New Leaf Vote for May 2020 • Guilty Pleasures - Under the Covers

[CRussel]

It's time to select the book we'll read and discuss in May 2020.

We love new participants. We're happy for you to vote, but in the interest of a vibrant conversation, we'd like to request that you please not vote unless you plan to join the discussion whatever the selection. So if you haven't posted in a book club thread yet, do please say a quick hello here or in the Welcome thread.

This is a poll. Vote for as many books as you'd like. Questions? FAQs | Guidelines Or just ask!

Choices:

* Mike and Psmith, written by P.G. Wodehouse (CRussel,fantasyfan)

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by Goodreads

An early Wodehouse novel, this is both a sporting story and a tale of friendship between two boys at boarding school. Mike (introduced in Mike at Wrykyn) is a seriously good cricketer who forms an unlikely alliance with old Etonian Psmith ('the P is silent') after they both find themselves fish out of water at a new school, Sedleigh. Full of entertainment, the plot reaches a satisfying conclusion as the pair eventually overcome the hostility of others and their own prejudices to become stars. Even readers uninterested in cricket are likely to be gripped by descriptions of matches, but the real meat of the book is to be found in the characters, especially the elegant Psmith, one of Wodehouse's immortal creations, who features in three of his later novels.

Project Gutenberg AmazonUS AmazonCA AmazonAU AmazonUK
100 pp.

* Dragonwyck , written by Anya Seton (Catlady, fantasyfan)

Spoiler:

A novel of seduction, mystery, and danger set in New York’s Hudson Valley in the nineteenth century, by the author of Foxfire.

There was, on the Hudson, a way of life such as this, and there was a house not unlike Dragonwyck . . .

In the spring of 1844, the Wells family receives a letter from a distant relative, the wealthy landowner Nicholas Van Ryn. He has invited one of their daughters for an extended visit at his Hudson Valley estate, Dragonwyck. Eighteen-year-old Miranda, bored with her local suitors and commonplace life on the farm, leaps at the chance for an escape. She immediately falls under the spell of both the master and his mansion, mesmerized by the Gothic towers, flowering gardens, and luxurious lifestyle—but unaware of the dark, terrible secrets that await.

Anya Seton masterfully tells the heart-stopping story of a remarkable woman, her remarkable passions, and the mystery that resides in the magnificent hallways of Dragonwyck.

Amazon U.S. Also Overdrive, Hoopla, etc.
419 pp.

* The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. (JSWolf, fantasyfan)

Spoiler:

When Mole rebels and abandons the spring cleaning of his burrow, he little knows what the future holds. He soon meets the steady and practical Water Rat, then the impulsive and boastful Mr. Toad, and wise old Badger. Many new adventures await, from travels on the open road, to getting lost in a snowstorm in the Wild Wood, to simply “messing about in boats.” Along the way, Toad lands in jail for stealing a motorcar, and the four friends must do battle to reclaim Toad Hall from the invading weasels and stoats.

This book is a testament to the enduring bond of friendship and the charm in homely pleasures, and can be enjoyed by the young and the young-at-heart. (Recommended for ages 9 to 90.)

PCML ePub PCML KF8
157 pp.

* Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (gmw,CRussel)

Spoiler:

A cursed girl escapes death and finds herself in a magical world - but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

Kobo US Kobo CA Kobo AU
513 pp.

* The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer. (Bookworm_Girl,CRussel)

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by AmazonUS

One of Heyer's funniest Regency romances, and one of readers' favorites.

An impetuous young lady and a fugitive nobleman?
When spirited Eustacie stumbles into a band of smugglers, she is delighted to be having an adventure at last. Their leader, young heir Ludovic Lavenham, is in hiding, falsely accused of murder. Pursued by the law, Eustacie and Ludovic find refuge at an unassuming country inn.

And the delightfully sensible couple who try to keep them out of trouble...
The resourceful Miss Sarah Thane and the clear-thinking Sir Tristram Shield gamely endeavor to prevent Ludovic's arrest and Eustacie's ruin as the four conspire to recover the missing talisman ring that will clear Ludovic's name.

AmazonUS AmazonCA AmazonAU AudibleUS
322 pp.

