Here in Indiana, it’s a much better weather week! I can handle 50s and rain in February. That’s so much better than snow.
Again, I want to thank all of the Thursday readers who shared their Favorite Books of 2022 with all of us. Yesterday, Margie Bunting posted her list. Since the first of the year, we’ve had posts from Rosemary, Glen, Jeff, Sandie, Kevin, and Margie. That makes for an eclectic list of favorite books. I hope you had as much fun as I did reading their comments about the books they read in 2022. Thank you to the writers and the readers!
It always seems as if I’m starting a new book on Wednesday, so I don’t really have much to say about it. I don’t know if I’ll read it or not. I can say I love the cover of Sally Page’s debut novel, The Keeper of Stories. I’ll see what happens with the narrator’s voice and the story.
Here’s the summary.
Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own?
She can’t recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge) she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they had always done so, but now it is different, now the stories are reaching out to her and she gathers them to her …
Cleaner Janice knows that it is in people’s stories that you really get to know them. From recently widowed Fiona and her son Adam to opera-singing Geordie, the quiet bus driver Euan, and the pretentious Mrs. “YeahYeahYeah” and her fox terrier, Decius, Janice has a unique insight into the community around her.
When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs. B–a shrewd and prickly woman in her nineties–she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn’t have a story to tell. At least, not one she can share.
Mrs. B is no fool and knows there is more to Janice than meets the eye. What is she hiding? After all, doesn’t everyone have a story to tell?
What about you? How are you doing this week? What are you reading?
Creation in Death by JD Robb. I also have reviews to write for two books and zero motivation to write them.
One more reason to be grateful that you sent me three reviews! Thank you, Kevin.
Thank you for letting me be a small part of things here AND for tolerating my weirdness. I am not everyone’s cup of tea.
Kevin, you are my cup of tea.
Sorry about your motivation for reviewing. I am having the same problem.
I know I need to do them. I just don’t want to. And the books were good and I know what to say on each. Don’t know why it seems that writing them would be climbing a mountain.
Hello, all. Here’s what I finished this week:
WEYWARD by Emilia Hall is the affecting story of three women who all struggle not just to survive in the face of almost insurmountable difficulties, but to infuse their lives with meaning. In the early 1600s, Altha and her mother know how to use herbs to heal others with life-threatening issues that doctors address with leeches. Sometimes they are successful, but when they are not, or when neighbors die from unexplainable circumstances, they are often labeled witches. In 1942, 16-year-old Violet is not allowed to go to school to study her beloved insects and is expected to marry a man who has violated her trust. And in 2019, Kate finally finds a way to escape her possessive, abusive husband, but the fear of discovery is always present. How these women’s lives intersect is fascinating, the alternating chapters are easy to follow, and the author has a self-assured writing style. However, the subject matter is unrelentingly bleak, which made it a difficult read for me. (March)
I loved Ali Hazelwood’s first two full-length romances and was delighted to see that her three “STEMinist rom-com” novellas are now available in one volume, LOATHE TO LOVE YOU. The length of a novella (here 120 pages or so) typically doesn’t allow for a lot of depth in the plot or the characters, but I found all of these satisfying nevertheless. The three young woman were roommates in grad school and now best friends, keeping up with each other’s lives although they live in different cities. Each has a Ph.D. in a different type of science, and all three have distinctly different personalities and idiosyncrasies. Mara, a scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency in DC, is thrilled to inherit a house but stunned to learn that she has to share it with Liam, a prickly attorney. Civil engineer Sadie, who designs “green” buildings in NYC, is frustrated to find herself stuck in an elevator with Erik, who works in the same building for a competitor that has no interest in the environment. And Houston aerospace engineer Hannah clicks with NASA scientist Ian through an assignment for one of her classes but won’t pursue a relationship until they meet years later after an avalanche-related accident in Norway. I like the way the friends appear briefly in each other’s stories, and the male characters are, of course, all attractive, appealing hulks. Intimate scenes are well written, and each couple finds happiness at the end because . . . these are (successful) rom-coms.
