Yesterday I read Seeking whom he may devour by Fred Vargas, which was good, but not quite as good as Have mercy on us all, which is excellent.

Today I finally finished a book I started reading nearly a year ago: The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Liked it, but thought the prose was a bit purplish in some of the passages.

My brother has lent me the latest of Arnaldur Indriðason's mysteries, Myrká. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Finished "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" and loved it! The only thing I had known about the area was that Victor Hugo had gone into exile on Jersey. Has anyone here ever traveled to these islands? They sound idyllic, in the pastoral sense. Thanks to all here who recommended this!

Picassocat, I feel as though I missed something. I found it oddly dispassionate for an advocacy book. And it is an advocacy book. It helped alert the public mind to some of the evils of colonialism. By showing the vile behavior of the company men in such an offhand manner, Conrad reflected the reality of the time. I see that. I also see that the very offhandedness made it shocking.

Kurtz bothered me the most. I am perhaps too passionate about Lord Jim which is the antithesis of Heart of Darkness. Jim goes native seeking redemption and evolves. Kurtz goes native seeking fortune and devolves. I wanted somehow to live that downward spiral, and I didn't. My failure, I'm sure.

I finished a A Crowning Mercy by Bernard Cornwell. set during the English Civil war. Much too much on the violence/torture/witch burning. Will not read this author again. Also finished a quick read "Suzanne's Diary for Nicolas." Choosing between "To Say Nothing of the Dog," by Connie Willis or "A Rose for the Crown," by Anne Easter Smith.

I'm reading "Street of a Thousand Blossoms" for book club and having trouble getting into it. I really liked some of this author's other books: "Women of the Silk" and "Language of the Threads" in particular. I may have to switch to a Terry Pratchett book temporarily.

I read Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' latest Bill Slider, called Game Over which was very enjoyable. I love this series, but have thought a couple of them weren't really good mysteries, just good books, but this one was well plotted.

Woodnymph, I stayed on both Guernsey and Jersey about 12 years ago and took a boat-trip to Alderney. They are charming places and being duty-free, good for shopping!
My grandmother went to Guernsey in the early 1900s when French was the common language and I still have a brooch made of two coins dated 1903 that she bought as a souvenir.

I am finally reading Sinclair Lewis' Main Street. I don't understand why I never read it before since it was set here in Minnesota. Maybe that's why, or because so many people said I should read it!

Wood -

I went to Jersey for a long weekend with the swim team when I was a teenager *many* moons ago. I remember it was cold and damp, but Gerald Durrell's zoo was amazing and there was a good rollerskating rink to play on. Plus the pool was cold.

But it was really pretty and interesting - it felt like a cross between France and England.

Back to reading: I finished up an interesting slightly wierd book called "Why Do Men Have Nipples" by Mark Leyner and Bill Goldberg. It's a chock-a-block full of facts about medical stuff that people would like to ask, but as the cover of the book says, they wouldn't ask "until after their third martini". Interesting stuff if you like strange facts about the human body.

Also in honor of "Black History Month", bought a lengthy graphic novel detailing the history of the African-American experience in the U.S. Fascinating and I am learning a lot about many people I have never heard of before. Plus the graphic novel format works well. It's called "Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans" by Roland Laird with Taneshia Nash Laird and illustrated by Elihu Bay. Recommended if you're a bit fuzzy about this part of history of the U.S.

grelobe, thanks for recommending The Queen's Gambit I must see if I can get it over here.

I have been listening to The Guernsey L&PPS on Radio 4's 'Book at Bedtime' slot and enjoying it. People often complain that the books chosen are full of violence/murder/rape etc and not suitable for last-thing-at-night listening, but this was just right.
Mary/woodnymph you asked about the Channel Isles. The only time I have been to Guernsey was for our very short honeymoon . .. in December.
The hotel was right next to the house where Victor Hugo had lived, but being Christmas it was closed, as was most of the island. We had hoped to take a ferry-boat over to Sark but the owners said the weather was too bad . . .ie. "We don't feel like going out over the holiday". The sea was flat calm!
Have any of you stayed at one of those hotels that try to pull out all the stops and finds it has over-stretched itself?
On Christmas Eve they put on a 'banquet' dinner of about seven courses, but the waiters, brought in just for the evening, had great difficulty in bringing the dishes in the right order. Luckily we had taken the precaution of memorising the menu so were adequately fed. The band got completely legless and had to be removed from the stage to be replaced by a waiter, who sang rather better than he served. All enlivened by a group of guests who may have been Turkish. The ladies of their party were remarkably 'curvy' and danced in a way that left the men-guests wide-eyed.
It was also impossible to have a bath. This was in the days when bathrooms were not 'attached' to each room and 'ours' was full of floral arrangements & decorations floating in the tub. And they ran out of milk by breakfast time. You would think someone would have nipped out and milked a Guernsey or Jersey cow, but I think the islands are now full of millionaires (great tax havens) or glass-houses growing exotic blooms rather than farmers.

