Hey bookworm friends! Today has been a busy and very stressful day. Now that I have some down-time, I just want to relax. So it’s the perfect time for the next installment of Meme Medley Friday! I’ll be revisiting some memes I haven’t done in a while, and chatting about Women in STEM in Books.
Today’s Friday Bookish Memes Are:
Link-ups
I encourage you to check out the hosts’ posts and remember to link up with them if you want to participate in any of the memes!🖤
- Book Beginnings on Fridays Hosted by Rose City Reader
- Books From The Backlog Hosted by Carole’s Random Life
- Friday Face-Off Hosted by Lynn’s Books
- Let’s Talk Bookish Hosted by Book Nook Bits & Dinipandareads
Book Beginnings on Fridays
Book Beginnings on Fridays asks us to share the opening sentence (or so) of the book we’re reading this week.
I just finished Penric and the Bandit by Lois McMaster Bujold this morning and loved hanging out with Pen & Des again. Listening to Grover Gardner read that first line filled me with such warmth and made me giggle because it felt like saying hi to old friends.
The flaxen-haired young man looked out of place in this grubby taverna. Also a bit lost?
Penric and the Bandit, Lois McMaster Bujold
Books From The Backlog
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to highlight some of the neglected books from our bookshelves.
My neglected book of the week is:
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Series: Standalone
Genres: Historical Mystery
Published by Atria in 2012
Format: Hardback
Why did I add to my shelf? I found this in the Free Little Library in my building! I’d previously read and loved Morton’s The Clockmaker’s Daughter, so I snagged it hoping to love it too.
Synopsis:
During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother.
Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress living in London. The family is gathering at Greenacres farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this may be her last chance, Laurel searches for answers to the questions that still haunt her from that long-ago day, answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.
Friday Face Off
Friday Face Off was created by Books By Proxy but is now hosted by Lynn’s Books. Lynn invites us to compare book covers. Pick a book that has alternative covers to showcase, then choose your favourite.
Let’s compare covers of a recent dystopian read: Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde.
Cover Artist: Steven Wilson
VS
Cover Artist: Could not find.
This one is a bit hard because I like both covers for different reasons. I love the busy details from the first option, they all appear in the book and the art matches the humorous tone of the story well. Option two is clever in a more understated way, a bit too grey for my preferences but also makes sense for the story! I saw pictures of the spine for that edition and honestly it’s so cool but for this game I’m not taking the spines into account (just the covers).
And the Winner is: Option 1
Let’s Talk Bookish
Let’s Talk Bookish is a meme where participants discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts. The topics for each month will be posted on Book Nook Bits & Dinipandareads one month in advance.
Women in STEM in Books
Prompts: Over the years, there have been an increasing number of books about women in STEM. What do you think of this trend? Do you like it or is it/can it be poorly done? In honour of International Women’s Day tomorrow (March 8), what are your favourite books ft. women in STEM and what books are still on your TBR?
I know this is mostly a book blog, but the first person who popped into my head when I saw ‘Women in STEM’ is Dr. Julia Ogden from Murdoch Mysteries. And the second is Tru Davies from Tru Calling. And, I suppose, Liv Moore from iZombie also fits into this little group! Have you figured out what these women have in common yet? That’s right, I’m thinking doctors, surgeons, coroners, and medical students taking a job at the morgue. In short, recently I realized that I’m interested in stories with women who work on dead bodies (even in supernatural or fantastical settings). Weirdly specific, I know.
My favourite books within this category are: Manners and Monsters (the whole series). Hannah Miles helps her parents research a zombie-like affliction and performing autopsies is second-nature to her. Down Among the Sticks and Bones and Come Tumbling Down star Jack, a mad scientist who can bring the dead back to life using the laws of science of her world. Since I read a lot of fantasy, I’m including sciences that are not of our world—what counts are the women who are endlessly curious and brilliant in their chosen field.
In this vein, pun intended, Anatomy: A Love Story and Strange Practice are on my TBR. But if you have any recommendations for books that fit this niche/theme/subcategory, my TBR and I will love you forever!
