What Fiction are you reading this week, June 16, 2024?

[hermetic]

Happy Father's Day!

Celebrate by kicking back with a good book.

Finally finished Demon Copperhead. Whew. That was a lot more than I ever wanted to know about drug addiction. No doubt a great many people benefited from reading it, though. I feel strongly compelled now to read the Dickens story. Checking its status at the library it appears I am not the only one.

Now I'm reading Crimson Shore by Preston & Child. The 15th Pendergast novel. In the quaint seaside village of Exmouth, Massachusetts, a town with a very dark and troubled history, a seemingly straightforward private case turns out to be much more complicated. "Highly entertaining and genuinely thrilling." - Anne Rice. I'm sure liking it.
The 23rd Pendergast novel is due out this August.

Listening to Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood. Meet Judith Potts, a skinny-dipping, whiskey-sipping, crossword puzzle author. She gets a call from Sir Peter Bailey who is inviting notable citizens to his house to celebrate the day before his wedding. Sadly, the groom-to-be gets crushed to death in his study and the door was locked from the inside. "Fiendishly clever."

What clever, entertaining and/or thrilling books are you reading this week?

[jmbar2]

1. I'm reading another Barbara Kingsolver novel, "The Poisonwood Bible".

Thanks for mentioning "Demon Copperhead". Putting it on my book wishlist. Kingsolver is a terrific storyteller, and uses innovative literary devices to move you through the story.

For those not familiar with her book, The Poisonwood Bible, it's about a family of missionaries in 1960s Congo at the time it was seeking its independence. Told mostly through the eyes of the four children, it mixes details of life in an African village for these transplanted American children, the ill-conceived mission activities of the father, and geopolitical events surrounding the assassination of Patrice LaMumba, with the support of the CIA.

I'm becoming a superfan of her work.

[hermetic]

2. Yes,

that is truly a great book.

[EverHopeful]

3. If you use kindle, there are quite a few Complete Works of Dickens at very affordable prices

Mine was only $1.99 and I've thoroughly enjoyed many of his works I'd never heard of before.

[hermetic]

4. Thanks

I don't, yet. But I am giving it some serious thought.

[EverHopeful]

5. I dislike the kindle devices I've had but kindle apps on my phone and tablet

have become my preferred way to read.

[yellowdogintexas]

6. I finished "Christmas Crime" a Kat Makris Greek Mafia novel. (Alex King)

The 9th in this series; I have enjoyed every one of them. The author has created some very entertaining characters, and our heroine (Kat) has a sharp tongue and a quick wit.

If you enjoyed Stephanie Plum you will enjoy Kat!!

When I have read a couple of more serious books, I pull out something from a lighter series. This is one of my favorites.

If you want to give them a try, the first book is Disorganized Crime. Highly recommend as a beach/vacation. read

[Stardust Mirror]

7. Still reading same books from last week plus bday present book

"Cats v. Conniff" by Frank Conniff. "A chronicle of the historic lawsuit brought against Frank Conniff by his cats, Millie & Barney.

Yes this is real and of course it's funny. But short

[hermetic]

10. Oh, must read

Just in case my cats ever try that, so to speak.

[EverHopeful]

8. A False Mirror by Charles Todd

The Ian Rutledge series book 9

Inspector Ian Rutledge continues to seek truth despite the lies, misdirection, and efforts by his superior officer to discredit him.

A friend had been recommending this series for some time and once I started, I found it so hard to break away that I even postponed starting the final Maisie Dobbs book until I'd read another Ian Rutledge.

[mentalsolstice]

9. Busy reading week!

I finished Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. It’s about differing views on racism.

I also finished Mary: Mrs. A. Lincoln by Janis Cooke Newman. Lots to unpack with this one!

After that I turned to lighter fare, Let’s Pretend This Will Work by Maddie Dawson. It was a fun, but predictable “meet cute” story.

Now I’m on Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. I’m having a lot fun with it. It has been made into a series for Peacock TV.

Thank you for the thread, and happy reading to everyone.

