What We are Reading

From cozy mysteries, grumpy billionaires and nerdy theoretical physicist looking for love to high-flying thrillers and our own Anne Gracie's Regency romance, the Wenches have been reading up a storm this month!

Pat: I found a lot of good mysteries this month! Here's a couple: Double Twist (A Mia Murphy Mystery) Stephanie Rowe. Oh my, this was a fun one. Definitely not a cozy although we have a small town and a heroine restoring an old business, a marina. Mia Murphy grew up with a con for a mother, married a drug dealer, and once she gets free of all that, still manages to buy a marina owned by a drug dealer. But she’s determined to put the past behind her and build a beautiful life in rural Maine where nothing bad ever happens. Until it does. Her background is bound to be a criminal magnet. But at least there’s a hunky cop to catch her when she falls, which she does fairly often. Instead of packing pistol hardware, she swings real hardware—hair dryers, pencil sharpeners, anything with a cord she can swing. Her comrades in arms are a baton twirling/body builder mail woman and a septuagenarian café owner/race car driver. So we may have a few murderous thugs and a lot of local skullduggery, but Mia can handle it all. Somehow. I even laughed out loud a few times, which never happens. If you're just looking for a little fun, give it a try!

Murder Is A Must, Marty Wingate (First Edition Library series): Oh frabjous day. . . a cozy mystery that meets all the parameters of a cozy and is still fresh and original and fun to read! Perhaps it feels fresh because it’s set in Bath—not exactly a small town but small enough to fit the genre—and the heroine hasn’t actually read the mystery books in the collection for which she’s curator. This isn’t the first in the series, so I don’t know how Hayley Burke landed the job of curating the rare mystery book collection, but she’s organized and efficient and when a dead body shows up at the bottom of a spiral staircase, she does know enough to recognize the connection to Dorothy Sayers and Lord Peter Wimsey. As with any Marty Wingate book, the characters are all well drawn. There is the usual romance with problems, including grown daughters, but they’re all charming, and the reader wants to know more, which is the ideal way to grow a series. The mystery is more about characters than clues, but there are enough scattered around to figure out the suspects, if not the killer. I enjoyed this, and now I have to go back and find the first book. . . 

Christina:  This month I would first like to mention The Laird's Bride by fellow Wench Anne Gracie, which is an absolutely delightful novella that put a huge smile on my face! It’s a rags-to-riches story, which is one of my favourite tropes, and I loved both the feisty heroine Jeannie and the honourable hero Cameron. It’s always lovely to see a laird/landowner who is keen to look after his tenants’ welfare, so I completely understood his reasons for the hasty marriage. And a heroine who has suffered neglect but emerged strong and determined, overcoming adversity, makes it so satisfying when she finally gets treated right. The fact that she’s no push-over was a plus, and watching her take on her new role as the laird’s wife with tact and kindness made me like her even more. A wonderful tale and one I’d highly recommend!

Secondly, there’s Good As Gold by Sarina Bowen. I have loved every single book in her True North series and this one was no exception. Matteo Rossi is an absolute dream of a hero, and although the ‘asking-your-best-friend-to-father-a-baby’ trope has been done a lot before, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Leila and Matteo were best friends as teenagers, but he was from a poor family and felt he needed to prove himself before he could be worthy of being her boyfriend. By the time he’d done that, he was too late and she was already with someone else. So he never returned home to visit because it was just too hard. Finally he decides he wants to come for his brother’s wedding, and he finds out Leila is recently divorced. They pick up their friendship and then, in a drunken moment, she asks him to be her baby-daddy, because her biological clock is ticking and she’s desperate to be a mother. What follows is a tale of romance, misunderstandings and second chances, and it was a gorgeous read – loved every minute!

