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...

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

 Leonard and I had just returned to Florida after our second Flower Power cruise and were facing two long flights home. I browsed the bookstore at the Fort Lauderdale airport, thinking that a new good book would help me enjoy the flights. Ann had recommended this one quite awhile ago, and I have been waiting to buy it second-hand at a cheaper price. But there were never any cheap ones online, so I hadn't bought it yet. As I contemplated the hours on the plane, I decided it would be worth the full price to be well-entertained! I was not disappointed; it definitely delivered on the good story, good character, good writing metrics. 

Kya, the main character, lives alone in a shack in a marsh after her family deserts her, one by one. By the time she is ten, she is living on her own. The story of how she survives is fascinating, and the description of her surroundings is almost lyrical. It was intriguing and fairly realistic most of the time... A couple of times I got irritated by the leaps of faith required to believe what was going on, but mostly it was pretty believable. I like a good mystery, and this one had some intriguing twists and turns. I liked how the story went back and forth between different points of time in the past. The characters were interesting and consistent. It was interesting to watch Kya deepen her isolation and eventually come out of it... I also liked the descriptions of her marshy environment. 

What Ann really liked was the audio version and how beautifully the story was told with local accents. One connection I liked was that the author earned her doctorate in animal behavior at UC Davis. As Kya learned from the natural world and applied it to human behavior, it gave a lot of unexpected conclusions about both. 

In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner by Elizabeth George

 I happened on to this author when I was searching Amazon for a different author I had heard about in a podcast. The reviews were so glowing, I thought I should try one. This particular mystery was very well-written with very intriguing English characters. However, the crime and milieu were so unpleasant that it kind of darkened my mood. The plot uncovered a specialized prostitution ring that had S&M as its main attraction. I was dismayed by the level of detail and descriptions of S&M, and probably should have left it alone. However, the Scotland Yard detectives were admirable, and I really wanted to know how they would eventually solve the murder that began the story. I finished it on our flight to Florida, and it made those four to six hours go by very quickly! I may try another one by this author, but will be more careful to read the reviews and see what the gist of the crime is before choosing one! This is #10 in a series of Inspector Lynley books, and I really liked his character as he tried to discipline Detective Barbara Havers. After a little break, I may try another one in this series. I really appreciate good writing and colorful, real characters, which this one definitely had!

Cross My Heart by Julie Wright

 This is the book that is dedicated to my friend, McKenna Mendenhall, by her mother, the author, Julie Wright. Again, it's an entirely predictable story, with cute characters and good descriptions of the setting--Boston. Enjoyable but entirely too fluffy for me. I'm giving it away to Beth Farley, also a friend of McKenna's, who claims this is her favorite genre. She's a busy mom, so this might be just what she needs!

Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright

 McKenna Mendenhall in our ward is a darling young mother, just bursting with enthusiasm and charm. One day after church I was visiting with her, and she told me her mother, who lives locally in Santa Clara, is a prolific writer. She writes "proper romance" for Shadow Mountain, a spinoff, of sorts, of Deseret Book. I asked her which one was her favorite, and she mentioned "Cross My Heart" because "It's dedicated to me!" When I went online to look for it, I also saw this one and was enticed to order both.

This is a modern tale, where the young woman is thwarted in love, and continually reflects on what Jane Austen would do. Each chapter begins with an Austen quote. It's quite charming, and the conversations are lively. The plots are so predictable in this genre, but still it's fun. Sometimes the sheer goodness of the good characters are a little over the top. It was a little frustrating to have it be so lightweight, but this author writes better than most. 

I enjoyed the southern California setting, of the story, and the description of the brothers and their parents. All very wholesome and good... Still, not my genre of choice...

The Secret Life of Fungi by Aliya Whiteley

 This was a sweet little book gifted to me for Christmas by Glen and Darla Whipple. Their daughter, Michelle recommended it, and they are reading it too.

I found it entertaining, fascinating in parts, and full of wonder. I like reading and learning about the natural world. And the world of fungi IS fascinating and pervasive in our world. I had no idea they were EVERYWHERE! I liked how Whiteley related some of her personal story as she revealed what she learned about fungi. I always like a good English setting, so that was a plus. She describes the smells and sights of the forest beautifully. I also appreciated the short chapters... I could take this book in small chunks and savor each one. 

I enjoyed it, but it is not a repeat read or a keeper for me. I'm trying to think of someone to give it to who would like it. It's such a pretty little book with a great cover. So...do I keep it for that????