Here it is New Year’s Eve, and there’s nothing I’d rather be doing than talking books with all of you. But, first, it’s important to end the year on the proper note. How are you doing? Did you make it through 2020 okay, or are you dealing with loss? Those of us who are just mourning the loss of things like live theater really have nothing to complain about. So many people have lost loved ones or their own health or their jobs. I’m sorry. I hope 2021 is much kinder to all of us, especially those of us who are suffering from loss. Please continue to be safe. I hope to see all of you return at the end of 2021.
Now, on to books, which helped us all to get through this horrendous year. I was able to do my Favorites of 2020 yesterday because I’m ending the year with an Agatha Christie mystery. I never read the Miss Marple mystery, A Murder is Announced, and it came up in a Twitter conversation the other day. The local newspaper in Chipping Cleghorn carries an ad. “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30 P.M. Friends please accept this, the only intimation.” People do show up at Little Paddocks, a residence. At 6:30 P.M. the lights go out.
How about you? What are you reading to end the year? I hope you picked something you’re enjoying.
Happy New Year! Here’s to 2021. I hope it’s a better year for all of us.
Happy New Year to you too, Lesa. I read all the Agatha Christies as soon as I could find them, mostly in the early ’70s. I had already read AND THEN THERE WERE NONE/TEN LITTLE INDIANS in the ’60s. I still remember going to London for the first time on our belated honeymoon in April of 1971. We saw THE MOUSETRAP – then playing less than 20 years – and picked out one Poirot and one Miss Marple novel, almost at random. The Poirot was a mistake, the late bad THE CLOCKS, but the Marple was THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY. When we got home I started buying up her paperbacks as fast as I could find them. But I digress…
As mentioned yesterday, I raced through Thomas Perry’s Eddie’s Boy in about half a day this week. If you don’t mind reading about a high body count, this is a very fast moving thriller about a retired hit man who suddenly finds himself under attack again (as in previous books in the series), without knowing who is behind it. He hasn’t lost his skills 40 years after he started, and we get flashbacks of his learning from his foster father and mentor, hence the first book’s title The Butcher’s Boy, which deservedly won him a Best First Novel Edgar Award in 1982. I need to read more Perry.
Also finished Fighters of Fear: Occult Mystery Stories, edited by Mike Ashley. What can I say? It was OK, very readable, but nothing exciting to me. It’s mostly ghosts and mostly older stories, which I like reading occasionally,
Lawrence Block, Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails is a recent collection of his non fiction pieces that were left out of previous books or written more recently. I always enjoy Block’s non fiction and always end up with suggestions for further reading. The title? Block is from Buffalo, New York, and at one point he and his wife, who really love to travel, decided to track down and visit as many places named Buffalo (or with Buffalo in the name) as they could find.
Current reading: when I returned the last two books I’d borrowed from our laundry room library, I found Murder & Other Acts of Literature, edited by Michele B. Slung, a collection of stories by the likes of Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, James Thurber, Alice Walker, Edith Wharton, John Cheever, Rudyard Kipling, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Again, nothing has made me sit up and say “Wow!” but I’m enjoying this collection so far.
I downloaded the third Caz Frear book about London Detective Constable Cat Kinsella, Shed No Tears, and started it yesterday? Is the newly discovered body of a woman missing six years really the victim of the serial killer who claimed her, or is something else the truth? I like the series.
I hope everyone here has a happy and safe New Year’s and next year is a better one for all of us.
Thank you, Jeff! Happy New Year to you and Jackie! Agatha Christie is never a digression when we’re talking about crime fiction. I know there are other books by her that I’ve missed. I’ve seen the movie, The Mousetrap, but never the play. It sounds as if you had a good week of reading.
I agree. I hope we all have a better year ahead, and a good year of reading!
Happy New Year, Lesa and readers!
I have already posted enough about my long-hauler COVID-19 journey this year, so I won’t say much more, except I am glad that my reading mojo is (mostly) back. Reading has always been my salvation and I could never have foreseen that I would not be able to read for 4 months this year.
Like Jeff, I read almost all the Agatha Christie’s in the 1970s/1980s, along with Allingham, Sayers, Tey and Marsh. I certainly have not re-read a Christie mystery since then and wonder if they would seem dated, or are classics to enjoy (for me).
