Currently Reading? Showing 101-150 of 2,623

[Carolien]

Just finished . It's the first time I have read a Maisie Dobbs and really enjoyed it.

[Susan]

Carolien wrote: "Just finished . It's the first time I have read a Maisie Dobbs and really enjoyed it."
I have read all the Maisie books and love her. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Carolien]

Ann wrote: "Daughter of Time was the first book I read by Josephine Tey and ever since I have bee n a great supporter of Richard III. I have read all Josephine Tey’s novels at least twice. Not so keen on The P..."

I recently read An Expert in Murder and enjoyed it although I found it quite a hard read at times. Tempted to re-read all the Josephine Teys now. I love her books.

[Tracey]

Jemidar wrote: "You can get them here:

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/t/tey/j..."

Gosh darn it, Jemidar, now I've been reading Brat Farrar half the afternoon instead of doing anything I'm supposed to be doing. (It's the one Tey I can't find my copy of.) *shakes fist*

I never read it before!

[Jemidar]

Happy to be of service ;-D.

[Dennis]

Just began Elizabeth George's "In the presence of thy Enemy." only 100 pages into this Inspector Lynley novel.

[HJ]

Tracey wrote: "Jemidar wrote: "You can get them here:

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/t/tey/j..."

Gosh darn it, Jemidar, now I've been reading Brat Farrar half the afternoon instead of doing anything I'm su..."

Don't you just love Brat?

When you get to it, I'd love to know what you think of the ending. I'm avoiding spoilers, but I find it rather ambiguous. I know what I think happens, but please tell me what you decide so I can see if I'm reading too much into a few words, or not!

[Tracey]

I'm about halfway. (Don't tell my boss.) It's altogether an ambiguous book, in its way – and I do love Brat. I love everyone but Simon, in fact. (And the trollops (the maid Lana and La Parslow), of course.) And Josephine Tey - I adore Tey.

[Karen]

Hi, I've loved crime fiction for years and it's great to find yet more recommendations from you of books I hadn't come across. At the moment, I'm working through a set of Agatha Christie talking books in the car, which is great. I know I read them all ages ago, but cannot remember the storylines.
I'm also a fan of Ian Rankin, Kate Atkinson and lots of others,including the Cadfael books by Ellis Peters, but I think the CJ Samson Shardlake books are my favourites for now.

[Marsali]

Oh, yes, Karen, I love the Shardlake books - one of my sailing pals recommended them. I loved the way religion is so central and so dangerous - as, in that time, it must have been - Samson really brought that alive. I think I knew whodunnit every time, though.
Have you read the modern Ellis Peters books, with George and Dominic Felse? I think I like them even better than Brother Cadfael - oh, and a wonderful stand-alone, 'Never Pick up Hitch-hikers' Hilarious!
My last crime novel was Val McDermid's A Trick of the Dark - now, for a change, I'm reading a biography of Robert Louis Stevenson.

[Susan]

Wow! Matthew Shardlake is my favorite series too. I just read them one after another. I introduced them to my bbok club and everyone loved it. I found them when Craig Ferguson recommended them on the air.

[Carolien]

Just finished which was my introduction to John Sandilands. Quite enjoyed it and the setting is interesting - India in the 1920s.

[Karen]

I haven't read the other Ellis Peters books, Marsali, so thanks for that, will look them out.
And I have to confess I hven't read any Val McDermid yet either (not that I can remember)
But following on from my love of Shardlake, I read Ariana Franklin's books starting with Mistress of the Art of Deathand enjoyed them, and recently came across another Shropshire based novel,The Wayward Apprentice
with a thirteenth century deputy coroner as the hero/sleuth. I now have the other two to read on my ever increasing TBR pile

[Susan]

Karen, wow do we read similar books. I read Ariana Franklin's books. So tell me about the Wayward Apprentice. Was it good? It sounds great.

[Shera]

Oh...Right
I feel like an impulsive twit. I was so happy to find Goodreads and this group my enthusiastic response was to recommend a book before I read all of the discussions. I see now a lot of you have read "The Daughter of Time". At least I didn't suggest "The Secret of The Old Clock" It is the first book I owned and I read it 55 years ago.

