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General Chat > Currently Reading? Just Finished?

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message 3351: by Dorie (new)

Dorie (dorieann) | 464 comments 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.


message 3352: by Kim (new)

Kim (kimmr) 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!


message 3353: by Jan (new)

Jan (booklover777) | 66 comments 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.


message 3354: by Diane S ☔ (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments Finished Bad Intentions which was a very good psychological Nordic thriller. Now starting Killing Kate which is a fun easy series I like.


message 3355: by Benjamin (new)

Benjamin Thomas (benjaminthomas) 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.


message 3356: by Deanne (new)

Deanne | 94 comments 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.


message 3357: by aprilla (new)

aprilla 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 :)


message 3358: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments 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.


message 3359: by Bill (new)

Bill 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.


message 3360: by Dena (new)

Dena | 97 comments 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.


message 3361: by Mary (new)

Mary I just finished The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell. Great book.
Just getting started on Karin Fossum's book Bad Intentions.


message 3362: by aprilla (new)

aprilla 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 ;)


message 3363: by [deleted user] (new)

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.


message 3364: by aprilla (last edited Aug 16, 2011 03:43PM) (new)

aprilla 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


message 3365: by The Pirate Ghost (new)

The Pirate Ghost (Formerly known as the Curmudgeon) (pirateghost) The term perverse pleasure comes to mind, though that sounds... perverted of course. Hmm... gotta be a better word.


message 3366: by aprilla (new)

aprilla 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!


message 3367: by Barbara (new)

Barbara (cinnabarb) | 10000 comments I've started The Complaints by Ian Rankin; you can't go wrong with Rankin.


message 3368: by Dorie (new)

Dorie (dorieann) | 464 comments 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.


message 3369: by Jill H. (new)

Jill H. (bucs1960) 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.


message 3370: by Diane S ☔ (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments 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.


message 3371: by Lee (new)

Lee | 181 comments Up next... Hard Freeze (A Joe Kurtz Novel) by Dan Simmons , Joe Kurtz #2


message 3372: by Mary (new)

Mary 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.


message 3373: by Catherine (new)

Catherine (catjackson) 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....


message 3374: by Monica (new)

Monica | 75 comments 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.


message 3375: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments 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.


message 3376: by Pauline (last edited Aug 17, 2011 08:12AM) (new)

Pauline  | 349 comments 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.


message 3377: by Diane S ☔ (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments 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.


message 3378: by Kelly (new)

Kelly | 48 comments 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!


message 3379: by Sufferingbruin (new)

Sufferingbruin | 29 comments 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


message 3380: by Tay (new)

Tay | 261 comments Elizabeth wrote: "trying C.J.Box "Open Season". A western mystery I guess ?"

Would like to know what you think when you finish?


message 3381: by Sharon (last edited Aug 17, 2011 11:35AM) (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments 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!


message 3382: by aprilla (last edited Aug 17, 2011 11:42AM) (new)

aprilla 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!


message 3383: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments 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.


message 3384: by Linda (new)

Linda Boyd (boydlinda95gmailcom) | 335 comments 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.


message 3385: by Linda (new)

Linda Boyd (boydlinda95gmailcom) | 335 comments Just finished The Confession by John Grisham 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!!!


message 3386: by Diane S ☔ (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments I agree his legal books are the best. He actualy has one coming out in November I think called The Litigators. Can't wait.


message 3387: by Kelly (new)

Kelly | 48 comments @Sharon - Might I recommend Michelle Gagnon? She has 4 books out in her series and they are great, IMO.


message 3388: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Michael | 674 comments 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.


message 3390: by Jeanne (new)

Jeanne | 4 comments 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!!!!!


message 3391: by Cathleen (new)

Cathleen | 38 comments 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.


message 3392: by Lee (new)

Lee | 181 comments 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! :)


message 3393: by Melody (new)

Melody (melody44) | 12 comments 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!


message 3394: by Donna, Co-Moderator (new)

Donna | 2178 comments Mod
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.


message 3395: by Diane S ☔ (last edited Aug 18, 2011 09:51AM) (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments Reading Darkness, My Old Friend: A Novel We will have to compare.


message 3396: by Karin (new)

Karin Kaufman | 16 comments 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.


message 3397: by Gatorman (new)

Gatorman | 7679 comments Just finished Collecting Cooper by Paul Cleave and absolutley loved it, a 5-star read. Will now be starting A Death in Summer (Quirke, #4) by Benjamin Black .


message 3398: by Diane S ☔ (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments Gatorman wrote: "Just finished Collecting Cooper by Paul Cleave and absolutley loved it, a 5-star read. Will now be starting A Death in Summer (Quirke, #4) by Benjamin Black."

Reading Collecting Cooper after I finish Darkness my old friend. Glad to hear it's so good.


message 3399: by Gatorman (new)

Gatorman | 7679 comments It is, even better than Blood Men.


message 3400: by Diane S ☔ (new)

Diane S ☔ | 438 comments Gatorman wrote: "It is, even better than Blood Men."

Didn't he just win an award for Blood Men?


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