I know those of you in California are okay. I hope the rest of you are safe and warm in the midst of snow and ice, electrical outages and even tornadoes. It hasn’t been an easy week and a half. Our library was closed for two days last week because of ice. We’ve been closed every day this week because of snow and bad roads. I’m happy to be home and not struggling to get to work safely.
Of course, that means I have reading time, right? Well, I have, but I’ve been on deadline, as you know. I finished one book last night, and I have one to finish today. Then, it’s on to personal reading through Sunday or Monday. I haven’t started anything yet. I might read Rozlan Mohd Noor’s 21 Immortals. It features Inspector Mislan Latif in Kuala Lumpur, a little different setting from my normal reading. Or, I might start J.D. Robb’s latest book or Jane Harper’s The Survivors. Decisions, decisions. What a great problem to have.
How about you? As I said, I hope you’re home, safe and warm, with plenty of reading time. What are you reading this week?
Morning Lesa!
I’m so glad you’re able to stay home in the warm.
Our severe weather (though it definitely didn’t include tornadoes) seems to have passed. These past few days have been almost balmy by comparison – when I went out on Tuesday I felt a bit like Mole coming out of his undergound home as spring begins at the opening of The Wind in the Willows – there was a different feel to the air, the birds were singing, the sky was blue. Very cheering.
Today has dawned not quite so bright – damp in fact – but sun is forecast for this afternoon, and I am meeting a friend whom I don’t see that often (she is a nurse) at Crathes Castle for a walk after lunch. While I am out I am going to stop at Morrisons, a supermarket I don’t often use – because they seem to be the only one that stocks Calvados! This is something I have never tasted, but I am still reading Alice B Toklas’s wonderful Cook Book, and she is forever lobbing one liqueur or another into her pans, so I started to make a list of them. They include creme de cassis (as in Poirot), kirsch, and Calvados – so I thought, you know what? I am going to try one. When I was at university I remember enjoying Cointreau, which I haven’t had for years, and I have never tasted any of the others. I live in malt whisky country – and rarely drink that, though my husband is into it – but at the weekend I think I might award myself a little glass of something new.
Alice B also makes free with the champagne – and not just in a glass. One of her favourite ingredients to add to an already extravagant recipe is ‘truffles previously simmered in dry champagne’ – she is a great one for telling you half way through the instructions that you should have prepared something else first (occasionally DAYS before). But I’m not about to fork out for the Bollinger, so Calvados will do. Actually I don’t even rate champagne that highly. I know, I have no taste.
Alice is interesting, though, in that unlike many food writers, she doesn’t just say ‘everything French is good, everything American bad’ – at one point she and Gertrude set off on a lecture tour of the states – mostly the south – and she is positively joyful about some of the dishes she is served (needless to say, mostly in the enormous mansions of extrenely affluent people) and she does sometimes comment that the French can be too conservative, never accepting any changes to a classic dish. On the whole, though, they both love France, and are happy to return there. In WWI they drive a Red Cross truck all over the country, taking supplies to the Wounded French (and often, of course, being put up at their expat friends’ very comfortable houses). After this, Alice says, their funds were ‘severely depleted’ as they had contributed quite a bit of their own money to their war effort – but as we all know, ‘severely depleted’ is, as ever, relative, and she is almost instantly back to talking about their amazing meals, both those served to them by their friends, and the ones they themselves dish up in Belignin and Paris.
And now the next chapter is about The Servant Problem 🙂
Apart from this, I am reading a cosy mystery set in a fictional Highland town: Scones & Scoundrels by Molly McRae.
I soon realised that the writer is American (though she makes far fewer slips with the language than some other authors, and also cleverly has three protagonists who are American expats [and a fourth who, although Scottish, has lived most of her life in the US], so if they ‘speak American’ that’s fine – it’s only when the local schoolteacher comes out with American turns of speech (eg ‘we’ll do that Friday’ instead of ‘on Friday night.’) I looked it up on this site, Lesa, and found you’d reviewed it a few years ago. I think you had slightly mixed feelings about it. I’m only about a third of the way through, so I’ll see what I think at the end. And of course you do have to set aside the truth, which is that anyone starting a bookshop in a small West Highland town these days is almost certainly on the way to financial ruin. Ullapool is about the only place I can think of that has an apparently thriving bookshop, and even that was very quiet the last time I was there (which was well before the pandemic.) I think it would only be viable for those with other means, sadly.
