It’s Friday, friends, and you know what that means… let’s talk about what we’re reading!
I hope you’ve had a good week, and all my American friends had a delightful Thanksgiving! Mine was slightly different this year, as I celebrated with a different branch of the family, in the country of my roots instead of birth. It was a wonderful day with my cousins and aunt and uncle and my parents and brother, visiting our favorite vineyard and having a typical Italian meal with many dishes including lentils for good luck, a special local salami warmed and drizzled with olive oil, salami and prosciutto and speck with many cheeses, pepperonis, (which here are actually roasted peppers, not the small round salamis for pizza we know from home) breads and dried fruits and peanuts in the shell (!), plus several bottles of wine (I sadly still can’t partake properly but had a taste or two just for instructive purposes.) I have found as always the Italians do gluten free with no issue, and I have a new favorite special treat, gf biscotti. Molto buono.
My Italian is very rusty, but it’s been sufficient to get us around. Most Italians speak at least a little English, plus they do nice things like drop all the formative words in a sentence and use their bodies and hands and circumstances to indicate what they mean. So you don’t need to know complete grammatically proper sentences. You can break it down into the basics, say a simple word and point, and they get it. So long as you say Grazie all the time, and you fit right in.
All this to say, between brushing up on the language, the jet lag, the visiting, and the Iron Flame hangover, I haven’t done much reading. But I did bump into Heather Gudenkauf’s latest THE OVERNIGHT GUEST in the grocery store here, which was fun, and I’m reading a terrifying but beautiful horror novel by my friend and cohost Jeremy Finley, which is giving me nightmares but I can’t help but want to see what happens. It’s not out yet but when it is my Stephen King fans will LOVE it. Tori Eldridge has a new Lily Wong adventure, THE NINJA’S OATH, and my old friend Michael Sherer has a new Tess Barrett thriller, BLIND TRUST.
That’s it from me this week. How about you? What’s on your reading plate this weekend?
I've recently finished Lisa Jewell's, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE. Excellent. Highly recommend. Audio version if FAB, really FAB...can't say enough good about this one. She is an excellent writer, so succinct, so powerful, so visceral, emotive, all the so's...I bow to thee. I'm not worthy. LOL
You are my reading soul sister! LOL As YES, she is a favourite of mine as well...and I agree...this book blew it out of the water for me. Love her work. But this one was above and beyond. ;)
Italy sounds so lovely right now. I used to live in Florence for 8 years, and miss it often. Still dreaming of owning one day a villa in Tuscany. Just like Frances Mayes talks about in her lovely book Under the Tuscan Sun. ☀️🏡
I finished Iron Flame and what a ride!! I can see why everyone is raving about that one too. I'm not sure what to read next. I might pick up Lisa Jewell's NONE OF THIS IS TRUE.
Hello, I have been reading your Friday Reads for some time which I thoroughly enjoy and thought it high time I jumped in to say “hi”! I am just beginning my Fourth Wing journey and loving it. Also, on my Kindle I have just started Ariel’s, The Frozen River and loving it. Until next Friday. Helen (Great Reads & Tea Leaves from Downunder)
Hi Helen! I’m so glad you jumped in. It’s nice to meet you!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the juggernaut dragons. I miss them already. But Ariel’s book is also something very special. You’re going to be blown away, guaranteed.
I’m enjoying FOURTH WING (ahem). 😎
Told you!!!! 🤭
😂
Thank you for sharing the details of your trip, my Italian-American heart sings with your food list.❤️😂
Oh I am in heaven. Glad this was fun for you too.
I've recently finished Lisa Jewell's, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE. Excellent. Highly recommend. Audio version if FAB, really FAB...can't say enough good about this one. She is an excellent writer, so succinct, so powerful, so visceral, emotive, all the so's...I bow to thee. I'm not worthy. LOL
Very good book.
I could not agree more—absolutely brilliant book. She’s a favorite of mine but this one was above and beyond.
You are my reading soul sister! LOL As YES, she is a favourite of mine as well...and I agree...this book blew it out of the water for me. Love her work. But this one was above and beyond. ;)
If I could only find that fountain…..
I love Lisa Jewell and Lisa Gardner. Both excellent writers.
Agreed!
Italy sounds so lovely right now. I used to live in Florence for 8 years, and miss it often. Still dreaming of owning one day a villa in Tuscany. Just like Frances Mayes talks about in her lovely book Under the Tuscan Sun. ☀️🏡
I didn’t know that!!! We should talk about Italy soon. It’s chilly but gorgeous right now.
I would love that. Enjoy! Enjoy! ~
Currently reading Cold Curses by Chloe Neill...last in the series.
The Ninjas Oath was really good! You almost feel like you're IN all of her fabulous locations!!
Hi Amy! I don’t know Chloe’s work… thanks for the heads up!
It's a vampire series set in Chicago. It's pretty good and I used to live in Chicago, so that's an added bonus.
OK! Sounds so fun.
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
The Clinic by Cate Quinn
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
Oh oh oh how is The Fury? You know I’m a fan…
Just starting it after one of my favorite coworkers gave it 4 stars in GoodReads!
I can’t wait!
About 30% through. Love it! Twisty, snarky, and mysterious!
That’s one heck of a blurb!
I finished Iron Flame and what a ride!! I can see why everyone is raving about that one too. I'm not sure what to read next. I might pick up Lisa Jewell's NONE OF THIS IS TRUE.
Im so glad. I just want to read it again. Lisa’s book is probably the only one to follow that you’ll be satisfied with. It’s on par excellence!
Hello, I have been reading your Friday Reads for some time which I thoroughly enjoy and thought it high time I jumped in to say “hi”! I am just beginning my Fourth Wing journey and loving it. Also, on my Kindle I have just started Ariel’s, The Frozen River and loving it. Until next Friday. Helen (Great Reads & Tea Leaves from Downunder)
Hi Helen! I’m so glad you jumped in. It’s nice to meet you!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the juggernaut dragons. I miss them already. But Ariel’s book is also something very special. You’re going to be blown away, guaranteed.