This is an overview of the books I have finished in a month (not necessarily started
in the same month) and those I have read to Gundel (marked with 😸).
I will be adding a short explanation why I chose a book or how I found it and possibly if it's a re-read candidate, but I'm usually not going to add real reviews or ratings (Gundel also refuses to give ratings). Should you want a little more information on a book you're interested in, though, just let me know.
"The Palm House" by Gwendoline Riley, first published in 2026
The story of the friendship between Laura and Putnam. And some other people.
A new entry on OverDrive.
Maybe it would have helped if I had been interested in any of the characters or even liked them. Or could it have been the style? "Blabla," he said. "Blubb," he said. "Yes," I said. "Blah," he said. "No," I said. My English teacher would have thrown the blackboard eraser at me if I had written like that. I just didn't DNF because I didn't want to start my month like that.
"Gaudy Night" by Dorothy L. Sayers, first published in 1935
Harriet Vane returns to her alma mater, the all-female Shrewsbury College in Oxford, for the Gaudy, a reunion fest for alumnae.
When poison pen letters and ugly graffiti appear in the college and there are acts of vandalism, the dons ask Harriet for help because they want to avoid a scandal. She can't solve the puzzle by herself and asks Lord Peter Wimsey for assistance.
I can't tell you how often I have read this book. It's an unusual mystery for sure and thanks to the many classic quotes and the length it's probably not for everyone, but I love it and it's a real comfort read for me.
"Effi Briest" by Theodor Fontane, first published in 1895 (the spelling "Effie" on the cover is a typo!)
As a young man, Baron Geert von Innstetten courted Luise Briest, but couldn't marry her because of his status at the time.
Now he comes to ask for the hand of Effi, Luise's daughter (if you wonder, she's 17, he's 38), encouraged by Luise.
Effi is attracted by his improved social status, but with the difference in age and disposition the marriage is not what both of them have hoped for, especially when Effi meets the charming Major Crampas.
This is part of my personal challenge to read at least one German classic a month.
I really enjoyed this novel which is an example of literary realism.
"The Fairy Ring or Elsie and Frances Fool the World" by Mary Losure, first published in 2012
1917. Cousins Elsie and Frances can see fairies and goblins and to stop their family making fun of them, they take photographs with paper dolls drawn and cut out by Elsie. They hadn't expected to catch the attention of fairy believers such as Arthur Conan Doyle.
The story of the Cottingley Fairies told for children was a very quick read. It never ceases to amaze me how readily some people accepted this to be true. However, Frances claimed until her death that the photos may have been a hoax, but that she had indeed seen fairies.
"Deadly Nightshade" by Elizabeth Daly, first published in 1940
(Henry Gamadge 2)
Detective Mitchell asks Henry Gamadge - consultant for old books, letters, etc. - to help him with a case of nightshade poisoning. One child dies, one is missing. Was it an accident or is something more sinister behind it?
This was a recommendation on The Internet Archive. I have to admit that I'm still a little confused, but still interested to try more Gamadge books.
"Under Water with Ogden Nash" by Ogden Nash, first published in 1997
A collection of Ogden Nash's poems about animals in and around the water.
I searched for something else and the cover drew me in. The poems are mostly very short, so it just took minutes, but I really enjoyed both them and the beautiful illustrations.
"After Tea and Other Stories" by Dorothy Whipple, first published in 1941 😸
The short stories delves into human relationships - between parents and children, friends, couples, siblings, neighbors - and how they can change in certain situations.
I had really enjoyed Whipple's "High Wages" and the same goes for these stories.
I also learned that Gundel doesn't have much patience being read to when it's too hot (the summer made us both quite crabby), so this one took us longer than usual, but now that temps went down a little, we got back on track 😄
"A Tiger's Wedding: My Childhood in Exile" by Isla Blair, first published in 2011
Actress Isla Blair's parents were part of the British Raj in India, her father managed a tea plantation. As usual in those times, children were eventually sent "home" to Britain to go to school there.
Blair talks about her childhood experiences, years without parents except for rare visits and how she and her sister had to build up the relationship again after her parents finally returned home when plantations were taken over by local managers.
This was a random find on The Internet Archive.
It's hard to imagine how it must be to be that far away from your parents as a small child, and the school memories were quite sad. The parts about India seemed a little clichéd, but I can't say if it was due to the content or the way those memories were described.
The last part about how Blair started her career and then had her own family felt kind of tacked on to me because it was rather short.
"I See You've Called In Dead" by John Kenney, first published in 2025
Divorced and middle-aged obituary writer Bud Stanley makes a big mistake. After a failed blind date he gets drunk and publishes his own obituary.
Suspended from his job, he happens to meet a woman going to the wakes and funerals of strangers encouraging him to do the same to learn about life.
I will be adding a short explanation why I chose a book or how I found it and possibly if it's a re-read candidate, but I'm usually not going to add real reviews or ratings (Gundel also refuses to give ratings). Should you want a little more information on a book you're interested in, though, just let me know.
"The Palm House" by Gwendoline Riley, first published in 2026
The story of the friendship between Laura and Putnam. And some other people.
A new entry on OverDrive.
Maybe it would have helped if I had been interested in any of the characters or even liked them. Or could it have been the style? "Blabla," he said. "Blubb," he said. "Yes," I said. "Blah," he said. "No," I said. My English teacher would have thrown the blackboard eraser at me if I had written like that. I just didn't DNF because I didn't want to start my month like that.
"Gaudy Night" by Dorothy L. Sayers, first published in 1935
Harriet Vane returns to her alma mater, the all-female Shrewsbury College in Oxford, for the Gaudy, a reunion fest for alumnae.
When poison pen letters and ugly graffiti appear in the college and there are acts of vandalism, the dons ask Harriet for help because they want to avoid a scandal. She can't solve the puzzle by herself and asks Lord Peter Wimsey for assistance.
I can't tell you how often I have read this book. It's an unusual mystery for sure and thanks to the many classic quotes and the length it's probably not for everyone, but I love it and it's a real comfort read for me.
"Effi Briest" by Theodor Fontane, first published in 1895 (the spelling "Effie" on the cover is a typo!)
As a young man, Baron Geert von Innstetten courted Luise Briest, but couldn't marry her because of his status at the time.
Now he comes to ask for the hand of Effi, Luise's daughter (if you wonder, she's 17, he's 38), encouraged by Luise.
Effi is attracted by his improved social status, but with the difference in age and disposition the marriage is not what both of them have hoped for, especially when Effi meets the charming Major Crampas.
This is part of my personal challenge to read at least one German classic a month.
I really enjoyed this novel which is an example of literary realism.
"The Fairy Ring or Elsie and Frances Fool the World" by Mary Losure, first published in 2012
1917. Cousins Elsie and Frances can see fairies and goblins and to stop their family making fun of them, they take photographs with paper dolls drawn and cut out by Elsie. They hadn't expected to catch the attention of fairy believers such as Arthur Conan Doyle.
The story of the Cottingley Fairies told for children was a very quick read. It never ceases to amaze me how readily some people accepted this to be true. However, Frances claimed until her death that the photos may have been a hoax, but that she had indeed seen fairies.
"Deadly Nightshade" by Elizabeth Daly, first published in 1940
(Henry Gamadge 2)
Detective Mitchell asks Henry Gamadge - consultant for old books, letters, etc. - to help him with a case of nightshade poisoning. One child dies, one is missing. Was it an accident or is something more sinister behind it?
This was a recommendation on The Internet Archive. I have to admit that I'm still a little confused, but still interested to try more Gamadge books.
"Under Water with Ogden Nash" by Ogden Nash, first published in 1997
A collection of Ogden Nash's poems about animals in and around the water.
I searched for something else and the cover drew me in. The poems are mostly very short, so it just took minutes, but I really enjoyed both them and the beautiful illustrations.
"After Tea and Other Stories" by Dorothy Whipple, first published in 1941 😸
The short stories delves into human relationships - between parents and children, friends, couples, siblings, neighbors - and how they can change in certain situations.
