Tag Archives: to read

The Monday Check-In ~ 4/11/2022

Posted in The Monday Check-In by
cooltext1850356879

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

It’s almost Passover! We’re doing a big family gathering at our house this year — the first out-of-towners arrived yesterday, and we have more coming over the next few days. We haven’t had a big seder in years. Should be fun!

What did I read during the last week?

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson: A contemporary romance retelling of Romeo and Juliet (without the tragic ending). My review is here.

Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9) by James S. A. Corey: It’s going to take me a while to recover from reaching the end of this outstanding series. My review is here.

Also in the world of the Expanse, I read the two novellas in the series that I hadn’t read yet: The Vital Abyss and The Sins of Our Fathers. Both excellent, of course.

Outlander!!

Another terrific episode! I can’t believe the season is almost over. Due to pandemic filming challenges, the current season (the 6th) is only eight episode, and this week was #6.

Pop culture & TV:

This week’s binge: Our Flag Means Death. You have to check it out!

I also caught up on Abbott Elementary, which totally deserves all the buzz it’s been getting.

Puzzle of the Week:

Whew! Finished my 2000 piece puzzle!

It was a good one, despite leading to some serious eye and back strain…

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond: After my intense sci-fi series reading last week, I thought I’d switch things up with a silly romance involving an escape room and a demon summoning!

Now playing via audiobook:

The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk: Witchcraft and a novel of manners, narrated by a favorite (Moira Quirk, who does the audiobooks for the Custard Protocol series). Really enjoyable so far!

Ongoing reads:

These books will be on my plate for months to come:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare: My book group’s newest classic read. We’ll be going at a pace of one scene per week — now underway.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Shelf Control #314: Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco by Alia Volz

Posted in Shelf Control by
Shelves final

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and the Stoning of San Francisco
Author: Alia Volz
Published: 2020
Length: 436 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

A blazingly funny, heartfelt memoir from the daughter of the larger-than-life woman who ran Sticky Fingers Brownies, an underground bakery that distributed thousands of marijuana brownies per month and helped provide medical marijuana to AIDS patients in San Francisco—for fans of Armistead Maupin and Patricia Lockwood

During the ’70s in San Francisco, Alia’s mother ran the underground Sticky Fingers Brownies, delivering upwards of 10,000 illegal marijuana edibles per month throughout the circus-like atmosphere of a city in the throes of major change. She exchanged psychic readings with Alia’s future father, and thereafter had a partner in business and life.

Decades before cannabusiness went mainstream, when marijuana was as illicit as heroin, they ingeniously hid themselves in plain sight, parading through town—and through the scenes and upheavals of the day, from Gay Liberation to the tragedy of the Peoples Temple—in bright and elaborate outfits, the goods wrapped in hand-designed packaging and tucked into Alia’s stroller. But the stars were not aligned forever and, after leaving the city and a shoulda-seen-it-coming divorce, Alia and her mom returned to San Francisco in the mid-80s, this time using Sticky Fingers’ distribution channels to provide medical marijuana to friends and former customers now suffering the depredations of AIDS.

Exhilarating, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartbreaking, Home Baked celebrates an eccentric and remarkable extended family, taking us through love, loss, and finding home.

How and when I got it:

I picked up the Kindle edition about a year ago.

Why I want to read it:

Just last week, I mentioned that I often add non-fiction books to my shelves, yet somehow never find myself motivated to read them. And yet here I go again, featuring a non-fiction book as this week’s Shelf Control book!

This book got a lot of buzz here in San Francisco when it came out in 2020. I remember seeing not just reviews in the arts section of the paper, but also profiles, interviews, etc. And honestly, doesn’t this just sound fascinating?

San Francisco is not my hometown, but I’ve lived here since the mid-90s. Since moving here, I’ve been eager to learn more about SF’s recent and more distant history — and what better and more exciting times to read about than the 70s and 80s? The blurb mentioning Armistead Maupin (author of Tales of the City) doesn’t hurt a bit, and I’m also eager to see how this edibles business transformed into a cause supporting AIDS patients needing medical marijuana.

