The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was originally published in 1891, and is my first selection for the 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.
Conan Doyle is obviously famous for his Sherlock Holmes series, but this lesser known book was apparently one of his favorites. It’s set in the Middle Ages — a period in history that I really like to read about.
The Firebird Chronicles is a new space opera series by T. A. White. You would have to read the series in order, starting with the crackling Rules of Redemption.
Kira Forrest has been in hiding for several years since the last battle against the scourge of the dangerous and power-hungry Tsavitee. She is famous as both war hero and deserter, and now lives on the fringes as a space-ship salvager.
But then one day, she rescues a child of the Tuann, a technologically advanced alien race that distrusts all humans. Soon, she gets snowballed into inter-galactic treaties and intrigue. She may have to give up her hard-won freedom, in order to find out more about her own roots, and save the world.
The Friday Face Off meme was created by Books by Proxy and hosted by Lynn. For each week’s theme, we select a matching book and compare its different book covers across editions. Perfect for a visual fix!
Theme for is:
I’ve decided to take a lighter note on this, and go with P.G. Wodehouse’s Full Moon. A very funny book involving an artist, a pig and a castle. Mayhem ensues!
When the moon is full at Blandings, strange things happen: among them the commissioning of a portrait of The Empress, twice in succession winner in the Fat Pigs Class at the Shropshire Agricultural Show. What better choice of artist, in Lord Emsworth’s opinion, than Landseer? The renowned painter of The Stag at Bay may have been dead for decades, but that doesn’t prevent Galahad Threepwood from introducing him to the castle – or rather introducing Bill Lister, Gally’s godson, so desperately in love with Prudence that he’s determined to enter Blandings in yet another imposture. Add a gaggle of fearsome aunts, uncles and millionaires, mix in Freddie Threepwood, Beach the Butler and the gardener McAllister, and the moon is full indeed.
Although I find the centre cover to be the funniest, the first one looks the most eye-catching. And the third one matches the story the best! Hmm, tough choice. I think I’ll go with the first one for this Friday Face Off #2, which manages to catch the comedy of manners without looking too absurd!
{Edited: January 10, 2021, to fix the image glitch.}
What if the Gods were alien invaders on another planet? What if they jealously guarded treasures of the advanced technological variety from the non-Gods? And, what if one day, someone decided to open up those treasure vaults to the rest of the world? That’s the theme of L by Roger Zelazny.
is a 1967 science fiction book and is my first book for the Vintage Science Fiction Month (not a reading challenge) of January 2021.
It’s time to set out reading goals for 2021. I’m not fully certain of my own commitment levels, nor am I very clear about the rules yet … But the reading challenges and memes below are the ones I most hope to participate in. If you’re reading this, perhaps you too will find some interesting prompts in here. (Will also update this list from time to time.)
The Friday Face Off meme was created by Books by Proxy and hosted by Lynn. For each week’s theme, we select a matching book and compare its different book covers across editions. Perfect for a visual fix!
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Theme for Friday Face Off #1 is:
In Wilkie Collins’ , there is literally a character dressed in white, a mysterious figure at the heart of this classic Gothic mystery from 1859. A gallery of a few of its book covers below:
My own personal favorite from these is the Vintage Collins edition in the middle row, to the left. I think that cover captures the theme of the mysterious lady seen at night, dressed in all white, very well indeed. This has been a fun Friday Face Off!
It’s time for #6degrees. Start off from the same place as other wonderful readers, add six connected books, and see where you end up. Inspired by the Six Degrees of Separation Meme hosted every month at Books are my Favorite and Best.
January 2021’s book is Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, winner of the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Hamnet is a fictional account of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who died at the age 11 in 1596, and his wife Agnes, about whom we have heard so little.
Hamnet reminded me of all things Shakespeare; so for today’s , let’s travel today across works inspired by the Bard.
Finally, 2021 is finally here, and hope this year is better for all of us! Happy New Year to everyone, well-deserved, I say. But before we close this chapter of our lives, it’s also time to recount some of the bright spots — the best of 2020.
Note: Some of these have been discussed in my previous Favorite Books of 2020 list too — so do check out that list as well!
There are some books that make me want to rub my hands in glee, and Witch of the Glens is one of them. What a charming book! I wish I’d discovered it when I was younger, I think I’d have adored it even more.
Kelpie has no memory of how she came into the hands of wicked Old Mina and Bogle. She plots an escape from her harsh gypsy life when the house of Glenfern takes her in (out of pity). Now she’s just waiting to steal a few bags of gold, not caring in the least about the war sweeping through the Scottish Highlands. But Kelpie has the second sight, you know, the second sight (not the fake one that Mina pretends to have) … and soon Kelpie begins to see the human world in a new light.
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every Tuesday, you pick ten books on that week’s topic. And this week, we spotlight our favorite books of 2020.
This is a necessary ritual for wrapping up the year, and so here are my top ten reads for 2020.