October books have piled up on me. It’s a good thing I have free time for the next two weeks. I didn’t do anything exciting this week. But, dinner at my sister and brother-in-law’s was wonderful Sunday night. The food was good, and the company was just as good. Kevin served chicken parmesan, pasta, homemade marinara sauce, garlic bread, salad, and panna cotta. Everyone just sat around and talked after dinner. We always enjoy the time together, but for some reason, it was even nicer that night. Maybe it was the Italian food. We were all stuffed, and couldn’t move. I hope you all had a nice week.
I was just sitting down to write this post yesterday when my book was delivered. I’m glad because I’m reading a new book, just released on Tuesday. I’ve only read a fifth of it, and, to be honest, I don’t really know what it’s about. So, I put it aside for now, and I’m starting Richard Osman’s next Thursday Murder Club book, The Impossible Fortune. I’m sure you don’t need my copied blurb for this book. If you like the Thursday Murder Club, you’ll be looking forward to this new book. If you’re not a fan, you won’t care.
So, that’s what I’m doing. Putting one book away, and picking up a new one to read.
What about you? What have you been doing this week? What are you reading?
Family dinners are one of the nicest things to do; it just feels good to get together with family. And if I’m not the one doing the cooking it’s even better!
The most exciting and labour intensive thing for us this week was the arrival of the new rug for the living room. We wanted to see how it would look and if the colour was anything like the picture online (spoiler alert, it was not). So I took all the books out of the glass-fronted bookcase that belonged to my grandmother, then David and I moved it and all the other furniture out, rolled up the old rug, rolled up the underpad, and placed the new rug down roughly where it would go. The colour was much much lighter than anticipated and much agonizing ensued as to whether or not we liked it. Thought it might help to see it with furniture so moved all the furniture back. Still wasn’t sure so called in a neighbour who genuinely liked it very much. Short interlude while we all had tea. Then she left and we moved all the furniture out again so that we could cut the new underpad to size. Finally it and the rug were properly placed and all the furniture got moved back once again, and I put all the books back in the bookcase. My muscles had a good workout that day which was obvious the next day because of the aching. We’re slowly becoming accustomed to the rug.
After that thrilling news I’ll move on to books read:
HER FORGOTTEN PROMISE by Corin Burnside
What a great book. I didn’t want to put it down and resented the fact that I had to stop reading to do mundane things like cook dinner or do laundry.
Going back and forth in dual timelines, 1944 and 2014, revelations and stories are grippingly and emotionally teased out. It felt like I was right there.
Margaret and Agnes meet as young women while working with the WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) as radio operators during WWII. They become the best of friends, eventually sharing an apartment. Then one day Agnes is gone without a word of explanation. Seventy years later, near the end of her life, Margaret still wonders what happened to Agnes.
On a visit to her Aunt Margaret, Claire discovers that even though her aunt’s memory is fading in and out she seems desperate to know why Agnes left and why she never returned, but Claire has never heard her aunt mention Agnes before now. Despite problems of her own, Claire is determined to find out what happened so her aunt will have some answers before her memory gets even worse. Claire’s research in England provides her with Agnes’s war record which seems to imply that answers might be found in France from the time when the French Resistance was at its height, so that’s where she goes.
What follows is a wonderful, character-filled story of love, heartache, sacrifices, resilience, and courage. There are unbearably tense scenes and an equal number of emotionally fraught ones. I’m not doing the book justice at all but it was an immersive experience where I could feel the rage, upset, hope, admiration, and fear. The story was a reminder of the many impossible decisions and situations that everyday people had to make and endure during the war. I loved spending time there and was willing Claire to find the answers she was looking for, which was very difficult to do so many years later.
OLD MAN’S WAR by John Scalzi
Lesa reviewed the seventh book in this series a couple of weeks ago (The Shattering Peace) and it seemed like something David might enjoy so I got the first book in the series (which was written 20 years ago) for him to try. He did like it, so I decided I would also read this ‘military science fiction’ book. Certainly a departure from what I usually choose to read.
The premise is interesting – people can live on other planets now, although there are very few suitable ones. What ones there are, are fiercely fought over; it seems that not only humans are looking for a planet to call home. The situation is so dire that down on earth the Colonial Defense Forces are recruiting people to add to their ranks of soldiers whose job it is to protect humanity by keeping colonized planets safe. To that end, if you’re living on earth, once you turn 75 years old you can join the CDF army. You must serve for a minimum of two years and if you don’t die you can retire and you will be gifted a place to live on another planet. But you will not ever be allowed to return to earth. Once you leave, that’s it. John Perry joins up. His beloved wife has been dead for a few years now and he’s ready to do something new with his remaining life.
I was hooked from the first page. The story is highly imaginative and there’s never a dull moment. Considering this is a science fiction novel, I was surprised to discover bits of philosophy, humour, love, soul-searching, and emotion. There was not much in the way of depth to the characters, but that’s not the point of the story. It’s just one big entertaining adventure. And weirdly – given that it’s about war and killing and can be quite graphic- it’s all surprisingly fun! And I don’t know how that can be.
Good morning, Lindy! I enjoyed all your agonizing over your rug. I hope you’re happy with it now.
And, I think it’s great that you and David both liked Old Man’s War. You’re right. It’s an adventure story with so much meat to it. Hard to believe it was Scalzi’s debut.
Lindy, Funny we are waiting for our new hallway rug to be delivered today. It is also very different from what we had there. I am sure we will have the same doubts!
Lindy, I enjoyed Old Man’s War, and I read the next two books in the series. Now I am looking for a copy of the 4th book. I have also read the Lock In series and the Interdependency series, and The Kaiju Preservation Society.
Do you have a favourite John Scalzi book Tracy?
My frustration of the week is that Threads decided my account was in violation of their standards and took it down for me. Even after I used my one appeal. No idea what I did wrong. And everything is fine with my Facebook and Instagram accounts (all of which are linked). I’m missing it, but I probably need even fewer social media platforms, so this is probably best for me over all.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
Reading wise, I’m at the intersection of books as I type this. Earlier today, I finished LADY DARLING INQUIRES AFTER A KILLER by Colleen Gleason (aka Colleen Cambridge). This is the first in a new series about a widowed Lady of a certain age in 1898 London. It was good at times, but it felt over written, more so than her other series, but I’ve thought that about them as well. What really put me off is something from the main character’s past. It just didn’t sit well with me.
Thursday, I will be starting MURDER MOST SCENIC, a collection of short stories that introduces the characters in Liz Milliron’s Laurel Highlands series. Since I already read book one earlier this year, I’m looking forward to truly meeting the characters for the first time.
Oh, Mark! I’m sorry about Threads. When I switched to BlueSky, I missed the book community on X, but I don’t miss it any longer now that it became so political.
I’m just not a fan of Gleason’s work, whether as Cambridge or Gleason. Over written is a good phrase for them.
I miss living close to family so much.
I am still reading You Have Gone Too Far by Carlene O’Connor. It is taking longer because my glaucoma is getting worse. I love the book and want to read more of her books. I was prescribed glaucoma drops without preservatives that cost $425 per month. I am thinking of getting a second opinion on the sudden pain & blurriness attacks (five so far). I can’t afford the drops, so I am continuing with the old ones.
Up at 1 a.m. with left leg and ankle cramps, I have a scheduled ultrasound for 90 minutes (Wish I could read during that!_ Then my appointment to go over the results is not until the end of March. They are really back up. Both appointments are in Austin, which is terrible because our car is too old to rely on.
OK, wondering if there will be a third medical problem coming, my experience has been that they come in threes!
I’m so sorry, Carol. I’m sorry your glaucoma is getting worse, and that you’re experiencing those medical problems. Good luck!
This all sounds too awful Carol. I am so sorry for you. I don’t know how you cope. I wish for something good to happen for you soon.
