I hope you’re enjoying your week. My sister, Linda, and I did an overnight trip on Sunday. First, her husband, Kevin, made an early dinner so we could eat before we hit the road. We were only driving two hours away, but we were going to a concert, so staying overnight. There isn’t much open in New Philadelphia on a Sunday night, so we ended up at a bar for a light dinner. Here’s my funny story. I was in a hurry when I texted before shutting down my phone for the concert. So, I meant to text that Linda and I had apple caramel sangria (yum!). Instead, I wrote apple “carnal” sangria. Linda said of course my reader friends would catch the mistake on Facebook. Some of the comments were funny. We went to see Celtic Thunder, an Irish singing group. They started nineteen years ago. I’ve been following them since 2010. They became a refuge after my husband died. I think I’ve been to eleven of their shows, plus about five shows by individual group members. It’s still fun to see them all these years later.
I turned around the next morning and headed home, because so many historic sites are not open on Mondays. The Performing Arts Center there is gorgeous. If I go back again, I hope to go to one or two of the sites nearby. Schoenbrunn Village and Gnadenhutten are both Moravian villages, two of the earliest settlements in Ohio. I hope to get there soon.
So, a short road trip and a concert for me, followed by blog work for Treasures in My Closet and a book. What have you been doing this week?
I’m reading Ten Perfect Guests by Jonathan Santlofer. Think Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, with ten of the most dislikable people you ever wanted to meet. They all come to an isolated island following the death of an artist who had something to do with all of them, ex-husband, father, client, etc. And, it’s exactly what that common phrase says about car wrecks. I can see it coming with ten dislikable people. Which ones die? Which ones live? Who dunnit?
So, what are you reading this week?
Lesa, I’m pretty sure autocorrect is responsible for making your apple c….. sangria error. At least it was a funny one!
A busy week over here. Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. our 16-year-old grandson had the surgery to fix his broken wrist, and is doing well. I had two medical appointments myself. I took our new upstairs neighbour to her CT scan appointment at the hospital. This same neighbour is teaching me how to play mahjong and suddenly I find myself conscripted to play every Thursday afternoon! How will I ever read my books?! Someone (well, two someones) broke into our building’s parking garage and damaged one car, went through several other cars that were unlocked, and stole two bicycles. And poor David, who is on the strata council had to check camera footage, call the police, deal with questions from other residents, arrange for a locksmith, etc. I hope this coming week will be calmer.
One and a half books this week:
I spent two precious afternoons reading half of ‘DISENCHANTED’ by Lucy Jane Wood. I had read the first book (Rewitched) in the series and I loved it, so was looking forward to this one, the third in the series.
Sage Hemlock is a witch, doesn’t want to embrace her ‘witchy side’, ignores it as much as possible, Then an ancient grimoire comes into her possession and unleashes a curse that puts the whole town into danger.
Many tedious repetitions later of how much, and why, she doesn’t want to use her powers. And many tedious repetitions later of how she’s afraid the coven will come after her and make her use her powers. I seldom give up on a book but this one just felt like a chore to read so after reading 150+ pages I gave up, all the while being annoyed that I’d spent as much time with it as I did.
A FIELD GUIDE TO DEATH & DECEIT by Michelle L. Cullen (Bk 2 of the Harry and Emma mysteries)
In the first book we were delightfully introduced to Harry – 69 years old, widower, retired anthropologist, cranky and bored as he recovers from a broken hip and Emma – 20-something years old, the caregiver assigned to Harry, and their first ‘case’ which involved the death of Harry’s neighbour. Harry and Emma’s relationship has become more of a father/daughter one and the two genuinely care about each other.
This time around, Harry receives an unexpected frantic phone call from his high school girlfriend Willow, asking him to please meet her at a remote farm. Even though he hasn’t spoken to Willow in five decades, for old time’s sake he does so but Emma smells a rat and refuses to let him go alone and so tags along. At the farm they find a dead farmer, a corn rake embedded in his back but no Willow to be seen. Hours of police interrogation later, Harry and Emma arrive home to find a weepy Willow waiting for Harry. She’s in trouble, she’s just lost $800,000+ in a real estate scam, she can’t find the realtor, and it’s all a mess.
Determined to help her, Harry reaches out to his semi-estranged brother Edgar for assistance. He’s definitely on the shady side but is likely to have useful contacts. Making a welcome reappearance from the first book are Connor, a teenage neighbour and computer wizard (although I don’t think he was given a big enough role to play) and Detective Nate, Emma’s love interest from the last book. There are again many characters, it’s impossible to know who to trust and bizarrely, Harry’s brother is one of them since he seems to be implicated in the goings on. It seems the only way to solve the case is to concoct an elaborate con to catch the killer and the scammer red-handed.
