Welcome to our first “What Are You Reading?” of 2024! If you haven’t been here before, it’s a safe place to talk about whatever book you’re reading, or what you’ve read int he last week. Feel free to join the conversation, and I’ll do better this year (promise!) as to approving comments for those who get notes saying they need to be approved.
If you haven’t been here before, on Thursdays we tend to talk about books, but also weather wherever we are, trips, music, plays, shows, things we’ve been doing in the last week. Read a few comments to see if you’re comfortable joining the conversation. I know a lot of people just lurk, and that’s fine. Welcome!
This week, I’ve been reading nonfiction. I finished a book called Why We Read by Shannon Reed. It comes out in February, so my review will appear then. A friend gave me a copy of the 2021 book, Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story, published by DK. I’m excited about that.
I’ve only read a couple chapters of Gregg Olsen’s true crime book, The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free. In 1977, in an Ohio Amish community, pregnant wife and mother Ida Stutzman perished during a barn fire. The coroner’s report: natural causes. Ida’s husband, Eli, was never considered a suspect. But when he eventually rejected the faith and took his son, Danny, with him, murder followed.What really happened to Ida? The dubious circumstances of the tragic blaze were willfully ignored and Eli’s shifting narratives disregarded. Could Eli’s subsequent cross-country journey of death—including that of his own son—have been prevented if just one person came forward with what they knew about the real Eli Stutzman? The questions haunted Gregg Olsen and Ida’s brother Daniel Gingerich for decades. At Daniel’s urging, Olsen now returns to Amish Country and to Eli’s crimes first exposed in Olsen’s Abandoned Prayers, one of which has remained a mystery until now. With the help of aging witnesses and shocking long-buried letters, Olsen finally uncovers the disturbing truth—about Ida’s murder and the conspiracy of silence and secrets that kept it hidden for forty-five years.
And, of course, I’m reading mysteries for review for Library Journal.
What about you? What have you been doing in the past week? Anything special for New Year’s? I don’t like to be out on the roads that evening, so I binge-watched the first season of “Good Omens”. I really should read the book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. What are you reading this week?
The Amish Wife sounds intriguing, Lesa!
And I may have finally found the book to end my reading slump.
Ship Watch by Jonathan Scott Barrett hit all the right notes for me. I met Jonathan at The Pat Conroy Literary Festival in October. He is delightful and charming and has written a few delightful and charming southern cookbooks which are abundant in endearing anecdotes, along with scrumptious recipes. After sampling the cookbooks, I was excited to read his fiction debut and loved it. My kind of book, for sure.
Amazon description:
“AN ENGROSSING SAGA FILLED WITH SOUTHERN FAMILY THEATRICS, EXES AND EXCESS, AND MONUMENTAL CHARACTERS …. ONE THAT BRINGS AN UNFORGETTABLE AND GRATIFYING FINALE
Set around the renowned and historical homestead at the center of the drama, Ship Watch weaves together six intertwined relationships that extend from the gentrified city of Savannah and into the wealthy enclaves of Sea Island, Highlands, and Atlanta’s Buckhead. The novel’s characters are drawn in the loom by the family’s elegantly formidable matriarch, Grand Martha, and form a multi-generational tapestry that includes the misfortunes of divorce and betrayal – but in more and even better measure opportunities for redemption, rediscovery, and the rarified gift of ‘second love.’ By combining an encompassing setting having a solid sense of place along with characters that are captivating and rather extraordinary, Ship Watch is a sometimes bittersweet, yet often comedic, Southern tour-de-force debut novel.”
Well, Kaye, I can understand why you were in a reading slump, between Paris, the cruise, and then COVID. It took returning to what you love, a multigenerational story set in the Carolinas to find your reading again. Hugs!
Kaye, you might enjoy The Heiress. NC setting, magnificent estate, tangled relationships, murders and betrayals.
I just finished The Death of Us by Lori Rader-Day. It was good but a little predictable, I had it figured out before the end.
I’m afraid I’ve found that several times with Lori Rader-Day’s books, Lisa.
Happy New Year! I am finally getting back to somewhat of a normal schedule after all the holiday festivities and a 2-day babysitting event that included an overnight stay as my son and daughter-in-law took a short trip to Las Vegas. I took my grandkids to the movies to see Wonka, which we all enjoyed very much. I thought Timothee Chalamet was exactly the right person for the title role and even has a good singing voice. My granddaughter came out of the theater singing the Oompa Loompa song and no one had to go to the bathroom during the movie, so I call that a success. Now I’m trying to catch up on the things I had no time for.
