I get my usually positive attitude from my Mom. I was complaining to her yesterday that we’re supposed to have rain every day until next Thursday. She said we’re lucky. We aren’t dealing with fires or floods. She’s right. (Mom’s almost always right.) And, the rain we get usually doesn’t stop me from going anyplace. I had a week that has been pretty lazy, and it’s been great. I’m probably heading to a farm market this morning, but other than that, I’ve been to the library. She’s right. Why should I care if we’re having thunder and lightning and rain if I’m only sitting home reading?
Today, I’ve started Catherine Aird’s A Late Phoenix, a C.D. Sloan mystery. Here’s the summary. “Berebury, England, did not have an easy go of it during the Second World War. This quaint Victorian town was destroyed when the Nazis dropped bomb after bomb on its perfect gardens and neat hedges. After three decades of disarray, the town council has finally begun reconstructing what’s left. All throughout Berebury, the sounds of hammers and saws drone on. But on this particular day, the noise stops.
“In the crater of a bomb site, a skeleton has been found. While its presence there isn’t unusual—hundreds died in bombing raids throughout England—the manner in which the pregnant girl met her end is sinister enough that Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan and his assistant, Detective Constable Crosby, are called to the scene. The cause of death, it seems, was not the blast, but a bullet to the spine.
“Inspector Sloan is the best there is when it comes to cracking the most complex cases. But can he piece together a murder that’s been buried for more than a quarter century?”
What about you? What are you doing this week? What are you reading?
It was hot for the weekend, but now it’s pretty nice in comparison, getting down to the high 80’s.
This weekend I went to a Psychic and Healing convention, even though I’m not really into that sort of thing. I’m glad the tickets were free, because almost everything else was expensive. There was some free stuff, and I partook of that, but nothing earth shattering. I did some Japanese Joyeiux thing, and that was pretty relaxing. Still, I’m not paying $50 for a tarot reading.
This week, I read some Teen Horror for the book club, and I almost forgot them as soon as I finished reading them. Good thing I took notes for later.
I also read She Started It! by Rick Kirkman. It’s an early collection of the Baby Blues comic strip. It’s a lot different than it is now. I pick up these sorts of collections pretty much whenever I see them in the wild. You have to keep your sense of humor!
You do have to keep a sense of humor. I follow “Pickles” online.
I like the variety of activities you do on the weekends, Glen. I’ve always wanted to have my palm read, but not for $30!
´Pickles’ is a great comic strip! I also like ´Pearls Before Swine’.
Oh, my sister introduced me to Pearls Before Swine, Lindy. Terrific one.
One psychic was only charging $20!
I would have had a past life regression, but not at those prices.
Haven’t done much this week; just trying to stay cool. I realize that I’m whining and that most of you have much higher temperatures to contend with, but it’s been around 32 C (89.6F Google tells me) the past few days and that is just way too hot for my comfort level. I go for a walk at the crack of dawn and then stay inside after that with the fan oscillating in front of me as I read. Occasionally I will bestir myself and clean the bathrooms or wash the dishes or do laundry. We did go visit our son-in-law for his birthday and they have air-conditioning, which was lovely.
Two books again this week:
HISTORY LESSONS by Zoe B. Wallbrook
Daphne is a junior history professor at Harrison University. She has a nice life – she genuinely cares about her students, she’s doing research for a book she’s writing, has slightly crazy parents but who love her, an adorable dog, and good friends. No true romantic relationship yet, but she’s going on dates. She is a young woman from Ivory Coast and is trying hard to fit in, not make waves, and to do the best job she can.
As the story opens, Sam, a professor in the anthropology department. is about to be killed in his home. Just before ‘they’ get to him he sends a text to Daphne, containing an obscure quote from a novel. Just the quote, nothing else. Not knowing he’s dead, Daphne is confused as to why he’s sent her a text; they knew each other only slightly and although he was popular, she didn’t like him and they never really spoke to one another, so she deletes the text.
Daphne gets caught up in the mystery anyway because she’s struggling to find out what connection she could possibly have to a now-dead Sam. Her historical research skills serve her well as she uses a similar method to figure out who killed him. It turns out Sam wasn’t as well-liked as she’d thought, and there are many people who had a motive to kill him. The path to finding the killer brings to light serious cracks in the genteel facade of university life, and campus politics, sexual harassment and the handling of it, professional rivalries, racism, and the experiences of being part of a minority all figure into the story.
I bought the book based on reviews which said it was a funny – even hilarious – romantic mystery. To me it was none of those things. Not funny at all because the issues were far too serious and I couldn’t see the humour in any of it; and there’s only a smidgeon of romance. The book didn’t ‘grab’ me right away but once I reached the quarter mark I decided I would carry on. The vast majority of reviewers thought this was a terrific book, so I’m definitely in the minority for thinking it was only OK.
THE SWEET SPOT by Amy Poeppel
This book has been on my shelf at home for two years and the other day it seemed to call attention to itself, so I picked it up and it finally had its day.
I had such fun reading this one. There are many characters, several story lines happening at once, family chaos (in a good way, or at least an entertaining way for the reader), I laughed often, and there were wise and touching moments as well.
Not sure how to even begin summarizing the plot but here goes:
Lauren (a ceramic artist), her husband Leo, their three children, and a dog have an opportunity to live in a brownstone in Greenwich Village for a couple of years while the owner is out of the country for work. Lauren’s career has just gotten a huge boost due to Felicity, the owner of an upscale artisan’s shop, who has fallen in love with Lauren’s work and offers to sell it in her shop.