Finally, I have to mention Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. I’m becoming a great fan of these novels featuring women in STEM, heroines who are hyper-intelligent academically but completely clueless socially. It’s fun to watch them find a worthy love interest and fall in love in their own inimitable way. This novel is no exception – extremely well written with wonderful characters – although I have to admit it was a little bit heavy on the academic and scientific stuff. The underlying story though is amazing. Theoretical physicist Dr Elsie Hannaway has fought her way to a PhD but is struggling to find a job that actually pays a decent salary. She’s also a diabetic and without the health insurance that would come with a proper job in academia she finds it difficult to pay for the medication she needs. To make ends meet, she works as a fake girlfriend for a sort of escort agency (no sex involved), perfecting her acting skills to be whatever woman her client for the day needs. Somewhere along the way, she’s lost track of who she really is as she’s always role-playing. Enter a client’s older brother, who catches her out when she goes to interview for a job and he’s one of the professors judging her. Dr Jack Turner-Smith is furious because he thinks she’s lied to his gullible younger brother Greg, and she can’t tell him the truth because Greg is hiding a secret that’s not hers to tell. The chemistry between these two is off the scale and what ensues is a roller-coaster of a relationship that’s truly heart-warming. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Elsie finally find out who she is and what she deserves, and learning to say no to everyone who has tried to exploit her. Also, of course, falling in love.

Anne: This was a good reading month for me. I’ll start with The Last Eligible Billionaire, by Pippa Grant. This is a classic “fake girlfriend” story. Hayes Rutherford is a grumpy billionaire, fed up with being stalked for his money, pressured by his family to marry, and taking refuge at his beach mansion. There he finds Begonia Fairchild, a bright and bouncy recently divorced young woman, who had rented the mansion from a dodgy agent for an incredibly cheap price. Long story short, he eventually makes an agreement with her (slight blackmail involved) to pose as his girlfriend to get everyone off his back. But as they get to know each other . . . well, you know what happens. It’s light-hearted, fun and I enjoyed it. And I bought more Pippa Grant books.
 
Next is Jane Lovering's  A Midwinter Match. Ruby is a talented counsellor at work in York, though her own life is rather a mess. But she loves helping people and is brilliant at it. However when the management decides to merge two similar depatements, Ruby finds herself in competition with Zac Drewe, another talented counsellor, though with a different style. Only one of them can keep the job.  Encouraged by the management to resort to dirty tricks, both Ruby and Zac must work their way through the impossible situation. And you know what happens. . .  I enjoyed it very much, and it sent me back re-reading other books of hers that I already owned.
 
I really like Jane Lovering’s books. Her characters are not at all the usual glamorous hero and heroine of so many romances — they’re ordinary people dealing with their own serious problems and finding their way to love and happiness in a very believable and heartwarming way. 
 
I also read and enjoyed, the Stephanie Rowe that Christina recommended (women’s fiction/mystery/comedy), Trisha Ashley, The Wedding Dress Repair Shop (women’s fiction/romance),  Lucy Score, Maggie Moves On (rom-com), JD Kirk, The One That Got Away (grittyish crime story) and more.
 
Mary Jo: Here to talk about Abbi Waxman's The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. This is the story of a a smart, eccentric, funny, book-loving introvert.  The style is quirky and sometimes has an omniscient point of view, which we don't see much of these days.  Waxman had me at the opening sentences:
 Imagine you're a bird.  You can be any kind of bird, but those of you who have chosen chicken or ostrich will have a struggle keeping up. Now, imagine you're coasting through the skies above Los Angeles, coughing occasionally in the smog.

 This introduction leads to the neighborhood of Larchmont, which includes our heroine, Nina Hill, her cat Phil, and the bookstore where Nina works.  Nina loves books and reading, but also runs book clubs for her bookstore and does trivia contests with three friends.  Her father is unknown and her mother is a globetrotting photographer and she was raised by a loving nanny.  

 Nina's parents were never married and she hadn't a clue who her father was, until he dies and leaves her a legacy and a lot of relatives of all ages because her father married several times. Those relatives all live nearby, and horror of horrors--they want to meet her!  Nina's life is about to change big time.  
 It's hard to explain this book except to say that it's smart, eccentric, and funny.  I really enjoyed watching Nina's life expand, which includes a love interest from a rival trivia team.  It's fun to read, with lots of humor and sly observations about life, love, and Los Angeles!

