When you're not reading a cozy.... Showing 4,401-4,450 of 5,946

[❂ Murder by Death]

I'm just about finished with Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson. I'm pretty sure this is going to be the first 5-star rated book of short stories I've ever read. Every story is a great one.

[Melodie]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I'm just about finished with Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson. I'm pretty sure this is going to be the first 5-star rated book of short stories I've ever ..."

I looked at this book, but seemed that a lot of the stories were from anthologies that I'd already read. How many total stories are in it?

[❂ Murder by Death]

Melodie wrote: "I looked at this book, but seemed that a lot of the stories were from anthologies that I'd already read. How many total stories are in it? .."

I think there are 10 in total plus two 'out takes' from Silver Born and Frost Burned (I think). 4 of the stories are new/first time published.

There was only one story - Alpha & Omega - that I had read before so it was all very new and fresh for me. I finished it this morning and gave it 5 stars.

[Kait]

I wanted a total change of pace so I'm reading an anthology of short stories called House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle. It's a collection of Native American stories. Wonderful, and so refreshing to read stories in the oral tradition.

[Kirsten]

I've been reading as I wait for my new Kindle Fire to arrive

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Teresa wrote: " guess I'm in the minority here. I read Emma in high school and loved it. Of course, I was the student that really enjoyed everything I had to read in school - Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare, etc. I enjoyed it all. About the only thing I remember reading in high school and college that I didn't enjoy was Paradise Lost, Kafka and Brothers Karamazov."

I like every other book by Austen, but am still having difficulty getting into Emma, although Vol. 2 has gone faster than the first part. I've also liked every work I've read by Dickins and Shakespeare, and I liked Kafka's The Metamorphosis.

I've decided to set Emma aside temporarily to concentrate on some of the month's challenge books. Plus, Emma is skewing my Goodreads Challenge stats. I was 8 books ahead when I started and am now only 4 ahead. I am currently reading a modern Gothic romance plucked from Mount TBR, Urban Sensation.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I'm just about finished with Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson. I'm pretty sure this is going to be the first 5-star rated book of short stories I've ever ..."

I forgot I had this and the new Jeaniene Frost to read, on loan from a friend. Will have to work them into the queue! ☺

[Melodie]

Just finished Rose Gold: An Easy Rawlins Mystery. This is a great hardboiled series, if you like that genre!

[Teresa]

Heather L wrote: "Teresa wrote: " guess I'm in the minority here. I read Emma in high school and loved it. Of course, I was the student that really enjoyed everything I had to read in school - Dickens, Austen, Shake..."

I didn't like The MetaMorphosis at all. I read something else by Kafka that I didn't enjoy either. I may try him again one of these days. But the TBR pile is too big to add a book by an author I really don't like. Too many other choices I have a better chance of enjoying. But that's the nice thing about having so many choices in books. We all don't have to like the same thing. There is always something new (or old) out there to read.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Heather L wrote: "I forgot I had this and the new Jeaniene Frost to read, on loan from a friend. Will have to work them into the queue! ☺ ..."

Heather, I loved it! I hadn't read any of the stories in it except for Alpha & Omega, so they were all new to me and, imo, excellently written.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Also I'm going to post this here because I don't think it's actually a cozy - I just finished Devil May Care by Elizabeth Peters last night. Part of my book binge, I found it for a quarter and picked it up. I really like the Vicky Bliss and Jacqueline Kirby series' so I wanted to try some of her stand-alones.

3.5 stars - a good, fun, entertaining read, although not *quite* as good as the other one I found: Summer of the Dragon.

[Lynn]

I tried reading Enslaved by Ducks, but just could not finish it. It was literally tossed.

I've gone back to my good friends (cozy mysteries) for a while to get the horrid memories of that book out of my brain.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Teresa wrote: "I didn't like The MetaMorphosis at all. I read something else by Kafka that I didn't enjoy either. I may try him again one of these days. But the TBR pile is too big to add a book by an author I really don't like. Too many other choices I have a better chance of enjoying..."

