What Are We Currently Reading?

[kathyk24]

2 hours ago, Ailianna said:

I have always found Louis infinitely preferable to Lestat and his frat boy, entitled superiority complex. I had to quit reading the series because I just find Lestat insufferable, while Louis at least makes an attempt at a moral compass.

I like the Mayfair Witch books more than Interview with the Vampire. I don't understand why she needed to insert Lestat everywhere. I also hate what they did to Claudia.

[EtheltoTillie]

4 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I listened to a few of these last year when I was traveling for the holidays and I liked them too I felt they were written in the style of the TV show which made them easy to read.

I also listen to them, actually. They use the same actor, which is great. I also like the TV show. The books came long before the TV show, BTW, in case you didn’t realize. 

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I also listen to them, actually. They use the same actor, which is great. I also like the TV show. The books came long before the TV show, BTW, in case you didn’t realize. 

Oh I know the Bosch books came before the Bosch series but the Ballard series began after the TV series was going.  And I haven't read/listened to a ton of Connelly's books, but the earlier books I read were more single-story focused from what I remember.  The thing that stands out to me in the Ballard/Bosch series is that there are multiple cases happening which is similar to how the TV shows are run.  That's why I said those books felt more like a TV show because I feel he wrote them for easier adaptation.

[EtheltoTillie]

3 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Oh I know the Bosch books came before the Bosch series but the Ballard series began after the TV series was going.  And I haven't read/listened to a ton of Connelly's books, but the earlier books I read were more single-story focused from what I remember.  The thing that stands out to me in the Ballard/Bosch series is that there are multiple cases happening which is similar to how the TV shows are run.  That's why I said those books felt more like a TV show because I feel he wrote them for easier adaptation.

IIRC, the Bosch standalone books also had moved to a multiple story setup for the last few before they added Ballard.  My husband and I call them Harry Bosch Senior Citizen Edition.  Like the one where he's so old he can go undercover as an elderly drug addict. 

I like how they use the stories on the TV show, where they change them enough so you don't feel you are watching the same thing.  In the books they're still stuck with him as a Vietnam vet and he's too old!  In the TV show they've changed him to a Desert Storm vet. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by EtheltoTillie

[blackwing]

I finished Next in Line, the latest Jeffrey Archer book featuring his character William Warwick.  I enjoy all of his books but as with all the other ones in this series (and the Clifton Chronicles series before this one), I really hate how some storylines are unresolved and just continue on to the next book.  It's like he decided he wrote enough for one book and just decided to cut the book without proper closure.

I've also completely forgotten everything that happened in the previous book, even though it wasn't that long ago, and the events of the previous book are referenced often.  As I've said before, if he is going to do this, at least provide a brief synopsis of what happened previously.

The storyline of Miles Faulkner continues in this book.  The standalone story which does get resolved for the most part is that William and his team seem to be working with the personal protection unit, and Ross Hogan is assigned to be the personal protection officer for Princess Diana.

I do wish that Archer would go back to writing standalone novels.  Unfortunately, in the Author's Q&A at the back, it seems he already is at work on the next William Warwick book.  The Clifton Chronicles series was 7 books, this series is at 5 and counting, and I want to say when I read the previous book, I seem to recall him saying this series would be 8 or 9 books.  Ugh.

The positive news is that he does seem to be a quick writer, publishing at least one book a year.  I just hope he can finish this series and get back to standalone novels before he retires.

[EtheltoTillie]

I too had to give up on Archer after a couple of those Clifton Chronicles books.  I was really fed up with the unresolved stories, and it seemed that the continuity was not correct anyway. 

[Ceindreadh]

I was so pissed off at the end of the first book in the Clifton Chronicles when I realised that it was part of a series, I ended up throwing it at the wall.  I then resolved not to read any more in the series until it was complete.  Which I did, and end up binge reading them over the course of a few weeks. 

[bmasters9]

A 1979 novel called Shibumi by Trevanian (whose real name was Rodney William Whitaker); this is a real book that Joey King's character Prince in Bullet Train is seen reading on the train. I'm past the halfway point of it, and probably will be getting soon to the last third of it.

