I know Texas has been iced in. We’ve been iced in here in Evansville. The library was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, but it’s back to work today. However, I’ll be in and out today because I have a dentist appointment in the late morning. If you have to travel, or even just go to work, no matter what your weather is, stay safe.
I’m currently reading Sarah Stewart Taylor’s A Stolen Child. Margie reviewed it last week. The fourth Maggie D’arcy mystery is a June release. Maggie moved to Dublin, and trained with the Garda. Although she’s a community Garda, she’s pulled in when a woman is murdered, and a two-year-old toddler is missing. That’s as far as I am in the book, so if you want to know more, you should check Margie’s excellent review last Thursday.
What about you? How’s your weather this week? And, of course, what are you reading?
The weather is still cold here in Northern California–sometimes even below freezing in the middle of the night. But for the second Thursday in a row, I’m going out walking with my group at 8:00 a.m. and hoping for the best. At least the heavy rains seem to have stopped. We’ll see what the groundhog says!
THE LADY OF THE LOCH by Elena Collins is told over two timelines in the same location–rugged Ravenscraig Castle in Scotland. In the early 14th century, loyal Scots are at war with the English. Feisty kitchen servant Agnes, 22, and a younger, meeker servant she is protecting have to flee from the castle where they work to Ravenscraig when English soldiers invade, setting their home on fire and killing those who fight to retain it. Although the girls are allowed to stay by the castle’s owners, their lives are still full of back-breaking work and constant fear, as they are told there are traitors among them. In the present day, 30-year-old twins Zoe and Leah move from Birmingham, England to Scotland as Leah takes a job as caretaker of Ravenscraig Castle. It’s just what Leah needs to begin a more fulfilling life, and she convinces her sister to accompany her. Zoe has always been the stronger twin, with a good job and a brighter outlook on life, but she’s not certain she will stay after the 3-month trial period. The castle is very cold and not very welcoming, but Leah is determined to turn it into more of a tourist attraction, perhaps even a wedding destination. In both timelines, there is some romance to lighten the plot, as well as characters to root for. But in 1307 Scotland, the story is heavy with brutality and hardship, which was sometimes difficult to read. I felt the book was unnecessarily long and could be tightened up, but I enjoyed the story and the pulling together of the threads of both timelines to solve a mystery in the present. (February 23)
Toots, dollface, galoot, dame, lug, swanned, hard-earned clams–there’s a lot of this lingo (as Emily J. Edwards calls it in the Acknowledgements), in VIVIANA VALENTINE GETS HER MAN, the first Girl Friday Mystery, so you might guess it’s set in 1950, much of it in NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen. Strangely (and fortunately, in my opinion), this lingo peters out considerably once the author has set the stage. Viviana Valentine is secretary to private investigator Tommy Fortuna, who leaves a cryptic message and disappears in the middle of a case. A wealthy entrepreneur has asked him to investigate his 18-year-old daughter, who is refusing to marry the man her dad has selected. Is it any wonder, since the potential groom is old enough to be her grandfather? Viv, who does more than just type and file for her boss and lives nearby in a rooming house with several other young working women, must pursue the case on her own, and she does a bang-up job. Of course, things get more dangerous after a murder, and Viv finds herself in jeopardy from time to time, but she possesses the street smarts and tenacity necessary for the job. I found Viv to be an engaging character. Sure, she pulls a final reveal in front of everyone concerned, including the suspects, which strains credulity, but it’s that kind of light mystery, not to be taken too seriously. I have an ARC of the second in the series and am curious to see how the debut author’s writing style will mature with time.
