Thursday, February 02, 2023

Where Is Your Bookmark: A Peek into Speaker of the Lost, Rereading & My Childhood Favorites



A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the amazing Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.


Robbie lived just long enough to regret the seventh beer. [opening of Speaker of the Lost]

This is actually from Case Study #1 which serves as a prologue to the novel. I would say it's got the qualities of a good hook, wouldn't you? 



A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.


Glass shattered above Oz's head, and he looked up just in time to see a woman's body flailing down toward himself. [excerpt from 56% of Speaker of the Lost]

I featured today's book on my blog last week and have since dived in. I am nearing the end and am looking forward to seeing how Stella and Oz resolve their current investigation. It has been anything but easy for them. 

Speaker of the Lost
 (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
 
In a sleepy town in coastal Maine, a dangerous storm is brewing…

Stella Newport is the new kid on the block in the FBI’s Paranormal Squad. With three training missions left to ace and enough drive to nail them blindfolded, she’s well on her way to securing her place among the ranks of the elite agents known as “Larks.”

And then…Aurora, Michigan.

After magic practitioners brazenly destroy a massive convention center, supernatural crime rates surge across the United States. With the regional paranormal crime-fighting group—DSI—overtaxed, and the Paranormal Squad woefully short on manpower, Stella is pulled out of training early and shoved on a plane to a small New England town.

Her mission? To assist the infamously moody Oswald Bolton, known as the “Great and Terrible Oz,” with a complex murder investigation.

In the town of Bismuth, Maine, an ancient creature has come calling, and it’s up to Stella and Oz to unravel the myriad secrets of a tight-knit (and tight-lipped) community…before another head goes rolling and another body falls. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read this book or anything by the author? Does it sound like something you might enjoy?



Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is co-hosted by Linda 
Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Roberta from Offbeat YA, Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About, Berl's from Because  Because Reading is Better than Real Life, and Karen from For What It’s Worth. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Do you reread series before reading the newest book if it’s been a while?

It is rare I reread a series before reading the latest book in the series. I am not much of a rereader, truth be told. I am slowly working my way again through the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher--this time in audio. I am way behind in the series (I've  read the first 9 books; there are 17 currently) and decided it would be a fun way to get revisit the series--and because I like the narrator, James Marsters. Except, I reread the first book via audio in 2012 and the second book this past year. Who knows when I will get around to revisiting the third book. This clearly not the best way to reread a series if the purpose is to prepare for the next book coming out!


What about you? Do you reread a series before starting the latest book? 

I hope you will join in next week  to answer next week's Tell Me Something Tuesday question: Would you read a book by your favorite author if it isn't in a genre you normally enjoy?


Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

What was your favorite genre to read as a child? Do you still read that genre, or do you read something else now? (submitted by Mark Carstairs Considers)

I have loved to read for as long as I can remember. I loved The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and also Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. I devoured books by Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary; and I also really liked books by Scott O'Dell, Jean Craighead, Mildred D. Taylor, and George Selden.  My all time favorite childhood book is Gene Stratton-Porter's The Girl of the Limberlost.  Outside of general fiction, my favorite childhood genre would  probably be mysteries. Encyclopedia Brown and Harriet the Spy in particular come to mind. 

In my teen years, my reading tastes expanded to include everything by S.E. Hinton and Agatha Christie, books by Tory Hayden, the Nancy Drew mystery series, The Canby Hall series by Emily Chase, Don Pendelton's Ashton Ford series, the classics (Jane Eyre and Beowulf), horror (John Saul, especially), and romance (hello, Harlequin romance--especially the Harlequin Intrigue line). I also discovered (and adored) Emily Dickinson's poetry. Again, there was a strong mystery showing genre-wise, but also a good amount of other types of books mixed in too.

These are among the ones that stand out in my memory. I still read books that fall into many of these genres and then some. I am hard-pressed to pick one favorite genre today.  Fantasy, mysteries/thrillers, historical fiction, romantic comedies, and general/literary fiction are always competing for the spot. 

Did you have a favorite genre you gravitated toward when you were a child? So you still read the same type of books? Who were some of your favorite childhood authors? 

I hope you will join in next week  to answer next week's Book Blogger Hop question: Do you enjoy reading romance novels? If so, which romance trope is your favorite?


 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading!

© 2023 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.

44 comments:

  1. Thanks for answering my question. :) Sounds like you have always read whatever catches your fancy no matter what genre. I used to read more widely as well, but I seem to have fallen into mystery and can't get out. Not that I'm trying that hard.

    I wish I had more time to reread than I do. So many good books I wouldn't mind rereading, but so many books I haven't read calling my name.

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    1. Mark - It was a good question and sure brought back memories! Thank you for asking it. :-) I think you should read what you want to read. I go through phases where I read more of one kind of book than another.

      And yes, I'm with you. One of the big reasons I do not re-read often is because there are so many books I want to read that I haven't yet.

      Thank you for visiting!

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  2. My reading tastes as a child were very eclectic, much like they are today. I read whatever interested me. L'Engle and Lackey, Saul and King and Koontz, McCaffrey and Rice, you name it. I loved Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden and the Black Stallion books. Today, I'll still pick up whatever catches my attention.

    And I want to know, one, why Robbie had seven beers, and two, why he's dead. That's a pretty good hook!

    Happy Friday!

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    1. Lisa - I read a wide variety too as a child, although I still had a favorite genre. I didn't get into Lackey and Rice until I was in college but I enjoyed both authors work quite a bit. I haven't read either in years though.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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    1. Lauren - It's always been one of my favorites but it's been ages since I last read a book in the series outside of the last audiobook. Thank you for visiting!

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  4. I do occasionally reread a series, but not very often. I am tempted to do so though. And I think that listening on audio is a good way to do that. If you have enough listening time that is. As to what I read as a child, teen, adult - well, mysteries/crime thrillers have always been my favorites. All the way from Nancy Drew to Eve and Roarke in J.D. Robb's books. I do read other genres, but I always come back to a 'nice murder' - LOL!

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    1. Kay - I struggle with audiobooks and using them as a way to reread books seems like a good option for me. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of listening time. Perhaps one day. I've always loved mysteries too. I keep coming back to them. And, really, even the urban fantasy I love often has mystery elements so I'm not straying too far even then. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. I read lots of genres when I was a child, too. My favorites were magical stories. I finally read Girl of the Limberlost a few years ago. Wow. Great story.

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    1. Deb - I really need to reread The Girl of the Limberlost. I've read it a few times but it has been a long time since the last reading. Thank you for visiting!

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  6. What a great mix of childhood genres there. I try to read a mixture now, but it can be hard to pick a favourite genre as there are so many great books out there, and still more to come out!

    Have a great weekend!

    Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
    My post:
    https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2023/02/03/book-blogger-hop-what-was-your-favourite-genre-to-read-as-a-child-do-you-still-read-that-genre-or-do-you-read-something-else-now/

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    1. Emily - I know what you mean. I can't settle on just one favorite genre. I like so many. Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. I never really had a favorite genre as a child, I chose to explore all genres then. Today I am the same way I suppose, I like so many different genres. I do tend to gear towards the psychological thriller genre. But I try to make myself go out of my comfort zone and try something new, but it is hard for me.

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    1. Jody - Ultimately, I enjoyed a wide range of genres growing up too, but I always came back to mysteries. I used to read a lot more psychological thrillers than I do now. I still enjoy them, but I think I got kind of burnt out for awhile there. Thank you for visiting!

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  8. I don't have time to reread anymore, but I used to like to. I read more genres as a kid than I do now.

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    1. Wendy - Do you think blogging has shaped what you read more of now? In some ways, I think it has for me. Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. the first line kind of made me giggle. I don't think it matches the cover of the book. Glad you are enjoying this one. Have a great weekend!

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    1. Cindy - Same here. There's definitely some humor in that moment, even if what comes isn't so funny. Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I laughed at the first line too. Happy weekend!

