What We're Reading in May

Pat here with May’s collection of favorite reads. Some of us are apparently hunkered down in this enforced isolation and have read entire libraries. And then there’s Jo Bourne:

Jo B:

What people think Romance Writers read: Love's Inventive Gymnastics.

What Romance Writers Actually Read: Essays in Social History, Volume I: The Preindustrial Millennia and The ZTE Cell Phone User's Guide.

We read this stuff because we are nerds and cannot safely be turned loose in a library. Preindustrial Millenia is an interesting look at the economics of Greek and Roman slavery versus peasantry. I come away renewed in my determination to avoid being the bottom rung of the social ladder in the Classical period.

Another ladder I would probably avoid any rung of is Revolutionary France, but it's still a joy to pick up Daily Life in the French Revolution by Jean Robiquet, which is full of pithy wisdom and quotes from original material. I am a sucker for "Daily Life in ..." books altogether. Just skip the politics and battlefields and tell me how they got the clothes washed. I'd recommend picking up Robiquet second hand since it hasn't been put in ebook or even paperback.

Pat again:

I’m doing a little better than Jo. I snagged an ARC from one of my favorite mystery writers—The Last Curtain Call, A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery by  Juliet Blackwell. Blackwell writes about two of my favorite topics—house renovation and ghosts. Best of all, she does it well, with in-depth characterization, rich history, and intelligent plotting.

Although her father still participates in his renovation contracting business, Mel Turner has taken it over. She’s engaged to a hunky math professor who worries about her affinity for ghosts but accepts it. I love that Mel is savvy and not prone to pulling stupid stunts. She does her research—and this time its for an early 1900s movie palace, complete with its own ghost story. The reader is given lovely glimpses into the city of San Francisco, the background of early movies, and insights into the immense undertaking involved in restoring one of these grand old palaces.

At the same time, she’s renovating the old home her fiancé has bought—which has its very own ghost, an old-time movie starlet who reportedly killed her lover, then herself. The ghost is charming, but it’s the murder of a squatter in the movie theater that keeps the story rolling. The mystery takes a journey through the theater’s history to uncover the motive for the killing—and the connection to Mel’s ghost. I’m just thrilled to go along for the ride!

 

Nicola here.

This month I’ve not been able to concentrate on reading fiction. We’ve had some really tough things going on in the family and my heartfelt sympathy goes to everyone who is struggling with these challenging times. When reading is a treat and a refuge for you it’s particularly hard to find you can’t escape into a good book, for whatever reason. I’ve turned to non-fiction this month, the sort of non-fiction that can be enjoyed in small chunks. Among my favourite reads has been Tiny Castles (UK link) by Dixe Wills.(US link) He is an author and travel writer who has produced a series of books focusing on all things tiny in the UK, such as islands, churches and campsites. Since we can’t travel to visit places at the moment, this is the next best thing! As Dixe points out, diminutive castles can often have a very big part to play in history. Amongst my favourites are ones I’ve seen, such as Ardvreck in Scotland and gorgeous Stokesay in Shropshire, to others I’m looking forward to seeing when lockdown is lifted, such as Daws Castle on the coast of Somerset which was built to see off Viking raids and really is very small indeed. When there is so much attention given to palaces and stately homes, it’s fun to enjoy the smaller castles there are around. There are some great illustrations too!

 

Christina here and my reading this month has been very eclectic – a little bit of everything for variety. First, with no holiday possible this year, I decided to do some armchair travelling and went to Malta courtesy of Sue Moorcroft and her lovely book Summer on a Sunny Island. I have never been to this Mediterranean island for real, but this was definitely the next best thing. The descriptions make you long to go there and I was clearly able to picture this wonderful, sun-drenched place. I could feel the heat, smell the brine in the air, and imagined myself snorkeling in the clear waters – pure bliss! The whole story was like a brilliant ray of sunshine and for anyone longing to escape the present, this is perfect!

Next, I picked up a time slip/dual time novel by Kate Ryder – Secrets of the Mist. I’m a huge fan of time slip and this didn’t disappoint. Set in Dorset, a part of the UK where my ancestors come from, and partly during the English Civil War period, which I love, it already had the best possible ingredients for me. I found it a gripping and very spooky read (although spooky in exactly the right way for a time slip), with plenty of atmosphere and a heart-breaking back story. If you like ghosts and Barbara Erskine novels, you’ll like this.

