Waiting On Wednesday - Her Every Fear

This is a weekly event that highlights a book we can't wait to be published.  It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I really liked Peter Swanson's previous book, The Kind Worth Killing, and reviewed it here.  We discussed it in our mystery book group a few months ago and compared it to Patricia Highsmith's book, Strangers On A Train, and Hitchcock's film adaptation of the tale.  It's quite a twisty story.  Peter Swanson has an interest in Hitchcock and his films.  I was delighted to find that he has penned a new book, which also will have overtones of some Hitchcock films.  This week, I'm waiting for:

Her Every Fear

by Peter Swanson

Publication Date:  January 10th

The danger isn’t all in your head . . .

Growing up, Kate Priddy was always a bit neurotic, experiencing momentary bouts of anxiety that exploded into full blown panic attacks after an ex-boyfriend kidnapped her and nearly ended her life. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston, suggests the two temporarily swap apartments, Kate, an art student in London, agrees, hoping that time away in a new place will help her overcome the recent wreckage of her life.

But soon after her arrival at Corbin’s grand apartment on Beacon Hill, Kate makes a shocking discovery: his next-door neighbor, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers, and many questions of her own—curiosity that intensifies when she meets Alan Cherney, a handsome, quiet tenant who lives across the courtyard, in the apartment facing Audrey’s. Alan saw Corbin surreptitiously come and go from Audrey’s place, yet he’s denied knowing her. Then, Kate runs into a tearful man claiming to be the dead woman’s old boyfriend, who insists Corbin did the deed the night that he left for London.

When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves . . . until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment—and accidentally learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? And what about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jetlagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself . . . So how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met?

Yet the danger Kate imagines isn’t nearly as twisted and deadly as what’s about to happen. When her every fear becomes very real.

And much, much closer than she thinks.

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - A Girl From Yamhill

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of A Girl From Yamhill by Beverly Cleary.  I'm sure you know who Beverly Cleary is - the wonderful creator of such characters as Ramona Quimby and her sister, Beezus - of Henry Huggins - of Ralph S. Mouse.  She also wrote several YA books that I loved as a young teen - Fifteen and The Luckiest Girl particularly.  This prolific author turned 100 years old earlier this year.  Amazing!  A Girl From Yamhill is a memoir telling of her early life in Oregon.  See what you think:

Mother and I stand on the weathered and warped back steps looking up at my father, who sits, tall and handsome in work clothes, astride a chestnut horse.  To one side lie the orchard and a path leading under the horse chestnut tree, past a black walnut and a peach-plum tree, to the privy.  On the other side are the woodshed, the icehouse, and the cornfield, and beyond, a field of wheat.  The horse obstructs my vision of the path to the barnyard, the pump house with its creaking windmill, the chicken coop, smokehouse, machine shed, and the big red barn, but I know they are there.

Mother holds a tin box that once contained George Washington tobacco and now holds my father's lunch.  She hands it to him, and as he leans down to take it, she says 'I'll be so glad when this war is over and we can have some decent bread again.'

My father rides off in the sunshine to oversee the Old Place, land once owned by one of my great-grandfathers.  I wave, sad to see my father leave, if only for a day.


Blurb:

Generations of children have read Beverly Cleary’s books. From Ramona Quimby to Henry Huggins, Ralph S. Mouse to Ellen Tebbits, she has created an evergreen body of work based on the humorous tales and heartfelt anxieties of middle graders. But in A Girl from Yamhill, Beverly Cleary tells a more personal story—her story—of what adolescence was like. In warm but honest detail, Beverly describes life in Oregon during the Great Depression, including her difficulties in learning to read, and offers a slew of anecdotes that were, perhaps, the inspiration for some of her beloved stories.

For everyone who has enjoyed the pranks and schemes, embarrassing moments, and all of the other poignant and colorful images of childhood brought to life in Beverly Cleary’s books, here is the fascinating true story of the remarkable woman who created them.

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This lovely author has also written a second memoir entitled My Own Two Feet that tells of her life in college to the publication of her first book.  My life was certainly touched by her writing and my daughter's as well.  I tip my hat to Beverly Cleary, the girl from Yamhill, Oregon.

Weekly Update - 9/19/16 - Blind Date With A Book, Semi-annual Library Book Sale, and It's Allergy Time in Texas...

Good morning everyone!  Hope your last week has gone well.  Mine has been pretty busy.

Life in General...

We went to dinner with our daughter and son-in-law on Wednesday - Japanese teppanyaki dining - I love that!  It was fun to catch up with them.  Even though we live in the same area, their jobs and all of our schedules keep us from getting together as often as we would like.  Still, we have plans to get together again next week.  We've got some birthdays this month and that helps give us a nudge to plan to meet up.

It's time for football and so we're watching both the Texas Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys.  Plus high school teams have begun their seasons.  I like football, but don't watch it as much as I used to.  I wander through when it's on and watch a bit, but I rarely watch a full game.  Our daughter has joined her husband in full football mode though.  She's always reciting statistics and predicting what will happen at this game or that.

Along with football, fall (what fall we get...which isn't much) means ragweed.  I hate ragweed.  Almost as much as I hate cedar trees.  Allergic to both.  From late August until late February, my eyes are usually watering, itching, and red.  And I do take allergy medicine.  Ah well.  It's my life.  At least I get the other half of the year without the itches.


Life in Book Clubs...

I know I've mentioned many times that I'm involved with a mystery book group.  I also attend another couple of book groups (sporadically) that read more mainstream books.  When we were in New Mexico this summer, I visited the little bookstore in Ruidoso called Books Etcetera.  I did a piece on them last year here.  On this visit I had no particular books in mind to purchase, so I took a chance on their 'Blind Date With A Book' shelf.  This involves books that have been wrapped in paper, clues as to the book title on the front, customer reads clues, picks book, purchases it, and then unwraps to see their 'Blind Date'.  Here a picture of my book wrapped with clues:

Here's the book 'unwrapped':

It was Anne Tyler's A Spool Of Blue Thread.  It also happens to be the October selection for one of my book groups.  Serendipity or what?  I've read a couple of Tyler's books, but it's been a long time.  We'll see how I fare with this one.

The selection for the mystery group for October is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.  I've read that one before and discussed with another group several years ago.  I'm not going to be able to moderate October's meeting, but plan to listen to The Thirteenth Tale on audio soon.  I have a very capable 'sub' for October (thanks Gayle).  The other group that I attend now and then is discussing The Readers Of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald.  Have you read any of these books?  Thoughts?


Life in Book Shopping...

I attended the semi-annual Friends Book Sale at the local library that is closest to my house on Saturday morning.  If you arrive at 8AM and give them a $10 donation, you get to shop early.  The money goes to a good cause and you get 'first pick' on the books available.  Here's a shot of part of the books I picked up:

The 4 top books on the right stack are ones that I read in my youth.  I've been picking up hardcover editions of many of the Gothic suspense books I read long ago and I was delighted to find these two by Victoria Holt.  I remember that Alas Babylon was the first book I read that had a 'end of world' feel.  There is a nuclear disaster in it and it relates the story of a group of people and what happens to them.  Joy In The Morning was written by Betty Smith, who also wrote A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.  I read the Joy book so many, many years ago and look forward to revisiting that one soon.  The others were all books that I've meant to read, so a 'good deal' was fun.  I kept suggesting books to customers around me as we perused the tables and finally I had about 4 women following me around as I said 'pick this one'.  Ha!


Life in Upcoming Reading... 

My own reading has been a little slow this week.  Book hangover from Louise Penny's newest.  I've started an advance copy of Peter Swanson's new book (I loved his The Kind Worth Killing).  It won't be out until spring, but I couldn't wait.  More on that one on Wednesday.


That's about it for this week.  Next week is Banned Books Week and I'll have a post on Sunday about that.  This update won't show up until Friday of next week.  In the meantime, happy reading!!

Waiting On Wednesday - The Kept Woman

This is a weekly event that highlights a book we can't wait to be published.  It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I am a big fan of Karin Slaughter's books.  I know she is not to everyone's taste, but I especially love her character of Will Trent.  Love him!  Slaughter's last book, Pretty Girls, was a tough read even for me.  I kept wishing for Will to lighten things up.  I got my wish for the new one.  This week I'm waiting on:

The Kept Woman

by Karin Slaughter

Publication Date: September 20th

With the discovery of a murder at an abandoned construction site, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is brought in on a case that becomes much more dangerous when the dead man is identified as an ex-cop.

