I guess I told all of you what I did this week when I posted about my trip to Dover, Ohio to see Linda Castillo at the Dover Public Library. Even if you haven’t read her crime novels, you might want to try her short stories in A Dark Path. You’ll meet her characters, see the Amish Country Ohio setting, and the stories aren’t as gritty as her books.
As to weather, it’s beautiful today. We had thunderstorms yesterday, and today it’s in the low 70s. And, the ten-day forecast includes a high of 85, so it should be nice for the next week and a half. But, you know the weather. We really do a pretty lousy job of prediction, so you never know.
As to what I’m reading, I’ve picked up the fifth book in Ellen Byron’s Vintage Cookbook mystery series, set in New Orleans. A
Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras comes out August 4, but I have a busy week coming up, so I started it now. Ellen Byron’s characters in this series are as quirky and fun as in her other series. Ricki Fleur de Lis James-Diaz is involved in carnival season in New Orleans, along with her other friends at Bon Vee estate. Her boyfriend, Virgil, co-owner of Bayou Backyard, a restaurant, is King of the Krewe of Chew this year, When the chair of the Crewe is found murdered, the man’s wife, a friend of Ricki’s, is the chief suspect. But, Ricki and her sleuthing friends know there are others who hated the man.
I didn’t know the parades in New Orleans run from Jan. 6 through Fat Tuesday because carnival season actually starts with Epiphany. But, Ellen Byron, who knows and loves New Orleans, lets readers in on all kinds of behind-the-scenes stories, including murder.
What about you? Tell us about your week, please. And, what are you reading this week?
It’s been unusually hot here on the west coast of Canada; 35C today, which is 95F. I’ve been carrying my oscillating fan with me from room to room. We had to buy a second one since I am not willing to share.
David’s had vertigo the past couple of days; he was unsteady and really not feeling well. He happened to have an appointment scheduled today for a massage, but as soon as he walked into the office the massage therapist knew right away there was something amiss, and what had caused the problem. Apparently the ridge of high pressure coupled with the very hot weather affected David’s blood flow in his neck, and she spent the entire hour working on his neck. Now he feels great and the unsettled stomach and dizziness is completely gone! A miracle.
Books this week:
BOOKS & BEWITCHMENT by Isla Jewell (Bk 1 in the Arcadia Falls series)
Lesa’s review of this gentle witchy rom-com a few months ago made me want to give it a try.
Loved the premise – young woman (Rhea) in her mid-twenties, just fired from a job she didn’t like anyway, just turned down a proposal of marriage (not for the first time) from an on-again, off-again boyfriend, no financial prospects in sight for herself or her two sisters, both parents deceased. Then a letter arrives from a lawyer informing her that her grandmother (who she’d never met because her mother had hated her so much, she moved away) recently died and has left all her assets and a business to Rhea, but Rhea must move to Arcadia Falls – a small town that her mother had made her swear to never ever visit. Except if both her mother and grandmother are dead now, surely it won’t matter anymore, and maybe this could be the answer to all the problems currently in Rhea’s life?
So, she takes her pet cockatoo and heads out to Arcadia Falls and finds a charming town, although it seems her grandmother was not well-liked by some of the residents. Rhea will discover why that is, and she will discover magic and a poltergeist, and she will discover Hunter, the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn enemy – all as she tries to make a life for herself there.
For me, the book was enjoyable enough but not quite as much as I’d hoped. The story could have used more forward momentum – more than halfway in we didn’t seem much further ahead than we were at the beginning. Rhea didn’t so much take control of her life as simply have things happen to, and around, her. Neither main character showed a lot of personality and by the end of the book I still didn’t really ‘know’ them as people. It all seemed a bit surface-level, but it was still fun finding out how all the different strands came together in the end.
THE WIDOWS’ GUIDE TO MURDER by Amanda Ashby (Bk 1 in The Widows’ Detective Club series)
Ginny and her beloved doctor husband Eric were planning to retire to Middle Cottage, a lovely property they had viewed in the village of Little Shaw. Not part of the plan though was Eric unexpectedly dying. Grief-stricken, Ginny decides to go ahead with the move anyway; she needs a new start. She also needs a job and is lucky enough to be hired as a library assistant at the local library.
Day 1 of her new job is dreadful – her boss Louisa turns out to be a real piece of work; she’s rude, dismissive, and downright awful, and by the end of the day Ginny is exhausted and fears she’s made a terrible mistake by moving here.
Day 2 is even worse – upon entering the library she finds Louisa’s dead body. And from her years of working in her doctor husband’s office, she notices something about the body that shows Louisa did not die of natural causes.
Then a group of three women friends (Hen, JM, and Tuppence) take her under their wing and gradually she – follower of rules, always mindful of her place – finds herself pulled out of her comfort zone time and time again as she’s drawn into the group and their mission to uncover the identity of the murderer. And she must help because the daughter of one of the women is the chief suspect and even Ginny knows the daughter wouldn’t have murdered Louisa.
Even though there isn’t quite enough actual sleuthing going on and the story can get a tiny bit far-fetched, the small village/library setting, the variety of characters, Connor, the red herrings, the grumpy Detective Inspector, and the black cat all kept me reading. And all the loose ends were satisfactorily tied up. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the next book in the series.
Lindy! I’m so glad David had a massage scheduled, and the masseuse knew what was wrong. I’m sure he’s not the only one in the family who feels much better.
