What Fiction are you reading this week, Feb 14, 2021?

[hermetic]

Many thanks for all the sweet hearts! Love you guys and gals.


I just started The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. So far I'm not terribly fond of the characters but I am charmed by the venue, that glass hotel. Also intrigued by the meaning of that odd message, or the reason for it. We shall see...

Listening to Claws for Concern by Miranda James. Again, I just started it but I expect this will hold my interest being as it involves libraries and cats, two of my favorite things.

What are your favorite books this week, valentines? Hope you have a happy day (in spite of..you know ).

[Atticus]

1. "California Gold" by John Jakes. nt

[hermetic]

3. That was a big best-seller

"Riveting...CALIFORNIA GOLD strikes pay dirt....This sweeping epic is a dynamite tribute to the sheer pluck of one man who scorns all obstacles."
I did have to laugh, though, reading the review. It says, "the great historical figures like William Randolph Hearts..." Is it spelled like that in the book or was that a spellcheck helper in the review?

[Alpeduez21]

2. The Baby Sitters Club

to my daughter at bedtime.

[hermetic]

5. Fun!

[northoftheborder]

4. Just finished 2nd book by Lisa Patton, Yankee Doodle Dixie

A fun light story, purely entertaining and funny. Downloaded the Glass Hotel, haven't started, looks like a heavy tome.

[hermetic]

8. Physically it's 300 pages

Literary-wise it seems rather light. I just skip right along through it, so far. It has nice descriptions.

[northoftheborder]

6. Thanks Hermetic, for keeping this book thread going...

It's fun to learn about new books, and people's opinions......

[hermetic]

9. And thank you

for showing up and participating. Much appreciated. I, too, love learning about new books.

[The King of Prussia]

10. "The Mermaid's Scream" by Kate Ellis.

My favourite mystery series, set in South Devon.

Got my reading mojo back so finished 4 others this week:
"Death in the Dordogne" by Martin Walker,
"The Night Hawks" by Elly Griffiths,
"Red Bones" by Ann Cleeves, and
"Death at The Seaside" by Frances Brody.

Next up... not sure - I keep thing I should try a Bronte but I always bottle it.

Otherwise, still waiting to be vaccinated. Could be this month.

Look after yourselves. We're getting there.

[hermetic]

12. Alright!

Lots of new food for thought. Good job over there.

[Bleacher Creature]

11. The literally just started The Glass Hotel this morning!

Hope it's good.

[hermetic]

13. Yeah, me too

Thanks.

[rzemanfl]

14. The second book in the "Last Kingdom" series by Bernard Cornwall.

Last edited Sun Feb 14, 2021, 06:41 PM - Edit history (2)

The Pale Horseman. I read for a while, then watch the Netflix series until it catches up to where I am in the book. It's sort of fun. Massively violent in a Dark Ages way. There are 13 books in the series. Netflix has four seasons of eight to ten episodes so far, with a fifth season expected to be released in 2022.

[hermetic]

16. Sounds like a fun thing to do

Enjoy!

[Number9Dream]

23. I finished "Sword Song", the fourth book in the series. Enjoyed all so far.

None of my local libraries have the fifth or sixth books, so I'm kinda stalled. BTW, it is the "Last Kingdom" series.

[rzemanfl]

28. Thank you. I am a poor proofreader. n/t

[rzemanfl]

30. I have been using Overdrive and my Kindle.

Paperbacks are pricey on eBay, but once one is done with them they can probably be resold at close to the same price. I will look into this further and let you know what I find.

[rzemanfl]

31. My library has the entire series in book or digital format and more

seasons of the video series. So I am in good shape. If I were in your shoes, I would buy the books you need used and resell them when you're done with them.

[birdographer]

15. Lock & Key

Just started this book yesterday--Lock & Key by Gordon Bonnet. It showed up on BookBub back in 2018 and my husband got it. He finally got around to reading it last month and said I would like it (shared family Kindle library). It's great so far! Time travel with humor, sort of in the Chronicles of St. Mary style, though it's just one guy.

[hermetic]

18. Oh wow

"A mind-bending journey through time... Vikings, a depressed Norwegian silversmith, an insane highwayman, a cult that believes in salvation through pain, a beautiful Hebridean lass, and Archibald Fischer-the foul-mouthed, Kurt Cobain-worshiping Head Librarian of the Library of Timelines, where all of the possibilities that could ever happen are catalogued, tracked, and managed." This certainly sounds entertaining.

[SheltieLover]

17. Sentinel by Lee Child

Already finished a couple of days ago. Highly rec!

Also just finished Metzger's Dog by Perry. Hiaasen gave super review in introduction. An ok read - confusing at times.

Now about half through Laying Down the Paw. Great read.

[hermetic]

19. A Paw Enforcement Novel

By Diane Kelly. A tornado hits Forth Worth and there's looters and a violent street gang to be dealt with. And an unsolved murder. Sounds like never a dull moment in this one.

[birdographer]

20. Great series!

I somehow ended up with #6 in the series (BookBub recommendation?) and really enjoyed it. When I finished, I went back and downloaded the first one so I can learn more about how the characters got their start. That will most likely be my next book!

[SheltieLover]

27. Indeed!

[Ohiya]

21. Just finished The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

It was a fun read. Crime solvers in a retirement community make up the Thursday Murder Club. I'm about to start Murder by Milk Bottle by Lynn Truss another fun one I think!

[hermetic]

22. Good stuff

Another cozy series, by Truss, to seek out. Thanks.

[Number9Dream]

24. Finished "Unrestricted Access" by James Rollins. Great, as always.

This is a collection of short stories by Mr. Rollins. All the short stories in it are good. There are a couple Sigma stories, a very good Tucker Wayne / Kane story, and others. If you're a fan of James Rollins, you'll like this too.

[hermetic]

25. Hey thanks

I like to have a book of short stories on hand for when there's a bit of spare time but don't want to get into a book where I have to read up to the end of a chapter, if your know what I mean.
Good to see ya.

[japple]

26. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. I saw a review in Book Page. It sounded interesting.

So far so good. After finishing Emily St John Mandel's book, The Glass Hotel, I felt the need for something less complicated. I will be interested to read your reaction. Your initial comments coincide with my feelings about the book in general.

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

Thank you for the weekly thread, hermetic. Hearts to you!

[hermetic]

29. That does sound

like a must read. Thank you.