A Great Month for Reading

 

LUCY BURDETTE: As you can see by the pile in the photo, I’ve had no shortage of books to read over the last few weeks. John has a new hip and is getting along famously, but in those first scary days when I was the sole caregiver, I wanted something soothing and so familiar. I was thrilled to discover the small Jenny Colgan book that serves as a prequel to her Mure series, which I adore. Hank’s book was daytime reading—full of twists and rocket fuel adrenaline, well done Hank! Now I’m finishing the new Ann Cleeves, which is a Matthew Venn book. It’s solid as always and I’m completely buffaloed about who could have killed these people. I’m sure Matthew will figure it out. I also read Ann Patchett’s Whistler for a second time (which I rarely do) because some friends were getting together to discuss it and eat cake. I loved it the second time too—such great depiction of characters. Kristan Higgins is the queen of women’s fiction, writing about four friends whose lives are upended by a terrible accident. 

Now I have to decide what’s next…what are you reading and how do you decide?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ah, mostly it’s the book by the author I get to interview next or a book I have been asked to blurb! It’s fun to have my “job” assign me books–it lets me read some I might not have heard of or chosen. As a result, I’m just beginning Hallie Shepherd’s CALL OFF THE DARK  (a new author for me, and no idea what this will be) and just finishing the brilliant Jason Rekulak’s WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN.  It is so scary I can hardly read it! (And aw, thank you for the kind words about MOTHER DAUGHTER SISTER STRANGER! And it’s already in second printing, yay.) And next on the blurb list..the new LIsa Jewell! So looking forward.  

HALLIE EPHRON: YAY on that second printing, Hank! And YAY on John’s new hip, Roberta!!

I’m not doing a huge amount of book reading right now because I’m in the middle of teaching a 2-week class for the Sisters in Crime Guppies on how to write a compelling protagonist. I’ve broken it into 6 lessons and there’s a full contingent of participants and masses of homework for me to respond to.

When I’m done for the day the last thing I feel like doing is reading.

But queued up next are some books I somehow managed to miss when they came out awhile back. THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB by KarenJoy Fowler (I loved her WIT’S END.) And Elena Ferrante’s MY BRILLIANT FRIEND.

JENN McKINLAY: I’ve been reading mostly for endorsements lately, including the upcoming GIRL FROM IPANEMA by Mia Sosa and Ellie Alexander’s suspense/cozy MURDER MOVES IN. Both are excellent and I highly recommend them. I also have a book by the delightful Ang Pompano called SIMMERING SECRETS to read. Right now, I’m attending the Ashland Mystery Festival in Oregon and planning a visit to the post office tomorrow to mail back all of the books I’m purchasing at the local indie bookshop Bloomsbury Books.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I've been in and out of the hospital the last couple of weeks with some health stuff, so have definitely needed comfort reading. I ran across a series by LT Shearer about a retired Metropolitan Police detective who lives on a narrowboat in Little Venice (obviously irresistible to me) and who is befriended by a talking cat called Conrad. I never read Lillian Jackson Braun's books so I don't know how these compare. This series is a bit of an oddity, as it sounds super cozy but the mysteries, especially in the later books, are actually well-plotted police procedurals. The first book is THE CAT WHO CAUGHT A KILLER and I was charmed enough to plow through all five.

Also, I read MAD ABOUT YOU by British author Heidi Stevens. This one is set in the Cotswolds and I loved it so much I didn't want to read anything else when I finished it. Lucy, as you like Jenny Colgan you would probably love Stevens!

Now I've started Meg Mason's SOPHIE, STANDING THERE, for Kris Atomic's online book club, and I'm also reading a new biography of Charles Darwin, ORIGIN STORY, by Howard Markel.

Next up will be Ann Cleeves new Mathew Venn.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: After a bit of a dry spell, I’m finding a plethora of great, fun mysteries this fall! I just finished MURDER AT THE GRAND ALPINE HOTEL by Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie. Yes, it’s a new Miss Marple, okayed by the Christie estate. (Who benefits from that, I wonder?) It’s a stunningly scenic everyone-trapped-by-the-weather novel set in 1950. I have to admit, I figured out whodunnit about ⅔ of the way through, but it was so well-written I enjoyed the ride all the way to the end of the piste. 

Currently reading HOW TO WRITE A MURDER by Jessica Brody. Like THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF, which I raved about last time, this is a group of mystery writers gathered together in a remote place, this time for a conference. I’m only a little way in, but so far, it’s a real page-turner.

I missed Benjamin Stevenson’s latest Ernest Cunningham mystery when it came out this spring, so EVERYONE IN THIS BANK IS A THIEF is waiting in the wings. 

My total author crush Emily St. John Mandel has a new speculative fiction novel just out, EXIT PARTY. I think I’m 157 on the waiting list at the Portland Public Library, so we’ll see if my patience can outlast my desire to stick to my book budget this quarter.

Reds, what are you reading these days?

KEEP OR THROW?

RHYS BOWEN: I’ve been doing a lot of weeding out at home recently. After my husband’s passing earlier this year I’ve been doing remodeling and rearranging. My daughter Anne is moving in with me so she is getting her own suite downstairs. That means John’s office becomes my media room, my media room becomes the guest room etc. it also means getting rid of an awful lot of furniture and books. I have shelf after shelf of my own books. Another book case of reference books. Two of antiquarian or valuable books. John had two book cases of his reference volumes. There were three in the family room. And this after we did some serious weeding years ago.

So the question is what do I keep? We have gorgeous coffee table books. Lots of important reference works.  It how valuable are they to me now? A pictorial volume on  Tuscany isn’t exactly necessary now I can watch a YouTube video any time I choose. Another coffee table book is Great Wines of France. And I’m still drinking Californian plonk. Antique dolls? The British Raj? The fact is that many reference books are obsolete. I can find the info quick online. 

When it comes to novels will I really read this book again? And if I do, I can read it on Kindle. My complete Agatha Christie collection is not going anywhere. But otherwise only books signed by friends and fellow authors are special enough to keep. 

So, dear Reds, which books do you hang onto? Can you easily let the others go?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I am having a very similar dilemma. Some days I feel like shouting: ALL OF THESE HAVE TO GO!  Then I think...well, except for this one. And this one. And the Agatha Christie collection, exactly. And  my own  books, in every shape and language. And signed books. But...really? What if I just tear out the signature page and keep the signature page? And donate the book? Hmmm…?

Lisa Gardner has my favorite take on this. She says books are meant to be read, not sit one a shelf. So she says she is delighted to donate books–she feels as if she is saying, “Go books! Do your job!” And I truly love that.

LUCY BURDETTE: We had a big purge this summer too, though not a dramatic renovation like Rhys’s. I know I have a book “problem”--it’s so much easier to identify which of John’s books should go.:) I tried very hard to look at each book and ask if I would really read it a second time, or if I’d need it for a research reason, or if I had an emotional attachment, like it was written by one of my dear friends, signed by the author etc. If my answers were no, it went to the Friends of the Library to be sold for another reader to enjoy.

But I have another problem–I keep buying more books. So you would never know I’d purged anything!

HALLIE EPHRON: I’ve had what Rhys is experiencing… after my sweet Jerry’s death I sold most his collection (quite a few classic illustrated children’s books) which turned out to have a nice amount of value and hopefully went on to strut their covers on eBay or Amazon and make some money for the secondhand bookseller.

Three years later (like Rhys!) my daughter and her family have moved in with me… and I’ve liquidated my office and all the books in it to make way for her taking over. I now have a cozy work space in my bedroom, with about 10 linear feet of shelf space for books. So deciding which to keep was quite an exercise. But at least it’s easy these days to find texts online. 

Keepers? Eclectic Here’s a sampling… A set of Harry Potters. THREE BAGS FULL. THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE. THE EYRE AFFAIR. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. DEFENDING JACOB. DOG ON IT. GONE GIRL. BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE. PRESUMED INNOCENT… And about a dozen more and that’s it. 

So far I haven’t missed the missing ones.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I did a similar thing with Ross’s collection of histories, warfare, etc. after he died, Hallie. A new branch of the local community college was opening, and they were asking for book donations to help expand their limited acquisition budget. I catalogued what I wanted to get rid of, and after looking the list over, they happily accepted about ⅔ of the collection. The rest I gave to Victoria to sell online.

Now, my OWN books are a thornier problem! I’m dealing with that by ignoring it entirely, and focusing on what children’s/middle grade/YA books I can pass forward (I like Lisa Gardner’s take) to other readers. Three bedrooms, three bookcases in each one, PLUS the stuff stored in the attic… I figure I can be happily and productively weeding for a while.

JENN McKINLAY: My parents were keepers so I grew up with an aversion to “stuff.” Sorry, Pop, you are not going to find a use for that six inch piece of wood that you’ve kept for twenty years. They weren’t hoarders or anything, there was just so much stuff acquired from their families that they just couldn’t part with because it belonged to someone they loved. I do not have that sentimentality. I keep nothing. One copy of each book I’ve written and unless it’s a book signed to me by a friend, it goes to the Friends of the Library as soon as I’ve read it. I don’t collect things and my favorite hobby is sending stuff to thrift stores or the dumpster, depending on the state said item is in. 

RHYS: but Jenn what do you do with 25 copies of each of your books?  Any suggestions anyone? And who else has done a successful book purge?

JENN: I send them to my assistant to giveaway in promotions!

How about you, Readers? Any suggestions for authors drowning in copies of their own books?

FREE STUFF!

JENN McKINLAY: As you can see, we are giving away SEVEN books to one lucky reader! Click this link – GIVEAWAY – to enter to win the six books shown plus one mystery book! FREE BOOKS, ya’ll, does it get any better? No, it does not!

Now being a thrifty sort, I LOVE free stuff. When I was younger (read poorer), I took everything that was offered to me that had the right price of FREE. This is why I have an upright piano in my house that, once the Hooligans stopped taking lessons, no one has played except Hooligan 1’s Plus 1 when she visits and I adore her for that! Now that I am older and more discerning, I curate the freebies that I accept such as my in-laws gorgeous dining set from Copenhagen – yes, please, and thank you! Other stuff, not so much.

How about you, Reds, how do you feel about free stuff?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: It’s like, gift with purchase. SO irresistible, even if we know i’;s not a gift!  Or the points we get at CVS. I know they make the stuff more expensive (my opinion at least) so it’s a wash for them, but oooh, free points so I can get free stuff.  Airline miles, too, so fabulous.  (I cannot bring myself to use them, though, and have no idea what I’m saving them FOR, which is annoying. ) And all those little bookish trinkets we get at conferences–I have so many canvas bags! And pens.  But..they were FREE! 

Anyway! We are so happy with all of you that we decided to have some summertime fun and offer YOU free stuff!  And we’re thinking we’ll do this again.That’s why you’ll see on the entry form that we’re calling it a quarterly giveaway.

