What I've been reading in September...

***Blogger and I are still learning to get along these days.  I accidentally 'published' this post, but it obviously wasn't ready for that.  Let's try this again...with more content.  Ha!

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Hello book friends!  How have you been?  Hope all are well and staying buried in books and reading.  That's what I've been doing mostly and I've read some good books.  Several good books actually.  Let me share about them.

I got caught up on Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series, which has 5 books right now and will have #6 in February.  I read #3 This Fallen Prey, #4 Watcher in the Woods, and #5 Alone in the Wild.  I really like this series which is set in the wilds of Canada, off the grid, and features Casey Duncan, her significant other Eric Dalton, and others.  The reader learns more and more about Rockton and the people who live there and in the area.  Crazy stuff.

My next read was One By One, Ruth Ware's new book set in the French Alps.  Our mystery book group had read her previous book, The Turn of the Key, for September (which was about 50-50 thumbs up by our group).  I was excited to start this one because I suspected that her inspiration was Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  The answer to that question was 'yes-ish'.  I did like this book.  It held my interest and made feel quite cold.  Set at a ski chalet in winter, a group from a start-up tech company comes for a work retreat and lots of things happen.  Scary things.  Dire things.  I won't tell too much, but I will say that I guessed how it might play out early on.  There were a few surprises, but not as many as I might have liked.  As I said, I liked it, but I think that Ware's first book, In a Dark, Dark Wood, remains my favorite. 

On to the new Louise Penny book, #16 in her mystery series, and one I was really anticipating (I'm always anticipating Louise's new books!).  Oh my word!  I loved this book.  I really did.  I can say that about all this author's writing, but some books are special favorites and I think All the Devils Are Here will qualify for that with me.  It is set almost entirely in Paris with the characters mostly being from Gamache's own family.  That is not a bad thing for me, but I know that some of this author's fans mostly prefer for the setting to remain in Canada and Three Pines.  However, in my opinion, it's good for Louise to take her characters out of the small village occasionally and some of my favorites are set in other spots.  I mentioned that I attended an event virtually where Penny spoke about her work and she said that when she's outside of Three Pines, she is able to reveal more about Gamache and whoever is with him because she doesn't have to update so much about the many characters that reside in Three Pines - or not update as much.  I can see that here.  

For me, this was a book about family - the Gamache family.  Many things are revealed that we might have guessed or that the author had hinted in the past.  Reine-Marie Gamache has a big role in this book as does Jean Guy.  Armand's growing-up years are mentioned and sorted through a bit.  His godfather appears.  And Daniel, the Gamache's son, is finally front and center, which he has not been through the whole series.  We learn a lot.  This story is about family and love and betrayal and lies and trust and discovering still more aspects of our protagonist, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.  Highly recommended by me. 

 

The last book I'll talk about today is #5 in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling), Troubled Blood.  I had been highly anticipating this book as I've really enjoyed the whole Strike series.  And I wasn't disappointed, though the reader might need to know that this book came in at 944 pages.  I didn't mind and actually did a read/listen and loved it.  Cormoran and Robin, his partner in the private detective firm, are asked to investigate a cold case disappearance of a woman by her daughter.  The woman, Dr. Margo Bamborough, has been missing for 40 years, so quite a 'cold' case.  Cormoran has never taken a cold case, but he and Robin and their other colleagues give it their best.  There are other cases as well, of course, and also a lot of family situations for both Robin and Cormoran.  We get to know their colleagues better and our protagonists better.  As I said, I really loved the book.  It wasn't particularly fast-paced for the most part, but I was OK with that.  Another highly recommended series.  

That's about all I have today.  I'm currently listening to The Widows by Jess Montgomery for our October mystery book group discussion.  I'm reading the first book in Nora Roberts' Chronicles of the One trilogy, Year One.  I'll share my thoughts about both of those in couple of weeks, along with whatever else has crossed my path.  Take care.  Wear your mask.  Enjoy your reading!