Monday, March 21, 2016

Where Is My Bookmark? (03/22/2016)

I have finally dived into my March TBR List winner, The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling). If ever there was a day to call in sick so I could read all day . . . I didn't. But I want to.


Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

The buzz in the street was like the humming of flies. Photographers stood massed behind barriers patrolled by police, their long-snouted cameras poised, their breath rising like steam. Snow fell steadily on to hats and shoulders; gloved fingers wiped lenses clear. From time to time there came outbreaks of desultory clicking, as the watchers filled the waiting time by snapping the white canvas tent in the middle of the road, the entrance to the tall red-brick apartment block behind it, and the balcony on the top floor from which the body had fallen.

Every Tuesday, Jenn from Books And A Beat hosts Teaser Tuesdays at which time participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.


Teaser from 6% of The Cuckoo's Calling:
'It'd be better for John if he'd just accept the facts. She killed herself. The rest of the family have come to terms with it, I don't know why he can't.'
and at 7%:
It's a death threat,' she said.
'Oh yeah,' said Strike. 'Nothing to worry about. They come in about once a week.'
What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

The opening paragraph is actually from the prologue, taking place three months before John walks into Private Investigator Cormoran Strike's office asking for help. I really like the opening, the description, the setting of the scene and climate. The teasers give you an idea of what the novel is about. I'm completely intrigued so far! 

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's  Top Ten Tuesday theme is the Top Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough/In A While. I tried to stay away from the books I have recommended right and left of late--and there are many! All of these are books I love, but could probably use more recognition from me. The covers are linked to my reviews if you want to know about the books.

1.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson ~ This is such an important book dealing with sexual assault and the trauma and stigma that can follow. 


2. 

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert ~ A sweeping historical novel about a girl diagnosed with leprosy. Such a beautiful an sad book that is one of my all time favorites.


3. 

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett ~ This was such an interesting book, one that appealed to the mystery lover in me as well as the book lover. While I am not a book collector per say, I found this book to be entertaining and informative.

4.

The Hollow Man by Oliver Harris ~ There's just something about a British crime fiction novel that cries out "read me!" And read it, I do. I really liked this gritty and complex novel.


5. 

Moonlight Downs by Adrian Hyland ~ Not only was it the Central Australian setting that drew me to this novel, it was the mystery and characters as well. A very well written and intriguing crime fiction novel.


The Road by Cormac McCarthy ~ I think most of you, if not all, have heard of this novel. Sparse in writing, it is an unforgettable story about a father and his son striving to survive in an apocalyptic landscape.


7. 

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning ~ I fell head over heels for this urban fantasy novel featuring the fae. I STILL haven't read the second book in the series. It makes no sense why not. I really should.


8.

No One You Know by Michelle Richmond ~ This is a gem of a novel about a woman who is drawn into searching for her sister's killer years after her murder when a tell all book comes out about the crime, naming a perpetrator who swears he is innocent.


9.

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli ~ This novel is about a female photojournalist during the Vietnam War. I have so much love for this book. The history, the setting, the story itself . . . It just so happens my mom is visiting Vietnam right now, and I am tempted to pick this book up again and read it.


10. 

The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy ~ Told in the style of non-linear but connected stories, this was such an amazing book. It is the story of how one man's act of kindness touched the lives of others, spanning from World War II to the present. 




Have you read any of these? What books would you recommend that you haven't talked about in awhile?


© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

88 comments:

  1. I can see that I will adding books to my TBR pile because I am seeing books I've never even heard of before. Thanks for some good suggestions. My TTT

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    1. Anne - I hope you enjoy any you may try! I'm adding books right and left to my wish list from these lists. :-) Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. I haven't ready any of these, but The Hollow Man has been on my TBR for ages. I'll have to check out the rest of them. Thanks for sharing :)

    Christina @ Books & Prejudice

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    1. Christina - I hope you enjoy The Hollow Man when you read it! I need to get to the second book in the series. Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. I have not read any of these but I own all of Karen Marie Moning books and am dying to find the time to read Darkfever!!!

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    1. I've read two Karen Marie Moning books and loved both. Do give her a try when you get the chance! Thanks for visiting!

