I think most of us have had extremely cold weather this week. I went to the grocery store today when it was 9 degrees because I don’t want to go later this week. We’re supposed to have two to four inches of snow by Friday. My Mom said their prediction is for up to eight inches. Bah, humbug. I’ve already said how much I hate winter, snow, and cold weather.
It’s the perfect time of year to hunker down and stay warm while reading a good book. I’ve just started Patrick Stewart’s memoir, Making It So. Fans of Star Trek may know him as Jean-Luc Picard, but he’s a distinguished stage and screen actor who got his start at the Royal Shakespeare Company. I know a lot of people have enjoyed the audiobook of his memoir. I can hear him in my head while I’m reading, and that’s okay with me. As I said, I’ve just started it, so I don’t have much to say about it.
What about you? What are you reading this week?
Stay warm and safe!
Our cold weather doesn’t compare to your cold weather, Lesa. It still feels cold, but in CA we don’t have low temps like yours. I’ve had an interesting week. My Zoom “movie meetup” group watched Nyad, about marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, and though I would not have chosen it myself, I found myself enjoying it, while wondering why anyone would put herself through such torture not once, but several times age the age of 60 and higher. Both Annette Bening and Jodie Foster had terrific performances. On the other end of the spectrum I went with a few people to see the new Mean Girls movie last night. I’ve never seen the first one so I didn’t have an expectations, but I thought it was fun. Last Thursday, I saw the Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary Tour and really enjoyed it. I found I remembered more of the music that I expected–I did have the cast album in the early 70s.
As for reading . . . Kaye mentioned my first book last week, and I was loving it as well. Here’s my review:
Ruth Hogan, your fabulous books are just what I look for when I need to reinvigorate my faith in human nature or just need the perfect comfort read. I have savored all of your previous four books, and I think THE PHOENIX BALLROOM just might be your best (to date). This lovely book has everything I look for in a life-affirming, entertaining read: quirky characters of diverse ages who instantly feel like friends, initially questionable characters who develop into more engaging humans, past secrets or troubles that need to be resolved, dreams that haven’t yet been fulfilled, sparkling dialogue, a vibrant setting, and heartfelt emotion. Throw in a rescue German shepherd named Colin Firth, and I am even more invested. The central character, Venetia, is a spirited widow of a certain age whose fussy son nevertheless insists on hiring her a “granny nanny” before he and his wife move to France on business. Their 10-year-old son, Kite (all of the males in the family have bird names), is left behind at a boarding school but would rather live with his beloved “Nisha.” Venetia’s fortyish personal assistant (definitely not a granny nanny) is also facing a big life change and isn’t at all sure this live-in job is going to work for her. And Venetia’s brash, larger-than-life sister-in-law comes to visit and never leaves. Then there’s a neighborhood spiritual church that’s in danger of losing its lease and a rundown ballroom where Venetia taught dancing many years ago. I absolutely loved every page of this book, and now I sadly have to wait for the next one. Ruth, please keep them coming. You are one of my go-to authors, and you deserve all of the accolades you are sure to collect when this book is released in June.
Immersion in Hawaiian culture–particularly that of the Big Island of Hawaii–is really the star of the first in a new mystery series by Leslie Karst, MOLTEN DEATH. I found it quite interesting to learn about diverse local topics such as island history, lush nature, water sports, language, customs, politics, and (ah, yes!) food. The author helpfully provides a glossary of both Hawaiian and Pidgin terms at the end of the book, although I felt there was enough context to figure it out on my own. I was surprised to learn that even well educated islanders may choose to speak Pidgin around the other locals. I also found it fascinating how residents are resigned to living so close to active volcanoes, where in some areas they might have to evacuate at a moment’s notice. The mystery here begins with the main characters–one of a pair of middle-aged women vacationing in Hawaii after she has lost her brother in a tragic accident-spots a shoe and the foot inside it being swallowed up by an active lava flow and is determined to find out who it was and how it happened. She encounters some situations that are polarizing the locals, but it is a low-key investigation with almost no action or violence. The fact that Karst lives part-time each year in Hawaii and has both a law degree and culinary school certificate–and has even cooked for Ruth Bader Ginsberg–lends authenticity to the story and the setting. (April)
The Chet and Bernie mystery series is not really about the mystery, but about the unique relationship between Bernie Little, PI, and his intrepid dog, Chet. And Chet’s narration of each book (as expertly written by Spencer Quinn) is what has propelled the popular series to number 14, the Christmas-themed UP ON THE WOOF TOP. Whether or not you are a dog lover, you will be tickled by Chet’s understanding (or lack thereof) of what is happening around him and how he tries to analyze and explain it. His comprehension of spoken English is literal, resulting in some hilarious conclusions on his part, but there is no doubt that he and Bernie are in perfect sync, that Chet worships Bernie as a perfect person, and that they would do anything for each other. The partners are called in to locate a missing reindeer owned by Ariadne, an author of 99 bestselling cozy mysteries, every one set in the Christmas season. Ariadne has styled her enormous mountain estate as a year-round Christmas and finds that she is unable to write her next book while Rudy–her favorite of the nine reindeer who roam her property– is missing. And although there is also an attempted murder to solve, the real joy in reading this book is in the heartfelt personal moments between Chet and Bernie, sometimes involving other characters. The last chapters are particularly satisfying, leading me to hope the next installment is coming soon.
Margie, growing up, I was a bit scared to go to Hawaii because of all the tiki curses going around on television of the era!
Margie, Like you and Kaye, I enjoy Ruth Hogan’s books. I haven’t read that one yet.
It sounds as if you had a fun week. You’re more ambitious than me. All I want to do with this weather is hibernate.
You write the most interesting comments about the Chet and Bernie books.
I’m with you, Margie, in hopes that Ruth Hogan will keep them coming!
It’s not that cold here, but it is raining about every other day, which we still need. Would be nice if we actually stored more of it, as we passed bonds to do. If a business did something like that, somebody would soon be arrested for fraud.
Anyway, this week I read:
Hogg Wild by Scott McCrea; Tom Mix takes a vacation to Hogg Mountain. Ownership is disputed between two hillbilly families. Written for laughs, which is very different than the other books in the series. Kudos for trying something new, and mostly succeeding, even if I thought this was something more apropos for Will Rogers.
Bindlestiff by Bill Pronzini; Every so often, I read a Nameless Detective. I did like the setting, Oroville, California before the town got a stoplight. Once that happened, the place was never the same.
Walter Johnson: A Life by Jack Kavanaugh; a great biography of the hall of fame pitcher, one of the first five inducted. Not as colorful as Babe Ruth, but still very interesting.
Murder on the Blue Line by Julien Rapp; Dreadlow is still supposed to be on vacation, but finds himself at work all the time. There’s homicide, conspiracy, and car theft. All in a days work for 5-0.
Mad Money by Max Allan Collins; The last and the first books in the Nolan series. While the series started in the early 70’s, back when people still talked about the generation gap, but before disco, the first book in this two-fer takes place in the 80’s. Thief Nolan is retired, and some hillbilly crooks coerce him into robbing the mall containing his store. Nolan isn’t one to be pushed around. The second story is the first book featuring Nolan, taking place in the late 60’s LSD flap. Nolan pays back a favor by investigating the death of the daughter of friend in a college town, and finds the mob even there.
The Charm School by Nelson DeMille; a late Cold War espionage story about Russian women seducing western men for pillow talk. Just a couple of weeks ago, I read a news story about a similar operation in New York and Boston. Of course, we can’t find out who the customers were because the matter is “under investigation.”
Brutal Diplomacy by J Clifton Slater; Ancient Rome finds itself in conflict over the island of Sicily. Organized crime was already there.
Whipcord by RJ Calder; after faking his death, Frenzi is working in Montana, but even in the hinterlands, the mafia comes calling, and Frenzi goes killing. Every book gets more and more like the old nihilistic, sleazy Sharpshooter series from the 70’s.
The Escape by David Baldacci; All star MP goes after his traitor brother after said brother escapes from prison. Less realistic than Frenzi, or Hogg Wild for that matter.
Glen, that Johnson bio sounds really interesting. I’ve read a lot of books about old-time baseball – bios of Ruth and Cobb, among others. Johnson was an amazing pitcher, by all accounts.
Oh, Glen. You’re summary sentence about the Baldacci made me laugh.
I wondered how The Charm School would hold up. Sounds as if it’s still realistic.
Thank you again for yesterday’s “Favorites”!
It really is amazing how often I find myself between books when I go to comment. I do comment Wednesday night before I go to bed.
A few hours ago, I finished THE CASE OF THE CANTERFELL CODICIL by PJ Fitzsimmons. It’s described as the book for people who didn’t think that Dorothy L. Sayers had enough humor or that PG Wodehouse didn’t have enough dead bodies. It worked for me. I laughed at the very dry British wit as our main character worked to solved a locked room murder. I’ll definitely be reading more.
Before I turn out the light, I’ll be sneaking in the first chapter of OF HOAXES AND HOMICIDE by Anastasia Hastings (aka Kylie Logan and a bunch of other pen names). It means I’ll be sticking with books set in England, although this one takes place in 1885, while the first one I talked about is set in 1928. The main character in this series has taken over a newspaper advice column. I enjoyed the first in this series, so I’m looking forward to finding out what happens in the second.
Mark, both of your books appealed to me so I got one on Kindle (free!) and put the first book of the other series on hold at the library. Thank you for adding to my interminable TBR list!
That’s exactly why I ask people what they’re reading this week, Mark. I’ve been there, too, between books when it’s time to talk about “What Are You Reading?”
I never heard of PJ Fitzsimmons.
LESA: I listened to Sir Patrick Stewart’s memoir last December. A quite fascinating “rags to riches” tale of his long illustrious career. His days portraying Captain Jean-Luc Picard don’t get mentioned until the 60% point in his memoir.
I have been reading a couple of books written by Boston mystery writers.
I just finished listening to Dennis Lehane’s historical fiction, SMALL MERCIES, set in 1974 Boston. WOW! My jaw dropped & I gasped several times while listening to his book. Lehane’s protagonist Mary Pat Fennessy is a Southie meting out her own tough brand of justice during a racially-fraught period of time. This is my first 5-star rated book of 2024.
And I am reading Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest stand-alone thriller, ONE WRONG WORD. It’s what you expect from a Hank book: a twisty tale full of intrigue and betrayal.
I’ve just looked up SMALL MERCIES in our library catalogue, and I was amazed to find they do have it! So I’ve bookmarked it. Thanks for the recommendation Grace, it sounds very good.
Living in Canada, I knew very little about this historically significant period in Boston’s history. The racial tensions & resulting violence in the portrayed neighborhoods were poignant and eye-opening.
One of my favorite books of 2023, Grace. Excellent, isn’t it? I think it’s one of Dennis Lehane’s best books.
Lesa, I agree that SMALL MERCIES is one of Lehane’s best books. Before this, MYSTIC RIVER was my favourite.
Grace, SMALL MERCIES was one of my top reads of last year. Tremendous book.
Good morning. Our local playhouse started their new season with Lend Me A Tenor which was a funny show. Then we had our belated New Year’s dinner out at a nice restaurant. Sunday my mom wasn’t feeling well for a couple of days (she’s fine now), and then we had snow followed by a few hours of freezing rain. And more snow expected tomorrow but then it’s supposed to warm up.
So I DNF’d several library books this week. I just couldn’t find anything I could concentrate on. I’m picking up a new batch today so hopefully I’ll find a couple of good ones.
Sandy, I hope your mother continues to feel better.
Sounds like a fun time with the play and dinner!
I’m sorry about the library books. I hope you do find several to enjoy in the next group.
Good morning all, from a very snowy Aberdeenshire.
It’s been snowing on and off for 4 days now and no sign of a thaw. In between, the skies are blue and the sun is shining, but the roads and pavements are covered in compacted snow and ice so I’ve been no further than across the road since Sunday – this is most unlike me, but it’s just too cold and more importantly, too slippery for me. David is away in Paris all week, so if I did slide down the hill no one would even know I was missing!
I’ve been feeding the garden birds (& the ones across the road) almost non stop – I’ve all but run out of commercial bird food so now I’m having to be a bit more inventive – I’ve been making bird cake with melted lard, dried fruits and seeds, also soaking bread crusts (as apparently you’re not supposed to give them dry bread any more), pulverising old fat balls that had gone too hard for the birds to peck…it’s a full time job!
Aside from that I’ve been reading. I finished Dave Haslam’s SONIC YOUTH SLEPT ON MY FLOOR and ended up enjoying it very much. It’s his memoir of DJing at the Hacienda, an iconic club in Manchester in the 1980s-90s, but it’s also about the many other clubs he worked at, the bands he met and worked with, his own childhood in Birmingham, the fanzine (Debris) he set up and printed as a student, and how he found his way in the music world despite having no contacts, no money and no that much confidence.
For Debris, he interviewed not only musicians but also writers and artists he admired – he got an interview with Raymond Carver simply by asking. He met Carver in his London hotel; before that Dave had never even been to London.
There’s also a bit about what he did after the Hacienda closed; it was shut down by the local council owing to its increasing drug culture, which had become far more complex as local gangs moved in to try to take control of supplies. A girl had died, gun violence was rife – but the Hacienda still has a huge place in British, and especially Mancunian, music history as the first club to break the mould, move away from the 1970s discos with their horrible carpets and tacky décor, and instead make use of an enormous warehouse. From this, eventually, rave culture emerged.
Haslam went on to work all over the world as a DJ (he still does), and also became a writer and broadcaster. More recently he has run a very successful series of live on-stage interviews with people from the arts world – John Lydon, Jeanette Winterson, Jarvis Cocker, Jonathan Franzen, Terry Hall and many more. He’s also published books on cultural icons, from Picasso to Sylvia Plath. And he’s very keen to support young performers and DJs. All in all he’s a good man.
After that I read Simon Brett’s THE KILLER IN THE CHOIR. I enjoy Brett’s Charles Paris mysteries on the radio, especially because Paris is usually played by the wonderfully louche Bill Nighy, and I knew he had another series – the Mrs Pargeter mysteries – but I’d somehow missed his Fethering series.
In these, Carol and Jude are neighbours in the small and gossipy Sussex seaside village of Fethering. Carol has retired there after a career in the Home Office. She’s very uptight, runs a mile from involvement in anything labelled ‘community’, only speaks to a person after she’s been formally introduced, but is still fascinated by all the local goings-on.
Jude is much more laid back. She’s a healer with lots of friends and happy to chat to anyone and everyone. The two women have formed a friendship, though Carol probably wouldn’t call it that, and have apparently solved several crimes (The Killer in the Choir is the 8th book in the series.) Jude knows that Carol is really terribly lonely, but she still gets frustrated by her neighbour’s prickly nature and refusal to lighten up.
When Leonard Mallett, a wealthy old man who has also retired to the village (it’s a thing in the UK to retire to seaside villages, goodness knows why, as in winter many are desolate places), dies after falling downstairs, the police conclude that his death was an accident. But his much younger second wife Heather, who until now has been a mouse who hardly ever spoke to anyone, suddenly starts to come out of her shell and enjoy life.
Carol and Jude’s suspicions are raised, especially when, at Leonard’s funeral (which Carol attends even though she hardly knew the man), his daughter (and Heather’s stepdaughter) Alice, accuses Heather of having murdered her father.
Heather is in the church choir – the only activity in which she has ever participated – and it is to the choir that Carole and Jude turn to start their investigations. Meanwhile the newly invigorated Heather and her friend KK, a washed up rock musician, want to start a second, community, choir in the local pub.
As Jude and Carole proceed with their investigations, Simon Brett gives us an excellent cast of characters, some suspects, some not. From retired schoolmasters to single parents and a disgruntled vicar, every one is well developed and interesting. As is Alice’s fiancé Roddy, a major in the army who has completed tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He’s all full of bonhomie and generosity – but what’s behind his facade, and indeed those of many other residents of Fethering?
This is a cosy mystery, but I really enjoyed the way in which Brett introduced some serious issues without every making it feel like a lecture. These are real people with real problems – but they’re also very funny, and Brett has the obsessive nosiness of a small community down to a T. Even the pub landlord is spot on.
Having laid into Knit One, Kill Two last week, I feel that The Killer in the Choir is an example of how a cosy can and should be done. But maybe that’s just the difference between what readers want to read in the UK and the US?
I’m now reading GARDEN SPELLS by Sarah Addison Allen, which Lesa kindly suggested for my book challenge category ‘magical realism.’ So far I’m finding it OK – I like the ‘magic’ parts much more than I thought I would (the only other book I know of about magic is Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, which I’ve not read but have seen on TV and enjoyed a lot.) What I’m struggling with a little is the love aspects – I feel the magic has been tacked on to a rather silly romantic plot, and I’d like the heroine to find herself without needing a man to show it to her. But as I haven’t finished the book yet, maybe I shouldn’t judge!
Not sure what I’ll read next. Possibly Ross Greenwood’s DEATH AT PARADISE PARK (to fit the prompt ‘features the ocean.’) This challenge, plus the snow, has got me onto a reading roll this week, and I’m happy about that. I think next week will be busier, so I’ll have to try to keep it going.
On TV I am now up to the last episode of THE CROWN. (There were more episodes than I had thought.) Last night saw the demise of both Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, so now I fear we are going to be subjected to even more of William and Kate’s courtship, and quite honestly it’s just not that interesting. But I’ll stick with it to the end.
