouse in the middle of the night. Fortunately you can find portable toilets that use bags with a powder that thickens the waste and makes it safer for septic systems). It's a pain disposing of it the next day, but it does prevent the "cold seat" syndrome.

>109 Tess_W: That "box" shower is heaps better than a couple of litres of warm water in a basin in the tent while trying not to get the sleeping bag wet.

>110 thornton37814: There are so many clever inventions to avoid "cold seat" syndrome!

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1999
BingoDOG - Gardenia - with gold on the cover

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

A woman and her young daughter arrive in town to open a chocolate shop right across from the church - and quelle horreur! she's wearing a red coat. She is obviously wanton, confirmed by her fatherless child and her friendship with river gypsies. The bigoted priest takes her on as a personal enemy. I was not sure where Harris was going with this story, a campaign against the church, or between good and evil, or chocolate and church, or just a way of mentioning how many delicious things can be made with chocolate. If it's the latter, she succeeds. Naturally, chocolate won. A sweet, sentimental fantasy.

Fresh Faces - Daffodil

Open Season by C.J. Box

This was my first book by Box, a good western mystery featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett. I liked the characters and suspect they will grow into their parts in later episodes. Entertaining enough that I'll be reading more in the series, although I have to admit I prefer Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire stories.

>113 VivienneR: I just finished Box's Vicious Circle, book 17--I didn't know it was book 17 when I started. I liked it well enough that when I finish the books I'm currently reading to seek out this one. I'm currently reading the Longmire Book 1 and only have about 10 pages until I'm finished. I like both series. But honestly, I don't do very well in completing series!

>114 Tess_W: I know how you feel about all those incomplete series. Before LT I just read whatever came to hand at the library, I didn't stick to series order so they are all over the place. A friend who was visiting for a while was a big fan of Longmire on Netflix. We binge-watched while she was here and I got my fill so it will be a while before Johnson appears on my reading list.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley: 2013
BingoDOG - Gardenia : set in a capital city

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

The third in the series, this one opens some time after Bridget becomes a widow and is bringing up two children on her own. Still watching her weight, counting calories and everything else while rewriting Hedda Gabler. The content is much the same as before, updated from the nineties to the new millennium by including difficulty with Twitter and remote controls, and the ongoing search for a man. Funny as ever, even with the repetition, but the sparkling originality has gone.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1987

The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters

Peters is accomplished at creating the 12th century air and mediaeval life but there wasn't much call for a herbalist in this story so Cadfael did not feature much. Still, it was an entertaining tale and recommended to Cadfael fans.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1976
& RandomKIT - Gerbera: Hobby Love - March

So Much Blood by Simon Brett

Scotland, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Charles Paris - what more can you ask for?

This is an early Charles Paris mystery before he became the jaded jobbing actor of later episodes still drawn to criminal investigations, usually partnered with a bottle of Bell's. No matter when in his life, he always provides a fun mystery novel.

CATS Forget Me Not - ShakespeareCAT April: Revenge

Rizzio by Denise Mina

We are all familiar with snippets of Mary Queen of Scots history, but Mina fills in the details of the tragic night of March 9, 1566 when her private secretary David Rizzio was murdered. This riveting account is a must-read!

Five stars because I couldn't put it down and it kept me up until 3am to finish it in one sitting.

>119 VivienneR: A 5 star book! I need to try to locate that one. Mina's books are difficult to find around here. When she came up in an author challenge a few years ago, I had to borrow a book from our Irish lit professor.

ETA: It's in one of my library's Overdrive collections. I need to finish up some other things, but I hope I get to it soon!

>119 VivienneR: I love Denise Mina and this one has really caught my eye - I will definitely be adding it to my reading list.

>119 VivienneR: ohhhh. Tempting.

>120 thornton37814: Lori, I was lucky that I saw it immediately after it was placed on the new books shelf at the library. I grabbed it right away. It's quite short, less than 200 pages.

>121 DeltaQueen50: I know you will love it, Judy.

>122 Helenliz: Mary Queen of Scots is hard to resist. Same goes for Denise Mina.

