Last week, my family went to Shipshewana and Middlebury, Indiana. That’s Amish and Mennonite country. Although we have Amish country in Ohio, we don’t see as many horses and buggies as we did in LaGrange County, Indiana. I did most of the driving, and I loved to see all the horses and buggies in the buggy lanes. Gorgeous horses!
We had gorgeous weather while we were there, and it didn’t get hot and humid until we returned to my Mom’.s So, we enjoyed walking around and seeing the sites.
We also had the chance to catch up with David Chaudoir on our last evening. David comments here once in a while, and usually writes a pice at the end of the year about his favorite books. It’s been a couple years since we saw each other, so it was good to catch up.
Now, as to reading. I’m finishing an excellent police procedural, and i’ll have the review up on Friday. In the meantime, I’ starting Dianne Freeman’s new mystery, A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder. Here’s the quick summary.
Frances Hazelton and her husband, George, uncover the secrets of backstage Paris to find out who’s acting the role of a killer to chilling perfection…
Frances and George are enjoying some well-deserved leisure time in Paris when an old acquaintance from London, Alicia Stoke-Whitney, seeks Frances’s help to investigate a personal matter. Alicia’s daughter is being courted by Carlson Deaver, a wealthy American shadowed by a very suspicious tragedy.
Less than a year ago, Carlson’s wife, a former actress, was murdered, her body discovered in one of the more dubious quartiers in Paris. Though authorities guess it was a robbery gone wrong, no one was ever brought to justice. Until Daniel Cadieux, Inspector for the Sûreté, follows a startling new lead. None other Sarah Bernhardt, legendary icon of the Paris stage, receives a piece of jewelry stolen from the victim, along with an incriminating note: I know what you did.
It opens a new door for the Hazeltons’ investigation, as well. But not a soul believes that the Divine Sarah would become entangled in something so disreputable as murder—even if she and the late Mrs. Deaver did have a history of theatrical clashes. Amid questions of revenge, blackmail, scandals, and secrets, more poisoned pen letters follow, and suspects abound. Now it’s up to Francis and George to infiltrate the most elite social circles of Paris, and find a culprit before another victim faces their final act.
What about you? What are you reading this week? What have you been doing?
I love those photos Lesa! You all look so happy when you get together.
David and I went to see our little granddaughter’s school choir performance this week. Grades 1, 2, and 3. It was so cute and most of the kids were very enthusiastic. Some of them were clearly enjoying singing and others were focusing completely on the actions accompanying the songs, but all of them were adorable to watch.
My little trauma of the week happened this afternoon, and I have no idea how it could even have happened! I was opening a plastic bag with one of those tear-off tops and somehow or other the sharp corner of the bag went underneath my glasses and scraped into my eye. I certainly felt it, and then the panic set in as the entire white of my eye was now red. My optometrist was out of town, as was my doctor. I then called an optometrist I’d never been to before and they kindly made sure I was checked out thoroughly. No damage to the cornea thank goodness, and vision was fine; so just an injury to the white of the eye. Was given antibiotic drops and soon all should be well again.
Two books this week:
EDDIE WINSTON IS LOOKING FOR LOVE by Marianne Cronin
A delightful book, it’s about 90 year old Eddie, who volunteers at a charity shop sorting through the donations. He likes the job, is a true gentleman, tries to make the most of every day, and still thinks about the woman he loved when he was a young man, although they could never be together.
It’s also about 24 year old Bella, who feels utterly lost since her boyfriend and true love, Jake, has died.
Bella and Eddie meet when she comes into the shop one day to donate a box of Jake’s things. And thus begins a lovely intergenerational friendship. They talk of anything and everything, and when Bella learns that Eddie has never in his life been kissed, she’s determined to help him get that kiss before it’s too late. The resulting adventures are interspersed with events from decades earlier, slowly revealing much about Eddie’s life and that of the woman he loved.
Every character is distinct and believable, and big themes are in play – friendship, love, grief, loneliness, kindness, hope, self-sacrifice. But for all the seriousness there’s an equal amount of humour, making for a perfect balance. The story is heartwarming as well as heart wrenching; it’s funny, wise, moving, feel-good, hopeful, compassionate, and just a great read. Highly recommend.
BE MY GHOST by Carol J. Perry
A paranormal cozy mystery, first in the ‘Haunted Haven’ mystery series.
The Boston store where Maureen has worked for the past ten years is closing. She has no idea what she’ll go now, or how she’ll afford the rent for her apartment. On her last day of work a letter arrives in the mail for her from a lawyer’s office in Florida. It turns out she’s inherited The New Haven Inn. With the loss of her job, the timing for a new start couldn’t be better so she packs up and heads to Haven, Florida with her dog Finn.
