New Books: Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime and Lost in Tuscany

 In the Mailbox

I enjoy books about elderly seniors solving mysteries. This is one of several different series that I've come across. 

Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime by Leonie Swann, September 3, 2024, Soho Crime

A follow up mystery novel to The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp. Agnes and her octogenarian friends come face-to-face with a killer after winning a trip to a beautiful hotel in the seaside town of Cornwall. Translated from German

Currently reading:

a book just in time for birders or would-be-birders who are also rom com readers

Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb, June 4, 2024, Gallery Books. Genre: romance, contemporary fiction, adult fiction

Description

A divorcee crosses paths with a shy but sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life in this charming rom-com set in Arizona. Who knew Arizona had so many birders? I always imagined it as having just desert and red rock. 

Click here to see my review. 

Finished reading:

a very strange novel with an unusual plot and characters

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole, April 16, 2024; William Morrow. 

Genre: thriller, identity disorder, psychological thriller

Description: Years after a breakdown and a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder derailed her historical preservationist career, Kenetria Nash and her alters have been given a second chance they can’t refuse: a position as resident caretaker of a historic home. 

I honestly didn't know how to rate this book. I can only say that the premise of multiple-personality Ken fighting for her life in a castle with a past is unique. Ken's many personalities interact and it's like reading a novel with real characters instead of one woman's separate identities/alternate identities popping up here and there during the narrative.

This plethora of characters/alters that belong to one woman known as Ken made me confused overall, however, and I found the novel too long to keep my interest. Ken's multiple personalities were so many and so diverse, I quickly flipped from the middle to the end of the book. A shorter version of the book would have kept my attention. And I really didn't understand the ending. Did Ken fall in love with one of her alternate identities? 

A thriller that gives extra meaning to the title and also to the term psychological in the genre psych thriller. 

Next to read: 

a summer bike ride in Tuscany. A rom com with a view

Lost in Tuscany by Sophie Sinclair, June 14, 2024; BooksGoSocial

Genre: romance, contemporary fiction

Description: Predictable thirty-six-year-old Summer Andrews doesn’t realize there’s such a thing as drunk-booking a trip until she wakes up with a beastly hangover and a non-refundable singles-only bike tour through Tuscany.

This is obviously a travel romance that has me curious about the sights on an Italian bike tour 

Watching:

I continue to find Korean drama series fascinating, even though many of them are so long. Up to 16 episodes. I recommend a heart breaking My Mister, and romantic comedy, Business Proposal, for first timers.

What are you reading/watching this week?  

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves 

Sunday Salon: Historical Drama; Social Influencers in Novel and Kdrama

 Watching on TV

I watched all 16 episodes of this historical drama and romance set in the Joseon era in Korea.The actor playing the King, Jo Jung Suk, is in contention in Korea for a best actor award this year, and I can see why. 

From The Economic Times, English edition: 

Netflix's latest historical K-drama, "Captivating The King," has gripped audiences with its tale of war, revenge, and love set in the Joseon era. As viewers delve into the intricate political landscape, where a game of baduk (the board game of Go) becomes a strategic tool....

Exploring the Plot:

"Captivating The King" unfolds against the backdrop of the Joseon era, weaving a captivating narrative around Prince Jinhan, portrayed by Jo Jung-suk, and the enigmatic baduk player Kang Hee-soo, played by Shin Se-kyung. 

The strategic game of baduk/Go transforms into a political maneuver as Prince Jinhan employs it to secure the release of hostages. Simultaneously, Hee-soo, disguised as a man, weaves her way into the prince's life, driven by a larger agenda of revenge. (from The Economic Times).

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto ( August 2024) put me in mind of Celebrity, (June 2023) the influencer Korean drama on Netflix I just finished. 

                                                Promotional poster (Wikipedia)
In Celebrity, (see trailer) Seo A-ri achieves social media stardom overnight, but deadly consequences await in this glitzy, glamorous world of influencers. (with subtitles and dubbed on Netflix). The influencer plot in both Kdrama and the new book seem similar.

 Now reading

River East, River West  by Aube Rey Lescure

Publication: January 9, 2024; William Morrow, NetGalley.  Genre: literary fiction, historical fiction, China

Description:

Set against the backdrop of developing modern China, this mesmerizing literary debut is part coming-of-age tale, part family and social drama, as it follows two generations searching for belonging and opportunity in a rapidly changing world.

In a stunning reversal of the east-to-west immigrant narrative and set against China’s political history and economic rise, River East, River West is an intimate family drama and a sharp social novel. Alternating between Alva and Lu Fang’s points of view, this is a profoundly moving exploration of race and class, cultural identity and belonging, and the often-false promise of the American Dream. (publisher)

My tv watching has eaten significantly into my book reading! But I'm having fun watching drama series. Don't know when my infatuation with Kdrama will come to a close....Watch this space...

What are you reading/watching this week? 

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday