What Are We Currently Reading?

[annzeepark914]

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.

You might like Patricia Sprinkle's Southern Mystery series featuring Maclaren Yarbrough, whose magistrate husband was shot and she tries to find out who dunnit. She continues to  figure out mysteries. Various amusing characters, who live in her town, pop up now & then. Two books take place elsewhere. The majority take place in that very interesting town somewhere in GA. When I read the last book, I actually emailed the author, almost begging her to write some more. But she was by then writing novels.

Edited October 19, 2022 by annzeepark914

[Anduin]

I finished the Terry Pratchett biography. Very good, though it gets sad towards the end.

Then I picked up Pratchett's Jingo. I've read it before, though not for many years. There's a quote I half remember, so I went looking. Wow. I didn't enjoy it as much as I used to. Vimes may mean well, but he's a cop who bends the law as much as possible whenever he can. That really doesn't play well these days. Sure, he means well, but times have changed between when it was written and nowdays.

Furthermore, one of Pratchett's favourite tropes was the funny foreigner. "Oh look at these people and their crazy ways, they're different, which is weird and funny." Yeah, that doesn't play so well either.

Finally, I couldn't even find the quote! I was sure that at one point, Sergeant Colon said something like, "Very thin skinned, your average ethnic." Did I miss it? Did I get the wrong book?

[OtterMommy]

I just finished Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente.  I know people love this book, but it just didn't work for me.  Part of the problem was mostly due to me being swayed by the hype and having expectations that were too high.  I also figured it out far too early (in the first couple of pages) and I think the success of the book may hinge on being surprised by the reveal.

[mark.floyd07]

I am reading the book “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner. The book has many compelling episodes to get absorbed with. It is interesting how Faulkner described his characters so vividly, each of them has own principles, virtues, attitude towards life and towards Caddy. One of the main protagonists is Caddy. Candace is the second child of the Compson family. Being the only daughter Caddy had to play different female roles in the family. Also the author tells us about the three brothers Quentin, Jason, and Benjy who actually entrusted the three different roles to Caddy. Though the narration is out of consecutive order, it still arouses many controversial feelings in the reader’s heart due to the rapidly changing events within the time frames and morality. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by mark.floyd07

[Luckylyn]

I finished reading Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie.  Ettian lost everything when his planet was taken over by the Umber Empire.  As a child he lived on the street after losing his parents in the Umber take over until the Empire gave him the opportunity to go to school.  Accepting that his planet is lost Ettian tries to move on and be the best at the Umber military academy until a shocking assassination attempt on his best friend Gal.  This event leads Ettian to discover Gal is the heir to the empire that made him an orphan.  Ettian is torn between his growing romantic feelings for his friend and his buried loyalty to his home planet.  I really enjoyed this book.   I thought Ettian’s struggle on whose side to be on made sense and the conflict of romance mixed with distrust was compelling. I’m on board with this trilogy and will be reading the next book.

Now I’m reading The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling which is the sequel to The Ex Hex.  It’s a romantic comedy enemy to lovers story.   Gywn is annoyed when her cousin’s brother in law Wells opens a magic shop directly across the street from her own shop.  The rivalry leads to romantic sparks.  Gywn and Wells have to team up when a new coven comes to town and magic starts not working as it should.  So far it’s a fun read like the first book.

[Spartan Girl]

Now reading Madly, Deeply. The highlight is reading Alan Rickman’s snark about movies and TV shows.

[blackwing]

On 10/19/2022 at 3:26 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

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

I too finished Suspect, and it was completely enjoyable.  Scott Turow doesn't get enough credit for his contributions to the legal thriller genre.

[DearEvette]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I too finished Suspect, and it was completely enjoyable.  Scott Turow doesn't get enough credit for his contributions to the legal thriller genre.

I remember reading Presumed Innocent back in like 1989 and up until then I hated first person POV narration.  I was all about third person omniscient.  But the way the story unfolded taught me how effective a good first person POV is and how is can be used as a tool in a story like this.  Would not have been the same in third person.

[Bookish Jen]

I'm currently reading Caitlin Moran's novel "How to Be Famous." I read the prequel "How to Be a Girl" several years ago, and I really liked it. "How to Be Famous" is pretty good so far.

And I just finished Iman Hariri-Kia's debut novel "A Hundred Other Girls," which is a kind of a "Devil Wears Prada" for the Gen Z set. It was very entertaining. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Just finished re-reading The Stanislaskis series by Nora; and just this morning, Private Scandals. I so TOTALLY love Finn. And we all joked with Nora pre pandemic at a signing that Finn predicted that the Cubs would most likely win the World Series (if EVER) "in the next millennium" since Deanna insisted "their day would come" and they weren't losers. 🤣

What I love about this book is the relationship--so organic and the most realistic, if you will, as it spans two-three years and doesn't end with the "I love you" but the progression to that point and continues beyond; how they deal with each other and their careers, while a crazy ass murdering psycho stalker continues to kill for Deanna out of "love" and stalk her. The plot surrounds the talk show wars and competition in the early 90s.

One of the funniest lines is where they're both relaxing in the hot tub and having a conversation about how her show is all fluff (she had just interviewed Micky and Minnie Mouse) while Finn's a foreign correspondent and he asks her to move in with him--

"I'm so in love with you, Finn. You can believe that. And I swear, the rumors about me and Goofy are all lies. We're just good friends."

snip

"I don't trust that long-eared son of a bitch."

"I just used him to make you jealous--though he does have a certain guileless charm I find strangely appealing."

[andromeda331]

On 10/25/2022 at 12:23 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Just finished re-reading The Stanislaskis series by Nora; and just this morning, Private Scandals. I so TOTALLY love Finn. And we all joked with Nora pre pandemic at a signing that Finn predicted that the Cubs would most likely win the World Series (if EVER) "in the next millennium" since Deanna insisted "their day would come" and they weren't losers. 🤣

What I love about this book is the relationship--so organic and the most realistic, if you will, as it spans two-three years and doesn't end with the "I love you" but the progression to that point and continues beyond; how they deal with each other and their careers, while a crazy ass murdering psycho stalker continues to kill for Deanna out of "love" and stalk her. The plot surrounds the talk show wars and competition in the early 90s.

One of the funniest lines is where they're both relaxing in the hot tub and having a conversation about how her show is all fluff (she had just interviewed Micky and Minnie Mouse) while Finn's a foreign correspondent and he asks her to move in with him--

"I'm so in love with you, Finn. You can believe that. And I swear, the rumors about me and Goofy are all lies. We're just good friends."

snip

"I don't trust that long-eared son of a bitch."

"I just used him to make you jealous--though he does have a certain guileless charm I find strangely appealing."

I love that series. It's one of my favorites. I like all the characters but being a former soap junkie Bess is my favorite. Writing for a soap would have been a dream come true for me.

Edited October 26, 2022 by andromeda331

[isalicat]

Finished an older Karin Slaughter novel Triptych late yesterday. Really well written and incredibly suspenseful, but so so violent and gruesome. If you have a super strong stomach and like thrillers (its not a mystery but more of a "catch the killer before the killer catches you") I recommend it but I'm probably not going to read any more of her work just now.

Since I finished the Margaret Maron series I have the first Patricia Sprinkles to try!

[lasu]

This could go here or in podcasts, but I listened to several episodes of Double Love about the Sweet Valley High series. It's two Irish women recapping the books, which makes it extra hilarious because there are so many American things they have no idea what they are.  I listened to make the first 15 or so episodes and then skipped ahead to Regina's death and then called it day, but I genuinely enjoyed them.  It's SO SCARY to think that I read this as a child without realizing how insanely fucked up they were.  This was a fun way to revisit some of the bonkers storylines without actually rereading the books.

[blackwing]

I finished The Maze by Nelson DeMille.  This book features his long-running protagonist, John Corey, an ex-NYPD homicide detective who is currently retired and in-between jobs.  He gets involved with investigating a PI firm whose owner may or may not be connected to a series of unsolved murders.

From Goodreads:

Quote

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille returns with a blistering thriller featuring his most popular series character, former NYPD homicide detective John Corey, called out of retirement to investigate a string of grisly murders much too close to home.

In his dazzling #1 bestseller, Plum Island, Nelson DeMille introduced readers to NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey, who we first meet sitting on the back porch of his uncle’s waterfront estate on Long Island, convalescing from wounds incurred in the line of duty. A visit from the local Chief of Police results in the legendary Detective Corey becoming involved in the investigation of the murders of a married couple who were scientists at the top-secret biological research facility on Plum Island.

Fast forward through six more bestselling John Corey novels and The Maze opens with Corey on the same porch, but now in forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his career—and about reuniting with Beth Penrose.

Inspired by, and based on the actual and still unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, The Maze takes the reader on a dangerous hunt for an apparent serial killer who has murdered nine—and maybe more—prostitutes and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach.

As Corey digs deeper into this case, which has made national news, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational case may not be a result of their inexperience and incompetence—it may be something else. Something more sinister.

The Maze features John Corey’s politically incorrect humor, matched by his brilliant and unorthodox investigative skills along with the surprising and shocking plot twists that are the trademark of the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Nelson DeMille.

I really enjoyed this book.  John Corey is one of those guys I probably wouldn't like in real-life, but he is pretty hilarious and completely doesn't care what people think of him.  He is the same guy still after all these years.  I particularly laughed at the brief mention of Yemen, which he refers to as "the Earth's anus", because I believe he has consistently trashed Yemen in every single book he has appeared in, using this exact same term.

[stewedsquash]

I had to decide between two books this month on Prime Reads after going three months without picking any. I decided on Sonali Dev/The Vibrant Years instead of Kaira Rouda/The Widow. I am not familiar with either authors but there are a couple of their other books on Overdrive. I decided to get the one I did because it is the first in Mindy Kaling's Mindy's Book Studio. I am a very big fan of her and apparently she is an even more go getter than I was aware of. I could not stand Oprah's book thing and barf at anything Reese Witherspoon in general, her book thing for sure. Those two have terrible book suggestions. Hopefully Mindy's Book Studio will thrive and give me a lot of reading options. I am a little irritated with myself because I think Amazon has lowered publishing standards with their self publishing dreck but I am willing to give Mindy a chance.

Others might be aware of Mindy doing this but it is news to me. Here's a link about her new business venture:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/88546-mindy-kaling-and-amazon-launch-mindy-s-book-studio.html

[Snow Apple]

A Billion Years by Mike Rinder, a former Scientologist. I'm only a few chapters in but I'm always completely horrified and fascinated by stories from former members.

[Anduin]

Terry Pratchett's Going Postal. In which the ruler of the world's most powerful city decides he doesn't like the semaphore fax thing that's going on and blackmails a conman to whip the post office into shape. Only, the semaphore fax system is now owned by some rich men who are trying to maximise profits at the expense of basic fucking human lives.

Funny thing, this is only the second time I've read it. When it was new, I thought it was subpar. This time it doesn't quite have the same magic as one of my favourites, but I would rank it pretty decently.

Actually, it feels a little ahead of its time. There's a certain theme of fraud and buying your way to victory. Admittedly, those have probably been around since the dawn of time. Still, world affairs have made it feel surprisingly relevant.

Edit: Wow. It turns out that the villain of the book has an office in Tump Tower. Reread that. Yep, it made me blink too. For a book published in 2004! Pratchett was ahead of his time.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Anduin

[Anela]

I finally finished a book, but I had to skim some of it, because I didn't like it. The Ghost Eaters. 

[OtterMommy]

I finished The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry that Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak.  Guys, this book was an amazingly wild ride.  It is about two Merovingian Queens, who were actually sisters-in-law, who both served as regents and weilded an immense amount of power--and who hated each other.  The best way I can describe this is House of Cards versus Game of Thrones.  

It's narrative nonfiction, not a history text, and it is very readable.  It is also quite brutal, but Puhak handles the violence with both accuracy and empathy.  Totally recommend!

[GHScorpiosRule]

I had a very surreal dream about The Villa the other night. So naturally, I’m re-reading it again!  I love Tyler!

Oh, it’s by Nora, of course!

Edited November 8, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[Haleth]

10 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

I finished The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry that Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak.  Guys, this book was an amazingly wild ride.  It is about two Merovingian Queens, who were actually sisters-in-law, who both served as regents and weilded an immense amount of power--and who hated each other.  The best way I can describe this is House of Cards versus Game of Thrones.  

It's narrative nonfiction, not a history text, and it is very readable.  It is also quite brutal, but Puhak handles the violence with both accuracy and empathy.  Totally recommend!

I read this over the summer.  It's quite a story!

[blackwing]

I finished The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci.

From Goodreads:

Quote

Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance.

Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.

Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the Army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm.

This treacherous role will take Travis from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power…where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bullseye.

The central mystery is that a woman who was the main character's ex-girlfriend and who works at his place of employment is found dead, and the killer seems to be trying to send a message directly to him.  He gets caught up in an undercover investigation, bodies keep piling up, and the cops suspect him.  The identity of the killer kept me guessing, I truly had no idea who it was.

I thought this was Baldacci's best book in years.  Currently, he seems to be focusing on three of his series - the Memory Man series, the Aloysius Archer series, and the Atlee Pine series.  I really dislike the Atlee Pine series, and the other two are just merely ok.  I miss his old characters that he seems to have retired.

This book is a standalone, but I really hope that it becomes a series.  I like the cast of characters.

[Scatterbrained]

Since the pandemic, Regency Romances have been my literary junk food of choice.  It’s usually a light, fluffy story with a happy ending, and the time period is close enough to not be primitive and/or alien, but far enough away for me to be able ignore “sore thumb details” (things that just don’t fit).  The quality, of course, varies.

Since I’ve read so many, I’m now searching for new one by going through authors alphabetically to see what else the e-library has on offer.  
 

I recently read How to Decieve a Duke by Lecia Cornwall and thought that it was worthy of a mention here.  

What I liked: 

• the amusing banter between the main characters
• the funny situations the characters find themselves in 
• the story setup and plot points were fairly believable 
• the personalities of the main characters

[bmasters9]

Bring 'Em Back Alive (1930 book by legendary animal trapper and big-game hunter Frank Buck, who was born in Gainesville, TX [not far from the TX-OK border].

More on him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Buck_(animal_collector)

The book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_'Em_Back_Alive_(book)

This edition is a reproduction of that book, which means that the first few pages have been omitted; nonetheless, I'm quickly getting into reading how this apparently proto-Steve Irwin managed to trap and display many of the animals he's known for collecting.

[kathyk24]

21 hours ago, blackwing said:

I finished The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci.

From Goodreads:

The central mystery is that a woman who was the main character's ex-girlfriend and who works at his place of employment is found dead, and the killer seems to be trying to send a message directly to him.  He gets caught up in an undercover investigation, bodies keep piling up, and the cops suspect him.  The identity of the killer kept me guessing, I truly had no idea who it was.

I thought this was Baldacci's best book in years.  Currently, he seems to be focusing on three of his series - the Memory Man series, the Aloysius Archer series, and the Atlee Pine series.  I really dislike the Atlee Pine series, and the other two are just merely ok.  I miss his old characters that he seems to have retired.

This book is a standalone, but I really hope that it becomes a series.  I like the cast of characters.

I didn't know he had a new book out. I love the Memory Man series. Amos Decker reminds me of Adrian Monk. I didn't like the second Archer book as much as the first one.

[blackwing]

2 hours ago, kathyk24 said:

I didn't know he had a new book out. I love the Memory Man series. Amos Decker reminds me of Adrian Monk. I didn't like the second Archer book as much as the first one.

The Amos Decker series started out great, I loved the fact that his condition gave him the ability to remember everything, and that he could see color auras around people and know what it meant.  However, I think the last few books, he was cured of his condition (I think???) and now the very thing which made the series different is no more, and I find the series very pedestrian.

The Aloysius Archer books, to me they are the very definition of "trying too hard".  It's obvious he's trying to create a Sam Spade-like character in the 1940s, and for some reason this series isn't engaging me.

[Bethany]

Since Hallmark has started airing their Christmas movies I figured it was time to start reading Christmas themed books.  First ones up are a couple of Sheila Roberts set over Christmas followed by Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber.  Nice easy reading for the (lengthy) holiday season!

[Angeltoes]

Just finished Matthew Perry's book.  What a whiny braggart.

[babyhouseman]

12 minutes ago, Angeltoes said:

Just finished Matthew Perry's book.  What a whiny braggart.

He turned me off in his interviews, and I didn't even want his book from the library. 

[blackwing]

17 hours ago, Angeltoes said:

Just finished Matthew Perry's book.  What a whiny braggart.

17 hours ago, babyhouseman said:

He turned me off in his interviews, and I didn't even want his book from the library. 

Yep, agree, the interviews were off-putting.  All I could think of was "poor you".  Also, why now?  "Friends" has been off the air for nearly 20 years.  He has had middling success in other TV projects ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "The Odd Couple") but nothing like "Friends".

I find it a bit hard to feel sorry for these celebrities who have fame and money and then get themselves into drug problems through the fault of nobody but themselves.  I'm not really sure what the point of this book is... to make us feel sorry for him?  To relaunch his career?

[Ohiopirate02]

17 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I find it a bit hard to feel sorry for these celebrities who have fame and money and then get themselves into drug problems through the fault of nobody but themselves.  I'm not really sure what the point of this book is... to make us feel sorry for him?  To relaunch his career?

I know residuals for streaming are nowhere the same percentage as old-fashioned syndication, and a lot of people now watching Friends are streaming instead of watching on network TV.  I also wonder due to the age of the show if the TBS syndication checks have also been reduced.  Like you said, it's been 20 years now and I cannot imagine the show is paying out at the same rate currently.  

[sugarbaker design]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

I'm not really sure what the point of this book is... to make us feel sorry for him?  To relaunch his career?

Rehabs ain't cheap!

[Crs97]

I thought he said the point of the book was to let others struggling with addiction know there is always hope.  I haven’t read it, but I have sympathy for anyone struggling with addiction.

[grommit2]

I am almost done with Too Much and Never Enough.
Yes, it is about Donald Trump and "How my Family created the world's most dangerous man."
That certainly is an ominous sub-title.
The book is written by Mr. Trump's niece, Mary Trump, who holds a Ph.D. in Psychology.
Ahh, you say, that means we are getting a scientifically based analysis of the former president. Well, yes and no.  We get a summative analysis, much of which is clouded by personal affronts and questionable legal treatment of the family heirs. 
Anyway, is is a relatively short read (200 pages). Some bits may be new to some readers (e.g. Donald cheated on his SATs, he was put on a budget by his bankers).  But the rest is weighed down by curious behavior by Mary Trump's dad.  
 

[Bethany]

Already have to take a break from Christmas stories (you can only read so many books featuring magical snowglobes and 12 yr old kids who still believe in Santa) anyway made a start on Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper.  Excellent so far.  What I am really liking is it's not a tell all scandal book (although there is certainly some scandal) but it's a solid history of the times as well.

Edited November 11, 2022 by Elizabeth Anne

[MsNewsradio]

23 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I thought he said the point of the book was to let others struggling with addiction know there is always hope.  I haven’t read it, but I have sympathy for anyone struggling with addiction.

Quote

On 11/10/2022 at 10:49 AM, blackwing said:

Yep, agree, the interviews were off-putting.  All I could think of was "poor you".  Also, why now?  "Friends" has been off the air for nearly 20 years.  He has had middling success in other TV projects ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "The Odd Couple") but nothing like "Friends".

I find it a bit hard to feel sorry for these celebrities who have fame and money and then get themselves into drug problems through the fault of nobody but themselves.  I'm not really sure what the point of this book is... to make us feel sorry for him?  To relaunch his career?

On 11/9/2022 at 4:50 PM, Angeltoes said:

Just finished Matthew Perry's book.  What a whiny braggart.

On 11/10/2022 at 1:37 PM, sugarbaker design said:

Rehabs ain't cheap!

I’m genuinely struck by some of the responses here, especially from those who also read the book. He nearly died and he acknowledges that the reason was because of something he did in terms of his drug use. That he has to live with the fact his mother and rest of his family had to hear doctors say he had less than a 2% chance to live. He’s rarely been able to string two years sober together at a time without relapsing. He’s honest about how the disease of addiction has a hold on him and that he will never be without it, even if he’s able to maintain sobriety. He’s spent nearly 9 million dollars on rehabs and treatment, and acknowledges the irony that someone who should have felt at the top of the world was spiraling behind the scenes despite fame and money (also, not that this should matter, but his addictions issues started long before he was ever cast on Friends). He’s lost his teeth and had to have implants done. Anyone who has watched his interviews can hear that his speech is off (not as bad as the Friends reunion which was right after dental surgery, but his enunciation is still off). His past struggles on set (movie sets being shut down due to his actions, showing up high on the set of The Odd Couple, etc.) don’t exactly make him a hot property for Hollywood to take a chance on.

I’m not sure how anyone could read his book and have their takeaway be that he’s attempting to relaunch his career. He has been very clear that the reason he wrote this book was to reach and possibly help others who struggle with addiction. And the idea that he, or anyone else, “got himself into a drug problem” just shows a shocking lack of understanding of what a disease addiction is. Having lost people close to me who dealt with addiction throughout their lives, these kinds of comments come across as unnecessarily callous.

Did I think the book is clunky and cringeworthy at times? Absolutely. He didn’t have a ghostwriter, and it shows (the Keanu Reeves references alone are deeply unfortunate/uncomfortable and should have been tagged by an editor at the very least). I can completely understand not enjoying the book or thinking it’s poorly executed.

But I don’t understand how someone can see everything he’s been through and sneer at it. The fact that he’s still breathing is frankly nothing short of a miracle. 

[sugarbaker design]

17 hours ago, MsNewsradio said:

But I don’t understand how someone can see everything he’s been through and sneer at it. The fact that he’s still breathing is frankly nothing short of a miracle. 

This might be a shock to some, but an alcoholic or drug addict doesn't need 9 million dollars to get clean and sober.  One just needs to go to their local 12 step group.  My friends and I have been going for decades.  We have found a higher power, we've cleaned house, we're helping others (The 12 steps in shorthand).  We tell our stories, we share our experience, strength and hope FREE OF CHARGE.  This is why this book is suspect.  It's a commercial enterprise. MP can help others without an advance.

[Crs97]

10 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

This might be a shock to some, but an alcoholic or drug addict doesn't need 9 million dollars to get clean and sober.  One just needs to go to their local 12 step group.  My friends and I have been going for decades. 

That is wonderful that it worked for you and your friends.  I don’t think that’s the way it works for everyone or else I assume we would have no more addiction issues.

For those concerned about his possible money issues, the reports are that the cast members make between $10-20 million per year off Friends residuals.  He also has sold some real estate at nice profits.  

[BlackberryJam]

Really enjoyed the first two Finlay Donovan books by Elle Cosimano. Finlay is a recently divorced woman in a constant custody fight with her husband who genuinely wants to spend time with his kids. She's a writer and at Panera one day she's giving a pitch to her agent of a story about a contract killer and a woman overhears and thinks Finlay is a contract killer. Hijinks ensue. It's not a cozy, and the way things pile up is a bit ridiculous, but really fun reads.

Read The Club by Ellery Lloyd. Meh. I get that it was a riff on the "only a few could have done it" mystery, but just really unlikable characters. 

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead. It starts with a really shallow and unlikable protagonist. Wish she had stayed that way instead of getting Mary Sued all over the place. 

Liked The Self-Made Widow by Fabian Nicieza a lot. It's the second in the Suburban Dicks books. The husband of Molly, one of Andie's Cellu-elitist friends, dies. Investigation happens. A bit too many layers to this one that it got unbelievable, but I like Andie and Kenny.

[MsNewsradio]

4 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

This might be a shock to some, but an alcoholic or drug addict doesn't need 9 million dollars to get clean and sober.  One just needs to go to their local 12 step group.  My friends and I have been going for decades.  We have found a higher power, we've cleaned house, we're helping others (The 12 steps in shorthand).  We tell our stories, we share our experience, strength and hope FREE OF CHARGE.  This is why this book is suspect.  It's a commercial enterprise. MP can help others without an advance.

That’s wonderful that has worked for you and your friends. However, the idea that because it works for you, it works that way for everyone else with addiction issues, simply isn’t true. I’ve had many in my life who the 12 steps has done wonders for. Many for whom it has not. He’s not forcing anyone to purchase this book. He’s not selling services or a miracle cure. I’m not sure how him publishing his own personal experiences with addiction is a commercial enterprise.

[OperaLover1229]

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. 

[Snow Apple]

I just reread The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. I haven't read it in over 15 years and it's like visiting old friends. There were details I'd forgotten so I'm glad I read it again.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Snow Apple

[isalicat]

Finished the third in the Fjallbacka series by Camilla Lackberg: The Stonecutter. WOW! An extremely well crafted and complex murder mystery, most definitely not for the faint of heart, not because it is especially gruesome but it is tremendously harrowing with numerous children and other innocents in peril. I can't recommend Lackberg's books enough and strongly encourage anyone interested to start with book one (The Ice Princess) as the story of the central ongoing characters does build on that which has come before.

[EtheltoTillie]

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. 

I can't wait to read this one.  I read all of his books as they come out each year.  I have really liked the addition of Ballard. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 11/1/2022 at 3:59 PM, blackwing said:

I finished The Maze by Nelson DeMille.  This book features his long-running protagonist, John Corey, an ex-NYPD homicide detective who is currently retired and in-between jobs.  He gets involved with investigating a PI firm whose owner may or may not be connected to a series of unsolved murders.

From Goodreads:

I really enjoyed this book.  John Corey is one of those guys I probably wouldn't like in real-life, but he is pretty hilarious and completely doesn't care what people think of him.  He is the same guy still after all these years.  I particularly laughed at the brief mention of Yemen, which he refers to as "the Earth's anus", because I believe he has consistently trashed Yemen in every single book he has appeared in, using this exact same term.

Okay, I'm not loving The Maze.   Years ago I read Plum Island and The General's Daughter and wasn't too keen on DeMille, and I've avoided him all these years, but I decided to try this one on a friend's recommendation. 

Also, I'm listening to the audio version, and there are some ridiculous mispronunciations of the Long Island towns.  Don't they vet for that?  I live in the area, so I know.  Another oddity is that the reader has a normal accent, but he pronounces certain words like a New Yawka.  Like cawfee.  To be in character for Corey. 

Anyway, I'm getting bogged down and I think the story is somewhat annoying.  Can you give me a TLDR spoiler so I don't have to finish?  Here's what I'm guessing. 

Spoiler

I know the story is supposed to be based on the Gilgo Beach murders of missing sex workers.  So does the odious detective agency owner kill all the party girls and bury them? 

[blackwing]

16 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Okay, I'm not loving The Maze.   Years ago I read Plum Island and The General's Daughter and wasn't too keen on DeMille, and I've avoided him all these years, but I decided to try this one on a friend's recommendation. 

Also, I'm listening to the audio version, and there are some ridiculous mispronunciations of the Long Island towns.  Don't they vet for that?  I live in the area, so I know.  Another oddity is that the reader has a normal accent, but he pronounces certain words like a New Yawka.  Like cawfee.  To be in character for Corey. 

Anyway, I'm getting bogged down and I think the story is somewhat annoying.  Can you give me a TLDR spoiler so I don't have to finish?  Here's what I'm guessing. 

  Reveal spoiler

I know the story is supposed to be based on the Gilgo Beach murders of missing sex workers.  So does the odious detective agency owner kill all the party girls and bury them? 

Sure, no problem.

Spoiler

Pretty much... everyone at the detective agency with the exception of the two admin ladies is crooked and in on it.  Head guy, the ex-cops including the one that previously worked with Corey.  But even Amy was in on it, and in fact, she was playing Corey all along.

At the end of the book, he escapes from the farmhouse and runs into the hedge maze belonging to the neighbor next door.  Which likely gives rise to the book's title, but I had also thought the title referred to the maze of confusion/suspicion that Corey had found himself in.  The head guy and one of the ex-cops follow him into the maze.  There's shootouts, Amy pilots a drone overhead that helps the bad guys, Beth Penrose shows up at the end.  The last scene shows Corey trying to decide if he wants to return to his bachelor apartment in Manhattan or to Beth's house.  He chooses Beth.

I get that Corey isn't for everyone.  He's misogynistic and probably racist and doesn't care what people think of him.  I'd like to believe that DeMille isn't actually like this, but it is a little tough sometimes reading the words on the page.

[isalicat]

I just finished the first of the Patricia Sprinkle mystery novels as I had completed the Margaret Maron (20 book!) series set in the South and was looking for more of the same. This was pretty good but nowhere as good as the Margaret Maron books - I think having the principal character a lady of approximately my age (i.e. a senior citizen) is a bit less fun - no romantic opportunities as she is in a long term, very happy marriage, which is great but again, less fun. Back to Camilla Lackberg for book 4 of her Fjallbacka series (so, so good! and there are only 7 altogether - her more recent stuff doesn't look terribly appealing to me as it is more polemical). I'm going to try another Scandinavian author based on a recommendation that popped up on Amazon - this one is Danish and named Jussi Adler-Olsen. Anyone here read any of his stuff?

[Ohiopirate02]

After watching the new series, I felt the need to revisit Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire.  I read this back in high school and was curious to see if it still held up.  I can live with the florid prose, but damn Louis is insufferable.  I forgot how morose he is and how exhausting it can be to be stuck in only his head.  I also question some of the historical details.

[Ailianna]

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.

[Irlandesa]

On 11/15/2022 at 5:37 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

I can't wait to read this one.  I read all of his books as they come out each year.  I have really liked the addition of Ballard. 

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.