Currently Reading? Showing 1,101-1,150 of 2,623

[[deleted user]]

I'm currently cruising through a cracking book that goes by the name of The Thousand Deaths of Mr Small by Gerald Kersh. Now that I've had a little look at this group though I'm thinking of heading back for a little Clayton Rawson, anybody here familiar with his work?

[Leslie]

Carolien wrote: "The Anne Cleeves series has been on my TBR list for a while. You've now encouraged me to put it higher on the pile!

I'm currently reading Mallory's Oracle which is a bit more of a ha..."

I read the first 5 or 6 of those but then burned out. I should try again.

@John - I want to read some Maigret this year...

@CQM - I am not familiar with either of those authors...

I am currently rereading our BOTM, which I am finding I remember pretty well. Next English mystery for me will be the next Morse book for the buddy read, The Jewel That Was Ours.

[Susan]

Leslie wrote: "Carolien wrote: "The Anne Cleeves series has been on my TBR list for a while. You've now encouraged me to put it higher on the pile!

I'm currently reading Mallory's Oracle which is a..."

I just picked up my copy of Morse's book at the library yesterday. I'll probably read it after I finish The Book Thief.

[Leslie]

Susan wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Carolien wrote: "The Anne Cleeves series has been on my TBR list for a while. You've now encouraged me to put it higher on the pile!

I'm currently reading [book:Mallory's Oracle|476..."

Hahaha I am going to read The Book Thief after the Morse! Are you enjoying it?

[Susan]

Not as much as I should be. I know everybody raves about it but have the angel of death being the narrator is not my favorite thing. That's not a spoiler, it's the first thing you learn. It's a YA too and I can tell that. Still I haven't put it down.

[Jeffrey]

CQM wrote: "I'm currently cruising through a cracking book that goes by the name of The Thousand Deaths of Mr Small by Gerald Kersh. Now that I've had a little look at this group though I'm thinking of heading..."

Yes, I love Rawson's books. They're a lot of fun. I just got Rawson's short story collection for my Kindle a few days ago.

[Helen]

Susan wrote: "Not as much as I should be. I know everybody raves about it but have the angel of death being the narrator is not my favorite thing. That's not a spoiler, it's the first thing you learn. It's a YA ..."

I have just started The Book Thief. One thing that will cause me to dislike a book is a series of short, choppy sentences, which happens to be the way this one begins. After riffling through later pages though and discovering that this did not continue, I am still reading.

[Susan]

I read it all but it is definitely a YA book. I feel bad because I didn't like it more.

[Penny]

recently read I really enjoyed it - am finding Robert Goddard to be consistently good - and also different from the normal type of thriller/crime novel. They seem more literary and definitely have a deeper psychological pull.

[Leslie]

I feel compelled to share a quote from the book I am currently reading (Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crispin):

The main character Fen was walking down the street "with a copy of The Ambassadors held open in front of his face" when he is interrupted by Scotland Yard detective Humbleby:

"And at this Fen shook himself hurriedly free from the stupor which the prose of Henry James invariably induced in him..."

and then later Humbleby asks Fen what he had been reading:
  "The Ambassadors."
  "Narcotic," said Humbleby. "I always feel that Henry James ought to be dealt with in the Dangerous Drugs Act, and perhaps used in childbirth as an alternative to trilene..."

LOL!!

[John]

Leslie - LOL. Only ever finished What Maisie Knew, and that because it is short and was on cassette during a long few drives to London and back. Life's too short, isn't it? Good old Crispin/Fen!

[Susan]

Leslie wrote: "I feel compelled to share a quote from the book I am currently reading (Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crispin):

The main character Fen was walking down the street "with a..."

Thanks for that. I'm still laughing.

[Karlyne]

Leslie wrote: "I feel compelled to share a quote from the book I am currently reading (Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crispin):

The main character Fen was walking down the street "with a..."

That made me laugh, too, Leslie!

[Penny]

Mike wrote: "Just finished this book. WOW.

The Sacrificial Man by Ruth Dugdall

This is one of the be..."

thanks for recommendation Mike!

