Rain here this week, and cooler temperatures. We were so lucky on our trip to Cincinnati. We had good weather, except for the time we had to shelter during the tornado warning. Great weather for the zoo, though, mid-80s and sunny, but the zoo has a great deal of shade.
I’m currently reading Lee Goldberg’s September release, Ashes Never Lie. It’s the second book featuring his arson investigators, Sharpe and Walker. They start out investigating a burned out car, but end up in a new housing development where empty houses are going up in flames. They also take on a case with a burned body inside a house. Because the police are called in, Goldberg’s characters Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone are on the scene. Walker, who misses his days chasing bad guys as a U.S. marshal, doesn’t mind working with Ronin as they insert themselves into a case that shouldn’t involve them.
As always with Goldberg’s recent novels, there’s black humor and smart alecky remarks. I’m liking this one.
What about you? What are you reading this week? I hope you had a good reading week, and a good personal one.
Your read is in my TBR pile via NetGalley.
Current read is FIRST FROST by Craig Johnson. Two storylines. One in current timeline with a hearing involving the Sheriff and the review of the violent end of the last book. Second timeline is from decades ago when he and Henry were crossing the country to report for military duty during the Vietnam War.
We have storms in the forecast and are on the edge of a flood watch.
Hi Kevin, I hope your weather doesn’t get too bad. FIRST FROST sounds good. Take care.
In the flood watch since around 5 AM and absolutely pouring here.
That second storyline is the one that interests me, Kevin. I thought the whole book was going to be about Walt and Henry.
Lee Goldberg writes some great stories and this one is on my Tbr mountain. I am currently reading Break Every Rule by Brian Freeman and have just finished Buzz Kill by Alison Gaylin.
Goldberg does know how to tell a good story, doesn’t he, Mikael? Sounds as if you’re a fan of fast-paced novels.
I had not read any synopsis before I requested it so I had no idea what was coming other than it was Longmire. I am not a fan of the historical side of things, but in this case, it is working really well, Lesa.
FIRST FROST is on my wishlist to read. But there is a longish queue ahead of me at the Ottawa Public Library
Hello, Lesa. I’m so glad your Cincinnati trip went well! I just finished the third book in M.W. Craven’s Washington Poe series; it’s called The Curator. Exciting, well-written, good main characters, but, like the previous books, it deals with a serial killer. I’m just don’t like serial killers. I should have known better than to read it!
We haven’t had any rain but it has been overcast for a week and the temps during the day are lower. I am enjoying the weather, but don’t know how long it will last.
Thursday I am going to an eye doctor appointment early and will be dilated all day, most likely, so I am adding a quick comment late Wednesday.
This week I read THE WARDEN by Anthony Trollope, which is on my Classics Club list. It was my first book by Trollope and I was surprised that I enjoyed it so much. It did take me a while to get used to the style. I am looking forward to reading more of his books.
This afternoon I finished reading A RIP THROUGH TIME by Kelley Armstrong, the first in her time travel trilogy. A female police detective from Vancouver in 2019 is transported to Edinburgh in 1869. Very interesting. Lesa reviewed this book two years ago and other people have mentioned it here. I like time travel books a lot, and this one was a lot of fun to read. And educational, plus Armstrong is a Canadian author. I got the book via Kindle Unlimited and my free trial runs out soon, so I am glad I finished it today.
Glen is now reading KRAKATOA: THE DAY THE WORLD EXPLODED, AUGUST 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester. He says it is very scientific, and he has told me some interesting facts that he learned from it.
Good luck, Tracy, with your eye appointment, and the weather.
Oh, I like that series by Armstrong. I have the third book here, and I’m looking forward to reading it soon.
Glen’s reading sounds a little too heavy for me this week when you said “very scientific”.
Tracy I haven’t read that book by Simon Winchester, but I’ve read several others. He has the ability to write fascinating nonfiction books on a number of topics. I was fortunate to attend a talk he gave at the local university – he’s just as fascinating in person.
Hello, all! It was a fabulous Mother’s Day with my family and a good reading week, which started with a book destined to be on the list of my favorites of the year.
It’s impossible to overstate what a special book this is. On the strength of Monica Wood’s earlier The One-in-a-Million Boy, which I adored, I was thrilled to take on HOW TO READ A BOOK, her latest novel. The plot features three strong protagonists who are realistic, believable, and relatable. Violet is a 22-year-old who spent almost two years in prison for drunk-driving manslaughter. Harriet is a retired teacher who leads a book club in the prison in which Violet is incarcerated, and retired machinist and current bookstore handyman Frank is the husband of the woman killed in Violet’s accident. All three are trying to come to terms with problems in their past involving family issues, unhappy relationships, and/or disastrous mistakes, and through a series of coincidences and choices, they find themselves ultimately a sterling example of “found family.” This is a quick and easy read, less than 300 pages, but there is so much remarkable content in those pages. The book club scenes with the female inmates are unforgettable and sometimes hilarious, as Harriet tries to find books that they will enjoy and to immerse them in conversations and exercises that allow them to express themselves in ways their normal prison life does not allow. Violet’s evolution after leaving prison and her scenes with the African gray parrots who are the subject of her employer’s research are extraordinary and delightful. I didn’t want them–or the book–to end! The supporting characters of family members and employers are also beautifully depicted, but it is the three main characters who carry the story with deeply felt emotion as they discover what they really want out of life and set a path to achieve it. The epilogue where we find out about the rest of Violet’s life is very moving and satisfying. This is a gem–highly recommended.
Even with 17-year-old Arabella (Belle) Yarrington’s salary from her work at a men’s gambling club, her family’s basic needs are not being met. She knows it may be up to her to bring her fatherless family out of poverty, so she’s receptive to the respectful advances of the much-older Collis Huntington, a prominent railroad tycoon, who is enchanted by her beauty and intelligence. Even though he is married and has a daughter, Belle agrees to be his mistress in return for his financial support of her family, and she finds a soulmate in her long-time relationship with Collis. AN AMERICAN BEAUTY by Shane Abe is a fictionalized version of the life of the real Arabella Huntington, who, against all odds, becomes an affluent entrepreneur, philanthropist, and art collector in her own right. Although the author has, of course, taken some poetic license with the known facts, she has clearly done her research and has written an entertaining and informative story of an extraordinary woman and her accomplishments. I enjoyed the depiction of Gilded Age customs, material excess, and prejudice, and rooted for Belle to succeed despite the cruel way she is treated by the wealthiest families. This is not necessarily a book where the reader can relate to the central character, but it is one where real-life history is presented in a way that is anything but boring. I read this book for a book club discussion. Side note: I learned in the book club meeting yesterday that the Sylvia Chamberlain character portrayed by Jeanne Tripplehorn in the series “The Gilded Age” is based on Arabella Huntington.
I absolutely loved Jeff Zentner’s first adult novel so I thought I’d check out some of his YA books. RAYNE & DELILAH’S MIDNITE MATINEE is centered on two BFFs about to graduate from high school and trying to decide their next steps (together or apart?). Josie and Delia have been hosting a low-budget horror movie show on the local public access TV station in Tennessee for a couple of years and are now syndicated in seven other markets. They enjoy dressing up in weird costumes and providing humorous (they hope) commentary breaks from the movie, sometimes incorporating animals and friends in the action. The two main characters both hope for a career in TV, but Josie’s dreams are much bigger than Delia’s. When they learn that an iconic horror movie host from decades earlier will make an appearance at a Comic Con, they hope to convince him to help them get ahead in their field. At the same time, Delia has hired a private investigator to find her father, who abandoned the family when she was a young child. Both plots come to a head as they take a road trip to the convention site, accompanied by a new male friend who has a thing for Josie. The chapters are narrated alternately by Josie and Delia, and the details of their lives, their quirks, and their aspirations are what makes this an absorbing read. I enjoy it when a book can surprise me, and this author is full of surprises. The ending, for example, may surprise you, but somehow it seems fitting and therefore satisfying. Secondary characters are also original and well portrayed. I received two more of Zentner’s YA books for my birthday, and I can’t wait to discover what else he has in store.
Margie, I’m so glad you had a good Mother’s Day with your family. And, all three of your books sound interesting this week. I’ll have to look for How to Read a Book. I like the background of An American Beauty as well.
Hello everyone,
The book I read this week was published in 2018 but it was new to me – THE WAY OF ALL FLESH by Ambrose Parry, a pseudonym for a husband (Christopher Brookmyre) and wife team. A wonderful historical mystery set in 1821 Edinburgh.
Will Raven, a medical student from the Old Town has the good fortune to be apprenticed to the renowned Dr. Simpson in the New Town. Sarah Fisher is a housemaid in Dr. Simpson’s home but with her intelligence and interest in ‘herbs and salves’ she has ambitions beyond her station in life.
The mystery revolves around young women turning up dead in the Old Town, all clearly having died terribly painful deaths. Will and Sarah both have reasons for wanting to find out what happened to these women and end up joining forces.
There is a wide cast of characters – each one vividly and convincingly portrayed. I loved the writing and didn’t want to miss a single word. The medical aspects surrounding first steps in the use of anaesthesia were fascinating and some of the obstetrical practices of the time were thrilling and horrifying in equal measure. The entire novel was suspenseful and completely believable. And maybe best of all there are four more books in the series!
The Way of All Flesh reminds me of Kelley Armstrong’s Ripped Through Time series, Lindy – setting and historical background. I like the time travel aspect of Armstrong’s series, though.
Lindy, thank you for your recommendation of The Way of All Flesh. It sounds wonderful, so I just put it on hold at the library.
I have too! Thanks for the recommendation Lindy. I have heard Christopher Brookmyre speak at Musselburgh Library (just outside Edinburgh) – he was very entertaining. My husband has read several of his books, but I’ve yet to get round to his work.
We’ve cooled off a little here. If it reached 70 today, I wasn’t aware of it. It’s May! It should be 70 at a minimum every day until at least October!! (Yes, I’m the weirdo who likes the warmer weather.)
I’ve started on June releases. I’m actually planning to review KILL OR BEE KILLED by Jennie Marts, the second Bee Keeping Mystery, the last week of May. But there are so many books coming out in June that I need to get a jump on them.
Anyway, I’m about a third of the way into the book, and the body has finally dropped. A little late, although the book has done a good job of setting up potential suspects, so I haven’t been bored. Hopefully, we can hit the ground running now that the murder has happened. I’ve definitely been enjoying it overall.
And I was going to say glad to hear you are enjoying Ashes Never Lie. I read the first in that series in the last few weeks and enjoyed it. Got to get the latest Eve book in before that one comes out. Or at least before I read it.
Oh, I like the warmer weather, too, Mark. We’re finally going to have sunshine today, after a lot of rain.
Yes, I’m enjoying Ashes Never Lie. I like the characters in both of Goldberg’s series.
Yours sounds a little slow to get going.
Hi Lesa and everyone,
I’m writing this on Wednesday evening as tomorrow I will be meeting our son at Corgarff, which is a hamlet beyond Strathdon, on the way to the mountains and the road to Inverness-shire. Fortunately it has one shop, which includes a café. Slightly further on is Corgarff Castle, which was built in 1540 and, after a turbulent history, is now in the care of Historic Scotland. It’s at the foot of the hill where the road begins to climb over the Lecht ski slopes.
At this time of year it’s hard to imagine how wild the weather can be up there, but there used to be a tiny museum housed in an old Nissan hut (air raid shelter), where I remember seeing newspaper cuttings about a winter storm in the early 1970s, during which the village was cut off at both ends by snowdrifts, and without electricity, for something like six weeks.
At the weekend I was down in Edinburgh, where the weather was far from good – wet and terribly windy. Today, back up in Aberdeenshire, it’s been fabulous inland, but I met a friend for a walk at Aberdeen beach, and the haar or sea fog never really lifted – we couldn’t even see the offshore wind farms (the ones that upset your former president so much…) It was still a good walk though – the fog made is quite atmospheric.
