10 Books of Summer (but not really summer) 2023

Since a few years ago I've been longing to participate in an annual event: 20 Books of Summer hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books. But I know I would never be able to read twenty books in three months. We don't have summer here in Indonesia - only dry and wet (monsoon) seasons - and therefore, no holiday for me during June to August; life goes on as usual. June and July are always my favorite months of year, in term of weather. They are usually the coolest months of the year; while August is the windy one. However, holiday or not, I think 20 books in 3 months is more than I can chew. But this year is different, Cathy is very generous to slack down the bar to 15 or even 10 books, yay! And so, here's my first: 

10 Books of Summer (not really summer) 2023

Summer by Edith Wharton

I've read somewhere that this was Wharton's favorite, and it seems a perfect title to kick off this challenge, ain't it?

The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgetald

This is the only Fitzgerald's novel I haven't read, and also his last and unfinished novel (published posthumously in 1941). Hollywood, here I come!

The Hummingbirds' Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings by Sy Montgomery

I'm a bird-lover, and have been longing to read books about birds. I found an audiobook of this book the other day, and can't wait to listen to Sy Montgomery herself narrating her own story!

Reading the Meow 2023 

Mallika @ Literary Potpourri is hosting a cat-themed reading week on 12 - 18 June 2023, and after some serious pondering, I've decided to read:

The Cat Saw Murder by Dolores Hitchens

A murder mystery after few classics is always welcomed. I have never read Hitchens too, so I'm pretty exciting!

Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P.G. Wodehouse

Recently I seem to need a Wodehouse every now and then. How about a Wodehouse with a cat, then? Perfercto! 👌🏼


Alternative:
Art Heists and Hairballs by Bailey Booth
A cozy mystery, of which I've just found a free e-book at Google Playbooks. It's a novella, so I believe I'd be able to squeeze it in for the week!

Paris in July?

I've been crossing my fingers for Paris in July to return this year! As a Francophile, there's the joy of reading anything French. My pick this year are two books by French authors (alternately I will pick books about France by foreigners the next year):

The Elegance of Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

So excited to get to listen to the audiobook!

Letters from My Windmill by Alphonse Daudet

I was impressed by my first encounter with Daudet in this Christmas anthology, and happened to find this e-book for free the other day. It seems interesting!


Alternative:
The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain
If I still have time, I would love to read this humorous book!

Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie

Can't wait to listen to David Suchet's narrating a Christie's!

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Do you remember how I was raving about a cozy mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto few weeks ago? Before that book, which has been creating quite a buzz, she wrote a hilarious romcom-murder-mystery mashup that I can't wait to read!

My last of the ten books is still uncertain. I'd see which book would suit my mood then. It rather depends also on whether or not #AustenInAugust would return. That event would encourage me to plunge into Austen universe, but if not... I don't know. Let's just see!

The Girl, the Dog, and the Writer in Lucerne by Katrina Nannestad

OR

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Will you also participate in this event? What books do you plan to read?

 

Blogger-Inspired Wishlist Ep. 5: Seven Books from Four Ladies

Blogger-Inspired Wishlist is a feature where I post recent additions to my wish list, which had been inspired by reviews from my fellow bloggers. It includes some synopsis, as well as some excerpts of the review which have intrigued me, complete with a link to the blogger's original post.

In this edition, four ladies have inspired me to add seven more interesting books to my ever-growing wishlist.

Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest by W.H. Hudson

Inspired by Gypsi Reads

Synopsis:
First published in 1904 and a bestseller after its reissue a dozen years later, Green Mansions offers its readers a poignant meditation on the loss of wilderness, the dream of a return to nature, and the bitter reality of the encounter between savage and civilized man.

Gypsi's post

Murder by Request by Beverley Nichols

Inspired by: Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings 

No synopsis available.

From Kaggsy's review:
"As a mystery, “Murder by Request” was actually very enjoyable. The plot was quite ingenious, though, the characters entertaining and well drawn, and the solution a satisfying one as far as I was concerned."

When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Inspired by Gypsi Reads 

Synopsis:
It began with Jimmy Wilson and a conspiracy was helped on by a foot-square piece of yellow paper and a Japanese butler and it enmeshed and mixed up generally ten respectable members of society and a policeman.

From Gypsi's review:
"A laugh-out-loud misadventure that is well-written, engaging and completely entertaining. Rinehart, known for her popular mysteries, has a wonderful knack for writing conversation and ridiculous situations, both of which made When a Man Marries such fun."

