It’s reached the point where I miss talking about books “WITH” you rather than at you, so I’m even ensuring I have a day free to ask what you’re reading. Thanks for sharing, and, often, carrying the burden of the conversation when I’m busy at work.
I’m halfway through Anne Lamott’s Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy. It’s introspective, philosophical, a little religious, quite thoughtful. In other words, it’s typical Anne Lamott.
What are you reading or listening to today? I’m eager to talk about books!
I read Kate Thompson’s THIN AIR. Set in Ireland, it's about the impact of a young woman’s disappearance on her family who run a farm and train horses. The book has beautiful descriptions of the rural Irish landscape and interweaves stories of pre-Christian Gaelic myths and legends with the ways each family member chooses to express their grief. Be forewarned (mild spoiler) this is not a book about what happened to the missing girl, but how the family deals with her disappearance. The mystery remains a mystery, and for some readers that may diminish their interest in the book.
I just started Edmund Gordon's massive biography, THE INVENTION OF ANGELA CARTER, about the author of such classics as THE BLOODY CHAMBER and WISE CHILDREN, who died tragically young. It's a hefty book, but so far it's moving at a good clip.
I always enjoy "What are you reading" posts here and on other blogs. Thanks for giving us space to comment.
I finished Jane Harper's THE DRY, a first mystery set in a very arid small town Australia. Pretty good overall, I thought. I went right into two others:
Anne Hillerman, SONG OF THE LION. The third in her continuation of her father's series, though concentrating more on Bernie Manuelito and her husband Jim Chee than retired Lt, Joe Leaphorn. Just started this so can't rate it yet, but I mostly liked the first two.
Carrie Vaughan, MARTIANS ABROAD, a YA science fiction tale of teenager Polly and her brother Charles, who grew up on Mars and have been sent by their mother to the prestigious Gaglileo Academy on Earth, where they have never been. Polly wants to be a space pilot, and she is not happy about this.
The short stories I'm reading now that I finished the Hap & Leonard collection by Joe Lansdale (which was excellent) are by musician (and writer and actor) Steve Earle, his DOGHOUSE ROSES collection. Good so far.
I see Deb beat me to it as usual.
😉
Many years ago I started to read THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. I got about 25 pages into it before I quit. It just didn't work for me. The other day I was moving some books around and ran across that old paperback and decided to give it another try. This time I think I might finish it, but I'm not laughing. I might have smiled once or twice, but that's it. I guess my sense of humor has atrophied.
Deb, I'm intrigued by all the descriptions of Ireland in Thin Air. I'm going to have to come back to that one.
I still need to get to The Dry, Jeff. I actually know right where my copy of that one is. And, I have the Anne Hillerman as well.
Ah, Bill. I read Hitchhiker's Guide years ago. I enjoyed it, but didn't find it really funny. And, all I can remember is it's essential to have a white towel. I can still tell you a number of things to do with that towel.
I'm reading The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible.
Now, there, Sandy, is one I can say is NOT on my TBR pile.
Jeffrey, glad you wrote something about The Dry. I was going to ask if anyone had read it. I read a sample of it on iBooks and I was thinking about that it might be good. The library in my town doesn't have it. When a new book comes out you can't put a hold on it till it has been in the library system for six months. They have a copy in some library in the system but I have got to wait for the six months to pass before they will send it to my library. I dislike this rule. OverDrive through the library for ebooks doesn't have it. Amazon Kindle has it for $12.99. I just don't like to pay that much for a Kindle ebook. I think it is over priced. It isn't that I can't afford it, just think ebooks are over priced. So it is the waiting game for me. I have plenty of books to read anyway. I will never catch up with all the books I have anyway.
I am reading So Help Me God, by Larry D Thompson. Finishing up Thyme to Live, by Melissa F Miller.
Lesa, thank you again for giving us all a day to share with the group, not that I don't love what you take your time to share with us all the time, became I do. You are great.
Thanks to everyone who takes the time to share here.
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Charlotte–I thought THE DRY was good, but not great. I wouldn't classify it as a keeper. I thought it did a good job of misdirection (I thought for a good portion of the book that I knew who the culprit was–I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong); but–and Jeff may disagree–I thought the denouement was a bit clumsy, (mildly spoilerish) relying on a misinterpretation of the meaning of a word.
Charlotte, I love to see the conversations. People comment on other people's readings or ask questions of others. It's fun for me as well!
I did like it that the culprit wasn't the one I (or Deb) had expected in THE DRY. While I wouldn't exactly call it a cheat, as Deb suggested it was not totally fair either. I'll be interested in seeing what she does next. I don't see a series here.
I finished The Promise Girls by Marie Bostwick at the beginning of the week. I enjoyed it but it felt a little rushed at the end and I had a "ew" moment when Joanie's secret was revealed. Now I am reading Button Holed by Kylie Logan. I picked it at our Friends of the Library sale.
Printer's Error by JP and Rebecca Romney, about wacky episodes that happened during the history of printing.
Entertaining popular history.
Sharon, That one sounded like a departure for Bostwick. I've read quite a few of her other ones, and that one didn't jump out at me.
I enjoy "entertaining popular history", Glen. Sounds fun!