It was another fun read, and quite suspenseful towards the end. A bit more complicated/confusing than the first book and there was a bit less in the way of the feel-good personal relations amongst the main characters but I liked it and if there’s a third mystery adventure featuring the duo of Harry and Emma I’ll be reading it.
Oh, Lindy. I am sorry for David and all your neighbors who were affected by the break-in. I think it’s funny, though, that you’ve been conscripted for mahjong. You can do books here in the morning, and mahjong in the afternoon! You now have a Thursday schedule.
I’m sorry you wasted all that time on a book you didn’t enjoy.
I do like schedules Lesa, so maybe this Thursday books followed by mahjong duo will work out just fine!
So glad that you shared A FIELD GUIDE TO DEATH & DECEIT – I read the first book and enjoyed it, so will add this to my TBR. Do let us know how you like Mahjong. I have resisted learning because of the time commitment. But good for socializing and keeping one’s brain active!
Mary, I’m enjoying mahjong so far! There are many little rules to learn (such as if you can use a tile that someone discarded you may pick it up but only to use it in a 3 of a kind, unless it was the person to your left who discarded it, in which case you can use it for either a 3 of a kind or a run). But I have discovered that if I write down each rule as it comes up during play, then I can refer to them while playing and not have to ask the same questions over and over, plus it helps me cement the rules in my head. Set up is a bit obscure at the moment but playing the game itself is not hard. And I must admit that even though I’m an introvert at heart, it is a lot of fun socializing with a group of friends (even if I have to decompress when I get home again ha ha). It does take up a chunk of time but three hours once a week seems OK.
It heated up again, feels more like June than late September.
I’ve been using my birthday premiums from restaurants. It’ll probably take a month to get back to fighting weight. Buca di Beppo gave me a sundae bigger than my head!
This week I read:
The Museum of Cursed Artifacts by Evan Spiliotopoulis: Some rich guy goes through most of his fortune gathering occult objects. (You know, it didn’t cost the Warrens much at all to gather their collection…just sayin’) A bunch of idiots stay the night there to prove they are real. Could have been scarier if I weren’t rooting for everyone to die.
The Things You’ll Never Know by Ashley Audrain; A control freak helicopter mother dies mysteriously. Her ghost hangs around, watching her family cope. The twist at the end is pretty lame.
Well, that’s not a good birthday present for you, Glen – hotter weather. I know you’re not a fan.
In other words, that helicopter mom got what she deserved. I’m not a fan.
It’s going to be hot this weekend. Fall isn’t quite here yet. But I’m reading a fall book – APPLE PIES AND POISONED LIES AT THE CIDER FALLS FESTIVAL by Traci Hall. I’ve been wanting to try one of her books for a while, but this one isn’t working for me. It’s the first in a series, and I love the characters and the setting. It’s got great cozy vibes. What it doesn’t have is great pacing. The story is pretty slow.
Oh, well, Mark. At least you’ve finally tried one of her books. One may be enough.
We had the Nor’easter last weekend so most of the weekend events were canceled. We did get to a local apple farm during a lull on Saturday so I could pick up a few pounds of Jonathan apples. Sunday was mostly just windy so my brother drove up to visit my mom and then he brought his chain saw over for Roger to look at. Turns out he put the new chain on backwards so it was an easy fix. It’s funny because my dad was handy and so am I but neither of my brothers were ever interested in learning how to do things when we were growing up.
This week I read an odd assortment of books since I’m trying to clear up at least one of my TBR piles in the front room.
AMERICAN CATTLE TRAILS EAST AND WEST by Marian Place. It was a brief history of cattle and cattle drives all across the US. The book was interesting and I’d never really realized that cattle drives weren’t strictly a western thing.
MICKEY7 by Edward Ashton. A man who owes money to criminals and is desperate to get off planet volunteers as a colonization ship’s expendable, without really realizing why no one ever volunteers for that job. You agree to do every dangerous impossible to survive task only to be regenerated over and over again with all of your memories. I think this may have been made into a movie which I’ll have to look for.
A cozy mystery, GHOST MORTEN by Regina Welling. A woman finds her husband in bed with her best friend, gets divorced and moves back to her hometown with practically nothing. She gets talked into buying the town’s spooky mansion for back taxes and then proceeds to be haunted by her former high school sweetheart’s ghost who won’t go away until she figures out who killed him. I’ve been a bit over cozy mysteries lately so I expected to DNF this but I actually enjoyed it.
Should be Ghost Mortem.
Oh, I know, I know, Sandy! I lived in southwest Florida for 18 years, McGregor Boulevard there is a gorgeous palm tree lined road that was once used for cattle drives from North Florida all the way down to Fort Myers and Punta Rassa where cattle were then shipped to Cuba. I can’t say I know anything more about eastern cattle drives, though.
I’m glad you found a cozy you enjoyed.
