I just discovered a new mystery series that fits my interests. Cora Harrison’s Reverend Mother mysteries are set in Cork, Ireland in the 1920s, not long after the Easter Rising of 1916. The series contains politics, social and cultural issues. But, at least in the one I read, it’s also a straightforward traditional mystery with the Reverend Mother of the convent St. Mary’s of the Isle as the amateur sleuth. She’s a woman with a deep understanding of people. I’ve just started the first in the series, after reading the latest for a review. The first book is A Shameful Murder.
What are you reading or listening to this week? Anything that particularly piques your interest? We’d love to know!
Even though I started two books I couldn’t finish (one was on fossils in Victorian times and very dry) I still finished 4 books.
The Family of the Fox by F.M. Isaacs is a YA book about a family of shifters and time travelers that I won on Goodreads. I enjoyed it more than I though I would
The Lodger by Liz Adair. I didn’t care for this one. I thought the amount of religious matter she included bogged down the story
Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton was enjoyable but I liked the first book in the series more
Iris Apfel’s book about her life, Iris Apfel Accidental Icon was a quick book with lots of pictures but I enjoyed her take on life
Lesa, I've noticed that series by Cora Harrison too and thought about reading it. I think I'll watch for it at my library. Going to volunteer and shelve books tomorrow (my regular day). You'd be 'surprised' at how many books I slip onto the bottom shelf of the cart on those days. And then they go home with me. LOL
I'm reading DEAR MRS. BIRD by A.J. Pearce – WWII London – not out in the US yet, but it is in the UK – young woman who gets a job with an advice columnist and then begins to answer some of the rejected letter herself – I'm loving it.
I just finished THE WILDLING SISTERS by Eve Chase and SOMETIMES I LIE by Alice Feeney. Liked both. The book by Feeney was her debut and it was all kinds of crazy – truly. Ha!
Good morning, Sandy! The book that appealed to me on your list was actually that YA book, The Family of the Fox. Shifters and time travelers! I like the sound of that.
Kay, I read the fifth in the series for an LJ review, but my library owns the first 3, so I picked up number one, A Shameful Murder, yesterday. Dear Mrs. Bird sounds so good! I hope it comes out here.
I know just what you mean about that bottom shelf on the cart!
I finished:
The Hummingbird Wizard ( book 1 ) by Meredith Blevins. I wasn’t thrilled over this book. I have book 2, I will set it aside for now. Better books I want to read.
I am reading:
Texas Troubles ( book 1) by N C Lewis
The Anonymous Source ( book 1) by A C Fuller
Find time for reading each day,
📕☕️📒☕️
Just finished the new Elizabeth George "the Punishment She Deserved" – great as usual. Her books are very involved – lots of different characters – with different story lines. I highly recommend her books. I know the books are large but they are a very satisfying read. Just started a new author for me – Darkness, Sing Me a Song by David Housewright and am enjoying it. A fast read.
I'm getting back to pre-trip levels with 9 library books (and another in transit) plus a couple of Kindle downloads.
Most recently finished AN AEGEAN APRIL by Jeffrey Siger, who always makes the Greek Islands sound so appealing. Also Sloane Crosley's third collection of essays, LOOK ALIVE OUT THERE.
Still reading the first Kipling collection, PLAIN TALES FROM THE RAJ, but I have a couple of other collections pending, including the latest edited by Lawrence Block, ALIVE IN SHAPE AND COLOR: 16 Paintings by Great Artists and the Stories They Inspired.
As to what to read first, I have started GOOD GUYS by Steven Brust, but there are several others fighting for my attention.
I just finished "Still Me" by Jojo Moyes — sent by LJ in audio to review. (And writing that review is on my to-do list.) It is delightful! It sparkles! The narration is wonderful.
In print, I'm nearly done with Charles Frazier's "Varina," about Varina Howell Davis (wife of the Confederate president), which came out April 10. It's written in the form of an extended interview/reminiscence which forces the reader to adjust. Once adjusted, it's deep and interesting.
I finished I WAS ANASTASIA by Ariel Lawhon. It was written in alternating chapters in an interesting way. The Romanov story was told linearly starting with their arrest and ending with their deaths. The Anna Anderson story was written backwards starting in 1970 and ending in 1918. At first it was a disconcerting but it helped that the years and location were listed at the beginning of each chapter. I thought it was very good.
Now I am reading HURRICANCE SEASON by Lauren K. Denton
Sandy, I have LORD OF THE PIES on my pile to read next. I wondered if book 2 would be as good as book one.
On of the lists I subscribe to COLOR ME MURDER by Krista Davis was listed as one of the most books with 5 star ratings. I've never read anything by her but now I am curious. Anyone else read it?
I just finished reading the WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM by Mary Lynn Bracht and it will stay with me for a very long time. The next one on my list is THE GOOD HEART by Ursula Werner. I have a feeling that I will be very happy to return to some "cozy" mysteries after that.
Good morning! Lesa, you reviewed Date with Malice by Julia Chapman and it sounded delightful, so I decided to start with the first in the Samson and Delilah series, Date with Death. Mysteriously under investigation from his former police job, Samson returns to his home town in the rural Yorkshire Dales, where most of his family and friends are not happy to see him. They think he abandoned his best friend's family after the friend was killed in Afghanistan and don't approve of his current venture, a detective agency. He is also reacquainted with Delilah, who is struggling to keep her Dales Dating Agency and another small business viable. When several local deaths are linked to the victims' membership in the dating agency, Samson and Delilah have to work together to protect her business and solve the murders. What sounds like a light, fluffy story is actually grittier and much more interesting, with lots of local color and authentic characters to root for.
I loved Susan Bishop Crispell's The Secret Ingredient of Wishes a few years back, so I looked for her latest, Dreaming in Chocolate and finally found it on OverDrive from the library. Penelope and her mother own a magical chocolate shop, where an apothecary table regularly fills up with ingredients and special recipes that can help customers see the future, cure heartbreak, and more. But the magic hasn't been able to cure Penelope's young daughter of a terminal brain tumor. Penelope's high school sweetheart, who was scared away when her magic showed he would be her forever love, returns to the small town of Malarkey, but Penelope wonders whether she can ever forgive him for abandoning her and the daughter he doesn't know he has. Obviously, magical realism is in play in this story and requires a lot of "suspension of disbelief." It is not at the level of Sarah Allen Addison but is engaging nevertheless.
In The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by debut author Nova Jacobs, Isaac, a mathematician extraordinaire, has been working on an equation that can predict future deaths when he himself dies under possibly suspicious circumstances. But he has left his foster granddaughter, Hazel, a cryptic letter asking her to secure the equation and deliver it to a designated person without telling anyone. That includes Isaac's extended family, which consists largely of genius-level scientists, some with crippling personal issues. And then there are Hazel and her brother, who had been greatly wronged as children by Isaac's youngest son, their foster father until Isaac took them in. As Hazel tries her best to follow the clues Isaac has left, she learns that no one can be trusted when a potential life-changing (and financially lucrative) equation is concerned. I raced through this intriguing book and enjoyed it thoroughly, even though I found it difficult to sort through the many characters and their diverse motives.
Lots of interesting books read by others this week. I just finished the newest Bill Pronzini (no Marcia Muller this time) The Bag of Tricks featuring Sabina Carpenter and John Quincannon. This time in Grass Valley as well as San Francisco – a crooked card player in Grass Valley and a burglary in SF that was an inside job.
I am one third of the way thru one of Lesa's favorites and thank her for recommending it – D M Quincy's Murder in Bloomsbury with Atlas Catesby. Well written and a lesson in what London was like during the period of the book with looks at the poorest and the middle class as well as the very wealthy. Look forward to reading more of it today.
Next up will be the new David Rosenfelt – Fade to Black. Not an Andy Carpenter.
Today, I should be finishing A Date with Murder, the latest Murder, She Wrote tie in. This is also the first one I've read, and I've really been enjoying it. I'm definitely going to have to slip a few more into my TBR pile soon.
After that, I'll be starting The Art of Vanishing by Cynthia Kuhn.
I read Hunter Killer by Patrick Robinson. The shifty French help stage a coup in Saudi Arabia, by demolishing the oil infrastructure, plunging the world into depression. Only Admiral Morgan and some submarines can save the day.
Driving Heat by Richard Castle, a novelization of the Castle mystery series. There was a time practically every TV series got both a comic book and a paperback release of some kind. That kind of thing almost died off for a while, then came back near the turn of the century, but seems to be dying off again.
A MidWinter's Tail by Sofie Kelley, which seems to be going down the trail blazed by Joanne Fluke, of embracing the Cabot Cove-ocity, only without the love triangle, and Ross.
The Last Days of Dead Celebrities by Michael Fink, which traces the last days of various celebrities dying between 1980 and 2000. I found his choices a bit odd.
Raise the Titanic by Clive Cussler, the book that put Cussler on the best seller list permanently, is a lot different than his books now.
Blood Type by Stephen Greenleaf, DNF when I got bored with his tiresome political posturing.
I'm just catching up with all of you! I love peeking into your book stacks to see what you've been reading.
Charlotte, I don't blame you for setting aside book two in Blevins' series if number one was so-so. You're right. Lots of other good books out there!
Jeff, You're right. Despite the crime and politics, Jeff does make the Greek islands sound wonderful. I can only imagine!
Donna, I've never read Elizabeth George. Those large books are quite intimidating. I'd have to read a little at a time.
Margie, I'm glad you liked Death with Malice. Your other two books are interesting, and I have the Equations book on a pile someplace. Most of all, thank you for your generous comment on Jungle Red Writers. I appreciate your kind note. Thank you.
Netteanne! I'm so happy you're enjoying D.M. Quincy's book. I know it's not for everyone, but for those who are interested, I'm happy to see it's pleasing people.
Nann, That's great that the audio book sparkles! Wonderful for customers.
I haven't read Color Me Murder by Krista Davis, Sharon. I've read some of her other books. I'd like to know what someone thinks of that one, too.
Pat, Tough subject with The White Chrysanthemum. I haven't read it, but I can see why it would stick with you.
Mark, I haven't read any of the Murder, She Wrote books either. I may have to try one sometime, based on your comments.
Glen, I read every word of your comments because I never know when you'll have something catchy in there – "the shifty French". Cussler's book being much different than his current ones. As I've said before, your comments are always interesting.
I started rereading the Paranormalcy trilogy by Kiersten White and I'm really enjoying it. I thought it was good the first time, but it's even better the second time around.
Sorry to chime in a day late! I've been reading "Let Your Mind Run", a memoir by Olympian Deena Kastor. It chronicles her running journey in an exciting way and does not neglect her emotional journey. We get to see how she moves from an attitude of fear ("What if I lose?") to an attitude of joy, which strengthens her. I am enjoying it much more than the last running memoir I read, by Scott Jurek, which was more like a description of the race courses and his meals.
So many books to add to the TBR stack after reading the comments. I just finished an ARC of Jar of Hearts by Jennifer HIllier. A little on the gruesome side but thrilling. I also recently read After Anna by Lisa Scottoline and The Storm King by Brendan Duffy. Both absolutely excellent. Two of my favorite authors; I wish Duffy would write as fast as Scottoline.
I am reading the newly re-released British mystery Flaxborough Mystery series by Colin Watson. What a treat. They are set in the 1950's and 1960's (so far) and are fun reads as well as good solid mysteries. The best thing is Watson's way with words. Wit, sarcasm, love them all.
And I realized I was way behind in J. D. Robb's In Death series so am slowly catching up, throwing in another one here and there. I really could just binge read those.
I am enjoying Millard Salter's Last Day by Jacob B. Appell. It is a story about psychiatrist who is planning on committing suicide on his 75th birthday. He is not depressed, he just does not want to be a burden to anyone. He likes using puns and making joke. I have been laughing a lot!
Also, reading 100 one page stories about bird, Bird Note by a PBS group. the facing pages has the bird that is being discussed. Great book, answers a lot of questions.
And The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer. This involes a young woman working for the OSS in Switzerland during Hilter's time. She is trying to help rescue some scientists working on the atomic bomb All three books are great and they are all fighting for my attention!
I read Color Me Murder back in February, and I loved it.