It’s Thursday, my favorite day of the week! Time to talk about what we’re all reading.
Last night, I finished Harlan Coben’s March 17 release, The Boy from the Woods. He introduces a new hero, a man who thirty years earlier was found living in the Ramapo Mountain State Forest by himself. Wilde was adopted, but no one ever learned who he was or where he came from. Now, when a high school girl who was bullied goes missing, only a seventy-year-old criminal attorney and television personality takes it seriously. She asks Wilde to look for Naomi, and the two find themselves going down a political rabbit hole.
If you’re a Harlan Coben fan, watch for this one. Terrific book. And, I’m packing my copy up for my brother-in-law.
What are you reading this week? We’d all like to know.
This week I finished Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. It was fun but I felt the ending was a little too over the top for my tastes.
Now I am almost finished with The Widow of Rose Street by Diana Biller. Thanks for the recommendation Margie! I am finding it to be a gem.
Happy Reading!
Oh, good, Sharon. I have The Widow of Rose Street at home. As you all continue to recommend it, I'll have to get to it soon. Thanks!
I have been reading WW1 era novels. My current one is Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, based in part on the life of a Canadian Ojibwa sniper named Francis Pegahmagabow. It's a tough read, but beautifully written and touching.
I am jealous Lesa – my husband and I have started recently reading all of Harlan Coben's books and we can't believe the variety of plots. He is terrific. My husband finished one yesterday that I gave him for Christmas and I can't wait to read it. I just started a J.D. Robb book that was also a gift and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it because I usually don't read futuristic books but this one is set 50 years into the future and I can relate to it. The one thing I liked immediately is that you go to a device in the kitchen and program in what you want to eat and it makes the whole meal! That would be fantastic – wish I could be around that long to see it.
I know you don't watch series, but Harlan has another mini-series based on one of his books (THE STRANGER) on Netflix.
For whatever reason – running around, shopping, eating, television, internet – I have just not seemed to have much reading time at all this week. I need to change that.
I am almost done with HOCH'S LADIES, the collection of Edward D. Hoch's short stories. I have enjoyed the newest Reacher book by Lee Child, BLUE MOON, much more than the last one. It has definite echoes of Hammett's RED HARVEST.
I did get the enjoyable BETWEEN YOU & ME: Confessions of a Comma Queen, by Mary Norris from The New Yorker. The problem was, after reading the introduction, I think I may have already read it! I do not have my non fiction list with me so can't check.
Good to know the scoop on that new Coben novel. Think I'll keep it in mind for a road trip because both my husband and I like his books. We don't overlap a huge amount in our reading, but I've found a few authors that we both like and we try to save them for audio on trips.
I'm doing read/listens of two books right now. The first is In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen. Our mystery group is having 'Rhys Bowen' month for February. She's a favorite of several of our group members and I think they are having a great time. I'm also reading Some Choose Darkness by Charlie Donlea. Very dark, but I'm finding it gripping.
Hi Jeff – I did read The Stranger – unfortunately, we do not have Netflix-will keep it in mind if we decide to add it.
Ramona, I find it interesting how publishing has moved from WWII novels to World War I. Some very good ones out there.
Right there with you on that kitchen device, Donna. Wonder if it will really be there. We still don't have those moving sidewalks and flying cars from the Jetsons.
Jeff, What's the temperature in Florida? My mother sent me an article about those freezing iguanas falling out of trees.
And, did you read that Lee Child is turning the Reacher series over to his brother Andrew Grant, as long as Andrew writes under Andrew Child?
Kay, This book would make a terrific road trip book. I think you'll both enjoy it, and like Wilde.
I know my mother and sister both read In Farleigh Field. Mom really enjoyed it. And, I think my sister reads anything and everything Rhys writes.
No, I did not know that. I read the first Grant book and thought it wasn't bad. Then I read the second…and vowed never again. Let's just say anyone who has read Agatha Christie will have no problem figuring out whodunit, though perhaps not in Chapter One as I did. I kept thinking, "No, this is just a red herring. It can't be that obvious." But sadly, it was. I won't be reading them.