Well, mostly I’ve been running around like a servant this week, without much time to read. Jackie is doing well with her recovery, she started PT and will be going twice a week, and she is seeing the surgeon for her post-op follow-up tomorrow. And we’re getting a possible final hit of 80+ degrees tomorrow too.
Most of the reading I got done was short stories – every time I picked up a book I got a call for ice or a pillow or something else – but I did finish Robert Boswell’s first collection of stories, DANCING IN THE MOVIES (I’ve read his two later collections), which I found more uneven than the later books.
Also finished was BLUNT INSTRUMENT by Amy Bloom, her first mystery (I’ve read her short stories and her book about her husband’s decision to end his life) and apparently the first in a planned series about academic turned PI Dell(a) Chandler (not Hammett?).
If you read the readers’ comments on Amazon, you’ll see opinions vary between raves and harsh criticism. I can understand this, as I had problems with it. On the good side, it is quite short and a fast read. Dell is asked to investigate the death of a professor that many people disliked, in case the police investigation goes nowhere. But as a narrator, Dell is not a very likable person. Plus, as is pointed out on Amazon, she spends way too much time describing every character’s outfit, hairstyle, etc. plus the decorations of every room. The mystery is OK, but had the book nit been barely over 200 pages, I might not have finished it. So, if you like Bloom, yes, read it, otherwise YMMV.
Back after breakfast.
I decided to take a look at Blunt Instrument as I’ve read a couple others by the author. I was surprised how many books carry a variation of that title and also added a set of Rex Stout short stories – A Trio of Blunt Instruments.
Thanks
Here’s hoping Jackie’s doing better, soon, Jeff, and you can both return to normal life, reading and weather.
Best wishes to Jackie – and to you in your role of nursemaid, Jeff!
Thanks, Rosemary. Just teasing. I would always choose being the nurse rather than the patient. My sister and I were joking last week about what a terrible nurse our mother was when we were kids. After a day or so, she was done with it and ready for us to go back to school.
I’m sure you’re earning major brownie points in your temporary servant role Jeff. I’m glad Jackie’s doing alright and that she has you to help her.
Good morning all – so glad that you got to see your Irish show again, Lesa. it’s evident how much you love that event! I am back from Colorado where I had a lovely time. A visit to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, and the play “Come from Away” were some of my favorite things on the trip. I mentioned last week that I was looking forward to the show since so many on this blog had seen it, and it did not disappoint. What a great show! Now I am back to reality – working all day tomorrow, assisting my husband with a powerpoint presentation, and getting the outdoors autumn ready.
On to books:
-John of John by Douglas Stuart – At 400 plus pages this is not a quick read. The book takes place in Scotland in a very poor village where there are few children left. Cal left to attend art school, but returns when his father tells him that his grandmother is ailing. The poor subsistence of the place is heartbreaking. Cal’s father, John, is a righteous leader in their local church but he hides a huge secret. He is gay and is in love with a neighbor, Innes. Unfortunately his wife, Grace, didn’t know that when she married him. She caught the two of them together and left when Cal was young. His grandmother stayed with him to raise him. Cal is also gay, and wanting madly to find someone to love. His father takes out his frustrations physically on Cal for not being the son he wants him to be, for not having the life he wants, for having to live with his m-in-law, etc., etc. In spite of all this Cal loves his father and tries to make a life in his forlorn village. Neither the son nor the father knows the sexual preference of the other and once this becomes clear, their ability to truly live becomes evident. This is a story of love, resilience, and finding oneself, in spite of want.
-Knit One, Heist One by Donna Moore – I listened to the audio version of this cozy “mystery” and the reader did an excellent job. A not very serious, tongue in cheek type of story. Residents of a retirement home are about to lose their home, as a local mobster has bullied the owner into selling the building to him so that he can open a brothel. However, there is a catch; the owner’s grandfather had put into the codicil that the residents would get first dibs on any sale. Tasked with coming up with 2.5 million pounds, all looks lost, until they come up with a unique idea, to create knitwear for sexual escapades. This proves to be so successful that they are able to sell the business and raise the money. But the mobster has the owner backed into a corner and he refuses to sign over the home to the residents. Sylvia Abercrombie, the most audacious and foul mouthed of the residents, takes matters into her own hands and kidnaps the owner, keeping him trussed up in some of their knitwear until he agrees to sell to the residents. The hijinks ramp up from there.
Mary, I’m so glad you enjoyed Come From Away as much as the rest of us have. It’s a special show.
I just had to laugh at your review of Knit One. I can’t believe the hijinks ramp up. That sounds like they’re already there.
Mary, my husband really liked Stuart’s earlier book SHUGGIE BAIN but so far I haven’t steeled myself to read it. I think it looks so depressing, but David says that although there is a lot of sadness there, it’s still a very worthwhile read.
