The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures—I mean books!
Sunday Post
I worked hard on an index all week—an exceptionally challenging one, very dense and philosophical, with practically every topic interconnected with at least four others. Projects like that take a lot of time and mental energy. I’m still working on it, but the end is in sight. Other than that, it’s been a very uneventful week.
Last Week on the Blog
- Sunday Post – 7/16/2017
- Hidden Talents by Jayne Ann Krentz – review
- TOUR: Killer Party by Lynn Cahoon – review
- News & Notes – 7/22/2017
- Sunday Post – 7/23/2017 – this post
Upcoming on the Blog
- TBD
- News & Notes – 7/29/2017
- Sunday Post – 7/30/2017
What I’m Reading/Watching
Reading: I managed to get through at least a few ARCs this week: Killer Party (Lynn Cahoon; my review) and You Say It First (Susan Mallery.) Currently, I’m reading the newest Aunt Dimity mystery, Aunt Dimity and the Widow’s Curse; my library finally got it in and I made it to the top of the hold list. The Aunt Dimity books always make me smile! I also reread Justice Hall and started The Game, continuing the reread of Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series that I started back in March.
Listening to: I finished listening to The Westing Game, which I hadn’t listened to it in years. Such a fun book—like an American Agatha Christie for middle-grade readers.
Watching: We watched a few more Father Brown mysteries, but mostly, I didn’t have time to watch TV.
New Additions to the Hoard
Cover links take you to Goodreads.
For Review or Review Consideration
Many thanks to Kensington! This looks lovely, and part of it takes place in America during the War of 1812, which should be interesting.
From the Library
I made it to the top of the hold list. Yay!
Purchased for Kindle
I’ve read the Dick Francis, Deborah Crombie, and Josephine Tey mysteries before, but would read them again. Shadow Duet is a short story and serves as a sequel to last year’s Masks and Shadows, which I loved. The Bear and the Nightingale and Ancillary Justice have both been on my TBR list, and the Ellis Peters is one I haven’t read, but I love her books.
Laura Thomas
That does sound challenging and time consuming. Looks like you have some wonderful books waiting for you!
My Sunday Post
Laura Thomas recently posted…Love At First Crepe ~ Release Day Celebration!
Lark_Bookwyrm
I have more good books waiting than time to read them! But what a great problem to have. 🙂
Lindsay
I’m reading a Laurie R. King book too — “O Jerusalem.” Well, I actually put it down about 50 pages in because it wasn’t holding my interest, but I plan to pick it back up after I finish my current read. I’m sloooooowly making my way through the whole series.
I hope you enjoy “The Bear and the Nightingale”! I’m looking forward to the sequel this winter.
Lark_Bookwyrm
Oh, I hope you’ll pick O Jerusalem back up. It picks up speed as you get into it. It’s actually one of my favorites, in part because I love books in which a character is immersed in a new culture. Also, you really need this one to appreciate Justice Hall, which is another of my favorites. I just finished rereading it a few days ago.
Stephanie @ Don't be Afraid of the Dork
I’ve been moseying my way through Father Brown as well – a nice soothing British cozy mystery show:). Speaking of British mysteries, I would really like to try Deborah Crombie’s main mystery series some day – I periodically run across it, as I did this week and always think it sounds way up my alley. Since I think you and I have pretty similar mystery tastes, I’m glad to see she’s an author you like!
Have a great week!
Stephanie @ Don’t be Afraid of the Dork recently posted…Saturday in the Garden | On Sunday
Lark_Bookwyrm
Deborah Crombie is terrific! I love her mysteries, but I have to say that I wasn’t so sure when I read the first one. The second one really drew me in, though. I’m very behind on the series, but it remained consistently good through the books I’ve read. I stopped somewhere around 8 or 9, for reasons having more to do with me than the series, and never planned to be away from it this long.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely week!
Yvonne
Great books on your list. I have Killer Party on mine too. I’m looking forward to it. Have a great week!
Yvonne recently posted…Sunday/Monday Posts – July 23rd and 24th
Lark_Bookwyrm
Killer Party was fun; I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful week, and thanks for stopping by!
RO
Yay to Susan Mallery! I really enjoy her books. Girl, in this heat, anything that causes my brain to overload has to go away, so I give you mad props! Hugs…RO
RO recently posted…NOPE, STOP ASKING ME TO GET RID OF MY BOOKS…
Lark_Bookwyrm
Well, it’s definitely been tough to focus, I’ll admit! But deadlines do tend to concentrate the mind… somewhat.
