Finished FLYING TOO HIGH by Kerry Greenwood

With two mysteries to solve, this turned into a madcap and fun romp with even time for a bit of shenanigans thrown in (because without shenanigans, it couldn't possibly be a Phryne Fisher book.)  Reading these books is a great time...



I am now starting Into the Woods,  a book of short stories by Kim Harrison.  About half of the stories are tales of "the Hollows" and the other half are other stories by the author.  I find I have already read some of the stories by reading other books, so I can skip some.  The first tells how Al convinced Ceri to join him...pretty good.  Skipped the second (Rachel meets Pierce) and am now reading about Ivy's early days with the IS.

Finished THE BOOK OF LIFE by Deborah Harkness

And this finishes the trilogy (unfortunately). I have really enjoyed this one.  She leaves room for another addition to this world, but she will need to come up with more villains to make even one more book.  Maybe set it in a later time, or have another time-walking adventure, or focus on a different character.  I hope she is considering it, because I really enjoy this 'verse she has created.

I have now started Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood.  This is a part of the Phyrne Fisher short mystery series which TR and I discovered on PBS.  Phyrne is a flapper living in 1920s Austrailia, rich and idle until she decides to become a private investigator.  She is hired by Mrs. McNaughton to keep her son, Bill, from murdering his father.  There is also a kidnapping of a young girl by a child molestor to be tracked down.  Quite a bit to handle in 156 pages, especially since enjoyable characters give the reader smiles as well as chills.

Finished NIGHT OVER WATER by Ken Follett

I liked this even better than the much longer historical novels of his that I have read.  About half the size of The Pillars of the Earth, etc, this being shorter is also much tighter, concentrating the tension into a 48 hour period.  With characters every bit as well drawn as those in The Fall of Giants and Winter of the World, the tension is not dissipated by already knowing what will happen to the plane.  I have ordered three more of Follett's thrillers...



I have now started The Book of Life, the third book in Deborah Harkness' witch trilogy.  It has already started intriguingly with Diana and Matthew's return to the present and discovery of Emily's death.  Love these books.

Finished THE SECRET CIRCLE, THE DIVIDE

Witch hunters are in town and that is not the only problem the circle faces.  The book leaves plenty of room for sequels.  I do enjoy these action-packed easy reading books.

I have now started Night Over Water, by Ken Follett.  It is an historical thriller starting in England just after they have declared war against Germany in WWII.  A luxurious Pan Am Clipper is about to leave for America with the "cream of society and the dregs of humanity."   I am only a few pages in and, so far, we are just having a love affair with this beautiful luxurious airplane as it is sumptuously described.  I've only just barely met a couple of the characters.

Finished Maureen O'Hara's Autobiography

I enjoyed it.  Of course, I was disappointed by her reaction to some of her directors and co-stars (not to mention Disney), but I was also delighted by the descriptions of others.  Her life was not as happy or as under control as she appeared in her movies, and that is always a disappointment, but one I am used to from the number of biographies I have read.  However, in a lot of ways, the character she showed us in the movies was similar to herself.  The book was well written and interesting.


I am now reading The Secret Circle 4, The Divide.  I only just noticed that, though it was created by L. J. Smith, it was written by Aubrey Clark.  Also, by reading the quick synopsis in Goodreads I learned something I had not yet learned in the book--and, at p 170, I am already more than half-way through the book.  Having a spoiler in the teaser that far into the book is rather infuriating...  The secret circle is a coven of teen-age witches, most of whom are good witches....

Finished TEXAS CURIOSITIES

This book was fun.  It was entertaining to read the first half straight through, and, when I knew I couldn't afford to keep reading it like that (time-wise), it was fun when I relegated it to the bathroom...I didn't resent having to go to the bathroom at all.  Now, I think I will have to find another bathroom book.

Finished A LION AMONG MEN

I found the book involving, though it took a long time to warm up to Brrr.  I did immediately like Yackle, though, so I very much enjoyed the book.  Gregory Maguire has definitely left room for a fourth book in the series, though I don't know if he intends writing such a thing.



I have now started reading Maureen O'Hara's autobiography and am very much looking forward to it.  She was one of my very favorite female stars of the Golden Era and worked with just about all of my other favorites.  I hope she includes lots of behind the scenes stories about the making of her movies.