What Fiction are you reading this week, October 16, 2022?

[hermetic]

Reading The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan. I almost gave up on this one right away when I read that the lady was subletting an apartment on the 3rd floor and arrived at a 3 story building. But when she got there she took the elevator to the 5TH FLOOR and apt. 5B. This was all within a few paragraphs. Errors like that usually ruin my interest in what happens next. But, the author was from Ireland where she practiced law until she and her family moved to Australia. So, I'm not really sure why she chose to write about the U.S. since I see no evidence she has ever been here. I guess some inaccuracies might be expected.

Whatever. The book becomes quite intense and is full of twists and turns so I've stayed with it. I have got to see how it ends.

Listening to The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart, an oldie from '79. "Seen through the eyes of Arthur's prophetic protector, Merlin -- whose own mysterious powers are in dire danger -- here is a tale rich with the majesty and turbulence of the magnificent legend it tells." I loved this book when I read it 40 some years ago and expect I will again. It was pretty much the only thing available now in the library's audibles.

What books were available to you this week?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. I'm almost done with The Scholar

by Dervla McTiernan.

[hermetic]

5. Are you liking it?

Looks like it's a lot better than the one I'm reading. Better reviews. I hear her first book, The Ruin, is excellent.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

34. Yes, I am liking it.

Actually, I finished it since posting this morning. Very good, very satisfying. I believe I've read all of her books, and I've enjoyed every one.

[SheltieLover]

7. Just grabbed some ebooks by this author.

Ty!

[cilla4progress]

2. The Sentence

Louise Erdrich!

[hermetic]

8. I LOVE that one

[SheltieLover]

16. Ty! Put an ecopy in the reading queue!

[japple]

31. I loved this book as well. Heard an interview with her on Terry Gross' Fresh Air (it was

a repeat) but it was as good as the book. Louise Erdrich is a national treasure.

[cilla4progress]

33. Yes ...

My favorite author!

[SheltieLover]

3. I read Patterson's "The Russian" & loved it. Thx to the DUer who recd it!

Now reading Ellery Adams "A Deadly Cliche." Love this author's work! This one is set on the NC coast...

Lots of Fern Michaels queued up for this week, a few more in the sisterhood series.

Enjoy!

[hermetic]

9. Thanks!

You, too.

[SheltieLover]

10. Love your cat book club graphic.

[yellowdogintexas]

41. I corrupted you didn't I? LOL nt

[SheltieLover]

42. Absolutely!

Ty so much!

[yellowdogintexas]

47. when you finish the Sisters and read the Men of the Sisterhood,

read The Godmothers. Very light hearted, more like a cozy series.

The 3 best friends of a young woman's mom are her godmothers. They have a lot of disposable income which they have a lot of fun with.

Did I mention the mom has been married 8 times?

Fun read! There are NOT 30+ of them either.

[SheltieLover]

48. Oh, I've already inhaled the Godmothers, but ty!

Getting a bit nervous, as I think I'm coming near the end of Ellery Adams & Fern Michaels' works.



I know there are other great authors, it's just a matter of finding them.

[bahboo]

4. just finished Savages and The Kings of Cool (it's prequel) by Don Winslow...

holy hell...if this kind of society actually exists in Orange Co. (CA), I'm never leaving my house again! The writing as always with Winslow, is fantastic, the characters gripping. Highly recommended...

[hermetic]

12. Sounds good

"Savages is a provocative, sexy, and sharply funny thrill ride through the dark side of the war on drugs and beyond."

Well, with the change in the MJ laws I'd guess you won't have to worry about that sort of thing now.

[bahboo]

24. still quite the market for illegal weed in CA....

Last edited Sun Oct 16, 2022, 03:14 PM - Edit history (1)

not to mention the hard stuff. But man, what a harrowing read. And together, like a twisted social history of SoCal in the last 50 or so years...

[cbabe]

6. Thomas Perry: The Left Handed Twin

https://www.goodreads.com › book › show › 57841256-the-left-handed-twin

The Left-Handed Twin (Jane Whitefield #9) by Thomas Perry - Goodreads

"The Left-Handed Twin" is part of the "Jane Whitefield" series, but as a new reader, I had no trouble following the compelling and unusual narrative. This is Jane's story in her voice. Jane McKinnon is married to Carey McKinnon, MD, Buffalo General Hospital; for the thirty years before that, she was Jane Whitefield, and occasionally, she is again…

…

Jane’s native heritage is central to her character, and the plot. She makes people ‘disappear’ from those trying to kill them. Dream guides, woods craft, and contemporary skills all blended together.

This series title wasn’t as engaging as others. But the series is five star as a whole.

