I’ve launched a new weekly featured concentration of book reviews on Jorie Loves A Story which celebrates my love and passion for the historical past! For those of whom are regular readers and visitors to my blog, you’ll denote a dedicated passion for reading Historical Fiction (and all the lovely segues of thematic therein) – I am a time traveller of the historical past every chance I get to disappear into a new era and/or century of exploration. There isn’t a time period I haven’t enjoyed ruminating over since [2013] and there are a heap of lovely timescapes I’ve yet to encounter.
This feature was inspired by the stories I’ve read, the stories I’ve yet to experience and the beauty of feeling interconnected to History through the representation of the past through the narratives being writ by today’s Historical Fiction authors. It is to those authors I owe a debt of gratitude for enlightening my bookish mind and my readerly heart with realistic characters, illuminating portals of living history and a purposeful intent on giving each of us a strong representation of ‘life’ which should never become dismissed, forgotten or erased.
I am began this feature with the sequel to a beloved historical novel I first read in [2013] – it was one of the first ARCs I received and it was the first year I was a book blogger though it was through a connection outside my life as a blogger. I celebrated K.B. Laugheed’s literature to kick-off this feature and hopefully will inspire my followers to take this new weekly journey with me into the stories which are beckoning to read their narrative depths and find the words in which to express the thoughts I experienced as I read.
Acquired Book(s) By:I have been hosting blog tours and reviews for Simon & Schuster off and on for nearly a year now. I’ve had the joy of discovering their stories through Contemporary and Historical narratives whilst happily finding a lot of their authors are writing the kinds of stories which keep me engaged and rooted in their narratives.
This time round – it was a Historical Suspense novel and series which whet a thirst of interest to be reading as it is rooted in my love of Agatha Christie – this series puts Dame Christie in the driving seat of the sleuth rather than one of her characters and I have a propensity for seeking out these kinds of mysteries. Previously, I gave the Jane Austen mysteries my attention and there have been a few others over the years where living persons are the ‘sleuths’ who tuck us into their worlds. I find it a bit fascinating how living history is now a foundation for Mysteries, Suspense & Thrillers – as it extends my love of Biographical Historical Fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of “Death in a Desert Land” from the publisher Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Ahead of reading “Death in a Desert Land” I also borrowed copies of the first two novels in this series: “A Talent for Murder” and “A Different Kind of Evil” from my local library which I happily shared ruminations about on this post for my personal edification and for continuing to share my bookish life with my readers. I was not obligated to do so in other words and felt it was beneficial to sharing my joy of the series.
Why I didn’t cosy into A Talent for Murder:
I do appreciate following the vision of a series from the beginning of how an author pens the stories – however, in this particular case, I didn’t find an easy entrance into A Talent for Murder – in effect, I found it hard to adjust to the writing style and find a compelling reason to read it. It was written in a rather brisk fashion and although the premise was a curious one – how Agatha Christie would go from writing to sleuthing was a strong component of why I wanted to read the story as a precursor to reading the second volume of the series and then, the recently released third Death in a Desert Land – I mused, perhaps this series might follow suit of a previously read Historical Romance series.
I am finding recently there are certain series which benefit from skipping over the first few volumes in exchange for the latest release. This did not used to be the case for me – I would generally find myself smitten by the first novel of a series in-progress and have a lot of good folly to follow through with the installments leading into the newest one being released – until, I’ve found that sometimes series grow more appealling with age than they do with their first entries into the rhythm of their stories.
Two series prior to this one worked this way for me recently – as soon as I picked up Death in a Desert Land, I found a different voice within it. A different method of delivery in the narrative and because of that – I found myself about to cosy into this story far easier than my first attempts within A Talent for Murder. Thereby, despite my personal preferences to read series in sequential order, there are apparently a few series out there which benefit me to skip round and find the installments which suit me best to be reading. You might have noted I borrowed the second novel in this series but opted instead to read the third.
This suited me as what initially had drawn my interest into reading the Agatha Christie series is by having a life-long pursuit of the author’s collective works. My favourite stories are those of Miss Marple even if in recent years I’ve had a glimpse of Poirot and have taken a firm liking to his quirky ways of sleuthing – there is still a stronghold of appreciation on my behalf for Marple. I dearly had hoped to find entrance into this series as I was most keen to discover how Christie would be presented as an independent sleuth and how that would counter to the image and impression I had of her previously.