If you like your stories of family relationships told in a straightforward style and in a beachfront setting, Nancy Thayer’s ALL THE DAYS OF SUMMER is for you. Thayer’s writing doesn’t demand a lot but expertly lures the reader ever onward to find out how all of the plots and subplots are resolved. The marriage of Heather and her husband of 20+ years hasn’t been working for either, so after their son, Ross, has graduated from college and declines the opportunity to ultimately take over his father’s hardware store, Heather calls a halt to the marriage. Renting a cottage on Nantucket for the summer, she loves the change of venue and the opportunity to find herself once again. Now, if only she didn’t hate Ross’s serious girlfriend, Kailee, who actually does want to someday take over her wealthy family’s construction business on Nantucket and is jealous of Ross’s relationship with his mother. Typical for beach reads, everyone has challenging issues. Ross wants to marry Kailee but doesn’t want his mother to feel left out by Kailee and her parents. Kailee’s father builds homes for billionaires, alienating the long-term locals who feel the mansions are spoiling the island, so her mother is driven to create a foundation that will help relieve their neighbors’ antagonism. And Kailee herself is truly in love with Ross but having some pressing personal issues of her own. I appreciate the way the characters are allowed to develop and show different sides of their personalities–only Heather’s clueless ex-husband seems one-note. It took a little while for me to be absorbed by the plot, but I was more and more engrossed as I read on. And of course, I loved the beautiful setting, not to mention the requisite adorable dog. Overall, a lovely way to spend my time! (May)
The books in Emily J. Edwards’ Girl Friday Mystery series are quick reads and light-hearted romps. Private investigator Tommy Fortuna has now made former secretary Viviana Valentine his partner, based on her skillful handling of a case where he was largely absent. Again set in NYC in 1950, the second book, VIVIANA VALENTINE GOES UP THE RIVER, takes place at the mansion of Buster Beacon, a scientist who is counting on Tommy and Viv to determine the source of the strange moaning sounds that have unnerved him and the mansion’s other occupants and guests. One by one, we meet Buster’s partners, investors, and other guests, each of whom has a reason to be suspect when one of their company is murdered during a snowstorm that has prevented any escape. What is really going on in Buster’s lab? Is there a traitor divulging scientific secrets for remuneration? Or is it the traditional: “the butler did it”? And is there something going on between Viv and Tommy beyond a platonic relationship? Viviana is a likeable character, an ex-pickpocket who is smarter than her {lack of} education would suggest. She’s always up for a challenge and is becoming an expert at gaining trust and extracting information from suspects. The discussions about the lab’s experiments with technology that we now take for granted are quite amusing, and the plot is satisfyingly convoluted, to the point where Viv’s summary at the end is helpful and welcome. (May)
Margie, I like the sound of All The Days of Summer, I will look out for it.
Margie, You and Kaye have both liked Nancy Thayer’s new book, so I think I can safely recommend it to my friend, Donna. Thank you!
I’m a third of the way into CHARRED by G. P. Gottlieb. I’m remembering why I struggled through the previous book in the series. There are a few storylines, but none of them really the mystery we are supposed to be solving. I do like the characters, but it really is a poorly written book.
Mark, Not related, but I loved Ellen Byron’s post on Facebook yesterday that mentioned you’d enjoy it with all the puns.
Thank you. Me thinks I have a punny reputation. Not that I’m complaining in the slightest.
Good morning all, from sunny Edinburgh.
I have been stuck indoors for much of the week, as some of our windows are being re-installed – by the developer, as apparently some weren’t put in properly in the first place. Thank goodness this is all at the company’s expense, but it still means major disruption (we have scaffolding up all three floors of the house on one side) and Charlie being shut in a bedroom every morning. He’s enjoying the scaffolding in the evenings though – no, he’s not allowed out to climb it, but pigeons seem to like roosting on it, so he gives them a lot of Siamese glares….
You’d think I’d have read lots this week, but unfortunately you’d have thought wrong! I’ve been writing an article about the forthcoming Film and Media Festival at Berwick on Tweed (a historic town just inside the English border) and it seems to have taken me forever. The films are all very alternative, so I had to do a lot of research before I wrote about them. It does sound very interesting but I doubt I’ll get to it myself.