My copy (same as the one that Prince is reading):

And Prince reading that book as she is introduced to the audience:

[Bethany]

I got part way through Finding Father Christmas by Robin Gunn as I am mainly reading Christmas themed books right now.  Anyway I was enjoying it, fairly well written, interesting characters and then I realized I was reading Inspirational Christian Fiction.  I perservered a bit longer anyway but it went from a light touch to hit the reader over the head.  Not for me.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 11/19/2022 at 7:33 AM, bmasters9 said:

A 1979 novel called Shibumi by Trevanian (whose real name was Rodney William Whitaker); this is a real book that Joey King's character Prince in Bullet Train is seen reading on the train. I'm past the halfway point of it, and probably will be getting soon to the last third of it.

My copy (same as the one that Prince is reading):

And Prince reading that book as she is introduced to the audience:

I read Shibumi when it first came out.  It was a very popular book.  All I can remember is that the author was trying to be edgy by including some outlandish sexual techniques.  My husband and I really laughed at it.  I see that the current Amazon listing describes the main character as the world's most artful lover.  Bwah ha ha.

Edited November 21, 2022 by EtheltoTillie

[SusieQ]

The cover looks of Shibumi looks a lot like the cover of Shogun by James Clavel from the late 1970s. A book that I devoured!

Even the mini series with Richard Chamberlain was good.

[Haleth]

14 hours ago, SusieQ said:

The cover looks of Shibumi looks a lot like the cover of Shogun by James Clavel from the late 1970s. A book that I devoured!

Even the mini series with Richard Chamberlain was good.

I loved Shogun and the books that followed.  And as a teenager I had a huge crush on Richard Chamberlain.  I keep watching for news of the remake of the miniseries but there hasn't been a peep for months.  I hope it's still a go for next year.

[blackwing]

I finished Treasure State by C.J. Box.

From Goodreads:

Quote

Private Investigator Cassie Dewell’s business is thriving, and her latest case puts her on the hunt for a slippery con man who’s disappeared somewhere in the “treasure state”. A wealthy Florida widow has accused him of absconding with her fortune, and wants Cassie to find him and get it back. The trail takes Cassie to Anaconda, Montana, a quirky former copper mining town that’s the perfect place to reinvent yourself. As the case develops, Cassie begins to wonder if her client is telling her everything.

On top of that, Cassie is also working what's easily one of her strangest assignments ever. A poem that promises buried treasure to one lucky adventurer has led to a cutthroat competition and five deaths among treasure-hunters. But Cassie’s client doesn’t want the treasure. Instead, he claims to be the one who hid the gold and wrote the poem. And he’s hired Cassie to try to find him. Between the two cases, Cassie has her hands full.

In Montana, a killer view can mean more than just the scenery, and Cassie knows much darker things hide behind the picturesque landscape of Big Sky Country. Treasure State, C. J. Box's highly anticipated follow-up to The Bitterroots, is full of more twists and turns than the switchbacks through the Anaconda Range.

This was a really enjoyable book.  I liked the two cases that Cassie was working in parallel, the treasure hunt case as well as the con man case.  The con man case was suspenseful and well crafter, and the treasure hunt was just plain fun.

Cassie's intern at the detective agency is April Pickett, middle daughter of Joe and Mary Beth Pickett from the Joe Pickett series.  Interesting.  I can't remember how she was referenced in the last few Joe Pickett books and am wondering now if the books ever mentioned her being up in Montana in recent times.  I think she used to work at a store that sold Western clothing and boots but don't recall any mention of what she was doing recently.

[Bookish Jen]

I'm currently reading "Back Talk" a collection of short stories by Danielle Lazarin. It's pretty good so far. And I just finished "The Overnight Socialite" by Bridir Clark. It's a modern take on Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. It was a fun and frothy read. I really liked it.

[OtterMommy]

I finished 2 things yesterday.  

The first was Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.  I know that people are hot or cold on this author and I've always been, well, "room temperature warm" with her, but I loved this book.  I also hated this book because her dystopian world is far too realistic, but that was intended.  This one shook me to my core.

Secondly, I finished a short story in the Ruth Galloway series called Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths.  It was a fun little holiday story, although you need to read it after having read at least the first 4 of the RG books (this is listed as RG 4.5).  There aren't exactly spoilers in it, but it wouldn't quite make sense if you didn't know what was in those books.

[Scatterbrained]

I am currently reading Surrender by Bono.  This book is like a tomahawk steak dinner.  Enjoyable, but there’s A LOT to chew.  Over 560 pages of text (IIRC).  I’ve been reading one chapter for a while and I am told I have one hour and eighteen minutes left before I shall finish it.  He’s a natural born storyteller and wordsmith, and his stories are interesting and seem sincere.    Normally, I am a very fast reader, but this book is so large and the information and ideas presented are somewhat dense.  I have a feeling I might not finish by the time my loan ends, and I’ll end up with it back on the waiting list.

