It’s been a good week here. I took a couple walks with my sister, Linda and her dog. We try out different trails in Columbus’ Metro Parks. Saturday morning, we braved the weather and went to an Apple Butter Day at a nearby town. They had lots of vendors, and we bought gifts, jams, and, of course, apple butter. Then, back to their house for the Ohio State football game. I brought home some of her husband’s wonderful beef stew. Sunday was dinner at their house, followed by a show to kick off The Gallery Players season, “One Night Only: An Evening of Broadway Hits.”
On Friday, I went to Gramercy Books, an independent bookstore in Bexley. I met author Andrew Welsh-Huggins at Kittie’s Cakes next door, and he brought along Linda Kass, author and owner of Gramercy Books. I hope they enjoyed themselves for that hour and a half as much as I did as we talked books, bookstores, publishing, author events. Just a nice afternoon.
Now, I’m back to finishing up the last couple books for Library Journal this month. I’m lucky enough to have Deanna Raybourn’s ninth Veronica Speedwell novel, A Grave Robbery. It comes out in March. I’ve been reading Veronica’s adventures and misadventures with Stoker since the very beginning. When the Earl of Rosemorran presents them with the wax figure of a sleeping beauty, he wants Stoker to install a clockwork mechanism so she appears to breathe. But, Stoker discovers it’s actually a woman’s body. Now, Veronica and Stoker set out to determine who the woman was, and who turned her into a waxwork.
I’m enjoying this latest in the series. What about you? What did you do this week? Most of all, what are you reading? I hope you found something to enjoy!
We’re getting a last gasp of summer with temps in the 90’s. I’m enjoying it while I can. (As much as I can since I have to work.)
I am currently working on BARBECUE CAN BE DEADLY by Ryan Rivers. This is a very fun comedic cozy series with two male characters as the leads, something I enjoy seeing for a change of pace. They are helping with a BBQ festival. I’m about a third of the way into it, and I think I know who the murder victim is going to be (I was guessing for a while), but I’m hoping the murder happens soon at this point.
A third of the way in, and the murder hasn’t happened yet, Mark? That’s unusual. And, you’re right. It’s unusual to have two male leads.
Enjoy the weather. I would be, too!
My husband and I are spending three weeks driving around Spain–not a big deal when all you have to do to get here is spend a day driving across France from Switzerland. Lots of traveling from one wonderful medieval town to another, and in the car, we’re listening to all 36-plus hours of the new Robert Galbraith book, THE RUNNING GRAVE. Too long, as the books in her series have become lately, but we are huge fans of Strike and Robin, and we are breathless with the suspense and fascinated by the characters. She’s such a good storyteller! We’re finally about 65% through. Since we’re now spending a week in Cádiz, we’ll have to wait until we’re driving home to Bern to finish it.
Home to Bern, Kim? Do you live in Switzerland?
I’ve only been Spain once, but I loved it. Years ago, I chaperoned a small group of high school girls. Wonderful trip. Three weeks sounds like the perfect amount of time, and I like that you’re spending one week someplace.
I really should read the first Galbraith book. So many people love the characters. But, the books are so long!
I loved Killers of a Certain Age! Just brought the paperback as a Christmas gift. This last week I finished a hardbound (debut for one of the authors—the prime minister of Iceland) thriller set in Iceland about a coldcase disappearance. It was okkkkk plot and character wise, what mostly drew me to it was ICELAND. I have never read a book set in Iceland and know nothing about the culture, language, nor people. Really interesting to get a better understanding of the country in the span of decades this novel covered 1960s-80s.
I am about half-way through Osman’s new novel The Last Devil to Die. I attended the author’s signing here at Politics & Prose in DC; WOW, what a turnout: the place was packed. And he’s a performer, for sure. I can’t imagine the joy it must bring an author to see a packed house. But Richard Osman is a comedian/performer, so perhaps nothing new to him. I tried to read the first in his murder club series but put it down because of my own preferences: I’m not into jumping multiple perspectives. And I’m a novel reader. I don’t want to read a screen play. But I decided with all the hype (the author received a rave review in Esquire or Vanity Fair, I forget), I’d give the books another chance. It’s pretty much what I expected: this is more written to be a movie script. I want to read a novel. Albeit, Osman has an EXCELLENT editor because she/he is able to finally tune it with the interiority and craft expected in a novel. Bravo to his editor: she’s the real star, I think :’D Anyway, it reminds me of something one of my old writing mentors once told me about actors or performers (and he himself was an amateur actor) who also write (or try to write): “they tend to capture the surface and not much depth,” or an old journalism school axiom: “a mile wide and an inch deep.” Osman even admitted as much at his Q&A. Performers like him tend to quip fast, they’re good at dialogue and quick humor. Short chapters. Anyhow, for this installment, I figured out that he does manipulate the reader into thinking he has captured the interiority by leaning on the epistolary form. I get that: play to your strengths. BUT I think Stephen’s dementia scenes (so far) are excellent.
