Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, and this week's prompt is...

Top Ten Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf

The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton's spellbinding final novel, telling a story of love in the gilded age that crossed the boundaries of society. It is about five wealthy American girls denied entry into New York Society because their parents' money is too new. At the suggestion of their clever governess, the girls sail to London, where they marry lords, earls, and dukes who find their beauty charming—and their wealth extremely useful. - Amazon

🔹️I'd been saving this one for last, as it's Wharton's final novel. But now that I have read all of hers that I own a copy, I guess I'd as well read this one next . It sounds delightful!

The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

A timeless novel of adventure, intrigue, and romance is sparked by one man's defiance in the face of authority...
The year is 1792. The French Revolution, driven to excess by its own triumph, has turned into a reign of terror. Daily, tumbrels bearing new victims to the guillotine roll over the cobbled streets of Paris.… Thus the stage is set for one of the most enthralling novels of historical adventure ever written. - Amazon

🔹️ I haven't read this either. I'm most excited about it, though. Oh... if only every book sold along with time to read it!!

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves. - Goodreads

🔹️ I have added this book into my TBR only last month, but I can't wait to read it. It sounds thrilling, right?

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Bleak House opens in the twilight of foggy London, where fog grips the city most densely in the Court of Chancery. The obscure case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, in which an inheritance is gradually devoured by legal costs, the romance of Esther Summerson and the secrets of her origin, the sleuthing of Detective Inspector Bucket and the fate of Jo the crossing-sweeper, these are some of the lives Dickens invokes to portray London society, rich and poor, as no other novelist has done. - Goodreads

🔹️ My own review

So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan

No matter when or how recently you've read [The Great Gatsby], Corrigan offers a fresh perspective on what makes it so enduringly relevant and powerful. Drawing on her experience as a reader, lecturer, and critic, her book will be a rousing consideration of Gatsby: not just its literary achievements, but also its path to "classic" (its initial lukewarm reception has been a form of cold comfort to struggling novelists for decades), its under-acknowledged debt to hard-boiled crime fiction, its commentaries on race, class, and gender. - Goodreads

🔹️I have read this book as companion when re-reading The Great Gatsby, but I read it sporadically. Maybe it's time to revisit it to give it full credit.

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

🔹️ This is always my favorite play of Shakespeare; been reading it twice, but maybe the third is nearly due?...
My review of the second read

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders." - Goodreads

🔹️ Another one I have yet to read. I have planned to, but then Covid-19 came, and a book about plague is the last thing I had liked to do, so it has to wait.

Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk (The Dancer) by Ahmad Tohari

Set in the tumultuous days of the mid 1960s, "The Dancer" describes a village community struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing world. It also provides readers with a ground-level view of the political turmoil and human tragedy leading up to and following the abortive Communist coup. This trilogy of novels traces the lives of two characters: Srintil, a dancer whose unwitting involvement with the region's leftist propaganda machine sets her at odds with Rasus, the love of her life who embraces Islam and finds a career in the army. - Goodreads

🔹️ I have read this book only two months ago; here's my thoughts.

Vita Brevis: A Letter to St. Augustine by Jostein Gaarder

A box of Latin manuscripts comes to light in an Argentine flea market. An apocryphral invention by some 17th or 18th century scholar, or a transcript of what it appears to be — hitherto unheard of letters to St Augustine from a woman he renounced for chastity? VITA BREVIS is both an entrancing human document and a fascinating insight into the life and philosophy of St. Augustine. - Goodreads

🔹️ I have read this book years ago. Though I didn't quite impressed, it's a unique reading. Its history made it more interesting. My thoughts.

The Greek Treasure by Irving Stone

A fictionalized narrative of the derided but determined efforts of German traveler-archaeologist, Henry Schliemann, and his second wife, Sophia Engastronenos, to excavate the sites of Homeric Troy and ancient Mycenae. - Amazon

🔹️ I almost forgot I own this book! I have enjoyed several Irving Stone's biographical novels before, he never disappoints! Now I can't wait to read it.

