What Fiction are you reading this week, Mar 21, 2021?

[hermetic]

I'm still reading Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies. This is such a great book. You are there; the sights, the sounds, the smells, and all the secrets behind the scenes.

Listening to The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. This is a poetic, romantic fantasy; a fantastic voyage that defies description. So I'll just quote, “books are always better when read rather than explained.”

I got my first Pfizer vax on Friday. Thank you, Mr. President. It was a great way to welcome spring. Wishing the same for all of you.

What books are springing up on your reading table this week?

[murielm99]

1. I just finished

"The Vanishing Half," by Britt Bennett.

"Passing" for white is outside the realm of my experience. But living a life based on secrets, concealment and deception is a universal concept.

The book will leave anyone thinking. I know some people who hated the book. I liked it.

Now I am reading a non-fiction book.

[hermetic]

14. I remember reading,

back in the 60s, Black Like Me. It was just stunning, especially to a little white girl. I'll never forget it.

I have a non-fiction coming up, too: Braiding Sweetgrass. Looks like it's gonna be fantastic.

[rzemanfl]

2. Right now I am on the 11th volume of Cornwell's

Saxon Tales. I have finished watching the Netflix Last Kingdom series until the next set comes out. Before that I read #28 of the Alex Cross series.

I read the Mantel trilogy a while back. You may have noticed I tend to binge read. Congrats on your vaccine. I got the second one last Tuesday.

[hermetic]

16. Thanks

Congrats to you, too. Feels really great to be getting that, doesn't it? Like, finally!!

[rzemanfl]

27. Indeed. I am looking forward to my first haircut in over a year at the end of this month.

I made the appointment as soon as I knew when I would be fully immune. The woman who has cut my hair since 1997 got her first shot around the same time I did, so we will both be safe.

[Timewas]

3. Well

Being that the weather is not cooperating with outside work and the pandemic does not allow for much in the way of social activities and waiting for more books by my other favorite authors.I decided to gather al of one series together and read them in order published so a few weeks,maybe 2 1/2, I have just finished reading the last of the 40 book Spenser series by Robert Parker...Now am into Dark Sky by C J Box.

[SheltieLover]

9. Thx for sharing!

Wow! A 40-book series! Sounds like "heaven!"

Added both to my list.

[rzemanfl]

12. If I recall correctly, the first Spenser was published in 1948.

Last edited Sun Mar 21, 2021, 06:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Another good series is Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins.

ON EDIT-I recalled VERY incorrectly. The Godwulf Manuscript is circa 1973.

[SheltieLover]

33. TY!

Sounds great!

[rzemanfl]

42. I was way off on the year. Now I am wondering where that brain fart came from. n/t

[SheltieLover]

45. Aw hell, blame it on "her emails."

[rzemanfl]

49. LOL. n/t

[rzemanfl]

43. Found what caused my brain to misfire.

I the Jury. First Mike Hammer book, Mickey Spillane 1947. Forgive my mistake, I was a fetus most of that year.

[SheltieLover]

46. LOL

No problem at all. I appreciate you sharing!

[Timewas]

30. The series

Started in 1974, he died in 2013. He wrote 40 in that series, then Ace Atkins took over and is still writing...That series . Parker also wrote several others..

[SheltieLover]

34. TY for the extra info!

Sounds promising! I read about 1 / day...

...Needs book rehab.

[Timewas]

47. Most of the series

he books average probably around 200pgs so easy read on a cold rainy day, usually get one done and start another. I read the entire series in under 3 weeks so that averages 2 a day...as I said I read a lot also I read on a tablet

[SheltieLover]

48. Nice!

I read on a mobile device as well, that way, if I have to wait somewhere for something, I can continue inhaling books. And, it is really nice to have something back lit for lying in bed reading.

[Timewas]

51. I keep

An Amazon fire in my car and read when I am waiting for anything. Take it in to appointments and read while waiting or on phone if nothing else going on. I sometimes have several books going at the same time that way..

[rzemanfl]

11. I did the whole Spenser series some years ago. The franchise was passed on after Parker died.

I read Someone to Watch Over Me just a few days ago. It involves pedophile sex ring without pizza restaurants and Mars. A U.S. attorney in the book has the last name Epstein, which I thought was a nice touch.

[hermetic]

17. That's pretty impressive

C J Box could keep you busy for a while, as well.