Fresh from solving the gruesome murder of a British agent in the Canary Islands, mystery writer Agatha Christie receives a letter from a family who believes their late daughter met with foul play. Before Gertrude Bell overdosed on sleeping medication, she was a prominent archaeologist, recovering ancient treasures in the Middle East. Found near her body was a letter claiming that Bell was being followed and to complicate things further, Bell was competing with another archeologist, Mrs. Woolley, for the rights to artifacts of immense value.
Christie travels to far-off Persia, where she meets the enigmatic Mrs. Woolley as she is working on a big and potentially valuable discovery. Temperamental but brilliant, Mrs. Woolley quickly charms Christie but when she does not hide her disdain for the recently deceased Miss Bell, Christie doesn’t know whether to trust her—or if Bell’s killer is just clever enough to hide in plain sight.
as well as #HistoricalMystery + #HistFic #Mysteries
About Andrew Wilson
Andrew Wilson is an award-winning journalist and author. His work has appeared in a wide variety of publications including the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Sunday Times, and the Smithsonian Magazine. He is the author of four acclaimed biographies, a book about the survivors of the Titanic, and the novels, The Lying Tongue, A Talent for Murder, A Different Kind of Evil, Death in a Desert Land.
Photo Credit: Johnny Ring
Location Courtesy of Royal Institute of British Architecture
After launching this lovely new feature of mine during [Autumn, 2018] it is a pleasure of joy to continue to bring #SaturdaysAreBookish as a compliment focus of my Twitter chat @SatBookChat. If you see the chat icon at the top of my blog (header bar) you can click over to visit with us. The complimentary showcases on my blog will reflect the diversity of stories, authors and publishers I would be featuring on the chat itself. As at the root and heart of the chat are the stories I am reading which compliment the conversations.
#SaturdaysAreBookish throughout [2019] will be featuring the Romance & Women’s Fiction authors I am discovering to read across genre and point of interest. Every Saturday will feature a different author who writes either Romance or Women’s Fiction – the stories I am reading might simply inspire the topics in the forthcoming chats or they might be directly connected to the current guest author.
I am excited about where new guests and new stories will lay down the foundation of inspiring the topics, the conversations and the bookish recommendations towards promoting Romance & Women’s Fiction. Here’s a lovely New Year full of new authors and their stories to celebrate!
Acquired Book By:
I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! HFVBTs is one of the very first touring companies I started working with as a 1st Year Book Blogger – uniting my love and passion with Historical Fiction and the lovely sub-genres inside which I love devouring.
It has been a wicked fantastical journey into the heart of the historic past, wherein I’ve been blessed truly by discovering new timescapes, new living realities of the persons who once lived (ie. Biographical Historical Fiction) inasmuch as itched my healthy appetite for Cosy Historical Mysteries! If there is a #HistRom out there it is generally a beloved favourite and I love soaking into a wicked wonderful work of Historical Fiction where you feel the beauty of the historic world, the depth of the characters and the joyfulness in which the historical novelists brought everything to light in such a lovingly diverse palette of portraiture of the eras we become time travellers through their stories.
As this blog tour features a new Cosy Historical Mystery author I hadn’t yet read, I requested the first novel in the series to read in tandem with the latest release. I was blessed by the publisher to receive both novels in order to understand the continuity and sequencing of the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries series. Thereby I received a complimentary ARC copy of “A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder” and a complimentary copy of “A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder” direct from the publisher St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for honest reviews. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
On why this series appealled to me:
There are two things I truly enjoy: Historical stories & Cosy Mysteries – when you find a serial which combines these two loves of my mine – you find yourself in the happy niche of *Cosy Historical Mysteries!* A discovery I made as a book blogger – wherein, authors are anchouring their Cosies into the historic past – moving us through different centuries of interest and giving us a wicked brilliant Historical Mystery to boot!
The main reason I wanted to read this series is because I liked the charm of it – a woman who was being encouraged to fit within high society & yet find herself not willing nor ready to take-on the duties that come with widowhood. She is quite the remarkable character – independent by nature & elevated to a certain seat of formality by the death of her husband, Frances has to re-invent herself & still be in a position of honour to raise her young daughter, Rose.
What I love most about Cosy Historical Mysteries though is the truer sense of how we can move through time but still find a happy place to reside whilst the amateur sleuths tackle their most curious cases and how each of us as readers find new authors to follow & lovely new series to capture our attention. These truly are my favourites to find and I am thankful that they haven’t yet gone out of style with the novelists who are endeavouring to write them!
