Friday, April 3, 2020

Rhys on What We're Reading



RHYS BOWEN: Well, we’ve made it through another week, haven’t we? I wonder if it will get any easier if we’re in isolation for a month, for two months?


Please email me if you’d like me to answer any of your questions or concerns like “IS it normal to want to put a pillow over your husband’s face while he is sleeping because he’s driving me crazy?” Okay, only some of the time. Most of the time he’s being really good. Except when he brings in a package and PUTS IT ON THE JUST CLEANED AND DISINFECTED COUNTER!


Earlier in the week I talked about the gift of time, which should translate into time for reading all those books I’ve meant to read but never did. But you know what I find? I find it hard to concentrate. So no complicated mystery stories, nothing too dark, and certainly nothing too sad. It has to have a happy ending (except that for some reason I’m finding Harry Potter just fits the bill. Maybe because he’s battling against terrible odds and finally wins … unless you are Dobby).


So I find I’ve been re-reading things I’ve enjoyed before. Kate Morton’s The Forgotten Garden. Some of Louse Penny’s early Gamache books, and now Laurie King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice which I must have read when it first came out and I didn’t know who Laurie King was.


Unfortunately I’m at my Arizona winter retreat so I don’t have access to all my library of children’s books and old favorites which I’d normally read in times of stress. My entire collection of Agatha Christie for example. So I’d like to hear from you:


What are you reading right now? Any suggestions for books in the time of plague?


LUCY BURDETTE: Ha ha on the pillow over hub’s head. I texted with friends yesterday and we agreed (1) maybe we’d have more time to write in jail, and (2) we’d look good in orange.


Bad jokes aside, I feel very lucky to have my hub holed up with me! I’m reading an unusual book called THE GULF by Belle Boggs. It takes place at a rundown motel in Florida, where a poet and her ex-boyfriend are trying set up a writing seminar for inspirational writer wanna-bes. I wanted something other than a murder mystery for once, and this is very different!


I’ve also started THE MOTH CATCHER, a Vera book by Ann Cleeves. I’d say this is comfort reading because I know and love the characters. And I also pre-ordered Julia’s new book, coming VERY SOON--HID FROM YOUR EYES. Let’s all do that and then we’ll have a virtual book party!





JENN McKINLAY: LOL, Rhys. Yes, quality time with the fam has begun to feel more like doin’ time. Thankfully, I have a plethora of ARCs to read for endorsements and for once I actually have time to savor them instead of wedging the reading into every spare minute I can find. So, that’s nice. Let me just say there is some really terrific fiction coming out this year and next like our Lucy’s KEY LIME CRIME (July), Devon Daniels’s MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE (Sept), and Lauren Elliott’s A PAGE MARKED FOR MURDER (Oct). Other than that, I am trying to write, catching up on my Netflix backlog, and doing a lot of procrastibaking. I’m on a shortbread bender at the moment.


DEBORAH CROMBIE: I thought I would do so much reading! But, like most everyone else, I’ve been very distracted. An advance copy of Lucy’s THE KEY LIME CRIME helped get me through the last couple of weeks! Now I’m missing being in her fictional Key West--virus free! Now I’m reading an ARC of Cara Black’s WWII standalone, THREE HOURS IN PARIS, which comes out next week, and I can tell you that it’s gripping! And so looking forward to our Julia’s book, HID FROM OUR EYES, out next week as well. I’ve been waiting SO long! This is my big anticipated read of the spring!


Rhys, you’ve tempted me to go back to Harry Potter. I’d started the Jim Kay illustrated edition with Wren a few weeks ago, but we are not co-reading for the time being… Or I might pick up one of my all-time favorite reads in times of stress, a Dick Francis novel.


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, gosh, my brain is having such a difficult time focusing. Luckily I have the new Kate White HAVE YOU SEEN ME and Roz Nay’s HURRY HOME--both sinister and twisty. The new Samantha Downing arc just arrived, hurray, called HE STARTED IT. I am sure it’ll be wonderful--she’s so talented. I cannot wait for Cara Black--you are all so lucky to have read it--but mine will arrive on pub day.


I am loving SOMETHING WONDERFUL, a bio of Rogers and Hammerstein by Todd Purdom. (I appeared with him on one of my last book tour events, sigh.) It’s wonderful, and a fascinating examination of how those geniuses worked together. ANd has a lot of the discarded lyrics, which are fascinating. (Can you believe So Long, Farewell with a verse that says something like: “So long, farewell, and now we must aloha; I know it’s sad, but time for me to go-ha.” Isn’t that hilarious?


I’ve been very tempted to read all the Agatha Christies, I must say, but suddenly my life is all about decontamination and dinner-making, and worrying that I am not writing. Books all seem to have a weird subtext now, like when you see old movies on TV where people are standing too close together. My mind is still searching for a new normal, so I’m thrilled to see all these suggestions.


HALLIE EPHRON: I”m reading Wendy Corsi Staub’s heartstopping THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER - the finale of her The Foundlings Trilogy. You’lll have to wait until the end of August to see how it all comes together. I also have Raymond Chandler’s FAREWELL MY LOVELY, just to remind myself what an amazing writer he was.

And I’m reading PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS - an anthology of essays by mystery writers on the real mysteries they’ve experienced in real life. Both Rhys and I have essays in the collection, edited by Victoria Zackheim. It comes out in a few weeks, y’all will be hearing much more about it then.


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Comfort reads for me. I’m re-reading Lucy’s Key West Food Critic series because it has everything my life does not right now - solvable problems, delicious food I don’t have to make, beautiful settings and warm weather. I’m also rereading in my usual favorite genre, science fiction: the more recent books of Lois McMaster Bujold. I’m not usually a big rereader, and I think I’m enjoying it precisely because I know what’s going to happen. Unlike here in the real world.


Side note: The Maine Millennial and I were talking about this sense of uncertainty, and I realized the next week, day, hour has always been uncertain - it’s just when things are trundling on as normal we can forget that inconvenient fact.

Back to books - I’m really excited about some books I’ve ordered from one of my local independent bookstores. I’m getting THE LAST EMPEROR, third in an amazing series by John Scalzi, the SF author even people who don’t get SF can read and love. Also Tessa Wegert’s DEATH IN THE FAMILY, because murder on an isolated island is irresistible now. And finally, I’m looking forward to Deb’s current read, THREE HOURS IN PARIS, by Cara Black. Did you know it’s on Amazon’s Editor’s Pick for Best Books for April? I think it’s going to be a BIG book.




NOTE FROM RHYS: Cara will be our guest on Sunday, sharing her favorite sites in Paris. And I LOVED the book. It's brilliant.




















So, dear friends, what are you reading? Can you read? Is it old comfort reads or fun new books?

89 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I pre-ordered a pile of books: Julia’s and Jenn’s and Cara's, all of which I’m anxious to read. Mostly I’m reading new books although I pulled out my copy of Isaac Asimov’s FOUNDATION trilogy because, well, it’s Isaac Asimov and it’s science fiction and it just seemed like a good idea while I wait for those books . . . .

    I read Emily St. John Mandel’s STATION ELEVEN [which may not have been a great choice, considering what’s happening in the world right now], Emily Bleeker’s WHAT IT SEEMS, and right now I’m reading an advance copy of Marisa de los Santos’s I’D GIVE ANYTHING . . . .

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    1. Keep watch, as you read First Foundation, to see if there are any women in it, other than a line near the end when they say something about getting the women and children to safety. I know Asimov makes up for it in the second and third books, but I've always held a little grudge against him for that first book. Good story. He was simply a man of his time.

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  3. I’ve been rereading the Deadwood books by Ann Charles. Mystery, romance, paranormal, and laugh out loud humor. I had forgotten a lot of details and hints of things to come. When I’m done I have a lot to choose from in my reading pile.

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  4. After not being able to read for over 2 weeks (fatigue and headaches), I started an ARC yesterday which I am loving: AFTER SHE WROTE HIM by Sulari Gentill. It won the 2018 Ned Kelly award for best crime fiction. Here's hoping this means that my reading mojo has returned since I have over 40 ARCs for April/May to read.

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    1. One of the ARCs I am looking forward to reading is Lucy's THE KEY LIME CRIME.

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  5. I am mostly reading Reds. Last weekend I read Deadly Feast, so now I am all caught up and ready to pre-order Lucy's new book. I just finished 2 of Rhys's Royal Spyness books that I have out of the library and the next one, Four Funerals and a Wedding, Maybe is on the way from Barnes and Noble, expected today. I need the real book because my husband is using the computer more, to play bridge on line, (alas, sharing is a learning curve) and he is also reading a library book on my Kindle. Speaking of Kindle, I am also reading the second Hat Shop Mystery, such a fun read. I bought them all for Kindle but am reading them on my little phone until he finishes reading the Michael Connelly library book that I read last week. Then, Julia's new book arrives on Tuesday, right to my Kindle and since I just finished her last book last month, I am SO ready to find out how all her wonderful characters are doing up there is cold and snowy New York State. Remember, that this is my first time through all of these books, and it has been delightful! So thank you to all of you. Once these areal finished, I'll try some more Reds and then I plan to reread Deb's Gemma and Duncan books from the beginning. Trying to see this as a gift of time.
    Oh, also read James Ziskin's latest Ellie Stone book. Boy, she is such a good character.
    Stay safe and well everyone.

