What are you reading the week of June 13, 2020?

I'm about a quarter of the way through Kuby Immunology which I doubt anyone here cares about. It will probably take me until August to finish it.

I'm quarter way through conjure women by Afia Atakora.
historical fiction, Civil War era.

I'm reading The Code by Margaret O'Mara. It's a book on Silicon valley. I love reading books on Silicon valley and Wall street.

LyndaInOregon:

Try Julia Quinn or Sophie Kinsella. Frivolous reads

4>
Have sampled both Quinn and Kinsella. ~meh~

I'll probably do a re-read of Terry Pratchett's Pyramids, and there's also a Mary Kay Andrews book near the top of the TBR stack.

Other favorite writers when I need a literary Twinkie (sweet, fluffy, and totally without nourishment) include Janet Evanovitch, Jennifer Crusie, and Abbi Waxman.

I finished Bad Guy, a sly, very dark comedy from 1982 about a psychologist treating a young man who has committed a brutal rape and murder of an old woman and the woman's adult daughter. The novel is by artist/writer/wrestler Rosalyn Drexler. You'll find my more in-depth comments about the book, and info about Drexler's fascinating life, on my 50-Book Challenge thread or the book's main page.

Next up for me will be The Swordsman of Mars by Otis Adelbert Kline. Hey, they can't all be classics!

We are Legion We are Bob after the glowing comments here!

Listening to The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

Reading Our Lady of The Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga

Still reading:
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction March/April 2019
Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 160
Moon Over Soho
Ruin
The Book of Koli

This week has been....indescribable. To lift my spirits somewhat, I'm re-reading (for the fourth or fifth time) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is helping. It's so safe.

The Unfolding of Language by Guy Deutscher arrived at the door only moments ago; it looks fascinating and right up my alley, so I'll probably read a bit of that as well.

>5 LyndaInOregon: meh means?

Enjoying this OverDrive Kindle eBook Alexa reads to me ~

Sunrise Canyon (Americana) by Janet Dailey

(book 1/Arizona/a former dude ranch is now the site of a horse therapy program for troubled
teens/military vet with PTSD issues/romance)

I'm reading Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman. Both of my sisters recommended it.

The last two Poirots I'll be reading/watching are reviewed: Death in the Clouds and Cat Among the Pigeons. I need a break from the little Belgian.

>11 Gurdeesh.Kaur.Sethi:

~meh~ means ... It was okay. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I might try it again but I won't go out of my way for it.

Tyrannosaur Canyon – Douglas Preston
Book on CD performed by Scott Sowers
4****

From the book jacket: A moon rock missing for thirty years … Five buckets of blood-soaked sand found in a New Mexico canyon … A scientist with ambition enough to kill … A monk who will redeem the world … A dark agency with a deadly mission … The greatest scientific discovery of all time… What fire bolt from the galactic dark shattered the Earth eons ago, and now hides in that remote cleft in the southwest United States known as Tyrannosaur Canyon?

My reactions:
This was one wild ride of a thriller! I was all set to follow independently wealth veterinarian Tom Broadbent not just through this novel, but any future ones. He has all the markings of a major series hero – wealth, good looks, a noble heart, the confidence and admiration of the community, and a wife who is both smart and beautiful. He’s also tenacious and does not suffer fools gladly, even when those fools are the police who seem to suspect HIM rather than listen to his story of the murdered prospector he found in the desert.

Tom’s got his work cut out for him in trying to find out the identity of the murdered man. He’s also determined to find out what the old man was up to. He recalls a visit to a monastery to treat their sheep and meeting a monk who had some experience with codes, so he decides to ask for the monk’s help in deciphering the dead man’s notebook.

The monk is an ex-CIA operative now living a life of contemplation in a remote monastery, and he is the character who steals the show. And then I realized that the series title is: Wyman Ford.

Plenty of action, more villains that you can shake a stick at, twists and turns and danger to keep the reader turning pages and trying (in vain, in my case at least) to guess where this is going. And I loved that the T-rex gets a few chapters of her own to “narrate.” I will say this, for all the testosterone on the pages, Preston’s women are no shrinking violets. They give as good (or better) than they get – smart, determined, strong in mind and body!

Scott Sowers does an excellent job reading the audiobook. He sets a good pace and has the skill to give the many characters sufficiently distinct voices. As a bonus, there is an interview with the author at the end of the audiobook. I found it fascinating to learn a little more of Preston’s background, including his years working for the American Museum of Natural History.

Almost finished with Use of Weapons, a Culture novel by Iain M. Banks, which I had to warm up to, but am really liking it now, with only ~70 pages left.

Also reading The Invention of the White Race, Volume 1: Racial Oppression and Social Control, which is very interesting and I'm learning a lot.

Finished reading the interesting , historical fiction debut, Our Lady Of The Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga.

Next up for reading is Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima.

Finished conjure women. It was both devastating and wonderful.

Still listening to leave the grave green by Deborah Crombie, a Duncan Kinkaid mystery.

Just started wings of fire Charles Todd. 2nd of the Inspector Ian Rutledge series.

Love British mysteries!

The Mockingbird Next Door – Marja Mills
Audiobook narrated by Amy Lynn Stewart
3.5***

Chicago Tribune journalist Marja Mills was sent to Monroeville Alabama on an assignment – the Chicago Public Library had picked To Kill a Mockingbird for it’s “One Book, One Chicago” project and her editor wanted some background. She had no real hope of interviewing Harper Lee, but decided she had to at least try. So she went to the Lee sisters’ home and rang the doorbell. She met Alice who graciously invited her in and spoke at length and on the record for the newspaper article. The next day Alice gave Mills more time and introduced her to their long-time friend and minister. And then the unexpected happened… Nelle Harper Lee called Mills and suggested they meet.

Over time Mills became friends with the sisters. A health crisis required her to take a bit of a sabbatical, and a warmer climate and gentler lifestyle were recommended, so she decided to rent a house in Monroeville. And that house was right next door to the Lees. In this book, Mills tries to chronicle her experiences over several years of shared meals, drives in the country, trips to the cemetery, and Scotch on the front porch, and what she learned from the sisters about the South, religion, faith, family and justice.

I found it engaging and interesting, though at time repetitive. I’m aware of the controversy that surrounded its publication, but that did nothing to diminish my enjoyment of this book.

Amy Lynn Stewart does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. There were times when I felt that Nelle or Alice was speaking directly to me, relating a story about their parents or a cousin’s automobile mishap.

The Rosie Result
Graeme Simsion
4/5 stars
Simsion returns with another novel revolving around Don Tillman who despite being autistic continues to learn and grow as a father and husband. This book focuses on the story of his son Hudson and his difficulties at school and making friends especially after the family moves to live in Australia when Rosie is offered a job there. Is Hudson autistic or just having difficulties with the move? How will the family deal with this new issue? I enjoy this series and was delighted to see what was in store for them!

I finished Behind the Beautiful Forevers. The author created a cast of characters to portray the realities of slum life in India. Besides the corruption and dreadful conditions, she looks at the rays of hope slum dwellers pursue and why these masses have not risen up to demand their piece of the pie.

>21 JulieLill: Thanks for sharing about The Rosie Result. I read the first in the series & didn't know there was a recent one. It's been awhile since I read the first 2. Just downloaded this one.

This morning I finished A Way From Darkness by Taylor Hunt, an Ashtanga yoga teacher based in Ohio who writes of his journey from addiction to health.

I just started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I'm intrigued in just the first few pages. It's a long one, though, and I'm a slow reader.

Thankfully, I'm going on a relaxing vacation in a couple weeks so I'll have time to read while listening to waves lap in the background!

I was surprised how much I loved that book; I don't usually go for over hyped titles but this was reall worth it. Just a caveat there are some very detailed sexual assault and abuse scenes that I really didn't need in my head. But its good; the second one about the same

Finished yesterday Past Perfect Amber Reed Mystery by Zanna Mackenzie. The more I read, the more I liked it. Now reading Swept Away by Kamery Solomon about treasure hunting.

Thanks, Cindy, for the heads up!

I finished Jacqueline Woodson's Red at the Bone. Poetic and sad.

Currently, I'm enjoying a French noir debut, Summertime, All the Cats are Bored by Philippe Georget. I bought it nearly three years ago at a little indie bookstore because I loved the title. Seems especially so this summer.

thanks for good tips!
I just checked out Rosie result and red at the bone!
Love Jacqueline Woodsen. Recommend her other books if you come softly and brown girl dreaming.

Had to put down wings of fire till I finish the audio edition of leave the grave green. I can only read 1 police procedural at a time!

Instead, I picked up Captain Grey by Avi.

The Woman Who Walked In Sunshine – Alexander McCall Smith
Digital audiobook performed by Liset Lecat
3.5***

Book sixteen in the immensely popular – and equally enjoyable – series starring Mma Precious Ramotswe and other residents of Gabaron, Botswana. In this episode Mma Ramotswe is persuaded by Mma Grace Matekoni Radiputi to take a well-deserved vacation. Except that cases still come her way: from a troubled young boy to a politician whose reputation is being sullied.

I love this series for the gentle “mysteries of daily life” and for the wonderful way that Precious arrives at the truth and solves her cases. There are no gristly murders here, though there are mysteries of human behavior. There are lessons to be learned about relationships: with husbands, children, friends, colleagues. And Precious learns something about herself as well.

