All kinds of tidbits to give you today. First, Lindy Gomm is up tomorrow for our last post for Favorite Books Read in 2025. I hope you stop by the blog to check out LIndy’s list. She usually has a book or two every week to add to my TBR pile.
Since we’re finishing the Favorites of 2025, next Friday I’m going to host a Comfort Reads posting. You can submit your notes just as you do on Thursday. Yes, we’ll still do “What Are You Reading?” next Thursday. Then on Friday, I’ll ask you about your comfort reads. Feel free to participate if you’re around on Friday. My sister, Linda, immediately thought of Jan Karon’s Mitford books. For her, they go hand-in-hand with the question asked in The Astral Library, what book would you like to live in. She said the Mitford books.
When I’m thinking about Comfort Reads, I think of books I reread. Is it something you return to that brings you joy? In my case, I have a collection of essays that always jumpstart my reading when I can’t get into anything. Do you have a book that kicks off a reading spree for you? What book or author inspires you, or brings you Joy? I’d love to have everyone jump in if you’d like. Now, you have a week to think about it. That’s next Friday.
And, Sandy? You’re right. I heard Jenn McKinlay say that Booking for Trouble is the last in her Library Lover’s series, as well, or, at least for now. That series is on hiatus.
Now, what have you been doing or reading this week?
I just started Heather Graham’s The Witching Hours. It’s a spinoff of her Krewe of Hunters series. I did just start it. Here’s the description.
A haunting murder and kidnapping on the outskirts of Salem, Massachusetts, sends two people with unique talents hunting for answers from both the past and present in internationally bestselling author Heather Graham’s electrifying new Krewe of Hunters spin off for fans of Stephen King, Jayne Ann Krentz, Riley Sager, and Simone St. James.
Skye McMahon sees things. Good and bad, the past unreels in her mind’s eye like a movie. Such is Skye’s uncanny life. That’s why she’s been summoned by Special Supervisory paranormal investigators Jackson and Angela Crowe, to help solve a mystifying murder and kidnapping on the outskirts of historic Salem.
Alicia Bolton discovered her grandfather-in-law murdered, her nanny and her young son have both vanished without a trace, and her infant daughter was found terrified and crying in her playpen. Skye, partnered with the intriguing Zachary Erickson, a charmer with a psychic touch, is at first beset only by visions of Salem’s witch trials and the tragic, paranoia-fueled executions. Then she sets foot in the Boltons’ house.
What Skye sees is not another innocent from the 17th century swinging from a noose. What she sees is a bona fide crone, pointed hat and all, preying on the family like something from a children’s nightmarish fairy tale. And when another local woman and her daughter inexplicably vanish, Skye has a second vision—that same wicked witch creeping up on her new victims on a lonely Salem road. It’s impossible to believe. Yet Skye’s visions never lie.
What about you? What are you reading this week? What have you been doing? (Aren’t you glad you’re not in New York, Jeff?)
I’m going to have to think quite hard about my Comfort Reads for next week. I have so many books to read in my house that I very seldom read anything twice. But we’ll see what I can come up with.
Not too much to report on from here. I’m still coughing and coughing; a two-hour attack yesterday evening. Wears me out!
You may remember me telling you about our younger daughter and the fire from the townhouse beside them that destroyed the inside of theirs as well and it was fourteen months till they could move back in. The other day she told me she could see a water line on the wall in their kitchen and a corresponding one on the other side of the wall in a bedroom. Long story short, after the plumber cut open the wall it was discovered that the dishwasher was leaking and there was wet and moldy gyproc in the wall.
Where I come into the story is that I had just made myself a cup of my most favourite tea and picked up my book, ready to settle in, when she texted to see if I would come with her to help her shop for a new dishwasher. Which was quite funny because I don’t have a dishwasher, nor do I know the first thing about what to look for when buying one, so really I was going to be completely useless to her. But I went and had a good time while she nattered away about the pros and cons of all the ones we saw, and we got to spend some time together.
I only managed to finish one book this week:
MURDER ON THE BOOKS by T.C. LoTempio
This is the first book in the new ‘Cozy Bookshop’ mystery series.
Charley James is the author of a very successful, popular mystery series but she’s written fifteen books in the series and needs a break from writing. Her agent’s not happy about it but Charley insists, and leaves New York to go back to her small home town in Pennsylvania for an as yet undetermined amount of time. No one there – including her friend Zane – is aware that Charley is actually the author C.J. Barrett.