JEFF: I remember reading the Butcher’s Boy in the 1980s and will check out Eddie’s Boy. I must admit I stopped reading Perry a few years ago, Just too many other books in my more immediate TBR pile, I guess.
Currently, I am reading several ARCs with late December or early January release dates (still a bit behind schedule):
WATCH HER by Edwin Hill,, book #3 in the Hester Thursby series is as good as the previous books.
CHILLED TO THE CONE by Ellie Alexander, book #12 in the Torte Bakeshop series. I really wish Jules would finally resolve her situation with her estranged husband Carlos…going on for waaay too long.
FATAL DIVISIONS by Claire Booth, book #4 in the Sheriff Hank Worth series. A FATAL TURN (Book #3) was one of my top reads in 2019 so I I hoping this one will be as satisfying
CLOSELY HARBORED SECRETS by Bree Baker, Seaside Cafe Mystery book #5, This one was on Lesa’s top reads of 2020 and is one of my fave cozy series to read.
BLOODLINE by Jess Lourey, standalone. UNSPEAKABLE THINGS almost made my top 2020 reads list and Jess continues to write excellent Minnesota thrillers after finishing her humorous Murder-by-the-Month mystery series.
Happy New Year and let’s hope for a better 2021!
Grace, I quit reading the Torte Bakeshop series because Jules indecision got too annoying. It’s the same reason I quit reading Joanne Fluke’s Hanna Swenson books.
Sandy, I also quit reading Joanne Fluke’s books a while ago, esp. since she picked another guy and dumped the two she couldn’t choose from for 20+(?) books.
I am hoping that Jules will make finally make a decision in this book. She is trying my patience for sure.
Right there with you, Sandy. I quit both of those series for the same reasons.
Sandy, I gave up on the Joanna Fluke books before she got married. I do still make her blue blueberry muffins though.
I’ll be curious to see what you think about Bloodline, Grace. My review of that will run on January 2.
I didn’t think this Agatha Christie was too dated. There were a couple comments about Miss Marple that made me cringe, even though they were said in fondness. A pussy? A retired police superintendent refers to her as one of his older pussies. I didn’t see referring to an older woman that way. I guess because I’m now in that age range.
A Fatal Turn was terrific, wasn’t it? And, I hope you like Closely Harbored Secrets.
I SO agree with you about the Torte Bakeshop series. I quit reading it because I tired of that relationship.
It sounds as if you are back to reading. Good! Here’s wishing you good reading in the year ahead.
Lesa, I agree with you that there may be some sexist or racist phrasing/behaviour in Christie’s books that are no longer acceptable in 2020/2021. But the puzzle aspect and Christie’s plotting are cornerstones of mystery fiction and will stand the test of time, I think.
I think you’re right, Grace. And, this one actually was an excellent mystery, as Aubrey says. You’re right.
Grace, I am a big fan of Edwin Hill. Love this series!!
Me too, Kaye! I am enjoying WATCH HER (about 1/3 read) so far.
A slower reading week for me. I only managed to finish one library e-book. YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER by Sarah Hogle. It was only a so-so romantic comedy with some cute moments. Nicholas and Naomi wage a battle to see who will end their engagement so the loser will have to pay for the nonrefundable wedding bill. Along the way they rediscover what made them decide to wed in the first place.
Now I am reading A LADY’S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND Mayhem by Manda Collins. It started slow for me but now that I am further along it is good. It takes place in 1845 and involves newspaper owner and columnist Lady Katherine Bascom involved in a murder investigation.
Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2021!
I picked up your second book yesterday, Sharon. Thanks for the heads-up that it starts slow. Happy Reading in the year ahead!
Morning…. still working on LAW OF INNOCENCE in eBook from from the library though reading has been pretty much derailed the last few days. Happy New Year to one and all.
I hope everything is okay in your world, Kevin. Take care of yourself in 2021. Sending hugs.
Happy New Year. The only Christie book I’ve read was AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. I tried a couple of other ones but couldn’t get into them. And I’m glad that I’m not the only person who came back from the UK with books. In my case it was a Sherri Tepper series that was out of print here.
