# Betsy's Calendar Reading Thread for 2014



## Betsy the Quilter

OK, I started one of these last year, inspired by Telracs and Claw, and didn't keep up with it. I'm going to try to keep up better.

I read one genre a month...this month it's been mysteries.

EDIT: I should clarify--it's a genre or theme a month. The theme could be "books with the color red in the title."  It could be books set in a location, books made into movies, books written before I was born.  The goal is to help me get through some of my backlog. New books can, of course, be added at any time.

I started with three by KB member Matthew Iden. I'll write them up in a bit.

Reading a Finnish author's mysteries now.

_My First Murder_ and _Her Enemy_ by Leena Lehtolainen. It's a series featuring Maria Kalliol. I'm enjoying them particularly after my visit to Finland a few years ago.

I finished _My First Murder_ a few days ago and am reading _Her Enemy_ now. There is also a third in the series, _My Copper Heart_. They are $2.99, $3.99 and $3.99 respectively.

  

Maria Kalliol is a police officer in the first book, studying to be a lawyer. She has to solve her first murder by investigating her friends. In the second book, she is a lawyer, and ends up being a lawyer for someone in her circle who is accused of murder. These are mysteries, not thrillers so much--she spends a lot of time talking to people while investigating the cases. The pace may be somewhat leisurely compared to what you are used to. There's definitely a different rhythm to the books. I enjoy reading about the cultural differences.

Betsy

Year list to-date:
*January (Mysteries)*
A Reason to Live (Marty Singer Mystery #1), bought 12/19/13 for $0.99, available to lend.
Blueblood (Marty Singer Mystery #2), bought 12/30/12 for $3.99, available to lend
One Right Thing (Marty Singer Mystery #3), bought 12/19/13 for $0.99, available to lend
The Spike (Marty Singer Mystery #4), bought 12/19/13 for $0.99, available to lend
My First Murder (The Maria Kallio Series #1), bought 12/7/12 for $2.99, available to lend
Her Enemy (The Maria Kallio Series #2), bought 7/6/13 for $1.99, available to lend
Copper Heart (The Maria Kallio Series #3), bought 1/21/14 for $3.99, available to lend
Talking with the Dead, bought 10/27/08 for $0.00, available to lend.
Murder List by Julie Garwood, bought 12/08/08 for $0.00.

*February (Civil Rights/African American History)*
Twelve Years A Slave by Solomon Northrup, bought 11/7/13 for $0.99
The Savage City: Race, Murder, and a Generation on the Edge by T.J. English, bought 10/28/13 for $2.99

*June (Jane Austen month)*
First Wrong Impressions by Krista Ball, bought 04/14/14 for $3.99, currently $0.99.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, bought 08/15/09 for $2.39, currently $2.99.
The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by by Sally Smith O'Rourke, bought 08/01/10 for $0.00, currently $4.30.
Austenland by Shannon Hale, bought 08/24/12 for $1.99, currently $1.99.


----------



## telracs

yippee!  hi betsy.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Posting so I can keep up with this.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I love everyone's book threads! Hope you find mine useful.

Here are the Matthew Iden books I read the beginning of January (mysteries). Matthew is a KB member, and, truth in advertising, a friend here in northern VA--I bird with his wife Renee. I'd picked up Matt's books, as you do, but had put off reading them as I didn't know what to expect. I was pleased to find I found them very good! I read them back-to-back: _A Reason to Live, Blueblood, One Right Thing_ and _The Spike_, in that order.

   

His main character, Marty Singer, has retired from the police department in the first book to deal with his cancer. He's divorced, afraid, out of a job and lives alone with his cat. I love the fact that the character is not a stereotype but shows growth through the series. And the fact that they are set in the Washington DC suburbs doesn't hurt any!

These are all lendable.

Betsy


----------



## telracs

is the order in your post the order they should be read in?

also, i'll ask you the same favor i ask everyone posting books, could you put the actual titles somewhere?  using the mobile app, i can't see images.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Can you see the text links in the very first post?  Text links for all of the books are going to be in the first post, by month.  I'll try to remember to add the titles as I go like I did in the first post.

