The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,945
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Aug 21, 2023 19:22:18 GMT
This week I read:
🟣 All the Sinners Bleed S.A Cosby Murder Mystery/Contemporary Race fiction ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is the first novel I have read from this author, and it was phenomenal. Fast paced yet a lot of character and plot development.Titus is the first black sheriff of Charon County VA and is faced with a school shooting and race relations culminating in a crime/police mystery that does not glaze over the issues of modern and historical policing, race and contemporary race issues facing us today.
Best mystery of the year so far for me.
What did you read this week?
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 21, 2023 19:26:37 GMT
THE VANISHING OF CLASS 3 B (‘23 - 4 STARS) BY JACKIE KABLER DESCRIPTION : One spring morning, a bus full of children and their teachers from a Cotswolds primary school head off on a much-anticipated day trip. But as night falls and the well-heeled parents – one or two of them famous, as well as wealthy – wait at the school to collect their weary offspring, it soon becomes clear that something has gone very wrong. The children and their teachers simply do not come back. What’s happened doesn’t seem possible.
REVIEW : New author for me. Recommended on Facebook’s Psychological Thriller Readers.
Like the writing immediately and it draws me in with all the tension right away. In the first 30% I’m already forming opinions about certain parents. Perfect pace of the plot and so intrigued to find out the parents’ secrets. Definitely kept my attention right til the very end. Very entertaining.
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Post by trixiecat on Aug 21, 2023 19:58:54 GMT
I finished Falling by TJ Newman. You just boarded a flight to New York.
There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.
What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.
For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.
The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.
Enjoy the flight.
Review: I first read Drowning and liked it a little better than this book. I would give it a strong 4 stars though.
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 21, 2023 20:41:40 GMT
I finished Falling by TJ Newman. You just boarded a flight to New York. There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard. What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped. For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die. The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane. Enjoy the flight. Review: I first read Drowning and liked it a little better than this book. I would give it a strong 4 stars though. I actually loved both books but, like you I liked Drowning a little bit more. Felt it had a lot more action and thrills. Worth mentioning that Universal Studios has bought the rights to Falling in a seven figure deal and the author is writing the screenplay and will also be an executive producer. Can’t wait for this movie ! Hope they do a movie from Drowning too !
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Post by epeanymous on Aug 21, 2023 20:51:09 GMT
I read:
Night Flowers by Sarah Herchenroecher. 1980s hikers find the bodies of a woman and two children in barrels in the wilds of New Mexico; now, decades later, their identities and the reason for their deaths remains unknown. At the same time, a police officer from the cold case squad and a woman recovering from breast cancer decide to try to resolve both mysteries, and end up working together. I really liked the writing style and the characters; I wasn't a huge fan of the short chapters where the victim was talking, nor of the sort of confusing resolution.
Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams. Hated it. I have liked some of his other books, although all of them get a little chase-y for me; this one was basically all chase and improbable back story.
The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard A woman whose sister goes missing tries to find the person who took her sister by setting up situations in which she can be abducted by the same person; other local women are missing as well, and it's unclear if the cases are all connected. I didn't buy the premise, nor did I really care for the book.
Not my best reading week! It happens.
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Post by sawwhet on Aug 21, 2023 21:30:13 GMT
"None of this is True" by Lisa Jewell and gave it 5/5. Very cleaver and probably my favourite book of the year.
"Gibby: Tales of a Baseball Lifer" and gave it 4/5. This one is written by John Gibbons, former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. It's interesting for those who love the Blue Jays and baseball in general.
At the present time, I'm finishing up "A Better Man" by Louise Penny. This is Book 15 of the Inspector Gamache series.
