Well, here in my world, it’s been a much better week. But, I’m not sure about yours, with all that rain in the West and a Northeaster in the East. How are you doing?
And, what are you reading this week? I’m a fourth of the way through The Mysterious Bookshop presents The Best Mystery Stories of the Year:2021, which really means stories that were published in 2020. There are twenty short stories in the collection. I’m through E alphabetically with the authors. I really enjoyed Michael Bracken’s “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”. Authors in the collection include James Lee Burke, Martin Edwards, Alison Gaylin, Stephen King, and Sara Paretsky. Of course, I thought of you, Jeff, and wondered if you’ve seen this book. I’m enjoying it, and because there is no theme, I’m not tired of reading one story after another.
So, what about you? How has your week been? And, the other important question. What are you reading?
Rough. Still working on Billy Summers by King.
Take care of yourself, Kevin. I don’t know if Stephen King is a help or not.
Crime fiction and it is a good read. Not a horror tale at all. I never read horror stuff.
I just read Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, Kevin. Supposed to be horror, but, to me, it’s more fantasy. The movie is better.
Think I read that a long time ago. Finished Billy Summers. Enjoyed it. Did not like the ending. Fits the book, but was hoping that I was not predicting correctly. (Narrator: He was.)
Moven on to the new Longmire. Enjoying it.
I have a copy of the Longmire, Kevin. Just haven’t had a chance to read it.
Rain has interfered with some of the crops being harvested, for sure. The mudslides and rockslides are pretty annoying too.
This week I read:
The Dread Queen and Other Tales by Geoff Emberlyn; A collection of horror stories by a guy that name checks Lord Dunsinay.
Hurricane by Dan Stratman; The couple that managed to rescue a plane in May Day decide to take a boat home…bad idea! Then they get fired, get sued, and taken captive by an insane billionaire. When it rains, it pours.
Suitable For Framing by Lori Roberts Herbst; A disgraced former reporter goes back home to lick her wounds. Being drafted as the official photographer at an event, she finds the body of her high school nemesis. Good thing her father is the former police chief! The solution is a cliche, but it works.
The Last Birthday Party by Gary Goldstein; a guy hits 50. His wife throws him a birthday party he doesn’t want, then leaves him. He gets fired. Then he falls off a stepladder and tears his rotator cuff, requiring him to wear a huge cast for six weeks. Things start looking up from there. Reads like a project for Brad Garrett that never got off the ground.
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke by Trevor Holliday; A not too bright criminal tries to get rid of his partner and take his woman. Everybody else involved is way ahead of him. It’s nice to read something set in the Southwest that doesn’t mention cartels.
Freedom by Mike Bond; A 60’s novel that’s about like every other 60’s novel by someone who watched The Big Chill way too many times.
The Zombie Apocalypse Call Center; “Customer service” for a zombie apocalypse finds itself in hot water when the event actually occurs. Romero should have made this into a movie.
I wondered about you, Glen, with all the rain.
I SO agree with you about cartels. I’ve been over them in crime fiction for quite some time.
I had to laugh at your summary of The Last Birthday Party. When you mentioned Brad Garrett, I knew just what the protagonist was like.
I look forward to your reviews each week, Glenn, thank you for always making me laugh!
7 books in a week! I don’t know how you do it, that’s three weeks reading for me! Amazing.
It’s been a good week. We had record amounts of rain over the weekend, which we desperately need in California. I had a successful overnight babysitting session with my grandchildren. And I’m scheduled for my Moderna booster next Tuesday.
I didn’t have as much time to read (because of the babysitting), but here’s what I finished:
The first of a new series from Joanna Schaffhausen, GONE FOR GOOD, features Annalisa Vega, a Chicago detective whose father, now retired and disabled, was a cop before her. Years ago, one of the victims of a vicious serial killer was a friend of the family, the mother of teenaged Annalisa’s boyfriend, Colin. When Colin’s father died of a heart attack a few months later, Colin disappeared into a career as a globe-hopping photojournalist and never replied to Annalisa’s letters. She eventually married and divorced a fellow detective who is currently her partner. Now, a woman in an amateur crime-solving club has been killed in the same way, and the investigation has been reopened. I admired the tense atmosphere, the convoluted plot, and the driven, three-dimensional character of Annalisa. The suspense near the end of the book is unrelenting, and it appears to have paved away for the second in the series, due in August of 2022.
