I adore the Christmas series. I look forward to finding he latest one in my stocking every year. These mysteries star supporting characters from Perry's Pitt or Monk series, and since those series have ended, they are a great way to keep them alive! A Christmas Deliverance focuses on Dr. Crowe and Scuff (Monk and Hester's adopted son), and their investigation into a previous warehouse fire and possible murder. Perry packs a lot of info, adventure, excitement and heart into these mysteries!
This book is absolutely stunning in its intricacies and plotting. The twists come at the reader like a sucker punch to the gut-they leave you breathless! This is how you tell a story!! Somehow, Waters has managed to write a story without a likeable character in it, and it the reader gets so wrapped up in the plot, that they forget that these are not nice people. They are however, people doing the best that they can with the cards life has dealt them-and trust me they were dealt from the deck from Hell!! This book is astonishing!!
TOP TEN BOOKS I’VE READ IN 2022
#10: Mama’s Boy By: Dustin Lance Black
A loving, honest, moving memoir of a man and his mother, of two Americas and a hopeful future. Beautifully written, and refreshingly honest, this is a wonderful and innovative memoir!
#9: I Was Better Last Night By: Harvey Fierstein
I cannot rave enough about Harvey Fierstein's memoir. Hell I can't rave enough about Harvey Fierstein. As a little gay boy doing theatre he was my idol-as a middle aged gay man still doing theatre-Harvey holds my history. His career and life as laid down in this wonderful memoir will be fascinating to read for theatre folk, will amaze those folks who love a good memoir/autobiography, and affirm (or in my case, re-affirm) Mr. Fierstein's rightful place as an icon in theatre and a hero to us gay boys!
#8: The Last Graduate By: Naomi Novik
Picking up where the first book left off, Novik takes the reader on the ride of a lifetime in The Last Graduate. It's El's senior year and the consequences of her actions from the first book come home to roost, kind of, in this book. The plotting in this book is exquisite! The ending, ends, but doesn't and did leave me screaming some very unladylike words at the end...but I'll calm down (eventually) and wait calmly for the 3rd book.
#7: The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba By: Chanel Cleeton
This is simply written-and that's what makes it so effective! There is so much packed into this novel, from the fight for Cuban independence, to the history of the Pulitzer/Hearst newspaper wars with a hint of the newsboy strike, but at the forefront of this beautiful story is women. Women who are forever shoved to the back and forgotten...even the ones who did something extraordinary. Based on the actual Evangeline, we meet her, a determined young reporter and a courageous farm wife. How all three are interconnected is something you'll have to read for yourself-trust me, you won't be disappointed!
#6: The Island Queen By: Vanessa Riley
A gorgeously written life of an extraordinary woman of her time, or any time! Mrs. Dorothy Kirwan Thomas survives at all costs at a time when this was nigh on impossible for a woman, let alone an enslaved woman. Dorothy (Doll and/or Dolly)'s life begins and ends in the West Indies, but wends its way to Europe along the way. Richly detailed, reverently told this awe inspiring life will bring you to the height of every emotion, and leave you reeling and bowing to this Island Queen!
#5.5: The Wicked Cozies By: Julia Henry (aka Julie Hennrikus), Sherry Harris, Barbara Ross, Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell), Cate Conte (aka Liz Mugavero) & Jessica Ellicott (aka Jessie Crockett)
No year would be complete without a healthy dose of my favorite cozy mysteries, by my favorite cozy writers. The Wickeds have enabled my mystery habit for years and trusted me with their book babies. I’ll be forever grateful to them for sharing their talents and their quirky characters and towns with me. Apologies to Jessica Ellicott, as I didn’t actually get to read any of her books this year, I’m woefully behind in the Beryl & Edwina series! This year’s Wicked selections were: Cate Conte’s Witch Way Out; Barbara Ross’ Muddled Through and Perked Up part of Irish Coffee Murder); Sherry Harris’ Three Shots to the Wind and Rum and Choke; Maddie Day’s Murder at the Lobstah Shack, Murder in a Cape Cottage and Batter Off Dead; and Julia Henry’s The Plot Thickets. All superbly plotted, populated with lively and quirky characters in beautiful settings. Any of the series by these fabulous women will be worth your time.
