I’m still enjoying evenings on the porch, watching lightning bugs, although I know it won’t be for much longer. Linda and I are planning to go to the Columbus Book Festival one day this weekend. Other than that, it’s been an easygoing week, hot outside, air conditioning inside, with some cooler evenings – lightning bug nights.
My reading has been all over the place this past week as you’ve seen; short stories, a couple cozy mysteries, a beautiful book narrated by Death. Yesterday, I took a book back to the library because I read the end, and I was right. The dog, Harold, the narrator, died. Nope. I’m not going to fall in love with a dog when I know he dies. Instead, I’m reading Scott Simon’s Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known. You may recognize Simon’s name from NPR or CBS News Sunday Morning. I was lucky enough to see him at the Tucson Festival of Books years ago, and he’s as entertaining in person as you would expect.
This book tells of Simon’s life from the first family dog when he was a baby to now, when he, his wife, and two daughters have a French poodle, a foster cat and a hamster. He makes it clear that there’s no difference in his family between humans and other animals. Yes, animals do die in this, such as Simon’s grasshopper, but at least none of them are narrating the story. There are charming line drawings by Liana Finck.
I’ve only read a few chapters in this one, but I wanted to pick it up today because I’ve been waiting for it. My friend, Donna, read it and enjoyed it. I suggested it to her, and she had it before I did. I’ve been waiting!
What about you? What did you do this week? How’s your weather? Most of all, what have you been reading in the last week?
Ulysses S. Cat sounds like a book I’d enjoy very much, so I’m happy you mentioned it Lesa. Although I don’t want to pay $34 (CDN) for a book that’s only 176 pages long and alas, my library doesn’t have it. But I’ll keep checking.
A bit of a busier week over here. David’s sister has a number of challenges and it’s become increasingly difficult for her to function well on her own, and an oven fire and two microwave fires haven’t helped either. A placement was found in very nice ‘retirement home’ and we’re hoping she’ll do well there. Anyway, she was moved in a few days ago and we’ve been over there a few times helping to set things up. and there’s lots to do still. She’s excited to be there though, so it’s a good start.
Then on the weekend we went to a birthday dinner for one of our sons-in-law, at a ‘real’ Chinese restaurant, and the food was delicious. Very noisy though. On the way home our 15-year-old grandson kept us all entertained by asking trivia questions he was finding online as we drove. The 24-year-old grandson was answering far more quickly than the rest of us, and we quickly banned any more questions in his area of expertise – history, as the rest of us didn’t stand a chance. It was fun and the hour long drive seemed to take no time at all.
Books this week:
LEAVE AND COME BACK by Lavanya Lakshmi
This is the author’s debut novel and I liked it a lot. From the cover I expected it be an amusing rom-com but it was more than that, and all the better for it.
Simran has just had a first kiss with her new boyfriend Leo. She’s known him for some time but the relationship itself is very new. Leo would like to get to know much more about her but she’s kept her innermost thoughts, feelings, anger, and hurts to herself for so long, she just can’t seem to open herself up to anyone. It’s even caused a rift with her cousin Khavita; the two were thick as thieves when they were young and living in India, but the deaths of Simran’s parents when she was a teenager, the subsequent move to her aunt and uncle’s home in New Jersey, and unresolved feelings around all of it have somehow turned into an estrangement from her cousin and the rest of the family for seven long years.
Out of the blue she receives an invitation to the wedding of Khavita’s sister, and very reluctantly she agrees to go. The wedding will be a typical Indian wedding with multiple events to attend before the wedding itself. The whole affair will span two full weeks and be full of colour, chaos, mayhem, and family drama. What no one needs there is poor Leo, who’s gotten the wrong end of the stick and also turns up.
Simran can barely hold herself together, never mind let her nosy aunt know that she and Leo are in a relationship. But someone decides it’s a good idea for Leo to stay and make himself useful and ingratiate himself into Simran’s aunt’s good graces so spectacularly that she can’t help but think him good enough for Simran. So begins operation DDLJ, which is based on a movie of the same name. Naturally none of this goes smoothly but Leo does his level best with help from Khavita and the bride and groom themselves.
The bulk of the story is set within the timeframe of the two-week wedding but is cleverly woven in and around the various events, and all the supporting characters are given their time to shine and are all important to the story. It’s surprisingly deeper than expected, and is an affecting story highlighting the importance and joy of family, while also making you laugh and wish you too were part of the Iyer family.
A QUIET LIFE IN THE COUNTRY by T E Kinsey (Bk 1 in the Lady Hardcastle mystery series)
After Jennifer reviewed a book from this series a couple of weeks ago (thank you Jennifer) I thought I might enjoy the series and promptly found a copy of the first book. It’s a delightful, light and cozy mystery.
From the jacket: ‘Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they’ve just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life.’
That hope is already dashed by page 18, when the two go for a walk after settling into their new home and come across a dead body hanging from the branch of an oak tree. The poor man turns out to have been murdered. The local police quickly arrest someone but Lady Hardcastle and Flo think the arrest was a bit hasty and decide to make some discreet enquiries. And so it begins. One murder becomes two, and there’s a theft of a valuable item also thrown into the mix. Really, they have no choice but to become involved, do they?
This is a highly entertaining cozy country mystery, with fun banter between the two main characters. There are red herrings galore, great secondary characters, and a little twist at the end that surprised me. Can’t wait to read the other thirteen books in the series.
I am glad you enjoyed it, Lindy. I usually don’t read cosy mysteries, but I really like this series. It is always good for a chuckle.
You have had a busy week, Lindy. Fires! I hope the retirement home for David’s sister is a good fit and she likes it there. It has to be so difficult for everyone involved.
Your grandsons sound so fun! I love trivia. That’s funny that you had to ban history.
And, it sounds as if you enjoyed both your books this week. But, you’re right. That’s too much money for Ulysses S. Cat.
I almost forgot to come check in. That’s how off my week as been. I am working from home full time again, but I was in the office for a few hours today for a lunch and then a meeting that was right after it. Yes, most of the people in the meeting were on Teams, but I was with one other person in the office, and I didn’t have time to get home.
Anyway, I’m very busy at work right now and at home. There just aren’t enough hours in the day! It hasn’t helped that I’ve changed personal laptops, which always takes more time than I think it should. And there are a couple of things I still need to get to work right for me.
Case in point, I didn’t get very far in ALL ABOARD FOR MURDER, the third Golden Motel Mystery by Ellen Byron. I’m very much enjoying the book, but I just didn’t have much time to read today. Hopefully, I will get more reading done on Thursday since I want to finish the book on Friday.
I know what you mean, Mark. During COVID, I discovered I worked harder at home than I did in the office. Only my cats to disturb me, not other people. And, new laptops are great once in you get them set up how you like them.
I hope you find some downtime to read!
We had some severe thunderstorms last Friday and although we were okay all of the towns in our area had blocked roads and power outages. Some people still don’t have power. We have a chance for thunderstorms again today and tomorrow but hopefully they won’t be as bad.
I read an ARC of Eight Enchanting Elixirs by Lynn Cahoon. It’s the eighth book in her kitchen witch series and this is one series I’m still enjoying.
And I read two novellas.
Battle of the Roundhouse by Tananarive Due. A black family flees the south to a secret black owned ranch in the old west but a gang of outlaws follows them there and they have to help defend the settlement. This was an interesting mix of magic and the old west. I wish the author had turned it into a book.
San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant. In this prequel to her Newsflesh series, zombies overrun a Comic-Con.
I’m currently finishing up A Small Tree in a Texas Hurricane: a memoir by Robert Henry Benson. A young boy survived a brutal childhood in 1950s rural South Texas and after a life of fits and starts eventually earns a degree in physics. It’s interesting but also tough reading about what he went through as a child.
Just. chance of rain here today, Sandy. 80% though tomorrow. We’ll see what we get.
I haven’t read Lynn Cahoon for quite a long time. I’m glad you’re still enjoying her kitchen witch series.
That last one does sound like a difficult book, though.
I won A Small Tree in a Texas Hurricane: in a giveaway and am waiting for it to come.
We are in Maine – South Portland to be exact – for a couple more days with my cousins. We pushed the trip back one day because of bad weather but it’s beautiful now. We spent Tuesday near Hartford and drove up here yesterday. Had our first lobster rolls for lunch on the way up (FYI – a hefty $32 each) and salmon for dinner. Another lobster roll may be in the cards for lunch today.
Books. Not a lot of reading time, as can be imagined. Jackie read Carley Fortune’s “Perfect Storm,” which she loved and said was “the best one yet.” She’s reading the fifth Charley Davidson book by Darynda Jones now.
Did you get to LL Bean Jeff? You mentioned a few weeks ago that you were going to go there while in Maine. I’m curious if you bought a new shirt too, like David ha ha ha.
The cost of your lobster rolls reminds me of the Chinese restaurant we were at this week Jeff! A number of people (not anyone at our table!) ordered King Crab. $1000! (just over $700 US). Makes your lobster rolls sound like a bargain.
We also had Thursday – the 100+ day – out of town seeing Santana and the Doobie Brothers, so no reading time then.
I did finish three books this week, all collections of short stories (coincidentally, two by gay men). They were:
Andrew Sean Greer, How It Wad For Me. His latest novels got a lot of attention so I wanted to try him.
Edward D. Hoch, The Case of the Flying Coroner and Other Stories. I am on record as a huge Hoch fan. He was a master of the impossible crime story among others and created many memorable characters. For me, Sebastian Blue and Laura Charme, his characters here, ate lesser creations. They work for Interpol, mostly on airplane crimes ( most of these were from the 1970s.) He wad a former Scotland Yard Inspector who left when his marriage broke up. Laura is younger, half British and half French, and a karate expert. That’s about it as they remain pretty much ciphers. The cases are often clever but I wouldn’t put this or them in the top rank of Hoch’s work.
Lastly was Colm Toibin’s The News From Dublin. It’s readable but I prefer his novels, particularly BROOKLYN.
Even with vacation, you and Jackie did get through quite a few books, Jeff. But, $32! Whew! Those are NYC prices for lunch.
