Have you had a good week? I think fall is finally here. It felt cold yesterday, but it might just be the dampness. A little chilly for me. I haven’t turned on the heat, but I did turn on my fireplace.
Linda and I are heading out of town Sunday afternoon just for an overnight trip. We’re going to see Celtic Thunder. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen them perform, and I’m ready for a concert. I’ve seen them at least ten times, but that’s been since 2010, so that isn’t so bad. However, I saw them three times the first year I went to see them. The group has changed, but I still enjoy the music and humor. And, Kevin even changed the dinner time to noon on Sunday so we could eat before we go.
As to reading, I’ll be honest here. There are so many books coming out next Tuesday, Sept. 29, that I’m just feeling overwhelmed. Many of them are Christmas books, mysteries and romances. I’m so overwhelmed that I look at the book jackets and titles, and turn to my phone to read Facebook instead.
I’m halfway through Cleo Coyle’s The Ghost and the Dead Librarian. Coyle is best known for the Coffeehouse Mysteries, but I’ve always been partial to the Haunted Bookshop stories. I’ve been a fan of the ghost of hard-boiled detective Jack Shepard for years. I’ll admit this book is dragging for me, but I’ll save my comments for tomorrow’s review.
What about you, weather and your life? And, of course, what are you reading this week?
I remember Lesa mentioning that she’d been to see the move Practical Magic 2. I had never seen the original movie so David and I watched it last night. What a strange movie. I’d been expecting something light and amusing but it was actually quite dark and disturbing. Maybe that was the point.
Nothing much of interest to share from over here. We did babysit Evelyn one evening. I’ve decided that this little 9-year-old might just know more than I do about many things. She loves when I bring my iPad so she can play the NY Times game called Tiles. I barely understand the rules but she just clicks away and gets a perfect score, and it’s not like she plays it every day. She only plays it when she’s with me, which isn’t all that often.
Oh, and our 16-year-old grandson was mountain biking with a friend, and ended up breaking his wrist! He’s seen a surgeon and was told that the way the bone broke will require an operation where they will re-break it and line the bones up more precisely so that it will ultimately heal properly and not cause problems later on in his life.
This week I read:
SPELLBOUND BY MURDER by Stacie Ramey
This was a book I thought would be terrific – very appealing cover, small-town murder mystery, magical bookstore, mother-daughter duo crime solving, with a grandmother added to the mix. Saved it specially for when I wanted to read a cozy feel-good mystery. But I was disappointed in it.
When Veronica Blackthorne’s beloved grandmother has a bad fall and asks for help running the bookstore, Veronica doesn’t hesitate to move herself and her teenage daughter back to Mystic Hollow to help out. She finds the store in rough shape and under threat from another bookstore. When the keynote speaker for the town’s annual literary festival cancels, Veronica enlists the help of Adam – a famous author she knows. He says yes, and the festival is a go, and it all seems on track to be a success. But then Adam is murdered and Veronica becomes the sheriff’s prime suspect. With the help of her daughter, they work to clear her name, while her grandmother reveals that a love spell gone wrong is what started the whole thing.
The premise was good but the execution didn’t work for me. Much was made of magic in the town and yet it had almost no presence in the book. There was a LOT of banter between the characters that was supposedly witty or funny but wasn’t, and the story got lost. Veronica herself was highly irritating, not in any way behaving like the mother of a teenager, while said teenager displayed much more maturity than did Veronica. The story seemed disjointed, scattered, confusing and hard to follow. Or maybe I didn’t care enough about any of the cardboard characters to put in the effort.
What a harsh review. But for me anyway, there were no redeeming qualities!
GET LOST by Justin Halpern
For some reason I enjoyed this book so much I’ve bestowed one of my coveted stars on it (although no one of import knows I’ve given out a star, so how coveted can they be?). I don’t rate the books I read, but if the story makes an unexpected impression on me or entertains me more than usual, it will earn a star.
Lila Dixon (prickly, jaded) receives a phone call – her mother Mattie is missing. This in itself is not that unusual since it’s been a regular occurrence throughout her life. The difference this time is that Lila’s estranged father John Dixon (one-time baseball star, well-liked locally, a charmer but not a great father) is the prime suspect in his ex-wife Mattie’s disappearance. Reluctantly, he and Lila sort of team up to figure out what’s really going on and they discover that a very sizable amount of money was deposited into Mattie’s bank account. Then Lila receives a threatening note, there are Russian thugs, a shady business, angry citizens, guns, danger and suspense, entwined with action, humour and heart.
On the surface of it this should not be a book I like, given its overly frequent use of the ‘f’ word although that tapers off in the second half, some violence, and such things, and yet I was hooked by page 3. The dialogue is funny, the mystery is interesting, and besides that it’s a story about the relationship between father and daughter, which adds humanity, gives us people to care about, and makes the book so much more than it otherwise would have been. A fast-paced, fun read.
