Happy Thursday! Well, despite snow that had to be scraped off my car (thanks to my sister) for doing that!), we had a terrific week. We went to see Mamma Mia! last Thursday night. We had both seen it before, but this one was one of best live versions I’ve seen. And, then we drove to Akron to see The High Kings and Gaelic Storm on St. Patrick’s Day. Loud, rowdy, fun concert. I’ve wanted to see The High Kings for four years. And, because we weren’t home on St. Patrick’s Day, my brother-in-law made luscious Guinness beef stew and Irish soda bread for Monday. I have leftovers! As you can tell from my blog, I finished reading books by the deadline for Library Journal, and then collapsed.
I did read an entire book yesterday, but the review will be up on Saturday. Instead, I’ll mention the one I’m just about to start, a collection of five Sheriff Dan Rhodes stories by Bill Crider, and, according to Amazon, also Judy Crider. It’s The Blacklin County Files.
There’s little about the collection online, but I’m guessing I’ll have a review up on Sunday. Here’s the little bit about this 2012 release.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes tackles five tough cases with compassion and humor. Killers, crooks, cats, cattle, cranks, and ice cream. Plus recipes!
Recipes? For Dr. Pepper and Sheriff Rhodes’ latest sandwich? We’ll see.
I’m looking forward to this book. What about you? Did you have a good week? What are you reading?
Happy spring, everyone! The highs have been in the low seventies for the past few days, but by Friday it will be colder and there will be more rain. Last Friday I went to An Evening with Henry Winkler, and he was fabulous. It was almost like a one-man show–he was all over the stage talking about his life and career, his dyslexia and the children’s books he has written with a main character who has a learning disability. He was a lot of fun and very inspiring. In the latter part, a moderator asked him questions that had been submitted by the audience. To my surprise, quite a few of us had asked him about Better Late Than Never, the travel show he made with William Shatner, George Foreman, and Terry Bradshaw–two seasons a few years ago. He said he would love to do more of it (here’s hoping). The show was a sellout, and the audience was VERY enthusiastic. I’m glad I had the chance to see it.
This week I read three books that were very different from each other:
Catriona McPherson excels at crafting creepy psychological thrillers. But I’d say her latest, DEEP BENEATH US, is not so much creepy as it is claustrophobic, addressing the themes of mental illness, murder, dysfunctional family dynamics, and the (un)reliability of memory. Narrated primarily by Tabitha Muir from her home on the banks of a remote Scottish loch that may hold secrets, there is very little action. The tortuous plot about the Muirs progresses mostly through dialogue, reminiscence, and musing, and I struggled to make sense of it for the first half of the book. In the latter half, things get even more labyrinthine, but glimmers of facts and the first hope of solving the mysteries emerge. My favorite characters are the quartet of teenagers who ground the story with their clear-eyed pursuit of the truth and their refusal to give up, although they exhibit realistic teenager characteristics. I also enjoyed spending time with two men–friends of a recently deceased family member–who have their own secrets and family issues, but who are determined to help their late friend’s family with their myriad fears, suspicions, and tragedies. Tabitha, the central character, who has lost her marriage, her job, and almost the custody of her son, and has spent time in a mental institution, is still dealing with her very fragile mental state. I had a difficult time connecting with her, although I held out hope at the end that her life would finally improve. Side note: I would also have appreciated a glossary of Scottish words and expressions. (June)
Katherine Center’s THE ROM-COMMERS is a feel-good story through and through. Yes, there are some tough moments, but what’s a good romcom without some adversity? The central characters are screenwriters at different ends of the experience spectrum. Charlie Yates has a drawerful of awards to prove that he is a success in Hollywood, while Emma Wheeler is a fledgling screenwriter who had to turn down a prestigious internship to take care of her much-loved father after an accident left him with multiple disabilities. She has been his 24/7 caretaker for ten years and can’t wait until her younger sister graduates from college and takes over the care of their father. As promised, Sylvie is willing to back out of her own postgrad internship opportunity to give her sister a chance when Logan, Emma’s manager (and high school boyfriend). offers her the chance to work with Charlie Yates–her all-time professional idol. Charlie has written a romcom as part of a deal to get his gangster screenplay produced, but his first attempt at a romcom is an utter mess. It may be because Charlie doesn’t believe in romantic love anymore after his ex-wife betrayed him. He’s not exactly welcoming to Emma, but she accepts the challenge and . . . no spoilers here. Let’s just say that Emma and Charlie are living and working together for six weeks, and part of the fun for the reader is their slowly developing relationship. This is not a steamy romance, but it is so much more. Charlie and Emma are as root-worthy a couple as I’ve ever seen. They each have their idiosyncrasies and eccentricities, which could either make them a perfect match or an unmitigated disaster. Bottom line: they are adorable. But Center doesn’t stop there–supporting characters including Logan, Emma’s amazing father, sister Sylvie and her wonderfully supportive boyfriend, her father’s helpful neighbor, even a swoon-inducing, egotistical male movie star are portrayed as nuanced, relatable characters. There is also humor to be enjoyed–especially in the banter between Emma and Charlie and in Emma’s offbeat ideas of research to enhance the screenplay’s content. Sometimes the plot veers almost into fairy tale territory, but romcom lovers won’t mind. It is a delightful read. (June)
There are two important reasons why Sally Hepworth’s psychological thrillers are must-reads for me–there are always characters to root for (missing from many thrillers), and the plots are unique, well-designed, gripping, and often surprising. In DARLING GIRLS, the story of three unrelated “sisters” who endure the abuse of the same horrible foster mother, I found the childhood scenes, which are interspersed with scenes of their later lives, both disturbing and depressing. But Hepworth is such a skillful storyteller that I’m glad I kept reading. The diabolical foster mother is a memorable villain, challenging the reader to wonder–will she get her just desserts, will she even be alive at the end of the book, what reasons could she possibly have for her outrageous wickedness? The three sisters=of-the-heart, by contrast, all have their flaws and weaknesses, mostly brought on by their childhood trauma, but they are steadfastly supportive to each other, even when their lives have changed and a deadly mystery is discovered on the site where they spent their early days. Many of the secondary characters are also beautifully drawn, with details that make them stand out. As the story progressed, my mouth dropped open several times as thrilling or horrifying twists were revealed in a convincing and meaningful way. There were also chapters devoted to one character’s visits with a therapist, and the identity of that character was not divulged until late in the book, adding to the suspense. In the end, I found the book uplifting and satisfying, evoking tears more than once, even as the protagonists rightfully suffered consequences for some of their adult behavior. I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but I highly recommend Australian author Sally Hepworth’s books. (April)
Margie, I’m so glad you review psychological thrillers here once in a while. They’re just not for me, and that means readers get to see some new and forthcoming titles in that subgenre. Thank you.
Beautiful springtime weather here. Great time to catch up on yardwork. We’re still finding broken limbs from our blizzard.
Lesa, you got me interested in the Cara Hunter’s DI Hawley series last December and I’ve been enjoying it. I just finished CLOSE TO HOME, the first in the series and the third I’ve read. The writing and plotting are very good, but the cases the police investigate may be too real for some readers.
And an unexpectedly wonderful nonfiction book- BREADSONG : HOW BAKING CHANGED OUR LIVES
Kitty Tait grew up a funny, chatty redhead who made everyone in her family laugh. But around the time she turned 14, Kitty began experiencing anxiety. Slowly, she disconnected from everyone around her and struggled to wake up, get dressed, and leave the house. Full of worry, her parents tried everything. Until Kitty tried bread making and their life changed. Written and illustrated by Al and Kitty Tait.
David Chaudoir mentioned the Dustbowl Mysteries by Laurie Loewenstein here in his favorites for 2023. I’m about a third of the way into the first book, DEATH OF A RAINMAKER. Interesting view into a Depression era farm town with a CCC camp. I have the second book, FUNERAL TRAIN, queued up next.
Hi MM, Thank you for trying some books I suggest and other readers recommend. It makes it fun to see what others like. I’m glad you’re enjoying Laurie Loewenstein’s books!
Good morning. We’re back to cold weather here in NJ. We saw a local production of Hello Dolly over the weekend and it was a lot of fun. My library had its first book sale in years and despite the books not being well organized and the mob of people I still managed to pick up a few books. There’s another sale at a larger library tomorrow so hopefully I find a few there too.
After trying a couple of library books that I couldn’t get interested in I decided to reread LORD OF THE PIES by Nell Hampton. It’s the second cozy mystery about a chef from Chicago who’s hired on as a private chef in Kensington palace. I wish were more books in this series.
Good morning, Sandy! Isn’t it a shame when a cozy series we enjoy is concluded? I sometimes miss the characters I’ve grown to like.
Just dealing with some medical stuff…not looking good, but I wake up every morning and that is a blessing.
I just finished Cirque Du Slay by Rob Osler. Don’t know what book I’m reading next.
I see the medical issues aren’t looking good right now, Dru Ann. I’m sorry. I’m following on Facebook. Take care of yourself.
Unless I’m reading for Library Journal, I seldom know what I’m reading next. I get it.
Holding good thoughts Dru Ann.
You can’t go wrong with Bill Crider and Sheriff Rhodes. I think Judy did write one of the stories with him, or perhaps gave him the idea or some help.
I won’t be here next Thursday as we will be on the road home – sad, but there is it. It’s been a very good winter in South Florida for us, mostly reading, eating and watching television and relaxing. Overall, it was cooler than average with a lot more El Nino rain, but I’d rather have 70s than 80s at this time of year – or any time!
Books? Jackie is reading a Keri Arthur (Aussie author she likes) book, this one involving a pixie and a “dark elf” (believe it or not), in a “Relic Hunters” book. She likes it, but she prefers her Lizzie Grace (with & vampire) series.
Iris Yamashita, Village in the Dark. We both read this and I think we both agree that the first in the series (City Under One Roof) was better. It picked up a lot in the second half, but it was a slog getting through all the exposition about native villages in the first half. Two of the main characters from book one are center stage here, but the third main character, Mia, takes a long time to engage your interest, or at least ours.
Elizabeth Strout, Olive, Again. The sequel (obviously) to Olive Kitteridge finds the feisty former math teacher growing older and possibly even more grouchy, not going quietly as Dylan Thomas would have it. She has a happy second marriage (for the most part), has a difficult relationship with her son (who she loves, though he doesn’t seem to get that feeling), and occasionally surprises the reader by a particularly nice gesture towards another. Strout is a very good writer and I read these books quickly, one or two stories a day.
Nick Petrie, The Price You Pay. In the first book in the series, The Drifter, Petrie introduced ex-Marine Ash, suffering with severe PTSD and claustrophobia that made him sleep outdoors and start to freak out in any confined space, car or building included. But with the help of time and a shrink and his lady love, June Cassidy, an investigative journalist, 8 books later you’d never know it. Peter mainly tries to help others, sort of a less huge Jack Reacher with friends. Other books have taken him from the Pacific Northwest to Colorado, Tennessee, the Midwest, even Iceland in one book (the least believable), though they now live in Milwaukee. His closest friend is the very tough black ex-criminal Lewis, who is always there to help, almost without needing to be asked. (Think of him as Peter’s Hawk, if you like, or Joe Pike.) So when Lewis is in trouble this time, there is no doubt Peter will be with him all the way. Lewis’s past is coming to get him. He and a couple of friends were the Ghost Killers, taking down bad criminals and occasionally killing people. Now someone has the information on who Lewis is and wants to destroy him, apparently for something he did back then. And this person has unlimited resources and can pay for the best. The 400+ pages faily fly by, and as with all of these it is well worth reading, but you really need to start at book one.
Have a good week.
Good morning, Jeff! I agree with you and Jackie. I liked the first one in the Yamashita series best. I doubt if I’ll read another one, if there is a sequel. Two were enough for me. There are other good books out there.
Safe travels home! I hope spring in New York treats you well when you get there.
Yes, safe travels Jeff. It sounds like you had a great winter.
