Tuesday, August 3, 2021

What Are You Reading?

 LUCY BURDETTE: Can you believe we’re into August already? It’s been a very busy summer with lots of family visiting and new worries about the virus and what it will mean for our futures. The one thing that stays steady and calming is books of course! Here are a few I’d recommend...



Katherine Center is a reliable must-read for me and last night I finished WHAT YOU WISH FOR. She has a way of describing the most endearing characters and communities--this time it’s a school librarian in an elementary school on Galveston Island in Texas. Can you be charming and light even while tackling heavy issues? This writer definitely can.


Many of you know our JRW pal Sarah Stewart Taylor. I loved her Sweeney St. George series, back in the early 2000's. After a break from mystery, she is back with a wonderful new series taking place in both Dublin and Long Island, and featuring detective Maggie D'arcy. The Mountains Wild follows two timelines, two countries, and two cousins as Maggie tries desperately to solve the cold case of her beloved cousin Erin's disappearance 20 years earlier. Highly recommended.



And finally, one of the events with John’s family last week was a lunch I arranged for the sister-in-laws where Jacques Pepin was the speaker. He’s so lovely and full of funny stories--especially about Julia Child. Of course I bought his beautiful new cookbook, QUICK AND SIMPLE. 



JENN McKINLAY: I just picked up that Katherine Center book! Very excited to read it. I’ve been on an awesome book bender, where I haven’t had a clunker yet. Here are the highlights: 

Circe by Madeline Miller - brilliant! Especially if you love tales of Greek gods. Unlike anything I’ve ever read and I couldn’t put it down.


The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - also fabulous. An opportunity to see the paths not taken in life and to confront regret. I loved it.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson - what a trip! I’ve been listening on audio and I may have to give up writing because he’s just soooo good — I feel like a fraud. 

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes - lovely. I had to take a second run at this one as I wasn’t in the right headspace the first time. I’m so glad I did. 

So far it’s been a summer of great reading! 


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, I read The Midnight LIbrary, too, Jenn. Loved it--and it really does make you rethink regrets. 



Do you all remember the fabulous Sarah Strohmeyer, who wrote the Bobbles series, and The CInderella Pact? She’s written a thriller, DO I KNOW YOU? About a woman who is a super-recognizer. It’s amazing,really riveting, and I am urging you all to look for it. We’ll have her here, too, of course.

And E.V. Adamson’s FIVE STRANGERS.  The name is a pen name for my fave, ANdrew Wilson, and this book is a terrific Rashoman-y thriller. But everyone sees exactly the SAME thing!  So good.

And please please please do not miss Wanda Morris’s EVERY LAST SECRET.  Go, right now, and look for it. A debut thriller, very powerful, wry and bitter and fearless. Sort of John Grisham meets The Other Black Girl.

 And Amada Jayatissa’s MY SWEET GIRL.  I say--whoa. Incredible. She’s one of the first Sri Lankan women to get an international book deal, and as my blurb says: “Ridiculously good. Crazy good. Scary good.” 

 


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Jenn, Matt Haig is always a good read. Last time we talked books, I was reading some excellent science fiction; now I'm in a bit of a literary fiction (just plain novel?) mood. I have two books about finding meaning in the second (or third) act of life - HER TURN by Katherine Ashenburg and MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM by Anne Youngson. The former features an anonymous advice columnist who receives a letter from her ex-husband's newer, younger wife... and she answers back. Just came out today. The latter book also features letter writing between a widowed Danish professor and a lonely English farm woman. 

 

And of course, I can't NOT have a thriller on the pile: NOT A HAPPY FAMILY by Shari Lapena. It's the Mendez Brothers meets KNIVES OUT - how could I resist? I love stories of rich people behaving badly. 

 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Lucy, I am so envious of your seeing Jacques Pepin!! What a treat that must have been. And we've both been reading Sarah Stewart Taylor, but for me it was the second Maggie D'Arcy, book, A DISTANT GRAVE, and it was wonderful, too. Then the new Charles Todd, AN IRISH HOSTAGE. It is so good. If you've loved the Bess Crawford books so far, this is a MUST!

 

On the non-fiction side, a friend recommended Barbara Kingsolver's ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE, which is about the year she and her family committed to eating only what they could grow on their farm or buy locally. So eye-opening and fascinating.