Studying the body, Sara Linton—the GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover—realizes that the extensive blood loss didn't belong to the corpse. Sure enough, bloody footprints leading away from the scene indicate there is another victim—a woman—who has vanished . . . and who will die soon if she isn’t found.

Will is already compromised, because the site belongs to the city’s most popular citizen: a wealthy, powerful, and politically connected athlete protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers—a man who’s already gotten away with rape, despite Will’s exhaustive efforts to put him away.

But the worst is yet to come. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case . . . and the consequences will tear through his life with the force of a tornado, wreaking havoc for Will and everyone around him, including his colleagues, family, friends—and even the suspects he pursues.

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.  I have been meaning to read this book and, indeed, the whole series for quite some time.  Since the movie adaptation comes out later this month, this seems a good time.  Plus, this will fit in the R.I.P. XI venue quite nicely.  See what you think:

I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen.  The first of these came as a terrible shock and, like anything that changes you forever, split my life into halves: Before and After.  Like many of the extraordinary things to come, it involved my grandfather, Abraham Portman.

Growing up, Grandpa Portman was the most fascinating person I knew.  He had lived in an orphanage, fought in wars, crossed oceans by steamship and deserts on horseback, performed in circuses, knew everything about guns and self-defense and surviving in the wilderness, and spoke at least three languages that weren't English.  It all seemed unfathomably exotic to a kid who'd never left Florida, and I begged him to regale me with stories whenever I saw him.  He always obliged, telling them like secrets that could be entrusted only to me.


Blurb:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of peculiar photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its decaying bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

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Have you read this one?  Planning on seeing the movie?  Think the photos are beyond creepy?  The author says that this book comes out of his love for vintage photography and bizarro stories.  I'll say.

Weekly Update - 9/12/16 - Family dinners, volunteering, mystery book group and A Great Reckoning...

Howdy!  I'm here to share a little bit of this and a little bit of that from my life recently.  Hope this format will work well with everyone.  I'll try to do this every week or two just to catch up on things - life in general, life in reading, and maybe a bit of what's coming up.


Life in General...

Last weekend was our Labor Day Holiday here in the US.  We had my husband's family over for a cookout on Monday and also celebrated a couple of family birthdays.  It was a fun time for all, especially because my hubby decided he would not only cook the burgers, but make these tasty little salted caramel brownie trifle things.  He found the recipe somewhere and they were very good.  Maybe not so great for birthday candles, but we managed.

On Friday, I began a new volunteering opportunity at one of our local libraries.  It was a little tiresome to get my schedule and their orientation schedule sorted, but I finally began actually 'working'.  It's not a complicated deal at all - shelving books and other materials.  Well, I've done that before.  In fact, that was my first actual paid job at the Austin Public Library, being what they called a 'page'.  It had a been a while since I had shelved almost 3 hours straight.  Part of it was in the children's section and shelves are low.  Lots of up and down and up and down.  I decided I should have worn my fitness tracking device to see how many 'steps' and 'calories' I expended.  Next time.


Life in Reading...

Mystery book group met on Wednesday evening and it was one of our 'food' meetings.  Always fun.  We had 4 new people and after we convinced them that they could indeed stay and eat, even if they hadn't brought anything, all went well.  Our theme was 'Cozies in the Kitchen' and we read cozy mysteries that had a food theme.  There was the option of bringing a food item that you found in your reading.  It went pretty well and some did prepare recipes they found in their cozy reading.  I was not so inspired and my contribution was guacamole and tortilla chips.  Guess it was OK as very little was left.  Ha!

I'm not a big cozy reader anymore, but I did reread 3 books that I had enjoyed in the past.  Jenn McKinlay's first Cupcake Bakery Mystery, Sprinkle With Murder, is a fun one.  This series is set in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a humorous one.  Great cupcake recipes and a few bodies.  Jenn also writes several other mystery series.

Karen MacInerney (local author to us in Austin) writes The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries, which begins with Murder On The Rocks.  Protagonist Natalie Barnes leaves Central Texas and takes a chance on a Maine bed and breakfast called The Gray Whale Inn.  Lots of B&B food offerings and a nice mystery as well.  I like this series.

