You’re going to have to help me out today. I’m not far enough into anything to claim that I’m reading it. We’ll see what happens. I am taking a book back to the library. There are people waiting for it, and I just haven’t had time. Short deadlines for April. Do you think I can get nine more books read in the next two weeks? Wish me luck.
Anyways, what are you reading? That’s the important question. Let’s talk about your books or audio books.
Good luck with those nine books Lesa. I could not do it.
This week I finished Lemon Tea Cake Murder by Karen Rose Smith. I did not find it as good as the early Laura Childs tea shop mysteries. I felt a little let down by the ending so I don't think I will be continuing on with the series.
Wednesday night during the power outage after the EF-1tornado in my city (fortunately we had no damage) I read The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover by Susan Wittig Albert by oil lamp and flashlight. I enjoyed all the books in the series and was pleased to see another one after a few years. I enjoy reading about the time period and chuckle at the characters complaining about the grocery prices like a nickel for a head of lettuce.
Now I am reading I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marissa de los Santos and loving it.
We've had snow, rain, hail, a tornado, and snow flurries so far this week in my southwest corner of Columbus. No complaints about 40 and sunshine today but seriously, I am ready for spring!
Take care.
I know exactly how you feel. I had to return three downloaded library books that just weren't doing it for me. Either they took too long getting going or they just didn't engage my attention.
I did pick up four library books, including the Mukherjee, which came in immediately. First, however, I am reading the late Denis Johnson's posthumous collection, THE LARGESSE OF THE SEA MAIDEN. Also Sloane Crosley's essays, LOOK ALIVE OUT THERE. Next is the Jane Harper, FORCE OF NATURE.
And more short story collections roll in: James Holding, THE ZANZIBAR SHIRT MYSTERY. Also, since I enjoyed the O. Henry collection, I bought an e-collection of over 200 of his stories for 99 cents.
We had frost today, Sharon, and we've had the tornado watches, but, fortunately, that's it. I'm hoping we get spring before summer hits.
Don't you hate it when a series lets you down, and you finally decide "enough"?
Careful on those O.Henry stories, Jeff. I didn't pace myself once, and I overdid it. I love his stories.
I finished the following:
The Woman in the Window by A J Finn
Murder is an Art by Bill Crider
I am now reading:
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
The Annie Szabo Mystery ( book 1) by Meredith Blevins
May reading bring great pleasure to you this week.
📕📒📗📘📙☕️
Charlotte!
I see you finished The Woman in the Window. And, I'm betting you enjoyed Bill Crider's book more. Am I right?
I just finished (10 p.m. yesterday) Sandra Dallas's new novel, The Patchwork Bride. It will be published in June. [Boy, some advance reader copies are REALLY advance.]
I was due to give a book talk for a women's group tonight but found out that there's another program scheduled. I think they want me to attend next month.
Here's the list:
Nonfiction
Code Girls — Liza Mundy
The Woman Who Smashed Codes — Jason Fagone
The One-Cent Magenta — James Barron
Grocery: the Buying and Selling of Food in America — Michael Ruhlman
Fiction
I Was Anastasia — Ariel Lawhon
White Chrysanthemum — Mary Lynn Bracht
Go Ask Fannie — Elisabeth Hyde
Varina — Charles Frazier
Caroline — Sarah Miller
I want to hear what Charlotte thought about The Woman in the Window! Ha! And I hope Jeffrey enjoys Force of Nature – I liked it a lot. Sorry about the tornado, Susan. We're familiar with those in Texas. It's been a while since I read a Darling Dahlias book. I need to catch up with that series. And I have loved many of Sandra Dallas' books. Didn't know she had a new one coming out. I'll watch for it in June.
I'm reading Catherine McKenzie's new book, The Good Liar – so far, so good. And I'm still immersed in Peter May books on audio – listening to Entry Island right now. We had our Sherlock Holmes theme meeting last night at mystery group. It was a lot of fun. Good luck with the 9 books Lesa. Cathy has been overwhelmed over at Kittling: Books. She's been reading like a speed demon. LOL
Nann, How was The Patchwork Bride? I'm a big Sandra Dallas fan.
Is that your list of books read this past week, or what you were going to talk about for the program. My gosh! You went through quite a few!
So, we're both waiting for Charlotte's reaction, Kay. Thank you! If I stay home this weekend and next, I should make it with those 9 books. I'll have to check out Cathy's posts to see what she has to say.
Good luck! I am reading "Persons Unknown", the sequel to "Missing, Presumed". The writing and observations are beautiful. I find myself drawn to the other characters more than I am to the main character, but that isn't a huge problem. I am also reading "Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People" by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Her observations are so sharp they cut me sometimes, and other times I wish for a little more depth.
What an interesting review of "Accidental Saints", Trisha. You have a beautiful way of expressing your opinion.
I started several library books that I couldn’t get into this week. The two I liked enough to finish were
DEATH AL FRESCO by Leslie Karst
PLAIN CONFESSION by Emma Miller
I just started GUNPOWDER MOON by David Pedreira. It’s about a murder on the moon. Hopefully I be able to finish this one.
So many books, and so many that just don't fit our mood, right, Sandy?
All three books I read this week were "fluffy"–maybe I was just in the mood. The one I liked best was Lethal Licorice. Amanda Flower has so many series going, and she works as a librarian–don't know how she does it (sound familiar, Lesa?). I really enjoy her writing, and this is the second in her Amish Candy Shop Mysteries.
I also read and enjoyed Kristen Weiss's cozy, Deja Moo, which Lesa has already reviewed. Yesterday I read The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory, which was as close to a romance as anything I read. It was one of those meet-cute-getting-stuck-in-an-elevator stories, leading to a California long-distance affair that had trouble getting beyond the affair stage (between a mayor's chief of staff in Berkeley and a pediatrician in Santa Monica). Cute but insubstantial, as you would probably expect of a romance.
I didn't get much reading done over Easter weekend because I was more interested in our visiting 17-month-old grandson abd the rest of our family. Now I'm ready to forge forward.
Lesa, I liked the Sheriff Dan Rhodes books better than the Sally Good book that I just finished. I will go back to the sheriff series next. I do like Bill Crider as a author and plan to read more of his books.
Lesa and Kay, I truly wish I could give reviews like you both do. Never was one to give good written book reports when I was in school.
I am glad I kept on reading the book The Woman in the Window.
I could have done with so much of Dr. Fox and her drinking problem.
The book had me turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Which is always a good thing.
The author did keep me guessing about the father and daughter. I felt like I knew what had happened. The author did a good job making you think it was the way Dr. Fox was telling her side about them each day.
I never thought at any time that the guilty one was who it turned out to be. Big Surprise.
I gave the book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on Goodreads.
You're right, Margie. Sometimes fluffy just fits. Deja Moo was just fun, wasn't it? I'm glad you enjoyed the family visit, though. Especially the grandson. I've met Amanda Flower, and I don't know how she does it either. She and Jenn McKinlay! Energy to spare.
Charlotte! The Woman in the Window really turned around for you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And, who cares if you can't "write" a book report. You just told us what you enjoyed about the book. That's all we care about. I don't grade anyone. As you can tell, we were waiting to hear from you.
Lesa, my library has a lot of Bill Crider’s books . I have read book 1 and of Sheriff Dan Rhodes. They have books 3 – 5. so I placed them on hold. Now it is wait time. Every book I want they come from other libraries in other towns. RBdigital doesn’t have any of his books. There are 19 other books in this series that I will have to buy if I decide to read the whole series. I will check Amazon for ebooks, hoping they aren’t high in price. I have a thing about real high prices on ebooks. Did you read this whole series? I think you said you liked the Sheriff Dan Rhodes books. Which other series did you like?
Yes, Charlotte, what Lesa said!!
Charlotte, I've actually only read about 4 or 5 of Bill Crider's Sheriff Dan Rhodes books, and they were the most recent ones. Someday, I'll go back and read the earlier ones. But, I enjoy the humor, Rhodes' quiet wisdom & I love the relationship with his wife.
Of course, I've read ALL of Bill's Sheriff Rhodes books, as well as the other mysteries – Sally Good, Truman Smith, etc. The Sheriff books are my favorites.
I've also read some of his westerns and men's adventure books.
I've read all of the Dan Rhodes books by Bill Crider, I think I'm missing some of his children's books. Some are better than others, but they are all worth reading.
