WWW Wednesday – May 20

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

Yesterday, I picked up Bloodlust by Sandra Brown (2026) at the library. I was disappointed in the last book of hers I read but this caught my interest with a New Orleans setting and a police detective hero who has unraveled since his wife died mysteriously. It was called a suicide but he is sure it was murder. Little does he know, the killer wants him dead next! Somehow, I think he will survive, plus his son needs him!

I’m also listening to In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen (2017). It’s WWII and the heroine works at Bletchley Park (my not-so-secret fantasy), but the men in her department do not seem to value her contributions. Boo!

Recently Finished

Last fall, I saw a whole table of books by Laurie Gilmore with cutesy covers like this one for The Pumpkin Spice Café (2023) so I was curious enough to try one. Nothing wrong with the concept of Jeanie taking on her aunt’s café in the unfortunately named town of Dream Harbor but the story and romance were sappy rather than charming.

The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski (2026) was a big disappointment. It was billed as:

The Remains of the Day meets The Royal Tenenbaums in this darkly funny debut novel about a wealthy, eccentric family in decline and the secrets held within the walls of their crumbling country manor.

I never saw The Royal Tenenbaums or I might have guessed that nearly every character in this book was horrible. Even the next generation were unpleasant! And I didn’t find it funny or even darkly funny!

Next Up

Another historical novel I’ve been looking forward to is The House of Hidden Letters by Isabelle Broom (2006). Skye impulsively sees a derelict Greek cottage for sale by lottery, and buys it with dreams of a fresh start. This is overdue so I need to read it quickly! Even though I had frozen them, it seemed like all my holds arrived at once.

The library staffer who never smiles got quite animated when I checked out Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026), telling me that the president of the Boston Public Library just said it was their most popular book of the year! I already knew that – hundreds of people were ahead of me on the reserve list so I actually bought it. When I saw my library copy was approaching, I gave my sister my copy to read on a trip to California.  Her flight sat on the runway for three hours Tuesday night and then was canceled so it was lucky she had something to read!

Off the Blog: I'm planning a trip to Ireland this summer. Any bookstore recommendations?