Then there’s Melinda whose husband has just left her for a younger woman (Felicity!). Worse, they’re having a baby, and Melinda is incandescent with rage and hurt.
We also have Olivia, a young and clever marketing guru who works for – Felicity.
Very early on you can tell everything’s getting very complicated in the lives of these characters. But there’s also Lauren’s mother who comes to help out, and the owner of the brownstone, and the bartender, and Melinda’s ex-husband, and the baby, and more – all of them adding greatly to the fun. I thought this was a highly entertaining story about ‘families – lost, found, and made’, love, forgiveness, the messiness of life. A most endearing cast of characters finds their way through, all while making us laugh. It’s a book with a lot of heart.
Lindy, it’s 66-70F here and we are *all* complaining non-stop about being FAR too hot! 32C would just about finish me off.
I like the sound of The Sweet Spot.
Keep cool!
Lindy, 89 is hot, even for me, and I like heat. I’m glad you’ve found a way to beat the heat.
I’ll skip your first book, but the second one has possibilities!
Sending hugs, and hopes that you and your family are doing well.
I’m currently working on Resort to Murder, the first mystery from Annie McEwen. I’m about a third of the way in. The story itself is interesting, but the writing could be a little better. It’s keeping me just outside the action. Still, I’m curious where the story itself is going to go, and I do love the setting and characters.
Mark, I like the way you phrased that about the writing. It’s keeping you just outside the action. I know what you mean.
Good morning from sunny Aberdeenshire, where, as I’ve just said to Lindy, we are all complaining about the ‘unbearable heat’ of 66F. We are just not cut out for this, and of course we also do not have air conditioning, except in very modern public buildings and new-ish cars.
I have this week finished MFK Fisher’s LONG AGO IN FRANCE, and now I’m wondering how Mary Fisher and her husband Al bore the summer temperatures in Dijon at a time when air conditioning would’ve been unheard of in Paris, let alone the rest of France.
The newlywed Fishers spent three years in Dijon while Al wrote his doctorate and Mary did odd courses at the local college. She remarks frequently that they were poor, but everything’s relative, isn’t it? Not many people (American or English) could’ve afforded – this is in 1929 – to move to France and spend much of their time going out to dinner at the best restaurants in the town, having endless drinks at smart cafes, and not really doing anything to make money.
Fisher wrote this book in the 1990s, ie over 60 years since she had lived the events she describes. The details of day-to-day life in a rather fusty French provincial town are interesting – especially, for me, those about the (lack of) sanitation. They rent rooms in a house for which the only lavatory consists of three holes in the ground. These are in the courtyard and are shared by the inhabitants of varous properties.
When I first went to France as a schoolgirl in the late 1970s I expected things to be just like this – my mother (who’d never been there!) certainly told me they would be (‘can’t trust the French! They don’t wash!), and as our school French textbook had been written in the 1930s it had done nothing to allay my fears. Of course things had moved on! People did indeed have proper functioning bathrooms, and of course they washed. And to be honest, in the 1920s how often did families like both my parents’, crammed into tiny, run down, unsuitable housing in London, manage to wash? Not that often, I should imagine.
Of course, Fisher being a nascent food writer, the descriptions of the meals are excellent. They eat very well indeed and often drink vintage wines.
However, her style is annoyingly vague and confusing. She often doesn’t explain who she’s talking about, names are dropped and their owners never properly identified, and the way she talks about people is often both bizarre and cruel.
I have read one of her other books, but so long ago I can’t recall much about it. Either she was losing her touch when she wrote this one, or the vagueness is an affectation; if the latter, I’m afraid it only served to annoy me.
So I gave Long Ago in France three stars, because while some of the content is fascinating, the delivery is just too strange and sloppy for me. I’ve looked at reviews on Goodreads – some people really loved the book, others felt as I do. Horses for courses!
I also finished Debbie Macomber’ s 16 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD, the first in her Cedar Cove series. I realised after I’d started it that I’d read it before, but I carried on because Macomber is so easy to read and I do enjoy some of her characters – and there are a LOT of characters in this opener.
I found the central couple, Cecilia and Ian, unconvincing. They have married young because Cecilia was pregnant, Ian then went back to his submarine (many of Macomber’s books focus on navy wives/families in the Seattle area) and while he was under the polar ice cap Cecilia went into early labour. Their baby was born very ill and died after a few months. Cecilia has diected all her grief at Ian (because he wasn’t there) and wants a divorce.
The courthouse judge, Olivia, refuses the divorce and says they’ve to wait 6 months.
Olivia is a long divorced mother of two adult children. Her daughter Justine plays a large part in this story, as does her mother Charlotte.
Then we have Olivia’s friend Grace, whose husband Dan has just disappeared. She spends much of the book trying to track him down.
And those are just SOME of the threads!
I enjoyed the older characters much more than Cecilia and Ian. I could really picture Charlotte, Grace and Olivia, also Olivia’s mysterious new man – editor of the local paper – Jack. Some of the details are already dated (the book was written in 2001) – no cell phones, most people don’t have internet, and Jack swiftly adds a second weekly edition to the paper. Can you imagine any local paper managing two editions a week these days? Most of our local papers have long since disappeared, and even the well known dailies like the Guardian and the Times are really struggling to maintain a paper edition, as almost everyone reads them online.
Macomber certainly doesn’t write Literary Fiction, but she’s very good indeed at what she does, and I admire her for it. I’ve already found the second Cedar Cove book on my shelves, and I’ll get to it asap.