I had really enjoyed Whipple's "High Wages" and the same goes for these stories.
I also learned that Gundel doesn't have much patience being read to when it's too hot (the summer made us both quite crabby), so this one took us longer than usual, but now that temps went down a little, we got back on track 😄
"A Tiger's Wedding: My Childhood in Exile" by Isla Blair, first published in 2011
Actress Isla Blair's parents were part of the British Raj in India, her father managed a tea plantation. As usual in those times, children were eventually sent "home" to Britain to go to school there.
Blair talks about her childhood experiences, years without parents except for rare visits and how she and her sister had to build up the relationship again after her parents finally returned home when plantations were taken over by local managers.
This was a random find on The Internet Archive.
It's hard to imagine how it must be to be that far away from your parents as a small child, and the school memories were quite sad. The parts about India seemed a little clichéd, but I can't say if it was due to the content or the way those memories were described.
The last part about how Blair started her career and then had her own family felt kind of tacked on to me because it was rather short.
"I See You've Called In Dead" by John Kenney, first published in 2025
Divorced and middle-aged obituary writer Bud Stanley makes a big mistake. After a failed blind date he gets drunk and publishes his own obituary.
Suspended from his job, he happens to meet a woman going to the wakes and funerals of strangers encouraging him to do the same to learn about life.
A new entry on OverDrive.
At first I wasn't even sure if I wanted to read it because I didn't know what to expect - turns out it was laughter and tears. I read the book in one day because I couldn't stop.
"An Island Rooing" by Joan Grigsby, first published in 1933
The book tells of an expedition to Shetland the author went on in 1931. It's divided in four parts - The Isle, The Croft, The Fishing, Landfall.
Liz from "Adventures in reading, running and working from home" reviewed the book on her blog (you can find the post here) and I was looking for something out of my comfort zone aka usual genres, so I read it. I won't claim understanding everything (I know nothing about shipping), but what I enjoyed most were the parts about the knitting and the baskets used for the herrings.
The copy I read online also had a little something for my librarian's heart.
 |
| I'll suggest the wet weather part to my own department 😉 |
"The Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Nervous Lion" by Nick West (the books were published attributed to Alfred Hitchcock), first published in 1971 😸
(The Three Investigators 16)
The Three Investigators are called to Jungle Land, a wild-animal farm. George, the tame lion, is supposed to appear in a movie, but he has been very nervous lately. Will the boys find out why?
Not a favorite in the series. Firstly, we don't like the idea of farms like this one and secondly, a black panther (!) was shot. We also didn't approve of the cover illustration.
I read this series a long time ago and am going through it again bit by bit after writing a blog post about it.
"The Match Between the Winds" by Shirley Climo, first published in 1991
The book retells a folktale from Borneo. The West Wind and the East Wind who are cousins have a contest. Who will be able to blow Kodok, the tree frog, from his leaf?
Another minute read. I'm a huge fan of the cartoonist, animator, children's book author, and illustrator Liz Climo. I hadn't known that her mother is a children's book author before Liz mentioned it on her Instagram. I looked her up and the illustration by Roni Shepherd drew me in.
"The Astral Library" by Kate Quinn, first published in 2026
Alix is at a low point in her life when she gets invited to become a patron of the Astral Library and choose a book to live in.
A new entry on OverDrive. I loved the idea of living in a book. What the book turned into was a comment on the purpose of libraries and their future in a money-oriented world.
While I agree on many of the issues mentioned - I'm a librarian of the old-fashioned sort -, the combination of them with fantasy just didn't work for me and I struggled to make it through. I also found the book to be quite repetitive and too wordy for this plot (if I run away from someone, I don't indulge in descriptions of fashion, etc.). Too much different things crammed into one book.
"Miss Elizas englische Küche" = "Miss Elizas English Kitchen" by Annabel Abbs, first published in 2021
Eliza Acton is known for being the author of one of Britain's first cookery books (published in 1845).
The book tells the story of how and why she got started and of her assistant Ann.
