I have no blood. I went for bloodwork on Tuesday, and they got one drop of blood. One drop! Must have been sucked out by a vampire. I went back Wednesday after drinking lots of water, and there was no problem in getting blood. So, that’s been my week, driving back and forth in the rain. So, I want to know how everyone else is doing this week. Lindy?
You probably saw the cover of Mary Anna Evans’ The Dark Library a couple times. It came up in my June Treasures, and then I posted it a couple weeks ago when I missed it on NetGalley. But, Mary Anna sent me an ARC of the book. I have a third of the book to go. It’s a sad book at the moment, a Gothic mystery about an English professor in 1942 whose mother disappeared the same night her father had a stroke. Although the police dragged the river, and they’re convinced Estella’s mother is dead, she feels as if she needs to continue to look for her mother. Estella is struggling to maintain the house and keep herself and her housekeeper afloat as she just gets a pittance as a salary, a woman who won’t be promoted to full professor because she’s a woman.
As she struggles, she discovers there are secrets hidden in the family, in the house, and especially in her father’s library.
What about you? What have you been doing this week? What are you reading?
I’m getting ready for the 4 of July, and trying to stay hydrated. My father has so much trouble with blood work it’s not even funny.
This week I read:
Vanished by Dr. Jeremiah Jeremiah; It a Rapture story about a traumatized army general trying to quarantine the whole world, and failing. Maybe if he read history, he’d know that large scale quarantines have never worked in the history of mankind.
The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien; Lana Lee is thinking about becoming a PI, but finds the paperwork cramps her style when she is recruited to investigate the death of a guy who turns out to be in a benevolent secret society. Not as good as some in the series, but I still liked it.
The Goldens by Lauren Wilson; An English misfit goes to college and falls in with a famous influencer with rich parents. They become besties, but it seems like the influencer might be starting a cult. The influencer never seems all that charismatic to me, but I’m not much of a joiner, I guess.
The Man From Blood Gulch by William W. Johnstone; A Fistful of Dollars Johnstone style, as a bounty hunter finds his way to a town with an uneasy peace between two gangs. Johnstone doesn’t have the nihilism to really exploit the premise, and completely removes the dark humor. Where is Clint Eastwood when you need him?
I’m going to do better with my water, Glen. I’m afraid none of your books jump out at me this week, but I always enjoy your comments.
Hello everyone. Gosh Lesa, one drop of blood was certainly not worth that trip in the rain! How annoying. Glad they got what they needed the second time.
Thanks for making me laugh Lesa, and I’m sure it will come as a great relief to all that I have no traumas, large or small, to bore you with this week. We currently have our 7 year old granddaughter staying with us for a few days. It’s somewhat exhausting to be preparing three meals plus multiple snacks per day; I’m feeling quite chained to the kitchen. Still, the trade-off is handholding and cuddles which I will enjoy while I can; soon she’ll be too old to want any of that.
The other thing that happened was that my brother (for the first time, about anything ever) wanted my opinion on the woman he’s been seeing for six months. His wife died twelve years ago, and he’s lately been going out with a few women but this one seems important. To that end I invited them over for lunch last Thursday. They arrived with her ancient Chihuahua in tow and we had a great time; I liked her a lot. Which I told him when he texted me not two hours after they left, asking what I thought of her. I’m happy for him.
Two books this week:
MURDER TAKES A VACATION by Laura Lippman
This book was mentioned by Lesa in her June Treasures in My Closet post. I’ve always meant to read a book by Laura Lippman, so thought I’d start with this one.
Mrs. Blossom (a minor character in the author’s Tess Monaghan series, and the main character in this story which is the start to a new series I think) finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot one day. After trying to turn it in to the police and being told there’s no way they could ever find who it belonged to, she gets to keep the winnings and decides to do some traveling for the first time in her life. She books a French River cruise for herself and her best friend Elinor. She’s going to spend a week on her own in Paris and meet up with Elinor in time for the start of the cruise.
She meets Allan on the plane, a friendly man who takes an interest in her – a surprisingly nice feeling after being widowed for ten years now – and who is very helpful to her when she accidentally misses a connecting flight and has to stay overnight. They get along so well that they make plans to meet up again once they’re both back in the U.S. Not 24 hours later she’s devastated when the police inform her that Allen has been killed by a fall from his balcony.
Around the same time she notices that she’s being followed and/or being watched. One of these people is named Danny, who always seems to be there when odd things are happening to her, and he has conflicting stories about who he is. What with being followed, and the theft of a priceless art statue, and the fact that Elinor seems more interested in finding husband #4 than in spending time with her, and suspicious behaviour by other passengers, Mrs. Blossom doesn’t know who she can trust and this trip of a lifetime is not anything like she imagined it would be.
I liked that 68-year-old Mrs. Blossom, through no fault of her own, suddenly finds herself smack in the middle of investigations into art theft. And murder. I also liked that throughout she was thinking about her life and trying to come to terms with something from her past in order to feel free to make the most of her new post-lottery-win life.
However, I did not enjoy the multiple references to how overweight she is. I know the author was trying to promote being happy with yourself and feeling worthy in spite of being overweight, but it was too much. Mrs. Blossom thought about her weight and talked about her weight SO often that it started to seem like that was what the story was really about. Maybe it was? I also felt that, given she’d worked for a private investigator for several years, she was oddly naive and gullible and I couldn’t imagine this otherwise seemingly clever lady making some seriously questionable decisions around her own personal safety. But the mystery itself was convoluted enough to be interesting and I enjoyed that part.
THE EX-GIRLFRIEND MURDER CLUB by Gloria Chao
Completely ridiculous and unbelievable but a surprisingly entertaining cozy murder mystery, which was much better than I’d thought it would be.
From the book blurb:
‘The body in the closet was going to be a problem. Kathryn Hu knew it. Yes, Tucker Jones was a cheating scumbag, and yes, she’d agreed to meet Olivia and Ellie – Tucker’s other girlfriends – to exact revenge for all he’d put them through… But then they found him. Dead.
Do they look guilty? Yes.
Do they feel guilty for having wished him dead just hours before? Maybe a little.
But, solid motive and a crime scene covered in their DNA aside – they’re innocent. They swear.
To clear their names Kat, Olivia, and Elle team up to find the real killer. But as they go undercover and lie to everyone, including the hot detective working the case, they realize that every person in their ex’s life had a reason to want him dead. Will they uncover the truth before they go down for a murder they didn’t commit?’
With unlikely friendships, lots of humour, a few deeper moments, (and a few decidedly opposite-of-deep moments), and showing the power of not giving up even when you think there’s no way out of the mess you find yourself in – well, you have yourself a good little escapist read.
Lindy, it was interesting to read your comments about Mrs. Blossom. I haven’t read the book, but I just read an interview Laura Lippman gave about writing the book. She involved “sensitivity” readers to vet the character specifically in regard to her writing being “ageist and antifat”.
Oh that’s really interesting MM. She’s obviously taken the feedback from those readers to heart, which is good; I just happen to think she went overboard with it all. Now I’m curious, and wonder what others who might read the book will think!
Lindy, I am a longtime Laura Lippman fan, and I have to say her new book is totally unrepresentative of her work. She started with the Tess Monaghan private eye series, then moved on to write some of the most gripping psychological suspense I’ve ever read. The new book reads, to me, like an attempt at a cozy. I love Laura, personally and as a writer, but I urge you to read something else of hers because this book is an anomaly.
Alrighty Sandra, I shall give her another try with a different book. Thank you!
No ttaumas Lindy – but lots of fascinating stories from family life!
I love the detail of your brother’s friend bringing her ancient Chihuahua to visit – it really brings the scene to life. And I sympathise with your exhaustion re your granddaughter – in fact a friend and I (neither of us have grandchildren) were just discussing earlier this week how many grandparents are now being required to provide regular, all day, childcare. We concluded that’s there’s a reason why nature makes us have children when we’re young!
I’m sure, though, that you’re enjoying your grandaughter’s company – though the mere thought of preparing three proper meals a day gives me an attack of the vapours. This reminds me of one of Marian Keyes’ novels, when a grown up daughter goes back to her parents’ house after the break up of her relationship. She is dismayed when lunch doesn’t seem to be happening. Her mother tells her ‘we don’t really bother with that any more, we just eat cake’ – I identified with that statement! When my 32 year old son comes to see us he is constantly asking if and when we’re going to eat – breakfast, lunch and dinner are required, plus multiple snacks. He’s now got into the habit of bringing his own food!
I like the sound of The Ex Girlfriend Murder Club, I must look for that.
I love that your son has learned to take care of his own food, Rosemary. Well, he should! Like you, sometimes I eat lunch. Sometimes, I don’t bother and eat dinner at 4 PM instead so it covers both meals. I really just eat when I’m hungry anymore.
Lindy! No traumas this week.That’s great. And, I agree with Rosemary. What I really enjoy aboutThursdays is not just the books we’re reading, and our comments, but also our comments about our personal lives. Good luck to your brother! I hope it works out for him however he’d like.
You’re right. Enjoy your granddaughter while she still wants to cuddle and spend time with you.
They’re letting us work from home on Thursday, which is wonderful! Usually, it’s an in office day. But this way, we won’t have to deal with holiday traffic.
As to what I’m reading, I should finish up MURDER IN THE TATTOO PARLOR today. It’s the fourth in a series from father/daughter writing team Elizabeth Perona. I’d enjoyed the first three books in the series, which came out from Midnight Ink years ago (I believe the series was cancelled before Midnight Ink folded), but I only learned recently that they were self-publishing more entries.
The series revolves around some friends in their 70’s who agree to help each other complete items on their bucket lists, only to find murder along the way. This one involves one of them wanting a tattoo only to find the man who was going to give it to her dead.
I’d forgotten about a supernatural storyline that I wasn’t a fan of. And we seem to have mistaken action for actual plot development. But I’m still enjoying this one. This is book four, and they just released the next in the series.
That is great, Mark, that you’re working from home today. The holiday traffic would have been horrific when you left work. Much more practical this way!
I discover more cozy authors I’ve never heard of thanks to you.
I have recently discovered a new to me series. the Thomas Austin crime thrillers by D.D. Black.
I’m liking them lots and love that there’s already several in the series so I can binge on them. 😊
A protag and cast of recurring characters I’ll enjoy spending time with.
Description of Book One from Amazon:
The Bones at Point No Point (A Thomas Austin Crime Thriller Book 1)
by D.D. Black
“Dive into the #1 best-selling mystery series readers are comparing to Connelly, Patterson, and Baldacci.
How do you catch a killer who’s already behind bars?
Thomas Austin was once a star NYPD detective, known for locking up a psychopathic serial killer: The Holiday Baby Butcher. Now retired in a small beach town, Austin runs a little café, trying to overcome the loss of his wife, a district attorney who was gunned down only one year ago.
But when a mysterious bag of bones appears on a nearby beach, Austin is dragged back into law enforcement for one last job. The Holiday Baby Butcher is behind bars, so it has to be a copycat. But with each new clue, the killer seems closer and closer to the real thing.
Now Austin must overcome the darkness of his past to chase a killer as twisted as any America has ever seen. And when Austin finally learns the truth, it’s a twist so shocking it shakes him to his core, and threatens his life.
The Bones of Point No Point is the mesmerizing debut crime thriller from D.D. Black, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Lisa Regan, Michael Connelly, and David Baldacci.”
Kaye, I don’t regularly read Connelly, Patterson or Baldacci. It’s sort of hit or miss. Would I like this series? You know my taste.
Good morning all – I am off to the dentist this morning to see what is going on with my teeth after my fall two weeks ago. They are still hurting – fingers crossed nothing too drastic!
How is your cold, Lesa? Glad that hydrating helped with your blood draw!
I was juggling two very similar books this past week, which made keeping the plot lines straight a bit challenging. I listened to “Murder in Highbury” (Emma Knightly Mysteries, #1) and I read “The Hapless Milliner” (Miss Austen Investigates, #1). I sometimes wonder if listening to a book influences my opinion about the book. I truly enjoyed the narrator, but ”Murder in Highbury” seemed so darn repetitive in its plot line that I didn’t enjoy it that much. If it was in paper format, I probably would have skimmed parts and maybe enjoyed it more? The Hapless Milliner was more enjoyable and I would recommend it. The 2nd in the series was just published in March, so I will definitely read that one. But in both cases, visiting Jane Austen’s world is always fun.
Happy 4th everyone!
Thanks for asking, Mary. I’m fine now, only with that left over cough that always seems to hang on.
It’s so confusing when two plots are so similar!
I hope the dentist had something encouraging to say this morning Mary.
I remember reading Murder in Highbury. Very accurate in tone to Jane Austen’s Emma, which made it fun, but I agree with you – it was often repetitive.
That’s one reason I drink a lot of water, and more in the hot weather. And it has been hot so far. I will check in next week, but we’ll be gone all week on our annual New England trip with my cousins, to Mystic, Connecticut and the area (including Rhode Island) again. Boston was too hot and too expensive, and we all like Mystic.
Books, then. Jackie insisted that I make it clear how much she loved Kelley Armstrong’s second Yukon-set Havens Rock book, THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR, which she said was “the best one yet.” The Havens Rock series is a spinoff from her earlier Rockton books, which she also read. She just got the third one from the library, but first she is reading the first Charley Davidson “Reaper” book by Darynda Jones, FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT. Charley sees dead people, and she helps them move on.
I felt like I did a lot of reading this week, but didn’t get a lot accomplished, as most of what I was reading was in books of short stories or non-fiction. I actually finished two books, one being the latest (soon to be retired) Insp. Sean Duffy book by Adrian McKinty, Hang On St. Christopher. For those of you who – like me – get frustrated when Kate Burkholder or Walt Longmire put themselves in danger with reckless behavior, not waiting for backup and the like, meet the poster boy, Sean Duffy. He’s been hated by both sides as a Catholic working for the RUC in Belfast, but Sean has made in through the ’80s and now, in 1992, is virtually retired. He has to work six days a month for the next two years, mostly doing paperwork, to get his full pension. Only… his former protege is on vacation in Tenerife when a murder happens, a man blown away with a double barrel shotgun, and his car stolen. Was it a simple carjacking gone wrong, or something more sinister? Of course, no matter how often he’s warned off, once Duffy gets the bit in his mouth there is no stopping him. As always, it is a smooth, fast read. I don’t know if this is the end for the series or not. It’s not the best in the series but it is well worth reading for fans.
The other book was Bill Pronzini’s The Hanging Man and Other Western Stories. I’ve been reading Bill’s books and stories for 50 years and have read most of them, including all the Nameless Detective books and his various short story collections, mystery and otherwise. This one, as the title indicates, is a collection of westerns, including the long “Crucifixion River” (2013), written with his wife Marcia Muller. I’d already read that and some of the others, but the whole book is definitely worth getting and reading. Some of the stories are set later than the usual western, early in the 20th Century. Good stuff.
What else? Two books by Andrea Barrett, a recent discovery. First is her first collection of short stories, which won the National Book Award, Ship Fever. The other is her new book of essays, Dust And Light: On The Art Of Fact In Fiction. Her stories are often historical, sometimes using real people (like Carl Linnaeus), and the essay book is relevant in her explaining hoe she does it, how she uses these facts and settings without just an info dump. Interesting, though I don’t know whether I will read any more of her collections. I should finish both of these books in the next two days.
What next? Not sure. I have a couple of other library books downloaded from the Cloud Library, but I’ll have to try them to see if they grab my attention. Since we’ll be away next Monday through Saturday, I doubt I’ll get more than my daily short story read.
Have a safe and fun 4th of July and stay as cool as you can. No big plans here, though we will watch 1776 and INDEPENDENCE DAY (a favorite of Jackie’s).
Oh, I love 1776, Jeff. A little long at times, but so good.
I can’t wait to hear what Jackie thinks of Darynda Jones’ book. I haven’t read them, but find them intriguing.
Get out of the city, and enjoy next week. I hope you find a little cooler weather. Stay hydrated! Avoid my mistakes!
She said they’re “laugh out loud funny” a la early Stephanie Plum books.
Glen and I both like 1776 and INDEPENDENCE DAY and have watched both of them many times. Have fun watching those movies.
We haven’t been doing much because it’s either been hot and humid or raining. We did build a new garden bed one morning when it was cooler. I want to build two more but I’m not looking forward to lugging retaining wall blocks and several hundred pounds of soil. Maybe in the fall.
I read an ARC of Solid Gold Murder by Ellen Byron. This is the second book in her Golden Motel series. In this one Dee’s father Sam inadvertently sets off a second gold rush in the area. While the influx of visitors is good for business, the dead body that turns up may not be.
They Call Me Produce Pete by Pete Napolitano. He’s the son of immigrants he grew up working in the family produce business in NJ and eventually wound up doing a weekly produce spot on TV. I used to catch his spot on TV occasionally which is why I took the book out of the library. Oddly enough I just found out that he’s going to be at our local farm market this Saturday signing his new cookbook.
The Tasty Nut Shop by Judy Heilich Lynn Jones. Two best friends from college who are now in their 60s are given the opportunity to change their lives – one through quitting her job, the other through widowhood. The chapters alternate between the two women’s viewpoints. It was fairly predictable and dragged a bit.
Sandy, I know I read some by favorite authors, but I’m not fond of books with alternating viewpoints and chapters.
I don’t blame you one bit for trying to stay cool. I find myself leaving the house as little as possible. Because I can see what my mail is, sometimes I don’t even bother going to the mailbox for three or four days at a time. I’m just lazy and avoiding the heat and rain. We’ve been getting a lot of that.
Are you thinking of going to see “Produce Pete?”
Maybe. I need to go to the farm market anyway but I usually go first thing before it gets busy.
Jackie has always been a big fan of Produce Pete’s, Sandy. He always talks about his wife, and often brings in food that she cooked.
Betty is his wife’s name.
The old brain cells aren’t gone yet.
Good afternoon (just) from a damp and cloudy Aberdeenshire.
I am up to my neck in festival preparation, and also art gallery admin that needs to be sorted before I go to Edinburgh for August, but I didn’t want to miss a Thursday meet up!
I frequently have problems with blood tests Lesa, and always seem to end up with big bruises. When I was having Madeleine they tried to put a canula into my hand and spent ages just trying to find a vein. By the time they’d done all that Madeleine had decided to arrive, so I never did get the drugs I wanted!
I’ve had a very nice week. Last Saturday I attended a talk at Peacock Printmakers about a Scottish artist, the late Pat Douthwaite. She turned out to be a fascinating woman, who had started off as a dancer and then turned to art. She stuck mainly to painting, but at some point she had come to Peacock from Glasgow to make some prints. Despite her many life problems (she was bipolar) she produced the most stunning body of work – work that was lost for some years, until Gray’s School of Art found the plates for her prints under a cupboard in one of their studios.
The curator who led the talk said that she felt that Douthwaite had never achieved the fame she deserved because she was labelled as ‘difficult’ – whereas a man with a similar temperament would be called ‘eccentric’, or more probably ‘genius.’ It was a most interesting afternoon, with lots of chat over coffee afterwards. I enjoyed myself.
Then on Monday I took the bus down the coast to Stonehaven, to see a friend who used to work at the art gallery but is now employed by Museums and Galleries Scotland. It was an absolutely glorious day, the sun was shining and there was a refreshing breeze from the sea. I walked a bit of the boardwalk to get to the harbourside café where we were to meet. We had a great catch up, and some very delicious almond croissants, and are planning a day out to Dundee soon. Stonehaven is a lovely seaside town, near enough to the city to be convenient but far enough away to have its own identity.
Yesterday I went to a talk at Dyce library about the Tall Ships, which are arriving in Aberdeen later this month. Ewen had dug out so many interesting facts about the boats and their two previous visits, in 1991 and 1997. Numerous events took place around those visits, and he showed us lots of photos of the celebrations, which involved everything from dance shows to tugs-of-war between the crews. The ships come from all over the world, and race from Dunkirk on the French coast to Esbjerg in Denmark, stopping off for several days at various ports – Le Havre, Aberdeen and Kristiansand in Norway. They are quite a sight.
I had thought that I wasn’t that bothered about boats, but I very much enjoyed the morning.
Last weekend was Glastonbury, a festival to which I have never been nor intend to go – it’s far too big and too hot for me. But I like to read about it and to watch various acts on i-Player. I’m looking forward to seeing Scissor Sisters, who by all account brought the house down, Wet Leg, Pulp and the Libertines. I will most definitely *not* be watching Rod Stewart.
Books!
I am pressing on with my 20 Books of Summer, and am doing pretty well with the reading, and absolutely abysmally with the reviewing (ie 11 books read and not one review finished..)
This week I read DIARY OF AN ORDINARY SCHOOLGIRL by the late novelist Margaret Forster. This is Forster’s diary for 1954, when she was studying for ‘school cert’ at her grammar school in Carlisle. Carlisle is and was then a deprived and rather cut off town, and Forster’s family was poor. The family lived in a very small council house – the parents had one bedroom, Forster’s older brother Gordon had his own room, and Forster and her younger sister had to sleep together in a bed built into an alcove in the wall of the living room by her father, with a curtain to screen it off.
Of course this was quite normal back then. My own mother was brought up in a 3 bedroomed council house, There were five children – the parents had one bedroom, the brother had the second room, and all four girls slept together in one big bed in the other room. Yet to my grandmother the house was luxury – prior to this (but with all 5 children born), they had lived in a 2 roomed flat with no private facilities at all. My mother remembers being taken by her mother to the council office, where her mother demanded a house and said she would not leave until they offered her one. In the end they told her they had three properties available and would she like to see them (changed days – you would never get an offer like that on the spot now)? She replied no, just give me the keys to one of them. That house was my grandmother’s home until the day she died.
Forster died in 2016, and her husband, the author Hunter Davies, found her diaries amongst her possessions. He decided to publish this one as he felt it was not only a record of Margaret’s early life, but also a social history document. I really wanted to like the book, but I found it terribly repetitive and boring at times. The thing was, I think, that life in a fairly remote and unexciting town in the 1950s, when all you really did was go to school, do a bit of sport, go to the cinema and theatre, and come home and wash your hair, probably was pretty boring. Margaret’s family had very little money for days out, let alone holidays, and although she seems a very cheerful person and never complains much, she doesn’t really have that much to write about.
She’s also heavily influenced by her father’s Daily Express newspaper, which is a very reactionary, right wing and prejudiced publication. At her young age, Margaret frequently launches into quite objectionable opinions which I’m quite sure she didn’t have in later life.
So I found this book interesting in parts (particularly noting the very frequent cinema and theatre trips – but of course they had no TV and only one radio in the house, and as soon as her father came home from work he insisted that the radio was turned off, so Margaret regularly missed the end of the regular plays.) It was an easy read, but I think I’d be far more interested in Margaret’s later life at Oxford University (like my father-in-law, who would’ve been slightly older than her, Margaret broke the mould by getting into Oxford from an area, a family and a school where almost every child was in full time work at the age of 14/15 and no one went to university at all, never mind one of the most prestigious ones in the country.)
I also read THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES , Agatha Christie’s first Hercule Poirot book. I know I have complained many times about Golden Age crime, and how annoying and boring I find it, and that includes many of the Christies that I’ve read in the past. However, either this one is different or I am changing my views in my old age, as I found myself enjoying The Mysterious Affair at Styles far more than I’d expected to.
The plot centres around the death of a rich old lady, who has been poisoned with strychnine. Captain Hastings, invalided out of the Front (First World War), has been invited by his friend John Cavendish to spend some time at the family estate, Styles Court. John’s stepmother has remarried since John’s father’s death; her new husband is a shady character. Alfred Inglethorp, whom nobody likes nor trusts. Also present are John’s wife Mary, John’s brother Lawrence, Mrs Inglethorp’s companion Evie, and a young girl, Cynthia, whom Mrs Inglethorp has taken under her wing.
Hastings is surprised to find that his old friend Hercule Poirot is also living in the village. He is now a refugee and staying in a house with others who have fled Belgium.
When Mrs Inglethorp dies a horrible death, Hastings calls Poirot in to help the police. Needless to say just about everyone in the vicinity is a suspect, and while I could see that some of them were very unlikely to be murderers, I really did not work this one out till the end, and was quite impressed with Christie’s plotting. What I enjoyed most, though, was Hastings’ running commentary as he tries to work the puzzle out for himself. He is of course hopeless compared to Poirot, but he doesn’t think so – he has a very high opinion of his own detecting abilities, and the conversations between the two are very amusing.
So now I am reading LONG AGO IN FRANCE by the American journalist and food writer MFK Fisher, and 16 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD by Debbie Macomber.
The Fisher book is about the author’s early married life in Dijon. I haven’t read much yet, but her description of the rooms she finds for herself and her husband to rent really does remind one how basic things were back then (this was 1929). It’s a good thing they were young and in love – presumably that helped them to overlook the lack of sanitation! I became interested in Fisher after reading Luke Barr’s PROVENCE, 1970 (which featured Fisher, Simone Beck, Julia and Paul Child, James Beard, Richard Olney, Sybil Bedford and Eda Lord), so I am keen to read Fisher’s own account of her much earlier years.
16 Lighthouse Road is the first book in Macomber’s Cedar Cove series. I’ve read the first chapter, which introduces a young woman who is divorcing her husband after the death of their baby, an older woman who is visiting a stroke patient in the town’s care facility, and the woman’s daughter, now a court judge, who is of course officiating in the divorce case. I’m already pretty sure I can see where the plot is going, but I don’t mind, these are easy reads and I always enjoy the stories. I was determined, this time, not to choose lots of difficult and ‘worthy’ books, and I feel much less oppressed by my list than I usually do!
I’m still struggling with Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST’S WAY (which seems to me to be very much Cameron’s way or nothing..) The fiction book I’ve enjoyed most so far has been Hazel Holt’s SUPERFLUOUS DEATH, and I’m hoping to find some more of this long series in the library at Banchory, where I’m going tomorrow to walk with a friend.
My favourite non-fiction book has been Jay Rayner’s CHEWING THE FAT, in which he rages at so many of the things that I often feel like raging about, especially re restaurants!
On TV I got through two episodes of DEPARTMENT Q, which is very good, but I felt that I was just too busy to give it the concentration it both needed and deserved, so I’m going to save it for when David comes back from his travels later this month. In the meantime I have to admit I’ve been vegging out in front of (whisper it low..) The Gilmore Girls – even though Lorelei never ceases to irritate me beyond measure.
Have a good week all!
I love your varied reading, Rosemary. The Forster book does sound interesting. When we first started going around Britain buying books in the late ’70s, we stopped at Carlisle on the way south from the Lake District, and it was indeed pretty depressing. Plus, I didn’t get many books, as I recall. Yes, that is what mattered! We visited many depressing places over the years – Whitehaven stands out – but if they had books, I put up with them. On a visit to Preston and Lancaster, our British friend stopped at Morecambe, but there wasn’t a book to be seen. On the way out of town, he pretended to call in an air strike on the place. Lancaster, on the other hand, was a nice place for a short visit.
We finished DEPT. Q. I thought it could have been at least one episode shorter. I also thought Matthew Goode was channeling David Tennant in the lead role.
Oh, very good shout on the Deaprtment Q guy, Jeff! I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re absolutely right – he IS chanelling David Tennant.
Unfortunately I don’t think Carlisle has improved much over the years, though Penrith, which also used to be a bit grim, has come on in leaps and bounds and now has one of our favourite cafes.
I’ve been to Lancaster a few times and liked it a lot. Still has a proper (not artisan!) street market, and,as it has a good university, lots of studenty/alternative cafes.
Did you watch Travels with Agatha Christie and Sir David Suchet, Rosemary?
We got it on Britbox and really enjoyed it.
No, I don’t think I’ve even heard of that Sharon, I will investigate. Christie does have some great settings.
The programmes you get on Britbox in the US often seem not to be available to us here – goodness knows why. But I’ll have a look for this one, thanks for telling me about it.
I agree with Jeff, Rosemary. I love the variety of your reading. I also enjoy the variety of your activities – museums, talks at libraries, meetings with friends. And, both of my sisters enjoy reading about your adventures. Thank you for sharing so much.
I hate to say it, but I’m glad Charlie moved in with your daughter. You’ll be in Edinburgh all of August. What would Charlie do without you?
Haha Lesa – I used to take Charlie up and down with me to Edinburgh – he wasn’t left to suffer!
He is very familiar with both houses, and both he and Herbie are indoor cats, so it has never been a problem. We have duplicate bowls, scratching posts, litter trays, etc in both locations. They are both pretty good travellers (unlike our previous cat Lizzy, who could keep up a screaming protest for the entire 3 hour journey…)
I do love reading about all the places you see and go to every week Rosemary. You’re so busy! And I also always look forward to hearing what delicious cafe and/or treat you’ve found to eat that week!
A good phlebotomist is a wonderful thing! Did you have the same person both times Lesa? It’s odd that you could get there under your own power without enough blood to draw for a test.
The county library decided to sort all fiction by author instead of genre and I find I don’t often browse the shelves. But sometimes, the online catalog can reveal surprises. Such as “The Pug who bit Napoleon: Animal tales of the 18th & 19th centuries”. Sounds intriguing. Of course, someone has it checked out already.
“We can spend a lifetime trying to understand someone without accepting that they weren’t really ours to understand.” Laura Dave’s THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM was published last September. I haven’t heard much about this book, probably because it isn’t easily categorized. It was merketed as a thriller, and there was some suspense and an unexplained death. But more aptly, a family drama. It is a wonderful read however it’s labeled.
ABDUCTION OF A SLAVE (Eye of Isis Mysteries, 4) by
Dana Stabenow is another satisfying entree in this series. The historical details are well researched, making Alexandria in the time of Cleopatra come to life. Tetisheri and her Uncle Neb travel to Cyrene to discover why the supply chain for their import business is suffering. Everything is in turmoil as insurrectionists plot to overthrow Ceasar, and Terisheri works to complete her clandestine mission for the Queen.
And my nonfiction, 2023’s THE LOST TOMB, consists of thirteen remarkably true tales by Douglas Preston . The stories containing elements of intrigue from unexplained deaths to buried treasure, even the fates of ancient civilizations. Many of these have been incorporated into the series he writes with Lincoln Child.
I had no idea Dana Stabenow wrote historical fiction, MM. I enjoy her Kate Shugak series, mainly for all the details of life off grid in the Alaskan national park.
Several actually. This one in Egypt along with her first in 14th-century China (Silk & Song Trilogy). Her newest, due out next year, will feature the Harvey Girls. I don’t imagine you would be familiar with that part of US history, but the Harvey hotels defined hospitality in the Wild West of the 1880s. Young adult females of good character made a one year commitment to work in these hotels. I’m looking forward to it.
No, MM. I had two different women. The second one didn’t have a problem, but I did drink a lot more water. I guess I was just all dried up on Tuesday.
I’m sorry about the library, MM. It has it’s good points and bad points. We did it at a small library, but I pointed out to patrons that now all of Nora Roberts was together. Before, her fantasies were separate from her women’s fiction. In the long run, most patrons were happy. And, we had spine labels that said Mystery or Romance, so I showed them how they could walk the stacks and pick out the labels. Not the best for those of us who are genre readers, I’ll admit.
Good thing Lesa that your blog supplies me with more possibilities than I can read. thanks
Good morning. I don’t really have anything much to report about this week, so I’ll go right to the books I read.
GONE IN THE NIGHT is the fifth Detective Annalisa Vega mystery, although Annalisa is no longer a detective but a private investigator. She and her detective husband, Nick, are married to each other for the second time and making a go of it, though Annalisa fears it might shake up their relationship if she finds that Nick was mistaken when he sent an accused killer to prison. Anna’s brother is in the same prison for his part in a murder, and he pleads with her to investigate why an anonymous letter indicates the prosecution’s eyewitness in the other inmate’s case had lied. This is such a thrilling, well-constructed story–one of the best in the series, in my opinion. The author creates an exquisitely intricate mystery where any character’s identity–be it physical or assumed– is subject to question. We learn about a long-ago child abduction, a local women’s shelter, a myriad of suspects, and more than one murder, and the suspense rarely stops. In the middle of it all, we hear more about Annalisa’s and Nick’s troubled backgrounds–both family disasters and tragedies earlier in life–as they cling to their own relationship and try to find moments to decide on an appropriate name for their first baby, due in just two months. And there’s another case Annalisa has taken on: the disappearance of a wealthy client’s cherished ring. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of these three plots, as well as the expert writing style and storytelling skill of this exceptional author. (August)
Ashley Poston likes to include magical realism in her high-concept romances, and I enjoy her books. But it took SOUNDS LIKE LOVE much longer than I expected to really get going for me–half of the book! Joni Lark is a songwriter with some success who is pondering whether she sacrificed too much to get there. Returning from LA to her small town for the summer, she learns that her beloved mother and role model’s early dementia is progressing, and that her parents are seriously considering closing the family’s once-popular music hall. She hasn’t been inspired to write for many months and wonders whether she will ever get her spark back again. Joni runs into Sebastian Fell, formerly a member of a popular rock band and hoping for a comeback, and isn’t impressed. But soon she can’t seem to get him out of her mind–literally–and vice-versa. Sasha–what he calls himself in her mind–lost his own cherished mother years ago and is estranged from his famous father. I found the second half of the book much more satisfying, with Joni and Sasha finally sharing with each other not just their musical talents but the hang-ups that have been standing in the way of future success, and of their own burgeoning relationship. I was fascinated, enthralled, and ultimately sucked in emotionally by the author’s beautiful writing and wanted even more. I grew to understand and appreciate the two protagonists, and also particularly enjoyed the characters of Joni’s parents, brother, and best friend. Hanging on until the final half of the book reaped rewards for me and made me glad I stayed on the ride until the end.
EDDIE WINSTON IS LOOKING FOR LOVE by Marianne Cronin is a charming book about a nonagenarian. Eddie has a degree and has had a professional career, but for now he is happy to be working in a charity shop, sifting through the donations and occasionally finding one that particularly resonates with him. Sometimes he even tries to restore his finds to the rightful owner. His life has been rich, but in all his 90 years, he has never been kissed in a romantic way. So a new friend, pink-haired, 24-year-old Bella, who is grieving for her recently deceased boyfriend, is determined to resolve the situation before it’s too late. She steers Eddie through some adventures with online dating, but it seems there are not a lot of senior women who fit Eddie’s requirements, and vice-versa. But Eddie is a splendid person and would be a great catch, if his age were not a factor. In alternating chapters, we learn about Eddie’s younger life, when he and a woman he met while at university had a spark , and would have liked to pursue it. But she is already married to a scornful, wealthy man and takes her marriage vows seriously. They have lost contact for years, but is it too late for them to meet once again? Eddie is a fully formed, engaging character who loves life and savors whatever happiness he can grasp. I loved reading about him and rooting for him to succeed. The characters of Bella, Eddie’s boss Marjie, a possible new suitor for Bella (“Ham and Cheese”), and old flame Bridie are also well drawn and interesting. And then there is Eddie’s guinea pig, Pushkin! My only quibble is that in the later chapters of the book, there are some events that confused me and thereby muddied the beautiful story a bit for me. But overall, I found it to be a lovely, life-affirming book about friendship and found family, and one I am glad I read. My thanks to Lindy for recommending it.
Margie, Isn’t it great when someone else’s recommendation turns out to be a wonderful read? I love that Lindy recommended Eddie Winston, and you loved it.
I so enjoy reading your reviews Margie. They’re always so considered, informative, and professional – and they make all the books sound worthy in some way. Even if it’s a book by an author I don’t particularly like, I still enjoy your review of it.
This week I finished FAR and AWAY by Amy Poeppel. Two families house swap between Germany and Dallas. This was a fun read.
I thought BEFORE DOROTHY by Hazel Gaynor was brilliant. It was the story of Emily Gale and how she and her husband became parents to Dorothy. Told with the backdrop of the Dust Bowl, the author portrays the characters of The Wizard of Oz as real people. I cannot say enough good things about this book.
Happy Reading!
Sharon, Even if I know I’m not going to pick up a book (Before Dorothy), I love to read what others think of a book. Thank you!
Happy Reading back!
Hi Lesa, on the no drop of blood, been there and done that! They need to wrap a heating pad around your arm for at least 20 minutes to expand the veins. They are reluctant to do that but it works! I have also had no blood pressure. Haven’t had no heartbeat yet, thank goodness!
I finished Lessons in Chemistry and I think it is one of the best books that I have read in my life! There is an abundance of reasons. One of them, brought back memories of my mother! She was the 7th child in her family, the three oldest girls and her mother took over the kitchen and did over the kitchen, she was only allowed in to do dishes and sweep the floor. So, never having the chance to cook, she was unsure of herself. In college, she was training tot be a Home Economics teacher but she was grand in Chemistry! She did what the main character did in the cooking show, explained to me that cooking was chemistry and how it work to change the ingreidients to something complete new. I had this experience myself when I made mayonnaise in my high school Home Economics class! It was amazing, you could tell the exact moment when each person’s mixture became mayonnaise! Oh! Ah! Wows!
Sexual discrimination that Elizabeth Zott experienced when trying to get her Ph’d and job seeking were still around when I was in college and later applied for job. It took me many years to learn the self worth that she had.
That is just a few of the reasons why I loved this book.
Oh, a book that had connections to your own life, Carol. I love that Lessons in Chemistry meant that much to you. I know my sister appreciated it, too. Congratulations! It’s so great to discover a book that means that much. And, so rare.
I’m so glad you loved Lessons in Chemistry, Carol. I read an ARC before it was even published and was so impressed that I added the author as a Facebook friend and wrote her a note about how much I loved it (she wrote back)! I felt like I alone had discovered it (though I knew that was ridiculous) and told everyone I knew that they should read it. Of course, not everyone was as crazy about it as I was, but enough to keep on the bestseller list for weeks. It’s still a book I recommend to people who ask me what I’ve enjoyed.
Hi everyone! I am able to comment in a timely fashion today because I am in Dublin (the hubs has a conference), and the time difference is working in my favor. I’ve had a good amount of time to read in between adventures. I read (or re-read? I might have read the first one decades ago) the first two Mrs Pargeter’s and decided to stop there. The second one felt very judgemental to me and didn’t really advance my knowledge of the main character, which is one of my favorite things about reading a series.
On the other hand, I cannot recommend THIS IS HAPPINESS by Irish writer Niall Williams highly enough. It is a coming of age story for a 17-year old young man staying with his grandparents for the summer while he tries to figure out who he is and what he wants from life. At the same time the village is coming of age into the modern world by being connected to the electrical grid. Written from the viewpoint of a seasoned mature man looking back at this time of his life, it is stunningly beautiful and deep.
BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL by V E Schwab is quite different and also really good. I was drawn to the stories of women’s lives and positions in different centuries. Having it be a vampire story actually enhanced that part.
As far as adventures go, I went to the new (to just me at this point) Yankee Stadium the day before our flight and have spent a few days exploring Dublin. The GPO museum about the 1916 Uprising was one highlight as was my ÑA Guinness at the Gravity Bar overlooking the city. Tonight is the conference banquet, and tomorrow we’ll see the Book of Kells.
I downloaded the audio version of This is Happiness earlier this week. Really looking forward to more Niall Williams. I recently listened to Time of the Child. I really enjoy the Irish Storytellers.
I bet the audio edition will be fantastic! I have The Time of the Child in my to-read pile, now I might hunt down an audio version. I am so glad you mentioned it.
Oh, I loved what little I saw of Dublin, Trisha. And I agree about the GPO. Just fascinating. I own a PBS musical, of all things, about the Easter Rising, and I probably watch it once a year. Enjoy every minute of your visit!
When I was in my fifties (a long time ago) I was anemic for many years, and there were often times that they could not draw blood easily or could not find veins when I was having a procedure. I do think it is important to drink a lot of fluids before having blood drawn, although I only recently learned that.
Glen doesn’t like to have his blood drawn but has learned to ask for options to ease the experience. He can get very frustrated if the technicians have a hard time finding a good vein for drawing blood, which happens more often than you would think.
We have been doing more gardening in our small back area, and visited a plant nursery this week. But now we have a fire near enough to us for the air quality to be questionable, so I hope that does not slow down our outdoor work.
Glen finished reading BLACK KARMA by Thatcher Robinson, the second book in a mystery series set in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He said it was an OK read, but there were parts he had problems with. I like the setting, so I will give the series a try sometime. He is still reading TEN YEARS IN THE TUB by Nick Hornby, between reading other books.
I read THE BURGESS BOYS by Elizabeth Strout. I liked it a lot, although none of her books are easy reads. It was my favorite book by Strout so far. I plan on reading at least three more books by her this year.
I am now reading AT BERTRAM’S HOTEL by Agatha Christie, the 10th book in the Miss Marple series. I am almost finished and I am liking it pretty much, although I guess I agree with the reviewer at Goodreads who said “not as good as some of the earlier ones, yet not as bad as the last one or two in the series.” I think the Miss Marple series is very variable but I plan to finish the series.
The first book in the Thatcher Robinson series was much better than the second. I don’t think I ever found the third.
Glen, thanks for letting me know that you liked the first book in the series better. I do have that one and Glen’s review of that book was positive. So I will read it for sure. We checked and did not see that there was a third book in the series.
Maybe it’s one of those things where a third book was supposed to come out, but never saw the light of day for whatever reason.
And, I agree with the reviewer who didn’t care for Christie’s last two books, Tracy. Good luck with that fire and the air quality!
Lesa, thanks for letting me know what you thought of the last two books in the series. I will have to see how I like them.