What Fiction are you reading this week, May 1, 2022?

[hermetic]

Reading A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, an extraordinary book about "what makes great stories work, how to write them yourself, and what they can tell us about our world today. Funny, frank, and rigorous." I am finding it a most compelling read. It is classified as fiction.

Listening to The Long Call by Ann Cleeves, published 2019, "the first in a gripping new series, told with deep compassion and searing insight." A 'long call' is the most complex vocalization of a seagull’s repertoire, could be considered a wake-up call.

What books will you be waking up to this week?
Happy May!

[SheltieLover]

1. "Hollywood Scandals," Gemma Halliday

Just finished her High Heels cozy series.

She is a NYT Best Selling author.

I find her shorter works much more enjoyable, as they don't sag in the middle.

While some might enjoy hundreds of pages of her protagonost drooling over designer shoes & clothes, I skip those parts.

[hermetic]

2. She's quite a success

Besides having written over 50 books, at least 2 of which involve Sherlock Holmes, she also opened up her own publishing house in 2013. Since then she has published over 200 titles from more than 40 authors, one of whom is previous DUer, Jayne Denker.

[SheltieLover]

10. Wow!

I didn't realize she'd been publishing. And one of our own!

[bahboo]

3. Florida by Lauren Groff....

a collection of short stories, mostly located in Florida. Stunningly good writing....so insightful into the human condition...highly recommended...

[hermetic]

5. I've heard of her

Delicate Edible Birds was her first, from 2009. Lots of award winners since then. I should try to find her books. Thanks for the rec.

[bif]

4. "Strangers I Know"

By Claudia Durastanti. It's sort of al over the map, but entertaining.

[hermetic]

6. 'Entertaining' is good.

"Kinetic, formally dazzling, and spectacularly original, this book is a funny and profound portrait of an unconventional family that makes us look anew at how language shapes our understanding of ourselves."

[mizogan]

7. Chaim Potok

I have discovered Asher Lev!
"My Name is Asher Lev" and "The Gift of Asher Lev" A story of an Hasidic Jew from Brooklyn that is born an artistic gift which test the norms of his community. The history of the migration from Russia in the early 20th century an underlying foundation is prescient as we watch current events.
These books are beautifully written.

I am a retired Teacher and RN awaiting approval for SSDI. I have been home bound since February 2021 and have just recently gotten my ability to concentrate and focus on the written word. Audio books have been a staple for me for years and I have listened to many wonderful narrations but holding a book has brought me back to my own voice.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. My mother LOVED those books and that author!

Somehow I never got around to reading them, despite her recommending them with great enthusiasm. I still don't know why because we both shared a love of reading about Jewish history and traditions as well as the suffering thrust upon the Jewish people by various groups. We read a LOT of Holocaust fiction.

I will have to check my library for an ebook version.

[hermetic]

11. Me, too! That "The Gift Of Asher Lev" sounds amazing

"Rivals anything Chaim Potok has ever produced. It is a book written with passion about passion. You're not likely to read anything better this year."

[hermetic]

9. That's wonderful!

I am so happy for you. Audio books are a good thing but there are so many great books not available on audio yet. I hope that your SSDI comes in soon and that you continue to improve every day. Having a look at the posts here every Sunday can lead you to find some extraordinary books you might not hear about otherwise. So, welcome!

[bif]

18. Loved those books!

Read them a long time ago. Perhaps I need to reread them!

[yellowdogintexas]

12. This week: two books one in each Kindle

In my Kindle Fire: Spies of the Midnight Sun

SPIES OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN is the true story of legendary British safecracker and spy Eddie Chapman, the British Double Cross Spy System, and Norwegian female Resistance operatives Dagmar Lahlum and Annemarie Breien. Known as Agent Zigzag, the most remarkable double agent of WWII, the fearless and roguishly handsome Chapman fell in love with and spied alongside the stunning 20-year-old model Dagmar Lahlum in Occupied Norway. Based upon recently released historical records from British and Norwegian archives, this WWII adventure and romance tale illuminates for the first time the intimate relationship between the two spy-lovers as well as the wartime exploits of Lahlum, Breien, and the Norwegian Resistance to liberate Norway and combat the Gestapo's bloodhound investigator, Siegfried Fehmer. The contributions of Dagmar Lahlum and Annemarie Breien to the Allied war effort are many and incontrovertible--and yet history has never properly recognized these courageous Resistance women for their achievements. Until now. This book is their story and the story of the colorful Eddie Chapman in their efforts to defeat the Nazis.

