Raise your hand if you thought you’d get blown away Tuesday night, Wednesday moring.
It was a rough night out there. There’s a great deal of empty land between my place and the next apartment, and the wind just howled through there. I finally got up and slept on the couch. It wasn’t as noisy in the living room as in my bedroom. Lots of thumps as garbage cans were blown around, but I slept most of the night. Then, Wednesday I ran some errands, with a couple more today before the temperatures drop into single digits next week. Brrrr. You do know I hate winter, don’t you?
So, tell me what you’re surviving weather-wise this week. Then, tell us what you’re reading.
I’m reading Clea Simon’s To Conjure a Killer. It’s her fourth Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery. It reminds me of Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cats mysteries. However, in Simon’s books, Becca Colwin believes she’s a witch who is developing her magical powers. It’s really her three cats who have magical powers, not Becca. Becca is always ending up in trouble, and her cats have to join forces to get her out of it. In To Conjure a Killer, Becca ran after a stray kitten, chasing it down an alley. Although she found a body, she didn’t realize until she was told that the body was that of her ex-boyfriend. Because of her connection, she’s dragged into a cyberware scandal. Now, all kinds of people are watching her, including the cats.
What about you? What are you reading this week?
I hate wind, so I feel for you. I hate winter, too, and we don’t have nearly the winter the majority of the country does here in So Cal. We have been getting down to the 30’s at night and the mid-50’s during the day. That’s cold for us, and my heater will cycle on and off all day, which it doesn’t have to do all that often.
I’m currently about half way through The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian. Wishing I were further along because I am hooked and need to know how this murder with four impossibilities happened. Glad I have the third in the series pre-ordered.
Mark, since you’re enjoying Gigi Pandian’s Secret Staircase series, there is also a short story, The Christmas Caper, that fits between the first two books. Fun read that adds a bit of the Scotland backstory.
I read that story for Christmas 2021 and enjoyed it.
That is cold for southern California! Stay warm, Mark.
I love Gigi personally. I have to find time to get into that series. So many people love it.
I’m reading Two Days in Lisbon by Chris Pavone. Holy bananas it’s good. I loved the Expats previously and a new book group I just joined picked this.
Jean, I won that one from Goodreads. I guess I’m going to have to get to it sooner rather than later, based on your recommendation. Thanks!
Jean, I read The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone in December. I loved The Expats also. I plan to read Two Days in Lisbon this year and then I will be caught up on all his books.
Jean, I hope you enjoy your new book group! You’re already making discoveries.
Pavone is one of my favorite thriller writers!
It’s calling for a low tonight and tomorrow night of 31 and highs in the 50s are persisting. I agree with Mark–that’s cold for California, Southern or Northern. Today we also had rain and wind so I didn’t venture outside. Tonight we ran to the doors a couple of times because it sounded like hail. Well, it’s winter after all. Tomorrow I have to pick up a book at the library, and tomorrow night I’m going to the Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary at the nearby Harris Center, so I hope most of the rain and wind will be gone.
It was a mixed reading week. First I read Tom Lake for a book club meeting (I’ve been saving it). Ann Patchett’s latest book is a quietly effective story that examines surprising decisions we make, how our children feel about who we were before they existed, and the different types of love we may experience. Lara never dreamed she would have an acting career, stemming from her starring role as Emily in a school production of Our Town, or that she would have a youthful romance during a summer stock production of the same play with a young man who would go on to win an Oscar. Lara is now in her late fifties, living happily with her husband on a cherry farm in Michigan, and the mother of three daughters in their twenties. It’s the early days of the pandemic, causing the family to live together on the farm, and the perfect time for Lara to answer (most of) her daughters’ questions about her acting days and how/why they came to an end. Ann Patchett’s writing style is one of the highlights of the book for me–beautiful prose, authentic characters, and a relatable plot that is straightforward and yet holds surprises. I appreciate the fact that the pandemic is only mentioned a couple of times and serves solely as a literary device. I particularly enjoyed the theater-related theme, the distinct and different personalities of each of the daughters, and the gentle humor. It’s a read that flows smoothly throughout and invests the reader in the happiness of this family.
