No one had big complaints about the weather last week, except for the heat. Now, with last week’s tropical storm in California, and the results of the storm that hit Texas, I’m hoping everyone is okay. We’re only having heat – temperatures between 95 and 99. I can live with that, going from air conditioned home to my car to work. And, my car’s in a parking garage for the heat of the day. Take care of yourselves! Others worry about you.
On another matter, next Thursday is my last day of work! The staff is throwing a party for me on Tuesday afternoon, which is nice. But, Thursday will probably be kind of dead. I’m already cleaning out my office, and took a lot home yesterday.
So, on to books. I’m currently reading Luanne Rice’s forthcoming book, Last Night. I started it before I realized it’s part of a series, and I had read the previous two, Last Day and The Shadow Box. They’re romantic suspense, with the emphasis on the suspense. All three books feature Connecticut police detective Conor Reid. They have features in common. They’re all connected to the art world, and a female artist is murdered. In Last Night, it’s almost Christmas and Reid and his girlfriend go to Ocean House in Rhode Island, where he plans to propose. Plans are disrupted when Hadley Cooke finds the body of her sister, Maddie Morrison, an artist and mother. She’s been shot, and Maddie’s six-year-old daughter, CeCe is missing.
What about you? Are you surviving this strange weather we’ve been having? And, what are you reading this week?
We had about a third of an inch of rain from the edges of Tropical Storm Hilary, but not the flooding that took place in the southern part of CA & NV. And a few cloudy days, but the heat is back.
A CRYPTIC CLUE launches a new series for Victoria Gilbert, titled A Hunter & Clewe Mystery. The main characters are unique, a librarian forced into early retirement and a young, eccentric recluse who is enamored with classic detective stories. I agree with Lesa (7/9 review) that the duo make interesting detectives. The plot has ‘good bones’ but seemed overly cluttered with possible suspects and motives.
Next a couple books by Martin Edwards from his Rachel Savernake Golden Age Mystery series, GALLOWS COURT (2019) and MORTMAIN HALL (2020). A pleasure to read such well-written, exquisitely plotted mysteries – deception, corruption and Scotland Yard.
“A darkly twisted tale set between the wars”
And Claire Keegan’s second collection of short stories, originally published in 2007, WALK THE BLUE FIELDS. A bleak, but unforgettable set of stories about despair and desire in the timelessness of modern-day Ireland.
Early Wednesday morning I watched a recording of Barbara Peter’s interview with bestselling authors Preston & Child highlighting DEAD MOUNTAIN, the latest installment in their bestselling series featuring renowned archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. Surprisingly, my hold came in the same day and I now have it balanced precariously on the TBR pile. Also saw the Oppenheimer movie on Wednesday, good movie but the sound system in the IMAX was set to “blast you out of your seat”
Oh, good, MM. I worried about everyone out west.
I really do need to get around to Martin Edwards’ Rachel Savernake mysteries. I have the feeling I’d really like them. Just haven’t had time.
I went the light route with movies. We went to see “The Haunted Mansion” last Sunday. Enjoyable movie!
Yeah, we had a couple of cloudy days, some wind, and about a quarter inch of rain, enough to make your car dirty.
This week I read:
Wide Awake by Steven Konkoly; A book with cognitive dissonance. The book, indeed the entire series it based on a conspiracy theory being right, but the author goes out of his way to knock conspiracy theories in general, unless they blame Russia. Sounds like McCarthyism to me.
Rock and Roll Nightmares by Staci Layne Wilson; Recipes for a bunch of rock and roll themed cocktails. Some are very creative.
Beyond the Walls by Zeev E. Neuwirth and Patients Matter most by Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg; Both books about how technology is affecting health care for the better, but the constant use of the words “holistic” and “comprehensive” should be red flags for everybody.
You needed even a quarter inch of rain, Glen! Sorry about the dirty car.
Interesting book selections this week!
Lesa, how wonderful that you are approaching your final week of work before retirement! It’s been a long time coming, but I’m sure you will enjoy continuing your blog and reviewing without worrying about fitting everything in with your full-time job. I’ve been retired for 8 years now, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. As for weather, it’s been in the 90s this week, which I used to think was too hot but now seems like a respite from the 100+ temps! That storm was scary but didn’t affect us in northern CA other than a few sprinkles. I’m happy to say that San Diego came through it beautifully because I’m heading there next week for Bouchercon. I’m just sorry I won’t see you there. The weather will be lovely, though–low 80s to high 70s). Here’s what I’ve been reading this week (I finished another one today but will save the review (which I haven’t yet written) for next Thursday.
