Stephanie Plum books. Some brevity and mystery combined.

"The Master and Margarita", by Mikhail Bulgakov. Second time in a new translation. Just a truly hilarious story, with hints (for me) in song by the Rolling Stones.

"This classic Soviet/Russian novel is at the same time dark and comic, serious and absurd. It stands as one of the most outstanding pieces of literature from the 20th century. A NEW TRANSLATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. Meticulously translated to capture every shade of meaning intended by the author, in a way that makes for an enjoyable read for an English language reader 50 years after it was first published in the U.S.S.R."

It was the inspiration to Mick Jagger for the lyrics to Sympathy for the Devil.

I had an old used paperback, and stumbled upon a newer copy at the library book sale.

Good so far.

Murders in Central Park? "An explosive page-turner filled with a shocking realism."

Amazing book. I started it at bedtime and ended up finishing it that night. My copy came from the library. Relatively recently reissued. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/324056.Log_of_the_S_S_the_Mrs_Unguentine

Written by Stan Crawford; multiple works of fiction written that had fallen out of print. For the last 40 years he has been garlic farming in Dixon, New Mexico, a place I've had the pleasure of visiting. He died earlier this year. I never met him but I regret it. What a brilliant and lovable guy!

https://lithub.com/writer-farmer-literary-misfit-in-memory-of-the-late-stanley-crawford/

R.I.P. Stan.

It was very good, however, it was a bit lighter than I expected. Kinda like Lonesome Dove meets Hallmark/Lifetime channels.

Now I’m reading The Undertaker’s Assistant by Amanda Skenandore. It’s about NOLA during reconstruction and a young black woman who had escaped slavery as a child coming back in search of her family. Very good so far.

Thank you for this thread, it provides a great escape from the news of the world.

My husband is from there, grew up there. His grandmother and parents are interred there. We used to go there regularly. I don’t really have a “hometown” so NOLA is special. He always takes me to the parts where he grew up that aren’t touristy, near the 9th ward. We’ve been together since 1990. He used to take me through his neighborhood. I can’t describe what it was like to visit after Katrina, his face seeing the destruction. Everything that he remembered was totally gone, looked like a nuclear bomb went off. However, his grandmother had lived in the French Quarter, so we have that. I want to go back soon, when it gets cooler.

is A Rule Against Murder/Penny.

Hope this isn’t a spoiler. But how does the killer lure the victim to the right spot at the right time? Or does the killer lie in wait hoping the victim will show on the spot?

Penny spends a lot of time on the ingenious weapon. But I’m confused about how the crime actually happened.

Or did I miss the set-up?

Thoughts?

How in the world did I miss this Louise Penny novel? I thought I had read them all. Gonna have to do something about that, tout de suite.

Thanks.

I haven't been reading books for a while spending my free time watching Britbox and Acorn shows. But I'm reading the first Inspector McLean novel "Natural Causes" by James Oswald.

Delighted to see you again! AND, you bring an intro to an Edinburgh Inspector mystery novel, which I see that there are 16 more. Not the same inspector but still good old Scotland tales. My faves!

A lot going on in Edinburgh that seems connected to a 50 year old strange murder.

Back to it

When we feel like we need a change we will go back to Acorn.

BUT, yellowdogintexas why aren’t you running for a statewide office so this Yellow Dog Democrat can vote for you? “I’d vote for any yellow dog as long as it was a Democrat!”

will be 1 full week without electricity due to Hurricane Beryl. Supposedly landed as Cat 1, but not like any we can remember, especially by the time it gets north of Houston. You'd think this makes more time to read, but not really. Had to put down Nuclear War: A Scenario cause it looked like a bomb went off in my little cul-de-sac with 6+ trees down, 4+ houses hit, my pine tree trying to fall over. Neighbors and I have had fun, great comraderie, chainsaws and sharing.

Read the non-fiction Empire of the Summer Moon about Quanah Parker, last Comanche Chief. Fascinating history.

Looking forward to our little library reopening so I can pick up the next Chet and Bernie mystery for some fun.

I was wondering how you fared. So sorry to hear of all the destruction but thank goodness for good neighbors.
Be careful out there around loose branches. Hope you get your power back sooner than later.

pre-planned trip to Peru saying, "Bye, what can we bring you?" But grandkids were here to pick up big debri, one loaned me his generator, one brought extra gas. All good.

A not about the trees, I think the exceptional high temperatures and drouth weakened a lot of trees. A lot of trees have fallen in Brazos and Roberson counties, and we did have wind but not terrible.

that hopped around. One friend can't get over how my front bench pillows didn't budge but next door front pine tree fell on the house, then banged my backyard pine trying to uproot it. Weird.

"Wish You Well."--- "A very bittersweet tale of a young girl and her brother undergoing a huge transition after their father's death and mother's resulting catatonic state.' It's loosely based on Baldacci's family in Virginia. Not his usual stories at all, but still quite intriguing and suspenseful. Short book.

Also just finished, "Hour Game," another Maxwell and King murder mystery. Very enjoyable read.

Added to my list, thanks.

was wondering...

wife of Odyseeus, maintaining a kingdom while her husband was off fighting the Trojan war was not a simple business. Already aggrieved that he had been lured away due to the shocking behaviour of her beautiful cousin Helen, Penelope must bring up her wayward son, face down scandalous rumours and keep over a hundred lustful, greedy and bloodthirsty suitors at bay...

Still make me smile:

RNC speech transcripts, but to be true to the OP's intentions ... I'm re-reading A Canticle For Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr. I first read it back in the '70s. Things are getting kind of apocalyptic, so I guess it's appropros.....

Late to the party this week; too much going on what with all the election stuff
and a long drawn out illness (ultimately resulting in death) in my family which has thrown us for a loop. For the past three weeks my anxiety level has been in the stratosphere.

So the book: An adorable—and photogenic—two-year-old girl is kidnapped, and, when her remains are found, her twenty-two-year-old widowed mother Brittany is arrested for her murder. But before she can even be charged, she’s been tried and convicted by the media., at the center of which is Melinda Pace, a cynical, mostly-functioning alcoholic Minneapolis television personality with a “legal news” show called The Court Reporter. Not even in the alternative universe of television news could she be described as a reporter, since she makes no attempt at or pretense of presenting the truth, or even the facts. She does do a great job of producing through-the-roof ratings and whipping the public into a frenzy—with tragic consequences.

Marc is brought into the case early on, before it’s clear it will erupt into a media circus that brings out every goofball, crackpot, and member of the aluminum foil helmet club, along with a publicity-hungry state attorney general.

I am almost finished. Not sure what I will read next. I have a lot of series which are not too complicated so may stay in that territory for the immediate future.

Never did finish Jesus and John Wayne - I had the Kindle version from the Library; my checkout expired and I could not renew it. Waitlist for the one physical book. It was almost like a textbook so could not devour it, but it is definitely interesting. There are suddenly a lot of books showing up which deal with this subject; I have seen several interviews with authors.

I am so, so sorry for your loss. Anytime is terrible to lose someone you care about, but these days with all the crazy stuff going on, I can imagine how hard it is to keep up with normal daily life stuff. But thanks for checking in and know that we are holding you in our hearts.

He was such a sweet funny guy, and we loved him dearly.