What Are We Currently Reading?

[Rushmoras]

So, I'm reading the seventh Witcher book and this thought is circling in my mind... if Sapkowki ever releases (doubtful) eight book in the series, I won't read it. He can't write for shit, god damn. Every sentence is utter boredom. Also, god damn power-fantasy throughout seven books. Every woman that Geralt encounters wants to bang him. That's all to their characters (save for Yennefer and Ciri). I wouldn't be surprised that Geralt bangs a succubus in this book as well.

[Haleth]

On 5/27/2022 at 7:38 AM, Haleth said:

Of all of these I think I'll read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel.  I've been looking forward to it although I disliked The Glass Hotel.

Quoting myself.  I really liked this one and sped through it.  It's very creative.  I don't really want to say much so as not to spoil anything, but it takes place during several time periods with an element that connects them.  (Sort of like Cloud Cuckoo Land but not really.)  It's a good one.

[BlackberryJam]

I was looking for an easy read this weekend so tried Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland. Couldn’t finish it. Story is woman sees hot guy on train, picks up hot guy’s phone, goes through his texts and photos, tries to return phone after a day or so, but hot guy is annoyed, so she takes photos of her cleavage with his phone and leaves it at his office. Romance ensues.

It’s told from both points of view and the male POV is essentially “I fantasized about her tits all day and it made my cock hard” and “I imagined her mouth around my cock and was hard all day.” I’m not even joking. Her POV is, “he’s so hot and my Jewish boss is cheap and mean.” It’s terrible.

[Luckylyn]

I have completed my Chronicles of Narnia journey.  The Last Battle had a plot I found very intriguing.  The book makes a solid argument about not blindly following leaders but contradicts that message by villainizing the Dwarves for wanting to be independent thinkers.  They are portrayed in an obnoxious way but they have a valid point.  Blinding following lead to a ton of damage to all the creatures of Narnia.   Also I have to ask why does CS Lewis hate Susan?

Spoiler

Everyone goes to heaven except her!   

Overall the first three books and the Last Battle were the ones I found most compelling.

Now I am starting book 2 of the Meant to Be Series where different authors take a fairy tale and write a contemporary romance. The first book which tackled Cinderella was lackluster but I am enjoying Book 2 By The Book By Jasime Guillory which is adapting Beauty and the Beast.  Guillory has not disappointed me so far.  I enjoyed her wedding date series and By The Book is so far a pleasure to read.  Izzy is trying to get a promotion at a publishing company and sees reaching out to uncommunicative child star whose memoir is past due as a way to get taken more seriously.   Izzy and the snarky author Beau fall for each other as she tries to get him yo complete his book.  I really relate to Izzy’s difficulties speaking up for herself at work.

[dubbel zout]

34 minutes ago, Luckylyn said:

Also I have to ask why does CS Lewis hate Susan?

I don't think he hates her per se; instead he uses her as an example of someone who's let life take precedence over belief. When Tirian asks Peter why she isn't there with everyone else, Peter says, "My sister Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia," and one of the girls chimes in that all she's interested in these days is lipstick and invitations. Her temporal life is more important to her than her spiritual one. 

I think Susan gets something of a raw deal, though. There are all sorts of reasons people decide to stop believing in God or become less spiritual, and that doesn't make them awful people.

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I don't think he hates her per se; instead he uses her as an example of someone who's let life take precedence over belief. When Tirian asks Peter why she isn't there with everyone else, Peter says, "My sister Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia," and one of the girls chimes in that all she's interested in these days is lipstick and invitations. Her temporal life is more important to her than her spiritual one. 

I think Susan gets something of a raw deal, though. There are all sorts of reasons people decide to stop believing in God or become less spiritual, and that doesn't make them awful people.

The treatment of Susan is one of the reasons I hate this book.  I enjoyed most of the others, but Last Battle just pisses me off.

