Well, it looks like our delightful weather is over. Temperatures are in the 90s, with high humidity. That means I’ll seldom leave the apartment because I get humidity headaches when I’m out in it too long. That’s why I preferred Arizona over Florida. I could handle Arizona’s high temperatures, but I can’t handle humidity. At least the evenings still accommodate lightning bugs. I went to my Mom’s for a couple days, and the fireflies in the field across from her put on quite a show in the evenings.
What have you done this week? Are you surviving your weather? Most important, what are you reading?
I’m sneaking in an August title that wasn’t on yesterday’s list. When I arrived home yesterday, Lucy Connelly’s fifth Scottish Isle mystery, Death at a Scottish Halloween was in the mail. I couldn’t resist. I love the cover, enjoy the series, and instead of a galley or an ARC, it’s a beautiful, shiny book. And, someone listened to me! It’s only 250 pages, not a mammoth tome.
Dr. Emilia McRoy and her assistant Abigail have fun in their room decorated as a mad doctor’s office in the local haunted house. But, when they help to close down the house, they find a body in the room across the hall. And, this one isn’t fake.
I like the small community and found family the Seattle doctor has found in Sea Isle. I’m enjoying this one. But, you won’t hear more from me about this book until it’s released in August.
What are you reading this week?
The only event of note this past week was having our 8-year-old granddaughter Evelyn for an overnight stay. Fun was had by all, books were bought (she’s enjoying The InvestiGators series of graphic novels and was SO excited to see the latest one in the store), David took her to the river (time was spent trying to construct a bridge of rocks to get across), pre-breakfast walk was taken (with stops at adult-sized exercise stations in the park where she tried all the equipment), she ‘helped’ me with Wordle and Connections, and snuggles were had. The thing I enjoyed the most was the feel of her little hand in mine; who knows how much longer she’ll want to do that.
Books this week:
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP by Virginia Heath
Second in the Miss Prentice’s Protégées series, after ‘All’s Fair in Love and War.’ The series follows the various graduates of Miss Prentice’s School for Young Ladies. This second book concerns Charlotte Travers, ‘Lottie’ to her friends. Having grown up on a farm with her four brothers, the attributes of duty, decorum, diligence, and discretion don’t come naturally to her although she does her best to try to curb her tomboyish nature.
But now, after having been dismissed from her latest governess position after she ‘borrowed’ the lord’s horse for an early morning ride, about which the lord’s awful son wouldn’t have tattled if she hadn’t vigorously defended herself against his unwanted advances – she’s back to living with Miss Prentice at the school.
The only job opportunity that’s available to Lottie now is that of lady’s companion to one Lady Almeria Winthrop, an elderly lady who has hired, chewed up, and spit out a series of companions so with Lottie’s temperament it’s not likely she’ll make a success of this job either. But with her father’s farm in dire straits, she will do her best so that she can help by sending her wages to him.
Meanwhile, Lady Winthrop’s sister Lady Wennington is planning a birthday party for her son Lord Guy. He is turning 30 and he had promised her she’d have a houseful of grandchildren by now but because of a very public romantic failure some time ago, poor Guy was hurt and humiliated so badly that he hasn’t approached another woman since. To remedy this situation his mother with the help of her sister, is organizing a week-long house party to which several eligible young debutantes will be invited. Surely one of them will tempt the grumpy Guy. Not going according to plan however, is that the only young lady he’s interested in is Lady Winthrop’s newest lady’s companion, Lottie.
Hi-jinks, competition between the invited debutantes, laughter, treachery, and horses ensue. All of which entertains immensely, while at the same time bestowing a warm, heartfelt story that had me rooting for Lottie and Guy the whole way.
COUNTY ROAD SIX by Kevin Hardcastle
This is a slow burn ‘rural family drama’ that takes place in Ontario, by a Canadian author.
From the book jacket: ‘It has been years since Mara O’Hare has come home to North Simcoe County. But she is forced to return after her father’s death. Arthur O’Hare – the meanest, most vicious man in the townships – laid low, isolated, angry, and sullen before he took his own life. Mara is reunited with her two sisters, Beth and Emma. Soon, the three women are fighting to retain ownership of the farm they have inherited from their father. But Arthur O’Hare’s legacy is not just land. He has also left his daughters an unanticipated inheritance of violence and terror, born out of a long-buried family secret.’
