Figured I'd start a new one for this year. Just finished The Midnite Line by Lee Child. I've enjoyed majority of his books and this was no exception. Better than the last couple of books.

I'm actually reading "Die Trying" by Lee Child ... I'm a little late to the series but I really enjoyed "Killing Floor".

Just finished "Silence Fallen" by Patricia Briggs. Definitely one of my favorites in that series.

Love Patricia Briggs. I can't wait for a new one in the Alpha and Omega series.

Just finished the new Christine Feehan- Judgement Road. It was great.

Screenplay for "Wind River." The movie was dark and somewhat disturbing; it left me a bit obsessed with some of the context and story line. As is often the case, the screenplay provides insight and alternative scenes. "Finding Private Ryan" was a great example.

How do you obtain these screenplays?

Mr. Darley's Arabian (about the thoroughbred brought to Europe that pretty much 95% of all modern-day thoroughbreds directly trace their lineage back to). A gift from my son for Christmas.

Finish by Jon Acuff. I struggle with starting things and not finishing them, so this is a very much needed book for me.

Killing Floor by Lee Child

What do you think of Finish? I've thought about reading that one myself. I read Quitter a few years back, Acuff is a good (not to mention funny) writer.

Too many things right now -

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Illustrated) - Kindle in Motion
Full Dark House - Kindle Fire, regular Kindle app
The Oddfits - Paperwhite
Positive - Audible

I'm enjoying it so far. I also bought copies for my direct reports.

Still wading through American Gods for book club. Also reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven. And yes, I recognize the juxtaposition between the two.

Is it safe to assume that the fact you actually finished the book Finish is an endorsement of its effectiveness?

OK, just curious if anyone else has read American Gods? I finished it and I am here to say I did not get it. Like, at all, even after I read some of the author's commentary. And the version I read was "author's preferred text," which is to say it was even longer.

I started it awhile ago and haven't gotten very far - it so far feels like a chore to read - it somehow makes me uncomfortable. I've heard it gets better so probably will pick it up again some time in the future......

I read it, thought it was terrible. Didn't care for the author's writing style either.

I enjoyed American Gods, but I'd read Good Omens before it and knew I liked Neil Gaiman. I also read the sequel to American Gods, Anansi Boys, and enjoyed it even more.

I bought a copy of Anansi Boys for my son, but he never read it. I have to miss the book club discussion this month, and I would be interested to hear what others thought of it. I am going to try to watch the TV series with my husband and perhaps that will help me understand more.

Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn. Only a 1/5 of the way through but it is really good so far.

all the vince Flynn novels are great, you should read them in order. Since he passed away, Kyle Mills now writes under his name, those are very good as well

I just read finished reading for the first time 1984 by George Orwell. It did not end at all how I expected it to. Now that I finished that classic story, I am reading a modern book called Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. This books is FULL of '80s pop culture references, and I am enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. This books is a good read for any nerd.
Also, they are making a movie of this book directed by Steven Spielberg. I seriously doubt the movie will be anywhere near as good as the book.

You should listen to the audio narration of Ready Player One - Wil Wheaton is the narrator. The only person I can think of that would have been better is *maybe* Matthew Broderick.

Yeah, I think the movie is not going to be NEARLY as good as the book.

1984 was one of the first books I read because I wanted to and not because it was a requirement, I read it back when it was still fiction.

I'm re-reading It. Read it in middle school and that's most likely where my fear of clowns stems from. We were talking about how the first time I read it, I was the same age as the kids in the book. Now I'm a bit older than the adults. And it's wicked crazy how much of the book I forgot about and is all coming back to me now.

I just read that late last year. There is so much information and backstory in the book that would be impossible to include in the movies. It was the first Stephen King book I have ever read, and it will not be the last.

Has anyone here read Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan? I am watching the show on Netfilx and it's really good ... so the book should be better, right?

I just finished Man in the High Castle and while I knew the series was loosely based on the book, I found the book to be terrible.

Reading The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson. As a southern gal who no longer lives in the South I have to content myself with reading southern fiction.

Based on your recommendation (and the fact that I am a nerd and was also a massive arcade video gamer in the late 70's/early 80's), I picked up a copy of this on Kindle. Enjoying it so far.

I am glad you are enjoying Ready Player One. I am sad that I finished it. I am in a weird state of book hangover where I am not ready to start another book yet, because I am still thinking about the one I just finished. haha

"You should listen to the audio narration of Ready Player One - Wil Wheaton is the narrator."

