I finished reading Tom Rob Smith's Child 44. Whoosh. That was quite a ride! How does a first time author manage such a perfectly plotted novel? If it was a movie (and I hear it is going to be one) it would be the sort where you cover your eyes with your hands, but peek out anyway because you have to know what's happening. I'll write about it more next week, since it deserves a post of its own, but for now suffice it to say that as thrillers go, you can't get much better than this!
I was thinking that next I would get back to my cozy mystery series featuring Daisy Dalrymple, but there's no way I'll be able to settle down to such a nice refined mystery. I think a sordid, gritty crime novel may fit the bill instead. Perhaps not edge-of-your seat, but not refined either. I just picked up Natsuo Kirino's Grotesque from the library. I read and 'enjoyed' her book Out a couple of years ago. She has quite a knack for writing about the sort of Japan I never imagined existed.
If you're reading Hugo's Les Misérables we now have a group blog, Into the Parisian Underworld. It was very kindly set up by Ashleigh (Thanks!). Just leave a note in the comment area with your email address and she will send out an invite to you so you can post on the blog. There's no need to have a blog of your own. This will be a nice central place we can all check in and talk about the book! Everyone is reading at their own pace, so please consider joining us!
I suspect a lot of people have gotten email teasers about the soon to be released book by Lily Koppel, The Red Leather Diary. This sounds like just the sort of book I would love and I am greatly looking forward to getting a copy. You can check out the author's website here (though I am getting an error message for some reason...that seems to be happening to me a lot lately...hopefully you can click through, however). And check out the book trailer:
If you are a fan of historical novels, check out The Historical Novel Society. I'm contemplating joining, though the membership cost is a little pricey. Still, it would mean six issues of their two publications, which look like they're chock full of interesting articles, interviews and reviews of books. I'm a great fan of this genre, so it might well be worth the cost for me. Does anyone get these publications? While I'm considering this, I'll have to study their forthcoming historical novels list!