The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

 

Title:  The Hobbit

Author:  JRR Tolkien

Narrated by:  Andy Serkis

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 25 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com

What is a classic that you have always meant to read?  This was my second time reading The Hobbit, but it was the first time for many in my Back to the Classics Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.

Bilbo lives a contented lie in a comfortable hobbit hole.  One day he receives a knock at his door only to discover many visitors including dwarves and a wizard named Gandolf.  Gandolf tells Bilbo that he is going to be the “burglar” for their adventure.  Bilbo soon finds himself on a journey where he visit many new places and learns more about himself.  Will they recover the dwarves’ gold?  Will Bilbo make it back alive?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       Andy Serkis was a great narrator for the audiobook, especially the Gollum parts in Chapter 5, “Whispers in the Dark.”  He also was great at singing the songs.

·       I wish there was a prequel about Belladonna Took, Bilbo’s mother.  What kind of adventures did she have with Gandolf?  I forgot about this brief snippet.

·       I loved how Bilbo was an everyman on an adventure.  He discovered himself and how brave he was.

·       The Hobbit is a great prequel to the Lord of the Rings series.

·       This book was great for discussion at our book club.  We may continue reading the Lord of the Rings series one book a year moving forward.

·       This is a coming of age, adventure, and fantasy story.

·       It was also a great comfort read.  I really enjoyed reading it again, it’s been about 25 years since I last read it.

·       I really loved the humor that Tolkien sprinkled throughout the story.

Favorite Quotes:

“In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.”

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell.”  - I agree with this sentiment!

Overall, The Hobbit by TRR Tolkien is a great adventure story full of great humor.  It’s a book that is fun to reread and Andy Serkis was a great audiobook narrator.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

 

Title:  A Wrinkle in Time

Author:  Madeleine L’Engle

Narrated by:  Hope Davis, Ava DuVernay, Madeleine L'Engle, Charlotte Jones Voiklis

Publisher: Listening Library

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 27 minutes

Source: I used my monthly audible allotment from Amazon.com for this book.

What book would you like to see adapted for the big screen?  I had not read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle when I was young, but I did read it with my kids before the movie came out a little less than ten years ago.  It was good to reread it again for the Classics Buddy Read with @dees.reads in March.

Meg Murry’s father disappeared years before and her family waits for his return.  Neighbors whisper that he abandoned his family, but his wife and kids believe it has something to do with this work.  One night a strange woman visits Meg’s home and invites her, her brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin on an adventure to find her father.  Will they find him?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I enjoyed reading the physical version with my kids last time around, but it just didn’t really click with me this time around. 

·       The audiobook had a good narrator and I enjoyed that Madeleine L'Engle also discussed how hard it was to get this book published.

·       This is a young adult fantasy, science fiction, and coming of age story.

·       It was published in 1962 and won the Newbury medal in 1963.

·       I liked the time travel through the universe.  The tesseract and explanation were intriguing.

·       This is the first book in a series, but I have never read the other books. Have you?  What did you think?

·       I did love how this was great story of the power of love.

·       This book was referenced in the last season of Stranger Things, and it was fun to read it after watching that.

·       I liked that Meg was a strong female character who thought differently but was very gifted in math.  I felt like her and Charles Wallace may have been on the spectrum.

Overall, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle did not engage me this time around, but it is a unique young adult novel with a great female lead.

The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol

 

Do you have a favorite book that you like to reread at the holidays?  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is just such a book for me.

The Night Before Christmas by Nikolia Gogol is the story of Vakula, a blacksmith and his fight against the devil who has stolen the moon and is causing all sorts of trouble in his village to win the most beautiful maiden.  This story was the December pick for the Classic Buddy Read hosted by @Dees.Reads.  This story was written in 1831 and is a traditional story read on Christmas Eve to children in Ukraine and Russia.  It is a short novella and I spent most of the time thinking – what the heck am I reading?  It was a strange tale and pretty much the opposite of The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore.  I guess I was expecting more of the Moore version, and this really threw me off.  It will not be a classic I reread at the holidays of the future.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

Love’s a Witch by Tricia O’Malley

 

Title:  Love’s a Witch

Author:  Tricia O’Malley

Narrated by:  Imogen Church, John Hartley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 14 minutes

Source: Thank-you to @simonaudio for the review copy.

