Everyone doing okay, post-vaccine or without vaccines? I hope everyone is enjoying an occasional beautiful spring day. And, I hope you’re all enjoying a good book or two!
I won’t really talk much about Sarah Stewart Taylor’s A Distant Grave. I’m halfway through this June release, reviewing it for a journal. It’s the sequel to The Mountains Wild, one of my favorite books of 2020. In fact, it was one of Library Journal‘s best crime novels of the year. I loved that book. It’s set in Ireland, an atmospheric mystery that combines contemporary crime with a cold case, a case that’s personal to Maggie D’Arcy. Maggie is a police detective in Long Island who travels to Ireland in search of answers about her cousin’s disappearance. That’s the first book, The Mountains Wild. Maggie’s back in Ireland, supposedly on vacation in the second book, but she’s working a case that spans both the U.S. and Ireland.
What about you? What are you reading this week? I hope you’ve found a book or two that you enjoy.
Good morning. We’ve had a few nice days where we were able to go to the local park and walk. It’s nice getting outside. This week I read
THE SIREN SAVES THE BILLIONAIRE by Kristen Painter. A mermaid has to save the man she’s fallen in love with from a succubus.
FATAL FRIED RICE by Vivian Chien. This is the latest in her noodle shop mystery series. I enjoyed this one a lot more than I did the previous book.
WITCHING FOR CLARITY by Deanna Chase. A combination of paranormal romance and mystery I finished this in one afternoon
An ARC of MURDER IN THE COOKBOOK NOOK by Ellery Adams. Mishaps dog the filming of a cooking competition in her latest Storyton Hall book.
I’m currently reading MURDER AT THE TAFFY SHOP by Maddie Day. It took me a while to get into this one but I think it was more that I had too many things going on than the book itself.
Isn’t it great to be able to get outside, Sandy? 3 out of 5 of those authors are familiar. I like to hear about their books, but love to see unfamiliar names on the list, too. Thank you!
Yes, we’re OK, nearly two months past our second vaccine shots. The weather has gone downhill with cold and rain interrupting the warm, sunny days, so more time for reading, right?
Currently on Andrea Camilleri’s penultimate Insp. Salvo Montalbano book, The Cook of the Halcyon, with the final book in the series coming out later this year. I’ve read them from the beginning and always love returning to Vigata, but I have to admit the last couple seem to be showing Camilleri’s age a bit (he was 93 when he died). They are just as fast and readable as ever, but storywise, they are just not up to the earlier books in the series.
Thanks to Lesa for recommending Thomas Kies’s Geneva Chase
Girl Reporterseries, as I read and (mostly) enjoyed the first one, Random Road. Chase is, or was, a terrific reporter, but her alcoholism has almost dragged her out of the newspaper business altogether. She is back in her home town in ritzy Connecticut, and an old cop friend puts her on to a gruesome story – three middle aged couples, naked and literally hacked to pieces. The most interesting part of the book is about Chase and her life and demons, as she reconnects with an old friend as she tries to save her career and do her job. She is supposed to be in AA, but there is only one brief appearance in the book, as she seems to drink pretty much every day, sometimes into insensibility. Then there is the sleazy affair with the married lover. Will she straighten herself out before getting fired? I will definitely be reading the next one, as there is a strong hint at the end of the future direction she’ll be going.The other mystery I read this week was the previously mentioned Not Dark Yet, by Peter Robinson. I liked it better than the last two in the Alan Banks series (but do we always have to read about every piece of music he listens to?), and I hope this has wrapped up the ongoing trafficking story at last.
Also read two books of short stories, one mystery – Shots Fired: Stories From Joe Pickett Country by C. J. Box – and one straight fiction – The Expendables by Antonya Nelson.
When I finish the Montalbano book today, I will go on to the new Paula Munier, which I picked up at the library yesterday.