Practical Magic 2 is dark, too, Libby. But, I loved the end. And, the very hot professor in it.
I really enjoyed your reviews. What a difference. I still enjoyed your negative review. I’m glad the other one made up for it.
Lindy, I love that Evelyn plays Tiles. I no longer play it every day – too many other games, plus I only like to play three of the games – but I have it on my phone and I do play it. She must be pretty sharp to play it.
Sorry about your grandson’s wrist. When I was 22 or 23 I broke my nose playing “touch” (ha, not the way my brother played it) football with my brother and my cousin. They had to re-break the nose to set it right. Still, I’m sure it was way easier than a wrist.
Stupid autocorrect. I was 12, not 22.
Jeff, I play way too many games myself. Which are the tree NY Times games you play? I play Wordle and Connections. But I also play Words With Friends, Upwards, and Two Birds.
I’m not sure that a broken nose isn’t just as bad, if not worse than a broken wrist. Sounds most uncomfortable! We’re all glad he was wearing a helmet which ended up full of gouges and scrapes plus a very deep puncture. His accident could have been so much worse.
Lindy, We play free games at http://wafflegame.net.
I think you would enjoy some of those.
Thank you Sharon! I’ll check it out.
Lindy, I had to go the the New York Times Games and check out Tiles. I do Wordle and Connections every day (although sometimes Connections is too hard for me), but I had not even heard of Tiles. I will try it out today.
Sorry about your grandson’s wrist but it is good that they can correct it with surgery.
Hong Kong, Holland and Topeka are my Tiles games of choice.
Also, Tracy, you can get a hint on those days when Connections seems impossible.
Tracy, Connections is often so obscure, isn’t it?! I only keep playing it because I figure it must be good for me to think so hard!
I also do the Mini and Midi crosswords, plus Wordle, Quordle and Quordle Sequence, and 3 Octordles.
Oh I forgot – I also do the mini and midi crosswords. But not all those other ‘-ordles’! They must be very difficult!
I do the Guardian mini and quick crosswords, attempt and usually fail miserably to do the cryptic crossword, then do the Wordiply and Wordwheel.
I sometimes wish I’d never discovered these games as I feel I waste too much time on them, but they’re awfully addictive.
Isn’t that the truth Rosemary. I would get a lot more reading done if I weren’t spending so much time thinking of good words to play in all these games!
Summer is back here. We were in the 90’s on Wednesday and should be for the next couple of days and then cool to the 80’s for the weekend. But we truly don’t get cooler weather until late October or November most years, so it’s not a bit surprise.
Reading wise, I am a third of the way into The Case of the Case of Kilcladdich by PJ Fitzsimmons. This is book six in a series that is a cross between Dorothy Sayers and PG Wodehouse. We are in Scotland for this book where a whisky competition is about to happen, but one of the contestants has died. The feuding families and villages are too similarly named for me to keep them straight without effort, but I’m enjoying it overall. Laughing and chuckling as I read, which is always what I expect when I pick up a book in this series.
A little envious, Mark, that you still have summer. We’ve had lots of rain and cooler weather here.
You and I both read some cozy mysteries. You read more than I do. But, I’m still surprised when I never heard of the series you’re reading. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
I wish the PJ Fitzsimmons books were more readily available. I have purchased a couple as used copies. You always make them sound so enjoyable Mark.
I think I might seek out some books by PJ Fitzsimmons Mark. It’s not the first time you’ve mentioned that author.
We saw The Cher Show which was a lot of fun. And we went out to PA for a couple of nights. We spent a day in Longwood Gardens which we always enjoy.
On the way out we stopped in Coatsville to check out The National Iron & Steel Museum which was interesting. At one point the mill was run by one of the first female industrialists who not only kept the mill running after her husband died but explained and modernized it. The museum is still being developed in some of the older Lucas Steel buildings while the newer buildings are still in use. They made a lot of the steel for the World Trade Center and make steel for things like aircraft carriers, submersibles, and the space program.
This week I finished two books. An ARC of Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt. This time Andy Carpenter accidentally backs himself into representing a client he hasn’t even met yet. The book follows the usual formula of Andy and his crew investigating the murder and looking to either find the actual killer or create enough reasonable doubt to get his client acquitted. This one had a twist at the end I wasn’t expecting.
An ARC of All People Great and Small: The Making of a Country Doctor by Robert Bradley, MD. This is loosely patterned off All Creatures Great and Small interspersing sections about the doctor’s life with cases he treated. My biggest problem with the book is it ends with “To Be Continued “ which I’m not a fan of. I probably won’t try finding the next book if it ever comes out.
Sandy, It always sounds as if you have fun on your adventures.