This week I read FATE ACTUALLY, a paranormal mystery by Elizabeth Hunter. Three women with psychic powers have to figure out who killed the owner of a neighboring vineyard. This was my favorite read of the week.
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE by Paul Gallico. This is the book that the movie was based on and I prefer the movie.
THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley. One of the librarians at our local library recommended this. I enjoyed the story of everyone being trapped on an island with a murderer, but found out I’m not of fan telling a story by jumping back and forth among multiple characters’ points of view. I did appreciate that each section was clearly marked with the character’s name and who they were.
HAVE YOURSELF A FUDGY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by Nancy Coco is a light cozy mystery.
TANGLED ROOTS BY Marcia Talley sufferers from being two different stories in one book, neither of which is developed well enough. In the first half of the book a woman has her DNA tested and discovers that she’s a quarter American Indian. Her sister then works on learning about genealogy and building a family tree to solve the mystery of this unexpected heritage. Then about halfway through the book there is a murder which has nothing to do with the first part of the book although the genealogy theme continues while they murder is being solved.
Sandy,
Is TANGLED ROOTS another Hannah Ives mystery? I used to enjoy reading the series but the last two/three books have been sub-par, and it sounds like this one is too.
Grace, it is. It’s the only book in the series I’ve read and I probably won’t read any more of them
The early Hannah Ives mysteries were good and focused on her struggles as a breast cancer survivor. But like I said, the last 2 or 3 were sub-par, so I probably won’t continue reading the series. Too many books, too little time….
Happy New Year, Sandy! I just liked the premise of this Agatha Christie. It was pretty good. I loved Murder on the Orient Express, the book and the earlier movie, not the later one. But, I was always interested in the Lindbergh kidnapping, and it reminded me so much of that case. There are so many Agatha Christie’s I haven’t read, but with all the current reading I do, I probably won’t get back to too many of them.
I never read that Paul Gallico book. I liked his Mrs. ‘Arris ones, and The Snow Goose.
I’m glad one book stood out for you. Your other reading sounds so-so this week.
Lesa, the Mrs ‘Arris books are definitely better. Unfortunately my library doesn’t have them anymore.
I’m betting my library doesn’t have them either, Sandy.
Lesa, you are treating yourself right with A Murder Is Announced! One of Christie’s best, I think. I read them all many times years ago and could still quote bits of my favorites. This week I took advantage of Amazon’s kindness in reducing the Kindle price of Connelly’s Law of Innocence on Tuesday, which I promptly spent the day reading. Over the weekend I read Murder in Melbourne by Dulcie Gray, a Broadway actress from the 1950s and 1960s who also wrote crime fiction. Yesterday I wrote Friday’s review and compiled my best books of the year list with annotations: https://happinessisawarmbook.home.blog/
I did like Murder is Announced, Aubrey. You have an unbelievable memory for those classic mysteries! Thank you for the link to your list. I’m going to check it out when I finish here. Happy New Year, and hugs!
A terrific list, Aubrey. Only a couple overlaps with mine. I agree. That title, “Summertime, All the Cats are Bored”, is excellent. I love that we all share different tastes in books.
We’re fine here. Colorado has moved those over 70 plus teachers and grocery store workers higher on the priority list for the vaccine, so my husband and I (both well over 70) should get the call sooner than expected. We’re happy about that.
I’m reading fantasy for a nice change. Of Kings and Griffins by Judith Starkton. I should have read books 1 and 2 of this series first, but #3 works well as a standalone. Starkton does a good of filling in the backstory.
I hope we all find 2021 to be the year of recovery. We need some good things to happen.
This was a fraught year, to be sure. I can’t believe I sold my house, bought a new house, moved 100+ miles (all by myself), and dealt with everything else going on in the world this year. I’m hoping for the best in 2021, although I don’t expect any big changes right away. Here’s what I finished this week:
What better way to celebrate the winter solstice than to read Rosamunde Pilcher’s classic, WINTER SOLSTICE. It’s a long book–500 pages–that features several characters who come together in unexpected ways in a large house in rural Scotland. One, mourning the sudden loss of immediate family members, finds some solace with an aging former actress and free spirit. Another is a young woman sorely disappointed by the love of her life, who intervenes with her mother and sister to take her 14-year-old niece away for a much better Christmas experience. A third is a man who returns from America to take on the rebuilding and reopening of a mill that has come on hard times and put many locals out of work. How they all interact and become a family unit is the gist of the story, and it couldn’t be more satisfying.