LUCY BURDETTE:  Hank, I do not get those CVS points, do not understand how to use those at all. So I just throw the receipts in the trash. Airline points are tricky because it’s very seldom you can actually use them. I encourage John to use them when he’s going somewhere with multiple flights like skiing from Key West. One thing I do adore is free books! Particularly something I desperately want to read anyway. We hope you will feel that way about this giveaway! And by the way, come to the Reds and readers Facebook page and chat about Jenn’s Hallmark debut, Thursday, July 30! I can’t wait…

HANK: Lucy, you throw those receipts in the trash? Even if they say Extra Bucks? Nooooooo.. And yes, free books. The total scourge. How can anyone resist?

HALLIE EPHRON, who is still trying to give away an upright piano (no takers) that my kids learned to play on. No takers.

CVS coupon deals? Meh. Every time I go to CVS I try to use one of those deals (25% OFF ON YOUR NEXT PURCHASE!!) and it turns out whatever I’m shopping for doesn’t qualify. 

Having said that, I love it when the grocery store offers two avocados or mangos or cucumbers for the price of one. But two 5-pound bags of potatoes? They’ll sprout before go through them. Still, I take that “free” extra bag and drop it in the food donation bin on my way out of the store. 

RHYS BOWEN : The one I don’t get. But one pair of shoes get the second free. Who needs two pairs of identical shoes? In my early marriage/ raising a family days I loved  free stuff. Who  else collected Green Stamps? They paid for kids Christmas presents. These days I’m happy to pay. I do get and use airline miles. I’ve books trips to Europe for several family members on my miles. I currently have 249,0000 miles on AA. 

 

I don’t claim most freebies. I feel other people need free stuff more than me  But I do love a bargain!

JENN: I am also a flyer miles collector. Love upgrading my seat to one with legroom every chance I get!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Ditto here on the CVS points. I am just annoyed by all the extra paper added to my receipt. Airline miles, on the other hand, have made trips to London and back much more comfortable over the years. I will take those upgrades, although they're not exactly "free" these days, even with mileage.

Otherwise, I'm not so big on free stuff these days. I'm trying to get rid of stuff, not add to it!

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I adore free stuff (well, except for the $15,000 cat.) I occasionally have dreams where I get to go through some sort of thrift shop and take anything I want. Seriously, I don't know what that says about me, but I do. My first time at the American Booksellers Conference in NY, I took EVERY advance reader copy I thought I might be remotely interested in - and then had to stagger back to my hotel from the Javits Center carrying approximately 500 pounds of books, sine there wasn't a cab to be had anywhere.

 

I have learned since then. Like the rest of you, I've gotten a lot more picky as the count-of-items-owned has increased but my storage space has not. It's still a delight, but it has to 1) actually be worth it (do I want to spend the money on the skin are to get the "free" gift-with-purchase) and something I need (buy-one-get-one-free is my trip-up here.) 

 

I'm still a sucker for free books, though... 

Your turn, Readers, where do you stand on free stuff?

What We’re Reading

 

LUCY BURDETTE: I’ve been reading steadily this summer, not quickly, but still delighted to be reading lots of different books. HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD by Paulette Alden presents a slice of life in Greeneville, SC, with characters struggling with racial and family tensions. Next up, JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez, a cupcake baker turned romance writer. She’s gotten some amazing press and sales and so I wanted to try one of her books. I can see why readers love her (including me)--the characters are deeply drawn, not at all cardboard, with a most satisfying ending and enjoyable setting. Adriana Trigiani was also new to me. I loved THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO for its family drama, descriptions of both New Jersey and Italy, and her fabulous food writing. HEARTWOOD  by Amity Gauge was recommended by my friend Chris Falcone–the story of a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail written from some very interesting points of view. I also loved WELCOME TO MURDER WEEK by Karen Dukess, in which a young woman is left an all-expense-paid trip to a murder mystery week in a small British town. Nicely done! Finally, I enjoyed debut writer Adam Roberts’ very foodie FOOD PERSON, in which a socially awkward writer takes a job as a ghostwriter for a Hollywood starlet’s cookbook. 

What are you reading, Reds?

HALLIE EPHRON: I am happily immersed in Rhys’s MRS. ENDICOTT’S SPLENDID ADVENTURE… which is completely splendid and I’m trying to *slow down* because I’m enjoying it so much. Queued up behind it is Gillian McAllister’s WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME which Hank recommended. Then I have a whole stack of books to come after including one that I missed, OLIVE AGAIN by Elizabeth Strout.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, yay, Hallie, I hope you love it. Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess, Lucy, highly recommended! I am reading Lisa Jewell’s DONT LET HIM IN (to interview her at Bouchercon, although I would read anything she writes, whenever she writes it.)  PLEASE DON’T LIE by Christina Baker Kline and Anne Burt is on the pile as is Guilty By Definition by Susie Dent. And cannot forget KISS HER GOODBYE by Lisa Gardner! Oh, oh, and FULL BLOOM by Francesca Serritella. ANd oh, breaking news. Do not miss THE DEAD HUSBAND COOKBOOK. It is completely clever and ingenious and…. what if your favorite TV chef was accused of being, well, a fan of Sweeney Todd? That’s not a spoiler. And it’s terrific!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m not reading as much as I usually am this month, as I’m busy prepping for house full of guests for my daughter’s wedding at the end of August. (If you’re recalling that she married last fall and is now pregnant, dear readers, you’re right! This is the religious service and party side of the event.) However, I’ve got my usual trio of mystery, science fiction and other going.

Mystery: Shari Lapena’s SHE DIDN’T SEE IT COMING, which drew me in for the setting (a luxe condo building a la Only Murders in the Building) and the gender switch - it’s the wife who’s disappeared and the husband has to figure out what’s up.

