With the exception of one book, I was very happy with the books I read in January. I read two books for the Japanese Literary Challenge. I read several new-to-me authors and continued some series I had started earlier.
Fiction
The Travelling Cat Chronicles (2012) by Hiro Arikawa
Translated by Philip Gabriel
This was the first book I read for the Japanese Literary Challenge. It is the story of a man and his cat, which he adopted after the cat was hit by a car. After they have lived together for five years, the man has to find a new home for the cat. They travel to various parts of Japan to visit with several of the man's old friends to see it they can take the cat in. See my review.
Anything Is Possible (2017) by Elizabeth Strout
This book, the second book in the Amgash series, consists of linked short stories. Some of the stories give more information about Lucy Barton and members of her family who still live in Amgash. Other stories are about other residents of Amgash, who are in some way connected to Lucy Barton. I liked it and am ready to start something else by Strout. See my review.
Crime Fiction
Parting Breath (1978) by Catherine Aird
Parting Breath is an academic mystery set in Catherine Aird's fictional county of Calleshire, England; it features Detective Inspector C.D. Sloan of the Berebury CID, and his assistant, Detective Constable Crosby. The first book of the series was published in 1966 and the 28th book in 2023. Catherine Aird is one of my favorite mystery writers, and I hope to read all the books in the series. See my review.
The Woman in Cabin 10 (2016) by Ruth Ware
I had not read any of Ware's books, I was curious, and I thought I would like a book about a woman on a cruise. For most of the book I was not too impressed. There were no characters I cared about, and especially not the main character. But the end was very well done and kept me turning the pages, so I revised my overall opinion a bit.
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (2023) by Alison Goodman
My husband and I were both interested in this book when it first came out; the setting in the Regency period was appealing. The story is a good blend of historical fiction, mystery, romance, and adventure, with the emphasis on adventure. Some of the scenes of life in Regency England, depicting the way the poor were treated and the mistreatment of women in general, are excruciating to read. Overall, I enjoyed the book and expect that I will read the sequel.
Thirteen Guests (1936) by J. Jefferson Farjeon
In mid-January, Neeru at A Hot Cup of Pleasure reviewed five books by J. Jefferson Farjeon. Her post motivated me to read one of Farjeon's books. I found that my husband had a copy of Thirteen Guests in his TBR stacks, so I started reading it. It is a country house mystery and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. I liked the characters and how the author developed them, and there was some romance that did not take over the story. And I especially liked the unusual ending.
Three Assassins (2004) by Kōtarō Isaka
Translated by Sam Malissa
This was the second book I read for the Japanese Literature Challenge. The author also wrote Bullet Train, and the two books are similar in many ways. The main character is Suzuki, who was formerly a schoolteacher but is working for a crime gang. Suzuki is seeking revenge for the murder of his wife by working undercover in the gang. See my review.
Currently reading
I am about a third of the way into Fall from Grace by L.R. Wright, published in 1991. It is the fourth book in a series starring Karl Alberg, a staff sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada. I am enjoying it very much.
In early February, my husband and I had jury duty. Although the trial we were called for was not being tried at the main courthouse, we did visit the beautiful Santa Barbara County Courthouse while we were there. My husband took some photos, and I am sharing two of them in this post. Click on the images for the best viewing quality.
32 comments:
I am also reading Fall From Grace, which I have owned since it came out (!) but never read. When the TV show began airing several months ago, I thought I should begin the series and was surprised to find it wasn't book 1. I got distracted by library books and need to get back to it.
You know I am also a big Aird fan! I listened to Cabin 10 on audio (and it was a good one to choose because there is a miniseries coming) and had a similar reaction as you. An author doesn't always need a likable character but it certainly helps! Her books are very readable but they don't stay with you like some other authors. Same with Shari Lapena.
The Benevolent Society has been on my mental list so I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. I have read so many books set in Regency England that I get annoyed by inaccuracies that just seem sloppy to me. Well, I hate anachronisms. Some young women sharing a flat in a book I read recently had a telephone and a radio in an era when very few people would have had either and that spoiled or nearly spoiled the whole book for me.
A nice variety here and a reminder of a few I'd forgotten.
I was a big L. R. Wright fan in the Eighties and early Nineties and always enjoyed her mysteries. I also like the Catherine Aird books I have read. I really should get back to both those authors. Thanks for the reminders!
I've read two of the books on your list: Thirteen Guests, which I enjoyed, and the Woman in Cabin 10 which I was underwhelmed by. Mostly because I guessed the twist very early on. That Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is one I now want to check out. :D
I'm so glad you're enjoying the L.R. Wright book, Tracy. I like her work and I really like the Karl Alberg character. I remember Neeru's review of Thirteen Guests; I'm glad you liked that one, too. I do want to read it at some point. And thanks for the reminder of Catherine Aird's work; I've not read her work just lately, and I should get back to it.
Ruth Ware sounds familiar, but I looked her up at Fantastic Fiction and don't recognize any of her books. Maybe I'm confusing her with Ruth Rendell. The Cat Chronicles book is at my Libby, so I've put it on my wish list there.
Interesting that you read the Ruth Ware book. I had mentioned that she has a new book coming out in a few months with the same protagonist. I'll likely read that one, but we'll see how I like it. Otherwise, I haven't read any of the books you listed. Several look good though.
