TIFFIN'S first for 2022

Squirrel eating rosehips in my seasonal decorations:



Yoicks this photo is large! I don't know how to make it smaller. New computer and external hard drive, so this might be an ongoing problem for a bit.

Last thread of 2021: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335255#n7697010

List of Books Read in 2022
(unless specified, most reads are 3.5 to 5 stars)

1. The Sahara Conspiracy, Ambassador 1A, by Patty Jansen
2. Raising Hell, Ambassador 2, by Patty Jansen
3. Changing Fate, Ambassador 3, by Patty Jansen
4. Coming Home, Ambassador 4, by Patty Jansen
5. Blue Diamond Sky, Ambassador 5, by Patty Jansen
6. The Enemy Within, Ambassador 6, by Patty Jansen
7. The Last Frontier, Ambassador 7, by Patty Jansen
8. The Alabaster Army, Ambassador 8, by Patty Jansen
9. Red Crystal Desert, Ambassador 9, by Patty Jansen
10. Lost Forest Secrets, Ambassador 10, by Patty Jansen
11. The Forgotten War, Ambassador 11, by Patty Jansen
12. The Prophecy of the Seven, The Starsea Cycle 5, by Kyle West
13. Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius by Harry Freedman
14. The Murder of My Aunt by Richard Hull
15. The Mortal Word, Invisible Library 5, by Genevieve Cogman
16. The Spice Box of Earth, by Leonard Cohen
17. Inspector Morrison: Another Year in Tilling Begins, by Deryck J. Solomon
18. Inspector Morrison's Case Book Concluded, by Deryck J. Solomon
19. All the Devils are Here, by Louise Penny
20. Summons to Murder (9) by J.C. Briggs
21. The House of the Deer by D.E. Stevenson (did not enjoy)
22. The Murder of Patience Brooke (1) by J.C. Briggs
23. Death at Hungerford Stairs (2) by J.C. Briggs
24. Murder by Ghostlight (3) by J.C. Briggs
25. The Quickening and the Dead (4) by J.C. Briggs
26. At Midnight in Venice (5) by J.C. Briggs
27. The Redemption Murders (6) by J.C. Briggs
28. The Mystery of the Hawke Sapphires (7) by J.C. Briggs
29. The Chinese Puzzle (8) by J.C. Briggs
30. Dishonour and Obey (3) by Graham Brack
31. Death in Delft (1) by Graham Brack
32. Untrue Till Death (2) by Graham Brack
33. The Noose's Shadow (4) by Graham Brack
34: The Vanishing Children (5) by Graham Brack
35. The Orchid Farmer's Sacrifice (1) by Fred Yu
36. Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chan (REALLY GOOD)
37. None So Blind (1) by Alis Hawkins
38. In Two Minds (2) by Alis Hawkins
39. Those Who Know (3) by Alis Hawkins
40. Not One of Us (4) by Alis Hawkins
41. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
42. Reality Testing (1) by Grant Price
43. Enchanted Pilgrimage by Clifford D. Simak
44. By the Feet of Men by Grant Price
45. The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard
46. Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W. Greene
47. Alif the Unseen: A Novel by G. Willow Wilson
48. The Heavenly Kingdom Murder, by Chris West
49. The Initial Fold by Nick Adams
50. The Andromedan Fold by Nick Adams
51. The Messier Fold by Nick Adams
52. The Cygnus Fold by Nick Adams
53. The Aspirant by Nick Adams
54. The Recruit by Nick Adams
55. Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
56. Dune by Frank Herbert
57. Tales of Neveryon by Samuel R. Delany
58, 59, 60. The Thunder and Lightning series by John Varley
61. A Thing Done by Tinney Sue Heath
62, 63, 64. Space Team Collection I by Barry J. Hutchison (Reread)
65. State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny
66. Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada
67. A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cossé
68. Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri
69. Ambassador 12, The Unfolding Army, by Patty Jansen
70. Meta, Book 1 of the Meta Superhero series by Tom Reynolds
71. The Second Wave, Book 2, by Tom Reynolds
72. Rise of the Circle, Book 3, by Tom Reynolds
73. Omni's Fall, Book 4, by Tom Reynolds
74. New Empire, Book 5, by Tom Reynolds
75. The Seep by Chana Porter
76. Chinatown Beat (1) by Henry Chang
77. Year of the Dog (2) by Henry Chang
78. The Splendid City by Karen Heuler
79. Red Jade (3) by Henry Chang
80. Death Money (4) by Henry Chang
81. Lucky (5) by Henry Chang
82. Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge
83. A Hero Born (1) by Yong Jin
84. A Bond Undone (2) by Yong Jin
85. A Snake Lies Waiting (3) by Yong Jin
86. A Heart Divided (4) by Yong Jin
87. The Night Raven (1) by Sarah Painter
88. The Silver Mark (2) by Sarah Painter
89. The Fox's Curse (3) by Sarah Painter
90. The Pearl King (4) by Sarah Painter
91. The Copper Heart (5) by Sarah Painter
92. The Shadow Wing (6) by Sarah Painter
93. The Broken Cage (7) by Sarah Painter
94. The Hotel at the End of Time (1) by Michael James
95. Smoke (5) by Joe Ide
96. The Well at the Bottom of Everything (2) by Michael James
97. Duke: Inspector Mislan and the Expressway Murders (2) by Rozlan Mohd Noor
98. Blackbird Fly (1) by Lise McClendon
99. The Girl in the Empty Dress (2) by Lise McClendon
100. The Elevator at the Brink of Infinity (3) by Michael James
101. Mr. Pim Passes by by A.A. Milne
102. The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez by Rudy Ruiz (Excellent)
103. The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet
104. The Left-handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
105. The Willow Marsh Murder by Karen Charlton
106. Kinfolk by Pearl S. Buck
107.

Series Waiting for Completion

- The Kingkiller series by Patrick Rothfuss, Book 3, still hasn't been published. Rothfuss said he had to sort out some issues in his personal life before he could write it, which he has apparently done, and is now working on Book 3. No publication date given as yet.
- Riders Guild Book III by Marta Randall - no sign yet
- 3rd book of The Thrice Crossed Swords by A.M. Steiner (due out May 2020) - no sign yet
- Fortress of Amicae, The Chronicles of Amicae, Book 3, by Mirah Bolender - wishlisted until price comes down
- The Asperfell conclusion, book 3, due out in 2022, by Jamie Thomas (not out yet)
- The Fires of Hephaestus by Kyle West, Book 6, is due out 8 April 2022 (published, not purchased yet)

It's the first! Howdy do!

>1 tiffin: Did you load that photo into your Member Gallery or Junk Drawer here on LT? If so, you can shrink it right in the message above by adding dimensions to the code you used to post it. Let me know if you want details.

Happy new one! I love the pic.

>4 laytonwoman3rd:: Yes, please, Linda!

Hi Jim: sorry it's so huge!

>4 laytonwoman3rd: that also works for image files snagged from elsewhere on the web. Most of the time, anyway.

I love the pic, too, size and all.

This group always helps me to read; welcome back, Tui.

>6 tiffin: Here's the method: after jpg" in the code, type HEIGHT="425"WIDTH="567" and then close the caret. (Those numbers are my suggestions for this image, which I saved to my computer and fiddled with. It cuts the size in half. You can try others, but keep the height to width ratio about the same or you'll get a distorted image.)

Oh hey! It worked! Thanks, Linda. Yes, I always load into my Junk drawer here.
Hi Laura, thanks for dropping by.
Paul, I need to learn/remember to keep my Kindle in airplane mode so it doesn't keep needing to be charged. Thanks!

>10 laytonwoman3rd: I usually specify only a height or a width. I think the ratio is adjusted automatically, or at least I've never run into issues with it. I still always use "Preview" first to make sure it looks the way I want.

>11 tiffin: I only recently realized I should be keeping my Kindle in airplane mode. For a while during 2020 most of my reads were on Kindle, so I didn't do that. But now it can be some time between Kindle reads, and it's annoying to fire it up only to find a low battery.

Also, I should have said so earlier: Happy New Year!

Hi Tiffin. Richardderus suggested I might get lots of book bullets from your reading, and when I looked at your 2021 thread, I agreed. So here I am, dropping a star, ready to farther increase my out-of-control TBR list ;-)

Good luck with the new comp learning curve. I hope the changes from your old one weren't too immense and confusing. (WHY won't someone sell users an operating system that they promise - credibly - won't have user interface changes on every new release?!)

Happy New Year!

Happy reading in 2022, Tui!

Enjoy your 2022 reads!

1: Ambassador 1A, The Sahara Conspiracy by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



Enjoying this series: full on adventure, with a bit of mystery, science fiction.

