What We're Reading

Some read, some in the wings

LUCY BURDETTE: Dearest Reds, I hope you won’t think me dull for suggesting WHAT WE’RE READING for another Monday post! Even if you do, let’s go with it, because it’s my favorite day:). I’ve read some good ones lately… HONOR by Thrity Umrigar is a devastating novel set in modern day India, featuring an Indian-American woman sent to cover an assignment for her: a grisly crime in a village named Birwad on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border. Meena, a Hindu woman, and Abdul, a Muslim man, fell in love and married in defiance of the social proscription against interfaith marriage. Infuriated by the perceived dishonor she has caused to the family, Meena's brothers set them on fire in their home. There’s nothing light about this book, but it’s fascinating and well-written and shows sides of India that you might otherwise never see.


ALMOST FRENCH by Sarah Turnbull is the memoir of an Australian woman who falls for a Parisian man and moves to Paris to live with, and eventually, marry him. She describes the culture clash she experienced and her outsider's view of what makes French people French. Fed my Paris/France obsession until I can get back!


Alka Yoshi’s THE SECRET KEEPER OF JAIPUR, following her big hit THE HENNA ARTIST. This book is set on the gorgeous palette of India as well. Although Yoshi doesn’t shy away from conflicts of caste, family, and power, her books are less emotionally fraught than Umrigar’s.


I also finished Sarah Stewart Taylor’s second Maggie D’Arcy novel, A DISTANT GRAVE. Even better than the first one I think, and now I can’t wait for another trip to Ireland in the third in the series, coming in June. At this moment, I’m reading THESE PRECIOUS DAYS by Ann Patchett. Essays aren’t usually my reading of choice, but Patchett’s writing is beautiful and her insights deep.


Looking over that list, I think I’m yearning to get back to traveling. What are you reading Reds?



JENN McKINLAY: My favorite book this year (so far) is David Goggins’s CAN’T HURT ME. Hooligan 2 loved it, so now I’m listening to it and what an amazing memoir. It’s impacted me so much that H2 and I are planning to run a 5K together!


As for fiction, I enjoyed Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer a delightful romcom, featuring a king crab fisherman. I also adored an upcoming cozy mystery by Zac Bissonnette entitled A Killing in Costumes - Palm Springs and Hollywood collectibles - so fun!


And I’m reading Suze Orman’s Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+ - not fun, but informative! As a person who has always seat of the pantsed her life, it seemed like time to prepare for when the hooligans graduate school and Hubs and I are “free”!


DEBORAH CROMBIE: My absolute delight the last few weeks has been discovering S.J. Bennett's Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series. I admit I was a bit skeptical–the queen as a detective? But a page into the first novel, THE WINDSOR KNOT, and I was absolutely hooked. Then I had to read book #2, ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN, and now will be eagerly awaiting the next adventure featuring Her Majesty the Queen and her assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, and the rest of the wonderful cast.


Also, I think I was the only person not to have read Richard Osman's THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, but have now remedied that, and have also read THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE. These are absolutely delightful.


Now I'm counting the days until the new Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London novel, AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, releases in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to see what's in store for Peter Grant and Thomas Nightingale in this one!


RHYS BOWEN: Lucy, I loved Almost French! So insightful as to how the French behave differently. I loved the scene when she goes to a dinner party and takes an hors d’oevre and gets looks of horror because you don’t start eating until everyone is present!

My latest book is Cara Black’s MURDER AT THE PORTE DE VERSAILLES. It’s #20 in the series, really good and suspenseful.


I’ve also read several non fiction biographies on WWII British women who became spies as I’ve sent my new heroine into horrible danger that I don’t really want to write about but have to!


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: It’s so wonderful to be doing the live Crime Time interviews for A Mighty Blaze not only to talk to the authors, but because I get to read so many books early. I cannot begin to tell you how I felt when I read THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by Brendan Slocumb. It’s truly life changing. 

 Lisa Scottoline’s WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BENNETTS is pure Lisa; a fascinating story and an insightful look at justice and ethics. She is so great. Lisa Jewell’s THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED is amazing, a master class, so brilliant. And a book called MISS ALDRIDGE REGRETS has just arrived, by Louise Hare. It looks amazing. 

And pleeeese do not miss THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY by Sulari Gentill. Completely meta and brilliant. I keep using the same words–amazing, brilliant. Well, they are what they are.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I've been on a British literary kick, courtesy of a friend who passed a whole bagful of books on to me. I haven't tackled the Booker Prize winner (those always seem more like homework than reading, to me) but I've been enjoying the very funny MAN AT THE HELM by Nina Stibble, the adventures of two prepubescent daughters who decide their divorced mother needs a new husband to be accepted in the small village to which they've relocated after Daddy ran off with Phil from the factory.

 IN A GOOD LIGHT by Clare Chambers is a lovely slice-of-life character study about two siblings living together that moves back and forth to explore their relationship with each other and their circle of friends. Siblings must be my unofficial theme, because the next on my TBR list is UNSETTLED GROUND, which promises to be akin to what might have happened if the sisters from We Have Always Lived in the Castle actually had to relocate and face real life (without, presumably the mass murder and fire.)

HALLIE EPHRON: I've been bogged down with trying to downsize our ridiculously massive collection of books, and took time off to read Flann O'Brien's (Brian O'Nolan) THE THIRD POLICEMAN. He also wrote AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS.) It was written in 1939 but not published until after the author died in the late sixties.

It's unlike anything I've read. Glorious language. Tongue planted in cheek. I'm taking it slowly in small doses.

HANK: I love how our reading is so different….!

LUCY: I love that too, Hank! And now Reds, we can't wait to hear what you're reading!