My reading week was a mixed bag, culminating in a book that earned a rare 2-star review from me on NetGalley. Thank goodness, I finished it this morning and can move on to Tom Lake for my book club next week.
Steve Cavanagh is a master storyteller–no doubt about it. In this standalone thriller, KILL FOR ME, KILL FOR YOU, a riff on Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train, he tells a suspenseful, twisty story from the point of view of several of the major players. One is Amanda, whose young daughter was murdered and whose husband committed suicide soon thereafter. She is obsessed with stalking the man she is sure killed her daughter and will only be happy when he is charged with her murder. He strikes back with a restraining order, and Amanda is required to attend group therapy, where she meets a woman with a strikingly similar story. As in the Hitchcock story, they agree to kill each other’s nemesis. The other protagonist is Ruth, who is brutally attacked in her home and will never be able to go out in public until her attacker is dead. And then there is the police detective assigned to both cases, a fascinating but somewhat undeveloped character. Personally, I much prefer Cavanagh’s legal thrillers about con-man-turned-defense-attorney Eddie Flynn and the outrageous cases he takes on. I particularly love the exciting courtroom scenes in that series. This thriller is very bleak, and it feels like the characters make their lives even bleaker by their actions, making for a quite depressing plot. And while one of the twists came as a surprise, there were a couple that were easy to predict, even though I never intentionally try to solve the mystery when I read. I would have appreciated a bit more nuance and creativity, and I know Cavanagh is up to it. I’m hoping for more Eddie Flynn in the future. (March)
In MIDNIGHT AT THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP, by Jenny Colgan, the sequel to The Christmas Bookshop, Carmen has overstayed her welcome at her sister Sofia’s house after living there for a year, now that Sofia and her husband have had their fourth child. Carmen finds she can just afford the rent on a room above the Edinburgh bookstore where she works as the manager. The elderly owner, Mr. McCredie, needs to raise money to finance a trip to Antarctica, so he is tempted to sell the store to a greedy developer who wants to turn it into another shabby souvenir shop, but Carmen can’t bear the thought of losing the store, especially now that she has convinced Mr. McCredie to open to customers the formerly unseen part of the shop with its many literary treasures. At the same time, she has put a sudden end to her relationship with her Brazilian boyfriend ,Oke, because he is reluctant to move their romance to the next level, and her hope of rekindling their spark is foiled by the fact that he doesn’t return her phone messages as he carries out an internship in the Brazilian jungle. Many of the author’s signature strong points are present–quirky characters, relatable children, and a charming small-town holiday setting. Oke is absent for most of the book, so readers of the previous book may be disappointed. Carmen isn’t the most instantly likeable character, but her traits of feistiness and determination earn her increasing admiration. My favorite and most memorable character is Rudi, Sofia’s affable, creative new “manny” who keeps Carmen connected with the nieces and nephews she loves and assures her she is desirable. It would have been helpful to me if I had remembered more about the previous book, but this one can certainly be read as a standalone. Although it’s not my favorite Jenny Colgan book, she will continue to be my favorite source of feel-good, comfort reads.
I received Peter Swanson’s THE CHRISTMAS GUEST, which I won from Goodreads, just in time to read it during the holiday season. I’m not the biggest fan of novellas, but this one crams a lot into 96 pages. The first half of the book is comprised largely of journal entries by 19-year-old Ashley, an American student attending university in England. She had planned to spend the holiday break alone in London but is surprised and thrilled to receive an invitation from fellow student Emma to spend a week at her wealthy parents’ country home in the Cotswolds. The setting is beautiful and cozy, Emma’s brother is attractive, and Ashley is thoroughly enjoying herself. Fast forward to the second half of the book, 30 years later, when we learn that an attack by a mysterious killer led to a death and an assault in the woods near the estate during Ashley’s stay, and life has changed for those involved. To avoid spoilers, I won’t relate more of the plot. Suffice it to say that you should not expect a charming holiday read, but rather a creepy murder story that tells you everything you need to know about whodunit (no real mystery to solve), perhaps a bit of why, and the comeuppance for at least one of the guilty parties.