Zane had plans to open a café/bakery (which she would run) and a bookstore on the other side of the double storefront with her business partner Sheila. With the grand opening just a few weeks away the entire venture is in jeopardy because Sheila has unexpectedly upped stakes and left town. With no set plans at the moment, Charley offers to run the bookstore for Zane. While checking what stock might be in the basement, she finds a dead body, effectively putting a hold on business plans again because now the whole place is a crime scene.
The book isn’t perfect – Charley, Zane, and Barbara (a police officer in town) can’t seem to let go of high school animosities. And Charley often puts herself in danger while she ferrets out clues and follows them up. And people in the town seem awfully eager to give Charley all sorts of information. Still, it kept me entertained enough that I will read the next book, especially now that the scene has been set and I’ve gotten to know a bit about the main characters. It will be interesting to see what happens next for Charley, Zane, Barbara, and the disconcertingly attractive detective from Philadelphia. And to see how Poe the cat helps out next time!
Oh, Lindy. I’m sorry you’re still feeling lousy. I know coughs linger, but yours sounds violent.
I read Murder on the Books, and had the same reaction you did. They still seemed stuck in high school. But, I’d read the second book, too.
Lindy, I am sorry to hear about your problems with coughing. I had bronchitis in January and had a lot of coughing, but nowhere near as severe as what you are experiencing.
Lindy – I’m sorry, I was in such a rush that I didn’t read your post before submitting mine. Clearly your cough is no better – aren’t these things so annoying? At the moment if I go out, even to the local shop, I feel I have to take a bottle of water, cough sweets and a packet of tissues, as I just know some paroxysm of coughing will attack the minute I’m en route.
Also, I am really looking forward to reading your list tomorrow, Lindy. I will be out from early morning till after lunch, but I will comment a bit later on. I’ve not been able to keep up with everyone’s lists this year, but life is returning to more of an even keel now (fingers firmly crossed…) and I will be very happy to get back into my routine. I like comfort, whether in book or daily routine form; a chaotic lifestyle would never work for me!
We’ve really warmed up here. Right around 80 today, and it should top that tomorrow. Up about 30 degrees from a week ago. I’m not complaining! And the office has been warmer as well, although we were having issue with the internet, yesterday.
Reading wise, I’m working on ANTIHERO by Gregg Hurwitz this week. I’m the latest in her Orphan X series. Story and character wise, this is a much better book than the last one. But it’s dark. And I think needlessly so. We could have the same story without the details we are getting. I’m very curious to see where it is going to go character wise, however.
Mark, your weather sounds wonderful! I’ll take it. We’re going to have cold weather here for longer than I’d like.
My brother-in-law reads the Orphan X books, and really enjoys them.
It’s been raining on and off here. We need it. There’s only a few weeks of the normal rainy season left.
I went to several Lunar New Year celebrations. Picked up a couple of red envelopes. I was running out of red shirts by Sunday.
This week I read:
Hagar The Horrible: Midnight Munchies by Dik Browne; A collection of Hagar The Horrible strips. I wonder how many kids today are even familiar with the property.
The Killing of Monday Brown by Sandra West Powell; A miscreant is killed in Indian Country, and the usual activist is arrested. It feels like the author probably watched Thunderheart right before writing this. Very 90’s.
Murder on the Gravy Train by Phyllis C. Richman; another 90’s mystery. A head chef is missing before reality shows and celebrity chefs took over the airwaves. Still, a lot of 90’s mysteries are missing a little oomph that more modern cozies bring.
Take Down by JT Sawyer: Kyle Payne’s motorcycle breaks down in Kansas City. After trying some barbecue, he gets into an altercation with mafiosi. Before you know it, Kansas City loses some population. KC isn’t used as a setting all that much, and the author sues the setting to give this a different vibe than the usual thing in New York or LA. Still, I think Payne might have been happier just running into George Brett or Patrick Mahomes.
I didn’t know you are to wear red shirts to Lunar New Year, Glen. They sound like fun.
Loved your comment that Payne might have been happier running into Brett or Mahones.
Lesa,
Red and Gold are considered the lucky colors for Lunar New Year, so people wear red and gold. Luckily, I can use the same tie every day.
So what are the red envelopes for Glen? I know nothing!
