2017 Reading List June

                                    Peter Kraemer I (German)  Reading the Letter, no date






The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers (library) Civil War era story told via letters, I really loved it and recommend
The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Ella MacNeal (library) Another fun British Cozy set among spies and WWII, this time they are in Scotland for most of the book
Less Than a Treason by Dana Stabenow (library) The latest Kate Shugak, really she is kind of reaching for ways to keep her romantic leads apart!! Ugh, but the mystery was entertaining and I enjoyed reading about Jim trying to decide what kind of plane to buy.
Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King (library) a short one maybe a novella? And it was okay
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (audiobook) I was not going to read this one. I always figure if the author did not want it published why should we ignore that....It is not really a complete book, not sure what the point of the story is, I read that it was part of the rough draft for Mockingbird, but it was available on audio and I always need something to listen to in the car....And it was okay. I just kept thinking of Harper Lee and the pressure of that first success. Perhaps I need to read a Harper Lee biography.
I See You by Clare Mackintosh (library)  Now I enjoyed this thriller, ripped from the headlines with lots of social media references.
Double Bind: Women on Ambition ed. by Rovin Romm (library) essays on ambition from successful women. I enjoyed it. Considering my biggest ambition has been to lay in the sun  and read books. Anything I can do to let me do that is what I do and for the past 3 days that is exactly what I have done, so I consider my life successful :-)
An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson I really wanted to like this one, Josephine Tey as the protagonist and the Theater Life in London after WWII. But it really dragged. I plan to read the next one in this series, but it was not my favorite. Especially after Charles Todd, Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen and Susan Ella MacNeal are doing it so much better.
The Highway by CJ Box (audiobook) 2 girls go missing on a road trip....evil doings of course.
Town in a Lobster Stew by B. B. Haywood Cosy murder mystery set in a small town with the small town politics dictating the murder. Lobster stew recipes are a plus at the end
Heirs and Graces by  Rhys Bowen Georgie gets caught up in the death of a duke who threatened to adopt an heir. All about that rule of Succession that some of you might remember from Downton Abbey.
Damage Control by Robert Dugoni Set in Seattle, so I enjoyed that. But I was distracted by his Nancy Drew style cliff hangers at the end of the chapters!!
Blood Trail by C. J. Box Serial Killer Killing hunters in Wyoming and Field Dressing them like the animals that they hunt. Gruesome murder mystery from CJ Box.
Ten Years in the Tub by Nick Hornby (library) this was kind of fascinating, because it is basically the collection of a column that Nick did for some newsletter, magazine about the books that he would read each month. So it was like this blog. Here is my list and then he would talk about the books some. So I got a lot of great ideas of more books to read!! LOL
Burning Bright by Nicholas Petrie (library) Petrie's Ex-Marine has a lot in common with the Jack Reacher character by Lee Child. This one had some great PNW/Northern California locations. Fun Thriller I highly recommend!!
Who Killed Karen Silkwood? by Howard Kohn (library) Of course, I had seen the movie years ago, but I was not aware of the Civil suit that her family filed against the company. Very interesting. Especially in light of the toxic uniforms that we have recently at American Airlines. Corporate Greed never has your best interests in mind.
Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich by Norman Ohler (library) Very interesting. Seems that the German Army was hopped up on meth and Hitler was taking injections several times a day. The author did a lot of research.






To Be Read:
Take Out by Margaret Maron
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart
Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon
Holy Rollers by Rob Byrnes

2017 Monday's Postcard: Germany

Germany all these postcards were sent during the time period from 1992-1998

With a name like Arkebauer, you know we are going to vacation in Germany once or twice or more. In fact, I just spent a fun filled weekend in Bavaria last week!

2017 Monday's Postcard: Scanton, PA

Scranton, PA Steamtown Postcards from the 1980's

2017 Monday's Postcard: North Carolina

These postcards from North Carolina are from the late 1960's. The Biltmore House in Asheville and the USS North Carolina Battleship in Wilmington are represented here. Happy Birthday to my North Carolina Cousin Monika!!

