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Wow it seems like just a few days ago I was starting the post for week 41 - how is it week 43 already??!! We are just past peak fall color here in NY. Soon I'm going to have to put my flip flops away for the winter :-( and start wearing that winter coat again.


Admin stuff: We are in our fourth week of the group read of The Graveyard Book. The next group read in November will be Challenger Deep.



This week I had super high expectations for all my books, and they all disappointed me :-( I finished 4 books this week, and they were all 3 star reads - it’s been a very average reading week for me!

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna - I was hoping for more from this; her debut was very atmospheric, and I thought she’d get even better with her next book (which is based on the Mahābhārata), but this was very run-of-the-mill YA space/fantasy. I’m definitely going to continue the series, but I would only recommend it to fans of YA SFF.

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier - this was good, but I’d seen so many reviews saying it was even better than Rebecca that I expected it to be, ya know, better than Rebecca. But it wasn’t, at least not for me. It’s a very slow burn thriller where you think you know but you never really know what is going on. Still worth a read, though!

Virgin poetry by Analicia Sotelo - my final book read for Hispanic Heritage month; I think this will appeal to fans of Rupi Kaur, Lang Leav, and Amanda Lovelace. Not really my thing, but it was okay, and perhaps her next collection will be interesting.

The Hundred Wells of Salaga by Ayesha Harruna Attah - this was a slice of life type story set in pre-colonial Ghana, which is something I've never read before. I found the characters were kind of flat.




Question of the Week:
This week’s question was submitted (at different times!) by both Jen and poshpenny:

Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable?



I have never done this. There have been books set in places I was already familiar with, and there have been places I’ve happened to visit that I had previously read about, but I’ve never purposely visited a place after reading about it.

But since two different people submitted the question, I'm thinking there must be a bunch of you who have stories to share!

I am done with the challenge but still follow each week.

Don't have time to put in my books as I am literally out the door to work in 2 minutes. But liked the QOTW.

QOTW: I was in Alnwick to visit Barter books and Alnwick castle, Some Harry Potter was filmed at Alnwick. Turned out Alnwick castle was closed for visitors when I was there :-(
There are countries/states/towns I have been to as a books description made it sound beautiful. Though not a particular street or building. More like Tuscan beauty made me decide between going to Tuscany over another place I had in mind for my holiday.

This week I finished:

Striker: I don't know why I am a sucker for MC romances. I guess I miss Sons of Anarchy. This one was okay.

I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from My Life Fighting Crime: So I'm doing past years' challenges, since this was my first year for the challenge, and there was a 2015 prompt for "a book your mom loves," but my mom doesn't like reading, so I was having trouble figuring out a book. She told me about the only book she remembers reading that she liked, but I already had that set for an even harder prompt (a book set in your hometown). While we were talking, we were watching Homicide Hunter, which is a show that we both love, and I discovered Joe Kenda wrote a book, so I immediately bought and read it. I loved it. He has such a unique personality that really came through in his writing. Best part of the story though....My mom's reading the book now. =)

Currently reading:

The Poetry of Emily Dickinson: Poetry makes me feel like an idiot. Not a fan. This is taking forever and feels like a chore.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption: I had been very excited to read this and special ordered it from another library, but I'm having some trouble, I think because the subject matter is so heavy.

A Man Called Ove: I had been saving this one for a book slump, and so like the above book, I'm excited about this one, but having trouble concentrating on reading right now.

Not Her Daughter: I'm only like 20 pages into this one and I'm not sure I like the premise of this book, but I paid actual money for it, so DNFing it is not an option.

QOTW:
Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable?

I have never done this, but I would really love to. Traveling is always a challenge for me.

QOTW:

I have been to cities after I have read books that take place there. I have not been thinking about the book while there. I don't know that I've ever been to a building or something smaller than an entire city. I'm pretty sure I read The Da Vinci code after I'd been to the Louvre.

Last year, for the local author prompt, I read a book that took place in the town I live in. He was quite detailed about his drive home, naming the streets and describing the route. I actually found it quite distracting that I was so familiar with it.

It's nearing the end of October, which means it's time for the world series. My team is playing my boss's team, so that's made for an interesting dynamic. She's very excited about it. I'm sure even more excited now that her team is playing so well. But that's enough about sports (which is probably my other great passion besides reading).

This week I finished one book, Agatha Christie's The Moving Finger. It was supposedly a Miss Marple book, but she only shows up at the end and I'm not sure that she really even solves anything. At least, she doesn't do it on the page. It was fine. There are better Agatha Christie books out there.

I am currently reading a bunch of nonfiction books. I have a hard time reading more than twenty pages or so at a time with nonfiction sometimes, so they tend to go slowly. Right now I'm working my way through American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present, and The Silk Roads: A New History of the World. I'm enjoying all three, in small pieces.

I am also reading Mind's Eye by Håkan Nesser. I'm really into it. This could have worked for two books with the same title or a book from Scandinavia. Alas, I have already filled both categories.

QOTW: I did, one time, purposely go to a place where a book was set. The book was The Golem and the Jinni and, while I had been to New York many times, I had never actually been to Washington Square Park, which is where they meet and which is featured on the cover of the book. We also did a walking tour of the lower east side on that trip and I definitely thought a lot about that book while I was there.

Not been feeling that great this week, so I haven't really been reading much. I'm down to one ATY prompt and two for Popsugar.

Finished two audiobooks though, Mary Poppins for pop in the title and The World That We Knew for ATY (Mediterranean). I've never read any Alice Hoffman before and I wasn't particularly drawn into this one. I wasn't keen on the narrator but I'm not sure I'm a fan of magical realism. I wanted it to be more about the golem. Also her author's chat with the narrator at the end irritated me, she said she didn't want to get bogged down in the history as she wanted to concentrate on emotion...but during the text she kept inserting snippets of history unconnected to the characters. Stuff that the characters could not have been aware of at the time.

PS: 50/52 | ATY: 51/52 | GR: 111/100

QOTW:
Only when I've already been nearby and thought, oh I should go and look at blahblah. I've thought about visiting Lyme Regis because of Remarkable Creatures...but never quite made it. I've bit to quite a bit of the surrounding Jurassic Coast though. I keep meaning to visit Mary Shelley's grave because I work literally round the corner from it. And we've walked the dog very close to Arthur Conan Doyle's grave several times and every time I think we should detour to go see it.