Having really enjoyed Sulari Gentill’s last Edgar Award-nominated standalone, The Woman in the Library, I was expecting another fascinating mystery. Unfortunately, THE MYSTERY WRITER just didn’t land with me. Theodosia (Theo) leaves her law training at an Australian university and surprises her attorney brother, Gus, by moving in with him to devote her time to a writing career. After meeting a seasoned author who encourages her to continue after reading her manuscript, she never expects him to turn up dead soon afterward, with two more murders to follow. Theo’s and Gus’s lives are upended swiftly and violently, as PI Mac tries to use his expert research skills to help them both. It’s a premise with potential, but here’s why I struggled to get through it. There is a subplot about conspiracy theories and a weak romance subplot–both seem totally unnecessary and have little to do with the plot. There is one scene late in the book that involves Gus and Mac but shifts to Theo’s POV suddenly, then suddenly back. I found it unnerving, checking back to see if I had missed something. There is a time jump of 5 years that is mentioned once and never developed. What happened to the characters during that time? The reveal at the end about who killed whom and why seems lazy to me, and the last part of the book seems to evolve quickly from a mystery to a thriller. I have to say that I did enjoy reading about Mac’s outrageous survivalist family, which provided much-needed (though unexpected) humor. But I was never able to connect with any of the characters, as they seemed to make a series of bad decisions, leading to worse consequences. However, I know there is an audience for this book, as there are many 4- and 5-star reviews on NetGalley (March)
I love Sulari, Margie, but The Mystery Writer just didn’t appeal to me, so I never asked for it. Guess that’s okay. And, I didn’t like The Christmas Guest at all.
Had to laugh when you said no one had to go to the bathroom when you were at Wonka. That’s me! I’m the one who always has to take the break, but then I’m not making anyone else go with me.
Hi Lesa and everyone!
I wanted to start by following up on DEAD AND GONDOLA by Ann Claire, which I was reading last week. I did get into the book and finish it, but I found it to be uneven all the way around – plot, characters, setting. I’m giving it three stars when I review it.
Since then, I’ve finished a couple of books. The first was MUSHROOM CAPPED, the second Fatal Food Festival Mystery from Cathy Wiley. This was a fun and well plotted mystery. I really enjoyed it.
I just (Wednesday night) finished KNOT OF THIS WORLD by Mary Marks. This is the eighth in her Quilting Mysteries. I enjoyed it, although the ending was weaker than I like.
This means I’m about to take a break from mysteries and read the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians book from Rick Riordan – The Chalice of the Gods. I haven’t read any of his books for years – since the last Heroes of Olympus book came out. I hope I remember enough about the characters and the world he’s created to enjoy it.
(And yes, I am watching the Percy Jackson series on Disney+. I’m enjoying it. Although, again, I don’t remember enough details about the book to know for sure how close they are sticking. I feel like it is fairly faithful.)
I don’t blame you for moving on to Percy Jackson, Mark. I’ve been binge-watching Good Omens, and enjoying it.
Thanks for following up on Death and Gondola, Mark. I was interested in your thoughts.
Good morning, all. No real time today as we have to finish the last minute packing so we can get on the road after breakfast. By next week, we should be settled in South Florida for the rest of the winter.
Lucia Berlin, A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN. Very good book of her selected short stories.
Jean-Patrick Manchette, SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET. Second of two books about former cop (he was fired after accidentally killing a protester) Eugene Tarpon is not bad but nothing special. For special you need to read his standlones, particularly THREE TO KILL and THE PRONE GUNMAN. They have an incredible, crazy momentum.
Currently reading Lawrence G. Blochman’s second collection about pathologist Dr. Daniel Coffee, CLUES FOR DOCTOR COFFEE; BUT WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW?: An Oral History of the ;60s Girl Groups, by Laura Flam & Emily Sieu Liebowitz, which is right up my alley. It starts where the girl group sound started, really, with The Chantels in the mid-’50s. I’ve already learned several things; and Mark Billingham, THE LAST DANCE, first in a new series about cop Declan Miller, just returning to work after the murder of his wife, a Detective Inspector.
Jackie is reading Nora Roberts’ INHERITANCE.
Have a safe week.
Have a safe trip Jeff, and enjoy Florida!