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    1. Judy, I’m glad you’re enjoying the Royal Spyness books . Total escape reading at this moment

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  6. Right now I'm in the middle of Bracewell's "The Shadow on the Crown" - nothing like going back to England in the year 1003 to take your mind off things. As our pandemic was becoming big news I had just finished "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks - the plague in the 1660s. And I just read "The Red Notebook" by Antoine Laurain, a light, distracting French novel, and also "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren. I really prefer a physical book, and still have a few at home, but I'll have to keep my Kindle juiced up from now on. I enjoy all your postings! Stay safe and healthy! from Ohio

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    1. Katharine, I've read YEAR OF WONDERS and thought it was wonderful (except for the weird epilogue that seemed to have been tacked on from another novel.) I was considering rereading it again.

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  7. I finished Ann Cleeves's WILD FIRE, the last Shetland book (sniff), and am now into ICE JIG from SW Hubbard. So apparently I'm on a dark suspenseful spree, getting ready for HID FROM OUR EYES, which my indy bookstore will deliver next week! You'd think I'd want to read cozies in these messy scary times, but dark cold suspense has lured me in. Maybe because I'm considering trying to write one myself...

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    1. Interesting Edith. I held off as long as possible on WILD FIRE because I HATED to see that series end.

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    2. You know I hate to admit this, but I have not read them. I started Raven Black a couple of times and got distracted, somehow never got back. But I am now on the very last episode of the TV adaptation, and am wondering if I should go back and read the novels from the beginning. Suggestions?

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    3. Yes. Read them in order. And keep in mind that Ann went there at 19 as a cook, so young. I think you’ll see her now and then.

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    4. Thanks, Ann! I love the TV series and adore Doug Henshall, although I wouldn't have imagined him as Jimmy from the books.

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  8. I'm now at chapter 30 of Rhys's Above the Bay of Angels and love it. It is a page turner.
    I've read Annette Dashofy's Curcle of Influence, first in her séries.
    Waiting now is Woman on Edge of Samantha M.Bailey
    Waiting for April 7th morning when Julia's Hid from our Eyes will appear on my tablet.

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    1. Sorry Annette, it is Circle of Influence ( not curcle) . Looking forward to read the second one.

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    2. Hid From Our Eyes is such a great read, Danielle!

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  9. I’m reading Vick Delaney’s Constable Molly Smith series, which I’m really enjoying. Before that I read Annette Dashofy’s latest, Under the Radar and JD Robb’s Golden in Death and also enjoyed them.

    Yesterday I dug out my old Trixie Belden books. Rereading them may be my next comfort read.

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  10. Is anyone else having trouble reading the blog today? The ends of every line are cut off, in two different browsers.

    Right now I'm reading Stephanie Barron's Jane and the Wandering Eye, the third Jane Austen mystery. It's pretty good. And I started listening to the first book in Ann Cleeves' new series via Audible, which I started while I was cutting grass yesterday (no motor on this reel mower, so it doesn't make noise).

    Recent reads: I reread Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, for book club. (Which was last week, via Zoom. I was so disappointed to miss the biscuits we would have had, but it was still fun.)

    Two really good books I read this past week, new ones, that I can highly recommend, both brand-new:

    Jane Riley's The Unlikely Resolutions of Oliver Clock. This book reminded of Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, except that the male protagonist is less on the spectrum, and more obsessive compulsive. It's a charming read.

    In an Instant, by Suzanne Redfearn. The story is gripping, taking place in the aftermath of a deadly accident in which a number of people, two families plus a couple other individuals, are stranded in a blizzard in an upside down van. There are explosive family dynamics, and such well-drawn characters and situations that I couldn't put it down.

    My husband is reading more than he ever has, too, and he picked up an ancient copy of The Magus by John Fowles from our own shelves. I read it at least 30 years ago, but he's enjoying it so much I may have to claim it next. I'm also going to set him up with at least one e-reading account, since he's finally interested in having one.

    Has anyone read the Murdoch Mystery books? We're both enjoying the series so much that I am interested in the books they came from. Such a witty series.

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    1. Yes, I meant to mention the cut off lines!

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    2. Karen, I was hoping it wasn't just me! Yes, it somehow seems that the function that wraps the text isn't working right. For example, I missed who exactly Rhys wanted to smother with a pillow. (Except picked it up from context in Lucy's reply.