Maureen doesn’t know the lady who bequeathed her the inn and she has no time to even begin to try to sort that out because so many things happen all at once. She’s informed by several people that the inn is haunted by a number of resident ghosts, for one thing. Also, upon checking the finances of the inn she discovers it’s not far from going bankrupt, so a top priority will be figuring out how to turn the inn into a financially viable property. Then a guest is found on the front porch. Dead. And it looks like murder. Not only that – and as improbable as it seems – Maureen herself is a suspect.
A fun premise to this very cozy mystery, with suspects galore. There’s no depth to either the story or the characters, but then again that’s not the point of a cozy mystery I guess, but there are still moments of genuine tension to be found. I would have enjoyed having more ghosts in the story, and I would have wished for fewer typos and missed words. But I was interested just enough to maybe read the next book in the series to see how things are going at The New Haven Inn.
I’m glad your eye problem resolved quickly. It’s so scary when something like this happens.
The Eddie Winston book sounds charming. I added it to my list of potentials as I’ll never get to all I want to read.
thanks
Lindy, thank you for the recommendation for Eddie Winston is Looking for Love. I just checked my library, and they have it on the local shelf! That doesn’t happen very often. Anyway, I have placed a hold on it. I don’t know why I didn’t request it on NetGalley, as it has an average of 5 stars from NetGalley readers!
Gosh. I hope you like it. Such a responsibility, recommending a book!
Lindy, Lindy. What would we worry about each week. if not your “little traumas”?
Eddie Winston sounds good. I,ve already read Be My Ghost. There are more ghosts in the sequels.
So glad your eye was OK!!! My son, when he was an infant, had a scratch on my eye and it bled. I asked my dad who was a doctor to come see as it happened on a Sunday. He can out and said no damage done. After that I made sure that his fingernails were trimmed!!
Carol, my son once threw a table mat at my elder daughter (they were all fooling around) and it hit her in the eye. She wept and wailed so much that I took her to the lovely new children’s hospital, where there was no queue – only to be told that they didn’t do eyes and we would have to go round to the adult eye department, which was housed in an ancient portakabin.
There we found a waiting room full to bursting with people. When we finally got our turn, the doctor could find nothing wrong with Anna’s eye (thank goodness); meanwhile Freddie felt so guilty he had bought her a box of chocolates from his own pocket money – so in the end she did rather well out of it!
I scratched my cornea one night, and I was in pain until I could get to an eye doctor the next day. Had to wear a patch, and they gave me a painkiller.
That sounds much worse Lesa! Yikes.
I love this story Rosemary. Especially how Freddie tried to make amends to his sister.
Poor little baby. I bet you remember it like it was just yesterday Carol. Handy having a dad who was a doctor. You would trust whatever he said!
Oh no Lindy! These things do seem to have a habit of happening to you – I’m so glad it turned out to be nothing serious, eyes are such a worry.
I like the sound of the Eddie Winston book, I will see if Aberdeen Libraries have it in their catalogue.
As one who tried to scratch an eye lid and instead scratched my eye with a fingernail, I get it. Glad you are okay.
Thanks for making me feel better Kevin!
Lindy, that scratched eye trauma sounds really scary. If that happened to either of us, we would be very worried too. I am glad it wasn’t worse.
Thanks Tracy! You’re very understanding.
The temps keep see-sawing, but so far, it’s been a fairly nice summer.
This week I read:
Blue Fire by John Gilstrap; A very tame post-apocalypse novel. Where’s the mutants? The commies taking over? The breakdown of any sort of mores? Instead, we get an idyllic town contrasted with impotent government officials. That might be a little too realistic.
Dead Man’s Hand by Penny Warner; Final book in the Connor Westphal series. The hard of hearing reporter/sleuth is drawn into an investigation after find an effigy replaced by a real dead body. Meanwhile, her old beau is back in town, wanting to start a town for deaf people. Better than a lot of cozies, but compared to the rest of the series, this is a step down. I am glad that the author is starting a new series, with the first book coming out in September!
Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto; Extremely complicated Japanese mystery, based on railroad timetables. If a crook tries too hard with their complicated alibi, they hooked as surely as if they didn’t have one. It’s called a classic, and I think it earned that distinction, but this couldn’t be set anywhere except Japan.
Wilderness Giant #4: Ordeal; Pre-cowboy Mountain Men help the usual clueless Easterner find his runaway daughter, and soak their feet in the Pacific Ocean. There must have been easier ways.
We have just high temperatures, Glen.
I read most of the books in Penny Warmer’s series. I don’t know why I never finished.
Glad you had a good trip. I did as well, although it was hot in St. Louis. And humid. Definitely not used to the humidity. Still, we had fun and it was nice to meet the new people in the group and see old friends again.
On the reading front, I am entering the final third of THE CUNNING CRUISE SHIP CAPER, the third book about a 70’s teen idol who is solving mysteries while trying to revive his career. The series is by Sally Carpenter. I’m enjoying it.
Mark, St. Louis is know for their outdoor theater, the MUNI. I just can’t imagine spending two or three hours sitting outdoors in that humidity!
