What Fiction are you reading this week, November 27, 2022?

[hermetic]

I am reading The Vinyl Detective: Written in Dead Wax by Andrew Cartmel. I've been looking forward to reading this series as I have long been involved with music and used to have a fairly large vinyl collection. This first story was published in 2016 and introduces us to a record collector and connoisseur of vinyl, hunting out rare and elusive LPs. His business card describes him as the “Vinyl Detective” and some people take this more literally than others. Like a mysterious woman who wants to pay him a large sum of money to find a priceless lost recording. Since he's just about to run out of cat biscuits, this gets our hero’s full attention. So begins a painful and dangerous odyssey in search of the rarest jazz record of all. At just under 500 pages, this tale gets pretty involved with everyday details that do detract from the story, somewhat. But then something really intriguing happens that just keeps me going. And I spend way too much time researching the records he writes about. The main one is made up but enough of the others are real so that keeps you wondering if maybe that one was real, too, way back when. Good mystery.

I'm listening to Old Bones, the first in the groundbreaking Nora Kelly series from #1 bestselling authors Preston & Child. Nora is a young curator with a series of important excavations already under her belt. She is asked to lead an expedition unlike any other, searching for remains of the ill-fated Donner Party. It's a good one.

What good books will you be reading this week, while you enjoy your turkey sandwiches?

[SheltieLover]

1. Just finished "The Lineup," by Otto Penzler. Excellent!

Otto is a mystery editor & owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in NY. When he saw bookstores going under, he convinced amazing authors to write about life experiences & how they crafted their characters & named them.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Jack Reacher & Harry Bosch, two of my favs.

And, as an aspiring mystery author, I found this a cathartic read.

All that said, I'm now back to Fern Michals' Sisterhood series.

Love your quote & the 2 you're reading sound like future reads.

Ty for the thread!

[hermetic]

2. The Lineup sounds fantastic!

Definitely want to read that one, sooner than later. Thanks!

[SheltieLover]

13. Omg, it is!

Just as with psych theorists' life experiences having heavily influenced their phenomenological perspective and, hence, informing their respective orientations, so it is with the authors I read about.

Not surprising, really, but enlightening.

Enjoy!

[bif]

3. "He's Gone" by Deb Coletti

Pretty slow moving and not the cheeriest book ever written. But I've made it 1/3 of the way through, so I'll finish it.

[hermetic]

6. Sounds interesting

A woman wakes up and finds her husband is gone. Then she has to go through whole lot of soul searching to figure out what might have happened to him. Listed as a psychological thriller and cozy mystery.

[Paper Roses]

4. Back to an old "stand by". Grisham

I rely on the Little Free Libraries in town. This old timer cannot afford to buy new books. Social Security goes only so far.
Reading John Grisham "A Time to Kill". Excellent so far. It is an old book but well worth reading.

[SheltieLover]

8. I love Grisham's work!

And, as I read about 1 per day, I don't buy books either. I get electronic copies from library.

I always thought I wouldn't enjoy reading as much on a device, but it has proven me wrong. Having a lit up copy to read works very well.

Enjoy!

[Timewas]

24. Reading on tablet

Also gives me the option of enlarging the print and colors, have found that light blue text on white background is pretty easy on the eyes..

[hermetic]

9. That is a good one.

Thank goodness for little free libraries. Does your town not have an actual library? Many libraries these days offer online audio books and no longer charge late fees for regular books. I've never lived in a town that didn't have a library.

[yellowdogintexas]

26. Fort Worth offers e-books and no longer charges late fees

I also get a ton of free e-books from Book Bub, Robin Reads, Book Raider and others.

I have discovered so many authors and series through these services!

[cilla4progress]

5. Question for you avid readers:

I find myself slowing down finishing books or taking long breaks between them so I can fully process and ruminate on them.

How do you go so rapidly from one book to the next? Are you ever concerned you will forget book 1, or fail to fully get everything out of it, as you move on? Any strategies you can suggest?

TIA!

[SheltieLover]

10. I don't worry about forgetting or missing things.

I read empathetically, really feeling the characters & the action.

[cilla4progress]

17. Cool.

I was explaining to my daughter that I envision each scene as it plays out. Even when people are relaying to me a story or event from their life. It adds to the time I take to listen, watch, process - get the most out of it..

[SheltieLover]

18. I do that, too.

[hermetic]

14. YMMV

A lot of the books I read don't really require a great deal of introspection. I read a lot at night before going to sleep and sometimes the books insert themselves into my dreams.

I only choose audio books that are light reading because I'm always cooking and cleaning while listening and frequently get distracted. It's easy enough to just hit the rewind button, though, to back up a wee bit if necessary.

I do keep a list of all the books I read so I can be sure not to get a duplicate. I cut and paste the title & author from my to-be-read list as I go along.

Since I live alone and spend most of my time that way, I have plenty of time to contemplate on plots, etc.

Good question. I am curious to see what others might say here.

[SheltieLover]

19. Keeping a list is a great idea!

Thx for sharing!

Maybe excel would be useful for this so it can be searched & sorted.

[yellowdogintexas]

27. one of the handy things about ebooks from Amazon: you can mark them 'read'

On my kindle I can have books on my device & in the Cloud. When I finish a book, I remove it from my device but it is still in the Cloud. Makes my unread catalog smaller.

Also Goodreads lets you mark books as read, reading , or want to read.

[cilla4progress]

22. I have thought about writing up a brief

synopsis or notes - what stayed with me - when I finish a book .. maybe I just shouldn't worry about it!

[hermetic]

32. That could be fun

or time-consuming. I like my good old fiction database, www.fictiondb.com A brief synopsis of pretty much every piece of fiction ever written. You have to sign up but it's free and they never send emails or anything.

[cilla4progress]

33. Oh, snap!

Thanks!

[cbabe]

7. Mike Lawson's Joe DeMarco series.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/235060.Mike_Lawson

Mike Lawson is an American Author specializing in the thriller genre. Biography Mike Lawson grew up in Pueblo, Colorado with his siblings; he attended college at Seattle University where he acquired his engineering degree. Following the completion of his education, he sought a job with the U.S Navy where he worked as a nuclear engineer.

…
Political thrillers with insider’s take on politics, D.C., spies, and other stuff.

Think west wing but better.

Joe DeMarco son of a mafia hit man, is a lawyer working for speaker of the house. A good guy/bagman/arm twister. Moral dilemmas meet keeping the boss happy.

Page turners.

[SheltieLover]

11. Sounds great!

Thx for ssharing!

[hermetic]

15. Those sound really good.

Thanks!

[The King of Prussia]

12. "We Begin at the End" by Chris Whitaker

30 years after killing a child, the killer is released and returns to his home town. A thriller set in California, but written by an author from Hertfordshire. This is our book group selection for this month - normally they are stinkers - but this one is highly rated, and has started well. Bit dark though.

I shall be doing a lot of reading over the next few weeks -TV schedules are dominated by the FIFA World Cup, and I am boycotting it.

I think I might pick up a Robert Crais next - haven't visited Elvis & Joe for a while.

Happy reading to you all.

[hermetic]

16. Sounds quite good.

Just out last year. Not terribly long. I'll have to give that one a go.

Crais has some new ones: Elvis Cole and Joe Pike: A Mysterious Profile The #1 New York Times–bestselling author invites you into a conversation with his two most popular characters—one well-liked and the other, not so much.
In this short piece, Robert Crais brings us into the world of quirky and likable Los Angeles PI Elvis Cole and his friend Joe Pike, a survivor and an enigmatic man of few words. The discussion revolves around the choices they’ve made, the obstacles they’ve overcome, the things that drive them to be who they are, and the hope that keeps them persevering through the darkness. It’s a fresh look at this “superb series" and a fascinating visit with its “whip-smart” author.

[SheltieLover]

20. These 2 characters are explained in "The Lineup" as well

I couldn't really relate because I haven't read these books.

[Jeebo]

21. "The Engines of God" by Jack McDevitt

One of his Priscilla Hutchins novels. McDevitt writes space opera, but it's good space opera.

-- Ron

[hermetic]

23. Mmm, intriguing..

An unknown race, the Monument-Makers, left stunning alien statues on distant planets in the galaxy. Each relic is different. Each inscription defies translation. Yet all are heartbreakingly beautiful. And for planet Earth, on the brink of disaster, they may hold the only key to survival for the entire human race.

[Timewas]

25. Stephen King

Fairy Tale

[hermetic]

31. A new one

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher -- for their world or ours.

Early in the Pandemic, King asked himself: “What could you write that would make you happy? As if my imagination had been waiting for the question to be asked, I saw a vast deserted city -- deserted but alive. I saw the empty streets, the haunted buildings, a gargoyle head lying overturned in the street. I saw smashed statues (of what I didn't know, but I eventually found out). I saw a huge, sprawling palace with glass towers so high their tips pierced the clouds. I saw a magic sundial that could turn back time. Those images released the story I wanted to tell.”

