In some ways, it's hard to believe this book is over 100 years old and in other ways, it's very easy.
"And shall I marry a nice steady man if I find onIn some ways, it's hard to believe this book is over 100 years old and in other ways, it's very easy.
"And shall I marry a nice steady man if I find one?" [She] asked demurely. [Bob] came close to [her]. "My God! [Sally], if you ever marry any one else but me, I'll wring his neck. And as for you---" "Yes," [she] said, pleasurably excited. "I shall carry you away and beat you black and blue!"
Although, I don't know. Maybe that's still how New Romance characters talk.
At any rate, this one's a stand alone, other than featuring the first appearance of Colonel Race, who I've met in older incarnations in Cards on the Table and Death on the Nile. He's handsome and charming in that strong, silent way that women seem to love.
Our protagonist is Anne Beddingfield, daughter of a recently deceased paleoanthropologist. She's determined to have adventures like the heroines of her favorite adventure stories, rather than becoming a secretary or the companion of an elderly lady like all the well-intentioned people in her life want her to. When she witnesses a man's unusual death which may be connected to a murder, she finagles her way into a freelance journalist position and follows a clue left by the titular "man in the brown suit." She soon finds herself on a cruise to South Africa with an eccentric cast of characters, including an independent society woman (traveling without her husband), the owner of the house where the murder was committed, along with his two secretaries (both behaving suspiciously), and the mysterious Colonel Race.
Anne's got a Nancy Drew vibe (or maybe Tuppence if Tommy hadn't been around), getting herself in and out of various dangerous situations. Dame Christie definitely had fun with this one: espionage, crime syndicates, disguises galore. I wish she'd written more Anne Beddingfield books, instead of (view spoiler)[ marrying her off and saddling her with kids (hide spoiler)].
Read for the 2025 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: Prompt #20: A book that fills a 2024 prompt you'd like to do over (or try out) (#21: a book that came out in a year that ends in "24")...more
Even though his name isn't in the title, Walter Ralegh/Raleigh/Rawley/Rawleigh (the first spelling is the one used by the author throughout the book) Even though his name isn't in the title, Walter Ralegh/Raleigh/Rawley/Rawleigh (the first spelling is the one used by the author throughout the book) is definitely the focus of the book. (While Thomson does touch on some of the other explorers obsessed with El Dorado, if you're looking for a book about just people's quests, this is not it.)
So about Ralegh: Thomson is a bit of a fanboy -- equivalent to Ron Chernow & Lin-Manuel Miranda's versions of Alexander Hamilton*. According to Thomson, very little was actually Ralegh's fault, which I tried to take with the proverbial grain of salt, but hey -- maybe all those people (including King James & Ralegh's supposed friend, Robert Cecil) were out to get him.
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Whether Thomson's version of history is 100% accurate may be questionable, but his writing is 110% entertaining and his depiction of the brutality of Amazonian exploration, the Anglo-Spanish War, and the "justice" system under King James are totally riveting. (Be prepared for rather graphic descriptions of torture and capital punishment, both in the Americas and England.)
I originally wanted to read Patriot or Traitor: The Life and Death of Sir Walter Ralegh, but my library system doesn't have it. I'm really glad I found this one, but I'm curious to read another perspective (especially a female scholar's).
*There are some interesting parallels between Ralegh and Hamilton that apparently prove inspirational to 21st century dudes: both came up in the world from their rather humble beginnings, used their considerable charm and writing skills to get what they wanted, gained power by winning the favor of older political leaders (Queen Elizabeth & George Washington respectively), lost sons in tragic circumstances, died in dramatic manners, and were memorialized by their well-born wives.
Read for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2025 Prompt #21: A book where the main character is a politician...more
Imagine you're a single woman, living on your own in London, and then one night you come home from your best friend's raucous hen night and your husbaImagine you're a single woman, living on your own in London, and then one night you come home from your best friend's raucous hen night and your husband is waiting for you. Would you freak out? What if, just as you're getting used to this husband (who is definitely your husband according to your phone, friends, and family), he goes up into the attic and another husband descends in his place?
What proceeds is a parade of husbands, men who Lauren (our protagonist) could have met and married had things gone just a little differently. Some husbands she sends back to the attic immediately, while others she tries out for a while. And the husbands have a ripple effect on different aspects of her life, from the furnishings in her flat to her job and relationships with family and friends. Will Lauren find the perfect husband eventually?
The Husbands was a highly entertaining vacation read: hilarious and highly implausible and yet, with some essential truth at its core. (If you believe there's one soul mate out there for everyone, this may not be the book for you.)
There were a few situations where Lauren's choices were cringe-inducing. I reread most of the book, after reading The Husbands, to refresh my memory and skipped some sections because I just couldn't go there again: (view spoiler)[ pretty much the entire Felix relationship, the attempted reunion with Carter, drugging Amos and bullying Zach back into the attic (hide spoiler)].
Read for the 2025 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: Prompt #37: Two books with the same title (1)...more
Possibly I was overthinking this. I do that; it’s the anxiety that comes with being a part-organic murderbot. The upside was paranoid attention to detPossibly I was overthinking this. I do that; it’s the anxiety that comes with being a part-organic murderbot. The upside was paranoid attention to detail. The downside was also paranoid attention to detail.
After investigating its own past and finding evidence of more crimes by GrayCris, Murderbot is back to save the day. Unfortunately Dr. Mensah is missing, apparently being held hostage by GrayCris. By this point in the series, you know only Murderbot can save her, even when the odds are stacked against it.
So the plan wasn't a clusterfuck, it was just circling the clusterfuck target zone, getting ready to come in for a landing.
(Don't worry, there already several more Murderbot books.) ...more
Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)
Having somewhat cleared up the mystery of itsWho knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)
Having somewhat cleared up the mystery of its past, Murderbot is off to investigate another potential coverup by GrayCris (the corrupt company that tried to destroy Murderbot & clients in Book 1). In the process, it finds itself entangled with an exploration team and a "pet 'bot" named Miki. Murderbot finds Miki and its relationship with humans morally repugnant and...maybe just a little bit appealing. Damn it.
If you had to take care of humans, it was better to take care of small soft ones who were nice to you and thought you were great because you kept preventing them from being murdered.
This almost killed me dead:
“I am at eighty-six percent functional capacity.� It held up its arm stump. “It’s only a flesh wound.�
I could feel ART metaphorically clutch its function. If there were no humans, there wouART said, What does it want?
To kill all the humans, I answered.
I could feel ART metaphorically clutch its function. If there were no humans, there would be no crew to protect and no reason to do research and fill its databases. It said, That is irrational.
I know, I said, if the humans were dead, who would make the media? It was so outrageous, it sounded like something a human would say.
ART stands for Asshole Research Transport, a powerful enough AI system to resist Murderbot's attempts to control it. Instead, in exchange for Murderbot sharing its media files, it gives Murderbot a lift across the universe and helps it appear more human (physically and behaviorally). Murderbot has gone rogue to investigate a terrible event from its past, but to gain access to that area, it poses as an augmented human doing contract work for a group whose intellectual property has been stolen.
Be careful, Murderbot. You might get attached to those irrational, fragile humans. ...more
This book was assigned reading for one of my education classes, of all things. It had a huge impact on me and I reread it at least once, loaned it to This book was assigned reading for one of my education classes, of all things. It had a huge impact on me and I reread it at least once, loaned it to a friend, and never got it back. I should probably track down another copy and see if it still resonates in my 40s the way it did in my 20s. ...more
I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don't know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.
Oof. I loved Eowyn Ivey's previous novels, with their Alaskan setting, lyric writing, and hints of magic. When I heard her latest being touted as a BeOof. I loved Eowyn Ivey's previous novels, with their Alaskan setting, lyric writing, and hints of magic. When I heard her latest being touted as a Beauty & the Beast retelling, I couldn't wait.
The setting and writing were still spot on, but the whole "beast" thing is just weird. And not a good weird. Birdie, one of the main characters (along with her 6-year-old daughter Emmaleen) is just... I don't even know if I have words. She's a very damaged young woman, but the carelessness with which she treats everyone around her, especially her daughter, is just horrifying.
