It’s Wednesday, a good day this week to ask what you’re reading. I’m reading Anne Cleeland’s latest Doyle and Acton mystery, Murder in All Honour (love the cover). I’ll admit her books aren’t for everyone. Some readers don’t care for Acton’s obsession with Doyle. Those of us who love The Phantom of the Opera probably don’t care. The books have the same sexiness. Scotland Yard, the Irish Doyle’s “gift” of being able to tell if someone is lying, and of course the suspense all add up for stories that grab some of us. But, no book is for every reader.
What book grabbed you this week? Tell us about the latest one that you’re enjoying. Or, if you are plodding your way through something, tell us about that. I’d love to know what you’re reading, and there are other readers who enjoy checking the posts as well. Thank you!
I'm reading Rhonda Riley's THE ENCHANTED LIFE OF HENRY HOPE. I knew nothing about it when I saw the title in a list of "first-contact" SF. However, I wouldn't classify it as Science Fiction. It's about a big family and a long marriage in a rural North Carolina community in the years following WWII. It's beautifully written and seems to me to be about the way you really can't "know" everything about another person–even your spouse and even if you've been married for decades.
I'm also reading Don Chaon's ILL WILL. I absolutely loved Chaon's AWAIT YOUR REPLY from several years back. So far ILL WILL isn't grabbing me in quite the same way–but the plot is equally twisty: a man falsely (?) convicted of a horrific crime is exonerated and released 30 years later. Will he seek out the brother and cousin of his adopted family whose testimony sent him to prison? You know he will! But there's a lot of other things going on too. Perhaps too much. We shall see.
Of course Deb meant "Dan" Chaon.
I'm reading a strange one that I can't quite pin down, not that that's necessarily a bad thing. UNIVERSAL HARVESTER by John Darnielle sounds like the plot of a cheesy horror movie. A 22 year old guy living with his dad in Nevada, Iowa ca. 2000 and basically wasting his life working at a video rental store starts getting people returning tapes claiming there is "something else" on there in the middle of the movie (TARGETS and SHE'S ALL THAT were the first two movies). He takes them home and looks at them, and they seem to show a woman with a bag over her head in a barn. But is she a prisoner? He and his boss and another customer try to look into it, but it's kind of diffuse so far (40%) as to what is actually going on, though there are occasional references to one of the characters in the present day thinking back about what happened.
So far it's interesting enough (especially the characters) to keep me reading, but if we don't start getting some answers soon… .
I've got those five library books I took out plus another couple of downloads (including an Alice Munro collection), and I'm still reading (60%) the complete Saki collection and the Fitzgerald.
It's early, Jeff. I also got the title of the other book wrong, it's THE ENCHANTED LIFE OF ROY HOPE. Sorry!
I finished The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan last night. I did not enjoy it as much as her bookshop book but it was good. In the forward the author shared she lived in France for her husband's work. She said her favorite artisan chocolate shop was called Paul Rogers on the rue du Faubourg and recommends you visit there and have hot chocolate. Perhaps you will make that one of your stops in Paris 🙂
Today I am starting Gone with the Twins by Kylie Logan. I enjoy these cozy mysteries that take place on the Lake Erie Islands.
Finished two books yesterday, Donald Westlake's FOREVER AND A DEATH and Rex Stout's THE GOLDEN SPIDERS. The Stout was a reread.
I need to read that Westlake.
Last week I finished Into the Darkness by Maureen Nicholl, a novella that I won a long time ago.
Finished Calculated Risk by Melissa F Miller.
Reading Rosemary 's Gravy by Melissa F Miller and Dead Peasants by Larry D Thompson. Enjoying both books. I have placed a hold on two other books by Larry D Thompson from the library. The book I am reading is one I won and signed by him.
Looking forward to reading what everyone is reading this week.
Happy reading this week.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚😄
I finished two mysteries, Death and the Gravedigger's Angel by Loretta Ross and No Way Home by Annette Dashofy, both of which I really enjoyed. I'm going to try reading a fantasy book next, Just On Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. I'll have to see how I like it.
An eBook for me today. WYRD HOUSE by Julianne Q. Johns. I'm finally getting comfortable reading eBooks. So now I get to have a TBR ebook pile!
I liked the first Jodi Taylor a lot. As soon as I clear a few of the others I will get the second one.
Just finished Becky Masterman's "A Twist of the Knife" which is the new, third book in the Brigid Quinn series. Highly recommend the series with the first book "Rage Against the Dying" recommended as your starting point. Masterman has a way of writing a suspense novel that contains ethical issues, and Brigid Quinn is a rare protagonist in the sense that she is a 60-year-old FBI agent and marries for the first time. Good reading.
I love the conversations you all have before I get back to the blog – discussions of the authors, titles, books you want to try. Jeff, I really appreciate your comments. Thank you! Charlotte, I'm glad you had time to read and participate this week. Love Rex Stout! I liked the Jodi Taylor, too, Sandy. I'll be interested to see what you think.
Thank you, everyone!
Sharon, I meant to say that I read Colgan's introduction. I haven't read the book yet. But, we'll certainly be checking out some chocolate shops in Paris!
Redbreast, a Harry Hole mystery by Jo Nesbo. I'm not the biggest fan of Nordic Crime, but I'll read one every now and again.
Glen, I haven't read the Harry Hole mysteries, and I received a new one today. Now, I'm trying to decide if I should go back and start the series.
Thanks, Lesa. The first two, set in Sydney and Bangkok (respectively) rather than Norway, were very entertaining to me. I'll be returning to Nesbo someday soon.
After reading about The Gates of Evangeline (Hester Young) here, I got a copy through Inter-library Loan and read it this week. I enjoyed it very much, now wonder if I should track down her second book. In the meantime, I'll look for some of the other books in this discussion.
Im reading HIDDEN FIGURES, "… true story of the Black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America's greatest achievements in space." I love it.
Finished Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini and loved it. Some reviews said that it seemed more like non-fiction than historical fiction so they didn't like it. But I read history too, so that was a plus for me. Today, I am starting Beach Breeze by Joanne DeMaio (author' request for review)and also listening to The Antiques by Kris D'Agostino on MP3. The only thing that I have to play it on is my computer. I won it in a contest.
I'm still working on Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris. It's a huge book, so I'll have to return it before I've finished and then put it on Hold again so it will cycle back to me eventually. It's an amazing compilation of interviews with some of the most successful men and women in all fields (even mudding). 😀
It sounds as if so many of you have enjoyed the books you've been reading in the last week. Thank you for telling us about them. As you can see by Nan's comment, I'm not the only one checking to see what sounds good!
I'm reading an ARC of Wendy Webb's The End of Temperance Dare. I'm a fan of Gothics and Wendy Webb does them beautifully. As does Carol Goodman. I recently finished Ms. Goodman's The Widow's House, and enjoyed it.
You read just about as fast an anyone I know, Kaye. I can't believe how many books you get through. And, you're politically active, have a new puppy, enjoy photography. I want to retire & have the kind of retirement you're enjoying! I still have at least 5 years to go. And, who knows? I may have to work until I drop. (I really just want more reading time.)
Hi Lesa, After 10 chapters, I just gave up on My Darling Detective by Howard Norman, a noir mystery set in Halifax, which I truly wanted to like. More happily I just finished re-reading the third in the Acton & Doyle series, Murder in Hindsight, which was even better the second time around. Clues abound which inform the newest, Murder in All Honour. What a great series!
Janet, I'm sorry My Darling Detective didn't work out. But, like you, I'm happy you're enjoying the Anne Cleeland series, Acton & Doyle!