Just wondering ... what is everyone reading now?

[PrincessFiona60]

I recently purchased two books:

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

Apocalypse Cow, by Michael Logan

Both odd books, the children one is based on old photos with a supernatural twist and then there are zombie cows in the other. I don't know how long this zombie fascination is going to last, but I am having fun with it.

 

[FrankZ]

I started War of the Worlds today.

 

[Max Sutton]

I'm reading LET IT BURN (2013) by Steve Hamilton. This is the latest Alex McKnight book in a crime fiction series set in Michigan.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Wow, Greg! I recently finished The Two Minute Rule (thanks, Vitauta); it was my first Crais and I thought it was super. Now I can't wait to try some others. Guess I'd better hang onto my socks.

Read them in order of publishing date! In other words, read them as the author wrote/published them. The series has a progression.

Report back!

I hope you like Pike as much as I do. The series initially focused on Cole with Pike as his back-up, but when the Pike as protagonist novel came out it really blew me away.

I wish I knew these people. That's why you/I like these Crais novels. We wanna be friends with the main characters.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Suspect is a different type of story, easily his best for evoking honest caring emotion, not just blood and guts.

Yeah, I figured that but thanks for the waring Fi. I take it as really solid advice when you recommended the book. I know I'll like because I know you would not recommend a book lightly, because I know you!

I'll admit it took a bit of work to like you! (I hope you feel the same about me...)

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I'm reading a crime mystery novel ''Her Last Breath'' by Linda Castillo.....

mysterychef, I picked up one of Catillo's books at the library on Friday. Started to read "Sworn to Silence" today and ! Not like my usual "cozy mysteries". It seems a bit....graphic. I don't know how far I'll get. Castillo writes captivatingly, BUT I'm used to warm and fuzzy killings. And laughs. Don't think I'll get fuzzy or laughs...

 

[mysterychef]

mysterychef, I picked up one of Catillo's books at the library on Friday. Started to read "Sworn to Silence" today and ! Not like my usual "cozy mysteries". It seems a bit....graphic. I don't know how far I'll get. Castillo writes captivatingly, BUT I'm used to warm and fuzzy killings. And laughs. Don't think I'll get fuzzy or laughs...

I just finished a mystery ''Judgment Call'' by J.A.Jance. Stars out with a bang then puts the brakes on until the last 50 pages. Had trouble staying with it maybe because I've never read one of her books before. All in all very good story just a little to long. More used to Castillo or Crais writing. They Keep you interested from cover to cover. I've just started the Thomas Jefferson book you recommended. So far very interesting. Thanks again.

 

[jabbur]

I'm currently reading Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. Didn't see the movie either so really didn't have any idea about the book but knew it was a pretty popular story. It's very rich story-telling so I don't get very far each night. I've been reading it for nearly a week and am not even a quarter through the book.

I see mysterychef just started a book about Thomas Jefferson. Which one is that? I love Mr. Jefferson. His life is so amazing! My son graduated from his University so my family has a great affection for the man!

 

[Katie H]

Still wading my way through Clan of the Cave Bear. It's laborious but I can't stop something I've already begun. I don't think I'll go on to read any of the rest of the series.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...I see mysterychef just started a book about Thomas Jefferson. Which one is that? I love Mr. Jefferson. His life is so amazing! My son graduated from his University so my family has a great affection for the man!

jabbur, that would be "Thomas Jefferson's créme brûlee : how a founding father and his slave James Hemings introduced French cuisine to America / by Thomas J. Craughwell." The library call numbers are: 973.4609 CRA 2012. It was a great book from a personal as well as historical perspective, taking place during his years in France as the US emissary. It also includes a few copies of his recipes...in his own writing. I didn't bother trying to decipher, just enjoyed the "view".

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

mysterychef, I picked up one of Catillo's books at the library on Friday. Started to read "Sworn to Silence" today and ! Not like my usual "cozy mysteries". It seems a bit....graphic. I don't know how far I'll get. Castillo writes captivatingly, BUT I'm used to warm and fuzzy killings. And laughs. Don't think I'll get fuzzy or laughs...

In my opinion it's very difficult to write mystery books where somebody doesn't die. About the only exception is the "heist" mystery novels involving a huge theft, and even in many of them murder is involved. But don't worry, they're only fictional characters.