I almost quit about a quarter of the way into the book because it wasn’t my typical kind of book. But I persevered and it was a worthwhile read.
The weather here has been beautiful. 70s and 80s. All the trees are starting to show their fall foliage. I’m still hacking away at the ivy. I’m working in the area where the resident garter snake lives and as someone who is terrified of snakes, it’s not my favorite part of the yard to be in.
I got three books read this week. Well two books read and one listened to.
Split Second: Thirty-Two Switcheroo by Janet Evanovich
I love Stephanie Plum! I’ve read all of the books, and this one is a good addition to the series. At the start of the book, Stephanie is finally married to Joe Morelli. But marriage just doesn’t seem right to Stephanie. She can’t put her finger on what the problem is. Morelli’s grandma moves in and tries to change Stephanie. In the meantime, Stephanie is trying to capture a major drug supplier who failed to show up for his court date. Lots of car crashes, someone trying to kill Stepanie and of course Lula making things difficult. I could have sworn Stephanie was pregnant in the last book but there was no mention of it in this one. Or maybe I missed a book.
Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano; Hannah Morrissey
A murder takes place in the town of Christmas. The sheriff feels that he needs the state’s assistance in solving the murder. Mark and Holly work for the State Bureau of Investigations and both want the open slot on the Major Crimes squad. Holly always gives Mark the impression that she would kill him in his sleep and Holly thinks Mark is an incompetent boob. Which is why the commander decides to put them together to solve the Christmas murder. Typical ending, murder solved and partners fall in love with each other. Warning: this book is a rather spicy.
Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn
Lesa’s library tasting group has this as one of their selections. I actually listened to it and all I can say is wow! I listened to it all in one day because it was so interesting. I’m not the least bit interested in genealogy but if I had a family history like Christine, I would be more inclined to want to do the research.
Morelli! I stopped reach the Stephanie Plum books years ago, Bev, and didn’t know she finally picked Morelli. Thanks for the update.
Family of Spies. I’m happy to hear you liked it as much as other readers have said. I need to get to it soon, so I can catch up with all of you.
Jackie said the exact same thing! Can’t believe the Stephanie Plum series is still going.
Loved reading about your trip, Lesa! Sangria included!
we are back home in our nice cool mountains after two weeks in hot hot hot Alabama. it is good to be home.
A book I read and enjoyed was the follow-up novel to The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham
The Thoroughbreds
Description from NetGalley
Class is back in session! New York Times bestselling authors of The Academy Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham return with The Thoroughbreds: what has more high-stakes drama, tension, and intrigue than senior year at a New England boarding school?
September at Tiffin Academy is always a heady time, especially for the senior class—“sixth formers,” in Tiffin-speak—a season of college applications and intense pressure, of partying hard and last hurrahs. As the chapel bells ring in students and staff, everyone has something to look forward to—but in the midst of the anticipation and excitement, nagging questions and dark secrets lurk beneath the surface…
Are Tiffin’s It Couple, Charley and East, on the rocks? What sparked the rift between football star Dub and his best friend Hakeem? Will Pippa Sacks, posh day student, topple the delicate social hierarchy—or wreak even worse havoc? Can Head of School Audre Robinson save her job—and the school—after a disastrous financial mistake? And what was in that email attachment Cinnamon Peters sent to Dub before she died?
Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham answer these questions and more in The Thoroughbreds, a page-turning story about friendship, treachery, ambition, and growing up, at any age.
Thank you, Kaye! I’m happy you’re back home in your mountain retreat where it’s cooler and you’re in your home. Good to have you home! Hugs!
I’ve never read one of Elin Hildenbrand’s books.
I’ve joined all the others who have already read THE SHADOW FRIENDS, the third in Tess Gerritsen’s
The Martini Club series. I enjoy the series, although this wasn’t my favorite entry.
From 2025, THE GOOD LIAR by Denise Mina.
A tense psychological thriller about a forensic scientist facing a devastating moral dilemma before a major public speech. The story involves moral courage, class, complicity, and the corrupting influence of power and wealth.
Mina is so versatile. Every one of her crime fiction books I’ve read seems so original.
I’m still reading through my selections from last year’s Treasure Closet (I go into the Treasure Closet thinking “just one”, but ended up with five yesterday after others added more new books!)
Maha Khan Phillips, THE MUSEUM DETECTIVE, was inspired by a real-life antiquities scandal in Pakistan in 2000. The story takes place in Karachi and introduces archaeologist Dr. Gul Delani. Amazing story with family, true crime, Persian folklore, and archeology.
And I listened to a new release A FALL TO REMEMBER by Ellie Alexander for a little sweet pumpkin. The setting is the Fall Harvest Festival in Half Moon Bay, CA. A cozy, heartwarming romance that celebrates second chances and finding love when you least expect it. Lots of food, but no spice!
