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Thursday, August 20, 2020

An anniversary and what I've been reading...

 


Hello everyone!  Hope you've all had a nice week or nice enough anyway.  We've been doing well here and managing through some awfully hot weather.  It's August though and that is not at all unexpected.  It was amazingly wonderful to step out early this morning for my walk and find the temps a bit below 70 degrees.  Wow!  We had a 'cool' front and I suspect this will be the only day with that lovely treat.  However, I'll take what I can get.  

My husband and I had our wedding anniversary earlier this week and we can't believe it's been 40 years.  Gosh, I'm old.  Ha!  The plan had been for a very nice trip, but that has been put off until next year and we'll hope to be able to enjoy it then.  We had a tasty meal and considered it a good enough celebration.  Otherwise, I've done all my regular things, had a couple of virtual meetings and read some good books.



I finished Sycamore Row by John Grisham and noted last week that it had been a really long while since I read any of his books.  Back long ago, I think my first book by this author was The Firm.  It was such a big seller.  I also read his debut book, A Time To Kill and liked it very much.  It was interesting that Grisham waited over 20 years to write again about Jake Brigance, his famous fictional defense attorney.  Sycamore Row was published in 2013, so it's not a new book.  The 3rd book featuring Jake Brigance, A Time For Mercy, is scheduled to be published in October.  

I attended our afternoon book group's virtual discussion of Sycamore Row and enjoyed hearing the thoughts of everyone that was able to attend.  This book features a man, Seth Hubbard, who is dying of lung cancer and who hangs himself after having left a new hand-written will.  In this will, he leaves almost all his estate to his maid, who is black.  His children are left nothing.  Jake Brigance is asked in a letter, also written by Hubbard, to be the attorney for the estate.  Lots of thought-provoking themes here and everyone seemed to like the book.  Many had read at least one book by the author, but there were a few who were new to his writing.  It was a good discussion.


   
I also read Memory Man by David Baldacci and the next book in the same series, The Last Mile.  Our mystery book group had read and discussed Memory Man last year, but I wasn't able to attend that meeting and put off reading it.  It was a good one to follow up the Grisham book and held my interest.  The 'Memory Man' is Amos Decker, a former NFL football player who gets injured severely in the first game (in fact, the first play) of his pro career.  His head injury causes him to have some curious brain changes - hyperthymesia and synesthesia.  The first condition means he can never forget anything, ever.  The second is that his senses experience life in a very specific way, especially with colors and numbers.  After Amos' injury and recovery, he becomes a police detective.  In the first book, Decker discovers his family has been murdered.  His life implodes for a long time, but eventually someone confesses to the crime and Decker is brought back in to assist in the investigation.  He comes to the attention of the FBI during this time and he's asked to be part of a special task force.



In the second book, The Last Mile, Decker and other members of the FBI task force unravel what happened when Melvin Mars' parents were killed.  Mars himself has been in prison for 20 years for the crime and is scheduled for execution. He's granted a reprieve and Decker and colleagues start at the beginning and gradually open up all kinds of secrets that someone doesn't want known.  Someone very powerful.  I really enjoyed both of these books and look forward to moving on in the series to #3, The Fix.

My latest book completed is Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key.  My word, what a creepy book.  I'll wait and talk more about it in a couple of weeks.  It's the September selection for our mystery book group.  I do have thoughts about it and just want to say, I never want to live in a 'Smart House'.  Ever.  

Until next week, stay safe, wear your masks, enjoy your reading, and take care!      

46 comments:

  1. Happy Anniversary!!! When you can go, where will you go to celebrate? What trip do you have in mind?

    I like the sound of that Grisham book.

    The Turn of the Key was a little creepy wasn't it? I enjoyed it.

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    1. We had a trip planned to the Oregon Coast and my husband had a golf trip to Canada that I was considering tagging along on. Ah well. Next year maybe. Yes, The Turn of the Key was creepy in several ways. LOL

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  2. Happy Anniversary, Kay! We are enjoying a bit of a cool front, too--and less humidity. :)

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    1. Yes, cool fronts one week and storms with hurricanes the next. Hope you guys will be OK as Laura decides where she's going.