Departures - Sweet Pea

The Embroidered Towel by Mikhail Bulgakov

This story recalls the twenty-four year-old Bulgakov's arrival in remote Muryovo as a newly (barely) qualified doctor. He worries incessantly about the possibility of getting a patient with peritonitis, or worse, a child with croup. His first patient turned out to be a girl who'd had a disastrous farming accident requiring amputaton. I don't know if his skill as a doctor matched his own low opinion but his writing ability is superb.

This is one of his semi-autobiographical stories published in periodicals in the 1920s and published posthumously as a collection in 1963 with the title A Country Doctor's Notebook that I heartily recommend.

Bulgakov was born in Kiev, Ukraine and studied medicine at Kiev University.

>124 VivienneR: I read A Country Doctor's Notebook a few years ago and echo your hearty recommendation! It was very sobering, but so beautifully written.

>119 VivienneR: I have this one from the library now! Looking forward to reading it.

>125 Jackie_K: Wasn't it wonderful! I expected something entirely different but found it so appealing.

>126 rabbitprincess: I knew you would be reading this right away! I'll be watching for your opinion. Your Scottish history is better than mine.

>124 VivienneR: I have that in a Russian Anthology. Hopefully will open it up this year!

>128 Tess_W: Great! Short stories are not my thing but this one is perfect.

>129 VivienneR: I'm not a fan of the short story, either. However, occasionally I use them to fulfill a CAT or they have been recommended by someone else.

Rizzio sounds great, Vivienne. I'll add it to my list.

>130 Tess_W: Me too! I knew I'd enjoy this one because I'd read and enjoyed the book where it first appeared, A Country Doctor's Notebook. I always felt sorry for that poor doctor.

>131 BLBera: Glad you are going to try Rizzio, Beth. The story in a few pages of a history book has always been tragic but a reader can pass on by without thinking of what it was really like. Mina described just how appalling it was and how traumatic for those present, especially Mary who was pregnant.

Arrivals - Bluebells

It Had To Be You by Jill Churchill

Set in 1933 this is a sweet cosy mystery in the Grace and Favour nursing home where siblings Lily and Robert Brewster have found a job. On their first day a resident is found smothered. Strangely, he would have died within hours anyway.

I enjoyed the frequent warnings about eavesdropping telephone operators. They must have been a big problem for detectives back then.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1977 & AlphaKIT March

The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and six more by Roald Dahl

Henry Sugar found a story of a man named Imrat Khan who learned how to see without his eyes. This was exactly what Sugar dreamed of, he would be able to cheat even more than usual at card games. You have to admire the ingenuity of Dahl.

Although not my favourite Dahl book, Henry Sugar was the best of the stories included in the collection, one of which was autobiographical, the details of which were covered in Boy, a book I can recommend. Not specifically a children's book, this is a good sampling of Dahl's work for all ages.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1988 & AlphaKIT S

Spy Hook by Len Deighton

This isn't le Carré, or Forsythe, or even Herrick, but it's a decent spook story. It was my first Deighton in many years and I worried that stepping into the middle of a series was expecting too much, but no need to worry. And even without the mild cliffhanger ending I'll be reading more in the series.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley: 1991
& Bingo - Gardenia: Flowers on the cover

Jericho by Dirk Bogarde

William Caldicott's marriage is about to break up when he receives a letter informing him that his much younger brother James has walked away from his life in France in an attempt to find "oblivion" and wants William to take over his house. It's an unbelievable premise considering the pair have never communicated. William, conveniently in a position where he can abandon his wife and two children, sets off to France to try to find out where James has gone. He discovers a a sister-in-law and handicapped nephew as well as a startling story of S&M activity. Bogarde's words flow smoothly and the opening was good before getting bogged down in non-events. Some authors can get away with unlikeable characters, Bogarde did not. This was disappointing.

>135 VivienneR: I love Deighton, but not that cover (ew spider!). I want to re-read the Samson books sometime.