What do you think? Would you read this book?

Please share your thoughts!

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Literary Potpourri
Bibliographic Manifestations
Reviews Feed


__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
  • Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 4/4/2022

Posted in The Monday Check-In by
cooltext1850356879

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

Happy April! It’s really starting to feel like spring. This has been another busy workweek, but I’ve managed to fit in some outdoor time, and even started thinking about doing a bit of traveling this summer.

I also got new glasses for the first time in six years! My vision hasn’t changed all that much, but I was tired of wearing the same frames for so long… now I just need to adjust to my new look.

What did I read during the last week?

To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters: The 3rd installment in a fun Regency romance series. My review is here.

Auberon by James S. A. Corey: A novella in the excellent Expanse series that fits in between the 8th and 9th books. Fascinating, as expected.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy: A Cinderella retelling set in the world of a reality TV dating show. I listened to the audiobook, and it was a hoot. My review is here.

The Black Moth by Georgette Meyer: My Classics Club Spin book! My review is here.

Outlander!!

Even though I ended up not writing episode recaps this season, I’m going to leave Outlander here in my weekly check-in posts because I love it so much! This past weekend was episode #5. Awesome season.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished Bridgerton season 2! It was terrific. I wrote up my thoughts, here.

Since then, I’ve been bouncing between a few different shows, not quite up for a full-on binge just yet — so I’ve sampled episodes of Our Flag Means Death, Abbott Elementary, and Shining Vale.

Puzzle of the Week:

I just started a new puzzle over the weekend, and since it’s 2000 pieces, it’ll take me a while. Here’s a shot of the work in progress:

… and what it’ll look like when I’m all done:

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey: This is the 9th and final book in the Expanse series, and I’m both super excited to be reading it and full of dread over reaching the end. I’m at about 30% right now.

Now playing via audiobook:

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson: A contemporary retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set amidst a gentrification battle in San Diego. Hopefully without the Shakespearean ending…

Ongoing reads:

These books will be on my plate for months to come:

  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare: My book group’s newest classic read. We’ll be going at a pace of one scene per week, and this week is our kick-off.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Shelf Control #313: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Posted in Shelf Control by
Shelves final

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
Author: Kate Moore
Published: 2017
Length: 404 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

The incredible true story of the women who fought America’s Undark danger

The Curies’ newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.

Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these “shining girls” are the luckiest alive—until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.

But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women’s cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America’s early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers’ rights that will echo for centuries to come.

Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

How and when I got it:

I added the Kindle edition to my e-library in 2017, a few months after the book’s release.

Why I want to read it:

I’ve heard about the “radium girls” many times over the years, in the context of history websites, mentions in TV profiles, and even through a weird but amazing speculative fiction novella (The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander). The sheer horror of what these women went through is astonishing.

I’ve heard so many great things about The Radium Girls, and have been meaning to read it ever since I got a copy! Sadly, as I seem to always mention, I just don’t gravitate toward reading non-fiction — which is something I need to change. I have so many non-fiction books on my shelves that sound amazing, but I just never seem to be ready to pick them up.

Have you read or heard of The Radium Girls? Does this sound like something you’d want to read?

Please share your thoughts!

Disappearing Into Books
Bibliographic Manifestations
Literary Potpourri


__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
  • Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/28/2022

Posted in The Monday Check-In by
cooltext1850356879

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

The sun finally came out on a day when I was home to enjoy it! Walking to the beach and then spending time with a book on my back porch felt like such a treat.

In weird blogging news, I’m suddenly getting way more views this week than I normally do, apparently for my reviews of Bridgerton books. I don’t know why, but I guess they’re popping up in Google searches this week, probably as people are looking for info on the book behind the new Bridgerton season? It’s weird, but I’ll take it!

What did I read during the last week?