Berls
Good luck finishing up your index project – I can see how that would be both time consuming and frustrating! Enjoy your reads 🙂
Berls recently posted…Sunday Post with Berls | Feeling energized!
Lark_Bookwyrm
When the index is done, I want to get back to decluttering my house and pruning my bookshelves. And catching up on reviews, which I’m woefully behind on!
Charlie
That does sound like a hefty project! I hope the index turns out well. I need to declutter more than I have as well. I’m not very good at it. *sigh* Have a great week!
Lark_Bookwyrm
Clutter is the bane of my existence. Or maybe I mean decluttering. Or both. Anway, I wish you good luck with yours, and have a great week!
Jorie
Hallo, Hallo Lark!
Thanks for cluing me into the new Aunt Dimity! 🙂 I’ve lost track of the series to be honest over the years – I started reading them several years ago (maybe 8?) and whenever I would try to borrow them from my local library, they either smelled funny (ie. smoke) or they were getting misplaced. I’ve decided to just start to purchase the series as I’m able too – the first of which, I found the first book as a hardback at a library sale or was it a thrift store? Hmm. Either way, I was super happy to have the first book for my personal shelves!
Speaking about Laurie R. King – I love her Mary Russell series but similar to Aunt Dimity, I’m at the beginning rather than closer to where she is right now in publication! You’re even a bit further along than I am in your readings now!
I love how you highlight Cosy Mystery authors and others within Suspense – I am finding new authors to look-up based on your current finds/reads which is wonderful, as I would go for long periods of time not knowing which authors I wanted to try next! So thank you!
I loved Mask and Shadows too by Ms Burgis – even if it pushed me a bit in regards to the Horror aspects of it the story-line, I found it wonderfully engaging and it took me by complete surprise in the end! I wish I could read the follow-up but unless it goes into a print edition or hugged inside another book of hers, I sadly won’t be able to see it for myself. 🙁
I love Ms Putney’s writings – you’ve found a book I haven’t heard about! I love visiting her author blog The Word Wenches but I’ve been taking longer gaps in my visits. Thanks for earmarking that one!
Hope your having a good reading week. I went back and re-read my comment about the death of your cat; I am unsure if I wrote my reply properly – I only meant to say I had such a devastating reaction, I have to guard what I read nowadays re: death of cats and dogs. I just get sensitive about it all. I do hope as time goes forward, your emotions will find peace – it took me a long time for mine to feel calm again.
Jorie recently posted…The Sunday Post | No.2 | Lightning storms are enough to vex a book blogger’s spirit!
Lark_Bookwyrm
You’re welcome—glad to be of help! The first two Aunt Dimity books are my absolute favorites; both are comfort books for me. Stephanie Burgis’s
Masks and Shadows was amazing; I loved the blend of fantasy and history. Burgis has a new book out in print, Congress of Secrets, which takes place in the same alt-European “world” but later in history, and with different characters. Ms. Putney’s new book should be out at the end of August, so there’s something to look forward to!
No worries about your comment a few weeks ago; I understood! I’m so sorry you lost your pet, too. It’s the hardest part of loving them.
You mentioned that you won’t be able to read Stephanie Burgis’s short story unless it goes into print. I’m curious. If it’s not presumptious to ask, do you prefer not to read ebooks, or are you in a country where it’s not available? Or is there another reason?
Thank you for coming by, and for your kind wishes. And have a lovely week!
Jorie
Hallo, Hallo again Lark!
I feel the same way – when I first started reading Aunt Dimity, I was struggling to move past the initial novels because I was so *attached!* to how the story began! I was quite surprised at the time, as generally I can get into a series quite easily; with Dimity, I found moving forward to be harder than any other series I’ve ever read! And, I think it speaks to what your saying “their comfort reads”!
Yes – these are the Burgis novels I was referencing! I’ve read them both – each time I felt captured by how she fused history with the elements of thrilling Fantasy. There were just a handful of scenes in each where I was pushed a bit out of my comfort zones but I held on and finished them both – the endings are worth it! I like it when writers put alchemy in their stories, as there are more than one way to highlight the practice and use of it!
Ah! Marking down August for Ms Putney, then! Nifty!
Isn’t that the truth!? I agree wholeheartedly – the hardest part of having pets is what we go through when they pass on. I am thankful to know my comment was accepted as it was written. Thanks for letting me know, as I had worried about it.