>137 rabbitprincess: Spiders don't bother me but I agree, the cover is not attractive. I plan on reading through the series soon too. It's been so long since I read any that they will be like new.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1980

Rumpole's Return by John Mortimer

Rumpole and 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' have moved to Florida to spend their retirement at the invitation of their son Nick. But as soon as Rumpole hears of a bloody murder case in London he rushes back, delighted to exchange poolside barbecues for the Old Bailey.

RandomKIT - Gerbera: April Showers

Snow by John Banville

When a priest is found murdered and castrated it doesn't take too much imagination to determine who might have committed the deed. This is 1957 and St. John Strafford is the investigating officer, a lone protestant detective among the mainly Catholic police force in a country ruled by the Catholic church. He is instructed by the archbishop to treat the death as an accident to protect the reputation of the church. Banville's writing is atmospheric, melancholy, enhanced by Irish culture and the snowstorm raging outside "with snowflakes as big as communion wafers". Not a whodunnit, but an exposé of the powerful. Despite the body being found in the library, this is certainly no Miss Marple.

>140 VivienneR: I didn't like that one as well as some of Banville's other work.

>140 VivienneR: I was really revolted and still haven't recovered from the cold sore in the caravan.

>141 thornton37814: I've read other books by Banville but actually don't remember them much. This one is certainly memorable. And although it is shocking, some Irish author had to write about it.

>142 pamelad: I agree. That was gruesome. I could feel my brain trying to avoid it.

Learwife by J.R. Thorp

The format makes this a chore to read not only because the print is quite small but also because all dialogue whether actual or in thought appears in italics and without the usual punctuation, a style I particularly dislike. It was the first book I picked up in January and after setting it aside a few times I still haven't finished. I'm setting it aside again, maybe for outdoor reading lit by bright sunshine.

Thorp describes what's missing from Shakespeare's play, that is, the events that preceded it. Lear's wife, who has spent years in a nunnery, is imperious and haughty, fit to be the consort of a king. I'm looking forward to reading this book.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 2019

The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths

Another terrific episode in the Ruth Galloway series. I love the unfolding personal stories as well as the mysteries, this time three cases, separate but connected. This, the 11th in the series was a redemption after a disappointing 10th episode.

March Summary

There were some surprises in March, books I expected to like a lot fell short while others exceeded my expectations.

Books read this month: 18
Read to date 2022: 53

The Best: ❤️
Rizzio by Denise Mina
The Embroidered Towel by Mikhail Bulgakov
Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin by P.G. Wodehouse
My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
So Much Blood by Simon Brett
The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar and six more by Roald Dahl
Snow by John Banville
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths

The Rest:
Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor
Death of an Honest Man by M.C. Beaton
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Open Season by C.J. Box
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters
It Had To Be You by Jill Churchill
Spy Hook by Len Deighton
Rumpole's Return by John Mortimer

Also Ran
Jericho by Dirk Bogarde

>146 VivienneR: How did I miss that you read So Much Blood? I love those old Simon Bretts.

>147 NinieB: I love them too! And So Much Blood was excellent!

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 2017
AlphaKIT - Bouvardia April J

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Looks like missing child mysteries are trending. This was an audiobook and I didn't care for the narrator, which didn't help the story any. The characters didn't appeal much either so that left the burden of responsibility on the plot and I figured that out very quickly. It was farfetched to say the least. I'm having second thoughts about Jewell's books.

>147 NinieB:, >148 VivienneR: The library had them in the yellow Gollancz editions. Gollancz published so many good crime novels that the yellow cover would almost guarantee an enjoyable read. I also like the early Charles Paris books best. Age and drink have caught up with Charles in the later books so he's a bit of a misery.

>150 pamelad: Yes, I read one of the recent ones and it didn't have the sparkle of the early ones.

>150 pamelad: & >151 NinieB: I agree the early ones have more sparkle but I love them all. I might try to fill in a few spaces in my collection for my Thingaversary next month.

Catching up, Vivienne.

I can never decide if I enjoy John Banville's writing or not. I think he's a very skilful writer, but there's always a bit of melancholy about him.

