Welcome to Bookish Nostalgia for July 2018. I've kept records of books I read for over 25 years and I enjoy looking back through my reading journals to see what I was reading 5, 10, 15, and 20 years ago. Let's see what I remember about what I was reading in those years:
July 1998 - Miss Zukas and the Library Murders by Jo Dereske - A lot of my mystery reading was impacted by discovering other mystery readers on the internet. In 1998, I was finding a lot of authors that I had not heard of or seen on my library shelves. However, I'd read about them on the DorothyL list or on a YahooGroup (remember them?) and happily see if I could find the various books. Jo Dereske's mystery series featuring Librarian Helma Zukas is one of those. This is the first book in that series and I remember it was so much fun and Helma is an original for sure. Now that these have appeared in e-book format, I ought to read them again.
July 2003 - Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews - Another funny mystery and first book in a great series is Murder With Peacocks. Donna Andrews is still writing this series and book #23 will be out in August. Meg Langslow is scrambling in this one to be the maid of honor for three weddings in her home town - her mother's, her soon to be sister-in-law, and her best friend. Each is different and each bride is relying on Meg for lots and lots of help. Oh, and each bride keeps changing her mind about wedding details. So many funny moments in this book.
July 2008 - Tilt A Whirl by Chris Grabenstein - Obviously, July is my month for starting fabulous, funny mystery series. Here's another - Chris Grabenstein's first book in his Jersey Shore mysteries. John Ceepak is a great cop - a little stiff, but perfect. Danny Boyle is learning to be a cop, but in this first book, he's only part-time. Ceepak and Boyle are one of the best cop duos around and this series comes highly, highly recommended by me. So much fun and some serious issues as well. If you haven't read it, I'll share a secret - the first three books in the series are available for only $.99 each on Kindle. Just saying...
July 2013 - The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel - I've always been a bit fascinated by the wives of the astronauts. I think that began when I saw the movie The Right Stuff. And, of course, I'm from Texas and Houston has been a big part of NASA. Anyway, I was excited to read a book about the Mercury 7 astronaut's wives. I know this became a TV series, but I didn't watch it for some reason. As we are now within a year of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing (July 20, 1969), I'm interested in this book again. Honestly, I don't remember much detail about it, even though it's only been 5 years since I read it. Did you read this book or see the TV adaptation?
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And so we end this month's Bookish Nostalgia. Hope you'll join me again next month to see what August books I remember from my journals.
Only one I hadn't heard of: the last one. I absolutely adore Ceepak & Boyle, but when it comes to both Dereske's and Andrews' main characters, they both rubbed my fur the wrong way. Different strokes for different folks, eh? :-)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely - and we're both OK with that, right? Our tastes overlap a lot and then sometimes they don't. It's all good.
DeleteYou got it-- it's all good. It's a blessing to know people who don't treat you like a cretin because you didn't like a book they loved (or hated). I've run across a few of those folks, and I'll bet you have, too.
DeleteYes, I really always think that 'there is a reader for every book and a book for every reader'. I believe that completely.
DeleteI have to tell you, I have the Bookish Nostalgia for books that I have given away! Also for books that I read so many times as a teenager. Did you ever read the books by Marie Killilea? They were non fiction, "Karen" and "With Love From Karen" about her daughter who had cerebral palsy. They were such well written books!
ReplyDeleteI did not read those books, Kay. I've never read a lot of non-fiction, even in my younger years. I'll have to see if my library has them.
DeleteWhat a great post--you sparked my own nostalgia for my early mystery series days. Nice way to start the weekend! Hope you have an enjoyable one!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Catherine! I have a great time putting these posts together.
DeleteI LOVED the John Ceepak books -- esp. on audio. I wonder if I read them all.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, but I sure wish Grabenstein was still writing them. I think he's finished with the series though. :-(
DeleteI read Whack-a-Mole by Grabenstein several years ago and enjoyed it. Thanks for the reminder! I think I would like the Miss Zukas books.