And yes, the order is the order to read them in.  *double-checks*

Betsy


----------



## telracs

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Can you see the text links in the very first post? Text links for all of the books are going to be in the first post, by month. I'll try to remember to add the titles like I did in the first post.
> 
> And yes, the order is the order to read them in. *double-checks*
> 
> Betsy


i'm not home, i'll check it later, thanks.


----------



## telracs

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Can you see the text links in the very first post? Text links for all of the books are going to be in the first post, by month. I'll try to remember to add the titles as I go like I did in the first post.
> 
> And yes, the order is the order to read them in. *double-checks*
> 
> Betsy


okay, yes, i can see the text links in the first post (although in the mobile, they are not links of course)....


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

telracs said:


> okay, yes, i can see the text links in the first post (although in the mobile, they are not links of course)....


Telracs, when you say "in the mobile," what are you using?

Betsy


----------



## telracs

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Telracs, when you say "in the mobile," what are you using?
> 
> Betsy


what harvey calls the wap2. i need to use the mobile version of the board on the DX.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Thanks, wasn't sure what you were reading the board on these days.

For anyone else who wants to check it out, go here:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,176190.5/wap2.html

Good to know that text links at least show the name of the book.

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I've gone back and added information about whether the books I've read are lendable.  All of the ones I've listed so far are.

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I finished _Her Enemy_ and starting the third in the series, _My Copper Heart_.

 

As I said earlier in the thread,


> Maria Kalliol is a police officer in the first book, studying to be a lawyer. She has to solve her first murder by investigating her friends. In the second book, she is a lawyer, and ends up being a lawyer for someone in her circle who is accused of murder. These are mysteries, not thrillers so much--she spends a lot of time talking to people while investigating the cases. The pace may be somewhat leisurely compared to what you are used to. There's definitely a different rhythm to the books. I enjoy reading about the cultural differences.


I thought the second book was better than the first, which was good enough to make me want to read the second, so there you go. I like the character, Maria, as she struggles with relationships with her boyfriend, her sisters and her parents. But they aren't the major part of the book, that's the detecting part. It's interwoven, though. There are nice touches, references to Agatha Christie, Miss Marple, Hercules Peroit...and Finnish knife fights which I heard about in Hibbing, MN where my mom was from. 

Starting the third book; Maria is back working as a police officer, a sheriff in her hometown, since the law firm she had worked for went out of business. She has met up with an old flame--her boyfriend is in the US. The mystery hasn't set in...no murders yet.

Betsy


----------



## Not Here

I love the theme idea for reading! Really looking forward to your thoughts on some of these books. My husband is thinking of writing some mysteries, so I'm going to have to brush up on that a bit. Any contemp. ones you'd recommend?


----------



## BTackitt

and where's your cover ratings ma'am?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

BTackitt said:


> and where's your cover ratings ma'am?


 Well, I was joking, you know that right? I don't have any beefcake on my covers so far....

I do think the covers on the Maria Kalliol series are quite lovely. I think the cover on Matt's fourth Marty Singer book is good and the best of the four. I don't do numeric/star ratings except on Amazon where I am forced to.



Bethany B. said:


> I love the theme idea for reading! Really looking forward to your thoughts on some of these books. My husband is thinking of writing some mysteries, so I'm going to have to brush up on that a bit. Any contemp. ones you'd recommend?


Generally the ones in this thread so far have been very good. All modern, not noir.

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

OK, finished _Copper Heart_, see link in my prior post. It was my favorite of the three books by Leena Lehtolainen, which leaves me impatient for the next book in the series. Maria returned to her home town to be a temporary sheriff, and ends up knee high in murder. Aside from the mystery part, which gets more adept with each book, I enjoy the descriptions of every day Finnish life. For example, there is a gathering at her parents' lake house, and the first order of business for people is a sauna. When we were in Finland, we were invited to a lake house, and a sauna and then dip in the lake were the first order of business there, too. And then lots of eating!

Now, a slight twist, I'm going to read _Talking to the Dead_ by Shiloh Walker. I got this book for free on October 27, 2008. Which I think is the day my Kindle 1 was registered to my account. I don't think I actually received it until a couple days later.



It is currently $3.44.