Oh! About ebooks – I have chronic migraines and although I know of a few other bloggers who have the same issue as I do with migraines, they found a way to read ebooks whereas I found I cannot read on digital screens for the length it takes to read a novel or a work of Non-Fiction. Short spurts of reading is okay (ie. blogs, chapter samplers or small excerpts) but when it gets to novel length I find the only thing that doesn’t trigger my migraines are print books and now audiobooks! 🙂
Until this past week, I had noticed a reduction in my migraines by off-setting reading (in print) with listening to audiobooks – I also colour as I listen, giving me an advantage to soak into the world a bit more in depth than if I listened without colouring; as I found when I first listened to audiobooks training my mind to ‘tune in’ to the narrative was tricky. Colouring gives me a way to listen deeper if that makes sense?!
This is why I mentioned about the print edition for the novella/short story. A lot of authors I love are releasing novella/short story sequels or ‘additions’ to my beloved series – only a few times I’ve seen where they go to print. The latest of which was Ms Wingate who released the companion novellas to the series which starts with “The Prayer Box” which I adored! I’m in the process of getting the novella omnibus and the third book in the series, in order to read everything together!
Long/short it’s a preference of what works best for me as a reader. This is why I have showcased books releasing Digital First on my blog and look forward to their POD or print releases down the road. Either by Cover Reveals or guest author features; of which are full of me talking about why I want to read the book being highlighted as I never just post promo materials without blogging my thoughts! 🙂
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you for answering my question about ebooks; I appreciate it because I know people have a variety of reasons for not reading ebooks, and I want to be sensitive to what they are. I’m so sorry to hear about your migraines! In addition to being very painful, I’m sure they are frustrating, particularly since they impinge on your reading. But it sounds like you have found what works best for you to minimize the migraines, which is good. And I love the idea of coloring while listening to audiobooks. I hadn’t thought of that. Generally I listen to them (or to podcasts) while I’m doing household chores, walking, or driving, but sometimes I listen to audiobooks while I knit. I have a coloring book but rarely find time to color, so this is something to try. 🙂
Jorie
You’re very welcome, Lark!
I try to speak openly about why I don’t read ebooks even if it’s not generally understood or accepted. I find a lot of readers and authors have trouble understanding why reading digitally for those with migraines like mine make reading beyond difficult. I am hoping at some point, everyone will just agree however we read is the best way for each individual reader rather than a bit of a competitive edge about opting for one version of a story over another or making someone feel bad (which you weren’t!) for not being to read like everyone else. I find others are not as open as you are nor as accepting – it was a refreshing change! 🙂 *hugs to you!*
Yes, they do muddle my reading life – some of the stories on my backlogue were due to migraine issues. I can lose a lot of time to them which is why I was startled seeing them regenerate this past week. I do what I can to offset them from being triggered but of course, as most know who have them, you cannot block them completely.
Ooh, bless! I’m so happy to hear you might try colouring as you listen to audiobooks! I think you might find it not only relaxing but a new way to appreciate the listening of the narration! At least, I hope so? I take time out each week to knit and colour outside of listening to books – gives me some downtime but also a meditative break from being online.
So happy I encouraged you to try something new! 🙂
Lark_Bookwyrm
I so agree with you that everyone should just read in the way(s) that work best for them. And since my recent experience is the opposite (I find e-books easier because of scalable fonts), I appreciate your willingness to share your experience, and I hope your migraines settle down! Blessings, and I hope you had a good week. 🙂
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
Just thinking about indexing boggles my mind. I can’t even imagine the challenge on really dense intricate books. I’ve got The Westing Game coming up on my TBR and I’m so excited. I LOVED this book as a kid and it’s one that has really stuck with me – or at least several of the scenes if not the actual plot. And would you believe I’ve never read any Aunt Dimity books? They’re on my list but somehow I missed them early on. I’d love to reread the Mary Russell series and the Deborah Crombie books. They’re both favorites and both series I’m behind in! Have a great week!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Ten Books On My Keeper Shelf
Lark_Bookwyrm
Oh, you should try the Aunt Dimity books—at least the first two or six. I think you would love them. As for the Deborah Crombies, I’m trying to decide whether to re-read the first 8 or so, or just continue on from where I stopped. I’m caught up on Mary Russell, but I love them so much that I do reread them every few years. Enjoy revisiting The Westing Game, and I hope you had a good week!
RO
How’s the indexing going these days? Everytime I think about this project, I cringe, because I could never do it. Hope your Thursday is going well! Hugs…RO
RO recently posted…TREATS, TIPS AND TRIVIA
Lark_Bookwyrm
I’m sure there’s something you can do that I can’t! We each have our strengths. I usually enjoy my job, but this project has been harder than most.