The Golden Egg by Donna Leon - I love these stories about Commissario Brunetti. They flow along so gently. In the course of his investigations, Brunetti must maneuver the corrupt politics of Venice. He has the help of his superior's secretary and a few of the officers under him. The stories are as much about his home life with his wife and two children as they are the mystery. This time he investigates the supposed suicide of a special needs man while having to seem not to do so.
4 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chat by Archer Mayor - Joe Gunther investigates the maybe related deaths of two John Does while also looking into the car accident involving his mother and brother.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday's Gone by Nicci French - a disturbed woman is discovered serving tea in her living room to a man who has been dead for at least 2 weeks. Psychiatrist Frieda Klein is brought in by the police to help investigate. This really had a lot of twists and turns and kept me going - I had no idea who did it.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman - a first novel and the first book I've read on my laptop. Small town police corruption that goes back generations and is discovered after a policeman commits suicide and his wife is left wondering what went wrong.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She Left Me the Gun:My Mother's Life Before Me by Emma Brockes - the author's mother had a horrible upbringing that she never talked about. After her death Emma travels to South Africa to discover the story.
4 stars
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
June 16-22, 2013
The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo - a Harry Hole (pronounced hula) book. The frustrating thing about foreign language books is that they are often not published in English in the order they were written. So this was a little confusing since it referenced events I haven't read yet. Also, I found the beginning of the book very disjointed and sometimes couldn't tell which character was being written about. About halfway through, I put the book down thinking I wouldn't finish it. I gave it another chance and am glad I did as I thought it improved in the last half. In fact I would have given it 4 stars if not for the beginning.
3 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lethal Investments by K. O. Dahl - another Norwegian author. This was a murder mystery that ended up being about an investment scandal and I couldn't follow all the finance stuff. Rather depressing and too much nudity. Would be R if a movie. I don't think I'll read anymore of this series.
2 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judgement Call by J.A. Jance - one of her Joanna Brady novels. I was starting to worry about this author when I couldn't finish her last book. Maybe because it was a different series. The mystery part was good and I figured it out right along with Joanna. I'm very tired of her difficult mother though. If Joanna was talking about her on a forum we would all encourage her to cut off contact.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson - the 8th Walt Longmire book. I thought this was the weakest book in the series so far. Not as much humor and again, more Indian mysticism.
3 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus tv review
I just finished the first season of the Longmire series on tv. After the first episode I realized if I was going to enjoy the show I would have to let go of everything in the books. Only the Longmire character is right except for being too young. Instead of saying at the beginning of the show, based on, it should say very loosely based on. I like the show but not nearly as much as the books.
3 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lethal Investments by K. O. Dahl - another Norwegian author. This was a murder mystery that ended up being about an investment scandal and I couldn't follow all the finance stuff. Rather depressing and too much nudity. Would be R if a movie. I don't think I'll read anymore of this series.
2 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judgement Call by J.A. Jance - one of her Joanna Brady novels. I was starting to worry about this author when I couldn't finish her last book. Maybe because it was a different series. The mystery part was good and I figured it out right along with Joanna. I'm very tired of her difficult mother though. If Joanna was talking about her on a forum we would all encourage her to cut off contact.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson - the 8th Walt Longmire book. I thought this was the weakest book in the series so far. Not as much humor and again, more Indian mysticism.
3 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus tv review
I just finished the first season of the Longmire series on tv. After the first episode I realized if I was going to enjoy the show I would have to let go of everything in the books. Only the Longmire character is right except for being too young. Instead of saying at the beginning of the show, based on, it should say very loosely based on. I like the show but not nearly as much as the books.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
June 9-15, 2013
The Second Mouse by Archer Mayor - another in the Joe Gunther series. An apparent suicide may be murder and leads to criminals engaged in other crimes. Not quite as good as the previous book, I do get tired of Willy Kunkle.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Divergent by Veronica Roth - another dystopian young adult book. Society is divided into five factions - at the age of 16 everyone must decide which faction they will choose. Tris makes a surprising choice and learns things are not as they seem. First in a series - the second is out and titled Insurgent.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson - a Walt Longmire book. This time Walt is mostly alone as he tracks escaped criminals up a mountain in a snow storm. Quite a bit of mysticism this time.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Informationist by Taylor Stevens - a female heroine in the mode of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The setting is Africa, which is what made the book interesting to me. Somewhat repetitious.
2 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - a coming-of-age too soon story. Five deaths occur one summer in a small town in Minnesota and they profoundly affect Frank and his family.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talk to the Hand by Lynne Truss - a lament about everyday rudeness.
3 stars
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Divergent by Veronica Roth - another dystopian young adult book. Society is divided into five factions - at the age of 16 everyone must decide which faction they will choose. Tris makes a surprising choice and learns things are not as they seem. First in a series - the second is out and titled Insurgent.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson - a Walt Longmire book. This time Walt is mostly alone as he tracks escaped criminals up a mountain in a snow storm. Quite a bit of mysticism this time.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Informationist by Taylor Stevens - a female heroine in the mode of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The setting is Africa, which is what made the book interesting to me. Somewhat repetitious.
2 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - a coming-of-age too soon story. Five deaths occur one summer in a small town in Minnesota and they profoundly affect Frank and his family.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talk to the Hand by Lynne Truss - a lament about everyday rudeness.
3 stars
Sunday, June 9, 2013
June 2-8, 2013
St. Albans Fire by Archer Mayor - another Joe Gunther mystery and better than the last couple I've read. This time there is an actual mystery - someone is setting fires to cattle barns. I think the reason I enjoyed this one more is that it was mostly Joe Gunther and not all the other peripheral characters.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Above All Things by Tanis Rideout - a fictionalized account of George Mallory's attempt on Mt Everest. It alternates between the mountain climb and a day in the life of his wife back home. It did leave me wondering why anyone would have attempted the climb with such primitive equipment. And now I'm going to be looking for an account about the sherpas.
4 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Innocent, A Broad by Ann Leary - her account of the surprise arrival of her son at 27 weeks while she and her husband, Denis Leary, are in England for a weekend. I really like the way she writes.
4 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult - an elderly man tells his new acquaintance a secret. Now she is forced to decide what to do about it. Told from different viewpoints and timelines.
4 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks - Budo is the imaginary friend of Max, an autistic boy. When Max is in danger, Budo must rescue him in spite of the fact no one can see or hear him. I loved this book. The observations Budo makes about Max's parents and the other adults around them are quite interesting. My heart was really pounding near the end. Just the kind of quirky and different book I like. If anyone else reads this I would like to know what your thoughts are on the last page.
5 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane edited by Nathan C Green - this is a compilation of news articles and eyewitness accounts of the hurricane published in 1900. I found myself almost distracted by the language and style of writing. Still interesting though.
3 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson - another Walt Longmire book. This time there are nefarious doings at the junkyard. Most of the criminals aren't very bright. Quite a few twists and turns before everything is figured out.
3 stars
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Above All Things by Tanis Rideout - a fictionalized account of George Mallory's attempt on Mt Everest. It alternates between the mountain climb and a day in the life of his wife back home. It did leave me wondering why anyone would have attempted the climb with such primitive equipment. And now I'm going to be looking for an account about the sherpas.
4 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Innocent, A Broad by Ann Leary - her account of the surprise arrival of her son at 27 weeks while she and her husband, Denis Leary, are in England for a weekend. I really like the way she writes.
4 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult - an elderly man tells his new acquaintance a secret. Now she is forced to decide what to do about it. Told from different viewpoints and timelines.
4 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks - Budo is the imaginary friend of Max, an autistic boy. When Max is in danger, Budo must rescue him in spite of the fact no one can see or hear him. I loved this book. The observations Budo makes about Max's parents and the other adults around them are quite interesting. My heart was really pounding near the end. Just the kind of quirky and different book I like. If anyone else reads this I would like to know what your thoughts are on the last page.
5 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane edited by Nathan C Green - this is a compilation of news articles and eyewitness accounts of the hurricane published in 1900. I found myself almost distracted by the language and style of writing. Still interesting though.
3 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson - another Walt Longmire book. This time there are nefarious doings at the junkyard. Most of the criminals aren't very bright. Quite a few twists and turns before everything is figured out.
3 stars
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)