Good Reads Many Ways

Internet source

Over the past year and a half, one thing that many folks have been doing more than ever before (besides online movie streaming and binging) is reading, myself included. That's why I was surprised to see that the last time I posted about any of my good reads was in such a while ago, August 2020. I've been reading a lot more since then.

I've always read a lot, without ever tallying my annual reading numbers. However, with most things being defined by confinement of sorts last year, I kept a running total. It came to 61 including a dozen or so audio books. My total, while less than many fellow bloggers, was amazing to me and I suspect it's much larger than previous years. My preference has usually been fiction, but there were at least 5 non-fiction titles in that tally, surprising even myself. 

Nashua, NH, Public Library

A big difference from previous years was that my 2020 and now 2021 reading has mainly consisted of e-books and audio books downloaded from the Nashua Public Library (NPL) website. The library building was closed for months and recently reopened with restrictions. 

During the shutdown, books and other items could be requested online and picked up curbside, that's still possible even though the library has reopened. But, as there's no sitting areas available, staying in the library is not as enjoyable as before the you-know-what current situation.

That's why downloading from the comfort of home, and reading on a Kindle paperwhite e-reader became very convenient. A huge benefit was that every e-book (regardless of physical size) weighed the same, built-in backlighting made reading in bed easier, and there no distractions as my Kindle is just an e-reader. And, a built-in dictionary was of great use.

 

In the same way, audio books downloaded to my cell phone were very convenient to listen to when doing chores, meal prepping, waiting for appointments, walking on a treadmill. As a friend, and long-time audio book listener explained, enjoy them when doing mindless activities that don't require your full attention. In so doing, I listened to readers who provided wonderful narratives in various voices, favorites include Cassandra Campbell, Simon Vance and James Langton.

Don't misunderstand, hardcover books are wonderful. I'll always return to reading them, but in unsettling times, it's been so easy to read or listen then return a book (14-day loan limit) without going out. A handy plus is that downloaded books would time-out on the expiration loan date, handy if one should forget to return one on line.

My thanks to countless bloggers who have posted about current and/or favorite reads. I've been introduced to and enjoyed authors I've not read, such as Elly Griffiths, Peter James, Catherine Steadman and more. A downside has been that sometimes the NPL didn't have a recommended book in any format, print or otherwise.

My favorite literary genres includes mysteries and historical fiction as even when some (or all) of the characters and all of the dialogue has been created by an author, many novels retain some basis in factual events. Personal favorites historical fiction authors include Marie Benedict (The Only Woman in the Room, The Other Einstein, Carnegie's Maid), Beatriz Williams (The Golden Hour, Her Last Flight, The Secret Life of Violet Grant), Fiona Davis (The Lions of Fifth Avenue, The Address, The Dollhouse) and Erik Larson (The Devil in the White City, Dead Wake, Thunderstruck, The Splendid and the Vile). 

Recently, I completed two historical fiction series set in 1800s England. Each series features a prominent male protagonist; one is an adventurer and the son of a baron, the other is an American doctor in London. The series were written by two female authors, British and American. 

Tessa Harris

British author Tessa Harris studied history at Oxford University followed by a career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and magazine writer. According to her website, she developed the Silkstone character after winning a screenplay writing competition later opted by a film company.

Her six-book mystery series featuring Dr. Thomas Silkstone mystery was published between 2011 to 2016. Set in 1870s London, England, the main protagonist (Silkstone) is introduced in the first novel as a young anatomist and forensic scientist from Philadelphia, PA. A crucial element at the start is that Silkstone finds his way to England in the 18th century, when America is fighting the War of Independence against British forces.

The Anatomist’s Apprentice introduces Dr. Silkstone arriving in London as the apprentice of a famous anatomist. He's described as a pioneering detective in the world of forensic medicine who introduces unconventional methods of investigating suspected murders. An American by citizenship, he's considered an outsider by Londoners. In the first novel, the author credits Silkstone with several firsts, such as recording the stages of decomposition and observing insects on a corpse to determine the time of death. In subsequent novels, he uses these techniques and many others to solve some perplexing murders.

Luckily, I found the entire Silkstone series —The Anatomist's Apprentice, The Dead Shall Not Rest, Devil's Breath, Lazarus Curse, Shadow of Raven, Secrets in Stone — as downloadable library e-books. These were very compulsive fast reads, which I binged on in sequence.

Harris has also written a second mystery series featuring Constance Piper with three books in this series: The Sixth Victim,The Angel Makers, and A Deadly Deception. The downside is that currently none are available through the library's website.

D.M. Quincy

American author D.M. Quincy, who grew up living in various countries as the daughter of a U.S. Foreign Service officer, now lives in Virginia with her family. In her career as TV journalist, she covered crimes, that included violent unsolved murders. According to her website, one summer she read all the romantic fiction books available at the local library. This led her to create her own historical and romantic fiction characters. 

The Atlas Catesby novels were written from 2017 to 2019. According to the author's website, the events in the three-book series were inspired by true-life murders. 

The novels are set in 1800s Regency England, a period of elegance and extravagance, crime and poverty. This is the world surrounding amateur sleuth Atlas Catesby, an adventurer who not only travels the world, but has a penchant for solving puzzles which inexplicably draws him into murder investigations and their solutions.

Murder in Mayfair was inspired by a real incident that happened in the 1700s, when a duke purchased the wife of an hustler who was selling the woman to the highest bidder. 

Murder in Bloomsbury borrows liberally from a sensational murder trial that occurred in mid-1800s Scotland. Glasgow socialite Madeleine Smith was accused of killing her low-born lover. Letters detailing the passionate secret love affair were introduced in court and scandalized society at the time.

Murder at the Opera resulted from the 1779 murder of Martha Ray, a British singer and the longtime mistress of the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who supposedly having invented the sandwich.

Like the Silkstone series, I was fortunate to download this series from the library website and like that previous series, found them to be fast, compulsive reading.

Like Harris, Quincy has also written a second series but under her given name, Diana Quincy. The Accidental Peers series is historical romance with four novels: Seducing Charlotte, Tempting Bella, Compromising Willa, Her Night with the Duke. However, this series doesn't hold an appeal for me and, like the previous second series, none are available through the library's website.

As mentioned, downloadable e-books and audio books have been enjoyable and so convenient these past many months, but I still crave the pleasures of hardcover books. Luckily, last week's library visit resulted in three checkouts, including these new ↑ mysteries by favorite authors Donna Leon and Charles Finch.

If anyone has read or decides to read the Dr. Silkstone or Atlas Catesby novel, please let me know your opinions in one of your future posts. I would be interested in your comments.