For me, on the other hand, MM, I’d skip the Mina. Just not a fan of psychological thrillers. I remember posting about The Museum Detective. I never got around to it, but it still sounds good. Ellie Alexander’s sounds good, too.
Ditto. I just can’t read people like Denise Mina or Tana French. Most people love them, so maybe it’s us, but I don’t think so.
I’m okay with it being us, Jeff. Just not what we normally like.
Back to books.
Jackie is very much enjoying bok three in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean trilogy, ONYX STORM. She calls it Hunger Games with dragons. She even asked me to reserve the new short collection in the series.
I’m reading the fun GOLDEN AGE LOCKED ROOM MYSTERIES, edited by Otto Penzler, whose title is self-explanatory.
Harlan Coben’s PLOT TWIST is subtitled Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft: A Memoir on Writing. John Grisham calls it “advice, stories and anecdotes,” and that’s pretty accurate. I don’t know if this will help any aspiring writers out there, but it’s a light, entertaining read, Coben’s take on how he does it.
I know Lesa was not a fan of Richard Osman’s WE SOLVE MURDERS, the first in a new series, but though it’s certainly no Thursday Murder Club, I enjoyed his introduction of former cop (and widower) Steve, his daughter in law Amy (a “close protection” agent aka bodyguard) and Rosie, described as “the world’s best-selling author. It ended with them starting the title agency, and in the second book, WE CHASE SHADOWS, they finally get their first case. If you’re looking for fun, light entertainment, this might fill the bill.
Of course I have several other things on hand:
Mad Mabel
The Shadow Friends (Tess Gerritsen)
Short story collections by Jack Ritchie and Connie Willis
What’s So Great About Great Books?.(not sure about this one)
Country Christie (more short stories)
I like Connie Willis’ short stories. I probably didn’t read the ones in your book, though, Jeff. I’m a big fan of her Christmas collection.
I’m sure Jackie had plenty of time to read that whole series. She’s not running around getting ice, pillows, etc. 😉
Good morning! As Glen said, our temps are back in the 90s for what I hope is the last time. But October has started well for me. This morning I was approved by NetGalley for Claire Pooley’s Friends You Haven’t Met Yet (I’ve loved all of her books), and I was informed by Goodreads that I have won a hard copy of Nantucket Christmas Stroll by Nancy Thayer. It will be fun to get that in the mail. Rabbit, rabbit indeed!
This will be a busy few days coming up. Today I have babysitting duty, picking up the grandkids at school (on a claustrophobic street where I have to get there early to get a parking spot), taking them both to piano lessons, taking Henry and picking him up from football practice, getting them fed, then staying overnight because their parents aren’t sure when they will be returning from a concert in Sacramento with friends. Oh, and right now their family is taking care of Melany’s parents’ two small dogs while her mother recuperates from her lung transplant in a BnB close to Stanford hospital. Then, tomorrow, I expect to have delivered 30 bags of bark for my lawns (I have a corner house)–HOA has spoken that I need to refresh it. I got a ridiculous estimate from the gardener, and then my son Zach offered to take the lead, with Nick’s and my help. Right now I’m worried about where the pallet of bark bags will fit (in my garage,hopefully) and whether the hand truck will help us get then around the corner. Wish me luck.
Here are the books I’ve finished reading this week:
Author Jeff Zentner never fails to surprise me with his books, which I find both exciting and endearing. LOVE, LIKE APPLES tells the story of Tiller, who spends most of his hours outside of school toiling on his alcoholic father’s apple form. There’s not much for Tiller in rural Tennessee except for his older brother, who becomes his hero and role model. Smith quietly teaches Tiller that he must treat others with kindness and that he gets to decide what type of person he wants to be. So when the Vietnam War takes Smith away from him, Tiller finds respite with a couple who run a a little puppetry business performing for children in small venues. Intrigued, he accepts their invitation to train with them to make puppets and bring them to life, both visually and verbally. And, as soon as he graduates from high school, he takes off for New York City in the late 1970s in search of this type of work at a higher level. Tiller answers a job posting asking for an Appalachian puppeteer and lands the job with a dedicated group of writers and artists putting together an upcoming TV series on PBS, hoping for the same success as the popular Sesame Street. But this show will be for teenagers, especially those who have never seen a show about kids who look like them or who have their problems. It will be called Imagination Nation. And voila–Tiller has found his new family. The story is structured as an extended interview with a documentary maker who wants to feature this TV series from the viewpoint of those who lived it, even if for a shorter time than expected. And although it is in Tiller’s voice, he succeeds in bringing it all to life in front of the reader. A scrappy group of artists with a big dream, a beautiful love story, prejudice and bigotry, celebration and mourning. Sometimes Zentner’s writing becomes luminous, and other times is down to earth, making for a successful juxtaposition. There is humor, love, and a lot of emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. (November)
