Before we even talk about books, check in, please, and let us know how you’re doing. I know we have friends in California, and friends in the East. My nephew was snowed in at home with their toddler, while his wife was snowed in at work near Boston. He and the toddler loved it. His wife probably didn’t enjoy it as much. Rain, snow, just cold weather. I hope you’re all okay.
I’m actually finishing up a book that doesn’t come out until July. I’m reading Linda Castillo’s An Evil Heart for a book review. It’s the fifteenth Kate Burkholder novel. They feature a female police chief in Painters Mill, Ohio, a small town in Amish country. If you prefer cozy mysteries, these books are not for you. The opening chapter of An Evil Heart is particularly gruesome. Castillo’s series is gripping, though, with an excellent team for Burkholder. And, she really focuses on the police procedural aspect of a homicide investigation in this one. That’s all I’m really going to say, because I know there are a couple fans of the series here, and I’m definitely not going to spoil this latest book.
What about you? What are you reading this week?
We had a rain storm in southern Arizona. Our cat and puppy were scared while my service dog 🐕🦺 was protecting all of us from the unusual sounds and flashes of light in the sky!
I forgot to say that I’m reading 1979 by Val McDermid
Reen, how are you liking 1979? I am determined to get to that book and 1989, too.
Thank heavens for your service dog’s protection! I’m sure the cat and puppy are not used to rain storms.
I’m with Kathy, Reen. You’ll have to tell us what you think of 1979.
Here in northern California we’re still having quite a bit of rain, although today we saw some sun and I actually got to take a walk this afternoon. Not sure about my walking group Thursday morning. If we hadn’t gone on Daylight Saving Time, it might be warm enough (low 40s) by 8:00 a.m., but we’ll see.
For a book club, I read IF YOU LIVED HERE, I’D KNOW YOUR NAME by Heather Lende, a lovely memoir (2006) about life in Haines, Alaska (population 2,400), an environment so different from any place I’ve lived that I was simultaneously shocked and mesmerized. The author moved to Alaska as an adult and worked for a small weekly newspaper as the obituary writer and social columnist, while also contributing articles to other publications. As the title of the book suggests, the locals are a tightly knit community, totally enjoying the beautiful setting while accepting that the unpredictability of nature also holds inherent dangers due to extreme weather, isolation, and wild animals, and pitching in to help each other when needed. Heather and her husband, Chip, raised five children there, although there wasn’t even a delivery room in the town, and doctors’ appointments often had to be reached by plane (weather permitting). Heather herself became close to many of their neighbors when there was a death, meeting with the departed’s family–and sometimes the terminally ill person before their death–to craft meaningful, respectful epitaphs for publication in the newspaper. Her “Duly Noted” social columns, full of chatty news snippets detailing events that might seem negligible in a bigger city but are authentically descriptive of everyday life in Haines, are interspersed with longer chapters about life in that part of Alaska. I love the way the author is equally adept at describing tragic, deeply moving, and hilarious events and perspectives.
It’s always a reason for rejoicing when Andy Carpenter is back to narrate yet another entertaining legal mystery. In #27, FLOP DEAD GORGEOUS, Andy’s (very briefly) high school girlfriend Jenny is now on top of the world as a popular movie actress, looking forward to starring in a new film. If only her possessive ex and costar, Griffin, weren’t found dead in her kitchen with her knife in his back! Defense attorney Andy agrees to take on Jenny’s case, even though it often seems hopeless. Along the way, we learn a lot about wealthy Griffin’s involvement in the production side of filmmaking, including some some scurrilous schemes that could have led to his death. But although Andy and his team are relentless in their investigation, and, though some of their methods are–shall we say–outside the law, they don’t seem to be making progress in a timely manner. Any of the 27 books in the series can be read without reading the rest. Here’s all you need to know. Andy is independently wealthy due to an inheritance. He is, therefore, always reluctant to get involved in a new case, preferring to spend time with his family and his dog rescue organization, but always relents when it involves someone he loves or respects. His engaging team includes his intrepid police officer-turned-PI wife, Laurie, and bodyguard/ investigator extraordinaire Marcus, to mention just two. Andy is definitely NOT beloved of prosecutors and most judges because of his shenanigans and his ever-present snark, making the courtroom scenes especially fun to read. I’ve read every one of the books in this series, and I will continue to read anything David Rosenfelt writes. (July)
Third in the excellent Pentecost and Parker mystery series by Stephen Spotswood, SECRETS TYPED IN BLOOD hails the return of famed New York private investigator Lillian Pentecost and her partner, Willowjean “Will” Parker. The pair first met in 1942, when the effects of multiple sclerosis on her diminishing physical abilities led Lillian to seek out and train a street-smart assistant. Will was traveling with the circus and learning all sorts of useful skills, such as knife throwing, lock picking and more. But now, in 1947, she is a full-fledged private investigator, and the pair are working on multiple investigations and cold cases. Approached by Holly Quick, a pulp fiction crime magazine writer who claims several of her murder mystery stories have been played out in the real world by unknown criminals and fears for her safety, they realize that these are some of the investigations in which they are already involved. The story is full of colorful characters, believable settings and timelines, and two eccentric and grounded protagonists who are easy to root for. The author is successful in stylishly creating a twisty plot, suspenseful scenes, and a satisfying ending, leaving the door open for further adventures–the next book in the series is due in December 2023.
