Book a Week 2022 - BW8: Bookish Miscellanea

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday, my lovelies! In my web wanderings, I was drawn into an article about artist Rockwell Kent and his quest for solitude and inspiration in Wilderness, Solitude, and Creativity: Artist and Philosopher Rockwell Kent’s Century-Old Meditations on Art and Life During Seven Months on a Small Alaskan Island, which lead to Musings on Art: Rockwell Kent - A Champion of Peace,  which lead to Kent's illustrated Moby Dick. Makes me want to read the Moby Dick, or The Whale illustrated version now as well as Kent's book, Wilderness, his journal about his time in Alaska.  Rabbit trails as so much fun. 

Another interesting article about Author Joanne Harris turns down US book deal over censoring of ‘f-bomb’, particularly because it was pertinent to the story.  Which lead of course to her blog and her response about sensitivity readers the publishing houses have begun to employ. In her blog post On Sensitivity readers, weakness, and staying alive, Harris makes a good point. 

"Books all have shelf lives, just as we do, and Dickens’ work has survived in spite of his anti-Semitism, not because of it. The work of many others has not. Books are for readers, and if an author loses touch with their readers - either by clinging to outdated tropes, or using outdated vocabulary, or having an outdated style – then their books will cease to be published, and they will be forgotten. It happens all the time. What one generation loves and admires may be rejected by the next."  

But that doesn't mean they need to be banned or changed.  It's all in the context.

Free books, who doesn't love them.  Lots of books are entering the public domain this year such as Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, Milne's Winnie the Pooh, Franz Kafka's The Castle, and many others.

 Moving on to movies about books, check out the Netflix Book Club, if not to join, but to see what books are being adapted for Netflix. 

While we are on the subject of books to movies, Lee Child's Jack Reacher first book was adapted for a series on Amazon Prime.  I watched the first episode and had to close my eyes during the prison fight, but otherwise I think Alan Ritchson is a great choice for Reacher. 

Do you have certain reading choices when it comes to narrators? Years ago, I only read books written in third person narration and refused to read any written in first person. Until I came across a writer who usually wrote in third and had switched to first, captured my attention, pulled me into the story without confusing me and sold me on first person narration.  Since then I've found some really good books from writers who do first person very well.  The ones who don't, forget about it. You know the ones I mean.  

I went back to school in my late forties to finish my Bachelor's Degree and during a literature class, imagine my surprise when I had to read a book written in second person narration.  Yes, it was weird, but once I got into the story, was able to accept the narrator and keep going.  Since then,  I'll stumble across another written partially or totally in second person and give it a go.  Of course, we're back to whether it's well done or not and does it pull you in. I'm currently reading such a book which has mixed narration, both 2nd and 3rd and finding myself enjoying it.  All this to say, which style narration do you enjoy?   Have you ever tried Second Person narration stories?  

For our writers, have you ever tried writing a story in second person?  Give it a try   Here's my attempt for our A to Z and Back again for E.  

And speaking of which:  

A to Z and Back Again -  Our letter and work of the week are H and Harried.

Did you know that today is Hoodie Hoo day?  So go outside at noon and wave your hands and yell Hoodie Hoo and chase away your winter blues. Go ahead, I dare you.  

 

 

Link to Book Week 7

Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges.  

[Robin M]

Finally chose my F book and I guess you could say the the third time the charm, although I have picked up this book to read numerous times but couldn’t get past the first page.  N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season.  Started it Saturday and found myself intrigued.  Yes this is the one with chapters written in 2nd person narration for one character.  

I finished Super Powered Year Three by Drew Hayes. This one was packed with lots of fights, both sanctioned, and one huge non sanctioned that could of gotten the college kids thrown out of the Hero Certification school. The rest of the kids are fine tuning their skills and Vince is being watched due to his being kidnapped by George in the last book. Chad and Angela’s relationship is highlighted quite a bit and he moves into the Dorm with Mary, Alice, Vince, and Ron/Hershel. Lots of twists, humor, and team building. Nick has returned, living off campus and attending regular classes while trying to recover his memories and looks like he may be involved in a  long con. A rival family’s son from Vegas is out to destroy Nick by any means.  Enemies combine to attack not only Nick, but the Super Powers and rather than sit out the fight safely in lock down, they choose to protect the normal staff and kids on campus.  Looking forward to reading Super Powered Year four. My brother was right. These will be well worth re reading again. 

