What are you reading the week of Sunday, January 25, 2015?

[scarletwoman]

Good morning, all! I hope you've all had a good week and enjoyed the books you had in hand.

I have to say, last week was a veritable feast of Minnesota books for me - great fun! I read the first two books of the Norwegian author, Vidar Sundstøl's "Minnesota Trilogy" - the third doesn't come out until this April. I've put a hold on it and will be anxiously waiting for it. The second book ended on a cliff-hanger, so I have to see how it all wraps up!

After those two books, I stayed on the North Shore of Lake Superior with The Long-Shining Waters by Minnesota author Danielle Sosin - her first novel. It was a lovely journey; the lives of three different women from three different eras - 1622, 1902, and 2000 - interwoven with Lake Superior as a virtual fourth character. It was one of those books that you hate to come to end of.

Last night I finished These Granite Islands by Minnesota author Sarah Stonich. This was set mainly in the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota north of Duluth. Awesome, truly awesome. I'd already read Vacationland by the same author a couple years ago and was blown away by it. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this one - it's one of those books that's going to stay in my head for a long time.

I still have one book in my library pile left to read, but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for it - the autobiographical book by Velma Wallis set in the Yukon River region of interior Alaska. Since I spent the whole day reading yesterday, I may just do some long-neglected housework today instead of opening another book.

Coming up this week, I have six new books to pick up at the library; three by Scottish writers, and three by Minnesota writers, including one more by Sarah Stonich (although it's set mainly Ireland).

Here's the list:

Safe From the Sea by Peter Geye. He's a new-to-me Minnesota author whose books showed up as recommedations on GoodReads. This one concerns a survivor (a Norwegian immigrant) from a Lake Superior ore boat disaster and his estranged son who meet up at the father's cabin on the Iron Range when the father is dying.

The Lighthouse Road also by Peter Geye. Takes place over two time periods, the late 19th century and the 1920s, concerning the orphan son of a Norwegian immigrant who died in childbirth. Set in Duluth and points north.

The Ice Chorus by Sarah Stonich. As I said, this one takes place mainly in Ireland - no Norwegians, no North Shore, no Iron Range. I'm sure I'll like it anyway, since the author is such a stunningly beautiful writer.

Then I'm off to the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides - and back to my favorite genre; murder mysteries!

The Low Road by A. D. Scott. This is the fifth book in her Joanne Ross series, set in the 1950s in the Highlands. I've been waiting for this one for a year! It's a delightful series with wonderful characters in a fabulous setting.

The Blackhouse by Peter May. This is the first book of "The Lewis Trilogy" set in the Hebrides Islands. Peter May is another author who showed up as a recommendation on GoodReads.

The Lewis Man by Peter May. #2 of the trilogy. I have #3 on order, but there'll be a wait, apparently.

So, have you finished what you were reading last week? Got any new books lined up? Let's hear about it!

Happy reading!

[shenmue]

1. "Kingmaker's Sword," Ann Marston

[scarletwoman]

2. That appears to be a sort of Celtic fantasy series, is that correct?

Looks to be a bit of a leap from Available Dark.

Do you plan on reading the whole Rune Blade of Celi series? I'd love to hear what you think about them.

[shenmue]

3. It's good so far

I think I will read the sequels, after this.

[scarletwoman]

5. Cool!

Have a great time!

[navarth]

4. The Letters of Raymond Chandler.

Not fiction, but more wonderful output from one of our greatest fiction writers. Delightful. Almost every page contains a chuckle.

[scarletwoman]

6. That sounds like it would be very interesting!

Thanks for posting about it!

[navarth]

14. Oh, it is.

Chandler and his wife are fascinating characters. And of course his fiction.....only Hammett is on the same level IMO. Followed closely by Ross McDonald. (Referring to 'Black Mask' writers).

[scarletwoman]

15. I must admit, I've never read any of the detective fiction writers of that era.

I know of them, of course, but mostly only by their names.

[navarth]

16. I envy you. You can read them for the first time.

Alas, I cannot.

If you're any kind of fan of 'detective' fiction at all. You just owe it to yourself to read Hammett and Chandler. More than just detective fiction; it's great fiction.

Albert Camus was a big fan of Chandler. He said his character in The Stranger had been somewhat inspired by Chandler. This is no bullshit, I just read it in his letters a few days ago. Also some great stories of working with Billy Wilder on Double Indemnity. What a fascinating story Chandler is. And Hammett's story as well.

[Little Star]

7. Janet Evanovich's "Smokin' Seventeen"

Evanovich's way with words in this series cracks me up. I never want to see this series end, hasn't bored me yet!

[scarletwoman]

9. I see that this series is up to #21, so you won't run out of Stephanie Plum for awhile yet.

I don't think I've ever read any Evanovich, but I've certainly read lots of enthusiastic reviews of her work.

[Enthusiast]

10. We read most all of those, Little Star. They're fun.

[Enthusiast]

8. Hello, everyone! Thank you for the thread, scarletwoman.

I just finished a wonderful book. It is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Both WCIL and japple read this earlier and remarked positively on it.

I will be starting Burial Rites by Hannah Kent sometime today.