When it comes to contemporary romance, Abby Jimenez is one of my favorite authors. I’ve loved all three of her previous books, and the fourth, PART OF YOUR WORLD, will surely continue her successful streak. Alexis and Daniel come from different worlds. She is a Minneapolis ER doctor destined to carry on her wealthy family’s legacy at a prestigious hospital. He is a (very) small-town carpenter who is also proprietor of his absent mother’s B&B. He lives with a goat, a pig, and a rambunctious dog. Alexis and Daniel “meet cute” when he hauls her car out of a ditch and forge a casual relationship (with benefits) based on their mutual attraction. But Daniel is almost 10 years younger, and their lifestyles don’t mesh. In addition, both have personal/family issues that they are struggling to overcome. Abby Jimenez has a knack for creating fascinating characters, fleshing out their worlds with color and interesting details. Daniel, in particular, is one of the most endearing heroes I have encountered. There is even a small dash of magical realism. Best of all, the plot is imaginative and soul-satisfying, with some fairy tale elements. Jimenez can’t write her next book fast enough for me! (Apr)
How exciting that Gigi Pandian, an award-winning author with two successful mystery series, has launched an intriguing new series featuring locked-room mysteries! In UNDER LOCK AND SKELETON KEY, Tempest Raj, who comes from five generations of magicians, has become a prominent stage magician in Las Vegas. Her act has launched her into stardom because her illusions are enhanced by the fascinating stories she weaves. But after almost perishing onstage, she is wrongly blamed for negligence, stripped of her job, and forced to move back home, suspecting her envious former stage double/assistant, Cassidy, of sabotage. While trying to figure out how to resolve her situation, Tempest takes a job helping her father with his company, Secret Staircase Construction, whose goal is to bring magic to their clients’ homes. While on the job, the crew discovers a dead body inexplicably hidden behind a wall that has been in place for a hundred years–and the body is Cassidy’s. What I love most about the book is the descriptions of the homes that have been built or altered to include fantastical elements such as secret rooms, hidden passageways, creative means of entry, and special gardens. Some of these belong to Tempest’s family, including her grandparents’ two-story “treehouse” and her parents’ bungalow that they have morphed into a 4500-square-foot magical abode. Secondary characters such as Tempest’s friends, fellow magicians, and crew coworkers are beautifully portrayed, as is the back story of the family curse and how it has played out over the generations. The author has also painstakingly plotted the “impossible” story with intricate twists and turns leading to an exciting conclusion. (March)
Margie – I’ve never even heard of Abby Jiminez, but I do like the sound of Part of your World. I hope it’s available here.
I have a copy of Gigi Pandian’s book, Margie, and now I’m really looking forward to reading it. Thank you.
I’m glad you’ve had the much-needed rain, and glad you didn’t mention any disasters as a result.
Oh, so excited about High Pandian’s new series! Thank you, Margie for getting me even more excited.
GiGi Pandian! Darn autocorrect!
I got a little rain as well in my corner of So Cal. Not as much as my family did in Northern CA, but about half an inch. I’ll take it. Now it’s back in the 80’s. I will never complain about weather in the 80’s, but I enjoyed the rain on Monday. I wouldn’t mind a little more.
Wednesday, I finished DOGGONE DEADLY, the second in a series from Deborah Blake. I really enjoy it – lots of fun. Thursday, I will be starting IT ALL STARTED WITH A SCREAM, a book about the making of the movies in the Scream film franchise. I’m a huge fan of them (I know, very much goes against my cozy reading choices). I skimmed the book a little when I got it and I’m not super impressed, but I’ll read it and see what I think.