In OUR PLACE ON THE ISLAND by Erika Montgomery, Mickey has a secret that she hasn’t told even to her boyfriend, the chef in her restaurant. Although Piquant earned a feature in Gourmet Magazine with a high rating, Mickey owes money to all of her suppliers and can’t imagine how she can save the Baltimore hot spot. But when she learns that her adored grandmother, Cora, is getting married in her seventies, she agrees to spend a weekend on Martha’s Vineyard to attend the wedding. Little does she know that she will learn more about her family–and herself–over the course of a few days in a location she discovers she has sorely missed. Present-day scenes are interspersed with insights into her grandmother’s life 51 years earlier (1948), when Cora was a new wife trying to be accepted by the Martha’s Vineyard community while maintaining her own individuality and sense of self. The characters of Mickey, her mother, Hedy, and Cora are sensitively drawn. Supporting characters are also memorable, though some are not necessarily likeable. Montgomery has successfully combined them with an absorbing, emotional plot to make a satisfying stew with a delicious aftertaste. (June)
My favorite of the week (and probably on my “favorite reads of 2023” is Audrey Burges’s THE MINUSCULE MANSION OF MYRA MALONE. Myra’s life, even as an adult, revolves around a huge mini-mansion (“don’t call it a dollhouse!”) that belonged to her much-loved step-grandmother. They only had three years together before, on Myra’s fifth birthday, Trixie perished in a car accident that left the little girl with permanent scars–both physical and emotional. The mansion has become her obsession. She works on it constantly, redecorating rooms and making sure every tiny object is perfect. Gwen, who barreled into Myra’s life uninvited when both were seven and is her only friend, has used her marketing skills not only to urge Myra to write a blog about the mansion, but to promote it into wild popularity. That, in addition to Myra’s copywriting jobs, has sustained her, but when her mother’s secret hoarding habit threatens to unhouse them both, it’s time for a more focused money-making campaign. Alex works at his family’s popular furniture store, but his sensibilities don’t mesh with the furniture sold there–he decorates his own digs with mismatched, quirky, one-of-a kind pieces. Upon hearing several customers comment on whether something has “mansion style,” he learns about Myra’s mini-mansion and is gobsmacked to discover that the rooms in the mansion–and the mansion itself–are exact duplicates of where he is living. Any more would be spoilers–you must read it yourself, and I can’t recommend it highly enough! The plot is original, astonishing, and full of both humanity and suspense. There are touches of magical realism that somehow seem to make sense even as I struggled to suspend disbelief. Reclusive Myra and appealing but damaged Alex both undergo massive changes–one reluctantly and one willingly. An amazing accomplishment for a debut writer–and we’re gifted part of the first chapter in her next book!
I have two of these on my holds list (Mansion & Valentine). Looking forward to reading! Thanks for sharing your insights.
Oh, goodie! I was looking forward to reading your review of the Audrey Burges book, and agree with every word!n
I have a galley of Miniscule Mansion, and I need to get to it eventually. It’s impressive that it may be on your Best of 2023 list. Your list will be up next week, Margie!
I put the Miniscule Mansions book on my reserve list. Thanks Margie!
I was on vacation the last two Thursdays, but I’m back. And ready for another vacation. Work hit me hard this week.
On the reading front, I just finished MURDER ON WALL STREET, the 24th Gaslight Mystery by Victoria Thompson. This was a strong book in the series and captures everything I love about it. I’m almost caught up, and I’m going to go through withdrawals when I can only visit the characters once a year.
So on Thursdays, I’ll be starting in on a non-fiction book. LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Rinker Buck follows the author as he builds a raft and takes it down the Mississippi. It sounds like fun to me, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it.
Work always hits hard when you’ve had some time off. I agree, Mark. Isn’t it great when you hit a really strong book in a favorite series?
The weather in NJ has been nice enough that we went for a walk a couple of times this week but we’re supposed to get down to single digits Friday.
I read Hidden in the Pines by Victoria Houston. Set In Wisconsin, Lew Ferris has just started as Sheriff when she’s called by a lawyer threatening a suit unless a case that has been ruled an accidental drowning is reopened. I enjoyed the story but the book needed better editing.
Oh, that’s a shame, Sandy. I went and checked on the publisher after you said the book needed better editing. Just curious.