Reputation by Lex Croucher: A light take on the Regency era, with lots of drinking and bad behavior. My review is here.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker: My book group’s pick for March. Some beautiful writing, but there was too much about the plot that didn’t really make sense to me for me to fully enjoy it.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth: A contemporary thriller with lots of surprises. Kept me turning the pages, but ultimately I felt let down by the ending. My review is here.

Outlander!!

Week #4! The 4th episode aired last night, and I thought it was excellent!

I’m loving this season!

Pop culture & TV:

Bridgerton season 2 is here! I couldn’t indulge in quite as intense a binge as I would have liked… but I’ve watched six episodes so far, and I can’t wait to watch the final two! I love the casting this season, but I do sort of miss the way the central romance unfolded in the book vs how it’s being developed on the show. Still, it’s so entertaining (and so pretty to look at!).

Puzzle of the Week:

This is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ravenburger (called Quaint Cafe). As usual with my photos, it’s a lot cuter and more detailed than you can really tell from the picture. I gave in to my obsessive puzzle behavior and finished it within 24 hours. Fun!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters: The 3rd book in a very fun series — I’m about halfway done.

Now playing via audiobook:

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy: This audiobook is sweet and funny, just what I needed!

Ongoing reads:
  • Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.
  • The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer: I joined the Classics Club Spin for the very first time, and this is what my spin turned out to be. I’m reading this book in daily installments through the Serial Reader app, and really like it so far (although I’m already feeling impatient with this approach, and may end up sitting and reading straight through eventually).

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Shelf Control #312: Howards End by E. M. Forster

Posted in Shelf Control by
Shelves final

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: Howards End
Author: E. M. Forster
Published: 1910
Length: 302 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

A chance acquaintance brings together the preposterous bourgeois Wilcox family and the clever, cultured and idealistic Schlegel sisters. As clear-eyed Margaret develops a friendship with Mrs Wilcox, the impetuous Helen brings into their midst a young bank clerk named Leonard Bast, who lives at the edge of poverty and ruin. When Mrs Wilcox dies, her family discovers that she wants to leave her country home, Howards End, to Margaret. Thus as Forster sets in motion a chain of events that will entangle three different families, he brilliantly portrays their aspirations to personal and social harmony.

How and when I got it:

I’ve had a dusty old paperback edition on my shelves for over a decade!

Why I want to read it:

I’ve been meaning to read this book for years now. I own it because it’s part of the two-in-one edition that includes Room With A View, which I actually have read. When I decided, earlier this week, to participate in the current round of the Classics Club Spin, Howards End seemed like a great choice to include… and although I won’t be reading it for this round, I was reminded (yet again) that I do intend to read this book eventually.

My interest in Howards End was renewed when the BBC adaptation (starring Hailey Atwell and Matthew Macfadyen) aired in 2018. I enjoyed it so much that I was determined to read the book ASAP… but oh well, the best of intentions and all that.

If I don’t get to Howards End sooner, then it’ll be on my list again for the next Classics Club Spin!

Have you read Howards End? If so, did you enjoy it?

Please share your thoughts!

Literary Potpourri
Bibliographic Manifestations
Reviews Feed


__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
  • Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/21/2022

Posted in The Monday Check-In by
cooltext1850356879

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

Another busy work week, but we’ve also squeezed in some fun, including two different dinners out for my husband’s upcoming birthday (first a “date night” dinner for the two of us at a favorite restaurant, then a family dinner for six with yummy food).

What did I read during the last week?

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai: I finished this audiobook at the end of last week. My 1.5 star rating is generous! My review is here.

Scorpica by G. R. Macallister: An impressive start to a new fantasy series. My review is here.

Outlander!!

Week #3! The 3rd episode aired last night, but since we were out for a while, I didn’t get to watch yet. Overall, this season is good! But I’m struggling a bit in terms of the storylines, because nothing pleasant happens in the 6th book, and the show is being very faithful to the big events.