Oh, I think you’ll like the new Paula Munier, Jeff. I’m sure you won’t cry over it, though, as I did. (smile) Isn’t it sad to see the end of a favorite series, and recognize that the author has aged because you can tell through the writing?
Tell Jackie I said hi!
I’m happy to hear you say you liked this latest Peter Robinson better than the last two, Jeff. I have been a fan since Book One, but he is about to lose me,I’m afraid. I will give Not Dark Yet a try on your recommendation.
Trying again. Thanks for mentioning the new Peter Robinson book, Jeff. After being a fan since Book One, I was about to give him up. I’ll read Not Dark Yet on your recommendation.
Just put in a reserve on The Mountains Wild – if you say it was one of your favorites then I must read it! Am reading a Jeff Abbott book – Adrenaline – recently discovered him – this one is not as good as others I’ve read. Have finally started feeling confident enough to actually go into the Library and pick out books – was doing curbside pick up – so things are getting a little more normal. Happy Spring to all!
Happy spring, Donna! And, I’m glad you’re back in the library picking out books. Oh, I loved The Mountains Wild. I can’t promise anyone will love it as I did, but I hope you’re not disappointed.
Good morning! We have had cloudy, rainy, snowy, cold weather this week. It hasn’t kept me from getting out for my walks, just back to bundling up and carrying an umbrella, just in case.
Here’s what I have been reading:
A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy – Historical fiction about a female entomologist who travels to India to study butterflies.
Fascinating.
The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan – First book in the Jazz Ramsey series. Jazz trains human remains detection dogs in her free time. While doing so, she discovers a body. I loved this one.
Currently I am reading:
Here Comes the Body by Maria DiRico – The first book in the Catering Hall Mystery series. Mia Carina has recently moved back to New York after her husband was murdered. She is working at a catering hall surrendered to her dad, mobster Ravello Carina, by someone who couldn’t pay off his gambling debts. During her first event at the catering hall, a woman is found murdered.
Have a good weekend!
I read and enjoyed Here Comes the Body, Gretchen. I know someone here didn’t care for it that much. I have the second in the series at home, just haven’t had the chance to read it yet.
I have to remind myself that those 70s we were having are not typical for April. The rain, winds and iffy weather are much more typical.
Good morning! Gray and cool here with rain off and on.
I am still in a daze this morning from the book I read in one sitting last night, Lost You by Haylen Beck, which is a pen name of Irish author Stuart Neville. Tense, anxious, nail-biting — nothing seems to quite describe it adequately. The book opens with a woman climbing on to a roof wall holding a small child, preparing to jump off the seven-story building. Then a series of flashbacks show how the situation arose. Technique here is outstanding, flashbacks are hard to do without disrupting the overall trajectory but Beck/Neville does it seamlessly. Breathtaking book but hard to read in places.
Then I am polishing off my review for tomorrow which is an offbeat mystery set during World War II in the Belgian Congo.
I don’t know what’s up next but I collected a number of Regency romance authors from a thread on a Georgette Heyer group and I believe I will take a break from mysteries for awhile.
Lost You doesn’t sound like my type of book, Aubrey, but I’m really glad you mentioned it. I think there are some readers here who will appreciate it as much as you did. I’ll tell David to watch for your review tomorrow because he might be interested in the book set in the Belgian Congo.
I need a break every once in a while, and Regencies work for me.
I just reserved Lost You/ sounds like one I would like-love when you can’t put a book down!
We had our J&J shot a week ago this past Tuesday and are doing okay. The sideffects seemed to end over the weekend. No super hero powers which is disappointing. Scott really wanted to be able to burn stuff with his eyes, but knowing how he is, I think a lot of stuff would have been flashed into flame and that could have been problematic.
Been on a bit of a roll reading wise. Read and reviewed the new books by Box and Jance this week. Late yesterday I started Death Stalks Door Country: a Dave Cubiak Country Mystery. Early on and enjoying it.
Kevin, I liked the Dave Cubiak mystery I read. I liked the character and the descriptions of the setting.