I have so many library books right now, but I’ll have to pick up a Dr. Sam Hawthorne, on your recommendation.
Enjoy that cooler weather! And, I do enjoy checking on what musical groups you’ve been seeing. Thank you!
I considering that I only paid $34 for my salmon dinner, yes $32 for a lobster roll seems pricey to me too, but when in Maine…. We may go back to a place we ate at three years ago, basically a shack near the lighthouse overlooking Casco Bay and the ocean. Will se we what they charge for their lobster rolls.
Several other books on hand, including non-fiction: Keith McBally’s fascinating memoir (glad to see he has the same opinion of Madonna that I have), a book by the first female head lifeguard in New York, and a book I might have to return about former Orioles manager Earl Weaver.
I’m also reading the latest British Library collection edited by Martin Edwards.
McNally
Janet Fash, LIFEGUARD is the other book.
Now, I’m curious as to how much a lobster roll is at a shack, Jeff. As if I’m going to Maine for lobster. Ha!
$26.99 for the lobster roll, $31.99 with cole slaw and fries. It was smaller than the one yesterday but fresher lobster meat and a tastier roll.
Good morning – sounds like you had a relaxing week, Lesa. It’s been hot and humid and rainy today. But it’s been great for my flower garden, everything is so lush with beautiful blooms.
I took the day off from doing any form of work on the 4th and just read all day. A rare opportunity. The books I finished this week were:
*The Good Girls of Maple Lane by Jacquelin Firkins. This book had been on my TBR list for quite awhile, but only just recently showed up in Hoopla in audio format. If you like dogs, a syrupy love story, and a happy ending, you’ll like this book. A veterinarian student takes on the fostering of an abused overweight rescue dog, finds friendship and love along the way.
* The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharpe by Leonie Swann: A group of eccentric senior citizens, and a turtle name Hettie, live in the same house and promise to take care of each other, literally until death do they part. Amongst the requirements for tenancy is the desire to stay out of nursing homes, and to assist with dying should such time arise. Having just fulfilled this promise with one of their tenants, the gun used to do the deed comes up missing, and soon it is used to kill two more people, and then it is placed on their dining room table during the night. Agnes, who owns the house, is determined to find out who is behind these killings. But her ears are ringing, her hips give out, and the stairlift keeps breaking. The other cast of characters have their own aging complaints but they band together to find the killer, and keep their secret pact from the attention of the police, even if it means locking one of the investigators in the coal cellar. At times poignant, at times humorous, and always eventful, this was a satisfying read.
That’s so wonderful when you have a relaxing day to just do what you want. I’m glad you had a reading day, Mary.
I have The Good Girls of Maple Lane on my TBR pile, based on someone’s earlier recommendation here. I’ll take a book about dogs as long as the dog doesn’t die.
Beautiful summer weather here with highs in the 90s and lows in the 50s. And none of the humidity stuff which can make summer unbearable. I’m enjoying the garden this morning as the sun comes up, abundant birds and wild rabbits this year. My reading this week has also been good.
Elizabeth Strout’s latest, THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY. With her new main character, Artie Dam, the author challenges your perspective on people. The story examines secrets and the complexities of human connection.
A caveat – critics have noted that the book is also explicitly political.
“…in Ireland you swam near the shore and kept your mouth shut and you never made waves if you knew what was good for you”
From 2013, Book 2 in The Troubles Trilogy by Adrian McKinty. I HEAR THE SIRENS IN THE STREET features Detective Sean Duffy. It’s set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1982 during the midst of the Troubles. Gritty and dark, but not especially violent.
And one of last year’s wait-list books, ISOLA is a timeless story of the fight for survival. Inspired by the real life of a 16th century French woman. After angering her explorer guardian, Marguerite is abandoned on a small island in New France (eastern Canada). The book follows her fight for survival against the elements and her return to France.
Enjoy those gorgeous days, MM. We don’t get enough of them. Birds and rabbits! Love it!
I read some of the later books in The Troubles Trilogy, and really liked them. Of course, I’m hooked on Ireland, Northern or otherwise.
MM I am filled with envy. Here in Williamsburg, VA we are in the dog days of summer. If the humidity could go higher than 100% I believe it would. Luckily we occasionally get a glorious day or two to keep us going.
Good morning, friends! Not a lot going on for me this week except getting a permanent crown–exciting, I know. But I have made a little more time for reading in the evening (besides at breakfast and lunch) so I got through three books. The third was kindly given to me by the author, Laura Jensen Walker, who asked me if I would read and review it. It just showed up in NetGalley, but I had already read the copy Laura gave me. I think you will enjoy it–I loved it! I have another of her books on NetGalley right now as well. I went to a launch of another of Laura’s books lsat year (sadly, the store is now out of business), and I can tell you that her husband makes delicious food and does wonderful crafts as well. She will be appearing at a different (farther away) bookstore in August. Anyway, here are the books I read.
