November was a very nice reading month. Two science fiction novels! Three novellas! A children's book set at Christmas! Two books from my Classics List! My total for the month was nine books, but that was mostly because I read three very short books and finished a book I had been reading over the last few months.
Nonfiction / Books about Books
Book Lust (2003) by Nancy Pearl
This is at least my third read of this book since it first came out. The subtitle is "Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason." Nancy Pearl was a librarian for many years and obviously has read a lot of books, and books from practically every genre. This book is filled with recommendations. I reread it because my tastes have changed over time and I always see some books that are new to me in it on each read. This time I was looking specifically for books about countries all over the world, or books using those countries as a setting. Since the book was published in 2003 it is not up to date, but I have always read more older books than current books so that does not matter to me.
Fiction / Children's
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (2018) by Karina Yan Glaser
This is a middle grade children's book set at Christmas, and a very lovely read. It is the first in a series of seven books about the family. See my review.
Fiction / Horror
Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker
Many people, including my husband, have told me that Dracula is a very good read, and they were all right. The story is told through letters and diary entries and I enjoyed that format. It was much more accessible than I expected, although parts of it were challenging to read. This book is on my Classics List and I am glad that I finally read it.
Science Fiction
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (2014) by Becky Chambers
This book is an excellent space opera, the first book in a three book series called Wayfarers. See my review.
Rogue Protocol (2018) by Martha Wells
The protagonist and narrator of Rogue Protocol is a security robot that has both human and robotic parts. This third entry in the Murderbot Diaries series is a novella, as are most of the books in the series. My review of the first book, All Systems Red, is here. I would not start with Rogue Protocol because there is so little backstory for what has gone before. I have enjoyed all of the books so far and the fourth book is already on my shelves waiting to be read.
Crime Fiction
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934) by James M. Cain
Cain's first novel is a noir mystery and very brief, only 120 pages long. This was another book from my Classics List. See my review.
Where There's Love, There's Hate (1946) by Adolfo Bioy Casares and Silvina Ocampo
Translated by Suzanne Jill Levine and Jessica Ernst Powell
This was a lovely short read at 128 pages. It may turn out to be one of my top ten books of the year. The introduction by Suzanne Jill Levine describes this book as a "tongue-in-cheek mystery somewhere between detective spoof and romantic satire." See my review.
Favor (1988) by Parnell Hall
Stanley Hastings is a licensed private detective in Manhattan, but his job is to pursue leads for an ambulance chaser lawyer. In this 3rd novel in the series. Stanley does some investigating in Atlantic City, to help out a policeman friend of his. See my review.
City Under One Roof (2023) by Iris Yamashita
This debut novel is set in an isolated small town in Alaska, Point Mettier. The isolation is imposed by natural forces, a major storm that closes the tunnel that provides the only access to the city. All 205 residents in the town live in one high-rise building. The story follows three characters: Amy Lin, a teenage girl who lives with her mother; Cara Kennedy, a detective who has come to the city to investigate some body parts found on a beach; and Lonnie Mercer, an eccentric loner who has a pet moose. All the main characters were interesting and most of the secondary characters are suspicious. Just about everyone has secrets they are hiding. A second book is scheduled to come out in February 2024, and I will be reading it at some point.
The photos at the top and bottom of this post were taken when we were walking to the Monarch Butterfly Grove in Goleta. It wasn't the time of year for the butterflies to be there, but it was a great walk and our first visit to the area in years.
Photos were taken and processed by my husband. Click on the images for the best viewing quality.
17 comments:
You read some really good books last month, Tracy! I shall look up several but especially Book Lust which is new to me: I always have a weakness for books that recommend more books!
I think you would enjoy Book Lust, Cath. It was followed by More Book Lust and Book Lust to Go (Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers).
This article made me curious about Chambers - while I don't think she is my thing, I am enjoying the ones you read vicariously!
https://www.tor.com/2023/05/25/five-books-that-help-me-face-anxiety-and-feel-better-about-the-world/
Nancy Pearl is also a fan of my favorite (albeit obscure) author Elswyth Thane and I am always hoping I will meet her when she visits Boston.
I really like - and often revisit - Nancy Pearl's Book Lust series, too. Like you say, even though they are kind of dated now, I always seem to turn up a new title or two that hadn't really registered with me before. It makes me realize how much my book choices are influenced by my "mood" and what's going on in my life at any given moment.
I think I saw somewhere that the Murder Bot series is being made, or has been made, into a television series for one of the big streaming apps (wish I could remember which one). It's a fun series, so I'll keep an eye out for it for sure.
A nice combination of books. Taking on those challenges assures you of reading widely.
Constance, thanks for including that link. I had not seen that article. I recently read the short story by Ursula Le Guin that it talks about, and I will be following up on some of the others.
I had to look up Elswyth Thane, although I had heard the name before. The Williamsburg Series sounds interesting.
You found lots of good books to read! I absolutely love Dracula. And I have the whole Murderbot series on my TBR list...hopefully next year. :D
You had a good reading month in November. Because of your earlier post, I picked up a copy of City Under One Roof from the library and now have started it. It seems like a great setting and I think I'll enjoy it. Good to hear she has a second one coming in February, yay. Do you live near Goleta? I have been on a hike in Goleta up the hill which looks like those pics. It's neat you saw the butterflies.
Oh I guess the butterflies were Not there. But hopefully in spring.
Sam, I am looking around now for my copy of More Book Lust, even though it has only been a couple of years since I last read through it.
The Murder Bot could be good for a streaming series although I am sure it could not have all of the charm of the series. I recently read your review of Rogue Protocol, and I think I agree with you that books 2 and 3 in the series should have been published as one book. I enjoyed reading book 3 but it did not have much new in it.
Patti, I did read a lot of different genres in November -- and I read more non-mystery books than mysteries. The Classics List has certainly helped me get in more classics, even though it is taking me a long time to get through the list.
I always love reading your lists of books you've read, Tracy. I get good ideas for where to go next in my own reading. I'd really like to read Where There's Love.... That's not a pair of authors I've read before, but the book sounds good.
Lark, I am glad I bought a beautiful Penguin Classics Deluxe edition of Dracula with nice easy to read print so that I can read it again someday.
I am sure you will enjoy the Murder Bot books. Humor and adventure all in one.
Susan, I hope you do enjoy City Under One Roof, the setting is fantastic.
We live between Goleta and Santa Barbara in the unincorporated area. The Butterfly Grove is close to the beach but it still can be hot when it is sunny.
Thank you, Margot. I hope you do get a copy of Where There's Love.... to read because I think you would like it a lot. Different but still an interesting mystery.
Hi Tracy, I discovered Nancy Pearl maybe 20 years ago and I wish I still had my copy of Book Lust but I can get a new one and it's a very good investment. Nancy loves books and knows so much about the various genres and as you say it's a good resource to have because as the years go by we come back to Book Lust to see what next to read because our tastes change
Kathy, I bought myself a new copy of Book Lust at the book sale (actually a very nice used copy) because my current one is falling apart. I rotate through them every year or so. I don't agree with Pearl on everything, but that is normal.
Post a Comment