In STUDIES AT THE SCHOOL BY THE SEA, the fourth in Jenny Colgan’s School by the Sea series, teacher Maggie has ditched her long-time fiancé and embarked on a romantic relationship that has been brewing throughout the series. David no longer teaches at the boys’ equivalent of the posh girls’ boarding school where Maggie is employed, but at a definitely-NOT-posh local school that serves a more financially-stressed community. We are still following three of Maggie’s students, each with her own challenges and eccentricities, but this time there is more emphasis on joint events that bring the 16-year-olds at both schools together for remote activities. The students have the opportunity to mingle with children their age who can’t imagine attending the others’ school and who learn that they just may have some unexpected commonalities. I was hoping that Maggie and David would get it together and give their relationship a higher priority, but again they let obstacles get in their way, to everyone’s frustration. Maggie still feels the pull of her home in Scotland, especially when her ex-fiancé has a crisis and she feels she has to abandon a planned European adventure with David. I love Jenny Colgan’s comforting books, but this is not one of my favorite series of hers. I was especially confused by the description of this book. Colgan originally said there would be 6 books in the series, but the description indicated this is the last, dealing with the graduating students. I’m pretty sure they have one year left before graduation, so the description is misleading. There is one new character, a popular football player from the poor school, who feels like he will invigorate the next in the series, if there is indeed one. There is also a cliffhanger with Maggie and David, which may again be derailed by problems at home. (March)
In you’re in the mood for a propulsive thriller set in the Caribbean region and featuring an intrepid young woman, take a look at PERILOUS Waters, this quick, entertaining read by Terry Shames. Jessie Madison was fired from her FBI training course because of her sister’s involvement in her drug dealer’s death. Jessie was able to secure a job as a dive instructor in the Bahamas, but she is just about to resign and return home to the United States when she is unexpectedly caught up in a deadly conflict that leaves her and a boat captain chained together and tossed overboard. Jessie managed to survive, but now she’s engaged in a dangerous situation involving smuggling at sea. And not only are local criminals–and police–looking for her, but her sister’s deceased drug dealer’s brother wants revenge on Jessie as well. This is a fast-paced book that will appeal to thrill-seekers and those who prefer to get their thrills on the page. Narrated by Jessie, the action scenes are skillfully portrayed, and the suspense is palpable. I would have liked more personal background and nuance to be able to engage more with Jessie’s character, but my tastes run more toward Terry Shames’ long-running Samuel Craddock mystery series. Both are well worth your time. (April)
This morning I started reading an ARC of a book I was shocked to receive from NetGalley, by an author I enjoy, and I am loving it. I hope the feeling continues. I’ll tell you all about it next week. In the meantime, batten down the hatches and stay dry and safe!
Margie, I agree about TOM LAKE, a book I really enjoyed. It made me want to reread OUR TOWN. A couple of friends listened to the audio version and loved Meryl Streep’s reading.
Margie, My friend, Donna, listened to Tom Lake, and loved it. Meryl Streep was the narrator for the audiobook.
I wondered about Terry Shames’ new book. Like you, I’m a big fan of her Samuel Craddock series. We’ll see.
Stay warm!
Florida – Where Winter goes to DIE.
It was nearly 80 degrees on Tuesday. Granted, it was sticky and humid and we had 30 mph winds and overcast, but still… Yesterday it was 10 degrees cooler and we had a thunderstorm the night before, but compared with New York it is way better. They had another two inches of rain with more expected over the weekend, and New Jersey and some other areas were flooded again.
We spent Sunday night unpacking and have been shopping most of the last three days, so very little reading time. I’m still reading the books I was reading last week – I’ll finish the Lawrence Blochman book today, CLUES FOR DOCTOR COFFEE (originally published in 1964, his last book). Dr. Daniel Webster Coffee is a pathologist and friend of Lt. Max Ritter, who calls him in to do autopsies and explain strange deaths, with the assistance of his Hindu assistant, Dr. Mootilal Mookerji. I’m enjoying them. The earlier collection was DIAGNOSIS – HOMICIDE (1950), and the title story won an Edgar Award as Best Short Story. Unfortunately, that collection is not available on Kindle, only in a very expensive hardback.
Also started a second collection, Yiyun Li’s highly praised WEDNESDAY’S CHILD.
I am very much enjoying BUT WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW?: An Oral History of the ’60s Girl Groups, by Laura Flam & Emily Sieu Liebowitz. They interviewed hundreds of the singers, writers and producers involved in putting out the music of my youth, by The Shirelles, The Crystals, The Chiffons, and so many others. I’ve already learned that Florence Greenberg, one of the rare women executives in the industry, who started Scepter Records and recorded The Shirelles, DIonne Warwick, The Isley Brothers (“Shout”) among others, had an affair with writer-producer Luther Dixon (though she was 18 years his senior).
I hope to get a lot more reading done this week. We’ll be stopping by the local branch of the Palm Beach County Library system today. Stay safe out there!
Enjoy your weather, Jeff!
I made my trip to the local branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library yesterday to pick up some books before our temperatures tank. As if I needed more books, but I had these on hold.
So, I hope you find some good reading at the library today!
Well, it’s 63 and raining now, but it is supposed to stop soon. And they are saying 81 tomorrow (before it cools down again).
I liked your comment, Jeff – “Florida, where winter goes to die.”
Ah, Winter! Several inches of snow here thirty miles north of Reno and below freezing temperatures predicted for the entire day. At least the high winds have stopped. I spent yesterday downtown having been called to jury duty and drove home in white out conditions with only the previous car’s tracks to follow. Happy not to make a return trip today, quite content to stay inside and read.
First, one of those books you stumble upon, but quite enjoy, Jonathan Evison’s AGAIN AND AGAIN is a poignant and truly surprising story. It features a lonely old man either clinging to his delusions or possibly a legitimate anomoly: a thousand year-old man who continues the search for the love he lost so long ago. Great story with a touch of Scheherazade and a touch of enchantment.
Next IN THE DARK, the second in the D.I. Adam Fawley police procedural by Cara Hunter. My interest was piqued seeing the review of her latest book here in Dec. A missing person, another discovered locked in a basement, elder abuse along with several suspects. Definitely well-written, it’s a gripping novel although the theme is not for everyone. And it has some unlikable characters, fortunately not the ones that will appear in sequels.
(Lesa – although you mentioned limited availability, my library has all three books in the series. This copy states published by Penguin Books USA in 2019)
Catching up on the Charles Lenox gentleman-private-detective series, AN EXTRAVAGANT DEATH. Many of the books take place London in late 1800’s, but this time the detective is sent to the United States after uncovering a scandal at Scotland Yard. Lenox is called in to investigate a shocking death among the wealthy socialites of Newport, RI.
The fifteenth entry in the series, The Hidden City, is scheduled for May.
Another for those that want to get their advance order or holds in place, Louise Penny has announced the 19th book in Inspector Gamache series, The Grey Wolf, will be available on October 29, 2024
Thank you for the heads-up on the next Louise Penny book!
Oh, MM! I’m glad you arrived home safely in whiteout conditions. I hate driving in snow of any sort, but that’s the worst. Stay home and cozy today.
I’m glad your library has all three of Cara Hunter’s books.
Louise Penny has been teasing us about The Grey Wolf.
We were lucky and the wind wasn’t as bad as it could have been. We did get three inches of rain though. There were a lot of street closures due to flooding but fortunately we’re a bit higher up so we were OK.
I read three books this week but none of them were very memorable.
A Capybara for Christmas by Simon Prior is a travel memoir of how not to tour Europe.
The Witch’s Silver Lining by Deanna Chase was a quick paranormal romance.
The Case of the Stolen Pink Tombstone by Vella Day is a paranormal mystery that I read for a color challenge one of my Facebook groups is doing.
Glad you’re safe with no flooding, Sandy!
Wishing you a better book this week!
Good afternoon all – it’s dull and damp here in NE Scotland, but at least the ice has gone and it’s not actually raining for once.