As I’m always interested in history, I was delighted when a friend gave me a signed copy of Lucy Worsley’s Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow. This book is written in a very unusual way for a biography – the author has chosen just 24 days out of Queen Victoria’s life and tells her story by describing those days in detail, adding lots of other interesting information to fill in the time in between. It may seem like an odd way of doing it, but it works surprisingly well and makes it more exciting to read. I did feel that I missed out on parts of Victoria’s life which I would have liked to know more about, but on the whole, this is a great way of getting to know Victoria as a person.

Finally, with all the recent VE Day anniversary celebrations, I delved into A Ration Book Wedding by Jean Fullerton. Set during the second World War, this is a heart-warming story that really brings the East End of London to life. The author has clearly done a lot of research and the authentic details helped me to visualise it all – trying to find enough food to buy, your bus being diverted because a street has a bomb crater in the middle of it, or bedding down in the dark underground shelters while the ground shakes beneath you from the bombs being dropped overhead. I’d heard relatives talking about what it was like (my father’s family lived in London at that time), but this gave me a much better understanding of that time. It’s a story of courage, resilience and love, and ultimately hope.

Anne here, and this month I'm recommending a general/women's fiction book, a contemporary romance and a fantasy.

The first is Saving Missy, by Beth Morrey, a bestselling debut book that was recommended to me by a friend. Saving Missy is the story of an old lady trying to find meaning and purpose in her life after losing her husband of 50+ years. It's a story of friendship and community and kindness, and though it's a little bleak at the start, it has a lovely feel-good ending.

 

Sarina Bowen—Sure Shot 

I'm a fan of Sarina Bowen's sexy contemporaries set in the world of professional hockey, and Sure Shot is the latest in the series. 

A new player is transferred to the Brooklyn Bruisers — a guy with a reputation, and a lot to prove. Sports agent Bess Beringer is about to hit 30 and is planning to make some changes in her life — but the new player turns her plans upside down. The book can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone, but one of the pleasures in this series is the reappearance of characters from the previous books. 

 

Finally there is Lois McMaster Bujold with Mira's Last Dance

This is book #5 of the "Penric's Demon" series, and it provides a satisfying follow-up to book #4 which left me hanging on an emotional cliff-edge. <g> I've really enjoyed this series. Bujold's sorcerers and demons are not the usual zap! and pow! point a finger and destroy an enemy magical types — Penric's demon is a collection of older women (and a couple of animals) who live inside his head, and provide advice, information, and the occasional exotic skill. The characterization is wonderful. If you haven't read them, start with Penric's Demon.

 

Andrea:

I’ve been reading a little outside my usual genres this month, and reading two authors highly recommended by good friends. One won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and the other was a finalist, so that was added incentive . . .and I’m very glad I did!

I’ve been meaning to pick up Geraldine Brooks for a long time, and her prize-winning People of the Book was an irresistible choice, as the plot revolves around a priceless illuminated manuscript. The story starts with a book restorer called in to work on a museum treasure saved from the conflict in war-torn Bosnia. As she is drawn into the manuscript’s history, the reader gets flashbacks, going back sequentially in time, that tell the story of how it survived over the centuries. It’s beautifully written, and a fascinating look at history and family conflicts—made even more poignant by the  book restorer’s personal family secrets and heartaches that are slowly revealed, too.

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich is getting a lot of buzz these day, and is based on her grandfather’s experience of his  David vs. Goliath battle against  the U.S. government in the 1950s over Native American rights. Again, it’s beautifully written, with quirky, surreal characters and scenes. The portrait of the intertwining native American families and their mystical serenity in the face of heartbreaking challenges is so well wrought. It’s not always easy going but well worth sticking with. I highly recommend both.