>153 AlisonY: Good to see you dropping by, Alison. I feel the same way about Banville. I've had to set aside some of his books because of that melancholy. Maybe the timing needs to be right to enjoy his writing.

Familiar Faces - Blue Hyacinth

The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths

This is a series by Griffiths that I like even more than the Ruth Galloway series. Set in Brighton it features mid-century entertainment typical of British seaside resorts. Stephens and Mephisto, the Magic Men, are now enjoying the delights of 1965, which is a reminder that this series is best read in order. It's a glimpse of life for women police officers in the sixties when they were not allowed to drive a police car, marry, or participate fully in serious cases like murder, as well as a lot of other foolish rules. This is a well-constructed, though complex, mystery that kept me guessing right to the end. Griffiths is a great writer, has created excellent characters, as well as getting the history correct.

Read for ScaredyKIT, this fills the Read a CAT/KIT bingo square.

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

This was my first novel by Connelly but it won't be my last. I wasn't convinceed that Haller had met the truly innocent client, but Haller almost believed it. Gripping right to the end.

>156 VivienneR: - There's also a movie of the same name with Michael McConaughey as Haller.

>156 VivienneR: Loved both the book and the movie!

>155 VivienneR: I keep meaning to start this series. Thanks for the reminder to move it up my list.

>157 dudes22: & >158 Tess_W: I love Michael McConaughey so this goes on my viewing list.

>159 beebeereads: I've had the book for ages, imagining it to be ho-hum, glad I moved it up my list.

MysteryKIT April: Noir

Exit Music by Ian Rankin

The last Rebus book? As we know now, years after this was published, Rebus did not ride off into the sunset. This was a typical Rebus case except Siobhan was leading the investigation. Too bad Rebus wasn't successful in putting Big Ger Cafferty safely behind bars a long time ago. Siobhan's retirement gift to Rebus was an iPod filled with music, for the man whose taste in music either influenced his fans or confirmed their good taste. And then, when everything is done and the party is over, an astonishing conclusion!

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 1994

Dead Lagoon: An Aurelio Zen mystery by Michael Dibdin

Zen goes back to his home town of Venice on the pretext of helping a family friend who is being scared to death by 'ghosts', In fact he is quietly investigating what appears to be a politically sensitive case about a missing man. There's a mayoral election taking place and the story was somewhat slowed by the political campaigning of a radical making it less of a page turner than others. However, it voiced the concerns Venetians have about their city and their future. And the city of Venice became a character in itself. Darker than most of Dibdin's novels but I enjoyed every minute.

This fills my Bingo square for a book I'd like to see as a movie - but only if Rufus Sewell is playing Aurelio Zen.

It also fits Z in AlphaKIT.

>162 VivienneR: I wish they'd made more Zen episodes! Rufus Sewell was great.

>163 rabbitprincess: Agreed!! It seems only three episodes are on DVD. I was sure there were more than that on the tv series.

>164 VivienneR: I think that was all they made :(

>165 rabbitprincess: I seem to remember at the end of the third episode on DVD the producer (?) saying something to the effect that it was too expensive to film in Italy and nowhere else would do, it had to be Italy.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 2006
AlphaKIT - Bouvardia - X & L

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser

I've read several of Fraser's books and she never disappoints. What I liked best in this one was that she concentrated on details of Louis' personal life and that of his lovers while the topics of politics and war were minimal. This must have been a joy for Fraser to write because there is so much known about the Sun King whose every move was noted by someone in his circle. Because her topic is so focussed, she is able to include significant details about general life (for royalty) such as birth control, childbirth, hygiene and medical treatments. However the mistresses and numerous offspring (all having similar names) form a mass of individuals that is tricky to follow, it is wise to make notes. Highly recommended.

Departures - Sweet Pea

Descent Into Night by Edem Awumey translated by Phyllis Aronoff & Howard Scott

Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award 2018.

Ito Baraka is a writer who remembers his part in a failed African revolution. He is haunted by the violent events and torture he experienced that he believes influenced the bad choices he made later. Now in Quebec he wants to tell the real story but he's limited by alcoholism and illness. It wasn't an easy story to read or follow. It's dark, explicit, brutal, yet literary although the style can mask the meaning in places. Powerful.

>85 VivienneR: I enjoyed looking through your cheerful flower themes. Also, I didn't realize Tolkien had written another book for his children besides Letters From Father Christmas. I will need to make a note of Mr. Bliss for my own reading list. Wishing you good luck with all your reading challenges during the remainder of 2022.

>169 Ann_R: Thanks, it's nice to see new faces here!

>167 VivienneR: I've had that on the shelf for ages. Must get around to it.

>171 Helenliz: I always enjoy Antonia Fraser's books but I'm not as familiar with French royalty so this one was more of a challenge to get everyone straight in my mind. The only version available to me was an audiobook making it more of a challenge until I made a list of names. Rosalyn Landor's narration was fabulous.

Familiar Faces - Blue Hyacinth

Fight Night by Miriam Toews

A funny, touching, heartwarming book from Toews featuring three generations of women. The story is told by Swiv, a nine-year-old girl who has been suspended from school for fighting. She lives with her pregnant mother, Mooshie, an actress, and Elvira, her feisty grandmother, who assigns Swiv the task of writing a letter to her absent father. Swiv in turn directs grandma to write to the unborn baby known as "Gord". Naturally, living in such close conditions provides Swiv with an unusual maturity for a girl of her age and yet she still has the innocence of a child. It was difficult to decide which character was my favourite, Elivira or Swiv. The pairing was fantastic.

Toews' books are always wonderful but this is my favourite by far. I've never had so many laugh-out-loud moments from one book.

>173 VivienneR: On your recommendation I've been looking for books by Miriam Toews and have finally found an ebook in CloudLibrary of All My Puny Sorrows, which has started well.

Melbourne's libraries use so many different ebook applications. I have accounts with Overdrive, Freading, CloudLibrary and Bolinda.

>167 VivienneR: Oh I love French royalty! This will go on my WL.

>174 pamelad: Toews' books are filled with literary references. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Your multiple ebook applications are impressive. I just have Overdrive.

>175 Tess_W: Glad to have been able to assist your WL.

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley

A Dubious Legacy by Mary Wesley

A very subtle story centred on Henry, who married a woman that his now deceased father chose to rescue by making her Henry's wife, the dubious legacy of the title. When Henry takes Margaret to his home she went to bed and there she stayed. It's a sparsely-written story - spread over 40 years, more of a saga - that is in places hard to believe but nevertheless packed with passion. The outdoor dinner party was like a scene from a horror version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Fresh Faces - Daffodil

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

This is the type of book that can't be put down because although it's about ordinary people, their lives are believable and captivating. I fell in love with Liam and eight-year-old Clara. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Alice Munro and Kent Haruf.

Thanks to mathgirl40 for the BB

>178 VivienneR: - I took a BB for this last year and have seen more good things about it since then.

>179 dudes22: I'm glad the BB hit me too. I'll be looking for more by Mary Lawson.

>178 VivienneR: I heard about this sometime last year I think. So glad it came across my field of vision again. Definitely adding it to my TBR this time. Thanks!

>181 beebeereads: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Sometimes it takes several nudges to get a book to the top of the heap.

AuthorCAT - Debut - Forget Me Not

There There by Tommy Orange

This powerful novel is wise and insightful as it relates the stories of twelve Native Americans who attend a Powwow in Oakland. Orange captured the individuality of each character yet showed the common problems they face. It's an astonishing debut. Highly recommended.

I can't wait until I get my hands on A Town Called Solace. I loved Crow Lake when I read it a number of years ago.