I think I just needed something cozy when I read Books & Bewitchment. And, to be honest, it still sounds better to me than The Widows’ Guide to Murder. Well, first of all, who the heck likes a nasty librarian? I’ve worked with some not so nice ones in the past.
Lesa, I hadn’t even thought of that; a nasty librarian would be the stuff of nightmares for you! Definitely not the book for you then. Apologies; I should not have included it in this friendly Thursday chat ha ha.
Ha! Lindy, That’s precisely why you should have included it. It’s a friendly book chat.
I am so glad the massage therapist could help, Lindy! How great you had the appointment. I am going to put the Widows Guide to Murder on my TBR list, thank you for that.
Yesterday was our hottest day this week. The dew point was in the 70’s (think VERY humid almost tropical) with it being 85 degress F so it felt well into the 90’s. The rest of the week is slated to be much cooler and drier thankfully.
I’m currently reading American Rambler by Isaac Fitzgerald and listening to The Shampoo Effect. Spotify has audio books and I’m loving that!
And, your weather sounds too nasty, Melissa, to do anything other than read or listen to books! It’s the humidity that doesn’t make me feel well. I get headaches.
We had a small 99th birthday party for my mom. We brought in Chinese food and my brother drove to South Jersey and picked up a friend of mom’s that she hadn’t seen for a couple of years and brought her.
I didn’t finish much this week – I tried a few books that I just couldn’t get into but I finished two.
I picked up The Lost Robot by Joe Todd-Stanton at the library. It’s a kid’s picture book but it was cute.
Marmalade and Murder by Edward Lodi. A cozy murder set in the cranberry bogs of Cape Cod. The characters spent too much time talking and not enough time solving the mystery.
Aren’t we lucky, Sandy, to still have our mothers to celebrate? Chinese food, family, and a good friend sounds so nice.
Sometimes, there just isn’t a book to take us away. Maybe in the next week.
Good morning everyone! Beautiful weather here too and the smoke and haze are finally gone! What a blessing. My raspberries are starting to ripen and blueberry stands are open. So today I will make my blueberry/raspberry jam. It’s quite a process, but gives me joy all year long. Also looking forward to a tractor show/flea market this coming Saturday. Once a year I meet up with a girlfriend and we have an enjoyable day out.
This week I read Matt Goldman’s Liar’s Creek. Because I love his Nils Shapiro series, I was excited about reading this new series. I didn’t find nearly as good as the Shapiro series, but I’m willing to read a second book, should one get published. Here is Lesa’s previous review of the book: https://lesasbookcritiques.com/liars-creek-by-matt-goldman/
Have a great weekend!
Mary, I’m so glad the heat, smoke and haze have finally moved on, and you can enjoy “the fruits of your labors” soon. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I think I’ve been hanging around with Kevin Tipple too much.
I agree with you. I read the review after you linked to it, and I didn’t sound very enthusiastic, did I? I like the Nils Shapiro series better.
Good one, Lesa! The jam is made!
Good morning! Lesa, I am interested to see your complete review of Ellen Byron’s new New Orleans book because I have it from NetGalley and will be attending the launch of the new book in Ellen’s other series in Granite Bay at the Old Haunts Bookshop (about 25 minutes away) in mid-August. Ellen lives in southern CA but recently joined my chapter (northern CA) of Sisters in Crime so we have communicated about her entries into the Member News section in the August issue of my newsletter. She has also agreed to write an article for a future issue, when she’s not so busy launching two books. I have never met Ellen, so I am looking forward to the event. She will be in conversation with Catriona McPherson, who is always a hoot.
The weather is hot here, of course, but I never know when I get up in the morning what it will be like when I go for my walk. There were two successive days where the highs were in the high 90s but the temp at 7:10 a.m. was very different–61 one day, 69 the next. Today it’s supposed to be 63, still a pretty good walking temperature, so it should be fine, and it will “only” be 93 today.
Here’s what I finished reading this week:
Ashley Ream’s THE PECULIAR GIFT OF JULY is not an easy book to describe. The quote from Walden, “lives of quiet desperation,” kept going through my mind, as it describes many of the characters living on this remote island in the Pacific Northwest and the dreams they have left unfulfilled. Anita is the town grocer who thinks of herself as a spinster at at age 44 and worries about her father, who needs to use a walker after a stroke and no longer lives with her. Preston is a banker whose life is limited to work and caring for his disabled sister. Pastor Chet and his son Malcolm live a life of sacrifice, as Chet insists on saving all the best food donated to the church’s food bank for those with families who really need it. Carol is living briefly in her car when her doctor husband catches her in an affair, after he has cheated on her for years, and their daughter is struggling to cope with her disinterested husband and problem adult son. Then Anita is called upon to take in her cousin, 14-year-old July, after her adoptive mother is killed by a car while walking to work. July is plagued with guilt after begging her mother not to drive to work that day, based on July’s dream the night before but can’t bring herself to talk about it. The book’s description calls out July’s amazing ability to pass on what she somehow divines by providing certain people with what they don’t know they need, or by arranging for some to meet at a particular time, one of them carrying an unexpected gift for the other. This is certainly an interesting part of the book, and I wish it had been even more of the story. Indeed, July ultimately seems like the only person in town who is willing to go for what she wants. She and Malcolm become school friends, she takes action to find out more about her biological family, she and Anita work on their relationship, and she inspires others to consider the possibilities of their lives. The final chapters are the closest thing to a plot in this book, and they are gratifying. I would have liked a bit more depth from the characters, as the focus kept shifting from one to another. But I have to say that my favorite thing about the book is Ream’s writing style, which is full of unusual description, clever humor, and interesting internal monologues.