I’m still also working my way through Martin Edwards Golden Age of Murder, making notes of authors new to me as I go along. Because as we all know, I am short of reading matter 🙂 !!
Our vaccine programme is continuing apace. My friend and her husband got theirs on Tuesday evening. She said they both felt under par yesterday, but they knew that was to be expected, and I suppose at least it probably shows it worked. My friends in France have had no information and no sign of any appointments. For once the UK seems to be doing someting reasonably well (so far…)!
On TV I have just finished watching It’s A Sin. This is a new 5 part drama about the AIDS crisis in the UK – this focuses on London – in the late 1980s. It is written by Russell T Davies, former writer for Doctor Who, and very vocal advocate for LGBT rights. It’s absolutely brilliant, with star performances by all of the cast, famous (Keely Hawes, Neil Patrick Harris, Shaun Dooley, Olly Alexander) and less well known (Lydia West amd Calum Scott Howells are exceptional). It’s very, very sad, so don’t watch it expecting to be uplifted – though it does have a lot of funny scenes too. I am very glad I watched it. I asked my very PC youngest what she thought of it, as I feared she might say it was too commercial or establishment or something , but in fact she also thinks it’s great.
I also uncovered an old DVD of Carrie’s War. When I was at school there was a TV adaptation of Nina Bawden’s book on the BBC, with an episode every Sunday afternoon. I thought the DVD was of that, but in fact it turned out to be of a film version,, also made by the BBC but around 2004. It was excellent, I loved it. For anyone who doesn’t know, it’s about two children from London who are evacuated to a small town in Wales, and what happens to them there. Absolutely stellar performances by Geraldine McEwan as Mrs Gotobed, Pauline Quirke as Hepzibah, Alun Arnstrong as Mr Evans, Keeley Fawcett as Carrie and Jamie Beddard as Mister Johnny.
Now I’ve finished both of these I’m at a bt of a loss as to what to watch next. I tried The Dig on Netflix last night – it’s been very well received by many people, but maybe I just wasn’t in the mood. Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes were both very good, the scenery was magnificent, but after 30 minutes I was bored and gave up. I’ll have to try it again when I’m feeling more pastoral…
That’s more than enough from me, sorry Lesa!
I hope everyone is safe, warm, and well stocked with books and food – and maybe a little Calvados 🙂
The weather has overwhelmed us this week so not much reading.
The only book I read was MEET ISABEL PUDDLES by V. M. Byrne. It is the first in the mitten state mystery series. I chose it for the cover and title.
Isabel is a middle aged widow with a heart of gold making ends meet by working many part time jobs. While working at the local funeral home “fixing up” Earl Jonasson she discovers something that suggests the 88 year old did not die naturally. When Earl Jr. Is arrested for his murder, she is on the case.
I liked ISABEL as well the Michigan setting. But… there were So. Many. Words. I appreciate the author was trying to convey a folksy small town feel. However, every person Isabel met had a back story and after a while I just got bogged down.
I cared enough to finish it. The ending was just crackers and I still had 40 more pages left to read!
Guess this series isn’t for me.
Stay warm and safe. Happy Reading!
Oh, dear. That’s one of the books I gave my sister for Christmas (unread). She’ll probably have a similar reaction to yours.
It got lots of 4 stars on Goodreads, Lesa. Perhaps it was just me. I’d be interested to hear what she thinks of it.
Good morning. The weather here in NJ can’t make up its mind. It was sunny and 48 two days ago. Today through tomorrow morning we’re getting snow with a chance of sleet mixed in. They’re talking about 8 inches total. Next week highs are supposed to be in the 40s so hopefully most of the snow we have will melt.