Rosemary,
Please don’t feed me straight lines like that!(jk)
The red evelopes contain lucky money, or sometimes lottery tickets. They give these instead of presents. Some people pay out a fortune and get a fortune back. This year I gave/got about $40, but I haven’t checked the lottery tickets yet.
About all we’ve been doing is shoveling snow. We got 18 inches Sunday into Monday and another inch yesterday. At least it’s getting warm enough during the day to melt a bit and the roads are clear enough to finally go grocery shopping today.
This week I read a nonfiction book, Grandma Gatewoods Walk by Ben Montgomery.
From Goodreads:
Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than two hundred dollars. The next anybody heard from her, this genteel, farm-reared, 67-year-old great-grandmother had walked 800 miles along the 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail. And in September 1955, having survived a rattlesnake strike, two hurricanes, and a run-in with gangsters from Harlem, she stood atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin. There she sang the first verse of “America, the Beautiful” and proclaimed, “I said I’ll do it, and I’ve done it.”
Grandma Gatewood, as the reporters called her, became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone, as well as the first person—man or woman—to walk it twice and three times. Gatewood became a hiking celebrity and appeared on TV and in the pages of Sports Illustrated. The public attention she brought to the little-known footpath was unprecedented. Her vocal criticism of the lousy, difficult stretches led to bolstered maintenance, and very likely saved the trail from extinction.
The book description doesn’t do her justice. She survived an incredibly hard life, including an abusive husband and then in her 60s set out to live life on her own terms.
An ARC of No Good Deed by Katherine Kovacic.
Rene, a retired geologist, and her husband Tom were supposed to set out on a driving tour of the Australian Outback but Tom died before they could set off. Now Rene is honoring his wish to take the trip on her own when she comes across a burning SUV with a body in it. When the body is identified as a shady geologist that Rene worked with years ago she begins to investigate.
Moonlit Secrets by Sabina O. A cozy mystery set in Thailand. I started the series with book two and I liked it enough that I’ll read the other two books in the series.
Sandy, I’ve read a couple of Appalachian Trail-related books lately, so yours sounds really fascinating.
Sandy, I’m so sorry about the snow. I’m short and eighteen inches would do me in. I’m glad the roads are cleared.
The book about Grandma Gatewoods sounds fascinating. I know I’ve heard about her before, but it undoubtedly is more in detail than the little I knew.
Thank you for the recommendation of Grandma Gatewoods Walk, Sandy. I seem to be reading lots of books about walking lately.
Yes, Lesa, yes! So glad we’re not in New York. We’ve been in Florida for big storms in 2006, 2010 and 2016 too, but as we get older it seems even more necessary to get out of the snow and cold. It’s also a little weird, in that we’ve had so little snow over the last few years – we went 720 or so days straight without measurable snow – that, in some ways, this year seems even worse. Of course, the three week cold spell didn’t help. The last real snow we had when we were home was early February of 2021, just as the first Covid vaccines were being released. We had to get the super’s assistant in our building to help dig out the car so we could drive to the hospital for our first shots. And that time was nowhere near 20 inches of snow. Our next door neighbor has been texting pictures to Jackie. Yikes!
TO books, then. Jackie is reading the third in Nora Roberts’s Lost Brides trilogy, THE SEVEN RINGS. She said these things have a typical arc, with the middle book being mostly filler until the third book wraps things up. I think she likes it, but it’s no Eve Dallas book, is probably how she’d put it. She finds too much extraneous filler, like descriptions of the furniture in the room, and wishes she’d get on with the story faster. But she is definitely interested in how she will get back the rings and end the curse. And she has several books waiting to be read.
For some reason, February has been a slow reading month for me, other than for short stories. By the time I finish all the games and other things I do online (including blogs like this one), and read a couple of 20+ page short stories, and stream several hours of television (Slow Horses, Shetland), I seem to have less time for reading. Or is it just that I haven’t found compelling books that would have me reading more and watching less?
Anyway, I did finish the long but worthwhile collection, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Presents Fifty Years of Crime and Suspense(2011), edited by Linda Landrigan. It starts with the legendary Jim Thompson, includes masters like Ed McBain and Lawrence Block and Loren Estleman, and ends with Rhys Bowen’s “Voodoo.” Good book.