I only recently found out Watership Down is a real place, and I'm tempted to go find it.

I didn’t make as much time for reading this week as usual because I’m trying to finish up my autumn cleaning and decluttering. I sold some games, books, and DVDs on Decluttr, and although I only got pennies for most of them, it was nice to get a little something back. I dropped off the rest at various charity stores and libraries. Among the sales and donations were quite a few books, so I reorganized my shelves, which always makes me very happy.

I didn’t finish any books this week, but I’ve made good progress on the ones I’m reading and Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon is Saturday so I should have more to say next week.

Currently Reading
Changeless by Gail Carriger
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Indian World of George Washington: The First President, the First Americans, and the Birth of the Nation by Colin G. Calloway

QOTW
No, I haven't done this. There are certain places I would like to see, like Platform 9 3/4 and Hobbiton, but I haven't made those trips yet.

Heather wrote: "No, I haven't done this. There are certain places I would like to see, like Platform 9 3/4 and Hobbiton, but I haven't made those trips yet..."

Platform 9 3/4 is an example of "I'm here so I might as well go look" but I haven't done the photo as there has always been queues.

Good Morning!

I have the next two days off work (so I get a nice three day weekend)! Plan one...a nice breakfast, Plan two...read the rest of the four days.

Finished:

My Plain Jane for a book by two female authors. I actually did this on audio and it was so much fun. It's a retelling of Jane Eyre with a paranormal twist. Charlotte Bronte is a character in the book as well and she fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Promise Not to Tell for read a book during the season it is set in. This was also apart of my October creepy reads. I liked this one, a lot. I loved The Winter People, also my Jennifer McMahon, when I read it a few years ago. This is her first novel and it's fun to see the growth between this and one of her later novels.

Currently Reading:

The Chestnut Man for a book set in Scandinavia. I'm just over a 100 pages into it but don't have a good feel for what's going on just yet. I like it but it's going to take come time to really dig in. I love police procedurals, so this book really is up my alley.

The Perfect Mother for two books that share the same title. I'm around 50% done with this book and I kinda hate everyone in it. I don't think we're supposed to like the characters...at least I hope not. This is like an episode of Law and Order: SVU that was ripped from the headline, that headline being the Amanda Knox story but told from the mother's perspective. I don't like the mom, she's bratty and delusional. And her daughter (the Amanda Knox character) is also bratty and delusional. It's also moving too fast in parts but then the author will go on and on about something that doesn't seem to matter.

The Night Tiger for a book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title. I'm not too far into this but so far it's pretty interesting and I find the characters interesting.

QOTW:

Nope, I haven't been to any place mentioned in any book, that i know of at least.

Good morning! Really enjoying the fall weather so far but I’ve caught a cold and can’t get rid of the cough!

This week I’ve finished:

Up to This Pointe which I enjoyed, despite all the teen angst involved.

Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography. It was ok. I’m not a big sports fan but it was relatively short. It was last weeks audiobook.

Accidental Mage this finished out a series that I started to meet the prompt of a LitRPG book. I’d never read a book that fit that (didn’t even know it existed) but really enjoyed it so I decided to read the other 2 books in the trilogy. This was probably my least favorite but still enjoyable.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. Enjoyed this also.

This week I’m currently reading:
A Court of Thorns and Roses which I’m not enjoying as much as I expected. I’ve been told that it gets much better so I’ll stick it out but I’m not involved at the moment and can tell because I find things to do other than read.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. This weeks audiobook. I am enjoying this but it’s a hard story to listen to. I should finish it tonight or on tomorrow’s commute to work.

QOTW- I have never gone somewhere just because it was mentioned in a book but I’ll admit that when I was visiting NYC I did look out for certain streets etc that I recognized from books I had read.

Happy Thursday. I finished one book for the week. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I read it because of the question do you read scary books. It put me in the mood for a Halloween read. I’m not sure if a true description of the book would be a retelling of Dracula. It is a book about the hunt for Dracula. It wasn’t scary or creepy to me. Toward the end I found it a bit of a slog. It was an okay read. I am currently reading An Impartial Witness (Bess Crawford #2) by Charles Todd. I read book 1 years ago & have been wanting to continue the series. I needed a quick read before the end of the month so this works. Nov 1 starts Nonfiction November,I’m psyched.
QOTW Have you ever visited a place from a novel? Was it recognizable? Yes I have twice. I read The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy,#2) by Michael Sahara years ago. I had never visited Gettysburg before reading the book. I had a terrible time visualizing the lay of the land. After reading the book we went to Gettysburg & spent a few days. It was very recognizable. It helped a lot to see Little Round Top,Devils Den & Cemetery Ridge. We walked the entire park several times & attended all the lectures given by the park service. Also we visited the cemetery several times. I had never been to a northern battlefield since I have always lived in the South. This was one of those times I thought I had both sides of the story but didn’t till I visited Gettysburg. Good experience. The second place I visited from a book was Diagon Alley at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios Florida. I wasn’t sure this would count for the question but Diagon Alley is very recognizable there. I had tears in my eyes the first time I saw it. This is a good question.

Ellie wrote: "...I only recently found out Watership Down is a real place, and I'm tempted to go find it...."

Oh I didn´t know! Let us know if you find it (and where it is).

Good morning from Columbus! Tonight is my second day of nail tech school, I’m so excited about finally getting the training I’ve been wanting my entire adult life. I’m in evening classes, which end up taking about twice as long as the traditional course so hopefully the more relaxed schedule doesn’t interfere with my usual reading pace.

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats for Marisha Pessl’s challenge. I also am obsessed with Edward Gorey (even have a The Gashlycrumb Tinies tattoo) so I was mostly just interested in his illustrations. Interesting poems, spectacular art!

Watch Hollow also for Marisha Pessl’s challenge. I’ve been seeing this on Instagram a lot and I really loved the cover art so I went for it. It’s pretty fitting for spooktober, and is probably considered a middle grade book. A family is staying in an old house in the woods, while their dad tries to repair a unique clock. Something evil is lurking in the woods and they have to right the situation before the darkness claims the house. A good read, short and pretty fast paced. I think a sequel is coming out soonish and I’ll for sure pick it up at some point.

Night Film for popsugars a book that takes place in the current season prompt. I read this book every year in October, it’s genuinely my favorite and I never get sick of it. If you like mystery thrillers, the dark side of cult films, and a touch of magic you’ll probably adore this book.