My super hero power? I’d like to be able to read faster, but still enjoy the book. None of this speed reading stuff if I can’t appreciate the story. Not interested in buring stuff.
I am currently reading The Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly. It is set during the Civil War. There are two story lines. One is that of a slave in the south and the other is of a nurse working with the wounded and casualties of the war in Washington DC. It is a difficult read. Especially the parts that deal with the cruelty dealt to the slaves. I am sure that the author wants you to feel uncomfortable while reading these sections. Having said that, the story is engrossing.
On a lighter note. Based on comments made here, I am listening to Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. I love it. It is not a book I would have considered because it is “labeled” magical realism and that would be a turn off for me. I am so happy I decided to give it a chance. Listening to it on audio is also a treat. Hearing the dialogue with a southern accent just adds to the story for me. Thank you to all who recommended it.
Makes me wonder, Kathleen, if my mother will like The Sunflower Sisters or not. I know she’s read the other books by Martha Hall Kelly.
I know there were several people here who really liked Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
Thank you for your comments on The Sunflower Sisters Kathleen. I’ve read her other books and enjoyed them. I may pass on this one for a while. I will be interested in your final thoughts.
Kathleen, since you’re enjoying Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe you’ll probably like South of the Buttonwood Tree by the same author
Thank you, I will check it out.
When I discover a book where the protagonist inherits an old home with secrets galore, I am a happy girl! Two in one week is a windfall. It was a very good reading week.
Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner (ARC) – June Westwood is left reeling the moment she learns the father she never knew has died. Now she’ll never meet him, and worse, the truth about why he abandoned her as a child will be buried forever. Bundling her two young daughters into the car, June escapes her crumbling marriage and heads to the secluded beach house her father has left her in Wishing Cove, Washington.
The Mother Next Door by Tara Laskowski (ARC) – The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms—known as the Ivy Five—plans the event for months. (Tara Laskowski’s first novel was nominated for a lot of awards last year, and if I remember correctly, won the Agatha. I think she’ll have the same sort of success with this, her second novel).
The Garden House by Linda Mahkovec – Turning fifty opens up Miranda’s life in ways she hasn’t expected, forcing her to come to terms with both old and new concerns. Chief among these is the mystery surrounding the tenant who is renting the family garden house for the summer. Is he the nice man he appears to be? Or is he the reason behind her increasingly disturbing dreams?
Carolina Mist by Mariah Stewart – when a letter arrives holding the solution to all her financial problems, Abby is relieved but saddened: Her dear Aunt Leila has passed away, naming Abby the sole beneficiary of her majestic Victorian estate in North Carolina.
But Abby is in for a few surprises. When she travels to claim her inheritance, instead of finding the elegant mansion of her childhood memories, she discovers her aunt’s home in shambles, and her Aunt’s best friend, Belle, who appears to be staying as a permanent guest. Although everything about Primrose may have changed, Abby still has her memories
A New York Secret by Ella Carey – 1942, New York. As war rages in Europe, Lily Rose is grateful for her perfect life: the love of her wealthy uptown parents in their beautiful brownstone overlooking the park and her dream job as a chef at one of New York’s finest restaurants, the art deco dream that is Valentino’s. But in her heart, Lily is drawn towards the bohemian Sicilian community in Greenwich Village, where gorgeous fresh fruit spills onto the pavement and the smell of freshly baked cannoli tempt her inside every Italian deli.
I’m so glad you found mysterious mansions this week, Kaye! Now, tell me about A New York Secret. I’m probably just wrong, but how many female chefs were there in 1942 in the fine restaurants? As I said, I’m probably just wrong.
None until all the men chefs were drafted into war. And then when they returned, the women hired to replace them were let go so the men could have their jobs back. What Lily Rose does when this happens to get is part of the beauty of this story, which I loved.
Thank you, Kaye! I appreciate the historical answer.
