Weather has been iffy while I’ve been at my Mom’s. Cold one day, 72 degrees the next. Oh, well. We’re really working on jigsaw puzzles and enjoying our time together. We’re not doing much running around.
Again, thanks to Kevin Tipple for filling in while I’m being lazy and enjoying time with Mom. I appreciate it.
I’m currently reading Amelia Ireland’s novel, The Seven O’Clock Club, although to be honest, I’m not sure I’m going to finish it. It’s not really my type of reading. Here’s the summary.
Freya, Callum, Mischa, and Victoria have nothing in common–well, except for one thing: they’ve each experienced a deep personal loss that has led them to an unconventional group meeting, every Tuesday night at seven. A meeting they’ve been particularly selected for that will help them finally move on. At least, that’s the claim.
As they warily eye one another and their unnervingly observant group leader, one question hangs over them: why were they chosen? To get the answer, they are going to have to share a whole lot of themselves first. Getting Freya, Callum, Mischa, and Victoria to trust each other is vital–because the real reason they’re connected will shift the ground beneath their feet.
Riveting and wise, The Seven O’Clock Club shows us the courage needed to face your past and the joy that can be found in stepping into your future.
As I said, I’m not sure I’ll finish it. I may just move on to another book.
What about you? What are you doing this week? What are you reading?
Over here the main thing this week was the long-awaited appointment with the oncologist/radiologist for David. It seems the prostate cancer has not gone away despite the surgery, and there is now talk of radiation and hormone ‘treatments’. Still to come are a bone scan and a CT scan. David is accepting, but I am upset which of course helps no one.
Thank goodness there are books in the world to provide some distraction, even though I managed only one this week:
POMONA AFTON CAN SO SOLVE A MURDER by Bellamy Rose
Pomona is a hotel heiress. She was brought up by a nanny, and is generally viewed as not having a brain in her head. She lives at the hotel where her every whim is satisfied. She is rich, self-centered, spends her days shopping, is a social media influencer, and attends lots of parties.
One night her mean awful grandma is murdered (she truly wasn’t a nice woman) and it’s Pomona who finds the body. All assets have been frozen and the whole family has to find alternative places to live since they’re no longer allowed to be in the hotel, and for some reason Pom’s family isn’t doing anything to help the police find out who killed Grandma. Therefore, if Pomona wants to get her money and her former life back it looks like she’ll have to solve the murder herself. Well, together with her new ‘roommate’ that is – who happens to be the handsome Gabe, son of her former nanny.
Though the process of trying to solve the murder, Pomona comes to realize that she hasn’t been the nicest person herself; and it’s fun to watch her ‘grow’ and become more self-aware and make things right. It adds depth to a fun little cozy mystery.
That book sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I’m very sorry to hear that more procedures are in store, Lindy. I think sometimes the patient just gets too darned tired and acceptance is the easier path in order to conserve their energy. So don’t get too frustrated with him! I pray that you both will find the best path forward.
Lindy, keeping you and your husband in my thoughts. Hope that all will be well.
Lindy, sending good thoughts
Sending my heart and all the comfort that I can give. I pray that the treatments help your husband recover. Much love to you, Carol
So sorry to hear about your husband’s troubles, Lindy. I think it’s harder on the caregiver than the patient sometimes. My husband had colon cancer 5 years ago and is scheduled for a CT scan next week. If it’s clear, we’re finally done with all the doctor appointments and lab work. Of course, he now has other health issues, but we can live with those. Hang in there!
I’m so sorry, Lindy. I hope everything works out better for David. I’m sure you’re upset.
I read the book. Pomona does become much more self-aware in the course of the book.
Sending hugs to you and David.
I’m so sorry about David needing more treatments, Lindy. Life can be so unfair, and there’s nothing to do but carry on. I wanted to thank you for the fantasies you recommended last week after I complained about QUICKSILVER. I’m still figuring out which one to try!
Lindy, I am sorry to hear that David needs more treatment and tests. I understand how worried you are. My thoughts will be with you.
Thank you Tracy. And I hope you feel better in time for your visitors tomorrow! There’s always something to contend with isn’t there.
Lindy, best of luck to him. I had my own prostate issue, but fortunately not cancer.
After the surgery two years ago the surgeon told him they’d done all they could surgically and that now it was ‘down to luck’ or if David was a religious man, well, he had that too. I didn’t think that was an entirely positive thing to say.
(I’m glad for your sake that at least you didn’t have to deal with this.)
Weather’s been pretty good here, but the allergens are out of control. You can see the stuff falling out of the trees.
This week I went to the Grilled Cheese Festival. I had to wear a mask due to the allergens, but it was great! They had oodles of different gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. I thin I went into a cheese coma for a while. They also had professional wrestling from the NWA, a company that almost never comes to California anymore. Billy Corgan, lead singer for Smashing Pumpkins owns the company, so he was there, too.
This week I read:
We’ve Decided To Go In A Different Direction: Essays by Tess Sanchez; A casting director writes a memoir in essays. I definitely came away from this thinking Hollywood needs to pay a lot more in taxes.
Baby, It’s Murder by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins; Definitely the last Mike Hammer book. It’s set during the Generation Gap years, when all the male Bradys had perms. Drugs are infiltrating the small towns, including the one Hammer happens to be in. The small town gets smaller by the end.
The Bones of The Apostle by John Amos; It’s between the wars, and two Victorian detectives set out to find adventures during the Edwardian times, and find the Armenian Massacre. Strange, with a certain amount of Sherlock Holmes bashing.
The Custer Conspiracy by Lorin Cary; A down on his luck Native American sells some stuff to a pawn shop that can change history as we know it. These changes wouldn’t change anything, which I thought was odd.
Circular Motion by Alex Foster; Sci fi Cli Fi novel about what happens when the Earth’s rotation speeds up, and days get shorter and shorter. An interesting premise completely wasted by boring cliched characters. The shorter the days got, the longer the book seemed.
Glen, The Grilled Cheese Festival sounded much better than any of the books you read. It sounded fun!
Sorry about the allergens. They should miserable.
It’s cooled off here, unfortunately. Barely hit 60 today and it’s supposed to be in the 50’s tomorrow. Fortunately, it’s supposed to start warming up again after that.
Reading wise, I am once again in between books. At lunch time today, I finished A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER by Colleen Cambridge. This is the third in her An American in Paris Mysteries set in 1950 Paris and featuring Julia Child as a supporting character. Obviously, we ventured into fashion circles in this one, which I enjoyed.
Up next is HIDDEN IN SMOKE by Lee Goldberg. My preorder arrived early, so I’m going to take advantage of that.
Oh, Hidden in Smoke! I love this series. I’m going to get around to it soon.
You and I are similar, Mark, in that we’re the ones who thrive in the warmer weather. We’re supposed to have 72 here tomorrow. That’s much better!
The temperature has been up and down here. It’s also been windy and the trees are blooming which doesn’t help my allergies.
This week I read an ARC of A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run by Gwen Florio. Unbeknownst to her friends at her NJ retirement village Alice has been on the run from the authorities for most of her life. When a neighbor is murdered in Alice’s garden she’s forced to confide in three of her friends who go on the run with her to protect her.
The book alternates between police interviews and narrative sections which I didn’t mind. But the characters felt two dimensional.
Out of the Way Things by Kendall McNutt. Win woman who has grown up having hallucinations bad enough that she’s estranged from her family and unable to hold down a job. Until a mysterious stranger tells her that they aren’t hallucinations – she’s a seer who has visions of the past and is in danger from a group of people who want to control or kill her.
I enjoyed watching Win learn who and what she is and, the book was a nice mix of fantasy, mythology and mystery. Unfortunately it’s the first book in a series and the next book isn’t out yet.
Sorry about your allergies, too, Sandy. I had a few days of them once in Florida, and couldn’t stop sneezing. Just miserable. Hope yours aren’t too bad.
Sorry you have to wait for the second in McNutt’s series. I hate that sometimes!
Good morning all. Your current book sounds a bit deep, Lesa. Probably have to be in the right frame of mind to read that one. Unfortuanately, I am without a book right this second. Due to a nasty sinus infection, which I’m still fighting, I had lots of time to read this week.
Luckily, I had Lucy Score’s 3rd book in the Riley Thorn series to read (Riley Thorn and the Blast from the Past). The best one yet! So much fun. Beth is back with a boyfriend in tow. But now she’s known as Sesame. And she’s definitely lying about where she’s been for six years. Even worse, Riley can’t get a psychic read on her. From the Dog Doody Bandit, fake Viagra that gives men the giggles, too many Dolly Parton’s at a Halloween party, and the octogenarian gang from next door, it’s a jolly romp solving the mystery of Beth’s disappearance and her surprising reappearance.
I also read Chris Offutt’s novel Shifty’s Boys. Mick Hardin is on leave from the Army recovering from an IED attack. Mick is soon drawn into investigating the suspicious death of Barney Kissick, the son of Shifty, a local heroin dealer. Although the death is being dismissed as an occupational hazard by the police, Shifty asks Mick to look deeper. The novel is fast-paced and skillfully blends Mick’s crime-solving abilities with his personal growth.
I think you’re right, Mary, about the mood for this one.
Great news! I saw a clip with Matt Goldman, and he said he’ll have a new Nils Shapiro out in December. I thought of you when I heard that. And, he’s going to continue to alternate standalones with the Nils Shapiro books.
Chris Offutt is such a good writer.
HURRAH!! Thank you for the good news! Best news I’ve heard all day!
Lesa, at Bouchercon 2023 (!) I met Matt Goldman and asked him if there would be another Nils Shapiro book.He said yes,but he hadn’t told his publisher yet at that time so I’m glad we will be seeing it in December (or sooner on NetGalley).
I think, Margie, it was one of the first time he announced the new book. And, he did say he would be writing that series, and standalones.
My own philosophy regarding books you aren’t enjoying is set it aside and move on. Life is short.
i have read some very very good stuff!
Hunter’s Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor –
Description
In this sequel to Taylor’s lyrical series debut, Agony Hill, Detective Frank Warren and his formerly CIA-connected neighbor Alice Bellows return to investigate the death of a diplomat.
It’s November of 1965 and the second weekend of Vermont’s regular deer season when Vermont State Police detective Franklin Warren is called out to what looks like an accidental shooting at The Ridge Club, an exclusive men’s hunting and fishing club for congressmen, diplomats, judges, and titans of industry: a former ambassador has been shot while out hunting. With the war in Vietnam picking up speed on the other side of the world, Warren quickly realizes that many of the club’s members are powerful men who may have ulterior motives and connections in high places.
While Warren’s suspicions about the club members build, his neighbor Alice Bellows is throwing a dinner party, preparing for Thanksgiving, and worrying about her pregnant friend and fellow widow, Sylvie Weber, whose due date is coming up. When Alice’s old handler and friend, Arthur Crannock, unexpectedly shows up in Bethany, Alice begins to wonder whether his presence has anything to do with the death at the hunting club.
As an early season snowstorm bears down on Bethany, knocking out power and phone lines and blocking the roads, Warren and his assistant, Trooper Pinky Goodrich, are trapped at the Ridge Club, likely along with a killer, and Alice, increasingly fearful that her past in the intelligence world is no longer in the past, will have to act fast to save Sylvie and her baby.
Sarah Stewart Taylor’s historical series combines the intricacy of a satisfying mystery with keen observation of a time and place during great transformation and upheaval.
All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan –
Description
Is a debut author’s blockbuster bestseller about to ruin her life? A glamorous book tour becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse chase in this new and captivating thriller by “master of suspense” (Publishers Weekly) and USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Debut sensation Tessa Calloway is on a whirlwind book tour for her instant bestseller, All This Could Be Yours. In a different city every night, Tessa receives standing ovations from adoring fans while her husband Henry and their two children cheer her on from their brand-new dream house.
But there’s a chilling problem with Tessa’s triumphant book tour—she soon discovers she is being stalked by someone who’s obsessed not only with sabotaging her career, but also with destroying her perfect family back home.
Tessa fears the fallout from an impossible decision she once made—what felt like a genuine deal with the devil—appears to be coming due. And she’s realizing that every high-stakes bargain comes with a high-stakes price. If Tessa can’t untangle who’s threatening to expose her darkest secrets, she’ll lose her career, her family—and possibly her life.
The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber –
Description
A detour. A chance encounter. Two women who alter the pages of each other’s story.
Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for.
Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books—and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way.
When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.
Kaye, our reading tastes are definitely in synch this week! I requested and received Hunter’s Heard Ridge from NetGalley but haven’t read it yet. I have asked to be a Super Reader for Hank Phillippi Ryan’s new book this year, as I have been for about three years. And I just won The Forget-Me-Not Library from Goodreads and am looking forward to receiving a hard copy in the mail.
I agree, Kaye! Would you believe I couldn’t find (until today) the book I brought along to read at Mom’s?
Love the sound of the Sarah Stewart Taylor and The Forget-Me-Not Library.
Yeah, weather has been iffy here too – 70 one day, low 50s the next, and 80 predicted for Saturday! At least no winter coats are needed.
Books. Jackie just read her fourth Emily Henry book, BEACH READ, and while she enjoyed it, she said she could tell it was her first (adult) book, and was not quite as good as the later ones. She has one more to read before the new one comes out.
I got some good reading done this week. I talked about John McMahon’s Head Cases last week, so won’t go through that again, other than to say I’m glad he will be continuing the series.
I’ve been reading Steven F. Havill’s Posadas County (N.M.) series since the first, HEARTSHOT in 1991, featuring first Bill Gastner and later Estlelle Reyes-Guzman as Undersheriff. This is everything a regional police procedural should be – much like Archer Mayor’s Joe Gunther series in Vermont, for one – and if If It Isn’t One Thing… isn’t the best of the series, it is still well worth reading, as he winds down to the end of the series. But I’d definitely read them in order.
Kevin Wade is a playwright – we saw his KEY EXCHANGE off-Broadway around 1980 – and successful screenwriter – his first and most successful movie, WORKING GIRL, got 7 Academy Award nominations – who has been working for the last 14 years as a writer and showrunner for the CBS series BLUE BLOODS. During the long writers’ strike, his wife convinced him to write his novel, and Johnny Careless is the result. Police Chief Jeep (GP) Mullane grew up on Long Island, the son of an NYPD cop, and Johnny Chambliss (aka Johnny Careless), from the much richer part of the Island, was his best friend. Now Jeep (former NYPD himself) is faced with his good friend’s dead body on the beach, the apparent victim of a boating accident. The Nassau County cops are in charge, but he can’t; stay uninvolved. His main case, though, is a gang of South American car thieves stealing high-end cars to order. It was a quick read, and Wade gets the “Long Guyland” vs. the rich thing down well. I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
Thanks to Tracy (and her husband Glen) for recommending Jim DeFede’s The Day The World Came To Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland (2002). Anyone who has been lucky enough to see COME FROM AWAY or see the documentary about it will enjoy this book as much as I did. It’s the very moving story about the “Newfies” who opened their homes and hearts to strangers without question when over 6,000 people were stranded there on 9/11. Beautifully done and well worth seeking out. There is a short afterward written after the pandemic. It’s hard to see how this could happen today, but in Gander, I believe it could.
Still read the Marcia Talley short story collection. I got a kick out of her Agatha and Anthony Award winning story, Too Many Cooks,’ about the three Weird sisters (yes, Weird is their last name) interaction with the Macbeths.
Up next is Kim Hays’s new book.
This week, Jeff, I’ve read most of the books you and Jackie read. Totally agree with you that you should read the Posadas County books in order.
And, I believe those events could happen in Gander.
How nice to know that you’re going to try my fourth book, Jeff! I’m sure you’ll be honest, whatever you think. Funnily enough, I’ve only seen the ebook. My box of author’s copies hasn’t gotten here from the US yet!
So far (10%), so good, Kim. I wish more people were setting books in places like Bern that the rest of us are not as familiars with as New York or Los Angeles or London. And the differences in police procedure are fascinating too.
I read Johnny Careless a couple of weeks ago, and don’t think I liked it as much as you did. Maybe I got caught up in the Gatsby-ism.
I didn’t care for Johnny Careless that much either, Glen.
Jeff, I am glad you enjoyed the book by Jim DeFede book about Gander, Newfoundland. I think it will cheer me up to read it.
Good morning. Lesa, I got The Seven O’Clock Club from Berkley Besties so I could get another Berkley book for free (they never approve me on NetGalley). All I can say is, as I mentioned in my review, the book made a huge turn at about 70%, which made it well worth reading for me. But maybe it’s not enough to keep you reading. Here’s what I read this week.
I couldn’t resist the premise of Florence Knapp’s debut novel, THE NAMES. Cora has a cruel, controlling husband who insists that their baby boy be named Gordon, after himself and generations of men in his family. But Cora has always loved the name Julian, and her 9-year-old daughter Maia wants to call her brother Bear. And when Cora impulsively decides to register their son as Bear, she knows that Maia will be delighted but that there will be consequences at home.The rest of the book reveals, in alternating chapters and in 7-year intervals for a total of 35 years, how the family would be different if the son were named each of the three names. I have to say that reading about the domestic abuse is difficult and depressing. But, oh, the rest of the book is well worth it. In luminous, expressive prose, Knapp captures love, challenge, and redemption so beautifully that you can’t help feeling and sharing the emotions of the characters. Sometimes it’s a bit difficult to keep track of which of the three families you are reading about, but it’s thrilling to see how some of the same supporting characters can be featured in more than one of the stories, with quite different results. It’s almost impossible to articulately capture what I loved about this book, but I recommend it highly to those who are not triggered by the hard subjects. Besides the author’s writing style, I so appreciated the fact that the characters are deeply examined, including the supporting characters, the action takes place in both England and Ireland, and it is a story that will remain with me for a long time. (May)
In Sara Hamdan’s debut novel, WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK, protagonist Mia is Palestinian American, a well-educated young woman who works as a fact checker and longs for a position at her company with a little more responsibility. She she also secretly longs for a relationship with her handsome boss, who has shown some interest but is in a romantic relationship with another woman. What her friends–and her loving grandparents, who have raised her–don’t know is that she also moonlights as a standup comedian once or twice a week, mixing humor with stories about her culture. Mia finds a old journal from 1940s Palestine, which chronicles a beautiful teenager’s forbidden love for a British soldier and her marriage, at age 16, to a much older and wealthier man. But when war reaches Palestine, the young girl’s life changes forever in so many ways. Mia wants to know–could this girl with a different name be her grandmother, and how did she end up in New York with yet another man? The story from the past is well told, if a bit melodramatic. And the present story is somewhat disjointed. I wanted more detail about Mia’s current friends and a new friend who comes to live in her building–a glamorous Arabic singer and pianist who is working as a professor at Juilliard. Overall, it is an interesting story, and the author has potential to tell stories with a little more nuance and s tighter plot in hrt future novels. (May)
NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY is book #21 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle (the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife team). And I am happy to report that the quality of the series is still high. Long-time readers such as myself will enjoy spending more time with master roaster Clare Cosi who, with her ex-husband Matt, took over the management of the New York City coffee house Village Blend after her mother-in-law, grande dame “Madame” retired. The personalities of all of the coffee house employees are diverse, engaging, and interesting. But Clare is concerned when foot traffic in the cafe drops off regularly after 9:00 a.m., and when her ex seems to be consorting with enemy number one, the owner of a string of Driftwood coffee shops who often steals and renames her most popular drinks and recreates them with inferior ingredients, Could Driftwood be planning a takeover with Matt’s approval? Then, of course, there is some mayhem to deal with. The bright idea of creating a new writers’ retreat room on the cafe’s upper floor that echoes a similar retreat years ago increases profits but also leads to chaos and bad behavior from some of the writers. And it’s not long before there is violence, even a few murders. It helps that Clare’s now-fiance is an NYPD detective lieutenant, and theirs is a wonderful relationship (although not the focus in this series entry).The plot is twisty, the violence is not graphic, and some of the villains get their just deserts It’s not necessary to read the whole series before trying this one, but why not treat yourself to more of the books on this appealing menu. Recipes are also included.
Margie, I now remember you said the book took a twist. I may keep going. Thank you1
I haven’t read the last few Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle. I love her Haunted Bookshop mysteries though.
Margie,
I’ve been enjoying the Cleo Coyle series lately. The quality is pretty high for such a long running series. I think there’s only one or two clunkers.
We had a high of 81 yesterday, totally surprising as it was freezing just the other night. Such is spring in the high desert.
I was absorbed in the second (and I think final) book in the DI Avison Fluke police procedural series, BODY BREAKER. The characters are well defined with interesting backstories, but the M. W. Craven books have proven difficult to find locally.
And I may be a year late to ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker, but I know what people mean when they have a book category “would love to read again for the first time”. It’s the second book I’ve read by the author and both are wonderful examples of storytelling. The subject matter may be difficult for some readers even though both are really odes to love and friendship.
Reviewed here last month, A LESSON IN DYING is a re-release of the first Inspector Stephen Ramsay books. Murder on a Saturday night and unpopular Ramsay was the only detective inspector the Otterbridge Communications Centre could contact. Nice introduction by the author.
I’d take that 81 in a second, MM. Just my temperatures. No wonder, though, that people are sick, and not just from allergies.
You’re right. That was a nice introduction by the author of A Lesson in Dying.
I am reading Slanting Towards The Sea by Lidija Hilje. a Croatian author. I am on page 97 and now I have decided that it is a must read. It is an extraordinary book. I had a wonderful dream because of it.
Not going into detail about the book. Our car in the shop for repairs. The first round of repairs will be more than our car is worth! The second round will be an additional $900. My husband wants to get two more years out of our care. The most expensive repair will we not do, It is too much, So car problems, financial problem, it will cut into our savings. And hoping the repairs are done by the end of the day tomorrow. They don’t work weekends. I have an important important appointment for a Reclast infusion for my bones. If not done then, then I have to repeat lab tests and get the infusion scheduled right away. This is by the skin of our teeth times!
Oh, Carol. I’m sorry. I hope everything works out for you for your medical appointment. The car, too, but I’m thinking of you first!
Take care of yourself.
I hope the car gets fixed in time for you to make it to your appointment, Carol! Good luck.
That infusion sounds gruelling Carol! I hope it goes well and that recovery will be quick. Have you had one of those before?
I not had that kind before, I am to drink plenty of water and take a Tylenol because it will make me feel like I have the flu. So not going to take care of my tooth until I have recovered from the infusion!
Thank you Lesa, Kim and Lindy. Hanging in there!
Take good care of yourself, Carol. Hope that all goes smoothly.
I just want to mention a couple of series that I mostly love and am working my way through.
The first is the Kevin Kerney series by Michael McGarrity, and the first book in this is Tularosa written in 1996. Takes place in NM and is mostly a police procedural. Injured retired cop is sort of forced back into duty. Because of character development over the series I recommend reading the many books in order. I used to live in the west and we often vacationed in the SW so the setting really appeals to me.
The second one is the Welsh series written by Rhys Dylan. It is also a police procedural series which I have been reading on my Kindle. This one too is about a retired DCI who comes back and first works with the police then joins them again. Lots of history and mystery.
Both of these series are my escape from the real world!
Diane, I just love a series that can take you away from reality. And, police procedurals are my favorites.
Hello, everyone. After reading your comments above, I can see that several of you are having the same problem I am. I can’t seem to find a good book to read or listen to that I am truly delighted with. I don’t think it’s the books’ fault–probably my state of mind.
Last week, I complained about the fantasy I was listening to, QUICKSILVER, and although I gave it at least five more hours of listening time over the next couple of days, I had to stop. The young heroine is madly attracted to a spectacularly handsome Fae lord and warrior, but she doesn’t like the way he tells her what to do (he looks thirty, but he’s hundreds of years old, which explains in part why he’s bossy), so she’s rude to him and has childish temper tantrums through almost all their scenes together. So much for “feisty”–I found her unbearable. And this man is supposed to fall in love with her? WHY?
So now I’m listening to Ruth Ware’s THE PERFECT COUPLE, about a reality TV show being filmed on a tiny uninhabited island near Indonesia. Five M/F couples are competing to be the “best” pair, and everything goes wrong. It’s a thriller and very fast-paced, so I’m continuing on to the end, but I can’t say I recommend it for logic or character development! But I do want to know how it’s going to end.
As for reading, after trying a YA fantasy, a novel about celebrities in California, and a cozy mystery, and giving up on all of them, I picked up ORBITAL, the Booker winner by Samantha Harvey. It describes the experience of six international astronauts, men and women, orbiting the Earth over and over in a space station. It’s beautifully written, moving, and thought-provoking (that’s based on 1/4 of the book), but I don’t think it has any story. Still, it’s short, and I’ll finish it.
I think it’s time to try THE QUEEN CITY DETECTIVE AGENCY, which Kevin just reviewed. Or something else that one of you has recently read with pleasure. I’ll go back through the posts!
Yes, Kim. It’s difficult to come up with a book I like right now. I’ll try again when I get back home.
I hate it when I can’t get into anything.
Thanks to so many of you for all the good thoughts and wishes for David and the words of wisdom. I feel well-cared for here at Lesa’s. Thank you!
I am not feeling well today and we are getting ready for visitors tomorrow, but I wanted to check in here, so I will make this quick.
Glen is reading UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE by Thomas Hardy. He was interested in it because another book he read, A DAY IN THE COUNTRY, was compared to it.
I am reading COME DEATH AND HIGH WATER by Ann Cleeves. The second book in the George & Molly Palmer-Jones series. I am loving it. The characters and the story are very good. And a great setting on an island.
Sorry, I got the name of one of books wrong. It was A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY by J.L. Carr.
Tracy, I hope you feel better soon, in time to host your visitors tomorrow.
Ann Cleeves is always a good author to pick up when nothing else will do.
I’m late, again, so I will keep it short. Thanks to NetGalley, I am reading the latest in the Sherriff Brady series, THE GIRL FROM DEVIL’S LAKE by J. A. Jance. Out at the end of September.