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Notes from the Lake - Summer Reading


So far my summer reading list has consisted primarily of books I have stashed in the trailer over the winter months for one reason or another.  A couple of these are ones I have picked up at the local library because I saw a favourite author's name - Kathy Reichs and Stephen King.
Lovers of forsensic whodunnits will not be disappointed in the latest of Kathy Reich's  books.  A good read.

H. Mel Malton and the Polly Duncan mysteries are a new one on me but I have to say I did enjoy this.  I think I'll be looking for more in the series.  I love a good mystery!

The Condition in the title refers to Turner's Syndrome, which stops a child's growth just short of puberty.  This is a good read with lots of family dynamics going on.  

Owen Sheers is a Welsh poet and author and this book of his was a very enjoyable read, as much for his beautiful descriptive passages and his mastery of words as the subject matter and story.  The premise of the story is that Operation Overlord failed and the Germans conquered Great Britain.  It deals with a tiny village in Wales where the wives wake up one morning to find their husbands have vanished during the night - presumably off to join the Resistance.  The women are left to deal with keeping the farms going and dealing with the German soldiers who appear on the scene.  Beautifully written!

What can I say?  "The Cat Who..." books are a gentle read, much like the #1 Ladies Detective Agency books.  Sometimes you need a book that feels like a cup of hot cocoa for the mind.

I saved the best for last, at least in my opinion.  I love Stephen King and his books - I would pay good money to read anything he has written, up to and including his grocery list.  The man knows his craft.  His characters are always well rounded and authentic and he carries you along in his tales of `what if?"  This time it is what if someone could travel back in time and stop the assassination of JFK?  I tried to read slowly to make it last but still managed to polish off the 800+ pages in three days.  I wish it could have lasted longer.

So, what are you reading?  I would love to get some recommendations of good  books to add to my stack for the summer!

Comments

lewmew said…
LOVED LOVED LOVED 11/22/63. If you like his Dark Tower series, there's a new related one out called "The Wind Through the Keyhole." It was very good.

Also read Sisters by Rosamund Lupton and listened to "The Comfort of Strangers." Recommend both of them highly.
May 29, 2012 at 7:18 PM
Kalona said…
Really really sorry to do this, but now I've seen it I can't ignore it... Kathy Reichs doesn't do Kay Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell does. I hate to say I don't like the way Reich's writes and then proports to be the more experienced/qualified. As you may have guessed I'm an avid Cornwell fan and do hate it when she gets belittled- not that was your intention at all, but she does deserve credit for her own characters.
Reichs does a good thriller, but she can't layer up like Cornwell.
Either way enjoy the read, and I'm in no way trying to upset/offend, just putting the record straight,
Kal.
If you love King, you'll also love Dean Koontz- give him a go- so many books now- a good one to start with is "Intensity"... does what it says on the tin!
May 31, 2012 at 4:14 AM
kerrykatiecakes2 said…
OMG! I can't believe I mixed up these two authors - HUGE apologies and I will fix the post immediately. I am a huge fan of both Cornwell and Reichs and I guess that is where I got confused.
I love a lot of Dean Koontz' books too - am reading The Good Guy at the moment.
June 1, 2012 at 5:53 AM
gocrazywithme said…
I just finished Cold Dish by Craig Johnson. It's the first in his Longmire series, which is now a TV series (on A&E I think; I don't get that channel). Still trying to decide if I want to read the rest of the series. It's a modern "western/mystery" set in Wyoming. I really liked the characters and setting, but the author throws in a few too many colloquialisms or technical terms to make it easy to follow. Also finished Down the Darkest Road by Tami Hoag. It's the third in a series beginning with Deeper Than the Dead, and I liked all three. Going to the library today to pick up the next Sookie Stackhouse book by Charlaine Harris. Earlier this month I finished State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Not her best work, or so I'm told by those who've read more than I have. I wasn't impressed.
June 25, 2012 at 9:18 AM
Anonymous said…
You make me want to read "The Cat Who Went Bananas". The love the #1 Ladies Detective Agency books. I'll keep an eye out for it.

Judy in MS
September 30, 2012 at 9:55 AM
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