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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

My favorite Moliére play so far. The farce seems genuinely funny this time. Maybe it's less mean-spirited than some similar plays... 5 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. I want to see a production of this, with all the music and dances.

An image from the cover of "The Would-be Gentleman," (though in French) with an outrageously overdressed man leaning on a fancy cane, with a huge headdress of red and white and gray feathers.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I'm not always the right person for Agatha Christie novels--sometimes--but this one worked for me. Good action, interesting investigation, creepy story... 4 stars. my brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. I liked Tommy and Tuppence--I'll look for another with them.

The cover of Agatha Christie's "By the Pricking of My Thumbs," showing the drawing of a scary house in the nighttime, with a figure in red near the door.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Lines from Agatha Christie’s “By the pricking of my thumbs,” where she uses “different from” in the American way. I thought British speakers always said “different to.” 🤔 Maybe the rules are more nuanced than that. I dunno.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I'm trying to branch out in my reading, which is leading me to books I don't love. But I finished it. 3 stars. (I was feeling two, and my comments lean that way.) My brief--kinda critical--thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Apparently it's not the best entry in the series. 🤷

The cover of "Chasing Midnight," showing water under a dock near dark, with a small boat in the distance.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I just read Julius Caesar out of the No Fear edition, and found the improvement in comprehension well worth it. If you need to read it, this is the way. My brief (updated) thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended.

The cover of the No Fear edition of Julius Caesar. Has their usual blue top half with the name, and the bottom shows a sword and wreath.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Robert Louis Stevenson is real hit or miss for me. Treasure Island--hit! Prince Otto--Miss! I gave it 3 stars for the things it did well. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I liked the book I thought it was gonna be. I didn't like the book it ended up being. Alas.

A cover for the novel "Prince Otto," showing an idealized painting of a European castle on a hill, with the image of a pensive young man in the foreground.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I seldom buy brand-new books at full price these days, but this is one of them. The first book was so good--and the second was, if anything, better. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com 5 stars. Highly recommended. Great mystery and fantasy in one.

Cover of "A Drop of Corruption," a mostly black cover with silver art in the center--stylistically showing a hand that becomes a plant--and green branches and leaves along the sides.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I found this cozy fantasy to be quirky and clever and silly and good fun. Some people hate that, apparently. I gave it 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended for people who aren't annoyed by childish things. For reals. Kinda Princess Bride vibes.

The cover of The Bookshop and the Barbarian, with simple line drawing of fantasy castles, books, swords, and feathers arranged around the title. Mostly black with orange and brown designs.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

There's some good action in this novel--for which I gave it a 3--but a lot of politics that don't match mine, becoming increasingly annoying as I read. It also suffers from the curse of obnoxious banter, which I hate in any genre. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Not for me.

The cover of "Against All Enemies," with a blue background and big white letters over an image of the Capitol and the CIA symbol.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I liked the second half of this quite a bit. Freyja Bedwyn is angrier than most FMC's; Joshua Moore is closer to being an actual rogue than is really acceptable. But it works out. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com The murder mystery near the end helped seal the deal. 4 stars.

The cover of Slightly Scandalous, which is all blue with white letters. Except for some faint filigree in the background, the only image is an orange key on a string.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Think how fortunate you have to be to live while your favorite author is still writing books. And finding them in the wild. 😎

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

One of my favorite books by Sir Walter Scott. 5 stars. A young Scots nobleman in service of France's Louis XI has to help a young woman reach refuge in Liege while others are trying to capture her and marry her off. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Great fun. Recommended.

The cover of Quentin Durward, showing three medieval fighting men facing off, one in a Scottish tam.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

My second book in this series. These are really fun. 4.5 stars. (5 on GR.) The character and the stories are very engaging. I'm looking forward to the other ones I just picked up. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. (Advisory: Jason Bourne levels of violence.)

The cover of Enemy of the State, showing, in black and white, the silhouette of a person on steps with the Washington Monument in the distance.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I haven't read Cyrano since high school. I liked it plenty then; loved it this time. 5 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Sometimes stories are as good as people say.

The cover of Cyrano de Bergerac, showing a cartoon-style drawing of a man with a very big nose, wearing a hat with a feather in it.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The third or fourth book in the series, depending on how you see it. I liked it. Anne goes to college. 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Anne is a bit of a happiness catalyst and has more than a little in common with Ted Lasso. That thought pleases me.

The cover of Anne of the Island, showing Anne on a grassy hill overlooking the ocean, with a man (Gilbert?) in the background.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

This is the junior novelization; not what I thought I was getting when I ordered it. 😄 I liked it about 3-stars' worth. Most readers liked it more. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com My issue? The cutting and rounding off took out much of the tension and excitement. IMO. 🤷‍♂️

the cover of the junior novelization of Raiders of the Lost Ark, with a main image of Indiana Jones wearing his fedora with his coiled whip over his shoulder. Smaller images from the movie are on the bottom, including Indy climbing down a rope into an archaeological dig.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

This is my second book by this mid-20th century author. I liked the first and loved this one. 5 stars. Blaise is a great hero, and Anne Russell makes a fantastic foil for him. Good spy adventure; excellent writing. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Highly recommended.