Constance, I do remember that you like Catherine Aird's books. I probably won't read any more books by Ruth Ware. Too many authors who work better for me. But I am glad I gave her writing a try.
I do hope you like Fall from Grace when you get back to it. I like L.R. Wright's style of writing.
I don't like anachronisms in historical fiction, but on the other hand there is a lot that might be wrong but I would not notice. I am always wary of women who are successful at getting around the limits of the society they live in, but there must have been some that did it.
Nice description of these books and I too have heard about Ruth Ware and would like to try one of her novels. She writes as I understand domestic thrillers or psychological thrillers and I haven't had much luck with this genre because at least with the books I have read they take a very dark turn.
Thanks, Patti. Even though my books were mostly mysteries, there was variety in the types of mysteries.
Jerry, I am glad I reminded you of some authors you read in the past. Usually it is the other way around, with you reminding of mystery authors I want to read more of.
Lark, I knew Farjeon had written Thirteen Guests and Mystery in White, but I had no idea he had written so many other mysteries. I am glad I finally read one of his books.
I was also underwhelmed by Woman in Cabin 10, but at least I was rewarded when the ending picked up a bit. I enjoyed Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies and I think you will too.
Catherine Aird just died in December at the age of 94. She died honorably in the saddle: last book in the Sloan series Constable Country, was published in 2023.
I haven't heard of any of these! A few of them I'm curious about now. :)
I kind of love Elizabeth Strout but sometimes I find her novels
depressing. She's certainly the real deal as a writer, though.
Women who were both privileged and had support from those close to them often were among those who broke out of prescribed roles...and some who had few other viable choices. It's an impressive spread of books.
Margot, I am glad I finally got back to the Karl Alberg series. It has been at least five years since I read the third book. I like his character too.
I need to check out Neeru's review of Thirteen Guests.
Kelly, Ruth Ware is more contemporary and writes psychological thrillers, not usually my type of mystery. Ruth Rendell wrote both traditional police procedurals, that I enjoyed a lot, and psychological mysteries, which were also very well written but mostly way too tense for me. I hope you enjoy the Cat Chronicles book.
I know, Kay, I chose to read Woman in Cabin 10 as an experiment to see if I was missing something by automatically avoiding that type of book. I actually expected it to be better than it was. I did not like the main character, but her family and lover back home were well done, and there were some redeeming aspects. I did hear about a second book with that same character, I will see if you like it when it comes out.
Kathy, I think it is a good idea to try one of Ruth Ware's books. It is always good to try new things. I wasn't ever bored reading this book, and I did not feel it was a waste of time.
I liked The Thirteen Guests too, more than I expected to, although I can't remember now why I didn't expect to like it... possibly saw a bad review. Fall from Grace sounds very interesting, I must look the series up. You had a very good reading month in January!
Thanks, Todd. These two women in Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies were privileged. They had some support but for the most part the family was not supportive. I was able to suspend my disbelief for the most part.
Thank you for mentioning that, Anonymous. I omitted that fact from my summary on this post but I did include information on that in my review post. I admire Aird's ability to write for so long.
Lindsi, I am glad you found some books of interest in my post. I need to add some variety in the science fiction and fantasy genres.
Nicola, I was found reading Olive Kitteridge depressing and I could not read more than one story a day. But My Name is Lucy Barton did not depress me. I knew what to expect when I got to Anything is Possible. Her writing is unusual but very good.
Cath, I had read some reviews and comments about Thirteen Guests that were not negative, but did not especially praise the book either. But I was very pleased with the story and the way it was told. I will find more books of his to read eventually. I think we have one more on the Kindle.
I like the way the author of Fall from Grace writes. She usually puts the emphasis on character studies, and the mystery is secondary. That works for me, but other mystery readers may be disappointed.
Glad you enjoyed Fall From Grace. Wright is a rare author who can tell the reader the identity of the murderer at the start of the book but keep you intrigued on the "why" to the end.
You have to let me know if you served on a jury. If you did, any experiences you can relate would interest me.
I like your courthouse photos, pretty, and hope the jury duty wasn't too taxing. It's a coincidence that I'm listening to The Woman in Cabin 10 on audio right now. I'm only midway in so far. The lead character is certainly a mess. I'm looking forward to seeing about the ending. Nice roundup of books.
Bill, I am glad I got back to this series by L.R. Wright. It had been six years since I read the 3rd book in the series. And I am glad that there are five more to read.
Have you read any books by L.R. Wright outside of her Karl Alberg series?
Bill, I have never served on a jury, but I would have liked to. I have always thought it would be an interesting process, and I wanted to see what it would be like in real life.
When I was called this time, I was the fourth person selected to be in the jury box where the attorney's could ask potential jurors questions. The attorneys both asked a lot of questions but I was never questioned directly. Every potential juror in the box had to tell basic information about job, family status, any relationship to the defendant or the attorneys, etc. I was one of the first dismissed (by the defense attorney). No reason given, but I assumed it might be my age because the case was related to elder abuse. It sounded like a very interesting case, but honestly I think at my age it would be too demanding on me.
Glen had to go back for one more day, and never was selected for the jury box. He was released after the jury was successfully selected.
Susan, I was pleased with the photos Glen took at the courthouse, especially since they were taken with his phone. Usually we take cameras and take pictures all around the building and the grounds.
I felt the same was about The Woman in Cabin 10. I had to see how it ended, so in that sense, the book was very well written.
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