I love the characters as much as ever, but these episodes can be really hard to watch.

Pop culture & TV:

Bridgerton! With season 2 coming later this week (yay!), I thought a re-watch of season 1 would be a perfect binge for this week. I’m loving it all over again!

Puzzle of the Week:

I finished this one mid-week — it was more challenging than I expected!

Fresh Catch:

Exciting new books! Although I’ll probably hold off a bit before starting any of them, considering how overloaded with ARCs I appear to be right now.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Reputation by Lex Croucher: I’m almost done! I had my doubts early on, but this close to the end, I’m eager to see how the plot wraps up.

Next up will be The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. A real change of pace, but I do always enjoy this author’s books.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker: My book group’s pick for March — I started last week, and have about an hour left to listen to.

Ongoing reads:

Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.

Aaaaaand…. I joined the Classics Club Spin for the very first time, and here’s what my spin turned out to be. I’m happy with the way the spin turned out! This is Georgette Heyer’s first novel, and while I’ve read several of her other books, this one will be new to me. Plus, it’s available via the Serial Reader app, so I’ll be reading it in 33 daily installments starting this week, which means I’ll be finished before the April 30th target date.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Shelf Control #311: Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

Posted in Shelf Control by
Shelves final

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: Bless Me, Ultima
Author: Rudolfo Anaya
Published: 1972
Length: 297 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

Stories filled with wonder and the haunting beauty of his culture have helped make Rudolfo Anaya the father of Chicano literature in English, and his tales fairly shimmer with the lyric richness of his prose. Acclaimed in both Spanish and English, Anaya is perhaps best loved for his classic bestseller …

Antonio Marez is six years old when Ultima enters his life. She is a curandera, one who heals with herbs and magic. ‘We cannot let her live her last days in loneliness,’ says Antonio’s mother. ‘It is not the way of our people,’ agrees his father. And so Ultima comes to live with Antonio’s family in New Mexico. Soon Tony will journey to the threshold of manhood. Always, Ultima watches over him. She graces him with the courage to face childhood bigotry, diabolical possession, the moral collapse of his brother, and too many violent deaths. Under her wise guidance, Tony will probe the family ties that bind him, and he will find in himself the magical secrets of the pagan past—a mythic legacy equally as palpable as the Catholicism of Latin America in which he has been schooled. At each turn in his life there is Ultima who will nurture the birth of his soul. 

How and when I got it:

I bought a used paperback edition a few years ago.

Why I want to read it:

I was aware of this book for many years — yet another modern classic that somehow passed me by back in my high school and college years. Bless Me, Ultima came back to my attention in 2018 when PBS presented its The Great American Read program.

Bless Me, Ultima came in at #91 on the Great American Read list of top 100 books. (You can see the rest of the list here.) After the list came out, I set myself a very loose challenge to read more of the books on the list, with five titles as my short-term goal. Bless Me, Ultima was one of my five, but sadly, I still haven’t gotten to it.

While I wasn’t particularly familiar with the plot, I knew that this book has won awards, been targeted for censorship, and is often considered a must-read when it comes to diverse coming of age stories. For all these reasons, I’m interested in learning more about it and would like to read it… and just need to break away from my focus on new and recently published books to make time for it.

Have you read Bless Me, Ultima? If so, do you recommend it?

Please share your thoughts!

A. Perveen
Literary Potpourri


__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
  • Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

The Monday Check-In ~ 3/14/2022

Posted in The Monday Check-In by
cooltext1850356879

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

It’s been a quieter week. Don’t get me wrong — work is still crazy busy. But, the weekend weather was nice, and I found time to get out for good walks and read in the sun. What could be better?

What did I read during the last week?

Tiamat’s Wrath (Expanse, #8) by James S. A. Corey: After finishing the 7th Expanse book, I had no choice but to continue straight ahead with #8. These books are just excellent! Since I didn’t write a review for #7 last week when I finished reading it, here are the links to reviews for both books:

Last week, I finished reading The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough, and finally got around to writing a review. You can see it here.