Ariel Lawhon’s historical novel, The Frozen River, was one of my top reads of 2025, even though historical fiction is not my favorite genre. Lawhon’s new book, THE PIRATE QUEEN, set in Ireland in the 16th century, is very different. It tells the story of Grace O’Malley in three rotating timelines– as Maiden, Mother, and Matriarch. Even as a very young child, she pleads with her father to take her on one of his trading trips to Galway. But as a female, she has little control over her life, forced to choose one of two husbands selected by her parents for political purposes rather than her true love As the story progresses, we see Grace building her own family as she also builds her reputation as a formidable force, an admired ship captain, and later a feared pirate and clan chieftain. The author has major skills as a storyteller, but some of the things I so loved in the previous book –characters to relate to, described in fascinating detail; mature love relationships; and an intricate but realistic plot that made me want to keep reading–were missing for me. Especially in the Matriarch chapters, where Grace is in her 50s and older, the story consists mostly of continuous, over-the-top battles and deaths, to the point where it felt tedious and overly extended, and I found myself skimming to get to the end. Of course, a book about a female pirate, especially one based on a real-life historical figure, can hardly avoid being over the top and full of adventure. It just wasn’t the right book for me, as I looked for more engagement with the characters. (September)
I haven’t missed one book in David Rosenfelt’s popular Andy Carpenter series, including the one coming in the fall, BARK HUMBUG. But don’t be fooled. Despite the title and the adorable dog wearing a Santa hat on the cover, its only resemblance to a Christmas-themed book is that it takes place during the three-month holiday period at the end of the year. No matter–it’s the 34th (!) in the series, and defense attorney Andy’s fans know what to expect .Andy is still reluctant to take on a new case because he doesn’t need the money and would much rather watch football, walk his dogs, or take a nap. But when he does accept a case, he is laser-focused and committed to protecting and satisfying his client. Granted, his methods and those of his team sometimes drift into less-than-legal territory, and his superhero investigator/ bodyguard Marcus will keep him from getting killed when things turn dangerous, as they often do. And yes, his personal life still revolves around his ex-cop wife and their now-16-year-old son. His friends are the police chief and newspaper editor, who have been drinking and eating on his dime for years. And his crack team occasionally use the services of a group of gleeful 90-year-old hackers. Andy can’t resist some snarky comments and hilarious banter, but the courtroom scenes are my favorites. And I enjoy watching each case develop, step by step. The case in this book is as tough as all of the others and I won’t go into detail, but I will say that the ending is well worth waiting for. It’s a formula that works, and one that my late husband enjoyed as well. David Rosenfelt, though not an attorney himself, knows how to write legal mysteries that are fascinating and suspenseful, with a rootable central character that ties it all together with panache. (October)
Author Laura Jensen Walker has declared herself an Anglophile since being stationed in Great Britain in the late 1970s with the Air Force. At that time, she had an inkling of an idea for a WWII novel set in a small British town, and now, decades later, she has written THE POSTMISTRESS OF PUDDLINGTON, her 21st published novel. While not typically a fan of war stories, I was delighted to find this book to be an absorbing combination of sweet, powerful, inspiring, joyful, tragic, and emotional, which made me speed through the pages after sorting out all of the many characters (fortunately, the author has listed and identified them in the front of the book). The residents of small-town Puddlington are not directly in the line of fire, but they are involved in the war through family members in the military and others doing their part closer to home as Land Girls and Wrens. Several townspeople, including the local aristocrat with a beautiful home, are providing temporary lodgings for children who have been evacuated from London to the countryside, and others are trying to locate missing persons and restore them to their homes. Hester Smith is the titular postmistress who delivers correspondence to the locals–some bad news among the good–and an active member of the Women’s Institute (WI) that includes many of the women in Puddlington. Some of the story, set from 1934 to 1950, is told through entries in Hester’s journal, and through letters between residents and their family and friends in the United States. The story has so many themes that make it memorable, including the glory of reading, found family, community, compassion, shared experiences, love and romance, and much more.It is a book that brought me to tears more than once and that ended with a lovely epilogue that answered all of my questions. Highly recommended. (August)
Margie – can you recommend a good place to start for someone who has never read Laura Jensen Walker. Twenty-one books!
MM, honestly, Laura writes all kinds of books, and I’ve read only a few so far. Most recently, I read her The Alphabet Sleuths, which was a series debut, with another one to follow later in the year. I also read her nonfiction book, All the Cozy Christmas Feels, which was delightful. I definitely recommend the one I reviewed here today, and it will be published in August, so not a long wait. Also on NetGalley, I have The Pilgrimage of PRimrose Honeychurch, which I haven’t yet read. Happy reading!!
thanks!
I did put a “notify me” notice for the ebook of the one you reviewed today. And I certainly have plenty of other books to tide me over until it’s available.
MM, I can recommend Laura Jensen Walker’s novel DEATH OF A FLYING NIGHTINGALE, which follows three young women who are air ambulance nurses during WW II.
Hi MM,
You asked for where to start with my books, that depends on what genres you like. I’ve written a handful of cozy mysteries, including MURDER MOST SWEET, which was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Debut, but I must admit I’m partial to my latest cozy, THE ALPHABET SLEUTHS (think The Golden Girls meets The Thursday Murder Club.) I adore historical fiction, especially WWII England, so I especially loved writing DEATH OF A FLYING NIGHTINGALE and THE POSTMISTRESS OF PUDDLINGTON. And, if you like women’s fiction, my debut in that genre, THE PILGRIMAGE OF PRIMROSE HONEYCHURCH, featuring a senior curmudgeon who prefers books to people, comes out in October. Thanks!
Sold! I just requested The Postmistress of Puddlington. Right up my alley – small English village during WWII with a concentration on the women. I hope I get that one. Thanks, Margie, for the recommendation!
I hope you enjoy it, Lesa, and I think you will. There is a slight formatting issue with NetGalley with respect to the journal entries (there is a space after every two lines), but it shouldn’t be too annoying. I actually read a PDF Laura sent me and I sent to Kindle–a couple of formatting things, but definitely readable).
Thanks, Lesa! I hope you’re able to get THE POSTMISTRESS OF PUDDLINGTON from NetGalley–this book is near and dear to my heart and I love the cast of women: Minerva Winterbottom, the bohemian lady of the manor; Mary Robins, vicar’s wife and president of the local WI (Women’s Institute); Violet Robins, Mary’s movie-loving daughter who becomes a Land Girl; Nora Clarke, Violet’s best friend, a Wren in the Royal Navy, and Hester Smith, the bookish postmistress who links them all together. Happy reading!
Thanks for the review of The Postmistress of Puddlington. I just requested it.
My pleasure, Susan. Please see my comment on Lesa’s response above about a minor formatting issue if you’re reading on NetGalley.
I’m glad for your review of The Pirate Queen. I loved The Frozen River, but the description of this book just wasn’t grabbing me. I won’t hurry to read it.
Margie, thanks for this fabulous review of THE POSTMISTRESS OF PUDDLINGTON, my first WWII novel written during the early days of lockdown when I needed to escape to my beloved England. (Although I wrote Puddlington first, it took a few years to find a publisher, so meanwhile, my second WWII novel–also set in England–DEATH OF A FLYING NIGHTINGALE came out first, in 2024.) Nightingale honors an overlooked group of real-life women heroes–air ambulance nursing orderlies–who risked their lives daily to bring the wounded back from the blood-soaked beaches of Normandy and beyond. WWII England is my favorite time, and place, so both these novels have a special place in my heart.
Not a bit of news from the mountains of North Carolina. Life is good (as long as we don’t watch the news).
There are times when picking up and old and favorite book suit me just right. Re-reading is , for me, an entirely different experience than reading a new book for the first time. i do it quite a lot, truth be told. Reading a book for the second time allows me to read slowly so I can savor the words and phrasing of a good writer. And I will usually pick up on something missed during the initial reading.
My most recent re-reading includes Margaret Maron’s Deborah Knott series fand om beginning to end. The one I finished last night was DESIGNATED DAUGHTERS. Margaret surprised, and honored, me more than once by putting me in her books as a very minor character, but you should have seen the look on Donald’s face when he found out he was mentioned in this book (more than once) as “the handsome Donald Barley.”
I miss knowing that there’s a new Margaret Maron book on its way. I miss Margaret and her husband Joe. I miss sitting at the kitchen table sharing a meal and conversation.
While doing all this rereading, I am also reading some new stuff. And thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read THE LOST PAINTING by Sara Blaydes
Description from NetGalley
A stolen work of art and a murder connect two women across time in a thrilling and emotional novel about sisters, secrets, and healing the wounds of the past by the author of The Restoration Garden.
To rebuild her life, grieving widow Maya Bishop moves to a cottage she inherited in the Pacific Northwest, next door to a charming new neighbor, Nick. She is looking to regain some peace. But one day Maya finds a painting with a bloodstained frame hidden in a linen chest. On the back of the canvas is a confession—I killed her. I’m sorry. Before she knows it, Maya is drawn into a decades-old mystery.
In 1943, Ava Holland applies for a job at Covington Estate in North Carolina, home to an eccentric railroad baron and a testament to the greed of the richest echelons of society. Except Ava’s position as a domestic is a guise. She’s there to find out who killed her sister, Isabelle—a passionate art lover, a dedicated curator for the Met, and as the fiancée of the Covington heir, a woman marrying into a house of secrets.
Separated by time, the journeys of two women—one searching for healing and a second chance at love, the other for justice—are about to converge.
Kaye, very cool that you were in Margaret Maron’s books. I knew her for many years too – we bonded over her years living in Brooklyn. Besides reading her books, I also sold her a number of British and American mysteries over the years. The Deborah Knott books were my favorites.
Jeff, you might enjoy this tribute I wrote – https://www.kayebarleymeanderingsandmuses.com/2021/02/a-tribute-to-margaret-maron.html
Just wanted to add that I am a huge Deborah Knott fan! I was so sad when Margaret Maron died, although I didn’t know her.
Kaye, Your friendship with Margaret Maron and her husband, Joe, was a gift. How often do two couples bond as you two did? Usually, it’s one member of a pair that connects with someone. You and Donald had a gift, and it truly was a loss. I’m sorry.
I can see why rereading books allows you to reconnect. And, you’re right. My life is good, too, as long as I don’t watch the news.