Katherine Center’s HELLO STRANGER, a high-concept story about Sadie, a struggling portrait artist who must deal with face-blindness as a result of unexpected brain surgery, kept me thoroughly entertained (and educated). Already plagued by financial issues and a fraught family situation, Sadie now has to figure out how to paint a winning portrait for a lucrative contest in which she is a finalist, without being able to see faces as anything but fractured Picasso paintings. She can’t even see her own face clearly in a mirror. Sadie doesn’t know if she will ever be the same, but she manages to strike up relationships with the local veterinarian and with a fellow apartment complex dweller who initially struck her as obnoxious, while coming to terms with her evil stepmother and stepsister and her estranged father. I loved Sadie’s supportive friend, Sue, and Sadie’s budding relationship with Joe, and I felt that her challenges added nuance to her character. I also admired her determination to find different ways to make her art. The obligatory crisis with Joe near the end of the book might have been averted with some cool-headed communication, but there is a fun twist that I didn’t see coming (unlike quite a few other reviewers). Ultimately, Sadie learns more about herself and what she wants out of life, not to mention the lessons that she relates at some length to the reader in the last chapter. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would classify it as contemporary romantic fiction. (July)
Margie, I love to read about small towns in Alaska, but what I read is fiction. The book you read is a memoir, so true, right? I’ll be looking it up. I enjoy Paige Shelton’s Alaska Wild series set in fictional small-town Benedict. I like the community reliance that has to exist in the small Alaska towns, where you have to keep your wits about you to survive.
Yes, this is an accounting of the author’s life in a very small town in Alaska. I believe she still lives there and has written a handful of other nonfiction books over the years.
We are on the same wavelength, Margie. I read that Heather Lende memoir last year (I think), and it might have been Lesa who recommended it. Very, very interesting, though I would not want to live there.
Recently read the second Spotswood book and this one is coming up soon.
Jeff, I don’t remember this book ever coming across my radar screen and probably wouldn’t have found it if not for the book club. I’m glad you enjoyed it as well.
Margie, I’ve read that book by Heather Lende, one of the follow-ups, and I follow her blog. I just love her writing. I’m also fascinated by obituaries, and the people who write them. I have a hold at the library on another book by an obituary writer.
Margie, I read If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name by Heather Lende. She still lives in Haines and writes a blog I subscribe to. http://www.heatherlende.com. She writes so thoughtfully about her life in Alaska, I find it a joy to read. We lived 3 years in Fairbanks thanks to the US Army and loved our time there.
Margie, I already had that Heather Lende book on my wish list but I’d forgotten all about it – now I want to read it soon, thanks for reminding me.
The only books I’ve read set in Alaska are the Dana Stabenow Kate Shugak novels, which I enjoy. Having lived through a winter in Newfoundland, I didn’t think anything could be worse until I read Stabenow! And Claire Mowat’s THE OUTPORT PEOPLE, describing life ’round the bay’ in Newfoundland in the 1960s, was a real eye-opener too.
Rosemary, there is another, shorter series set further south in Alaska, around Juneau, but I’m not home and don’t have my list handy so can’t remember who wrote it. I believe they were paperback originals and maybe three or four titles in the series.,
There is also:
Sue Henry, Murder on the Iditarod Trail
Stan Jones, White Sky, Black Ice
Both are first books in a series, I believe.
Lesa, I’ve finally figured out I should post late on Wednesday night instead of Thursday afternoon. I may be slow, but I get there eventually. I have been glad to hear from people on FB who live in these hard-hit weather areas. So far, the people I know are fine, but I know there are so many who are suffering and have long months or years ahead to repair or rebuild.
I saw a book tonight on Modern Mrs. Darcy’s web site that I thought you would like, Lesa. You may already be aware of it. Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life by Sutton Foster is the story of her childhood and how she came to the stage. The description mentions humor, so she must infuse that into it, too. Also featured on Mrs. Darcy’s what she’s been reading are The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAlister. The Golden Spoon caught my attention because the description says that it’s “The Great British Bake-Off meets The Only Murders in the Building, or Knives Out, or Clue.” I love all of those. Wrong Place Wrong Time is a time travel mystery in which a British woman must go back in time to try to prevent her son from killing someone. I am wondering if anyone here has read any of these three books yet?
Well, I had about 60 pages to go reading Lessons in Chemistry when I posted last week. I did finish it, and it is going on my list of “Favorite All-Time Reads.” Such a great read. As the main character, Elizabeth Zott, is a scientist in the 50s and 60s, she is usually ignored or made light of by her fellow men scientists, except for one, Calvin. I gave more description last week, but I encourage you to read this book that won such high praise and best book nods last year. This time, the hype was on target. Oh, and Lessons in Chemistry made me move up another book on my list, one that’s been patiently waiting. The Other Einstein is about Einstein’s wife who was a physicist and who many believe did lots of the work that her husband took credit for. I’m currently reading Book 6 in the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries by Cathy Ace. I enjoy this series set in Wales and featuring four smart, capable women who solve mysteries and murders. Number 7 just came out, too, and I’ll read it next. I usually review these books for Cathy Ace, and I need to catch up, quickly.