>17 tiffin: I hope like heck you like it...it's on my Kindle already!

Well, I quite enjoyed the first book, Richard. Lots of action, lots of inventions, all that good stuff.

Happy 2022 and lots of fun reading!

Just dropping a star Tui. Happy 2022 reading.

>13 ArlieS:: Good to *meet* you, ArlieS. Thanks for dropping by.

>14 SandDune:: Happy New Year to you and yours, Rhian. blwyddyn Newydd Dda is very similar to the Cornish Bledhen nowydh da!

>15 FAMeulstee:: Hi Anita, good reading to you too. gelukkig nieuwjaar!

>16 thornton37814:: Hi Lori, Happy New Year to you, and good reading to you too.

>20 ffortsa:: Hi Judy, Happy New Year to you, and good reading as well.

>21 Caroline_McElwee:: Thanks, Caro. Thanks for the star!

2: Raising Hell, Book 2 in the Ambassador series by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



I don't know why this series is so oddly numbered (1, 1A, 2) but I've enjoyed it a lot, so I'm looking to see if it continues (I believe it does).

ETA: Yup, just got the 3rd book. "Changing Fate". Whooo hoooo! I love getting immersed in another world(s).

>17 tiffin: Adding that one to the BlackHole. My local library does not yet have the series though.

Happy New Year, Tui!

Happy New Year to you too, Stasia. I think you'll like this series when/if you manage to get your hands on it.

3: Changing Fate, Ambassador 3, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



And there's more!

4: Coming Home, Ambassador 4, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



Yup, I intend to real the entire space opera. Take that Omicron and pandemic! This would make a super movie series.
ETA: I just discovered that this series goes up to at least 12 books! I may run out of steam with it, we'll see.

5: Blue Diamond Sky, Ambassador series 5, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}

6: The Enemy Within, Ambassador series 6, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



Carrying on.

7: The Last Frontier, Ambassador series 7, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}

8: The Alabaster Army, Ambassador series 8, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



This was the first instalment of the series so far that I've felt was weak. It left me with the impression that the writing was rushed, with the conclusion not quite wrapping things up as I felt they ought to be. I'll reread the last two chapters to see if the fault was with my late night tired reading.

As a space opera, all the stories are linked and are best read in chronological order. Each instalment is a complete story but certain things carry over, particularly Cory's growth into Coldi culture and society. Having each in a separate book keeps the details distinct, but in this edition I craved more substance to the main tale being told. Jansen looks at the different aspects of all of the many cultures and peoples being brought together in her stories, discussing things like the morality of how certain cultures treat others, with particular emphasis on the Coldi mores and values. "The Alabaster Army" was perhaps a transitional tale, leading into resolutions in the next few stories.

I'm almost ready to take a breather from the series for a bit. There are three more printed, with the 12th expected out soon. The series has filled my first 12 days of January quite nicely with its entertaining and not particularly challenging tale(s). It has allowed me to recover from the slightly manic Christmas period, so I'll either carry on or dive into my new books.

>31 tiffin: Not to put too fine a point on it, but if she got to eight books in the series without sag setting in, she deserves an award. Yowza. Heckuva feat, that.

I got all A's on my eye exam and don't have to go back until 2023! Yay me!

Oh good news about your eyes! My cataracts are growing but they don't want to do them yet, so I have some pretty blurry days when I overdo it.

Re Jansen: For the first four books, I was so delighted by the story she was telling that I didn't have any criticisms. Her imagination is wonderful. As I raced on through the books, I could easily detect the formula she was following but, again, as the story was interesting, I didn't care. I'm going to reread the last couple of chapters of the 8th book to see if it was just me -- I felt there were a couple of issues that hadn't been dealt with which should have been cleared up. After all, I am spending about $8 per book! hehehe

>33 tiffin: Value for money, so far, comes down in your favor. Even if this is your last one, that is $64 well spent.

Cataracts are so weird...mine is this ugly nicotine-stain browny-yellow blotch that isn't growing just now. Just...blotching there. Annoying thing.

>34 richardderus: *hugs* to both of you re the cataract experience. I had mine removed some years ago now, and life is so much better, except that I have to be careful about sunlight (-> always wear glasses outdoors in daylinght) and some contrasts are harder to see. But the lovely thing is that the lenses they put in to replace the natural ones include correction, so I can see better without glasses than I had since childhood.

>35 ArlieS:: Thanks, Arlie. That's encouraging!

9: Red Crystal Desert, Ambassador series 9, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



Yes, I am going to finish the whole darn series, at least as much as she's written so far.

10: Lost Forest Secrets, Ambassador 10, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



And on to the last one published at this point. I'll have to get serious after that.

11: The Forgotten War, Ambassador 11, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}



I wish each book had been a bit longer, perhaps joining two together. They do end logically at the end of a particular adventure but it got expensive--perhaps that's why she puts them out that way. I like the interplay of different worlds, different species and their cultures. The ambassador, Cody Wilson, moves around between the various cultures and planets with tolerance and a facility for languages. Born on earth but far beyond the average earthling in his acceptance of different peoples, he has gathered around him an "association" or talented family, a major player on the universe stage.

I like a series which lets me immerse myself in its world(s), which doesn't stretch my credulence to the snapping point, whose science is believable, and whose characters are interesting. Jansen has put a lot of careful thought into her creation and although it is fundamentally entertainment, it doesn't fall into the fluff category. Her imagination seems boundless, and I'll read on as new books come out.

12: The Prophecy of the Seven, the Starsea Cycle 5, by Kyle West No touchstone.

Kindle edition {added}



Slowly reading this series as the latest books come out. The 6th is due out in April.

13: Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius, by Harry Freedman

Hardbound, Bloomsbury Continuum {added}



A really interesting look at Cohen's imagery in his poetry and songs.

Just making it over here, Tui, and seeing that I can try Jensen at my preferred price. Thanks for the tip!
I wish you a lot of wonderful reading and reporting for the rest of this new year!

>61 tiffin: I have Sylvie Simmons' book on LC I'm Your Man. I may get to it this year Tui.

>43 Caroline_McElwee:: Harry Freedman looks at the influences on LC's songs of the latter's education, rabbinical background (the Cohens were one of the preeminent families of Montreal, bringing a deep tradition of scholarship etc., from eastern Europe). So far his interpretations of several songs are very interesting and enlightening. LC was a deeply searching spiritual man, educated/self-educated in the lore of the Talmud and the Kabbalah, as well as of Buddhism. His imagery is profoundly influenced by his study of the Bible. I'm finding it really interesting so far.

>41 tiffin: Will look out for that one, Tui.

14: The Murder of my Aunt, by Richard Hull

Kindle edition {added}



I read about this on Simon Thomas's "Stuck in a Book" blog so thought I'd seek it out. It is intended as a humorous read but the character of one of its main protagonists was so miserable to me that the humour got crushed under the nastiness of his personality. The irony, of course, is that Edward doesn't see this about himself, feeling much put upon with his artistic and highly refined nature completely misunderstood. It is through his aunt's eyes, as well as others in her house and in the village, that we see him for the twisted being he really is--but also through the irony in his own words. He was so malicious and destructive that I couldn't even smirk, let alone smile; I just wanted to smack him. The ending was sufficient to requirements. 'Nuff said.

>46 tiffin: Like Gervaise Fen then...supposed to be amusing, but fails under the ponderous weight of pomposity.

Better you than me, he said churlishly.

>46 tiffin: Well, at least the cover is pretty. 😉

>48 richardderus:: Richard, in fairness, the writing is good. It's just that Edward's personality is so awful that I couldn't get over it. Maybe it's just the pandemic doldrums, I dunno.
>49 lauralkeet:: It is a nice cover, Laura.

15: The Mortal Word, The Invisible Library Book 5, by Genevieve Cogman

Kindle edition {added}



I somehow missed this one in my reading of this series. This was a good instalment!

>48 richardderus:: Richard, I don't think I've read any Gervaise Fen books. Forewarned is forearmed, eh?

16: The Spice-box of Earth, by Leonard Cohen

McClelland & Stewart, paperback {added}



After reading "The Mystical Roots of Genius" by Harry Freedman, I read this book of Cohen's poems from 1961 with more opened eyes. A lot of the imagery made much more sense and I like to think I approached the poems with a deeper understanding.

>52 tiffin: I seriously doubt you'd be as irked as I was, but I do recommend waiting for a super-sale and/or visiting the library for this series.

Hi, Tui! I'm not as irked as Richard with Gervaise Fen, but if you can't put up with "Oh my paws!" and similar exclamations from the sleuth, you may want to skip the whole thing. (That's the only one I can remember. It's been a long time, and it's late.)

