nomadreader

The backstory: Michael Connelly is my favorite mystery writer. I've read and reviewed all of his books . The basics: The Late Show  is the first in a new series featuring Los Angeles detective Renee Ballard. "They worked the midnight shift, the late show, moving from case to case, called to any scene where a detective was needed to take initial reports or sign off on suicides. But they kept no cases. They wrote up the initial reports and turned the cases over to the appropriate investigative units in the morning." My thoughts: One of the (many, many) things I love about Connelly's novels are that they pass in real time. Harry Bosch, the series of his I love the most, was born in 1950. The first mystery featuring Harry, The Black Echo , came out in 1992. I've wondered how and when Connelly will end that series, and what might come next. The Late Show  attempts to answer that question. As a character, Renee Ballard thinks and acts a lot like Harry Bosch in her ...

When Ruth Ware's third novel, The Lying Game , came out this summer, I decided to finally read her first novel, In a Dark, Dark Wood , which I've been meaning to read since before it came out. I like to read books, particularly mystery and thriller authors, in the order they were written and published.  I liked In a Dark, Dark Wood  immediately. I realized for a book I'd been meaning to read for so long, I didn't really know much about it. I found the narrator's voice fresh, fun and deliciously dark. It didn't necessarily feel like a thriller, but there was a clear sense that something  was going to happen and make it darker. The novel is at its best when the narrative has two timelines. When the timelines merged, the pace slowed, and I grew impatient. The conclusion, however, reduced what was an enjoyable 3.5 or 4-star read to me to a 2-star read. I found it maddening and not grounded in the reality the rest of the book was. While I rated it only 2 stars...

I thought August was a disappointing reading month, but September was much worse. I hope October will get me reading more. Here's what I read in September: Books read: 5 Fiction: 5 Comics: 1 Mystery/Thriller: 1 Audio: 3 New-to-me authors: 2 My Favorite September book: Forever, Interrupted  by Taylor Jenkins Reid Now tell me: what was your favorite book read in September? As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

After a fabulous reading month in July , August was a disappointment in terms of how much I read. Today a new month begins, and I hope I'm able to carve out more time to read. Here's what I read in August: Books Read: 7 Fiction: 6 Nonfiction: 1 Comics: 1 Mystery/Thriller: 3 Young Adult: 1 Audio: 1 New-to-me authors: 7 My Favorite August Read: Aftercare Instructions  by Bonnie Pipkin Now tell me: what was your favorite book you read in August? As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

The backstory: The Lucky Ones  is longlisted for the 2017 Center for Fiction's  First Novel Prize . The basics:   "A literary jigsaw puzzle of a debut novel set in Colombia during the peak of its decades-long conflict, and in New York City."-publisher My thoughts: When this year's First Novel Prize longlist was announced, I'd already read two. The Lucky Ones  was the first one I picked up from the longlist, so I had high expectations. I started it on my lunch break. The first chapter left me breathless; it was extraordinary. It, and many of the other stories, were originally published as short stories, and it shows. Some chapters are stronger than others, and the order certainly matters. Pachico uses names sparingly, and I spent the first parts of most chapters trying to figure out who the narrator was and if/when I'd read about them before. I enjoy non-linear stories told in this way, and I enjoyed it (for the most part) in this novel. I was hoping for ...

July 2017 was a phenomenal reading month for me. It has given me hope that my reading and blogging mojo are back in full force. Now if I can only hang on to both once classes start at the end of the month! Here's what I read in July: Books Read: 15 Fiction: 12 Nonfiction: 3 Mystery/Thriller: 3 Not Yet Released: 4 (one came out this month after I read it) Audio: 2 New-to-me authors: 13 My Favorite July Read: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo  by Taylor Jenkins Reid Will I get around to reviewing them all? I don't know, but I have been really engaged with posting reviews as I finish books on Litsy. You can find me there as nomadreader, of course. Now tell me: what's the best book you read in July? As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Two years ago, I convinced my spouse to create a book club with me. I read more than he does, but he loves to read. I love discussing pretty much anything with him, and I am forever recommending books to him. We fizzled our pretty quickly, at least partially because Hawthorne wasn't even one yet, and finding a routine to anything was hard. Last week, Mr. Nomadreader suggested we start our book club back again in August. Of course, I agreed. Our book club is pretty fun, but we do have a few rules. Each month, we each pick one book, and we both read both books. 1. We're not allowed to pick books we've read before (I am not the creator of this rule, but it is a good one because it's terrible to hand a book to your favorite person and say, "I loved this book. I know you will love it too!" And then they don't. I also have so many books I want to make him read.) 2. No one may pick Infinite Jest  or a similarly long book. Here's what we picked for Augus...