Cool!

[yellowdogintexas]

28. I finished the Stone Thieves and the Honorable Order of Inventors

It was great fun and I look forward to the next book in the series.

For those who did not see this last week
There is a book which has shaped the course of history. For thousands of years, a secret society of inventors have guarded it. From the Greeks and Persians to mighty Hannibal and the formidable Caesars of Rome. Viking raiders. Crusaders. Even Genghis Khan and the Conquistadors sought it. Yet none have come close to finding it, until now...

Taking a seemingly innocent summer apprenticeship, fifteen-year-old Sam is drawn into the mysterious world of The Few. He and three new friends are chosen to be trained in forgotten arts by this ancient order of inventors, whose existence is shrouded in dark science, marvellous modifications and incredible creations. It’s the beginning of an epic and relentless adventure that will blur the boundaries of their reality – full of action, gadgets and intrigue.

The stakes are high and The Few must adapt if they are to survive this new threat; for Ms Keller and Harbinger Robotics are poised for victory. They have learned of a scroll that will lead them to the book and, with it, change the world forever...

[yellowdogintexas]

29. I am currently reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

The bestselling historical fiction novel from Kim Michele Richardson, this is a novel following Cussy Mary, a packhorse librarian and her quest to bring books to the Appalachian community she loves, perfect for readers of William Kent Kreuger and Lisa Wingate. The perfect addition to your next book club!

The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything—everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome's got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter.

Cussy's not only a book woman, however, she's also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she's going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler.

Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home.

I am loving this book! The author really describes the poverty stricken mountain folks and their
struggle just to survive their harsh surroundings. Their superstitions, fears, prejudices are intriguing.
Particularly interesting is the harsh treatment of the Blue People by everyone else. They are considered 'colored' just like black people.

There is another novel about the Book Women which I am going to hunt down and read..

[hermetic]

30. That is a good read.

Could definitely relate to her. Except for the being blue part. Until I read that book I had no idea there were people like that. Fascinating.

[yellowdogintexas]

36. I had read several articles about them

Very intriguing.

https://www.iflscience.com/the-science-behind-the-mysterious-blue-people-of-kentucky-47413

with photo https://historycollection.com/the-fugate-family-of-kentucky-had-blue-skin-for-generations/3/

[CrispyQ]

38. I read both of them & enjoyed them quite a bit.

I had never heard of blue-skinned people before, or the Pack Horse Library Project. Happy reading!

[japple]

34. Just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver's latest,

Demon Copperhead and I must say it is one of the best books I've ever read. Her modern reworking of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield is brilliant, down to the neat and tidy and very satisfactory ending. I must have smiled all night long in my sleep, because I woke up thinking about the ending and it still made me smile.

Thanks for the weekly thread, hermetic. I love the kitty meme--so true!

[hermetic]

35. Oh lovely!

Thanks so much for following through. There are 125 people on the waiting list right now so I guess I will see if I can find a used copy for sale.

[CrispyQ]

37. "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah

Most people gave this book a great review. Not me.

The story takes place in the 70s & is about a dysfunctional family that moves to Alaska & the challenges of living in the wild & the dark. The POV character is their 14 year old daughter.

There are so many scenes of domestic abuse in this book they should have put a trigger warning on the cover. The antagonist is a Vietnam POW survivor who beats his wife & eventually his daughter, too. The author gives no history of the man, except an occasional comment by his wife that he wasn't always like this. Because he has ZERO redeeming qualities, he comes across as a one-dimensional monster.

The story could have been saved, possibly, except the wife was stupid. Unlike a lot of abused women, she had family & friends who wanted to help her escape her situation, but she refused & continued to live with the creep, risking her daughter's well-being.

Then there was a daughter, who was a victim of circumstance, but by the end of the book she never elevated above that. She too, behaved stupidly when she was older & had to depend on others to get her out of a bad situation.

I have 12 books on hold at the library & hope at least one of them comes in today!

[KatyaR]

39. I just finished Louise Penny's new book,

A World of Curiosities.

Holy hell, I need a drink.

I waited for years to read the Gamache books, I just couldn't get into the first one. Now I inhale them.

What a fantastic author is Louise Penny. I highly recommend this series.