Other reviewers have examined the many disturbing aspects of the story, so I'm going to leave it at that.
Read for the 2025 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: Prompt #19: A highly anticipated read of 2025...more
Back in the late 1900s (as the kids say now), high school English teachers taught us that there were three basic types of literary conflict (complete Back in the late 1900s (as the kids say now), high school English teachers taught us that there were three basic types of literary conflict (complete with limited, gendered terminology): Man vs. Self Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Left for Dead has them all. In spades.
The book opens with American Captain Charles H. Bernard venturing off with four crew members (and his trusty doggo, Cent) to do some hunting. When they return, Charles's ship, the Nanina, has abandoned them in the Falkland Islands, just as winter was setting in. From there, we jump back to the beginning of the sealing expedition, getting to know Charles and his crew a bit. For reasons, he brought three other captains with him and things get contentious. Luckily, Charles's elderly father, Valentine, is along to smooth things out. We then follow the doomed voyage of a British passenger ship, the Isabella, as it leaves Australia with a varied group of English subjects (including politicians, former prisoners, and military officers on leave). Thanks to a thoroughly incompetent and often inebriated captain, they end up shipwrecked in the Falklands, not far from where Charles and his crew are busy clubbing seals. (There's a lot of animal death in this book. Be forewarned. But not Cent. Cent is the goodest boy who survives all his ordeals.)
Even though Charles is aware that the U.S. and England are now at war, he agrees to take all of the survivors of the Isabella when the Nanina leaves the Falklands. And for that, he gets...dun dun dun...LEFT FOR DEAD (along with three crew members from the Isabella and a black sailor from the Nanina). There's another English ship involved and a whole lot of treachery. The drama continues between the five men who are left behind as they survive for a year and a half on their own. As the captain (and the person who wrote his story after the fact), Charles is the star of the show, but Dolin paints a fair picture of a flawed man and includes as many details as he could find in the historical record about the other people involved.
Overall, this was an excellent and surprisingly short read. Not counting source notes, it's only about 250 pages with black & white photos and artwork throughout the text (in addition to the promised 8 pages of full color illustrations), no unnecessary details, and a rip-roaring story.
Read for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2025 Prompt #46 (Advanced Prompt #6): A book where nature is the antagonist...more
This gorgeously illustrated collection was a cozy holiday read.
One thing that really stood out (especially in the first section: "Transformation") waThis gorgeously illustrated collection was a cozy holiday read.
One thing that really stood out (especially in the first section: "Transformation") was how often people were told to follow specific instructions (with varying results depending on whether they followed the instructions or not). The farmer's son who follows the instructions given by a little mouse receives riches and a princess as a his bride. A young woman who initially disobeys a bear's instructions, gets her act together once she realizes he's actually an enchanted prince.
My favorite story was "Mighty Mikko: the story of a poor woodsman and a grateful fox":
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The fox is a close literary relative of Puss in Boots. After Mikko saves the fox from a trap (following his late father's instructions, of course), the fox craftily hypes Mikko as a wealthy man, giving him credit for owning all the land and riches of "that wicked old dragon, the Worm," who he eventually defeats. ...more
I had a weekend to binge read and this sequel called my name.
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The Family Remains is not exactly great literature. It covers some of the same gI had a weekend to binge read and this sequel called my name.
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The Family Remains is not exactly great literature. It covers some of the same ground as The Family Upstairs and requires some serious suspension of belief. Despite that, it's an enjoyable read with a rehash of how bad people get their 'oughts, further adventures for Henry and Lucy (and her kids), and a few interesting new characters.
The novel opens with Detective Samuel Owusu investigating bag of bones that a has discovered along the Thames. If you've read the first book, you can guess whose bones they are, how that tiny (evil) person died, and how the bones got there so many years later, but DCI Owusu will have to work for that information. Unfortunately his investigation inconveniently coincides with the Lamb siblings tracking down Phin. A third storyline, set several years earlier, introduces Rachel, the second wife of Lucy's ex Michael. Just in case you weren't sure that Michael was a serious piece of shit, we'll get Rachel's side of the story. (Some reviewers feel like Rachel's story didn't really add anything to the novel, but I quite enjoyed it.)