[Bionic Jean]

I've just started The Book Thief now, and like you, Helen immediately noticed the short choppy sentences. It seemed to be attempting to sound poetic, but merely felt pretentious. Further on this quality has disappeared. I'm not sure about it yet though.

[Leanne]

I'm reading Agatha Christie's "After the Funeral" - only ever read one other book by Christie so looking forward to getting my teeth into this.

[JanieB]

Totally out of sequence, but I've just finished reading Settled Blood, by Mari Hannah and I'm now reading her first book, Murder Wall. Just as fast-paced and spine-chilling!

[Susan]

Jean, I wasn't as thrilled by Book Thief as others were. The short choppy sentences got to me as well as the narrator. Still it's a YA book so the style could be put down to that.

[Helen]

Susan & Jean - I was not thrilled either (Book Thief) but as you say, it is YA

[Susan]

I am so glad I am not alone.

[Leslie]

Susan wrote: "Jean, I wasn't as thrilled by Book Thief as others were. The short choppy sentences got to me as well as the narrator. Still it's a YA book so the style could be put down to that."

I felt that the actual plot was good but I didn't like the writing - this was the Book of the Month for another group and I find it interesting that the younger members feel so strongly that it is marvelous.

[Penny]

Kaye wrote: "Just finished Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (new to me author) and really enjoyed it. Plan on reading White Nights,next one in the Shetland series"

the Shetland series is back on TV now - they are squashing each book into 1 hour and I feel short-changed - they need another hour to give full flow to the story. Still I like douglas henshall as Perez.

[Bionic Jean]

The Book Thief - Ah I hadn't picked up that it's the younger members. That is interesting! Perhaps the setting has a different resonance for them then, especially if it is their first "encounter" with this shameful period in history. Still, I'm less than halfway through, so I can't judge yet. But thanks for the info Leslie :)

[Leslie]

Jean wrote: "The Book Thief - Ah I hadn't picked up that it's the younger members. That is interesting! Perhaps the setting has a different resonance for them then, especially if it is their first ..."

That is just my impression, but don't hold me to it!

[C.J.]

Penny wrote: "Kaye wrote: "Just finished Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (new to me author) and really enjoyed it. Plan on reading White Nights,next one in the Shetland series"

I just returned from 4 exhausting days at the Left Coast Crime Conf. in Monterey, CA, partly to see/meet Anne Cleeves. (Also there were Cara Black, Deborah Crombie, & Louise Penny; see my blog at http://ow.ly/uVg0y). She showed us the "Raven Black" pilot of the TV series, which hasn't aired yet in the US. I'm sorry to hear they cut the later ones to an hour--2 hours was perfect, enough to give you a full-fledged mystery yet still leave you itching to read the book for all the nuances.

Anne Cleeves said she wouldn't have picked "Doogie"
[sic] Henshall for her Jimmy Perez, who's darker, being a Shetland descendant of a Spanish shipwreck centuries ago, but she was very pleased with how he handled the part.

[Lorraine]

I'm currently reading Murder At Madingley Grange by Caroline Graham, who also wrote the Midsomer Murders books (though this is not in that series). It's quite amusing, but the murder is soon to occur (I'm 1/3 through it). This might be a good book for a group read.

[Penny]

Carol wrote: "Penny wrote: "Kaye wrote: "Just finished Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (new to me author) and really enjoyed it. Plan on reading White Nights,next one in the Shetland series"

I just ret..."

Lucky you Carol - I really must discover Deborah Crombie she keeps popping up!

[Trelawn]

Hi I'm new to this group so i thought i'd jump straight in. I'm a big fan of mysteries esp D.L. Sayers. I just finished reading a debut novel called The Quick by Lauren Owen which i highly recommend. I just started Longbourn by Jo Baker yesterday.

[Leslie]

Welcome Trelawn! I am also a Sayers fan :)

[Trelawn]

thanks for the welcome leslie :-)

[Helen]

have I mentioned lately that I love this thread and the mentions of new (to me) authors' works? I am sure Amazon loves that I love it since I seem to be adding to my wish list daily - and every so often, my cart ;>)

[Leanne]

I'm reading After the Funeral by Agatha Christie and I'm loving it - it's an easy, enjoyable read, and I still don't know whodunnit :)

[Sandi]

Actually just finished "Hunting Shadows" by Charles Todd. I reread all the Ian Rutledge books prior to this; good to restore some memory losses. It was a good mystery, with a unique ending. But Ian's handling of the events at the end were troubling.

[Jean]

What do you think he should have done?

[Leslie]

I am currently reading The Long Divorce by Edmund Crispin - #8 in the Gervase Fen series.

[Joan]

I am currently reading Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson. Interleaving it with the Christie for April BoTM.

[Jean]

I'm also reading Children of the Revolution. I read the Christie book decades ago.

[Helen]

I'm currently reading Coroner's Pidgeon, in the Albert Campion series by Margery Allingham. What's interesting about this especially is the comments on the war (it was published in 1945) and how it is affecting everyone in the story. Enjoy these books immensely.

I just looked over my "Next to Read" files, and realized I am following 21 series, from Agatha Christie to Peter Turnbull. All British mysteries. Wonderful stuff.

[Ruth]

Mike wrote: "Just finished.

Love Story, With Murders by Harry Bingham

The second novel featuring re..."

That sounds really intriguing!

[C.J.]

I just watched the first episode of Ann Cleeves's Vera Stanhope series & now want to read the book. Hidden Depths
Lovely work by Brenda Blethyn, and brilliant eerie music, but the men tended to blur together.

I just finished rereading Dorothy Sayers's Whose Body? Still excellent!

[Carolien]

Helen wrote: "I'm currently reading Coroner's Pidgeon, in the Albert Campion series by Margery Allingham. What's interesting about this especially is the comments on the war (it was published in 1945) and how i..."

That's wonderful. I have never tried to count, may scare myself if I do!

[Joan]

Jean wrote: "I'm also reading Children of the Revolution. I read the Christie book decades ago."

What do you think of Children of the Revolution? I'm loving it so far. I'm only on page 100, but what I like so much is that there's an actual mystery in it -- something that was sort of missing from Bad Boy and Watching the Dark. Not that I didn't enjoy reading those two, but I wasn't gripped by curiosity about whodunnit as I had been with some of the earlier Inspector Banks novels.

I love Banks.

[Miss M]

Carol wrote: "I just watched the first episode of Ann Cleeves's Vera Stanhope series & now want to read the book. Hidden Depths
Lovely work by Brenda Blethyn, and brilliant eerie music, but the me..."

Oh, I love that series, especially the scenery! I'm saving the last episode of season 2 unwatched until I know season 3 is available in the US...which probably doesn't make sense... ;D

[Jean]

I agree, Joan. We're about at the same place, because I'm having to take time out from reading to do taxes (yuck!). Robinson seems to be getting back to a true mystery with this one. I have all his stuff and love it all, as you do; but I'm glad to see the puzzle back.

[C.J.]

Carolien wrote: "Helen wrote: "I'm currently reading Coroner's Pidgeon, in the Albert Campion series by Margery Allingham. What's interesting about this especially is the comments on the war (it was published in 1..."

My problem with Allingham's books (which I've read all of) is their multiple titles! Coroner's Pidgin, for instance, is also Pearls Before Swine.

[Leslie]

Carol wrote: "My problem with Allingham's books (which I've read all of) is their multiple titles! Coroner's Pidgin, for instance, is also Pearls Before Swine..."

I find this site helpful - here is their page for Margery Allingham:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/m...

[Jean]

Leslie, I rely on the fantastic fiction site.
Too many times I've bought a book I already had, because it was published under an alternative title. I also like ordering from Amazon, because they'll tell you if you already ordered/bought a certain book.

[Ray]

Recalled to Life by Reginald Hill.

[Penny]

Carol wrote: "Penny wrote: "Kaye wrote: "Just finished Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (new to me author) and really enjoyed it. Plan on reading White Nights,next one in the Shetland series"

I just ret..."
Carol - I got it wrong - the Shetland series is 2 hours for each 'mystery' but in 1 hour blocks - so I had missed the first part of the mystery I saw and thought they had squashed it all in to 1 hour!!

[Penny]

Hey Trelawn! someone else on one of my other groups (orange prize I think!) mentioned The Quick - yet another one added to the to-read pile!