Mark, that’s a great series. I don’t know anyone who didn’t like it at least a litte.
Heat! It was bad here this week. Officially, the main reporting station in Central Park only (only!) had a high of 99 degrees on Tuesday (we haven’t “officially” hit 100 in 12 or 13 years), but many parts of the city were over that, including our usually cooler coastal area, where my phone showed temperatures as high as 105 on Tuesday and 101 yesterday (officially: 96). Needless to say, we stayed in the last three days. It’s good to be retired and have air conditioning.
Books, then.
After the Haven’s Rock book (she is going to read book two next), Jackie read SOUNDS LIKE LOVE, the new Ashley Poston book. She said it is her “best book yet.” The Outer Banks, music, a relative with Alzheimers…she said “Emily Henry never made me cry; this did.”
Skin and Bones is a collection of short stories by Paul Doiron, set in Maine and featuring his Game Warden Mike Bowditch, as well as Mike’s mentor, Warden Charley Stevens, and, in a couple of stories, Mike’s poacher father. Good book. I need to get back to the novels, having only read the first so far.
I’m a big fan of S. A. Cosby’s books – BLACKTOP WASTELAND, RAZORBLADE TEARS, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED. They are dark but wonderfully written, set in the black area south of Richmond. His new one, King Of Ashes, is the darkest yet, another great effort, though definitely not my favorite. Roman Carruthers is very successful as a “money manager” in Atlanta, but is called back to Virginia when his father’s car is run off the road, leaving him in a coma. His younger brother Dante, basically a waste of space, is useless. Their sister Neveah has been running the father’s crematorium business already. Then he gets the news that Dante and a “friend” have gotten involved with big-time, very scary drug dealing gangsters and owe them a lot of money. It looks like Roman will have to deal with them and try and put things – and the family – to rights. One problem I had was Dante. He caused 100% of the trouble and is just a pathetic loser. Maybe it’s me (but I don’t think so), but I found it impossible to have any sympathy for him. Otherwise, Cosby’s writing is always compelling, and he keeps the story moving along, but parts of it were dark enough that I had to put the book down and take a break from it. The end had very strong echoes for me if a certain movie, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. If you’ve read his previous works, I’m sure you’ll read this, but just don’t expect a light read or a happy ending.
I’m a big fan of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series, having read them (with one exception, the solo Mexican one) from the beginning. I’ve enjoyed the last couple and was looking forward to the new one, Return To Sender, but for me, it is a lesser effort. Walt’s late wife’s cousin, a postal inspector, comes to him for help when a woman disappears somewhere along her postal route, in the Red Desert are of southern Wyoming. There are hints of cult involvement too. I guess crime is down in Absaroka County, as Walt goes undercover to find her, which, of course, he does. It’s good that it’s a short book – maybe 250 pages – but once again Walt, like Kate Burkholder, puts himself in jeopardy unnecessarily, as he is wont to do, though of course he manages to justify it to himself. Another problem for me is, this is again almost a solo book, with little of Vic and almost nothing of Henry. Let’s hope they’re back next time.
Reading two books of short stories:
Bill Pronzini, The Hanging Man and Other Western Tales.
Andrea Barrett, Ship Fever.
Not sure what I will read next. Stay cool out there.
Ugh! the heat! even here in our usually cool mountains the heat is horrible. i hate it. i’m not even a normal summer person, preferring cooler temps, and these hot days are killers.
But, in other news . . . 😊
I have read and loved everything written by S.A. Cosby but kinda felt like King Of Ashes might not be for me. Your review confirmed that.
Kaye, you might be right.
I agree, Kaye. I just took it off my holds list at the library.
I have to admit Sounds Like Love is the one that appeals to me. A friend said she was having trouble with Cosby’s book, and she loves his writing. I may go ahead and cancel a couple holds, Jeff.
Sounds Like Love seems to be the pick of your selection this week Jeff! (Though I know it is actually Jackie’s recommendation.) I will look out for it.
What a great group photo, Lesa! Shipshewana obviously agreed with you all!
Unfortunately, I ended up with lower back problems this past week. So I took a muscle relaxer before bed. When I got up during the night, I became so dizzy that I passed out. I’ve never done that before! A lovely split upper lip that would be the envy of any hockey player. A shout out to Apple – my iWatch worked as advertised and called 911 (which I declined as my husband was able to assist me. But it was definitely surreal).
I finished two books – A Most Contagious Game by Catherine Aird (based on Lesa’s recommendation) and Story of My Life by Lucy Score.
Contagious Game was an innocuous enough story about a two murders in a small town and the discovery of a priest hole in a Tudor mansion. The priest hole contains a skeleton from the late 1800’s. The owner of the house, Thomas Harding, delves into solving the mystery behind the remains, while the Constable attempts to solve the mystery of a more recent murder. Learning about priest holes was probably the most interesting part of this book. I listened to it on audio and the narrator had a very nice voice.
Story of My Life – Lucy Score books are always feel good entertainment. In this story, Hazel is a romance novelist who isn’t feeling inspired to write her next novel. Divorced from her husband and at the end of the lease on her apartment, she decides to move to Story Lake to start over. She purchases a rather large home that needs renovations, and the three hunky, gorgeous Bishop brother’s contractors come to her rescue. Most of the story goes back and forth between Hazel and Campbell Bishop falling in love with each other with the usual come close/go away syndrome of those who have been previously burned in a relationship. Lots of high jinx along with great supporting character townspeople.
Mary! I’m glad your husband was able to help you so you didn’t need to have the EMTs there, but what a worry to pass out like that!
It doesn’t sound as if you enjoyed A Most Contagious Game as much as I did. Well, every book isn’t for everyone.
Goodness Mary. Talk about frightening – being so dizzy that you passed out. How is your back doing now? A very real way to test that iWatch!
We had the same weather here in N.j as Jeff did – highs near 100 and humid so other than a quick trip to the library and our favorite sushi restaurant we haven’t done much.
I finished A Fellowship of Magic & Bakers by J. Penner. In a world where humans are second class citizens because they lack magic, a young woman dreams of earning enough money to open a bakery. When the orcs next door enter her in an Elvish baking contest she might have a chance at the grand prize. If she’s brave enough to go. I’m not usually a fan of cozy fantasy but I liked this one enough to try book two in the series if the library can get it.
An ARC of Seven Secret Spellcasters by Lynn Cahoon. Although this is a cozy mystery series I really read it for the ongoing story of Mia and her friends. What else can possibly go wrong when a leprechaun shows up to investigate why your supposedly non-magical boyfriend has a hellhound in the shape of a Maltese, a baby dragon shows up, and you have to take your witch test?
I’m currently halfway through Strangers in Time by David Baldacci. It’s a historical novel set in London during WWII. I’ll finish it but it’s not my favorite of his books.
I agree, Sandy. I only read half of the Baldacci, and gave up. Wasn’t for me. I did read the ending to see what happened to the three characters.
I really liked A Fellowship of Magic & Bakers. I hadn’t read anything like it for quite some time.
I love your family trips, and love you were able to spend time with David.
and I loved Carol Goldman’s upcoming book that I scored through NetGalley!
WRITERS AND LIARS
Description from NetGalley –
“In the latest thrilling suspense novel from Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author Carol Goodman, a group of mystery authors gathers on a secluded Greek island for a writers retreat, only to discover that their enigmatic host has been murdered and everyone present is a suspect.
They’ll kill for inspiration…
Fifteen years ago, Maia Gold attended a prestigious—and very exclusive—writers retreat hosted by billionaire Argos Alexander on the Greek island of Eris. It’s where she wrote her first book, the one that should have launched a brilliant career. But something dark happened on that island, a betrayal that has hung over Maia ever since.
Now, Maia finds a familiar envelope in the mail. It’s an invitation to return to Eris, and according to social media, she’s not the only one from that first retreat who’s been invited back. This could be the second chance Maia needs to jump-start her dreams. A chance for reconciliation… or revenge.
Almost all of the writers from fifteen years before have returned to Eris, bringing unresolved resentments with them. Soon, the guests learn that their illustrious host is absent, though he has left instructions for them to participate in a contest: whoever can write the most suspenseful mystery while on the island will win a fortune and literary acclaim. But this is no harmless game—when the guests gather in the morning to share their first chapters, they find Argos Alexander, dead.
Tensions simmer as the guests try to determine who’s capable of murder, not just on the page, but in real life. On an island full of mystery writers, anyone could be the killer—and anyone could be the next victim. Trapped together until the next boat arrives from the mainland, they must sort out old grievances and figure out how to trust one another… or die one by one.”
The trip was great, Kaye, and it was so good to spend some time with David. It had been a couple years.
I’m looking forward to the Goodman book.
I remember happening upon entire families in the horse-and-buggy in California’s Central Valley. But that was quite a few years ago and I wonder how many of these farms still remain.
It’s an odd quirk of mine, but if I actually purchase a book, it might languish, unread, for any length of time.
But I finally got around to reading KINDRED CRIMES, the first in Janet Dawson’s Jeri Howard Mystery series. It features a female private detective based in Oakland, CA and is quite entertaining. I wish I’d read it sooner.
FDR DRIVE is the third in James Comey’s Nora Carleton series of legal thrillers. This one takes a close look at the perils of political extremism (and introduces us to the term stochastic terrorism). It’s timely with the recent attacks on the Minnesota lawmakers or “content warning” territory, depending on your sensitivity. Also, a bit preachy as the author has the lawyers examine the legality of their arguments at length. But the characters and comradery keep me returning to the series.