Because that was a library book that had to be returned, I rushed to finish it before the Fredric Brown collection (60 stories) I’ve been reading too. I did read a long Brown story yesterday that would be of interest to time travel fans, “Come And Go Mad,” though it doesn’t have a totally satisfying end. I believe this one was written in 1947 or thereabouts. The protagonist is a reporter (in Wisconsin?) with an intriguing problem: three years ago, he woke up in the hospital after a serious car crash, almost immobilized. People told him who he was – a 47 year old man named George Vine who had worked at the newspaper for several years. But … he believes he is 47 year old Napoleon Bonaparte, about to conquer Europe! He can’t explain to himself (let alone tell anyone else) how he speaks England, knows about cars and electricity, etc. Is he insane? Is he Vine or Bonaparte? As I said, the ending isn’t great, but it is an entertaining story to read.
Last year I read John McMahon’s HEAD CASES about Gardner Camden and the rest of his PAR (Patterns and Recognition) team at the FBI, which I really enjoyed a lot. I’m halfway through the sequel, INSIDE MAN, and will discuss the complicated plot next week. I have several other things on hand as well, of course.
Have a good week everyone, and looking forward to Lindy’s book list tomorrow.
It would be fun to see all those pictures from New York, Jeff, knowing you’re not there to deal with all the snow.
I agree with Jackie. There is a pattern to those trilogies. And, I enjoyed the Lost Brides, but liked the previous series set in Ireland even more.
I’ll be interested to seeing your reaction to McMahon’s latest book.
Yes, Lindy’s post is good.
Hello, everyone. Sunny weather in the high 60s yesterday and today, which means all of Switzerland is in a good mood! I ate lunch on our balcony!
I wanted to apologize for answering the many comments I got on my booklist last Friday — I spent the day just over the border in Germany, visiting my niece, who was passing through Freiburg on her travels. But I did comment on your comments on Saturday, so if you want to go back to the post, you’ll get answers!
I finished listening to BUCKEYE, by Patrick Ryan. It’s a novel of straightforward storytelling about the intertwining lives of two small-town Ohio couples, their parents, and their sons. The book traces their experiences, singly and together, from before WWII until the late twentieth century. It reminds us that although people may seem conventional on the surface, very few of them are. It is not mysterious or thrilling, but, as a reader, I couldn’t stop until I found out what happened to the characters. I recommend it (and so do a lot of other people — it was considered one of the best books of 2025 by many).
Now I’m listening to another Abraham Verghese book, CUTTING FOR STONE (2009). I thought Verghese’s THE COVENANT OF WATER (2023) was brilliant, and so far I’m enjoying this one just as much. Amazon says: “A sweeping, emotionally riveting novel — an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.” That’s a very uninformative description, so when I finish it, which will probably take a couple of weeks, I’ll do a better job of telling you what it’s about.
I’m still in the middle of rereading my Elizabeth Goudge trilogy, which I’ll have to describe as comfort reading next Friday. But I only read it at bedtime, so during the day I’m reading THE CYCLIST, which is the second in Tim Sullivan’s DS Cross series, which Lesa and others of you like so much. I’m enjoying it, too, although the tensions between Cross and his colleague Ottley, caused by his unintentional unkindness and even extreme rudeness, are more troubling to me than entertaining. People on the autism spectrum, like Cross, are interesting and even amusing to read about, but difficult to deal with in real life, so it’s difficult for me to find him endearing, as apparently many readers do.
I’m still determined to read THE LONELINESS OF SONIA AND SUNNY, by Kiran Desai, which I mentioned last week, but I haven’t gotten very far yet.
Kim, I hope people did catch up with you on Saturday. I’m glad you had the chance to catch up with your niece,though.
Your weather sounds great. Maybe not as nice as Mark’s, but even so. To be able to have lunch on your balcony. That’s nice.
Once I get home, and don’t have holidays or Olympics to keep my attention, I should try Buckeye. After all, I live here in Ohio. I bought the book when it first came out, but never even started it.
I think you’re right. It would be hard to live with or work with Cross. But, he and Ottley get better together. I still think Sullivan just did that in the first two books to introduce Cross.
Thank you for sharing your list last week, Kim! I was glad to see Fourth Wing on there. Your comment here about The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny made me laugh since I have also been intending to start it.
