Sunday, February 27, 2022

February 2022 Additions to My Digital Security Blanket

 


Today has been a good day. We've gotten a few hours of rain here in the Phoenix area, and I hope that the northern part of the state is getting lots of snow. We need every drop of water we can get. Today's rain has meant little to no action on the birdbath outside my window, so I have no excuse to dilly-dally with this post. It's time to get to work!

I seem to average around a dozen additions to my digital security blanket each month, and February was no exception. I've grouped my acquisitions by genre/subgenre, and if you click on the link in each book title, you will be taken to Amazon US to learn more about the book. Now let's see what I couldn't resist!


===Non-Fiction===

 
Jenclair's review of this book on her blog was the siren call for me to seek and buy this book. I've long had a fascination with Native American history and culture. Arizona has many reservations, and Denis and I have visited several. It's good to show the proper respect to others by having an understanding of their ways.

The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell.

♦ Because who doesn't like a book about bookshops when the price is right?


===Police Procedural/Law Enforcement===

A Familiar Sight by Brianna Labuskes.

Jenclair's review of the second book in this series enticed me to get a hold of the first book. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Letter from the Dead by Jack Gatland. Set in England.

♦ I'm going to have to stop reading Jenclair's blog! Her review of this book convinced me that this was something I needed to read. The price was right; the rest is history.

Bag Limit by Steven F. Havill. Set in New Mexico. 

♦ A favorite series of mine that I have been very lax about keeping up with, so when I saw that a new one was going to be released in March, I looked up the next book I needed to read and bought it.

Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai. Set in India.

♦ I have a weakness for mysteries set in India; this one sounded good, the price was right...


===Cozy Mystery===

The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies by Adriana Licio. Set in Germany.

♦ I'm beginning to see cozy mysteries cropping up that are set in other countries, so I want to see what the publishers are finding.

The Kill of It All by Diane Vallere. Set in Texas.

♦ The latest in one of my favorite series, and I'm really looking forward to it because Madison finally has her interior design business back. Yippee!


===Short Stories===

Memphis Noir edited by Laureen P. Cantwell & Leonard Gill. Set in Tennessee.

♦ Oh oh. Cathy's buying up Akashic short story anthologies again! I'm trying to exercise some restraint (go ahead and laugh) by being more selective about the locations where the anthologies are set. We'll see how that works...
 
Summer Rain by Peter Robinson. Set in England.
 
♦ I rated this short story four stars on Goodreads, and it's a reminder to myself to read the next book in Robinson's Inspector Banks series.
 
Kingston Noir edited by Colin Channer. Set in Jamaica.
 
♦ Did I just hear you snort?!? It's been a long long time since I've read anything set in Jamaica, and I just had to rectify that. (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Besides, I had a chance to buy about four other Akashic anthologies and didn't. So there.)
 
 
===Thriller===
 
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse. Set in Switzerland.
 
♦ This book has intrigued me since I first saw it, and I have to admit that old insane asylums, sanatoriums, and hospitals creep me out. I remember beginning to watch some British horror series in which property developers had converted an old Victorian insane asylum into luxury flats and then all sorts of gruesome things began happening to the people who bought the flats. My reaction was: What did they expect? I honestly believe that places like that absorb all the pain and terror and madness within their walls. Okay. Shut up. I just gave myself goosebumps!
 
 
How did I do? Have you already read any of these? (I know Jenclair has.) What did you think? Or... did I encourage you to take a look at a book or two yourselves? Which one(s)? You know that inquiring minds would love to know!
 


23 comments:

  1. Interesting selection. Glad you bought a few cozies to read after you read Witness the Night. It is very good, won some prizes, but it is very disturbing. More after you read it and I read your review.
    The Sanatorium scares me, too. I'll read your review. There's this "should I or shouldn't I?" aura about it.

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    1. I'm in the right mood to be creeped out, but I do have my limits.

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  2. So glad I'm not the only one busy loading up their Kindle with tempting reads.

    The Bookshop Book is good, in fact I think I might've read 2 books about books by Jen Campbell.

    I haven't read any mysteries set in India but am thinking of reading The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan this month. Do you know anything about the series?

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    1. Love the Chopra series. It starts well and just keeps getting better. Another present-day series set in New Delhi that I highly recommend is Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series. Excellent!

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  3. Witness the Night is a powerful read, Cathy. It's for a time when you're ready for something disturbing, though; it's not an easy book to read. The Bookshop Book looks great, too. Just the sort of read I'm in the mood for at the moment; I hope you'll really enjoy it.

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    1. Well, that's two trusted sources telling me to take care with Witness the Night, so I definitely will!

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    2. Well, Desai's book comes close to revealing the reality of some attitudes in India, which have led to real crimes. It is worth reading.

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    3. Also, the book will make you angry, not scare you, I think.

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    4. If it's anything close to that Netflix series I watched based on a true story in India, I'm certain that it will make me angry.

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    5. It takes a lot to scare me-- like that monster storm in Halsey's Typhoon. Fiction very seldom ever has the effect.

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    6. Witness the Night is well worth reading. It reminds me of Deepa Mehta's movies about women in India which show aspects of women's oppression.

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    7. Another author to keep in mind!

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    8. Deepa Mehta is a famous Indian woman film director. She made three films that are known and which got her in trouble in her country because they exposed mistreatment of women.

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    9. Yes, I've been doing a bit of reading about her.

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    10. Good. I should do thet, too.

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  4. They look great, enjoy, and I’m going to go visit Jenclair.

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    1. Oh oh. Watch out-- Jenclair might have the same effect on you as she does on me!

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  5. I've read The Sanatorium last fall for the RIP event. I'll watch for what you think about it. Yes, I've never thought it would be fun to buy a condo or whatnot that's in a renovated sanatorium/asylum-type place. Spooky deluxe. Enjoy your books!

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  6. I've added A Familiar Sight and Letters from the Dead to my list - you know I can never get enough procedurals. And The Bookshop Book is right up my alley also - definitely a good month for your stockpile!

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  7. I do so like the list especially The Bookshop Book.

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Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!