What are you reading the week of March 19, 2022?

I finished The Psychology of Revolution by Gustave Le Bon. It's an interesting analysis of the psychology of the French Revolution. The problem is that Le Bon is incredibly racist and reactionary. Democracy, in his view, is a poor form of government that's anti-intellectual and causes the poor and incapable to dominate the wealthy and productive members of society. It wasn't all bad, but I would definitely not recommend this to anyone.

I'm almost done with Cecile is Dead, the 20th Inspector Maigret mystery my Georges Simenon. This series just keeps getting better and better.

Enjoying this OverDrive audio novel very much ~

Run, Rose, Run: A Novel
by James Patterson and Dolly Parton
(ensemble narration which includes Dolly/
apparently a related music album is being released)

Let's see, I just knocked off Spain in Arms (probably shouldn't have bothered), am starting The Dark Archive, and have a mixed bag of aviation-related titles I'm going to work in as the week allows. Will probably also read Sea Level Rise (which is actually quite short).

I'm still reading 1 story per day-ish from Skeleton Crew by Stephen King, and Gordath Wood by Patrice Sarath. Too many books, not enough time!

I'm about a quarter of the way through Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

Took a break to read a book club selection, By The Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah. Outstanding!

Finished Hammered by Elizabeth Bear. Liked it. Next up is The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. Still reading The Quarter Storm by Veronica G. Henry.

The Country Nurse Remembers: True Stories of a Troubled Childhood, War, and Becoming a Nurse
Mary J. MacLeod
5/5 stars
This was the third book in the series but chronologically it is the beginning of her life story and the beginning of her career in nursing during WWII. She discusses her life, the death of her mother and her problems with her stepmother. I really enjoyed this book and the rest of the series. Highly recommended!

I finished the excellent book, The Promise by Damon Galgut. It's the saga of a South African white family living through the period of independence and its aftermath. Beautifully written descriptions of characters and scenes.

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa can narrate ~

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship
by Annabel Abbs

I'm picking through my books for the next big read but, for the moment, I'm on a Donna Leon run: I zipped through Willful Behavior and immediately picked up the next one Uniform Justice. I love her humane, family man detective Guido Brunnetti. As a bonus there are some amazing descriptions of Venetian food and wine. :)

This past week I started and finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall as well as H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man. I don't usually like Wells, but I enjoyed this story until it fell apart in the end in an orgy of violence and unlikely circumstances.

I'm now listening to Saturday by Ian McEwan, and reading The Autobiography of my Mother by Jamaica Kincaid. Both are very good.

Lizzie & Dante – Mary Bly
3***

On the heels of a devastating diagnosis, Shakespeare scholar Lizzie Delford decides to take one last “working” vacation on Elba, the sun-kissed island off the Italian coast, with her best friend and his movie-star boyfriend. Once settled into a luxurious seaside resort, Lizzie has to make big decisions about her future. Leaving the yacht owners and celebrities behind she sneaks off the the public beach, where she meets a sardonic chef named Dante, his battered dog, Lulu, and his wry daughter, Etta, a twelve-year-old desperate for a mother.

We know where this is headed, right? There are some twists and turns, because the path to happiness is never a straight one. Lizzie has to deal with her own fears and determination to do things her way, as well as the pent up anger and grief of past heart break and a very short future. Then there is Dante, who seems to take things as they come, happy for today and hopeful for tomorrow, determined, whatever the cost, to love Lizzie with all his soul. And of course, we can’t forget Etta, that charming, way too smart and mature twelve-year-old who manages to worm her way into everyone’s heart.

Some of the many cultural references were lost on me, especially the newer music ones, but I did love several of literary references, and a wonderful homage to one of my favorite musicals “The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd” (though the referenced song never mentions the musical, I know the origin).

I did think the author was trying a bit too hard to force the reader to tears, but I still enjoyed the book. And I LOVED all the food references.

Finished The Quarter Storm by Veronica G. Henry. Kind of meh. Started Memory's Legion by James S. A. Corey.

Just finished Buster Midnight's Cafe, which I was surprised to find (after the fact) was Sandra Dallas' debut novel. I enjoyed her other novels, particularly Alice's Tulips, which is why I picked this one up. I won't say this was my favorite Dallas novel, but it was worth the read.

Just started Truth & Beauty today.

Finished Truth & Beauty, and on looking at others' reviews on this site, it appears that I'm not alone in thinking that (a) this is a love story, and (b) the loved one was a bottomless pit of neediness whose coterie of devoted friends/acolytes leaves one scratching one's head in dismay.

Starting The Most Fun We Ever Had today.

Just finished reading the book JUST MERCY by BRYAN STEVENSON

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The new thread is up over here.