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for the thread!

It might look as I got a lot of reading done. The first two are books that I’ve been reading very slowly over the course of a few months. Hope that it’s been a good reading week for all!

 

[Negin]

I read:

Humans - 5 Stars

The 48 Laws of Power - 5 Stars

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting - 5 Stars

   

 

[mumto2]

Thank you Robin!
I sort of immersed in romantic suspence this week.  I reread This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart (awesome dolphin ) and found the first book in one of Terri Blackstock’s trilogies, Truth Stained Lies, to be engaging enough to read on.  I sort of returned to my roots for a couple of days with both a Harliquin RS book and a Love Inspired featuring dogs.  Add Lynette Eason to the rec’s for good Christian RS authors if anyone is looking for a book.

I started one of my Phyllis Whitney purchases.  Feather on the Moon https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8120522-feather-on-the-moon so for rates as a pleasant read overall …….. if the story line can be considered pleasant, the main character’s 3 yo daughter disappeared from a grocery store shopping cart 7 years ago and she has just received a phone from someplace near Vancouver that a child is staying on an estate there could be her daughter.  I am not far but the pages turn easily.

I am close to halfway in JD Robb’s Abandoned in Death.  It’s good but I am stuck reading in my browser which really slows things down for me because I need WiFi to do it.  A year ago I wondered how publishers and libraries would get around their limits on new releases via the ebook world to library customers.  Reading in your browser appears to be my answer.

On audio I have continued my Peter Grainger DS Smith love……I used him for my G.  I have the next one on hold and am currently listening to Alafair Burke’s Find Me.  It’s entertaining currently but something tells me I am going to hate the ending. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53175311-find-me

 

[Jenny in Florida]

It occurs to me that, at some point during the year, it will become unwieldy to continue listing all the books I've read. Maybe I'll switch to just listing the most recent five or something. Hmmm, things to ponder.

I finished The Violin Conspiracy, which I did enjoy, although I figured out the solution to the mystery long before the end. I'm now about halfway through Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World, which is one of those books that makes me keep poking people to say things like, "Did you know that . . .?" I'm now listening to the chapter about aerobic dance and Jazzercise and having flashbacks to doing endless grapevines in my ice blue Danskin leotard.

1. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman
2. The Victorian and the Romantic: A Memoir, a Love Story, and a Friendship Across Time, Nell Stevens
3. You Have the Right to Remain Fat, Virgie Tovar
4. I See You Made an Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50, Annabelle Gurwitch
5. You're Leaving When? Adventures in Downward Mobility, Annabelle Gurwitch
6. Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, Elizabeth Buchan
7. That Summer, Jennifer Weiner
8. Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School, Kendra James
9. Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid
10. The Violin Conspiracy, Brendan Slocumb

I am currently reading:

• Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World, Danielle Friedman
• Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown (I finally picked this up again and read the first couple of sections.)

Edited February 20, 2022 by Jenny in Florida

[Kareni]

I've recently finished two books.

 Paladin's Hope (The Saint of Steel Book 3) by T. Kingfisher (a gift!) was yet another fun fantasy. While it could be read as a standalone, I think it works best to read the series in order.

"Piper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard’s investigations. It’s a peaceful, if solitary profession…until the day when he’s called to the river to examine the latest in a series of mysterious bodies, mangled by some unknown force.

Galen is a paladin of a dead god, lost to holiness and no longer entirely sane. He has long since given up on any hope of love. But when the two men and a brave gnole constable are drawn into the maze of the mysterious killer, it’s Galen’s job to protect Piper from the traps that await them.
He’s just not sure if he can protect Piper from the most dangerous threat of all…"

**

I was able to get some books via interlibrary loan so was able to continue on in a young adult science fiction series I recently started. I quite enjoyed Earth Star (Earth Girl series Book 2) by Janet Edwards. Be aware that the reader must be willing to suspend disbelief!

