My D's library are doing the Mystery Bag service I mentioned before and she told the librarian that I was running out of new stories to read. The kind woman said she would make up one for me in the Cosy genre which my D can bring on Mother's Day. She read out the titles and there was only one I had already read. The rest were new authors to me but I have seen some mentioned here.

My son, his partner and their family are to come in the morning and my D and her D in the afternoon. We are still being careful about gatherings although we have no new cases of the virus in the State this week and most of the sick have recovered.

Baby steps to normality. The children are mostly back at school and the hairdressers are open, also some beauticians but only to sell gift vouchers and products for desperate mothers!

Are you calling the virus the "rona", "quazza" for quarantine and "sannie" for sanitiser? Of course the Aussies love to shorten words. It also puts the horrors in their place...

Katmarie, thanks for reminding me of The Gulf, which I have been meaning to read but it had somehow slipped from my mind. The description of it pushes many of the right buttons with me: geology, history, biology, ecology, climatology, cultural clashes, and so much more. My reservations are mostly about my unwillingness to being 'preached to'. If Davis can present his subject without pushing his agenda too blatantly, I would be a most appreciative reader!

I can't recall where exactly you reside, Katmarie. Is it in Florida or one of the other U.S. Gulf states? Not that regional proximity is necessary to find the subject interesting . . . :-)

Ann, lots of folks in my area call the virus "Rona". I haven't heard any other nicknames for it.

What is the difference in a hairdresser and a beautician? I thought they were the same thing. :)

Donna

You will all be glad to know that I will stop talking about A Discovery of Witches because I finally finished it. I wish I'd realized it was the first of a trilogy before I started, but that's water under the bridge. One third of the trilogy was enough for me.

Moving on, I've started Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. The early pages are leading me to expect it's going to be pretty funny, which sounds just peachy right now.

katmarie & Sheri: I had the same opinion of the Nora Roberts book when I read it last year too. I read only the first of the set, and never bothered with the rest. It certainly kept me turning the pages while I was reading it, but the concept was just tired - it's been done so many times, and this version of it was nothing special.

I spent most of April on comfort re-reading of Ann Swinfen's historicals, but finally started our book club book: The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, by Steve Brusatte. A lot of good information, and a good update for those of us who haven't had a dinosaur fix since their childhood, like me. Very accessible and almost chatty, it sometimes makes me think of a TED talk or museum lecture. But then the latest Murderbot story appeared on my iPad Kindle app, so I put dinosaurs aside for cyborgs.

Kathy......lol, I didn't want to say anything when I saw you were reading the Discovery of Witches......but now I can speak ! I did not care for it at all and in fact stopped about 1/4 of the way into it.

That's so funny, Yoyobon! Should I tell you that I didn't care for The Ten Thousand Doors of January? I did finish it though.

Frieda, I quit reading Barbara Kingsolver because she got to preachy for me.

I am presently reading Murder Has a Motive by Frances Duncan. It was published in 1947 and is a bit too "period" and perfect English villagey, but I'm enjoying it anyway. Ann, you may have recommended her to me. It is by all criteria a cozy.

Donna, a hairdresser here just does hair and a beautician does facials, massages, waxing etc. They are not able to work at present as it involves too much contact. Same for Mani/Pedi salons.

Carolyn, I don't recall that author. I quite enjoy reprints of old mysteries but have to ignore the "ist" leanings. Racist, sexist etc. It amuses me the way the notes are taken by a constable with a licked pencil after going to the crime scene by bus!

I have begun Hid from Our Eyes, a new Clare Fergusson-Russ Van Alstyne by Julia Spencer-Fleming. I really liked her books, and this is the first one in seven years. She has just picked up where she left off. I need a bit of a refresher after all this time and many books later!

Thanks, Ann. I guess a lot of salons here do hair and others do nails and such. I only ever get haircuts so I’m not attuned to the other things available!

I finished The Night Fire by Michael Connolly and enjoyed it very much. (Funny, the book before that was A Minute to Midnight - I’m seeing a theme here.). Now I’m reading 4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. The review printed on the cover amused me - “Unquestionably the best book in the series.” It’s only the fourth one! I guess at the time they didn’t realize the series would keep going. I think they’re up to 13 now.

Donna

Donna, you should try a bit of being pampered!

Before the closures, I had regular facials, massages and even painted my own nails after I had a mani and pedi for the experience! I get Senior's rates too. Full price can be a bit expensive!

At the hairdresser, I normally just get a dry trim but recently had the full works from a salon who needed a model for a trainee. That was a wash, style cut and blow dry with a coffee and chocolate included! I paid $A20 for what is normally $A70 so I didn't mind that she was a bit slow.