Other Women in STEM Books
That I read and loved:
- The Veronica Speedwell series – Lepidopterist
- The Tusks of Extinction – Expert in elephant behaviour
That are on my TBR:
- A Natural History of Dragons – Dragon Naturalist
- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie – Chemist with a passion for poisons
- Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution – Nonfiction, Biology
More of my posts with the tag “Book Blog Memes” can be found here.
Let’s chat in the comments!
Do you have any women in STEM books that you love? Or, which Shades of Grey cover do you prefer?
I don’t think I’ve read of Penric and the Bandit but it sounds like a fun read. I love that opening. I hope you do enjoy The Secret Keeper. I tried to read that one, but wasn’t able to finish it. Of the two covers, I would probably go with the first one too. I just like that it’s so colorful. Tru Callinng! I loved that show when it was on and was sad it was cancelled. I will have to check out Manners and Monsters. It sounds like something I would enjoy. I hope you have a great weekend!
Penric and the Bandit is the 13th book of the series so I wouldn’t encourage you to start there but it’s one of my fav series, so I highly recommend it overall! Thank you and I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t work for you!
Yes I like the colourfulness of it too 😀
Omg yes, I love that you loved Tru Calling too and how frustrating that it got canceled way too early!
Also, Manners and Monsters is so much fun, if you ever try it I’d love to hear your thoughts! Thanks and wishing you a very happy weekend too 🥰
Thanks for taking part in LTB this week! Tru Calling is a proper flashback to back when I used to watch that show on/off. I can’t even remember when that was but I do remember enjoying it! 😍 I don’t think I read enough books with women in the professions you mentioned but in the vein of women performing autopsies and such, the first one that came to mind is Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer. I read part of the Webtoons adaptation of the story and thought it was cool but I haven’t read the novel itself so I don’t know if it’s actually good.
Those two covers are interesting but there’s something about the second cover that would make me look twice. Maybe because it’s less busy but the illustration is still interesting and the vibrant bits of neon against the very grey background make an eye-catching contrast! Great post 🙂
My pleasure, Dini, I had fun rambling about the topic a bit 😀 Yes, Tru Calling is such a throwback haha glad you enjoyed it too!
brb adding Not Even Bones to my tbr, thanks for that rec I’ve never heard of it before. A webtoon of it sounds super fun, that might be the way to go for me too!
Yes, I totally understand that second illustration is unique and stands out for sure. Thanks so much 🥰
Ooh I’ve been intrigued by Down Among the Sticks and Bones, I’ll look at it closer!
A Natural History of Dragons, and the whole Lady Trent series are some of my favourite books ever! I hope you enjoy them!
It’s definitely one of the best of that series and I love them all! 🙂
Ohh cool, that’s good to know! I have the first one but really need to pick it up! Thanks so much 🥰
I’ll always recommend Kate Morton books, even though The Secret Keeper wasn’t my favourite of hers (it was still good though!) 🙂
Aw that’s so lovely, which one is your fav Kate Morton?
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had a busy, stressful day. I hope you’re okay ❤️
I can’t wait to read the Penric series and have a couple of books by Kate Morton on my unowned TBR to try. I just don’t know which to try first 😂
Cover wise I have to admit that neither truly my style but I do love when the details match the story. Initially I was going to say I preferred the second but the more I look at the first cover the more I’m drawn to it.
I’ve seen none of those shows but if they’re mystery type stories they’d probably be hits for me too. If I think of any recommendations that fit I’ll let you know 🥰 I want to read Anatomy: A Love Story sometime too. I hadn’t heard of Strange Practice but I checked it out and it’s immediately gone onto my list. It sounds so good.
Omg yes to that dragon series. That’s 100% on my TBR for the year, it sounds so, so good. I’m hoping to get to Veronica Speedwell too as you know. I’ve just added the pie book to my TBR too.
Ooh Emily Wilde would be one of mine fantasy wise. I generally love healers within fantasy worlds and I guess they count too.
I was alright just sometimes everything happens on the same day and it was a lot. I accompanied my mom to a dental surgery which was stressful because she was under anesthesia (she’s perfectly fine now) and the same day I was anxiously trying to find a vet appointment for Cheeto since he hurt his dew claw (he’s all better now). Sometimes I wish problems spread themselves out a bit better 😂
Oh interesting, which Kate Morton books do you have on your TBR?