Lock Every Door definitely spooktober appropriate, but I don’t think this works for any of my available prompts. I’ve read all three of Riley Sager’s books in single sittings. They get me so anxious and curious that I can’t not finish them ASAP. This one was great. A girl is staying in an infamous apartment building in Manhattan, but something is most definitely going on that people know about but won’t acknowledge. It ends up going to a place I didn’t see coming (as usual with this author), very entertaining read. Can’t wait for his fourth book next year!

The Picture of Dorian Gray also for Marisha Pessl’s challenge. I’ve surprisingly never read this before. I think Oscar Wilde is hilarious. And even though this is more of a dark, brooding kind of read; there were still some one-liners that made me actually laugh out loud.

Carmilla not for a challenge, but this was a short audiobook I got for free with my audible subscription and since it’s about a vampire I decided to go for it now. This is a book that actually inspired Dracula. It’s a short story, with a lot of sexual overtones that I’m sure were very scandalous back when it was published. I enjoyed the story, and the narration included Rose Leslie and David Tennant so that was an added bonus.

Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Secret of Hanging Rock for back to the classics. What an unsettling book! I’m so glad I got the additional last chapter because I’m the type of person who NEEDS answers. I’m also excited to start the series with Natalie Dormer soon! I’ve been wanting to read this for so long, I’m glad I finally got to it. They take place in 1900, Victoria Australia. Boarding school girls go on a picnic, and 4 + a teacher end up mysteriously disappearing while on a hike. Very interesting read.

I’m at 145 books this year. 37/40; 7/10 for popsugar. 16/24 for book riot. 22/37 for Marisha Pessl. 6/12 for back to the classics.

QOTW: right off the top of my head, I’ve been to many of the places mentioned in Kristen Lepionka’s Roxane Weary series. I’ve been to the house on the rock, and it was very recognizable from American Gods. I’ve been to Shaker Heights where Little Fires Everywhere takes place.

The weather in New York has been spectacular the last few days. I am not getting much reading completed since I am determined to finish the last 20% of Middlemarch in October.

Finished:
The Turn of the Key was really good on audiobook and a nice choice for October.
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy was my last book for the Reading Women challenge.

Currently reading:
Middlemarch
And listening to The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick

QOTW:
I live in New York so I often see places mentioned in books, but I have never purposely sought a place from a book out. My husband's cousin's wife does this though, specifically places from books that she loved as a child. She has recently been to Prince Edward Island and Chincoteague.

Happy Thursday, y’all!

Library book sale is this weekend. Must�� avoid�� must�� not�� add�� to mountain�� of unread books��

Also, this week I DNFed books by two of my favorite authors. That’s not a good sign...

Books read this week:

Pocket Full of Rain and Other Stories -- I’m a bit of a fan of the cartoonist Jason, and this is an interesting, if very weird, compilation of some of his earliest work. Surreal and macabre and often very experimental, but interesting.

Small Spaces -- another Halloween read because why not. Done by the same author as The Bear and the Nightingale, and while definitely written for a younger audience, it’s still a nicely spooky read for the season.

The Heartbreakers -- kinda cliche but still cute and sweet teen romance novel. Don’t ask me why I read this, I normally don’t read romance, but�� this one was cute.

Exit Strategy -- yay, the final Murderbot novella! I love this series so much. Just annoyed that I won’t get to read the Murderbot novel until next year...

DNF:

Carry On -- I LOVED and adored Fangirl, but when I first heard that Cath’s fanfic from said book was going to be made into a book of its own, I was skeptical. An adaptation of a fanfic from another book, with said fanfic being based on a fictional book series that in turn is heavily based on Harry Potter? A bit too meta for me. I decided to give it a shot anyhow because I love Rainbow Rowell’s work�� but I couldn’t get past chapter two. Yes, too meta�� and I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something. It’s like I’m reading a fanfic of a franchise I’m not familiar with, like huge chunks of story are missing. And maybe that’s the point, but�� ugh. Maybe I should make a review on this, even though I didn’t finish this book��

Ninth House -- I’m a huge fan of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows duology�� but I just could NOT get into this book. The characters and the story are just so bland�� and it doesn’t help that I checked the ŷ������ reviews to see if I was the only one who thought this and found a list of trigger warnings as long as my arm. Leigh, you DO know that there are better ways to transition to writing adult novels than just throwing in random sex, drugs, violence, gore, and other depravity?

Currently Reading:

The Best of Planet Stories 1
Too Like the Lightning
Ratman's Notebooks -- yet another spooky read for October

QOTW:

I've never intentionally visited a place out of a book, but I've been to Chicago a few times, which is the setting for one of my favorite urban fantasy series, the Mick Oberon books (about a '20's-era private eye who just happens to be one of the Fair Folk).

Johanne wrote: "Ellie wrote: "...I only recently found out Watership Down is a real place, and I'm tempted to go find it...."

Oh I didn´t know! Let us know if you find it (and where it is)."

Google maps has informed me it's in Hampshire, so really I have no excuse. Other than the weather!

Life has been super busy lately and yet I can't put my finger on why exactly. I have been struggling to find the time to settle down and just read which means my progress on current reads is super slow. This afternoon, though, I have about an hour to spend at the library while waiting to pick my daughter up from an after school meeting. Bliss!

Finished:

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O'Meara. This was a good read on audio. A bit of old Hollywood, behind the scenes for movie special effects in the 40's and 50's, and a look at the opression of women and their art from that time period (and beyond).

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes. This is a fantasy twist retelling of the Guy Fawkes conspiracy. The premise is fantastic, but I just struggled to connect to the story. It may have been my aforementioned reading issues more so than the book. Using this for a novel based on a true story.

Currently reading:

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon. This is my book club's October pick. I want to finish it by the weekend so I can loan it to a friend to read before the meeting (which is actually in early November due to scheduling conflicts).

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - I haven't picked this one up in at least a week. It's cute, but a little teen angsty. If I finish it I'll use it for a book based around a game.

Across the Universe - I'm attempting to read this for my book set in space. This is the worst prompt for me, and I have been trying to read something for it all year (this is at least the fourth book I've picked up). Nothing has clicked. I just need to power through and get it done. I sure hope there are no space related prompts on the 2020 challenge. I'm DONE with those!