Becky, I loved Killers of a Certain Age, too. Just a little different.
You’re right. Richard Osman is probably used to a packed house, but it probably never gets old. I thought The Last Devil to Die was the best book in the series because of Stephen. You’re right. He handled the dementia scenes beautifully.
Becky, Iceland is a fascinating country and I’ve read several books set there:
Ragnar Jonasson has two series set there
Brandon Webb & John David Mann, Cold Fear (second in the Finn series)
Nick Petrie, The Wild One (Peter Ash #5)
I started Daniel Silva’s PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN. But I’ll be reading slowly because I need to promote my own novels, in particular my new work HEART OF WISDOM,
an historical literary mystery.
Good luck with Heart of Wisdom, Jacqueline. If you’d like to do a guest post here, let me know. Email me at Lesa dot Holstine at gmail dot com. I’ll be happy to have you do that!
Well, since my grandson’s birth last month my reading has really slowed down. After 3 weeks, I have finally finished one book! I really enjoyed The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. It was a fun read.
It is really cooling down in Michigan. Think we have seen the last of the decent weather
Oh, I can understand that, Jennifer, especially if that grandson lives close.
I enjoyed The Kaiju Preservation Society, too. This year’s book was good, but that one was even better.
A Grave Robbery sounds just the creepy plot for the Halloween season Lesa.
I read Richard Osman’s fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series also. THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE is funny and sad and beautiful. The crime they’re investigating this time takes a temporary backseat to life in Cooper Chase.
A novel inspired by the true story of Malaga Island, an isolated Maine island colonized in 1792. It became one of the first racially integrated settlements in the Northeast. In 1912 authorities on the mainland who, under the eugenics trend popular at that time, decide to forcibly evacuate the residents and develop the island as a vacation destination. Paul Harding’s beautiful writing brings to life the island’s people. THIS OTHER EDEN gives voice to the struggle to preserve human dignity in the face of intolerance and injustice.
And from 2020 A ROYAL AFFAIR the second of the Sparks & Bainbridge historical fiction series set in 1946. (Allison Montclair aka Alan Gordon)
“Investigating murder does get in the way of one’s actual work.” The ladies from The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are on a special case for The Royal Household. Great fun with intrigue, spies and period details.
Meanwhile, still reading GAUDY NIGHT by Dorothy L. Sayers (1935). At almost 700 pages definitely longer than many mysteries – and, so far, her well known character, Lord Peter Wimsey has only a small role.
We’ve enjoyed beautiful fall colors this year with night time temperatures around freezing. Hopefully this weather stretches out for a while.
It was just the right creepiness, MM, without being too scary. I don’t like horror.
I still have a hard time understanding why we did such atrocious things to other people. This Other Eden just must have been sad. The Last Devil to Die was sad, but for other reasons.
I’m driving to my Mom’s tomorrow, so I hope to enjoy the fall colors on the way.
60% into Off Kilter by Hannah Reed and loving it. Felt like she described Scotland so well that I wanted to go there. Difficult to lay it down.
I love when I find a book that’s hard to put down, Carol. Enjoy it!
Lesa, Hannah Reed is Deb Baker, another writer who was in the Guppies when I was. As I mentioned in my post on your page, that crop of Guppies was phenomenal. I should write something about us!
You really should, Sandra. I don’t know when I’ve seen such a phenomenal list of names.
Hi everyone! I’ve been slammed at work and missed the last couple Thursdays so I’ll stick to the highlights. I greatly enjoyed the Regency Vows series, which starts with TO HAVE AND TO HOAX, by Martha Waters. (A couple were on kindle unlimited, which was helpful.) My favorite was the third, TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE, probably because the nice girl who puts everyone else first finds some freedom.
I also read TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett but didn’t love it as much as some of her other works. It was very good but my understanding was limited by not being familiar with the two plays that underpin everything.
