I liked reading Prairie Fires, too, and I still love the Little House books. I always tell people that I became a quilter because of reading those books. I have a full set and think it's time for a re-read!

Ah, quiltingnina, speed reading hadn't crossed my mind. I understand the premise, first and last sentence in a paragraph?
What I wish had still been taught was Latin. such beautiful words. Modern language, I'd love to learn Spanish, sounds beautiful :)
A few favorites to stay on track... Beth Dolenger's Nightmare Arizona series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX7HHMFG?
Paranormal and if you've ever been in Arizona you know you've been through this town :) Cosy Mystery.

M. Ruth Myers Maggie Sullivan mysteries. A single woman, cop's daughter who works as a PI pre-WWII and forward as the series goes along. (so to be read in order) Very good research into the reality of the times and good strong characters. Particularly Heebs, a street orphan who sells newspapers who is now an adult after the war and has two books in his own series. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7NSHVF https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C54GD92G

Ellery Adams's A Secret, Book, and Scone Society, mysteries, (read in order) built around 5 women who for one reason or the other are, or feel they are outsiders, but are making their own way in Miracle Falls. Where miracles happen...or do they? Do we decide something and then find the tools to make it so? Adams has written a number of series but this is the only one I cared enough about to keep on my kindle. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0841WBRRB

we enjoyed watching the CSI Las Vegas series so I enjoyed the books by various writers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S47Q9VD...b_sr_oth_sm_rw We disliked the Miami series, and the NY series wouldn't be right without WATCHING Gary Senise :) but all the ones I've gotten have been on sale at verious times.

I will admit I bought this one for the cover which made me laugh. That Bernie, he is unique. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HH327LC but it's a decent mystery

We didn't skip words the way I was taught to speed read. It is more like look at the sentence not the individual words. We didn't skim the word. Hard to explain but I showed my kids how I read. It may have stuck as they are both avid readers. II don't try to read as fast now. I enjoy the book taking longer to finish. I still fast read boring things like manuals and such.

I did reply earlier, but lost the whole topic and what I had written. Maybe that made everything good. Ha. I was taught speed reading in sixth grade in southern Iowa, that made me a southern, I think, even though it was above the Mason-Dixon line. It skipped the small words of "a, and, the, of, and so on. I have loved all the comments and I think you'll loved it too. Maybe a place will come all when we can continue a 'book talk.

I'm in the middle of Wrong Place Wrong Time. The main character wakes each day earlier in the past. Not sure where it is going, but at least the plot moves.

If you've never experienced the saga of Redwall, the first book in on Kindle deal today
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BK0SQ8G?

they are good on audio too IceBlossom, multiple voices which I normally abhor, but very good.
Epic good vs. bad on tiny scale

Ah, Redwall was great. I was still reading then when they came out and my son also read them.

I am still working my way through Chet and Bernie, book 10 Of Mutts and Men would be the next.

I've read the latest Reacher book, In Too Deep. It was ok, Reacher is (finally) getting older and feeling it both but hard to quantify he just wasn't very "Reacher" to me. I also read the short story collection by Lee Child -- it was also ok. I felt the narration and lack of pauses made it sort of hard for listening.

I just finished book 4 of the Murderbot Diaries, Exit Strategy. It is true that I prefer "narration" to full cast type of productions but I am doing the Graphic Audio versions of these with more voices and sound effects. They are very short books but highly in demand and I usually have a couple months between them.

Of recent random choices, I rather liked The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. I felt a connection and interest in the various characters.
https://www.harpercollins.com/produc...41078838067234

I just finished listening to the audiobook of "The Betrayal of Anne Frank" by Rosemary Sullivan. Very interesting and fact-proving book.

I miss reading aloud to my classroom students. Right after lunch, 15 minutes. They lined up quickly so that no reading time was wasted! Sideways Stories from Wayside School was perfect because each chapter stood on its own, and they were just the right length! Also, The Stories Julian Tells was a favorite. There is a story about lemon pudding that always had them on the edge of their seats! When we moved on to Roald Dahl's Witches, it was fun to read. (Vat a vonderful idea!)
I taught on the border of Texas most of my career. (Low income, Bilingual/English as a second language, Mexican Nationals dropped off each morning) I'm pretty sure they did not have books at home. I hope they all still enjoy reading.

I bought the set of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I wanted to read the books before watching the series. My friends who love books raved about these books.