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Post by roundtwo on Aug 21, 2023 21:34:31 GMT
Two this week. First was The Company We Keep by Frances Itani. It was okay but not as good as other books I have read written by her. From Goodreads: "Hazzley is at loose ends, even three years after the death of her husband. When her longtime friend Cassandra, café owner and occasional dance-class partner, suggests that she start up a conversation group. Hazzley posts a notice on the community board at the local grocery store. Four people turn up for the first meeting: Gwen, a recently retiree in her early 60s, who finds herself pet-sitting a cantankerous parrot; Chiyo, a 40-year-old fitness instructor who cared for her unyielding but gossip-loving mother through the final days of her life; Addie, a woman preemptively grieving a close friend who is seriously ill; and Tom, an antiques dealer and amateur poet who, deprived of home baking since becoming a widower, comes to the first meeting hoping cake will be served. Before long, they are joined by Allam, a Syrian refugee with his own story to tell. These six strangers are learning that beginnings can be possible at any stage of life. but as they tell their stories, they must navigate what is shared and what is withheld. Which version of the truth will be revealed? Who is prepared to step up when help is needed?" The second was Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. I am pretty sure a lot of folks here have read it already as it has been out since 2010. I enjoyed it - the Major's dry humour was quite fun. A silly little aside and nothing to do with the book - I buy a lot of my books at used book stores and thrift shops, including this one. This book takes place in England and the Major, unsurprisingly, belongs to the Church of England and his friend, Mrs Ali is Muslim. Inside the book was a book mark printed on very nice paper with a picture of a Pope (a fairly recent one I think but I don't know the Popes) and a prayer to Mary - maybe someone felt Catholics were being neglected. From Goodreads "The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?"
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Post by Tearisci on Aug 21, 2023 23:53:19 GMT
I have Kindle Unlimited so I'm working my way through the Freida McFadden books. They're mystery/thrillers and I usually read 2 or so per week. I just finished Brain Damage and I'd give it about 3.5 stars. Not great but an easy read.
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,040
Jun 25, 2014 19:25:50 GMT
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Post by mimima on Aug 22, 2023 0:08:46 GMT
A couple more towards the month of children’s books that I’ve embarked on this month.
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce. Mid-century time-travel book for children. It reminds you of how recent the Victorian era was in the middle of the 20th century. 3/5 stars.
Anne of the Island by LM Montgomery. I was raised by a mom who loved Montgomery’s books (she’s a big fan of Jane of Lantern Hill,) but never read past the first Anne book as a kid. I have read them as an adult, but not often. The writing is absolutely beautiful and the story good - though there are some plot contrivances that you just have to accept. I do admit that I do not enjoy Davy. Rather than being charming he's just obnoxious. 4/5 stars.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Aug 22, 2023 1:13:37 GMT
I'm about 60% through A Gentleman In Moscow. I'm enjoying it but man are the chapters long.
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Post by pjaye on Aug 22, 2023 2:29:33 GMT
Just the one for me this week The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson A bit of a Dickensian novel, with orphans, rich benefactors, conmen and card readers, as well as kidnappings, murders and illicit love affairs. Set in 1730 England Red is left orphaned after her father dies. Red has always been able to "read the cards" in a particular way her father taught her, known as 'the square of sevens'...it is that skill which makes her sought after and gradually she starts to put the pieces of her (very complicated) life together on the quest to find out who her mother was. A long book, rich in detailed charters, and you never really know who the good or the bad guys are.
I have about 10% left to listen to, but it will be 4 stars for me.
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,514
Jun 26, 2014 1:03:18 GMT
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Post by edie3 on Aug 22, 2023 3:12:58 GMT
I have read all but his newest book, and he is phenomenal! I also follow him on Twitter, and like him on there.
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,514
Jun 26, 2014 1:03:18 GMT
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Post by edie3 on Aug 22, 2023 3:15:09 GMT
I read One of Us is Dead and didn't really care for it. Didn't like any of the characters.
Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.
Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …
Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …
Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?
Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.
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Post by lainey on Aug 22, 2023 10:28:24 GMT
I read
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey 3 stars
“Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories -- she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there.
Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them, and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.