#5: Horse By: Geraldine Brooks
WOW! Just WOW! A stunning achievement in storytelling! Only Brooks could write the story of a fabled American Thoroughbred and realize that it also has to be a story about race; and write she does. Spanning over 150 years and filled with history and heart Horse stuns on all levels!
#4: The Tour By: Jean Grainger
I have to say, this book was exactly what I was hoping it would be. A sweet, charming tale of a group of strangers embark on a tour of Ireland, and they and their tour guide also embark on a tour of themselves. Despite its predictability, this book is a perfect antidote to the shit-show that is the world at the moment.
#3: The Three Musketeers/The Count of Monte Cristo By: Alexandre Dumas
I vaguely remember reading an abridged version of the Three Musketeers when I was a kid. Reading it as an adult was so much more fun. Adding the Count of Monte Cristo to the mix added to the fun. Dumas’ humor is quite snarky and delicious in the context of each of these brilliant epics. While poking fun at a number of people and conventions, he still manages to write of life and love and despair and hope with a great amount of pathos. I highly recommend revisiting some classics you may have read when you were younger, I think you’ll find them to be completely different stories now!
#2: Blacktop Wasteland/Razorblade Tears By: S.A. Cosby
Cosby is one of my new favorite authors, and that's after only two books! His use of words and his story ideas are absolutely breathtaking!
Blacktop Wasteland: WOW! Just...WOW! A man trying his best to leave his past behind him finds it fast approaching in the rear view mirror. When it over takes him is where the action in this book is, and what action! There are so many levels to this story and I can't discuss them without revealing major plot points. Suffice it to say, Blacktop Wasteland is a raw and timely look at abject poverty and the decisions it can lead too; it's a story of family and family legacies; it's a story of despair, redemption and dare I say hope! This is an extraordinary story from an author who's use of words puts the reader in the midst of these ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances.
Razorblade Tears: Cosby somehow manages to write a gripping thriller, wrapped around current social issues without beating the reader over the head with platitudes or telling the reader what to think. All sides are presented and as Ike repeats in the book-"I'm stating facts". The twists and turns in this superbly plotted thriller left me screaming out loud at numerous points throughout the book. I can't praise Cosby's writing enough-he is quite simply the most exiting author writing today!
#1: August Wilson’s Century Cycle: Gem of the Ocean (1900s), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1910s), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1920s), The Piano Lesson (1930s), Seven Guitars (1940s), Fences (1950s), Two Trains Running (1960s), Jitney (1970s), King Hedley II (1980s), Radio Golf (1990s)
Read any of August Wilson’s plays and you’ll know why he was one of our greatest playwrights. Read all 10 plays in his century cycle, in decade order and you’ll know why all the praise that was heaped upon him in his lifetime will never come close to acknowledging his brilliance or his legacy.
I’ve always loved Wilson’s work, but reading them in order gives one so much more depth of feeling and understanding of his characters and their struggles. It also highlights how truly magnificent Wilson’s mind was. An example: the first play in the cycle is set only a few decades after slavery and the language spoken by the characters is indicative of people who had little to no formal education and learned at the knees of family who spoke no English when they were brought to the US. As the decades pass and the cycle continues you can see how the language changes, or doesn’t, based on circumstance and opportunity. Sad to say that after 100 years nothing much has changed but and within his plays Wilson shows this, and yet still writes his characters with a sense of hope. Writing 100 years of African American history in 10 plays is quite an undertaking; writing them with honesty, rawness, heart, hope love and respect is nothing short of extraordinary.
Have to admit...not my favorite Sherlock Holmes. Something about the structure of the story bothers me. There are ways of doing a flashback a book that doesn't make the reader forget the main part of the story, this one didn't manage to accomplish that-this read like two separate books.
I've never read Edgar Wallace's work before, but this one has certainly peaked my interest! A morality tale wrapped in a locked room mystery. I was completely engrossed in this story, and found myself very tense throughout-a testament to Wallace's skill in setting the tone of this mystery.
This one is due out in about 10 days-and fans of the series are going to LOVE IT! This is my favorite of the Chloe Jackson series-now that we know the main characters really well-Rum and Choke brings us further into a supporting character's life. The set-up of a barback competition is great fun and a perfect vehicle for this mystery, which does not go where you think it will. As always, Harris puts a lot of humor and heart into her books, but I think Rum and Choke is her best yet!