The story started off slowly, very gradually building a sense of menace. You know something bad is coming but you don’t know when or how. And when it does, you’re still not ready; but by then the characters mean something to you and you’re hoping the O’Hare sisters will make it through.
I wasn’t sure about this book to begin with but I became used to the atmospheric, dark, spare writing style. Without flowery descriptive passages it actually heightened the emotions in the story and distilled them to their essence – these carefully rendered feelings of grief, hope, fear, and the few fragile moments of something like the whisper of contentment. And you end up wondering about all the things from the past that make you who you are today, and how – and if – it’s possible to break free, heal, and make a new life for yourself.
This is not a jolly feel-good book by any means, and it’s certainly not fast-paced, and yet there’s something about it that compelled me to want to finish it.
What a wonderful overnight visit with Evelyn you had, Lindy. It sounds as if you and David made the best use of your time. I don’t know about holding hands. But, I do know my youngest sister’s grown kids, in their twenties and thirties, all still give me hugs when they say goodbye. And, I didn’t see them much when they were growing up. But, they always seek out family members to hug. I’m sure you and Evelyn will remain close.
Both of your books sound interesting this week.
Lindy, I want to thank you for you kind, thoughtful comments about my health problems on the last two of Lesa’s What Are You Reading posts. They meant a lot to me.
I enjoyed hearing about your granddaughter’s overnight stay. I think eight is the perfect age and you and Evelyn have a great relationship.
Thanks for the information on the Kevin Hardcastle book. I am always interested in Canadian authors, as you know. I could not find the book on Amazon in the US now, but I am not buying books until September anyway. I will check out other avenues for finding his books.
Grandchildren are the best, Lindy. Pass your love on to them so they can pass their love onto others — that’s how the world works best.
Wise words Jerry. Thanks The other two grandchildren – one 24 years old and the other almost 16, both boys – don’t hold hands with me anymore ha ha; they both hold the hands of their girlfriends now! But I had my share of loving times with them when they were young, and I know they still remember lots of them.
We are still in our June gloom phase. We are supposed to hit 80 on Thursday and be in the upper 80’s over the weekend. A change from a few weeks ago when we were in the upper 90’s. I went to the beach with some friends on Saturday. It was a little cooler than I would have liked, but we still enjoyed it.
Reading wise, I read a short story today. “Robber Crabs” turned out to be a prequel to Joan Druett’s Wiki Coffin Mysteries. But it was a very poor mystery, even for a short story.
Next up will be STRONG MEDICINE, the new Holmes on the Range Mystery from Steve Hockensmith. The series features two cowboy brothers who solve mysteries in the style of their hero, Sherlock Holmes. I’m looking forward to diving back into this world. The book will be released on 7/12, so I’m aiming to have my review up by then.
It sounds so funny, Mark, to hear about temperatures being a little cooler than you’d like, but I know it’s usually cooler at the beach.
Interesting comment. I’ve read some of those “a very poor mystery even for a short story”. Nice phrasing.
Old Red and Big Red are always worth reading!
Mark, David really enjoys those Holmes on the Range mysteries. I’m glad you reminded me about them because I think he’s a bit behind on that series.
It’s been a strange week. This past weekend we saw My Fair Lady which was a lot of fun. Then two days ago my sister-in-law died unexpectedly so I’ve been calling relatives so my brother wouldn’t have to. On top of that it’s been 100 and humid.
I did manage to get through two books this week.
ROUGH JUSTICE by Claire Youmans. A mystery from the 90s, a ship washes up on a sandbar during a storm and the salvage divers discover a boat with a body on board. I liked this but it appears to be the author’s only mystery.
Another older book and a true story , WE BOUGHT A ZOO by Benjamin Mee. Set in England, his family bought a failing zoo in the attempt to restore and reopen it. There was a TV show made about it.
I picked this up at a library book sale for my mom and she enjoyed it a lot more than I did. Mostly I think I was just was reading it at the wrong time.
I am so sorry about your sister in law, Sandy. Thinking of you.
