The Grey Wolf is #19 in the series, Chief Inspector Armande Gamache by Louise Penny. I can count on Penny to bring a sly humor, intriguing mystery, and mouth-watering food descriptions. Her latest book is as twisty and heartwarming as her previous ones. I remember watching the Starsky and Hutch TV show. In one show, Hutch's fiancée is killed. In the next episode, it's back to business as usual. Louis Penny's characters are continually affected by what has happened to them in previous books. It makes them more life-like and vulnerable. Her plots are usually based in the terrible possible--like terrorist attacks or greed overriding compassion. This is one of my favorite mystery series.
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Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is the first book I've read by the British Romance writer. She writes funny, sarcastic characters that deal with relatable issues like chronic illness and social anxiety without resorting to easy answers. Her main character, Chloe Brown, is trying to figure out life with fibromyalgia, so she makes a list of scary things to do, like go camping and travel the world with nothing but hand luggage. She is bright and struggling. She meets her new building super, another wounded person trying to find his footing after being knocked down by life. It adheres to the Rom-com rules. You know they'll end up together, but the journey there is fun.
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I read the series, The Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander, many years ago in middle school. My book club is reading Newbery award winners, and this month we read the final book in the series, The High King. I have enjoyed the books we've read, but this one wasn't a great read on its own because it is the culmination of the series. The events in the previous books are dim in my memory. I could tell that an interaction or character was significant, but I didn't know why. To fully enjoy this book, I would need to read the entire series. The large cast of characters was skillfully rendered with distinctive mannerisms and voices. My primary feeling upon finishing the book was disappointment that I hadn't started at the beginning. Lloyd Alexander's characters agonize over choices that resonate. I recommend the series, especially for middle schoolers.
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The Black Powder War is book #3 of the Temeraire series. Our dragon, Temeraire, is still in China, where he originated. Life for dragons in China is integrated with everyday life, and dragons are treated as equals, in contrast with Britain, where dragons are considered domesticated beasts on the level of a horse. Lawrence, his captain, wrestles with wanting Temeraire to flourish and also serve the British nation honorably. That is a moral dilemma that has grown throughout the series so far. Lawrence is portrayed as quite conventional despite being in the Dragon Corps. It is the height of the Napoleonic War, and Britain is in danger from Napoleon.
The history aspect is interesting. It has caused me to look at several Wikipedia articles, and I want to read a book about them when I find one I like. At times, the pace of the story suffers from getting bogged down in the minutiae of the war; however, there are still dragons. Novik has considered how dragons would best be deployed as a fighting force.
I look forward to continuing the series.
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