That is a surprise, Mark. I never would have expected your movie choices from your reading selections.
I imagine everyone in California is grateful for some of that rain.
Hello Lesa and all theThursday people,
I’m so glad you’ve had a better week Lesa! We’ve had some rain, but nothing like southern Scotland. In between we’ve had beautiful sunny days.
This week I have my elder daughter staying, so my reading has been even less than last week. However, it’s lovely to see her, and we’ve just had a great walk beside the river – where we saw an otter. I had not seen one down there for weeks, so it was lovely that he or she turned up just when Anna was visiting – and flipped about very near the bank, so we had a great view. We also saw a heron flying, and lots of very noisy ducks…
Earlier in the week Nancy and I had a fabulous walk on the Skene Estate. We’d never been there before, although it is not very far at all. The views were wonderful, and we also found Skene House, a huge mansion. The garden contractor told us that it has 52 bedrooms, and that the original tower was the property of Robert the Bruce. The entrance to it was on the second floor, accessible only by ladder, as this could be pulled up at a moment’s notice if anyone attacked. Arrows would then be fired through the ‘arrowslits’.
Since those days the house has been extended many times. The current owners bought it in the 1990s when it was derelict, and have been doing it up ever since. The gardener told us that it is still not much more than a building site inside – it has taken them all these years just to restore the external parts, including the roof, which has been redone with Ballachulish slates. (Ballachulish is a village in the Highlands whose quarry supplied roofing tiles for Edinburgh and Glasgow from the 17th century until 1955.) We had such an interesting morning.
Anna is reading WAR & PEACE, which is a book I have never even attempted. I listened to ANNA KARENINA on BBC Sounds and enjoyed it, but I’ve not read any Tolstoy ‘on the page’.
I’m about to start another of Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café books – this one is VINYL CAFÉ UNPLUGGED. I really enjoyed HOME FROM THE VINYL CAFE, which I re-read recently. Such gentle, kind, but also often quietly hilarious, stories of everyday life in suburban Canada. As the dust jacket says:
‘Dave and Morley would no doubt tell you that life is what you make it. Unfortunately for them, that means a compilation tape of mistakes, miscues, misunderstandings and muddle…..Like the rest of us, Dave, Morley, Stephanie and Sam are just doing their best to respond to the challenges of modern life.’
This week I also listened to Agatha Christie’s TOWARDS ZERO. Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) plays Neville, the ward of old Lady Tresselian, whose home is Gulls’ Point in Cornwall. Neville and his second wife Kay have come to stay at the same time as Neville’s first wife Audrey (played by Clare Rushbrook) and the usual assortment of other guests. When a retired judge is invited to dinner, he recognises a child killer from the past – but before he can reveal his or her identity, he is murdered. Neither Poirot nor Miss Marple features in this story, though one of the other guests is a disgraced former police detective, whom Lady Tresselian has rescued when he tried to commit suicide by jumping from the cliffs. I found this one interesting enough to continue listening, but I wouldn’t say it was one of her better efforts.
When I was in town to meet Anna from the train I couldn’t resist a quick trawl of some charity shops – this yielded:
LISA & CO by Jilly Cooper (one of her early books, which I much prefer to her later blockbusters)
ANTIDOTE TO VENOM by Freeman Wills Crofts – one of the British Library Crime Classics
THE STING OF DEATH by Rebecca Tope (one of her Cotswold mystery series)
TANGIER by Ian Finlayson – about the writers, artists – and criminals – who sought refuge in Tangier after the First World War. People like Paul Bowles, Truman Capote, Cecil Beaton and even Ronnie Kray. I had a day trip to Tangier many years ago, when spending Christmas on Gibraltar. It was an incredibly exotic experience for me and my mother; both of us had hardly been anywhere further than Brighton at the time. My mother even had a ride on a camel (I was much too scared.) The book looks interesting.
