Dear Readers,
I'm looking forward to enjoy two weeks off from work. Two weeks at a different place .. enjoying the Baltic Sea coast together with my wife. There are so many books I want to read. I'm still fighting with myself which books I want to read.
In case I find some time today, I will prepare something for the next two weeks .....
Holiday mood is on and that is what I have found worthy to share with you.
While I wrote this post I listened to following song:
Checked spelling .. listened one more time to the song and now I have to start packing ...
ENJOY READING ...
Edi's Guidepost
The Lighthouse
News and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB
Reading progress
Books
The latest report from our shelf shop net correspondent Bona
New books on my shelf/reader or when one book leads to another
Books for holiday
Blogosphere
Messages from the depths of the blogosphere by spheronaut Bona Fide
This is more than cosplay
Phenakistoscope
350 years ago
A good housewife
New York 1901
Movies
Remote control junkie Fide and his zapping highlights
Bioshock
Quotes
The member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you
German proverbs, sayings and idioms Quote related to nature
The Lighthouse
Nearly unbelievable. After a long time I finished two books in one week and I started new books which I want to read during my holiday.
I finished
- Cowboys and Indians (digital, 31st August 2015) [Kindle Edition ASIN: B00Z9ZE1WE] by Ed James.
I wrote on GOODREADS:
"1st of September 2016 marks the start of a new Ed James "DI Fenchurch" mystery series with The Hope That Kills.
I wanted to read and finish the latest Scott Cullen mystery and as you can see I have been successful.
Like the six previous ones "Cowboys and Indians" has been a great one.
A lot is happening in the Scott's relationship with Sharon and both are deeply involved in two cases.
Beside that a person from his past police career returns and cause trouble.
If you read the previous books then you won't be disappointed.
If you want to enter the world of Scott Cullen I highly recommend to start with the very first book Ghost in the Machine. "
Knots & Crosses ( digital, 18th September 2008) [Kindle Edition ASIN: B002UPVVVU] by Ian Rankin
I wrote on GOODREADS:
"For many years I hesitated to read the first book starring Inspector Rebus.
Knots & Crosses has been published first in 1987 which means 29 years ago.
Recently I got the opportunity to get a digital copy for less than one Euro. I did not hesitate to buy a copy and now I read it within three days
. What shall I say? I was really good. I can't understand why I hesitated that long.
Inspector Rebus is a fascinating character. The only reason why I did not rate it with five stars is the ending. After the development of the story I really expected a much more dramatically end.
Anyway Inspector Rebus found a new fan. So far there are "only" 19 more Rebus books waiting for me."
My reader shows different paging. therefore I change to percentage for digital books as it is possible to see on GOODREADS.
- 31 pages in Vergessene Erfindungen ( pb, 2nd edition 2016, first published in 2004 [ISBN-13: 978-3832163402] by Christian Mähr
- 37 % done in Love Story, With Murderers (digital, June 2013) [Kindle ASIN: B00CM9CJWY] by Harry Bingham
The special Fiona Moments continue.
- 11 % done in - Behind the Throne (digital 2nd August 2016) [Kindle Edition ASIN: B01D90138A] by K.B. Wagers.
Good to meet a mature main character in a space opera. I like it so far
- 43% done in The Jade Owl(digital, 23rd October 2008) [Kindle ASIN: B001J54AWO] by Edward C. Patterson which is the first book in The Jade Owl Legacy.
No progress. I was not in the right mood for the book.
Enjoy your weekend ....
Books
Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.
New books on my shelf/reader or when one book leads to another
Digital copies of several books found a new home on my reader. There will be no new books in the following two weeks. Sorry that is not completely true.
There will be new books which I ordered in advance but I won't see them before we return from our holiday.
In the past weeks Amazon.de surprised me with several unexpected cheap offerings. To be honest can you resist to buy a digital copy for just 0.99 Euro (= 1.10 USD; = 0.84 GBP) ? Most of the time I can't and that is the reason why I now own digital copies of the first six Inspector Rebus novels by Ian Rankin!
