February Books Read

I believe I've set a new low for myself:  I only finished four, count 'em, FOUR books in February!  I''m still trying to get settled in our new house, unpacking boxes (where did all these boxes come from?!), and trying to find the best places for things.

We solved one problem, very nicely, I think.  The decor of our house is sort of Art Deco.  The living room has a large slightly bay window with rectangular panes of glass.  I treasure the openness of the house, the views of the trees and the landscapes, so I didn't want to hang curtains or put up blinds.  I decided Japanese screens would be the thing and my husband found the perfect ones on-line.  They sit on the window sill and cover only the lower part of the windows.  We can see out over them if we're standing, but they give us some privacy if we're sitting on the sofa.  I love the way they look and am pleased with my brainstorm and his ability to find just about anything on the Internet.  I don't have that patience.

The books I finished are:

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child

Past Tense by William G. Tapply

My favorite of the four is the last one.  It takes place on Cape Cod and in Massachusetts, places I know well.  It was also a tense (was the title a play on words?) murder mystery.  It's part of the Brady Coyne series by the late author.  I've read a few of them but now think I'd like to catch up.

In a Dark, Dark Wood is the kind of book that makes you rethink a quiet vacation in the woods.  Do you really want to be that far away from other people?  Especially when creepy, murderous things are happening?

I read Death of an Airman because Katrina had read it and enjoyed it.  It's one of the British Library Crime Classics.  I love reading about or watching movies about the birth of flying, the old planes, the dinky airfields, the excitement of solo flight.  This one had all that  -  plus murders!

Gone Tomorrow was a disappointment.  Jack Reacher didn't seem to be as compelling as he often is.    He's riding the NY subway late at night and sees a woman who fits almost all the criteria for a suicide bomber.  She's not, but mayhem follows.  The book only got exciting at the very end.

My library has one unit of shelves up and the man making the shelves e-mailed that he has three more units ready for installation on Monday.  This means that our weekend will be spent painting the walls in the room, getting them ready for the shelving.  It's a very bright room, not too much direct sunlight, I hope, so I've chosen a very, very dark green (Valspar Blackened Pine) to tone things down a bit.  When we're finished, I'll post a photo.

I'm off to the library this morning to use my new library card for the first time.  I've requested Le Road Trip by Vivian Swift and The Bookseller by Mark Pryor and both are waiting for me.  I hope you all have a lovely reading weekend.