February Reads

[rapa]

"Hello February!" Are you ready for Punxsutawney Phil, Cupid, Year of the Monkey, Abe and George's birthday and a Leap Year jump into March?
Hope you treat yourselves to some good reading as winter continues.

I just started CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin. This is a compelling, literary crime novel set in rural Mississippi. It begins in the late 1970's with a secret friendship between a young white boy and black boy which was broken via the white boy's father. Twenty years later the black boy returns to the town as a constable and must confront the past that they had buried to deal with a suspected crime. Good read! Whipped through 100 pages last night.

What are you reading?

[Grammie Sue]

Thanks Rapa, sounds like a good read.  I don't know why but each new year I start out by re-reading a book I have liked in the past.  This time I chose my favorite author, Jamie Langston Turner, and my least favorite book of hers, "Winter Birds."  I love her writing and I am engrossed in the book but I do not like the main character.  She is bitter, for good reason but from my POV she is unlikable.  I forget how the book ends so it is like reading it new.  Maybe by the end I like her. Ha!  

[Mandy Muffin]

I'm loading up the Kindle for good reading in February.  I am just finishing the Stephen King novel about a North Carolina amusement park, "Joyland," which is a coming of age and murder story.  The story is filled with insights into running an amusement park and has a murder mystery interwoven in the plot.  I downloaded "The Girl From Krakow" yesterday for just $1.99 on a unannounced special that just lasted a couple of hours.  Another "girl who is/does/has" something novel by Alex Rosenberg. It is a WWII spy story.  And just now I purchased the "Great Iron War" set by Dean F. Wilson, which is  a sci-fi adventure story.  I also have the new Liane Moriarty novel, "The Last Anniversary." She is the latest best selling Australian author.  I love books set in the land down under. I also have to find a National Black History month story, as I try to read one each year in February.  

[Flowergram]

Your book sounds good Rapa - another one for my list.  I am reading The Round House - been on my list a while- very good so far,  Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz is my bedtime read and it also is very engrossing.  Did anyone - Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit - if not - good luck to all.  Our weather has been wonderful this winter so far - yesterday 59 and hope it continues as our past few have been awful to drive in.

[rapa]

Indeed I did my "RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT!". Not taking any chances!

Stayed up late again reading CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER. It just gets better and better!

[Carci]

Sounds good, rapa.  Looks like it won a couple of awards. I've ordered it from my library.  :)

[Jick]

Hi Rapa,  I read CROOKED LETTER a few weeks ago and loved it.  Be interested in what you think of the ending.  Now reading. CAPTAIN REILEY A good adventure story set during WWII.

[Ioruach]

I am reading The Fraud by Brad Parks and am curious as to whether anyone else has read anything by him. The protagonist is a reporter by the name of Carter Ross who works for a newspaper located in Newark, New Jersey. The book cover states, "A Carter Ross Mystery" and, I suppose that with Newark, it would provide plenty of opportunity for murder and mayhem.

It seems that Parks is a Nero and Shamus Award winner for a book called The Player, which I will have to acquire when I finish this one. I find the author to be quite good and also very funny. Based on just this one reading, I can certainly recommend him to anyone who might be interested.

[Carci]

I am reading The Promise by Robert Crais.   I read  Suspect , one of my favorites from 2014 and the first book featuring Officer Scott and his K-9 dog Maggie.  This book pairs them up with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike...  so far... loving it!

[Ioruach]

Finished The Promise last week, Carci. Thought it was great.

[Carolyn Tewell]

PRESENT!

So the past couple weeks I have been "in the weeds" which is slang in the Restaurant business for "too many tables!" Yup, it is TAX VORTEX time again which always takes my energy and most of all my creativity. More than that...it makes me grumpy and when I search for a great escape in books for now, disappointment. Rather than be "Debbie Downer" my habit is to just not post?

Tried in vain with 2 popular books by Kurt Waliander...the last one is The Dogs of Riga. Forget the other one as I gave up at 20% read. This one I quit at 50%. Sigh

Robert K Tanenbaum's "Betrayed"...well, yes, that is how I felt! Simplistic, earthy, maybe the Guyz would like it or the Author's style of writing.

Loruach...I did note Brad Parks and will check out his The Player and The Fraud

CARCI ...love the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike and did read Suspect and didn't know about The Promise so I noted that as well.

Current read a 2010 Robert B Parker's SIXKILL which I must have missed along the way. Enjoying the dialog and mystery.

Thanks again for posting ideas...I appreciate them for sure!~Carolyn aka Mellowgal

[Carci]

Urrrggghhh!  Computer harddrive crashed last week...  got a new one through Amazon Prime and my son installed it with Microsoft 8.1...  so now I'm trying to understand a whole new system and so much of what I had is lost.  I'm glad I found you guys again and you'll go back on my favorites bar...  :)

I'm reading Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter now and enjoying it although there is a lot of description.  I like the story line and the characters and feel so sorry for Larry that I want to cry for him... what a lonely life he had... I'll leave it at that since I don't want to spoil it for new readers. 

PS: Anyone have tips for understanding 8.1?  I fell a bit lost on this new system.

[rapa]

Carci, I upgraded to WIN 10 but seldom use it as mainly use my iPad.

I thoroughly enjoyed CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER. Wish that Larry Ott had a dog! Will be interested in what you thought of the ending.