“On the road again.” I’m actually traveling today and tomorrow, so I won’t be around to discuss books. Instead, I’ll be in the car for about 5 1/2 hours each way. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take up the challenge. Let others know what you’re reading or listening to. Maybe you’ll have a discussion here. I hope you do. I’d love to catch up with it on Friday evening.
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with an article. Jeff sent me the link from The New York Times for “12 Authors Write About the Libraries They Love”. Of course, I found it moving. I hope you enjoy it. https://nyti.ms/2QPSC9b
I wish you a week of good reading!
I knew you would love that piece. Enjoy the trip!
I read the latest Archer Mayor book about Joe Gunther and his team in Vermont, BURY THE LEAD. I think it is #29 in the series I have been reading since the first one. Good to see Joe finding some personal happiness after the years alone.
Mostly I've been reading short stories: the one I finished was the very different (and yes, odd) ALIEN VIRUS LOVE DISASTER by Abbey Mei Otis.
Currently reading (generally one story a day in each):
Lord Dunsany, FIFTY-ONE TALES. Very short fantasy pieces.
Catherine Aird, LAST WRITES. Some with Sloan & Crosby, but mostly non-series.
Deborah Eisenberg, TRANSACTIONS IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY. Her new collection is getting a lot of critical attention so I thought I'd go back to her earlier stuff and see what I've missed.
I will either read the new Kate Atkinson (TRANSACTION) next, or Mary Robinette Kowal's THE FATED SKY (second Lady Astronaut book), or perhaps something I've already started, like Jamie Freveletti's latest thriller, BLOOD RUN. And I have another two or three story collections on deck as well.
I started several books that I couldn’t get interested in. I did finish a cozy mystery, THE PINT OF NO RETURN by Ellie Alexander. I’m currently reading BELLS, SPELLS, AND MURDERS by Carol J Perry
I finished the following:
Dangerous Undertaking by Mark de Castrique
Cold Blooded Brew ( book 4 ) by Tonya Kappes
Now I am reading:
Monkeewrench by P J Tracy
Decaffeinated Scandal (book 5 ) by Tonya Kappes
I am so thrilled that I love books and reading.
📚📚📚📚☕️
I am reading SUMMER AT THE GARDEN CAFE by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. I am 100 pages out from finishing it and enjoying it very much.
My favorite library growing up was the South Euclid Library near my grandmother's house in Lyndhurst, Ohio. It was in an old house. Lots of window seats for reading. The closest I have ever been to one similar is the Wagnalls Library in Lithopolis in Fairfield County, Ohio. It is beautiful.
Safe travels Lesa.
Have a good trip, Lesa! I'll take a look at the article. Libraries are always fun to read about. Wonder why I think so? LOL
I finished the new Cormoran Strike book – Lethal White. Loved it. I think J.K. Rowling can write about wizards or private eyes and I'll be there. I also finished the new P.J. Tracy book – The Guilty Dead – so glad Traci is continuing the series. Charlotte says she's reading Monkeewrench – enjoy it, Charlotte! I love that series.
I'm listening to the second IQ book by Joe Ide. Hmmm…the first one, IQ, is our discussion book for November in the mystery group. It was good, though a bit gritty and salty with language. I'm wondering how we'll fare with it. I like the way Joe Ide writes, but I'm about ready to move along to Kate Morton's new book. That will be a change. Ha!
Kay, I am loving Monkeewrench. I have two more in the series sitting on my desk to read next. .Lesa said I would like them and she was right, as usual.
I was out of town for last week's discussion, so I'll cover both weeks.
Although I was excited to win Stuart Turton's The 7-1/2 LIVES OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE, I was very disappointed. The description: Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And Aiden can escape only when he identifies the killer. My review: I couldn't care less. It was so unnecessarily convoluted that I found it tiresome to try to keep up. And I didn't care about any of the characters. After about 275 pages (of 400+), I gave up and read the last 2 chapters. Guess what? I still didn't care. Maybe you will like it more than I did.
Jane Willen follows up The Shadow of Death with another satisfying mystery, THE HOUR OF DEATH, involving Welsh nun Sister Agatha, an enthusiastic amateur sleuth and crime fiction writer wannabe. Tiffany Reese, president of the Village Art Society is dead, and the local constables chalk it up to a heart attack. But as Tiffany was one of the least loved townspeople, Sister Agatha sees it as a murder with a lot of suspects, including the young artist-in-residence at the convent, an unpopular land developer, Tiffany's own brother, and a local artist with a secret. During the Advent season leading to Christmas, Sister Agatha works with Father Selwyn on her own investigation. It is the interesting characters, local color, and unexpected details that makes this series a true delight.
In Amy Mason Doan's debut, THE SUMMER LIST, Laura spent her high school days and summers with her best friend, Casey, on the shores of a California lake. Casey and her quirky mother, Alex, seemed more of a family than Laura's older, adoptive parents. But after she suddenly abandons her plans to go to art school in LA, near her boyfriend and Casey at UCLA, Laura becomes mysteriously estranged from them all. Years later she reluctantly accepts a invitation to a girls' weekend with Casey and fins herself submerged in her past, with the help of a scavenger hunt. I enjoyed it.
