More parallels in recent books.

This time it’s just how hard the British empire was trying to steal tea plants so they could grow tea in India, which they controlled.

I knew about the opium trade, but it was never clear in history lessons that the British empire was flooding China with opium in an attempt to control the country (and thus make money)

Who Speaks for the Damned (2020) C.S. Harris set in England in 1818.

Here we have mention of just how hard the East India company was trying to steal the plants and processes from the Chinese–and the start of the use of opium to try and drug the Chinese into submission.

One of these days the company is going to get its hands on the secret process the Chinese use to make the stuff, along with some seedlings of their precious Camellia sinensis, and then we’ll be able to grow and produce tea ourselves in India.

They’re impossible people to deal with, you know— the Chinese, I mean. They insist we pay for their silks, porcelains, and tea with silver because they have no interest in anything Europe produces. And the one thing we could use to trade with them, opium, they refuse to allow into the country.”

Death in Kew Gardens (Kat Holloway Mysteries, #3) by Jennifer Ashley set in England in 1881

I borrowed this book, so I can’t grab any quotes, but the mystery centers on tea plants. The British empire is growing tea in India, but the finest, most expensive teas, are still controlled by the Chinese.

If an Englishman in China commits a blatant crime—whether against another Englishman or a Chinese—he is tried by a British court, not a Chinese one. If found guilty, he is sent home, out of our reach.”

In both quotes, you can see the blatant racism, and the disdain for the Chinese, and how the British government was overtly trying to subvert the Chinese government.

At any one time I am reading multiple books. It often fascinates me when I come across random parallels while reading two different (and unrelated books).

I’ve been re-reading Candace Robb’s Owen Archer serires for months now. I’ve read it several times, so it’s perfect bedtime reading: it’s interesting, but not fast-paced to keep me awake.

What else I am reading is entirely dependent upon my mood. With the world the way it is, I’ve been doing a lot of re-reading for comfort. After reading Jennifer Ashley’s Kat Holloway series, starting with Death Below Stairs, I wanted to re-read a favorite, Michelle Diener’s Banquet of Lies, which is also partially set in an historical British kitchen and features a lot of cooking.

Which meant that in one week I ended up reading two references to Thomas Becket.

“Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” Bartlett spoke from the window, his words jumbled and slurred, almost unintelligible.

“Get out, Bartlett, you’re drunk.” The Prince Regent heaved his bulky frame to his feet.

Diener, Michelle. A Dangerous Madness (Regency London Series Book 3) (p. 140).

If Wykeham’s fears proved justified, that Lancaster saw him as a Becket— a too-powerful prince of the Church who stood in his way…

Robb, Candace. The Cross-Legged Knight: The Owen Archer Series – Book Eight (p. 329). Diversion Books.

It’s fun to track coincidences.

West Virginia has a number of covered bridges–some still in use, some not in use.

Back in 2017 I heard the Carrollton Covered Bridge had burned, but wasn’t quite sure which bridge it was.

This weekend on the way to Audra, I was reminded which bridge it was, since although it’s open to traffic, it is still obvious that it had burned.

There is a push to get it rebuilt, but since three years have passed, it doesn’t seem to be a priority.

If you’re looking for something to read (which I always am) you might check out some online comics.

Check Please is a comic about hockey and pie.

It’s utterly adorable, although there is a lot of language, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for kids. (One of the characters is called “Shitty”.) There are also two volumes available for purchase (I bought volume on and then found the online comic.

It’s ongoing and I am VERY EAGERLY awaiting the next update.

Fangs is about a romance between a vampire and a werewolf.

Hover Girls about two young women who have somehow gotten magical powers trying to save the world.

And as a bonus: Free (and Legal) Science Fiction/Fantasy Reading

Saturday was gorgeous, and we spent it at Audra, some hiking, but mostly playing around the water.

If you’ve never been Audra has a boardwalk through the Alum cave, which is a lot of fun.

Watch your head!

The main trail goes along the West Fork river, and there are many paths to get down to the water. We spent half our time walking along the river.

And throwing sticks into the river.

One log we threw in and followed along the river for as long as we could, freeing it from the rocks and cheering it on its journey.

Wow. That was a month, wasn’t it?

In what is a surprise to probably no one, I read a LOT this month. Reading is my escape. What else can I say?

What did y’all read this month and what do you recommend to others trying to deal with being cooped up?

So did I read some good stuff this month? YES! Since there was a LOT of comfort reading, I’m only going to talk about the new-to-me books I read and loved. Which is still a lot of books.

For the first time in months I read some comics.

Lady Mechanika Volume 2: Tablet of Destinies by Joe Benitez, Marcia Chen, Martin Montiel is steampunk about a woman who remembers nothing of her life before her limbs were made biomechanical. She wears a few ridiculous outfits, but not all the time. And it’s a fun story. I have volume two waiting for me. Trickster: Native American Tales by edited by Matt Dembicki

takes 21 stories told by Native Americans and pairs them with 21 different artists. Each tale is unique, except that one of the main characters is a trickster.

