Shomeret’s Comments (group member since Oct 15, 2012)

Shomeret’s comments from the Read by Theme group.

I'm reading The Painter's Apprentice: A Novel of 16th-Century Venice by Laura Morelli. I started it on Sunday and I'm almost finished with it. This is Venice during a period of plague, so it's kind of tragic. The art aspect is unusual. The central character is a gilder.

I read Nyira and the Invisible Boy by K. M. Harrell which is a fantasy novel dealing with resistance to slavery in Haiti. The protagonists have paranormal powers. The invisible boy is a Taino . I thought it was excellent.

I read America, Vol. 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez which is a Marvel superhero compilation of comic books. She is a diverse superhero. I liked it, but wasn't bowled over.

I'm reading Chinawoman's Chance, a mystery that deals prominently with prejudice against Chinese immigrants in San Francisco in the late 19th century.

I'm reading An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan which is the story of Gold Star father Khizr Khan who fell in love with the American Constitution as a young law student in Pakistan.

I read Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace. I realized that having the word "numbers" in the title should be considered part of this theme. It was an ARC from Net Galley. The book will be out in December.

I'm reading Japantown, a thriller which is the first book of Barry Lancet. There are three others in the series. It's a well written suspenseful read.

I recently read The British Lion by Tony Schumacher which I won in a Goodreads giveaway last year. It's the second book in an alternate history series in which the Nazis won WWII and are occupying England. The alternate continuity was well developed and the characterization was excellent.

I'm reading The Pearl Thief which is part of the Code Name: Verity series. It's a prequel to Code Name: Verity. I'm almost finished with it and I consider it excellent. I love the content related to the Travellers. There's a bibliography at the back of the book. Elizabeth Wein did extensive research for this book.

The closest I've read to a book on this theme is a historical fantasy in which the villain has serious psychological problems. It's Kasper Mützenmacher’s Cursed Hat. You don't find out too much about the villain's mental condition until close to the end of the book, so I couldn't say it's about mental illness.

I have finally read a book with a title beginning with "the". It's The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan. This is the first in a mystery series taking place in Canada. It has an Islamic protagonist. It deals with atrocities in Bosnia. I thought it was a very powerful book.

Kristell wrote: "I'm starting The 5th Wave later today. I don't remember reading more than one book that fit the month's theme in a while."

Actually, from my perspective it would have been more inclusive if the theme had been the word "the" appearing somewhere in the title. I am about to read a book with a title that contains "the", but have yet to read a book whose title starts with "the".

I read four books set in Europe in November, but lots happened this month including getting mugged on the way to a dental appointment. So I never got back to this group. The first two relevant books were The Other Einstein about Einstein's first wife, and a WWII novel called Point of No Return. Both of these were not enjoyable, but very compelling. I also read two historical mysteries that took place in England which count for me because they took place centuries before Brexit. There were things I enjoyed about the mysteries, but I also had problems with them. On the whole, I can't say I had a good month.

I finished Everfair and gave it five stars. My review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am reading Everfair by Nisi Shawl which was published this month.

I had a choice of a bunch of books on my To Read shelf with zero ratings, but there were only two that were already published and didn't require me to purchase a paperback. Due to my budget constrictions and my preferences, I selected "Stagecoach" Mary Fields a biography of the first African American woman to be a mail carrier.

I've just started Outrun the Moon by Stacy Lee. The first line is "In my fifteen years, I have stuck my arm in a vat of slithering eels, climbed all the major hills of San Francisco, and tiptoed over the graves of a hundred souls." This sounds like an interesting character with an eventful life.

I'm reading Thoreau at Devil's Perch which is a mystery. 19th century author Henry David Thoreau is a character, but not a protagonist. There are two murders--an African American free man and a military captain. A Native American is accused of having killed the captain. The protagonists, who are friends of Thoreau, believe that he is innocent and want to solve the murders. Thoreau assists them occasionally.

I just started reading Looking Through Darkness: A Trading Post Novel which is the second in the Trading Post romantic suspense series by Aimee and David Thurlo. These are actually mysteries with a strong element of romance that also contain Navajo content. Since Aimee Thurlo passed away, it seems likely that there won't be any more in the series.

I am about to start From a High Towerwhich is part of the Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey. Many of the books in this series are based on fairy tales. This one is based on Rapunzel.