This is about a psychic who can speak to the recently dead; he then seeks out their killers. He decides to take a break in a small town in Indiana but instead gets caught up with murders, and with their sheriff Daisy Crandall. So it fits with the mystery aspect, with a psychic twist.

(It's a nice transition from Copper Heart, with its small town woman sheriff to another book with a small town woman sheriff.  )

It's only 121 pages, so it'll be a quick read, I hope, and maybe time to fit one more in before the end of the month. If you do a forum search on the title, you'll see some mentions in November 2008 as members ont he forum read it.

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I love everyone's book threads! Hope you find mine useful.
> 
> Here are the Matthew Iden books I read the beginning of January (mysteries). Matthew is a KB member, and, truth in advertising, a friend here in northern VA--I bird with his wife Renee. I'd picked up Matt's books, as you do, but had put off reading them as I didn't know what to expect. I was pleased to find I found them very good! I read them back-to-back: _A Reason to Live, Blueblood, One Right Thing_ and _The Spike_, in that order.
> 
> 
> 
> His main character, Marty Singer, has retired from the police department in the first book to deal with his cancer. He's divorced, afraid, out of a job and lives alone with his cat. I love the fact that the character is not a stereotype but shows growth through the series. And the fact that they are set in the Washington DC suburbs doesn't hurt any!
> 
> These are all lendable.
> 
> Betsy


I'm reading/listening the first book. I really like the narration by Lloyd Sherr. He has just the right voice for this kind of book, and I like that instead of trying to mimic a woman's voice, he just makes his voice softer.

Not too far into it, but I wanted to mention that whispersync is available for $1.99.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I'm reading/listening the first book. I really like the narration by Lloyd Sherr. He has just the right voice for this kind of book, and I like that instead of trying to mimic a woman's voice, he just makes his voice softer.
> 
> Not too far into it, but I wanted to mention that whispersync is available for $1.99.


Cool!

Betsy


----------



## MariaESchneider

Betsy the Quilter said:


> OK, finished _Copper Heart_, see link in my prior post. It was my favorite of the three books by Leena Lehtolainen, which leaves me impatient for the next book in the series. Maria returned to her home town to be a temporary sheriff, and ends up knee high in murder. Aside from the mystery part, which gets more adept with each book, I enjoy the descriptions of every day Finnish life. For example, there is a gathering at her parents' lake house, and the first order of business for people is a sauna. When we were in Finland, we were invited to a lake house, and a sauna and then dip in the lake were the first order of business there, too. And then lots of eating!
> 
> Now, a slight twist, I'm going to read _Talking to the Dead_ by Shiloh Walker. I got this book for free on October 27, 2008. Which I think is the day my Kindle 1 was registered to my account. I don't think I actually received it until a couple days later.


I haven't read Shiloh under that name, but I have read her under her name J. C. Daniels. Good UF series with the "romantic suspense" that her other series have, I think.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

MariaESchneider said:


> I haven't read Shiloh under that name, but I have read her under her name J. C. Daniels. Good UF series with the "romantic suspense" that her other series have, I think.


Good to know, Maria! _Talking to the Dead_ is good so far, but it's dark at the beginning, I think. And yes, there looks to be a romantic suspense element to this one.

(I edited your post because your comment was buried in my quote--hopefully I didn't miss another comment.)

Betsy


----------



## MariaESchneider

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Good to know, Maria! _Talking to the Dead_ is good so far, but it's dark at the beginning, I think. And yes, there looks to be a romantic suspense element to this one.
> 
> (I edited your post because your comment was buried in my quote--hopefully I didn't miss another comment.)
> 
> Betsy


Oh, sorry about that. I must not have scrolled down far enough.

I like her writing quite a bit, but so far everything I've read does have a dark side to it. It's pretty intense so I like to take breaks between any of the books, but she does such an excellent job with pacing and tension and some great characters.


----------



## heidi_g

I really love your monthly genre/them focus! And the books by Leena Lehtolainen sound intriguing. I also love books that take place in other parts of the world and impart a sense of those cultures. I don't read tons of mysteries, but every now and then I want to. (I'm reading one now!)