Thank you
That does make for a strange week, Sandy. Fun, and then crashing. I’m sorry about your sister-in-law. That’s why I went home for a few days. My brother-in-law’s mother died. I knew her, and I went to support his family, and my niece and nephews. Take care of yourself and your brother in that heat.
You’re right. It was probably the wrong time for We Bought a Zoo.
I feel for your brother Sandy. What an awful thing to happen. I’m sorry.
Not much happening on the reading front this week.
I was in Eugene, Oregon for my niece’s wedding. And the opportunity to gather with my six remaining siblings. It was a beautiful event, the sun came out for the afternoon and the marimba band was lively.
The Savannah Bananas were also in town for a pair of games at the University stadium. Having only a vague idea the entertainment/sport even existed, I was surprised to find a surplus 100,000 people on the roads.
I did finish the fourth in Katharine Schellman’s Lily Adler series, MURDER AT MIDNIGHT. Set in 1815 in the English countryside. Attendees at a winter dance are trapped in the Manor by snow-covered roads. Gossip, blackmail and murder ensue. A fun read with clever plotting.
Who has time for books when you have a wedding and siblings?
Oh, The Savannah Bananas! I’ve never seen them in person, but I love to watch them on TV and on YouTube. I like baseball, but they bring a special joy to the sport. My niece saw them, and loved the experience.
I like the Lily Adler series, and am disappointed that the sixth book doesn’t come out in 2027.
What a large family you come from MM! Your poor mother. I’m glad you were able to see some of your siblings!
I feel you about the weather. They are predicting at or near 100 both today and tomorrow, with high humidity. And what are we doing? Going to an OUTDOOR concert at Jones Beach (which, one hopes, will be at least a little cooler than the city). We’re seeing Santana (for the 13th time) and the Doobie Brothers (6th time). We’re staying over and will come home tomorrow.
Saturday morning, the parade of tall ships comes under the Verrazano Bridge and up through the Narrows to the West Side of Manhattan, so all we have to do is cross the street to see it. I can remember seeing Operation Sail during the Bicentennial 50 years ago.
Then Monday we leave for Connecticut and spend three days (which sound blissfully cool) in Maine with my cousins. We’ll be home on Saturday the 11th. Let’s hope the heat dome is a distant memory by then.
I’m not expecting a lot of reading time this week, which is annoying in that I have a LOT of library books that came in.
I’ll be back.
I’ve loved Santana since Abraxas came out in 1970, but I’ve never seen them live. Good for you, Jeff!
Oh, I hope it is a little cooler at the beach for your concert, Jeff. I once gave up tickets to see Barry Manilow because of the heat and humidity. My headache was so bad that whole week, and it was an outdoor concert. I’d been going with one sister, and told her to bring the other and use my ticket. I hope you enjoy it.
It doesn’t sound like much of a reading week, but it will be cooler. Enjoy your cousins’ week.
I remember seeing the tall ships on TV 50 years ago. I would think seeing them in person is so impressive!
I read some neighborhoods in NYC had their power shut off. I hope you still have juice.
Books.
At the moment, I am reading mostly in three short story collections, which I will discuss when I finish them. They are by Edward D. Hoch, Andrew Sean Greer, and Colm Toibin. Hoch is one of the great mystery short story writers, but by his standards I’m finding this a lesser work.
But then, three more collections came in to the library, including the latest British Library collection edited by Martin Edwards, which goes to the top of the list.
I did finish one book this week, though it was a disappointment to me in the end. Patricia B. McConnell is a well known (apparently) animal behaviorist and author of non-fiction books. Her first mystery, AWAY TO ME, had potential. Maddie is a (basically) dog psychologist who fled an abusive marriage in New Mexico and ended up in rural southern Wisconsin, treating dogs and training her border collie, Jack, for sheep dog trials. This part of the book is fascinating and readable. But the mystery part – who killed her neighbor and mentor, George, and why? – hits a plateau halfway through and was a drag for me to force my way to the end, with Maddie wallowing in her own angst way too long. She’s the one who needs a shrink as much as the dogs do. My advice for book two: more dogs, less misery.
I can see why the new Martin Edwards’ collection goes to the top of the list.
