Friday, May 15, 2020

Bookshelf Traveling For Insane Times No. 9

I am participating in the Bookshelf Traveling For Insane Times meme, hosted by Judith at Reader in the Wilderness. Again I am looking at one of the shelves containing my books, in this case mostly mysteries. If you click on the image of the shelf, you will be able to read more of the titles.


Near the top of the stacked books, there is Chasing the Devil's Tail by David Fulmer, first published in 2001.

Why do I have this book? My husband bought it at the Planned Parenthood sale, over ten years ago at least. He passed it on to me to read and it is still sitting on the shelf.

Setting and characters:
1907, in the Storyville district of New Orleans, an area where prostitution was tolerated and kept under control. This is at the beginning of the jazz age, and real-life characters are included, such as Jelly Roll Morton and Buddy Bolden. Creole detective Valentin St. Cyr is the protagonist, working for Tom Anderson, a political boss.

I don't know much about this book. It is the beginning of a seven book series, and it has gotten good reviews. If anyone knows more, let me know.

Right below that is Nemesis by Jo Nesbo, originally published in Norwegian in 2002, translated to English in 2008.

Setting and characters:
Oslo, Norway. Harry Hole is the main character, a police detective. He has many of the typical problems of policemen in contemporary mysteries; he struggles with alcohol and smoking, depression, and has difficulty taking orders and dealing with co-workers.

It has been eight years since I read The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo. The Redbreast was the third book in the series and I have not read books 1 and 2, which have now been translated into English. I still plan to move on to Nemesis and hope I remember enough to enjoy the book (or that it works well as a standalone).

I hope to read this book this year for the European Reading Challenge.


Towards the left of the photo is The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi, the first book in a science fiction trilogy, published in 2017, about an empire of worlds connected by travel via The Flow.

From the book description on the hardcover dust jacket...
Our universe is ruled by physics and faster than light travel is not possible—until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars. 
Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war—and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.
This book is first in a trilogy, and Richard Robinson at Tip the Wink has read all of the books. See his posts here and here.

I am currently reading this book, just started it today.




29 comments:

CLM said...

A nice assortment and quite varied, although the only one I have read is the Patricia Wentworth (I love her books, despite usually preferring more suspense). I own The Riddle of the Sands but haven't actually read it yet. Currently, I am really enjoying Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series.

Bill Selnes said...

TracyK: Once I clicked to take a closer look I found I just had to go through the shelf to see which authors and books I recognized and possibly read. I own and have read "Another Man's Moccasins". I read a different book of Gary Disher. I have read a couple of Jo Nesbo's books but not Nemesis. Of course, the Nero Wolfe books tucked in the back are familiar. But I have to ask whether you deliberately inserted "The Meaning of Night" upside down to see if anyone noticed.

TracyK said...

CLM, you have an eagle eye spying Wentworth's The Ivory Dagger in the back. I love her books too, although I haven't read that one. Maybe someday I will get back to the Maeve Kerrigan series, a lot of people enjoy it.

TracyK said...

Bill, that is a very good question. Glen took the photo and when he noticed the book was upside he assumed I had put it in that way on purpose. I don't remember how or why it got that way. But I decided to leave it the photo as is to see if anyone noticed. I am glad you did.

I have enjoyed all the Craig Johnson books I have read, but I haven't read Another Man's Moccasins yet. Sometime soon, I hope.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Liked SAVAGE SEASON by Lansdale and have read several Valins and probably all the Rex Stouts. You have some books as fragile as mine, I see.

Margot Kinberg said...

I love taking a peek at what other people are reading, Tracy. Thanks for sharing your shelves. I hope you'll enjoy the McGrath. I like her sense of place and local culture very much. I suppose that's what also drew my eye to your Garry Disher. He's another who can really transport the reader. I hope you'll enjoy it.

TracyK said...

Patti, I haven't read anything by either Lansdale or Valin yet and I have had both of those books close to 10 years. When I finally get to those books I will probably wonder why I waited so long.

And I do have a lot of older, fragile paperback books.

TracyK said...

In this case, Margot, I have read the first book in the Edie Kiglatuk series by McGrath and the first novel in Garry Disher's Inspector Challis series. I liked both of them.

Rick Robinson said...

It blows my mind the way you shelve your books, but each to his/her own, I guess. There's even one upside down!

I've read several of the books shown, but by far there are more I haven't read, many not even heard of. When I read Valin years ago I liked them a lot, for the character as much as the plot. The Lime Pit is pretty harsh, but good. As with several other posts in the last couple of days, this one makes me want to do some catching up on series I didn't finish.