ABIDE WITH ME by pastor Jane Willan, the third Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery, is just as entertaining as the first two. The Anglican nuns of Gwenafwy Abbey in North Wales, many of whom are getting up there in years, have recently welcomed ten young American nuns who are looking for a more traditional convent atmosphere than they experienced in Los Angeles. As the newcomers become accustomed to the Abbey’s new schedule and procedures, as well as how to make the the nuns’ popular Heavenly Gouda cheese, Sister Agatha assists the town deputy with his investigation into the death of a young journalist who was staying at the Abbey while she wrote a piece on the new inhabitants. Did she simply fall while taking a selfie or was it murder? The more rigid chief constable is away on vacation so Sister Agatha (who writes detective novels and fancies herself an amateur detective) and the deputy are free to work more closely together on this complicated investigation. I absolutely love the characters in this series, who are quirky but believable. The story is engrossing and ultimately satisfying, and the setting in rural Wales is beautifully rendered. A wonderful comfort read, especially timely in the holiday season as it is set between Christmas and the Epiphany celebration.
I really enjoyed Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One–twice (unusual for me to reread)! And I liked the first part of READY PLAYER TWO, which picks up a few days after the conclusion of the earlier novel. And there is no denying that Cline has an amazing imagination. But it took a while to get to the major plotline (another quest), and it was then that I got overwhelmed with all of the detail (much of which is lost on a non-gamer) and started speed reading/skimming, which is never a good sign for me. I did slow down for the ending, but I was disappointed I didn’t like this book more. I won’t be rereading it.
I love reading Ellie Alexander’s Sloan Krause series, now up to book #4, WITHOUT A BREW. Half of this book follows the murder of Liv, a visitor to Leavenworth, WA who books one of the newly available rooms above the Nitro brewery where Sloane Krause works. Even though the rooms weren’t to be rented out until the town’s Icefest opens the following weekend, they are all quickly taken because other hotels are full. The other guests include a husband and wife with fidelity problems and a party of four skiers led by an obnoxious corporate CEO. The other half or so of the plot deals with Sloane’s search for answers to her own past. A foster child for many years, Sloane finally found a family in her (now ex-) husband and his parents and brothers, but she has received some troublesome news that might change everything. It looks like that search will continue into the next book, as she looks for the mother who gave her up. I enjoy the details about brewing and the interesting characters.
Margie, You had quite an interesting year, and that was not even adding COVID shutdowns to the mix! But, your reading kept up all year, and you’re ending on a high note. It’s been too long since I read Winter Solstice, but Rosamund Pilcher is wonderful. And, somewhere in the house I have the Sister Agatha mystery. I really think I’d enjoy that series, but it got away from me when it first came out. I like this Ellie Alexander series. I’m just glad she doesn’t have the romantic entanglements that Alexander puts in her bakeshop series.
Happy New Year. Sending hugs, Margie, with hopes that 2021 will eventually become what we’re all looking for – a peaceful year with opportunities to see and hug people. It’s going to be a while, but I hope we get there eventually.
Margie, I did not know there was a new Jane Willan out. And even better that it is available through Kindle Unlimited. Than you!
We do need some good things to happen, Patricia. Keep us informed. I hope you and your husband get the vaccine soon, and that everything goes well. Sending good wishes for all of us for 2021!
I’m reading FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT by Elle Cosimano. This is a fun book to read. Enjoying it very much.
Good morning, Dru. Another book with a terrific title. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Here’s wishes for a MUCH better 2021 ahead.
Agatha Christie is a great way to end the year, Lesa! I have only read a few, but always enjoy them. I am attempting to work my way through the Poirot books in order. I already decided to skip Poirot Investigates because I wasn’t in the mood for short stories. Oh well! There are so many books I want to read I don’t feel bad about skipping something I am not in the mood for!