Yesterday Anna wasn’t working so when she came back from the gym I was able to go for a long walk around Edinburgh. On the way back I had, of course, to call in at the local Leith charity shop, where I found what looks like a good book by Cathy Rentzenbrink (author of THE LAST ACT OF LOVE, which I haven’t read but I think it was well reviewed.) This one is called DEAR READER – The Comfort and Joy of Books, and is described as;
‘a moving, funny and joyous exploration of how books can change the course of your life, packed with recommendations from one reader to another.’
A quote on the cover that appealed to me;
‘I find it consoling to be reminded that I am not alone, that everything I feel has been felt before, that everything I struggle with has been perplexing others since the dawn of time.’
This is definitely something I get from a good book, and it reminded me of Roald Dahl’s MATILDA – he says something like ‘these books sent Matilda a powerful message, and that message was “You are not alone”.’
So I am looking forward to reading this one.
We have finally had some good news this week re our son, who is (at last) probably going to be discharged from hospital today after stoma surgery. It took longer than expected for things to settle after the operation, but he does now seem to be doing well. Anna and I are hoping to drive up to Aviemore to visit him and his wife on Friday. It’s been a very long haul for both of them.
And on Sunday I am hoping finally to return to Aberdeenshire – I have been in Edinburgh more or less continuously since November and although it is a wonderful city, I can’t wait to get back up the road, stop feeling like I am camping out, and see some of my friends. I have noticed that there is a creative writing tour of Aberdeen Art Gallery next Friday and I am thinking of joining in with that. I’m still browsing through the HOW TO WRITE A ROMANTIC NOVEL FOR DUMMIES book – in some places it’s quite dated (I do wonder why any author talks about computers, websites or social media – they all move on so fast, and date the book so much) but the sections on creating characters are good.
I don’t have any particular plans to write a romance! – I just wanted to see how they do it. Anna says I am far too cynical to be a romance writer. The author does say that the writer must believe in the story, and that the reader must see herself in the heroine. I do read a romance every so often and I have to admit that even a good one tends to leave me thinking ‘well THAT would never happen’ and ‘who ACTUALLY inherits a cottage, or a failing but beautifully situated shop in a country/seaside village that she miraculously turns around, even though we all know that in this climate nobody can get tradesmen, building material costs have doubled, and small independent businesses are almost impossible to make work without some sort of additional income or inheritance?’ And ‘who DOES find out that her neighbour/competitor/postman is a hunk and a half who just happens to be available after a break up with an unworthy harridan (the break up never being his fault, of course…)?’
So I expect Anna does have a point….
We are still watching the current series of CALL THE MIDWIFE but I have to say they are struggling for convincing storylines/characters now. There is one male character in particular who is driving us nuts – and not with desire! Totally unbelievable, and clearly just there to solve what would otherwise be intractable issues. But yes, we will carry on watching!
I also recently listened to another one of the ‘This Cultural Life’ programmes on Radio 3 – this one was with the artist Maggie Hambling. She was hilarious, though I don’t think I’d want to live with her. She gave up smoking after many years, but by the time the programme was recorded she had started again. The interviewer, who knows her, said ‘Maggie, I thought you’d given it up?’ – ‘Oh I did give it up for five years, but now I’ve gone back – and it’s MUCH better second time around…’
On Saturday we are going to see the London Astrobeats Orchestra at Summerhall here in Edinburgh. it is an all standing event- think of me! They ‘combine cult Western band repertoires with African influences’ – most of the band members are from West Africa. This time they will perform their take on Talking Heads’ hits. As I’ve said before, I’m trying to embrace new experiences!
I hope everyone has a great week. And next Thursday I sincerely hope to be coming to you from North East Scotland, where I am looking forward to walking up the hills and beside the river.
Good news about your son Rosemary and your returning to Aberdeenshire )even if it drags Charlie away from pigeon watching).
At least it’s sunny in Edinburgh, Rosemary! We’ve had nothing but winter skies, but I won’t complain with it in the 50s.
Your post today made me laugh – everything from Charlie and the pigeons to your personal comments about romances. That really makes me laugh because you’ve said that before about books set in Scotland.
