Susan here, with our March reading choices. Spring has sprung here on the East coast, and the cherry trees in our yard just popped, a cheerful sign of spring. Today for the first time in a long while, I sat outside with a book (and no coat!). We hope our March book choices bring you springtime joy and new excuses to sit out in the sunshine with a good book. Read on for a tempting selection of romance, mystery, and history this month!
Pat says:
The beauty of Jane Lovering’s books is that no two are alike and they are like nothing else anyone
else writes. ONE OF A KIND can be labeled contemporary romance or possibly romantic suspense, but what it is is wild and.. squirrely. Cressida was raised in humble surroundings and works for an animal rescue operation. Ivo is from a posh background, has ADHD, and is attempting to make it from low-level journalist to investigative status when they discover a body in the woods—with a red squirrel in his pocket. He wants to find a murder story. She wants to take the squirrel home. The romance is serious, their method of getting there is hilarious. If you want to smile again, start here!
Christina says:
My favourite read this month was BECAUSE THE NIGHT: A Vampire Romance by Kylie Scott. I haven’t read many vampire stories recently but this one was unusual and I love all Ms Scott’s books so I knew I was in for a treat.
Andrea:I’m a huge fan of Elly Griffiths’s Ruth Galloway mysteries, so was delighted to snag an ARC of the first book in her upcoming new series. THE FROZEN PEOPLE, introduces single mom Ali Dawson-an equally colorful and quirky woman as Ruth-who works at a special “cold case” investigation unit of a rather vague government department of the British government. One of the senior members of the group is a very secretive Italian physicist who has developed a way of rearranging quantum particles to allow the investigators of their team-including Ali–to go back in time to find evidence to solve crimes that the government deems important. It’s usually a straightforward process, with the investigators spending only an hour or two in the not too distant past, so Ali has no problem hiding her top-secret work from her rather straitlaced adult son, who is on the staff of an ambitious and charismatic politician, who is on a trajectory to be the next prime minister. However, when her department gets a request to challenge the boundaries of their previous work and go back to Victorian England, things start to get … complicated. Ali is happy to take on the assignment, but finds herself trapped in the past when her portal home doesn’t open, leaving her stuck in a boarding house with a maybe-serial killer. Meanwhile, at home in the present, her son finds himself accused of murder and is desperately trying to locate his mother to get help, while Ali’s team is working madly to create a new portal … As I said, things get complicated! it’s a very fun read, with some hilarious twists and turns. I highly recommend it!
Mary Jo here.There is a whole subgenre of cozy mysteries that feature clever cats and dogs, and A GUIDE TO SOLVING A MURDER by Courtney McFarlin is a fine example. Narrator Tessa Windsor and her older brother Paul both live and work in the mountains of Colorado, though their parents have decamped to Florida. Tessa’s favorite companions are Finn and Briar, her rescue dog and cat who bonded in the animal shelter and had to be adopted together. They’re even both fluffy black and white. Tessa guides mountain hikes and Finn and Briar go with her. As a border collie, Finn has boundless energy, and her pal Briar rides on Finn’s back when she gets tired. Then Tessa and her brother Paul learn that they’ve inherited–something?–from a great aunt they’d never heard of. Tessa’s legacy is magic–and after she receives it, she can hear the thoughts of Briar and Finn, which is surprising and wonderful. Less wonderful is when Tessa dreams of a murder that turns out to have really happened, and she and her furry pals need to help find the killer. I liked the characters, both human and non-human, and I liked that Tessa was intelligent and had warm relationships with friends and family. A new Finn and Briar book, A Guide to Uncovering a Secret, will be released in August, and I’ve already preordered it!
Nicola here.