I seem to have had far too little time for reading this past week, though while I was in our house in Leith I did find some more books that might be good for the reading challenges ‘July in Paris’ and ‘Reading the Meow.’ I’d never heard of either of these until recently, but they look like fun.
‘Reading the Meow’ is just one week in June, so I doubt I’ll get too much read for that – I’m thinking about choosing Tom Cox’s UNDER THE PAW or THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FURRY. Cox lives a rather Bohemian life in rural Devon and writes about folklore, wildlife, cats and rock music (another book of his is EDUCATING PETER, which is about Cox’s mission to improve his friends’ 14 year old son’s understanding of his musical heritage [eg Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, Aerosmith] and life in general.) For some years Cox ran a twitter account called My Sad Cat, which featured his elderly cat Bear. Bear had a permanently sad look and every tweet began ‘My cat is sad because…’ It was very funny.
‘July in Paris’ does indeed run for the whole of July, and you can review books, films or whatever else you choose. I unearthed a DVD of Woody Allen’s film MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, which I’ve never watched, and I found I have plenty of books that are either set in France, or are by French authors. One is Luke Barr’s PROVENCE, 1970, which is about six famous ‘culinary icons’ (including MFK Fisher, Julia Child and James Beard) who were all in France in the winter of that year. Barr is Fisher’s great-nephew. I don’t know anything else about this book but it looks interesting. I’ve read other books by Fisher and by Beard and enjoyed them a lot.
Meanwhile, the only book I’ve been reading since last week is Emma Steele’s THE ECHOES OF US, which I am reviewing for The Edinburgh Reporter. I found it quite hard to get into, but I’m now almost three quarters of the way through and it’s improving. It’s about a couple who have clearly just got back together after eight months apart. The man, Robbie, has no idea why Jen suddenly upped and left him after they’d lived together for three years. They are driving home through the city when Robbie jumps a light and a truck sounds its horn as it approaches them from the side at speed.
Robbie is then shown various scenes from Jen’s life. She has always been reluctant to share much information, but now he gradually learns more about her family, especially her father’s sudden and unexplained departure when she was 13, and her mother’s subsequent depression. He also sees events from his own time with Jen, and realises that his behaviour (he comes from a privileged background and has never had to take life very seriously) was not always what it perhaps should have been.
But why is he being shown all these things now? And what is the secret that Jen was about to tell him just before he jumped that light?
On Sunday, on our way to Edinburgh, we stopped for the first time ever at the GRASSIC GIBBON centre at Arbuthnott in the Mearns. If you went to school in NE Scotland (which I didn’t) Lewis Grassic Gibbons’ SUNSET SONG, written in 1932, will almost certainly have been a set book at some point. It’s seen as a classic novel of life in this (then) remote and (still) agricultural area. Its central character is Chris Guthrie, a young woman growing up in a dysfunctional farming family at the start of the 20th century. I’ve never quite steeled myself to read this book – it just looks so depressing – but my friend Nancy loves it. In 2015 it was made into a film starring Agyness Deyn, and there have also been several stage adaptations, one of which is currently doing the rounds. The Grassic Gibbon centre is run entirely by volunteers – we didn’t have time to look round their little museum, but we did enjoy the delicious scones and homemade jam in their café!
On Monday we went over to Glasgow for a concert at Barras Art & Design (BAaD), a small-ish venue that used to be a covered market with a vaulted glass roof. The band, GO GO PENGUIN, plays electro jazz; I had never seen these guys before – they were amazing. The bassist in particular was so skilled and the entire set so innovative and exciting that I almost forgot I’d been standing for four hours (they weren’t on for all of that time!) They come from Manchester, but in June they will be touring in the US, playing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Boulder and Seattle – I highly recommend them if this is your kind of music.
On television I am continuing to watch KIN (Dublin drug/gang families – very good but very violent and not for those who prefer not to hear very ‘colourful’ language) and RACE ACROSS THE WORLD, which has now reached Thailand. I’m also continuing to enjoy the SHEDUNNIT podcast about Golden Age mysteries, and their historic and social context.
Have a great week all!