A week of single digit temperatures here in Northern Nevada. But lots of sorely missed sunshine too. A couple more storms queueing up starting later today.
I started with a book I missed from 2013, INHERIT THE DEAD. A “serial novel” story with a chapter by each of twenty best-selling authors. The classic noir tale twists and turns down New York streets and the back roads of the Hamptons during a bitter winter where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide. Serials are an interesting concept, I like that it allowed me to compare 20 authors side-by-side. Many were familiar, but I did add one to my TBR, Jonathan Santlofer.
SECRETS TYPED IN BLOOD the third book in the Pentecost and Parker series by Stephen Spotswood. Set in 1947 New York City, this homage to Rex Stout blends secrets and red herrings along with unforgettable characters. Very enjoyable detective series.
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL (2018)
Tells a story of a boy born with red iris from ocular albinism. The discrimination that haunts his school years, but also his mother who believes in him completely. An uplifting coming-of-age book.
I think it’s interesting to see books from a few years ago having a surge in popularity from social media.
And I picked up eight holds from the library yesterday which ought to keep me busy for awhile. I also discovered that Clark County (by far the largest population in NV) allows any resident of the state access to their electronic catalog. More books!!
Yay, Clark County Library System. Access to more books is always wonderful.
I need to get around to the Pentecost and Parker series. I have the first one, and probably the second. I just haven’t gotten around to reading them, despite everyone’s positive comments.
I have the third Spotswood book on hold, so should get it not too long from now. I liked the first two.
Mornin’, all. Happy Thursday at Lesa’s!
Snowing in the North Carolina mountains!
Three books this week.
I will just defer to Margie’s excellent review of Audrey Burges’s THE MINUSCULE MANSION OF MYRA MALONE. I was looking foreatd to this one, and it eas everythong I hoped for and more. Loved it!
I also loved PROM MOM by Laura Lippman.
Description from NetGalley
“New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman tells the story of Amber Glass, desperately trying to get away from her tabloid past but compulsively drawn back to the city of her youth and the prom date who destroyed everything she was reaching for. ”
I did not love I WILL FIND YOU by Harlan Coben and was surprised by the level of brutality.
Description from NetGalley
“Five years ago, an innocent man began a life sentence for murdering his own son. Today he found out his son is still alive.”
Kaye, I actually would have taken snow over the two days of ice we had. I have a root canal today, and that doesn’t bother me. I’m not feeling comfortable with the parking lot at the dentist’s office. Bah, humbug.
I’m glad the Miniscule Mansion was everything you wanted!
And, next week is supposed to be in the 50s again here. I’ll finally get out to get mailing envelopes and mail your book. I know you’re not holding your breath. Hugs!
Oh, i agree! Nobody likes ice! Be very, very careful! Love you!
I just finished Charlotte MacLeod’s bio of Mary Roberts Rinehart, which was an okay read. I am rereading The Corpse Steps Out by Craig Rice. If you know me, you know I adore comedic mysteries. And trying to decide what to read next. Perhaps a Christiana Brand?
Now, I need to look up The Corpse Steps Out, Jeffrey, if it’s a comedic mystery. I like that you’re sharing some older books. Thank you!
I hope you stay safe, Lesa and good luck at the dentist.
Two books this week. I finished the Bree Baker’s Seaside Cafe Mysteries with Pleading the Fish. While I wasn’t thrilled with the rationale for the mystery plotline’s resolution, I still enjoyed the book. Kudos to the author for knowing when the series ran its course.
I gave up halfway through Same Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens. I really didn’t care for any of the characters or the plot by the time I got to page 150.
My pick of the week was a surprise for me. The Island of Missing Trees be Elif Shafak. I didn’t expect to love a book where a main character is a fig tree. When I was in college in the 1970’s, I wrote a term paper on the Turkey/Greek conflict in Cyprus. This book revisits that by telling the love story of Kostas and Defne back in the 70’s as well as their teenaged daughter now living in England in the 2010’s. I thought it was excellent.
