I actually am reading a book, in between doing jigsaw puzzles and visiting relatives. My sister, Christie, has been here twice, and we’re meeting her next Tuesday night to hear a re-enactor do Edgar Allan Poe. Weather has been a little chilly, so it’s a good time to work on puzzles or visit with family.
I’m reading Debbie Macomber’s A Ferry Merry Christmas, an easy read when I’m squeezing it in at times. Margie already read and reviewed it on a Thursday, but I’ll review it when I finish. The ferry to Seattle is stuck halfway there just two days before Christmas. It’s a light story about the people on the ferry, their encounters, and what happens when they were all planning to be in Seattle for the holidays.
What about you? What have you been doing this week? What are you reading?
And, on a personal note, I know we’re all thinking about you and David, Lindy.
Aww, thank you Lesa. Nothing we can do right now except wait for that scan. In the meantime, since David feels good and never worries, he refereed a couple of youth soccer games on the weekend, and went to work at my brother’s on Monday where the two of them are continuing the restoration of an MG for someone. They’ve restored other cars for this person in the past; an Austin Healey and a bug eyed Sprite.
It seems like you’re having a lovely relaxing visit with family. Sounds blissful.
David and I went to our younger daughter and son-in-law’s for dinner yesterday. He’s such a good cook. (Both daughters married men who are fabulous cooks, and our son married into a truly ‘foodie’ family and has learned much from them.) The latest drama at this daughter’s house is that they found ample evidence of a mouse in one of the rooms upstairs. Nowhere else at all, only that room. And since they cleared the evidence away there’s been no sign of further activity. Where did the mouse go? The pest control technician wondered if maybe their cat eventually caught it and ate it all up. Ick. At least for now there’s no further sign of said mouse.
Books read this week:
THE HEARTBREAK HOTEL by Ellen O’Clover
Margie mentioned this book a while back. Whatever she said about it convinced me to read it. I went into it thinking it would be a fairly straightforward, maybe cute story about finding love again after coming out the other side of a relationship gone wrong. It was that, but also more than that.
Louisa’s six-year relationship with wealthy rockstar Nate ended when he dumped her. They’d been renting a large house that Louisa loved from the moment she first saw it. After a tough childhood, somehow this house seemed like the only true home she’d ever known. But without Nate there’s no way she can afford the rent.
She and her best friend Mei hatch a plan to turn the house into a bed and breakfast retreat for other people who’ve experienced sadness or heartbreak; a safe place for them to land for a while. They even come up with a great name – The Comeback Inn. Now they have to get permission from Henry, the landlord. He seems angry about the suggestion and flat out says no. But Louisa talks him round and what follows is a gentle story full of secrets and heartbreak of all sorts, and the difficulty of healing from grief, as well as a tentative romantic connection that forms between Louisa and Henry – neither of them do everything right by any means, as they each seek to sort their way through their individual troubles.
This was deeper than a standard romance novel, which I thought worked well. I really enjoyed the various guests that come to stay at the inn. They add lightness to the story, and even though none of them are there for very long they each have something worthy to contribute and they begin to almost feel like a little family.
THE WOMEN OF WILD HILL by Kirsten Miller
Kaye mentioned this book last week and it sounded like something I’d enjoy so I immediately made work of getting it.
It’s about women witches both modern-day and from much older times; an old abandoned mansion (except for the ghost who lives within); family secrets going back for generations; and the need for something to be done about the way the earth is being destroyed by men only interested in money. There’s fantastical magic alongside some complex family drama.
The story mainly follows three women from the Duncan family of women witches. All the women in the family have been bestowed with a specific ‘gift’ or power, and it’s often not clear to them what the purpose of it is. Living in California, Brigid’s gift has influenced her whole outlook on life but certainly hasn’t made her happy. Her long-estranged sister Phoebe has made a small quiet life for herself and her daughter Sybil on a remote ranch in Texas, while trying not to draw attention to themselves. Sybil seems to have no special powers and indeed, knows nothing about the Duncan bloodline.