QOTW

Well, I grew up surrounded by, and visiting, civil war battlefields. I have visited Mount Vernon and Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg. All of those have been written about in many books. Having said that, I don't know that I have ever intentionally gone somewhere because I read about it. There are plenty of places I'd like to visit though!

Happy thursday

Two-week check-in
Books read:
Muledrengen (The Heartless Troll) by Øyvind Torseter a nice and weird graphic novel retelling of a Norwegian folktale.

Getting Schooled by Emma Chase. Romance fluff.

Hvordan hunden fik sin våde snude (Why Dogs Have Wet Noses) picture book that mixes Noah´s Arc with fables in the style of "how the elephant got its long nose". Warning to dog-lovers: The dog is not treated well, but doesn´t die.

Some Maurice Sendak I hadn´t read before:
In the Night Kitchen & Outside Over There

Rastløshedens bog (The Book of Disquiet) by Fernando PessoaThis took some time to get through, but I am glad I read it. PS "28. A book recommended by a celebrity you admire" (Patti Smith). My hate-prompt over with! (I have no interest in celebrities, but Patti Smith is cool).

Den fnuggede himmel-pop-trompet. A picture book, for "Pop" in title.

Over sløret by Nicole Boyle Rødtnes. Post-apocalyptic series called "Oxygen thief", set in a worldabove ground - everything on earth is destroyed by radiation, and where everyone has to wear oxygen masks, and oxygen of course becomes the most valuable people have. ATY "Connected to periodic table" and PS "cli-fi". I actually had another book slotted for cli-fi, but I felt this fit better. I am at that point now, where I read things that fit prompts I already filled and then I shuffle things around because they "fit better"...

Skygge-Baldur (The Blue Fox) by ����ó��. This was a very pleasant surprise. My first book by ����ó�� and he has a somewhat classic status in my mind, and I sometimes find those hard to read (like Pessoa), but boy it´s so accesible and weird at the same time. Lots of showing, no telling, and a very short text. Definitely reading more by him.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton would work for several prompts I already filled. Should I shuffle around? hmmm.

And Hannah Hugtand og Mørkemanden for review.

Curerntly reading:
Murder Most Unladylike (audio) for "Amateur detective".

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Danish, read-aloud for my youngest.

The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism. This is going to take me the rest of the year. It´s interesting, but I can´t absorb much at a time.

Københavns skygger (the shadows of Copenhagen). "Set in a university". This is turning out somewhat a disappointment. The story is right up my alley: A student at the University of Copenhagen is enrolled in a secret part of the university, where magic and mystery exists. But the writing... I´ll endure, but I had high expectations.

Karanagalaksen Log III. Forbund by Cecilie Eken, the third in a series that just came out. "set in space". Just started this, and good so far. This author (who also happens to be the sister of a good friend) doesn´t usually disappoint.


QOTW
I used to do the opposite actually: I found a book set in a place, where I knew I was going, and read it while there. This is how I read The Shadow of the Wind while I was in Catalonia, with a day-trip to Barcelona itself.

Last year when I read The Boy in the Suitcase, the main character lives in a street I ride by on my way to work, so I listened to the story while I rode by. The rest of the book also take place in places I am familiar with. That was weird, but fun.

I have also been to King´s Cross Station to Platform 9 3/4, but didn´t do photos either. We also went to the "real" place in King´s Cross where they filmed it - it´s down on one of the proper platforms - no-one was there but us and a nice conductor who showed us the way :)
We also went to Harry Potter Studios and saw the "Cursed child" play - do you sense a theme trip? :)

The Brunetti series by Donna Leon always make me want to go to Venice.

Ellie wrote: "Johanne wrote: "Ellie wrote: "...I only recently found out Watership Down is a real place, and I'm tempted to go find it...."

Oh I didn´t know! Let us know if you find it (and where it is)."

Goog..."

Oh you have to go! (But maybe on a day when the weather is nice?)

I finished 1 book this week that wasn't for any prompts or challenges.

A friend listed The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane as a book that influenced her so I had to read it since I have loved everything I've read by Lisa See. I loved this book, but thought it ended too abruptly - I just wanted so much more from it.

QOTW: I haven't actively sought out anyplace that has been written about. But a lot of America's First Daughter takes place at Monticello and the Charlottesville area so I have been there.

The British poet Rupert Brooke wrote "If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field. That is for ever England." He was buried on an island in Greece when he died which now has a memorial to him. And I have been there.

Hello everyone,
Another dismal failure at reading this week. Usually I get to read at the weekend but last weekend I had a shed load of marking (that time of year) and on Saturday it was my FTF book club held at a mates house instead of the school library. They have an amazing house so we all stayed way longer than normal. Then Saturday night was the rugby (which we lost...booo). Sunday there was more rugby and a mate over to help me consume most of the booze in the house. Work on Monday was not so much fun! Also found out I am being sent to Adelaide for 4 days in November to mark Psychology for the exam board and have to do likewise for Chemistry tomorrow so little bit busy.

Currently still working on The Girl Who Played with Fire which I hope to finish this weekend.

QOTW:
I know I asked the question but in all honesty I was just curious. I did go to Whitby and Whitby Abbey (Dracula) earlier this year and visit the steam train from Harry Potter (Whitby to Pickering line) but other than that I've actually been to places first then seen books set in them and decided to read them. Very curious re Hobbiton though as Mum and I are planning a trip in 2020.

I'm enjoying fall and crisper weather - I reckon I'll curl up in my reading nook with a book and tea in the coming week, so that's nice.

Not so nice - a series of duds. I'm so disappointed that I disliked Nine Coaches Waiting.

And I stupidly read The Ritual, a book I literally commented on a review of thanking the person for saving me from reading it, years ago! And she was so, so right. Grr.

At least, like Dani, I listened to Audible's production of Carmilla and it was great. I've read it before, but I'm still shocked at the strong lesbian overtones in a book from the 19th century! It totally works but I don't know how he got away with it!

QOTW:

I can't recall doing so, but I do really want to visit Bath and Lyme (will avoid being jumped down the stairs of the Cobb) due to Persuasion, and Providence to soak up all the H.P. Lovecraft atmosphere.

Milena wrote: "...My husband's cousin's wife does this though, specifically places from books that she loved as a child. She has recently been to Prince Edward Island and Chincoteague"

Misty of Chincoteague was one of my favorite books as a child! I always think I'm the only one that remembers that book. I would love to visit there.

Sara wrote: "It's nearing the end of October, which means it's time for the world series. My team is playing my boss's team, so that's made for an interesting dynamic. She's very excited about it. I'm sure even..."

It sounds like you're also an Astros fan? Last night was rough. :(

Charlotte wrote: "Milena wrote: "...My husband's cousin's wife does this though, specifically places from books that she loved as a child. She has recently been to Prince Edward Island and Chincoteague"

[book:Misty..."

She loved it, you should go.

Fall came in with a lot of rain today. Last weekend was so nice and warm though, I miss it already. But we'll be carving pumpkins tonight and my girls are so excited!

I finished one book this week which puts my total for PS at 45/50. And I only have one book to finish to complete my ŷ������ challenge. I read The Thief by Clive Cussler for my book whose author's first and last names start with the same letter. I always enjoy Cussler's books and this was no exception. But nothing groundbreaking.

QOTW: I've been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando if that counts. I'm not sure I've purposefully visited a place because I read about it in a book but I have a whole list of places I'd like to eventually visit, mostly in England and Hobbiton in New Zealand. I've been to a lot of historical places in the States though.

I'm currently reading Robin MeKinley's Shadows, Fatima Mirza's A Place for Us, and Wodehouse's Very Good Jeeves.

QOTW: I'm too much of a home body, and typically don't travel far from the Midwest unless it's for work or a beach vacation.

Mary wrote: "This week I finished:

Striker: I don't know why I am a sucker for MC romances. I guess I miss Sons of Anarchy. This one was okay.

I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from ..."</i>

I found [book:Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption to be so very enlightening...but it is definitely heavy material. And so very scary to think of the people who have been unjustly accused, convicted, and incarcerated. And who have literally been put to death when they were totally innocent. Inexcusable, IMHO.

Yes Lynn. I read The Sun Does Shine for the challenge which is written by a guy that Bryan Stevenson saved from death row which is what made me want to read the book.

It's Thursday again and I'm excited for the end of the week. The closer to Halloween it gets the more excited I am. There's several parties that I plan on attending so I don't know how much reading I'll get done. I did finish two books last week, none for the challenge however.
Camp Red Moon This was an Audible original and it took me back to my childhood because I was a huge R.L. Stine fan!!! It wasn't very scary but I loved it anyway.
Carmilla Another Audible original. I enjoyed listening to this. I was pleasantly surprised that this was written before Dracula. I liked this better than Dracula to be honest.

I'm currently reading several books and I'm not really inspired or excited about any of them. I'm currently reading V for Vendetta and The Memory Keeper's Daughter

QOTW:
I don't know how many places I've visited in the books I've read. I've traveled to several places however. I'm originally from Cleveland, Ohio and Little Fires Everywhere is in Shaker Heights which is an eastern suburb of the city and I've definitely been there. I've also been to D.C. and Maryland which is where alot of I, Alex Cross novels take place.

Charlotte wrote: "Milena wrote: "...My husband's cousin's wife does this though, specifically places from books that she loved as a child. She has recently been to Prince Edward Island and Chincoteague"

Astros fan. So, so, so rough.

The next door neighbors are getting a new roof and I am happy for them but I not happy for all the banging. So, so, so, so much banging!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (mythology/folklore) which I liked but I preferred Circe. I'm not sure if it is because she has matured as a writer of it is because the trojan war with all its years and years and years and years of war is just less fun material to adapt from. I did enjoy it but if your'e only going to read one, read Circe.

The Rumor by Lesley Kara which I read for psychological thriller. It was fine. I was wrapped up in it and it was a quick read but I doubt it will stay with me for any time. I liked the idea of the book more than the execution... in part because it was clearly written in the UK and originally set there but when they did the US version they moved it the US but it doesn't feel like a book set in the US, like at all... even a little bit. So they'd all of a sudden toss in some US place names and I'd be all, "HUH?"

QOTW:
I can't think of any places I've visited because of the book. However, there are places I've visted and picked up the books that were set there or places where I've read the book and gone, "Oh, I know that place... I've been there!"

I read the Twilight books entirely because they were set in Forks and my grandfather liked the drive to Forks from his house (a portion of it goes along the coast and is really beautiful. So when I saw they were set in Forks I was like, "Oh, cool" Speaking of books that never really felt like where they were set (apparently all the research was done on google maps). I listened to one on Audio, though, and they said the place names all wrong and I laughed and laughed and laughed. So there was that.

Hi all! We're still in the 80s-90s range where I live, so seeing all you talking about fall has me really envious! This week I read:

Stalking Jack the Ripper: this was, uh, fine? Technically competent but not great. I was a little bored with the whole thing and the protagonist had way too heavy a dose of "I'm not like other girls!!!!!!" for me. I should probably stop reading YA to be honest.

Becoming (audio): Michelle Obama's memoir was great! I really enjoyed the parts about her childhood/young adult years and the White House. The actual 2008 presidential campaign totally lost me, though.

The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism: this was useful, but I think my degree prepped me for most of this already, so I was just nodding along going "uh-huh, yep, that works."

DNF:

Beautiful Stranger: nope, couldn't do it. My BFF is obsessed with Christina Lauren so I gave them a shot but this erotica had really nothing that I liked.

Currently reading (which I am largely bored with):
Three Women
Say Yes to the Marquess
Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story
The Name Therapist: How Growing Up with My Odd Name Taught Me Everything You Need to Know about Yours

The lesson here I think is that I shouldn't read too much nonfiction at once.

QOTW: The only place that's coming to mind here is London. When I moved there (without having ever visited before) it all felt very familiar, though I can't pinpoint a specific book that gave me a sense of it--it's more like dozens, because so many books are set there!

Hi everyone!

Getting ready for Halloween, excited!

This week I was on a comics binge, a lot of individual issues that I don't put into goodreads until the pile up into a trade. The ones I'm listing I didn't necessarily read entirly this week, but they finished up a distinct volume. So the ones I finished up are:

Paper Girls, Vol. 6 - conclusion to the series, felt it was a little lackluster. Not even an end page with author/illustrators final thoughts.

Skyward, Vol. 3: Fix The World - really loved this series, such a cool take on an apocalypse. Takes the fact that not all post apocalypses have to be endings, and that people who grew into that world don't miss the one that came before it. I thought it gave it a nice conclusion, while still leaving plenty of room for a second arc later if they get the go-ahead.