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    3. Karen, they fixed the formatting on the blog now and you can read all the missing text.

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    4. I think I fixed it, sorry for the technical difficulties!

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    5. Lucy, thank you for fixing. It was fine last time I did this

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  12. I have been reading far less than I imagined I would. But I am nearly finished with Thomas Merton's Seven Storey Mountain, which I had decided to read as my Lenten discipline this year I liked parts of it but found too much of it overrun with the zeal of the newly converted. I have been reading Delia Owens'Where The Crawdads Sing and am about to begin The Only Woman in the Room by Heather Terrell for my April book club, which I am hosting over Zoom. Now that the stay-at-home order has been extended a month, I hope to break out of my reading funk and make some real progress on the stack of books on my end table and the backlog on my Kindle. Hope springs eternal!

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    1. Sorry about the punctuation issues. The Preview function in Blogger stopped working for me completely and I find it much harder to catch those typos without it.

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    2. Blogger has been funky in all kinds of ways lately!

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  13. Lucy, thanks for the reminder to call and pre-order Julia's latest.

    I've got three books going on right now. For when I'm taking a bubble bath, it's the second in Bruce Catton's Civil War triology, TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD. For right before bed, it's Clive Cussler's TREASURE (yes, all the Dirk Pitt books are the same plot-wise and a bit silly, but I know exactly what I'm going to get and I'll have fun). And for decompressing after work it's TURN TO STONE, by James Ziskin.

    I think when I finish the Cussler I'll be on to my yearly re-reading of Harry Potter. And Julia's 4th is after Ziskin. The Catton, well, it's gonna take some time. :)

    And Julia yes, every moment is uncertain - it's just more so now. But I think the daily percentage of new cases in Allegheny County is dropping so...maybe it's starting to work? The Boy's high school has canceled prom (scheduled for May 8), but the Baccalaureate Mass (3/19) and commencement (3/24) are still on.

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    1. Liz, I hope the Boy gets his graduation with all due Pomp and Circumstances. I feel so heartbroken for the high school and college seniors, missing so many anticipated moments.

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    2. I know. Fingers crossed (and toes, and whatnot). My alma mater canceled commencement activities, usually held Mother's Day weekend. The president posted a video message to say he was committed to bringing back the Class of 2020 to give them some kind of ceremony. "Your senior year should be memorable, and yours is memorable for all the wrong reasons."

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  14. Last night @ 3 AM I finished Hid from Our Eyes. (neener neener I read it fiir--est). I give this 17 ka jillion stars. Rereading Scalzi's Old man's war series, Jasper Ffords Shades of Grey, 2 paranormal mysteries, Darynda Jones grave series, Harper Lin's Wonder Cat Mysteries, Next up Ellen Byron's Fatal Cajun Festival followed by Golden' in Death. Gephrardy's What's Bred in the Bone, which I found under my bed, Impatiently waiting for The First to Lie by you know who.

    Highly recommend movie: Samsara from 2011. One of the best in 2011 and for me best in last 20 years. Absolutely right for right now
    Television Being soothed by Once Upon a Time Season 7

    You said reading? yes but watching is back in my life too.

    Palms together and bowing to all















    Rys dare I recommend a movie?

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    1. Sorry about the typos. It was 4 AM when I got to sleep.

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    2. Of course you can Any good recommendations at this time are welcome

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    3. Yay, Coralee! I hope you enjoy Jan Gephardt's What's Bred in the Bone!

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    4. Yay, Coralee, glad you loved Hid From Our Eyes...it's an amazing book and I loved it!

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  15. ”I realized the next week, day, hour has always been uncertain - it’s just when things are trundling on as normal we can forget that inconvenient fact”

    This was the most inspirational thought I have seen all week! I had taken normal for granted. Realizing today is really uncertain like every other day was is oddly comforting to me. Thx!

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  16. Well Victor and I have been in lockdown for 6 weeks now, so it is doable with great help from friends. Of course I have a pile of projects which look no more appealing than they did pre-lockdown. My get up and go, needs a boost. So yes, I'm reading. On my iPhone is Peter Grainger's DC Smith series. I that that is many thanks to Debs for drawing my attention here. They are quiet, organized stories which I need right now. I'm also reading Nancy Martin's, No Way to Kill a Lady. Just delicious. Full of clothes, food, good looking Philly blue bloods, with a touch of the mob rounded out with gothic. Bless you and thanks, Julia. I also have Hid from our Eyes, sitting in my living room. So, yes I'm quite happy and content. I find my cooking is taking major space in my life. I'm guessing it's the one thing I can control. Baking is taking place. Coconut cookies yesterday and my shortbread is made, has had its night in the fridge and will be baked this morning.