I could not find any "in" into this book. I didn't like any of the characters; I found Agnes to be emotional dead with no personality (having completely sublimated it to her best friend); they all did horrible things to each other. I didn't like the story itself. I just didn't understand why I was reading this story; what was I supposed to get out of it? I wasn't entertained: I wasn't enlightened on anything; I didn't learn anything; the only things that I were, were angry at how these people were treating each other and incredibly bored.
This could have bee a good mystery if it weren't filled with unnecessary descriptions. There was no reason to describe every building, room, person, article of clothing, eye color, etc... ESPECIALLY since none of it was relevant to the plot or the mystery. Less would have been so much more, because unfortunately, I found this incredibly slow going and boring.
A swank hotel, the changing of a century and a smart but flawed heroine all conspire to make a delectable mystery. What I adored about this mystery was that we were given all the clues that Cleo was given, and we got to see her process of interpreting those cles and putting them together, sometimes correctly, sometimes...not so much! Cleo and the staff of the Mayfair Hotel make a great team and this was a great read!
This was a delightful surprise! A fantasy novel that managed to set up the world and its current situation in a quick prologue so we could get right to the action-what a refreshing change of pace! McQueen has written a story that is set in a time long past-and yet is very contemporary in it's themes-and it is handled beautifully! A great start to what promises to be an interesting series!
I didn't honestly know what to make of this one at first. Events were mentioned that happened in the past that weren't fully explained which I found a bit annoying. Eventually some info was leaked about these events, but not all, so I was still left a little disappointed. However, I did end up enjoying the this hard boiled detective story, with a twist, and I found Shaw and North's bantering and sarcasm, to be eerily similar to me and my best friend!
This had an interesting spin on a fantasy novel-the addition of pirates! Great settings and fun action pepper this novel, with a healthy dose of sarcasm from a number of characters. I have to admit I fell for one of the side characters more than I did the protagonist, but if you read this I have a feeling you will also fall for her!
This was a really sweet story and quite packed with info and emotions for such a short mystery. It was utterly delightful. More than a few typos pulled me out of the story, but I managed to get back into the flow.
I read a lot of true crime, and it's rare that I come across a compilation of histories where I don't know any of the subjects-this is one of those times. A quick, yet fascinating look at 6 (with a bonus 7th) killers form the annals of British crime.
A really great novella. The action sequences are well drawn and you'll fly through this interesting gay werewolf fantastia!
A cute short about a very bizarre night for our protagonist, Lee. Things go from bad to worse to odd when Lee is stood up by his dating app date. This could totally be expanded to make a full length novel!
I don't know why I didn't already have this book marked as read, since I read it 24 years ago when it was first published! This book sprang from the exhibition at the Boston Public Library on 350 years of Gay & Lesbian History in Boston. As LGBTQI+ Rights are , yet again, under attack, re-reading this book is a sad reminder that no matter how much things may change, things stay the same! I do remember reading it the first time and thinking it would be fun to visit all the sites in Boston mentioned in the map in the book-now looking at the map I realize that I've spent the last 17 years working in and around all of the mentioned sites!
I highly recommend any of these plays, but really recommend you read them in historical order to get the full depth and breadth of August Wilson's brilliance!
I re-read Fences (50's), Two Trains Running (60's) and Jitney (70's) in September and October, so I moved from Seven Guitars straight to King Hedley II. Which turns out to be a good thing-as several characters form Guitars are present and the focus in King Hedley II. Set in 1985 in the backyard of the same building from Guitars we focus on the next generation of the folks from Guitars. We see in stark contrast what has changed over the intervening 40 years, and what has not. Wilson has lost none of the impact in his writing as he goes through his cycle.
We've moved into the 30's with this 4th play in Wilson's cycle. The Piano Lesson, to me is about family and family history. What do we hold dear and why and what effect does it have on you, your life and the lives of those around you. This complex subject is deftly handled by Wilson as he centers it on a family piano. Absolute brilliance!
WOW! A boarding house in 1911 is the setting for this eerie, moving and gut wrenching piece. Examining the ties that bind us together and the hope and/or despair those binds can bring, Wilson stuns with this beautiful play.
I'm now going to read the 20th century cycle by August Wilson in order, and Gem of the Ocean is a gorgeous way to start this journey. 1904 is where we start and we meet the denizens of Wylie Street, including Aunt Ester (who we will meet later in other plays of the cycle). Sad, hopeful and moving, this piece examines life not so far removed from slavery and how people struggle through the newness while holding on to their history, themselves and their culture.