I think I could tolerate "oh my paws" but Edward in The Murder of My Aunt was just plain old mean with some kind of ---pathic tendencies. Just couldn't hack him, what with a pandemic going on and all.

>53 tiffin: I haven't read that one, but I do think that Leonard Cohen was underrated as a poet.
Have a good weekend.

Paul, something that Harry Freedman observed at the end of the book was how much Cohen's songs are used in both Christian and Jewish services, something I hadn't realised. I know that in Canada his poetry is studied in schools and universities, but I can't speak for the rest of the world. Freedman's book has given me a deeper understanding of both songs and poems which, although I was familiar with many of them, I hadn't understood in their full depths. Nor had I fully appreciated the degree of work he put into their creation, sometimes taking years to be satisfied enough to release them for us.

17: Inspector Morrison: Another Year in Tilling Begins, A Second Visit to the World of E.F. Benson's Mapp & Lucia through the files of Tilling's senior police officer, by Deryck J. Solomon

Kindle edition {added}



As a former member of the E.F. Benson international society and Tilling Society, I was very interested to read Deryck Solomon's extrapolation of this rarified society through the eyes of Inspector Morrison. I was also a bit nervous about reading it because it is a subject matter that people can--and have--get dreadfully wrong. One of the things which others have seriously forgotten is that however much Benson may have poked fun at this one or that one, he genuinely loved his characters which he set in a thinly disguised Rye, England. Well, with the possible exception of Miss Mapp.

So it takes a delicate touch to write a story on top of the much beloved denizens of Tilling for a Luciaphile. One misstep, one sense that a character has been drawn quite wrong, and I'm out of there. I was pleased to be back in Tilling if not in the hands of the master, at least in the hands of a talented acolyte. Thank you, Mr. Solomon. You don't realise how much you miss something until you get the chance to go back.

18: Inspector Morrison's Case Book Concluded: A Final Visit to the World of E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia through the files of Tilling's senior police officer, by Deryck J. Solomon

Kindle edition {added}



A satisfying wrap-up to Inspector Morrison's files. Deryck Solomon shines a light a bit more strongly on the foibles of a couple of characters but never in a way that jars or feels wrong.

19: All the Devils Are Here, Chief Inspector Gamache Novel #16, by Louise Penny

Kindle edition {added}



Deja vu all over again: I think I must have read this a few years ago but I enjoyed it tremendously nevertheless.

I feel like I've missed entering a couple of books. Oh well, I'll add them in if I find them.

I get that awful itchy feeling sometimes, as well. It usually means I was thinking my review through, got there, then didn't write the sodding thing down.

20: Summons to Murder, Charles Dickens Investigations Book 9, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition {added}



I really enjoyed this. I must backtrack and read the earlier ones. Victorian England, Dickens, Thackerey, wonderful Dickensian names, and a good mystery.

>41 tiffin: Too bad my local library does not have that one. Adding it to the BlackHole in the hopes that I can read it at some point.

>51 tiffin: I really must catch up on that series!

>61 tiffin: That one too. Five years of school and practically no reading has gotten me terribly behind on my series reading!

>64 tiffin: I probably should not start another series, but that one tempts me.

Have a wonderful day, Tui!

Stasia, I think the Invisible Library series would be right up your alley. Yes, school can do that to you. I went from an M.A. to having twin boys, so my reading died to a trickle back then.

21: The House of the Deer, by D.E. Stevenson

Kindle edition {added}



Not my taste.

22: The Murder of Patience Brooke, Charles Dickens Investigations Book 1, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition {added}



Having read further along in the series, I'm backtracking to start at the first book. Really convincing look at this era in London, which I thoroughly enjoy even if it is pretty grim at times.

>67 tiffin: Interesting...Dorothy Stevenson was such an interesting writer generally...but I haven't read that one. Are you familiar with any others of her work, Tui?

Yes, Richard. I liked her Mrs. Tim series a lot. This had far too much of shooting of foxes, shooting of all kinds of deer in it for my taste--all justified by her in the story but kind of sickening for me.

>70 tiffin: OIC

That wouldn't appeal to me at all for those reasons. Just not my kind of story at this point in my life.

>68 tiffin: Got it, and thanks!

>67 tiffin: and >71 richardderus: I read as many D.E. Stevensons as I could as a teen, but I don't remember that one, and I certainly don't remember all the hunting. I wouldn't have let that pass even as a young teen.

>70 tiffin: Thanks for the details. I was surprised to see your initial comments because she seems like an author you'd like. But this sounds like quite a departure from her good stuff. I wouldn't want to read it either.

23: Death at Hungerford Stairs, Charles Dickens Investigations Book 2, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition {added}



Echoing her main protagonist, Charles Dickens, J.C. Briggs shows us the underbelly of Victorian England with its poverty and harsh life for those born outside of wealth. And yet there is kindness and tremendous love as well. I am enjoying this series.

24: Murder by Ghostlight, Charles Dickens investigations Book 3, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition



Onward!

25: The Quickening and the Dead, Charles Dickens investigations Book 4, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition {added}



This one was a bit hard as it dealt with paedophilia, the treatment of poor young women with unwanted pregnancies, grinding poverty, but it also showed how good people (doctors, nurses, philanthropists) were trying to work to alleviate these miseries. Briggs places her mystery squarely on the back of these realities of Victorian England. She doesn't shy away from taking shots at callous wealth and privilege either.

26: At Midnight in Venice, Charles Dickens Investigations Book 5, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition {added}



I'm snapping these up while I can get them for free on Prime. I'll catch up to the 9th book which I read first, and then I think I'll give it a rest for a while.

27: The Redemption Murders, Charles Dickens Investigations Book 6, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition {added}



Interesting themes of English sailors, plantations owned by the English, the London docks, etc.

28: The Mystery of the Hawke Sapphires, Charles Dickens Investigations Book 7, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition (added)



I had read this before I dove into the series, and had forgotten to add it.

29: The Chinese Puzzle, Charles Dickens Investigations Book 8, by J.C. Briggs

Kindle edition {added}



This is a fine mystery series. As a former English teacher, Jean Briggs not only knows her Charles Dickens, her Shakespeare, Thackeray et. al, umpteen poets and playwrights, she is also a splendid researcher into the Victorian era, covering everything from ships and trade, the efforts to ameliorate child poverty, the abuse of women, the gaping class divide between those titled folk with enormous privilege and the horrific lives of the denizens living in the squalor of London whose lives were cheap and disposable. The friendship between Dickens and Inspector Jones is credible and sensitive. Dickens relationship with his sickly wife Catherine was not judged by the standards of our era, but were portrayed from the reality of the Victorian era: no birth control, men were free to live lives with much more choice in them while women were tethered to their homes and children. Dickens was given a sympathetic airing in these stories, as a good man who tried his best.

I found it best read in chronological order as relationships expanded, and previous cases were stepping stones in the next book.

>80 tiffin:. That does look like a series that could be addictive!

30: Dishonour and Obey, Book 3 of the Master Mercurius mystery series, by Graham Brack

Kindle edition {added}



Once again I'm starting a series not on the first book, so I'm going to have to backtrack. This wasn't as well written as the Dickens series above, but it was entertaining enough--in fact quite funny in parts because the Dutch minister Mercurius has a wry sense of humour. He's with a Dutch delegation sent to England to try to finagle the marriage between the Dutch King and the English King's niece, when one of their party gets murdered.

I'm off to check out the first book now.

31: Death in Delft, Book 1 of the Master Mercurius mystery series, by Graham Brack

Kindle edition {added}



The introduction to Master Mercurius. The one thing I'm having to suspend disbelief about is the fact that he is secretly a Roman Catholic priest while overtly a Protestant minister. I think this would be nigh unto impossible in the 17th century and incredibly dangerous.

32: Untrue till Death, Book 2 of the Master Mercurius mystery series, by Graham Brack

Kindle edition {added}



Still reading these for free with Prime, so onward.

33: The Noose's Shadow, Book 4 of the Master Mercurius mysteries, by Graham Brack

Kindle edition {added}

The Charles Dickens mysteries sound fun Tui. I shall add them to the WL. If you want a good historical mystery I can recommend the Teifi Valley Coroner series by Alis Hawkins set in mid-nineteenth century Wales. The first one is None So Blind. Really good evocation of time and place.

Thanks, Rhian. I'll look that one up.

...secret...Catholic...wait, what? I have to say the premise one of the weirdest I've run into! Free with Prime gets my attention.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads.