And a nonfiction selection, THE CRAZIES: The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West by Amy Gamerman. A fascinating look at development in The Crazies, an island of mountains in the plains of Montana. The land was part of the treaty of 1875 with the Crow people, which was reduced significantly in subsequent treaties. The story of various people attempting to hold onto their land as the world changes, no villains or good guys, just some who have a lot more money. Fascinating story with many captivating asides.
It does make me wonder, MM, if those families are still farming there with all the development in Callifornia.
I do that too! I really want the book, but once I own it, I’m not in a hurry to read it.
I’m not sure about the Amish, but there are Mennonites around.
MM – I knew an Amy Gamerman at Cambridge, I wonder if it’s the same person? I do think she went into journalism or writing of some sort – does the book have a biography of her?
In the book I am reading, Robin Ince particulary talks about the need we all seem to have to order our books for next day delivery, even though we may then not actually read them for months on end. He had ordered a book from an Edinburgh bookshop during the Fringe festival one year (he is also a stand-up comedian) – and they finally notified him that they had it for him during the next Fringe, a whole year later! But he said he didn’t mind at all, because at that point he was just about ready to read it.
The bio in the book just mentioned her in connection to the Wall Street Journal. But some snooping on the internet reveals a bit of her 1997 wedding announcement…
“master’s degree in English from King’s College at Cambridge University in England”
Thanks MM – that must be her, we were both at King’s. How funny that she’s popped up here.
Good morning! Lesa, your trip sounds wonderful. I’m glad you got to spend more time with your family. On Sunday I attended (with 19 other Drama Queens) a production of Little Women: The Musical at the historic Sutter Street Theatre in Folsom (CA). I’ve seen the show before, and it’s not my favorite (the music is not memorable), but this cast gave it their all, and it was quite entertaining. The real star, though, was the theatre itself. It has maybe 75 seats, and the cast sometimes has to enter and exit through the front door! Before the show and during intermission, they have a free wine bar onstage. You can also purchase the artwork of one of the theatre’s co-owners, which is excellent. The two co-owners put on their own 15-minute production talking about the theatre (and what you can purchase there). Lots of fun, and only $22 for seniors.
So many of the characters in Annie Hartnett’s THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS have big problems, but none more than PJ. His older daughter had drowned on the night of her prom. His wife had left him because he drinks too much, and taken up with another man. His estranged brother and his wife had recently died in a murder-suicide. Sure, PJ had won $1.5 million in the lottery years ago, but most of that is gone after he gave away much of it to those in need. One bright spot is that 63-year-old PJ has stayed friendly with his ex-wife,,who is also his neighbor, having breakfast at her house every day, and her partner is now PJ’s best friend. But when the couple decide to take an extended vacation in Alaska before finally getting married, PJ doesn’t know what to do with himself. He doesn’t have a job, and his younger daughter has lost hers as well. And he has had three heart attacks. So when he has the opportunity to take in his newly-orphaned niece and nephew (age 10 and 11), he decides to give it a try. With his daughter in the driver’s seat (PJ had lost his license after several DUIs), the four of them embark on a road trip with a couple of objectives: to convince his just-widowed, years-ago girlfriend to be his date to his ex-wife’s wedding and to take his niece to a meet-and-greet with a soap opera star she believes to be her father. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, of course, and there are quite a few detours along the way. But it’s really about bringing PJ and his daughter closer together, trying to form a new family with the children, and accepting events that might not be what anyone envisioned, but turn out to be (mostly) just what they needed. Oh, and there’s a cat PJ adopted that has an uncanny skill for identifying people who are about to die. It’s crazy and quirky, but I was along for the ride, enjoyed the characters (particularly the genial nephew and wild niece), and found it all entertaining Thanks to the person who recommended this book.