Mrs. Enthusiast just finished Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini. She liked this one very much. She says it is not specifically a women's book as one might deduce from the title.

Mrs. Enthusiast is starting All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I predict this will become one of her favorites.

[scarletwoman]

11. Hello, Enthusiast!

Even though I've read everyone's positive reviews about All the Light We Cannot See, I find myself resisting reading it. I can't explain it, but I simply do not care to read novels set in WWII. I just don't want to "go" there.

I do hope you'll find Burial Rites a worthwhile read. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker sounds very interesting! Excellent summary on Fantastic Fiction - but this part is really sad:

Keckley saved scraps from the dozens of gowns she made for Mrs. Lincoln, eventually piecing together a tribute known as the Mary Todd Lincoln Quilt. She also saved memories, which she fashioned into a book, Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Upon its publication, Keckley's memoir created a scandal that compelled Mary Todd Lincoln to sever all ties with her, but in the decades since, Keckley's story has languished in the archives.

Does the book say anything about what happened to Elizabeth Keckley after that?

Anyway, good to see you here as always. Any thoughts about what you might want to read after you finish Burial Rites?

[Enthusiast]

12. Hello, scarletwoman!

According to Mrs. Enthusiast the book does tell about the life of Elizabeth Keckley until the time of her death.

[scarletwoman]

13. Thank you for asking Mrs. Enthusiast!

Please tell her "thank you" for me.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. First of all, I really liked Peter May's Hebrides series, although I have

not yet gotten to the third book.

Sundstøl's second book is in my queue.

Now, as for my current reads:

Bedside book: The Magus of Hay by Phil Rickman. I first got into Phil Rickman's books when I joined a tour to the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford, England, led by a retired priest associated with the cathedral. The main character of the series, which begins with The Wine of the Angels, is about an Anglican priest in the diocese of Hereford, a widowed woman with a teenage daughter who is into Neo-Paganism, as they encounter the eery situations that the Welsh border country is famous for. The plot of the first book leads to her being named "deliverance minister" (i.e. exorcist) for the diocese. The latest book takes place in the "book town," Hay-on-Wye, Wales, where the drowning death of a man who was once considered an authority on the occult leads to suspicions of murder.

Purse book: The Secret Place by Tana French. Tana French's books are police procedurals that take place in Dublin, and a unique characteristic is that people who are minor characters in one book become major characters in the next. In this installment in the series, two Catholic boarding schools, one for girls (St. Kilda's) and one for boys (St. Colm's), are side-by-side and see only the usual adolescent hijinks until a popular boy from St. Colm's is found dead on the grounds of St. Kilda's. The crime is unsolved, but a year later, one of the girls, who happens to be the daughter of a police detective, brings in an anonymous note that someone left on a bulletin board called The Secret Place. It says "I know who killed Chris." This leads to the re-opening of the investigation, focusing on two cliques of girls.

[scarletwoman]

18. Hi, Lydia! I'm delighted to see you check in!

It's good to know that you liked the first 2 Peter Mays Hebrides books, I expect I'll like them, too. I'm wondering how long it will take for #3 to come in.

Sundstøl's second book struck me as something of a placeholder, not as much fun to read as the first one. But I wouldn't have wanted to not read it, some questions are answered - not all of them, of course.

The Rickman series sounds interesting, I do find all things Welsh quite intriguing. Thanks for sharing your story. While it's far outside of the type of books I generally choose, I'll keep this series in mind should I find myself wanting something completely different from my usual reading fare.

I read The Secret Place several months ago - I adore Tana French! I found it utterly fascinating - so much so that once I finished the last page, I immediately turned back to the beginning and read it all the way through again.

Now I'm all caught up on all of Tana French's novels (hope it's not too long before there's another). So far, Faithful Place remains my favorite, with The Secret Place a close second. After I finished The Secret Place (twice!) I ordered all her preceding books from the library and read all of them through again in order. I had a lovely week of gorging myself on all Tana French all the time!

She and Arnaldur Indriðason are definitely my favorite authors.

[SheilaT]

19. I just finished "Untold Story" by Monica Ali.

It supposes that Princess Diana did not die in an auto accident, but around that time arranged to disappear -- a supposed drowning accident -- and start a new life in the U.S. It's quite intriguing. The events of the novel are triggered by a paparazzi who shows up in the small town she's been living in, and is convinced he's found Princess Di. I quite liked it.

[TexasProgresive]

20. It's been a slow fiction reading week for me.

I had assigned reading for a course I am in which interfered with my fun reading. I just finished Raven Black by Ann Cleeves the 1st of the Shetland Island series. All the Cleeves books I have read are full of artfully crafted false trails and twists on twists. This one is no different. It was interesting to get to know Det. Jimmy Perez and his nascent (never used that word before) relationship with Fran Hunter and her daughter Cassie, and more about the stuff that goes on in Shetland.

Now I am 1/3 through Burial of Ghosts also by Cleeves. This is not a detective novel or at least not yet. It is a different style being written in the 1st person by a young woman who grew up in care named Lizzie Bartholomew. The blurb on the cover is" "The worst nightmares are the ones you can't wake up from..."