I just read The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand. I read it because she is called "the queen of the beach reads" and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. She has written about thirty of these books, all based on Nantucket which I have visited. This is not a genre I read but this one is a mystery, which I love, plus her usual romantic style, which I don't ever read.

It was about 460 pages but a fast read. There is way, way too much very boring name-dropping of stores, restaurants, labels, more stores on Nantucket, in New York etc...you get the picture. Also much emphasis on money and people who are too rich, in my opinion.

The mystery had a very flat ending which many reviews also noted. I felt cheated. I'm glad I satisfied my curiosity about this author but I wouldn't read another.

A most unusual read for me and chosen because it was in Large Print was Esther by Norah Lofts. The story is taken from the book of the Bible 'Esther' and tells in almost a fairy-tale/once upon a time way how she marries Artaxerxes King of Persia and helps save her Jewish people from a massacre by the King's rival. I must admit I had no knowledge of this part of the Old Testament but found this retelling held my attention and was very readable.

Vee, there is a good movie of Esther, too. Did you see that it and the Song of Solomon are the only books in the Bible that don't mention the name of God?

I love Norah Lofts' books and have almost all of them, bought back in my younger days when I was still purchasing books.

Rouan, I went onto Ask Anything and was given a selection of tall British actors for both main roles and villainous males as well. I do not know any of them but they look fine.

Thank you Carolyn, I am afraid my knowledge of the Bible is very scant, except for the stories of Joseph and Moses (as read at Junior School), The nuns at my secondary school where 'Doctrine' lessons took place every day didn't include either Old or New Testaments. They mostly concentrated on sin in all its many forms!

I was 'introduced' to the work of Norah Lofts while visiting friends in East Anglia as she lived nearby in Bury St Edmunds. I believe her books on a ancient house were based on her property.

Oh, what fun to have seen her house!

I started London Falling, but I'm DFN-ing it. Not my cup of tea at all.

A collection of short stories Antarctica by Clare Keegan set mostly in Ireland and the US was probably the most depressing read for some time! I think these were written in the 1990's (perhaps when she was 'starting out') and never once did any of them lighten-up; a pity because she is an excellent writer.

On quite a different theme was Diaries: Women's Westward Journeys by Lillian Schtissel. Originally sent to me many years ago by 'Sherwood'/Pat as she had lived in the CA area of the first Gold Rush. My goodness, and to think we complain about the quality of modern life! Months of travelling through unknown country with inadequate supplies and little water, the females cooking, driving horses/oxen, frequently giving birth, nursing the sick, burying the dead (often their own babies), drownings, attacks by hostile tribes. The list of terrible hardship just goes on and on. Apparently most women only undertook this journey because of the 'restlessness' of their husbands or fathers. To me it is quite amazing any of them had the time or the energy or even a piece of paper or a pencil with which to write.

I'm reading When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams and as always am enjoying it.

I think I have read every book she has written.

I finally finished A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko. I liked it even though it took me so long to read it.

I was on hold for The First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston at the library but it was taking forever to get so I found it available at B&N and went to pick it up yesterday. The blurb had sounded interesting as had the person recommending it (on a you tube video talking about favorite scifi/fantasy books)so I had no qualms about buying it. Well…I picked it up to read today and was immediately horrified by the events of the beginning prologue! If I had been warned about this beginning, I would never have bought the book, let alone put a hold on it at the library. Definitely not my kind of book. It’s getting donated to the library for some other poor sf/fantasy reader to find.

I've had that kind of experience twice. But I decided to throw the book in the trash rather than pass it on. Very out of character for me. Has anyone else done that?

One of our borrowers brought back a library book and commented that it was so disgusting she had thrown it against a wall! A few minutes later another reader came up to me and asked if she could take it out!

If I do not enjoy a book, I go to Goodreads and check the one star rating to see if others agree with me! I can have a group experience of mutual dislike then!

I will never trash a book. As a war time child reader, all books were precious.