Spending time with the characters of these novels is like enjoying an afternoon libation on a patio in the sunshine. May we ALL walk in sunshine!

Liset Lecat is simply marvelous as the narrator of the series’ audiobooks. She brings these characters to life.

I remember loving the early books in her series, I may have to pick it up again! After spending early corona time on a comfort book kick, I am slowly getting back to my TBR pile.

Right now I am reading Short Stories about Saskatchewan by Leslie Dybvig and I am just starting French Women Don't get Fat.

If anybody is seeking a slightly more grown version of Lucy Maude Montgomery's short stories, I highly recommend Short Stories About Saskatchewan.

Finished Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 160 and added Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 161 to my rotation.

Started a library copy of The Queen's Fortune by Allison Pataki
Novel about Desiree Clary, Napoleon's first love and later Queen of Sweden

I also read and own the novel Desiree by Annemarie Selinko in paperback. The novel was reissued in 2010 after being out of print for many years.

Has anyone read novels by Anne Rice?

Finished Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch. Meh.

Added Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski to my rotation.

I finished some escapist fun, The Swordsman of Mars by Otis Adelbert Kline, originally published in 1933. As you might imagine, this old science fiction story puts the test to a modern reader's willing suspension of disbelief.

Well, so much for escapism, at least for now. Next up for me is Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Amy Goldstein's Janesville: An American Story, an account of life in Janesville, Wisconsin, after the closing of the GM plant.

Auntie Mame – Patrick Dennis
4****

Subtitle: An Irreverent Escapade

Oh, what an absolute delight! I love Mame … she’s outrageous, convivial, adventurous, kind, a bon vivant, prone to exaggeration, unable to resist, unabashedly lacking in marketable skills, and yet full of confidence. She’s also completely and utterly devoted to her nephew, Patrick, who’s been orphaned and placed in her care at the tender age of nine. Oh, what an education he gets!

What started as a few essays in periodicals has been framed into this novel “memoir.” It’s funny and tender, horrifying and enthralling. I was appalled at some of Mame’s escapades, but enthralled by others, and always I was in her corner, cheering her on.

I’ve wanted to read this for years, ever since I had seen the marvelous movie starring Rosalind Russell, and I admit to picturing her throughout the novel.

>34 GURDEESH:
I've found her to be very uneven. Enjoyed the Mayfair Witches series. You'll probably be hooked if you read the first few pages of The Witching Hour, where she describes the New Orleans mansion where much of the action takes place.

On the other hand, I could not get through Interview with the Vampire, and didn't even attempt the rest of the Vampire Lestat series.

She's written a ton of other stuff, from erotica to Christian fiction.

>37 BookConcierge: We did the play in HS and oh that was so fun! Actually didn't read the book until many years later and enjoyed the parts the play skipped over, tho I did find it somewhat overwritten. Oh but that music; My fav is probably We need a little christmas

>38 LyndaInOregon:
I absolutely love Anne Rice. What I love about her is that every book she writes is brilliant and very different from the other.

I tend to enjoy paranormal historical romances. never erotica. i feel erotica and horror should be banned. they have no use

Acquiring courage to ignore.

Enjoying this OverDrive audiobook selection ~

Texas Outlaw (A Texas Ranger Thriller, book 2) by James Patterson

(continues tale of Texas Ranger Rory Yates/nice change of pace)

Finished listening to the excellent mystery, The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan.

Next up for listening is The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste.

The Hideaway – Lauren K Denton
Digital audio read by Karthi Masters
2.5**

From the book jacket: After her last remaining family member dies, Sara Jenkins goes home to The Hideaway, her grandmother Mags’s ramshackle B&B in Sweet Bay, Alabama. She intends to quickly tie up loose ends then return to her busy life and thriving antique shop in New Orleans. Instead, she learns Mags has willed The Hideaway to her and charged her with renovating it—no small task considering her grandmother’s best friends, a motley crew of senior citizens, still live there.

My reactions
I wasn’t expecting great literature, and I didn’t get it. The writing is simple. The plot is rather predictable. The cast of characters, typically eccentric. There are secrets to be unearthed and solved. There’s one villainous developer with designs on the property. And, of course, a conveniently handsome and eligible love interest. There’s also the ubiquitous dual timeline, with present-day Sara unearthing bits and pieces of her grandmother’s story.

Sara is conflicted about what she wants. She has a thriving business in New Orleans and likes the hustle and bustle of that city. Sweet Bay is a far cry from bustling. But there is a certain charm to the place, not to mention the handsome contractor she hires to do the renovations. You can guess the rest.

It was a fast read and moderately entertaining. But I’ve already forgotten it

I listened to the audio read by Karthi Masters. She does a fine job, with a good pace and sufficient skill as a voice artist to differentiate the many characters.

The new thread is up over here.