I miss the massages, they got my old joints working! We are gradually getting back to normal but very carefully.

Kathy.....thanks ? I'm reading it with some interest...as long as it goes somewhere.

My next read is Five French Hens.

Yoyo - Just read a description of Five French Hens. Looks like a fun book!

My bag of assorted books from my D's library arrived. My D brought it over with her gifts for Mother's Day. A couple look interesting and in the cosy mystery genre so I am pleased with the librarian's selection.

It looks like the public libraries can open on the 18th May but only admit 20 patrons at one time. I hope to return the books and DVDs I borrowed long ago!

We are in a second step of concessions with no new cases for the last ten days and just a few people in hospital now. Some regional borders will be open and there will be a scramble to go South for quick trips even though it is colder. My son still can't go North for the sun but hopes to get there soon to continue his interrupted tour of the continent.

Ann, that’s great news! Last Monday restaurants were allowed to resume limited dining in. We went out to eat on Monday and Wednesday. :). Weds was our 37th anniversary so at least we had an excuse. Our credit union says their lobbies are reopening tomorrow.

Donna

Frieda, I am about half finished with The Gulf. I don't like being preached at either, but on some of the topics you definitely know his opinion by the way he presents things. So far it is not anything that would make me stop reading, or really annoy me. Many authors seem to do that in one direction or another, or maybe they are just more obvious now. Or, I am so old and read so much I can just see it more clearly, one of the benefits of age!

Carolyn, I agree about Barbara Kingsolver. The strange thing about that was I remember I basically agreed with her position, but felt she overstated to a point I didn't agree with her.

I am in west central Florida on the coast, north of Clearwater. This book club is sponsored by a local nature preserve so our reading tends to be anything Florida, Florida specific nature, and sometimes nature in general, both fiction and non-fiction.

The Kingsolver books I really liked were early ones: The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams, and Pigs in Heaven.

I'm now reading A Darker God, A Leatitia Talbot book by Barbara Cleverly who writes the Joe Sandilands books I've enjoyed. I have read a couple of the Talbot books which involve archeology.

Yesterday, I finished a very interesting and blessedly short novel, Nothing Here to See by Kevin Wilson. I don't know what's being said about it online because it was lent to me, unsolicited, by a friend. But there is something very odd going on in this book that I hope has not been leaked in the reviews. It has a great book jacket, so I just picked it up and read it without knowing anything about it. I liked it A LOT. Very amusing, very plain-spoken, and very heart-warming. I recommend it.

I'm reading Dying to Sin by Stephen Booth. This isn't my favorite English mystery series, but it's pretty good and it does have the advantage of being available as e-books from the library. At this time, that becomes very important!

Katmarie, I’m also in Florida- Winter Garden (west Orange County). You have probably read A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith, but if you haven’t I recommend it! It’s a very good story of Florida history.

I’m stuck in a rut going between the Women’s Murder Club books by James Patterson and Pete Decker stories by Faye Kellerman.

Donna

Hooray! The local library has re-opened but with some conditions. Names and phone numbers must be given for contact tracing if necessary. Only 15 members to enter at a time for short periods of browsing, 30 minutes on a computer. Social distancing everywhere.

Books will be stored for 24 hours and then cancelled from your card and reshelved.

I will be returning books and DVDs but don't think I shall stand around browsing! I still have the bag of books I was given by my D's library and can read those until she comes to collect them.

I think we have had no new cases of Covid for a while but are still being careful as flu season is almost upon us! If it isn't one thing....

Lucky you Annpan! Our lockdown 'rules' have eased very slightly in that we can go/drive anywhere for exercise and people are being encouraged to go back to work where practical and the Govt would like some children to get back to school. This seems to be meeting with hostility from some of the teaching unions who think the virus might be spread from the kids to the teachers . . .

We are lucky as our next door neighbour continues to get us basic shopping requirements. Her oldest girl works in a supermarket as a 'holiday job' so get s a 15% discount; not to be sneezed at. Their younger daughter has taken over the village paper-round from us and cycles into town on a Saturday to collect her wages and pay our paper bill. The woman next door but one works in the pharmacy/chemist shop and will deliver any prescription medicines and the woman over the road works at the bank and has taken in some cheques to 'pay-in' for me.

All very neighbourly so we hardly need to go out at all!

Ann, I believe at least some of our library branches opened today, too. I almost always read e-books so I haven't been inside a branch library in years! Before the virus we had home delivery, so if I wanted to read a book not available digitally I could request it and in a few days it would show up in the mail. The branches all have a book return slot so I would just drive up and put the book in the slot when I was finished with it. :)

Donna

Vee, it sounds as if you are well placed among your neighbors. At the beginning of our siege, DD offered to pick up some groceries for me and got two things wrong that are not perishable items. I tried to return them for exchange and was told that the store is not accepting any returns but to keep the receipt and bring the items back when they are. Wonder when that will be?

Msmeow, I can request books from the library on line, but I have to go pick them up. Your system sounds great! I complained that they were not notifying me when requested e-books became available, as the site said they would, only to discover that they didn't have my new email address. Luckily, I hadn't complained to the library, so I only embarrassed myself.

Right now, I am reading Murder on Pleasant Avenue, just out by Victoria Thompson. This Gaslight Series is set in Victorian New York City, and this book involves the new-ish Italian immigrants and the corrupt NYC police department--very non-politically correct by today's standards.

Have just finished Ruth Rendell's Road Rage and found it quite a page-turner. Written at a time when groups of eco-warriors where 'protesting' at everything and anything from tree-felling to 'animal rights' to 'save the whale' to 'down with everyone who doesn't agree with ME'. This group are against a proposed new road being built. All mixed with dirty dealings at a local level and a clever twist at the end.

My only problem is that for me, there are too many place-names and a plethora of characters to remember. Some are mentioned at the beginning of the book but play a crucial role only in the last chapter.

I'll obviously never qualify as a detective as I am unable to retain this important information and thereby solve the mystery.

Vee, I am with you about a cast of thousands type of book. I don't usually read any book that has too many characters unless there is a list at the front!

Speaking of saving whales, this is OT but a man recently swam out and cut free a baby whale who was tangled in a shark net. He is liable to huge fines for getting too close to a marine animal but there has been a lot of support and it is hoped that commonsense will overrule this law as it was well meant.

I just finished Murder on Union Square, a Gaslight Mystery by Victoria Thompson, I'm now just one book behind Carolyn in the series. I've started Murder on Trinity Place and, if our libraries ever reopen, I have already requested Murder on Pleasant Avenue. It will be hard to wait for another installment once these are done.

I think I've read one of those Gaslight Mysteries, and I recall enjoying it, so I'll have to read more of them. :)

I'm currently reading Fell Purpose by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. I'm having trouble getting into it due to the local London-area vernacular, but I am getting used to it so I'm sure I'll enjoy the story.

Donna

Vee - that Rendell book sounds great. Part of a series - have you read any others? I'm interested (as soon as I can access the Library). Soon I hope.

skibby it was part of her Detective Wexford series. I have only read a couple and in no particular order but she is/was a good writer ie writes in proper sentences and her 'Wexford' is an intelligent man given to quoting obscure lines of poetry; head and shoulders above the average PC Plodd!

Have anyone read any of hers under the name Barbara Vine?

I just finished Cold Kill, the second Rennie Airth to be published this year. I have liked his John Madden books very much, but they only come out every three or four years. Cold Kill is a different character and doesn't seem to lend itself to a series. It jumped around a lot for the first half of the book and made me wonder if it was written earlier before he had the Madden books published, but I did like it after it settled down a bit.

I really liked the Wexford books. Some of the Rendell books were too dark for me.

Can you all not download books from your public libraries? I had to wait a couple of weeks for the new Victoria Thompson book, but they sent an email when it came up for me. I just love the ability to do this--I'd have gone bankrupt by now if I had had to buy all the books I've read while "sheltering in place." As it is, I'm a little concerned about wearing out the upholstery on my club chair and its matching ottoman. Who knew one could spend so much time sitting in place?

I might be able to download books but prefer real ones! I spent too much time on my chair and footstool, reading and TV watching and had to go to the chiropractor to get the kinks out of my back! Being a medical service, he was still open, luckily. Not so the masseuse at the same clinic who has just been allowed to work again. My Village masseuse/beautician is still not able to work.

My first library book post-Covid is "The Secrets of Wishtide" by Kate Saunders. I read the second in the Laetitia Rodd series and have had to wait for the library to reopen to get this first one.

I have now started Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen, the first of a series, and it is really a good book. Info says, "Deadly Appearances is one of the best books in the series. It has in fact been acknowledged as one of the best crime novels ever written." As you can imagine, I'm looking forward to finishing it.

I got through Wishtide quickly as I had a Large Print copy and they are easier for me to read. I have to have eye-strain breaks with normal print.