I read _Reason to Live _a while back. Maybe when it first came out and I really liked it. I think I liked it for many of the same reasons. Marty Singer is such a non-stereotype and he was so well done, that it just made me fall in love with the book!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

OK, I really liked _Talking to the Dead_, and will likely read more by that author, but the month is almost up. I'm squeezing one more in before the end of the month, Murder List by Julie Garwood:



_Talking to the Dead_, as I said, was good. It was kind of a mix between a ghost story, a very dark thriller and a cozy romance in that the two protaganists


Spoiler



kind of instantly fall for each other hook line and sinker....


 I found the insertion of the cozy elements kind of jarring. But I liked the main characters and wouldn't mind reading more about these two. It looks like she has a loose series about psychics in the FBI but the books are about different characters...which reminds me of, I think, Kay Hooper's books?

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

I read _Murder List_ some years ago. As I recall it was o.k. Not great, but not bad either.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

You likely bought it when I did and read it fairly soon...it was free in December 2008; I bought it Dec 8th of that year.

Betsy


----------



## theaatkinson

I love how it could be, "books with the color red in the title." LOL

made me chuckle


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

theaatkinson said:


> I love how it could be, "books with the color red in the title." LOL
> 
> made me chuckle




and it could be...

We'll see what comes up.  I have a lot of mysteries, so sometimes there has to be a way to narrow them down. Or I might feel like a mix of genre. It'll depend on what I have at least ten or so of...

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Finished up my last mystery for January's theme, Julie Garwood's Murder List:



This was what I would consider a romantic mystery/thriller; so even though I guess Amazon has it under romance, it was mystery enough for me to be included in January's theme. I enjoyed it well enough--I was in the mood for something a bit light. I liked the characters. The suspenseful items were pretty well set up, I thought. I do get impatient with some romantic elements, like the total misunderstanding of how the couple feels about each other that seems to be mandatory in these books. I always want to say, "Oh, just get on with it."

There is another book coming out about another of the characters in Murder List, Fast Track which can be preordered now:


I won't preorder, but I'll add it to my wish list in case it ever comes down in price, or I'll look for it in the library.

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

OK, I took February's theme from the official African-American history month. I have a number of non-fiction books I've collected that fit this theme, so this is a good chance to catch up.

As I mentioned in the What are You Reading (2014) thread, I just finished _Twelve Years a Slave_, upon which the movie was based.

This is a relatively short book, 138 pages. It was a great read--sad, fascinating, brilliant. A survival story like no other. Reminded me of _Unbroken_ by Laura Hillenbrand in a way. It's unimaginable that someone could survive what Northrup survived and, unfortunately, man's inhumanity to man was all too imaginable. Written in 1853, for those who aren't familiar with the story despite the Oscar-nominated movie and all the press it has received, this is the memoir of Solomon Northrup, a free black man from New York State who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, ultimately ending up in Louisiana. The detail of plantation and slave life mixed in with his personal experiences is very well done. As is made obvious from the beginning, he ultimately regains his freedom, but it still keeps you on the edge of your seat.

There are a lot of versions out there of this book; I don't believe any were free the last time I checked, but some have additional features, so you can pick the combo or cover you like. I picked this one because of the illustrations that came with it, one of which is on the cover. The cover is OK.



There is a website about Solomon Northrup, and a trail is being/has been developed of the places mentioned in his book. Google is your friend. And I highly recommend the movie, which I saw before reading the book. The book, for the very most part, has been faithfully adapted.

Starting _The Savage City_ now, about the years 1963-1973 in New York City. Subtitled "Race, Murder and a Generation on the Edge." Although it actually has started with the invention of the mechanical cotton picker and the great migration of southern blacks to the north in search of jobs, starting in the 1940s.


Betsy

_The complete list of books I've read so far can be found in the first post in the thread:_
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,176190.msg2484448.html#msg2484448


----------



## heidi_g

I've definitely heard about the movie, _Twelve Years a Slave_, but haven't seen it. (We're not going out to see tons of movies lately.) But it's nice to know this book is out and rather short  I instated a new rule (not hard and fast) to either see the movie or read the book, I just get so often disappointed by one or the other when I do both. Sounds like for this one, I might enjoy the book just as much. Glad to know.

It sounds like you're going to have an interesting reading list this month, look forward to checking in with it


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I don't have a problem usually with comparing movies and the books they were made from--I just consider them two different products.  I like oranges and orange marmalade, but don't expect them to be the same. 