I like the sound of Dear Reader.
I hope your son continues to do better, and that you’re able to return home soon. Hugs!
Rosemary, I loved your summary of romance books. I often ask my daughter if all these younger woman who them nonstop actually think they portray real life relationships. Unfortunately, from some of the Instagram feeds I see, I think they do.
I read your comments about Call the Midwife to my husband. He laughed and said it was a good thing we gave up on it last season.
I am glad your son is doing better. Good luck with the windows.
Hi everyone, I’ve had a good reading week, mostly due to everyone here. After Sandie’s list I ran to get Shutter. The grisliness at the beginning almost put me off but I am glad I stuck with it. I appreciated the cultural details and characters and look forward to future books. I also finished up the #2 Pentecost and Parker, also a series someone here turned me on to. Sometimes I feel like the author is trying too hard to be a hardboiler but it was fun. And, lastly, I read Steeped in Secrets, which I was the happy winner of here. The setting was pure California, which was nice to think about in the midst of a bizarro winter.
Trish, I’m glad you had a good reading week! I have a copy of Shutter, but I haven’t yet gotten past that grisly opening. I’m glad you and Sandie say to keep going.
I’m so glad you enjoyed Shutter. It really went far beyond that gruesome opening scene. Yet we had to have it to set up the rest of the book.
Last weekend when we had frigid temps I was happily ensconced with a good book from Nick Petrie The Wild One – which fittingly takes place in Iceland. I found that I had missed reading this one and I do love Peter Ash his main character. I didn’t miss going out at all! As I always say, I really feel sorry for people that don’t read -there is nothing like a good book.
Donna, I don’t know what people do with their free time when they don’t read.
Crack and Whores in between bouts of binging tv shows like The Bachelor and America’s Got Talent.
Beautiful week here, mostly clear and calm.
Still catching up on 2022 books ‐
Sophie Hannah’s suspenseful THE COUPLE AT THE TABLE. A threat, a murder and a closed circle of suspects – except everyone has an alibi. Six months after the murder and the lead detective won’t give up. Great mystery in the classic tradition.
Jenn McKinlay’s THE PLOT AND THE PENDULUM from her Library Lover’s Mystery cozy series. Reviewed here last October when it first arrived.
THE NIGHT SHIP A historical novel, based on a real-life event, follows the lives of two characters, a young Dutch girl en route to her father in 1629. The ship wrecked near an island off Western Australia. And a lonely boy in 1989 who, over three hundred years later, arrives on the same island.
With amazing symmetry Jess Kidd weaves a story about friendship, sacrifice, brutality, evil and forgiveness. Tough story, but so well written.
And to finish off the week Anthony Horowitz’s fourth book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series THE TWIST OF A KNIFE. I enjoy the series even more with each subsequent book. Wonderfully convoluted while still maintaining the classic structure of the murder mystery. The misdirection was done quite well, turning on a word or phrase.
MM, I have a copy of The Twist of a Knife on a pile. It’s good to know you appreciate each book. Thank you!
This week I read FATAL FASCINATOR by Jenn McKinlay. Scarlett and Vivian agree to make hats for a wedding party at the last minute on the condition that they can attend the wedding which is being held in a castle. The castle is supposedly haunted by a ghost who won’t allow anyone who isn’t in love to live long enough to get married. I enjoyed the previous hat shop murders but this one was a slow read for me.
MONOGRAPH AND MURDER by ACF Bookens. This is part of an ongoing story about two book buyers from the US who were recruited to help break up a ring that traffics in stolen books. In this installment they are in Syria trying to buy a 1st century scroll. There are a lot of characters and the plot got a bit convoluted but I still enjoyed it.
I also read two non-fiction books:
GHOST TOWNS OF NEW ENGLAND by Taryn Plumb. The editor seems to have quit during the chapter on Rhode Island – the book has Providence being founded in the 20th century and a person being listed as their ancestor instead of descendant.
Shari Lewis & Lamb Cop by Nat Segaloff and Mallory Lewis. As well as being a biography it was an interesting look back at children’s television.
Sandy, My sisters and I had Shari Lewis’ 3 puppets – Charley Horse, Hush Puppy and Lamb Chop. Remembered fondly.