Lastly, I reread Julie Hyzy's first White House Chef mystery, State Of The Onion.  Olivia Paras is an assistant chef at the White House and this series is filled with all kinds of inside info about the kitchens, guests, and staff doings in the White House.  It a little 'tougher' because of including Secret Service and threats of all kinds.  Sadly, this series is at an end, but several of our group have read it and give a thumbs up.  

We had some interesting comments made about food cozies in general and specifically.  Some of our group enjoy cozies and some are not big fans.  Along with some tasty treats and new members, we had a lot to talk about.


Life in Three Pines...

I recently finished reading Louise Penny's 12th mystery in her Armand Gamache/Three Pines series, A Great Reckoning.  I had looked forward to this one and took my time reading it.  I love the way this author tells a story, her language, her symbolism, her aims.  She uses poetry very deftly and inserts it in such a way that the story flows around it smoothly.  This book brought us to Three Pines, but also to other new locations.  All the usual gang was included and a few more characters that I hope we see again.  In each book, more and more layers are revealed and I marvel that Louise can surprise, delight, and horrify me all in one book.  If you have never read a book by this highly gifted author, start with Still Life.  It's a series that begs to be read in order.


Life in coming days...

I'm participating in the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XI during September and October.  My post about it is here.  Fall is the perfect time to sample mysterious, horrifying, Gothic, suspenseful, ghostly tales.  If this sounds like fun to you, join in.  You can sign up on Carl's blog (link in my post).  I'm going to try to read at least some of the books I showed.  Got lots of encouragement to pick up Daisy In Chains and The Woman In Cabin 10.  We'll see what piques my interest next.

Until next time....Happy Reading!! 

R.I.P. XI

It's time for R.I.P. XI, otherwise known as R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril, Number 11.  And I'm in.  This wonderful challenge has been hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings for all by one of the years.  The great artwork is courtesy of Hugo Award winning artist, Abigail Larson.

What is this challenge?  Well, it's where we choose to read or watch  or listen to these things:

 

Mystery

Suspense

Thriller

Dark Fantasy

Gothic

Horror

Supernatural

These are the things that I love to read most of the time and certainly in the fall.  This challenge runs from September 1 until October 31.  The only 'rules' involve 'having fun' and 'sharing your fun with others'.  I think I can do that.  My picture below is very ambitious and, of course, it doesn't include books on my Kindle.  In fact, I think it includes at least one book from my picture for this event last year.  Anyway, this is at least a starting point.  And, did you see the Stephen King TV adaptations?  Yes, I own those and watch them periodically.  I really like all 3 of them and hope to watch again as the days grow short and the nights get darker and spookier!!  To join in, just visit Carl's blog and see what you think!

Waiting On Wednesday - Garden Of Lamentations

This is a weekly event that highlights a book we can't wait to be published.  It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I love Deborah Crombie's mystery series featuring Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James.  Love it!  However, she does take quite a long time to write the books.  I'm so happy to know that the next in the series, number 17, will be available in early 2017.  Yay!  This week I'm waiting on:

Garden Of Lamentations

by Deborah Crombie

Publication Date: February 7th

Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are drawn into separate investigations that hold disturbing—and deadly—complications for their own lives in this powerful mystery in the bestselling series.

On a beautiful morning in mid-May, the body of a young woman is found in one of Notting Hill’s private gardens. To passersby, the pretty girl in the white dress looks as if she’s sleeping. But Reagan Keating has been murdered, and the lead detective, DI Kerry Boatman, turns to Gemma James for help. She and Gemma worked together on a previous investigation, and Gemma has a personal connection to the case: Reagan was the nanny of a child who attends the same dance studio as Toby, Gemma and Kincaid’s son.

Gemma soon discovers that Reagan’s death is the second tragedy in this exclusive London park; a few months before, a young boy died in a tragic accident. But when still another of the garden residents meets a violent end, it becomes clear that there are more sinister forces at play. Boatman and Gemma must stop the killer before another innocent life is taken.

While his wife is consumed with her new case, Kincaid finds himself plagued by disturbing questions about several previous—and seemingly unrelated—cases involving members of the force. If his suspicions are correct and the crimes are linked, are his family and friends in mortal danger as well? Kincaid’s hunch turns to certainty when a Metropolitan Police officer close to him is brutally attacked. There’s a traitor in the ranks, and now Kincaid wonders if he can trust anyone.

As Gemma begins to see a solution to her case, she realizes she holds a child’s fate in her hands. Can she do the right thing? And can Kincaid rely on his friends, both inside and outside the Scotland Yard force, to stand beside him as he faces the deadliest challenge of his career?

Tuesday - First Chapter - First Paragraph - A Love Letter To Texas Women

Each Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea shares the first part of a book that she is reading or thinking about reading.  This week I'm sharing the first few paragraphs of A Love Letter To Texas Women by Sarah Bird. This is a very short little book, a tribute to the women of Texas.  Sarah Bird is a local author for me and I've discussed more than one of her books at book groups.  When I heard about this book, I knew I'd need to have it.  See what you think:

Me and the Texas Woman, it was not love at first sight.  In fact, my match with her was a bit of an arranged marriage.  One with a rocky start, potholed by cultural misunderstandings and distrust.  It took decades of observation to fully appreciate the Yellow Rose in all her glories.  All her contradictions.  All her glorious contradictions.

Was she Southern?  All belles and balls?  Or was she Western?  Ready to rope and ride and shoot the head off a rattler?  You already know the answer.  You know, that like sulfur, charcoal, and bat guano, the ingredients don't really pop until they're mixed up together into gunpowder.  The Texas Woman is a hybrid with all the vigor that comes from the perfect pairing of the best of two species.  She is Southern but with the Western grit handed down by her foremothers, who could give birth during a Comanche attack, help out when it came time to turn the bulls into steers, and still end up producing more Miss USAs than any other state in the union.

     
Blurb:  

What is it that distinguishes Texas women—the famous Yellow Rose and her descendants? Is it that combination of graciousness and grit that Lady Bird Johnson displayed in beautifying highways and facing down hecklers on the campaign trail? The rapier-sharp wit that Ann Richards and Molly Ivins used to skewer the good ole boy establishment? The moral righteousness with which Barbara Jordan defended the US constitution? An unnatural fondness for Dr Pepper and queso?

In her inimitable style, Sarah Bird pays tribute to the Texas Woman in all her glory and all her contradictions. She humorously recalls her own early bewildered attempts to understand Rosa xanthina, from the big-haired, perfectly made-up ladies at the Hyde Park Beauty Salon to her intellectual, quinoa-eating roommates at Seneca House Co-op for Graduate Women. After decades of observing Texas women, Bird knows the species as few others do. A Love Letter to Texas Women is a must-have field guide for newcomers to the state and the ideal gift to tell any Rosa xanthina how special she is.

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Yes, she had me at the Dr. Pepper and queso.  Ha!  And no, I've never been in a beauty pageant or turned a bull into a steer.  However, I am a native Texan and so definitely a 'Texas Woman'.

And it's fall...

Hello everyone!  Can you believe that it's already September?  Amazing!  This year seems to have flown by.  Hope you are all well.  I have been reading blogs, but know my commenting has been nonexistent.  I'm still trying to decide about blogging.  Should I or not....and I continue to be on the fence about it.  I need to figure out a way not to be 'overly scheduled', but instead be spontaneous.  Sadly, spontaneity is not something I was gifted with.  Sigh.

We've spent some time this summer in New Mexico and I'll share some pictures below from our vacation there.  We'll be returning for another week later this fall.  The climate is cool and lovely in those mountains and it's just about perfect for me.  I took most of the pictures on long walks.

So, what's the 'non plan' here?  Well, we shall see.  Maybe a couple of weekly check-ins and maybe some 'themed' posts like 'Bookish Nostalgia' and Diane's Tuesday First Chapter event.  I'll likely also participate in R.I.P. XI.  Look for a post about that later next week.  Still deciding about 'Waiting On Wednesday', though that does let me highlight some upcoming books that I'm looking for.

I feel like the 'formal' reviews may be in my past.  I suspect that Litsy has spoiled me for that.  I'm thinking perhaps a weekly or every other week post updating my reading, my life, my TV watching, etc., with little blurbs about whatever strikes me.  I enjoy reading those that others write and so that's what I'll do.

Hey, if you are still here...I do appreciate it.  I've had fun on Litsy this summer.  Know it's not for everyone, but I also know that they are close to being available for Android (in beta testing).  Just FYI.  If you are in the US, have a good Labor Day weekend.  The end of summer, yes?  Talk to you soon!