All things Books and Reading thread - 2017

[Margret]

Well, I finished Sword of the South, by David Weber. I'm starting to think that this series will be as long as the Honor Harrington series.

I'm now really digging into A Wizard of Mars, by Diane Duane, which I have in hard back. That makes it hard to read in bed, where the lighting isn't very good, so for bed books I'm alternating between Dreaming Spies, by Laurie R. King and An Inconvenient Sequel, by Al Gore. I haven't seen the movie yet, but the book turned up on BookBub the other day. I have both of those on the Nook, which provides its own lighting.

Margret

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'm actually re-reading "Moonheart" by Charles de Lint again. I have to read it at least once a year, along with the sequel, "Spirit Walk". There are actually three more that tie into them, "Greenmantle, Yarrow, and The Road to Lisdoonvarna" which are all on my "To Buy" list. I'm enthralled with de Lint's work. He is a master of the urban fairy tale. There are trash can nymphs and all manner of creatures living along side us in his worlds. I like living there.

 

[Margret]

I've been sleeping poorly ever since this overdraft thing showed up (see All things Books and Reading thread - 2017), but it finally looks like it's going to be taken care of. On Friday I had called the newspaper's Customer Service department, which turned out to be either farmed out to some firm in Arizona (I live in Denver) or consolidated with Customer Service for a sister paper in Arizona. The guy I spoke to said that all they could offer me was a refund for the last two months, since it was my fault for not informing them earlier that I wasn't receiving my paper. That would be the paper I wasn't supposed to be subscribed to, of course. I fumed all weekend. On Monday I spoke with my bank again and they suggested that I needed to speak with a manager, so I went to the paper's website. There is a remarkable dearth of information on the website about how to speak to a manager. Big surprise there, huh? Eventually I decided to email customer service and see whether that might get their attention. I sent them a very angry email, detailing exactly what had happened, giving the account number and my home phone number, and saying that I was fed up -- either they respond with an offer of a full refund or the next time they heard from me it would be via the F.B.I., who have a remarkably poor opinion of wire fraud. (I also included the word "Fraud" in the subject line of the email, in the hopes that it would get their attention.) That did the trick. I got a phone call today asking for more information and giving me a promise that I'll get my refund. Of course, it isn't a done deal until the money is back where it belongs, but I'm reasonably optimistic at this point.

So, back on topic. There is a wonderful book that, I think, is out-of-print; at least I haven't seen it around anywhere lately. It's The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense, by Suzette Haden Elgin. I used to own this book, but it's one that was lost to the depredations of the house guests from hell, so I've had it on my wish list for some time now. But neither of the local used book stores that I visit has ever even heard of it, so today I went to ThriftBooks and ordered a used copy of it for less than $4. Then I added a couple more books to get the cart over $10 and qualify for free shipping -- The Murder of Mary Russell, by Laurie R. King, and The Cat, the Devil and the Last Escape, by Shirley Rousseau Murphy and Pat J.J. Murphy. The one I really want is Cat Shining Bright, by Shirley Rousseau Murphy but it was going for ~$20 so it will wait. And I should have gotten The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana instead, because it comes before The Cat, the Devil and the Last Escape, but I didn't spot it until I'd already checked out. I've added both of them to my wish list at Thrift Books. And now that I'm not alternately worrying about money and fuming at the newspaper I can devote my mind to enjoying my books. (All right, once I've caught up on my sleep I can do that. ) Good night.

Margret

 

[Winchester]

Wow, Margret. I hope you do get the refund and get everything cleared up. I'd be furious, too. Several years ago, Cook's Illustrated put me on an automatic renewal for their magazine. I didn't know it until I got the letter from them telling me that my subscription had been renewed (for 3 years!) and here's the bill. I was peeved. Called them, told to stick the automatic renewal where the sun doesn't shine and I was informing our credit card company not to pay the bill. They backed down right away.

The Whole Town's Talking - Fannie Flagg
Twelve Angry Librarians - Miranda James (a murder whodunit, with Diesel, a Maine Coon)
Dying Breath - Heather Graham
Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods - Hal Johnson
Ghostly Echos - William Ritter

ETA: I also have trouble with some of my "bed books". I don't know if it's my older eyes or the print or what, but I have found that reading in bed at night is so much easier with a reader than it is with an actual book anymore. I was using my Nook to read in bed, but have switched over to my iPad. It's just so much nicer.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Margret the Lee Fontana books are very different in tone from the Joe Grey books, but BOY, I love the Last Escape! I was a little weepy, and all emotional and hopeful when it ended!

I just finished re-reading Moonheart for the umpiteth time, and am now reading Heather Graham's "Wicked Deeds," the newest of the Krewe of Hunters books. I was sent a copy of Leeann Sweeny's "The Cat, The Quilt and the Corpse" by a dear friend, and really liked it so yesterday I ordered the rest of the series. I was enough ahead on budget to be able to do so, what with the 20% off sale and my Reading Rewards coupon at Thrift Books! Can't wait till they get here!

 

[Katie M]

I've finished The Princess Bride, and thoroughly enjoyed it

My next book will be The Cold and the Dark, about the consequences of nuclear war.

You know, some light reading

 

[Winchester]

I am still working on The Fiery Cross. The thing is over 3,000 pages and I'm almost finished. I kept at it while I was also reading a ton of other library e-books.

Mamanyt1953 I like the Krewe of Hunters book. I just finished Wicked Deeds and Wicked Rites.

There's a series out about a librarian with a Maine Coon named Diesel (so named for his incredible purr). I just finished Twelve Angry Librarians which is one of the series by Miranda James. I liked it, kind of a cozy mystery type. I wouldn't call it "collectible" but did enjoy the book and will look for the rest of the series to read. My SIL read it and I downloaded it for Rick's mother and they both liked it, too.

 

[rubysmama]

My next book will be The Cold and the Dark, about the consequences of nuclear war.

You know, some light reading

And perfect holiday reading too.

The book I'm currently reading is actually quite similar to your next book. It's "The Great Halifax Explosion" by John U. Bacon.

There's a few new books out on the subject this year, as Dec 6th will be the 100th anniversary of the 2 ships colliding, which caused the explosion that resulted in a large portion of the city destroyed and thousands of people killed or injured.

It's not light reading, but at the same time tells of how people around the world, particularly Boston, quickly came to the city's aid.

 

[Margret]

Well, I gave up and bought The Devil and Lee Fontana in electronic format at full price. I haven't read it yet, obviously. At least on this one, full price for the ebook is quite similar to the price of a used paper book at ThriftBooks, so I don't feel too guilty about it. (Of course, I always feel at least a little guilty when I spend money to feed my reading addiction, but not enough to stop doing it .)

I'm probably off until this evening. The DVR is getting full again and I need to use the computer and the HonesTech VHS to DVD to copy some of those good movies I recorded to the external hard drive so I can delete them from the DVR. (The HonesTech is the best thing I've ever bought on eBay. It's coming in very handy.)

Margret

 

[Margret]

See my review at Do You Read Books Featuring Cats?

Margret

 

[jcat]

Next up is Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann | PenguinRandomHouse.com

This book deserved the great reviews it got. I can recommend it to anybody interested in Native American history and/or true crime.

This weekend's before-bed reading was Chancer: How One Good Boy Saved Another by Donnie Kanter Winokur

It was about the first service dog trained to help a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders.

 

[Margret]

Well, I gave up and bought The Devil and Lee Fontana in electronic format at full price. I haven't read it yet, obviously. At least on this one, full price for the ebook is quite similar to the price of a used paper book at ThriftBooks, so I don't feel too guilty about it.

I meant, of course, The Cat, The Devil, and Lee Fontana. I hate being forgetful.

Margret

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I was just going to comment that you left out the most important part...THE CAT!

There's a series out about a librarian with a Maine Coon named Diesel (so named for his incredible purr). I just finished Twelve Angry Librarians which is one of the series by Miranda James.

That is the Cat in the Stacks series, and I love it. I still have to get the last two. She also writes a companion series, The Southern Ladies series, featuring two very redoubtable octogenarian sisters and their pets, an Abyssinian and a dog. Um...I can't remember what kind of dog...looks like a Labradoodle or a Wheaten Terrier...anyhow, the ladies are friends with the librarian, and actually obtained their own pets while baby-sitting Diesel.

 

[Winchester]

I really enjoyed Twelve Angry Librarians. The library doesn't have any more of the series in ebooks.

Library e-books

Art of the Pie - Kate McDermott (Everything you ever wanted to know about pies and pie baking. I may need this in hardback)
Stiff Competition - Annalise Ryan (I think I may have already read this)
Unpunished - Lisa Black
Beach House for Rent - Mary Alice Monroe
Haunting Tales - Mary Downing Hahn (just finished and returned)

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'm currently re-reading a Jennifer Cruisie favorite, "Welcome to Temptation." I've read it at least a dozen times, and I still get the giggles!

 

[Katie M]

I've finished The Cold and the Dark. Now I've got to try (and no doubt fail) to avoid the news. This North Korea thing has me depressed

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Last night I started "The Cat, the Professor and the Poison," the second book in the "Cats in Trouble" series by Leann Sweeny, and I am enjoying it every bit as much as I did "The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse." I also have #'s 3-6 waiting for me, and #7 should be here any day.

 

[jcat]

I've just finished the first two "Cat in the Stacks" books and hope to get to the third today.

If you're familiar with Nathan Winograd and his no-kill advocacy, you might be interested in his latest work. It's available as a free download today:
Why PETA Kills – Nathan J Winograd

 

[Winchester]

Library e-books: Some cozy mystery reading material, more than anything

The Doll Master and Other Tales of Terror - Joyce Carol Oates
Tail Gait - Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
Wicked - Joanne Fluke
On Turpentine Lane - Elinor Lipman
Ghosts of Greenglass House - Kate Milford (more of a YA book, but I found the first one to be kind of interesting and thought I'd try this one)

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Still working on the Cats in Trouble mysteries! I really, REALLY like this series. The protagonist is charming, interesting and likeable, and her three cats are...cats. Real cats. With wonderful personalities that are totally rounded, all different. These cats are very smart, but they are "real cat" smart, not "Joe Grey" or "Midnight Louis" smart.