In no particular order, here are a few more books that I can either recommend or unrecommend.
"The Searcher" by Tana French. I have mentioned French in previous posts. This novel is a stand-alone, none of her other "regular" characters are in it, just in case you were attached to the Dublin Murders Squad series. A retired American policeman leaves the U.S. and buys a rundown house in a small town in the Irish countryside. His goal is to be left alone and refurbish the house, take a lot of walks and drink pints in the local pub. While this seems like an easy undertaking, it isn't long before Cal Hooper gets involved with a poor, troubled kid trying to find out what happened to his brother. With Hooper's background as a detective from Chicago, he starts investigating this disappearance and his dream of being left alone is quickly overrun by the angst and anger his work creates in the small town.
French is sometimes a little dense, a little too wordy, but her descriptions of the countryside are beautiful, her characters are always great and fleshed out, the plot is always good and with a couple of good twists, this is an enjoyable novel. Just don't plan on breezing through it in two days.
Next up is "Monogamy" by Sue Miller, a prolific writer that I have enjoyed in the past. This novel has gotten a lot of play mainly because it is exciting to have a new novel from this excellent writer. The story is simple: two sort-of mismatched people meet, fall in love, get married, and then the husband, Graham, dies suddenly. (Not a spoiler, we are told this on the book jacket.) His wife Annie tries to move on with her life but Graham was a larger-than-life kind of guy who expected Annie to live in his shadow, and now that he is gone, Annie has a difficult time finding her way out of that shadow. Plus, what she learns about Graham isn't always easy to take.
I liked the first third of this book, then didn't like it for the second third but by the time I was finished, I found myself thinking about it more than usual. Miller is a slow and thoughtful writer and she wants you to think about the characters, not just about what those characters are doing. She wants you to get to know them, even if you might not like them. It's a good read.
Moving on we come to "The Truants" by Kate Weinberg. I have no idea why I put this on my library list, I must have been seduced by a good review. It's a debut novel (I should know better) and takes place at a college and has the usual assortment of unhappy students having affairs with each other and their teachers and strangers and in the end, who cares? I didn't.
I also read "When No One Is Watching" by Alyssa Cole, a thriller of sorts, that was so contrived and manipulative that I couldn't finish it.
I also started the newest novel by Jody Picoult, "The Book of Two Ways" but never engaged with it. Could be me, not the book.
Finally, I found a new author and read three of his books in a row. Matt Goldman writes detective novels and lots of stuff for TV, but the best things about his books are 1) they are quick, 2) they are very funny but not comedies, 3) they take place in Minnesota (!), and 4) I can download them onto my phone from the library. The main character, Nils Shapiro, is a bit crazy and a lot smart. The crimes are odd and intriguing, but I just like the guy's sense of humor. If you found one in a used bookstore (yeah, like anyone goes shopping these days) it would be worth a buck or two to pick one up.
And that's all for now, folks. In addition to reading, I am on the last season (via Netflix) of the great TV show "West Wing" so the days of Jed Bartlett are almost over. The show goes off the air December 24, and I am determined to watch it to the end.
Hang in there. Stay at home. Don't breathe when other people are in the vicinity of your face. Stay warm. There are still lovely leaves on the trees, enjoy them while they last.
xo
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