Safe travels, Jeff. I was surprised to see you here at all.
Just curious, and you won’t be around to answer this. Wondered if you and Jackie listen to audiobooks on your travels.
Catch you when you’re settled in Florida!
We’re in Fredericksburg. We never do. Jackie prefers listening to music.
Lesa, I always enjoy reading about what others are ‘reading’ here, though I don’t comment all that often. I finished my first 2024 book which was a reread of Simon St. James’ THE BOOK OF COLD CASES. We’re discussing that one next week at our mystery book group. I had read this book back in 2022, but I honestly had very little recall of it for some reason. I had written on the blog that I liked it, etc., etc. This time around – I liked OK-ish, but I had not remembered quite how unlikable some of the characters were. Annoyed me. It will be interesting to hear what others in the group thought about it. And now, on to something more interesting to me. My second book of the year will be Amy McCulloch’s new one MIDNIGHT. Set in the Antarctica region (and that alone grabs me). I liked her previous book BREATHLESS, which included high, high mountain climbing. We’ll see.
Oh, I was also curious about Margie’s reaction to Sulari Gentill’s new book. I don’t do advance copies anymore, but I had known about it. For some reason, I think I though it might include the same or some of the same characters as her WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY book. Doesn’t seem to. Well, I’ll check it out when it’s published and look forward to seeing how it works for me. Happy New Year everyone!!
Hi, Kay. No, the Sulari Gentill book is a standalone that doesn’t include previous characters. I’ll be interested to see what you think about it.
Kay, I’m always happy to see your comments here, although I know how busy you are. Thank you. I’ll be interested to see what you think if you read Sulari’s latest.
Zadie Smith’s The Fraud and Stacy Willingham’s Only If You’re Lucky.
So far The Fraud is a little hard for me to settle into and Only If You Are Lucky is captivating.
Oh, I’ve heard about Willingham’s latest, Caryn. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
I am only reading one book because I am still unpacking, Kristin Hannah’s Between Sisters. It is about two very different sisters who want to connect with each other but don’t know how. Just starting it but it is very interesting. I never had a sister but always wanted one and have adopted some of my friends as sisters.
Adopted sisters are special, Carol. I know what it’s like to still be unpacking!
I am an only child Carol but I definitely think of some of my close friends as sisters. Don’t they call it ‘found family’ or something like that?
Yes, found family is exactly right, Rosemary.
I read Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea. It’s a novel based on his mother’s experience as a “Donut Dolly” during WWII. These were women who volunteered with the Red Cross to drive trucks that provided donuts, coffee and a friendly face to GIs near the front lines. And sometimes they wound up on the front line. It was well written and interesting because I’d never heard of this before.
A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett. This is a collection of very short stories that he wrote under a pseudonym for local papers before he became a well known author. Some of the stories have elements that turned up in his later novels.
An ARC of A Cover for Murder by Sue Minix. A forgettable cozy mystery. I know I read the book before this one but can’t remember anything about it.
I have a friend who saw Luis Alberto Urrea talk about Good Night, Irene, Sandy. He loved Urrea himself, and told me about the book. Happy you enjoyed it.
I think I have a copy of A Stroke of the Pen someplace.
My 2nd post on this blog! I am still slowly making my way through “Barbra” – very readable. I’m just getting to the part where she is making “A Star is Born”. I remember seeing that in the theater and leaving with such a huge lump in my throat from trying not to cry. She’s definitely made some memorable movies.
I devoured the 4th book (Murder Crossed her Mind) in the Steven Spotswood’s series “Pentecost and Parker”. He manages to keep each subsequent story just as riveting as the first book.
I’m listening to Tamera Alexander’s book “A Million Little Choices”, about a married couple who moves from Colorado to Atlanta, purchases an antebellum home, and the wife discovers a secret room that was used as part of the underground railroad. She finds a journal in the room and the story begins to follow the unhappy marriage of the former house’s owner and her quest to escape, along with the 16 slaves on the property, from her merciless husband. Meanwhile the new owner is also struggling with whether or not to divorce her own husband. I’m not sure yet if I would recommend this book. Parts of it are interesting (i.e. the historical parts), but parts get repetitive (where she is constantly accusing her husband of infidelity).