The cover of "The King's Cavalier," showing a mounted soldier and a woman in clothing typical of the 1500s.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

My first book by this Western author (and his son, I guess). I liked it pretty well. 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I like the main character, and I hope the couple sequels are also well done.

The cover of "Hell's Half Acre," showing a street in a western town with a sheriff in the foreground, along the spine, holding a gun.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Another good book in the Bedwyn series. I think the author bends but doesn't quite break the rules of the genre. I liked it. 5 stars. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com Mary Balogh makes excellent characters, all quite different, that the reader cares about. That's a pretty good skill.

The cover of "Slightly Wicked," which is large red type over a black background.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I’m enjoying my second book by this author. Look at this description in his historical fiction novel set in 1500s France and Switzerland. Samuel Shellabarger—writing in 1950. How did I never encounter his novels until now?

A photo of text from the novel, a descriptive passage making a hunting lodge sound magical and dangerous. “A strange, almost eerie silence brooded over it…”

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

This was interesting--and pretty entertaining, in a Elizabethan comedy sort of way. 3 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I've got 4 more plays in a little volume of his works, and I'll give the others a look, eventually. Recommended for anyone who is curious about it.

The title page of the play "The Shoemaker's Holiday," with black and white line art full of curlicues and angels.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Some beautiful writing and a touching story. Funny, too, now that I think about it. 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Nice to see Northern Michigan get some love. It's not all sweet, but it feels like it was once you're done. Recommended.

The cover of Tom Lake, showing grass and a hedge in green with daisies sprinkled about.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

I first read this about 9 years ago. Loved it then and now, rereading it. Such a great series. Just added an edit to my original review. (And a few paragraph breaks. Not sure why I wrote it like an email...) 😄 My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Five stars. Recommended.

Cover of "Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas," showing a woman's silhouette against a red background, with a grayish doily pattern worked into the red.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Did I vibe with this period mystery? No, I did not. Mostly, I thought the MC was a terrible spy. And the pacing is very much bad. IMO. My thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I finished it, so I gave it a 3. I will not be looking for any sequels, though.

The cover of "A Conspiracy of Violence," showing a parchment-colored map or drawing of London.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

I liked this old German novel about a real man who protected Berlin during the war with Russia and Austria but wasn't protected when he needed help. Reminded me of Timon of Athens. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com 4 stars.

The frontispiece of the novel "The Merchant of Berlin," showing an 18th century German man in long coat and wig standing at his desk, hand on the back of an expensive chair

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I've never read this series before and tried it on a whim. I enjoyed it. Well-written, tight, fast-paced--it's a good read. 5 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com This is #15 in the series. I may need to back up a bit and try the earlier books. Recommended.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

This is the first of 11 middle grade novels made in the 1990s tied in to the cartoon series. I didn't know they existed until recently. I loved me some Jonny Quest back in the day. 4 stars. Here are my brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com I liked it. Wish they had gotten a better response.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I hoped to like it more than I did. 3 stars. It didn't feel much like an Indiana Jones story, and he didn't seem like Indy. This got better near the end, though. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com There are a bunch of these books, and I think maybe I'll try one or two more.

The cover of "Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead," showing Indy in the foreground with his whip in one hand and a torch the other, a plane behind him, and zombies chasing.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

This book hovers around a 4 on GR, with the biggest group agreeing with me--a 5. But the ones who didn't like it disliked the very things I thought made it stand out. 🤔 My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I loved the family story that ran in the background. Very touching.

The cover of Remember Me, with the FMC in the foreground, turned away, in a summer dress, with the MMC in a rowboat in the background.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

My second play by Euripides. Kinda enjoyed it. 3 stars. The gods really ruin stuff for this family. Dang. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com I wonder what it was like to see this in real life back in the day?

The cover of the play "Hippolytus," showing an armored Greek warrior and a curly-haired Greek woman, all in yellow and orange, on a black background.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Pretty fun short action novel. Mack Bolan is tracking down missing treasure (with important intelligence hidden with it) in the Congo, circa 1980. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com 4 pulp-fiction stars.

The cover of The Executioner #58, showing Mack Bolan on a flatbed train car, firing at an unseen men, with the orange-yellow sky of the Congo in the background.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I dunno. I wanted to read all of it, not just bits. He's smarter than I thought. He makes his very unethical advice sound so reasonable. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Three stars for mild interest in history and such. Zero stars for his humanity.

The cover of "The Prince," showing an empty suit of armor in front of a page of faint writing, gray on black.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

I really enjoyed this book by Bulwer-Lytton. It's a great novel, but I also have a lot clearer image of who is who during the Wars of the Roses. Elevated prose; tight plotting; great characters; lots of action. 5 stars. My thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. 👍

An image of the author, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, from about 1850. Wavy hair, sideburns, dressed in black.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

This was a new-to-me series and author. I liked it. 4 stars. Lots of big science ideas in a retro-SF way, with a breezy and fast-paced story. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com I don't think we should build stuff that could break the sun by accident. Opened my eyes to that problem.