34: The Vanishing Children, Master Mercurius mysteries Book 5, by Graham Brack

Kindle edition {added}



Well, that's this series wrapped up so far. A really fascinating and well-researched look at this era of Dutch history (the 1600s). It was a hard life for those who weren't wealthy, but although Brack shows this well, he also shows compassion and humaneness through his main protagonist, Mercurius.

35: The Orchid Farmer's Sacrifice, The Red Crest Book 1, by Fred Yu

Kindle edition



There was a story in here somewhere but whether it was the translation or the actual writing, the writing lacked a certain sophistication (for lack of a better word). It hopped around at times, giving me the sense that it was one of those self-published deals which really needed a good editor.

36: Dragon Springs Road, by Janie Chang

Kindle edition {added}



This was a wonderful story, rich with history, wonder, and a soupcon of magic realism. Set in the early 1900s in Shanghai, we follow the life of the Eurasian (zazhong) child, Jialing, who is abandoned by her mother in an old house, on Dragon Springs Road. Nudged by the spirit of Fox, the new owners of the house, the Yang family, take Jialing in as a servant. The tale encompasses Jialing's life from the age of 7 to her early 20s, but also China in the early days of the fledgling republic, so mystery, danger, and upheavals abound. The characters are splendid, even the baddies.

I will seek out more of Ms. Chang's writing. She tells a grand story, and I do love being told a good story.

The Dickens series may need to go on a wish list. The Dutch series sounds interesting too.

37: None So Blind, the Teifi Valley Coroner Series Book 1, by Alis Hawkins

Kindle edition {added}



Grateful to Rhian for pointing me in the direction of this series set in west Wales, in 1850. Harry Probert-Lloyd has been forced to return to his home from London, where he has been an up and coming barrister. Today we know his vision loss to have been from macular degeneration but then it was only known as a slow decrease of vision with the centre vision fogged out, with only a bit of peripheral vision left.

When a skeleton is found buried in the roots of a tree on a nearby farm, Harry is pretty sure he knows who it is: Margaret Jones, the woman he loved who had disappeared years before. With the help of a solicitor's clerk, John Davies, acting as Harry's eyes, they work to solve the mystery of her death, while becoming friends and helpmates. Well written, well researched.

38: In Two Minds, the Teifi Valley Coroner Series Book 2, by Alis Hawkins

Kindle edition {added}



This story involves the wave of Welsh immigration to America in the eighteen hundreds. Again, Alis Hawkins informs us about this whole process in her usual well researched way while weaving her murder mystery in and about its facts. Harry and John have some serious personal decisions to make in this book.

I'm learning that Hawkins' titles are real clues to the stories themselves.

39: Those Who Know, the Teifi Valley Coroner Series Book 3, by Alis Hawkins

Kindle edition {added}



And on to the 4th!

>93 tiffin: >94 tiffin: >95 tiffin: I’m so glad you’re enjoying the Teifi Valley Coroner books! You’ve got further than me now - I’ve bought book 3 but haven’t read it yet. They strike me as being particularly well researched. In our holiday in October we went to several of the locations mentioned (in fact we stayed in St Dogmaels mentioned in book 2) and that really brought the books alive for me.

It's nigh on impossible to resist a strong recommendation from both you and Rhian. I was initially disappointed my library didn't have this series, but the Kindle pricing is more than reasonable. I just snapped up all four books for just under $10.

40: Not One of Us, The Teifi Valley Coroner Series Book 4, by Alis Hawkins

Kindle edition {added}



Well, this series has been a treat so far. It is best read in order because of plot and character development. I look forward to further releases in the series.

41: The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester

Kindle edition {added}



Old school, but fun.

42: Reality Testing, Sundown Book 1, by Grant Price

Kindle edition {added}



A pretty good dystopia. Richard, I think you would like this one. I can't find the next one in the Sundown series. This was just released in January of 2022, so I don't know if any others in the series are out yet or not.

43: Enchanted Pilgrimage, by Clifford Simak

Kindle edition {added}



Written in the mid 70s, this is a reread for me as I first read it back when it was first published. It's a quirky tale of a group of travellers going off on a quest with different reasons for each of them. But as they reach the goal of their quests, things end up being quite different from their original conception. I enjoyed the story with this second reading, although I could scarcely remember it from the first. It is a hybrid of science fiction and fantasy, with worlds intersecting so that brownies, goblins, trolls, witches, robots, extraterrestrials, humans, Neanderthals, et. al combine without any of them thinking any of it particularly odd.

44: By the Feet of Men, by Grant Price

Kindle edition {added}



I believed that this was the 2nd book in Price's Sundown series but don't quote me about that as I'm not quite sure. Another post-apocalypse dystopia set in the same world as "Reality Testing", although with different characters. Reality Testing was only published in January 2022, so perhaps they are only slightly related. His characters have incredible toughness and courage, and although their world tries to beat it out of them, they have a gritty kind of hope. The chance that there is something out there that could turn their world around has a convoy of four big rigs with their teams of two partners per truck going against awful odds to try to make this change happen. As in "Reality Testing", it's the characters that make the story happen.

I'll be back, Tui. At 99¢ I snapped up the first of the Teifi Valley series, which I add to my first of the Dickens series still unread. I'll be back!

Happy Reading!

I think you'll enjoy both, Peggy. The Welsh series, in particular, is really a history lesson.

I've only just found your thread, Tui, but it is now starred. I've read through - quite quickly - and picked up a few recommendations!

I love the covers of those Alis Hawkins books, Tui.

I do too, Paul. Very moody.

45: The Citadel of Weeping Pearls, Xuya Universe, by Aliette de Bodard

Kindle edition {added}



This was a quirky little story. I hadn't read any of the other books in the Xuya Universe, so this was a feet first jump-in into an unknown world. When the Dai Viet empire attacked the Xuya thirty years ago, the Citadel just popped out of existence, taking its technology and science with it. Now the Empress wants it back because the Dai Viet are attacking again. Citizens who teleport all over the place, danger and mystery, murder and mayhem, and the elusive Citadel tantalisingly just out of reach. An interesting book but I'm not sure if I want to pursue the rest of the stories at this point.

46: Twenty-Five to Life, by R.W.W. Greene

Kindle edition {added}



Humans have destroyed most of the earth: the atmosphere, the soil, water, all of it. Space ships have gone out into the universe with some of Earth's survivors who got their spot in a global lottery. The rest remain on the planet trying to eke out an existence. People of a lower economic status have moved out of what once were suburbs and cities into complexes called "cubes" where all their needs are met but it's a confined artificial existence. The wealthier ones live in high rise towers in condos but, again, their life is very restricted and contained. Those who can't stomach this kind of canned existence trek back and forth across what was formerly known as America in a variety of vehicles, sticking together in caravans for safety. The air is toxic to breathe without masks so their lungs get destroyed. Others termed "apes" live off the land, trying to eke out a hunting-gathering kind of existence.

When Julie's mother sells their family home in the former suburbs, moving into a high rise condo in one of the cities, Julie decides this is not for her, so she runs away. The age of majority is 25 which is two years away for her, so technically she isn't allowed to make this decision for herself. She runs into a traveller named Ranger who is driving a van named Juniper, and learns a whole new way of surviving on the damaged Earth.

Despite being a Bildungsroman-Dystopic hybrid, it's also a story about the human spirit, about hope.

47: Alif the Unseen: A Novel, by G. Willow Wilson

Kindle edtion



This was brilliant! Set in a middle Eastern city which never gets named but which could be one of several, a part Arab part Indian computer whizz who calls himself Alif creates cyber protections for anyone who will pay, no matter their religious or political affiliation. It's his form of rebellion against the repression of the State. The country is headed by an autocrat called the Emir but is really run by a man called "the Hand of God", the head of security for the State who is also a computer whizz. The Hand and his minions hunt down anyone threatening the supremacy of the country's elite, so Alif and his cyber compadres keep as low a profile as possible although not always successfully.

Then suddenly it all shifts sideways into the land of the Jinn, Effrits, Marids, and their ilk. The Unseen lands have always been there, forming an interface with the real world. They will become an integral part of Alif's efforts to both stay alive and fight back against the Hand. There is love, danger, rebellion, heroism, and all those good things which make a wonderful tale. There is also a powerful grasp of metaphor, which I sincerely do appreciate.

Richard, if you haven't already read this, please do.

48: The Heavenly Kingdom Murder, an Inspector Bao Zheng mystery, by Chris West

Kindle edition



I love these mysteries. Set in post-cultural revolution China, Inspector Bao Zheng charts his own path through the hidebound bureaucracy of the Chinese police, usually with excellent results.

>109 tiffin: I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! I like Rob Greene, and his writing is very much to my taste. (He even deliberately insulted me most grievously by inserting a w-bomb into this story.)