In addition, I will join in the chorus of enthusiasm for Anne Gracie's recently released novella, The Laird's Bride.  It's swift and sweet and great fun, and classic Anne Gracie.  
 
Susan: Another busy month, but I read two standouts. One has been mentioned by the Wenches before, I think—Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I enjoyed her Beach Read, and overall I liked this one too. What's not to love in a story about two people in publishing who feel drawn yet conflicted, are opposites and yet identicals, and figure it all out? Nora is a super-busy, A-type literary agent who loves the city; Charlie is the taciturn editor she knocks heads with over a writer she champions. When Nora's homebody sister drags stressed Nora to the countryside for a vacation, Charlie turns up too, having family in the same small town. When a manuscript needs two editors, Nora and Charlie must work together reluctantly, which changes when their prickly sparks ignite. Add family complications, events and feelings that need clearing, and plenty of physical chemistry -- it's a good story with very believable characters. To be honest, I had to push myself through it at first. The relationships are complicated, actions and emotions are carefully wrought and deeply described, and the reader needs to invest. I warmed to it and enjoyed it, and will read Emily Henry's work again. She's a gifted and intelligent writer and well worth the reading time. 
 
I also picked up Falling by T.J. Newman and practically flew through it -- bad pun, sorry -- it's an action-thriller about a commercial airline flight that faces catastrophe. When pilot Bill Hoffman enters the cockpit for an ordinary flight to NY, he soon learns that his family has been kidnapped. He must face the worst scenario and do the unthinkable to try to save them. This is a taut thriller with danger at every turn, a clever, unpredictable, quick read with solid characters and strong motivations. Pilots, flight attendants, passengers, air traffic control, FBI, the pilot's family -- everyone is forced to take risks to prevent ultimate disaster. I had seen an interview with the author, a flight attendant who wrote the book in her spare time on countless flights; her expertise informs every page. Falling is exciting and unexpected, a big thriller tailor-made for a movie someday. Once you plunge in, this one is hard to set down. 

Andrea: I glommed through The Last Remains, the latest addition to Elly Griffith's wonderfully atmospheric Dr. Ruth Galloway mystery series. I really like the eccentric cast of characters that has developed over the course of the books, as well as Ruth's complicated relationship with DCI Nelson—which is growing even more fraught as Ruth's Archeology Department at the university in in danger of being closed to save money. Adding to the challenge of navigating personal stresses is the discovery during a building renovation of a former cafe of a skeleton hidden behind a wall. it turns out to be the remains of a Cambridge student who had disappeared 12 years ago . . . and it turns out that Ruth and Nelson's friend, Cathbad—the spiritual Druid—was among the last people to see her alive. The damage to the woman;s skull show it was murder . . .

As the investigation progresses, both Ruth and Nelson fear Cathbad is hiding something, and when he goes missing, they worry that he knows more than he is admitting. As they work to put together all the confusing clues surrounding the murder, they also must search their own hearts to make some decisions about the future. It's another great story with compelling twists and turns in both the mystery and the cast of friends.
 

Comments

[Jeanne Behnke]

Wow - more books for my TBR collection! I read 2 books by the W team of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig & Karen White - All The Ways We Said Goodbye & The Lost Summers Of Newport. They are timeslips with 3 different narrators. Of course everything comes together in the end. They have built a little fictional world with all their books so there are recurring stories or characters. Really enjoyable. I also read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Highly recommended. It will stick with you long after you’ve finished it.

[Janice J.]

I just fnished reading Anne Gracie's The Laird's Bride, a novelette length sweet, funny and muddy romance. Other than that, nothing remarkable to report this month; still catching up on Harlequins by Virginia Heath, Annie Burrows, Diane Gaston and a bunch of others.

[Andrea Penrose]

I really enjoy "Team W's" books, too. (I like their stand-alone books as well.)

And isn't Demon Copperhead memorable book. You're so right—it really sticks with you. Beautifully written.