SF: Also a mystery! The third of Mur Lafferty’s Midsolar Mysteries, INFINITE ARCHIVE. I love this space-station twist on the classical village cosy - and the current book throws in a mystery readers convention!

Other: I’m finally, finally reading Richard Russo’s acclaimed NOBODY’S FOOL (yes, it DID come out over 30 years ago!) It’s so much like being back in Argyle, NY - no wonder when you consider Russo’s home town is an hour away from mine. I’m so glad I didn’t read this earlier; I would have either felt like I was ripping him off, or I would have fallen into despair over how much my own writing fails to come up to his. Now, I can just enjoy it for the gem it is.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I seem to have been doing a lot of re-reading, mainly Deb Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy, although I am mainly (re) listening on Audible. But I have read the new Martin Walker Bruno novel, AN ENEMY IN THE VILLAGE, the new Damien Boyd, BLUE BLOOD (British procedural series, top notch!), the new Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London novel, STONE AND SKY, all of Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries series, which I adored. But maybe the standout for me is a novel called SANDWICH by Catherine Newman that my daughter insisted I read because she loved it so much. I struggled a bit with the beginning, probably because of being more used to having plots set up clearly from the start, my failing) but by the time I was a third of the way through I couldn’t put it down. I loved it. It’s a joyous book, and is one that will stay with me for a long time.

RHYS BOWEN: I’ve just read two books I really enjoyed. One was THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY, by Matt Haig ( interesting it was written by a man as it is so sensitive to a woman’s point of view), and The House at Mermaid’s Cove by Lindsay Jane Ashford, set in the part of Cornwall where I spend time every summer. I’m now just starting The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiana as I’m a guest on her podcast next week, enjoying her writing style so far.

JENN McKINLAY: I've been maintaining my cozy fantasy bender. I just read Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki and it was fascinating (last samurai history). I've also finished Julie Leong's The Teller of Small Fortunes and I really enjoyed it. Next up is The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst. I really enjoyed The Spell Shop by her so I have high hopes!

Okay Reds, phew! What are you reading?

What We’re Reading

LUCY BURDETTE: I’ve been all over the map with reading lately so here’s the run-down. I finally picked up ALL THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT SEE (very late to this party!) because John and I were going to St. Malo (more on that later this week.) Quite fascinating! Then I read CAT AND BIRD by Kyoko Mori–I’ve always been a fan of her books as she gives so much insight into the culture of Japan and her very difficult family. This was a beautiful, quiet book about the author’s intense relationship with her cats, as well as the birds in her life. Of course, much more is revealed about her family and her life along the way. I picked up THE PARIS WIDOW by Kimberly Belle because it won best paperback original at the Edgars. A fast moving story, plus Paris! Next up BACK AFTER THIS by Linda Holmes. Loved the characters, and also loved that the romance trope did not feel at all forced. My favorite of her books so far! On the way home from our trip I finished MRS. ENDICOTT’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE–another captivating standalone from Rhys Bowen! Although this book is less mystery/suspense and more historical fiction crossed with women's fiction, it's a wonderful read. The characters develop beautifully over the course of the story, the bad-ish guys get their comeuppance, the heroes emerge during the brutal years of WW2--all this is presented in an appealing small town coastal setting. Can’t wait for you all to read it in August.

How about you Reds, what are you reading?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, I am thrilled to be reading Ruth Ware’s upcoming THE WOMAN IN SUITE 11,  she’s such a genius! And the amazing Shari Lapena’s new one, SHE DIDN’T SEE IT COMING, and then my idol Lisa Jewell’s (I am interviewing her GOH at Bouchercon! Whoo!)  DON’T LET HER IN. And yes, of course Mrs. Endicott, a must read! I also just finished FROM THESE ROOTS by Tamara Lanier, about her quest to get her enslaved relative’s daguerreotypes back from  Harvard. It’s amazing. And I am longing to get to CUE THE SUN, about the history of reality TV. And CARELESS PEOPLE. Talk about scary, both of them!

Oh, and please please do not miss WELCOME TO MURDER WEEK by Karen Dukess. Truly. Trust me. It is a lovely and smart and perfect book. ALL the reds and readers will love it.

RHYS BOWEN: I finally got around to Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club while I was in England. A pleasant easy read so I’ll tackle the subsequent books. I’ve also got to read Louise Penny’s The Grey and Black Wolves as we are being interviewed together for the Book Passsge Mystery Conference in July. Right now I’m reading a non fiction book I have to blurb about a woman becoming a farmer in WWII. Ghosts of the Farm

HALLIE EPHRON: I just finished Nita Prose’s THE MAID which I completely loved. What a great voice and boy howdy did the ending surprise me. And surprise me again. And what a great character, Molly Gray, even if she is yet another on-the-spectrum detective. There’s a reason why the trope works.

And I was riveted by Malcolm Gladwell’s TALKING TO STRANGERS. We’re so sure we understand one another, and yet all the science points otherwise. Got to be a must-read for anyone trying to write police procedure or courtroom drama. So many insights about how we get each other wrong. Counter-programming for the Karen Read trial.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: At a bookstore event for the wonderful Eliza Reid (former first lady of Iceland) and her debut DEATH ON THE ISLAND, I picked up EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS by John Green, author of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and other YA best sellers. This book, however, is non-fiction, and is so fascinating I could hardly put it down. What an eye-opener!

Then, from another book event, THE DARK MAESTRO, the latest by Brendan Slocumb. Who else could combine a brilliant cellist, comic book heroes, and gangsters? What a fun read! Also, I’ve listened to the entire 15 hours of THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the book on which the Netflix series DEPT Q is based. I’m fascinated by how they adapted this long book, what they changed while keeping the bones of the characters and plot.

Now, I’m finally indulging in Natalie Jenner’s charming AUSTEN AT SEA, and I especially love her portrayal of Louisa May Alcott. This one is a much-anticipated gem that I’m stretching out in small doses because I hate for it to end. Coming up soon is the new Damien Boyd, BLUE BLOOD, for those of you who love British procedurals. THEN, in July, the very much anticipated new Ben Aaronovitch, STONE AND SKY. And one more, I just downloaded the Netgalley of THE MANGO MURDERS by our own dear Lucy Burdette and cannot wait to dive in!

JENN McKINLAY: I’ve just gotten back to reading as my deadlines were CRUSHING me. I’ve been on a fantasy bender and devoured EMILY WILDE’S COMPENDIUM OF LOST TALES by Heather Fawcett (you need to read the first two to fully appreciate it), THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES (delightful!) by Julie Leong, and on deck for when I head to Canada, I have an ARC of Rhys’s MRS ENDICOTT’S SPLENDID ADVENTURE, and Hub just handed me ASSASSINS ANONYMOUS by Rob Hart, which he highly recommends! 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I'm splitting my time between mystery, romance/womens fiction, and science fiction, as usual. For the first, I'm about to start THE BACHELORETTE PARTY by Camilla Sten. It's a combo girls-on-a-summer island luxe getaway and Swedish noir thriller. Talk about perfect for summer reading!

For the second, I'm loving Annabel Monaghan's latest, IT'S A LOVE STORY. Also a summer book, set on the beaches in Long Island. If you haven't read her NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT, you absolutely must.

Finally, I'm re-reading Martha Wells THE MURDERBOT DIARIES to go along with the Apple + show Murderbot. Read them! Watch the show! It's the perfect intro for the SF-curious - I promise you don't need a degree in physics to love Murderbot.

What are you reading Reds?

What We're Reading!

 LUCY BURDETTE: I think we’re long past due a post on what we’re reading. For me, it might be better called ‘what’s been delivered for the contest I’m judging, and also what I’m buying, but don’t have time to read!’ I rushed over to the local bookstore the minute these two books were on the shelves, but I’m not sure when I’ll have time to get to them. I did read The Paris Cooking School by Sophie Beaumont on my way to and from Nashville— light reading, delicious food, Paris, romance, what could be better?

Honestly, I’d be so embarrassed to show you my stacks, and I definitely don’t need to add, but can’t resist: what are you reading?

HALLIE EPHRON: Lucy, I”m reading a wonderful book, your very own A POISONOUS PALATE, and having a blast spending time in Key west with Haley Snow and Miss Gloria. I just finished ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld and heartily recommend it. She’s just brilliant and it’s really all about being a writer, so what’s not to like? Even if there’s a boatload of romance in it.

LUCY: Thanks so much Hallie! I'm looking forward to the Sittenfeld book!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Thanks for the rec, Hallie - I love Curtis Sittenfeld, and I didn’t even realize she had a new book out. (Honestly, I rely on Jungle Reds for 80% of my new-book awareness. Otherwise, I’m just wandering in a fog.)

While recovering from surgery, I’ve been slowly re-reading an old, old favorite, COMING HOME by Rosamond Pilcher. It’s absolutely enormous, and slow-paced, and filled with the most painterly and poetic descriptions of homes and landscapes. I find myself wishing someone still wrote books like hers (although with the rising price of printing paper, her hardcovers would have to go for something like $50 these days!)

I’m also very much enjoying Paula Munier’s sixth Mercy Carr mystery, THE NIGHT WOODS, coming out at the beginning of October. She’ll be our guest the first week in October, so one of you will have the chance to win a copy for yourselves!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, love this! And I am reading WE SOLVE MURDERS by Richard Osman, in preparation for interviewing him soon for Porter Square Books. Also the wonderful I NEED YOU TO READ THIS by Jessa Maxwell, a terrific novel about a woman who becomes an advice columnist. Oh, and if I have not raved on these pages about the incredible WORDHUNTER by Stella Sands, here’s the rave! Drop everything and read this–about a college student forensic linguist –sort of Lisbeth Salander meets Goth Nancy Drew–who helps police solve crimes by studying the word usage of suspects. When she gets upset, she calms herself by diagramming sentences.

You all will LOVE this!

JENN McKINLAY: Oh, Hank, WORDHUNTER sounds amazing!!! Putting it on my list.

My most recent read was ONE DARK WINDOW by Rachel Gillig. Creepy, dark, romantic, but with some very deep feminist themes. Loved it! A super fun romcom by Jen DeLuca entitled HAUNTED EVER AFTER was a perfect seasonal read! And THE SPELL SHOP by Sarah Beth Durst a wonderful low stakes cozy fantasy that was delightful escapism. In case you can’t tell, I’m fully embracing the magic of the season. Come on cooler temps, pumpkins, apples, and Halloween – we’re dying here in AZ!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Of course I adored A POISONOUS PALATE! Also, as some of us mentioned on our REDS LIVE, Sarah Stewart Taylor's AGONY HILL, the first of a new series set in 1960s Vermont. Big thumbs up for this one! 

My big sweet treat was the new Jenny Colgan, CLOSE KNIT, set in the same fictional Scottish village as last year's book, THE SUMMER SKIES. So happy to see these characters and this fabulous setting return!  

(LUCY: I need that book, Debs, as I loved The Summer Skies!)