I do prefer to see the movie first; it helps me keep them separate.  As there is usually more in the book, I can see the movie first, and then still find new things in the book, rather than be disappointed that a favorite bit isn't in the movie.  Can't always do that, as sometimes I read the book and a movie is made years later.  But on the other hand, by then I've probably forgotten a lot of the book. 

In this case, I did see the movie first and then read the book and thought they were both powerful and extremely well done.

Betsy


----------



## heidi_g

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I don't have a problem usually with comparing movies and the books they were made from--I just consider them two different products. I like oranges and orange marmalade, but don't expect them to be the same.
> 
> I do prefer to see the movie first; it helps me keep them separate. As there is usually more in the book, I can see the movie first, and then still find new things in the book, rather than be disappointed that a favorite bit isn't in the movie. Can't always do that, as sometimes I read the book and a movie is made years later. But on the other hand, by then I've probably forgotten a lot of the book.
> 
> In this case, I did see the movie first and then read the book and thought they were both powerful and extremely well done.
> 
> Betsy


Betsy, 
That's probably another good way to do it, see the movie first... hmmm... shall i alter my new rule, lol


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Well, I'm several months behind. 

But I'm reading Pride and Prejudice and variations this month (this actually started the end of May). I started by reading this by KB member Krista Ball:


I really enjoyed this book. Warning, if swearing bothers you, you won't like this book. I can promise that.  It's basically the characters transplanted into a modern setting, based also on Krista's own experiences working in a shelter for the homeless.

So that made me want to re-read the original--one of the very few assigned readings I ever did. I remember enjoying it, which would make you think I would have done more assigned reading, but.... This time, I'm laughing out loud a parts. I don't remember it being funny. 

This book is available for loan, but it's also $0.99 right now. I paid $3.99 for it in April 2014.

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Well, I'm several months behind.
> 
> But I'm reading Pride and Prejudice and variations this month (this actually started the end of May). I started by reading this by KB member Krista Ball:
> 
> 
> I really enjoyed this book. Warning, if swearing bothers you, you won't like this book. I can promise that.  It's basically the characters transplanted into a modern setting, based also on Krista's own experiences working in a shelter for the homeless.
> 
> So that made me want to re-read the original--one of the very few assigned readings I ever did. I remember enjoying it, which would make you think I would have done more assigned reading, but.... This time, I'm laughing out loud a parts. I don't remember it being funny.
> 
> Betsy


Probably because, in HS, you didn't get why it was funny!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Ann in Arlington said:


> Probably because, in HS, you didn't get why it was funny!


Could be; some of the stuff I find funniest is the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. I keep reading those parts to Fred.

Betsy


----------



## timskorn

Betsy the Quilter said:


> In this case, I did see the movie first and then read the book and thought they were both powerful and extremely well done.
> 
> Betsy


The movie is well worth seeing. I never read Solomon's specific account, but I read anecdotes of his experience while researching plantation life. I remember reading whoever wrote or directed the film saying that after reading Solomon's book, remarked that its structure lent itself very easily to movie adaptation and they didn't need to change much. It's a heavy topic though. Can't read too much at once!


----------



## Krista D. Ball

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I really enjoyed this book. Warning, if swearing bothers you, you won't like this book. I can promise that.  It's basically the characters transplanted into a modern setting, based also on Krista's own experiences working in a shelter for the homeless.


Aww I'm so happy you enjoyed it. And, yes, stay far, far away if you don't like swearing. There's a lot of it. We homeless street-level workers often swear a lot. Obviously, not in front of the volunteers, but in our offices where no one could hear us. 



> So that made me want to re-read the original--one of the very few assigned readings I ever did. I remember enjoying it, which would make you think I would have done more assigned reading, but.... This time, I'm laughing out loud a parts. I don't remember it being funny.


P&P is quite funny in a lot of places. There's a few times where you know Lizzy Bennet would have her hands on her hips rolling her eyes if social custom allowed it. Also, if you listen to it read (Lindsay Duncan does a great version), you can really hear the "Oh yeah, jerkface" come through!