I decided to play honour to the cover art – purple for the colour itself and a cheeky nod to how addictive Cosy Historical Mysteries are to me as a reader – you just can’t eat one of these French cookies without feeling the desire to grab more – and that is how Cosies are for me in this branch of the genre – once I settle myself into one installment, I can’t remove myself until I fetch after more and feel truly rooted in the author’s vision for her series!
my review of a lady’s guide to etiquette & murder:
Rather immediately, I found myself drawn into the life of Frances – not just because her husband was a cad and a louse of a husband but because of how Ms Freeman endeared us to champion her cause as a woman exiting her mourning period and getting on with her life! It was quite horrid for women in the 19th Century – still attached to that tradition of wearing dearly depressing hues of black and grey (in different increments which were rather strictly enforced!) for at least a year after becoming widowed. It was only then, where she could ‘re-emerge’ into her colours and start to make her presence more widely known in society. How those women managed it, I’ll never know not – as in the case of Frances, it most have truly become a chore knowing her her husband departed his life! Oyy, vie such a rat!
Her in-laws were quite typical – only out for themselves, more concerned with the affairs relating to their estate and less enthused to even entertain a thought of concern over Frances. For her benefit, she was made of stronger stock than they would have believed and she took her daughter (Rose) and herself off to the city to carve out their future elsewhere from the throes of the Harleigh family and the responsibilities therein. Freeman gave you such a hearty and joyful introduction to her character – part of her antics reminded me of why I have such cheeky joy in reading the Anna Blanc series and part of the exchanges also reminded me of my recent over the Discreet Detective Agency – there is something to be said for well-timed satire and humour in the Cosy Historical Mysteries your reading! The appeal of course is being able to burst into giggles alongside the allure of moving deeper into the context of the building mystery!
Of course, not all is ill for Frances – she has enough resources within her means to purchase a least outright for a house which still has eighty years to be lived inside! Imagine? She might have sparse furnishings and staff but something told me her and Rose would thrive here rather than having stayed on with the relatives at the estate. One of my favourite moments is when she bribes one of the maids not to spoilt her news by giving her the chance to make haste and away with her once she moves out. It was a ploy to cover-up the fact she had a bit of a rebellious nature inside her to where she did not like to leave things to fate if there was a loophole round the unknown! Smartly written, Freeman keeps you entertained from one chapter to the next to where it is just a delight to overhear what Frances will say next and what her next actions might be which become the new concerns of the family she’s left behind!
If it weren’t such a serious moment for Frances, you could giggle a bit more about it – as she recounted her discovery of her late husband and the goings-on shortly thereafter, you could tell she had a strong reason for not wishing to be next of doors to Mr Hazelton! And, yet, as life would have it – the things one wants and the things which happen to live a blight on a path towards newfound happiness are not entirely equal. Though I must admit, what was charming about this part of the story is how willingly she was helped by Hazelton and how he hadn’t broached the subject of that night since it occurred! Made you wonder – was her need of his services that night just a cheeky clever way of placing them on each other’s paths to where they could interact more down the road rather than of the concerns she had if he would hold it over her for a reason not yet known?
When Fi enters into the scene, you start to see Frances in her own element – as would be the case when your round your best friend who knows you better than you know yourself! Fiona surprisingly is the sister to Mr Hazelton – which I felt was a good bit of drama ontop of the fact the investigation into the death of her husband was becoming re-examined! Felt fitting in one regard but also entirely terrifying on the other hand as what could they find a full twelvemonths later? It left a curious note in your mind as you watched Frances continuing to build her life in the city. Curiously her mother seems to have found herself in wont of her daughter’s assistance in attempting to have a second daughter of the family wed to the London aristocracy. I, was in full agreement with Frances – wasn’t one marriage good enough? I was just thankful she had Rose – of all the grief she’d been put through, having a daughter of her own seemed to be the only bright light in her life especially as she was constantly attempting to be a better mother to her child than her Mum was to her growing up.
As fate continued to give Frances more headaches than smiles, you had to give it to her – she chose to set her attitude on the positive and despite the arduous circumstances alighting towards her at an alarming speed of haste from her brother-in-law, Frances wouldn’t let her resolve falter. There was much more at stake than inconvenient delays in the normality of her life – no, she simply turnt her chin up with a strength she might not have entirely felt but one which would see her through with the kindness of her friends. This was another instance where you could see how lovely it was for her to have Fiona in her life – the kind of huckleberry friend everyone needs and is blessed to have found.
