Noteworthy News #6: Hourly History

I am always looking for ways to learn more history but just don't have the time or will  right now to read dense books. This week I discovered Hourly History and I'm excited to share with other history lovers! It's a series of books that are designed to be read in one hour (hence the name) about all kinds of historical topics. Everything from Ancient Rome to the Norman Conquest to present day biographies of the Presidents and Princess Diana. There is something for everyone and it gives a great, no nonsense overview of the topic while giving enough detail that you come away feeling like you know the basics. 

They also have a great blog with lots of resources at hourlyhistory.com You can sign up to receive free books and even if you buy them they are on average $2.99 each. Kindle Unlimited has most of them to read for free. It's just a wonderful way to become more knowledgeable about so many topics. 

My problem now is to zero in on the ones I really like and read them first. It is hard to choose once you start looking through them. If you love history you will be hooked! Happy Reading this week :) 

Why I Now Love Audiobooks and Can't Live Without Them

I haven't done much in the world of opinion posts the last two years. I think I focused more on challenges and reviews. I went back recently and re-read some of my opinion posts though and decided to write a new one about audiobooks. In 2022 I wrote one on Why I Dislike Audiobooks. Boy has life changed! Now I absolutely LOVE them! I still stand by my belief that reading is a harder skill than listening but have really changed my tune about audiobooks being worth my time. So here is my follow up opinion post listing five reasons I have grown to love them.

1. Time Savers- Life can get pretty crazy. I am a stickler for cleaning my house often and I'd love to be able to do that and also sit down and read every day. But there just isn't enough time to always do that. I have found audiobooks let me do both and that makes me happy. I get so much accomplished while listening to a great story. I absolutely love podcasts but sometimes I want to get into a book too.

2. Easier to find- I have found many audiobooks that I can't get in written form. Sometimes this is especially true with books from the UK. On Libby and Hoopla it seems like I find more audiobooks (Agatha Christie is one author) and so I go with them because I just don't want to wait or pay for the actual Kindle book. I end up enjoying it either way!

3. Interesting narration- I used to feel completely the opposite for this one. I have come to tolerate and now even enjoy the narration in audiobooks. It took awhile to get there as I found it kind of cheesy in the beginning. But now I appreciate the inflection in the narrator's voice and changes in the pacing. It makes the story fun if you just go with it.

4. Car Rides-  I never considered how much time I'd spend in the car as my teens became little mini adults with their crazy schedules of activities. Thank goodness  both of my boys drive as of this year but these last two years got me into audiobooks because I was in the car driving more than ever before. 

5. Escapism- This sounds worse than I mean it but.....sometimes it's nice to just put in my Air Pods and be left alone to immerse myself in a good story. My husband and boys are great readers...they just don't read. Ugh, drives me crazy! But they often don't appreciate how I can be reading and into a story and don't want to be interrupted. You know how this is fellow book lovers.

People think because you aren't talking you aren't doing anything. When I'm listening to a book they are more likely to leave me in peace. 

So that is why I've changed my mind about audiobooks. I can admit when I'm wrong and grow....lol.....do you love audiobooks? Or do you prefer to read only? 

Can't Wait Wednesday: A Midwinter Murder by Verity Bright (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 20)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, A Midwinter Murder, by Verity Bright. I am so behind in this series. I love it and this is already book 20. I want to continue reading them in order so even though I'd love to dive into this one now for the season, I'll wait. But I'm happy to promote it. Happy Reading this week. I hope you've found something you can't wait for!

Historical Cozy Mysteries

December 4, 2024

Description courtesy of GoodReads:

Winter 1924. When Lady Eleanor Swift unexpectedly finds herself a guest of the reclusive Duke of Auldwyke, she’s determined to enjoy Christmas with all the trimmings at his sprawling manor house. And that includes kisses under the mistletoe and cozying up by the fire with her fiancé, dashing detective Hugh Seldon.

Instead, the season of goodwill turns frosty as she finds the Duke’s studious secretary, Mr Porritt, dead in the storeroom. Clasped in his chilly hand is a golden pendant in the shape of a rose. The Duke denies ever having seen the necklace before. But Eleanor can see the lies in his eyes… Did it belong to his mysteriously absent wife?

Hugh and Eleanor must ditch relaxing with hot cocoa in favour of interviewing the Duke’s holiday guests. Every suspect has a secret they’d kill to keep: the socialite with the false name, the Sir with a questionable inheritance and the husband hiding a crack in his marriage.

As the blizzard outside rages, Auldwyke Hall becomes cut off. Trapped by the snow, Eleanor and Hugh must skate around the increasingly secretive Duke to unwrap the identity of the killer. But does the answer to the secretary’s murder lie with a ghost of Christmas past? And when an attempt is made on the Duke’s life too, they realise the killer is closer than they think…

Top Ten Tuesday: December Freebie- Books I Didn't Get To This Year (but wished I had)

 

This week's Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl is a December freebie topic. I decided to list books I wished I'd read but hadn't gotten to this year. It is possible I will get to some of them before January 1st but not likely. December is crazy when you are a teacher and a mother and I already have several books ahead of these now that I want to finish.  I think this is why I love blogging and reading others' blogs. We all have enormous piles of books we can't possibly finish. And that makes me feel semi-normal, lol. Happy Reading everyone...here's to new goals for 2025.

 

(No links....no time! But at least you can compare :) Let me know if you think one is worth adding to my current December 2024 list.         

1. The Seeker by S. G. MacLean

2. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris

3. Death Down the Aisle (Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries) by Verity Bright

4. The Hundred Years War by Hourly History Authors

5. Philippa of Hainault by Kathryn Warner

6. The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters

7. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Chrisite

8. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

9. This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

10. Christmas in Nuala (Inspector de Silva Mysteries) by Harriet Steel 

Stacking the Shelves #42

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Borrowed from Libby (there is a wait though!)

This story takes place during the time of Queen Esther. I have not read anything by this author but it was on sale this week and looked interesting. I don't read a lot of Christian fiction but Queen Esther has always fascinated me and this author seems to have several good biblical historical fiction books that are best sellers. This story revolves around two fictional characters in Queen Esther's court who are swept up in the politics of the time concerning the Jewish people. 

Bought on Kindle for $2.50 with my credits

I like this author because she writes historical fiction about Scotland and people I generally know very little about. I wish I had time to get through every book I'm interested in because I forget about her books sometimes and need to get back to them! This is the first in her series about William the Bold. He was a Scottish nobleman and soldier during the 13th century in the service of Sir John Stewart. I am always wanting to know more about the Scots and the French because they factor so much into English history. Her books are a great place to go for the lesser known Scots. 

Free with Kindle Unlimited Subscription

The latest in Benedict Brown's Lord Edgington Investigates cozy mystery series. It is a stand alone in that I can read it for Christmas but not be subject to spoilers for the previous books I haven't read. I like that. All his Christmas books follow this pattern. I am currently reading the first book in the series and don't want to know anything to give away the mysteries. So far I am enjoying this series a lot with its unique main characters and settings.