I’ve been watching the television series “Mum”, which I think was recommended on this blog. Absolutely love it. And started watching the Jane Seymour series “Harry Wild”. I just can’t wrap my mind around Jane Seymour in a Grandma role, albeit still looking stunning.
Thanks for letting me share!
Welcome back, Mary! I hope you continue to find time to come here and read and share what you’re reading.
I’m looking forward to reading Barbra. I’m on the waiting list at the library, but it’s a long one. No hurry, though.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Mary – I think it was I who recommended MUM, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. It’s such a quiet little gem of a series, and Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan are both perfect in their roles in my opinion.
Typically the little valley I live in has abundant sunshine, but recently it’s been foggy. Freezing fog some days, other days a blanket that hovers. And very quiet ‐ no dripping noises one might typically associatewith fog. It does leave plenty of time for staying indoors and reading.
Starting with THE SECOND MURDERER Denise Mina’s entry in the Philip Marlowe detective series authorized by Raymond Chandler’s estate. It didn’t seem to hit that mark for me, but it is a dark, witty mystery on its own.
WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY caught my eye and it’s a lovely selection. A Japanese novel written a few years ago by Michiko Aoyama but just translated. Described as warm, charming, wholesome – the book consists of five interrelated chapters in which a visitor to a community library asks for books on a specific topic and is also offered a bonus suggestion. The bonus book becomes the focus of that person’s life changing revelation. “Readers make their own personal connections to words, irrespective of the writer’s intentions, and each reader gains something unique.”
WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES (A Yuletide Mystery) the thirty-sixth novel by two-time Edgar winner Andrew Klavan. He’s not an author I’m familiar with, but this is an imaginative and engrossing murder mystery set in a tight-knit military community. It’s Christmas-time and the characters care deeply for one another even though much the loved school librarian has been murdered.
I’m really enjoying THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2023 with Amor Towles as the guest editor. It’s packed full with more than 20 wonderful stories by some well known and award winning authors. Great collection!
Looking forward to Why We Read when it comes out next month.
Thank you, MM, for the description of your valley. Your weather is a little different from what many of us have (snow today), and I enjoyed your description.
That’s the second time I’ve seen WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY just in the last few days. It sounds good.
Why We Read isn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it.
I haven’t done much reading in the past week because we’re catching up with all the major movies that have recently become available for streaming. Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon are the standouts. I’d be happy to see either of them win Best Picture awards. Flower Moon, of course, is based on the 2017 nonfiction book, which I read, and the murders and other injustices toward Native Americans that it portrays are enough to make anybody’s blood boil.
As for books, I finished and can heartily recommend The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins, a multigenerational novel set in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina (an area I know well because half my family came from those mountains). Murder, kidnapping, an extravagant hilltop mansion that anyone would fall in love with. Excellent entertaining read from a reliably satisfying writer.
Sandra, I enjoy novels set in areas I know well. It makes the book more interesting, doesn’t it? I’m happy you enjoyed The Heiress.
I don’t have the same excellent excuses you have for falling behind in my reading. Just lazy, and enjoying time with family.
Hi all and Happy New Year! Like Mark, the new Percy Jackson series inspired me to pick up some Rick Riordan books over the holidays, although in my case I re-read The Heroes of Olympus series. During the break I also read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, which were very good but also not mysteries.
I read an article about books where critics’ and readers’ assessments diverge that made me think I might like Wilder Girls by Rory Power. It had the girls coming into their power theme that I love and was well done but the story itself (about high school girls with a horrible disease quarantined on a remote island in Maine) was pretty grim.
I finished The Proof of the Pudding by Rhys Bowen and was not excited about this particular book in the series. I hope to find some good books in everyone’s comments this week!
Good luck, Trisha! I hope some of the books mentioned appeal to you.
I loved The Heroes of Olympus series.
Your book sounds interesting, Lesa.
I read three books this week. I think I was one of the few who did not enjoy Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. It had some funny moments but I thought she was a little heavy handed in getting her message across. I also did not watch the series because we don’t subscribe to Apple TV.
My second book was The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. I really liked this one despite the sad topic. Both 17-year-old Lenni and 83-year-old Margot are terminal patients. The story revolves around their friendship as well as the impact they make on others living in the hospital. I did shed tears, but it was really beautifully written and a terrific story.
