I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists. Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.
1. The Curse of the Pharaoh by Elizabeth Peters - This is the second book in the Amelia Peabody series and takes place 5 years after the first book. Amelia and Emerson are married and have a son but are far from settled and staid and when the chance comes to return to Egypt to run a dig that is supposedly cursed they jump at the chance even if it means leaving their precocious toddler at home. Soon they are in the middle of a dig trying to figure out some very mysterious happenings - including the death of the previous dig leader and the disappearance of his assistant. Elizabeth Peters is actually Barbara Mertz who actually was an Egyptologist of some renown which makes this book extra fun. The mystery is an intriguing one with some good twists. If you are a fan of Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell you must meet Amelia Peabody. The pacing is a little slow but the story is a fast read and enjoyable. My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
2. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner - This was a random pick and my expectations were not super high. I'm embarrassed to admit it but I'm not the biggest Jane Austen fan. I enjoy her books but I don't love her as so many people do. This was an interesting read. There's a group of Austen lovers from very different walks of life who are united in their love of Austen and appreciation for history. This takes place towards the end and immediately following World War II. I loved the insight both into Austen's work and to why people love her as much as they do. The connections to Austen herself added an extra bit of interest. I picked up the audio book and the narrator did a wonderful job and enhanced my enjoyment of my story. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
3. She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke - This was a fast read with pretty much all the characters involved somehow in book industry - either in writing them or publishing them. It's definitely very much a rom-com but the "com" part of the rom-com didn't really fit with my preferences. I'm not a big fan of farce or physical comedy and this was very much both of these. I think it was a well-done example of those particular subgenres but it just isn't something I really enjoy. If you like quirky rom-coms and love a book with bookish characters this is a fun one. If you suffer from secondhand embarrassment, you may want to tread carefully. My Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)
4. Tiny Little Things by Beatriz Williams - This is the second book in the Schulyer Sisters series and the one I was the least excited to read. Tiny seemed a bit too perfect and stiff in the first book so I wasn't that interested in her story. Once I got into this I enjoyed it way more than I expected. From the time she was very young Tiny had an inordinate amount of pressure on her to be perfect and do what was expected. Her parents are pretty much disasters (though her mother seriously redeemed herself in last half of this book) and Tiny didn't have the rebellious spirit of her sisters. As I got to know her more I couldn't help but root for her and like her quite a bit. There is a subplot that seems a bit pointless but when I read the blurb for book three it seems it's a setup for the next book. I don't think I enjoyed this as much as the first book or as much as I expect to like the next book but I'm very glad I got to spend some time with Tiny and get to know her. My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
5. The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen - This is the second book in the Tales from Ivy Hill fiction series set in an 1800s English village. The story continues from where the first left off with Mercy and Rachel (side characters but with major parts) taking the lead. Jane Bell and the main characters from the first book have large roles in this story as well and I enjoyed seeing their stories continue. This is Christian fiction which is normally not my cup of tea but I do like the messages of love, forgiveness, kindness, and grace without getting preachy. This was a nice listen with real problems and characters that seem like real people. I will be reading the next book in the series and I've really enjoyed the listening experience of this book and the first book. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
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