I just finished putting in the last book I finished toward my reading goal. As of today, I’ve read 16 books toward my modest goal of 52 for the year. I think my Story Graph app says I’m six ahead for the year. I do have a few that I’ve started but am reading slowly over time. And there is one book that I’m not sure I’m going to finish.

My StoryGraph chart reveals that I am certainly partial to mysterious and adventurous novels, but to be realistic, most of those are historical mysteries.

I joined two book clubs: Book of the Month and Aardvark Book Club. I wanted to read more physical books this year although I still read quite a few ebooks on my Kindle. And I do order the occasional book from Amazon still.

Currently, I’m reading Les Miserables–all 1,500 pages. It’s sitting here on the arm of the chair. I have to admit that this is a very slow read in part because the font is small, but also because Hugo goes into so much detail about character and place. I honestly have not tried to look up all the allusions he includes to people and places. I’d never make progress through the story if I did. And even though it is a long book, it isn’t boring. I love the cover of this soft-bound book–leather cover with a word cloud embossed in it–characters’ names, descriptions, quotes. . . . It is a recent translation by Isabel Hapgood (2009). As a result, I think it is relatively readable.

I took a break, though, this week to read one of the books I received from the Aardvark Book Club, A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins. It is a historical romance/murder mystery with many of the usual tropes of Victorian gothic novels–except the “things that go bump in the night” (although one of the characters does say that the duke has not mentioned any hauntings of the family estate but there could be one). It also makes use of the “enemies-to-lovers” trope. I enjoyed it. It was a fun read. The protagonists are very likeable. Manda Collins avoids most of the stereotypes of historical romance, such as the “knight-in-shining armor” and “damsel in distress,” although the femaile protagonist does have a problem which which the male protagonist assists. And in one scene, it is the female protagonist who “rescues” her duke when he has a panic attack when they are locked in the chapel folly; the duke is clautrophobic.

The one book I have not been able to finish is The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. This book is also a mystery whose primary detective is patterned on Nero Wolf. It is somewhat dystopian nature, which usually doesn’t bother me, but the world-building and characterization in this novel did not suit me–at this time. I may go back and finish it, but for now, it will be on my did not finish list.

I could stay up all night reading, but my eyes won’t let me. Look for a another post at another time with more of my picks of books worth mentioning.