all your Reads in Here

It's Thursday! The end of the work week is in sight! I hope you're all reading good books (or in Glen's case, I hope he's reading books that he'll summarize with snarky one-liners that make us laugh.) I'm reading Cora Harrison's A Gruesome Discovery . It's a Reverend Mother mystery set in Cork, Ireland in the 1920s. Reverend Mother opens a trunk that has been delivered to the convent. It reeks, and, inside is the dead body of a well-to-do local businessman. I'm not far, only on page 58. But, I love this series for Reverend Mother, the history, and some of the recurring characters. What are you reading this week?

It's Thursday! Time to share what we've been reading this week. I'm just starting the fourth Reverend Mother mystery by Cora Harrison, A Gruesome Discovery . This is a fascinating historical series set in Cork, Ireland in the 1920s. Reverend Mother Aquinas is a prominent figure in the city. She came from a well-off family, and knows many of the people of Cork, from the wealthy to the poorest people whose children often attend the convent school. She taught a young woman who is one of the rebellious Republicans, and she taught an inspector with the Civil Guards. Unfortunately for me, I read the fifth book first, so I'll be finished with the series until a new one comes out. What are you reading this week? Any books you'd like to share with the rest of us?

I know. We're a day early, so I hope everyone finds the post and tells us what you're reading. Tomorrow is November 1, so Treasures in My Closet will be up. If I'd remembered last Thursday, I would have reminded everyone. I'm starting Jenny Colgan's Christmas on the Island , a novel set on a remote Scottish island. I finished the third in Heather Graham's recent Krewe of Hunters trilogy, Echoes of Evil . And, the real reason I read both of them? Susan Orlean is breaking my heart with her latest, The Library Book . I know it's going to get easier to read, but I found myself gasping and tearing up as I read the first 35 pages, the actual account of the fire at the LA Public Library. I was reading it on my lunch hour, and I was getting too choked up. I needed a couple novels. I'll get back to The Library Book . What are you reading this week? Would you share?

It's Thursday! Time to talk books (although I'm always willing to talk books). What are you reading today? By the time this posts on Thursday, I'll have read about fifty pages in Dean James' tenth Cat in the Stacks Mystery series. Six Cats A Slayin' is set in the Christmas season, as you can tell by the title. And, it has one of the best cat covers I've seen. David Rosenfelt has the best dog covers, in my opinion. As I write this, I don't have much to say except librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, take in five kittens who were left on the porch. Other than that, I know there are problems with Charlie's new neighbor. Since I don't like reading the book flaps because they give away too much of the mystery, that's all I know at the moment. What are you reading this week?  We're interested. And, for those of you who prefer dogs over cats, I've also posted the cover of Rosenfelt's new book, Deck the Hounds .

"On the road again." I'm actually traveling today and tomorrow, so I won't be around to discuss books. Instead, I'll be in the car for about 5 1/2 hours each way. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take up the challenge. Let others know what you're reading or listening to. Maybe you'll have a discussion here. I hope you do. I'd love to catch up with it on Friday evening. In the meantime, I'll leave you with an article. Jeff sent me the link from The New York Times for "12 Authors Write About the Libraries They Love". Of course, I found it moving. I hope you enjoy it.  https://nyti.ms/2QPSC9b I wish you a week of good reading!

At the time I'm writing this, I'm halfway through Mitch Albom's latest novel, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven . It's the sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven , who are the five people who have lessons to teach you when you arrive. I'll have finished it by the end of the evening. Overly sentimental, but I still had a few tears. But, I roared with laughter over Ron Charles' review of it in The Washington Post . Even if you have no interest in the book, you should check out the review if you want a good laugh.  https://wapo.st/2IOE7zI So, what are you reading this week? I have to admit, I have a couple meetings today, so I won't be checking as often as I'd like, but I'll catch up. Let us know what you've been listening to or reading.

I couldn't wait to share my new book with all of you! And, I'll probably be reading it for the rest of my life, but I won't post it every week - promise! I bought the new book by James Mustich, 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List . And, I've actually read some of the books in it! I'm a genre reader who reads for pleasure, not a literary reader. But, this book has not just classics, but children's books and popular titles. I just started it, but I've read two of the first seven titles. And, it has a checklist at the back so you can check what you've read. The author also includes referrals. Add this to the couple thousand books in my house, and I'm set for a couple lifetimes! It's also beautifully illustrated. Here's one paragraph from the Introduction. "And true readers talk and listen to one another, recommend and contend, make lists in the service of their search for another volume; it's all part of the dance o...