This week I read:
John Adams by David McCullough, a great biography I'm reading 5 years after everybody else. Story of my life.
Mangrove Island, a Doc Ford novel by Randy Wayne White. Ford and Tomlinson get involved with a family of weird serial killers, old time fishing guides, and a couple of almost forgotten chapters of Florida history.
The Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke, A quick novel. Ross is missing, and most of the rest of the book is about people making food, eating food, and commenting on food. There's a murder in there somewhere, but you might miss it if you blink.
Rising Seas by Clive Cussler and ghost, a novel explanation for rising sea levels leads to a pretty decent adventure for Kurt Austin and the gang.
Too Close to Breathe by Olivia Kiernan, A female Irish DI suffering from PTSD investigates what may or may not be a suicide by hanging. I found it cloying.
Blood Fuel by Caleb and Luke Prochnow, a sci fi deal about a caste society and Mad Max style car racing.
Dead of Night by Stewart Stirling, about a hotel detective finding a dead body and trying to preserv ethe rep of the hotel while solving the mystery. Hard boiled and old fashioned.
Faux Paws by Sofia Kelly, The cats strike again, solving a murder-robbery in a library.
Presumed Dead by Shirley Wells, a disgraced ex-police officer tries to find the mother of a client, and finds a mess of small town secrets.
Antiques Frame by Barbara Allan, The Bourne girls are filming their TV show, and Brandy's boyfriend's ex wife is hassling them. The ex winds up dead, and the Bournes are the primary suspects. Very humorous.
Glen, I am impressed that you were able to read so many book this week.
Jeff and Glen, It seems there are a lot of people who liked the Sheriff Dan Rhodes’s series.
I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and am planning to read the Hogwarts library. Hope you find a book you enjoy.
I finished two Wendy Hornsby books that were non-Maggie MacGowan books. Loved them and think it was the start of what could have been a terrific series. Maybe she'll go back to it some day. And this evening I'm going to dig into a book I dug out of Mt. TBR – Shorecliff by Ursula DeYoung.
The newest book I started is The magic room : a story about the love we wish for our daughters by Jeffrey Zalow. About Becker's Bridal – true stories of brides and their search for the perfect dress since 1934. How different are the dresses over the years as well as the interesting cultural changes.
I was up at 4 am finishing Beach Bliss by Joanne DeMaio, I did not like the book at the beginning, liking it by the middle, loving it at the end! Still reading Bliss More by Light Watkins. It is about the easy way to meditate. It is OK, getting better. Have two books lined up after that but want to do the reviews then. Hoping that both of them will be good all the way through.
The cover of Krista Davis' Color me murder caught my eye. I finished the book last night and loved it! I do not think I have read anything by her and this one was almost an "I can't put it down" book. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
Glen, You make me laugh with some of your comments – "There's a murder in there somewhere, but you might miss it if you blink." Very good!
Abby, I just loved all the Harry Potter books.
Kaye, I know it was just a fluke that Wendy Hornsby had a Paris book, but I'm glad you discovered her!
Oh, Gram! I read that bridal book. I really liked it.
Just shows you probably need to stick to a book a little longer than I normally do, Carol.
I am currently reading Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert, Written in Blood by Layton Green and Sunburn (audiobook) by Laura Lippman.
I'm reading as fast as I can!
Hallucinations, by Oliver Sacks
A Late Frost, by Sheila Connolly
Code Girls, by Liza Mundy
We Were the Lucky Ones, by Georgia Hunter.
Two, possibly three, are research-related for a new book, but still…
Sorry for the delayed response, Lesa —
My booklist covers several months of reading. I learned years ago that I cannot just talk about one book when I give a program. As it turned out, I am not due to give that booktalk until the first Thursday of May. [They have a new program chair. When she called me she said, "Can you come at the usual time? Is that April or May?" I wrote down April, not recalling that in previous years I've gone to their May meeting.]
The Patchwork Bride was pretty good. It reminded me of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series. The quilt acts as a prompt for the characters' reminiscing. I found a serious blooper in the ARC–if left there it would spoil the ending–and emailed Sandra Dallas to let her know. She wrote back that the copy editor had caught it and corrected it. Whew! [Too often I read ARCs about the time the actual book is published, way too late for corrections.]