Did you read any books for Halloween?  I love reading magical books during the Halloween season.

Sloane MacGregor has returned to Briarhaven in Scotland to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday, which is the birthday where a witch receives her powers.  She also hopes to work with her sisters to break a curse that haunts their bloodline.  Mayor Knox Douglas does not want the MacGregors in town causing problems, but he once had a crush on Sloane, and those feelings may still linger.  Will the curse be crushed?

My thoughts:

·       This was a cozy contemporary fantasy novel.

·       This novel was the first in the new Scottish Charms series.

·       My favorite character was Blue, the fire breathing ember wolf.

·       The story was told through a dual point of view with Sloane and Know narrating alternating chapters.  Narrators Imogen Church and John Hartley did an excellent job capturing the tone and narrating the novel.

·       This book had all the makings of a story that I would love, but it fell short for me and didn’t engage me.  I think the plot moved too slowly for me as it was setting up further books in the series.

·       I did enjoy the strong female characters and the entire town.

Overall, Love’s a Witch by Tricia O’Malley was a good cozy contemporary fantasy novel but didn’t quite engage me fully.

 

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

 

What book would you like to see a prequel for?

It’s the fiftieth annual Hunger games and Haymitch Abernathy has been selected from District 12.  As part of the 50^th anniversary celebration, they are selecting twice as many children from each section, so District 12 is sending four tributes this year.  Haymitch wants to get back to his beloved girlfriend, mom, and brother, but he also wants to take down the Capital and the Hunger Games.  Will he succeed?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Sunrise on the Reaping was an entertaining action novel reminiscent of the first two books at the Hunger Games series.  It was very readable!

·       I do wish there would have been more differences to make this book more unique like the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

·       I liked the cameos of characters from the original novels that popped up such as Plutarch, Mags, Wiress, and Effie.

·       Haymitch loves Lenore Dove, a descendant of Lucy Grey (not explained how), but their romantic relationship isn’t fully developed.

·       This story explains why Haymitch breaks down and is the way he is.  It would have been interesting to tell the story of his life between the games and mentoring Katniss. 

·       I liked the new character of Masilee.  She is a wealthy mean girl from District 12 who shows her humanity and spunk during the games.

·       This story will make an entertaining movie.

Overall, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins is an enjoyable story very similar to the first two Hunger Game novels.

Book Source:  Preordered from Amazon.com

The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson

 

Title: The Last Witch in Edinburgh

Author:  Marielle Thompson

Narrated by:  Siobhan Waring

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 20 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible. Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @kensingtonbooks for the review copy of the paperwork version of the book.

What are you currently reading?  Leave a hashtag of the book that you are currently reading so that I can check it out.

Nellie is a young beautiful woman that is trying to keep her motherless brother alive and happy in 1824 Edinburgh.  She encounters the Roe Women’s Apothecary and learns about the Cailleach and magic.  After a fire destroys the shop, Nellie is adrift in the world, mourning for her lost love.  After 200 years she finally returns to Edinburgh with her daughter and finds both friends and foes waiting.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The narrator of the audiobook had a nice Scottish accent. 

·       Fear lingers over all with women being seemingly selected by random to be hanged as witches.

·       This novel was historical fantasy, there were no witch hunts in the 1820s, but the author researched the witch hunts that did take place in Edinburgh and used the historical detail for this novel.

·       The focus of the story was of men trying to keep powerful women down and to keep them from expressing their ideas and helping each other. 

·       The novel switches to modern times as witches live very long lives. 

·       The novel got very preachy at the end about the patriarchy.  There were no good men in the story.  I got tired by the end of only women being good and all men being evil.

·       I didn’t like the turn in the story in the second half of the book.  The first half of the book, Nellie’s brother was so important to her and then she just abandons him.  It seemed out of character.  I also didn’t understand why it took her 200 years to check back on who had survived the fire.

·       The novel focused on social issues and feminism.

·       A same sex romance was featured in the story.

·       It was an engaging story, but the second half was not as good as the first half.

Overall, The Last Witch in Edinburgh was a good fall read and interesting historical fantasy.

Spells and Sandwiches by Kate Moseman

 

Title: Spells and Sandwiches

Author:  Kate Moseman

Narrated by:  Hollie Jackson

Publisher: Fortunella Press

Length: Approximately 5 hours and 57 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank you!

What is your favorite type of sandwich?  I really like a ham and turkey sandwich.

Zelda is in New York City to open a deli.  A vampire offers her free rent on her family’s old restaurant if she will repair a magic mirror.  This changes her life path, and she uses her magic to get through many zany situations.

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       Hollie Jackson had a great narrator performance with good voices for the characters.

·       This book was entertaining and amusing.

·       It was a cozy fantasy read.

·       The plot did not really capture my attention.  I needed more world building/explanation.

·       Zelda is a great well-rounded character.  She has a great dog named Jester.  There is another dog in the story named Georginia after Georginia Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

·       This novel was light on the romance.

·       This is the first book in the West Side Witches series.

Overall, Spells and Sandwiches was a cozy read for October.

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

 

Title: The Dark Days Club

Author:  Alison Goodman

Narrated by:  Fiona Hardingham

Publisher: Brillance Audio

Length: Approximately 14 hours and 59 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.

What’s the last series you started?  I just read The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman last month for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  I sadly missed the meeting due to being ill, but I enjoyed reading this first book in the Lady Helen Trilogy.  I am ready to read the next book in the series!

It’s 1812 and Lady Helen Wrexhall is preparing for her presentation to Queen Charlotte.  Her mother, Lady Catherine, mysteriously died when Helen was a child, and she has been labeled as a traitor to England.  Lady Helen’s uncle and aunt hope that all can be forgotten and that she will make an excellent match.  At her presentation, she meets the mysterious and scandalous Lord Carlston.  As she searches for her family’s missing housemaid, she must enlist his help.  Along the way she also finds out secrets within her family.  Will she be ale to embrace who she really is?  What does she want to do with her life?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a historical fantasy novel with paranormal elements.  It’s a perfect book for fall reading.

·       This novel was a world building novel.  I look forward to the other books in this series that build on this novel.

·       There was a love triangle in the story, but it was obvious who would end together.  The focus of the story was on the world building and not on the romance.

·       The fantasy elements are that there are creators (Deceivers) living among the humans in Regency England that use energy tentacles to suck the life force out of unsuspecting humans.  Reclaimers use magical items and can see the Deceivers and use their powers to battle them.

·       I loved Lady Helen and her intelligence and independence.

·       This novel has great secondary characters and friends.  I especially liked her maid, Darby, and their relationship.

·       There was a great author’s note at the end of the novel.  Author Alison Goodman did a lot of research on the Regency period, and it shows in the historical detail in this novel.

·       I still want to know what exactly happened to Lady Helen’s parents and Lord Carlston’s wife.  Hopefully this will be explored in future novels.

·       I did feel that this novel could have been trimmed down to focus more on the action.

·       Fiona Hardingham was a great narrator on the audiobook.  She had unique voices for all the characters.

Overall, The Dark Days Club was an entertaining and interesting historical fiction novel and the great start to a new series.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

 

If you could find out how long you had left in your life, would you want to find out?

One day every adult in the world received a box with a string in it.  The strings vary by size.  It doesn’t take scientists long to determine the length of your string is how long you have left in your life.  How will this impact the world and those with “short strings” versus “long strings.”

My thoughts on this book:

·       The Measure was the September pick for the Rogue Book Club.  It made for an interesting book club discussion.  I am still thinking about this book.

·       The story follows eight characters and their stories.  Their stories intertwine at times.

·       Prejudice starts with “short stringers” with people not wanting to give them jobs.  Can your life have an impact, even if it’s a short life?

·       There are two love stories in this novel that were very touching.

·       The ending goes into the future to give closure to all the characters, which I appreciated.

·       It was hard to believe that this novel was written by a debut author! 

·       The novel was an interesting look into how we dehumanize people by grouping them together and deciding everyone in that group must follow the same principles.

·       This was a good character driven novel.

·       The reader never finds out where the strings come from and why they keep arriving for young people as they come of age.

·       Politicians use the situation and people to further their own gains.  This seemed like something politicians would do.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick is a beautifully written novel with an intriguing concept that is great for book club discussion.

Book Source:  Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Do you have a favorite fairy tale?

One of my favorite fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast.  I was excited to see that One Cursed Rose was a dark romance rewrite of the Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale.

Alana Beaumont is a young twenty something social media influencer.  She is the heir to Aquarius Social, which is one of the four major social medial companies.  The four families that own the four main social medial companies have been rivals for centuries.  They gain power from different gems or crystals that are specific to a family, and they use this power to run their social media networks.  Thron Beathach is the owner of the current number one company, Mafia Media.  He is obsessed with Alana and he saves/kidnaps her during an assassination attempt.  Why is someone trying to murder to Alana and is it related to her brother’s mysterious death?  Who is working against Thorne and freezing his gems?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I loved that this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling and that is what first caught my attention.

·       One Cursed Rose was an engaging and very readable story.

·       This is a dark mafia romantic suspense fantasy novel.

·       I really enjoyed the mysteries and the suspense in this novel and that is what kept me reading and unable to put the book down.

·       I enjoyed that this was a dual narrative novel with Alana and Thorne telling the story in alternate chapters.

·       One Cursed Rose is the first in a new series.

·       I liked the secondary characters.  Alana’s friends, Thorne’s brother, etc. were all great.  I wanted to know all their background stories and I’m hoping that they will get their stories as the series progresses.

·       Alana came off as a spoiled rich kid at first, but she is smart and has depth.  I liked her.  Thorn is morally gray.  He is sexy, knows his own mind, and does like to help people.  But he also kills people and stalks Alana.  There is great banter between the two.

·       I would have liked more description of how exactly the crystals worked.

·       This was the first dark romance that I’ve read, and I am not sure about the “dark” elements.  Are all dark romances all like this novel and very spicy and violent?  Or is this extreme kink?  I didn’t like that the heroine was an inexperienced virgin with the families talking about her virginity and her getting tested before an arranged marriage to ensure her purity.  This did not seem like something that would be happening in 2024. The sexually experienced hero basically rapes her, beats her, threatens her, and does whatever he wants.  But it’s okay because she eventually enjoys it?  SPOILER ALERT:  Thorne puts a knife in Alana’s vagina and also beats her with a belt on her clitoris while she cries and begs him to stop.  This was too far for me and quite frankly, horrifying. SPOILER END. It reminded me of the 1970s and 1980s romances with this type of thing.  I was not a fan of the very graphic and long descriptions in the violent sex scenes as the novel went on. I ended up skimming these chapters. 

Overall, The Cursed Rose was a very engaging story, but I had to skim through the graphic sex scenes.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

What book has your book club read that prompted the most discussion?  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig prompted great discussion in January at our Rogue Book club meeting.

Nora Seed has many regrets in her life.  She tries to commit suicide and finds herself at the Midnight Library.  The library exists between life and death.  Nora’s beloved childhood librarian is there and shows Nora her book of regrets.  Nora can pick a regret and see how her life would be if she took another path.  Nora discovers these life lessons:

-        Some of what you beat yourself up about is not really your fault.

-        Sometimes the one that got away, got away for a good reason.

-        Great success comes at a cost.

Author Matt Haig had tried to commit suicide himself and has struggled through mental health issues including depression in his life.  These experiences are really shown in this novel.  It started off very bleak but had a good ending.

This book reminded me of one of my favorite all time movies, It’s a Wonderful Life.   I have always loved to watch and read “what if” type scenarios probably from watching It’s a Wonderful Life and from watching “The City on the Edge of Forever” classic original Star Trek series episode.    Do you like thinking about these types of scenarios?

Favorite Quote:

“You don't have to understand life. You just have to live it.”

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon by Maria Grace

 

Title:  Pemberley:  Mr. Darcy’s Dragon

Author:  Maria Grace

Narrated by:  Benjamin Fife

Publisher: Maria Grace

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 11 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Do you like to read stories with dragons in them?  If so, what is your favorite dragon related book?

Pemberley:  Mr. Darcy’s Dragon by Maria Grace was the October read for the JASNA Northwoods book club, but I did not get my review up in a timely manner.

Pemberley:  Mr. Darcy’s Dragon was a very imaginative and unique Pride and Prejudice variation.  England has dragons everywhere but most people are unaware of them.  The Pendragon Treaty keeps peace between humans and dragons.  Some people are born with the ability to hear dragons and become their care takers, including Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.  When the firedrake egg is stolen from Pemberley, Mr. Darcy scours England is search of it.  Will he find it? 

This was a fun adventure and I enjoyed reading it.  It seemed like it was a hit in our JASNA Northwoods Bookclub.  Others have read the series further and say that it is a good series.  I need to continue reading on!

Benjamin Fife is a great narrator.  I loved the voices of the different dragons as well as the sound effects for things such as dragon thunder.  It made it a fun listening experience.

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Are you reading any books for the Halloween season?  I was happy to recently read The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub.  It combined two of my favorite things – Halloween and Pride and Prejudice.

Lydia Bennet is the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter.  She has powers that are not shared by the rest of her family, except for her Aunt Phillips who is able to guide her as she grows into a young witch.  This novel tells Lydia’s background and then retells the story of Pride and Prejudice from her point of view. 

I thought this novel was very fun.  I loved that it was told from Lydia’s first-person narration through a manuscript she is writing to Lizzy to explain everything.  It is very funny and in character for Lydia. I was delighted to find out that Kitty Bennet is actually a cat and George Wickham, is literally a handsome devil or demon.  To me, it seemed like the entire novel was really about the love that Lydia had for her best friend and sister, Kitty, and the sacrifices that Lydia made to ensure her happiness.  Taub really captures Lydia’s voice.  A few of my favorite quotes:

“I suppose if this were a proper book, I’d begin it something like, ‘Miss Lydia Bennet, youngest of five daughters to a father hopefully entailed, had few advantages in life, but not too few to squander.’”

“La!  Imagine what Lizzy would do if she knew I made that spot on her chin pop back out whenever she vexed me.”

“This is the part, I suppose, where the novel would wrap up with a tidy boring moral, so I will say this: Love your best friends.  Forgive your worst friends.  Remember, always, not to judge people too hastily, for everyone is living out the story of their own, and you only get to read the pages you appear on.”

I was delighted to find out in the author’s note that she used real history, myths, and folklore for the novel.  I also loved that Miss Lamb from Sanditon is a character in this novel.  I always find her an interesting character and love her addition to the story. 

I laughed out loud when I read the first line of the acknowledgements, “Guys, I did so much damn research for this book.  I could write a 10-page bibliography.”

Overall, I thought this was an inventive, unique, and fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice perfect for reading during the Halloween season.

Book Source:  Review copy from Grand Central Publishing as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch

·       Author: Melinda Taub

·       Genre: Historical Fantasy, Austenesque Fiction

·       Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 3, 2023)

·       Length: (400) pages

·       Format: Hardcover, eBook, & Audiobook 

·       ISBN: ‎978-1538739204

·       Tour Dates: September 25 – October 9, 2023

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A "wildly inventive and utterly addictive" (Julia Quinn) witchy reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, told from the perspective of the troublesome and—according to her—much-maligned youngest Bennet sister, Lydia.

In this exuberant retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves, Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat; Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would one expect from a demon? And if Mr. Darcy is uptight about etiquette, that’s nothing compared to his feelings about magic. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that for a witch, promises have power . . .

Full of enchantment, intrigue, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice—while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.

 

PRAISE FOR THE SCANDALOUS CONFESSIONS OF LYDIA BENNET, WITCH

• “Funny and fierce as Lydia Bennet herself, this book mixes witchcraft lore with Austen’s story to make its own unique magic. I’ll never look at Kitty the same way again…” ―Claudia Gray, author of The Murder of Mr. Wickham, a Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mystery
• “Taub’s wit and creativity shines through. . . A delight for both Austen lovers and fans of magical adventure stories.” ―Kirkus Reviews

·       “Wildly inventive and utterly addictive. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm now 100% Team Lydia.” ―Julia Quinn

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

Melinda Taub is an Emmy and Writers’ Guild Award-winning writer. The former head writer and executive producer of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, she is also the author of Still Star-Crossed, a young adult novel which was adapted for television by Shondaland. (She also wrote that thing about the Baroness in The Sound of Music that your aunt likes.) She lives in Brooklyn.

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