For some reason, I didn’t expect to like Lily King’s WRITERS AND LOVERS, which I read for a book club, but I ended up liking it very much. Casey (nee Camila) has a master’s degree in creative writing and has been working on her first novel for six years. Employed as a server in an upscale New England eatery and living in a garage apartment, she has loans and bills that are crushing her. Her parents have disappointed her–her mother leaving with a young boyfriend and later dying mysteriously in another country, her father having exhibited some unforgivable behavior. Past love affairs haven’t gone well. Sometimes Casey just feels like she is going to explode, or disappear. Two new, very different, romantic attachments occur simultaneously, raising her spirits a bit but also confusing her further. Spoiler alert: things do get better, but I won’t give anything away. Although the character of Casey isn’t exactly lovable, sometimes not even likable, all of the many characters are beautifully drawn, and the writing is what made it all work for me.
I always enjoy a good epistolary novel. In THE LOST MANUSCRIPT by Cathy Bonidan, translated from the French, Anne-Lise finds a manuscript in a nightstand in her hotel room and reads it. It strikes a a chord with her, although she notices that the first and second halves of the book appear to be written by two different people. She sends it to an address she finds in the manuscript and soon discovers from Sylvestre, the original writer, that he lost it on an airplane 30 years ago. What follows is Anne-Lise’s obsession with finding the second author, which involves letters and, ultimately, meetings with a wide cast of characters. not to mention secrets revealed, romances kindled, and more. Although I thought it bogged down a bit in the middle, I was glad I pushed forward to a very satisfying ending.
In EVERY WAKING HOUR, the latest in an excellent series by Joanna Schaffhausen, Ellery Hathaway, the only survivor of a serial killer’s crime spree when she was a child, is now working as a detective and romantically involved with Reed Markham, the FBI agent who saved her life years ago. Although Ellery is somewhat of a loose cannon, she is trying to rein herself in and emulate her veteran partner. But it’s a bit too close to home when a 12-year-old girl is kidnapped. Incredibly, Chloe’s mother has already lost a son to murder when he was the same age as Chloe. She thought she had limited Chloe’s freedom sufficiently to protect her, at the same time alienating her restless daughter. Is it possible that Chloe has faked her own kidnapping? At the same time, Reed is wrestling with his ex-wife over custody issues involving his beloved young daughter. I read this well-written book in a day.
THE ACTOR’S LIFE: A SURVIVAL GUIDE by Jenna Fischer is written for those pursuing a career in acting, but I picked it up because I am currently binge-watching The Office (US version–9 seasons!) and listening to Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey’s delightful Office Ladies podcast. Jenna covers everything a fledging actor needs to know, including headshots, unions, resumes, agents and managers, auditioning, how things work on a TV or film set, and rejection, using examples from her own journey and those of several friends. I found it very entertaining, even though acting is not on my bucket list.
And this morning I’m off for my second walk at 8:00 a.m. with a walking group. The first one, last Friday, kicked my butt (I’m out of practice), but I think today’s route is more forgiving. Wish me luck!
I hope you had a good walk, Margie! Good for you for getting out there and walking.
I’ll have to ask Donna if she’s read Writers and Lovers. She and I heard Lily King at the Festival of the Book in Nashville when her book Euphoria was out, and Donna loved it.
Quite an eclectic list of books this week!
I tried and tried to read Writers and Lovers and just could not work through my disdain for Casey.
I did enjoy The Lost Manuscript quite a lot.
Enjoy those walks and good for you for keeping with them.
Thanks, Kaye. You’re right, Casey wasn’t the most likable character, but I was hoping the best for her by the end.
Lesa, my walk today was much more enjoyable–not so many hills and about 8 people, most of whom I hadn’t met before (one I recognized, and she recognized me, from the movie review Zoom in which we both participate). I will definitely stick with this route for at least a while. And the whole walking group has been invited to a brunch at the house of one of the ladies–we’ll be eating outside, now that larger groups are allowable. It will be a great way to meet more people in person, most or all of whom have been vaccinated. Thanks for asking! Oh, and by the way, I took myself out to an open air breakfast at a local restaurant afterwards. I deserved it (didn’t I?).