And Susan:

Now and then I go on an art reading binge and make my way through a hefty monograph or an art study (my shelves are groaning full of such things after years of grad studies in art history—I still update, and they're still useful for romance or just a fun-if-you-like-scholarly-stuff read!). Recently I picked up a paperback I hadn't yet got around to reading--The Irish Game by Matthew Hart. I'm glad I found the time. Hart examines some of the great art heists in Irish collections (and elsewhere, as they connect), beginning with the theft of a priceless Vermeer and other paintings from Russborough House by IRA radicals in the 1970s. Along the merry way—his readable, breezy style is laced with humor—he describes mastermind criminal schemes and things gone wrong, and dives into restoration techniques and discoveries. Hart writes nonfiction in the best way, with a nimble hand for characterizations, plot, cliffhangers and tidbits. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The discussions of Vermeer in particular, with the mention of one of my own professors during my PhD studies, led me back to my prof's major work on Vermeer, which I haven't read for years. Yum.  

A lovely mental vacay while the world finds a way to right itself

 

Mary Jo here, happy to report on stories by two of my favorite fantasy authors.   False Value is the 8th in Ben Aaronvitch's Rivers of London urban fantasy series.  The narrator, Peter Grant, is a mixed-race police wizard who is very funny and also a very decent guy.

The London police have one very small unit devoted to dealing with Weird Stuff.  Peter has been an apprentice learning magic since the first book, when he kind of stumbled into it by accident in the course of doing routine police work.  In False Value, Peter goes undercover at a computer company, originally from America, founded by an Australian, and committed to a Silicon Valleyish need to be desperately cool. 

 As usual when Peter goes in, he finds things very different and complicated and barely escapes with his skin intact.  He lives with his girlfriend, Beverly Brook, who is the embodied goddess spirit of the London Beverly Brook stream, hence her name. She is lovely and smart (working on her PhD) and is pregnant with his twins, currently referred to as the Bulge. <g> 

It's kind of hard to explain all this, but the books are fun and very original, demonstrate the author's deep love of his native city, and things always work out well for Peter.  It would probably be best to start with Midnight Riot, book 1 of the series. 

Penric and the Physicians of Vilnoc by Lois McMaster Bujold is also the 8th in an ongoing series of which it's best to start with the first book, Penric's Demon. Penric was a nice young man from a gentry family in the mountains when he met a dying priestess divine on the road, and accidentally agreed to accept her demon when she died.  It was a—considerable shock. <g> The demon contained the spirits of ten women who had previously carried the demon, all of them like bossy aunts.  The first book shows how he and the demon, whom he names Desdemona, come to terms.  His adventures continue through the subsequent novellas as he falls in love, travels to various lands and escapes alive, and helps people (and foxes) along the way.

 In Penric and the Physicians of Vilnoc, his brother-in-law, a general, calls him in when a mysterious plague is sweeping through his army.  Interestingly, a mutual friend said that Bujold had started the book before the coronavirus came to stay, but being a fine writer, she anticipated what a plague was like, and the incredible strain on the front line physicians like Penric.  In the end, all comes right.  I'm ready for Penric's next adventure!

 

Pat again:

We have bared our library shelves. Your turn! Did you find any really good reads this month that you'd like to share?

 

Comments

[Sue Moorcroft]

Thank you for the lovely mention. :-0

[Elaine Fearnley]

A book that I continually return to is ‘The Sunne In Splendour’ by Sharon K Penman. I’ve just re-read it for the umpteenth time and I still shout to Richard not to trust Stanley, and always cry at the end!! I absolutely love it for it’s portrayal of Richard, both as a man and a King, and it hurts my heart every time I read it. I’m now reading ‘Brief Gaudy Hour’ by Margaret Campbell Barnes - another dear favourite that transports me to the world of Anne Boleyn, and again, I rant at the injustice, and cry at the end!! I love books that twitch back the curtain of time, and let me see, hear and feel the characters and their lives, and watch as history unfurls right before my eyes.

[Lil]

My nerdy reading these days has been Rory Muir's Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune: How Younger Sons Made Their Way in Jane Austen's England. It's fascinating reading and I've found a new hero — Henry Sykes Thornton, banker and abolitionist. At the age of 25, faced by a run on the bank, he so impressed his fellow bankers with his coolness and honesty that the Bank of England decided to lend him money. He was also the kind of fellow whose cheerful presence made everyone around him feel good.

[Patricia Rice]

Thank you for the marvelous book! In the background, the wenches are vicariously vacationing with you.

[Patricia Rice]

You are a stronger person than I! I adore Penman and read those books avidly when I was young. These days, I just want to stab the villains.

[Patricia Rice]

Oh goody, now that's the kind of book I need to read! Off to hunt for it now, thank you!

[Pamela DG]

This month and next, I'm taking a seven week course on Genealogy Principles through Boston University. So I have a slew of Genealogy texts and guidelines to read through. When I have read for pleasure, I have read Eloisa James's "Say Yes to the Duke," (The fifth book in here Wilde series), Lyndsay Sands, "Falling for the Highlander," and Julia Quinn's "It's in his kiss." You can see I'm attacking my TBR and keeping up with my favorite authors.

[Elaine Fearnley]

I’m right there with you Patricia!! For some reason, I think that if I yell loudly enough, Richard will hear me and the course of history will be changed! If only....

[Patricia Rice]

A most excellent collection it is too! I'm not sure about genealogy texts but they probably beat the book I downloaded about Northumberland horticulture in the 1870s.

[Kareni]

Since last time ~

-- The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls (Chalion Book 2) by Lois McMaster Bujold, two fantasies which I quite enjoyed.
-- Road to the Sun (re-released as Ends of the Earth) by Keira Andrews; this was a pleasant male/male romance.

— Accelerating Universe (The Sector Fleet, Book 1) by Nicola Claire; it was a pleasant read that, in one sense, reminded me of Michele Diener’s Dark Horse.
— reread SK Dunstall’s Alliance and Confluence for the nth time.
— Eliza’s Miracle by S. J. Sanders which was a set in space romance featuring characters in their fifties. While it was pleasant, I don’t expect to reread this.
— reread the Claimings series by Lyn Gala. The first four books in this series are amongst my favorite books; they feature Liam, a linguist, and Ondry, an alien trader. The fifth book is set in the same universe but features different characters. The first book in the series is Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts.

— An American Marriage by Tayari Jones which my book group discussed on Zoom. I found it to be a depressing read. (It seems that my book group reads predominantly depressing books! How about yours?)
— Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. I expect this is a book I’ll reread as I liked both of the leads. This is a male/male romance.
— Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold which I liked. I’d read the author’s Shards of Honor last year, and I recommend reading that before this book.
— enjoyed Heels Over Head by Elyse Springer, a male/male contemporary romance.

-- The Warrior's Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning, and The Vor Game all by Lois McMaster Bujold; I enjoyed them all.
-- a science fiction book that I won in a Goodreads giveaway: Skiathos by Boris L. Slocum. It was a pleasant read, but I don't believe I'll be reading it.
-- Unsouled (Cradle Book 1) by Will Wight which proved to be an enjoyable fantasy. I may continue on with the series (it's fairly violent though).
-- Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel by Martha Wells which I quite enjoyed.

[Kareni]

Incidentally, the April post did not get a What We're Reading tag so is not easily located.

[Patricia Rice]

Excellent list, as always! I can see you and Mary Jo were both on a Bujold kick.
And yes, in my experience, book clubs like depressing literature. I had to give up.

I'll take a look at your point below and see if that can be fixed. Thanks!

[Vicki L]

Kareni, indeed, my local library's Book Club reads depressing, dreary books as well! The librarian that runs that group says "But there is so much to discuss in those books!" I say, "but there are never any happy endings..."

May was a mix of good, bad and indifferent. This month I was actually glad when I hit a bad book (no mentions) because I would refuse to finish it and it was one less on the shelf staring me in the face (grin). Also cleared a lot off my virtual Kindle shelf as well though it doesn't stare at me like the physical shelf.

The books I enjoyed were a mix of new to me and re-reads. Mary JO's Once a Soldier (since I was wearing Athena's dress to the ball.) Next up were Georgette Heyer's - The Unknown Ajax and The Toll Gate since Hugh Darracot and John Staple were my escorts to the ball. Enjoyed all three of them greatly.

Jane Feather - reread To Kiss a Spy (set in England's Tudor period just before Mary takes the throne). To Wed a Wicked Prince, A Wicked Gentleman & A Husband's Wicked Way's. Set in Regency England, all the H's were spies or spy masters. Very much enjoyed all of them (again).

Anna Jacobs - A Trader's Wife. Really enjoyed it! In fact, I ended up reading it 3 times this month because it hit the proverbial sweet spot. An English woman, stranded in China (1865). Lives with a Chinese family for 2 years before an arranged marriage of convenience takes place with an Irishman headed to Australia. The characters are wonderful. The settings are fun. Minor stories threaded through as well.