I’m reading an advance copy of a debut novel, The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, and loving it. Bartz has a brisk style that keeps things moving, and although the story is packed with characters (including a central one who seems to be modeled on Anne Rice), she makes each stand out distinctly, The publisher is giving this book a big push, and I expect it to do well. Writers and avid readers will love it. Here’s the cover description:
The Plot meets Please Join Us in this psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare.
Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.
But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself.
A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female friendships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.
Good to hear, Sandy! I’ve seen advanced copies of that book. It’s not for me. But, good to hear you’re loving it! Thank you.
I am desparate for things to read so now reading Alice Cooper@75. I never listened to his music because his eye makeup scared me so much. It is a coffee table sized book that I got cheap. It is intresting and surprising. I do not get him but that’s OK.
Also read Haben by Haben Girma, an immigrant who is deaf and blind, her experiences with living in a world where people see and hear. Eventually, she gets a law degree and becomes a disablitly advocate.
My diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia is evolving to something else and they will not tell me at the oncology clinic what it is. I have been googling the tests and have an idea but I have to wait before they are ready to say what I have. Want to read as a escape while I wait.
Carolee, I can see why you need escapes while you await test results. I’m sorry you have to wait.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
I had a very good reading week.
Netgalley sent me ARCs from two of my favorite authors.
In a Hard Wind A McKenzie Novel by David Housewright
“When asked to investigate a murder in a seemingly idyllic Minnesota town, Rushmore McKenzie finds that all the evidence points directly at his client, in the next (20th) installment in David Housewright’s McKenzie novels.”
Identity by Nora Roberts
“Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan’s job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who’d been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.
Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. “Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.
What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn’t his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan’s nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother’s home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn’t flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn’t forgotten the one who got away.”
There are reasons I don’t read Nora Roberts’ standalones. That one just sounds scary, Kaye. I do have a copy of Susan Branch’s Distilled Genius coming today, though!
Two books this week. To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert. At first, I thought this was cute and fun but then well it just got kind of stupid, and I would like my 2 days reading it back, please. Trixie stops her car in the middle of the road in downtown Chicago to rescue a chicken and his helped by a big handsome guy. Her landlord draws the line and evicts her for having a chicken as a pet. A room in a house becomes available which is owned by above mentioned guy. No need to go further in the summary. I thought the sisters of the guy were great fun and the storyline had great promise until it didn’t.
Second book was A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella. I loved this one. It was a character driven story about three types of grief. One a widower whose wife died of cancer after a long marriage, a young woman whose father is murdered during a gas station robbery, and a mother whose daughter is abducted by her ex-husband. Their lives intersect while they each deal with their grieving. It isn’t as depressing as it sounds and I really enjoyed it.
Rain this morning with a high wind alert this afternoon in Cincinnati but I’ll take the 58 degrees for Februrary.
Happy Reading!
Right there with you, Sharon. I’ll takes 50s in February, even with high wind. Good to hear that A Quiet Life isn’t as depressing as it sounds.
In NC , we’ve been in the 70s for the last 3 days. Crazy for February! I am listening to Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Vuolo. In print, I am reading the Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle and Mirror Lake by Juneau Black (i love this series)
I’d take 70s, Katherine! I’ll have to look up Juneau Black. I’m not familiar with that series at all.
Pretty nice weather here. Went to the Colusa Equipment Show on Tuesday, to look at all the new tractors and farm equipment–and to pick up all the freebies. Pretty good show. Sometimes they have it in the rain, and it isn’t so pleasant. Almonds are beginning to blossom, so my allergies are starting to act up.
This week I read:
Savage Mesa by Scott McCrea; Tom Mix is undercover, sort of, headlining a wild west show, when some thievin’ varmints hi-jack a hot air balloon, and Tom goes along for the ride, right into the camp of renegade Comanches. This resurgence of B-western cowboy novels is unexpected, but I’m enjoying it.
Seascape in Shadows by Nancy Mehl; Another Martha’s Vineyard Mystery. When Priscilla takes her painting in to be cleaned, there’s another painting under it, which was stolen 50 years ago. She investigates.