[Crs97]

I remember thinking Last Battle had a beautiful depiction of heaven in that it was available to everyone, but some people just aren’t able to see the paradise in front of them.  Then in the next few pages that beautiful image was ruined with Susan not even getting there. I always thought of myself as more Susan than Lucy; her ending tainted the series for me.

[babyhouseman]

I'm finishing Tiffany Jenkins Reid's books. I loved the Daisy one the best, and Evelyn Hugo was good too.

I'm reading Tobacco Wives. It's about the tobacco industry in 1946 NC. My parents grew up on tobacco farms in NC so I'm really interested in this. 

[Anduin]

Purgatory Mount, by Adam Roberts. The first couple of chapters are interesting, then the whole story switches. I'm not a fan. I signed up for transhuman space opera, not a near-future techno-thriller! This Otty kid is really annoying. I don't know if I'm going to stick with the book.

[grommit2]

Plowing through The Gates of Europe, a History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy.  Originally published in 2015 and updated in 2021. 
Lengthy (starts 45,000 years ago...yes, that far back) and plows through everything that has happened since.  My gosh...a complicated detailed story. Ukraine did not benefit from natural barriers (such as oceans), but rather sits in the middle of Europe and Asia.  Ruled at times by Poland, Russia, Mongol hordes, and many others. The target was their natural resources...as it is now.

[DearEvette]

On 5/31/2022 at 6:19 PM, babyhouseman said:

I'm finishing Tiffany Jenkins Reid's books. I loved the Daisy one the best, and Evelyn Hugo was good too.

Oh, you have a typo, I think you mean Taylor Jenkins Reid.  Have you read her book 'Evidence of the Affair?'  It was my gateway drug to her.  It is an epistolary novella that I listened to on audio and it is very short --- about a little over an hour in listening time.  But I remember my reactions to is as I was reading:

First - "Well, damn."
Second - "Okay. I see you."
Third - "Ouch. Ooof.... that had to hurt."
Fourth - "Aww, they are becoming friends."
Fifth - "Hmmm... Didn't expect that."
Sixth - "Wait are they becoming too friendly?"
Seventh - "The struggle is real."
Eighth - "Well... I guess."
Ninth - "Y'all are better than me."
Tenth - "That motherfucker!"
Eleventh -"Okay. I see you!"
Twelfth - "Oh, SNAP!!!! Didn't see that coming."

Also the title is a clever wink.

But I remember enjoying it so much I went down a rabbit hole on her.

On 5/30/2022 at 7:45 PM, BlackberryJam said:

I was looking for an easy read this weekend so tried Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland. Couldn’t finish

Have you read any of her stuff before?  I never have but she is on a small list of authors that I sort of pre-opt out on.  There is something about her (and the other authors on this same list) whose blurbs and the fact that they seem to come out with a book every month (ok maybe I exaggerate but not by much) just seem so cookie cutter and facile to me.  Also I am a consumer of audiobooks and these same authors are overly, sometimes aggressively, promoted on Audible to the point that instead of making me want to take a chance on their work, I am actively repulsed by the idea.  LOL.  I also read somewhere that increasingly the stories seem to be written to be read in audio so a lot of it is dialogue and very little 'story' or deeper storytelling.

[BlackberryJam]

17 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Have you read any of her stuff before?  I never have but she is on a small list of authors that I sort of pre-opt out on.  There is something about her (and the other authors on this same list) whose blurbs and the fact that they seem to come out with a book every month (ok maybe I exaggerate but not by much) just seem so cookie cutter and facile to me.  Also I am a consumer of audiobooks and these same authors are overly, sometimes aggressively, promoted on Audible to the point that instead of making me want to take a chance on their work, I am actively repulsed by the idea.  LOL.  I also read somewhere that increasingly the stories seem to be written to be read in audio so a lot of it is dialogue and very little 'story' or deeper storytelling.

Re Vi Keeland, I had not read anything by her before and I will not read anything in the future. I'm interested in this list of yours...

