Finished WAITING SEASON

 

It turns out there are problems and danger to be had during a Midwest winter.  But with fortitude and good friends and family, all can be endured and even enjoyed.  There is peace on the farm, separated by moments of sheer terror.

I then went back to War and Peace for another 50 pages.  Again I am struck with the similarity of writing styles with Mark Twain--tongue in cheek exaggeration and understatement.  The first skirmish  many of our characters experience with Napoleon's army is really a comedy of errors (if lives weren't lost) with neither army knowing what they are doing, communication being pretty much non-existent and exploits being greatly exaggerated (or outright lies) in reports to command.

I have now started Viral, by Robin Cook.  The pandemic causes a young couple to suspend usual vacation plans and rent a cottage on the Atlantic side of Cape Cod, where they encounter another kind of virus.

Finished THE DROWNING MAN

Who would crack a 2000 year old petroglyph out of the rock to sell to wealthy collectors?  And is the value of it worth human lives?  Father O'Malley and lawyer Vicky to the rescue...wait a minute...neither of them carries a weapon.  I think this was one of the best in the series.  Very suspenseful.

Then I read Falling BAKward, another of Henry Melton's YA sci-fi books.  And I think it is one of the best, just because of the suspense.  Suppose you decided to dig in your back yard looking for Native American artifacts and find instead a flying saucer complete with skeletons of aliens and a portal to another world!  And the story began so sweetly...  Loved this.

And yesterday evening, I started Waiting Season by Melanie Lageschulte, the fourth book in this series.  Thank goodness.  After two such suspenseful books, this one promises to be peaceful and very sweet.  Although winter on this Iowa farm may well turn out to be difficult for a woman alone.  Let's see...

 

Finished KISS THE GIRLS AND MAKE THEM CRY

 

This was not as "edge of your seat" thrilling as most of Clark's books that I have read.  (Is this her second last book?)  It is so new, it mentioned Biden!  It does methodically describe how everything happened step by step, which I appreciate.  I guessed who the murderer was very early in the story, but there were so many clues to the contrary, I wasn't sure.  There was also painfully few suspects.  Nevertheless, I stayed up very late last night finishing it.

I am now about to start a new Wind River Reservation Mystery, The Drowning Man.  I am looking forward to it.

Finished PEACE TALKS

 

For the first time in the Dresden Files this book does not finish the story.  It ends with a cliffhanger, and will be continued in Battle Ground when Harry and the other allied supernatural inhabitants of Chicago, will battle a strong and evil force lead by a god! In this Peace Talks, Harry has been summoned as security for the peace talks between the united sups and the Fomor (an arrogant race.)  This is complicated by the Wardens entertaining a resolution to expel Harry as a Warden while all his allies are occupied at the peace talks.  As usual, this book contains an exciting and bumpy ride.

I am now about to start Kiss the Girls and Make them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark.  When she died, I decided I'd better finish reading as many of her books as I could find.  I've read a pretty fair amount and was surprised at how many more there were.  I bought all I could find.

Finished THE COLORS OF ALL THE CATTLE

 

As usual, I adored this book.  I am ashamed to say that Mma. Ramotswe's ideas and solutions rarely occur to me, since her solutions are gentle, caring, and as non confrontational as possible.  I just need to keep reading these books to let her keep reminding me...

I have now started Peace Talks, 16th book in the Dresden Files series.  I've been waiting awhile for this one to come into paperback (my arthritis wants me to read lighter books, but my sense of continuity wants to see how long the book is and how far I have to go.  Also, I like the making progress feeling of turning pages.)  As usual, Harry leaps into at least three huge and dangerous problems within the first hundred pages.  The roller coaster ride that is these books has started...

Finished THE OUTLANDER

 

Finishing this makes me glad I still have 8 more books in this series.  Compelling characters and plot.  Survival as a modern woman doctor and a outlaw wanted for murder is not easy in 18th century Scotland.  Claire and Jamie deal with things as they come, and they do come.

I have now started The Colors of All the Cattle, another in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.  Mma. Potokwane is encouraging Mma. Ramotswe to run for political office.  I personally think this is a great idea...

Read CLIFFORD THE SMALL RED PUPPY

 

 

Yes, I am still reading The Outlander.  It is a long book, but it is also very enjoyable.  There is much more detail than was in the television series: Jaime is taller than Claire by several inches, the action is explained in more detail and some sense of humor.  It is a wonderfully compelling story and I don't care if it does blow my bookreading goal on Goodreads.  I bought the first 8 of these books, so maybe I will get to read them all before I die.

I've been buying books for my nieces and nephews and have ordered a couple Clifford books for each of their households.  The ads for the movie look so great, I regret that I had missed them growing up.  Of course, I had been teaching for 5 years when the first book came out, and I was teaching middle school..  So I got Clifford, the Small Red Puppy for the daughter of my house elves and took the opportunity to read it.  These are lovely books for young children, up to probably 7 years old.  What child can resist a puppy?  I know this child (me) can't.