Yes, you did deserve that breakfast, Margie! I love that you’ve found a way to meet people in your new community. I know you had your family for the last year, but I”m sure it’s nice to meet some other people!
I would love that superpower!
Continuing to read The Children Are Home by Patry Francis. Now want to finish it, too much misery in this fictional book. When they have happy moments, they are the flash of a lightening bug and then they are gone.
Beginning Rescue by Jennifer A. Nielson, about the French Underground during the Nazi take over. Pretty good so far, learning things about things that I never thought about.
Carolee, I read A NIGHT DIVIDED by Jennifer A. Nielson with my grandson and daughter and thought it was exceptional. My grandson and daughter have continued on with all her young adult books.
I love to hear about family members reading together, Sharon.
A good superpower, right, Carolee?
It’s been a slow reading week for me and the return of the cold (high of 50 degrees) and wind is just plain rude.
After finishing OFF THE WILD COAST OF BRITTANY by Juliet Blackwell, I dived into MAGPIE MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz. What a gem this is turning out to be! At first I thought it was just like a Midsomer Murders episode but it is so much more and so cleverly written. I will definitely be looking for book 2 of the series.
And my opinion upon completing the Juliet Blackwell book stayed the same. I loved the present day storyline but was disappointed in the WWII one.
Happy Reading!
Thank you, Sharon! I appreciate the comments about both books. I’ll still give OFF THE WILD COAST OF BRITTANY a chance. I am so behind in reading Anthony Horowitz. I’ve taken Magpie Murders home twice and had to bring it back to the library because other readers were waiting. I do want to read it!
It’s actually been cool the last couple of days here. Cloudy, 50’s, but no rain. Not only do we need the rain, but it would have helped my allergies, which are killing me this year. Supposed to warm up the next couple of days.
Today, I should be finishing SOMETHING’S KNOT KOSHER, the fourth Quilting Mystery from Mary Marks. It stalled a bit in the middle, but overall, I’ve been enjoying it. Very curious to see how it is going to end.
There are a couple people at work who are in trouble with their allergies this year, too, Mark. It’s rough, and not much they can do about them. I’m sorry.
Because you read so many more cozy mysteries than I do, you’re always mentioning books that I haven’t heard of yet. Thank you!
My husband and I have both had our second shots, and had medium to bad reactions. We still haven’t ventured out much yet. I am looking forward to going out to the plant nursery often starting soon, but that will be no different than last year, when I got back to gardening again and we concentrated on plants to attract hummingbirds and butterflies in our small outdoor areas in front and back. (Also having problems with allergies here, but in Santa Barbara almost everyone has allergies and they are year round.)
It is interesting that you brought up Sarah Stewart Taylor. My husband loved her Sweeney St. George series. He has a love for cemeteries and cemetery art. We both read all of that series, although he liked them better than I did. He did get a copy of THE MOUNTAINS WILD, although he has not read it yet.
Unusual for me, I am reading several books at once. I am still reading SUNSET OVER SOHO by Gladys Mitchell for a month long read along. It is set during World War II, published in 1942. I am halfway through and loving it.
I am also reading POST CAPTAIN by Patrick O’Brian. I never thought I would get so involved with this series. And HALLOWE’EN PARTY by Agatha Christie. This one features Ariadne Oliver in addition to Poirot, and I always enjoy those.
I know someone else, Tracy, who loved the Sweeney St. George series.
I only read the first in Patrick O’Brian’s series. I liked it, but it was a little too descriptive for me. Now, Halloween Party – I could go back and reread that one. I don’t remember it at all, although I know I read it when I was in high school.
I’m sorry the vaccine reaction was so harsh on both of you!