IN MEMORIAM by Alice Winn is the best book I’ve read in a while. It is about friendship and the nature of love and war. We follow a group of friends, especially Ellwood and Gaunt, from their posh public school in Britain to the trenches of WWI. The title comes from the obituary column in their school paper. Excerpts from the column, which take up more and more space as the war continues, really personalize and humanize the toll of the war. It was really an incredible book.
Oh, Trisha. I hope you finally have some down time.
In Memoriam. I can only imagine how that column grew during the course of the war. I’ll have to remember that one. Thank you.
Sounds like you are really settling into retirement. I highly recommend it. It’s hard to believe, but next summer Jackie will mark 20 years since she retired! Luckily she was able to retire fairly young, though she had worked 34 years (and got credit for two more years).
Looks like we are in for our seventh straight weekend with some rain, though Saturday is now looking better than it did a couple of weeks ago. This is good for us as we have matinee tickets for an off-Broadway production of Shaw’s ARMS AND THE MAN, one of his shows that wee hadn’t seen before.
Books. Jackie is really enjoyed her J.D. Robb, PAYBACK IN DEATH. She’s nearly finished with it.
I’ve been reading every day in three books, but don’t feel that I’m accomplishing much. I did finish one book, THINGS GET UGLY: THE BEST CRIME STORIES OF JOE R. LANSDALE. Joe is a terrific writer, though there are a couple of VERY dark stories here (hint: “Drive-In Date”) . Got a couple of other short story collections up next.
I haven’t read one of Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Bill SLider books in a while, and I still have a few hardbacks unread on the shelf, so went to the next KILL MY DARLING (2011; OK, I’m behind, I know). Good book, as a lovely young woman is found murdered, and her live-in boyfriend and downstairs neighbor (who murdered his wife years ago, after finding her in bed with another man) are among the suspects, though neither seems that likely. The usual team is there and it all goes down as smoothly as ever.
I’m now up to the climactic section of THE BOYS IN THE BOAT: NINE AMERICANS AND THEIR QUEST FOR GOLD AT THE 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS by Daniel James Brown. It’s an outstanding book, and if you like triumphant sports stories, young men overcoming adversity, etc. I highly recommend it.
Have a good week everyone.
I’ve never seen Arms and the Man, either, Jeff, and I don’t think I read it. We read a number of plays in my Intro to Theatre and Drama class in college, but I don’t remember reading that.
So, Jackie has had a number of years to read all those books. I love the J.D. Robb ones.
What’s wrong with being behind in reading a favorite series? That means Bill Slider is there to enjoy when the other books seem to be going nowhere.
Have a good week!
That’s such a coincidence Jeff – just this morning I bought Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ ‘The Winding Road from our library sale table for 50p. I have two others by her, One Under and Star Fall. I haven’t yet read any of them, I take it you would recommend?
Rosemary, I’ve only read her Bill Slider series, not the long Morland Dynasty series or other fiction. But yes, I’d recommend the Sliders, though your two books are among those I haven’t read yet.
To give you a hint of the back story that might not be apparent, when the series started, I believe Slider was still unhappily married to his first wife, perhaps separated. Early on he meets Joanna, a younger woman and professional violinist, and they quickly get together. The ex-wife is nasty, at least until she gets another guy who she marries. They had two children, and he now has a little boy with Joanna.
His assistant and close friend, Atherton, has had a rather checkered love life over the series. A couple of times it looked like he was going to settle down with one woman or another, but it remains to be seen if that will ever happen. He cooks, is a much flashier dresser than Slider, but they work exceptionally well together, and the team in general works well. His boss is the malaproping but supportive Supt. Porson, whose verbal locutions often provide a laugh.
We saw a local production of Carrie last Saturday. Neither of us really wanted to see it but it was the 6th rainy weekend in a row so we went and wound up enjoying it.
I’m about halfway through TATUM COMES HOME by Mica Stone. It’s a cute lost dog story but not something I’d read more than once.
I’m glad you enjoyed Carrie, Sandy. You’re right. It’s not a show I’d normally go to see either.
The rain gets tiring after a while, though, doesn’t it?
Good afternoon Lesa and everyone,
Lesa I am so happy to see your FB posts and know that you are enjoying having time to do fun things, like the Apple Butter event. Isn’t it great not having to go to work? And it’s lovely that you are able to spend more time with your sister and her family.