The bottom line: if you liked the first book and want more, this should scratch that itch....more
One of my favorite things about reading is experiencing things from a completely different perspective from my own. Hanif Abdurraqib is a millennial bOne of my favorite things about reading is experiencing things from a completely different perspective from my own. Hanif Abdurraqib is a millennial black man from the midwest who grew up Muslim (raised by parents who converted and changed their names in the 1970s). He's a poet, an art and pop culture writer, a music fan, and many other things. Above all, he's a damn good writer who ties a variety of topics together into very personal, evocative essays. Some of his shorter pieces straddle the line of poetry & prose.
This collection got me listening to a variety of artists to whom I normally wouldn't listen. (Of these, I liked Chance the Rapper most and Carly Rae Jepson least.) I'd definitely be up for reading more collections by Abdurraqib.
According to the publisher, this is "Recommended for mortals of all ages. To be enjoyed alone starting at age 8 and in company starting at age 6." ForAccording to the publisher, this is "Recommended for mortals of all ages. To be enjoyed alone starting at age 8 and in company starting at age 6." For this reason, I cataloged it in the parenting collection...and then brought it home to peruse.
This would have been a great book for my younger child (now almost 16) when they were in elementary school, because they were very interested in macabre topics. The authors collected questions about death from children ages 5 to 15 from around the world, picked 38 and answered them to the best of their abilities. "Without reading any of the answers to the questions, [the illustrator, Andrea Antinori] set out to give his own kind of interpretation and reaction to each of them, through his drawings." The overall product is very accessible and appealing.
Some questions have factual answers: Will I die? How does skin go away? (The authors interpreted this as a question about decomposition.) How do they make tombstones? Is it true that when you're decapitated, your body can run around headless? (Not unless you're a chicken.)
Others are more philosophical, but still include some scientific information in the answers: When you die, does your thinking stop? Why do we have to die? What is there after death?
Some that are obviously very personal and nuanced: Who takes care of children when parents die? Is there any way of knowing whether our dead grandparents have feelings? Why do some people die by suicide? If someone you love dies, how long will you be sad? Why aren't children allowed to see the dead? Why do people find it so uncomfortable to talk about death? Is death scary? Why don't they give people an injection to help them die when they are sick, like they do with animals?
And some add a bit of levity: If I die, who will get to keep my game console? ("It's time to think about drafting a will.") Is it bad luck to die? (The deaths of & are used as examples.) Is there any fate worse than death? (Prometheus & Tantalus get a shout out.)
Overall, a great resource for kids (and adults) who have questions about death.
I love a good retelling. Nikki Marmery takes the Jewish myth of , first wife of Adam, and tells her side of not just that story, but other JudeoI love a good retelling. Nikki Marmery takes the Jewish myth of , first wife of Adam, and tells her side of not just that story, but other Judeo-Christian myths as Lilith struggles her way through the centuries trying to right the wrongs started by Adam and Jehovah in the Garden of Eden. You know, that whole subjugation of women thing. The one that's still happening.
Read for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2025 Prompt #5: A book with a snake on the cover or in the title...more
"This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana." ~Sophie Irwin (from the back cover)
I saw this book likened to The Silent "This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana." ~Sophie Irwin (from the back cover)
I saw this book likened to The Silent Companions and picked it up as my Spooktober book. Had I realized it was much more Charlotte Brontë than Laura Purcell, I probably would have waited to read it and I wouldn't have sat on the proverbial edge of my seat waiting for creepy things to happen. There's definitely a gothic atmosphere here, with a newly-widowed former governess accepting a position in an isolated, half-closed house with a skeleton staff (no actual skeletons amongst them) almost entirely imported from out of town because the locals think the place is haunted.
The governess, Margaret Lennox, is haunted only by her past. Her husband was a controlling clergyman who died after a mysterious illness, leaving everything to his mother. Margaret quickly becomes attached to Louis, her 10-year-old charge, a frail little boy who lives with his widowed mother. She's determined to keep her position at Hartwood Hall, whether that requires ignoring mysterious noises in the closed-off half of the house, giving in to blackmail demands from a vicious maid, or fighting her growing attraction for the sexy, younger gardener.