I love your comment, Jeff, that Maddie needs a shrink as much as the dogs do. It’s funny how much I enjoy dog mysteries. In real life, I’m a cat person. I haven’t had a dog since I was five, and I don’t care to. But, I enjoy dog stories.
I forgot to mention Jackie’s reading. She is reading a “crazy” book, Darynda Jones’s FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET, the fourth (duh) of 13 books about Charley Davidson. She is a Grim Reaper. When people die, they use her as a portal to pass through for where they’re going next. Her boyfriend, Reyes Farrow, is the Son of Satan.
Needless to say, complications arise.
is that Jackie’s comment, Jeff, that it’s crazy, or yours? Must be Jackie’s. I know she likes this series.
Yes, it’s Jackie’s quote about the “crazy” book.
Sorry I didn’t report in last week, everyone. However, I did read and enjoy all of your postings and book lists after Peter and I got home from a long and happy all-day outing to the Rigi, a mountain near Lucerne, and, on the way home, a swim in Lake Lucerne to cool off. I know you’ve all read about Europe’s heat wave, but it broke (at least, temporarily) on July 1 with a big thunderstorm. The plants on my balcony were very happy, as was I and the whole of Switzerland.
Continuing from where I left off two weeks ago, then: I finished the first Philomena McCarthy book by Michael Robotham, WHEN YOU ARE MINE, and have bought the second one, WHITE CROW. When You Are Mine is exciting, with interesting characters and situations. The heroine is a London police detective who is the child of a major London crime boss — and still in touch with her family. She is very unpopular with her police colleagues and yet keeps on doing more things to upset them, which is very risky, plus (even though she turns out to be right about most things that are getting her into trouble), she makes some very bad decisions. So I had mixed feelings about her as a heroine. But despite wanting to shake her and yell at her through most of the book, I am looking forward to seeing what she’s up to in the sequel.
I also read #19 in Martin Walker’s Bruno Chief of Police series, which I’ve been following since the first one. This one is called A MURDER IN THE SPRINGTIME and is full of everything Bruno’s fans expect, including lots of descriptions of growing, cooking, and eating regional French food. The actual mystery isn’t terribly gripping, but it’s fun to catch up with old friends and see how Bruno’s love life is progressing.
Speaking of love lives AND books that follow a formula, I treated myself to not one but two (in a row!) Regency romances by Mary Balogh. Many of her books involve marrying off one family member or close friend after another, and I read the first two in the Ravenswood series (about first a brother’s marriage and then a sister’s in the same noble family). No matter how many I read, I get involved with the characters every single time!
I’m halfway through the second book in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series, IRON FLAME. My nephew gave me the first of these books about an autocratic empire with secretly rebellious subjects and dragon-riding warriors last October. Although I was skeptical, I really enjoyed the first one. The second one seems to be a great deal of the same thing as the first, including lots of deliberate cruelty, but not as gripping. Still, I’ll finish it. It will be a while before I start #3, though–if I do.
I just finished listening to KIN, by Tayari Jones, and I thought it was excellent. The story goes back and forth between two black girls who are born and grow up in a small town in Louisiana without mothers, well cared for by relatives, but not really loved. By the time they are teenagers, it’s the mid-fifties, and Rosa Parks has been arrested on the bus in Montgomery. These close friends leave home–one runs away with friends to Memphis at 16 and the other goes to college in Atlanta. Despite their lives moving in different directions, both are searching for new friendships, husbands, and the love of a mother they never had. Although the book is not “about” civil rights, everything that happens to these two women, Vernice and Annie K, is shaped by their growing up poor, black, and female in the South. Their fight for a decent life and for self-respect is very moving and seemed tragically realistic to me.
I also listened to THE LAST MANDARIN, by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung, which I thought was terrible. (Lesa did not think so, nor do all the readers who’ve made it a bestseller, so be aware that this may be my problem.) I found it fantastically, ludicrously unrealistic and extremely repetitive (as if we readers couldn’t remember anything we’d just been told). But what bothered me the most was that the young heroine, who was going to turn out to be brilliant and literally save the world, was put in the position of asking one mind-bogglingly stupid question after another, just so the authors could have an excuse to explain to the reader about Chinese history, politics, food, geography, etc. It’s not that I knew all this stuff–it’s that SHE, the heroine, would have known all of it already, given who her parents were and how smart she would turn out to be. The authors should have figured out another, more effective way to get the information we needed to know across to us.
