What are you reading now?: May 24, 2025

Wrapping up The Sunforge. The Strategists and Saevus Corax Captures the Castle will follow.

Pushing to finish The Will of the Many today. And start The Burning God

I've just finished a fascinating and enjoyable novel first published in 1956 by Algerian/Kabyle writer Mouloud Mammeri, The Sleep of the Just, about a Berber village, and especially two sons of that village, living under French colonial rule. The book begins in 1940 and takes us into the post-WW2 years in Algeria. You can find my longer review on the book's work page and on my 50-Book Challenge thread.

Next up for me will be Charlie's Good Tonight, a biography of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts by Paul Sexton.

This was my last week of school so I'm still reading The Sea of Lost Girls by Carol Goodman, but now I'm on summer break so let the readathon begin!

>4 PaperbackPirate: Enjoy your summer! Read lots!

I'm reading The Sandman by Lars Kepler, albeit not with much interest. Reading out of an actual physical book has been very difficult for me lately. I hate when that happens!

Luckily, there are audiobooks. I'm listening to The Tenant by Freida McFadden and was up most of the night unable to sleep. I must break myself of listening to thrillers when it's dark outside.

>5 ahef1963: Thank you! I'm already working on my tbr stack!

Whiskers Of the Lion – P L Gaus
3***

This is book number nine in the Amish-Country Mystery series, but the first one I’ve read.

It was an interesting mystery with a great cast of (I presume) regular characters: Sheriff Bruce Robertson, his wife (and medical examiner) Melissa Taggert, deputy (and college professor) Mike Branden, and detective Pat Lance.

New deputy Stan Armbruster is checking a farm from which a couple has gone missing when he spots Howie Dent’s distinctive yellow VW bug. What he finds in the farmhouse is horrifying evidence of a brutal murder. But where is Fannie Helmuth, the young Amish woman who can identify the notorious drug kingpin Teresa Molina?

There were a lot of twists and turns, and I got the distinct impression that this drug cartel business is a continuing theme in the series. Gaus doesn’t overly explain things that regular readers of the series would obviously know, so I felt a little lost at time, but I don’t fault him for that.

Readers who might assume that “Amish” means a cozy mystery will be wrong. This is a hard-hitting crime novel, that happens to be set amid the Amish communities of Ohio. I had never read any of his books before, and probably got this at one of the “mystery conventions” I used to attend, where we would almost always get a bag full of books provided by publishers. Given my experience with this book, I would recommend reading the series in order.

On Beauty– Zadie Smith
Book on CD performed by Peter Francis James
3***

“What are the truly beautiful things in life – and how far will you go to get them?” (from the book jacket)

Smith’s novel focuses on the Belsey family: Howard, an Englishman art professor at a Massachusetts college; Kiki, his African-American wife of thirty years; and their three teenage children, Jerome, Zora and Levi. There are many references to art, not just paintings (although Howard’s book on Rembrandt is years overdue), but also performance art. And there is another family, the Kipps; Howard is feuding with Monty Kipps, Kiki has befriended Mrs Kipps (Carlene), and Jerome was briefly in love with Victoria Kipps.

Most of these people behave rather badly in their pursuit of “beauty,” whatever that may be. While they may want a beautiful life, none of them (save for Kiki and Carlene) seem to have any idea how to actually achieve that or what it may mean. One after another betrayal occurs within the family, between the families, across generations. University politics come into play to further complicate matters, and Zora seems particularly skilled at employing this tactic.

I was reading this for a book club meeting and that is the main reason I finished it. I was not in the right frame of mind to give it the attention it deserves, for Smith’s writing in places was stellar. Still, at the end I was left with a feeling of “is that all?” I think this was really my fault; the press of other matters in real life kept me from being totally present in the novel.

The audio book is narrated by Peter Francis James. He has a lot of characters to deal with and does a fine job of differentiating them.

I'm continuing to read Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier, The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir, and just finished reading the next in the Sebastian St Cyr series, What Remains of Heaven.

>4 PaperbackPirate: Happy summer break!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here. I’m currently enjoying the outrageous goings on in Carl Hiaason’s latest, Fever Beach.

>10 Copperskye: Thank you! I'm off to a good start!

Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches
Tim Matheson
4/5 stars
I have always admired Tim Matheson and have enjoyed his work in the movie industry. In this book he talks about his life as an actor, director and his family! Biographies and Memoirs

started this audio via Libby ~

Nightshade
by Michael Connelly
(new series/Detective Stilwell, #1)

The new thread is up over here.

I also read North Woods by Daniel Mason and I highly recommend it. A cabin is the main character, and it's written in many styles.