If you are sweating through summer and looking forward to the cooler temps coming in a few months, you may relish Ellie Alexander’s A FALL TO REMEMBER. And if you are a Northern California resident, you will also enjoy the setting, Half Moon Bay, home of the Art and Pumpkin Festival, which features an annual contest to determine the biggest pumpkin cultivated in that area. Middle aged Miranda is the proprietor of a boutique grocery store and cafe and loves her life in Half Moon Bay, but she is also looking forward to making some exciting changes in her life. After her travel photos become an internet sensation (despite the fact that she admits to taking the world’s worst photos), an impressive number of viewers find her adorable and wish she were their mother or other close family member. Very quickly, this catches the attention of a travel company that would like to transform Miranda into their personal brand influencer. Arriving in town as their festival is about to begin, two of the travel company’s employees of different generations have conflicting ideas of how Miranda should be portrayed. And the younger one, a woman whose family troubles are threatening to defeat her if she doesn’t get a promotion and more money, wants to make sure her older, male colleague keeps that from happening. Of course, there is some romance for Miranda and her son–perhaps a bit too fast for one couple and riddled with communication issues with the other. But it is a charming venue, an entertaining story, and a fast read to boot. (September)
I’ve started on the second in Richard Osman’s new series–more about that next week.
Good morning, Margie! Oh, that’s fun. I’ve never “met” Ellen Byron in real life, either, but we have correspnoded. She seems dellightful. That should be a fun presentation with Catriona McPherson.
I’ll be interested to see what you think of Richard Osman’s new book. I didn’t pick it up because I didn’t like the first book in that series, We Solve Murders. I thought it was slow to start. And, I wasn’t crazy about the characters, so I just moved on. I’m looking forward to your review!
A 70,000-acre wildfire is burning north of here in an area of large ranches and wilderness study areas. The fire crossed into Nevada Monday afternoon with accompanying evacuations. Good news is that the fire has 45% containment as of Thurday morning.
Locally, we are under a different weather warning – Flash flooding due to thunderstorms. Sigh!
I thought I was getting new phones this week. Unfortunately, UPS misplaced the shipment. As I now know, big difference in tracking between a physical scan and a “logic” scan. In other words, AI strikes again.
On a positive note, I saw The Odyssey earlier this week and was thoroughly entertained. The three hours just flew by! And I finished four books, all good reading.
DEATH OF JEZEBEL by Christianna Brand from the British Library Crime Classics series. This was originally published in 1949 and has her two series characters, Inspector Charlesworth from Scotland Yard & Inspector Cockrill. It’s an ingenious “impossible crime” a variation on a locked room mystery. I do think that none of the characters were meant to be likable, and I wondered if expecting sympathetic characters is a modern adaptation in crime novels.
From 2020, BEFORE SHE WAS HELEN by Caroline Cooney. A prolific author, but previously unknown to me. Part retirement community comedy, part murder & drug dealing. Clemmie enjoys her quiet life in a Sun City retirement village until it unravels. Her missing neighbor’s condo reveals a stolen glass dragon, sparking a dangerous chase. But Clemmie has a teenage backstory of her own that she prefers to keep hidden.
THE STORY OF LUCY GAULT, a 2002 novel by William Trevor about a young girl in 1921 Ireland whose attempt to prevent her family from leaving their estate leads to a tragic misunderstanding Her parents believe her drowned and abandon her. She remains on the estate with a lifetime of guilt and loneliness. The story follows Lucy’s life as she endures the consequences of her childhood decision.
And one current read, Robert Thorogood’s fifth Marlow
Murder Club Book, THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR OF JUDITH POTTS. I know it’s not for everyone, but I enjoy the female comraderie and the puzzle-like clues of this series.
Oh, MM. That’s so tragic that ranches and wilderness areas are burning. I’m glad it’s being contained, but, even so, it sounds awful. I hope the breathing isn’t too bad. Stay safe!
I’ve heard of The Story of Lucy Gault, although I never read it. It sounds sad.
Caroline Cooney has been around a while, since the late ’70s and early ’80s. I was no longer a teen, but I still remember when her book, The Face on the Milk Carton, came out.
104 yesterday; didn’t check the heat index! I finished A Small Tree in a Texas Hurricane: A Memoir by Robert Henry Benson; he had a brutal childhood. I don’t recommend it because it scared me. Now reading Small Fry by Lisa Brennan Jobs. It is bette but Steve Jobs was emotionally aloof, had no clue about how to be a father but not brutal. Her mother was an artist who was immature. At least no brutality!
Today brutal heat!
Carol, your heat does sound brutal. Stay inside and read.
Both books sound sad.
Hello, everyone. First, I want to thank Lesa, MM, Lindy, and Jeff for their congratulations on my son getting his PhD. To answer the questions: 1) He is, officially, a mathematical physicist, but his doctoral degree is in math. His thesis work involved the collision of black holes (in space) as expressed in mathematics. If you don’t understand what I’m talking about, guess what? Neither do I. 2) He’s going to be doing a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cambridge University with other mathematicians/physicists who are interested in black holes.
I have done very little reading this week because we have visitors staying until Sunday: Peter’s and my godson, Sebastian, and his wife Diana, who live in Ghent, Belgium. Sebastian’s parents were from Argentina, but he was born and grew up in Bern (his father was a violinist in the Bern Symphony Orchestra) until he was 11, when he moved back to Argentina. He and his brother were Tommy’s best friends while they lived in Bern, and their mother was MY best friend! Diana, Sebastian’s wife, is from Ecuador. Both she and Sebastian got degrees in hydroengineering in Belgium and stayed to work there: much closer to Switzerland than Argentina or Ecuador. They visit us once or twice a year! It goes without saying that we watched the World Cup Final (Argentina versus Spain) with them. Even Sebastian had to admit that Spain deserved to win after the way the Argentines played.
So all I read this week was THE POLITICIAN, the fourth George Cross book by Tim Sullivan. I continue to enjoy the characters, the mystery-solving process, the surprises, and the discoveries George makes about his life.
I’m still listening to PACHINKO (2017), which was a finalist for a National Book Award. It’s about four generations (maybe more, since I’m not finished) of a Korean family that moves to Japan. The family members mostly manage to live honorably and succeed financially despite extreme Japanese prejudice against Koreans. The book takes place between 1910 and 1989 and, despite its length, I think the story is engaging, and what I’m learning about Japan and Korea during these decades is fascinating. MM, you mentioned that you also enjoyed it a lot.
About to go back to PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION. Not sure why I stopped, but I was enjoying it.
Kim, You certainly have been celebrating some brilliant people who are in your life. I don’t understand any of the careers involved. Isn’t it wonderful, though, that there are positions for people who are scientifically inclined, and those of us who are more literally inclined?
I agree with you. Tim Sullivan’s George Cross mysteries continue to develop, as does George, in such fascinating ways.
At least I can tell you what the two hydro-engineers in my life do, since they design and/or build equipment dealing with controlling water. Sebastian works on fixing flooding problems, and Diana is involved with equipment for better crop irrigation. I’m very glad they’ve found jobs in their fields. I guess we’re going to be seeing a lot of situations in the future where science will need to deal with places having too much or too little water!!
Yes, thank goodness there are also good jobs for people who are interested in the humanities and social sciences–like me, you, and, I think, the majority of us.
I suspect you’re right, Kim. We need those scientists!
I’m envious of everyone here who has had beautiful weather. We’ve been in the high 90s and 100s all week. We had a rainstorm last week that damaged one of our elementary schools. They were putting a new roof on it and the contractor failed to cover some of the holes. It’s a 100-year-old school and the water went all the way to the basement. We are not allowed in the building yet, but from what I heard the everything on the 2nd floor is damaged. School starts in two weeks, so everyone is jumping through hoops to accommodate the students for the new year.
I actually got two books read this week. First is Vanished in the Crowd by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles. Molly is now busy with tending to her children, and her husband Daniel has accepted a job as the FBI director for New York City. It’s 1909 and the city is hosting the Hudson-Fulton celebration which marks the 300th anniversary of the discovery of the Hudson River. Dignitaries are coming from all over the world for the celebration and it’s Daniel’s job to protect them. Molly’s next-door neighbors are hosting three guests during the celebration and one of the guests fails to show up so they ask Molly to investigate. The guest ends up dead. Really interesting read in terms of women’s rights back then. In other words, the women were only to be housewives and nothing more. It was an okay book. I usually love her books, but this one just didn’t blend well. I got an advance copy via NetGalley.
The other book is Shell Shocked by Jennifer Lonoff Schiff. Guin and her friend are getting ready for the Sanibel Seashell Festival. Guin is a reporter for the local paper and has the opportunity to see the showpiece that will be unveiled at the festival. It’s all clouded in secrecy and then a young girl who is involved in the creation of the piece is found dead on the beach. Guin decides she has to investigate. I read this one for my book club. It was another okay book. This book is part of the Sanibel Island Mysteries. It’s #5 in the series. Maybe if I go back to the first book in the series, I will feel better about it.
My gosh, Bev! It sounds to me as if the contractor might be in trouble. That’s so sad that a 100 year old school has that kind of damage. I’m guessing there was a library on the second floor since you mentioned that floor.
I know Sanibel. I was the branch librarian on Captiva Island for a couple years, and drove through Sanibel every day. I wonder how the descriptions fit.
I wasn’t gloating when I talked about our 70s and 80s. I was hoping most of you have that kind of weather. I’m sorry.
A lot of writers try to write about the South and make a real muck if it. We are not the stereotypical slow talking, so moving, slow thinking folks that too many portray us as.
Wiley Cash gets it just right. Every time.
I loved SAME RIVER TWICE.
Description
“It’s rare to encounter a book that’s both thrilling and thoughtful, but that is Wiley Cash’s specialty. Same River Twice is the kind of gripping read you stay up too late with. But ultimately it’s so much more, a perceptive and quite moving novel about family, fate, and how history isn’t an abstract idea, but the force that shapes the lives we live right now.”
—Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind
From award-winning New York Times bestselling author Wiley Cash comes a transcendent story based in the contemporary South, a pressure-cooker novel set in motion when human remains are unearthed on a former plantation.
Bennett Place was once a thriving North Carolina rice plantation, built on the backs of the enslaved. Now, its new owner plans to transform it into a historic landmark celebrating his family heritage. But when human remains are unearthed during construction, a complex chain of events is set in motion bringing together a cast of characters haunted by the region’s legacy.
