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Currently Reading? Just Finished?
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Dorie
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Aug 16, 2011 04:42AM
I'm reading Still Life with Murder, the first of a historical mystery series that was offered as an ebook freebie. So far it's really interesting, with a good sense of place and interesting, unique characters. I'll definitely be getting the next in the series.
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Hayes wrote: "Just doing my job, ma'am...#2 of the series is essential for the storyline, but the plot is a bit thin. #3 is one of my faves....."
Just found out that #2 is not available on kindle. Damn, no instant literary gratification!
Finished Dead by Midnight: A Death on Demand Mystery and, as usual with Carolyn Hart, I enjoyed it very much. She's a great cozy writer and kept me guessing. This is the kind of book to read when you just want to be entertained.
Finished Bad Intentions which was a very good psychological Nordic thriller. Now starting Killing Kate which is a fun easy series I like.
My job requires me to commute about an hour each way every day so I've been getting through a lot of audio books these days. I've just finished Vince Flynn's third Mitch Rapp novel, Separation Of Power and have now started Nelson DeMille's latest, The Gate House. I didn't like my commute at first but after 6 months and about 15 audio books later, it's become one of the best parts of my day.
Started Tragedy At Law by Hare, written in 1942 and set in the judicial system. Hare was the alias of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark a barrister and judge. Very funny in places and a pleasure to read.
Benjamin wrote: "I didn't like my commute at first but after 6 months and about 15 audio books later, it's become one of the best parts of my day..."Fantastic! It's great to be able to enjoy as much of the day as possible :)
I don't generally *do* audio books but when I was involved in a lot of cross country horse hauling and dog shows, I listened to a lot of audio books. For me, they worked better than music tapes by a long way.
Deanne wrote: "Started Tragedy At Law by Hare, written in 1942 and set in the judicial system. Hare was the alias of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark a barrister and judge. Very funny in places and a pleasure to read."I read it not too long ago, myself, Deanne. I quite enjoyed and may have to find some other Hare stories.
Deanne wrote: "Started Tragedy At Law by Hare, written in 1942 and set in the judicial system. Hare was the alias of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark a barrister and judge. Very funny in places and a pleasure to read."I really enjoy Hare's books. With a Bare Bodkin is probably my favorite. They can be hard to find though.
I just finished The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell. Great book.Just getting started on Karin Fossum's book Bad Intentions.
Mary wrote: "I just finished The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell. Great book.Just getting started on Karin Fossum's book Bad Intentions."
They both sound good Mary, adding to the TBR (if not there already!) Enjoy :)
I'm in the middle of Gerald's Game and though for a little while it got a bit drawn out, it's paced up again and I'm enjoying it.
hmmm, should you say enjoying when the subject matter is quite horrid? I need a new word ;)
aprilla wrote: "hmmm, should you say enjoying when the subject matter is quite horrid? I need a new word ;) "
I know what you mean, aprilla. The alternatives are so stiff sounding: "It's keeping my attention" just doesn't do it.
I know what you mean, aprilla. The alternatives are so stiff sounding: "It's keeping my attention" just doesn't do it.
I had a quick look, just for fun... Here's what I found, take your pick if you dare! Me, I'm sticking with enjoy!!! Basking in Gerald's Game?? Yikes!
Enjoy
1. (verb) enjoy, bask, relish, savor, savour
derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
Synonyms: love, bask, enjoy, taste, revel, savour, relish, delight, savor
Antonyms: endure, suffer
2. (verb) enjoy
have benefit from
Synonyms: relish, delight, savor, revel, love, savour, bask
Antonyms: endure, suffer
3. (verb) love, enjoy
get pleasure from
Synonyms: not suitable for here methinks!!
Antonyms: suffer, endure
4. (verb) enjoy
have for one's benefit
Synonyms: relish, delight, savor, revel, love, savour, bask
Antonyms: suffer, endure
5. (verb) delight, enjoy, revel
take delight in
Synonyms: ravish, enjoy, savour, please, relish, transport, enthrall, make merry, enchant, bask, jollify, savor, whoop it up, racket, delight, love, make whoopie, wassail, make happy, enrapture, revel, enthral
Antonyms: endure, suffer
The term perverse pleasure comes to mind, though that sounds... perverted of course. Hmm... gotta be a better word.
I'm relishing, am enthralled and transported by Gerald's Game... Now I guess I just wait for them to come take me away. So long, been nice knowin' y'all!
Barbara wrote: "I've started The Complaints by Ian Rankin; you can't go wrong with Rankin."How is that one, Barbara? Is the protagonist likeable enough? From the description I wasn't sure how I would take him.
I love his Rebus series which is now kaput.....so I will try this one....as you say, you can't go wrong with Rankin.
I tried his new series and the character was likable enough but the storyline wasn;t as interesting. Of course tht could be because I loved the Rebus series. He has a new one come out fairly soon and I will try it again and see if I like it any better.
Jill wrote: "I love his Rebus series which is now kaput.....so I will try this one....as you say, you can't go wrong with Rankin."I'm curious too. I love Rankin's writing.
Just started reading In the Blood by Robert Sullivan. This is a First Read that I won a short while ago, but life intervened and didn't have a chance to get to it until now. Now I'm not sure why I entered for it, except that it is a mystery and a mystery in a science fiction setting. :) I'm not sure how it's going to go just yet. It's...interesting....
Finished Cold Vengeance, which i loved and it allowed Preston and Child to redeem themselves after their Gideon flop i recently read. Now reading Turn of Mind after seeing that one of my Goodreads friends had given it 5 stars. I think this one will be hard to put down.
Have been reading Abandoned but finally gave it up. Read a couple of earlier ones in this series as well as they have been highly recommended. Good writing and interesting plots but simply can't get past the author's tendency to involve the law enforcement people and their families in the blood and mayhem. I'd hoped he'd gotten it out of his system and was just establishing the grim "backstory" for his major characters but it doesn't seem as if that's the case. I read for entertainment and picking up a book wondering which of my 'favorite' characters (or their family)is going to be kidnapped/raped/shot/murdered is not something I enjoy.
Started reading The Alexander Cipher.Just finished Riptide after deciding that I need to completely read the entirety of all of Preston&Child's collaborative works besides the Pendergast series.
@Monica, I'm really glad Cold Vengeance was good. I also thought the Gideon book was horrendous.
Monica wrote: "Finished Cold Vengeance, which i loved and it allowed Preston and Child to redeem themselves after their Gideon flop i recently read. Now reading Turn of Mind after se..."So glad you loved Cold Vengeance hope you love Turn of Mind as well.
Sharon wrote: "Have been reading Abandoned but finally gave it up. Read a couple of earlier ones in this series as well as they have been highly recommended. Good writing and interesting plots but ..."I can see your point, Sharon. However, I must share that I was tickled by the fact that you have "abandoned" Abandoned lol. Sounds like it is time for some cozy mysteries!
Just finished Unknown Man #89. I think it's right up there with Elmore Leonard's best. An excerpt (h/t Aaron Bannister):"They used Mr. Perez's black Samsonite two-suiter. Virgil cleared off the desk, taking loose papers, folders, and notebooks, scratchpads, and everything in the desk, including hotel stationary and the room-service menu, and dropped everything in the suitcase open on the floor. Tunafish made them a couple of scotch and Coca-Cola drinks. Virgil had to jimmy open Mr. Perez's locked attache case. Right on top was a .32-caliber Baretta, nice little mean-looking piece. Virgil slipped it into his jacket. He dumped the papers and file folds, lists of names and addresses, in the suitcase and went looking for more, finding a telephone-address book and a note pad with some writing on it in the bedroom and a copies of The Wall Street Journal and Business Week in the bathroom. Virgil said, Shit, grinning and took the roll of toilet paper. He took the Gideon Bible, some more magazines, and the folded laundry bags in the closet, and topped off the load in the suitcase with a painting on the wall he liked of a cat out in a sailboat with the mast broken off and this terrible motherfucker storm coming at him. Virgil sat down and had his scotch and Coke drink, wondering if the cat made it, then wondering where the cat had got the sailboat, if it was his or if he'd stolen it someplace and was trying to get away, shit, when the storm got him." -p.211
Elizabeth wrote: "trying C.J.Box "Open Season". A western mystery I guess ?"Would like to know what you think when you finish?
Kelly wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Have been reading Abandoned but finally gave it up. Read a couple of earlier ones in this series as well as they have been highly recommended. Good writing and interes..."]Even more frustrating, the NEXT book I picked up was Breakneck, another that has had high recommendations. Only a few chapters into the book, the main protagonist's fiance was shot and killed right after their engagement party. A quick thumb-through revealed that two of her five brothers were involved in the case and one of them is killed.
