First, I’ll check in and say I went to see “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” last Sunday, and loved it. It’s a quiet, good movie. Lesley Manville was perfect in the role. And, the clothes! Oh, my gosh! The movie is set in 1958, and the dresses were stunning. Thank you, Rosemary, for sending the review. I didn’t read it until after I saw it, and I agreed with much of what the critic said. If you have trouble with English accents, or don’t want to read the French in subtitles, or, like my college roommate, get bored with a movie with little action, you won’t enjoy it. But, I loved it.
I’m currently reading Kate Carlisle’s latest Bibliophile mystery, The Paper Caper. Release date is Tuesday, July 26. Because the protagonist, Brooklyn Wainwright, is a bookbinder and restorer, each mystery focuses on one particular title and author. This time, the Covington Library in San Francisco has a five-day celebration of Mark Twain, and it’s centered around The Prince and the Pauper. I’ve only read three chapters so far, but I know there will be a murder, and Brooklyn and her husband, Derek Stone of Stone Security, will be involved.
What about you? Tell us what you’ve been reading this week. I hope you’re staying home with a good book to avoid the heat. Stay safe!
Hello, everyone! It’s been a bit difficult to read this week. I spent Friday afternoon through Monday morning glamping at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park (my first real “trip,” although it’s only an hour from home, in 3 years), enjoying the pool, lazy river, and great homemade food and companionship with my family. You’d better believe I had my own cabin, though, and my older son was able to join me for a day and a half. I had started a book before arriving, and after I was 40% in, the main character was still in a “woe is me” state, and nothing had really happened to change it, so I gave up. Too bad–good author, good reviews, just not for me. I started a cozy and couldn’t get into that one either.
But finally I started an ARC of Shauna Robinson’s THE BANNED BOOKSHOP OF MAGGIE BANKS, and that did the trick. Maggie thinks subbing for her ex-college roommate as a bookshop proprietor during Rochelle’s maternity leave may get her out of a long-standing rut. But she never expected Cobblestone Books to be quite possibly the most boring bookshop ever. Its inventory is restricted to classics and other serious books published during the lifetime of town hero and author Edward Bell, which means no books published after 1968! Maggie is no book lover herself, but she knows that giving the locals the books they want to read might save the struggling bookshop and Rochelle’s job. Little does she know that the store’s majority owner will throw roadblocks in her way at every turn, but that doesn’t keep her from coming up with creative solutions, enlisting the help of others who are empathetic with her quest. I loved the author’s sympathetic portrayal of down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is Maggie, who has to balance what she knows to be right with those who owe their livelihood to the town’s pervasive Edward Bell Society. Supporting characters are also well-drawn with interesting details. I personally rooted for Maggie and suffered along with her as she faced near-impossible challenges. I loved the author’s Must Love Books and feel this book is a worthy successor. (November)
Before the weekend, I read an ARC of THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT by Lynda Cohen Loigman. What a lovely, unique book! Sara was born at the turn of the 20th century, her impoverished Jewish family leaving Romania on a steamship for a hopefully better life in New York City in 1910. It was on that ship that Sara first realized she had a talent for knowing when two people will make a stellar match. The marriage brokers in New York are all male, motivated not by love but by money. They also lack the otherworldly gift young Sara possesses. But they are outraged and threatened by her when they hear of her perfect record of successes. They argue that she is infringing on their livelihood, even though she doesn’t accept payment, and that matchmakers must be married men. In the 1990s, Sara’s granddaughter Abby idolizes her, although she is a bit skeptical of Sara’s talent. Abby has taken a different path, as a divorce lawyer in Manhattan. The story successfully alternates between the two timelines. Sara struggles throughout her life to conceal her activity from the male marriage brokers, all the while dedicated to her calling. Her story is told through her interactions with her family and those whose lives she changes forever. Abby finds some journals after her grandmother’s death that make her look at her Sara’s life–and her own–in different ways. I fell in love with both of the protagonists, and with the author’s attention to authenticity of time and place and her loving detail of all of the supporting characters. To top it all off, I found the last page to be perfect! (September)
I just put The Matchmaker’s Gift on a list for another staff member, so I’m glad it lived up to expectations, Margie. Did you need a vacation when you got home?