The Thursday Murder Club rides again with THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTUNE, fifth in Richard Osman’s popular series. It’s inevitable that the octogenarian club members are finally feeling their age. Elizabeth is still grieving for her late husband, Stephen, and Joyce is trying to further define her value to the group. Ibrahim continues to display his skill as a psychotherapist, while Ron struggles to protect his family. As always, the plots and subplots are ingenious and enthralling. The book opens with the wedding of Joyce’s daughter, Joanna, where the best man is clearly in trouble and suddenly disappears. Ibrahim is still counseling veteran criminal Connie, while Connie herself is counseling teenager Tia, herself an ex-con, but is she teaching her the right things? Ron’s daughter has finally thrown her abusive husband out of the house, and she and her 9-year-old son Kendrick have been threatened with violence. Slowly and steadily, we discover that there are overlaps that ultimately involve all four in the central plot about the hunt for the codes that unlock the impossible fortune referred to in the book’s title. Of course, the savvy seniors will be called upon to save the day and to help each other with their personal issues. Osman is a masterful writer, not just with the mysteries but even more so with the unforgettable, layered characters we have learned to appreciate and even love. The emotional depth of these characters is what makes the series such a success, and so much of the prose is quotable. Detectives Donna and Chris take a back seat in this story, but other supporting characters such as Ron’s son Jason, his precocious grandson Kendrick, Connie and Tia, and Bogdan are memorable and relatable. Osman has kept the quality of this series as high as always, which is great news for those who, like me, can’t wait for each new book (September)
Having thoroughly enjoyed three of Ashley Schumacher’s YA books, I was eager to try her first book for adults, SAY IT OUT LOUD. Back in college, Juniper was working behind the scenes of a production of Romeo and Juliet when she was reluctantly tagged to be onstage when the actress playing Juliet couldn’t continue. Playing Romeo was James, a very attractive fellow student who encouraged her to fill in as Juliet at the last minute, and somehow it worked. But when James didn’t acknowledge her contribution when he was praised for saving the production, Juniper felt deflated. Fast forward 10 years, and Juniper is still grieving her late mother, who made everything magical for her as a child. She has just had the literary podcast she had created and hosted taken from under her, and her efforts to get a job in the publishing world have so far yielded no opportunities. But then, out of nowhere, Juniper is asked to audition for a new audio production of The Meadow (read: Twilight), where she would be starring opposite James, now a popular rising star in the film world. That’s the premise of the story and, of course, Juniper and James feel destined for a romantic relationship. But I wasn’t convinced. There is way too much crying on Juniper’s part, and it’s way too long before James can even articulate what he really wants out of his life and career, let alone Juniper herself. Some of their scenes together are fun, and there is a little bit of chemistry, but not enough in my opinion to validate what seems like a rushed relationship. Juniper’s best friend, however.is a breath of fresh air, along with her wife and toddler son. The author has proven she can write superior YA books, so I have every reason to believe that her next adult book will have more depth and nuance for the main characters and for the plot. (September)
Wow, Margie. Your group was almost 1/3 of the audience for Little Women. Do you know what you’re seeing next?
I love these family trips. We have such a good time together.
I can’t wait to read The Impossible Fortune!
True, Lesa! I think we are seeing the musical version of Some Like It Hot at a much larger theater in Sacramento. We’re meeting on Monday to talk about dates and to look at excerpts from other upcoming shows. and In July I’ll be attending the Harris Center’s annual showcase, where future shows will be announced, we may be treated to performances from local musical groups, and champagne and desserts will be offered. it’s all free!
Margie, that theatre just did Sugar, based on the same movie as Some Like It Hot not long ago. They’re also trying Hair again, which was very bad when I saw it the last time they did it. The conductor dude even apologized to us during the bathroom break. At least they kept the nude scene, I guess.
I used to go there with my Grandmother, when it was just a gigantic tent.
I really haven’t liked their recent selection of plays just in general. I think they’re trying to be hip. Sorry, all the hip people go to Frisco or LA.
I love the sound of the showcase, Margie. Sounds fun!
Lovely picture of your family, Lesa.
I spent my week hiding in the air conditioning trying to escape the heat dome which isn’t ending until tomorrow, so I read three books.
SONGS OF SUMMER by Jane L. Rosen is the third of the Fire Island Trilogy. Maggie May Wheeler lives in the upstairs apartment above the record shop owned by her adoptive parents in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. After her parents die, she does one of those DNA kits and discovers who her birth mother who is and is attending a wedding on Fire Island. She travels there and not only meets her birth mother but other family as well. While I enjoyed reading about one of my favorite Cleveland suburbs and thought the song titled chapters were clever, I found this to be the weakest entry of the trilogy. I liked it but did not love it.
Next, I read STORYBOOIK ENDING by Moira Macdonald. Lesa already reviewed this one earlier. I found it slow going at first but ending up loving this one. I was fully engaged with April, Laura and the clueless Westley. I thought the twist at the end was great.
Lastly, I read a Jenna Bush Hager read called HEARTWOOD by Amity Gaige. It was the account of inexperienced Valerie hiking the Appalachian Trail from Harper’s Ferry to Maine and the subsequent efforts to find her after she goes missing. This was terrific!
Happy Reading!
Thank. you, Sharon!
I don’t blame anyone who spent the week avoiding the heat. I did the same, only to end up with a lousy summer cold. I’ll live, though.
Heartwood sounds interesting.
What a great photo, Lesa. I’m glad you had fun with your family and friends. I’m recently back from almost a month in the US, traveling around to see my own family and friends: Chicago, Madison, WI, the Boston area, Vermont, Long Island, and Manhattan. Plus a few days attending a college reunion. I had a terrific trip but surprisingly little time to read, considering I was on vacation. Too much talking! (Actually, with these loved ones, there is no such thing as too much talking!) But I did read (1) THE HOLDOUT, by Graham Moore, which I recommend as exciting–it successfully moves from the past to the present and back and involves a woman who changed the mind of a deadlocked jury to save a man whom she doesn’t believe killed a teenage girl. (2) NIGHTSHADE, the new Michael Connelly with a brand new detective. I’m glad I read it, and I’ll read anything MC writes, but it’s not his best work. Still, I’d recommend it. Finally, (3) is North Woods by Daniel Mason, which has gotten lots of praise. The Guardian said, “To read it is to travel to the limits of what the novel can do,” which prepares the reader for how odd it is–like a bunch of short stories, diary entries, speeches, and notes in different writing styles moving from the 1600s to the present and set in western Massachusetts, all centered around a house and the forest surrounding it. In the end, I decided I liked it! Has anyone else read it? Any thoughts?