There’s Jessica, the ambitious site manager who is wrestling with crippling college loan payments and an ethical dilemma as a result of the find.
Aaron, a successful writer, who returns to the land his ancestors worked, searching for the truth about his father’s disappearance.
And Kevin, the district attorney, whose professional duties and private life collide as he investigates a mystery that hits dangerously close to home.
Aaron, Kevin, and Jessica must confront long-hidden secrets and the complex inheritance of the South—a place where the ghosts of the Confederacy still linger—as they grapple with their own complicated pasts.
Suspenseful, richly layered, and written with masterful prose, Same River Twice explores the fraught intersections of race and class with stunning acumen. It’s a powerful, indelible story about who owns history, who has the right to tell it, and the price of digging up truths that some would prefer to forget. This is Wiley Cash’s most ambitious and accomplished novel yet.
I love your comment, Kaye, that a lot of people make a real muck when writing about the south. Isn’t it wonderful to find authors who write beautifully about the places we love? My friend, Donna, loves Wiley Cash’s writing.
I just lost my whole comment, because I’m a moron.
First, Jackie read Ashley Poston’s THE SUNDAY GARDEN, and she was very disappointed with most of it. She found it slow and not that interesting for the most part, bt then she has little interest in descriptions of gardening. Only the last50 pages or so lived up to her hopes.
I read Linda Castillo’s A DARK PATH And Other Kate Burkholder Short Stories. Unlike the books, no one dies here, though there are crimes in the Amish community in northeastern Ohio. I’ve read most of the stories before other than the last two, though I enjoyed reading them again. in the new ones, Kate and Tomasetti are on their honeymoon in one, and a great new dog character aids them in the second. I’d start with the earlier collection (A SIMPLE MURDER) if you are new to the series.
The other two books I read were more science fiction or fantasy and time travel-related. Matt Haig’s THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY is reviewed here years ago, I’m sure, but his new related book made me finally read it. It’s the story of Nora Seed, a depressed woman whose life hasn’t worked out the way she hoped, to the point where she decides to kill herself. She finds herself in the titular magical library, where she is told she can have other lives where she made other choices, whether that means not giving up swimming and going to the Olympics, marrying her ex and opening a country pub ( though that is his dream, not hers), going to Australia with her friend after she calls off her wedding, etc. Obviously, some sections are more interesting than others- at times you want to grab Nora and shake her – but she does learn and change as she goes along and there is a reasonably happy and realistic ending.
The other, I need to warn you, does not have a really happy ending. Joseph Eckert’s THE TRAVELER is Scott Treder, an ordinary computer programmer from Madison, Wisconsin who is driving to work one morning when his car disappears and he tumbles in the road, only to discover that 24 hours have passed for everyone else. Then it happens again the next day at the same time, this time jumping two days. Anyone can see that if this keeps happening- how? why? who’s responsible? – soon he will be jumping weeks, then months and years. His wife freaks out but he has the – literally – unending love and support of his brilliant 7 year old son, Lyle, who is determined to save him no matter what. This is an absorbing but fairly long (nearly 400 pages) read. For a while each chapter is a new day and a new jump. Again, parts are better than others. I’m not sorry I read it, though it doesn’t have the ending I’d have hoped for.
And, I enjoyed all the descriptions of the gardens, Jeff, although I’m not a gardener either, and I have no interest in doing that.
I’m glad you told me about the ending of The Traveler, though. It was on my TBR pile, but I think I’m going to skip it.
Someone may have reviewed The Midnight Library, but it wasn’t me. I never read it.
Sorry you lost your entire post. Been there, done that.
Autocorrect:
it was THE SOMEDAY GARDEN.
Jackie says she agrees with you about The Seven Year Slip being the weakest Ashley Poston book (before the new one).
I think you’re right to skip THE TRAVELER, by the way.
While my grandson was visiting, we went all over Cincinnati and Dayton so there wasn’t much time to read while he was here. But it was a wonderful visit. We saw a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Springfield and the Wright Flyer III in Dayton plus all the museums in Cincinnati.
I did manage to finish Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore during Eli’s visit. It was an easy read about very different sisters meeting at their family’s beach house in preparation to sell it after their mother dies. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t special.
Then I read Water, Stone, Heart by Will North a romance about the Bascombe Flood in England. I learned about making stone walls in this one which was fascinating. I am grateful to have learned about this author from the Pinecones and Acorns blog.
Thanks to Lindy, I read SNAP by Susin Nielsen over the weekend. It was just what my heart needed. What a wonderful book that was so much fun.
My last book was Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood. I absolutely loved her book, The Love of my Afterlife but this one was just silly to me. It involved a romance writer with writer’s block where the villain of her book series is manifested in real life. He not only helps her overcome her writing block but get over the boyfriend who dumped her. I am sure romance reader lovers younger than me gobbled it up, but this one wasn’t for me.
We have had two gorgeous days here. It feels more like spring. We are grateful our part of Cincinnati escaped the floodwater from the rains two days ago and the tornado that hit Kentucky yesterday.
Happy reading!
Sharon – I’m adding The Love of my Afterlife to my TBR list! Sounds fun!
I hope you enjoy it!
I really enjoyed ‘The Love of My Afterlife’ Sharon, but I think I’ll not bother with Romantic Hero based on what you say about it.
You might like it Lindy. I couldn’t warm up to the stereotypical Texas cowboy character.