* The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie. (gmw,JSWolf)

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by Goodreads

Newly-orphaned Anne Beddingfeld is a nice English girl looking for a bit of adventure in London. But she stumbles upon more than she bargained for! Anne is on the platform at Hyde Park Corner tube station when a man falls onto the live track, dying instantly. A doctor examines the man, pronounces him dead, and leaves, dropping a note on his way. Anne picks up the note, which reads "17.1 22 Kilmorden Castle". The next day the newspapers report that a beautiful ballet dancer has been found dead there-- brutally strangled. A fabulous fortune in diamonds has vanished. And now, aboard the luxury liner Kilmorden Castle, mysterious strangers pillage her cabin and try to strangle her. What are they looking for? Why should they want her dead? Lovely Anne is the last person on earth suited to solve this mystery... and the only one who can! Anne's journey to unravel the mystery takes her as far afield as Africa and the tension mounts with every step... and Anne finds herself struggling to unmask a faceless killer known only as 'The Colonel'

KoboUS KoboCA KoboUK KoboAU
381 pp.

* Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (Catlady,gmw)

Spoiler:

At a time when women were destined to become housewives, Jacqueline Susann let us dream. Anne, Neely, and Jennifer become best friends as struggling young women in New York City trying to make their mark. Eventually, they climb their way to the top of the entertainment industry only to find that there’s no place left to go but down, into the Valley of the Dolls.

Sex and drugs and shlock and more--Jacqueline Susann's addictively entertaining trash classic about three showbiz girls clawing their way to the top and hitting bottom in New York City has it all. Though it's inspired by Susann's experience as a mid-century Broadway starlet who came heartbreakingly close to making it, but did not, and despite its reputation as THE roman á clef of the go-go 1960s, the novel turned out to be weirdly predictive of 1990s post-punk, post-feminist, post "riot grrrl" culture. Jackie Susann may not be a writer for the ages, but--alas!--she's still a writer for our times.

Amazon U.S.
454 pp.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Good list. I will take the leap and vote first this time. I followed my usual practice to vote for half.

[CRussel]

A diverse list, indeed.

Everyone please note: I forgot to set a time limit on the poll, but it is valid only until Friday, April 10, at 9:30 AM PDT (GMT-7).

(Sorry about that!)

[JSWolf]

OK, I've voted. I voted for just under 1/2.

[CRussel]

And the voting is closed. We'll be reading Agatha Christie next month. For those who have Kindle Unlimited, the book AND the Audible book are available for free. For those who don't, both of my libraries had the ebook, and one had the audio book as well.

Meanwhile, don't forget to finish your reading of Tarzan of the Apes and join us for the discussion starting next Wednesday, April 15th.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by CRussel

And the voting is closed. We'll be reading Agatha Christie next month. For those who have Kindle Unlimited, the book AND the Audible book are available for free. For those who don't, both of my libraries had the ebook, and one had the audio book as well.

Meanwhile, don't forget to finish your reading of Tarzan of the Apes and join us for the discussion starting next Wednesday, April 15th.

The Christie e-book and audiobook are also free to borrow for Amazon Prime members.

[CRussel]

Thanks, Catlady. Good to know.

[Bookworm_Girl]

It was nearly a unanimous vote this month! Be careful that there are multiple Kindle versions. Thanks for highlighting that there is an Unlimited/Prime option, or I might have missed it.

[gmw]

Goodness! The second month in a row a nomination of mine has been selected. The weight of responsibility is terrible.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

It was nearly a unanimous vote this month! Be careful that there are multiple Kindle versions. Thanks for highlighting that there is an Unlimited/Prime option, or I might have missed it.

It's also in Project Gutenberg, I see.

[JSWolf]

I got it from Overdrive. So I'm good to read.

[Bookworm_Girl]

None of my Overdrive libraries have this book. However, Hoopla has the ebook and audiobook which may be an option for some people.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

None of my Overdrive libraries have this book. However, Hoopla has the ebook and audiobook which may be an option for some people.

If you are looking for an audiobook version from Hoopla or elsewhere, get the version by Emilia Fox. It has some really good reviews (I forget where I read them).

[astrangerhere]

I started this last night (downloaded the epub from P.G.) and found it rather engaging. It is something between traditional Christie and a victorian blood and thunder novel.

[Catlady]

Amazon has The Man in the Brown Suit on sale today for $1.99 (along with a variety of other Agatha Christie titles).