Wyoming Slaughter by William W. Johnstone; When the progressive women in the town force their husbands to ban liquor and close the bawdy houses, the town erupts with bootleggers, vigilantes, and worse. The liquor banning creating bad results seems like a trope for Johnstone. I can see feminists having conniptions about this one.
Blazer: Ghosts of War by GC Harmon; A book from the 80’s updated, but the update doesn’t quite work. It may seem like the 80’s were only maybe 20 years ago, but they were 40 years ago. Anyway, three maverick cops try to stop a Vietnamese drug ring, then rescue some MIA’s, as if it’s 1985.
Shot through the Heart by Gary Sprague; It’s 1985 in Maine, and Joe Walker is getting married. A mobster moves to town. A kid is beaten, then killed. We get some After School Special stuff about a kid dying of AIDS, and the rockers are thinking of dropping out of school. Walker is supposed to be on vacation, but he works more here than he does most of the time.
Mystery at the Inn by Caroline Aarsen; There’s a murder mystery dinner at the inn, and of course, there’s a murder. These events seem deadly in cozies. I’m surprised they haven’t been banned in real life!
There! That last review was my favorite, Glen. You’re surprised mystery dinners aren’t banned in real life. It made me laugh.
One book from Margie’s list yesterday really stood out to me – THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashly Poston. What clinched the deal, as I pondered what format I wanted the book to take, was that one of my favorite narrators – Eileen Stevens – was reading it. So I bought the audiobook and started listening right away. So far I have the basics down. I have to write a few notes at this point of an audiobook because it’s hard to go back and find names or details. Not only will those notes keep me knowing who’s who but they’ll help me write a review at the end.
I had started Chris Offut’s book THE KILLING HILLS and was enjoying it but a couple hours in I realized I had no idea who Linda’s brother’s cousin Little, little Joe was. Too many familial relations I hadn’t kept track of. I liked the style of writing and liked the narrator, but I hadn’t done my job as reader to keep track of details. So I’ll go back to it one day.
But for now I get to find out how Florence saw ghosts as a child at her family’s funeral home.
Sandie, The Dead Romantics was on my list of Favorite Books of 2022. I just loved that book, and as soon as I see the title, details come to mind. With all that I read, and everyone else here, if I can remember details months later, the book stands out for me.
Names and relationships are a little confusing in Chris Offutt’s books because people are related, or know everyone else in town. I love his writing.
Surprisingly warm weather here in Williamsburg these last few days. Often in Virginia our coldest days are in February (of course we are only a week into the month, probably just jinxed myself). I have 2 books to highly recommend this week.
First off I am listening to Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce, superbly narrated by Juliet Stevenson. I read it a year or so ago and it is our book club pick for February so I thought I would refresh my memory through audio. The book jacket describes the book as “A beautifully written, extraordinary quest in which two ordinary, overlooked women embark on an unlikely scientific expedition to the South Seas.”
My second recommendation is another audio book, Exiles by Jane Harper narrated by Stephen Shanahan in his wonderful Australian accent. This book is the third and final book starring Federal Investigator Aaron Falk. Jane Harper’s books are so atmospheric and character driven that you almost miss what a terrific job she does with her plots. Besides the 3 Aaron Falk novels (her debut novel The Dry won numerous awards) she has written 2 stand alones.
I just love Thursdays with Lesa. I always find a couple of books to add to my TBR pile and look forward to hearing how everyone is fairing. Plus the weather reports!
That’s funny, Susan. I never meant to do weather reports, but with readers all over the country, and in Scotland, we sometimes have weather that affects our daily lives. I am glad you love Thursdays with Lesa, though. Thank you for spending part of your Thursdays with us.
I’m going to have to check to see if my friend, Donna, has read Miss Benson’s Beetle. It sounds like something she’d love. (See, I use Thursdays to get recommendations for other people, as well as myself.)
No jinx, I hope!