This month I’ve been wading my way through a contemporary novel that is as big as a doorstop for my book group but for a break I’ve also read DEATH AT THE SIGN OF THE ROOK by Kate Atkinson. I have an on-off relationship with her books; some of them I have loved whilst others haven’t hit the mark for me. Generally, I do enjoy her crime novels featuring the detective Jackson Brodie and this one was publicised as an Agatha-Christie style mystery, which definitely appealed. It was a fun read, although there were a lot of characters and we could probably have lost a few of them without missing them. However, I loved the main plot involving a missing painting and a con-woman who is adept at re-inventing herself. The Gothic pile Rook Hall with its aristocratic inhabitants was spot on for a Christie-style setting. The writing is very entertaining and the romance at the end between Brodie’s police-woman sidekick and a dashing ex-army officer was great fun. Whilst the denouement is (deliberately) farcical and won’t be to everyone’s taste, I found it a good read and a fun homage to the greats of classic crime.
Susan here — Recently the British Library held a major exhibition, Medieval Women: Voices and Visions, to represent the value and contributions of medieval women over centuries. It also represents the work of years as art historians, historians, and curators brought together some of the finest examples in the existing record of medieval women coming into their own in their time and place. Seen through artworks, manuscripts, documents, and more, the women studied and profiled in the exhibit stand out as brilliant stars in the medieval firmament — and demonstrate that the quality of female accomplishment and vision was as strong then as today, though their work and deeds might have been overlooked or dismissed for centuries.
So I treated myself to a copy of the exhibition catalog, a spectacular collection of essays and images detailing the work and existence of women like Christine de Pizan, Joan of Arc, Margaret Paston, Julian of Norwich, and more. My heart belongs to the medieval era, my main area of study in grad school, and over the years that fascination has not diminished. Reading the catalog refreshed my understanding of these amazing women and their contributions to art, literature, culture, and history, and I learned a great deal. I wish I could have traveled to London to see it all, but the catalog is a wonderful way to see it. Highly recommended if you love medieval history and the herstory of women!
Anne here, and because most of my reads this month have been rereads, and also I’ve read and agree with Pat’s recommendation of Jane Lovering’s One of a Kind, and also Christina’s of Kylie Scott’s Because the Night. I’m down to just one recommendation — Beth Moran’s ALWAYS ON MY MIND.
What great reads have you discovered lately? Let us know–we’re always happy to add more books to our TBRs!
I read two by Sarah Morgan – The Summer Swap & The Book Club Hotel. Always so good with happy endings for all. Plus you wish you were staying at the location she’s writing about. Then I reread Beware Faery Gifts by MaryJo. I loved it as much as the first time. Next was Susanna Kearsley’s new one – The King’s Messenger which led me to an old one on my TBR pile forever- The Firebird. I just love her writing & the extensive Authors Notes.
Jeanne, I’m so glad you enjoyed Beware Faery Gifts! It’s a favorite of mine. And yes, Susanna Kearsley is an amazing writer and researcher.
I enjoyed The Summer Swap; sounds like I should get The Book Club Hotel!
So many enticing choices above! I’m adding titles to my list and about to download some samples; thank you all.
Week by week ~
— enjoyed Fledgling (Liaden Universe Book 11) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller which is a science fiction novel suitable for teens and adults. The focal character is a teen whose life undergoes changes when her mother leaves her partner. I believe that the book can be obtained FREE from Baen, the publisher.
— enjoyed the contemporary romance novella Ghostwriter of Christmas Past by TA Moore which features a man parenting his niece after her parents died. He decides to take her to visit the town where he and his brother were raised and encounters his old best friend/boyfriend.
— enjoyed a reread of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I highly recommend this fantasy; one of the things I like about it is that the main character is a genuinely good person.
— After reading Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, I requested from my library more Liaden world books that featured the main character, Theo Waitley. While waiting for those to arrive, I read Local Custom and Scout’s Progress which are also part of the Liaden world. This was a fortunate choice as the second of those books featured a character that played a big role in Theo’s stories. I then read Saltation, Ghost Ship,and Conflict of Honors. I’ve enjoyed all of these science fiction books and plan to read more.
— very much enjoyed a reread of the science fiction romance Bone Rider by J. Fally; this book has a lot of violence but also tenderness. The romance features two men and an alien symbiont.