Now I’m reading Frank Cottrell Boyce’s MILLIONS, another of his children’s books. I’ve only just started it, and I’m already enjoying the central character, Damien, who with his brother has just moved to a new school.The boys are cared for by their wonderful Dad – I’m not yet sure what’s happend to their mother.
Damien is clearly on the spectrum – he is obsessed with the names and dates of all the Catholic saints, and both hugely enthusiastic in class and completley unable to stick to what he’s supposed to be doing. Cottrell Boyce is so good at writing characters like this – he makes them funny, but never in a cruel way – instead we both love them and fear for them.
This week, apart from reading, I’ve been very busy trying to sort out my reviewing schedule for the Edinburgh festivals. I’m getting there, but much too slowly, so I really need to keep my head down. Unfortunately I have to go to Edinburgh this evening until Saturday, and I was also there last week as Anna fell off her bike (she’s OK now!) and couldn’t drive, so I needed to escort my mother to her dentist’s appointment. This time I have my own dental appointment, and also plan to see a friend’s art exhibtion at the Dundas Street Gallery. On Friday evening we have tickets to see SPARKS at the Playhouse.
I’ve been keeping up my walking, but mostly just around here, along the river and up round the fields; the hedgerows are full of wildflowers – poppies, foxgloves, brambles about to burst into fruit. I listen mostly to podcasts as I go. I’m enjoying FROM THE FRONT PORCH, which is created by the owner of a bookshop in Thomasville, Georgia.
On TV I finally finished the most recent series of UNFORGOTTEN, which I thought very good – well plotted and expertly acted.
Tomorrow the Tall Ships arrive in Aberdeen, on their way from France to Denmark, This is a huge event for the city, lots of things are scheduled to go on around it,including several pop concerts – so I’m afraid I’ll be keeping out of the way, it’s just going to be too busy for me. The weather looks set to stay fair, and I really hope everyone who does go down has a great time.
I’m due at the hairdresser’s this morning – last visit until September as I’ll be away, so I’d better get my skates on and get ready.
Have a good week all.
I don’t think I’d want to get stuck in the crowd around the Tall Ships, Rosemary, but I’d certainly love to see them sail in. I’ll have to look for photos online. I guess you’ve seen them before, if it’s a regular event.
Hi Kim – it’s a regular event but it doesn’t always visit the same cities. This is the first time it’s been in Aberdeen since my elder daughter was in nursery school and she’s now 30!
Some of the ships have already sailed in and there are some beautiful photos and videos on instagram and Facebook.
The best sight of all is when they all leave the harbour en route to their next port of call in Norway – they look truly amazing as they sail out in line.
Kim, there was a huge tall ships thing here for the Bicentennial in 1976, which was very cool. Actually, one of our favorite celebrations was the 100th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1983, when the fireworks were over and all around the bridge.
Good morning, Rosemary! Or, good afternoon since you’ll probably read the blog then.
Margie reviewed a Debbie Macomber about a month ago now. I haven’t read the forthcoming one yet, A Ferry Merry Christmas, but I’m looking forward to it. I like her books, and enjoy her Christmas ones.
Sounds as if your schedule is busy, and getting busier with the Edinburgh Festival coming up. Take a little time for yourself, too!
Rosemary, we’ve been waiting a long time for the new UNFORGOTTEN. Hope it’s on here soon. We finished ART DETECTIVES and DEATH VALLEY and SPOOKS (MI-5), and since the follow-up movie wasn’t streaming, Jackie bought a cheap DVD copy of SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD, but I didn’t care for it much. It looks like they were setting up a possible spinoff with Kit Harington, but it never happened.
Rosemary, I’ve never read a Debbie Macomber book, and yet I recognize her name and if I’m not mistaken, she has written many books. Sounds like I should remedy this oversight soon!
Rosemary,
In this area, the old daily papers are doing poorly. They claim it’s the internet, but they’re getting their butts kicked by free weekly newspapers. People pay money to subscribe to the free newspapers! You’d think the established paper would learn a lesson, but I guess they’re going down with the ship.
Glen, Part of the reason for newspapers is they are no longer being published in the cities they cover. We canceled our subscription to the Columbus Dispatch because the paper is printed in St Louis. By the time it was delivered it was at least day old news and the cost of the subscription kept rising. I do miss a physical newspaper though.
Good morning, Lesa and friends. I finished listening to AN ENEMY IN THE VILLAGE, the latest in the Bruno Chief of Police series, which included most of the elements of Martin Walker’s books that we know and love, like great food, strong women making smart decisions, dogs and horses, and Bruno solving crimes and being very brave but never macho! Not one of the best in the series of 18 mysteries, but I enjoyed it.
As I’ve mentioned, I am a great fan of Peter Grainger, an Englishman whose police procedurals are only available as e-books or audiobooks. I’ve finished the 11 DC Smith books and nine Kings Lake Investigation books, at least what he’s written so far, so I tried LANE, the first book in his third series, “Willows and Lane,.” A policeman’s middle-aged, widowed mother (Mrs. Willows) gets kidnapped because of a case her son is working on. Her new, unfriendly next door neighbor (Lane) turns out to be a woman police inspector on health leave from the London police and saves her. It’s exciting and wryly funny, too. I’ve bought the next in this series.
As I wrote last week, I continue to look for a fantasy series that I want to read beyond the first book. This week I tried the extremely popular A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, by Sarah Maas. It’s a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story with the Beast as one of the High Lords of a fairy kingdom, plus sex, cruelty, and violence. In the last third of the book, the heroine has to perform three impossible tasks to win her love, which is exciting. Although I thought the story was entertaining, it didn’t make me want to read the other five or more in the series; the characters are not fleshed out. But maybe in a year or two I’ll give the second one a try.
I’ve had two nice dinners with women friends this week. Otherwise, it has been a quiet time for me, as I’ve started writing a new book.
Kim, I just picked up the first Bruno, Chief of Police book. I’m just hoping it doesn’t have TOO much French in it. I’ll enjoy the food and landscape, but if there is too much language I don’t know, I sometimes get bogged down. Wish me luck!
And, good luck writing your next book!
I read the first three Brun o books and enjoyed them enough to keep reading, but I haven’t been back to them since. Don’t worry, they’re all in English pretty much.
Thanks, Jeff!
Thanks, Lesa, for wishing me good luck on the book–I’m only just getting started, so it’s going to be a while. I don’t think there’s too much untranslated French in the books–place names and titles, maybe, but not conversation. As Jeff says.
We tend to like the same kinds of books, Kim, but I think you’ve read all of the series that I would recommend. Any chance you haven’t read The Riddle Master of Hed by Patricia McKillip?
Thanks for this recommendation, Trisha. McKillip sounds familiar, but I don’t think I’ve read this book. I’ll definitely check it out!
Good morning. I live in one of the Central NJ towns that got hit by a flash flood on Monday. Fortunately we live on the higher end of town so other than water on our screened in porch we were OK. But people on the other side of town lost everything in their basements and sometimes their first floor. And they evacuated all of the houses on one block due to three houses having foundation damage. They finally reopened the main highway through our area yesterday so I was able to visit my mom. She’ll be 98 on Sunday.
I had lots of reading time this week since we really couldn’t go anywhere. I read:
The latest Sheriff Hank Worth book, THROWING SHADOWS by Claire Booth.
In the seventh installment in the Sheriff Hank Worth series a man stumbles out of the woods saying there’s a dead body. Unfortunately he has no idea where in the woods the body was, leading Hank to call in search dog teams. In addition to dealing with the search and the normal everyday crime, treasure hunters are descending on the area drawn by a podcast that claims the contents of a bank were buried there during the Civil War and never found. The book is an interesting mix of present day police procedural and snippets of Civil War history. It was a hard story to put down.
THE GARGOYLE BEGUILES THE BEAUTY by Kristen Painter.
A paranormal romance set in the fictional town of Nocturne Falls, Georgia a Halloween themed town where most of the inhabitants are supernatural creatures but the tourists think they’re just actors.
A cute children’s picture book, VAMPIRE JAM SANDWICH by Casey Lyall.
And two pretty forgettable books. THE CHRISTMAS INN by Pamela M. Kelley and, a very formulaic cozy mystery, MURDER A LA MODE by Lena Gregory.
Sandy! I’m glad you’re okay, but sorry for all the people who lost so much. I shouldn’t complain. I am lucky, as Mom said.
I now have a copy of Throwing Shadows, and I’m looking forward to reading it. Definitely soon!
Stay home and stay safe!
I am glad you are ok, Sandy. I used to live in that area and was astonished at how much it rained and how quickly the water rose.
Goodness Sandy! How frightening that flash flood must have been. Even to ‘just’ have the water come to your porch would have been upsetting. It’s amazing how much damage water can cause.
Kim, I really enjoyed The Will of the Many by James Islington. The second book is coming out in the fall. I just order The Shadow of What was Lost, the first book in his older series.
Rain here too, Lesa. It’s been a rather wet summer, for sure. Since I’m still dealing with back problems, I’m not too bothered by it because I’m not doing too much outside anyway. On a happier note, we had new carpet installed over the past two days. A creature of habit, it looks much like what we had, but newer and cleaner! Today I am planning on going to a local farm that makes their own ice cream – I think a hot fudge sundae is in my future.
This week I read “A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery, #8)” by Dianne Freeman. Another solid winner! This time George and Frances are in Paris and are assisting the local constable with not one, but two, murders and a case of blackmail. None other than the divine Sarah Bernhardt is a potential murder suspect. There are a number of mother/daughter relationships in this book, including Frances and her mother, Lily and her mother and m-in-law, Mimi Deaver and her daughter-in-law, Alicia Stoke-Whitney and her daughter – thus the name of the book. Some real plot twists and turns. Bring on #9 in the series real soon!
Oh, a hot fudge sundae with locally made ice cream! Sounds wonderful, Mary.
I’m behind. I haven’t read the new Countess of Harleigh mystery yet, and I like that series. Nice to know it’s a winner! Thank you.
Comment * Why should I care if we’re having thunder and lightning and rain if I’m only sitting home reading? Why should I care if we’re having thunder and lightning and rain if I’m only sitting home reading?
Your mother is right! It is supposed to be 92 here today and feel like 100-105, but we can stay in, read, eat leftover pizza, and relax. No worries.
Jackie wanted me to say that not only did she love Kelley Armstrong’s COLD AS HELL, but it was (“by far”) the best in her Haven’s Rock series, as well as the earlier Rockton series it spun off from. She loved this book. She is now reading a paranormal vampire/werewolf book – there was something about the author in the NYT a week or so ago – Ali Hazelwood’s BRIDE. (Apparently, before this she wrote rom coms.)
Carl Jacobi, a follower of August Derleth and H. P. Lovecraft, wrote a lot of fantasy and horror stories in the pulps, starting in the 1930s, and he was known for REVELATIONS IN BLACK (1947). I have that collection, but first I decided to get and read his Science Fiction MEGAPACK, which has been entertaining reading. If you have a Kindle and like older stories, not just science fiction, but mysteries, horror, etc. just look under Megapack. There are literally dozens of collections – people like Jacques Futrelle (The Thinking Machine), Ernest Bramah (Max Carrados), etc. And they are very cheap for a nice sized collection of stories, often a dollar or two or even free in some cases. (end unsolicited commercial) These are dated, of course, but I am looking forward to the fantasy/horror collection.
How could I not read a book called I See You’ve Called In Dead? It’s a novel by poet John Kenney. Let me explain why I liked it but didn’t love it as much as some people seemed to, and why it took me longer to read than it should have. Bud Stanley is a shlump, a 44 year old man whose wife left him for another guy. He writes obituaries for a living, and while he used to take the job seriously, lately he’s made mistakes repeatedly. Clearly, he just doesn’t care. The last straw is a blind date from Hell, where the woman shows up 40 minutes late and tells him she is getting back with her old boyfriend, who she brought with her. Is it any wonder Bud gets drunk and, in a particularly self-destructive moment, publishes his own fictional obituary.
The sh!t really hits the fan then, as Bud is suspended – he can’t be fired yet, because he is technically dead – and goes home to lick his wounds. His best friend (and landlord) Tim is pretty much holding him together, even though he’s been in a wheelchair nearly 30 years, ever since a serious traffic accident. The two go to a series of strangers’ funerals, perhaps in an attempt to learn how to live, perhaps not, and Bud meets a new woman. The book goes on to a partly predictable end, but, frankly, I just could never warm up to Bud or his problems.
What I did like about the book was the Brooklyn setting. I really enjoy books set in my home borough, as long as they get it right, and this does. When we were first married, we lived in (the now trendy) Carroll Gardens for 16 years. Bud lives across the border in Cobble Hill, and even though Kenney lives in Larchmont in suburban Westchester County, clearly he knows Cobble Hill well. So, a mixed review here.
We went to the eye doctor on Tuesday, and got some good news – no glaucoma or macular degeneration (which my father had), and the doctor told Jackie if we didn’t have it by this age, we’d never get it. But my distance vision has deteriorated in the last two years, especially in my left eye, so I need my cataracts treated. (Jackie had hers done three years ago.)
I thought if this when I started the third Sheriff Porter Beck book by Bruce Borgos, The Blue Horse, as Beck is losing his eyesight. This one starts with a wild horse roundup, and a murder of a helicopter pilot monitoring the roundup. I’m sure I will finish it by next Thursday. I’m also reading The Almost Perfect Crime, the new short story collection by S> S> Van Dine published by Crippen & Landru. That should take another week to finish at one story per day.
I’ve
Mom is almost always right, Jeff, as I said. Enjoy the books and leftover pizza!
I’ll have to look for Megapacks if I ever run out of books to read. You mentioned some series I liked when I read them – The Thinking Machine, Max Carrados. Thank you!
Congratulations on the eye doctor’s report. I hope the cataract surgery goes well when you get it.
Jeff, your review of ‘I See You’ve Called in Dead’ tallies with what my husband thought about it! How interesting.
Jeff,
I read some Lovecraft type stuff from time to time, but a little goes a long way with me. I’m not sure I’d ever make it through a Megapak of it.
My youngest sister stopped Saturday on her return trip to Canada. They were on their way to baseball game in Sacramento, so we met up in Reno and went to my favorite outdoor restaurant. Pleasant even at 100 degrees!
On to my reading week… The seventh in the Oxford police procedural series by Cara Hunter, MAKING A KILLING, is definitely suspenseful. It was reviewed here in May, so I won’t go into detail, but great characters.
In the author’s notes, she mentions her next book will probably not be part of the series.
A delightful historical suspense novel set in Victorian England, AND ONLY TO DECEIVE (Lady Emily Mystery)
by Tasha Alexander. The twisty plot involves a rich young widow, stolen antiquities, and the British Museum. It’s a well-researched, well-rounded literary novel with mystery & romance. It did, however, run a bit long as the heroine vacillated.
A nonfiction read NOBLE FRAGMENTS: The Gripping Story of the Antiquarian Bookseller Who Broke Up a Gutenberg Bible by Michael Visontay. It’s really more a memoir of a family that survived the Holocaust. The tie to the Gutenberg Bible is via a family member who emigrated to the US well before the wars. Interesting, but not as bookish as I thought from the title.
MM, I’m glad you had the chance to visit with your sister before she returned home.
Well, darn. I read the Cara Hunter, but I don’t think my galley had the author’s note about her next book. I don’t blame her for wanting to write something different though. As good as they are, they’re intense.
Lots of rain at my house too. My flowers are loving it.
I gave up on two books this week but finished two.
THE RUSHWORTH FAMILY PLOT by Claudia Gray was my favorite. Once again Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney meet up again this time at the Bertram House. When the former husband of Edmund Bertram’s sister is murdered, they are enlisted to solve the case. I enjoy this series based on characters from Jane Austen’s books. This was perhaps my favorite in the series.