In Rachel Lynn Solomon’s BUSINESS OR PLEASURE, Chandler has been making a living as a celebrity memoir ghostwriter, although she had originally dreamed of writing her own cozy mysteries. She feels especially unfulfilled when the “author” of her latest celebrity memoir doesn’t even remember who she is. But when she has the opportunity to ghostwrite for a heartthrob actor whose biggest hit was a werewolf-themed series that ended 10 years ago, she thinks she might enjoy traveling with him to fan conventions leading up to a highly anticipated reunion show. She is stunned, however, to discover that the aforementioned heartthrob was her shockingly unsatisfying one-night stand from the previous evening. Although they had initially hit it off, Finn was such a disappointment in the bedroom that she had fled home in the middle of the night. Nevertheless, she is enticed by an attractive salary and the opportunity to get away from a recent embarrassing encounter with a longtime friend. Thus begins a very entertaining story, where Chandler surprises herself by agreeing to give Finn pointers to improve his amorous skills, while doing research for his memoir. It’s quite steamy, and of course, Chandler and Finn try to convince themselves they can keep it platonic, but we all know how this will turn out. I rooted for them because I liked both of the characters and hoped they would end up together.
Based on the publisher’s summary of WEST HEART KILL by Dann McDorman, I was looking forward to an entertaining locked room mystery. But instead it struck me as an unfortunate example of style over substance. Set in the 1970s in a remote hunting lodge and men’s club where a storm prevents anyone from leaving and suspicious deaths start occurring, it’s a promising premise. But too many characters, combined with ever-shifting points of view, made reading it more of a challenge that I wasn’t prepared to meet. In one of the POVs, the didactic narrator speaks directly to the reader, seemingly determined to deliver endless opinions and information that soon became tedious to me. I wasn’t able to engage with any of the characters, and I found myself skimming instead of reading. I applaud the author for his ambition, but his style was such that I lost interest quickly and couldn’t get any further than halfway through the story. (October)
THE WISHING BRIDGE by Viola Shipman is an unusual book–the title doesn’t invoke Christmas, but it’s one of the most affecting Christmas books I’ve read this year. Early in the story, it appears to have a similar plot to a Hallmark Christmas movie, but later it’s clear it has greater depth. Henrietta (Henri) returns to her home town, real-life Bavarian village Frankenmuth, Michigan, to convince her parents to sell their pride and joy, the world’s largest holiday gift and decoration store, and save her job in mergers and acquisitions. In the process, she reconnects with Shep, whose marriage proposal she had turned down years ago. The bond between Henri and her parents is strong, so why hasn’t she been home for Christmas in 10 years? It’s obvious from the start how this will end up, but there are so many charming delights along the way. The descriptions of this lovely town in December, and especially the huge Christmas store and what it means to its customers and friends, are unmatched. Henri’s father is a particularly strong character. Jakob has devoted his life to ensuring that everyone who visits his store is inspired and satisfied. There’s even a replica of the “Silent Night” chapel on the premises, which is visited by thousands around the calendar. But he and his wife are aware that the store may not be as strong financially as it once was, thanks to Covid, among other things. The characters in the book are nuanced and undergo development. Henri is an interesting protagonist, as she is older–in her fifties–and still hasn’t figured out her life. Her relationships with her oldest friend and her more recent protégé are convincing and gratifying. Some will probably say the book is a bit preachy, repeatedly emphasizing its theme of family vs. ambition, but it worked for me. It’s now one of my favorite Viola Shipman books. (November)
Margie, It just isn’t the right time for me to go to Bouchercon. Move or Bouchercon? Move, definitely. But, I’m sorry I won’t have the opportunity to spend time with you again. It’s been too long!
Thank you for the review of the Viola Shipman book. I’ll pass the information on to my mother, who enjoys all of his books.
Margie, thank you. i have THE WISHING BRIDGE but, for some reason, have not read it yet. Your review has me moving it up to the top of the stack.