I haven’t read them all yet, but I’ve enjoyed the Bruno Chief of Police series too. For all the reasons you mentioned plus the local history. The food preparation is described well without being tedious.
I’m never happy when one of us is missing, Kim, but I don’t blame you for escaping the heat. And, I know most of Europeans don’t have air conditioning as we do. So, I’m glad you and Peter took a break.
I really need to pick up a Mary Balogh book. My sister, Linda, loves them. I think I’m just afraid to find another author to get hooked on, as I am on Eloisa James.
There were a lot of flaws in The Last Mandarin. I even found the ending odd. But, overall, I enjoyed it because I did learn more about Chinese history and culture. However, it was only on the bestseller list for a week, I think. I just received a galley of Penny’s new Gamache book. It sounds better than the last two, and the publicist told me it’s a traditional Gamache. I think I’ll be happy with this one.
I also thought The Last Mandarin was terrible. I expected so much more from Louise Penny. This is one book I did not finish but I did read the ending (which I always do!)
Good morning! It was a pretty uneventful week, and our family hasn’t yet decided whether to attend the local July 4 (to be held July 3) celebration tomorrow. It will be 91 degrees around the time it starts at 6:00 p.m., but it’s always fun to hear the terrific band and see the fireworks. My granddaughter is having some work today on her teeth to make room for new ones to come in, so she might not be feeling it. We’ll see.
My reading this week didn’t include any books that I loved unconditionally, but here goes.
Having thoroughly enjoyed Stella Sands’ Wordhunter last year, I was thrilled to pick up the sequel, CODEBREAKERS. The focus is again on Maggie Moore, a recent college graduate with a troubled past, whose expertise in forensic linguistics and semiotics (the study of patterns and symbols) has already enabled her to solve a murder, working with police detective Silas Gabriel Jackson. Now she and Jackson have opened their own private investigation practice, combining their skills–and lifestyles–to help their clients resolve difficult, dangerous issues. Maggie is brash, profane, tattooed, and a hard drinker, while Jackson is more self-controlled. In their first case, a man who left a drag ball with an unwanted butt cheek tattoo wants to bring the perpetrator to justice, while keeping the whole situation from his unsuspecting wife and family. It turns out that it isn’t a tattoo at all, and the design is a symbol that needs a lot of research to unravel its meaning and point to a possible suspect. At the same time, Maggie is desperately searching for her childhood BFF, who has become involved with a shady religious community. And she is intent on finally finding her biological father, who was never identified by Maggie’s now-deceased mother.What was missing for me in this second series book was the wonderful word play of all types that helped Maggie solve the mystery in Wordhunter. Instead, the author has doubled down on the diagrammed sentences–a way for Maggie to calm herself but annoying even for a word nerd like me who had to slow down to read her frequent thoughts this way. And then there were the sentences in backwards writing that would have required a mirror to read. Also, I couldn’t help thinking that Maggie’s overused profanities and outrageous behavior could have been toned down a bit to make her a more relatable character. But I found the case a fascinating one and the story a quick read. I’m hoping that if there are future series books, Sands will return to what made Wordhunter so delightful and delve more into Jackson’s life. There appears to be an attraction brewing between the two protagonists, and I’d like to see how that plays out. (August)
Having just survived a near-death moment, Philippa takes it as a sign to overhaul her life In PHILIPPA FLYNN’S YEAR OF PANIC AND PIRACY by Jacqueline Firkins. She is a tenured history professor, but men in her department seem to be getting raises while she is not, even though she has written several books. And her romantic relationship is going nowhere. Philippa resigns from her job, leaves her apartment behind, and tells her boyfriend it’s over, moving into her beloved–now deceased–Grandmother Iris’s house. Philippa has four older siblings, each of them accomplished in their own field and happy with their partners. Her parents continually tell her that her current situation disappoints them and could have been avoided if she had only taken their advice. Her grandmother was the only relative who understood her and supported her, although her siblings try to help. Her mother also wants her to sell the house, which needs a lot of repairs, and Philippa tries to earn the money needed for the