I loved the Deborah Knott series. I have reread and re listened to them over the years. What a great series that I need to revisit during these turbulent times. Thank you for the reminder Kaye.
Eek the typos and autocorrect changes!!! sorry sorry sorry!
It is hot here in Round Rock, Texas. I just finished The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart. It is set in the Great Depression in North Carolina in the pine forests. It is gritty and intense, delving deep into the making of turpentine. I used to use turpentine to clean my brushes when I painted in oil, so I will never forget the smell.
There were generations of turpentiners. But the worst way to be one is to be in camp. The system reminded me of the coal miners in Kentucky, with payment in script instead of money and the company store with overpriced items. The most difficult work was done by blacks, and they were whipped for not meeting the quota or even put in cramped sweatboxes for days.
Rae Lynn grew up in an orphanage that made her wash clothes all day long and was lured into marriage to escape it. She was 25, and her husband was 40. She learned how to cut pine trees for the sap. He had an accident and refused her plea to get a doctor. She tried to take care of him, but he got much worse. He died, but she fled from the house, an accused murderer, to be in a camp. She cut her hair short and wore men’s clothes so she could get a job.
Del came from a family whose pine trees gave out, and he left and later went to the same turpentine camp. He always kept his harmonica, which he named Melody, with him. The available job was not offered to him because he was white, but he had experience and skills so he persuaded the owner that he would work with the blacks. When Rae Lynn came along, she changed her name to Ray and argued her way into the same job
This is a story of courage, endurance, and hope.
A book is a good escape from the heat, although The Saints of Swallow Hill doesn’t sound like an escape, Carol. It sounds as if it was brutal at times. But, you did say it was a story of courage, endurance, and hope, so there must have been some happiness there.
Don’t tell anyone, but it has a happy ending!
Hello, Lesa and fellow readers. The heat is back, so I’m not doing a lot of exercising, but we’ve still had a nice week–an out-of-doors and in-the-shade Mozart concert last Friday evening, dinner in a restaurant garden (under thick trees) with my husband, his brother, and our sister-in-law, and an outing to Évian in France yesterday. (This may sound dramatic, but it involves a one-hour train ride to Lausanne and a half-hour boat ride across Lake Geneva, so it’s not a big deal. Still, it was a lot of fun. We had a delicious French lunch and walked in the shade along the lake before taking boat and train home again.
The biggest event in our lives these days is that tiny Switzerland has reached the quarter-finals of the Football World Cup. I’m not a huge soccer fan, but it’s impossible not to get into the spirit of things with everyone so excited. The chances of our beating our next opponent, Argentina, champions of the last World Cup, are practically nonexistent, but 9 million Swiss will still be hoping for a miracle.
I don’t seem to have gotten much reading done. I finished the book I was in the middle of last week, IRON FLAME, the second in the Empyrean fantasy series by Rebecca Yarros. The last third of the story picked up, and the end was exciting, but there are too many detailed descriptions of battles, torture, and killing. I imagine in a year, though, I’ll want to read the third book to find out what’s going to happen.
As an antidote to the violence in Iron Flame, I’m now reading A CASE OF LIFE AND LIMB, the second Gabriel Ward book by Sally Smith. A number of you have already read and reviewed it, so you know how enjoyable it is. I’m not very far yet, but I can tell I’ll enjoy it very much. The Inner Temple characters are a delight; the pompous ones make me laugh, just as they are supposed to do, and Gabriel is so well-drawn. I’ll report more next week.
The book I’m listening to, THE WOMEN, by Kristin Hannah, is excellent so far. The heroine becomes a nurse in Vietnam at 21 after her older brother is killed there, and the first half of the book describes her experience as a surgical nurse in a field hospital and the friendships she makes there. It made for outstanding reading! When she gets home after two years of harrowing service, protestors spit on her and call her a baby killer. Since I protested the Vietnam War in high school and my first years of college, this is all fascinating for me (not that I ever insulted a veteran, of course). I’m only halfway through the book, but so far I’m gripped.
Kim, I’m a Krisin Hannah fan and loved THE WOMEN. One of her best, I think, covering a subject not many of us really know a lot about, but should. I too protested that war. I thought my protest marching days were behind me, but sadly that’s not the case.
I don’t know, Kim. A train and boat ride, a French lunch, and a walk along the lake sound exotic to me. It’s really not so every day. It sounds wonderful.
I have the first book by Sally Smith here, and others tell me it’s wonderful, and I just find other books to read. I need to pick it up some day when the mood hits.
I hope you find some enjoyable ways to escape the heat. Good luck, Switzerland!
Lesa thank you for suggesting Missing by E A Jackson a few weeks ago. It was a very good police procedural that had a bit of a twist in the final chapter. I really enjoyed it. I saw that the author had previously written 3 cozy mysteries. I hope Missing is the start of a new series.
From everything I’ve seen, Missing is the start of a new series, Susan. I’m glad you enjoyed it, too, along with that surprising twist!