Not a very exciting week. We’ve been redoing the raised beds for my vegetable garden so we’ve been going back and forth to Home Depot buying soil and filling the beds that I need for spring planting. We still need to replace three beds but they can get filled in the spring.
I only read one book worth mentioning, A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS CRIME by Jacqueline Frost.
From Goodreads
Innkeeper Holly White has a lot to be joyful about this season, until an attempted robbery throws the town into suspicion in the sixth installment of the Christmas Tree Farm mysteries from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.
As Christmas descends on Mistletoe, Maine, Holly White has an extra gift for the a new baby on the way. Her husband, Sheriff Evan Gray, has been worried about her elevated blood pressure and Holly has agreed to take this year easy. Being idle has never been one of Holly’s gifts, so when Evan surprises her with tickets to the town-wide dinner, she and her many cravings thank him. But when a thief tries and fails to steal an antique ornament from the dinner’s holiday display, it’s clear that someone is on the naughty list.
The thief manages to escape, but after dinner, Holly spots their lifeless body. It’s clear that someone in town was keen to kill them. Evan is less than jolly to find his wife at the scene of yet another holiday homicide and asks her to promise that she’ll leave the investigating to the police. But Holly has never been one to turn down a challenge and has to get creative with the help of a few of her friends in order to find this killer.
Will she and her friends be able to stop the killer, and uncover the motive behind the attempted robbery, or will the killer strike again and paint the town a bloody red
Sandy, I have a hard time, even with cozy mysteries, with those mothers-to-be who put their babies in jeopardy by investigating when they’re pregnant. (sigh)
I don’t believe this. I’d written several paragraphs when I must have done something, as my whole comment disappeared. Crap. I guess I better start over. I will leave out all the preliminary comments about the weather (much cooler now, back to near 80 by the weekend) and Kevin’s cooking (yum Italian food is my favorite) and go to the books.
After finishing the J. D, Robb book (FRAMED IN DEATH), Jackie actually went on to a straight romance, a genre she only reads occasionally these days. Last year she read Ashley Poston (her new favorite) and Emily Henry, and she says Abby Jimenez is quite like the latter. The first book that came in (actually, the second in a series) was YOURS TRULY, and she liked it a lot, judging by how often she talked about it. The only thing she didn’t like was the way she (artificially) kept the couple apart by having them NOT talk to each other to clear up their misunderstandings. But overall, she liked it a lot, and she has the previous book coming next. First, however, she is rereading the last (6 year old) Monkeewrench book by P. J. Tracy, ICE COLD HEART, because I told her the new one carries on the characters and storylines from that book, and she didn’t remember it.
My reading has been all over the place, as I couldn’t settle on one book. I did finally finish two books I was reading, the first for a couple of weeks, The Pleasure of Reading. Thanks again to Tracy for mentioning this. There is, as you might expect, a lot of overlap in favorite books by authors, both in childhood reading and in their top 10 favorites – a lot of Jane Austen, MIDDLEMARCH, ANNA KARENINA, etc. What surprised me a little was Dickens – BLEAK HOUSE is a favorite, yes, and GREAT EPECTATION and DAVID COPPERFIELD are too, but I was surprised at how many mentions LITTLE DORRIT, a book I’ve never read, got. I might have to try it one day.
A friend had recommended the John Mortimer-edited Great Law & Order Stories and I bought a nice copy online for $3.99 as the library didn’t have one. I had read the majority of the stories before, both classics by Conan Doyle and Poe and Baroness Orczy, as well as one of Raymond Chandler’s best, plus others by P. D. James, Ruth Rendell, Mortimer himself (Rumpole of the Bailey), and A Maigret story written in 1946. This also has older works by both Dickens and his close friend Wilkie Collins. Good book.
A few people might remember that I read the first volume of Edmund Morris’s great biography of Theodore Roosevelt (THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT) a year ago, when I found a copy in our laundry room library. I’ve been meaning to get back to them since, and just got the second book, covering Roosevelt’s 7 1/2 years as President, THEODORE REX. All I can say is, this was a very different country (and world) back in 1901. For one thing, he became President when McKinley was assassinated in September of 1901, but Congress wasn’t in session until December (working even less time than they do now!).
