Sunday, May 24, 2015

Sunday Summary, 24 May 2015

Can you believe that May is almost over? This is Memorial Day weekend here in the US of A. It's the unofficial beginning of summer. Swimming pools open for the first time. In many places, the school year is over. Graduation ceremonies abound.

Where I've been reading

After 10 days away from home, I was glad to arrive home in Texas. I didn't get to stay there very long—on Thursday, I flew out to Virginia to attend my nephew's graduation ceremony. He has just completed a two year program training as a Surgical Technician. He's following in his family's footsteps. His mother and elder sister are Registered Nurses and his next older sister is a Laboratory Technician. His dad even had a bit of a sojourn in the medical field, working in IT for a large health insurance company.

 

What I've been reading: Completed this week

Book Cover: The Firebird Mystery by Darrell Pitt Format: eBook
Source: eGalley ARC from the publisher via NetGalley
Completed: 17 May

★★★☆☆

The Firebird Mystery is a steampunk adventure for young readers by Darrell Pitt. As the story begins, Jack Mason is selected from the orphanage to become assistant to Consulting Detective Ignacius Doyle. Not even a full day on the job, Jack and Doyle are on a case tracking down Scarlet Bell's missing father and stumbling into a Nazi plot that threatens the entire world. Great setting in England with a short trip over to the continent—Paris and Berlin. Great steampunk atmosphere with steam-powered airships and towers miles and miles tall. For more info on The Firebird Myster, see my review from Tuesday.


Book Cover: The Innocent by David Baldacci Format: audiobook
Source: purchased from Audible.com
Completed: 20 May

★★★☆☆

The Innocent introduces Will Robie, a hitman working for a clandestine US Government agency. When he receives an assignment to assassinate an young woman living in Washington, DC, he realizes that something is very wrong. His agency doesn't operate on US soil and this woman is an American citizen, not a ruthless warlord or drug baron. He refuses the hit and when she's taken out by a sniper, he goes into hiding to give himself time to figure out what's going on and why he's being framed for her murder.

I found this to be an intriguing thriller and enjoyed it very much. I will be getting the next book in the series.


Book Cover: Murder Freshly Baked by Vanetta Chapman Format: eBook
Source: eGalley ARC from the publisher via NetGalley
Completed: 23 May

★★★☆☆

Vannetta Chapman is the author of over one dozen Christian novels, most of them set in Amish communities in Indiana and Wisconsin. Murder Freshly Baked is the third mystery set in Amish Village, a retail complex with an inn and conference center. In the midst of wedding plans for Hannah and Mary, tensions rise from the delivery of threatening notes and e-mails. Then, Amber Bowman, the manager of Amish Village, is standing at the finish line of the 5K Race for a Cure charity event when Ryan Duvall is shot.

Who is responsible for his death? And is it related to the threats? Amber and her husband Tate are right in the middle as the authorities pursue these questions.


What I've been reading: In progress

Book Cover: Dead Man's Ransom by Ellis Peters In the ninth volume of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries, the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is the scene of a prisoner exchange. Sheriff Prestone has been taken captive by the Welsh forces and young Elis ap Cynan was left behind when his fellow soldiers fled Shrewsbury. Cadfael negotiates an exchange of the two, but when a desperately ill Prestone is murdered shortly after returning to the Abbey, all within its walls are suspect.


Book Cover: So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba When her husband suddenly dies, Ramatoulaye pours out her sorrows in a series of journal entries to be sent as a letter to her life-long friend, Aissatou. College graduates, both women enter into marriages based on love, but filled with conflict with the in-laws. Ramatoulaye's sorrow is not just the death of her husband, but the death of her hopes and expectations. Both husbands elect to marry a second wife—allowed under the Islamic faith—and the two wives react quite differently. Aissatou divorces her husband while Ramatoulaye chooses to stay married. Throughout the letter, Ramatoulaye details the decisions she has made and the reasons behind them.


This Week on the Blog

  1. Review and Blog Tour: Beyond Reach
  2. Bout of Books 13: Progress
  3. Stacking the Shelves (33)

 

I'm pleased to be linking up with The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on the blog, showcase books and things received. Share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead.


Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which the BookObsessed online community will receive a few cents if you make purchases.

2 comments:

  1. So Long a Letter sounds really interesting.

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    Replies
    1. It was outstanding. I finished it last evening. I returned it to the library, but I'm wishing I owned a copy -- there are a number of quotes I would return to time and again.

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