Tuesday, January 03, 2023

Can't Wait to Read Wednesday: The Game is a Footnote / Independence / Dreyer's English


The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Two very different novels, both very appealing to me. Both Vicki Delany and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni  are authors I have been wanting to read for some time. 

The Game Is a Footnote
(Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #8) by Vicki Delany 
(Crooked Lane Books; January 10, 2023)
Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are back on the case when a body is discovered in a haunted museum in bestselling author Vicki Delany's eighth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.

Scarlet House, now a historical re-enactment museum, is the oldest building in West London, Massachusetts. When things start moving around on their own, board members suggest that Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, might be able to get to the bottom of it. Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she agrees to ‘eliminate the impossible’. But when Gemma and Jayne stumble across a dead body on the property, they’re forced to consider an all too physical threat.

Gemma and Jayne suspect foul play as they start to uncover more secrets about the museum. With the museum being a revolving door for potential killers, they have plenty of options for who might be the actual culprit.

Despite Gemma's determination not to get further involved, it would appear that once again, and much to the displeasure of Detective Ryan Ashburton, the game is afoot.

Will Gemma and Jayne be able to solve the mystery behind the haunted museum, or will they be the next to haunt it?
[Goodreads Summary]

Independence
 by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 
(William Morrow; January 17, 2023)
Set during the partition of British India in 1947, a time when neighbor was pitted against neighbor and families were torn apart, award-winning author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel brings to life the sweeping story of three sisters caught up in events beyond their control, their unbreakable bond, and their incredible struggle against powerful odds.

India, 1947.

In a rural village in Bengal live three sisters, daughters of a well-respected doctor.

Priya: intelligent and idealistic, resolved to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor, though society frowns on it.

Deepa: the beauty, determined to make a marriage that will bring her family joy and status.

Jamini: devout, sharp-eyed, and a talented quiltmaker, with deeper passions than she reveals.

Theirs is a home of love and safety, a refuge from the violent events taking shape in the nation. Then their father is killed during a riot, and even their neighbors turn against them, bringing the events of their country closer to home.

As Priya determinedly pursues her career goal, Deepa falls deeply in love with a Muslim, causing her to break with her family. And Jamini attempts to hold her family together, even as she secretly longs for her sister's fiance.

When the partition of India is officially decided, a drastic--and dangerous--change is in the air. India is now for Hindus, Pakistan for Muslims. The sisters find themselves separated from one another, each on different paths. They fear for what will happen to not just themselves, but each other.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni outdoes herself with this deeply moving story of sisterhood and friendship, painting an account of India's independence simultaneously exhilarating and devastating, that will make any reader--new or old--a devoted fan.
 [Goodreads Summary]

Do any of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?


The Old(er) 
Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight those unread books on my TBR in her Books from the Backlog feature, reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

I loved Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss, and so when I first heard about the below book, I scooped it up. But I haven't read it yet. I'm still excited about reading it. Maybe even soon! Definitely this year.

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style
by Benjamin Dreyer (2019)
A witty, informative guide to writing "good English" from Random House's longtime copy chief and one of Twitter's leading enforcers of proper grammar--a twenty-first-century Elements of Style

As authoritative as it is amusing, this book distills everything Benjamin Dreyer has learned from the hundreds of books he has copyedited, including works by Elizabeth Strout, E. L. Doctorow, and Frank Rich, into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best foot forward in writing prose. Dreyer offers lessons on the ins and outs of punctuation and grammar, including how to navigate the words he calls "the confusables," like tricky homophones; the myriad ways to use (and misuse) a comma; and how to recognize--though not necessarily do away with--the passive voice. (Hint: If you can plausibly add "by zombies" to the end of a sentence, it's passive.)

People are sharing their writing more than ever--on blogs, on Twitter--and this book lays out, clearly and comprehensibly, everything writers can do to keep readers focused on the real reason writers write: to communicate their ideas clearly and effectively. Chock-full of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts on the rules (and non-rules) of English, this book will prove invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people's prose, and--perhaps best of all--an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read Dreyer's English?  Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 


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36 comments:

  1. I love India fiction so Independence is going on my wish list. Thanks for the heads up.

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    1. Laura - Me too. I've been wanting to try something by Divakaruni for some time now. Perhaps Independence would be a good book to start with. Thank you for visiting!

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  2. That's a great variety of books you've there, Wendy! I read Dreyer's English a few years back and enjoyed it. It's definitely useful and informative IMO.

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    1. Melody - Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed Dreyer's English. I could probably use a refresher on the subject and it sounds like a fun way to go about it. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. LOL, lOVE the title of the first one! I hope you enjoy all of these!

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    1. Cindy - I love cozy titles. They are among the most creative and fun, aren't they? Thank you for visiting!

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  4. The title of the first one made me laugh *lol* Happy reading!

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    1. Vi - It made me laugh too. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. I haven't read these but I mostly read PNR. They sound interesting though.

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    1. Mary - You can't go wrong with PNR. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  6. I'd like to read Independence, it sounds great. I hope you enjoy these!

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    1. Wendy - I think so too. I hope I get a chance to read it. Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. Independence sounds amazing - I've not heard of it or the author so I'm going to watch for it. Dreyer's English actually sounds interesting too but I'm probably too lazy to read it. :) Thanks for the visit
    Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys

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    1. Terrie - The author came recommended to me years ago but I haven't read anything by her yet. Independence does sound really good so maybe that will end up being my first by her. I hear you about Dreyer's English. I hear it's funny and I could probably use the refresher. I've gotten lazy with my writing. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  8. I probably should read Dreyer's English. Hope these books are a win for you!

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    1. Rachel - I figure I could use the refresher. Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. Independence sounds amazing! I read a bit about the Partition when I read The City of Djinns so this sounds really interesting to me

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    1. Eustacia - I'm really excited about that one too. I haven't read The City of Djinns, but I have heard good things about it. Thank you for visiting!

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  10. ❤️ Dreyer's English ❤️
    Here's my review, which is a few samples of my favorite parts of the text: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3211073382

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    1. Deb - Nonfiction being called a novel really bugs me. LOL Thank you for sharing your review! I am looking forward to reading Dreyer's English even more now. I feel sorry for my staff at work though. My day is filled with reviewing reports they write, and so you can imagine what this will mean for them.

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  11. I finally listened to the first book in that Vicki Delany series and enjoyed it. It's definitely a series I'm looking forward to continuing and I love the sound of this one! Independence looks fantastic as well.

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    1. Katherine - I can't wait to give Delaney's series a try! Thank you for visiting!

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  12. All of these are new to me and sound interesting! Dreyer's English sounds like something that could be very useful.

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    1. Carole - I hope they will be good. Thank you for stopping by!

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  13. They all sound good but Independence is particularly appealing to me. I hope that you enjoy them all!

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  14. I need to add Dreyer's English to my list. Sounds like it has such useful info without it being dry. Thank you for reminding me of Carole's Books from the Backlog feature. I really should start doing that to remember some of my poor shelf sitters!

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    1. Iliana - I started it yesterday and so far it is anything but dry. The author is a copy editor and I am finding his insights interesting. Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. The Game Is a Footnote sounds awesome! I don't know how I've missed this series. I definitely need to get caught up. Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. Ashley - I am looking forward to giving it a try too. Thank you for visiting!

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  16. Independence sounds fascinating :) Thanks for sharing and happy new year!

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    1. Becki - I think so too! I hope it will be good. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a Happy New Year too!

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  17. Independence does seem like a really great read to try. I've read so many cozy mysteries, I might take a bit of a break this year!

    Happy reading and have a lovely week ahead!

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    1. Mareli (Elza) - It's easy to get burnt out on a genre if you read too many sometimes. I can relate to that! I took a decades long break from romances for that reason. Thank you for visiting!

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  18. The Game is a Footnote sounds like a fun one. I hope you enjoy all of these. :)

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