Thank you E.E.G.B. for the suggestion! I reserved and rented this audiobook for my extended roadtrip with my son this past weekend. It was perfect!! Now we're both looking forward to watching the movie when it comes out next month

Glad you enjoyed it! I heard Ernest Kline is currently writing a sequel, too.

I've just started to re-read Sue Grafton's novels and picked up A is for Alibi last night.

I've read all of the Sue Grafton ones- really enjoyable. I'm about 3/4 of the way through Hardcode Twenty Four by Janet Evanovich - typical Stephanie Plum story.

Has anyone read Origin by Dan Brown? I bought it a few weeks ago, but my eyes need a break after scrubbing HMDA all day, so I haven't started it yet.

There's a new Elizabeth George / Inspector Lynley coming out in a few weeks!

(ATTENTION KAYBEE!)

Is PBS still filming the Lynley mysteries?

I haven't seen any new ones lately.

Well, hoofed it over to B&N last night. Picked up 4 books: James L. Rubart's new release "The Man He Never Was" Francine Rivers' new release "The Masterpiece"; Dean Koontz's new release "The Whispering Room"; and Elizabeth George's "Banquet of Consequences".

Started the Rubart book last night - always good.

To Be Where You Are by Jan Karon. I love her Mitford novels. I needed something soothing after reading The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye.

Karin Slaughter's The Good Daughter and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrick Backman.

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

I started re-reading the Sue Grafton series and I'm on 'C' is for Corpse; however I have pre-ordered the new David Baldacci - The Fallen. It's the next in the Amos Decker series.

Just finishing Origin by Dan Brown.

I just finished it too. Interesting concept and a quick read.

Our Women's Executive group is reading Play Big by Dr. Jen Welter.

My book club just read Bonk -- it was my pick, and I read it because I saw it in these threads. Kudos to whoever first posted it - it was a hit!!

I'm currently addicted to the Three Pines murder series. I want to live in Three Pines!

Just as an aside, after reading Ready Player One based on Harambe's recommendation, and then seeing the movie last weekend, I was terribly disappointed at the movie. It was good for what it was, but it changed so much about the story that I left feeling like a victim of bait and switch.

The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

Slightly off topic - is anyone watching 'The Terror' based on the Dan Simmons book? My husband tried reading the book but couldn't get through it, but we're watching the mini-series now.

New York - Edward Rutherford - at 800+ pages as a "historical fiction" it is taking me a while, keep consulting maps as i read...but wow, great book...he also has one on paris and one on london, supposedly just as good

I'm going to start The Bishop's Pawn by Steve Berry tonight.

-New York - Edward Rutherford - at 800+ pages as a "historical fiction" it is taking me a while, keep consulting maps as i read...but wow, great book...he also has one on paris and one on london, supposedly just as good-

_________________________

I bought Sarum, but have yet to read. My daughter read Paris, I believe. There are also a couple about Ireland that intrigue me.

Night Fall by Nelson Demille. Third book in the John Corey series. So far so good

Killers of the Flower Moon - sorry, don't remember the author. True story from 1920s.

Just finished re-reading the A Series of Unfortunate Events saga so I could compare it to the Netflix show.

And which did you like better?

Tapestry of Fortunes - Elizabeth Berg. I love her books.

The Wolves - Alex Berenson

I like both for different reasons. The Netflix shows has scenes that never happen in the book, which I kind of like. The show also dives better in to the back story than the books.

Re-reading Sue Grafton's D is for Deadbeat. After this it's on to David Baldacci's The Fallen. Looking forward to his next installment of Amos Decker.

We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg.

This one is a little different from her some of her other books, in that it is based on characters suggested to her by a fan. Not a true story, still fiction, but definitely some very interesting dynamics in the relationships.

New Faith Hunter / Jane Yellowrock - "Dark Queen".

Is it good, EEGB???

So far it is!!

Looking Back by Belva Plain.

2018 World Cup Fever - Stephen Rea

a transplanted Northern Irelander living in NOLA, he writes a witty book. And since the soccer community is a close one and we know each other, he wrote a humorous personalized note as well.

A Gathering of Evil, by Gil Valle.

All the Stars in the Heavens ~ Adriana Trigiani

A bit different from other books I have read by her.

Oh, and Looking Back by Belva Plain was just plain awful. I have enjoyed so many of her past books, but this one was just terrible.

Oh it is so, so good.
==================================

For anyone who is interested, here is the link to vote in PBS' The Great American Read:
http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/vote/#telescope-widget

Well, that will likely be my next click to download

Thanks!

ETA: Well, let me retract that...I apparently have missed the two BEFORE that one! ! And it also appears I missed one WAY back in the series as well. Oops!

The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales.

You definitely have to go back and read those before you start Dark Queen!! In fact, I went back myself and checked that I hadn't missed one because there's stuff referenced in Dark Queen that I didn't remember from the prior book. It may also be worth reading the short stories if you haven't already, I think there's at least one reference to something from one of those.

I think I've read the shorts. But it's been quite awhile since I've read a Jane book in general, references may not click with me anyway. I will definitely be reading the two before first though...I didn't mean to miss the one early on. Maybe it's just time for a re-read!

There you go!!

Joker, have you read her Soulwood series? Tangential to Jane but I like them even better. There's only 3 so far, hopefully there will be many more.

There's references in Dark Queen to some of the things happening with Rick and Soul in the Soulwood books, too.

Yes, I have, but appears only 2 of them. Blood of the Earth and Curse on the Land

Happy -- I was wondering if you were watching Safe on Netflix? It was written by Harlan Coben though it is not a Myron Bolitar series show. I'm 3 episodes in so far and am really enjoying it.

Just started High Dive by Jonathan Lee. I picked this up in a cute bookstore in downtown St. Paul, and the only reason I bought it was the employee's recommendation on the shelf. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it got me to buy the book.

i may be the last person in America who does not watch anything on netflix, hulu, amazon, flix, hbo, showtime, etc...i have no patience for weekly series, so i no longer bother with them

The Lost Order, Steve Berry...another in the Cotton Malone line of books

I belong to a book club through our local library, and I downloaded the book they have us reading for this month, Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. First of all, I wouldn't really call this a book....it's more like angsty journal entries. I see it has a 78% Five Star rating on Amazon, but of the other 22% the people who didn't like it really hated it. I think I have to put myself in that category.

Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani.

I started The Outsider by Stephen King, but it really didn't feel like a summer book, so I have put it aside to pick up again in the fall.

I just finished reading The Terror. I enjoyed it! Totally different from my usual fare, and it took a little while to really get going, but I definitely don't regret the $1.99 Kindle daily deal price.

The Widow by Fiona Barton.

I just finished it today. Not my favorite of his but it was a good story.

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Any one read "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI"? I'm just downloading it after I've heard it recommended by multiple people. From Amazon:

"In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. Her relatives were shot and poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more members of the tribe began to die under mysterious circumstances.

In this last remnant of the Wild West—where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes like Al Spencer, the “Phantom Terror,” roamed—many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll climbed to more than twenty-four, the FBI took up the case. It was one of the organization’s first major homicide investigations and the bureau badly bungled the case. In desperation, the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including one of the only American Indian agents in the bureau. The agents infiltrated the region, struggling to adopt the latest techniques of detection. Together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. But more than that, it is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward American Indians that allowed the murderers to operate with impunity for so long. Killers of the Flower Moon is utterly compelling, but also emotionally devastating."

HRH - my husband read that at my son's recommendation. And I believe he would agree with your assessment.

The Eighth Day - John Case

HRH Okie -
I downloaded and read the book about a year ago. My husband is Osage so it was particularly interesting to me. It's not what I expected. The format of the book didn't lend itself to audio. I bet reading it would be much more enjoyable. It's a great story though horribly sad for the tribe. Not to go into too much detail but the oil royalties are still very contentious and the effects from the events in the book are still felt. It's fascinating. I believe the Osage are one of the few tribes to retain their mineral rights to this day.

After my recent trip to Savannah- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. Based in Soviet Russia … it is disturbingly reminiscent of 1984 in spots.

Magic Triumphs / Ilona Andrews and League of Dragons / Naomi Novik

Don Quixote on Audible.

I read The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling on vacation. I later read that a TV series production had been done of it and they changed the ending because it was too gruesome. I agree!

Also read The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which has a much nicer ending.

Red War - the new Mitch Rapp book by Kyle Mills (took over the series after the death of Vince Flynn)

House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

I'm looking for book club picks that are a cut above the gothic romance/cosy level of reading but that aren't too long or serious. We're all definitely in the mood for lighter and/or shorter books that don't make you feel depressed at the end. Any suggestions?

anything by Carl Hiassen...he has quirky characters that are funny as heck...and while Erma Bombeck is an older author, her books were pretty funny as well...