I want to mention a couple of shows I’m watching or getting ready to watch on TV. My husband and I are watching The Last of Us, and the third episode had me in tears it was so beautiful. The premise of the show is not beautiful, as the world is suffering from a pandemic of a fungal virus that kills and turns people into monsters. I didn’t think I’d like it, but it is really good. And, joy oh joy, the third season of Ted Lasso began today. I haven’t watched it yet, but I will in the next few days. That was another show that surprised me and I ended up loving. I watched the Oscars all the way through this year, and I haven’t done that in a long time. I was thrilled with the winners for Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. The winners were all actors that had been counted as done in the big leagues, and, boy, did they prove the naysayers wrong.
I hope everyone has a good weekend, and I can’t wait to see what you all are reading now.
Kathy I loved Wrong Place, Wrong Time. What a page turner. I rarely read time travel books but the book was so good I didn’t think of it as time travel. I can’t wait for her next book to come out.
I also loved Wrong Place Wrong Time – I too don’t normally read about time travel but this one was so real – you really thought it possible!
Kathy, I’ve read both Hooked (loved it) and The Golden Spoon (disappointed with it). My son watched the whole The Last of Us series and really enjoyed it, and we both watched the first episode in the new season of Ted Lasso last night–tried it without captions but had to turn them on because of the British accents! Definitely one of my all-time favorite series and I’m so glad it’s back. I also really enjoyed Shrinking (Apple) and Poker Face (Peacock).
You’re right, Kathy! You did better writing late Wednesday night instead of Thursday.
I still need to read Lessons in Chemistry. My sister put it on her list of Favorites of 2022, passed it on to my niece, and raves about the book.
I just don’t watch much serial TV, and I don’t subscribe to any outlets to get anything like Ted Lasso. But, March Madness starts today, and I’m a big college basketball fan!
Thanks, Susan and Donna, for your endorsement of Wrong Place Wrong Time. I do enjoy time travel books, but the description of this book stated that it wasn’t like other time travel books. You both seem to confirm that. Margie, I’m glad to hear you read and liked Hooked. It will go on my list, too. Sorry The Golden Spoon fell flat for you. Its description sounds like it would be so good. Glad you enjoy Ted Lasso, too, and thanks for the recommendations of Shrinking and Poker Face. I’ve heard a few people comment on how they liked Harrison Ford in Shrinking, and I’ve been meaning to watch Poker Face. Lesa, I hear you about March Madness. I, too, love college basketball and will have it on all during the tournament. West Virginia and Maryland are playing in a close one now. Oh, and what about the Sutton Foster book? Have you read it?
I haven’t read the Sutton Foster book, Kathy. I hope to get to it eventually!
I’m working on INTRIGUE IN ISTANBUL by Erica Ruth Neubauer. I didn’t get as far as I wanted to today (too much else going on), but it’s fun so far. This is the fourth in her Jane Wunderly historical mystery series. Obviously, the story has taken us to Turkey.
That’s a series I haven’t gotten around to reading, Mark. I’m glad the latest is fun!
We’ve had a cold snap in DC; it has been quite shocking for us that wind chill has been under 20 degrees for several days—for DC this time of year it is a bit strange; no snow tho. I’ve had a huge book pile these last two weeks because of class and book club reads: N or M?; Taras Bulba; Death on the Cherwell; and my fun read, Exiles by Jane Harper. This is my first novel by the Australian writer and it’s amazing how detailed and finely written it is also while being highly plotted and readable!
That would be a shock for D.C., Becky! I went to grad school in D.C., so spent a year there. It’s almost cherry blossom season. The weather needs to get better soon.
I have a copy of Exiles, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet.
Becky, I read Death on the Cherwell a while ago but I didn’t much take to it. I struggle with so many of the British Library Crime Classics, but I can’t quite give them up as I love the covers so much. I’ll be interested to hear what you thought of this one.
Good morning. It snowed all day Tuesday here in NJ but it was warm enough that none of it stuck.
I read Standing Dead by Margaret Mizushima. The book was good, but like Lesa, I hope the author has finally moved on from Mattie’s family issues and can focus on other crimes.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I fail to see why there has been so much hype about this book.
Sandy, You, Jeff and I feel the same way about Standing Dead. It’s time to move on from the family issues, and get to local cases and crimes.
While there was record snowfall in the Sierra, only a bit of CA’s atmospheric river made it over the mountains. Almost seven inches for YTD precipitation, average precipitation for NV is only 12 inches. Plus a couple days of sunshine as a bonus.
Not much to share for this week’s reading. I finished several nonfiction I had in progress and one forgettable fiction. The book that’s lodged in my mind is THE WIDOWER’S NOTEBOOK a 2018 memoir from Jonathan Santlofer written following the unexpected death of his wife. In this meditation on grieving, he writes on his perspective that men aren’t allowed to grieve, his poor decision making and how life was a blur for at least a year.
MM, I’m so glad you tell us what’s happening with the weather on your side of the mountains. Thank you!
I read The Widower’s Notebook. I felt so sorry for Sanlofer. Very good book.
MM – I heard the actor Richard E Grant talking (on Desert Island Discs) about the death of his beloved wife Joan – it was really moving, and made me realise how rarely men are given the space to talk about grief. He’s such a lovely person, and he wanted to emphasise the positives of their long and happy marriage, but he was also very honest about how hard it is to cope with the death of a loved one. He’s written a book about their life together, and his attempts to do as she had asked him, and try to find ‘a pocketful of happiness’ in every day.