>184 DeltaQueen50: Good to know about Crow Lake because I have it on my library list. I'm looking forward to it.

edited to make more sense :(

BINGO - Gardenia - favourite author

Heart of the City by Robert Rotenberg

Rotenberg has been one of my favourite authors since I read his first book Old City Hall and with this, his fifth in the series, that standing hasn't changed. I love the Toronto location, and although it's a long way from where I live, it's so familiar that it feels like home. In the last episode Detective Ari Greene was a suspect, even charged, with murder, here he is able to restore his reputation. In the interim he discovered a twenty-year-old daughter he has never known about. She has moved to Toronto to live with Greene and plays a minor part in this story. The main theme is related to the city's housing and development problems.

BINGO - Gardenia - features a dog

Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt

When Andy Carpenter witnessed a dog being beaten another man rushes to stop the abuse and gets into a fight with the dog owner leading to arrest for both men. Turns out, the protector is a wanted man because his DNA was found on a murder victim. Andy chooses to defend him and has to prove that the DNA was planted on the victim. Rosenfelt's stories are always well written, filled with unexpected twists, and highly entertaining.

I've 15 of the 25 squares filled but still no Bingo!

QEII Platinum Jubilee - Lily of the Valley 2002

The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh

Dark, disturbing, explicit, yet entertaining and not without humour. Rilke, an auctioneer in a second-rate auction house, is tasked by the sister of a dead man to empty her brother's house for auction and to personally deal with the contents of a locked room and destroy everything. When he has a first look in the attic room he finds a collection of pornographic books and distressing snuff photography. Gripped by a set of photos featuring a young woman, Rilke is compelled to find out if they were staged or if the girl was murdered. He begins by asking some shady characters he knows if this kind of setting can be faked.

Rilke himself is no angel, avenging or not, but a seedy, dissolute type who in the first few pages is arrested for having an illicit sexual encounter with a stranger in the park. Welsh lets the plot digress somewhat while she provides a picture of Glasgow's transvestite bars, drug dealers and Rilke's sexual experiences. She also offers an interesting look at auction houses and their sidekick clientele bent on fixing prices and profiting from legitimate transactions.

I almost abandoned this book after only a few pages but knowing the acclaim Welsh received, I'm glad I chose to continue because it is a brilliant example of literary noir fiction. Welsh's writing and characters have originality, and both are delightfully Glaswegian. It's not a book that I can recommend universally, but for those who enjoy the genre, it's a must read. I will definitely be reading more by Welsh.

Departures - Sweet Pea

Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness by Sicelo Mbatha

Mbatha contemplates the age-old question of how humankind finds its place in nature. In beautiful prose, and with spiritual wisdom the author describes human and animal reliance on each other. Mbatha's devotion to his subject became his raison d'etre when he became a volunteer guide with the Infolozi Nature Reserve for three years.

This is a book that will happily find a place in the collection of any reader who is curious to understand how humans fit in a chaotic and mysterious world.

Fresh Faces - Daffodil

The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol

An intriguing story featuring a life of isolation on an island lighthouse on Lake Superior. Pendziwol takes the story back and forward in time more successfully than most writers have accomplished. Atmospheric, captivating, and with unexpected turns, this made great reading

>190 VivienneR: a BB for me!

>191 Tess_W: Great! I think you'll like it, Tess.

Familiar Faces - Blue Hyacinth

The List by Mick Herron

This novella from one of my favourite series Slough House was a perfect book to fill a short reading time. When Diana Taverner, known on the quiet as Lady Di, discovered that recently deceased spy Dieter Hess had a secret bank account she had a blistering talk with his handler, John Bachelor. To avoid the complete ruination of his career - and pension - Bachelor searched Hess' house for evidence - and found a coded list of ten names. He tasks a rookie to find out more. And that could have been his biggest mistake. A great story, displaying Herron's excellent writing skills. As always, he provides a funny, well-crafted, literate story.

April Summary

Books read this month: 17
Read to date 2022: 70

The Best: ❤️
The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
The List by Mick Herron
The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
Exit Music by Ian Rankin
Dead Lagoon: An Aurelio Zen mystery by Michael Dibdin
A Dubious Legacy by Mary Wesley
There, There by Tommy Orange
Heart of the City by Robert Rotenberg
Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt

The Rest:
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Descent Into Night by Edem Awumey
Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness by Sicelo Mbatha