Lady Wesley > Recent Status Updates

Darn auto-“correct.” The author’s surname or “Lorac ,” not Lorax.

Because of Martin Edwards, the guru of Golden Age mysteries, and the British Library Crime Classics, I have become a devoteé of E. C. R. Lorax/Carol Carnac’s books.
Deepest thanks to all for making more of this excellent, but largely forgotten, author’s books available in the 21st century.

I have read books about parts of the Second World War, but I want the big picture. Who better to draw that picture than Max Hastings, who if not The GOAT of war historians, is at least one of the members of the flock of great ones.

Like many people of my political persuasion, I am finding life in the United States to be appalling, unbearable, and almost hopeless.

Not that it will solve any problems, but listening to the warm tones of Alex Wyndham’s voice is guaranteed to help me feel better.

Fascinating stuff, presented in an engaging style. Still, this is going to take a while to finish. My education about the Enlightenment is grossly deficient.

I started listening to this book last night, and I can already tell it's going to be five stars. I feel like I'm traveling to these battle sites myself.

This looks to be another great Lorac book. I have become a fan of her beautiful writing. The setting, atmosphere, and characters are wonderful, and Inspector McDonald is one of my favorite coppers.

I haven't yet finished listening, but it's clear that this is a five-star book. It fits perfectly into my latest obsession of reading WWII books that focus on personalities rather than battle details.

For anyone interested in WWII history, this is a fascinating book about how the titular "Troublesome Young Men" of the Tory party agitated to get rid of Neville Chamberlain and install Churchill as PM. I had not realized until now what an utter disaster Chamberlain was. I knew about appeasement but did not know how he virtually refused to actually prepare for war once it had been declared.

Yes, I have become so enamored of William L. Shirer's work that I'm starting this 57-hour audiobook. When I finish this (someday), that should put a period to my WWII history jag. For a while, anyway.

Worth reading just for the opening chapter. It's a mashup of Jeeves/Bunter and Wooster/Wimsey. The narrator's servant voice is priceless.

"humdrum" label came from Julian Symons

I so enjoyed this author’s The Clockwork Universe that I decided to listen to this book about the Rosetta Stone.

This book is highly praised. Can I endure nearly 26 hours of the Nuremberg trial? I don't know, so we shall see. I have never read a book about Nuremberg, so my knowledge is based on documentaries and a few movies.

Sadly, I am bored. Each conversational scene lasts way too long. Also, I think I must have read this one before, as the scene where Mari eats the rented pineapple rings a bell.

I find that I don’t really like Agatha.

The audiobook showed up on my kindle this morning. By happenstance, I’m off work recuperating after a nasty fall. This book will make everything better.

Listening again to prepare for the next book on 2 November.

I have been intrigued by Juan Pujol since seeing a short documentary about him a few years ago. Before that, I had not heard about his exploits, espionage not being a topic included in typical history textbooks. Moreover, although I am a history nerd, I have no particular interest in World War II history. I’m looking forward to learning more about this unusual man who played a vital role in defeating the Nazis.

Well. First time I have ever seen THAT in a romance novel.

I do find it odd that Lady D, at 36 weeks pregnant, is going to balls. And dancing.

One of the things I enjoy about Anna Lee Huber's books is the Real History they contain. Right now I'm learning about the arguments surrounding the Reform Act of 1832, which extended the franchise to the middle class.

A bit more than two years ago, I listened to the first title in this series. In less than two months, I had listened to all the available books. So, today, I hurried to download the 16th book on pub day.

The first two stories were weak. And it's downright creepy that some guy I never heard of "liked" that I was reading it. Fortunately, GR has a block feature.

The first two stories were weak.

Despite my reservations about the narrator, I liked this book so much that I'm trying to listen to the audiobook. We shall see how that turns out.

I loved this book 10 years ago. Let's see how it holds up.