I get it, Kim. That’s my problem. I never read when I spend time with family. As you said, we have too much to talk about.
I forget that you’re originally from the U.S. It always comes as a surprise when you come here and travel around, rather than in Europe.
I liked the Michael Connelly, but I hadn’t read many of his latest books.
I have had only one buggy ride, courtesy of my cousin Charley but I enjoyed it immensely!
Yay!! Now reading a Large Print Addition of Lessons in Chemistry!! I picked it up at my Hemo/Onc Clinic for free!! Now I understand why it is so popular. It is a about a single mom in the 1960 who had a TV cooking show that she hates doing. The only reason she took the job was that it paid better than her chemist job. But she yearns to get back to working DNA research. She encountered sexual harassment in college and later at work and even attempt rape. She stabbed the attacker and lost her chance of getting a doctorate. The weapon was a pencil to his abdomen! Anyway, it is sardonic and witty and I love it.
Lessons in Chemistry was my sister’s favorite book the year it was released, Carol. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
Oh I am so glad we don’t have your high temperatures! Here it is 66F and that is quite enough for me.
My youngest daughter, Madeleine, was staying for the past two nights. Yesterday we had a very arty day, beginning at the Treasure Hub, where the art gallery and museums store all the things they don’t have space to put on display (although these items will be rotated with others and also taken out for particular exhibitions.) We went specifically because Madeleine has a research interest in some of the items in their costume collection, so they had kindly arranged a private visit for us.
The curator specialising in costume, Jenna, had dug out the Schiaperelli evening bag that M especially wanted to see. It is a tiny heart shaped pink satin bag that still bears the original Schiperelli scent. Madeleine was delighted to see it. Jenna had also looked out some vintage scent bottles and pomanders, and after we had seen those she gave us a tour of the costume stores and allowed us to pull out any drawer we wanted to see – the contents of these include fans, bows, hat pins, cigarette holders and even nightwear and underwear. Above them are hung dresses, coats, skirts, etc dating from Victorian times up to the 1980s, including many designed by Bill Gibb, who grew up in rural Aberdeenshire and became a famous name in the fashion world. There’s also a whole collection of wedding dresses.
The store also contains lots of hats (including top hats – ‘Danger! Mercury and arsenic!), a hat steamer, a big collection of beautiful shoes, and many copies of vintage Vogue magazines and books on fashion.
It was all so interesting and we really appreciated being given such unlimited access, especially as Jenna was such a good guide. Costume is her passion and she had lots of anecdotes to tell us. She said that one of their big problems nowadays is that they are offered far too many things that they don’t need and can’t accommodate – they have to be very picky about what they accept and only take items that will fill a gap in their collection and also have a story to tell. Unfortunately, everyone thinks their wedding dress (or whatever) is special, and people don’t like being turned down – although Jenna also said that many people only want to offer their items on ‘long term loan’, something that the gallery cannot do, as what it really amounts to is providing free storage facilities. They only accept proper donations or very short term loans for particular exhibitions.
After that visit, and lunch in a lovely cafe in Old Aberdeen, we also visited the Duncan Rice Library at the university so that Madeleine could see the Fear and Facination gothic exhibition, and then Aberdeen art gallery itself to enable her to see the new ceramics exhibition – so it was a busy day but a lot of fun.
The rest of the week has flown by. Nancy and I walked at the Dunecht estate on Monday – it was ferociously windy but luckily no tree fell on us, and at the top of the hill the views of Loch Skene were wonderful.
BOOKS – I have all but finished the book I mentioned last week, Robin Ince’s BIBLIOMANIAC, which I have really enjoyed.
I am also reading SILENT KILLER, one of Hazel Holt’s cosy mysteries set in Devon. In this one an elderly man has died from carbon monoxide poisoning – when it becomes clear that this was not an accident, Sheila and her friend Rosemary at first can’t believe that anyone would want to hurt this sweet old man – but then they begin to learn that Mr Middleton was not quite as nice as they’d thought. He has history with several families in the village, and soon there is an entire cast of suspects.
I like Hazel Holt’s writing very much; she creates very convincing characters. Rosemary’s elderly battleaxe of a mother is especially entertaining, and Sheila and Rosemary themselves are very real as, along with the problem in hand, they navigate all the usual trials and tribulations of everyday life – often over tea and cakes at one of their favourite cafes (so of course I like them!) Here is the first line of chapter two:
‘It is a truth universally acknowledged (at least among those engaged in Good Works) that committee meetings are (generally speaking) a complete waste of time. A great deal is said but very little is decided and, in the end, the actual work is done by the faithful few who have been doing it for as long as anyone can remember, while those who were most voluble usually find they have important engagements that can’t be brokem when any sort of action is called for.’
That rings many bells for me!
I’m still also reading Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST’S WAY, but to be honest I am struggling and I’m not sure I’ll finish it. I know that it is still very popular today, over 30 years after it was published, but the author’s tone is so proscriptive and bossy that I can’t read more than a few pages without feeling irritated. We’ll see. When I’ve finished the Hazel Holt novel and Robin Ince’s book I will need to look at what’s left on my 20 Books of Summer list.
David has now gone off on his travels and will be away for three weeks. He is heading for his sister’s house in Hampshire tonight, from where he will take the Eurostar to Amsterdam tomorrow for a hockey tour. After that he will be visiting various friends in the south, playing many games of golf, and meeting up with friends from New Jersey who are planning to move back to the UK for at least the next four years. John is English though his wife is American, but I think his passport means they can both live and work here. He is a journalist and will probably need to be in London, though I read that the favourite spot for Americans seeking to relocate to the UK is Edinburgh.
And now I need to go to the supermarket, so I will stop.
Have a great week all, and I hope your temperatures calm down a bit soon.
Rosemary, Your arty day with Madeleine sounds wonderful. I’ve seen some costume exhibits, and really enjoy them. But, getting to see behind the scenes and have an expert talk with you sounds fantastic.
I hope you have good weather to enjoy your walks while David is gone. Enjoy your time.
Rosemary, your ‘arty day’ sounds like it was such a wonderful day. And I always learn something interesting from your posts here! I really need to get out more, I think.
Rosemary, I’ve always said the one place I’d move to in the UK if the weather was better is Edinburgh. There’s something about it I love, and have since before our first visit in 1972.
We finished the outrageous I, JACK WRIGHT and I think you’ll enjoy it if you get a chance to see it. But then, they ended it on a cliffhanger! That was unfair. I hope a second series does happen.
Oh yes! It’s SO annoying when they end a series on a cliffhanger then cancel the next one!
I haven’t watched much tv at all this week, but tonight I’ll have a look for I, JACK WRIGHT. Thanks for reminding me.
Morning…. For those interested, my review of King of Ashes is here: https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-king-of-ashes-novel-by-s-cosby.html
Today I reviewed the police procedural, River of Lies, at https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-river-of-lies-novel-by-james.html
Current read is Fog and Fury.
I actually took my name off King of Ashes today. I’ll check out your review.
I am in the same spot as last week. Out shopping and picking up a prescription this morning, we just got back and it is after 1:00 pm here so after 4:00 pm in Ohio. The photo of you and your family are lovely, Lesa. I would love to see those buggies and horses also. It is pretty cool here, although when the sun comes out it feels pretty hot. The high is supposed to be 65 today. This week we have done some weeding and yard cleanup when it was overcast in the morning.
Glen has started reading TEN YEARS IN THE TUB by Nick Hornby. It is a compilation of ten years of Hornby’s columns titled “Stuff I’ve Been Reading,” written between 2003 and 2013. 450 pages. He has realized that he will want to read other books while he is reading that one. The first one he read was a graphic novel, FALL THROUGH, by Nate Powell, which took less than a day to read, and he thought it was OK but confusing.
I recently finished A DEATH IN SUMMER by Benjamin Black (John Banville), the fourth book in the Quirke series. A mystery series set in Dublin in the 1950s. Except for the setting, I cannot explain why I am so dedicated to this series. I have liked reading the books a lot, but they are slow books, somber, with lots of angst. Mainly character studies, and I like the continuing characters. This one was about a sordid subject, and depressing. Yet I will persist and read more of them.
Tracy, I’ve only read April in Spain in the Quirke series. It was so well written & plotted, I really should read the entire series. I remember being fascinated at the time that the author was well known, but choose to write this series under a pseudonym so as not to tarnish his reputation.
There are some beautiful horses in LaGrange County, Tracy.
I think I tried one of Benjamin Black’s books, and couldn’t get into it.
Good morning, Lesa! Sounds like a great trip! I love visiting Amish country in Pennsylvania and buying shoo-fly pie to bring home with me. I am currently reading “Welcome to Murder Week” by Karen Dukess, “Beach House Rules” by Kristy Woodson Harvey in print. On audio, “Don’t Let Him In” by Lisa Jewell and my kindle netgalley is “Stuart Woods’ Finders Keepers” by Brett Battles (Stone Barrington series). Hopefully I’ll get to finish some of these over the weekend, it’s been in the mid to upper 90s with heat indexes as high as 112 in North Carolina.
Good reading weather, Katherine, if you have air conditioning! I have Welcome to Murder Week on my TBR pile, but haven’t started it yet.