And yet it is these three women that are now the most powerful witches of all time and the ones that ‘The Old One’ calls back to their ancestral home of Wild Hill to fulfill their legacy – the mission being to put a stop to the harm befalling the earth at the hands of the aforementioned greedy men. But first the three will have to learn to let go of past wrongs and hurts before they’ll be able to trust each other enough to work together and become the powerful force they need to be in order to unite and fulfill their legacy.
The story moves back and forth in time as we get to know the backstories of previous generations of Duncan family women, and how these long-dead women still have important lessons to impart to Brigid, Phoebe, and Sybil.
There’s quite the political agenda in the story, and feminism is alive and well for sure, but it’s entertaining (and perhaps a bit horrifying) to see how the planned comeuppance of the bad guys unfolds. All very inventive. I think my favourite parts were learning the stories of the Duncan women who came before and how their stories related to the whole. And – as in the book I read last week – I liked the sense of family throughout the generations.
Yes, I am thinking of you too Lindy.
Heartbreak Hotel sounds great, and your synopisis reminded me a little of Stuart MacLean’s THE BACHELOR BROTHERS BED AND BREAKFAST.
Oh, I loved The Bachelor Brothers’ Bed and Breakfast, Rosemary. Hadn’t thought of that book in a while!
I absolutely loved The Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast! Such a great book. I’m sorry now that I didn’t keep my copy of it.
Okay you all have convinced me – I’ve put a hold on the Bachelor Brothers book! I need some cozy reading right about now!
Lindy, Both the books sound good. This is why we do this. You read one book that Margie recommended, and one from Kaye.
Ah, the mouse. You write about the little things, and make even those sound interesting.
I am going to read both books now, and by the time I get to mentioning them I will have forgotten who recommended them. I so appreciate the recommendations here!
Lindy, good luck.
We’ve had mouse problems over the years, especially when we lived in the brownstone, as they are prone to them. Here, we had one of the building workers go around every room in the apartment and stuff every hole (by the radiators) with steel wool, and so far, so good.
Lindy, I’m glad you liked Heartbreak Hotel. It was one of five books offered in the Berkley Besties program, so there wasn’t a lot of choice. I did my research and decided to pick this one because it sounded the best. And I’m glad I did~ For reading it, Berkley gave me another book (again, no choice), which I’m reviewing here today. It’s not the best program, but I was shocked to be accepted a couple of years back, and it somewhat makes up for the fact that Berkley has never approved a single one of my requests on NetGalley (it’s a common complaint).
We watched season 1 of Hetty Wainthropp Investigates with Patricia Routledge. I’d never heard of until she passed away but the library had it so we gave it a try. We’ll save the next 3 seasons for during the winter.
I read 3 Days, 9 Months,27 Years by John Scallzi. It was an interesting take on time travel.
An ARC of The Devil Comes Calling by Annette Dashofy. It’s book 3 in her Detective Honeywell series. I was on the fence about the first two booksin the series but really liked this one. From Goodreads:
When a murderous ghost from Erie City Police Detective Matthias Honeywell’s past appears unexpectedly, his investigation into a double homicide in a quiet residential neighborhood gets increasingly complicated, and puts everything and everyone he cares about at risk – including photographer Emma Anderson.
Emma’s first day as the crime beat photographer for ErieLIVE wasn’t meant to see her photographing the scene of her predecessor’s murder, and with ties to the victim as well as a deadly fire that follows in the wake of the crime, she fears she may also be in the killer’s sightlines.
To solve the case and catch the killer, Matthias and Emma will have to face their own demons. But what happens when the devil himself comes calling?
The Devil Comes Calling is next up for me. I enjoy Annette’s books, so I’m looking forward to it. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
What an interesting plot line, Sandy. I’ve never read any of Dashofy’s books.
Jackie is a fan of Hetty Wainthropp Investigates too, and we are planning to rewatch the series when we finish LYNLEY.
Our weather has been mostly warm. It was mid-80’s Monday and Tuesday. Dropped to the low 70’s on Wednesday, but should be back to low 80’s on Thursday.