Sharon, You’ve certainly made the best of your move to Cincinnati, seeing all the museums, and so much more that the city has to offer. I hope your grandson enjoyed his visit.
And, now we’re very lucky to have nice weather, from what everyone else has said.
Hi, Lesa and friends! Except for some torrential rain we’ve had really nice weather where I am. I’ve especially enjoyed riding my bike on the trails near the bay.
Reading wise I don’t have much to report. I started with the audiobook of Blunt Instrument, which got a rave review in the NY Times, but the reader’s version of an old-money CT accent sounded like a bad imitation of Katherine Hepburn. But I’d gotten hooked by that point so I finished it reading the regular way. Ex professor and now PI Del Chandler is called to a university as a way to show they are taking the murder of a member of the English department seriously. I like the characterization, and the academic setting was right in, but as a whole it felt a little disjointed. I’d give the author another chance if she writes a second in the series.
For fun I am about to hop on a train to Philadelphia, where I plan to read and go to gardens & museums while my husband is at a math conference. (He would understand the research you described, Kim! His specialty is algebraic topology.)
Trisha, I hope the weather treats you well in Philadelphia, and you enjoy your sightseeing trip. You’ll have to let us know about it next week. I’ve only been to Philadelphia once, and I tried to see what I could.
For the second week in a row we have an excessive heat warning for our area (Santa Barbara / Goleta), although we did have a break in the middle. This one could linger for more days but we will hope for the best. We did go for a short walk this morning and it wasn’t too bad. Based on the comments here, hot weather is a problem all over.
I would not mind trying the first book in Ellen Byron’s Vintage Cookbook mystery series. Glen and I have only been to New Orleans twice, but it would be fun to read about the area.
Glen just started reading HOUSE OF FICTION by Phyllis Richardson. The subtitle is “From Pemberley to Brideshead, Great British Houses in Literature and Life.” The cover is very nice.
Last night I finished reading a spy fiction novel by one of my favorite authors, Robert Littell. THE SISTERS is a weird and wacky tale about two Russian agents and two CIA agents. In this book, the Russian spies are much more appealing and likable. They are all very intelligent. I was bowled over by the ending.
Tracy, The author, Ellen Byron, went to college in New Orleans, and so did her daughter. I feel as if we’re getting excellent descriptions when we read her books.
Stay inside and read to stay cool!
It’s been hot, but bearable mostly around here.
This week I read:
Hours of the Virgin by Loren D. Estelman; Around the turn of the century, Detroit PI Ben Perkins is hired to oversee the sale of an artifact. The sale, of course, has to take place in a porn theatre. (Do we still have those?) Things go wrong, people die, and Ben has to figure things out. Detroit hasn’t got any better.
Joan Lunden: Life Beyond the Script; Autobiography of a woman I sort of remember hawking hand lotion when I was a kid, but was very famous for a while. It’s very strange. An autobiography devoid of point of view, self reflection, insight, introspection, humor, or personality. It seems like she hasn’t thought in over 30 years. Turning bland good looks into fame and fortune is a pretty good story, but she has no lessons for us. Was she really a journalist? She doesn’t seem to understand anything.
The Rise of Huang Zhou by Perry Lake; The origin of a Fu Manchu type character, starting during The Boxer Rebellion. Some really good stuff, but definitely needs Denis Nayland Smith to give the book tension.
USS Sea Wolf by Patrick Robinson; Undersea fun and games, as a US sub collides with a Chinese destroyer and falls into enemy hands. One of the better series of this type.
Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower; A chocolatier finds a new career as an amateur sleuth when she returns to small town Ohio when her Amish grandfather falls ill. Of course, within moments there’s a murder, and wouldn’t you know it, the grandfather’s knife is sticking out of the obnoxious victim’s innards. The sheriff has a thing about the Amish, but his deputy has a thing for the sleuth. Pretty decent, even if I’m not all that interested in the Amish…or the Mennonites, come to that.
Lethal Pursuit by JT Sawyer; Being on this guy’s advance team keeps me busy. This time, our hero is hiking in Texas, when a park ranger comes running in. She saw a shooting, and now the shooters are after her, and now him! I’m sure the ammo companies had to increase productions for a couple of weeks after this.
Glen, I always find your comments interesting when you read older books such as the Estleman and the Robinson. I’m curious as to how they hold up.
It doesn’t sound as if Joan Lunden held up well at all!
Well, I’ll give you an example:
She writes how Saturday Night Live did a sketch about her. She didn’t appear to understand why the sketch was funny at all, she just knew that it was on SNL so therefore it must be funny, something anyone who watches a few episodes of SNL knows is a false premise. It seemed like she couldn’t form an opinion on her own, but had to be given one.
Can’t form her own opinion? You’re right. Not every sketch is funny; we all have different tastes in humor, just as we do in books. Should could have just said I didn’t find it funny, but maybe I’m missing something. I do have opinions. USUALLY, I’m kind about them, and say others may enjoy it more than me. Not always.
I came back this morning specifically to see if you had posted yesterday – your reviews are not to be missed! Too bad about Joan L.’s book – one does hope for something spicy when reading such things.
Oh, I agree, Mary. I enjoy Glen’s reviews. Succinct, with just the right summary.
For some reason, Rosemary wasn’t able to log in today, so she sent me her comments. You don’t want to miss them!
Hello everyone, from a cool and cloudy Aberdeenshire. Our top temperature today is likely to be 17C (62F), which is fine by me.