TracyK said...

Rick, I shelve my books the way I do in optimistic hopes that I will be spurred to read the books soon. That obviously is not working. And I don't know why that book is upside down but I have not turned it right side up yet.

I am glad to hear good things about the Valin book from both you and Patti, I should read it soon. When I go through my shelves I see so many series I should start or continue. (And feel guilty.)

I am enjoying reading The Collapsing Empire.

Rick Robinson said...

Barbara has read all the Nesbo books, I have read none.

TracyK said...

I am not sure I will ever catch up to Barbara and read all the Nesbo books, Rick, although I do have four more on my shelves to read: the first two and two later books.

Has Barbara read all of the Lee Child books about Jack Reacher? I have read the first two and two later books (ones that were made into movies) and bought a few more at the last book sale.

Rick Robinson said...

One more thing: I do have a small 3-shelf bookcase for my TBR things, and the items thereon are not organized by author, genre or anything, except they are all softcover. They range from Mike Shayne to E.C.R. Lorac to S.A. Corey.

Rick Robinson said...

Yes, she’s read them all.

Katrina said...

Hmm, My husband keeps adding to my reading stacks too. How are you getting on with The Master and Margarita? I've finished it.

Cath said...

I keep thinking I should try something by John Scalzi so I look forward to hearing what you think of that book. Nice to see your shelves look just like mine with random piles.

Rick Robinson said...

Sorry to clog up the comments, but one last thing: I have done one and will put it up Sunday night for Monday. It’s an odd mix.

TracyK said...

Rick, that bookcase for TBR books sounds nice. I had to look up Corey, that would be science fiction?

It is my goal to read all the Lee Child books, they are fast reads but not short, but it will take me a while.

TracyK said...

And Rick, I am glad to see that you have done a post and look forward to seeing it.

TracyK said...

Katrina, it is good that we share some reading tastes with our husbands, I guess.

I finished The Master and Margarita just a day or so ago (and left a brief comment on one of your recent posts). The days run together now. I found it confusing but entertaining. Writing a review will be challenging. There was definitely a section of it where I was lost. And I think it will be worth a reread someday.

TracyK said...

Cath, I am enjoying Scalzi's book very much so far, and I will review it. And I liked other books that he wrote. I have read the first two in the Old Man's War series, and Lock In.

col2910 said...

Nice to see Lansdale on the pile. Another author I haven't read for a while. Ditto Nesbo.

Judith said...

Hi Tracy,
I'm sorry I'm so behind this week.
I loved! being able to really get up close and personal with your photographed bookshelf. (Loved the ability to see an enlarged photo--that was a treat!) I noticed a book and author I've read, and that's Sara Blaedel, Call Me Princess. I read that one and I believe one other by her. I liked them, but haven't read any more by her, mostly because she and her more recent books haven't crossed my path.
Around 2007-2012 I read a few of Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole novels. I loved the ride and the depictions of Oslo, but after a time I found they were getting a bit too grim for me to enjoy. I read The Snowman, but I think that was the last one I read. But I may try another at some point.

TracyK said...

Col, I do need to get to Lansdale. Glen has read one of his books, but not in the Hap and Leonard series. I am pretty sure I will read Nemesis this year.

TracyK said...

Judith, I am behind all the time now. No need for apologies.

I look forward to reading the Sara Blaedel book someday. I haven't read many books set in Denmark. I have had the same impression ... that the Nesbo books may get too grim, but I will keep reading the ones I have until I hit one that is too bad.

Rick Robinson said...

So now you've seen mine. For readers of this blog who don't know, the blog address is www.tipthewink.net and I'd welcome a visit!

Kathy D. said...

Nemesis is one of the best thrillers I have ever read, and I have high standards for thrillers. There are very interesting characters and plot twists, as well as a Roma gangster who is in jail and plays mental chess with Harry Hole. Very unusual book. Unputdownable.

Liked McGrath's sense of place and characters.

Garry Disher: I liked Bitter Wash Road about a police detective in a dusty old Australian town. Now Peace is out, a sequel. Want to read that.

TracyK said...

Rick, I enjoyed your book shelf post and I do encourage other bloggers to go check it out.

TracyK said...

Kathy, Glad to hear that you liked Nemesis. I have waited too long to read it. And I want to continue the McGrath series also.

I have only read one book by Garry Disher, but have heard good things about Bitter Wash Road. I will have to look around for that one.