I actually saved these couple sentences from a news report because I know it describes the weather so many of us are experiencing. If you’re in the Midwest or the East, we’re dealing with hazy days in which we’re supposed to stay inside if we can because the air quality is so bad. And, I think of Kevin Tipple when I see Texas news. “A punishing heat wave is baking Texas and the South, with temperatures rising well over 100°F. Meanwhile, smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the Midwest, causing some of the worst air quality in the world.“
Stay safe everyone! And, I hope you don’t have plans to fly over the holidays since flights sound awful right now. So, let’s talk about something more pleasant – books.
I’ve just started Ashley Poston’s The Seven Year Slip, but I have high hopes for it. The premise is so unlikely, but Poston is the author of The Dead Romantics, another unlikely book that was one of my favorites of the last couple years. I’ll see how this one goes.
An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.
Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it. So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it. And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again. Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future. Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed. After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
I’m willing to take a chance on Ashley Poston’s unusual novels. What about you? What are you reading this week?
That sounds so intriguing! I loved The Dead Romantics so I’ll put this one on my list. I’m reading The Celebrants by the awesome Steven Rowley. I’ve always loved his books, especially The Editor.
p.s. Thank you for the sweet note with my book win! I hope you have a seamless move to Ohio and can start enjoying retirement.
Thank you, Melanie! I loved The Dead Romantics, too, so I’m hopeful.
Thank you for the kind wishes.
Lesa, I ordered The Seven-Year Slip from B&N when they had their preorder discount sale, and I should be receiving it next week. Like you and Melanie, I loved The Dead Romantics, so I’m very optimistic. As for the weather, the next few days will have 100+ highs here, so I’m hoping it will be a bit lower by July 3, when we have our town celebration and fireworks. By contrast, we went swimming last Sunday and actually felt so cool from the wind that we had to get out of the pool early! Here’s what I’ve been reading.
Martha’s Vineyard is the setting of the prolific Jenn McKinlay’s new contemporary romance, SUMMER READING. I know a couple of you weren’t crazy about it, but I found it to be a fast, undemanding read, although at 400+ pages it is (unnecessarily) longer than most books of this genre. There isn’t a lot of turmoil for our two lovers in the romance department. They seem to have an “insta” spark, but each is dealing with some serious issues. Samantha (Sam) is a brilliant chef who resigned in a huff when her boss refused to promote her, and she’s sure it’s because she is dyslexic. She has returned to the island to figure out where her career is going and to look after her 14-year-old half-brother while her dad and stepmom are on an extended trip. Ben is a handsome librarian who has taken a an interim library manager assignment on the island because he hopes to discover who his birth father is. His unsympathetic mother won’t tell him, but Ben knows she was on Martha’s Vineyard about the time he was conceived. I liked the evolving relationship of half-siblings Sam and Tyler. Tyler is an intelligent robotics fanatic who eats a very limited menu and doesn’t socialize with kids his age, so Sam tries to win him over with her cooking, her dance moves, and her attentiveness. Ben is less developed but provides some surprises late in the story. I also appreciated learning more about how dyslexic individuals figure out ways to function and find success in in a sometimes intolerant world. Emily, Sam’s supportive longtime friend, is another character with interesting flaws and dreams. Based on the preview at the end of this book, the sequel will be Emily’s story. Finally, the book’s font was chosen to be dyslexia-friendly, and although I am not dyslexic, I found it much more soothing to my currently allergy-affected eyes!
MURDER MOST ROYAL is the third highly entertaining entry in one of my favorite historical mystery series, Her Majesty Investigates, by SJ Bennett. Set after Brexit has become a reality for Great Britain, the royal family has gone to their Sandringham Estate in late 2016 for what they hope will be a relaxing Christmas holiday with family and friends. But it’s not long before a local teenager finds a plastic bag washed up on the shore with a human hand inside. The victim is easily identified by a distinctive signet ring as a member of the St. Cyr family who has spent a lot of time with the royals as a child. But the body is nowhere to be found, so discovering the killer is, to say the least, problematic. And 90-year-old Queen Elizabeth is dismayed when the press starts sensationalizing the murder and giving her family some publicity that is most unwelcome. So with the aid of her assistant private secretary, the able ex-military Rozie, the monarch launches her own quiet investigation, making it clear as always that she is an “interested observer” rather than a solver of crimes. It is evident that the author is fond of the Queen, treating her character with affection and respect . In addition to the mystery itself, she also regales us with fascinating information about pigeon breeding and racing, money laundering, wild swimming, the laws of primogeniture (and the fact that the Queen has abolished the practice within the royal family), the rewilding movement to return the land to its raw state that has sparked interest among some of the British aristocracy, and what it means to be the Queen. A lover of animals–especially dogs and horses–a ruler trying to do her best for her country, and a complex, somehow relatable character, she manages to help the police with her inside knowledge without (mostly) putting herself in danger. The author’s writing style is easily accessible, and the mystery is not without its intriguing twists. Best of all, Bennett reveals that although Queen Elizabeth has passed on, there will be more books in the series, some perhaps going back in time. That’s great news for anyone who appreciates historical mysteries with unforgettable characters. (September)
I’ve read nonfiction about Saturday Night Live, so ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld, a fictional account of a seasoned writer for a very similar show, The Night Owl, feels quite realistic. Sally has never wanted to be on camera, but she is an expert at constructing hilarious sketches and accustomed to the hectic, competitive atmosphere of the show. She has observed that average-looking men have a much greater chance than women of having a relationship with a gorgeous celebrity–her friend and fellow writer, Danny, is an example–so she writes a sketch to highlight it. But with her spotty romantic history, including an early “starter” marriage, she is shocked when she feels an instant attraction to Noah, the handsome host and musical act for one of the shows, and Noah seems to have a similar reaction to her as they work together on developing his sketches. The organization of the novel is interesting and unique. The first part details the behind-the-scenes workings of the SNL-like show in great detail, while the second part is comprised of emails between Sally and Noah, commencing two years after his time on the show. The age of COVID has intervened, and both are trying to cope with the huge changes in their lives. The pandemic setting is portrayed realistically and, thankfully, not as disturbingly as I would have expected. Noah is appealing and almost too good to be true, while Sally has a lot to offer but frequently sabotages her life with her low opinion of herself. I enjoyed the story throughout, with the writing keeping me involved and attentive.
Throughout the Lily Adler Mystery series by Katharine Schellman, I’ve admired the evolution of “Regency widow” Lily’s character. A young woman who lost her husband to a terminal disease after just two years of marriage, she has struggled to find her way as an independent woman in London. In 1816, in MURDER AT MIDNIGHT, Lily is attending a lavish country house party during the holiday season when a young man is found with a fatal bullet wound outside the mansion. And because a huge snowstorm has made the roads impassible, tensions are running high among the guests, who know that the murderer has to be one of them. It’s fortunate that Lily’s brother-in-law John is a magistrate and can begin an investigation into why the victim was murdered and by whom. And he relies on Lily’s help because she has a talent for getting others to open up to her, proven in several cases detailed in the previous books in the series. Also at the house party are Lily’s old friend Jack, who has just resigned from his long-term Navy career, his parents, and his younger sister, Amelia. He desperately wants to help Amelia, who is suffering from a recent scandal but unwilling to tell him what happened, although the man with whom she was involved and his brother are also in attendance, along with other families and colleagues. The mystery is convoluted and engrossing, gaining steam in the final quarter of the book, taking many turns before arriving at the final resolution. And the depiction of upper-class manners and mayhem in that time and place is fascinating. It’s an entertaining series for fans of historical mysteries. (September)
I enjoyed the first two books in the Her Majesty Investigates series also. And was happy to see she was continuing the series with the publication of the third book, Murder Most Royal, in the fall of 2022. But what a let-down to learn we had to wait an additional year for the US edition!
Thanks for your review.
Hope you’re doing okay with your eyes, Margie. Here, the wildfires in Canada don’t help. I have a copy of Murder Most Royal, and I’m looking forward to reading it.
Loved the new one from Katharine Schellman. I liked the holiday setting.
I am so sorry you are dealing with the smoke now. We are warming up here in CA finally. Supposed to hit 100 over the weekend, which is great summer weather. I’m just sorry it is going to cool down again for the 4th. And yes, flights are bad right now. I was in NYC visiting a friend this last weekend, and my flight home was delayed three hours. Fortunately, I’d planned to arrive home mid-afternoon, so it wasn’t too bad.
I did want to follow up on my comments from last week on CHARLOTTE ILLES IS NOT A DETECTIVE. I wound up enjoying the book overall. When I posted last week, I wasn’t far enough into it to see if the things that were annoying me would continue or not, but they stayed minor. I loved the main trio and their friendship, and the mystery was good.
This week, I’m working on GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN by C. Michele Dorsey. A good traditional mystery (not quite a thriller, at least for me), the pacing is a little uneven, but overall, I’m enjoying it.
You’re like me, Mark. I like the heat for the summer. I’m glad the flight wasn’t too bad.
And, really happy to hear you ended up enjoying Charlotte Illes!
We’ve been dealing with massive amounts of rain h ere – so much so that roads are getting washed out and there are flash flood warnings! I’m currently reading The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I read it years ago when it first came out and thought I’d read it again.
Oh, Melissa! Stay safe with all that rain and washed out roads!
I’ve only ever read one of Margaret Atwood’s books, Alias Grace. Years ago!
Good morning from a so-far sunny Scotland. Every day this week has started off this way, with rain setting in around lunchtime. At least I don’t need to water the garden! I do need to schedule my walks more carefully than usual though, and get on with indoor things in the afternoons.
I finished Rebecca Shaw’s VILLAGE MATTERS and by the time I had, I was ready to throw it out of the window. It just became more and more riddled with a snobbery that the author seemed to think entirely acceptable. The Old Money couple in the village resents the businessman who has bought up the estate they couldn’t afford to run – I can see that this would be difficult, I just didn’t like the way Shaw seemed to think it was therefore right for the ex-owners to be downright rude and obstructive to the new one.
And the sycophantic grovelling of the villagers to anyone they see as their ‘betters’ became so irritating that I wanted to scream. I honestly don’t believe people behave like this any more, and I have lived on/near some very feudal estates around here. People tolerate the landowners because they are the major employers, but that’s about it. They certainly do not think that they’re some kind of superior beings just through the accident of their birth.
Shaw also puts a lot of unconvincing dialect into the mouths of the ‘lower classes’ – ‘Not half!’, ‘Don’t eat before yer come out!’ etc etc. Yes (perhaps) people do still talk like that, but not in a Cotswold village, and even if they did, I don’t think it works written down. It just comes over as patronising.
Rant over!
I then read EXPECTING: THE INNER LIFE OF PREGNANCY by Chitra Ramaswamy. I’m sorry to say this one also irritated me, though for quite different reasons (I seem to have been in an irritable mood this week!)
Ramaswamy wrote this while she was expecting her first child, who was conceived via IVF as she has a female partner. All fine with me; what I found wearing was the absolute song and dance she made about being pregnant. I fully appreciate that I am not the right demographic for this book – the publisher sent it to me for review, and as she is a friend (the publisher I mean) I did tell her I didn’t really want to read another book about pregnancy – I’ve had three children, and my youngest daughter is 25, so it’s ancient history to me. She replied ‘Oh but I think you’ll find this one different.’
Well, ho-hum. Ramaswamy brings in masses of literary quotes, likens pregnancy to all sorts of artistic endeavours, and generally goes on and on and on about how terrible it all is.
i really would have liked to have found out what she thought a few months later, as once your baby is born you quickly come down to earth and realise that no-one is the slightest bit interested in YOU any more, and probably won’t be for the next 30+ years!
But if I were a first time mother, I suppose I might find this interesting – though I talked to my friend Diana, who also has three grown up children, about it, and she said she thought it would make many women just feel they’d failed by not being philosophical and clever about it all, and instead just getting on with it.
Anyway, it’s read now – though I’ve yet to cobble together a polite review!
I’m now about to start Gillian Galbraith’s BLOOD IN THE WATER. it’s the first in a series about an Edinburgh detective, Alice Rice. I’ve never read any of these before – has anyone else?
I was also delighted to find that an Aberdeen book person has just started a book group – she asked what people would like to do, all read the same book as in most traditional book groups, or instead have more general discussions about books. I was thrilled to see that almost everyone chose the latter. I am hopeless with book groups in which you are required to read a ‘set book’ – I always feel like I’m back at school, and develop an instant aversion to whatever book it is. So I have joined this one and we shall see – but so far the discussions have been interesting, and I have already discovered an author who is new to me, Louise Kennedy, who has written TRESPASSES, a love story set in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The person who recommended it says;
‘it is quite literary for a love story and gives a glimpse into these dark, and not so old times.’
So I have bookmarked it at the library.
Yesterday we had our first Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery committee meeting for some time. I am not mad keen on Teams meetings, but I managed to muddle through! It was good to catch up with the director, who is a great woman, so sensible and down to earth. There are lots of good things coming at the gallery – she said they are now programming three years ahead, which I imagine isn’t unusual, but Helen took over from someone who had been there for ever, so I think she’s having to drag everyone into the 21st century.
She is keen to have more writing – reviews, not necessarily of their own exhibitions, but of any other cultural events in the city – in the gallery newsletter. Of course I was delighted to hear this. I don’t know when I’ll get them written, but I’m definitely going to try!
No music events this week, our next will be the Latitude Festival in Southwold (Suffolk) in July. I’m trying to assemble the things we will need – my husband keeps saying ‘don’t get too much, remember we have to carry it all in from the car park to the camping site!’ – but I can absolutely guarantee that he will be the one asking ‘Have we got….?’ within an hour of arriving.
I’ve made a playlist of some of the bands that are appearing, especially of ones that I don’t know but that Madeleine has recommended. I’ll listen to it on my walks and decide if I want to try to see them or not. I’ve already listened to the whole of Pulp/Jarvis Cocker’s 2023 playlist – of course I did already know some of it, but certainly not all. Now I’ve downloaded Siouxie Sioux’s list, I’m really looking forward to seeing her.
Yesterday I re-listened to Jon Savage’s excellent radio programme Queer as Punk, in which he explored connections between the early days of punk and the gay scene of the time (1970s and early 80s in London, Manchester and Liverpool). Gay clubs, he said, provided safe spaces for ‘anyone who was different, who felt outside the mainstream’. Siouxie Sioux was interviewed, also Tom Robinson, Martin Aston, Jayne/Wayne County, Alan Jones and Viv Albertine (of The Slits – she has written a well received autobiography CLOTHES, CLOTHES, CLOTHES, MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC, BOYS, BOYS, BOYS, which I have somewhere and must get around to reading.)
Savage also talked about David Bowie, Lou Reed, the Ramones, the New York Dolls, the Sex Pistols, Patti Smith and many more. The overriding impression I got was that, in the early days of punk, everyone was very inclusive and clubs were friendly places from which ‘there was never a feeling that you were an interloper.’ Unfortunately this bonhomie didn’t last, but it was a really interesting story – Savage is an excellent journalist and writer, and his knowledge of the music scene of that time is encyclopaedic.
The other music event we’ve been enjoying via BBC I-Player is of course Glastonbury. I don’t think I could cope with the numbers or the heat down there (and all the very expensive tickets sell out in hours every year anyway) but it was good to watch some of it from the comfort of the sofa.
The absolute highlight for me was SPARKS, and especially when they brought on none other than Cate Blanchett to do her dance to ‘The Girl is Crying in her Latte’ – she was AMAZING, so cool, and at 54 dances like a 25 year old. There is an official video (made in the studio) of this on YouTube, as well as the BBC’s recording of the slightly more chaotic performance at the festival. I can’t stop watching it.
I also enjoyed THE COMET IS COMING, WORKING MEN’S CLUB, LEFTFIELD, AND YOUNG FATHERS. I did watch ELTON JOHN’s final (or it is? ‘This MAY be my last show in the UK’…) performance – when the drone flew over the site there were so many people there that it looked like a city, most people wouldn’t even have been able to see the screens, let alone the stage.
I myself couldn’t rave about his set as much as most people did, I thought it was OK but that’s all – but it got 5* reviews from just about everywhere, and I suppose the main thing is that people enjoyed it. There were so many rumours beforehand as to who his 4 special guests would be – in the end everyone was wrong, the only one I’d even heard of was Brandon Flowers (who was ace). The others were Jacob Lusk (Gabriels) (excellent), Stephen Sanchez, and Rina Sawayama.
The headline act on the first night was Arctic Monkeys, whom I found deeply disappointing – and even my friend’s 20 year old son agreed. The DJ Craig Charles remarked afterwards that there was simply ‘no connection’ between the band and the audience, despite the actual music being good – and he was right. Far too up themselves, as we say here!
Last Saturday we had a day out to Cruden Bay, a fishing village north of Aberdeen, known for its connection with Bram Stoker, who is said to have written DRACULA in the Kilmarnock Arms hotel in the village, and to have been inspired to do so by the dramatic ruins of Slains Castle, which overlook the harbour. The weather was absolutely beautiful, the beach was huge (tide well out) and there was hardly anyone there. We walked to the far end, saw the seals, then walked back and up to the castle. You can walk around the ruins, and even climb the stone staircase (I didn’t) – I am amazed that the local council lets this happen, as it would fail any health and safety inspection, but being able to wander freely is great, you get a real sense of the place, and the views of the sea are spectacular.
I will stop now and get down to the river, and then into town. I hope everyone has a good week, and that the weather improves for those of you who are suffering all that dust, smoke, etc – it sounds awful. And Lesa, I so agree about not flying unless you have to – flights from the UK now seem to be routinely late or cancelled. I haven’t flown since before the pandemic, but David is back travelling to France, Norway, etc for work, and although his flights haven’t been the worst, they haven’t been brilliant. I prefer just sticking to places I can reach by car or bus!
Rosemary, I really don’t have comments today, but I do like the sound of your new book club. I’m with you. I’ve run the other type because of the library, but I like the sound of yours better. I like ours here – this month, read a science fiction book, or a book written by an author who is not American. As you said, so many discoveries that way.
I wonder why some authors who have babies think that others care about their “inner life”? I’m sorry you have to write a review.
And I forgot to say – Jeff, I have not seen MARRIAGE, but I’m pretty sure my friend Nancy didn’t like it. I must take a look. I love Nicola Walker and Sean Bean, so it’s a shame if this isn’t great. I so enjoyed Bean in BROKEN. I have got used to the new actress in UNFORGOTTEN, she’s grown into the role, I feel. so I will continue to watch that.
I still have the whole of the third series of HAPPY VALLEY to watch, because David is never home long enough to watch all of it, and I don’t want to have to stop half way through and wait weeks to finish it. But if he doesn’t find time soon, I think I’ll just go ahead without him!
And thanks for the mention of the Jane Smiley book, I like the sound of that and I’ve added it to my list (the library doesn’t seem to have it.)
No, MARRIAGE was so far from great that we quit after one episode, I’m afraid. We will, of course, watch UNFORGOTTEN when it appears here – Sunny is still in it, after all. We watched the second series of THE TOWER, the it has nothing to do with the titular structure so relevant to the first series, though many of the actors are back again.
We’re still slogging through the Suchet POIROTs, and the last two – THIRD GIRL and APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH – were terrible adaptations, with wholesale changes from the books. FOYLE’S WAR is so much better than these (on our Saturday Night Brit Night).
This week brought a couple afternoons of rain with much thunder & lightning. But the summer heat arrives for the 4th of July weekend. We’re planning on attending a classical guitar performance on Saturday as part of Reno’s 28th annual Artown, featuring nearly 500 events during the month of July.
Last week I mentioned starting a 2022 debut thriller, Josh Haven’s FAKE MONEY, BLUE SMOKE. It was surprisingly good and worth another mention. Action packed with an ex-con, a forger, a train robbery, DEA, etc. And well-written! The acknowledgement credits Mysterious Press and Otto Penzler for turning a rough manuscript into a real-life book.
Haven has a new book out this month The Siberia Job “based on a true story”
A few free short stories also became available this week. MISSING IN THE SNOW Ann Cleeves Shetland series. Lesa graciously provided a link June 18.
And from Mysterious Press in the Bibliomystery series – LITTLE MEN by Megan Abbott (2015) and AN ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE by Jeffery Deaver (2012).
“Short tales about deadly books by some of mystery fiction’s best authors.” At least two collections of these stories have been published.
I jumped in to Ellen Byron’s Vintage Cookbook Series with the second book WINED AND DIED IN NEW ORLEANS. Clever and fun, lots of atmosphere. I did feel overwhelmed with the large cast of characters, but perhaps needed to start with the first book.
And new nonfiction from Princeton Press
THE LIARS OF NATURE AND THE NATURE OF LIARS – Cheating and Deception in the Living World. Professor Sun uses examples ranging from microscopic organisms to birds & mammals to explore the evolution of cheating in the natural world and how it gives rise to diversity. Fascinating!
MM, I’m still grateful that Ellen Byron has a cast of characters in her books. And, I read the first one, but still need that list of characters to keep everyone straight.
I’d never heard of Fake Money, Blue Smoke before you mentioned it. I like the sound of it.
My two books this week were A Beginner’s Guide you Starting Over by Gabi Coatsworth from Kindle Unlimited. Forty-nine year old Molly is trying to save her independent bookstore and get back into the dating pool with the help of her friends and late husband who occasionally appears as a ghost. The online dating scenes were funny and the story was a good one about how it takes a village.
I also read The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle. The museum becomes a repository of saved trash that donors can’t bear to throw away. I had mixed feelings about this one. I really liked the museum storyline a lot but at the end it seemed to lose focus with Jess and Alex’s personal back stories.
It is a coincidence, Lesa that I started Seven Year Slip last night.
Good television this week with Endeavor and the conclusion of Happy Valley.
Thanks also for the article on the heat and smoke. My brother has been sweltering in Houston. My sister lost power for almost 12 hours in Memphis and my daughter is leaving Chicago to escape the smoke.
Happy 4th and Happy Reading!
Happy 4th, Sharon! I took Monday off, so I have an extra day for reading. First, I have to get my Treasures in My Closet post written, though.
I watched the first episode of Ridley on PBS, and taped the second. I like the setting and Ridley’s singing.
I have a friend in northern Indiana who said how bad the smoke is there and in Chicago. I hope your daughter gets a break.
Good morning. Most of this week we had thunderstorms with pouring rain that flooded some of the roads. There was even a tornado about 15 minutes from us and we don’t usually get tornados here in NJ. Fortunately most of the damage was limited to downed trees and power outages. It’s finally dry and sunny today but it’s been a good week to stay in and watch dvds. We started watching HARRY WILD about a retired literature professor who starts solving crimes when her police officer son won’t listen to her when she tries to tell him who committed a murder based on an obscure British play. It’s a funny show.
This week I read ARCs of two cozy mysteries. They both took a bit to get into but turned out to be pretty good.
The Legend of Acorn Hollow by Maureen Klovers. The book features two cold cases and one current one, all featuring the legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Portraits in Time by Susan Reiss. Set on an old Maryland plantation, the main character communicates with the ghost of a former resident to help solve both an old crime and a modern day murder.
Nasty weather, Sandy! Stay safe!
I like the sound of Harry Wild, and also both of your books. I like books that feature cold cases and current ones.
Well Done, Lesa! I bought BOTh books!
Oh, dear, Pamela. I’m a book pusher, but I’m sorry you had to buy both of them. I hope you like them!
Good morning. Our weather hasn’t been terrible – as Sandy said, most of the severe weather has been west of us in New Jersey – but we’ve been having horrendous humidity the last few days. And now the haze from the wildfires is back, though nothing like it was three weeks ago, and not nearly as bad as in the Midwest or Western NY. The AQI has been going up since last night and we’re at 116 now, but nothing like the 484 we hit on June 7. It is giving me a sinus headache. Stay safe out there!
Jackie seems to be very much enjoying her Nora Roberts K-9 rescue/serial killer novel, THE SEARCH.
I enjoyed John Lutz’s collection of stories about St. Louis PI Alo Nudger, THE NUDGER DILEMMAS. Currently reading several other short story collections, including THE BEST OF R.A. LAFFERTY. Won’t talk about the others until I finish them.
I already mentioned that I liked T. J. Newman’s first “airplane in distress” book, FALLING. I think her second, DROWNING: THE RESCUE OF FLIGHT 1421 is even better. Like the first, you can see the movie in your head as you read. This time, a plane takes off from Hawaii for San Francisco, only to experience a catastrophic failure – engine fire and explosion – just after takeoff. All the hydraulics are gone, so there is no way to return to the airport or, indeed, do anything to fly the plane, and clearly a landing in the ocean between Honolulu and Molokai is imminent. It gets more exciting from then.
Up next: Chris Offutt’s third Mick Harden book, CODE OF THE HILLS.
Also read and very much enjoyed was Helen Ellis’s zany book of short stories, AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE. I’ve now got her first two books of essays (SOUTHERN LADY CODE and BRING YOUR BAGGAGE AND DON’T PACK LIGHT) from the library, and I know many of the readers of this blog would love it.
Still reading the Jane Smiley essays and at least I’m up to her analysis of 100 historically important novels, starting with one I’ve actually read – the 1000 year old TALE OF GENJI.
We just had nasty skies and bad air quality from the wildfires, Jeff. But, that might clear up some today – torrential downpours. We needed the rain, though.
I don’t read those standalones by Nora Roberts, but I can understand why Jackie is enjoying the latest. I don’t think I ever read a bad book by Nora Roberts.
I think I had a couple Helen Ellis collections at one time. I’ll have to check.
Good to know you enjoyed T.J. Newman’s books.
Jackie agrees with you about Nora’s stand alones. That’s why she didn’t read this when it came out in 2010. But someone recommended it and she really likes it.
After picking up and putting down several books that at first look seemed like books written with me in mind, but weren’t, i finally happened upon one that is “just right.”
At least, at the 50% point, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is ringing all the right bells.
Description from Amazon:
The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.
‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’
On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…
For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.
But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.
Oh, I won’t tell Donna because we can’t get the book through our regular vendors and she asked about it. I’m glad you’re liking it, Kaye! And, Dublin…!
You’ve convinced me, Kaye. The Lost Bookshop is $2.99 on Kindle, so I just bought it.
Margie – SO well worth the $2.99!
Lesa, do tell Donna about this terrific price.
And yes, Dublin!!! 😘😘. And Books!!
Hi Lesa — this morning in Northern Colorado it was a bit cooler, making for a very nice walk with Sassy. We’ll get rain/storms later today, maybe, to help keep the temperatures under control. Air quality is iffy, but seems to be ozone instead of smoke.
