Beerleg Book Club

I'll plug a friend's fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed them as they went chapter by chapter through our writers critique group and liked them well enough to re-read when they came out in print.

His main character has his ups and downs and flaws, and is anything but a super detective, but tries to solve murders that happened to people he knew.?ÿ All of the characters are interesting and the subplots are very well interwoven.?ÿ The pace is relaxed but kept me interested.?ÿ They are set in 1968 and 1975, so had a hint of nostalgia for this geezer.?ÿ Sins of Intent was the first, and although it isn't necessary to read first it would give a little better background for Sins of Omission.

https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Roeder/e/B072F3MLB1

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I just read Buddy Guy's autobiography that he published about eight years or so ago. Not exactly deep but very entertaining, especially for anyone into the blues as much as I am.

Working on the third and last volume of William Manchester's Winston Churchill - The Last Lion, which was completed after his death by his friend Paul Reid. It's not an easy read but it's good.

I'm a few years into Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce - prolly about two-thirds through it ...

I tend to read science fiction and fantasy only. I used to read mysteries, but have lost interest except for a few authors.

I'm currently re-reading a series called the Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.?ÿ

The first one is called The Thief and is about a young man on an expedition to find a stone called Hamiathes Gift. The series is published as Young Adult, but easily enjoyable by adults too. The series continues with The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, A Conspiracy of Kings, Thick as Thieves, and the last one, coming out next year, Return of the Thief.?ÿ

They're set in a quasi-Mediterranean area, with a roughly medieval level of technology except there are pistols and rifles (not very good). There's a very Long Game being played between three small countries and against the much larger overseas empire called the Mede. Full of twists and turns and a lot of memorable characters. She's certainly made my jaw drop when I've hit some of the twists. The first book was published in 1996, TaT in 2017 so everyone was amazed that the next book was going to come out this year. Then the author wasn't ready so it's been put off until next year. It'll still be the shortest amount of time between books.

Going to try "The Thief". It looks like all of her books are free in pdf.

https://epdf.tips/the-thief6e08d393527c5c5d4f738fb89ae6d0d053905.html

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Siddhartha?ÿ - Hesse

The Things They Carried - O'Brien

Siddhartha! WOW, that's a blast from the past (1960s for me). I remember that my mother really liked that book.

Loyal

@flga-pls-2-2?ÿ

They're not legal--she's an active writer--why would she give away her work product? ... O registered land surveyor?

I read a story recently (here) where a popular young adult author had seen her ebook sales tank for the later volumes of a popular series. For the next book, she and her brother uploaded fake ebooks everywhere they could with the first 4 chapters repeated and a statement about piracy.?ÿ

Melita

I get about 85% of my books from the library and read on my tablet.?ÿ ?ÿBoston Public Library has an extensive selection of books!

As for any "good ones", "Barkskins" by Annie Proulix is my recent favorite, and I just re-read her

"Accordion Crimes."?ÿ I recommend anything by her.?ÿ ?ÿ

Another favorite of mine is Mark Helprin and two of his books, that I have re-read several times(!), are "A Soldier of the Great War", and, "Memoir in Antproof Case."

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Posted by: Loyal

Siddhartha! WOW, that's a blast from the past (1960s for me). I remember that my mother really liked that book.

Loyal

I read when I was young. So it was a re-read and appreciated it more since time adds knowledge. Going to read Steppenwolf again and that will be the end of the Hesse revival. I get reading recommendations from a few young persons but only follow through on a few. Too much dystopian tales, much too much. But The Road by Cormac McCarthy is quite good.

My mother read mysteries. I don't think she could ever turn down a mystery story. From pulp novels, mainstream authors and classic authors like Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. Later she liked some Stephen King novels and recommended them to me but I didn't follow up?ÿ on her suggestions.

Later she liked some Stephen King novels and recommended them to me but I didn't follow up on her suggestions.

Love the genre, hate modern writers in the genre. ?ÿBut I have almost everything wrtten by: M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen, E.F. Benson, Lord Dunsany, et al..

I'm currently reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith, a novel that deals with the cultural intersections (and clashes!) between south Asian Muslims, Jamaican Jehova's Witnesses, and secular whites in contemporary England, across 3 generations just to make things more complicated.?ÿ It's very well written and engaging, despite the seemingly unlikely setup.

@mkennedy

"They're not legal......."

If it's on the internet and I can download it then in my world it's free. Legal, pirated or not. ?????ÿ

Currently binge reading the Jack Reacher series, about 2 thirds of the way thru, and it's getting a little much.

About 2 books in I realized he was going to emerge victorious, no matter the situation - perhaps a bit battered, but nowhere near as bad off as the other guys.?ÿ I probably should have realized that from the get-go, given there are 20 some books in the series.............

Some good recommendations here, though - maybe I'll give Big-Bad-Jack a rest for a while.

Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. I listen to Audiobooks to pass the heinous daily commute, that one had me sitting in the car in the garage when I got home sometimes!