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  4. Just put Darkfever on hold at my local library. They have a copy of The Cuckoo's Calling on the shelves. Guess where I'll be tomorrow?!? Thanks for the teaser and other book overviews. My teaser is from Patricia Brigg's latest, Fire Touched: http://abookaddictsview.blogspot.com/2016/03/teaser-tuesday_22.html

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    1. A Book Addict - I hope you enjoy Darkfever! I am really enjoying The Cuckoo's Calling. It isn't the most fast-paced mystery novel out there, but it's good. :-)

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  5. Speak really is an important read!:-) Great choices.

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  6. I must read the Robert Galbraith - it has been sat on my bookshelf for far too long! A good top ten book list too - I'm very interested in finding out more about No One You Know - thanks for sharing

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    1. Cleo - You must read it! Don't let it sit too much longer. :-) I know how that goes though. Too many books to read! I'm looking forward to reading No One You Know again someday.

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  7. Such a great list. Speak is a great example of a good book that we sometimes forget to bring up. I am curious to read 'The Man Who Loved Books Too Much.' I mean that title!

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    1. Jillian - Thank you! With so many newer books out there, it's easy to forget the older ones sometimes. I hope you get a chance to read The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. It's a good one. :-)

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  8. Great list! I haven't read any of those books except The Road and The Lotus Eaters. I think I've Speak in my pile and I hope to get to it this year.

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    1. Melody - I hope you are able to find time to read Speak, Melody. It's not an easy read subject matter wise, but it's worth reading, I think.

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  9. Nice picks for this week! Speak is an awesome read!! I enjoyed reading The Road as well.

    Here's a link to my TTT for this week:
    http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2016/03/ten-books-i-really-love-but-feel-like-i.html

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    1. Captivated Reader - I agree! I loved Speak. The Road was so good. I cried and cried with both of them.

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  10. Great teasers - I love Cormoran Strike, and the books get better as they go on, I think :)

    My TT: http://whenitdoes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/teaser-tuesday-jeremy-poldark.html

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    1. Catherine - I am liking him quite a bit. It's good to hear the books get better. As I'm already really enjoy this one, I am sure to like the others too. :-)

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  11. I loved your TT - Cuckoo's Calling is a great read and I think is still my favourite of the three books in the series to date... As for your alltime favourite reads - apart from The Road which gave me nightmares so I had to break of reading it - I haven't encountered any of them, but Darkfever is now CALLING to me and I also liked the sound of No One You Know and Moonlight Downs. As for my TT this week - a NetGalley sci fi offering which is extraordinary...
    https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/teaser-tuesday-22nd-march-2016/

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    1. Sarah - Thank you! I'm really enjoying The Cuckoo's Calling. I can see why you like it so much. I hope you enjoy Darkfever if you read it!

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  12. Interesting! Someone's recommended me The Cuckoo's Calling, but I haven't gotten round to reading it. I really should :p

    The Man Who Loved Books Too Much sounds very interesting! And is The Hollow Man the book that the film was based on?

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    1. Eustacia - I am wondering why I waited so long to read The Cuckoo's Calling. I hope you like it when you get to it.

      The Hollow Man book is not the same as the movie, no. The movie, I believe is science fiction and this particular book is pure mystery.

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  13. So glad you are enjoying the Strike book. I've really liked all 3 that are out so far. Love Strike and love Robin. That Rowling woman can really write, can't she? LOL

    As to your list - I've only read SPEAK - and what a book that one is. Wow. I'm interested in MOONLIGHT DOWNS and NO ONE YOU KNOW as well.

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    1. Kay - I'm really taken with Strike and Robin too. And I agree, J.K. Rowling is a very talented writer.

      I hope you do read Moonlight Downs! I don't know many people who have and it's definitely worth it. No One You Know is very good! I keep meaning to read something else by the author.

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  14. I like that teaser at 7%- too funny! The Man Who Loved Books Too Much sounds good, and I kinda want to read The Road too.

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    1. Greg - I liked it too. :-) I can't help but wonder though if those threats will turn out to be something or not. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much was a good one. I hope you do get to read it!

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  15. I own a couple of the books on your list but, I'm sad to say, I haven't read any of them.

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    1. Kathy - Hopefully you will get to the ones you have one of these days. :-)

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  16. I enjoyed the Cuckoo's Calling - great intro hook too. BTW - Molokai was a favorite of mine way back when.

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    1. Diane - Another Moloka'i fan! Yay! It's a good one. :-)

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  17. I would keep reading on your first Paragraph. I loved The Lotus Eaters and was happy to see it on your list. Now My TBR list has grown with some of your other picks.