I had to call quits on the Hannibal Lechter series by Thomas Harris, because they were just too graphic for me, way too graphic. So now I know what my queasiness threshold is.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Still wading my way through Clan of the Cave Bear. It's laborious but I can't stop something I've already begun. I don't think I'll go on to read any of the rest of the series.

If you can't get past page 100 (in any book) you're better off giving it up and moving on to a (hopefully) better book.

There's so many books, so little time. Think about it: watch a movie that wasn't that good and you've wasted 90 minutes to 2 hours. Read a book that wasn't that good and you've wasted 8-12 hours.

I have my 100 page rule. If I'm not hooked by 100 pages I log the novel into my reading log and move on to the next book.

 

[jabbur]

mysterychef, I picked up one of Catillo's books at the library on Friday. Started to read "Sworn to Silence" today and ! Not like my usual "cozy mysteries". It seems a bit....graphic. I don't know how far I'll get. Castillo writes captivatingly, BUT I'm used to warm and fuzzy killings. And laughs. Don't think I'll get fuzzy or laughs...

Have you read the Chet and Bernie books by Spencer Quinn? They'd be just up your alley. The first one is Dog on It. Also the Liturgical Mystery series by Mark Schweizer. Set in an Episcopal church in North Carolina. The church choir director is also the chief of police. Lots of quirky characters. The first one is The Alto Wore Tweed.

 

[Dawgluver]

Have you read the Chet and Bernie books by Spencer Quinn? They'd be just up your alley. The first one is Dog on It. Also the Liturgical Mystery series by Mark Schweizer. Set in an Episcopal church in North Carolina. The church choir director is also the chief of police. Lots of quirky characters. The first one is The Alto Wore Tweed.

Love Chet and Bernie. And I'm loving Crais' Suspect.

 

[Mad Cook]

Still wading my way through Clan of the Cave Bear. It's laborious but I can't stop something I've already begun. I don't think I'll go on to read any of the rest of the series.

Life's too short to read rubbish.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Life's too short to read rubbish.

Someone's rubbish is another person's treasure.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

In my opinion it's very difficult to write mystery books where somebody doesn't die. .....

Greg, I'm not protesting people dying. If it's a murder mystery, there MUST be a murder! There are couple of authors I follow where I actually root for some of the annoying characters to get knocked off. What was difficult to read in this book (and, thankfully, appeared to be just in the prologue) was a detailed description of the slaughterhouse practice of exsanguination...performed on humans. Detailed. *shudders* Plus your garden-variety of torture treatments. Since I didn't have nightmares I've continued reading on. Thankfully, the book has now reduced itself to your standard thriller as opposed to a medical textbook.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Not quite sure your point CG, but there's interesting ways to describe murder (in first, second or third person) and there's ways to do it that just gross me out (Thomas Harris: Silence of the Lambs which was a very good read but I just couldn't take anything this explicit (okay I read 1-2 of his later novels, but I called it quits after that). Good author, great novels, but just too explicit for my taste.

It's easy for novelists to kill off objectionable (or even sympathetic) characters, they can always accomplish the deed in a paragraph or two. These aren't real people they're just story book characters that advance the plot of a novel.

As I said, as a general rule somebody has to die (often more than one person) to get the business of a mystery novel going, although there are exceptions (e.g. the "heist" novels) but I think most of us mystery/suspense fans want characters to die to advance the plot of our thrillers.

There's nothing wrong with imaginary people dying. It's just how the author handles it.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Greg, I'm not protesting people dying. If it's a murder mystery, there MUST be a murder! There are couple of authors I follow where I actually root for some of the annoying characters to get knocked off. What was difficult to read in this book (and, thankfully, appeared to be just in the prologue) was a detailed description of the slaughterhouse practice of exsanguination...performed on humans. Detailed. *shudders* Plus your garden-variety of torture treatments. Since I didn't have nightmares I've continued reading on. Thankfully, the book has now reduced itself to your standard thriller as opposed to a medical textbook.

Gee and I was going to make sure you had an invitation to the next open heart surgery I am allowed to watch.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Have you read the Chet and Bernie books by Spencer Quinn? They'd be just up your alley. The first one is Dog on It. Also the Liturgical Mystery series by Mark Schweizer. Set in an Episcopal church in North Carolina. The church choir director is also the chief of police. Lots of quirky characters. The first one is The Alto Wore Tweed.

Those sound like I need to add them to my list! At the present time I'm caught up with all the books the authors of my favorite series have written, and the dear writers are not writing books as fast as I can read them.