"Eighteen-year-old Jarra has a lot to prove. After being awarded one of the military’s highest honors for her role in a daring rescue attempt, she finds herself—and her Ape status—in the spotlight. Jarra is one of the unlucky few born with an immune system that cannot survive on other planets. Derided as an “ape”—a “throwback”—by the rest of the universe, she is on a mission to prove that Earth Girls are just as good as anyone else. Except now the planet she loves is under threat by what could be humanity’s first ever alien contact. Jarra’s bravery—and specialist knowledge—will once again be at the center of the maelstrom, but will the rest of the universe consider Earth worth fighting for?"

Regards,

Kareni

[Storygirl]

I finished Hideaway by Nora Roberts, which counts for both my H book and my romantic suspense selection for Crime Spree. I read this one on audio, which is a first for me. I've used audio books before when on long car trips, but this is the first time I've borrowed one from the library using the Libby app. I loved reading this way, though I didn't love this book. To be fair, I didn't expect to, as romance is not my thing, and Hideaway is definitely romance with some suspense mixed in.

I have yet to finish my G book (Greenwood by Michael Christie), because a library hold came in (Something to Hide by Elizabeth George), and I had to put my G book down and pick up the new one, so that I will be able to return it on time. But I found Greenwood on audio, so now I'm listening to it, while still plowing through Something to Hide. I could use that one for G, due to the author's name, but I decided to tackle both at once.

I'm actually still working through my second F book, as well, which is nonfiction, and I'm parsing it out, chapter by chapter. And I have another library hold to pick up, which starts with L. So my alphabetical efforts are not turning out to be strictly alphabetical. My intent in doing the alphabet is to expand my reading, because I tend to stay always in one lane (mysteries), and so I can meet my goal, even if I take a circuitous route.

 

[Kareni]

And this evening I finished the final book in the Earth Girl series, Earth Flight by Janet Edward. I enjoyed the series but be aware that it needs to be read in order.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

Jo Walton’s Reading List: January 2022

https://www.tor.com/2022/02/04/jo-waltons-reading-list-january-2022/#comment-936996

The Art of the Book

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2022/02/the-art-of-the-book.html

Rereading Is Time Travel by Molly Templeton

https://www.tor.com/2022/01/06/mark-as-read-rereading-is-time-travel/

Regards,

Kareni

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Your choices look so good and now I'm adding to my Want To Read list.
I'm making slow progress with reading, I'm still ahead of my book a week goal but finding it difficult to make time to read with my other goals in play. I'm experiencing guilt at the height of my TBR stack and the books I have been gifted. I need to read some of those as the giver(s) have inquired a couple of times about how I enjoyed the book. One is a signed Terry Pratchett from Christmas 2020. It's the third in a series and I still have to read the second one before I can get to it.

I may have to reassess my reading strategy and figure something else out in March. 

For this week, I am donating blood today so it's Nancy Drew #11. Then I'll finish the book I've been reading for the review.

[ladydusk]

I decided to read the AmblesideOnline poetry volumes for years 1-6 this year. Year 1 will take all year, but I finished Year 2 last week and started Year 3 this morning.  

I started Kristin Lavransdatter on audio, so I suspect that will take a while. 

[Kareni]

I finished a very quick book today ~ I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser. This had a variety of entries many of which were poignant.

From the Back Cover

One life. Six words. What's yours?

True tales of love, loss, good friends, and bad hair days filled Not Quite What I Was Planning, the New York Times bestselling first book in the Six-Word Memoir series—and an international phenomenon. Some of the most compelling were by teens, so now SMITH Magazine has compiled a book written entirely by these bold, brash truth-tellers. From cancer to creativity, prom dates to promiscuity, and breaking hearts to breaking laws, the memoirs in this collection reveal that often the youngest writers have the most fascinating stories to tell.

Met online; love before first sight.

Hair's pink to piss you off.

I fulfilled my awkwardness quota today.

I'm seventeen, engaged, and not pregnant.

My mom had my boyfriend deported.

Late for school every single day.

According to Facebook, we broke up.

Regards,

Kareni

[scholarly]

Last week my "G" choices didn't work out very well for me. I started Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, but just couldn't get into it. I'll try it again another time. Then I tried The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, but really disliked the writing style and had to abandon it. It's been on my to-read list for a long time, so at least I get the joy of crossing it off.  I requested Graceling from the library, so I'll see if that one is any better for me.

I did finish Cultish: the Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell. It was an interesting (although a little fluffy) look at how religious cults, fitness groups, MLMs, and QAnon all share some of the same language uses.

This week I'm reading The Heirloom Gardener by John Forti and dreaming of what I'll plant this year!

[Mothersweets]

Hi all! I'm making my way through #5 of the Joe Pickett series and finished the audio of H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian, which is a re-listen. It's been several years since I read it and had forgotten how good it is!

On 2/20/2022 at 12:58 AM, Robin M said:

 

 

Did you know that today is Hoodie Hoo day?  So go outside at noon and wave your hands and yell Hoodie Hoo and chase away your winter blues. Go ahead, I dare you.  

 

 

Well, darn! I totally missed Hoodie Hoo day! 😂

On 2/21/2022 at 2:35 PM, ladydusk said:

 

I started Kristin Lavransdatter on audio, so I suspect that will take a while. 

Love Kristin Lavransdatter but I've never been able to get into the audio version because of the narrator. Does the reader improve as she goes along?

[ladydusk]

8 minutes ago, Mothersweets said:

Love Kristin Lavransdatter but I've never been able to get into the audio version because of the narrator. Does the reader improve as she goes along?

I listen at 1.5x ... I haven't been annoyed with the reader so far.  

[Lady Florida.]

15 hours ago, scholarly said:

Last week my "G" choices didn't work out very well for me. I started Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, but just couldn't get into it. I'll try it again another time.

I read that one last year but it took me well over a month to finish. In the end it was worth it but it's a definitely slow read. 

[Lady Florida.]

I finished two books recently - 

Yesterday I finished War of the Wolf, #11 in the Saxon Chronicles/Last Kingdom books. There are only 2 books left before I have to say goodbye to Uhtred  for good. I also finished Stephen Fry's Mythos which was enjoyable though it's a very basic Greek myths retelling.

I have my Kindle loaded for our cruise with more books than I'm sure I'll get a chance to read. We leave Sunday for a 7 night cruise in the Eastern Carribbean. We only live about 40 minutes from Port Canaveral so we don't have additional travel to get to our port. Ds24 is coming with us and we're all getting pretty excited as the time gets closer.

I Will Die in a Foreign Land was put back on my hold list when I didn't claim it in time. It came in again yesterday, and sadly will be a timely read. 
The Song of Simon de Montfort - I just can't quit those medieval non fiction books. 😂
A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear - about the town of Grafton, NH and the failed Free Town Project. 
Indian Horse -  This was my choice for book club. We'll be meeting a week after I get back because I want to test first and make sure we all test negative before meeting the book club women.
The Woman They Could Not Silence  - about Elizabeth Packard whose husband had her committed in 1860 because men could do that to women they wanted to get rid of. She fought back not just for herself but for other women committed when they had no mental health problems at all. 
Sword of Kings - #12 in the Last Kingdom books
Murder on the Sea Witch - #7 in that mystery series I've been reading, in case I need something light and easy.

Of course I won't read or even start all of the above but I like to have choices. I started the one about Simon de Montfort and will probably continue reading it this week. As I look over the list I realize it's not exactly light vacation reading. I might look for another light mystery to add to my Kindle. It will have to be either from Kindle Unlimited or the library because I don't like to own those light reading books.

I was one of those people who packed a separate bag of books when I traveled. I needed to do that both in case I finished a book and needed a new one, and because I like to have choices. The Kindle perfect for me because I can still bring a number of books but don't need a bag to carry them.

I'm also trying to finish Before His Time, the one I posted about last week covering the life of a local civil rights activists who was likely the first civil rights martyr. It's a hardcover library book and I want to be able to bring it back before we leave. I can renew it but then it would sit here for the week we're gone.

@mumto2 From last week, if you ever have time to stop in Mims it's worth spending some time at the Harry & Harriette Moore Museum.

[Mothersweets]

6 hours ago, ladydusk said:

I listen at 1.5x ... I haven't been annoyed with the reader so far.  

Good idea - I'll have to try that!

[mumto2]

I hope you have a great holiday!  @Lady Florida.

I have started listening to a YA fantasy series that I think someone here may have read, perhaps @melmichigan?.  The Gilded Wolves https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863498-the-gilded-wolves is the first book and I need the second for my book chain.  So far I am enjoying it.  It’s not unique, more of a mash up of several fantasy series I have read but it’s entertaining.  It also has a pretty cover. 😂

[Robin M]

I finished Jemisin's Fifth Season and all I can say is oh my goodness. This book hits all the feels and blew my mind.  Be prepared to be thrown into the world without a whole lot of explanation and be immersed. Fair warning, dark subjects such a child abuse so if can't handle that particular subject,  avoid it. The second person point of view is very well done and isn't off putting and pulls you into the story just as much as the third person point of view.  Yes the story ends but doesn't end, so have to the read the second book. That's all I can say without going into spoilers.

[Negin]

13 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

We leave Sunday for a 7 night cruise in the Eastern Carribbean.

Kathy, enjoy your cruise! You'll probably be in my neck of the woods. I can see every cruise ship from our home. 

[Kareni]

Last night I finished the contemporary romance Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen; I enjoyed it but it's not amongst my favorites by the author. (Adult content)

"Mike Beacon is a champion at defending the net, but off the ice, he’s not so lucky. A widower and a single father, he’s never forgotten Lauren Williams, the ex who gave him the best year of his life. When Lauren reappears in the Bruisers office during the playoffs, Beacon sees his chance to make things right.

Lauren hates that she’s forced to travel with the team she used to work for and the man who broke her heart. There’s still undeniable sexual tension running between her and Mike, but she won’t go down that road again. She’s focused on her plans for the future—she doesn’t need a man to make her dreams of motherhood come true.

Lauren plays her best defensive game, but she’s no match for the dark-eyed goalie. When the field of play moves to Florida, things heat up on the beach.

One of Mike’s biggest fans doesn’t approve—his teenage daughter. But a true competitor knows not to waste the perfect shot at love."

Regards,

Kareni

[bookbard]

On 2/21/2022 at 4:30 PM, Kareni said:

this evening I finished the final book in the Earth Girl series, Earth Flight by Janet Edward. I enjoyed the series but be aware that it needs to be read in order.

Kareni, I found this a fun, unusual series. Could definitely have done with some editing but a good read.

Just finished Stoner by John Williams and feel kind of indignant and annoyed that this book  has been so intensely promoted as a great novel - even a "perfect" novel by some. It's written in what has been called "American primitive style" where the author tells you everything but doesn't show you it at all, so it's all "Stoner felt this" and yet you never see it. The bits where Stoner (a lit professor) is expounding on literature seem laughable and simplistic (Shakespeare came magically from the desert of medievalism? Really?). And the way he writes women is just awful. I feel SO annoyed that Stoner promised to take his wife to Europe, but never did! And yet she's the great millstone around his neck. Ugh. It feels like the whole point of the novel is that great men are just so misunderstood because those around them just don't appreciate their genius. The whole bit where a guy with a disability is the villain of the whole piece? You can just see the author grinding his teeth about 'political correctness'. 

If you want a novel that is finely constructed and uses beautiful language to show you how people feel, try A Month in the Country by J L Carr. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark is up there too. Or, you know, my favourite book, Dr Zhivago by Pasternak - you can eat and drink his language. 

 

[tuesdayschild]

On 2/24/2022 at 9:15 AM, Lady Florida. said:

Ds24 is coming with us and we're all getting pretty excited as the time gets closer.

Hoping you all have a wonderful voyage (it sounds exciting just reading about it!).

[tuesdayschild]

On 2/24/2022 at 3:10 PM, mumto2 said:

I have started listening to a YA fantasy series that I think someone here may have read, perhaps @melmichigan?.  The Gilded Wolves https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863498-the-gilded-wolves is the first book and I need the second for my book chain.  So far I am enjoying it.  It’s not unique, more of a mash up of several fantasy series I have read but it’s entertaining.  It also has a pretty cover. 😂

Did you end up enjoying this right to the end?    I rather like fantasy and don't mind YA at all so I'm keen to know that 🙂 

A pretty cover and a YA fantasy read feature in my world this week too: https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/28961782-wildwood-dancing which was a recommendation from my Dd.