Fortunately, it was warm Saturday morning because I did a mud run. Only one I’ve done this year since the fad has really died down. I had fun, although the mud was very gravely, and I have some cuts from it that are still healing. Oh well, it happens.
Reading wise, I’m working on CRESCENT CITY CHRISTMAS CHAOS by Ellen Byron. Another favorite of mine, I’m enjoying it. I should finish it on Thursday, then it will be on to the new Annette Dashofy book.
A mud run, Mark? Sorry about the cuts and bruises.
Ellen Byron’s book is on my TBR pile as well. I enjoy her stories, too.
Good morning everyone.
We are having very changeable weather. Yesterday was beautiful, sunny and warm for October. The day before was wet, wet, wet – my friend Sue and I took her spaniel to Crathes Castle on the basis that the BBC had said the rain wouldn’t start till the afternoon. I should know better than to trust the BBC – as I drove along the road I could see spots on the windscreen, and by the time we started walking it was pouring.
Despite that we had a good walk, then sat and steamed in the tea room while we put the world to rights. Sometimes catching up is more important than staying dry.
Nancy and I also had glorious weather at Castle Fraser on Monday – lovely walk around the estate and the walled garden, which is so well tended that it stil has plenty of colour even at this time of year. Then into the tea room, which had been decorated with ghosts and pumpkins.
The houses down our street whose occupants have small children have also been decorating; it’s a very nice area for young families, as the children can play outside in relative safety; we didn’t live anywhere like that when my children were young, and although I think being in the city centre was a huge advantage as they grew older, I still think it’s a shame they couldn’t really play out.
Today I am going to Edinburgh to see Suzanne Vega at the Usher Hall. I am amazed how many of my friends seem never to have heard of her! She has a new album out and I will listen to that on the bus, but I’m sure she’ll do the old favourites as well. Anna is also out tonight, they are going to see SIX at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
Books – another slow week for me, I blame an extremely complicated jigsaw! I finished Dorothy Stevenson’s ANNA AND HER DAUGHTERS- as ever almost everything was resolved and *almost* everyone lived happily ever after, though there was a most un-Stevenson twist towards the end. I did feel she had perhaps written herself into a corner and this was the only way she could get out of it!
I am still plodding on with RESORT TO MURDER, but am beginning to feel that someone should have done just that with the book, it’s so unnecessarily complicated and far too full of ‘interesting’ characters who just aren’t.
I have borrowed Rosamunde Pilcher’s COMING HOME from the library, but I might read something short before embarking on that 1016 page marathon! I’m also keen to read Stanley Tucci’s TASTE, of which I have a copy. I did hear him read it on Radio 4, but I imagine that was an abridged version.
On TV I have just started the adaptation of Richard Coles’ MURDER BEFORE EVENSONG. I didn’t rate the book that much, but so far I am enjoying this version. Good acting and, as I’ve entirely forgotten what happened, a reasonable amount of suspense. We’re also watching THE BRIDGE but as David has been away all week I can’t move on with that till he comes back. He has been on one of his whirlwind tours of the country, visitng friends, going to concerts and playing golf – though I’m not sure that actually happened as the weather in England has been much wetter than ours. Newcastle – Cambridge – London – St Albans – Buxton and today back to Edinburgh. I don’t have that kind of energy.
I need to get organised now. I hope everyone has as good a week as possible, and Lesa, that you continue to enjoy your time with your family.
Rosemary, I always enjoy reading about your walks to the castles. And, I wish you and your friends would work harder to solve the problems here in the U.S.
Mom and I loved the humor in your post. I was reading bits of it to her while she works on our latest jigsaw puzzles.
What do you mean you don’t have that kind of energy to travel around? It always sounds to me as if you have plenty of energy.
I am so happy you are enjoying your visit with your Mom, Lesa.
We were on vacation last week. We went to Galena, IL to see Grant’s home and then to Spring Green WI for the House on the Rock and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. Our last stop was outside Chicago to watch our grandson march in the high school half time and to see Catch Me If You Can (which was fabulous) at the Lincolnshire Marriott Theater.