It's not my favourite Austen, but it's a good one all the same.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I could soooo hear your voice in Lizzy, Krista.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

timskorn said:


> The movie is well worth seeing. I never read Solomon's specific account, but I read anecdotes of his experience while researching plantation life. I remember reading whoever wrote or directed the film saying that after reading Solomon's book, remarked that its structure lent itself very easily to movie adaptation and they didn't need to change much. It's a heavy topic though. Can't read too much at once!


It is well worth reading. I highly recommend it. I did read it straight through. His strength of character was amazing.

Betsy


----------



## Krista D. Ball

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I could soooo hear your voice in Lizzy, Krista.


Ha! Yes, she swore like me.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Krista D. Ball said:


> Ha! Yes, she swore like me.


Ha! Well, I was thinking more of her passion for her clients.... and her disdain for conformity.  And the swearing.

Betsy


----------



## Krista D. Ball

Disdain for conformity? I totally confor...man, I couldn't even type that with a straight face  Interestingly enough, she wasn't me (except the swearing...the swearing was me...and a woman named C lol). She's sorta the combination of a handful of people all mixed up into one. 

I had to sign a lot of confidentiality things when working there, so I was careful not to have any one person represented. Instead, I stuck with "theme" of person. In Lizzy's case, she was the burned out, passionate, get-it-done worker. There were way too many Lizzy's, who make it a year before they leave because of the stress. Few of us make it longer than a 1.5 years. I made it 3, and I thought I had PTSD by the time I left. 

I left out some of the super crazy style stories, because beta readers thought they were too over the top and no one would believe them. Ha!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Okay, finished _Pride and Prejudice_ with integrated study guide. I bought it in 2009 for $2.39. It's gone up to a whooping $2.99 now. A negative of this particular edition is that there's a lot of back matter--study guide stuff, so the book ends at about 72%. Be warned.



I really enjoyed _Pride & Prejudice._ I guess there's a reason it's a classic.  What did strike me as I read it is that it matched (perhaps set) the formula for so many romances both in books and movies--man meets girl, man and girl have a misunderstanding which keeps them apart for much of the book. As I said before, it is also quite funny at times. A lovely read.

So, now I'm reading _The Man Who Loved Jane Austen_ which I got for free in August 2010.



Light reading compared to P&P. But modeled after it more than in just the title character. The lead female is named Lizzy; she's currently involved with a man named Wickfield, and there IS a character named Darcy. She's an artist who buys an antique table that has some letters that appear to be by Jane Austen hidden inside. And we're off.


----------



## Krista D. Ball

I  have that book, but haven't gotten around to ever reading it. I'm curious to see what you think of it!


----------



## Catollie

After reading your post, I got to reading the 2 Matthew Iden books I had. I really enjoyed them and got the other two now and will be reading them next. I like Marty Singer as a character. Keep up the great posting of books you've read.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Glad to hear it, Catollie!  I think the fifth book is going to be out very soon!

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Okay, finished these two in my "Austen" month:



The Man Who Loved Jane Austen



Austenland

Of the two, I preferred _The Man Who Loved Jane Austen_ although it wasn't quite what I expected. Of the Jane Austen themed books I've read so far, excluding _Pride and Prejudice_, the one by KB member Krista Ball is my clear favorite.

_The Man Who Loved Jane Austen_ is about a woman, Eliza, who buys an antique desk and discovers two letters--one to and one from Jane Austen. (This is in the blurb). She meets an F. Darcy who may or may not be related to the F. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice. And so the mystery and the romance begin. There's a fantasy element involved, but otherwise a pretty solid romance that, in many ways, parallels Pride and Prejudice. So, it's not just that Jane Austen's letters are involved but that some of the characters are modeled after characters in P&P. I'd rate this a strong 3.5 stars.

I picked it up in August 2010 for free and it's available to loan, if anyone is interested. It's currently $4.30 on Amazon.

_Austenland_

This was a much lighter book than the other. It's about a woman who receives a gift of a vacation at an Austen themed resort. Her name, refreshingly, is not a variation on Elizabeth but is Jane (though still in keeping with the Austen theme). She is obsessed with Mr. Darcy as played by Colin Firth. (Totally understandable ) I thought it was a bit disjointed and had too many improbable situations. She's left the gift of the trip in a wealthy relative's will (this is in the blurb) and the way this came up seemed kind of forced to me. And the ending, I thought, was a bit trite. If I were to compare books to food (a la a separate thread here in the Book Corner), this would be a Twinkie. I rated it 3 stars.