Zoladdiction 2023 Wrap Up

1st May has come, and it means that our Zoladdiction 2023 has ended. What a lovely month we have all been spending together to celebrate Zola! I love our enthusiasm in reading and posting about Zola. And this year I am happy to announce that our friend Mallika has become a Zoladdict! 🥳 It means that she plans to read more Zola - and I hope in many years to come. Welcome on board, Mallika!

There were six of us who had participated and either submitted their posts in the linky or tagged me on twitter. If you have posted but not get mentioned in this post, please let me know in the comment.

Three of us have read each one book from Rougon-Macquart cycle. Germinal was reviewed by Mallika as her first introduction to Zola, and she loved it! You know the joy of someone loving the book you've cherished, right?

Brona was having a lovely time reading L'Assommoir! She posted two comprehensive supplementary posts concerning L'Assommoir, the introductory and the picturesque wedding of the protagonist, Gervaise. Zola often did that to you! And now I can't wait to read her thoughts about the book. It blew my ming on my 1st reading!

On my part, I have planned to read two books, but in the end only managed to read one ( a re-read). But I have enjoyed every second of it. Besides a review of the splendid The Ladies' Paradise, I have also doing a character analysis of the heroine; while earlier I've also reposted my kind of open letter to one of the characters.

If the three of us have had fun with our books, Nancy had been struggling when reading Rome (from the Three Cities Trilogy) several months ago. But she had valiantly gone through those 900-ish pages (skipping here and there, but who won't?), and triumphantly finished and wrapped it up with this informative review! *clapping for Nancy*

Now the most fun part of Zoladdiction 2023, the Émile Zola Tag. I didn't expect to have this much feedback. Six of us has answered the tag, including Karen @BookerTalk who missed the initial announcement of Zoladdiction 2023, and therefore hadn't read anything. Don't worry, Karen, there's still next year! 😉

I was most pleased to read everyone's answers! Alok with his story of finding the right translation of Germinal that eventually made him a Zoladdict. Then there's Brona with an interesting topic for Zola's soiree.. Cézanne's painting of Zola (I, for one, would love to hear Zola's reaction to this).

Karen and I shared the same character with whom we'd like to hang out with: Denise Baudu from The Ladies' Paradise, though we had different itinerary in mind. Maybe we can hangout together; that'll be fun! 😜

Last but not least, though this was only her first Zola, Mallika also posted her answers, in which she was quite excited to read few essays on Germinal in future.

And now I would like to thank all of you who had participated in one way or another in Zoladdiction 2023. Mister Linky would be closed, but if you still have posts (reviews or others) to submit, you can leave a comment here with the links. I will include them in this post.

See you again next year in Zoladdiction 2024. We will have more fun then! 😉

April Wrap Up - Welcome May!

April has come and gone like a swirl. So many things had happened, it seemed. First half of the month there's the Easter week, then my Mom was hospitalized for 3 days for observation after a week of severe vertigo. Thank God she's alright, but I've had to catch up with some jobs and chores at work and at home, to compensate those three days. Not mentioning the mini-menopausal depression, urghh! Then the second half of April I had 11 days of holiday, hurrah! This month's random selection of reading reflected very much of my chaotic April!

📚 Books Read in April

The Ladies' Paradise by Émile Zola - a re-read
(started in March)
Read from: audiobook

The Stone of Chastity by Margery Sharp
(started in March)
Read from: e-book

Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford
Read from: e-book

N or M? by Agatha Christie - a re-read
Read from: audiobook

Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym
Read from: e-book

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (not reviewed yet)
Read from: e-book

The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton (not reviewed yet)
(#1) The Enchanted Wood
(#2) The Magic Faraway Tree
(#3) The Folk if the Faraway Tree
Read from: audiobook

Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle by J.A. Lang (not reviewed yet)
Read from: e-book

El Dorado, A Kansas Recessional by Willa Cather (short story)
Read from: e-book


📚Reading Events Attended/Hosted

Zoladdiction 2023 (hosted by me)

I've planned to read 2 books, but managed only 1 book. My posts:
* an open letter to one of the characters in The Ladies' Paradise
* reviewing The Ladies' Paradise -a re-read
* character analysis of Denise Baudu from The Ladies Paradise
* answering The Émile Zola Tag

It's been fun! The proper wrap-up will be published tomorrow.