[Susan]

Shera wrote: "Oh...Right
I feel like an impulsive twit. I was so happy to find Goodreads and this group my enthusiastic response was to recommend a book before I read all of the discussions. I see now a lot of y..."

Isn't that Nancy Drew? Be happy. I took your recommendation and am starting "The Daughter of Time." Thank you for the suggestion.

[Shera]

Yes Susan, Nancy Drew is the sinister influence in my pursuit of mystery and crime.

[Susan]

Mine too. I still have my collection that is probably 50 years old. Talk about a hoarder.

[Kathy]

Brenda - I am also very intrigued by the information coming out of England now on Richard III. I am interested in keeping up. Do you have any specific sites where information can be found?

[Helen]

"Susan wrote Helen,
I Love CJ Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series. It's really some of the best writing around. Who could not love a hunchbacked lawyer during Henry VIII's time? I liked "Winter in Madrid" but think it pales compared to the series. Have You read it?"

Yes I have Susan & loved it as well (although one tends to miss Shardlake ;) ) ... his new Dominion is due out soon - from what I can gather it may have something to do with the London fog of 1952 - we lived about 30 miles south of London although we had left the country in the fall of 1951, and I vividly recall my parents' concern about family. Right now my reading is a bit off-topic, I am immersed in the second volume of Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh trilogy ...

[HJ]

Tracey wrote: "I'm about halfway. (Don't tell my boss.) It's altogether an ambiguous book, in its way – and I do love Brat. I love everyone but Simon, in fact. (And the trollops (the maid Lana and La Parslow), of..."

Hi Tracey - have you finished Brat Farrar yet?? What do you think the ending means? (Trying to put the question obliquely in case you haven't reached it yet.)

[Karen]

Susan wrote: "Karen, wow do we read similar books. I read Ariana Franklin's books. So tell me about the Wayward Apprentice. Was it good? It sounds great."

Hi Susan, I think the reviews on Amazon generally enjoyed it too, tho one or two said it was a bit slow to get into. Personally I thought it was quite 'lively' and there is quite a bit of wit in the writing. I'm certainly keen to read the others.

[Susan]

Helen wrote: ""Susan wrote Helen,
I Love CJ Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series. It's really some of the best writing around. Who could not love a hunchbacked lawyer during Henry VIII's time? I liked "Winter in Ma..."

Helen,
I have some Sharon Kay Penman but have been hesitant because I don't know anyone who has read it. What books are you reading? Please let me know.

[Susan]

Karen wrote: "Susan wrote: "Karen, wow do we read similar books. I read Ariana Franklin's books. So tell me about the Wayward Apprentice. Was it good? It sounds great."

Hi Susan, I think the reviews on Amazon g..."
Karen, I just ordered "Wayward Apprentice". I just have to take recommendations from a Shardlake lover.

[Helen]

Helen,
I have some Sharon Kay Penman but have been hesitant because I don't know anyone who has read it. What books are you reading? Please let me know.

Hi Susan - I have begun with Here Be Dragons, the first in her trilogy of the Welsh princes. I quite like her style & since Welsh history is not something of which I have read a lot I am finding it very interesting (Mum was Welsh). I am just into the second volume - Falls the Shadow. Have you read Alison Weir (fiction or non-fiction)? I don't know her work, her name was mentioned in the 'history' context.

[Shera]

Mike wrote: "I've just started Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin.

Ian Rankin"

Julia wrote: "Hello Caz,
Yes, I do think some series just run out of steam. Nevada Barr's series comes to mind, but I haven't thought that about Stallwood's series

Mike, I love Ian Rankin's Rebus series. If you don't like "Tooth and Nail" Please read some of the other books. I started with "Knots and Crosses " but You might start with "Black and Blue"

[Susan]

Helen wrote: "Helen,
I have some Sharon Kay Penman but have been hesitant because I don't know anyone who has read it. What books are you reading? Please let me know.

Hi Susan - I have begun with Here Be Drago..."
Hi Helen, I have read Alison Weir-both her ficiton and non fiction. I just reviewed her newest nonfiction and it was cumbersome. It had too many characters and you kept having to go back to the family tree. I would say see was the "intellectual" Philipa Gregory if you follow my drift. You really have to invest with her.

[Helen]

Susan - I have never been tempted by Philipa Gregory, no idea why. My first books of this genre were Costain, many years ago ... I apologize though, this is sort of off-topic for the thread ...

[Karlyne]

I've been reading Ellis Peters' Felse mysteries, but have just moved on to re-reading Margery Allingham. I'm finding Campion to be just as much fun as he used to be; I remember that I liked the way that he was always getting into harm's way. He's a very physical hero for such a silly, ineffectual myopic man!

[Kim]

Karlyne wrote: "I've been reading Ellis Peters' Felse mysteries, but have just moved on to re-reading Margery Allingham. I'm finding Campion to be just as much fun as he used to be; I remember that I liked the way..."

Hi Karlyne, it's good to see you here! *waves*

[Kim]

Jean-Luke wrote: "I just started Shroud For A Nightingale by P.D. James. Not sure if I'm crazy about the setting or Nurse Beale, but it's gotten good reviews on here. Anyone else read it?"

Many, many moons ago. However, I don't really remember anything about it.

[Tracey]

Hj wrote: "Tracey wrote: "I'm about halfway. (Don't tell my boss.) It's altogether an ambiguous book, in its way – and I do love Brat. I love everyone but Simon, in fact. (And the trollops (the maid Lana and ..."

Hj, sorry it took me a while to respond - I barely went near the computer since Friday.

I did finish, and I loved it.

I thought the ending was pretty clear and wrapped up rather neatly and succinctly, actually. (view spoiler)[Bee had always planned to go and take up her own life again once Simon was 21, and things worked out so that she could still do so, taking a job running someone's stable. And she's taking Brat with her. Word was leaking out about what happened: that Brat was an Ashby but not Patrick Ashby and had pulled a con, but was actually pretty honorable considering. What Simon did and exactly how he died is going to be allowed to vanish. (I wonder if the younger twins will be told.) So Brat is going to recover, follow Bee out to the stable (in Scotland, I think it was) and remove himself from the public eye for a while, and then in a while - not too long if she has anything to say about it - Eleanor plans to marry him.

What did you question about the ending? (hide spoiler)]

[Kate]

Susan wrote: "Mine too. I still have my collection that is probably 50 years old. Talk about a hoarder."

You've got your terminology wrong, Susan. You're a collector , not a hoarder. Takes one to know one: I've got the complete Georgette Hyers, the complete Hamish MacBeths, working on the complete Catherine Aird & Aaron Elkins' forensic anthropologist. And then there are the CDs, & the DVDs ...

Collector (said firmly, brooking no argument!)

[Jemidar]

Kate, I'm a 'collector' too except my collecting sometimes gets out of hand. Sigh.

[Lorraine]

I'm finally reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - I've owned the book for almost two years and after watching two versions of the movie got around to reading it. About 1/3 through and enjoying it very much.

[Tracey]

Lorraine wrote: "I'm finally reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - I've owned the book for almost two years and after watching two versions of the movie got around to reading it. About 1/3 through and enjoying..."

I need to do both - I have the book, and have never seen either version of the movie. There's just not enough time!

[Jemidar]

Tracey wrote: "I need to do both - I have the book, and have never seen either version of the movie. There's just not enough time! "

Same here!

[Tracey]

Hm - Would you want to do a buddy read - next year, maybe?

[Jemidar]

Sounds good to me :-).

[Karlyne]

Kim wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "I've been reading Ellis Peters' Felse mysteries, but have just moved on to re-reading Margery Allingham. I'm finding Campion to be just as much fun as he used to be; I remember that..."

Wave back, Kim! Thanks for inviting me to this book club; I seem to be on a mystery roll at the moment!