[Timewas]

31. Box

I did the Picket series also this last winter..Lots of time on my hands in winter usually anyways and this one was extra slow due to not being able to get out and about

[SheltieLover]

35. TY!

Adding all these goodies to my list!

[SheltieLover]

4. Bank Shot by Donald E. Westlake

Just started it. It seems well written, with interesting characters, so far.

Been a tough week with a lot of not so well written books and authors under the bridge.

Read Dead Man Talking by Jana DeLeon - not a bad read -- different anyway. About an elderly lady who lives in a lighthouse with a talking ghost and ten cats. LOL That was about the best of this past week.

Tried the Dead End Job books by Viet, but did not enjoy them. Poorly written, IMO. Flat characters and far too much telling, rather than showing.

Similarly, Bite Club by Melanie Travis. Great book if you want to be told about dog shows, rather than shown what is happening. I was 34% into the book before anything but a dog show occurred.

I am really hoping Westlake's work is better. It seems to be, so far.

It is tough to find a good read in e-format at the library.

Congrats on your first Pfizer! I got my 2nd Pfizer Friday. Just a slightly tender arm a few hours later, gone by the next morning. Don't you just love to be able to say "Mr. President" again, with respect?

Bringing up the Bodies sounds interesting. I'll add it to my list.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. I have read almost everything Westlake wrote, at least under that name.

I really, really like almost everything he did.

[SheltieLover]

7. Thx!

It does seem good, so far!

[hermetic]

18. I sure do.

Keep in mind, that is the second book of a series, after Wolf Hall. That one shows how the relationship between Cromwell and Henry came to be, as well as all Cromwell's influences. I'm thinking one could enjoy the second without the first, though. It does double back a good bit.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. Troubled Blood

by Robert Galbraith, who is really J K Rowling. The fourth in the Cormoran Strike series, and revolves around Strike and his assistant Robin trying to solve a 40 year old missing person case. It comes in at 927 pages, and normally I won't pick up anything that long. I'm about a third of the way through right now and it is absolutely gripping.

[SheltieLover]

8. Sounds great!

Added to my list!

I didn't realize Rowling was writing under another name!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

24. Her cover got blown even before the first one was published.

I suspect she was quite annoyed, because she wanted to see if she could write something totally different and have it accepted, not connected to Harry Potter. The series does stand totally apart from Harry Potter.

[SheltieLover]

36. Sounds intriguing!

TY for the info!

[Polly Hennessey]

15. It is on my shelf waiting to be read.

Now I am reading Chloe Coyle’s, Dead Cold Brew. It is my bedtime read. For my daytime read: Ann Cleeve’s, The Moth Gatherer. If I got anything wrong it’s because I am sitting on my sofa and too lazy to double check spellings. It is Sunday, after all.

[hermetic]

19. 927 pages!?

That's quite a good recommendation.

[Paper Roses]

10. In the middle of 'no second chance' by Harlan Coben

Just finished Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown and Hidden Prey by John Sandford.

I wish there was still a book rate thru the Post Office. I have 10 Reacher books by Lee child that I'd like to sell. All for $15.00 but it costs too much to ship so the bargain is lost.
I have the whole Reacher series(24) that I will re-read soon. It pays to keep a list of the books you have. Found these dupes when I cleaned out 2 big bookcases.

I think we should have a poll to see how many books we have all read this past year. I average at least 2 a week. I think I need to see the eye Doc soon!

[hermetic]

20. Maybe when the weather improves

You could have a yard book sale. Or put them on your local Craig's List.

Sadly, I fear I need to see the eye doc soon, too. Once I am fully vaccinated.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

26. There's still a book rate. It's called Media Mail and includes mailing

CDs or DVDs or tapes of any kind.

It's not quite as cheap as it used to be, but I use it.

It would be interesting to have a poll of books read. I've been keeping a book list for years and years and I'm glad I have. Periodically I want to tell someone about a book I've read and if I can find it in the list, whatever I noted about the book (I do mini-reviews/reaction to each book) is highly helpful. The main drawback is that I keep the list in a notebook of some kind, which means I have to hope I recall around when I read something to find the entry.

[The King of Prussia]

13. Congrats on the vax!

I got the Astra Zeneca Friday lunchtime. Arm is a bit sore and I'm drowsy but no significant after effects.

Currently reading "Coffin Road" by Peter May - which is related to his Lewis Trilogy - the third of which I read this week. Busy week reading - I also read a couple of Agatha Raisins and both of Elly Griffiths' "Harbinder" novels.

No idea what I shall be reading next.

[hermetic]

21. Congrats to you, too!

Really glad to hear you got in after seeing an article this morning about how there is not really enough for everyone there now.

[The King of Prussia]

25. That's not quite true

A record number were vaccinated yesterday. They are predicting delays for healthy under 50s but reckon they'll still hit the original timetable.

We have had several outbreaks locally since the Autumn and they have been followed up by a surge in deaths at the local hospital. But.. . We had an outbreak a month ago, and this time there has been no increase in hospitalizations or deaths (fingers crossed). So it looks like the vaccine program is working.

[SheltieLover]

37. Congrats!!!

So glad to hear you got your vax and are feeling well.

[bahboo]

22. finally read Sideways this week...

got a deal on BookBub. And yep, the movie is better. The writing quite frankly wasn't very good....kind of forced and obvious. But if you've seen the movie, still worth a read for the characters. And it was fascinating to see how the screenwriter adapted it. A masterful job...

[hermetic]

23. This took some searching...

But, I found: Sideways is a 2004 novel by Rex Pickett, the first in the Sideways Trilogy. The story of two friends, Miles and Jack, who take a road trip to the Santa Ynez Valley a week before Jack plans to marry. A comedy.

[bahboo]

50. yep, being a wino, I kind of assume everyone knows about it....

[hermetic]

52. I've been known to have a nosh now and then

Since we are talking about books here, I like for people to be able to easily find the ones that sound good to them. Listing the author is pretty important as there are often several books with the same name. That's why I went looking. This one sounds entertaining and the movie, which I hadn’t heard of, won several awards for the screenplay. and an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. So, I’ll be looking for it.

[yellowdogintexas]

28. The Flying Cutterbucks by Kathleen Rogers

Decades ago, Trudy, Georgia, and Aunt Star formed a code of silence to protect each other from an abusive man who terrorized their family. One act of solidarity long ago lives with them still. With the election of a president who brags about groping women without their consent, old wounds and deep secrets come alive again, forcing hard truths to be told and even harder truths to be left to the dead.

On the outskirts of Pardon, New Mexico, Trudy returns to her mother, Jewel, to navigate an old house filled with haunting mementos of her father who went missing in action over North Vietnam. As she helps her mother sift through the memories and finally lay her father to rest, Trudy will do her own soul searching to say goodbye to the dead, and find her way along with the other women in her family, and through the next election.

I am about half finished and have just confirmed that the act of solidarity is what I suspected it to be.

It was $1.99 on Kindle. I ordered it because my Sunday School class is having a discussion group based on the book and the author is related to two of the class members. (Author is a Presbyterian minister and pastor of the church Lincoln attended when he lived in Illinois)

[hermetic]

32. Sounds interesting

[yellowdogintexas]

53. it was good. All the little pieces ultimately fit together quite nicely

The characters were all quite likeable

[yellowdogintexas]

29. last week I finished the Dead End Jobs series, I liked it. Sometimes you need a light read

Before I started Cutterbucks, I read a Fern Michaels book from the Sisterhood series. Now I want to read them all from the first one.

[pscot]

38. Hi Hermetic. I spent the 1st half of the week

finishing When the Devil Drives by Christopher Brookmyre; set in Glasgow with women doing the detecting. Pretty well written though a bit prolix. I'm looking for more by Brookmyre. Currently I'm reading The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu. This is book two of his alien contact trilogy,The three Body Problem. Chinese sci-fi has a unique tone to western ears. The Searcher by Tana French is on my nightstand. The library has been very good to me lately.

[hermetic]

41. Brookmyre books

Get many 5 star ratings. I will def be reading those. Particularly since they take place on the olde sod.

[SheltieLover]

39. Death, Taxes & a Shotgun Wedding, by Diane Kelly

Just came through...finally. was on hold with library.

Great series! Tara Holloway is an IRS Special Agent. Nice to read mysteries that areb't murder-related! Very little white collar crime mysteries (in fiction).

[hermetic]

40. Series looks very popular

Almost all have 4-5 star ratings. She also writes about paw and order.

[SheltieLover]

44. Yuppers it is a great series, as is Paw & Order, all of which I've already inhaled.