Warmer today but back in the deep freeze tomorrow. Happy Reading!
Thank you, Sharon. I’m one of those people who just dreads ice. Not so much the dentist.
I need to read Pleading the Fish just to see the resolution to the series. You’re right, Sharon. Sometimes a series is just finished.
Good for you for not plowing through a book that just wasn’t right for you.
We finally have sunshine here in Northern Colorado so there’s a lot of melting going on. I’m about to head outside to walk the dog and enjoy the “heat.” I’m now reading Until Dead: Cold Case Suspense by Donnell Ann Bell, the second book in her series. I loved Black Pearl, so I’m looking forward to another excellent read.
I’ve never heard of Donnell Ann Bell. I’ll have to look at Black Pearl.
Enjoy that sunshine & the melt, Patricia!
Lesa, you would love this weather – 82 and mostly sunny yesterday, but enough of a breeze and enough clouds to not be oppressive. Today should be about the same. South Florida in January can’t be beat. Of course we are expecting rain starting Friday afternoon but no complaints here. New York is supposed to have a -10 wind chill on Saturday.
Books. Jackie read LEOPARD’S SCAR by Christine Feehan and is now reading BLOODLINE, the first Wings in the Night book by Maggie Shayne in many years. I believe it is vampires.
I’m reading short story collections by Agatha Christie and Edith Pearlman. The Christie is THE LAST SEANCE, all but one story previously published here in other collections (most in THE HOUND OF DEATH in England). Obviously, I’d read all bu t the new one (which I haven’t gotten to yet) before. We’ve been watching the Poirot adaptations on Britbox on Saturday nights, and I was surprised to read a story (“The Dream”) that wasn’t filmed. But then, it wasn’t the best one either, though it would have been cinematic. Pearlman died this month at 86, and her obituary was the first time I’d heard of her, frankly. I like the stories in her HONEYDEW so far.
I mentioned ANATOMY OF A SONG last time, and I finished it. Fun book. I also read Iris Yamashita’s CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, which I really enjoyed. Her “Point Mettier” is based on the isolated town of Whittier, Alaska. Body parts have turned up on the beach nearby and the two man police force might need outside help. The small isolated town (much like the real place, and much like the town of Fermont, Quebec) has one big building where most of the townspeople live, and a tunnel (which can be blocked by snow) . It’s a fairly short, fast read.
I’ve been interested in Andrew Mayne’s Underwater Investigation Unit series for a while, but was waiting until I got the first book in this South Florida series. Unfortunately, my library does not have the first book – THE GIRL BENEATH THE SEA. (I already owned book two.) Then I discovered I could get the first book via Amazon Prime. Sloan McPherson works for a Lauderdale police force and is a diver often loaned out to other local police forces. While looking for archaeological stuff in a canal she hears a splash and discovers a recently murdered and dumped young woman. Worse, she actually knew her when she was a young girl. So far, I am enjoying it quite a bit.
You’re right, Jeff. And, that Florida weather sounds even better since we still have leftover ice. It wasn’t easy getting to my garage this morning. Ah, for 82 degres.
It’s the lifestyle that I found most interesting in City Under One Roof. I don’t know that I could live like that. It felt claustrophobic as I read it.
I never heard of Edith Pearlman, either.
Hope your drive in and out will be fine tomorrow. Yes, we are really iced in North Texas. Pure ice on the roads now but we are hoping that it will melt tomorrow, need to get groceries.
I am reading a win from GoodReads, Full Exposure by Thein-Kim Lam. It is a breezy read but they use profanity when not needed. I am the type who doesn’t use even when I need it! My upbringing. The good stuff is that is in New Orleans during Madri Gras, learning about lesser known things about New Orleans and learning more about photography lighting and staging. The couple who met when she accidentally banging him on the head with heavy beads, have photography in common. He wants to do documentaries and she has her own still pfotography.
