What we're reading, the MTS edition

re- reading The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart right now- Love these books and its been a while since I have visited them.

sheadakota said:

re- reading The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart right now- Love these books and its been a while since I have visited them.

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Am starting to re-read Mary Stewart, too, and am now remembering how much I loved them at first read. Which are your favorites?

Just finished Joyland (Stephen King) and Cinnamon Kiss (Walter Mosley) and have started St Kilda Blues (Geoffrey McGeachin).

I'm currently reading Nowhere To Run by CJ Box. I have about sixty or seventy pages left. I love the mountains and I love mysteries, so it's a good combination for me.

BJ Bourg said:

I'm currently reading Nowhere To Run by CJ Box. I have about sixty or seventy pages left. I love the mountains and I love mysteries, so it's a good combination for me.

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You might try Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta. After witnessing a murder, a teen boy is chased through the Montana wilderness by an odd pair of relentless killers, testing the boy’s spirit and newfound outdoor survival skills. Really good read.

pdichellis said:

You might try Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta. After witnessing a murder, a teen boy is chased through the Montana wilderness by an odd pair of relentless killers, testing the boy’s spirit and newfound outdoor survival skills. Really good read.

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^^What Peter said. A great read.

^^ I think it says a lot.

Almost finished with Forever Odd by Koontz. I have two more Oddies waiting in the wings. I can hardly wait.

vagough said:

Am starting to re-read Mary Stewart, too, and am now remembering how much I loved them at first read. Which are your favorites?

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I adore her Merlin trilogy - The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills and The Last enchantment- There was one after that about Mordred The title escapes me at the moment- I will have to look that one up!

The Wicked Day is the Mordred book. Funny - I recently saw all four of the books in a local charity shop. I had no idea the Wicked Day had been written.

I am desperately trying to finish Tana French's Broken Harbor. I loved Into the Woods, but this one... I do not love. I decided a third of the way through to stick with it and probably have less than forty pages left, but my will is faltering. Will definitely need a break before I dive into Faithful Place.

Just finished Officer Jones by Derek Ciccone.

It's done in a combination of first (primarily) and third (for the flashbacks). Really enjoyed the internal dialogue for the main character. Not sure how I liked the flashback POV, but the overall book worked.

Finished The Hard Bounce by Todd Robinson.

A tough, hard-luck bar bouncer and his combative buddy punch their way through the seedy side of Boston as they search for a missing teen girl. Sharp investigative intuitions, fresh characters, and hardboiled storytelling come together in this cool debut from Robinson (aka Big Daddy Thug), the founder and editor of legendary crime ‘zine Thuglit.

Best wishes,
Peter DiChellis

Shakesbear said:

The Wicked Day is the Mordred book. Funny - I recently saw all four of the books in a local charity shop. I had no idea the Wicked Day had been written.

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Thanks for that! I had all of these decades ago and think i loaned then out never to be seen again I just re- bought the trilogy- now I'll have to g look for A Wicked Day again.

heyjude said:

The Girl on the Train. I think the comparisons to Gone Girl are apt. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

Finished it at 4 a.m, if that says anything.

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HJ, I loved, loved, loved Girl on the Train -- thought it was fabulous! Glad you liked it, too.

Now reading Mira Grant's The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell. It's taken me a bit to get into, but I cannot resist her zombie outbreaks. (There is a scientific basis for the zombie apocalypse. Not your typical zombie books.)

I just finished NOWHERE TO RUN by CJ Box--another good book!

I have just finished reading The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill. It is the first in a series about a detective, Simon Serrailier.


SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!




I found the book easy to read, though at times I thought it was badly written. The end was, imo, a total cop out (pun not intended!). A young female detective is killed by the murderer in a way I found unconvincing. She had served with the Met - which means she worked in London not the easiest place for a cop, and not easy if a female cop. There are all sorts of reasons why, for me, her end made no sense. A female living by herself takes basic security measures, even if they are in love. Not to take them is rank stupidity and the policewoman was not stupid. I got the feeling that Susan Hill did not want the character in her next book so killed her off. As for the murderer - I understand why he killed himself, but felt it was not the what the character would have done. Just an unsatisfactory read!

I have also read another book in the series and will be giving them a wide berth in the future.

I'm reading PLAYED BY THE BOOK by Lucy Arlington, AKA Susan Furlong. I'm really enjoying it.

Anyone who writes and also has a full-time job, a family, dogs and a regular workout schedule can tell you how little extra time s/he can squeeze out of a day. Well, I'm pleased to be finding time to make for this book.

Making my way to the end of Harlan Coben's The Stranger.
I thought it was a little slow (read: chatty) in the beginning, but I got drawn in by the characters and now I really want to know the solution.

Next in line for me is the first book of My brilliant friend, by Elena Ferrante. Curious about that one!

Hiya, first time poster on this thread.

Just finished The Bottoms by Joe Lansdale. Really good, with a great voice. Though the ending was rather sad.

I wouldn't mind reading more books by him or a good thrillers. Def got to explore past fantasy books, even if I'll always be a fantasy writer. Besides, there's a lot to learn. I'll def be perusing this thread for your recs.

About halfway through Wolf Woman Bay, an anthology of ten mystery/crime novellas (eds. Gorman and Greenberg). Terrific novella-length stories by greats like Doug Allyn, Brendan DuBois, Joyce Carol Oates, Ed McBain, Clark Howard, and more.

Best wishes,
Peter DiChellis

Reading this year's Edgar winner, Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. Meh so far, slow, predictable, boring. Hoping it doesn't have any horror or supernatural elements. Somebody told me it picks up as it goes along, so I'm sticking with it. And it did win the Edgar.

Right now I'm reading Dyed and Gone by Beth Yarnall. It's a cozy, and so far it's been a fun read.