Not even our massive hailstorms and wind bursts topping 90 miles per hour were able to dampen my mood for long this month. No power for ten hours on a day when the heat index hit about 106 degrees...bring it on. As long as I keep feeling so much better than I have in the last three years, it's all easy enough to handle. It's amazing what a huge difference a little bit more energy can make in a person's life. I ended up reading nine books in June and I'm well into four others as July begins:
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| June Pick-of-the-Month |
Heading into July, these are the reads-in-progress:
This is the 2022 republication of S.A. Cosby's first published long-form effort. Cosby had written, and found success with, numerous short stories prior to the original publication of My Darkest Prayer. The novel is set in Virginia, and it is a strong dose of Southern Noir (one of my very favorite crime fiction genres). Nathan Waymaker's day job is working in his cousin's funeral home where his job, as Nathan puts it, is one of "handling the bodies." Loving this one.
Have you ever wondered how the creators of fictional crime fighters like Inspector Morse, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch, John Rebus, Spenser, and sixteen of the other most loved characters in series crime fiction came up with them? If so, The Lineup may be just the book for you. Editor Otto Penzler gives twenty-one authors about 20 pages each and lets them explain exactly how they came up with the characters that feel so alive to readers today. I've read the first two pieces - and already have found a few surprises.
I'm over 100 pages into this one, and I'm still not sure where it's all leading - or for that matter, why I'm still reading it. My fear is that it is going to turn into some kind of lightweight romance novel at any moment because it's already come dangerously close to crossing that line at least a couple of times. But there's a bit of a mystery involving the origin of a personal diary that suddenly appears in our hero's life that I am really curious to see solved...so I keep reading.
And there you have it. July is off to a roaring start for us tonight as we are going to a big Fourth of July BBQ and fireworks celebration at the home of some good friends. Happy Reading to all...
Goodness me, 106 sounds absolutely horrendous with no power for 10 hours. I hope that doesn't happen again.
ReplyDeleteA good reading month for you. I grabbed My Sister's Grave for my Kindle so I'm looking forward to reading that. The Lineup, that you're currently reading, appeals a lot so I'm keen to hear about that when you finish.
When the winds get high enough around here, falling tree limbs often cause power transformers to explode, knocking out large sections of the city. It happens to us every hurricane or tropical storm, and sometimes with just severe thunderstorms off the Gulf. We are actually used to it by now - annoying as it can be. I do feel for the folks who require oxygen at home, though; very dangerous for the.
DeleteI hope you enjoy the Dugoni book; I really think you will, and I'll let you know about The Lineup in a few days.
I would have a very hard time tolerating that kind of heat with no power. I'm glad you're okay!
ReplyDeleteIt's not exactly fun, Jeane, but by now we've learned to cope with the heat. There are "cooling spots" all over the area when it happens, places where people can find water and air conditioning. But as I was telling Cath up above, those people with certain medical devices that have to have electricity can be in big trouble. Lots of folks have installed home generators that run on natural gas and automatically turn the power back on when the outside lines crash. Very expensive, however.
DeleteI'm glad you've been feeling better and have more energy these days! I'm intrigued by the Lineup; it would be interesting knowing how and where and when all those authors came up with their characters. Thanks for adding yet another book to my TBR list! ;D And I'd probably really like Your Perfect Year, too...even if it does turn out to be a lightweight romance. Because I happen to enjoy those kinds of books, too. Have a great weekend, Sam!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lark. I've read another 20 or so pages of My Perfect Year this morning, and I'm still intrigued enough by one of its two separate plot lines to keep reading because they seem to be drawing closer together now - and the "mystery" is still unsolved. It's definitely a "romance" novel, but hasn't morphed into the predictable kind that I don't care for. I'm not against "romances" as such, it's just like that I like the more subtle type in which the "romance" theme is worked into the greater storyline. I'm a Jane Austen fan, after all. :-)
DeleteJane Austen is the best! No one wrote romances quite like her...though many have tried, and are still trying...retelling all of her stories in every way imaginable.
DeleteI just wish she had been blessed with a longer life so that she could have left more behind than she did.
DeleteIt sounds like you're feeling good and enjoying your reading despite the weather and conditions - bravo! I can't wait to read The Covenant of Water, hopefully late summer or early fall. Enjoy all the 4th of July festivities.
ReplyDeleteBoth of us are feeling much better than we have been feeling, JoAnn, although my wife is not having nearly as many good days yet as we had hoped. But we're both thankful for those we get, especially when they coincide. "The Covenant of Water" is constructed in such a fascinating way that it is very readable and enjoyable despite its 700+ pages. I do think you'll enjoy it,
DeleteHi Sam, I am sorry to hear about the power going out. I hope things are better by you. The Lineup sounds very interesting and its edited by Otto Penzler. Normally I don't notice editors but Penzler is an expert in crime and mystery novels and he has compiled over the years some wonderful anthologies.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, we've become pretty used to power outages, Kathy. Seem to be more of them than in previous decades, but I suppose it shows that you can get used to most anything.
DeleteI first started being curious about editors when so many of my favorite authors all seemed to start doing it at the same time. That was back when compilations of themed stories became more popular than ever...seemed like they were all taking their turn as editor. Now I'm in the habit, I suppose. I agree with you about Penzler; he's one I trust not to lead me to far wrong.
Sam, I am glad to hear you are having more energy and I can imagine how much difference that can make in your life and your mood.
ReplyDeleteI do have a copy of The Lineup edited by Penzler. I know I have read some of the entries over the years, but not all of them for sure. I should get back to it and refresh my memory.
And now I am going to check out some of your recent reviews.
Really does make a huge difference, Tracy; thanks.
DeleteI'm enjoying "The Lineup" a lot. Can't remember when I brought that one home and shelved it, or why I'm just now reading it. I read Michael Connelly's piece yesterday and was surprised that he only changed Bosch's first name to Harry at the very last second. I don't think I'd ever heard that before. I hope you find a book or two in my reviews that you might like.
I'm glad you're feeling better these days. That's awesome. But that heat must be intense, ouch! You had a great June reading ... that many pages, congrats!
ReplyDeleteThankfully, we had a bit of relief this week and the temps are down, on average, about seven or eight degrees at any given time. It really is nice to feel a bit more energetic - probably also no coincidence that I've also lost about 22 pounds in the last 10 weeks. June was a good month for me for sure on reading; now I'm hoping to string a few of those good months together for a real change.
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