Over the course of Celeste Connally’s four-book Lady Petra Inquires series, set in 1815 England, Lady Petra Forsyth matures and develops into a highly relatable protagonist, and the mysteries become even more entertaining. Those familiar with the series know that Petra has declared publicly that she will never marry, and many are aware that she is carrying on a romantic relationship with a dashing unmarried man. Her situation is rare in the Regency era, when women were largely dominated and disrespected by men. In MURDER OF A MERRY GENTLEMEN, she makes a reluctant stab at improving her position in society while maintaining her own standards, Petra agrees to assist the Lady Patronesses of a prestigious men’s club with planning and executing several Christmas-season balls to find suitable matches with well-to-do bachelors for a dozen young women. Parents of the women are invited to bid on the privilege of having their daughter as the hostess of one of the balls, affording them priority over interacting with four of the most eligible bachelors. The problem is that the four young women who win the bids are all scientists, who struggle to have their work appreciated or even acknowledged, making them the most difficult to match up. When one of the four bachelors falls to his death at the first ball, the Lady Patronesses ask that Petra investigate before the tragedy becomes public. She knows how to use lock picks and hidden daggers and has participated in such investigations in earlier books. Another plot involves an appealing street urchin who has helped Petra in the past, and who pleads with her to get his mother out of jail for theft, although Petra has never even met her. I don’t want to spoil any of the plot, which is quite convoluted and features some very memorable characters. The ending is the most satisfying one of the series, leading me to wonder whether there will be more. Here’s hoping! (November)
You have some very busy days coming up, Margie. That schedule with your grandkids is enough to knock me out. Wow! Does that mean you have time to read while sitting in the carpool lane?
The Lady Petra mysteries sound like possibilities.
Lesa, I do plan to read while waiting for the kids to come out of school. For the rest of the day, until he goes home tonight, I’ll have Nick with me, and he’s a lot better at directions than I am. And last night I found out that Autumn’s soccer practice was cancelled, so we can actually go to their house between 5:30 and 7:30 rather than staying at her practice, until we have to pick Henry up from football practice.Even that small change makes a difference. As for the Lady Petra books, I got to meet and talk to Celeste Connally (aka author S.E. Perkins) at Bouchercon in 2023, after reading the first book, and she assured me that Petra would be softened a bit in the ensuing books. I’m so glad she did. The is one is one of my September favorites.
Whew. A little relief in the middle of a hectic afternoon and early evening, Margie.
I’m not always into historical mysteries. I did like some of the books that S.E. Perkins wrote under that name, though.
Busy days indeed Margie!
I can’t wait for Clare Pooley’s new book! Alas, not out till the end of March.
And here you’ve already read the fourth in the Lady Petra series and I’m still awaiting the third book! One more month to go. Excellent series.
Hello from Aberdeenshire.
It’s most definitely autumnal here, but today is sunny and bright – I think the top temperature will be around 60F.
We have Charlie and Herbie with us this week. Charlie has been strutting about as if he owns the place (even though he has never lived in this house), but poor little Herbie is terrified. We hardly saw him for the first two days, and even after that he only emerged from his various ‘safe’ places (eg behind the toilet!) for very brief moments. I don’t even know if he was eating, as I’m afraid Charlie may have been hoovering up Herbie’s meals as well as his own.
Last night, however, I found them sleeping together in a chair, and today Herbie has been a little more visible. He has certainly eaten his own food too – I’m feeding one of them upstairs and one downstairs, but Charlie is still doing his best to wolf his down and rush off to Herbie’s bowls.
We return them to Anna on Sunday. She and Molly are on holiday beside Lake Como. We ourselves are going to Rome on Wednesday; as usual I am anxious about travelling, but I expect it’ll be fine. We are to spend 3 days in Rome and 2 in Florence.
This week we went to the Tivoli theatre to see a Dusty Springfield tribute band. They were very good, and the singer was really impressive. It was a fun evening with lots of singalongs, including Dusty’s major hits like ‘Son of a Preacher Man’, ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’ and ‘Take Another Little Piece of My Heart.’
Yesterday we went to a talk at the university about the Scottish Colourists – the painters Samuel Peploe, John Fergusson, George Hunter and Francis Cadell. The speaker was Alice Strang, who used to be a senior curator at the National Galleries of Scotland and has now published a book about the Colourists. She was talking with Magnus Linklater, the son of a former rector of Aberdeen University who amassed a huge collection of modern art and donated most of it to the university. They worked well together and made the talk very interesting.
On Tuesday I did my second volunteer afternoon at the charity bookshop. I am enjoying it, though I’ve now realised that almost all of the sections are in need of a good sort out! The children’s room looks like no-one has touched it for years, and the fiction, which is supposed to be in alphabetical order, has become quite random. As you can imagine, this challenge appeals to my book-nerdy soul, so I am looking forward to winter afternoons of book sorting. The customers at the shop are either very friendly or completely non-verbal. I’m fascinated by their queries – which so far have centered mainly on Ian Rankin and Wilbur Smith, though one lady asked for any books about Lego, as her son is obsessed with it.
