BW19: Bingo Quest - Simulated

 

Happy Sunday!  Is it real or fake? An alternate reality, fake reality, or set in another space or dimension?  Our next Bingo Quest is Simulated.  The book world is full of stories about simulated theory, metaverse, liminal space, computer game worlds, cyber reality and virtual reality.   Creative, nonsensical, fantastical, or horrific, the simulated worlds draw the readers in.  

Dive into Life is a Simulation or See You in the Metaverse.

Reach into  8 Mind-Bending Simulation Books Where Nothing Is As It Seems or 12 Engrossing Novels Inspired By Video Gaming

step through Liminal Spaces, Timeslips and Matrix Glitches in Fiction

Have fun exploring! 

BW18: Literary Legend - Herman Melville

Happy Sunday! Our literary legend for the month is Herman Melville, best known for his epic Moby Dick about Captain Ahab's obsession with the sea and whales.  I've read Moby Dick as well as various spin offs such as Captain Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund and The Wind Whale of Ishmael by Phillip Jose Farmer, both which were as entertaining as well.  

Plus I have Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex in my stacks which "brings to new life the incredible story of the wreck of the whaleship Essex - an event as mythic in its own century as the Titanic disaster in ours, and the inspiration for the climax of Moby-Dick. In a harrowing page-turner, Nathaniel Philbrick restores this epic story to its rightful place in American history."

Nathaniel Philbrick also wrote Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842, as well as other nonfiction book that bring history to life which I have totally enjoyed.  

Berkshire County Historical Society

Moby Dick Inspired Books

Moby-Dick and In the Heart of the Sea

Join in reading Moby Dick or Herman Melville's other books, Moby Dick adaptations, a book about maritime adventures,  whales or other sea creatures, oceanic and marine science fiction, or songs of the sea. 

BW17: Bingo Quest: Quirky

 

Happy Sunday! This post will be short but sweet since I'm rebuilding our business website because I accidently took it down when changed a setting with our new servicer and our current website disappeared completely.    OY! 

Our next bingo quest is to find a book with a quirk which is something odd or unusual about the book cover itself or the story or a character or however you define it.  

 My Favorite Quirky Literary Characters

40 Charming, Heart-Warming, and Quirky Books

22 Quirky, Awkward Books That Prove We’re All Weird

Most Unique Female Characters

Have fun! 

BW16: National Poetry Month: The Chance by Arthur Sze

 

Happy Sunday! Since April is National Poetry Month leaving you with The Chance by Arthur Sze which is excerpted on the poster above. 

The Chance 

The blue-black mountains are etched

   with ice. I drive south in fading light.

   The lights of my car set out before

   me, and disappear before my very eyes.

   And as I approach thirty, the distances

   are shorter than I guess? The mind

   travels at the speed of light. But for

   how many people are the passions

   ironwood, ironwood that hardens and hardens?

   Take the ex-musician, insurance salesman,

   who sells himself a policy on his own life;

   or the magician who has himself locked

   in a chest and thrown into the sea,

   only to discover he is caught in his own chains.

   I want a passion that grows and grows.

   To feel, think, act, and be defined

   by your actions, thoughts, feelings.

   As in the bones of a hand in an X-ray,

   I want the clear white light to work

   against the fuzzy blurred edges of the darkness:

   even if the darkness precedes and follows

   us, we have a chance, briefly, to shine.

BW15: Opportunities

 

Happy Sunday! I'm in Arizona again helping my dad out and realized that no matter what age you are, opportunity is our friend. You just have to reach out and grab it.  Same with books since they present limitless opportunity.  So reach out and grab the books that has been calling your name and find your next opportunity! 

"A day dawns, quite like other days; in it a single hour comes, quite like other hours; but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces us. To face every opportunity of life thoughtfully and ask its meaning bravely and earnestly, is the only way to meet the supreme opportunities when they come, whether open-faced or disguised. ~Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858–1901)"

Happy Reading! 

BW14: Author bookology - Ariel Lawhon

 

Happy Sunday!   Our contemporary author choice for the month of April is Ariel Lawhon.  Last year, I read The Frozen River and couldn't put it down. 

“A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history. 

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon's newest offering introduced an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The story was  a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.”

I have since added Code Name Helene to my stacks which am taking with me on the plane to read while visiting my father again.   I thoroughly enjoy World War II historical fiction especially when it involves women spies.  Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale enthralled and kept me reading long into the night.  Hopefully this one will be equally mesmerizing.  

Be sure to check out Ariel Lawhon's other books!