I'm reading THE Wild BEASTS OF WUHAN by Ian Hamilton. A series I learned about here. I can't remember now if it was from one of your reviews, Lesa, or from the comments. Either way, I'm enjoying the series. 🙂 Next up is Tinker by Wen Spenser.
I'm reading THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE by Catherine Coulter & J.T. Ellison. I became addicted to J.T. Ellison's thrillers a few years ago, and now I'm reading the "Brit in the FBI" series she co-authored with Ms. Coulter.
I've read HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY twice so far, and I think it's hilarious.
I'm sure it was from the comments, Karen. I'm so pleased someone's suggestion caught your eye!
Karen, I really enjoyed Tinker. I've read it and the sequels several times.
I needed some "comfort food" to distract me from my husband's illness so I'm reading MEET ME AT THE CUPCAKE CAFE by Jenny Colgan. I think she does chick lit right! I have especially loved her BEACH STREET BAKERY series, and I hear there is another one coming at Christmas time.
Margie, I loved Colgan's The Bookshop on the Corner. Please give Mike my best.
Good to see comments about THE DRY. I kept hearing about this book, and was considering whether to add it to my TBR pile.
More ARCs and some library books for me:
Two culinary-related mysteries: UNCORKING A LIE by Nadine Nettmann is set in Napa Valley with a sommelier amateur sleuth. MURDER IS THE MAIN COURSE by Shawn Reilly Simmons is the fourth book in the Red Carpet Catering series.
Karen: I also like Ian Hamilton's Ava Lee books. I am reading book #9 in the series, THE COUTURIER OF MILAN.
Hey, Lesa. I'm reading Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. It was out last fall, but I'm just getting to it. She's going to be at the Southern Kentucky Book Fest in Bowling Green next Saturday, and I wanted to read it before I go. I have loved her previous books I've read, with Bel Canto being my favorite, with State of Wonder coming in a close second. I'm a little over half-way through Commonwealth, and it's a good read, but I'm not sure it's going to be a favorite. I have just reached a major turn, so we'll see.
I'm reading Bearly Departed by Meg Macy and I'm enjoying it.
Before heading to work this morning I read the fabulous opening paragraph of Sarah Dunn's new novel, THE ARRANGEMENT. I LOVED Sarah's first novel, BIG LOVE, and have been waiting 8 years since reading her second book, SECRETS TO HAPPINESS, for her next novel. Somehow I missed the March 21 pub date for THE ARRANGEMENT, but I bought it last night, and I am thrilled after one paragraph. Definitely will be my #fridayread #weekendread. 🙂
I just finished reading ELEMENTARY,SHE READ BY Vicki Delany after reading the review here and I did enjoy it. I am now reading Frances Brodys' DEATH OF AN AVID READER and was lucky enough to find her newest at the library last night when I went to my knitting group, A DEATH IN THE DALES. Her Kate Shackleton mysteries are a new pleasure for me.
I finished Empire Falls by Richard Russo this morning and will start Finding Safehaven by Bev Marquart next.
Started Entombed by Linda Fairstein (audio) and finishing A Slender Thread by Katharaine Davis. Then will start a short cozy The Farmer's Market by Wanda Brunstetter. The last one is a sequel to a book that I haven't read. But I love all that Wanda Brunstetter writes!
I love Anne Lamott. I'm not a religious person, but Anne Lamott speaks to me.
I'm reading "Loyalty" by Ingrid Thoft. This is a very different sort of family mystery and I'm enjoying it a lot. Boston PI Fina Ludlow works for a group of attorneys who also happen to be her family – rich ambulance chasers. Loyalty is the perfect title for this book, and I'm looking forward to reading book #2.
I'm working my way through Manson by Jeff Guinn. I read Helter Skelter by Bugliosi back in high school (yes, even that long ago I was fascinated by true crime books.) I thought it was time I read another viewpoint on the whole "Manson Murders" thing. Bugliosi was the main prosecutor so he was close to the crime but didn't have the deeper background that is in Guinn's book. Lots more on his childhood, his violent past and more about the backgrounds of the "family" members.
I actually know someone who has met and talked with one of the members, while in California she visited the prisons to talk with lifers. Interesting take on it from my friends viewpoint because she doesn't know anything about the Manson Murders, just knows that this person is in prison for those murders.
Patty, That just seems odd to me that someone doesn't know about the Manson murders. Like you, I read Helter Skelter years ago. Very interesting.
Thank you everyone! I've read some of what you're reading, and others are on TBR piles. Most of all, it's just fun to have a book conversation. Thank you!
In the middle of Rhys Bowen's delightful stand-alone Farleigh Field, a WWII British mystery that pairs well with "Foyle's War," which I'm re-watching (the early segments). If you enjoy British and WWII period stories, I recommend both the book and the TV show. I still haven't finished my current non-fiction book, Frans de Waal's Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are, no fault of the author's since this is a fascinating thesis (that many other animals are plenty smart, just not at the things we humans need to be smart at, so we need different, more scientific methods of measuring intelligence than benchmarking everything against us).
Lesa, my friend suffered a severe stroke, she has huge gaps in her memories and is slowly rebuilding them.