The 1940 Club (hosted by Simon @ Stuck in Books & Karen @ Kaggsy's Bookish Rambling)

I've somehow managed to read 2 books:
* The Stone of Chastity by Margery Sharp
* Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford
 

I've had so much fun, many thanks to Simon and Karen! Can't wait to the October's #1962Club!

📚 2023 Statistics

📊 Total books read so far: 19
📊 Total short stories read so far: 4
📊 Challenge progress:
* 2023 TBR Pile Challenge: 5
* 2023 Victorian Reading Challenge: 2
* 2023 Audiobook Challenge: 8


📚 What's happening in May

🔸️ Will be reading Willa Cather for my annual #CatherInMay. The book is: The Professor's House

🔸️ Will read the only F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel I haven't read: The Last Tycoon

🔸️ Will keep listening to the audiobook of Agatha Christie: An Autobiography

Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym: A Review

"Who would change a comfortable life of spinsterhood in a country parish, which always had its pale curate to be cherished, for the unknown trials of matrimony?"

🔶️ Who, indeed? At least Harriet Bede, a spinster in her fifties, won't. Neither will her older sister, Belinda, also a spinster. They both live peacefully together in a small town in English countryside.

🔶️ Belinda is the quiet, submissive, unassuming one; while, of course, Harriet is her opposite - bold, loud, impulsive. In the usual fashion of a little parish, their existence revolve around the clerical world.

🔶️ Belinda has loved the Archdeacon Hoccleve since their student lives, but the pompous Henry Hoccleve married Agatha, a bishop's daughter, instead. While Harriet.. well, Harriet is always fond of young curates. She seems to never love any man, though regularly receives marriage proposal from Count Ricardo Bianco.

🔶️ There are three important events that set this story. First is the newly arrived curate, a Mr. Donne. As Harriet begins to dote upon him, rumors is circulating that he's to be engaged with Agatha Hoccleve's niece. Another one is when Agatha goes to a German spa. A librarian Doctor Farnell is staying with the Archdeacon, along with his friend, a Mr. Mold. The latter proposes to Harriet, but gets rejected.

🔶️ Then when Agatha returns, she brings a guest, a former acquaintance of the Bedes sisters, now a Bishop of Mbawawa. He, too, seems to pay attention to Harriet - or so Belinda thinks, otherwise why does he always find reason to come to their house?

🔶️ All these times Belinda is always worried lest Harriet accepts one of the proposals, then get married, and she would be left alone. Her own peaceful mind has been already a bit disturbed by Agatha's absent, and when dear Henry (the archdeacon) invites her for supper.

🔶️ All these harmless little incidents had quite stirred Belinda and Harriet's peaceful lives. After all, when one is fifty, one needs stability. A little excitement every now and then is welcomed - a new young curate for instance - but not more complicated than that, thank you!

🔶️ All in all, it is a heartwarming story, sometimes funny (not LOL funny, but enough to make you chuckling); and overall enjoyable, relaxing, and satisfying. Since getting to the age fifty, I started to feel the need of stability myself. Too much excitement is mentally tiring for me, and it tends to lead to depression. And so, I could relate very well to Belinda's feelings.

🔶️ I guess this charming book would be on my perpetual re-read list. Plus it is a perfect remedy for depression!

Rating: 4,5 / 5

N or M? by Agatha Christie: A Re-read from Audiobook

🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♀️ N or M? brings us back to the lovely detective couple: Tommy and Tuppence. We left them more than twenty years ago during WW1 in The Secret Adversary, and meet them again on the outbreak of another war, WW2. They are in middle age now, have married with three grown up children, who either serve in the war or in intelligent, and in what we call as 'mid-life crisis'. They wish to be actively involved in the intelligent world, full of action and danger, like they used to do brilliantly in the previous war.

🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♀️ And their wish came true! A British secret agent approached Tommy, asked him to go undercover to a hotel in the seaside Leahampton called Sans Souci, which was believed to be the camp of German spies and fifth columnists. They were male and female, whose initial were N and M. Tommy was selected because he has long retired from service, and therefore was unknown in the intelligent world. He was to depart secretly alone without Tuppence, though.

🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♀️ Of course Tuppence anticipated this, and went undercover herself anyway to Sans Souci to meet the astonished Tommy. We can't expect Tommy to counter-spying alone, right? Since Tuppence was always the brain of the two. So they stayed at Sans Souci as two strangers, old ordinary widowers.

🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♀️ They soon found out that the other residents seemed to be a group of harmless ordinary British middle classes. There was even cute little Betty Sprout, a 3 y.o. precocious child with her blubbering of "goosie goosie gander", which add to the inoffensiveness of the group. It's hard to believe that two German spies were among them. But they were!

🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♀️ Things soon got out of control. First someone's sneaked to Tuppence's bedroom, then Tommy inadvertently revealed the spy's identity, leading up to his disappearance. It's up to Tuppence now, along with their old friend Albert who came to help, to solve the mystery and rescue Tommy.

🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♀️ I didn't remember N or M? to be this fun. I guess because I have come to middle age along with them, that this story felt more relevant than before. At this phase, I prefer this one more than The Secret Adversary. It felt more real, more down to earth, and dealt more with human psychological side.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

Top Ten Tuesday: Audiobook Narrators

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and this week's prompt is...

Top Ten Audiobook Narrators

I have only found a fondness in listening to audiobooks only early this year. Thus, I've only known a handful of audiobook narrators. Here they are in the order of my encountering them:

David Suchet

My first audiobook is Agatha Christie's Sad Cypress, performed by none other than David Suchet himself! He was the perfect narrator for this particular book; or could it be perhaps, because it was my first experience? Anyway, I enjoyed Suchet's clear voice, sharp articulation, and he gave each character a unique and fitting personality by various intonation and accents. However, I sampled his narration of Evil Under the Sun the other day, and found him read it rather too fast.


Cherry Jones

Cherry Jones is the most perfect choice to narrate Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series. She did justice to every single book with such enthusiasm and earnestness that I felt like swept into the Ingallses' home when I read Little House in the Big Wood. Her voice is clear and soothing, with good articulation and perfect intonation for the story.


John Lee

I have attempted to listen to Ken Follett's World Without End a few months ago. It's been years since I've read  Pillars of the Earth. John Lee's narration was perfect for this story. His voice is crisp, with nice articulation, and consistent pace of narration. It was the book that I've had problem with; it's too violent for my taste in the first 100-ish pages, and I didn't think I would be able to listen to the remaining 900-ish; so I abandoned it!


B.J. Harrison

B.J. Harrison is by far my most favorite narrator. He was perfect in narrating von Arnim's The Enchanted April. Since I have listened and read the book simultaneously, I knew for sure that Harrison's narration enlivened many of the book's scenes. His voice is pleasant, soothing, with perfect undulation. Good news is, that he has narrated lots of books (which I've found in Scribd).


Leighton Pugh

I encountered Leighton Pugh when I listened to Zola's The Ladies' Paradise. At first the audio was quite difficult to enjoy, Pugh's voice is quite heavy, and his accent's sometimes rather thick. But I kept going on; and I'm glad I did, because once I was used to, it's easy to follow his narration. His French accent is flawless, and his pronunciation is nice.


Hugh Fraser

I think you'd guess easily whose books Hugh Fraser narrated for most - yep, Christie's! I first listened to him in N or M? And I was quite struggled as I've expected. Fraser's British accent is thick, and his reading pace is inconsistent. He could blurbing some words so fast in a sentence, that I didn't quite catch what he said, though I've adjusted the speed to the minimum 0,8x. It's rather unpleasant, but I guess I must adapt, for he narrated many of Christie's I've wanted to listen to.


Judith Boyd

I'm currently listening to Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, narrated by Judith Boyd. Her voice is soothing, and what I like most is her sharp articulation. Normally my audiobook speed setting is 0,8x. It's the most comfortable way to enjoy the audiobooks before sleep. But I made exception for Boyd's narration; her voice is so clear and her pace is steady, that I've adjusted the speed to 1x. One thing I can do without is her high pitching voice whenever she gets to an exciting passage. It's a bit unpleasant.


Kate Winslet

I have found a delightful audiobook series of Enid Blyton's The Faraway Tree, narrated by Kate Winslet. I always love Winslet's voice; her accent is so pleasant to listen to, and she has that sort of gleeful voice which ought to make you smile. I am currently listening to the third book right now, and have enjoying it so far. She would be one of my favorite narrators at the end, I'm sure!