After that I decided I needed something lighter, so I chose Liz’s Road Trip by Bernadette Marie. I think this one is a little lighter than expected and I was definitely not the target audience with my thirties being well behind me. Liz has been raised by her grandmother in Colorado after her mother dies when she is eight years old. Her grandmother tasks her to go on an adventure as part of her burial wishes. Liz discovers her grandmother led a whole different life in Palm Springs as part of Old Hollywood. With the help of Mark, the house’s caretaker she unravels her grandmother’s past. I found Liz whiny, and self-absorbed and there were times I found her and Mark cringeworthy. I probably should have not finished this one…
We started Good Omens, but it fell by the wayside with all the Christmas stuff we ended up watching. We finished Shetland on Britbox last night. We weren’t too sure about the ending but are hoping it gets another season. Our nightly watch is Harlen Coben’s Fool Me Once on Netflix. So far, we are loving it, but we are mostly looking forward to All Creatures Great and Small on PBS this Sunday.
Cold again today with rain and snow and goodness knows what else on the way. At least there has been sun to brighten the gloomy days.
Happy Reading!
Sharon, The sunshine does make a difference, doesn’t it? I don’t even bother opening my blinds on gloomy days with no sunshine. I do turn on a lot of lights. We had light snow on the ground when I got up this morning, but it’s melted. Snow is a four-letter word in my vocabulary.
You’re right. I don’t enjoy some of the novels about whiny 30 year olds as much as I once did. I’ll skip Liz’s Road Trip.
For some reason, Rosemary was unable to submit her comments this morning. I’m sharing them here. Thank you, Rosemary, for your patience with the blog.
‘Good morning (just – it’s five minutes to twelve here) Lesa and everyone.
The weather here has been absolutely dire. I love Scotland, but I must say that this is the first winter when I’ve thought how nice it might be to be somewhere not so much warmer as dryer – it’s been nothing but rain, rain and more rain.
But today the rain has stopped, the sun has come out, and it feels positively spring-like outside. I’ve just been down to the river – which is swollen with flooding – and I couldn’t believe how cheerful the sight of blue skies and sunshine made me feel. The birds were singing away – I haven’t heard them for ages, though I know they’re there as they’ve been stripping my feeders and bird table every day.
So apart from on Monday, which was the one dry day of the week till now, my walks have been short and wet. On Monday Nancy and I walked at Drum Castle, but although the sun was sort of out, there was so much ice on the ground that we were having to be terribly cautious. It was good to get out though. Otherwise it’s been dark, wet and thoroughly dreich.
I know today’s mild weather won’t last – we are forecast snow in two weeks’ time – but I’ll take it while I can.
Books – I’m still reading Rosamunde Pilcher’s WINTER SOLSTICE. I’m enjoying it despite my hackles rising about the sheer entitlement of these people! It’s the kind of world in which posh people go on about their money worries, but still have daily cleaners and think nothing of sending a taxi to Inverness airport to collect guests (Creagan, the town in the book, is really Dornoch, so it’s a a round trip of at least 100 miles.)
However, it’s well written and I am now totally invested in the lives of Elfrida (retired actress who’s had a colourful past), Oscar (retired music teacher whose wife and daughter have been killed in a car crash), Carrie (Elfrida’s second cousin, very beautiful, who’s been dumped by her lover) and Lucy (Carrie’s niece, who normally lives with her boring and self-obsessed mother and grandmother.)
They are all spending Christmas at the estate house that Oscar part owns. Also in the mix is Sam, who’s been sent up to rejuvenate and re-open the local woolen mill, former employer of many of the locals. Sam’s been working in New York but has just separated from his wife. Surely nothing will happen between him and Carrie? Why would anyone expect that?
So, as my friend Diana says, it’s hey-ho and on we go to the inevitable conclusions, but it’s a good read, the supporting characters are well drawn and interesting, and Pilcher clearly knows the area – I can picture Dornoch when she describes the town and the surrounding countryside and beaches. She actually lived outside Dundee for much of her life (though she grew up in Cornwall and many of her novels are set there.)
I’m also trying to find book titles to fit into the 52 Book Club 2024 Reading Challenge. I’m hoping that at least some of them will fit in with other things I’m doing, like our six monthly book club, which in April will focus on books published in 1937.
Some of the 52 categories I’m having trouble with are:
MAGICAL REALISM – I must admit I don’t really know what that is – any suggestions?
