What Are You Reading Today? -(v2.0)

[Linda]

I too loved Elizabeth Peters. If you have never heard Barbara Rosenblat narrate them you should drop by your library to pickup a recording. She has amazingly voiced each character so individualistically. When I read the books I now can "hear" the charater's voices.

[C.P.]

Sorry, Erin. I tend to log in to GR in the evenings from my tablet, so all my posts are truncated because the typing is such a pain. What I meant was that I know Rowling can write, because I enjoyed her YA novels. But I don't think she can write a good mystery novel—which is, as you say, a separate skill. And I wonder whether, if she really had been an unknown named Robert Galbraith, her Cormoran Strike books would have received as much praise as they have.

Maybe they would, but I doubt it. The books were well written in some respects but not well paced, in my view.

But Elisabeth liked them, so I'm sure others do too.

[Erin]

C.P. wrote: "And I wonder whether, if she really had been an unknown named Robert Galbraith, her Cormoran Strike books would have received as much praise as they have."

I think that was a pretty resounding no, actually. Even in mystery circles where people are looking specifically for good new mysteries, no one had anything but "meh" to say about the book before it came out that Rowling was writing under a pseudonym.

One of my friends made a tongue-in-cheek comment that she suspected Rowling was her own leak about the pseudonym when it had such a cold reception.

[C.P.]

Yeah, I had the same impression. :-)

[Susan]

I just started Ice Shear by M.C. Cooley and am impressed - very assured writing and the setting and characters are grounded in reality. It's a debut detection novel by a young writer.

[Margaret]

Just finished the audio of Diana Gabdalon's Written In My Heart's Blood, set near the end of the Revolutionary War of Independence. I had forgotten that she doesn't wrap a story, just chops it off at mid gallop. It does leave you wondering what happens next.

[Sabrina]

Susan wrote: "I just started Ice Shear by M.C. Cooley and am impressed - very assured writing and the setting and characters are grounded in reality. It's a debut detection novel by a young writer."

I attended Left Coast at beginning of the year and M.C Cooley was on a new author panel. She read a bit of Ice Shear, and her writing really jumped out over all the others on the panel. Never forgot the title either. Let me know how the book is!

[Susan]

Sabrina wrote: "Susan wrote: "I just started Ice Shear by M.C. Cooley and am impressed - very assured writing and the setting and characters are grounded in reality. It's a debut detection novel by a young writer...."

I will - I'm 100 pages in and it's holding up so well. Disclaimer: Martha's in the same chapter of Sisters in Crime that I am, so I've met and chatted with her. But I am honest in my comments and reviews.

[Sabrina]

Susan wrote: I will - I'm 100 pages in and it's holding up so well. Disclaimer: Martha's in the same chapter of Sisters in Crime that I am, so I've met and chatted with her. But I am honest in my comments and reviews.

Oh, very cool, Susan. Well if you talk to her again, let her know that someone in the audience at Left Coast was very impressed by her reading on the new author panel!

[Erin]

I'm in a bit of reading slump. I blew through Seanan McGuire's Incryptic urban fantasy series at the end of last month (totally amazing and highly recommended if you are an urban fantasy fan!) and then discovered she has a bunch of short stories free on her website, so my January is starting off without any actual books read.

Ben Aaronovitch's latest Rivers of London book just hit my ereader on Tuesday, though, so I think that'll be my first real book read of the year.

So what's everyone starting their year off with?

[Elisabeth]

I started off by finishing the last entry in Steampunk, then a couple of quick reads with Mary's Christmas and The Good Fairies of New York. Today I started my first proper novel of the year, The Windup Girl. It's fascinating so far, a fairly unique (as far as I know) Far East dystopia, where calorie companies rule the world.

[Susan]

Sorry, I've been absent from the discussion. Just finished We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, which I am after reading this beautifully written and structured novel by Karen Joy Fowler. Am reading The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey, and enjoying it greatly. Read Invitation to die by Helen smith, A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara Henry, and Black Out by John Lawton recently.

[John]

Elisabeth wrote: "I started off by finishing the last entry in Steampunk, then a couple of quick reads with Mary's Christmas and The Good Fairies of New York. Today I star..."

Elizabeth, I am a big fan of Paolo Bacigalupi, I hope you enjoy The Windup Girl. I have met him at book signings a couple times and he is a really interesting fellow.