I think I had pulled this off of the Audible Plus catalog which would make sense that it's a book designed to be read aloud to the reader. However, the male voice wasn't sexy in the slightest. 

I fully understand being repulsed by the authors who just churn out the same novel six or seven times each year. 

I'm currently listening to Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea and I swear they keep repeating the same background information about the two leads, but I can't go back and check. I'm interested in the story, so will finish, but I'm annoyed. 

I'm a big audio book fan because it allows me to "read" while I get other things done. 

[DearEvette]

22 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

Re Vi Keeland, I had not read anything by her before and I will not read anything in the future. I'm interested in this list of yours...

Lauren Blakely, Penelope Ward, and Corinne Michaels are the major ones. 

I also love audiobooks, since the Pandy and now that I am working 100% remote, i no longer have daily access to the employee gym.  So I have make sure to take long walks.  And I love to listen as I am walking, makes the walks go down easier.  Right now I am listening to Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher.  I just love T. Kingfisher.  She does this great blend of fantasy/light horror/romance with a liberal dash of humor. 

[dubbel zout]

I recently watched both the Peter Ustinov and Kenneth Branagh versions of Death on the Nile, and the differences between the two sparked me to read the original book to see which, if either, hews closer. I haven't been able to start it yet, but it's at the top of the pile when I can read it.

[Katy M]

I'm reading The Sound and the Fury and I haven't been this lost since I read Ulysses.  It's so confusing.

[dubbel zout]

Ah, Faulkner.

[isalicat]

I just finished Elizabeth George's latest Lynley mystery (Something to Hide) and I recommend it very highly! The central theme is of men controlling women, subtly and not-so-subtly, and the very difficult subject of FGM, which is not confined to third world countries of course. It is long but never lags.

[sugarbaker design]

On 6/3/2022 at 4:55 PM, dubbel zout said:

I recently watched both the Peter Ustinov and Kenneth Branagh versions of Death on the Nile, and the differences between the two sparked me to read the original book to see which, if either, hews closer. I haven't been able to start it yet, but it's at the top of the pile when I can read it.

There's also a  third version with David Suchet (and a pre-movie star Emily Blunt as Linnet Ridgeway), which is definitely the closest to the original text of the three versions.

[Luckylyn]

I’m in the middle of The House of Gucci A True Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden.  I saw the movie and felt it should have been a miniseries.  I was left with the impression that a lot of events and information were left out.  Reading the book confirms my view.  There’s so much more to the story than ended up in the movie.  The family history/dynamics are interesting to read about.  I like a nonfiction book that provides information in a compelling way.

[blackwing]

On 5/28/2022 at 10:57 AM, peacheslatour said:

I just wish she'd left her nose alone. She was so distinctive looking before. Now? Meh.

I think I read somewhere that she said her mom pressured her to get the surgery because she (mom) thought that the nose was a liability that was preventing her from achieving superstardom.  Seriously?  How awful of mom.  1) that's your own kid, the nose comes from either dad or mom, and 2) sounds like mom viewed Jennifer as a meal ticket and was upset that the meals weren't grander and better.

[blackwing]

On 6/3/2022 at 3:55 PM, dubbel zout said:

I recently watched both the Peter Ustinov and Kenneth Branagh versions of Death on the Nile, and the differences between the two sparked me to read the original book to see which, if either, hews closer. I haven't been able to start it yet, but it's at the top of the pile when I can read it.

5 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

There's also a  third version with David Suchet (and a pre-movie star Emily Blunt as Linnet Ridgeway), which is definitely the closest to the original text of the three versions.

Love the book, and one of these days I am going to find time to re-read it.

I haven't watched the Ustinov version in years, but Branagh version, from what I recall of the book, the main murder mystery was more or less like in the book, but there's a whole bunch of extra stuff that doesn't show up at all.

I want to rewatch the David Suchet version.  I remember that Emily Blunt was in it.  And Simon was played by JJ Feild, who I know best as Major Andre from "Turn: Washington's Spies".  He's also the partner of Neve Campbell.

