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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2015 15:33:45 GMT
If you like British mystery "cosies" you could try Margery Allingham. I'm reading my way through her Campion books now. Apparently he started off as a spoof on Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2015 19:50:02 GMT
I just want to say about once a week I open this thread while I have my library's website open in another window and put some books on my hold list. So thanks for all the suggestions and keep 'em coming.
I'm currently reading (and I JUST realized how ironic this is :snort:) Queen Bee Goes Home Again by Haywood Smith. Mysteries/Thrillers are my genre, but some that I read are pretty dark. In between those I like a good southern read about smart, funny, strong women. Smith is one of my favorites for that. I wish she'd continue her Red Hat series.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Feb 16, 2015 7:07:58 GMT
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jun 29, 2015 3:07:52 GMT
Just finished not one, but TWO really good Harlan Cobin books. And the second one referenced characters in the first, which I thought was pretty cool. Long Lost, which is a Mryon Bolitar book, and Caught, which is not a Myron story but danged good, and Win pops up in it. They're both good reads, fast moving stories. Usually I can put down a Cobin book and pick it up the next night to finish it, but not these two. I got caught up and ended up staying up too late both nights.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 4:44:12 GMT
I am reading Chesapeake by James Michener. I live near and love the area so I thought I would take time to read his book. So far it is really good and an easy flowing read. I love historical fiction and nonfiction. I need to make time to read him and Pearl S. Buck since both authors are local to my area. Pearl Buck's home is lovely and the Michener Museum has a recreation of his study I believe. I've seen where they wrote, I should read what they wrote. Pearl S. Buck was always one of my favorite authors. I read one of her books many years ago in high school and cried for days. It was about a Chinese grandfather and something about a tree, maybe where he was buried. I think I read all of her books and another one that was meaningful was To My Daughter with Love. I am waiting for Kate Morton's latest book. She]s Australian and writes historical fiction about families, going back in time and then weaving in and out through the generations with something mysterious woven in. Often set in England. |
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Post by Dawn R on Jun 29, 2015 11:46:51 GMT
I just read Dark Places by Jillian Flynn and The Girl on the Train.
I liked both of them.
I have also read a bunch of other mediocre books.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jun 29, 2015 21:52:39 GMT
Does anyone want a new paperback copy of Gone Girl? Received it as a gift, but I just cannot get into the characters. The guy is ok, but the girl is shallow, selfcentered and completely unlikeable (to me) and I'm only a couple chapters into her part. Ugh.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 22:06:30 GMT
Just noticed this thread and had to list the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Absolutely my favorite series of books.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2015 1:07:34 GMT
I wanted to say that I too love "Girl on the Train". I just finished "Leaving Time" by Jodi Picoult - it was a good read. A lot of facts about elephants that make it so interesting.
Going to Amazon now to download something on the kndle.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2015 2:02:14 GMT
I've read over a hundred books over the last few months. All of them on the "naughty" side.  (one reason why I haven't been such an active member on the board!! lol~) So here are my recommendations if you might want to go there. HOT HOT HOT series books: The Driven Series, The Crossfire Series, Hacker Series Dark and Disturbing: (SERIOUSLY dark, like I shouldn't like this at all kind of DARK, enter at your own risk kind of dark) Indebted Series, Seduced in the Dark Series A Single read alone book, not a series: 3 2 1 Containing affairs: Arsen (non-consensual), Ground Rules (more of a swapping situation) And not so naughty but one I think about even though I read it a few months ago: Archers Voice (gave me an ugly ugly cry) I'd love to know if any of you guys have read any of these books!  |
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Post by chapeaunoir on Jul 2, 2015 3:26:32 GMT
Karen was at the upper tier - very clear on history, passionate about good writing. she's always been interested in the supernatural and has done a lot of work in past lives theory, so her interest in this for writing is honest. she used to give tarot card readings on breaks in our little office - she's very hard-headed and open to other dimensions which is a great combination. yes, she was really very much a regency writer and knew a great deal about it. she was thinking that her style of writing had gone out as none of her work is being published any longer. she and i started writing at the same time - she did well and i completely failed - an essayist was the best i could do, despite her encouragement. not sure what she's doing now. It seems all her books are out on Kindle and she has a blog on Amazon but hasn't posted there for 6 months. I'm glad to hear she really was into supernatural things, I always felt she was because she did it before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon. Chap, what about creative non-fiction? It might seem too sloppy to you after writing essays, but it could (IMO) do with some tightening up. Anyway, you can't say you "completely failed" when it comes to writing - it doesn't have a time or age limit like other pursuits do. And what's "completely failed" anyway? Were you blacklisted by the secret publishers' association and forbidden ever to write again? Sorry Miss Pettigrew - I missed this one. I was re-reading this thread looking for some summer reading matter and collecting book titles, and going to add some new books I read, and found this! Actually, I'm embracing my inner essayist now lol. I more failed myself than was black listed by any publishing secret society wielding blood-filled fountain pens and murderous ink blotters. Also I'd just thrown almost 900 pages of manuscript into the recycle I was so mad at myself. I don't miss it - I needed to clear the decks. I've decided to write a reeeallly long essay and call it a novel ha ha. I think I'm better at the fictionalised fact, or factionalised fic or something. Anyway, I'm writing again. I just read a book that was SO BAD that even I can do better than that. And yes, my essayist background makes it tough for me to write long works because I'm such a research wonk. When I am buried, there will be written upon my heart "Just write the damn thing!" Right now I'm laid up with a stupid nasty summer cold so am reading some really bad sword and sandals novels. It's like Bad Cinema: "There, that wasn't so good now, was it?" My good fiction recommendation right now is the SPQR mystery series by John Maddox Roberts. They take place mostly in ancient Rome, with an engaging sleuth with a whack sense of humour and good puzzles to solve. Later on his wife, Julius Caesar's niece, gets in on the act and she's great. He's written 13 of them and they are good reads. |
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jul 2, 2015 3:59:47 GMT
I think Leafy Butt and the tux deserve their own blog. I'd read it.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jul 2, 2015 4:00:22 GMT
And I think Betty should write a blog too. Shoot ladies, you could get $$ from those, you know.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2015 4:52:58 GMT
I think the field of "creative non-fiction" is just waiting for Chap. It really needs a shot in the arm. Currently it's too stupid, too flabby and hardly creative. Just a lot of personal whining and sentimentality. Someone with a brain (like Chap) and some research skills (like Chap) who is able to string a sentence together (like Chap) could sweep the field. Without even putting the swords and sandals book down to concentrate. Chap, google William Bradley to see what I mean.
On the sandals note, there's an Australian author (recently dead, actually) who wrote some books about ancient Rome. Meticulously researched, I've heard. Colleen McCulloch.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2015 4:58:17 GMT
I'm still on the British golden-age mysteries. Have started on Gladys Mitchell. So far, ho-hum. I'll try the first two and then decide if I want to go further. I'll do the same with Michael Innes. I'm OBSESSED by Britain between wars i and II and I don't know why. I've even bought some social history books on the period, which is NOT the kind of thing I do without a purpose in mind. I'm a leeetle scared of myself.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jul 2, 2015 5:15:01 GMT
I'm still on the British golden-age mysteries. Have started on Gladys Mitchell. So far, ho-hum. I'll try the first two and then decide if I want to go further. I'll do the same with Michael Innes. I'm OBSESSED by Britain between wars i and II and I don't know why. I've even bought some social history books on the period, which is NOT the kind of thing I do without a purpose in mind. I'm a leeetle scared of myself. Don't be skeered. I was obsessed with Russian history in Jr High School, which then transferred to European history in High School. To this day, I still find it fascinating. Visiting Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Russia are all on my bucket list. So far I haven't started any revolts that I know of. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2015 14:49:27 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2015 18:21:44 GMT
On the sandals note, there's an Australian author (recently dead, actually) who wrote some books about ancient Rome. Meticulously researched, I've heard. Colleen McCulloch. If you haven't read her novel the Thorn Birds read it! IIRC it was published back in the mid to late 70s. I read it when I was maybe 13 or 14. They then made it into a tv mini series which I hated but that is beside the point. I thought she was an amazing author from that book. Oddly enough it wasn't then and itsn't now my typical genre and maybe it was my younger age but I thought the book was excellent. If you like Mary Janice Davidson's quirky writing style try her trilogy staring Cadence Jones and her 3 "sisters". It's about a girl...Cadence Jones...who has dissociative disorder which used to be called multiple personality disorder. While the disorder is not a laughing matter MJD manages to make the books hillarious...her typical quirky style...while doing a great job with not making light of the disorder. The books in order are.....book 1 Me, Myself and Why? Book 2 Yours, Mine, and Ours book 3 You and I, Me and You. Hillarious characters....think Stephanie Plum and her quirky friends but ad in the MPD, a boss with a knife fetish, a parter who is a total psychopath and some other assorted off beat characters and it's non stop laughs. |
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jul 5, 2015 1:19:48 GMT
Sounds like Tim Dorsey's Serge Storms should go out with Cadence. Talk about a match made in heaven.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 5:26:28 GMT
If you haven't read her novel the Thorn Birds read it! IIRC it was published back in the mid to late 70s. I read it when I was maybe 13 or 14. They then made it into a tv mini series which I hated but that is beside the point. I thought she was an amazing author from that book. Oddly enough it wasn't then and itsn't now my typical genre and maybe it was my younger age but I thought the book was excellent. Oh yes, I've read The Thorn Birds...a few times, lol. I probably read it first when I was 13 or 14 too. I think it had a big influence on the development of my sexuality. All the relationships were a bit more complex than any I'd read about before in my sister's Silhouette Desire books. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 11:22:26 GMT
Sounds like Tim Dorsey's Serge Storms should go out with Cadence. Talk about a match made in heaven. OMG that would be interesting. Cadence is sweet, she really is, one of her "sisters" should be the one to date Serge. Val since you like the Serge series and how quirky it is I think you would really enjoy these three books. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2015 12:58:18 GMT
I hope it's okay to bump this thread up. I love hearing what other people are reading. I'm still on British cosy mysteries. My current author is Michael Innes and he wrote about 46 books so I'll be at it for a while. They're full of literary and philosophical allusions, though, which makes me wish I had a proper classical education. But there's always Google if I'm really stumped... "Lament for a Maker" wasn't too difficult and was very impressive. Set in Scotland in a very snowy winter, with a very twisty plot. I alternate the mysteries with Regency romances. The short, "chaste" kind. Not because I'm a prude but because I get bored once the hero and heroine have had sex. It's all about the chase for me. Has anyone read "Go Set A Watchman" yet? I'm afraid to. I haven't even read any reviews. But tell me the worst, I think I can take it. |
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Post by Shirley U Geste on Sept 5, 2015 13:43:58 GMT
I just finished Diane Von Furstenberg A Life Unwrapped and it was excellent. Lots of clothing history.
Almost finished with Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain. First time I've read any of her books but I intend to pick up the rest of them. VERY intense psychological thriller about a female serial killer. Very dark, very disturbing and very good. Not for the squeamish.
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Post by frakinfashion on Sept 5, 2015 21:45:28 GMT
I liked The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, it's a funny book about a guy with Asperger's. I like books that are well written and have some wit to them. I read that one hearing the voice of Jonny Miller who plays Sherlock on Elementary and I really enjoyed it. I'm in a book club with women who like more serious fiction so I always suggest the funny books and they rarely vote to read them. The last one we read was very, very well written--Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Very depressing, I thought, although I appreciated the excellence of the writing.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Sept 6, 2015 0:10:57 GMT
I'm in a book club with women who like more serious fiction so I always suggest the funny books and they rarely vote to read them.
I think I'd be looking for a new book club.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2015 1:42:17 GMT
Miss P., I like cozies, too. My favorite genre.
frakin, I'm going to look into that one, too. I love books that make me laugh.
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Post by frakinfashion on Sept 6, 2015 6:35:03 GMT
Miss P., I like cozies, too. My favorite genre. frakin, I'm going to look into that one, too. I love books that make me laugh. Then you might like To Rise Again At A Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris. It's quirky funny. The girls in the book club were analyzing it like it was a drama, but no, it was meant to be funny. |
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Sept 6, 2015 7:02:37 GMT
I just finished what is probably the best Elvis Cole/Joe Pike book yet by Robert Crais. "Taken." They're all good, but this one is even better. Intense, and told from about 3 perspectives. Very, very, VERY good. Moves faster than usual and you really have to pay attention if you want to keep up with the story line. I'm now reading one by Dick Francis/Felix Francis, "Even Money". It's a bit slow, even by Dick Francis standards, and at times annoying. OTOH, that means it's one I can read a few pages and then put down to go to sleep, so maybe that's not such an annoying thing after all.  Taken, OTOH, is not a book to start at 2:00 am. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2015 13:37:50 GMT
I'm ready to download something new. Finished Orphan Train (loved it) and Kristen Hannah Nightengale. Now I will read Black Eyed Susans
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2015 14:03:00 GMT
I'm now reading one by Dick Francis/Felix Francis, "Even Money". It's a bit slow, even by Dick Francis standards, and at times annoying. OTOH, that means it's one I can read a few pages and then put down to go to sleep, so maybe that's not such an annoying thing after all. Taken, OTOH, is not a book to start at 2:00 am. I've never read a Dick Francis book, but I think I should since it seems like everybody else has. What's the very very best one? |
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(one reason why I haven't been such an active member on the board!! lol~)
Taken, OTOH, is not a book to start at 2:00 am.