I listened to the new Ben Aaronovitch novella, THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING, which so far is only available on Audible and as a very expensive (looks like UK) hardcover. Usually I enjoy the novellas but really wish he'd spend more time on the full-length novels, but this one I loved! Think late 1920's New York with jazz and gangsters and Harlem, plus magic (with the incomparable Thomas Nightingale) and a narrator who is right out of PG Wodehouse! No one is as creative as Aaronovitch!

Also, Ann Cleeves new Vera, THE DARK WIVES, which I really enjoyed. (I like the books a lot better than the TV series.) And now I've finally got to Allison Montclair's MURDER AT THE WHITE PALACE, which is starting out to be grand!

RHYS BOWEN: This has not exactly been the week for reading. I was reading the Echo of Old Books and the Novice’s Tale but with John having a health emergency I found it impossible to concentrate and switched to old comfort read, Mary Stewart’s Madam Will You Talk, as it takes place where I hoped to be staying in France… fingers crossed I still can.

Reds, bring it on--what are you reading??

Rhys on Titles

RHYS BOWEN:  I am just switching into publicity mode for my next book. (When you find yourself doing three books a year there is always a next book looming on the horizon).

It is called THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT and it comes out in August. I love the cover. Completely eye catching across an airport bookstore but I’m not entirely thrilled about the word Paris in the title. It’s true the story does center around Paris and the heroine is sent back to France during WW!! as a spy, so it’s quite accurate. BUT

I find myself asking HOW MANY BOOKS WITH PARIS IN THE TITLE CAN THERE BE IN THE WORLD AT ONE TIME?

A short scroll down the Amazon bestseller list will reveal a whole lot. My publisher and agent’s thought is that Paris sells. See the word Paris and you’ll rush to buy the book. But I worry that readers will have become over-Parised. What if they say “Not another Paris book”?  Time will tell, I suppose. (I DO THINK THE COVER IS STUNNING!)

Titles are hard. Some come to me right away, others I toy with. Some seem perfect only to have my publisher’s marketing team tell me that the title won’t work and we need a new one.  Some have too many words to be read in a thumbnail. Some do not invoke the right image. So now I’m struggling with that very thing for the book I’m close to finishing. Remember during the What we are Writing week I shared a snippet from the book I’m currently calling IN AN ABANDONED PLACE?  I asked you for feedback and got some excellent insights, including Hank suggesting that In An Abandoned… was hard to say. And one thing I have learned—never have a title that the reader does not know how to pronounce. You don’t want to embarrass a reader in a bookstore or they’ll have negative feelings about your books for life! Hence I had to change Naughty and Nice into Naughty IN Nice so that readers would not mistakenly ask for nice…

Now, the new book is about little girls who have disappeared in WWII plus another little girl who has vanished in 1968 and whether these somehow tie together. So THE LOST GIRLS would be logical except look how many books have LOST in the their title.

And even more books have GIRLS! ( See Hallie, I’m using white space. You've got me obsessed now!)

Will my publisher want lost or girls because they sell?  My own feeling is that the world doesn’t want any more lost girls.

I like the feel of the word Abandoned in the title because it is the theme , not just of the village but of the lives of several characters, but there has been a book called ABANDONED, so not that. Deserted, maybe? A Deserted Place? The Deserted Village?

Isn’t it interesting how there is a fashion for particular words in titles: books, bookshops, libraries, words seem to be in at the moment. The Paris Bookshop, the London Bookshop, the Last Bookshop, the lost Library etc etc etc.

A while ago it was daughter/wife/child.  The lighthouse keeper's/butcher’s/bakers/candlestick maker’s daughter/wife/child.  Okay, I did one of them. I confess, but it was Tuscan.

I’m always afraid that if I choose a title with current buzzwords (like Paris) readers will glance at the book and say “Oh, I read that one.”

So, dear Reds: is it the title that makes you pick up a book? Or the cover? Or the author’s name?

And does AN ABANDONED PLACE work better? Any other brilliant suggestions?

Jolabokaflod? AKA What to Read Next?

LUCY BURDETTE: did you have the pleasure of experiencing an Icelandic holiday book flood this year? (On Christmas Eve, they exchange books, in a tradition called Jolabokaflod.) I received an embarrassment of riches, leaving me with the enviable problem of what to read next. As my sister pointed out, I am pretty good at speaking out about what I’d love to see around the tree on Christmas morning lol. Plus I added the top two myself, including Maddie Dawson’s SNAP OUT OF IT and our own Jenn’s FATAL FASCINATOR. I decided yesterday to start THE BULLET THAT MISSED because I was in the mood for characters I already knew and enjoyed. 

How about you Reds, books for Christmas? What are you reading from your pile?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, drop everything and read THE MYSTERY OF THE ALPERTON ANGELS by Janice Hallett. So incredibly good, she’s the most brilliant person! Here’s the pitch:

Open the safe deposit box.

Inside you will find research material for a true crime book.

You must read the documents, then make a decision.

Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

It’s great, truly.

Looking forward to Jordan Harper’s EVERYBODY KNOWS and Deepti Kapoor’s AGE OF VICE and Mary Kubica’s JUST THE NICEST COUPLE.

(And if you need a bargain, TRUST ME and THE MURDER LIST are each just $1.99 today!)

Oh, and so you can say you heard it here first, ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME by WIlliam Landay is gaspingly brilliant. Unforgettable.

