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Wednesday, July 10, 2019

kay's reading...7.10.19



Hello book friends!  Hope all of you have a had good couple of weeks.  I think that for now I'll update by relating what I've been reading every now and then.  We had a quiet but nice holiday weekend - we've felt like our summer has been busy and so it was just about perfect to do nothing much.  My husband played golf - his usual - and I made my way through book after book, while also keeping up my walking and yoga routines.  Last year, we were in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (pictured above).  This year - hot and humid Central Texas - ah, home...ha!  I'll not share another 'bug' picture with you, but let me tell you, the scorpions are out and around - just saying...

I've continued to make my way through Betty Webb's Lena Jones series.  This author, who was once an investigative reporter, shares some tough storylines in these books - very grim.  I've loved the books, but they might be a little rough for some.  Anyway, I've finished Desert Cut, Desert Lost, Desert Wind, and Desert Rage.  You can always click on the covers to the right to learn more about any of the books I've read.  There are 10 books in the series and I'm reading #9 right now, Desert Vengeance.  As I said, I've really liked this series and I'm considering doing the same thing with another series - reading all the books - I just have to think about what series I might pick.  Maybe somewhere cold.



I've also been doing some great audiobook listening.  I read the second book in Dervla McTiernan's Cormac Reilly series.  It's called The Scholar and through the book, the reader gets to know not only more about Cormac and his detective colleagues, we get to get better acquainted with Dr. Emma Sweeney, Cormac's girlfriend.  I can recommend both The Scholar and the previous book, The Ruin.  They are both narrated by Aoife McMahon.



After spending time in Ireland, I shifted over to Asia and began listening to The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See.  It is narrated by a number of people and all were quite good.  I'll be leading a book group discussion of this book next week and so I was very happy that I liked it so much.  With various themes of tea production, harvesting, and a mountain culture steeped in tradition, there were also modern aspects that were most interesting.  One storyline concerned adoptions of Chinese girls and that one was most relevant to my life as we have two nieces who were adopted from China.  I appreciated many of the issues brought up and look forward to talking with the group about their experience with the book.



Another book group member related to me that she had just finished reading Lisa See's new book - The Island of Sea Women.  She said I should try that one too and so I did.  Wow.  Location shift to Korea and the female divers of Jeju Island, off the coast of Korea.  This way of life is something I can't even imagine, but I was quite, quite enthralled.  Another book that I highly recommend.  Based on life in that region and the changes that have come, the timeline runs from the 1930's to the present.  It was narrated by Jennifer Lim.

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I think that's about it for the last couple of weeks.  I hope you are all enjoying your summertime reading.  Take care and I'll try to get back around in a bit to share more.

44 comments:

  1. You've been doing some good reading, I see. (Of course, you can't go wrong with Betty Webb.) I'm in the middle of a book written by a man who, in the 1930s, decided to travel from Buenos Aires, Argentina to New York City... on horseback. I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot as I travel along with him.

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    1. Now that is a loooong horseback ride! I'll watch for your thoughts on it, Cathy. Ha!

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    2. Yep. Over 10,000 miles. Talk about saddle sore! LOL

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    3. 10,000 miles on a horse - I'm trying to imagine. Nope. Not for me. Ha!

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    4. I could handle the horseback stuff in my younger days, but the sleeping rough, all the bugs trying to do me in, and other little goodies would mean I wouldn't give it a try.

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  2. I have Desert Noir on my library pile now, Kay. Looking forward to trying it.

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    1. I hope you like it, Cath!

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    2. Remember that you're reading about my neck of the woods when you pick it up, Cath!

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    3. Oh... I didn't realise that, Cathy. Excellent. Thinking I might read it next.

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    4. Yes, Cath, it's Arizona deluxe - lots of info about the Phoenix area and also other parts of Arizona through later books. Historical incidents too. Cathy is the expert, but I love that area as well.

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  3. A quiet holiday sounds good to me! I need to read more Lisa See!

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    1. I really enjoyed both of the See books, but especially the one set in Korea.

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  4. Looks like you're getting some really varied reading in! Good to hear from you, Kay!

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    1. Yes, I've been doing the mystery angle in print and other type fiction on audio. Works for me. :-)

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  5. I liked The Scholar and intend to go back and pick up The Ruin. I'm really interested in Betty Webb's Lena Jones series. I've read great reviews of the Lisa See books--so many books I want to read!

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    1. Jenclair, I think you might like the Lena Jones series. Lots and lots of Arizona stuff and some have a historical angle.