Don't worry. I do not intend to present all six books in detail. I concentrate on the first one. For the rest please visit The Rebus Books In Order.
Knots & Crosses ( digital, 18th September 2008) [Kindle Edition ASIN: B002UPVVVU] by Ian Rankin.
"And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve." [Source]
As you could read above I read and enjoyed it. I will definitely read more Inspector Rebus novels. Will be interesting to see how Ian Rankin developed his character Inspector Rebus in the past thirty years. Yes, the author is still writing new Inspector Rebus novels.
I'm so happy that the new Ed James book has been published before my holiday.
I can't wait to put my nose into The Hope that Kills (digital, 1st September 2016) [Kindle Edition ASIN: B00Z9ZE1WE] which is the first DI Fenschurch novel.
"The body of a young woman is found on the streets of East London, in the shadow of the City’s gleaming towers. No ID on her, just hard-earned cash. But there is no doubting the ferocity of the attack.
DI Simon Fenchurch takes charge but, as his team tries to identify her and piece together her murder, they’re faced with cruel indifference at every turn—nobody cares about yet another dead prostitute. To Fenchurch, however, she could just as easily be Chloe, his daughter still missing after ten years, whose memory still haunts his days and nights, his burning obsession having killed his marriage.
When a second body is discovered, Fenchurch must peel back the grimy layers shrouding the London sex trade, confronting his own traumatic past while racing to undo a scheme larger, more complex and more evil than anything he could possibly have imagined." [Source]
Sometimes loving to read series is like a "curse" because when the next book appears I feel the need to get a copy. I don't have any overview how many series I'm following. I bought the following digital copies because I liked either the first book in the series or I like a short story starring the main characters.
So far I read two short stories in the Detective Lavender Mystery series by Karen Charlton. Now the third book in the series has been published and I have a digital copy of The Sculthorpe Murder (digital, 30th August 2016) [ Kindle Edition ASIN: B01D04S0KO] by Karen Charlton.
"Northamptonshire, 1810: As a new canal network snakes across the landscape, a vicious mob stakes its claim to the county. Every local constable is out on the hunt for the ruthless Panther Gang. When an elderly man is robbed and murdered in sleepy Middleton, the beleaguered magistrates send for help from London’s Bow Street Police Office.
Detective Stephen Lavender and Constable Ned Woods soon discover there’s more to William Sculthorpe’s demise than meets the eye. Mystery surrounds the old man and his family, and the stench of revenge hangs heavy in the air. Are the Panther Gang really responsible or is something more sinister afoot? As Lavender delves further into long-hidden secrets, Woods has demons of his own to contend with: ghosts from his past that stalk him through the investigation.
Uncovering decades of simmering hatred and deceit, Lavender and Woods must use all their wit and cunning to solve this evil crime." [Source]
I really enjoyed the first book in the Daniel Cheswis Mystery series by DW Bradbridge and bought the second in the series. Now I found out that there is a third book and now I own a digital copy of the third book too.
The Combermere Legacy (digital, 4th January 2016) [ Kindle Edition ASIN: B01A60ZKYY] by DW Bradbridge.
"1644. The war between Parliament and Crown has cost the people of Nantwich dearly, and tensions hang heavy as the summer heat over the streets.
In this time of relative peace, long-buried hatreds have their chance to resurface, and while reluctant parliamentarian intelligencer, Daniel Cheswis, treasures these scant few days with his new bride, he knows they cannot last. For outside Daniel’s door, old debts, betrayals, and mistakes are already turning the people of Nantwich against one another, and there is one secret which has been buried longer than any other, a secret which it is Daniel’s lot to uncover.
Why was a prominent landowner beaten to death seventy years ago, over the lease to Ridley Field? And what has his death to do with another murder, today, in that very field? Or with the strange engraving found amongst the new Mrs Cheswis’ belongings?