It was quite good for a first in a series. They usually take a while to settle! The Victorian era was well done, not too much background which some authors overdo (Reader, look at how well I researched!) and I did enjoy the second book which I borrowed first. Mrs. Rodd is likeable and doesn't have a 21st C attitude. You can see that peeping through some characters in other books! She is firmly stuck with Victorian morals and agonises over such things as eavesdropping! I look forward to more of her adventures.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King , which I am enjoying very much. Very well-written and engaging.

I'm now reading The Reversal by Michael Connelly. It is one of his Mickey Haller/Harry Bosch duos and good as they all are.

Just finished The 6th Target by James Patterson/Maxine Paetro and enjoyed it very much! I had to place a hold for the next in the series; hope I don’t have to wait long.

Donna

I'm so desperate for reading material at this point that I am re-reading many books I own, and purchasing some from Amazon (to finish a series). Also reading the backs of cereal boxes, the leaflets that come with my medications, the fine print on legal documents which I didn't read before signing, the hieroglyphics made by road crews tarring over cracks from winter heaving (don't those look a LOT like Arabic writing??!), and am thinking of having closed captioning installed for the tv...

Oh, Roxanna! Can you not download ebooks from your public ltbrary? I hate to hear of you resorting to hieroglyphics.

I'm reading Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood. It's a Phryne Fisher mystery, and my PBS channel showed a few of them last year. I am liking the book better than the TV shows. They are set in Australia during the Roaring Twenties.

Carolyn, I agree that the Phryne Fisher books are better than the TV series although I think Essie Davis is perfect casting. There is a movie too but I haven't seen it.

I can't put my finger on why I don't like the TV adaptation so much, I just don't!

My bed-time reading is The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith. One of his earlier Ladies Detective Agency series. Ideal to read before falling asleep as nothing very much happens and life in Botswana moves at a leisurely pace.

Re 'e-books'. I have never had the necessary 'device' on which to read them and I think much prefer the feel and even the smell of print and paper.

Our county library sends me monthly emails telling me about 'Aps' they are developing for use with my smart phone (although I don't own even a not-very-bright-phone) then I receive a followup email saying "Sorry the 'Ap' isn't working properly yet . . ."

I still have enough reading material to keep me going, even if it does mean working my way through all my late Mother's collection of Dickens . .. all in very small print.

Vee, I have a "Dumbphone" as I cancelled the expensive landline calls service when I discovered I could get a free service for pensioners but which only allows incoming calls and some calls to emergency numbers.

The simple button-number Dumbphone lets me make the few calls I need to make, like appointments, for a $A40 annual fee normally but is free at present during the Covid crisis. Most of my communications these days are on my laptop.

I could buy a gadget to read books on but don't see the need now. It would have been useful for travel when I did that!

I, too, much prefer a real book, but now while the public library is closed and I can't go to lunch with my friends, I'm devouring the e-books and very thankful for them. I'd be in the poorhouse eating bread and water if I had had to buy all the library books I've read in my lifetime.

Ann, while the Phyrne Fisher books are light reads, the TV programs seemed to me to have no substance at all. I like to be entertained, but I do like a bit of Poirot's little grey cells to be involved.

Carolyn, I watch some shows because they are well staged rather than for the silly plots!

Ann and Vee, you can probably read e-books on your computer. When I check one out from the library I have the option to download or read in browser.

Donna

Thanks Donna, the only problem would be that we only have one family 'stand alone' computer here and no laptops, tablets etc so there would always be someone else wanting to check emails, look something up and so on . . . and nothing is ever private . . . so my lover can never contact me this way and has to use smoke signals from the nearest hill.

I also prefer a book to reading on my iPad. But mainly I haven't yet figured out how to download library books - I'm sure it's super simple and I'll get there eventually!

Our libraries have re-opened just the book drops, so I can return the three books I've had since February. No word yet on when the actual library will re-open.

I'm currently re-reading Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy -- a total comfort read. I flew through A Discovery of Witches and I'm now into Shadow of the Night. I have had a copy of Time's Convert (4th book in the series) since it came out but never read it, so that's my eventual goal. I'm also looking forward to the second season of the TV series coming out sometime this year.

Vee, you are the best! I wondered about those smoke signals ...

Donna, I do read articles on my laptop but couldn't sit through a whole book!

I have it propped on my dining table and sit on a chair loaded with cushions as I am a long-legged but short bodied person. I find a half hour at a time is comfortable but no more!

(It isn't the only seating here that has a riser either. TMI?)

Yesterday I read Found Wanting by Robert Goddard, much of it out on the patio in the love seat. The weather was beautiful, and the book was good, a mystery dealing with Anastasia and wannabes plus bad guys and good guys.