Books – or should I say ‘book’? I read Elizabeth Strout’s LUCY BY THE SEA, but as with her OLIVE KITTERIGE, I found this author’s style difficult. I know that many people love her books, but to me the prose seemed flat. I wasn’t sure why she always says ‘I could not’, ‘he would not’ and never ‘I couldn’t’ or ‘he wouldn’t’? I also found Lucy difficult to like – at the beginning of the book she seemed to hate everyone and everything.
I did, however, enjoy reading this as an account of Covid times. I had already forgotten so many things about those strange days – the social distancing, the long lines to be allowed into supermarkets, the fear, the hostility of local country people to those escaping the city. I found the way in which Lucy’s relationship with her daughters changed over this time interesting. And her thoughts on the storming of the Capitol building were really perceptive.
So I had mixed feelings about this one. I probably will read more of Strout’s books, but not just yet.
Now I am in a bit of a quandary about reading. We are leaving for Rome on Wednesday morning, so I need a book that will get me through long waits at airports (we have seven hours in Schiphol on the way back), but I’ve just been looking at my shelves, and the long books I would like to read are just so heavy. Do I take one anyway, on the basis that once we arrive I won’t have to carry it around all day, or do I take something smaller and risk finishing it and having nothing to read? And what about now? I need something I can easily finish by Tuesday, but I’m not nearly as fast a reader as some of you.
Also, our daughter Madeleine is arriving tomorrow for an overnight stay, and on Saturday we are attending the prize-giving for the poetry competition in which she’s been shortlisted, so that will take most of Saturday out one way or another.
And on Sunday we are taking the cats back to Leith and then going to a concert in Edinburgh, so we won’t be back here till Monday afternoon.
Oh the trials!!
Jeff, the new series of BLUE LIGHTS has just started on the BBC. We watched the first episode last night and it did not disappoint. It’s all on i-player already so we will watch the second part tonight. I’ve also been watching the previous series of BAKE OFF, although I really want to get on to the new series and see how Nigella Lawson does as she steps into Prue Leith’s shoes.
I’ve also been listening to THIS CULTURAL LIFE on BBC Sounds. Both the actor Ray Winstone and the author Sebastian Faulks were very good, but I especially enjoyed Frank Cottrell Boyce’s session.
Boyce is currently our Children’s Laureate, but in his time he has written for television (Coronation Street, Brookside), and film (Welcome to Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People), and with Danny Boyle he wrote the opening cerem
Boyce is such a likeable person; he grew up in a two bedroomed flat in Liverpool with his mother, father, brother and grandmother (grandma had her own bedroom, all the others were squashed into the other one). When his father was finally able to buy a small newbuild on a housing estate Boyle was in heaven, not only did they have more space and a garden, but there were other young families all around, so plenty of playmates. I found myself nodding in agreement when he said how annoying he finds people who criticise suburbia as ‘all little boxes’ – for him, and for so many people, it was home and a home he loved. He had a wonderful childhood there.
He and his wife, whom he married while still at university (he went from a deprived part of Liverpool to Oxford University, just as my own father-in-law had done some years earlier), have seven children. At one point he said ‘well I’ve never really had a job’ – The presenter, John Wilson, said ‘surely your writing is a job?’, to which Boyle replied ‘I never think of it like that, it’s just lots of fun.’ Such a difference from all those authors who tell us how hard it is!
One of Boyle’s tasks as Children’s Laureate is to visit schools, many of them in very deprived areas. Although he himself comes from a humble background, he was shocked when a teacher asked him not to talk about the summer. He had no idea why until the teacher explained that, for some of the children, school provides their only structure; they feel safe there. They also get fed. In the summer they suffer chaotic home lives that sometimes include violence, and rarely feature regular meals. Heartbreaking.
I have just been walking by the river. It’s turned into a glorious day, beautiful sunshine and only the slightest chill in the air. In Rome it will be around 27C (80F) – I’m not made for such temperatures!
So I will see you in two weeks’ time.
I think BLUE LIGHTS is starting here soon. We watched but didn’t much care for CRIMINAL RECORD with Peter Capaldi and Cash Jumbo. For lighter fare, we’re watching BLUE MURDER MOTEL, about a couple of cops in New Zealand who both retired and bought a seaside motel. Of course, they’re faced with murders every episode.
We’re two or three seasons behind on Bake Off, so no Nigella here yet.
November 12th on BritBox here in the USA. 6 Episodes.
It’s interesting you mentioned Elizabeth Strout’s language choices Rosemary. I follow a book reviewer in London that grew up in Maine. He looks forward to Strout’s books and enjoys reading them aloud because it sounds so authentically Maine.