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 9: "Okay" - this series was such a wild ride. ups and downs, lovely art, lots of convolutions. I liked the ending ok, overall.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Vol. 2 - this series is weird for me just because it's a reboot but the characters look SO MUCH like the show's characters. So my brain keeps being like "this isn't how it happened", because visually it feels like it should be following the show plot. Wish they'd changed up the designs more.

Marvel Comics #1000 - interesting concept, a big pile of artists and writers did a one page comic to nod to an event that happened every year for the last 80 years of Marvel. As with most short story collections, some were good, some were forgettable, most were just ok. Felt like several things got referenced multiple times, while other big events got glossed over. (like the intro of Ms Marvel who's been pretty awesome for them).

Little Bird: The Fight for Elder's Hope - man, i really didn't like this. I kept plugging away because it's pretty short for a comic run, hoping it'd improve. But I didn't like the plot, and i realllly disliked the art. So it was just a mess to get through.

Xena: Warrior Princess Vol. 4 (Issues) - fun Xena story, like the art for it.
Xena Vol. 2: Mindgames- continuation of the arc.

Currently Reading:

The Wreath - Last prompt of my last reading challenge, Reading Women, a book published before 1945 in translation by a woman. I skipped the two bonus challenges, none of the authors work appeal to me right now although I might go back to them later. I don't think I'll be doing this challenge again. I read plenty of women authors on my own, and a lot of the prompts were so obscure or specific, I had a hard time filling them with stuff I could find at my library with books I actually wanted to read. It wasn't nearly as easy to apply other challenge's books to it as I thought it'd be.

QOTW:

I'd always wanted to go to London because I read a lot of British authors and other books set in London. I wanted some mental imagery to go with the books I read. A couple years ago I managed to nab tickets to the Cursed Child preview in London, so that was all the excuse I needed. While there I did the Levanston WB Studio tour, so I skipped the Kings Cross Platform 9 3/4 since I got the same photo op there. But I did go to the zoo where the first Harry Potter movie's snake scene was filmed, even if it wasn't the London zoo in the book. I also made a point of visiting Trafalgar Square, seeing Buckingham Palace, walking through Picadilly Circus all because I've heard them referenced in a bunch of books without having much visual reference for them. We also checked out the Sherlock Holmes museum, although I thought it was pretty expensive for what it was so wouldn't really recommend it.

Hello everyone! I'm soooo close to finishing my challenge, just one book left, and then I'm going to enjoy reading some books I've seen you all recommend (never read Riley Sagar, gonna try him), and also some big thick nonfiction books I've been putting off. Fall/winter is perfect meaty tome reading time.

Finished this week:
Circe (retelling of a classic): this was fun, and Perdita Weekes is as great a narrator as I have been told. I'm looking forward to listening to more from her.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: I love David Mitchell, and this one did not disappoint. Gorgeous writing and a fascinating moment in history--when the Dutch East India Company had a monopoly on western trade with Japan. It was romantic but not too indulgent in the "doomed love" plotline, just the perfect balance in my opinion.
The Collector (about a hobby): It was quite a page turner, but I think this book suffered a bit from the "Seinfeld effect"--I've read a lot of similar psychological thrillers, so it didn't feel as innovative as it must have when it came out.

Currently reading:
Mrs. Dalloway (takes place in a single day): This is my first book by Virginia Woolf, and I'm sad it took me this long to get to her! I'm loving this book, and the reading by Juliet Stevenson is on point. I went with an older audio version of the book because Audible's version is read by Annette Bening--you can't have an American voice for a book like this! No!
Breadfruit: This is for BookRiot's ownvoices from Oceania prompt, and I'm really glad for the prompt because this book is so charming! It's a light domestic/family novel, with a lot of day-to-day living and conversations in it. Materena is such a sweet and loving person, it's a pleasure to follow her around as she goes about her life. Pito better appreciate her!

QOTW: I've been to tons of places from books, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not! I remember sleepily standing in King's Cross early one morning and wondering what on earth was happening around me that was making people so excited--only to realize Platform 9 3/4 was 20 feet away.
The most vivid media-to-real-life experience I ever had, though, was from a video game. I don't know if anyone else remembers the Gabriel Knight video games, but I looooved them, especially the werewolf one, which has some scenes in Munich. The first time I went to Munich, I stood in the Rathaus square feeling a super uncanny sense of deja vu, only to realize like 2 hours later I recognized it from the game! It gave my trip a fun spooky vibe, even though I did literally nothing spooky the entire time I was there.

This week has been incredibly busy, so I've done very little reading. However, I'm driving to Houston and back this weekend (about 8-9 hours in the car), so I plan to get a couple of audiobooks completed.

Finished:
Nothing

Currently Reading:
Aesop's Fables

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language

Planned (audiobooks):
Fahrenheit 451--a book with over a million ratings

Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Stories-- a book with an astrology term or zodiac sign in the title

QOTW:
Most of what I read doesn't take place in the real world. However, there are quite a few places I'd like to go that are either the settings/inspirations of books or the locations of authors I love. I have been all over Concord, including Louisa May Alcott's house (twice, in fact!) and Ralph Waldo Emerson's house. I've also been to Salem, MA, and gone to some of the sites related to The Scarlet Letter. I actually really enjoyed touring the house that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write The House of the Seven Gables. And, I suppose this isn't the location of a book, but I got to go to Edward Gorey's house, which was just amazing!

I haven't done a ton of traveling, but I'd love to do some more literary-inspired trips! I really want to go to Yorkshire because of my love of James Herriot. And of course Prince Edward Island would be pretty amazing.

Brandy wrote: "Charlotte wrote: "Milena wrote: "...My husband's cousin's wife does this though, specifically places from books that she loved as a child. She has recently been to Prince Edward Island and Chincote..."

I'm the opposite. I much preferred Song of Achilles to Circe!

Mary wrote: "Yes Lynn. I read The Sun Does Shine for the challenge which is written by a guy that Bryan Stevenson saved from death row which is what made me want to read the book."

That is definitely one I want to read.

So the month is almost done, and I'm behind on Inktober and behind on reading. What even happened to October.

