Books: 2nd Edition

[SnowAngel]

*high-fives SA* You've got good tastes in Janette Oke books! Your favourite list looks similar to mine, though switch out Roses for Mama (which I think I read once or twice but never really made an impression) for A Woman Named Damaris.
Hope you've been enjoying raiding your brother's bookshelf!

Oh, I like A Woman Named Damaris too. I considered adding a three or four more JO books to my list when I posted, but I thought for once I should keep a list small.

I am loving raiding brother's books, I currently reading a Christian non-fiction from the library and debating whether to read Rough Riders by Mark Lee Gardner or September Hope by John C. McManus next.

ValiantArcher, you are so much like Scarlet sometimes it's crazy. All of your historical non-fiction reads sound awesome. I need more hours in a day.

Anfinwen, did you like the last book in the Acts of Faith series? I loved the start of the series, but felt like the last book was really flat.
I love Freckles and A Girl of Limberlost, they're somewhere in the middle of my very long list of books to reread.

I am currently reading Cherry Ames Army Nurse by Helen Wells and The Courage To Be Christian by Mike Nappa. And I'm listening to The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie, just past the halfway point in the audiobook. I think this is one of Agatha Christie books I read in 2014 or 2015, but I don't have a list of the ones I read. The story is seems very familiar, but since I don't remember the ending it doesn't really matter when I read it or that I read it.

Two of my suspense reads for August were Purgatory Road by Samuel Parker (Scarlet's rec) and Centralia by Mike Dellosso. Both were excellent, but I loved Centralia...it was like a great action flick, but so much better since it's a book. Now I have to get my hands on the sequel Kill Devil, I must know what happens to Jed Patrick and his family.

SnowAngel

[Meltintalle]

"Laddie" is absolutely fantastic! And "Freckles" is one of my favorite books ever!

YES! I've adored them both ever since my great aunt loaned me her copy of Laddie when I was a wee thing (and we picked up a copy of Freckles that has super nice line drawings a little while after that). I insisted on getting our own copy of Laddie soon after we returned my great aunt's.

I don't remember Girl of the Limberlost as being the sequel to Freckles that I read... I sort of remember starting Girl, and getting bored by her being called Cornstalk? (silly younger me ) whereas the one I remember as the sequel has Freckles being the Duke and the Angel playing her guitar and going on a European tour and angst about their being together...

What I mean to say is, THERE ARE THREE FRECKLES BOOKS???!!!

My favorite Georgette Heyers are The Grand Sophy and a toss up between Thursday's Child and Cotillion. A friend loaned me A Quiet Gentleman and it was hitting all the sweet spots--competent cousin, dandy who isn't as dumb as he looks, nice house--and then I guessed who-done-it and was heartbroken because I'd liked the culprit. High quality writing, right there because I wanted it to be a much more ridiculous answer. I've also picked up two more at various sales (Talisman Ring and False Colors) and have no real excuse for not reading them yet.

Valia, I was particularly attached to the last Belinda book. She inherited the HOUSE, and then she wanted to make it into a home for people who didn't have one. Also it had a girl in a white lace dress in a rose garden on the cover. It didn't get much better than that.

...having revealed some deep-seated trope loves, I think I'll just go on and mention that I also really liked T. Davis Bunn's Book of Hours.

Among my recent reads was Ender's Game, which I'd never read before. It was quite interesting to see how it had influenced later books I have read (Red Rising comes to mind) but some of the impact was probably lost by having read others of the type.

[waggawerewolf27]

My favorite Georgette Heyers are The Grand Sophy and a toss up between Thursday's Child and Cotillion.

Are the Georgette Heyer books still around then? They used to be popular books at a council library where I first worked, along with Jean Plaidy historical fiction. Georgette Heyer usually wrote about the Regency period of British history, that is to say, in the early decades of the 19th century, didn't she? It was years later before I realised that one of her books called The Prince and Perdita was based on an actual historic incident, involving George IV, probably the most despicable and disliked king the UK ever had.

