What Fiction are you reading this week, October 2, 2022?

[hermetic]

Reading Rebus: Long Shadows: The New Play, the stage debut for legendary detective John Rebus in a brand new, original story by Ian Rankin. "This haunting story takes Rebus to places he has never been before, sets him and his long-time foe on a collision course and takes us deeper into one of the most satisfying conflicts in modern fiction...this book is one Rebus fans will not want to miss out on." This is the actual rehearsal script for the stage play Rankin wrote a few years ago. Having worked in theatre for many years, I really enjoy reading plays. I would love to see it.

Listening to The Witches' Tree by M.C. Beaton. So far it is quite amusing. Except for the dead body, of course.
With Halloween coming up, this seemed like a good choice.

What are your book choices this week?

[cbabe]

1. Baldacci: 6:20 Man

Last edited Sun Oct 2, 2022, 12:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Military ranger blackmailed and recruited to a homeland security outfit.

Half way through with two writing quibbles:

Way too much repetition. I want to tell author: you said that three times which is two times to much.

Makes me wonder if the contract was pay by the word count.

Secondly, introspective soldier/dectective is cliche. And much better done by Nick Petrie and Michael Connelly, for starters.

I would be happy to wait for a new title after some strong editing. This title reads like a contract filling draft. Hard to suspend disbelief.

Reminded of Lee Child interview: Not necessary to list every stoplight and one way street in Manhattan. It’s boring and kills the plot. (paraphrase)

Edit:

Lee Child and Stephen King talk Jack Reacher

https://m.

[hermetic]

4. Paid by word count?

That's a question I often ask, too. Annoying and I like what Lee child said.

[bahboo]

18. I've given up on Baldacci...

not convinced he even writes all his books anymore...he puts out a LOT of content. The Camel Club series was outstanding, and then a former secret service agent whom I can't remember. But he had a character who was a lame copy of Jack Reacher, and that's when he lost me. In fact in one of the Reacher books (that I of course can't remember), there was a lame character named Baldacci. Wonder if that was in response....

[SheltieLover]

2. V.M. Burns' work. Great reads!

I spent the past week inhaling V.M. Burns' two series:

Mystery Bookshop in which Samantha & her two poodles, Snickers and Oreo encounter issues...

A Dog Club Mystery Series which focuses, in part, on dog shows and the people involved in them, as well as...well...the occasional corpse.

Both of these series are easy, fun (and funny!) Reads.  All with a bit of historical fiction mixed in.

Back to Ellery Adams & Fern Michaels when I finish up this series.

[hermetic]

6. Glad you are finding

so many new, enjoyable reads.

[SheltieLover]

8. Thx!

Running out of new reads makes me feel .

At least until I find new ones.



Ps - TY for this thread!

[Jeebo]

3. "The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin

The first book in a trilogy that won three Hugo awards, one for each volume. Because that's never happened before, I decided, maybe I'd better give it a chance, find out why. Only just barely started it.

-- Ron

[hermetic]

7. Someday

I hope to read that, too. Over a thousand 5 star reviews is a good indication...

[CrispyQ]

5. The Measure, by Nikki Erlick

from Good Reads

The Measure, by Nikki Erlick
snip...

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

An interesting premise. Overall, I enjoyed the story, although it seems human beings will never get past us vs them. There will always be a group who isn't happy unless they feel morally superior to the rest of us, so in that regard, I think the author nailed it.

I tried reading The Pallbearers Club, by Paul Tremblay, but 50 pages in & nothing had happened.

I love a good Halloween tale!

[hermetic]

9. That sounds interesting

Only just came out a few months ago. "..a sweeping, ambitious meditation on life, family, and society that challenges us to consider the best way to live life to the fullest."
Thanks!

[bif]

10. "The Stormchasers" by Jenna Blum

Decent read.

[hermetic]

11. Timely, eh?

A psychological thriller; it sounds kind of scary.

[bif]

17. It's pretty good

They're chasing tornados in the midwest.

[yellowdogintexas]

12. The Paper Magician. Finally got around to it; it has been in my Kindle for

quite a while. I picked it up on the Kindle Prime lending thing.

Have only just started it. It is book 1 in a 4 book series (so far); starting out good.

Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

From the imaginative mind of debut author Charlie N. Holmberg, The Paper Magician is an extraordinary adventure both dark and whimsical that will delight readers of all ages.

I did finish up the Dead End Job series. I think there may be a few more but they haven't shown up on my discount lists yet. I really enjoyed the quirky characters especially the residents in the Coronado Apartments.

[hermetic]

13. That sounds like fun.

Thanks.

[SheltieLover]

19. Sounds sort of Harry Potterish.

I'll give it a try.

Thx for sharing!

[Scrivener7]

14. Rereading Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon. Read it about 40 years ago, so it's new to me again.

Kind of corny after all these years, but I'm still enjoying it immensely.

Listening to The House of the Seven Gables. Strangely I've never read it, and there have been some Hawthorne books and stories that I have liked a lot. But this one! I keep thinking, "Nate! Dude! Get on with it!"

[hermetic]

15. Tryon-there's a name

I haven't heard in a long time. I remember reading The Other.

Harvest Home sounds like a good choice for Halloween: something far more sinister than the annual harvest is about to rise out of the earth.

[Scrivener7]

16. Bum bum buuuuuuuuuummmmmm!

[The King of Prussia]

20. The Julius House by Charlaine Harris

Went on a day trip to Chester this week, and picked up this one for 50 pence. As the country crashes and burns cosy mysteries are a distraction.. Next up I'm back to three pines.

[hermetic]

21. Ah, my friend

I hope something happens to prevent that. But who knows what's going to happen here, as well. Thank the gods we can find books to turn to. And I so wish we could all go live in Three Pines. I was almost there, once. Be brave. Stiff upper lip and all that.

[yellowdogintexas]

22. I met Charlaine Harris Saturday!

We were both at a TDW Hood County luncheon and I noticed her book on the silent auction table. Lady standing next to me said "She's here today, I will introduce you"

Really nice lady. Living now in Granbury Texas - and I met her at a Democratic Fundraiser

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

23. This Time Tomorrow

by Emma Straub.

Woman on the cusp of her 40th birthday suddenly finds herself transported back to the day of her 16th birthday. I'm about three-quarters through it, and so far really liking it.