I’ll be honest. I haven’t read a thing in the last week. My family, Mom and sisters, arrived yesterday, and I spent my spare time cleaning. Now, the place wasn’t filthy, but I had to discover the spare bedroom under piles of books. It takes time to move all of those. With company, I might not be around much today, so feel free to talk among yourselves. And, if you’re a thriller reader, you might want to stop back tomorrow to see this week’s giveaway.
In the meantime, what are you reading? Even if I’m dropping in, I’ll be reading everything on Saturday. I may have to catch up, but I’m still curious. What are you reading?
I am reading (ebook from the library) Ben H. Winters' standalone GOLDEN STATE, which I am enjoying so far a lot more than expected. It is set in a future where the former California is its own country, a place where lying is illegal and can get you serious prison time. Laszlo Ratesic is a Speculator – they can detect lies – and I am very curious about where the book is going (I've read 25% so far).
This week I also finished short story collections – MAGGIE BROWN & OTHERS by Peter Orner; the new Charlaine Harris collection, SMALL KINGDOMS & Other Stories, about a high school principal who is much more than she seems; and ROLLING STONES by O. Henry, including some of his earliest writings from the 1880s. And lastly, I raced through the latest Kate Burkholder by Linda Castillo, SHAMED.
Enjoy the family visit.
I read an ARC of DOUBLE CHEESE BURGER MURDER by Rosie A Point. It’s a quick read with quirky characters.
GUILTY AS CHARRED by Devan Delaney, a cook off mystery.
CHILD OF MINE by Jana Richards is a short romance.
I also started THE TELL TAIL HEART by Cate Conte but couldn’t get interested in it.
I wasn't able to read much over the 4-day weekend in Tahoe, unless you count children's books shared with my grandson. But I've tried to make up forit in the ensuing days.
I wasn't too sure about THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman after encountering Chapter 5 (thanks for the warning, Sharon!), which was a totally unnecessary (and off-putting) discussion among Nina and one of her book clubs about the male anatomy. And Nina herself seemed full of contradictions. But she won me over with her trivia team competitions and her utter commitment to the bookshop where she worked and the books in her own collection, not to mention her constant pop culture references. Her life begins to make more sense when she discovers she has an entire family about which she knew nothing, since her mother had refused to tell her who her father was. Although she has never met her nephew and siblings, everyone seems vaguely familiar, and Nina finds herself expanding her until-then-very-limited life to include them. Add to that a possible new romance, and I was hooked enough to look for Waxman's debut, The Garden of Small Beginnings.
I've read all 19 in Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series, and each is like a familiar friend. Andy is an independently wealthy attorney who works only when he or his wife, Laurie (a former police officer) is interested in the case. Not so coincidentally, at least one dog is usually part of the story. BARK OF NIGHT, about a young man framed for a murder he didn't commit (leading to the murders of several in the gangster community) features Rosenfelt's usual cast of characters–Andy, Laurie, eternally pessimistic investigator Hike, eternally lazy admin Edna, and hilariously inarticulate investigator and bodyguard Marcus, among others. But the real star is Rosenfelt's writing voice–clever, snarky, light-hearted–I laughed out loud starting on page 11.
In SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE by Jean Kwok, relatives in the Netherlands took care of Sylvie for the first 9 years of her life, while her Chinese immigrant parents lived and worked in New York. Returning to NY when her sister Amy was two years old, Sylvie never quite feels comfortable with her parents. But she is beautiful and an overachiever at school and in her career, doting on her younger sister and becoming her role model. When her beloved, dying grandmother summons her back to the Netherlands, she willingly complies, eager to put her recently failed marriage and job behind her, then suddenly disappears. It's up to timid Amy to venture out of her comfort zone to find out what happened to Sylvie. This is an emotional book about family, told in alternating chapters by Sylvie, Amy, and their mother, and definitely worth reading.
Enjoy your family visit, Lesa!
So far, I’ve spent most of the week reading BECOMING SUPERMAN, the auto biography of Hollywood and comics writer J. Michael Straczynski. I still count his TV show Babylon 5 as my favorite TV show of all time. It was a hard book to read at times because he had such a horrid childhood, but it was well worth reading.