I have been enjoying only those eight audiobooks so far, so the next two narrators are the ones I haven't got to listen to, but wish very much to:

Dan Stevens

Don't you think Dan Steven's is the sexiest male voice on earth? Or is it just me? 😋 I would love to listen to audiobooks that he's narrated. But so far, I haven't found one which I really want to read. Well, I'll be waiting patiently...


Tilda Swinton

Last but not least, back when I was doing a thorough reading of Moby Dick, I came across one chapter narrated by Tilda Swinton. And I remember wishing her to narrate the rest of the chapters. She has a clear voice and sharp articulation, that it made me, whose English is a second language, understood the whole sentence quite effortlessly. I wish to come across a good book narrated by her in near future!

Have you listened to these narrators? Who's your favorite? Or who would you like to narrate one of the books you wish to listen next?

El Dorado, A Kansas Recessional by Willa Cather: A Short Story #WCSSP2023

🌵If I must give this particular story a one-word review, it would be: swindle. Because that's what it is about. A poetical prose beautifully written by Willa Cather, about swindle.

🌵 Colonel Josiah Bywaters had lived peacefully in Virginia for years. Until one day, four years ago, his friend introduced him to a amiable young man called Apollo Gump. That's when his life was about to change completely.

🌵 This Apollo young man persuaded the Colonel to invest in Western land, but he rejected. Soon, however, the Colonel grew fond of the young man. They drank whiskey together, while Apollo told many stories about Kansas City, in particular a town called El Dorado: "the beauty of the location, the marvelous fertility of the surrounding country, the commercial and educational advantages of the town."

🌵 Soon enough the Colonel was persuaded, and after sold his business, left Virginia to move to El Dorado, along with some other men Apollo had also successfully persuaded.

🌵 El Dorado was practically owned by the Gumps. Every establishment was owned by one of Apollo's brothers; they were the banker, physician, architect, real estate agent, mayor, and so on. Apparently, El Dorado was founded by the Gumps, and now it was built by promise; promise that a railroad would be built, the waterworks would be put in, next spring. And Josiah was once more persuaded to invest his money on the land, while opening a grocery store.

🌵 When spring came, however, the Gump boys were summoned by their dying father. Excepting Apollo (he, too, later went away), they were all gone. And with them, all the funds - banking, real estate, etc. They realized then, that they were swindled.

🌵 All of them left El Dorado, but Josiah. He stubbornly refused to leave that deserted town, waiting to get his money back. Not even after other houses and buildings were torn down, and Josiah's store was the only building still intact. Would his patience bring fruitful result? Or would he be dying in the loneliness of the barren bluff?

🌵 I love this story! All the elements of what I love from Cather is here. Poetical prose, beautiful and poignant, vividly portrayal of the characters' struggles, all in a short story. And the ending is superb!

🌵 I also love how she described the landscape as a living creature:

"The river is a turbid, muddy little stream, that crawls along between naked bluffs, choked and split by sand bars, and with nothing whatever of that fabled haste to reach the sea. Though there can be little doubt that the Solomon is heartily disgusted with the country through which it flows, it makes no haste to quit it. Indeed, it is one of the most futile little streams under the sun, and never gets anywhere."

"Sometimes, in the dusk of night, when the winds were not usual and only the stars could hear, the dry little corn leaves whispered to each other that once, long ago, real yellow ears grew in the Solomon valley."

"Near the river was a solitary frame building, low and wide, with a high sham front, like most stores in kansas villages. Over the door was painted in faded letters, 'Josiah Bywaters, Dry Goods, Groceries and Notions.'"

🌵 Josiah himself is an inspiring character. His patience, his strong will to endure, not so much the poverty than, the loneliness. Many others in his place would have had fallen to pieces sooner than a year. But not Josiah. Maybe we can learn a bit from him - of his resilience, not his poor judgment - such as living life as if he'd live in his happy past. Josiah would always wear his best Sunday suit, and went for fishing - though there's scarcely any fish in that muddy river. These little things help him maintain his dignity, and ridiculous as it seems, I think it help him enduring his desolate situation. Do you agree?

Rating: 5 / 5