What are your reading 2022-2025

[Stephen]

I just finished Wounds by Fergal Keane. It is an excellent book on the Irish Independence and Civil wars in North Kerry. He brings his journalists eye for detail and his father and uncle's gift for storytelling and attempts to unravel the complex motivations that lead ordinary people to choose violent struggle. It is by equal measures sad, savage, haunting and essential.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
It is a hilarious book about some wacky people in South Florida. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny It is set in Quebec, Canada, at the end of the Covid pandemic. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lissa]

I have just finished Hammer by Micheál Cladáin and really enjoyed it. It's set in first century Roman Britain and follows the quest of Genonn the Druid as Agricola faces the uprising by Queen Boudica and her armies. Very well researched and entertaining. I'm looking forward to the next in the Trilogy now, Iron. I'm about to start another Irish author, Katie Hutton The Maid of Lindal Hall.

[Stephen]

Just finished a re-read of Wings_on_My_Sleeve by Eric 'Winkle' Brown. Wings on My Sleeve It is an enjoyable red for anyone with an interest in aviation through the war years and into the jet age. He was a test pilot so it's Biggles without the intrigue.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles It is historical fiction based on an actual group of women who volunteered to go to northern France in 1917. I recommend it. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Lightning Strikes the Silence: A Lane Winslow Mystery by Iona Whishaw It is set in 1948 British Columbia, Canada. It is book 11 in the series, but can be read as a stand alone. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett It is set in Bangkok, post 9-11. I enjoyed it my 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Rednecks by Taylor Brown It is an excellent historical reconstruction of the coal miners struggle to unionize in 1920-21 and subsequent battle of Blair Mountain. My 4.5 star review, rounded up https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi. It is literary fiction, translated from French. My 3.5 star review, rounded up. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
It is historical fiction set in 1961 Netherlands. I rated it 2.5 stars rounded up. There are graphic sex scenes. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Don't Let the Devil Ride by Ace Atkins It is an entertaining private eye thriller, set in Memphis, Tennessee. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Desperation Reef: A Novel by T. Jefferson Parker It is a book that surfers will love. But I am not a surfer. I rated 3.5 stars rounded down. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Wild Inside by Christine Carbo It is book 1 of the Glacier mystery series, set in Glacier NP, Montana, US. I rated it 3.5 stars rounded up. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Hubble Cosmos: 25 Years of New Vistas in Space by David H. DeVorkin It is not a mystery, but a book of photographs taken by the Hubble space telescope. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in astronomy. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder It is not a mystery but a history of the mass killings under Hitler and Stalin from 1932-19454. My 5 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I strongly recommend this book. The author speaks and reads 6 languages, and has consulted sources overlooked by most historians of this period.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate It is a historical fiction mystery with 2 timelines, 1905 and 1990. My 3.5 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Holy Enemies of Freedom: How Martin Luther Unleashed the Beast of Anti-Semitism by A.J. Deus It describes much more than Martin Luther's antisemitism. It is a history of organized religious violence. My 3.5 star review, rounded down https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Ladykiller by Katherine Wood It is a romantic mystery set on a Greek island. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Stephen]

I have just finished 'Lost, Found, Remembered' the writings of Lyra McKee. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Northern Ireland experience post the Good Friday Agreement. I believe we lost an important voice when she was murdered. She had a clarity and compassion that is sorely needed.

[Stephen]

I also recently finished 'Death's End' the final part of Cixin Liu's Three Body Problem' trilogy. It is a head melter but worth a read for old school Science Fiction fans.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read A Refiner’s Fire by Donna Leon I rate it an easy 4 stars. Perfect for readers who like books w/o bad language, graphic sex or violence. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Burning by Linda Castillo It is book 16 in the series. set in rural NE Ohio. My 3.5 star rounded up review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers by Frank Figliuzzi
It is about truck driver serial killers, the culture of truck drivers and sex workers which converge at truck stops. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Sharpe's Command by Bernard Cornwell It is historical fiction based on an actual battle in the war between Britain an Napoleon's France. See my 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Black Betty by Walter Mosley
I liked this book about Easy Rawlins, an unofficial PI in LA. There is violence and racism in the book. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny It is book 18 in the series and I have been reading them in order. There is a serial killer and incidents of child abuse in the book, although not graphically described. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow It is not a mystery, but an account of Nazi propaganda in the US from 1933-41. I rated it 4.5 stars rounded up. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor It is a mystery set in an English village with 2 timelines: 1986 and 2016. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber by Andy Borowitz It is nonfiction, detailing how American politicians have grown increasingly dumber, starting with Reagan and ending with Trump. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Where Roses Never Die by Gunnar Staalesen It is a private eye mystery set in Norway. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran It is an excellent reconstruction of the life of Maria von Trapp. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Forgotten on Sunday by Valérie Perrin It is historical/literary fiction, set in a small town in France. It was a bestseller in France. My 3.5 star review, rounded down. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The River Runs Orange by R.J. Harlick It is a mystery/thriller set in rural northwestern Quebec, Canada. I recommend the series to cozy mystery fans. It is book 3 in the series. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read A Red Death by Walter Mosley My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It is book 2 in the Easy Rawlins series, a black unofficial private investigator in 1950s Los Angeles, California.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Robert B. Parker's Grudge Match by Mike Lupica It is book 8 in the Sunny Randall series, started by Parker, and now written by Lupica. I have read the previous 7 books in the series. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Vanishing Edge by Claire Kells It is book 1 in the National Park series. I believe the book has pros and cons. My 3 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Arctic Blue Death by R.J. Harlick It is a cozy mystery set in Nunavut, Canada Both my wife and I recommend this series. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Ashes Never Lie by Lee Goldberg It is an arson mystery set in Los Angeles County, California. I liked the 2 main characters and the humor in the book. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Robert B. Parker's Angel Eyes by Ace Atkins It is book 47 in the Spenser PI series. This one is set in Los Angeles, California. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Robert B. Parker's Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins It is book 50 in the Spenser series. I devoured it in 2 days and recommend it. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The President's Lawyer by Lawrence S. Robbins It is a US legal mystery with a surprise ending. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Celestina's House by Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez It is literary fiction, set in the Philippines. I rated it 3.5 stars rounded up. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read First Frost by Craig Johnson It is book 20 in the Longmire series, which both my wife and I recommend. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Bad Boy Brawly Brown by Walter Mosley It is book 7 in the Easy Rawlins series. Easy is an unofficial PI in the LA black community. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell It is story of a 1913 copper miners strike in Michigan, I rated 4.5 stars rounded down. My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read The Bishop’s Villa by Sacha Naspini It is historical fiction, set in a small village in WWII Italy. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Code Peking Duck by Max Claro It is a thrilling, true life story of a man who rescued defectors and dissidents from communist countries. My 4.5 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read Crime Beat: A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers byMichael Connelly It is a compilation of stories that he wrote as a crime reporter. I recommend to fans of his books. My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Thomas, Moderator]

I read a short story The Woman on the Island by Ann Cleeves My 4 star review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...