[Andrea Penrose]

Isn't Anne's book lovely!

That's a great list of Harlequin names. Sounds like you have your July beach reads!

[Kareni]

Over the past four weeks ~

— quite enjoyed Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian, a historical male/male romance novella set in 1950s New England featuring two once good friends who are reunited after 15 years.
— enjoyed a reread of the science fiction novella The Sentinel by Eden Winters which features an augmented soldier, a baby he rescues, and a man on the planet to which they escape. It’s about family and is a lovely romance.
— Fourth Wing (The Empyrean Book 1) by Rebecca Yarros; I enjoyed this fantasy (even if it did have a cliffhanger ending). Though this features young people, it is definitely NOT a young adult novel. It is set in a war college training candidates to ride dragons into battle; days at the college begin with a list of those who died in the last day.
— enjoyed Murder in Admonishment: A Doyle & Acton Mystery by Anne Cleeland which is the twelfth? thirteenth? book in a favorite series. I don’t even try to solve the convoluted mysteries, I simply enjoy spending time with the characters. If interested, do begin with the first book, Murder in Thrall.
— enjoyed and found poignant Of Sunlight and Stardust by Christina Lee. The book features a couple falling in love in the present day (one man is grieving the recent death of his wife and the other has just served four years in prison); the men discover a journal which tells of two young men in love in the forties when homosexuality was a crime.
— read Crazy Foolish Robots (The Robot Galaxy Series 1) by Adeena Mignogna. This was a pleasant story about a young woman running away from home (an asteroid) and getting kidnapped by a robot. I don’t plan to continue on in the series.

— My distant book group chose to discuss At the End of the Matinee by Keiichiro Hirano which I quite enjoyed (but most of the others did not). This was a free World Book Day gift from Amazon in 2021. The book features a classical guitarist and the journalist who catches his attention. I’ll admit to wondering what might happen with the characters after the book ends.
— quite enjoyed School Days (SC Marva Collins Book 1) by Nathan Lowell; this is a new space opera book by an author of a favorite series. I recommend starting with the author’s Quarter Share which features the same lead character.
— enjoyed the contemporary male/male romance Damage Control (North Shore Stories Book 1) by Lynn Van Dorn which featured an actor and a dermatologist, both of whom had trauma in their past and present. Many content warnings on this.
— also enjoyed Be My Mistake (North Shore Stories) by Lynn Van Dorn, a prequel novella that featured a character who had played a minor role in the above book. This had far less depth than the above book.
— enjoyed The Memory in His Skin by B. Ripley, another male/male romance novella. This featured a grieving musician and a tattooist.

— Witch King by Martha Wells. If you are acquainted with the author’s Murderbot stories, be aware that this book is fantasy and quite dissimilar. I have a lot of admiration for the author’s ability to build this complex world and to go back and forth between two timelines, and I was sufficiently intrigued to read to the end; however, I doubt that this is a book I will reread.
— Trans Galactic Insurance: Adventures of a Jump Space Accountant by Andrew Moriarty proved to be an enjoyable science fiction work with a very naive hero. Were the sequels to magically land on my Kindle, I would happily read on.
— a very enjoyable fantasy which I enthusiastically recommend, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: The First Book of Nampeshiweisit by Moniquill Blackgoose. I will happily read on when the opportunity exists. The main character is a young indigenous woman and the story is set in the latter 1800s. The author is also indigenous. I was trying to describe the book to my husband and told him I saw commonalities with these books:
*The Temeraire books by Naomi Novik in the way that newborn dragons bond to a person.
*The Others books by Anne Bishop as the reader recognizes the place (North America) but realizes that its history (here settled by Norsemen) differs significantly from our own.
*The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison for the unfamiliar names (such as Nampeshiweisit, Anequs, and –dottir), method of governance (jarl and thanes), and steampunk elements (though they are far more developed in this book).
— a contemporary male/male romance that included dragon shifters ~ Strike a Fire (New World Order Book 1) by Avtor Kirjanik. I enjoyed this book, but it’s part one of a series that has not had a follow-up since 2018.