Damn, Steve Berry can tell a story! A lot less action sequences in this one, but's lots of fantastic and creative story that leads to a truly jaw dropping twist at the end! Brilliant!
The screenplay for this short film is wickedly twisted and funny, but also very sweet. I'm so lucky I have friends who trust me with their writing!
The Wise Man's Fear pick's up exactly where Book One leaves off. Te continuation of Kvothe's story is like no other in the fantasy genre. Rothfuss' storytelling is quite astonishing, and there is no sophomore slump with this one. It's just such a shame that he has left his readers hanging for 11 (and who knows how many more), years without completing this fascinating a beautiful told story.
I'm so lucky that I have friends who trust me with their book babies! This one is a departure for this particular author-branching into a different genre-and it's gonna be good!! Fun, sweet, people will eat it up!
I adore a good story and absolutely LOVE a good storyteller; The Name of the Wind is a story about a someone telling a story and it is absolutely brilliant. Huge in scope, the fantasy aspects are naturally folded into the story and it is totally griping. Diving into Book 2 now (and yes I know Book 3 isn't done yet and it's been 11 years since Book 2 came out)!
Three novellas centered around the St. Patrick's Day holiday. Fans of Meier, Hollis and Ross won't be disappointed. I do have to say however, that Ross' Perked Up is the standout in this collection. Her story takes a the theme and turns it and makes it her own and it fits perfectly in the oeuvre of her Maine Clambake Series!
This is simply written-and that's what makes it so effective! There is so much packed into this novel, from the fight for Cuban independence, to the history of the Pulitzer/Hearst newspaper wars with a hint of the newsboy strike, but at the forefront of this beautiful story is women. Women who are forever shoved to the back and forgotten...even the ones who did something extraordinary. Based on the actual Evangeline, we meet her, a determined young reporter and a courageous farm wife. How all three are interconnected is something you'll have to read for yourself-trust me, you won't be disappointed!
An intriguing and fascinating character-a wholly original concept in structuring the play-surprisingly moving and a stunning piece of theatre!
Berry's mixing of history and action is always enthralling and thrilling. Cotton's claustrophobia plays a large part in this story and Berry's description of what that phobia does to a person is chilling! What I really loved about this story was that it's focus was more on Stephanie than on Cotton-I really enjoy when an author focuses on supporting characters without sacrificing story or series!
Who knew that at this age I'd turn into a huge Dumas fan! TCoMC is an immense tail of love, revenge and redemption. Despite it's size, it moves along at a breakneck pace! I had no problem keeping track of the numerous characters, their story lines and their relationships to other characters-quite a feat over 1200 pages! The amount of manipulative fuckery in the revenge stroylines is just too delicious and had me giggling with glee (which says a lot about me if I want to stop and think about it). This is just an amazing read!
Oh, My! Anne Perry is not messing around with this story! Multiple murders, blackmail, assassins, kidnapping, family and friends-Perry has packed it all into a taut thriller that will leave the reader breathless!
It's been a while since I've read any of Prachett's works so it was wonderful to revisit with this short novella. Granny Weatherwax is such a delightful and unforgettable character and this short which involves her being nice, is just too fabulous!
I found this one a little slow going, and considering it's a very short novella, it made it a wee bit boring. The ending however, is gorgeously rendered.
A great addition to the Wheel of Time Series. The reader is shown how Lan and Moraine meet and how she bonds him as her Warder and this perfectly sets up the action in the first book of the series.
I'm chagrined to admit that I've never read any of McCaffrey's work before now. Runner of Pern was a perfect little story of a Runner on her first crossing and the friends and the man she meets along the way. A perfect sampling of McCaffrey's work to tantalize the taste buds for more!
I was surprised at how moved I was by this simple tale. For such a short novella, Martin manages, beautifully, to create a full character in Dunk and the storytelling is superb!
It's been a while since I read the Sword of Truth novels, and this short brought me right back into that rich world! An exciting story and full of great twists!
This short novella was great fun. It was a throw back to an old road movie; two buddies and their adventures and plenty of humor and; with a touch of magic!
This short, in between novel was fascinating. Completely in the real of fantasy, and yet also a great mystery! Having not read read this series, I still had no problem being transported to this intricately constructed world and it's history!
