What Are We Currently Reading?

[Bookish Jen]

I finally got around to reading Judy Blume's "Summer Sisters." I've adored Judy's books since I was a kid, so I don't know why it took me so long to read this book. I really like it.

[Hanahope]

I just finished The Match by Harlan Coben.  I that this was much better than some of his  other recent books.  It kept me guessing for a while.  

I like when he uses characters from other books that show their continuing lives.  This one brought back "the stranger" in a slightly different way and Hester Crimstein.  Introduces a new main character Wilde, whom i could see Coben using again in a supporting role.  

[Spartan Girl]

Reading Part of My World by Jodi Benson. I didn’t know she was so religious, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. By all accounts, she treats everyone the same way she’d like to be treated, so good for her.

[GaT]

I'm reading The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, the 3rd book in The Thursday Murder Club series. I'm trying to read it sloooow because I don't want it to end, but I'm getting pretty close to the end. Do you think book 4 is ready yet?

[babyhouseman]

15 hours ago, GaT said:

I'm reading The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, the 3rd book in The Thursday Murder Club series. I'm trying to read it sloooow because I don't want it to end, but I'm getting pretty close to the end. Do you think book 4 is ready yet?

That's the next book I'm going to read. I really enjoy that series. Got the recommendation from here. 

[blackwing]

I read Utopia by Lincoln Child.  It concerns a futuristic theme park that uses a lot of robots and holograms.  There are some accidents caused by the robots, and the guy who invented the AI-like software called the "Metanet" that controls the robots is brought in to help solve the problem.

This book was a lot of fun.  Mainly because I loved the idea of this domed theme park in the middle of the desert near Las Vegas.  There are four themed areas in this park:  Gaslight (Victorian London), Boardwalk (turn of the century amusement park like Coney Island), Camelot (medieval England), and Callisto (a spaceport somewhere near the moon of Jupiter).

Book was written in 2002 so when the robots started malfunctioning I thought this was going to turn out a bit like "Westworld" and thought it seemed like it was copying the original "Westworld" movie, but then the plot turned out quite differently.

After reading this book, I suddenly have a huge desire to go to Universal or Disney World.

[blackwing]

Finished the audiobook of The Island by Adrian McKinty.  Yet another "woman in jeop" suspense thriller.

From Goodreads:

Quote

It was just supposed to be a family vacation.
A terrible accident changed everything.
You don't know what you're capable of until they come for your family.

After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.

When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.

But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.

When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.

Now it’s up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don’t trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.

Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.

I thought this book was well done, my only major complaint is that I don't particularly like books where kids are placed in peril and at risk of harm by adults.  Even if the boy in this story is the kind of kid that would drive me crazy.

The ending was a little disappointing to me. 

Spoiler

I wanted to hear about some definitive resolution of what happened to the O'Neill family.  After their truck flipped in the water, did the three in the truck survive?  Did the cops arrest the entire family?  What happened to all of them?  Because I think it would be extremely pertinent to Heather's feeling of safety if any of the O'Neills were to remain free.  They know she is from Seattle so wouldn't be too difficult to track her down.

[OtterMommy]

I finished Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney.  This is the first of her books I've read and I really liked her writing style.  I know this is a divisive book and I know why it is divisive, but I have to say that I enjoyed it.  There were some details that didn't quite make sense, but overall it was a success for me.

[Luckylyn]

I finished reading The Viper by JR Ward which is the 3rd book in the Prison Colony which is a spin off of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  I think I like this book the best of the Prison Colony series.  I still think the Black Dagger Brotherhood is my favorite portion of this Universe Ward has created.  I mainly read the Prison colony books because of their connection to the brotherhood and so characters from that series are a draw for me.  Near death Kane and his friends manage to escape the prison colony.  Kane is made an offer that will safe his life but there are unexpected consequences.  Kane risks his new found freedom to return to the prison camp to rescue Nadja the nurse who took care of his injuries who he’d bonded with. Meanwhile the Brotherhood is determined to shutdown the colony but is struggling to find it’s location.  I was thrilled to see the subplot with Payne and hope we see more of her in a brotherhood book.  They seem to be building up to something dramatic for her.  There are so many characters now but some of them get lost in the shuffle.  It’s been a while since Payne’s been a focus.