My parents were visiting this weekend. We stayed in my condo all day Sunday. It rained all day, but we didn’t have any flooding in my complex – not even my garage. Have seen some crumbling of road shoulders and side walks in the area, but nothing major here. But you left out the earthquake! It was 50 or so miles away, but we definitely felt it.
Reading wise, I just finished FAIR GAME by Annette Dashofy. This is the eighth in her Zoe Cambers Mysteries, and it was great, as always. This time, we are dealing with a woman who dies after showing up drunk at a restaurant. Only no one who knows her thinks she would get drunk. And yes, lots of the action takes place at the county fair.
Next up with be PINK LEMONADE CAKE MURDER by Joanne Fluke. Yes, I agree with every criticism of the series out there. But I have been reading it so long, and I can’t bring myself to stop. But I can skim through lots of the discussion about food, so these books are quick reads these days.
Thank you for adding the earthquake, Mark! Just so much weather & events to wonder about. I’m just glad you and your parents are safe. I’m sure it wasn’t exactly what you planned when they visited.
I understand. Joanne Fluke’s characters are probably almost friends by now. It’s hard to let go of characters you enjoy.
I’m reading and enjoying Devil’s Chew Toy, Rob Osler’s debut mystery. Next up is Eli Cranor’s Don’t Know Tough. Hope your retirement party is terrific, Lesa!
Hi everyone and happy Thursday! I was afraid I’d have another dull reading week when I couldn’t really get into Rhys Bowen’s latest, THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT. The characters seemed wooden and did not draw me in at all. I kept comparing it in my mind to A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, a nonfiction book about the spy Virginia Hall, which was so much better.
But then I started reading BEYOND THAT, THE SEA by Laura Spence-Ash. It is an absorbing story of two families—one in England during the blitz who send their daughter to safety in the US, and the other being the US family that takes her in. We see Bea’s experience from the perspectives of everyone (including her) in both families, which the author does a beautiful job of juggling. It was really good.
And I finally finished listening to BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I liked some essays more than others (the one on fire especially struck me) and really appreciated the author’s thoughts on what we owe the non-human world.
When I was organizing the teenager’s room recently I noticed he had two copies of CODE TALKER, a novel about the Navajo soldiers in WWII, from earlier rounds of summer reading. I grabbed one for fun and am partway through. I’m a little surprised it is on a highschool reading list but it is interesting.
Our weather has been lovely, more like September than August for some reason. Hooray!
Thank you, Kim. Retirement party on Tuesday. Saying goodbye to friends is harder than saying goodbye to a job.
I’m glad you’re enjoying a debut!
Code Talker does sound interesting, Trisha. And, it sounds like a topic that would appeal to high school boys.
Enjoy that weather. We’re dealing with the heat, and my niece’s basement flooded overnight from all their rain.
Good morning. I didn’t finish a single book last week after trying and not being able to get into for different books. I’m currently re-reading THE FOLK OF THE AIR by Peter S Beagle, a fantasy set around a group of medieval role players. I read it back when it originally came out back in the 80s and enjoyed it more then.
We took a day trip to Tarrytown, NY and toured the Lyndhurst Mansion which I’d wanted to see for years since they shot two Dark Shadows movies there. It’s not that far from us but it’s such a pain getting over the Hudson River that it’s easier for us to do day trips to PA.
I’m glad you finally had a chance to see the Lyndhurst Mansion, Sandy, since you’ve wanted to see it for years.
I’m sorry, though, that no book really appealed this week. We all go through those streaks when nothing grabs us.
Only one more week! I’m glad you are having a party. You deserve it.
Our weather has mostly been a pleasure We had one relatively hot day (88) but mostly in the upper 70s, which I love.
I only finished one book this week, Webb & Mann’s third Finn book, BLIND FEAR. It seems to have gotten terrific reviews, but for whatever reason, it just didn’t do it for me the way the first two did. Finn is still on the run, trying to clear his name for a massacre in Afghanistan he was not responsible for, as well as bring the real culprit to justice. This time he is in Vieques, a small island off Puerto Rico, and there is a hurricane on the way. I can’t really explain why this left me cold, compared with running around an aircraft carrier in the first book,and Reykjavik in the second. Jackie is reading it now and she obviously is enjoying it a lot more than I did, so I guess it is me. Oh, well.
After reading a story I really enjoyed by Tod Goldberg (Lee Goldberg’s brother) in PLAYING GAMES, I got his collection THE LOW DESERT from the library and I am enjoying it. It is set in the Inland Empire of Southern California, from Palm Springs to the Salton Sea. My favorite story so far, by a lot, is actually one I’d read before in a previous Lawrence Block anthology, “Thug Number Four.”
I’m also reading two mysteries (of sorts). First is Lawrence Block’s THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MATTHEW SCUDDER, purportedly written from the point of view of Block’s famous PI character, and he talks about his life growing up, his time in the NYPD, etc. Will see where it goes as I read more.
The second is a book I’ve seen recommended several times, Bruce Buorgos’s first, THE BITTER PAST. Porter Beck is the Sheriff of huge but mostly empty Lincoln County, Nevada, just north of Las Vegas, replacing his father (who has dementia). There is a vicious murder of an FBI agent living locally, and parts of the book are flashbacks to 1955, with a Russian spy infiltrating our atomic bomb testing program. Good so far.
I hope to finish all of these this week.
I can’t remember if Rosemary has mentioned it in the past, but we are enjoying the three part miniseries GRANITE HARBOUR (BBC, Acorn), which is set in Aberdeen. (I’ve read complaints that the accents are more Glasgow than Aberdeen, but they are Scottish at least.) Jamaican born Royal Military Policeman Davis Lindo ha left after 10 years, wanting to be a detective, and he is assigned to Aberdeen, where he is involved in the investigation of an oil tycoon who was about to merge his company with a green Norwegian firm. Dawn Steele (Monarch of the Glen, Wild at Heart) is his superior.
Thank you, Jeff! Yes, a week from today is my last day.
I’ll be interested to see what you think of The Bitter Past. I liked it, but he did through an awful lot of stuff into this first book.
I’m glad you’re been having good weather!
Good morning Lesa and everyone, from a sunny Edinburgh,
We are approaching the end of the festivals, and I think everyone who lives here will be breathing a sigh of relief – I know I will. I enjoy them (otherwise I wouldn’t come) but three+ weeks is a long time when you are reviewing every day, including weekends.
I am hoping to be back up the road to Deeside on Sunday, and I am really looking forward to being somewhere peaceful. And to seeing my friends – I have a lot of walk/coffee dates arranged already. And I am DESPERATE to see my lovely hairdresser and get that sorted.
This week I did actually finish the book I was reading, Simenon’s THE GRAND BANKS CAFE. I don’t always like his Maigret books (I know, I await the thunderbolt..) but I did enjoy this one. It’s about a fishing boat that goes out to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and returns to France having lost the ship’s boy overboard. There is a terrible atmosphere between the captain, the wireless operator and the head mechanic, who are all carrying guns. The crew below are all deeply superstitious and think the boat is cursed. When it docks in the port it’s only a few hours before the captain is murdered. An old colleague of Maigret’s asks him to spend his holiday in the town and help to look into the murder. His wife is not amused by their change of plans, but is given little choice.
I felt this one was better plotted and more satisfying than some of the others in the series, and Simenon recreated the tight-knit old fashioned fishing community well.
Last night I went to a memorial event for the author Joan Lingard, who grew up in Belfast but lived in Edinburgh for many years, so now I am reading one of her children’s novels NATASHA’S WILL. Lingard was a prolific writer for children and adults, and it was lovely to hear contributions from her two daughters, her agent, and many other people who had known her over the years.
I’ve been to two other Book Festival events this last week. The first was for Alice Oseman, creator of the HEARTSTOPPER graphic novels and now scriptwriter and co-executive producer of the hit Netflix series. I arrived early for this session as I knew it would be busy (it was sold out as soon as it was announced) but my goodness I didn’t expect that line that already confronted me. Lots and lots of teenagers, many with their parents, but also older people.
To be honest I didn’t find this the most exciting hour I’ve spent at the festival, but all the fans lapped it up and clearly loved it, so that’s the main thing. I myself felt Oseman had probably done one too many interviews; her replies were very anodyne and to many questions (from the excellent chair Benjamin Dean, who was very nice to her) she answered ‘I don’t know’, which to me did seem a bit lame – she’s not a teenager herself, she’s 28, and these children had paid to see her. But she wasn’t awful, just not that interesting to me, and I’m sure I’m way outside her demographic!