I like that phrase, Rosemary. Find “a pocketful of happiness” in every day. Beautiful.
Beautiful blue skies here in Williamsburg VA this morning but it’s pretty cold…only high 20s. Will warm up so I’m happy. I have had mixed luck in my reading life these last few weeks. A few great books and quite a few that I just could not get into. I would pick up a book, read a few chapters and set it aside. Some of them I might try at a later date but it can be frustrating.
On the plus side I read a terrific debut novel set in rural Australia, Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor. A young girl goes missing and we follow the actions and reactions of the townspeople and “from away” police as they search for her. I think this book will get a fair amount of notice.
Next good book was The Sisters of Mokama: the Pioneering Women Who Brought Hope and Healing to India. It is the story of six Kentucky nuns, who in 1946 traveled to one of the poorest areas of India to start a hospital, and eventually a school of nursing in that country. The book begins right about the time of partition, and there’s some interesting political history. There were so many times I found myself googling places, people, and events while reading the book.
Looking forward to reading today’s book recommendations. I always find a few to add to my TBR pile. Just added Kathy’s recommendation of The Golden Spoon. I’ve seen that title recently pop up on several book blogs.
Blue skies or sunshine make a difference, even when it’s cold, Susan.
I need to get around to Dirt Creek. I saw it on a recommended list just the other day. Thank you for the reminder!
Not a lot of reading time this week, and the next couple of weeks will probably be no different. We went to meet a friend in Fort Myers, which entailed a nearly three hour drive across Florida (forget The Sunshine State, it should be called The Flat State). Spent a lot of time driving back and forth to pick her up at her brother’s place. Then we came back (another three hours) on Tuesday. We went to the Edison and Ford Winter Homes (unfortunately, on a very humid day) in Ft. Myers, and took her to the Flagler Museum (mansion) in Palm Beach yesterday, Again, little reading time. She leaves tomorrow and we leave next Wednesday, which means packing up everything we’ve accumulated over the last three months.
Jackie doesn’t want anyone to be disappointed, but she is finding the beginning of THE CHOICE to be off to a slow start. I’m sure it will pick up soon.
I did finish the collection of stories “inspired” by Cornell Woolrich, BLACK IS THE NIGHT. Now finally reading the John Dickson Carr, which I would recommend to any fans of his. THE KINDLING SPARK is a collection of early stories written when he was a precocious teenager and so far it is quite entertaining. You can see precursors of his Bencolin stories in a few things here.
After reading two of his other books, I am reading Will Schwalbe’s BOOKS FOR LIVING: Some Thoughts on Reading, Reflecting, and Embracing Life. That pretty much says it. I am not excited by it, but I am already more than halfway through it so it can’t be terrible.
From recommendations here, I am reading the first Claire Kells book, VANISHING EDGE, about ex-FBI Agent turned National Parks Service Investigator Felicity Harland. I like it so far but just can’t find much time to read this week. I need to, because I downloaded the new Michael Rowbotham book about Cyrus Haven, LYING BESIDE YOU.
You bring back memories, Jeff. I lived in Lee County for 17 of the 18 years I was in Florida, so I’ve been to the Edison and Ford homes. I’ve also been to the Flagler mansion. And, I’ve done that drive back and forth across the state several times.
I don’t miss the humidity!
I never realized until you said it that John Dickson Carr wrote stories even when he was a teenager.
Safe travels next week!
Oh, I should have mentioned that after 18 straight days over 80, South Florida cooled off (a little) to the 70s. Then yesterday we had our first extended rain (most of the afternoon) for some time, and it remained pretty cool – about 70 for a high. Looks like we are in for more rain over the weekend. The West Coast was a little different, especially that one very humid day.
Morning, all!
We had a couple of snow days – not unusual in Western North Carolina which is home to a few ski resorts – and then “poof!” it was gone, replaced by blue skies and sunshine.
Three good books to add.
A Likely Story by Leigh McMullan Abramson
The only child of an iconic American novelist discovers a shocking tangle of family secrets that upends everything she thought she knew about her parents, her gilded childhood, and her own stalled writing career in this brilliantly observed standout debut.
Growing up in the nineties in New York City as the only child of famous parents was both a blessing and a curse for Isabelle Manning. Her beautiful society hostess mother, Claire, and New York Times bestselling author father, Ward, were the city’s intellectual It couple. Ward’s glamorous obligations often took him away from Isabelle, but Claire made sure her childhood was always filled with magic and love.
Now an adult, all Isabelle wants is to be a successful writer like her father but after many false starts and the unexpected death of her mother, she faces her upcoming thirty-fifth birthday alone and on the verge of a breakdown. Her anxiety only skyrockets when she uncovers some shocking truths about her parents and begins wondering if everything she knew about her family was all based on an elaborate lie.
Wry, wise, and propulsive, A Likely Story is punctuated with fragments of a compulsively readable book-within-a-book about a woman determined to steal back the spotlight from a man who has cheated his way to the top. The characters seem eerily familiar but is the plot based on fact? And more importantly, who is the author?
House of Clouds by K. L. Gleeson
Ten years ago everything about him took her breath away, especially his music. But ten years ago, when everything seemed possible, it all fell apart.
Ten years ago Kate gave up music, her friends and all the possibilities of her future and established a new life for herself in Rome. There she began creating art pieces under the guidance of her handsome mentor and fiancé, Giancarlo, a member of an old wealthy Italian family. It’s a life she’s worked hard to achieve–glamorous, busy and a far cry from her past life.
When her father falls seriously ill Kate is forced to return to the small American college town where she grew up and where her life took a downward spiral almost a decade before. On her arrival she encounters Ethan, the mesmerizing musician that captured her attention all those years ago, and one of the key people that prompted her flight. When she learns he’s staying at a friend’s cabin and sharing friendship and his love of music with her father, a former professional musician, she finds it overwhelming and is immediately thrown back to that fateful college event when she first heard him play his guitar and sing.
The River Runs South by Audrey Ingram
When Camille Taylor’s husband dies unexpectedly, the carefully constructed life she worked so hard to build in Washington, DC, shatters. After struggling for almost a year, she reaches a breaking point, packs up her daughter, and heads for the Alabama coast where she grew up.
The salt air and slow rhythms of the coast soothe Camille’s spirit, but when she meets local fisherman Mack Phillips, she learns that things have changed in her hometown. Runoff from an abandoned development site is polluting the water, and Mack has brought a suit against the site’s owners—Camille’s father among them.
Battling her own fears for the fragile ecosystem of her beloved Mobile Bay, Camille joins her father’s defense team, but the more she learns, the more she wonders if she’s landed on the right side of the fight. Meanwhile, Camille is slowly drawn to Mack’s fearless resolve, his sterling ideals, and finally to the man himself.
Faced with blurred lines between right and wrong, Camille must decide for herself what the next chapter of her life will bring.
With timely commentary on Alabama’s fragile ecosystem and exploring themes of grief, love, and community, The River Runs South will appeal to southern fiction readers on the hunt for the nostalgia of Sweet Home Alabama.
Three very interesting sounding books, Kaye. I don’t know that any of them are for me, but I know they’re going on some TBR lists!
Hugs, my friend. I’m glad you’re still enjoying your winter and snows!
Hi everyone! I’ve had a busy few weeks and haven’t read as much as I’d like. I really enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies. It captured the single-mindedness of academic research really well, and of course there were fairies.
I almost didn’t read the second Pies Before Guys mystery by Misha Popp because I am uncomfortable with extrajudicial killings. I ended up liking A Good Day to Pie even more than the first book.
I also read Lucy Checks In by Dee Erst, which was pleasant enough, but it reminded me strongly of a book I love, Meeting Lily by Sarah Woodhouse, and suffered in comparison. Finally, I have Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano ready for the weekend. Her Dear Edward was incredible and this should be too. I saw in the NY Times that Oprah certainly think so!
Trisha, I’ll be interested to see what you think of Hello, Beautiful. I trust readers’ opinions here more than I do Oprah’s!
Since I was one who enjoyed Lucy Checks In I am now off to check out Meeting Lily. Thanks for this heads up, Trisha!
I hope it is as good as I remember and that you enjoy it, Kaye! And I hope I didn’t sound dismissive of Lucy Checks In.
Not at all!
Trisha, I came across something about Hello Beautiful the other day and was wondering about it. Like Lesa, I’m interested in what readers other than Oprah’s Book Club think. I did see that the audio is narrated by actress Maura Tierney, which should be good. I don’t do audio books much, but this one with this narrator might be a good choice.
We are going to have rain all day here. Not feeling good today, chills, no fever but extremely tired.
Finished This Is What America Looks Like by Ilhan Omar. I am very impressed by her political acumen and foresight. I hope that she runs for the Senate later on. Not sure that I want to sell the book!
Also started In Search if Common Ground by Bastian Berbner, translated from German by Carolin Sommer.. It is small print but definitely worth the struggle to read it for me. It is the author’s investigation into hate and division in Great Britain, U.S. and Germany. Like Ilhan Omar, he is frightened about the spread of hate for different races, religion and the poor. I am not yet through the first chapter but I totally agree with what he believes, that how meeting strangers can save our society.
The first interview in the chapter is with a former Neo-Nazi, some of his criminal activity is in the book and he seems to be the embodiment of evil. However, he was assigned a female black probation officer. She had to go into his home inspect for drugs, bombs, guns etc. but she sat down on the couch and listened to him talk. Not interrupting him. she had him tell her about his life. Not saying much, she said “Why don’t you take down that negative stuff on the walls and put up some Smilies? Not meaning it literally but when she came back the posters of the swastika and Hitler were gone and he put up smilies. Each appointment increased his trust in her and one day, he took her to a tattoo parlor where he had a man cover up the giant swastika on his with a bear so people could not see the scary symbol. He distanced himself from his former neo-nazi buddies and eventually went on tour talking to troubled youths and steering them away from where he had been to more positive futures. There are many interviews of people who were strangers who became life long friends.
In Search of Common Ground sounds quite interesting, Carolee.
But, today’s a day you should rest up so you can feel better! Take care of yourself!
Warmer in Cincinnati today but rain on the way tonight and colder for the weekend. I am ready for the roller coaster of temperatures to end.
I finished Death at the Auction by E.C. Bateman this week. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. While I liked the mystery part very much, I found it slow going and I could not keep all the characters straight. She has another installment coming out later in the year. I liked interaction between Felicia and Detective Pettigrew.