This week I finished THE COVER WIFE, the second book in a recent espionage series by Dan Fesperman. The main character in this book is Claire Saylor, a CIA agent stationed in Paris who is sent to Hamburg, Germany to pose as the wife of an academic who has published a controversial book with a new interpretation of writings in the Quran. The story is told from three perspectives: Claire’s; a young man with an American mother and a Moroccan father who wants to be accepted into an Al Qaeda cell; and an FBI agent who liaises with the CIA and has been sent to surveil specific members of the cell. I enjoyed this book so much I will probably order the third book in the series, which returns to an earlier time in Claire’s career.
I am still reading THE SISTERS: THE SAGA OF THE MITFORD FAMILY by Mary S. Lovell and BULLET TRAIN by Kōtarō Isaka. I started both of those in late January.
Not a lot else going on here. It is not terribly cold here, but cold enough that I am not motivated to get out and do some garden work, like getting rid of weeds before they take over. We will go on a walk tomorrow, over to the breakwater and the harbor. One of our favorite spots, and with a lovely restaurant.
That’s the sign of a good book, Tracy, when you continue to order other books in the series. I’m glad you found something that was a little more fast-paced while reading your January books.
Believe it or not, this is the first chance I’ve had to get here all day. It’s tough being retired on vacation in Florida in 81 degree sunshine.
Nah, not really. But we were busy today. I’ll spare you the details.
Reading time has been tricky to find some days (like today). Almost done with the two short story collections I’have been reading.
Agatha Christie, The Last Seance, subtitled Tales of the Supernatural, is all – but one – stories previously published in other collections (all of which I read many years ago)(. Frankly, the “supernatural” stories were less than terrifying, and I enjoyed the handful of Poirot and Miss Marple stories more than any of them, including her famous standalone, “Philomel Cottage.” But Christie is always fun to read.
Edith Pearlman died on January 1 at age 86. Her obituary was the first I’d ever heard of her, frankly. She sounded interesting so I got her recent collection, Honeydew, from the library. She lived near Boston and most of her stories are set in that area, some in the suburban Jewish milieu where she lived much of her life. She is a very good writer and I have another of her collections to read after this one.
I’vee been interesting in Andrew Mayne’s Underwater Investigation Unit series, set in Florida, for a while now. I had the second book in the series (four, so far) but my library didn’t have the first one and I didn’t want to buy it, so I was very pleased when I found I could borrow it as an Amazon Prime member. I’m glad I did. Sloan McPherson, in The Girl Beneath the Sea, is a Lauderdale Shores cop whose skill as a diver has her loaned out to other police forces in the area. While swimming in a canal to look for possible evidence for an archaeological course, she hears a splash and discovers a dead body of a young woman dumped practically on top of her. Worse, she knew her when she was a girl. Now the FBI thinks she is crooked like her uncle in prison, and they want to know what she knows, which is nothing. But of course she has to investigate, sometimes helped by her father and the cop who locked her uncle up in the first place, who may or may not be as corrupt as the family has always claimed. Sloan is more than a little reckless, however, and keeps getting herself in trouble like any “had I but known” heroine of the past, in this first person narration book. I will definitely be reading more of these.
Jackie is read G. A. Aiken (Shelley Laurenston)’s HERETIC ROYAL. She has read all the books under both of her names,
I’m not familiar with Jackie’s author, G.A. Aiken under either name.
You’re right. Agatha Christie is always fun.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the weather and your current lifestyle in Florida.
Oh, I am barely getting in under the wire here tonight. 11:46 p.m. on my clock. In my defense, I went to see granddaughter this afternoon and then played catch-up with some things tonight. I did think of coming here earlier and then something else caught my attention I needed to do, so here I am. Reading has been slow, still. I did finish The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan and reviewed it. I loved The House Guest, and I was delighted the my review for it seemed to just flow out. That doesn’t usually happen. I usually have to spend much more time on one. I have just started Deborah Crombie’s nineteenth Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid book, A Killing of Innocents. I love this series so much, and I can’t wait to get to bed in a few minutes and read more of this book. That’s all I have this late. I hope next Thursday I get here earlier. Now, I’ll go back and read everyone else’s comments.
Ah, Kathy. By the time you got here yesterday, I had been in bed for 2 hours. I’m glad you stopped by, though. Enjoy A Killing of Innocents plus everyone’s comments!