[Melgaypet]

On 9/26/2022 at 12:06 AM, GaT said:

I'm reading The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, the 3rd book in The Thursday Murder Club series. I'm trying to read it sloooow because I don't want it to end, but I'm getting pretty close to the end. Do you think book 4 is ready yet?

A few weeks ago I was in Barnes & Noble and saw the first two on the "Buy 1, Get 1 for 50%" table. I bought them, read them, and immediately ordered the third. I didn't have the willpower to read them slowly, so I finished it just a few days ago,  but they are very, very good.

[BlackberryJam]

On 9/26/2022 at 2:06 AM, GaT said:

I'm reading The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, the 3rd book in The Thursday Murder Club series. I'm trying to read it sloooow because I don't want it to end, but I'm getting pretty close to the end. Do you think book 4 is ready yet?

I listen to these on audible and they are wonderful.

[Mindthinkr]

Someone just sent me Dinners With Ruth by Nina Totenberg. Ms Totenberg is a NPR Legal Affairs correspondent. It’s a memoir on the powers of friendship. Specifically the friendship she shared with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I’m probably going to start it today when the power goes off (tropical storm). However I can’t figure out who sent it to me! 

[BlackberryJam]

Just some notes on The Bullet That Missed. 

These characters are wonderful. I'm prone to love badass senior citizen Elizabeth, but then Joyce's diary entries are delightful, Ibrahim is having therapy sessions with felons and Ron is getting stoned and I love them ALL. 

Also Bogdan. 

[annzeepark914]

I'm reading The Palace Papers by Tina Brown. Actually, I started it before the Queen died so it's not a page turner. But it's interesting & hasn't changed my opinion about Charles & Camilla.

[Luckylyn]

I’m halfway through Fairytale by Stephen King.  Teenager Charlie saves his cranky recluse neighbor Mr. Bowditch with the help of Bowditch’s dog Radar.  Charlie commits to helping him through his recovery due to a promise he made during an extremely difficult time in his life.  There’s something in the shed in the yard of Bowditch’s house that leads Charlie on a perilous journey.  King really takes his time with this one letting us get the to know the characters well before the adventure begins.  I think the set up could have been trimmed a bit but I am invested in Charlie’s journey.

[grommit2]

Any thoughts on books by David Ignatius?

[Crs97]

I read Jennifer Grey’s Out of the Corner. She has led a pretty interesting life thus far and certainly didn’t mind spilling some tea.  It held my interest.

[Rushmoras]

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. :(

[Anduin]

3 hours ago, 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. :(

I've tried Dune a couple of times, and even the recent movie. Never clicked for me.

[Ailianna]

I don't know if there's any truth to this, or if it's just old fashioned sexism, but I remember some thing I read many years (decades?) ago, that suggested Dune is much more enjoyed by male brains, as compared to LOTR, for example. I read it, but only because I felt like I had to, as a SF fan. I found it boring and didn't connect with any of the characters.

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, Ailianna said:

I don't know if there's any truth to this, or if it's just old fashioned sexism, but I remember some thing I read many years (decades?) ago, that suggested Dune is much more enjoyed by male brains, as compared to LOTR, for example. I read it, but only because I felt like I had to, as a SF fan. I found it boring and didn't connect with any of the characters.

Never heard that. But I'm male and prefer LOTR to Dune. By a huge margin, let's be honest. :)

[Rushmoras]

11 hours ago, Anduin said:

Never heard that. But I'm male and prefer LOTR to Dune. By a huge margin, let's be honest. :)

Seconded ;)

[isalicat]

Well...I first read LOTR when I was hospitalized for a couple of weeks at age 8 (and my parents were looking for books for me that would take a while - I'm a very fast reader, always have been). Read LOTR once a year, every year after that until I was about 16.  Clearly loved/love it.

But I also read Dune when I was about 13 or so and then devoured all the sequels (most of which are quite boring in my opinion) and I still think Dune is a fantastic, fascinating classic that bears repeated re-reading. I also think the latest movie iteration is excellent and its been a great way to get my friends to read the book! (since they all loved the movie).

I'm female.

On a more current note, I just finished The Preacher, the second in the series of Swedish crime/mysteries by Camilla Lackberg. Extremely gruesome but very, very well done. I recommend if you aren't too sensitive because there are detailed descriptions of suffering that might be too much for some people.

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, isalicat said:

Well...I first read LOTR when I was hospitalized for a couple of weeks at age 8 (and my parents were looking for books for me that would take a while - I'm a very fast reader, always have been). Read LOTR once a year, every year after that until I was about 16.  Clearly loved/love it.

But I also read Dune when I was about 13 or so and then devoured all the sequels (most of which are quite boring in my opinion) and I still think Dune is a fantastic, fascinating classic that bears repeated re-reading. I also think the latest movie iteration is excellent and its been a great way to get my friends to read the book! (since they all loved the movie).

I'm female.

I love Lord of the Rings.  I enjoyed Dune, disliked the first sequel and left it there.  I am also female.

[DearEvette]

21 hours ago, Anduin said:

Never heard that. But I'm male and prefer LOTR to Dune. By a huge margin, let's be honest. :)

Ha.  I am the opposite.  I couldn't make it through LOTR and loved Dune.  And I am female.

[Irlandesa]

On 10/5/2022 at 5:04 PM, Ailianna said:

I don't know if there's any truth to this, or if it's just old fashioned sexism, but I remember some thing I read many years (decades?) ago, that suggested Dune is much more enjoyed by male brains, as compared to LOTR, for example.

I'd definitely guess it's sexism.  It feels like a theory that one person had based on their own anecdotal experience and it just spread.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Irlandesa

[blackwing]

I found another author doing the Agatha Christie-like ATTWN murders in an isolated location mysteries.  Just finished The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse.

From Goodreads:

Quote

You won't want to leave...until you can't.

Half hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge--there's something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in...

On paper, this book seems like a winner.  Interesting location, an isolated hotel that used to be a Sanatorium, tucked away in the Swiss Alps.  Eerie atmosphere.  A missing woman.  Then bodies start turning up.  All the makings of an enticing read.

The execution of this book, however, was terrible.  It's like the author felt compelled to insert twists for the sake of having twists, since some of these twists have little to do with advancing the main plot.  The main character is an English policewoman who is on leave from her job because she has PTSD.  She takes it upon herself to investigate the murders since of course the police aren't coming because of an avalanche.  

She's pretty bad at her job,

Spoiler

she pretty much accuses every single character in the book of being the murderer, and of course, none of them are the murderer until we've run out of characters and surprise, the last one she accuses is the murderer!  The murderer's motive made absolutely no sense.  She got raped by her brother's best friend 20 years ago, and has been stewing about it for years and years and finally decided to kill the friend and keep killing until she got caught so she could tell the world how mistreated she was.  Ugh.

Has anyone else here read this one?  I'd be interested to hear if others found this book as ridiculous and disappointing as I did.

There is a second book featuring the same English policewoman called The Retreat and its set on a tropical island.  No doubt also cut off from the world.  I'm debating whether to read it.  Since I am a glutton for punishment and seem compelled to find and read all Agatha Christie ATTWN-adjacent books (which often seem to feature a woman in jeop), I probably will read it eventually.

Edited October 7, 2022 by blackwing

[sugarbaker design]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

On paper, this book seems like a winner.  Interesting location, an isolated hotel that used to be a Sanatorium, tucked away in the Swiss Alps. 

That's funny, one of the film versions of ATTWN, Ten Little Indians (1965), was set in a snowbound mansion in the Alps.

[blackwing]

2 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

That's funny, one of the film versions of ATTWN, Ten Little Indians (1965), was set in a snowbound mansion in the Alps.

Yep, that's the one with Hugh O'Brien as the Philip Lombard character, Goldfinger Golden Girl Shirley Eaton as the Vera Claythorne character, and Fabian as the Tony Marston character.  I liked this one, despite the drastic alterations in setting and character names.

[Browncoat]

I just ordered my copy of Alan Rickman's "Madly Deeply" -- mostly for the cover photo.  Well, the content, too, but have you seen that cover photo?

[BlackberryJam]

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

[EtheltoTillie]

Scott Turow has a new mystery, Suspect. I will give it a try. He’s had hits and misses, though.  More misses than hits IMHO. 

[blackwing]

5 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Scott Turow has a new mystery, Suspect. I will give it a try. He’s had hits and misses, though.  More misses than hits IMHO. 

I'm reading it right now, and so far, I really like it.  The main character is Pinky, a private investigator who is the granddaughter of Turow's longtime protagonist, Alejandro "Sandy" Stern.

I've always enjoyed every book written by Scott Turow, and have read every book of his since his breakout "Presumed Innocent".  I've always thought his books are great.  They are well written and thought provoking without being overly heavy handed.  I also liked the fact that up until his retirement, I believe he was still an actively practicing lawyer.  He took his time in writing and released a book every few years, unlike that hack John Grisham who quit the practice of law in order to churn out formulaic drivel.

Edited October 10, 2022 by blackwing

[BlackberryJam]

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

[GHScorpiosRule]

I’m going through my comfort reads by  Nora.

Finishing up the original trilogy of the Cordinas/Bissets. Unlike the MacGregors, I don’t like Camilla’s story. I really love the MacGregor grandchildren and Cybil’s stories. But I just couldn’t connect to this one. The same for Considering Kate from the Stanislaskis. Ooh! I think I’ll go revisit them! I really love Luring a Lady because Mik always drops his articles when he’s upset. Like:

”I have tried to be gentleman.” But Sydney won’t have it and corrects his grammar then tops it off by telling him he’s NOT!😂😂😂😂

Edited October 13, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[Anduin]

Terry Pratchett A Life with Footnotes* *The Official Biography.

Pretty much what it says on the tin. Written in part by Pratchett, finished by his assistant, Rob Wilkins. Very good, I'd recommend it for anyone interested in Pratchett's life. One interesting moment, I just got through the photos in the centre. There's one from the set of Going Postal, where he looks like a slimmer George RR Martin!

[proserpina65]

On 10/9/2022 at 2:41 PM, Browncoat said:

Well, the content, too, but have you seen that cover photo?

I could stare at that photo for the rest of my life.

[MaggieG]

On 10/7/2022 at 11:11 AM, blackwing said:

I found another author doing the Agatha Christie-like ATTWN murders in an isolated location mysteries.  Just finished The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse.

From Goodreads:

On paper, this book seems like a winner.  Interesting location, an isolated hotel that used to be a Sanatorium, tucked away in the Swiss Alps.  Eerie atmosphere.  A missing woman.  Then bodies start turning up.  All the makings of an enticing read.

The execution of this book, however, was terrible.  It's like the author felt compelled to insert twists for the sake of having twists, since some of these twists have little to do with advancing the main plot.  The main character is an English policewoman who is on leave from her job because she has PTSD.  She takes it upon herself to investigate the murders since of course the police aren't coming because of an avalanche.  

She's pretty bad at her job,

  Hide contents

she pretty much accuses every single character in the book of being the murderer, and of course, none of them are the murderer until we've run out of characters and surprise, the last one she accuses is the murderer!  The murderer's motive made absolutely no sense.  She got raped by her brother's best friend 20 years ago, and has been stewing about it for years and years and finally decided to kill the friend and keep killing until she got caught so she could tell the world how mistreated she was.  Ugh.

Has anyone else here read this one?  I'd be interested to hear if others found this book as ridiculous and disappointing as I did.

There is a second book featuring the same English policewoman called The Retreat and its set on a tropical island.  No doubt also cut off from the world.  I'm debating whether to read it.  Since I am a glutton for punishment and seem compelled to find and read all Agatha Christie ATTWN-adjacent books (which often seem to feature a woman in jeop), I probably will read it eventually.

I listened to this on Audible but I honestly don't remember if I liked it or hated it. It clearly didn't make that much of an impression because I didn't remember who the killer was. I will probably read The Retreat just to see how that one is. If that one also makes no impression, well that's it for me and Sarah Pearse. 

For any Taylor Jenkins Reid fans, I'm currently reading Carrie Soto Is Back. I'm enjoying it so far. I love that TJR has created her own little universe where characters are connected. Carrie Soto was a minor character in Malibu Rising which featured the children of a character named Mick Riva who appeared in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and The Six.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 10/10/2022 at 9:35 AM, blackwing said:

I'm reading it right now, and so far, I really like it.  The main character is Pinky, a private investigator who is the granddaughter of Turow's longtime protagonist, Alejandro "Sandy" Stern.

I've always enjoyed every book written by Scott Turow, and have read every book of his since his breakout "Presumed Innocent".  I've always thought his books are great.  They are well written and thought provoking without being overly heavy handed.  I also liked the fact that up until his retirement, I believe he was still an actively practicing lawyer.  He took his time in writing and released a book every few years, unlike that hack John Grisham who quit the practice of law in order to churn out formulaic drivel.

So I’m about a third of the way through listening to the audio version of Suspect,  and I’m loving it. Great main character and great courtroom scenes. Grisham has another new book out next week, BTW.  

[Ailianna]

I'm rereading the Benjamin January mystery series by Barbara Hambly. They feature a main character who is "A Free Man of Color" (also the title of the first volume) who is a musician in 1830s New Orleans. It is very rich in historical detail and the settings, atmosphere, and characters are deeply engaging. The social classes and complex interactions of culture and race are intricately drawn but don't overwhelm. Usually those things end up connecting to the main mystery, either in suspects or in how information is obtained. There's a strong cast of supporting characters who add to the stories. The mysteries take place in a variety of settings too, from Blue Ribbon Balls, political events, the opera, and some move out of New Orleans, into Mexico, Texas, Haiti, Washington DC, and more. There are 19 books, and they are very good. (Can you tell I like them?)

[Luckylyn]

I just finished To Catch Raven by Beverly Jenkins which is the last of her “Women Who Dare” historical romance series.  Raven comes from a family of con artists trying to overcome racism and poverty by their schemes.  Brax grew up wealthy and an upstanding figure in his community.  Blackmail by a corrupt Pinkerton detective forces Brax and Raven to work together in an undercover operation pretending to be married and find a lost original copy of the Declaration of Independence.  This was an entertaining romance and I hate to see the series end.  Raven’s family is large and full off people who I would love to see branch off into their own series.  I could easily see cousin Lacie or Renay being featured in a romance of their own.  Then there’s the cousin who is passing as white to go to medical school and as a result has had to distance himself from the family.  So many stories could come from these characters.

[isalicat]

I just finished the 20th (and sob! last) of the Deborah Knott mysteries set in North Carolina by Margaret Maron. What a great series, which not to spoil anyone comes full circle at the end! I can't recommend these enough - start at the beginning with Bootlegger's Daughter. These are not terribly scary or gruesome and rich with the rhythms (and food!) of Southern life.

[BlackberryJam]

4 hours ago, isalicat said:

I just finished the 20th (and sob! last) of the Deborah Knott mysteries set in North Carolina by Margaret Maron. What a great series, which not to spoil anyone comes full circle at the end! I can't recommend these enough - start at the beginning with Bootlegger's Daughter. These are not terribly scary or gruesome and rich with the rhythms (and food!) of Southern life.

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

That’s not ALL of the book, obviously, but there are bits like that I’ve found in each novel. I enjoy them, but a reader has to go in with eyes open. 

[GaT]

6 hours ago, isalicat said:

I just finished the 20th (and sob! last) of the Deborah Knott mysteries set in North Carolina by Margaret Maron. What a great series, which not to spoil anyone comes full circle at the end! I can't recommend these enough - start at the beginning with Bootlegger's Daughter. These are not terribly scary or gruesome and rich with the rhythms (and food!) of Southern life.

2 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

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

That’s not ALL of the book, obviously, but there are bits like that I’ve found in each novel. I enjoy them, but a reader has to go in with eyes open. 

Wow, in one post I went from "hmm, might be interesting" to "OH HELL NO!"

[Haleth]

I recently read Maggie O'Farrell's follow up to Hamnet, called The Marriage Portrait.  It's the true(ish) story of a doomed young girl (Lucrezia di Medici) who was married off to the Duke of Ferrara and wound up dead a year later.  (This is revealed on the first page, not a spoiler.)  The book has the same intimate style as Hamnet, the reader really sees into the mind of the protagonist.  I was enjoying it a lot... until the end.  

Spoiler

The author resorts to a cheap device to give the reader what she must think is a "feel good" ending, but it is at the expense of an innocent character.

I wanted to throw the book across the room.

[Ohiopirate02]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

I recently read Maggie O'Farrell's follow up to Hamnet, called The Marriage Portrait.  It's the true(ish) story of a doomed young girl (Lucrezia di Medici) who was married off to the Duke of Ferrara and wound up dead a year later.  (This is revealed on the first page, not a spoiler.)  The book has the same intimate style as Hamnet, the reader really sees into the mind of the protagonist.  I was enjoying it a lot... until the end.  

  Hide contents

The author resorts to a cheap device to give the reader what she must think is a "feel good" ending, but it is at the expense of an innocent character.

I wanted to throw the book across the room.

I read this a couple of weeks ago, and I agree with you here.  It also felt like a retread of Sarah Dunant's The Birth of Venus which I enjoyed more.  

[BlackberryJam]

9 hours ago, GaT said:

Wow, in one post I went from "hmm, might be interesting" to "OH HELL NO!"

They really aren't bad books at all. There is a strong thread of Southern Christianity running through them, which might be appealing for some. They are definitely "of the time." For instance, she talks about how "political correctness" has finally made it's way into their county and implies that's a good thing. 

It's just that I had listened to that chapter RIGHT before looking here and it had stuck with me. So I'd say they are 85% good and 15% annoying.

[sugarbaker design]

5 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

So I'd say they are 85% good and 15% annoying.

That's a fairly good ratio!

22 hours ago, isalicat said:

I just finished the 20th (and sob! last) of the Deborah Knott mysteries set in North Carolina by Margaret Maron. What a great series, which not to spoil anyone comes full circle at the end! I can't recommend these enough - start at the beginning with Bootlegger's Daughter. These are not terribly scary or gruesome and rich with the rhythms (and food!) of Southern life.

I read the series as they came out in the 90's, so they weren't anachronistic to me, they were contemporary.  I did admire that Maron never repeated a novel, and tried to do something different in each one, like Sue Grafton did.  I do empathize with reading problematic passages in what is considered classic crime fiction.  Try reading Raymond Chandler without holding your nose.  Great writer, not a great human.  I remember reading a Josephine Tey novel with a character called The Levantine* with an asterisk.  When I followed the asterisk, the footnote told me The Levantine was originally called The Dago.  It was hard to admire Tey after that.  Writers are just people, subject to all the acceptable character defects of their time.  Reader in the 2050's will be thinking the same thing of the writers today.  (I would hazard to guess the way we treat animals and the elderly.)

[EtheltoTillie]

On 10/14/2022 at 1:26 AM, EtheltoTillie said:

So I’m about a third of the way through listening to the audio version of Suspect,  and I’m loving it. Great main character and great courtroom scenes. Grisham has another new book out next week, BTW.  

Quoting myself:  I finished Suspect, and I enjoyed it to the end. 

[Spartan Girl]

Before I get into Alan Rickman’s posthumous memoir, Madly, Deeply, I’m reading Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton, and boy does he have some good stories from the Potter movies!