[John]

Susan wrote: "Sorry, I've been absent from the discussion. Just finished We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, which I am after reading this beautifully written and structured novel by Karen Joy Fowler. Am rea..."

Susan, I am also a big fan of Karen Joy Fowler, having followed her writings from her early days as a science fiction writer.

[Lesley]

John-I just read MARY'S CHRISTMAS too.
Also read THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE COPPER CORPSE which is a Flavia de Luce short story.
Have read THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and RODIN'S LOVER for review with Penguin in the last week.
And to keep myself sane am listening while driving to Jenny Sterlin read LOCKED ROOMS. I am re-reading Russell in order to refresh memory before reading GARMENT and DREAMING.

[John]

Lesley, a nice selection of books there; I just tonight finished the new Flavia de Luce book and liked it a lot. I will have to purchase the short story for my Kindle. Thanks for checking in!

[Kathy]

Susan wrote: "Sorry, I've been absent from the discussion. Just finished We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, which I am after reading this beautifully written and structured novel by Karen Joy Fowler. Am rea..."

I read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves last year and love it. I agree with you about how well structured it was. It made me a fan of the author.

[Kathy]

John wrote: "Lesley, a nice selection of books there; I just tonight finished the new Flavia de Luce book and liked it a lot. I will have to purchase the short story for my Kindle. Thanks for checking in!"

NO,John. I am champing at the bit to get to the new Flavia book. It's sitting beside me now, but, unfortunately it will have to wait.

[Kathy]

I am in such book heaven this month. Tonight I will finish the ARC from Anne Cleeland for her 3rd book in The New Scotland Yard Mysteries, Acton and Doyle. I am so in love with this series that I've actually put off finishing it tonight because I don't want it to end. It comes out March 31st, so for those of you who haven't started this series yet, that gives you plenty of time to read Murder in Thrall and Murder in Retribution. Up next is Laurie's Dreaming Spies, which I have been itching to get to, too. I received my print and signed copy of Mary's Christmas in the mail today from ordering it from the Santa Cruz bookstore. I have a book coming from someone on Monday that I need to read for a review, The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel. It sounds like a great thriller. Lesley, I want to read The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse before the new novel, and The Girl on the Train will somehow get read this month. I have an ARC of Runaway from Peter May, but his book before that, Entry Island won't be out in the U.S. until next September. I got chosen as a Peter May super fan, and part of my reward included several copies of Entry Island, which I will give away on my blog in the next couple of months. I'll post a notice here on this group when the giveaway is on. I have a lot of reading (series) to do for this year's Bouchercon, so I need to be finding lots of time to sit and be quiet in the company of great reading. With painting and flooring going on in my house right now and a busy Christmas, it has been rough on my reading life.

[Kathy]

Erin wrote: "I'm in a bit of reading slump. I blew through Seanan McGuire's Incryptic urban fantasy series at the end of last month (totally amazing and highly recommended if you are an urban fantasy fan!) and..."

Erin, I am really wanting to start the Rivers of London series this year. We'll see.

[Lenore]

I finished the first Rivers of London book at the end of December. I liked it a lot, but I can't decide whether I'm going to get bored with the concept of a whole magical scene. I guess I'll have to try the second book and see.

Meanwhile, I'm taking a break from fiction to listen to James Carroll's Jerusalem, Jerusalem: How the Ancient City Ignited Our Modern World, a very interesting review of the history of Jerusalem and the idea of Jerusalem as a focus for conflict -- although I'm not sure I agree with all of Carroll's interpretations of events and dogmas. The wonderfully written book is marred (as is so frequently the case) by the inability of the narrator of the audio version to pronounce correctly even very common foreign words and names. You'd think that if someone were paying you to read a recorded book, and you didn't speak the language of some of the words, that you'd ask someone who knows. And you'd certainly think that the producer or director of the production would insist on it.

[Lesley]

I had read the new Flavia de Luce in December in digital ARC. I liked it, but felt something was missing as the setting is Canada and England. Also, I missed Dogger immensely though he makes an appearance in the form of a letter and his advice is there in small remembered moments. It was still a good read, but I felt that the change of setting and plot changed Flavia too much too quickly and it was awkward. Will still read the next one in the series as I want to see what happens next, so the enthusiasm isn't gone for Flavia just tempered.

[Elisabeth]

John wrote: "Elisabeth wrote: "I started off by finishing the last entry in Steampunk, then a couple of quick reads with Mary's Christmas and [book:The Good Fairies of New York|16..."

John, I am enjoying the story and the scenery but I get very annoyed with science fiction that has no women in it! You'd think half the population would do better than one out of four and that one a robot prostitute. :-/

[John]

Elisabeth wrote: "John wrote: "Elisabeth wrote: "I started off by finishing the last entry in Steampunk, then a couple of quick reads with Mary's Christmas and [book:The Good Fairies o..."

Elizabeth--
Certainly a very valid criticism of a long-standing flaw in science fiction/fantasy, something that is slowly improving but not nearly as quickly as in much of other genre fiction, imho. I read considerably more mystery/thriller books these days than science fiction/fantasy, and your point may be a big part of why I do.

[Erin]

So what's everyone reading this weekend?

After speeding through her Incryptid urban fantasy series, I discovered that Seanan McGuire has kind of an urban fantasy/mystery series (the October Daye series), so I've jumped into that.

Plus I just got the Flavia from the library and the new Peter Grant on my Nook. I'm set for the long weekend!

[Elisabeth]

Currently reading Who Fears Death. It's amazing.

Also I have Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon that's due back at the library soon; it should be a quick read though.

I finished The Windup Girl and it ended up very different from my expectations. I'd recommend that one too.

Erin, I didn't realize the new Peter Grant was out and I didn't get on the library hold list early enough. Now it's a long wait. I guess I'll just have to be patient. ;)

[Erin]

Who Fears Death sounds really interesting, Elizabeth! Thanks for that rec!

i09 posted this great list of sci-fi and fantasy books that are due out this year that all sound absolutely awesome. I just added a bunch that are due out between now and March to my library hold list to try to shorten the wait.

[Elisabeth]

What a fantastic list! I definitely want to read more Alistair Reynolds, Jo Walton, Naomi Novik - I grew less interested in her Temeraire series over time but her short in The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was amazing - right up there with Neil Gaiman's. N. K. Jemison is on my list too, and Kelly Link, and Daniel Abraham... where do I sign up for my pocket dimension?

[John]

Erin wrote: "Who Fears Death sounds really interesting, Elizabeth! Thanks for that rec!

i09 posted this great list of sci-fi and fantasy books that are due out this year that all sound absolutely awesome. I ..."

The Elizabeth Bear, Gaiman, and Kelly Link books will likely be musts for me!

[Lesley]

I am going to start Psychology of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Robin S Rosenberg. Also going to start read EB White's Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web and Trumpet of the Swan. Recently finished the biography on White.

[Barbaraalaska]

I am looking for help... I have enjoyed the Mary Russell series, Bess Crawford and Maise Dobbs. I want to find more books like these. WW1 or WW2. I do not care for romance or graphic murder scenes. I love the history attached and personal lives. Help....

[Sally]

Barbaraalaska wrote: "I am looking for help... I have enjoyed the Mary Russell series, Bess Crawford and Maise Dobbs. I want to find more books like these. WW1 or WW2. I do not care for romance or graphic murder scenes..."
I enjoyed the Anne Perry WWI series. The first book is No Graves as Yet. There is an overarching mystery in the 5 books and smaller ones in each book but the books are more history than mystery.

[Margaret]

Thank you for the suggestions, Sally. My library has No Graves Yet on CD and will send it to my local branch.

[Lesley]

Have you read Charles Todd's other series of Ian Rutledge as you mentioned Bess Crawford? Rennie Airth's series with John Madden may also interest you.

[C.P.]

I have been caught up in a Heyer reread (These Old Shades and Devil's Cub, to be precise), while waiting for Dreaming Spies!

[KarenB]

I'm having a little swing over into fantasy series for a bit, but having discovered Book Bub my TBR list on my kindle is becoming rather daunting!

[Erin]

Barbaraalaska wrote: "I am looking for help... I have enjoyed the Mary Russell series, Bess Crawford and Maise Dobbs. I want to find more books like these. WW1 or WW2. I do not care for romance or graphic murder scenes..."

Hmmm...maybe Rhys Bowen's books? She has a few different series that you might like. The Molly Murphy books are about an Irish immigrant woman in New York who kind of falls into a life of detecting (though unofficial because it's turn of the century). And then her Royal Spyness is about a daughter of a duke (title, but no money), who falls in to detecting to make a living in 1920s London.