We were supposed to have snow flurries here in Michigan, but thankfully that has not occurred. Things are really bad here in terms of Covid. We are hunkering down and not going out, except for quick runs to the grocery store. Very thankful to have just received my second vaccine. Spent a day in bed recovering, but feeling great now.
I’ve read three books this week: Long Bright River by Liz Moore(really enjoyed, good writing, good story), The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Stephen Brusatte (very good, but got a bit tired of the writer trying to be “cute”), and The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman. I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed that one.
Am finishing up A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee. Enjoying it, although the injustices of the times are hard to read about. After this, I will read Peter Robinson’s Not Dark Yet. I am heartened by Jeff’s comments that this wraps up the trafficking storyline and also hope that future books return to Eastvale.
Take care everyone!
You take care, too, Jennifer. I heard about the COVID in Michigan from my mother. Glad you’ve recovered, and have your vaccine. Stay safe!
I liked The Body in the Garden, and I have the second book in the series. I hope I like it as well.
You take care of yourself and your family!
Just going along as usual here. Things are getting a little busy at work, but not too busy.
This week I read:
Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My Homework by Lincoln Peirce; A collection of comic strips. They don’t publish nearly as many comic strip collections as they used to. Maybe it’s because nobody much reads newspapers anymore.
Making Contact edited by Alan Steinfeld; A collection of essays about alien disclosure, and what may happen when everybody admits there are aliens. All the essays led back into one another. The more I read, the less I believed.
Alaskan Rescue by Terri Reed; I won this in a goodreads drawing, I thought it was a cozy, but it’s a romance. A woman is pushed off a cliff. A K-9 cop rescues her, and decides to guard her body. We never find out who pushed her. That’s is supposedly revealed in a different book in the series, possibly by a different author. Bait and switch! Dirty pool, I call it.
Shoot Out at Sugar Creek by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane; After the big freeze, a woman rancher comes to town and starts buying up all the little ranches. Seems like Collins watched Johnny Guitar.
A chase of Blood On Steel; Two small town kids become hobos, and start bringing law and order to the hobo jungles. Certainly different. The hobos are all very clear they are not homeless, tramps, or indigent.
I used to read so many comic collections at work, Glen – Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, Garfield. it’s a shame they don’t have many anymore.
I hate the sound of Alaskan Rescue’s ending. I would be ticked off to not know who did it. And, I wouldn’t be reading more books in the series. I agree, Dirty pool!
If I’d paid money for that book, I’d be really ticked off.
And, you’d be right.
Hi Lesa and everyone,
I don’t know where the time goes at the moment – though our weather has suddenly changed from snow and hail to sunshine and blue skies, so I’ve certainly been out more. On Tuesday Nancy and I had a lovely walk on the Dunecht estate – we got there really early before everyone else, and hardly saw a soul. There were so many birds singing away, and we could hear at least four woodpeckers, though we could not see them, try as we might.
Apart from that my walks have been just around my house – mostly beside the Dee, which has been looking spectacular, and also along the lanes towards the farm, as these are quieter. On Wednesday I sat on a log and read some of my book – too cold to sit still for more than a chapter at a time, but it was still beautifully peaceful.
I have this afternoon finally finished South Riding by Winifred Holtby, which I was reading for my friend Simon’s ‘1936 Club’. I had already reviewed Agatha Christie’s Murder in Mesopotamia for this, but I am very glad that I should now have time to review South Riding before the end of the week.
For anyone who doesn’t know, (and I’m sorry I can’t remember if I told you all this before, so if I did, feel free to ignore!) South Riding is set in Yorkshire between the wars. Yorkshire is divided into ‘ridings’, but the south one does not exist in real life, just the north, west and east ridings. The book tells the story of Sarah Burton, who has returned to her birthplace from London to become the headmistress of the local girls’ school. She is a determined, independent woman who wants to see progress, and to enthuse the girls with ambitions beyond marriage, motherhood or domestic service. Under the previous head there had been no such enthusiasm.
