The highlight of my week was Saturday when my sister, Linda, and I attended the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival. Neither of us had ever been to it, although it’s been going on for 35 years and attracts over 100,000 each year. We had a great time. I saw an Irish Wolfhound and bog ponies and lots of men in kilts. We watched Irish dancing, and went to two musical shows. The High Kings performed for an hour and a half. It was so much fun.
If you enjoy crime novels featuring journalists, you might want to try Clea Simon’s latest book, Bad Boy Beat. Since I’m not far into it, here’s the blurb.
Boston Standard journalist Emily – Em – Kelton is desperate for a big story. As a new reporter Em covers the police beat, which has her responding to every crime that comes across the newsroom scanner. Despite the drudgery and the largely nocturnal hours, it’s a beat that suits her – especially with her affinity for the low-level criminals she regularly interacts with and what she considers a healthy scepticism for the rules.
But she’s sick of filing short news briefs about random street murders that barely merit a byline, and when she sets out to cover yet another shooting of a low-level dealer, she begins to wonder if these crimes are somehow connected.
With not much to go on but her instincts, Em sets out to uncover the truth behind these sordid crimes. But the more she investigates and uncovers a pattern, the more she digs herself into a hole from which she might not come out of alive . . .
Drawing on her career as a journalist, Clea Simon delivers a fast-paced, intricate plot and intriguing characters that bring the city of Boston to life. Mystery fans who love a strong female protagonist, unexpected twists and turns and a mind-blowing ending won’t want to miss Bad Boy Beat!
What about you? How has your week been? Storms, fire? I hope you’re okay. And, since it’s Thursday, what are you reading?
Oh, Lesa – i know you guys loved the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival! No one loves Ireland more than you.
Our week has been a good one. A happy week.
And I read a book which will be included in my 2024 faves. Don’t you just love a book that educates you about something you have an interest in while it also entertains you?
Charmaine Wilkerson’s Good Dirt has sent me down a few rabbit holes to read more about pottery made by slaves. And it had me thinking of Margaret Maron. She and I shared an interest in North Carolina pottery. One of her Deborah Knott novels was set in Seagrove, NC which is well-known for its pottery and its many famous potters. I was lucky enough to visit Seagrove with her and met some of those potters who helped Margaret with her research. She would have loved Ms Wilkerson’s novel Good Dirt which is, I think, besides entertaining and educational – important.
Description from NetGalley:
The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well.
The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby’s high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that’s exactly what they get.
So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what’s happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family’s history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future.
In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.
It was a happy week all around, wasn’t it, Kaye? And, you’re right. Linda and I are already thinking we’ll go back next year for the festival.
What a beautiful concept for a novel. And, I love that it makes you think of Margaret Maron. Just part of a happy week, isn’t it, with happy memories?
I love you, Kaye!
Thanks for the recommendation Kaye. I liked the Black Cake story, the way it brought a personal story through time and various locations. My library ordered already and I’ve placed my hold.
Hello, all! I brought my son Nick home this evening after a week in the hospital following open heart surgery. So great to have him home! The house was way too quiet, and I talked to myself (and the cat) more than usual. It won’t surprise you to know that I only finished two books this week.
Kirsty Greenwood’s THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE requires a lot of disbelief suspension, but it is thoroughly entertaining. Now in her late 20s, Delphie has given up on having any kind of meaningful life after her parents both deserted her and her childhood best friend bullied her in front of their whole high school. Now she is satisfied to work in a dead-end job, look in on her elderly neighbor each day to make sure he doesn’t burn down his apartment or run out of food, and avoid dating at all costs. That all changes one day when she chokes on a hamburger and dies, waking up in Evermore, where a very quirky woman, Merritt, gives her the opportunity to regain her life if she finds a particular young man in London and receives a voluntary kiss from him . . . within 10 days. Delphie has to rely on the help of her coworkers and fellow apartment building residents to find the man and fulfill the contract she made with Merritt, but it’s even more difficult than you would imagine. In fact, Delphie finds herself in some ridiculous situations and has some even more ridiculous reactions. Along the way, however, there are revelations about almost every character–Delphie herself, her boss, the elderly neighbor, the grumpy-but-hot neighbor, and–yes–her high school nemesis. The end of the story is the most satisfying, naturally, and there were plot points I didn’t expect at all. It was even emotional, which I also wasn’t expecting. I was not familiar with the author, but this book is a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and I’m glad I read it.
THE NIGHT IN QUESTION by Susan Fletcher defies categorization. On one hand, it is a fascinating mystery. And on the other, it is the story of a spirited elderly woman in a wheelchair who has had an extraordinary life. In the adult care home where she lives in England, Florrie witnesses one day the facility manager’s body falling from her third floor quarters onto the hard ground. Was it a suicide, as everyone seems to think? Florrie is doubtful because she had just met with this woman, who had seemed uncharacteristically happy and excited and had made plans to meet her again the following day. So Florrie and a new male friend, Stanhope, try to find evidence to prove that it was really a murder or an attempted one. Honestly, I figured out the culprits late in the book, but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment one bit. I was very happy to find, at the end, that I had caught the author’s subtle clues. The real star of the book, in my opinion, is the author’s luminous prose and writing style. Florrie, the central character, is not the narrator, but the book is chockful of beautiful descriptions of her surroundings, detailed retellings of adventures with the six men in her life, and ultra-personal musings about other characters from the present and past and her outlook on what makes a successful life. Florrie herself is a memorable, admirable character, and supporting characters such as Stanhope, the local minister, and Florrie’s childhood friend Pinky resonated with me. Even less admirable characters are nuanced and believable. This is one of those rare books that made me slow down my reading so I could savor every word and image. It touched all of my emotions in the best possible way and made me long for more by this author. My sincere thanks to Lindy for recommending it.
Margie – So happy to hear you have Nick home, and that he is doing well!
So happy for you – and for your son – that he’s home now. What a tough time you’ve both been through! I hope he gets stronger every day.
I’ve added The Love of My Afterlife to my list of must-read books. Thanks.
And I’m ever so glad you liked The Night in Question! I was sorry the copy I read was a library book otherwise it would have been one I would have liked to keep.
Margie, I’m glad Nick is home with you. You made me laugh, though, saying you were talking to yourself and the cat.
I brought home The Love of My Afterlife because I loved the concept, but didn’t get into it. I don’t think I really gave the character a chance.
I totally understand, Lesa. I wasn’t sure about it at the beginning, but it grew on me.
Glad your son is alright!
That Irish Festival sounds absolutely wonderful Lesa! What a great day.
My week had some stressful moments. Our youngest daughter and her husband were returning home from a baseball game on Sunday. They were being driven in an Uber, and despite both of them seeing another car coming at them and shouting to the Uber driver, the driver did not stop and so their car was hit from the side. They were both taken to the hospital by ambulance. Thankfully they are alright – he suffered a concussion, she has an injury to her hand, and they are both extremely sore, but otherwise fine. Even though the car was horribly damaged, it was divine intervention that the car was hit at the strongest possible point, otherwise the outcome would have been far worse. So ultimately we are all thankful.
Only one book read this week: FRAMED IN FIRE by Iona Whishaw, Book 9 in the excellent Lane Winslow mystery series (Book 1 is called A Killer in King’s Cove).
A bit of background to these post-WW2 mysteries: Lane Winslow was an intelligence officer in England during the war, and now that it’s over she’s looking for a completely fresh start and decides to move to a small town in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. There the tranquility, the stunning natural scenic setting, and the people she comes to know, and friends she makes, go a long way to helping her heal from her war-time experiences. But even here murder and death are never far away it seems, and Lane finds herself involved, or gets herself involved, in various cases; much to the annoyance of Inspector Darling of the Nelson Police Station, and much to the delight of the long-suffering Sergeant Ames, toiling away at the same police station.
Framed in Fire brings us to the year 1948 and a complicated and twisty mystery. Lane goes to visit a friend in a nearby town and encounters an indigenous traveler who is looking for his ancestral lands. Ever friendly and curious, Lane strikes up a conversation with him, and the two go together to Lane’s friend’s cottage where the three of them end up discovering human remains buried in the garden. Enter Inspector Darling again of course.
Meanwhile in Nelson there’s a suspicious fire at the home of an Italian restaurant owner, possibly motivated by prejudice, and being investigated by a new constable at the station. Also, for some unknown reason, unfounded rumours begin to circulate regarding the Inspector. And poor Sergeant Ames is having girlfriend trouble.
This is such a great series. We are always firmly and convincingly placed in the post-war time period. The characterization is so well done, and it’s great fun to follow the characters and come to care about all of them and see how they grow and change as the series progresses. The dialogue is superb in every book. There is real suspense. And always some humour. Each mystery is well-plotted and always of interest. This series expertly straddles the line between light mystery and too dark. It really is ‘just right’. I highly recommend this series.
Oh, Lindy. I’m sorry your daughter and son-in-law had that accident, and had to deal with the aftermath. Sounds horrible, seeing the car coming.
Thank you for the suggestion for the Lane Winslow series. I put a hold on the first one. We’ll see. Thanks! I really appreciate the background and recommendation.
Glad you had such a good time.
I went to visit a friend in Central California on the coast for a few days. It’s almost as hot where he is as where I live, but it was nice to spend some time with him.
Reading wise, the trip allowed me to listen to the audio book of LISTENING WOMAN by Tony Hillerman. Yes, it’s #3 in his series, so I’m very far behind. But I’m enjoying these books.
I also just finished an ARC of THE JIG IS UP by Lisa Q. Matthews. This is the first in a new series set in an Irish themed town. I enjoyed it.
Next up will be IN THE EVEN OF MURDER by Cynthia Kuhn. This is the second in a series, but it’s been a couple of years since book one. We’ll see how easily I slip back into these characters.
Well, it’s not Ireland, Mark, but an Irish-themed town might work. I put a hold on The Jig is Up. We’ll see.
Good morning. It’s been hot here and this week it’s been raining on top of that and most of this week’s outdoor events have been canceled. Monday was hot but dry so we went to the state fair. It was almost too hot but we brought plenty of water and sat a lot. We missed the horse show but watched the goat judging and got to pet a chicken.
We also saw a production of The King and I which we enjoyed even though they had cut a few numbers to shorten the three hour run time. Which worked out perfectly because we got out of the show and made it to the restaurant down the road just before it started to pour.
I read A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron. I think that city people with no experience buying an old hotel/inn in the middle of nowhere has been over done but I enjoyed this one. I liked the characters and it was an easy read.
Well, darn, Sandy, the horse show is my favorite part of a fair. Although, at one time, I used to enjoy watching my niece show her pygmy goats.
Good timing for The King and I and dinner!
You’re right. I liked the characters in A Very Woodsy Murder, too.
Hi all! I am so glad to be able to join the conversation fairly early this week. Between moving and getting my radiation schedule squared away I have been a bit distracted. I was glad to see the recommendation for The Bookstore Wedding last week. I loved the setting and the evolving relationship between the sisters, but the sister’s illness and subsequent journey slayed me since I am going through something similar.
I can’t remember if I heard about it here but this week I also read Shark Heart, which is a multi-faceted examination of what love looks like and how love endures. Our protagonists live in a world where people can mutate into animals, and we see a newlywed transform into a great white shark. It sounds weirder than it is because the author does such a nice job. But it is a first novel and as such is a little uneven.
This week I also devoured (ha ha) Sandwich by Catherine Newman. The title is telling in many ways—the narrator is part of the sandwich generation, and she is skilled at making sandwiches, which she does frequently during her family’s week at the Cape in the town of the same name. This year’s week is a prism for looking at her past & present as the future makes itself known. I thought the author captured this time of life perfectly.
A bunch of mysteries I had on hold came in recently so I’ll be able to share books more in line with the theme of this blog next week!
Oh, Trisha. Just because I read so many mysteries doesn’t mean people can’t talk about other books. I love Thursdays, and getting to read about such a variety of books. And, I know some of you mention books that are not mysteries, but so many other people want to read them. I know Kaye recommended Sandwich pre-publication.
You take care of yourself. It’s a rough time for you right now. Sending hugs!
Trisha, I wish you the very best with your health and having to go through radiation. I can’t imagine how stressful all of that is, and having just moved as well.
I usually only get one book read per week – so this was a banner reading week for me! Here goes:
“The Body in the Garden” the 1st Lily Adler book, by Katharine Schellman. This series has been reviewed here before, and has been on my “to read” list for quite awhile. Now that I’ve started the series, I’ll definitely continue!
“The Last Coincidence” by Robert Goldsborough. The 4th Nero Wolfe installment in this writer’s series. A young socialite hires Nero to find out who murdered the rogue that sexually apprehended her on a date, hoping Nero will find the real culprit, thus freeing her brother from surely going to prison, as he has confessed to the murder.
“Summers at the Saint” by Mary Kay Andrews. Traci Eddings is the proprietor of an upscale resort known as The Saint (located in Georgia). The Eddings family has been in the luxury hotel business for numerous generations. Traci, and her best friend Shannon, were lifeguards at The Saint when they were in their late teens. A tragedy occurred when they could not save a little boy from death, ostensibly from drowning. Soon after this incident, Shannon breaks off her friendship with Traci. Meanwhile, Traci and the Edding’s son fall in love and get married. Fast forward to present day and Traci has been widowed, leaving her to deal with the running the resort on her own. Finding hired help is tough, but with the renovation of a rundown barracks, she recruits a number of young people to the resort with the bonus of free room and board. One of these recruits is her ex-friend Shannon’s daughter Libby and her niece Parrish. Parrish’s father and Libby’s mother are both very unhappy about their daughters working at The Saint. Their unhappiness becomes compounded when one is murdered and the other is almost murdered. Traci’s quest to find the culprit, and saving The Saint, as well as finding her own path as a single woman, occupies much of the story. There are plot twists, that while foreseeable, still results in an enjoyable novel.
I’m so glad you liked The Body in the Garden, Mary. I like Lily and her friends.
It does sound like a good reading week for you!
I started my reading week by dabbling in a bit of nonfiction:
From the preface of TAKE MY WORD FOR IT (A dictionary of English Idioms) “better than a thriller – better than a novel because you can open at any page, go forward or backward – never ending intrigue”. I enjoy the oddities of language, but a more scholarly book than the cover advertises. University of Minnesota
THE CORE OF AN ONION: Peeling the Rarest Common Food by Mark Kurlansky. Typically grouped with root vegetables in cooking, alliums are actually edible flower bulbs. The author has more than two dozen single-subject books on a range of topics and stitches together all the disparate facts in an organized and entertaining manner.
Next on to a couple novels. A delightfully wicked murder mystery. DEATH IN THE AIR is a debut novel by Ram Murali featuring Ro Krishna, a wealthy American, son of Indian parents. A lawyer by training and sleuth by circumstances, he is spending Christmas at a luxury spa in the foothills of the Himalayas. I was not enjoying the descriptions of so many luxury brands at the beginning, but actually a parody as everyone wears the same costume at the spa. Interesting setting and characters.
With beautiful language describing the surrounding nature CROW TALK by Eileen Gavin is a story of hope, healing, and joy. Interspersed are bits of folklore and science about crows. An enjoyable, refreshing read set in the Pacific Northwest.
I’ve heard of Mark Kurlansky’s books, MM, but I don’t think I’ve ever read one. That’s interesting how he researches and writes on one subject.
I need a good nonfiction, soon.
I am reading two books now. I started Take Care of Your Friends by Christina Wilcox and am struggling with information overload, she had a previous book that I did not read about ennegrams. It is very complex and I am just trying to get the gist of it.
Because of the struggle, I started a book that I won from LibraryThing, Voices in Ramah by Tom Milton. It is about a mother who was a teacher who lost her daughter in a school mass shooting, The only reason that I can put it down is to give my eyes a rest. It is in very tiny print but it is so informative about the evolution of the interpretation of the second amendment, the Supreme Court decisions and the change of the goal of the NRA. I highly recommend for any one interested in gun control. It is so well researched!!
I can see why you’re reading two books at the same time, Carol. Sometimes, I need a break from intense books. And, with the small print, one more reason to take a break.
We lived in Columbus for many years and never went to the Dublin Irish Festival. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Three books for me this week. My favorite was A Collection of Lies by Connie Berry. Kate and Tom are on their honeymoon looking into a blood-stained antique dress. I love everything about this series and this one is no exception. I hope there are many more.
Next, I read Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner. This was about a country music star who has a meltdown onstage and destroys his career. He finds his redemption through his old high school girlfriend who is running an upscale farm to table restaurant in rural Kentucky. This got lots of 5 stars on Goodreads, but I thought it was just okay. The good old boy schtick got old and there were lots of cliched storylines.
My last book was the most disappointing. The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarksi. It takes place in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Seventy-eight-year-old Esther Larson has been doing funeral lunches at the local Catholic church for many years. When she is swindled out of money from an internet scam artist, the funeral ladies and community rally around her. There also is a storyline with a food network chef and his two children from different mothers arriving to bury his estranged wife in Ellerie County where she grew up. There was a pretty intense PTSD storyline as well. It was odd to read a book where Catholicism was a plotline and sometimes the chapters didn’t seem to flow quite right. The most disappointing was the book included recipes, but the only recipe was one for pie crust. It just wasn’t the book for me.
Cooler weather (thank goodness) is on the way for the weekend. I am over the 90+ weather.
Happy Reading!
Sharon, My sister’s lived here for over forty-five years, and this is the first time she went to the festival. And, she’s the one who asked if I wanted to go. Her youngest son said he can’t believe she never took the kids.
Thanks for reading The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County. I thought of reading it, but now I won’t bother.
Isn’t the Kate Hamilton series by Connie Berry just a group of good traditional mysteries? I like them, too.
Good morning all! My new bookshelves have arrived and are assembled so I now can unpack books I have not seen for six months or longer. I am happy to see these old friends. I read two books in the past few days that I loved. One is the latest Eddie Flynn by Steve Cavanagh. It does not come out in the US until next year so I bought a copy from Waterstone’s and it arrived in time for me to read it over the weekend. Then I read The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore, which is a fictionalized account of a small group of lawyers, accountants, and economists who tried to crash the German economy at the beginning of World War II. It is very much fact-based, nearly all of the characters were real people and the events actually happened. The author provides a lengthy bibliography and notes on what he fictionalized at the end. John Maynard Keynes of course was essential to the story. He was brilliant, eccentric, and maddening by all accounts. Yes there are some discussions about economic theory but they are mostly easy to understand. The ways these folks had to work around the U.S. isolationist policies while trying to prevent an international crisis is a master class in espionage and intrigue. One of my favorite reads for 2024.
Aubrey! You have your bookshelves. I’m sure you’re glad to get those books unpacked.
The Wealth of Shadows sounds fascinating. I don’t know that I’ll read it, but the subject is fascinating. Glad to see it’s one of your favorite books for 2024.
I’m home.
We went to the city yesterday – a nice (mostly) cool day, mostly upper 60s with just a little drizzle, which was a nice break from 90. We went to see The Doobie Brothers, with Steve Winwood as the opening act, and stayed over at a Marriott a few blocks from Madison Square Garden. It’s all good. Cool again today, with more rain later, and warm weather (80s, not 90s) returning starting tomorrow.
Books. Jackie read and really enjoyed the Carla Neggers book, COLD RIDGE. She is now reading the third of Kelley Armstrong’s time travel books, DISTURBING THE DEAD.
I did finish three of the four collections of stories I was reading:
Death Locked In – the collection of locked room mysteries. Very good.
Toni L.P. Kelner, The Skeleton Rides a Horse. Very entertaining collection, with one exception (for me) – the title story. It seems she has written a series of six books where “the skeleton” – Sid – is alive (sort of) and a character in the story. He can walk, talk and solve crimes, apparently. Well, there’s cozy and cozy, but sorry, this is a bridge way too far for me. The rest of the stories were excellent.
Philip K. Dick. Paycheck and Other Classic Stories. Science Fiction.
Also read Michael Robotham, Storm Child, the fourth (possibly last?) in his series about forensic psychologist Dr, Cyrus Haven, and Evie Cormac, whose story now comes full circle, as we learn how she got to England and what happened to her mother and sister. My one complaint: I hate when an otherwise intelligent character stupidly puts him or herself in danger in an obvious “had I but known” situation. Here it is Cyrus, who nearly (of course it is “nearly” as they are the main characters) gets the two of them murdered by his stupid actions. Good series.
Currently reading Cara Hunter’s In the Dark<, the second in her DI Adam Fawley series set in Oxford. This time, a young woman and a two year old child are discovered, barely alive, in the basement of a house in North Oxford. The elderly man whose house it is claims not to know anything about anything, but that's not remotely believable. Who is she, how did she get there, and what happens next? This is keeping me turning the pages – of course, I didn't have any time to read this yesterday, but I am looking forward to getting back to it today – and I will definitely be continuing with the series.
I’ve read the six in the DI Fawley series available here. She deserves your bold print! I think her series just keeps getting better even though the crime is very intense at times.
Better weather, a concert, and good books, does it get any better, Jeff?
I’m glad Jackie is enjoying that series by Armstrong.
It is funny about Toni Kelner’s book. The skeleton books are the reason I read her books.
You’re right. I hate it when series characters who are intelligent act too stupid to live.
It makes me happy to know you’re enjoying Cara Hunter’s books!
Sorry for the excessive bolding.
Other, personal news. I probably mentioned my brother’s trip to Japan. It did NOT turn out as he hoped. He found the heat and humidity and the time change impossible to take, and he had to cut the trip short after five days, leaving his son and granddaughter to enjoy the rest of the trip without him. We tried to tell him taking a trip like this at 70+ was perhaps not the best idea. Now he knows we were right. Of well.
My sister (in Scottsdale) had to have her cancerous right kidney removed, but everything went well and she is recovering nicely. Keeping our fingers crossed she is back to herself soon. Amazing what than can do laparascopically.
Oh, I’m sorry, Jeff, that your brother’s trip to Japan wasn’t what he expected. I’m sorry he had to cut his trip short.
I hope your sister is going to be okay.
Thanks, Lesa. The prognosis is a lot better now than it was originally when they didn’t know exactly what it was or if it had spread.
It’s still hot, but not brutally so, and that’s about all you can ask this time of year in this area.
Went to see a BeeGees Tribute act in Folsom. I saw another such act a couple of months ago, and that act is widely considered the best around. These guys weren’t quite that good, but still very talented. I think their rendition of the Andy Gibb songs was especially well done.
This week I read:
Shards by Michael Shotter; a Sci-Fi Anthology, but too many of the stories were too similar.
Fist of the Ghost by Hemant Nayak; Super Powered cops versus an octopus demon, and then they call in another demon, The ghost to help out. Decent neo-pulp.
Leave The Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz; A psychological thriller about a young woman whose best friend was murdered by a serial killer. She sees her friend’s ghost when there are more killings. Pretty rote.
The House of Unexpected Sisters by Alexander McCall Smith; Mma Ramotswe is hired to investigate why a model employee was fired from a thriving business. She also learns of a woman with her last name, which isn’t very common, and her ex-husband is in town. Meandering, but I can see why the series is so popular.
How America Works and Why It Doesn’t by William Cooper; The author sent me this book. It was written before the present craziness of this summer. I don’t think he liked my review. Long story short: Orange Man Bad. While that may be, the author doesn’t really have the historical understanding necessary to write a book like this.
Masterpiece of Murder by Evelyn Cullet; A cozy set in Argentina. The setting is very interesting, but the sleuth is such a doofus, it ruined the whole thing.
I’m glad you’re still able to get to concerts with the heat you’ve been having, Glen.
I’m never read one of McCall Smith’s books set in Botswana. I’ve read one of his Scottish series, and it just wasn’t for me.
Not much going on here. A couple of days ago, we had an earthquake nearby (5.2 magnitude, about 55 miles away), in Lamont, California, near to Bakersfield. We got notification that there would be shaking from the earthquake before it even happened. We did feel it and it was scary but did not last long. The earthquake was felt as far away as San Diego. I did not hear anything about any damage from the earthquake, so it must not have been too bad. Today the temps are unusually low, 63 degrees and cloudy right now, the high will be 69.
I finished two books this week. Both were espionage stories. First was BIRDCAGE by Victor Canning. It is the 5th book in a series about a covert security group in the UK. Published in 1978. The series only has three more books in it and they are hard to find. This one had a very dark ending that I was not expecting.
Last night I finished Maurice Dekobra’s THE MADONNA OF THE SLEEPING CARS. That one was not really my type of spy fiction. It was less realistic than the James Bond novels (which have a lot of variation within the series so that one are two are realistic and several are more on the fluffy side). The Madonna of the Sleeping Cars was published in 1927, was very successful at that time, and was exploring issues such as women’s roles in society. I would have been more impressed with that if everyone in the book had not been rich or had a title. And there was not enough traveling on trains; the title was misleading. I am being a bit unfair to the book; it entertains and it was a fast read at 250 pages.
Glen is continuing to read DEAR CALIFORNIA: THE GOLDEN STATE IN DIARIES AND LETTERS by David Kipen. It has a unique structure; there are letters and diary entries for each day of the year. I am going to want to read that one myself sometime soon.
Tracy! A nearby earthquake is not much happening? Enough for me.
You’re right. Glen’s book is the most interesting sounding this week.
My current recreational read is THE THORN BIRDS; first time reading it and love it. It was a favorite of mom’s and she loved the miniseries which I vaguely remember. THE THORN BIRDS will most likely be my recreational read the entire month ha.
Oh, I can see that it might be your book for the month, Wiley.
Thank you so much,Lesa! I’m actually reading “Kent state: an American tragedy,” Nonfiction, obviously, for a review. Cannot wait for my next fun read!
You’re welcome, Clea. I need to read that book, too. It’s on my NetGalley pile. I went to Kent, just five years later, so the subject has always interested me.
It’s a really great book. I had a few quibbles with the writing (he describes what EVERYONE is wearing. Really?) but it’s even-handed and comprehensive. He even breaks some news (not telling).
Darn. I thought I had a copy in NetGalley, but I ended up putting it on hold at the library today. I love that you say it’s a great book. And, I’ll skip the descriptions of what people were wearing.
Hi Lesa, The Dublin festival sounded like great fun. It’s been an interesting week. Tropical Storm Debby came through North Carolina and dumped quite a bit of rain. Due to my hour commute to work & possible flooding, I stayed with a co-worker for 2 days who lives close to the library we work at. Hopefully back home tonight. I read “Murder Buys a One-way Ticket (jaine austen mystery) by Laura Levine and The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer in print. My kindle book is a netgalley of What Have You Done by Shari Lapena.
Oh, I guess you had an interesting week, Katherine. All part of that Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” Blah. I’m glad you had a place to stay, but I hope you’re home by now.
And, still able to read during all the turmoil! Good for you.