Good afternoon everyone, from a hot and sunny Aberdeenshire. The temperature yesterday was 26C (78-79F) and that was more than enough for me. My sister-in-law lives in Hampshire (far south of England) and has had temperatures up to 34C (93F); she says all she can do is stay inside all day. They have a huge old house which is normally quite cold, so I dread to think how people in flats are coping.
I do appreciate that some of you will be having higher temperatures than these, but bear in mind that air conditioning is not the norm in the UK. A few shops, supermarkets, etc and some public buildings (but by no means all), but I have never seen it in a private home.
So the south in particular is really struggling with the heat. People commuting into central London must be wilting; if I ever have to go on an underground train these days I always dread it breaking down (not unusual) but imagine if that happens in this weather.
I haven’t managed to participate on Thursdays for at least two weeks – I just don’t know where the time has gone. I have hardly read anything, I have seen almost no television, all I have been doing is trying to reshelve all my books (this is a 3 story townhouse, so I’ve been up and down more stairs than I care to enumerate) and beginning – very slowly – to sort out the garden.
I’ve also been twice to visit our new grandson – he’s about a 2 hour drive away, over the Cairngorm mountains. It’s a really scenic drive in summer, but it can be wild in winter. There are snow gates either side that are closed if the road becomes impassable – there is an alternative route, but it’s not much better in serious snow.
It was lovely to meet little Flynn, who’s already very long and slim, just like his mother. My son and I took him for a walk in the woods while his mother caught up on some much needed sleep.
Apart from that, and all those books (which I’m enjoying revisiting, as many have been in Edinburgh or in a box somewhere, so it’s fun to rediscover old friends) I’ve been busy with the art gallery. The curator in charge of ceramics gave us a very good talk about the craft items they have been able to purchase with the support of the Friends, and also told us about new things she’d like to buy. All of these are new pieces, chosen to expand the breadth of the collection and bring it right up to date. We ask the gallery to focus on local makers, as there are so many talented artists in NR Scotland.
We’re also immersed in planning the conference we are to host next year; I hope it doesn’t turn into the nightmare that one of last year’s conference organisers told me theirs was!
I also took all of my mother’s family history research papers to my friend Nancy’s house, and we spent a happy morning trying to sort them out. Nancy has a membership of Ancestry, and showed me how to look people up online. We managed to find out quite a lot about my father’s family, though it’s rather confusing when just about every man through the generations seems to have been named either Robert Henry or Henry Robert. The one surprising exception was a son called Frodsham (ie that was his first name) – we have no idea where that came from!
All of the men in the family were listed as ‘bootmakers’ and everyone lived in a very small area of Camberwell, south London. Big families with many children often shared a small house with others. I know that my mother’s mother brought up four children while living in 2 rented rooms with a shared lavatory. It was only after my mother was born that they finally secured social housing in the form of a 3 bedroomed house. For a family of 7 that would probably now be called overcrowding, but my grandmother was thrilled with it and stayed there for the rest of her life.
The one show I have started watching on Netflix is THE FOUR SEASONS, in which a group of old friends meet up, with mixed success. So far I’m enjoying it, it doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously. I have yet to finish TWO WEEKS IN AUGUST – the characters were all so unappealing that I haven’t been able to make myself watch the final two episodes, though I think I should, as otherwise I’ve wasted all that time! David and I also watched a couple of episodes of MORTIMER AND WHITEHOUSE: GONE FISHING, which is always an easy watch. You don’t need to be interested in fishing to watch it – we’re certainly not – but the gentle banter between these two late middle aged comedians is both funny and really touching.
We’ve just bought tickets to see DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA at Dundee Contemporary Arts’ cinema. Byrne is currently touring, but we dithered so much about the high cost of the tickets at the Edinburgh Playhouse that it was sold out. This is a Spike Lee film of Byrne’s show American Utopia, so we’re going to see that instead (and save ourselves about £70 each! Though I would’ve liked to have seen him live really.)
We’ve also booked flights to Rome for October – using up David’s air miles before KLM takes them away. I need to start looking at accommodation and also booking visits, as everyone tells me it’s the only way to avoid long queues.
Sorry that this isn’t about books! I will aim to do better next time.
Have a good week all,
Rosemary
Rosemary, It doesn’t matter to me at all that your post today isn’t about books. It’s about the little moments of life. Here in the states, we don’t think about it that people in the U.K. don’t have air conditioning. Homes, schools, businesses, theaters, everything is air conditioned in most of the U.S. There are exceptions, and people die every year here because of heat. But, your comments just make that clear.
Even going up and down three flights of stairs with your books is about life. I’m sure it keeps you fit! At 90, my mother still goes down to the basement a couple times a day because she likes using the stairs.
And, Flynn! I love the name, and I’m glad you’re close enough to go see him once in a while.
You’re smart to go to Rome in October. My sister went in the summer a couple years ago – no choice as to timing. They were celebrating her brother-in-law’s anniversary as a priest, and he was stationed in Rome for years. She talked a lot about the sweltering heat.
I like to hear about the shows and concerts and exhibits, the events people attend. As I said, it’s all life. So, we can talk books some other time!
That was interesting when you wrote “every man through the generations seems to have been named either Robert Henry or Henry Robert”
My older sister is the ancestry buff in my family and was surprised to find the same type of naming with James Henry & Henry James.
