I told you I’d be back on Thursday. I always want to know what you’re reading!
I’ve just started Elizabeth Spann Craig’s first Village Library Mystery, Checked Out. Nothing like a dramatic cat rescue to kick off a cozy mystery. That’s really not the mystery, though. Librarian Ann Beckett reluctantly agrees to be set up on a blind date by one of her patrons. What’s the worst that can happen? Well, she could get stood up for the date, but only because her date was murdered.
As I said, I just started it, so I’ve only read the scene in which the cats are rescued during a rainstorm. But, I like the voice in this book, so I think I’m going to enjoy it.
Tell us, what are you reading this week? We’d all like to know.
I finished THE DEARLY BELOVED by Cara Wall. It was good but not special to me. I would read other books by her though.
Then I quickly abandoned ROOM TO BREATHE and HOLLY BANKS FULL OF ANGST. Neither appealed to me after a few chapters.
Now I am reading LAETITIA RODD AND THE WANDERING SCHOLAR by Kate Saunders. It is the second of the series. There was a long time between the 2 books. I am very much enjoying Mrs. Rodd's discreet enquiries in the 1850's.
Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!
After finishing O. Henry's WHIRLIGIGS (I am now reading the next collection of his) I read the latest Longmire book by Craig Johnson, LAND OF WOLVES. I skipped the previous Mexican book, but here Walt is back (and still recovering from his wounds) in Wyoming. Vic has a major role, but Henry only has a couple of cameo appearances in this story of a South American shepherd working for a Basque rancher, found hanged. It looks like suicide but Walt (and the reader) thinks otherwise from the beginning. Glad to see him back where he belongs.
The new Reacher book by Lee Child is at the library, so I caught up with the previous one I had set aside, PAST TENSE. Let's just say, it is not the place for a newcomer to the series to start, which should be with the early ones, or possibly the prequels. This is weak. Reacher is walking from Maine to San Diego (as one does) when he decides to stop off in Laconia, New Hampshire, his father's birthplace. But town records show no Reacher family, so he digs deeper. That story is soso but readable. The secondary story, about a Canadian couple trapped at a motel, is so tedious that I just skimmed through those pages waiting for the inevitable moment (70% through the ebook) when their path crossed with Reacher's. Disappointing.
I'm not sure what I will read next. I have a bunch of stuff on the Kindle I am saving for Florida, as well as a few paperbacks, and I have some library books I can download. We'll see.
Lesa, Is the book you are reading only available as an e-book?
Sharon, When I found Checked Out on Barnes & Noble's webpage, it shows it as a paperback.
Thank you! Merry Christmas & Happy Reading to you as well!
Jeff, I skipped the Longmire set in Mexico, too. I have no interest in cartel books. I like your summary of the Jack Reacher, book, though. "Reacher is walking from Maine to San Diego (as one does)." You made me laugh at the review. Sometimes, it's just hard to settle on the next book. I agree.
Read "Sins of the Father" J. A. Jance – I agree with what someone posted a while ago – it just isn't that compelling a story – I waited for this one as I had read all of her earlier ones with this main character and liked them so I was very disappointed. I'm reading The Hidden Things by Jamie Mason -mystery revolving around a stolen painting worth millions – enjoying it as I sold antiques for 25 years. Happy Holidays to all!
Happy Holidays, Donna! And, thank you for talking about what you've been reading this week, and throughout the year. I'm sorry so many of us have been finding disappointing books lately.
And, I should have wished everyone Happy Holidays to begin with because I wasn't thinking that we won't be back again together until after Christmas.
I just finished Checked Out and was surprised at how much I liked it. I think in large part it's because it has a real library vibe, with real questions and problems as an integral part of the story. Many with libraries as a backdrop tend to be vague as to exactly what is done there or (a pet peeve) librarian/sleuth slips out to investigate whenever she wants. Uh… not at my library. I'll be very interested to hear your impressions.
In THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE by Diana Biller, Alva Webster was a young bride unexpectedly abused and shunned by her husband in England. When she finally leaves him and he is found dead shortly thereafter, his family accuses her of all sorts of scandal in the press, and she returns home to her native New York in 1875. Finding that she is just as reviled in America, she focuses on renovating an abandoned house and writing a book about the process, but soon the workers refuse to continue because of the presence of a ghost in the house. At the same time, Alva is threatened and blackmailed by her husband's surviving twin. Unaware of the scandal, inventor and professor Samuel Moore is taken with the beautiful widow and agrees to investigate with the intent of identifying the ghost. If it sounds like a mishmash of paranormal, mystery, and Gilded Age historical romance, it is . . . but somehow it worked for me. Sam is the most likeable hero since Mr. Darcy. and his family of inventors and scientists are delightful. I highly recommend it.
Short chapters focusing alternately on one of the three main characters make for compulsive page-turning in IF YOU WANT TO MAKE GOD LAUGH by Bianca Marais, a deeply affecting story about the varying construct of family in South Africa during internal unrest and the AIDS pandemic. Flamboyant, thrice-married Ruth and her sister Delilah, briefly a nun and subsequently an orphanage worker, are less than a year apart in their late fifties and have been estranged for years. Eighteen-year-old Zodwa was raped and is eight months pregnant, with a very ill mother her only close relative. How their stories all come together, partly out of serendipity and partly out of necessity, is stunning, heart-breaking and uplifting. I'm grateful I heard about this novel through a podcast and will seek out the author's earlier book.
I'm not sure MEG & JO by Virginia Kantra has earned the description of "a contemporary retelling of Little Women." I think the book would have been enhanced by more Beth and Amy, although they will be the focus of the sequel. I feel I got to know the book's Meg much better than Jo because she was described in much more detail, although I was irked by Meg's doormat/martyr persona until the last half of the book, when she got some gumption. I was also annoyed by the March girls' one-note mother and–particularly–father. I wanted someone to do something about Dr. March's lack of responsibility to his family. Jo's career choices didn't make a lot of sense to me, but I did enjoy her romance. I definitely found the latter part of the book more satisfying and, yes, I will look for the sequel, Beth & Amy.
I am 100 pages into Legacy, the newest Keeper of the Lost Cities novel from Shannon Messenger. Spoiler alert, I'll still be reading it next week. Why? It's 800 pages.
I go to the launch party every year, and it is always so exciting to see so many kids excited about getting the latest in their favorite series.
Oh, BPL Ref! Thank you! Although I just started Checked Out, it's encouraging to hear how much you liked it. Looking forward to reading all of it.
Margie! "Sam is the most likable hero since Mr. Darcy"? I may have to look for that book. Like so many others, I fell in love with Mr. Darcy. I'll have to check it out.
I hope you have a beautiful Christmas visit with your sons, their wives, and the grandbabies. Hugs, Margie!
Mark, I like that comment that you go to the launch party every year. Like you, I love to see kids excited about the latest. We used to throw launch parties for the Harry Potter books, and that was so much fun.
After reading an ARC of Ellery Adams' "The Book of Candlelight," (which is one of her best, IMO) I discovered a 3 book series by Kerry Lonsdale which I liked a lot – Everything We Give, Everything We Left Behind and Everything We Keep. Now I'm having a hard time finding just the right book so I'm slowly re-reading and savoring one of my favorite books ever; Armor Towles "A Gentleman in Moscow." 'tis lovely.
I read:
Strong Convictions by GP Hutchinson; a Hallmark Channel western in print.
Red Letter Days by Sarah-Jane Stratford; About the Dark Night of McCarthyism.
High Risk by JT Sawyer; Mitch Kearns and Co. Infiltrate a Belarusian prison to rescue an arms dealer posing as an art thief…or is he? Lots of action and intrigue.
Saint Death by Mark Dawson; John Milton goes to Juarez, and I think we can all figure out what happens.
Not Your Average Monster by Peter Kahle; A strange history about a bizarre chapter in American history. Grover Cleveland had cancer, and disappeared for five days to have it taken out. The author doesn't really seem to know what to think about this.
Happy Holidays. I read
17.5 Cartridges in a Pear Tree by Larissa Reinhart. It was short with lots of wacky goings on
Miss Frost Says I Do by Kristen Painter. A paranormal mystery featuring a royal wedding at the North Pole
Murder Under the Mistletoe by Rosie A Point. Two women who run a bakery food truck solve a murder in a small ?Maine town
Kaye, I'm going to have to check out those Kerry Lonsdale books just to find out what they're about. Yes, it's so hard to move from something we loved to the next book, isn't it?