We had some gorgeous weather last week – mid-70s to low 80s. But it did get colder for a few days and yesterday was the Frozen Iguana day. It was only 42 here when we got up, and with a stiff wind it felt very cold. It barely got to 60 and felt colder. But it was really a one day phenomenon, as it is supposed to be back to the 70s today and near 80 Saturday. I think the normal average high for this time of year here is around 75.
We (fortunately) do not have any iguanas around here, but they were all over the news in Miami. AN iguana handler said he picked up over 100 in a three hour period. Most recovered when the sun hit them.
Or, maybe at least wait to see what other readers say before trying to pick one up. Isn't that sad when you know immediately whodunit? I don't blame you for saying no. Reputable newspaper sources, though, had that report.
Low 80s! (sniff) Those are my favorite temperatures. And, after living in Florida for 18 years, I know those cold snaps don't linger.
That iguana story is just weird.
In A GOOD KILLING, the 4th in a series by Allison Leotta (I've read all but the first), federal prosecutor Anna returns to Detroit in a hurry when she hears that her younger sister, Jody, is a person of interest in the murder of a popular high school athletics coach. Jody, a former promising high jumper who now works at an auto assembly plant, was seen at a local bar flirting with the married coach on the night when he died alone in a fiery car crash. To make things even worse, the coach's wife was the nemesis of both sisters during their high school days. Anna has to put her career on hold to support her sister, but it gets her away from DC, where her fiance has recently canceled their wedding. Both Jody and the coach have secrets. And a former male friend, injured in Afghanistan, steps up to help the sisters as they search for the truth. A gripping story.
In MORTAL MUSIC by Ann Parker (I somehow picked this up at the library 2 weeks before its release date!), Inez Stannert, formerly a partner in a saloon in the silver boomtown of Leadville, CO, has moved to San Francisco in 1881 to make a better life for her young ward. She is now part-owner of a music store that has rented pianos to an opera singer and is stunned when the singer begs her to replace her current accompanist in a few concerts during the holiday season. Inez and her business can use an infusion of cash, especially since she also helps to support other female entrepreneurs with loans. Little does she know that in the singer's world there is an abundance of intrigue, which involves her wealthy husband, the owners of more than one local performance venue, the singer's beautiful protege and companion, and a Dutch private investigator. From the death of the singer's canary and the ruin of her best gown to another mysterious death, Inez is glad she always has pockets sewn in her own clothes so she can carry her gun wherever she goes. I look forward to reading other entries in this 7-book (so far) Silver Rush Mystery series, in both of the historically accurate Colorado and San Francisco settings.
In CHAI ANOTHER DAY, the latest in Leslie Budewitz's Spice Shop series, there are some personnel issues at Pepper's Seattle Spice Shop in the Pike Place Market and with a few of her friends, culminating in one murder early on in the story and one later. And Pepper's latest boyfriend, fisherman Nate, travels a lot for his job, leaving Pepper wondering about their future together. I thought the plot was a bit tedious and hard to follow, and while I enjoy details about spices, recipes, and interesting imports, I wouldn't say this book is among Budewitz's best.
I guess I'm on a Catherine Ryan Hyde kick, looking for something I loved as much as Have You Seen Luis Velez. In her latest, STAY, 14-year-old Lucas and his longtime friend Connor have unhappy home lives–Lucas's parents can't stop fighting and Connor's have stopped speaking to each other, while he feels unable to leave the house. Lucas's way of coping is to run in the woods with two huge dogs he encountered one day, which leads to his finding the dogs' owner, Zoe, unconscious from a deliberate drug overdose. Lucas's actions save Zoe, but does she want to be saved? It turns out she has an unforgivable accident in her past, which has made her persona non grata in the town. And both boys have brothers struggling to deal with their experiences in the Vietnam War. Another example of people with difficult lives coming together to form new bonds, new families. Heart-wrenching and uplifting. But Velez is still the champ in my mind!
Sharon, I'm so glad you liked The Widow of Rose Street. Lesa, give it a try when you grab a moment.
Thank you, Margie. I missed the last book in Ann Parker's series, so I was wondering how she went from owning a saloon in Colorado to a music store in San Francisco. I appreciate the update.