As far as reading goes only two books. The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes by Amy Rose Bennett recommend by Lindy a few weeks back. It was what I needed after giving up on another book that I spent too much time on.
I also managed to finish My Beloved by Jan Karon which was as wonderful as Lesa said. It was nice to read a gentle book about love and kindness in these difficult times.
There have been frost warnings the past two mornings here. I think the warm weather is gone for the season.
Happy reading!
Sharon, Your trip sounds delightful. I like the fact that you two go to theatre when you travel. I’m surprised Grant’s home was open. It must not be a federal program.
I agree. Jan Karon’s book was a nice break, wasn’t it?
Rosemary, they only release one episode per week of MURDER AT EVENSONG, so we are waiting until most of them are out to start the series. Glad you liked it. We’re still watching the claustrophobic VIGIL (Suranne Jones is in a LOT of shows).
One show you might enjoy if it is available there (I think it is on PBS Masterpiece/Walter Presents here) is the French MADEMOISELLE HOLMES. Lola Dewaere (from ASTRID) plays a cop, the awkward great-granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes (yes, they act as if he was a real person), who seems to have bipolar issues. But she is really smart, and after she stops taking her medication (NOT a good idea), she becomes more forceful and focused and starts solving crimes.
Jeff, I like Mademoiselle Holmes, too. Now I am wondering if I should check out Murder at Evensong. I don’t remember liking the book.
Rosemary, I would give much to walk around even one castle, and here you’ve walked around two in only a week. And then to finish up in tea rooms, well what could be better. Are you ever allowed to go inside any of these castles?
Lindy – yes, most of these castles belong to the National Trust for Scotland (a charity)
and are open from Easter till October
If you join the. NTS you get free admission to all of their properties. For non-members the admission fees vary, but the average is around £17.
I’ve been in all of the Aberdeenshire properties many times, usually when we have guests, so normally we just go to them to walk on the estates, which are almost always free entry.
Aberdeenshire has a greater concentration of NTS properties than, I think, any other part of Scotland, probably because we have far more space. We probably take them far too much for granted. They are beautiful places and right on our doorstep.
As well as castles NTS owns land, including some parts of the coast, and inner city properties like the Glasgow Tenement and Charlotte House in Edinburgh. The tea rooms are generally very good and have excellent home baking.
I think that one day I would love to come see your part of the world Rosemary. It seems to be filled with all sorts of things that appeal to me!
Thanks for the information.
Oh i loved Coming Home. i hope you enjoy it.
It sounds great to be with your family, Lesa. I love doing puzzles with others.
I have four books that I won recently, and doggone it, they are in small print! I wonder if it is because they don’t want to spend money on paper.
I picked the slimmest from the pile, You Make Me Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan. I just wanted it for the Christmas theme; it does have that, but it is a romance with too much admiring of each other’s bodies! The rest of the book is great with a little kid who is so much fun. I can manage with my reading glasses and holding a magnifying glass but I get tired of holding it. I long for an invention of a magnifying glass that holds itself!
Carol, I’m so sorry that you have those kinds of issues with your eyesight. I can imagine that you’d tire of holding a magnifying glass while reading.
Carol, your comment reminds me of the time I bought a large magnifying glass that gets propped up by my body and used it for embroidery. Trying to find one online for you led me to a floor lamp version sold by the Vermont Country Store. It gets mixed reviews but might be worth a look.
Well its been an eventful week since last Saturday. My husband’s ex-wife passed away unexpectedly, putting a quick stop to our vacation. His son is an only child so we drove 9 hours to get to his place to help with funeral planning. Then this week was the funeral, and last night my husband was in a car accident, thankfully okay but his vehicle is totaled and he is 5 hours from home. Today will be spent trying to get him back home by some method. Thankfully I have an audio book to listen to, to “take me away” when I can catch a moment.
While we were traveling, we listened to “The Serpent Under” by Molly MacBird, the 6th in a Sherlock Holmes Adventure. The narrator did a great job and the book held our attention. If you don’t like snakes though you may want to skip it!
That was an eventful week Mary, and none of it in a good way. I’m glad your husband is okay after the car accident. My goodness!
Oh no, Mary. Your poor husband–and his son. I hope he’s fine and can get home to you soon!
Mary! As Lindy says, an eventful week for you and your husband. I’m sorry. And, I’m glad he’s okay, but I’d still be shaken.
Good morning. Looks like a lot of early commenters today, which I will get to when i finish this. I ordered new eyeglasses this week, mostly reading glasses, and will get them next week.
It makes me feel much older than I do normally when I say the number, and it goes with my T-shirt that says “It’s Weird Being The Same Age as Old People,” but there it is – tomorrow is our 55th wedding Anniversary. We’ve been really lucky overall. We do have a trip planned, but with the government shutdown and all the problems, we’re not sure we want to risk getting on a plane now and possibly getting stuck or delayed. It’s a free flight so we can always change it. We should know more surely by this time next week.
To books, then. Jackie read her second Abby Jimenez book, PART OF YOUR WORLD, which turned out to be the first in a trilogy, after she had already read book two. She really liked it too, though I think she liked the other book’s protagonists more. She recommends reading them in order, and says if you like Emily Henry you will like these. She said it was “total escapism.” She is currently reading the new Monkeewrench book by P. J. Tracy, THE DEEPEST CUT.
I talked about the anthology DOUBLE CROSSING VAN DINE the last couple of weeks, and I did finish it. Again, they take Van Dine’s pretentious list of “rules” from the 1920s about dos and don’ts in writing mystery fiction, and they turn them inside out. It was a very entertaining book, if you happen to find it.
Martin Edwards has to be one of the busiest men in the field, what with his own novels, his non-fiction writing on the genre, and his work collecting stories for The British Library editions. Last year’s effort was Lessons In Crime: Academic Mysteries, and the title tells the story. They are mostly set in British schools and at Oxford, with stories by H. C. Bailey, Henry Wade, Michael Innes, Edmund Crispin, Colin Watson, Joyce Porter, and others. Very good book.
As Lesa predicted, I did skip what I was reading in favor of the new Margaret Mizushima book, Dying Cry, as Deputy Mattie Walker (since her marriage) and dog Robo solve more murders in the Colorado winter. This time she and husband Cole (a vet) are teaching his kids to snowshoe when they hear a cry. Mattie investigates and finds the dead body of the husband of Cole’s assistant. It’s a fast moving story that puts some of the regulars in jeopardy, though it is through no fault of their own (unlike Kate Burkholder in Linda Castillo’s series, who always gets herself in jeopardy through her own stupid actions). Of course, all comes out for the best in the end, and Robo gets to “perp walk” a suspect, Terrific series, of which this is book ten. You do need to read them in order.
Still reading other story collections and other books. Not sure what I will read next, but I have Sherry Thomas’s THE LIBRARIANS from the library, which has been compared in some ways to Thursday Murder Club and other similar series.
Happy Anniversary to you and Jackie, Jeff. I wish you many more.
#55 is fantastic! My husband and I are only at 37.
Happy Anniversary to you and Jackie!
What a great T-shirt. Very funny. And also true.
Happy anniversary Jeff and Jackie!
That t-shirt sums up precisely how I feel when I catch sight of myself in a shop window….
Happy anniversary! Kudos to you for being so lucky and kudos to Jackie for being so patient.
Happy Anniversary to you and Jackie, Jeff. Even if you have to delay your trip, it will give you something to anticipate.
I’ll be interested to see what you think of The Librarians. I gave up on it.
Dying Cry, though. I agree with you. They were at risk through no fault of their own. Good book! One of the best in the series.
Happy Anniversary to you and Jackie. You and I are about the same age but Glen and I have only been married nearly 46 years. We did not get married until we were around 30.