Currently reading:

The Wolf in the Whale - Historical fantasy about a small band of Inuit. It's got an interesting exploration of gender: The main character is a shaman-in-training and a hunter, and according to the tribe's spiritual beliefs, he inherited his father's soul at birth (because his father died in a hunting accident before he was born). But he's also biologically female, which causes tensions as he grows older.

So that's neat. Unfortunately, the book is SO SLOW. We spend the first hundred pages hunting, telling stories in camp, and hunting some more. It's not until part 2 that we get any actual plot. Now the main character is embarking on a long solitary overland journey and I'm not sure I have the patience for this.


QotW: I'm not sure if I've ever visited a location from a book. All my favorite book settings are fictional anyway.

But I did read The Fifth Season while on vacation in Quito, a city ringed by volcanoes (wikipedia says it is "the only capital in the world to be directly menaced by an active volcano"). I kept thinking about how easily a lone orogene could kill us all. It was a fun time.

Hi everyone. Considering that I've been on holiday most of the week, I haven't read as much as I thought I would.

I did finish a couple of books this week. First was Rivers of London. I found this on a bookshelf in the hotel and I really, really enjoyed it. Just the right amount of comedic moments and nerdy references mixed in with the action. I will definitely continue the series.

Also finished Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch. This series is very up and down, but I think this was one of the best ones so far.

Currently reading: way too many! Song of the Sea Maid, Spare and Found Parts, The Goblin Emperor and I decided to re-read The Secret Garden. *phew*

QOTW: I thought not but reading people's answers I realise I have been to quite a few. I always see Platform 9 3/4 when I go to London (never queued for a photo), I've been to the gift shop at 221b Baker Street (but not in the museum) and I've been to Matamata aka Hobbiton (but again, not been on the official tour). I guess I dislike queues lol

Oh, I have been to the Bronte parsonage in Haworth (actually went inside) and on that same trip I went to the station from the Railway Children (the one from the movie. I can't remember where the book was set)

Sheri wrote: "Hi everyone!

Felt like several things got referenced multiple times, while other big events got glossed over. (like the intro of Ms Marvel who's been pretty awesome for them).

I feelike Ms. Marvel often gets glossed over. But it is my favorite Marvel property.

I have lost my place in Paper Girls and would like to pick it back up but should probably pick it back up from the start because like I said? I've totally lost my place.

I'm still recovering from the horror show that was the Astros game last night. I think I need to get in some Zouk dancing tonight to improve my mood before we head into game three tomorrow night. :/

I just finished The Haunting of Hill House on audio, which was not a good format for it. The narration was garbled and kind of whispery so it made it really difficult to follow. I'm refraining from rating it since it might have been fine in print. I am interested in seeing the movie (or is it a show, or both?) to find out what was going on.

I finished The Tradition in anticipation of meeting the author at the book festival this weekend. A few of the poems were over my head, but the rest were really powerful. I look forward to hearing him speak.

I listened to The House Girl which was decent, but could have been better.

I also finished How to Be an Antiracist to prepare for the event this weekend. It's a bit controversial for those of us trained through PISAB's Undoing Racism program, but I think I agree with some of his main points overall. I'm excited to meet him and possibly ask a question at the book talk on Sunday.

I listened to Small Great Things which was very good. I think the author did an excellent job of tackling the important issues that she included in the story.

I'm currently listening to Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family and I'm almost done with my bedtime audio story The Far Field. I hope to finish Cantoras before the author's talk on Saturday. I've been really loving it and don't really want it to end though.

QOTW: Unfortunately I visited Barcelona before reading and falling in love with The Shadow of the Wind series, but if I ever go back, I'm going to check out the sites in the book for sure. In general I just appreciate when I'm familiar with settings in books, but I haven't really gone on a trip to visit somewhere from a book yet. I'm open to it though!

I finished my last book for PopSugar: Alliance Rising, by C.J. Cherryh and her spouse, Jane A. Fancher.

I've read 45 books so far this year, and I have a couple of challenges that call for 52 books in 52 weeks. I won't be doing PopSugar next year (I'm reading/rereading favorite series, instead), and I've already started the series by Cherryh. Book #20 in the series is due out in January, so I'll get the first 19 in the series out by then.

It's autumn in NYC - and we have for the last 2 days had the most gorgeous clear sunny blue ski days - being inside is a crime.

Finished:

Tularosa - first in a series set in NM - loved it and will definitely be reading more of this crime fiction series.

The President Is Missing - a male bodice ripper par excellence! You can see and hear Bill Clinton in it - a rattling good read. I really hope he writes another one. Lots of interesting inside detail on the presidency and the opening is eerily prescient -- President Donovan defending before House Impeachment Committee for actions taken involving a known terrorist. There any remote resemblance to the current incumbent ends.

The Word Is Murder - superb. Truly original traditional mystery -- and that's not a contradiction. I loved it.

Currently Reading:

Proust - started Volume 2 - Within The Budding Grove whose first book is Madame Swann at Home. I just started and the narrator, as a child (or what we would today call a tweenie), is attending his first live theater performance, and it is quite funny. I'll be reading this 260+ page section gradually over the next 3 weeks for my next Proust discussion class. You will be seeing it for a while.

The Lies of Locke Lamora - I'm attending a discussion group on this book at The Astoria Bookshop in a couple of weeks so need to read it. Since it is in my Kindle App, this is the reading for when light bad or brain too fried to read my print copy of Proust.

Reads for periodic relief from Proust - short, or re-read, or a fluff I need to finish:
The Nonesuch - a Heyer fix
We Should All Be Feminists
Home to Stay
The Long-Winded Lady: Notes from The New Yorker

On the nightstand:

The Master and Margarita

QOTW: Oh absolutely I visit places that have been settings in my reading, and also read books set in places I will be visiting. I have endless stories...but a few highlights:

Egypt - sat on the terrace of the Cataract Hotel in Aswan and thought about Poirot. Amelia Peabody was very much in my mind when I was clambering into pyramids and tombs.

Istanbul- Topkapi of course, but also the Pera Palace Hotel and it's bar (Eric Ambler spy stories) and Agatha Christie room (where she wrote Murder on the Orient Express).

Paris -- endless - Hunchback of Notre Dame immediately comes to mind -- the book not the animated movie. And of course in recent years, Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code meant revisiting St. Sulpice Church, the Rose Line, and Mona Lisa and the pyramids at the Louvre.