And last but certainly not least, I've just finished Glen Erik Hamilton's new Van Shaw novel, ISLAND OF THIEVES, and it is an absolutely un-put-down-able roller coaster of a book. I highly recommend, AND I'll be chatting with Glen at the Poisoned Pen today, so do join us on the Pen's FB here, 6 p.m. PST.


Reds, fill us in, what are you reading these days?


107 comments:

  1. Oh, so many new books to add to my list!

    My recently-read books include Carol Goodman’s “The Stranger Behind You,” Lisa Jewell’s “Invisible Girl,” and Alexandrea Weis’s “Have You Seen Me?”

    I just finished Laurie Zaleski’s “Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals” and Giles Sparrow’s “Hubble: Window on the Universe” . . . now I am reading A. R. Torre’s “The Good Lie” . . . .

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    1. Oh I would like to read about the 600 rescue animals!

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    2. Joan,

      The book about 600 Rescue Animals sound interesting!

      Diana

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    3. "Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals" by Laurie Zaleski
      256 pages . . . the expected publication date was listed as February 22nd 2022 by St. Martin's Press, but Sara Beth Haring from St. Martin's said it goes on sale on September 7th . . . . It's available to read now on NetGalley.

      The Funny Farm is located in the Pinelands of Southern New Jersey . . . the book tells about the animal rescues and also recounts Laurie's growing up years, telling how her mother, Annie McNulty, influenced her.

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  2. While I enjoyed Sarah Stewart Taylor's The Mountains Wild, I found A Distant Grave to be so much better. Both a worth reading, don't misunderstand. I just feel like the second was better.

    Me? I'm half way through my August reading already. Can you believe it? I usually try to stay a week ahead of review dates, so this is running ahead even for me. I'm not sure I like being this far ahead since, by the time my review is up, I've read four or five other books I'm anxious to be talking about.

    Anyway, I've got reviews of books by Jenn and Lucy coming soon (One for the Books and A Scone of Contention.) Both are fun reads. Really enjoyed Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron. Right now, I'm working on Diet of Death by Ang Pompano and enjoying it. Should be getting to The Fog Ladies by Susan McCormick and Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews next week.

    (Speaking of Macbeth, yesterday, Donna Andrews's new book revolves around a production of the play.

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    1. Oh now I can really look forward to Sarah's second, Mark!

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    2. Mark.

      How lucky I was to read advanced digital copies of CAJUN KISS OF DEATH and SCONE OF CONTENTION.

      Many good books here!

      Diana

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    3. I loved The Fog Ladies, Mark!

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  3. I'm currently reading Body Over Troubled Waters by Denise Swanson. Recently I read 12 Bodies and A Wedding by Stephanie Bond, A Few Drops of Bitters by G.A. McKevett, and A Time to Swill by Sherry Harris.

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  4. Great suggestions! I loved Mountains Wild and have Distant Grave on my TBR list. I'm eager to read Catriona McPherson's new Gingerbread House - out today. I also have The Ocean in Winter by Elizabeth deVeer waiting for me. She's a local debut author with a women's fiction/suspense novel about three sisters that's getting great reviews.

    Plus Lucy and Jenn's new ones coming up, and Sherry Harris and Cate Conte's newest books. So many books, so little time...

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    1. I know, sigh...the list gets longer. I will go look at The Ocean in Winter.

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    2. Edith,

      Loved your Quaker Midwife series. I look forward to reading A GINGERBREAD HOUSE.

      Diana

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    3. Edith, I just read and reviewed Catriona's A Gingerbread House, and it's another gobsmacking read in her stand-alone books.

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  5. I just finished Paige Shelton's THE STOLEN LETTER. (And I'll be reading the next book in her Scottish Bookshop series entitled DEADLY EDITIONS soon.)

    I'm nearly done with the first book in the new Holly Danvers Lakeside Library mystery series. It's called MURDER AT THE LAKESIDE LIBRARY.

    I've got an advance copy of the new Mitch Rapp thriller by Kyle Mills called ENEMY AT THE GATES, the new Sherry Harris mystery A TIME TO SWILL, the Traci Hall & Patrice Wilton mystery DEATH IN SANDPIPER BAY (which I got a free copy from the authors (SIGNED) all because I emailed them a question which I thought was pretty nice of them.