We have had a busy week with extra hours of babysitting. All fun and delightful, but we are pretty tired. Our grandson’s aunt is going to start babysitting one day at week, so Mondays will become my sit on the couch and read day! We went to a nice hands on Childrens’s museum in Flint with Luciano. He had a fantastic time and am sure we will be going back, especially if the cold weather persists. He found one of my son’s old plastic dinosaurs and has become obsessed with them. I find it interesting that dinosaurs ignite the imagination so quickly when children have no context for what they are. We have spent much of the week crawling around playing with them.
I finished Jade Dragon Mountain this week. Li Du is an exiled, wandering Scholar who must solve a murder before the emperor arrives. I enjoyed the mystery and the setting a great deal. Am currently reading The Marked Man, by Archer Mayor. Absolutely love this series. This is the next to last book published in the series. Sure hope the author will continue it.
My husband and I are going to Cinncinnati this weekend to go see the Auschwitz exhibit. On the way down, we will stop in Dayton to see the Air Force museum. Have to confess that I don’t have a lot of interest in the planes, but there is a section related to the Mercury and Apollo missions, so I will persevere! Really enjoy anything space related. We are also hoping to have time to visit President Grant’s boyhood home.
Am looking forward to seeing Lindy’s list tomorrow. Hope everyone will have a terrific weekend. Spring is coming, right??
Jennifer, We enjoyed the Auschwitz exhibit. It took us a little over two hours to go through it. Double check to see if the Air Force Museum is open with the shutdown. I seem to recall it was closed but I could be wrong. If it is, you could stop by the Neil Armstrong Museum in Wapakoneta. It’s tiny but we enjoyed that too. It’s supposed to be 60 degrees in Cincinnati on Saturday so it will be a good weekend to visit.
Thanks for the information, Sharon. The Neil Armstrong Museum is on my list for next time! And yes, we don’t have to bring our winter coats! Any restaurants you would recommend in either Cinncinnati or Dayton?
Hi Jennifer, The Montgomery Inn Boathouse on the Ohio River is one recommended a lot. We’ve taken family there. We eat at Bronte’s Bistro which is in Joseph Beth Bookstore. That’s in Rookwood Plaza. There’s a Ford’s Garage there too. Lots of restaurants in the Kenwood area which is just up 71. I have only ever eaten at Mamma DiSalvo’s in Dayton.
Jeff Ruby’s is the premier restaurant Cincinnati is known for. We’ve only eaten at the Carlo & Johnny location but there are several for special occasions.
Enjoy your visit!
I think it was cruel of February to give us a hint of spring, or at least nicer weather, and then cruelly remind us that it’s still winter. But, I agree, Jennifer. Spring is coming.
Enjoy your visit to Dayton and Cincinnati. It’s funny that you mention the Air & Space Museum. My sister and I were talking about that in the car on Tuesday. Linda said she’d like to go with Kevin, and I said I had absolutely no interest.
Archer Mayor is one of my “someday” reads.
Think you will enjoy Archer Mayor!
Good morning everyone – I am on dog duty this morning, so I am commenting a bit later than normal. Walking our 95 lb German Shepherd on the icy/snowy roads with a bad knee is always scary for me, but “needs must” and I’m happy to report that we are safely back inside!
The “comfort read” Friday sounds like a great idea, Lesa. I can’t wait to read everyone’s lists.
My books this past week:
Return of the Maltese Falcon by Max Allan Collins: Not having read the first book – but I have seen the Humphrey Bogart movie multiple times – I have to guess the writing style copies the first book? Some of the writing felt dated – “yellow dreamy eyes” was used a lot! With that said it was a satisfying follow-up and gave closure to the original book.
Wives Like Us by Plum Sykes: Fun read – a story of friends and their escapades with romance, parties, parenting, marriage and ex-husbands.
Good morning, Mary! I’m glad you’re safely inside again. This is why I don’t have a dog or offer to walk my sister’s dog. A dog has to be walked several times a day no matter what the weather conditions. It was easy to take care of my cats.
I wanted to give everyone plenty of time to think about those “Comfort reads” for next Friday. It should be fun.
Our weather has been very springlike. 60 degree days. My friends bought new snowmobiles last year and they finally got to take them out for the first time last weekend.
We are heading to Boston for spring break in two weeks. I don’t mind the snow already there but fingers crossed they don’t get hit hard while we are there. We had to skip Boston last year on the cruise due to the Nor’easter. As one of my friends said maybe we’re not designated to see Boston.
