I have my name down at the local library for the new series by Richard Osman, both for the normal and Large Print copies and will be glad to read whichever comes available first! I am now around fourth in line on both lists.

Vee and Ann, I read the new Richard Osman book, We Solve Murders, last fall. I didn’t like it at first because I was expecting the Thurs Murder Club, but I ended up liking it by the time I finished.

I’m reading Spirit Crossing by William Kent Kruger. Enjoying it a lot.

Donna

*sigh*....I am conflicted. I want to like Night Circus and on the other hand I want to toss it aside. I keep hoping it's going to be delightful soon.

Yoyobon, I tried to read it a few years ago but couldn’t get into it; it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Good for you for trying!

I've never read The Diary of Anne Frank and plan to start it later today.

Seaborne by Nuala O'Connor has been on the BBC's 'Book at Bedtime'. It has been described as a rollicking, thrilling story of piracy with Anne Bonny as the female protagonist in the Caribbean, but came over (the airwaves) as very one dimensional, the reader having a flat voice with no variation for high drama or pathos. Disappointing.

Well, I'm reading a bit from Anne's diary and then reading for fun for awhile another Robert Crais book, Sunset Express.

The Night Circus may be magical to some readers but I had to yell " Uncle !".

Tossed it.

I am now instantly enjoying The Lions Of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis.

yoybon, personally, I tossed it and have never regretted the decision.

Currently reading Hard Times by Studs Terkel about the Great Depression. Very interesting to "see" that time via oral histories of those who lived it. I read Work by the same author and enjoyed it immensely.

PAM

Yoyobon - A year or two ago, I also gave The Night Circus a try. It has a good title and a good premise, so like you, I expected to like it. I don't even remember what I didn't like about it, but I believe you gave it more of a go than I did. That's just the way it goes sometimes.

My last book of 2024 was another re-read for me--books that have stayed with me. This one was the non-fiction book, The Unredeemed Captive by John Demos. It's the riveting story of a girl captured in the Deerfield (Massachusetts) Massacre raid of 1704 during the ongoing war between the British and the French and their Indian allies. It was common practice--still is--for enemies to capture people and then use them to trade for their own captives and/or for money. But what if a captive does not want to return? That's the story here.

Seven-year-old Eunice Williams, daughter of Deerfield's minister and most important citizen, prefers her new Indian family in Canada and the Catholic faith she has wholeheartedly adopted. Her father doesn't know which is worse. For decades, he and later his sons and others, including the French, try to get her to return. She refuses, marries an Indian and has children.

There is much more in this amazing story from early America. It was written by one of the premier scholars of early New England and is heavily sourced. It's not a light read in places but is a book I will never forget.

I have just borrowed a library book recommended by SYKM The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective by Sara Lodge. It isn't a mystery novel but a non-fiction look at early women detectives in fiction. Just suits my mood this hot weather to have something I can pick up, read now and again and not have to race through to find the culprit!

OT; Ever heard of " info dumping " ? It is a writer's problem when they tend to add too much information about a character or scene. I've certainly gone glassy-eyed reading some overly descriptive passages. And now I know the term used to describe it !

What a good description!

I don't go glassy-eyed though, I just skip and mutter "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Get on with the story!"

Thanks for that ”info”! LOL I find Tom Clancy to have an over-abundance of info regarding helicopters, guns, etc.

I’m reading The Wildes by Louis Bayard. It’s a novel about Oscar and Constance Wilde. I’m enjoying it quite a bit.

I stopped reading Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell to read The Wildes. Slow Dance is a story about a woman who has serious psychological hang ups and a man (with his own psychological hang ups) who was her best friend in high school. They keep getting together then splitting up. I’ve read about a third of it, and don’t know if I’ll finish it. Don’t know if I’m interested in another 300 pages of them circling around each other.

Donna

Ann........I don't skip over it because amidst all the " Blah, blah, blah " I might miss the " ....and she had a small silver knife tucked carefully into her lacy black garter . "

Yoyo, right! You mustn't miss that important detail!

There was a story on TV today about a website that can tell readers where to skip sexually explicit content in popular books! I have heard of lists of books that could offend but not precise passages!

I’m still slowly working my way through A Pirate’s Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne. I read a few pages, maybe a chapter or two, then stop and pick up something else for a bit. I also have going The House Witch by Delemhach, and a book I just picked up today, Water Moon by Samantha Soto Yambao.

I've read a lot of books over the past several months, some quite enjoyable but most of them trivial time-fillers. I always look for that truly memorable book that resonates long after I have finished reading it. There have been perhaps two or three during this time, whihc seems to be a respectable number. When I do discover one I post the title on this forum. I just found the first one for 2025, so I want to share my enthusiasm.