>100 tiffin: Your eye is excellent...I do like this story a lot. I got it as a DRC in 2021.

Happy Eastre's Day.

49: The Initial Fold: A first contact space opera adventure, The Fold Book 1, by Nick Adams

Kindle edition {added}



A couple of goofball scientists with a propensity for corny puns end up on a spaceship bound for deep space. Dr. Edward Virr has discovered how to fold space to expedite intergalactic travel but, of course, the bad guys have poached his plans and they are all out there somewhere creating mayhem. Not too heavy, occasionally quite silly, but entertaining regardless.

50: The Andromedan Fold: An explosive intergalactic space opera adventure, The Fold Book 2, by Nick Adams

Kindle edition {added}



More spaceships, more bad puns, more sentient space ships. One more in the series, so onward.

51: The Messier Fold: An adventure millions of light years in the making, The Fold Book 3, by Nick Adams

Kindle edition {added}



Trapped in a galaxy far, far away when one of the portal moons winks out of existence, the space ship Gabriel and her crew are continuing to chase baddies and blow things up.

Nice light tail-end of pandemic reading.

52: The Cygnus Fold: An edge of the seat space opera adventure, The Fold Book 4, by Nick Adams

Kindle edition {added}



Currently reading. I was wondering whether or not to carry on with this series but a medical appointment very early tomorrow morning prompted me to upload this in case of long waiting room bouts of boredom.

Addendum: As I said to Richard a few posts down, this is pure entertainment. No mental exertion required.

53: The Aspirant, A Bache Loftt novel, by Nick Adams

Kindle edition {added}



An off-shoot couple of books from the Fold series, also by Nick Adams.

>117 tiffin: They are clearly doing the trick, then, Tui. I'm sure I can find them on my Kindle and you make them sound like fun to read.

Happy Spring.

>118 richardderus:: Richard, they are purely entertainment. Not much brain input required. They aren't as good as some of the old timey hardcore science fiction I read back in the 70s. But I've always liked space ships, space operas if you will, things blowing up and aliens. Bache Loftt was a character in the Fold series, so Adams is writing about how Loftt got his start in the intergalactic stuff. I didn't find it as interesting as the Fold series. Even it kind of didn't hold me entirely to the end of the 4th book, although I did pre-order the 5th which is in the works. I like to have something escapist to flee to in the stash!

54: The Recruit: Bache Loftt Book 2, by Nick Adams

Kindle edition {added}



There are only two books out in the Bache Loftt series, so far, but I don't think I'll pursue them further.

55: Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert

Kindle edition {added}



A reread. Seeing Dune, the movie, got me rereading these books. I remember not enjoying Children of Dune back in the day, so might not reread it. Dune Messiah is a lot less action, a lot more proselytising than Dune, so it wasn't as interesting a book as Dune itself, but it was ok, and wrapped Usul's story up in an acceptable manner.

56: Dune, by Frank Herbert

Kindle edition {added}



I just realised that I forgot to record this. Totally out of order in sequence of readings, sorry. It's also a reread prompted by the movie.

Good gravy, Tui, ix-nay on the Ildren-chay! That was a stinker. My entire experience of the reads, in retrospect, remains "Oh, the price! The terrible price!" as Leto contemplates what has to come.

::eyeroll::

I'm actually in need of something in the Nick Adams line. Terrific, thanks!

I hadn't misremembered it then. Thanks, Richard. Dune Messiah was quite enough.

57: Tales of Nevèryon, Return to Nevèryon Book 1, by Samuel R. Delany

Kindle edition {added}



The first of Delany's Neveryon series dealing with a society's growth from barbarism to capitalism, with barter being replaced by the use of money. Quirky yet compelling short stories type instalments which look at how language and literacy shape a culture.

58: Red Thunder, The Thunder and Lightning Series, by John Varley

Kindle edition {added}



59: Red Lightning, The Thunder and Lightning Series, by John Varley

60: Rolling Thunder, The Thunder and Lightning Series, by John Varley

>126 tiffin: I've never read these stories so I'm eager to hear what you end up thinking about them.

>125 tiffin: I've always liked Gorgik, for some reason.

Happy personal new year, my dear Tui!

Why thank you, Richard! I have to share it with Cher and Joe Cocker though. *snorfle*

61: A Thing Done, by Tinney Sue Heath

Kindle edition {added}



Set in 1216 Florence, this is a fascinating story of intrigue and vendettas, long standing hatreds and feuds. Corrado the Fool, a juggler and acrobat, is caught squarely between two feuding factions, with danger abounding. I really enjoyed this tale.

62, 63, 64: Space Team, The Collected Adventures Volume I by Barry J. Hutchison
Contains Space Team, The Wrath of Vajazzle, and The Search for Splurt.



We lost power for four days in that storm that swept across Ontario and into Québec so this is a reread. I could read real books during the day but at night, in the dark, the Kindle was a godsend. It was a slightly stressful time so it was wonderful to read something ridiculous and funny.

>131 tiffin: "Slightly stressful" my hind foot! Four days without power is miserable!

i'm sorry that happened, Tui.

>130 tiffin: Sorry enough to ignore the book-bullet you just dealt me. *ow*

>132 richardderus:: Richard, we weren't too badly off because we have a generator. It runs the fridges and freezer, so we lost no food. It runs the well pump so we had water and the terlet. We had it wired to run the furnace for power losses in ice storms. And an outlet for the microwave or kettle for coffee. We used headlamps for lights, and hooray for the kindle with its own light! The neighbourhood did a buddy system, helping out those who didn't have certain things. So we managed ok. Once we realised how widespread the damage really was right across the Province, we just put on our stiff upper lips.

65: State of Terror, by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

Library copy, paperback {added}



I enjoyed this story. The behind-the-scenes look at how powerful nations operate internationally rang true because of Clinton's vast experience on this stage. I particularly enjoyed the pokes at a former president and Putin, although they were renamed and put in a different chronology. The "terror" in the story was convincingly handled, keeping me flying through the pages.

>134 tiffin: Ooohhh, I've been a fence-sitter on this one until now. Okay, to the library I go.

>133 tiffin: A good, neighborly solution to a wide-spread problem. I'm glad it wasn't worse!

>130 tiffin: Making a note.

>134 tiffin: Definitely on my list.

Lots of good ideas for my TBR pile! It always fun to read your thread.

Thank you, Deb!

I'm sorry for your power outage, but if you have water, you're OK - especially with a Kindle for night!

You got me with A Thing Done, which is now safely on my Kindle. Thank you again, Tui!

>134 tiffin: I'm glad to see this was a winner for you!

>139 LizzieD:: Water is everything: tea, coffee, terlet. And drinking. I have a water bottle on the go at all times. You're welcome, Peggy!
>140 lauralkeet:: I think it was HRC's political experience and astuteness that helped me to enjoy the story so much. You just knew while reading that things really did go down as described.

66: Scattered All Over the Earth, by Yoko Tawada, Trans. by Margaret Mitsutani

Kindle edition {added}



Language is important. With certain countries disappearing, it is also represents a people's history and culture. Hiruko, whose country Japan has mysteriously disappeared, is teaching children in Denmark using a language she has concocted: Panska. She is able to communicate with others by using Panska but she yearns to find another survivor who can speak her original tongue. She attracts others who love language, or have lost their language, or who are simply unique, defying categorization. They form a group which wanders up and down and up through Europe in a captivating search for the lost or unfindable, in a world which is morphing and changing around them all the time.

This is apparently the first of a trilogy.

>142 tiffin: I saw a review of this in the paper yesterday and thought 'I must add it to the WL' and promptly forgot. Now I must really go and add it to the WL!

>143 SandDune:: I'm finding it delightfully quirky, Rhian. After much pandemic reading being of the easily ingested science fiction variety, it's refreshing to read something that asks me to think and pay attention more closely.

67: A Novel Bookstore, by Laurence Cossé, translated by Alison Anderson

Kindle edition {added}



Although this came out about eight years ago, I just stumbled across it now. I didn't read the LT reviews until I had finished the book because I like a book to speak to me by itself. Sometimes a book makes me wonder what others might have thought of it; "A Novel Bookstore" is of this ilk, so I read the reviews. There were some conflicted responses to it!

If you could design the perfect bookstore, what form would it take? This is what Cossé's two chief characters, Ivan and Francesca, decide to create: a bookstore selling only novels, good novels of the highest calibre of writing. These will be selected from confidential lists individually submitted by a secret committee of eight writers, comprising the best of French writing but by others across the history of literature as well. There won't be tables with stacks of the latest by writers like Dan Brown, no best sellers unless they are worthy. No manga, comics, plays or poetry, just novels which take one's breath away, leaving the reader forever altered and expanded.

The premise is that the true reader has yearned for such a bookstore all of his or her reading life. I know that while reading about the creation and birth of A Novel Bookstore that I certainly yearned for such a shop. I hope it isn't a spoiler to say that they succeed. But as is too often the case with success, envy, resentment, greed, covetousness, and all those filthy emotions come into play so that the whole enterprise is threatened, with real danger and people hurt.

From the reviews, some readers seemed to want this story to be a mystery, and were disappointed when it didn't follow the conventional mystery tropes. Others were bothered by the love story woven into it, thinking it took over from and interfered with the story about the bookstore itself. There is unrequited love as well. Some were bothered by the ending. I wondered if some of this was as a result of the translation but no, I think it's more a result of people's expectations.

My thoughts: at one point in the story, Francesca talks about the gift her grandfather gave her of his perspective on literature. It is nothing less than the study of life, teaching all there is to know about the human condition. Humanity, as we well know, can be a nasty bit of work but we are also capable of great love, powerful kindness and generosity (the character of Francesca). So yes, the bookstore engenders foul reactions which threaten its very existence in Cossé's story, but she also writes of how a careful and patient love takes a very damaged human being, restoring that person to happiness and a full loving life. The love story that seems superfluous to some readers is, for me, the counter balance to the vileness. There is the breadth and scope of humanity in this story, brought out through each character. It is far more than a police procedural or a Sherlockian pursuit of a criminal. The bookshop becomes an allegory for who we are.

Yes, there are wobbles--injecting someone writing in the first person about 2/3 of the way through the book was one for me. But on the whole I liked the story I was being told here. It was brave of Cossé to take on so much. I think she mostly succeeds.

What a thoughtful review. It seems like an interesting premise and kudos to the author for taking all that on and making a mostly successful go of it, in A novel Bookstore and I have not even read the book!
I enjoyed visiting your thread. Happy reading!

Hi, Tui. I'll have to wait for *Novel Bookstore*, but I'm in need of some comfort reading now, and The Initial Fold is now waiting for me. So is Legends and Lattes, recommended by Roni, which you might like to check out.
Thank you!

>146 kaida46:: Thank you, Deb. That's very kind of you.
>147 LizzieD:: Peggy, I've been doing comfort readingsince this whole pandemic thing hit us, so I do understand. Thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out.

68: Murder in Chianti; A Tuscan Mystery, by Camilla Trinchieri

Kindle edition {added}



An Italian cosy mystery set in Tuscany, so lots of lovely Tuscan food involved.

69: Ambassador 12: The Unfolding Army, by Patty Jansen

Kindle edition {added}


The latest instalment in the Ambassador series. Earth is under threat from drone attacks from an unknown source, so the ambassador Dory and his Coldi team are once again working to protect the Coldi worlds, Asto's army, and earth from total destruction. The main political body, Nations of Earth, has been infiltrated by the rebels, so it's a dangerous situation for all. A fun read but it might be a bit confusing for someone who hasn't been following along with the series.

70: Meta, Book 1 of the Meta Superhero Novel Series, by Tom Reynolds

Kindle edition



Like a comic book in words.

71: The Second Wave, The Meta Superhero Novel Series Book 2, by Tom Reynolds

Kindle edition {added}



Hey, it's a series. What can I say?

72: Rise of the Circle, The Meta Superhero Novel Series, Book 3, by Tom Reynolds

Kindle edition



One more to go, I think.

73: Omni's Fall, The Meta Superhero Novel Series, Book 4, by Tom Reynolds

Kindle edition {added}

74: New Empire. The Meta Superhero Novel Series, Book 5, by Tom Reynolds

Kindle edition {added}



Well, that's for me with this series. I was fully aware while reading it that it was a YA series, geared towards perhaps 11-14 year olds but quite often the YA target audience becomes irrelevant because a good story is being told. It was free under Prime, so I could keep going with no expense to see where the story was going next. He really lost me with this 5th instalment.

One of the tropes used in the story to date was that Connor Connolly and his older brother were orphans, with both parents having died in the great battle against rogue metahumans who were abusing the power of their bracelets. Something takes place in this instalment which turns that perception around. The biggest *oh just no way* moment for me was teleporting to another planet. I could not willingly suspend my disbelief. Today's 11-14 year olds are a pretty savvy lot, with a fair bit of scientific awareness. It felt kind of insulting to try to sell them this bill of goods. Cripes, this relatively unscientifically astute old lady couldn't buy it! I think he would have had some young 'uns for a while because bracelets that allow you to fly, that heal your injuries, give you extra strength, etc., would be fun stuff to contemplate. A special secret school is interesting too. But interstellar travel in mere minutes? Nawwww.

So no more for me.

75: The Seep, by Chana Porter

Kindle edition {added}



The aliens have invaded. Non-corporeal entities that wanted to experience what life is like having physical experiences, they have done so by taking over humans, eliminating war, poverty, hunger, illness, even death itself. If you get bored with life going on and on, you can opt for transformation, becoming a baby again to re-experience life. But with humans being what we are, a dissatisfaction creeps in which even The Seep (the aliens) can't control. An interesting exploration of human nature using the phenom of what would we be like if we had everything we want?

>156 tiffin: Congratulations on reaching 75, Tui!

Thanks, Anita! Nice to *see* you.

I always visit your thread, Tui. Just not much to say about the books you read.
I hope all is well with you and yours.

>159 FAMeulstee:: I do read a lot of science fiction and fluff, true. Every now and then a good one sneaks in though. ;)

Congrats on hitting the goal!

Thanks, Jim!

76: Chinatown Beat, Book 1, A Detective Jack Yu Investigation, by Henry Chang

Kindle edition {added}



Gritty at times for a variety of reasons: racism, misogyny, murder, the antipathy of different segments of the Chinese gangs and segments of Chinese society in New York City. But fascinating nonetheless because it has a kind of honesty about it, an insider's take on the life of the Chinese in America. I'll be interested in the other Jack Yu stories that follow on from this introduction.

>156 tiffin:

Yay!

>163 tiffin: Somehow or another I have that book! I'm pushing it up higher.

Congrats on 75+1 books read, and it's still only July.

Congratulations on 75 reads Tui.

Thanks Richard, ArlieS, and Caro. Summer is mystery time!

77: Year of the Dog, Book 2, Detective Jack Yu Investigation, by Henry Chang

Kindle edition {added}



The idea that *Chinatown* is not a section of several blocks of downtown Toronto but is an interconnected network spread around the globe was, to my surprise, a new one to me. Of course I know that Chinese speaking communities around the world are connected by language, culture, food, values etc., but that this international Chinatown is actually a vital entity of business, legal and a good deal otherwise, of powerful clans maintaining links regardless of what society they operate out of was one that hadn't really occurred to me in a full sense. The tourist Chinatowns of gift shops and restaurants is but a thin film on the surface of a world that we non-Chinese folk have little idea about. Coming from a clan background myself, I understand the sense of what a clan can be but it's nothing like this powerful pull of tradition, ritual, and obligation that Henry Chang lays out for us in his Jack Yu novels. I find it fascinating despite its danger and occasional nastiness.

78: The Splendid City, by Karen Heuler

Kindle edition {added}



This was a quirky little number involving water theft, witches, a man who has been hexed into a cat, a city where nothing is as it seems, talking heads, but which is ultimately about the choices we make and moral responsibility. A quick read.

79: Red Jade, Book 3, Detective Jack Yu Investigation, by Henry Chang

Kindle edition {added}



This series is best read in order as the story being told in each book follows on from the previous one.

80: Death Money, Book 4, Detective Jack Yu Investigation, by Henry Chang

Kindle edition {added}



Having lived fairly close to Chinatown in Toronto in my yoof, one of the things I really like about Chang's stories is his eye for detail. I feel like I'm there when he drops into a gift shop or one of the many restaurants in his books. I can smell what the streets smell like, the hundreds of different odours/scents in the air as you walk along the sidewalk. I always got my flower and bee sandalwood soap there. When he describes the padded jackets, I remember the reversible red satin padded jacket I wore for years, loving its rich colour and warmth. Perhaps this adds to the enjoyment of this series for me.

81: Lucky, Book 5, Detective Jack Yu Investigation, by Henry Chang

Kindle edition {added}



The last one of the series to date. Gritty, realistic, and at times very sad.