Lesa, I did need a vacation when I got home! I told my son I didn’t know why I was so tired when I had been relaxing all weekend, but he said it was probably that when we were with family so much, we were “on” all the time rather than in our regular daily routine. Makes sense. Then the next day (Tuesday), Nick and I had to get up at 4:00 a.m. so he could make a 5:30 a.m. check-in at the hospital for an outpatient procedure to build a dialysis port in his arm from his own veins. Once it matures (4-6 weeks), and if it works, he can have the port removed from his chest and finally take a shower! Anyway, anticipating getting up so early was worse than actually doing it, but I think both of us are still recuperating from 4 hours at the hospital, though the surgery appears to be successful (he has a stethoscope to listen to his heart through his arm every day). Fascinating!
Margie, that whole “being on” thing truly can be exhausting! Great to hear such good news about your son.
I totally agree. My son, younger daughter and I all feel exactly the same about large gatherings of any kind – even with friends or family (sometimes especially with some of our extended family!) we soon feel exhausted. My son has married into a big Irish family – they are all lovely people but there is nothing they like more than a huge family gathering. Luckily his wife understands that it’s not his favourite thing, and factors in time for him to go for a walk or something similar.
I’m so glad things are starting to improve for your son Marge. A 4am start though- what a thought!
I agree with Kaye that “being on” can be exhausting. And, followed by an early morning, and intense day. That is good news about your son. I’m glad you had family time together, though.
Good morning. This week I tried a couple of library books that I just couldn’t get into. I did finish and enjoy CASTLE DEADLY, CASTLE DEEP by Victoria Bond.
Sandy, I’m glad you enjoyed Veronica Bond’s book!
The summer is just flying past, startling to hear back-to-school buzz already.
I read a few interesting books this week starting with the first book (2008) in Ann Cleeves Shetland Island series, RAVEN BLACK. An intriguing murder mystery abounding in red herring suspects. “Another man who had fallen for Catherine. It seems she had made fools of them all.”
I’ve downloaded the second book with several more to go if the first is typical of the series.
I think a few others have previously commented on THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY the new book by Sulari Gentill. Four strangers are sharing a table in the library reading room when the silence is shattered by a scream. Best for readers that like a complicated, well-written mystery. I found the subplot (on-going critique emails) successful, but distracting.
And the latest entry from Denmark’s most popular novelist, Sara Blaedel. A HARMLESS LIE features her series character Detective Louise Rick. On leave from her job with her personal life in turmoil, she gets an emergency call that her brother has attempted suicide. Interesting skew on a police procedural with the emphasis on emotional ponderings and not on forensic detail.
Ann Cleeves and Sara Blaedel are both excellent -they are two of my favorite authors so enjoy!
I too like Ann Cleeves – and I was sad this week to read that Douglas Henshall will leave the TV adaptation of SHETLAND after the next series. They say they are going to find a new actor to play Jimmy Perez, but I think whoever it is will have a hard time filling Douglas’s shoes – he is immensely popular, especially here in Scotland.
No! I can’t see anyone else as Jimmy Perez.
Actually, the news reports are is that he is leaving and taking the Jimmy Perez character with him. Apparently they already have somebody line up to be a new DI for season 8.
The trailer has also now been released: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/shetland-season-7-trailer-newsupdate/
Thanks Kevin, I didn’t know that. I cancelled our subscription to Radio Times as it was so expensive and not worth it for us, so thanks for sharing this.
MM, It’s been a long time since I read Raven Black, but it is typical. And, I enjoyed A Harmless Lie, although I hadn’t read her earlier books. Donna is right. Excellent books!
I have been having a lot of trouble settling down to read the past couple of months. I have started and put down, unfinished, quite a few books. This week, though, I finally read and finished the latest Lady Hardcastle mystery, Rotten to the Core. I really enjoy this series. The setting of a small English village at the turn of the century is very interesting. Lady Hardcastle and her assistant, Flo, solve another interesting mystery with lots of laugh out loud humor. Just what I needed!
Don’t you hate it, Jennifer, when you can’t settle into a good book? And a couple months! That’s a long time to go. I’m glad you finally found something you enjoyed.
Read a good one that I think you might like – Blood Will Tell by Heather Chavez as it has to do with to what extent would you go to help your sister. Since you have two sisters that you are close to I think you will relate. It was a good read while staying inside in a/c as we are now in the 90’s in CT. Stay cool everyone.
Hmmm. I’ll have to think about that, Donna. How far would I go for my sisters? (smile) I’ll keep it in mind. Yes, you stay cool, too!
I cannot wait to see Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris! I know I’ll love it. But. Since it’s not being shown at our one little movie theatet I expect I’ll have to wait until I can eatch it streaming on-line.
Meanwhile, I’ve read two books that i loved. They could not be more different, but loved ’em both.