I picked it up for $1.99 in August 2013 (Maybe August should have been Austen month ) and it's still $1.99. It's available to loan, if anyone is interested.

Reading this one next:


Death of a Trophy Wife

This seems to be part of a cozy mystery series, and the only connection to my theme is the name of the character, I believe. But that's enough for my standards.  Will let you know how it goes.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I just wanted to mention that this book by Krista, which is available to loan, is $0.99 right now (I paid $3.99 for it when I bought it some time ago, and it was worth it!) Review earlier in the thread.


----------



## heidi_g

I loved Pride and Prejudice and read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  a while back. It was a pretty crazy/fun read.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

heidi_g said:


> I loved Pride and Prejudice and read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  a while back. It was a pretty crazy/fun read.


That's on my wish list but I don't currently own it...

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington

I have it . . . but it's a different edition than that shown, apparently.  So not sure if it's lendable.  Still, you could borrow my spare kindle.   I've not gotten to it either, though I've had it since 2009.


----------



## heidi_g

Ann in Arlington said:


> I have it . . . but it's a different edition than that shown, apparently. So not sure if it's lendable. Still, you could borrow my spare kindle.  I've not gotten to it either, though I've had it since 2009.


the edition shown is the print book, the version i read... uhm... yeah, probably back in 2010 or something

did some hunting cause the link maker didn't seem to pick up that cover

here's the Kindle edition with that cover: $7.77
http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Quirk-Classics-ebook/dp/B004HW7E6U/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

This is the one that came up on the link maker and it's $10.49... uhm... PRICEY!!!!


----------



## Ann in Arlington

And neither of those show that I already have it . . . but I definitely do in my library.  According to my records I paid $7.77  I can't find the ASIN -- those two editions have two different ones.  Mine claims to be a 'deluxe edition'. When I click to go to the page at Amazon I get a 404 error.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Thanks, it was available "now" at my library, so I checked it out to my Paperwhite.   

I could have sworn I picked it up at some point or another, but multiple different searches aren't finding it. *shrug*

Betsy


----------



## Krista D. Ball

Betsy, I watched the movie Austenland and decided I liked that enough. I know, I know, I should read the book. 

I also picked up Death Comes to Pemberley. I hear the mini series is better than the book. I loved the mini series, so now I'm not sure if I'm going to read the book now. But I paid $9.99 for it. CHOICES.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Krista D. Ball said:


> Betsy, I watched the movie Austenland and decided I liked that enough. I know, I know, I should read the book.
> 
> I also picked up Death Comes to Pemberley. I hear the mini series is better than the book. I loved the mini series, so now I'm not sure if I'm going to read the book now. But I paid $9.99 for it. CHOICES.


There's a movie of Austenland? And a mini series for Death Comes to Pemberly? 

Off to check....

I generally like watching movies/series before I read the book. While I generally don't have a problem judging books and movies made from them separately, I find it's easier to do it if I see the movie first. There are always things in the book that weren't in the movie so it's a fresh experience.

Betsy


----------



## Krista D. Ball

I love the Darcy and Lizzy of Death Comes. A lot of people thought Lizzy was "too old" and "too tired" but people are stupid 

Austenland was adorable. I giggled throughout the entire movie. Giggled.


----------



## heidi_g

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Thanks, it was available "now" at my library, so I checked it out to my Paperwhite.
> 
> I could have sworn I picked it up at some point or another, but multiple different searches aren't finding it. *shrug*
> 
> Betsy


ooh! awesome!!!! this is why i will always LOVE libraries, lol!


----------



## theaatkinson

heidi_g said:


> I loved Pride and Prejudice and read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  a while back. It was a pretty crazy/fun read.


ME too! I loved it!


----------



## Marilyn Peake

I'm so excited to find these book-reading threads. Bookmarked this one. It's motivating me to get back into reading. I've been kind of lax in that regard for the past year or so. I've been super-busy this past year, but normally enjoy reading even the thickest books, which includes old Russian novels.


----------

