What Fiction are you reading this week, October 20, 2019?

[hermetic]

"If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word." — Margaret Atwood


I’m back now to Ian Rankin’s Resurrection Men as I just finished The Testaments. I am glad that I read it since it did resolve some disturbing thoughts left hanging from The Handmaid’s Tale. That said, it’s sure not going on my list of best books. There were a couple of times when I said, “Wait! What? That makes no sense.” Plus, I found the ending weak, unlike Atwood’s typical stunners. So, that’s my 2 cents worth.

I am thrilled and delighted to say, though, that I found Mycroft Holmes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s graphic novel, at my library. A fun read and absolute visual treat.

Still listening to Guilt. It's holding my interest right up to the end.

What sorts of interesting things are on your list this week?

[lkinwi]

1. The Glass Castle

[hermetic]

3. The kid's fantasy book,

Or Harlequin romance novel from 1973?

Those were the only 2 I could find with that title

[lkinwi]

6. Sorry, I just started it and didn't realize it was nonfiction.

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wahls. 2005

[hermetic]

7. Wow

This memoir was on The New York Times Best Seller list for several years. It recounts the unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing Walls and her siblings had at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents. Sounds intense.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

12. It's fantastic. Buckle in.

[Srkdqltr]

2. Jodi Taylor. The Very First Damned Thing.

A funny, interesting series of stories. A little time travel, interesting people. Something different.

[hermetic]

4. Cool

Sounds like fun reading.

[donco]

5. Mick Mulvaney

On faux news!!!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Golden State by Ben H. Winters.

In a near alternate future, it's illegal to lie in the Golden State, clearly California. The narrator is a man who can sense untruths and lies, and works for a state government entity called The Speculative Service, and gets caught up in a bit of a murder mystery. It's excellent.

Winter also wrote Underground Airlines and The Last Policeman trilogy, both of which are excellent.

[hermetic]

9. Oh, yes!

Loved The Last Policeman trilogy. Will have to get this one now. Thanks!

[northoftheborder]

10. The Secrets of Wishtide, by Kate Saunders (Audible)

I gave this 5 stars for the story, and especially for the narrator, who really made the dialogue come alive, for all the characters.

An English tale, set in the 1800's; Mrs. Laetitia Rodd, a widow who makes her living as a highly discreet private investigator; a longer, more involved plot than other better known English lady detective stories.

[PennyK]

14. Sounds good and now there's a sequel

I am getting the paper version from my local libe...thanks!

[Cuthbert Allgood]

11. The Testaments reaction/discussion (I will keep spoiler material to a minimum)

I REALLY like the Aunt Lydia exploration. She did fantastic with that character. It is an Atwood masterclass in character development. The other two? Yikes. It was way too YA dystopian for me. And I get that it sells, but Atwood is better than that. I also get they were to be foils for each other highlighting what life in each society would be, but the were just way too one-dimensional and trope-ish. And I fully agree that the ending was weak. For anyone. Not just Atwood.

Mycroft Holmes graphic novel is gold.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

13. The Water Dancer (Coates) & Cursed (Wheeler)

Life made me push off Water Dancer for a bit and I really excited to start on it. It is getting fantastic reviews.

Cursed is one I didn't even know existed until I picked it up at my local comic shop. It's a YA novel. Illustrated by Frank Miller (one of my favorites). The comic shop owner came to me about 2 minutes after I walked in to show me the book. I'm a little way in. It's an Arthur retelling. My guess is that the young female protagonist is actually going to be the once and future king and not Arthur (who we meet early in the novel). I like it so far. It's going to be a Netflix series (and is kind of written that way but not in a bad way).