[blackwing]

I finished yet another Agatha Christie ATTWN-like mystery.  The Club by Ellery Lloyd.  I saw this book advertised in the Costco magazine and found it intriguing.  The premise is that there is this exclusive membership club of resorts all over the world.  Very rich actors, musicians, and celebrities pay lots of money in annual membership fees to have the ability to stay at these resorts.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Quote

Everyone's Dying to Join . . .

The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members' clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.

The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.

But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group's CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that's before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.

As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.

Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.

I really enjoyed this book, even if it fell into the trend of very similar ATTWN-ish books (interesting and secluded locale, a group of people brought together, all of them have secrets, none of them are exactly who they say they are, people start dying).  I thought the characters were drawn well, most of them actually have personality and even though there were a lot of them, I never had any issues keeping any of them straight.

[OtterMommy]

I finished The Fountains of Silence by Ruth Sepetys yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised by it.  I've had it on my TBR bookshelf for years but I wasn't super excited to read it as I learned it was YA (nothing against YA, but it isn't my preferred genre).  However, most of the book doesn't read like YA.  In fact, the only part that does is when the characters are adults or, I should say, what not-yet-adults think adults are like.  It's set in Franco's Spain, a period of time I know embarassingly little about, so it was good to learn something new.

I'm not entirely sure what I will pick up as my next print book, but I'm working through The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner on my e-reader, which is fun. It's pretty soapy, but that's okay.  I also started Taste by Stanley Tucci on audio.

[Haleth]

Are Ruth Sepetys books considered YA?  I've only read Salt to the Sea.  

[Ohiopirate02]

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

Are Ruth Sepetys books considered YA?  I've only read Salt to the Sea.  

Ruta's contract is with a children's imprint, so she's technically YA.  I don't know if she chose to write books for teens or if that is where she ended up as a business decision.  I'll be honest, I can never really tell when there are books with teen protagonists published under "adult" imprints all the time.  Sometimes the line between YA and adult fiction feels more like a business decision made by the publisher than one driven by the author.  

[OtterMommy]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Ruta's contract is with a children's imprint, so she's technically YA.  I don't know if she chose to write books for teens or if that is where she ended up as a business decision.  I'll be honest, I can never really tell when there are books with teen protagonists published under "adult" imprints all the time.  Sometimes the line between YA and adult fiction feels more like a business decision made by the publisher than one driven by the author.  

I do think that many times it is a marketing decision.  I think there are also some content considerations (you know, sex) that play into the decision as well.  As for the one Sepetys book I have read, I can say it didn't feel YA at all to me--until it was dealing with adult characters.

[Ohiopirate02]

21 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

I do think that many times it is a marketing decision.  I think there are also some content considerations (you know, sex) that play into the decision as well.  As for the one Sepetys book I have read, I can say it didn't feel YA at all to me--until it was dealing with adult characters.

I agree.  I know another consideration in determining what is/is not YA is the age of the protagonist throughout the novel as a whole.  So, a book that is framed with an adult protagonist looking back at his/her childhood (ex. To Kill a Mockingbird) is considered adult.  But, that is something that can easily be tweaked.  The only Sepetys book I have read is Salt to the Sea and the writing of that one is on par with Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See.  If the present day ending in Doerr's work is chopped off, it could be YA.   

[dubbel zout]

I finally started Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie. Already there are half a dozen characters that don't appear in the movies, heh. Not that it matters there. The movies have plenty of characters. 

So far the basic story is the same, and I'm really liking things.

[OtterMommy]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

I finally started Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie. Already there are half a dozen characters that don't appear in the movies, heh. Not that it matters there. The movies have plenty of characters. 

So far the basic story is the same, and I'm really liking things.

Death on the Nile is probably my favorite of the Poirot's I've read so far (I haven't read THAT many yet, so take that as you may).  