Oh, I get not being happy with “To Be Continued”. I just finished a book that ended with a cliffhanger, and I don’t think I’ll pick up the next one. Just not happy with that.
Oh, twists are fun if they’re appropriate.
Good Morning! It is cooler here in Michigan as well. After my grandson’s treatment tomorrow, we are going to pick apples. I am ready for the return of warmer weather.
I read a very interesting non-fiction book called Shanghai Refuge: A Memoir of the World War 11 Jewish Ghetto by Heppner. As a teenager, Heppner and his mother were able to leave Germany and settle in Shanhai. They were not allowed to take any money with them and the rest of the family was not allowed to leave. There was a small Jewish community in Shanghai which helped the refugees get established. Things get worse when the Japanese take over. A very interesting read.
Enjoy your apple picking! The weather we’ve been having is appropriate.
I never heard of Jewish immigrants in Shanghai. I like to discover new aspects of WWII.
My father was in a Japanese POW camp during the war Jennifer. Truly awful things happened to him there.
Good morning from sunny Aberdeenshire. Our overnight low was 37F; autumn is here, although most days have still been relatively warm. The evening skies have been spectacular.
Lesa, I’m with you on feeling overwhelmed! I don’t even look at new releases, but I have a stack of books that I ambitiously borrowed from the library, plus the numerous unread books on my shelves – I’m far more aware of them since I reshelved them all. I’m getting into that situation where every one of them looks interesting and attractive until I open it, then I think all of the others look better. No staying power whatsoever.
And, I have just started volunteering at the VSA (Voluntary Services Aberdeen) charity bookshop. I am only doing one afternoon a week, but I know even that is going to be lethal for my TBR.
I’ve had a very busy few weeks. Our youngest daughter Madeleine came to stay for two nights, which was lovely (and virtually unprecedented.) She and I went out for our coffee in town, then had a great walk through Torry (the old fishing town, which has sadly become very run down and troubled over the years, but which is gradually improving) to the coast. We walked up to the Torry Battery, part of the ancient defences of the city, then past the Greyhope Centre and round the cliffs to the new harbour, then back via St Fittick’s Park. In the park is an old chapel; the graves around it are fascinating. It’s said that the first religious foundation here began in 600.AD. The church now on the site probably dates from the 1600s, though it’s been repaired in places since then.
The next morning we had a walk by the river here, and spotted the otter. I hadn’t seen one for months, so Madeleine was lucky. We watched him playing in the water for some time, and also saw the heron.
Two days after Madeleine left I was on my way to Edinburgh. Molly, Anna and I went to see HIGH SOCIETY at the Playhouse. It was very well done, and the cast was very impressive, but I have to admit I did miss Louis Armstrong! I always find that strange kind of Greek chorus he provides in the film a little odd, but very enjoyable.
The very next morning Molly’s parents arrived – they were in the house by 9am after a very early flight from Shannon. We all went out for breakfast, then Molly and her father went on a mission to Toppings Bookshop. Dan is a very interesting man who has taken a degree and a masters since retiring. He came armed with a notebook listing the books he was looking for – mostly classics like Tolstoy – and found them. He also volunteers with a suicide prevention charity back in Limerick.
In the evening we all went out for dinner, which was fun. By Sunday, however, David and I were back in the car to Aberdeen, as our son and his family were due to arrive on Monday. They stayed overnight and it was wonderful to see our new grandson again. Flynn is now 3 months old and very smiley. We all had a lovely walk at Balmedie beach, which is huge. It was deserted, so Freddie’s spaniel was able to run about in the mad way spaniels do. We enjoyed, as always, the sight of the wind turbines facing Trump’s horrible golf course. He hates them and tried to oppose the planning consent, but lost. One thing for which we all have Aberdeen council to thank, though it would’ve been better if the golf course itself had been blocked.
You might think from all of this that we see our children every 5 minutes, but in fact nothing could be further from the truth! They all have busy lives and so do we, but it’s always great when we can get together.
So once again book reading has been limited. I finished THE DAY OF THE STORM by Rosamunde Pilcher. Pilcher’s novels are inevitably about middle class girls – often orphaned – who are ‘poor’ (by their standards!); they frequently discover that they have (wealthy!) family, always in Cornwall, Scotland or Ibiza (these were pre party-island days) and meet a wonderful man who will give them what they want, ie marriage, children and a comfortable life. They never have careers, or if they do it is made clear that they were only marking time – work is only for women who can’t bag a man.
In this book, Rebecca has been brought – no dragged – up by a feckless mother, who moved from man to man and survived by living off their money and treating bills as ‘jokey’ (her word.) Mother dies, but not before telling Rebecca that she has family in Cornwall whom she should visit, if only to retrieve various items.