Glen, It sounds as if you had a mixed bag this week, several that worked, and several that just didn't know where they were going. I'm always surprised that you finish some of those, but I'm guessing you sometimes just want to know if the author figured out what was happening.
Happy Holidays, Sandy. I do find it kind of funny that I'm coming up as Unknown on my own blog. Oh, well. Anyways, Murder Under the Mistletoe sounds fun.
Finished THE LOST ARE THE LAST TO DIE: A SONNY BURTON novel by Larry Sweazy as well as ROBERT B. PARKER'S ANGEL EYES: A SPENSER NOVEL by Ace Atkins. Both are good books in very different ways. The Sonny Burton book hit way closer to home for me and still makes me think about it days later.
Also currently reading Frank Zafiro's new book, AT THEIR OWN GAME. Early pages, but good stuff so far.
And, totally off topic, but in proud Dad news…..my youngest has graduated from UTD with a Masters in Criminology. Back in May of 93 when I graduated from UTD my late wife and my everything, Sandi, was pregnant with Scott who would be born later that year on October 5th. Now, all these years later and seven years after he started there in August of 2012, Scott graduates.
Pretty damn cool.
KRT
Pretty damn cool, Kevin. Congratulations to you and Scott. I know he put in quite a bit of hard work on that.
I have Angel Eyes at home, and hope to get to it soon. In fact, I need to because it's a library book. Larry Sweazy is quite an author, isn't he?
Finished Angel Eyes earlier this week, the new Spenser by Ace Atkins. Will look forward to what you think of it Lesa. One of the best things about a Parker was the wonderful dialogue that permeated the entire book. He might have been the best at dialogue. Ace Atkins tends to be more descriptive with some dialogue. It was a good, not great Spenser.
Just started a fun one about a CIA trained pastry chef who has relocated to somewhere in Florida along the coast. Am about 45 pages into it and am enjoying it so far, Eve Calder – Ant Then There Were Crumbs.
Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy family and friends.
I'm currently reading The Wicked Redhead by Beatriz Williams and Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart. On audio, I'm listening to Songs of America by Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw.
Started The Good Doctor: What it Means, How to Become One And How to Remain One by Thomas H. Lee, M.D. I have a primary doctor and ten specialists and I consider two of them to be very good doctors as far as knowledge and empathy goes. I am reading this in honor of my father who was a very good doctor.
Also reading Two Steps Forward by Suzanne Woods Fisher an Amish fiction book.
Hmmm, Netteanne. Well, I'll try the book. As you said, Parker was wonderful at dialogue, and I think that's what I missed when Atkins first started writing the books. We'll see.Thank you! I hope you have a cozy holiday with loved ones.
Katstev, I want to hear about Songs of America when you finish.
Carol, I think that's sad that only 1/5 of your doctors are very good ones. At the same time, it's been a number of years since I've had a very good doctor. I had one in Florida, and one in Arizona. It's harder to find a good one here.
I agree, they are very difficult to find. I have been going to a rheumatologist for over 10 years here. I always dread going to him because he is always very grouchy. Ten years and he always frowns, never a smile and he ignores the test results, I have been looking a long time for a change and all the reviews in this area are very dismal.
It's sad, Carol, especially when it's someone like you who needs a specialist. I'm sorry.
Spammers suck. Time to turn comment moderation on and keep them down in their slime.
Christmas is almost here so I'm deep into all things Christmas… Eggnog, holly, music and books!
A holiday cozy mystery? I'm reading A Little Paris Christmas Murder by Evan Hirst.
It's a novella in the Paris Booksellers Mystery series. If I can't be in Paris for Christmas, then I want to read about it.
I'm also reading A Quiet Life in the Country by TE Kinsey…. The first book in the Lady Hardcastle series, a delightful series set in 1909… No Christmas but then you can't have everything…
You're right, Kevin. I hate to do that, though. I know on Thursdays some of my readers have conversations, and it makes it harder when I'm at work. I may just have to do that, though.
Oh, Anonymous! Enjoy every bit of that Christmas.