Starting/joining in with buddy reads Showing 1,101-1,150 of 1,377

[Michaela]

I liked the Peter Shandy book too, though not everyone did, as far as I remember, so looking forward to reading more of this series.

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "I have just removed a post due to comments which could potentially cause offence to American members. Please could everyone remember that the rules of the group are to be polite. We have members fr..."

I’m not sure what happened, I missed a few comments obviously and am just adding my two cents today about buddy reads, so thanks to our mods for all you do.

[Judy]

Thanks to everyone, it looks like everything's fine now, so let's move on and enjoy more good reading together. We have plenty of it in store.

[Susan in NC]

Has anyone read Death in Delft ? Interesting place and period I knew little about, plus self-deprecating humor, always a plus! I enjoyed the first two books very much - I know someone here nominated this series or another by the author. Thanks! Y’all are death to my To Be Read list! ;o)

[Sandy]

Susan in NC wrote: "Has anyone read Death in Delft? Interesting place and period I knew little about, plus self-deprecating humor, always a plus! I enjoyed the first ..."

I really like that series and have read the first four or five with plans to continue. The humor is great, and the setting is different, though he is reluctantly sent to London for one book.

[Susan]

They are on my, very long, TBR list, sandy. I hope to get to them at some point and noted the author has another interesting series, set in the Czech republic. Lying and Dying. If the author is good, might be a nice series to start when we've finished Martin Beck?

[Michaela]

I want to read the first one in this series in February (with another group), so can then say if I liked it. In case I do I´d like to continue here.

[Susan]

Is that Death in Delft you are referring to, Michaela, or the other series I mentioned?

[Sandy]

To test the Lying and Dying series, I bought for $1 (in the US).

[Michaela]

Susan wrote: "Is that Death in Delft you are referring to, Michaela, or the other series I mentioned?"

Death in Delft, yes, was vague, sorry.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Has anyone read Death in Delft? Interesting place and period I knew little about, plus self-deprecating humor, always a plus! ..."

Thanks, good to know, I think the trip to London book is my next up in the series.

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "They are on my, very long, TBR list, sandy. I hope to get to them at some point and noted the author has another interesting series, set in the Czech republic. Lying and Dying. If t..."

Oh, I’d definitely be up for that! I couldn’t get hold of the Czech series when someone here first nominated the author, but now that I’ve read him, I’d be willing to read either series.

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "To test the Lying and Dying series, I bought for $1 (in the US)."

What did you think?

Oh, just checked, Lying and Dying now available free on Kindle Unlimited

[Susan]

Let's finish Martin Beck and then it can be a new, European series, if we know the author is good? Or perhaps when we finish the Cruise Ship series as we are on the last book - although I am not sure I can face another one!

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "Let's finish Martin Beck and then it can be a new, European series, if we know the author is good? Or perhaps when we finish the Cruise Ship series as we are on the last book - although I am not su..."

Sounds like a good plan. I’ll have to pass on the last of the cruise series, I can’t get the book.

[Susan]

Fair enough. I am not sure I wish to board, even though it is on Audible, but the reviews are very poor. I sort of want to see whether there is a conclusion of any kind.

[Jill]

I’ve a feeling these long Merrily’s are going to take a lot of time up.

[Susan]

That's why I split them so they didn't fall alongside the Shardlake books. Phil Rickman's books are often long, but I have enjoyed all that I have read so far - an inspired suggestion by you, Jill.

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "Fair enough. I am not sure I wish to board, even though it is on Audible, but the reviews are very poor. I sort of want to see whether there is a conclusion of any kind."

lol! If I was in the middle of a knitting project, I’d mindlessly listen m but I hate to waste an Audible credit on it!

Yes, a conclusion of any kind would be welcome, I was wondering if they’d just sail on into infinity…I just assumed (view spoiler)[now they were married, the conventional end would be Genevieve gets pregnant, has to quit working, at least for awhile- given the time period; perhaps they’d go join George’s family yacht-building firm in Boston… (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Yes, it sounds the obvious ending and, let's be honest, the author can just about manage to plough out the obvious, so I don't expect any twists...

[Susan in NC]

lol!

[Jill]

I wonder if his Railway Detective series is like these. Has anyone tried them?

[Susan]

I read the first one. I don't think I was inspired to continue. He's very popular but his books are so similar - he just seems to tick boxes with the Ocean series. Someone lusts after Genevieve, tick, someone dislikes Americans, tick, a young girl yearns for more freedom and is under the thumb of her parents, tick. You would imagine that an editor would say it's just writing by numbers, but I guess they sell so he isn't inspired to try harder.

[Sandy]

Jill wrote: "I wonder if his Railway Detective series is like these. Has anyone tried them?"

Read the first and didn't continue. Same for another of his series, home front detective. Always found the history good but the characters wooden.

[Susan]

We've done well, really, to struggle through the Ocean series. I don't think I'd be keen to do more by him though.

[Jill]

Looking at trains, has anyone read Andrew Martin railway books?

[Sandy]

Jill wrote: "Looking at trains, has anyone read Andrew Martin railway books?"

Read them all and loved them. All except for the last odd-looking entry with Jim Stringer in a cowboy suit that never appeared in the US.

[Jill]

Sandy wrote: "Jill wrote: "Looking at trains, has anyone read Andrew Martin railway books?"

Read them all and loved them. All except for the last odd-looking entry with Jim Stringer in a cowboy s..."

Thanks . That's good to know.

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "I wonder if his Railway Detective series is like these. Has anyone tried them?"

I haven’t , but wondered, because it looks like he’s written more in that series.

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "I read the first one. I don't think I was inspired to continue. He's very popular but his books are so similar - he just seems to tick boxes with the Ocean series. Someone lusts after Genevieve, ti..."

True!

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "Looking at trains, has anyone read Andrew Martin railway books?"

I’d never heard of this series.

[Jill]

It looks interesting and Sandy likes them , so maybe it is one to think about regarding buddy reads in the future

[Susan]

Sure, as long as one mod likes them. We have enough to be going on with now anyway. We may not like some of the new ones we've chosen and we also have the challenge ones, we may wish to continue with. I'm currently reading A Fete Worse Than Death and that's really good. We may have some gems and some duds, it's the way it goes. We've dropped a few series over the time I've been a mod.

[Jill]

Sorry. I thought it was you looking around. Yes. We certainly do have enough going on at the moment!

[Susan in NC]

Jill wrote: "Sorry. I thought it was you looking around. Yes. We certainly do have enough going on at the moment!"

Amen, sister! Some months, I’ve got one or no buddy reads for this group, other months I’ve got 3-4! But so many more I want to try, I just add them to the TBR (I like to read in order, so I’d want to start the series from the beginning).

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "Sure, as long as one mod likes them. We have enough to be going on with now anyway. We may not like some of the new ones we've chosen and we also have the challenge ones, we may wish to continue wi..."

Yes, I enjoyed this one, too!

[Judy]

I enjoyed the first Andrew Martin/Jim Stringer books but somehow fell by the wayside with that series, as with many others! I'm not really a fan of Edward Marston, but sometimes find his books relaxing because they are so light, ideal for bedtime.

[Jill]

Judy wrote: "I enjoyed the first Andrew Martin/Jim Stringer books but somehow fell by the wayside with that series, as with many others! I'm not really a fan of Edward Marston, but sometimes find his books rela..."

Sandy also said she liked Andrew Martin, so maybe Susan will keep them in mind when she starts looking around again

[Keith]

I am approaching the end of my reading of the Brother Cadfael series in order, only another two tp go!
My previous reading was some 20 or so years ago,, no sort of order, just as I picked a title from the library shelves and although I thought I had read them all, now I have them all, I find it was on;y about half of them. Read in order is far more interesting and detailed, encompassing the years of the 12th century Anarchy, the whole series itself carries an engrossing 'back story'.

Unfortunately, the copies I have are not linked to my Kindle account, they are part of a Calibre folder I was given containing around 5000 books, many of them of no interest to me although many are , still there on my computer hard drive.

So I shall shortly be looking for a new book, possibly not in my available Calibre library and my local public library does not carry e-books to borrow

I read Lorac's 'Murderer's Mistake', during a very short break from Cadfal, enjoyable as I was very familiar with the Three Peaks some 70 years ago. I'll have another look at your list of reads for something 'new' and let you know what it is later.

[Jackie]

Keith wrote:

Read in order is far more interesting and detailed, encompassing the years of the 12th century Anarchy, the whole series itself carries an engrossing 'back story'.

this makes me want to do that. I read them mostly in order the first time, but it's been awhile.

