This week, I stole time from my never-ending to-do list and read Aaronovitch’s “The Masquerades of Spring,” a novella that was rich in history (like all the Rivers of London books) and took place in NYC during the Harlem Renaissance (like none of the Rivers books). I’m going to have to read it again to get it all straight in my head, but it has Aaronovitch’s vivid characters and twisting plot so I was happy. Then I read “Winter’s Gifts” which was Rivers of London in Wisconsin, and I’m not sure I got all of that, either, so I’ll happily reread.
What did you read this week?
117 Responses
I flat out abandoned my to-do list, with mixed results ;0)
I finished up Gregory Ashe’s “Lamb & the Lion” trilogy (starting with “The Same Breath”), of the two-guys-solving-cases-and-falling-in-love sub-genre. I liked the specificity of the MMC’s job of being a wildlife vet for the parks service, the Utah setting and how the Mormon community effects the dynamics of pretty much everything. I didn’t like the love triangle and the one step forward-two step backwards across the three books, or that the other MMC is a con-man. But the mysteries were solid, and I really ended up liking the MMC dynamic, with each accepting the other on his own terms. Hmmm …
Another book where I really liked the dynamic between the MCs was “The Reckless Oath We Made” by Bryn Greenwood. I wasn’t sure about the disability representation to start with but the text gradually makes it clear that the MMC hearing voices and choose to speak like something out of a chivalric romance is additional to his autism, and he’s perfectly competent to move through the world. The FMC is drowning in problems – from her spendthrift sister, to her hoarding mother, to her running drugs to make ends meet when her waitress job can’t support them all – and things spiral from there. There are some structural issues, and some of the characters are a bit flat, but the MC relationship turned into something special and again I like how they accept each other. Hmmm …
“Trust Me” by Hank Phillippi Ryan had the opposite problem, it’s a grippy psychological thriller (zero romance) but I couldn’t get past the FMC’s premise that mothers are never considered guilty, given that society loves to find mothers guilty on very little evidence – from Lindy Chamberlain, to Kathleen Folbigg, to the thousands of mothers and caregivers jailed for “shaken baby” syndrome. There are moments when I think it’s going to turn, and there’s a lot of good stuff along the way but ultimately the FMC’s prejudices are borne out. So hmph, because I’m probably not judging the book on its merits, but still …
Thankfully, the best read of the week was Heyer’s “Frederica” which was an unalloyed delight and pure competence porn. 😊
I love Frederica. It’s on my top 5 Heyers and even though I know it practically by heart, I constantly reread it. I agree, pure competence porn. Such a fun and soothing read.
Frederica is one of my faves too. In fact my favourite Heyers tend to be the ones named after the heroine…. (E.g Venetia, Arabella) Coincidence or not?
I was mentally agreeing with you re the great ones named after heroines (the ones you listed, of course. And Sophy!) but then remembered These Old Shades and A Civil Contract… 🙂
I really liked These Old Shades, Devil’s Cub and most of her ‘contemporary’ mysteries.
Yes, I include Sophy in those heroine titles… And Sylvester (Hero) but I love loads of others. The only one I actively disliked was Cousin Kate. I think I wasn’t very fond of The Toll Gate or the one with Hero (or similarly named heroine) who married and pretended not to love her husband, or something. But maybe a reread would change my views.
Haha! I think the one you are thinking of is A Civil Contract which is definitely very different from her other regencies. A bit darker. It is one of my favorites! 🙂
But I’m with you on Cousin Kate. Really don’t like that one…
Friday’s Child is Hero. It’s a farce; all the characters are dumb as rocks but loyal to each other and very charming except for the bad guy who gets his. I love that book. It’s really a community book more than a love story, but the love story is there.
No, I like Civil Contract too. Definitely darker and sadder than the others though, so not a fun reread. I might be thinking of Friday’s Child.
Yes, I misread what you wrote. Of course, Hero is Friday’s Child heroine. I love that book because almost all the characters are over-the-top naive and dumb but so well-intentioned… It’s a frequent reread for me.
Oh Frederica – remember when she astonishes Alverstoke by stepping into the low-end inn and admiring the carpet on the floor which puts her in the landlady’s good books? She was a genius.
And I finished listening to Foxglove Summer in the Rivers of London series – how this series continues to be so consistently good astonishes me. I love Peter and I also love the women in these novels. I read very few male authors but Aaronovitch creates kickass women and it’s one of the reasons I love this series.
I’ve been making my way through NJ Lysk’s top M/M sexy books and read the first four in the Administration series by Manna Francis. Technically, it’s included in the Two Guys Solving Cases and Falling in Love, although it’s on the edge of that. Set in a dystopian future, specifically in New London, the MC is in Investigation & Interrogation, the latter of which includes torture. I’ve only come across two torture scenes, both of which were pretty mild compared to say James Patterson but still – not a cozy series by any means. The arc of his relationship, can’t call it a romance, with the other MC who is in the relationship against his better judgement is fascinating.
I’m also still reading the A03 hockey series that Lysk recommended.
Sounded good till you mentioned torture scenes. Hard no on that for me.
Yeah I try to provide my own kind of warnings in my Argh comments so no one hates me. Without spoiling the plot.
Christina, I think you might like this series actually.
Oh great! I’ll check them out!
I will have to try this series. There is also a new Alexandra Rowland out that I have added to the list…
I saw the new Rowland and downloaded it.
The new Eliot Grayson is out too and a Naomi Novik book of short stories from her various worlds. Too many good books to read all at once!