Have a great trip!
Thank you!
I completely relate to your trials with what book(s) to take with you on your holiday. This is not an easy dilemma to solve. Good luck!
Our older daughter is the same – she agonized over which ones to take on their trip this summer; length of books, physical size of books, which genre would she feel like reading, etc.
We’ll miss you next week, Rosemary, but we’ll hope you’re enjoying Rome and Florence. And, I know you’ll have stories to tell us when you return.
That’s just so sad that summer can have negative connotations for children. Just tragic, really.
Oh, Charlie! Give Charlie a pet for me. That’s funny that he thinks he owns the place although he’s never been there. I hope he and Herbie adapt to their new home.
Two Books for me this week.
Night Swimmers by Roisin Maguire. Grace lives alone in Ballybrady on the east coast of Northern Ireland. Her life is disrupted when Evan rents her cottage for townies. His marriage is breaking up due to the death of his infant daughter. He is there a week when the lockdown occurs because of his Covid. His wife sends their deaf eight-year-old son to stay with him because she is necessary personnel with her job. Evan, Grace, and Luca have to adjust to each other as well as the isolation of the times. I enjoyed it.
The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson was a Reese’s Book Club choice. It was about a tsunami that hits the Pacific Northwest and Annie Macleod’s life is turned upside when her parents go missing. This was a magical realism book about the underworld of the ocean. I thought it was okay.
Happy Reading!
Sounds as if you read two traumatic books this week, Sharon.
I just finished Hearse and Gardens by Kathleen Bridge, 2nd in series, great cozy, with more history of the Hamptons and learned about Andy Warhol’s life. She is coerced into adopted a cat, the last at the adoption fair. She wasn’t sure she would still have a place to live so that is part of her reluctance. But One-Eyed Joe, which turned out to be One-Eyed Josephine is a character of her own. A Maine Coon (I love them) but she can turn from hot to cold very quickly.
Also I have started the Zorg, non-fiction by Siddharth Kara. It is story of a ship carrying slaves that lead to the abolition of slavery and slave trade in England. He writes precisely, I can draw the ship from his description but every word is important. This is nn amazing book of so much research. Now I want to read all the rest of his books!
Hearse and Gardens does sound good, Carol. I like the sound of the Maine Coon cat.
Today is Glen’s birthday. This weekend our son Doug and I will each cook a meal for him (of his choice). We will watch movies he has picked from our vast collection: The Fugitive with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, and Bullet Train, a more recent thriller set on a train, with Brad Pitt. Both will be fun. It has been a while since we have seen The Fugitive.
Several commenters mentioned the hot weather and I think they are all in California. Here in Goleta we have an excessive heat warning starting tomorrow, going through Oct. 8. It was cool and overcast this morning and we took a short walk but it is sunny now.
GlenK is currently reading YEAR ZERO: A HISTORY OF 1945 by Ian Buruma, a book he got at the book sale. He has had mixed reactions to it; it is a little dry.
I am reading a spy fiction book, THE DOUBLE GAME by Dan Fesperman. I usually like spy fiction, but this one is especially good. Hard to describe though. It is very different from the normal spy fiction novel and I do like that a lot. As usual for spy fiction, it is very complex and convoluted. I like the setting in Vienna. The protagonist’s father, a retired diplomat, lives in Vienna and I like that setting.
Tracy, Please tell Glen I said Happy Birthday. I don’t know him, but I know his books! It sounds as if it will be a very nice birthday weekend.
Yes, you’re right. Those who said it’s hot are all in California.
I hope Glen’s book gets a little better, and you continue to enjoy yours.
So, Monday afternoon PERFECT IN DEATH popped up on NetGalley. For some amazing reason, the new Eve Dallas was preapproved for me. I have no idea why. I grabbed it, ditched everything else, and started reading. It is a good one though it was a bit gruesome in spots.
My bookmark is back moving in THE TAKEN ONES by J. A. Jance. This is the latest in the long running JP Beaumont series. It also is a big boring and slow moving. We have POVs from various female victims, JP and his retired wife, the dude who is grabbing young women and driving across the country, and various other characters. Multiple several page info dumps. I am about 70 percent through it and things are finally starting to move. I am reading an ARC through NetGalley.
I am also reading an ARC through NetGalley for The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2026. None of the stories so far have really appealed to me. I am hoping it gets better.
We had heavy rains yesterday and several times the power went briefly out and then kicked on. It was not storming so I have no idea what was going on with that. At least the evil 100s may be done this year and we are supposed to be in the 80s the next couple of weeks.
I was one of the people who commented on Lesa’s– apple “carnal” sangria– as I have a sense of humor and I use it. Rubs some folks the wrong way. Oh, well, it was all in good fun.