A much more enjoyable hour for me was the session with the artist Jeremy Deller. He is quite alternative, very down to earth and very funny. Much of his art consists of events – eg he restaged the BATTLE OF ORGREAVE, a notorious run-in between pickets and police during the miners’ strike in the early 1980s. Deller persuaded 500 ex miners to take part along with 500 Civil War re-enactors. He also arranged WE’RE HERE BECAUSE WE’RE HERE, which was part of the centenary commemoration of the Battle of the Somme in World War One. He dressed thousands of young men in uniforms of the time and had them stand at prominent places – railway stations, roundabouts, motorways. They did not speak, but if members of the public approached them they handed them small cards (Deller: ‘Like little tombstones’), each of which had the name and age of a solider who died on the first day of the battle. The cards were regionally specific.
Years ago now he also toured the US with an Iraqui and an American soldier, towing a trailer on which was a car that had been destroyed in a terrible bombing in Baghdad. Deller’s aim was to instigate conversations about the war with Iraq, and in that he succeeded. The Iraqui man was in exile; he came from a wealthy background so had been denied any formal education under Saddam Hussein’s regime. Instead he had educated himself to a very high level, and could discuss anything with anyone. Deller said people were amazed at his knowledge, and that he ‘changed minds one person at a time.’
Deller has written a book ART IS MAGIC, which I’d love to read. He can’t bear ‘academic art speak’ and says he wanted this to sound as though he and his readers were just having a conversation in a café or pub. Charlotte Higgins, the Guardian’s chief culture writer, chaired the session and she clearly loved the book. I hope my library buys a copy, otherwise I will be compelled to shell out £25.
Last Thursday I went to see Tom Robinson ‘in conversation’ – what a great session that was! I love Robinson, he is such a trooper, as much of a rebel now as he was 40 years ago. He’d actually had a knee replacement just 3 weeks before this show, but he still came, and he was on top form. The not very good chair (who is unfortunately running many of these ‘in conversation’ sessions, and who brings far too much of himself into it) asked him if he was nostalgic for the 1970s and would like to go back to them. His reply is probably unprintable here, but to paraphrase – ‘NO!’ – he said despite everything that’s happening, we live in much kinder times now, and he certainly would not want to go back to having National Front skinheads disrupting all his gigs.
He had lots of entertaining stories to tell, such as how he met Elton John at a photo shoot (for the Guinness Book of Hit Singles) and ended up writing for him during the period when EJ and Bernie Taupin had fallen out. Having had a hit with ‘Sing if you’re glad to be gay’, he later married a woman and is still with her after 35 years and 2 children. What he said about that was very interesting and touching. When he got married the worst newspapers of the time persecuted him, his partner, his parents and even his neighbours. When none would speak to them they simply made it up, with the banner headline ‘Britain’s Number One Gay In Love with Girl Biker: My Passion for Blond, by Rocker Robinson.’ Luckily it was water off a duck’s back.
Our press really is appalling – that particular paper no longer exists, but we are still burdened with the entire Murdoch empire, and that man really does control so much in the UK – he has the ear of all the politicians, they’re terrified of him.
Other things I have seen and liked include Antonio! – a completely bonkers musical in which we learn that Antonio was in fact Shakespeare’s gay lover, and that Will put him into many of his plays (The Tempest, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing) without his permission. The whole thing was totally crazy, with amazing head-banging songs, a fabulous tambourine player, a hugely enthusiastic cast/band, and so much fun that I could have happily watched it all over again. The actors came from New Zealand and New York City – their company is called Butch Mermaid Productions.
I’m finishing this after an interlude during which I went to see Jeremy Corbyn, ex leader of the Labour Party, ‘in conversation.’ He is a wonderful man, and he spoke so much sense; he was also very witty.
And now Anna and I are going to go to the beach at Portobello for a walk. And we’re taking Charlie for his inaugural walk in a new backpack Anna bought him. Goodness knows what he’ll make of that!
Next week I should be back in the north and I might even have read more than one book. In the meantime have a good week all, and Lesa, have a good party with your colleagues – soon you’ll be free!
Rosemary
I’ve said this before, Rosemary. It’s always fascinating to read your posts about authors, artists and musicians I’ve never heard about.
