August 2025 - What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is everyone reading this month?
What is it about?
What do you think of it?

I have started on a cozy mystery series about a caterer in Colorado. The first book came out in 1990 and the last one came out in 2013. There are 17 books total in the series.

So far all I have finished is the first book, which is called Catering to Nobody.
In the first book, Gertrude "Goldy" Bear is catering an event and someone ends up poisoned. Therefore her business is shut down, therefore she has no income, therefore she tries to figure out how the person got poisoned.

I read about five books in this series many years ago. Back when you had to physically go to the library to check out paper copies of books. I enjoyed them back then and have always wanted to read all the books in the series. So here I am. I am about 3/4 of the way through the second book in the series.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane OP. I read many from this series years ago and loved them.

Another cozy mystery series I enjoyed back then was by Rita Mae Brown, the Mrs Murphy series. The adventures of a post mistress in Albemarle county who solves mysteries with the help of her pets.

Rita Mae Brown also wrote the “Sister” Jane series , another cozy series this time about the Virginia Hunt Country.

Loved them all!

Oh thanks so much for those suggestions. I think I would love the series about the postmistress! I have heard of that author and will definitely look up what all she has written.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listening to the audiobook of Mean Moms, which is by the author of Bad Summer People. I liked that book as trashy fun but this one is even better.

Agreed. Like Bad Summer People, Mean Moms is over the top, almost campy. But fun.

I recommended Greenwich earlier in this thread. I just finished Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (author of the Gifted School which I think a lot of DCUMs have read.) Both books center around the fallout from violent/tragic events and I personally found them somewhat stressful reads. (Greenwich in particular does endless foreshadowing.) For me, Greenwich was a more compelling plot; Culpability does a nice job with themes around AI and tech billionaires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listening to the audiobook of Mean Moms, which is by the author of Bad Summer People. I liked that book as trashy fun but this one is even better.

Agreed. Like Bad Summer People, Mean Moms is over the top, almost campy. But fun.

I recommended Greenwich earlier in this thread. I just finished Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (author of the Gifted School which I think a lot of DCUMs have read.) Both books center around the fallout from violent/tragic events and I personally found them somewhat stressful reads. (Greenwich in particular does endless foreshadowing.) For me, Greenwich was a more compelling plot; Culpability does a nice job with themes around AI and tech billionaires.

Who wrote Greenwich and sorry, is it fiction or non?

[Anonymous]

^^ don't worry I just found it on Amazon.
I grew up in Greenwich Ct and this book doesn't appeal!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ don't worry I just found it on Amazon.
I grew up in Greenwich Ct and this book doesn't appeal!

DP, I have no idea which Greenwich, but Greenwich Park is a good pulpy mystery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm finally reading My Brilliant Friend. It has been on my to read list for a while, and I did want to read a book on the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century so I finally made myself read it. It's translated from Italian about friends growing up in Italy - I'm about halfway through and I like it so far.

My Brilliant Friend was almost DNF, but just did managed to finish it. I simply couldn’t connect with the story or the characters. While some characters were kind of compelling, others seem one-dimensional. I found it to be a less than satisfying reading experience despite the book's critical acclaim.

[Anonymous]

You can’t just read one book. The story ends in the last one, and it’s an amazing read. I read the series a few years ago and still think about Lila and Lenu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can’t just read one book. The story ends in the last one, and it’s an amazing read. I read the series a few years ago and still think about Lila and Lenu.

This is in response to those who read only My Brilliant Friend or DNF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can’t just read one book. The story ends in the last one, and it’s an amazing read. I read the series a few years ago and still think about Lila and Lenu.

I thought the same thing. Since My Brillant Friend is about a child, it’s childlike and kind of boring. But I thought the last 20-50 pages picked up and helped propel me through the rest.

[Anonymous]

Just finished Shogun! Historical fiction set in 1600 and written in the 70s (the basis for the recent TV series). After an arduous journey, a ship from Europe accidentally lands in Japan, and its polyglot leader becomes a pawn in a complex chess match for leadership of the country. It was good…a lot of plotting and intrigue.

Ongoing: A Pattern Language, Christopher Alexander et al. Nonfiction, published in 1978; codifies 253 patterns for ideal city, building, and interior design. It’s been on my list forever; it can be dry, but also entertaining (some ideas are evergreen, some a bit dated). I’m more interested in the interior design piece, but am working my way through/skimming the city planning section first. It will take me awhile as it is ~1,200 pages (I’m aiming for 2 patterns a day, in parallel with my fiction selection).

Next up: The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl.

[Anonymous]

Brooke Shields is not allowed to get old. As the name suggests, it’s her musings on aging particularly in Hollywood. I mostly liked it though often she was pretty clueless about things. Reminds me a lot of the conversation around here.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to the PPs who asked about Greenwich. I've seen it around a lot lately so figured others might have read it too. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Greenwich-Novel-Kate-Broad/dp/1250363047

In the past day I started and am about to finish Hazel Says No. Very funny and relatable tale of a Brooklyn family that moves to small-town Maine and winds up in the middle of a Me Too scandal. Here's the link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216865343-hazel-says-no

[Anonymous]

Euphoria by Lily King

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Greenwich - just finished and it's a great, thought-provoking book.

I’m glad you liked it. I couldn’t stand it! Thought the main character was so whiny and couldn’t get out of her own way. I guess this is why there are so many different books out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is everyone reading this month?
What is it about?
What do you think of it?

I have started on a cozy mystery series about a caterer in Colorado. The first book came out in 1990 and the last one came out in 2013. There are 17 books total in the series.

So far all I have finished is the first book, which is called Catering to Nobody.
In the first book, Gertrude "Goldy" Bear is catering an event and someone ends up poisoned. Therefore her business is shut down, therefore she has no income, therefore she tries to figure out how the person got poisoned.

I read about five books in this series many years ago. Back when you had to physically go to the library to check out paper copies of books. I enjoyed them back then and have always wanted to read all the books in the series. So here I am. I am about 3/4 of the way through the second book in the series.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane OP. I read many from this series years ago and loved them.

Another cozy mystery series I enjoyed back then was by Rita Mae Brown, the Mrs Murphy series. The adventures of a post mistress in Albemarle county who solves mysteries with the help of her pets.

Rita Mae Brown also wrote the “Sister” Jane series , another cozy series this time about the Virginia Hunt Country.

Loved them all!

Oh thanks so much for those suggestions. I think I would love the series about the postmistress! I have heard of that author and will definitely look up what all she has written.

If you end up reading any of them, hope you enjoy!

I see she has a new Mrs Murphy mystery Sealed with a Hiss. May need to check it out!