Here in NE Scotland we have a severe weather warning, though it’s not as severe as the area slightly to the south. The wind is really ferocious today, but so far the rain doesn’t seem exceptional, so I just hope it stays that way. Some people have already had power cuts (though power has been restored) so I have charged up all my electronic gadgetry and dug out the box of candles and matches, just in case. We are fortunate in having a gas hob, so I can still cook on that if necessary. In previous houses everything has been electric, so you end up eating cold food in a cold dark house. Not fun.
This week I’ve been reading for the ‘1962 Club’. I started with the Mary Stewart book I might have mentioned last week, THE MOONSPINNERS. It’s set on Crete and has Stewart’s standard ‘feisty heroine’, hunky arrogant man, and danger/murder thrown in, but I found it very disappointing after MADAM, WILL YOU TALK? The heroine, Nicola, keeps telling us how independent she is, but really she’s just silly, taking stupid risks in a totally implausible plot. But many people on Goodreads have given it 4 or even 5 stars, so I’m probably just too cynical. The pages of description of Greek flowers and birds really slowed the story down too. So this was definitely not a hit for me.
My second read was HOLIDAY AT THE DEW DROP INN by Eve Garnett, the third and last in the FAMILY FROM ONE END STREET series, about a working class family living in 1930s Sussex. Although these are children’s books, I have read them many times as an adult and still enjoy them very much. This instalment was written quite a long time after the first two, so Garnett is now writing thirty years after the period in which the story is set, but I think she manages this very well.
Kate, the second daughter of the Ruggles family, is sent back to her beloved Dew Drop Inn to convalesce after having measles. There she meets up with all the friends (and a few enemies) she made on her first visit (in Further Adventures of the Family From One End Street), and has plenty of adventures of her own as she enters the village show, goes to the annual travelling fair, is (unjustly of course) accused of shoplifting, vies with the awful Angela Smallpiece, and enjoys a visit from her father and two of her small brothers.
These books may hark back to a time long gone, but they skilfully avoid nostalgia. They are full of details of working class life in what is now almost a century ago. I especially enjoy the way in which Kate wears her school hat everywhere because she is so proud of having a school uniform. By the time I – also a working class child – went to Grammar School, we hated our hats with a vengeance, and couldn’t wait to rip them from our heads. The thought of wearing them to any non-school event would have horrified us. How times change. By the time my daughters went to school, hats were a thing of the past.
My third book is JOHNNY PANIC AND THE BIBLE OF DREAMS, a collection of short stories and other writings by Sylvia Plath. I’m about half way through. Some of the stories are very down to earth – I loved one about life in freezing cold London in the 1960s, and how astonished the American narrator (clearly Plath) is when everyone seems simply to accept plumbing failures, leaks, lack of heating, etc. In the story she seems to take it all in good part, but I couldn’t help remembering that it was in the miserable winter of 1963 that Plath put her head into the gas oven in her tiny, freezing flat.
Some of the other stories are, as you might expect, quite bizarre – sometimes one is unsure until the very end whether the events are really supposed to be happening, or to be a character’s dreams or fantasies. Many are set in psychiatric hospitals.
Plath was such an interesting woman, and struggled so much. I have still to read RED COMET, the new(ish) biography by Heather Clark, but from what I’ve heard Clark say, Plath was a victim of the society in which she lived. Maybe she would have fared better today, who knows?
Aside from reading, I have almost finished IRVINE WELSH’S CRIME on STV (have you, Jeff?) so I need to find a new series to watch. I should get more organised, as otherwise I waste half the evening in flicking through channels and not settling on anything.
I was down in Edinburgh Tuesday/Wednesday to see WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR (band) at Sneaky Pete’s. I quite enjoyed it but not as much as David did – he knows their music much better than I do. Next week David, Anna and I are going to see HIDDEN ORCHESTRA, which I think should be good.
My walks (before the weather warning!) have been fairly local over the past week, mainly by the river (I dread to think what it’s like down there today) or up around the fields. On Sunday we drove up to Fyvie to see my jeweller friend Drew and collect a ring I had asked him to make,. He and his partner live in a remote cottage up along track – they bought it in a derelict state 4 years ago, and have now renovated the house and built a garden studio for Drew to work in. They have a lot of land, and have installed a huge bank of solar panels to run a massive battery on the side of their house. It was really nice to see it all, and of course I always come away thinking ‘maybe we should move to northern Aberdeenshire?’ – but in weather such as we have today, I think again…
We didn’t manage a walk that day, but we did call at BARRA BERRIES, a lovely farm shop and café that we’d never managed to stop at before. The cakes were amazing! We had warm raspberry and white chocolate scones with the farm’s own jam, and my goodness they were delicious – we’ll definitely go again. (https://barracastle.co.uk/eat-at-barra-castle/).