One of my sons gave me a gift subscription to Used Books Monthly for Christmas. I received my first book the day after Christmas. He chose the mystery genre for me and the first book I received was Second Life by S.J. Watson. Unfortunately, I did not finish it. Part of the description on the back cover says, “A tense and unrelenting novel that explores the secret lives people lead – and the dark places in which they can find themselves…” The main reason I quit reading it was the sexual content, I prefer a cleaner read. Also, I just didn’t like any of the characters.
I am currently reading The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay. It is about a young lawyer who inherits her aunt’s bookshop. She didn’t want the bookshop, but as she begins working there and meeting people who loved her aunt, she changes. I am really enjoying it so far.
May you all have a blessed 2021!
I don’t know why I read more Poirot than Miss Marple, Gretchen. Possibly because that’s what the library had when I grew up and was in my teens reading them. I actually prefer the Miss Marple mysteries, other than Murder on the Orient Express. That will remain a favorite. My friend, Donna, really liked The Printed Letter Bookshop. It’s one of the books I just didn’t get a chance to read. I’m sorry about the first book in your subscription, though.
Yes, I hope we all have a good 2021!
Lesa and Gretchen, I was the opposite. I read all the Poirot mysteries and missed reading some of the Miss Marple ones. So I definitely remember the plot twists/tropes in both The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder on the Orient Express.
I have been reading lighter mysteries this week. I will be glad to see the end of 2020. We lost my wonderful father in law to covid in September. My mother in law was just diagnosed with it, but is so far asymptomatic. So many residents and staff of the nursing home are positive. On the plus side, my kids and their spouses are healthy and still employed. A silver lining to a rough year.
I finished the latest book in Priscilla Royal’s medieval series ELEGY TO MURDER. This series is set in Tyndal Priory and the surrounding village. The author has created multi dimensional characters and a good sense of place. She does a very good job detailing everyday life during this time.
I read the latest book in T. E. Kinsey’s Lady Hardcastle series THE FATAL FLYING MACHINE. I really love these books. They are set in an English village just after the turn of the century, prior to WW1. Lady Hardcastle and her friend/ladys maid, Florence are on the job again. The mysteries deal with the changing social landscape, and in this case the new technology pertaining to flight, set against the rise of Germany. They are also laugh out loud funny.
And lastly, Susan M. Boyer’s LOWCOUNTRY BOOKSHOP. I really enjoy this series, which is set in the Charleston area. Lots of southern culture and food, good characters and a sometimes helpful ghost.
Happy New to everyone! Lesa, thank you again for your blog. I enjoy everyone’s reading suggestions. My TBR list has increased significantly. Take care all!
Jennifer, You have a series there that I’ll have to look for – T.E. Kinsey’s Lady Hardcastle series. I like the sound of it with the historical aspect, but also that they’re laugh aloud funny.
I’m sorry that the year has been so hard. I hope your mother-in-law remains asymptomatic. It’s hard enough to lose one person you love. I hope you don’t have to watch another one suffer.
You take care of yourself, and your family. I hope 2021 is kinder to your family.
Thank you for reading my blog, Jennifer!
Lots of great suggestions here. Just finished Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O’Connor which was reviewed and recommended by Lesa. Loved it, so now I will start at the beginning. Started a different series from Leslie Budewitz – Death Al Dente – a daughter comes home to help her mother run the Merc – a gourmet food store. Enjoyed it and I love her Pepper series a whole lot. Read Margaret Louden’s Murder in the Margins and enjoyed it. It is about an author who had a best seller and now has writer’s block and wins a contest to write and work at a bookstore in Chumley England. I agree on the Jules/Carlos/Tommy triangle – it is tedious. I quite reading Joanne Fluke a long, long time ago as it was the same book eah time.
Too many good suggestions here today as a few of them just became holds.
Everyone have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and Day.
I love the sound of Murder in the Margins, Jeannette. Off to work at a bookstore in Chumley, England! Sounds wonderful! I’d go in a second.
I’m glad you enjoyed Murder at an Irish Christmas! I loved the atmosphere of that mystery.
As you said, have a safe and Happy New Year’s!
I’m finding all this talk about Agatha Christie quite interesting. I have not read a Christie novel in quite awhile, but I did spend yesterday reading Marie Benedict’s THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE. For starting out a bit on the slow side I was happily surprised with how it ended. And I think Mrs. Christie would have been very pleased.
It’s good to talk about Agatha Christine, Kaye. Most of us here have read at least one or two of her books, so we all have that in common, whether we’re a fan of Miss Marple, Poirot, Tuppence and Tommy. I LOVED the short stories featuring Harley Quin.
I’m glad you enjoyed Marie Benedict’s book. I had heard a few comments about it, but not many.
Happy New Year’s my friend. I hope you, Donald, and Annabelle are tucked in for the next few days! Love you, sister of my heart.
Love You Back!
Mwah!
Here’s wishing for better times in the New Year 2021. I have read lots of books this year; over 270! I just finished reading Patrick Taylor’s An Irish Country Welcome. I love his Irish Country series. I think I’ve read all of his books in this series. I’m looking forward to watching PBS’ All Creatures Great and Small coming soon in January. I should reread James Herriot’s books. A couple days ago, I finished reading Murder at an Irish Christmas. I think that was my favorite in this series.
Enjoy the last day of 2020. Take care.
Bonnie, I think Murder at an Irish Christmas was my favorite that I’ve read in the series. Like you, I’m looking forward to All Creatures Great and Small. In fact, I have it marked on my calendar so I don’t forget. I don’t turn my TV on every day, and I don’t want to miss it. Of course, I could catch it via Passport later, but I’d rather watch it when it’s first on.
I admire those of you who have read so many books. I hope there were some excellent books there, and I hope you have good reading in 2021.
I finished all the Miss Marples this year and have started on the Poirots. I love reading both series and even watching the TV shows. Happy new year!
Angela! You gave yourself quite a reading assignment, didn’t you? Now, do you have a preference, Miss Marple or Poirot? Thank you for stopping by. We talk books every Thursday, and you’re always welcome! Happy New Year to you and your family!
Thank you, Lesa! If I had to choose, it would be Miss Marple, although I really enjoy both. Happy new year to you and yours!
Thank you, Angela. Miss Marple for me.
I’ve read if not all, then the vast majority of Agatha Christie. I actually like Mr. Parker Pyne.
This year, I’ve gone from dread to ennui to anger and back too many times to count. I pretty much had to stop watching television.
I did have a pretty good reading week, though.
Tape by CM Albrecht; A pair of disaffected Millennials decide to open up a detective agency in a basement instead of getting real jobs. After they put an ad in the Penny Saver, they start looking for a very odd girl’s grandfather, and find themselves in way over their heads. Meanders a lot, and the kids need to straighten up, but very readable.
Thunder Storme by WL Ripley; Wyatt Storme and Chick Easton are fishing, when they get involved in a high speed boat chase. From there, they annoy and antagonize all they encounter until the shooting starts.
Hey! Harley! by Dan Thompson; I have a respectable library of comic strip collections, and this strip about a wanna-be outlaw biker is pretty good, with a Johnny Hart/Brant Parker vibe.
Valiant Savage by Dave Edlund; Peter Savage invents a laser rifle. The usual militia uses to try to decapitate the government. Fortunately, Peter and his pit bull are there to stop them.
e-books:
Rock and Roll Children; A biography about some 80’s kids who form a band and put on a show. You could cast 40’s era Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in the movie, just with different haircuts. The more things change…
The Starship Sakura; An inventor accidentally discovers and is put in charge of a starship from across the universe, and has to get Earth ready for the coming of the aliens. Not bad, but his genius 12 year old daughter is as bad as Cousin Oliver in the Brady Bunch.
The Buried Symbol; a fantasy about a kid who fakes his way into Magic U. An Americanized Harry Potter, with obvious influences from Horatio Alger and Frank Merriwell. Well, at least until the last chapter.
I don’t remember Mr. Parker Pyne, Glen, although I remember the name. Now, I’m going to have to look up a mystery featuring him. Fortunately, we have a good collection at the library.
I’ve experienced all those feelings you mention. I pretty much just stopped watching any news except the local morning weather. I just get too upset.
I’m glad you had a good reading week!
I’m hoping we all have a better year ahead. Take care of yourself, Glen.
Lesa, I almost forgot to visit the site, today of all days!
Thank you for your lovely posts throughout this worrying year, I think we all very much value having a regular meet up, and you are so supportive and kind to us all. I hope you have a peaceful and enjoyable Hogmany, and that good things come to you in 2021.
I am reading The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley. I read it when it first came out in, I think, 1984, but of course I can’t remember a thing about it. Wesley was a very unconventional woman who led an exciting life – she had many adventures, and probably even more lovers.. She only started writing at the age of 70, when she was left very hard up on the death of her second husband.Her books (she was very successful at the time) have the initial appearance of just being about wealthy families; big country houses (usually in Cornwall),girls with long legs, blond hair and names like Calypso, – you can imagine. She does, however, address serious subjects – war, illegitmacy, the Holocaust, dysfunctional families, within the framework of readable stories. I watched a very old adaptation of another of her novels, Harnessing Peacocks, recently, and although it was dated I still enjoyed it.
There are so many brilliant suggestions on here today, I am going to have to go back through and make notes. I am interested to see how many of you enjoyed Murder at an Irish Christmas – I haven’t read it, but two of the ladies in an online (and 99% American) book group that I take part in said they didn’t like it at all.
We watched La La Land the other night – I think my husband was only watching it to please me, but I hadn’t been that enthusiastic to start with and I must say I thought it was absolutely terrible. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood! It was so predictable and everyone was so perfect, especially the women. I asked my daughters what they had thought of it – one had seen it but said it was just ‘ok’, the other said the trailers alone had been enough to put her off. I see Emma Stone won awards for it – to me she was the most annoying character in the entire film, but what do I know?!
I too am looking forward to seeing the Christmas specials of both All Creatures Great and Small and Call the Midwife. They have obviously already been shown here, but there is no way David would watch them without criticising so I will wait till after the holidays! We have just watched a new BBC adaptation of Rumer Godden’s novel Black Narcissus, which I enjoyed – it’s all a bit melodramatic, and very Gothic, but it was grippng enough to keep me watching, and Gemma Atherton was good as Sister Clodagh (from head girl in the St Trinian’s film to head nun in this!)
Aubrey, I am so excited to find another person who liked Summertime: All the Cats are Bored! I loved it. I’ve also read the sequel. I will catch up with your list tomorrow (it’s dinner time here now).
I also did a list – it’s here if anyone would like to see my top fiction reads this year: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2020/12/my-top-reads-of-2020-fiction.html
Very best wishes to everyone, and I look forward to lots of interesting discussion in 2021.
Rosemary
Rosemary! I’m so glad you remembered to come today. I was starting to worry about you, and I was going to send you a message on Facebook. That’s all I really needed to know, though, that you’re okay. If you’re reading & watching movies, and having dinner, you’re doing fine.
I found your comments funny. I really liked Murder at at Irish Christmas. And, I loved LaLa Land, but Emma Stone wasn’t my favorite character either. I liked Ryan Gosling, and felt sorry for him, although it came out all right at the end.
Here’s a LaLa Land note. My college roommate, until March when everything shut down, was the Friday & Saturday night piano player at Disneyland’s Grand Hotel. She’s been playing there for years, including the night Ryan Gosling sat down and watched her fingers on the keyboard, prior to LaLa Land. She was thrilled, and said he was very nice.
I’m heading off to read your fiction list! Hugs, and may you have a quiet Hogmany as well. Here’s to a better 2021, and vaccines for everyone.
Parker Pyne, like Harley Quin, appeared in short stories.
Thanks, Jeff! I suspected that, but wasn’t sure. I’ll have to look for them at the library.
Hi Lesa,
Happy New Year to you. What a wonderful discussion and many books have been added to my hold list at the library.
If you do not know already Netflix is showing a series called Bridgerton which is based on one of your favorite historical romances. Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I. I suspect they will go on to make more of her books. Sort of a guilty pleasure for me. Have to admit I pretty much streamed it in a few days. The actors were a mix of people like in Hamilton. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next season. But guess I should read the rest of the series first.
I loved Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons, Diane. You’re right. I just don’t know if I can watch it when I already have images of all those people in my head. However, I know how much others have enjoyed the series, which is great. Thank you for mentioning it!