What I’m Reading Wednesday:Jan 22, 2025 - Last week’s best reads

I plowed through a lot of mostly mediocre books this past week and then slotted them into the 52 week reading challenge anyway!

One book I gave a 4 out of 5 rating. I haven’t given any 5s so far this year so that is high.

Prompt 27: Features a Magician

I found this book really clever and loved it being a gentle send up of mystery writers producing Christmas books plus other mystery writing common plot techniques. It is a quick and light read with a good story and characters. Turns out this is the 3rd in a series so I checked the other two out from the library.

Two books got 3 out of 5 stars although for very different reasons.

Prompt 21: Character’s Name in the Title

I admire how Marie Benedict is using historical fiction to shine a light on remarkable women. I have no idea how close her portrayal of Lady Clementine Churchill and other famous figures is to how they actually were in life. I’m sure she has researched it thoroughly so let’s assume it is accurate in this case.

I really couldn’t like Clementine although I admired her brilliance with strategy and her discipline and tactics in implementing it. Otherwise I found her annoying, overwrought and unwilling to face issues in her relationships with people outside the political influence circle including her children and family. 

So overall, a very well written book but I couldn’t warm to the main character.

Prompt 49: Set in a country with an active volcano (the US certainly has them but Scotland does not)

This book appealed to me in part because I lived in Seattle while in college and a couple of years after. While there I went on a fascinating historical walk that included some of the things mentioned and I couldn’t warm to easily picture locations mentioned despite the time difference. The other location featured was Edinburgh and I also have been there so that helped make it interesting.

Most of the characters were interesting and well drawn although again I found one of the main female characters unlikable. This seems to be the case in a number of recent books I have read and I hope that is coincidental and not a trend.