I can't get enough of EJ Copperman/Jeff Cohen's Asperger's Mysteries. This time Samuel Hoenig and his associate and former client, Janet Washburn, are asked to answer the question of whether the client's husband is cheating on her with his dead girlfriend (say what?). I love the way Janet complements Samuel, who has Asperger's and tends to take things a bit too literally and miss some behavioral cues. And it seems that the two now have a relationship that has advanced a bit beyond associates (although he still insists on calling her Ms. Washburn). The story is engrossing, the characters are highly likable, and I can't wait for the next one. My only problem (?) is that I can't help picturing Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory) as Samuel.
Thanks to a couple of your comments last week, I cancelled my library hold on THE DINNER LIST. Sandy, THE PINT OF NO RETURN is on my library hold list because I liked the first in the series. I enjoy the Monkeewrench series also and am waiting for the latest.
Today, I should be finishing up Dogged by Sandy Dengler. Up next is Yule Log Murder, a collection of three Christmas novellas.
I had already read the NYTimes article and loved it. Right now I'm reading THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Kate Morton. I usually like her books but not too sure about this one – it's a bit disjointed. Earlier this week I finished THE ITALIAN TEACHER (Rachman) and before that DEATH AND THE LIT CHICK (Malliet).
I wanted to comment on something said in your review of I'D RATHER BE READING. I have a list of every book I've read since August of 1976 (unless I forgot to write it down – which happens more than I'd like to admit).
SallyB,
Please share what you decide about The Clockmaker's Daughter. I have read all her books accept the two before this one. I have them, just haven't got to them yet. I have a sample of this latest one to check it out. It would be nice to read your thoughts on this book. I hope it turn out to be a good read for you.
Thank you.
My librarian picked The Road to Ithaca, from a new-to-me series. Now I need to backtrack through the previous nine.
Now reading Pursuit and Persuasion by Sally S. Wright.
Sally. ditto. I have every book I've read since May of 1975, and several other groups back to late 1970.
Jeff and Lesa, thank yor sharing the article from The New York Times.
It is still amazing to me how libraries have been able to touch the lives of people through the ages.
A library is a comfy place for me.
I read:
Speaking in Tungs; a sort of cozy that's not really a mystery. Kind of strange.
The Jizmatic Trilogy; a pastiche or a parody of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Gray Sea Running by RJ McMillen; A Dan Cooper mystery, which displays a lot of hate for fish farms, but really doesn't have enough plot for a whole book.
How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberts; I got this book in the mail, but I don't know why. I guess somebody hoped I'd read it and review it. It supposed to be humorous, because the author worked for Stephen Colbert. Basically, a Millennial is outraged because life does not resemble a romcom. I found this a strange viewpoint. I mean, I never thought getting myself trapped in a building with terrorists would be a good way to meet women. Plus, the author doesn't see the irony inherent in an Ivy Leaguer telling other folks to check their privilege.
I finished I'll Keep You Safe by Peter May. I loved the Lewis Trilogy and although this is not part of that it starts in Paris and moves to the Isle of Lewis and Harris.
I sense a kind of theme here as I just finished Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves that is the (no surprises here) the final book in the Shetland Island series. Oh that Jimmy Perez. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending.
Call me an old soul. I miss the card catalogs. I really liked searching for books using them. I used to work in a couple of libraries where I pulled cards for books permanently withdrawn, and I also typed up new cards for the books that came in.
Bonnie, I loved those card catalogs also. Sometimes changing things isn't always the best plan. Just sharing my feelings. I know the computer is faster and easier for people.
Reading Barbed Wire Heart and not liking it! Aldo reading Now You See the Sky and love it. Every Note Played by Lisa Genova my new morning audio book and it is much than I thought. Think it is because of similar but also different life situations
Thanks everyone, for keeping the conversation going! I had a delightful day on Thursday. Drove up to Wabash, Indiana with a friend and we went to see Celtic Thunder again. Front row center seats at the Honeywell Center couldn't be any better. The day back was not quite so delightful. Lots of delays, one due to an accident (not ours) and lots of construction. Took 7 hours to make a 5 hour drive. But, home safe and back to the computer. No more major trips planned for a while, although I am going to Nashville next Sunday to see Doris Kearns Goodwin interviewed by Jon Meacham. Looking forward to that!
Thank you, again. I enjoyed reading about books read, book journals kept, your favorite libraries. Just fun to read all your notes.
Hoped to finish Ambush by James Patterson this week. But had to travel to upstate NY for death in the family. No reading done most of the week. Still reading on that. Also reading Lie to Me by JT Ellison on my phone and listening to The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald.
Have safe travels
That's understandable, Katstev. I'm sorry.