Mar 15, 2015

Sunday Salon: The Girl on the Train, and As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week. Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also visit It's Monday: What Are You Reading hosted by Book Journey, and Mailbox Monday.

The snow is just about all melted outside, but spring flowers will take some time to pop up. Sparrows and doves are showing up in the backyard again, and we have put out, optimistically, food for the hummingbirds.

A cookbook and two ARCs came in last week for review/feature:
The Cozy Cookbook
Recipes and book excerpts by five cozy mystery writers.
Too Bad to DieAn historical thriller in which British Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming attempts to foil a Nazi plot to assassinate FDR, Churchill, and Stalin. 
Cokie Roberts marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War by offering a riveting look at Washington, D.C. and the experiences, influence, and contributions of its women during this momentous period of American history

Book bought:

I couldn't wait for The Girl on the Train to be available at the library (long waiting list) so I bought the book. I finished it this morning after reading yesterday and well into the night. I think it's a terrific women's fiction story complicated or complimented by murder and psychological intrigue. Two married women are haunted - one by the inability to have a child and by the resultant break up of her marriage, and the other by a secret she keeps close to her chest. Their lives intersect through a third married woman and all the men in their lives. I don't want to give the plot away, but let me say it was an almost perfect book. I rated it 4.75/5, having just a very few minor reservations. I am not sure Anna was in character at the very end. 

From the library:  

I finished the seventh Flavia de Luce Mystery, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. I love this series and see that Bradley has set the stage for Flavia's future career as a spy master in this book. 

I am now reading a couple books for book tours, one of which is I Regret Everything, a love story by Seth Greenland

What's on your reading plate this week?

47 comments:

  1. I'm listening to The Girl on the Train now and loving it. The narration is terrific!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have been meaning to listen to more audio books. Glad this one grabs and keeps your attention!

      Delete
  2. The Girl on the Train has a long waiting list at my library. I couldn't resist getting in line. It seems from your review that it's worth the wait.

    Here's my Sunday Salon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you like women's fiction with a thriller plot added in, you'll like this one Deb, as I did!

      Delete
  3. For some reason I'm avoiding The Girl on the Train, not sure why, but nothing is grabbing my attention for it. The cookbook looks good, and I think I'm going to have to get it. It will be a nice companion to The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook I just got.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ryan, almost all of the men in The Giurl on the Train are douche bags, so you might not want to read it for that reason :)

      Delete
    2. That seems to be a reoccurring trend in a lot of the more popular books lately.

      Delete
  4. The Cozy Cookbook looks fun (for those who like to cook, like me) and so does Cokie Roberts' book. And isn't it nice that spring seems finally on the verge of, well, springing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lark, I can't wait for the first crocus or daffodil to show up in the yard!

      Delete
  5. I didn't know Cokie Roberts has published two other books on government and history.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved The Girl on the Train, too, and I am curious about the Alan Bradley book. Enjoy your week! Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laural-Rain Snow, I recommend the Bradley books. Start from the first one if you can. Delightful little girl sleluth is growing up.

      Delete
  7. I'm patiently waiting for The Girl on the Train to come in for me at the library. I've had it on hold for awhile now so I have no clue where I am on the list. I'm glad to hear that it will be worth the wait though! Enjoy all of your new books!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Worth the wait, Samantha. Out library list was soooo long that I bit the bullet and bought the book!

      Delete
  8. The Girl on the Train sounds like it should go on my tbr list for summer reading. I've been reading nothing but rave reviews about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you like thrillers and women's fiction, Vasilly, you will enjoy it.

      Delete
  9. I just got my library copy of The Girl on the Train yesterday. Can't wait to get started!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good for you, JoAnn, to have your library copy so soon. Hope you like it!

      Delete
  10. Oh man!! The Cozy Cookbook sound so good! I'd love to have a copy!
    Enjoy all your books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am eyeing some of those recipes already, Vicki!

      Delete
  11. Harvee, I'm glad you enjoyed The Girl on the Train so much. The Cozy Cookbook sounds like fun. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting, Suko. Have a great week!

      Delete
  12. I'm excited to see that Cokie Roberts has a new book. Read her book on Revolutionary War women years ago with a book group. I'll be on the lookout for this one. Thanks for sharing it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read Cokie's other books but they sound great too!

      Delete
  13. Capital Dames sounds like a good book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looking forward to learning more about Civil War history, Mary.

      Delete
  14. I have mixed feeling about THE GIRL on the TRAIN because all three women were so flawed. I also didn't know there were 7 books in the Flavia DeLuce series. I got derailed between book three and four, I think. I must pick them back up! My Sunday Salon, March 15

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anne, the reasons behind two of the women's flaws are part of the intrigue of the novel. Men do not come off looking too good in this book, lol.

      Delete
  15. The Cozy Cookbook sounds fun - combines 2 of my faves :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And the book has excerpts from the cozies you haven't read as yet!

      Delete
  16. I bet Capital Dames is fascinating. The Cozy Cookbook looks fun too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looking forward to reading these two, bermudaonion!

      Delete
  17. I really liked Girl on a Train too, and I've heard great things about the Flavia de Luce mysteries.

    The Cozy Cookbook looks so fun! Enjoy and have a great week :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Flavia de Luce mysteries have been fun. Looking forward to see where the next books head.

      Delete
  18. I enjoyed The Girl on the Train too, glad you liked it. I have still to start on the Alan Bradley series, but hope to do so soon! Happy reading :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read any bad reviews of The Girl on the Train, Lindsay, though I do see one or two one or two stars on Goodreads. One is from a male reader. Men come off terribly in this book :)

      Delete
  19. Ooh, The Girl on the Train. Such a page turner. I didn't get out of my pajamas the day I read that one, lol.

    Have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can relate to not getting out of PJs due to a book!

      Delete
  20. Another cookbook and the girl on the train! Great mailbox!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bought The Girl on the Train, Serena. Couldn't wait for the library to notify me , lol

      Delete
  21. I keep putting off reading the latest Flavia, because then I have to wait and wait for the next one. I have The Girl on the Train on hold at my library, I can wait. Stop by to see what I've done this week. http://ebogie.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-316.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth, that's funny. I had to read the new Flavia as soon as I saw it at the library.

      Delete
  22. I love those Flavia books. I am so curious to see what Bradley does with her next!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think she is being set up to become a secret service agent, my guess.

      Delete
  23. Nice mailbox.

    ENJOY all of your books.

    The Cozy Cookbook looks good.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Mailbox Monday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Elizabeth. Tho one of the books I bought and another, I got from the library!

      Delete

I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

Three Novels: Japanese Mystery; Family Drama; Ecuadorian

  Books in the mail The Night of Baba Yaga  by Akira Otani (translated from the Japanese). July 2, 2024, Soho Crime This is an unusual novel...