82: Strange Beasts of China, A Novel, by Yan Ge

Hardbound, Melville House {added}



It took me a while to finish this rather extraordinary book. I found I couldn't read it quickly but needed to finish a chapter about a particular beast, letting it settle inside me. The narrator, an unnamed cryptozoologist, is writing a book about the various beasts found in the fictional city of Yong'an. She describes each beast she encounters, relating their emotional encounters, describing their quirks and idiosyncrasies, saying 'other than that, they were very human, or just like regular people'. This creates a dissonance for the reader who feels the beasts being described are anything but human. The beasts are sorrowful beasts, joyful beasts, sacrificial beasts, impasse beasts, flourishing beasts, thousand league beasts, heartsick beasts, prime beasts, and returning beasts.

I found some chapters incredibly sad but wouldn't describe the book as a sad one. The magical realism of the whole tale was almost uncanny, at times, with places like the Dolphin Bar seeming like a Hopper painting. The beasts themselves have to remain concealed to escape mistreatment by other groups, whether human or other beasts. I finished the book thinking that I need to read this book again because there are allegories and allusions that, like the beasts themselves, are floating in a tantalising way at the edge of my peripheral vision.

Hi Tiffin. I'll add Strange Beasts of China to my list of books to read soon.

Thanks, Linda. I think you'll like it.

83: A Hero Born, Legends of the Condor Heroes, Vol. I, by Yong Jin
Anna Holmwood, Translator
Kindle edition {added}



Jin Yong was the pen name for Louis Cha whose kung fu novels are modern classics in China. Let me quote from the introduction by Anne Holmwood, the translator:
"It begins with a storyteller, with news from the north, a tale of crushing defeat and humiliation, a great Chinese Empire in tatters and fleeing south. It begins with a court corrupt to the core, willing to sacrifice the Chinese people to the invading Jurchen tribes for the chance of gold and escape. It begins with two patriots, two farmers self-taught in the martial arts, and one Taoist priest determined to avenge their deaths. It begins with two sons still in their mothers' bellies when their fathers are slain, divided and taken into enemy hands, brought up far away from their Chinese motherland."

This is the first book of an epic adventure with some characters larger than life while others are all too human. This part of the tale touches on the rise of Genghis Khan - he's not the central character - but mostly on the two sons of the two patriots. I have bought the next three books, and look forward to seeing where this vast story goes.

>176 tiffin: Got me with that one!

84: A Bond Undone, Legends of the Condor Heroes Vol. 2, by Yong Jin
Gigi Chang, Translator
Kindle edition {talk}



Everybody is kung fu fighting (hoo, huh)
Your mind becomes fast as lightning
Although the future is a little bit frightening (little bit frightening)
It's the book of your life that you're writing (life you're writing)

Onward!

85: A Snake Lies Waiting, Legends of the Condor Heroes Vol. 3, by Yong Jin
Anna Holmwood, Translator; Gigi Chang, Translator

Kindle edition {added}



I am not bothered by the slightly clipped language at times, very aware that I'm reading a translationl I'm really enjoying the story I'm being told, not to mention the characters.

86: A Heart Divided, Legends of the Condor Heroes, Vol. 4, by Jin Yong

Kindle edition {added}



This series was great fun. Jin Yong took us from the steppes of Mongolia to the west of Samarkand, to the south of China, up and down mountains, over rivers and seas, through bustling cities to rural villages, on horseback and boats. Guo Jing and Lotus face danger, together and apart as they work their way through the growth of their individual kung fu styles, as well as their relationship. Guo Jing is stalwart, honourable, generous and kind. He may not be the genius that Lotus is but with diligence he gets there in the end. Full of characters, evil, good, and humorous, who kept me interested and delighted.

I don't see how I can resist them. And since it's Women In Translation Month they all fit in!

Happy summertime reading, Tui.

Thanks, Richard. It was perfect summer reading. Jin Yong is a man but the translators are women, if that makes a difference.

It does indeed! Women who translate are the celebrated people all month long, whether they wrote the thing they're translating or not.

87: The Night Raven, Crow Investigations Book I by Sarah Painter

Kindle edition {added}



Oh boy, another series! There are four powerful families that control pretty much everything in London, England: the Crows, the Silvers, the Pearls, and the Foxes. Lydia Crow has been raised away from her powerful Family, with her father giving up his position as head of the Crows to keep her apart from all the skullduggery. A tenuous truce is in place amongst the families since WWII but it's fragile. Lydia has been up in Aberdeen, Scotland, working as an investigator but circumstances there have forced her to return to London to work things out. Her uncle Charlie, the erstwhile head of the Crows, has given her refuge above a defunct cafe he owns.

The magic is understated, at least so far, with Lydia's investigations taking the forefront. So a kind of magical mystery tour!

88: The Silver Mark, Crow Investigations Book II, by Sarah Painter

Kindle edition {added}



Lydia Crow wants to solve the mystery of a man found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge. Her relationship with the policeman DCI Fleet is a continuing powerful pull and struggle. The ghost in her flat is an intriguing character. Lydia's work as a private investigator is doing well but dangers abound.

89: The Fox's Curse, Crow Investigations Book III, by Sarah Painter

Kindle edition {added}



Uncle Charlie has an agenda (he always has an agenda) and Lydia is very aware of this but can't help getting pulled deeper and deeper into Crow Family matters. Investigating a suspicious death in an abandoned London Underground tunnel causes her all kinds of problems with her own Family, the Foxes, and the other Families. Lots of creepiness sneaking into this instalment.

90: The Pearl King, Crow Investigations Book IV, by Sarah Painter

Kindle edition {added}



Just the right amount of creepiness in this one.

I've read to the end of the published series (Book VII) but I've just had cataract surgery done so won't be entering these for a day or so. I've pre-ordered Book VIII which comes out in October, I think.

I hope your response to cataract surgery is as positive as mine was, Tui. If I had known about the pandemic ahead of time, I would seriously have considered implants for near vision, but I didn't, so I have to wear glasses to read for the first time in my life. Enjoy the glorious return of pure color!!!!!
Meanwhile, I'm furiously looking a Ammy for everything you've been reading these days.

P.S. The Night Raven is free, free, free for Kindle. Yay!

I opted for the mid-price implants, Peggy, so I'll be using drug store cheaters (2.0) for close work too but I've already been using them for certain reading like the Slightly Foxed editions. I had lost my far vision, so it will be wonderful not to have to wear glasses for driving, walking, or being out in the garden. I get the 2nd eye done this coming Thursday but I already notice how much better my left eye is for distance. The Kindle with its font adjustment has been a godsend.

91: The Copper Heart, Crow Investigations Book V, by Sarah Painter

Kindle edition {added}



Lydia is dealing with lots of issues as head of the Crow clan. The story continues!

92: The Shadow Wing, Crow Investigations Book 6, by Sarah Painter

Kindle edition {added}



Alliances are threatened, Mr. Smith is an ever present danger. Lydia is learning the extent of her talent.

93: The Broken Cage, Crow Investigations Book 7, by Sarah Painter

Kindle edition {added}



Another mystery to solve, particularly as this one seems to implicate her. Fleet is obviously troubled and won't say why.

Book 8 on pre-order but it won't be out until later in the autumn.

94: The Hotel at the End of Time: A non-stop, thrilling adventure: Book 1 of The Hotel, by Michael James

Kindle edition {added}



The Hotel exists *somewhere* with portals accessing our Earth and similar Earth-like planets, although not necessarily populated. Kidnapped pairs have their memories erased so they don't know who they were but they do have memories of songs etc., leaking through at times. One half of the pair becomes the battery, the other the power who draws on the battery, feeding power into the Well. They are controlled, enslaved, by a group of copies called Wyatts, the original Wyatt being goodness knows where from whom the arch nasty named Arthur reproduces them as needed. Surprisingly, they are collectively interested in Women's Studies. Their overseer is a character named Trick who is indeed tricksy and almost never tells the truth.

The kidnapped pairs have been given different names, having no memory of their original names. Two of these, Vain and Roman, are the main protagonists in this first book. Vain is a quirky genius who has engineered the break-out and escape from the Hotel. The Wyatts are definitely after them. When the Wyatts try to kidnap another victim, Emma, things get really interesting as both she and Emma want to put an end to Arthur's machinations.

Vain is one of the most intriguing characters I've read in a while. I thought this was a one-off but the story apparently continues on for at least two more books.

95: Smoke, Book 5, An IQ Novel by Joe Ide

Kindle edition {added}



I had let this sit idling on my wishlist after reading the first four books and finally picked it up. I had the strangest sense of déja vu while reading it, as though I'd already read it. It's the parallel story of Isaiah Quintabe and his friend Juanell Dodson as IQ has fled his old life in East Long Beach to escape the grim and unrelenting violence, while Juanell tries to turn himself into a breadwinner for his family. IQ is missing his true love, Grace, while trying to calm his ptsd. Juanell tries to do a 180 away from his unmotivated lazy ways, trying to discover what, if anything, he might be good at.

