Reading the Detectives discussion
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What non-mystery books are you reading? (2021-2022)
Sandy wrote: "Wayne wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Wayne wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I also loved Shogun and it is many years since I read it. It was highly recommended by a friend and while I can recall her enthusiasm I can't..."Dōitashimashite (not from Shogun, but Google) ;,>)
Wayne wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Wayne wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Wayne wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I also loved Shogun and it is many years since I read it. It was highly recommended by a friend and while I can recall he..."Very true!
I finished Rounding the Mark. Will shortly start on The Patience of the Spider, next in the series.Closing in on the end of Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star: But Don't Have Sex or Take the Car. Thought I was going to finish today but my sister got me hooked on a reno/rehab show - Home Town where a couple rehab homes in a small town in Mississippi. And yesterday she sent me You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism. Funny but sad. I found that the store that follows her around the most is the store I have always thought of as my home town drug store - now drug store to the nation. Sad.
Reading Cargo of Eagles (for this group), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (for another group), and Fanny Burney: her Life, 1752 - 1849, in tandem (or is that randem-tandem, can any Regency fans tell me?).
Chiltern Classics have just released this edition of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Their editions are beautiful, so I treated myself to it with some of my Christmas money. It's my second favourite of all the Bronte novels.I am reading A Very British Murder by Lucy Worsley, which is excellent so far. I have finished part one, part two is about detective fiction, and should be really interesting.
Nice! I have Folio Editions of Tenant and Agnes Grey that my grandmother gave me back in the 1960s, which are high-quality but have woodcut illustrations that I think are hideous. Sentiment prevents me from replacing them, of course!
Susan in NC wrote: "Currently reading Frenchman's Creek for another group."I read Frenchman's Creek in my early teens and loved it. I have relations in the area which was probably what prompted me to read it. I still holiday twice a year (Prime Minister allowing) just along from Godolphin House (my aunt used to work for Godolphin). A few years ago I got around to reading Rebecca which I didn't think was anywhere near as good. Before the first lockdown here I went to Jamaica Inn to see the Du Maurier exhibition there but found that very small and not at all informative. However a fellow visitor suggested I read The House on the Strand, which I am intending to do when I can fit it in between all the other books that keep getting in the way.
Abigail wrote: "Nice! I have Folio Editions of Tenant and Agnes Grey that my grandmother gave me back in the 1960s, which are high-quality but have woodcut illustrations that I think are hideous. Sentiment prevent..."I do love a folio edition. Chiltern Classics based the designs of their books on the Peacock edition of Pride and Prejudice. I certainly could stretch to the peacock edition, but I do have the Chiltern collection of Austen's books. Much more affordable.
Being such a foodie, I read cookbooks like I do ordinary books, so I tend to love the ones with more of a narrative format and/or a backstory that makes them interesting. In honor of Betty White, I'm reading Golden Girls Cookbook: More than 90 Delectable Recipes from Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia, which has a bunch of stuff I want to try.
I'm currently about 25% into The Great Passion by James Runcie from NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/b... . Runcie wrote the Grantchester mysteries, of course, but this is a novel about Johann Sebastian Bach and the writing of the St. Matthew Passion. So far I'm really enjoying it (more than Grantchester), but then I've been a massive Bach fan for many years.
Jill wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Currently reading Frenchman's Creek for another group."I read Frenchman's Creek in my early teens and loved it. I have relations in the area which wa..."
Oh, interesting! I enjoyed it, the writing was beautiful and the descriptions of a summer in rural Cornwall sound like heaven, but I couldn’t really like Dona, the heroine. I liked her more toward the end, but at first, while I understood her desire to run away from her shallow life in London, she came across rather spoiled. But some great adventure scenes, and a menacing villain. Entertaining- I definitely want to read more du Maurier books - loved “Rebecca” and “The Scapegoat”, which was thrilling. “Strand” is on my TBR list, also.
Tara wrote: "Being such a foodie, I read cookbooks like I do ordinary books, so I tend to love the ones with more of a narrative format and/or a backstory that makes them interesting. In honor of Betty White, I..."Oh, I love cookbooks! Have more than I can ever get to, but I will have to check out the Golden Girls one, in honor of Betty, as you say.
Sid wrote: "I'm currently about 25% into The Great Passion by James Runcie from NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/b... . Runcie wrote the Grantchester mysteries, of course, but this is a no..."I’ve never read Granchester books, but watched the first few seasons on TV here in the US. That book sounds interesting, though - no music expert by any means, but I love Bach.
Sid wrote: "I'm currently about 25% into The Great Passion by James Runcie from NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/b... . Runcie wrote the Grantchester mysteries, of course, but this is a no..."I haven't read his Grantchester mysteries yet or seen the TV series, but I did read Canvey Island which I liked
Tara, as someone who slaved away for a couple of decades editing cookbooks, it warms my heart to hear that someone actually reads the text! ❤️I am starting to read Island beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende.
Abigail wrote: "Tara, as someone who slaved away for a couple of decades editing cookbooks, it warms my heart to hear that someone actually reads the text! ❤️I am starting to read Island beneath the Sea by Isabe..."
It makes for fun, if hungry reading! But I find that it can be a way to vicariously enjoy the food without the calories. Great for someone trying to eat healthy.
Susan, the cookbook is a nice blend of recipes mentioned on the show, as well as invented ones based on the character's personality. Dorothy for example didn't do much cooking, so hers are influenced more by her organizational mind than anything else. I'll let you know if the results are any good.
Tara wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Tara, as someone who slaved away for a couple of decades editing cookbooks, it warms my heart to hear that someone actually reads the text! ❤️I am starting to read Island beneath ..."
Thanks, it sounds like fun reading!
Island beneath the Sea? Quite the contrary, as it turns out, it’s about Haiti before the revolution, plantation owners and slaves and people dying of madness and malaria. It’s not really my cup of tea but am reading it for my book group.
Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished Island Beneath the Sea, which grew on me as I went along; now for some fun reading, Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse.
Abigail wrote: "Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished Island Beneath the Sea, which grew on me as I went along; now for some fun reading, [bo..."
I've recently discovered the charms of Wodehouse, although I've only read from the Blandings Castle series thus far.
Abigail wrote: "Island beneath the Sea? Quite the contrary, as it turns out, it’s about Haiti before the revolution, plantation owners and slaves and people dying of madness and malaria. It’s not really my cup of ..."Oh, no, sorry, was referring to Tara’s Golden Girls Cookbook!
Abigail wrote: "Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished Island Beneath the Sea, which grew on me as I went along; now for some fun reading, [bo..."
Thanks for asking! No, we luckily didn’t lose power, sunny today but cold, so still an icy mess on side streets! I was just a bit under the weather Sunday and Monday, rested, stayed offline mostly.
Abigail wrote: "Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished Island Beneath the Sea, which grew on me as I went along; now for some fun reading, [bo..."
I’ll be starting Jeeves soon, as well!
You can't beat Wodehouse, IMO. Hilaire Belloc called him "the best living writer of English" and I'd agree he's among the true greats - and hilarious with it. I can't resist quoting a favourite bit...“‘Jeeves,’ I said, ‘I am not the old merry self this morning.’
‘Indeed, sir?’
‘No, Jeeves. Far from it. Far from the merry old self.’
‘I am sorry to hear that, sir.’
He uncovered the fragrant eggs and b., and I pronged a moody forkful.”'
"Pronged a moody forkful"! Genius.
Wodehouse is so brilliant! Like a bottle of champagne. Sorry to hear you’ve been under the weather, Susan, but glad you’re not coping with natural disaster.
Abigail wrote: "Wodehouse is so brilliant! Like a bottle of champagne. Sorry to hear you’ve been under the weather, Susan, but glad you’re not coping with natural disaster."
Thanks, yes, I’ll take it! Feeling better today.
I love Stephen Fry’s description of Wodehouse, “pure sunshine on the page!” So true!
Abigail wrote: "That is a good description!"I thought so. Stephen is Jeeves forevermore in my mind…
Abigail wrote: "And Hugh, Wooster."Absolutely, can’t picture anyone else!
Mod
I am very excited to start This Charming Man
the sequel to The Stranger Times. Not only does the title come from The Smiths, but The Stranger Times was a book I took by chance last year and really loved.
I finished Sally Cline's After Agatha: Women Write Crime a survey of women's crime fiction from the Golden Age onwards, a bit disappointing and shallow but some nice pointers for crime reading.Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm almost through with Right Ho, Jeeves and really enjoying it. I got the audio book from my library and it's a wonderful listen.
Susan in NC wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished Island Beneath the Sea, which grew on me as I went along; now for some ..."
We're still icy too. But at least the sun is out. Snow is melting and rain is on the way. But we will be above freezing so I'm hoping it won't turn everything to ice. But, rather, will wash it away. More snow on Friday it looks like.
Jackie wrote: "I'm almost through with Right Ho, Jeeves and really enjoying it. I got the audio book from my library and it's a wonderful listen." Wonderful. I have a large collection of the old orange Penguin editions of Wodehouse; I'm not even too sure which ones I have now as there are between 40 and 50. Despite having so many, I usually listen to them, narrated by Jonathan Cecil; he is the perfect reader for Wodehouse, and Fry and Laurie are the perfect actors for Jeeves and Wooster. I was less taken by the Blandings Castle adaptations but they were still quite fun.
Jackie wrote: "I'm almost through with Right Ho, Jeeves and really enjoying it. I got the audio book from my library and it's a wonderful listen."Yay! Going to start tonight!
Susan wrote: "Hugh Grant is fabulous, isn't he? I remember watching him in a play, called "Gasping," many years ago when England had got into the knockout stages of the World Cup. It was obvious that nobody want..."Wasn’t Hugh Laurie the one who played Bertie Wooster? Too many Hughs!
Susan wrote: "Hugh Grant is fabulous, isn't he? I remember watching him in a play, called "Gasping," many years ago when England had got into the knockout stages of the World Cup. It was obvious that nobody want..."Susan, just read the summary, that book sounds hilarious! Sounds like Mick Herron’s Slow Horses take over a newspaper.Dark humor, my favorite. ;)
Jan C wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished Island Beneath the Sea, which grew on me as I went ..."
More snow expected here, too - stay safe out in those mountains, Jan!
Susan in NC wrote: "Jan C wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished Island Beneath the Sea, which grew on..."
You, too. There wasn't much rain. So I guess I'm hoping the snow will be the same.
Jan C wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Jan C wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "Abigail wrote: "Have missed you on Goodreads, Susan in NC—hope you aren’t suffering a power outage! Finished [book:Island Beneath the Sea|946..."
🤞🏼
Sid wrote: "I'm currently about 25% into The Great Passion by James Runcie from NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/b... . Runcie wrote the Grantchester mysteries, of course, but this is a no..."Adding this to the list, I love Bach's music.
Susan wrote: "Hugh Grant is fabulous, isn't he? I remember watching him in a play, called "Gasping," many years ago when England had got into the knockout stages of the World Cup. It was obvious that nobody want..."This looks like fun. Will have to add it to the list! Thanks, Susan!
Carolien wrote: "Sid wrote: "I'm currently about 25% into The Great Passion by James Runcie from NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/b... " "Adding this to the list, I love Bach's music."
Hope you enjoy it, Carolien. I did, although it did flag a little in places. I've reviewed it here, if you're interested:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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For anyone interested in the play I was talking about, by the fabulous Ben Elton.
I am currently engrossed in
The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation
I saw Gasping, too - although the leads had changed by then to John Gordon Sinclar and Jim Carter. Terrific play.
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Reading the Detectives
Books mentioned in this topic
Dragon Bones (other topics)A History of France (other topics)
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Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? A Memoir (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
John Julius Norwich (other topics)Vera Brittain (other topics)
Miss Read (other topics)
Craig Holden (other topics)
Karen Abbott (other topics)
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Love learning the word tsundoku! Thank you.