What Fiction are you reading this week, July 26, 2020?

[hermetic]

So. Many. Books.

Hope everyone is okay; not suffering from the machinations of the evil tyrant.

Just finished the wonderful and heart-rending The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Next up, A Simple Plan by Scott Smith, an old (1993) psychological thriller. Two brothers and a friend find $4 million in the cockpit of a downed plane. The pilot is dead. No one is looking for the money. To keep it, all they have to do is wait. IT ALL SOUNDED SO SIMPLE...

Still listening to The Dutch House, performed by Tom Hanks. People's plans seldom go the way they expected. In novels anyway. YMMV.

What are you planning to read this week?

WOOHOO, my 5,600th post.

[murielm99]

1. The Book of Longings,

by Sue Monk Kidd. It is a first person narrative of a young woman who marries Jesus.

This is a very well-written book, and I am enjoying it. I am sure it will offend many people.

Congrats on your 5,600th post.

[hermetic]

2. Thanks!

Wow, that sounds absolutely extraordinary. Coming from the writer of The Secret Life of Bees, this is definitely going on my short list.

[Ohiogal]

3. Fast Girls by Elise Hooper

Just started it yesterday, good so far!

A Simple Plan sounds good ....

[hermetic]

4. Great title

An inspiring story based on the real lives of three little-known trailblazing women Olympians. Perfect for readers who love untold stories of amazing women. Sounds good.

[northoftheborder]

5. Just finished "Postcards from a Stranger" by Imogen Clark

3 generations of family secrets, disfunction, love and redemption. Thought it very well written, nice ending.

[SheltieLover]

6. Congrats!

I'm back to Evanovich's humorous Stephanie Plum series.

Read 3 of Charlotte Hughes's light romantic comedies this week. They are about a female psychologist & a whole host of dysfunctional clients.

Also read some of Stephanie Bond's work this past week. Excellent! Sadly, my library only had a few in e-format.

Oh, and one more Miranda James's cat mysteries.

Searching for new cozy mystery series that I haven't inhaled. 😊

[Number9Dream]

7. "The Patriot Threat" by Steve Berry

My least favorite Berry book so far.

[hermetic]

8. That's a shame

Sounds like it could have been good. 90% historical fact. Maybe too dated now, being from 2015, and knowing what we know now. Kind of hard to surprise us anymore these days.

[wnylib]

9. Just finished Stephen King's

The Institute this morning. I interrupted my reading of another book to read The Institute first because it is a library book.

Now I will go back to Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman. I read it before and have read Hillerman's books after Song of the Lion, but I like this one best so I'm enjoying it again.

Anne took up where her father, Tony Hillerman, left off when he passed away. I loved Tony's works and characters so it's great to see those characters in their same setting living on, but with a twist.

As a woman, Anne gives the main female character, Detective Bernadette Manuelito, a greater role, whereas Tony focused more on Bernadette's husband, Detective Jim Chee. The setting is the Navajo reservation in NM and AZ, so besides getting good detective stories to read, I enjoy learning more about the culture and customs of the Navajo and a part of the country that I don't know well.

Anne has her own voice in writing, but manages to keep the characters as recognizable and as enjoyable as her father portrayed them. Looking forward to her next book, but meantime, Song of the Lion is good to revisit.

Has anyone else read King's The Institute? Would love to get another opinion on it. I think it's among King's better books. More Sci Fi than spooky. And it has King's left-leaning political perspective, set in a very RW atmosphere.

[hermetic]

10. I love the Hillermans' books

I haven't read The Institute but I think I will. I like reading about paranormal stuff. Hopefully someone else will weigh in on that one for us.

[wnylib]

11. Good to meet another Hillerman fan.

I discovered Tony Hillerman at a local library book sale. Bought one of his books - don'r remember which one now - and then read the rest and followed his new ones. Was delighted when Anne continued them.

[bif]

12. The Dutch House

Almost done with it

[AmyStrange]

13. I Just finished War and Peace...

-

It was over a thousand pages, but 900 of them were just page after page of long descriptive sentences, sometimes four or more paragraphs long, that described just one thing.

Don't get me wrong, I've read Dante's Commedia Divina from cover to cover, and almost all of Shakespeare's plays, and I have no problem with long descriptive sentences, but War and Peace felt like I was reading a book that wanted to be both a thesaurus and Wikipedia, all rolled into one.

I did get a laugh out of Tolstoy's description of the traditional Russian Dance (can't remember the name) and still enjoyed reading most of it, even though I had to watch the movie to make sure I interpreted it all correctly.

There are probably a lot of people out there who say they've read it, but never have, and now I can honestly say that I have.

Beatrice would've been proud!
==========

[hermetic]

14. Congratulations!

Truly a task not many are willing to take on.