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Friday, April 1, 2016

Bookish Nostalgia - April 2016



Yes, yes, we are doing Bookish Nostalgia for April on the very first day of the month!!  So, Happy April and no, I have no April Fool's Day tricks for you.  Honestly, I've never really liked those that much.  Always just seems like a chance to be mean with impunity.  How do you feel about it?  Although I do remember my mother telling me that she and my father had their first date as teens on April 1st.  She said she thought that he was just teasing her.  Not so much though as they were married for 62 years!  Let's see what I've read in April over the years:


 
April 1996 - Montana Sky by Nora Roberts - I have read a lot of Nora Roberts' books over the years, but I must admit that I am much more a fan of her trilogies than her stand alone novels.  Or I really, really like her J. D. Robb persona.  However, Montana Sky might have been the first of her books that I read.  It's set in - wait for it - Montana, and is the story of a rancher named Jack Mercy who dies and leaves his vast holdings to his 3 daughters.  Each daughter was the product of one of Jack's marriages and his will gives specifics for sharing in the inheritance - like coming to live on the ranch for a year.  In the course of the year, they get to know each other and also are placed in danger.  Someone doesn't want the Mercy sisters to have that ranch.  Of course, there's romance - it's Nora Roberts after all - and the mystery is a pretty good one.  This book was made into a TV movie that was decent as I recall.



April 2001 - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - I bet I'm not the only one who has read Anita Diamant's story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob of Israel.  It was very popular with readers for quite some time.  Yes, this is the Jacob of the Bible and Dinah was the only daughter mentioned in the Biblical story.  Of course, there were 12 sons as well.  The red tent referred to the place that the women retreated to when they were considered 'unclean' - during births, monthly cycles, that sort of thing.  Dinah comes to know more about her mother and her father's other wives as the women share their stories and their religious practices.  An interesting fictional look at the culture of Biblical times.  I was fascinated.


 
April 2006 - Our Lady of Pain by Marion Chesney - If you've ever read any of M. C. Beaton's mystery series - Hamish Macbeth or Agatha Raisin - you probably don't realize that her 'real' name is Marion Chesney and that she wrote a short series set in Edwardian times.  I read that 4-book series and really enjoyed it a lot.  It was quite funny, as I recall.  It told about Lady Rose Summer, a debutante of the time, who kept getting into 'situations' and not doing as her father would wish.  Also starring Captain Harry Cathcart, a sort of 'fixer' for wealthy gentlemen.  Their paths cross and obviously, they clash.  With romantic implications.  Anyway, Our Lady of Pain was the last book in the series.  I really don't remember much about it except that Lady Rose has become engaged to Harry, but it's really just to keep her father from making her marry someone else of his choosing.  Harry squires another woman around London and then the woman ends up dead, with Rose standing over the body.  I can see that I need to go back and reread this short series.  If you like Daisy Dalrymple, you might like Rose Summers.



April 2011 - Night Road by Kristin Hannah - I remember Night Road as being a really emotional book.  Lexi is a teenage girl that has been raised mostly in foster care because of her drug-addicted mother.  She comes to Seattle to stay with a great-aunt and slowly tries to fit in to the local high school.  On her first day, she meets Mia, quiet and shy, and the two girls become very close.  Mia has a twin brother, Zach, who is much more outgoing, but who also becomes friends with Lexi.  Their mother, Jude, is so pleased that Mia has a friend, she includes Lexi into their lives.  And then the dynamic changes.  I won't say any more, but I just remember this being a book that I couldn't put down.  Teenagers bring all kinds of drama to many stories don't they?  I know many have read Kristin Hannah's recent book The Nightingale and really loved it.  Well, this is an earlier work, but I think it shows her talent for keeping the reader interested.  It certainly did me.

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That's it for the April offerings.  Maybe you've read one of these.  Maybe this will make you investigate to see if you want to read one.  I hope so.  See you next month for May's Bookish Nostalgia.  No foolin'!

31 comments:

  1. April Fool's reminds me of my school days; full of pranks and I remember itching powders are quite commonly used for the pranks. Didn't hear they're being used now but well, those were the days.