So off goes Rebecca, totally heedless of the fact that she actually has a job in a London bookshop. In Cornwall she meets her grandfather, a retired naval commander and celebrated artist (and filthy rich, what a surprise), his daughter-in-law and grandson, who have moved into his house to look after him, and also the enigmatic Joss, who seems to have turned up from nowhere and whom grandfather has employed to restore furniture.
The plot plays out in Pilcher’s trademark style and we all know what is going to happen. Despite all of this, I – and many other readers, Pilcher has a huge following – find these novels quite addictive. Pilcher’s prose is good, there is none of the repetition or sloppy writing of many of today’s romantic novelists. Most of all, I enjoy her descriptions of Cornwall. She really does know how to conjure up a place without being boring. I have lots of her novels and I’ve no doubt I will read them, though not all at once.
I also read Simon Brett’s MAJOR BRICKET AND THE BODY IN THE BELL TOWER. This one I found a little disappointing. I love Brett’s Charles Paris and Fethering mysteries, but somehow this new series stretched credulity too far for me. Major Bricket is a retired spy living in a small Suffolk village. Also living there is Nga, a former Vietnamese/British spy. She previously managed to imprison an international terrorist known as J. J has now escaped and is after the blood of everyone who has ever crossed him.
I appreciate that the premise of any cosy mystery is hardly lifelike, but what this book lacks is humour. The plots of the Charles Paris books are largely irrelevant – the reader’s pleasure comes from Charles’s innate idleness, his ex-wife Frances’s exasperation, and his agent Maurice’s sarcasm and wheeler-dealing. Similarly, in the Fethering mysteries, Carole Seddon is a buttoned-up, serious character who contrasts brilliantly with her friend Jude. Everything happens in a small seaside town, and every character is well rounded and ‘real.’
Major Bricket, however, is too good to be true. He has no failings apart from a vast over consumption of whisky (which Brett does not portray as a failing.) Nga runs a celebrated restaurant; she is a highly skilled cook – but I had no sense of her personality because she doesn’t appear to have one. Brett also describes Nga’s waitresses as ‘pretty’ every single time – it’s their only characteristic, and very inappropriate nowadays. I fear he is drifting into Alexander McCall Smith territory; it seemed to me he was using the story to press his views on things like the LGBT+ community (not that his views are objectionable) and doing far more telling than showing.
I’ve always loved Brett’s books, but the lack of wit in this one means I won’t be continuing with the series.
So now I need a new book. I borrowed Elizabeth Strout’s LUCY BY THE SEA from the library on the recommendation of a friend. I just couldn’t get on with Olive Kitteridge – but neither could my friend, so maybe I’ll do better with this one.
I also borrowed some guidebooks to Rome as we will be there in less than two weeks. I need to get organised and book things like the Vatican and the Colosseum.
On Tuesday we went to a talk by a marine scientist about the effects of climate change on the ocean. It was much more interesting than I had anticipated, as he was a good speaker and very entertaining. Having talked about the awful stuff that they are now finding in the sea (eg traces of paracetamol have been found in the Arctic), and the loss of sea creatures and plants, he moved on to discuss measures we as individuals can take to help.
Apparently if we all spent just one minute less in the shower every day, the water saving would be phenomenal. By far the best thing, though, that we can all do is stop flying. I haven’t been on a plane since before the lockdowns (though I’m afraid we are flying to Rome) but some of my friends go on almost back-to-back long-haul holidays. Unfortunately I think our generation is something of a lost cause – the people I know are intelligent and sensible until it comes to anyone telling them not to do something they like doing. It’s the same with water sprinklers – the speaker said we should stop using hoses and go back to watering cans, but I have at least one friend who says ‘but we need to use the sprinkler or the lawn will die!’ – well maybe it will (though the speaker said most lawns will revive once it rains again in winter) but surely your lawn isn’t more important than global warming?
Anna and Molly completed their purchase of a flat yesterday, so they will be moving out of our house in Edinburgh. We had always thought we’d sell it as soon as they left, but now – surprise! – we are having second thoughts. So we will keep it over the winter and see how often we use it. It’s a modern house with good insulation so we hope it won’t cost us too much to keep going.
Tonight we are going to an ‘intimate’ concert by a singer called Adam Holmes. We don’t know much about him but decided to give it a go. Then tomorrow we are down to Leith to collect the cats and bring them here while the girls are on holiday. I wonder how Charlie and Herbie will adapt to living in a small flat after having had the run of a 4 bedroomed house? Herbie has never lived anywhere else.
Have a good week all.
Thank you, Rosemary, for saying you feel overwhelmed at times, too. Although, maybe I shouldn’t say thank you. I don’t really want others to feel that way.
It sounds as if you just had the best week with your family. And, now you’re planning to go to Rome! You do have to fly to get there, I’m sure. But, it was interesting to hear about the talk you went to.
