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General Chat > Currently Reading? Just Finished?

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message 6351: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments Ezra wrote: "Hope you enjoy it. I would love to hear your critique. You should have my email address, too.

Looking forward to hear what you think. The Hougans (John Case) really pushed me to write this."


Just finished it and have you to blame for a late supper. I posted reviews. It should not have worked for me on several levels but it certainly did.

When is your next one coming?


message 6352: by Jeffrey (new)

Jeffrey Philips | 8 comments My favorite James Lee Burke novel is "Black Cherry Blues".


message 6353: by Jeanie (new)

Jeanie (birdyseeds) | 382 comments Jeffrey wrote: "My favorite James Lee Burke novel is "Black Cherry Blues"."

I'm not sure I have a favorite JLB book. His prose is so beautiful at times that I lose track of the other elements going on in his well constructed mysteries. (laughing). He's one of the few old fashioned storytellers left in American literature, in my opinion. There's a lot of writers out there, but very few true storytellers.


message 6354: by aPriL does feral sometimes (last edited Apr 07, 2012 09:31PM) (new)

aPriL does feral sometimes  (cheshirescratch) | 1296 comments Am almost done with 'When the Bough Breaks' by Jonathan Kellerman.

It's so good I haven't put it down all day. I probably will be done with it in another hour......

: (


message 6355: by Julie (new)

Julie  (gpangel) | 148 comments I just finished The Quickieand just started Naked in Death Skip the Patterson book. Looking forward to the J D Robb book. It's good so far.


message 6356: by Ed (new)

Ed (oct1647) Just finished "Force of Nature" by CJ Box. This modern day western thriller excells in all respects including strong characters in an origiginal plot set in Wyoming and Idaho. I've read all books by CJ Box and "Force of Nature" might be the best in the Joe Pickett series.


message 6357: by Jannene (last edited Apr 08, 2012 08:18AM) (new)

Jannene | 775 comments Sharon wrote: "Jannene wrote: "I started Orchid Beach (Holly Barker, #1) by Stuart Woods. It is really good. I just started it and can barely put it down."

This is one of my favorites. The best of the whole series but all of th..."


I'm so glad to hear that Sharon. I can't seem to put this book down. It's a good thing that I don't really have much homework to do this weekend. I may finish this book up today. ;)


message 6358: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments Jannene wrote: "Sharon wrote: "I'm so glad to hear that Sharon. I can't seem to put this book down."

It's one of my favorite re-reads. The second book is my least favorite of the series ... I have the feeling the author intended this to be a stand alone and then changed his mind, so had some difficulty going from where he was with the end of Orchid Beach to an ongoing series. But all of them are definitely good reads.


message 6360: by Judith (new)

Judith Starkston | 47 comments Dorie wrote: "Renee wrote: "Dorie wrote: "I'm in the middle of Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1) by Jacqueline Winspear, my first read of Jacqueline Winspear. I like it so far, but hope to learn a little more of Maisie's ..."

I love Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. She's an interesting speaker and writes a good newsletter about the historical period in which she sets her books. If you go to her website you can subscribe. Sounds like both of you would enjoy it. I've written about her books a couple times if you're interested Elegy for Eddie (her most recent book) and A Lesson in Secrets


message 6361: by Jannene (new)

Jannene | 775 comments I just finished Orchid Beach (Holly Barker, #1) by Stuart Woods . The story was riveting. It had me from chapter one. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. The suspense had my heart racing. I never could predict the ending and I love Daisy!!


message 6362: by Tim (new)

Tim Warner | 72 comments Just finished the superb The Face of Death (Smoky Barrett, #2) by Cody McFadyen . Can't say enough good about his stunningly brilliant books. On every level he writes with expertise: plot, character, thorough and dense, complex and unexpected. Starting The Quiet Game (Penn Cage, #1) by Greg Iles my first by Greg Iles.


message 6363: by Bea (new)

Bea | 39 comments I've read all the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books and I think the latest, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, is one of the very best. Mma Ramotswe has a prophetic dream about meeting someone she knows well and yet is a stranger. Her dream comes true and that's just the start of at least four intertwining mini-mysteries. I ended the book with a tear in my eye and sorry that I'll have to wait another year for the next one. I cannot recommend Lisette Lecat, the narrator of the audiobooks too highly.


message 6364: by Jeanie (new)

Jeanie (birdyseeds) | 382 comments Tim wrote: "Starting The Quiet Game my first by Greg Iles"

I love that one, Tim. Penn Cage is a fabulous protagonist. Hope you enjoy it!


aPriL does feral sometimes  (cheshirescratch) | 1296 comments Greg Iles is disturbing! I've read several of his books. His protagonists, such as Penn Cage, has you rooting for their success in battling evil guys, then later after you put the book down, you realize the 'good' guy character you were rooting for was kinda evil, too, only less so, sometimes by only a whisker of less nastiness. On one hand, it shows how good of a thriller Iles can create, on the other, it shows how emotional high caliber writing can sweep you along before you stop and analyze, for example, wait, the hero is also into underage girls and he's 40-something. Iles wrote a novel about a hacker who normally I would advocate locking up. Iles seems to delight especially in normalizing protagonists who in other books would be seen as perverts, but he puts them in heroic plots of rescuing victims. I've read three of his books, and I'll probably read more, but since the second one I realized he puts the reader sneakily in the position of supporting grey area sexual outlaws. (16 year old girls DO sometimes lead on 30 year olds, for instance, but it's a crime if the 30 year old acts on the offer, for example). I approach any Iles book with caution now. I suspect he delights in seducing readers into grey zones of sexuality that normally the reader would reject in real life. He's not the only writer to do this, just maybe the best one this decade.


message 6366: by Fiona (Titch) (new)

Fiona (Titch) Hunt (titch) Just finished A Dish Best Served Cold by Cornelius Harker


message 6367: by Fiona (Titch) (new)

Fiona (Titch) Hunt (titch) Just about to start Lure by Brian Rathbone


message 6368: by Gatorman (new)

Gatorman | 7679 comments Just finished Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham . Terrific thriller, gave it 5 stars. Just starting Them or Us (Hater, #3) by David Moody .


message 6369: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments Getting read to start Fatal Cut (A Madison Keith Psychological Suspense Novella) by Cathryn Grant


message 6370: by Julie (new)

Julie  (gpangel) | 148 comments Jeanie wrote: "Tim wrote: "Starting The Quiet Game my first by Greg Iles"

I love that one, Tim. Penn Cage is a fabulous protagonist. Hope you enjoy it!"


Greg is also one of my favorite authors. He doesn't write them fast enough for me. The themes can be thought provoking. He's a very talent author that should be discussed more often.


message 6371: by Aiesha (new)

Aiesha (bigtexasaj) I finally finished The Hunger Games and although it turned out to be pretty decent, I need to read something else more my type before I go into the other books. I started The Killing Room by John Manning last night and had to stop because it was truly freaking me out! I've read suspenseful books but never a scary one!! I then started Perfect Crime by Jack Erickson, which is really short. I will read The Killing Room during daytime hours only lol! This will also be my first time reading 2 books at once so I'm curious to see how I manage.


message 6372: by Michael (new)

Michael (fisher_of_men) | 132 comments Just finished A Red Death and The Continental Op. I starting on The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and The 25th Hour by David Benioff .


message 6373: by Tad (new)

Tad (tottman) | 139 comments Just finished Assassin's Code. It was a lot of fun! Can't wait to read more by Jonathan Maberry.

Now I have to finish up An American Spy and A Quiet Flame (.


message 6374: by Izzy (new)

Izzy Holmes | 28 comments The latest Simon Serrrailler book by Susan Hill called The betrayal of Trust. I have enjoyed all of the books in this series and for once read them in the correct order.


message 6375: by Steffi (new)

Steffi (steffi_the_bookworm) just finished Last Rites by neil white, was really good.
now reading The Blackbird Papers: A Novel by ian smith


message 6376: by Diane S ☔ (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments Finished The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye and thought it was an outstanding historical mystery. Gave it 4 stars. Now starting Blood in the Water (Gregor Demarkian Mystery, #27) by Jane Haddam .


message 6377: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer (jhaltenburger) One more done, 26 to go. Finished As The Pig Turns As The Pig Turns (Agatha Raisin, #22) by M.C. Beaton and was busily congratulating myself that I'm all caught up on this author when I found out she has published not one, but two more Hamish MacBeth since last I checked. Sigh. This one wasn't bad. She's been phoning them in somewhat the last couple years but still highly readable.


message 6378: by Jeanie (new)

Jeanie (birdyseeds) | 382 comments April the Cheshire Meow wrote: "Greg Iles is disturbing! I've read several of his books. His protagonists, such as Penn Cage, has you rooting for their success in battling evil guys, then later after you put the book down, you r..."
He really shows how wrong acting on such attractions can be, though. We watch a man (by all accounts a good one until he allowed himself to be seduced by a highschool senior) lose practically everything all because of the one bad choice he made. The problem I had with the plot wasn't the controversial subject matter, but the believability that such a worldly, wealthy, educated professional (a doctor, no less) could or would believe himself to be in love with a girl that age...sexually attracted, sure, but over the top let's get married and have babies in love??? (snort). Not a chance.


message 6379: by Ethan (new)

Ethan I just finished Sindney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Tilly Basgwhawe. Despite Sheldon's passing in 2007, his estate continues to release novels written by other authors based off of his notes. While I normally don't agree with this kind of co-authorship, I quite enjoyed the novel. Now I'm reading When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man by Nick Dybek. This novel comes out on Thursday, so I am trying to get it read to have my review posted on the release date. So far it is a very engaging read.


message 6380: by Veronica (new)

Veronica (veraj121) | 129 comments I started reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson . However, after watching the first season of A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin , I had to start this book.


message 6381: by T (new)

T (twoo) April the Cheshire Meow wrote: "Greg Iles is disturbing! I've read several of his books. His protagonists, such as Penn Cage, has you rooting for their success in battling evil guys, then later after you put the book down, you r..."

For disturbing, take a look at Chuck Palahniuk....


message 6382: by Shannon (new)

Shannon (xoxoshannon1979) | 263 comments Tonight I started to read Ghost Moon by Karen Robards by Karen Robards


message 6383: by Linda (new)

Linda | 5 comments I'd like to put in a suggestion for Julia Spencer-Fleming's ONE WAS A SOLDIER. It's the most recent of her books and the best of a great series. It's also the most powerful exploration of the lives of Iraq veterans once they return I've found, as well as being a well-plotted mystery. And of course, with this author you always can count on excellent writing.

The reason I'm bringing it up when I read it months ago is that it's coming out in trade paperback tomorrow. I strongly recommend it.


message 6384: by Johnette (new)

Johnette Julie wrote: "Jeanie wrote: "Tim wrote: "Starting The Quiet Game my first by Greg Iles"

I love that one, Tim. Penn Cage is a fabulous protagonist. Hope you enjoy it!"

Greg is also one of my favo..."



message 6385: by Johnette (new)

Johnette Greg Iles is one of the very few authors who will keep me up into the wee hours of the morning because I just simply must read one more, and one more, and one more chapter!


message 6386: by D.G. (new)

D.G. I'm reading Fade to Black (romantic suspense.) You can tell the author has thought things through so the romance is not silly but at the same time, things are going a bit too slowly from both the investigative and romance end.


message 6387: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments Linda wrote: "It's also the most powerful exploration of the lives of Iraq veterans once they return I've found, as well as being a well-plotted mystery."

I'll have to put her on my to read list. A new author for me and my library has several of her books. They may be too intense for me as I worked in a VA psych hospital for 10 years and most of our patients were Viet Nam vets so I expect this may be very evocative of what I saw then.


message 6388: by Linda (new)

Linda | 5 comments Sharon wrote: "Linda wrote: "It's also the most powerful exploration of the lives of Iraq veterans once they return I've found, as well as being a well-plotted mystery."

I'll have to put her on my to read list. ..."


That might well be, Johnette. Julia is from a military family and very aware and sympathetic to the problems vets face. You could always start with her earlier books in the series. She's one of the best writers out there.


message 6389: by Autumn (new)

Autumn (autumnmemory80) | 374 comments Right now I am reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I just love Lisbeth, and I am sad there will not be anymore books about her and Mikael.


message 6390: by Jeanie (last edited Apr 10, 2012 01:41PM) (new)

Jeanie (birdyseeds) | 382 comments I finished Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen last night. Obviously, I enjoyed this book because I gave it four stars despite the fact I figured out the identity of the villian long before I should. However, I will say that Smoky's continual internal self-aggrandizing, rationalizing, and debating (all three internal most of the time) reminded me so often of another well-known female protagonist that I checked the cover twice to make sure I hadn't picked up another Patricia Cornwell novel. (laughing). I'm hoping this aspect of Smoky's personality will be laid to rest as the series progresses. Otherwise, she'll have to go.


message 6391: by Julie (new)


message 6392: by Tay (new)

Tay | 261 comments Currently reading The English Assassin (Gabriel Allon, #2) by Daniel Silva and Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson


message 6393: by Dorie (new)

Dorie (dorieann) | 464 comments Julie wrote: "Just finished Naked in Deathand starting Murder at The Washington Tribune"

Read you review of Naked in Death, Julie. Welcome to the obsession! LOL. I recently finished the 34th book and this series and it is still going strong.


message 6394: by Tim (new)

Tim Warner | 72 comments Jeanie wrote: "I finished Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen last night. Obviously, I enjoyed this book because I gave it four stars despite the fact I figured out the identity of the villi..."

I am very interested any authors of the caliber of Cody McFadyen that you could recommend to me. Sorry that you are not too keen on Smokey. The Face of Death (Smoky Barrett, #2) by Cody McFadyen (the next in series) is so good.


message 6395: by Jannene (new)

Jannene | 775 comments Tay wrote: "Currently reading The English Assassin (Gabriel Allon, #2) by Daniel Silva and Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson"

You are getting close to my FAVORITE of his series so far A Death In Vienna.


message 6396: by Jeanie (new)

Jeanie (birdyseeds) | 382 comments Tim wrote: "I am very interested any authors of the caliber of Cody McFadyen that you could recommend to me. Sorry that you are not too keen on Smokey. (the next in series) is so good."

I believe Smoky to have great potential. I'm presently listening to The Face of Death and have just completed the part where she reads Sara's diary and the entry that describes the death of her parents. Afterwards, being very upset, Smokey decides to have a drink but starts all the inner debating again, she raises her shot of tequila and actually says, "Here's to rationalizing!".(laughing) So, at least she's apparently aware of this particular quirk of her's.


message 6397: by Jan (new)

Jan (booklover777) | 66 comments I'm in the middle of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch. It's this month's book club selection & was my recommendation.


message 6398: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments About halfway through The Blackmail Club, a Jack McCall Mystery by David Bishop . Going very well.


message 6399: by Stacy (new)

Stacy Green (stacygreen) | 30 comments Hi all. Currenlty read Lisa Gardner's Say Goodbye, just past halfway through. She's just the master of suspense. I'm awed by the way she's woven an incredibly intricate plot together and managed to write it in such a way a reader stays engaged. And the spiders! Seriously creepy and fascinating. A must read for any suspense/thriller reader.


message 6400: by Tim (new)

Tim Warner | 72 comments Jeanne writes:
"I believe Smoky to have great potential. I'm presently listening to The Face of Death and have just completed the part where she reads Sara's diary..."

That was a very disturbing part of the book. I had to take a break after reading the diary entry.


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