But, I’ll admit I’m even more interested in Charlie’s response to his new backpack! I’m glad he’s still in the family.
Happy Thursday at Lesa’s, everyone, where we’re all joining our Lesa in counting down the days to the next exciting phase of life. ❤
Still cool and breezy in the NC mountains. We’ve been very lucky with weather this summer, and we are wise enough to appreciate it greatly.
Two books I’ve read and enjoyed recently that could not possibly be more different from one another.
One for a lovely little escape, one for thinking –
Escape to Starshine Cove
by Debbie Johnson
Description from NetGalley
Ella steps through the gate, and within seconds is standing at the edge of the most perfect beach she’s ever seen – a small horseshoe of sand fringing a rolling blanket of sparkling turquoise sea. Breathing in the fresh, salty air, she wipes the tears from her cheeks. Surely, in a place as beautiful as this, she can finally be happy?
Ella Farrell has reached breaking point. Shattered by her job and her boyfriend’s recent betrayal, she grabs her stuff and flees down the coast. When her car breaks down a few miles short of Cornwall, she’s astonished by where she’s ended up. Not on any map, the tiny seaside village of Starshine Cove is almost too perfect for words. A cobbled lane lined with pretty, thatched cottages slopes towards a pristine white beach… has she finally lost it, or is this place for real?
Spotting a little café on the edge of the cove, Ella settles in. It’s not long before – with a wedge of homemade raspberry cheesecake in front of her – Ella finds herself promising Connie, the café’s Dolly Parton-lookalike owner, that she might just stick around.
As days turn into weeks, Ella warms to the quirky little village and the people who live there. Particularly Jake, the broad-shouldered, dark-haired landlord of the Starshine Inn. As they sip cocktails together at sundown, Ella feels they’ve been friends for years… except that her heart does a little flip-flop whenever their eyes meet. Jake also came to Starshine Cove by chance – was he too trying to run away from something?
Just as Ella begins to feel the tension she’s carried for so long beginning to ease, the past comes knocking on her rustic, driftwood door. Will Ella find the strength to embrace this place and forge a new path, or is Starshine Cove – and her growing connection with Jake – simply too good a dream to last?
From the million-copy bestselling author of the Comfort Food Café series, this is a heart-warming tale of second chances, self-discovery, and the extraordinary healing power of a community that finds you when you need it most.
WELLNESS by Nathan Hill
Description from NetGalley
“The New York Times best-selling author of The Nix is back with a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the often baffling pursuit of health and happiness, and the stories that bind us together. From the gritty ’90s Chicago art scene to a suburbia of detox diets and home-renovation hysteria, Wellness reimagines the love story with a healthy dose of insight, irony, and heart.
“A hilarious and moving exploration of a modern marriage that astounds in its breadth and intimacy.” —Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half
When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the ’90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago’s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors, Facebook wars, and something called Love Potion Number Nine.
For the first time, Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons, from unfulfilled career ambitions to painful childhood memories of their own dysfunctional families. In the process, Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other.”
Thanks for the Escape to Starshine Cove recommendation, Kaye. I downloaded it from Kindle Unlimited.
I hope you enjoy it, Sharon!
Yes! Next Thursday will be the last day. Quite a change in my life, Kaye.
I pick Escape from Starshine Cove. That’s the one that sounds more interesting to me.
Kaye, I agree that Escape to Starshine Cove sounds just right for a comfort read. I missed it on NetGalley and don’t belong to Kindle Unlimited, but I bought it for $3.99. And the next Starshine Cove book is due out in November, so I’m guessing NetGalley will have it soon.
Thanks for the recommendations Kaye. I just had hip surgery and am feeling rather miserable. Just bought Escape From Starshine Cove on Kindle. Sounds light enough for me to focus.
Today, it will be 108 and the heat index will make it feel like 112. Another day indoors!!
I am backtracking, reading the 1st in the series that I have already read book two. Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay. Great cozy writer! Anger over plagiarism is thought to be the motive. That would make me angry too but not enough to murder. Really enjoying this one.
Also reading Strange Weather In Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami. A Japanese woman developed a friendship and the blurb on the back says a unusual romance with her Japanese teacher. She meets him and he recognizes her but she doesn’t remember him until later. There is a thirty-year
age difference! This book is so poetic, I only want to read one chapter at a time and savor it. The author is amazing.