BW13: April is upon us

 

April is upon us and I'm laughing because the first week in the month is Read a Road Map Week. I'm horrible with navigation which has lead to getting lost many a time. We just got back from a trip and it is the main reason why I'm the driver and hubby is the navigator as it seems he has a compass in his head.  I'm also grateful for digital navigation which tells me where to go, but sometimes even it's wrong. What's a girl to do?   

This month our literary legend is Larry McMurtry, author of the Lonesome Dove and then some.  And since we just got back from celebrating my dad's 95th birthday and I almost forgot to write this post, I'm going to leave you with a few links to peruse:

Larry McMurtry books in Order with a breakdown by series or publication date. 

National Endowment for the Humanities: Larry McMurtry

Larry McMurtry Literary Center

NPR Literary center named for author Larry McMurtry honors hometown son

Goodreads Larry McMurtry

I currently have The Lonesome Dove as well as The Last Picture Show in my stacks to read this year.  Join me in reading a book by Larry McMurtry this year. 

BW12: Literary Mishmash

 

Happy Sunday! This week is a mishmash as we are in the midst of a family celebration of my father's 95th birthday so I threw a bunch of stuff together for your delight. 

Our Literary Legend this month is Sir Thomas Malory and his Le Morte D'Arthur about King Arthur and Legend of the Round Table, a classic arthurian fantasy.  

" Published in 1485, Sir Thomas Malory's epic poem Le Morte d'Arthur became the standard source for future Arthurian works such as Idylls of the King by Lord Tennyson and T.H. White's The Once and Future King.With its expressive, vigorous dialogue, Le Morte d'Arthur resounds with colloquial liveliness and ceremonious dignity, the style for a fifteenth-century gentleman. This audio recording grips the listener with the fascinating, fateful story of Arthur's ascension to the throne as a boy, his marriage to Guenevere, the formation of the Round Table Knights, the quest for the Holy Grail, the ill-fated passion between Lancelot and Guenevere, the treachery of Arthur's illegitimate son Mordred, and the ultimate destruction of Arthur's realm.A superb story of adventure, love, honor, and betrayal, Le Morte d'Arthur is filled with dramatic power and deep, tragic irony."

One of our Bingo Quest categories is David Bowie who also enjoyed reading and you can find his top 100 books on his site.  Read them alone or join the David Bowie Book Club and readalong with their top ten choices for 2026.  Check to see how many you have read so far! I've read four and currently have A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon in my stacks to read this year. 

Spring has sprung so check out all the spring reading lists popping up like wildflowers all over the world wide web. 

Happy Wanderings! 

BW11: The Lake Isle of Innisfree

 

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

By 

William Butler Yeats

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;

Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

BW10: March Author Bookology - Walter Mosley

 

Happy Sunday! Our march author is Walter Mosley, who has written more than 60 books, television and film stories and plays, and won numerous awards for his work. I'm currently reading the first book in his mystery thriller series - Devil in a Blue Dress - about Easy Rawlins, a Black freelance private eye in the late forties.   

"In Los Angeles of the late 1940s, Easy Rawlins, a black war veteran, has just been fired from his job at a defense plant. Easy is drinking in a friend's bar, wondering how he'll meet his mortgage, when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if Easy will simply locate Miss Daphne Monet, a blonde beauty known to frequent black jazz clubs." 

The story is quite engaging and I'm looking forward to reading more of the series. 

Mosley has written multiple mysteries including Fearless Jones, King Oliver, Leonard McGill, Socrates Fortlow as well as numerous science fiction stories, non fiction, and graphic novels. 

Walter Mosley by Thulani Davis

Walter Mosley: When I'm Telling a Story I Imagine the Eavesdropper Over My Shoulder

Novelist Walter Mosley on Family and Forging His Own Path

Happy Reading! 

BW9: March is Irish Heritage Month

Happy Sunday and welcome to March which is Irish Heritage Month.  Wearing of the green is optional but get ready to be pinched by a leprechaun if you don't.    As we celebrate all things Irish this month, join me in an Irish Coffee or munch on shepherd's pie while we read both classic and contemporary books set in Ireland or written by Irish authors or all about Irish history and culture. 

 The Best Books to Read Before Going to Ireland

Five Books best books of Ireland about struggle for freedom, early Irish history as well as modern Irish history, contemporary Irish novels, and the best of Oscar Wilde. 