Part of the joy of reading this series are the layers of etiquette permeating into the fabric of the story-line – fitting for this debut of the series itself as it lends a certain view of the absurdity of tradition these lords and ladies were put through when their era was in its heyday! All the confining points of societal regulations and the fact, you couldn’t just remove yourself from the obligations as that would be lent to scandal and gossip; Freeman takes you through the motions of how frivolous the ton can be and how determined you must become to outwit them all the same! Frances shows this by her unwavering belief that if you lead with strength and a resolve to overcome whatever befalls you, society will either a) move on to the next lead story or b) forget you completely; which I felt was her preference. Frances wasn’t the kind who welcomed notoriety – quite the opposite, I believed she wanted to live a more ordinary life without all the pops and poms of the elevated class.
As Lily becomes more convinced of her mother’s reasoning for sending her off to London (to fetch a husband!) the more protective Frances feels to guide her off that goal. For Frances learnt the hard way about what hard choices mean to a young woman whose caught up in the innocence of wanting to wed a man but without the proportional insight into what can go wrong if you act too impulsively and do not research a man’s character the level of knowing exactly what might be in your future if you were to wed. You felt for Frances in that scene – of wanting to be the sister who could spare another the same kind of misery she had faced herself but with the knowledge that despite her earnest hopes of doing that, it was truly left to Lily to take her counsel to heart and adhere to it.
What an incredible find in Mr Hazelton! Not only can this bloke handle himself under pressure but he continues to amaze me how much he will go to lengths to help Frances! Of course, in the back of mind, I was quite aware of the fact he could be smitten with her – as whom else would do all the tasks asked of him and on such short notice? It isn’t even the most typical of duties to be asked and yet, here his Hazelton – willing, able and happily lending his hand to Frances whenever she needs him, no qualms or questions asked! If anything, he is also her guiding sound board of advice – as sometimes she struggles to balance her own thoughts with the logic needed to re-assess things that are happening just outside her own control. He never fails to make me smile in other words because he’s such an easy-going bloke!
I was endeared to the plot long before I caught-on to the mysterious events happening in the background – for me, this series is wickedly driven by its characters – specifically everyone related into the personal orbit and sphere of Frances! You can’t help but feel caught inside her life – seeing how even the most ordinary of lives can suddenly become a feast of trouble yet with a sturdy circle of friends and family; any obstacle can surely become defeated! I must admit, by the time I unearthed the actual crime and the person behind it – I was quite somber! I hadn’t expected the villain in the story to be whom they were as I was expecting it be someone else completely! The way in which Freeman related those finer details of the whys and hows lead me to believe the rest of this series is going to be as charmingly cosy to read as its debut!
How far will some go to safeguard a secret? In the latest novel in Dianne Freeman’s witty and delightful historical mystery series, the adventurous Countess Harleigh finds out…
Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting—for birds or a second husband—and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.
Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight—along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits?
Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know. Too many suspects may be worse than none at all—but even more worrying is that the number of victims is increasing too. And unless Frances takes care, she’ll soon find herself among them…
Converse via: #CosyMystery OR #Cosy #HistoricalMystery
and #CountessOfHarleighMystery
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook
About Dianne Freeman
Dianne Freeman is a life-long book lover who left the world of corporate finance to pursue her passion for writing. After co-authoring the non-fiction book, Haunted Highway, The Spirits of Route 66, she realized her true love was fiction, historical mystery in particular. She also realized she didn’t like winter very much so now she and her husband pursue the endless summer by splitting their time between Michigan and Arizona. She’s been nominated for an Agatha and the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award, and won the 2019 Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery.
I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! HFVBTs is one of the very first touring companies I started working with as a 1st Year Book Blogger – uniting my love and passion with Historical Fiction and the lovely sub-genres inside which I love devouring.
It has been a wicked fantastical journey into the heart of the historic past, wherein I’ve been blessed truly by discovering new timescapes, new living realities of the persons who once lived (ie. Biographical Historical Fiction) inasmuch as itched my healthy appetite for Cosy Historical Mysteries! If there is a #HistRom out there it is generally a beloved favourite and I love soaking into a wicked wonderful work of Historical Fiction where you feel the beauty of the historic world, the depth of the characters and the joyfulness in which the historical novelists brought everything to light in such a lovingly diverse palette of portraiture of the eras we become time travellers through their stories.
