I am getting ready to start Natchez Burning by Greg Isles. This will be our next Mystery Book Club book to read. Our wonderful "leader" Kay, chooses such great books for us to read. We always have great discussions but we don't all necessarily share the same opinions on the books.
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles returns with his most eagerly anticipated novel yet and his first in five years—Natchez Burning—the first installment in an epic trilogy that interweaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present in a mesmerizing thriller featuring Southern lawyer and former prosecutor Penn Cage."
http://www.amazon.com/Natchez-Burning-Novel-Penn-Novels/dp/0062311077/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424393260&sr=1-1&keywords=natchez+burning+trilogy
I will give my take on it probably not until April as it is a long book. :)
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Longmire on Netflix
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I checked on the status of Longmire coming on Netflix. I had it marked down to start in March 2015. Looks like they are starting production (yay) in about a month. Speculation is that it will be ready to be shown late 2015.
http://www.enstarz.com/articles/61245/20150121/longmire-season-4-news-is-netflix-stalling-with-premiere-date-for-hit-crime-drama-video.htm
I checked on the status of Longmire coming on Netflix. I had it marked down to start in March 2015. Looks like they are starting production (yay) in about a month. Speculation is that it will be ready to be shown late 2015.
http://www.enstarz.com/articles/61245/20150121/longmire-season-4-news-is-netflix-stalling-with-premiere-date-for-hit-crime-drama-video.htm
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Finished reading The Last Policeman
Finished reading The Last Policeman by Ben Winters.
http://benhwinters.com/category/the-last-policeman/
This is the first book in a trilogy. It borders on sci-fi. It is told in the first person by Detective Hank Palace. The setting is Concord on the brink of an earth destroying asteroid. There has been another suicide, which is pretty common given the circumstances. But Hank believes there is more to it than a suicide. Despite the end of the earth coming, Hank is seeking the truth.
The story is a "murder mystery" but also explores what pre-apocalyptic earth may be like. People are "going bucket list"; quitting their jobs and going to do whatever they have always dreamed about. Some people have become so anxious and hopeless that they are taking their own lives. Groups are planning how to survive; building vessels to leave earth, hoarding food and weapons.
Others like Hank are trying to keep up normalcy and law and order.
You will want to read the next two in the trilogy since we haven't gotten to "the end", when this first book is finished.
Quick read, not a lot of superfluous description but full of surprises.
This book won Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, and the Philip K. Dick Award for Distinguished Science Fiction for this trilogy.
http://benhwinters.com/category/the-last-policeman/
This is the first book in a trilogy. It borders on sci-fi. It is told in the first person by Detective Hank Palace. The setting is Concord on the brink of an earth destroying asteroid. There has been another suicide, which is pretty common given the circumstances. But Hank believes there is more to it than a suicide. Despite the end of the earth coming, Hank is seeking the truth.
The story is a "murder mystery" but also explores what pre-apocalyptic earth may be like. People are "going bucket list"; quitting their jobs and going to do whatever they have always dreamed about. Some people have become so anxious and hopeless that they are taking their own lives. Groups are planning how to survive; building vessels to leave earth, hoarding food and weapons.
Others like Hank are trying to keep up normalcy and law and order.
You will want to read the next two in the trilogy since we haven't gotten to "the end", when this first book is finished.
Quick read, not a lot of superfluous description but full of surprises.
This book won Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, and the Philip K. Dick Award for Distinguished Science Fiction for this trilogy.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
The Long Way Home
I finished "The Long Way Home" by Louise Penny yesterday.
http://www.louisepenny.com/
I had to take a day to think about what to say about this book. You will know why once you have read it. And especially if you follow the series. This is #10 in the Gamache series.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has retired from the force and moved to Three Pines with his wife. They are enjoying the life of leisure; breakfast at the café in the mornings, strolls in the park, casual dinners with their close friends at night. How wonderful...
One of their close friends Clara, after much thinking and agonizing, asks Gamache to put his Inspector hat back on and find her husband, Peter. They had agreed to separate one year ago and to meet at the end of one year and see how they felt about their relationship. Peter has not appeared as agreed upon.
Gamache agrees to help Clara and solicits help from his now son-in-law, Jean Guy to find Peter. Clara and their friend Myrna accompany them. They travel many miles, by car, plane and boat, and talk to many people searching for Peter.
Ms. Penny is able to make us feel we are on that journey. I felt the impatience, tediousness, exhaustion and waiting that the friends felt. They run into many dead ends and more mystery.
I also found parts of the story humorous. I could just picture four middle aged and older people running across a town center in their bathrobes at 6 a.m. as described in one part of the story. I find Ruth pretty funny. She and her companion, Rosa the Goose make me laugh.
As always, Louise Penny has written a great story with an unexpected ending.....
What did you think about it?
http://www.louisepenny.com/
I had to take a day to think about what to say about this book. You will know why once you have read it. And especially if you follow the series. This is #10 in the Gamache series.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has retired from the force and moved to Three Pines with his wife. They are enjoying the life of leisure; breakfast at the café in the mornings, strolls in the park, casual dinners with their close friends at night. How wonderful...
One of their close friends Clara, after much thinking and agonizing, asks Gamache to put his Inspector hat back on and find her husband, Peter. They had agreed to separate one year ago and to meet at the end of one year and see how they felt about their relationship. Peter has not appeared as agreed upon.
Gamache agrees to help Clara and solicits help from his now son-in-law, Jean Guy to find Peter. Clara and their friend Myrna accompany them. They travel many miles, by car, plane and boat, and talk to many people searching for Peter.
Ms. Penny is able to make us feel we are on that journey. I felt the impatience, tediousness, exhaustion and waiting that the friends felt. They run into many dead ends and more mystery.
I also found parts of the story humorous. I could just picture four middle aged and older people running across a town center in their bathrobes at 6 a.m. as described in one part of the story. I find Ruth pretty funny. She and her companion, Rosa the Goose make me laugh.
As always, Louise Penny has written a great story with an unexpected ending.....
What did you think about it?
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Do you ever think back to when you first started reading; when your love of books began?
I think I started trying to read before I was even taught to read. I remember two specific events. I don't remember which came first; my first "reader" or the desire to learn what was in those books besides the pictures.
At about age 4, my mother presented a book to me saying we were going to learn to read. Has anyone else ever seen this book? McGuffey's First Electic Reader or Eclectic Primer. This book was first published in the late 1800's. It has great old pen and ink drawings. Simple short sentences tell a story and the phonetics are listed on each page. I had that book forever. But forever came and went and I don't know what happened to it. BUT I serendipitously came across a copy of the book and I now have it in my personal library.
The second event that I remember that showed my desire to read, happened around the same time. Once in awhile, I would go stay with one of my cousins on their farm. It must have been a week night this time, because in the morning I went to school with him. Now for whatever reason, he attended school in an old fashioned one room school house in the country. Of course, I didn't think anything of it at the time and didn't wonder why this was the school the kids in the country attended still in the early 1960's. It was reading circle time. Back then, kids would bring their chairs in a circle according to age and would take turn reading out loud. My cousin must have been 6 or 7. Again I was 4. I was looking on with him in his book. Someone was reading the page and was really struggling with the words. I felt like I was trying just as hard to figure it out. I really wanted to help this student and I was sure I could do it. I was studying the pictures on the page to help find a clue to the words. It was a snow scene with a child in the snow. I suddenly had it. I knew the word. I looked at that student as a teach would, very seriously and matter of factly and said "shovel!". Well the word wasn't shovel after all. But I was so determined to read that page that I gave it a try. And I remember this because I was quickly embarrassed when someone snickered. :)
I learned to read before I started school. I guess most kids do now. We went to the school library every week and checked out a book. I was ahead in my "reading grade". I checked out as many books as we were allowed all through elementary school. When school was out, I went to the public library every week and checked out the limit. When the public library wasn't within walking distance, I waited for the Book Mobile every week. Even in "junior high" I frequented the school library. Unusual for a preteen. Once I was in high school I didn't go to the library to check out books. In fact high school freshman English almost ruined reading for pleasure for me. But, oh joy, my mother subscribed to Book of the Month Club and Readers Digest Condensed. I did get in trouble a few times for opening those boxes before she did because she hadn't intended to keep that month's selection and now she had to keep it.
Oh to be able to spend as much time reading as I did when I was a child....
I think I started trying to read before I was even taught to read. I remember two specific events. I don't remember which came first; my first "reader" or the desire to learn what was in those books besides the pictures.
At about age 4, my mother presented a book to me saying we were going to learn to read. Has anyone else ever seen this book? McGuffey's First Electic Reader or Eclectic Primer. This book was first published in the late 1800's. It has great old pen and ink drawings. Simple short sentences tell a story and the phonetics are listed on each page. I had that book forever. But forever came and went and I don't know what happened to it. BUT I serendipitously came across a copy of the book and I now have it in my personal library.
The second event that I remember that showed my desire to read, happened around the same time. Once in awhile, I would go stay with one of my cousins on their farm. It must have been a week night this time, because in the morning I went to school with him. Now for whatever reason, he attended school in an old fashioned one room school house in the country. Of course, I didn't think anything of it at the time and didn't wonder why this was the school the kids in the country attended still in the early 1960's. It was reading circle time. Back then, kids would bring their chairs in a circle according to age and would take turn reading out loud. My cousin must have been 6 or 7. Again I was 4. I was looking on with him in his book. Someone was reading the page and was really struggling with the words. I felt like I was trying just as hard to figure it out. I really wanted to help this student and I was sure I could do it. I was studying the pictures on the page to help find a clue to the words. It was a snow scene with a child in the snow. I suddenly had it. I knew the word. I looked at that student as a teach would, very seriously and matter of factly and said "shovel!". Well the word wasn't shovel after all. But I was so determined to read that page that I gave it a try. And I remember this because I was quickly embarrassed when someone snickered. :)
I learned to read before I started school. I guess most kids do now. We went to the school library every week and checked out a book. I was ahead in my "reading grade". I checked out as many books as we were allowed all through elementary school. When school was out, I went to the public library every week and checked out the limit. When the public library wasn't within walking distance, I waited for the Book Mobile every week. Even in "junior high" I frequented the school library. Unusual for a preteen. Once I was in high school I didn't go to the library to check out books. In fact high school freshman English almost ruined reading for pleasure for me. But, oh joy, my mother subscribed to Book of the Month Club and Readers Digest Condensed. I did get in trouble a few times for opening those boxes before she did because she hadn't intended to keep that month's selection and now she had to keep it.
