Tag Archives: redwall

Favorite Reads of 2023

11 Jan

As an avid reader, it’s always fun to go back through my list of books that I’ve read in a year and choose my favorites. I chose my top six out of sixty-five books. These aren’t in any particular order:

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers – #8 of Lord Peter Wimsey novels. When an employee dies at Pym’s Publicity, a respectable ad agency in London, it looks like an accident. But Lord Peter Wimsey is called in and he finds what’s really going on in the cutthroat world of copywriting.

-I found this while at a library book sale. My copy was published in 1933, hardcover and still has the paper sleeve. So of course, I had to grab it. I’d never read/heard of Sayers before but I’m so glad I snagged it! I’ve since read/listened to another of her Lord Peter Wimsey Novels, Clouds of Witness. I plan on reading more of the series this coming year. (her stories remind me a bit of Agatha Christie!)

Kenobi by John Jackson Miller – Obi-wan must set aside his status as jedi master and become Ben Kenobi as he watches over young Luke Skywalker. But he can’t help but aid the residents of Tattoine.

– This was my first Star Wars novel and since I borrowed it from a friend, I plan on buying my own copy since I’m already wanting to re-read it. It was fun to read about that in-between time that Kenobi went through -the struggles and grief and moments of peace.

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson- Yumi and Painter come from opposite worlds – she from one of gardens and spirits, he from darkness and nightmares. But when their lives become strangely intertwined can they figure out why, and how to help each other?

-I listened to this on audiobook on Spotify as it was part of the Year of Sanderson releases. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was fun to see the events through both Yumi and Painter’s points of view and to be constantly surprised by the revelations. Looking forward to reading/listening to this again!

The Long Patrol by Brian Jacques – The Rapscallion army is on the move after a sound defeat by Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, the Badger Lady of Salamandastron. The hare warriors, the Long Patrol, are on their trail to stop their progress to Redwall. Young Tammo is at the forefront as he chases his life-long dream of joining the Long Patrol.

-I listened to live readings of this from Story Time with Friends but also have a physical copy of it. Once again, the story of Redwall was delightful and full of delicious-sounding food, battles and morals. I love how Jacques weaves a story together.

The Boomerang Clue by Agatha Christie -Bobby didn’t know it when he found a body at the local golf course, but he was very lucky. Not only lucky to have escaped being poisoned, but to have Frankie at his side. Lady Frances Derwant was going to help him find the would-be murderer. But their only clues were a picture and the dead man’s last words- why didn’t they ask Evans?

-I found a hardcover five-in-one edition with this novel at the thrift store in the spring. I’d never read any Christie but had been wanting to give her at try. Six books later… anyway, this one was oddly fun (can murder mysteries be fun?).

Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James – Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. Life is idyllic – they have two sons; Bingley and Jane live nearby; Mr. Bennet visits regularly; Georgianna has a promising marriage prospect. But it all comes crashing down when Lydia shows up, hysterical that her husband, Wickham, has been murdered. Both she and Wickham had been banned from Pemberley, but at this news, Elizabeth and Darcy take Lydia in and seek to solve this mystery.

-Brown Paper Packages Bookmail on Instagram was selling this and I just had to give it a shot. Several years ago, I watched the BBC production based on this book and enjoyed it – I probably liked the book even more! A murder mystery set in Pemberley with the beloved Austen characters? What else can you ask for?

Honorable Mentions:

Lumen by J.J. Fischer- #2 of Nightingale Trilogy- Sephone, Dorian and Cass continue their search for the only man who knows how to get to the Reliquary- the elusive Silvertongue. But Sephone’s time is getting short, Dorian is accused of treason and secrets start to drive the three companions apart. What choice will Dorian make when the stakes are at their highest?

-I received an arc for my free honest opinion. If you want to read that blog post, it’s right here. Suffice it to say, I highly enjoyed this sequel to Calor, and will have my own copy soon!

The Daybreakers by Louis L’Amour- When Tye Sackett stepped between his brother, Orrin, and a bullet, both their lives were irrevocably changed. They head west to Santa Fe where Orrin becomes marshal and Tye commands respect without a badge. But their past comes hunting them and one brother must sacrifice so the other’s dreams will be realized.

-I’ve been getting into L’Amour’s more this year thanks to thrift stores and book sales and now have a whole stack of them waiting to be read. This one, however, was an audiobook. I really enjoyed it- I’ve always liked western stories and how L’amour writes them is just nostalgic and lovely. The brother’s journey and relationship was intense, suspenseful and just engrossing.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones – #1 of Howl’s Moving Castle series – It’s Sophie’s misfortune to have been born the eldest and so to have the destiny of failure if she leaves home. But when the Witch of the Waste puts a spell on her that turns her into an old woman, Sophie is forced to seek out the one place where the spell could be broken- the wizard Howl’s castle. To do so means dealing with the heartless Howl, make a deal with a fire demon and face the Witch of the Waste head on. Through the journey, she learns that there’s more to Howl, and herself, than she ever dreamed.

-I love the Studio Ghibli movie based off this book so this summer I checked it out of the library. It’s different from the movie of course, Howl is from Wales for one thing! But it was still charming and a delightful tale. After reading it I was inspired to crochet both Howl and Sophie. I want to read more of the series this year!

And that’s it! Even though I did read several others that were quite wonderful! If you want to see my full year of reading, click here to go to Goodreads. It’s always interesting to me to see, at the end of the year, what genres I favored. Especially since I am very much a mood-reader (i.e. I can have the best of intentions to next read a certain book but if it doesn’t strike my fancy in that moment, I’ll grab whatever does.) And this year, the genres were definitely mystery and fantasy. With a lot of westerns thrown in.

I’m hoping to add more classics to my reads this coming year – I’ve picked up Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens and a book about Tchaikovsky that I really want to read, among others! Just in glancing at my bookshelf next to me I see The Velvet Doublet by James Street, Come out of the Kitchen by Alice Duer Miller, Valley of Wild Horses by Zane Grey and You Can’t Go Home Again by Thomas Wolfe. (yes, these are all on my classics shelf!)

I’d love to hear a favorite read of yours! Maybe I’ll add it to my list!

Happy Reading, Laura

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March 2021 Book Reviews

14 May

Once again, it’s been far too long since I got any sort of post here on SGL. But, at last, I have finished the book reviews for what I read in March. It was rather a stellar month for reading exceptional books, let me tell you. Let’s get right to it!

Redwall by Brian Jacques- At Redwall Abbey, everything is peaceful and the inhabitants prepare to celebrate the Summer of the Late Rose. But what they don’t know yet is that Cluny the Scourge is nearing their valley. Cluny is a vicious warlord, a one-eyed rat who wishes to kill all in his path. He sets plans to kill the peaceful animals and take ownership of Redwall.

~I had never read this nor barely even heard of it, and am so glad that I picked a copy up when I found it at a thrift store. It turns out that my husband read the whole series as a kid and loved it. I quickly understood why as I was whisked into the world of the Abbey- Martin, Bartholomew and the others. Cluny and his army. The owl. Oh, just the whole of it. It was so good and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

To Whisper Her Name (Belle Meade Plantation #1) by Tamera Alexander – Being the widow of a man who was shot as a traitor to the south leaves Olivia Aberdeen without many options in Nashville. She has been shunned by proper society. But she is relieved to accept the invitation by ‘Aunt’ Elizabeth Harding to be housekeeper at Belle Meade Plantation. When she arrives and finds out from Confederate General William Giles Harding why he agreed to her coming, she is disillusioned and worried. This was not to be the safe haven that she had hoped it would be. But another newcomer to Belle Meade draws her interest, a young man that, although he is from the South, seems anything but a Southern gentleman. Ridley Cooper, branded a traitor and dreaming of learning the ‘gift’ that Bob Green, Belle Meade’s horse trainer and former slave, has with horses, enters Belle Meade with a host of secrets. One of them being that while he was born in the South, he fought for the North. As he battles demons within himself, both of them must deal with fears of betrayal.