[Susan]

Kate wrote: "Susan wrote: "Mine too. I still have my collection that is probably 50 years old. Talk about a hoarder."

You've got your terminology wrong, Susan. You're a
collector
, not a hoarder. Takes on..."
Not only do I have the Nancy Drew's but all of Rex Stout's. I spent several happy years hunting used book stores for them. I have all Kate Atkinson, Maisie Dobbs, PD James, Sue Grafton... Are you sure I'm not a hoarder?

[Carole]

I'm almost neurotic about reading a series in order, so I'm beginning with the very first Roderick Alleyn book. I enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series.

[HJ]

Tracey wrote: "Hj wrote: "Tracey wrote: "I'm about halfway. (Don't tell my boss.) It's altogether an ambiguous book, in its way – and I do love Brat. I love everyone but Simon, in fact. (And the trollops (the mai..."

Tracey - I want to tell you what I think about the ending, but how do you do the "view/hide spoiler" thing, please?

[Tracey]

< spoiler> and < /spoiler > - just take out the spaces inside the brackets. (There are some html tips if you click on (some html is ok) above the upper left hand corner of the comment box - I think that's in there.)

[Karlyne]

Carole wrote: " I'm almost neurotic about reading a series in order, so I'm beginning with the very first Roderick Alleyn book. I enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing..."

I always enjoys books more when I read them in the order in which they were written. I like watching not only the characters' developments but also the author's. And I adore Roderick Alleyn!

[HJ]

Kathy wrote: "Brenda - I am also very intrigued by the information coming out of England now on Richard III. I am interested in keeping up. Do you have any specific sites where information can be found?"

Kathy - this seems to be a good site, and it's where I've seen most of the good stuff about the excavation: http://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles...

[HJ]

Tracey wrote: " and - just take out the spaces inside the brackets. (There are some html tips if you click on (some html is ok) above the upper left hand corner of the comment box - I think that's in there.)"

Thanks! Here goes (I hope): (view spoiler)[. The reason why I asked you what you thought the ending meant is because I have always thought that Brat actually ends up with Bee rather than with Eleanor. While he is so ill in hospital "he just keeps talking about someone called Bee", and "For a day and a night and a day again she sat by his bed and listened to that restless torrent of talk. “Bee?” he would say, just as the little probationer had recounted to her. And she would say: “Yes, I’m here,” and he would go back reassured to whatever world he was wandering in."

And then in the last chapter, when Bee is talking to Eleanor about taking Brat to Ulster, they have the following exchange:

"“What shall we do about letting people know about Brat? I mean, about his not being Patrick.”
“I don’t think we’ll have to do anything about it. The facts will inevitably ooze. They always do." ...
"“But I should like the news to get round before I’m too old to marry him.”
“Are you thinking of it?” Bee said, taken aback.
“I’m set on it.”
Bee hesitated; and then decided to let the future take care of itself."

And then Bee goes to see Brat and tells him she is going to Ulster:

"She saw his fingers begin to play with the sheet, unhappily.
“Are you going away to Ulster, then?” he asked.
“Only if you will come with me, and run the stable for me.”
The easy tears of the newly-convalescent rose in his eyes and ran down his cheek.
“Oh, Bee!” he said.
“I take it that means that my offer is accepted,” she said."

And that's the end. Taking this together with what Brat has thought earlier to himself during the book about how much he cares for Bee (I think he actually does think that he loves her), I do feel that at the very least it is an option that he marries Bee rather than Eleanor. I know that at first blush it seems odd given that he was pretending to be her nephew, but of course they never had that relationship (she didn't look after him while he was a child) and he was clearly far older than his years after all his experiences.
.. (hide spoiler)]

What do you think?? It's one of my favourite books, and I've re-read it several times and feel almost sure of this interpretation!

[Carole]

Karlyne wrote: "I adore Roderick Alleyn!"

Karlyne, I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy watching his character develop through the series.