On Friday evening we went to a preview of a new exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery. It’s always good to see people, but I will need to go back into the gallery to have a proper look at the art, as it’s almost impossible to do so when everyone is milling about.
It’s past 2pm here and I’ve just realised I haven’t had lunch, so I think I’d better stop!
I hope no one has weather like ours. Have a good week!
Rosemary, yes! We did finish CRIME. I understand the second series ran there last month, so don’t know when we’ll get it. We’re watching the second series of ANNIKA now. Let’s just say that Jamie Sives is playing a much nicer character here than he did in CRIME. We’re also rewatching the nearly 20 year old series SPOOKS (called MI-5 in the US) on Saturday nights (yet another series that Nicola Walker graced with her presence, though she hasn’t been in the early episodes we’ve seen so far), as well as the oh so clever JONATHAN CREEK, by David (ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE) Renwick. Two of my favorite series.
I haven’t seen any of those other series you mention Jeff, though I am of course aware of them. I should give Jonathan Creek a go.
There’s another new one set in Edinburgh that people seem to be enjoying – Payback. It stars Morven Christie and Peter Mullan, which bodes well.
‘With an idyllic family lifestyle in the suburbs of Edinburgh, Lexie is unaware her husband, Jared, has been laundering Cal Morris’ illegal earnings on a vast scale.
Jared’s every move is being monitored by financial investigators DC Jibran Khan (Prasanna Puwanarajah) and DCI Adam Guthrie (Derek Riddell), who are determined to use the Noble family to bring Cal Morris to justice.’
I might give it a try.
Rosemary, You’re right. I’m enjoying retirement, and the knowledge that if I don’t get around to errands today, there’s always tomorrow. Not trying to cram everything in on the weekends. And, knowing I can just drive up to my Mom’s for a few days and visit with her and my other sister. It is good to be close to family again.
Barra Berries sounds wonderful! You always make me hungry when you talk about the farm shops and cafes. The food sounds delicious!
Do you really want to think about moving further north, with the colder weather? Brrr. Stay warm and dry, and I hope your power stays on.
Sending hugs!
Lesa, I love how perfectly you’re settling in. What a good move this is for you.
My book of the week is One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Description from NetGalley:
“A heart-racing new psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling and multiple award-winning author, Hank Phillippi Ryan.
One wrong word can ruin your life. And no one knows that better than savvy crisis management expert Arden Ward. Problem is, she’s now forced to handle a shocking crisis of her own. Unfairly accused of having an affair with a powerful client, Arden’s life and dreams are about to crash and burn. Then, Arden is given an ultimatum. She has just two weeks to save her career and her reputation.
Is Cordelia Bannister the answer to her prayers?
Cordelia needs Arden’s help for her husband Ned, a Boston real estate mogul. Though he was recently acquitted in a fatal drunk driving accident, his reputation is ruined, and the fallout is devastating not only to the Bannisters’ lives, but the lives of their two adorable children.
Arden devotes her skill and determination –and maybe her final days on the job–to helping this shattered family, but soon, revelations begin to emerge about what really happened the night of the accident. And then—another car crash throws Ned back into the spotlight.
This case is Arden’s final chance to protect her own future and clear her name. But the more she tries to untangle the truth, the more she’s haunted by one disturbing question—what if she’s also protecting a killer?
Gossip. Lies. Rumors. Words like that can hurt you. And Arden knows the reality. Sometimes one wrong word can kill.”
Kaye, Are you still in town next Thursday? If not, we’ll want a full report when you get back! Or, I’ll have to link to your Meanderings and Muses so everyone can see where you’re going. I’m so excited for you.
Lesa, I will be in the South Carolina Low Country next Thursday. (squeeeeeeeee – SO excited!).
I’m hoping to do some updates at Meanderings and Muses, and you know I’ll be checking in with you.
Love you!!!!!!
So I rushed to my library’s website to put in a reserve as I read all of Hank’s books and its not coming out until February! So disappointed!
Glad that you are getting settled in Ohio. Hope the winters don’t get too cold.
The weather here in SoCal has been beautiful.