2017 Monday's Postcard: Florida Cypress

These are Florida Postcards from the 1970's and early 1980's

2017 Reading List May

                                         Henry John Hudson (British)   The Letter, no date





What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin (library) I liked the "Hollywood Insider" setting of this Murder Mystery. The main character went to jail for murdering a directer when she was 15. Now she is out and her father-in-law (another Hollywood bigwig) has been murdered and she is the prime suspect. Lots of twists and turns as you read about the original murder and the current one.
The Dry by Jane Harper (library) This is your standard murder mystery and what I liked about this one was the setting in a drought plagued Australian small town. A change of pace for me. I had been reading a lot of British set books and now the previous book in Hollywood and this one in Australia was a nice change of pace.
Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Ella MacNeal (library) Back to my cozy British series! But MacNeal brings her characters to the USA in this installment. So that was a fun change too.
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley (library) The latest Flavia De Luce mystery. Shades of A.A. Milne, when a beloved author, who wrote charming and playful poems about his son is at the center of the mystery. As always, I enjoyed it and cannot wait for more!!
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion by Carolyn Keene A Nancy Drew book set in Hawaii that I am reading because I will be working a trip to Hawaii later this month.
A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn (library) Chet and Bernie doing security on a movie set, so that made this one fun.
By The Shores of Middlesea by Dana Stabenow (library) I am enjoying these, only one more to read. This one actually reminded me of old Black Stallion books, because the female protagonist has a horse that only she can ride and of course it wins races and stomps on the bad guys etc.
Mark Twain in Hawaii by Mark Twain This book combines two pieces that Twain wrote, Roughing it in the Sandwich Islands and Hawaii in the 1860's I am reading it because I will be traveling to Hawaii later this month.
Good Behavior by Blake Crouch (library) I really enjoyed this, it is a set of 3 short stories or novellas about a con-artist/grifter (made into current TV series) Part of the fun is the author has notes about how he got the ideas for the stories and how they adapted them for the TV Series. Also the first story is set at the Grove Park Inn in NC,
White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner (library) Dysfunctional family drama. I enjoyed it and I am trying to read more by Susan Meissner.
The Twin Dilemma by Carolyn Keene I am reading this one to write an article for a Nancy Drew fanzine. It is one of the more modern Nancy Drew books and is set in New York City.
The Clue in Blue by Betsy Allen The first Connie Blair Mystery story, set in Philadelphia at a department store . Originally written in 1948, it is a world that just does not exist anymore.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (library) Just okay, I was not riveted to my seat. Had a hard time finishing it because I just did not care about the characters. I just recently watched the movie version of Girl on the Train and maybe that reminded me of how her characters are not the most sympathetic. And the twist, meh
True Colors by Kristin Hannah (audiobook) This is basically your standard romance novel. It did have some nice Olympic Peninsula location descriptions. There are 3 sisters, but the story really only concerns two of them. I at first thought it was going to be a sort of King Lear story, of the girls saving the family farm, but it became just about two of the sisters and their love lives/relationships.
The Land Beyond by Dana Stabenow (library) The last in this Marco Polo era trilogy by Stabenow. I enjoyed these, they were different than other stuff I have been reading lately. So the setting and characters were fun to get to know.
The October Country by Ray Bradbury (library) short stories by Bradbury, awesome stuff
The Clue of the Broken Blossom by Julie Tatham Set in Hawaii Children's series about a flight attendant. I collect these and really love them!!
The Fisherman by John Langan (library) Spooky Ghost Story book.
His Majesty's Hope by Susan Ella MacNeal (library) Some how I got these out of order. But fans of Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, Bess Crawford by Charles Todd and The Molly Murphy or Royal Spyness books by Rhys Bowen will probably enjoy these as well. This one had a lot of great WWII Germany stuff in it.
The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller (library) what impressed me and what I forget, is that many people do no have the luxury of reading as much as I do. They are required to limit their reading because of work and family restraints. And then you have to narrow down your reading each year to only one book a month or less. I am blessed to have the time to read as much as I want.

To Be Read:

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes
Escape from Warsaw by Ian Serrailier
An Angel With Two Faces by Nicola Upson
A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey