January 2021 Books

Blood of Elves ¹ by Andrzej Sapkowski - This was the fourth Witcher book I read and I was so into the first three-quarters and then it veered off course and I lost complete track of what was going on and I still am not clear as to what happened with Triss. I dunno, I think eventually I'll give Time of Contempt a try and if that one's as tough to follow I'll abandon the series. It's really not my kind of genre, I'm only reading/listening to it on Xavier's recommendation.

Highland Rogue by Arnette Lamb - A historical romance novel that I inherited from Godmommy Gina. This one wasn't that great. The main guy was a bit of a jerk and the last quarter of it just got real dumb. 

* Alien Superstar 2: Lights, Camera, Danger! ¹ by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver - I actually liked this one better than the first Alien Superstar book! Henry Winkler's voices and excitement at reading his stories just make the day so much brighter. I finished this after watching The Comey Rule cause I needed something light and cheerful. This one was just plain fun!

Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros - Another book from the Godmomma that started out okay and then the leading lady just became annoyingly stupid.

* A Study in Scarlet ¹ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - I had listened to this book in February of 2019 and didn't care for it. I found it hard to follow, especially when all of a sudden we are in the Wild West of America with mormons. What the hell?! So this time I listened to the Derek Jacobi-read version and he made it all come together and make sense. I also consulted Wikipedia to refresh my memory so that when the plot turns left and heads to the US of A I would be ready and on top of it.

* Only You by Fayrene Preston

* Walk Through Walls ¹ by Marina Abramović - What an utterly fascinating life this woman has led. I loved hearing about her childhood, her early performance pieces, her love affairs, her thoughts and experiences and all read by the lovely lady herself. An extraordinary woman.

* Perfume ¹ by Patrick Süskind - I had heard of this book years ago, purchased a second hand paperback copy and always meant to get around to reading it. I liked the film and even though it's a bit of a grisly subject, I found the book to be incredibly absorbing. One can't help but simultaneously loathe and pity the main character of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.

♥ The Duke and I by Julia Quinn - I had read this back in 2018 and what with everyone talking about Bridgerton, I wanted to give it another read. I loved it all over again. I watched the series, which I was sort of excited about. A refreshing take on casting with all different races playing all different parts. I thought of how the actors would feel, to wear the clothes, speak the words, and learn the dances of a period where they never could have existed. It was a brilliant concept that, for me, was ruined the moment they addressed the races. Saying that blacks could now hold places of power in society because a white king fell in love with a black woman just tore down the veil that let me forget that some of the actors “didn’t belong.” Bridgerton is a fantasy and it would have been better to allow the audience to be swept up in the idea of a world with equality. It was a huge mistake to destroy that fantasy. Oh and the character of Daphne bored me to tears. So blah and zero chemistry with Simon, unlike in the book. But one thing the series did right was Penelope. I loved her character in the books and she was totes adorbs in the series. In the end, I say skip the show and read the books. 

* The Marshmallow Test ¹ by Walter Mischel - I picked this audiobook because Alan Alda is the narrator. It was really interesting to learn a few tips on how to resist temptation, to not always give in to the "hot" system, but to use your "cool" system and think about things logically rather than being impulsive just for momentary happiness.

♥ Around the World in 80 Days ¹ by Jules Verne

♥ Poirot and Me ¹ by David Suchet

* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ¹ by Lewis Carroll - I had read this as a child and loved it. It's such a short book that I was able to borrow the audiobook through Libby and the bonus is that it was read by the great Jim Dale. But I still prefer his reading of Around the World in 80 Days over anything else.

♥ In the Heart of the Sea ¹ by Nathaniel Philbrick - I love survival stories and this one was superb. Knowing in advance that the story of the sinking of the whaling ship The Essex was the inspiration for Moby Dick made me anxious to give it a listen. I was glad that the sperm whale rammed the ship and sank it, as I felt it was revenge for the horrors that whaling had on the lives of innumerable whales. But then it left those men stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for over three months, slowly deteriorating. I listened to it and was constantly refilling my glass of water, feeling so grateful for every drop when hearing of how these men were literally dying of thirst. That the thirst became all they thought about. I was so relieved when they were rescued, but then returning home, completely and forever changed, while those they had left behind at the start of their voyage will never grasp what these men went through. Took me seven years but I finally read this exceptional story.

¹ - audiobook
² - abridged version
* - liked
♥ - loved
Any unmarked titles were, in my opinion, so-so.