What are you reading the week of December 23, 2012?

[DUgosh]

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

2012 - book #192

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Bedside book: About to begin "Snow Angels" by James Thompson,

an American who has lived in Finland for many years. According to the cover blurb, it takes place in northern Finland during the period of 24-hour darkness.

Purse book: Finally finished "11/22/63" and especially liked the poignant ending.

Now reading "Talking to the Dead" by Harry Bingham. I knew nothing about this except that a Facebook friend recommended it, and it's not what I expected. I expected a hard-boiled New York detective novel, but it's actually about a woman police detective with a somewhat Asperger's personality in Cardiff, Wales.

[fadedrose]

9. Looked them up and requested both

How'd you like them?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. "Snow Angels" was fascinating but unpleasant in many ways

It made me NOT want to live in northern Finland, where evidently everyone is either an alcoholic or a religious fundamentalist or mentally unbalanced or all of the above. The main character is a native of the region, but we see the strangeness of the culture through his American wife. The murders are on the gruesome side, too.

"Talking to the Dead" was an interesting look inside the mind of an effective but eccentric policewoman.

Now I've started "Mind's Eye" by Håkan Nesser. It's one of the Van Veeteren series, some of which were made into a Swedish TV series shown on MHz Worldview. That's my new purse book.

My new bedside book is a Peter Lovesey mystery "Skeleton Hill." I chose it because it takes place in Bath, England.

I also have a kitchen table book: "Don't Know Much About Geography," which I picked up at a used book sale.

[LWolf]

2. The Complete Calvin & Hobbes.

Again.

[fadedrose]

3. STIFF (1994) Shane Maloney

About Murray Whelan, a political aide in Austrailia. Told in the first person with a light humor and sarcasm. First in the series of 6 so far.

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/M_Authors/Maloney_Shane.html


Book 126 of 2012

[fadedrose]

7. I really like this character

Austrailian is very hard to read - words I never heard of and the way he uses them, and Maloney has a very good vocabulary. Almost gave up but stuck with it and my reward was a lot of action and humor. I have the sequel (got 4 of them from an interlibrary loan) and I feel like seeing more of Murray Whelan so I'm starting it now...

Austrailian doesn't seem to be one language, unless you count the Aboriginies who are not in this book. Greeks, Italians, Turks, Maltese, British, Japanese, Kurds and other ethnic groups inhabit Melbourne. This book mentions so many government agencies handling these groups I couldn't keep them straight.

[benld74]

4. The Twelve

[Little Star]

5. Is that written by Justin Cronin?...

The reason I ask is that anytime I see a unfamiliar book listed here, I like to go out on the net and read a short synopsis.

[benld74]

11. Yes its Cronin written. 1st book was the Passage and is prelude to Twelve

[Mz Pip]

6. How is it?

I read The Passage earlier this year. It was long but it kept me interested enough to finish it. I am considering getting The Twelve as I need a good page turner.

[benld74]

12. It had a l-o-n-g wait line for it at local library,,

i can recall being 21st on the list earlier this year, but I kept the hold on, got it right before Xmas. Alot of tie ups happening at start of book, scenarios range from the Denver shooter of internet fame, the expansion of the little girl saga and others.
Not bad at all.

[fadedrose]

8. THE BRUSH-OFF (1996) Shane Maloney

Last edited Fri Dec 28, 2012, 09:25 AM - Edit history (1)

A series of 6 books, so far, about Murray Whelan, a political aide in Melbourne, Austrailia. This is the second book. The first had lots of humor, excitement, and never-ending confusion (on my part).

Started this last night, and it is nothing like the first book. It is easy to read, not confusing, and the reason is that Murray now works for the Minister of Culture (Arts), not the Minister of Ethnic matters..

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/M_Authors/Maloney_Shane.html

Book 127 - 2012

[fadedrose]

13. I quit 1/3 of the way through...this fiscal cliff stuff is too absorbing

and I can't come up with the concentration this bood requires...