The Villa of Sun and Secrets by Jennifer Bohnet
From Amazon:
“Carla Sullivan’s 50th birthday is fast approaching when her whole world is turned upside down. Discovering her feckless husband is having yet another affair and following her mother’s death, she is in need of an escape. Finding an envelope addressed to her mother’s estranged sister Josette in the South of France gives Carla the perfect plan.
Seizing the moment, she packs her bags and heads to Antibes to seek out the enigma known as Tante Josette. But as the two women begin to forge a tentative relationship, family secrets start to unravel, forcing Carla to question her life as she has always known it.
A heart-warming tale on the beautiful French Riviera, which will keep you guessing. From the bestselling author of Summer at Coastguard Cottages, The Little Kiosk by the Sea and Rosie’s Little Cafe on the Riviera. Perfect for the fans of Jill Mansell and Fern Britton.”
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (ARC from NetGalley)
“From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.
As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.
Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.
As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.
Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.
Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.”
Oh I like the sound of The Villa, Kaye – ‘Inspired by Fleetwood Mac’ is enough to draw me in!
I did immediately think of the Shelleys when I read that description. But, I’m not sure I’m ready for one inspired by the Manson murders.
Mrs. Harris is more my speed. I hope you do get to see it someday, Kaye.
I’m glad you enjoyed the movie, Lesa.
Two very good books this week.
The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry has been reviewed here already. I think this may be favorite book of the series so far. I loved the painting plotline, and I am very excited about a possible new direction for Tom and Kate. I hope this series continues a very long time.
I also read The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan. It was predictable and tied up in a neat little bow at the end, but I really enjoyed all the characters. Violet-the entitled daughter of the manor who is conscripted to serve during WWII, Grace-the vicar’s daughter who has forgotten to look out for herself after tending for her shell-shocked widowed father and parishioners, and Clarissa-the dress designer who comes home to the manor after being bombed out in London. The title comes from the group remaking donated white wedding dresses for brides while there was a clothing shortage. I am sure it isn’t for everyone as it was preachy at times, but I really liked it.
Still hot in Cincinnati. Our air conditioning seems to run nonstop.
Happy Reading!
Sharon, is The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by the author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir? I enjoyed that, and this sounds good too.
Yes. The same author. I hope you enjoy it.
Sharon, You picked up on just what I enjoyed about The Shadow of Memory. As you said, maybe my favorite in the series so far. I like Tom and Kate.
Stay cool – inside reading!
I look forward to seeing Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. We never go to movie theaters, so it will wait until we can stream it or get a copy on disc. I remember Leslie Manville in Topsy Turvy, and she was very good in that.
I have just started a Canadian Reading Challenge. It always starts on July 1st (Canada Day) and goes to the next June. I don’t do it every year, but right now I have lots of books set in Canada or written by Canadian authors on my shelves.
I just finished THE ENGLISH WIFE by Adrienne Chinn (two days ago) and enjoyed it, although it was more of a romance than I usually read. I loved the setting in Newfoundland. The story covers three time periods: during World War II, in the UK; 2001, at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when many planes coming into New York were rerouted to Newfoundland; and ten years later when Sophie Parry returns to the town of Tippy’s Tickle, Newfoundland to propose plans for a resort in that area. The focus jumps back and forth between the World War II years and 2001, in very short chapters, and that distracted me sometimes, although I usually like that approach.
Prior to that I read VENGEANCE by Stuart M. Kaminsky, the first in the Lew Fonesca series. Kaminsky was already a favorite author, due to his Inspector Rostnikov series set in Russia, but when Lesa mentioned that she had read the Lew Fonesca series set in Sarasota, Florida, I was motivated to give that one a try. I loved that book. Lew Fonesca is not legally a private detective; he works as a process server. But in this book he takes on two cases: a runaway teenage daughter and a missing wife. There are five more in the series and I will be getting to the next one as soon as I can fit it in.
Now reading: THE MAN FROM BERLIN by Luke McCallin. A historical mystery, set during World War II, in Sarajevo.
Tracy, I am with you on not going into cinemas.
Every book you mention in your post interests me, especially The English Wife (since we lived for a short while in Newfoundland). I also didn’t know about the Canadian Reading Challenge – by chance I was trying to make a list of Canadian authors a few months ago and failed miserably (I know, I should’ve googled it…), so i’d be very interested in hearing about the ones on your shelves. Could you maybe do us a list?
I’ll add Ausma Zehana Khan. Great sense of place in her mysteries. She’s considered a Canadian author even though she was born in UK and currently resides in Colorado.
Thanks, MM. I checked into Ausma Zehana Khan’s mysteries and they look very good. I will check where I can find a copy. I think I may have read a review of one of her books a while back, and then she dropped of my radar.