Oh, Charlie and Herbie! I hope they have good windows in the new flat.
Rome! How exciting. We haven’t been there since the mid-’70s but loved both our visits. We stayed in a pensione at the top of the Spanish Steps and walked everywhere (of course we were young then), even as far as the Vatican. Don’t know if Da Meo Patacca (sp?) in Trastevere still exists, but if so we had a wonderful outdoor dinner there. And the Coliseum! Plus, we saw AIDA outdoors at the Baths of Caracalla. And do not miss the ossuary at the Capuchin Monastery off the Via Veneto.
Sorry for going on so long, but Rome is exciting. Have a wonderful time.
Rosemary, I loved Lucy by the Sea but I don’t know how it will hold up if you haven’t read the other books in the series. Maybe start with My Name is Lucy Barton? Or Strout’s newest, which is not about Lucy or Olive? It was just named to the Booker short list.
What a wonderfully busy family week you had Rosemary. Sounds perfect. And I hope you have the best time in Rome!
I finished Name All the Animals by Alison Smith. For me, it was a completely depressing book with a few spots of laugh out loud humor. In mind, both of her parents were mentally ill and they kept going off the deep edge when the Alison’s older brother is killed in an vehicle accident. Of course, no one was there for Alison after the death, She tried take care of them, and developed an eating disorder that brought her down to 85 pounds. I thought about stop reading several times but stuck it out to the end.
Now starting Chasing Haley, by Eddie Lau. Despite having a terminal cancer and a son who is severely autistic. This book is filled with hope and determination. Thank goodness!
Carol, I’m going to just come out and say it. You read some of the most depressing books I’ve ever heard about. I’m glad there’s some hope in the latest book.
I know! What I don’t like is books with no hope! I crave hope!
Good morning! The highlight of my week was attending, for the first time, my 9-year-old grandson’s football game. The league is sponsored by local high schools, and this group is called the Oak Ridge Trojans “junior peewees.” but they wear regular uniforms, helmets, pads, and mouth guards, and it’s a really big deal. Thankfully, the boys’ safety is considered paramount, and I didn’t see any injuries. And they have to get weighed before every game. Henry, as one of the tallest/heaviest on the team, can’t play certain defense positions because of that, at least for now, but he played offense, defense, and kicker in this game. They use the high school’s regular football field, and have their own cheerleaders (about 25 girls under age 10 with gymnastics as part of their routines), an announcer, multiple coaches and officials. I can’t tell you how thrilling it was to hear Henry announced as part of the 4=member coin toss group and hear his name when he kicked the extra points for the team’s two goals. They won 16-0 because in this league, you get one extra point for running the ball in and two points for a successful kick.This was an away game, and I hope to attend the two remaining home games (about 10 minutes away from me), where they have actual stadium seats with backrests!
Lesa, I know what you mean about too many books. I’ve tried to hold the line at NetGalley, and my shelf is pretty much under control, but I do have library books that need to be read as well. Here’s what I read this week:
Fiftyish Meredith Bailey is a hard-core businesswoman who lives and breathes her career, to the exclusion of almost everything else. So when she visits the village of Budbury on England’s Dorset coast, she expects Cherie Moon to agree to sell her the Comfort Cafe for an agreed-upon price. But Meredith quickly discovers that Cherie’s price includes spending time in the town for a week or two and working part-time for free in the cafe before any contracts are signed. Reluctantly, Meredith agrees. Against her better judgment, she begins to understand that there is something special about Budbury and its residents, who all seem to be living their best and happiest lives there. And it doesn’t hurt that the sexy Santa at a pre-Christmas celebration turns out to be Jack, the local veterinarian. Meredith has a troubled background that includes a divorce, a family tragedy, and an estranged daughter, so she has closed herself off from relationships and romance to protect herself from more disappointments. Jack also has some difficulties in his past, but he has opened his heart to the friends he has made in this unique town. I felt that it took Meredith, on whom the story is centered, a bit too long to let go of some of her self-imposed restrictions, but it is a well-written, emotional story, peppered with delights such as the amazing food that graces every event and many home tables, the lovely supporting characters, and the town itself. Since SNOWED IN AT THE COMFORT CAFE is written by Debbie Johnson, a comfort read author extraordinaire, you can be sure that a happy ending will be coming.. The Comfort Cafe series started a decade ago, but you don’t have to have read the previous books (I haven’t read most of them) to be comforted by this one. (October)