Decisions, decisions.
I read Foxglove Summer for the first time and thought it was weak. Then I was doing a binge read through the series and read it again and loved it. I think the first time I thought he’d gone too far with the unicorn or something, but the second time I was completely on board. Such a great series.
I started the week with a library book Never A Duke by Grace Burrowes, a really lovely story about an Earl’s daughter and an ‘adopted’ Duke’s son/rescuer. There was a missing ladies maid mystery, kidnapping and all sorts. It was great. I loved the hero being an amazing embroiderer (which he did to clear his mind and resolve issues) and his feisty love. It is part of a series (which the library doesn’t have many of) and I read it out of sync but it worked as a stand alone.
The next was a book I got from an independent bookstore I adore and I was warned that it was a light read, which being stressed I thought was right for me. I was wrong, it was not super saccharine but it was very predictable and a bit too schmaltzy for me. Next time I will listen more carefully to the recommendation.
I read Welcome To Temptation by Jenny next and it was a wonderful re-read. I had forgotten all the great lines, fine character creations. A twisty tale of small town politics, quarrels and revenge. Plus some very good sex scenes. Back on the Keeper Shelf.
Grace Under Fire by Julie Garwood was another re-read. It was a good thriller, and the characters from previous novels were all there or talked about which was lovely. The romance made sense from Isobel/Grace’s point of view but I found Michael a bit too strong and silent – especially when he left Isobel hanging for “four weeks and six days” – that didn’t sit well with me. Loved the music/inclusion of a “rock star” and loved all the highland villagers. Also adored her seeming inability to drive, which was a great plotline. Back on the Keeper shelf.
I liked “Never a Duke” too. I find a lot of Burrowes’ books are interlinked regardless of the series titles – a mind map is needed to keep track of all the connections and I gave up a while back as they all stand by themselves mostly 🙂
Life/day job is very stressful at the moment, so the need to escape into books is very strong.
I finished the Game Changer series by Rachel Reid. After Role Model, I finally listened to The Long Game. Am riveted, loved it to bits. Will re-read it soon. Loved the complexity and many layers. And loved the interconnections between Role Model and The Long Game – they have a parallel time line, so I new what important events would take place. The author has me hooked for good.
Now re-listening to Time to Shine. Coming from Ilya and Shane, it’s easy to see why many of my fellow-hockey readers didn’t love the story. It’s a different beast of a book altogether. I won’t compare it, it’s a lovely story in itself.
But RR definitely is one of my all time favourite writers.
I’m also about 70 % into “Forbidden Puckboy”, the 7th installment in the series.
But I should better have chosen a palate cleanser instead.
It’s unfair to come from Rachel Reid – as the FP is also a hockey romance it’s glaring how different the stories are. I love the first and second one in the series, but feel myself not giving a sh*t about this one. It’s okay, but there aren’t any layers to speak of. Increasingly, the attraction between the MCs seems driven by their sexual appetite.
Here, the falling in love happened already when the MCs were 12 (crush for older brothers bf, not acted upon of course) and ca. 20 (the older brother’s bff developing a crush on the then 19 year old rebel). So for ca. 50% of the story, they were kept apart due to the bro-code (big brother/bff will kill me if I hook up with little brother). Then the go-sign, only conflict: their career’s (little bro is a player, bff is a ref about to switch from PWHL to AHL). I guess the conflict might get ramped up if the ref is promoted to the NHL, I’m almost at 70 % so this could be the crisis point. Well, as the MCs don’t feel 3-D to me, I will just finish the book and return the copy to KU. I’m soooo glad I didn’t buy it.
Some authors just popp out books at an incredibly speed. But imho there definitely is a down-side to producing that many books each year.
I miss the lack of layers and complexity, even though their books are often fun to read.
That’s the reason why I subscribe to KU: for the chance to find the gems among the solid-but-not-stellar books and not worry about the “fast food stories”.
Ah, my reading time got cut short too by my men agreeing to watch Netflix with me: dh and ds both loved Dead Boy Detectives, proving that you don’t need to be female nor a teenager to love this Young Adult series that of course got chopped after a great first season. I do hope the actors get interesting next roles because all of them were great.
We also watched Wednesday together – dh finally catching up with what our kids love, yay.
And ds introduced his father to Cunk on Earth. My sensible husband insisted we watched the second episode immediately after the first one – not something he usually insists on on a weekday with an early wake up time.
We tried KAOS, too and dnf even the first episode.
Also tried Letterkenny, but obviously our grasp of dead-pan Canadian is not fine enough yet. I will try Shoresy next, but might have to do so alone.
As I said yesterday, I’m on the verge of finishing various books and audiobooks, plus a DVD series that I did not mention, but I haven’t quite managed to finish any. I had thought of reviewing a podcast or two, but the below ran long and I have outside things scheduled today, so this probably will be all for today from me.
I watched my first complete episode of broadcast television drama in quite a while on Monday, namely the first episode of Murder in a Small Town (Fox, 90 minutes including commercials; reportely available on Hulu.) I found some things about it to be curious:
Either because of: 1) inattention on my part, 2) market tailoring on the part of the Canadian showmakers (it’s on Global in Canada), or 3) pressure from US-based Fox, I was probably 30 minutes into the episode before I even suspected that it was set in BC rather than in Washington state or Oregon. Albrecht’s daughter in a video call asks him how he likes the Sun Coast, which I knew to be in BC. Even then I was uncertain. Was the daughter geographically challenged? or being ironic about rainy coastal Washington? (From the look of it, I was pretty sure the show had been *shot* in BC, but lots of television produced in the province is set in the U.S.) Later, when a suspect plans to move to Montreal, I was more that half convinced that he planned to cross a national border, out of easy reach of the law. Afterward, when I looked up the book series that the TV show was based on, I found that it was written by L.R. Wright. I’d read a little by her and knew that she was Canadian. I also discovered that the novel version of the episode was in KU, so I downloaded it. I’m not sure I’m going to read the whole book (which looks to be a downer), but it was much more up-front about the BC setting, and with the space afforded to a novel, it goes into the local geography at length. Moreover in the book, when Albrecht meets Cassandra, he tells her that he is in the local RCMP detachment. On TV, he says that he is the “police chief,” reinforcing my impression of a US setting. Per Wikipedia, on TV the eponymous small town is now Gibsons rather than Sechelt as in the novel, but each of the towns is policed by the RCMP rather than a purely municipal force. The book also makes the identity of the murderer 100% clear from the opening, and skimming suggests that this novel is more of a psychological “crime story” like Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment than any sort of genre detective novel. On TV, however, although Albrecht strongly suspects the guilty party, we have a “how to prove it” mystery for most of the episode before it ends with a dispute between Albrecht and Cassandra on how justice is to be best served once the truth is known. We also see drastic and amusing alterations in communications tech between novel and TV, since the book came out in 1985. Perhaps it’s a show worth continuing with. Not a total washout, anyhow.
Patrick, what I look for when I’m not certain of location is for the abundance of U.S. flags on every street. And also, I look for license plates for the state. Sort of like the game played as kids when on a road trip.
Re-reading ‘Rivals’ by the awesome Jilly Cooper, before the release of the Disney Dramatisation, which I really hope they haven’t messed up. Two of her novels have already been butchered for the small screen. Like you Jennifer, and Bob of course. That goes without saying. Jilly is in my top 5 novelists, always a good rip-roaring read of a book, horses (and dogs), sex, drama, gorgeous men, strong women, back stabbing and business shenanigans and one even has a murder , what more could you want 😀 .
Haven’t read that since it came out…in the 80s? Jilly Cooper is lots of fun, though I assume some of the attitudes are pretty dated. I guess they’re ‘of their time’.
I like her earlier short novels (Harriet, Octavia, Imogen, etc), though they are dated. Stopped reading the doorstoppers after a while; they weren’t keepers for me.
I think escape reading must be in the air or something, because all my library book requests were stuck in the “Waiting for your Hold?” line.
So I picked a volume of Heyer at random, and am re-re-re-reading “The Quiet Gentleman.” Quite an odd Heyer Regency and, I think, pretty under-rated.
It was good to be stuck in the headspace of a skilled & perceptive author, though. Instead of the two protagonists meeting cute, or at a ball or rout, one was the heir to the estate & the title, whereas the other was a sort of unpaid companion and problem-solver for the hero’s overbearing stepmother.
And there was an angry young cousin, a quiet-but-scheming mystery villain somewhere among those at the dinner tables, and a confrontation with guns near the end, so — a mystery novel stuck in as well.
So rewarding, though — although my dying cat jumped onto the bed and kept trying to claw the book down RIGHT AWAY! so he could lie across my face where he’d (he thought, at least) be comfortable.
I’m now hoping I’ll have a moment on a rainy Thursday to pick up my holds today or tomorrow if that doesn’t work. And to pet the poor cat in a chair & tell him we love him.
The Quiet Gentleman is one of my favorite Heyer’s as well. I love the Gervase’s quality of seasoned patience, and knowing he doesn’t have to yell or stomp around. Also that he has real friends, and his growing (and quiet) appreciation of Drusilla.
Also very fond of The Quiet Gentleman. He’s a bit different.
Another one to re-read!
I finished Wellness by Nathan Hill on audio literally minutes before book group. I started it in plenty of time, but found it… Not boring exactly, but much longer than necessary. Like the side topics went on and on and we don’t share a sense of humor?
Did some palate cleansing with KJ Charles’ rereads. any Old Diamond and the rest of that series.
I’m also listening to a YA about a boy band, but I’m not even sure if it’s going to have a happy ending.
Which one about the boy band is it, Phyllis? I’ve read a couple of those, with mixed feelings.
It was Kiss and Tell. The pov character is an out gay boy who’s struggling with being constantly in the media. His ex posts sexy texts, his label and handlers are trying to keep his image as a gentle, non-sexual gay. They set him up with the dinner from the other boy band touring with them.
He’s somewhat oblivious to how hard fame is on his friends/bandmates who are of various ethnicities.
I enjoyed it, but felt almost like it needed to be a series and the next one would be from someone else’s POV.
It’s ok and
Ah yes, I remember.
The cover made me get it from the library.
Yep, it wasn’t a lighthearted read.
I’ve skimmed a lot and realized that I wasn’t in the right headspace to empathize enough.
First encounter with poutine though 😀.
So good memories.
There was very little sleeping this week so I had more time to read.
I started the week by continuing with the Ripley Hayes Welsh Daniel Owen mysteries, book 3 (Leavings) and book 4 (A Man.) Really enjoyed them both — good procedural stuff, smart MCs with good progression in the character arc. I will be continuing the series for sure.
I then read Garth Greenwell’s “What Belongs to You.” This one — definitely not a romance — has been on my TBR for a while. It was long listed for a gazillion awards and is the story of a gay American teacher in Bulgaria and his “relationship” with a Bulgarian rent boy. It felt grim and the main protagonist is maddeningly passive so it was hard to like him and it was hard to finish the book. The writing was good but I am confused about all the awards… I won’t be rereading this one.
To cleanse the reading palate I reread Table for Five by Susan Wiggs. The story of two single people who find themselves suddenly taking care of the 3 children of their closest friends who have died in a car accident. Not sure why this book works so well for me but it is on the reread loop. I enjoyed it this time too.
I then gave in to the overwhelming urge to reread Heated Rivalry and The Long Game. Actually, I listened to the audiobooks. I didn’t love the narrator’s accent for Ilya in HR but it was okay — the narrator of The Long Game does a much better Ilya imho. In any case these two definitely stand out in the MM Hockey romance category.
Those two are top five hockey MC’s that’s for sure.
Well, you know I have to ask… Who are your top five hockey MCs?
Mine are :
Mike/Liam – Thrown off the Ice,
David/Jake — Between the Teeth
Ilya/Shane — Heated Rivalry and The Long Game
Elliott/Blake – Three is the Luckiest Number
Am having trouble coming up with 5th that I would put in the “top” category.
Agree with all those. I might add Jamie and Wes – Him.
Oh yes! Those guys are great too!
Your top three are definitely in my top five. I’d also add Benji/Olly from Cait Nary’s Trade Season and Noah/Morgan from Catherine Cloud’s Love and Other Inconveniences. Elliott/Blake are my least favourite of her MC’s, sorry.
I’d forgotten Benji/Olly. Noah and Morgan are right up there with Elliott/Blake. Will need to reread to see who gets on the list… My kind of project!
I want a full report.
Good question! Mine are
Max/Grady – Unrivaled
Troy/Shane – Coach’s challenge
Jarek/Hunter – Own Goal
Landon/Casey – Time to Shine
Wesmie – Him & Us
Oooh that is good list too. Clearly it is going to be hard to limit this “top” list to only 5!
Oh yes now you’ve reminded me of Max/Misha from Avon Gale’s Power Play – I’d have to make it a Top Six.
Absolutely ❤️
I’m reading a fairly recent book (pubbed in 2020) by Simon Brett. The Clutter Corpse, the first in a Decluttering Mystery series set in England. I had read and loved many of his books years ago (the Mrs. Pargeter series, and the Charles Paris theatrical mysteries) but I’d wandered away and honestly didn’t realize he was still writing.
This one is pretty good so far, a bit dry and a bit slow, which might have been true of the other books, although it has been so long since I read them, I can’t be sure. Very British. I’m enjoying it, but it remains to be seen if I like it enough to see if there are more books out in the series.
Good to know he’s still out there. Mrs. Pargeter (I’d completely forgotten) and Character Paris weren’t rereads for me but I enjoyed them.
Charles turned into Character? What is autocorrect thinking?
Deborah Blake: I’ve noticed over the years that you and I share book tastes frequently. 🙂 I enjoyed the first volume of Simon Brett’s decluttering novels when it came out. At your prompt, I went and looked further: there are four volumes in total. But quite expensive (in my book). However, I shall keep an eye out for volume 2 and let you know. Anything that is about bringing order to life appeals to me…
Book twins! Definitely keep me posted.
I liked the first two books in the decluttering series quite a bit, but the third one rubbed me the wrong way for some reason.
Will read comments & write a comment later.
For now if this link works it’s for all you shoe-loving/tentacle-loving folks.
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Wow! I love the purple. Those are great! It appears that only larger sizes are available, however.
Those are hilarious!
I’m not going to look in case I am too tempted to buy. In my weakened state, this could be deadly.
Fortunately for you, most sizes are sold out, but I did think of you immediately when I saw them.
Better stay away then.
As aunt snack said, the tentacle ones are available only for very small or very large feet. But they have A LOT of nice ones on offer, so still a temptation.
Did you see the Cherry Blue Sneakers?
I got a wonderful bunch of birthday books. I’m Afraid you Have Dragons by Peter Beagle
An Anne McCaffrey YA I-never heard of- If Wishes Were Horses, Remarkably Bright Creatures and Tom Lake.
Since I always buy myself a birthday present, I got big witch energy by Molly Harper
And Lynn Kurland’s just released eBook Every Day of My Life Featuring McLeod‘s Cameron‘s time travel, time gates and lots of good stuff. I believe she’s also gone to self publishing and well. I know she does better with an editor. I still love her stories, even if they are too long and include too much.
I got my wonderful critique back of witches garden and now I need to start doing a little rewriting make that a lot of rewriting but I’m still suffering from something wrong with my back and it’s hard to sit. I mostly recline. This is the 10th day of that and I finally got Norco
last night. I’ve been trying to make it on extra strength Tylenol and no time with Tylenol did the pain never go below three which got incredibly annoying and attention getting. Tonight I actually had some pain free sleep.
Happy reading
I read the new Richard Osman We Solve Murders and loved it. So I went back and read The Man Who Died Twice and am currently on The Bullet That Missed. Our new book club was mentioning The Thursday Murder Club as a possible pick for our next book so
I’m saving that one in case they pick it. I want to read it closer to the next meeting. Our first meeting is Tuesday so we’ll see how it goes and if we’ll be continuing on.
I flew through We Solve Murders and thoroughly enjoyed it. Awaiting a bunch of books from the library.
I also read The Bullet That Missed this week. Love to willfully suspend my disbelief for these characters.