PS (spoiler alert!) more than 40 songs are mentioned.  LOL

[Annber03]

I want to read that Surrender book - it's on my Christmas wish list at the moment :D. Thanks for your review of it thus far, @Scatterbrained.

[Anduin]

Around this time last year, I suddenly had the urge to write a story set in the stone age. To this day, I don't know why. In pursuit of that goal, I had a look at what else was in the same field. It's not well populated in terms of books, and the movies really aren't very good. However, there was one book with something approaching wide recognition and appreciation. That being, of course, Clan of the Cave Bear.

So I read a sample and thought it was all right. If it wasn't in the field, I'd have probably ignored it. Still, it goes on the list of books to track down. While I could have bought it online, or even ordered it in a bookshop, I preferred to look around for a second-hand copy. My fair city has four in easy reach, and there are probably some that aren't. Anyway, there are many copies of the sequels around, but none of the first book.

As it happens, I wrote that stone age story. I like to think it needs a good bit of work before it's readable, but it's essentially a good story. I wrote a second stone age tale a couple of months back, that I just didn't like at all and probably won't ever look at again.

The search continued, but I never quite gave up hope. Until! It took me a year, but I did it! Good condition, $12 in Aussie money. Second-hand prices have been rising over the last few years, but it's always nice to support my local vendors. Then it took me three weeks to actually start the book. :) So far, so good.

[OtterMommy]

I finished A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny first thing this morning (I probably would have read it one day if it weren't for the pesky fact that I have a family who need my attention now and then!).  I know Louise Penny isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm a huge fan.  I had very high expectations for this book, but it blew those expecations out of the water.  

I read a lot of mysteries and this is the best plotted mystery I have ever read.  It's also, by far, the darkest of the Gamache novels.  TW for child sexual abuse.  It's not on the page but it is written in a way that you know exactly what happens (it is also early in the book, so not a spoiler).  The strangest thing is the SA isn't even the most disturbing part of this book.

What an amazing read!

[WendyCR72]

I usually tend to stick with fluff, i.e. romances and such. Stuff I can just turn my brain off from the real world and just enjoy the predictable coziness. Or real-life biographies (read many with JFK, RFK, etc.).

But I found myself wanting something different and, as I watch procedurals and such, figured I'd try something in that genre. So, I decided to try out Desert Star as it is said it could be read as a standalone even as it is part of a long series, and it was getting rave reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and elsewhere.

So glad I did!

Been ages since I have truly been engrossed in a book, and this one kept me guessing. Still not done, just started Chapter 36. But reading Michael Connelly for the first time - albeit very late in the game! - has convinced me that I need to work my way back.

I also know - even if I have not watched - that a TV series has been made with the Bosch character, but Bosch in the book is expertly drawn, as is his younger counterpart, Renée Ballard. So I'm content with the book version for now. But the book version I got also has the audio, so I may use it for a chapter or two. I know the actor in the series narrates that, so it will be interesting to see what inflections and such he adds to Harry!

Thanks to those here that have mentioned it. Nice to have a new-to-me author to enjoy.

[cherrypj]

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters. I loved it; I’m a sucker for books where everything wraps up and neatly comes together. And everyone gets what they need. The American actress even learns Italian, for crying out loud 😭

[raven]

I can't say enough good things about The Thursday Murder Club.  I picked it up at a used bookstore because the cover looked cute (don't judge, I did read the blurb) ages ago, buzzed through it in a couple of days and then had to read the other two in the series.

Quote

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club.

When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?

They are fun, funny, witty, a little sad and very, very enjoyable with likable characters (I LOVE Joyce and Donna) and an original setting.  The characters are all defined and relatable.  If you read all three, you can watch the friendships grow.  There's definitely a lead in for a fourth and I hope we get one.  I was surprised at how much I loved these.

[dubbel zout]

I absolutely adored the first book and have the second one in my TBR pile. I read the first one during the pandemic and it was exactly the right book at exactly the right time. Warm, witty, entertaining, and there's no condescension to the characters. 

I had to put The Parisian aside (I'm finding it dense going), and in its stead am reading The Other Black Girl, which I'm liking so far. In another life I worked in book publishing, where this is set, and I always like reading about other people's experiences in it. (I HATED The Devil Wears Prada, though. Poor Andy, having to run errands for her boss and make copies. She's an assistant! That's what they do! UGH.)

