ARC: The Colonel and the Bee

*Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.

A peculiar explorer and downtrodden acrobat span the globe on a building-sized hot air balloon, in search of a precious artifact and the murderous treasure hunter who seeks it. (Summary via Goodreads.com)

I debated long and hard before requesting this book for review. Because my schedule is so tight, I haven’t been reading many books that haven’t been recommended to me by people whose bookish tastes are like mine. But I decided to take a chance on this one, and I am extremely glad I did! If I hadn’t, I would have missed out on a gem of a book.

The Colonel and the Bee is just sheer fun. I loved Beatrix (or Bee) and the Colonel and their adventures in his hot air balloon as they chase down treasure hunters. It’s exactly as fun as it sounds like it would be. The book is a little bit steampunk, a little bit globetrotting, and a lot of quirky, fascinating characters.

The action is fast-paced as Beatrix, the Colonel, and their crew try to track down a highly sought-after treasure, but the relationships between the characters aren’t neglected either. Although Beatrix has a habit of speaking before she thinks, and although the Colonel leaves behind him a trail of broken-hearted, gun-toting women, they both do their best even in difficult circumstances to form a caring partnership.

If you’re looking for a fun, steampunk-y romp with surprisingly sweet and quirky characters, I highly recommend this book. I’m so glad I picked it up, and I think you will be too!

Rating: Pretty Darn Good

 

The Eleven Longest Books I’ve Ever Read

I’m linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday to share my top ten list!

The title for this blog post might be a bit misleading, as there very well could be some books longer than these that I read before I started recording everything I read. Still, these are at least the longest books I’ve read in the past five years. Some of them were worth the time; others… not so much.

• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (1,006 pages)
• Anna Karenina (964 pages)
• The Black Lizard Big Book of Locked-Room Mysteries (956 pages)
• The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales (880 pages)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (870 pages)
• Winter (827 pages)
• Wives and Daughters (679 pages)
• The Children’s Book (675 pages)
• Blackout (610 pages) and All Clear (656 pages)
• The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries (654 pages)
• American Gods (635 pages)

What are the longest books you’ve ever read? Were they worth the time? Let me know in the comments!

Small Goals + What I’m Into, October 2018

As always, I’m linking up with writes like a girl for my October 2018 small goals, and Leigh Kramer for my monthly what I’m into.

It has been a while since I’ve done one of these posts–August was my last one. So I’m taking a quick look at my late summer goals and then moving on to my almost holiday goals!

• Make breakfasts for school. Yes, for the most part. I’ve been making energy balls, and every once in a while my husband makes me scones or muffins. It has been nice to switch it up (although I still rely on those hard boiled eggs when I’m in a hurry!).
• Keep doing yoga. I’ve actually been doing pretty well with this goal! I don’t work out every day, but I’m getting three or sometimes four days of yoga in. Way better than last year!
• Read one book in translation. Two, in fact!
• Make time for fun activities. I’m counting this one as completed in part because I actually joined a choir! I’ve been wanting to get back into choral music ever since I left college, so even though this makes my schedule even crazier than before, it’s worth it.
• Make time for household chores. Yes. Not every day, but most days.

I am actually quite proud of myself for juggling two jobs, volunteering at church, blogging, household stuff, and hobbies! I completed all five goals from August, so I’m trying to keep my October goals just as reachable.

• Prep for the holidays. Can it be that Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are just around the corner already? I won’t get everything done this month, certainly, but I’m hoping that if I start now, things won’t be so hectic at the end of the year.
• Go to the tropical fruit market. This one is just for fun!
• Prep for our first chorale performances. We’ve got a ton of music, and I know I’ll soon be receiving more for the choir I accompany for. I need to stay on top of learning this new music.
• Watch/read some spooky stuff. I’m not a big Halloween person, and I don’t generally like horror movies or intensely scary books, but this year I’m kind of feeling like some mildly spooky media might be fun. Last year around this time I read Dracula; this year I’m going for things like Hocus Pocus and Coraline.