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    1. Celia, glad you are enjoying DC Smith. They are thoughtful books.

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  17. Comfort read next in line: "Make Way for Lucia," omnibus edition of E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia books.

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  18. Hey, everybody, over at the Wicked Authors, we (and bunches of commenters) are giving Julia and HID FROM OUR EYES some canceled-book-tour love today. We'd love for you to join us! Plus she offered a giveaway of two signed hardcovers... https://wickedauthors.com/2020/04/03/hid-from-our-eyes-release/

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  19. Waiting for HID FROM OUR EYES with happy expectation. Loved ABOVE THE BAY OF ANGELS. I am rereading a lot. It's comforting. I have all of the Reds on my Kindle plus I have all of Margaret Maron in paperback so I was thinking about starting from the beginning. I love those characters! I have been watching some old series of Lord Peter Wimsey on Acorn TV, dated but so elegant.
    As a friend said yesterday at a Zoom lunch, there are only three days of the week now: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
    Stay safe everyone and know how much we appreciate and re-appreciate your writings.

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    1. Atlanta, I'm stealing that line, because it is the PERFECT encapsulation of our time!

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  20. Light reading for me--I've been working my way through all of Ann B. Ross's Miss Julia books, thanks to my kindle. Also have Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax, Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael, Agatha Christie, Harry Potter, and David Eddings' Belgarion, among other old favorites waiting on my shelves/kindle. I am highly anticipating Hid From Our Eyes next week. No fair, Coralee, taunting those of us chewing our nails while we wait!! ;-)

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    1. Oh, Flora, the Mrs. Pollifax books - what a great idea!

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  21. I was combing the bookshelves for old cookbooks (1001 pasta sauces from grad school days) and found PD James's Time to Be in Earnest, a memoir/diary she wrote in her seventies.

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    1. I remember that I enjoyed that, Margaret, although it's been years since I read it.

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  22. I stepped out of my comfort zone and read AMERICAN TROPIC by Thomas Sanchez because it's set in Key West. I made it to the end but it was definitely a strange red; combo eco-thriller and zombie-ish storyline. I got my hold of THE KING'S JUSTICE by Susan Elia MacNeal and started that yesterday. Next up is the box set of Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series from S.W. Hubbard which we were so kindly offered when Susan visited JRWs a few days ago.

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    1. Oh, Emily, you're going to love the Frank Bennett series, and talk about the perfect setting for these days - Frank's tiny town has something like 200 people in it, with nothing but Adirondack wilderness stretching all around!

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  23. So sorry about the formatting today. The other day I had no problems but today it went wonky again some kind Red fixed it. Thank you

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  24. My current read is Deanna Raybourne's latest Veronica Speedwell book, A MURDEROUS RELATION. Before that it was Lois McMaster Bujold's PENRIC'S PROGRESS, Rhys' ABOVE THE BAY OF ANGELS, and Annette Dashofy's second Zoe Chambers mystery, LOST LEGACY. I have #3 and #4 on order there. Julia's HID FROM OUR EYES is on pre-order, and should get here next week. Jenn's next cupcake book is on pre-order, too.

    But I think I may take a page from you ladies and revisit some of my favorite children's books and rom-coms. Diana Wynne Jones' THE PINHOE EGG, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips' HEROES ARE MY WEAKNESS spring to mind.

    And, Julia, can you recommend an entry point for reading John Scalzi?

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    1. Gigi, thanks for the heads-up about the new Veronica Speedwell! I was just thinking yesterday how much I enjoyed those books. So happy to know there's a new one.

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    2. So far, it's a lot of fun, Karen.

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  25. Like so many others, reading is difficult for me. I have a scheduled reading time, daily from 8-11 pm. In bed. Alone. I can't read when I'm distracted, even by the birds outside my window. It is a sacred time.

    I had to put down the new Hilary Mantel, one of my favorite writers in the whole world. THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT are just too complicated -- too heavy -- for me right now.

    I stumbled across a writer who shall not be named. He had his whole seven book series up on Bookbub for seven bucks, about a detective and his K-9 partner. The stories are fair. The writing is awful. The editing is non-existent. The characters are undeveloped. The formula never varies, nor do the tropes. The endings are predictable. There is not one twist nor unexpected variable. I have not engaged one brain cell nor come across one sentence I wish I'd written nor one word I have to look up.

    I am devouring them.

    Go figure

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    1. I think, in times of high stress and chaos, simple, predictable, light, funny, and easy stuff is what works best. We can feel good, and in control of something if the characters are fun to be with and the plot is predictable. If we're reading for escape, then something scary, unpredictable, and tense isn't going to do the trick. We have plenty of scary, unpredictable, and tense in real life. We don't need more of that.

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    2. Ann, this cracked me up. Now I have to see if I can find them!

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  26. I have run through my library books, but I've been lucky enough to be able to get several ebooks immediately from the library-=-books I've had on my list to read when I had the time. They include Abbi Waxman's The Garden of Small Beginnings, Tina Turner's My Love Story, and A Highlander Walks into a Bar by Laura Trentham. That last one (a contemporary romance) is not my usual fare, but I picked it up after Lesa Holstine's review and ended up getting the next in the series as well--A Highlander in a Pickup. I also recently read Murder in the Balcony by Margaret Dumas. Margaret is a fellow NorCal Sister in Crime, and I got that book in a book exchange at one of our previous meetings. Loved it! Now I have the first in her series, Murder in the Balcony, on hold. Other ebooks on hold at the library include The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell, The K Team by David Rosenfelt, The Operator by Gretchen Berg, and Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. I hope they don't all come in at the same time. If they're on Kindle, they can only be borrowed for 1 week. Cloud Library allows 3 weeks. But who's complaining? Oh, and I'm almost finished reading Molton Mud Murder by Sara E. Johnson, which I've had for a while in soft cover--excellent.

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    1. Margie, I use two digital platforms, Overdrive and Hoopla, and one of them (sorry, can't remember which one) has recently added a feature that if your requested item comes available you have the option to defer it without losing your place in the Hold line. I love it!

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  27. I'm reading as much as normal. My job has been extra stressful with overtime due to trying to account for everything going on in the news, so I don't have extra reading time. I'm going on with my normal reading schedule - except I can't decide what to read next. I have a few open slots in my reading schedule and so many books I've bought shouting my name, I'm indecisive. But I'll figure it out, I'm sure.

    Right now, I'm half way through TYRANNOSAURUS WRECKS, a middle grade mystery from Stuart Gibbs. It's delightful, as his books always are.

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    1. You know, Mark, I've been eyeing some of the massive collection of YA fiction my kids still have in the house, and thinking I'd like to dive into some of them. Especially, in my case, the fantasy novels, which haven't always been my first (or second) choice.

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  28. It is so comforting to see that so many other really bookish people are having trouble concentrating. Me too. Does this help? Yes, and thank you, Reds! I had a bunch of library books, and a bunch of bought books, come in all at once just before this started, and I thought "Oh, good. I'll gallop through all of them" Not exactly.I am really trying not to re-read comforting favorites though.So. A new book I found very absorbing ( thank goodness) and entertaining - Pretty As a Picture by Elilzabeth Little. Suspicious activity on a remote movie set -sounds a little cliche- but the narrator/heroine is unusual,struggling and funny, the other characters are a hoot, and I enjoyed it a lot. Also liked the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - a different world, and compelling. I've just started Terri Shames Risky Undertaking for Loretta Singletary-her books are always a straight-out pleasure. Waiting are books by Sarah Shaber, Susan Elia MacNeal, Rhys new book, and several mainstream novels and some non-fiction. Am I going to finally read Hamilton? Or 500+ pages on the Salem witches? Maybe not. :-) I think I'll go bake now. Wishing you all a good (as good as possible) day at home. PS We are watching Briarpatch, based on a book by Ross Thomas, one of the really great mystery writers of an earlier generation. Well done, but rather dark story for this moment, I must say, and doesn't have much of the very sly humor his books had.

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    1. Triss, I think one thing we're all yearning for in our reading is 1) lightness 2) escape to another time or place 3) Familiarity.

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  29. Wonderful post! I still have some books from the library. The book drop is closed! I could not stay focused on reading for about a week.

    Regarding reading, I finally got back my reading mojo after reading a children's novel by Matt Haig. And I finally finished the Nancy Drew book.

    THE GIRL WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS by Matt Haig

    THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE by Carolyn Keene

    In my birthday month, I received an Advanced copy of FAST GIRLS by Elise Hooper. I misplaced it and I found it when I returned from the San Diego conference. It is a historical fiction based on three real women who competed in the 1936 Olympics. I received a lovely note from a relative of one of the women Olympians. This is on my top 10 books of 2020 so far.

    Currently Reading:

    THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT by Clare Pooley

    Penelope Lively novels

    JANE EYRE by Emily Bronte (on and off)

    IN THE MIDST OF WINTER by Isabel Allende (on and off(
    Library Books:

    THE GIRL IN WHITE GLOVES by Kerri Maher (historical fiction about Princess Grace)

    THE ART OF MAKING MEMORIES by Meik Wiking

    Now I have a loong list of books that I ordered from the local independent bookstores!