[dubbel zout]

The only other Poirot book I've read is Murder on the Orient Express, a tie-in to the 1974 movie with Albert Finney in the lead role. I'm not sure if it was the original novel or an adapted screenplay, which publishers used to do all the time. 

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

The only other Poirot book I've read is Murder on the Orient Express, a tie-in to the 1974 movie with Albert Finney in the lead role. I'm not sure if it was the original novel or an adapted screenplay, which publishers used to do all the time. 

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I haven't read Murder ont he Orient Express yet (although I have seen the movie).  I am trying to read Christie's work in roughly publication order, but I did jump ahead and read Death on the Nile before the new movie came out.  My next one is The Murder of Roger Akroyd which (sigh!) I accidentally allowed myself to be spoiled for.  I was watching a Christie documentary--the one David Suchet did--and they just blurted out the device in that one.

[sugarbaker design]

17 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

I am trying to read Christie's work in roughly publication order,

You have some classics ahead of you!  Standalones like And Then There Were None, Crooked House and Endless Night.  My favorite Poirots (besides DOTN, TMORA and MOTOE) are Peril At End House and After The Funeral.  Marple's best cases are A Murder is Announced and Nemesis.  Good reading!

17 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

My next one is The Murder of Roger Akroyd which (sigh!) I accidentally allowed myself to be spoiled for.  I was watching a Christie documentary--the one David Suchet did--and they just blurted out the device in that one.

That is just wrong!

[SusanM]

18 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

My next one is The Murder of Roger Akroyd which (sigh!) I accidentally allowed myself to be spoiled for.  I was watching a Christie documentary--the one David Suchet did--and they just blurted out the device in that one.

I read that one long before I saw any documentaries about Agatha Christie so no spoiler.  Given the huge interest in Christie though it must be increasingly hard for new readers not to have some of her most famous works spoiled.  I'm thinking especially of And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express given how many movie versions are out there for one thing, but also how often these stories get referenced on TV shows and in other books.  

On the bright side these are so well written that IMO anyway knowing how they end doesn't spoil the journey.  Part of the fun for me in reading a Christie novel now is seeing how cleverly she laid the clues and how often I STILL end up heading down a false path in a book I may not remember as well as I thought I had!

[BlackberryJam]

1 hour ago, sugarbaker design said:

You have some classics ahead of you!  Standalones like And Then There Were None, Crooked House and Endless Night.  My favorite Poirots (besides DOTN, TMORA and MOTOE) are Peril At End House and After The Funeral.  Marple's best cases are A Murder is Announced and Nemesis.  Good reading!

I love the introduction of Marple in The Murder at the Vicarage. I'm also a huge fan of What Mrs. McGillicudy Saw aka 4:50 From Paddington.

If you're doing audiobooks, I highly recommend the Richard E. Grant version of TMatV. He manages to create a different character voice for everyone. I like Joan Hickson, but she's very one note in her audiobooks. 

I'm also a big fan of the Parker Pyne books by Agatha Christie. 

[sugarbaker design]

Just now, BlackberryJam said:

I'm also a big fan of the Parker Pyne books by Agatha Christie. 

I don't recall reading any of the Parker Pynes.  I'm going to have to check them out.

[BlackberryJam]

25 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I don't recall reading any of the Parker Pynes.  I'm going to have to check them out.

They aren’t murder mysteries. Mr. Parker Pyne runs an add in the newspaper, “Are you happy? If not consult Mr Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street.” It’s a series of short stories. They are fun. 

[sugarbaker design]

8 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

They aren’t murder mysteries. Mr. Parker Pyne runs an add in the newspaper, “Are you happy? If not consult Mr Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street.” It’s a series of short stories. They are fun. 

Sounds like The Equalizer!

I just placed the order with my library system.  Seems like they only have a large print version of Parker Pyne Investigates.  I love a short story at bedtime.