Best story of all - and one of my oldest -- when I was a student in Paris in 1976, I headed to Italy during spring break. That trip included a day in Venice (we thought nothing of hopping night trains and sleeping on seats in crowded compartments). When the train arrived in the very early AM in Venice from Florence (my prior destination), I discovered that all the English speakers in the information booths etc. were on strike, but also that it was too early to try to find a cheap hotel or hostel. I desperately needed a shower - and the station had facilities you could rent to shower and change in those days. When I came out from showering, I was stopped by 2 clearly affluent older ladies who had just exited the sleeper from Vienna. They were Americans and needed some help. While helping them, I discovered that they had the same mission I did in visiting Venice: to visit all the locations from Helen MacInnes' The Venetian Affair. Off we went together and it was one of the best and most memorable days of what was an amazing time in Europe as a student. It turned out that the ladies had literally snuck away from their tour in Vienna to make this day trip to Venice, and were going back on that train that night. At some point during the day we separated -- I was intent on also going to Lido Beach to see where Thomas Mann's Death in Venice had been set. Plus the ladies had money to spend that I did not as a poor student on fees, gondola rides, and drinks in the cafes of San Marco. But we met up again the next morning in Vienna as I too was on that train that night -- in a 2nd class compartment, not a first class sleeping car! I've never forgotten them and hope I'm just like them as I'm probably now the age they were then!

Dani wrote: "I also am obsessed with Edward Gorey (even have a The Gashlycrumb Tinies tattoo) "

I adore Gorey. Do you have a photo you can share?

Shannon wrote: "I got to go to Edward Gorey's house, which was just amazing!"

Oooooo!

Brandy wrote: "The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (mythology/folklore) which I liked but I preferred Circe. I'm not sure if it is because she has matured as a writer of it is because the trojan war with all its years and years and years and years of war is just less fun material to adapt from. I did enjoy it but if your'e only going to read one, read Circe...."


I liked both books a lot, I gave them both five stars, but if I have to pick one I like best, it's definitely Song of Achilles. It is full of passion and yearning and sorrow! Circe was a much quieter story.

Drakeryn wrote: "... The Wolf in the Whale - Historical fantasy about a small band of Inuit. ... So that's neat. Unfortunately, the book is SO SLOW. We spend the first hundred pages hunting, telling stories in camp, and hunting some more. It's not until part 2 that we get any actual plot. ..."


I've been iffy on this book for that very reason. I don't do well with slow and barely any plot.

Lauren wrote: "... I also finished How to Be an Antiracist to prepare for the event this weekend. It's a bit controversial for those of us trained through PISAB's Undoing Racism program, but I think I agree with some of his main points overall. I'm excited to meet him and possibly ask a question at the book talk on Sunday. ..."


Awesome!! I'd love to hear about it!!! Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America was SO incredibly powerful for me. I liked "Antiracist" a lot too, but it did not move me as much as SftB. To be honest, I was hoping that "How to be an Antiracist" would have more helpful tips and be sort of like a workbook so that I could actually learn how to be an antiracist, I didn't feel like it really showed me how.

Theresa wrote: "It's autumn in NYC - and we have for the last 2 days had the most gorgeous clear sunny blue ski days - being inside is a crime. ..."


It startles me how often the weather in NYC is so different from the weather up here in NY. I knew, of course, that it's generally colder here, but I didn't realize how much more sun you get (even though I KNEW we get a ton of precipitation). We've had some sun, but it's been mostly gloomy and rainy here. My kids were soaking wet and covered in mud after Tuesday's marching band practice. Happily, it's not raining on them tonight!

Greetings from unseasonably cold and wintry Santa Fe! I just got my Santa Fe library card and have already downloaded some audiobooks so I can listen during my 4+ mile walks each morning. Gotta keep moving to stay warm!

Challenge Progress: 48/50

Completed:
Trust Exercise: What an odd, odd book. I can't say I enjoyed it, yet parts of it were captivating... but it took a long time to get there. At first, I didn't care about the characters; then Choi flipped the narrative and things got a lot more interesting. I think it might be a book I need to read again, so I can better appreciate the development of the characters and the exploration of power dynamics. I'm going to think about this one for awhile. (A book with no chapters, unusual chapter headings, or unconventionally numbered chapters) ★★��

American Gods: I love this book! I read it years ago, and I've enjoyed watching the Starz version on TV... And now the audiobook. The casting is wonderful, and I really liked hearing Neil Gaiman read the "Coming to America" parts. (A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie, Good Omens E8) ★★★★��

Currently Reading: In the Heat of the Night, One of Us Is Lying (a book read during the season in which it is set), The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and All In (a book set in Scandinavia)

QOTW: Well, I've been to Bath which is completely recognizable to lovers of Austen (as well as readers of various trashy Regency romances... like me). And I grew up in southeast Missouri, so the area known as Little Egypt - Cairo, Thebes, etc. - in southern Illinois is very familiar. Neil Gaiman did a terrific job describing that area in American Gods. Probably the most obscure place I've been was featured in an old thriller called A Man to Die For by Eileen Dreyer. One of the most intense scenes is set at Crestwood Mall (which doesn't even exist anymore!). I've spent most of my adult life in Saint Louis where the book is set, and many of the locations were sooooo familiar.

Ugh. What kind of day is today? I'm having an as yet undetermined number of fingers of whiskey. And now my internet is S O S L O W that the pages don't even always load, even after several minutes. So, we'll see if this even posts!

I did knuckle down and attack remaining prompts, and now the only one I have left is going to be done by my book club read for December. Yay!

49/50

Finished:
Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery - My second book with the same title, paired with Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, which amusingly, Scott took to the International Space Station, and references several times. Fun!

Sweet Tooth - I haven't been in the mood for any of the books for the taste prompt, so I honestly just found the first "sweet" picture book I could find and read that.


Currently Reading:
Platform Seven - I'm finding almost no time to read my paper book! Pout.

Uncle Fred in the Springtime - bedtime Wodehouse

The Only Woman in the Room - Novel about Hedy Lamarr! Fiction about real people kinda sqicks me out, and novelisations of their actual lives just leaves me unsure. However, it's Hedy Lamarr. But... if something is speculation and you make it actual in your book... I dunno. In any case, clearly I wanted a Hedy Lamarr fix enough to listen to this anyway. Bonus that the narrator seems to have a good language base.


QOTW:
Since my internet is being slower than dial-up today, I think I'll do that in a separate post.