Lots of crazies, danger, violence but, as always, a solid story under it all telling the story of people whose stories don't get told very often.

96: The Well at the Bottom of Everything, The Hotel Book 2, by Michael James

Kindle edition {added}



I got annoyed with the persona of one of the main characters at one point--Vain--but persisted. In the end, I quite liked it.

97: DUKE: Inspector Mislan and the Expressway Murders, Vol. 2, by Rozlan Mohd Noor

Kindle edition {added}



Somehow I ended up with the 2nd in a series of 3 but it was easy enough to follow. Interesting as it's set in Kuala Lumpur and different from the usual Japanese or Chinese mysteries I've read in translation. Food figures largely!

98: Blackbird Fly: A novel of suspense, loss, and discovery, Bennett Sisters Book 1, by Lise McClendon

Kindle edition {added}



Inheriting a house in a small village in France after her husband's death, Merle Bennett learns that she really didn't know much about her late husband or his family. A nice summer mystery.

99: The Girl in the Empty Dress, Bennett Sisters Book 2, by Lise McClendon

Kindle edition {added}



Merle's sisters descend into her house in France, accompanied by a coworker of one of them whom none of them is able to warm up to. Add in a stolen truffle dog and a group of unpleasant men who are after her, and you have another mystery set in the Dordogne region of France, with lots of wine and good cheese.

Just catching up a little.

I'm not that familiar with many of your recent reads but I must say there are some splendid covers.

Hi Paul! Hope you had a nice birthday recently. I've been bingeing on mysteries. Thanks for dropping by.

>201 tiffin: My own reading has been, I think, overly serious lately. I am thinking of having a break (maybe in November) and read nothing but thrillers and fluff.

Lovely to see you so active this year. xx

100: The Elevator at the Brink of Infinity, The Hotel Book 3, by Michael James

Kindle edition {added}



This wrapped up The Hotel series. I got over my irritation at the character of Vain from the 2nd book (it was only a brief spell). An interesting trilogy full of quirky concepts, even quirkier characters, with a satisfying ending.

101: Mr. Pim Passes By, A Comedy in Three Acts by A.A. Milne

Kindle edition



I think this would be fun to see on stage.

102: The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez, by Rudy Ruiz

Kindle edition



This was pretty much a five star read for me. Magical realism inasmuch as ghosts could be seen, heard, and able to participate in our plane of existence by Fulgencio and others, but so much more. Full of strong characters around what is essentially a love story to the Hispanic people of the border areas between the US and Mexico. Also full of music and food. At its very heart, a story about a powerful and true love.

>173 tiffin:: I finished the Strange Beasts of China and have written my impressions of the book, at long last.

>206 tiffin:, >173 tiffin: Yep. Glad I procured that already.

>205 tiffin: I just got this one! Funny about that...I toddle along behind you.

Happy weekend, Tui.

>205 tiffin: A Kindle deal through BookBub..... I'm happy that I knew to snag it. Thanks, Tui! (Did I say how much I enjoyed Damnificados, which I would never, ever have read had it not been for you? I enjoyed it A LOT!)

I think we toddle in tandem, Richard! Thanks, Peggy. Damnificados was kind of fun, wasn't it?

103: The Unwilling, The Barrier Lands Book 1 by Kelly Braffet

Kindle edition {added}



Judah was orphaned at birth in Highfall Castle, born at the same time as Gavin, the heir to the castle. The details of her birth are a mystery, as is her bond with Gavin which allows them to communicate telepathically but also to feel the physical sensations the other is experiencing. Gavin's cruel father, Elban, already extremely powerful, intends to use their ability to communicate to extend his range of power even further. But others with power of their own and plans long in the making are working to prevent this, with Judah the unwitting victim between them...until she learns who she is and what she is capable of.

Interesting enough to read the next book.

104: The Left-handed Booksellers of London, by Garth Nix

Kindle edition {added}



I do so love a tale which ties in old wonderful bookshops with the ancient ones of England! Susan Arkshaw doesn't know who her father was, and her quite muddled but lovely mother isn't able to tell her, apart from giving her a couple of very obscure clues. So Susan heads off to London to go to art college but also to see if she can find out more about her mysterious parent. She has one name of someone her mother used to know but when a left-handed (the fighters) bookseller gets to him before she can ask anything, she is hurtled into the world of the mysterious booksellers (the right-handed ones are the intellectuals who solve problems).

The left-handed bookseller, Merlin, has a quest similar to her own: who killed his mother? And off they go. Good fun!

I may end up putting some books out of order because my very old mother has come down with Covid, so I've been reading but have also been pretty scattered as a result of this. No fun to get it in one's 103rd year. I'll try to catch up with registering my reads but they'll be put in any old how.

105: The Willow Marsh Murder, The Detective Lavender Series Book 6, by Karen Charlton

Kindle edition {added}



A period mystery set in the Fens of England during the Napoleonic era. Smugglers (of course), squabbles over inheritances, a large isolated stone manor (of course), secret passages, and all that good stuff.

106: Kinfolk, A Novel of China, by Pearl S. Buck

Kindle edition



Although my parents read Pearl S. Buck, I am only just making her acquaintance. This was a lovely story.

I'm missing a couple of books but can't put my finger on them. Och weel....

>212 tiffin: That makes perfect sense, Tui...no worries about anyone's needs but Mum's right now. She's earned it just by living 103 years...not to mention giving us you.

Stay sane!

>212 tiffin: I'm sad to hear about your mother, Tui. I do so hope that she can tolerate Paxlovid or whatever they give her, and that her case is mild. I continue to isolate myself and my mother (a young one who turns 101 in November) in hopes of fending off the infection. Prayers for you both and for everybody who cares for her!

I took a BB with the Nix and am off to track it down!

>214 tiffin: Recommending The Goddess Abides and Mandala from my reading of her works.

>214 tiffin: I became reacquainted with Buck a few years back by reading Imperial Woman for the American Authors Challenge, (I'm pretty sure I read some of her in high school). I've meant to get on with more of her work, but you know how that goes.

>212 tiffin: Ouch! I'm wishing you both all the best, and hoping her covid case is as mild as it can be.

Just popping by your thread, and Best wishes for you and your Mother!

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Tui and I trust that all are on the mend there. xx

>222 PaulCranswick:: Not quite yet, Paul. It's pretty hard on really old folks. Just had a son injured in a mountain biking accident, so I think I'd rather just forget this Thanksgiving. I do appreciate your thoughtfulness, however. Thank you.

Sorry for not thanking people for dropping by with good wishes. Life has been a bit wild here of late. I do so appreciate you taking the time.

Hoping it was LESS wild for actual Thanksgiving, Tui! Whichever guy got injured I hope it was minor and is already a bad memory.

>225 richardderus:: It was pretty major, Richard: both fibula and tibia badly broken. He had to wait until yesterday for the surgery because of the holiday weekend here. His twin and gf drove hours to be with him, two hours west of here. I'm hoping he'll be able to return home today. He's looking at a long recovery.

>226 tiffin: That isn't great news at all. I'm so sorry. I hope the healing goes well and as quickly as it can after surgery.

Kids...we never stop worrying.

We bring them into the world pretty much perfect. Then they discover mountain biking and it's all downhill (pun intended) from there.

Ahhh...that maternal gallows humor. Heh.

Dear Tui, I'm very sorry that your son is so injured on top of everything else you're dealing with. More thoughts and prayers for all of you.

So sorry about your son, Tui.
(((hugs)))

(((((Hugs))))) to you and your son, Tui. I am a twin myself and do get twinges and vibes if anything untoward is happening with my brother.

My mom died early yesterday evening. As I noted elsewhere, of old age like the Queen but in reality of complications from Covid. In her 103rd year it took a toll on her. Peace and no pain at last, Mom.

>233 tiffin: Sad news, Tui, sending my love.

Dear Tui, I am sorry to hear this sad news. I wish comfort and peace for you too, and for your family.

>233 tiffin: My condolences, Tui.

I’m so sorry for your loss.

Thanks so much Kerry, Peggy, Anita, and Jim. Once I get myself over this period, it will be nice to visit other people's threads again.

>233 tiffin: I'm sorry to hear this. And to hear about your son's badly broken leg.

Condolences on your loss, and a virtual hug if it would help.

>233 tiffin: I have been utterly absorbed in my sister's visit from Texas and haven't visited. I'm so sad with you for the loss of her physical presence but her imprint is going to last. Not least on the many friends here, all of us saddened for you in her absence.

Safe journey home to her.