The Last Girl - Jane Casey

My latest series addiction continues apace! Book 3 of this series is every bit as entertaining as the previous two, I'm happy to report. I feel the need to extend some appreciation to DI Josh Derwent, a character that's somehow repellant and at the same time totally lovable. The often-hilarious banter between Derwent and Kerrigan is something I really enjoy. Normally I'd be moaning about a long wait until the next book in the series is released, but I happen to have book 4, so I get to indulge my addiction ASAP, and save the moaning for at least another day. Hooray!

The Word Exchange - Alena Graedon

"I don't want to live in a world where we destroy words - where words have no meaning anymore.... For years, decades, our memories have slowly been replaced by the memories of machines."


As someone who loves language, words, books, and reading, this book really appealed to me when I saw it on NetGalley. It's a dark dystopian story that's kind of a fable about how technology can destroy our ability to use words effectively, as well as a thriller about how words can be repurposed by people in power to subjugate "the rest of us." I enjoyed the alternate-future setting and found the story absorbing and chilling at the same time.

Ghana Must Go - Taiye Selasi

Stumbled on this book and was drawn to the title for 2 reasons - I had an acquaintance in college who was originally from Ghana, and I could use this book for my ongoing Planet Earth Challenge. I really liked the way the author was able to show how family behavioral patterns can repeat themselves across generations. I also admired her ability to show how the actions of one family member can cause issues that ripple through time. At times the writing got a little too close to what this awesome article calls out as pretentious, but the story kept me reading and I wanted all the characters to get some kind of happiness or resolution.

In reality, I am not sure that 75% of the book took place in Ghana, so right now I am wavering about whether to include it in the challenge or not; since I'd say at least 50% did, I might include it for now and then replace it if I find a book that adheres more closely to my challenge criterion.

The Night Listener - Armistead Maupin

Do you ever get what I like to call "book hangovers?" I used to get them all the time when I was younger - I'd finish a book, but my mind would be absorbed by and somewhat "stuck" in the world of the book, and it would be hard to transition back into real life. I don't get them too often any more, but this book gave me a doozy. When I finished the book, I felt really out of it and all I wanted to do was think about the book and the events that had transpired. I actually had some things I had to do and I was super resentful that I couldn't just concentrate on what I had just read. And then I found out it's based on a true story - ! There is so much to continue thinking about here.

I have enjoyed the books I have read so far from the author's Tales of the City series, but in this book he blew me away with his ability to create an almost unbearable level of suspense and intrigue. The skillful narration was amazing - the narrator felt so real, so fully realized, to me, even though at times I wanted to slap some sense into him. Recommended.

The Reckoning - Jane Casey

The new addiction continues - I had to lay hands on this book ASAP and I did! And I wasn't sorry - it was definitely as addictive as the first DC Maeve Kerrigan novel. The only "criticism" I can come up with is to stop having a "romantic subplot" be the source of drama, as it seems silly - but that's my own personal bias showing. In all, this was another great crime/mystery novel and I stand by my dual assertions that 1) this would be a great TV series and 2) this is a great series for crime/mystery novel or series fans. Recommended.

The Burning - Jane Casey

Readers, I have a problem. It seems I can't resist the offer of a "read now" selection on NetGalley that sounds intriguing. Despite my huge TBR pile, after reading the NetGalley email description I downloaded this book on a whim, and now I have a problem - it's part of a series and I am hooked!

This was a great read. I immediately took to the character of DC Maeve Kerrigan, as well as many of the other characters that I look forward to seeing in the next books in this series (two of which are already available, thank goodness, and one more coming very soon). The first chapter hooked me and I had a tough time putting the book down once I started. This was an intriguing mystery (or two) well told, and I loved reading a crime novel from a UK point of view, as I have loved many UK-based police shows such as the fantastic Prime Suspect series, starring the fantastic Helen Mirren. This is another series I could easily see making a great TV show - I'll start checking the BBC America schedule regularly. If you're a fan of well done crime/mystery fiction, or just looking for a new series to get hooked on, try this one. Recommended.

Our Man in Havana - Graham Greene

How did I ever get this far in life without devouring every book Graham Greene ever wrote? I know I remark on this each time I read one of his books, but I can't believe how much I enjoy them, and that I went for so long without reading any at all. This one was highly entertaining, and I can't wait to read another one - although I don't happen to have any on hand, so I will probably have to wait for a large dent in the on-hand TBR pile until I can make that happen again, unfortunately. Highly recommended.

Tommy's Tale - Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming is a favorite actor of mine, but apparently I have been WAY out of the loop on his recent career, since I somehow missed this book, which was first published in 2002 (!). I spotted it on the Library Sale shelves, ascertained that the author was, indeed, THAT Alan Cumming, and figured his talents were sure to extend to writing a novel.

I wasn't wrong; this was a fast, enjoyable read that is admittedly not for prudes of any sort*. I admit that there were things about the main character that baffled me, but he wasn't unlikeable even so. Now I have to catch up on a bunch of shows and movies I've apparently missed - sorry AC!

*If you watch HBO shows you're probably OK, if not, you might want to have your pearls handy for clutching ;)

Late for Tea at the Deer Palace - Tamara Chalabi

This was another of my Borders Last Days books, which was languishing on my TBR Pile until I prioritized it for reading in the TBR Pile Challenge this year. I'm not sure why I put off reading it, since once I started, I had a very difficult time putting it down. The author skillfully tells the story of her family within the story of the modern nation of Iraq. What I knew about Iraq prior to reading this book couldn't have filled a thimble on a good day, but now I feel like I have more knowledge of the country's origin, history, politics, etc. - I'm a little less ignorant than I was before I read this fascinating memoir and biography.

Something interesting to me is how in every country there is at least one political group that seems to  want to mobilize people who have little power, often using fear of the new/different, and use these people to "overthrow" the government in one way or another - but then replace the previous regime with a repressive government that really isn't much different than what was overthrown. It's a lesson we'd all do well to study as it happens again and again - maybe we can figure out a way to combat it. The subtitle of this memoir is The Lost Dreams of My Iraqi Family and that sums things up nicely - the author's family went through a lot, although they have managed to retain their status as wealthy people, while the majority of people who find themselves in the midst of war and turmoil do not have options. In any case, I recommend this fascinating and well written book.

Book Blogger Hop

Hello everyone, and Happy Hop Day! Welcome to my blog.

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Here's this week's question:

Do you have a schedule set for blogging and reading time? Or do you not have a set time and just let it happen?

My response:

I have been struggling to set aside some dedicated reading time since the new year, with limited success. At the end of December I had all these big plans to set up a more dedicated schedule, but it hasn't worked, for many reasons, but I think the main one has been laziness :(

In general, I don't blog on a regular schedule, I just add my review whenever I happen to finish a book. I do post a wrap-up post each month where I take stock of my progress for that month and set goals for the next month's reading (which I may or may not reach, but that's another blog post!). I try to participate in these hops regularly, as I enjoy them and I enjoy seeing other book blogs, but I can't even manage to do that every week.

Are you more disciplined than I am? Any suggestions, tips, and tricks are most welcome in the comments! :)