I’ve been thinking about the characters and the plot in my novel, so I pulled it up, and have been rereading it, and will add to it. That’s it. That, and the ever-expanding circus of news. It’s 40 days until this madness ends in an election. On my walk, I’ve seen maybe six Harris/Walz signs in yards, but zero for the other side, even in yards that had the orange one’s signs during the last election cycle. That gives me hope.
If the election goes the wrong way nationally, or even if it just ends in gridlock, I expect the madness only to be beginning in November, alas.
(I have a new computer that the blog doesn’t seem to recognize so I’m sending this again.)
The last two books I’ve read were just painful! I had to skip ahead to the ending to try to find some happiness for a palate cleanser. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle started off VERY funny/snarky. Naomi is trying to get her fiancé to break the engagement so that she won’t be stuck paying for the wedding deposits. But Naomi is a very Unreliable Narrator. Fortunately the author sneaks in actions that the fiancé does that aren’t horrible so I began to suspect he wasn’t that bad. I actually got creeped out—Naomi acts very badly, crossing the line. And the fiancé does things that she interprets as retaliation but aren’t that bad. Ugh. I skipped to the end and the couple gets together on the same wavelength and it seems all will be well (except I wonder if she’s mentally ill and he’s going to be in for the same crazy treatment again and again). So not a happy ending, IMO.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez started off very light-heartedly. A guy posts a question on Am I the Asshole in Reddit. Basically, after he dates someone, the next person they date is The One. His post goes viral and he gets a DM from a female who has the exact same situation. So they text and talk and decide to “date” each other hoping to break the curse and maybe find their own HEA. They end up really liking each other and start to date for real. Very, very cute up to this point. Then her absentee mother shows up and things eventually break down. The mother is sooo emotionally abusive (with secrets, too) and the daughter is quite damaged emotionally. There’s a big breakdown but with therapy the daughter comes to realize she can change her thinking /reactions so there’s a sweet happy ending. But be warned, it’s not sweetness and light for quite a bit of the book. It’s well written with several plot twists and the author definitely makes you care about most of the characters–and the premise is clever so I would give the author a thumbs up.
I have a question about the character Simon in Faking It. He also showed up in Maybe This Time where he refers to North Archer having kept him out of an Ohio jail. Was this from a third book I have missed, or was it a reference to the (unpublished) aftermath of Faking It?
It was just a throwaway line about another time Simon had been in Ohio, mainly to explain why North knew him.
I still don’t have the brain juice to contemplate starting anything new. I finished book four from Charlie Adahara and decided to take a break before book five, so am listening to the first Memento Mori book by C.S. Poe. I really enjoy the ongoing grumpy/sunshine dynamic with a twist. I do wish the author didn’t feel the need for mortal peril at the climax of every book. What is wrong with solving the case quietly and methodically at least once?
Drama, baby, drama.
Pffft. Drama Shrama. I need cozy competency porn. I am still disappointed in The Spell Shop. It should have had everything that I liked. It’s almost enough to make one try writing except for the fact that I would be horrible at it.
I’m reading Astronaut Wives, which is subtly snarky on its subject matter and I enjoy that. Reading The Women’s March, which is…I dunno, straightforward, preachy-ish?
I’m listening to The Assistant and the Villain, which is kind of a mixed bag, has entertaining moments but also the heroine is somewhat ditzy and clumsy and weird and sometimes the author drags out description and Big Mis like, a lot
I’m in Season 15 of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix and pretty sure I started it in early spring. An episode a night. Also, on Netflix I’ll be watching The Resident, and the last two episodes of that series. That is six seasons. And if I haven’t had enough medical drama, I discovered on Amazon a Canadien series, Remedy, based in Toronto. I think that one was produced in the 2010’s. But still really good if only for two seasons. Here’s the thing I turn my head away once the surgeons start an incision and juggling guts. Sort of like skipping the sex scenes in books.
I’m currently on book five of Marie Force’s Fatal series. I read that series between other books as the fmc gets on my nerves after a while.
I swore to myself that I was never going to read any mafia romance books but once I came upon a mafia light story I stayed in that lane. It just has to have a bit of humor for me to stick with it.
And this morning I received a notice from the library that the first holiday book I put on hold is ready to be picked up. One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery.
Your re-counting of medical scenes made me laugh. Somehow I have recently got hooked on ER, which I have never seen before. Almost through season 3 now – twelve seasons to go!
I like ER but it got depressing in later seasons. Will look forward to hearing what you think.
Hmmm … I’m not sure I could cope with more depressing. Its not particularly upbeat at this point!
Kid 1 and I listened to most of the Masquerades of Spring on our car trip. I have 23 minutes left! Looking forward to finishing it, but now she’s at college and it feels weird to listen to the rest without her. (I will, though, eventually.)
Still on holiday so lots of reading for me. I’ll try and be brief ( though I don’t usually manage that…).
Firstly I finished The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese which I mentioned last week. Really good, and while long it’s very readable and thought provoking.
Then I read Day, Michael Cunningham. I don’t recognise this. In fact while reading I wondered if it would have published if he wasn’t already famous. I liked the hours, and a couple of his earlier books including At Home at the End of the World.
This one us set on the same day over 3 years (2019-2021) First years, introduced the characters and was fine, t second year, the pandemic one was a bit all over the place which might have been a metaphor but didn’t work for me. Final year he’d killed off the best character so I was irritated and the rest was tedious. That say, all the puff at the start implies many critics thought it was brilliant.
I bought it in a bookshop in San Sebastian/Donostia (in the Basque country in Spain). I like checking out the English language sections in other countries as they have the make choices about what to stock of they only have a shelf or two. There were a few classics, lots of Ali Hazelwood and Richard Osman and an otherwise eclectic mix. Most stock though was an author called Ana Huang who I hadn’t heard of.
Back to decent reading with the 4th of the Lymond Chronicles (Dorothy Dunnett, Pawn in Frankincense). I save these for holidays and it’s great to be back into one. This time we’re off to Constantinople (in 1552) though stopping in Algiers. Fab characters, complex plots, and great set pieces. Phillipa is an important character in this and I love her. These books are good for holidays too as they’re pretty densely written so take a while
In the meantime I read to the 7th Daniel Owen (Ripley Hayes). Faves so far were 5 and 3. Less keen on the later ones when Daniel isn’t in the police. The plots seem convoluted. Taking a break before the last (perhaps should have taken a break earlier as I know it’s not good to read too many in a series too quickly.
On that note, I did read all of the Nicky James Shadowy Solutions series.. first two were rereads. Still loved them and Power of Mind is the new one which was great. Good relationship development and some fun. Plot possibly over complex. Enjoyed it though.
Finally, in reading, I’ve just started Elle Kennedy The Deal which I know is loved here. Fun start anyway and I like her hockey MM series with Sarina Bowen so I’m looking forward to this
On audio, I am listening to Alexis Hall, Affair of the Mysterious Letter. Great reading but have more xed feelings about the story. Took ages to get into it ( so I was using it to fall asleep) then it perked up, but has got boring again… So I’m not really sure.
I finished Curtis Sittenfeld’s Romantic Comedy. Can’t remember if I said that here. Enjoyed it, and it’s definitely better on the pandemic than Michael Cunningham (above).
Sorry. This definitely isn’t brief 🫣
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Sorry, ‘don’t recognise this’ in relation to Day should be ‘don’t recommend this’. Autocorrect and one finger typing on the phone not a great combo. There probably other errors. Hope you can work them out.
I totally agree re the Affair of the Mysterious Letter. The great thing about Alexis Hall is that he tries different things. This book did not work for me and – I’m almost afraid to admit this given how much I love this author – was a DNF for me.
Also really enjoyed Romantic Comedy. Helps to be an SNL fan so you can totally imagine the scene.
It’s funny because I really liked Affair. Different strokes for different folks, right?
You read a lot – and comments for each of those books was concise and brief, so imo you were brief 😉
I have been seeing Ana Huang a lot lately too. She is on a list of mine somewhere to try, mostly because it’s nice to see an author of color rise in popular fiction and I want to support that.
And I agree with Christina’s comment about Hall. He tries a lot of different things and some of it just doesn’t work. I haven’t even tried his F/F works because as a genre, that usually doesn’t work for me.
Don’t be brief.
Why be brief?
We don’t have a word limit when it comes to talking about books.
Actually, we don’t have a word limit at all.
It’s been a ‘Ring of Fire’ week, starting with Bjorn Hasseler’s SECURITY SOLUTIONS. That’s book 3 of his “Neustatter’s European Security Service” series. Bjorn, as part of the steering committee of the Ring of Fire series as a whole, took seriously the injunction to write stories where “downtimers” are the main characters.
TALES FROM THE MERMAID AND TIGER by Kevin and Karen Evans counts, even though I didn’t read all of it. I kept reading parts because I was doing ‘eBook Binding’ on it to get the cover thumbnail to show in my MobiReader eLibrary.
Of those alternate history novels, pride of place this week went to THE RAM REBELLION. Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce are on the cover, but other authors got credit internally. There’s a preface wherein Eric Flint explained that this wasn’t exactly an anthology, that many of the parts were written intending publication in the Grantville Gazette eMagazine (which managed to publish 108 issues before dying with Eric). Also, it’s about the little people… mostly. Eric also said:
Not everything was alternate history/science fiction. I can’t remember now whether the first book or sequel was recommended here, so I bought both, and have read Final Draft (An Olivia Lively Mystery Book 1) by Burbank, Shelley. It was a slog at times, but that may have been me. Also, I was surprised Liv survived the end with her ex. I may read book 2. After all, I paid for it.
The final book this week—actually, a long short story— was Don Lockwood’s THE ORGASM GAME. College students getting up to interesting diversions, and learning something. This also got the eBook binding treatment.
No week is complete without mentioning the continuing serial word opera, VARIATION ON A THEME Book 5. This week’s chapters were Chapter 89: Birthday and Planning and Chapter 90: Carrying Torches. Okay, well over 2,000,000 words in this soap. If a picture is a thousand words, there are over 2,000 posts to this Facebook Page of a story. And yet… I’m still reading it.
Summer Romance from Annabel Monaghan had just the right mix of topsy-turvy heroine and unexpected love interest for my taste. It moved briskly and believably. Unlike, I’m sad to say, the plodding pace of Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell, which was the far less satisfying read this week.
Slow Dance didn’t work for me either. I’m still waiting for my turn for Summer Romance at my local library.
Michelle Diener’s Truth’s Blade was the latest in her pure fantasy series THE RISING WAVE. It was basically an OK standard fantasy, but it left me indifferent. I have to confess: I adore Diener’s sci-fi novels, both CLASS 5 series and VERDANT STRING series, and re-read them occasionally. All 14 of those books are on permanent download on my Kindle. But none of the books in THE RISING WAVE series jibed for me.
Elizabeth Moon’s Remnant Population was a re-read. I first read it over 10 years ago, so I didn’t remember much, beyond my sense of wonder at this sci-fi novel’s unique heroine – a grumpy 70+ woman as the first contact agent of humanity on an alien world. I loved it then. Unfortunately, the re-read wasn’t as good as I remembered. The wonder was missing. The novel felt dated, old-fashioned. The story was slow, and the narrative convoluted. Only its heroine stood up to the test of time – just as good as she was before. Overall impression: not bad, although I didn’t enjoy it as much the second time around.
Richard Lederer’s Anguished English (1987) was a blast. All his life, Richard Lederer – a linguist – collected typos, verbal goofs, and word substitutions. He culled them from student essays, legal documents, and any other written text and he wanted to share his joy at those accidental blunders with his readers. His book’s basic purpose was to present his collection and to make us laugh. He succeeded. The funny quotes – what real people actually wrote – are the main part of this book.
Lederer wrote many other books on the same topic, but this was my only encounter with him. I laughed so much as I read one gaffe after another from his collection. History, science, bible study, legal briefs, advertisements – anything was subject to this kind of linguistic butchery. Anyone who loves the English language will find this little gem of a book both hilarious and delightful.
I LOVE Lederer’s books and Anguished English and More Anguished English top the list. I have literally laughed myself sick over some of the stuff in these books. At one point I gave them as gifts. The great thing about them is that they are perfect for just dipping into -on any random page- and are guaranteed to lift the spirits. I just opened up my copy and found three items that made me laugh out loud. Thanks for reminding me to keep them close!
I used to read Lederer’s newspaper column when I was a kid and got to meet him a few years ago at a San Diego writers org meeting. That was a total thrill!
Just downloaded this for plane ride tomorrow!
Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood and Death comes to Marlow about an unlikely trio investigating murders in Marlow. Enjoyable easy reads… cryptic crossword people will probably love it more
I live a short drive from Marlow. I saw one of these books adapted for TV recently. I didn’t realise it was a series.
I also read the new Aaronovitch and just adored it. American attitudes toward race is a tricky subject so I’m glad he filters it through a British protagonist. It’s a love letter to Wodehouse which I think is something many of the negative Goodreads reviews missed. If you don’t know Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, then you will just be confused. I liked this much better than the Wisconsin novella.
I read The Ministry of Time this week which is also getting mixed reviews. I had a good time with it and the unreliable narrator. It’s written very well and I was engrossed enough to knock it out in a few hours.
Can’t remember if I reported on Victoria Goddard’s The Bone Harp last week. I enjoyed the first part, but then she switched to a narrator I didn’t like and descended into Deeply Significant fairytale stuff. The story meanders on, slow & repetitive, and nothing is really resolved. She seems to publish her first drafts, and that often doesn’t work for me. It’s frustrating: if she edited herself all her stories could be brilliant.
For some reason, I wanted to reread The House of the Red Balconies (A. J. Demas) after that, which I liked much better the second time around. Then Death in the Spires (K. J. Charles), which is brilliant. I followed it with Georgette Heyer’s Why Shoot a Butler? and the contrast in the authors’ attitude to class was striking. I do enjoy the social history in Heyer’s mysteries, though, even if the snobbery can get a bit much.
I loved The House of the Red Balconies/b>. I think a re-read is in order.
I’ll be covering a co-worker’s desk for the next 2 weeks so you probably won’t see me dropping by early in the day. 🙂 This week’s reading:
1. ‘Evocation’ by S. T. Gibson, an urban fantasy series starter involving a nascent polyamorous M/M/F (very little sex and mostly fade to black, though one AMZ reviewer clutched their pearls about all! this! sex! – can only imagine what they usually read!). Anyway, the premise is murky – we discover what, exactly, is wrong with the POV character over time, as he discovers it himself with the help of his ex-boyfriend and that guy’s wife. It has to do with a 500-yr-old deal with a demon. It’s a good book if you’re looking for a Magpie Lord-ish thing set in modern-day Boston. I wasn’t quite in love with any of the three main characters, so I gave it 4 stars.
2. ‘Ghostridden’ by E. J. Russell, new M/M cozy paranormal mystery series starter set in a haunted Oregon beach town, with some romantic elements. Another 4 stars, as I can see re-reading it when the next one comes out, but was disappointed by a rushed conclusion with the POV character’s love connection unresolved and the underlying, much more emotionally impactful romantic mystery also unresolved. So I will read the next one, but with a hint of irritated side-eye.
3. ‘Jackson Haines: The Skating King’ by Ryan Stevens. A short biography (with 479 footnotes!) concerning a 19th-century figure skating celebrity whose style is the basis of what we now consider figure skating (vs the “English style” which from the sound of it was very Figures, much Stuffy). JH left almost no personal papers so the abundant source material is all secondary, but he was a legit star in the US before leaving his family to tour amongst kings etc in Europe till his death in 1879 at the age of 38.
4. ‘Icebreaker’ the autobiography of Rudy Galindo with Eric Marcus. Another tough life; I’d like a volume 2, please, because the first 27 years of this life mostly sucked. A vivid and self-affirming voice comes through (Marcus also co-wrote Greg Louganis’ memoir). I remember Rudy’s national championship win in 1996, always had a soft spot for him.
5. ‘The Masquerades of Spring’ by Ben Aaronovitch – clearly several of us were waiting for this! – which I completely adored. I want approximately infinity more stories featuring Gussie & Lucy.
5.5 [re-read] my own novelette ‘Reinvented,’ co-workers to lovers, over 50, M/M.
6. ‘Icebreaker’ by A.L. Graziadei. Completely different book from Rudy’s, though the anxiety & depression are strong in both. This is a M/M YA hockey romance-ish novel with a 17 yr old college freshman as the POV character. His love interest is another 17 yr old college freshman. They are on the school’s team. They are the top two prospects for the next year’s NHL draft. Potential triggers abound, starting with POV boy’s mantra of “Kill me.” It is pedal-to-the-metal ANGST all the way through. And it’s good, in the way that ‘Loser of the Year’ was good: I was engaged & invested, but the amount of happy delivered by the HFN was not nearly enough to balance the amount of “omg get this kid out of this awful, awful sport.” F**k hockey. The last full chapter ends with the boys deciding to openly be boyfriends, come what may. The epilogue, six months later, is Draft Day. And we don’t even learn where they’re going. My hope for their future went up in flames of wrath. The hockey lovers among you may like this quite a lot; its spiritual parent may be that Taylor Fitzpatrick book with the tragic ending.
I read Icebreaker when it came out and it was okay… but overpriced, not on my re-read list and I wouldn’t even put them in the same arena as Taylor.
I didn’t read anything I would recommend this week, but I expect that to change next week. Michael Mammay’s new book came out, the fourth book in the series Planetside, Spaceside and Colonyside. It’s called Darkside.
Also a new book in Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series.
My electronic to be read pile is getting pretty high.
For those Hands of the Emperor fans I just got an email that Victoria Goddard has just released a new companion short story called Feonie and the Islander Regalia.
I had better hurry up, then. I’m only two-thirds of the way through Spaceside.
Work has been too much, so I am binge-listening to Nora Roberts trilogies. All of them, one after the other. It is surprisingly satisfying.
I too read ‘The masquerades of spring’ andenjoyed it a lot. I went looking for the books / stories in the back matter of the ebook, but couldn’t find them on Amazon or Kobo.
Does anyone know if they exist, and where to find them?
They may be geographically locked, only visible to customers in the USA.
These are the stories mentioned, for those who want to read the further adventures of the remarkable Beauregard:
(maybe written under a pen-name? Or just a tease, not really existing?)
Bertram D. Argyll: Gussie goes west, Beauregard plays a blinder, The castle of missing men, Into the great white north.
So instead I found the 4 seasons of the BBC series about Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, played by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, at https://youtube.com/@yevhenii_k?feature=shared
I think those two actors are perfect in those roles, and greatly enjoyed the first series, but felt the quality of the storytelling had gone down a lot by series 4.
Still, if I can find a DVDset that will play here I’ll probably buy it.
I didn’t see those, but they’re not showing up anywhere on Google. Argh.
Thank you for posting that link! Really enjoyed watching those. And apart from the Jeeves and Bertie stories, it fills me with nostalgia when I see Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry looking so young and clearly having such a good time…
The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes ebook, co-written by OGH, was on sale for $2.99 so I snaffled a copy. Wanted to mention it here ASAP in case someone else needed a copy. I also read several new books I’m happy to mention here as soon as I can spare some more time.
Thanks! I just grabbed it.
I’ve been rereading the Westcott series by Balogh. Her ability to capture the details of the time period are amazing; this time I am also realizing how unusual her plots are while still being consistent with the mores and morals and of the time.
I am going to try Masquerades of Spring but this election may have thrown me into major rereading mode.
Oh I’m also reading elections websites and watching adimpact politics on Twitter which shows how much money both sides including PACs have invested in various states and races. And shows some of the ads.
I’m kinda of fond of the Osborne for Senate in Nebraska ads. One shows her in a jacket covered with the names of all the corporations she has taken money from. And then there is this
https://x.com/osbornforsenate/status/1839453388850794788?s=46&t=gafwOA2cvF3z1jCG_IUqVQ
Her is of course his opponent incumbent Rep. Senator Fischer
I’m reading Pride & Prejudice this week for the fifth time and still finding lines and scenes I’d forgotten…like Lydia gushing about how much fun they had dressing up an officer in women’s clothing. How did I miss that four times?
Other than that, I find myself reading a lot of newsletters. I may have subscribed to too many.
And I’m revising a manuscript that’s giving me trouble. I love the story, but ugh! It needs so much work. So I’m reading that.
Well, I THOUGHT I’d read all but one of the novels by Emily Henry, but I finally received the one I hadn’t read. Which turned out to be the best one! “Funny Story” by Henry moved along from page one to every other page. I put it down when the clock reached 11pm, thinking this was just way too late for me to recover from a heavy work week, but within a few minutes picked it up again, and when I looked up after the last page it was 1:30 am, so…. sanity failed me.
But it’s not like her others in that near the beginning is a sudden breakup of a ‘perfect married couple’ and moves on as the rejected ex-fiance sees her whole life fall apart. And he suggests that she can live for free with the guy that his new partner just broke up with, because… ‘well, he has an empty bedroom now….’
It’s an endlessly funny, sad, reassuring tale of forming new friendships connections, and even a new and much more satisfying romance. I wish Henry’d clone books like this one!
Oops! Misremembered. Actually the boyfriend of the other woman barged into the protagonist’s house, looking for his girlfriend and just finding the two miscreants have run off together. And he’s there now with the OTHER loser. So he’s the one who offers a room in his house.
It’s just hard to write about all the he’s jilting hers and she’s jilting hims….
Just expect things to go like this: creeps end up together, good guys finish happy ever after, Good book!