[japple]

11. Finished reading Simon Van Booy's book, SIPSWORTH, and highly recommend it

to anyone who likes cozy stories about getting a new lease on life. Or anyone who likes stories about mice! It was a lovely respite from other very intense books I've been reading lately.

Last night I started Percival Everett's latest, James. I think I'm going to love this book.

Thank you for the weekly thread, hermetic. We're heading for a scorcher of a week here in Georgia. Stay cool, folks.

[hermetic]

12. James

"A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view"

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY TIME, NPR, THE SEATTLE TIMES, ELLE, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, AND OPRAH DAILY.

No problem staying cool here. Abnormally. Going down in the 30s for a couple of nights.

[yellowdogintexas]

21. our Liberal Ladies Who Lunch Book Club is reading this in August

This month is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. I will probably start it next week.

[rsdsharp]

13. Just finished the latest James Lee Burke novel, Clete.

It’s a rather typical Dave Robichaeux mystery, except that his best friend, Clete Purcel, is the narrator. It’s set in Louisiana in the 90s — probably a good idea, as Dave and Clete would be in their late 70s or early 80s in 2024; a bit old to be kicking ass and taking names.

I will say that the mystery takes something of a back seat to Clete’s demons, and Joan of Arc plays more than a minor role. Dave sees Confederate soldiers; Clete sees teenaged French martyrs. There must be something in the water in southern Louisiana.

[k55f5r]

14. I'm reading the AEON 14 series

By M.D. Cooper & others. I've read 21 books, and have another 12 or so to go. It covers from 2500 ad to 8900 ad and is a kick to read.

[hermetic]

16. Sounds like fun

About M. D. Cooper & Aeon 14
M. D. Cooper is a New York Times bestselling author who has envisioned a rich future for humanity, one where planet-sized megastructures house trillions of humans, but traveling between the stars still takes decades, or even centuries.
The universe of Aeon 14 is based on the premise that advanced, intelligent, starfaring life takes 14 billion years to evolve. In astronomy an aeon is a billion years. In Aeon 14, humanity is at the leading edge of this evolution in the Milky Way Galaxy.

[Jilly_in_VA]

15. Finally finished

In the Country of the Great King, and I am annoyed with myself for sticking with it. What a bunch of self-absorbed idiots! Ugh.

Now reading Never Girl by Ana Valen. It's a crime thriller about a young woman whose lawyer brother was shot on a hiking trail. The police are willing to write this off as a robbery homicide, but she disagrees and hires someone else to go hunting for the killer. I have the feeling this is going to go six ways from Sunday.

I'm going to Las Vegas tomorrow as my husband's plus-one (he's going to a geekmoot) so I'll have plenty of time to read. Hopefully more to report next week.

[hermetic]

17. Well, have fun!

Vegas is always a "trip." Been there several times, but not for a long time. I see it's gonna be pretty hot there, so stay hydrated.

[Number9Dream]

18. Just finished "The Sign" by Raymond Khoury

This was a very good action, page-turner with a unique, interesting story line. I even found myself sympathizing with the 'bad guy's' intentions. A good ending, but the epilogue could have been more detailed.

[hermetic]

19. That sounds fascinating

A strange symbol appears in the sky over Antarctica and the world goes crazy over what it might mean while a few shady players in the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., see it as a chance to redefine the world -- and to manipulate the relationship between religion and politics in America, for better... or for worse.
I can see how the ending might not be entirely satisfactory. I'll probably read it.
Thanks for sharing.

[wnylib]

20. Just started Sara Paretsky's Pay Dirt

in her V.I. Warshawski detective series.

Paretsky is my favorite detective novel author. Her lead character, Detective Warshawski, is a strong, independent, but very human woman who is politically liberal and takes on cases that often involve her in social issues.

The novels are usually set in Chicago, but this one is in Kansas. V.I. is visiting friends whose daughter's roommate turns up missing. According to the dust jacket, V.I.'s search gets the attention of the FBI and the county's opioid distribution ring.

But, as typically with V.I., the case gets more complicated, this time over land use rights with roots in the Civil War era.

All this is made more difficult by the fact that she is out of her usual territory where she has local contacts to turn to in a pinch. She's on her own in Kansas.