We started doing Tai Chi with online videos this week to supplement our Zoom Yoga and Zumba classes since we’ve been stuck inside so much lately. I’d rather learn it in person with an instructor but that’s not possible right now.
On TV we’ve been binge watching Grand Designs on Netflix. It’s a British building show and really interesting. They either convert old built into housing or build really unique new houses. In the last episode we watched an architect built a house out of four shipping containers.
This week I read:
HEALED WITH A KISS by Sharon Buchbinder. A short paranormal romance with talking cats.
FINISHED OFF IN FONDANT by Rosemarie Ross. A cozy mystery set around a baking contest on TV.
SPRING UPON A CRIME by Michael Erdahl. This was my favorite of the week. A cozy mystery set during an outdoor adventure trip in Washington State.
As I told Rosemary, we’re still below freezing. But, by next week we’ll be in the 50s, so our piles of snow should start melting.
I read Finished off in Fondant. It was okay, but I prefer Amy Patricia Meade’s May release, The Curse of the Cherry Pie. It also involves a baking show.
Good afternoon, Rosemary! I enjoy every bit of your “more than enough”. What a fun post. I enjoyed reading about Alice B. Toklas’ book. You’ll have to let us know about the Calvados.
You’re right. I read a second book in that series by Molly McRae, but then I gave up. Isn’t that sad about bookstores? I think bookstore owners need some sort of financial backing here, too, in order to make it.
We’ve been below freezing for ten days now, but relief is in sight. The temperatures are going to be much warmer beginning Sunday. But, we’re not in the kind of trouble that Texas is. They have a disaster when even the hospitals are in trouble.
I loved your description of feeling like Mole.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading your writing.
Nice report, Rosemary! We liked THE DIG a lot more than you, obviously. We used to have friends not that far away in Suffolk and visited the area often from 1978 through the ’80s.
We had the same weather reaction here on Tuesday too! After over two weeks negotiating snow and ice and winter temperatures, it shot up (yes, it felt like that) to 51, the sun was out, and a lot of the 17 inches of snow we had February 1 melted. But sadly, we are back to reality. It dropped to 22 yesterday morning, and the snow is back today, though they are predicting more like 6 inches than 17 this time. But a real warmup is promised for next week, so fingers crossed.
As someone who has visited Britain literally dozens of times since 1971 and has a number of friends there, I am very aware of the language differences you mention too. One of the best at getting it right is Deborah Crombie, a Texas author whose series of Duncan Kincaid mysteries is set in London (mostly), but then she was married to a Brit and lived there for many years. I remember reading a British author who set her book in New York and got most things right, but she had her character on the ‘pavement’ rather than the sidewalk.
But I digress, thanks to Rosemary’s entertaining post. I picked up two library books yesterday (including the new Jane Harper you mentioned, Lesa) and downloaded a copy of the latest Archer Mayor a few days ago. But in the “it never rains but it pours” category, I got not one but FOUR library ebook offers in the last two days! Luckily, under own new system I was able to put three of them off for one to two weeks (actually I could have put them off longer), and downloaded the new Peter Ash book by Nick Petrie after reading a very good review yesterday.
Current reading. After finishing the Fritz Leiber collection of stories (SMOKE GHOST & OTHER APPARITIONS) , I’m reading Sara Paretsky’s collection of mostly V. I. Warshawski stories, Love & Other Crimes. I like her in short doses bur have only read a couple of her novels. Also reading a straight fiction collection by a new to me author recommended by a friend, Antonya Nelson’s Funny Once. I am really enjoying it and will definitely get more of her books soon.
I finally got around to Michael Connelly’s third Lincoln Lawyer book, The Law of Innocence, and the 420 pages fairly flew by. Mickey Haller is pulled over on a supposedly “routine” traffic stop, only for the cop involved to discover the dead body of a former Haller client in the trunk. How’s that for an opener? The deck is stacked against our hero, but though we know he must be innocent and will find a way to clear himself, it isn’t easy. Very good book, as are most Connellys.