Reading a Janet Dawson book. I like the series. Recently finishedRichard Osman’s latest Thursday Murder Club. Very good and poignant. I teared up for personal reasons. Read Hide by Tracey Clark and City Under One Roof, both recommended on this site. Enjoyed both very much.
Trying to decide if I should read the latest Robert Galbraith. So long. Waiting for the new Carlene O’Conner book.
I’m hoping this winter isn’t too bad, either, Doreen. At least I don’t have to go out in it to drive to work if the weather is bad.
Osman’s book was excellent, wasn’t it? I need to read Clark’s second one in the series, and I read the sequel to City Under One Roof.
And, Carlene O’Connor’s is good, too!
We saw The Tin Woman about a heart transplant patient at The Drama Workshop before leaving on vacation. It was the best play I’ve seen there. Our vacation took us to St. Louis for the Chihuly Exhibit at the Botanical Gardens and The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.
All of my reading was just so-so. My sister highly recommended Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson but it wasn’t my favorite. It was about an old money family whose daughter has a romantic crisis, decides capitalism is wrong, and wants to give away her $37,000,000 fortune. My favorite character was her mother who made no apologies for her inherited wealth and the way she lived. The author said she based the novel on an article on capitalism and youth from the NY Times.
My next book Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire. Katherine discussed it in last week’s Thursdays with Lesa. I managed to finish it but won’t be continuing on with the series. I didn’t find any of it very interesting.
Lastly, I read Faith Bass Darling’s Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge. It takes place New Year’s Eve 1999 which Faith Darling has decided will be her last day on earth. She is suffering from Alzheimer’s and declares God has told her to sell her families antiques and treasures. This was an interesting read. My neighbor recommended it, and I enjoyed it.
We’ve been streaming World on Fire from PBS all this week. It has been good television viewing for us.
I am so happy you are enjoying life in Columbus, Lesa.
A rainy day on tap for us. A good day for staying in and reading.
I love Chihuly exhibits, Sharon. I hope this one was good.
I read Faith Bass… years ago. It was interesting, wasn’t it? I liked Faith.
Enjoy whatever you’re reading today and this week!
Years ago while living in Springfield, MO, I was able to enjoy a Chihuly Exhibit at that same Botanical Garden. Good memories and beautiful gardens!
MM,It really was a terrific exhibit and we had perfect weather.
I didn’t like Pineapple Street either, Sharon, and didn’t finish it.
I enjoyed The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski, which comes out on Dec. 26. Tara and her husband Art Taylor are a popular couple here in the large DC area mystery writing community, and I am predisposed to like anything Tara publishes, but I can say honestly that The Weekend Retreat is totally engaging. The Van Ness siblings, heirs to a vast copper fortune, have gathered with their spouses at the family vineyard for the first time since the family matriarch died, and although some of them make an effort it’s not a loving reunion. Mayhem ensues. People get hurt. Everybody is a suspect. The book is threaded with Tara’s sly humor and sharp character observations. In a rave review, Publishers Weekly compared it to the TV show Succession. This is her best book yet and makes me look forward eagerly to what she will give us next.
I am privileged to have an advance copy of bestseller Andrew Kaufman’s Son of the Sea, his first novel since he fell ill with myasthenia gravis. He finished it despite bouts with cancer and one failed treatment after another for MG. Drew is the author of a string of bestselling psychological thrillers, but this book is about the relationship between a father and son as they struggle to overcome past tragedies and estrangement. Drew decided to self-publish it because he can’t be sure he will be around long enough to see the lengthy traditional publishing process to its completion. It will be available Nov. 1. The writing is beautiful, the story deeply moving. I’m not recommending it because I feel sorry for Drew. He would hate that. I recommend it because it’s a wonderful book.
Sandra, I’m glad you had two good books this week. I know Art, but I’ve never met Tara. I’m not sure her books are for me, but this one does sound interesting. I’m not much of a thriller reader.
Finished Deus X late last night and enjoyed it.
I thought Deus X was terrific, Kevin. I like August Snow and his friends.
Me too.
I always look forward to a new Veronica Speedwell!
This week I’m reading Michele Drier’s SNAP: Pandemic Games: Book Eleven in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles and Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff (non-fiction) by Matt Paxton.
Sometimes the stuff are the memories, Ana.
This Veronica Speedwell is one of the best, in my opinion.
Hi, everyone. I’m away from my computer today so I’ll save my reviews till next Thursday.
Wondering where you were!
We’ll look forward to them then, Margie!