WOMEN IN STEM
AN OMNISCIENT NARRATOR (aren’t most of them?)
WRITTEN BY A GHOST WRITER
HYBRID GENRE
TIMEFRAME SPANS A WEEK OR LESS
AN ABRUPT ENDING
HAS FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY
I’ll be most grateful for any ideas.
On Tuesday we went to a retail park at Aberdeen beach to buy household stuff, and I was able to slip in a little visit to the Cancer Research charity shop. I was very pleased to buy four books for just £2 – DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? (Philip K Dick), THE EVERLASTING STORY OF NORY by Nicholson Baker, TEN TALES TALL AND TRUE by Alasdair Gray, and A LITTER OF BONES by JD Kirk.
On the radio I’ve just finished listening to MIDNIGHT IN PEKING by Paul French. It’s the true story of the murder of Pamela Werner in 1937.
Pamela was the daughter of the city’s former British consul Edward Werner. The police, both Chinese and British, investigate, but never solve the case. The British detective is hampered by the UK authorities, who continually prevent his attempts to check up on expat men in the area. When he wants to do a house-to-house search of the colonial quarter the current consul is horrified – just what is being insinuated? Surely it’s obvious that the murderer must be a local Chinese man?
In the end the case is closed, but Pamela’s father never gives up, and after many years (including the Japanese occupation, which he is forced to spend in an internment camp) he finally uncovers the truth.
I really enjoyed this serial – French evokes life in the last days of old Peking vividly, and clearly feels real sympathy for Edward Werner, whom the consul dismisses as a nuisance, but who is determined to find out what happened to his only child.
I’m also listening to THE HAPPY COUPLE by Naoise Dolan, but I’m not sure I’ll last to the end – has anybody read it? It’s set in Dublin and London.
And on TV I’m watching SIX FOUR, a thriller about missing girls. A Glaswegian policeman is desperately trying to find out what has happened to his 17 year old daughter, who seems to have left the house and simply disappeared. And now his wife, a former undercover police officer, has rushed down to London and seems to be having secret meetings with former colleagues or possibly criminals.
In the course of his investigations he comes across the embittered father of another girl who disappeared 20 years ago. Her father is totally convinced that she was kidnapped, but the police wrote him off as a crank. He says ‘I know all about Six Four’ – whatever that is.
And while this is all going on, another girl disappears from a smart boarding school in the Borders. Her father is a Scottish government minister.
It’s interesting but so far a bit confusing. There are only four episodes and I’ve seen two, so I hope things become clearer soon.
Last Saturday night we were at The Blue Lamp, a pub in town, to see THE OLD BLIND DOGS. It was a good evening, though somewhat wild – I am such an innocent sometimes, I had no idea people would rock up to something like this as drunk as they did. It wasn’t even Hogmanay! But my daughters tell me many Scots spend the entire week legless, and some of them certainly were. A couple of the guys at the front did, however, do some excellent Scottish country dancing!
Oh and Lesa, I’m just about to book tickets for COME FROM AWAY, which is touring here in the autumn. I think I remember you saying how good it was? Madeleine saw it in Edinburgh some time ago and liked it a lot.
Tomorrow I’m going into town to have my ears re-pierced. I was a little taken aback by how much the cost had gone up, then I realised that the first time I had this done I was probably all of 20! I’m looking forward to being able to buy some of the lovely earrings on sale everywhere.
So until next Thursday, I hope everyone has a good week,
Rosemary
I hope you enjoy Come from Away, Rosemary. I’ve seen it multiple times, and it just makes me feel good about people. My sister and I didn’t get tickets to the current showing here in Columbus. It’s only running for two nights, and we’re not season ticket holders so we missed out. Now, tickets are $245 on the secondary market! No.
I don’t remember what it cost to get my ears pierced the first time because it was a gift. I should get mine re-pierced, too. COVID – I didn’t wear earrings during COVID.
Here’s a simple definition of magical realism – “Magic realism or magical realism is a style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.” There are a lot of classics that fall in this category – especially Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Some of Isabel Allende’s books. But, I really love Sarah Addison Allen, an American author. Garden Spells, if you can find it. I know you can find Marquez and Allende.
Good luck!