~Why did this sit on my shelf for a few years before I ever read it? I’ll never know. I was quickly drawn into the story and was HELD there for the whole thing. I really liked Ridley and Uncle Bob. As well as Olivia and her struggle to overcome not only her long-held fears but the social stagnation that suddenly happens to her. A great book – highly recommend! 

Mary Poppins 80th Collection Edition by P.L. Travers – Travel to Cherry Tree Lane on the east wind and join in on all the adventures that the Banks children go on when Mary Poppins arrives to be their nanny.

~Forgive the super short synopsis but I feel like most people have a general idea of who Mary Poppins is. I had never read any of the stories about the ‘magical’ nanny, my only experience was Disney’s rendition of her with Julie Andrews. I did enjoy getting to see how Travers wrote the character and all the crazy adventures she led the children on. But, I will say, I didn’t end up adoring her, nor the whole of the book. There were adventures that I had fun reading but on the whole, (please don’t hate me for saying this), I rather still prefer Disney’s version of who Mary Poppins is. I am glad I read it though, and think it’s worth anyone who is interested in at least trying it. I will add that getting to know Poppins’ relatives makes it worth it.

Home Work: A Memoir of my Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews – This being her second memoir, she focuses on her years in Hollywood, as an up and coming actress. The highs and lows of working with the giants of cinema at the time as well as balancing her personal life.

~I enjoyed the portion that I read of this. I honestly read maybe a quarter of it but realized that as interesting as it was, there were other books that I would rather be reading. So, I opted to be done with it. But, Andrew’s writing style is engrossing and the stories she shares are interesting. I mainly wanted to read it because of learning about her experiences filming both Mary Poppins and Sound of Music.

Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman- In Goredd, the peace between humans and dragons these past forty years has done little to ease the suspicions between them. The dragons have created a way to form themselves into human shape, and their abilities in mathematics are unmatched. The anniversary of the treaty is approaching and tensions run high. Seraphina Dombegh is a new member of court when a member of the royal family is murdered. With sufficient reason to hide from both sides, she is nevertheless caught up in the investigation with the perceptive captain of the guard, Prince Lucian Kiggs. As things grow more dangerous, she struggles to hid her secret that could mean her very life, if it is found out.

This gets five stars and I do not do 5 star ratings very often! I was completely enamored with this book. I knew nothing about it when I started – but man, Hartman did an amazing job weaving a story together with dragons in a whole new way. I really liked Kiggs’ character development, as well as Seraphina herself. The only things I feel like I should mention: the word ‘bastard’ is used throughout but in the instance of being a child born out of wedlock, not as a derogatory name. There is a very subtle instance of a possible relationship between two men, but it’s so subtle that I probably wouldn’t have even caught it if I hadn’t looked up the term that Hartman used for it. I am eagerly awaiting reading the sequel.

Dr Fate Vol. 1 The Blood Price by Paul Levitz (from goodreads:) In modern-day Brooklyn, Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, has called up a great flood in order to cleanse the world. If left unchecked, his magic has the power to wash all of humanity away. To turn the rising tide and save mankind, Nabu the Wise, the mystical helmet of Fate, must choose a new champion from among Earth’s greatest heroes—instead, he settles on Khalid “Kent” Nassour, Egyptian-American first-year med student. Unfortunately for the inexperienced and overwhelmed Khalid, instructions for his new abilities can’t be found in any of his textbooks. Unless he can learn to harness the ancient power of Nabu, Anubis will claim everything the new Doctor Fate holds dear, including his family, his girlfriend and the world as he knows it. Yes, the Doctor is in…way over his head.

~sometimes, the goodreads synopsis is just too good. Whoever wrote this one, nailed it. Confession time: this was my first comic book. Not to read of course, there have been a few over the years. But to own. And it is, naturally, about Dr. Fate. (marrying a nerd has had its advantages in getting exposed to some really cool superhero characters). This is a modern retelling of Dr. Fate’s origin and I liked it. I really appreciated that they worked in a (full page) spread of him in his original outfit. (insert girlish squealing). The storyline kept me interested and the artwork was incredible.

What have you been reading lately?

~Laura

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