Weekly Reading Round-Up
I had a big treat this week: an early copy of Simone St. James’s upcoming book, The Other Side of Midnight
In this one, a reluctant medium finds herself drawn into a former friend’s murder inquiry, pulling her back into a world that she’s been avoiding since their big falling out years before. As always, St. James’s depiction of life in the 1920s is pitch-perfect, and her heroine the sort of person you’d like to visit with over a large pot of tea.
For those An Inquiry Into Love and Death
The bad news? The Other Side of Midnight
Other than that, it’s been Portugal, Portugal and more Portugal. And a side of Clifford, the Big Red Dog.
What have you been reading this week?
I’m part way through Val McDermid’s Austen project retelling of Northanger Abbey. I like it so far. I’m also in the middle of The Blind Barber by John Dickson Carr. I’m kind of meh on it. A friend who I usually find reliable in recommending books recommended Carr to me so I’m plugging along. I have one of Simone’s books to pick up at the library this weekend.
Clifford the Big Red Dog…..that takes me back. My boys loved the books and the tv show along with Calliou and Zaboomafu on PBS….nice to know Clifford is still around for the next gen. We also went through a few copies of The Wheels on the Bus my kids loved that pop-up book and song.
An excellent week in reading! Once and Always by Judith McNaught was really good but I loved Something Wonderful. Then I discovered The Spirit Keeper by K.B. Laugheed. This was and incredible story, unlike anything I have ever read. If you are interested in Native American, pre Revolution, frontier epic love stories, you should check this book out. It is so much more than a romance.
The Moon-Spinners (Mary Stewart), so far so good! Then comes my Kerrytown loot…
So jealous–I love Simone St. James’ books! I am reading a contemporary book by Liane Moriarty, What Alice Forgot. I loved her book The Husband’s Secret but have had a tougher time getting into this one. I have Charles Todd’s new Bess Crawford mystery waiting to be read next. 🙂
It’s another sad week of too much work, no time to read for me… and when I have had time I’ve been stumbling through The Turn of the Screw… overwritten and not that scary.
Killer’s Island, by Anna Jansson, 1st in a series. I liked it, but not sure if I will continue
For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale, not as outstanding as Dream Hunter, but good nevertheless.
The Daring Miss Danvers, by Vivienne Lorret, another one is a series that I like, but probably won’t continue.
I am on a road trip, and very grateful to my kindle that I don’t have to tote along a ton of books!
I haven’t read as much as I wanted to this week, but I finished The Puppet Masters by Robert A Heinlein and am now reading his Starship Troopers.
Oh my gosh, soooo jealous! I love Simone St James. And “An Inquiry Into Love and Death” is my favorite. April is so far away!! This week I read Carla Neggers newest book, Harbor Island. The fourth in her Sharpe/Donovan series. It was really good and a nice addition to the series. I especially love the Maine and Ireland settings. Then “Power Play” by Catherine Coulter. It was entertaining but I’m starting to feel like the motives behind the villains dastardly deeds, really stretch credulity.
I haven’t finished anything yet (been going through rough time), but I am reading the most amazing book. It’s called Love by the Morning Star and it’s written by Laura L Sullivan. It’s like Eva Ibbotson meets P G Wodehouse. About a third of the way through it, but definitely recommend it.
I just finished Manzanilla and I have to report that it takes its place way up at the top of the Pink books. I just love Sally. She is a Miss Gwen in the making! I am also reading a ho-hum time travel book on my Kindle: The Lost Highlander. In a day or two I will be reading Barbara Erskine’s latest offering: The Darkest Hour. WWII isn’t my favorite period to read about it, so we’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be hard leaving the Regency.
I ended up reading all the Lost Highlander stories just to find out how the characters did, but it was just a so-so read
Just finished the last of the Lewis Trilogy by Peter May. I read somewhere that it was picked up by BBC for future tv. By the way Lauren, when do the Pink books come out in French? You mentioned a while ago that this was going to happen.
Hi, Teje! I’m afraid I don’t know. My guess would be some time next year.
Confession: authors generally aren’t told release dates, and particularly not for foreign editions. With my US books, I often know a ballpark season– i.e. if the Pink books have been coming out in August, it’s a good bet, the next will be out in August. With foreign editions not even that. I generally find the foreign release dates by looking on either the publisher’s website or Amazon. Sometimes, I forget to check up on them and only learn about them way after they’ve already come out….
I read Gilt Trip, in the Laura Childs Scrapbook mystery series, which was really light and fun – the main characters, Carmela and Ava, are a hoot, but somehow manage to solve the mystery.
Also, continuing the Pink Carnation read along on The Bubblebath Reader blog – really fun with interesting comments! Some great giveaways too!
Reading An early copy of Lauren Smith’s Shadows of Stormcylffe Hall- suspenseful , modern gothic novel.
Enjoying it.
Reading The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling). This is the 2nd Cormoran Strike novel. I didn’t love the first one (Cucoo’s Calling) but I did enjoy the main characters and I figure anything by JK Rowling deserves a 2nd chance. So far this one is better, but I’m reserving judgement until the mystery is resolved (since the resolution was my problem with the first one)