— This month’s local book group choice was a reread for me, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I liked it more on this second read but still not quite as much as I like The Martian.
— read a short science fiction romance that was a Cinderella type story with an android as one of the leads. I enjoyed Once upon a Dance by Kim Fielding but had hoped for more.
— started and finished (late!) a very enjoyable contemporary romance, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler. This book involved a road trip of two acquaintances after a cancelled flight. One of them is carrying some ashes of a deceased friend that she hopes to bring to an old love of said friend. There was great banter in this book and some funny situations which had me laughing aloud. A second storyline followed the WWII era romance of two women in Key West, a military nurse and a pigeoneer.
— a picture book that proved to be a very quick read, Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall. It was the story of the author’s grandparents who met and married while being held in an American incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during WWII.
— a nonfiction book that I read for artistic inspiration, How to Be a Rule-Breaking Letterer: A Guide to Making Perfectly Imperfect Art by Huyen Dinh. It was a pleasant affirming book and very pink!
— I also started a number of books that I put aside and read a host of book samples.

[Kareni]

What a great collection of books that the Wenches have read this month. I'm adding a few titles to my list!

[Kareni]

Oops, I neglected to include this week's reading.

Over the past week ~

-- a regency era mystery which I quite enjoyed, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman. The book featured unmarried 42 year old twin sisters who take on several cases to aid women and children. I look forward to reading the next book when it is released. Trigger warnings for cancer, abduction of children to a brothel, and a horrific insane asylum.
-- reread a favorite book which I enjoyed once again ~ Linesman by S. K. Dunstall

[Anne Gracie]

LOL, Janice — love that "sweet, funny and muddy romance" description. Thanks so much for buying and reading it. Much appreciated.

[Anne Gracie]

Kareni, coincidentally I've just been in a workshop with Alison Goodman. She's a lovely person as well as being a good writer.
And I also read and enjoyed Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing and am waiting for the next book.

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

Dear Wenches-I always love the way your "What We're Reading" leads me down all sorts of new reading rabbit holes. As for me, I just finished two "Outback Billionaire" novels by Kelly Hunter as well as a a re-read of Kristan Higgins' Pack Up the Moon. Higgins'book is heart-rending as well as filled with her trademark warmth. The book spins out the story of Lauren, who is the light of her husband's life - until her life is tragically cut short. It's what hapoens afterward that is so riveting. Next on my TBR shelf is Lorraine Heath's The Notorious Lord Knightly as well as Anne's The Laird's Bride, which is sitting at the bookstore, waiting to be picked up.

[Teresa Broderick]

I've been unwell so my reading has been a bit sporadic. To start June off I began with Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer, then on to The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie on audio. Trouble For The Boat Girl by Lizzie Lane and Escape to Tuscany by Kat Devereaux, a new to me author, were NetGalley reads. Then needing some comfort reading I turned to a couple of old favourites by Jack Finney, I Love Galesburg in the Springtime, About Time and The Clock of Time. These are short story collections. To finish off I read Anne's The Laird's Bride, which I was lucky enough to win on this site. I loved it! In my reviews I called it, 'a good old fashioned romance' and that made it so enjoyable. Cameron and Jeannie are a wonderful couple. So nice to read one of these books without the male being all macho when really he's just being a pain.
Some great recommendations here so, sigh, more to add to the unending tbr :)

[Karin]

