What Fiction are you reading this week, May 17, 2020?

[hermetic]

I’ve just started Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill. In this 8th book of the series about Dr. Siri ( ), the good doctor is tired of being Laos's national coroner, a job he never wanted in the first place. Plus, he's getting on in years and wants to spend some time with his wife before his untimely death (which has been predicted by the local transvestite fortune teller). Good reading.

I’m listening to Barbara Kingsolver read her latest book, Unsheltered. I must say, listening to an author read their own work is quite a treat. Obviously, they “get it” but, I’ve recently had some not so great experiences with books from LibriVox. I do understand that their readers are all volunteers and bless them for doing that. But I had to sign off on two really popular novels because the readers just grated on my nerves so much.

On the other hand, I have been listening to Coraline being read online by Neil Gaiman and others. Neil is, of course, lovely to listen to. But LeVar Burton read on Thursday and I swear, I want that man to read all my books to me from now on! He is fantastic. Twelve thumbs up!

What’s good reading in your house this week?

[Hestia]

1. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

His characterization of that time period - 1993, set in Charleston SC - is an ode to his mother and all the things she did for her family to keep up with the jones', car pooling, breakfast, lunch and dinner, dinner parties for her husband to exceed in his position. And of course, her book club reading true crime novels - The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule, etc.

It is excellent. Truly impressive how he can bring both worlds together. Much fun

[hermetic]

8. Great title

Will have to check that out.

[matt819]

2. A few

Finishing up the latest Amos Decker novel from David Baldacci. It’s okay.

I’m also finishing up The Watchmaker of filigree street by Natasha pulley. I wanted to like this book, and I may even try the next one in the series, but I can’t follow it. The watchmaker, Keita Mori,is a Japanese nobleman. Maybe. He might be immortal, or he might be a time traveler. He seems to anticipate the future, or he predicts it, or he creates it. I don’t know.

One of the other main characters, Thaniel, may or may not be in a relationship with the watchmaker. If anybody has read this, feel free to lay it all out for me because I’m confused. I like the settings, I like most of the characters, the part of the story I can follow is entertaining enough. But I can’t quite figure out what the writer is trying to accomplish.

[hermetic]

5. My favorite place

to go for a quick overview of a book is here:
https://www.fictiondb.com/author/natasha-pulley~the-watchmaker-of-filigree-street~1089668~b.htm

Maybe that will help. Sounds like a really good tale and it was an award-winner.

[northoftheborder]

3. I listened to "The Dutch House", by Ann Patchett, read by Tom Hanks

Hanks reading of this book was superlative! He really made it come alive. Good story.

Also recent: The Secret Life of Bees, and The Invention of Wings, both by Sue Monk Kidd. Recommend both. Historical novels dealing with racial issues in the South; very sensitively written.

[hermetic]

6. Oh cool

I will definitely have to look for that. The book is already on my list but listening to Hanks read it sounds like a great idea.

I really liked The Secret Life of Bees.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. Longbourn, by Jo Baker.

About the servants who wait on the Bennets in Pride and Prejudice. Really good.

[hermetic]

7. That DOES sound good

"Pride and Prejudice was only half the story"...

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. It is excellent.

I have never read Pride and Prejudice. Started it a couple of times but just couldn't get very far. However I have seen the 2005 movie with Keira Knightly, as well as the 1995 mini series which was incredibly good. So, fortunately, I know enough of the main plot points of P&P to appreciate this properly.

[murielm99]

22. Pride and Prejudice is

next on my list to read during the shutdown. I will request Longbourn from the library after I read it.

Our library is doing curbside service now, beginning Monday. Even if this was not beginning, I have a couple of piles of books at home. I will not run out of reading material.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[TexasProgresive]

10. I have nothing in print

I really don’t care much for ebooks but I may give in. I love listening to Unsheltered.

[hermetic]

21. Well that's a bummer

I know what you mean about ebooks, but hey, any port in a storm. Right?

I found this really great website of podcasts, short stories read by LeVar Burton. Some pretty impressive stuff there.
http://www.levarburtonpodcast.com

[TexasProgresive]

24. I gave up and bought Dark Sacred Night by old fav Michael Connelly

For my tablet.

[hermetic]

25. Good choice

Can't go wrong with Connelly, IMO.

[TexasProgresive]

26. It's the 2nd of the Ballard trilogy. I read the 1st a year ago

[Hestia]

27. You'll love it. It is one of his better one's.

[murielm99]

11. I am reading "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall,"

by Anne Bronte. It can be appreciated on two levels. One is the critique of the treatment and status of women in Victorian times. The other is as a purely romantic love story.

I am enjoying this book.

Poor Anne. She died of tuberculosis when she was only 29.

[hermetic]

12. That is sad.

Who knows what she may have otherwise accomplished? "Anne's father remembered her as precocious, reporting that once, when she was four years old, in reply to his question about what a child most wanted, she answered: 'age and experience'." (from Wikipedia)

[gopiscrap]

13. the transcripts of trump's press conferences

[GriffenRamsey]

15. I was coming to post the same joke!

I thought Trumps testing numbers.;..

[gopiscrap]

16. great minds think alike

[gopiscrap]

17. BTW welcome to DU

[GriffenRamsey]

18. Oh, thank you.

[gopiscrap]

14. actually a book titled:

The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God" it's the third and final book in a trilogy about a young man growing up Roman Catholic and being educated in Chicago parochial schools

[hermetic]

19. That sounds good

In a voice that evokes an Irish Catholic Holden Caulfield, this poignant, skillfully told tale concludes John R. Powers’s memorable coming-of-age trilogy.

[gopiscrap]

20. so you have read them?

I grew up in parochial schools in Germany and the US and found specially the first book very close to my own experiences in the Catholic education system. I laughed my head off.

[hermetic]

23. No, I just read about them

and borrowed that description. Did make me want to read them, though.

[gopiscrap]

28. they are pretty funny

specially if you have spent time either in Chicago or in parochial eductation

[AZ8theist]

29. Trumps tweets.

[The King of Prussia]

30. Linwood Barclay's "Promise Falls" series

Read "Broken Promise" and now on "Far From True". i'll probably read the next two this week as well. Previously I read three of Martin Edwards's "Lake District" murder series. Very good indeed. I've read them all now, so I hope he writes some more.

Nothing much happening here. The number of new local cases continues to fall, as does the number of deaths. We have left our village just once since March 14th, and I doubt we'll be going anywhere soon. Our government is as chaotic as yours - I'm thinking we might be isolating until the Autumn.

Keep safe everyone.

[hermetic]

31. Well gosh

Martin Edwards has written ever so many award-winning books and I am happy to see that my library has quite a few. This give me something new to look forward to.

I also anticipate remaining isolated for a good while yet. The number of new cases in my county continues to rise by around 15 per day. With everything reopening again now I feel quite certain that number will soon take a big jump.

Shelter on, my friend.