On Monday Nancy and I walked from her home to the nearby village of Kirkton of Skene (I might have mentioned this village before – the church (as in ‘kirk town’) has a metal stand outside the door that we discovered was for resting coffins on while waiting for a funeral to start.) There was still a lot of ice, so we didn’t do the long loop we would do in the summer – but it was good to get out in the fresh air.
Tuesday I just walked by the river here. There was nobody around so it was very peaceful, and the sunset was spectacular. Today I will go down to the river again, though I think it’s probably too cloudy for a good sunset today.
I am ploughing on with my 52 BOOK CLUB challenge – I think I’m becoming quite obsessed with finding a title to fit each category. I’m still looking for a few, but when I was in town yesterday I visited the central library, and there came across THE KILLER IN THE CHOIR by Simon Brett, which has a musical instrument (a violin) on the cover – hoorah, another category filled. This one isn’t a Charles Paris mystery, but it looks readable at least.
This week I finished WINTER SOLSTICE by Rosamunde Pilcher. I felt that Pilcher did tie up all the loose ends in this story, and in a pleasing and not too contrived manner. I definitely found the older characters – Elfrida and Oscar – far more convincing and engaging than the younger ones, who seemed a bit too good to be true – but none was so bad that I didn’t want to know what happened to them. And Elfrida’s rescue dog Horace was a great character in his own right, while still remaining totally dog.
I then read Lucy Foley’s THE HUNTING PARTY. I chose this as fitting a couple of categories on my list – ‘told in non-chronological order’ and ‘a locked room mystery.
It’s about a group of 30-somethings who’ve been friends since they were at Oxford. Each New Year they all go away together, and this year their destination is a Highland shooting estate that’s been turned into a luxury venue. Needless to say, these entitled and self-important Londoners have no real concept of how remote such places can be, and when a storm descends they are shocked to realise that they are cut off. No one can enter or leave the estate, so they are stuck there with one another and a staff of two. Then one of the party is murdered.
The book is well written, but I did find it almost impossible to like any of these spoilt and selfish people. The victim in particular is so annoying that I didn’t really care what happened to them or who did it. And I did feel that the eventual denouement was hastily contrived and very unconvincing. The Hunting Party has had a lot of good reviews, so perhaps if you are a 30-something high-earning London corporate lawyer, you’ll love it! I was probably just the wrong demographic for this one.
Now, in my quest to find ‘a book whose title starts with the letter K’, I’m reading KNIT ONE, KILL TWO, which I think is the first in Maggie Sefton’s Knitting Mystery series.
What can I say? I think these cosy mysteries are probably much more of a thing in the US than they are here. I actually don’t mind the rather ridiculous plot of this one, though there is far too much repetition of descriptions of wool in the knitting shop for my liking – I get that this is a knitting mystery, but I do think the author could’ve varied things a little. Every skein of wool is ‘pudgy’, every time she passes one the heroine has to ‘sink her hands into it’ (is this even allowed in knitting shops?)
What irks me most, though, is that the author has clearly been on some writing course where she’s been told not to repeat the word ‘said’. In my opinion there is absolutely nothing wrong with this little word, and it’s far, far preferable to the ‘intoned’, ‘offered’, ‘challenged’, ‘mused’, ‘contributed’, ‘infused’ – and worst of all by far ‘chirruped’ or ‘chirped’ – that Sefton treats us to.
The use of these words is jarring and unnecessary, and coupled with far too much repetition of the same word (Sefton seems to think of a word then feel obliged to use it four times in the next couple of paragraphs – if Kelly ‘swirls’ her coffee one more time…), I find myself concentrating far more on the poor writing style than the plot.
Plus, just how many women (even if they are doing ‘consultancy’) have time to spend most of their day sitting in a knitting shop chatting? I think Debbie Macomber’s Blossom Street books are more convincing than this, and that’s saying something.
But I’ll finish this one, I need it for my list! And I’m already well over half way through.