    I've not read any of these books but I'm quite intrigued with Night Road.

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    1. Itching powder???? Horrible. LOL

      NIGHT ROAD is very good, Melody.

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  2. I've never cared for April Fool's Day, either. Today, though, marks my 9th year anniversary with Barnes & Noble. I wasn't a fool to accept that job offer! :)

    The Red Tent is the only one on your list that I've read. As I recall, I enjoyed it, but I think it took me a while to get interested.

    Here's my Looking Back post for this week. Do you remember this book?

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    1. You definitely not a fool. I would love to come work at B&N with you. I do remember that book you talked about but I don't think I ever read it. I read some fiction book about a pandemic I think. Can't remember the name.

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  3. April Fool's Day can be an interesting day. I enjoyed the books you've read during April. They include some of my favorite authors.

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  4. I've never gotten into April Fool's pranks but, hey, if people like them that's fine :) I've only read a couple of Nora Roberts books. I'm expecting her latest to arrive one of these days (a review copy).

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  5. I haven't read any of these this month. The one that appeals most is The Red Tent, although the Nora Roberts one sounds good too - I really must try one of her books one of these days...

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    1. You should try at least one. There are only hundreds to choose from. LOL

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  6. I love that your parents' first date was on April 1st! It was definitely no joke if they had 62 wonderful years together!

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    1. They did do pretty well didn't they? Yes, 62 years. Quite an example for me.

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  7. I love Agatha Raisin and Daisy Dalrymple so I should try Lady Rose. Have you read Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah? Very good. I would say it qualifies as a mystery as two daughters try to find out about their mother's past.

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    1. I think you told me about WINTER GARDEN and I checked to see if I have it. Yes, I do. Just haven't read it yet.

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  8. Night Road is one of my favourites by Kristin Hannah. It took me forever to read Nightingale because I'm not a historical fiction fan but as you said, she is so talented, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

    So many were fascinated with the Red Tent, I still don't think it is for me.

    April Fools has never been me either. I remember small ones from school days that were funny, but I remember tears from classmates too, not so nice.

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    1. I think I was on the receiving end of more than one prank and that seems to have colored my thinking about 'foolin'. LOL

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  9. I've read two of these, the first two, but not the others. I do like Nora Roberts style and The Red Tent was a delicious read. You're adding more and more to that lengthy list of mine. :-)

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    1. Ah, always happy to add to a TBR list. LOL

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  10. I loved Montana Sky! It's been ages since I've read it but I saw the movie was coming on recently and I recorded it though I've yet to read it. I haven't read the Marion Chesney but now I want too! I enjoy the MC Beaton books quite a bit so I'm intrigued by the idea of this series.

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    1. Hope you like it if you get to read it and also hope you like the TV version of Montana Sky. I ought to look for that.

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  11. Night Road sounds good--I just added it to my to-read list!

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    1. I liked it a lot, Wendy. Thanks for coming by!

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  12. I remember The Red Tent being super popular, though for some reason I never read it. I need to add it to my list!

    My big April Fool's prank is telling my kids we had a big snowstorm overnight and school's cancelled. Ha! They fell for it once, now they're like "yeah right, mom!" ;-)

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    1. Now that's a good April Fool's trick, Diana. Not too mean. LOL

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  13. I didn't know that M. C. Beaton did an Edwardian series - I'm going to have to check that out!

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  14. I loved The Red Tent... such a great book! M.C. Beaton's Edwardian Series sounds like one I would enjoy, too.

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    1. Yes, I enjoyed THE RED TENT a lot as well.

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  15. I'm definitely not one to try any pranks or tricks. I don't like them!

    I don't think I had heard about that M.C. Beaton series. Sounds like one I would really enjoy so I'll have to add that to my list. Oh and I have read quite a few Nora Roberts books too. I'm amazed how many books she has written!

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  16. I tried The Red Tent a bazillion year ago but really need to give it another try.

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  17. I don't like April Fool's Day either. I'm so gullible that I fall for EVERYTHING!

    I loved THE NIGHTINGALE as well, but I don't think I've read anything else by the author. I'll have to try NIGHT ROAD. It sounds like the kind of book I would like.

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!