Happy Thursday! I’m writing this 50 minutes before it goes live. My sister, Linda, and I drove in from Toronto in pouring rain on Wednesday. The rain started when we crossed the border. What should have been a seven hour drive was nine hours because of the torrential downpours all the way from New York to Ohio, and Linda drove the entire way. Kudos and thanks to her.
We split the driving when we went up on Monday. We had reservations at an inn, that I will not name here, but I took one look at it, and said, I’m not staying. Terrible neighborhood. Terrible looking building. And, Linda told her husband we would probably have brought back bedbugs. Just yech. Fortunately, I called the Soho Hotel Toronto. They were totally booked when I tried to get a reservation earlier, but we were lucky. They now had one room available, and I scooped it up. What a difference. That hotel is in the entertainment district, within easy walking distance of the financial district, and we felt totally safe out walking to and from Roy Thomson Hall at night.
We went up to see “Broadway Blockbusters with Ramin Karimloo and Mikaela Bennett” with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Steven Reineke, conductor. Bennett and Ramin are both originally from Canada, although neither lives there now. The concert was magical. And, despite the fact that I’m the biggest Ramin Karimloo fan in the family, Linda enjoyed the concert as much as I did. I’ve seen Ramin Karimloo four times in Les Miz on Broadway, twice in Anastasia, twice in Funny Girl. Linda and I saw him with his Broadgrass Band in Columbus, Indiana, and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale to see him with Sierra Boggess and Seth Rudetsky. And, we have tickets to see him in Pirates of Penzance in May 2025 on Broadway.
As much as I adore Ramin, I have to tell you about the conductor, Steven Reineke. He’s the Music Director of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, as well as the Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Houston Symphony, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. If you ever get the chance to see him conduct an orchestra, grab it. He’s an entertainer himself, dancing up on the podium, and enjoying himself. He’s a treat to watch. I used to enjoy Keith Lockhart (Conductor of the Boston Pops) when he conducted the Naples (FL) Philharmonic Orchestra as a guest conductor. Reineke is even more fun to watch.
So, the concert was wonderful., with songs from Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Bridges of Madison County, The Man of La Mancha, and other Broadway shows. Linda and I walked and walked and walked on a gorgeous day on Tuesday, then walked to the concert that night. And, Wednesday drove home in that rain.
All that to say, I didn’t read anything this week. I’m currently reading The Arizona Triangle by Sydney Graves for a review. But, I’ve said enough this week, sharing Toronto.
I’m just going to remind you to pick out 3-5 books that you’ve read this year, if you’d like to talk about them on July 4 or July 11, whichever date works for you. Just short comments since it will be on “What Are You Reading?” And, to answer Rosemary’s question, it doesn’t have to have been written in 2024. Just a few books you read and enjoyed in the first half of the year. And, you don’t have to do it, either. This isn’t a “requirement”. Nothing that feels like homework.
This week, I hope you’ll tell us what you’ve been doing. And, of course, “What Are You Reading?”
Glad you are safely home. Glad you had fun.
Still too damn hit here. We hit 98 with a heat index of 112. Utter bull hockey.
Still working on The Cardinal’s Curse. Heat is doing a number on me. Slowed down my reading a lot.
My term as SMFS President ends Sunday at midnight and that should free up a lot of time. Way less stress too.
But, look at all you accomplished in the last year, Kevin, despite heat and health. Short stories published. Noir at the Bar. Your blog. Reviews on my blog. Thank you for everything, despite the heat.
Thank you, Lesa.
No homework? Aw, man!
Was mostly hot this week, but Tuesday was actually pretty nice, as we got cloud cover from somewhere.
Went to another concert, this one at the Folsom Harris Center. It was an ABBA tribute. The one I saw earlier this year was better, but the Harris center is quite nice.
This week I read:
Crude by Mike Bond; A CEO has a press conference condemning the Ukraine war. Then his oil rig is blown up. The CEO scrambles to save his company and find out what is going on. I think this is the first book against the war I’ve read.
