As the Page Turns (the Book Thread)

[nlloyd]

I have almost finished reading Graeme Simsion's The Best of Adam Sharp and have been disappointed by it. I enjoyed Simsion's Rosie trilogy and Two Steps Forward, co-authored with his partner, but the female protagonist in this novel ultimately seems super-self-indulgent and unlikeable, while her spouse, with whom we may not be meant to empathize too much, seems likeable, if a little needy. I haven't finished the novel, so this may be what the author intends, or the tables may be turned in the last part of the novel, but it was annoying to have to follow the female protagonist through the course of the novel only to find out how much of a self-serving diva she was.

 

[Husky]

I just finished MY DARK VANESSA by Kate Elizabeth Russell (2020). Fits perfectly into Me-Too-debate.

Don't know if it's so realistic. The protagonist's life is basically ruined by an affair she had with a teacher when she was 15. While I had a crush on some teachers, I always knew that they were stuck in their classrooms and often repetitive lessons forever - I always knew that outside this world these teachers were of no importance, that their power ended as soon as they left the school's realm. Their influence was therefore very limited.

And somehow it made me think of Macron and his wife Brigitte and I wondered if we have to condemn this relationship or is it only dangerous if a male teacher grooms a female student? It looked more like Macron buildt his impressing career on his marriage's stable fundament.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Just started the newly released Atlas, written by Lucinda Riley and her son, Harry Whittaker. This is the final book in the Seven Sisters series. It, like the other books is a hefty 672 pages long. Must have a lot of loose ends to tie up!

 

[A.H.Black]

Has anyone read any books by Nancy Farmer? I'm currently reading The House of the Scorpion - dystopian YA fiction. I confess I'm finding the premise quite troubling as a book for young people. Yet, it is a National Book Award winner and a Newbery Honor Book.

 

[tony]

Looking for modern recommendations of Agatha Christie-esque twists and turns whodunnits (I’ve mentioned before that Murder, She Wrote is my favorite). I’ve read several of Ruth Ware’s books, bought a few of Horowitz, Foley, Louise Penny, the Evelyn Hardcastle book, etc. I read fast so I can build up a backlog.

No criteria except I’m not into romance plots taking over the stories, and I’m not a big fan of Sci-fi being introduced into the mysteries. Isolated areas, locked rooms, anything along those lines is

 

[pat c]

Looking for modern recommendations of Agatha Christie-esque twists and turns whodunnits (I’ve mentioned before that Murder, She Wrote is my favorite). I’ve read several of Ruth Ware’s books, bought a few of Horowitz, Foley, Louise Penny, the Evelyn Hardcastle book, etc. I read fast so I can build up a backlog.

No criteria except I’m not into romance plots taking over the stories, and I’m not a big fan of Sci-fi being introduced into the mysteries. Isolated areas, locked rooms, anything along those lines is

Thomas King - Dreadful Water series
(He also writes serious - An Inconvenient Indian and Indians on Vacation). Both good

Robert Thorogood - Death in Paradise series, The Marlow Murder Club Series,

 

[Jenny]

@tony I really enjoyed The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Basic premise is very traditional country house murder mystery (complete with list of characters and floorplan, which is always a good sign for me!) but then it quickly takes a different spin on the genre that is a lot of fun and very well done.

A "lost" author in the genre who now has a handful of books in reprint is Jefferson Farjeon. For me at least, it's sometimes fun to read books where there is no technology to fall back on, so mysteries need to be solved based on hard clues and character study. Warning, there is a bit of romance involved here and there, but it's in a quaint kind of way where someone falls madly in love and will do anything to save some girl he met five minutes ago - doesn't get in the way of the stories though.

 

[Baby Yoda On Skates]

Try Alice Feeney. I listened to Daisy Darker this summer and it did remind me of Christie's And Then There Were None.

 

[tony]

Thomas King - Dreadful Water series
(He also writes serious - An Inconvenient Indian and Indians on Vacation). Both good

Robert Thorogood - Death in Paradise series, The Marlow Murder Club Series,

@tony I really enjoyed The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Basic premise is very traditional country house murder mystery (complete with list of characters and floorplan, which is always a good sign for me!) but then it quickly takes a different spin on the genre that is a lot of fun and very well done.

A "lost" author in the genre who now has a handful of books in reprint is Jefferson Farjeon. For me at least, it's sometimes fun to read books where there is no technology to fall back on, so mysteries need to be solved based on hard clues and character study. Warning, there is a bit of romance involved here and there, but it's in a quaint kind of way where someone falls madly in love and will do anything to save some girl he met five minutes ago - doesn't get in the way of the stories though.

Try Alice Feeney. I listened to Daisy Darker this summer and it did remind me of Christie's And Then There Were None.

Thanks all for the suggestions. @Jenny - I mentioned the Evelyn Hardcastle book in my first post, as I keep seeing lists where it is very highly regarded. Maybe I will start that one next-- it's on my bookshelf! @Baby Yoda On Skates I also have Daisy Darker!

Other books I plan to get are the Decagon House Murders, Murder in the Crooked House (not Christie's Crooked House), and In the Dark by Loreth Anne White, which shows up at the top of many 'most similar' lists.

 

[Allskate]

Looking for modern recommendations of Agatha Christie-esque twists and turns whodunnits (I’ve mentioned before that Murder, She Wrote is my favorite). I’ve read several of Ruth Ware’s books, bought a few of Horowitz, Foley, Louise Penny, the Evelyn Hardcastle book, etc. I read fast so I can build up a backlog.

I haven't read any of these, so am not entirely sure about what you are looking for. But, I have read some Agatha Christie and have seen Murder, She Wrote. Have you seen and liked the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries tv show? There is a series of Miss Fisher's books. I haven't read them myself, but I did enjoy the tv series and it sounds up your alley, though not so modern in setting. Grantchester is another mystery tv series based on books.

 

[A.H.Black]

Looking for modern recommendations of Agatha Christie-esque twists and turns whodunnits (I’ve mentioned before that Murder, She Wrote is my favorite). I’ve read several of Ruth Ware’s books, bought a few of Horowitz, Foley, Louise Penny, the Evelyn Hardcastle book, etc. I read fast so I can build up a backlog.

No criteria except I’m not into romance plots taking over the stories, and I’m not a big fan of Sci-fi being introduced into the mysteries. Isolated areas, locked rooms, anything along those lines is

For what it's worth. I adore Dick Francis and go back to reread them from time to time. Rex Stout - love the Nero Wolfe books. Many more but those are two favorites.

I also like the Murder She Wrote books. I have found them better than the TV show. Less caricature.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Have you seen and liked the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries tv show? There is a series of Miss Fisher's books. I haven't read them myself, but I did enjoy the tv series and it sounds up your alley, though not so modern in setting.

Seconded. I have read the Miss Fisher books (in the middle of the most recent one right now) by Kerry Greenwood. They're light and a quick read but are fun, well-plotted and have likeable characters. Similar but not identical to the TV show (e.g. the will-they-won't-they romantic tension between Phrynne and Jack doesn't exist in the books).

Along similar lines, if you haven't read the Inspector Morse books by Colin Dexter they're also worthwhile. Again, not quite the same as the TV series, although Dexter morphed some of the TV stuff into his later novels.

If you want to diversify into the spy genre, then the Liz Carlyle series by Stella Rimington (former head of MI5) are pretty good as well, but you may want to skim/skip some of the middle ones which do have a bit of irritating unrequited romance which I could have done without.

 

[Jenny]

Thanks all for the suggestions. @Jenny - I mentioned the Evelyn Hardcastle book in my first post, as I keep seeing lists where it is very highly regarded. Maybe I will start that one next-- it's on my bookshelf!

Right, oops! I was sitting here thinking what was that great book so I googled the premise to find the title/author when DUH you had it right there

 

[MacMadame]

I adore Dick Francis and go back to reread them from time to time.

I used to re-read all his books every year in order that they were published. I stopped once his son started writing them though.

 

[her grace]

@tony It's not modern, but A.A. Milne's The Red House Mystery is very similar in feel to Agatha Christie and is well-written. He wrote it before he wrote Winnie-the-Pooh and got forever typecast into the children's genre.

 

[millyskate]

To me the Richard Osman Thursday Murder club are the one series that haven't disappointed me, as an Agatha Christie fan. Definitely the kind of book you can't put down.

 

[made_in_canada]

I just finished Fern Brady’s memoir Strong Female Character. I’ve never watched her stand up, I’ve only watched her on Taskmaster, so I didn’t know anything about her. It details her experience with undiagnosed autism. It’s kind of heartbreaking, incredibly brave, but also funny, and just a really engrossing story. Highly recommend it.

I also read Unbroken by journalist Angela Sterritt. It’s about the missing indigenous women along BC’s “highway of tears” told alongside her parallel personal experience as an indigenous woman in vulnerable situations. Both stories are balanced really well and it’s an eye-opening read. It also hits really close to home, I live in the area. If you can get your hands on it, it’s well worth reading.

 

[Bunny Hop]

I'm nearly finished reading Sam Neill's memoirs (Did I Ever Tell You This?) and it's really good. It's not an autobiography as such; it covers sections of his life but it's told as a series of stories not necessarily in chronological sequence. It's funny and engaging and interesting. You won't get any deep revelations, which is fine with me (he talks about his ex-wife and children in context but does not go into any details about them). He does talk about many of his major roles and you do learn which actors he didn't exactly like/get along with. It reinforces my impression of him as being very likable and down to earth. I haven't found out anything I didn't really want to know (always a risk with biographies/autobiographies).

 

[Jenny]

@Bunny Hop you might then consider the three memoirs of Robert Wagner, which are all in the same vein - series of stories and memories. The timeframe is further back of course, but he's had a very long career and worked with a lot of big names, so plenty of dish if you like Old Hollywood. Generally upbeat, sweet almost, nostalgic. Except some of the Natalie Wood parts, but even there, and he speaks well of most of the people he knew.

 

[mattiecat13]

I was channel surfing the other day and came across the movie Jaws, which inspired me to reread the book. The movie is great but the book is actually very good, too, and quite different from the movie.

Inspired by another movie, I also tried to read The Hunt for Red October but too many boring passages about submarines and how they work. It was slooooooow. I gave up after 100 pages.

 

[mattiecat13]

delete - double post

 

[nlloyd]

I'm enjoying Jonathan Coe's Middle England, a fictionalized but well-researched novel about Brexit as refracted through the lives of a group of mostly white, middle-class, English friends and families. Astute, well-written, and humorous. Coe is a new author to me and I am happy to have found him.

 

[morqet]

I'm enjoying Jonathan Coe's Middle England, a fictionalized but well-researched novel about Brexit as refracted through the lives of a group of mostly white, middle-class, English friends and families. Astute, well-written, and humorous. Coe is a new author to me and I am happy to have found him.

He's one of my favourite authors! But, I would strongly advise stopping Middle England now, and reading The Rotters Club (1970s) and The Closed Circle (1990s) first - each book focuses on the same group of characters, and I think you'd miss a lot of detail of what happens in Middle England if you haven't read the other two first.

 

[Wyliefan]

I've recently started reading Coe myself. I enjoyed his Mr. Wilder and Me, and I've gotten his upcoming book, Bournemouth, from Netgalley.

 

[nlloyd]

He's one of my favourite authors! But, I would strongly advise stopping Middle England now, and reading The Rotters Club (1970s) and The Closed Circle (1990s) first - each book focuses on the same group of characters, and I think you'd miss a lot of detail of what happens in Middle England if you haven't read the other two first.

I didn't realize Middle England was part of a series until near the end of the book, unfortunately. There was nothing on the cover to indicate that. I'm glad I will have a chance to engage with the same characters again. It's just too bad I didn't read them in the right order, which I usually try to do with series.

 

[Prancer]

I'm collecting beach reads at the moment, so if anyone has a great one to recommend, I'm all eyes.

I haven't posted about books in a while--not that anyone cares, but sometimes I look up my own reviews to remind me of what I thought about a book.

I've been reading a lot of nonfiction.

Twilight in Hazard: A war correspondent takes a job reporting on Eastern Kentucky and finds himself more afraid than he has ever been in his life (but only at one point). I found this book really interesting, as it does a better job than any other I have read yet of explaining why Eastern Kentucky went all in on Trump. If you read the book, you will never again wonder why Appalachians believe the Presidential election was stolen, among other things. There is more to it than just politics, but that is what would draw most readers, I think (I have personal interest in Eastern Kentucky). If you hate J.D. Vance, he gets a bit of skewering here.

Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains: Another take on Eastern Kentucky, this one by a young woman who grew up there, went off to the Ivy League and returned as a lawyer dedicated to helping the women of Eastern Kentucky. The author's family lived in Owsley County, the poorest county in the US; while I was reading about her childhood, I had to keep reminding myself that she grew up in the 1990s and not the 1890s. But this is a book that admires the people, especially the women, who live this way and make it work in spite of it all, and about how worthwhile it is to invest in the people of Eastern Kentucky.

Canary in the Coal Mine: A smalltown doctor in Indiana and the worst AIDS epidemic (per capita) in US history. The doctor in question is very religious, so if you don't like reading about Christian beliefs, this book is not for you. Mike Pence plays a part here; he and the doctor started off as allies, but ended up on opposing sides of the AIDS battle. Much of the book is focused on addiction and poverty as public health problems, especially in small towns, and how politics creates barriers.

The Forgotten Girls: A Memoir of Friendship and Lost Promise in Rural America: FiveThirtyEight's political reporter Monica Potts writes about growing up in a small town with her best friend, two bright little girls who were united by their intelligence and being different from the rest. But as they grew up, one went off to college and a completely different life, while the other sank into a cycle of addiction, abuse and poverty. Potts analyzes how this happens, not just to her friend but to so many others like her friend. I lived in a small town for a while when I was young and I could tell the same story about the girls who were my friends. Small towns are not good for girls.

Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation: Journalist Jon Ward writes about being raised in a prominent nondenominational evangelical church and how he came to break away from that without losing his faith. There were things I did and didn't understand about evangelicals before reading this book, so I am glad I read it--and also glad that I wasn't raised as an evangelical. I do think that people who don't understand how evangelicals can "think that way" might get some insight here.

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family: This book kept me up at night because it was so horrifying. Brilliant young couple marries, the future blindingly bright--and then. They have 12 children--10 boys followed by two girls--and six of the 10 boys end up with schizophrenia. Part of the book is about how this family and others like it are helping researchers understand schizophrenia (when the boys were young, it was believed that mothers were the cause ) and part of it is about the absolute nightmare experienced by all concerned as they wrestle with the lack of mental health care and the overwhelming work of dealing with this level of mental illness in one family.

Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders: This book also kept me up at night, as my son frequently goes hiking alone in the Shenandoah Park. After reading all the statistics about crime in national parks and how little is done about any of it, I may never go back to a national park, even with other people . A young lesbian couple was murdered in the Shenandoah National Park in 1996; the murder remains unsolved to this day. The author started out to write an article about the murders for Outside magazine, but became obsessed with the story (to a rather unhealthy degree) and wrote this book instead. This book made me think about a lot of things I had never considered before about outdoor sports and masculine spaces and all kinds of things--like my son hiking alone in Shenandoah National Park .

A few fiction books that I remember:

I Have Some Questions for You: This is a mystery novel in which the mystery isn't really the central point, but rather a point around which many other points circle. Bodie Kane returns to the boarding school she once attended to teach a summer course, but her focus is really on the almost-forgotten murder of her roommate. Bodie is sure that her roommate was murdered by the drama teacher, whom she is sure was having an affair with her roommate, and that the man convicted of the murder is innocent. And while it is a murder mystery, it is also a book about, among other things, #MeToo. And about girls and women. And men. And other things. The murder is, BTW, solved at the end; I kind of had my doubts about that, as it seemed rather beside the point, but then it turned out that it was right on point after all.

This Bird has Flown: I read this book because it was written by Susannah Hoffs of The Bangles and the first couple of chapters were funny and charming. But after that? The only reason to read this book is that it was written by Susannah Hoffs of The Bangles.

Stone Cold Fox: A gold-digger has landed her big fish and is reeling him in when obstacles form in her path. This is a pretty standard suspense novel but it has the MOST MADDENING ENDING of any book I have ever read. If anyone else has read it, PM me and we will speculate on the gift together.

Happy Place: If you liked Emily Henry's other books, you will probably like this one, too, but it was my least favorite of them all and something about the ending (which would be a spoiler) made me so furious that I almost swore off her books. I will get over it. Which brings me to....

Loathe to Love You: Ali Hazelwood's older novella set. I have come to realize that Ali Hazelwood has about five characters and they all appear in all of her books under other names. I almost decided to not read.....

Love, Theoretically because I had had about enough of the brilliant but awkward people-pleasing female scientist with pop culture addictions who hates the equally brilliant and highly evolved strapping male scientist she will of course eventually fall in love with--and SPOILER ALERT, that's exactly what this book is about--but I started reading it in a moment of weakness and can't stop laughing at the emails the female lead gets from her students because they are TRUE. The two leads from The Love Hypothesis make an appearance; try to not confuse them with the leads of this one.

That's more than enough.

 

[Baby Yoda On Skates]

Sarah Pekkanen has a new thriller, Gone Tonight, coming out Aug 1. The book is told in alternating chapters by mother and daughter and I read it in one sitting. It starts off with the mother diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, but as the daughter starts researching, she discovers her mother is holding on to many secrets.

 

[oleada]

Happy Place: If you liked Emily Henry's other books, you will probably like this one, too, but it was my least favorite of them all and something about the ending (which would be a spoiler) made me so furious that I almost swore off her books. I will get over it. Which brings me to...

It was also my least favorite Emily Henry and the bit in the end made absolutely no sense at all, and I absolutely hated it.

 

[Prancer]

It was also my least favorite Emily Henry and the bit in the end made absolutely no sense at all, and I absolutely hated it.

Oh, good, it's not just me. I read all these rave reviews and thought I was the only one. I don't know what that ending was, but I did wonder if Henry has been watching a few too many Hallmark Christmas movies.

 

[Wyliefan]

I'm collecting beach reads at the moment, so if anyone has a great one to recommend, I'm all eyes.

Brendan Slocumb is doing good things in the musical thriller genre. The Violin Conspiracy was a strong debut novel; Symphony of Secrets, his new one, is even better.