What Are We Currently Reading?

[Luckylyn]

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz took time to get going for me but I was drawn in .  I will definitely keep going with this series.  Interestingly Eric Larson’s In  The Garden of Beasts was referenced.  I haven’t read it yet but it’s been in my queue for a few weeks.  I might move it ahead on my list but first I am in the mood for some romance.  I’m starting The Wallflower Wager today a historical romance where neighbors in conflict fall for each other.

[peacheslatour]

26 minutes ago, Luckylyn said:

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz took time to get going for me but I was drawn in .  I will definitely keep going with this series.  Interestingly Eric Larson’s In  The Garden of Beasts was referenced.  I haven’t read it yet but it’s been in my queue for a few weeks.  I might move it ahead on my list but first I am in the mood for some romance.  I’m starting The Wallflower Wager today a historical romance where neighbors in conflict fall for each other.

Is there a dog in it?

[Luckylyn]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

Is there a dog in it?

I can’t tell if you are kidding or not.  I have a friend who always asks before we see a movie with action or suspense if any pets are harmed because she won’t watch in that situation.  

A dog is mentioned in The Silent Corner a couple of times but isn’t part of the story. The lead in The Wallflower Wager takes in animals of all kinds which is why she’s in conflict with her neighbor.

[peacheslatour]

20 minutes ago, Luckylyn said:

I can’t tell if you are kidding or not.  I have a friend who always asks before we see a movie with action or suspense if any pets are harmed because she won’t watch in that situation.  

A dog is mentioned in The Silent Corner a couple of times but isn’t part of the story. The lead in The Wallflower Wager takes in animals of all kinds which is why she’s in conflict with her neighbor.

It's just that I went through a phase of reading Dan Koontz books in the nineties and dogs, especially golden retrievers, were prominent in the stories.

[Luckylyn]

4 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

It's just that I went through a phase of reading Dan Koontz books in the nineties and dogs, especially golden retrievers, were prominent in the stories.

That’s interesting.The dog mentioned is a golden retriever but isn’t part of the story.  

[dubbel zout]

I just finished Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding, one of the Her Royal Spyness mysteries, and I have to say I'm growing very tired of Georgie not trusting Darcy whenever she sees him with an attractive woman. It was understandable when they were newly dating, but now? She either trusts him or she doesn't. They discussed this exact thing, and Georgie realized it would be exhausting to always wonder, so maybe that they're finally married, this will stop. Here's hoping.

Another thing that's starting to gnaw at me is the class stuff. It's baked into the entire series—Georgie is a (fictional) great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria—and it's not set in the present (we're now pre-WWII), but the constant references to "our sort/aristocrats/etc." gets to be a bit much.

Most of this griping is because I've read nearly all the books in the series (FFaMaW is number 12 of 14), and the tics become so obvious by this point. The series is very lightweight and enjoyable, and the mysteries are well thought out.

[BlackberryJam]

Post wedding, Georgie still doesn’t develop into a grown-up. I do like the mysteries, but Georgie’s ‘little girl’ quirks get squicky as she becomes a full grown adult and gets married.

I wish authors knew how to develop their characters throughout a series. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye was another series in which the lead became an insufferable brat instead of a more steady, confident person.

[dubbel zout]

Oh, I'm bummed to hear that Georgie doesn't grow up, because she had been making some progress.

[Starleigh]

I find that happens in other series by Rhys Bowen, like the Molly Murphy mysteries. The first several are fun and charming, but once the narrator pairs off, within a book or two, the series runs out of steam and just isn't fun anymore. I haven't read the latest Royal Spyness mystery yet, but the previous one in the series (Love Among the Cheetahs?? I think that's the title) was starting to get to that point. 

She is writing some good stand alone historical mysteries now, though, that I can recommend. I think there is one being published in the spring.

[BlackberryJam]

I enjoyed her Evan Evans series and felt like he matured. 

[dubbel zout]

7 minutes ago, Starleigh said:

She is writing some good stand alone historical mysteries now, though, that I can recommend. I think there is one being published in the spring.

I've read those and enjoyed them, but I found the plotting to be a bit predictable.

[grommit2]

Just finished Slaughterhouse Five.  I know it is supposed to be one of the top 50 novels of all time, but...well, not for me.

[BlackberryJam]

3 minutes ago, grommit2 said:

Just finished Slaughterhouse Five.  I know it is supposed to be one of the top 50 novels of all time, but...well, not for me.

I loved it, but it’s not for everyone. 

[Starleigh]

3 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I've read those and enjoyed them, but I found the plotting to be a bit predictable.

Yes, I agree with you there. To me, they are kinda like historical cozy mysteries. Easy and fun, but fairly formulaic. But a step up from the typical cozy mystery, both because of her writing and the historical setting.

Interesting fact about Rhys Bowen is that she started her writing career as a ghostwriter for popular girls teen paperbacks in the 80s. I don't remember which ones, but along the line of Sweet Valley High, which would be the very definition of formulaic. So, hardly surprising her books follow the same sort of pattern.

[Anduin]

When I mentioned the Lewis influence, I forgot the older character who has gone through all this before. Very much the Professor Diggory of the Neverending Story. Furthermore, the fantasy creatures are all taken from myth and legend. Centaurs, gnomes, djinns, and such. Rather than the same old elves, dwarves, orcs. As much as I like a good orc, it's refreshing to see a centaur or two.

However, there's also a clear bit of Tolkien. There's a dragon named Smerg. Sure, that's similiar to Smaug, but similar doesn't quite cut it. But on the very same page in Chapter Q, there's mention of the land of Morgul. Maybe it's because Tolkien's creations are permanently driven into my brain, but I don't see it as coincidence. Minas Morgul is a city in Mordor in LOTR.

[Haleth]

I finished The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek over the weekend.  Interesting story about rural Depression era Kentucky (well, more than rural, remote mountain homesteads) and racial prejudice.  I nearly put it down because 

Spoiler

in the first 40 pages the protagonist gets raped once and nearly raped again soon after.

Fortunately that stopped and I finished the book.  It was lovely and heartbreaking: the abject poverty and hunger and death, the pride of the mountain people, the hope the book women gave them with glimpses of a better life through books and magazines.  And a little background on the blue people of KY.  Good read.

[Ohiopirate02]

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

I finished The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek over the weekend.  Interesting story about rural Depression era Kentucky (well, more than rural, remote mountain homesteads) and racial prejudice.  I nearly put it down because 

  Hide contents

in the first 40 pages the protagonist gets raped once and nearly raped again soon after.

Fortunately that stopped and I finished the book.  It was lovely and heartbreaking: the abject poverty and hunger and death, the pride of the mountain people, the hope the book women gave them with glimpses of a better life through books and magazines.  And a little background on the blue people of KY.  Good read.

Thanks for the headsup.  Is the spoiler actually necessary for the story or just bad writing?

[Haleth]

29 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Thanks for the headsup.  Is the spoiler actually necessary for the story or just bad writing?

Well, sort of important to the story. 

Spoiler

Both rapists get their comeuppance in a way that leads to growth for the protagonist. 

 

[MaggieG]

I finished One By One and I enjoyed it. It kept me interested.

Just started Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy. There were a few twists halfway through that I didn't expect and I'm very interested to see where it goes. I'm also reading Mill Point Road by JK Ellem. It was picked by my book club. So far not impressed. I've never read anything by this author but I have a feeling he doesn't know how to write female characters. 

[blackwing]

I just finished The Guest List by Lucy Foley and I enjoyed it.  I do agree with others upthread who commented that it is similar to her earlier work The Hunting Party.  I liked Guest List a lot, whereas I found myself increasingly annoyed with Hunting Party, particularly how things got increasingly predictably ridiculous.

I do wonder though, since Foley made the switch from historical romance to mystery/thriller, two books in a row now have the same general plot.  A group of friends/acquaintances in a remote location.  All of them have secrets.  Some of them have grudges.  One of them ends up dead.  Judging from the book jacket, Foley seems to be embracing her characterisation as a modern day Agatha Christie.  But Christie didn't write the same plot repeatedly, her stories are diverse and creative.

Since I read Hunting Party and recognised the style, it wasn't that hard for me to deduce what the "secret" of some of the characters was.  I hope she mixes things up with her next book.  

[OtterMommy]

I finished The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor.  It was  great mystery--a lot of well placed red herrings and I did not see the end coming, which is rare when I read mysteries.  

Today, I started The Royal Governess by Wendy Holden, a historical novel about QEII's and Princess Margaret's governess.  So far, it seems...fine.  It's a nice diversion, which is what I need right now--as well as a good palate cleaner before I pick up another mystery or thriller.

[bmasters9]

Owing to the release of the Radium Girls film (w/Joey King and Abby Quinn) to some theaters and on demand, I decided to read the book that it was based on that was written by Kate Moore (good book so far; on page 104)...

[Luckylyn]

Today I’m starting Shadows in Death by JD Robb. I’m excited to delve more into Roarke’s past.  I really enjoy the books in the series when things are more personal.

