A Plague on Both Your Houses by Susanna Gregory is a historical mystery set in 1348 Cambridge, at the start of the Black Death. I’ve been trying to remember what put this book on my radar, as it’s not something I would normally pick up, but I am enjoying it so far.
Toddler Hunting and Other Stories by Taeko Kono is a collection of short stories she wrote between 1961 and 1971. I picked this up because a character in another book I was reading was reading it. Don’t ask me which book, because I truly don’t remember. I’m enjoying it, but I do feel like I’m missing something by not being able to read it in the original Japanese.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore is one I’m still reading, as I’m deliberately taking my time with it because I want to relish every moment.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen is the other one I’m taking my time with — mostly because every time I pick it up, I read a page or two, lose interest, and put it right back down. Maybe I’ll finish it by December.
15 comments:
The Gregory book sounds intriguing. I got pulled in by the title. I am a fan of Austen. No hardship there to even re read
Northanger Abbey is not my favourite Austen, I think I've maybe read it twice, whereas books like Emma and Persuasion I've read multiple times. The God of the Woods is very much on my radar. Is it good, Ryan?
"I picked this up because a character in another book I was reading was reading it."
LOL! What a meta recommendation. Fun!
"every time I pick it up, I read a page or two, lose interest, and put it right back down. Maybe I’ll finish it by December"
😂 But you aren't considering to DNF it?
The God of the Woods is on my TBR. I don't think I've heard anything negative about it. A Plague on Both Your Houses sounds interesting and not something I would usually gravitate towards either. I do feel like I've seen it around in blogland relatively recently but can't remember who was recommending it. I've had to come to terms with the fact I'm just not a Jane Austen devote. I like her books (except that one - I couldn't get into it and would do everything I could to avoid reading it) but I don't have the same love and appreciation for them that everyone seems to have.
Mystica, I'm jealous.
Cath, I'm really enjoying it so far. It's why I'm taking my time with it. I turn to it when I need my brain refreshed.
Roberta, I have another book I bought for the same reason. And I'm still struggling to remember what book I was reading thay put both books on my radar.
And I've thought about doing that to Northanger Abbey, but I want to say I gave it my all before I do. I tried Don Quixote about 6 times over the years before I threw in the towel.
Katherine, I'm really liking The God of the Woods. I've never been an Austen fan, but I have one friend that has been trying to get me to try this one for years. So I finally caved, and wishing I hadn't.
Mary, I promise you can skip the Jane Austen one. I don't think you are missing much.
I gotta tell you this little story: I read a historical fiction book about The Black Death with my grandson, Wyatt, a few weeks ago. Wyatt lost a tooth last week. His dad asked him if he wanted to put his tooth under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy. Wyatt said no. Since the Tooth Fairy was probably around at the time of the Black Death, he told his dad, the Tooth Fairy was probably killed with the rest of the people!
Deb, that's so fricking cute! The horror lover in me is imaging what that Tooth Fairy could possibly look like if they were still around.
Haha! Yes!
I love the cover of the Plague book so much, I just might have to put it on my tbr list. I have a more than passing interest as I love medieval history, and the plague was such an important physical, emotional, and psychological aspect of life back then.
Northanger abbey is a tricky one
Matthew Bartholomew is such a compelling protagonist in A Plague on Both Your Houses because his medical logic is constantly clashing with the superstition of 14th-century Cambridge. It is grimly fascinating to watch him try to solve a murder while the literal Black Death is starting to render individual deaths almost meaningless to the rest of the city. I find it funny that you picked up Toddler Hunting just because a fictional character was reading it, though Kono’s work is so unsettling that it definitely stays with you. As for Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland can be a bit much with her Gothic obsessions, so I don't blame you for the slow pace. Do you think you would enjoy Austen more if the stakes felt as high as the mystery in the Moore or Gregory books? Visit my blog at https://www.melodyjacob.com/.
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