Sunday at Lesa's

 Lesa Holstine has honored me by inviting me for an interview at her very popular long running blog, Lesa 's Book Critiques.

She asked some fun questions and I get to tell about pet chickens, pet turtles and a goldfish named Arthur Godfrey.

 I hope you'll drop by!

Lesa's Book Critiques

 Lesa's Book Critiques will be gaining some new features since its mistress, my pal Lesa Holstine, retired from her long career as Super Librarian.  

One of the new features will be Sunday Spotlights.  

I'm lucky enough to be her first Spotlight guest. 

https://lesasbookcritiques.com/sunday-spotlight-kaye-wilkinson-barley/

Lesa Has a Give-Away!

 

I am a very lucky woman to be blessed with some of the best friends on God's green earth.  

Lesa Holstine is one of those that goes beyond good friend to sister of my heart.  

One (one of many) of the reasons everyone loves her is her generosity.  She is generous to so many with her support, kind words, and kind acts, and is loyal from the top of her adorable head right down to her toes. 

This little give-away she's doing at her blog came as a complete surprise.  Check it out!  https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2020/10/a-gift-giveaway.html

This book is from our hearts.  

I hope whoever wins Lesa's give-away enjoys it.  

A fun interview

My friend Lesa interviews me at her wonderful blog today.

I hope you'll drop by!

https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2020/03/author-interview-kaye-wilkinson-barley.html

Me and Lesa in 1920s Paris
Photo by Geneviève Thomas
My Joli Coeur Photography

From Inside My Book Fort - - - Lesa Holstine reads from "Vanishing Ireland"

Welcome Back !

Annabelle and I are very happy to welcome Lesa back to the book fort.

And today she's going to read to us from "Vanishing Ireland" written by James Fennell and Turtle Bunbury.


This pleases me no end because, if you know Lesa, you know how very much she loves Ireland.

Take a listen - - - 

(and that gorgeous black cat you see towards the end of the video is Josh).  💜 💛 😊 💚 💙

From Inside My Book Fort - - - Lesa Holstine

I am so pleased to have one of my very favorite people here visiting me in my book fort today.

And Annabelle is very happy to see her Auntie Lesa!

Is there anyone in the book world who does not know my friend, Lesa Holstine?

She's well-known, loved and respected in the mystery community, but also in wider literary circles.

Lesa can be found on Twitter every Thursday from 12-1 PM ET, participating in #AskaLibrarian, as librarians suggest books for eager readers. 

She's the author of the "Mystery Fiction" chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interest (7th ed).

She is the long time Mistress of Lesa's Book Critiques. 

She's also the blogger for The Poisoned Pen bookstore, www.poisonedpen.com. 

In her "spare" time, Lesa reads and reviews mysteries for Library Journal's monthly "Mystery & Suspense" column.

AND, the woman loves to travel.

(She's a delightful roomie.  We've shared rooms at the Bouchercon hotels in Raleigh and New Orleans, and in an apartment in Paris - who knows where next?!).

Now - ta da . . .

Here's Lesa (and Jinx) reading one of her favorite passages -  Enjoy!

1920's Paris Photo Shoot

So.

Lesa and I did a fun thing while we were in Paris.

We visited Geneviève of www.myjolicoeur.com for a 1920's Paris photo shoot.


(No, this is not us.  Just a little 1920's Hot Jazz for your enjoyment)

Here's some photos of her studio -

And  - - - -

Here's some of our photos 

Next time you're in Paris, plan a fun photo shoot with Geneviève.  

Ooh la la!

Lesa talks about our last day in Paris

Today at her blog Lesa talks about our last day in Paris.  

https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2017/10/last-day-in-paris-friday-sept-29.html

More from Lesa . . .

Stop by Lesa's today to read more about our Paris trip - https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2017/10/thursday-in-paris-sept-28.html

Lesa and author Cara Black

First Half Favorites for 2016

My friend Lesa posted her First Half Favorites for 2016 at her blog - https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/.

Nor surprisingly, we share a few faves.


I don't always do a favorites list at the end of the year any more, but I do post the list of what I've read during the year.  And I will highlight a few that have stayed with me.

But this half year list intrigues me.


When I thanked Lesa for coming up with such a clever idea, she told me it was actually Jen Forbus's idea of a couple years ago.  And that doesn't surprise me a bit.  Jen keeps her blog - http://www.jensbookthoughts.com/ - fresh with a wealth of continuous new ideas.


So, I'm going to hop on this bandwagon and tell you my favorites of the year - so far.


"The Never-Open Desert Diner" by James Anderson


"My Southern Journey" by Rick Bragg


"The View From the Cheap Seats" by Neil Gaiman.  (Actually, I haven't finished this on yet.  I'm plucking essays out slowly and savoring them.  Which is exactly what I did with Rick Bragg's "My Southern Journey."  They're both delicious books and I can't say enough about them).


"Night Shift" by Charlaine Harris


"Wilde Lake" by Laura Lippman

"A Great Reckoning" by Louise Penny (I read an ARC - official publication is not until August, but worth the wait!)

Books, Authors, Essays

I love to talk about  books.

I love to share favorite books and authors with others who might not have discovered them yet, and, in turn, I love learning about them.

One of the people I learn from is Lesa Holstine.

If you're one of the last people on God's green earth to hear about Lesa and her marvelous blog - here's a link:  http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/  -  jump on over there!

Lesa and I seem to enjoy many of the same authors and books and have shared names and titles over the years.

The latest "share" I got from her was Rick Bragg's "My Southern Journey."

Now, I have read some of his work before, and love it.  But I don't think I was really prepared for how much his essays would touch me.

I have gone back and re-read the introduction he wrote for this book a half a dozen times.  With more to come, I'm sure.

And I learned something new about Lesa during the Rick Bragg conversation at her blog.

She loves essays for comfort reading.

And so do I.

I write them for that very same reason.  Essays have long been my first writing love.



There have been periods of time when I just simply have not had enough sense to read a novel.

These have been periods of stress when I've been concerned about loved ones and can't seem to hold a thought in my head for long without worries nudging it aside.

And there are times when I've been sitting on a deck, or on the beach, watching the waves and all I want is a little literary comfort to go along with the peace I'm feeling.

Rick Bragg's "My Southern Journey" is a book I'll add to my already fairly substantial pile of "essay comfort."

The pile, off the top of my head, includes:

Anne Morrow Lindberg's "Gift From the Sea"

Joan Anderson's "A Year By the Sea" and "A Walk on the Beach"

Mary Oliver's "Long Life: Essays and Other Writings" (and all her poetry)

May Sarton's "The House by the Sea" and "Journal of a Solitude"

Anything by Anne Lamott and Anna Quindlen

and finally -

Pat Conroy's "The Reading Life", and his cookbook.  Yes.  His cookbook.  It's not just a cookbook (although it can stand alone as one that cooks and cookbook aficionados would love. It's full of some of the most delicious essays written with the pure poetry that you would expect from this master.

If you're also a lover of essays, I'd love if you would share some of your favorites with me.

And Now - Here's Lesa!

I am always so proud to have my friend Lesa Holstine here.  

If you don't already follow her blog, and take advantage of her reading suggestions, I urge you to get on over there!  You can find her at Lesa's Book Critiques where she shares her passion for books.  She's also shared that passion in libraries in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and now Indiana, where she's been a library/manager for over 30 years. She was the winner of the 2011 Arizona Library Association Outstanding Library Service Award. She is a contributing Book Reviewer for Library Journal, Mystery Readers Journal, ReadertoReader.com and VibrantNation.com. Author of the "Mystery Fiction" chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (7th ed.) Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Spinetingler Awards for Best Reviewer.  

And she's the owner of the sweetest, most winning smile in the book world.


Say hello to Lesa, everyone.

I always say yes when Kaye asks me a year ahead of time if I’ll write a guest post, and then when the time comes, I have no idea what to talk about. At one time, I thought I’d talk about the romances that drive me crazy in mysteries. My sister and I enjoy the romance, but we tire of the romantic triangles, the women who are indecisive, and the decision-making that goes on and on and on and…. Then, I decided I shouldn’t call out any particular author, so I won’t write that post.

I read an interesting article about your personal brand, but I could talk about Kaye’s better than I could talk about my own. When I think of Kaye, I think of Donald and Harley and gorgeous nature photos, the color red, and passion – her passion for life, for books, for her family and friends, and her passion for justice.

I finally hit on this year’s topic – discovery. As a librarian and blogger, I’m always excited about the discovery of new authors, and the opportunity to share them with others. For a book lover, what’s better than sharing a new book, a new author? Those of you who know my blog, Lesa’s Book Critiques, may know that I emphasize mysteries. So, it might come as a surprise that none of my discoveries this year are mystery authors. But, you might notice some common themes shared in the novels I loved this year. Although some of the authors had written before, I had never read any of their previous books.