And yesterday, I finished listening to the audiobook of The Marriage Game by Sara Desai. Review to come… but here’s a sneak peek: I was basically hate-listening by the time I go to the end. Ugggggh.

Outlander!!

Week #2! I’m already sad that this is going to be a shorter than usual season (only 8 episodes) due to COVID-related filming challenges… but I will say that so far, it’s terrific, despite my trepidations about this season’s plotlines. (Knowing approximately which book plots will be included this season fills me with dread — the books are excellent, but Very Bad Things happen).

I haven’t actually had a chance to watch episode 2 yet, but plan to do so tonight!

Pop culture & TV:

In an utterly silly development, my son and I realized that we can now access the reboot of iCarly, now that we’re signed up for Paramount+! We loved this when he was little, and it’s so much fun to go back to the show’s goofiness, even if it is a little weird to see the characters all grown up.

In other TV watching updates, I think it’s about time for me to do a re-watch of Bridgerton season 1. After all, season 2 drops in less than two weeks!

Puzzle of the Week:

A work in progress:

I’m actually farther along now, so close to being done! But it came down to finishing or going to sleep before midnight, and for once, I made the responsible adult choice.

Fresh Catch:

I picked up the graphic novel I had on hold at the library… only to discover that I was wrong about it being a graphic novel. It’s a YA novel… with, like, pages full of words! I’m sure it’s fine, but it’s not what I thought it would be, and I don’t think I care enough to read it. Sigh.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Scorpica by G. R. Macallister: Scorpica is author Greer Macallister’s first foray into fantasy writing, and it’s holding my interest so far. I mean, what’s not to like about a matriarchal society ruled by queens and protected by women warriors? I’ve only read about 25% so far, and I’m eager to see where the story goes.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker: My book group’s pick for March — I’m planning to start this audiobook today.

Ongoing reads:

Over at Outlander Book Club, we’ve started our group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. If anyone wants to join us, just ask me how! All are welcome.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

Shelf Control #310: Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

Posted in Shelf Control by
Shelves final

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

Title: Early Riser
Author: Jasper Fforde
Published: 2018
Length: 402 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

Every Winter, the human population hibernates.

During those bitterly cold four months, the nation is a snow-draped landscape of desolate loneliness, and devoid of human activity.

Well, not quite.

Your name is Charlie Worthing and it’s your first season with the Winter Consuls, the committed but mildly unhinged group of misfits who are responsible for ensuring the hibernatory safe passage of the sleeping masses.

You are investigating an outbreak of viral dreams which you dismiss as nonsense; nothing more than a quirky artefact borne of the sleeping mind.

When the dreams start to kill people, it’s unsettling.

When you get the dreams too, it’s weird.

When they start to come true, you begin to doubt your sanity.

But teasing truth from Winter is never easy: You have to avoid the Villains and their penchant for murder, kidnapping and stamp collecting, ensure you aren’t eaten by Nightwalkers whose thirst for human flesh can only be satisfied by comfort food, and sidestep the increasingly less-than-mythical WinterVolk.

But so long as you remember to wrap up warmly, you’ll be fine.

How and when I got it:

According to my Kindle records, I added this book to my collection in 2019.

Why I want to read it:

I’ve only read one book by Jasper Fforde up to now: The Eyre Affair, which was weird and funny and quirky, a totally fun reading experience. I’ve always meant to read more! Somehow, I haven’t ever gotten around to continuing that series (Thursday Next), but when I first read about Early Riser back when it was released, I thought it sounded like a book for me.

I often like my science fiction books with a heaping dose of humor, and Early Riser sounds like it has plenty of silliness mixed in with a clever plot. How could this not be fun?

What do you think? Would you read this book?

Please share your thoughts!

Literary Potpourri
Reviews Feed


__________________________________

Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments or link back from your own post, so I can add you to the participant list.
  • Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!