Rosemary, thanks for asking about Canadian authors. Since I just recently posted about joining the Canadian Reading Challenge, I have a list from that post, plus some that were mentioned in the comments. So, here it is. Some of the books are set in Canada, not written by Canadian authors:
Unless noted otherwise, all these books are mysteries.
Already read:
Dead in the Water – Ted Woods
Adrienne Chinn – The English Wife (author is not Canadian, story is set in Canada)
Other books I plan to read are:
Kelley Armstrong – A Darkness Absolute
Louise Penny – The Long Way Home
Stef Penney – The Tenderness of Wolves (author is not Canadian, story is set in Canada)
Alexandra Pratt Lost Lands Forgotten Stories : A Woman’s Journey to the Heart of Labrador(nonfiction)
Robin Spano – Dead Politician Society
Michael van Rooy – An Ordinary Decent Criminal
L. R. Wright – Fall From Grace
Iona Whishaw – A Killer in King’s Cove
Other Canadian authors I have on my shelves are:
Vicky Delany
J. Robert Janes
Maureen Jennings
Dietrich Kalteis
Margaret Millar
Sam Wiebe
Eric Wright
The following are not mystery authors, or at least not exclusively:
Margaret Laurence, Carol Shields, Brian Moore, Mordecai Richler, Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, & Robertson Davies
Great list, Tracy. I’ll add another mystery author, A.J. Devlin. Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia de Luce mysteries, is Canadian although he now lives in Malta. And, if you stumble across Bill Richardson’s Bachelor Brothers’ Bed & Breakfast, it’s delightful, but I think it’s out of print.
Oh I don’t know how I forgot about The Bachelor Brothers! I discovered them when we lived in NFL, and I actually reread the first book quite recently – wonderful!
I loved the first book more than the second. But, I wanted a friend to read it the other day, and we don’t have a copy in the library system.
I like Eric Wright very much. He was actually English, moved to Canada as a young man. I’ve read nearly all of his books.
Wow, Jeff, I am envious. I have only read two books in the Charlie Salter series and have a couple more of those.
Thanks so much for this Tracy, I’m going to look these up. The only other one I can think of is Claire Mowat’s The Outport People (non-fiction).
Thanks for that suggestion, Rosemary. I see that The Outport People is set in Newfoundland. I will have to find a copy. I wondered if she was kin to Farley Mowat; he is her husband.
Tracy, I read The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney quite a few years ago and loved it. I also enjoyed Stef Penney’s second novel, The Invisible Ones. I have but haven’t read yet her third book, Under a Pole Star. She has a new book coming out next year, The Beasts of Paris. She puts a book out only every three or four years, but I like her writing.
Thanks, Kathy. I hope I like The Tenderness of wolves as well as you did. Then I will check out her other books.
Lesa, Thanks for those suggestions. A.J. Devlin is totally new to me. I will look for his first book.
I have read 4 or 5 of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries. I wish he would write a mystery set in Malta. I have only found two of those since I started blogging.
I would love to read Bill Richardson’s Bachelor Brothers’ Bed & Breakfast book, although I had forgotten about it. I will see where I can find a copy.
Tracy, I’m so sorry I forgot to say thank you for this (thought I had, but yet another senior moment…)
So many people seem to be talking about Margaret Millar just now.
I’m copying this list for future reference, thanks again.
Tracy, I’m glad you enjoyed Vengeance. I really feel bad for Lew & his life.
I listened to Paula Munier talk about her latest book, The Wedding Plot, last night, and she said she knows people sometimes have problems with flashbacks in books. She was very careful when she wrote one of her books with flashbacks.
Yes, it’s hot/ It was 95 yesterday and felt like over 100 and will be in that range through Monday, they say. We ran out to Costco this morning so we don’t have to go out the next two days (also a benefit of being retired).
Books. I’ve been reading mostly short stories lately, again, and feel like we’ve been running around a lot and I haven’t had a lot of time for reading. I downloaded Brandon Webb & David Mann’s second Finn book, COLD FEAR, but I’m still a book behind before getting to it. But Jackie is reading it and likes it so far. This time Finn is on the run in Iceland (a popular place for thriller writers, it seems) rather than on the aircraft carrier as in the first book in the series.
I read THE LOST, the third Mac Reid book by Jeffrey B. Burton in his K-9 series. I think perhaps he is improving, as this had multiple points of view. Mace and “the kids” are called in when an incredibly annoying billionaire is attacked and his wife and young daughter are kidnapped. Then (SPOILER, though I think the blurb tells it) it turns into a murder case. Of course, Russian mobsters are also involved. Pretty good book.
