Locus Amoenus: All By My Shelf

I have been reading, though not as much as I would like. Things went haywire at work, and it's been an intense couple of weeks. But I'm very much enjoying this one!

Icons

Black Cat = Called

Candy Corn = Called and read

Books in Progress

• Amateur Sleuth (Transfiguration Spell used on Fear Street): One Corpse Too Many
• Center Square: House of Leaves

Finished Books

Ghost Stories: The Clockmaker's Daughter

Relics and Curiosities: A Morbid Taste for Bones

Transfiguration Spells Used

1. Fear Street changed to Amateur Sleuth

And I couldn't resist another one, since I liked the first one so much. I've used a Transfiguration Spell to change Fear Street to Amateur Sleuth. Whee!

I loved, loved, loved this book. In no particular order, some of the things I loved:

- Brother Cadfael himself. He has a past he's not ashamed of; and he won't let anyone else shame him for it either.

- The entire town of Gwytherin, their sense of justice and redemption, and the way they come together to protect their own.

- Sioned and Annest. They work within the strictures of their society to achieve their personal goals.

- The resolution. I wasn't surprised at who the culprit was, but the last couple of chapters threw me for a loop in how the issue was handled. I'll admit I was laughing very hard at certain parts near the end.

I'm going to continue with this series, to see where Cadfael's fortunes take him next.

I love Sioned. In an environment where a dead virgin saint's hypothetical opinions are given more respect than those of a living woman, she's an amazing force of both reason and passion.

Any German BL friends know about this bag?

Brother Cadfael himself found nothing strange in his wide-ranging career, and had forgotten nothing and regretted nothing. He saw no contradiction in the delight he had taken in battle and adventure and the keen pleasure he now found in quietude.

Just a few pages in, and I'm completely sold on Brother Cadfael. I love that he's had a full life, and that he regrets none of it: not the wars, not the women, not the pleasure and strife. He comes to the monastery not as someone wanting to repent for his past, but as a man ready for the next stage in his life. What a wonderful attitude!

This is for my Relics and Curiosities bingo square.

This was for my Ghost Story bingo square.

There's a lot a liked about this book. Its central theme is time, and how stories persist or change over time. In that sense, I liked that it covered a lot of ground (from the 1860s to the present) and that the ending was left so open: things don't end neatly wrapped up. We're left with new discoveries, but what the characters will do with those remains to be seen.

However, the sprawling nature of the novel also works against it. I felt throughout that it could have used a bit of editing to tighten up some sections (I'm thinking especially of Ada's childhood in India: it was beautifully written, but quite a detour). There were so many characters and side stories (even though they were all related to each other) that I would often forget who certain people were, or why they were important. It diluted the central story - that of Birdie's tragic life and death - when it could have been so much more powerful. I also wasn't crazy about the framing story (Elodie's); I just didn't find her that interesting, and her final discovery of the buried box felt very deus ex machina.

And speaking of Birdie, our resident ghost, I never understood how she knew so much about modern technology. Her visitors are few and far between over the years, and yet she's well acquainted with the ins and outs of mobile phones and emails.

But the story did keep me hooked, so I can definitely recommend it.

The cast keeps growing, and the character I figured was the protagonist hasn't appeared in many, many pages. The structure is like that of nesting dolls, I suppose. And it's interesting, and there's a mystery that I'd love to see solved and is keeping me hooked; but I also think this could have used a bit of editing to make it tighter.

Sooo many coincidences. But I'll admit that it's really sucked me in!

A very interesting read so far, although I feel that Morton foreshadows/telegraphs action a bit too much. Also, how does Birdie know words for mobile phones, t-shirts, and jeans? She seems way too modern. And I haven't met Alastair yet, and already don't like him.

This was such a lovely, moving story, and much more complex than it seems at first glance. It was only once I had a few hours to think about it, after finishing it, that the full scope and repercussions of the events became clear for me. And I won't say any more, so as not to spoil it for anyone wanting to read it. Definitely recommended.

I've yet to make a master post with my board, but this was the first square called, and it just so happens that this book I'd had on hold through Overdrive appeared on my reader today. It was one of my options for this square, so off I go!

It looks like Bingo pre-reading has started! And I'll definitely need a head start with this one! I'm definitely not finishing it before the official start.

I still need to make a master post, but this one's for my center square.