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  6. My book club read The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane last year and had the discussion at a local tea shop. It included a talk by the owner and a tea sampling. Unfortunately it happened while I was in FL. My mother recently enjoyed The Island of Sea Women. Guess I need to catch up with Lisa See!

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    1. That would be a fun way to discuss The Tea Girl - at a tea shop. This book group meets at the library, so no tea shop. I do recommend that you read the Sea Women book. Good audio.

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  7. That photo is amazing, I can only imagine how it was to see that mountain in person! I've been wanting to read a See book, both of those look good.

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    1. That's Mount Hood close to Portland, Oregon, Vicki. I love visiting that area.

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  8. Ugh. I'm sorry the scorpions are out and about! Has it really been a YEAR since you were here?! I can't hardly believe that. Seems like only a few months ago we were having lunch with Robin and visiting Third Street Books together.

    I just finished #9 (How the Light Gets In) of the Inspector Gamache series. Wonderful, wonderful book! I'm going to switch gears now and read a book that's been on my shelf for years. It's The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. I'm trying not to let the Hungarian names throw me!

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    1. Well, scorpions - fact of life here - like coyotes and snakes and lots of bugs. Yes, it has been a year. Amazing, right? I hope we get to come back in a few years. Glad you liked #9 Penny book. One of my favorites. I remember something about The Invisible Bridge. Hope you enjoy it and then tell us about it.

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    2. I decided to set The Invisible Bridge aside for now. I have a hefty read for next month's book club meeting (Pachinko), so I wanted to read something fairly light and short. I picked up Apron Anxiety, which has been on my shelves forever. It's a culinary memoir and so far, I'm loving it!

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    3. My afternoon book group read Pachinko last fall, but I was out of town so didn't read it. Many seemed to be quite surprised at the animosity between Korea and Japan. I had known about that, but not a whole lot. The Lisa See book I read relates another viewpoint.

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  9. I love the idea of reading a whole series but am always a bit worried I'll burn out on it. I'll be curious to see what you pick - especially if it's somewhere cold. I won the Lisa See book in a Goodreads giveaway and am really looking forward to reading it. It looks so good.

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    1. I understand your worry, Katherine. Sometimes it suits me though. I think my brain thinks of it as one long story, especially if the main characters stay the same and learn new things about themselves (which happens here). I did it years ago with Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series and then I've also done this with J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas books. Hope you like the Lisa See book if you pick it up soon.

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  10. It does seem like a busy summer this year. Hopefully it will fly by and be cooler before we know it. I have also been thinking how I used to read a whole series and kind of miss doing that. May be a new goal.

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    1. I vote for the cooler part or at least less humid.

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  11. I loved "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane"! Such a great story. And I've "The Island of Sea Women" in my pile; I'm just waiting for the right mood (also after clearing my library books) to read it.

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    1. Melody, if you liked The Tea Girl, I'm betting you'll enjoy the Sea Women book as well. Hope so!

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  12. Ahhhh, Mr. Mount Hood! I miss waking up to that view every day :(

    Isn't the Cormac Reily series great? I feel like he's got hidden depths that can be explored for a long time to come.

    I also really like Lisa See. THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN is SO good, isn't it? I loved it. Funny enough, I just picked up a copy of THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE. Great minds and all that!

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    1. I'll be interested in what you think about The Tea Girl, Susan. And, yes, I miss waking up to the view of Mt. Hood as well. It's been a long time, but still...

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  13. I like a good quiet holiday. I liked both of those Lisa See books. The Island of Sea Women was so different and good. Yay for audiobooks!!!

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    1. Audiobooks are great aren't they? At least for some of us.

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  14. Lisa See's books usually don't do it for me but her latest has been getting a lot of good buzz.

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    1. The book about Korea and the women divers is quite interesting. She has some extra info on her website about them.

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  15. I am definitely going to find the first book in Betty Webb's series. I have a couple of Lisa See's early books, but have not read them yet. Some day I will have plenty of time to read.

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    1. You will (or maybe you won't - ha!). It's easy to get really busy when one is retired. :-)

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  16. Wanting to read both Lisa See books. I've enjoyed her earliest books especially. Thanks for sparing us the scorpion pictures LOL

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    1. No scorpion pictures this time, but no promises for bug pictures in upcoming days. Ha!

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  17. I'm going to have to request both of See's books from my library!

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  18. Hi Kay, glad to know you are doing well. I came to a few blogs to get inspired and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone was what I got from yours, it is my current read.

    I recently went to Ireland for a yoga retreat, it is stunning there. Glad you had a great start summer vacation also.

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    1. Hi Marce! Glad to see you here. A yoga retreat sounds like a lot of fun. Enjoy MYSTTS!

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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!