Things are finally starting to settle down a bit here (famous last words….) – we have obtained a Grant of Probate to my mother’s estate, her flat in London is ALMOST sold, and we are beginning to see the end of the numerous boxes from our own house move.
So I have at last been able to read!
THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU by Libby Page
I know you loved this one Lesa, and you will perhaps think the reason I didn’t was because I am far too cynical. But it wasn’t the actual premise (deceased husband leaves Matilda a book a month for a year, each to be collected from her local bookshop), which I thought could have been good, it was instead the lazy writing. That and the all too easy solutions to any and every obstacle in Tilly’s life, and the way just about everyone fell over themselves to do her favours, irritated me so much that I was actually lying in bed scribbling notes!
Libby Page has a few books under her belt (I haven’t read any), so I would have thought she knew better than to repeat certain cliches ad nauseam, but….. – for example, the endless use of ‘flashing’ to describe someone’s eyes. The two main characters’ eyes seemed never to stop flashing – it made me think of those creepy dummies that ventriloquists use. If people weren’t flashing they were ’tilting’ – Tilly’s head must have been on a permanent slope.
Then there was ‘sinking into cushions’ – no-one ever sat down without sinking! And Page described smells so much that she sounded like someone who had just completed a not very good creative writing class – ‘use the senses’. Well she did use them, far too often.
I could go on but I will stop. It’s wonderful that we all like different books, isn’t it? I didn’t like this one, but it has 46% 5 star reviews on Goodreads, so what do I know?!
THE WRITING ON THE WALL by Jenny Eclair
This is the story of two girls separated by several decades. In the present day, Hermione has to move from London to Lytham St Anne’s (Lancashire, northern England) when her mother moves in with her new boyfriend. Paul. Hermione’s not mad on the idea (which 15 year old would be?) but she accepts her fate, and although Paul isn’t the most exciting man in the world, he’s good to her mother and kind to her. One thing he allows her to do is redecorate her new bedroom, and when she strips off the hideous wallpaper she finds a message from Helena, a teenager in the 1970s.
It’s not long before Hermione walks through a graveyard as a shortcut to the bus stop and finds herself transported back in time. She meets Helena, and the two form a close friendship.
The story is told in the two girls’ alternate voices; it’s about their lives, at school and at home, their hopes and fears, their attempts to navigate teenage friendship groups, and in Helena’s case, her desperate hunt for a boyfriend (Hermione thinks teenage boys are largely a waste of space.)
Jenny Éclair handles the different social mores of each girl’s era well, drawing on the beliefs and practices of the time without overloading the reader with period details. At one point Hermione mentions that one of the boys they meet is clearly gay; Helena has no idea what she’s talking about. Hermione keeps her mobile phone hidden (until one climactic moment) because Helena, of course, has never seen one. Helena is constantly on one diet or another (all of them short-lived – she doesn’t have an eating disorder) to get thin to impress boys. Hermione is far more relaxed in her own skin.
I felt that the climax of the story was slightly weak, and Éclair did lose her way with the time travel aspect on occasions, but on the whole I enjoyed it, and I could certainly identify with Helena and her life as a 1970s teenager. For me the book highlighted the differences between my upbringing and that of today’s teenagers, who I think are considerably more savvy and sharp than I was. Hermione is far more mature than Helena, though both of them complain about their mothers, have issues with girls at school, want clothes they can’t afford – all the usual things.
Jenny Éclair is a good novelist (as well as a performer and artist), I’ve enjoyed some of her adult writing, and I felt she did well with this foray into YA.
THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE by Victoria Fletcher
This is one of two books written by my late mother’s friend Vicky – the older lady whom Anna and I have started taking out for lunch or coffee, and whom we love dearly. I haven’t read the first one, and only came across this one when I was sorting through my own books – it must have got into the wrong box somehow, and I will return it to Vicky next time we see her.
It’s the story of Vicky’s later childhood and early adult life – and oh my goodness, what a life she has lived. The book reads just like Nancy Mitford’s LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE – Vicky was born into a very aristocratic family in East Lothian, and after an idyllic early childhood on her father’s Yester Estate (which she described in the earlier book, which I must borrow from her) her life changed drastically when her parents divorced.
She and her brother Hugo moved with their mother to a succession of places where her mother (who had not been trained for anything as she too was a daughter of the aristocracy), could find work. The mother taught riding at a boarding school (the girls being allowed to bring their ponies with them!) and did various other jobs, so the children were moved around the country. Eventually she remarried and Vicky (Hugo now being away at school) went to live with them in her stepfather’s large country house.
In most ways it’s a very typical upper class upbringing. There is money for school fees (though only for the boys, Vicky’s education was patchy to say the least), but houses are always freezing. There is almost non-stop riding, hunting, hacking, etc but if Vicky falls off she is expected to get straight back up there, broken bones or not.
Later on, Vicky is ‘brought out’ in London (ie a season of balls and events at which young aristocratic women – usually chaperoned – were expected to meet suitable husbands, the season culminating in presentation to the king or queen.) So there are ‘weekends’ at big country piles, lots of tennis, dances both in London and the country, outings to the opera and theatre, Hunt Balls and plenty more. Vicky at this time was training to be a physiotherapist, a career which she followed until her retirement, so she had to attend classes and lectures while often being out on the town till the early hours. She was clearly as enterprising then as she is now, and threw herself into everything.
I loved reading this book and learning about the life of this still truly brave and enterprising woman (who’s just been on a first cruise at the age of 80+).
MURDER IN THE MUSEUM by Simon Brett
This is one of Brett’s Fethering Mysteries, about Carol and Jude, two unlikely friends who together solve murders in the small seaside village to which Carol has retired. In this one, Carol has reluctantly agreed to become a trustee of Bracketts, an Elizabethan house sacred to the memory of a writer called Esmond Chadleigh. Bracketts is kept going largely by the efforts of volunteers, who include some prisoners on day release from a local open prison, but its finances are in a disastrous state and its new director is trying to persuade the reluctant trustees to employ a professional fundraiser. When some of the volunteers are digging up the vegetable garden to make space for a (hotly controversial) visitor centre, they uncover a skull with a bullet hole at its back. One of the prisoners bursts into tears and owns up to the murder, but Carol is quite sure he didn’t do it.
There are of course numerous suspects, so Carol sets about investigating them. She’s been ordered not to tell anyone about the macabre discovery, but naturally she’s soon involved Jude in her quest – and luckily, Jude is a regular visitor to that same local prison, where she teaches life skills.
And that’s as far as I’ve got. I love Simon Brett’s books, they’re light but well written, and often very funny. So I have also been listening to some more of his CHARLES PARIS mysteries on Spotify. SICKEN AND SO DIE is set (as most of the Charles Paris ones are) in a theatre company. The director of a new production has been struck down by a gastric illness, and is replaced by a famous but (at least in Charles’ opinion) suspicious Romanian. Then another cast member is taken ill, and Charles realises that the curry that has poisoned Ken was almost certainly meant for him. Finally, an actress with whom Charles has been having a dalliance is killed by injection with a deadly poison – was that poison also meant for Charles?
As ever, the best things about these mysteries are not the plots, but the interaction between the dissolute Charles (played by the wonderful Bill Nighy), his slimy agent Morris and his smart, long suffering ex wife Frances. Charles’s remarks about his fellow actors are also very funny. Perfect listening as I walk the lanes and fields of Aberdeenshire.
On television I am still watching the Netflix series THE FOUR SEASONS, which I am enjoying very much. It’s about three couples who take holidays together, and the way that the dynamic changes when one of the husbands dumps his wife for a 20-something girlfriend. Each couple also has its own problems at times, and these are handled well. The story is part comedy, part serious drama, and it doesn’t always follow the path we might expect. For example, Ginny the girlfriend isn’t a ditzy airhead, and the gay male couple is just as prone to issues as anyone else (they are so often portrayed as perfect in other shows). I’m glad there’s a second season.
Well, darn. I hit submit comment before I finished Rosemary’s post.
Earlier this week Nancy and I attended the annual art exhibition at Aboyne, a village further up Deeside. It is of a high standard and we saw some beautiful things, but the prices were equally high, and anyway we have both reached the stage in life when we really do not need ANYTHING. Fun to look though. We had our coffee at The Sign of the Black Faced Sheep, a café and homeware store that serves amazing cakes and scones (Nancy had mozzarella and sun-dried tomato), and sells fabulous throws, vases, lamps, candles and such like. We remained strong! Finally we visited the Aboyne charity shop, which is always well stocked by the affluent local population. It was a great day out.
Earlier this month David and I had a wonderful walk at Forvie Sands, a nature reserve to the north of Aberdeen. Part of it is a seal breeding area, so that area was roped off but we could hear the seals calling. You walk from the car park through woods and over the dunes to a spectacular beach, at the other end of which you go up onto the cliffs. The path has great views, and we saw so many birds, butterflies and wildflowers. We crossed back over the moorland and returned to our car, then found a fantastic coffee shop in Newburgh, just a couple of minutes away. It has been opened by the local hotel as a separate building in their grounds. I was so hot and tired by them I would probably have eaten most things, but I didn’t have to as the cakes were fabulous! We had lemon buns drenched in a delicious syrup and topped with roasted strawberries, and they most definitely hit the spot. I also had a lovely elderflower lemonade. The Trellis has entered my Top Ten Cafes at a high position.
That’s it from me for this week, you’ll be relieved to hear. In a minute I am off to Crathes for a walk with a friend and her dog.
Have as good a week as possible everyone. Lindy, I do hope your weather cools down
As we said, it’s good we don’t all like the same books. I think it’s funny you noticed all the repetitive phrases in This Book Made Me Think of You because I complained about that in another book recently. It’s interesting, Rosemary, that we catch different things in books, different things that bother us.
Cafes! I wish we had the kind of small cafes that you do, or maybe I’m just missing them in the midst of all our Starbucks and other coffee shops. (sigh)
Oh we have plenty of Starbucks, Prets and Costas, Lesa! But they’re my very last choice – I’d probably only go to them at an airport or on a station concourse. Having said that, a friend insists that Pret’s almond croissants are the best he’s ever tasted. I’m not convinced!
Not even tasting them, Rosemary, I’m going with your opinion of the almond croissants.
Rosemary, are you watching Trigger Point? Because we’re finding the third series as tense and exciting as the first two series. Also watching Ride Or Die, with Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer and Jackie’s favorite, Bill Nighy. It’s very entertaining.
Jeff, David and I are watching Ride or Die, and we both love it. So good!
How did I miss this?! Thank you so much for reading my book!
Loved your book, Ellen!