I also started watching a film of Rosamunde Pilcher’s WINTER SOLSTICE, which I’d read over Christmas. I should know better after having seen a few of these TV adaptations – they are universally terrible. In this one the plot had not only been radically changed, but Elvira, the lead character, who’s supposed to be an eccentric, rather oddly dressed, retired woman, was played by Sinead Cusack, looking impossibly glamorous and all of 45. No, no no! I’m afraid I gave up after the first 15 minutes – that’s one DVD that can definitely go to the charity shop.
At the weekend we watched the film CAROL. I’d seen it before but David hadn’t. I did wonder if I’d like it as much as I did when it first came to the cinema some years ago, but I did – it’s still wonderful. Cate Blanchett is such a fantastic actress, and Rooney Mara also did well as her much younger friend/lover. And the dresses! It’s worth watching just for Cate’s amazing 1950s wardrobe. The story, of course, also reminds us just how bad things were for anyone who didn’t toe the line back then (and of course some people seem to think we should be getting back to those times.)
I’m considering subscribing to the British Film Institute channel. It’s only £49 per year (considerably cheaper than Amazon or Netflix) and shows very interesting films, the sort you just don’t get in the mainstream. A blogger friend loves it.
And that reminds me Lesa – wasn’t it Blogger you used to use? I am having so much trouble with it, and one of my problems is that if someone comments on my post, Blogger won’t allow me (as the author of the post) to reply to them. I have googled this issue and the received wisdom is that you need to enable third party cookies in your settings – but I have done this and it hasn’t made any difference. Any advice much appreciated.
OK enough for today I think. Almost lunchtime here – for me and no doubt for those hungry birds as well. Anna says Charlie is furious about the cold weather – and they don’t even have snow in Edinburgh (and she keeps the house like a sauna compared to ours up here.) He’s a real hothouse flower.
Have a great week all.
Rosemary I have enjoyed all of Simon Brett’s Fethering mysteries and your review is spot on. They are cozy mysteries but deal with some heavier situations. One thing I really like about them is the character of Carol. She is so lonely and rigid. You want the author to have her become softer and make new friends but for the most part Carol remains Carol. So true to life, we pretty much are who we are.
If you are looking for a new cozy mystery series try this one. It’s also good in audio form.
Rosemary, we had the Christmas episode of VERA but won’t get the new series until…March, I think. We’re watching the fifth and final series of SUSPECTS now. Also the new series of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. Not a lot of new British stuff on here at the moment.
Do you get MONSIEUR SPADE? It’s on AMC/AMC+ and Acorn here. Clive Owen is Sam Spade, 20 years after THE MALTESE FALCON, living in the south of France.
Jeff, are you enjoying Monsieur Spade? We are on the fence but will continue on. We wished we had waited until they were all released to start so we could an episode every night.
We are anxiously awaiting the new Vera with Joe’s return and All Creatures Great and Small is just wonderful.
Rosemary, Your weather sounds terrible. Stay safe out there feeding those birds. Who knows when anyone would find you if you get covered with snow?
I’ll admit it’s been a number of years since I read Garden Spells. I’ve always enjoyed the magic in her books.
Yes, I moved from Blogger when I couldn’t do anything with it. I found it frustrating. I’m afraid I’m no help with it. I left it, even though I originally liked the formatting because I couldn’t handle the changes. I’m still not completely happy with the formatting here, but I’ve learned to live with it.
Oh, poor Charlie! He’s such a diva!
No extreme weather in South Florida, though we’ve had plenty of rain. It has ranged from the mid-80s on a couple of days, to the 60s on others, which is fine with me. Just glad we weren’t home when New York ended a 701-day streak without measurable snow. It is bitterly cold there now too. Stay warm!
Books? Patricia Marx did the writing and Roz Chast the drawings for two books I enjoyed this week, first YOU CAN ONLY YELL AT ME FOR ONE THING AT A TIME: RULES FOR COUPLES, and second WHY DON’T YOU WRITE MY EULOGY NOW SO I CAN CORRECT IT? Both are short, fun reads.
I also finished, and very much enjoyed, Laura Flam & Emily Sieu Liebowitz’s BUT WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW?: An Oral History of the Girl Groups of the ’60s. They interviewed dozens of singers, writers, producers and others about so-called “girl groups” starting in the ’50s with The Chantels and Bobbettes and Chordettes, then The Shirelles and Marvelettes, plus The Ronettes, Supremes, Shangri-Las, Dixie Cups, Martha & the Vandellas, etc. Everything you wanted to know about who was nice and who was not, who cheated them out of their money, who is still alive and performing, etc. Even though I know a lot about the era and the music, I did learn some things.
Yiyun Li, WEDNESDAY’S CHILD is a first short story collection and a good one. Also reading some stories from THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2023, edited by Amor Towles.
Jackie loved the Nora Roberts INHERITANCE, and like Lesa will have a hard time waiting a year for book two. She is reading a wacky Shelley Laurenston book now, BORN TO BE BADGER.
Will read the other comments and be back in a little while, after breakfast.
Wouldn’t you know, Jeff, that I would comment first about Inheritance. I knew Jackie would love it. Frustrating to wait a year, though.
I’m glad you left New York when you did. No matter what Florida’s weather is, it’s better than NYC right now.
We’ve had nothing like the Arctic temperatures through the center of the country, but back to back winter storms and a pile of smaller books led to a full, though uneven, reading week. I think I’m in the small minority that wasn’t thrilled with “the mind‐blowing twist” of Lee Goldberg’s CALICO.
Starting off with the most controversial of the reads: Barrett Rollins writes IN SICKNESS: A MEMOIR about his wife’s death from breast cancer. Both were Harvard oncologists, her speciality studied the impact of cancer treatments. The hook is that Jane, due to intense need for control, had hidden her cancer for ten years. Her husband knew something about it, but “accommodated her eccentricities”. Upon experiencing a pulmonary embolism, she was admitted to ICU. Oddly, what comes through the memoir is his resentment. Such a contrast to Amy Bloom’s In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss
This next one was recommended as an ideal winter-time read. WIND, SAND AND STARS, originally written in 1939 by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Winged Poet). A beautiful, vivid memoir of the early days of commercial flight via French mail planes to colonial Africa. He segues into what it means to be human.
“But you want to remember that below the sea of clouds lies eternity.”
A Canadian series, GREENSIDE by Glenn Burwell features Robert Lui, a detective recently fired from Vancouver PD. The setting was interesting and the plot revolved all sorts of big city life; politics, gangs, real estate development. Quite entertaining.
WEST HEART KILL is an unusual mystery, talking directly to the reader with an examination of plot and method. It is Dann McDorman’s debut novel, he’s a former newspaper reporter and TV news producer. The story presents a classic locked room mystery set at a private hunt club (West Heart) in upstate New York with a complex and entangled group of wealthy and dysfunctional families. This labyrinth of mirrors shared by author and reader is intriguing while also annoying.
To end the week on a bright note MIDNIGHT AT THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP. A sequel to The Christmas Bookshop set in Edinburgh Scotland. Charming! As an aside the author mentions a fictitious best-selling series featuring a “once-beautiful lady GP who ran a beautifully appointed, inexpensive rest home for people and their adorable dogs and also solved murders in her spare time”. Hmm, I’d read that!
I’m with you, MM. I’d like to read that fictitious best-selling series. It sounds good.
You’re right. I liked Calico, but that twist didn’t work for me as much as for others. I like Goldberg’s Eve Ronin books better.
Lesa, I forgot to mention that 10 or moer years ago we saw Patrick Stewart on BRoadway in a revival of David Mamet’s A LIFE IN THE THEATRE. Very good.
Jealous, Jeff! I would love to see Patrick Stewart on Broadway.
We have two inches of ice so not going anywhere. I heard about that book and want to read it.
Reading Patchwork Planet by Anne Taylor. Very quirky! Just finished It was an ugly couch anyway which I loved.
Stay inside and safe, Carol. Good books are waiting to be read!
I’m reading as much as I can before I resume neurological rehab to continue working toward my goal of ditching my wheelchair and learning to walk with a cane again. This is the hardest challenge I’ve ever faced in my life, but it’s worth the grind. The only negative is that when I’m doing a lot of rehab I won’t have much time to sit and read — or participate in things like this Thursday blog.
Meanwhile, here are a couple of mysteries I’ve just read, both of which made me profoundly grateful that the small towns I’ve lived in have been so quiet and boring.
Who to Believe by Edwin Hill
Publication date: January 23
The unusual plot structure of this book intrigued me both as a reader and a writer, and I wanted to see if Edwin Hill pulled it off. His small town, the wealthy oceanside community of Monreith, Mass., seems an idyllic refuge from the madness of cities, until the owner of a popular bistro is found dead in her home with a plastic bag tied around her head. Then things and people start falling apart.