Holtby introduces all the local people (there’s a handy list at the beginning, thank goodness as there are lots of them) – the local councillors (there is much about the role of, corruption in, and failings of, local government), the tradesmen and their families, and the very poor people who eek out an existence in the old railway carriages on a piece of waste land, with no sanitation or electricity. And then there is Robert Carne, local landowner, father of a strange, rather hysterical, daughter, and husband of an aristocratic woman who has had to be committed to an asylum, the fees for which are pushing Carne’s family estate into bankruptcy. Carne is a good landowner and employer, but – like most farmers! – he is conservative and resists change. He also resists the use of taxes to help the poor – he comes from a tradition of benevolent feudalism.
It is a wonderful book, with lots of cracking story lines as well as social and political commentary. Holtby died at the age of 37; this was her last book, and remains her most famous.
So now I need to read Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room of One’s Own’, for a group read I am involved in. Haven’t started it yet, though I have read it before.
On BBC Sounds I listened to Dorothy L Sayers’ ‘Five Red Herrings’, which is set in Gatehouse of Fleet, (south west Scotland). I read the book years ago, but of course could not recall the details. I don’t know why I bother with these ‘classics’ sometimes, as I find I have less and less patience with all the endless details of times, train tickets, who left a bicycle where, and so on. And Peter Wimsey is so annoying – in fact the line I enjoyed most in the whole 8 episodes was spoken by one of the suspects, who – when Lord W started reciting poetry – said ‘Oh do stop drivelling Wimsey!’
This evening, on my walk, I started listening to an adaptation of a Colm Toibin novel that I have not read, ‘Nora Webster’. I only hit upon it because the title role is being played by Siobhan McSweeny (Mother Superior in Derry Girls, and also the new host of the Pottery Throwdown). This book is a completely different thing – a wonderful story about a bereaved woman left to cope with her four children (2 boys still at home, 2 girls away at school/college), and with the endless callers that feel obliged to stream in after a death in Ireland. She also has to get a job, as funds are tight. Nora has to deal with all the practical things in life, while also negotiating her own grief and anger. I really enjoyed the first episode and look forward to the rest.
And I’m also listening to The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym by Paula Byrne. It’s a new biography of one of my favourite authors. I did wonder if it would have anything to add to the excellent one written by Pym’s friend and literary executor Hazel Holt some years ago, but it does seem to have more to add – maybe because Byrne, unlike Holt, doesn’t hold back on telling Barbara’s secrets, whereas Hazel Holt would have wanted to protect her dignity. I wasn’t too sure about Byrne, as I did I not much like her book about Evelyn Waugh, but so far this one does seem good, and it’s certainly being talked about all over twitter (or at least the Pym enthusiasts’ part!!)
I’ve also just bought a copy of E Nesbit’s ‘The Lark’ on the recommendation of the same Simon (of the 1936 Club). He says it was one of the best books he read last year, though it was actually published in 1922, so I am looking forward to that.
I am now 28 days post-first vaccine, and my doctor friend tells me that this means I should now have all of the immunity I am likely to get from this first shot – at least 72%. It’s very reassuring, but I’ll be even happier when I have had the second one, which won’t be till June on the system being used in the UK. However, this does seem to mean that my daughters will get their first shot earlier than they might otherwise have done, so it’s not all bad.
Have a good week all!
Oh, Rosemary. I hope you know how much I enjoy reading about your walks, and the books and programs you’re reading and listening to. There are so many authors I haven’t heard of, and I feel I”m learning a little bit about Scotland, England and Ireland as I read your posts. Thank you. I had to laugh at your description of Dorothy L. Sayers’ books because, as much as I wanted to like him, I never really took to Peter Wimsey. And, I read all the books in the series.
Thank you for taking the time to write such fascinating posts. Have a good week as week, Rosemary!
Lesa, I always feel I have just wittered on till everyone must surely be expiring from boredom, so thanks for that! You give me the opportunity to summarise my own week – I don’t keep a diary, so it’s nice to look back and remember where I am and what I’ve been doing.
I too have read all of the Wimsey books in the past, but I’ve now recently listened to two or three of them again on BBC Sounds, and I think my tastes must have changed since I was a teenager (who knew?!). I think we are now used to much more character-driven writing, and that is what is interesting – not just ‘here are 5 faceless people, let’s go on and on about train timetables until we work out who did it’ especially when the solution is so ridiculously convoluted.
People say these ‘classics’ are like crossword puzzles, but I love crosswords, and I no longer love Sayers’ & Christie’s type of writing.
Reading or rereading H. Haggard Rider – She: Murder for Arts Sake , Richard Lockridge; Miss Cecily’s recipes for exceptional ladies; Zimmerman, Vicky; DreamingDeath – Heather Graham; Artist in Crime -Ngaio Marsh; Faithless in Death, R D Robb…
s
It’s been years since I read Richard Lockridge, Gram! The cats are Gin and Martini, aren’t they? And, you have a couple favorite authors there – Heather Graham, J.D. Robb. Enjoy your books!
I am fascinated to see your mention of Rider Haggard – ‘She’ was a fixture on my parents’ bookshelf when I was a child, though I very much doubt either of them had read it (my father used to buy batches of second hand books….it must be in mu genes :). )I haven’t read it either, in fact I have no idea what it’s about – I need to look it up.
I remember you talking about The Mountains Wild Lesa. Now, book 2. Isn’t that great!
I recently finished Winter Counts: A Novel by David Heska Wanbli Weiden. A novel, yes, but really a first rate debut thriller. Virgil Wounded Horse, the enforcer of the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota is tested when his nephew, Nathan, under his care after his sister dies, is accused of selling drugs. It’s a fast paced story with lots of action, great characters, and Indian lore. So many little things like the title itself.
A serendipitous bonus; after finishing the book, I ordered a Native American Indian Chief jigsaw puzzle without realizing the Chief is depicted as Chief of the Rosebud by Paul Calle. I’ll have to research if this Chief is accurate.
Winter Counts is excellent, Carol. I reviewed that, too, for LJ, and then we picked it as one of our Best Crime novels of 2020. It just won a Lefty Award last weekend. Great choice!
Oh Winter Counts sounds excellent – but I’ve just looked it up, and on both Amazon UK and EBay it’s only available in hardcover, starting at £16, so I may have to wait for that one. In fact, I’ve looked up several of the books you have all mentioned with such enthusiasm this week, and practically all of them (eg The Mountains Wild) haven’t yet been published in the UK – hey ho, I expect the same thing works the other way round (except, of course, that most of the books I mention in my replies are ancient!)
Our libraries are still closed. You can make requests, but only for a genre – they choose a selection of (eg) crime novels for you. I’m sure a lot of people appreciate that, but it’s not what I need. At the very beginning they were taking requests for specific books, but now they have removed that facility from the website. I’m not quite sure why.
Most things here are due to re-open on 26 April, so it’s not long to wait!
Oh, I’m glad to hear your libraries and other places are finally reopening, Rosemary! Now, I just hope we all continue to stay healthy. I can see that just getting a random selection of crime novels wouldn’t help either one of us!
I know people who order books from the UK because they come out six months or a year before they’re released here. And, the cover is often different. Many of us prefer the UK cover.
Hi Lesa! I just finished The Searcher by Tana French and can now tell you I highly recommend the novel for its beautiful writing, excellent characters, and fine plot. The story takes an ex-Chicago cop and moves him to a small town in Ireland, adds a kid who’s desperate to find out what happened to an older brother who’s disappeared, and adds local characters who don’t mind beating up people who get in the way of their sometimes illegal activities. I loved this book!
I really need to read this book eventually with its Irish setting.