Mystery-wise, I'm re-reading Her Royal Spyness for a book discussion. Nice, light, funny. Good for this time of year.
Non-mystery, I just finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. It's a fantasy, with portal-traveling (instead of time traveling), a quest, replete with travelers, writers, scholars, bad guys, and magic. Not perfectly written, but kept me glued to my seat.
I went out to drop Jackie off at the nail salon and it was already 70! What is amazing to a New Yorker is not that it is 80 in the afternoon, but waking up to 70s. Nice.
I’m working on KNOT IN MY BACKYARD by Mary Marks. I just started it last night, so I’m not too far into it yet.
Started PAST CRIMES by Glen Erik Hamilton on audio yesterday as well. Again, not too far into it yet, but I’m enjoying it.
Michelle, I've heard so many good things about The Ten Thousand Doors of January. And, I like time travel, although you did say portal-traveling, so I'm going to have to remember that book.
Oh, yes, Jeff. Very nice. And, I'm jealous.
Fan of Glen Erik Hamilton's series and character, Mark. I hope you enjoy it.
I want to read this one!
Last night (very late!) I finished Juliet Blackwell's "The Vineyards of Champagne." And this was another excellent novel written by one of my favorite authors. Besides enjoying her voice and being thoroughly engrossed in the story and characters I found engaging, I learned a great deal. Highly recommended!
Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason; Icelandic police procedural about a murder that goes back to a rape case in the 1960's.
Dying for a Double by Cindy Sample; Great cozy about a movie star that disappears, and another one that is murdered.
The Ruined Map by Kobo Abe; Weird Japanese mystery that's supposed to be literary, but only if you haven't read a lot of noir.
Light It Up by Nick Petrie; Peter Ash takes on legalized pot hijackers.
I read UNREQUITED HEART by L.A. McGinnis. It’s a vampire romance with time travel thrown in. It was better than I expected.
APPLE CIDER SLAYING by Julie Anne Lindsey. It’s the first cozy mystery that I’ve finished in a while.
An ARC of THE HOUSE THAT VANITY BUILT by Nancy Cole Silverman. A psychic tries to solve a murder in L.A. It was readable but I didn’t feel any connection with the characters.
THIN ICE by Paige Shelton. I enjoyed the first part of the book but the second half of it felt slow and too much was left up in the air.
COME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuire. The book is set at a school for wayward children who’ve gone through doors into other worlds and returned but no longer fit into this world. One of them needs her friends to go on a quest into her world to save it.
And, I want to read The Vineyards of Champagne, Kaye! This weekend. And, I'm off tomorrow, so I'll start it tonight or tomorrow. Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Glen, That's quite a compliment coming from you – Dying for a Double is great. I know how much you read, so you have reasons to be critical. Thank you.
Sandy, Thank you for your comments about Thin Ice. I'm always curious to see someone else's reaction to a book I read.
I read Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel and The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. I enjoyed them both. If you watched The Act, you'll probably like Darling Rose Gold and I got a Christopher Pike vibe from The Hunting Party. Haven't decided what book I'm going to start next….
I'm almost finished with Bleak Harbor by Bryan Gruley. It's a fine story so I'm looking forward to book two of the series.
Im print, I am reading "The Lost" by James Patterson and "Home Another Way" by Christa Parrish (for book club). On audio, it's "The Wives" by Tarryn Fisher.
And, I have Bryan Gruley's Purgatory Bay at home, Patricia.
A couple bestsellers, there, Katsteve with The Lost and The Wives. Curious as to what you think of The Lost.
Thanks for the tips! I found The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, recommended here and am enjoying the audio version.
You're welcome, Molly! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
The Wild One by Nick Petrie. I'm enjoying it very much. The writing in this book is very similar to his first book, The Drifter, which I also enjoyed. This book is set in Iceland, which I find fascinating.
I'm reading Wake Up, Wanda Wiley. It's a hilariously funny book, but it also has a heavy, sad aspect to it. I think it's very clever and original with snappy writing.
Susan, Isn't it great when an author you like doesn't disappoint?
I love snappy writing, Charlie. I've never heard of that book. I'll have to look it up.