The Start of the Year

Watching the first episode of the Vera Stanhope final season starring Brenda Brethyn as Vera.
The last-ever episode is due next week for Americans (earlier in the UK).
We were amused that a minor character was played by Kevin Whately, the actor who played Inspector Lewis.

Most of my time this week has been spent reading, now that I’m back from a month of seemingly nonstop travel. I’m sharing this post with Deb’s Sunday Salon which starts on Saturday.

Book I’m Reading Now

The Strategists: Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Mussolini, and Hitler by Phillips Payson O’Brien.
A very very long history book.

Book I Hated

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn.

What a pile of cliches and hackneyed ideas! If the totally predictable historic stuff wasn’t bad enough, the author had to include recipes to make sure you knew it was ChickLit. Setting a book in a boarding house is a lazy way to have a lot of characters. Also lazy: the author gives hints about a murder scene from the beginning, but the choice of when and how to reveal the mystery is completely arbitrary. Same is true for the arbitrary way that the characters’ backgrounds are revealed: not by conversations, not by plot elements, but seemingly at random.

Book I Gave Up in the Middle

How Animals Understand Death by Susana Monso.
A poorly written book. I can’t figure out why I bought it.

Book I Read on One of Our Many Plane Trips

Enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees very much.

11 comments:

eileeninmd said...: Hello,
I like watching the Vera series, I have also been watching Shetland. I have given up on a few books. Take care, have a great weekend.; 1/04/2025 6:00 AM
Penelope Notes said...: Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. Don't know these books but I do know Vera, although I didn't know it was coming to a close. Lots of reruns ahead and now the actors can finally rest. :); 1/04/2025 8:36 AM
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...: Frankly, a lot of historical fiction reads like it was written by an early version of AI. I get frustrated with it the first time something in the story---a conversation, food eaten, a piece of furniture in the setting---doesn't jibe with the time. I hate to ring a dissonant bell but it greatly irritates me that many of these books become huge bestsellers.

Okay. End of rant.

I will look for Vera. We are not sure where we are going next with tv series and we've stepped away to do research and contemplate.; 1/04/2025 9:04 AM
s.c said...: I am also watching Vera but here in the Netherlands I have the feeling that we walk a few years behind. Nice al those book comments.; 1/04/2025 10:21 AM
Jeanie said...: I've liked other boos by Kate Quinn but that one sounds awful. I adore Vera. Almost watched yesterday but had to catch up on Shetland, so I binged on that one. I THOUGHT that was Kevin W. in the photo before reading your caption but he's aged a bit and I wasn't sure from the angle. I will SO miss Vera -- I'll have to start again at the beginning!; 1/04/2025 11:13 AM
Bill said...: My wife loves Vera but we don't get it here in Ireland. Wishing you a Happy and Healthy 2025.; 1/04/2025 12:52 PM
thathappyreader said...: I hope you have a great 2025 in books! P.S. You don’t need to leave your link when commenting on my post. It’s attached to your name. 😊; 1/04/2025 3:28 PM
Anne@HeadFullofBooks said...: I think you just saved me from wasting time on the latest Kate Quinn book. Whew. Close call. I loved The Secret Life of Bees and have often thought of reading reading it. Was this your first time through it? Here is my Sunday Salon since the linky is not set: My Sunday Salon post; 1/04/2025 6:05 PM
Joy said...: I usually love Kate Quinn, but I could not get into The Briar Club. Your experience makes me think that I might not give it a second chance.; 1/04/2025 7:29 PM
Iris Flavia said...: Happy New Year to you, wow,so many reading again!; 1/05/2025 7:32 AM
shelleyrae @ book'd out said...: I really enjoyed The Briar Club, I’m sorry you were so disappointed in it.
Wishing you a better week of reading!; 1/05/2025 9:32 AM