[SheltieLover]

11. Sounds intriguing!

Already checked out an ecopy from library. Ty!

[cbabe]

14. Consider reading in order:

https://www.fictiondb.com › series › jane-whitefield-thomas-perry~4745.htm

Jane Whitefield Series in Order by Thomas Perry - FictionDB

Jane Whitefield is a name to be whispered like a prayer. A shadow woman who rescues the helpless and the hunted when their enemies leave them no place to hide. Now with the bone-deep cunning of her Native American forebears, she arranges a vanishing ... The Face-Changers May-1998 / Amateur Sleuth Book - 4

…

Cheers backatcha!

[SheltieLover]

15. Will do!

Ty!

[yellowdogintexas]

50. Damn these sound really good! nt

[Chalco]

13. The Marriage Portrait

by Maggie O'Farrell, author of Hamnet. I loved Hamnet so
had to get this one.

[hermetic]

19. Sounds lovely

"Full of the drama and verve with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life, and offers an unforgettable portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her very survival."

And, hot off the press, Sept. 2022.

[bif]

17. "Fleishman is in Trouble" by Taffy Brodesser-Ankner

Just started it.

[hermetic]

21. Sounds like it...

"...an insightful, unsettling, often hilarious exploration of a culture trying to navigate the fault lines of an institution that has proven to be worthy of our great wariness and our great hope."

[yellowdogintexas]

18. The Memory Keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken

This is a really good book that brings current events to your reading chair.


In the 1930s, Stalin’s activists marched through the Soviet Union, espousing the greatness of collective farming. It was the first step in creating a man-made famine that, in Ukraine, stole almost 4 million lives. Inspired by the history the world forgot, and the Russian government denies, Erin Litteken reimagines their story.

In 1929, Katya is 16 years old, surrounded by family and in love with the boy next door. When Stalin’s activists arrive in her village, it’s just a few, a little pressure to join the collective. But soon neighbors disappear, those who speak out are never seen again and every new day is uncertain.

Resistance has a price, and as desperate hunger grips the countryside, survival seems more a dream than a possibility. But, even in the darkest times, love beckons.

Seventy years later, a young widow discovers her grandmother’s journal, one that will reveal the long-buried secrets of her family’s haunted past.

This is a story of the resilience of the human spirit, the love that sees us through our darkest hours and the true horror of what happened during the Holodomor.

May we never forget, lest history repeat itself.

[hermetic]

22. Wow

Those poor people have been put through so much...

"...depicting a country whose people managed to dig deep enough to find the strength, determination and heart to survive." Once again.

[yellowdogintexas]

45. Finished it last night. The ending was satisfying. However,

there are a few hints that there may be a sequel about this family. I certainly hope so.

The horror of that deliberate famine against the Ukrainian people is just indescribable. While it is not on the level of the Holocaust it is still horribly brutal.

[Karadeniz]

20. I think the best way to know if you'd like these books is to compare your reaction to Jane Eyre.

I read that in the 8th grade and loved it! I loved looking into the thinking of a woman trying to cope with adversity, an unequal society in which she knows she is not inferior. Tracy Rees has written several books, but the three I really enjoyed and learned from were The Rose Garden, a confrontation to a domineering husband/father...Amy Snow, one woman who defies parental and societal strictures and another who's given the chance to rise above them... and my favorite, Florence Grace which hits all my priorities!!! Actually, it's hard to name a favorite; they're all so well written. I used Audible because my eyes aren't quite what they used to be!

[hermetic]

23. I like the audibles

for when I have to be on my feet and doing things, every afternoon. It helps me get through my reading list, which is immense. Sadly, the repugnant government here cut the library's budget for audibles, because children might be listening.

[yellowdogintexas]

40. I listen to podcasts instead of books. nt

[yellowdogintexas]

39. I love Jane Eyre! One of the few books I have re-read

I also read it the first time when I was in 8th grade. My mom had a set of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights with fabulous old woodcut illustrations. I used to just page through them looking at those illustrations. She saw me doing that one day and said she thought I was old enough to read Jane, so I did.

OTOH Wuthering Heights not so much. I finally read it when I was around 38 or so. It still dragged and I have no desire to read it again

[Karadeniz]

43. You'd like those books. I wasn't sure which sister wrote Jane Eyre, so I looked it up... Charlotte.

When I looked up her works, I think in the last one published, the main character's surname was Snowe... and one of the books is Amy Snow! And the author reminded me of Charlotte Bronte! I wonder if the author had studied Bronte and gave her a nod with the name!!!

[yellowdogintexas]

46. some where along the way I acquired a complete Bronte

collection (all of the sisters) for my Kindle, probably from BookBub or one of the others.

Still have not read any of the other sisters' work.

So much reading, so little time .

[yellowdogintexas]

49. so I am totally lost here. Tracy Rees is the author?

What is the book title being read this week by someone in this thread?

THanks

[Karadeniz]

51. Yes, Rees author. I listed three of her books, not one! My poor communication skills!

[yellowdogintexas]

52. or my brain fog! nt

[Number9Dream]

25. Finished "Relic" by Preston & Child

I had seen the movie once, but had never read the book before. This was the first novel collaboration by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. A terrific monster story set in the Museum of Natural History in New York City. The characters of Special Agent Pendergast, Margo Green, Lt. Vince D'Agosta, and others were introduced here. A four star read.

[hermetic]

28. Hey, you.

I didn't know that was a movie. I'll have to give it a look. Thought the book was quite good.

Sorry for the slow reply. My houseful of kitties kept me awake most of the night so I had to get a nap. Check your local PBS station tonight for Magpie Murders, based on Anthony Horowitz's book. Supposed to be really good.

Good to see you. Hope all is well for you.

[yellowdogintexas]

37. Pendergast is not even mentioned in the movie.

I hate it when that happens

[yellowdogintexas]

38. Now you need to read Reliquary nt

[PennyC]

26. TV show recommendation for mystery lovers

Tonight PBS starts Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders. It's been adapted by the author into a six-parter.
This was a wonderful book, very cleverly told. I have read very good things about the production and I can't wait!!!!!

[hermetic]

27. I Know!

I just had a wee nap because it comes on at 9 here and I'm usually asleep by then. Hope I can make it tonight. I, too, quite enjoyed the book. Thanks.

[PennyC]

36. Ooops sorry I didn't see your post.

I looked back and was amazed that the book came out SIX years ago. I read the second book but I didn't think it was quite as much fun as the first. I'm recording it as I want to save this one to share with family when they visit.

[The King of Prussia]

29. A Body in the Bookshop by Helen Cox

#2 in her Kitt Hartley series. I've read a couple of chapters. Good so far. I've paused 1979 by Val McDermid. So slow.

Really the whole week has been taken up with our gorgeous new kitten, Russo. Can't see much reading being done any time soon.

Oh and the country has gone completely to shit.

[hermetic]

30. Good thing you've got that kitten

Makes dealing with horrible governments a bit easier. Just concentrate on that sweet little face.

Ms. Cox has a nice little set of cozies. Will have to see if I can find them. Thanks.

[japple]

32. I finished Black River by S. M. Hulse and was tied up in knots until the very end. It is

the story of a man who was a gifted fiddler who earned his living as a corrections officer in a prison in Montana. One night, there is a riot in the prison and he is tortured for 39 hours by one of the prisoners. Years later, the prisoner/torturer comes up for parole and our main character travels back to his hometown to testify at the hearing. This book was hard to read and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but it was well written and I would recommend it for those who love literary fiction. Kinda reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's work.

[hermetic]

35. I was gonna get that one

bot my library doesn't have it. Maybe Santa will bring it this year.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

44. I am now reading Mahattan Transfer

by John E. Stith. Aliens, clearly of a super advanced sort, rip Manhattan from the Earth and transport it somewhere else, where there are a whole bunch of other domed cities, clearly taken from other planets, clearly from cities of those planets. Food pellets are being delivered to Manhattan, so they're not in danger of starvation any time soon.

So what the hell is going on, and can our heroes and heroines figure out how to return Manhattan to Earth?

Really good so far. Very hard science fiction, with lots of details about lots of stuff.

Stith is a largely unknown s-f writer, probably underrated by many people. He should be far better known. He's not terribly prolific but I'm finding everything of his worth reading. His most recent book, Pushback is a straightforward murder mystery, zero science fiction of any kind, so those of you who aren't at all into s-f, but like mysteries, would definitely like that one.

Oh, and John is a nice guy. I've met him at various s-f cons in recent years, and will see him next weekend at Mile Hi Con in Denver.

[hermetic]

54. Have fun!

Hoping you'll share some of your experiences when you get back.

[question everything]

53. Death in Laquer Red by Jean Dams

The story takes place in South Bend, Indiana, in 1900. A Swedish Immigrant who works as a servant at the Studebaker mansion, Tippecanoe, stumbles upon a murdered woman, a missionary, who just came back from China after missionaries and converts were attacked by the Boxers.

The immigrant, Hilda, is afraid that the police will find a foreigner, preferable a Chinese person and would pin the murder on him and she it determined to prevent it, with her limited abilities.

Interesting that South Bend had the Upstairs Downstairs hierarchy and, apparently, the Studebakers did live there and the Tippecanoe mansion still stands there.