Tag: sherlock holmes

A Few Sherlockian Recommendations

I read a lot. Shocking, I know, that a librarian should be a big reader, fulfills a stereotype at least. I read all sorts of books, fiction and nonfiction, but I have my favorites. I read a lot of fantasy, especially what is generally called ‘dark fantasy,’ of course as a YA librarian I tend to read a lot of young adult fiction too, a lot of dystopian fiction, lately I find myself reading a fair few mysteries, and I have always been fond of Sherlock Holmes stories. There are so many authors now trying their hand at writing the great detective that I cannot keep up. I really love what James Lovegrove has done with his Sherlock stories, especially the ones involving Cthulhu. I love the mythos originating with H.P. Lovecraft and fostered by his literary descendants. Seeing the mythos combined with the world of Sherlock Holmes is a treat.

The Lady Sherlock stories are surprisingly good too. I didn’t think they would be, thought the concept would be gimmicky, but they are very well done. The young Charlotte Holmes needs to forge her own path in life but she’s a privileged young lady in Victorian England and is thwarted at every turn. So she, with the help of a few accomplices, comes up with a way to use her bright and questing mind to make something of a living for herself. Of course it’s more complicated than that, with relatable and interesting characters, and plenty of plot twists to keep the reader guessing. I’ve read the first 3 books so far and I just ordered the 4th from another library. This series is worth reading for any fan of Sherlock Holmes. Interesting take well executed.

Oh, and another favorite, and recent, adaptation! There are 3 books by Kareem Abdul Jabbar starting with Mycroft Holmes; that are delightful. Co-written by Anna Waterhouse this trilogy is irresistable. Full of excellent and appealing characters, well plotted, perhaps not quite globe spanning but with some interesting travels and travails, these books deserve to be widely read. It seems a bit funny, I had always thought of Mr. Jabbar as simply a sports figure. I hadn’t realised he had other hidden talents. Hidden to me, I guess, I don’t pay too much attention sometimes.

Keeping On

Wouldn’t it be nice if I felt a bit better today? Sadly not the case but I am maintaining. I had hoped today I would have more energy and less discomfort but it is what it is. I think I slept a bit better. I’m waiting for a call back from the Dr. as my joint pain was not addressed in any way. I made sure to discuss it with both the nurse and the Dr. but the Dr. moved on to prescribing antiviral meds for other symptoms and I was so uncomfortable at being in a building in proximity to people outside my bubble that I didn’t notice we’d failed to get anywhere with the joint issues in my hurry to be gone from that place.

I’ve been reading a bit, finished the second “Lady Sherlock” book. I picked up the first idly because I’ve always loved Sherlock Holmes and am willing to give anything relating to the great detective at least a once over but I was surprised to find A Study in Scarlet Women to be not only a fun read but also filled with characters I care about, a plot that woke my mind up, and a well wrought mystery that got more complicated as it went. The second in the series, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, did not disappoint. Sherry Thomas managed to keep on surprising me but I think I might be figuring her out. Well, I have hope that I am close to figuring her out. I should know fairly soon because I’ve put the third on hold at the library. For now I will be returning my attention to Diana Rowland and the 5th book of her Demon series; Touch of the Demon. The 4th ended on a terrible cliffhanger and I’ve been almost out of sorts waiting to start it.

We picked up our groceries, curbside, and our farmshare yesterday so we’re full to bursting again. The entire freezer in the apartment downstairs is full again. I need to make sure I am properly organized, we have a tenant moving in at the end of this month and I need to make sure everything is ready for her. I can’t be using that fridge by then and we need to get the insanity of my husband’s work overflow out of there as well. I’m not sure how we’ll manage all that with the unexpected delays with everything being backordered, but we’ll figure it out.