Sunday, September 05, 2021

August 2021 Additions to My Digital Security Blanket

 


Can any book lover, can any voracious reader, pass up a bargain? It's almost impossible for me, and as you'll see by the list of digital books I bought last month, I didn't try very hard to resist when it came to a certain category.

I've grouped my purchases according to their genre/subgenre, and if you click on the title of a book, you'll be taken to Amazon US where you can learn more about it. I've also read a couple of them already, so I'll include links to my reviews as well.

Now it's time to see what I couldn't resist.


=== Short Stories/Novellas ===

Delhi Noir edited by Hirsh Sawhney. India.
Berlin Noir edited by Thomas Wortche. Germany.
Amsterdam Noir edited by René Appel & Josh Pachter. The Netherlands.
Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani. Kenya.
São Paulo Noir edited by Tony Bellotto. Brazil.
Moscow Noir edited by Natalia Smirnova and Julia Goummen. Russia.
San Diego Noir edited by Maryelizabeth Hart. California.
Santa Fe Noir edited by Ariel Gore. New Mexico.
Seattle Noir edited by Curt Colbert. Washington.
 
As you can see, I plummeted down the rabbit hole with the Akashic Noir series. Hey-- when they tell me they're only $1.99 apiece, I'm going to grab them fast! This is an excellent short story anthology series, and I've got a good mix of places I've never been before as well as those that I have visited.

Tish Plays the Game by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Some authors' names stick in my mind. There's just something about the way they sound. Mary Roberts Rinehart has one of those names, and I remember reading one of her books in the past and enjoying it. I thought I'd give these short stories and novellas a try.


=== Historical Thriller ===

AUDIO: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. World War II northern Italy. I recently finished listening to this one, and although the narrator's attempts at various female voices was amusing at times, I liked the story. My review should be up in the next week or so.


=== Thriller ===

AUDIO: Black Coral by Andrew Mayne. Florida. Mayne really knows how to write thrillers, and although he can sometimes slip off into unlikely territory at times, I enjoy his tales. My review.

These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall. California. Hall has written a police procedural series set in Los Angeles featuring a Black homicide detective Elouise "Lou" Norton that I really like. She has since branched out into standalone thrillers, and I'm beginning to find that my enjoyment of these is a bit hit-or-miss. My review.

The Plea by Steve Cavanagh. New York. I really like the way Cavanagh's mind works, so I snapped up the second Eddie Flynn legal thriller when the price was right.


=== Non-Fiction ===

AUDIO: Olive the Lionheart: Lost Love, Imperial Spies, and One Woman's Journey into the Heart of Africa by Brad Ricca. I've enjoyed reading non-fiction about intrepid women my whole life, and I'm not about to change.

AUDIO: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. My interest in this book is purely personal. A Black family moved to my small farm town in central Illinois during the period this book describes. They were the only Blacks in town, and some of the nicest, smartest, hardest working people you could ever hope to meet. I never gave much thought to their reasons for moving there, so-- between the title and the subject matter-- I decided to learn more about it.


=== Historical Mystery ===

One for Another Introducing Hennessey Reed: Opiate Addict, Bordello Madam, Tenderfoot Sleuth by Andrea Jacka. Idaho. For only 99¢, I just simply could not resist that title!


=== Police Procedural ===

The Stone Chamber by Kate Ellis. England. The latest in one of my favorite (and longest-running) series. I'm not about to let this one slip through my fingers!

Strangers Among Us by L.R. Wright. Canada. I vaguely remember reading a book by this author and liking it. Besides, I don't read enough books set in Canada.


Well... that's the list of temptations I fell prey to. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Did any of the titles make it onto your own Need-to-Read lists? Which ones? Inquiring minds would love to know!



15 comments:

  1. I see you've got several collections of short stories here, Cathy. I always think that's a great way to get to know an author's work and style. And I want to read the L.R. Wright novel; I read and really enjoyed The Suspect, but I haven't read anything else of hers. I want to.

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    1. It's good to see your opinion of Wright, Margot.

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  2. Several here I need to look at further. Thank you for the updates.

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  3. Steve Cavanagh, yes! Has he won you over to legal thrillers?
    I liked Thirteen and The Plea Plan on reading more Eddie Flynn books.
    I am fascinated by the Noir story collections, so I will await your reviews. Some of the cities and countries you list are very tempting to read about. I have to get into these books.
    These Toxic Things: Hmmm. I read your review, but may look at a few pages from a library book. No purchase though.
    I didn't know about Andrew Mayne, will read your review.

    And am impressed you are reading Isabel Wilkerson's book. I have heard and read about it, and I hang my head in shame that I haven't read it. I must remedy that.

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    1. I knew you'd be all over that legal thriller, Kathy! I do occasionally read one, but I don't think legal thrillers will ever be one of my go-to subgenres.

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    2. Well, I do want to read about the Noir collections.
      Will look for reviews here.

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    3. Library has some of the Noir books on Overdrive. So I will read some of them.

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  4. Wow, that's quite a haul. You really hit the Akashic books hard, I see, and that makes me smile. I love those, too, and have read a couple of the ones you just bought.

    I was a slacker during August, only acquiring two e-books, but These Toxic Things was one of the two I picked up. Haven't read it yet, and the author is new to me. I've picked up the pace a bit in September, having already bought four physical books and added one e-book ARC. Even found a beautiful signed copy of Sherman Alexi's short story collection called "Blasphemy" that I'm looking forward to reading soon.

    I really need to start reading more from my own shelves...it's where books go to get lost.

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    1. I'll certainly be interested in your opinion of These Toxic Things, Sam.

      You made me laugh with your comment about books going to your shelves to get lost. Last night I noticed that my TBR "short shelf" here by the daybed was mostly empty, so I went over to my long row of shelves and pulled a few out. Now my short shelf is full, and those poor lost books have been found.

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  5. I would have done the same thing with a sale of a favorite type of story - you've got a lot of fun to look forward to!

    I just added Olive the Lionheart to my (ever-growing) list; thank you. And I'm glad to know that there's another book from Kate Ellis - I'm well behind in that series, and taking my time finding the ones I haven't read, in order to make it last longer.

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    1. You'll know how much I like Kate Ellis when I tell you that it's one of the few series that I'm current on. So far, I've resisted picking it up to read, but... resistance is futile!

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  6. Such a variety! I'm interested in Olive the Lionheart--it is always fun to read about women, especially in an era where women had few rights, take things into their own hands. Women like Gertrude Bell and Isabella Bird fascinate me.

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  7. I may read Black Coral with all the lights on during the day. (That was told to me by a friend with a daughter who recommended reading frightening books during the day, not before bed. Advice well-taken.)
    I do a meme every year with categories of books to read. I have yet to read a "scary" book and Black Coral may be it.

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