What Fiction are you reading this week, February 2, 2025?

[hermetic]

Just started reading The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich, "a story of love, natural forces, spiritual yearnings, and the tragic impact of uncontrollable circumstances on ordinary people's lives." The Red refers to the river.

Listening to Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King, from 1999. A collection of three novellas and two short stories, all connected. I was searching the library catalog for an available audio book and they suggested this. I had never heard of it so I looked it up and saw that it takes place in the 60s. "King mesmerizes readers with fiction deeply rooted in the Sixties." I had just read a discussion here on DU about being a teenager during that era, which I was, and had just had a chat here about King, so I figured it was a sign I should get this one. I'm glad I did. It's big, 21 hours. The beginning has many amusing events and great discussions about the importance of books. "Full of danger, full of suspense, and most of all full of heart." Also full of 60's tunes, in discussions and as background music.

[Whyisthisstillclose]

1. Dump's tweets

[Picaro]

2. Have been on a science fiction binge

Just reread The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin and Ringworld by Larry Niven.

Now reading for first time The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin.

In the middle of Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson.

[hermetic]

3. Lots of good reeading there

[surfered]

4. Reading the Constitution...

[Bayard]

5. Halfway through, "Chosen Prey," John Sandford

Happy to have a big batch of new books to start on.

"Hearts in Atlantis," is a good one. They also made a movie out of it starring Anthony Hopkins that follows the book fairly well.

[hermetic]

6. I will look for that

in the library DVDs. Thanks.

[japple]

7. The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi - Wright Thompson

Wright Thompson’s family farm in Mississippi is 23 miles from the site of one of the most notorious and consequential killings in American history, yet he had to leave the state for college before he learned the first thing about it. To this day, fundamental truths about the crime are widely unknown, including where it took place and how many people were involved. This is no accident: the cover-up began at once, and it is ongoing.

This is nonfiction, but reads like a literary work. Good writer.

The Mighty Red is on my TBR list. Love Louise Erdrich's books. Thanks for the weekly thread, hermetic.

[anciano]

8. "The Wrong Side of Goodbye" by

Michael Connelly (a Bosch novel).

[broiles]

9. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

[cbabe]

10. The waiting/Michael Connelly

Mostly Renee and Maddie with a side of Bosch.

Reads like a tv proposal. Could use a couple more drafts for detail, inner lives, etc that made Bosch so great.

Waiting refers to the pain of families as they wait for cold case answers.

Also read Death comes for the archbishop/Willa Cather

I have such an antipathy towards the Catholic Church and its history, especially with First Nations. I struggled through and there are long poetic sequences and characters of depth.

Thoughts?

[hermetic]

11. Never read it

Reviewers on Goodreads seemed to really like it. Mostly they just loved Cather's writing ability.

[cbabe]

12. True. She could really write. Almost a waste of talent. But

now considered a classic. A novel of its time. Lone spiritual white man struggling in the wilderness.

But we know it wasn’t a wilderness.

A problem interpreting art with hindsight.

Want to credit Cather but makes me sad.

[mentalsolstice]

13. The Nurse Behind the Gates by Shari J. Ryan

It was between that and The Mighty Red which I purchased for 1/2 price several weeks ago. I’m looking forward to your opinion.

[yellowdogintexas]

14. "The Housemaid" followed by "The Housemaid's Secret"

"The Housemaid" is first in series of 3 by Freida McFadden

As one reviewer said " I had whiplash working through all the twists and turns in this story"

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…
______________________________________
Now reading the second book : "The Housemaid's Secret"

It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.

It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…

That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.

Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…

I have the third book; I may take a break from the series to read "On Tyranny" for my Liberal Ladies Book Club.

[mwmisses4289]

15. Rereading The Nonesuch

Last edited Tue Feb 4, 2025, 05:36 PM - Edit history (1)

by Georgette Heyer. A lightheaded romance, by the woman credited with starting the twentieth century craze for historical/regency romance novels.

[Sequoia]

16. erased, by Kei Sanbe

This is a Manga series 1 through 4, which I found in the library teen section. A right to left Japanese book. Have to take a break from serious reading occasionally and read these type of books. This is a murder mystery with a guy going back to his 10 year old self to rescue children in danger from a clever and evil preditor.