Happy July, everyone! The Laird's Bride was such a sweet read, I read it the minute it came out and I wish it had been longer. Likewise, the 2 novellas connected to Caroline Linden's Desperately Seeking Duke series: they were delightful. The titles are "How the Scot Was Won" and "The Ultimate Epilogue". But you'd have to read the trilogy of novels first, which I definitely recommend. The first one is "About A Rogue". Linden also just released a new book in her older series, The Wagers of Sin, called "Fortune Favors the Viscount". I think we've all read historicals where the hero runs a gambling club, so the premise was not new, but the book was really enjoyable.
I enjoyed Harper St. George's new release in her Gilded Age Heiresses series, "The Duchess Takes a Husband", but not "quite" as much as the previous books.
The same thing happened with the 3rd book in Ashley Weaver's Electra McDonnell mystery series, "Playing It Safe". The books are set in England during World War II, and it was a very good read. It's just that the author set the bar so high with the second book, "The Key To Deceit", which had a tour de force safecracking scene at the climax.
I also read the book Kareni mentioned, "The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies". I loved the characters, but nothing about the blurb and the cover clued me in that there would be graphic descriptions of some horrible features of the early 19th century. Madhouses, brothels, and primitive breast cancer surgery. It was grueling and I had to skip some pages. So proceed with caution.
I DNF'd The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson, another World War II book. It starts in 2020 with an elderly lady(88) reminiscing about the war years. Then it flashes back to 1944, when she was 25 and ran an underground library in a tube station, during the Blitz. A little mental math told me that someone who is 88 in 2020 was born in 1932, so she would have been 12 in 1944! The author could have just glossed over that, and not mentioned the character's age in either 2020 or 1944, but she did, and it caused me to lose all trust. I don't think I'm super picky about historical accuracy, but this was simple arithmetic! I might have gone on regardless, but I was triaging library books because I have to return them all before leaving on vacation on Monday. Sorry, Ms. Thompson!

[Kareni]

That sounds like a fine workshop, Anne! I hope we'll both enjoy the sequel to Fourth Wing in due course.

[Kareni]

I hope that you are now or soon will be feeling better, Teresa.

[Kareni]

Yes, those elements in The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies were also a surprise to me, Karin. (And I wanted that lovely cover art to better reflect the fact that the sisters were seven inches different in height!)

As regards The Little Wartime Library: I hear you on how losing trust with the author might cause you not to finish a book.

[Quantum]

My fav read this month is the police procedural debut novel by Jo Callaghan 'In the blink of an eye'.
Kat Frank is a widowed single mother and a cop who trusts her instincts. She is picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with Lock who is an AIDE (Artificial Intelligence Detective Entity). Her instincts come up against Lock's logic. Surprisingly Lock becomes the only one who can help Kat when their missing person case becomes very personal. The audio is excellent and I will be looking out for the next book from this author.

I loved the cover on Anne's novella .... if an audio becomes available I will grab it! 🙂

[Annette N]

WOW! Y'all have given me so many books to add to my list, I am amazed there are so many I have not read yet.
The two best books I read this month - Patricia Rice's the Secrets of Wycliffe Manor and Karen Baugh Menuhin's Murder In Little Minton. These two books gave me joy. But, there were others I liked -Julie Garwood's Saving Grace - (I will miss her writing), Jayne Ann Krentz's The Vanishing, Lyssa Kay Adams' Isn't it Bromantic, and Amanda Quick's Rendevous.
Some of these are older books, but they are books someone has suggested to me, or I have read about them in some post. I had a good month of reading. I am working on escaping the recent health reports about family and friends. And reading is less expensive than running away to become a pirate or join the circus.
Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions.

[Vicki L]

My, Oh, My...I'm going to have to have a serious sit down with pen and paper to compile a new list of books to look for!

This month was a good reading month for me also.
Started out by rereading River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz (2014). Lucy and Mason are a great couple. She is strong and feisty. He is all alpha protective but there is lot of great banter and caring between the two. One of my favorites.

Murder on the Serpentine Bride - Andrea Penrose. My turn to read it came up at the library. Very much enjoyed it and the addition of Peregrine to the Weasel Brigade.

Evil in Emerald - A.M. Stuart. The 3rd book in the Harriet Gordon Mystery series. Really enjoyed it immensely. The series gets better and better but definitely should be read in order to get the best insight into the characters. 1910 Singapore. It starts with one mystery thread and ends up with 3 mystery threads braided together. Multiple deaths occur to members of the Singapore Drama Society. Curran is the investigator with Harriet's help. Only 1 more book left in the series.