The murder brings the sludge of nasty secrets bubbling to the surface and sets neighbors against each other. All pretty standard for a mystery, but this story is told in seven sections through seven characters: The Shrink, The Patient, The Cop, The Boyfriend, The Daughter, The Minister, and… The Dog. One guess as to who sees the most, hears the most, and knows the most. Every viewpoint changes the picture, shifts the reader’s perceptions of the same events, and adds clues to the truth. Everybody except Harper, the dog, has a motive for murder, and some of these people are guilty as sin, even if they didn’t kill the bistro owner. I would say Hill pulled it off admirably, all the way to the last line, which is pure genius.
Twenty-seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
Publication date: January 24
This book is also set in a small New England seaside town, but one distinctly more downscale. The village is still obsessed with the death 10 years ago of the local teenage golden girl in a horrific accident on a bridge. Lingering questions about the actions of her brother Grant that night — specifically, why he took 27 minutes to call an ambulance that could have saved her life — have ruined Grant’s life, while his sister has been elevated to sainthood. Townspeople loved her so much that they’re holding a memorial service to mark the anniversary of her death. As the date draws closer, the one person who knows the truth of what happened on the bridge that night is determined to bring it to light. This polished book, with the high quality of the writing and the depth of character development, doesn’t read like a first novel. From the acknowledgments, I gather the author wrote for years before selling anything, and those years of diligence and learning brought her prose to a level that most beginners can’t match. It isn’t an easy read. The subject is grim and the characters are damaged, but it is engrossing and rewarding for those who want more than a simple whodunnit.
Sandra, Your health and challenge is more important that the blog. We’ll miss you. You review some interesting books, such as both of the ones today. But, it’s more important to do your rehab. Take care of yourself.
Greetings all from Northern Michigan where it is cold and snowy, but oh so pretty (ask me again in March if I still think it’s pretty!).
I finished listening to the audio book “The Spy Coast” by Tess Gerritsen. What a great read! Although I figured out who was trying to kill the main retired spy, it was still suspenseful and satisfying.
Now, I have finally downloaded “Tom Lake”, Ann Patchett’s novel read by Meryl Streep. I am finding it a bit sedate after “The Spy Coast”, but I have been ‘on hold’ forever waiting for the download on Libby, so it is next up on my to read list. I am especially looking forward to it as Ms. Patchett conducted her research at a nearby cherry orchard, so I am hoping that there might be some relatable tales in the book. Already the references to fruit stands and tree pruning are making me long for summer!
I finished “Calico” and, while I loved the book, I felt like it ended too quickly and left me feeling a bit unsatisfied after the adventure of the book. Sounds like others did too.
I am enjoying watching “All Creatures Great and Small” on PBS. They do an outstanding job with the story lines and the casts of characters.
To those in the cold climates, stay warm. And those in the warmer climates, soak up some sun for those of us in the North!
Five minutes. I give snow about five minutes to be pretty, Mary, and then I’m done with it. I don’t “have” to drive in it anymore, but my mailbox isn’t here, and I do need to get to the mail.
A friend who listened to Ann Patchett’s last two books loved them because of the narrator – Tom Hanks, and now Meryl Streep.
Stay warm!
Three books for me this week. My favorite was THE LAST LIFEBOAT by Hazel Gaynor. Based on a true story. The SS Carlisle is carrying a ship of children to Canada in WWII and is hit by German U-boats. A lone lifeboat survives eight days in the Atlantic. I knew about children sent to the British countryside during the war but had no idea that they were shipped to Canada by boat. This was excellent.
PENELOPE IN RETROGRADE by Brooke Adams was a comedic romance about a romance writer who goes home over Thanksgiving to make amends with her family. This was fluffy and fun and what I needed after the seriousness of THE LAST LIFEBOAT. I got it from Kindle Unlimited.
The book I shouldn’t have finished but did was THE SECOND CHANCE HOTEL by Sierra Godfrey. Amelia and James have both left their jobs and are backpacking around Europe. They both end up on a small Greek island in a rundown hotel. After a night of drunkenness, they end up married and owners of the hotel after the current owner dies. I guess other readers found this a fun read, but it just didn’t appeal to me. I did enjoy the quirky Greek characters on the island as well as the description of the food and the island itself so it wasn’t a total loss.
Nuisance snow with minimal shoveling is arriving later on today. I am glad to be staying in today.
Happy Reading!
Well, the first two sound good, Sharon. I’m glad you’re in with that “nuisance snow”. I like that term.
Happy reading, and stay warm!
Happy Thursday at Lesa’s, everyone from snowy North Carolina! The snowiest year we’ve had for awhile. Since we’re both retired people and have no reason to be out on possibly snow/ice covered roads we’re enjoying how pretty we both find it with no reason to complain. A cup of coffee, a bowl of homemade soup, a good book – I”m a happy girl.