    Oh and thanks to a post on Kristopher Zgorski's FB page, I am checking out a book by Mo Hayder called BIRDMAN.

    After that will be the James Swallow thrillers EXILE and GHOST.

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    1. Oh boy, you're busy Jay. I need to start the Scottish Bookshop series...

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    2. Jay,

      The Scottish Bookshop series is on my TBR list.

      Diana

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  6. Lucky me I'm reading an advance copy of Lucy's A SCONE OF CONTENTION and immersed in Scotland. And an (as yet) unpublished thriller by an up and coming writer, Sharon Ward, which is taking me on an underwater adventure. I'm reading everyone else's lists and taking notes.

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    1. thanks Hallie! I'm looking forward to Sharon's book too.

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    2. Hallie and Lucy,

      Me too! I was lucky to get an advanced copy of SCONE OF CONTENTION and I loved it so much that I preordered the book.

      Diana

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    3. SCONE is so good! It was a pleasure to read and to review. <3

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  7. Hank, I'm really looking forward to Sarah Strohmeyer's next book. She is a reliably good storyteller.

    I'm late to the Gigi Pandian party, and have finally gotten around to reading her first, Accidental Alchemist. The audio narration is great. As was the narration for Kevin Wilson's amazing Nothing to See Here! So original. Another surprising read I finished not long ago is Miss Benson's Beetle, by Rachel Joyce. Hilarious, touching, and in an unusual setting.

    Abbi Waxman's The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is charming, and The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland is so funny, about a family that has forgotten how to communicate.

    Now I'm reading The Gifted School, by Bruce Holsinger, that reminds me of Liane Moriarty's books: suburban family struggles.

    Our book club is reading Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro, so I'll be starting that in a few days. It sounds really interesting. And it seems I've taken a short break from crime fiction, except for the Pandian book.

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    1. I love the Alchemist series, Karen!

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    2. Thanks to you and others, Edith, I have a stack of cozy mysteries to read, too! But because of traveling and working outside so much, I've been sticking to e-books and audiobooks most of the summer. The physical books in my TBR mountain will have to wait for more indoor times.

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    3. Karen in Ohio,

      THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL is one of my favorite books.

      Diana

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  8. About to start Michael Lewis, PREMONITION, a pandemic story.
    Reading Lou Berney, THE LONG AND FARAWAY GONE and Connie Berry's THE ART OF BETRAYAL

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    1. I read all three Connie Berry books earlier in the summer and really enjoyed them.

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    2. Margaret,

      I am still reading PREMONITION.

      Diana

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    3. Margaret, The Long and Faraway Gone will knock your socks off! What an amazing book!

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  9. Top of the TBR:
    RABBIT HOLE, by Mark Billingham
    THE COLDEST CASE, Martin Walker (Inspector Bruno)
    THESE TOXIC THINGS, Rachel Howzell Hall

    In progress is Sharon Bolton's THE PACT, which is reminiscent of THE SECRET HISTORY.

    And best books of July:
    ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS PREFECTLY FINE. Don't miss this. Just ask Debs.
    A GINGERBREAD HOUSE, Catriona McPherson
    RED SNOW and THE LAST THING TO BURN, Will Dean
    RAZORBLADE TEARS, Shawn Cosby

    And so many others! I think there is nothing I love more than spend a few hours deep in a good book. Unless it is the Olympics!

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    1. Ann,

      wonderful suggestions!

      Diana

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    2. Ann, I think we have similar reading tastes. I've already mentioned how spectacular I thought Catriona's A Gingerbread House is. I've got Razorblade Tears in my TBR short pile. Will Dean's The Last Thing to Burn is one of my absolute favorites this year, and now I'm going to read his other books, too. Sharon Bolton has been a favorite author for years, and I have The Pact waiting for me, hoping to get to it very soon. I usually read hers right away. And, I definitely plan to read Rachel Howzell Hall's These Toxic Things.

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  10. Wonderful suggestions - there goes the TBR! I'm reading Kate Flora's The Angel of Knowlton Park. It's wonderful, and heartbreaking at the same time. Killing in a Koi Pond by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran is up next. I was fortunate to win a hard cover of the book, nicely autographed.