Hi Lesa,
I just finished listening to Hunting Party by Lucy Foley on audio. In print I am reading The Trade Off by Sandie Jones and on kindle it’s an e-galley of Mayhem in Circulation by Leah Dobrinska.
Hi Katherine,
I just haven’t picked up Lucy Foley. I just read one thriller, and one a month or so is enough for me.
Thanks for thinking about me, Kaye!
The only thing that happened this week here was that Rosie, the cat, had an appointment with the vet. She has thyroid problems and has to have blood tests regularly to check how the medication is doing. She doesn’t cooperate when they try to draw blood, so she has to be sedated. So the whole thing is a production.
Otherwise everything is normal. It has been kind of coolish lately but we could have warm days even into November.
In the last week, I finished SOMETHING WICKED by E.X. Ferrars (or Elizabeth Ferrars). It is the first in the Andrew Basnett series. Last Christmas I read the 6th book in the series, which has a Christmas setting. When I started reading this one, I realized it is also set around Christmas although the Christmas setting is not a focal point. I have another in the series that I have not read, THE CRIME AND THE CRYSTAL, in which Andrew Basnett spends Christmas in a warmer environment, in Australia. So I am wondering if all the books in the series take place around Christmas. Probably not.
For the 1962 Club, I read SOMETHING WHOLESALE, a memoir by Eric Newby, who was renowned British travel writer. Now I have to scramble to review it before the end of the week. This was my first book by him. It is mostly about the years he was working in the family garment business but also covers some of the postwar years before he got out of the service. I was not terribly impressed with this one; I don’t know if it is my lack of interest in clothing and fashion. Other reviewers who like his books said this was not his best, thus I plan to read more. Glen has read THE BIG RED TRAIN RIDE, and I will read that one someday too. Jeff Meyerson has recommended THE LAST GRAIN RACE, which I think was his first book.
Glen just finished THE GHOST SHIPS OF ARCHANGEL: The Arctic Voyage That Defied the Nazis. He liked it, and from what he was telling me about it after he finished the book, it would be a very interesting story. Next he will read THREE MEN IN THE DARK by Jerome K. Jerome, a collection of ghost stories. It has a gorgeous skeleton cover.
Tracy, I”ll admit that right now, Glen’s books sound more interesting than the ones you read! Although I usually enjoy a good Christmas mystery.
Your weather doesn’t sound too bad. I’d want those warmer days, though.
Very warm here, more like early September than mid-October, but I persevere.
This week I read:
Fish On by Wayne Stinnett; This is a pretty average series, but for some reason I’ve read over 25 books in it. In this one, Jesse wants to retire, but a protege has gone rogue. He also finds gems in a sunken car. Reading these is something like going to McDonald’s. It’s not great, but you won’t get a really bad book either.
Black Sunday by Thomas Harris; I’ve been reading movie books lately. This film is not shown all that much, but it is pretty thrilling, with all the 70’s nihilism you’d expect. Timely as ever, too.
Tight Lipped by Erik Carter; Part of the Silence Jones series. Someone is murdering survivors of a military experiment, and Jones tries to save them. Curiously old fashioned.
Won Ton Terror by Vivien Chien; They’re having an outdoor market at the Asian Village, when a food truck explodes, killing the owner. Was it an accident…or murder! I think we all know, but Lana Lee’s diffidence is pretty interesting.
I agree, Glen, sometimes we just need those McDonald’s books. Not great, but sometimes satisfying.
Good to know that Thomas Harris’ book holds up!
Such a difference. Mark and I would both take warmer weather, and you’re anticipating the cooler weather.
So, I did not say much Thursday as I had an appointment with my cardiologist. Everything went fine. Many tests will be run next October before I see him again, but for now, I avoided all that. While out there, a low tire pressure light was on, so I went by the Subaru dealership and asked them to check it out. Everything was allegedly fine so they sent me on my way an hour later.
Unfortunately, I never did get Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly via NetGalley and with it coming out in two weeks or so, I doubt now that I will. My request is still “pending.”
Current read is New York to Dallas by JD. Robb.
Like Lesa, I welcome guest posts on my blog. All the details on how to go about being a guest are at https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2023/10/would-you-like-to-be-guest.html
Way warmer than normal here and way too dry as we remain in severe drought. The kids that read the weather stuff to us on tv swear we might get some rain and cooler temps this week. Hard to take any of them seriously as I have jeans and shirts older than they are.