HALLIE EPHRON: I finished THE BULLET THAT MISSED and loved it. Now I eagerly await the next in that series. And I’m in line for anything new from BIll Landay. His books are worth waiting for. Jenn’s FATAL FASCINATOR is on my TBR list. And I bought myself THE LAST CONFESSIONS OF SYLVIA P by Lee Kravetz… party truth, part fiction, totally fascinating, based on Sylvia Plath’s writings and her stay at McClean Hospital where she was treated for severe depression.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: For the first time ever I didn’t get a single book for Christmas! What?!? Everyone here should just send me books, that’s all I’m going to say. Grump Grump Grump.

LUCY: Wow Julia, that's shocking!!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I did give books, LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY to my daughter and the Jim Kay illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to my granddaughter. Then my friend Gigi surprised me with not one, but two, of the Jim Kay books, Chamber of Secrets and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Have you seen any of the Jim Kay books? The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! They are absolute treasures and I can't wait to sit down and dip into my new copies. I do wonder, however, just how massive these books are going to be by the time Kay gets to the seven-hundred-some-odd page books towards the end of the series!

Also, I'm quite tickled that I've finally learned how to spell Jolabokaflod without double-checking it!

LUCY: Debs, our daughter asked for the first illustrated book for her family. It is gorgeous! I gave out Lessons in Chemistry too!

RHYS BOWEN: Count me as another fan of Lessons in Chemistry. Nobody gave me books for Christmas, which is fine as I always have a stack of upcoming books waiting to be blurbed. One of these I’ve just finished was Queen Wallis, a follow up to Widowland. Did anyone read that? So brilliant and chilling! The only books I gave were cookbooks. Are they still relevant,do you think, now all recipes can be found online?

JENN McKINLAY: We always give a book and a bookstore giftcard to each other for the holidays. This year’s selections for the fam were: Never Finished by David Goggins (Hooligan 2), Cheap Movie Tricks by Rickey Bird (Hooligan 1), Rory Galagher: His Life and Times by Marcus Connaughton (Hub), and Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan (me). We had a wedding in the family so I haven’t had a chance to read anything but I’m really looking forward to some downtime!

How about you Reds, did you experience the joy of Jolabokaflod??

Happy Holidays...Wait...What?! by Jenn McKinlay

JENN MCKINLAY: I admit it. I am one of those curmudgeons who loathes walking into stores and seeing the Halloween stuff facing off with the Christmas stuff! I keep expecting the green blow up witch and the jolly inflatable Santa to either have an epic battle or a torrid affair. Shocking, I know!

Of course, it wouldn't be a problem is everyone would stay in their designated holiday lane. Halloween stuff from Oct 1st through Halloween and then Thanksgiving (remember that one?) in November, followed by Christmas/Winter stuff from Dec 1st through the New Year's Day. Why is this so difficult?

That being said, there is something we need to talk about. I saw a post from an independent bookstore that said because of shipping, printing, and distribution issues, if you have books you want to give as gifts this holiday season, YOU SHOULD ORDER THEN NOW so they get to you or your intended recipient on time! 

EEK!

Naturally, that sent me into a panic, and I thought I’d share my anxiety, because I’m generous like that.

To help us all out, I polled the Reds about what they're giving for holiday books this year to get us all ahead of the situation. You're welcome :)

JENN McKINLAY: Here are three of my top picks to give away this year.

Lessons in Chemistry to every young woman in my life. Fave book of the year, hands down. I read a description that called it compulsively readable and I have to agree. OTHER BIRDS by Sarah Addison Allen is one of my other wonderful reads this year. She writes magical realism, but her use of language to me is truly what's magical about an Addison Allen book. 

Of course, my own cookbook Fairy Tale Cupcakes created with my chief baking officer Christie Conlee because of course I am. Why wouldn't I? I have a ton of copies :)

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Eurgh, I have books picked out for all my kids, but the girls read JRW, so I’ll have to skip those. The sailor doesn’t however, so I can pass on what I’m getting for him. LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD: The Story of the Syracuse 8 by David Marc. Spencer loves basketball and civil rights history, and this tale of the integration of the SU Orangemen in 1969 hits both of those sweet spots. I’m also picking him up S.A. Cosby’s RAZORBLADE TEARS, because he loved BLACKTOP WASTELAND. Cosby has a third novel coming out, but not until June, darn it.

For your favorite science geek/action-adventure lover, I’d suggest CHILD ZERO by Chris Holm, which came out in May but is still the best thriller I’ve read all years. For your friend who loves English Village mysteries, may I suggest Jessica Ellicott’s Beryl and Edwina series? There are six in print with the next coming in Spring, so if you get your friend hooked, you’re set for gift ideas for a while.

And for the elementary school child on your list? D.B. Johnson’s Henry series. I’ve given HENRY HIKES TO FITCHBURG and HENRY BUILD A CABIN to so many birthday boys and girls over the years. These beautifully illustrated, gentle stories are interpretations of Henry David Thoreau’s work, with thoughtful Henry Bear enjoying nature outside Concord, MA, and interacting with his friends Emerson and Mr. Alcott. 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I have THREE Fairy Tale Cupcakes I’m giving! Perfect gifts. 

Not sure what I’m buying, that always turns out so spur of the moment, but you all be on the look out for WRONG TIME WRONG PLACE, a brilliant brilliant thriller about a women who sees her teenage son murder someone, but why? And then she wakes up the next day, it’s the day before the murder. And the next day is the day before that. AHHHH! How did Gillian McAlllister pull this off? ( And it’s also a moving study of parental guilt and responsibility.)

THE STORYTELLER’S DEATH  by Ann Dávila Cardinal. About a young half-Puerto Rican woman who realizes she’s inherited the gift/curse of being a cuentista. When a member of her family dies, she has visions of a moment in each of their lives, as if SHE lived it. And then she has to…well, read it.

And MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW,  by Katie Gutierrez, about a woman who has two husbands–and one of them kills the other.

Oh, classic spy movie buffs will devour December 1941 by William Martin. A German spy plots to kill Roosevelt on Christmas Eve at the White House. It’s DAY OF THE JACKAL meets North by Northwest.

One more–The Appeal, by Jancie Hallett. ALL in emails and I tell you, it is FABULOUS. Amazing. (Actually, intimidating. She is so good.)

And get gift cards! Pre-order! (A pre-order is a GREAT gift!) Because in March, I think, WIlliam Landay (Defending Jacob) has a new book! ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME  is beyond amazing. BEYOND!

LUCY BURDETTE: If you have kids to buy books for, take a look at Sean Rubin’s stuff–he’s a brilliant illustrator, but also a writer. He’s quite New York-centric, but I gave his books to all our grandkids and great nephews last year. Also, looking for a copy of Carol Ryrie Brink’s old book, THE HIGHLY TRAINED DOGS OF PROFESSOR PETIT. And Jacques Pepin has a beautiful new cookbook out about chicken, including a lot of his artwork–he’s wonderful! Plus something to do with our trip to Scotland (I’m being perfectly vague in case the getter is reading–but ask me offline and I’ll whisper it to you:)

HALLIE EPHRON: Thanks for the kid-book recommendations, Lucy - We love great illustrations and my grands LIVE in NY. So what could be more perfect.

For me, I’m hoping Santa drops of a copy of Richard Osman’s THE BULLET THAT MISSED (A Thursday Murder Club Mystery) - and I can share it with the eight million people to whom I’ve recommended the series. Also Kate Atkinson newest, SHRINES OF GAIETY, because, well, Kate Atkinson.

 

I’ve also been trying to find a copy of SPEAKING OF HARPO - by Harpo’s widow, Susan Fleming Marx. And SHY: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memories of Mary Rodgers by Mary Rodgers. I love theatre and movie memoirs, and a woman’s perspective at a time when women were pretty much shoved to the corners.

 

Got to get a copy of Jenn’s WAIT FOR IT for my daughter who loved PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA and shared it with her friends.And Rhys’s WHERE THE SKY BEGINS for the person in my family who reads and rereads Jane Austen. And I plan to pack an assortment of Lucy’s Key West mysteries to take with us on a family vacation to… Key West this winter. 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Oh, yikes, Christmas already? How is this even possible? The only thing I know for certain is that I'll be buying at least three copies of FAIRY TALE CUPCAKES! Contemplating a copy of BLACKTOP WASTELAND for my daughter (shh, don't tell) and also LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY. And loving all the children's book suggestions for Wren! 

I highly recommend the new Richard Osman, THE BULLET THAT MISSED, and Natalie Jenner's BLOOMSBURY GIRLS, which is historical/literary rather than mystery and was one of my favorite books of the year.

RHYS BOWEN:  Holiday books now?  I have no idea. My two sons-in-law are great readers and always get books from me. Tom is a big fan on Daniel Silva so recommendations please! Tim is very much a spiritual type of guy so any help there would be appreciated too

The only ones I am sure of are:

Jenn’s cupcakes. Who could resist those? I know who is getting one but they may read this column. Also, a gluten-free cookbook for a daughter who has suddenly become allergic to gluten after Covid and a vegan cookbook to a daughter who has become vegan. Again recommendations please!

Normally I would have shopped for books in UK, but I was a prisoner of Covid so I’m just starting to get my act together. Maybe everyone will get my new Peril in Paris!

How about you, Readers, what are you giving for books this year?

Reading Notes @lucyburdette

LUCY BURDETTE: I think I've come to terms this week with the fact that I suffer from a book addiction. I've probably got enough books in my stack(s) to keep me busy for a lifetime, and yet, I want more... Here a few I've finished and enjoyed, and a few more I'm looking forward to, in addition to those by Zac and Leslie, whom you met this week. I know I can count on all of you to help me feed the beast:).

THE DROWNING SEA by Sarah Stewart Taylor. Sarah's such a gifted writer and I love the characters in this series--and it's all set in Ireland. What's not to like?

MISS CECILY'S RECIPES FOR EXCEPTIONAL LADIES by Vicky Zimmerman. This starts out a bit like many English women's fiction novels--with a perfectly nice protagonist dumped by the guy she thought was "the one." She's encouraged to try volunteering to get her mind off her misery, and meets a 97 year old woman in a nursing home who'd had a fascinating life, including writing a remarkable cookbook. Their growing friendship is wonderful, the old woman's a pip, and they share the love of food. I'm sorry it's over.

WHERE THE SKY BEGINS by Rhys Bowen. Okay, I will not gloat, but Rhys shared a few advance copies of her new standalone with the Reds, set during World War II in England. You are going to love it!

OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY by Kristan Higgins. I think I've read everything she's written from romance to women's fiction, but this may be her best. An enticing Cape Cod setting, a spunky character with an interesting career as a nurse midwife, a bum husband that she gathers the courage to leave behind...

And a few on my TBR pile...

RAZORBLADE TEARS SA Cosby

THE WEDDING PLOT Paula Munier

MUDDLED THROUGH Barbara Ross

CLARK AND DIVISION Naomi Hirahara

THIS PLACE OF WONDER Barbara O'Neal

THE BODYGUARD Katherine Center

And finally, one I hope you'll put on your list if you haven't already: UNSAFE HAVEN, which is out in paperback on Tuesday, and also now has a reasonable ebook price:). Here's an excerpt should you want to take a look...

Okay Red readers, pile on! What are you reading? What must I add to my pile?