I have no idea why I enjoy British mysteries so much, but I keep coming back to them after other reads, so it was a delight to find this group. Some of my favorite authors are M. C. Beaton, Rhys Bowen, Deborah Crombie, Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes, Simon Brett (Fethering), Peter Robinson, Ruth Rendell (Wexford), Anne Perry...well, you get the picture. Canadian author Louise Penny is another favorite. There's just something magic about those small, quaint villages!

[Tracey]

Hj wrote: "What do you think?? It's one of my favourite books, and I've re-read it several times and feel almost sure of this interpretation! ..."

It's definitely possible. But ... I didn't see it that way, maybe because of (view spoiler)[his possessive thoughts toward Eleanor right from the beginning; he did not like "that doctor fellow", Spence, when he was led to believe that there was something between him and Eleanor. He went a little ways out of his way to spend as much time as possible with her, and was very ready to consider Spence an enemy till he found out the doctor was married (and Ruth was a brat).

There was this:

And Brat for his part was conscious of her fingers clasping his forearm as he had never been conscious before of a woman’s hand. He was experiencing again that surge of an unrecognised emotion that had filled him when Bee had taken his hand to lead him to the interview with Mr. Macallan.

Followed by:

... and his thoughts, running on approval and disapproval, went to Bee. What was it that he had felt when Bee took his hand to lead him to the interview this afternoon? What was different from any other of the thousand handclasps he had experienced in his time? Why the surge of warmth under his heart, and what kind of emotion was it anyway? He had suffered the same obscure gratification when Bee had thrust her arm through his on the way to the stables. What was so remarkable about a woman putting her hand on your arm? A woman, moreover, that you were not in love with, and were never likely to be in love with.

It was because she was a woman, of course, but the thing that made it remarkable was something else again. It had something to do with being taken for granted by her. No one else had taken his hand in just that way. Casual but — no, not possessive. Quite a few had been possessive with him, and he had not been gratified in the least. Casual but — what? Belonging. It had something to do with belonging. The hand had taken him for granted because he belonged. It was the unthinking friendliness of a woman to one of her family. Was it because he had never “belonged” before, that made that commonplace gesture into a benediction?

He went on thinking of Bee as he fell asleep. Her sidelong glance when she was considering something; her courage; the way she had braced herself to meet him that day in the back room in Pimlico; the way she had kissed him before she was sure, just in case he was Patrick; the way she had dealt with the suspense of Simon’s absence when he arrived to-day.

She was a lovely woman, Beatrice Ashby, and he loved her.

That last paragraph and last line could go either way, really - But I read it as the surprised joy and gratitude of a man who never realized how alone and lonely he was until he had someone, this wonderful woman, treating him as if he was a natural part of her. He's never had family, and suddenly here she is offering - no, outright giving him this kind of affection and acceptance he's never known before. She doesn't want anything from him, unlike a lot of women he's known, but he is suddenly not "other" anymore: he's part of her: family. He belongs. Pretty heady. I just took the rest of it as following along those lines. Bee is the closest thing he's ever known to a mother, the one he would most want to avoid hurting if for no other reason than because she was the first one to begin to accept him (with that first kiss on his cheek), and the one he looks for for comfort, as an anchor, when he's hurt.

Bee's feelings might be different, though; I don't know if I looked at that line “Are you thinking of it?” Bee said, taken aback like that before, but.... (hide spoiler)]

So - I don't think I agree with you - but I like it. :) We'll see what I think when I read it again - and I definitely will read it again. And again.

Oh heavens - I never looked further down the page on http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/t/tey/j... than the eight novels, but there's another section:

Kif--An Unvarnished History [1929]
The Expensive Halo [1931]
Richard of Bordeaux [1932]--Play
The Privateer [1952]

I bought Richard of Bordeaux on eBay, but I never really expected to get hold of the others. *confetti*faints*

[Tom]

Penny wrote: "I am currently reading
which I am thoroughly enjoying - I have to make myself go back to Badger's Drift!! - but this I am racing through."

Thank you for posting about this. I am always on the lookout for a good genealogical mystery. Dan Waddell writes some of my favorites. I just wish he would have a new one out.