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross

Inspired by: Lark Writes...onbooks and life 

Synopsis:
Inspired by a short story written by Emile Zola, Belle Epoque is set at the height of bohemian Paris, when the city was at the peak of decadence, men and women were at their most beautiful, and morality was at its most depraved.

From Lark's review:
"Elizabeth Ross drew inspiration for her novel from the short story "Les Repoussoirs" by Emile Zola, and she does a masterful job. Belle Epoque definitely lives up to its name--this is a beautifully told story of friendship, and beauty, and truth."

Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Inspired by Pam @ Read! Bake! Create! 

Synopsis:
Laugh-out-loud funny, at times heartbreaking, and written in a pitch-perfect voice, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is a spirited Southern tale that explores the intricate frailties and strengths of female relationships while illuminating the journey of a young girl who loses her mother but finds many others.

Pam's post

The Fly on the Wheel by Katherine Cecil Thurston

Inspired by Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings 

Synopsis:
With a nod to the works of Tolstoy and the Brontës, The Fly on the Wheel is a poignant portrait of the moral and psychological restrictions imposed on young women at the turn of the twentieth century. Illicit love, toxic relationships and feminist desires determine the course of Isabel’s introduction to Waterford society, with dramatic and tragic consequences.

From Kaggsy's review:
"This is a beautifully written and very powerful story. Thurston writes elegantly, and captures quite brilliantly Waterford and its denizens and its layers of society. As well as painting a vivid picture of Waterford’s people, Thurston also captures the local landscape very evocatively; the countryside around the place comes alive and the book really does transport you back in time and in place."

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

Inspired by Lark Writes.. on booksand life 

Synopsis:
When Maggie Banks arrives in Bell River to run her best friend's struggling bookstore, she expects to sell bestsellers to her small-town clientele. But running a bookstore in a town with a famously bookish history isn't easy. Bell River's literary society insists on keeping the bookstore stuck in the past, and Maggie is banned from selling anything written this century. So, when a series of mishaps suddenly tip the bookstore toward ruin, Maggie will have to get creative to keep the shop afloat.

From Lark's review:
"What I loved about this novel:
Maggie learning to love books and reading...even a few of the classics.
The banter between Maggie and Malcolm, the Bell Society's 'spy', and their slowburn friendship. (Their 'dates' are very entertaining.)
The clever mashup events Maggie hosts with local authors who turn Moby Dick into a romance and The Great Gatsby into science fiction.
Maggie's exuberance and ability to connect with so many people in town.
The humor and the happy ending."


Have you own/read these books? Or have I make you add more to your WL/TBR? 😉

 

Chef Maurice and a Spot of Truffle by J.A. Lang: A Cozy Mystery

🐷 Even before I googled about J.A. Lang, I have known right after finishing the book, that she must be a fan of Agatha Christie, or in particular, Hercule Poirot.

🐷 Chef Maurice Manchot, our amateur sleuth, is a mustachioed French boisterous chef who own a bistro called La Cochon Rouge in Beakley, a little village in Cotswold countryside. His 'Hastings' is Arthur Wordington-Smythe, a food critic, who is often seen with Horace, his great Dane, the laziest dog in the world.

🐷 One day Chef Maurice was annoyed because their mushroom supplier, wild food importer and local foragers, Ollie Meadows, failed to deliver their order. So, Maurice went to Ollie's house, helped himself in through the back door, and found... nobody. Inside the fridge, however, he found a bag of truffle. An exceptional quality of white English truffle, in fact.

🐷 Suspecting that Ollie might have found a patch of truffle nearby, Maurice adopted a micro pig whom he trained as a truffle-hunter. Well, he'd prefer a dog actually, but little Hamilton (the pig's name) reacted perfectly to the smell of truffle, so... Off they went one day to nearby woods - Maurice, Arthur, and Hamilton. Then after a few miles, lo and behold… Hamilton ran and squeaked excitedly over there. Did he find it? Yes, he did! Not truffle, though, but Ollie's dead body.

🐷 The murder was investigated by the lovely PC Lucy Gaviston, their local constable. The case consisted of two break-ins to Ollie's house - though the one thing that missing is only an old map over the desk with Ollie's marks. What was it? And why anybody thought it worth enough to kill someone?

🐷 Then Hamilton was kidnapped when he was in a visit with Maurice and Arthur. Followed then by a threat to stop meddling something which isn't Maurice business, or else... (the kidnapper sent a chuck of bacon with the letter to highlight it!). The police didn't think this pignaping as something serious, no doubt their priority was Ollie's murder. Therefore, Chef Maurice must solve the mystery by himself, or otherwise the police won't find his Hamilton!