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    1. Heather - The Lotus Eaters is one of my all time favorites. I made my dad read it shortly before he died, and he really enjoyed it too.

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  18. I keep meaning to read the cuckoo's calling - I know it is supposed to be good - it's just getting round to it.

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    1. Emma - I am glad I am finally getting around to it, so I understand. :-)

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  19. I hope you're enjoying The Cuckoo's Calling so far, it's certainly an intriguing read :)

    Great TTT list this week, I'm familiar with many of the titles you've mentioned but have only read The Man Who Loved Books Too Much and I believe Darkfever as well (it's been too long, clearly, lol).

    My TTT

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    1. Lianne - It's good so far. :-) I have so many questions! I really like Strike.

      I may end up reading Darkfever again just to refresh my memory before I read more of the series.

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  20. Just shrugs it off like it's nothing! Kind of scary thought.
    Great showcase of books this week too:)

    My Teaser Tuesday

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    1. Laura - It makes me wonder if he isn't taking them seriously enough. :-)

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  21. I almost put Speak on my list. What a powerful book!

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  22. The Cuckoo's Calling is on my Kindle. I really should try to read it. There are just too many good books to choose from. My teaser this week comes from A Lady in the Smoke by Karen Odden. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - I hope you enjoy it when you read it! I know exactly what you mean--so many books out there I want to read!

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  23. The Cuckoo's Calling has been lingering on my e-reader for a long time...hope you enjoy it.

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  24. Love your choices and that they aren't the same as everyone else's lately! I've read Speak (when my daughter read it in middle school), read The Road (and saw the movie), read Darkfever but didn't get to book 2 like you, and I enjoy Michelle Richmond but haven't read that title. Thanks so much for your choices-- I'm putting The Lotus Eaters, Moonlight Downs, Molok'ai and the Man Who Loved Books all on my wishlist, so yay for me.

    Re: Galbraith, haven't read Rowling in this form, wasn't sure it called to me but you certainly seem swept up in it so maybe I'll chance it :)

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    1. Rita - I need to read Michelle Richmond's other books. I know she wrote one about a missing child. I hope you enjoy any from my list you decide to try. All are good, I thought. :-)

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  25. Speak was my first Laurie Anderson Halse book. My favorite of her books would have to be Catalyst. It's such a great book! I think I've read all of her YA books except for The Impossible Knife of Memory. I just bought that one, so hopefully I can get to it soon!
    Great Top Ten!
    My TTT.

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    1. Giovanna - I haven't read anything else by Halse yet, but I've heard her other books are good. I am glad you enjoyed Catalyst. I will definitely have to look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  26. I did keep reading and enjoyed both of the first two Cormoran Strike books. Will be looking for the 3rd at the library. :)

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    1. Jenclair - It reminds me a bit of an old time detective novel. I'm really enjoying it so far.

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  27. The Man Who Loves Books Too Much - sounds like I need to add that one to my tbr. :)

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  28. Interesting. I cannot tell from the intro what this book will be about at all. Hope you like it. Here's Mine

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    1. Paulita - The teasers definitely give it away though. :-)

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  29. I love Michelle Richmond's books (the ones I've read), and I read this one...years ago, I think. I have another of her older ones on my Kindle...I should bring it out of the cloud! (Dream of the Blue Room).

    I haven't read The Cuckoo's Calling...and hadn't planned to do so, but your excerpts captured my interest. Thanks! And thanks for visiting my blog.

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    1. Laurel-Rain - I know Richmond's Year of the Fog was very popular for awhile there. I hope to read that one at some point as I haven't yet.

      If you enjoy P.I. mysteries, definitely give The Cuckoo's Calling a try!

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  30. I've been curious about this book. I really like the opening, and your comments about the book make me want to read it!

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  31. I have Speak on my TBR list -- guess I need to move it up in the pile! My girlfriend is a huge Darkfever fan, I suppose I need to get to that too. :P

    My TTT.

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    1. Lenore - I really liked Speak, and hope you will too. I really need to get back to Moning's series. I've heard such good things about it, and if Darkfever is anything to go by, I'm sure I'll love it.

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  32. I choose The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, from your pile! I can relate!

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  33. All new books for me as well (on your Top Ten Tuesday list). But "No One You Know" sounds intriguing! Gotta' love a good mystery. :)

    Thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland.

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  34. I love this top 10 list! I know I have a bunch I haven't talked about in a long time and probably should. Oh, and Cuckoo's Calling sounds great - I absolutely want to read it.