[Erin]

I'm in that terrible/awesome position of having too many good books to choose from. Still working my way through Seanan McGuire's books. And I have the new Flavia out from the library and the new Peter Grant on my Nook. And book friends just talked me into pushing Dune up on my TBR list. Oh, and I'm going to do a quick re-read of Tamora Pierce's Alanna of Trebond series for a project.

[C.P.]

Oh, I love Rhys Bowen's books, especially the Lady Georgiana novels (Her Royal Spyness, etc.). How can you not fall for a heroine who introduces herself as "41st in line for the British throne"?

If you don't mind starting earlier and working your way up to the 1900s and beyond, there is, of course, the immortal Amelia Peabody. Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first in the series. Author Elizabeth Peters—no longer with us, alas.

You may also like Jessica Brockmole's Letters from Skye or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

[Erin]

Oh gosh, yes, Amelia Peabody!! If you haven't read those yet, DEFINITELY read those!

[Lenore]

Erin wrote: "I'm in that terrible/awesome position of having too many good books to choose from...."

Uhh -- Isn't that the definition of Life: Too many books, so little time?

[Barbaraalaska]

Sally wrote: "Barbaraalaska wrote: "I am looking for help... I have enjoyed the Mary Russell series, Bess Crawford and Maise Dobbs. I want to find more books like these. WW1 or WW2. I do not care for romance or..."

Thank you for all the replies. I have read all of these. Oh how I wish I could find more. 2014 was the best reading year of my life!

[Sandy]

Erin wrote: "Oh gosh, yes, Amelia Peabody!! If you haven't read those yet, DEFINITELY read those!"

Perhaps my very favorite series

[Barbaraalaska]

Sally wrote: "Barbaraalaska wrote: "I am looking for help... I have enjoyed the Mary Russell series, Bess Crawford and Maise Dobbs. I want to find more books like these. WW1 or WW2. I do not care for romance or..."

Thank you, I have read them all.

[Sabrina]

I was just thinking that I want to do a reread of the Amelia Peabody series. So much fun! I just finished April White's Marking Time and loved that. Moving into the next in series. Then onto Hugh Howey's The Shell Collector.

[Kathy]

It's been a great past week of reading, finishing Dreaming of Spies over the weekend, and I loved it. I've reviewed it here on Goodreads and am placing my review on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, too. I just now finished an ARC of The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel. Blaedel is a new author for me and is known as the "Queen of Crime" in her homeland of Denmark. I can certainly see why. The Forgotten Girls is the seventh book in the Louise Rick series, where Rick is a 40-year-old police detective who has just taken over the Special Search Agency, missing people. I love finding a new author and I am now hooked on this series. I only have six to go back and read. I've done more than that. Of course, with all the reading I have backed up now, adding yet another series might not be the best step toward catching up. Up next I'll be choosing from three books--Die Again by Tess Gerritsen, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley, or The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. My next series to read will be the Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal. Barbaraalaska, you might enjoy this series, too, as it take place in England during WWII. The first book in the Maggie Hope series is entitled Mr. Churchill's Secretary.

[Elisabeth]

Erin, Dune is one of my all-time favorites. Last time I read it, I got to the end, went back to the beginning and read it again. The imagery is just so beautiful, the world is so vivid and real. I even liked a couple of the sequels, though they get less coherent as they go.

[Linda]

If you like period books, i"m a fan of Deanna Raybourn and Charles Todd. Of course, next to Laurie my all-time favorite books are Louise Penney--although modern. There is also Catriona McPherson and Clara Benson.
Happy reading?

[Antoinette]

Kathy wrote: "I am trying to read as many books for Bouchercon as I can. I just finished The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James and loved this ghost story. Tonight I am starting A Lack of Temperance b..."

Thank you for the suggestion. I'll try The Haunting of Maddy Claire.

[Antoinette]

Ovidia wrote: "Kathy B. wrote: "Erin wrote: "Louise wrote: "Do any of the others know the extreme frustration of reading a series from the library and having to just give up and read it out of order? "

More ofte..."

Our Wake County (NC) libraries accept book donations. If they can't use them the books are sold once a year at a big sale at the fairgrounds.