That’s super fair, I understand. Yes I can appreciate a cover that makes sense no matter how ugly it may be lol.
Both of those shows are mysteries yes, Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian show set in Toronto during the late 1800s and it’s so much fun, one of my favourite shows although It has SO many seasons that I’m not fully caught up. & Tru Calling is from the 2000s and it got cancelled way too early but it was so fun (the premise is Tru works at a morgue and she has an ability that allows her to go back in time when a dead body asks for help to stop their murders from happening.
Thank you 😀 Right? Strange Practice sounds amazing, I have it on my e-reader.
Yes soo many great sounding books and I hope you love any that you may try. Yess you’re so right, Emily Wilde to me feels like it has similar vibes to the Natural History of Dragons series!
Aww I completely understand. I’ve had days when there seemed to be one problem after another and it does tend to get totally overwhelming after a while. I’m glad your mum’s okay now but can see how that would be stressful. And poor Cheeto, I’m glad he’s okay now too though. Dew claws have a tendency to get caught I find (although I think one of Daisy’s grows in wonky all the time)
Forgotten Garden & Distant Hours are the two I highlighted to try first.
Lol true, it is nice finding the hidden meaning in them after reading.
Ooh I love that the first is a historical one. Always fun exploring different settings in the past. The other one sounds like a very original premise too. I’ll have to see if I can find either of them one day.
It really does 😍 ooh enjoy. I’ll have to see if the library stocks it. Thank you ❤️ it really does and its left me so desperate to check it out. I don’t know how I forgot about it before but maybe given those comparisons I’ve refound it at the perfect time.
Thanks so much, I really appreciate it 💖🥰 Everyone’s all good now :)! Aw the vet did mention they can grow in wonky afterwards but so far I think Cheeto’s is fine. Aw, sweet Daisy!! 💖
Oh nice okay I hope you enjoy those if you can get your hands on them!
& I agree, I love historical fiction.
ahah yeah I’m glad the timing of that re-discovery sounds helpful to you lol :)!
I’m glad everyone’s fine now 🥰 I’m glad his seems to be growing back fine. It’s odd how they can return wonky. You’d think they’d grow back as they were originally.
Thank you 🥰 same here. I need to check it out more though.
Yes definitely 😂
Yeah, I have no clue why that is, the vet just told me to watch out for that but it seems fine so no worries.
I do need to check out that genre more as well!
I really need to read the Penric books, and more of Bujold’s work in general… maybe Penric would be a good place to get myself started.
Out of all of Bujolds works I started with Penric and I do think it’s a nice place to start because they are novellas so if you like them , great there’s 13 and it gives you a taste of her writing style. If you don’t like them then again each book is short so it’s low on commitment. I 100 fell in love with Pen & Des and I need to explore more of Bujold’s other writings!
Just checking out your Friday post. Hope you’ve been having a nice stress free weekend.
I love your book choice for FFO. Initially, the first cover jumped out at me and I think that would be my automatic choice, but I do love all the little details on the first cover – so it is a tough choice.
Lynn 😀
Thanks, Lynn! The book was definitely unique and I’m glad I read it. I think that was probably my hardest choice for any FFO that I’ve participated in lol.
Tru Calling was a great show that ended way too soon! If you like books about women working in anatomy/forensics and are okay with reading YA books, I’d highly recommend The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd. It’s a series I read a few years back now and absolutely loved it!
Agreed, I was so bummed out when it got cancelled :(! oh, thank you I’m absolutely ok with reading YA I’m gonna add to TBR! Just read the synopsis and it sounds so good!
Penric and the Bandit looks good. That opening leaves me curious to know more.
It’s SO good, I adore that series 🖤!
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Can’t believe I forgot about Manners and Monsters – really good book! And think I’ve got a few more books to add to my TBR…
Oh my gosh, that whole Manners and Monsters series is so much fun! Ahaha I’m glad a few of these look interesting to you too. thanks for visiting my blog 🙂