🐷 But Hamilton wasn't as weak as you might think. When his owner didn't come and save him for days, he must rescue himself. And he did! Chef Maurice found him on the road one day. I was wondering how he escaped, and rather annoyed that this part was never properly explained.

🐷 Anyway, Chef Maurice invited everyone we've met in the story (practically all the suspects) in a welcoming dinner party for Hamilton. It was a proper party, with delicious fancy foods and wine. The guest of honor even had his own fancy dishes! But that's not the main agenda. Chef Maurice was revealing the murderer, while channelling his inner Poirot - complete with the classic red herring (you'd thought he would accuse A, but then A isn't the murderer, but the very unexpected B).

🐷 All in all, this is an entertaining cozy mystery. Very hilarious, especially with the lazy Horace and little Hamilton. The story actually opens with a prologue about Hamilton. First, you'd think he's a guy, then probably a dog, but through the story you finally realized he's a micro pig. How cute!

🐷 As a murder mystery, there isn't much there. It clearly showed that it's a debut from the writer. It's made pretty sweet with a love story developing between PC Lucy and Patrick, Chef Maurice's sous-chef, and has cute cover with Hamilton in it. And with the delicious foods Maurice cooked, you'll find yourself a nice light and fun book, perfect for a holiday read!

Rating: 3,5 / 5

1st Impression on The Professor's House by Willa Cather

What it’s about

After completing his masterwork and garnering a great deal of money for it, history professor Godfrey St. Paul has purchased a new house. But when the time comes to move, he cannot bring himself to do so. Sitting in his comfortable study in his current house near the shore of Lake Michigan—and on the verge of a midlife crisis—he reflects on his past.

At fifty-two, he has dedicated himself to his work, his garden, and his wife and two daughters, but despite all of his successes, he is unhappy with the course of his future. He retreats into his memories—his career and fond recollections of Tom Outland, his most outstanding student and once his son-in-law-to-be, who was lost in the Great War. He also thinks of his present and the daunting mystery of what lies ahead. And soon the introspection takes over...  - Goodreads


First lines:

"The moving was over and done. Professor St. Peter was alone in the dismantled house where he had lived ever since his marriage, where he had worked out his career, and brought up his two daughters."

My 1st impression:

I sympathize with the middle-aging Professor Godfrey St. Peter. The older we grow, the more we need stability. I realized this after watching how terrified my parents (my father especially) were when I suggested to sell our house and move into an apartment about seven years ago. Our thirty-years-old house was dilapidated at that time and in need of massive renovation (which we couldn't afford). Surely to sell the house and use the money to buy a smaller apartment was the most sensible choice. But my father was adamant, with many excuses. My mother and I need about a year to persuade him, that he finally relented. But that was that. To move to even a better place, to leave the old one with so many memories, to be separated from old habits, is hard and uncomfortable.

And that's what the Professor must have felt when the family move to a new house. Uprooted - that's the most appropriate term. He realized of so many imperfections of the old house, but he had accustomed to them. The old house had become, to St. Peter, a beloved entity. When you love someone, you're aware of their flaws, yet you still love them for what they are. You learn to accept the flaws with affection, and soon the flaws are mere unique personalities to you, and you'll be sad to be without it. And that's what the old house is for St. Peter.

So far the story is quite promising. I got to know Mrs. St. Peter, Lilian, who is jealous of St. Peter's deceased beloved pupil: Tom Outland. Then there are the daughters and sons-in-law. The elder is Rosamond, who was engaged to Tom Outland when he's alive, but now married a Marselus. Outland bequeathed his patented invention to Rosamond, and now its revenues enriched the Marseluses, and they even named their new house: Outland. I guess this will soon create problems.


Keep or Stop Reading?

Definitely I'll keep reading. I am curious about the secretive Tom Outland's background. I don’t know him, but I begins to like him. One character which I want to see more is Augusta, the sewer woman, who has become like a friend to St. Peter.


Have you read this book? Did you like it?

 

Shelf Control #1: Mrs. Harris Goes to Moscow by Paul Gallico

Shelf Control is a weekly feature created by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies, and celebrates the books waiting to be read on your TBR piles/mountains. Since early January 2023, Shelf Control has moved base to Literary Potpourri. To participate, all you do is pick a book from your TBR pile, and write a post about it–what it’s about, when/where you got it, why you want to read it and such.