Edited June 9, 2022 by sugarbaker design

[OtterMommy]

4 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

You have some classics ahead of you!  Standalones like And Then There Were None, Crooked House and Endless Night.  My favorite Poirots (besides DOTN, TMORA and MOTOE) are Peril At End House and After The Funeral.  Marple's best cases are A Murder is Announced and Nemesis.  Good reading!

That is just wrong!

I have read And Then There Were None, which is my favorite so far.  For some reason, I thought Endless Night was a Poirot, so I might pop that one up further in the queue since it is a Standalone.

I am slowly working through the complete Poirot short stories and quite enjoying that, especially since I can see how Christie improves in her career.  I've gotten into the habit of reading a story (or a novel), listening the All About Agatha podcast episode about it, and then watching the Suchet adaptation of it which has been a fun experience.

2 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

I love the introduction of Marple in The Murder at the Vicarage. I'm also a huge fan of What Mrs. McGillicudy Saw aka 4:50 From Paddington.

If you're doing audiobooks, I highly recommend the Richard E. Grant version of TMatV. He manages to create a different character voice for everyone. I like Joan Hickson, but she's very one note in her audiobooks. 

I'm also a big fan of the Parker Pyne books by Agatha Christie. 

I'm reading the Agatha Christies, but I have been considering getting the audiobooks for car listening with the family.  I'll definitely look into the Richard E. Grant one!

I have the Parker Pyne book (is there more than one?  I have one...), but I haven't gotten to it yet.  I usually do a Christie for every 3rd or 4th print book I read, so I do about 2-3 a month.

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, SusanM said:

I read that one long before I saw any documentaries about Agatha Christie so no spoiler.  Given the huge interest in Christie though it must be increasingly hard for new readers not to have some of her most famous works spoiled.  I'm thinking especially of And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express given how many movie versions are out there for one thing, but also how often these stories get referenced on TV shows and in other books.  

I actually sort of knew about And Then There Were None because my high school (way back when) did a production of Twelve Little Indians, which is the same story with a slightly different ending.  Still, that book is fantastic.

Honestly, Roger Akroyd is the only that has been spoiled for me so far, which is kind of amazing.  I mean, is there such a thing as spoiling a nearly 100 year old book?  Probably, when they are mysteries...but, still the fact that I've been spoiled once so far is pretty remarkable.

[sugarbaker design]

4 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

I am slowly working through the complete Poirot short stories and quite enjoying that, especially since I can see how Christie improves in her career.  I've gotten into the habit of reading a story (or a novel), listening the All About Agatha podcast episode about it, and then watching the Suchet adaptation of it which has been a fun experience.

Now that's dedication!  I've tried the All About Agatha podcast.  The podcasts are entirely too long, sometimes 90 minutes focusing on a short story that can be read in 15 minutes.  The hosts need some serious editing.  I do like the idea of watching the Suchet version of the story/novel right after.  I find the Suchet versions pretty much stick to the original text.

[OtterMommy]

1 minute ago, sugarbaker design said:

Now that's dedication!  I've tried the All About Agatha podcast.  The podcasts are entirely too long, sometimes 90 minutes focusing on a short story that can be read in 15 minutes.  The hosts need some serious editing.  I do like the idea of watching the Suchet version of the story/novel right after.  I find the Suchet versions pretty much stick to the original text.

Yes, they can get a bit wordy!  I do like their interviews with other writers, which I listen to as they are released.  Otherwise, I hold the episode until I read the book (of course, the last one they released was almost *3 hours long.* Thankfully, it will be a while before I get to that book!) 

One of the hosts died a few months ago and now the remaining host frequently has a guest co-host, which sort of doubles as an interview...which may be why the episodes are even longer now.

[SusanM]

2 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

They aren’t murder mysteries. Mr. Parker Pyne runs an add in the newspaper, “Are you happy? If not consult Mr Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street.” It’s a series of short stories. They are fun. 

I loved those stories too - and liked as well the way there was a nice little tie-in with Miss Lemon from the Hercule Poirot books.

3 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

I mean, is there such a thing as spoiling a nearly 100 year old book?  Probably, when they are mysteries...but, still the fact that I've been spoiled once so far is pretty remarkable.

On another message board I used to visit someone threw a tantrum because another poster revealed that 

Spoiler

Beth dies in Little Women

 They insisted this info should have been put in a spoiler tag,   I disagreed but just in case I did use the spoiler tag here!

[BlackberryJam]

1 hour ago, OtterMommy said:

I have the Parker Pyne book (is there more than one?  I have one...), but I haven't gotten to it yet.  I usually do a Christie for every 3rd or 4th print book I read, so I do about 2-3 a month.

The "problem" with Agatha Christie is that there are so many publications and combinations short stories. Some were published in magazines, then compiled into books. Then there are books combining all the stories that occur in winter, all the stories at sea, etc. 

There are, by my research, 14 total Parker Pyne Stories. The first 12 are in Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective, and the other two are The Regatta Mystery and Problem at Pollensa Bay. They all might be in some compilation though. 

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, OtterMommy said:

Otherwise, I hold the episode until I read the book (of course, the last one they released was almost *3 hours long.

I can't think of anything I want to listen to for 3 hours.

[dubbel zout]

The version of DotN I'm reading is Morrow paperback, with a seal that says it's an official version. I haven't done any research on this, but it does seem like somewhere down the line the literary estate is trying to wrangle things. Even if some or all of the titles are now in the public domain.

Edited June 9, 2022 by dubbel zout
clarity, i hope

[SusanM]

19 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

ven if some or all of the titles are now in the public domain.

There are only a few titles right now that would be in the public domain.  In the US books published before 1927 fall into this category but after that assuming the copyright has been renewed it is 95 years after the first publication date. 

[OtterMommy]

I'm so enjoying this Christie discussion, that I thought I'd start a thread for the Golden Age Detective Fiction...

[blackwing]

2 hours ago, SusanM said:

On another message board I used to visit someone threw a tantrum because another poster revealed that 

  Reveal spoiler

Beth dies in Little Women

 They insisted this info should have been put in a spoiler tag,   I disagreed but just in case I did use the spoiler tag here!

I would have told her that anyone who watched "Friends" would have already been "spoiled".  Joey was reading it and was so distraught at the impending event.  Rachel told him to put the book in the freezer, which is what she always did with books when she was upset and needed a little break before continuing.

[OtterMommy]

I just finished The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner and...oh my!  That is the soapiest book I've ever read!  I think if you can just accept it for what it is and not take it seriously at all, it's entertaining.  However, once you start to take it seriously, you will want to throw it across the room.

Next up for me on digital is Vermillion Drift by William Kent Krueger.  It's the next (can't remember what number) in the Cork O'Connor series, which is always fun to read.

[Scatterbrained]

I recently read making space, clutter free by Tracy McCubbin.  It’s a how-to book on decluttering.  Sometimes I like reading a how-to book as a palette cleanser in between fiction books.  It’s always good to know things.  Lately, I find many disappointing for various reasons.  This one I liked.  It was informative, provided truly helpful information, easy to read, and not bogged down in “case studies”.  Any mention of a previous client, was succinct and used to make a specific, non-rambling point.  

For the most part, the book was structured as such: 1) underlying issues that may be causing your clutter 2) reframing statements to help address those issues 3) how and where to begin 4) how and where to continue 5) how to complete the project(s) 6) how to maintain 7) additional resources.

Another book I read was Every Summer After by Carley Fortune.  A story about first love gained, lost, and rediscovered.  It is told in alternating chapters of flashbacks and present day.  It was similar to another book I recently read (Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman).  Like that book, it held my attention,  I breezed through it, and it made me happy.  The author includes an interesting bit after the end about how and why she wrote it.  It was a pandemic book and she based some parts on her own life.  Enjoy!

Edited June 10, 2022 by Scatterbrained