On TV we are enjoying the new series of SHETLAND, and I also started watching Ann Cleeves’ THE LONG CALL. I have the book but haven’t yet read it. The first episode was promising, but some people who are familiar with the book say too many details have been changed. It’s about Matthew Venn, a police detective who has returned, with his male partner, to Devon, where he was brought up in a strict religious sect. Twenty years ago he had been told by his mother that he had to leave as the members would not accept his lifestyle, but he now realises that only his mother wanted him to go. Meanwhile a body has turned up on the beach; it is of a drifter who had been working at a local community centre and lodging with a social worker, her boyfriend, and their other tenant, an artist. He has been stabbed to death.
There are already lots of other characters and plot lines, and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the series – which is actually being shown over 4 nights this week, but as Anna is here I’ll watch the rest on catch-up next week.
We also watched the final instalment of this series of GRANCHESTER. I think it’s been a good series, with some very interesting issues raised. The ending was really quite moving.
And of course we are still watching the BAKE OFF – last night was Pastry Week. Pastry is one thing I simply cannot make, so I had a lot of sympathy for the contestants, who were required to create things like a raised terrine pie, and chouxnuts, which seem to be some sort of choux bun deep fried like a doughnut. Very difficult – there were plenty of disasters!
Meanwhile, Mr Charlie Parker has settled right in with us and is taking over as all good Siamese do. He is delighted to have Anna here – another admirer and playmate. When he gets tired he disappears, and we had a few panicky moments when we couldn’t find him – but now I’ve found his hidey-hole, which is the top shelf of my wardrobe, right next to the hot water pipes. He’s quite smart!
Have a good week everyone.
Rosemary
Oh dear. Thanks for the warning about Grantchester Rosemary. I will have my tissues on standby 🙂 We only just finished episode 3 I think where Geordie finds out about Will’s military service. The Leonard storyline has been quite moving this season.
I have been enjoying Grantchester this season as well. I think it has been one of the best so far.
Rosemary, I’m sure you’re enjoying Anna’s visit, but it sounds as if you still make room for other things in your world. Such as charity shops!
I loved learning about the Skene Estate, and Robert the Bruce.
I have to admit, though, that Mr Charlie Parker’s adventures are my favorite part of your post. He is quite smart!
Hugs & have a good week. Enjoy your daughter’s visit.
Rosemary, Britbox is teasing us with the two upcoming Ann Cleeves shows, so I guess we will be getting them soon. We do enjoy SHETLAND.
I had a good deal of time to read over the past weekend as it rained seemingly non-stop. Total was around 6 inches, almost half the average yearly rainfall for Nevada, the driest state. Fortunately the rained stopped before my nephew dropped his three dogs off. The dogs, a 15 year old Shepherd/Rottweiler mix, a Border Collie & a tiny rescue dog will be here for a week enjoying the room to run and rabbits to chase.
I started off with an amazing read, The North Face Of The Heart by Delores Redonda (2019) translated by Michael Meigs (2021) I’d heard nothing about it, but saw it in the library’s new books section (so happy to be able to browse once again).
The description of the plot – a young female detective from Spain immersed in a group of FBI agents hunting a serial killer during Katrina in New Orleans – was enough to get me started. At almost 500 pages the story is quite involved with several related plots, but mesmerizing.
I haven’t seen the movies, but the author’s Baztan Trilogy has been adapted for Netflix. There are three films in the series; The Invisible Guardian, The Legacy Of The Bones and Offering To The Storm.
Still reading my way through William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series.
Heavens Keep, the 9th book, has O’Connor in Sheriff Longmire country in Wyoming. No Longmire, but the Absaroka Mountains play a big part in this story. And the local sheriff has the “always right, never in doubt” attitude.
Cold Case, an older (1997) book features Linda Barnes’ Private Investigator Carlotta Carlyle. A total of twelve books in this series, the last written in 2008. The character was compared to V.I. and Kinsey in reviews at the time. Another tip from Aubrey Hamilton’s blog of forgotten mysteries. Well plotted although a bit dated with its references to the early internet.