A reread was the hilarious DAVE BARRY’S BOOK OF BAD SONGS, which I rad 20 years ago but bought because the Kindle edition was only $1.99. Dave wrote a column making fun of Neil DIamond’s “I Am (I Said)” and got hate mail, plus many letters of support as well as lists of other songs his readers hated. So he turned it into a poll to get a column out of it, which ultimately turned into this fun book. Some of the “Worst” include “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro and “(She’s) Having My Baby” by the egregious Paul Anka, as well as several Barry Manilow songs.
Jean Rhys is probably best known for her prequel to JANE EYRE, WIDE SARGASSO SEA, but she also wrote many short stories over the years. I read her early stuff, THE LEFT BANK, mostly set in Paris. Next was MENDOCINO AND OTHER STORIES by Ann Packer, her first book before several successful novels. And I am just about finished with David Alexander’s dark mystery stories, THE THIRD GOLDEN AGE OF MYSTERY & CRIME MEGAPACK.
Before I get to the Mann & Webb book, I am reading the latest Kate Burkholder book by Linda Castillo, THE HIDDEN ONE, which (apparently) takes Kate out of her usual milieu and to central Pennsylvania. More next time.
Have a good week, and stay cool!
Oh my goodness Jeff, I remember ‘She’s Having My Baby’! I still sing it sometimes just to annoy my husband 🙂 What a lot of sexist drivel. However, my husband also recently picked up a CD in a charity shop of Paul Anka covers of rock songs – I think it’s called Rock Swings – and he liked it a lot, especially a big band cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit (if you can imagine that…)
I’m a little reluctant to read The Hidden One because Kate isn’t with the usual team in Painters Mill. I’m only going to pick it up because Kevin Tipple said there is more added to Kate’s past. Otherwise, I’d probably skip that one, Jeff. I’m not crazy about books when the detective leaves their main area. You and Jackie stay home for a few days so you can read and stay cool!
We are, Lesa, but we have another concert – Dion, who just turned 83 this week but is still going strong, on Saturday night on Long Island. At least this one is indoors, as I don’t know if I could take an outdoor concert in this heat. We’ll stay over atht Marriott as usual and come home after Sunday brunch.
PS – I finished the Packer and Alexander books so back to Kate Burkholder.
And the new Emma Straub book came in too.
They all come in at once, don’t they, Jeff?
I just finished it and even though I agree with you about not liking it when characters are taken out of their home areas ( think Longmire in Mexico) I would recommend that you do read it. There is a big tie-in to Kate Burkholder’s past that you will want to read. If course, there is her usual trick of putting herself in danger, though it is not all her fault this time.
A very fast reas, as usual.
It is worth the read.
Hi Lesa and everyone! I had trouble reading this week. My eyes have not settled down yet, on and off blurriness, a little double vision and a lot of clouds in my vision to wade through.
I am reading the same two books.. I am really enjoying Moon in Full by Marpheen Chann. His mother and grandmother lived trhough Pol Pot’s reign of terror in Cambodia, He was born in California and later his family moved to Maine. Grandmother made it thorugh with determiation and firmness and would let anyone push her around. When her husband came home drunk, she forced him out of the house with a broom. But his mother who became pregnant as a teenagerr was really messed up emotionally. That can be asily understood, if you know about the Kymer Rouge and the Killing Fields, The author and his sister were placed with a foster family who gave the love and food. Then there there was an uproar about he and his sister being placed with a white family and they were put in a large group home where both of them crumbled emotionally. Later placed with a woman who was very strict and not understanding, he learned to escape into books!
Meanwhile, in Hear and Soul, Maeve Binchey created a terrible villian. A woman living with her mother and often drunk and physically abusive father. I think the book is worth reading for that alone because the wiley daughter was terrible indeed. Eileen forced her way into a overweight, shy and very kindly priest’s tiny home and acted like they were having an affair. The priest was shaken to the bone and convided in his friend. An alliance formed to save the priest. His friend, Johnny saw through her guiles immediately and arranged a wonder comeuppance for her. When I read it, I laid my book down on my lap and clapped my hands!
Hi Carol – I am so sorry about your eyes, that must be so very frustrating. I had not heard of that Maeve Binchy book, so thank you for telling us about it – I do enjoy reading one of hers from time to time, so I will see if our library has this.
Interesting books, Carol. They both sound a little too depressing for me, although I know Maeve Binchy probably ended up okay. I hope your eyes improve soon!