Happy Anniversary! What a great milestone! I saw an equally funny sign in a resale shop last week – it said “I hate seeing old people – and then realizing I went to school with them”! Wishing you many more wonderful years together!
Good morning! Weather here in northern CA features highs in the sixties or seventies, with a bit of rain, which we always need. Nothing much of note going on this week, but I am looking forward to a speech today by a young man I am mentoring in Toastmasters. The project is vocal variety and body language, and he has chosen to tell a story about his first day on his first job, where everything went wrong. It’s a lot of fun. As always, I had the opportunity to make some comments on the written speech, which he appreciates because he is from India, and his English grammar is excellent, but not perfect. We met yesterday on Zoom to talk about the delivery of the speech. I know everyone will really enjoy it. I received the last two articles for my Sisters in Crime newsletter, and I’m looking forward to putting the November issue to bed so I can follow through on my Christmas gift ordering for the grandkids. I watched the most recent version of A Star is Born for my “Movie Meetup” (Zoom) this week. I’d never seen it. I loved the music and thought Lady Gaga was terrific in it, but it was quite depressing, as anyone who’s seen it knows.
I did manage three books this week. Side note: I just noticed that I used the word narrative in all three reviews–I need to watch out for that. Here are the books I finished:
Unlike Meg Shaffer’s first two books, where magical realism was a part of the story, magic pervades the entire plot in THE BOOK WITCH. The premise is that members of the Ink and Paper coven are witches who can jump into any book with the help of their enchanted black umbrella and their animal familiar to protect the stories within. They are called to action when a rogue character wants to change the narrative or when the militant Burners feel the book needs to be destroyed once and for all. And if the Burners get their way, all existing copies of the book or book series will disappear, never to be found or remembered again. It is easy to be reminded of real-life book burners and those who would censor and ban books, and that is certainly a subtext here. Rainy March’s grandfather is also a book witch, as was her mother, who vanished years ago. She enjoys her job, as it exposes her to works of great fiction along with her favorite detective series featuring the dashing Duke of Chicago, and her relationship with the Duke has by now advanced to something that could get her kicked out of the coven. Book witches are expected to abide by the Black and White Rules, one of which is: never fall in love with a book character. But when a particularly valuable book in Rainy’s life is stolen, and when her grandfather suddenly disappears, Rainy can’t help joining the Duke in his quest to solve the mysteries and restore what is missing. I enjoyed this book, but I much prefer Shaffer’s books where the human world is a larger part of the story, such as her debut, The Wishing Game, which was on my list of favorites that year. I didn’t feel the romance between Rainy and the Duke really rang true–it was too light-hearted. It was fun seeing the pair navigate Wonderland, and locations in The Great Gatsby and the Nancy Drew mysteries, as well as other famous books, but I’m hoping the author returns to more realistic, heartfelt stories with a dollop of magic realism. (April)
In SUNK IN LOVE by Heather McBreen, romance author Roslyn and up-and-coming doctor Liam fell in love nine years ago and had a stellar marriage until Roslyn looked to Liam to support her emotionally after her mother died suddenly and her world turned upside down. Her mother had been her champion in a family filled with doctors who didn’t understand why Roslyn had dropped out of med school in favor of a writing career. But Liam couldn’t deal with his wife’s depression due to family issues of his own which are revealed only later in the narrative. As they spent less and less time together, Roslyn finally asked for a divorce, although she hasn’t told her family. Now her grandparents want to renew their wedding vows on a scheduled 10-day family cruise, and they won’t be satisfied unless Liam officiates the ceremony. Unwilling to disappoint Roslyn’s family, who are also great fans of Liam’s, the soon-to-be ex-couple decide to pretend they are still in a happy marriage before coming clean when they are back on dry land. I’ve read similar stories before, but this one is longer–too long in my opinion–with a lot of repetitive self-flagellation and professed fear on Roslyn’s part. There are fun events scheduled by her brother on the cruise, but they are given short shift and overshadowed by the couple’s will-they or won’t-they relationship. However, there is character development throughout the story, not only for Roslyn and Liam, but for others in their family, as they become aware of things they hadn’t understood about family members they thought they knew. I was impressed by Heather McBreen’s debut, Wedding Dashers, and will continue to look for future books from her. (January)
