The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 I happened to be in St. George's Barnes & Noble shortly before a trip to Rapid City. I realized I could use a light, fun read on the flights. As I picked this book up, the cover and font spoke "fun" and "intelligent" to me. I read the blurbs and they reflected my first impression. Was it worth the risk to pay full price? I decided it was!

I'm so happy I did! It's a fun read with many wise and serious overtones about growing older, about being needed, and about happiness and loneliness. Along the way there are fun and interesting characters and a complicated plot with several murders. The writing is intelligent and intriguing. I found it took all my concentration to keep the characters straight, but I did!

The winding up chapters resolved the many issues and questions raised, and cemented the fact that the police investigators and the elderly detectives would go on to solve more cases. Watching their trusting relationship grow was one of the delightful aspects of this book.

I also enjoyed the fact that even though the content dealt with several murders, there was little gore or violence that I often see in the mystery genre. This was a like a "comfort mystery"... I seem to be drawn to British authors and settings and this was one of the more enjoyable ones. Now I'm torn between reading it again since I enjoyed it so much or immediately shipping it off to Leslie Polson who shares my taste in humorous stories and characters. Actually this is humor of the best kind; poignant and humane. I enjoyed it so much that even my five and a half hour delay at the Rapid City Airport was not a problem. I just read and enjoyed and waited for the next announcement! That's a good test of holding my interest, for sure! I wasn't even worried and decided if we went, great, and if not, I would enjoy another day or three with Sierra's family. As it turned out, we went, and I got to finish the book in flight. 

Silent Souls Weeping by Jane Clayson Johnson

 This book, first published in 2018, gained a wide following early on. I recall that Darci Galligo, my friend in Rapid City, highly recommended that I read it. She suffers from depression and found it so helpful to read this account of stories and experiences that helped her deal with her struggle. 

Johnson recounts many of her own experiences with depression as well as those of others. It's a hopeful book, in that ideas and coping strategies are shared. I got a little bogged down at the end; it felt kind of redundant. I have read widely about this topic, so most of this was not new to me. I did appreciate her faithful approach, and pointed out where church members could do better in supporting and not judging those among us with mental illness. 

I happened to see this on a Relief Society give-away table one evening here in St. George, so I thought it was worth picking up. I thought I would read it and pass it on, but I'm not sure whom to pass it on to. Those that I know who have bouts or clinical or chronic depression are pretty well-versed in the subject. But maybe I could pass it on to someone who doesn't have this background? We'll see. 

I think in its time it was a much-needed book. Now this topic is frequently addressed in General Conference and in Church magazines. I guess it never hurts to reiterate our responsibility to "mourn with those that mourn" and it's always good to be reminded to never judge...