What are you reading this week of April 10, 2016?

[hermetic]

Finished Anne Hillerman's Spider Woman's Daughter. This was was definitely different from Tony's work, especially the ending. Even though it did bring back characters from The Thief of Time, it still left a lot of unknowns. Obviously leaving openings for yet another novel. Sure hope so, anyway.

Finished After Dark by Haruki Murakami. This was an awesome little book by an incredible writer who I never heard of before until someone here mentioned him. Set in Tokyo, everything takes place over the course of one night. It has a cast of intriguing characters who pass in and out of each others' lives. After a while it began to feel like I was there, too, and this was an episode from Twilight Zone. I liked how each chapter header is a picture of a clock, ticking away the minutes, taking us through the night. I would really like to read more of Murakami's works.

I'm currently reading In the Presence of the Enemy by Elizabeth George. I decided to read some George when I read in Lagercrantz's The Girl in the Spider's Web that Blomkvist always read her mysteries whenever he wanted to take his mind off his problems. There are a whole lot of Elizabeth's books at my library so I started with this older one. It is an absolute page-turner and sometimes I'd swear I was reading Stieg Larsson, except it's in England, not Sweden. But the protagonist is an editor for a liberal newspaper in a country run by typical conservatives: smarmy, greedy, self-serving jerks, you know the type. It gets a bit gruesome in parts but is sprinkled throughout with quite funny comments. Love it. I plan to read all the Georges now.

Also listening to Fever Dream by Preston-Child, read by Rene Auberjonois. He's a really good reader and this is quite a good story.

Anything helping to take problems off your mind this week?

[Snarkoleptic]

1. Mister White: A Dark Thriller (by John C. Foster)

http://greymatterpress.com/books/mister-white/

I was hooked from the first chapter and cannot put this book down.
Here is what the publisher says on their website-

In the shadowy world of international espionage and governmental black ops when a group of American spies go bad and inadvertently unleash an ancient malevolent force that feeds on the fears of mankind, a young family finds themselves in the crosshairs of a frantic supernatural mystery of global proportions with only one man to turn for their salvation in the new dark thriller from author John C. Foster, MISTER WHITE.

Combine the intricate, plot-driven stylings of suspense masters Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum, add a healthy dose of Clive Barker’s dark and brooding occult horror themes, and you have an idea where the latest genre-busting dark thriller MISTER WHITE will be taking readers when it is released by Grey Matter Press this spring. In preparation for the upcoming release, the publisher has revealed the sinister cover artwork and issued a rather ominous warning, urging readers that whatever they might do, “Do not speak his name.” Learn why evoking the name of Mister White is a bad plan at the new website at www.DoNotSpeakHisName.com.

“My fascination with horror and espionage produced the evil lovechild MISTER WHITE,” said Foster. “The goal from the beginning was to blend the exotic excitement of a classic Cold War spy thriller with the mounting sense of dread lurking in the dark heart of the horror genre.”

Beginning with an unnerving query posed by a mysterious voice from the other end of a static-laced telephone line, Foster’s second novel MISTER WHITE rockets to breakneck speed when a corrupt spy working for a secretive U.S. agency becomes entangled with a supernatural terror that pursues him across three continents in a breathless, high-stakes thriller and white-knuckled shocker that once and for all answers the question: “Who is Mister White?”

[hermetic]

4. That sounds like a good one.

When you've finished please stop by to say what you thought about the ending. No spoiler alerts, of course, but if you thought it was perfect, or surprising, or just meh. Call me curious.

[northoftheborder]

2. Listening to "How the Irish saved Civilization" by Cahill.

Going to Ireland soon.

[hermetic]

5. How wonderful for you!

Hope you have a great time and bring back lots of pictures to share, maybe in the Lounge.

[pscot]

3. Police procedurals

I'm reading the Alan Banks series by Peter Robinson, interspersed with various sorts of roughage.

[hermetic]

6. So many series...

So little time. Know what I mean?

[scarletwoman]

12. I see that Peter Robinson is a Brit. I may have to check him out after I finish the Maitland series.

I have a hard time resisting good British police procedurals...

[pscot]

13. When the police arrive

everything pauses while the suspect prepares tea. It's very Zen-like.

[japple]

7. Thank you for the thread, hermetic. Still slogging through

Last edited Mon Apr 11, 2016, 05:37 PM - Edit history (1)

Bruce Holbert's book, The Hour of Lead . It is grim, grisly, and hard to finish, but the plot has just taken a new twist, so maybe it will get easier.

I just found out that one of my favorite authors, James McBride, has written a book about James Brown, titled Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul. Though he was often called "the hardest working man in show business," I don't think he really ever got full credit for all that he brought to the American music scene. The film, Get On Up, starring Chadwick Boseman was very good and I've watched it several times. Dan Ackroyd has a great role as well.


One time when my husband and I were visiting his family in Augusta, GA, we stopped for gas next to a McDonalds. A stretch limousine pulled up and someone got out and walked into McDonalds. I remember saying something to my husband about that little woman with the big car and he said "that's not a woman...that's James Brown." Too bad that was back in the days before cell phones or I would have a selfie with me standing next to James Brown's limo!

ETA: I think I said something to my husband about the "little woman with the big hair and big car!"

[hermetic]

8. Hi japple

Cool story. I've got one.

Maybe about 17 years ago I was living in St. Paul, MN. There was this very old, famous funky little club off the beaten path that would sometimes have great old time blues players. We went to see John Lee Hooker and the place was packed. I went to stand against a back wall to cool off for a bit and someone came through the entry and walked around the back, right past me, and then walked right into the club office. He was wearing a hoodie covering most of his face but when he walked by I felt this incredible aura/energy about him and then I realized: That was Prince! I'll never forget that.

[japple]

9. That's a wonderful memory/story, hermetic!

I have another one involving a musician. Back in the early 70s, a group of us went to see a concert at an auditorium in Atlanta. Needless to say, we were extremely mellow. We drove around the auditorium looking for parking when I saw this couple get out of a car and said, "God, what an ugly woman." My brother said, "that's Johnny Winter!" The concert was amazing! Cannot believe how many good concerts I was able to attend back in the day. I saw Janis Joplin in concert at Georgia Tech, BB King, Elton John, Led Zeppelin (twice), Chicago, Allman Bros (many times, playing for free in the park).

[hermetic]

26. WHOA!!

Been working outside all afternoon and came in to hear about Prince! I feel gob-smacked!
Devastated! I have no words, except be at peace dear, beautiful human.

[japple]

27. ((((((Prince Beautiful Soul)))))))

It was a shock. So happy that you were able to witness his awesome presence, hermetic.

[scarletwoman]

10. First Avenue?

Didn't know you used to be in Minnesota. I was born and raised in St. Paul.

[hermetic]

14. Not 1st Ave.

Been there many times. This was in an old house that had been converted. Main floor was stage, dance floor, tables. Upstairs was a bar. I just went through a list of clubs in Mpls/St. Paul and while that was a nice trip down memory lane, nothing rang a bell about this place. Probably not even there now, since it was in a family neighborhood.

I lived in St. Paul for 15 years. For a city, it was a nice place to live. I worked at the Ordway ticket office for a year and got to see some incredible shows. Plus it was right next to that gorgeous library. Then I got a job with an arts organization in the Landmark Center. That was really a wonderful time of my life. We had some incredible DU meetups back then. But then I lost my husband to cancer and I couldn't bear to stay there any longer. So, I went back to small town living in '06.

[japple]

15. Love hearing about the lives of others thru our book threads. Thank

you all for sharing your stories here. It means a lot to me.

[hermetic]

20. Thank you, japple

letting us tread around in your post. Hey, scarletwoman started it! I, too, love learning about people in our little group here. Especially when someone lived the same place as me. It's like, wow, maybe we even crossed paths at some point.

And you and I have seen several of the same people in concert. Though sad to say, I never got to see LZ. But I still rock out to their old albums now and then.

Say, I don't suppose you were at the concert at some Alabama Speedway back in '73. Allman Bros., ELP, Black Oak Arkansas, and others I don't recall. That was wild. I was living in Memphis and we took a road trip in a caravan to see that. Ah, the good old days....

[scarletwoman]

11. Last week I started on a new police procedural series by Barry Maitland - excellent so far!

Kolla and Brock - mostly taking place in London. I've read three so far, and have really enjoyed them. There are 12 books in the series, and I look forward to reading them all.

I spent the past 2 weeks or so reading the "Chief of Police, Bruno" police procedurals by Martin Walker. They were pleasant, interesting, and amusing, but also sort of tiresome. There were lots of interesting and original plots, but the writing got bogged down in too many details about French wines and cuisine, and there was a sort of preciousness about too many of the secondary characters. It was fun reading the series, but I was really ready for a palate cleanser once I finished.

I'm so glad I took a chance on Maitland - I feel well-rewarded.

[Enthusiast]

16. Hello everyone! Thank you for the thread hermetic! Sorry I'm late.

Last week I read The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood. This one was extremely gruesome but that didn't prevent me from enjoying it very much. I loved the characters and the finish was awesome.

Now I'm reading Death At La Fenice by Donna Leon. This is interesting. It takes place in Venice.

Mrs. Enthusiast finished Runaway by Peter May. She loved Runaway. We will be reading the Peter May books when we can acquire them. I checked the weekly reports and found Mrs. Enthusiast had already read Entry Island but I have yet to read it. So we need to get The Chessmen, Entry Island and Coffin Road.

Now Mrs. Enthusiast is reading The Ploughmen by Kim Zupan. She likes it!

[japple]

17. Hi Enthusiast! So happy that Mrs. E likes The Ploughman.

I keep thinking about it. The writing is incredible.

[Enthusiast]

18. She says it is very moving.

[hermetic]

19. Well, THERE you are

I was wondering. And hoping everything was okay. Always happy to see you and what you two are reading.

[Enthusiast]

21. Thank you, hermetic.

[SheSharp]

22. The Soul Dick: An American Romance

Really enjoyed this. It just came out a week ago. There's a lot of humor in it and goes into things going on in America that aren't right and we feel helpless to do anything about, but it's funny in several places, with interesting characters. There's a definite Democrat slant. The plot is unusual, about a private detective who claims he can "debug" lives in 24 hours of things like angst and anxiety and something called "Weltschmerz." A client comes in who is bugged about everything, cable companies, healthcare, insurance companies, America going bankrupt, on and on. He's so disillusioned his girlfriend can't handle it anymore; their relationship is woven through the story. It's set in Seattle and I need to get up there and do Pike Place Market soon! It really expresses a lot of what is going on today. Anyway, I'm going to read it again. I laughed out loud and I need that more often.

[hermetic]

23. Welcome to DU!

Thanks for making this your first stop. The book sounds really good but I don't find it anywhere on the internet. Perhaps it's self-published? Are you the author?

I've always enjoyed my visits to Seattle. And we can always use more laughing out loud.

Hope you'll stop by again.

[japple]

24. Here it is!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28956359-the-soul-dick

[hermetic]

25. Excellent!

Did you read the "About Em L. Smith"? SO funny! I definitely want to read the book now. This could be her big breakthrough. I do hope SheSharp stops by again as I think she really is, Sharp.