Quoting from the back of the book: ” A tender love story that drifts with the lightness of a leaf on a stream”.
Oh, Carol. Definitely a day to stay indoors and read!
I agree with you. Jenn McKinlay is a terrific cozy writer. And, that’s my favorite if her series. But, then, of course it would be. Nice that you have a few books in that series to catch up on.
Counting down until big finish, Lesa. Congratulations! I know you are looking forward to the next chapter in your life. My husband retired 2-1/2 years ago and never looked back.
We were woken up this morning by the big storm that came down from Lake Erie into Cincinnati. There was over 3″ of rain in our rain gauge. I fear we will be paying for at temperatures are supposed to climb back to the high 90’s today and tomorrow.
Two books this week. The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray. It is the sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham. I didn’t find it as charming as the first book, but I enjoyed following Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilman’s sleuthing into the death of Sofia Willoughby. I admit I didn’t know the killer until the very end.
My second book was The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand. Recently widowed Hollis Shaw gathered four friends from different stages of her life to a weekend at her lush house on Nantucket. This was a typical Hilderbrand summer book-quick, addictive, and lots of fun but it wasn’t one of her best. I am so tired of reading about curated house decor and lifestyle/cooking blogs.
Enjoy your retirement party, Lesa. I know your library will be sad to lose you.
Happy Reading!
Sharon, My Mom and sister live in northern Ohio. That storm really hit them. I guess one area west of Mom had eight inches of rain. My niece’s basement flooded. And, school was cancelled today. I don’t know if schools were flooded or buses couldn’t get through some roads because of water or trees. I know my cousin said major roads were flooded there.
I liked your comment that you’re so tired of reading about curated house decor and lifestyle/cooking blogs. I can usually get through those details. I am so not into the books that give me details about clothes, brands, etc. I really don’t care, and tend to skim then.
Thank you!
Hi Lesa — I’ve been reading some nonfiction the last two weeks, nothing of note yet. My focus is mostly on preparing the house for the window replacement guys to come next week. We’re having all our windows replaced which should take two full days. Our poor kitty cat will have a tough time with the strangers in the house and all the noise. Sassy our Scottish terrier, however, will want to help. She loves every human she meets.
Patricia, Sassy sounds more like my cat, Josh, who never met a stranger. Like Sassy, he wants to be underfoot until humans acknowledge or pet him.
I know. It’s hard to focus when having to disrupt home.
First and foremost, enjoy the party, and party responsibly. 😉
The weather continues to be brutal. 110 is in the forecast, and the heat index could be as high as 115. I had doc deals this week that stretched into the afternoon and it was horrible.
We had our physicals earlier in the week. While Scott is fine, I am not. Various specialists are being spun up. Not going to bore everyone here with details. Just know that nothing is imminent so I will be around awhile longer, in theory.
Late last night I finished ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by S. A. COSBY. Enjoyed it massively, but the last few pages seemed to come from nowhere. Read to me like he had one ending done and somebody said— no, we don’t want that — so there was the grafted on ending we got.
Send rain and cooler weather. Please and thank you.
Kevin, I wish I could have sent you some of the rain northern Ohio got overnight – 6-8 inches from what I’ve been reading. I know it would have been appreciated.
I’m really sorry to hear about your doctors appointments. I do hope you’ll be around for a while.
That’s funny. Although I agree the ending of All the Sinners Bleed was a little abrupt, I thought it was hilarious.
Kevin, I’m sorry about your health problems, and I certainly hope you’ll be around for more than a while! You’re a well-loved member of the mystery community.
Thinking of you, Kevin, and hoping all goes well with future doctor’s appointments. Glad to hear that Scott is fine.
I’m again having trouble staying interested in fiction, so I’ve turned to a nonfiction book I’ve had since it was published in 2017 but hadn’t yet read: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. In the 1920s, after oil was discovered on the Oklahoma homelands of the Osage Nation, members of the tribe became the richest people per capita in the world. They rode in chauffeured limousines, lived in mansions, and sent their children to Europe for the education they couldn’t obtain in the U.S. Then someone started killing them. One family in particular seemed to be special targets. Anyone who dared to investigate the murders was also killed. Young J. Edgar Hoover at the new Federal Bureau of Investigation took on the case and appointed a former Texas Ranger named Tom Wick to conduct an undercover investigation. This book was a bestseller, and deservedly so, and I wish I had read it sooner. It is rich in history, and it’s also a heck of a thrilling story. I’ve read that a film is in the works but have no details. The material is too much for a movie, I think, and I hope it ends up as a well-produced streaming series.