[Mothersweets]

@bookbard You are not alone! I was angry by the end and couldn't believe that I had actually PAID for a new copy of this book. (At the time I lived on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere and that darn Bas Bleu catalog tricked me into buying it!) The story was just so bland and pointless and I just didn't get why it was so highly rated. ugh

[mumto2]

7 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

Did you end up enjoying this right to the end?    I rather like fantasy and don't mind YA at all so I'm keen to know that 🙂 

A pretty cover and a YA fantasy read feature in my world this week too: https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/28961782-wildwood-dancing which was a recommendation from my Dd.

So The Gilded Wolves was not a great read in terms of recommending it to all as a great read.  It was entertaining enough to listen to while sewing and at this point I will continue through the series because my library has them on audio and I need them for my book chain.  I think the series it reminds me of the most is Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine if that helps at all.  A group of friends with a mission to restore one of their group to his rightful place as heir to one of the great houses in a post Napoleon magical country.  I enjoyed the world that was created quite a bit.  There were mild s*x scenes m/f and some romances m/m.  

[Kareni]

Concerning the Earth Girl series ~

13 hours ago, bookbard said:

Kareni, I found this a fun, unusual series. Could definitely have done with some editing but a good read.

My thoughts align with yours. Have you read any other books by Janet Edwards? She seems quite prolific.

Regards,

Kareni

[Storygirl]

I finished Something to Hide by Elizabeth George, and though I have long been a fan (I've read everything by her, except for her YA series), I have to say that I didn't enjoy this one. Too long. I think 1/3 of it could have been lopped off easily. Maybe even 1/2. I guessed the Who of this whodunit fairly early on, but not the Why. Because the Why is completely implausible and ridiculous, I am sorry to say. George's books have always been as much about the characters as the crime, which is why I became invested in them, but in this giant tome, the character development centers not on the detectives but on the drama happening within a Nigerian family over the issue of female genital mutilation. More and more, her books are focusing on what, in my opinion, should be the minor characters, to the detriment of the development of her main characters. This is the Lynley series, yet Thomas Lynley is so minor in this story that he doesn't even enter the scene for the first 120 pages, and when he is on the page, he spends more time pining over his love life than leading the investigation.

I've not been satisfied with the last handful of books in this series, and though I am now 21 books in, I am not certain I will want to read the next one.

[Kareni]

I just finished The Dry: A Novel by Jane Harper  which my distant book group will be discussing next week.  A mystery is a very atypical book for my group, but I found it a gripping read and finished it in two days.

"After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.

Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets."

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

11 hours ago, Kareni said:

I just finished The Dry: A Novel by Jane Harper  which my distant book group will be discussing next week.  A mystery is a very atypical book for my group, but I found it a gripping read and finished it in two days.

"After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.

Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets."

Regards,

Kareni

Glad you enjoyed reading The Dry.  It’s a book I have looked at but never checked out and had actually already put it on “the list” for later this year.  I read her book The Survivers recently and it was excellent.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53305127-the-survivors?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Hb9RiD2PIf&rank=3

[Negin]

Kindle book on sale today. 

[Kareni]

4 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Glad you enjoyed reading The Dry.  It’s a book I have looked at but never checked out and had actually already put it on “the list” for later this year.  I read her book The Survivers recently and it was excellent.

I believe that I will happily read more by the author, Jane Harper. I've already requested the book that follows The Dry.  I hope you'll enjoy it later this year.

Regards,

Kareni

[Storygirl]

I've read all of Jane Harper's books, and I think The Dry is my favorite and The Survivors is my least favorite. Force of Nature is a sequel to The Dry, with the same main detective, Aaron Falk, but a completely different location and cast of characters otherwise. The other two are standalones. Harper excels at creating rich settings that operate almost like characters in the stories. I'm hoping for more Aaron Falk stories in the future.

[GracieJane]

I read Kristin Lavransdatter based only on the many recommendations here! I liked it. I picked up Undset’s Catherine of Siena afterwards because I like her writing style. 

Now I’m reading Called and Chosen by Monica Baldwin (who also wrote I Leap Over The Wall). She was a nun in an enclosed convent for 28 years until she left join war efforts during World War II. If you are interested in the intricacies of convent life, they are both super interesting!

Edited February 27, 2022 by GracieJane

[Robin M]

Link to week 9 - please continue conversation in new thread