Actually, Sarah Jio has written a number of novels, Goodnight June was the first one I read. It’s for all of us who love bookstores, children’s books, and Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon. Jio managed to combine all those elements in a love story, and a love story tribute to children’s books and bookstores. She followed that up with a wonderful tribute to love itself, The Look of Love. Jio’s books make me smile and cry.

Gabrielle Zevin had written young adult and children’s books, but The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry won my heart. This story of an eccentric bookseller and owner of a small island bookstore who finds a toddler left in his bookstore. It will change his life, and everyone he knows. It wasn’t until I heard Zevin speak that I discovered she was inspired by George Eliot’s Silas Marner, a book I hated in school. Now, I may have to go back and read it.

Kaye introduced me to A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, a debut juvenile novel that is just “splendiferous”. It’s a story with magnificent characters, and wonderful magic. It’s a celebration of words and books, a book in the best tradition of magical storytellers such as Sarah Addison Allen. And, anyone who loves words and magic and stories should pick this one up.

Linda Francis Lee has written numerous books, but The Glass Kitchen was the one I discovered, drawn to the gorgeous cover. And, then I was drawn to the magical elements of this book, the story of a woman who inherited her grandmother’s gift. She knew what food people “needed”, knew what foods would make them feel better. It’s a story of family, love, and a gift.

Many people discovered Daisy Goodwin with her book The American Heiress. I never read that one, but I raced through her historical novel, The Fortune Hunter. It’s a fascinating story about an heiress, Charlotte Baird, who falls for Bay Middleton, a cavalry captain. Middleton has a reputation as a ladies’ man, and a possible fortune hunter. And, his reputation isn’t helped when Elizabeth, the Empress of Austria, the most beautiful woman of her time, asks Bay Middleton to be her pilot on the hunting courses of England. The story fascinated me so much that I looked up all the people involved to find out how their lives ended.

Martha Woodroof’s debut novel, Small Blessings, goes on my list of favorite books of 2014. It’s the story of the people of a small, insulated college community, and the changes in their lives thanks to the new assistant director at the college bookstore. It’s the story of change in one family. It’s about mental illness, alcoholism, and addiction, but it’s also a story of living people who find joy and hope. It’s an optimistic story by author who speaks the truth.

Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman is also a debut novel. Unfortunately, the cover makes it appear to be a chick lit novel about a runaway bride when it’s actually a mystery about one woman’s  past, and a fascinating search for family secrets. It’s the story of a woman who walks away from her engagement – drives away actually, to search for her mother’s past.  Ignore the cover. Do yourself a favor, and discover this bright new author.

And, I’m ending the book discussion with another debut, Shelly King’s The Moment of Everything. It’s about books, bookstores, and reading. (Do you see a pattern here?) It’s a contemporary story about geeks and gamers, the same people who love and buy used books. Narrated by a thirty-four-year-old bookseller who discovers notes in a copy of a book, notes that lead to a change in her life, and in the life of the bookstore itself. It’s Maggie’s story of disillusionment with life and love. It’s sad, and filled with hope and books, along with beautiful writing and fascinating conversations. Why not end a list of discoveries with The Moment of Everything?

I love Kaye. I appreciate her zest for life, and I love her blog and her other writings. It’s always a challenge to come up with something that will do justice to Kaye and her readers. My passion? Sharing books, so this time, that’s exactly what I’m doing, sharing this year’s discoveries. What authors did you discover in 2014?

(note: please don't be concerned if your comment doesn't show up right away.  I've had to enable the "moderate comments" feature.  I may not get to it right away, but I will - promise!)

Lesa Holstine's Blog

 

If you're a reader, you probably already know my friend Lesa Holstine.  

She's one of the best, most highly respected bloggers out there.  Her blog is Lesa's Book Critiques, and can be found right here - http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ , where you can read well written, honest, in-depth reviews of the latest books, crime fiction, in particular.

Today, however, Lesa chats a little about her five favorite blogs, and she pays me the honor of including Meanderings and Muses.  

Take a look at the others - it's a spindiddly list!

Squeeeee!

2013 has been a very good year.

And it just got better.

If there is one "Favorites List" I always look forward to at the end of the year, it's Lesa Holstine's.

Did I ever, EVER, think I'd see my name there?

Pfft!

Never.

Dreams do come true - - - -

Lesa Holstine's Favorite Books of 2013 - http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2013/12/favorite-books-of-2013.html

My "Whimsey" is there along with some of my own favorites of the year.  With some of the writers I admire most, whose work is quite meaningful to me.

Sophie Littlefield, Beth Hoffman,Chris Grabenstein, Jessica Brockmole, Louise Penny, Ellery Adams, Nora Roberts, Gail Carriger, Craig Johnson, and - - a bonus book - Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests, Seventh Edition, edited by Cynthia Orr & Diane Tixier Herald. It's a readers' advisory book, and Lesa wrote the chapter about mysteries

Y'all - Life is Good.

And Lesa Holstine is a Fairy Godmother who has helped make many dreams come true.  Including my own.

Thank you, Lesa. 

Family by Lesa Holstine

After twenty-seven years in warm climates, Lesa Holstine has returned home to the snow and ice of the Midwest, which she hates. But, she absolutely loves her new job as Public Services Officer at the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library in Evansville, Indiana. Lesa blogs daily at Lesa's Book Critiques (http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com), where she shares her passion for reading (particularly mysteries).

Please welcome a woman I truly adore, admire and respect, my friend Lesa - - -

 

 

 

Family

by

Lesa Holstine

 

                It’s the time of year to get a little sentimental, so if you’re not in the mood, you might want to come back some other time.

                Anyone who stops in at Kaye’s site knows how important family is to her – her Donald, her mother, and, of course, the enchanting Harley Barley. This year, I learned how wonderful it is to be close to family. I moved from Arizona to Indiana last January. All of my family is in Ohio. My mother flew out to help me drive to Evansville, and then my sisters came down to help me move in. It’s been a year of re-discovery for me. I hadn’t been to a high school graduation party since my youngest sister, Christie, graduated a few more years ago than I’ll talk about. Now, her second youngest was the one celebrating his graduation. While home that weekend, I was also able to go to “Wicked” with my sister, Linda. I went to Ohio in August, and attended a family reunion. The last time for a family reunion had to have been over 30 years ago. And, then I went to Thanksgiving at Linda’s. Once I moved to Florida, and then Arizona, Thanksgiving with family was a thing of the past. The last one must have been over 27 years earlier.

 

 

 

 

                It’s been good to be close to family again. But, I have to say, I miss part of the family I’ve grown to love over the years. I miss the mystery family I discovered in Arizona.

                The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Arizona was my “third place”, the place I went other than home and work. It was through my connection to the Poisoned Pen and the library that I met the members of The Desert Sleuths Chapter of Sisters in Crime. And, one of those members, Chantelle Aimee Osman, did become another sister. Chantelle owns Sirens of Suspense website. I miss discussing books with her, meeting her at the Poisoned Pen, or going to dinner and the theater.

 

     I miss hanging out at the Poisoned Pen. Thanks to the Pen, I hosted all kinds of authors at the library, or went to see them multiple times at the bookstore. I miss hugs and visits with Jenn McKinlay, Betty Webb, Donis Casey, Rebecca Cantrell, Kris Neri, Kelly Stanley, Rhys Bowen, Jeffrey Siger, Avery Aames, Roni Olson. Authors not only appeared at the Pen, they came to the library. I still miss Juliet Blackwell, Sophie Littlefield, Zoe Sharp, Vicki Delany, Deborah Ledford, Carolyn Hart, Jane Cleland, and Paige Shelton. Barbara Peters, owner of the Pen, made evenings or lunches special with Alan Bradley and Jacqueline Winspear. And, I can’t tell you how much I missed Louise Penny’s appearance this year at the Pen. She and I always managed to sneak in dinner or munchies before she spoke there. The Poisoned Pen Bookstore with Barbara Peters, Rob Rosenwald, Will, and Patrick truly felt like a second home.

               

                It’s almost Christmas. I took my presents to my family instead of mailing them this year. I laughed with family, cheered our favorite college football team on to a victory, shopped and ate with them. There’s nothing better than being with family at the holidays, or, really, any time of the year. But, I can’t wait to see that second family again in March when Left Coast Crime is in Monterey. They may not be blood relatives, but it will be like old times again, visiting with family. I can’t wait for that mystery family reunion.

Note to those wishing to leave comments! "Moderate Comments" is enabled here which means your comment won't show up until it's been published by the narrator (that would be me).  I won't be by my laptop for a while this evening, so please bear with me - I'll check in when I can later this evening.  Thank you!!!

Food Memories by Lesa Holstine

Lesa Holstine blogs at Lesa's Book Critiques, where she reviews a little of everything, emphasizing mysteries. She's a library manager who was awarded the Arizona Library Association's 2011 Outstanding Library Service Award.

















Food Memories
by
Lesa Holstine

As I write this, I'm about to start a memoir by Donia Bijan called Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen. And, I'm starting to see a pattern here. On my blog, Lesa's Book Critiques, I say I specialize in mysteries. However, in the last year alone, I've reviewed three "novels with food," as author Brian O'Reilly calls them, three food memoirs, and eight mysteries involving food. I've hosted quarterly brown bag luncheons in which I talk about books and the attendees bring their lunch. We do monthly brown bag luncheons and an annual potluck for the library staff, in which we bring our lunches and talk about books. Next week, I'm hosting a tea for Jacqueline Winspear to celebrate the release of her new book, Elegy for Eddie. And, I'm even attending a release party for Kevin Hearne's new book, Tricked, at an Irish pub where dinner will be served. Atticus, the Iron Druid, hangs out at a pub called Rula Bula in Tempe, Arizona. So, the release party for Tricked will be held at Rula Bula.

Do you find that food and books go hand-in-hand? I could say it's all about comfort food. But, I think it's not just comfort food. I think it's memory food. I think food brings back memories. And, sharing food, just like sharing good books, is a way of sharing memories. A couple of my favorite authors, Sarah Addison Allen and Barbara O'Neal, write magical realism novels that involve food. Their books, along with books I read in the last year, Angelina's Bachelors by Brian O'Reilly and The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry, involve loss and memory and food.

These books all evoke memories for me, even if I've never eaten the foods discussed in the stories. But, they take me home to my grandmother and my mother, to shared laughter with my sisters. Food, whether it's preparation or meals, gives us the opportunity to spend time with people we love. When I first went to my doctor after Jim died two years ago, I'd put on a few pounds. My doctor is younger than me, but very wise in some ways. He said he'd rather see that I had put on weight than lost it. He said people who lose weight after a death are often isolating themselves. Those who put on weight are spending time with people, eating with them, talking with them, moving on. (Maybe I've been spending TOO much time with people.)

I could probably write my own story about food and family. In fact, I've shared family recipes on Janet Rudolph's Dying for Chocolate and Mystery Lover's Kitchen. I could tell you about my grandmother's simple sloppy joe recipe. There's a certain way to eat the gumdrop bars my mother sends me every Christmas. I close my eyes when I take the first bite, to savor the smell and taste. Those gumdrop bars are the smell of Christmas for me. There's the frozen lemon pudding that has induced family rivalry over the years. I'm the oldest of three, and my sisters used to complain my mother only made frozen lemon pudding when I came home from college. Now, at holiday time, my youngest sister will still tease, guess what we had for dessert, and you weren't here. When I went home this last Christmas, one sister brought wine and her husband's quiche at the start of the visit, and my youngest sister brought springerles to bake at the house, a recipe she learned from her mother-in-law. Food is so connected with memories in my family that we even have a recipe known only as Funeral Rice because someone brought it to the house after my grandfather died.

Linda

Christie

There's something magical about food books, something that makes me nostalgic for those foods and people I love. The book might be Barbara O'Neal's The Secret of Everything or Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells. I don't read these books just because the recipes are enticing and they make me drool. Food brings us together, gives us a chance to share. And, the books take me back to the people I love, memories and times I want to share.

So, do you want to share? What food takes you home? What book evokes memories for you?

*****

Bouchercon 2011 - and the winners are . . . .

 I missed being in St. Louis for this year's Bouchercon.

OH my, did I miss being there!

There were tales of people hearing sobbing in the hotel bar and rumors quickly circulated that there was a ghost haunting all the mystery writers and readers. 

Naah, that was me.  The cries were coming from Boone, but they were loud.

My blogger buddy, Lesa Holstine, has done her normal fine job of telling us who the winners were in the award ceremonies - stop by here to see who they were:

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2011/09/bouchercon-award-round-up.html

My sincere congratulations to all the winners AND the nominees!

Three Bookish Women

Hi, Everyone - Welcome to "Three Bookish Women" where Lesa Holstine of Lesa's Book Critiques and Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts and I are going to chat about books.

If you're a mystery reader you probably know all three of us through our blogs or through the mystery community in general.  We thank you for joining us for this little gab fest and hope you'll enjoy it.  Make yourselves comfy and please feel free to jump right in.


Mornin' Lesa and Jen!  Sending a virtual hugs, my friends!


It's always fun to chat about what we're reading.  You, Lesa, as I've told you so often, are one of the people who can take credit for this huge "to be read" stack that keeps my side of the bedroom cluttered and messy.  I LOVE those monthly peeks into your closet at Lesa's Book Critiques - keep 'em coming, please!


Today was one of those fun days when our mail lady came to the door with a couple of packages.  Books - Yay!  One of them was one I tore into immediately.   An Advance Reading Copy of Felix J. Palma's THE MAP OF TIME.  It's being touted as a "phenomenal international bestseller."  It's an historical fantasy novel set in Victorian London filled with both real and fictional characters.  H.G. Wells is asked to investigate some rumors of time travel and the question throughout the story is "what happens if we change history?"  I'm loving it!


What's on your nightstand, Lesa?  Are you one of the people I envy who is able to read more than one book at a time?  And if you are - tell me, please, all about them.


   *****

FROM LESA:

Thanks, Kaye! I get the pleasure of passing this on to Jen Forbus of Jen's  Book Thoughts. Good morning, Jen. And, I can't wait to see your answers to the questions.


If you haven't met Jen, you're missing out. I had the chance to meet her last summer in Ohio. I'm originally from there, and Jen and I had the chance to get together for lunch when I went home to visit. Needless to say, we spent most of that time talking about books and authors! And, that's exactly what she and Kaye Barley and I will do now.


I'm so glad I can take responsiblity for some of the books on Kaye's enormous TBR pile. And, I know Jen introduced me to Craig Johnson's books. In the last year, he's become one of my favorite authors.


But, to answer Kaye's question, I'm sorry. I am one of those people who read a couple books at a time, usually one mystery and something else. Right now, I have two books going.


I do tend to read mysteries that are a little more traditional than Jen &  Kaye read. I'm reading a cozy right now, Miranda James' new Cat in the Stacks mystery, Classified as Murder. It's set in Athens, Mississippi, and it features a librarian and his Maine coon cat, Diesel. Charlie Harris uses Diesel in his visits to discuss crime, in this case, the murder of a man who had asked Charlie to inventory his collection of rare books.


I'm also reading Sandra Dallas' new book, The Bride's House, the story of  three generations of women who love a house in Georgetown, Colorado. I ALWAYS read Sandra Dallas' new books. My favorite though, is one with a murder in it, The Persian Pickle Club. When it originally came out, it was sold saying, if you can tell us who did it, you'll get your money back. I've read it 3 or 4 times. I still don't know who did it.


So, I've answered Kaye's first question. Jen, it's your turn. What's on your nightstand right now? What are you reading?


***


FROM JEN:

Thanks Lesa! I'm so excited to be part of this chat, seeing as I've been in the mystery community the shortest amount of time and still always feel like the newbie. I was honored to be asked to participate with Lesa and Kaye who I admire greatly.


As Lesa mentioned, we were able to meet this past year. What a highlight for me.  Lesa is the person who introduced me to both Chris Grabenstein and Louise Penny.  I can't wait until I can see her again. And Kaye was around to hold my hand for my very first Bouchercon. Of the three of us, I probably favor the most hard boiled books.


As far as what's on my nightstand. I, too, usually have two books going at once, but instead of two print books, like Lesa, I have a print book and an audiobook going. Today I'll be finishing up one of each. I have about 30 pages left of Alafair Burke's upcoming LONG GONE. I love Alafair's work and it's been so fun to see her progress as a writer. LONG GONE is fantastic and I hope a lot of people pick it up and discover how wonderful Alafair is. Going from an ARC to an oldie but goodie. On my iTouch, I'm finishing up THE ALIENIST by Caleb Carr. It took me awhile to get to this one, but I finally have and just adore it.


Since those two will both be done today, I'll tell you that tomorrow my nightstand will hold a book called GOOD NEIGHBORS by Ryan David Jahn and my iTouch will load up THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X by Keigo Higashino.


I'll pass this question back to Kaye to see if she has any final thoughts and then I believe we'll get a question from Lesa! By the way, Kaye, I'll be interested to hear what you think about THE MAP OF TIME. I'm always fascinated by how people perceive changes in history if we fumbled with small details. Do you think we could go back and alter something so that I wouldn't have been born and raised in a cold climate?


****


FROM KAYE:

Jen, you may be the newbie, but honey - you are a star!  You've been welcomed into this community with much love and much respect.  Every bit of it earned and deserved and I'm proud to know you.  You're doing great things.  Keep it up, please!


Lesa, you too are a star and there's not a writer I know who doesn't say "oh, don't you love Lesa Holstine?"  To which I say, "Yes.  Yes, I do."


You guys, I envy your ability to read more than one book at a time. I want to do that!  I try and I try and my mind has characters jumping back and forth between stories.  Not pretty.  Its kinda like a very badly written take-off on a Jasper Fflorde novel.  Jasper Fforde does it brilliantly; but my versions are nothing short of frightening.


Of the three of us, I guess I'm more the middle of the road with my reading than Lesa and Jen; more straight up traditional seems to be my cup of tea; not too cozy, not to hard-boiled.  Although the three of us certainly share some favorites, including Craig Johnson and Louise Penny to name just two.  And we all agree that not only do they write great books, they're pretty darn great people.


THE MAP OF TIME is going to take awhile (I'll keep you posted, Jen).  What I'm looking forward to reading next hasn't arrived in my mailbox yet.  It's one of my "auto-buy" forays into the more hard-boiled (but not too)  end of the spectrum.  I'm looking for it any day now, and it'll be a bittersweet read.  Robert B. Parker's SIXKILL, which is the last Spenser.  I know I'll be sad to say good-bye to Parker's Spenser, Hawk, Susan and Pearl and the entire supporting cast of characters, including Parker's much loved Boston.  I'm always going to be a huge Robert Parker fan and think his name will remain at the top of the crime fiction legends forever.  I understand Ace Atkins has been chosen by the Parker Estate to continue writing the Spenser novels.  This will, I think, prove to be  interesting and I wish Mr. Atkins well in his endeavor.  But, in my mind, Robert Parker is going to be sitting pretty heavy on Ace Atkins' shoulder while "they're" writing the next one.


Lesa - What's next for you?

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FROM LESA:


Kaye! That's perfect to lead into my next question for both of you. But, then, we know we're all three on the same wavelength (smile).


I have Robert B. Parker's Sixkill sitting on the counter at home to read as soon as I finish these couple. I agree, though. It's with a little sadness that I'm going to pick it up, knowing it's the last Spenser book he wrote. I read every one of the Spenser books. I loved the witty conversations.


I also want to get to Rosemary Harris' Slugfest since she's appearing at my library, Velma Teague, this weekend. I have six mystery authors appearing for Authors @ The Teague in five days - Avery Aames, Kate Carlisle, Rosemary Harris, Jane K. Cleland, Earlene Fowler and Carolyn Hart.


I'm looking forward to reading a few books that aren't out yet. One is S.J.  Bolton's Now You See Me, featuring a female cop dealing with a modern-day Jack the Ripper in London. Then there's Sophie Littlefield's A Bad Day for Scandal.  And, I know Jen already Craig Johnson's Hell is Empty.


But, I guess I'd have to say the book I'm most looking forward to reading is Louise Penny's A Trick of the Light, due out at the end of August.


So, that's my question, Jen. What book are you most looking forward to reading?


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FROM JEN:

Ohhh, this has been just such a fabulous year for books, Lesa. It seems like I've been excited about new books for months on end. Early in the year I was looking forward to Don Winslow's SATORI, which was wonderful. Then I was looking forward to THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES (Marcus Sakey) which I'm literally recommending to everyone I see - whether I know them or not. As you mentioned, I recently finished Craig Johnson's HELL IS EMPTY, which has now taken over as my favorite Walt Longmire book. Both of those books are due in June.


Of course, I'm finishing up Alafair Burke's LONG GONE, and I ALWAYS look forward to a new Alafair Burke novel. That's due in July. So after that, my next big anticipation is Gregg Hurwitz's YOU'RE NEXT.  I'm also pretty excited about Jo Nesbø's THE SNOWMAN and Andrew Gross' EYES WIDE OPEN. That's just for summer.  There's a whole slew more in the fall!


How about you, Kaye? What would you add to the mix?


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"Thanks very much for joining us today.  I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I have.    To continue, please hop over to Lesa's for Part Two and then to Jen's for Part Three.  You might want to grab a fresh cup of coffee . . . "