The cover of the book "The Collapsium," showing a man in a suit in the foreground, with starships and stations filling the sky, all done in shades of purple.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

One of those "Shakespeare kinda wrote this" plays. I liked it a lot, actually. 5 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com When his son was in a tight spot and needed rescuing, Edward said he had other kids. The prince survived, but I wonder if anyone told him what dad said...

The cover of the play King Richard III is mostly blue with a simple line drawing of Sheakespeare's head in yellow and orange.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

People said this was good. People said it was funny. I don't trust people. Turns out... they were right. Very entertaining. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com I gave it 5 stars. Doy.

The cover of Dungeon Crawler Carl, with giant yellow letters on a black background. A guy in boxers and a cat are running in a small jaggedy inset.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

I like the book and this series, though I have reservations. It's fun, though. 4 stars. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com The MC rubs me wrong, but she's a good character in most ways. And the historical setting is very good. Recommended.

The cover of "The Serpent's Tale," showing a table covered with strange things, like a ratty book, part of a skull, a jug, an open chest, and other unclear objects.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

I thought the beginning was a bit awkward--or maybe I was just mad at the MMC--but it worked very well after that. 4 stars. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended for readers of romance and anything Regency (which was how I got here). 😄 Devlin and Gwyneth are likable characters.

The cover of Remember Love, showing a woman in a red Regency-style dress in the foreground, turned to watch a man on horse in the middle distance. Behind him is a manor house.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

McWhorter is always informed and entertaining. This is a look at language change and varieties--particularly Black English in the second half of the book--and what our attitude should be to toward different forms of speech. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com 5 stars. Good discussion.

The cover of "Word on the Street," showing a cityscape littered with signs.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Julian May is awesome, and I wanted to like this series and this last book so much more than I did. It was a slog to the end. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com I gave it a 3, but her other series are so much better.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

I didn't trust the hype, and almost wasn't gonna read this, but it turns out this is very entertaining, well-written, and hopeful. Which is what the people said. Sometimes they're right. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com 5 stars. Good fantasy and good fun.

The cover of Legends and Lattes, showing an orc and a succubus working in a coffee shop.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Not a standard Ainsworth novel, but still fun to read. The middle is all about the highwayman Dick Turpin, though that's a secondary plot. The rest is historical romance mixed with Gothic. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com Despite some things I found odd, it's still a 4 from me. 🙂

One cover for Rookwood, by William Harrison Ainsworth, showing a castle on a hill, with a rushing river and trees in the foreground.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

I don't remember for sure whether I ever read the entire Inferno before. I think so. But it was worth reading it all in one go as an adult. 4 stars, mostly for the notes and images. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Not great fun to read, IMO, but curiosity is a good reason.

The cover of the Penguin edition of Dante's Inferno, with the William Blake image of a man in flames.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Some bits of interest in this novel--but I didn't have much fun reading it. 3 stars. My thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com It's impressive in scope and artistry--but it's a slog to read. YMMV

The cover of Eco's Prague Cemetery, with the silhouette of a wolf over a red background.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

I enjoyed this quite a bit, even though I'm an anti-tragedy crusader. The king deserved what he got, though. 4 stars. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com From just after Shakespeare's time, but surprisingly clear language. Not too hard to read, IMO.

The title page from an old edition of The Maid's Tragedy, with the list of characters.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

The cover looks like romance, but it's absolutely historical fiction, telling the story of William the Conqueror. It was in places a bit slow, but its treatment of the setting, people, and historical events was excellent. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com Recommended. 4 stars.

The cover of The Conqueror, showing a medieval man in a cloak close behind a woman in pink with braided blond hair. There is a hint of rocky hills and horses behind them, indistinctly.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I found this more fun and easier to get into than previous Reacher books I've looked into. Maybe familiarity helps. 4 stars. My thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Good investigating; good action. Recommended.

The cover of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel, Night School. It's yellow text on a blue background, the author's name on a red banner.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

I liked it, but the first book was so much better (IMO) that I felt a bit let down. Still a 4, because of the brilliant writing and clever ideas, but the story disappointed. Mahit didn't have much to do in this sequel. My brief thoughts: inspeculation.blogspot.com Still recommended.

The cover of A Desolation Called Peace, showing a robed figure, back to us, staring through a giant window at a multi-ringed space ship hanging in clouds of debris--or those are tiny attacking ships, maybe.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I'm liking this author and this related series of stories, but this one not quite as much. 3 stars--pretty good. The ending is better, when they finally talk to each other... My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com Still recommended. I'll read the next in the series soon.👍

The cover of Slightly Married, by Mary Balogh. All golden text on a red background, except for a cupid worked into the middle.

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azreader.bsky.social @azreader.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

The fifth in the series. It started slow but ended good. 4 stars. My brief thoughts are here: inspeculation.blogspot.com The author moved Joliffe the actor to France and made him a spy. Probably a good idea. I like where we're going.

The cover of the novel A Play of Treachery, showing colorful characters performing a masque in the street, with a medieval cityscape around them.

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