Captain's Share & Owners Share by Nathan Lowell. Got the last 2 books of that series this week and sped read my way to the end. Very much enjoy that series. I appreciate Kareni every time I manage to get another book through interlibrary loan. And now there is another book related to that series1

Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher. (Another Kareni mention I believe). It was quite the adventure and had a lovely slow burn romance. Clara is just as strong a character as Istvahan. Mentally and physically. They do a wonderful job of supporting each other emotionally and physically.

Mary M, back in Sept 2022 mentioned a Victorian cookbook by Annie Gray. My library didn't have it but they did have The Official Downtown Abby Cookbook and The Official Call the Midwife Cookbook by her. The 2nd book is about the foods shown and talked about in the TV series set in the 1950's and 1960's. The series starts 2 years after rationing in England finally ended in 1954.

Annie Gray is a food historian and brings lots of history to the recipes. It was fascinating reading as it answered lots of questions and puzzlements I've had in my reading over the years. What a British reader would just know, I have had a muzzy idea of. Grin. I'd read the background story of a recipe and go Ah HA!

It was a good contrast in recipes - 1920's posh and 1950's/60's working class.

[Kareni]

Vicki L, I'm so pleased to learn you've enjoyed some of the books I've mentioned!

After the six Trader Tales Of The Solar Clipper Books (which you are reading now), you'll want to read the three Seeker's Tale from The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper Books before moving on to the new SC Marva Collins Books. Those are the Ishmael books in order. (I've enjoyed his others series, too, and some of them share characters.)

[Andrea Penrose]

Gasp! I'm trying not to swoon! What an amazing list.

I love the Temeraire novels. And have the new Alison Goodman book on my list

[Andrea Penrose]

I hope you are feeling better, Teresa!

The list of fabulous books to read should cheer you up. :)

[Andrea Penrose]

Wow, another amazing list. Thanks for the heads-up on the Alison Goodman book. Sound veryy interesting, but tough reading. I will still give it a try.

And I totally get your frustration with the age blooper. That's such a simple thing to check. (Alas, a proofreader could have helped, but so few of them do fact-checking these days.)

[Andrea Penrose]

Ha, ha, Annette. Reading is definitely less demanding in so many ways than being a pirate or circus performer.

Yours is a great list. I have been crazy busy trying to finsh my next book, but reallyy have to make more time for reading.

[Andrea Penrose]

Wow, we have some very long (and fun) lists this month. Thank you so much for the nice words on my latest book. So glad you enjoyed Peregrine joining the Weasels!

[Janet Murdoch]

I also love The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series plus the Seeker's Tale trilogy but my favourite book this month was Nita Prose's The Maid. I have high hopes this will be made into a film because it was awesome - as long as they pick the right actress. Molly the maid is on the autism spectrum, I think, and the guiding light of her life - her grandmother has passed away - but she has found a job she adores and arranged a life for herself she is fairly content with. However we, the reader, soon figure out that her inability to pick up on cues and situations most of us would comprehend has put her in a very sticky situation indeed. I highly recommend this book - it was a pleasure from start to finish!

[Kareni]

Janet, I saw the other day that there will be a new book featuring Molly coming out in late November.

[Alice Mathewson]

Hi.
I have been reading a lot of Mary Kingswood this month, particularly The sons of the marquess and The daughters of Allamont. They are very well written and better reflect the mores and behaviours of a lot of regencies that I have read over the years. Also there are POVs from both sides of the central couple which I really enjoy.
I also read Kate Quinn's latest book the Diamond Eye. Her characters are so well constructed. As always a fascinating snapshot of a woman's role in WW2 and set in Ukraine so particularly relevant at the the moment.

[Alice Mathewson]

Thank you for the reminder of A M Stuart's series set in Singapore. It has caught my attention before but I haven't got round to reading it. I have enjoyed a lot of her other books

[Teresa Broderick]

Thank you so much Kareni. I hope I'm getting there!

[Teresa Broderick]

Thank you for the kind words Andrea.