Friday, July 17, 2015

Friday Linkups: Black Rose















It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice.

The Book Blogger Hop Question of the Week:
Do you listen to audio books?

My Answer:
I'm pretty new to audio books but I do enjoy them now that I figured out how they work for me.  I love listening to them while cleaning or in car line to pick up my youngest.  I've had to take a break from them now that school is out and I don't have much quiet time but I'm looking forward to starting them again soon!

This week's book is Black Rose by Nora Roberts - the 2nd in the In the Garden series.  This is a reread for me as I read the series when it first came out but I picked the 1st book up at the library on a whim and immediately fell into the series.  I like this series because of the relationship between the women and the fact that the ages are really spread out.  The main couple in Black Rose is actually in their late 40s which doesn't happen all that much in this genre.  Plus, I love the ghost story that runs through all 3 books and the investigation into the who and the why.

The Beginning: 
Memphis, Tennessee
December 1892
She dressed carefully, attending to the details of her appearance as she hadn't done for months.  Her personal maid had run off weeks before, and she had neither the wit nor the will to hire another.

My Thoughts:
This is a flashback and while there aren't very many of them I really enjoy them.  We're watching Amelia start to unravel in a way that's both horrifying and fascinating.

The 56:
As a rule when he was working, Mitch remembered to clean his apartment when he ran out of places to sit or coffee cups.  Between projects he was slightly better at shoveling out, or at least rearranging the debris.

My Thoughts:
I love Mitch.  It's not that he's absent minded it's just that he gets so focused on his work that he forgets everything else.  And he's a research genealogist which is pretty much my dream job.  I'm not quite as bad as Mitch (partly because my husband is a serious neat freak) but my desk is a nightmare when I'm in the middle of a project so I can identify with him some!

Do you reread?  Any books that you've enjoyed even more the 2nd time around?


21 comments:

  1. Um...do I reread? Yes, I do. Do I enjoy more the second or third time around? Sometimes. I love rereading favorite books. I've read this trilogy and enjoyed it, although it is not my favorite of Nora Roberts' fun trilogies. Have a good time with it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you have the name of a fave Nora Roberts trilogy on the tip of your tongue? Not trying to put you on the spot, Kay. Just curious, and I'm adding this one as we speak.

      Delete
    2. This one is good - I just have a couple of others that I love more. I like the Three Sisters Island trliogy. They are Dance Upon the Air, Heaven and Earth, and Face the Fire and have hereditary witches in them. I also really like the Key trilogy - Key of Light, Key of Knowledge, Key of Valor - goddesses. And I also like the quartet of books that concern some friends who have a wedding planning business. The first one is Vision in White. Katherine, you could probably give Rita other suggestions.

      Delete
  2. Audio isn't my favorite way to listen. I know some folks simply love audio books.

    Your book beginning sounds quite good. Love the cover and the title too.

    No on re-reading.

    ENJOY your weekend.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

    ReplyDelete
  3. Since you asked: I like to listen to audio books when I'm driving; I very rarely reread a book -- it has to be very special for me to do that. My feeling is there are too many new books and too little time to get to them.

    My Friday post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2015/07/friday-focus-friday-56-book-beginnings_17.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've recently got back into audible books. I like listening while I'm working. And yes, I do reread. That's why I like print books the best. I walk over to my shelves and browse before pulling one off the shelf. It;s relaxing to revisit old friends:) I've got to check out this book. Sounds like some good characters and I like character driven stories.

    Here's my 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/07/17/the-friday-56-69-grey-daze-by-author-michael-allan-scott/

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't re-read as much as I would like. There are too many TBR books or review books on my stack. Nora Roberts is great for re-reading though. I keep all of her books because I do plan to read them again. I'm spotlighting Silver Mirrors by A. A. Aguirre this week. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, I am intrigued. This is one NR book that I haven't read, and it sounds good.

    I don't reread now as much as I once did. Probably because the incoming new books keep me busy. But I love rereading favorites, like the Emma Harte series by Barbara Taylor Bradford, and Beth Gutcheon's books, like Still Missing and Domestic Pleasures. I recently bought Eight Cousins, from LMA...just for the purpose of rereading it. And I have a stack of other potential rereads: Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Gone with the Wind, and Uncle Tom's Cabin. I hope to get to them eventually. LOL

    Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I cannot believe that I am confessing this out loud. I have never read a Nora Roberts book. But this series might be the one that gets me started reading her books. Sounds really good.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't reread anymore. Did all the time as a young child though, carrying around my favorite books. I love when little ones do that; they carry the book around like it is their own personal treasure, which is really is. I miss that my kids don't have that great attachment to books anymore, though my two oldest would read more if they weren't swamped with school/work.
    I've read you say before that you enjoyed this particular short series by Nora Roberts. Since I have jumped on the Heather Graham bandwagon :) I think I would enjoy this group of books also. Thanks for reminding me to add it to the ever-growing list.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh my gosh, Mitch and I would not get along. I can't imagine waiting so long to clean up. Hope you're enjoying!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I do reread, Isle Of Palms by Dorothea Benton Frank-at least 10 times! The Harry Potter series as well. Have a great Friday! This Nora Roberts book looks good.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I listen to a lot of audio books while at work. I hate doing dishes so there are times when I wait until I've run out of plates or utensils. Girl Who Reads

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just tagged you in my most recent tag, have full with it!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I still haven't tried audio books! Just like I've never tried any of Nora Roberts work!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sounds good to me.
    Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I haven't tried many audio books, only Harry Potter and Pride and Prejudice. I like Nora Roberts. I haven't reread any of her books. But I have reread Julie Garwood's old medieval ones in the past. I have so many books on my TBR that I don't need to really reread anything right now.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Katherine,

    I couldn't relate your opening lines, or your 56, to the premise on Goodreads, however all three excerpts together have intrigued me enough to need to know more. I am wondering if these books need to be read in series order, or if they work as stand alone's?

    I have read one or two Nora Robert's books before and whilst I wouldn't class her writing as up there with my all time favourites, she can pen a rattling good story, which keeps you guessing until the end!

    Up until very recently I had always boasted that I never read a book more than once, but with 'The House At Riverton' by Kate Morton, I have broken my own rule. Whilst I did enjoy the style of writing and the storyline, I wouldn't have re-read the book on that basis alone. It was simply that I hadn't included the book and its review in my Goodreads catalogue and when I checked back on the blog, I realised that this had been one of the very first reviews I had published and it really was too badly written and put together, to use now. As I couldn't recall all of the details about the storyline, I therefore decided to re-read and I have to confess that I am enjoying it just as much the second time around :)

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I so rarely re-read books. I mean to, but I am always tempted more by the books I have yet to read.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I rarely get the chance to re-read books any more with so many requests coming in. But it may be time for a break so I can enjoy one of my favourites again. :-D

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm kind of newer to the audio way of reading too. But I'm definitely on board with them. I like them for my nightly run, driving, even getting ready in the morning. But I've started to learn to listen to a sound clip before I download one, because the narrator can definitely kill a book for me.
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

    ReplyDelete