Hi everyone – I am so glad the film lived up to expectations Lesa. Like Tracy I haven’t been inside a cinema for probably three years now, and I still feel quite hesitant about it, so I will probably wait till this appears on TV somewhere. And if anyone hasn’t seen Lesley Manville in the TV series ‘Mum’ I can highly recommend it. It’s fundamentally a comedy but so much more, with real insight into the human condition, and Manville, alongside the wonderful Peter Mullan, is brilliant in it.
Speaking of which, is it just in the UK that Prime now seems to be charging more for almost every film? Prime Video seems to have almost nothing worth watching that doesn’t require an additional fee of £5 or more. At least Netflix is free once you’ve paid the monthly charge. And as I expect I have mentioned before, the BBC is selling an awful lot of its content to streaming services like Britbox and Acorn rather than keeping it on its own i-player service. We already pay the licence fee for the BBC, but it covers less and less. Humpf.
This week many of my friends have reappeared from holidays, family visits, etc so I have had some great walks. We had an extreme weather warning for heat on Monday and Tuesday. I must say it was hot (top temp here was ‘only’ 28C [about 82F I think] but it was very close and humid, and we really are not used to this.)
Northern Scotland got off relatively easily though – my daughter in London said it was an absolutely unbearable 104F there for large parts of both days. People were told not to travel but to work from home, which she did, but she said it was still horrible. (Next week she is moving back to Edinburgh – she will be frozen!) Air conditioning is simply not a thing in homes in the UK – you do find it in some shops and public buildings, but by no means all – our local library has full height windows all along its frontage, and was absolutely boiling.
On Tuesday Nancy and i walked at Crathes Castle – we kept in the woods, so had plenty of shade, though i was still surprised when she told me she had come out with no sunscreen on at all – I had slathered myself with Factor 50.
Yesterday my friend Ann and I walked at the fisheries in Banchory. This is a lovely walk alongside the Dee, on land that is privately owned and very beautifully maintained, as wealthy people pay a fortune to come and fish there (even though you have to return anything you catch back to the river. I don’t understand the appeal myself, but plenty do!) The fishing ‘huts’ are like little palaces, not the rough and ready ones further along the river.
My son is now borrowing my car for two weeks – in exchange for lending my husband his much larger one to accommodate the moving of Anna and her possessions from North London to Edinburgh, so I will be using the bus more. Fortunately our schools are now out, so there are far fewer people going into town in the mornings.
BOOKS!
This week I finished OLIVE KITTERIDGE. I don’t have much to add to what I said about it last week – it was clearly well written, Elizabeth Stroud created nuanced characters, but they were all so unrelenting miserable that I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel. I wonder why it always seems to be books like these that win the big prizes?
I also finally finished Christopher Fowler’s BOOK OF FORGOTTEN AUTHORS, which I loved – thanks again Jeff for the recommendation. Fowler is such an interesting, witty writer, and I now have a list of far too many authors to investigate.
So now I am reading two books; the first is FROM THE HEART OF COVINGTON by Joan Medlicott. I enjoy this series, even though the author’s style can be a bit grating from time to time. She has a way of using commas that I have to force myself to overlook! Maybe it is the way people do talk in the South. Anyway despite that I was happy to return to Covington, and the farmhouse to which Amelia, Grace and Hannah have retired. In the opening chapters of this instalment Grace is struggling with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, and Hannah’s daughter Laura has lost everything, including her partner, in a hurricane that sank their boat off Puerto Rico.
My second book is THE END OF SUMMER by Rosamund Pilcher – I’ve only just started this one, but so far it’s about a Scottish girl living with her father in a beach cabin on a remote part of the Californian coast. He is a film script writer but could not bear living in Los Angeles, so they have moved to this ramshackle place where she has little to do apart from keep house for him. She has just spent a day on the beach with her dog, watching the surfers, and one boy has chatted to her on his way back up the track. I just hope the dog doesn’t die.
I’ve also just been to the library (fatal) and have come back with a stack that includes:
APPOINTMENT IN AREZZO by Alan Taylor, a Scottish journalist and writer who had a long friendship with Muriel Spark. The first time he met her was when he was sent to Arezzo (where she by then lived) to interview her in 1990; they remained friends until her death in 2006.