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel, despite it not being quite what I expected. Like several other reviewers, I didn't care for how things ended with (view spoiler)[ the gardener, Paul. Other than concealing the secret about Louis's real mother and her relationship with "Mrs. Eversham" (which wasn't his secret to tell), he was nothing but kind and honest (and a great lay). It's not unreasonable that he thought she wanted the same things as other women of the era. She never once told him that she wanted to keep teaching. One simple conversation might have cleared that up and he could have come with them, instead of being abandoned by his lover AND his employer on the same day that his lover miscarried his baby. It just felt shitty that everyone else gets to run away to France to play Happy Unconventional Family and he gets left behind in Hicksville. (hide spoiler)]...more
Originally published in 2009 (but recently reissued in the wake of Ms. Jewell's success as a suspense novelist), The Truth About Melody Browne is moreOriginally published in 2009 (but recently reissued in the wake of Ms. Jewell's success as a suspense novelist), The Truth About Melody Browne is more similar to her dysfunctional family drama The House We Grew Up In (2013) than her more recent thrillers like Invisible Girl.
Melody Browne has no memories from before she was nine years old. That's when a fire destroyed her family's home and possessions. At fifteen, she got pregnant and decided to keep the baby, which led to her becoming estranged from her parents. Now at 34, she lives a quiet life, working as a lunch lady at the school her son attended. Then a chain of events leads to her beginning to recover memories of her childhood and they do not match up with what she was told. Suddenly, she's tracking down memories and people that she had completely forgotten.
Melody's childhood was chaotic and tragic (you can guess that much from the fact that it was hidden from her), making for a fascinating read, but I never got a real sense of who adult Melody is. Maybe this is because Melody doesn't really know who she is. Despite this drawback, I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. (I could also see hints of Ms. Jewell's future writing style as there are a few thematic similarities to The Family Upstairs.)...more
For centuries, Penny's hometown has been famous for its sleep products. Now it has evolved into a metropolis with a surging population. The locals, inFor centuries, Penny's hometown has been famous for its sleep products. Now it has evolved into a metropolis with a surging population. The locals, including Penny, who grew up here, are used to seeing outsiders roaming around in sleepwear. Penny sips on her now-cold coffee. The bitter caffeine seems to mute the background noise and cool the air around her. The extra charge for two Calm Syrup pumps is worth it. She pulls out her job prep questions and rereads the last one, which she has been struggling with. Q. Which dream and dreammaker won the Grand Prix at the 1999 Dream of the Year Awards by a unanimous vote? a. "Crossing the Pacific Ocean as a Killer Whale" by Kick Slumber b. "Living as My Parents for a Week" by Yasnoozz Otra c. "Floating in Space Gazing Down at Earth" by Wawa Sleepland" d. "Teatime with a Historical Figure" by Doje e. "An Infertile Couple's Dream Foretelling the Birth of Triplets" by Babynap Rockabye
I don't think "healing fiction" is my jam. So pointless. So twee.
The one storyline I was slightly interested in (view spoiler)[Maxim, the nightmare producer, seems to be interested in Penny and jealous of her interest in Bancho who makes dreams for animals (hide spoiler)] gets dropped. The character never shows up again.
Read for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2025 Prompt #23: A book that is considered healing fiction ...more
Mostly focusing on the UK*, Edward Dolnick tells the riveting story of how dinosaurs became part of the scientific and popular world. The collision ofMostly focusing on the UK*, Edward Dolnick tells the riveting story of how dinosaurs became part of the scientific and popular world. The collision of technological advancements, British fascination with the natural world, and the (at that point in history) close connection between science and Christianity, all make for some really good stories. And Dolnick's portrayals of the eccentric (and often tragic) characters involved in finding and understand fossils are vivid.
*Dolnick does cover some of the fossil discoveries in the U.S., including an entertaining story about Thomas Jefferson hoping to one-up the Europeans with his friend's discovery of "megalonyx," a creature "more than three times as large as the lion," which inconveniently turned out to be a giant ground sloth.
Me, age 9, at Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal, Utah: [image]
Read for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2025 Prompt #30: A book that reminds you of your childhood...more
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