This was a random find at my library. Although I hardly ever cook myself, I like hearing and reading about it. I would have liked to read more about food than about poetry, but it was a quick read.
"The Two Mrs. Abbotts" by D. E. Stevenson, first published in 1943
We are in 1942 and things have changed. Barbara and Arthur Abbott have two children now, Jerry Abbott's husband and Arthur's nephew Sam has gone off to war.
We meet people who are new to the Wandlebury circle.
I found this book which is the last one in the "Miss Buncle" trilogy even calmer than the second one. I enjoyed it and it was really just right for the day I read it.
Nevertheless, it felt more like single stories that were connected in some way and not so much like a flowing narrative if that makes sense - and of course I would have liked a lot more Barbara and Arthur than we got!
"Cotillion" by Georgette Heyer, first published in 1952
Matthew Penicuik has brought up the orphaned Kitty, a school friend's daughter, in his home. Now he wants to make his will and tells his great-nephews that the one among who will marry Kitty will get his money. He has been counting on Kitty and Jack marrying, but Jack has refused to be put on the spot like this.
So Kitty persuades Freddy to fake a betrothal and take her to London in order to make Jack jealous.
Things don't go as they both have expected it, though.
I love a Georgette Heyer re-read and "Cotillion" is one of my top favorites of hers.
"The Snark Was a Boojum" by Gerald Verner and Chris Verner, first published in 2015 (Gerald Verner wrote the book in 1957, his son Chris finished it in 2015)
Someone is committing murders based on Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem "The Hunting of the Snark".
Amateur detective Simon Gale investigates with the help of solicitor Jeff Trueman.
I think this was a recommendation on The Internet Archive and the title drew me in as I have read "The Hunting of the Snark".
Interestingly, I found that - although I enjoyed this whodunit - I really prefer detectives who are more on the quiet, elegant side, maybe with a touch of humor. Simon Gale didn't speak, he cried, boomed, growled, roared, he was impatient, furious, banged his fist on the table, and was altogether a bit too much for me.
"Die Abenteuer des starken Wanja" = "The Adventures of Strong Vanya" by Otfried Preußler, first published in 1968
Farmer's son Vanya is told that he's destined to become Tsar, so he sets out for adventure.
This was a re-read for a blog post, therefore the very short description.
"Someone Saw a Spider: Spider Facts and Folktales" by Shirley Climo, first published in 1985 😸
The book is a collection of interesting facts about spiders and of folk tales from Africa, Japan, Portugal, Scotland, and other countries.
Liz Climo (see above) mentioned this book her mother wrote on Instagram the other day.
I think spiders are absolutely fascinating.
"Die Erscheinung" by Anselma Heine, first published in 1912
On a ship back to Germany after spending time on the island of Nauru, Dr. Arnold Riedhammer meets the Dutch lady Johne Stevens. They are so attracted to one another that they want to stay together once Johne is free from her unhappy marriage, but one day Johne is suddenly gone.
I read this novella because an episode in a silent movie I watched was based on it.
"Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" by Elizabeth Taylor, first published in 1971
The widowed Laura Palfrey moves into the Claremont Hotel in London as one of several elderly residents. The only family she has in town is her grandson who never visits her.
Then she meets young Ludovic, an aspiring writer, when she falls in front of his building. They start talking and eventually she asks him to pretend to be her grandson to stop the other residents wondering about her family.
Deb from Readerbuzz shared a book by Elizabeth Taylor (not the actress) the other day. It sounded interesting and I randomly picked this one to read by its title.
It was undoubtedly a good read and I will definitely look for more of Taylor's books, but I also found the book utterly depressing, maybe because the humor was too gentle and I imagined myself in that situation, being old and lonely like that.
Before reading it, I didn't know about the 2005 movie, by the way.
If you write book reviews or blog posts about other book-related matters - even movies based on books - please check out "A Good Book and a Cup of Tea", a monthly bookish blog link party that I co-host with Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs. You can find out more about it here or directly click through to the current party via the image in the right hand column.
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