Next was The Shadow Garden by Liz Parker. It was billed for fans of Heather Webber and Sarah Addison Allen. This was not nearly as good as anything by those authors, but it had great promise. I liked the story about healers in Kentucky who can take away your sorrow and plant it in a shadow garden. What I did not like is that there was too much information about auras and tea leaves and such which I felt detracted from a good story. Another book where I had a hard time with who was who, but she had a family tree included so I could refer back to. She also had a glossary in the back with what the tea leaves and auras meant.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Happy Reading!
Well, darn, Sharon. Two books that were just so-so.
I think Cincinnati gets about the same weather we do here in Evansville. I agree with you about the roller coaster temperatures. I’m ready for a string of spring days, considering spring starts next week. At least 50s! Maybe a little sun!
Morning one and all… here in NE Dallas we are bracing for the latest round of severe weather predicted for late afternoon and early evening. High wind, large hail, and possibly twisters are all in the forecast. Then, after that, it may freeze here this weekend which is going to annoy all the neighbors who have been planting like crazy.
Thanks to NetGalley, I am also reading the ARC of AN EVIL HEART. I would agree with what Lesa said in her post. I would also mention that the crime that starts the book was done here in the 70s. Have no idea whether or not it influenced the author, but it was a big deal here on the news at the time.
My brother has a crossbow –he also has a compound bow (two, I think) and has had police freak out about it when he is pulled over. They may not care one whit about his guns, but that crossbow gets some cops very interested. He lives in northern Ohio these days and has had local law enforcement tell him that his shotgun is fine in the backseat, but the crossbow has to be carried in the trunk. Makes zero sense to me.
Kevin, It’s quite possible that crime influenced Linda Castillo since she lives in Texas. Just gruesome. But an excellent book! And, the wedding plans alleviate the tension a little.
Funny, I hadn’t even thought about crossbow or compound bows in quite a long time, and my boss was in my office today, and even mentioned them. We were talking about weapons after he was peppersprayed yesterday while trying to evict a man from the library.
Just really strange weather this year, and you have had some of the strangest. But, “there’s no climate change”.
It has been a very nasty afternoon and evening and my nerves are fried. Civil Defense sirens blared as we have various funnel clouds across the area, including mine. No touchdown in Dallas county, though one might have landed over in Tarrant county near downtown Fort Worth. Lots of bigtime hail–ping pong and bigger. We missed that too. Ours was pea sized and did not last long. Did the high wind deal. Had three rounds of storms punch through. Thankfully, we also kept power. One of these times, we are not going to be so lucky oin any of this.
As to AN EVIL HEART…. finished this afternoon and enjoyed it. Had one heck of an intense ending.
Texas allows one to open carry pepper spray or mace–used to be illegal and a state jail felony–and it has become the weapon of choice for thieves and criminals. We have had several of the same type deals in libraries happen here along with the normal convenience store hold ups and the like. Being used in road rage incidents and neighbor disputes as well.
My brother wanted one when he and I were in high school. Mom said NO as she was sure he was going to put an eye out. (She was always sure we were going to lose an eye.) Anyway, a couple of years before she passed–so somewhere around 2015– he goes and sends her a minute long video of him shooting hay bales, straw figures, and a plank of wood with the damn thing. Mom sees it, can not get ahold of him, and calls me up totally freaked out and sure he is either going to put an eye out OR kill somebody with the damn thing. Wants me to do something about it. As if baby bro, a half dozen states away, is going to listen to me on this or anything else.
Crossbows are silent, and that’s why cops really don’t like them.
Hello! Here in Michigan, we have had a mix of weather. Snow, followed by January temperatures and now sunny and in the 30’s. Looks like the latest snowstorm will track north of us. Yay!!
After returning from taking care of my mother, I was in quite a reading slump and not able to settle down long enough to read. I had read the first few books in the Bill Slider series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, so decided to re-read those. That did the trick. I re-read thru the first books in the series and have continued on to book 5, Shallow Grave. I don’t know why I never continued with the series, probably got distracted with other books. This series is quite enjoyable. Bill and his team are fun, interesting people. The mysteries are good and there is plenty of humor. I am planning to read the entire series, hopefully without getting distracted!
Most of my reading this week has been non-fiction (a bit distracted, already). I read How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith, Thomas Jefferson’s Education by Alan Taylor and The Doctors Blackwell by Janice Nimura. All three were wonderful. I also enjoyed Memoirs of a Monticello Slave by Isaac Jefferson. This was a quick, but interesting read.
We are now counting down to my son’s wedding in May, for which I must go dress shopping. We are excited about the wedding and our daughter just announced she is expecting a baby! Our second granchild! So, lots to look forward to! Have a good weekend everyone!
Happy almost weekend, Jennifer! I’m so glad you have a wedding and a grandchild to anticipate. The weather isn’t worth anticipating.
I love the Bill Slider books for all the reasons you mention. And, like you, I often find that I can read nonfiction when I’m just not finding a novel that works.
Stay warm & safe!
Hello! Just typed a lengthy note that disappeared, so will keep this brief. After caring for my mother for a month, I was unable to settle down to read and was in a terrible slump. Finally decided to re-read the first few Bill Slider mysteries by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. That did the trick! I don’t know why I stopped reading those, probably distracted with my large TBR piles and list. I just finished the 5th in the series Shallow Grave. Bill and his team are are interesting people, the mysteries are good and there is lots of wonderful humor. I plan to continue on with the series and finish up before getting distracted.
