It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's been quite a while since I posted a Monday reading update. I haven't really been doing much blogging here at A Little Reading (only two posts last year!), but I'm still reading and thought I might try to get the blog going again. Of course, I've said that before and yet, here I am a year later, saying it all over again. So we'll see how it goes. 

During the Christmas holidays, I read three books. Three very different books, all of them chosen to fulfill various reading challenges over at LibraryThing....

The Donaldson Case
by Diana Xarissa (2016)

The X-Files: Ground Zero

by Kevin J. Anderson (1995)

James

by Percival Everett (2024)

I haven't finished any books in this new year, but I've got a couple started.... 

The Mystery of Lewis Carroll

by Jenny Woolf (2010)

Origin

by Dan Brown (2017)

Jenny Woolf's study of Lewis Carroll has a lengthy subtitle: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland." She brings up many interesting questions about Carroll and has some intriguing - and occasionally unpredictable - answers. I'm enjoying the book, though I'm not sure I accept or agree with all her theories and explanations. 

I've just started Dan Brown's Origin (the 5th book in his Robert Langdon series), but so far it's just as fast-moving as all his other thrillers. So even though it's something of a chunkster (between 500 and 700 pages, depending on the edition), I think it might be a quick read. 

Happy New Year, everyone!
Have a great week, and Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

Reading in 2025

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2025. Once again, I'll be aiming for 50 books. And, once again, I don't expect to hit that mark.  

JANUARY

1. Origin (Robert Langdon #5). Dan Brown (2017; fiction / thriller; 482 pages)
2. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4). Alan Bradley (2011; fiction / mystery; 305 pages) 
3. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland". Jenny Woolf (2010; nonfiction / biography / literary history; 336 pages; reading now)
4. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 336 pages)

FEBRUARY

5. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12). Eva Gates (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 272 pages) 
6. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11). Eva Gates (2024; fiction / cozy mystery; 297 pages) 

MARCH

7. The Ugly Duckling. Hans Christian Andersen; adapted & illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000; children's picture book / fable; 40 pages)
8. The Relatives Came. Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; children's picture book; 32 pages) 

9. Hammett Unwritten. Gordon McAlpine (2013; fiction / mystery; 178 pages) 

APRIL

10. Fox in Socks. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965; children's picture book / humor; 62 pages) 

11. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965; children's picture book / humor; 64 pages) 

12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960; childlren's picture book / humor; 63 pages) 

13. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; children's picture book; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; 32 pages) 
14. XO, OX: A Love Story. Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017; children's picture book / humor; 32 pages) 
15. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25). Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025; fiction / mystery; 253 pages)

16. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language. Richard Lederer (1987; nonfiction / cultural history / language; 157 pages)
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1). Stuart Palmer (1931; fiction / mystery; 280 pages) 

MAY

18. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1). Gladys Mitchell (1929; fiction / mystery; 266 pages) 
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21). Rex Stout (1952; fiction / mystery; 226 pages) 

20. The Book of Illusions. Paul Auster (2002; fiction; 333 pages)

JUNE

21. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2). John le Carré (1962; fiction / mystery; 158 pages) 
22. Writers and Their Notebooks. Diana Raab (2010; nonfiction / essays; 206 pages)

JULY

23. Too Many Women (Nero Wolfe #12). Rex Stout (1947; fiction / mystery; reading now) 

24. Speaking from Among the Bones (Flavia de Luce #5). Alan Bradley (2013; fiction / mystery; reading now) 

25. 

........

AUGUST

........ 

SEPTEMBER

........

OCTOBER

........

NOVEMBER

........

DECEMBER
 

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Book Beginnings: The Queen of Poisons

The Queen of Poisons
by Robert Thorogood
Poisoned Pen Press, June 2024

First sentence

Suzie Harris was on a mission.

About the Book

Description from GoodReads: 

The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer... 

Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a town council meeting. When traces of aconite—also known as the queen of poisons—are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why? 

The police bring Judith, Suzie, and Becks in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart's content… which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? 

The Marlow Murder Club is about to face their most difficult case yet...

 

Initial Thoughts

Well, my first thought isn't exactly about the book — it's about my reading/blogging life. It's been quite a while since I put up a post for Book Beginnings. Actually, it's been quite a while since I posted anything at all on the blog, aside from my list of books read. More than a year, in fact. During that time I've been through a lot of major life changes, and for a long time I wasn't able to do any reading — so there wasn't really much of anything to blog about. But time moves on, and the books are starting to whisper my name again. And now that I'm back to reading, I want to try to get back to blogging, too. They tell me it's therapeutic. 

So, here goes....

Not the most magnetic opening, is it? I'm not sure that first sentence would draw me in if I wasn't already familiar with the Marlow Murder Club books. 

