The Good Reader Blog

The Good Reader Blog
Source of the painting - Couch on the Porch, Cos Cob, Frederick Childe Hassam, 1914

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Book Review: The Final Twist by Jeffery Deaver (Colter Shaw / Tracker #3)

The Final Twist The Final Twist by Jeffery Deaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the Colter Shaw / Tracker series, and it focuses on Colter trying to follow-up on his father's investigations and clues.  He hasn't seen his older brother Russell since his father's funeral years ago, and hasn't been able to track his whereabouts.  However, Russell steps in to save Colter early in the book and they work together to track down information on Blackbridge, the company their father was investigating. 

I really loved the interplay between the two brothers.  It's obvious that their father trained them well, and they make a very good team.  It's non-stop action, safe houses, clues, leads, interviews, escapes, and plenty of bad guys.  I also enjoyed reading their father's "rules" which are interspersed throughout the book.  I was reading the Kindle version of this book and highlighted 33 of these rules:  
--Information was the best weapon a survivalist could have;
--Never assume your conversations are private;
--Never resort to violence unless you have no alternative

It looks like there is one more book already published (Hunting Time, #4, published in 2022) and another book to be published May 6, 2025 - South of Nowhere, #5.  You know I'll be reading these two in the near future.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Book Review: Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (An American in Paris #1)

Mastering the Art of French Murder Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paris...great food...wine...cooking...Julia Child...and MURDER!  What a combination!  Tabitha is a 20-something young woman from Michigan who travels to Paris to live with her grandfather and uncle.  She discovers that she lives across the street from Julia Child.  The day after attending a party at Julia's apartment, they discover that a woman has been murdered in the basement of the building.  Tabitha turns amateur detective to solve this murder along with several other mysteries in this cozy tale.

This was a charming book to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Apparently it is the first in a series, so I'll look forward to reading more by this author.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Thursday, October 17, 2024

Book Review: Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James #12)

Where Memories Lie Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 stars. This is the 12th book in the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series set in London. One of Gemma's friends, a Jewish refugee from Germany during the war, discovers that a valuable jewelry piece created by her father and stolen during the war has come up for auction. Gemma and Duncan work together to determine where it came from and also to solve several murders.

The story line is actually set in two different time periods - 1952 and present day. It was difficult to determine which time period I was reading especially because one character figured in both time periods. I can imagine that if I were listening to the audio book it would be even more confusing.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Saturday, October 12, 2024

Book Review: Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Lone Women Lone Women by Victor LaValle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow - Reading this book was quite a roller coaster of a ride!  The year is 1915 and Adelaide Henry's parents are dead, their house and farm have burned in a fire, and she has packed all her belongings in order to move to Montana to homestead a piece of property.

This book is a little of everything -- a strong woman experiencing a challenging life in rural Montana, historical fiction, suspense, thriller, Western, fantasy, magical realism, and much more.  I don't want to go into much detail because you need to experience it for yourself.  I read this for one of my book clubs, and we really had A LOT to discuss at our meeting!  Listening to the other members really helped clarify some of the plot points and character development.  

I found it very interesting that this author is male, but was able to write the novel with the insight of a very strong female character.  I'm anxious to read more of his books after this experience!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Book Review: Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams (Avery Keene #2)

Rogue Justice Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Avery Keene is back again for the second in Stacey Abrams series, and it's another roller coaster of a ride.  She's in the midst of congressional hearings concerning the events from the first book in the series.  This legal thriller involves murders, conspiracies, secret government organizations, terrorism and much more.  There are a lot of characters and a lot of details to keep track of, so pay close attention.  Even if you don't pick up on all the minutia in the book, it's still quite a page-turner!

I just heard that the third book in the Avery Keene series of due to be published 5/27/2025 - Coded Justice.  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697037/coded-justice-by-stacey-abrams/ .  I'm looking forward to it!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Thursday, October 3, 2024

Book Review: Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman

Worst Case Scenario Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Suspend your disbelief, buckle your seat belt and hold on – you are in for a page-turning thrill ride with the latest book from T.J. Newman. This book is very similar to her other two books in that it involves a plane. However, the book starts out when the pilot experiences a widow-maker heart attack and the plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul. The rest of the book revolves around the situation with the damaged power plant.

Reader, please realize that there are a lot of characters, various plot lines, and quite a lot of technical information. Pay attention and it will pay off. Also, be prepared for some shocking text about the plant crash and lots of tears. Overall, an incredible page-turner and un-put-downable thriller! I'll look forward to both her next book and her previous two books as movies!

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Literary Tourism: Quebec City -- Bibliothèque Claire-Martin

We were recently vacationing in Quebec City and serendipitously discovered this library -- Bibliothèque Claire-Martin, which is located in a repurposed church.

The church, originally called Bibliothèque Saint Jean Baptiste , opened in 1849 and closed in 1978.  It was classified as an historical monument in 1976.  The City of Quebec purchased it for $1 in 1979 and transformed it into a library, which opened in 1980.  

It was formerly known as the Saint-Jean Baptiste Library, but renamed in 2017 to honor Claire Martin, a writer and Quebec City native who lived in this neighborhood. 

This is currently one of the 26 municipal libraries of the Bibliothèque de Québec.  


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Location - 
755 Rue St-Jean. St-Jean Baptiste
418-641-6798

Website --
https://www.bibliothequedequebec.qc.ca/bibliotheques/lacitelimoilou/claire-martin/index.aspx

References --

Wikipedia contributors. Claire Martin (writer). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. July 4, 2024, 18:43 UTC. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Claire_Martin_(writer)&oldid=1232626586. Accessed October 3, 2024. 

Thomas Guignard Photography.  Bibliotheque Claire-Martin, Quebec.  Available at:  https://thomasguignard.photo/2022/06/12/bibliotheque-claire-martin-quebec/.  Accessed October 3, 2024.  

 

Read more of my book reviews and posts at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Grains for Every Season: Rethinking Our Way with Grains by Joshua McFadden

Grains for Every Season: Rethinking Our Way with Grains by Joshua McFadden My rating: 5 of 5 stars ...