Now, I’ve just started THE DEEP END, the first Country Club Murders by Julie Mulhern. I’m only one chapter into it, but so far it’s good.
This week I finished THE PEACOCK SUMMER by Hannah Richell. It was a dual storyline book that took place in 1955 and present day. The switching between the 2 timelines was seamless and I loved her writing. In 1955 Lillian Oberon is married to wealthy widower with a small boy. Charles Oberon is a collector of beautiful things which includes Lillian. He is taken by a trompe l'oeil painter and commissions him to paint a room in his mansion. Lillian and Charles' marriage is difficult and she is taken with the painter. So the 1955 storyline is their love story. The modern day storyline is about her granddaughter, Maggie, who returns from Australia to take care of Lillian in her last days. She too has secrets from her past and both storylines intersect in present day. This was a slow starter for me but once I got to the last 200 pages I could not put it down. At times it was heartbreaking and I absolutely loved the bittersweet ending.
Next I read Abbi Waxman's OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES. Although her books are a tad on the raunchy side I like the humor and the pearls of truth I find in them. This one has to do with a street where a neighbor has an affair and the effect it has the neighbors. Lillian who we meet in THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS once again makes an appearance as she did in THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL.
Now I am reading THE INGREDIENTS OF US by Jennifer Gold. It is another story about infidelity that involves a bakery owner and her husband. There are lots of yummy recipes involved.
Margie-sounds like we are on the same page with THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL. I think you will like THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS too but again will feel some parts weren't necessary or perhaps should have been toned down. Being in my 60's I know I am not her target audience.
Treasure your visit with your family Lesa and have a great time!
Happy Reading!
Thanks for the recommendation, Sharon. I'm not the target demographic for Waxman's books, either, but I think I would like The Garden of Small Beginnings. I liked your review of The Peacock Summer as well and will look for it at the library. I think we must have similar tastes. I've just started The Islanders and will review that next week. Four more books waiting for me at the libraries!
I read
Oath to Defend by Scott Matthews a pretty basic spy story.
The Lost ones by Ace Atkins; The cartels and some locals are stirring up trouble, and Quinn colson tries to handle it with the uncertain aid of a lady Fed.
The Interrogation; an autobiography of an inept Harvard grad who becomes a CIA agent.
One Grave Too Many by Ron Goulart; One of his 70's John Easy series. Pretty shallow, more like a teleplay than a novel.
Atlanta Deathwatch by Ralph Dennis; First inthe Jim Hardman series, a nearly lot series, now brought back to prominence. Good 70's stuff.
I finished Fredrik Backman's "Us Against You," the sequel to "Bear Town," so far this week and I started Colson Whitehead's brand new "The Nickel Boys" yesterday. That's Whitehead's first book since the great success of his Pulitzer Prize winning "Underground Railroad" from last year. It is every bit as good as I expected it to be, and I'm already halfway through it (it's only 210 pages long). It's the story of some black teens sent to a notorious Florida reformatory during the Jim Crow era. It's hard to put this one down even though it's akin to watching a train wreck unfold in slow motion right before your eyes.
Enjoy the family visit!
Just finished Murder in Bel Air by Cara Black and just starting Beatriz Williams The Golden Hour.
I'm reading an ARC of Marley by Jon Clinch. It's about the relationship between Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge. It's a take on the Dicken's A Christmas Carol but before Marley's death. It's good so far.
In print it's Read on Arrival by Nora Page and The Dead Girl in 2A by Carter Wilson. On audio, I am listening to Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin.
My family left yesterday, and I'm just now catching up. Thanks for talking books without me! I enjoyed all the comments, and the good wishes. We had a wonderful time – lots of good food at 3 different restaurants, a great dinner at my best friend's house (cooked by her husband), and lots and lots of laughter. This one wasn't one of those trips when we were on a schedule, so it was relaxing, and just nice to be together. I treasure that family time with my Mom and sisters.