12 Irish Books About Love and Luck

Books to please the Irish eyes

Favourite books: Irish authors and stars name their best reads

Goodreads The Best Book written by the Irish

"May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun. And find your shoulder to light on. To bring you luck, happiness, and riches. Today, tomorrow, and beyond."

Happy Reading! 

BW8: Author Bookology - Robin Hobb

 

Happy Sunday!  I recently discovered Robin Hobb and Fitz in the Farseer Trilogy and fell in love with both the character and the story. I know, what took me so long? Fitz was just an amazing character and went through so much and I liked being in his head and seeing how people treated him and how he reacted and how he was able to persevere through all the ups and downs and machinations involved.  He kind of reminded me of Pug from Raymond Feist's Magician's Apprentice but that storyline dragged whereas I enjoyed Fitz's story which captivated me and made me want to read on. 

 I'm in the midst of  #2 Royal Assassin, have Assassin's Quest waiting in the wings as well as Ship of Magic in her Live Ship Trader's series.  No doubt I'll be exploring her complete backlist over the next few years as I have done with new to me authors  Imagine my surprise when I also discovered she used to write under the name of Megan Lindholm.  More stories to explore. 

I also recently "discovered" Fredrik Backman and Rebecca Yarros and am enjoying reading their backlists. 

Other authors whose stories I read again and again and again are Nora Roberts, Dean Koontz, James Rollins, Haruki Murakami, Keri Arthur, and Patricia Briggs to name a few.   I'm a devoted series reader.  When I fall in like with the characters in the first book, I simply must continue.   Not all books are equally good, and some can be duds, but I enjoy their writing. 

Who are the authors that you will read over and over again or will read anything they publish?   Who have you 'discovered' recently?

BW7: Great Literature

 

Every story is a key that can unlock a door we didn’t even know was locked.

Happy Sunday! Great literature is in the mind of the beholder. We each have a personal canon shaped through art, music, ideas, conversation, education, spirituality, and yes, literature, which all goes toward shaping our world view.  I didn't think of it when I was in my 20's and read only science fiction and fantasy.  Reading was only for entertainment and to escape into the world of the story. 

It wasn't until I was older and started homeschooling that I began to appreciate different authors, genres, fiction and non fiction.  How would I give my child a well rounded education as well as give him the desire to be a life long learner?  It involved reading a lot of how to books about the different homeschool methods which I won't bore you with and turning my child's education into a grand science experiment, testing out differing methods. It was a great success for him as well as me because I ended up finishing my bachelor's degree in liberal arts which opened my eyes and mind to the diverse world of stories.  

A few years ago I came across Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's The Danger of a Single Story which I watch every year as a reminder not to limit our reading to the standard classics, but to branch out and experiment with all the genres, both fiction and non fiction. 

To that end, I don't limit myself to the Western Canon or western authors and choose to read widely and broadly. Instead of reinventing the wheel,  check out A Well Read Life recently posted in the linkbar above which has multiple url links to various books and websites with curated book lists. 

Whether you read Great books or good books, the most important thing is the reading and the side benefit of great conversation the stories provoke. 

Happy Reading! 

BW6: F is for Flufferton, Females, and French Fries

 

Happy Sunday! This week we celebrate the Super Bowl, National Flannel Day, Make a Friend Day, Friday the 13th, Ferris Wheel Day, and last but not least, Valentine's day.  

We're all about the ladies this week with Flufferton, female narrators, and series written by women that we need to finish. 

Regency Romances flourished between 1811 to 1820's during the shift from the aristocratic Age of Enlightenment to the artistic movement of Romanticism.  Since the period overlapped the Napoleonic wars, writers expanded on themes of the drama of wounded soldiers, mystery, adventure and of course, romance. The  term Flufferton Abbey was coined by a reader friend since Regency romances, both classic and modern, are light and fluffy reads and most are set in England. 

Female narrators for audio books can make or break the story depending on their voice and acting ability. Check out Audible.com's  Best Female Narrators who elevate every story or Penguin Staff Picks on Wonderful Women Narrators  Two of my favorite narrators are Susan Ericksen for  J.D. Robb's In Death Series and Katrina Lenk who wonderfully narrated The Fire Concerto by Sarah Lendenwich. I hope to find more interesting books narrated by Lenk in the future. 

Stories narrated by a female who are strong, or  unhinged,  written in first person such as N.J. Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy or third person  such as J.D. Robb's In Death series are all great to read. 

Series written by women I particularly need to finish at some point are Robin Hobb's Farseer or Live Ship Traders, R.F. Kuang's Poppy Wars, C.J. Piper's The Night and it's Moon, and Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. 