Vee, how funny. Otherwise, how was the honeymoon? (Are you familiar with the sick joke, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?")

phyllis-will be interested in what you think of Main Street especially living where it was set. I felt it could have applied just as easily to the Indiana town where I live which supports that he was writing about "Main Street" all over the U.S.

Veer, thanks for that story!LOL!
Did you stay at the Old Government House Hotel? They flattened us with the multi-course dinners. The chef put a sprig of red-currants on each main meal, sort of a signature, perhaps.
Still gasping with the heat and reading light books so I picked up "Every boy has one" which is an awful title but quite a clever book telling a story in notes and emails etc. I know what a Blackberry is but what is the PDA on it, anyone?

PDA= personal digital assistant.

A little creature to keep your life in perfect order at all times.

hahahahahahaha!

I am now reading River of Darkness by Rennie Airth. Just after WW I in England, multiple murders in a village in Sussex, Scotland Yard at the beginning of the scientific or forensic method of crime solving. I'm enjoying the author's style-he evokes the aftermath of the war from the viewpoint of those that "survived" the trenches-including the Inspector in charge of the case. This is another author recommended in the Stop You're Killing Me newsletter-I have been lucky with these so far. They give enough description that it is pretty easy to see if an author's style will match with me. Much better than random library shelf crawls, although they are fun sometimes.

Cece, I loved River of Darkness. As far as I know, Airth has only written one other book, The Blood-Dimmed Tide, set some 20 years later. It was good, too, but not as good.

I found him about the same time as I did Charles Todd and grew quite interested in WWI settings. Anne Perry did a short series set during that war; and I read the Pat Barker trilogy recommended here, by Martin I think. It was not a period I knew much about, so I have kept reading as I find books on it--fiction, at any rate. I haven't dug into actual history.

Cece, I liked that one too.
I discovered a new Stephen Leather yesterday, so have started that.
One of my favourite books as a child was A Vicarage Family by Noel Streatfeild, which is semi-autobiographical and features both the suffragette movement and WWI.
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks is another very interesting book set at that time.

CC: Thanks for the explanation. If I could get something that tells me why I went into a room for a reason that now escapes me, I would be grateful!
I have by co-incidence got a couple of mysteries set in Bath including "Headcase" which was an RP recommendation. Such a lovely place. I would like to visit again to see the new areas that have been uncovered.

I've just finished John Grogan's memoir: "The Longest Trip Home." I enjoyed his writing style and the laughable scrapes he got himself into as a maverick child. An alternative title could well be "Portrait of a Catholic Boyhood." Reading this made me want to find and devour Bill Bryson's "Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" and compare and contrast the two.

annpan-I just read Headcase and the second one, Slim Chance and enjoyed them both. I picked up the third one yesterday at the lib-Rainstone Fall

Finished River of Darkness this morning after sitting up late reading, and have just started The Blood-Dimmed Tide. According to stop you're killing me, the third Madden is due out in July.

I finished "Mother Tongue" by Bill Bryson - interesting and reminded me of the "History of English" course I took in graduate school years ago. However, I think it (the book) could do with some updating or maybe I just had an old copy. Some of the data he cites is from the '80's, but perhaps he has updated it since then.

Now on to a novel called "To Have and To Hold" by Deborah Moggach. I have to spread her books out because I want them to last as long as possible as I think they are so good. I think it was Vee who introduced them to me so a big hearty thanks for that.

Also picking up in between a short story here and there from the book "My Mistress' Sparrow is Dead", an anthology of short love stories edited by Jeffrey Eugenides. It just came in the other day and I am looking forward to flicking through that tonight.

About halfway through The Blood-Dimmed Tide and I agree-it isn't as strong as the first-I think because of Madden's role.

I do have to smile at some of his character name choices-coincidence, or Airth having fun?

Helen Blackwell: a woman doctor in these books: Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the US, her mother's name was Helen.
John Madden: Scotland Yard/farmer in these books: is a long-time sports figure in the US-player, coach and now commentator. Famous for travelling around the US on a specially fitted bus-he won't fly.
Angus Sinclair:Scotland Yard, Madden's superior in these books: possibly the "Scottish Ripper" serial killer in Scotland.
Philip Vane: Foreign Office wonk in these books: Harriet Vane, of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories, was first accused of murdering Philip Boyes.

Must be Airth having fun. No wonder it takes him so long to write a new book.

I'm reading I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming. This is the second of her books I've read, and I like them a lot.

Completed Blood-Dimmed Tide and it did grow on me-but a couple things niggled-Madden no longer feels like a character that can carry a series-although as we approach WW II in the setting I can imagine how that might change-and in this book Helen turned into a one-dimensional worrier. She was also stronger in the first book.