For those of you who have Amazon Prime memberships, you are eligible for Amazon’s First Reads program, where they offer you a free forthcoming book (from 8 choices, generally) each month. One of this month’s choices is John Scalzi’s novella, “3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years,” which will be part of THE TIME TRAVELER’S PASSPORT anthology, coming out in November. I downloaded and read the time travel story yesterday, and anyone who likes Scalzi’s writing or time travel stories in general should consider doing the same.
While waiting for other books, I started the four in Tim Sullivan’s DS George Cross series, THE POLITICIAN, and I’m a third of the way through it. The former Mayor of Bristol is murdered in her home, at first looking like a home burglary gone wrong, but George is skeptical, immediately suspecting deliberate murder. These books are coming to the U.S. this year and I would definitely start with book one.
One frustration for me is, when I’m waiting for a library book for a while, then THREE books come in at once. That happened this week as the Cloud Library offered me two of my books an hour apart, and third third one the next day. So now I have to catch up so I can get the new Thursday Murder Club book by Richard Osman (THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTUNE), the new John Scalzi/Old Man’s War book (THE SHATTERING PEACE) and Patrick Ryan’s BUCKEYE.
Have a safe week.
I had the same problem you did, Jeff, lost my response to you, and had to start over. With me, though, it was my iPad, and I switched to my laptop.
I’ll have to watch for the others in the Time Traveler’s Passport group. I love John Scalzi’s writing, and I’ll watch for those.
Like you, I have too many books right now, so many October book releases. I’m reading The Impossible Fortune at the moment.
Happy Reading!
Jeff, I am glad to hear that you enjoyed THE PLEASURE OF READING. Glen liked a good number of the essays in that book; I will probably read it in 2026.
Thanks for reminding me about “3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years.” I went and checked out the rest of the stories in the anthology, and I am interested in some of those authors too. So I got my free copy of Scalzi’s story.
You and Lesa and others here have liked the DS George Cross series by Tim Sullivan so much, I am going to have to get a copy of the first book. Soon.
Summer is still hanging on in Cincinnati. I am ready to have my windows open.
Two books for me this week.
THE BOOK OF GUILT by Catherine Chidgey was pretty dark but very good. It is hard to summarize it without giving too much away so I will just share from Goodreads. I must say, I am in awe of authors who can come up with these plots.
In an alternate world where nobody won WWII, three brothers are the only boys left in an orphanage whose dark secret is the reason for their existence—and the key to their survival—from the acclaimed author of Pet.
After a very different outcome to WWII than the one history recorded, 1979 England is a country ruled by a government whose aims have sinister underpinnings and alliances. In the Hampshire countryside, 13-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents at the Captain Scott Home for Boys, where every day they must take medicine to protect themselves from a mysterious illness to which many of their friends have succumbed. The lucky ones who recover are allowed to move to Margate, a seaside resort of mythical proportions.
In nearby Exeter, 13-year-old Nancy lives a secluded life with her parents, who dote on her but never let her leave the house. As the triplets’ lives begin to intersect with Nancy’s, bringing to light a horrifying truth about their origins and their likely fate, the children must unite to escape – and survive.
THE BEEKEEPER’S LAST CONFESSION by Jane Willan might be my favorite of all the Sister Agatha/Father Selwyn mysteries. Sister Agatha’s brother has died and when she opens the box of his belongings, she finds a cryptic message about sleeping dragons. She teams up with her fellow sisters and Father Selwyn to uncover the forty-year-old mystery all while preparing for the harvest festival. I love this small Welsh community.
Happy Reading!
I always mean to read the Jane Willan books, Sandie and never get around to them. Thank you for the reminder. And, it’s good to know they continue to get better. Thank you.
