What are you reading the week of September 10, 2016?

Tess Gerritsen (born June 12, 1953) is an American novelist and retired physician.

Tess Gerritsen is the child of a Chinese immigrant and a Chinese-American seafood chef. While growing up in San Diego, California, Gerritsen often dreamt of writing her own Nancy Drew novels. Her first name is Terry; she decided to feminize it when she was a writer of romance novels. Although she longed to be a writer, her family had reservations about the sustainability of a writing career, prompting Gerritsen to choose a career in medicine. In 1975, Gerritsen graduated from Stanford University with a BA in anthropology, intrigued by the ranges of human behavior. She went on to study medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She received her medical degree in 1979 and started work as a physician in Honolulu, Hawaii.

While on maternity leave, she submitted a short story to a statewide fiction contest in the magazine Honolulu. Her story, "On Choosing the Right Crack Seed," won first prize and she received $500. The story focused on a young male reflecting on a difficult relationship with his mother. Gerritsen claimed the story allowed her to deal with her own childhood turmoil, including the repeated suicide attempts of her mother.

Inspired by the romance novels she enjoyed reading while working as a doctor, Gerritsen's first novels were romantic thrillers. After two unpublished "practice novels", Call After Midnight was bought by publisher Harlequin Intrigue in 1986 and published a year later. Gerritsen subsequently wrote eight romantic thrillers for Harlequin Intrigue and Harper Paperbacks.

In 1996, Gerritsen wrote Harvest, her first medical thriller. The plot was inspired by a conversation with a retired homicide detective who had recently traveled in Russia. He told her young orphans were vanishing from Moscow streets, and police believed the kidnapped children were being shipped abroad as organ donors. Harvest was Gerritsen's first hardcover novel, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list at number thirteen. Following Harvest, Gerritsen wrote three more bestselling medical thrillers: Life Support, Bloodstream, and Gravity.

In 2001, Gerritsen's first crime thriller, The Surgeon, was published and introduced homicide detective Jane Rizzoli. Although a secondary character in The Surgeon, Rizzoli has been a central focus of ten subsequent novels pairing her with medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles. The books inspired the Rizzoli & Isles television series starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander. Gerritsen also made an appearance in the series' final season as a writer who helps Isles establish herself in the literary field.

Although most of her recent books have been in the Rizzoli/Isles series, in 2007 Gerritsen wrote a stand-alone historical thriller titled The Bone Garden. A tale of gruesome murders, the book is set primarily in 1830s Boston and includes a character based on Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Gerritsen's books have been published in 40 countries and have sold 25 million copies.

Gerritsen co-wrote the story and screenplay for Adrift, which aired on CBS as Movie of the Week in 1993 and starred Kate Jackson and Bruce Greenwood.

She has contributed essays in volumes published by Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She also blogs regularly about the writing business, both on her own website and on a mystery writers site, Murderati.com.

Gerritsen is married to Jacob Gerritsen, who is also a physician. She has two sons. She enjoys gardening and playing the fiddle, and lives in Camden, Maine.

The Surgeon received a RITA award Romance Writers of America in 2002 for Best Romantic Suspense Novel.

In 2006, Vanish received the Nero Award for best mystery novel, and was nominated for both an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America and a Macavity Award. She has also won approval from several of her contemporaries, including James Patterson and Stephen King, the latter of whom described her as being "even better than Michael Crichton".

I love Tess Gerritsen's mysteries. I scan the shelves every week to see if a new one has come out.

I'm finishing up Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang. He writes some of the most interesting short science fiction you're ever likely to find. He's just not very prolific.

Finished The Wall by Marlen Haushofer. It's about a women who is isolated in a mountain log cabin when a mysterious wall cuts her off from an apparent bioapocalypse. Instead of taking the thriller route, it's contemplative. Their is a lot of time devoted to how important her animals are to her and how solitude changes her. The ending was thematically perfect.

Still reading Bloody Mary, A Dirty Job, and Judgment Cometh (And That Right Soon).

I'm reading two books this week, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, and Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer. It's so nice having two good books to go between.

I've been on a streak lately of reading short fiction collections by contemporary writers. I just finished Ben Fountain's Brief Encounters with Che Guevara, which was really strong, and now I'm working my way through Rock Springs by Richard Ford, who is one of my favorite authors.

I just finished the fantasy Fool's Assassin which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I'm on the search for her other books. Now I am reading The Black Widow, Daniel Silva's latest book. It's slow going so far through the initial setting up of the story. I think this one is going to be awfully serious, but still interesting.

Also, I have had a look at the ER book Chef Q in Paris, The Fall Collection; it will be a treat.

>1 fredbacon: Thanks for the bio. I know nothing about Tess Gerritsen and need to rectify that immediately.

I'm happily at the 88% mark of Sharon Kay Penman's huge historical novel The Sunne in Splendour. Feeling pretty good that I persevered having started it once before. A few flaws haven't stopped me from enjoying it and learning a lot about the Wars of the Roses.

I finished the LTER The Social Life of DNA which explores the various ways that DNA testing has been used to help repair social wrongs, most particularly that of slavery. The book felt sometimes repetitious and longer than the information warranted although I did learn some things.

I am traveling and have with me To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey and wow, this one might be headed to 5-star land. I was tepid on The Snow Child but really love this one.

I have been out of the loop for a few weeks. I was deployed for the American Red Cross to support the effort in Baton Rouge during the flooding. Then it takes a while to unwind after the deployment. Just started actually reading, but have finished a few audiobooks. I finished Sweet Caress by William Boyd, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman, and A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny.

I am now reading A Dance To The Music Of Time: First Movement, Spring by Anthony Powell, and I am listening to The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer.

I finished and absolutely loved To The Bright Edge of the World.

I am now reading the incredibly fascinating and educational Gullah Culture in America, which is also awesome thus far.

Finished Bloody Mary by J. A. Konrath. I actually liked it more than I first thought I would. Now reading The Cloud Seeders by James Zerndt.

Here's a weird one.....reading on the end of the dock today....went inside....returned as my book and my Eleanor Roosevelt bookmark were way beyond reach, floating to a far shore. Heavy wind!

So, until I replace the book, I am reading Bardo Or Not Bardo by Antoine Volodine.

>14 hemlokgang: Curious minds want to know: what's the title of the now floating book?

I finished Butcher's Crossing by John Williams. I remember finishing Lonesome Dove and standing up to shake off the trail dust.. After this book I may be taking lots of baths and showers in what I assume will be vain attempts to rid myself of the stench of the buffalo hunt. It's hot and humid here but as I've read, I've been reaching for my afghan to warm me against the deep cold of the Rockies. Books that take me places - really take me there, especially into the Old West - stay with me for a long time. Warning: this book's not for everyone -- that buffalo hunt is hard to take at times -- but the trip was worth it for me. The book says something profound about the American character -- and it seems authentic, down to the finest detail.

Next up: In Gratitude by Jenny Diski.

>15 NarratorLady: A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement, Spring.......in this case, dancing on the waves....

¡Ask a Mexican! – Gustavo Arellano
2**

This is a collection of columns written by Arellano in California’s OC Weekly news magazine. It was originally suggested by his editor, and Arellano had been answering his “Why do Mexicans…..?” questions for five years. He didn’t mind being the source of cultural information, and figured “why not?” so the column was born. It’s become wildly popular and has now been syndicated in several other newspapers across the country.

Like most such satirical / humorous columns, they are best taken once a week. Reading all of them at once was a bit much. Yes, he does impart some history of Mexico and Mexican culture, and even I (the daughter and granddaughter of Mexican immigrants) learned a few curse words. However, on the whole I was bored and didn’t find his “humor” very funny. I did like the descriptions of food … especially how his mother would buy three kinds of tripa for her menudo (same as my Aunt Pepa).

And, why can’t Goodreads or LibraryThing manage to include the appropriate punctuation in the official title?

For Your Love – Beverly Jenkins
3***

This is the sixth book in the Blessings series, which follows the residents of Henry Adams, Kansas, a small town originally founded by freed slaves.

I didn’t realize it was part of a series when I picked it up. And once I had it in my hands, I was reluctant to put it aside to go back to book one in the series, so I went ahead and read it. Jenkins gives several clues as to how these people came together, and some of the things that have happened in the past, so I felt I had a reasonably good understanding of the town dynamics.

I liked that things don’t always go smoothly, but that – for the most part – the characters react realistically. And then there’s Astrid Wiggins, a/k/a “Seabiscuit.” She is the stereotypic “bad guy.” More than stereotypic, she is a caricature, a cartoon character, so evil and unreasonable in her hatred and vindictiveness that she’s totally unbelievable.

On the whole, however, it was an enjoyable, quick read. It reminded me of both the Miss Julia series by Ann B Ross, and the Harmony series by Philip Gulley – both of which I love. And now I think I will go back to the first book in this series and learn more about these characters.

Finished A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. Enjoyed it much more than I was expecting. Even chuckled a few times.

Next up is The Disenchanted Widow by Christina McKenna.

I have just finished reading Iliad by Homer

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Finished The Cloud Seeders by James Zerndt. Meh.

Started Cards of Grief by Jane Yolen. Have only read one chapter, but the books sounds just my cup of tea.

I just started with The Greek's billionaire Wife

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love
by Dava Sobel
3/5 stars

This was an interesting book on Galileo and his relationship with his daughter Virginia, later changed to Suor Maria Celeste when she entered the convent at the age of 13 with her sister. Galileo and his daughter were very close and her letters to him had been saved and make up part of this book. They remained loyal to each other through his trials with the church. The book did discuss his work and the problems that caused with the church. The only problem I had with the book was that at times reading about his work took a lot of concentration but I did enjoy his daughter's letters. His letters to her were never found or had been destroyed.

It is a fascinating look back at that time period and Suor Maria Celeste shed a light on what it was like living in a convent in that time period. Had she been born in modern ages, I could see her working with her father in his area since she comes across as very intuitive and smart.

>12 CarolynSchroeder: Thanks for listing the book about the Gullah people; I have been wanting to read about them for a long time.

Have been battling double pneumonia and bronchitis and unable to read more than a few pages without either falling asleep or having yet another fit of coughing. The bits of Raven Black by Ann Cleeves that I've been able to read have been very interesting.

I finished reading Jenny Diski's remarkable memoir, In Gratitude. I must confess I knew very little about this English author before reading the obituaries and remembrances following her death at 68 in April, but what I read made me want to find out more. This book turned out to be a great place to start. It is so many things at once -- a diary of her terminal illness, an essay on her difficult adolescence, a brief though deeply insightful biography of Doris Lessing (who took in the troubled teenage Diski as a foster child, beginning a fascinating, difficult, hard-to-define relationship that lasted until Lessing's death in 2013), an intimate look at Diski herself as she shares so much in the last fourteen months of her life -- and, for me, because she was only a year younger than I, it is a look back at the times of my life. The book has an edge -- it's funny and angry and tender and intelligent You get everything -- she pulls no punches. It's a wonderful book, beautifully written.

Next up: The Outward Room, a novel by Millen Brand.

>25 ahef1963: Take care of yourself! Together those two can be quite debilitating!

>26 mollygrace: Nice review. Sounds like something I would like to read. Adding to my never ending reading list.

>28 JulieLill: Thanks, I've been rereading parts of In Gratitude all day today, and looking up more information about Jenny Diski online. I shall have to search for more of her books to add to my own "never ending reading list."

"Dark Money" by Jane Mayer is a wake-up call. We have watched the Koch brothers make all three branches of our government dysfunctional. Congress hamstrings the President, leaves the Supreme Court short a Justice, and halts the government by refusing to cooperate. It may be too late, but money literally HAS destroyed democracy. The Kochtopus reaches into academia, employs top public relations and advertising people, establishes think-tanks to promote their view and pays lobbyists.

I finished Bardo Or Not Bardo. A satiric look at the afterlife.

Next up are The Stories of the Steppe by Maxim Gorky.

The Geography of Genius – Eric Weiner
Book on CD read by the author
3***

The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places, from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley.

Weiner explores the culture of various cities and eras that resulted in an environment that fostered genius – Ancient Athens, Hangzhou in the time of the Song Dynasty, Renaissance Florence, 18th century Edinburgh, Calcutta from about 1840 to 1920, Vienna with TWO golden ages, separated by nearly a century (Mozart to Freud), and California’s Silicon Valley.

He looks at whether individual effort was more important than cooperation within a group; how financial need influenced the genius; the role of nurture vs nature; and the preponderance of failure which spurs the genius to continue working. It’s an interesting book, but not a particularly compelling one, and there were times when I just zoned out. Still, I learned a little about a variety of subjects.

Weiner reads the audio book himself. He clearly has a passion for the subject, which is especially evident in the epilogue.

The Art of Racing in the Rain – Garth Stein
Audiobook narrated by Christopher Evan Welch.
5***** and a ❤

The narrator of this gem is Enzo … a Labrador / ? mix (Airedale, perhaps). Enzo spends much of his time watching television and he has learned a lot. Race videos or the Speed Channel are his favorites, but one memorable program on National Geographic was about the dogs of Mongolia. It was from this program that he learned that when a dog dies, if he has been a very good dog, his soul will return as a man. Enzo is certain this will be true for him, and when that happens he will find his master, shake his hand and tell him “Enzo says hello.”

The story could be maudlin but it isn’t. Enzo is a philosophical narrator, and also a fair one. (Though he does have a thing for the zebra demon.) There are moments of laugh-out-loud humor, sing-out-loud joy, and sigh-out-loud sadness.

When I got to the last page I wanted to start reading all over again. This is a book I WILL read multiple times.

Dec 2010 update: I listened to the CD for this re-reading. The audio is performed perfectly by Christopher Evan Welch. Have a hankie ready for the last few chapters.

Sept 2016 - and listened yet again. I love Enzo!

#25 Ahef- feel better!!

The new thread is up over here. Sorry that I'm late, I'm currently inundated with work. I almost forgot to post it this week!