I have to admit I didn’t enjoy Olive Kitteridge one bit. To me it felt like it would never end, and I just could not engage with Olive.
The Nick Petrie series sounds good though!
THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN by Susanna Hoffs (of The Bangles fame) is my current recreational read. I am finding it to be funny and a nice change from my usual fare.
I just can’t settle, Wiley. I’m looking for something different for a change, too, but it has to be special. Enjoy your book!
Back to winter in Northern MI! Finally got to wear some of my warm and cozy winter sweaters! Look for the silver lining, right?
This week I read “No Life for a Lady” by Hannah Dolby. A fun read. Violet Hamilton is a 28 year old young lady in 1896 England. Her mother disappeared one night ten years ago, and Violet has been left to raise herself while her banker father turns a blind eye to her and immerses himself in his work. Violet’s mother apparently did not enjoy sex with her husband and had put some rather uncomplimentary ideas into Violet’s head about the marriage bed. Thus she has avoided any matchmaking efforts by her father to marry her off. Instead, she believes it’s time to find out what happened to her mother and hires the town’s only private detective to assist her. Unfortunately he starts to uncover some unsavory details about her missing mother, confusing Violet about just who her mother really was. As the story unfolds, Violet learns how to assert herself, learns new skills (such as typing and detective work), and discovers eccentric characters along the way who help her find her path to becoming a self possessed adult woman.
I also listened to “Archie in the Crosshairs” A Nero Wolfe Mystery #10 written by Robert Goldsborough. It’s always great to revisit Nero and Archie, and this one did not disappoint.
Wishing a wonderful weekend to all!
Mary, I admire anyone who can find a silver lining to winter. It’s just not my season.
I enjoyed your review of “No Life for a Lady”. I never heard of the author or the book, so that’s always fun. Thank you.
I thought No Life for a Lady was fun and that it had potential as a series. Your comment made me look it up, and there will be another one in June!
Great! Another one you can read, and, hopefully, enjoy, Trisha.
Oh good – thanks, Trisha, I’ll put it on my ‘to read’ list!
Happy Spring, everyone!
Two books to recommend.
The Paris Cooking School by Sophie Beaumont – Description from NetGalley
“There’s nothing quite so romantic or inspiring as Paris in the spring –and what better place for a woman to reinvent herself and start over.
In this deeply moving novel, three women must come together and fight for the happy ending they dream of.
Life doesn’t always serve up the perfect dish, but second chances are always on the menu…
Kate is bruised from a heartbreaking betrayal. Artistic Gabi is struggling to overcome a crippling creative block. Learning how to make culinary magic at the celebrated Paris Cooking School is the perfect antidote. Taking the first flight out of Australia, both women find themselves in the city of lights and love.
But for Sylvie, the school’s owner, things are not looking so promising. She is under siege from a harassment campaign that threatens to destroy everything she has worked for while also juggling a commitment-shy lover, Claude. Each woman will be transformed by what unfolds that spring–and the course of their lives will be changed forever.
A delicious novel about love, hope, and the consolations of the perfect strawberry tart.”
I am constantly picking up books about Paris and am disappointed in so many, but this one is just right. The characters are interesting and realistic and relatable. The writer also takes us to a Paris she obviously knows well.
The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster by Shauna Robinson – Description from NetGalley
“From the acclaimed author of The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks and Must Love Books comes a heartfelt bookclub read following one woman’s journey to reconnect with her estranged Black family in the south, just as it’s on the brink of falling apart, perfect for fans of The Chicken Sisters and The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.
One estranged family. One lost recipe. One last barbecue on the line. Mae is about to learn what happens when things go south…
Mae Townsend has always dreamed of connecting with her estranged Black family in the South. She grew up picturing relatives who looked like her, crowded dinner tables, bustling kitchens. And, of course, the Townsend family barbecue, the tradition that kept her late father flying to North Carolina year after year, despite the mysterious rift that always required her to stay behind.
But as Mae’s wedding draws closer, promising a future of always standing out among her white in-laws, suddenly not knowing the Townsends hits her like a blow. So when news arrives that her paternal grandmother has passed, she decides it’s time to head South.
What she finds is a family in turmoil, a long-standing grudge intact, a lost mac & cheese recipe causing grief, and a family barbecue on the brink of disaster. Not willing to let her dreams of family slip away, Mae steps up to throw a barbecue everyone will remember.
For better or for worse.”
Happy Spring, Kaye!
I love reading about your book choices. I know you go through titles looking for ones that fit. But, you always come up with unusual selections.
Thank you!
My new bedtime reading jam is celebrity memoirs, and I’m currently enjoying “What Have We Here” by the actor Billy Dee Williams. Embarrassingly, I knew nothing about this multi-talented actor except for his turn as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars universe, so I’m happy to be learning about his long and successful career.
Downstairs, I’m reading Lisa Unger’s latest thriller, “The New Couple in 5B” and finding it absolutely riveting, as usual.
How interesting Andrew – I have just this morning listened to the most recent podcast in the Tea or Books? series, and on that Simon and Rachel, the presenters, were discussing celebrity memoirs and whether they liked them or not.
The conclusion seemed to be that they sometimes enjoyed those written by the actual person rather than a ghost writer – though Rachel had read Harry Windsor’s SPARE, and had much the same (negative!) opinion of it that I did. (I read it as I needed a ghost-written book for the 52 Book Club 2024 challenge.
Simon also recommended one that he enjoyed so much he put it on his list of top ten reads last year. It was Katy Wix’s DELICACY: A MEMOIR ABOUT CAKE AND DEATH, which I must say sounded good. Wix is a comedian. Sinon also said he wished Shania Twain would write a memoir.
Oh, I bet Shania Twain has an interesting story to tell, Rosemary.
I’ll put Delicacy on my list. Sounds good. Yes, it’s hard to tell how much an author is involved. But so far that hasn’t deterred me. Thanks for the recommendation.
Oh, celebrity memoirs work, Andrew! I have one on my TBR pile right now, and I’m looking to read a historical memoir in the next few weeks as well. They’re a great break from all the mysteries and thrillers.
Good evening everyone, from a rather chilly Aberdeenshire. I went out for a walk at lunchtime and was shocked by the cold wind – so much for spring being here! But the daffodils are blooming so at least there is some colour in the landscape at last.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying your retirement so much Lesa. We don’t do anything about St Patrick’s day at all here (though I am participating in Reading Ireland month) – perhaps we should, your brother-in-law’s food sounds so delicious.
I’ve not done terribly well with my reading this week – I’m about to finish Edna O’Brien’s autobiography COUNTRY GIRL, and I’m not far from the end of Colm Toibin’s NORA WEBSTER, but that’s about it.
Today I was at the library, and although I have stacks of books waiting for me at home, I could not resist borrowing THE MAGPIE MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz, I have seen the TV series, which I loved, so I thought I’d read the book. Both the O’Brien and the Toibin are quite complicated reads – though I’m enjoying them – so I thought I’d treat myself to something easier this week.
On TV I watched THE GONE, a thriller about the disappearance of two Irish tourists in a remote part of New Zealand (have you seen it Jeff?) It’s a joint project between and Irish and a NZ TV channel. There’s lots about the local indigenous people, who are an essential part of the plot. I found it fascinating to learn more about their ancient traditions. The story itself scared me silly, but I’m quite sure my younger daughter Madeleine would tell me it dragged out every cliched trope in the genre. It doesn’t take much to scare me! The scenery was stunning, but also, in the context of the plot, quite creepy – there’s just so much wilderness over there.
A friend has also recommended a new series by Guy Ritchie THE GENTLEMAN, so I might try that next. I know Ray Winstone is in it, and I’m always happy to watch him.
I’ve just finished writing a blog post about the film HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, which I watched for Reading Wales month/Dewithon. I enjoyed doing a bit of research about it – as I mentioned last week, it was actually filmed in Malibu (as it was not possible to film it in Wales during wartime – this was 1941) – the set they built covered 80 acres. Despite its age I think it’s a great film that addresses read issues. Although it places emphasis on the strength of family and community, it doesn’t shy away from themes of social, political and industrial upheaval.
Even when I was younger, the coalfields in Wales and Yorkshire were major employers, with whole communities centered around them. Now of course they are all gone – the TV series SHERWOOD did an excellent job of highlighting the lasting effects of the pit closures, and the bad feeling that still exists between those who did and did not join the picket lines.
Last week we went to see the film ALL OF US STRANGERS. It has had universal five star reviews but I have to say we both found it a bit confusing. Andrew Scott and Claire Foy were brilliant as always, but the story was so heavily arty that we struggled a bit. One reviewer said he had thought about the film ‘every single day since seeing it last year’ – I can’t say I have. Lots of people, including one of my daughters, said they cried. I think we must just be cynical old miseries!
Tonight we are going into town to see Britta Verves, a pianist who is performing as part of the Aberdeen Jazz Festival. Tomorrow our daughter Anna is coming up, then on Saturday she and I will be going to see the Siamese litter from whom she hopes to get a companion for Charlie. The breeder lives at St Cyrus, a small village down the coast with a fantastic nature reserve beach. I haven’t been there for years, though I don’t think we will have time to do much exploring. We’ll need to press on to Leith, as in the evening we will be going to see the Scottish actor Alan Cumming ‘in conversation’ at the university.
Yesterday I had a great walk with a friend at the Blackhall Fisheries. It was a fine afternoon after a wet morning, which I believe is the best weather to bring the fish up, so lots of fishermen were out on the opposite bank. The walk follows the Dee for some way, then goes past some beautiful estate houses and curves back through woodland. On the way you pass a group of houses that were built for Shell (I think) expat executives when the oil industry was booming. They certainly treated their staff well – the houses are beautiful, set in lovely parkland, and so peaceful and quiet. I think many are now privately owned.
I’m going to have to stop now as we will be going out shortly. I haven’t had time to proof read this, so apologies in advance for any typos.
Have a great week all,
Rosemary
Oh, Alan Cumming! I’m jealous, Rosemary. Enjoy the program tonight. I’ve seen him live in “Cabaret”, and on PBS as the narrator for “The Mouse King”. He’s just wonderful! I can’t wait to see what you think.
Charlie! I hope you find a cat for a companion for Charlie. I hope he’ll enjoy a friend after they get used to each other. Good luck!
No, I never heard of THE GONE, Rosemary. Sounds interesting, though, and I love seeing things filmed in New Zealand, even if the stories are silly, like BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES. Richard Flood was last on GREY’S ANATOMY here. It’s not available to stream in the US, so we’ll have to wait for Acorn (or Britbox) to get it. We did finish NO OFFENCE and we’re done with the first two series of SCOTT & BAILEY (second time through).
I cannot believe that you had snow. Otherwise your week sounds very good. I would love to have your brother-in-law cooking for me.
We watched an interest noir film REPEAT PERFORMANCE, from 1947. Strangely it is sort of a time travel story (with Joan Leslie, Louis Hayward, and Richard Basehart), and we liked it a lot. Joan Leslie was in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, which is an old favorite of mine. It is based on a book written about the same time, and I got a Kindle copy to read sometime.
This week I read MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout. It was a good read. A very short book, but also unsettling.
Glen finished reading ABROAD IN JAPAN by Chris Broad. The author spent 10 years in Japan and traveled throughout Japan during that time. The first two years he was an English teacher and later started a YouTube channel (same title as the book). Glen enjoyed the book and it was a humorous read.
Tracy, Most people would enjoy having my brother-in-law as a cook. He puts a lot of love into it, although he downplays that.
Yes! Snow! Bah, humbug.
It sounds as if you and Glen both enjoyed your reading this week. Have a good one coming up as well!
Been warm, and my allergies haven’t started acting up yet, so it’s pretty nice.
I went to a show with Mania, an Abba tribute in the Crest Theater. It’s the oldest theater around still extant, I think, built in 1912, but very nice. The seat are certainly comfortable. During the intermission, some guy didn’t know how to use the antiquated urinals. Makes you think maybe time travel won’t be as pleasant as some people think.
At dinner I ordered Chicken Karaage. I’ve ordered it in three different restaurants, and received three different dishes. Apparently, it isn’t standardized, and nobody knows what it actually is.
The show was very well done, with a lot of energy and warmth, and several costume changes, including the hot pants outfits. All of these shows didn’t exist when I was a kid…I mean, there was Sha Na Na, and Elvis impersonators, but there weren’t folks running around acting like they were the Ink Spots or Rudy Vallee or Mario Lanza. I can’t help but wonder why all this talent and energy isn’t put into doing new stuff, sometimes. Is the music industry just that broken?
This week I read:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle; I read this for the nieces’ book club. I read it when I was in 5 grade, and it really affected me. I read it this time, and was just irritated at Meg the whole time. Maybe I’m a curmudgeon already.
Remarkable It Is: Late Life Poems by Eugene Stelzig; A poetry collection by a septuagenarian Austrian immigrant. The poems about the seasons are readable. The ones about politics are simply terrible. My advice to poets is do NOT write poems about Trump, no matter how you feel about him.
Beginnings by JC Cole; a bunch of story beginnings, flash fiction style. Like the daily journal my English teacher used to make us write.
Top Secret Kill by James P Cody; In the 1970’s a series called The DC Man made it through 4 books. It’s been rediscovered. It features a lobbyist turned fixer. There’s a leak, and he’s got to find it, and plug it. After a couple of rookie mistakes, he gets to the bottom of things. A good beginning.
The Bucharest Ballerina Murders by Van Wyck Mason; It’s 1940, and the whole world, except for America, is at war. Hugh North is assigned to get a secret formula from a ballerina in Romania. The whole country goes under martial law, and everyone is imprisoned in the local hotel. Of course, there’s also a murder. I’m a bit surprised nobody made any movies based on this series.
Pirates of Mars by Chris Gerrib; Pirates screw up boarding a ship, and have to call first responders to rescue them, which turns into a fiasco, as they try to take over the EMT’s ship. Probably more like what space pirates would be like than we’d like to think.
That’s a good question, Glen. “Is the music industry that broken?” Well, I think the movie industry is. There are so few original ideas there. Just remakes and sequels.
Did your nieces liked A Wrinkle in Time, or is it dated? I loved it when I was a kid, and I have a signed copy, but I’ve never had the nerve to read it again. I’m afraid it wouldn’t be the same.
Sounds like you did find a couple books you enjoyed this week.
Lesa, I’ll discuss it with them this weekend, when I see them. I’m curious as to what they think about it, myself.
The movie industry is definitely broken. People don’t even care about the Oscars anymore.
Glen A Wrinkle in Time didn’t hold up for me either. I loved it s a child, but when I read it 5+ years ago, I couldn’t figure out what I had seen in it. And I couldn’t bear to watch the movie.
I agree with Margie, the movie was a disappointment and I thought the book was only so-so.
Hello, Lesa. I’m running late tonight with my report on what I’m reading, but I wanted to mention what a fan I am of Jo Walton, a prize-winning fantasy and time-travel (and maybe science fiction?) writer who’s both Welsh and Canadian. She’s written poetry collections and sixteen novels, of which I’ve read eight. The one I just finished is called LENT. It begins as a fictionalized and very readable account of the life of Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar in Renaissance Florence (and a real person, a contemporary of Lorenzo de’ Medici) who tried to get rid of corruption and vice in his city. About a third of the way through, LENT becomes a different kind of book and goes from interesting to fascinating. I recommend it.
Hi, Kim! I’ve never read Jo Walton, so I’m glad you took the time to drop by and mention her books. I like the sound of fantasy and time travel. I really enjoy a good time travel book.
I like a book that goes from interesting to fascinating. Very good!
I read and enjoyed Among Others by Jo Walton, and your recommendation makes me want to check out the rest of her books, Kim! Thanks!
Kim, I am also a big fan of Jo Walton’s. Lise would probably like her alternate history series, Farthing, Ha’penny, and Half a Crown. I also loved her WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK SO GREAT and AN INFORMAL HISTORY OF THE HUGOS.
Thanks for the alternate history titles, Jeff.
Good afternoon, Lesa! I’m just finishing Anna O and even this close to the end, I’m not quite sure how it will wrap up. I love that!
As a writer, I’m sure it’s good to get to the end, and not know what’s coming, Patricia.
Good afternoon, I started my week off by attending Becky’s New Car at the Drama Workshop in Cincinnati. We loved it.
Three books for me this week. I was not as big a fan as everyone else on Goodreads seemed to be of READY OR NOT by Cara Barstone. Eve finds herself unexpectedly pregnant from one night stand with the local bartender. Her childhood friends are her support system. I enjoyed it until the end where I had a hard time with the unconventional situation in the resolution.
Next, I read THIS IMPOSSIBLE BRIGHTNESS by Jessica Bryant Klagmann. This was a little different for me, but I am still thinking about it. After her fiancé goes missing Alma moves to a remote island to help come to grips with her grief. The book starts in 2026 and ends in 2056 and deals with themes of death and climate change.
Lastly, I read AFTER ANNIE by Anna Quindlen. Annie Brown suffers a brain aneurysm, and her husband is left picking up the pieces with four children under the age of 12. I liked this one too, but I wished there had been focus on Annie’s family rather than her close childhood friend.
Our eaglets at the Cardinal Land Conservatory have hatched so that has taken up much of my time again. If anyone is interested in looking at the eagle cam, here is the link:
https://www.cardinallandconservancy.org/eagle-camera/
Happy Reading!
Oh, an eagle cam! Thank you for sharing that, Sharon.
So many of Anna Quindlen’s novels are sad, aren’t they?
Afternoon, Lesa, and everyone from NE Dallas where it is in the low 60s and lightly raining.
For those interested, both Barry Ergang and I have reviewed The Blacklin County Files.
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2023/11/short-story-wednesday-double-take.html
Current read is — The General’s Gold: Book 1 of The Turner and Mosley Files by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin.
So far my pulse has been just fine despite the publisher hyperbole seen below. Am enjoying it. It does remind me a bit of an early Clive Cussler.
NetGalley Description:
A treasure so priceless, it’s worth killing for…
When Mark Hawkins is found dead in a seedy motel, police deem it an accidental overdose. But billionaire computer genius Avery Turner suspects there might be more to the story. Her old friend was on the trail of the legendary General’s Gold, and now Avery is determined to pick up where he left off…
Teaming up with Carter Mosley, a deep-sea shipwreck diver and adrenaline junkie turned social media sensation, Avery embarks on a dangerous quest for the treasure—and the truth. From Florida to Maine, and from the mountains of Virginia to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, they face treacherous gangs, man-eating sharks, and a world of deception and double-crosses.
As they navigate hidden clues and uncertain allies, Avery and Carter must outwit their deadly adversaries and unravel the mystery surrounding the General’s Gold. But in this high-stakes game, losing the treasure could cost them their lives.
Unearth the year’s most exhilarating treasure-hunting thriller. Join bestselling authors LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin in a pulse-pounding action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you love the action of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series and the intrigue of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, dive into The General’s Gold today!
Warmer there than here, Kevin.
I’m glad your pulse is still okay. I’d hate to think that Scott needed to call for help due to a book! I hope you’re enjoying it, though.
The high point of my reading this week was The Unquiet Bones, which I learned about from Lesa’s review. I thought it was very well done. My only qualm was the way the author brought some of the characters to justice at the end. I got the feeling the author wanted to make sure all of the wrongdoers suffered. For me one of the appeals of mysteries is the restoration of right relationships—not so much the punishing of the perpetrators (which usually happens after a typical mystery ends, at least in the ones I read).
Otherwise I did some comfort reading and re-read The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. It is science fiction, imagining a world in which the post-WWII era of women doing calculations like in Hidden Figures takes a different turn, towards space, because of a natural disaster.
Trisha, I’m with you. I love Maary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut books.
I think you’re right, Trisha. I’m satisfied if the world is made right. I don’t need to see everyone punished.
Thank you. I enjoy reading someone else’s comments about a book I read.