Also, started the second in a cozy series, Out of the Dying Pan by Linda Reilly. I read the first one, Fillet of Murder and I loved it. The main character is now the owner of a fish and potato place with a few deep fried desserts. Taila is spunky, intelligent and gets along with most people. There is humor and she has a very sweet boyfriend who takes care of his father with Alzheimer’s. But I don’t like that there a calico cat on the cover that she has adopted and only has a few moments in the book. I was disappointed but her character is good so I went ahead and bought the next in the series.
Thank you, Carolee. The driving is fine. It’s the walking that’s treacherous with the ice. You stay safe! Drive and walk carefully.
I think I might have read Fillet of Murder. I’ll have to go back and check. Thank you for mentioning it.
Good morning from an iced in NE Dallas where we still, somehow, have power. Lots of flickering last night and this morning so it has been a bit nerve wracking.
Won’t keep you all long. I am still working on Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg. Enjoying it, but it is no Eve Ronan.
My spoiler free review of Dark Angel: A Letty Davenport Novel went live on the blog today. This is the second book in the series. Make sure you read The Investigator first as much of what happened in that book is repeatedly rehashed here. The read is due out in early April so you have time.
Well, then. I know what to expect from Malibu Burning. I have a galley, too, Kevin, and I need to get to it soon.
Stay home! Stay safe! And, I hope you continue to have power despite all the ice.
We have no plans to go anywhere. I am not even stepping foot on my porch. Don’t trust it. Things are rather strange as the street here is melted slush, but ice still coats the trees and bushes and power lines. Some standing water in the yard on top if the ice.
You’re smart! I had to walk through the yard today. The sidewalk is still solid ice.
Apparently things were really bad very early this morning as we had freezing fog here. I slept through the news after finally going to sleep around 3 AM. DISD suddenly shut down for another day and the library system won’t reopen till noon. Other places also delayed or closed. The Great Thaw is underway and everything is dripping or melting on the ground.
There is talk of the 70s next week.
Thanks Patricia for mentioning Donnell Bell’s “Black Pearl”. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I forgot that I have it on my Kindle from last year. Now I will get to it sooner and will get her second one in the series.
We are supposed to get rain coming this weekend, but for the last week or so, it’s been pretty nice. Not even fog.
This week I read:
Late, Late at Night by Rick Springfield; I remember as a small child, when Rick Springfield and General Hospital were red hot. He and Tony Geary were on all the magazine covers. The real guy seems like somebody we should all stay away from.
Funny Letter From Famous People by Charles Osgood; If you used to listen to The Osgood File on the radio, this is for you.
Smoke on the Water by Beth Adams; Another Mystery on Martha’s Vineyard. Some sets her lighthouse on fire, so Priscilla tries to find an arsonist. Someone is also trying to build new housing, so there’s a section on how the island treats newcomers. Of course, this was before a bunch of illegal immigrants were flown to the island and we could really see how they treat outsiders. They ship them off to Cape Cod.
Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith; Big Red and Old Red are trying to find work in Old West era San Francisco, when a friend of theirs is killed in Chinatown. Lot of anachronisms, but on the whole, a great book from a series that should get a lot more notice.
Shifting Sands by Elizabeth Ludwig; Another Mystery on Martha’s Vineyard, when some guy makes a claim on Priscilla’s lighthouse. Priscilla doesn’t know what to do, but keeps finding journals in secret passages.
Shark Bait by Cara C. Putnam; ANOTHER Mystery on Martha’s Vineyard. The island is having a a Jaws film festival, and someone steals Bruce, the mechanical shark. Priscilla investigates.
Avenger by Frederick Forsythe; A Vietnam Vet is hired to kill a Bosnian war criminal. A CIA agent has to stop him before the balance of power is affected. I just can’t seem to get into Forsythe for some reason. This book was made into a lousy movie starring Sam Elliot.
Last Season by Eric Blehm; sort of a True Crime about a forest ranger renowned for finding lost hikers goes missing himself in the Sierra Nevada.