Jo Goodman -Only in my Arms. This was the final book in the Dennehy Sister's series. I didn't care for the 1st 4 but loved this one. Reread it several times as well! Excellent H/h - an unlikely pair because rich/poor, Nun/Indian scout (but he's a white man). At the core, they match perfectly. It is a love story and an adventure that sweeps from NY City to Arizona Territory to Washington DC and back to NY City 1884/1885.

Jo Goodman - My Steadfast heart & My Reckless Heart. Books 1 & 2 in the Thorne Brother's trilogy. Nice meaty novels. Quiet angst and desperation but also strength of character shown for both H/h. Very enjoyable books.

Jennifer Ashley - A Rogue Meets a Scandalous Lady. In the Mackenzie series.

Jennifer Ashley - Shifters Unbound series - 5 that I hadn't read previously that were on my Kindle.

Patricia Rice - Sapphire Nights. I'd forgotten it was on my Kindle so I rectified my error and enjoyed reading it.

My nerdy book is The War Queens: Extraordinary Women Who Ruled the Battlefield by Jonathan W. Jordan and Emily Anne Jordan. Small biographical sketches of 13 women who led their countries to war through the ages. From 530 BC in the Mediterranean, through China, Egypt, Italy, Greece, England (3 times), Africa, Russia, India, Israel. It has been a fascinating read.

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

I started this month in the pandemic reading the darkly compelling After Sundown by Linda Howard and Linda Jones. The premise: What would it be like if a catastrophic sun storm destroyed the entire world's power grid and we were all left in the dark? Even though there was no plague, the story still resonated with me as I coped with this year's pervasive aloneness. Next I read Grace Burrowes' A Duke By Any Other Name, the 4th in her Rogues to Riches series. Her books are always fun. Next up was Bunnicula. Yes, the children's chapter book about a vampire bunny. A friend sent it to me, because she knew I'd never read it. Now I have a reason to be thankful that my red tomatoes are not drained of juice! I've finished up the merry month of May with Anne Gracie's Married in Scarlet, which was a lovely coda to her "A Marriage of Convenience" series. This book had everything I love: a large dog, music, a parure of rubies and a hero and heroine who are an unlikely match. George is definitely a unique heroine. And who knew that Hart being a duke doesn't necessarily make for happiness. (Not giving away any spoilers here!) The only thing wrong with the book was that eventually it had to end. Drat! I began it at 6 PM this past Wednesday and finished it at 4:30 AM on Thursday. Definitely worth the eyestrain! And, of course, eagerly awaiting Anne's next books. As for what I'm going to read next - it's The Velveteen Rabbit, a gift from the same friend who gave me Bunnicula. I thnk my nose is twitching...

[Christina Courtenay]

Yes armchair travel is essential right now and I'm still dreaming of snorkelling in Malta!

[Christina Courtenay]

That sounds fascinating! I'm just an amateur genealogist but I know it's very addictive :-) I can't resist stories about Highlanders either ...

[Christina Courtenay]

So sorry, Kareni, that was my fault - I'm still learning how to post properly! Will know for next time.

[Quantum]

The weather in southern England has been stunning lately so I haven't read as much fiction as usual. I downloaded a few audio books from the public library to try new authors. Three were DNF but one that I enjoyed was the mystery thriller 'Land of the Living' by Nicci French. The beginning is a little spine chilling but as the plot evolves, the many twists and turns kept my interest. I will definitely try more from this author.

For those writing paranormal or readers interested in the subject I would recommend Michael Talbot's 'The Holographic Universe'. The beginning explains holography for the layman and outlines the theory that human memory exploits holographic principles. The main part of the book then goes on to describe many paranormal examples which could be explained if the mind perceives the universe as a hologram (I skipped many as was mainly interested in the ideas). If this gives you a taste that you like then more rigorous work by David Bohm and Karl Pribram is readily available.

[Minna]

I'm about to finish (once again) reading The Tamuli trilogy by David Eddings. Next I think I'll read Pompeii by Mary Beard. I've enjoyed watching her documentaries on Youtube and I thought to check out her books, too. I might also read The World According to Bob by James Bowen. It's a sequal to Street Cat Named Bob.

