Hi , I'm Linda. Welcome to my Reader's Advisory blog for LIS 524 Adult's Reader's Advisory. I am a manager of a historic Carnegie library in Evansville IN. I love reading and sharing that love of reading with others. I enjoy mysteries aka whodunnits. I enjoy the challenge of trying to figure things out. At times that looks like cozies and authors like Jenn McKinlay, Joann Fluke and the Murder She Wrote series.These stories usually have a simple story line and are formulaic. For me, they basically provide light reading. Other times I enjoy classics like Agatha Christie's Poirot and Mrs. Marple. I recently started reading the more action packed David Baldacci and also enjoy James Patterson's thrillers.
Listening to mysteries on audiobook has introduced me to some fantastic narrators also. Grover Gardner brings David Rosenfelt's snarky Andy Carpenter to life. I had initially read Louise Penny's books, but when I was introduced to the audiobooks and Robert Bathurst, I chose to return to Three Pines by audiobook.
Whatever genre I read I enjoy getting to know the characters and seeing them develop, so I tend to read series. I like to switch genres from time to time. I think of it like my salty and sweet snacks. When I get tired of mysteries (salty)I may read romance series (sweet) authors like Debbie Macomber and Karen Kingsbury. Authors like these give the reader a chance to know the characters, their lives and challenges. I also enjoy gentle reads by authors Jan Karon and Alexander McCall Smith. Along with my sweet and salty fiction, Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite nonfiction authors. I am always reading something and usually have at least 6 titles I'm reading at any time. I am sure throughout this course my reading list will grow as I read about what others are reading.
Hi Linda! I am looking forward to having this class with you because it seems like we read many of the same types of books! I also like to switch up genres and love your analogy of salty and sweet! I really like mystery books as well. Have you read Diane Mott Davidson's series featuring the character of Goldy Shultz? They are older books but I they are similar to Joanna Fluke and so good! I highly recommend them.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
ReplyDeleteI envy your position at an original Carnegie library. It must be great to be surrounded by so much history every day! I loved my Carnegie library as a kid, and will still stop into one, whenever I find it. Sadly, the original Carnegie library in Westfield has been converted to a print shop, and the one in Carmel is now a restaurant -- but at least I can visit it :-)
Like you, I love to find a good, long series and always hate to see it end, if its characters and setting have managed to transport me. I just want to spend more time in Mitford. I have also enjoyed the narration of the Inspector Gamasch series, and find Penny's characters and setting very appealing.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading some mysteries, but I usually don't actively try to figure out who did it. I like going along for the ride and if a book is really good, then the answer will surprise me, but not feel like it's totally out of left field. I've found many mysteries are similar and one can usually figure out who did it pretty early on without having to work at it too much, which makes those mysteries that surprise me all the better!
So many things here caught my attention! First of all, I am not a mystery reader but my book club is looking to broaden our reading horizons this year and we selected the first Andy Carpenter book from David Rosenfelt as our February pick. So I was glad to see it mentioned in your post and will have to consider listening to it on audio after seeing your comment.
ReplyDeleteI love your analogy of the salty and sweet reads. I am the same way with heavy-hitting nonfiction and uplifting romance and contemporary fiction. Too many nonfiction books and I need a happy and predictable ending, and too many romance books and I'm left longing for substance. I'm curious to hear what you thought of the latest by Gladwell. I was ready to pick it up and then heard some not-so-great feedback about it, so it moved down my TBR list.
Also, I don't know if it's just my computer or if anyone else is having this issue, but it is really hard for me to read the text on your page against the darker background. Just wanted to share that with you in case others are also having trouble reading your posts. Looking forward to being in class with you!
I am in the same boat about Gladwell's book too, Rachel! He even narrates the audio book but I've been on the fence about reading it because of the mixed reviews. Have you read any of his other books?
DeleteI've read The Tipping Point and Outliers but read both about a decade ago. I was excited for the premise of Talking to Strangers but the feedback I've gotten just makes me hesitate.
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ReplyDeleteHi Linda!
I'm so happy to meet another audio book lover! I have so many favorite narrators it would take forever to name them. Jim Dale, Simon Vance, and Caroline Lee are definitely in my top 10.
Since you're an experienced romance reader, I would love some recommendations! I chose romance as one of my genres for this class but I'm relatively new to it.
So, Malcolm Gladwell--can I assume you've read "Talking to Strangers?" It got some mixed reviews, which surprised me. What were your thoughts?
Hi Linda! I envy your ability to incorporate audiobooks (my mind wanders too much) and juggle several titles. :) I mostly stick to one at a time, but power through. Looking forward to seeing your recommendations!
ReplyDeleteLinda-- thanks for sharing! The sweet and salty comparison was great. I'd love to visit a historic Carnegie library! I have always loved watching mystery movies (I just saw Knives Out, and it is fantastic!), but your post inspired me to give an adult mystery book a try! I think it would be neat to try a Miss Marple book, as I've heard great things about the Miss Marple TV series. Would you say knowing the type of mystery shows people watch helps with connecting them with a good mystery book?
ReplyDeleteHi Linda! There's so many Evansville people in this class- it's so nice to see a familiar face (or at least name).
ReplyDeleteAre you planning on picking Mystery as one of your 5 genres (especially since you're such an expert)? I picked Mystery because I don't read a lot of them, so if you have any suggestions I would be eternally grateful.
I also love audiobooks! My attention span seems to be getting worse with physical books (or even e-books) and audiobooks are great for multitasking. I've knitted a good part of a blanket thanks to Libby's e-audiobooks. Do you multitask while you listen too? Also, do you think mysteries might be better for audiobooks than other genres (since they keep you on the edge of your seat)?
Hi Linda, I see you like Malcolm Gladwell. I really like his podcast, Revisionist History. Have you listened? I've always been the person to order a savory breakfast when out at brunch with friends. Looks like I need to take a page from your book (or a bite from your plate?) and mix it up. I'm going to try out a sweet "romance" as part of this course, and I'll be reading my first ever James Patterson thriller, too! Looking forward to seeing what you think of my annotations.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda! Thank you for sharing your reading preferences with us. Your enthusiasm for mysteries made me smile. I find myself in the position of wanting to branch out in my reading; I would love to hear your recommendations for mystery titles, as I am very new to the genre and not sure where exactly to jump in.
ReplyDeleteExcellent reading profile! You certainly sparked a lot of conversation among your classmates :)
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