What are you reading now?: March 29, 2025.

I'm currently wrapping up 67 Shots. After that will come Dogs of War, British Naval Supremacy and Anglo-American Antagonisms, 1914-1930, and The Brides of High Hill.

Deception
Jonathan Kellerman
4/5 stars
Alex Delaware is on the case of the death of Elise Freeman who was beaten and battered to death. Milo Sturgis is to figure out who killed Elise among the staff and students of Windsor Prep. Mystery

I read Year of Wonders this week; it is one of the best novels I've ever read, and I recommend it thoroughly.

Currently, I'm listening to The Saint, by Carin Gerhardsen, a Swedish crime writer. It's very engrossing.

I think I'm going to start The Reluctant Fundamentalist this afternoon.

started this insightful eBook via hoopla ~

People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them the Keys
by Dr. Mike Bechtle

After five years, I finally came down with Covid at the first of the month. It's been difficult getting back into reading after being in bed for a week, but I think I'm finally starting to make some progress. I'm a little over a hundred pages into The Landmark Herodotus and beginning to enjoy it.

I'm reading Extraordinary Insects: The Fabulous, Indispensable Creatures Who Run Our World by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, and I have read some extraordinary things so far.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society – C M Waggoner
1*

From the book jacket: A librarian with a knack for solving murders realizes there is something decidedly supernatural afoot in her little town in this cozy fantasy mystery.

My reactions:
Waggoner seemed to throw every idea she had at the wall, hoping something would stick. There’s the whole “small town librarian as amateur sleuth” trope, check. A cat with a cute name who “helps” with the investigation, check. A sheriff who is inept at best and relies on the amateur sleuth to solve the case, check. A cast of eccentric friends and neighbors to populate the town (and story line), check. And of course, the touch of supernatural, in this case a demon puppeteer pulling the strings to drive the plot. What was missing, was the “demon-hunting society” which the title promised.

It sounded like it might be a fun, slightly different, kind of cozy, however, the result was dreadful. The plot was thin, the character development completely lacking. I finished only because it fit a specific challenge.

I am finishing up The Facemaker this weekend, making reading inroads on The Demon of Unrest, and will start Sadar's Keep this week.

>3 ahef1963: I really loved Year of Wonder. Read it years ago when it first came out.

I finished the second book in S. G. MacLean's Damian Seeker series, The Black Friar. I'm really enjoying the series and already started the 3rd book, Destroying Angel. I'm not usually a mystery fan, but the historical setting, great characters and good writing have drawn me in.

I finished rereading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a couple of days ago. My comments, for anyone who might be interested, are on my 50-Book Challenge thread.

I've now returned to Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt to read the third of the book's four sections, "Recessional: 1971-1989."

I just finished The Wild Remedy: How Nature Mends Us - A Diary by Emma Mitchell. I've been reading it a month at a time since last April. Beautiful photography and illustrations, but the writing focuses more on the author's mental health, and I was expecting more focus on nature.

Murder on Black Swan Lane
Andrea Penrose
3/5 stars
The Earl of Wrexford, is a scientist who has been accused of murder. Along comes the widow Charlotte Sloane who takes over her dead husband's persona to help solve the murder of Josiah Holworthy and tries to clear the Earl. Mystery

The Stonekeeper’s Curse – Kazu Kibuishi
2**

Book two in the Amulet graphic novel series for middle-school readers continues the adventure with the group making its way to the City of Kanalis in hopes of getting help. But they find a populace that is cursed and frightened. They also find a new ally, Leon, who leads a small group of resistance fighters.

I really like that Kibuishi has chosen to make a girl the heroine of this series. Emily is intelligent, principled, and determined. But she’s young and needs help. The question is where and with whom to place her trust.

Kibuishi’s illustrations are stellar. And I also like that the dialogue bubbles are well designed, graphically speaking. However, I didn’t like the storyline as much as the first one. I guess the novelty has worn off for me.

Currently reading Dangerous Talent by Frankie Robertson

The new thread is up over here.