I received a complimentary ARC copy of “Rogue Most Wanted” direct from the publisher St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Ahead of reading “Rogue Most Wanted” I also borrowed copies of the rest of the novels in this series: “The Bad Luck Bride” and “The Good, the Bad and the Duke” which I happily shared ruminations about on this post for my personal edification and for continuing to share my bookish life with my readers. I was not obligated to do so in other words and felt it was benefical to sharing my joy of the series.
On why this story appealled to me:
I have loved reading the Regency for a long while now – as there is something special about soaking inside this particular era of interest. Of all the eras I love – from the Regency to the Victorian & the Edwardian – it is hard for me to pick amongst them more than the Regency. I seem to fall into step with the stories quite naturally and it is a delight of joy to read a new author’s spin on the era I feel as if I’ve lived through for a portion of my life.
Due to this particular curiosity I have with the Regency – it felt rather keen to try a new author who was about to settle me into her vision of where she wanted me to alight through a series I hadn’t heard about until I saw the blog tour announcement.
Only in a Historical Romance can I lay claim to appreciating the dramatic joltings of a rebellious rogue or a decidedly cheeky rake! More oft than not those are the characters which are of most interest in Historical Romances as they a) have the most to gain and b) have the most to learn. I do not readily find it as easy to appreciate these kinds of characters (for me) in romances when it reverts into Contemporaries.
I was quite excited about the prospect of reading another HistRom so close to when I read Project Duchess as I need to re-pick up this genre – it is true joy & happiness to reside inside as a reader!
Wanted: an engagement of convenience. Found: A noble suitor.
Raised on a remote Scottish estate by her adoring grandfather, Lady Theodora Worth has inherited an earldom as well as the land itself. But when an upstart duke challenges her claim to the title and the Ladykyrk estate, Thea is suddenly in need of a husband—in name, at least. An elderly neighbor with a thoroughly modern sensibility and a dashing great-nephew just might be the answer to Thea’s prayers. Except she has no intention of marrying the first man she meets. That would be utterly ridiculous.
It just can’t be him. . .
Lord William Cavensham is entirely too devoted to his family’s estate—ever since he was jilted as a lad–to wed, but he agrees to meet the woman his aunt has taken under her wing—and introduce her to possible suitors. But after just one meeting with beautiful, spirited Thea, Will is determined to help her reclaim her title. And even moreso, he can’t stop thinking that perhaps marriage to this bold, passionate woman may be the one thing he’s been missing all along?
Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She credits her darling mom for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs.
Having found my groove for reading #Fantasy after a gruelling month of migraines this #WyrdAndWonder in May, 2019 – I’ve decided to give myself free licence to return into the fantastical worlds and realms I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of reading during the event itself! I simply couldn’t get into a lot of the lovelies I had earmarked to read – specifically of course, I wanted to spread out my readings of the Night’s Edge series by Ms Czerneda as I am participating in her MAGE blog tour this August – however, sometimes life has other plans whilst we’re attempting to do something we love.
When I first saw this readathon announced – I nearly worried I couldn’t participate – I mean, its based on “Game of Thrones” – the one series in both literature & tv I’ve avoided like the plague – just #notmycuppa – therefore how to join a readathon paying homage to a beloved series without any inside knowledge of the “houses” we’re meant to select as participants!? It was clearly an easier route of entry for #BeatTheBacklist – I mean, I was bourne a Ravenclaw, talk about a no-brainer! lol
Thus, as I have this lovely sisterhood of readers who are encouraging me along with my readings of the October Daye series – having recently completed my readings of *Rosemary & Rue* this June on the footheels of wrapping up my participation in our 2nd Year of Wyrd and Wonder – I decided to reach out to them (as a few were already going to participate in this readathon themselves) which House I ought to select and how best to address the categories of reading focus.
Through this lively discussion, I decided to join the Equality Progressive House of Spanish Hippies (their descriptions of the house, I wouldn’t know them if I met them!) which I felt suited me just dandy!
Erhm, better known as *House Martell!*
For starters, I’m an Intersectional Feminist – we all rise together or we all fall. Quite a simple philosophy – all women are all equal unto each other and we all should have equal rights across the gender divides. This includes all ethnicties, gender expressions, gender identities (*trans included!) and religious backgrounds – basically any which way to Sunday you identify as a woman and however which way you live your life – you are Equal & a soul sister to all women.