— For my book group, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. This book was depressing; the author has a true gift for description to the point that I’m left feeling that I never wish to visit India. As I read this, I realized that I had read the book previously (perhaps with a different book group when it was new back in the late nineties) though I could not remember the outcome.
— On a more pleasurable note, I enjoyed another science fiction book in the Liaden universe ~ Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Also enjoyed a two story collection set in the Liaden universe, Sleeping with the Enemy.
— read the very first science fiction novel in the Liaden Universe, Agent of Change by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller which I acquired back in 2014. I’m enjoying the books in the series and will happily read on, but I don’t think that these will be rereads for me.
— enjoyed the fantasy novella, How to (Not) Train a Firecat by R. Cooper which features a love story between two men.
— quite enjoyed The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison which I read in one day. This is the third book in a fantasy/mystery trilogy featuring the witness for the dead who was first introduced in the author’s The Goblin Emperor.
— enjoyed When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden which is set primarily in Berlin as World War I is beginning. The main female character is secretary to the American ambassador to Germany, and the male lead is the embassy’s chief of staff. The book includes some Christian content.
— quite enjoyed The Speed of Souls: A Novel for Dog Lovers by Nick Pirog; the book begins with a much loved pet dog being reincarnated as a kitten. The story is about his determination to find his way back to his human and his dog sibling. There is a lot of humor and also a good amount of grieving; we also see the human, an author, struggling with writing and dating.
— enjoyed Pieces of You (Missing Pieces Book 1) by N.R. Walker. This is the story of two men who have been in a relationship for four years and what happens when one is left with amnesia (thus losing five years of memories and all memories of his partner) and other injuries after a serious vehicular accident. This is the first of three books, and I would happily read on.
— quite enjoyed Deep End by Ali Hazelwood; this is a contemporary romance between two college athletes, a swimmer and a diver. They begin a relationship when they learn that one is dominant and the other submissive.
— enjoyed The Cowboy and the Dealer by Jackie North which featured a cowboy and a man serving parole on a ranch after serving a five year sentence for drug dealing.
— enjoyed Love Language by Jax Calder, a contemporary romance novella about a computer coder and a marketing guy who share an office and an admiration for each other.
— enjoyed the contemporary romance The Cowboy and the Hacker by Jackie North which featured a retired (by virtue of being thrown) bronc rider and a parolee who intentionally went to prison to try to escape an abusive partner.
Just to let you know, Kareni – I’m not a sci-fi fan, it I’ve been passing your recs on to my husband and he’s very appreciative! And so agree about The God of Small Things – could not figure out why so many people wanted to read such a sad story!
I am with you, Constance. Bleak, sad, depressing topics seem to be very popular with writers and readers these days, not sure why. Not for me, thank you! There is too much of that in real life to want to read it for my leisure reading! Not that
I want to go to the other extreme, but I preferbooks with a more positive side.
Thanks so much for letting me know that, Constance. Happy reading to you and to your husband!
The other book that I read by Arundhati Roy also left me disinclined to visit India; I mentioned to my group that she might serve as an anti-tourism bureau.
Many years ago I read An Area of Darkness, by the very famous author V.S. Naipaul. It’s a travelogue and it also totally put me off visiting India. So he may be the founder of the anti-tourism bureau!
That particular anti-tourism bureau clearly has a long and distinguished history, Karin!
I’m now reading Deanna Raybourn’s “Kills Well With Others” the sequel to “Killers of a Certain Age.” They are both highly entertaining stories about four female assassins and their adventures.
My reading has definitely picked up this month. Several were rereads of old books, but I guess that primed the pump, so to speak! And I saw my first cherry blossoms yesterday. Suddenly there are daffodils, magnolia, forsythia, everything is popping!
So, the books. I read Mary Jo Putney’s RIVER OF FIRE. I don’t know how I managed to miss it when I was reading her Fallen Angels series a couple of decades ago, but I have no recollection of the story, so I’m pretty sure it was my first read. Anyway, it was great, and I enjoyed all the details about art. I also reread MJP’s THE BARGAIN, and both books held up vey well, with strong and independent female characters.