Fnniky enough I had a similar conversation with one of my sisters earlier today. I mentioned a book I had tried to read back when we were teens and it was so awful I threw it across the room against the wall. Several months later, I thought maybe I had been a bit impulsive and gave the book another chance…and ended with the same result!

I didn't throw it across the room, but I have quietly laid aside London Falling. Not at all what I was expecting, and not for me. I hadn't realized it was a real life story.

Not long ago I picked up a very second-hand copy of The Witches of Eastwick and having heard about it/the film, started to read it. My goodness what a trashy book. I threw it out with the 'recycling'. I didn't want to besmirch a wall by throwing the book at it.

Vee, that was very considerate! Walls have ears and probably feelings as well.

The worst I have ever done to a book was drop it in the bath but to my surprise this did not get the pages wet. The plastic jacket over the cover and the speed with which I retrieved it helped.

I never read a library book in the bath again though.

In my world " throwing it at the wall " is an expression not meant to be taken literally .

To me it means giving up in disgust.

The two books I discarded in the trash weren't library books. And it wasn't just because I didn't like them. One was a biography so poorly researched that I thought I was doing the world a favor by trashing it. The other was a mystery that had some very distasteful material that I decided should go no further.

I finished Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson. I’d give it 3 stars. The story was engaging but very predictable.

Now I’ve started Hope Rises by David Baldacci. It’s the sequel to Nash Falls. I had forgotten that I wasn’t crazy about Nash Falls, and so far not crazy about this one. I thought the storyline in Nash was pretty implausible. I’ll keep going for now.

Donna

This afternoon I finished reading Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution. I really loved this book very much. It is 600 pages, not including another 100 pages of notes, etc., and I so admire the author, Amanda Vaill, for being able to spend eight years writing it. Because I have almost no patience I can't imagine being able to do that but am so glad she could!

Now I will make a switch and start on Ironwood, the second book in Michael Connelly's new Catalina series.

Vee - I read that Lillian Schlessel book many years ago and it stuck with me. I hope you enjoy it - if "enjoy" is the right word.

msmeow - Magdelen Nabb has long been a favorite even though I've read them in a complete "willy-nilly" sequence. I have felt that they all stand alone as I never really noticed much character development.

Finished The Calamity Club. After reading The Help and thinking it was fabulous, this one felt like a flop. Oh, it will be made into a movie and make her gobs of money. But as a BOOK, I wasn't impressed. NO spoilers, but to me, the last 75 pages felt like someone had called her to the dinner table and she needed to get the book wrapped up before she could eat. Complete rush job of an ending after dragging us along unendingly for the first 600 pages. Too many subplots and not enough resolution. I am cranky.

Currently reading Matt Haig's The Life Impossible. So far, so good. Also a new-to-me mystery author: Andrea Camilleri. His main character is Inspector Montalbano, the books are set in Sicily. The first one is called The Shape of Water.

Just finished When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams and really liked it.

Now am reading the only other book written by her which I have not read :

Under The Stars.

Pam, I tried the short stories book of Andrea Camilleri and dumped Inspector Montalbano half way through! The translation was so clunky with American gangster type speech I found it unbearable. Not really my genre but it was a recommendation as being humorous.

Did you enjoy your book?

AnnPan - I am still in the middle of it. So far, I find it to be very gangster, yes. I am wondering if that is on purpose as it is Sicily and the mafia history/connection may bring that part of it to the forefront. I will keep you posted. It is different. Certainly feels clunky and as for the humor, I wonder if I will pick up on more of it as I get used to the style. Right now, the humor doesn't seem to translate well to an international audience - again, is that the book? Or is it me?

PAM

Pam, I was told that the humour comes with the interaction of his staff, I think one who is on the switchboard, perhaps? I was looking for light mystery authors when this one came up but I do not read police based books usually. I needed something to make me smile and forget the bad Winter weather.