[Meltintalle]

wagga, There was a reprinting of Georgette Heyer's work in the last ten years, so they're easier to find; at least, the Regency Romances are. The murder mysteries might be as well since I've seen at least one in the recent set, but I've not run across any of the more historical fiction pieces.

Jean Plaidy, on the other hand, is an author I've never heard of before.

[waggawerewolf27]

wagga, There was a reprinting of Georgette Heyer's work in the last ten years, so they're easier to find; at least, the Regency Romances are. ... I've not run across any of the more historical fiction pieces.

Jean Plaidy, on the other hand, is an author I've never heard of before.

Jean Plaidy is one of the many pseudonyms of Eleanor Burford whose married name was Hibbert. Two of her other pseudonyms include Philippa Carr and most notably Victoria Holt. She also wrote romance novels, like the very famous Barbara Cartland, a quite phenomenal and prolific romance author known sometimes as "Her Pinkness". Jean Plaidy became fascinated by history by a visit to Hampton Court in London, and she wrote quite extensively, including about the Regency period. She also wrote Perdita's Prince (1969), as well as a novel about George III, another one called Victoria Victorious, and a trilogy about Catherine de Medici, the Italian-born wife of the French king Henry II. Some of these novels, I saw in the Wikipedia article, have been reissued, sometimes under different titles. Jean Plaidy also travelled extensively, including to Australia, before her death in 1993.

I remember a book or maybe more than one about Katherine Swynford, a mistress of John of Gaunt who went on to marry him after the death of his wife, and who came to be the ancestress of the Dukes of Somerset and the family of Beaufort. I am trying to track it down, because I am not sure that it was Georgette Heyer who wrote it. I think the author was someone called Anya Seton.

[daughter of the King]

I don't remember Girl of the Limberlost as being the sequel to Freckles that I read... I sort of remember starting Girl, and getting bored by her being called Cornstalk? (silly younger me ) whereas the one I remember as the sequel has Freckles being the Duke and the Angel playing her guitar and going on a European tour and angst about their being together...

What I mean to say is, THERE ARE THREE FRECKLES BOOKS???!!!

. . . SAY WHAT NOW??? Any idea what the title of the other one was, Mel? A quick google search wasn't much help. My mother loves Gene Stratton Porter books, and it would absolutely thrill her if I found another one for her.

I finished reading the first two Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett (picked them up in a one-volume book at a used bookstore quite awhile ago and never got around to reading it until now). They were delightful. More fairytale-esque than a lot of his other ones, and obviously YA, but still excellent reads.

And I finally started Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo after hearing several friends recommend it. I'm only a few chapters in, but so far I am very intrigued by the world-building.

[Anfinwen]

I don't remember Girl of the Limberlost as being the sequel to Freckles that I read... I sort of remember starting Girl, and getting bored by her being called Cornstalk? (silly younger me ) whereas the one I remember as the sequel has Freckles being the Duke and the Angel playing her guitar and going on a European tour and angst about their being together...

What I mean to say is, THERE ARE THREE FRECKLES BOOKS???!!!

. . . SAY WHAT NOW??? Any idea what the title of the other one was, Mel? A quick google search wasn't much help. My mother loves Gene Stratton Porter books, and it would absolutely thrill her if I found another one for her.

The three books are "Freckles", "Freckles Comes Home", and "Girl of the Limberlost", but here's the deal, Jean Stratton-Porter's daughter Jeanette wrote "Freckles Comes Home" and she deviated a bit from her mother's work in what Freckles ends up doing and by giving Angel an actual name.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/112 ... Comes_Home
There's an old movie made off of it, so maybe that's why she wrote it.
"Girl of the Limberlost" can stand alone, but first time readers will be confused by references to Freckles "room" and his box he kept stuff in, as well as the bird woman giving Elnora clothes belonging to someone called "Angel." I guess it's more of a Limberlost book two than a Freckles book two, as that's what it's called on Goodreads. At the end of the book, Mel, someone visits Freckles and Angel and spends time with them and their spirited children. I do remember it being harder to get into because it's such a hard luck story, but it gets way better with the mother straightening up and the addition of a love interest.