In Elizabeth Kemp’s debut mystery, TREAD LIGHTLY, Tierney is a stay-at-home mom in Silicon Valley. She is trying hard to score a volunteer job at the school where Finn, her precocious son, is a kindergartener, but a tight clique of mothers turns her down every time. Tierney fills some of her down time with her morning lap swim at the local center, but that ends when a young woman is found dead one morning in the pool. She’s an au pair from Russia who was working part-time as a lifeguard after her child care job disappeared suddenly. The local police are eager to solve the mystery of how Tatyana died because they don’t often have a murder case in Park View, but the clues are both elusive and confusing. Could one of the other pool employees or swimmers be responsible, or is it someone from the wealthy community who employed her? What Tierney hasn’t shared with many others in Park View is that she is more than a stay-at-home mom. After graduating from Trinity College in Ireland, she became a member of an elite squad of the Garda, gaining experience as a hostage negotiator and catching the attention of Norah, who became her mentor, partner, and biggest booster. But when a violent event occurred and she couldn’t save her friend, Tierney gave up that kind of work, became a professional baker and ultimately met her husband at an event she was catering. It’s been eight years, and Tierney is still haunted by her inability to save her friend. When the pool is shut down indefinitely, she uses her time and her analytical and investigation skills to figure out how to help the police. Tierney is a fascinating character–brilliant but her own worst enemy. She is in a happy marriage and is a wonderful mother, even as her demons threaten to consume her. I enjoyed the intricacy of the case and the references to places in Silicon Valley where I used to live (although Park View is fictional), as well as the descriptions of delicious-sounding baked goods. If this is the beginning of a series, I am looking forward to seeing where Tierney goes after a thrilling scene in this book. I also appreciated the epilogue, which is used to let the reader know the details of the case and how it was finally solved. Side note: I bought this book at Left Coast Crime in February after hearing the author’s brief presentation, and I am currently working with her on an interview for the next issue of the SinC MorCal newsletter.
In CHRISTMAS IN BELGRAVIA from Stacey REynolds (a prolific British comfort read author who was unfamiliar to me), Eira and Cian are coworkers at a company that buys old landmark buildings in and around London and restores them to their original grandeur. Cian is a high-level manager, and Eira is a freelance preservation architect who lives from contract to contract, highly regarded for her unmatched talent at coordinating all of the artistic elements based on the historical period when the building was in its prime. It is evident from the start that each is enamored of the other–Cian almost to distraction–although there is no initial evidence of a workplace romance. Fiercely independent, Eira has been struggling to hold things together since her parents died in an accident five years earlier, leaving her with serious financial problems. Determined to keep paying her 15-year-old brother Dylan’s tuition, room and board at a prestigious school until a trust in his name starts contributing to his college education when he turns 18, that means Eira has to live in an illegal and possibly dangerous basement flat that is not up to code, even though it still strains her budget. And Dylan is angry that his sister had to sell their family home and her parents’ cars. Eira hasn’t shared her current life with anyone at work, but it is all revealed as time passes. I especially enjoyed the character of Cian, along with his friends and his kind supportive family .It took a little more time to embrace Eira, as she insists on keeping her difficulties hidden from anyone who could help her and dissolves in tears at the drop of a hat. The Christmas component of the story is lovely and heartening, and there is some spice as the couple’s relationship heats up. Overall, I became immersed in the story and sped through the book quickly. I was surprised when it ended a bit abruptly and an unrelated novella, A Galway Christmas by the same author, took over. It’s the story of an Irish woman and a French man whose former relationship had been suddenly terminated by the woman for reasons unknown. Now the two are forced to be housemates, and there are difficult situations to resolve before the two can reunite (with spice). (October)
I’m not into abrupt endings, Margie.
I’m glad several of you understand that overwhelming feeling when looking at books.
I think I’ll skip your books this week. I have too many of my own. (smile)
The Elizabeth Kemp debut sounds interesting. I’ll need to see if I can locate a copy. Thanks
Margie, I have never read anything by Debbie Johnson but I’m thinking I should try one. Do you have one or two that you’ve particularly enjoyed that you would recommend?
I guess it depends on what your definition of “good” is. Overall, yes, as Jackie is home and recuperating from her knee replacement. She still has pain as one would expect, but she’s making progress and is able to sleep pretty well, so that’s something. Of course I am running around even more than usual, even – gasp – cooking. The weather has turned much cooler and very windy, and they are predicting a nor’easter this weekend, so a good time to stay in and read.
Books. Jackie read and very much enjoyed Jenn McKinlay’s standalone WAIT FOR IT. She is definitely going to read more of her books, so thanks to whoever it was who recommended her.
She is currently reading another Abby Jimenez, THE NIGHT WE MET, second in the SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME series. She likes her writing, the humor and the sad parts.
She is going to finish the Rebecca Yarros trilogy next.
I did finish the four books I was reading this week.
First was DADDY by Emma Cline. Her new books got all this critical acclaim, so I took out the collection of short stories, but I didn’t like it much, mainly the characters but also the stories themselves. Don’t know why I finished it, other than to see if it improved. It did, a little, but not enough. She’s not for me.
