Thursday, April 11, 2024

Where Is Your Bookmark: An Inconvenient Wife & Other Friday Fun



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.

 

They came in the early morning. The police cars, sirens blaring, lights flashing against the cattails, a bright red strobe, like blood splatter. [prologue opening of An Inconvenient Wife]

and 

Kate Parker's fingers found the ring on her left hand and twisted it slightly. Hank had slipped it on as they stood before the judge at city hall only two weeks ago. [opening of first Chapter of An Inconvenient Wife]  

The first couple of sentences of the prologue are like a promise for what is to come. I'm hooked already! And I like that the opening of the first chapter gives us a bit of insight into Kate and Hank, from the type of marriage ceremony they had to their newlywed status.  



A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Our wonderful host Freda of Freda's Voice is on a break, and Anne of My Head is Full of Books  has stepped in to host! 

"Marry me," he'd pleaded, taking her face in his hands, locking his eyes on hers. "You are so beautiful." [excerpt from page 56 of An Inconvenient Wife]  

I was so excited when my autographed copy of An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery by Karen E. Olson arrived in the mail today. It took a lot out of me not to dive right in, but I was only half way through the work day. I plan to dive back in before the week is out. 


This astonishing crime novel—inspired by the Tudor era—takes the reader into the world of Kate Parker, who has just married billionaire Hank Tudor when a headless body is discovered near their summer home . . .


Kate Parker knows what she’s getting into when she marries billionaire businessman Hank Tudor—she’s his sixth wife, after all, and was by his side (as his assistant) when his fifth marriage to actress Caitlyn Howard fell apart.

But honeymoon plans go awry when a headless body is discovered near Hank’s summer home, forcing Kate to contend with two more of his exes: Catherine Alvarez—the first—who lives as a shut-in with her computers, carefully following Tudor Enterprises; and Anna Klein—the fourth—who runs a bed-and-breakfast where she and her wife keep a steady eye on things—particularly Hank’s children, Lizzie and Teddy.

In this clever and suspenseful reimagining of Tudor era betrayals, these three women become entwined in a deadly game of cat and mouse—with each other, Hank, and Hank’s brilliant fixer, Tom Cromwell—as Kate seeks to solve the puzzle of who the murdered woman is, who killed her, and whether her death has any connection to the other headless body from eight years ago. [Goodreads Summary]

Does this sound like something you would enjoy? If you have read it, what did you think?


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 hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.
What have you been watching? Share your TV show or movie picks.

My family and I have been catching up on Doctor Who episodes in anticipation of the new season starting in May. We re-watched earlier episodes and are now into the seasons we missed the first time around. I enjoy Science Fiction and am a big fan of Doctor Who. Yes, it's a bit campy, but it's so much fun! My husband and I also have been watching Shogun, the miniseries that came out earlier this year, which we are enjoying. It has gotten me more interested in Japanese history around the time period it is set. We actually do not watch a lot of television in the evenings, and only watch about an hour a night during the week. Usually it is an episode of one or the other of these shows (or whichever show we are making our way through at the time) before we start our bedtime routines (which of course involves reading). Abbott Elementary is a shorter show my family and I have been watching on those evenings we are extra busy and don't have a lot of time to spare before we call it a night.


I do not know what it is about the House Hunters shows, but lately House Hunters International is my comfort show. I realize the show is somewhat staged, but there is just something about touring homes around the world, even if from my couch, and dreaming about which one I might pick if I were the one in search of the new home. Each episode is short, which comes in handy when I am not in a reading mood and want something quick to watch. 

I sometimes like to have a show on in the background while I am blogging or blog hopping, and right now the new seasons of Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy are on that list. I do not subscribe to regular television and so watch the shows at my leisure, so am perpetually behind. I also have been re-watching the earlier seasons of New Amsterdam to prepare myself for the final season which I missed when it first aired. These are all shows I don't mind being distracted from when I do not give them my full attention.

What have you been watching lately?


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.

If you could live in any book, which one would you pick and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer) 

If I spend too much time thinking about this question, I could probably come up with a dozen or so books.  I will go with the first book I thought of which is Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. If I could live in the actual book, I would be a witch like Mika Moon (although now I am imagining being Josie Way in the Witch Way Librarian mystery series by Sandra M. Sanders because her magic is book related--and wouldn't that be amazing to experience?! Except, of course, now I'm putting myself in the character's shoes, which wasn't the point of this exercise). Back to my original choice . . . I just love the Nowhere House and the world Sangu Mandanna has created in her book. There is conflict and bad guys, but there is also many more good people. It's such a cozy and romantic world. And it's contemporary, which means it modern day conveniences exist (sorry, Emily Wilde). From the setting to the atmosphere to the magic--I wanted to step into this book when I read it, and I wouldn't mind doing so now. I plan to read A Witch's Guide to to Magical Innkeeping, another book set in the same world, when it comes out. 

What about you? 

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


© 2024 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.

36 comments:

  1. I realized what the inspiration for An Inconvenient Wife was as soon as the synopsis said "she's his sixth wife." It looks like an intriguing book, and I hope you enjoy it! :-)

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    1. Breana - Yes! I love that the author used the Tudors as her inspiration. Thank you for visiting!

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  2. Those teasers are all good. But with the title of the book, I'm reading something sinister into them.

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    1. Mark - I am too. It does sound like something sinister is going on. Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. I read my mother's copy of Brief Gaudy Hour when I was young and became completely fascinated with the Tudors, reading both fiction and nonfiction. Yes, I'm very interested in An Inconvenient Wife!