A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge; Julia Childs is attending cooking school, in immediate post-war Paris. Her friend solves murder mysteries. When somebody poisons a chef with an excellent wine saved from the Nazis, one is hard pressed to tell whether they are more concerned with the murders, or that someone is poisoning great wine. It’s all very French. I was a bit surprised Julia wasn’t the sleuth.
Insane City by Dave Barry; When a schlub is marrying into money, the whole wedding party flies into Miami. Big mistake. The Bride becomes a Bridezilla, Haitian refugees are in the groom’s hotel room. Edibles are eaten by important people, an orangutang is involved. This is an old fashioned Big City Adventure, so popular in the 1980’s, and now mostly faded away. I could see Matthew Broderick Jr starring in the movie if it were 1988.
Owl’s Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews; Our sleuth buys an old house once owned by a hoarder. She holds a garage sale, and her large family horns in on it. Her father is crazy about some owls. Then there’s a murder. Humorous, but I’m not sure the whole family shouldn’t be arrested for something.
Scanning Past Horizons by Randy Lee White; Poetry about the past. The most interesting was about the Bonus Army of the early 1930’s.
One Deadly Eye by Randy Wayne White; It took five years for White to figure out how to get Doc Ford out of his marriage to Hannah Smith. This book is the result. There’s a gigantic hurricane, but over the years, the meteorologists have lost all their credibility, like a lot of the scientific community. Of course, it hits Sanibel Flats. Russian mercs follow the hurricanes to loot empty houses, but in this case, they also want to kill Doc. Somebody else wants to kill them. Exciting, but not quite in form.
A good time for concerts during the summer, isn’t it, Glen? I miss live music during the winter. Well, actually, I miss a lot because I hate winter.
I was disappointed in Colleen Cambridge’s French mysteries because Julia Child wasn’t the sleuth. She just seemed like an add on. Oh, let’s make her a character so someone busy the book.
During the summer, I used to go to two or three concerts a week before COVID, so I feel like I’m getting my life back, finally.
As to the Julia Child book, I think we’re supposed to see that the life of the sleuth is parallel to Julia Child’s, as they both find an unexpected occupation that they love. Julia’s just too busy to solve mysteries.
I keep telling my sister that COVID put everything off track. I’ve been to NYC a couple times, just 2 years ago, but it was when we went to Toronto that I felt as if life was back on track. I agree with you.
It was just me. I didn’t care for the amateur sleuth in Cambridge’s book. I guess I thought Julia Child would have been smarter as a sleuth.
Lesa, I loved reading about the concert you went to; you made it sound wonderful. I have never heard of Ramin Karimloo! I guess I just haven’t lived.
One book for me this week: THE SECRET KEEPER by Genevieve Graham. This book was so good! It’s a totally compelling historical fiction novel about the ways in which women, in this case especially Canadian women, contributed to the effort to win WW ll.
We are introduced to the main characters, twin sisters Dorothy and Margaret (also known by their nicknames Dot and Dash) when they are just little girls. Right from the first page the reader comes to know how closely these sisters have bonded, despite their vastly different personalities. One is daring and adventurous while the other is quieter and much more cautious. I loved them both – and continued to do so throughout the novel – and was fully invested in the book by page 6.
The chapters alternate between the two sisters as they join the Canadian brand of the WRENS and we follow their stories as they each perform essential work for the war effort, involving codebreaking and aviation. There are many other characters, each one vividly depicted.
The author’s copious research allowed me to learn things I’ve never known about some of Canada’s contributions, but every one of those things was a fascinating part of the story and it never felt like I was having a history lesson – but I sure did learn a lot.
This novel has everything you could want – characters to love; heartfelt scenes; things to learn about the strength of women at war, and about male prejudice; family rifts arising from the need to keep secrets; resilience; courage; heart-stopping suspense. A rattling good story.
I’ve read quite a few novels set during WW ll but this one touched me in a way that no other has done, and I feel privileged to have been able to read it. It will stick with me for quite some time.
Oh, Lindy. Most people haven’t heard of Ramin Karimloo. That’s okay. I found him the year he was nominated for a Tony Award for Les Miserables. But, he lives in England, and much of his success is in Japan.
The Secret Keeper sounds fascinating. Here in the U.S., we’re so self-centered, we don’t think about Canada during the war. On our trip to Toronto, my sister and I went into St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. Plaques and some stained glass windows were dedicated to men from that church who had died in combat during World War I and World War II. If this book hooked you by page 6, I should check to see if it’s available here. Thank you!
Thanks for the recommendation Lindy, I just put the book on hold. I have learned that before I read “What are you reading?” I need to open up my library account. So many holds, so little time.
Glad you had such a fun trip and got back safely despite the rain.
I’m almost 3/4 of the way through Murder on Devil’s Pond by Ayla Rose, aka Wendy Tyson. I’m hooked and want to know who the killer is. It’s obviously not my first pick because all the evidence is pointing that suspect’s way.
Thank you, Mark. That despite the rain is a good comment. Nasty, nasty weather for driving. I was lucky my sister was willing to do it.
Don’t you love it when you know you picked the wrong character, and it makes sense when you read the solution?
Glad you had a good trip.
I read A Cauldron of Deceptions, short mysteries by various authors each featuring witches and cauldrons. I enjoyed a few of the stories while others were obviously part of a series and assumed you’d read the series which I hadn’t.
Darn. Sandy. I hate those kind of assumptions. One reason I like to read a collection is for an introduction to new characters and series. I’ve found some that way. But, they need to do a good job with the introduction, and not assume everyone has read the books.
I don’t typically think in terms of “best of” when I’m reading, but I do enjoy other’s efforts. From Margie’s post here of her EXQUISITE BOOKS of 2023 “This impressive debut author is one to watch”. Meg Shaffer’s THE WISHING GAME is endearing – only brave children know you have to try to make your own wishes come true.
And sometimes a special book is just quietly waiting on the library shelf. WE HOLD OUR BREATH: A Journey to Texas Between Storms. Micah Fields writes an ode to Houston on the occasion of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The hubris that built the city and the tenacity of the people that live there. I’ve worked in Houston a few times and have no desire to live there, but enjoyed the book.
With the eighteenth and final book, THE COMFORT OF GHOSTS, Jacqueline Winspear very nicely wrapped up her Maise Dobbs series. Satisfying for the reader and when the author has the luxury to conclude a long running series.
Thanks for sharing your adventures Lesa – my favorite kind of travel.
You’re right, MM. I like that summary, “Satisfying for the reader and when the author has the luxury to conclude a long running series.” So often the author doesn’t have that luxury. I thought it was odd that Winspear and Susan Elia MacNeal wrapped up their series within the same month or so.
Thank you for reading about my travels!
Nice! Sounds like a great time, other than the trip home. We enjoyed Bouchercon in Toronto in 2017, though we were a little northeast (I think) of you in the Sheraton Centre downtown. We saw Ramin in FUNNY GIRL almost exactly a year ago.
Our weather has been pretty hot lately, with rain mostly at night (the way it should be). Will have to remember to do my list of books next week, as the following Thursday we’ll be in Connecticut with my cousins at Mystic on our annual post-July 4 mini-vacation.
Books. Jackie finished the third in her Linnea Sinclair/Dock Five series – HOPE’s FOLLY – and has moved on to the fourth and final book – ROBOTS AND LOVERS. It’s clear she is enjoying it, as she doesn’t often read three books in a row by the same author these days. She’ll be back to the Aussie author Keri Arthur next, as I am downloading the new one from the library for her.
I did read three books this week. First was Long Island, a good but (to me) frustrating book by Colm Toibin, the sequel to his hit from 2009 (and the movies), Brooklyn. The behavior by the lead characters remains inexplicable to me in so many ways. (SPOILER – If you haven’t read the books and want to be surprised, skip the following.) To briefly recapitulate, in the first book, heroine Eilis Lacey gets to come to New York in the mid-1950s, gets a job, and, after a whirlwind romance, marries Italian-American plumber Tony Fiorello. But when her beloved sister Rose dies, she travels home to Ireland – and here’s the first inexplicable thing – she does NOT tell her mother or friends that she is married. Instead, she takes up a romance with pub owner Jim Farrell. It’s only when she is about to be outed, and Jim clearly hopes to marry her, that she leaves a note and rushes back to New York, and Tony. (END SPOILER)
In teh new book, it is 1976, and Eilis is living with Tony and their two teenagers in Lindenhurst, Long Island, in a cul de sac with Tony’s parents and his two brothers and their wives, a rather confining life. Then one day, a stranger comes to the door and tells Eilis that his wife is pregnant by Tony, and he has no intention of raising another man’s child, so either she will take it in when it is born, or he will leave it on the doorstep. Eilis makes it clear to Tony – and his mother – that she will NOT have the child in her house, but they don’t seem to get it. So she decides to leave for Ireland and her mother’s 80th birthday, with her kids to follow in a month when school is out. She will wait to see what happens when the baby is born in August. (ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT) Here’s where it gets nuts again. Jim is in a secret romance with Nancy, Eilis’s best friend from the previous book, a widow whose oldest daughter is about to get married. Yet both are keeping it a secret. When Eilis drops into the middle, Nancy doesn’t tell her a bout Jim. And Jim, while planning to marry Nancy, clearly still has strong feelings for Eilis, who is so incensed by the actions of her husband, that…well, you need to read the book to see where it goes. As I said, I just don’t understand people who behave this way. It jsut seems to artificial to me, that they keep all these relationships secret for no good reason, other than the author’s plot necessities. Why wouldn’t Nancy say to Eilis, “It’s so funny that Jim and I got together.”? Isn’t that what a friend would do? So yes, I liked the writing and the setting (southeast coast of Ireland), but I found it frustrating too. (END SPOILER)
Carson McCullers, The Complete Stories, is a book I’m glad I rad without being very excited about it, if that makes sense. It’s more for completists of her work than anyone else, I’d say.
Martin Edwards, ed. The Measure of Malice: Scientific Detection Stories. I’ve tried to keep up with all the anthologies Edwards has edited for the British Library editions, but this came out at the height of the pandemic in 2020, and it completely passed under my radar. For some reason, the library didn’t get it either, so I bought a nice ex-library copy (Batavia Public Library, Batavia, Illinois) for a few dollars. For the most part is is the mix as usual. He starts with a Sherlock Holmes story (“The Boscombe Valley Mystery”) and includes stories by Anthony Wynne (“The Cyprian Bees”), Freeman Wills Crofts, R. Austin Freeman, H. C. Bailey, Dorothy L. Sayers, etc. But I need to mention two egregiously terrible stories, both written by L. T. Meade and a doctor/co-writer. The first (by Meade & Clifford Halifax) is “The Horror of Studley Grange,” the kind of setup Holmes often faced, a pseudo-horror story about a man being driven mad by apparitions (I won’t bother with a SPOILER, but if you do want to read it, you might skip what follows.) that appear in his bedroom at night. Anyone with the smallest brain would find the obvious solution – change bedrooms! And the solution is simply moronic. Seems his wife his dying of tuberculous and can’t bear that he might remarry, so decides to drive him mad and take him with her. There is an old wardrobe on the wall between their rooms,and she is sneaking int he back at night and – basically – shining a light in her face to look spooky and scare him to death. So, so stupid. The second, by Meade and Robert Eustace (who also wrote with Sayers), is almost as far fetched.
Currently reading Philip K. Dick’s collection We Can Remember It For You Wholesale and Other Classic Stories. The title story is a classic, filmed with Arnold Schwarzenegger as TOTAL RECALL.
I read a couple of rave reviews of a first New Zealand novel, Tom Baragwanath’s Paper Cage, and since my library had a copy I took it out. I’m about halfway through it. It is beautifully written, and even though it is not the kind of book I usually like, it’s worth a try. It’s set an hour north of the capital, Wellington, in Masterton (a real place). Lorraine Henry is a widow (her husband killed in a tragic shooting accident) working at the local police station as a clerk in the records department. Her husband was part-Maori, and she is close to their niece Sheena. Meanwhile, several children have gone missing without a trace, and when Sheena’ son Bradley becomes the latest of them, Lo gets deeply involved in the search. Is it gang or drug-related? Sheena’s boyfriend is a dealer. Or is there a serial pedophile out there?
Oh, I’ll remind you next week, Jeff. Hopefully, it isn’t too onerous a task to put together a list of 3-5 books. (grin)
Thank you for the summary of Long Island. I had already cancelled my hold at the library after your brief comments last week. Now, I’m really not interested in reading that book!
Sometimes, What Are You Reading? is just as good for reminding us what not to read as what to read!
Update: I finished PAPER CAGE, skimming a lot of the second half after I figured out where it was going, and I didn’t like it at all. Do NOT read it, is my advice. The A ratings I saw? I beg to disagree.
I was born in Toronto & lived there for almost 40 years. That area where your first hotel is located has been sketchy since I was a kid! Good thing you trusted your instinct & moved to the SOHO. King Street West is a world away from Allan Gardens! Glad you enjoyed the concert at RTH.
For the third month, I have not been able to read much (allergic reaction causing blurred vision for 3 weeks this month) so I have not been commenting.
But I did have some excellent reads in February & March, so I may chime in with my list on July 4 or 11.
Thank you, Grace. It makes me feel good to know we made the right decision. Loved the concert!
I hate that you can’t read right now. You’re always welcome to comment, but the blurred vision probably makes that a problem, too. I hope you do tell us about the books you enjoyed earlier this year.
And, thank you for making me feel good about our choice!
Thanks, Lesa. Yes, not being able to read online or a physical book has been very weird. I was still able to read with lopsided vision between the 2 cataract surgeries in 2021 so it’s been extremely frustrating. Listening to audiobooks have not been that great for me either this month.
But at least I can now see the computer screen with my reading glasses on since early this week. FYI, needing to use my reading glasses to do this is not normal. I usually read 99% of the time without using them.
How frustrating, Grace. I’m glad you can at least read the computer screen.
And, I get it. Audiobooks are not for me either. I’d much rather read print.
I hope your allergies settle down and you can read soon! A reader is lost without that!
Glad that you got back safely. The audio book was droning on endlessly, too melodramatic so I put it aside. Finishing To Darkness and To Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming and I literally cannot put it down. It is open face down beside me.
Texas is Hot! Too Hot. Our car does not like hot weather now so that really limits any trips.
Julia Spencer-Fleming’s books are so good, aren’t they, Carol?
Kevin Tipple says the same thing – Texas is too hot. Stay inside and try to stay cool!
Lesa, your concert sounds wonderful! I will definitely see Ramin Karimloo one of these days in person (I hope). I’m sorry you had such a bad trip back but I’m glad you’re home safe. This hasn’t been the best week for me. The news we got at Nick’s angiogram was followed by an allergy attack which is still plaguing me, but it hasn’t slowed me down much with respect to my usual activities–card games, book club, Toastmasters, luncheon, etc. By the way, Nick’s surgery is scheduled for July 31.
My reading this week was mixed. Here goes:
In her newest novel, BY ANY OTHER NAME, Jodi Picoult has added together a prodigious amount of research and a large complement of imagination to come up with a stunning result, about which I feel quite ambivalent. The central idea is that women sometimes have to resort to letting men take credit for their creative work, in order for it to be seen by the public. In Elizabethan times, it is actually a crime for a woman to be a playwright, so Emilia Bassano contacts influential (but untalented) playwright William Shakespeare to front her heartfelt plays, many of which highlight the feelings of women. And in the present day, Milana Green insists on submitting her hard-earned masterpiece about her ancestor, none other than Emilia, to a competition through her best friend and roommate, Andre–an aspiring playwright himself. While at college, Milana has received a poor review from the very reviewer who is now judging the contest, so she doesn’t want her name attached to her play. I have relished many Picoult novels over the years, as her storytelling and originality are second to none. In this book, the story she weaves about each of the women, and particularly about the possibility of Shakespeare-attributed works being written by others (a longtime theory) is compelling. But I have to say that I admired the book more than I enjoyed it. It is very long (544 pages), although to be fair, almost 10% is devoted to her notes following the end of the story. The chapters devoted to Emilia take over most of the book, and her whole-life story is largely a bleak and depressing one. I enjoy it when an author is detail-oriented, but in this case I feel the amount of detail bogged the story down. I would have liked more of the present-day story of Milana to balance out the plots, although I’m not sure why her story had to end in the near future. I admit that I did some scanning, rather than reading, in places where I felt myself losing interest. I will still look for Jodi Picoult’s books, which have given me many hours of reading pleasure, but next time I will wait to read some of the reviews before committing myself to reading the book. (August)
To enjoy Anna Johnston’s debut novel, THE BORROWED LIFE OF FREDERICK FIFE, you must first willingly accept her impossible premise–that an elderly man who looks a lot like an elderly dead man he has just encountered can take over the man’s name and life in a retirement care home in Australia . . . and nobody will be the wiser. I never did buy it, but by the end of the book, I still found myself entertained, and even emotional. Fred is about to be homeless, having spent all of his money on the medical expenses of his deceased wife. He runs into some senior citizens on a field trip by a river, realizes a man in a wheelchair is actually dead, and tries to find his caretakers, inadvertently knocking the man into the river, where he floats away. The caretakers immediately take Fred for their resident, Bernard, and won’t listen to Fred’s protests that he isn’t Bernard. And, of course, he doesn’t mind it that he now has a place to live. I won’t go into any more detail, much of it difficult to believe, but we do learn a lot about Bernard’s sad life, his late wife and older daughter, and his long-estranged younger daughter. We also become acquainted with a female caretaker who is descending into depression and substance abuse, an endearing resident with dementia and his devoted wife, and two employees who are destined to come together in a romantic relationship. I would have enjoyed a lot more nuance to the plot, and I could have done without one female resident who is simply too crass, but I did find the book worth reading after a rocky start, to find out how each plotline is resolved and whether Bernard ever gets caught. You might enjoy it as well. (September)
I’m happy to say I devoured Christina Lauren’s winning new book, THE PARADISE PROBLEM, in just one day. It starts with a faux marriage between two college students so they can get into subsidized family housing and ends (no spoiler for a romance) with a real relationship. Anna was a medical student but found she much preferred being an (albeit starving) artist. She thought she had signed divorce papers after college ended for both of them and they split up, but she wasn’t really paying attention. Now she’s painting like crazy, but has to take a series of menial jobs to support herself and pay her father’s medical bills. Then Liam, her former partner and now a university professor, makes her an offer she can’t refuse. He’s let the marriage papers ride because he stands to come into a very sizable inheritance if he stays married for five years, but now his family is clamoring to meet his wife at the upcoming marriage of his younger sister on a tropical island. And he’s willing to pay Anna handsomely for her participation. She doesn’t expect how difficult some of Liam’s fabulously wealthy relatives–mainly his horrible father–will be for Liam to deal with, and how his refusal to return to the family business will affect every one of his family members. I loved reading about how these two very different people manage to come together to face this intense challenge for both, and rooted for them all the way. I also relished reading about the over-the-top 10-day wedding experience (Crazy Rich Asians, anyone?) in a true paradise and getting to know this dysfunctional family. I believe this book is one of the author duo’s best and highly recommend it.
And now, I’m off to walk with the Walkie Talkies (first time walking in this very hot week). Byeee!
Margie, so funny we both read THE PARADISE PROBLEM this week and HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY last week. Too bad we live on opposite sides of the country.
Margie, I’m so sorry about your allergies, but at least you kept going. I am really sorry about your son, and I’ll keep him in my prayers. I hope everything works out well for him.
Oh, I”m sure you’ll get to see Ramin sometime. He travels all over. In fact, he’s performing in Utah in January. I am NOT going to try to go to Utah in January. And, that’s a different type of performance, with his Broadgrass Band. They do a combination of some Broadway songs, some bluegrass, and a little of anything he wants to sing.
The Paradise Problem does sound good. Lauren’s books are hit or miss for me. That one might work!
Lesa, I agree about Christina Lauren’s books. There was one I DNF’d, and some are definitely better than others. I was very happy I read this one.
Unfortunately, Margie, I can believe the premise of A Borrowed Life after some of the experiences I’ve had with old age homes. If somebody doesn’t get many visitors, and doesn’t make waves, they soon become a cipher.
Sounds like you had an amazing time in Toronto. I’m so happy for you and it sure beats my one outing this week so far which was to hospital for my weekly dose of chemo.
On a more positive note, I just started reading an ARC of Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent. The author is a lexicographer well known on this side of the Atlantic Ocean from the TV show Countdown where she has been in what’s called ‘dictionary corner’ for over 30 years. She has written a long list of word-related non fiction books over the years but this is her first fiction title and to say I’m very curious would be an understatement.
Loved hearing about Toronto!!
And loved A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey!
Description from Amazon:
The historic houses in the seaside town of Beaufort, North Carolina, have held the secrets of their inhabitants for centuries. One of the most enduring refuses to be washed away by the tide: What happened to Rebecca and Townsend Saint James on that fateful night of their disappearance in 1976?
Now, the granddaughter they never knew, Keaton Smith, is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort on the market, she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, which has been closed for nearly fifty years, she wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Wading through the detritus of her grandparents’ lives, Keaton finds herself enchanted by their southern traditions—and their great, big love. As she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton begins to wonder if the stories she has been told about her grandparents are true.
Keaton’s grandmother, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James’s annual summer suppers are the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But, in the summer of 1976, she’s struggling behind the facade of the woman who can do it all—and facing a problem that even she can’t solve.
As Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of their family for generations.
“The novel to read this year” (Annabel Monaghan) explores the power of family, the boundless nature of love, and the idea that discovering where we came from just might lead us to A Happier Life.
Oh, this one sounds wonderful, Kaye! I’m going to look for it. Thank you for mentioning it, and saying you love it.
You would have been so pleased that we looked at that first hotel, and said no way. What’s losing a little money to feeling safe?
Hi Marleen,
You’re right. My trip was undoubtedly better than yours. Sending hugs.
Oh, I’d be curious about Dent’s first fiction title, too. Her career sounds so interesting!
Glad you made it home safely and had a wonderful time.
I read three books this week. Despite the unbelievable premise, I really enjoyed Christina Lauren’s latest book. In THE PARADISE PROBLEM Liam marries Anna to get student housing. Three years later, Anna thinks they are divorced but Liam knocks on her door with another favor. His family wants to meet his wife during his sister’s wedding week. And by the way they aren’t divorced, his family are billionaires, and they need to stay married a few more months so he can collect his inheritance. I loved the characters of Liam and Anna. This might be my favorite Christina Lauren book since THE UNHONEYMOONERS.
Next, I read Jenn McKinlay’s FONDANT FUMBLE. I think I may be done with the series after 16 books. Two professional football players purchase a cupcake franchise, and the owner of the football team is found murdered. They killer was pretty easy to spot, and the book eased into its formulaic plot. I liked the football players as well as Mama June but now that Angie is a mother, she is pretty nonexistent to the story. And Uncle Stan barely shows up too. It was Mel’s personal storyline that made me decide I was done. I’ve enjoyed the series but the last several were hit or miss for me. I don’t need to continue with it out of loyalty.
Lastly, I finished HOW TO READ A BOOK by Monica Wood. It was fabulous. We meet Bookie aka Harriet who leads a weekly reading group in a woman’s prison. One of the inmates is Violet, a 22-year-old convicted of manslaughter. Frank is the widower of the woman Violet kills in a car accident. Their lives all intersect in an emotional lovely story. This was a gem.
Happy Reading!
Oh, Sharon. Between you and Margie, you convinced me to try The Paradise Problem. The Unhoneymooners was my favorite. Favorite since then? I’m in!
Happy Reading to you, too!
I’m on a bit of a time crunch this morning, so real quickly, here is my review of the one book that I got to this past week:
Marty Wingate’s, A Body at the Dance Hall, is the 3rd installment in “The London Ladies’ Murder Club” book series. Mabel Canning, a modern woman in the early 1920’s, is once again working for the Useful Women agency. One of her assignments is to entertain an 18 year old American who is visiting her estranged father and step mother for the first time since she was a little girl. Mabel takes Roxanne to a dance hall, where she meets an investigator who has been hired to look out for Roxanne. Oswald Deuchar lures Mabel into a room, where he locks her up to keep her out of the way, and within an hour has been murdered. The rest of the book finds Mabel, and her usual assortment of friends, trying to solve the murder. And then, Roxanne gets kidnapped, and another mystery gets added to the mix. An entertaining read.
Thanks for stopping by, Mary, even on a busy morning. I always enjoy seeing what books people are reading. I know Marty Wingate, but not that series. I’m glad you enjoyed the latest book! Have a good day!
I just finished First Lie Wins — so clever and fun! Evie Porter is so much like The Girl w the Dragon Tatoo.
I’m glad you enjoyed your pick this week, Ann!
My second cataract surgery was done on Tuesday, one week after the first one, and in both cases I have been very tired in the days following surgery. But this week is better overall and the surgery went well and my vision is much improved. I can work on the computer without glasses and the only glasses I have needed are reading glasses. In a couple of weeks I won’t have to worry about bending and lifting and keeping my eyes protected from water, etc.
Regarding my reading, I finished reading THE CIPHER GARDEN by Martin Edwards this week. It is the 2nd book in his Lake District Mystery series, and I liked it enough to read the next book in the series.
My last read was THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY by Gabrielle Zevin. I loved the book. It is a book about books; the protagonist is the owner and manager of a book shop. But I enjoyed it just as much for the development of the relationships in the book and the look at a community on a small island. I did not realize it had been made into a movie.
Glen is continuing to read (and enjoy) AT HOME: A SHORT HISTORY OF PRIVATE LIFE by Bill Bryson. He is getting close to the end with only 70 pages left.
Oh, great, Tracy! I’m glad you’re happy with the results of your cataract surgery. I need to read those books by Martin Edward’s, but already reserved two at the library today.
I don’t know how old Glen is, but Bryson is close to my age, and I loved The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. I could relate.
I wanted to let everyone know I just started THE GLASSMAKERS by Tracy Chevalier and so far it is excellent. I read SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews and was somewhat disappointed. She tackles (or tries to) a more complex plot than her usual books and in my opinion does not succeed. The bad guy starts out as a good guy and there aren’t enough clues to his change for one example.
I also read THE SHADOW OF WAR by Jeff Shaara. Interesting that the situation in a historical novel happened in my lifetime, but I was too young to remember the details and Shaara does go into facts that were not made public at the time.
Thanks for the travelogue! We are only travelling through reports of others now and I will admit I am jealous. One of my cousins is visiting the towns in New England where our fathers grew up and I wish I was there.
Cindy, Most people here who read Andrews’ new book were disappointed. Don’t feel bad.
I’m glad you enjoyed my trip commentary.