I have relished so many of prolific author Elizabeth Berg’s books, but I think she has outdone herself with her latest, LIFE: A LOVE STORY. Florence Greene, 92 years of age, who has lived alone after the death of her beloved husband, has recently been told that a rare form of cancer will end her life within a matter of weeks. She isn’t bed-ridden and is not suffering very much physically, so she takes the opportunity to summarize all of what she has loved in her life in a long letter to a dear friend. Ruthie grew up as Flo’s neighbor years ago, and since Flo couldn’t have children, Ruthie became almost a surrogate daughter. They shared many wonderful moments before Ruthie moved away and got married, and they have stayed in touch through their letters. Now Flo has decided to leave all of her possessions to Ruthie, so she is eager to explain the significance of many seemingly insignificant items that she has kept in her house. She also comes clean about a shocking event in her married life that she hopes will make Ruthie reconsider the divorce she is contemplating. Another person who is greatly inspired by Flo is Teresa, a neighbor who turns out to be a death doula, helping her clients to transition from life to death in the most comforting and supportive way. Given the subject, this could have been a very depressing book, but it is anything but. Alternating between third-person narrative and Flo’s last letter, it is a paean to paying attention to, and deeply enjoying, all of the small things that mean so much in our lives. There are many joyful moments, including Flo’s last-minute desire to pick out her final outfit and visit a local beauty salon. I would strongly recommend this short read (208 pages) to anyone who will take the time to slow their reading down and internalize the wonderful lessons to be learned in this beautiful book. (March)
Life: A Love Story sounds quite good. I will look out for it. And I might also seek out The Wishing Game; I’m glad you mentioned this earlier title along with your review of her latest one Margie.
I’ve added Elizabeth Berg’s book to my TBR list. Thank you!
Margie, I just requested Life: A Love Story. I hosted Elizabeth Berg at the Lee County Reading Festival years and years ago. I invited her before she was picked for an Oprah pick. By the time the festival rolled around, people were excited to meet her. Afterwards, she left with one of the other authors in his red convertible.
Here it’s afternoon, not morning, so Good Afternoon to all. Lesa, your visit sounds like great fun. Tonight, my husband and I are going out to dinner with another couple and a divorced woman friend we care about, and then we’re all five going to the circus! There are still a number of small family circuses in Switzerland that travel around from March through October, from town to town, setting up a tent and performing, and this one is our favorite because it focuses on acrobatics. We try to go every year, but I missed last year for some reason, so I’m especially looking forward to tonight’s performance.
I’ve bought Michael Connelly’s new Lincoln Lawyer book (I think Connelly is brilliant and have read every book he has written), but I’m saving it to start in a week, on my birthday. I’m planning to spend as much of that day as possible reading, although if the weather’s good, I’ll walk a couple of miles, too. So instead of starting that treat, I’m listening to THE DYING DETECTIVE by a Swede, Leif Persson, which won a number of Scandinavian book prizes. The audiobook was an early birthday present from a good friend and fellow mystery reader and writer, and at first, I was surprised that she loved it as much as she said she did, since the style is slow and the main character/hero, a retired top policeman who is recovering from a stroke, is very curmudgeonly. But the methodical way he goes about solving a cold case that his doctor has brought to his attention is extremely well-presented, as are the people who help him solve the case. So now that I’m 80% through the story, I find that I can recommend it. If I finish it and end up disliking the end, I’ll let you know.
I’m also reading a lowkey but wonderful book called BEFORE THE LEAVES FALL by Clare O’Dea, an Irish writer living in Switzerland, whom I know. It focuses on two loners, a widower who has trained to advise people who choose assisted suicide (as some men and women do in Switzerland–it’s perfectly legal) and the woman in a nursing home who has made that choice. No, this is not a romance–believe me, that would be very inappropriate in this story. But the reader slowly gets to know the two main characters as they get to know each other, and it is a gentle, moving story. It’s being published (the release is today, actually) by Fairlight Books in the UK, and right now it may only be available there. But hopefully it will get to the US. I’ll ask Clare if she knows about that.