When Daniel’s duty calls him once more, it is not only old hatreds which will be unearthed, but, in this time when gold feeds the furnaces of war, enough hoarded treasure to reignite bloody violence within Nantwich’s walls." [Source]
Finally I could not resist to buy a digital copy of Beloved Poison (digital, 4th August [Kindle Edition ASIN: B01HN8IEWC] by E.S. Thompson
"Ramshackle and crumbling, trapped in the past and resisting the future, St Saviour’s Infirmary awaits demolition. Within its stinking wards and cramped corridors the doctors bicker and fight. Always an outsider, and with a secret of her own to hide, apothecary Jem Flockhart observes everything, but says nothing.
Six tiny coffins are uncovered, inside each a handful of dried flowers and a bundle of mouldering rags. When Jem comes across these strange relics hidden inside the infirmary’s old chapel, her quest to understand their meaning prises open a long-forgotten past – with fatal consequences.
In a trail that leads from the bloody world of the operating theatre and the dissecting table to the notorious squalor of Newgate and the gallows, Jem’s adversary proves to be both powerful and ruthless. As St Saviour’s destruction draws near, the dead are unearthed from their graves whilst the living are forced to make impossible choices. Murder is the price to be paid for the secrets to be kept." [Source]
I like the title, the cover, and the description.
Now don't ask me when I want to read all this stuff ..... Anyway I know that money will be limited when I retire and by then I will have enough books and no need to buy more ....
Books for holiday
When I look back I must say that I always took too many books with me for a two weeks holiday.
This time I try to be realistic.
I take my reader with me which contain many, many, many books. Beside that I will go for exactly two paperbacks.
The first one is written in my first language and is about forgotten inventions.
This is a fascinating topic and it seems that we may need some of them in future.
Vergessene Erfindungen ( pb, 2nd edition 2016, first published in 2004 [ISBN-13: 978-3832163402] by Christian Mähr
"Wer kennt noch die geniale Natronlok, die jahrelang lärm- und abgasfrei durch Berlin und Aachen fuhr, ehe sie aus dem Verkehr gezogen wurde? Oder den Stirlingmotor und das Ionentriebwerk?
Für jeden verständlich erklärt Christian Mähr verblüffende Ideen aus der Technikgeschichte. Er bettet sie geistreich ein in die Umstände ihrer Entwicklung und ihres Verschwindens. Dabei wirken die zehn spannendsten Erfindungen, die zu ihrer Zeit keine Chance hatten, heute erstaunlich zeitgemäß." [Source]
I read the first story about the Flettner Rotor and it was amazing. There are nine stories left and I'm sure I will finish it during my holiday.
The second paperback is starring one of my favourite fantasy characters FitzChivalry Farseer.
He appeared in the Farseer trilogy and the Tawny Man trilogy by Robin Hobb.
I read and loved both trilogies.
In 2014 the first book in the new Fitz and the Fool Trilogy has been published and in 2015 I bought a paperback copy of Fool's Assassin ( pb, 16th July 2015)[ISBN-13: 978-0007444205] by Robin Hobb.
"Tom Badgerlock has been living peaceably in the manor house at Withywoods with his beloved wife Molly these many years, the estate a reward to his family for loyal service to the crown.
But behind the facade of respectable middle-age lies a turbulent and violent past. For Tom Badgerlock is actually FitzChivalry Farseer, bastard scion of the Farseer line, convicted user of Beast-magic, and assassin. A man who has risked much for his king and lost more…
On a shelf in his den sits a triptych carved in memory stone of a man, a wolf and a fool. Once, these three were inseparable friends: Fitz, Nighteyes and the Fool. But one is long dead, and one long-missing.
Then one Winterfest night a messenger arrives to seek out Fitz, but mysteriously disappears, leaving nothing but a blood-trail. What was the message? Who was the sender? And what has happened to the messenger?
Suddenly Fitz's violent old life erupts into the peace of his new world, and nothing and no one is safe." [Source]
And now one year later the time has come to enjoy the next adventures of FitzChivalry Farseer.
On top of my list is the new crime fiction by Ed James. Therefore I can't wait to put my nose into The Hope that Kills (digital, 1st September 2016) [Kindle Edition ASIN: B00Z9ZE1WE] which is the first DI Fenschurch novel.
Furthermore I want to finish following two books which I'm currently reading:
- Love Story, With Murderers (digital, June 2013) [Kindle ASIN: B00CM9CJWY] by Harry Bingham
- Behind the Throne (digital 2nd August 2016) [Kindle Edition ASIN: B01D90138A] by K.B. Wagers.
"Meet Hail: Captain. Gunrunner. Fugitive.
Quick, sarcastic, and lethal, Hailimi Bristol doesn't suffer fools gladly. She has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire. That is, until two Trackers drag her back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir.
But trading her ship for a palace has more dangers than Hail could have anticipated. Caught in a web of plots and assassination attempts, Hail can't do the one thing she did twenty years ago: run away. She'll have to figure out who murdered her sisters if she wants to survive.
A gun smuggler inherits the throne in this Star Wars-style science fiction adventure from debut author K. B. Wagers. Full of action-packed space opera exploits and courtly conspiracy - not to mention an all-out galactic war - Behind the Throne will please fans of James S. A Corey, Becky Chambers and Lois McMaster Bujold, or anyone who wonders what would happen if a rogue like Han Solo were handed the keys to an empire . . ." [Source]
In case I like it I do not have to wait too long until the story will continue.
The expected publishing date for After the Crown is 13th of December 2016 [Source].
And if there is time left then I will start with the third book in the Shadow Police series:
Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? (digital, 19th May 2016) [Kindle edition ASIN: B018XV0A4I] by Paul Cornell.
"Someone has murdered the ghost of Sherlock Holmes. As a fictional character remembered by the people of London, Holmes’ ghost walked the city, and now someone has put a ceremonial dagger through his chest. What could be the motive? The small team of Metropolitan Police detectives who have The Sight find themselves pursuing a criminal genius who soon lures them into a Sherlockian maze of too many clues and too much evidence. Ross finds herself drawn to an actor who may or may not be a deity, and goes on a quest to win back her happiness. Lofhouse seeks the answers, finally, about why she brought the team together. Quill battles for his sanity. Costain battles for his soul. And Sefton just wants to bring his team back together, even if that takes him to the edge of death." [Source]
Just in case I should not like one of the books above then I will replace it by
Beloved Poison (digital, 4th August [Kindle Edition ASIN: B01HN8IEWC] by E.S. Thompson
I'm happy with my choice of books. It clearly shows that I love series.
No more today, see you next week ......
Blogosphere
Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...
This is more than cosplay
Do you know Dandelion, a character from the Witcher 3 game?
It seems he left the game and became a real person. Just head over to
Cosplay Kotaku and have a look at
Not Now, Dandelion
Phenakistoscope
Do you know what it is? You will find the answer over at The Public Domain Review.
Phenakistoscopes (1833)
350 years ago
What happened 350 years ago? Let me give you a hint: Pudding Lane
Does that ring a bell? For more information head over to English Historical Fiction Authors and read
Hero's Journey: Royal Brothers and the Great Fire of London by Sally A. Moore
A good housewife
I was born in 1959. Do you know what it meant to be a good housewife at this period of time? Fortunately there are documents which explain in detail what has been expected. For details visit vintage everyday and read
How to Be a Good Wife in the 1950s
What happened in New York 1901
To be more precise I have to add what happened on 23rd Street?
You will get the answer over at vintage everyday
An interesting footage captured scene on 23rd Street in New York City, 1901
That's it for today. Come back next week for more ......
Movies
Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.
Bioshock
I'm not a fan of first person shooters. But as with a lot of hings there is an exception. And when it comes to video games the name of the exception is Bioshock because it combines shooting with excellent story telling. Since we got our PS4 I waited for the PS4 version of the game. Now I need to save some for Bioshock: The Collection. It seems there is a lot of game remastering done nowadays and it is always a question if they are or will be worth the money. It seems that this is no question with Bioshock: The Collection as for example stated in following video:
That's it for today. Come back next week for more ......
Quotes
I 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.
Shout it out loud. It is so important ....
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.."
E. B. White, American author, 1899 -1985