I’m not sure what my next read will be. I think I need a change of pace, and I also need a book set in a city beginning with M, so I might turn to an interesting non fiction book I borrowed from the library, SONIC YOUTH SLEPT ON MY FLOOR by Dave Haslam.
Haslam is a writer, broadcaster and DJ who has worked with New Order, Nile Rodgers, Terry Hall, Tracey Thorn, Johnny Marr, David Byrne and many others. The book is his memoir, not only about working in the music industry, but also about living in Manchester, from the days of the Yorkshire Ripper to the shock of the Manchester Arena bombing. It’s described as;
‘a masterful insider account of the Hacienda, the rise of Madchester and the birth of the rave era.’
On TV I did finish SIX FOUR but I’m not sure why really, as I didn’t think it was that good, and the ending was quite confusing.
So now I’m watching the very last series of THE CROWN on Netflix. It’s 2000 and George Bush has just won the US election. Tony Blair is riding high in Downing Street, and wondering how he will get on with a Republican president after enjoying a good relationship with Bill Clinton. Meanwhile Prince William is struggling to cope with his mother’s death and also with the vast amount of attention he is receiving from besotted teenage girls. He blames his father for Diana’s death; Charles does everything he can to build bridges, but is struggling until his own father, Prince Philip, intervenes.
Not sure if I already mentioned listening to MIDNIGHT IN PEKING by Paul French on BBC Sounds? I thought it was very good, and now hope to read the book on which it was based. It’s the true story of the murder of the daughter of the former British Consul in Peking in 1937, just as the Japanese approach the city, and of her father’s relentless struggle to find out what happened to her, despite the British authorities determination to close the unsolved case and assume that ‘a local Chinaman’ (ie any!) must have been responsible for Pamela’s death.
Next week we are going to see ANATOMY OF A FALL, which is being shown in a local venue in Banchory. I’ve seen good reviews of this film – has anyone seen it? I also plan to watch the film of ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET on Netflix (I’ve read the book and liked it.) Has anyone seen this one?
I almost forgot to mention that last Saturday we went to an art exhibition at Arkade studios in town. The artist, Martin Bell, had come to the conclusion that he should not be hoarding his vast collection of LPs (he previously worked in events management) so he sold the valuable ones and used the money to buy art materials. He then painted over, re-imagined, disfigured, or call it what you will, 70 of the others to create new art works. He also made a sculpture out of a stack of the discs themselves, out of the top of which protruded a mannequin’s hand holding the stem of a guitar.
It was a fun show, very colourful, but also a more serious comment on our tendency to hoard, and the reasons why we keep things. We chatted to Martin afterwards and he said getting rid of all these records had been, for him, very liberating.
Time for a walk now, or it’ll be dark.
Have a good week everyone, and I hope your weather improves!
Rosemary, Enjoy your walks. Not for me. When I went home to my Mom’s in December, I stayed in bed in the mornings when she went to walk the pier. Who gets up at 5:30 to walk a pier? My beloved mother and her 92 year old friend. (sigh – they’re hearty and healthy)
You’re right about our cozy mysteries. A friend said when it comes to the U.K., the bloodier and gorier the better. I prefer your police procedurals over many of our cozies. But, that one sounds as if was an example of what not to do when writing.
I’ve read enough of those suspense novels featuring 30-year-olds who end up in an isolated house to think that most of those characters are dislikable.
I’m with you re: winter. I’m counting the weeks until spring. We had ferocious winds in the DC area for a couple of days, and flooding rains. But the sun came out Wednesday, and this morning it’s still sunny and the wind has died down.
I’ve been reading Benjamin Stevenson’s second novel, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect, and loving it! It’s even better than Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. As unlikely as the comparison may sound, it reminds me of the Barbie movie. Barbie is delightfully entertaining and creative, and it fairly vibrates with the fun everyone had in making it. All it asks of the audience is that we hop on board the pink convertible and enjoy the ride. Train is that kind of novel — the writer obviously had a blast writing it, and the ride is pure fun. Plus, it’s about mystery writers, my tribe, so how could I not enjoy it?
