I started Fever Beach by Carl Hiaasen but have put it aside. The story involves a corrupt congressman, a wealthy elderly couple, and a small band of white supremacists. So far I found it dull, and too many characters with goofy names - the congressman is Clure Boyette and one of the supremacists is Jonas Onus.

I started Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman instead, but haven’t read enough to have an opinion yet.

Donna

Ann, a comfy chair, chocolates and a good book sound perfect! It’s hot here in FL but a thunderstorm is brewing. Also good weather for staying indoors!

Donna

How comfortable can you get, Ann? I was so excited to see your announcement about a new Feathering book, but alas, the library doesn't have it as a e-book yet. I've got too lazy to go to the library unless it gets to be too long a wait

I've become disenchanted with Stop, You're Killing Me. They seem not to give very up-to-date or complete information anymore.

I finally finished reading The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, a favorite book of Jane Austen's. I listened to it as an audio book. I never could have completed reading it with all those multi-page descriptions of scenery. I know this because I tried it once some decades ago.

It shows its age. Like many novels pre-Austen, it is populated by female characters who fainted repeatedly and cried endlessly. (Also a hero who cried a lot as well.) It seemed that the most the most common word in the novel was 'melancholy'. The rhapsodies over landscapes grew tiresome, even though I myself am deeply moved by beautiful scenery.

Having said all this, I actually did enjoy it. There was a lot of adventure. There was mystery and suspense. I can see why Austen admired it so much.

It also made me see how revolutionary Austen herself was. Her heroines were properly behaved women of the time, but they had fortitude and good sense, eventually even the excessively romantic Marianne. After reading Udolpho, Austen's characters actually seem quite modern to me.

Carolyn, I agree with you about SYKM being very slack now with new additions. I go to my favourite author's own websites for information about their recent books.

Brett has a new book and character, "Major Bricket and the Circus Corpse" with a second book in the works, which may interest you.

I seem to be without anything gripping to read right now, despite a house full of books. I also found nothing of interest on SYKM's recent posts. I'm off to visit a sick friend for a couple of days and when I get back, I'll find something good to read, even if it KM. :)

I just finished "Murder Takes a Vacation" by Laura Lippman. What a hoot! I loved it!

I'm really enjoying The American Heiress ! It is one of those stories that I can't wait to get back to.

This is Happiness by Niall Williams was perhaps over-long but a gentle meander through the lives of a community in a remote village in County Clare in the West of Ireland and told through the voice of Noel the young man who comes to spend some months with his grandparents. The story hangs on the twin themes of electricity being 'put in' in the village and the most unusual phenomena of their being NO RAIN for many weeks.

No rain, huh? That young man should visit Colorado, not to mention California!

I have spent the day reading Who Will Remember by C. S. Harris. This is the 20th book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series and is set in the "year without a summer" that no one knew what caused it for more than a century. (Major volcanic eruption.)

Vee, In March, I read The Time of the Child by Niall Williams, the author of the book you just read. It was excellent and seems to be about some of the same people in that Irish village. A friend told me that he just won a major literary award--sorry I forget the name. I will have to try the book you mention.

I might begin reading Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris. It sounds very interesting and I have enjoyed many of her books.

I finally finished The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a child, not so much now. Her use of descriptive language is beautiful tho. I'll have to try one of her books written for adults.

I'm finally getting around to Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, after hearing many enthusiastic comments from various members of my book chat group, but I find I'm bored with it. I keep putting it down and picking it up again only out of a sense of duty to finish what I started. What am I missing???

Ginny, several years ago I read The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goodge and liked it a lot. I still have it, but it's a paperback and they are hard for me to read these days when I am coping with macular degeneration.

I have the new Jane Casey waiting for me now.

Carolyn, I am so sorry to hear about your reading problems. I have just ordered some slightly magnifying reading glasses as I had to sew on a button recently and found I could barely see to thread the needle!

The optician's assistant who saw to the order asked if I used a computer as I would need glasses to look up as well as read lower. I assured her that I did and had done so for many years working in libraries!

Just because I am 88 there are so many assumptions of what I am capable of doing!

Carolyn, Thank you for that recommendation. I'll look into it. I have been waiting for another of Elizabeth Goudge's books from the library since May. I think someone has not returned it.

Annpan, Yes! Assumptions about age and ability are very annoying.

I'm a ;little ahead of you, Ann. Today is my birthday, and I'm 89. People are kind enough to say I don't look it and I do have generally good health, but I notice a difference in energy levels, and such things as standing on one foot just don't work anymore.

I went to a bookstore this afternoon and treated myself to James Lee Burke's new book, Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie.

Happy Birthday, Carolyn!

P.S. I love that book title; I'll have to look into it.

Happy birthday, Carolyn!

I meant to say that I have finished reading Jane Casey's latest book The Secret Room. I really like Maeve and Josh.

Happy Birthday, Carolyn!

Carolyn, Happy Birthday!

I never had much energy to start with! For my first twenty years people in the UK kept telling me to get a move on, then I went to Western Australia where people moved slower because of the heat. Perfect!

I get annoyed when I use a word one minute and lose it two minutes later!

Happy Birthday Carolyn!

I haven't posted lately, but have finished a couple of books.

I continued on a road of reading historical fiction set in Asia with The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang. The cover had a lot of recommendations from other authors, but I found the story had promise that wasn't fulfilled. It's set in the 1880s in China, with two girls, one a slave to the other. The story was interesting and pointed out the many problems for women of all classes in Chinese culture (not the least of which was foot binding, hence the title) but the dialogue was stilted and the thoughts of the girls much too philosophical for children of their ages and education.

I enjoyed The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough, about Sulla and Gaius Marius, although I did have some trouble keeping all the names straight. Unfortunately, the edition I had (a cheap hardback from an op shop) had more typos than I have ever seen, at least one on every page. Sometimes it took a bit of rereading to work out what was meant, like 'what' for 'wheat'.

I also finished The Secret Hours by Mick Herron, who wrote the Slow Horses books. It was interesting - great start, boring middle and good finish.

Carolyn A very Happy Birthday for yesterday. As for energy levels I've always been amazed by those long trips and cruises you do with your daughter. I'm sure you have more get-up-and-go than many people half your age!

I'm booking a ticket of next year's Big Party.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I'll be looking for you, Vee! You can visit your Virginia relatives on the way.

I'm reading The Life Intended which is a strange concept where a newly engaged woman is having experiences in her present life but with her husband who died 14 years ago and the 12-year-old-daughter they never had. It's an intriguing story.