Annie, I read an Alex Cross novel last month, too. I can't remember the name right now, but it was about paramilitary-types killing off drug gangs and got into some human trafficking, too.

I'm currently submerged in Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles. It's very long (nearly 700 pages) and a lot of it is about white supremacists murdering people they don't like (which is pretty much everybody). I've invested enough time to get through 400 pages so I guess I'll stick it out. I like his writing a lot, but the subject matter in this one is tough.

Donna

I just finished 'Same Beach, Next Year' by Dorothea Benton Frank. She's one of my favorite southern authors. Nothing heavy.

I read a few of Nora Roberts over the years but never really got into her books much. She has been prolific. Same with James Patterson - read many of his a long time ago but for some reason just quit.

Annie, have you ever read any of Lisa Scottoline? If you like mysteries you might like her books.

I've got to find a few to read for vacation coming up. I think I have a couple I've downloaded but got to be in the mood for something, iykwim.

Just started re-reading one of my favorite Pat Conroy books, "Beach Music".

I am sad knowing there will be no other books of his to look forward to.

Just started A Fine Romance by Susan Branch. The first two of this trilogy were wonderful!

I'm reading Slight of Hand by Kate Wilhelm. Never read her books before and I really like it.

OP, I like Lisa Scottoline's books a lot! I think I saw a new one out that I haven't read yet.

Donna

Donna, I haven't read one of hers in a while yet either, so maybe that's what I'll go look for.

Cashelmara and Penmarric, both by Susan Howatch and written in the 1970s. Spent the last couple of years reading everything by Daphne Du Maurier, her novels, her family bio written as a novel, and her diaries. Her cousins were the 'lost boys' in Peter Pan and JM Barrie is suspected by some of ruining their lives after ingratiating himself into the Du Maurier family. We'll never know until her remaining diaries are published fifty years after her death in 1989.

I just finished The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston. It is the nonfiction account of locating an ancient city in the jungle of Honduras. I enjoyed the book. My DH gave me a set of DuMaurier books as a gift one year. So far, I have only read Rebecca and should probably pick another one to read once I have finished with the first wave of the vegetable garden maintenance.

I have never read any of the works by the fruitful authors like Patterson and Roberts. It's part of the "Anything that's on the current best seller list is probably crap" side of me. Silly but there it is.

I finished Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather yesterday. Based on the true story of the first Roman Catholic bishop in the southwestern US. Wonderful imagery of the area and peoples. The NYT did a story about following the trails through the southwest that the bishop (Cather's version, anyway) describes.

Today I read Beacon 23 by Hugh Howey. Sci-fi. I liked it but the fact that I read a 240(?) page book in a day tells you how "deep" it was. It was a enjoyable read, still.

Next up is A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh.

Edited to fix a couple of "oops".

Roses, I have a streak like that, too. For instance, I refuse to read or watch anything Harry Potter. I dislike fantasy stuff like that anyway, but the main reason is because my Sis IL has been insisting for years that "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!" :)

Donna

I am on the last few pages of Hamilton-it is a long book. I am now looking for something light and not too long. Suggestions welcomed.

May is probably my busiest month every year so don't have as much time to spend reading unfortunately! I think when I last posted, I had just started The Coyote's Bicycle: The Untold Story of 7000 Bicycles and the Borderland Empire. A friend had read it and given the hot topic of illegal immigration, I thought it would be an interesting read. Some of it was eye opening and interesting, but it jumped around a bit and I had a hard time following it. I think I would have enjoyed it better if some of it had been edited out.

After that, at the recommendation of a different friend, I read The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley. Some of it was hard to read (the father kills several people) but it is really the story of a young girl and the relationship she has with her father as she comes to learn about her deceased mother. It was a nice change of pace from all the historical fiction I seem to have read lately!

Along the lines of historical fiction, I just finished up an advanced copy of Where the Light Falls that I won in a Goodreads Giveaway. It is written by the same author as Sisi: Empress on her Own, a historical figure that was discussed in another thread started by Oakley. This latest novel takes place during the French Revolution, a time in history I haven't read about in my leisure reading. I'd say it was average - I love Alison Pataki's writing style but the plot was a bit, eh.

I have just about to start The Dry by Jane Harper, a debut author. It's a mystery/thriller that is set in Australia. I can't remember where I heard about it, but it got good reviews and seems to be popular at my library as I was on the wait list for it for about a month.

Shopping 101 - Several years ago I read all of Kate Wilhelm's books that featured Barbara Holloway and much enjoyed them. Barbara's cross-examination of prosecution witnesses can be thrilling! We have family in Eugene OR and have spent a fair amount of time there, and I had someone take me to visit City Hall and the courtrooms where she did her trials, even including walking through the parking lot. We also think we found the neighborhood where her father lives, as I love their relationship and the rich descriptions of his home, cooking, and cats.

My only "issue" with Wilhelm are her occasional endless descriptions of water rushing over rocks. Sometimes there are too many rocks and leaves and twigs! But - you are the first person I have seen online who has also read her!

Am currently reading The Extraordinary Life of Rebecca West, who wrote Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, a tour de force description of her journey through Yugoslavia before WW2. I made it to pg. 100 of that 1100 page book and needed a break, so took up West's biography instead. West's understanding of the Balkans is exhaustive and exhausting...

I set aside A Handful of Dust when a copy of the The Handmaid's Tale became available at the library. I was sure that I had read this book years ago but when a friend mentioned it a month or two ago I looked it up and found I hadn't read it. I was surprised to find there was long waiting list for it at the library (for a 30 YO book?). Only then did I discover that there was a current Hulu production of the story. Aha!

Highly recommend The Handmaids's Tale to those who haven't read it yet.

Returned to A Handful of Dust today. I don't know why I'm drawn to satirical British novels from the first half of the twentieth century. I couldn't make a steady diet of them but I do enjoy reading one or two a year.

I just finished Golden Prey by John Sandford and Aunt Dimity and The Widow's Curse by Nancy Atherton. I like the Aunt Dimity books as they are cozy mysteries, but not overly sweet.

I've been reading Nora Roberts since I was a teenager. I think two of her best books are The Witness and The Search, both relatively new. I don't like most of her trilogy type books.

I was on vacation and took Angle of Repose with me which I mentioned in our May thread. It was a long, long, long book. I was determined to read it because the author was so highly touted and the book itself was a Pulitzer Prize winner. It was very interesting (but long- so long too long) and I pretty much forced myself to complete it. It wasn't a difficult read but it went all over the place and time with frontier west to 1970's and all sorts of fascinating bits. I kind of feel like I need to now read an explanation or discussion of the book.

After that, I had the Curious Case of Benjamin Button as a freebie on my kindle- never saw the movie. What a delight and quick(and short! what a feeling of accomplishment:) read. I so enjoyed it.

Not sure what is up next now that I am home.

Freakonomics (Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner) -it's an easy and entertaining book.

Lilac Girls (Martha Hall Kelly) - even though I vowed no more WWII books, I enjoyed it. Follows three women during WWII, and is based on real people and situations.

The Girl in the Red Coat (don't remember the author) - there is an egregious plot point that ruined the whole book. I don't understand how it made it through editing.

Razor Girl (Carl Hiaasen) - typical Hiassen stuff, perfect for plane reading since it doesn't require paying close attention.

I just started "Before the Fall" by Noah Hawley and it's hard to put down. I'm purposely not reading any reviews and just seeing where and how it goes.

I've been on a reading binge! I always have about 20 books on hold at the library, but as most have waiting lists, I suspend the holds, and usually will cancel the suspension on one or two as I get to the top of the wait list. The problem with my library website though is that you put in an end date for the suspension but once you enter it, you then can't see when it ends! So I usually put it for like 6 months, then every once in a while, will add a new suspension date if I still haven't read the book. Well apparently, I forgot to update all my books and at the beginning of June, I got an email that I had 14 books come in at once! I already had two books out, plus two e-books checked out. I know I won't get to all of them before they are due back and some can't be renewed b/c they have wait lists. But here is what I've read in June (thankfully, I was headed on a beach vacation right after they all came in):

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. While I felt like this book could have been about 75 pages shorter by cutting out some unnecessary detail, it was a fascinating story. The novel is about a Jewish family from Poland during WWII who all get separated during the war and what happens to them over the course of about 7-8 years. It is based on the author's own family - she had no idea until she worked on a school project about her grandfather's past and that eventually led to her embarking on an incredible journey to find out about his family. There are a lot of family members in the story, so at times it can be confusing and a bit disjointed, but I did enjoy it.

