What Fiction are you reading this week, August 2, 2020?

[hermetic]

Cat? What cat?



Still reading A Simple Plan. It’s getting pretty creepy and intense. Sure, a million is a lot of money. But, could you do THAT? This is turning out to be one of those books where you kind of don’t like any of the characters. Except the dog, of course. I’ll keep reading just to see what happens to him.

Listening to another Agatha Raisin mystery, Busy Body by M.C. Beaton. It’s a Christmas story and I was hoping hearing about snow would help cool me off a bit.

Any stories keeping you cool this week?

[LakeArenal]

1. Trump's tweets

[soothsayer]

9. Came here to say that exactly!

[LakeArenal]

11. 😉

[Runningdawg]

2. Motherless Brooklyn - Before I see the movie

Great book! I hope they capture the dark humor in the movie. I'm already skeptical as I see they have changed the time period, which was the mid 80's in the book, to the 50's in the movie.

[hermetic]

5. Yes it is a great one

I don't know that I would want to see the movie. If/when you do see it, be sure to post your thoughts on it.

[Runningdawg]

46. Not sure I do now either...

Why would you take a novel set in the mid 80's and move it back to the 50's? Not to mention I see none of the dark humor in the book represented in trailers. The portion where he sits for meditation and the subsequent sexual encounter had tear rolling down my face.

[MaryMagdaline]

3. The Bell Jar

Never read it before

[hermetic]

6. That is an old one

Came out the same year my son did.

I know I read it but don't remember it at all.

[MaryMagdaline]

10. Thought it was about time I read it 😁

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

4. The Evening Hour.

It’s Carter Sickels’ first novel. I finished his second, The Prettiest Star, a few weeks ago. He’s a beautiful writer!

[hermetic]

7. Sounds good

Life in a small mining town in W VA. Lots of hardships. Much high praise for the author. Seems like one a few folks here would enjoy. Thanks.

[AmyStrange]

8. Starting the Joe Grey series n/t

[hermetic]

13. Cozies (Cozys?)

By Shirley Rousseau Murphy. Heads up to SheltieLover, who is always looking for more.

[AmyStrange]

15. My dictionary says cozies...

-

I've already read them once, but I love reading series all over again from the beginning.

It's big-ass change from reading War and Peace, let me tell ya!
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[hermetic]

16. LOL

No doubt!

[SheltieLover]

20. Ty!

I actually just finished my 2nd in this series & starting a 3rd! 😁

[SheltieLover]

21. Me too)!)

On 3rd one.

Different style of writing. Too much description for my liking.

I'm soon going to have to start writing my own, as I'm running low on options. 😰

[AmyStrange]

22. Can I read some if you do?

[SheltieLover]

23. Of course!!!

I've started one about a tarot reader. But I need to stop inhaling cozies long enough to write it. 😊

[AmyStrange]

24. Cozies?

-

I have to ask, but what's a cozy.


=============
Psssst.... you can read mine now (see sig line)

[SheltieLover]

25. Cozy mysteries

No gore or thriller effect, just good mysteries with great characters.

You have some published? 😱

Titles please? 😍

[AmyStrange]

27. Here are the titles...

-

Each are separate books:

the AmyStrange & the Criminal series

Part 1: the Escape
Part 2: the Disappearance
Part 3: the Road Trip

and I'm almost done my newest one:

Part 4: the Wedding

I also wrote a review of the Joe Grey series, but they won't let me post it here, because I compared my series to hers.

I can understand, but you can find it her at the top:

http://www.amystrange.org/BLG-index.html
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[SheltieLover]

29. Ty!)

I will see if library has them! 😍

Thx for sharing! 😁

[AmyStrange]

32. Sorry, no library has them...

-

but I am giving the first one away...
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[SheltieLover]

36. Shelving Joe Grey for a bit...

Reading at your website.

I love that you opened with an allusion to Mr. Ed & Wilbur! 😁😍

[AmyStrange]

40. Thank you, and...

-

don't forget. I wanna read some of your stuff too!
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[SheltieLover]

42. Yw & ty!

I only have a chapter or so done so far. 😊

Are yours in eformat on amazon?

[AmyStrange]

43. Yes they are, and...

-

also in paperback.

If you go to the table of contents, there's a link to downloading Part 1 for free.
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[SheltieLover]

44. Ty!

Will do! 😍

[SheltieLover]

26. How are you liking Joe Grey?

[AmyStrange]

28. It's an awesome series...

-

and it was even more interesting to compare her talking cats to mine.

I wasn't a big fan of the killing part, but I find the situation with the police chief hilarious, especially since his wife knows!

It's just too damn funny!!
=========

[SheltieLover]

30. They are funny!

Seems not enough action, though, for me. But they are enjoyable.

[SheltieLover]

31. I wish there were more

White collar mysteries, rather than all the killing.

[AmyStrange]

33. Mine aren't white collar mysteries...

-

I kill off almost 36 people, and Beth, the Criminal's fiancée, kills five of them in two shoot outs.

Let me tell ya, saving animals is a tough and dark business.
=======

[SheltieLover]

34. Lol

Well, if the characters are saving animals... 🤣🤣🤣

[AmyStrange]

38. They're also finding missing persons and serial killers, and...

-

that's where the killing comes in.
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[SheltieLover]

41. Sounds fascinating!

I'm going back to your website to read. 😁

[AmyStrange]

35. Have you read "The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana"?

-

Misto kind of ties in with that story, and I think there's another one also.
===========

[SheltieLover]

37. Can't recall

I inhale books at warp speed. At least 1 / day. I'll go look it up. Thx!

[SheltieLover]

39. I have it on hold.

Ty!

[murielm99]

12. Oh, my, the books I have read this week!

How Much of These Hills is Gold, by Z. Pam Zhang. It is a first novel, and stunning. The use of language alone is beautiful.

Two Chinese American girls, eleven and twelve, are orphaned in the gold fields. They run away. They steal. They gamble. They cheat.

Lucy, the elder, is the narrator. Her little sister, Sam (Samantha), does not want to be a girl.

The girls must bury their father, and find a place to belong. The story contains themes about racism, feminism, sexual identity and greed. Lots of greed. It is about the land, and belonging to the land.

Critics have hated the ending. I believe that if you get to the end of this book and do not know what the narrator wants, you were not paying attention. I recommend this highly.

I just started The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. She is an established children's author, but this is a book for adults. It is set in Finnmark, Norway, in 1617. Forty fishermen, all the men of the village, have perished in a storm. The women must learn to live on their own.

A new pastor comes to town, a stern Lutheran. Since I was raised Missouri Synod Lutheran, I get it. The people of the town are Norweigan and Sami. The king of Norway wishes to drive out the influence of the Sami religion. The witch burnings commence.

This story is based on true incidents. I am not that far along in the book yet, but it promises to be another good one.

[hermetic]

14. My, you have been busy

Sounds like some great reading there.

I, likewise, was raised MS Lutheran.

[Number9Dream]

17. Finished "The Last Full Measure" by Jeff Shaara

Fiction regarding the Civil War from after Gettysburg to Appomattox. Shaara's dialog and the way he writes, makes history less dry, while maintaining accuracy. I enjoy his books.

Starting "Poseidon's Arrow" by Clive Cussler.

[hermetic]

18. A rec for history buffs

Thanks.

And, nobody beats Cussler when it comes to adventure writing.

[murielm99]

19. I love Clive Cussler.

[bif]

45. Just finished "The Dutch House"

And starting "Best Boy"