On to what I read this week. First was Reverse by Steven F. Havill
Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is looking forward to her retirement in two weeks. The story starts with her hitting a bull moose and totaling her main ride. She ends up with a broken arm and bruises but is determined to see the raffle through. Austin Zamora, an elderly businessman is trying to give away many of his belongings to organizations who could use them. To help the Catholic church get enough money to repair their roof, he donates a classic Corvette to be raffled off. The car has been at the local dealership being spiffed up for the new owner. Before the raffle, Austin’s grandson and his girlfriend went on a joyride in the car. The girlfriend ends up dead, the grandson in critical condition and the car totaled.
Another solid book by Steven Havill. If this is the last book in the series, I’m sad. I loved the characters and the different scenarios that they encounter in their jobs. I think Kevin reviewed this book, but I couldn’t find his review of it.
Next up is Kings Vegas by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman.
Josie is driving to Vegas for the hearing of her father’s will. Upon arriving in Vegas, she finds out that in order to get her inheritance her two brothers, her sister and Josie have to run their father’s casino for three years. Josie can’t stand her oldest brother and is suspicious of him. As an accountant, she dives into the casino’s finances to see if she can uncover what has been going on. She starts investigating her brother’s actions and discovers that the mob is involved.
The way this book was promoted, I was thinking it would be like Deborah Coonts “Lucky” series. I loved that series. There is something off about the tone of this book. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The premise of the book has promise but it just doesn’t get off the ground.
Both books are courtesy of NetGalley.
Bev! I hadn’t thought about Deb Coonts’ “Lucky” series in quite some time. That was a fun series, wasn’t it, while also being serious at times. I enjoyed it, too.
Maybe you’re not meant to get to Boston. Good luck! I’m so glad we didn’t get the snow Boston or New York had. My nephew lives outside Boston, and he said they had about 14 inches or so this last time.
I’ll take your temperatures!
I’ve read all the Steven Havill books from the beginning and I’ll be sorry if he does end the series. Some are better than others, but it’s the characters you care about.
We woke up to a dusting of snow this morning, but it didn’t last very long. They are saying measurable snow on Monday …..
My grandson is doing a college visit to Bowling Green State University tomorrow, so he and his parents are stopping by my house on their way home to Chicago. I am really looking forward to seeing them.
I read two books this week. Lesa already reviewed The Astral Library by Kate Quinn. I really liked it but if I am being honest, I think I will stick to her historical fiction.
I loved my second book too. The Bookbinder’s Secret by A. D. Bell. Lillian Delaney is an apprentice bookbinder who is given a burned book that has a secret letter hidden in the binding. This sends her on a dangerous journey to uncover the remaining five books and learn what happened to the young couple mentioned in the letter. It takes place in 1905, and I learned quite a bit about bookbinding. The story was compelling and I stayed up late last night to finish it. This is the author’s debut book, and she is definitely on my radar.
I am looking forward to Lindy’s list tomorrow. Happy Reading!
Sharon, I’m happy to hear you liked The Bookbinder’s Secret. I downloaded it, and I should read it soon. Happy to know it was a good debut! I suspected some of Kate Quinn’s fans might not enjoy The Astral Library as much as some of her other books.
Enjoy the family visit!
Comfort Reads! yay! i have quite a few. And, like Lesa, that mostly include books I re-read and essays. And poetry.
But, for today. What Am I Reading? I finished Kate Quinn’s The Astral Library which reinforces the truth we all know – “Librarians Are Fierce!” I loved that. And I loved the strong message to defend books and our libraries at all costs.
But the book itself – I liked it okay, but I didn’t love it.
Looking forward to Lindy’s list tomorrow.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s comments about Comfort Reads next week, Kaye. It’s funny. I bought The Astral Library, the gorgeous deluxe edition to have it. But, actually, I loved Libby Page’s This Book Made Me Think of You more.
Oh, but that gorgeous deluxe edition! 💕 💖
A comfort reads post next Friday sounds very good. I will be thinking about what I would choose.
In the last week, Glen read ME TALK PRETTY SOMEDAY by David Sedaris. This was the first book he read by this author and he gave it 5 stars, so he must have liked it. I know he was enjoying a lot of the essays.
