Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

I don’t think we have ever waited so long to put up the Halloween decor. We had planned to put it up last weekend and then football and baseball came into play. But, it’s up now. We need new stuff. This last year most of what we had fell apart up in the attic. It’s too hot up there. But the school kids walk by every day and I hear them talking about why we don’t have our decorations up so we patched it together and will get one more year out of it. They should be happy now.

Right Now:

Coffee. There is nothing like a big cup of coffee on Sunday morning. Then, I am off to hang with the high schoolers.

This Week:

I have book club this week. We are discussing Piranesi and I cannot wait.

The housing app for Missouri State opened last Friday so we are having a lot of discussions about housing for next year. She really needs a kitchen. That dining plan is not working at out. She is a healthy eater and country fried steak and meatloaf are not staples for her. I really hope we can get her into an apartment or at the very least a suite.

Reading:

I reviewed The Guide last Friday. I know it didn’t get rave reviews but I liked it a lot. I finished Nine Perfect Strangers. I should have the review up this week. I also finished Taste by Stanley Tucci. Very good. I hope to have that review up soon. That book is a treat to read.

Now, I must decide what to read next. The Stowaway came in from the library so I am leaning towards that one since many of you recommended it to me. Plus my RIP reading hasn’t been great.

Watching:

American Horror Story: Part 2. Still good. Very entertaining. Perfect for mindless TV viewing.

Squid Game. Just started.

I hope to watch Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu soon since I just finished the book.

Grateful for:

We had a ladies night for the student ministry leaders last Friday night and it was so much fun. JUST what I needed. Very grateful for that.
Overdrive and the library. I get so many of my Kindle books from Overdrive.

That’s all I have. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and great week!

The Guide
By Peter Heller
Knopf, 9780525657767, August 2021, 272pp.

The Short of It:

I read this one in one sitting. Held my attention even though it’s different from Heller’s normal fare.

The Rest of It:

The best-selling author of The River returns with a heart-racing thriller about a young man who is hired by an elite fishing lodge in Colorado, where he uncovers a plot of shocking menace amid the natural beauty of sun-drenched streams and forests. – Indiebound

I’ve read a couple of books by Heller and loved them both. What I did not read before this book is The River. Apparently The Guide is a follow-up to that book but I didn’t miss it at all. This one stands alone just fine. Thought you should know that in case you pick this one up thinking you have to read The River first. You don’t.

This was an interesting read for me. I was fully taken with the setting. Heller is a master at putting you in the setting. The river, the lodge, the people in it, all very descriptive and he totally pulled me in. What I didn’t expect was the mystery behind what is going on at the lodge. As an outsider working as a fishing guide to the rich, sometimes even famous clients, Jack sees things that raise a red flag to him. For one, the hasty retreat of the guide before him. A women’s scream in the middle of the night. Was it an owl? Perhaps. Why are there so many cameras and a gate code to get out?

I felt like the mystery was a bit farfetched but I enjoyed all that time on the river and I enjoyed Jack. He’s endured a life full of loss and finds peace on the water, so when his peaceful world is shattered by these nefarious events, you take notice. The Guide was a good read and I read it in one sitting. I will be reaching for The River soon.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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