Witches and vampires and science. I think it sounds intriguing, but also loooong. 882 pages! Do let us know how you felt about it when finished.

Brilliant computer hackers is a popular theme these days.

His latest, a riveting thriller that begins with separate disasters striking the Pentagon, the NSA, and the CIA. Sounds good.

Just kidding, not.

It is perfect for a rainy afternoon. I do get a little impatient with Lo at times. Have not finished so no final opinion. I have never been on a cruise ship and now am not sure if I will ever want to be on one.

Yes, she definitely makes a cruise not sound too inviting. I would, though, love to do one down in the Bahamas or similar. We should talk again next week, after we've finished this book.

and after reading "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" by David Foster Wallace, I don't think that I want to!

I loved Infinite Jest and always wanted to read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again but my library never got it. So I need to find it online. I just put it at the top of my list so I don't forget about it again. David.

The Navy put me on a cruise ship once, too. I was 7 (Dad was in USN) and we crossed the Atlantic and I have some fantastic memories. Sadly, a lot has changed since then.

I reread Infinite Jest a couple of years ago after seeing the movie "The end of the Tour", where Jason Segel plays DFW.

I don't know if it is getting older, or exercising daily or when I get in my recliner to read Frankie Presto the cat desided to keep my lap warm but then I just nod off. I sleep well at night but get these extra naps in the afternoon when I would like to be reading.
Ah well, here comes Mr Frankie, now.

So relaxing- chair, book, cat.

Give Mr Frankie a head scritch for me. I, too, am becoming more fond of naps lately.

Well, no doubt you will enjoy that Harry Bosch story when you finally get a chance to read. it.

Just started. Looks interesting.

Just out. A historical, espionage thriller. From the backrooms of the Smithsonian to the deepest woods in rural Arkansas, and finally up into the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico, THE LOST ORDER is a perilous adventure into our country’s dark past, and a potentially even darker future.

The second book in a series about Viking age Ireland.

I think TexasProgressive might be interested in this, IIRC.

Thorgrim and his men are plunged into a battle for the throne of Tara, a battle that will test their strength and loyalty as none has before.

that were set mostly in England at around the same time period. Very fast moving.
What does IIRC mean? I have seen it before but never asked.

A British lady uses it often.

I was remembering your interest in Irish history and thought this might be a fit, maybe.

i put it on my for later library list. i'm reading The Charter House of Parma. it's a tale of court intrigue and ungoverned passion set in Northern Italy after the fall of Napoleon. The pace is brisk and the plot follows the checkered career of a headstrong young noblemen who is made a bishop at age 24 but can't seem to stay out of trouble.

i'm also reading a collection of humorous stories put together by Russell Baker who died last week. My favorites so far are the ones by Mark Twain, who is laugh out loud funny. I also enjoy Thurber, Robert Benchley and Garrison Keilor, who stand about knee high to Twain. Everyone else is just barking around his ankles.

Cheers, Hermetic.

This book tells the mysterious story about a woman who was murdered and buried in a bog in Sweden and the unraveling tale as the detectives solve her death. It was published in 1975 and I bought it then but never read it! Last week, I started delving into it and it is captivating. The authors, Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, paint a fascinating and intricate portrait of Sweden and its people, much of which is quite acidic. I'm glad I finally decided to read it.

You mentioned Preston & Child. Last month, I read The Cabinet of Curiousities. My fiancee urged me to read it as I hadn't read any of the Pendergast novels. That one's pretty chilling, too.

I'm unable to listen to books. I just cannot picture things in my mind when someone else is reading it to me. I know I'm a bit unusual in today's world but I also don't like Kindles and the like. I prefer real books with paper. Plus, they look quite nice in my bookshelves.

Cabinet of Curiosities. If I may recommend something, try to google the series in chronological order. Many of the characters re-occur and that makes the side plots even better. Have fun.

I prefer to read serials in order. If I had known that the Pendergast stories were a series... blah, blah, blah.

Thanks for your thoughts!

The Pendergast novels are all well worth reading, I think. They go to some pretty fascinating places.

I also prefer physical books and have a good many but have learned to enjoy listening to stories while I do housework and cooking. I don't have television. It does require some concentration, though, since you can't go back and reread a paragraph. So I keep my audibles to "light reading."

I appreciate your participation here and hope you join us again.

a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child.

Got lots of Reacher fans in this group.

This was another couldn't-put-it-down by Mr. Rollins. Sigma Force goes up against two sinister groups at the same time. One is a latter day version of the Spanish Inquisition. Mr. Rollins blends science, action, and history, and somehow makes it plausible... Plus a great ending. I loved it.

https://jamesrollins.com/book/crucible-a-sigma-force-novel/

Just started "The First Conspiracy: The Plot to Kill George Washington", by Brad Meltzer.

Hermetic - The eight barn cats made it through our sub-zero temps OK. They were definitely using the insulated houses I made for them.

May Bast bring you great fortune.

Look forward to reading Crucible, too.

Charles Dickens's last complete novel and a glorious satire spanning all levels of Victorian society The novel is richly symbolic in its vision of death and renewal in a city dominated by the fetid Thames, and the corrupting power of money. Available at Project Gutenberg and something we should all probably read, if we haven't already.

Linda Castillo Kate Burkholder series ... Finished Scott Pratt only to find that he is deceased,apparently died in a scuba diving accident...

That is just horribly sad.

Mr Pratt

https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/law-enforcement/2018/11/12/Local-crime-fiction-author-Scott-Pratt-dead-in-Bonaire

It is a great book! However, I took a break on Saturday and read "The Devotion of Suspect X" by Keigo Higashino, which was well worth reading.

Not fiction, but I'm enjoying it so much. I'm three chapters in. The end of the first chapter made me smile & end of the second chapter made me cry.

interesting to get her take on her role in the political world. She endured a lot, but persevered. One has to have a VERY thick skin to be in politics!

A whodunnit from the 50s is about all I can say at the moment.

But it sounds like it might be fairly entertaining. “One of the most enjoyable whodunits of this or any season. Reason: It's a gorgeous satire on the book publishing business and the people in it or on the fringes.”

[link:|

so here's our local bookshop.

Magnificent! And thanks. Glad you enjoy them. I'm always on the lookout for book-related pictures to start our discussions with.