Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

It's been a crazy week so I just finished Gail Carriger's Changeless (and LOVED it) when I should have been sleeping before work tonight. On my dash out the door I grabbed a book at random from one of the many "I should really put these away" piles : Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson. I've been meaning to read it for ages and now I'm only 23 books behind in the series so they should be a good go-to for the "I don't know what to read next" times.

Friday 56 (today is page 56 of the paperback) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader.

Changeless by Gail Carriger (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

I almost completely flaked on this week's Book Beginnings & Friday 56.

Well, blog-wise I kind of did because it's technically almost 3:30am Saturday here in New York … but I did get it up on Instagram on Friday so that's something, right?

Life is ... well … on the "eh" side of the spectrum so I'm only on the second chapter but, of course, I already love it and hopefully will be able to focus more soon so I can ooh and aah appropriately.

Friday 56 (today is 56% of the ebook) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader.

A Lady's Honor by A.S. Fenichel (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

Just so you know, at this point all I know about this book is what Amazon has told me:

I was having a horrible time picking out what to read next since the last book was just so very …. very. Then this was mentioned to me so I figured, problem solved!

Actually, my first statement wasn't true. I know what Amazon told me …. the first paragraph …. and a random "can't read too much so I don't spoil it for myself" grab from the 56-ish% mark of the ebook.

I think a good Regency is just what I need right now and this definitely sounds like it will fit the bill!

Friday 56 (today is 56% of theebook) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader.

The Post-Read Ramble : The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton

Tuesday I posted teasers.

Wednesday I neglected much needed sleep because of the even greater need to finish.

This book. Ooooooooh this book.

It had me intrigued from the very beginning and then I realized that the prologue paled in comparison to what came next (or first, as the prologue isn't actually the beginning of the story).

Once I hit the 71% mark I felt an incredible pang of regret that I wouldn't have this in my life for much longer.

At 74% my feelings about this book were summed up beautifully by H (via the amazing Sarah Burton):

"Like a young enamoured fool who seeks out sad music to lend charm to his own agony, I read these lines over and over, wondering at the thrilling pain they produced. I threw the book across the room. I picked it up. I threw it out of the window. I ran downstairs and retrieved it from the garden. I threw it into the fire. I picked it out with tongs. I sat down on the hearth and hugged the book to myself and wept."

Luckily, I didn't actually throw my book in the fire or out the window as I've been reading the e-arc received with great pleasure through Netgalley … but the sentiment is the same. I laughed. I cried. I cried some more. I got angry. I got ecstatically happy. I repeated all of these time and again.

I am absolutely in awe and I need more. Hopefully Burton will continue with the stories of Grace and Frankie and Godfrey and Kat and Janey and … I just need more.

The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

I do not know that I have the words in me to describe Sarah Burton's The Strange Adventures of H and how very much I am loving it adequately. I am currently at 64% of the ebook (thanks to Netgalley and the publisher) and I am absolutely in awe. Luckily, it's a day for teasers and I will let those speak for me.

For today's Tuesday Intros tease I have opted for the first paragraph of the first chapter instead of the prologue because I feel it tells more about the amazing heroine of this tale. The prologue is wonderful and all, but I love the first paragraph of the first chapter. The teaser for Teaser Tuesday was much harder to pick because the entire book (so far) is absofrickinlutely phenomenal. I finally settled for a bit right about the halfway point.

"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is from the first paragraph or two of a book being read now (or in the future) and is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. 

"Teaser Tuesday" at The Purple Booker asks for a random line or two from anywhere in the book currently being read.

Soulless by Gail Carriger (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

They say the third time's the charm and that appears to be the case for me and Gail Carriger's Soulless. 

The first time I attempted it, I believe I was still in recovery over her Finishing School series ending. This was written first but those come first chronologically as far as story goes and you probably know by now how I am about such things.

The second time? Life in general probably got in the way -- much as it has been for me and any reading at all for the past couple of months. Funny how all this "extra time" people seem to have thanks to the whole pandemic/world falling apart/blah blah blah has meant less time spent reading for me. 

I've tried. 

I've failed.

Gail Carriger has saved me. And it's with a book that has failed me before.

This time around I'm obsessed. I do cringe slightly when we alternate between "Alexia" and "Miss Tarabotti" -- sometimes in the same paragraph … but not so much that I'll actually close my Kindle to do things like sleep or eat or accomplish much at work. (I still do all of those things, of course, but the Kindle is never far away and almost always open to see what's happening next.)

Friday 56 (today is page 56 of the paperback) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader.