Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

I've been wanting to read this book for awhile and, with luck, found it among the books on sale at my favorite bookstore. YEA! It is a sort of medieval CSI. The thoughts and actions of several of the characters did seem a little too modern for the time period but it IS a work of fiction. I enjoyed sense of time and place, the mystery was compelling, it was a great read. I'm going to go get the next book in the series now.

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Ariana Franklin

The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the 11th novel in this wonderful series and I loved it as much as the first one. I can't say enough good things about this series. At 224 pages it is not a long read, none of them are, but it is packed with warmth, wisdom and gentle humor. Besides coming to know the characters and loving them I enjoy reading about Botswana and learning about life there. If you haven't read any of these you should. Start with the first one and work your way up, you won't be sorry. Get ye to your library!

Quotes: Do not complain about your life. Do not blame others for things that you have brought upon yourself. Be content with who you are and where you are, and do whatever you can do to bring to others such contentment, and joy, and understanding that you have managed to find yourself.

"Listen to me, Mma," she said. "Your nephew still loves you. If you do not wish to lose him forever, then you must listen to what I say and you must remember it. Love without freedom is like a fire without air. A fire without air goes out. Do you understand me,Mma?"

Alexander McCall Smith
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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I can't believe I've waited so late in my life to read Pride and Prejudice. I did not realize there would be so much humor here. I loved it. Jane Austen had a wonderful sense of the absurd. I also enjoyed visiting the time period and following the characters through their days.

Jane Austen's House Museum

Info at Wikipedia

About Jane Austen

Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti

First of all, I love this cover, it drew me to the book in the first place. I really enjoyed this work of fantasy, it had a little of everything: romance, suspense, mystery. However there were no paranormal aspects, which was refreshing. It was a little on the steampunk side in that great machines and technology worked in a world that still used horse and cart for transportation. The author did a great job in her world building. The characters were wonderful, well written and none of them were too good to be true. All in all a great read. I will read more books from this author.

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The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

I got this as a freebie on my Kindle and even though I don't read much in the way of romance I found this Regency to be charming and very entertaining. I enjoyed learning of the apothecary trade of the early 1800's. The characters were well written, I really got to know and care about them. The main character had several suitors and you didn't really know who she would end up with till close to the end. As with most romance novels I've read the characters mealy mouthed around their feelings and no one was sure of what anyone else was thinking. I will read another book by this author, probably "The Silent Governess."

Excerpt

Julie Klassen

About the book.

Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels

This is the 5th book in the Pepper Martin series and I have enjoyed them all. This light supernatural mystery finds Pepper participating in a reality show for local viewing: Cemetery Survivor. What a hoot. Team one is made up of local socialites while Pepper's team is made up of parolees. The ghost she dealt with this time hadn't been murdered but had been framed for a murder. Pepper maintains a good heart and a sense of style as she works through her problems.

About the book.
About the author.
The author's site.