Everyone stay safe out there. We are one week away from our second vaccine. Hope yours comes soon too.
Jeff, I enjoy your digressions as well as Rosemary’s. To me, life is full of digressions, and that’s what makes it interesting. It would all be boring if we just all plowed along in the direction we originally headed. I want to read about your weather and Rosemary’s walk, and TV and books and movies everyone has seen. Books are interesting to me because of the interesting directions they take. I certainly don’t want to read about my life or the people I know in every book.
So, thank you for the digressions and the book discussions!
Jeff, I think I was just in the wrong mood for The Dig. So many people have loved it, I will give it another try soon. I haven’t been to Suffolk for many years, but I do recall how lovely Saffron Walden was, and we also used to visit Audley End House, which is run by English Heritage. Is that in Suffolk?
And I am sure there are indeed plenty of UK authors who get ‘American’ wrong too – I just wonder why editors are sometimes so bad at picking this up. The only one who has really irritated me is GM Malliet, as she even wrote, in the introduction to the last book of hers that I read, something like ‘forgive me if I have used American words’ – well I can forgive one or two, but not 102! It’s lazy. The only one that has really stood out to me in the book I’m now reading is when the bookshop owner refers to a ‘mass market paperback’. We don’t have that term here, it’s just ‘paperback’. But so far she is doing pretty well for someone writing from Illinois!
That’s great that you’ll soon have your second vaccinations! Good luck!
Saffron Walden (where we’ve been too, there used to be a bookshop there) and Audley End House are in Essex. Suffolk has Ipswich (the Ipswich Museum was mentioned several times in THE DIG, which is nearby), Lowestoft, Felixstowe and Stowmarket. Our friends were near Saxmundham and Sweffling, 18 miles northeast of Ipswich. Their house was the famous “Suffolk pink” color.
Good morning, everyone! I did indeed get my first dose of Moderna on Monday morning, and I was delighted that CVS had such a streamlined setup. I was finished by the time of my appointment (!), except for the 15 minutes they have you wait afterwards. I had the usual sore arm, but no other side effects.
I feel for everyone who has had to deal with the severe storms, and I hope for better times ahead. I’m one of those in California, so our issues are usually earthquakes and fires!
I started the week with THE BRILLIANT LIFE OF EUDORA HONEYSETT by Annie Lyons. Eudora is 85 and wants to die the way she chooses. Her life has been one disappointment after another–her father died in the war, her mother wasn’t very loving, and she had a nightmare of a younger sister. Although Eudora swims almost every day and still has pretty good health, she is trying to obtain approval for her own euthanasia in Switzerland. Then a new family moves in next door–commuting dad, pregnant mom, and the star of the family, 10-year-old, lively and outspoken Rose, who dresses flamboyantly and is determined to make a friend of Eudora. You think you can see where this is going, but there are twists and turns. It is ultimately uplifting, but I found the flashbacks with troubled sister Stella cringe-inducing. It did ramp up the emotional impact, but I’m not sure that was what I wanted to be reading right now. I also think the title is a bit misleading.
In the latest in his Eddie Flynn series, FIFTY FIFTY, Cavanagh has again proven himself a master of the legal thriller. This time the premise/gimmick is that two sisters are accusing each other of a frenzied stabbing attack that killed their father. Both sisters were in the house, and each called 911 to report the murder and her own fear that her sister was coming for her. Eddie Flynn defends Sofia, the hapless sister with mental health issues. Her sister, Alexandra, who appears to be everything Sofia is not, is defended by Kate, a young attorney who is being sued for taking the case from her previous employer, who disrespects and harasses his female employees. Intermittent chapters are told from the perspective of the killer, who is identified only as “She.” The reader doesn’t know which sister She is, which adds to the suspense. Several more murders occur that appear to be the work of a black-clothed female motorcyclist who is never caught. I breathlessly rocketed through the book. You can’t beat it for the courtroom scenes, the action scenes (brutal but just this side of intolerable), and the unexpected twists. I think Cavanagh has upped his game and matured his style with each successive book in the series. The more recent ones have been much more readable than the first in the series, which I reviewed a week or so ago. I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but I’ll make an exception for this author.
