I’ve read books for all my life. I learned to read early and can’t remember a time when I didn’t turn to a book for entertainment. Or distraction.

I’ve read somewhere that as books age they start giving off a scent that triggers the comfort centers in our brains. I can well believe it. There is nothing quite like the smell of library to me. I don’t go there nearly enough these days.
With Goodreads and Amazon on the phone or laptop I can have a new book in my eyes in a matter of seconds after I read a recommendation. No need to search out the book at the local library.

I started an Audible account a few months ago and signed up for their monthly membership. I didn’t really mean to. I’m not big on audio books but for some reason I bought them for the Ancillary Justice-series and something went wrong when I did and I was offered free credits  and I got confused and signed up. When it comes to books I’m easily distracted.
When they had a sale a month later I was browsing to see what I could spend my credits on and found The Chronicles of St Mary’s.

I’m not sure what made me buy them, the cover, the blurb or just plain boredom. But I got the first three in the series and thought no more of it. I had other books in the pipe line and they were forgotten in my Audible Library until last week when I finished the first Dresden Files book (which was a bit of a disappointment).

Like I said I’m not big on audio books. I tend to lose focus and my mind starts wandering and suddenly someone is talking and I can’t remember what has happened and I have to start over again.
But from the very first lines of Just One Damned Thing After Another I was hooked. Completely and utterly hooked.

I think it was the tone of the story, first person POV, past tense, how she built suspense, the subject (I’m a sucker for time-travel – even if that is not what they do at St Mary’s – they investigate history in contemporary time, thank you very much), all the tea they drink. It just was THE book for me.

I’ve struggled with if I should write this recommendation. There are books I read that I can’t wait to have someone to talk to about (Ancillary Justice), and there are other books I want to hug to my chest and not tell anyone about because I want to keep them all to me and have them be my secret. As if it would hurt more it I recommend them and they aren’t liked the way I like them. Some books I can take other people thinking are silly or not to their liking, but other books are too precious.
But then I tell myself I’m being silly – why should I not give someone else a chance to experience the glory of the disaster-magnets of St Mary’s? I think the author appreciates a recommendation too.

I’m almost done with the first book, and I have speed read a short story taking place before the first book (The Very First Damned Thing). I have also ordered the books (yes all six of them) from my local bookstore so I can have them in print. It’s so much easier to read when people around me are talking. Listening to an audio book while also listening to the rest of the family talking, to me or each other is pretty confusing. I read a lot faster in my head than a narrator can read out loud. Even if I do read stuff out loud to myself as well – don’t judge it helps me practice my English.
Having the books in print also makes it easier to re-read favourite paragraphs over and over again. I can’t be the only one who does this? Any one? Bueller?

I realise I haven’t said much about what the book is about but that will have to wait for another post. I’m not done with it yet. (I don’t think I ever will be. This will be re-read lots of times.)
There is some hot sex in the middle of the book and while I was hoping for the characters to hook up I wasn’t expecting it to happen when it did and how it did. But I approve.