The Lost Girls by Heather Young. Family mystery set on a lake in Minnesota. This was a quick read - fairly dark story about a dysfunctional family. Good beach read.

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. Interesting story that is sort of a coming of age story about a girl growing up in a small farm town in Colorado during WWII. A Japanese internment camp is built on the outskirts of town which causes quite a bit of friction with the town. This got mixed reviews but I really liked it.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See. This is her latest novel. I read a couple of her other books, including Snowflower and the Secret Fan which I loved! This one did not disappoint though it is set both in China and the US (later in the story). I did not care for the US parts as they felt a bit contrived. Most of it takes place in China, in a subculture that I found very interesting. Parts of it are not easy to read based on some of the cultural traditions. My mother did not like it and put it down after several chapters, but I liked it for the most part.

The Dry by Jane Harper. Debut murder/suspense that takes place in a rural community in Australia. I thought it was well-written and fairly fast paced.

Next up is A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout about a woman who backpacks around the world and ends up being abducted in Somalia, where she spends over a year in captivity. I don't recall where I heard about this book but I'm starting it today!

A Handful of Dust was wonderful. That's why I continue to read those satirical novels.

I then read The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. Superb.

A more modern book next: The Pearl That Broke its Shell by Nadia Hashimi.

Fun2B-I just received Golden Prey in the mail-I have all the Sanford series-including the Kidd and Virgil Flowers series, but I didn't have the very first one-Rule of Prey, so I went looking for it on Amazon and ordered Golden Prey while I was at it. I started on Rules last night and I think I'm going to read all the Prey books in order this summer and finish up with Golden Prey. I can reread Sandford, Cornwell and Stephen King over and over.

I just finished Obsession in Death by JD Robb (nora roberts) and it was not very good and not very interesting. I'm going to try a Nora Roberts book "The Obsession" next to see if it's any different. Part of my "read some very popular author you've never read before" effort. So far, it's left me flat.

We were on vacation last week, so I finished John Grisham's latest, Camino Island, which I enjoyed very much. It's a bit less serious than some of other novels and was a lot of fun. Then I finished a Lisa Scottoline murder mystery that is a part of the Rosato and DeNunzio series and have started another in that series. Light reading but enjoyable enough. I had also brought along a couple of magazines that I don't get to read much in detail (one a gardening mag and the other running).

I just read The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. About a family of siblings who are anticipating an inheritance, and well, things get complicated. Liked it but wish it would have been longer and reached more of a conclusion!

Then I read The One in A Million Boy by Monica Wood which was chosen by a neighbor for our neighborhood book group. Reminded me a bit of A Man Called Ove.

I am now reading Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. Can't wait to see how it ends!

I believe all three of these were debut novels by their respective authors.

About to start Bridge of San Luis Rey- thank you rosesstink for mentioning it. When I saw that is was a little book that really clinched the deal. I love catching up on all these books from the past.

"Next up is A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout about a woman who backpacks around the world and ends up being abducted in Somalia, where she spends over a year in captivity. I don't recall where I heard about this book but I'm starting it today!"

I read it a few years ago-you may have already discovered it but this book, for me, was very difficult to read. She endured horrible captivity conditions, sexual torture and rape that was almost unimaginable; the title refers to what she did mentally and spirtually to survive (imagining herself in that house in the sky instead of what was being done to her). I can't say it wasn't a well written book but it is definitely a haunting and very very dark story.

I just finished a memoir/meditation about marriage-Hourglass by Dani Shapiro. I would recommend this very highly, she writes with a great depth and understanding about what it's like to have built a long term marital relationship including the secret world we form as a couple, the ups and downs, the joys of creating a life together. Shapiro is very much part of the literary world so she weaves in a lot of depth of quotes and anecdotes.

About to start The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley which has gotten rave reviews, and also Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout which is a sort-of sequel to My Name is Lucy Barton. I've very much enjoyed all her books so hopeful this will be another good read.

And just for summer escapism, I've become addicted to the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt. The eponymous central character is a lawyer who owns a much loved dog and basically saves whoever he is defending in each novel from being convicted of murdering someone even though the client has mountains of evidence stacked against him/her. The plots are pretty standard but the books are hilarious and there is as always in these kinds of books a cast of supporting characters that appear in each adventure. I'd start with the first book and if you like it, you've got yourself enough beach and porch reading for the whole summer!

I just finished The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman. It's a stunningly beautifully written book and I highly recommend it.

Not many new posts in the thread but I enjoy reading about what others are reading so I'll keep up with my list/posts.

I finished The Pearl That Broke Its Shell tonight. What a stunning book. The story of two Afghani women, several generations apart, who faced similar challenges. Makes my blood boil to think/know that women were, and are, treated so badly. However, you have to know that evil exists before you can destroy it. Work towards equality for all women, my friends.

I finished Obsession by Nora Roberts. It was more enjoyable than the JD Robb book. It was standard fare but just interesting enough to keep it going. I think I'm done with the genre though....

I started Inheriting Edith which looks like it will be a fun read. After that, I'll be reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls which got high ratings on goodreads. I see it will be made into a movie this year.

I'm just now reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. Interesting read.

Running, I must have missed your post last week b/c I just noticed you commented on A House in the Sky. While I thought her story very interesting (and yes, definitely dark and hard to read what she endured), I did find myself completely annoyed with her reckless and naive behavior that took her to some of the most dangerous places in the world. It was coincidental that I happened to read the book right when Otto Warmbier was released and later died. I know there has been a lot of press and talk on social media about his choice to travel to N. Korea so it was a bit weird that I happened to be reading her memoir at the same time. But that said, what she experienced during her captivity and how she managed to survive it is beyond imagination.

Only, I read A Marriage of Opposites last year. It's the first and only Alice Hoffman novel I've read but I really enjoyed the story and setting. I've been meaning to read The Dovekeepers but I know it's long so I just haven't picked it up yet.

I'm in a bit of a lull right now after reading 6 books in June. I'm leaving for a week at the beach on Saturday so plenty of reading for me. I'm trying to compile a list of books to take with me. Nothing I currently have on my nightstand is calling out my name.

I'm reading a book! "The Life we Bury". Haven't read much of it yet and it may take me a month to read it, but so far I really like the style/wording of the author.

4kids, The Marriage of Opposites was the first of her books I've read, too. I was not familiar at all with the life of Camille Pissaro, so found the story not only wonderfully told but it was educational and enlightening to me, as well. I've had The Museum of Extraordinary things on my list for a long time and I'll check out the Dovekeepers, too.

I finished Siracusa, by Delia Ephron.. interesting book about relationships; marital, friendship and parental.

After Her by Joyce Maynard.. loosely based on the 'trailside killer' mass murders in northern California in the early 80's. Very engrossing.

The Returned by Jason Mott. I guess they made a TV series out the book. I didn't watch it but I enjoyed the book.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. After I read the Handmaid's Tale and enjoyed Atwoods writing so much, I found this book. She certainly has a pessimistic view of the future. It's a chilling story about the end of civilization.

I'm currently reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It's very good but a hard read about difficult subject matter.

I finished both Anything is Possible and The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley and while both were well written both were also pretty dark/depressing. I was disappointed with Anything is Possible in particular because unlike Olive Kittredge, the stories only tangentially related the characters to each other, and there was no thread of warmth and hope that I could discern--everyone was living pretty miserable lives. The Twelve Lives etc is this summer's literary/thriller hit and while I gobbled it down, after finishing it I"m not sure I really found enough there there to make it worthwhile.

I started reading Shattered, which covers the Hillary Clinton campaign and quit after the first chapter. Just too much detail and endless minutiae about internal power plays and office politics in the campaign. And then too, I know the ending already and it still depresses me ;). Decided I don't need a several hundred page recap of that, thankyouverymuch.

czarinalex - Margaret Atwood is, indeed, a wonderful writer. Oryx and Crake was the first in the MaddAddam series. I think the others are even better so encourage you to move on to The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam. She has written so many wonderful books. I have never been disappointed by a Margaret Atwood novel.

While perusing the "classics" shelf at the library (Ignoring the Dickens and Faulkner. I might read another Faulkner novel someday but I have no time left in my life for Dickens.) I spotted a book (and author) I'd never heard of - The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macauley. Hmm. Why not, right? So far, so good!

Tina, I read The Life We Bury a few years ago for a book club (also read House in the Sky for that one too). I don't remember too much about The Life We Bury but I do remember it was a very good story and I enjoyed it.

Currently I am having a tough time reading. Although I love reading, I just am not doing it too much. So the little book The Bridge of San Luis Rey which has 10 more pages to finish will probably take me few more days to complete because other than reading it (and enjoying it!!) while DH was having a procedure a few days ago, I have yet to open it. Life is very hectic and when I have a few minutes instead of opening a a book, I am surfing the web. Oh well.

And to comment to rosesstink- I read one Faulkner book last year and don't know that I could do another (though I guess I should try) . I feel the opposite way about Dickens and Faulkner!. That's what makes the world go round....

After I finish The Bridge of San Luis Rey I am going to read Winnie the Pooh. True fact-----

I have never read it.

sheila - So glad that you are enjoying The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Sometimes a short book is just what we need. Don't read another Faulkner if you don't want to. I probably won't. (which one did you read?) When DH saw that I was reading Faulkner last year his only comment was "The only good thing I can say about Faulkner is that it's not Dickens." I mostly concur. I have tried so hard to like Dickens but I just can't. As you said - the world goes round.

I have never read Winnie the Pooh either. Enjoy!

"I have tried so hard to like Dickens but I just can't." I totally understand that, and feel a bit guilty about it, but life is too short, especially when you are a geezer, to force yourself to read something just because you "should".

Just finished The Swans of Fifth Avenue, by Melanie Benjamin, a novel with many accurate details about Truman Capote and his collection of beautiful, fashionable, very wealthy women in Manhattan. I would only recommend this to someone interested in Truman and familiar with a few of the women - e.g. Babe Paley - because otherwise it is just a look at obscene wealth, endless gossip, and Truman's neuroses. Actually, it is a cautionary tale and a tragedy. Pretty good writing, though.

Now, based on recommendations here, I've begun reading Memoirs of a Geisha, and it is very promising. Beautifully written, and am hoping that this little girl eventually finds her own true self.

Re Dickens, it's probably helpful to keep in mind that novelists were the hit tv show runners of their day. Dickens released his books in chapters and people would go nuts waiting for the next installment--and that also meant the books needed to create entire worlds as well as plotlines. So for a modern reader, that style of florid long winded descriptive writing can be daunting, boring or off putting for sure.

Sable, agree with you about Swans. I started it but put it down pretty fast; that whole rarified female rat pack Game of Thrones in capris and pearls crowd isn't too interesting to me ;).

Yeah, back then they couldn't afford whole books, so they bought them a chapter at a time...the soap operas of the day. If the book was popular, they kept it going on and on so people would keep buying. I read Vanity Fair a couple of years back, and you could tell the chapters ended as "cliff hangers".

I am currently reading The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley. It's well written but not really a page turner.

I am working very long hours right now (and probably through the summer) so I'll be picking up something light and fun next.

Has anyone read this?

I finished reading Inheriting Edith and it was an easy go. Interesting enough. It's for our book discussion group.

Next up: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

"Sable,
agree with you about Swans. I started it but put it down pretty fast;
that whole rarified female rat pack Game of Thrones in capris and pearls
crowd isn't too interesting to me ;)." Perfect description!

I loved Truman Capote and found him such a fascinating person, so was excited to hear of this book. I reserved it from the library and pretty much did the same as Runninginplace...put it down pretty fast. Just not my thing. Not even for Truman.

"Not even for Truman." LOL. I did stick with it to the bitter end, aware of the sadness that was to come, and I appreciated that Benjamin wrote non-judgmentally about her characters. The part that I most enjoyed was Truman's planning and giving his black-and-white gala at the Plaza. I know that it was a splurge-for-the-rich, but still it fascinated me, especially the descriptions of the Kansan lead detective on the Clutter case and his wife, whom Truman flew out to NYC and put up at the Plaza. The detective's wife was dressed to the nines and all agog at the ball, and was thrilled to learn the next day that the charming young man who had asked her to dance and whirled her around the dance floor was Rudolph Nureyev! When T.C. was in a mood to make nice things happen he did it with flair!

I am another one who quickly gave up on "Swans."

I'm close to half way through "Gone Girl". I thought it started out pretty good (though I didn't think I'd like the switching back & forth between him in real time and her in the past) but now I'm finding it's dragging a bit. I'll stick with it a while longer.

Donna