MAY READS

[rapa]

Ahhhh, welcome the merry month of May! Hope this will be a good month for you as the earth blooms. Trust you remembered to "RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT" this morning.
Please keep us posted on your reads and recommendations. If you are a WWII junkie, I highly recommend THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah.

[Mandy Muffin]

Started off my May with my usual selection of a free book from Amazon as part of my Prime Membership.  I selected "The Long Way Home" by Karren McQuestion.  New author who seems to write most of her books for the E-Book trade: http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Home-Karen-McQuestion/dp/1469205246  Just stayed up half the night finishing "The Escape" by Baldacci.  Right out of the headlines intrigue on national security, cyber-warfare, WMD and espionage. 

[Carolyn Tewell]

RAPA ...(((HUGS))) caring for a mate with compromised health concerns is just so challenging. Hour by hour, day after day, week after week, month after month to have some release, something to look forward to and a break in the routine. I can endure it as long as I know there will be time to kick back and get some relief/recovery from the grind.

Today we interviewed the Owner of Home-Care-Assistance and hopefully we will have more control over our time and energy.

FLOWER...yes, a beautiful day in the neighborhood expected this weekend. I am sure there have been harder Winters since moving back to the Cleveland area in 1988...but I sure thought this one was for the record books!

URSULA...How did the performance go at Carnegie Hall in New York for your niece? Sounds like a fantasy trip to me!

ANGELS FLIGHT by Michael Connelly...published in 1998. Takes place in LA and mirrors our world today...the mystery evolves with a base of Law and Order with constant referral to Rocney King and OJ Simpson and a City about to riot. So engrossing I couldn't get sleep until after 2AM.

I have 5 or 6 books to retrieve from Library this weekend. I found a "new to me" Author...share next time.

[rapa]

As we all must do..... one day at a time!!!! Hugs backatcha, Carolyn!

[Mandy Muffin]

Sometimes I cheat...

I got a inexpensive E-book that started the successful British and American TV series, "House of Cards"  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1408078.House_of_Cards by Michael Dobbs. The original story is placed in the halls of Parliament. But after a 100 pages or so I looked the book up on Wiki and found a detailed plot and thorough analysis of the story and its history.  Once reading that, I concluded the dialogue wasn't so captivating that I would waste five more hours reading a novel I had just discovered the outcome of.  So I did what I do rarely; I moved on to another book. Is that cheating? 

I am now reading "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel.  It is a post-pestilence world following a Black Plague type flu, which wipes out most of the world's population.  A troupe of Shakespearean actors go from survival village to survival village and stage plays, with tons of references to the times of William Shakespeare and the plague in those days.  Interesting story, to say the least.  http://www.amazon.com/Station-Eleven-Emily-John-Mandel-ebook/dp/B00...

[rapa]

Mandy, you weren't cheating; just being expedient!!!!!!

[Flowergram]

Just finished Baldacci's - The Innocent, good book.  Now starting book by Greg Isles- Blood Memory.  Someone from here gave him a great review and I picked it up and loaned it to a friend. She raved about it and said it was the best book she had read all year.  She returned it to me and said you have to read it.  I am and I do find it a very good book.  So thanks very much to whomever recommended him. My friend ordered the next book after this one and is patiently waiting for it.  LOL.

For those who follow Michael Connelly, he is appearing in Castle on May 11th. 

[Mandy Muffin]

Book-on-disc overload!!!

I had to make a three week trip south to my Florida home to take care of some maintenance problems, so I drove down over the weekend.  But first I stopped at my local library to borrow a book-on-disc.  I got volume thee of "A Game of Thrones,"entitled "A Storm of Swords."  It is a wrist-breaking 1,179 pages long in paperback.  With 39 discs in the box, I was lucky to get through the first third of the book in the 18 hour drive-time from my Kentucky home.  From what I understand, George RR Martin has written 5 books in the series, planned for 7.  But the TV production is in season 5, and may have to make up the story line themselves to finish. 

[Carolyn Tewell]

FLOWER...yes, thanks for the head's up on Michael Connelly on Castle. We recorded the episode and watched it We'd. night. Cool!

So, as I was saying about 2 weeks ago thought I had found a new to me Mystery writer; Joseph Finder. Well, 2 books out of 3 weren't bad but not recommendable.

Now, the funny thing...I listened to a 3 Disc Mystery by an Author whose name I can't remember nor the Title! Already turned back to Library so no resource to handle tonight but next time I'll get it. Some sort of famous "Inspector" from Sweden? Now, I normally reject all those foreign but translated books...but this one sort of convinced me to try Jo Nesbo. I like to know Geography (some sort of "control" instinct?lol) and have a problem with European based books. Now, I have been to England so that is a comfy setting.

Adrian McGinty who writes lots of Irish stuff seems to transfer an understanding of culture between America and Ireland/England but maybe because he lives now in Denver? Whatever...

I've been reading a ton of non-fiction and hit Library book sale and bought some things all related to Inspirational or health, fitness, weight management but nothing actually fun/frolic! Lol

Rather quiet around TBD but I know it is approaching summer so don't have "abandonment issues" with Bookoholics yet.

Leave the light on for me....Carolyn aka Mellowgal

[Flowergram]

Carolyn did you check your prime video -  for Bosch - is free - and very good.  Loved it.  Lot of yard work this time of year - guess everyone is out doing that.  Graduations, weddings, lots of springy things.  Glad you like Nesbo, he is on my list to read.  Our library book sale is in June - already have a ton to be read yet - but that will not stop me from more purchases. LOL.  Glad someone is writing in.

[Mandy Muffin]

I watched "Harry Bosch" on Amazon Prime Video about 5 months ago.  Initially they only showed the first pilot, but then the entire first year was available for free.  It combines about three Connelly novels into the plot.  I solved my problem with almost 100 hours of books-on-disc to read two of the "Game of Throne" books. If you want summaries of the episodes, U-tube has plenty of material, some by HBO themselves including interviews with the author and other video material by individuals who just put together recaps for a good laugh.  Otherwise, it's sitting down for 20 hours while you watch the HBO episodes a $3.95 per showing.  That's $80 to view the two books.  I'm waiting until its free.  

[rapa]

Just a quickie while awaiting The Preakness!

Finished Coben's THE STRANGER after skimming some of the middle. Liked the ending. Then enjoyed C. J. Box's latest Joe Pickett novel, ENDANGERED.

Currently half finished David Baldacci's MEMORY MAN. Lots of violence and suspense and find it's not conducive to a restful sleep!

Off for now......almost post time!!!!!!!

[Slopok]

Finished, Killing Lincoln, by Bill O'Reilly. Short, not much there that wasn't known already except that Lincoln dreamed of his assassination 12 days before the actual deed and other hints that he knew he would die in office. 

 Very busy this time of the year with yard work, garden, home maintenance, ect.. I think the beginning of the year should start at 1st of April,seems like spring is the beginning of the yearly cycle, not January... I may write my congressman and see if we can't get that changed. LOL!  The honeysuckle vines are really prolific this year, as well as the pollen, but I did hear a whip-poor-will. We had a 7 year period when the whip-poor-wills disappeared. Honey bees are still scarce, but still seeing a few.

 Started reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski :

 

 Mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm—and into Edgar's mother's affections.

Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires—spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward......Only 3.5 stars on Amazon, but seems to be ok so far.