[Patricia Rice]

Fabulous selection and thank you for the shout out on Sapphire Nights. Not too many of our readers dig into my contemporaries, even though the characters are Malcolm descendants.

I'm interested that you kept reading Jo Goodman's series even though the first few books didn't appeal to you. I assume you do it because you enjoy her world and writing?

[Patricia Rice]

Hey, Binnie, extroverts like you really must be suffering with this lockdown business. And the idea of children's books in this depressing era is fascinating. They might just be the ticket. Maybe I should look up the Boxcar Children!

And isn't Anne's book delicious? I just finished it last night--so very satisfying!

[Patricia Rice]

Noting down Nicci French since I'm not finding too many mysteries these days. And holography? That's a new one. Our libraries are closed so unless it's in digital, I may have to hunt the online stores. Thank you!

[Patricia Rice]

I haven't seen Eddings in a long while! I love being reminded of old favorites.

[Anne Gracie]

Binnie, thanks for those very kind words about Marry In Scarlet — I'm so pleased you enjoyed it. I'm also a fan of Bunnicula — I have a copy somewhere that I bought when it first came out. I remember browsing in the bookstore, picking it up and chuckling. So of course I bought it.

[Anne Gracie]

Kareni, another way of finding the WWR posts is to go to the archives (scroll down in the left hand sidebar) click on the month you want and the WWR is usually the first or second post you'll see, as it shows the last post of the month first.

[Margaret]

Nicola, I'm sorry that family matters have been hard of late. It's so wrenching when there are external and internal traumas going on simultaneously, and sometimes our brains just can't detach enough to get absorbed in a book. I've listened to a lot of romances lately, most of them pretty good, but I particularly enjoyed Mary Jo's Petals in the Storm and The Light Over London by Julia Kelly. Mary Jo's book was so marvelously engrossing (and educational). Light Over London started slowly, but it picked up well, so it's worth the effort. And I might have heard about it here first, but I was so happy to discover How the War Saved My Life (Kimberly Brubaker Bradley) for myself. What an absolute delight. I've borrowed the sequel and hope to get to it by the end of the week. In non-fiction I read The Ghost Map (did I learn of that one here first, as well?) about the cholera outbreak in London during the 1850s. While appalling in its detail, it was also rather reassuring. It's good to remember every once in a while that humankind has endured all kinds of misery and survived. Stay safe, everyone.

[Vicki L]

I've read quite a few of her books that I really enjoyed. This one was a much older series. The first 2 books I read. 2nd two I skimmed because I was somewhat invested and wanted to know how they turned out (in spite of not really liking the characters). Began the 5th one with a jaundiced view but was very happy to see she was back in good writing form.

[Janice]

I never remember to mention audiobooks (I guess I don't think of them as reading), but recently I bought a flock of Georgette Heyer titles on ebay, and they've been my bedtime stories - The Convenient Marriage at the moment. I am finding that some books I like are ruined by an awful narrator (TCM is one) and others are improved by a good performance. I also find that I want to keep a print version handy to look at bits I couldn't make out or think may have been played badly.

I abandoned a great many romances and mainstream fiction books this month because I wasn't in the mood for them or they didn't hold my interest. People in my book groups have noticed the same thing, so it's probably not the books, it's the times (as I write this, there's a demonstration/riot about 4 miles from where I live).

One book which did hold my interest and make me want to get back to it was The Broken Girls by Simone St. James - the right balance of timeslip, spookiness and "the way things were".

[Karin]

I have not gotten much reading done this month, but I enjoyed hearing about everyone else's choices. A Ration Book Wedding sounds like my cup of tea. And I don't read much literary fiction, but I love Louise Erdrich.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you very much, Margaret. That is so very kind of you. So many people are dealing with very difficult things at the moment. I think reading can be such a solace and I look forward to having the time and the energy to get back into some good books, many of which have been recommended here!

[Patricia Rice]

I wish I could listen to audiobooks. I love the idea of being able to compare the print version to what were hearing. I need that visual connection to the words. Thanks for reminding us of the variety of ways we can still appreciate Heyer! And I understand about not being able to connect with our usual books. I suppose being nudged out of our ruts is good. Stay safe, please!

[Patricia Rice]

Our wild variety of reader suggestions really does offer something for everyone!