Oh to be able to spend as much time reading as I did when I was a child....
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
How are your New Year's Resolutions going?
Yeah mine either.
I am currently reading The Long Way Home by Louise Penny. This is #10 in the Gamache series.
I was first introduced to this series in my mystery book club. I highly recommend this series.
The series is set in Three Pines Quebec. The main character is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.
I liken Gamache to Inspector Lewis, if you are familiar with that mystery series on PBS.
I will be reviewing this book soon. Meanwhile, here is Louise Penny's website.
http://www.louisepenny.com/
Also on our mystery book club list for the next couple of months:
The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
Natchez Burning by Greg Iles (this book is almost 800 pages so I will be planning a strategy to read this book by April).
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling
Two other books I hope to fill in between the above are cozies.
Ghostly Paws by Leighann Dobbs: features the ghost of the town librarian and a pet cat -three of my favorite things; libraries, cats and ghosts (in a story, and nice ghosts)
The Corpse Wore Gingham by Ed Lynskey: a new mystery series for E. Lynskey. This book features a retired married couple. The description includes a reference to Pawn Stars (which I get a kick out of) and features a cat. (Did you guess I have cats for pets).
Will be back soon!
Yeah mine either.
I am currently reading The Long Way Home by Louise Penny. This is #10 in the Gamache series.
I was first introduced to this series in my mystery book club. I highly recommend this series.
The series is set in Three Pines Quebec. The main character is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.
I liken Gamache to Inspector Lewis, if you are familiar with that mystery series on PBS.
I will be reviewing this book soon. Meanwhile, here is Louise Penny's website.
http://www.louisepenny.com/
Also on our mystery book club list for the next couple of months:
The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
Natchez Burning by Greg Iles (this book is almost 800 pages so I will be planning a strategy to read this book by April).
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling
Two other books I hope to fill in between the above are cozies.
Ghostly Paws by Leighann Dobbs: features the ghost of the town librarian and a pet cat -three of my favorite things; libraries, cats and ghosts (in a story, and nice ghosts)
The Corpse Wore Gingham by Ed Lynskey: a new mystery series for E. Lynskey. This book features a retired married couple. The description includes a reference to Pawn Stars (which I get a kick out of) and features a cat. (Did you guess I have cats for pets).
Will be back soon!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Happy New Year!
One of my New Year's resolutions is always to read more books? What about you?
I am reading an interesting book in between mysteries I want to tell you about.
A Wilder Rose by Susan Wittig Albert
http://awilderrosethenovel.com/
How many of you started reading as a child with the Little House in the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder? How many of you knew Laura's daughter Rose actually helped her put the stories to paper? I didn't. So when I saw A Wilder Rose come out by one of my favorite mystery authors, Susan Wittig Albert (http://susanalbert.com/) about one of my favorite children's series, I grabbed it.
I have always liked biographies also. Ms. Albert wrote this book by reading through diaries and letters of Laura and Rose. It has many interesting things in it that I bet you never knew. Rose refers to her Laura as Mama Bess. I had to look that one up because I couldn't figure out why she would call her "Bess." What was Laura like as an adult? How did the books come to be? What was life like for this family when the depression hit?
Although I have not yet finished it (I just started it), I wanted to share it with you. You may want to put it on your 2015 reading list.
One of my New Year's resolutions is always to read more books? What about you?
I am reading an interesting book in between mysteries I want to tell you about.
A Wilder Rose by Susan Wittig Albert
http://awilderrosethenovel.com/
How many of you started reading as a child with the Little House in the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder? How many of you knew Laura's daughter Rose actually helped her put the stories to paper? I didn't. So when I saw A Wilder Rose come out by one of my favorite mystery authors, Susan Wittig Albert (http://susanalbert.com/) about one of my favorite children's series, I grabbed it.
I have always liked biographies also. Ms. Albert wrote this book by reading through diaries and letters of Laura and Rose. It has many interesting things in it that I bet you never knew. Rose refers to her Laura as Mama Bess. I had to look that one up because I couldn't figure out why she would call her "Bess." What was Laura like as an adult? How did the books come to be? What was life like for this family when the depression hit?
Although I have not yet finished it (I just started it), I wanted to share it with you. You may want to put it on your 2015 reading list.
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