My favorite Georgette Heyers are The Grand Sophy and a toss up between Thursday's Child and Cotillion. A friend loaned me A Quiet Gentleman and it was hitting all the sweet spots--competent cousin, dandy who isn't as dumb as he looks, nice house--and then I guessed who-done-it

I loved "The Grand Sophie"! One of the first tall heroines I've come across. I haven't read the other two, though. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book "The Black Moth" despite it seeming to have every cliche imaginable. My all time favorite, though is "A Civil Contract" because it's such an anti-romance. With it's reasonable and gentlemanly hero and down to earth heroine, it's a breath of fresh air.

Anfinwen, did you like the last book in the Acts of Faith series? I loved the start of the series, but felt like the last book was really flat.

I did, not perhaps as much as the others, but sharing the name of the main character may have had something to do with it. I thought it was a really interesting look at some of the practices of the times and how a Christian might have to deal with them.

[aileth]

I don't remember Girl of the Limberlost as being the sequel to Freckles that I read... I sort of remember starting Girl, and getting bored by her being called Cornstalk? (silly younger me ) whereas the one I remember as the sequel has Freckles being the Duke and the Angel playing her guitar and going on a European tour and angst about their being together...

What I mean to say is, THERE ARE THREE FRECKLES BOOKS???!!!

Well, sort of. There is Freckles, of course. Then (chronologically) Freckles Comes Home (the European tour with angst one) by Gene's daughter, Jeanette Stratton Porter.In Girl of the Limberlost, we get brief glimpses of Freckles and the Angel, as well as their family. So in one way, it's not really a Freckles book, but we do find out what happened to them--satisfying in that regard. And they also play an important role in the resolution of the plot.

Personally, I found Comes Home to be a bit jarring, read immediately after the orginal Freckles. At least half the issues that had been adequately resolved in the first book seemed to be reiterated, under slightly disguised circumstances. It felt rather contrived, not a bit real, which is one of the things that I like about the better GSP books. But that doesn't mean that one couldn't enjoy it, just that for me it wouldn't rank as a five-star read.

[Meltintalle]

What I mean to say is, THERE ARE THREE FRECKLES BOOKS???!!!

. . . SAY WHAT NOW??? Any idea what the title of the other one was, Mel?

I checked my booklist and found that I must have read Freckles Comes Home before I started keeping track. Fortunately for both of us, other people here knew the answer. (Thanks, Anfinwen and aileth!)

Do let me know what you think of Six of Crows, dot! I thought it was pretty good overall.

*scribbles down A Civil Contract as a to-read* Sounds like my kind of story! And I may have to give Girl of the Limberlost a second chance.

[Col Klink]

My favorite author might be Charles Dickens. But from I what I remember from being a lurker on this forum, he isn't particularly popular here. Figures since this is a Narnia site and his writing style is pretty different from C.S. Lewis's, Dickens being more emotional and Lewis intellectual, aside from Till We Have Faces anyway. (Jane Austen also tends to be popular on this site and she was a cold fish if ever there was one.)

I thought I'd ask anyone who dislikes Dickens' writing to recommend an author who was as good or better at creating larger than life characters, particularly villains. Recommendations for fun over-the-top books are always welcome.

Another of my favorite authors is Leon Garfield. He's not famous but his Young Adults novels are really good. He might have the best prose style I've ever read. Here's a list of his books that I've read.
Devil in the Fog
The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris
Night of the Comet
Jack Holborn
The Apprentices (This is the only I don't like.)
Shakespeare Stories volumes I and II.
The God Beneath the Sea
The Golden Shadow

Has anyone else read Leon Garfield?

P.S.
I have a lot more admiration and respect for Jane Austen than my reference to her in this post would indicate. I just don't love her. How can you love someone with no character flaws and no emotion?

[Anfinwen]

My favorite author might be Charles Dickens. But from I what I remember from being a lurker on this forum, he isn't particularly popular here.

I thought I'd ask anyone who dislikes Dickens' writing to recommend an author who was as good or better at creating larger than life characters, particularly villains. Recommendations for fun over-the-top books are always welcome.

I like Dickens, and I’d actually rank “A Tale of Two Cities” among my favorite books. However, that and “Oliver Twist” are the only two I’ve read. His writing is sometimes difficult to follow because it is so dense, and he includes so many details and complex language. I do have several of his works on my mental to-read list.
In my opinion Sir Walter Scott is quite similar in language and the way he really dives into his subject/period and turns minor characters into major players. I assume most people have read “Ivanhoe”, but if not, it’s amazing! I really enjoyed “The Talisman” as well, but gave up on “Kenilworth.”

[aileth]

Ha! I see that I was writing while Anfinwen was posting, so sorry for the double answer! (I think you summed it up more thoroughly, Anfinwen)

[Meltintalle]

I've found my enjoyment of Dickens' work is proportional to how much of the story I know ahead of time. David Copperfield in particular was disappointing. I'd been looking forward to the unabridged version but for me the original text felt incredibly dense--walls and walls of words --without adding any nuance or atmosphere to the story.

Going into Bleak House and Dombey and Son I had no idea what was going to happen next and neither felt like a slog to get through, so my theory is that Dickens is an author best enjoyed with No Spoilers.

[SnowAngel]

No, no, no, Mel, you can't say that you like one of Davis Bunn's books that I haven't read, especially not when my library system has The Book of Hours.

I had picked a couple of Georgette Heyer books at the library early this year I think, but I didn't have the time to read them before they had to be returned. I did listen to the audiobook of The Convenient Marriage read by Richard Armitage a few month ago, I didn't love the story, but it was fun listening to Richard Armitage read the different characters. HooplaDigital has two other Georgette Heyer's title read by Richard Armitage, Venetia and Sylvester, both abridged, I might listen to one of them after I finish The Mysterious Affair At Styles.

My current reading plan is to finish the books I am reading (Cherry Ames Chief Nurse and The Courage To Be Christian), then read in order The Tox Files (all three books), finally finish Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl by N.D. Wilson, A Defense of Honor by Kristen Hunter (review copy), and then my next batch of library holds.

I just realized it's been well over a year and half since I had gotten Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl from the library, this time I will finish it since it's my own copy of the book I will be reading.

Has anyone read Nadine Brandes' books? I got Fawkes recently...I haven't had a chance to read it yet. But I am looking forward to it, the cover is gorgeous.

Recently Scarlet decided to let little brother listen to When Calls The Heart the audiobook, he was skeptical at first, but then we had a hard time getting him to stop listening and go play outside. Who needs Jack Thornton when there's Wynn Delaney? I really need to reread the whole series.

SnowAngel

[Anfinwen]

HooplaDigital has two other Georgette Heyer's title read by Richard Armitage, Venetia and Sylvester, both abridged, I might listen to one of them after I finish The Mysterious Affair At Styles.

I use Hoopla as well. I listened to "Sylvester" read by RA and enjoyed it, but I don't think his voice is worth having the book abridged. It just felt a little lacking. "The Grand Sophy" is on Hoopla and is a great story, and "Faro's Daughter" was also enjoyable. The reader for "The Black Moth" was really good.

[220chrisTian]

Dickens: I adore A Tale of Two Cities. The plot and writing style reminded me of Victor Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris. I've also read A Christmas Carol, which I didn't care for much (having grown up on Mickey's Christmas Carol), but that's it. I strongly recommend the UK TV mini-series Dickensian. It felt so real to me.

Austen: what have you read, Col? Pride and Prejudice doesn't have much emotion, but Persuasion and Sense & Sensibility are full of it. If you read these two books, you surely won't see a cold fish.

Larger than life characters, villains = Victor Hugo.