I just started reading The Measure by Nikki Erlick and haven’t decided what I think of it yet. It does have an interesting plot but kind of way-out-there. I can only say, it’s making me think.
The book I read previously captured my attention right away with its unusual story line and main character. I might consider it the best suspense novel I’ve read this year: Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild. The author is an award-winning screenwriter which showed in this debut novel because of the excellent dialogue.
Oh, I like the sound of that, Patricia, that Blood Sugar might be the best suspense novel you’ve read this year. Very nice!
I found The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok absorbing and moving. This book is getting so much advance buzz that I expect it to be a bestseller when it’s published in the fall. The story of a Chinese mother trying to find the daughter who was taken away from her at birth, and the American woman who adopted and adores the girl, has all the elements that will appeal to a multitude of female readers. I can feel a TV adaptation coming on too.
Now reading Those We Thought We Knew, another story of the persistence of racism in the south.
The Leftover Woman sounds as if it’s made for book clubs, Sandra. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I know I’ve seen a copy of Those We Thought We Knew someplace.
It’s getting hot, so my allergies are getting better.
This week I read:
The Hellfire Club by Daniel Mannix; A history of the infamous club where some argue the American Revolution started. Rich people got together to behave in a hedonistic fashion, and tell other people how to live. The hedonism seemed like a tame party in the suburbs of the 1970s, the rest seemed like Davos. The more things change.
Tilling the Truth by Julia Henry; the old ladies who run a small Massachusetts town try to solve a murder, and keep the place looking nice. I don’t remember miss Marple being this obnoxious, though.
Springer’s Max Bet by WL Ripley; This might just be the last book in the series, as Cole Springer tries to save his toxic friend Max, who vouched for a degenerate gambler to a couple of gangsters. The Gambler is also the brother of Cole’s girlfriend. It gets pretty involved as every character immediately tries to double cross everybody else.
The heat does provide some advantages, Glen!
No, I don’t think Miss Marple was that obnoxious.
Springer’s Max Bet does sound complicated from your description.
Stay comfortable with your weather!
The weather in Santa Barbara / Goleta is still mild although there have been forecasts for highs in the triple digits in many parts of California. Today the high is 68, the low will be 58 tonight. Monday it may go up to 76 for the high, and there are no temps higher than 80 in the next two weeks. But that could change? Today, and the next two days, are partly cloudy.
I finished reading THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers recently. I liked it, it was an interesting read, on the depressing side, but full of interesting, unusual characters. I am sure many people here have read this book, but if not, it is set in 1938 or 1939, in small town Georgia. Some of the characters are very poor, barely have enough money for food; others are doing better than that but not much . It did not make me sad when reading it, but looking back on it now, I feel sad thinking about it.
Now I am reading Linda Castillo’s first book in the Kate Burkholder series, SWORN TO SILENCE. I am not sure if it was you or Kevin Tipple or Kay at Kay’s Reading Life that convinced me to finally try this series, or a combination of all three, but I am glad. It is more violent and graphic than I like, but not as tense as I though it might be (so far, I am about 40% in), and a very good read.
Hope everyone is having good reading experiences.
Sounds as if it’s almost ideal weather in Santa Barbara, Tracy. I like it about 80, or I would have said perfect.
It might be a combination of all three of us that pushed you over the edge to try Linda Castillo. That first book was a little more graphic than some of her later ones, but they all do have some violence. I love her characters. I hope you like it by the time you finish.
I just started listening to the Seven Year Slip on audio. I loved Dead Romantics also so I had to give this new one a try (plus Clementine works in the book industry). In print, I am reading Zero Days by Ruth Ware and a egalley of The Hike by Lucy Clarke.
I have a friend who loves audios, Katherine. You’ll have to let me know what you think of this one!
Lesa, I’m enjoying it so far. Brittany Pressley is reading it and she is one of my favorite narrators.