My latest enjoyable read (not my favorite Mary Kay Andrews bok, but good enough).
Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews via NetGalley.
Description:
“Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .
Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help―including the daughter of her estranged best friend―Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.
Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.”
I have this one, Kaye. It was “Read Now” on Net Galley, which surprised me because it was on my list to request.
Sometimes, good enough works, Kaye.
I love to think of you and Donald tucked up in your mountain retreat, with Annabelle cuddled up.
I’m making good on a four or five-year-old New Year’s resolution and reading in order a trilogy of novels by John L. Parker Jr. about a fictional long-distance runner named Quenton Cassidy. The books are set in the 1960s and 1970s, mainly in Florida but with some lovely passages set in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. (The first, “Once A Runner,” was published in 1978 and became a cult classic in the running world: it was “rediscovered” and republished 20 years later, leading to contracts for the sequels.) Definitely niche reading, but they rise far above sports novels IMHO with Parker’s lyrical descriptions of nature and the outdoors, deep-sea fishing, childhood, war, death, and many other topics.
Oh, a book-related New Year’s resolution! I like that, Andrew, especially since you never gave up on that resolution. I never heard of the books or John L. Parker Jr. Thank you for introducing a new author and trilogy.
I am sorry that you have more cold weather and snow headed your way when you dislike it so much. Be careful and stay home.
I will definitely be reading that Patrick Stewart biography sometime, when I can get a copy of it.
I finished A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE by Kelley Armstrong last night, the second book in the Rockton series. I enjoyed the story overall, and especially the setting in a remote part of the Yukon. Lesa, you have written about a time travel series that this author wrote that I want to look into (the Rip Through Time series?). I don’t know what fiction I will read next but I am in the middle of a memoir by Deborah Mitford, WAIT FOR ME!.
Glen is halfway through HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES by Foster Hirsch. It is very long, 672 pages and small print, so he has been reading some other books along with it.
He read STATIONS: AN IMAGINED JOURNEY, by Michael Flanagan. It is a combination of images by the author with text that describes the history of the railroad and a family. Amazon description: “A Virginia farmer narrates the story of his family and of the railroad that has shaped the lives and fates of his family for generations.” It looks lovely and only 100 pages.
Now he is reading SING YOUR SADNESS DEEP, short stories by Laura Mauro.
I had to go on the waiting list at the library for the Patrick Stewart book, Tracy. And, I’m on a long waiting list for the Barbra Streisand book that Kaye read quite a while ago.
You’re right. I do like Armstrong’s Rip Through Time series. So many books, so little time, right?
I’m glad you share Glen’s reading with us. I enjoy seeing what he’s reading since it’s usually nonfiction. I’m also happy that Jeff shares Jackie’s reading. We get a few more points of view.
Greetings from eastern Washington state! We have snow and ice but it’s not anywheres near as bad as in Portland and elsewhere. I got out Tuesday to get groceries and books so we are set for a few days.
I needed a thick book for the cold weather so I picked up THE FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros. I wasn’t sure about it – lots of violence – but I wanted to see how the main character handled the first challenge and then I was hooked. As someone who has read all the Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, I noticed all of the big and little resemblances to McCaffrey’s dragons in the Yarros book and wished Yarros had acknowleged her predecessor (I google it and others said the same thing). The best thing about THE FOURTH WING (and what makes it better than the Pern books) are the deep psychological elements. I want to read the sequel but decided I needed a breather before tackling it.
Hi Cindy,
You might be the only one who mentioned The Fourth Wing. I know how popular it is in public libraries. I read some of the Pern books. Not all of them, like you.
Stay warm!
Hi Lesa. I hope you enjoy Patrick Stewart’s memoir. I’m about halfway through SLOW HORSES by Mick Herron, inspired to try his Slough House series by the TV program, which I haven’t watched yet. I thought I’d read the book first, and I’m enjoying it. By the way, I had to look up the pronunciation of “slough” in the UK, which rhymes with “how.” I’ve always said “slew,” but apparently that’s only in the US.
I would have thought “slew” too, Kim, because that’s the pronunciation I know. Thanks for letting us know. That’s a book I “should” read eventually.
I am enjoying the memoir. Thank you!
Lesa, Stay safe with this weather. It was 17 yesterday morning in central North Carolina. I am currently listening to the Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman on audio and reading Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew (start of a new cozy series) in print. On my kindle, it’s Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz.