What are you reading the week of January 22, 2012?

[DUgosh]

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

2012 - Book 16

[mvccd1000]

1. "Drifting Back" by Trevor Scott

Another one from the 99-cent rack on kindle; I don't know if it's available in hard copy, as well.

It (so far) involves the story of a guy who someone tried to assassinate, and the resulting bullet wound caused a sort of amnesia that has him wake up every day with no memory of his life before.

He has a beautiful wife by his side, but every picture of him and her is very recent, leaving the reader to wonder if she was REALLY there before the amnesia.

Not very far in to it, but it's interesting so far.

[fadedrose]

3. My library has no books by Scott

But MELCat has serveral. It usually takes a week or more...that stands for Michigan E-Catalog Library, I think. The books I reqested will come from 3 different libraries in this state. Cool, huh...

I ordered 2 of Scott's books - Boom Town (2006) and Burst of Sound (2008)....Tony Caruso, PI, in Oregon with a German-trained bomb-sniffing Giant Schnauzer.

Also requested the first Amos Walker, Motor City Blues (1980) and the first of Estleman's newer series, Frames (2008), about a film detective in LA...

I didn't check the ISBN's with Amazon, so I don't know if these are hardbacks or softcovers....

[fadedrose]

11. Somewhere you mentioned a brother

Does he live in Michigan? I wonder if he knows about MELCat.

Send him this link: http://elibrary.mel.org/ and there's also Interlibrary Loan Requests for out-of-state.

I'm 73 and didn't know about these till about 6 months ago, so maybe he doesn't know about them either...his local library will have this info.

Is it time for me to go to bed and mind my own business yet?

[mvccd1000]

13. Didn't end up to be anything spectacular...

... I'd say I finished it only because I started it.

Too bad, because it had an interesting premise and beginning. I'll probably give him at least one more shot before writing him off.

[fadedrose]

15. The ones I requested have a dog

Now how could I go wrong with a bomb-sniffing German-trained Giant Schnauzer?

[fadedrose]

47. Am reading Scott's BOOM TOWN (2006)

And it's not bad....He's a Navy guy, formerly in ordnance...

[NEOhiodemocrat]

2. Supervolcano: Eruption

By Harry Turtledove. One more chapter to go and then starting Tom Clancy's Locked On. Hey DUgosh, how do you underline the title? I can't figure it out. Thanks

[fadedrose]

5. Underlining and other stuff

Click the "u" button and you'll get a "u" in brackets. Then type what you want underlined. When you're done, click the "/u" button.

Title of Book

Title of Book

Title of Book

Title of Book

The "close tags" will end all of the gizmos when you want to keep typing other stuff....

"blockquote" will indent your sentences, hit it again, and it's back to normal.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

31. Thank you

I just don't feel right not underlining the title.

[fadedrose]

4. DEATH OF A CHARMING MAN (1994) by M. C. Beaton

Just finished this a while ago. It was exceptionally good.


Book 10 of the Hamish Macbeth series. Takes place in Scotland.

My 7th book this year..2012...

Not quite finished with Amos Walker: The Complete Short Story Collection (2010), but I'm getting there. It's due on the 1/25.

[DUgosh]

8. I've started reading Hamish

I really like him, I've only read some recent ones, I'm going to go back and catch up. He's an interesting guy.

[fadedrose]

9. Good for you.

The hardest part of reading Hamish is finding the old books. My library now seems to have what I want, but the early ones were a problem. Had to go thru MELCat and even one thru ILL whatever that is to get Death of a Snob from Kansas, I think. Worth waiting for, some funny parts in there...

Was looking thru Amazon thinking I might buy some really old ones for myself and the library, and found that they are expensive in any condition.

They are timeless. So glad there's so many in the series. Hamish and Charlie Moon are my favorite somewhat simple but lovable characters, both surrounded by somewhat dimwits...

For anyone else who might be interested, here's a link for Hamish:

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/B_Authors/Beaton_M-C.html

Oh, what's the most recent you've read? Maybe you're ahead of me.

[DUgosh]

19. More Hamish

I read Death of a Maid, Death of A Chimney Sweep over the weekend and I'm reading Death of A Witch right now. I've got Death of a Dreamer in my paperback library that I have not read yet.

[fadedrose]

21. Can I have a spoiler?

What's with Priscilla? Still around?

Argument in last book Charming, present book Nag she's away...

Am reading other books, and under normal circumstances, I'd really like them, but I keep missing Hamish....the only cure is to read them all

[DUgosh]

25. Hamish - Spoilers

As far as I can tell Priscilla and Elspeth have agreed that Hamish already has two jealous wives, Lugs and Sonsie.

[fadedrose]

26. Oh M'gawd

How does himself do it? Gits hissef in mair messes. Cain't wait ta catch up witit...

Thanks...

[DUgosh]

29. Aye, Tis True

I think we should toast to him with a wee bit of the creature.

[fadedrose]

33. Let's have a "pull" from this jug here.....nt

[MaineDem]

6. "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" but it's not Fiction

I read this years ago but it was recently a special on Audible. I'll be reading it (listening to it) for a long time.

[fadedrose]

10. Is Audible the same thing as a cassette?

My library has a bunch by M. C. Beaton, the author that DUgosh and I are discussing... Hamish Macbeth in one series, and Agatha Raisin in another....

[MaineDem]

12. Audible is a digital download

The same narration as on a cassette or CD but it's like downloading music.

[fadedrose]

14. Where do you do this?

At Amazon, library or where?

I don't use new technology for the most part, but like to know about it.

[MaineDem]

16. It has its own website

audible.com

You buy a subscription that allows you so many books per month. I usually buy more and they have sales all the time.

It downloads to itunes and I then load it on my Ipod or phone.

I think they still have an intro special where one can get two free books during a 14-day trial.

[DUgosh]

30. I've checked him out at the county library

Audio books using overdrive software, I put them in my ipod and listen in my sewing room.

[LARED]

7. 11/22/63 - Stephen King

[ohheckyeah]

18. That's on my list to read

but damn, it's $14.99 for the Kindle version. I think that's a ridiculous price so I'll wait till the price comes down or I can get it from the library.

[LARED]

22. I think it's worth the price or the wait

It's definitely one of his better books.

[ohheckyeah]

46. I'll check the library Kindle books site

and if it isn't available any time soon I may quit being so cheap and just buy it for my Kindle. I need something really good to read.

[russspeakeasy]

35. I hoped you enjoy it as much as I did. I got it from the library; when

I find it at a deep discount, I'll buy it and read it again.

[LARED]

39. I finished Tuesday night (late)

I would count it as one of his best. Definitely not the typically Stephen King book.

[MaineDem]

40. I loved it and I don't normally like his books

I like him personally a lot but I'm not a horror fan. This book was unlike anything he's done before, as much as I can tell.

[ohheckyeah]

17. I'm reading

A Heartbeat Away by Michael Palmer.

[JitterbugPerfume]

20. Arguably by Christopher Hitchens

thought provoking essays .

[russspeakeasy]

36. Let me know how you like it. I'm a fan.

[JitterbugPerfume]

37. I like it a lot

As far as I am concerned Hitchins is the best essayist of his generation.

[Kablooie]

23. Just finished "The Family Fang" by Kevin Wilson

Interesting book about two kids whose parents are performance artists and and constantly force the kids into their bizarre real world performances.

It becomes an intriguing mystery but then falls flat at the end by resolving the mystery in a rather simple, obvious manner and never quite unwraps all the tangled emotions in a fulfilling way.


Now I'm going to dig into FM 34-52 Intelligence Interrogation - Headquarters, Department of the Army

So I can pick up some tips on how to deal with teenagers.

[fadedrose]

27. That's a real publication...that there FM 34-52 etc.

Didn't know copies were available to the public...

Back to your book, tangled emotions never get unwrapped in a fulfilling way... almost never, unless, maybe, this torture manual provides some clues..

I put your underlined publication in Search and it came up with Wikipedia....I hope the Army doesn't send inspectors to investigate my need for their recipe book - I'm going to blame it on you......you can never tell who's watching...

[TomClash]

24. Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro

Not my genre usually, but I really liked it.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

28. Continuing with "No Name" by Willkie Collins as my purse book (it's long)

My current bedside book is "Dead Like You," by Peter James, one of my new favorite mystery writers.

[russspeakeasy]

32. "Capitol Punishment", by Jack Abramhoff

If you weren't cynical about how things get done in Washington, you will be. Betting millions on pre determined sporting events, because giving it directly violates finance laws.
I can't buy you a meal, but I can give you a restaurant...

It's ugly out there.

I'm not sure if I'm recommending this book or not. It's not for the easily depressed.

[TBF]

42. I haven't read it -

but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. I worked in legal support (large Washington DC law firms) for 10 years and saw enough there to become very cynical. I'm generally a pretty optimistic person and try to keep a positive spirit day to cay, but when it comes to politics I have little to hold on to anymore.

[russspeakeasy]

45. ain't it the truth ?

[fadedrose]

34. DEATH OF A NAG (1995) by M. C. Beaton

This is Book 11 of the Hamish Macbeth series...

My 8th of 2012....

[Paladin]

38. "The Marriage Plot" by Jeffrey Eugenides

About the adventures and mis-adventures of a group of Brown graduates in the early 80's. It's well-done and I'm enjoying it, although reading the first few pages took some getting used to: Eugenides seems to go in for really long sentences---multiple phrases, 30-40 words. Once you get into the rhythm, it flows well.....

[TBF]

41. The Immortalists by Kyle Mills

New author for me, reminds me a bit of Patterson. So far it's not bad - here's the blurb on it:

From Publishers Weekly
Crisp writing and plotting lift this medical thriller from bestseller Mills (Darkness Falls). Brilliant microbiologist Richard Draman has the most personal of reasons to find a cure for the rare disease progeria. The ailment, which radically accelerates the aging process, has afflicted his eight-year-old daughter, Susie. Given the extremely modest numbers of its victims, research funding is always at a premium, but Draman has managed to hold things together at his lab near Baltimore. The precariousness of the Dramans' lives is exacerbated when Troy Chevalier, the widower of a scientific colleague, asks for help investigating his wife's death, officially ruled a suicide. Chevalier gives Draman a thumb drive with data she was working on, but Draman's first step to understand what's on it leads to his arrest for industrial espionage. Things only get worse from there as the threats escalate to violence aimed at Draman and his loved ones. The plot may lack originality, but the ingenuity of the beleaguered protagonist, plus booster shots of realism, make this an enjoyable read.

[mvccd1000]

43. I like Mills

Definitely pick up his book "Fade" if you get a chance... it's a fast-paced ride that reminded me of Stephen Hunter's "Point of Impact" in its intensity.

[yellerpup]

44. "The Last of the Pascagoula" by Rebecca Meredith

I meant to read it over the holidays but got too busy to settle in with it. I like the author and the prose is lively with very original similes and a big dose of Southern atmosphere. I'll get back to it today.