What I’m Into

Books I’m looking forward to reading: I found a Penderwicks book that I didn’t even know existed and I’m saving it for a day when I can savor it.

TV shows I’ve watched: I am obsessed with Lords and Ladles. If you like cooking shows without drama, Irish accents, and learning the history of gorgeous historical homes, this show is absolutely for you.

Online creator I’m loving: Have you heard of Grandpa Kitchen? It’s a sweet YouTube channel in which an Indian grandpa makes ridiculously large meals and then gives the food to the children in need that he cares for. (All the money the channel earns through ad revenue and Patreon goes toward supporting the orphanage he runs, which makes these fun videos even better!)

Links I like: These modern covers for classic books are fascinating.

I would love to watch this TV series starring the former hosts of GBBO.

The illustrator for Matilda imagines the character’s life thirty years later.

This orchestra playing an impromptu concert after a flight delay made me smile.

My favorite Instagram:

Look at this gorgeous bookish tote (and the Hamilton apron, too!):

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A post shared by Monica F (@turquoisemango22)

If you’d like to follow me on Instagram (I post lots of book pictures and the occasional selfie), you can do so here.

What are you all up to this month? Let me know in the comments!

Classics Roundup: September 2018

I’ve been making my way through many classics recently (mostly thanks to the Serial app or the audiobooks on Scribd). I’m not an academic or even a former English major, so I’m just offering short summaries and my feelings about these books. Hopefully that will help you decide if you’re interested in reading these books yourself. (Summaries via Goodreads.com)

The Canterbury Tales

This collection of stories, framed as the tales told on the road to Canterbury, was really hit or miss for me. There were a few that were fun or interesting, and it was certainly interesting to have a look at the kinds of things people were talking about hundreds of years ago (they’re not much different from the things we talk about today!). But many of the stories bored me to death (particularly the ones that switched from verse to prose), and several of them mentioned rape in a way that was meant to be humorous and no longer is.

Rating: Meh

Far from the Madding Crowd

Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in Wessex, Hardy’s novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships.

There is sooo much sexism in this book that I couldn’t really enjoy the story. It was an okay story, but I basically had to hate-read to finish the book.

Rating: Meh

Flannery O’Connor short stories

Powerful, disturbing stories about the South, race, and religion. This collection is definitely worth your time, even if (like me) you usually don’t enjoy short stories.

Rating: Pretty Darn Good

The Left Hand of Darkness

A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can choose -and change – their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters. 

I wasn’t sure whether or not to include this in my classics roundup, but I don’t think anyone could argue that The Left Hand of Darkness isn’t at least a science fiction classic.

I found the book interesting, and I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated (sci fi isn’t usually my thing), but there is a surprising amount of sexism for a book written by a woman about a culture that is neither male nor female. I wouldn’t say no to reading another Le Guin, but I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to find her books either.

Rating: Good but Forgettable

Orlando

Spanning three centuries, the novel opens as Orlando, a young nobleman in Elizabeth’s England, awaits a visit from the Queen and traces his experience with first love as England under James I lies locked in the embrace of the Great Frost. At the midpoint of the novel, Orlando, now an ambassador in Costantinople, awakes to find that he is a woman, and the novel indulges in farce and irony to consider the roles of women in the 18th and 19th centuries. As the novel ends in 1928, a year consonant with full suffrage for women. Orlando, now a wife and mother, stands poised at the brink of a future that holds new hope and promise for women.

This short book has an interesting premise—our (male) main character Orlando becomes a woman halfway through the book and shows the oppression of women and their eventual freedom. Although this is a short book, it spans centuries. I loved the idea, but somehow even the short length couldn’t keep me from getting distracted and forgetting the details of the plot.

Rating: Good but Forgettable

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

In this book, Maya Angelou shares stories of her childhood, complete with all the traumas and joys of growing up Black during this time period.

This book is a classic for good reason, but the extended, graphic rape scene was absolutely awful to read. Please be forewarned and don’t listen to this as an audiobook on your way to work, as I did.

Rating: Good but Difficult