In regards to the “Spanish Hippies” side of the ledger – I’m a green-living cheerleader for 21st Century living – wherein I might be a book blogger & social reader but I’m full-on analogue at the same time – I love my vintage typewriters, love board games, old world arts & crafts and the old fashioned ways of interacting with people unplugged and offline. I also believe in natural & organic foods, green living practices and the whole locavore movement of reducing our footprint by creating a smaller footpath between farm to fork. There is more to it than that, but you gather the gist – I am definitely a ‘hippie’ to live amongst the hippies of this world!
Having sorted that out – I decided to sort out which audiobooks are available via my local libraries which befit the categories whilst which books I can check-out which would also qualify. I recognised this particular readathon isn’t for YA Fantasy – which ironically is predominately what I’ve been checking out recently! lol Still. I found that I have quite a few fantastical reads which are in the Adult section which will give me hours of Fantasy joy to immerse inside.
Overall, though – I am slated to read a heap of lovely INSPY novels by the collective hive of #LoveInspiredSuspense novelists who are giving me a wicked good read for gentle fiction & compelling suspense wherein I know I can handle where the stories take me! This year, I’m dearly focusing on Elizabeth Goddard novels as I never had the chance to dig into hers last year whilst I am also returning into the Callahan Confidental novels I adored last July! I haven’t formulated my TBR this year but if you see me doing recaps or reading progress reports about this imprint of Harlequin just know these novelists truly keep me engaged!
At the same time, I have some thrilling INSPY reads outside of the scope of Love Inspired Suspense I want to finish reading as well! Including the other half of the series I began in December which rendered me slightly dizzy due to how extremely on edge I was reading it!
I’ll be continuing my #InspySundays showcases throughout July along with a return of Inspirational & Self Motivating Non-Fiction and/or Memoirs returning as a keen focus of my Non-Fic wanderings alongside my Scientific enquiries as well. I am just thankful to finally get back into the books I desire to be reading and if this readathon can be anchoured to July’s Christian Fiction & Clean Reads readathon as a path towards re-aligning into those stories I love to read, all the better!!
Fantasy & Inspy are two of my cuppa loves of bookish joy!
Sigil: a gold spear piercing a red sun on a field of orange House words: “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.”
Not all of these selections are being borrowed through my local libraries as some of these titles were received for review consideration and will be reviewed. Others are part of a readalong and/or readathon focus of interest. Some are a carry-over from Wyrd And Wonder Year 2 or Mythothon Year 1. Technically, I am also beginning my Year of Asian Stories co-hosted by Bookish Valhalla (#YOAS).
Concurrent to the intent to keep this strictly a list of Adult Fantasy vs YA Fantasy – I’ve come to the conclusion, I happen to be gravitating towards a heap of YA moreso in some instances than Adult selections of Fantasy. Thereby, for the sake of the readathon + the points, ONLY those books I could sort out being a) Adult / Adult Crossover or b) NA – New Adult are going to count for points for House Martell. You will automatically see the (points) next to the titles for further clarification. Once my review goes up on my blog a link will be added!
The rest of the lovelies are *extras!* I’m reading for the joy of discovering them. I just decided to streamline the list to showcase which Fantasy authors, stories and series I am a) attempting to begin reading, b) attempting to finish reading and c) joyfully will be enjoying throughout the #IronTomeAThon!
I’d like to give a proper s/o of gratitude to Annemieke who helped me sort out
how to create my own TBR for this readathon! Kindly visit her TBR, too!Read More
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
This *July!* I’m doing things a bit differently from last year – basically I’m dividing my July between #CFSRS19 + #INSPYJuly – two concurrent readathons celebrated on Jorie Loves A Story – wherein, Jorie gets her #INSPYreads on for the next 30 days!
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts – ever wonder what Jorie might be getting up to reading this Summer? After a hard Spring (remember those 5x horrid migraines during #WyrdAndWonder?) & difficult start to Summer (ie. June) I’ve decided to focus on three reading challenges which will help me re-inspire my reading life after the recent adverse afflictions and/or adversities (ie. last week’s plumbing crisis)(ie. just a wicked horrid week, truly!)(ie. and then my cat went missing) I’ve soldiered through – the first one I blogged about is #MyYASummer during last week’s Top Ten Tuesday; the second is today’s announcement for my 2nd Year participating in the Christian & Clean Fiction readathon *and!* the third is the #IronTomeAthon I will announce on Tuesday whilst revealling this week’s Top Ten Tuesday!
Let me break it down for you with a short Q&A I asked of the hostess which I think you might find equally delightful to know about in case your considering joining the bookish FUN this JULY by devouring INSPY Lit.
Not to be confused with the ‘other’ half of my InspyReads I’ll tag as #INSPYJuly!
I compiled this Q&A last year and am re-sharing it this year in case someone would like to participate but didn’t understand the specifics. I also added a bottom section pertinent to the Google Form which is replacing the way we added our entries last July.
We don’t have to review all the books we’re reading this month, but we can talk about them on Twitter or in a wrap-up post on our blogs or just read them w/o socially sharing them? That’s the option in the bookaway for “Read a book”
A: Yes. If you read a book that is Christian or Clean Fiction, you can enter it in the google form for points in the giveaways. ← In lieu of Rafflecopter, this year we have a Google form.
We can read and review ANY author of our choice –
as long as their Christian / INSPY or Clean – right?
A: Yes. You can read and review and author of your choice as long as it’s Christian or Clean, but you do get more entries in the Reading Challenge Google Form if you read a book by an author or publisher sponsor.
IF we are not in the Facebook group (as I use Twitter) but we read a book on the Facebook Challenge page (on the challenge blog) OR if we read book by an author listed on that page, we enter that title into that space on the bookaway?
A: Yes. You can enter this title to for extra points in the Reading Challenge Google Form. :)
Here’s what I was most worried about after finding 15+ audiobooks I want to listen to this month which actually count as INSPY/ChrisFic reads —
I am off-setting my readings with audiobooks, as I am trying to curb a repeat of Spring where I had a high frequency of migraines. When you say ‘read’ a book – you are accepting some of us are reading print books *and* audiobooks?
I wanted to confirm this wasn’t format specific to ONLY print or ebooks?
A: As for “reading” a book, this can be print,
e-book, or audiobook. What ever works best for you. :)
In regards to the Google Form:
Let’s say you’ve decided to follow a new author (ie. Twitter, their blog, their website, or author newsletter) but didn’t get to finish a book? Add that info to the form for the day it applies. Maybe you followed a new author + shared a s/o for the readathon via Twitter – add both to the form for that day’s entry. If you finished a book, shared a tweet *and!* followed a new author – mark all those fields on the form! Also, if you are blogging a review and/or sharing a review via GoodReads, LibraryThing or another site – those links also count on the form, too (for the days they apply). As a for instance – I shared a tweet and followed a new author on the 1st of July, 2019.
First off, for me – more than anything, a reading challenge which INSPIRES me to re-focus on reading INSPY Lit is the best bit whilst finding readers & bloggers who share my passion for these stories is the best part of participating, as I love sharing the stories which enrich my reading hours irregardless if I’m reading INSPY or mainstream stories – however, having said that – sometimes I find it harder to find readers of #INSPY who love the same authors & stories. Thus, I am hoping to find new blogs to follow & new readers to talk to about the stories giving us #booklove throughout JULY whilst extending into convos throughout the year.
I am going to be focusing on the authors on my *70 Authors* List as well as newcomers I’ve found whilst browsing through the OverDrive Audiobook selections via my local libraries (there are 3x of them!) wherein I can listen to INSPY audiobooks throughout July and hopefully finish most of the ones I’m borrowing to be inclusive to my ‘finished reads’ for the event itself.
Secondly, I have INSPY novels I’ve meant to read & review which have been shifted to my ‘backlogue’ which I want to highlight this July as well. The scheduled reviews I have for INSPY Lit as well as these backlogued review showcases are NOT going to count towards either the books I’ve read and/or the books I’ve reviewed for the reading challenge directly as I have an ethical conflict of interest in declaring them officially but they will be listed on this post as the stories I’m reading all the same. Some stories I am re-reading in order to continue a series as well such as the Coming Home series by Brenda S. Anderson; those won’t be counted either as technically they’ve been previously read & reviewed.
And, this is where I announce the supplemental readathon on Jorie Loves A Story – I’m going to blog & tweet about these lovelies as #INSPYJuly selections! I couldn’t sort out how to tag those stories last year but this year, it was like a lightbulb went off!!
Death in Desert Land
A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder
Rogue Most Wanted
