Author Topic: My latest read is...  (Read 186439 times)

Becke Davis

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Re: My latest read is...THE WAREHOUSE by Rob Hart
« Reply #45 on: December 30, 2019, 12:42:13 am »
I’ve just finished reading Rob Hart’s THE WAREHOUSE (Crown, August 2019). If you’ve ever wondered uneasily where all this Amazon-taking-over-the-economy is headed, this is the book for you. Hart’s detailed world building is chillingly plausible as he posits a dystopian climate-ravaged future in which Cloud, a gargantuan corporation, offers all one’s needs: “A bed, a roof, and a job for life.”  I found this a compelling, if dismaying, portrait of our possible future. Good tension throughout, interesting characters. The ending was a bit rushed but still effective. This is a novel of ideas and I think it will provide you with plenty of food for thought.

This sounds intriguing but I'm afraid of that "chillingly plausible" description. I'm looking for escapism right now and the only sci-fi-type books I've been reading (and in some cases, rereading) are Ray Bradbury's books.

I was hesitant to read DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch when it came out, but my brother recommended it and I was surprised how much I liked it. http://blakecrouch.com/dark-matter.php

I still have his book RECURSION in my to-be-read pile - it sounds good, too. Have any of you read it, or his other books?
http://blakecrouch.com/recursion.php

Becke Davis

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #46 on: December 30, 2019, 12:50:18 am »
I've been dipping into DREYER'S ENGLISH: AN UTTERLY CORRECT GUIDE TO CLARITY AND STYLE by Benjamin Dreyer, the copy chief of Random House. This is a truly delightful guide to writing that entertains just as much as it informs. I found myself laughing out loud in a diner while reading this book. "Only godless savages eschew the series comma," Dreyer notes. (He's right about that!) This would be a great gift for a high school graduate going off to college or for anyone who cares about good writing.

I love this type of book! And since I have no will power (and a growing collection of writing guides) I just ordered myself a copy!

Becke Davis

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #47 on: December 30, 2019, 12:54:41 am »
I'm currently working on a re-read of the Eva Gates mystery Reading Up A Storm. It's the third book in her Lighthouse Library series.

I don't typically get to do a lot of re-reading but I joined the mystery book club at my local library and this is the book of the month. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it and I still like it. I wasn't overly fond of the first two books in the series but this book is where I felt the main character FINALLY stopped being such a doormat.

I've got the fourth book in the series but haven't gotten around to reading that one yet.

Eva Gates also writes as Vicki Delany. I met her at Malice Domestic several years ago. I have some of her Eva Gates titles in my to-be-read hoard, but I've read several of her Christmas mysteries (written as Vicki Delany).

https://www.cozy-mystery.com/eva-gates.html

Becke Davis

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #48 on: December 30, 2019, 12:59:39 am »
I'm on a Ruth Ware binge at the moment, mixed with an M.J. Rose binge. This week I've read Ware's IN A DARK, DARK WOOD and THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10. Both were excellent mysteries, the latter was actually scary! I still have to read THE LYING GAME and THE TURN OF THE KEY, but my daughter lent me her copy of THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides, and if I don't read it soon she's going to have a fit. :-)

I also have a couple cozies waiting to be read, so it's a toss up...

JRob

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #49 on: December 30, 2019, 03:42:35 am »


Eva Gates also writes as Vicki Delany. I met her at Malice Domestic several years ago. I have some of her Eva Gates titles in my to-be-read hoard, but I've read several of her Christmas mysteries (written as Vicki Delany).

https://www.cozy-mystery.com/eva-gates.html

Yes, I read her Year Round Christmas and Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series.

Becke Davis

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #50 on: December 30, 2019, 01:24:30 pm »
I just finished reading Laura Lippman's LADY IN THE LAKE (July, 2019). The quality of the writing is just swoon-worthy. It's a tale of two women in 1960s Baltimore:Cleo Sherwood, a poor young black woman, and Maddie Schwartz, a well-to-do but frustrated suburban wife. The shifting viewpoints come from a variety of characters as well as these two, giving the book a kaleidoscopic quality that brilliantly evokes a time and a place. Lippman beautifully organizes a complex story -- her concerns are much broader than who died and how -- and the emotional payoff at the end is just brilliant. Lippman is one of the best writers in the genre and I can't recommend this highly enough.

I read this about a week ago. It's a complex story - soooo well written! The multiple viewpoints could have been confusing in less deft hands. As it was, I thought it added to my enjoyment of the book.

Denise

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #51 on: January 04, 2020, 02:21:18 am »
I recently read Beating About the Bush, by M.C. Beaton (R.I.P.). I really enjoyed it, and it was sooooo much better than the previous one (Dead Ringer). That one was so bad that I almost gave up on Agatha Raisin! A few days ago, I looked up reviews of Dead Ringer, to see if it was just me, and my opinion was almost universal. I'm glad I gave Agatha another chance, because this one was great! And I loved Wizz-Wazz, the cranky donkey!

Now I'm reading Ghost on the Case, by Carolyn Hart. Those are always fun, although Bailey Ruth's obsession with clothes is sometimes a bit much, with detailed descriptions of every outfit. In this one, a rich man's secretary has been framed for his murder, and I'm suspecting almost everybody!
"Poirot," I said. "I have been thinking."  "An admirable exercise, my friend. Continue it." - Agatha Christie, Peril at End House

Brian

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #52 on: January 04, 2020, 09:56:06 am »
I just finished The Chain by Adrian McKinty.

I really liked his first few books, featuring Sean Duffy as a police officer in Northern Ireland in the 80's. Excellent in every way.

The Chain is his "American thriller" -- his description. It's got an interesting concept -- Rachel's daughter is kidnapped, and to get her back she has to kidnap someone else's child -- but I found many sections implausible.

So this isn't a Sean Duffy book? I really liked Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly Duffy novel (reviewed for MS!).

No, it's not a Duffy. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago and it sounded like he's put Duffy behind him.


Update for you Brian. I just interviewed Adrian last week for a New Zealand newspaper - he was done with Duffy before writing THE CHAIN (done with writing, in fact), but is now thinking of writing another Duffy novel or two. Watch this space.

Craig, that's good to know. When I spoke to him he was in full promotional mode for The Chain and didn't want to talk about Duffy.

AgathaC

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #53 on: January 04, 2020, 09:59:14 am »
I don't see a lot of old books on here but I do like them. I'm working my way through Margaret Millar and just finished the amazing A Stranger in My Grave.

JRob

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #54 on: January 04, 2020, 11:27:58 am »
AgathaC,

In my case, you probably won't see me reading a lot of old books. I might a golden age novel if the mystery book club at my library selects one but I'm usually reading stuff that is being published now instead.


Meanwhile, I finished reading the Kyle Mills thriller LETHAL AGENT. I wrote up a review on Goodreads and shared it on Twitter. The author saw it and thanked me for the review AND A.J. Tata liked the review too, which considering he's a retired Brigadier General, I thought was pretty cool.

Becke Davis

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #55 on: January 04, 2020, 11:58:20 am »
American Homemaker by John Kaine — Interesting cast of characters and quite good pacing.

I always feel a little sad when I hear about authors I'm not familiar with. How would you describe this book - is it dark or more quirky? I read the description on Amazon and it hints at something horrific:

https://www.amazon.com/American-Homemaker-John-Kaine/dp/1916488412

JRob

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #56 on: January 10, 2020, 03:45:03 am »
By the way, here's what I chose for my ten favorite books of 2019. When I posted the link, I heard from every author on the list, some even shared the link on their social media. Oh and Edith Maxwell shared the link in her monthly newsletter so that was cool.

http://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/forum/topics/my-top-ten-mysteries-thrillers-of-2019

Becke Davis

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #57 on: January 13, 2020, 12:06:28 am »
I'm on a Ruth Ware binge at the moment, mixed with an M.J. Rose binge. This week I've read Ware's IN A DARK, DARK WOOD and THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10. Both were excellent mysteries, the latter was actually scary! I still have to read THE LYING GAME and THE TURN OF THE KEY, but my daughter lent me her copy of THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides, and if I don't read it soon she's going to have a fit. :-)

I also have a couple cozies waiting to be read, so it's a toss up...

I read THE LYING GAME last week and still have THE TURN OF THE KEY in my to-be-read pile. I also read M.J. Rose's THE LIBRARY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW and still have a week before THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES is due. (I renewed it because I'm not reading as fast as I usually do lately.) I'll probably read the rest of her books before long, too.

I'm currently reading Hank Phillippi Ryan's THE MURDER LIST, which is nice and twisty. I was going to read THE SILENT PATIENT next, but my daughter brought over the new book by Simone St. James - THE SUN DOWN MOTEL: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2019/9/9/exclusive-excerpt-the-sun-down-motel-by-simone-st-james. I've read all her books. She is a must read for me, probably my favorite gothic author. Years ago I loved gothics by Victoria Holt, and I'd classify some of Mary Stewart's books as gothic, too.

Do you like gothics? If so, what are some of your favorites?

JRob

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #58 on: January 13, 2020, 04:03:38 am »
I'm not into gothic stories or a whole lot of psychological suspense either.

I generally read stories that fall under the "Blood, Bodies and Bullets" banner or cozies.

I finished the Eva Gates "Lighthouse Library" series book SOMETHING READ, SOMETHING DEAD over the weekend.

Kate Stine, Editor

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Re: My latest read is...
« Reply #59 on: January 13, 2020, 02:34:17 pm »
I used to love contemporary gothics like the Elizabeth Peters novels (LEGEND IN GREEN VELVET, THE CAMELOT CAPER, THE JACKAL'S HEAD, etc). These were standalones often featuring an independent young woman on her own in a foreign country, often with archeology/history elements to the plot. I should go look up some of those...

The novels by Barbara Michaels (like E. Peters, a pseudonym for Barbara Mertz) are also excellent gothic novels. These often had a supernatural slant to them.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2020, 02:36:43 pm by Kate Stine, Editor »