I have even caught a common cold which I have not done for many years. I had forgotten how miserable I get! Also my air conditioner broke down as I have been running the heat cycle non-stop. What a time for this to happen! The maintenance man has got it going although not well enough so I am getting a new one put in as this one is over twelve years old and by Village rules can be replaced.

This year has been the worst Winter for some time and I dread getting my power bill!

Annpan, sorry to hear about your various troubles, especially the Winter cold. Is it worse than the sort one gets in the Summer? Over here in Southern England we have had well-over two months of drought conditions with NO rain since June! We certainly could have done with some A/C. Farmers and gardeners are praying for rain and Scotland has become the go-to place for a pleasant damp holiday!

Re Montalbano. Over here one of the BBC channels has been showing the Italian series 'Inspector Montalbano' based on the books.

I have neither read the books or watched the TV progs, which I assume are dubbed into English.

Vee, I cannot judge as this is the first cold I have caught since I returned to Perth in 2003!

I always have sinus and my stuffy nose protects and blocks off a lot of the viruses I could catch, I think!

I never got Covid nor got inoculated or vaccinated for anything but I would have got a shingles one if I had been warned to have this. After what has happened to me, I would advise getting it. From what I have read, the pain from the rash can be agonising so I might have got away just having a facial palsy which is very slowly easing. I only had a sore ear and thought it was an insect bite. I am always getting bitten, even indoors in warm weather.

I am looking forward to the replacement air conditioner and hope it is simple to use. This time I shall ask for it to be set to my liking as the last time I was unaware the swing had not been activated so it did not work as well as it could have.

It is annoying when you are not told about things! I never realised I had a touch screen on my last laptop for years! At one holiday rental I was using tap water then found it was not meant to be drunk! No wonder the tea tasted foul...the drinking water tank was in the garden!

Totally off topic but the mention of 'drinking water' brought to mind a true story. Way back in the 1950's my Mother and we three children were holidaying in the Scilly Isles (off tip of Cornwall). A young couple were staying in the same place and told us they had just returned from a trip to Spain. This was well before it became a hot-spot for cheap and cheerful Summer destinations. They had hired a car with a plan to drive the length of the country. One night was spent in a small hotel in the bleak central area but it wasn't until the next morning they saw hastily erected signs "Do not drink the water." After driving on a few miles they were both taken very ill. Both collapsed by the side of the lonely road quite excepting to die. Some hours later they were found by a group of gypsies who cared for them for several days and although very weak they were able to continue their journey.

Today that road is full of traffic hurtling towards the crowded beaches of the 'Costas'.

I found a book that looks like a good one !

The Bestseller by Jenny Knightsby

Therapist Helena Salve knows that client confidentiality is the number one unbreakable rule of her job. But the constant stories of coercive control and threat she hears from her client Belle about her dangerous husband have been wearing her down. One night over too many glasses of wine, she tells her best friend Tala everything that Belle has told her.

The problem is, Tala is a down-on-her-luck novelist who is looking for an idea for her new thriller.

Months later, Tala is excitedly telling Helena that her publisher is saying this is going to be her biggest book ever. The story is Belle's story. Not only is Helena's job on the line, but if Belle's husband is as dangerous as she says, her life is too...

Why would Tala do this to Helena? She knows what's at stake.

Your friends are meant to protect you... aren't they?

I finally finished Hope Rises by David Baldacci. It was a pretty good story, but too long (I know I say that a lot!) and too convoluted. If you read the previous book, Nash Falls, this one wraps up the story.

Now I’m reading 26 Beauties by James Patterson, the latest in the Women’s Murder Club series.

Donna

Still feeling fragile (Poor love!) so I am rereading from my shelves rather than tackling a new plot.

I pulled out The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey. Nowadays the whole thing about the kidnap would be solved in seconds by a forensic team looking in the fateful attic for DNA evidence!

But why not check for fingerprints?

I'm in the middle of Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer and liking it a lot. I really like her writing; she has a way with words and often provides a fresh viewpoint on the most ordinary scenes. For example, a few pages back, as the protagonist (Joy) finishes up a piece of lemon cake at a coffee shop, it is described as "I herd the cake crumbs with my fork." I thought yes, that's exactly what we do with those last cake crumbs. We herd them.

Kathy, I prefer a wet finger! Works best.

Home: wet finger

In public : fork

Annpan and Yoyo - you should be authors!

I have not the dedication to write a book! I tried once and bored myself by Chapter 2!

I knew my limits and short, hopefully amusing, newspaper and magazine articles were my best bet!

I finished Property of Blood, the next in my re-read of Magdalen Nabb's Florence mysteries. It was very good tho the ending was discomfiting.

And OT, I watch a lot of British TV shows and they make me wish for some of the foods mentioned that I can't find here. But today I went to a place called World Market and found McVitie's Biscuits. They had several types of topping and I chose milk chocolate. Had to sample several in the car--yum. They won't last long, I can see.

Even in Kentucky we have a World Market. I like it, especially at Christmas time.

Carolyn, I am reading a book set in Paducah, Quilt City Murders by Bruce Leonard.

Donna

Kathy .....thanks :0)

Years ago I wrote a 13 chapter story about the foibles and questionable life choices of my SIL . I thought it was hilarious, and completely fact-based. Of course, she was never allowed to read it. She would not have been amused . Bless her heart.

During covid, I wrote a daily blog which I emailed to a group of friends who needed a sanity lifeline during that hideous NYS lockdown. If I may say so myself, many were quite amusing. The expectation of recieving one each morning kept us all relatively sane during those 53 days.

Years ago our newspaper had a collumn which featured helpful hints and ideas for which they offered $25 for any submission that was selected. As I sat here one morning, musing over the mindless ideas people submitted, I decided to come up with a helpful hint and see if they took the bait.

Basically I suggested that a way that I saved time was to put two fitted sheets on my bed at the same time, and two pillow cases on the pillows. After a week I'd remove the topmost sheet and pillow case and the bed would still be made.

Unbelievably, the "hint" was published and I got the $25 reward !

Yoyo, much to my indignation a male writer won money in a Hints column by suggesting putting unseasonable clothes in the unused suitcase one keeps on the top of the wardrobe! DUH!

I often had lumps in my mashed potatoes so cut a white raw onion up finely to stir through to disguise the lumps. Helpful? I now use the frozen mash!

msmeow, I have been to Paducah and have seen some of those museum quilts. My mother was a quilter, and I have several pretty ones she made. I took her to a fabric store for quilting fabric once, and, riding down in the elevator with our arms full of bolts of fabric, a lady on the elevator remarked that we were going to have a pretty quilt, and we did.

Carolyn, quilting is my main hobby. I haven’t made it to Paducah, but I’ve been to the Daytona QuiltWeek several times, and I go to the Jacksonville QuiltFest every September. I get lots of inspiration!

Yoyo, I love your story about winning $25!

I used to enjoy quilting also. I don't do it anymore but still love looking at them. If you come to New England, you might enjoy the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell MA. Lowell was the birthplace of the American textile industry in the early 19th century. Many of the fabrics you see in old American quilts are made of fabric made in Lowell. The city is now one of the country's few urban national parks. The museums and tours thru the canals that powered the mills are really interesting.

I'm reading the new Inspector Rutledge (post WWI), A Day of Judgment, by Charles Todd.

Thank you, Ginny! I hope to make it there one day.

I just found a copy of The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Maarkovits in a local Little Free Library. I did not start it yet but it was short-listed for The Booker Prize in 2025. MARTIN - if you are out there, I am thinking of you.

PAM

I just finished reading Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer. I've read both of her novels (she's a relatively new author) and have really enjoyed both of them. In this one, the protagonist/narrator is an 89-year-old woman. I'm finding that novels with older protagonists increasingly appeal to me. (Gee, I wonder why...) I recommend it.

Kathy.....I have this book on my TBR pile : The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules by Catharina Indelman-Sundberg. It is translated from Swedish .

Bon - Sounds right up my alley!