WRITERS UNCOVERED: JACQUELINE WILSON by Vic Parker – I wanted to read more about Jacqueline Wilson, who is a hugely successful children’s writer here in the UK, after I heard an episode of This Cultural Life (Radio 4) on which she was the guest. She spoke with great honesty about her childhood and career, and her early experiences were in many ways so similar to mine, growing up on a council estate, being an only child, making up stories in her head all day, witnessing the constant arguing between her parents (she was not mean about them at all, saying instead that they were simply wrong for one another). She recounted all this with such a great sense of humour too – I do think it makes a programme like this so much more enjoyable if people can laugh a little at themselves, and not be too self-important. This woman has sold bezillions of books worldwide, and created the famous Tracey Beaker character who later became the subject of a long running and immensely popular children’s TV series, but she is so down to earth, and can still see the funny side of some of her past mistakes.
Wilson is also a great fan of the FAMILY FROM ONE END STREET books that i loved as a child (and still do) and said it was the first time she had ever read stories about families like hers – ie poor ones – rather than children who went to boarding school, lived in big houses, and quite often had ponies too. These books, she said, made her realise for the first time that she could write stories about her own experiences, and also about children who (like Tracy Beaker) grew up in care, had unreliable and challenging parents, and had to manage as best they could. Wilson still receives heaps of letters and messages from children who have read and enjoyed her books.
I’ve heard two other episodes in the This Cultural Life series – Neil Tennant was just as good as Wilson and also not afraid to laugh at himself, but I found Jed Mercurio (creator of, among many other things, LINE of DUTY) a bit harder to fathom. He wasn’t unpleasant at all, he just didn’t seem to open up as much. It’s a great series though.
FUNNY GIRL by Nick Hornby – I don’t know much about this, but I enjoyed Hornby’s FEVER PITCH and HIGH FIDELITY.
MARRIED LOVE by Tessa Hadley – a collection of short stories. I’ve never read any of Hadley’s books, but I’ve heard more and more about her lately. She also dedicates this collection to Georgina Hammick, whose short stories I absolutely love, so hopefully that’s a good sign.
TRULY MADLY GUILTY by Liane Moriarty – I didn’t know anything about Moriarty till I heard her interviewed for a podcast. She came across really well, especially when she admitted how jealous she had been of her sister when that sister got published before she did! So I thought I would give her a try.
On TV I finished watching the three part documentary about AIDs in the UK. It was outstanding television – informative, moving, sad, uplifting. After seeing it I decided to re-watch IT’S A SIN, which is fiction, but based on what was happening in – at first – the gay community in London in the 1980s.Of course AIDs did not only affect this part of the population, but this series, about a group of young men and one girl living in a tatty flat in London and having the time of their lives – until the inevitable starts to happen – is truly excellent, with brilliant performances by every actor, especially Keely Hawes, Lydia West, Shaun Dooley, Neil Patrick Harris, Callum Scott Howells and Olly Alexander.
I’d better do something about dinner now. I hope everyone has a good week and isn’t too hot – we’re thankfully now back to a much more Scottish 57F, hoorah.
Rosemary
Lesley Manville is definitely Flavo[u]r of the Month! She will also be starring in the adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s MAGPIE MURDERS this Fall, on Masterpiece in the US. And she is playing Princess Margaret in Parts 5 & 6 of THE CROWN.
Our latest discovery is REDEMPTION with Paula Malcolmson, set in Dublin mostly. I’ve been a fan of hers since she played Trixie on DEADWOOD.
I’ve never heard of Mum but my local library has it so I’ll check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.
Rosemary, I did add a list of Canadian authors (and a few books set in Canada, not by Canadian authors) above.
I had a similar reaction to OLIVE KITTERIDGE as you did. It was very hard to read and I could only read one story a night. Very depressing. But I decided I would read the sequel book of stories just to follow up on Olive and what happens next. I have a copy but haven’t read it yet. Right now I am leaning toward books that make me happy.
MUM does sound like a good series, and I will give it a try. Peter Mullan sounds and looks familiar but I cannot find anything I have seen him in.
First, Rosemary, thank you for filling in while I was so busy at work until my lunch hour now. I didn’t have time to answer. I can always count on you or Jeff or Margie to step in and respond to other readers. Thank you!
Oh, I imagine you’re happy to have your daughter moving closer to home. And, it sounds as if she’ll be happy to be out of London.
I’ve never read one of Liane Moriarty, although she is very popular at our library here.
I enjoy your posts about authors I’ve never heard of such as Jacqueline Wilson.
Thank you! Stay cool, and, again, thank you!
It’s been hot here, but I finally seem to be getting used to it. I talk to people from the Bay Area who think 84F is just broiling, when it’s that hot here before 10 in the morning.
Went to a concert in Roseville that was a tribute act to Pat Benatar. Pretty good. I wish there was a Duran Duran tribute, though.