Good morning! Looks like many of us are sleeping in today–usually there are a lot more reviews by the time I get around to it in Pacific Time. I’m still trying to get myself in shape to walk again with the Walkie Talkies on Thursdays, and when I do, I’ll probably go back to posting my reviews on Wednesday evening. Not that there are many reviews from me–again this week I only finished two books. I’m almost finished with the third, but haven’t written the review yet.
The highlight of my week was a lovely dinner at a fairly new restaurant called Eldo Chop House (Eldo because it’s in El Dorado Hills and Chop House for no reason I can guess–I don’t even remember seeing any chops on the menu. But the food is spectacular. We had three kinds of appetizers with truffles in each, and I could have forgone the entree (a huge wedge salad with all kinds of ingredients) because I was already full. However, the six of us managed to eat two desserts (which we almost never do), and the star was butter cake with macerated strawberries and ice cream (to die for). More benefits: it’s close to home, we ate outside on a patio, and I didn’t have to pay! Other than that, the only thing of note this week was that on Monday I got my flu and Covid shots.’
At long last, a new Nils Shapiro mystery from Matt Goldman! It’s been five years, and DARK HUMOR is a welcome return to an outstanding private investigator series. Nils has been mourning the death of his wife, a Minneapolis police chief, for two years, still dabbling in PI work and sharing the parenting of his beloved 6-year-old daughter, Evelyn, with his ex-wife. Drug lord Sammy Sykes, whom Nils blames for Gabriella’s shooting death, is wanted by law enforcement, but no one can find him. When Nils picks up a clue while interviewing Sammy’s incarcerated daughter, he is compelled to follow through and plans to find Sammy on his own .Although his closest friends, ex-wife, and associates beg him to let it go and move on with his life, Nils takes off for Europe and situations that are complex and personally dangerous. All of the characters in the story are singular and portrayed in loving detail–from Nils himself to his family, his associates, the people who help (or hinder) him along the way, and even villain Sammy Sykes.. And his seatmate on the plane becomes involved as well. Was it a coincidence that they met, or does she play a much more important role in the story? I enjoyed every nuance of this absorbing tale, even when it threatened some disturbing vigilante justice. The story is brought to a satisfying end, and I’m hoping that Goldman’s new publisher will continue with this memorable series. (December)
THE PHOENIX PENCIL COMPANY of the title is a family business, founded in Shanghai, whose black pencils are legendary. In Allison King’s novel, not only are they the best to use for writing and sketching, but they hold memories that can be “reforged” by female family members. And their ability to communicate messages makes them an important resource during China’s war-torn history. At the center of the story are several of the aforementioned female family members, and the tale is told mostly in alternating journal entries by Monica, a college student and coding whiz, and Yun, her nonagenarian grandmother. Other important characters include: Monica’s grandfather, struggling to deal with the ever-encroaching dementia tormenting his wife; Louise, who is identified by an experimental journaling software program and becomes so much more to Monica; and Meng, Yun’s cousin who was raised with her and shares many of her secrets and memories. This is a difficult book to categorize. On one hand, there are many scenes that are grisly–illustrating how the Phoenix women transfer the text from the pencils onto paper–and I would have preferred fewer of these unnecessarily repeated demonstrations. But on the other, there is a wealth of deep emotion and fascinating history throughout the pages. In my opinion, the story moves too slowly and takes too long to complete, but I have to admire the ambition and expertise of this debut novelist.
Margie – you made my day with the review of another Nils Shapiro book! I honestly didn’t think that this series would be continued. Oh happy day! 🙂
Mary M, I was thrilled to meet Matt Goldman at Bouchercon in 2023, and I told him I hoped there would be more Nils books. He whispered to me that he was working on one, but he hadn’t told his publisher. I’m so glad Severn House took on this book, and hopefully there will be more! This one is shorter than usual (Severn House seems to let their writers write only 256-page books!), but I still loved it. Happy reading!
I agree with Mary. I knew there was going to be another Nils Shapiro, but I didn’t know the title or when it was due out. Thank you, Margie!
Your dinner (especially dessert), sounds wonderful!