    THE ART OF VANISHING (Lila Maclean #2) by Cynthia Kuhn - now I have all of the books in the series!

    SHADOW OF DOUBT (Carol Childs #1) by Nancy Cole Silverman

    MURDER IN THE SECRET MAZE by Judith Gonda

    BLANCHE ON THE LAM by Barbara Neely (for my Mom)

    SOMETHING ROTTEN by Jasper Fforde (for my Mom)

    THE NEWSPAPER CLUB by Beth Vrabel

    STYLING THE STARS by Angela Cartwright (child actress from Sound of Music) and Tom McLaren

    TELEPHONE LINE (Country Club #9) by Julie Mulhern

    PRE-ORDERS

    THE LAST MRS. SUMMERS by Rhys Bowen

    THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, WE WILL BE LAUGHING by Jacqueline Winspear

    NOTHING BUNDT TROUBLE by Ellie Alexander

    THE TALENTED MR. VARIG by Alexander McCall Smith

    HIDDEN FROM EYES (?) by Julia Spencer Fleming

    KEY LIME CRIME by Lucy Burdette

    PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA by Jenn McKinlay

    And I will probably order more books in a couple of weeks!

    Diana

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the pre order Diana. I hope to see you at an August signing at Book Passage. Who knows?

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    2. Rhys, thanks! I loved that news yesterday about the mountain goats in Wales. It reminded me of a book cover from your Evans series. Hope to see you at Book Passage in August! Who knows? I saw that you are on the faculty for the writing workshop at Book Passage. I am going to send you a DM vis Instagram.

      Diana

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  30. Diana, someone else was talking about FAST GIRLS - was it here? I wish I could remember. Anyway, it sounds fascinating, and it reminds me of THE BOYS IN THE BOAT, which of course was nonfiction, but such a great exploration of that particular time through the lens of young Olympians.

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    Replies
    1. Julia, yes, I was talking about FAST GIRLS here the other day. At this time, I am really interested in reading more about women in history. There has been so many books about men. And it occurred to me that it is about time women had their turn, right?

      Diana

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  31. The last couple of days I've had a real treat. I pulled out the paperback ARC (!!!) of Julia's first book, In the Bleak Midwinter, thinking I would lend to my daughter to get her started on the series. But of course I had to reread the first page, and I'm now halfway through it. I am so enjoying getting back with Russ and Clare at the beginning, and am anticipating Hid From Our Eyes next week even more!

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    Replies
    1. Deborah, lucky you! I was fortunate to win an advanced copy of FAST GIRLS. I was surprised that publishers did not ask me to review their advanced copies since I have more than 1K followers on Instagram. Oh well...

      Diana

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  32. Julia, your new book should drop on my Kindle in the next few days. But I promise to give it the attention it deserves, which means I may put off reading until after my brain clears. Xox.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have my official permission to save it for whenever the time is right, Finta!

      Delete
  33. A book reviewer friend just sent me a box full of books! I am so thrilled!!! I have a book due at the end of the month but i plan to immerse myself in some genre reading in my spare time.

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  34. The two books I've recently finished were Catherine Maiorisi's A Matter of Blood and the graphic novel Near Death, Vol. 2 by Jay Faerber.

    I'm digging into an advance copy of the Ragnar Jonasson book The Mist next.

    I'm hoping to order a copy of the new C.J. Box book Long Range since I don't know when the damn libraries will open again but that will have to wait until the credit card payment goes through. Oh and there's the graphic novel Over My Dead Body by Jay Faerber that I'm hoping to get to soon.

    I will admit that it has been a bit harder to focus on reading as of late, despite all this free time. That's probably why I'm a bit behind on my advance copy reading. It's not depression over the continual bad news but rather worry over finances that's been holding me back I think.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Rhys, I hope it’s normal to want to put a pillow over the husband’s head because I’d like to believe I’m normal. Hahaha!

    I just finished Julia’s Hid From Our Eyes, and I am over the moon in love with it. Julia, you brilliantly handled the different timelines. My review for this amazing book will be up this afternoon or tomorrow. I’m fine tuning it after I finish here.

    So, what do you read after you’ve finished such an outstanding book as Julia’s. I have some choosing time before reading my next ARC, so I gathered a dozen books onto my bed last night to pick one. Since most of my reading is mystery/crime, the chances are it would be one of those. However, I am a big fan of Ann Patchett (Bel Canto and State of Wonder are two of my favorite books), and I hadn’t read The Dutch House yet, from last year. I hesitated before opening it, as the subject matter isn’t exactly cheerful humor or cheerful murder (haha), but I decided to just read a few pages. Well, Patchett’s writing didn’t let me stop at a few pages, so I guess I’m now reading The Dutch House.

    I’ll list other books that are on my reading list for the near future, too. They include, but are not restricted to, The First to Lie by Hank, The Key Lime Crime by Lucy (going to see about this one on an e-ARC), Death of a Mermaid by Lesley Thomson, The Sea of Lost Girls by Carol Goodman, Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, Watching from the Dark by Gytha Lodge, The Chill by Scott Carson, The Bodies in the Library by Mary Wingate, Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier, If She Wakes by Michael Koryta, The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James, Rules for Being Dead by Kim Powers, Murder at the Taffy Shop by Maddie Day (Hi, Edith), Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards, The Split by Sharon Bolton, The Guest List by Lucy Folley, and Jack by Connie Willis. That takes me about up to June with new books and some older mixed in. I won’t get them all read, but I have a great lot from which to choose.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Am bouncing between Where the Crawdads Sing, and A Merciful Truth (Mercy Kilpatrick #2) and the ebook re-issue of Child of Silence by Abigail Padgett. Waiting impatiently for my pre-ordered copy of Hid from Our Eyes. I just bookmarked this thread, there are so many suggestions here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy,

      You may like WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. A girl gets to be the hero in this story! Quite a change from the usual where the boy gets to have adventures in books.

      Diana

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  37. Series you may have missed. Ellie Dean's Cliffhaven books(18 of them), starting at the beginning of WW2 for a seaside boarding house family and all the people that come in and out of their lives. First one is $1.99!! Anna Jacobs Ellindale saga, 3 books, about the fictional life of small town in 1930's England. She has also started Birch End series as an off shoot. Beth Byers Violet Carlyle series 20 and counting. A quick read and fun set in 1920's. She also has Poison Ink series, set in 1930's. In the same decade, Susan Wittig Albert Darling Dahlias, set in Alabama in the 1930's, where bread was 5 cents a loaf and you could get a great lunch at the local diner for $1.50!! Great way to see how people " made do." All of these are easy reading, engaging and great escape !!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I haven't read many mysteries since this all started. Instead I have immersed myself in British Women's fiction. Starting w Katie Fforde, who I always enjoy and diving into Tricia Ashley, a new writer to me. Villages, food, great scenery and some kind of romantic interest. Just what I need to fight the blues. I work in healthcare, not clinically, and it is not much fun right now. Hard to see people nervous and scared so comforting, humorous books help. Stay safe, folks.

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  39. Jane Casey’s newest Maeve Kerrigan police procedural, The Cutting Place, just landed in my Kindle app, but I’m waiting to read it when I feel less scattered. I have completed all of Jenn’s Hat Shop mysteries and loved them! They took my mind off this quarantine. Loved the humor and the puns! I’m listening to Ann Mah’s The Lost Vintage on my neighborhood walks. I’m using this time to clean out my son’s former bedroom now that he is married and converting it into a guest bedroom. I’m also using it as a space for myself to retreat to now that my extroverted husband is working from home.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Rereading All Mortal Flesh, almost finished. And then I'll continue with the series until my new book arrives. Maybe I'll pull out Jan Karon for my vacation. I'm supposed to begin my Easter vacation on Thursday. Not sure if I am taking it or not, will just need to see what happens next week. If weather permits - "throw the window open. Take a breath of fresh Spring air and dance around the room...."

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  41. I've been reading the Beatrix Potter mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert. They're charming stories about Potter's life in the Lake District. A few of the characters, such as Potter and the solicitor she eventually marries, were real, and the rest, including many animals (to whose point of view we are treated) are imaginary inhabitants of the two villages of Near and Far Sawrey, the nearby town of Hawkshead, and the farms thereabouts. I find them to be great comfort reads.

    ReplyDelete
  42. This may be my first comment to this blog, so I'll start with a thank you for my absolute favorite blog about writing and books! This blog has been a source of comfort in the past few weeks. I am so glad to hear I am not alone in being distracted and unfocused in these strange times. I am desperately trying to finish my first book and struggling to focus enough to make progress. Instead I have been writing my "Coronavirus Diaries." I am currently reading All the Ways We Said Goodbye. It is very good but maybe a bit too serious for the moment. I may have to re-read it after all this is over when I can focus on it more. Stay safe everyone!

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  43. I'm reading Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie, just finished Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen. I love both of these series!

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