Well, Wickeds, summer is winding down, sad to say, and I’m wondering, what were your best reads of the summer, and what have you saved to savor over this Labor Day Weekend?
Edith: I’ve had such a good time catching up with the books in Rhys Bowen’s Molly 
Murphy series and Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries, both set at the start of the 1900s in New York City. I hadn’t read some of the earlier books in Vicki’s and some of the later books in Rhys’ and I’m glad I did. What I’ll be savoring over Labor Day will be Nancy Herriman’s new No Pity for the Dead, which takes place in San Francisco in the 1860s, and then more catching up – this time with Catriona McPherson’s historical Dandy Gilver series. Yes, I am immersed in the past – and I like it that way!
Liz: I’ve got a bunch of books going right now, as usual. Loving Jennifer McMahon’s The Night Sister. I’m also really enjoying Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. I guess I’m embracing my inner introvert! Also reading Laura Lippman’s Wilde Lake on my iPad when I’m training it back and forth to NYC for work.
Jessie: Next up for me is A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar Suzanne Joinson and Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton.
Barb: I’ll spend Labor Day weekend as I have for the past several years, reading a Louise Penny book. This year’s is A Great Reckoning. Cannot wait. I have spent much of the summer reading William Kent Krueger‘s Cork O’Connor series. I’m up to the sixth one and I am loving them. After Labor Day, it’s back to work. Reading The Shingle Style and the Stick Style: Architectural Theory and Design from Downing to the Origins of Wright, as Julia and the Snowden family debate whether to restore Windsholme, the mansion on their island in Maine. Not a hardship, truly!
Julie: I am getting ready to teach, so reading a lot of arts admin books including The Cycle by Michael Kaiser. Looking forward to William Kent Kruger at Crime Bake, so I’m going to start on his Cork O’Connor series.
Sherry Harris: Julie I just finished Boundary Waters by William Kent Kruger. His writing is like poetry. I’m very excited to be reading an advance copy of Sky Dive by Agatha Award nominated author Susan O’Brien! It’s the third book in her Nicki Valentine Mystery series and releases on 11/29/16. Susan has a knack for mixing humor, layered characters, and social issues into a seamless plot. This time Susan tackles the issue of what happens to foster children when they age out of the system. I’m almost done so next on my TBR pile is Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye — it comes highly recommended.
Readers: What will you be reading over the holiday weekend?
I’ve been on a bit of a British binge this summer. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh contained by far the best description of how insidious the onset of the cycle of abuse can be. Ruth Ware’s Into the Dark Dark Woods was chilling enough to have me engrossed in her latest, The Woman in Cabin 10. The Widow by Fiona Barton
Breaks all of the rules in a highly successful debut novel. On this side of the puddle, I listened to The Orphans of Race Point by Patry Francis which was a great way to celebrate my move to the Outer Cape. Finally, I was thoroughly entertained by your own Barbara Ross’s audible version of Iced Under.
Stick with a theme that works!
I realized that I had not read the Catherine Coulter FBI series until the later books, so am starting at the beginning with The Cove. Also rereading the P.J. Tracy Monkeewrench series, as well as a few other books.
I love going back to the beginning of a series, Gram.
I’ll be reading the last two books in Liz Mugavero’s series. My only complaint is that the books end! I want more.
Liz is working on it!
On the long drive home, from Cape Cod to NY (I guess that is still beach reading?), I started a long book by a favorite author, Richard Russo. Everybody’s Fool, a kind of sequel to an earlier book, Nobody’s Fool ( which was also a terrific movie, one of Paul Newman’s last) It is wonderful so far and I will be reading it for a week or two.
That sounds like a great way to spend a drive, Triss! I’ll have to look for them.
I am reading Emily Arsenault’s In Search of the Rose Notes, which is a few years old. I’m embarrassed it sat on my bookshelf for so long. I love it! It had been difficult not to stay up all night with it.
It’s never too late to start a book you haven’t read yet. Glad you’re enjoying it.
I am reading Anna Loan-Wilsey’s A Lack of Temperance (A Hattie Davish Mystery) which is quite good. I was fortunate enough to read an early copy of her newest book, A March to Remember, and now I am playing catch-up with this wonderful series.
Anna is an amazing writer!
The last few weeks, I’ve been reading some comedic cozies, including Terror in Taffeta by Marla Cooper, Murder Has Nine Lives by Laura Levine, and Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews. Last night, I finished a book you might have heard of called Whispers Beyond the Veil by Jessica Estevao.
Which means today I’m starting Digging Up the Dirt, the newest Southern Ladies mystery by Miranda James. After that I’m hoping to sneak in a reread of a Trixie Belden book before starting on Body on the Bayou by Ellen Byron.
All wonderful selections! I’m soooooo jealous that you’ve already read Whispers Beyond the Veil!
I think I have heard of at least one of those, Mark! You’ve inspired me to dig out a Trixie Belden from my own bookshelf to re-read this long weekend!
Still working on The New Jim Crow switching off to The Horse and His Boy (but then I am not at the beach).
I’m going to go check it out!
I just finished my work book club book, Dan Brown’s Inferno. Now I’m trying to finish my other book club book, Arrowood by Laura McHugh, this weekend. I’m really looking forward for fall reading though, to include some cozy mysteries that are being released!
I agree, Cynthia — there are so many great books coming out in the next few weeks.
Thank you so much, Sherry! Your kind words mean a lot. What fun to see what everyone is reading!
You are so welcome! I’ve added more books to my TBR pile after reading all of this!
My husband and I just finished listening to the CD of In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume. It was based on three real life plane crashes in her home town of Elizabeth NJ in the 50’s and it was quite interesting as no one had cellphone then and Las Vegas was a virtual dot on the map for the ending of the story. A time machine type of book when you realize how far things have come since that time when I was also a young girl.. This CD was not = a cozy but had no gruesome descriptions either but plane crashes are not cozy even when you don’t speak of the details.. Now we have started another CD which is Private – Vegas by James Patterson as I am dealing with cataracts right now and it is quite difficult to read except with perfect lighting and all. So, when we drive, which is often we do a lot of CD listening that we both like. This CD is a bit too descriptive for me however, and would rather be listening to a cozy but we do alternate to one of mine, and then one of his every other time.
On my end table are a number of cozies which will be read as soon as I can see better which I hope is very soon.
I wanted to read Murder at Rough Point by Alyssa Maxwell as soon as I can and will listen to it on CD as soon as it become available to purchase.
I am really devastated by my lack of good vision for reading, but hopefully I can work out the medical situation and be able to get the eye surgery sooner than later.
Sincerely,
Cynthia B.
I’m currently reading A Tale of Two Tabbies by Kathi Daley. I plan to follow up with Always Watching by Lynette Eason.