MM, Well, it sounds as if you’re set for rain for a while.
I love that you’re reading Aubrey Hamilton’s suggestions of Forgotten Books. Aubrey and I are friends, and talk about every other week or so. So well-read!
We had 4 or 5 inches of rain on Tuesday with some street flooding early in the morning but they were all clear by 10 am which made me happy because my CSA delivery was able to get through. We also had a friend up for dinner on Sunday after having to change the date two other times. My mom has been happy to finally get to have visitors.
I had one of those weeks where I started several books that I just couldn’t get into. But I did finish two.
CRIME IN THE COUNTRY by Annette Dashofy. She self published a book containing 6 short stories featuring Zoe and Pete from her Zoe Chambers mystery series. Even though I’d read a few of them before, I enjoyed it.
An ARC of FOGGED OFF by Wendell Thomas. A NYC travel agent goes to London to retrieve the remains of a client and winds up having to solve his murder.
I’m glad your roads were okay, Sandy.
I have an ARC of Fogged Off. I hope to get to it this weekend because Wendell is a guest author on my blog next week.
Not much reading this week. I did finish A Dream of Death by Connie Berry and just loved it. Thanks so much Margie for commenting on this series. I can’t wait to dive into the next one.
Now I am reading The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. It is just as good as the first one.
We finished streaming Guilt last night from PBS Passport. What a gem.
A rainy day on tap for my house so I hope to get some reading in as well as pictures on our almost bare walls.
Happy Reading!
Sounds as if we’re all getting much-needed rain, Sharon. Ours came in last night, and we’re expected to have it off and on through Saturday.
Two good books there with Berry and Osman’s latest ones.
Happy Reading to you as well!
I keep wondering what I missed with Osman’s first, Thursday Murder Club. I managed about 60 pages and gave it up. Everyone else seems to have loved it.
You missed nothing, Rick. Osman’s book obviously wasn’t a good fit for you. It happens.
We will be having some rain today and were supposed to yesterday, but it mostly amounted to clouds. The leaves are falling in earnest now, but the colors are still pretty.
This week I read:
Unleased by Eileen Brady – the second book in the Kate Turner, DVM series. My favorite thing about this series is following Kate on her rounds as a veterinarian both in her office and as she makes house calls. I always learn so much and find it fascinating. The mystery was good as well and involved a client of Kate’s. It even touched on the art world a little.
The Cider Shop Rules by Julie Anne Lindsey – the third book in the Cider Shop Mystery series. This was one of my favorite reads of the year. Each book in this series gets better. Julie Anne Lindsey creates such great characters who have such big hearts. The mysteries are good too! And while I am not a huge romance fan, the touch of romance in these is just right. The mystery involves the murder of a local pumpkin farmer. He was loved by all, so who would want to kill him? There is a secondary mystery that was carried over from the last book. The two mysteries are a lot to handle for local Sheriff Colton Wise. There were lots of twists and turns and complications that made this a fun read.
Have a great week everyone!
I wondered about the Cider Shop mysteries, Gretchen. Thank you for talking about the latest one.
Stay safe, dry & have a good week!
Good morning, Lesa and all. We had over 3 1/2 inches of rain the last two days, bring the monthly total to over 4 inches, and after a very wet July through September, the reservoirs are way above normal levels. Not that I’m complaining, but some area in New Jersey have flooding issues. Had a very good Anniversary weekend in the city – saw The Mavericks in an excellent concert on Saturday night and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD on Broadway Sunday afternoon. Both venues were careful about checking proof of vaccination and picture ID, and the theater (which was packed) insisted that everyone keep their mask on at all times. And yes, they frequently came around to check.
So, reading my usual 4-5 books but missed a couple of days there. I did read:
Darynda Jones, A GOOD DAY FOR CHARDONNAY, he rsequel to A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE. Picks up where the first book left off, with Sheriff Sunshine Vicram and her family, friends and colleagues in New Mexico. This was a little thin on plot for the first three-quarters or so, but then it kicks into high gear and throws in everything but the kitchen sink. Still worth reading, just not as good as the first one. Jackie read that and is halfway through the second one.