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    1. Kait,

      Wonderful suggestions! I have been meaning to read the Koi Pond book.

      Diana

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    2. I'm looking forward to it. I've read some of Terrie's other books, they have all be excellent. I'll be curious to know what you think.

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  11. I just finished book 2 of Connie Berry's Kate Hamilton series. Reading them out of order was no problem. They are good stand alones. Continuing my British theme July was devoted to Elly Griffith's Rose Galloway series, books 1 - 8. I am glad I listened to y'all .. I want to move to Norfolk. The only recently released title is The Scorpion by Christian Cantrell. It is a high tech thriller set in the near future. It was mind bending. August begins reading the seasonal books for reviewing. Halloween and Christmas come early to Nome St.

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    1. Coralee,

      So many people mentioned Connie Berry. I think I read one of her books. I am going to see if the library has ebook copies for me to borrow.

      Diana

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    2. I am so thrilled that you love the Ruth Galloway books, Coralee!

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  12. In July I continued to plow through Janet Evanovich's Kate O'Hare and Nick Fox series and am all caught up. For an unlikely duo with crazy, Mission Impossible type assignments, they are the best! I read Connie Berry's A Dream Of Death and loved it and the book I am beginning this morning her A Legacy of Murder. I also read Sarah Stewart Taylor's A Distant Grave and it is fabulous, but read The Mountains Wild first! It totally sets the stage for the next book.

    Late to mysteries, I am catching up with Kate Carlisle's two series and, while both are very good, I easily prefer the kooky characters and improbable but hilarious backstop Brooklyn Wainwright brings to her sleuthing. Her significant other, a hunky former British SAS is swoonworthy.

    I read The Secret Stealers by Jane Healy which is a terrific, heartpounding story of female OSS and SOE agents trained and sent behind enemy lines as wireless operators. Healy captures the constant danger and fear of their lives.

    I also read Ellen Bryon's Mardi Gras Murder, I thought I'd skipped it somehow, and I read One Taste Too Many by Debra Goldstein.

    I have listened to several books on Audible including a couple Agatha Raisin, Jenn McKinlay's Happily Ever After romances (so much fun) and Deb's A Finer End, such a great story and so well read. I am also listening to some romances by Louise Bay that are totally pornographic. The man who reads her books set in Britain has an amazing voice. (Blushing.) Right now I am listening to Michael Connelly's Black Ice. Such a good reader.

    Next week Roberta and Jenn's new books will arrive and I will probably read them before I read the others on my TBR pile. August is going to be really busy with books.

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    1. Brooklyn Wainwright's backstory. (Darn autocorrect!)

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    2. Judy, so many good books.

      I loved Kate Carlisle's THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK which takes Brooklyn and Derek to Scotland. And I look forward to Lucy Burdette's SCONE OF CONTENTION next week. Ellen Byron's CAJUN KISS OF DEATH also launches next week.

      Love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanvich. I have been meaning to read THE SECRET STEALERS.

      Diana

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    3. Diana, if you love Stephanie Plum, the series Janet Evanovich co-authors is just delightful. As improbable as the Plum books, the characters are over the top and the situations will have you chuckling constantly. Jake O'Hare, a former Special Forces member and Kate's dad, is a terrific character.

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  13. Roberta and Jenn are on order here, but I've been spending my summer "chain reading" three mystery series. As soon as I finish one, I pick up the next, and it's been almost as good as an actual vacation.

    First are the Merry Folger books by Francine Mathews. I really love the Nantucket setting and all the continuing characters. I have one book left in this series unless she's writing very quickly.

    Before that it was the three Connie Berry books, which I got into when I won a copy of the third book here on Jungle Red. Love them! So much fun.

    And arching over all is Iona Wishaw's Lane Winslow series. They are so good, and all that snowy weather got my brain right out of hot, steamy Texas. I recommend all three series highly!

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    1. Gigi,

      My Mom loves the Lane Winslow series. I had to special order them since they were not in the bookstores. We only found copies at the mystery conference in Vancouver.

      And I won the Merry Folger books by Francine Mathews in a JRW giveaway, I think. I read the entire series this summer.

