BlackberryJam

Thanks for the info. I'm enjoying it and didn't want it to turn into a major disappointment. The writing is lovely.

I'm listening to The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, a Chippewa author. (I recognize that I'm not fully cognizant of tribal names, lines, or preferences. I went with Chippewa because it's the one I thought would be most recognizable to the most people.) The author narrates the book and her cadence is lovely. I'm not exactly sure what I'm reading though. The book came up as a library recommendation and I needed something for a long drive and didn't have time to look through a bunch of choices. It started out as sort of a zany crime caper, then turned to some horrific legal abuses followed by mental health and incarceration of women, but now it's a book store being haunted by a Native American wannabe (that's the term the author uses) ghost. The thread throughout the work is books, words, sentences, multiple meanings. I don't know quite where it's going, but I'm enjoying the ride.

Depends on what you’re looking for. I’m reading the latest and the first 230 pages of 590 is setup. Dull, repetitive setup. How many times can Georgie not have the right clothes, have damaged clothes, turn down offers of free clothes only to end up in designer clothes? It’s the cotton candy of books. ETA: Finished it. I clocked the killer the moment of introduction and I figured out the motive right away as well. It was thin, as far as plot goes. Very thin. Also, if you suspect your husband might be spying for the Germans and you love him and trust him, why not just, you know, ask?

Just finished Killers of a Certain Age. Women assassins about to retire. Loved it. So much fun. I highly recommend. I also read The Club by Ellery Lloyd. It’s …fine. Just as is One by One by Ruth Ware. They aren’t reinventing the mystery wheel, and they definitely aren’t And Then There Were None but readable. Have I recommended Finlay Donovan Knock ‘Em Dead? And the second in the series? Implausible, but completely fun.

I loved the Constable Evans series. The Royal Spyness series is really struggling at this point with Georgie never seeming to mature. I’m very close to done with them. I’m slowly plowing through the Country Club Murders series by Julie Mulhern. They take place in the 70s in Kansas City. I enjoy them. Read the Merry Folger series by Francine Matthews. So-so, but nice to when you don’t want to think much.

I love me some Steelers, and particularly Mike Tomlin. The only team I hate more than the Ravens is the Bengals. Damn, that was satisfying.

Designer Vivienne Westwood, called the Godmother of Punk, dies at 81. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64122181

I loved it. This movie was so much fun. I don't need these mysteries or characters to be super de duper ala Peter T. Hooper believable. Poirot, Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Tom Barnaby, these characters aren't believable. I'm not looking to watch another "gritty, heart-pounding, based on a true story thriller!" Ugh. You take a bunch of pretty people, put them in fancy clothes in a country house and have one of them die, hopefully in a manner not too gruesome, or if gruesome it happens off screen and you've got me hooked. I like my detectives going from character to character having conversations, picking up clues. In fact, I love it. I might not like Johnson's technique of showing the events from two different POVs, one in the first half, one in the second, but still, these are fun. Janelle Monae is amazing and gorgeous and she looked incredible in the clothes. Kate Hudson was delightfully vapid. Daniel Craig is having a fantastic time and it shows. I have loved Ed Norton since he said the words, "There never was an Aaron," in Primal Fear. He was perfect. All the characters, all the cameos, loved it. I could watch 100 Benoit Blanc movies. I will take these over superhero films, misery porn, horror, coming of age films, biopics and CGI fests. I felt light and joyful after seeing this. Even remembering it makes me smile.

I agree about the first book, but I think the story was too complicated, or maybe too expensive, to I would actually enjoy some more shots of the food. This is a mystery series with food porn that's not about a chef/baker, etc and doesn't include recipes. I like that.

I think the show is trying to do a little too much right onw, giving us too many characters and story lines without taking time to develop things. I'm still enjoying it though. Peter is such a douche.

I'm tired of this show saying the same old things. I'm just watching for the clothes.

Imelda in the role seems to lack the humor and self-deprecation that Elizabeth had. She overplays the stiffness, and even in the scene where she gets the singing fish, Imelda doesn’t make that look like natural, comfortable laughter at the ridiculousness. Elizabeth was a prig, but she knew she was a prig.

‘I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. Epic.’ (Logan Echols from Veronica Mars) If there is a modern love story that has spanned years, ruined lives and resulted in bloodshed, it’s Charles and Camilla.

Calypso, Corpses and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes. I wanted to like it more than I did. I feel like with about 20 more sentences, the books could be so much better. There are recurring characters that are just cardboard cutouts, like the husband. The main character just decides she needs a "squad" to help her plan a gala, and everyone agrees and it all comes together. Ugh. Just too many characters without any of them being memorable. And the killer was obvious. I want to encourage the writer because I like the main character, but really adding in a defining personality sentences sentences would help so much. Something to make them come off the page.

Really enjoyed the first two Finlay Donovan books by Elle Cosimano. Finlay is a recently divorced woman in a constant custody fight with her husband who genuinely wants to spend time with his kids. She's a writer and at Panera one day she's giving a pitch to her agent of a story about a contract killer and a woman overhears and thinks Finlay is a contract killer. Hijinks ensue. It's not a cozy, and the way things pile up is a bit ridiculous, but really fun reads. Read The Club by Ellery Lloyd. Meh. I get that it was a riff on the "only a few could have done it" mystery, but just really unlikable characters. In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead. It starts with a really shallow and unlikable protagonist. Wish she had stayed that way instead of getting Mary Sued all over the place. Liked The Self-Made Widow by Fabian Nicieza a lot. It's the second in the Suburban Dicks books. The husband of Molly, one of Andie's Cellu-elitist friends, dies. Investigation happens. A bit too many layers to this one that it got unbelievable, but I like Andie and Kenny.

I'm fascinated by this side of the Dune universe, but haven't read the Brian Herbert books. I tried. I can't. This isn't the book thread, but I think Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather might be of interest to Bene Gesserit fans.

Me!

They really aren't bad books at all. There is a strong thread of Southern Christianity running through them, which might be appealing for some. They are definitely "of the time." For instance, she talks about how "political correctness" has finally made it's way into their county and implies that's a good thing. It's just that I had listened to that chapter RIGHT before looking here and it had stuck with me. So I'd say they are 85% good and 15% annoying.

I’m actually listening to the series. I am not fond of the narrator and there is a strong thread of 1980s/1990s politics running through them. I just listened to about 4 minutes about how Democrats are terrible county prosecutors and it’s awful for the court system, causing backup and poorly prepared cases. Also that the DUI docket is full of Blacks and Latinx with drinking problems, whereas the old white dude will definitely be one and done with his DUI so he deserves a suspended sentence. That’s not ALL of the book, obviously, but there are bits like that I’ve found in each novel. I enjoy them, but a reader has to go in with eyes open.

As a Steeler fan I csn only say, suck it Tom.

I noticed that too. Everything was so brightly colored. I enjoyed it, especially in contrast to shows like Shetland, which I love, but feels so...gray and white and navy and black.

Free Audible books are great. I’m listening to The Comeback by Lily Chu. It’s likely based off BTS fanfic, but it’s fun and well done.

Finished The Self-Made Widow which is the second in the Suburban Dicks series by Fabian Nicieza. I’m enjoying the series, although I’m not sure where the go from the ending of book 2.

Just some notes on The Bullet That Missed. These characters are wonderful. I'm prone to love badass senior citizen Elizabeth, but then Joyce's diary entries are delightful, Ibrahim is having therapy sessions with felons and Ron is getting stoned and I love them ALL. Also Bogdan.

I listen to these on audible and they are wonderful.