Much better was (a Crippen and Landru collection) ALL THE CRIME IN THE WORLD, edited by Tom Mead & Gigi Pandian. It’s locked rooms and impossible crimes around the world.
Next was ARE THEY DEAD YET?: THE ART OF THE OBIT by Sam Roberts, chief obituary writer for the NY Times. It’s pretty interesting after a dry beginning but there is one egregious error. In the title chapter, he discusses Abe Vigoda and other celebrities who were or weren’t dead. But in the discussion, he mistakenly lists Sophia Loren as dead. Not!
Lastly, I finally went back and finished Yosha Gunasekera’s THE MIDNIGHT TAXI, a first mystery that I’d rate good but not great. The good parts are the characters, particularly narrator Siriwathi Perera and lawyer Amaya Fernando, both Sri Lankan natives living in New York. Siri discovers a passenger stabbed to death in the back of her cab, and finds herself arrested for murder and with five days to prove she didn’t do it before she is indicted by the grand jury and sent to Rikers Island to await trial.
Here is where it went off track for me. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS) Clearly there is no motive or believable reason she’d have murdered a stranger in her own cab, then called the police. Yet they do zero investigation, assume she is guilty, and move on. Plus, some of the other characters were hard to tell apart. (END SPOILER) Still, the writing was good, I liked Siri, and she gets New York right. I would definitely read another.
Very best wishes for a speedy recovery to Jackie.
And well done on the cooking Jeff!
I”m probably the one who suggested Jenn McKinlay, Jeff. I’ve known and read Jenn forever. She was a librarian in Phoenix when I was in Arizona, and she was working and writing part-time. Finally, she was able to quit her job as a librarian, and go right to writing full time. I like her standalones.
All the Crime in the World sounds good.
Tell Jackie I’m rooting for her to feel better soon.
Jeff, I’m glad to hear Jackie is doing not too badly at the moment. Better so far than the other time?
I’m sure you’re cooking is helping to speed her recovery too!
your, not you’re. Grrrr.
Just a quick check-in. I am in Colorado Springs visiting a girlfriend and, based on all of your reviews, we are going to see Come from Away tonight at the college. Can’t wait! Will talk books next week!
Oh, I’m excited for you, Mary. I hope you both enjoy Come from Away! I want to hear about it next week.
It is cooler at my house too, but it will be back to 80 by the weekend.
Two books this week.
I really enjoyed We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman. The storyline was clever. Rosie has opened a crime solving business and their first client is Vern whose bodyguards keep getting killed. Rosie, Amy and Steve are on the case traveling to Palm Springs, Spain, Italy and Sweden. A fun read.
I cannot say the same about my second book, The Wish Trip List by Kerry Lonsdale and Orly Konig. I should have stopped reading after the first couple of pages with the name dropping of high-end brands. Unfortunately, I let my loyalty to Orly Konig’s writing make me continue. Two estranged friends revisit all the yearly trips made with the deceased third member of their group to scatter ashes in hopes it would bring them closer together. Spoiler alert. It does. I’ve read much better books with this theme.
We finished the Marlow Murder Club on PBS this week. I thought the stories were better than last season.
Enjoy your concert, Lesa.
Happy Reading!
Thank you, Sharon. I’m looking forward to the concert.
I just didn’t care for Osman’s second series, but that’s me.
Fall may have arrived according to the calendar but here in Idaho we’re expected to have a high of 93 today. Bright side is there’s a cold front coming in and temperatures will fall down to the 60s and 70s. Yay! On Sunday, I decided to tackle the ivy on the fence. The neighbors let it grow wild on their side and it encroaches onto ours. If you don’t have ivy, don’t plant it. It’s like an invasive weed. I haven’t found a way to kill it and trust me I keep trying. Anyway, I was hacking away at it and didn’t think to wear a mask. Needless to say, I’ve been coughing and sneezing from it all week long. I’m back at it today but I will be wearing a mask.
While I’ve been down with a big box of tissues, I got some reading time in this week. First I had to read my book for book club. Yup, I waited till the last minute. The theme was autumn and I read October Fest by Jess Lourey. I’ve met Jess and she’s a lovely person. Her books are great cozy reads. Mira is a librarian/reporter for the small town of Battle Creek. They are gearing up for their annual October Fest and with elections right after that, politicians are showing up to gain attention. Things take a turn for the worst when a murder takes place.
The other book I read was Cook Off Killer by Alix Sloan. Courtesy of NetGalley. As the producer for Chef Pierre’s Cook Off, Shannon Soss is invaluable. She makes sure everything is done correctly and smooths the Chef’s ruffled feathers when he’s upset which is often. In the final season, the powers to be decided to bring on guest chefs to help boast ratings. Only problem is the Chef is very jealous and doesn’t want to share the spotlight with anyone. But that doesn’t matter because not one but two chefs turn up dead on the set. Shannon’s sister, Casey is a true crime fanatic and between her and Shannon that investigate the murders. Not a smart idea because they keep hampering the police’s investigation, but all turns out well in the end. The book triggered some of my pet peeves about cozies. Over description of the food the main character was eating for each meal and amateurs who think they know more than the cops.
I’m jealous, Bev. I’ll take the higher temperatures. I’m in a heavy robe, under an afghan, with my fireplace on right now.
I know. Those of us who read cozies do tend to have pet peeves, don’t we?
We went to the Planned Parenthood book sale last weekend on both Saturday and Sunday; Sunday was half price day. Same results as the previous weekend. My husband and son kept themselves under control and bought a reasonable number of books. I bought way too many. But fortunately the temperatures stayed low and it was pleasant in the book sale building. Now I have a bunch of books to catalog.
Every day that we went to the book sale, Glen thought he would not find more books, but he did find more every time. That doesn’t surprise me, he has much broader interests in types of books and subject matter than I do.
I am also feeling overwhelmed about what I will read before the end of the year. I am not interested in newer books, but I got so behind in reading that I know I cannot read all I want to read by the year. And I have five Christmas books I want to read. I guess these are relatively good problems to have.
Glen is now reading HAPPY-GO-LUCKY by David Sedaris. It is only the second book of essays by Sedaris that he has read and he just started it, but he is enjoying it so far. He bought six books by Sedaris at the sale, and we have some as eBooks, so I will read some of them too eventually.
I am reading TERRA INCOGNITA by Connie Willis. It is described as a collection of three novellas, but the last one is much shorter than the others, only 40 pages long in this collection. The other ones are closer to 150 pages each. All three novellas had been previously published but I had not read them. I finished reading the first novella and liked it a lot so I am guessing I will like all of them.
So many books! It’s so hard to keep that addiction under control, Tracy. I’m glad you all found books this time around.
Oh, I like what I’ve read by Connie Willis. I haven’t read a lot, but I like her books.
Hi friends, I am in the thick of my doctoral research and don’t have much to report on the reading front. However, I did finally read a book for fun that was not one of the Gilded Newport mysteries! (I am through #10 in those and will have to save the last four for special occasions—in an emergency break glass types of situations.)
Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman was entertaining. It is nice to have an older protagonist, in this case Mrs Blossom, who used to help Tess in Lippman’s Baltimore mysteries. The book had an Unexpected Mrs Pollifax feel to it, and it was gratifying when Mrs Blossom figured everything out.
A big nor’easter is on its way to my coastal home, so I am making sure I have lots of supplies and books, I should probably find the box in the garage when the emergency power items are!
Please do find that box, Trisha. I hope you avoid the weather.
Murder takes a Vacation was a little different. I liked it.
I’m glad you dropped in, even if you’re in the midst of research.
Lesa, I read several Cleo Coyle books, and it sounds like I might have to start in again.
The nights are starting to get colder, but the days are still really warm.
This week I read:
RFK by C. David Heyman; This is actually a weird experience to read. At the time it was written, the Kennedy Mystique was still palpable, but just since 2024, that mystique has really faded. I mean, JFK’s grandson came in third in a congressional primary, The Kennedy Center is falling down, and the most prominent one of them is working for Trump. This book is like watching a Shadow Play, when you can also make out the actual puppets.
Of Course Aliens Exist by Brice Bradshaw; an angry polemic about aliens, which becomes a meditation on mediocre pop singers. Very strange, but I don’t think anyone would complain too much if the pop singers were taken to a faraway planet.
Undone in Pattaya by Finn Coyle; a farang in Thailand tries to find a missing buddy while drinking and whoring around. Strangely enough, it’s pretty boring.
Atomic Fringe by Orion Friday; A Kids on Bikes novel by a guy who was never a kid on a bike.
Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves by Liz Ireland; Santa’s wife has a lot going on. The reindeer are on strike against drones. Someone is giving snowmen scooters. Her best friend is visiting. And there’s a murder. A little strange, but I enjoyed it.
Gullifur’s Travels by Brad Strickland; For the book club. Kids don’t really know anything about Jonathan Swift these days. Sometimes, I wonder if they know anything besides pressing buttons. Anyway, here’s a basketball tournament, which leads to Wishbone travelling to Lilliput and Brobdignag. I was disappointed there were no yahoos, but there’s the usual moral lesson to ensure you get your eye rolling exercises.
I imagine it is a weird experience to read RFK. I wonder what that generation of Kennedys would think of our mess.
Glen, That’s a great summary of the Mrs. Claus boos – a little strange, but enjoyable.
Even as an adult, I liked the Wishbone series on TV.