It is starting off a bit slow, partly due to the author taking a lot of time with the characters and the history of the Norwegian Resistance.

In my other Kindle (the small one that fits in my purse)
The Scoop Book 1 of The Godmothers series by Fern Michaels (seven books in the series)

first off, I believe Ms Michaels has a great fondness for uber wealthy divas. She certainly seems to enjoy writing their stories.

First in the beloved series about four Southern ladies of a certain age: “A perfect book to take with you and sit and laugh at the beach. It’s just fun.”—Louisville Courier-Journal

The debut of a wonderful new series, The Scoop is #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels's introduction to The Godmothers, four unforgettable women who are about to get a whole new lease on life. . .

Teresa "Toots" Amelia Loudenberry has crammed a great deal of living--not to mention eight much-loved husbands--into her varied and rewarding life. Once again single, Toots is ready to taste life again, and fate has just handed her the perfect opportunity. . .

The owner of the gossip rag where Toots's daughter works is about to lose the paper to his gambling debts. Eager to keep her daughter employed among the movers and shakers of Hollywood, Toots calls on her three trusted friends--Sophie, Mavis, and Ida--to help pull some strings. Together, they hatch a plan that proves you should never underestimate Southern ladies of a certain age, and that each day can be a gift, if you're willing to claim it. . .

[murielm99]

13. I am reading

Never by Ken Follett. I have not read a Follett book in a long time.

I know where this 800+ page book is going. It will lead to WWIII, nuclear or not.

I have not yet decided if I should take this book seriously. For starters, the President is a republican and a woman. Today's republican party would not allow a woman to be the most powerful person in the world. I am not being flippant here.

I will finish this book. I have read enough to be committed to it.

[hermetic]

15. I agree

A woman (R); never. Sounds good, though. "Never is an extraordinary novel, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times."

[TexLaProgressive]

14. "Pegasus Descending" James Lee Burke

[hermetic]

16. Sounds like a winner

"It's detective Robicheaux's most personally painful case--a roller coaster of passion, surprise, and regret--and it may be his deadliest." Hundreds of 5-star reviews.

[Number9Dream]

17. Finished "Kingdom of Bones" by James Rollins

Thanks for the thread, hermetic.

It was excellent (as usual). The latest in the Sigma series. A deadly virus is sweeping the Congo, and threatening to spread. Large nasty ants, killer baboons, poisonous bats, are just the beginning. A welcome addition was Tucker Wayne and trained Belgian Malinois dog, Kane.

[hermetic]

19. Scary stuff

"Mother Nature—red in tooth and claw—is turning against humankind, propelling the entire world into the Kingdom of Bones." In the Congo an unknown force is leveling the evolutionary playing field. Men, women, and children have been reduced to a dull, catatonic state. Wow, it's turning them all into Republicans! ( Sorry, couldn't resist. :evilgrin
I'm going to get that one next. Sounds great.

[The King of Prussia]

20. "From Devon with Death" by Stephanie Austin

A cozy set in Ashburton in Devon. I've put it down though to read a non-fiction - "Pink Floyd FAQ" by Stuart Shea. We are going to see Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets this week, and I'm refreshing my knowledge of pre-Dark Side Floyd. Previously I read "And Away..." the autobiography of the comedian Bob Mortimer. I don't know if you can see his show "Gone Fishing" in the US but I recommend it - the best thing on TV here.

I'm Setting My Controls for the Heart of the Sun. Happy reading!

[hermetic]

21. Oh lucky you!!

Pink and the boys are my absolute favorites! I have the Live at Pompeii concert on tape. Saw them in concert a couple of times: Animals and Wish You Were Here.

I have a list of British shows for future watching and I've just added "Gone Fishing."

Did you ever read any of James Runcie's books?

Be careful out there. Don't let your wings melt.

[The King of Prussia]

22. OK so now I'm jealous

Never got to see the Floyd play - closest I got was the Roger Waters "In The Flesh" show about 20 years ago.

No I haven't read any James Runcie, although he is - like so many others - on my ever-expanding TBR. I might push him up the list and report back.

You take care as well Hermetic and happy reading!