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    1. Jenclair - You will probably get more of the Easter Eggs in the book than I will (if there are any, that is). I know a little of the Tudor era history but not a lot. Thank you for visiting!

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  4. My husband and I have been watching Shogun too and loving it so far! As far as I know, the older version (and the book) was more focused on the white man, so I love that this version puts more of the spotlight on the Japanese characters. I've also been curious about Station 19, but I haven't started watching it yet. I hope you're enjoying them all!

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    1. Haze - I haven't read the book or seen the old versions of Shogun, but I can believe it from what I've heard about them. I really like this newer series as well. I do enjoy Station 19, but I think I like 9-1-1 better. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. I'd like to live inside Pride and Prejudice just for a few days, wouldn't want to get stuck in the early 1800s for long.

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    1. Anne - Pride and Prejudice is a good choice! Thank you for visiting!

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  6. I really enjoyed New Amsterdam! I haven't watched anything recently (we're on an rv road trip), but if you haven't watched Lessons in Chemistry, I recommend that one highly. So good! If you like police procedurals, we thought Deadwind was quite good. It's set in Finland and I think we watched it on Prime or Netflix.

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    1. Les - I like new Amsterdam quite a bit. I'll be sad when I get to the final season. I have heard good things about Lessons in Chemistry. We don't subscribe to Apple+, but perhaps someday! I'll have to check out Deadwind. Thank you for the recommendations! And thank you for stopping by!

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  7. I've been watching Tracker and So Help Me Todd on TV...two very fun shows imo. And I loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches; that would be a fun book to live inside. :D

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    1. Lark - I looked those up and they both sound like shows I would like. Unfortunately, we don't subscribe to the services they can be found on. Perhaps someday! Thank you for visiting!

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  8. Ah yes, gotta love the modern conveniences! That was a hardship I passed on with my Caraval choice! Lol. To be fair though, that's never really addressed, so it could be somewhat modern! Lol.


    Thanks for visiting my BBH!

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    1. Jessica - Yes, you never know, Caraval might be more modern than we think! :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. I would not want to live in the Middle Ages but would love to go into a book to meet Eleanor of Aquitaine.

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    1. Sarah - The middle ages would probably not be an ideal time to live, but maybe for a visit. Meeting Eleanor of Aquitaine would be cool. Thank you for visiting!

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  10. I'm so intrigued by the concept of a Modern Tudor Mystery and the first lines are great! Oh I really like your answer for the Book Blogger Hop, and you had me a book related power, I've added that Witch Way librarian series to my tbr! & I really want to read the Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches as well.

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    1. Veros - I can't wait to start A Inconvenient Wife! Hopefully soon. I hope you enjoy the Witch Way Librarian series and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches if you do read them. Mandanna's book is a particular favorite! Thank you for stopping by!

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  11. The new blog colors are fun! I've been watching Amazing Race, Call the Midwife, and just last night rewatched. Priscilla Queen of the Desert (LOVE the soundtrack!)

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    1. Helen - Thank you! I am liking the change in colors too. My husband and I have Call of Midwife on our too watch list, but have not started it yet. Thank you for visiting!

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  12. Getting a signed copy is nice! I look forward to hearing about An Inconvenient Wife. That last question about which book you'd live in ... is a good one but has made my mind go blank. I'd pick a really happy book with an idyllic setting but have I read any lately? We've made it to SoCal but now the clouds are here. Is this June Gloom early? lol.

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    1. Susan - As far as I know, she likely won't make a trip out my way, so I thought I would order a signed copy from one of her tour stops--and I got to support an independent bookstore in the process. :-) The BBHOP question is a tough one. I told myself I would put whichever book came to mind first and wouldn't spend to much time picking it apart as I am often apt to do-and then talk myself out of it. Haha. I am glad you made it to SoCal safely. The weather sure took a turn back to gloomy after a few days of warm and sunny. I hope you have a nice visit! Thank you for stopping by!

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  13. I have not read these books that you mentioned of where you would like to live in a fictional place. But they do sound like fun places to live. Have a great weekend!

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    1. Jamie - I hope you have a great weekend too! Thank you for visiting!

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  14. I only watched one ep of Shogun, so dark. Gotta be in the mood for that
    I love HHinternational :D
    I am still at New Amsterdam S3, it is rather boring, it focuses more on issues than people. Which is good, but I liked the people

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    1. Blodeuedd - Shogun is pretty dark. I am watching season 4, which I think is my least favorite so far, although I am appreciating it more this second time around. This will be my first time seeing season 5 though. Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. Oh, I am not familiar with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and it sounds really good. Thanks! As for TV, I will add (since my post), my husband and I watched the first episode of Shogun and enjoyed it. I remember my parents watching the original mini-series back when I was a kid.

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    1. Jen - Shogun seems like something my dad would have watched, so I wouldn't be surprised if he watched the original mini series too. Thank you for visiting!

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  16. Those snippets are great! I'm adding this one to my wishlist. A Tudor-inspired modern mystery sounds really fascinating! Hope you have a great week! :)

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    1. Ashley - I hope you enjoy it if you read it! Have a great week too and thank you for stopping by!

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  17. Good choices for the Book Blogger Hop answer.

    Hope you had a good weekend. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  18. I loved Irregular Witches! It would definitely be a good world to live in. I loved the found family part. An Inconvient Wife is going immediately on my TBR. That sounds fantastic!

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    1. Katherine - Me too! It was such a good book. Thank you for visiting!

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