I can recommend the Gardner book, but not that by James Lee Burke’s daughter Alafair. I’m afraid her characters are so despicable—both in “The Wife” and “The Ex” probably relatively few can relate to them. The one gem 
in the rough in “The Wife” is married to the job Detective Corrine Duncan, a very shrewd woman.
Re-reading “Shogun” for the umpteenth time.
“The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander
and
“Mortal Machines: Predators Gold” by Phillip Reeve
Next book club pick is called “Nothing Daunted” by an author named Wickenden. It’s billed as the account of two upper class East Coast young women who spend a year teaching in a rural school in Colorado in 1916. Don’t think it lived up to expectations.
Best thing about our book club is that the picks are generated by the group, not from some ALA or bestseller list, and we mix fiction and non-fiction. Until I get the next pick, I’m reading one of Grisham’s books - I think it’s called “The Confession.”
Had an overdose of fiction/suspense. I can recommend “Friend Request”, though.
It’s a little insight into British society and includes such relevant topics as the emotional damage teasing and bullying can take on both the perpetrators and victims, & various forms of stalking.
Currently I’m juggling a historical fiction—“Girl at the Grave”—while continuing to learn Arabic. Found a really beautifully illustrated history of the Mayan & Aztecs in the discounted section of my local library.
Finished Void Moon by Michael Connelly and The Stranger by Harlan Coben in the last week on audiobook. Both are thriller type books.
Currently listening to Ex-Purgatory by Peter Clines. Many I’m sure have never heard of Clines or his Ex series. Its a world with superheros only where they failed to prevent the zombie apocalypse. Now the remaining heroes are trying to protect the last of the human race only some with powers are evil and heroes who get bit by zombies and become super zombies are really hard to deal with. Its actually an enjoyable mashup of genres even if its not particularly deep.
https://www.amazon.com/Everythings-Eventual-14-Dark-Tales/dp/0743457358?ref=pf_vv_at_pdctrvw_dp
Here are some good short stories by him.
“Autopsy Room Four” is a goodie. Do you remember actor Stephen Furst, Flounder from “Animal House” and Dr. Elliot Axelrod of “Saint Elsewhere”?
He was in a short film of that movie. Unfortunately he died in his early ‘60’s in 2017 of diabetes related heart disease, even having successfully managed the condition for years. May he Rest in Peace.
Even though the subject matter is, well, morbid, “Autopsy Room Four” shows Mr. King’s sense of humor.
Hope you enjoy it!
Dumped the Grisham book. Basically an opinion piece about the death penalty, with something of a plot to keep it going. Moved on to one of Simon Brett’s theatrical mysteries, very fast read.
This thread is obviously full of book lovers so I wanted to share my sad story which had a happy ending and yes I am psyched that at last I experienced good karma.
Last week my Kindle Voyage lost its life after a particularly traumatic encounter with my washing machine. I reached out to Amazon customer service to see what options I had and to my surprise was given a $25 courtesy credit towards a new kindle.
As I was selecting my new Kindle I was prompted to trade in my old one but obviously that had drowned but I decided to see what they would give me for my original Kindle Keyboard. To my surprise I was offered instant $5 and a 25% discount off a new kindle.
The good news does not stop there, this was yesterday when Amazon had a one day sale on their new Kindle Paperwhite and it was reduced from $129 to $89. With my credits and discounts I ended up buying a brand new Kindle Paperwhite including tax for $40.00.
I am a like a kid on Christmas eve waiting for it to arrive tomorrow.
The moral of this story is to make sure you are talking to an onshore Amazon rep and talk nicely to them.
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The Frontiersmen. It’s about the conquest of the Northwest territory. Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone, Mad Anthony Wayne, the Ohio and Kentucky settlers, Tecumseh, Black Hoof, Little Turtle Blue Jacket. etc. Some of the most appalling war crimes in the history of the world were committed by the Shawnee in Ohio. It is an excellent read.
I’ve never really seen the purpose of a kindle if you have a smartphone, which most of us do, since you can get the kindle app right on your phone.
Finished listening to Ex-Purgatory by Peter Clines this week and am about to finish Ex-Isle by the same author. Final two books he’s written in his Ex-series which is about a world with superheroes where they failed to stop the zombie apocalypse (they are called Ex’s as in Ex-humans in this world) and are trying to protect the few remaining human survivors.
After that, deep breath, I think I’m ready to dive back into the Malazan fantasy series. I’m up to book 5, Midnight Tides. They are hugely complex books that require full attention so while good they are also kind of exhausting.
Finished actually reading the book Wearing the Cape by Marion Barber. A world where superheroes exist and a new superhero coming into her powers. It seems like a book I should have liked given my love of comics and how much Ioved a similar sounding series, Superpowereds by Drew Hayes, but it just didn’t grab me. Doubt I’ll ever move on it especially since I don’t read much anymore and do most of my books via audible and this is not a series I’ll use an audible credit on.
For the near future my actual reading will be diving back into the Marvel comic book universe. I made it a project a while back to read everything X-men from the beginning to current via the Marvel unlimited site which has tens of thousands of Marvel comics available for reading. Made to 1997 (probably 1000 comics read) and decided to go back to the beginning and read Spiderman as well til I caught up (I blame the Spiderman PS4 game). Once I catch up with Spidey I’ll read both X-men and Spidey til House of M (about 2002 or so which is when Marvel’s event era began) at which point I intend to really start reading a majority of stuff til I’m current.
Currently reading “Never Home Alone” by Rob Dunn which is abou the biosphere that lives indoors with you.
So far my favorite line which sounds like a goth/emo lyric is “ We humans are exposed, when we are asleep, to the organisms of our decay”
And seriously… after finding out what might be living in my shower head I am probably going to be changing them biannually from now on.
I remember reading once that you swallow hundreds or thousands of microscopic bugs and other living organisms a day just by breathing with your mouth open.
Some things we are just happier not thinking about.
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Finished the Brett book, a decent mystery in the cozier vein. Moving on to Jane Harper’s “Force of Nature” - it’s a follow up to her debut, “The Dry” which was probably my favorite read of '18. Mystery/suspense set in Australia. She writes very well.
I am just popping back in to add that “Force of Nature” had me up all last night - just accelerates to the end. I really liked “The Dry” - thought it was one of the best debut novels I’ve read in a very long time - but there is no sophomore slump in “Force of Nature” . Would make a really good film or True Detective miniseries.
About 6 hrs of 31 into Midnight Tides by Steven Erickson. Book Five of the Malazan series.
So far its okay but ugggh, why does Erickson do this to his readers. Its another new setting with countless more new characters. One of the things thats makes Malazan so difficult is the huge cast of characters and keeping track of them, especially when the characters start gaining new names as a sign of their status about the time you finally start remembering who everyone is so now you have to do it all over again.
My actual reading is all comic books. I loved the Spiderman PS4 game so much, its the story that we should be getting in the movies instead of the Homecoming rubbish we got, that I decided to do a read of Spidey from the beginning to modern day. Still back in 1966 right now so I’ve got a long ways to go.
