I have been reading, even if I haven't been blogging about books. I've also been busy over at Bayou Quilts making all kinds of fun and mostly useless things--moving from one project to the next without any kind of plan.
I have tried to read 2 ARCs that purport to be novels for those who love Jane Austen. Wrong. If you've read Jane Austen with all of her wit and sparkle and charm, the characters in The Ladies of Longbourn by Rebecca Ann Collins and Mr. & Mrs. Fizwilliam Darcy by Sharon Latham will be recognizable by name only. I couldn't read very much of either.
I do have an ARC of Jane Austen Ruined My Life that I'm hoping will be much better. It is a contemporary novel about an English professor; I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Just finished a Maisie Dobbs and am in the middle of another one. I've enjoyed the previous Maisie Dobbs mysteries, so it is no surprise that these two please me. Have also finished my first Annie Seymore novel, but it didn't appeal to me as much as I'd hoped. Will review these 3 soon. I hope.
Also in the process of reading Ilium by Dan Simmons, but it isn't speeding along. The beginning with all of the gods, goddesses, and myth hooked me, but the shifting between 3 stories and time periods isn't holding my interest as well as The Terror, which I couldn't bear to put down.
And finally, the biography of Dr. Joe Slowinski, The Snake Charmer: A Life and Death in Pursuit of Knowledge is also in progress. Slowinski was a biologist who discovered many previously unknown and unidentified species of snakes.
I enjoy Maisie Dobbs, too. I tend to stay away from Austen clones, but I did try Pamela Aidan's trilogy told from Darcy's point of view. I enjoyed those.
ReplyDeleteMaisie Dobbs is a good series. I have only read the first book, though. I should remedy that one of these days! I started Ilium, too, at one point and time but it didn't flow for me at the time, so I put it aside for another day. That's my new years resolution, to finish more of the books that I start!
ReplyDeleteI made my husband try Maisie Dobbs, although I haven't yet had a chance too. He thinks I'll really like that series. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Snake Charmer is the one that catches my eye in this post!
ReplyDeleteYour word verification says salari. Hee.
Cathy - I've enjoyed some of the Jane mysteries, but will be more judicious about Austen novels in the future.
ReplyDeleteKailana - I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in my hesitation about Ilium. I had so looked forward to another Dan Simmons novel.
LF - The Maisie Dobbs series is quite good; I agree with your husband -- I think you'll like it.
Bybee - I need to get back to The Snake Charmer. :) I like the way word verification is more "word-like" now and not just a series of letters!
I've got a copy of Ilium and after the Terror I've been thinking it might be time to read it so your comments about it are making me think twice about it, at least for now.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about going from one project to another. I have a very bad habit of starting new projects before finishing the ones on the needles.
ReplyDeleteStefanie - I haven't given up on it yet, but we'll see. It isn't just begging to be picked up right now.
ReplyDeleteLisa - :) Yep! I've a couple of things on the needles, but my knitting is limited to knit/purl. I've got embroidery in the hoop, a carrier (not exactly a bag) for my yoga mat in progress, and a new sock doll awaiting attention.
Jane Austen Ruined My Life sounds like it could be a good read! I hope you like it. Good to know that the other two aren't worth the time.
ReplyDeleteDorothy -Jane Austen Ruined My Life supposedly involves letters to Cassandra...I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteOh, crud! I have Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy and I was hoping it would charm my socks off. Hope I at least can get through it. Jane Austen Ruined My Life . . . oh, oh, oh, must have. That sounds so fun!
ReplyDeletebookfool - Just read a few pages and tell me what you think!
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