I love pea soup.

Both the foodstuff, and the weather phenomenon that moniker now commonly represents. And, this morning, I had the lovely treat to wake up to a delightfully foggy world!

And, as I’ve been wending my way through Blogville, I’ve been seeing posts about Dickens, about The Woman in White, and I’ve had a yearning to immerse myself in that spooky literary setting all over again (I haven’t read many of those classics since I was about eleven or so.).

As fate would have it, I was at the end of a TBR stack that’s been gathering dust for years (I just can’t seem to escape this constant state of upheaval. Sigh.).

The last book (hooray!) was The Solitary House by Lynn Shepherd.

Since it’s so foggy out, I doubt you would have seen this coming, but . . . surprise! . . . the book was set in London, in 1850.

I couldn’t have planned my next read more perfectly.*

As I was reading it, a little postcard slipped out. “Oooh, what’s this?” I asked, when I saw the mysterious handwritten note.

It was from Random House, and it was inviting me to “share your thoughts” via @EarlyBirdRead and #EarlyBirdRead.

Oops, I thought, as I checked the book’s publication date. (It was released in 2012.)

I felt really bad.

But, admittedly, that sense of regret was fleeting, as I began to read.

It follows a disgraced detective named Charles Maddox, who now has to take the investigator’s equivalent of odd jobs that draw him even further into seedy back-alley London.

*Intermission*

I’m going to interrupt this Book Talk post to say that I can, and have, written proper book reviews. (Especially if someone wants to give me pots of money for writing book reviews! Cough, cough, hint, hint.) But what it comes down to in the end is: “Is it a book?” and I just love the process of reading a book so much that even if it’s not very good, there’s always something that I take away from the journey. And, if I just can’t get into the book, I set it aside, and wait for the right time to read it.

There’s dimensions to this process, but for simplicity’s (and this blog post’s) sake, that about sums it up.

So, I don’t really do traditional book reviews. Mostly I just five-star it on Goodreads. Plus, I have this thing where I just want people to make up their own minds about the book, and I don’t want to lead them too much.

*lights dim and curtain rises*

Okay, now that I’ve taken my place back in the middle of talking about The Solitary House, I’d suggest not doing what I did, which was unknowingly being in the slightly blasé mindset that I was in for a typical “mystery-set-in-Pea-Soup-London” and I think I skimmed over some of the atmosphere and early chapters when I first started to read it.

Don’t do that. Not even if you’re tired, burned out, and/or preoccupied with life stuff, like me. Take your time, read slowly, and let yourself be immersed in this book.

Because, wow. Especially as the weather (finally?) turns more inclement this week.

Also, I love the unusual vignettes the author has woven in that allow us into the world of key characters.

Remember when I was just talking about the right time to read the book, in the intermission above? It doesn’t throw the reader out of the historical setting of the story, but there’s an eerie parallel to what’s been going on recently, and what is currently going on, to the events in the book.**

I’m even going to take my own advice, and give this book an immediate re-read, despite the stacks of other books that are clamouring to be read (including the ones I got with my Amazon gift card a few years back).

I’m highly recommending not only The Solitary House as a perfect read for the holidays, but I’d even suggest the rest of the Charles Maddox series (even though I haven’t read them…yet!). I’m a “diehard” fan, for sure! (See what I did there? Well, maybe some of you. Maybe . . . one? No?)

*Nothing I plan has even remotely reached within (several) ballparks of perfectly. Just saying. Speaking of not planning, I was thinking of the decor suggestions I put in for my “Cultivating Inspiration for Winter” post over at Horror Tree, and I was thinking of the movie Beetlejuice and how it’s not really holiday-ish, but I somehow always associate it with the winter holidays, and guess what came on 95.5 classical music station I listen to? Yep, the main theme for Beetlejuice! Maybe things are looking up for this ole blogger!

**Okay, maybe a teeny hint-that’s-not-really-a-hint–the first book in the next TBR stack is Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting Conservative Backlash by Alexandra Brodsky. It’s definitely a fitting “right place, right time” chaser to The Solitary House.

Thanks to Delacorte Press for the copy of The Solitary House!

Rating: Five out of Five “Pea-Soup-London” Days!

Pairs well with: A nice stiff Brandy to settle the nerves, Read in your cozy armchair in front of a crackling fire. Don’t forget your hearty bowl of pea soup!

Links to the book/author website:

https://lynnshepherdbooks.wordpress.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13147813-the-solitary-house

So, Incredible Influencer (and fellow firestarter!) Suzanne Craig-Whytock at My Dang Blog premiered her award ceremony today! 

(Get the full scoop here: https://educationalmentorship.com/2022/11/06/congratulations-to-us-all/)

Admittedly, I’m one of those people Suzanne Craig-Whytock references in her post. I did an award once or twice an eon ago, but my grumpy-even-at-forty-something self was grumbling something like “Who has time to do this?” and I stopped. 

I liked the questions though, and at the tail end of yet another hellish week (and not the fun kind) here in small-town Kansas, I set aside my inner cynic, and decided to participate.

So, yes, I’m awarding myself a Fandangly award because I’ve been doing the “Tarot Cards for Writing Inspiration” posts over at Horror Tree for almost two years now! That’s probably among the longest I’ve stuck with anything (Thanks, Horror Tree peeps!), including geographical locations! (Well, New Mexico would have reached the four-year mark, except combining COVID shutdown with a lack of internet availability prompted a relocation.)

Without further ado, here’s my answers to My Dang Blog‘s great award questions!

1) Who is your favourite drag queen and if you were a drag queen, what would your name be?

For my favourite drag queen, I’ll resort to picking one from my hometown, the “hostess-with-the-mostest” of Drag Queen Bingo and many other great events: Beneva Fruitville! https://benevafruitville.com/

And I have to admit, I’m more of a behind-the-scenes stage manager type rather than someone who likes to be in the spotlight. So, I think my non-drag-queen name would be “Honey-could-you-bring-me-another-cup-of-tea?” and I would do so while reminding them the show goes up in five.

2) Which customer at work creeps you out the most?

Well, I work from home, so I don’t really come into close contact with any creepy customers. In any case, my cats would definitely nominate me, especially when I’m a little stiff and I get up from my chair and start lurching around the house. “OMG, the monster is back. Everybody run and hide! I’ll hold them off!”–Cat Warrior Goddess Moon Pie

3) Have you set fire to anything lately?

I successfully managed NOT to set fire to the neighbourhood during the drought (Yes, I thought of you, Suzanne, for sure! My weird sense of humour was all like “Wouldn’t it be funny if I set fire to the neighbourhood, too?”) while doing a by-flickering-candlelight ritual curse protection ritual against the VBNs (very bad neighbours)! But indoors? Absolutely! I’m on a complete burning-food kick. Most recently, I let the water boil out on a pot of pasta and it set off the smoke alarm and scorched the bottom of the pan and everything. Sigh. That’s what I get for trying to make a series of impossible things happen in a short period of time. Double sigh.

For some non-pyromaniac fun during NaNoWriMo, check out this month’s tarot card readings for inspiration! Or search the Horror Tree site with the term “tarot card” to see my past inspirational readings!

https://horrortree.com/november-2022-tarot-cards-for-writing-inspiration/

And my horoscopes are fun all year around–here’s November’s!

https://horrortree.com/november-2022-horoscopes-travelling-through-time-and-plagues/

Random Turkey Trivia: The poop of turkey is shaped differently depending on the gender of the turkey. Males have J-shaped poop and females have coil-shaped poop.

Are you as fascinated by turkeys as I am? Check out my short story called “Two Smart Turkeys” in the Whodunit anthology! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58927365-whodunit