It's Thursday! Welcome, fellow readers! I love to hear from all of you!   I can't tell you a thing about my current book because I haven't yet started Craig Johnson's Depth of Winter at the time I'm writing this on Wednesday night. I'm going to start it. But, all I can really tell you is Walt Longmire is heading to northern Mexico to rescue his daughter who was kidnapped by the head of a drug cartel. I loved Johnson's last book, but I'm not fond of books featuring drug cartels, so we'll see. I'll give it a chance. What are you reading or listening to this week? A favorite author? Are you giving a chance to something different? I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

It's Thursday! Time to talk books, both here and on #AskaLibrarian on Twitter. My favorite day of the week! I just finished a book I'll review here on Saturday, but I loved it, and I think you might enjoy it, Glen, if you can find a copy (I'm taking my copy to my brother-in-law in a few weeks). It's called The Negotiator by Brendan DuBois. The Negotiato r is an unnamed narrator who admits he chose the dark path. He can look at items, though, and know what they're worth, so he acts as the in-between person for shady deals, for a price. Want to buy stolen jewels? A priceless book? A stolen painting? That's his job, until one of those jobs goes wrong. Now, he's out for revenge. Fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher or one of my favorites, King Con by Stephen Cannell, may like this one. So, what are you reading or listening to this week? I hope you enjoyed at least one of those books as much as I enjoyed mine.

Although I downloaded Bob Woodward's Fear , I haven't started it yet. I'm on deadline again (am I always saying that to you?), but I'm also still reading Juliet Blackwell's The Lost Carousel of Provence. My actual excuse is Bouchercon, and talking to Mom about Hurricane Florence. I hope all of you are safe or moving to higher ground. If you're away from the hurricane or other weather threats, what are you reading this week?

It's National Read a Book Day! For this Thursday group, every day is National Read a Book Day, isn't it? What are you reading today? I'm going to start a book at the airport while I'm waiting to fly to St. Petersburg for Bouchercon. I can tell you two of the books I packed. (Nothing like packing books to go to a crime fiction conference.) I have Juliet Blackwell's  The Lost Carousel of Provence about a photographer who explores a chateau and its antique carousel to find its history, and might reunite a family by bringing the past to light. I also have the ARC of a March release, When All Is Said by a debut author, Anne Griffin. Griffin is an Irish writer, and her title is a line in a song called "The Parting Glass". It's the story of Maurice Hannigan who tells the story of his own life as he sits in a pub. In the course of one night, he orders five different drinks, and toasts five people who were important to his life. Irish, music, debut. I haven...

You know me. I tend to bounce around, picking something up and trying it, coming back to it later. That's how I do a lot of reading, other than when I'm reading for a review. Right now, I'm sampling a new book called  American Theatre Wing: An Oral History: 100 Years, 100 Voices, 10 Million Miracle s edited by Patrick Pacheco. It's a beautiful book with historical photos and gorgeous contemporary ones. It's about the 100 years of contributions made to the theatre world by a group that was originally started by playwright Rachel Crothers and six others in 1917, in partnership with the British Stage Women's War Relief. At the time I'm writing this post, I've only read the introduction written by Angela Lansbury. She was one of the beneficiaries of the joint group because the American group took in the children of English actors during the war, and she and her brothers were some of those children. You all know how much I love theatre. I'm going to enjoy...

I've met this month's deadline for mystery reviews, so I'm doing a little reading for myself at the end of the week. I haven't finished The Widower's Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer yet, but I will shortly. I have a few books to pick from, of course (ha - a few). I did pick up a debut novel today at the library.  Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson is written in the form of letters between a professor in Denmark and a farm wife on an English farm. They're brought together by a shared interest in the Tollund Man. Because I looked it up, I'll share a link with you. (Yes, I know it's Wikipedia, but I find that a good place to start, and then I can branch out.)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tollund_Man We'll see if that's really where I end up. What are you reading this week? What books or audiobooks have caught you're attention? We'd love to know.

I really only read the first two pages of this book. I'm reading mysteries again for next Wednesday's deadline. But, I started Jonathan Santlofer's memoir  The Widower's Notebook . It's not going to be easy to read the story of his wife Joy's sudden death, and his attempt to push through the grief. There are eleven quotes from other authors at the front of the book. Andrew Solomon's comments were the ones that summed up the book I'm expecting to read. " The Widower's Notebook is a searing rendition of the complex relationship between men and grief - an intense despair that is too often starved for words. This chronicle of devastation is itself devastating, a deeply powerful and unflinchingly honest report of how painfully and strangely life continues in the wake of a sudden, tragic death." I don't mean to start your day on a somber note. But, that's what I'm starting to read. What are you reading or listening to this week?

I had an off week for reading this week, just couldn't get into anything new. I'm still reading Helen Rappaport's  The Race to Save the Romanovs , which is good, just slow-paced. I have a new box of mysteries to read for review though, and there are some good-looking ones in that box. It will keep me reading. So, what are you reading or listening to this week? I hope you didn't get bogged down as I did.

Have you had time to read or listen to books this week? What are you reading? I'm reading a fascinating book of history and politics, with a little bit of speculation thrown in. It's Helen Rappaport's The Race to Save the Romanovs.  It's about the interconnected royal families in Europe, and the plots and plans to try to save the Russian Tsar and his family at the time of the Russian Revolution. I can tell you that the overall conclusion is that Nicholas and Alexandra did not want to leave their beloved country. I'll be giving away copies of this book, either this Friday or next. And, I just finished a book that was a gift from a friend who knows how much I love Ireland. It's called The Feckin' Book of Everything Irish by Colin Murphy and Donal O'Dea. It has some crude humor, but also includes a glossary, words to Irish songs, and Irish recipes. It was fun. What are you reading this week?

This week, I'm finishing a book recommended by two people, columnist Connie Schultz, and my friend, Kaye Wilkinson Barley. Elizabeth Catte is a writer and historian from East Tennessee. She holds a PhD in public history. Her nonfiction title,  What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia , is an alternate view in opposition to J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy . The author writes of Appalachia with its 700,000 square miles, and says it cannot be defined as one ethnicity, one political view, one history. Vance's book is a memoir. Catte's book is history and an analysis. What are you reading this week? I'm finishing my nonfiction book, and I have several fiction titles waiting. We're all curious as to what you're reading or listening to.

"I like stories where women save themselves." That's a quote from Neil Gaiman, a quote about fairy tales. I do, too. That's why Belle in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" is my favorite Disney character. She saves her father and saves the Beast. After I read that quote, yesterday I picked up an older title by Gaiman,  The Sleeper and the Spindle .It's the story of a young queen who is afraid she's going to lose all choices when she marries. When three dwarfs tell her about a spell that put a princess to sleep, the queen postpones her wedding, dons her mail shirt, and sets out to rescue the princess. And, you don't know the rest of Gaiman's story, illustrated by Chris Riddell. So, I'm reading fairy tales this week. I didn't have much time to check in with you last week while I was on vacation. I'm looking forward to catching up with your reading this week. What are you reading or listening to?

I have a confession to make. You're going to be on your own to discuss this week's reading. I may find time to drop in, but no promises. I'm in North Carolina with my Mom and sisters. We're visiting Biltmore today with the Chihuly exhibit in the gardens. And, tonight, we're going to see the exhibit lit for the evening. Here's a link if you'd like to see what we're going to do.  http://bit.ly/2zz2d0D We all know I don't read much when I'm with family. So, instead, let's talk about what you're reading. Let us know what you're reading or listening to this week.

I'm just back from a short vacation trip to northern Indiana and southern Michigan. I don't know about you, but I seldom read much on vacation. I spend time with family or friends, and enjoy talking with them, rather than reading. Now that I'm back, I'm reading several books. I bought a juvenile novel that is terrific so far. The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings is the first in a new series by Sarah Prineas. How could I resist a series about an apprentice librarian? Here's the editorial summary. "In this lively middle grade fantasy, the start to a new series, an apprentice librarian discovers the true hazards of his chosen profession when he steals his deceased master’s identity and takes up the position of royal librarian, despite his lacking age, experience, and proper qualifications. Even so, 15-year-old Alex is determined to prove his abilities, and to discover just why the libraries are kept under lock and key and his fellow librarians are all elderly, sec...