It is a first novel by a writer named Sarah Brooks. I read it because it was described as being appealing to those who loved Piranesi, which definitely describes me. Most often books described as appealing to readers who loved this or that book are nothing but a feeble echo of the book they are said to resemble. I do feel that The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wasteland is actually very different from Piranesi, but it does share a beautifully developed and unearthly setting, this time a vast and dangerous wasteland with travellers journeying through it on a train. The travellers are not physically isolated as the hero of Piranesi was, but they are cut off from the outer world. And within the confines of the train they are each emotionally isolated from each other in various ways, mostly by secrets and experiences or feelings they are unwilling to share.

I absolutely loved it. I read it free from Kindle Unlimited, but have just ordered a print copy for my library at home. I will definitely want to read it again.

What a nice story, Ann.

Last night I started reading James Michener's Hawaii again in preparation for a cruise my daughter and I are taking to Tahiti and some of the other South Pacific islands in late February. This is a bucket list trip for me. I have loved the book since it was first published and especially the portion where he dealt with the first people whom he thought came from Tahiti to Hawaii. I have read it more than once--sometimes not all the sections and not for a long time--and the story is still as good to me as at the first reading.

I've read several, and own some, of Michener's books. I think Centennial is my second favorite or maybe The Source. You know what they say--so many books . . .

Carolyn - That's quite a trip you have planned. And it's such a great idea to refresh your knowledge by re-reading Michener's Hawaii. I've never before heard anyone say they read a Michener book more than once. Each book is such a big commitment, but kudos to you for doing this.

I was a Michener fan for some years and my memory believes that The Source was my favorite. I learned so much from it, and of course it's really different than the other Michener books I read, which were all geographically based. I wonder if I could make myself read The Source again. I'm sure I've forgotten much of what I learned from it. Well, that will take some serious considering on my part. But anyway, enjoy your book and your trip!

Carolyn, I read Michener’s Caribbean many years ago before our first Caribbean cruise. I also read Space because I worked for a man who had worked in the space industry and wanted to know more about it.

I finished The Wildes and enjoyed it a lot. Now I’m reading Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers. It’s about a woman who is an art therapist at a mental institution. I haven’t gotten far, but I like it. Both books were on a recent NYT list of historical fiction.

Donna

An unwise pick-up from the library was Christmas With the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. Not my type of book at all. The story jumps about between 1945 and 1957 when our heroine fresh from the typing pool lands a job at the BBC and somehow gets to spend pre Christmas days at Sandringham House where 'The Royals' are gathered, to do a 'Special' for BBC radio. She has already met the young Princess Elizabeth and continues to bump into her, 'helping' her to write her Christmas broadcast to the Commonwealth. The love-interest is an ex US navy chef now working in the Royal Household who again by coincidence had a one-night stand with said heroine.

The authors have done lots of homework and taken the trouble to visit Sandringham and note the furniture, paintings etc. and listen to recordings of the speeches made by the Queen.

The chef, who writes in chapters of his own, is able to rustle-up Cajun recipes from leftovers in the Royal freezer . . ."Shrimp anyone?" Shrimp in England? Let alone freezers!

When ALL the footmen have the day-off he is able to serve afternoon tea with a smiling "Enjoy your meal" and is quite paly with the Duke of Edinburgh.

There are more coincidences than you could shake at stick at, from the heroine being at the scene of the accident that did for the chef's first wife to the endless meetings on the major tour of the Commonwealth with the Queen and her own beau.

Even the Queen has a few chapters in the first person but they are quite icky and twee.

But . . . many people, mainly American, thought the book wonderful so some of you might enjoy it.

Q. Why are the UK Royals followed with such interest by many folk in the US?

I think many see it as a real life soap opera !

Vee, This is a novel I assume? I never heard of it. And I agree with Yoyobon about the soap opera part. But I also think the castles, the jewels the gowns etc. form a setting that attracts interest. Interest also waxes and wanes with the soap opera theme. The nefarious Wallis Simpson affair and later the coronation of a young and pretty Queen Elizabeth are two examples. But it's been non-stop around the world beginning with the Diana drama, and continuing with the two princes and their own stories.

And in defense, when I've mentioned the royal family among my friends, there is a profound lack of interest so I wouldn't assume all or even many Americans have any interest.

A fair point Ginny. At least Wallis Simpson had the sense and good manners to keep her opinions to herself!

Many people over here only take a passing interest in the Royals and a very few are down right hostile. Of course there is far more to the 'job' than lolling around at banquets loaded down with diamonds and ball gowns; much of the work they undertake must be mind numbingly boring. "So you make widgets; how interesting."

