AlphaKIT Year Long Letters: X and Z

Welcome to 2017. Here are the year long letters:



Please remember to update the wiki: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2017_Unofficial_AlphaKIT#Yearlong_Let...

Earliest finish for Z for me in the few years I've been doing this! I've probably never managed to get X, though!

Their Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston
2.5 stars

This book follows African-American Janie as she goes through three husbands during the 1920s? 1930s? in Florida.

So, it seemed, to me, like it started off with a bunch of gossipy women. Shortly after, we went back in time to hear about Janie’s life and her three husbands. I wasn’t at all interested in the first husband and I remember nothing of what happened with him. The second husband was slightly more interesting, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out if she was married to “Joe” or “Jody”. It was only at the end of that section that I finally realized that they may have been the same guy. Her third husband, Tea Cake was more interesting, but I zoned out for parts of that section, as well.

I was ready to rate it 2 stars until the surprising ending. That, combined with the slightly more interesting Tea Cake brought up my rating to 2.5 stars. I do know that part of why I “missed” (that is, I wasn’t interested, so wasn’t really paying attention to what I read) much of the book was that the dialogue was written in a dialect that you really have to focus on to figure out. At least, it didn’t come easy to me, and I have a hard time slowing myself down to follow it better, so I missed much of the dialogue, but I know that wasn’t all, as there were other parts that I missed out on, as well.

I know so many people loved this, but sorry, not me.

Oh, and this isn’t this book alone, nor does it reflect this story, but once again, I HATE when publishers put an introduction, preface, foreword, etc of a classic where they pretty much reveal the entire plot!!! I started reading it, but when they started mentioning plot, I skipped the rest and read the book. I then went back and read the intro. Why, why, why do this? Why give it all away before one has even read the story!? Put these comments in an afterword…

I read Swing Time by Zadie Smith

A while back I read The Zebra-Striped Hearse by Ross MacDonald.

I just got The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino from the library, which I'm planning to use for X.

I also read Swing Time by Zadie Smith, thanks Roberta!

I deliberately searched out author's whose name started with an X and found a delightful series written by Diana Xarissa. The first book in the series is Aunt Bessie Assumes. I liked it enough that I promptly read the second book and used it for my B in July. This will be a handy series for future X challenges!

>7 LittleTaiko: I'll take a BB on that one. I love books set on the Isle of Man.

My choice for November (L & Q) would also fit for X: Don’t cry, Tai Lake or Loyal character dancer both by Xiaolong Qiu.

I just finished The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths and enjoyed it a lot. My thanks to the source of the bookbullet (unfortunately I didn't make a note). This was my first book by Griffiths who already had a loyal following with another series so now I can look forward to following two series.

My review:
Griffiths' new series features Edgar Stephens and Max Mephisto. Set in 1950 Brighton when variety shows on the pier were still popular, a group who were together in special ops during the war are now three magicians and a policeman, still friends. When a woman's body in three pieces turns up, suggesting the famous zig-zag girl trick gone wrong, the group are warned that they are the target. This is an excellent mystery that portrays the theatre business of the 1950s with authenticity: the seedy grandeur of the theatres, the performers who have a different landlady each week, the acts themselves that are now long gone. Entertaining enough to be classed as a cozy yet the nature of the crime gave it more gravity, the plot was complex, the characters well-drawn, and the conclusion satisfyingly exciting. Griffiths did her research well and deserves the place on my favourite mystery writers list.

One of my October reads will be The Z Murders by J. Jefferson Farjeon.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry / Gabrielle Zevin
4 stars

AJ is only 39, but is a widower. He drinks a bit too much and one night, while passed out, a very valuable book is stolen from him. He also owns a bookstore in the small town on the small island that he lives on. He is pretty disillusioned with life. Shortly after the book is stolen, though, something arrives at the bookstore to wake him up again.

I really enjoyed this! It wasn’t a page-turner or an action-packed book, but it was really enjoyable. I liked most of the characters (though I wasn’t crazy about either Daniel or Ismay). I also loved all the book/literary references! And the tv references, though there weren’t nearly as many of those.

Finished A Loyal Character Dancer by Qiu Xiaolong--this is the second in the series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. I'm so glad these alpha challenges pushed me to discover 'X authors' and sent me in the direction of this series! If you enjoy police procedurals or mysteries and want one with a bit of Chinese culture thrown in (well, more than a bit--one of the great things about these books is being immersed in the culture), I highly recommend them.

You hit me with that author bullet when you read the first in the series. I plan to read Don't cry, Tai Lake by Qiu Xiaolong in November, which will cover Q & L and year-long X.

>13 VivienneR:, I'm glad :) I'm already looking forward to reading the next in the series!

>12 whitewavedarling: >13 VivienneR: OK, Don't Cry Tai Lake is wishlisted

Hang on, though. According to wikipedia the first in the series is Death of a Red Heroine and "Don't Cry, Tai Lake" is No. 7 in the series, so I'd better start at the beginning

>15 Robertgreaves:, I've only read the first two, Death of a Red Heroine and A Loyal Character Dancer, but for what it's worth, I've already picked up the next five in the series!

>13 VivienneR:, >14 whitewavedarling:, >15 Robertgreaves:. OK, I am hit with the book bullet with Death of a Red Heroine especially as I needed both Q and X!

>15 Robertgreaves: In this case I'm limited to what is available at the library so I won't be reading the series in order - not yet, anyway.

Starting Alien Quest by Mark Zubro.

COMPLETED Alien Quest by Mark Zubro. On to the next in the series Alien Home.

Finished Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti today!