[DearEvette]

I just finished In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren.  It is a Christmas themed romance/chik lit.  Great premise! The main heroine's parents are BFFs with another couple and a few other people that met while in college and for all their lives the parents/friends and their kids have always spent Christmas week together in this big family cabin.  This year the heroine has a Groundhog Day experience where she relives the same week over and over trying to get something right(something kinda momentous happens in the initial real week).

I liked it because a) I love time-loop stories and b) it was really LOL funny in places and c) the authors really made the families/friends/kids feel really like a long-time lived in group.  So all their interactions felt really natural and you got a great sense of their shared history and their traditions over the years.

Edited November 6, 2020 by DearEvette

[grommit2]

The Woman in Cabin 10
Half way through. 
Difficult to tolerate the lead character's really annoying behavior (alcohol repetition, sleep deprivation).
Trying to justify this behavior based on her home invasion.
But, we shall see, eh?
 

Edited November 6, 2020 by grommit2
positioning statement

[blackwing]

3 hours ago, grommit2 said:

The Woman in Cabin 10
Half way through. 
Difficult to tolerate the lead character's really annoying behavior (alcohol repetition, sleep deprivation).
Trying to justify this behavior based on her home invasion.
But, we shall see, eh?
 

Yes!  I can honestly say that I despised the main character to the point where I kept hoping she would die.  I remember thinking that I was only halfway through and annoyed that the book wasn't over yet.  I was relieved when I finally finished it.  This was the first book that I read by Ruth Ware and it definitely put me off reading anything else by her.  I'm going to give her another chance and read "One by One" when I can get it from the library.

[Spartan Girl]

Read through The Harpy by Megan Hunter and it was interesting but left confused.

So she actually turns into a harpy at the end or what? Also I like a good revenge story as much as the next person but I was kind of turned off by what she did, framing her husband for sexting pictures of his mistress and then almost killing him. I mean, the deal was that she could hurt him three times, but 

yikes let the punishment fit the crime.

[BlackberryJam]

Just finished The Guest List. I enjoyed it, but found it predictable.

Spoiler

I knew at once the groom was a bad guy simply because he was described as being perfect. That’s always a signal of a closet asshole. I also knew that the caterer would be the killer once she walked into the cave conversation.

The only think I didn’t predict was that the best man would be charged with the crime.

Predictable can be enjoyable. I am tired of books with shocks for the sake of being shocking.

Looking for something new now...something calm and happy to match my mood. Maybe I’ll reread a Bridgerton. 

[WinnieWinkle]

I just finished a biography of a favourite writer of mine, Betty MacDonald (mostly known as the author of The Egg and I).  It was good but I wish I hadn't read it now.  MacDonald basically had a tough life for 42 years then had 8  years of fame - and still had some tough times - and then died of cancer at 50.  I knew there was "more to the story" than her light hearted memoirs but dammit I didn't need depressing this week!

Betty: The Story of Betty MacDonald

Edited November 8, 2020 by WinnieWinkle

[Calvada]

On 8/17/2020 at 1:47 PM, isalicat said:

I just finished the second in Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series of crime novels and I'm hooked! (already ordered books number 3 and 4 from eBay as my library is *still* closed). Thank you so much to whomever upthread recommended this author! Wonderful characterizations, very twisty mysteries and not too gory.

I  made that recommendation.  I hope you are continuing to enjoy the series.  

I've not been on this thread for a while.  I was having serious concentration issues (thanks 2020 & the pandemic) so was not reading as much as I usually do, which is most unlike me. But I've been getting back into reading lately.  I just finished Eleanor by David Michaelis.  I was reluctant at first, wondering if I really need to read another biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, but it wasn't bad.  I read Troubled Blood by Galbraith a/k/a JK Rowling and agree that the book needed a lot of editing.  I'm about halfway through 999:  The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz which is gut-wrenching.  After that I've got Val McDermid's latest, Still Life, next.  As you can tell, I read both non-fiction and fiction.  

[Starleigh]

On 11/7/2020 at 7:07 PM, WinnieWinkle said:

I just finished a biography of a favourite writer of mine, Betty MacDonald (mostly known as the author of The Egg and I).  It was good but I wish I hadn't read it now.  MacDonald basically had a tough life for 42 years then had 8  years of fame - and still had some tough times - and then died of cancer at 50.  I knew there was "more to the story" than her light hearted memoirs but dammit I didn't need depressing this week!

Betty: The Story of Betty MacDonald

I read this, too, and had the same reaction.

I do this all the time, read the biography or published journals or whatever of one of my favorite authors and then regret the depressing read. For a double whammy, try both LM Montgomery's private journals as well the recent definitive biography written by one of the editors of her journals. Boy, was that heavy and hard to digest. Also, the biography of Shirley Jackson was a real downer. Not to say these weren't fascinating reads, because they were....

Edited November 9, 2020 by Starleigh

[Vanderboom]

9 hours ago, Starleigh said:

I read this, too, and had the same reaction.

I do this all the time, read the biography or published journals or whatever of one of my favorite authors and then regret the depressing read. For a double whammy, try both LM Montgomery's private journals as well the recent definitive biography written by one of the editors of her journals. Boy, was that heavy and hard to digest. Also, the biography of Shirley Jackson was a real downer. Not to say these weren't fascinating reads, because they were....

I was about to say this! I read the biography recently. Montgomery's life was bonkers!

I’m currently reading Sis Boom Bah by Jane Heller for light reading. It's . . . okay so far. The bickering sisters are irritating, but the mystery seems intriguing.

[WinnieWinkle]

11 hours ago, Starleigh said:

Also, the biography of Shirley Jackson was a real downer.

I knew she was a troubled soul but had no idea how troubled!  I really do have to stop doing this too though.  I read this light hearted autobiograhy or a happy families memoir then I can't leave it alone I have to go looking for the real story behind the story.  With very few exceptions I end up depressed.  Someday someone will probably do a biog about Karen Killilea that will make for grim reading (I hope not but I am betting it will).

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by WinnieWinkle

[sugarbaker design]

12 hours ago, Calvada said:

After that I've got Val McDermid's latest, Still Life, next.  As you can tell, I read both non-fiction and fiction

Still on my library's waiting list for Still Life.  No one writes like Val.

[dubbel zout]

I'm reading Ruth Reichl's Gourmet memoir, Save Me the Plums, and am enjoying it hugely. I worked at Condé Nast, so all of the inside-baseball stuff isn't annoying to me. It once again makes me very glad I am not ambitious. It also makes me sad for what the magazine world has become post-pandemic. 

[MeloraH]

I just finished The Searcher and I'm not really sure how I felt about it. It was good in the usual ways Tana French's books are good. But I didn't like it as much as the Dublin Murder Squad series or even The Witch Elm. But part of me thinks I'm being a bit unfair because 

Spoiler

I just kept getting Hot Fuzz vibes and then it did end up having a similar plot to Hot Fuzz in the end and that was really distracting. It also gave me American Gods Lakeside/Hinzelman vibes which also ended up being kind of correct.

 

[Minneapple]

Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch (she has others in this loosely connected series, Love & Gelato, Love & Luck). I liked Love & Gelato...but Love & Olives annoyed me from the start. I cannot stand books or other fiction (like TV shows) where simple communication could solve all the problems. Also, the love interest is supposed to be quirky and charming but I only found him annoying. And I wanted to slap the shit out of Liv's dad because he up and abandoned her when she was a child. Everything comes out at the end in a big information dump and by then I didn't care anymore because everyone kept lying to Liv when she should probably have been told the truth years ago.

[Mindthinkr]

I’m going to start Winds of War by Herman Wouk this weekend. First I have to get over the title. Regis Philbin used to call his wife Joy’s sister that and it makes me laugh whenever I hear it. It’s a bit long and I may have to pick up a second book for lighter reading if it gets too long in the tooth about history. The world is depressing enough without a book to bring me down. 

[grommit2]

Looking for something lighter in these troubled times? 
Check out Heart of Barkness (yes, BARKness) or Dog On It, by Spencer Quinn
Bernie is a private investigator in Nevada.  His partner is Chet, the dog.  Much of the dialogue is delivered as thoughts in Chet's canine head. And his thoughts are quite humorous.

[sugarbaker design]

3 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’m going to start Winds of War by Herman Wouk this weekend. First I have to get over the title. Regis Philbin used to call his wife Joy’s sister that and it makes me laugh whenever I hear it.

That's the first thing I thought of!

[Haleth]

I read The Winds of War decades ago and remember it as well written sprawling family saga.  Enjoy!

I'm about half way through Things in Jars by Jess Kidd.  It's a quirky story about a female detective/forensic scientist in 1840s England who is trying to locate the young child of a baronet.  This little girl may or may not be a mermaid.  The detective's sidekicks are a 7' person of ambiguous gender and the snarky ghost of a dead boxer.  So far it's a lot of fun.

[dubbel zout]

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

I read The Winds of War decades ago and remember it as well written sprawling family saga.  Enjoy!

NBC, I think, made it into a miniseries that wasn't too bad, though Ali McGraw was tragically miscast. It was apparently one of the most expensive shows at the time, and it prompted David Letterman to quote the producer's comment at the Emmys: "Thanks to NBC [or whoever] for ponying up the dough." He just loved that, and "ponying up the dough" became a catchphrase of Letterman's for a while. Hee.