Next, I read FALLING FOR YOU AGAIN by Kerry Lonsdale from Kindle Unlimited. It is about furniture artisan Meli who had been promised the family business when her uncle retires. When her uncle decides to sell the business to a competitor, Meli comes up with a plan to marry the competitor’s son in a marriage of convenience to muddle the deal. I was enjoying this despite the fact that both Meli and Aaron have parental issues. But then, the author threw in a third act break up that wasn’t necessary and ruined it for me. Fortunately, I only had 40 pages to arrive at the foregone conclusion.
Happy Reading!
At least the flowers are loving all the rain, Sharon. I went to the farmer’s market this morning because it wasn’t supposed to rain until 4. I was lucky to get out just in time because there was a downpour around 11.
A third act breakup! Why? Unnecessary.
Good morning! It’s been a busy week, so I’ve only finished two books. I went to three card games, which are a lot of fun but generally take up the whole morning. I had a dental appointment for some impressions for a crown and was delighted to see that impressions are now taken digitally–no more hot gloop in my mouth! In 3 weeks, this will finish my extraction/implant/ crown process–hurray! Then I went to the Harris Center for their annual Season Showcase, which was free, except for $3 for parking. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with this one. Yes, I enjoyed the champagne (actually, it was sparkling cider for me because I was driving) and desserts, but the presentation was not as exciting as usual, the program was much smaller (I’m sure they are trying to limit the cost), and I didn’t hear about shows that I couldn’t wait to see. But the next day I did sign up for the three shows in the Pops Chorale and Symphony series, which sound terrific. Today I’m starting a new year as my Toastmaster club’s Sergeant-at-Arms. That means I kick off the weekly meeting precisely on time, calling on any guests to introduce themselves, and do a mini-speech to set the tone for the meeting. I’ve had this role before, and I really love it, but it does require a little preparation each week. Today we will have two speeches and a new member induction, so I will have less time than usual. My mini-speech talks about the fact that today is the 70th birthday of Disneyland, which was certainly special to me as a 6-year-old, although it took me many years to finally visit the park. I used to live in PA before moving to CA in 1969. And wouldn’t you know it–the answer to Final Jeopardy last night was Disneyland, and I got it in a flash. Tomorrow night the grandkids will be visiting while their parents are at a special dinner, which will be fun. And Saturday night we’re celebrating my son Nick’s birthday at a nice restaurant. I echo what Glen said about the weather. Even though it’s hot in the daytime, it cools down nicely at night. Here’s what I read:
In the author’s comments at the end of THE NANNY’S HANDBOOK TO MAGIC AND MANAGING DIFFICULT DUKES, Amy Rose Bennett describes the book as “a historical [Victorian] romance, with light fantasy and comedic touches.” For me, however, the romance is not the most interesting part of the book. Newly minted Parasol Academy Nanny Emmeline Chase and Xavier, the Duke of St. Lawrence, exchange some charming, witty banter and develop a flirtation that, while it has its roadblocks to overcome, seems to develop quickly, if only in their minds. I was more interested in Emmeline’s magical skills (think: Mary Poppins, plus a bit of Hogwarts), such as teleportation, spells, and self-defense) and the burgeoning relationship between the adult pair and the Duke’s three orphaned young wards. It is also entertaining to see how Emmeline walks the fine line between following all of the Academy’s rules she has sworn to follow and breaking some of them to protect her charges while risking discovery by others. I found the Duke to be the weaker of the two protagonists. He spends a lot of his time working on a horology (time measurement) product resulting in an important contest, while daydreaming about Emmeline and feeling unworthy. There are some action scenes, but mainly this is a frothy, fun fairy tale that has its moments and makes for a pleasant diversion for those who are looking for some escape from real life. (September)
THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR is the third Christmas book I have read by British author Beth Moran, and it may be my favorite. Unlike a Hallmark rom-com, the book sets the tone for the two protagonists by exploring Mary’s background, then Beckett’s, before there is any mention of the holiday. Mary left the successful fashion accessories company she co-founded after a personal tragedy and soon found herself a pregnant widow living with no family support or friends in a rundown house in Sherwood Forest. Beckett hasn’t used his medical education as planned, driving a taxi for the flexible hours that allow him to provide security and assistance to his unpredictable grandfather, who is showing signs of advancing dementia. The two meet (not quite) cute when Beckett gets the call to drive Mary to the hospital in a blizzard as she as in labor with her son, without diapers or any idea what she will do next. The obligatory romance between the two is slow to start because of personal issues on both sides, and there are no intimate scenes. But Beckett turns out to be a promising partner for Mary, allowing her to be herself as she builds a new life. I especially loved the wonderful local community of interesting and diverse women who welcome Mary as she had never expected, and which she struggles to feel worthy of accepting. The holiday enters the plot with the planning for an annual Christmas show in which everyone seems to take part, and Mary finds that skills she polished in her past career are just what her new friends need for this beloved project. The book is everything I want in an uplifting story with festive holiday overtones and engaging characters. (August)
Margie, I think you made a wise decision when you moved to be near family. Like Mary in Beth Moran’s book, you seem to have built a community for yourself, and you sound happy. I enjoy reading about your activities. Sending hugs!
Both books you read this week sound quite interesting Margie. Onto my list they go.
I could never be part of a Toastmaster club! Even the idea of speaking in front of other people, never mind actually doing it, makes me feel queasy.
Lindy, I think a lot of Toastmasters felt that way before they joined (but they knew it was a skill they needed, either at work or personally, or both). ‘Each individual Toastmasters club is different. Ours won an award for Most Hospitable Club a couple of years back, based on feedback from guests, and I think that’s right. We are organized–we put out an agenda prior to the meeting each week, make sure all the roles are filled: speaker, evaluator, “ah” counter (keeps track of filler words and phrases), grammarian, timer, word master, general evaluator, table topics master (asks impromptu questions). But most of all, we have fun, and we are mutually supportive. Also, we give each new member a mentor so no one is just “thrown into” things.. Sorry, I don’t mean to proselytize. I just love my club so much. I’ve been a member of it for almost 15 years. We went on Zoom during the pandemic, which was great for me because I no longer live in the area where we used to meet, and we’ve stayed that way. I tried joining a club closer to my current home, but it couldn’t hold a candle to my original club so I quit it after a year but have stayed friendly with some of the members. I found that not only did it help me become more comfortable speaking in front of a group (I was the HR manager for a facility of my company) but also one-one-on-one–again, both at work and in my personal life. I stuck with it after retiring 10 years ago because I keep learning and honing my communication skills and because I like the spirit of camaraderie.
Wow Margie! Thank you for telling me about your Toastmasters club! I had no idea it was so involved. I’m sure it would be good for me since I can barely speak my thoughts out loud coherently to my family, never mind anyone else. And yet … I think I might be beyond hope at this point.
I finished How I Found Myself in the Midwest by Steve Grove. It has a gorgeous cover of the deep woods which made want to go back to Indiana! Steve Groves was working for Google in the Silicon Valley, then he wanted to go back to Minnesota where he grew up. I shared that yearning but for Southern Indiana.
It was a huge shift from a cushy job with a job that was extremely challenging in Minnesota.. And that is where his parents lived, they could provide support and love for their twins.
He also wanted to give back to community instead of just working for company. Also, he had a personal journey with his relationship with his father and how he felt about religion. As a child he did not realize the underlying racism that runs through Minnesota history. As an adult he started to see it in his community, then there was the murder of George Floyd. He decided to do the most that he could to fight racism in his new job. Of course there is more to this book but it is definitely a book that makes you think about many issues that are often poorly or not addressed at all.
On the personal front, I met with my rheumatologist and found out that I have to continue with the Reclast infusions that caused me so much pain! Stopping them would mean a backfire of sorts, increase risk of fracture, bones will get weaker than before. Oh joy! She advised me to take two extra strength Tylenol before the infusion to see if that helps. Also she had me take some labs and my creatine score was terrible! I have to figure out a way to lower it, I drink a lot of water already.
I needed a boost of humor , so I am starting Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg and it is helping.
Oh, Carol. You did need a boost of humor. I’m sorry about the need for continued treatment.
It’s funny the places that call us home. It wouldn’t be Southern Indiana for me!
Sending hugs.
Disappointed for you that you have continue with the infusions Carol, and I really hope the extra Tylenol will do the trick.
Hi, everyone! After my trip to Ireland I’ve been on a Tana French kick. I hadn’t picked them up before because I thought they’d be too dark for me, but in any case I am thoroughly enjoying the Dublin Murder Squad series. I just finished the third one, Faithful Place. I like the way each book picks up the thread of a a character we’ve met in earlier books and weaves all of the stories together. Faithful Place is about Frank Mackey, an undercover detective who has stayed away from his Dublin family of origin for over twenty years. A mystery from the time he left resurfaces, as does all of the trauma and dysfunction of his family. The mystery is absorbing, and I really appreciated the portrayal of an alcoholic family and what it takes to escape those dynamics, if you even can.
In nonfiction I read Having and Being Had by Eula Bliss, a series of meditations on consumption, work, art, and capitalism. I liked it but not quite as much as my friend who is handing out copies to everyone she knows! I am also reading Gary Dorrien’s memoir, which is both a personal and an intellectual history. He is a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York.
You convinced me, Trisha. I just put a hold on the first Dublin Squad book, In the Woods. We’ll see if it works for me.
I hope you like it! I appreciate you reading and responding to my comment.
My goodness, Lesa, you are plowing through the Calleshire Chronicles series. The most recent book I read was PARTING BREATH, book 7. I think I will have to read the next one on the Kindle.
We had an overnight guest last night. He took us out to our favorite Mexican place for dinner, and we took him out to breakfast this morning, and then went on to Costco after he left.
Glen is still reading the two books from last week, TEN YEARS IN THE TUB by Nick Hornby, and THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE, a book of ghost stories by John Gaskin. He will finish the Nick Hornby book today.
I recently finished reading THE MURDER OF MR. MA by John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan. This one is very different from SJ Rozan’s Lydia Chin / Bill Smith series, since it is a historical mystery set in London in 1924. But I expected that. It is more adventurous, and a lot of fun. The two main characters are Judge Dee and Lao Shen, a Chinese academic. There is an excellent explanation at the end about how John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan got together to work on this project. Lesa reviewed this book in April 2024. I will get the second book in the series later this year.
Last night I started reading A DEATH IN TOKYO by Keigo Higashino and translated by Giles Murray. This is the third book in the Tokyo Police Detective Kaga series to be translated to English from Japanese.
Tracy, I had to order a copy of A Late Phoenix, but it has three novels in the collection, so it will keep me occupied over time. I’m liking the Sloan and Crosby books. This is only the fourth in the series.
I liked The Murder of Mr. Ma, but not enough to go on and read the second one.
Hi Lesa, Had a great time in Mt Airy & Elkin, NC. Did some thrift shopping & candle shopping & visited Elkin Public Library, Saturday. Monday in Mt Airy visited a Pages Books & Coffee, shopped at Mayberry on Main, visited the Andy Griffith Museum, so much fun seeing costumes and memorabilia from the Andy Griffith show, including Ernest T’s rock, Goober’s hat and the actual rocking chair which Andy’s father built for Andy’s mom to rock him when he was born. We also visited the Siamese Twins museum which had information and photos of Chang & Eng who settled and raised families in Mt Airy after retiring from show biz. great few days…Very little reading done. I did finish Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon on audio for my drive there. Finished Secret’s in the Sauce by Linda Shepherd for book club. Continuing The Blonde who came in from the cold by Ally Carter (netgalley).
Thank you, Katherine! I was curious. I’ve read a little about Mt. Airy, but had never heard from anyone who actually visited. I appreciate the summary.
Checking in late…. I always care if there is thunder, lightening, and rain, as that is a recipe for power outages here. It always flickers and kicks out for at least a second or two during every rain event. That rarely happened in Plano when we were in the apartment, but in aging NE Dallas, it happens all the time.
The Sky Hoses have shut off late this year so the awns are still green. But, they have and now the Sky Burners have kicked on. The heat is coming on with upper 90s, heat indices of 105 plus, and threats that next week we will start hitting 100 air temp and go over it. And like having pumpkin spice in stores now, I see some folks calling this the dog days of summer. Nope. That is August.
I hate summer.
If you saw the medical news that came out about the current occupant of the White House, that is what I have. In my case, I was first diagnosed back in 2005 and that was when further testing indicated I had congestive heart failure. I was in my early 40s and it was supposed to be rare to have it at my age then. It took several years and a lot of medication trial and error to get it under control and stabilized.
At this point, my ankles only get really bloated like that when I have been up on my feet and cane too much. It does not take much time at all standing for that to happen. I am on two drugs that fight that and the associated congestive heart failure. I am at stage three on that as well. Also why I have a podiatrist as the blood flow is bad and one of the things that can happen due to that is heel cracking.
Think of a scratch on your hand. Now, take that scratch and make it an inch or more deep. Because you are a chronic pain patient with full body pain, you never feel it on your foot. Your first sign that you are split open is looking down and seeing blood welling out from under your foot. That is me and that has happened. I can be fine one minute and literally have the chasm open the next. I have a cream to use to try and prevent that. I also see the podiatrist on a regular basis and he talks to the cardiologist and a couple of other docs and they try to keep this fat man undead.
Scott and I both had the dentist deal Wednesday and with errands yesterday, I did not get much reading done. Been too tired as going out is painful and exhausting. That means a lot of bed time and watching a lot of TV.
Can’t remember if I mentioned it before, but HEADS OF STATE on Amazon Prime is a good action movie. Watched Ballard, and if you have not read the books, you probably like it if you liked BOSCH. The actress doing it for Ballard is not right, and they have changed a lot of the secondary characters as well as background stuff so it is sort of the series and more so not. If you have not read the books, you won’t notice. Scott and I have read the books and we noticed. BIGLY.
While the Dallas library still has the print version of Splintered Justice by Kim Hays on order, they actually added it to the Hoopla system. Which is apparently something like the Libby/Overdrive deal. I could not make it work. Scott, who reads a lot off of Hoopla, played with my iPad and made it work, after multiple attempts. Which means I now have the book through Hoopla and am finally reading it.
More than you wanted to know from this weird due in NE Dallas….
Gosh Kevin. After reading about all the many and various medical things you have to deal with, I feel ashamed to moan and complain about anything I have going on. My goodness; I don’t know how you cope. You must be awfully resilient.
Also, I too hate summer ha ha.
David and I both enjoyed Heads of State; highly entertaining.
No, not more than I wanted to know anyways, Kevin. Your explanation of what you have gave a little more insight into that man in the White House and what he has. Probably should stop playing golf, although he does ride in the cart. Probably should stop him from doing a lot of things, but everything might get worse if he only stays home and watches TV. After all, he got Colbert cancelled, and I love Colbert.
I’m glad Scott gets your devices working for you so you can read what you want.
Sending hugs and wishes that this next week’s weather isn’t as bad as they’re saying.
One of the things they constantly asked when this all started with me was whether or not I golfed. Obviously, being obese, as I am and as he is, in a major factor. But, supposedly golfing and walking the course was really bad. I never golfed. I did bowl now and then and that was also a no-no so I stopped.
The prescription, beyond the meds, was moderate walking, and to get off the feet as much as possible during the workday and to elevate the feet every chance I got.
One of the things they did in the beginning was a weekly IV in the doctor’s office. There was a med in that to help push the fluids out of the body. I have thought all along the reason why his hands have been so bruised is that he is getting IVs coupled with aspirin therapy. Us cardiac patients are supposed to take a baby aspirin a day to reduce the chances of a blood clot and/or a stroke. Having had blood clots in my legs before, I don’t want that crap again.
I know they are claiming his hand stuff is from shaking hands, but it isn’t. The pictures tell the story. Especially when for a week or two it is one hand and then for the next couple of weeks it is the other. The joy of vein collapse and they have to use the other hand. Been there and done that.
A single Covid infection makes all this stuff worse. He has had at least one such infection. I suspect it isn’t just age causing these issues that were going on a year plus ago, at least. I suspect he is getting worse and that would be no surprise.
Home grown organic technical support is great. lol
I really am interested, Kevin, in your comments about this because you have actual knowledge. And, so much of what we see online is just guesswork. I’m sorry you have firsthand knowledge, but appreciate you sharing it.