Introverted Reader

Ten Books with Nature on the Cover

Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share ten books with nature on the cover this week. If you asked me to describe what kind of cover I like, I would tell you that I don't like human figures or cheesy stock photos. I also don't particularly care for covers that have flowery vines. But when I started looking through my "read" books on GoodReads, I couldn't get away from people on covers! Apparently I just don't like covers with photos of real people. Anyway, these are the books that I ultimately chose. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin, read by Mark Bramhall--This book takes place in the Pacific Northwest and now that I've spent time in Oregon, I know this cover is perfect. It reminds me of a photograph I took of fruit trees with Mt. Hood in the background. Hiking Oregon's History by William L. Sullivan--It doesn't get more nature-y than an actual mountaintop photograph, does it? Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas--The baby dress grabs my attention first but then I also notice the little town nestled in those beautiful mountains. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer--How could I leave Mt. Everest out of this list? In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides--I love the translucence of those icebergs and the perfectly calm water. It's a great representation of the story contained inside. Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani--Can you tell I'm a mountain girl yet? This book takes place in the Appalachian mountains in southwestern Virginia. I grew up on the North Carolina side of those mountains so this cover looks like home to me. I love the little town climbing the hills, the feel of early…

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May 10, 2021

Flight of the Phoenix by R. L. LaFevers: Book Review

4 Stars. What a cute little book! I read it in about an hour but I enjoyed myself immensely. Nathaniel is a fairly complex character. He's a timid little thing but Aunt Phil pushes him to face his fears. He has a kind heart that leads him to befriend creatures that Aunt Phil dismisses as pests. Most living things will respond [...]

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for May 9, 2021

Welcome to my weekly update for May 9, 2021! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! We celebrated early with my in-laws last week. It was nice to spend a long weekend with them. I won't be seeing my own mom today but we're planning to see her and the rest of my family in about a month! I haven't seen any of them since February 2020. Friday was an exciting day for me on Siesta Key! I noticed a crowd gathered ahead of me on my morning walk. As I got closer, I realized that some sort of ship was grounded on a sandbar, not very far offshore. A smaller boat was hovering around and I can't find anything about it on the news, so I assume that whomever was onboard got away safely. Quite a bit of debris had washed ashore though. I also saw my second yellow-crowned night heron! I took the picture in the water a couple of weeks ago; the sandy picture is from Friday. Slideshow Posted: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, read by Charlotte Parry--3 Stars The Pretenders (Cemetery Girl #1) by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden, illustrated by Don Kramer--3 Stars My ten most recent reads Read: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, read by Charlotte Parry Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, read by Miriam Margolyes Flight of the Phoenix (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, #1) by R. L. LaFevers, illustrated by Kelly Murphy Currently Reading: The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) by B. B. Alston, read by Imani Parks The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise…

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May 8, 2021

The Pretenders by Charlaine Harris: Book Review

3 Stars. I expected something like The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which sets the bar awfully high. There's a superficial similarity in the plot summary but that's as far as any resemblance goes. There's plenty of action to kick off this trilogy but it's action that doesn't seem to be relevant to the main story. I didn't know [...]

A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce: Book Review

3 Stars. I really liked the first half of the book. Charlotte is feisty, if a bit too practical, and she's creative in addressing the mill's myriad problems. I wondered how the author was going to weave Rumpelstiltskin into the tale but she did it beautifully. The village of Shearing, like any self-respecting small town, is full [...]

Bookish Miscellany

Ten Most Recent Reads

Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share our ten most recent reads this week. I'm writing this on Wednesday so it will be out of date by the time it posts, but here's my current list! Links for books that I haven't reviewed yet go to the Malaprop's bookstore website. Welcome to the Jungle (Dresden Files #0.5) by Jim Butcher, illustrated by Ardian Syaf--3.5 Stars--A fun graphic-novel prequel to the series, when life was a bit less complicated for Harry. The Pretenders (Cemetery Girl Trilogy #1) by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden, illustrated by Don Kramer--3 Stars--A decent start to a series but the authors didn't even begin to answer any questions about who The Cemetery Girl is. The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy #1) by Indu Sundaresan, read by Sneha Mathan--4.5 Stars--A fairly slow book but the political intrigue of the Mughul Empire did permeate the text. Beautifully written and beautifully narrated. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori--4 Stars--A quirky book that won't be for every reader. It left me wondering why society just can't let us be happy as we are instead of constantly pushing us to fit into a mold. Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, translated by Barbara Harshav--3 Stars--Another beautifully-written book full of philosophical questions. I just read it at the wrong time and it never quite caught my full attention. Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey #1) by Dorothy L. Sayers, read by Nadia May--2.5 Stars--A decent enough little mystery but the anti-Semitism turned me off. In all fairness, the book was published in 1923. Boston Jacky: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Taking Care of Business (Bloody Jack, #11) by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren--2 Stars--I love the Bloody Jack series, especially as read…

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May 3, 2021

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for May 2, 2021

Welcome to my weekly update for May 2, 2021! As you read this, my husband and I should be spending the weekend with his parents. We've all been vaccinated and they're only a two-hour drive away. It felt safe to us and the CDC says it's okay too. We've had lunch with them a couple of times since we arrived in Florida but this will be our first overnight visit since Christmas 2019. We'll be celebrating an early Mother's Day while we're there. The moonset from Siesta Key was spectacular on Tuesday morning. Posted: Ten Animals in Books Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori--4 Stars Welcome to the Jungle (Dresden Files #0.5) by Jim Butcher, illustrated by Ardian Syaf--3.5 Stars The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, read by Sneha Mathan Six Degrees of Separation from Beezus and Ramona Read: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, read by Sneha Mathan Welcome to the Jungle (Dresden Files #0.5) by Jim Butcher, illustrated by Ardian Syaf The Pretenders (Cemetery Girl Trilogy #1) by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden, illustrated by Don Kramer Currently Reading: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, read by Charlotte Parry Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer Up Next: I don't even know. I've still struggled with my concentration this week. We'll see where the mood takes me. What did your week look like? Hosts Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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May 1, 2021

Bookish Miscellany

Beezus and Ramona: 6 Degrees of Separation

Hosted by Books Are My Favourite and Best on the first Saturday of every month, this meme asks us to start with one title and create a chain of bookish connections to see where it takes us. This month, to commemorate Beverly Cleary's death in March, we're starting with Beezus and Ramona, the first in the Ramona books. I actually [...]

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May 1, 2021

The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan: Book Review

4.5 Stars. I've struggled a little lately with a bit of a reading slump. I can usually break out of those by reading a few quick fantasies. This book should not have worked for me right now but it absolutely did. I know very little Indian history so I didn't know anything about this emperor, his wives, or even this period in [...]

Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher: Book Review

3.5 Stars. This was a pretty fun entry in the series. It's nice to read something set fairly early in Dresden's life, before things get so...messy. The mystery is pretty straightforward and engaging enough. Harry tries to be his sarcastic self but I think the shorter format interferes with that a bit. How many panels of snark [...]