Finished up another wonderful novel by the glorious Deborah Moggach - this one called "To Have and To Hold" about two sisters and a baby surrogacy that goes awry. Really well written with plenty of details to give it the right touch. Thoroughly enjoyed it - now on to a quick look at an anthology of writing advice called "The Writer's Home Companion" ed by Joan Bolker, Ph.D. Maybe this will give me some impetus to finish up the novel I need to edit.

I finished Grogan's memoir and am now re-visiting "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat Moon. This is rather dated, having been written in the 1970's, but the writing is still wonderful.

Just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It was good. Quite short so I was able to read it pretty quickly. Nothing surprising about it, but a good read.

I couldn't decide what I felt like reading so was browsing my TBR books when I came across one I had picked up at a book sale and had totally forgotten about. I cuddled up with a throw, a warm purring cat, and a cup of tea and was instantly involved in Travels in a Stone Canoe by Harvey Arden and Steve Wall. They used to work for National Geographic and for an assignment set off to document the traditional elders of some of the Native American tribes. This book is a continuation of their original work. I was engrossed by it and finished it in a few hours. It has made me curious to find their first book Wisdomkeepers.

Finished the latest by Arnaldur Indriðason, Myrká. The story is about murder and rape in Reykjavík. It's not as good as the previous book, Harðskafi (Hypothermia). The mystery aspect is fine, but the detective in the book is one who has hitherto been part of the supporting cast in the series, and Arnaldur seems to have felt he needed to give her a lot of back-story, which he does in several clumsy, long passages that really have no bearing on the story or how the character does her work. Erlendur, who has hitherto been the leading detective, is only mentioned in passing.

It will probably be released in English in 2010.

Work has been really slow lately (just about to leave and start another job so not wanting to start another project), so this means that I have been able to sit at my desk and read without interruption which has been very, very nice. I wonder if I could find a job that would let me read full-time without pressure or deadlines?

It was the FoL Half-Price book sale last weekend so I picked up one or two books, one of which was Penelope Lively's "The House Unlocked" about her grandparents' house in Devon (or maybe Somerset) and its history. Pretty interesting to read about the house's inhabitants over the years and the history of the village. Not a great book, but quite interesting.

Then just finished "Pretty Birds" by Scott Simon, an RP recommendation about a young sniper in the Serbo-Croat war that happened a while ago. Rivetting story written by a journalist who covered the war in real life for some media outlet (maybe NPR). Anyway, good story and one that I couldn't put down so thanks to whoever it was who mentioned it.

Now onto something light and fluffy: "Keeping Up Appearances: Hyacinth Bucket's Book of Etiquette for the Socially Less Fortunate" which looks to be quite entertaining. Found it in a charity shop for a dollar so not much lost if it's not as funny as I think it should be.

Yesterday I finished A Murder on the Appian Way, my first (but definitely not last) of Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series. It's full of juicy historical details and quite a good mystery as well, based on a real murder case.

This morning I finished Last Seen Wearing by Hillary Waugh, a classic and very good police procedural.

Lemon, the Hyacinth Bucket book should give you some laughs...it did me! There is a follow up...her Social Calendar, not as funny but if you are a fan......

gbg

>I wonder if I could find a job that would let me read full-time without pressure or deadlines?

Lemonhead, let me know if you ever find one of those jobs! I could use one of those, too!

I recently read Penelope Lively's Booker Prize winner, Moon Tiger. It's very philosophical, one of those books that feels like it's grasping for something to put its hands around, but in the end I felt its own agnosticism prevented it from arriving at anything illuminating. Maybe that was the point, though.

I raced through Paying the Piper by Sharyn McCrumb yesterday. As in all of her other books I have read, there was a lot of atmosphere, in this case quite accurate descriptions of Scottish summer weather and the effects it can have on those unused to it. The mystery was superficial, with no detective work until the turn of events is reconstructed by the protagonist and her boyfriend after the fact, but it doesn't matter because the story is just so entertaining in other respects.

You can add me to what I presume must be a long list of admirers of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. (I've been away from RP for a while so haven't followed the monthly reading posts.) I would never have picked up this book on my own, as the title seemed just too cutesy, but luckily my book club selected it for our February meeting. I believe it's the first book we read as a group that every single person liked.

Lemonhead - I just read this entire thread for the first time, which is why I am about to ask a question about your first post on February 1. What and where is the South American river shop that you enjoy so much? -- Kathy

Netla, my husband likes the Steven Saylor mystery novels, too.

As for me, I continue to read a lot, but nothing worth reporting. I'm waiting for something that really engages me. The best book I've run across recently was a garden book. When I find a good novel, or even some non-fiction of more general interest, I'll post a title.

