Flight Behavior: Barbara Kingsolver

Appalachia. Migrant butterflies. Science meets belief.

Goliath/Tocji Onyebuchi

Wealthy flee to space. Poor struggle with drought, radiation, race wars, political oppression, police.

The Death of Grass/John Christopher

A virus mutates and kills all grass. Rice, wheat et al. No more beer. Or teatime pastries. Middle class Brits talk ethics. Until they get hungry.

/Flight Behavior and Goliath are a jumble of people and events. Kinda slogged through but not caring much.

Death of Grass predictable but more clearly written.

Overall a C but bonus for even trying to write about The End.

Ps Yes! Worst Case Scenario is a hot thriller. And a warning.

towards so many disasters.

Worst Case is certainly a scenario that never really occurred to me. Good read.

I finished two books this week. The Beautiful People by Michelle Gable, about Palm Beach society in the early 60s. I enjoyed it because I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale at the time. In fact, when my mom went into labor with me, she had to call a taxi to take her to the hospital. My grandma and aunt, who were supposed to be with her instead went on a sightseeing trip to see JFK’s compound. Oh boy, my dad was pissed 😡!

I also finished Three by Valerie Perrin. Excellent book, I would give it ten stars if I could.

Have a great week everyone!

I get why it's a classic.

different from all the film versions, so I don't want any spoilers.

I know it’s not, but neither was The Autobiography of Ben Franklin, which we also read — go figure. That was more than forty years ago. Both of those books are still kicking around here somewhere, after four moves.

This is set 150 years after A Crowning Mercy, during the French Revolution. It follows the Lazender family which was central to Mercy.

Wroblewski's prose is wonderful. The story is compelling, although I'm only about a quarter through it.

I haven't read much fiction lately, so I'm enjoying this one.

900+ pages.

AND, doggies! Cool. I love stories where animals play a part.

"A a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic."

Thanks for introducing it to us.

T.J. Newman's Falling, which I'm also recommending to my grown kids and granddaughter who has decided to become an air traffic controller. Book was wow! Full thrill ride with great characters, choices, thoughtful. Great read.

Now reading The Life I Stole, author Nikola Scott. "It's 1953. Memories of the war are beginning to fade. Young Queen Elizabeth has just ascended to the throne. Isobel McIntyre is a doctor-in-training at a London teaching hospital. It's not easy being a woman working in medicine. And Isobel carries the additional burden of a shocking secret . . .One night three years ago, Isobel took on the identity of someone else." Good read and interesting time of cultural changes, new vs old classism.

'This beautiful story stole my heart. A compelling read for anyone who loves great stories, love and romance, mysteries and secrets . . . I tore through it!' -- Lizzie Page

Today, it’s The Black Dragon by Kathryn Le Veque. I love her ability to write about Medieval life with so much detail, especially in regard to warfare and politics, but this one is proving to be a difficult read because there’s a forced marriage and the guy is such an utter cunt that I’m hoping he gets himself killed…

(Hooray for free books lists because I can’t afford to buy as many books as I read. )

I get two lists daily--BookBub and eReaderIQ daily, and it's a lot. I pick several genres and my TBR pile is ridiculous. I did like 367 books the year when Covid first hit. 🙂

As we all know: Reading is FUNdamental!

This is his latest in a series of bird his criticism books. It’s essential reading for those who admit that birds can be real dicks.

"The Haunted," by Bentley Little. A good ghost story where a family moves into a house that is not just haunted by ghosts, but an evil rooted in the Indigenous people of New Mexico.

"The Fallen," by David Baldacci, is one of the Amos Decker series. He goes with his partner on vacation to visit her sister, and ends up solving multiple murders. Baldacci always tells an intriguing tale.

Just started, "The Wrecker," by Clive Cussler this evening.

I really enjoyed, "Never Flinch," too. A winner with lots of good characters and action. "Worst Case Scenario," sounds like its worth a look.

That's a heckova library, Hermetic!

great dialogue and a mystery.

I really needed this hilarious trip to Greece.

Kat Makris is back in Winter Crime, and she’s sporting a new hairdo courtesy of her most recent stylist: fire.

It’s a frigid January, and Kat and her appalling ‘do are stuck at the promenade, performing family duties for the Epiphany festivities. When Father Harry tosses the cross into the water, the divers pull out a bonus dead guy—a dead guy who used to be tight with Kat’s family—and Family.

Although the curiosity is killing her (all Greek DNA comes with a bonus cat hair), Kat has bigger problems. This raging head cold for one. Sexy police detective Nikos Melas won’t come near her because he’s terrified of his mother’s cold remedies, and the dangerously delicious Xander is missing—again. And then there’s the stolen cassette that doesn’t want to be found. Grandma hid it around here somewhere, she just knows it …

Things go haywire when Kat winds up as the recipient of an unusual bequest—a bequest that ruffles a serious amount of feathers. When her lineage is called into question and someone starts shooting at her, Kat wonders if she’d be better off spending winter in the dungeon, hibernating with her bear.