repairs by selling pirate lore collected by Iris with some success, but it’ s not enough. Philippa perks up when she realizes that Iris, the author of 30+ popular books featuring pirate adventures and romances, wasn’t able to finish the next in the series before she died and may have left notes about her next few books somewhere in the house. So she and Dylan–the other tenant of the house, who was Iris’s long-term assistant and the cover model for her books–join forces to try to give Iris’s demanding fans at least one more book in the series. There is a very low-key relationship burgeoning between the two, but I found it somewhat unconvincing and Dylan’s character not fully fleshed out. In addition, the book’s resolution is abrupt. The story is interesting, but It’s not my favorite Jacqueline Firkins book (that would be The Goode Girls of Maple Lane from 2025). Nevertheless, Firkins is a go-to author for me, so I will remain a loyal reader of any books she publishes in the future. (September)
I think the reason it took me a while to get into Amanda Ashby’s THE WIDOWS’ GUIDE TO FOUL PLAY is that there were four previous books in the series, none of which I had read. The plot centers around Ginny, who works in the library in the town of Little Shaw and helps out with the costumes at the local theater. It’s time for the annual pantomime–this year “Mother Goose”–and actress Monica Larkwell’s rabid fans are excited to witness her return to the very same play and same location after 30 years. There are some bad feelings about Monica from a few of the cast and crew and other locals, along with some of her fans, so when the actress is found crushed by a falling chandelier, there are plenty of suspects. Ginny and her close friends have helped investigate some of the town’s previous crimes and are determined to sit this one out but, to their surprise, this time the curmudgeonly detective inspector who is Ginny’s next-door neighbor even asks for their help! There are touches of humor here and there, including the fact that the murderer was caught on camera wearing a large, colorful goose costume. And there is a bit of non-graphic violence late in the book. But it is mostly a low-key mystery similar to other “murder club” series that feature amateur female sleuths “of a certain age.” I’m sure that fans of this series will enjoy spending time with these characters once again. (August)
I forgot to mention the one exciting thing that happened this week. Starbucks announced that it would be bringing back the S’Mores Frappuccino (after 7 years–I looked it up!). I used to happily anticipate that drink every summer until they discontinued it. Of course, I had to get one on the preview day–June 30. Happy summer!
I’m not even a fan of coffee drinks, Margie, but have to admit the frappaccino sounds to me as the highlight of your week. None of the books sound sparkling.
As for the 4th, I’m avoiding crowds and the heat, so I may be spending time with a book and PBS’ celebration of the Fourth. It starts in the morning and goes all day.
We will be near 100 all this week, currently 90%. Tomorrow, I wiil be selling some books and buying; they open at 10:00 a.m. so I want to get there early before it gets hotter,
Finished The Cantaloupe Thief by Deb Richardson-Moore. I loved the characters and want to read more in the series. There were many suspects, and I was sad to find out who the murderer was. It is the beginning of the series, and want to read more. Unfortunately, it is tiny print.
Also started one from my TBR pile, The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart. I will be learning a lot about the making of turpentine!
Since my eyesight is getting worse, I am trying to find audiobooks on CD. Our local library has disposed of all of them!!! I found one on Amazon.com, but they are very rare since they started Audible. Many of the used book companies charge a monthly fee to buy them. I have checked the large print books, but they are so expensive.
CDs, Carol? In my last library job, we also disposed of all our audiobooks. Those who used them had switched to books on CD. Of course, with Audible and other formats, I’m sure those are even fewer.
Have you checked with your public library as to whether you qualify for books from whatever state agency you have? In Ohio, it’s the Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. In Indiana, it was the Talking Books Library. It may go by various names, but it’s a network of the Library of Congress, and it’s free for qualified users. I’d check with them. It’s not hard to qualify, and you get your materials in the mail, and can send them back postage-free.
Good morning! We are on a four hour drive to go to our major university specialist for a second opinion about hip surgery. We are hoping holiday traffic won’t be too bad on our drive back home!