We read "What Alice Forgot" which a lot of people really enjoyed (it wasn't my favorite.) Also, we read "The Keeper of Lost Things" which I think everyone liked a lot.

I read "The Woman in White" because PBS is currently airing a new adaptation of the book. Originally published serially in 1859 and then as a novel in 1860. Interesting read, a bit hard to follow in some places.

Did y'all watch the finale of The Great American Read last night? I was honestly expecting Harry Potter to win, though I think the actual winner is a better choice. Some books went out at lower 'scores' than I thought they would (Game of Thrones in particular.)

Don't say - will be watching it at lunch today!

Well, I've read all but 2 in the top 25 and thoroughly agree with #1.

Thanks all for your suggestions! I'll look into them.

Retribution - David Hagberg

Breeder's Cup PP's (past performances).

Finally finished House of Leaves. I still don't know what to make of the book. Now I am reading Y is for Yesterday, Sue Grafton's last book before her passing.

OldTyme - I started re-reading all of her novels after she passed away and getting ready to start on 'M is for Malice'.

Bloody Sunday - Ben Coes, a Dewey Andreas novel...highly recommended series

Skittles - I have read them all and it is sad to know that I won't see another, but she didn't want anyone else to continue the series.

when her heirs realize the amount of money they left on the table they'll get a ghost writer to start them back up...

Wouldn't there just be one more?

Yes - unless she started on numbers after that. Ha!

That would be like copying Stephanie Plum tho,.

the Bourne novels have had a couple of different writers since Ludlum died. Vince Flynn has someone continuing his Mitch Rapp series. Clancy has someone writing his. WEB Griffin the same. I'm sure there are many others that the torch has been passed. Some the writing styles are similar and still worth the read, others not so much.

Or James Patterson....

Just finished Dark Sacred Night, the latest Michael Connelly book.

He's easily my favorite author and in my opinion, the best police procedural/crime writer ever.

Thought I'd revive this thread...

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars - Christopher Paolini. Futuristic Sci-fi. Aliens. Humans have moved on beyond Earth. Really enjoyed it. 800+ pages but reads quickly.

Just finished Long Bright River by Liz Moore. Our bank started a mystery/suspense book club and that was the pick for June. I did enjoy it, but the subject matter is rough going.

Two books, opposite ends of the spectrum.

Countdown 1945 Mike Wallace. Discusses the atomic bomb from when Harry Truman became president upon Roosevelt’s death, and the decisions they had to make.

Heaven Is for Real! Story about a 4 year old who went to heaven during a severe medical procedure. He remembers describing people he never met.

Just finished Before She Disappeared by Lisa Garner - Crime thriller about a layperson who is obsessed with finding missing persons that the rest of the world seems to have forgotten.

Almost done reading Aftermath: The Triumph of a Thrown Away Boy by Sondra Martin Hicks. I'm on the board for East Texas CASA, and our Executive Director recommended reading it. Tragic story of a man who overcame severe trauma and neglect. The focus of the biography is really on his determination and grit to overcome his circumstances.

This month's book club is The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

This one was my pick, so I hope it's good.

It was really good.

Just finished reading "Carrying the Fire - 50th Anniversary Edition" by Michael Collins. His recent death prompted me to pick this up that I had been meaning to read for some time. Michael Collins was the Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon. The book tracks through his experience at NASA through the Gemini project, including his flight on Gemini 10, as well as details on the Apollo program and specifically on the Apollo 11 mission. As someone who grew up fascinated with NASA and space, this was an excellent read.

Sniper's Honors - Stephen Hunter.

a Bob Lee Swagger book, which i am really enjoying

A short story called "Statement on the Issuance of the Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) National Priorities, June 30, 2021" by FinCEN

I couldn't decide if the AML/CFT story was humor or sci-fi....

Keepers: Two Home Cooks Share Their Tried-and-True Weeknight Recipes Kathy Brennan & Caroline Campion

I've been immersed in Belmont and Arlington Park PPs.

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

The Puma Years, a memoir by Laura Coleman. If you love animals, or this world we live in, this is a great book.

Say Nothing-A True Story of Murder & Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

I just started, interesting so far

While on vacation last week I read The Accidental Text by Becky Monson and also The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. Enjoyed both.