Because I need the HEAs, I have been reading a LOT of romance.

Rend by Roan Parrish is the second book in the Riven series, and made me cry. This M/M romance has a married couple who had a whirlwind romance, but now one husband is on tour, the other is attempting to deal with his past–now he can no longer hide from himself. Did I mention all the crying? The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang was particularly interesting because the hero is Asian and the heroine is on the autism spectrum.

And Everything Nice by Ada Maria Soto is a novella that I absolutely adored. This M/M romance has no boinking, and kept making me laugh.

Hey! I read some new fantasy releases!

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Charlie Adhara is the 4th book in the series and I am really enjoying this series. It’s got M/M boinking, but the world building is very good. And after a long wait, I finally got False Value by Ben Aaronovitch the latest Rivers of London book.

Murder at Pirate’s Cove by Josh Lanyon

is the first in her new cozy mystery series. A widower sheriff and a guy who inherited a book store. What’s not to love?

Supernatural Fantasy

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (2010) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf) Rating: 8/10
False Value (2020) Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London) Rating: 8/10
Mating the Huntress (2018) Talia Hibbert Rating: 7/10

Mystery

Murder at Pirate’s Cove (2020) Josh Lanyon (Secrets and Scrabble) Rating: 8/10

Mystery, Police

Trace Elements (2020) Donna Leon (Commissario Guido Brunetti) Rating: 7.5/10

Mystery, Historical

Regency London
The Emperor’s Conspiracy (2012) Michelle Diener Rating: 8.5/10
Banquet of Lies (2013) Michelle Diener Rating: 9/10
A Dangerous Madness (2014) Michelle Diener Rating: 8/10
Owen Archer
A Spy for the Redeemer (2002) Candace Robb Rating: 7.5/10
The Cross-Legged Knight (2003) Candace Robb Rating: 7.5/10
Kat Holloway Mysteries
Death Below Stairs (2018) Jennifer Ashley Rating: 7.5/10
Scandal Above Stairs (2018) Jennifer Ashley Rating: 7.5/10
Death in Kew Gardens (2019) Jennifer Ashley Rating: 7.5/10

Romance

The Kiss Quotient (2018) Helen Hoang Rating: 8.5/10

Romance, Historical

The Lost Letter (2017) Mimi Matthews

Romance, LGBT

The Agency
His Quiet Agent (2017) Ada Maria Soto Rating: 9/10
Merlin in the Library (2018) Ada Maria Soto Rating: 8/10
Play It Again (2019) Aidan Wayne Rating: 9/10
Rend (2018) Roan Parrish (Riven) Rating: 9/10
Band Sinister (2018) KJ Charles Rating: 9/10
Work for It (2019) Talia Hibbert (Just for Him) Rating: 8.5/10
And Everything Nice (2016) Ada Maria Soto Rating: 8/10
Finders Keepers (2018) N.R. Walker Rating: 7.5/10
Small Change (2017) Roan Parrish (Small Change) Rating: 7.5/10
Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter (2016) R. Cooper Rating: 7.5/10
For Better or Worse (2017) R. Cooper Rating: 7/10
Color of You (2017) C.S. PoeRating: 7/10
Checking Out Love (2015) R. Cooper Rating: 7/10
Dads with Benefits (2019) Jason Collins (Fairview Single Dads) Rating: 5/10

Graphic Novel

Lady Mechanika Volume 2: Tablet of Destinies (2016) Joe Benitez, Marcia Chen, Martin Montiel Rating: 8/10
Trickster: Native American Tales (2010) edited by Matt Dembicki Rating: 8.5/10

And now the stats:

TWO paper books! Two! (and eleven re-reads)

Trade Paperback: 2
eBook: 29
Re-read: 11

As I mentioned, lots and LOTS of romance. Anything remotely resembling a cliff-hanger is RIGHT OUT.

Fantasy: 4
Mystery: 12
Romance: 21
Boinking: 13
Historical: 12
Anthology: 1
Comic: 2

Lots of books by female authors.

Male: 3
Female: 19
Initials: 6
Anthology: 1
Joint: 1

And the breakdown of characters. Still a predominance of white characters, but that’s hard to avoid in historical romances, when I personally can’t read stories set in the Americas (Because slavery. IN general it exists and deeply upsets me, or it DOESN’T exist and I get mad the author is hiding it. Hey. I never claimed to be rational in what I like.)

Male: 17
Female: 7
Ensemble: 7
White: 20
Minority: 9
Minority 2ndary: 2
Straight: 11
LGBTQ: 16
LGBTQ 2ndary: 3

And those are the books of March.