[nodorothyparker]

I read The Winds of War and then its sequel War and Remembrance in high school because of a repeat of that miniseries and then its followup where Ali McGraw was replaced with Jane Seymour and because yes, I was that kind of kid. (Thanks, rural county library ordering system for always humoring me.)  I did learn an awful lot about the runup to the war and what actually happened. It was ... a lot though.

[Luckylyn]

I just finished Shadows in Death by  JD Robb.  It was okay.  I think maybe my expectations were too high.  I just wanted something more.  Parts of it I enjoyed but some was less interesting than I'd hoped.

One scene really bothered me when

Spoiler

Dallas removes Cobbs restraints after arresting him so he and Roarke can have a fist fight and all the police agree to lie about the circumstances of Roarke injuring Cobb by claiming Roarke and Cobb got into a fight after Cobb tried to flee.  It just made me uncomfortable that law enforcement would do that.  I don't care that Dallas and Roarke are the good guys and that Cobb was a monster.  I  just didn't like the integrity of these characters being diminished like this.   If Roberts wanted Roarke and Cobb to have a physical confrontation then they should have just had Cobb and Roarke get into it before Cobb was arrested and then there's no need for the police to lie about what happened.  I'm not saying Dallas has to be perfect and she has skirted the line in other books but this particular scene really struck me as particularly messed up because the danger was over.  They had the bad guy and he wasn't getting away.  Why break the rules and make up lies so Roarke and Cobb can physically deal with grudges?

I am going to start The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel  about a woman who ends up having to work closely with the guy her family has been trying to set her up with.

[blackwing]

On 11/14/2020 at 10:56 AM, nodorothyparker said:

I read The Winds of War and then its sequel War and Remembrance in high school because of a repeat of that miniseries and then its followup where Ali McGraw was replaced with Jane Seymour and because yes, I was that kind of kid. (Thanks, rural county library ordering system for always humoring me.)  I did learn an awful lot about the runup to the war and what actually happened. It was ... a lot though.

I've always wanted to read these books, they were always on my parents' bookshelf when I was a kid but was always put off by the heft.  I do love a good family dynastic saga, particularly those written by Ken Follett and John Jakes, as well as Jeffrey Archer.  The thing I remember most about "War and Remembrance" is the miniseries.  I think I was a freshman in high school, the social studies teacher had mentioned this series and encouraged us to watch.  Some of us did, and the only thing people talked about after one of the nights was the full frontal nudity.  It was a sad and decidedly unsexy scene, but shocking none the less to 14 year olds to actually see this on network television.

Going to add TWoW (and no, sadly for Game of Thrones fans, it's not THAT TWoW) to my reading list.

[GHScorpiosRule]

It dropped into my Kindle at midnight, but today, once I'm done with work, I'll be reading President Obama's memoir A Promised Land. Hearing his voice from some of the excerpts, I, who absolutely LOATHE audio books, am totally getting the audio of the book as well, since he's reading it. 

[Haleth]

You are so lucky, Scorp.  I checked the library this morning to get onto the waiting list and they haven't even ordered it yet.

[Irlandesa]

So I finished Troubled Blood, the new Strike book by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling.  All 944 pages of it (well actually 925) and I played mental "where would I have made edits?"  It's to the point where  I am looking forward to the TV adaptation of it because edits will be made.

That said, for whatever reason, she's very easy to read (other than having to hold up the book).  I don't struggle getting into her books the way I do with others.  And I had less difficulty finishing the book than I sometimes have with books that are 1/3 of this length.

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Irlandesa

[Luckylyn]

I just wanted to say that The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel ended up being more than I thought based on the description.  I really appreciate a romance novel that have more depth than you anticipated.  There was a nice mix of humor and romance but also some serious obstacles.   The characters are flawed but still rootable.  I hope there’s a sequel.  I think there’d be interesting stories to tell about the lead characters circle of friends.

I am reading Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts next.  It’s the second in her Chronicles of the One series.  I appreciate the variety of Nora Roberts.  She can do fantasy, crime thrillers, and romance.

[Minneapple]

The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck. I thought this was going to be a paranormal/horror thriller, and it kind of was, but mostly it was a police procedural/thriller. It started out strong, with a great suspense/horror sequence, and the first half was quite tense. But eventually it became kind of run-of-the-mill. Female detective scarred from her past, scary criminals, crazy serial killer, yadda yadda yadda. The book was all right, but I doubt I'll be picking up more in the series.

Next up: Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Minneapple