Coincidentally, at the same time I was reading A PORTRAIT OF LOVE by Minerva Spencer, which like RIVER OF FIRE, had a main female character who was an artist. Then I read DANCING WITH LOVE, part of the same Academy of Love series by Spencer , It was my favorite so far, because it features a marriage of convenience.
I read NO ORDINARY DUCHESS by Elizabeth Hoyt. All of her books are engaging and worth reading, but I can’t say that was one of my favorites (for instance TO SEDUCE A SINNER, which I’ve probably read half a dozen times).
Then a romantasy, WOOING THE WITCH QUEEN, which was a fun read. I quite enjoyed it.
Finally, I’m getting back into mysteries, reading two Mary Lancaster books, MURDER IN MOONLIGHT and EVIDENCE OF EVIL. They are the first two of a mystery-suspense series with a developing romantic interest.
Another mystery, MURDER IN A MILL TOWN by P.B. Ryan was very well written, but honestly pretty sordid and depressing. Very tragic pasts for both MCs, and little chance of an HEA on the horizon. If you are in the mood for something serious, with great period details of post-Civil War Boston, reading the prior book in the series, STILL LIFE WITH MURDER is a must before this one.
Lastly, I am now reading THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by Y.S. Lee. The female lead is a detective in a women-only detective agency in Victorian England. In this 3rd book of the series, she’s undercover as a servant at Buckingham Palace. It’s a page-turner! Really engaging characters, and I could keep reading about them for a long time, but unfortunately I think there’s only one more book after this.
I am also reading Kills well with others and enjoying it. It is a real hoot. Also just finished Steve Berry’s latest Cotton Malone thriller. I love the way he mixes history in with his stories.
On the second to last of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, Blood of Tyrants, which is terrific. It’s set during the Napoleonic era where dragons are used as an “air force”. The characters are very real and well drawn and her mixture of actual history with fantasy is amazing throughout the series.
.
Thanks to everyone for so many wonderful book suggestions.
I started my month with Tough Times on Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane, which is part of a series and it’s a fantastic read. On to These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer for my GR group read. It’s not a favourite of mine but on this read I think I appreciated it more.
On to The Moonlit Piazza by Annabelle Thorpe which is the second in a series and it is a fantastic read. Set in Italy in WWII it tells the story of two families who own restaurants in a small village and what happens to the people when the Nazis arrive.
The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer, who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, is a great read. It’s timeslip and all her books have an element of this and other worldly happenings.
I read The Clocks by Agatha Christie for a book group read and as always thoroughly enjoyed it. She’s hard to beat!
With Promises to Keep by Ellie Dean is the latest in her Beachview Boarding House series. Again about ordinary people which began in the war years and is now dealing with the aftermath. It’s a real cosy read and I really enjoy them.
I finished the month with The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat which again is set in WWII. It’s based on a true story and it’s hard to believe what went on there during that time. A very, very good read.
That’s it for me. I’m doing a bit of rereading at the moment. Sometimes we just need the comfort of them.
I’m doing my best to get to Susanna Kearsley’s new one as I adore her books. Lots of recommendations as usual here.
I just read a description of The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer, and it definitely sounds intriguing, Teresa Broderick. Thanks for mentioning it!
You’re welcome Kareni and I hope you enjoy it!!
Meg ~ in August last year, after I recommended it, you asked me “How do we find His Road Home by Anna Richland?” I noticed that the novella has been reissued. You can find it on Kindle at https://www.amazon.com/His-Road-Home-Anna-Richland-ebook/dp/B0DQ935YMX
Apparently I again, forgot to write down much of what I read.
This month I had to read an Agatha Christie for a book group and chose The Moving Finger. Its a Miss Marple book but she doesn’t show up until the last 50 pages. Even then she is putting in a cameo appearance. I really enjoyed the characters (Jerry, Joanna & Megan).
I also read 2 Grace Burrowes books: Miss Dauntless and Miss Dignified. They were very enjoyable also. I lucked into them at a used bookstore.
Did a lot of rereads as well.