Most of my reading this week was non-fiction (yes, I guess I did get distracted). I read How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith, Thomas Jefferson’s Education by Alan Taylor and Doctors Blackwell by Janice Nimura. Those were all very good. I also read Memoirs of a Monticello Slave by Isaac Jefferson. This was a very slim memoir, but worth reading.
We are now in the final stages of preparation for my son’s wedding in May. Still need to buy a dress. Our daughter and her husband just informed us she is pregnant! We will be having our 2nd grandchild in the fall! Lots to look forward to. Hope everyone will have a good weekend!
Ugh, sorry about the duplicate post!
Don’t worry about it, Jennifer. That’s what happens sometimes when I have to approve a post. If it’s the first time, or the first time in a long time that an IP address was used for posting, I need to approve it. So, if you’ve been posting from your mother’s, my blog just didn’t recognize your address. It helps to keep out the spam.
We had a lot of wind and rain. Lots of trees down. The trees had their leaves out, so they caught the wind. Lot of people around here are worried about the Silicon Valley Bank, and how the collapse might infect local banks.
This week I read:
Escape and Evade by JT Sawyer; I worked my way onto his “street team” so I got the ARC. A former CIA agent goes on the run to Southern Utah with a fortune in diamonds. Bad guys come wanting the diamonds. The agent has to…Escape and Evade them!
The Entangled Dragon by DS Lalonde; Billed as a fantasy novel, this is really a superhero novel, where everybody gets their powers through demonic possession. An interesting premise that is completely wasted by the plot.
The Two Chinatowns by Dan Mahoney; The Yellow Peril novel never really goes away does it? The hero here is no Sir Denis Nayland Smith, he’s a “brash” New Yorker I got tired of in the first chapter.
A Midwinter’s Tale by Bethany Blake; It’s Christmas as the tourist town, and the girl who made good is back in town, and planning to open a store to take out most of the pet shops in the area. Pretty soon, her dead body is found under the town Christmas Tree. Another super cop who couldn’t catch Covid needs help from the amateur sleuth.
A Beautiful Place to Die by Philip R. Craig; I just can’t seem to stay away from Martha’s Vineyard, but at least this book isn’t about Priscilla. It’s about a Vietnam vet ex cop who step in when a buddy of his is killed in a boat explosion. Written by somebody you just know used to hang out at Renaissance Weekends, he thinks he gets street cred because his hero is dating a Portuguese woman…in 1990…
The Alamo by Mark Dawson; John Milton is in New York City, when he dragged into the fight against a drug dealer and most corrupt precinct in New York. Some pretty decent action.
Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt; First book in the Andy Carpenter series. Some rough edges, but you can see why it became such a popular series.
Sail Away Home by Cara C. Putman; An antiques evaluation show is in Martha’s Vineyard. While looking around for antiques, Priscilla finds an old model boat that gets her into a peck of trouble. I don’t know how this detective keeps finding weird stuff in her own house.
Frenzi: Mafia Massacre by RJ Calder; a throwback to the 70’s anti mafia novels as a former hitman starts killing off his patrons when his neighbor and her son are murdered. Not quite as horrifc as the some of the genuine novels.
Well, darn, Glen. Too exciting week there with storms and the failure of the Silicon Valley bank. I’m sorry.
You did find time to read, though. I wonder what Aubrey Hamilton would think of your comments about the first Phillip R. Craig novel. I think he wrote 20 of them about that character, all set on Martha’s Vineyard, so you have a whole series if you want to read it! I think Aubrey read them all, but I might be wrong. Maybe they get better.
Lesa, I did read them all – the Philip R> Craig Martha’s Vineyard series – so either they got better or it’s just my bad taste. He wrote a couple of them with William Tapply, bringing in his mystery character Brady Coyne as a friend of the protagonist. I’d call them mostly light, entertaining reading when you don’t want another serial killer or human trafficking story, and what’s wrong with that?
Great series.
Good evening from northern Scotland. I hope everyone is safe and hasn’t had too much weather damage.
We had snow again earlier in the week, but it didn’t settle much, at least down here, and now it’s all gone. We had beautiful weather yesterday; I took the bus through the city to the university library, an amazing building that also accommodates a very small and unstaffed branch of the public library. I wanted a book my daughter Madeleine had recommended PAUL TAKES THE FORM OF A MORTAL GIRL by Andrea Lawlor. The ground floor of the university library is spacious and peaceful, so I then sat on a sofa and read another book until I realised it was past 12.
I walked back through the old part of the university to catch a bus. King’s College (the original university buildinsg, dating from the 15th century) has such a special atmosphere. At this point, whenever I visit, I start thinking I should do a Masters (in what I have no idea…) but I fear I’d probably enjoy the ambience far more then the actual work. University was wasted on me at the age of 18.
Today we had rain, rain, rain. I don’t mind, I went for a long walk to the top of the hill anyway; the fields below looked quite Impressionistic in the mist,
On the way back I called into our library. After returning a book I sat and read the Len Deighton spy novel I mentioned last week – FUNERAL IN BERLIN. When I got up from the chair to leave it was soaked from my coat – thank goodness the seat had a plastic covering.