Books this week:
The Wrong Hands (Detective Miller #2) by Mark Billingham – -a satisfying sequel to the first book wherein Declan’s wife’s murder is solved along with the capture of another murderer/mystery solved. Would definitely read another in this series
Autumn st the Cat Cafe by Kathleen Fuller – due out in August – This was a fun read. Octavia (known as Via) owns a cat cafe that adjoins a second hand bookshop in Pecan Corner, Ohio. The owner of the bookshop, Earl, an elderly bachelor who she had befriended, passes away and leaves his shop to his estranged nephew, who just happens to be a very handsome, single Harvard grad from California. Leo arrives in Pecan Corner thinking that he could wrap up his inheritance in a weekend and get a local realtor to sell the shop. Instead he finds out that Earl’s will requires him to stay for 30 days, and to pass a test, before he can inherit. During this timeframe, he and Via try to deny their attraction to each other. But soon the sparks fly and it looks like their relationship might blossom. But Via has to learn to trust again, having been burned by a cheating fiance earlier in her life. And Leo has to learn that he is not an island, which he had become as he tried to hide his pain from self centered parents. The fun escapades that they do on Via’s bucket list keep the story moving and adds to its homespun charm.
I hope you had good luck with the second opinion, and the drive home, Mary.
Autumn at the Cat Cafe sounds like a good one. And, it’s set in Ohio. I’ll have to watch for that one.
I like the sound of both your books and will have to add them to my long list Mary.
It is just as nasty in Cincinnati as it is in Columbus this week. Today is supposed to be the peak day with heat indices around 107 degrees. We are holing up in the air conditioning too.
Two books for me this week. My daughter highly recommended The Library of Flowers by L.C. Chu. I didn’t enjoy it as much as she did. The story of the fifth daughters of the house of Hua. They are gifted with a special Moli perfume that has special powers that able to stir hearts and enhance fortunes. The chapters were historical about the early Hua perfumers and their gifts alternated with present day Lucy Hua who is 30 and still hasn’t perfected her Moli.
My second book didn’t work for me despite the familiar setting of Gates Mills and Pepper Pike on the east side of Cleveland where I am from. Recipe for Joy by Monica Comas mostly was about the intense grief Annabelle suffers after her beloved grandmother dies. It was billed as the death of a grandmother brings estranged sisters together through their grandmother’s recipes. It was just too sad for me, and I should have stopped reading it.
My seventeen-year-old grandson is coming to visit on Monday for ten days from the Chicago area. We were surprised when he asked to visit but are thrilled. Here’s hoping the weather breaks so it is manageable to do a few outdoor things while he is here.
Happy Reading!
Oh, Sharon. I hope the weather breaks for you, too. Cincinnati has so much to offer for a 17 year old. It should be fun to spend ten days with him, if you can get out and enjoy the time. Have fun!
It doesn’t sound like a fun book week for you. I hope you enjoy your grandson’s visit more than this week’s reading.
Happy Family Time!
I know some people choose not to read a book that is getting a lot of attention. i just never understand why.
Whistler by Ann Patchett is a lovely, gentle read. I would wish it into people’s hands right now when we all need some gentleness.
“Ann Patchett’s new novel is a rare phenomenon in contemporary fiction: a novel both majestic and intimate, original and masterful in its structure, crystalline in its prose, revelatory in its insights, utterly devastating yet ultimately uplifting in its emotional impact. . . . I think it is her best novel yet.” —The Boston Globe
The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.
When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again.
Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.
Glad you liked it so much, Kaye. I requested it on NG but on the pub date the publisher had not even deigned to deny it to me so I deleted it. I think I’m going to try to get my book club to read it, which will give me an excuse to get it at the library or (more likely) buy it.
I need to get around to Whistler, Kaye. I’m not skipping it because it’s getting attention. I just haven’t had time with a week of flu, after Mom’s party, and then a quick visit home for the funeral.
I’m so glad you found it gentle and needed.
Love you, my friend. And, I love my new tee shirt.
Kaye, I totally agree. I thought it was a beautiful book.
We are in the upper 90s every day with heat indexes getting to 110. For those in the NE, what you are dealing with is our normal here in Dallas. And it sucks!
Read Death at a Scottish Halloween a couple of months ago through NetGalley and have my August review set up. Enjoyed it. I don’t like Halloween at all so the background of this latest cozy mystery was not my thing at all. Those of you who like the Halloween stuff will enjoy it more.