[Keith]

Perhaps I should have mentioned Sharon Penman's 'When Christ and His Saints Slept' which takes the 12th century history of the conflict between King Stephen and the Empress Maud , putting flesh on the bones. It's a fairly large book, very accurate and very enjoyable (if you are interested in early English history).

[Michaela]

I recently read Death in Delft and really liked it. There were flaws too so "only" 4 stars from me.

[Susan in NC]

Michaela wrote: "I recently read Death in Delft and really liked it. There were flaws too so "only" 4 stars from me."

Glad you liked it, I like Mercurius’ self-deprecating humor and decency.

[Susan]

Updated buddy read list with Tommy and Tuppence as suggested in the general chat thread. we have 2 series finishing soon, so always open for another:

Buddy Reads:

March/April
The Madman of Bergerac by Georges Simenon (Maigret #16)
The Potter's Field by Ellis Peters (Cadfael #17) by Ellis Peters
Murder on the Oceanic (Ocean Liner Mystery series #7) by Edward Marston
Some Die Eloquent (Sloan and Crosby #8) by Catherine Aird
Murder at the Savoy (Martin Beck #6) by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

April/May
Music Tells All (Bobby Owen #24) by E R Punshon
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edmund Crispin (Gervase Fen #9)
Giotto's Hand by Iain Pears (Jonathan Argyll #5)
A Nice Class of Corpse (Mrs Pargeter #1) by Simon Brett
The Luck Runs Out by Charlotte MacLeod (Professor Shandy #2)

May/June
Liberty Bar aka Maigret on the Riviera by Georges Simenon (Maigret #17)
Servant of Death aka The Lord Bishop's Clerk ( Bradecote and Catchpoll #1) by Sarah Hawkswood
The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin (Erast Fandorin #1)
Midwinter of the Spirit (Merrily Watkins #2) by Phil Rickman

June/July
The House of Godwinsson (Bobby Owen #25) by E R Punshon
Time to Depart by Lindsey Davis (Falco #7)
Heartstone by C.J. Sansom (Shardlake #5)
A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon (Brunetti #7)
Murder on the Celtic (Ocean Liner Mystery Series #8) by Edward Marston

July/August
Lock No. 1 aka The Lock at Charenton by Georges Simenon (Maigret #18)
Detection Unlimited by Georgette Heyer
A Private View aka One-Man Show / Murder Is an Art (The Inspector Appleby Mysteries Book 13) by Michael Innes
The Summer of the Danes (Cadfael #18) by Ellis Peters
The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence #1) by Agatha Christie

August/September
So Many Doors (Bobby Owen #26) by E R Punshon
Passing Strange (Sloan and Crosby #9) by Catherine Aird
The Abominable Man (Martin Beck #7) by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
Death and Restoration by Iain Pears (Jonathan Argyll #6)

[Susan]

Is there any interest in the Jim Stringer railway books? I can't say I'd be inspired to try any more books by the author of the Ocean Liner series, they were too formulaic for me, but I am happy to add them. We do need a couple more.

Some of us are interested in the Fethering series by Simon Brett.

I would like a possible buddy read series of an original GA author we haven't read as well, although I know that can be difficult to find. So many that are popular, such as Anthony Berkeley, are not necessarily easy to get hold of.

[Susan in NC]

I would definitely try Fethering, don’t know anything about Jim Stringer, is that the author or hero? Let me know, I’ll go check out reviews.

Only original GA authors I can think of with a few books out as reissues are Lorac ( who we’ve read several of, but don’t know how available reissues are), Bellairs, and Dickson Carr. As you say, not alway Easy to get hold of, are they?

Perhaps if it’s been a few years, reread Sayers? I remember Marsh and second half of Poirot, that’s when I joined the group.

[Jill]

Didn’t someone say they would like to read Tommy and Tuppence?

[Jill]

I'm all for George Bellairs. I read the first 4 when the group was going to read book 5 and really liked them

[Susan]

Oh yes, Tommy and Tuppence. Thanks for reminding me, Jill!

I will look into George Bellairs.

[Judy]

Lots of good ideas! Jill, the first Tommy and Tuppence is scheduled for July.

Shall we do the second Mrs Pargeter soon as that was popular, and if we get through those soon we could then get on to the Fethering books, also by Simon Brett? The Pargeters are very quick reads, judging by the first book.

I'd also like to do the next Charlotte MacLeod Shandy book if there's enough interest, but am happy to read them on my own if not.