Good morning all! Lesa that dinner sounds heavenly! Might be time to add chicken parm to my dinner rotation now that the nights are a little colder. I just got back from my knee doctor appointment and of course he is recommending surgery. I’m sure that it is inevitable, but I don’t think that I want to jump into it. Need some “soak” time on this one!
This past week I listened to “Other People’s Houses” by Clare Mackintosh. DC Ffion Morgan, and her boyfriend Leo, are back in this 3rd installment of this series. There are multiple murders and numerous house break-in’s in the upper middle class subdivision known as The Hill. Ffion is assigned to one case (a drowned woman found in the water under a kayak) and Leo is assigned to the break-ins. Soon their cases start to intersect. Simultaneously, as they try to take their relationship to the next level, Leo’s ex-wife Ally throws obstacles in their way by using their son as a weapon to keep them apart. Ally just happens to live at the bottom of The Hill neighborhood and pulls out all of the stops to ingratiate herself into the neighborhood, hoping that she will be grandfathered in to the elite set. Fast paced and suspenseful with just the right amount of delving into personal issues to keep the book balanced. Love the Ffion character and she continues to flourish in this latest book.
Mary, Italian food is my favorite. When my sister, Linda, picked the menu, she never thought it would still be in the 80s here. She thought we’d have fall weather and Italian food. I can see why you’d wait.
I’m a little behind in the Clare Mackintosh series, but I have the second on a TBR pile.
i love when I run across a new series that I enjoy.
Most recently it’s P. J. Nelson’s Old Juniper Bookshop Mysteries.
ALL MY BONES
Description from NetGalley:
Madeline Brimley, new owner of a bookstore in a small Georgia town, finds herself playing sleuth when a friend is charged with the murder of a much-disliked woman.
Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founders upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months.
When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quickly finds out, there aren’t many people in town who hadn’t wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm’s Fairy Tales—ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied to the grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt’s best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer—before she becomes the next victim.
Thank you for the heads-up about the second book in the series, Kaye! I am really looking forward to reading this one.
Kaye, I loved Gloria in the first in Nelson’s series. I’m looking forward to reading about her again. Thank you for the reminder!
Hi everyone, this has been a quiet week, a bit of a break in my full travel schedule. Last week we were out West near Jackson Hole. I had never seen the aspens in the fall, they turn a beautiful gold color. For fun I’ve been working my way through the Jane Wunderly mysteries. The latest ones were not quite as entrancing but I really enjoyed the Christmas novella.
Speaking of chicken parm, the minor league hockey team in Providence (the Providence Bruins) occasionally wears different uniforms or rebrands for fun. (One of my favorites is when the Yankees farm team plays as the Jersey diners.) One night this fall the PBruins will be the Fighting Chicken Parm. I ordered one of the shirts!
I love that, Trisha. That’s so funny – the Jersey Diners and the Fighting Chicken Parm. I can’t imagine what the shirts look like!
A little travel, a Christmas novella. A nice quiet week!
Trisha, the Somerset Patriots who play as the Jersey Diners are our local team. The stadium is a couple of towns over from us.
We are off to the pet store to get cat food and the grocery store, so I am writing this up quickly. I will come back and check out other comments later.
Yesterday was Glen’s birthday. We went out to one of our favorite restaurants, but unfortunately the service wasn’t very good and it wasn’t the best experience. Still, the food was good. On the weekend we watched a couple of entertaining movies he likes, GROSSE POINTE BLANK with John Cusack and Minnie Driver and THE FIFTH ELEMENT with Bruce Willis. Both were released in 1997.
Glen is reading THE RURAL CEMETERY MOVEMENT: PLACES OF PARADOX IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA. He is interested in rural cemeteries in the US, and this is one of three books he bought on that subject earlier this month. This one doesn’t have that many illustrations, and he says the writing is dry and not very compelling. Hopefully the other two will be better reads and I think they have have nice photos also.