Needless to say I have no connection with anything remotely royal, but an old friend told me a few years ago about her grand daughter. This young woman had a well paid but dull job as an accountant and was looking for a change. She sent her cv to an agency who sent her a list of possible interviews to attend. The first was not suitable and the second was very dull but with good pay so she told the agency she would go for it. They seemed surprised she hadn't gone to the final interview and suggested she did. The address was St James' Palace and the job was to work for the then Duchess of Cornwall and, although the pay was nothing to write home about she took the job and found it very interesting. A while later on finding out this young woman was engaged to be married Camilla arranged for the ceremony to be held at the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace. Apparently she is very caring and considerate of her staff.

nb Whenever the 'Queen' is mentioned in the papers or on TV I always think of the late Queen Elizabeth II and not Camilla (must be my age!)

I'll add that in my opinion most are only interested in Harry and his wife just to see what idiocy and self promotion they're up to. I don't think there's much admiration.

Again.......it's a soap opera.

I have made progress on my reading! I managed to finish both A Night in Boukos (a reread) and Sword Dance by A.J. Demas and am now nearly halfway through A Pirate’s Life for Tea by Rebcca Thorne. Also in progress are The House Witch by Delembach

and one I just started, How to Age Disgracefully by Claire Pooley.

Vee, FWIW,

I can't think of Camilla as very "queenly."

I'm about halfway through Hawaii. As you can guess, I haven't been doing much else.

This afternoon, I finished Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This novel has been hugely popular in the U.S. over the past year, and I believe quite admired. I don't get it. I really did not care for it. It did have some good humor in it, particularly the dog who has opinions which he, of course, cannot express. But I would be hard put to think of a more one-dimensional protagonist.

I'm reading The First Ladies by Marie Benedict ( actually listening to it as I do my 40 min. of house-walking inside) and although it is a fascinating story based on Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary Macleod Bethune's friendship it is heavy on social and political issues of the day and drag down the story and the listener.

I have finished Hawaii, and it is every bit as good as I remembered--and had a lot of stuff in it that I didn't remember at all. Alas, The Diary of Anne Frank expired before I finished it. I found I could only read so much of it at a time.

I finished Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers. There were two storylines. Helen has been having an affair with a married man for several years. I found this story tiresome and predictable. The main story, about William, a man who was raised by maiden aunts and who hasn’t been outdoors in daylight for many years, I thought was well-written and charming.

I would recommend it.

Donna

I just finished Our Lady of the World's Fair by Ruth D. Nelson. It's the riveting non-fiction story about how Michaelangelo's Pieta, one of civilization's greatest sculptures, came to the New York World's Fair in NYC in 1964-65. It wasn't easy! Either persuading the pope to let it be moved from St Peter's in Rome across the ocean to Queens or the actual mechanics of packing and moving the sculpture. Though it was heavily insured, no amount of money can produce another Michaelangelo to replace it.

Many were strongly opposed--art historians and church officials who rightly feared damage, Italians who didn't want their heritage removed even temporarily, and others. But somehow, the pope finally agreed, persuaded by Cardinal Spellman of New York, himself backed by Robert Moses, New York's still-controversial urban planner.

The details about the fair in general, the many designers and artists, musicians, lighting specialists and sound engineers involved with the Vatican pavillion make for a fascinating story. It turned out that the Vatican pavillion with the Pieta was the second most popular at the fair. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.

Ginny, I’ve seen the Pieta in St. Peter’s, and it is huge! I can’t imagine trying to move it. That sounds like a very interesting book!

I finished two audiobooks the same day, one a dual listen with my husband.

I have only recently heard of the author Lisa See, an American of Chinese heritage who writes historical fiction set in China. Lady Tan's Circle of Women is based on a 15th century woman doctor from southern China who wrote a book describing some of her cases. She worked almost exclusively with women and children due to the moral code of the day, which included male doctors having to treat women without seeing them (they sat behind a screen or in another room and asked questions), and any doctor not being able to come into contact with blood. This meant there were bone setters and midwives who dealt with possible bloody cases. It was well written and very interesting if you can cope with descriptions of foot binding and its consequences. I previously read and enjoyed The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by the same author.

The other book we eventually finished was Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I found this quite slow initially but came to appreciate its leisurely pace. I was quite disappointed by the sudden ending, which left a lot unknown. I know he wrote three other books with these characters, two prequels and a sequel, so I might explore those.

Ginny......I actually saw the Pieta at that World's Fair when I was in college. What amazes me is that we were allowed to walk past it without any protective enclosure around it. This is the photo I took (probably with a brownie camera ! ) and you can see how close I was. This is a page from my "life story album" which I made for future generations

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I'm sorry to take so long to reply. GW won't let me post except on my desktop, grrr, so I have to wait til I can get to it.

Yoyo, maybe we bumped into each other in the 60s. :) I was also a college student and saw the Pieta at that World's Fair. And I agree that it was a breathtaking display and we could see it up close and perfectly lit. Your photo is great. When I saw it in Rome many years later, it was unlit and too far behind plexiglass for me to see well, especially with the crowds around it. The plexiglass became necessary after the terrible damage done by a mentally disturbed person with a hammer, in 1979 I think.