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  3. Happy anniversary! Wow, 40 years, that's amazing! Glad you were able to celebrate.

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  4. Happy anniversary, Kay. Glen and I had our 40th anniversary in January. We have never been big on celebrating anniversaries, so I don't even remember what we did. Every year now we say, can you believe it has been X number of years? It always amazes us. But 40 years of marriage, that is an accomplishment! We were around 30 when we got married, so I am really old.

    The first book I read by Grisham was The Pelican Brief, and I loved it. But I did not read another one until last year when I read A Time to Kill. I was less impressed with that than I expected. But he does write really well.

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    1. Thanks for the good wishes, Tracy. I really loved The Pelican Brief - ought to reread that one.

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  5. Happy anniversary to you and Hayden! I'm glad you guys were able to celebrate with a nice meal and I'm sure you'll be anxious to travel next year.

    I may go back and reread A Time to Kill and then dive into Sycamore Road and the new one, A Time for Mercy. I sure did enjoy the early Grisham books, but it's been a long time since I've picked one up.

    I'm not sure I'll read The Turn of the Key since I haven't really enjoyed Ware's books other than In a Dark, Dark Wood. This new one sounds especially sinister!

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    1. Thanks, Les. Wish we'd have been able to be in your area to visit, but hopefully next year. I'm not sure you'd care for The Turn of the Key. In A Dark, Dark Wood is still my favorite of her books.

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  6. Happy anniversary, Kay! We had our 47th. in August, hadn't really dawned on me that we were quite that close to our Golden Wedding. Heavens above!

    Yay for a cool front, we had a week up in the high 80s, horrible, but it's now turned wet, windy and cool, Storm Ellen rolled in and it feels like autumn now.

    Happy reading!

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    1. Thanks for the good wishes, Cath. Yes, 47 is closer to 50 years - I know. Seems amazing that so much time has passed.

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  7. Happy Anniversary, Kay!
    I enjoyed The Turn of the Key and like you, I wouldn't want to live in a "smart house", too. Creepy! And I can't wait to receive my copy of her latest, One by One.

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    1. Thanks, Melody. Yes, I've got One By One preordered. Hope it's a good one.

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  8. I have wanted to read Sycamore Row, but wondered if I had to read A Time To Kill first. Not sure I ever read it, but saw the film, and it made a huge impression on my children. It was their first real experience of racism in a book or on film. The book is quite special to me. It did indeed come out in 2013, and Grisham was on The Diane Rehm Show talking about it. We listened as we drove down to the hospital to visit Margaret while she waited for Hazel's birth. The show was a much-needed distraction from the anxiety and great fear we were living with. I am so fond of the author. Seems to be so likeable, and just a plain good person. Btw, you are not OLD. Ha!

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    1. Nan, I can see why you'd remember that interview with Grisham so vividly. Isn't it amazing how some life events get connected with what we're reading at the time. I've found that happens to me as well. You wouldn't need to read A Time To Kill. It's been so long since I read it and I vaguely remembered some of the characters, but not much. I will say that there are spoilers in Sycamore Row, but if you've seen the movie you'd know about them anyway.

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    2. Thanks. I'll read it soon then.

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  9. Happy Anniversary to you and your hubby! Hopefully this virus etc. will all be over soon and you'll be able to go somewhere next year!

    I hope you have a great weekend!

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  10. Congrats on 40 years! That's awesome. :D
    (And I never want to live in a 'smart' house either.)

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    1. Thanks, Lark. Smart houses - way too much 'knowing' by the house. LOL

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  11. Happy Anniversary. We hit 44 years in May. Wow. I cant wait to hear what you thought of Turn of the Key. I had the same first thought that you did...would never live in a smart house. Whoa. "see" you soon.

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    1. Yes, I'll be curious what people think about the book. Not sure it will be to everyone's taste. Looking forward to talking about it though.

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  12. I think I'd rather live in the three little pigs' straw house after Mr. Big Bad paid a visit rather than live in a smart house.

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  13. Happy anniversary to you both!

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  14. Kay, wishing you many more happy years of married bliss LOL It will be nice to travel again, some day I hope.

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    1. Thank you, Diane! Yes, I'm looking forward to travel again at some point or trying to anyway. LOL

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  15. Happy anniversary, Kay! Forty years is a delightfully long time to be married.

    Our reading group is considering the new John Grisham book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the book. I think it might work for us. Our only difficulty right now is getting enough copies of the book. Perhaps if we wait a bit, we will be able.

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    1. Thanks, Deb. Yes, getting enough copies is definitely an issue with the book groups that I attend. Both are library groups and though some might choose to purchase the books, most want to get them at the library in some form. Makes it a bit complicated.

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    2. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the book and the discussion. I'll pass them on to my book group.

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  16. Kay a very Happy Anniversary to you guys! 40 years is wonderful! My husband is a fan of the Baldacci books so I'm going to have to get these for him. Hope you enjoyed the rain this Saturday. It was so nice wasn't it?

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    1. Thanks, Iliana. If your husband likes Baldacci, I think he'd like the ones I mentioned. And, yes, the rain was lovely.

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  17. Happy Anniversary, Kay... 40 years is quite an accomplishment! Glad you had a quiet celebration and will enjoy a big trip when all of this is over. Any ideas where you'll go? In the meantime, happy reading and walking :)

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    1. We had a trip planned to the Oregon Coast and I was also considering tagging along on a Canadian golf trip that my husband was going on. Ah well. Maybe next year.

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  18. Nice to hear from you, Rita. I do understand about taking a break and then coming back to chat. Always glad to do that with you. Yes, I think many of us might try Grisham's new book in the fall. I know I will.

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  19. Happy belated Anniversary Kay! Yours is a good long marriage! Treat yourself to a trip next year. I liked the early Grisham books so perhaps I should try the new upcoming Jack book ... haven't read him in decades ... but I recall one of his about a death-row inmate ... that was intense! Might have been The Chamber.

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    1. Yes, it had been a long time since I had read a Grisham book. I did like this one and will watch for the new one coming this fall. And we are definitely planning a trip next year.

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  20. Happy belated Anniversary, Kay! My in-laws celebrated their 50th anniversary this past weekend.

    I am looking forward to cooler temperatures so we can open the windows again and let the breeze blow through the house.

    It sounds like you have been reading some great books. The Firm is my favorite Grisham novel. Turn of the Key didn't endear me to smart homes either. LOL

    I hope you have a wonderful September. Happy Reading!

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    1. Thanks, Wendy, and congrats to your in-laws. Yes, I think a bunch of us are ready for some cooler temps.

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  21. Happy Anniversary (belatedly!) :) 40 years is quite a commitment.
    Instead of a birthday party in October we're going to try and take a trip for Gage's 10th and the planning is stressing me out. The only time on my life that I've wished we had an RV.
    Adding Memory Man to my list. I bet Jason would like it too.

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    1. Thanks Stacy! I can't believe it's been 40 years, but we were actually a couple for about 6 years before that - all the way back to high school. Ha! Good luck planning a trip. Our neighbors are taking their 3 girls on an extended trip through the West starting this weekend - like 5 weeks or so. The kids are doing school virtually, so the Dad told me they were going to take an opportunity to get an RV and travel a bit. I wish them luck. Their girls are all elementary age. And I bet Jason might like the Memory Man too.

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  22. Glad your 40th celebration was nice! It was our 40th this year as well, I will turn 60 at the end of the month and our big plans for both celebrations were put on hold until next year too. That's okay, the littles will be one year older and that is probably a good thing. Just finished the latest in the Amos Deker series and enjoyed it. Have a great week.

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    1. Nise', it seems that a bunch of us are celebrating the 40th. I've had more than one friend who is. Yes, next year we'll all get to do something more fun. Congrats to you guys!

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  23. Happy Anniversary! 40 years is a great accomplishment. My husband and I celebrated ours in August as well - 23 years. Crazy that it's been that long.

    I liked A TIME TO KILL as well, so I'll probably read the sequel when it comes out. Hope we both enjoy it!

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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!