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club series of mystery novels. The two earlier books are The Marlow Murder Club (2021), and Death Comes to Marlow (2023). 

The "Murder Club" of the series consists of three amateur sleuths — a couple of middle-aged women (Becks and Suzie) and a third member who by now should be nearing 80 (Judith was 77 in the first book). I love finding books that feature older women doing interesting things and not just waiting around for dementia to set in, while letting their offspring and nieces and nephews have all the adventures. Judith lives on her own (well, in the first two books, anyway), enjoys swimming nude in the Thames, and solves mysteries. So, naturally, I fell in love with her immediately. 

I've read and enjoyed the first two books, although I thought the second was not as satisfying as the first. That frequently happens in a book series. So I'm hoping this third offering turns out to be as intriguing as the first. 

Please note: The sentence quoted above comes from an advance reader's copy of the book. I've checked it against the UK edition which came out in January. The book is scheduled to be released in the USA in June. 

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading (or one that's caught your eye), along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a nice chance to connect with other readers and bloggers. 

Books Read in 2024

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2024. I used to aim for 50 books a year, but for 2024 I'm just hoping to do better than the dozen books I read last year. 

JANUARY

1. City of Glass (New York Trilogy, Book 1). Paul Auster (1985; fiction / mystery; 203 pages) 
2. Ghosts (New York Trilogy, Book 2). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 100 pages) 
3. The Locked Room (New York Trilogy, Book 3). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 179 pages) 
4. Heads You Lose (Inspector Cockrill #1). Christianna Brand (1941; fiction / mystery; 196 pages) 

FEBRUARY

5. Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8). Agatha Christie (1932; fiction / mystery; 288 pages) 
6. World's Fair. E.L. Doctorow (1985; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages) 
7. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Chris Grabenstein (2013; fiction / children's literature; 293 pages)

MARCH

8.  The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively (1977; fiction; 224 pages) 
9.  Experimental Film. Gemma Files (2015; fiction; 314 pages) 
10. Last House. Jessica Shattuck (2024; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages) 

APRIL

11. After Annie. Anna Quindlen (2024; fiction; 273 pages) 
12. Hamnet. Maggie O'Farrell (2020; fiction / historical fiction; 321 pages) 
13. Unexpected Night (Henry Gamadge Mysteries #1). Elizabeth Daly (1940; fiction / mystery; 221 pages)

MAY

14. The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. Sarah McCammon (2024; nonfiction / memoir / culture; 288 pages) 
15. Oracle Night. Paul Auster (2003; fiction; 260 pages) 
16. Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey. Karen Wilkin (2009; nonfiction / art / art history; 123 pages) 
17. Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty. Alexander Larman (2024; nonfiction / history; 525 pages)
18. Toyland: Classic Illustrations of Children and Their Toys. Pamela Prince; designed by Barry Zaid (1990; art / art history / children's books; 44 pages)

JUNE

19. Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (1847; fiction; 465 pages) 

JULY

20. If Death Ever Slept (Nero Wolfe #29). Rex Stout (1957; fiction / mystery; 208 pages) 

21. Death and the Dancing Footman (Roderick Alleyn #11). Ngaio Marsh (1941; fiction / mystery; 356 pages) 

AUGUST

22. A Grave Mistake (Roderick Alleyn #30). Ngaio Marsh (1978; fiction / mystery; 260 pages)
23. Death in a White Tie (Roderick Alleyn #7). Ngaio Marsh (1938; fiction / mystery; 329 pages) 

SEPTEMBER

24. Final Curtain (Roderick Alleyn #14). Ngaio Marsh (1947; fiction / mystery; 301 pages) 
25. The House Takes a Vacation. Jacqueline Davies; illus. by Lee White (2007; children's picture book; 32 pages)

OCTOBER

26. Du Iz Tak? Carson Ellis; illus. by author (2016; children's picture book; 2017 Caldecott Honor Book; 48 pages) 
27. White Snow, Bright Snow. Alvin Tresselt; illus. by Roger Duvoisin (1947; children's picture book; 1948 Caldecott Medal Winner; 32 pages) 
28. Have You Seen My Duckling? Nancy Tafuri; illus. by author (1984; children's picture book; 1985 Caldecott Honor Book; 32 pages) 
29. The Dweller on the Threshold. Robert Smythe Hichens (1911; fiction; 292 pages)

30. The Celery Stalks at Midnight (Bunnicula #3). James Howe; illus. by Leslie H. Morrill (1983; children's literature / horror / humor; 81 pages) 
31. Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps #1). R.L. Stine (1992; children's literature / horror; 108 pages) 
32. Three Days in June. Anne Tyler (2025; fiction; 176 pages) 

NOVEMBER

33. We'll Prescribe You a Cat. Syou Ishida; trans. by E. Madison Shimoda (2023/ 2024; fiction; 301 pages) 
34. Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Joan Didion (2021; nonfiction / essays; 194 pages) 

35. Every Time We Say Goodbye (Jane Austen Society #3). Natalie Jenner (2024; historical fiction; 336 pages) 

36. The Little Island. Margaret Wise Brown; illus. by Leonard Weisgard (1946; children's picture book; 1947 Caldecott Medal Winner; 48 pages) 

37. They Were Strong and Good. Robert Lawson; illus. by author (1940; children's picture book; 1941 Caldecott Medal Winner; 72 pages) 

38. The Queen of Poisons (Marlow Murder Club #3). Robert Thorogood (2024; fiction / mystery; 272 pages) 

DECEMBER

39. The X-Files: Ground Zero (X-Files #3). Kevin J. Anderson (1995; fiction / science fiction / sci-fi fantasy; 340 pages) 
40. The Donaldson Case (Markham Sisters #4). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery; 105 pages) 
41. James. Percival Everett (2024; historical fiction; 307 pages) 

.......

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Books Read in 2023

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2023. I'm getting a late start with the list, and didn't manage to do any reading in January or February. But my goal for 2023 is a lot lower than most years. If I read a book or two a month during the rest of this year, I'll be satisfied. 

MARCH

1. High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell (1933; fiction)

APRIL

2. Wild Strawberries (Barsetshire #2). Angela Thirkell (1934; fiction) 
3. Bramton Wick. Elizabeth Fair (1952; fiction) 

MAY

4. The Windsors at War: The King, His Brother, and a Family Divided. Alexander Larman (2023; nonfiction / history)

JUNE

5. Landscape in Sunlight. Elizabeth Fair (1953; fiction) 

JULY

6. Death Comes to Marlow (Marlow Murder Club #2). Robert Thorogood (2023; fiction / mystery)

AUGUST

7. Looking Glass Sound. Catriona Ward (2023; fiction / horror) 

SEPTEMBER

8. The Heiress. Rachel Hawkins (2024; fiction / thriller) 

OCTOBER

9. The Messy Lives of Book People. Phaedra Patrick (2022; fiction / women's fiction / adult fantasy) 
10. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael. Beth Morrey (2020; fiction / women's fiction)

NOVEMBER

11. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died (Emily Dickinson Mystery #2). Amanda Flower (2023; fiction / mystery / historical fiction) 

DECEMBER

12. When You Are Engulfed in Flames. David Sedaris (2008; nonfiction / humor / essays) 

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

I have no idea what happened to the last month or so. Time flies, right? But I know what's happened to the last couple of weeks — for me, anyway. I came down with COVID right after Thanksgiving and I've been pretty wiped out ever since. I think I might be on the mend now, but I don't wanna speak too soon. I thought I was on the mend last week, too — and then, the dreaded rebound set in. So at the moment I'm in wait-and-see mode, with fingers crossed. 

But even with the brain fog, I've managed to finish a few books, so far this month....

Gambit
(Nero Wolfe #37)

by Rex Stout (pub. 1962)

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng

(21st book in the Pendergast series)

by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(expected pub. - Jan. 2023)

Terminal Freeze

(Jeremy Logan #2)

by Lincoln Child (pub. 2008)

Those are by three of my favorite authors — I expected them to be entertaining, and they didn't disappoint. 

Not sure what's on the list for the rest of December, but at the moment I'm reading a classic bit of humor by another of my favorite writers. Because, right now, I could definitely use a few laughs....

How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes

by Will Cuppy

(first pub. 1931)

Happy reading, everyone — and have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

Book Beginnings: The Cloisters

The Cloisters
by Katy Hays
Atria Books, November 2022

First sentence

Death always visited me in August. 

 

About the Book

Description from GoodReads: 

When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, she expects to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination.

Desperate to escape her painful past, Ann is happy to indulge the researchers’ more outlandish theories about the history of fortune telling. But what begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into obsession when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future. When the dangerous game of power, seduction, and ambition at The Cloisters turns deadly, Ann becomes locked in a race for answers as the line between the arcane and the modern blurs. 

 

Initial Thoughts

I've only visited the Cloisters Museum once, but it was an amazing experience, and I'd love to go back someday. And I've always been interested in tarot cards and their history. So The Cloisters sounds like it could be just the book for me! Haven't actually started it yet, but that first sentence is something of a grabber, so I have high hopes. 

Have a good weekend, everyone.

And happy reading!

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Friday. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.