So now I’ve finished Funeral in Berlin. I’m still not convinced I followed the plot, but I enjoyed the writing – such quick, economical sentences, and such brilliant, original, similes. Deighton even managed to slip in a reference to the Observer cookery feature that he himself used to write – that made me smile. I’ve found the 1966 film of the book on i-player so I want to watch that now – maybe things will fall into place. Or maybe not, as I had to watch both the TV series and the film version of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY several times to work it all out.
I’ve also finished Virginia Woolf’s A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN. I loved it, though I did think she lost her way a bit in the final chapter. Coincidentally I was listening to an episode of the excellent Mookse and Gripes book podcast the other day, in which they were discussing ‘books within books’. My blogger friend Simon Thomas was their guest, and his choice was Michael Cunningham’s THE HOURS. I saw the film when it came out in 2002, but I’ve never read the book, and I have to admit I hadn’t read MRS DALLOWAY at that point either. Now I realise that the book is framed by that novel, so I think I need both to read the book and to re-watch the film (in which I though Julianne Moore in particular was outstanding.)
I’m still reading NEVADA by Imogen Binnie, and I need to decide what else to read next. I’ve only got 500+ unread novels to choose from, and that doesn’t even include my library books….
On TV I have just finished the second series of UNFORGOTTEN and am enjoying it so much. Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar are so good together, and in this particular series Mark Bonnar also gave an outstanding performance.
I also wanted to let people know that the author Christopher Fowler passed away at the beginning of the month. His partner posted this on twitter:
‘Christopher Robert Fowler
3 score & 10
1953-2023
His sparkle, joy and humour are gone, but remain in my heart and his work. What a remarkable person we all shared. Goodbye to a beautiful man, a beautiful mind, my partner in crime and soulmate. Pete x’
So sad, he was a lovely person.
At the moment we are caught up in the election for the new leader of the SNP. I attended the hustings held in Aberdeen last Sunday; I listened to what all three candidates had to say, but they did not change my mind and I have cast my vote. The result will be announced on 27 March. It is a difficult time for Scotland.
Have a good week everyone. I am for once hoping to spend the weekend here, and tomorrow I am attending the monthly ‘get creative’ session at the art gallery.
I was sorry to read about Christopher Fowler, Rosemary. I enjoyed the first 2 books in his series. I’d like to finish reading it.
Rosemary, it’s been decades since I read Len Deighton’s FUNERAL IN BERLIN, but I do like her Bernard Samson series a lot. There are three Samson trilogies. The late Ian Holm did a great job as Samson in the television miniseries.
Rosemary, I really hope, for your sake, that your family life settles down eventually. Poor Charlie! He probably doesn’t know what end is up.
I have to smile that your books and movie viewing are so entwined. Together, they send us down such rabbit holes, don’t they?
If I wasn’t on deadline, with 4 books to read by Monday, I’d probably be spending my entire weekend watching college basketball. But, I do need to get my reading done.
Sending hugs, and thanks for all your beautiful posts.
We had rain last Friday all day, and on Saturday we visited the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show. Very popular, lots of people, and I wore a mask. Lovely flowers and exhibits. We had rain again Tuesday all day and through the night, and expected again on Monday through Wednesday. We had no problems but there were parts of Santa Barbara Country that had some flooding.
I finished reading THE SISTERS: THE SAGA OF THE MITFORD FAMILY; at about 600 pages, it took me about six weeks to read it. I took a lot of breaks. I did like it a lot. This biography included much more about Jessica Mitford, all very interesting, and more about Pam, the 2nd sister, and Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, the youngest. Now I am reading the letters of the six sisters, which is 800 pages and will take me a while.
Last night I finished THE MASK OF MEMORY by Victor Canning, the third book in an espionage series called the Birdcage series. Based on an overview of the series I was expecting this book to be dark, possibly with a depressing ending, but I did not find it that way at all. In fact, the ending was almost upbeat. I had already enjoyed the first two books in the series. All of those books were published in the early 1970s, but I did not start reading them until 2014.
We are watching DEATH IN PARADISE and are now in the 2nd season. I like all the characters. I saw that the creator, Robert Thorogood, wrote four Death in Paradise mysteries so I plan to try one of those… someday.
We also rotate watching MIDSOMER MURDERS, COLUMBO and THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES. I enjoy them all.
I loved Columbo, Tracy. It sounds as if you enjoy the same sort of mystery TV that I do.
I admire your ambition in reading those Mitford sisters books. I can see why they take you a while! It’s not light reading like the 500+ pages in an oral history of The Big Bang Theory.
I just finished a very old one — Kathy Hogan Trochek’s Happy Never After. Starting Grisham’s The Guardians today.
Oh, that is an old one, but a good one, Mary Ann!
Hi Lesa, Everything is okay in North Carolina. We have had morning temps around 30. Then it warms up in the afternoon to 55-65. Tomorrow is supposed to be 73? I am currently listening to Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn and reading Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia Macneal for mystery book club at work.
You’re having much nicer weather than we are, Katherine. Enjoy it, and enjoy both your books.
Hi Lesa — I’m also reading a Linda Castillo mystery: A Gathering of Secrets. Also, I just finished Larry D. Sweazy’s The Lost are the Last to Die, which was excellent. The weather here in Northern Colorado has been calm compared to other parts of the country, so no complaining here.
I like both of those authors, Patricia – Castillo (as you can tell) & Larry Sweazy.
Enjoy your weather!