Thanks for that Lesa – I do have Sarah Addison Allen on my wish list (probably because you told us about her!) but I don’t think our library system had any of her books last time I checked. I’ll have another look now.
By the way, I am paying £65 (something like $83) for my ear piercings tomorrow. Madeleine told me that she’s seen it at £40 PER EAR in Glasgow, so I suppose I’m getting a bargain!
Wow! I guess I better check before I get mine repierced.
Heather Webber has a number of books that fit into the magical realism category. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe is my favorite of hers
According to Goodreads, here are some books marked as magical realism:
The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong,
Again and Again by Jonathan Evison,
The Second Chance Year by Melissa Weisner,
A Wish For Christmas by Courtney Cole,
Possession by Laura Evers,
Time After Time (Best Wishes #3) by Sarah Mlynowski,
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens,
Mothtown by Catharine Hardaker,
A Grandmother Begins The Story by Michelle Porter and
At The Coffeeshop of Curiosities by Heather Webber.
I hope to read one this year too to see what they are like.
Yann Martel writes some excellent books in the magical realism category if you haven’t read those yet.
And for women in STEM this title was very popular in US
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
I had good New Year’s Celebration. 4 days of parties. A lot of fun, but not a lot of time for reading.
This week I read:
Wasp Canyon by Danielle McRory; A horror novel set in Tucson. They’re having a strong monsoon, and something is killing people. Something was missing from this one.
The Renegades by Tom Young; There’s an earthquake in Afghanistan during the war, and the usual splinter group is killing medical personnel, and some guys have to stop them despite not having enough of anything. Reading these sorts of books in hindsight makes the whole thing seem like more of a blunder than ever.
Blizzard by Al Lacy; An Inspirational western romance. None of the genres really seemed to mesh well here, but the blizzard scenes were well done. I live in California for a reason, but a good description of cold and snow cand really get to me.
Contrary to Popular Belief by Joey Green; A book that debunks myths, but there was nothing new here.
Well, of course not a lot of time for reading. I’m surprised, Glen, that you were able to find time for the books you did read.
I received a text today about our “upcoming storm”. When I checked with the National Weather Service, we MIGHT get an inch of snow between now and Sunday. So that’s what a storm is in Columbus, I guess.
Late again, my usual refrain. On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, we watched three space-themed science fiction movies: GALAXY QUEST, STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, and the 2009 STAR TREK reboot.
At the very end of 2023, I finished reading MISS MARPLE: THE COMPLETE STORIES, which I had been reading off and on since June. The last few stories were especially good.
The first book I finished in 2024 was CHILLED TO THE BONE by Quentin Bates. This is the third book in a police procedural series set in Iceland. Sergeant Gunnhildur is working in the Serious Crime Unit in Reykjavík. I have found this to be a very enjoyable series, with a great main character, who has a realistic life, a single mother raising a teenage daughter. Right now I am reading Gabrielle Zevin’s TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW.
Glen is currently reading EIGHT DAYS IN MAY: The Final Collapse of the Third Reich, by Volker Ullrich. He is enjoying reading it.
Never too late, Tracy! Now, I’m going to have to look for Quentin Bates’ books. That sounds like a series I might like. I love police procedurals. Thank you!
Happy New Years, Lesa! I stayed home and watched the ball drop in Times Square on tv on NYE. New Years day, my husband and i went to see The Boys in the Boat at the theater. Great movie. I am currently reading “Murder Checks Out” by Victoria Gilbert and The fiction writer by Jillian Cantor. On audio, I’m listening to No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall through Netgalley.
Katherine, I haven’t heard anyone yet say they didn’t like The Boys in the Boat.
I hope you’re enjoying your books. I always enjoy Victoria Gilbert’s.
I am also late….. My current read is TOXIC PREY by Sandford. Drops in April and I have it now via NetGalley.
Simplifying greatly— Lucas Davenport, Letty, and others, team up to stop a British scientist who has decided to solve global warming and other issues by releasing a super virus that will kill most of the population worldwide.
Only one day later than Katherine, Kevin, so that’s okay! And, I’ll always take your comments.
I hope you’re enjoying Toxic Prey. I knew what it was about when I signed on, but I’ll miss Virgil. Virgil is my favorite.
Yes, I am missing Virgil as well. He is referenced in the book by several characters now and then in various instances.
Am enjoying it. Not that far from the end.