That moment when...

[eachase.livejournal.com]

... you realize that the entire pile of books on your nightstand was recommended by other members of the Queen's Thief fandom... except that one random book you came across at the library.



Can you guess the outlier?

Comments

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Crown Duel! Murderbot! Gerry Durrell! ... Jeeves, is that you?

Let me know what you think of Sunshield!

[eachase.livejournal.com]

I couldn't remember if it was you or Lady Jane who recommended Crown Duel to me. I loved it! It was the first book in a l-o-n-g time that I was tempted to start again immediately after I finished it. (CoK is the only book I've actually ever done that with.)

I haven't started Murderbot yet.

I definitely recommend Sunshield. Fair warning: While it doesn't have an awful cliffhanger ending, it is the first half of a duology, so the story isn't completely wrapped. I know the 2nd book has been sold, so I'm hoping it won't be too long a wait because I was ready for it the second I finished Sunshield. I think Martin comes into her own with this one.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Probably both of us. :) I loved Crown Duel (I'm assuming you read the edition that includes both books - Crown Duel and Court Duel - under that title) when I was a teen. I need to reread it sometime and see how it holds up nowadays.

Thanks! I'm definitely curious about Sunshield.

[eachase.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was both of you. I seem to remember that it was a favorite re-read over the years, so that must have been Lady Jane.

I think I read that version? It labels the sections Crown Duel Part One and Crown Duel Part Two. How to describe without spoilers? ... The second part starts with Bran returning home with a surprise for his sister.

It also has a short story, "Vidanric's Birthday Surprise" and a series of "inserts" from Vidanric's POV "written for the LiveJournal community Athanarel."

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

That's the one! It was originally published as two books, but I have the copy you described. And I did reread it many times, just not recently. I think that's likely to change soon! :)

[(Anonymous)]

My only complaint is the size of the font. Apparently I have old, decrepit eyes and need something larger than a 9 point font size.

[whataliethatwas.livejournal.com]

Crown Duel and Court Duel as separate books are the only editions I acknowledge. J/k but it was such a bizarre surprise to go looking for it as an adult and only being able to find Crown Duel at the library and not being able to figure out why there were no copies of the second book. This was a favorite of a sibling growing up so it has made the rounds many times in my life and I finally just decided to buy a copy of my own. Mel is a little less relatable personally from an adult perspective than when I was a teen, but overall the story is still great fun to read and a comfort read I'm happy to pull out now and again.

[(Anonymous)]

I can definitely see that. Mel has a single-minded perspective that's more teen than experienced adult. It wasn't hard to figure out her anonymous correspondent, either, but I enjoyed watching her experiences unfold.

Mona (in Ashes to Fire by Emily B. Martin) is similarly single-minded -- though in a different way in different circumstances. I spent much of the book wanting to shake her by the shoulders and yell, "Ask her why!" into her face. But, the answer, of course, was in book 3.

[whataliethatwas.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to guess Jeeves because it seems the most out of genre, but I've run across a few fans of both series. Some great ones here and others I'm going to have to check out myself now.

[eachase.livejournal.com]

You're right. I was fronting books in the historical fiction section when the name Jeeves caught my eye and I thought, "Wait, Jeeves belongs in general fiction."

It's an homage title, though -- and I'm hoping better than the steampunk one in which Jeeves is an automaton!

I was raised on Wodehouse.

[whataliethatwas.livejournal.com]

iRobot meets Jeeves sounds like quite the wild ride of a story. I did go looking at this Jeeves title and it sounds pretty interesting. I've got a few books on the pipeline right now, but I've put it on my want to read list. I love Wodehouse. I have a streak of whimsy a mile wide so his nonsense makes me so happy sometimes. We've got Wodehouse on Crime and a handful of other like the Clicking of Cuthbert, but Jeeves and Wooster will always be my favorite.

[(Anonymous)]

Jeeves and Wooster are my favorite, too. But I also have a real soft spot for the Mr. Mulliner stories. Have you seen the old Wodehouse Playhouse series featuring them?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072586/fullcredits

[eachase.livejournal.com]

Trying this again, but logged in, so maybe it won't be tagged as spam:

Jeeves and Wooster are my favorites, too, but I also have a real soft spot for the Mr. Mulliner stories. Have you seen the old Wodehouse Playhouse videos featuring them?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072586/fullcredits

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

And I'll guess it's Song of Achilles. I feel like we talked about all the others at the recent chats. Some great choices!

[laserpe.livejournal.com]

Even about Jeeves?
Because my initial guess would have been either that or My family & other animals, for obvious genre reasons. That being said, I've never even heard about the latter, so I'm just guessing.
(And, Hi everyone. I'm back. For those who care to know, Lifejournal mistook me for a spam account, that's why my account was briefly suspended, but everything's fine now.)

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I *think* Jeeves came up during one of the recent chats. And I sort of cheated with My Family and Other Animals, because MWT actually recommended that book to me several years ago. It's a delightful read!

[eachase.livejournal.com]

My Family and Other Animals jumped the line when Checkers mentioned that Megan had recommended it to her.

I'm only 50 pages in, but it does have hallmarks of Megan:
-older title (published in the 50s)
-focus on natural history
-set in the Mediterranean

I have less interest in natural history than Megan, so thus far my favorite part has been "The Speech for the Defence" (intro/acknowledgments), which made me laugh out loud twice. The rest has been enjoyable, just not lol funny.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Glad you're back! :)

[eachase.livejournal.com]

My Family and Jeeves are definitely out-of-genre picks from the others. I've sometimes thought it would be fun to do a post and have people here name authors that love whose books are nothing like Megan's.

Glad you made it back!

[laserpe.livejournal.com]

That would be a great idea for a post, count me in!
I read Jeeves when I was little, I've wanted to reread them so bad, but ALL the volumes have mysteriously dissappeared from my parents library and I don't know anyone else I could borrow them from. I'll probably rebuy some, do you know if they have to be read in order?

Thank you, there I had been already preparing to wait forever, but there we are.

[eachase.livejournal.com]

I don't think Wodehouse has to be read in order. And trying to read them all might be a lifelong commitment -- the man was prolific!

When your library is offering it again, you could try borrowing through Interlibrary Loan.

[laserpe.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't know that there *that* many Jeeves books!
(Also, I am afraid I would find it easier to just buy them again, remembering how much of a hassle it is to just borrow a ebook from my library, but i still appreciate the helpfulness :) )

[eachase.livejournal.com]

You're right that Song of Achilles wasn't mentioned in the chats. It's one that Emily B. Martin mentioned on social media several months ago and I've had on my to-read list since then. She particularly loved the audiobook version.

I haven't started it yet (it's next).

[eachase.livejournal.com]

Update: I've finished them all.

My Family and Other Animals - I enjoyed the family interactions more than the 10-year-old boy obsession with animals (particularly insects), but will definitely recommend to people who like the outdoors and natural history more than I do.

The Song of Achilles - Definitely an strong option for MWT fans, specifically those with an interest in Greek mythology and the ancient classics (Illiad). Likely to be a particular favorite for those in the Kamet and Costis have a relationship that extends beyond friendship camp.

All Systems Red - Awesome first line. Read practically in one sitting. Going to put the next on hold. May be the only work of fiction I get my husband to read this year.

Jeeves and the King of Clubs - Not as good as Francis Spufford writing in the style of C.S. Lewis, but well done. Bertie wasn't quite spot-on, but overall it was a lot of fun and I'd happily read another.

Now I've started Deeplight by Frances Hardinge, which a blogger I follow because she's an MWT fan recommended. Anyone else read it?

Need I say I'm enjoying the long, holiday weekend?