      Diana

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    2. Don't you love a whole series in the summer? I discovered Ellis Peters one year in early June and spent the whole summer in Shrewsbury with Brother Cadfael and Sheriff Hugh Beringer.

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    3. Julia,

      Definitely! Especially if it is a series that I love. I loved the tv adapation of Cadafel and one of these days I am going to read the books.

      Diana

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    4. I think, once you get comfortable in a series setting, you just want to go "home" and get comfortable again, especially when the world outside is going nuts in real life. I'll run away to King's Cove any chance I get. Ms. Wishaw needs to write faster, that's all.

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    5. Gigi, I totally agree!! The Merry Folger series was so compelling that I read one after the other. The same with the Iona Whishaw series. I won the first book from FCF and held it on the TBR pile for 3 months. Once I'd read that first one, I hurried to get the others. It's still one of my favorites series ever. When Connie Berry was a guest here, I knew I'd love her books. Just began book 2 this morning.

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    6. While I've only read the first book in the Merry Folger series, I did like it. I have the other books in the series (except the most recent one) and hope to find my way through the stacks of books waiting to be read so I can get back to the series sooner rather than later.

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  14. I've been re-reading Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee books--up to Sacred Clowns right now. Next up I'm going to reread Julia's series. The pandemic has hit too close to the bone and it's hard to read new books. I did read in one sitting All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat--it's written for a younger audience, but lots of great photos and tells more than just about the boys--about all the volunteers--local and international--who participated in this rescue. Have a copy of Finding Cristina by Emilia Rosa on my beside table--it's short, maybe I'll be able to get into it. So many great books in today's post--they'll still be there whenever I can get to them.

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    1. Flora, so many good books to read. Ny TBR pile is overflowing. LOL

      Diana

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    2. I hope you enjoy the re-read, Flora!

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  15. Just finished THE DEVIL MAY DANCE by Jake Tapper and PALADIN’S GRACE by T Kingfisher and now on BLACTOP WASTELAND by SA Crosby.

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  16. ISLAND OF THIEVES was the book that I read all night, giving me a literary hangover! It was so good! Quite Gripping!

    AN IRISH HOSTAGE was wonderful! I loved the book and I think that is my favorite Bess Crawford novel.

    MIDNIGHT LIBRARY is one of my favorites. So many good books here.

    Right now I am reading the Flavia de Luce books in order. And I am reading ARCs from NetGalley.

    Diana

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  17. My day job has had me so hectic I haven't even made it JRW some days, and I feel so lucky to have made it here today for "What Are You Reading?" my very favorite topic! I see several names mentioned that I have either read within the past year or have high on my TBR list. In many cases, I probably heard of them here first.

    I just finished Linda Holmes' EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER, a warm book I guess I'd call Women's Literatue, and loved it!. Other recent reads that were especially good were BRUNO, CHIEF OF POLICE, by Martin Walker (something about it reminded me a bit of Louise Penny's books); Jenn's ONE FOR THE BOOKS (smitten sigh); and THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON by Madeline Martin (WWII, bookshop, strong female protagonist...what's not to like?).

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    1. Two more things -- first, I had missed that Jenn already mentioned Evvie Drake! Second, I have to chime in with my support of Circe. Truly an extraordinary book, with a strong female empowerment undercurrent.

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    2. I have been meaning to read CIRCE.

      Diana

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    3. Diana, you're not the only one. I have a copy on loan from Celia Wakefield, and I just haven't gotten around to it yet, despite the fact everyone I know loved it.

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    4. Julia,

      Glad I am not the only one.

      Diana

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  18. Susan, THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON was wonderful. I finally got to read the ebook from the library. I own a copy of the BRUNO, CHIEF OF POLICE book by Martin Walker, though I have not read it yet...

    Diana

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  19. Getting my eyes dilated later this morning so I'll write this while I can! I'm finishing up Ann Cleeves' latest Matthew Venn mystery, The Heron's Cry. So complicated! Rachel McMillan's The London Restoration was excellent. Restoring London, its churches, and a marriage after WW2. And spies. I also enjoyed An Irish Hostage by Charles Todd; things are progressing in Bess's life. Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams was excellent. Emily Henry's Beach Read was a nice change of pace. Up next is Hank's Her Perfect Life.

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  20. I missed this initially, so I added on - you can check out my recs on the front page. I guess I was still recovering from the weekend visit for four cousins - I did more socializing between Friday and Sunday than I've done in the six months!

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  21. I love the Bruno series, I hope enjoy them Susan and Diana. My TBR pile keeps trying to fall over. Just picked up the paperback of Ice Cold Winter by
    P. J.Tracy, it's on top for next.

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  22. Question:

    Has anyone here read books from Reese's Book Club?

    Diana

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    1. Accidentally. I tend to pick a book and find out later it was an Oprah, Reese, or Jenna book :) Little Fires Everywhere, Where the Crawdads Sings, One Day in December, Next Year in Havana, Untamed, and Eleanor Elephant is Completely Fine were all Reese books that I enjoyed.

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  23. I enjoyed Ang Pompano’s When it is Time for Leaving and Vicki Delany’s first in Tea by the Sea mystery and put the second on my TBR.
    I read the complete series A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mysteries by Fiona Grace
    And from a discussion here last week, Julia spoke of William Kent Kruger’s Cork O’Connor series. I devoured the first and will continue the series.

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    1. Danielle, I love William Kent Krueger's series--love the characters,love how they change and grow in his books.

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    2. Danielle,

      Love the Christmastown series by Vicki Delany and the new Teacup series.

      Diana

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    3. Love Vicki Delany's tea shop series!

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  24. I spent quite awhile on a long novel which held my attention all the way. (The last year or so was so disorienting, there haven't been many new books that did that.) Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, and just included on the Booker prize longlist. A couple of time periods, a lot of characters, adventures, unusual but not unbelievable lives. And wonderful writing. Like a very well-written biography of a very interesting person, only better. Because there are always pieces that the biographer never knows.

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    1. Ooh, Triss, that sounds just my cup of tea. Looking up now.

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    2. Triss,

      Reading Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead now.

      Diana

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  25. I love these posts, although they do real damage to my budget! I've just bought The Last Bookshop in London and added a dozen others to my list!

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    1. Paying you back, Debs!!LOL

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    2. Debs,

      Me too. Adding dozens others to my list!

      Diana

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    3. I meant to say how much I loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle when I read it!

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    4. My favorite spaghetti sauce canning recipe is in the Kingsolver book.

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    5. It was my farmer friend who recommended it. Such a good story, such an important premise. And she is, of course, a lovely writer.

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  26. At the moment it's The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams.
    Quite captivating and female centric.
    How many words (like "bondmaid") have been dropped by "authorities" because the word pertains primarily to women?

    @Deborah Crombie-The Last Bookshop in London is delightful!

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    1. Libby,

      I have Dictionary of Lost Words. I loved the advanced digital copy so much that I decided to buy a copy.

      Diana

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  27. I just finished Jennifer Chiaverini's THE WOMEN'S MARCH. History done right and inspiration to continue the good work of our sister suffragettes. Now to add to my TBR list . . . thanks!

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  28. I finally got a chance to start S.A. Cosby's RAZORBLADE TEARS and I'm annoyed at things that keep interrupting me - like life. LOL

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  29. Oh, I'm so sorry I've come in late in commenting today. I love when the "What are you reading" post occurs. I'll read back through all the comments, so excited to see what everyone else is reading, but first I'll list my recent and upcoming reads.

    I just finished Catriona McPherson's A Gingerbread House (review up on my blog), and as it comes out today, everyone can read it. It's one of Catriona's stand-alones, and if you are an ardent fan, like me, of those, you already know it's going to be a long twisty road of original thrill. I also just finished Last Seen Wearing by Hillary Waugh. It was first published in 1952, and the Library of Congress Crime Classics has brought it out again. It is credited with being the first acclaimed police procedural book. I really enjoyed it, and with an introduction by Les Klinger, its place in the police procedural sub-genre was fully explained. I'm trying to read some classics these days, both American and British.

    I'm now reading Lucy's Scone of Contention, and I am loving every page of it. I made myself wait to read it because I was behind on other reviewing, but I am so happy it's my current read now, and I'll be reviewing it for my blog for its publication date next week.

    Coming up. Well, I may need a few pages to list those. And yet, still l keep ordering books. Here are the books I need to read for August reviews. Hey, that's this month. They are The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny (out Aug. 24th), Flat Black Ford by J.D. Allen (Aug. 31st), Shot Caller by Jen Danna (Aug. 31st), The King of Infinite Space by Lyndsay Faye (Aug. 10th), 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard (Aug. 17th), and No Grater Crime by Maddie Day (Aug. 24th).

    Going back to pick up The Pact by Sharon Bolton, Hostage by Clare Mackintosh, The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman, Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby, The Crooked Shore by Martin Edwards, We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker, The Midnight Library by Matthew Haig (when of when will I get to this book?), and Death and the Maiden by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman. Of course, this just scratches the surface.

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    1. Kathy,

      Lots of good books to read

      Diana

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    2. thank you Kathy, you're so sweet! I read somewhere today that if you only read one book a week, that's fifty per year times fifty years (hopefully more!), that's only 2500 books. So we better be careful what we choose...though I find that approach depressing...so I'll just keep reading:)

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  30. Kathy,

    No spoilers from me but you will love Maddie Day's NO GRATER CRIME!

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  31. Julia! HER TURN sounds GREAT! What an idea!!!!

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  32. Next up for me is The Last Apothecary and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

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    1. Liked the Last Apothecary. The House in the Cerulean Sea was quite a departure from my usual reads. Very different characters and different ways of looking at the world. To my surprise, I liked The House in the Cerulean Sea.

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  33. I've gone through a time of reading books that weren't great and not finishing a fair amount of them. I've started Connie Berry's 1st book and so far, I'm not loving it as much as everyone else seems to like her books, so I will stick with it for a while. I did enjoy Rhys' Venice Sketchbook. I'm also reading the second book in Sarah Shaber's Louise Pearlie series. They are set in DC during WWII and part about mysteries surrounding Louise's job as a file clerk at the OSS and part about the interesting characters at the boarding house where she lives. Highly recommend!

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  34. Sorry, I was at work yesterday and missed the opportunity to timely chine on this post. First of all, thank you for mentioning DO I KNOW YOU? But, really, there are SO MANY GREAT suspenseful books out there. We're living in a golden age. (Thank god because SOMETHING'S got to give in this pandemic.) I know Hank is your girl, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, HER PERFECT LIFE is perfect! I love when already successful authors hone their skills, bringing in interesting backstories to conflict with present arcs and multi-faceted characters. Speaking of ARCs, Hank was kind enough to have one forwarded to me and I am ripping through it. Then again, I'm preaching to the choir. As for reading, I'm finishing Elly Griffiths THE POSTSCRIPT MURDERS (her usual wit and intelligence zinging throughout) Mary Kubica's LOCAL WOMAN MISSING (I always learn so much from her pacing) and THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS because how did I miss that? Great writing. Hysterical, moving stories. Definitely gets you out of the land-based human here and now. Again, thanks guys. Nice to be chatting on a blog. Now, to switch hats, off to my VT Town Clerk job!

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    1. Loved the Venice Sketchbook. Lots of new to me authors and thank you for introducing us to them.

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  35. I am on deadline and missed this. Thanks so much for the shoutout, Lucy! I so appreciate it! There are so many good recs here. I need to get this book done so I can start reading again! xxoo

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    1. And also thank you, Debs! Just saw your nice comment too! Sarah Strohmeyer alerted me to this post on Facebook and when I tried to type "Love those Jungle Reds," it autocorrected as Jungle Rats, which made me giggle. You all are not Jungle Rats!

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    2. Sarah,

      Added your books to my TBR list.

      Diana

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  36. I don’t know what it is about the summer but I tend to gravitate towards science fiction and fast-paced reads. Thanks for sharing these recommendations! My brother recommended my last read (THAT I LOVED) – sci/fi action and adventure book “Time Plague” ! Some science fiction tends to be a bit too “far out” for my taste, but this was perfect for my style of reading. It is fast paced and incorporates lots of themes that you truly believe could be a glimpse into our future. Time travel done in a believable way, along with multiple arcs and twists. It's also one of those rare books that really "has it all" - a great mix of humor, suspense, romance and a LOT of drama. Annnnd there are some badass females in it too which is always a plus. I really hope you will check it out – I would love to know what you think. You can read more about the book here – https://www.authorkimmegahee.com/

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