Wishing you a happy retirement, Lesa, as you approach your last day on the job!
Sandra, At the moment, release date for Killers of the Flower Moon is scheduled for October 20, but that can be changed. It’s directed by Martin Scorsese. Here’s some of the cast – Leonardo DiCaprio … Ernest Burkhart
Robert De Niro … William Hale
Lily Gladstone … Mollie Burkhart
Jesse Plemons … Tom White
Tantoo Cardinal … Lizzie Q
John Lithgow … Prosecutor Leaward
The chatter is good about the movie, but then none of us have seen it yet. No, I’m afraid it is going to be a movie, not a streaming series.
Oh, wow, Lesa, thanks for this! I don’t know why I hadn’t seen anything about the film. What a cast, and nobody surpasses Scorsese as a director. I’ll be looking forward eagerly to seeing it.
Lesa, I looked up the film and see that it runs three and a half hours! So the story won’t be shortchanged by being squeezed into the usual movie running time.
I don’t see any Native Americans in that list.
Glen, Lily Gladstone was raised on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Tantoo Cardinal is Canadian of Cree and Metis heritage. Native women married white men, and that’s how the white men achieved power in the Osage nation. I only copied the top list of names.
Lesa, thank you for clearing that up. I read the book, but I was concerned about the cast.
Glen, It’s what librarians do. (smile) There’s a much larger cast, and a number of them are Native Americans. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5537002/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
In Santa Barbara / Goleta, we only had a bit of rain from Tropical Storm Hilary, some on Sunday and a bit more on Monday. Anything we got was welcome but I would have been happier with twice as much rain. But we were lucky not to have any of the bad effects of the storm.
Your retirement is really getting close. I think my last week before retirement (three years ago) was a blur. Have fun at the party on Tuesday.
In the last week I finished THE LAST COLONY by John Scalzi. The series is military science fiction, but this one centered on the colonization of a planet. The author’s comments at the end indicate that there will be no further books in the series. But there are six books in the series, so I am not sure where it is going from here, but I will read the next book regardless. I don’t think of Scalzi as having a huge output but he has written a lot of novellas and short stories plus a good bit of nonfiction.
Next I read THE DOOMSDAY CARRIER by Victor Canning, another spy fiction book, sort of. It was a short book, under 200 pages. A chimpanzee has escaped from the facility where it had been infected with plague bacillus, with the goal of creating an infectious carrier after a three week incubation period. The story follows the chimpanzee as it continues to elude capture, and two people who hope to return it to the facility once it is located. This book was published in 1976, thus is a totally different book than it would be if written now.
I continue to read OPERATION MINCEMEAT by Ben MacIntyre between fiction books. Only another 75 pages to go.
Glen is reading The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan. It is set in Ireland, post World War I. I think it would be interesting, so I will probably read it too.
As you said, Tracy, I’m glad you didn’t have any other bad effects from the storm.
I read W.C. Ryan’s A House of Ghosts, and really liked it. Since The Winter Guest is set in Ireland, I’ll have to pick it up sometime. You’ll have to remind me Tracy!
Yes the weather has been crazy. In central NC, we had a storm Aug 7th with hurricane like winds, torrential rainfalls and flooding. Saturday the 19th, we woke up to low 60s with fall like weather, tomorrow we go back to 100 degrees. This read I have been reading the Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons in print. On kindle, Hello Stranger by Katherine Center. On audio I listened to The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman (loved it) and tonight it’s Lion & Lamb by James Patterson. Enjoy your party Tuesday and safe travels with your move.
That’s such up-and-down weather, Katherine! Hard to know how to face each day.
I want to hear about The Air Raid Book Club when you finish, please.
Thank you for the kind wishes!
Lesa, I absolutely loved it! There was a lot of discussion of books since the main setting is a book shop. The chapters weren’t too long. I smiled, I teared up. It had all the feels for me. Did not want to put it down.