[proserpina65]

On 12/3/2022 at 6:15 PM, cherrypj said:

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters. I loved it; I’m a sucker for books where everything wraps up and neatly comes together. And everyone gets what they need. The American actress even learns Italian, for crying out loud 😭

I actually disliked this book for the same reason you liked it.  Although it did make me read more about the Donner party at the time.

[Anela]

I didn't like The Grief Eaters.

I'm reading Fairy Tale, by Stephen King, and also The Book Eaters. I need to get both back to the library.

I've just finished Ella Risbridger's book, The Year of Miracles. I liked it, just like her previous cookbook, and I want to look up her other books.

On 12/4/2022 at 6:17 PM, raven said:

I can't say enough good things about The Thursday Murder Club.  I picked it up at a used bookstore because the cover looked cute (don't judge, I did read the blurb) ages ago, buzzed through it in a couple of days and then had to read the other two in the series.

They are fun, funny, witty, a little sad and very, very enjoyable with likable characters (I LOVE Joyce and Donna) and an original setting.  The characters are all defined and relatable.  If you read all three, you can watch the friendships grow.  There's definitely a lead in for a fourth and I hope we get one.  I was surprised at how much I loved these.

I want to read this, too. 

I'm going to be looking for books to fill the Book Riot challenge for 2023. I didn't get very far this year, but I'd like to try again. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 12/3/2022 at 6:15 PM, cherrypj said:

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters. I loved it; I’m a sucker for books where everything wraps up and neatly comes together. And everyone gets what they need. The American actress even learns Italian, for crying out loud 😭

I really liked it. Did not like his next book. 

[dubbel zout]

I finished The Other Black Girl this morning. Gave me a lot to think about, as an old white cis female.

[OtterMommy]

It took me almost a year--well, to be fair, I had planned for it to take the entire year, but I got ahead of the schedule at the end--but I finally finished The Count of Monte Cristo.  I enjoyed it, although I'm not a rabid fan of it as some are.  The middle dragged a bit for me (Seriously, that whole section where the Count and some guy who really doesn't play a big role in the story get high on hashish didn't really need to be there...).  I am glad I had done it as a slow and steady read because I think if I had just tried to read it through it would have been overwhelming.

In 2023, I'm doing a year long read of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, so hopefully that one will be enjoyable as well.

[dubbel zout]

Did you read the unabridged version, @OtterMommy? I'm only curious because I read an abridged version (Penguin Classics) without realizing it and was stunned that my 400+ page copy wasn't the whole story! As much as I enjoyed it, I don't feel as if I missed anything, 

[OtterMommy]

57 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Did you read the unabridged version, @OtterMommy? I'm only curious because I read an abridged version (Penguin Classics) without realizing it and was stunned that my 400+ page copy wasn't the whole story! As much as I enjoyed it, I don't feel as if I missed anything, 

It was the unabridged version...all 1000+ pages!  Actually, I'm not completely sure of the page count because I read it on my Kobo, but I do know it is over 1000 pages.

What gets me is that movie adaptations (not including the French miniseries) are about 90-120 minutes long.  Yes, there are some things that could be cut out of the middle, but not that much!  I'm almost afraid to watch!

[Anduin]

I've been reading The Great Book of Amber, the full omnibus of Roger Zelazny's Amber stories. Individually they're all pretty small, but all ten together add up to 1,300 oversized pages.

While I'm enjoying the story so far, some elements have kind of... slipped past me. Exactly who was conspiring with whom, and why. And then they have members turning on each other. It feels like several conspiracies bumping into each other, getting more tangled as they met. It's this element, plus the deeply messed up family dynamics, that make me think of GRRM. I gather they were friends, which makes sense.

And yet, it really is a work of a different time. The female representation is a little under done, everybody smokes, no one swears, the violence isn't particularly gory. Compare now which has the women getting into the whole violence and swearing aspects, with smoking much less common. But then, the books were published between 1970 and 1991, these things are to be expected.

Anyway, if you like a complicated narrative and some unrepentant fantasy, I say that it's worth a read.

[WendyCR72]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:56 PM, OperaLover1229 said:

I just finished DESERT STAR by Michael Connelly. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard book — they are working cold cases together for the LAPD. Highly recommend Connolly’s latest. It’s his usual well-written, compelling story. 

Yes! I mentioned I read this and loved it and had to circle back, as it was my very first book by Michael Connelly. Since reading "Desert Star", I have since inhaled the novel before it, "The Dark Hours", "Dark Sacred Night" (that one was just filled with desolation and sadness), and am now reading "The Night Fire".

I know, not in order, as far as the Bosch/Ballard series goes, but my brain has straightened out the timeline in my head!

[laughs]

Just read an excerpt from Anna Wiener's Uncanny Valley published in nplusone. The excerpt is also called Uncanny Valley, and it's a great firsthand account of life in Silicon Valley, of the ins and outs of the ruthless start-up paradigm. Reminds me a little of Tony Tulathimutte's Private Citizens. Other than that I'm also reading about the unsustainability of ruthless, unregulated capitalism and its effects on the planet, particularly the ways in which it can adversely impact ecological succession across the planet, not just in urban hotspots.

[dubbel zout]

I started The Man Who Died Twice last night and am racing through it even as I try to slow down so I can savor every word. Richard Osman does such a terrific job with this series.

[Bookish Jen]

On 11/28/2022 at 5:33 PM, Annber03 said:

I want to read that Surrender book - it's on my Christmas wish list at the moment :D. Thanks for your review of it thus far, @Scatterbrained.

This book is on my Christmas wish list, too. I hope I get it.

[Rushmoras]

On 10/4/2022 at 9:26 PM, Rushmoras said:

In addition to Dragon Ball Manga, a few weeks ago began reading Dune. Thought that, hey. it's a Sci-Fi classic, so a must read... Eeeeh... after a few weeks I'm only one hundred pages in... and... I just don't see what's to like about it. :(

So, a couple of months has passed since this post, only one chapter left till the third Part of the book, which is, damn, another two hundred pages long more or less. This, added with Sapkowki's Witcher saga might be the worst thing I've read in a decade or so...

[grommit2]

Tired of serious literature?  All those political exposes?
Try the Chet & Bernie series.
Bernie is a private investigator in Arizona.  
Chet is the narrator, and a dog.  
A very humorous dog.  Just the kind of humor we all need these days.

[dubbel zout]

I finished The Man Who Died Twice and loved it just as much as the first book. I can't wait to read the next books.

[OtterMommy]

53 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I finished The Man Who Died Twice and loved it just as much as the first book. I can't wait to read the next books.

I'm starting The Bullet that Missed as soon as I finish eating lunch!

Last night, I finished reading a Golden Age mystery called Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan.  It was enjoyable, but also clearly not up to some other writers in that period.

ETA: Apparently it was published in 1950, so not really Golden Age, but very much in that style.

[dubbel zout]

So jealous, @OtterMommy! I wait until the books come out in paperback and buy them then. My nearest NYPL branch isn't that close, and it's also under renovation at the moment.

[isalicat]

Started a new Nordic noir series, this one by a Danish author named Jussi Adler-Olsen. The first in the "Department Q" series is called "The Keeper of Lost Causes", and it was absolutely excellent! I only have two of the Swedish series left (the Patrick/Erica series by Camilla Lackberg, which I highly recommend). I clearly have a taste for this sort of writing as Jo Nesbo has been a big fave for many years.

In between I am reading a speculative fiction (sort of science fiction crossed with fantasy) novel published in 2000 by China Mieville called "Perdido Street Station" which was recommended by a good friend. Its entertaining so far in the world building although the "world being built" seems awfully grim.

[OtterMommy]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:02 PM, dubbel zout said:

So jealous, @OtterMommy! I wait until the books come out in paperback and buy them then. My nearest NYPL branch isn't that close, and it's also under renovation at the moment.

I checked the e-books of the first 2 books out from the library, but I pre-ordered this one on Kobo.  Unfortunately, I've been doing a bit too much impulse pre-ordering over there lately!  It's so easy since they don't charge you until the book is released, so it doesn't feel like you are spending any money.  Oops!

[Bookish Jen]

I just finished "Funny Girl" by Nick Hornby and it was such a disappointment. He committed the sin of telling not showing. I expected so much more.

[Crs97]

I used my Amazon First Read to get The Fireballer by Mark Stevens.  The lead character is a pitcher for the Orioles with a freak arm who can throw @109 mph.  He’s dealing with his past while baseball is arguing over the future of the game.

I am about halfway through and love it!  Interesting characters, lots of different perspectives, solid writing.  Very happy with my pick!!

[JustHereForFood]

On 12/8/2022 at 11:35 PM, OtterMommy said:

It was the unabridged version...all 1000+ pages!  Actually, I'm not completely sure of the page count because I read it on my Kobo, but I do know it is over 1000 pages.

What gets me is that movie adaptations (not including the French miniseries) are about 90-120 minutes long.  Yes, there are some things that could be cut out of the middle, but not that much!  I'm almost afraid to watch!

I love The Count of Monte Cristo. I just bought a new edition last month and I'm very much looking forward to reading it, because the only time I did so as a teenager (almost 20 years ago!) I had the books borrowed. No idea when I'll get to it though, as I have about 30 unread books at home and keep adding to them much more quickly than I read them.

Personally, I don't think that any of the adaptations did the books justice, they leave so much of the stuff out and so many characters. My favorite was the one with Richard Chamberlain from 1975, but that one also left out a lot and I think that I only love it so much because that is the one I saw first and what got me into the story.

[dubbel zout]

Richard Chamberlin was also Aramis in the Richard Lester versions of the Three and Four Musketeers. I love those movies, and they are very tongue-in-cheek, which I think is the way to approach the material. Dumas could be very melodramatic.

[blackwing]

I saw The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict on a Christmas display at B&N and thought "perfect"!

From Goodreads:

Quote

Twelve clues. Twelve keys. Twelve days of Christmas. But how many will die before Twelfth Night?

The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages' grand family home. This year's prize is to die for--deeds to the house itself--but Lily Armitage has no intention of returning. She hasn't been back to Endgame since her mother died, twenty-one years ago, and she has no intention of claiming the house that haunts her dreams.

Until, that is, she receives a letter from her aunt promising that the game's riddles will give her the keys not only to Endgame, but to its darkest secrets, including the identity of her mother's murderer.

Now, Lily must compete with her estranged cousins for the twelve days of Christmas. The snow is thick, the phone lines are down, and no one is getting in or out. Lily will have to keep her wits about her, because not everyone is playing fair, and there's no telling how many will die before the winner is declared.

On its face, this seems like an amazing story.  Various family members brought to a big creaky remote house that (surprise!) gets cut off from the outside world.  They are playing this fun treasure hunt by unscrambling word clues, which is an annual family tradition for them.  Only this year, the winner gets the house too.  Then people start dying...

In execution, I thought this book was mediocre.  The story is told through the eyes of one main character, which makes it kind of obvious what the result will be.  It would have been better if the story was told from various viewpoints which would have made things more interesting.  But only a few of the characters are fully developed, the rest are just there, and some die before we even get to learn anything about them.

The identity of the killer was easy to guess, I figured it out about 1/3 of the way through, and once I got that, I started getting bored and just wanted the book to end.  Part of my issue with this book is that these people are all cousins, the adult children of three deceased siblings.  Once the first person died, wouldn't it make sense to end the game immediately?  And yet, the remaining cousins just carry on as if nothing had happened, who cares if their brother/sister/cousin was just murdered, that's one less competitor, we've got a house to win!

Spoiler barred because I discuss what I thought and wished would have happened:

Spoiler

Only three of the characters (the protagonist, the helpful male cousin, the beeyotch female cousin) had any kind of personality so it was really obvious that one of the two that weren't the protagonist was going to be the killer.  Early on, I was convinced that the dead aunt wasn't dead and that she was on a psychotic break so decided to go around and murder all of her nieces and nephews that she found unworthy.  I think that would have been much more enjoyable and preferable to what the actual plot was.

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by blackwing

[Browncoat]

I just finished Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus.  I enjoyed it tremendously.  I can't even really describe it -- you'd think it's just a fun read about a female chemist who ends up hosting a cooking show, but it's so much more than that.  Highly recommend.

[veronicadubois]

One book I'm currently reading and trying to really understand and internalize is Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss. Has anyone else read this?

I find that his main points make sense, and have a good underlying psychological reasoning as to why they work, but I also find them extremely difficult to start implementing in my own life. His book tends to be pretty repetitive, which isn't a bad thing, but I wish he spent a little more time giving some tips and methods to begin implementing them in your own life.

Edited December 28, 2022 by veronicadubois

[EtheltoTillie]

On 12/22/2022 at 10:22 AM, Browncoat said:

I just finished Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus.  I enjoyed it tremendously.  I can't even really describe it -- you'd think it's just a fun read about a female chemist who ends up hosting a cooking show, but it's so much more than that.  Highly recommend.

I did not finish this book. I read a summary on Wikipedia.   I found it annoyingly comic, with unlikeable characters.  I also felt it was like the author said "I'm going to write a feminist best seller" and checked off all the boxes.