I'm embarrassed to admit that tho I lived on Long Island, about a half-hour from the fair, I had no interest. What was wrong with me?! My brother and cousins persuaded me to go one evening and I was dazzled. Not many people were there and I had the Pieta all to myself. Awe-inspiring and deeply moving. My brother went to the fair every night. Hopped on the LIRR. But I had a summer job in the city and the last thing I wanted to do was get back on the LIRR. How dumb I was.

Ginny where did you attend college ? I was in SUNY Oneonta at the time and my roommate and I flew from Binghamton on Mohawk airlines ( we called it Slow hawk) for $25 round trip ! It was a BIG adventure for us. Do you remember the New York state pavilion that had the big state map as the floor ? I recall having my photo taken standing on Binghamton ! Not sure where that went, wish I still had it. All my photos were on slides and by the time I decided to print them they had all turned a blue tone......thus the poor images I attached.

Yoyo, I only went to the fair that one evening. All I remember is the Pieta and the Disney ride, It's a Small, Small World which I think was in the Pepsi pavillion. As I say, many regrets. I went to college in Washington DC and got a similar airfare bargain--$12,50--that's twelve dolllars and fifty cents!--each way on the Eastern Shuttle. No security. Just walked across the tarmac and got on the plane. Stewardess offering your choice of magazines, a lot of people smoking, ugh. What a changed world.

PS--I was just googling and found a site, worldsfairphotos.com It' has info and photos about a number of world's fairs and a lot on the 1964-65 NY fair, including various pavillions and much more. Worth a look. It even has info on how to restore your old photos on the home page tho that looks a bit challenging to me.

Through England from a Side-Saddle: The Great Journeys of Celia Fiennes by Derek Taylor is a 'how things have changed' look at the diary written in 1697/98 by adventurous lady CF, who left her comfortable family home and travelled over terrible rough and dangerous roads up to the borders of Scotland and as far SW as Land's End and left a written record of what she saw on the way.

Little seems to be know about her or how she spent the rest of her life, but she had a keen eye for 'observation'. How was coal, tin, copper mined? How did people cross boggy land or wide rivers? The benefits from spa bathing. Why 'locals' only knew the way to the next village. The mostly filthy accommodation provided for travellers etc. so aim for relations for a few days stay. The author adds his ten-cents worth by driving to the towns/cities she visited and discussing the religious views and politics of the day.

It's difficult to understand how/why an upper class lady would be able to make such a journey, although she was unencumbered by a husband and presumably had several servants with her . . . and enough money, which had to be carried 'on her person' in a strong-box, in the days before banks.

Quite a feisty lady!

That sounds really interesting, Vee.

I'm reading Miss Julia Inherits a Mess. I just love Miss Julia and save her to read occasionally when I'm between interesting books.

Carolyn, have you read The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg ? I found it to be a good cozy read similar to Miss Julia.

I have just finished We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. I am in two minds about this new series as I quite enjoyed the story but it did have too many characters and that is always a problem for me!

I also enjoyed the high life glimpses and the world inhabited by the moneyed folk!

I haven't read that book, Yoyo. I'll check into it.

I'm ready to begin The Man in Black by Elly Griffiths, although I'm not a fan of short stories. I do like the author, though.

I am always surprised that Maggie O'Farrell manages to write excellent novels using such a wide subject-range, I've just finished The Hand That First Held Mine and was quickly drawn in to the story and the characters. Set over and between a couple of generation in London from the late '50's. You know something is going to happen which keeps you keen to get to the end.

Incidentally she rights SO well about caring for very young babies from the 'easy to manage' . . . .feed, burp, sleep, smile. To the difficult no-sleepers, screamers, milk-demanding exhausting ones. I'm sure many of us have been there!

I heard an interview with O'F where she said that the idea for the story really centered around the London district of Soho, then a small area of artists, music publishers, film production offices, Italian restaurants and a few call girls (now rather more sleazy). I hadn't 'read' the book in that way at first, seeing it more as 'people drawn', but either way I would highly recommend it.

I'm working my way thru several mysteries set at Christmas-time .They were Christmas presents from family. I just finished Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff. This is her first mystery. It's got the usual English country-house setting that I love, a murder, and most of the guests are suspects to varying degrees. I almost never guess the culprit but I did guess this one early on with a very big clue from the author. The book was just ok but good enough for these freezing winter evenings.

I enjoyed The Man in Black after disparaging short stories. Some of these are very short, but many of them feature Ruth whom I dearly love, and all of the book was quite enjoyable. So much for mindsets.

Now I'm reading Collared by David Rosenfelt. He has a long list of mysteries that feature his love of dogs. I read them at intervals interspersed with other authors.