Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Jean-Luke wrote: "I just finished A Man Lay Dead and then immediately started Enter A Murderer. I stopped in the middle of Shroud for a Nightingale because P.D. James' style was so dense that I didn't feel like I wa..."

Yes, it does make sense. Some writers are heavier to read, and one needs a break with something more immediately enjoyable. And I'm definitely a fan of Roderick Alleyn - and Troy!

Shera, electronic medium changes so very fast. I recognize the material on the Kindle or Nook would probably transfer to a newer model, and that these things hold like 1,000 books (if not more). And of course some books we don't like, we could just discard, leaving room for others.

I do think about getting a Kindle or a Nook, just not sure which would be right for me. The factors for me in favor are that less trees would die and they are more portable. I take about three or four books on vacation and they get heavy in my bag.

But on the down side, I really hate to be on the computer (or screen) all day. And I read a lot. Since I have retired I can't afford to buy so many books and check a lot out of the library.

I read that a lot of forum members have them, and of course newer books are easier to get. (The long wait time at the library for new books can be quite annoying when everyone is reading a book I am interested in.)

It was a given that once I had gotten rid of my books, I would have to choose another medium. Just pondering now.

My husband has promised me an Ipad for my birthday. I have only a mainframe; I plan to leap over all this nook, laptop, Iphone stuff over to a format that I can use for a while.

I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap on line and have been trading books ever since. It's very inexpensive and a great way to find the classics and books I never had time to read when I was working. It's allowed me to get rid of books I know I'll never read again and to keep my "to be read" pile stacked high.

And back to the actual purpose of this thread I've always wanted to read "The Daughter of Time". Recently got it from PBS and am sure I will get a lot of boos and hisses when I say it didn't hold my interest and I quit reading. Couldn't keep all the kings, brothers of kings, mistresses etc straight and it all became a muddle. I have a couple of Tey's other books in my stack and will try another one soon.

Cheryl S. wrote: "I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap on line and have b..."

I'm sorry you didn't like The Daughter of Time. It is very much based in English history (of course) so if you don't know much about that it might be hard to follow. Hope you enjoy the other Teys you have - they're quite different. Which ones are they?

Cheryl S. wrote: "I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap on line and have b..."

I assumed that PaperBackSwap was US only. Just spent a few minutes looking at the website and I think it is, although it wasn't clear.

I found something similar for the UK - does anyone have experience of Read It, Swap It? From a quick glance it doesn't work in quite the same way as PaperBackSwap because in the UK you literally swap books with one person when you each have a book the other wants, whereas in the US you get a credit for sending out a book which you can use to get a book from any member.

I'd be interested to know if anyone in the UK has experience of this or any similar system.

Karlyne wrote: "My books used to be in sort of pretty easy-to-find order. Then my adorable 18 month old grandson decided that he really, really, really loves to read. Not all those dumb kid books in their own bo..."

Just be thankful he didn't take off the covers and arrange them by color. This a decorator's suggestion-yuk!

Sandi, I saw a decorator's idea of nice and clean bookshelves not too long ago. All of the books were turned around backwards so that just their pages showed. Craaaaazy!

Jemidar wrote: "Can we please not be so judgmental about people who read differently to ourselves?! Why should people who like to read the last chapter first be sidelined to only reading romance? Books are there..."

I'm sorry, Jemidar! I just read this comment of yours and I feel that my being-funny comment from the other day may have sounded nasty. But, truly, I think that however any of us read is just fine; I've been married to a man for about a million years who hasn't read a whole book in all of those years! But I think I'm going to keep him around, just like all of those other friends who, for some unfathomable reasons, don't read, either. Sometimes our differences are what make us fun together!
So, I apologise if I sounded judgemental!

I just got started on and I am enjoying it. I love the English historical mysteries and Anne Perry is a new author for me.

currently listening to No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie

I am readingThe Clairvoyant Countess an older Dorothy Gilman book that I am enjoying very much so far.

Cheryl S. wrote: "I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap on line and have b..."

Cheryl, I am so glad you shared that. I also started the book and found it very tedious and was unable to keep my interest in it after the first few chapters. After reading all the glowing reviews on this page I am happy to see I am not the only one who didn't love it.

Just finishing up The Fashion in Shrouds, a Margery Allingham and Mr. Campion story. I haven't read these in years, so it's fun to see if I'm actually remembering whodunnit or not.
I remember thinking when I read Daughter of Time that, although I enjoyed it, it didn't really seem like a "mystery" to me. I don't remember particularly why, though!

I've just started The Girl Who Played With Fire, 2nd in the Millenium trilogy. Love it already, and love the character of Lisbeth Salander. The scene where she goes to Ikea and buys a house full of furniture, then goes to the clothing store and buys a whole new wardrobe - what fun! Who wouldn't love to do that!

Read DAUGHTER OF TIME and TO LOVE AND BE WISE, and obviously I must work through all Tey.

Sharla wrote: "I am readingThe Clairvoyant Countess an older Dorothy Gilman book that I am enjoying very much so far."

I really liked The Clairvoyant Countess! There is a sequel, but I can't recall the name. I love the Mrs. Pollifax books too...

Quote from The Fashion in Shrouds:
"Mr. Campion was shocked. There are some people to whom muddled thinking and self-deception are the two most unforgivable crimes in the world." Even worse than murder!

Hj wrote: "Cheryl S. wrote: "I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap ..."

I have "To Love and Be Wise" and have another one on order, but can't remember the title. I'm not giving up on her just because I didn't enjoy one book. She has to be a popular author for a reason.

Mary wrote: "Cheryl S. wrote: "I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap ..."

Thanks! I really did try, but it just didn't work for me.

Tey is sufficiently classic an author that libraries tend to have her works. After I work through all the offerings I can borrow (and I have a library card for every library system in my region) I will start purchasing.

Cheryl S. wrote: "I have "To Love and Be Wise" and have another one on order, but can't remember the title. I'm not giving up on her just because I didn't enjoy one book. She has to be a popular author for a reason. "

Oh good, I like To Love and Be Wise. I was a bit worried it might be Miss Pym Disposes which is good but my least favourite. One of the things I like about Tey is that her books evoke a very different time (in this case, the late 1940s). But they'e also timeless in their observations of human nature.

Hope you enjoy!

Thanks Cheryl for the idea. I had not heard of the PaperBackSwap. We have a store that has a similar purpose here, but it is hard to find things. It is great fun to browse though.

Kathy wrote: "Thanks Cheryl for the idea. I had not heard of the PaperBackSwap. We have a store that has a similar purpose here, but it is hard to find things. It is great fun to browse though."

You're welcome! It's especially good for older books, but there is a Wish List feature and sometimes I pick up newer titles that way.

Cheryl S. wrote: "I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap on line and have b..."

Thanks for the info on PaperbackSwap. Now that Amazon is charging state taxes, does anyone no of another website that doesn't?

I must have been very tired. I meant know instead of no. The text world is destroying words, as is our publishing industry.

Let us be gentle when referring to aging writers -- we all join eventually.

Sandi wrote: "Cheryl S. wrote: "I'm retired, set in my ways and love the feel of a book in my hands. I enjoy the anticipation of opening to the first page and diving in. A few years ago I joined PaperBackSwap ..."

I purchase quite a few used books that my small local library doesn't carry from Thriftbooks.com. I am rather OCD about reading a series through in order and I sometimes have to obtain the missing books to achieve that. I will then donate that book to the library when I am finished with it. You can usually find good, clean copies and if they currently do not have something in stock, you can place it on a wishlist.

I just started

Julie, I have changed my emphasis on various type of reading material often over the years, but throughout it all I have loved Martha Grimes. I have read all her books and they are fun, interesting and offer a good story to her readers.

She is very talented in that she can intertwine a serious plot with humourous anecdotes of the lives of the familiar characters. Hope you enjoy her work as much as I have.

Diane, Anne Perry is such a great talent. I have read all of her books and really enjoy both the Monk series and the Pitt series.

I enjoy her little Christmas books too. They are just really short stories set in the same time as her main series, but fun.

Some of her most moving works were about WWI. She only wrote about five of them in a short series, but I think I enjoyed them more than all her other works. It was hard to wait for the next one to come out. And while I am usually irritated when a series I like ends, this one was written from the beginning to have a clear end time. Of course did not know how many books she would write before that end time came.