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  11. I loved the Chronicles of Narnia as a kid and then read and rearead it about every five years or so.

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    1. Anne - I still remember begging my grandmother to let me read those books. She was very adamant that I return them in good condition. :-) I loved those books. I reread one of them with my daughter awhile ago and it brought back memories. Thank you for stopping by!

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  12. Those books from your childhood and teen years brought memories flooding back. I don't see any V.C. Andrews on this list, but I remember liking and being haunted by those as well as John Saul's books.

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    1. Helen - Once I started remembering books, I couldn't stop! So many! I actually never got into V.C. Andrews. I started Flowers in the Attic but couldn't finish it. I know they were widely popular though. Thank you for visiting!

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  13. I'm sometimes wish I had the time to reread certain series before checking out the latest book! I've got the third book in a trilogy checked out right now, Flamebringer, and I'm having a hard time remembering the two books that came before. Sigh. Now I don't know whether to wait to read it until I can reread those, or just dive in and hope for the best. ;D

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    1. Lark - Hopefully the author does a good enough job reminding you what happened in previous books. Some are better at it than others, I know. Thank you for stopping by!

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  14. I didn't start reading for my own pleasure until I was 15 years old. Back then I only read Horror. I don't read much of that genre anymore but my romance does have some vampires and werewolves in them so I guess I still like that element. lol

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    1. Mary - I am glad you found a love for reading. :-) No age is too old or young. Thank you for visiting!

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  15. Not shockingly my favorite genre to read as a child was mysteries! I loved Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew and any kind of mystery I could find. I did love the Narnia books as well.

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    1. Katherine - Another Encyclopedia Brown fan! Yay! Thank you for stopping by!

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  16. Speaker of the Lost sounds really good. I never read anything by that author. I'll have to give it a try.

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    1. Yvonne - This was my first by the author too. Thank you for visiting!

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  17. I love that James Marsters narrates the Dresden Files though I’ve only listened to the first 2 or 3. Speaker of the Lost sounds right up my alley.

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    1. Julie - I have only listened to the first two, although I'm much farther in the series in its print version. I really like James Marsters. Thank you for stopping by!

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  18. I sometimes have to reread the previous books in a series if it's a long while since I've read the earlier ones. I do reread books a lot though so it's no hardship.

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    1. Janette - I'm too tempted by all the unread books and just don't have the time to re-read books too often. Perhaps when I retire and have more time to read! That's the plan anyway. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  19. The Dresden series is AMAZING in audiobook. Marsters is a master in his performances. It took me a while but I did finally catch up (when he was in a writing down time). However, I DNF'd the most recent book for... reasons. I will probably pick up the next one, if/when it comes out.

    As I child, I loved SFF - Wrinkle in Time, Phantom Tollbooth, Narnia, as well as mysteries... and I still love and read those genres!

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    1. Jen - I enjoyed the first two books in audio. I think deciding to reread the series that way was a good idea. If only I had more time to listen. LOL I never read The Phantom Tollbooth, but I do want to someday. Thank you for stopping by!

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  20. I think that I read Judy Blume books when I was a kid but can't remember for sure. I love to read fantasy and paranormal romance now!

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    1. Jamie - She was one of my favorites as a child. I introduced my daughter to her books a couple or so years ago and she really got into them too. I love a good fantasy novel. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  21. Those snippets are great! I hope you're enjoying it. It's very rare for me to reread a series before starting the new one. I wish I had the time to do it, but I just don't. Hope you have a great week! :)

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    1. Ashley - Same here. I just don't have the time and there are too many books I haven't yet read I want to get to. Thank you for stopping by!

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  22. That is a long time in between ;)
    Which got me thinking, I am reading a certain 1000 page a book series, at one time it was 4 years between, yeah no thanks

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    1. Linda - I was surprised it had been so long, honestly. I don't think I would want to attempt to reread a series with 1000 page books. Haha. Thank you for visiting!

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