Drama-Lovers Book Club

Hello Everyone, here is my April update.  I didn't read that much this month.

★★☆☆☆

★★★☆☆

★★★★☆

Duplex by Orson Scott Card - Another Micropowers novel.  I didn't like this one as much as Lost and Found (the first book in the series). It has a completely different plot even though it's part of the same universe.

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec - This was one of those Norse Mythology retellings.  I guess it's not my cup of tea. It kind of reminded me of Circe.

Imposter by Tate James - Death Game + Reverse Harem = Unique Story.  I was hooked. Might check out the sequel next month.

Hey, guys. Can't believe it's May already.

I've only managed to finish one book in April, which was God Emperor of Dune. It's the one I least liked among the four Dune books I've read so far. The protagonist is basically a bored, prescient human-sandworm hybrid, someone who is barely human at the start of the book.

I'm currently reading the fifth book of the series, Heretics of Dune, and I'm already enjoying it far more than the previous book. Lots of politicking, which isn't quite clear at this point, but is very much my jam.

Since the start of 2022, I haven't been quite in the mood for dramas and I've been reading much more, and April was no exception. As I read too many books to talk about all of them, I'll only highlight some:

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do - I had been slowly reading this book for months and finally got to complete it in April.  The time spent on it was worthwhile and I got a wealth of good practical advice on behaviors and thought patterns one can adopt to build mental strength. (5/5)

From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History - this is a Great Courses lecture series that I enjoyed immensely. More than simply touching on people and events, the professor showed how religious life and developing philosophies influenced both imperial and everyday life. A great complement to my other forays into Chinese history. (5/5)

The Great Gatsby - this is a reread, kinda.  I listened to the audiobook years ago and have always been meaning to read the actual text. This is one of those books I enjoy mostly from a stylistic perspective; the characters are thoroughly unlikeable, but the writing is gorgeous.  This time around I listened to the audiobook while simultaneously reading the ebook, and the languid narration is so on point with the tone of the book. (4/5)

The Life and Works of Jane Austen - I already spoke about this one upthread; highly recommended for Jane Austen fans. (5/5)

The Mystery of Mrs Christie - this was a total dud for me. The characterization was one-dimensional; Mrs Christie was portrayed as a husband-pleasing doormat who did no wrong and Mr Christie as a self-absorbed (and even 'stupid') man who did nothing right. Also, there was no suspense to speak of and the ending was an affront to my intelligence. The End. (2.5/5) [I put stupid in scare quotes because I think it's an offensive word to describe people, but the author really went out of her way to cause me to associate the character with the word ... sigh.]

The Yellow Wallpaper - I no longer read horror as an overall genre but I don't mind the subgenre of psychological horror, and this one was a chilling portrayal of a woman's progression from what is likely postpartum depression into a full-on psychosis. Thinking on her husband's role in the progression of her mental illness is both scary and enraging. (4/5)

I also listened to six audiobooks from Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series; it's set in England in the 1920s (flapper era) and centers around Daisy (who has a propensity for finding herself involved in random murders) and DCI Alec Fletcher, her love interest. The mysteries are cozy and not complex, and I'm usually able to guess the perpetrator early on, but I really like the characterization and the setting. Great for bedtime reading.  My ratings ran between 3 to 4 stars. 

April was a great reading month, and I'm excitedly looking forward to May - happy reading to everyone!

Hello there my lovely MDL friends!

Happy May Day or Labour Day aka International Workers' Day :)

Sharing a brief update on my latest reading status...

April 2022: The Paper Bark Tree Mystery 

Managed to complete this book as I was traveling for work right before I was taken ill, which kind of took the wind out of my sails for a while lol. I enjoyed this third entry a little less than the first two books which, in my opinion, were more exciting and better paced. This one's a bit heavier on the melodrama and dramatics, for me. I still like the heroine but not so much the slight change in tone of the storytelling. Because of that, I've decided to put off starting the fourth book in the series.

May 2022: The Verifiers

For this month, I'll be starting a brand new book by Jane Pek which was recently published this year. Another amateur sleuth story but hopefully with more charm, wit and levity compared to the recent selection.

Have a great long weekend wherever you are and a fantastic month ahead!  <3

5/5 (SO GOOD!! worth the hype!!)	3.5/5 (i felt disappointed after book 1)	1/5 (was expecting more from hype)	5/5 (i was so attached to this!!)
2/5 (it was good but i didn't enjoy)	4/5 (one word: nostalgic)	3/5 (mixed feelings about it...)	4.5/5 (quick fun one day read)

overall ig it was a good reading month for me!! hoping for a better reading month this may :))

 namsham:

I just joined this and I'm so happy cause I also read often and never have enough people to share or talk to it about. My book this month is: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. so far it's good a lot of talk on statistics but I'm learning a lot.

Welcome!! The pic isn"t available. I think it's glitched.

 namsham:

I just joined this and I'm so happy cause I also read often and never have enough people to share or talk to it about.

Welcome to our book-family dear friend!Looking forward to your comments, recommendations and anything else you want to share with us :)

 namsham:

I just joined this and I'm so happy cause I also read often and never have enough people to share or talk to it about. My book this month is: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. so far it's good a lot of talk on statistics but I'm learning a lot.

Welcome! A friend recommended Thinking, Fast and Slow to me but I haven't had time to get to it. 

For anyone interested (well, those 'based' in the UK and with UK accounts), The Completer Witcher series is available at Amazon UK and Kobo UK for only 99p - that's 6 novels and 2 short story collections in one bundle. 

This is a Deal of the Day so it's only available today. This is an even better deal than when I got all the Dune novels for 99c each!