What series do you need to finish?

And let's not forget love and friendship this week. 

12 novels about female friendship in honor of Galentine’s Day

17 Stunning Friendship Stories to Read Now

Books Perfect for Valentine's Day

“It's finally happened; scientists claim to have discovered the very first person in history who doesn't like french fries. Just imagine the implications!”  ― Graham Parke

Happy Reading! 

BW5: February Escapades

 

The more I read, the hungrier I become. 

Each book seemed promising, each page 

I turned offered an escapade, the allure of

 another world, other destinies, other dreams.

~ Tatiana de Rosnay

Happy Sunday!  It's February which means it's time to escape on another adventure if you wish, or continue with your current adventures in Eastern Asia.  If you wish to move on from reading Eastern classics, one book you will find on most academic great books, best adventure lists or 1001 Books to Read Before You Die is Miguel De Cervantes  Don Quixote. If you haven't read it already, try to make time for it this year.  If you have, you'll remember there were several books mentioned in Don Quixote which may piqued your interest or Books that Drove Don Quixote Crazy.   

February is also An Affair to Remember Month, Black History Month, and Creative Romance Month with Valentine's Day on February 14th.  This week we celebration Spunky Old Broads day (Sunday), Ground Hog Day  (Monday), Feed the Birds day (Tuesday), Thank a Mailman Day (Wednesday), National Shower With a Friend Day (woot, woot) (Thursday), the Start of the Winter Olympics (Friday), and Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor day (Saturday). Just think of all the escapades you can get into this week! 

Whether you need an escape or engage in an escapade, there are plenty of books which will aid in your quest.  

Happy Escapade!

BW4: Bingo Quest: Dragons

 

“No dragon can resist the fascination of riddling talk and of wasting time trying to understand it.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, 

Happy Sunday! Let's dive into L.E.S.T.E.R's Bingo Quest with Dragons!  Whether they are good or bad, we enjoy reading about dragons, experiencing them through the eyes of the characters such as the personable Temeriare ridden by Captain Laurence during the Napoleonic wars in Naomi Novik's series, or the fear they generate such as Smaug in The Hobbit.   Dragons or similiar creatures appear in every culture, universally symbolizing transformation,  yin and yang, or guardianship.  In eastern culture they symbolize control and power, whilst in western culture evil and chaos and heroism.  

I have several books on my TBR related to dragons including: James Rollins epic Moon Fall trilogy, Samantha Shannon's Root of Chaos, Richard Knaak's Omnibus Legends of the Dragonrealm, and others.  Including Stephen King. 

Did you know he wrote a book about dragons called The Eyes of the Dragon published in 2016.  

"Once, in a kingdom called Delain, there was a king with two sons…

​Thus begins one of the most unique tales that master storyteller Stephen King has ever written—a sprawling fantasy of dark magic and the struggle for absolute power that utterly transforms the destinies of two brothers born into royalty. Through this enthralling masterpiece of mythical adventure, intrigue, and terror, you will thrill to this unforgettable narrative filled with relentless, wicked enchantment, and the most terrible of secrets…"

Bronson Pinchot (remember the tv show Perfect Strangers back in the 90's) is the narrator of the audiobook.  I'll let you now how it turns out. 

30 Fantasy Books Featuring Dragonriders which includes Temeriare as well as the Eragon Series. 

11 Books + Fantasy Series with Dragons to Read if Your Suffering From an Onyx Storm Book Hangover.  And if you weren't into the Empyrean series, no matter. The list includes The Hobbit and The Natural History of Dragons  and more so it's well worth checking out. 

Epic Dragon Books for Tweens and Teens

Dragons For Young Adults

Happy Reading! 

BW3: Collection of Countries in Asia

 

Happy Sunday!  We are wandering around Asia this month which is the biggest continent on Earth with 48 Countries, not including the transcontinental countries of Russia, Turkey, and Georgia. There are number of ways to explore Asia, whether you pick a region or cross the continent, exploring the Silk Road or the oldest road called the Grand Trunk road, follow the Asian Highway Network, or the extreme altitudes and rugged terrain of Pamir Highway.  I barely touched the surface when I read Journeys on the Silk Road years ago and didn't continue my explorations for quite some time.  I also usually get stuck in Japan or China, but plan to venture out during my armchair travels and explore more countries and authors in the coming months and years.  

Check out Penguin Random's House list of One World, Many Voices: Asian Authors

Pima Country Public Library's West Asian and West Asian American Books

Brown History's list of 30 South Asian Novels to Read Before You Die

LSE's Sixteen recommended reads for East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month

The Center for Fiction's book recommendations of East Asian Novels

Five Books best books on Central Asia’s Golden Age

New York Times Follow the Silk Road, Book By Book (gift article link) with many rabbit trails to explore. 

Enjoy your explorations across the continent of Asia. 

BW2: Literary Legends: The Tale of Genji

 

Happy Sunday! One of my goals this year is to do a deep dive into classics and other books. While wandering down a rabbit hole the other day, I came across The Well Read Podcast. After watching 9 Mind Blowing Philosophy Books for Beginners  adding a few books to my TBR, ahem, wish list, and immersing myself in a few of his other videos, including Why Reading Slowly Makes You Smarter, a plan bloomed.  

Amidst the planning, I stumbled upon Benjamin McEvoy's Podcast on How to Read the Tale of Genji.  McEvoy leads you on deep dive into the life and times of the story and the era which is absolutely fascinating and well worth the watch. 

The Tale of Genji came to my attention in 2014 when I read the first volume for our 52 Book Centuries challenge. When I decided to revisit the tale, I purchased the chunky Penguin Classic translated by Royall Tyler which is one of two translations McEvoy recommends. 

Synchronicity was hard at work, especially since The Tale of Genji is our January Literary Legend. Murasaki Shikibu's stories turned into a 12th Century Japanese novel of court life in medieval Japan.  Shikibu was a lady in waiting, poet, and author during the Heian period dating from 794 to 1195.    

I was very impressed with McEvey so much so that I joined his Patreon Hard Core Literature Book Club and went down another rabbit hole before surfacing with a few new book ideas.  Plus they are starting the year with Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove who is our April Literary Legend. I'm looking forward to his deep dive into the story to pass on to you all. I considered flipping the script and switching McMurtry to now and saving Genji for April so let me know what you think. 

Our letter of the week is B and I'm currently reading Steve Berry's The Paris Vendetta, book 5 in his Cotton Malone series which is full of fascinating historical tidbits including the search for Rommel's Gold, Napoleon, and more.  

Plus the main character in another story I'm currently listening to is Clara Bishop in The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich and the narration is absolutely amazing. 

"A debut novel about a former concert pianist, Clara Bishop, whose career was ended by a fire, and her journey to uncover a historical mystery involving a 19th-century female composer, a murdered composer, and a mysterious metronome. The story weaves together the lives of three women across time, exploring themes of loss, redemption, and the secrets hidden within musical history, as Clara investigates a scandal that echoes her own past."

B also stands for Biography which is non fiction so which book should I start with?

Trevor Noah's Born a Crime, Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem, or something entirely different such as John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden and Evil.  Help me choose! 

BW1: Welcome to our 2026 Reading Adventure

 

“Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?" Mo had said..."As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like pressed flower...both strange and familiar.”  ~ Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

 

Happy New Year! Welcome to our Literary Exploration Society to Expand Reading aka read 52 Books in 52 Weeks adventure. Traditionally I start the year in Asia reading Haruki Murakami and other Asian Authors. I realize it's been a while (2013, ahem) since I updated our Trek through Asia listing plus my tastes have changed, and figured it was time to update the list so that's in the works this month.  

Haruki Murakami's books cover a wide range of genres from Bildungsroman to fantasy fiction to magical realism to psychological and suspense fiction as well as short fiction and memoirs. My  introduction to Murakami years ago was his chunky fantasy novel 1Q84, filled with magical realism, music, cats, weird characters, choices, and the meaning of life.  Which lead to reading most of his bibliography. I plan on starting the year reading one of his short story anthologies The Elephant Vanishes as well as revisit A Wild Sheep Chase.   

I'm also revisiting The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu for our Literary Legends monthly mini challenge which conveniently also satisfies the rereading category for our 2026 Bingo Quest.  

If you are up for a spelling challenge, you can choose from the Author Bookology or mix it up with Literary Legends utilizing any of the monthly choices: author, book, or character names. 

We are also starting another round of A to Z and Back Again and I've already started with A.G. Riddles thriller Antarctica Station.   

And if you are new to L.E.S.T.E.R. aka 52 Books,  check out the menu bar above to peruse our perpetual challenges such as Mind Voyages, and Agatha Christie, or explore some of our past challenges. 

Are you ready to get started. Great! Let's put on our hats and walking shoes, strap on our backpacks, grab our handy dandy walking sticks, and our literary maps and let's go.  

Please Note: Week one is extra long and will run from January 1st through January 10th.