This week I read:
Rising Tiger by Brad Thor; An awkward novel where Scot Harvath goes to India, meets a guy from a Bollywood action movie, has a flirtation with an Indian secret agent, and fights the Chinese, who have guns that cause the Havana Syndrome. Nothing quite works except some of the action sequences.
Frost Giant by Scott Harrington; Ninjutsu expert Trace Connors is once again hired as a bodyguard. A Norse giant is trying to steal the plans to a quantum computer. Some unusual deaths make this one stand out.
Dead and Doggone by Susan Conant; I don’t understand why this series was so successful. Every book, all I can think is a line I once read that Animal worship always requires human sacrifice.
Murder at the Feastof Rejoicing by Lynda S. Robinson; The Eyes of the Pharoah, Lord Meren, returns home wanting to relax. Of course, his sister just has to invite 100 of their closest friends over for a welcome home party, to impress the neighbors. Both of them regret it. Pretty good, but Ancient Egypt doesn’t come alive the same way Rome does in similar books.
I just never got into Susan Conant’s books, Glen. Since I never read that line, though, her books don’t remind me of that, but it made me laugh.
I wondered about Rising Tiger. Not that I was going to read it, but I sometimes wonder when I see an interview with an author, and know the interviewer has to rave about the book. I might not be as blunt as you are in your summaries, but, at least I can be honest in my book reviews since I’m not hosting the author.
Glen, I had the same reaction to Rising Tiger. I may be done with the series.
Jennifer, if it’s only one book a year, I can handle it, unless the books become egregiously bad, like Joanna Fluke’s, which I actually hate-read.If Thor were putting out Patterson, or even Cussler type books, I’d be done. YMMV.
Lesa, I’m glad you enjoyed Mrs Harris. It’s on my list of movies I really want to see. I am currently reading “The Lies I Tell” by Julie Clark. I am listening to the latest Michael Bennett, “Shattered” by James Patterson
I’ve heard nothing but good things about The Lies I Tell, Katherine.
I hope you get a chance to see Mrs. Harris!
Here I am dragging in at a bit past 10:30 p.m. I so wish I could remember the day of the week. Hahaha! I just wanted to pop in and say I’ve read In Place of Fear by Catriona McPherson and The Island by Adrian McKinty. Place of Fear is a historical fiction mystery and deals with the beginning of the NHS in the UK. The main character is a medical welfare almoner in Edinburgh, and I enjoyed learning about the start of their healthcare system in 1948. The mystery part was a lot tamer than Catriona’s usually are, but it was connected to a really interesting part of Edinburgh’s uglier side of history. The Island was a read that had me alternately gasping and holding my breath. In McKinty’s novel from last year entitled The Chain, readers encounter a bizarre type of mystery/crime, and in The Island, McKinty hasn’t lost that touch. It was wonderfully suspenseful. I think it’s slated for either a streaming series or a movie. I’m now read The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard, nominated for the 2019 Edgar for best novel. I really enjoyed Howard’s The Nothing Man, and I’m enjoying this one, too. Her new one this year is Run Time, which will be out August 16th. I need to catch up on her books. So, I hope someone comes back to read this and let me know if you’ve read any of these three books. I’ll try to remember much earlier next Thursday.
I’m afraid I haven’t read any of them, Kathy, but I always enjoy your comments and seeing what you’re reading. I hope you continue to let us know what you’re reading, even if it is late. Thanks for sharing. Sending hugs!
Lesa, I love how you come back and check later to see if there are more comments. Thank you for doing that and always making me feel so welcome here. Hugs to you, too.
You’re welcome, Kathy! You are always welcome here. Thanks for taking time to drop in and tell us what you’re reading and what you’ve enjoyed!
I love dresses and the best ever were from. The fifties.
You would have loved the dresses in this movie, Carol Jeanne.
So, as it is way above 100 here again today on this Sunday afternoon, I drag myself across the seared plains of Ne Dallas where even the fire ant mounds in the yards show no signs of live, to say I finished MURDER AT THE JUBILEE RALLY by Samuel Craddock and have started A RELUCTANT SAINT by Tricia Fields.
I also saw somebody babbling on Facebook today that it is sixty days till Fall. Sure. We call that Summer Lite.
Finished both of those books. So good to have Samuel Craddock back. Terry’s book was terrific. I hope you enjoyed both of them, Kevin.
Terry’s book is and I have written my review. Scott typed it up and I have to work on it.
I am three fourths through the other and am shocked and very upset by what has happened. Won’t say more here in public. SO NOT HAPPY. Also not sure how to handle things review wise.
Behavior isn’t quite what I expected of the sheriff. However, the political machinations are not surprising at all.