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Monday, June 1, 2015

Bookish Nostalgia - June 2015


And here we are at the beginning of June and the summer of 2015.  I had a good time looking back and seeing what I was reading at the beginning of the past summers - 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010.  Here's the books that I found were the most memorable for each of those months - June...



June 1995 - Tunnel Vision by Sara Paretsky - We were living in Portland, Oregon in 1995 and I recall that June saw us coming home to Austin for the first time in several months.  I remember this because we were staying with my in-laws, and I was totally involved in reading several of Sara Paretsky's books - you know, her V.I. Warshawski series.  I recall disappearing and hiding to get a few pages in, while my husband's family wondered where I'd gotten off to.  Told you guys that I'm an anomaly in the fam - at least I was at that time.  Our daughter, who was 12, ran interference for me.  I am way behind on reading this series now.  However, June of 1995 saw me reading 5 or 6 books in it and Tunnel Vision was my favorite.  It had a storyline that took V.I. to the tunnels under the city of Chicago, to a women's shelter, and a case that involved a homeless woman and her children.



June 2000 - Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben - This is the 7th Myron Bolitar mystery written by Harlan Coben.  I loved this series and think I read all of it.  Darkest Fear was written right before Coben started writing standalones and then transitioned almost entirely to those.  Myron was a former pro basketball player and a sports agent and, because of that, I was always surprised that I liked this series as much as I did.  Not that I don't like basketball, but it's not something I'm obsessed with.  He had a good friend and quasi-enforcer by the name of Win Lockwood, preppy and pretty much an anti-hero.  I loved Win.  This story was sad in that Myron is contacted by a former girlfriend who has a 13-year-old son needing a bone transplant.  And the donor has disappeared.  Lots of secrets here.



June 2005 - 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber - This book is Macomber's first book in her Cedar Cove, Washington series.  It has been filmed for TV in the last couple of years, with Andie MacDowell playing Olivia, one of the main characters.  I loved this book and have loved many of this author's books and series over the years.  Yes, they are a little sweet, but sometimes sweet is exactly what you need.  And I love characters that go on and on.  The Cedar Cove series is a good one.  I also have really enjoyed Macomber's Blossom Street books, set in Seattle.  June of 2005 saw me reading the first 4 books set in Cedar Cove.  They tell the story of the town and various residents and some will appear as a minor character in one book and then become more central in the next.  I have not watched the TV series.



June 2010 - So Cold The River by Michael Koryta - This was a book that my mystery group read and discussed.  It's really very different and had a mixed reaction as I recall among the group.  It starts with a woman approaching a filmmaker and asking him to do a documentary about her dying father-in-law, a very wealthy man.  This involves the filmmaker going to the resort town of West Baden, Indiana and doing some research about the father-in-law's early life.  It also involves a bottle of mineral water - Pluto Water.  Based on a real hotel, this author took the story into supernatural territory and I think that this is either a story that you'll really get into or you won't like at all.  It is unique and quite odd.  I liked it a lot and hope to one day reread it.  I think it was Michael Koryta's first venture away from 'normal' mysteries and into the 'unknown'.  He's kind of made a name for himself in that area - the quasi-horror/mystery crossover books.


Have you read any of these books or series?  I'd love to know your thoughts.  Do you know what you were reading 20 years ago?  Do tell!

34 comments:

  1. I quite agree that sometimes what you need is 'sweet'. I've read a couple of DMc's knitting books but never got to the Cedar Cove ones and I know I should. Intrigued by the sound of So Cold the River. Sounds like it might be suitable for the R.I.P. challenge in the autumn.

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    1. Oh, So Cold The River would be perfect for that fall challenge. You should keep it in mind. It's really rather odd.

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  2. I've So Cold The River in my pile. I bought it after hearing several great reviews on it but didn't start reading it right away then. I'm hoping this year I'll do that! ;-)

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    1. Maybe for the fall thing that Cath mentioned above, Melody.

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  3. I haven't read any of these, but always enjoy the look back :)

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    1. I enjoy seeing what others remember and have read too, JoAnn.

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  4. I loved Sara Partesky and gobbled up all the books I could find of hers. It's been years since I've picked any up. I've enjoyed the Blossom Street books I've read by Macomber but haven't picked up any Cedar Cove for some reason. I hope to try some very soon. Great post!

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    1. Thanks, Katherine. It's been a long time for me as well with Paretsky. I need to get back to that series. I didn't leave it because I was unhappy with it, like I did with some others.

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  5. I've read some of Debbie Macomber some time back but I don't think it was this one.. perhaps you can tell I don't have a clue what I was reading 20 years ago :-) Love this post

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    1. Do you not remember 20 years back, Cleo? Seriously, I wouldn't without my little 'cheat sheet' notebook. LOL

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  6. Thanks for sharing your list. I am looking forward to reading a current Harlan Coben book, The Stanger. He's seems to have been a popular author for quite some time now. Have a great June.

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    1. He has been popular for a long time, Pat. I've heard good things about The Stranger. Enjoy!

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  7. Dare I admit how old I was 20 years ago? LOL! Let's see...in 1995 I was probably reading RL Stine thrillers--I was a big fan of his Fear Sreet books. Did Sam read those? I eventually had to stop reading them when I couldn't get to sleep at night (and never went back to reading thrillers), but they were fun while they lasted!

    Love this snapshot of different years in your bookish life!

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    1. Trish, yes, I can imagine how old you were in 1995. LOL

      Yes, Sam did read some of those too. Although she has never been the reading-obsessed person that I am. For her, it's movies and TV. I remember those Fear Street books. :-)

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  8. I am impressed that you can remember anything about these books after all those years, at least the earlier ones. I must have read some Paretsky, but definitely not in years, and I need to read some of them soon. I haven't read any books by Harlan Coben but I do want to try the Myron Bolitar series.

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    1. Well, I must admit that I did refresh my memory a bit about the details of the plots, but I've been surprised at how much I actually do remember about them.

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  9. I've only rad the first book of Paretsky's series. I wasn't too impressed, but I hope to someday read more to see if it gets better. Tunnel Vision sounds like a good one! I've always been curious about Harlan Coben's series, but have shied away from it because of the sports angle. I hear it's worth it though. Someday . . .

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    1. I know what you mean, Wendy, about the Myron series. And I'm not sure I'd pick it up if I were selecting now. Our tastes change a bit over time I think.

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  10. I haven't read any of these this month. I'm a big fan of Harlan Coben's standalones but never got into the Myron Bolitar series for some reason - perhaps I read one of the later ones first, that often puts me off a series. And somewhere along the line I seem to have lost touch with Sara Paretsky too... too many books in the world!!

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    1. Isn't that the truth? So many books to try. There are several series that I read faithfully in years back, but have lost track for various reasons. I want to read more of Harlan Coben's standalones.

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  11. Great post Kay. I really liked the Myron Bolitar series, I think I read all of them too. I was a little disappointed with Six Years so I haven't rushed to read his latest standalones. I really like Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street series but haven't started on her Cedar Cove series ... one of these days.

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    1. You might try the Cedar Cove books. I think she finished it a little while back, but her new series is set in the same area or town. I've loved the Blossom Street books.

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  12. That would be fun to look back and see what you were reading. I wish I had kept track of my reading before I started my blog but I didn't. I loved Coben's Bolitar series. I read them so long ago that I could do a reread. I pretty much like any of his books though. I finished The Stranger recently and it was good.

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  13. I haven't read anything by Michael Koryta but So Cold The River sounds like something I'd enjoy! I read a few of the Sara Paretsky books quite a while back, but haven't read any lately. I love that you're able to track your reading over the past 20 years like this!

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    1. So Cold The River is quite, quite odd. You might try it. I keep meaning to read it again.

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  14. I love your bookish nostalgia posts, Kay! I have So Cold the River on my stack and keep meaning to get to it. I need to move it up on my stack!

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    1. Thanks, Iliana! Would love to hear what you think about So Cold the River if you get to it. :-)

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  15. I just put in a request for the new Sara Paretsky book :)

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    1. I am so behind on the series. Haven't read one in many years. Hope the new one is good.

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  16. Sometimes you really do need a sweet, or something light, or something funny - either because life has too much of all of the other stuff at the moment or the books you've been reading are just too dark. I call them my "sorbet" books, the ones I use to clear my palate.

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    1. How very apt - palate cleansers. Love it!

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  17. I really do like this topic, and may begin posting some of my own. It's a lovely thought to go back through my journals. Thanks, Kay. I haven't read any of yours. surprise, surprise.

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    1. You should, Nan. I've had a good time looking back at my old lists. And, no, I'm not surprised that your tastes and mine have diverged a bit. :-)

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!