@NorthMinnesota to add books on goodreads- use search and find book-
The drop down arrow to place in category- “want to read” - " read" - " didn’t finish"
If you rate the books - you can use your database to compare against other members and discover compatibility-
Also, Goodreads will generate similar books you may like given your ratings-
helpful Goodreads feature-
If you locate compatible book lover members you can ask to be “friends” or just “follow” their reviews.
If you allow email updates ( I get them daily) you can see what books are being read, reviews posted, and it’s a great way to find interesting books to read
( although this thread is best )
I loved Jane Langton’s books both the kids books and the adult mysteries. The mysteries have very nice line drawings she does herself and she does a nice job of capturing the various places around the Boston area where the books are set. (I think the furthest afield she goes is Nantucket.)
Another set of mysteries I really like are the Amanda Cross’s Kate Fansler books. Amanda Cross is the pen name of Carolyn Gold Heilbrun who taught at Columbia. The books are all set in academia and explore issues of feminism, social and political issues etc.
Just finished read an oldie but a goodie: The Chosen by Chaim Potok. Excellent read. As a non-Jew, I found it informative and educational in addition to being entertaining.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. Excellent! Based on the true story of Italian Pino Lello and his experiences in WWII. Author must have spent years researching.
This book has some of the same themes as my book club’s book last month: The Underground Railroad
LibraryThing is a good alternative to Goodreads. (I use both.)
Nobody has mentioned Ian Rankin as a mystery writer yet. His Rebus books are good quick reads.
@Bromfield2 I am a huge fan of Jane Langton. I also second Sara Paretsky and Jeffrey Deaver. (His standalone, A Maiden’s Grave, is great, also.) I read Paretsky from the beginning, when she started, and it got to the point where I was just incredibly annoyed at Vic’s personal quirks and problems and felt she had nothing left to say. Then she came out with a book after a longer gap than usual that totally turned it around: Hard Time.
I find Elizabeth George, a faux Englishwoman, totally overblown. I read several of her books, but eventually quit, partially because I had an overwhelming urge to smack several of her core set of characters. Tana French strays into a similar scenery-chewing upon occasion, and I am not as enthusiastic about her as many other people are. To be fair, I did listen to a couple of hers, and the narrator of at least one of them irritated the hell out of me.
Another writer who never disappoints is Don Winslow. He wrote five books about a PI called Neal Carey, the first of which is Cool Breeze on the Underground. He’s written lots of other stuff, too, all of which I’ve enjoyed in different ways. Some are more entertaining, such as The Death and Life of Bobby Z; some are more harrowing, such as The Power of the Dog and The Cartel.
@scout59 Try The Forgery of Venus and The Book of Air and Shadows.
For those who like audiobooks, the performance of The Book of Air and Shadows is the best I’ve ever heard. Really. It may even be better than reading the book! The performance of Gruber’s latest book, though–The Return–doesn’t succeed. That was the first of his books that I had listened to before reading it, and I thought he had lost his mojo until I went back and actually read it. 
Big fan of Alan Furst, who writes highly atmospheric WWII era espionage novels set in Europe.
Also love Joseph Kanon, who writes excellent, really distinctive books, mostly around WWII in various settings. Los Alamos, which may have been his first book, is great and a good place to start. So are The Good German (made into the movie, which I haven’t seen), Stardust, Istanbul Passage, you name it.
@Consolation LOL, I couldn’t have said it better! I read a bunch of them and then gave up for exactly the same reason. It’s funny though, I’ve forgotten many characters of books I’ve read, but I’ve never been able to forget her characters despite the fact they drove me bananas.
@scout59, WOW! * Mystic River *was such a compelling, beautiful novel. It’s been a while since I read a novel where the author so brilliantly developed ALL of the major characters. The prose, the suspense, the thrill, the despair and hopelessness, the spot on inner musings about death, disappointment, love, guilt, and human nature were all so powerful.
Now I’m going to have to watch the film. I don’t know how this one could have slipped by me for so long, especially given all the awards/acclaim the film received.
Thanks for the recommendation. I will probably read more of Lehane’s work. I need something light and funny first, though.
I recently finished Lincoln in the Bardo.Liked it very much, except there was at least one thread left unexplained that sort of bothered me. Was overall a much easier and quick read than I had expected. made me think a lot, and often very funny, and more often very sad. Great writing, of course.
Has anyone read The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley? I have a question about the ending.
^^^ No but I want to (which I realize is absolutely no help to you at the moment). Whoever answers though needs to p.m. you so as not to spoil the ending for others.
definitely.
@NorthMinnesota I haven’t but I’m looking for a couple of books to put on my kindle for a long flight. Would it make a good airplane book?
I appreciate all who post here. I sometimes pull up this thread when I’m at the library.
For the Dennis Lehane fans, he did recently put out a novel that is written from a woman’s point of view. It got mixed reviews, but it certainly kept my attention (just finished it on audio). It’s called Since We Fell.
Just started Gone Baby Gone on audio. I ended up doing the treadmill after my bike ride today just so I could keep listening.
@Nrdsb4 - I’ll be curious to hear what you think of “Gone Baby Gone.” I really liked it!
I just finished “Good Girls Revolt” by Lynn Povich which is non-fiction account of the groundbreaking law suit filed by the women who worked at Newsweek in the early to mid-sixties. It is an extremely detailed account of how women were discriminated against as they were only hired as researchers and fact-checkers while many equivalent males were hired as reporters/writers. Many of those that took part then and in secondary lawsuit went on to prominent careers in journalism and broadcast news. The description of what was acceptable office culture at that time is almost hard to believe but it was not only accepted, it was a given.
I was disappointed with Lehane’s newest. I love his older stuff.
@garland: which thread in Lincoln? Now I’m wondering what I missed…
The Reverend (I think that’s vague enough for the not-yet-readers.)
I’m not a huge fan of Lehane’s stand-alone novels either (except for “Mystic River”), and I was especially disappointed with his latest. Those old Gennaro/Kenzie books were the best!