I really enjoyed about 75% of this book, the chapters telling the story of Vera's childhood were genuinely creepy and the difficult relationship she had with her mother was well written. The ending was ridiculous though and not in a good way.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman 5 stars
A young woman is kept in a cage underground with thirty-nine other females, guarded by armed men who never speak; her crimes unremembered... if indeed there were crimes. The youngest of forty—a child with no name and no past—she survives for some purpose long forgotten in a world ravaged and wasted. In this reality where intimacy is forbidden—in the unrelenting sameness of the artificial days and nights—she knows nothing of books and time, of needs and feelings. Then everything changes... and nothing changes. A young woman who has never known men—a child who knows of no history before the bars and restraints—must now reinvent herself, piece by piece, in a place she has never been... and in the face of the most challenging and terrifying of unknowns: freedom.
I loved this bleak and unsettling story of lonliness, memory and what it means to be human.
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami 3 stars
This is told in the voice of a 14-year-old student who is subjected to relentless torment for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, the boy chooses to suffer in complete resignation. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate who suffers similar treatment at the hands of her tormentors.
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Post by lainey on Aug 22, 2023 10:29:47 GMT
THE VANISHING OF CLASS 3 B (‘23 - 4 STARS) BY JACKIE KABLERDESCRIPTION : One spring morning, a bus full of children and their teachers from a Cotswolds primary school head off on a much-anticipated day trip. But as night falls and the well-heeled parents – one or two of them famous, as well as wealthy – wait at the school to collect their weary offspring, it soon becomes clear that something has gone very wrong. The children and their teachers simply do not come back. What’s happened doesn’t seem possible. REVIEW : New author for me. Recommended on Facebook’s Psychological Thriller Readers. Like the writing immediately and it draws me in with all the tension right away. In the first 30% I’m already forming opinions about certain parents. Perfect pace of the plot and so intrigued to find out the parents’ secrets. Definitely kept my attention right til the very end. Very entertaining. I bought this last week, I've read three of her books so far and really enjoyed them.
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Post by Bridget in MD on Aug 22, 2023 12:50:52 GMT
I gave 4.5 Stars for Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister. This is the same author of Wrong Place, Wrong Time, and has delivered another strong, entertaining read. McAllister introduces us to DCI Day, who is investigating the disappearance of a girl who (seen on security cameras) turns down an alley, only to never come back out. However, when she goes to the alley in person, it's blocked up - so where did the missing girl go? Then, she is asked to frame someone in the case. At first, the timing confused me, but once the pieces start to fall into place, the story really picks up and I enjoyed it very much.
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Post by cannmom on Aug 22, 2023 13:22:43 GMT
This week I read: 🟣 All the Sinners Bleed S.A Cosby Murder Mystery/Contemporary Race fiction ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is the first novel I have read from this author, and it was phenomenal. Fast paced yet a lot of character and plot development.Titus is the first black sheriff of Charon County VA and is faced with a school shooting and race relations culminating in a crime/police mystery that does not glaze over the issues of modern and historical policing, race and contemporary race issues facing us today. Best mystery of the year so far for me. What did you read this week?Razor blade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland are both excellent. Definitely give them a read. I hope All Sinners Bleed doesn’t have a long waitlist at my library.
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Post by cannmom on Aug 22, 2023 13:28:07 GMT
I finally finished Demon Copperhead. I thought it was a good representation of the societal issues in the area I live. Many parts of this book are heartbreaking and unfortunately all too accurate. I had to take breaks while reading this book.
I also read The Reckless Girls this week. It was a quick fun thriller read with some interesting twists.
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 22, 2023 15:24:14 GMT
THE VANISHING OF CLASS 3 B (‘23 - 4 STARS) BY JACKIE KABLERDESCRIPTION : One spring morning, a bus full of children and their teachers from a Cotswolds primary school head off on a much-anticipated day trip. But as night falls and the well-heeled parents – one or two of them famous, as well as wealthy – wait at the school to collect their weary offspring, it soon becomes clear that something has gone very wrong. The children and their teachers simply do not come back. What’s happened doesn’t seem possible. REVIEW : New author for me. Recommended on Facebook’s Psychological Thriller Readers. Like the writing immediately and it draws me in with all the tension right away. In the first 30% I’m already forming opinions about certain parents. Perfect pace of the plot and so intrigued to find out the parents’ secrets. Definitely kept my attention right til the very end. Very entertaining. I bought this last week, I've read three of her books so far and really enjoyed them. THANKS ! I’ll be looking at her other books and putting them on my TBR List. Good to hear she’s a consistent author.