She puts a great deal of emotion into her work to allow the reader the feeling of really being in the story and living during these times.

Leslye I looked at my book list and say another book in this Madam Karitska series called "Kaleidoscope." I remember reading these two and really liking them. I was hoping for more in this series, but she continued her Mrs. Pollifax instead.

I like these books and understand why it is challenging for authors to keep up with writing and especially several series, but in this other series the characters were so interesting.

Kathy wrote: "Julie, I have changed my emphasis on various type of reading material often over the years, but throughout it all I have loved Martha Grimes. I have read all her books and they are fun, interestin..."
Thanks! My goal is to read the series from start to finish. I have nearly all the books, still in search of one or two. But, I'm really looking forward to reading them.

#361 Julie - I agree with you and Kathy about Martha Grimes. She is such a prolific writer that I printed out a list of her books, in order, so that I can keep track of where I am. (Actually, I have done that with several writers, and carry the folder in my library bag.)

I just read PIRATE KING by Laurie R. King.

Just finished
which is more Gamache and Quebec and am going straight on with these are still enthralling me.

Penny, I just finished The Beautiful Mystery and am left wanting more from the world of Inspector Armand Gamache.

I just finished "A River in the Sky" by Elizabeth Peters, which I thought I had read before but apparently not since none of it was familiar (well, of course the characters were familiar from previous books in the series).

Currently I'm reading Rashomon Gate, , by I.J. Parker.

At the moment I'm reading a Dutch mystery called Het schip met geld by Ashe Stil. It's set in the Dutch Golden Age (the age of Rembrandt) and it takes place in Amsterdam. I have no idea if it's been translated, but if it is, I can certainly recommend it. It's pretty fast paced, tells you quite a bit of the age, and so far it s a good puzzle.

Diane wrote: "I just got started on and I am enjoying it. I love the English historical mysteries and Anne Perry is a new author for me."

A while ago I read the first book in the series and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will definitely read more by her.

I watched a 7 part documentary on youtube that Ian Rankin did. He interviewed Anne Perry in part 7 and the whole thing was really interesting. I recommend this for a winter evening.

Shera wrote: "I watched a 7 part documentary on youtube that Ian Rankin did. He interviewed Anne Perry in part 7 and the whole thing was really interesting. I recommend this for a winter evening."

Ooh, thanks, Shera. I am off in search of this, sounds fascinating.

Betty wrote: "#361 Julie - I agree with you and Kathy about Martha Grimes. She is such a prolific writer that I printed out a list of her books, in order, so that I can keep track of where I am. (Actually, I h..."

I pretty much have to do that or I tend to check out books I have read. Some books I will gladly re-read, but so many books so little time!!!

Kathy wrote: "Betty wrote: "#361 Julie - I agree with you and Kathy about Martha Grimes. She is such a prolific writer that I printed out a list of her books, in order, so that I can keep track of where I am. ..."

She hasn't written one in a while. Anyone know her status?

Someone (I don't remember who) said she had taken a break and read Wallace Stegner's "Crossing to Safety" and how much she enjoyed it. Thank you to her. I got it from the library the next day. It is truly one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. If you love reading for the writing, don't skip this one. Now I'm buying it because I know I'm going to want to read it again someday.

Just reread "A Falcon at the Portal" and "He Will Thunder in the Sky" old faves by Elizabeth Peters. Now I'm trying a new young author, Charles Finch and his Agatha Award nominated "A Beautiful Blue Death" an historical mystery placed in 1865 London. . I'm not sure if he is English or American as he graduated from Yale and Oxford. I'm enjoying it so far--about half done.

I have really enjoyed the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. I tried one of her other characters, but just couldn't get into it. I think I was comparing the new character with Amelia. It's been awhile now since I last read her work, so I may go back and try one of the other characters.

Peters is an American; she lives in Maryland in a lovely old farmhouse.

Brenda wrote: "Peters is an American; she lives in Maryland in a lovely old farmhouse."

Brenda - I think Cheryl was asking whether Charles Finch is English or American.

lots of you have read Martha Grimes - I have never heard of her (and there's me thinking I am quite well up on my crime writing!!) I have looked at the synopsis of some of her books - is she murder mystery , police procedural or cosy?