Someday, I’ll get through all these Martha’s Vineyard mysteries.
Funny Letter from Famous People! I pick that one, Glen. I remember Charles Osgood fondly.
I think I’d tired of those Martha’s Vineyard mysteries.
Only 12 more Martha’s Vineyard mysteries to go!
Luckily, they’re all by different authors.
Good evening everyone from a cold, windy but un-iced Edinburgh! I was so glad to see the back of all that ice, and I hope everyone is managing to stay safe over there. And Lesa, I hope the dentist appointment went as well as it could. I also don’t mind the dentist – mine is lovely, and if I have a tooth problem I just want to see him as soon as possible to get it put right.
My reading has really not progressed very far since last week – I’m still on Peter Robinson’s IN A DRY SEASON. Lack of rain has caused a village, previously submerged for many years after the creation of a reservoir, to reappear. A young boy out exploring comes upon a skeleton buried in the mud. So Inspector Banks, who seems to be in disgrace for some misdemeanour or other (I have never read any of the other books) is sent to investigate. And that’s as far as I’ve got.
The only other book I have started is HOW TO WRITE A ROMANCE NOVEL FOR DUMMIES. It’s interesting, though I’m not sure writing can really be taught.
However, I did have a great day in Glasgow last week – we had tickets for a Dean Owens concert at Oran Mhor (an old church that’s now a venue) as part of the Celtic Connections Festival, and before that we met up with our daughter Madeleine. She and I wandered around the Kelvingrove Gallery and Museum, which I had never visited before – it is an eccentric place, with fine art alongside stuffed animals (I had no idea an albatross was so huge), modern installations and all sorts of stuff. It reminded me of the Horniman Museum in south London, which I used to visit many years ago before it was smartened up – in those days it was a complete hotchpotch of items from African countries, preserved animals and goodness knows what else.
I also had the chance to potter round a few of the charity shops on Byres Road. This used to be a fairly studenty area (and it still is – the old parts of the university are close by – beautiful Victorian buildings and parkland) but these days it is also super-cool, so unfortunately the charity shop prices have risen with the market. I did enjoy the Oxfam Music Shop though – mainly for its manager, a middle aged guy who clearly had an encyclopaedic knowledge of music and just loved talking about it. He had a lot of regular customers and listening to their chat was great. And I also found an Electronic CD that I’d been looking for (Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr).
And Jeff, re your reference to ANATOMY OF A SONG, I’m not sure if I mentioned that I also recently found (in an Edinburgh charity shop) ISLE OF NOISES: CONVERSATIONS WITH GREAT BRITISH SONGWRITERS by Daniel Rachel. I of course picked it up (for all of £3.50) because it has a 30 page interview with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, but it has others with Joan Armatrading, Ray Davies, Jarvis Cocker. Paul Weller, Jonny Marr, Bryan Ferry, Damon Albarn and lots more – so far it’s very interesting.
I also wanted to mention the sad news that Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant and May mysteries and also of THE BOOK OF FORGOTTEN AUTHORS (which Jeff originally recommended) has said on his blog that he will no longer be able to post, or to write any more books, as his cancer – which he has had for some time – is now so advanced. He is such a nice man.
Anna and I have had a few good walks over the past week or so; we drove to Linlithgow and walked around the loch beside the historic palace, which was the birthplace of both James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. It’s a beautiful walk, though on the day we were there it was quite gloomy and damp. We saw a heron hunched up in a tree, giving the place an altogether Gothic feel.
We also went to Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston (an Edinburgh suburb) – I’ve no doubt talked about the garden before. Dr and Dr (Mr & Mrs) Neil created the garden out of rough scrubland on the shores of Duddingston Loch, On their deaths it passed into the care of a trust, and it is well maintained by a few staff and many volunteers. It is next to the 12th century Duddingston Kirk. In the garden is a tower built in the early 1800s for one of the previous ministers of the kirk, Rev John Thomson, to use as an art studio. There is an enormous loch-side manse for the minister and his family, but it seems Thomson had so many children that he needed to get away from them to paint. I wonder what his wife thought? (The lower floor of the tower is now used as a museum of curling, and the upper floor for occasional art exhibitions.)
The loch itself belongs to the Scottish Ministers (ie governing members of parliament); it is a wildlife reserve and home to many birds, notably herons, swans, geese, sparrowhawks and plenty more, and there are also otters, deer, hedgehogs and voles. The garden is a wonderful place to sit and read in the summer months; it has seats overlooking the water, winding paths and a small pond.
On television we’ve been trying to watch THE RIG, but after three episodes we are giving up – I’m sorry to say it’s just dreadful, despite the cast including some excellent actors – even Iain Glen, Emily Hampshire, Martin Compston and Mark Bonnar can’t save it from its terrible script and heavy handed symbolism.
We’ve also been watching SCOT SQUAD, which is a spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary about the Scottish police force. It’s very funny, though maybe only for people who live here.
My only other culture has been a visit to the City Art Centre to see three new photographic exhibitions.
One was of the interiors of old Edinburgh shops, many now long gone – from butchers and grocers to furriers and even sporran makers.
The second was about pioneering female photographers in the early 20th century, and the third – and for me the most interesting – was by Paul Duke, who grew up in Muirhouse (one of the roughest areas of the city), attended the local school, and was encouraged by his art teacher to study photography. He did this at a local college and then went to art school in London. After many years in the south he decided to make a study of his old home area, so he took photos all around Muirhouse ‘as unobtrusively as possible’ – mainly of tower blocks, run down housing (his own family home had been demolished), abandoned shopping malls and boarded up shops – but he felt that his project was not really working, until, on a third visit, he started to talk to the local residents. He ended up taking portrait photos of some of them, and these are shown alongside the landscapes; there are no titles nor any narrative, but somehow this works. He says he wanted to communicate the strength and cohesion of this very disadvantaged but resilient community. I enjoyed his work very much.
So there we are for this week! Not much about books I’m afraid; I’ll try to get my reading mojo back over the next 7 days.
Have a great week everyone, and I hope the weather improves for those who need it to.
Rosemary, I don’t mind at all if you don’t talk much about books. You’re descriptions of Scotland, it’s culture, and landscapes are so wonderful. Thank you for your thoughtful writing.
I must have been in a fog lately, I did not know about ice in your area or Texas. I don’t watch news but still… how could I miss that?
Rosemary, thanks for the information about Christopher Fowler. I knew his health was bad and am sorry to hear it is at that point. I have enjoyed the Bryant and May series, although I have more of them to read, and also THE BOOK OF FORGOTTEN AUTHORS.
We had a lovely walk this morning in a sort of new area (to us). It is the Woodland Loop next to the Natural History Museum, with lovely trees. We got another look at a different part of Mission Creek with water flowing in it. It is only “sort of” new because years ago we used to walk around in that area, but the path wasn’t marked so well. It all felt new and was beautiful.
I read Sarah Stewart Taylor’s first series, but I haven’t read anything in her newest series yet. I do have the first book in the series and I should get started.
Since last week I read THE SIGN OF FOUR by Arthur Conan Doyle, which I had mixed reactions to. It was fun to read but not really a great story. More enjoyable for another look at Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
I am now reading three books, THE SISTERS: THE SAGA OF THE MITFORD FAMILY by Mary S. Lovell. I had just finished THE SIX by Laura Thompson, about the Mitford sisters, and I felt like I could benefit from another look. Also, BULLET TRAIN by Kōtarō Isaka. We had just seen the film adaptation. And THE COVER WIFE by Dan Fesperman. The second book in a recent espionage series. I have liked everything I have read by Fesperman.
I know, Tracy. It’s so sad about Christopher Fowler.
Your walk sounds beautiful. Enjoy that, and don’t worry about the ice elsewhere.
I agree with you. Some of the stories were good just for the time spent with Holmes and Watson.
Oh, Lesa, the ice made a nightmare out of the business trip my daughter and son-in-law tried to take to Las Vegas Tuesday. They were scheduled to fly out of Evansville Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. and get a connecting flight in Dallas. After four delays in Evansville, they finally got in the air but were rerouted to Charlotte. They got to Charlotte and spent two hours on the tarmac in the plane to go to Dallas. Dallas closed their airport, so when they got back in the Charlotte airport, they were booked on a flight to Austin. Well, you can guess what happened next. Austin closed its airport. There was now no connection in sight to get to Las Vegas before today, when the conference was over. They had one piece of luck, and that was there was a flight from Charlotte back to Evansville Tuesday night. They decided to do that with three seats left. The airlines wouldn’t do a re-booking and required them to buy new tickets, $800 worth. They got back in Evansville around 10:00 p.m. Ashley said the airport parking lot was a sheet of ice. It was about 17 degrees then. They had a treacherous drive home to Mount Vernon, and they live in the country, so icy roads all the way. I was so glad to hear when they at last made it to their house.
Reading has been way off for me this past week. Hard to settle on something, even though I have a reading list and schedule that should make it easy, and, of course, I have piles of books waiting. After finishing Hide by Tracy Clark the end of last week, I’ve been working on some reviews. Got my review up on the blog for Elly Griffiths’ The Last Remains, the last (for now at least) Ruth Galloway book. I thought it was a great ending point.
I intended to read Peter May’s A Winter Grave, but it’s set in the future and, well here’s the beginning of its book jacket description. “It is the year 2051. Warnings of climate catastrophe have been ignored, and vast areas of the planet are under water, or uninhabitably hot. A quarter of the world’s population has been displaced by hunger and flooding, and immigration wars are breaking out around the globe as refugees pour into neighboring countries.” The world as it is can be depressing enough at times. I really don’t want to read about it being even worse. So, that one was off the list.
I was taking too long to settle on a book, so time constraints decided for me. I’m reading Hank Phillippi Ryan’s new book out next Tuesday, Feb. 7th, so I can review it by then. The House Guest is going well so far, with the suspense and problems building continuously. I’m 35% in, and the protagonist is now knee deep in the nightmare her life has become after her husband of eight years just up and left. Her new friend is raising red flags all over the place for me. Sometimes I get perturbed with a character for not realizing that her decisions are not necessarily good ones, but I have to remember that the reader has an advantage over the person in the thick of it. So, I’ll be getting back to The House Guest later and happy to be satisfied in my reading.
Kathy! What a nightmare for your daughter and son-in-law. At least they were able to get home safely. What a long day, though!
I would have skipped the Peter May, too.
I don’t read a lot of suspense. I often want to shake the protagonist.
Lesa, I meant to add that I’m glad you didn’t have to get out Tuesday and Wednesday on the ice.
It’s really cold for North Carolina, (down to 19 tomorrow night). Lots of rain today and gray. Getting reading to start listening to The Exiles by Jane Harper. Reading in print “Sleep No More” by Jayne Ann Krentz and “Cold Clay” by Juneau Black (such a fun mystery series with woodland creatures as characters). Stay safe, Lesa.
Thanks, Katherine. I’ll just be glad when this week is over, and we back in the 50s.
As much as I enjoy Australian novels, I’m behind in Jane Harper’s books.
Sorry to be late to the party! It’s been a busy week. I started the new biography of Sam Adams but haven’t really gotten into it. I may return it to the library and try again later. This week I read and loved Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen although I was a bit of a teary mess by the end. A book club in my new town is reading All the Children Are Home by Patry Francis, but I just couldn’t take more mistreatment of children. This led me to re-read the latest Michelle Segará “Cast in “ book, a fantasy series that has some mystery elements. For fun this week I also read the first Stephen Spotswood book in the series others have mentioned above.
Sometimes, Trisha, we just need something fun. One more mention of Spotswood’s books. Thank you.