Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: 6 Good Books

I skipped my review post last week for no particular reason than I was feeling lazy. Instead I posted extra-short reviews on Twitter. I give you similarly short thoughts today, just to keep a record here.

This was a slow reading week, which is the weather's fault. I did yard work, started cleaning the deck for summer, and had to dig out my summer clothes. It was also the first week of our outdoor farmer's market, which is where we buy the bulk of our food until it closes in late October.

Yay for summer.

Before I get to my reading life, here are some things to look for this coming week.

On Wednesday on the AudioFile Magazine blog I'll recommend five audiobooks that will each give you a new perspective on nature, animals, and the world around us. I concentrate on fun books to help you get in the mood for easy summer living.

On Friday, I will share my thoughts on the upcoming Cinemax miniseries C. B. Strike, based on the first three Cormoran Strike books by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling). The show debuts on June 1, so mark your calendars. I'll have more information later in the week.

What I Read Two Weeks Ago

• Sloan Crosley's Look Alive Out There (Macmillan, April 3) is a collection of essays about living in New York, working freelance, traveling, making reproductive decisions, and dealing with neighbors as well as other musings about contemporary life. Humor mixed with spot-on truths. Recommended. (Audiobook review available soon from AudioFile)
• Luke Barr's Ritz and Escoffier (Clarkson Potter, April 3) is a dual biography of how Ritz and Escoffier rose from humble beginnings to become trusted sources of elegance and good taste (no pun intended) at the turn of the last century. Fascinating and easy to read. Recommended. (Audiobook review available soon from AudioFile)
• Sylvain Neuvel's Only Human (Del Rey, May 1) is the third (and final?) book in the Themis Files series. This installment had me laughing at the pop culture references, even as I became wrapped up in the main characters' struggles to adjust to a changing Earth. Audiobook is the best way to read the series: the fantabulous full-cast performance is not to be missed (start with book 1). (Review copy provided by the publisher)
• Jane Harper's The Dry (Flatiron, 2017). I did a quick reread of this great crime novel set in a small town in Australia. The protagonist, Aaron Falk, is a federal agent in the Australian finance division, who becomes involved in a murder investigation when he returns to his home town for the funeral. Recommended. (Review copy provided by the publisher)

What I Read Last Week

The Force of Nature by Jane Harper (Flatiron, February 2018), is the second entry in the Aaron Falk series. In this outing, Falk is back at his office in Melbourne and has a new partner, Carmen Cooper. They are called to the bushland, when an executive at a bank they're investigating goes missing on a corporate outdoor weekend, meant to encourage bonding and trust. The Giralang Ranges is true wilderness, and the question is whether Alice Russell's disappearance is an unfortunate accident, bad judgment, or something very sinister. And, of course, no matter the circumstances, is she alive or dead? Harper weaves the complex relationships among the five women and five men on the retreat with the spooky reputation of the Giralang Ranges, the current Falk/Cooper criminal investigation, and other factors. Good tension and solid plotting pulled me in, and I was unable to figure out the solution before it was revealed. The Falk books are now among of my favorites in crime fiction. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Macmillan Audio; 8 hr, 53 min) read by Stephen Shanahan. As I wrote last week, Shanahan has a natural, fluid style and masterfully works the tempo to keep the tension tight. Good characterization . . . plus I love his Australian accent. Recommended in print or audio. (Both print and audiobook copies provided by the publisher)

I listened to Andrea Camilleri's The Shape of Water (Penguin Books, 2002), which was translated from the Italian by Stephen Sartarell. This is the first in a long series that stars Salvo Montalbano, a police inspector in Sicily, and I decided to start the audiobooks on the recommendation of SuziQoregon from Whimpulsive blog. The book is a combination of mystery, social commentary, and humor and even includes some good food references. Montalbano has no problem stepping a little outside the strict confines of his duty and has a creative way solving crimes. I liked his personality and the comings and goings of the town, including the ongoing feud between two mafia families. Despite appearances, Montalbano respects his job and wants to uncover the truth. He seems particularly skilled at dealing with the local community, taking an Everyman's attitude more than wielding his power as a policeman. The crime itself involved a death that may or may not have been murder but left the dead man in a compromising position. My impression after book 1 is that the series is fun, adult reading. This isn't hard-core crime fiction, but isn't as light as a cozy. I plan to continue the series. The unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Audio; 4 hr, 4 min) is read by Grover Gardner, who does a great job distinguishing the voices and giving the characters an Italian and Sicilian flavor without tripping into parody. He delivers the humor as easily as the more tense-filled moments and kept me listening the entire afternoon. And good news for audiobook fans: Gardner reads the entire series (19 books are currently available). (Audiobook: personal copy)

Current Books and Television

I'm currently listening to Rachel Kushner's The Mars Room and reading Julia Fine's What Should Be Wild. Both are excellent, and I'm having a hard time deciding which book to read when. Sweetbitter started on Starz over the weekend. I plan to watch tonight. I really loved the book of the same title, written by Stephanie Danler (though I know it got mixed reviews), so I'm curious about how it comes across on film. The actress who plays the main character, Tess, doesn't match the image I had in my mind. We shall see, and I shall report back. If you get Netflix, I hope you're watching David Letterman's My Next Guest Needs no Introduction. We've watched all five current episodes, and each one was excellent.