Patricia Highsmith, ELEVEN (aka THE SNAIL-WATCHER) is a quite disturbing collection of short stories. Two are snail-related, including “The Nail-Watcher” who has thousands of the creatures growing in an upstairs room in his house. The second story concerns enormous snails (like, fifteen feet across!) on a small Pacific island, and a bad end for the guy who finds them. Not sure if I will read the other Highsmith collections I have on hand at the moment.
If you have any interest in behind the scenes Hollywood stories, or in television, I’d definitely recommend Ron and Clint Howard’s THE BOYS: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family. Very interesting, very well told. Ron is five years older and the bigger star and, not surprisingly, tells the bulk of the story, but they each get to tell their stories from their own point of view. Naturally, it covers from THE ANDY GRIFFTH SHOW to HAPPY DAYS. As the title indicates, family is a huge part of the story.
Mark Rubinstein is a psychiatrist and, obviously, a big mystery and thriller fan. His collection of interviews with top authors, THE STORYTELLERS, is never less than interesting and sometimes more than that. (This was quite cheap on Kindle.) Maybe it helps that I have read a large percentage of the authors he interviews, including Michael Connelly, Ken Follett, Don Winslow, Laura Lippman, Lee Child, Scott Turow, Walter Mosley, C. J. Box, Karin Slaughter, plus others like Heather Graham, Jayne Ann Krentz, Peter James and Clive Cussler. I’ll finish this in a few days. I read a couple a day,
Lastly (I’m about 1/3 through it) is Alice McDermott’s interesting essays, WHAT ABOUT THE BABY?: Some Thoughts on the Art of Fiction.
Up next: the new Longmire by Craig Johnson, DAUGHTER OF THE MORNING STAR.
Proofread!
It’s “Snail-Watcher,” obviously.
I suspected it was “Snail-Watcher”. “Nail-Watcher” would have been even slower. No, I don’t think I’ll be picking up that book by HIghsmith.
The Storytellers sounds really interesting. I’m going to have to check it out.
So good to hear about the theater, Jeff. Thank you.
Good morning. I received both my Moderna booster shot and my flu shot. I am now all “shot up” for the holidays.
I finished two books, both of which I loved! The first was The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. I liked this book even better than the first. The characters are more drawn out. The relationships more developed. The plot is outlandish but so much fun! I am so looking forward to the next one.
The other book was Lightning Strike byWilliam Kent Krueger. I have not read any of his Cork O’Connor books so I decided to go from the latest book and then move back to the first. Since this is considered a prequel, I thought it would be a good place to start. Now I plan to dive right into the rest of the series and see what becomes of the older Cork. It has been an excellent reading week!
Up next is the The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews and I am finishing up the audio of The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax.
A very happy week to all!
A good collection of reading, Kathleen. I’ve read and enjoyed everything except The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax.
And, like you, I’m all “shot up”! So happy to have my booster.
Enjoy your week!
See my comment to Sharon, above, on the Osman.
I read “The Deep Deep Snow” by Brian Freeman – I’ve read some of his other books and I think this one was the best yet – very, very good and I recommend it. I got my booster shot and, unfortunately, was sick for about 30 hours – actually even too sick to read. Glad I’m done. Supposed to rain here again on Saturday so I’m planning on a quiet reading day. Love hearing about Scotland from Rosemary. Wishing everyone a good week.
Oh, Donna. I’m sorry about your booster. We’re expecting rain here this weekend as well, so I’m hoping for a couple reading days.
I’m with you. I love Rosemary’s Scotland post, and she just sent me a post I’m going to use in November.
You’re the first person I’ve heard of who had a reaction to the booster. Was it Pfizer?
Yes Pfizer was sick after second shot as well
Grrrr, Argh, and Pafooey. After three (or maybe four) tries, I give up.
Kaye – So frustrating!
Someone here suggested, after experiencing that disappearing act myself, to type into some sort of word document & copy/paste. Saved me a time or two. I used a free app, Color-note, on my tablet.
I’ve done that, too, MM.
Yes, I now type my whole post in Word and copy and paste it into Lesa’s blog. I have lost too many posts (not just on here, I hasten to add) when typing direct onto a blog, etc.
I’m sorry, Kaye. I’m still sending hugs!
I pre-type my comments in another App and then paste in. The only thing is I have to edit the book titles as pasting seems to remove italics.
Finished and reviewed George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy about the internment of the Japanese before and during WWII I took an Asian literature course in Pasadena. My teacher had been interned too at the same place that Mr. Takei was. After one student said that it was not that big a thing in class, she broke down in tears and anger and told her own story. The book was well written and had some details that I did not know about before.
Also, in a rebellion against books written in tiny print, I started on from my own bookshelf., Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love. I do not often read romance but this is the last in a series and the author makes me comfortable! It is in small but not tiny print.
We had a lot of rain all day yesterday, and now I am sore and achy. I have an iron infusion this afternoon, so I will be glad to read something I really enjoy while I am getting my iron,
Carolee, I’m glad your teacher had the courage to talk about her own experiences. That was a tragedy, and the way we treated people was terrible.
I hope you enjoy your book and your reading time.
I liked George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy a lot too. An excellent graphic novel on an important subject. I had a wonderful neighbor who’s parents were impounded at Manzanar and told me about it. Shameful.
I lol post this first, then go back to comment elsewhere, as it’s already about 11am Pacific time.
It’s been a wet, very windy week here in Portland. Unfortunately, that resulted in a lot of the Fall foliage, which was beautiful, landing on the ground, where, when conditions allow, blowing and raking will result in piles to go into the compost bin. Oh, my aching back.
I may have mentioned last week, after my rant, that I finished Mercy Creek, which I enjoyed in spite of a bit over-the-top cop attitude of the protagonist. Then I read The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis, a novel about a young orphan who is a chess prodigy. It was made into a film which I haven’t seen. I’m no chess player but enjoyed the book a lot and recommend it.
I finished The Mammoth Book of Locked Room Mysteries & Impossible Crimes edited by Mike Ashley, a 512 page, 29 story anthology which I highly recommend for any who like the puzzle aspect of who and how dunnit. I blog posted it yesterday (https://tipthewink.net).
Now I’m reading Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time, a classic of the mystery genre by any standard. Why I hadn’t read it years ago I’m not sure, most likely simply due to the “so many books, so little time” reality. However, I’ve not had time (!) to finish it. I will say at the 125 page point, it’s chock full of history, as you’d expect from a book about Richard III.
I hope all who read this are well and content.
First sentence: I’ll post…
I loved DAUGHTER OF TIME, Rick, and enjoyed that locked room book too, as well as THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT (which was a mini-series on Netflix). I liked his MOCKINGBIRD too.
Like Jeff, I loved DAUGHTER OF TIME, so I’m waiting to see what you think when you finish it. I love all the history.
It is amazing that the month is almost over. Glen had his cataract surgery on Oct. 5, and now that was three weeks ago (seems like six weeks though, it has not been smooth sailing). He will still be taking a second set of drops for a few weeks to help with swelling, but he will still see the optometrist for new glasses in early November and I hope that helps his reading out a lot.
We got a day of rain, not too much and not damaging, but more would have been better. The driveway work is still in progress but I think the rain slowed it down more. I am becoming more accepting of this, now that we have an avenue to get our trash out to the street.
Latest book finished was FETE FATALE by Robert Barnard. I enjoyed the other book I read by him this month (A LITTLE LOCAL MURDER) so much, and I had just picked up a copy of this one at the book sale. And it is very good, light and humorous. The books are similar (small town, sort of gossipy) but not too similar. I loved it but I don’t know how well I can review it. It is the kind of story that you almost have to spoil to describe it at all.