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Post by auntkelly on Aug 22, 2023 16:18:29 GMT
I finally finished Demon Copperhead. I thought it was a good representation of the societal issues in the area I live. Many parts of this book are heartbreaking and unfortunately all too accurate. I had to take breaks while reading this book. I cannot stop thinking about that book, especially the relationship between Demon and Coach. I was so mad at Coach as I read the second half of that book. I was yelling in my head, "Sober up and make Demon have that surgery! Don't let him move in w/ that girlfriend! Make him finish high school! What are you thinking!!!" I was just so sad that Coach didn't save Demon. However, in the end, Demon didn't blame Coach for his problems (as I was doing), but realized Coach was battling his own demons. I thought the reconciliation between Coach and Demon at the end was so beautiful and understated. Demon didn't blame Coach for his misfortune. We really don't even know what Demon and Coach talked about. We just knew they understood each other and forgave each other. I thought it was a beautiful way of resolving that relationship.
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,783
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
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Post by gottapeanow on Aug 22, 2023 17:49:31 GMT
I was on a quick staycation Sunday and Monday and am back today.
I read Beneath a Scarlet Sky and gave it 4.4 stars. This is an older book that most of us have read, so I won't say much more.
Lisa
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Post by cannmom on Aug 22, 2023 21:32:10 GMT
I finally finished Demon Copperhead. I thought it was a good representation of the societal issues in the area I live. Many parts of this book are heartbreaking and unfortunately all too accurate. I had to take breaks while reading this book. I cannot stop thinking about that book, especially the relationship between Demon and Coach.
I agree. I was going to say more but don’t want to spoil anything.
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 22, 2023 21:36:39 GMT
KINDLE UNLIMITED USERS - ALERT !
I’m hearing from a number of Facebook sites that some Kindle Unlimited authors are removing their books from Kindle Unlimited. It seems, even though Amazon has increased the monthly fee to users, they have lowered the price that the authors are being paid.
The only author that I know of who has verified removing her books is Kiersten Modglin. All her books will be gone by the end of November.
I don’t subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, but I have read 4 of Kiersten’s book and have enjoyed them. If anyone’s interested here are the 4 books I have read by her………….. Don’t Go Down There (‘23 - 4 Stars even though very short @169 pages) The Family Secret (‘23 - 4 Stars even though a slightly shorter book @282 pages) Widow Falls (‘21 - Read ‘23 - 4 Stars) The Reunion (‘21 - Read’23 - 4 Stars)
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,762
Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Aug 23, 2023 1:09:41 GMT
KINDLE UNLIMITED USERS - ALERT ! I’m hearing from a number of Facebook sites that some Kindle Unlimited authors are removing their books from Kindle Unlimited. It seems, even though Amazon has increased the monthly fee to users, they have lowered the price that the authors are being paid. The only author that I know of who has verified removing her books is Kiersten Modglin. All her books will be gone by the end of November. I don’t subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, but I have read 4 of Kiersten’s book and have enjoyed them. If anyone’s interested here are the 4 books I have read by her………….. Don’t Go Down There (‘23 - 4 Stars even though very short @169 pages) The Family Secret (‘23 - 4 Stars even though a slightly shorter book @282 pages) Widow Falls (‘21 - Read ‘23 - 4 Stars) The Reunion (‘21 - Read’23 - 4 Stars) Thanks for this - I was mulling over signing up again, even at the higher price, but I think I will give it a while and see what happens. I signed up last summer for their free trial and read quite a few books. The library is always an option, will check KU maybe after the first of next year.
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 23, 2023 15:41:01 GMT
KINDLE BOOK ALERT - SALE ! An oldie, but goodie for anyone who hasn’t read it yet !
THE SILENT PATIENT BY ALEX MICHAELIDES (‘19) SALE $2.99; reg 13.99
Here’s my review from a few years ago………….
DESCRIPTION: Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
REVIEW :
Multiple friends (Unstoppeable, lynnek, gottapeanow & disneyer) highly recommended this book. The sample alone drew me in with the mesmerizing writing. People say psychotherapists & psychiatrists are all a little crazy and it was interesting to see Theo's personal struggles while trying to help Alicia. True psychological mystery trying to figure-out the doctor and the patient's minds. WOW what a shocker ! I didn't see THAT coming. Then just when you lead me to the finish line, TWIST !!! Very original plot. Awesome book !
Mr. Michaelides, I saw your appearance on the Strahan & Sara Show. I was so impressed with YOU, I just had to buy your book. The way you connected with the audience and your encouragement to them to never give-up their dreams was simply beautiful. I could tell how much you wanted to get that message out there ! I was hoping your moving interview was a preview of your book and, I was right !!! Glad you didn't give-up on your dream Mr. Michaelides !
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Post by slowjoe on Aug 23, 2023 18:27:23 GMT
It's been more than a week, but over the last few weeks I've finished:
Secret Window, Secret Garden, a short story/novella from Stephen King Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane Sphere by Michael Crichton The Night the Lights Went Out by Drew Magary Fire in the Hole, a short story by Elmore Leonard
Save for Dark Matter and The Night the Lights Went Out, none of the books were contemporary. Sphere was actually a re-read, as I read it back in college. I haven't read actual fiction in years; heck, decades. Recently, I decided that instead of wasting my time playing games or scrolling through social media, I'd start reading again.
I'm trying to become a published writer, so of course it helps to read a lot. But that's only one reason. I really feel all the electronic devices in my life have given me a sort of ADHD, making it really hard to commit to a form of entertainment that takes a long time to actually entertain. Reading a novel forces me to sit back, concentrate, and enjoy such a long form. (Also, I've started writing a little fiction.)
So I've been using the heck out of my library card and Kindle.
I'll be following this thread. I prefer noir, sci-fi, and psychological thrillers.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Aug 23, 2023 19:38:26 GMT
One of my favorites is Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris.
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Post by slowjoe on Aug 23, 2023 20:16:38 GMT
One of my favorites is Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris. Thanks, I added it to my Goodreads. I should add that I always like humor, though I think I prefer that in essay collections than actual novels. I have read every David Sedaris and Dave Barry book.
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Post by auntiepeas on Aug 24, 2023 0:55:27 GMT
I read Judgement Day, Mali Waugh (2023). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When family law judge Kaye Bailey is found murdered in her Melbourne chambers just hours after the announcement of her appointment as Chief Judge, and on the eve before she is expected to deliver a landmark judgement, Detective Senior Sergeant Jillian Basset is asked to return early from maternity leave to lead the investigation.
With thoughts of Sydney's family court bomber still fresh in people's minds, and a host of possible suspects including jealous colleagues and disgruntled complainants, Jillian and her team are facing a difficult task.
Meanwhile, on the home front, Jillian's husband Aaron has stepped up to be full-time caregiver to their eight month old son Ollie but is left feeling like a single parent with Jillian afraid to be anywhere near the infant.
As a whodunnit, this wasn't too bad. There were a couple of plot holes, and I struggled to engage with the protagonist, but overall it felt like an ambitious piece of work by an intelligent author who shows promise.
Apparently Mali Waugh, who is herself a family lawyer based in Melbourne, has some ideas for a second book with the same character. Personally, I'd much rather she fleshed out more of Judge Bailey 's story.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Aug 24, 2023 1:16:29 GMT
I read his humorous articles in the 70/80s and the one about childbirth was classic. My boss and I were laughing so hard we looked like we were crying.
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