Five Happy Things
Books I Can't Wait to Read
Happy New Year!
Every year my husband gets me a bunch of books for Solstice. This year I asked for the next book in five different series I’m currently in the thick of.
Some of these I’ll read right away, and some I’ll save to pull me out of a reading rut. 😁
The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths - this is book eight in the Ruth Galloway series. Ruth is a forensic archaeologist in Norfolk, England who works with the police to solve murders. I love the way the author weaves British history and archaeology into every book in the series! Definitely start at the beginning with The Crossing Places.
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman - this is book four in the Thursday Murder Club series about a group of elderly residents of a retirement village in England. That sounds cute, but the books aren’t cute. (I don’t like books that make fun of older characters by making them look silly, or do the tee hee that old lady is talking about sex thing.) These characters have lead - and continue to lead - interesting, rich lives full of heartache, joy, humor, friendship, warmth. . . and crime solving. Start with the first book in the series, The Thursday Murder Club.
Paladin’s Hope by T. Kingfisher - this is book three in the Saints of Steel series about a group of paladins who find a way to move on after their god dies. Tanita Davis - a reader here and also a very talented author - recommended this series in a comment on this post about fabulous books that defy categorization. I’m so glad she did! Tanita described these books as “cozy feel mystery with dry but hilarious style and the odd severed head, plus. . . romance?” I was hooked immediately! Start with Paladin’s Grace.
Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves - this is book four in the Vera Stanhope series. My introduction to Ann Cleeves was the Shetland series on TV. I mentioned the show in one of my newsletters, a reader said I really needed to read Vera, and here we are! Now I bounce back and forth between Vera and Jimmy Perez. I do recommend starting Vera with the first book (The Crow Trap) but be warned. The detective doesn’t show up until halfway through the book! That’s so unusual for a mystery that it had me feeling a little disoriented when I read it.
The Hunter by Tana French - I don’t know if this is going to be an ongoing series, but this is a sequel to The Searcher, about a retired police officer from Chicago who moved to rural Ireland looking for peace but finding. . . murder. This one just came out in paperback and I can’t wait to dive into it!
Did you get any good books for the holidays? Tell us in the comments!
You can find past newsletters with book recommendations here.
Enjoy!
Best,
Wendi
❤️
In an effort to have fewer email providers chop my emails in half because they’re so dang long, I’ve moved my inspirations (book recommendations, favorite recipes, and awesome artists) to their own newsletter every Wednesday. Think of it as a quick way to fill your cup in the middle of the week. 🥰
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Tana French is perhaps one of my favorite authors. I love that the locale( Dublin,Ireland) she is writing about is always a character and that she often writes in the local dialect. I encourage you to read her other series if you enjoy reading her. Start at the beginning.
Thank you Wendy. I really appreciate your book suggestions. At your recommendation I started reading and listening to the Mrs. Pollifax series and have loved them. Best of all, they are included for free in my Audible App!