DEATH AL FRESCO is the third in the four-book Sally Solari series. In beachfront Santa Cruz, CA, Sally has to cope with the head chef of her restaurant, who is threatening to leave to open his own restaurant, and to support her restaurateur father with his Columbus Day feast for Italian visitors from Santa Cruz’s sister cities. The anti-Columbus protesters don’t help, nor does the fact that someone forgot to order a tent for the event, and a rainstorm is expected. And then there is the murder–an old seaman bites the dust and Sally’s father is one of the suspects. I love the food descriptions, and Sally is a down-to-earth, relatable protagonist.
Margie, Someone else must have used the title Death Al Fresco because the title is familiar, but the plot isn’t. Oh, I can just imagine the food descriptions. Sounds luscious!
Yes. My college roommate lives outside LA, and I have a cousin close to San Francisco, and a number of other friends in California. I think of all of you with the fires, earthquakes, mudslides. It’s just our turn right now to have newsworthy weather.
Margie, I enjoyed the Eudora Honeycutt book but thought it was a little too manipulative and I got tired Rose after a while.
Good morning!
After a couple of weeks of bitter cold, our weather is warming up and quiet. Even though the temperatures are still below 20F it feels so warm!
This week I read:
Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson – Tina Hopgood has always wanted to visit the Tollund Man at the Silkeborg Museum. After a traumatic even in her life she writes a letter to the museum hoping to reach the author of a book on the Tollund Man. She never expects to hear anything back realizing he may very well be dead. However, the museum’s curator writes back. This leads to correspondence between the two.
A Fatal Winter (Max Tudor #2) by G. M. Malliet – At a castle in the country, the Footrustle clan has been invited to spend Christmas with Lord Footrustle. Unfortunately, the family is not close. In fact, not one of them has anything good to say about another. It is no surprise when Lord Footrustle is murdered. DCI Cotton asks Father Max to spend time at the castle getting to know the family and snooping around.
Have a great weekend!
Hi, Gretchen. I have the next book by Anne Youngson, The Narrowboat Summer. I hope to get to it soon.
Our warm-up starts Sunday.It doesn’t feel balmy here, yet, but I’m sure it will!
Lesa, I really enjoyed The Narrowboat Summer and looking forward to hearing what you think.
I hope I get to it soon, Kaye!
One more addition to my last comment: Aldeburgh is a nice seaside town in Suffolk. It was the long-time home of composer Benjamin Britten (who is buried there) and has an annual Aldeburgh Festival devoted to classical music every June. (Of course, we were just there looking for books!)
Oh yes Jeff – I don’t know why I had a Senior Moment and thought Saffron Walden was in Suffolk, but now that you mention it, I do know where Aldeburgh is! It has a pebbly beach and good fish and chips. And as you say, Benjamin Britten.
I am currently working on MURDER IN CHELSEA by Victoria Thompson. As always, I am captivated by the characters and the story she is telling. This time, the stakes are very personal for the characters, and I know this one changes things as well, so I am anxious to see how that all plays out.
I know series need to progress, Mark, but, sometimes changes are not what I want. I read one yesterday, a June release, with a shocking murder that upset me so much I had to take a break from the book.
I knew what changes were coming, and I thought I’d be okay with it. I finished the book tonight, and I was right. All the characters we love are happy.
Oh, good, Mark.
Texas is not good. I have been very fortunate to not have my power go off but some of my friends have been without for 4 days. My primary called and changed my appointment, told me not safe to go out. James will try to get my meds and groceries today, The parking lot and streets are still covered with snow and I wonder if the car will even start, Many in Texas are very cold, hungry and worried.
I loved Leonard and Hungry Paul, refreshing to read a book about introverts.
Have started You Belong Here Now, and it is off to a good start. It is Diann Rostad. Also, I have been wanting to read something by Ida B. Wells and I finally found a print size that I can read and it was only 99 cents Southern Horrors Lynch Law In All Its Phases. It is full of news stories that are indeed horrible. Her newspaper, Free Speech was destroyed in 1892.
Texas is heartbreaking, Carolee. I went out yesterday to start my car to make sure it would since I haven’t driven it since Saturday. I hope everything stays okay at your home. I feel for those who are so cold, hungry and worried. I’ve seen the news stories with the long lines. Right now, if you can even read and concentrate, I’m sure books are a break. Take care of yourselves!
Lesa, I de-iced and cleared my car ready to meet up with my friend for our walk last week, only to find that it would not start. Luckily we have ‘home start’ as part of our insurance. The guy came along and jump started it, he said the extreme cold affects batteries, especially ancient ones like mine! He advised that it would not last much longer. He told my husband to drive it around for a while to keep it well charged, but as David was about to go away (to his father’s funeral) I was worried about having a potentially unusable car, so I persuaded him to take it to the garage and get a new one fitted.
And I noticed my neighbours having similar issues with their very smart top-of-the-range thing this week. (Mine is an ageing Suzuki.)
So I’m glad yours started!
Yes, Rosemary. I made the mistake of letting it sit too long last March/April when we were first stuck at home due to COVID, and it didn’t start one day. Like you, I had to have it jumped. I knew better. It’s not just the cold, though. I had batteries just totally die in Florida and Arizona. There, they say they don’t last as long because of the heat.
Thank you for this Carole. I put Leonard and Hungry Paul on reserve at my library.
My brother lives in Houston. He got his power back this morning but the water situation is not good.
Much sympathy to those with the horrible winter weather and to those further east where it’s predicted to settle next. Fortunately, just typical winter weather here in the high desert, but Nevada is at the bottom of the per capita allocation for vaccines. No one knows why.
I’m finally getting to William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land. It was your review of the book back in 2019 that led me to this wonderful blog. Thanks! I discovered his books with Ordinary Grace and enjoy his writing style and the balance between plot, characters and scenery.
MM, Then, that’s one more reason for me to be grateful to William Kent Krueger. I’m glad you found us through that review. That’s just weird about Nevada. Of course, we seldom hear anything about Nevada here unless it’s about Las Vegas.
I’ll be looking forward to your comments about This Tender Land when you finish it.
What entertaining posts today! I’ve enjoyed every one.
I am finally getting back into my reading. I (as usual) loved the newest J.D. Robb. I’m going to share a book snob irritation here that I have about J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts. There’s a group of people who insist on denigrating her work, and then there are those people who read her work but feel they need to refer to that reading as a guilty comfort or some such. IMO, if a writer wanted a master class in writing, they could do no better than study the work of Robb/Roberts for structure, and especially for character development. Reflecting on how Eve Dallas, along with supporting characters, I am so impressed with how she has them change and grow both as a group and individually.
That said, I loved the latest J.D. Robb, Faithless in Death.
I’ve also read The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe (ARC). I enjoyed the latest entry to the Rutledge family series. But. Big but. It was written with everyone working their lives around COVID. Frankly, I was not pleased about having real life intrude my fiction.
Win by Harlan Coben (ARC). What can I say. I love Harlan Cohen’s work, and this one was exceptional which is odd for me because I usually mostly enjoy novels because of the characters. But I do not like Win. Never have. But I did like this bok. A lot.
Stay warm and safe!!!
I enjoyed all the posts today, too, Kaye. Between weather, books, bookstores and a little TV, they’ve been interesting.
I agree with you about those who denigrate Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb. I love the books I’ve read. And, they’re always different! I don’t know how she can write so many, and never write the same story. Betty Rosenberg, the first editor of Genreflecting, said, “Never apologize for your reading tastes.” I don’t like it when people criticize anyone’s reading taste. You might not like a particular book or author, but don’t criticize others for liking them, and don’t make others feel ashamed for liking them. There are plenty of books I didn’t care for, but that doesn’t mean I say to someone who loves it, “What are you thinking? That’s a terrible book!”
Your comment about the Rutledge family is funny, Kaye. I’m sorry real life intruded.
Hugs! You stay warm and safe as well!
It’s funny, because the friend who first read J. D. Robb and got Jackie interested in the first place, was a guy, a college math professor. She has read all of them and is waiting for the new one.
Jeff, love this!
I’m reading Bloodline by Jess Lourey. Great beginning. I’m having trouble putting it down so I can do other things.
Did you read Unspeakable Things, Patricia? It’s set in the same town.
Things are going relatively well here. We might even get some needed rain tomorrow.
I read:
I read Carson of Venus: Edge of All Worlds by Matt Betts; Another ERB continuation. Has all the boxes checked, but none of the verve. Kind of like reading something by Otis Adelbert Kline, or eating store brand ceral knock offs.
Reincarnal & Other Dark Tales by Max Allan Collins; The master of mystery goes horror, with an anthology of short stories. Mostly the classic Universal Studio monsters, but not The Creature from the Black Lagoon, dangit.
Vengeance by Graham Wilson; Prequel to the hallucinogenic Australian serial killer series. The killer’s idol is Breaker Morant. When your hero is someone who comes to a bad end, you should probably find yourself another hero. The author keeps sending me these. Guess he likes my reviews.
Declared Hostile; A woman navy flier is obsessed with creating the conditions for a hostile workplace until there’s military action in Venezuela. Very strange, directionless military soap opera.
The Backseat; Anthology traces the history of the owners of a ’59 Caddy from the factory to the junkyard and back. Only one of the stories was effective as a horror tale. The rest are more of Chevrolet quality.
The Game with No Name; A take on Jumanji, as some kids find a cursed board game, and get sucked into another dimension. Effective kids’ horror. This sub-genre seemed to fade away with RL Stine, but he’s back, and so is kids’ horror.
White as Snow; A college student freezes to death on campus. There’s a lot of references to fairy tales (my favorite, Puss In Boots, doesn’t get a mention). Years later, the student’s friends are murdered, with musical cd’s left next to their bodies. There’s all kinds of anachronisms. Then it gets meta. I think someone decided to pep up a somewhat lackluster mystery.
I hope you do get the rain, Glen. I also hope you continue to write these wonderful summaries. Thank you for my afternoon treat.
We have had over a foot of snow (College Place, WA, a suburb of Walla Walla). It came down over several days and compacted so it’s hard to tell exactly how much we got. The streets that have not been plowed are a total mess. We haven’t been out in a week but need to pick up groceries today.
I did read THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah. I’m sorry, but I didn’t like it. Calamity following catastrophe with very little relief. It is a good, detailed description of the hardships of the dust bowl.
Cindy, Than k you. I’m a huge Kristin Hannah fan, but just could not get into The Four Winds so just gave up, put it down and moved on.
Kaye, you make me feel better about not liking it, thanks.
It’s so interesting to read these comments. My mother loved The Four Winds, and read it in two days. She had a hard time putting it down, and even bought a copy to give to a friend. I suspect I may fall somewhere in between you and Kaye and my Mom.
Checking in from NE Dallas where we have been doing far better than most. I won’t bore you all with a long winded post on what has been happening on this street and beyond.
I have not been reading much so I am still working on WHAT WAITS FOR YOU by Joseph Schneider. Book two of this series and the reading is slow. Granted, I am big time distracted by events here, but, I think some of it is the book. It is missing something.
Heart. It’s missing heart, Kevin. I agree with you. It’s as if the author put everything into the first book, and was rushed to deadline for this one. It is missing something. You’re right.
I’m so glad you’re doing better than most of the people in Texas. That state just looks like a cluster…. right now.
Rereading Dell Shannon, Kerry Greenwood and P J Tracy…also waiting for Faithless in Death from the library!
You have good reading, Gram, and a good book ahead of you. Enjoy, and stay safe!