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Topic: October HF Reads

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Subject: October HF Reads
Date Posted: 10/1/2022 10:04 AM ET
Member Since: 5/31/2009
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It's fall!  Time to injoy the colors and read a good book.  I read The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (George Smiley, Bk 3) by
John le Carre, a classic mystery that took place when the Berlin wall went up.  What's next?  Haven't decided.



Last Edited on: 10/3/22 7:22 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
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Date Posted: 10/1/2022 1:52 PM ET
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Hello, all, and thank you R E K for getting us started! 

I finished The House of Fortune by Jesse Burton last night.  I loved it!  I can only vaguely recall reading the novel that came before it, The Miniaturist, but I do remember enjoying it.  I liked this one even more.  Very good story that kept my interest, and I loved the ending.  I'm kind of hoping she does another book as a follow up.  I've also made some progress on The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner that I've been listening to for ages but haven't really for months.  I'm glad I started listening again.  It's a very good book.  Only 20 hours left.  LOL!  

This evening I will be starting Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd, which will be the last book I need to complete this year's HF challenge.  Yea!  The first year in many that I've completed all of the categories.  Thanks again, Carolyn!  So looking forward to next year's challenge.  And thanks to Alice too.  I believe it was her list for the challenge where I saw this book for the "book with a red cover" category.  I only had one on my bookshelf that had a red cover, and I just didn't feel like tackling it.  Although I'm not a huge HF mystery love, this book will be a much quicker and lighter read.  

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Date Posted: 10/2/2022 7:37 AM ET
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Good Morning everyone,

Not reading HF right now reading Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. Her new book out. Main characters are all in their 60s and former assissins. Quite good so far.

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Date Posted: 10/6/2022 6:12 PM ET
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I finished up Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder this afternoon.  Not sure what I'll read that.  However, with that, I am happy to say I completetd all of the categories for this year's challenge plus the bonus.  Yea! 

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Date Posted: 10/12/2022 6:06 PM ET
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I finished an oldie but a goodie - The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott.  I think it's been on Mount TBR for many years!  I love the HF Challenge because it helps me pick books, but now I've completed it, it's kind of fun to pick whatever.  However, when I picked this one, I just went to my bookshelf and decided to just take the very first one in the top row and read it no matter what it was.  LOL!  Not sure what I'll read next.  Stay tuned . . . 

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Alice J. (ASJ) - ,
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Date Posted: 10/13/2022 6:41 AM ET
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Shelley I enjoyed the book too. Living in Massachusetts I have toured the mills in Lowell. Very interesting.

I have finshed The Librrian Spy by Madeline Martin. Set during WWII in Lyon, France and Portugal.  The Lyon portion was like so many other books talking about the troubles of French Resistance. I found the part set in Portugal very good. Intesteing about American Librarians trying to obtain newspapers to get info about Nazis.

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Date Posted: 10/14/2022 1:06 PM ET
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Yes,  The Daring Ladies of Lowell was a good read.  Recerntly finished the one from my TBR!  Great minds think alike.

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Date Posted: 10/14/2022 3:48 PM ET
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Lol, R E K!  And, Alice, how interesting it would be to tour those mills.  Are they preserved for historical accuracy?  I'm sure the working conditions were very appalling by today's standards if they were questionning them back in those days. 

I ended up starting The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell. Yet another blast from the past which I recall had some buzz around here, so I acquired it, and then promptly let it languish for YEARS! 

 



Last Edited on: 10/14/22 3:49 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 10/15/2022 7:31 PM ET
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I read  A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gayner 4 stars out of 5. Duel time book 1870 and 1912.  Book discusses life of the flower girls peddling flowers on the streets of London. The awful life they lived and the compassion that was shown to the . Lots of twist and turns in the story. Well written characters. Gives you a good understanding of the times. Highly recommend

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Date Posted: 10/23/2022 9:45 AM ET
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In the midst of Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson.  Interesting but sad book.  Once again I am reading about the horrors inflicted upon people of color.  Emotionally stirring.

 

 

 

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Date Posted: 10/23/2022 1:54 PM ET
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I read the book also and agree sad. Well written

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Date Posted: 10/25/2022 9:14 AM ET
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Hello, all!  I just finished another oldie, The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell, which I enjoyed.  Nelly Gwynn was quite a character. I started At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracey Chevalier last night.  

Alice - I read A Memory of Violets a few years ago, and I remember enjoying it. 

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Date Posted: 10/28/2022 3:54 PM ET
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Hi, guys!  Was just popping into see if there had been any posts.  Guess we're all busy reading.  Gotta' say that I'm about halfway through The Edge of the Orchard, and I am really enjoying it!  I usually like Tracey Chevalier's books.  Her The Lady and the Unicorn is one of my all-time favorite books. 

Anyway, I happened to notice that of all the many forums here, ours and just a few other groups are just the only ones to have posts in the past month.  That kind of made me sad. I've lamented the fact that this place used to be such a hot bed of activity and we had readalongs, Secret Santa swaps, etc. but so many members have moved on and now it's just not the same.  Guess it's not just our little corner of the PBS forums.  Anyway, glad to have the rest of you who still post here regularly still around!! 

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Date Posted: 10/31/2022 9:47 AM ET
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Hello, and Happy Halloween!  I finished The Edge of the Orchard last night.  Really good.  

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Date Posted: 10/31/2022 9:51 AM ET
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Happy Halloween!  I haven't been reading too much HF lately, hence why I haven't really posted lately.  But I agree that the forums have been slow since the great purge. :(