Rosefolly

Finished The Black Hand, the latest Will Thomas mystery. I fervently hope he is back in Oklahoma deep in the final editing of the next one. With another in first manuscript form, and several in various stages of outline and preproduction. I really enjoy this series.

I'm just starting Drood and I'm sure will be with this one for awhile. Has anyone else read it yet? wig

I've decided to wait a few more weeks before starting Drood. Dan Simmons is going to be the guest at Readerville May 4-8 and I want it to be fresh in my mind.

I finished Jayne Anne Phillips' Lark and Termite this morning and haven't decided what I'll read next.

Kathy-T: the South American river shop I enjoy so much is amazon.com. It was just a play on words, that's all. :-)

I have just got back from a long weekend on the beach at Cozumel in Mexico (just thought I would slip that in) and whilst I was there, I finished up "The Bestseller" by Olivia Goldsmith (a total beach book but really good - surprisingly good really). Then read "Grayson" by someone whose name I can't remember and I left the book there in Mexico for someone else to read. It's about a long-distance swimmer who is swimming one morning off CA somewhere, and a baby whale comes up and they hang out for a while looking for his mum. A good story, but one that would have been better as a newspaper column more than a book, I thought.

Then read "Neither Here or There" by Bill Bryson - such a funny author and ideal reading on the beach drinking a margarita under a palm tree. (Sorry - got carried away there....) Then started "My Mistress' Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekhov to Munro" edited by Jeffrey Eugenides (as in he who wrote "Middlesex"). A really good selection from all over the world of love in all its forms - not just happy endings. I am really enjoying this choice of stories and even managed to read some James Joyce ("The Dead" short story). Anyhoo, good so far.

Now I am doing laundry and it's back to reality for me.

Oh Liz, I feel so dumb! Also a bit disappointed, as I was expecting to hear about some wonderful, colorful free-trade shop! Perhaps I read things a bit too literally... -- Kathy

Something about the bleak weather this time of the year makes me long to read really long and involved works that I can sink down deeply into. Thus, I have begun a 2nd reading of Kostova's "the Historian" which we discussed here a couple of years ago. I am still finding the subject matter and detailed, descriptive travels fascinating. And-- it's still a bit scary, too....

I stayed up to the wee hours last night finishing In the Woods by Tana French. It is for my book club which meets here tomorrow. It was an odd book, well written IMO despite a dragging part in the middle. However there are two mysteries given pretty much equal attention by the author and only one is solved. The other is all hints and innuendo and that is frustrating. Nonetheless, I would recommend it to those who like mysteries.

Rosefolly

I have become bogged down in the book of love short stories that I was reading -- some of them are very l-o-n-g for short stories - so I started some bubblegum reading called "Winter Solstice" by Rosemary Pilcher. It's a charming, easy read set in England during the winter (hence the title) and I am loving it although I did keep falling asleep last night when I was reading it. I don't think that was the book's fault though.

Lemon: I'd say those margaritas are taking a while to wear off! :-)
I'm back to mystery writers after a quick trip to Gaskell's "Cranford" as we are finally getting to see the TV series. Very interesting how the novel and a couple of her stories have been re-worked. Apparently one episode had to be cut due to budget considerations. I wonder what was left out of possible filming. Anyone know?

annpan, I don't know about budget cuts in the making of Cranford but we had been told that a special Christmas 'edition', which had been made during the very gloomy summer of '08, would be on BBC TV. Nothing appeared during either Dec or Jan and I have since read that it will be shown during the 2009 Xmas season. We are not holding our collective breaths. :-)

I've just finished Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede and Caoline Stevermer, a recommendation from someone here at RP. (Was it PAM?) Lovely, entertaining novel for YA. I like to think of young girls reading this as a prelude to Jane Austen. I'm off to get the next one, called Grand Tour.

I've enjoyed Pratchett's Making Money after a slow start. I've been reading about Middle East politics this month interspersed with fluff. The political stuff is too loaded with baggage for civilized conversation, and the fluff has been, except for the Pratchett, disappointingly cliched and unworthy of mention.

Chris, maybe I should get going and finally read Making Money. I bought it when it first came out and have started reading it twice, but somehow couldn't get into it.

I've finished a number of books since my last posting. They include:
Brillat-Savarin's The Physiology of Taste, which is a curious and interesting book written by an obvious and avid foodie;
Coraline and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, both of which are brilliant and made me wish I could have read them when I was a child (I'm also waiting impatiently for the Coraline movie);
HRF Keating's Death of a Fat God which is a wonderfully farcical murder mystery; and
Boating for Beginners by Jeanette Winterson, which is just as bizarre and surreal as the rest of the books I have read by her.

The Physiology of Taste has been sitting unread on my shelves for years now. I just haven't been in the mood to read it.