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    1. Athira - Thank you! I had fun compiling the list, but it was hard to narrow down--and not to talk about books I've brought up recently that I loved. I hope you are able to give The Cuckoo's Calling a try!

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  35. Fabulous list this week! A lot of interesting choices.

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  36. Yes on The Man Who Loved Books Too Much! I LOVED it! The rest of your choices are new to me but I'm writing them down. I'm so glad you're enjoying Cuckoo's Calling. I resisted even thinking about reading it for so long for absolutely no reason and now I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see what you think!

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    1. Katherine - Yay! I am glad you loved that one too. :-) I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read The Cuckoo's Calling. So good! Hopefully I'll still feel that way when I finish it.

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  37. Great teaser, I loved The Cuckoo's Calling when I read it a few years ago, and I have The Silkworm sitting on my shelf waiting to be read! Some of your TTT books look very intriguing too, very curious about The Man Who Loved Books Too Much - added it to my TBR!

    My TT: https://thebookbrief.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/teaser-tuesday-march-22nd/comment-page-1/#comment-798

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    1. Emma - I am glad to hear you really enjoyed The Cuckoo's Calling. I am not sure if I have Silkworm around here, but if I don't, I imagine it won't be long before I get it. :-)

      I hope you enjoy The Man Who Loved Books Too Much if you read it!

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  38. To be honest, I'm not into murder mysteries at all. The only detective novels I love are the ones with Sherlock Holmes in them. I have been giving thought to starting an Agatha Christie novel for quite some time, as I've heard SO many great things about Hercule Poirot! So I might take the plunge. But that's about it.

    Of all the books you've listed in your "Top Ten Tuesday" list, I'm most interested in "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much". I MUST read this one!! I'm glad that God firmly declared, "Thou shalt not steal", because otherwise, I'd be very much tempted to just grab any book that struck my fancy! As you can see, I'm very much a law-abiding citizen. Lol. But I am probably just as obsessed as this man is!

    The cover of "Molok'ai" is GORGEOUS, but would probably be too depressing for me to read....You must have figured out by now that I'm a VERY sensitive person, right? Yup! I am.

    Thanks for all the sharing, and for commenting on my Tuesday Intros post earlier!! :)

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    1. Maria - I have only read on Sherlock Holmes novel, can you believe it? I've always been more partial to Agatha Christie. I definitely recommend you give her a try!

      I hope you do get to read The Man Who Loved Books Too Much! It's a great title, and attractive cover, and a really good story. :-)

      Moloka'i is a sad one, but it also is a very hopeful story. You might like it, but I understand if you prefer not to chance it.

      Thanks for visiting!

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  39. I had The Lotus Eaters on my TBR list, but at some point it fell off. I will have to put it back on.

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    1. Rachel - I really enjoyed The Lotus Eaters--more than I expected. I hope you like it if you decide to pick it up after all!

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  40. "The Cuckoo's Calling" isn't calling to me with this intro. I have seen and heard about this book. Might try it.

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    1. Tea - I'm really enjoying it so far! I do love a good mystery. :-)

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  41. Thanks for visiting my blog! I am intrigued by one of the authors you blogged about, Karen Marie Moning. I've put one of her books on hold at my local library!

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    1. Linda - I've read two books by Karen Marie Moning so far and really enjoyed both. I hope you enjoy her books as well!

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  42. You've got an intriguing Top Ten list there. Moonlight Downs caught my eye, as well as No One You Know.

    I love the opening for The Cuckoo's Calling. I can picture it well. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the March winner!

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    1. Diane - It was a fun list to put together. :-) You can't go wrong with either Moonlight Downs or No One You Know. I hope you are able to give them both a try.

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  43. I enjoyed Moloka'i and Speak too. The Lotus Eater looks like an interesting read- I don't think I've read anything set in Vietnam yet. I hope you enjoy Cuckoo's Calling- I could probably use a genre break. I've been reading epic fantasy since I picked up Royal Assassin, and that was a few weeks ago. I'm afraid I may do a series binge and lose out on slowly enjoying the many Robin Hobb books I've purchased. ;)
    ~Litha Nelle

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    1. Litha Nelle - I can probably count on one hand the number of books I have read that are set in Vietnam. My dad fought in Vietnam and so The Lotus Eaters had that extra appeal to me. Author binges can be dangerous. :-) It's been awhile since I was last on one.

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