I have four reviews to write. Instead, I am reading Wildwood by Amy Pease from the library. I remember seeing the cover on NetGalley and never requesting it as I did not pick up on the fact that it is book two of the series with Deputy Sheriff Eli North that began in Northwoods.
I’m glad you liked the Scottish Halloween book despite not liking Halloween, Kevin. But, I don’t blame you one bit for setting aside reviews to read a book. That would be my choice, too.
What? Are you telling us to “Suck it up, Buttercup?” I think you are. (grin)
No, just saying that the weather now up across the upper Midwest and NE is our normal. That is why our local an d state electeds always tell us to follow the federal guidance to raise the thermostats to 78, turn off everything possible, do laundry early in the day, etc.
And, Sandi, my late wife, was born in North Kingston, RI, and lived many years in Boston so I know AC isn’t that common. Probably better now than it was back when she was there decades ago, but still an issue for folks.
As Mark noted, we are having a continuation of our June Gloom weather. It has been on the coolish side here and some days are overcast. My favorite weather. I enjoy hearing about the fireflies; I would love to see fireflies again.
I am interested in DEATH AT A SCOTTISH HALLOWEEN, but I would start reading at the beginning of the series, so I won’t be looking for that one. I agree with you on the length at 250 pages; I think that is the perfect length for most novels.
I am still having problems with my digestion some days and the fatigue is not much better. I met with my primary care doctor on Monday, and that went well and it was reassuring. She scheduled an endoscopy (Upper GI) and I had that yesterday morning. It seemed to go much better than ones I had years ago, but still it pretty much messed up the day. I have results from both the cardiac monitor test and the endoscopy already, but don’t have any info from the doctor on what they mean. But still, that is progress.
Glen has had a good reading week. He read a short story book, CAT PICTURES PLEASE AND OTHER STORIES by Naomi Kritzer. He enjoyed the majority of the stories. His next book will be nonfiction, ATLANTIC by Simon Winchester.
I finished the Ray Bradbury mystery, A GRAVEYARD FOR LUNATICS, and decided I liked it overall. It is 1/3 mystery, 1/3 fantasy, 1/3 Bradbury’s beautiful writing. And an interesting picture of Hollywood in the 1950s.
Then I read LILLIAN BOXFISH TAKES A WALK by Kathleen Rooney. I liked it a lots, but I am still trying to decide if it was depressing or uplifting (for me). The protagonist reminded me of the main character in THE CORRESPONDENT.
Oh, I agree, Tracy. Start at the beginning of the series with An American in Scotland. It gives you the background for the characters.
I never heard of Gloom weather. Thanks to you and Mark!
I have Kathleen Rooney’s new book, Man Overboard. I’ll probably read it this week sometime.
I agree with you about Ray Bradbury’s beautiful writing.
Tracy, I read the Lillian Boxfish book years ago and remember quite enjoying it. I also thought she walked a lot, considering her age.
It will be good to know what the results of all your tests actually mean. At least you’ll know more than you do right now. It’s so tiring being tired all the time; the days must drag on. Answers; you need answers.
We’re on Long Island. It is 102 degrees here, even worse than 99 in Midtown and 95 in Bay Ridge.
We were forced (ha) to get Trader Joe’s Brownie Coffee Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches to cool off, along with iced coffee.
Don’t you just hate it when you’re forced to get ice cream, Jeff?
Excellent news: when we got to the beach, it felt remarkably pleasant and relatively cool, with a nice sea breeze keeping it comfortable. It was probably too humid to suit you, but it was pretty good. And the concert was outstanding. Both groups were great.
Nice weather and an outstanding concert. Couldn’t be better, Jeff.
It’s been warm, but not really hot here.
This week I read:
Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol; The book that started the empire. For the book club.
The Mighty Johns by David Baldacci; Actually an anthology of football mysteries, written by people who don’t like football.
Baseball America by Donald Honig; The usual stories about the usual people.
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater; A poor man’s Hillerman about a Native American who returns home to find old folks dying of a mysterious flu-like illness.
Best sound book on your list, Glen? Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective. I always enjoyed those books. I’ll be curious to hear what a new generation of readers thinks of them. You’ll have to let us know! Please.