As long as there are no clowns at this circus it would be lots of fun for me to watch.
Kim, I love that you’re all going to a small circus tonight. That sounds delightful. And, I agree with Lindy. As long as there are no clowns. Although I don’t mind clowns down in the ring or on the floor. I don’t like them in the audience.
Kim, I just got the new Connelly from the library. There were only two of his books I didn’t care for much, but all the rest have been great. He’s probably my favorite current mystery writer.
Mine, too, Jeff. Consistently excellent books.
Only one book read this week. i’m having a very hard time concentrating.
The book I read is LIFE: A LOVE STORY and I applaud Margie’s review.
Thanks, Kaye! I requested it.
I understand. Sending hugs.
A Ferry Merry Christmas sounds good. Not my usual type of reading but I enjoy Christmas books and people stuck somewhere with a bunch of other people would be fun to read about. I am sure you are having a great time visiting your mother.
Glen is continuing to read A VOYAGE LONG AND STRANGE by Tony Horwitz. He is almost done with it.
This week I read THE DENTIST by Tim Sullivan. I liked it a lot and I have the second book on order. I want to thank everyone here is talked about that book and praised it. I recently started reading EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT by Benjamin Stevenson. It is a fun read (so far) in the same way the first book in the series was.
You’re right, Tracy. I enjoy Christmas stories, and this one is fun so far. But, I’m enjoying my time with Mom even more.
I’m so glad you liked The Dentist! Terrific series.
I’ve been sick with a cold, and busy!
Still, I managed to get some reading in:
I read an ARC of White Tiger by Andrew Warren; After a failed mission in Korea, Thomas Caine finds himself in Japan trying to rescue the daughter of a Yakuza oyabun, which is somehow involved with a byzantine plot to split the US/South Korean alliance. Very exciting stuff.
Casting in Dead Water by David Leitz; Some guy has a midlife crisis and quits the rat race to start a fly fishing business, and bask in the fact that fly fishermen are superior beings. Very 90’s, and not really in a good way.
The Diva Takes The Cake by Krista Davis; Our sleuth’s man hunting sister is getting married again, and everything is going wrong. The groom is very mysterious. When a body is found, he immediately disappears, but his family shows up out of nowhere. A very busy book, I was surprised she had time to solve the mystery.
Ding Dong Witch by Matt Heart; A horror novel about a witch that rings your doorbell before eating you head. Good premise, but not really that scary.
In The Cross Hairs by Jack Coughlin; Kyle Swanson hares around the world looking for mercenary out to kill him. It’s all rope a dope. Swanson has to be the biggest jerk out of his contemporaries.
I hope you’re feeling better soon, Glen!
And, I’m glad you found an exciting books. Sometimes, I think it’s precisely because we read so many books that we have a hard time finding a good one with a plot that’s exciting.
Hi everyone! I read a really good mystery set in academia this week, HISTORY LESSONS by Zoe Wallbrook. A Black junior faculty member at an Ivy-type institution is texted by a star professor and media darling just before his murder, which draws her into investigating what happened. The protagonist, her family, and her friends are all really interesting characters, and the academic politics are very realistic without derailing the plot.
I traveled to a meeting at a retreat center north of Albany NY this week, and the fall colors were gorgeous. The facility was really nice too, as were the people on this new board I’ve joined. To give my brain a break from our deliberations I watched a bunch of Dept Q at night. It is a little grislier than I would like but I really appreciate how interesting the characters are and how their backstories shape their actions.
Trisha, I haven’t seen fall colors this year weren’t as gorgeous as I saw last year. Our weather was too dry. I’m glad you saw beautiful colors. I’m even happier that the new board you’re on was a good one.
Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger by way of NetGalley. Looks like Severn House is republishing the series.
I think they are republishing it, Kevin. Have you read it before?