I finished reading CAN’T SPELL TREASON WITHOUT TEA by Rebecca Thorne, a cozy fantasy about a lesbian couple who want to leave their current lives behind and open a bookstore in a remote location where no one can find them. As the story starts, Reyna is a private guard to a powerful and cruel queen, and Kianthe is a powerful mage, so there are problems in escaping the responsibilities of their previous jobs. The story was good and I enjoyed the elements of building on community, sharing, and adjusting to a new type of life. Of course there is conflict also. I liked it and will want to read the second book in the series.
Love that title, Tracy – Can’t Spell Treason without Tea.
Linda & I almost went to a cemetery today, but we want to wait until they have a two-hour walking tour. I’ll be out of town when the next one happens. Linda & I just can’t seem to coordinate our dates for that. We had the same issue last year and missed it.
But, I love small rurul cemeteries, too.
I was wondering Tracy how you and Glen and London (did I remember that name correctly?) are doing now that the three of you have been together for a while?
Lindy, Thanks for asking. London is doing fine although we are still going through an adjustment period. Two things we are still working on: He tends to “bite” when he is in a situation that frustrates him. He likes to be petted but only around the head and he doesn’t cooperate with brushing. He doesn’t really hurt us.
He also wants either attention or food during the night and wakes us up. That seems to be getting better gradually. He seems to like being with us and we are enjoying him, so we are sure we will all adjust eventually. It has been 12 years since we had a new cat and we have forgotten what that process was like with our last cat.
It sounds like London is beginning to settle in and I’m sure you’re very patient with him. The fact that he likes you is the most important thing! Impressive.
It’s turned cool, and we’re getting the rain we usually get about this time of year, even though everybody seems to forget that it comes most years.
This week I read:
Snow Falcon by Craig Thomas; This guy used to sell a lot of books, and one of them, Firefox was turned into a Clint Eastwood movie, but he’s been largely forgotten. It’s one of those books where all the agents are soul weary and wondering why they bother, even though the Soviet Union is about to invade Finland. The more things change…
The Summer of the Danes by Ellis Peters; An entry in the Brother Cafael series. It’s supposed to be a mystery, but it’s really a rather lame romance. There’s a murder, but Peters forgets to have any sort of investigation, and it’s solved by a deathbed confession from the guy who should have been a red herring. We got the worst of both worlds in this one.
Building Material by Stephen Bruno; A guy who becomes a doorman writes a memoir. Some interesting stuff. I didn’t realize what a good job it must seem to many people. Still, I think Bruno went to a few too many writer workshops.
I remember when Craig Thomas was popular, Glen, although I never read one of his books. That’s a shame about the Ellis Peters book, though.
Enjoy the weather, even though it surprised some people!
Good afternoon from NE Dallas where it is in the low 90s and we desperately need rain. At least the mornmings have been cool enough that I can sit outside and read for a little while.
After whipping through CRIMSON THAW and STOLEN IN DEATH–reviews are written out and need to be typed–I am working on two books.
The anthology, HOLLYWOOD KILLS, that came out earlier this month. One of the editors involved sent me a digital copy.
The latest in the Samuel Craddock mystery series, The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes by Terry Shames. ARC from NetGalley. Due out in December.
Early this morning I noticed on NetGalley that they had listed, The Politician
A DS George Cross Mystery by Tim Sullivan. March release. Since I have almost a dozen books in the que–including two and three of this series– I did not expect to get approved any time soon. I just got approved and downloaded it before somebody changes their mind.
KRT
I tend to download too many books from NetGalley, Kevin, because I want to get them before they disappear. I’ve missed a few by not paying attention to the archive date.
I have screwed that up too. More than once. The setting of archive dates seems really arbitrary and weird.
I agree.I always think the archive date is going to be the release date, and it turns out to be earlier at times.
I love time travel books, and I tend to try any of them that I run into. I have been wanting to read THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub since it came out and I finally ordered a copy.
I have read all of the time travel books by Connie Willis and that series is probably my favorite.
I got this John Scalzi short story when Jeff mentioned it yesterday and I also preordered the five other short stories that are part of The Time Traveler’s Passport.