Right now I am reading THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy, published 1961, and I am close to finishing it. It was my pick for the Classic Club spin, and I am glad I finally read something by this author. It is set in the South, in New Orleans, but it talks a lot about other cities I am familiar with. He goes to the Gulf Coast (Biloxi, Mississippi) and my family vacationed there several times when I was a child. We were at a much lower socioeconomic level than the characters in this book, though. This is one of the few books I have read set in the South where I had some recognition of my own feelings and experiences.
Tracy, I’m sorry about Glen’s eyes. Nothing worries me more than having eye problems. I hope they improve soon for him.
That’s very interesting about THE MOVIEGOER, and your own recognition of it.
Don’t you hate it when you can really only discuss a book with someone who has read it? So tough to share when that happens.
I sure hope Glen continues to get better! I guess I was just luck with my eye surgery. Fingers crossed.
A note about reading quantity: each week here I read all the comments and see that most people read several books per week. That amazes me! For decades, I used to have a reading goal of 104 books a year, that is, two a week average. I always thought two books per week was a lot!
Yesterday I looked at the list I keep of what I read and I see that last year my total books read was way down, and so is this year. I doubt I’ll read 60 books this year, and that will include some non-fiction that had fewer pages and went fast.
Now I’m thinking I need to change my reading goal to half what it was, and though it’s not a contest, I’m feeling like I can’t keep up. I’m retired, I have nearly unlimited reading time, yet… Good for all of you who can zip through so many books, but for us slow readers, it’s very frustrating. *SIGH*
Rick, I have the same questions about myself. I read less than I used to (when I was still working) and post on my blog less. I thought when I was retired I would read more and do more blogging. I haven’t figured it out, but I guess I should not worry about it.
Well, maybe I was more obsessed with Covid last year or something, but I am definitely reading more this year. Short stories you know. I am past 750 read this year, which seems crazy to me. I’ve kept a list of stories read since 2014 and the highest total was 820, so I should pass that with ease. Last year was the lowest in that period, 555. When I started this – I think it was August of 1995 – my goal was one story per day. Any days I missed (there were usually a few, due to traveling or illness) I always made up. But lately, short stories have become a thing unto themselves for me. I wouldn’t keep it up if I didn’t enjoy them.
As for books, my goal used to be 200 a year but I haven’t done that in some time. Current goal is 150 but, again, I’ve been way short. This year as of today I have read 122. 53 of those are short story collections and anthologies.
Back in the mid-70s when I was reading probably 80% mysteries, I sometimes read two or three books A DAY. Granted, some were things like Perry Mason books and other fast reads, but still.
Jeff, a Perry Mason would count as a regular book for me, one of my try for 2 in a week. So far this year I’ve read just over 50 books, including a few under 100 pages. Maybe it’s just I don’t have the energy I used to.
Rick, Even if you read 50 a year, you’re way over the national average. That’s nothing to feel bad about.
Perhaps you have a life? For the last 2 years, I haven’t traveled as I love to do. In the last year, I haven’t even done anything or eaten dinner at my best friend’s because her husband’s health isn’t great. I live alone with 2 cats. I watch dinner when I eat or when college football games are on. That’s about it. So, I read when I’m home.
I’ve always been a fast reader, even as a kid. It wasn’t unusual even then for me to read 2 or 3 books a day. There were times in the last year when I couldn’t read at all, so I make up for it when I feel like reading.
We love that you’re here. Never feel bad about beating the national average. Thank you, Rick, for all your comments.
I think the national average is more like 4 books a year, but I could be wrong. I’m a fast reader too. If we didn’t watch television all night I’m sure I would get a lot more reading done, but I can’t concentrate on both things at once. When Jackie was away on education-related trips, and when she was in the hospital and rehab getting her knee replacement some years afo, I rarely turned the television on, other than to see the weather or a baseball game.