Rosemary, we finished THIS IS GOING TO HURT, which definitely went in a darker direction that the book did. And speaking of darker, we finished the first series of TEMPLE, which ended with a bang – well, several of them. We’ll be starting the second series soon. It wouldn’t work at all with a less credible actor than Mark Strong.
Just started the third series of COBRA. Boy, Prime Minister Robert Carlyle can never catch a break, can he? We are both finding his wife more than a little shrill and unreasonable. And, of course, there’s the annoying, angsty, self righteous daughter. Also on series four of our SCOTT & BAILEY rewatch, plus watching Suranne Jones in MARYLAND on PBS.
Jeff, I haven’t seen any of these!
I agree, though, Mark Strong is a wonderful actor. I first saw him in Our Friends in the North (1996 version.)
As ever I am noting all of your recommendations – it’s great to have them. I have still to get round to Scott and Bailey, which I know so many people rate very highly.
Well, Rosemary. I hope you don’t get cut off by a storm, and disappear on us for 6 weeks! At least you said that was a winter storm.
I don’t see how you find time for any reading with your busy schedule! Walks, and family, museums, cafes, concerts. Thank you. I love that you share all of that, along with the TV and podcasts. And, I like the way you insert a few Scottish terms and the definitions because we wouldn’t know them.
Sending hugs, and thanks, for everything you write!
Hi Rosemary,
A possible book to consider for your ‘Reading the Meow’ challenge. I haven’t read it yet, but it lives on my shelf at home waiting for me.
THE WILDINGS by Nilanjana Roy. It’s about a band of five cats who live in the ruins of a neighbourhood in Delhi.
The blurb says ‘a gorgeous evocation of Delhi, a love poem to cats and a rich, often savage tale of survival and conquering one’s fears.’
The Sunday Guardian said ‘A marvellously spun novel that could well become a classic in its own time’
Thank Lindy – I had never heard of that book. I will add it to my list.
Good morning. It’s been cool and rainy here in NJ too. Hopefully next week will be nicer so I can finally get my vegetable garden planted.
I read AT THE EDGE OF THE WOODS by Victoria Houston, her latest Sheriff Lew Ferris mystery. Lew has to investigate the shooting deaths of two pickleball players. Victoria Houston’s books have been hit or miss for me but this one was a hit.
THE VAMPIRE’S FORMER FLAME by Kristen Painter is a light paranormal romance and just what I needed this week.
Sandy, My cousin and her husband have a farm in Ohio, and she said he hasn’t been able to get the crops in yet this year because of all the rain. Good luck with your garden!
Just what you needed this week. Isn’t it nice to find a book that suits your mood?
I’m looking forward to the new Lee Goldberg – I recently bought the first Eve Ronin on Kindle for Jackie – so glad to hear it’s good. The weather is still up and down here – warm one day then cool the next few days, with periods of rain seemingly popping up every couple of days (but no tornadoes!).
Reading. Jackie is reading the third (she read the first two last year) in a Cynthia Eden paranormal trilogy about a Phoenix, BURN IT DOWN, after finishing THE POISONER’S RING, the second Kelley Armstrong time travel book.
I’m finally finishing those six books I was reading at once – did RAYMOND CHANDLER’S PHILIP MARLOWE, new stories (in 1988); William Maxwell’s ALL THE DAYS AND NIGHTS: His Collected Stories, and Charles Ardai’s DEATH COMES TOO LATE.
One I returned after reading halfway through – Anne Lamott’s book of advice to would-be writers (which does not include me), I already finished the James Patterson book on booksellers and librarians, so that only leaves the Theodore Roosevelt biography, which I am still reading, and mostly fascinated by. He got elected to the New York State Assembly at 22 or 23, and became Minority Leader a year later. After the tragedy of his wife dying two days after giving birth to their first child, from kidney disease, and his mother dying the same day in the same house, of typhoid fever, he is much changed. He makes his first visit to the Badlands of Dakota Territory to hunt a buffalo (he finally gets one), and is a delegate at the Republican National Convention in Chicago in 1884, that ultimately – against Roosevelt’s hopes – chose sleazy James G. Blaine as their Presidential nominee. (Blaine lost to New York Governor Grover Cleveland.) To be continued…
I’ve read some good reviews of Irish humorous writer Maeve Higgins’s new book, TELL EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN THAT I LOVE THEM, so decided to try her first book first – MAEVE IN AMERICA. It’s a collection of essays (as is the second), and I like most of them.