This is my very first Shelf Control post. I've been meaning to do this before, but I was always catching up with reviews and other posts. Then an eleven days holiday came, and I was finally ahead of time. And so now I could do this post properly.

My first pick is Mrs. Harris Goes to Moscow by Paul Galico. I bought the e-book few years ago, but then forgot it until very recently.

Paul Galico has written four novels on various hilarious adventures of the memorable Ada Harris (Mrs. Harris or Mrs. 'Arris), an old char woman in London who works for prestigious households. My first encounter with Mrs. Harris was the first book, which has recently been adapted: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. I loved it so much, that I instantly picked up the sequel: Mrs. Harris Goes to New York - less charming but equally entertaining. The third book is Mrs. Harris Goes to Parliament, but it's not really appealing to me, so I skipped that, and went to Moscow instead.

In this adventure Mrs. Harris wins a trip to go to Russia, accompanied by her bosom friend, the loyal Mrs. Butterfield, also a char lady. Mrs. Harris was also charged with a love letter by her employer. Then things begin to go crazy when the two char women, through some administrative faults, were suspected by KGB as spies!

It promises a good hilarious reading, though I'm a bit worried, because many Goodreads reviewers said this was their least favorite of the four. Hmm... shall I just give it a go? Or no? Maybe I'll just keep it until I'm in need of a good laugh!

Have you read this book? Or any of Mrs. Harris series?

 

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto: A Cozy Mystery

"Vera Wong Zhuzhu, age sixty, is a pig, but she really should have been a rooster. We are, of course, referring to Chinese horoscopes."

💚 With that first line, I was instantly hooked to this cozy mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, the first ever of the genre from an Indonesian writer (that I’m aware of). Moreover, I, too, am a pig - still referring to Chinese horoscopes, mind you. I am what people call Chinese-Indonesian - though my Chinese part is certainly very small in proportion. I even have a proper Chinese name, though I never use it, nor people ever call me by that name. Sharing the same Chinese horoscope to Vera Wong, added my enthusiasm to read this mystery. It is guaranteed to be relevantly funny too, judging by that first line!

💚 Vera Wong lives in the Chinatown of San Fransisco. She owns a tea house: VERA WANG'S WORLD FAMOUS TEAHOUSE. I wasn't mistyped Wong to Wang, neither did they who made the sign board. Vera had conveniently (and deliberately) put the famous designer's name for her tea house! Cheeky old darling, isn't she?😉

💚 Vera is a bold, brave, disciplined old woman who lives alone up her shop, after her husband Jinlong died and her only son Tilly (Tilbert) moved out. Her business nowadays is decreasing, only one of her customers, Alex, loyally comes to enjoy Vera's special concoction almost every day. Vera always knows which leaves her customers need in every situation.

💚 One morning as she went downstairs to open shop, she found a dead body of a stranger lying on the floor! But don't worry, Vera has watched enough CSI series that she knows what to do. She didn't touch the body at all, well... maybe only a tiny inch when she's taken the flash drive from it?... And while waiting for the police to come, she even drew a mark round the body as the police always do (again from CSIs she's watched). But when the police came, they said it's just an accident and even throw her out of her own house. Vera was adamant, as she's sure it's a murder! First there are scratches on the man's face, then there's the flash drive - but this she didn't mention to the police! Alright, as the police can't do it properly, she determined that she, Vera Wong, will solve the murder herself!

💚 Vera knew that murderers usually return to the crime scene to make sure they didn't left traces. So, she waited patiently in her tea house. And sure enough, one by one they came - all with different 'motives'. “Here they come - my four suspects!” - thought Vera. They were Riki Herwanto, Sana Singh, Oliver Chen, and Julia Chen with her cute little daughter Emma.

💚 The dead man, Marshall Chen, was, apparently, a scoundrel. Little by little, through her soothing tea concoctions, delicious foods, and warm heart, Vera managed to - not only unfolding each suspect's involvement with the dead man - but also to make them feel loved and accepted. They grew fond of each other in no time - especially Riki and Sana (ahem), and Oliver and Julia (who were Marshall's brother and wife, respectively). The four of them had one bond: one way or another, Marshall had, separately, manipulated them. And Vera slowly becomes like their mother or grandmother, with whom they can tell everything, struggles and all. And Vera always knows how to cheer them up and bring them new hope.

💚 It's not an easy task for Vera to do her job well. How could you put four lovely people into suspects when you loved them like family? But Vera Wong wouldn't budge, not even when somebody ransacked her tea house!

💚 This is a jolly hilarious cozy mystery, with a depth of humanity. It's heartwarming with love and friendship, and... there're numerous feasts of mouthwatering dishes, which reminded me of my grandmother. Whenever we came to her house, there're always at least four or five different dishes at the table. It's just the ordinary Chinese family meals.

💚 How about the murder mystery? It's not disappointing. You would or wouldn't guess the murderer, but it is a bit of a twist, and the ending is satisfying. I loved the book so much, and earnestly hope Vera Wong would investigate yet more murders to come! She might possibly be, considering that Warner Bros. TV has just acquired this book rights, with Oprah Winfrey's and Mindy Kaling's production houses to produce a TV series! Yay to Vera Wong, and bravo to Jesse Q. Sutanto!

Rating: 4,5 / 5

P.S.
Which cover you like most? My e-book copy has the blue one, but I think the black one with an old lady peeping through the blinds is more adorable, and somehow fits the book. And in the blue one, the writer's name is missing 'Q', which is rather annoying.

Six Degrees of Separation, from Hydra to The Magic of Faraway Tree

Six Degrees of Separation is a monthly meme, now hosted by Kate @ books are my favorite and best. On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.

This month we start from:

0. Hydra by Adriane Howell

"Hydra is a novel of dark suspense and mental disquiet, struck through with black humour. Adriane Howell beguilingly explores notions of moral culpability, revenge, memory, and narrative – all through the female lens of freedom and constraint. She holds us captive to the last page." - Goodreads


I haven't read this book and 'dark suspense' is just not really my cup of tea right now, so I can't think of anything else that is similar to the books I have read, other than that it is a book from an Australian writer. So I would use this to lead to my first chain - another book I've read from an Australian writer:

1. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

"...Most of all, it is the story of the Clearys' only daughter, Meggie, and the haunted priest, Father Ralph de Bricassart—and the intense joining of two hearts and souls over a lifetime, a relationship that dangerously oversteps sacred boundaries of ethics and dogma." - Goodreads

One of most memorable events of this book is a woman (the daughter: Meggie) who fell in love with a priest. This reminds me of another book where the female protagonist was also in love with a local priest:

2. The Conquest of Plassans by Émile Zola

"Marthe Rougon and her husband Mouret live peacefully with their children in a little town of Plassans, almost a perfect happy family. But one day Mouret has an idea to rent their second floor to a priest. Without their knowing, when Abbé Faujas arrived with his mother, the faiths of the Mourets have been sealed. Little by little Faujas and his family—later on his sister and brother in law also live there—conquered Mourets household, just as Plassans being conquered by the Abbé. It all comes gradually, subtly, but cunningly, that no one realizes it until it is too late." - my review

In this story, Plassans is a peaceful small village that is stirred by a stranger. In another book I've read recently, a stranger also came to a peaceful village and made a tremendous stir, which is:

3. The Stone of Chastity by Margery Sharp

"Professor Pounce, an expert in folklore, came to an old village called Gillenham, after learning about an ancient legend of the stone of chastity. According to the legend, there was a stepping stone on the local stream, on which a chaste woman would cross safely, but an impure or unfaithful one would certainly slip into the water." - my review

You know, I came to think that Professors in literature most often brings a certain excitement to a story, do you agree? The most exciting adventure brought by a scientific Professor is:

4. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

(my review)

Professor Otto Lidenbrock believes there are volcanic tubes that reach to the very center of the earth. And this book has inspired many books/authors: "The category of subterranean fiction existed well before Verne. However his novel's distinction lay in its well-researched Victorian science and its inventive contribution to the science-fiction subgenre of time travel—Verne's innovation was the concept of a prehistoric realm still existing in the present-day world. Journey inspired many later authors, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his novel The Lost World, Edgar Rice Burroughs in his Pellucidar series, and J. R. R. Tolkien in The Hobbit". - Wikipedia 

So naturally, my next chain would be:

5. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit is children's fantasy with magical creatures such as elves and goblins. I haven't read many fantasy books, but the one I very recently enjoyed is full of elves, pixie, fairy, and goblins. And so, this charming children stories will be the end of of my chain:

6. The Magic of Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton

"When Joe, Beth and Frannie move to the countryside, they discover that their new house lies next to the Enchanted Wood! And in that wood stands the Magic Faraway Tree. This is no ordinary tree - it is home to more magical lands full of elves, pixies, talking creatures and wonderful adventures than the children ever imagined possible!". My thoughts.

I'm so glad to see how this chain had begun with quite a gloomy book, but ended with a cheerful one!


Have you read those books? If you do #sixdegree, how it worked out for you this time?