Now Glen is reading I SEE YOU’VE CALLED IN DEAD by John Kenney. The protagonist works for a newspaper writing obituaries. He likes his job, but his life changes for the worse when his wife divorces him. He starts drinking to excess, and ends up writing his own obituary and publishes it. This leads to his suspension from his job. I read this book earlier this year and I am happy to report that Glen is enjoying as much as I did.
I just finished SHANGHAI by Joseph Kanon. I have a lot of books by Kanon on my TBR but this is only the second one I have read. SHANGHAI is set in 1938, at the time many European Jews were emigrating to Shanghai because it was the only place that would take them. I was interested in that time and setting after reading SHANGHAI MOON by SJ Rozan in December of last year. If anyone knows of good fiction or nonfiction books about Shanghai before World War II, let me know.
Last night I started reading YOU CAN NEVER DIE by Harry Bliss, the cartoonist and book illustrator. It is a graphic memoir (which Glen read last year).
Tracy, I didn’t realize Jews emigrated to Shanghai just before WWII. Thank you for the information.
I’m glad you always tell us what Glen is reading, just as Jeff tells us what Jackie is. Thank you!
Glen has good taste. I have read ALL of David Sedaris’s books. My favorite essays are the ones about his crazy family.
Hi everyone, I am so glad to be able to join the conversation in a timely fashion, even if my reading isn’t much to write home about. Most of my reading in the past week was for a large annotated bibliography due in one of my classes. To relax from that hard work I read some Rachel Reid hockey romances (and watched the Olympics, of course).
I know what you all really want to hear about is the blizzard, though. Providence got three feet of snow, which is a new record, beating the blizzard of 78. Folks hunkered down for a good day or so, and there is a lot of cleanup still to do. I had lots of fun snowshoeing on a jogging path near my house and might go again tomorrow.
Three feet of snow, Trisha! I’m only 4’10”, so that would be too much for me. It sounds as if you enjoyed it, though. Good for you!
I’m missing the Olympics already!
Good evening all.
It’s quite warm (50F) here but cloudy and still. After all the snow and rain, this is just fine.
Lindy – has your cough gone yet? Mine certainly hasn’t. I’m in week three of whatever disgusting bug this is – and people are telling me that it lasts anything from three weeks to three months, so I just hope I’m in the former camp!
Nevertheless, I’ve been catching up with various friends this past week; yesterday I was up at my friend Sue’s mini-farm on the hill above Kemnay. Her goats are due to deliver kids next month, so she is trying to get a new barn up and running in time for that. Unfortunately, in Aberdeenshire at least, things tend to move very slowly. Yesterday a huge lorry crawled up the lane while we were sitting having our coffee – hoorah, we thought, but when Sue went out to speak to the guy he was just delivering the materials – someone else would build it, date and time unknown. At this rate those goats will be delivering in the stables again…I’m looking forward to seeing the kids, they are always so funny and bouncy.
I’ve just finished watching an old (2011) DVD of the TV adaptation of Rosamunde Pilcher’s COMING HOME. It was just what I needed – beautiful Cornish scenery, spectacular country houses, entitled Old Money families. The story begins when the daughter of the family, Loveday, is at boarding school with Judith, whose father works in Singapore. Her mother, together with her much younger sister Jess, is returning to Singapore after staying in England while Jess was a baby.
Loveday – who is wild and disruptive (of course she can be, coming from a family with so much money that she’ll never have to have a job)- befriends the much quieter Judith, and invites her to visit the family home, Nancherrow. The story follows the girls through the 1930s as they grow up,
When war comes, tragedy touches even the protected Carey-Lewises, but apart from that life in deepest Cornwall continues much as ever. There are love affairs, adventures, births, marriages and deaths. Each of the main characters is well developed – Diana, the matriarch of the family, played by the ever glamorous Joanna Lumley, has her own story, as does Judith’s Aunt Louise (Penelope Keith), handsome surgeon and family friend Jeremy Wells (George Asprey) and fragrant (& somewhat unlikely) headmistress of the school Miss Catto (Susan Hampshire.)
It’s all ridiculous escapism, and if I met some of these people in real life they would irritate me hugely, but if you need something easy, enjoyable and visually stunning to watch, this is great. I do have the book but so far haven’t read it. Pilcher’s extensive output was, in my opinion, patchy and some of her shorter novels are terribly formulaic and silly, but Coming Home, WINTER SOLSTICE and the most famous one, THE SHELL SEEKERS, are all well written and very satisfying.
