Category Archives: 2023 Fiction

This is the first book in “The Women’s Mystery Club” series by James Patterson and co-authors.   The first book though was written by him alone.  For the record, these books are usually sexually graphic and excessively violent with what … Continue reading →

Deborah Devonshire was the youngest and last-surviving  of the Mitford sisters I read about in the book Sisters by Mary S. Lovett. That caused an interesting discussion on the All-nonfiction reading group so I pursued it a bit by delving … Continue reading →

This is definitely one of the best books I’ve read all year – all decade? . It’s been in publication for 9 years and remains at numbers 1 and 2 on the New York Times and Washington Post Paperback Best … Continue reading →

I’ve been reading the books of Ronald Balson since Once We Were Brothers in about 2014. That was his first which was published in 2010 and this is my 6th novel out of 7.  Eli’s Promise is an older stand alone … Continue reading →

I really enjoyed The 19th Christmas which I only read about 10 days ago,  so after a couple other books, I headed into The 20th Victim.  These are the first James Patterson books I’ve read since that book he did … Continue reading →

I was writing up my list of favorite books this year and came across Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby but I remember reading Razorblade Tears by the same guy and thinking it was better. So where is my review? I … Continue reading →

I enjoy the Christmas books of David Rosenfelt but I should try some of the others in the series, too.  I started them a  years ago but gravitated to the Christmas books only and then only in season.  I’m not … Continue reading →

Set in Reykjavik this is the most gritty Christmas novel I’ve ever read.  Still, there’s a gentleness to it which moves that around so in a way it’s more like Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart.  It’s about drug addition and … Continue reading →

This isn’t the first James Patterson book I’ve read but it’s the first in the “Women’s Murder Club” series or with Maxine Paeto as co-author.  (Those two have co-authored at least a dozen novels.)  I’ve only read three James Patterson … Continue reading →

This book is amazing. It got me back to reading a real history book and I loved it. “Fred Anderson has written as good a history of the Seven Years’ War in North America, commonly called the French and Indian War, … Continue reading →

The book was on sale, a relatively recent release, and had decent reviews. Okay fine and it is pretty good – compelling and page-turning anyway.    Just My Luckby Adele Parks 2021 / 12h 50m Read by Louise Brealey & Kristin AthertonRating: … Continue reading →

Oh my goodness what a fine, fine book!  It’s like something between David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas and Richard Powers’ Overstory.   Cloud Cuckoo LandBy Anthony Doerr2021 / 637 pagesRead by Marin Ireland & Simon Jones 14h 52mRating: 10 – 21st century fiction (Both read and listened)  I … Continue reading →

 Elise Littlejohn, a Black, middle-aged, single attorney, has managed to climb to the top via a quality education, hard work, and determination. She has gone from her origins in rural Georgia to the executive floors of an important corporate head office … Continue reading →

Oh it is a joy to have another new reader for The #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Lisett Lecat read 20 of the books and she was terrific. I listened to 13 of them but read the first 8 or … Continue reading →

The year 2020 was the year that, somehow,  still is.  Thinking back it was full of a lot of things Covid-19 and race riots and the pandemic and mass unemployment and the Coronavirus so as incident piled upon deaths and … Continue reading →

“… described by The Times journalist Ben Macintyre as “Diana the Fascist, Jessica the Communist, Unity the Hitler-lover; Nancy the Novelist; Deborah the Duchess and Pamela the unobtrusive poultry connoisseur”.  The family was “twice elevated to the British peerage, in 1802 and 1902, under the title Baron Redesdale.”   The Sisters focuses on the daughters of David Freeman-Mitford, … Continue reading →

This is the 23rd book in the Harry Bosch series and the 4th in the Renee Ballard books.  I’ve followed Michael Connelly since the first book #1 the Harry Bosch series including the Renee Ballard books, the Mickey Haller books, … Continue reading →