The Trial maybe? That's one that I've heard a lot about but haven't read.

But that's the nice thing about having so many choices in books. We all don't have to like the same thing. There is always something new (or old) out there to read.

So true! Which is why there are some authors I don't care to read again, and some unfinished books I won't give another chance. I managed to get three chapters into Moby Dick and that was more than enough for me (and also just enough to earn an A+ on the paper, LOL).

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "Heather, I loved it! [Shifting Shadows] I hadn't read any of the stories in it except for Alpha & Omega, so they were all new to me and, imo, excellently written."

Glad to hear it! Alpha & Omega was the only one that sounded familiar to me, too, so I look forward to diving in. Maybe I'll read a couple in between other books. ☺

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "Also I'm going to post this here because I don't think it's actually a cozy - I just finished Devil May Care by Elizabeth Peters last night. Part of my book binge, I found it for a quarter and picked it up."

It's hard to pass on familiar authors, especially when only a quarter. Glad you liked both selections!

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Finished Urban Sensation last night and had to start Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson before work this morning. Currently on chapter five of the first story (Samuel and Ariana's story).

[Melodie]

My copy of SHIFTING SHADOWS arrived yesterday. Will get into it this weekend!

[BJ Rose]

Currently reading The Girl Who Came Home: A Titanic Novel by Hazel Gaynor

[Teresa]

I recently finished The War of the Worlds. I'm now reading Forbidden Highlander by Donna Fletcher. It's the second book in a trilogy. I like her books. They are light historical romance stories. The problem I am having with this series is the editing. Normally a mistake here or there doesn't bother me, but the nook edition I am reading is awful. So many errors: "passed" instead of "past", "sense" instead of "since", etc. It's so bad it is distracting. The first book in the series was the same. I don't remember these problems from previous books. I hope this is not a new trend.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Heather L wrote: "Finished Urban Sensation last night and had to start Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson before work this morning. Currently on chapter five of..."

I thought for sure I'd dislike that first story, because I really didn't like the scenes with the witch in Cry Wolf - but she took this short story in a different direction, and I ended up liking it almost the best.

[[deleted user]]

Currently reading The Boleyn Deceit. Really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy.

[Kirsten]

I just started reading last night.

[Melodie]

Started Once Burned and Desert Shadows

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Jennifer: I've finished the first two stories. I did not like the witch in that book, either, but I did like seeing how Ariana and Samuel met. Of course, the ending only made me want to have more of Samual's (and Bran's) story. The second, Fairy Gifts, was a bit unexpected, too, and I liked the ending.

Melodie: Yay, our own little group read, LOL. ☺

[Melodie]

Heather L wrote: "Jennifer: I've finished the first two stories. I did not like the witch in that book, either, but I did like seeing how Ariana and Samuel met. Of course, the ending only made me want to have more o..."

Yes, I had to get a copy after SOME people on here said how good it was.....(mumble..mumble..freakin' Jennifer...mumble..mumble)

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

ROFL... Yeah, that NEVER happens in this group. ☺

[❂ Murder by Death]

<-- TOTALLY unrepentant! lol...

Melodie wrote: "Yes, I had to get a copy after SOME people on here said how good it was.....(mumble..mumble..freakin' Jennifer...mumble..mumble) ..."

[❂ Murder by Death]

Heather L wrote: "Jennifer: I've finished the first two stories. I did not like the witch in that book, either, but I did like seeing how Ariana and Samuel met. Of course, the ending only made me want to have more o..."

Heather - I agree with you on both counts: I wanted more of Ariana and Samuel by the end of Silver (see the out-take from...Frost Burned, I think?...at the back of Shifting Shadows, there's a bit there). And Fairy Gifts was unexpected for me too - I didn't make the connection to any of the characters I'd met in Mercy Thompson/A&O books, but I ended up really liking it.

ETC typos

[Teresa]

I just started by Jasper Fforde.

[Kirsten]

I just started by Stuart MacBride

[Melissa]

Teresa wrote: "I just started by Jasper Fforde."

I really like Jasper Fforde's books, especially the Nursery Crimes books!

[[deleted user]]

THE BIG OVER EASY is one of my favorite books! :-)

[Teresa]

I love Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes Books. I haven't read any of his other series. So, The Big Over Easy is actually a re-read for me. Hopefully it stands up the second time around. I've been re-reading old favorites among the new books in my TBR pile.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Teresa wrote: "I love Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes Books. I haven't read any of his other series. So, The Big Over Easy is actually a re-read for me. Hopefully it stands up the second time ..."

I found three of his Thursday Next books while I was on vacation, and just ordered the other three from betterworldbooks.com yesterday. I'm looking forward to starting them. I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't love them.

[Jeanne]

I'm reading from one of my favorite series - Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor.

[Thea]

Now I'm reading The Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett. Before that I read A Girl like You by Gemma Burgess. Real Chick Lit, but very funny and I need some to distract myself from time to time. I was reading Daisy Dalrymple's 13th Mistery but I just had enough from that serie and had to pause.

[Melissa]

Just starting Ruby Red .

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I found three of his Thursday Next books while I was on vacation, and just ordered the other three from betterworldbooks.com yesterday. I'm looking forward to starting them. I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't love them. "

I loved the first one, bought the second one, read the first pages... and return the book to the bookstore. The series went to my no, no hole.

[Gerrie]

I just finished The Miniaturist. I really enjoyed it.

[Kirsten]

I just finished reading . Very satisfying read with vivid characters. Took me all the way back to my middle school days.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Jennifer & Melodie: I finished Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson this weekend. I enjoyed rereading "Alpha & Omega" but forgot how long "In Red, With Pearls" was -- that was not a favorite story the first time I read it. Of the stories I had not read before my favorites were "Silver" (Samuel and Ariana), "Gray" and "Roses in Winter" (Kara's story -- would be interesting to see her return in a few years, LOL).


I have decided not to return to Emma right now. I'm just not in the mood for it at this time, but will try to get back to it before the end of the year. Maybe I can always use it for the "winter" challenge.

Up next are a couple of classic group reads, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov -- which I intentionally held off on to coincide with Banned Books Week -- and The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.

[Heidi]

I am listening to Landline and The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

[❂ Murder by Death]

Heather L wrote: "Jennifer & Melodie: I finished Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson this weekend. I enjoyed rereading "Alpha & Omega" but forgot how long "In Red, With Pearls"..."

Heather - glad to hear you enjoyed the stories that were new to you. I'll admit - In Red, With Pearls was not my favorite of the bunch either - but i figured that was because of the whole zombie thing. I'm not into zombies. :D

[Melissa]

Just starting The Selection .

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I'll admit - In Red, With Pearls was not my favorite of the bunch either - but i figured that was because of the whole zombie thing. I'm not into zombies. :D"

That's the primary reason I disliked it as well. I know they've been pretty big lately, but I don't see the attraction to zombies.

[Melodie]

Heather L wrote: "Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I'll admit - In Red, With Pearls was not my favorite of the bunch either - but i figured that was because of the whole zombie thing. I'm not into zombies. :D..."

I read IN RED WITH PEARLS in another anthology and liked it as it was one of the better tales in the book.

[Melodie]

Melissa wrote: "Just starting The Selection ."

I enjoyed The Selection trilogy.

[Nancy]

I am on a Jodi Thomas kick. Reading & enjoying Harmony,TX book (#2 in the series).
...totally reading them out of order, but plan to reread them in order once I have the whole series.
[Picking them up 2nd hand as I find them.
Yeah HPB!]

[Karen M]

I'm reading The 19th Wife, .

Interesting book that combines a mystery with the history of the polygamous LDS. The 19th wife refers to two different women in different generations.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Nancy wrote: "I am on a Jodi Thomas kick. Reading & enjoying Harmony,TX book (#2 in the series).
...totally reading them out of order, but plan to reread them in order once I have the whole series.
[Picking them up 2nd hand as I find them. Yeah HPB!]"

Gotta love used book stores and library used book sales! ☺