You’re probably thinking, I wonder what short stories Jeff is reading next. Well, I have two collections ready – Philip K. Dick’s SECOND VARIETY and Other Classic Stories, plus a newly published collection of stories by Frances & Richard Lockridge, most well known for their Mr. & Mrs. North books – FLAIR FOR MURDER, in the Crippen & Landru Lost Classics Series. There is one story about the Norths, but the rest feature Captain Merton Heimrich of the New York State Police. There were 26 North novels and 22 Heimrichs, by the way.
I also started a first novel set in Alaska that I believe Lesa recommended – Kerri Hakoda’s COLD TO THE TOUCH – but what with all the other reading and other stuff going on, I might have to return it and take it out again. So far, I like it.
Have a good week.
I wondered about Flair for Murder, Jeff. That sounds good. See, we do pay attention to what short stories you’re reading next!
It sounds below as if you’ve found the oral version of your short stories – podcasts! I just don’t see how you and Rosemary keep up with your busy schedules.
Oh, one more thing, for those who listen to podcasts (which I have never done before) and love rock & roll music, you need to check out Andrew Hickey’s A HISTORY OF ROCK MUSIC IN 500 SONGS. That has been taking up a lot of my time lately. He starts with the roots of rock music in the late 1930s, and presumably – he is up to episode 174, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” – going up to … I don’t know where. I’ve listened to 53 episodes (they run about 30-40 minutes each) ion the last few weeks, and have learned quite a few things.
Thank you for the podcast recommendation- sounds great!
Thanks for this Jeff – I always like to have a new podcast to try and this one sounds excellent.
Rosemary, I believe he is from Manchester, so gives a different perspective than what an American might feature. I’ve listened to 54 episodes so far, and he is up to 1957, the Everly Brothers.
Yes, you really should try Scott & Bailey.
I finished two books this week, MISSING WHITE WOMAN by Kellye Garrett and A VERY WOODSY MURDER by Ellen Byron, both great reads.
Oh, I really liked A Very Woodsy Murder, Dru Ann. That one was just fun.
I just finished Carlene O’Connor’s NO STRANGERS HERE, which I really enjoyed. It’s set in Dingle, Ireland and follows a veterinarian whose father is a suspect in a murder. It’s set in modern times but still gave me ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL vibes. Next, I’m starting LEST SHE FORGET by Lisa Malice.
I like Carlene O’Connor’s books, Kate. It doesn’t hurt that they’re set in Ireland. That’s the home of my heart.
It’s been a week since I returned from my dream trip to Singapore via Vancouver BC but I am still jet-lagged & recovering from a hacking cough/bug + allergic reaction.
So despite the past 6 days of scattered showers & cool weather, I have not been able to do a lot of reading.
But in anticipation of going to next week’s Montreal mystery festival, I am reading books by several panelists/GOH. I am listening to GOH Shari Lapena’s newest thriller, EVERYONE HERE IS LYING (70% done). The book has been nominated for Crime Writers of Canada’s best novel of the year.
I enjoy reading Catherine McKenzie’s suspense books. Catherine’s new book, EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES, is getting a lot of buzz. She writes this new series under the pseudonym of Catherine Mack. The debut book features 35-year-old mystery writer Eleanor Dash, who gets ensnared in solving a real-life mystery while on her book tour in Italy. It is a fun read, so far.
Grace I saw your blog about the trip to Singapore. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip with lots of exploring.
MM, thanks for reading the blog. Part II of the Singapore trip will be posted by Ovidia Yu next Tuesday.
Lesa: I was lucky that I did not get sick before going to Singapore. FYI, I spent 10 days in Vancouver & Seattle Left Coast Crime, came home, repacked my carry-on only luggage for a tropical climate & was on my way 4 days later.
Thanks for watching my journey via FB. Ovidia Yu wanted me to blog about my first trip to her country & gave me 2 slots in the Murder Is Everywhere blog. Part I went live on May 7, part II goes live on May 21.
Like MM, Grace, I followed your trip to Singapore. I followed on Facebook so I could see all the photos, and read about the trip as you went along. I’m sorry everything has caught up with you afterwards.
I understand the lack of interest in books when you’re not feeling good. I only knew Catherine Mack was a pseudonym because someone else mentioned it.
A beautiful sunny day is on tap here in Northern Michigan. My husband and I are going to go on a drive to a chocolate shop in a neighboring town to get my favorite chocolate covered potato chips. Oh so decadent!
This week I read the ARC “What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust” by Alan Bradley. What a joy to have Flavia De Luce back! This latest book in the series finds Flavia, Daffy, Mrs Mullett, Dogger, and Undine living at Buckshaw, buggering on without Major De Luce, who died in a previous novel. Mrs. Mullett continues to cook for the family, but has also taken on work cooking breakfast for the local retired hangman, Major Greyleigh. Unfortunately, Major Greyleigh is soon found dead on his cottage floor, ostensibly from eating poisoned mushrooms served up by Mrs. M. Flavia to the rescue to try to prove her innocence. The usual cast of characters jump in to assist her – Undine, Inspector Hewitt, Dogger, etc. And Flavia, by the end of the book, has taken a major step into imminent adulthood and finding her place as the head of Buckshaw.
I also listened to the audio version of “The Burglar who Traded Ted Williams”, number 6 in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series. I love this series and when I am in a lull for something to listen to, I invariably pick one of the books in this series. They never disappoint.
Thanks for sharing your zoo pictures with us this week, Lesa. You had some fantastic shots of the hippo!
Enjoy your trip and the chips, Mary!
I’m happy to hear you liked the new Flavia book. I have a galley of it, too. I thought Bradley was done with the series. It seems as if it’s been forever since the last one. Thank you for the review!
I am also excited about a new Flavia book!
I don’t have anything memorable to report in my reading this week and cataract surgery scheduled for next week. We did however have a fantastic view of the Northern Lights over the weekend. I’ve enjoyed looking at lots of local photos. I think maybe we borrowed a bit of Mark’s spring weather too as it’s been unusually warm.
My sister would be jealous, MM, that you saw the Northern Lights. We had cloud cover here, and people didn’t see it. But, people in my hometown had wonderful pictures posted.
Good luck with the cataract surgery next week. Mom and both sisters have had it, and it went well.
MM: Good luck with the cataract surgery. I had mine done in 2021.
It was life-changing. I had worn glasses for 45 years and could see better than ever before!
Big storms last night and tonight with flooding. In the daytime, it is dark, gloomy and lots of pollen. One thing I love about this group is learning about different books. Now I really want to read Monica Wood’s books/
I have started Rain Breaks No Bones by Barbara J, Taylor. I won it from LibraryThing. Tiny print but some of the lines make me shake my head, roar with laughter and wonder about life in Scranton, Pennsylvania back in the 1950s. It is a last book in a series of four so I have to play catch up with the characters. I wish that I could find audio books of the previous three books. It is an ARC so I can’t quote from it but I really wish that I could.
Stay safe, Carol. Sounds as if you have the worst weather, unless Kevin gets the storms, too, in Texas. Take care.
I agree with you. I love to read about books I might have missed or never heard of. We all read such a variety, new and older books.
I am so glad you got to see Bibi , Fiona, Tucker and Fritz at the zoo! I could sit at Hippo Cove all day. Cincinnati and Columbus zoos are very different.
Today is our sunny day before more rain. It has been a little cooler which is nice.
Two books this week. I didn’t enjoy North Woods by Daniel Mason a whole lot despite the race reviews. Essentially it was a collection of short stories about a yellow house in Massachusetts and it’s inhabitants (to include a beetle in chapter 8) through the ages. It all got tied together with the ghosts that inhabit it. Some of it was interesting but mostly I found it a slog to get through.
I raced through Jane L. Rosen’s On Fire Island. Julia dies at age 37 but does not transition to the afterlife until she spends one more season on Fire Island to see how her husband copes with his grief. It was heartwarming and funny and had baseball. I loved it!
Happy Reading!
Oh, I agree with you, Sharon. I really liked On Fire Island.
I haven’t been to the Columbus Zoo. I wanted to see the bloat. You’re right. I could have sat there all day, and watched the hippos. Cincinnati is a terrific zoo.
Thank you! Happy reading to you as well!
I am inhaling STILL LIFE by Louise Penny. It’s my first time to read Penny; have been recommended many times by a friend and online folks over the years, and I have had several in the stacks but just now getting to her. I have too much on tap to go into a full Penny marathon just now but I’ll definitely be reading more!
One of my favorite authors, Wiley. I always think readers need to be in the right mood to read Penny, especially the early ones before you become addicted to the characters.
Hi, all!
We’ve had several chilly rainy days; perfect for tucking in with a good book (or two).
One of my favorite books ever is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. His new Table for Two did not disappoint.
Description from Amazon –
“A knockout collection. … Sharp-edged satire deceptively wrapped like a box of Neuhaus chocolates, Table for Two is a winner.” —The New York Times
From the bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Rules of Civility, a richly detailed and sharply drawn collection of stories, including a novella featuring one of his most beloved characters
Millions of Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.
The New York stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, consider the fateful consequences that can spring from brief encounters and the delicate mechanics of compromise that operate at the heart of modern marriages.
In Towles’s novel Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September 1938 with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets, bungalows, and dive bars of Los Angeles.
Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting fiction.
Oh, good, Kaye! I was hoping you’d like the new Amor Towles because I know how much you love A Gentleman in Moscow.
And, I downloaded the cat book on NetGalley. Thank you! I think I”ll like that one.
His books always have a huge wait list here in Dallas.
We got some very warm weather here, after being in the 50s last week. In the summer, 90s are refreshingly cool breaks from the triple digits, but all of a sudden like that just makes you tired.
Went to a concert by the band Berlin, opening for Pat Benatar. Berlin was surprisingly good. They were a hard New Wave band before they sang “Take My Breath Away” and broke up for a while. The biggest reaction of the whole night came when Terri said “Now I’d like to sing my favorite religious song,” and broke into an amazing rendition of “Highway to Hell.”
Pat Benatar was okay, but she lost a lot of her vocal range. The vocal cords are one part of the body you can’t preserve with surgery, unfortunately. And she didn’t sing “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” which confused the whole audience.
This week I read:
To Rescue The Constitution by Brett Baier; Mostly a biography of George Washington, and how his presence led to the Constitution. Popular history of the sort Beltway types adore, and the folks between the coasts ignore (and for good reason).
Trippy by Ernesto Londono; An adherent to the cause of psychoactive mushroom treatment tries to evangelize. I’m not completely sold, and I spent way too much time thinking about the infamous Blue Boy episode of Dragnet after reading this.
Mine Games by Scott Harrington; latest entry in the Trace Connor ninjutsu series. After fighting with a grizzly bear, Trace takes on a bodyguard job. His concussion seems to catch up to him. The ending is unsatisfactory for this sort of genre.
Hard Frost by RD Wingfield; A dead boy is found in a garbage bag on Guy Fawkes Day/ Halloween, there’s a couple of more kidnappings, maybe, and other murders, etc. The brass doesn’t know what to do, so they call in Frost, even though they hate him. I guess this was on TV at some point. In this era, I don’t think these books would even get published.
It sounds as if the week wasn’t great, Glen, from weather to books. At least Berlin came through! And, I came through as well. I just emailed you that you won a copy of The End of the Road.
Awesome! That ends the week on a high note!
Hi Lesa,
I loved your zoo pictures! Glad you stayed safe during the storm. My current reads are How to Read a Book by Monica Wood (kindle) and Summers at the Saint (audio) by Mary Kay Andrews
Thank you,, Katherine. It was a great day at the zoo. I know Andrews’ book makes the bestseller list this Sunday. I hope you’re enjoying the books.