Ernest Cunningham returns to narrate the second book, as one of six mystery authors attending a major Australian conference held, of all places, on a train that’s crossing the country. The writers have history, sometimes contentious, with each other. When one of them is killed, police have five suspects with motives — and they all know how to get away with murder. I love the humor and the sharp portraits of a bunch of flawed and competitive authors. I wondered if Stevenson could live up to the standard he set with his first book, but he has, and then some. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy a quirky mystery that doesn’t fit the standard mold.
Forgot to mention that Everyone on This Train is a Suspect comes out on January 30.
I’m looking forward to Everyone on This Train, Sandra, so I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thank you!
A winter day in the NC mountains this week which has included snow, some ice, some rain, some thunder and some flooding. With some 57 mph wind gusts.
Me? Snuggled in with doggie and husband drinking hot chocolate, snacking, and reading some ARCs via NetGalley, including The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan. I love Ruth Hogan
Description from NetGalley:
From the wildly popular bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things: a heartfelt and inspiring story about a wealthy widow who revives a beloved famous local landmark—and restores joy and sparkle to her own life in the process.
It’s never too late to start dancing again…
For fifty years, Venetia Hargreaves’s world revolved around her husband. She built their life around his big career, with dinner on the table at six, a lovely home, and a dutiful son just as business-minded as his father. Now Venetia’s a wealthy widow left with a beautiful but empty home, an enviable bank balance, and a distinct feeling that she missed the boat. Once upon a time, she was a dance instructor who dreamed of opening her own ballroom school with a fellow teacher who won her heart. Instead, Venetia chose the safer path.
So, at seventy-four years of age, Venetia declares her independence, first with a makeover, and then by adopting a new dog. But something is still missing…until on one of her dog walks by the river she passes by a building she remembers all too well. In her youth it was the spectacular Phoenix Ballroom, where she used to teach waltzes and tangos. These days it’s a community center and spiritualist church, funded by a mysterious benefactor who only pays for the upkeep.
Eager to revive at least one meaningful thing from her past, Venetia buys the Phoenix Ballroom, and finds a supportive and loving community of lost souls who become a delightful multigenerational family-by-choice.
As the ballroom regains its former glory, the community and Venetia’s humdrum life are revived as well…proving wonderful things can come from the darkest of places.
Kaye, I have not read a Ruth Hogan book that I didn’t love. Looking forward to this one. Thank you for the heads up.
The description really does not do it justice, Sharon. This is one of her best, i think.
Reading it and loving it right now, Kaye!
Yay! A feel good book, indeed.
Oh, I’m going to have to look for that book, Kaye. Thank you!
I’m so glad you’re cozy and tucked in!
We didn’t have as much wind as they predicted yesterday and today there is some sun. I guess the bottom will drop out in Cincinnati with high wind returning tomorrow with rain and then all the nastiness that is winter over the weekend and into next week.
Two books for me this week. I finished NEVER WAGER WITH A WALLFLOWER by Virginia Heath. It is the last of the Merriwell sisters trilogy. Not my favorite of the three but still lots of flirty fun. This time Venus has met her match with Galahad. I enjoyed the storyline concerning the orphans.
My second book was WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Lisa Roe. I enjoyed this one as well. Ginny marries Joe and moves into the house he shared with his first wife. She and her daughter, Harri try to fit into the upscale neighborhood while Joe is conveniently off to Dublin with his job. The middle seemed to bog down with the predictableness of the fish out of water storyline, but Ginny manages to hold her own. I especially loved her relationship with eleven-year-old Harri trying to navigate the world of mean girls. And the secondary characters of Wayne and Zaria made up for the less than original storyline.
Happy Reading!
Happy reading, Sharon! Stay safe – inside and warm.
I’ve read some Virginia Heath, but not that one. I’m glad you enjoyed your books this week!
We got some wind and rain, but not too bad. Nobody’s talking about flooding. Today it’s sunny, but not particularly warm.
This week I read:
Skelgill: Murder in the Woods by Bruce Beckham; A dog finds a body in a seldom frequented nature reserve. Skelgill gets on the case, but first they solve the wrong murder.
Sunny: A Novel by Colin O’Sullivan; A widow in near future Japan is threatened by robots with AI. Reminded me a lot of Demon Seed only without the campiness of the movie. I recently saw The Manitou movie again, with Tony Curtis, one of that era’s big budget horror movies. Good Gosh, it’s terrible and over the top. I haven’t read those books in years and years.
Fierce Poison by Will Thomas. This is a real diet book. Read about all the poisonings in this and you’ll definitely lose your appetite. This is a fairly popular series, but it’s difficult to find the later books in the wild.
Better Dead by Max Allan Collins; Nathan Heller goes to work for a committee headed by Dashiell Hammett to prove the Rosenbergs innocent, while he is also working for Joe McCarthy as an investigator. It all gets a bit confusing.
Quest for Redemption by David Tindell; A series about two brothers has a book featuring only one. He is having marital problems, so he and his wife go to Peru. Of course, Shining Path terrorists show up. Way too much slogging on trails, not enough kicking people in the head.
Glen, I always read your reviews looking for those lines such as “Way too much slogging on trails, not enough kicking people in the head.” They make me smile.
I’ve only read a few Max Allan Collins books about Nathan Heller. I liked the couple I read, but I found they did get a bit confusing.
Oh, I have an offer for you, Glen. A Will Thomas book found in the wild. I’ll be in touch.
We have a wind advisory in Santa Barbara County today, especially along the coastal areas. Weather reports have been saying a low of 31 degrees overnight in Goleta for tonight, but some others report higher temperatures in the night, and I hope that those are more correct.
This week I finished reading Gabrielle Zevin’s TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW. I enjoyed it a lot. It is about two young people who create video games, but it is about many other things. Relationships, families, judgement and misunderstandings, ambition. The story covers 30 years in Sam and Sadie’s lives, starting at about 12 years old. If I had any complaint about the writing, it is that the book is too long at 400 plus pages.
Then I read TOKYO EXPRESS by Seichō Matsumoto. This is a mystery set in Japan, published in 1958. Two detectives in two different cities investigate the same crime and collaborate, sharing their thoughts and discoveries. The alibis of suspects depend on train schedules. It is a short novel, 150 pages, and the first half seemed to slow and repetitive to me. But the second half picked up and I was pleased with the ending. Plus it is a good picture of Japan after World War II. I have read one other mystery by Matsumoto that I preferred, A QUIET PLACE, published in 1975. I read this book for a Japanese Literary Challenge.
Now I am reading A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE by Kelley Armstrong, the second book in the Rockton series. This is a mystery / thriller, although the author writes science fiction and fantasy also. The author is Canadian and the setting is in a remote part of the Yukon.
I hope those predictions of slightly higher temperatures are right, Tracy. 30s sound low for your area, or am I wrong? Maybe that’s typical this time of year.
I would agree with you about 400 pages. Sometimes, those books could use some editing.
I forgot to add what Glen is reading. He is reading HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES by Foster Hirsch. The subtitle is: “The Collapse of the Studio System, the Thrill of Cinerama, and the Invasion of the Ultimate Body Snatcher–Television”. He likes it but it is very long (672 pages and small print!). We are both interested in films of that time and it sounds good to me, but I would probably not even try to read it due to the length.
I always enjoy hearing what Glen is reading, so I’m glad you added that Tracy. Too long for me, too, but an interesting topic!
Hi Lesa! Overcast all day here, but no heavy winds. I just finished Cara Hunter’s first DI Adam Fawley novel about a missing child, which was gripping, and am just starting the first book in Mick Herron’s Slough House series, Slow Horses. I haven’t seen the TV series, but I hear the books are very good. We’ll see.
I haven’t read the Slough House series, either, Kim. I hear the same thing you do, that the books are very good.
Overcast I can live with. It’s those winds, snow and ice I can’t stand.
Just finished “Unnatural Causes”. Cornwell’s books always seem to start out kind of slow but get better as they go. I saw Janet Evanovich has a new one coming out but forgot to write it down.
Is that The King’s Ransom, Carol?