I finished Francis Spufford’s LIGHT PERPETUAL and was jolly glad to see the back of it. Now I’m reading DEATH IN THE DORDOGNE, the first book in Martin Walker’s BRUNO CHIEF OF POLICE series, set in the beautiful Perigord. I am really enjoying this one; to be honest I don’t much care who committed the barbaric murder of a local Algerian war veteran – I’m mostly there for the wonderful scenery, mouthwatering food and drink, and descriptions of daily life in a small French town.
I did notice that opinions were divided about this book. On Goodreads many people gave it 5 or 4 stars, but quite a few rated it much less enthusiastically, finding it ‘wooden’, ‘cliched’ and poorly written. I would have thought I was sensitive – probably over-sensitive – to all of those, especially poor writing, but maybe I am just in a generous frame of mind! Anyway, I like it and will read more.
I also listened on BBC Sounds to THE VIRGIN IN THE ICE, one of Ellis Peters Cadfael mysteries. I remember reading a few of these when they first came out, but I had never finished the series, and certainly didn’t remember this one. I thought this 1992 production was excellent – so often in adaptations it’s hard to tell one character’s voice from another, but this time I had no problems. Philip Madoc played Cadfael, and the narrator was Sir Michael Hordern. The sound effects, which were no doubt put together on a shoestring, were really effective; the battle scenes convinced, and the eery silence of deserted winter forests also came across very well. I felt I had a good impression of what life was like in mediaeval times on the remote English/Welsh border.
I’ve also borrowed my first Julie Shackman romance from the library – A SCOTTISH HIGHLAND SURPRISE. I’ve seen these books advertised so thought I’d give them a go; I just hope the author gets the Scottish details right.
Finally, I borrowed SOUTH ATLANTIC REQUIEM by Edward Wilson. I read an article about the author, who lives in rural Suffolk, and thought he sounded interesting. Has anyone read any of his spy novels?
Today Nancy and I walked to Green Pastures, a very popular café in a church near her home. It opens at 10am and there was already a queue outside when we arrived – people love it. I am aware that some of my other friends will not frequent it, as the church itself has rather extreme evangelical views. I certainly don’t share there values, but it has to be said that these are never so much as mentioned in the café – it’s not seen as an opportunity to find new recruits. The building is just on the rural outskirts of Westhill, so from the windows there are wonderful views of the hills. We didn’t have anything to eat, but the cakes and scones looked delicious – including a ‘special’, an ‘apple crumble scone.’ I’ll be back!
I started this early in the morning, but it’s now 9pm at night, so I think I’d better try to get it posted. Also I have to get up horribly early tomorrow to go with my husband to take his car into the garage; urgh.
Have a good week all.
Rosemary, we finished the second Slow Horses series (out of 5, so far) last night and will watch the last two Shetlands (series 10) tonight or tomorrow. We have one last INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES (the original series) left to watch on Saturday, before starting the new version.
Jeff – I think I’ve watched the first two (though I haven’t gone any further with Slow Horses so far because our TV isn’t compatible with Disney.)
I haven’t watched the new inspector Lynsey series – is the update any good?
I’ve been rewatching a few episodes of The Windsors. The actors who play Beatrice and Eugenie always make me laugh, but watching it now, it’s clear the writers already knew quite a lot about Andrew Mountbatten.
So much of what you recommend always sounds so good! I’m looking for Coming Home but so far not finding it in any of the services available to me. Will keep looking! Love your posts!
Thank you Mary!
I hope you find Coming Home. I have the same problem with many of the books people mention on Thursdays – if they are available here they’re usually very expensive, and our library system rarely seems to have them. If I do find one in the catalogue I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot!
Rosemary, It’s always good to catch up with you, no matter what time of day your posts show up.
By now, I’ve read 3 or 4 of the Bruno, Chief of Police novels. You’re right. Most of the time I don’t care who did it. (I did in the last one I read.) I like to catch up with Bruno, the townspeople, and Bruno’s lady loves.
I just envy you so much with your cafes. They always sound so good.
For some of us, Rosamund Pilcher would be a comfort read. The show sounds so good.
Thanks Lesa – I agree, Rosamunde Pilcher would be quite a good comfort read.
I’m looking forward to this new project – comfort reads are important to me and I can think of lots.