NO! Enough already! What is it with authors that can't write a police procedural series without involving the law enforcement people/ families in the body count. I'm through with that series as well.
So far I'm not doing too well with my library haul from last Friday. I think it's a good thing the Bookmobile made a house call today!
LOL but I know how you feel.I felt the same with Cody McFadyen, though I still look forward to the next, and while different, I sortof felt like that when I started reading Fallen but I got over it - hope you can too, there's a lot of it out there!
aprilla wrote: "LOL but I know how you feel.I felt the same with Cody McFadyen, though I still look forward to the next, and while different, I sortof felt like that when I started reading Fallen ..."
While I can deal with the law enforcement/ law enforcement family involvement in one book or even the occasional book in a series I tend to get irritable when I start a book wondering which one of the 'family' is going to get raped/murdered/kidnapped and how soon.
I don't really see myself as this little old lady who doesn't like anything but cozies (one of the cozies I picked up ended up in the DNF stack as well).
One of my favorite series is Sandford's "Prey" series, which can be pretty graphic, so it isn't the body count, exactly. Part of it is the fact that the series I like I often like because of the ongoing characters and I want to renew my acquaintence with them in the next book. The other part of that is I worked as a police dispatcher and was married to a police officer for a number of years and have difficulty suspending my belief to think that every law enforcement person in the book ends up a victim or has family that ends up being a victim or one of the criminals. It happens in large enough numbers but not in every book with maybe a dozen or so main characters.
aprilla wrote: "Linda wrote: "That is interesting T I have 2 of Joe Hill's books and 2 of Jesse Kellerman, but have not read either, I will give them both a try, I usually only give an author 2 tries to reel me in..."I totally get it Aprilla, I am still looking forward to reading Joe's books, I will try to read them with an open mind, he is Joe and not Stephen and I am sure that he will have his own style.
Just finished
by John Grisham, this book was so good. To me John Grisham is at his best when he writes legal thrillers, I don't think he has written one in a long time and he was way over due and this one did not disappoint, I totally loved it and gave it 5 stars!!!
I agree his legal books are the best. He actualy has one coming out in November I think called The Litigators. Can't wait.
@Sharon - Might I recommend Michelle Gagnon? She has 4 books out in her series and they are great, IMO.
Thanks for the suggestion, Kelly. Will make a note of that and try her. For now, I've picked up a couple of the Alex Delaware series by Kellerman that I hadn't kept up with.
I just finished The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo. This is my third Jo Nesbo (The Snowman, The Devil's Star) and I am crazy about this series. For those not familiar with Jo Nesbo, this is a Norwegian crime series with police inspector Harry Hole as the protagonist. Nesbo is skill author and adds Norwegian culture/history and politics to whip up exciting crime fiction. Highly recommend!!!!!
Has anyone read Archer Mayor's crime fiction set in Vermont? The character's name is Joe Gunther. I'm thinking about picking one up, and I'm curious what others think about the series.
Elizabeth wrote: "trying C.J.Box "Open Season". A western mystery I guess ?"Not really a western persay, Elizabeth. Joe Pickett is a game warden in northern Wyoming. So, it takes place in the west, If you enjoy outdoor mysteries, this is a very good series. I'm a little bias, living in Colorado, and hunt....plus I met Box at a book signing! :)
Currently listening to the audio book called "Out" by Kirino, a Japanese award-winner. Also reading "Darkness, My Old Friend" by Lisa Unger. She never disappoints! I am looking forward to the Jo Nesbo series next. I lived in Norway for about 3 years about 18 years ago, so I'm really looking forward to going "home" through these books! I so enjoy reading the posts here, although this is my first one. I feel like I have a couple thousand new friends!
Welcome to the group Melody. When you get to the Jo Nesbo series be sure to check out the discussion of The Snowman which was a recent group read. By the way, the group read threads never close so feel free to keep the conversation going. I'm sure those who read the book would enjoy your thoughts having lived in Norway.
I am looking forward to the Jo Nesbo series next..."I just put Jo Nesbo on my to-read list. I'd be interested in hearing what you think after you've read one of his books.
Gatorman wrote: "Just finished
and absolutley loved it, a 5-star read. Will now be starting
."Reading Collecting Cooper after I finish Darkness my old friend. Glad to hear it's so good.
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