ReplyDeleteI bet you would like the Miss Zukas books. She's a bit odd, but they are funny. She has a good friend that helps her.
DeleteI've read a couple of Grabenstein's MG books, but I didn't know he was also an adult mystery author! Cool. I'll have to check this series out. I'm always looking for new ones :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Susan, you've got to read the Ceepak/Boyle series. My husband and I have listened to all of the books on audio too. They are great.
DeleteI'm reading TILT A WHIRL right now and loving it! The prose is so clever and funny. I bought the other two books in the series since they were on sale (Thanks for the heads-up!) and I can't wait to read them.
DeleteI'm so glad you are liking the Grabenstein books! The series is a really good one and you really fall in love with the characters and Jersey Shore and all that fried food. There are more books in the series - 8 of them. Last one printed in 2013. Sadly, I think he's done with it and has gone on to his middle grade books.
DeleteSo many things to tell you (since my comment thing still won't show up in my email. I really need to figure this out).
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, your transformation picture is amazing! You should be very proud of yourself. I'm still waiting to find what works for me - I am always about ten pounds more than I want to be. I just can't quite ever lose that last ten pounds.....and when I have, it comes back quickly. You make me think I could eventually get it right :)
About the Jodi Picoult (WoW post)book - I agree. I can't read her titles back to back. I wish she would venture out from her formula of using multiple narrators. I think readers would buy whatever she wrote. But, she has found something that works for her, obviously.
And...the Astronauts Wives....i did watch the show, which made me actually want to go back and read the book again. There are a lot of characters in the book and I never paid any attention to the space unit in school (I mostly read a book under my desk and looked up when it was my turn to read a paragraph out loud). I think if I would have known the stories of the astronauts and their families, I would have been more interested.
Tina, I put a comment on your blog today suggesting what might work for your problem. Thanks though for all your thoughts here. And thanks for your kind words about my before/after shot.
DeleteWierdly, I've not heard of any of these books but as I like a bit of humour in my books I'll definitely look a couple up. Miss Zukas and the Library Murders definitely appeals.
ReplyDeleteYou could see if your library has any of them, Cath. They might, though these are older series.
DeleteI've only read one of Chris Grabenstein's books, a few years ago, and really meant to read more, so thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI love the whole Jersey Shore feel to them, plus the characters. I mean, who doesn't want to read them just to see what food products can be fried (oreos, candy bars, etc.). Ha!
DeleteAnother excellent nostalgic post - I find it interesting looking back over my reads and seeing the subtle shift in interest over the years but judging by your list you go for laughs in July
ReplyDeleteYes, it does seem like 'laughs in July' - who knew? Maybe I should do an event next year - 'laugh in July' - LOL! I also have found it interesting to see how my reading changes over time. At one point more of this type book and at another, a different sort. Plus I love being reminded of books I loved and might want to revisit.
DeleteOne of the best things that ever happened to me as a reader was to discover Yahoo Groups way back in the late 90’s. I got so many wonderful book recommendations there.
ReplyDeleteAnd made so many wonderful friends, right?
DeleteI really liked The Astronaut Wive's Club. I liked it because that was how it really was when the space program launched but I also loved it because it wasn't all pretty and perfect.
ReplyDeleteAnd those times really, really weren't perfect, were they? Those wives had to put up with a lot of stuff.
DeleteKay, this flashback post made me realize that at one time I had 2 of these books on my shelves and apparently donated them unread LOL
ReplyDeleteTilt A Whirl and Miss Z and the Library Murders
Diane - you made me laugh. I've done that more than once. Went looking for a book I was sure I owned and then had a clear memory or putting it in the library bin for donations. Ah well.
DeleteI tried listening to The Astronaut Wives Club, but couldn't get interested. I never saw the show either. However, I loved The Right Stuff and Chuck Yeager's memoir (Yeager) and would love to read those again.
ReplyDeleteI have liked all I've learned about Chuck Yeager. Never read either book, but really loved the movie.
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