Weekly Reading Round-Up
Happy Friday, all!
My reading roll continued this week with Steph Dray’s The Women of Chateau Lafayette, set around three women who all lived in the home of the legendary Revolutionary War hero in three different eras: Lafayette’s wife in the 18th century; New York socialite, artist, and humanitarian Beatrice Chanler in World War I; and orphan Marthe in World War II. All three rise to the circumstances in spite of– or perhaps because of– their times, showing just what a determined woman can accomplish.
Moving from history to thriller, I picked up Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door, a novel of psychological suspense in which a penniless young woman takes a job as a house sitter at a legendary Upper West Side apartment building and learns that something quite terrible may lurk beneath the luxurious facade. It’s a beautiful homage to the “Manhattan apartment building” species of psychological thriller, with its own incredibly convincing twist.
After that, I was tempted to plunge right into another Riley Sager (two more I haven’t read yet! riches!) but I can only take so many three a.m. reading nights in a row, so I’ve retreated to the old and comfortable with Charlotte MacLeod’s The Convivial Codfish, which is who-even-remembers-which-number in her Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn mystery series, set in the Boston that once was several decades ago.
I’m also working on my autumn puzzle and mourning the canned pumpkin shortage which is currently depriving me of my regularly scheduled pumpkin muffins and forcing me to bake brownies instead.
What have you been reading this week?
I just finished There’s A Murder Afoot by Vicky Delany (aka Eva Gates). This series is set in a Sherlock Holmes bookstore and tea shop on Cape Cod. This is book 5 in the series which are all delightful cozy mysteries.
Joan, I’ve read them too and am waiting for Book 6 – they’re addictive!
I didn’t know about Kelling and Bittersohn, but I do now. And set in Boston?! I’m on this right away – thanks, Lauren.
Oh, I know that Riley Sager binge feel, almost started The Last Time I Lied seeing as I don’t have Final Girls yet but was good and finished The Master and Margarita for book club, which should be an interesting discussion with me not being the biggest fan of the book. Then, despite all the controversy, or maybe because of all of it and needing to be informed in my hate, I decided to try to the new Cormoran Strike… and so far… well, the transphobia isn’t nearly as horrific as the homophobia, the racism, the sexism, and the complete lack of plot. JK Rowling has destroyed her fanbase and what’s more, her vitriol is so horrific her need to vent has prevented her for writing a coherent book.
I just finished all 4 of the Robert Galbraith / Rowling books and I really liked them #1, 2 & 4, – #3 a bit less than the others. The main character’s smoking bothered me more than characters with less than liberal political views.
The problem I’m having is it’s obviously no longer the characters views and just her hate. And until now I’ve been a huge fan of the series.
Started the latest Mary Kingswood release, The Duke (#6 in her Silver Linings part romance, part mystery series set in Regency England). So far, so good!
I can relate to shortages. I decided to bake a peach pie, the recipe calling for tapioca. The kind in the red box which is no where but Amazon for $25/box. So I guess I’ll check out pumpkin now?
Also tomato juice. Oh yes, books. I read a series of books titled The Devil Drinks Coffee, The Devil Wears Tank Tops and The Devil Has Tattoos. Mysteries by Destiny Ford which were very like Stephanie Plum in format with new characters and settings but light and somewhat funny.
Now I’m back to more normal reading for me and just started Before The Crown. Also read the first part of Hamnet which seems excellent but way too 2020 for me. Another year perhaps.