Not much going on here.
Glen is reading ATLANTIC by Simon Winchester. He is finding it rambling and the writing too dry. He will finish it anyway, but he thinks he will give up on reading other books by Winchester. This is the second one by that author that he did not enjoy.
I finished MIDDLEMARCH on July 4th; thus it took me 4 weeks to finish it, but I took a ten day break in there somewhere. After having problems with the first 100 or so pages (out of 800), the rest of the book got better and better, but still a challenge to read. It was not until about 500 pages into the story that the book became a compelling read. Until that point I thought the book would be a complete downer.
Now I am reading GLASS HOUSES by Louise Penny. I am liking it so far. It is not a light read. The story starts out with Inspector Armand Gamache on the witness stand at a trial, and after that it goes back and forth between the trial and the events that preceded it.
Neither you nor Glen seem to pick light reads, Tracy. I admire your reading stamina! And, willingness to finish a book!
It’s warm, but not hot, which around here, starts at 100 degrees F.
I had a nice Independence Day. Saw fireworks and a drone show, and both were entertaining.
Lesa, The kids enjoyed Encyclopedia Brown, but didn’t quite “grok” it.Once again, the sheer amount of freedom kids had in those days, is actually off-putting to them. They hated Bugs Meaney.
This week I read:
Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett; It’s Founder’s Day in town, and a small airplane crashes into an orator. Pretty intense for a cozy. The police think it’s an accident, but our sleuth does not agree. It’s a bit contrived.
A Dragon Lives Forever by John R. Riggs; The carnival is back in a small Wisconsin town. Twenty years ago, a kid disappeared while the same carnival was visiting. A washed up NASCAR driver is found dead in a quarry pond. Our newspaper reporter sleuth, who you just know is hoping to get invited to Renaissance Weekend, reluctantly investigates.
Flowers for the Dead by Ann M. Williams; A nebbishy detective is nagged into going to an art show, and meeting a new woman by his mother. This leads to a case off the books. I found myself hoping they would all buy it by the end.
The Bad Guys in the Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey; The Bad guys find themselves in a heap of trouble when the cute little guinea pig they thought they rescued last book turns out to be an evil mastermind! Good things there’s a cute fox to help them out.
Why UFOs? by John Keel; Keel is still at the peak of his powers when he wrote this book asking why UFOs tended to be seen near nuclear sites, and why they sometimes shut the power down on such sites, and how was this not a national security concern. Coast to Coast still talks about this stuff.
Very interesting that the kids don’t get the freedom we all had. How many of us took our bikes, left a note for Mom, and disappeared for the day? Even me! No one likes Bugs Meaney.
I laughed at your comment about Flowers for the Dead.
I’m guessing The Bad Guys is for your family kids, too, with that title.
Lesa, it seems like kids today are lucky just to get out of the house. You don’t see random kids on bikes anymore. We live in a low trust society now.
Yes, the Bad Guys is definitely a kids book. They’re pretty hilarious!
I read all the John R. Riggs books years ago and really enjoyed the small town atmosphere.
Well I’m reading…
How to Get Away with Murder Rebecca Phillipson
A talented London DI (Sam) with an excellent homicide solve rate returns to work after a nervous breakdown caused by a sexual assault and is assigned a lesser role in an investigation. She has to look for clues to a crime in a book entitled “HtGAwM”, possibly written by a serial murderer, while a less experienced DI leads a child murder case – where the crime may or may not have been committed by the author or may be by a copycat or might even be unrelated (I’m hoping this s not the case – I don’t like MacGuffins). The characters are intelligent and likeable, except for the author of the book and possible serial murderer . I’m really hoping the talented, damaged, determined Sam solves the case (and gets off the Prozac) without enduring another assault and before the murderer strikes again. Watch this space
Waiting to be read:
I love Japanese crime novels and Guilt by Keigo Higashino got great reviews – another wonderful procedural headed by Tokyo Homicide Detective Godei. This one concerns two crimes (30 years apart) and one confession to both that might be false (for one or both). The relationship between the two crimes is complicated, a man was arrested and died before his trial for the earlier crime began – the motives for both crimes do not completely ring true. Higashima always sets up great scenarios, the plots are twisty and intelligent. Many of his books have been made into films and tv series in Japan though it’s a bit hard to read “Her neatly plucked eyebrows framed beautiful eyes in a finely sculptured face’ without smiling.
Just finished
Ironwood by Michael Connelly the second in a new series based on Catalina Island. Even though it also included the wonderful Ballard and a bit of Maddie Bosch – it seemed a little formulaic and I thought the ending was abrupt There’s a third book coming and while I thought Ironwood didn’t measure up to the Bosch, Ballard, or Lincoln Lawyer series – it was still a good, ‘couldn’t put it down’ read, and like many – I’ll always read Connelly.
How to Get Away with Murder sounds a bit much for me with the DI having a breakdown. I have a hard time with mental issues because my mother-in-law had extreme ones. So, I think I’ll skip that one, Susan.
You’re right. Ironwood did end abruptly. We’ll see what happens there.