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Tag Archives: mysteries

Reading Recommendations from Just Desserts members – February 2024

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the February 2024 Just Desserts meeting, 10 attending group members and guests participated in a discussion of suspense novel The Only One Left by Riley Sager.

Following the “assigned reading” portion of the meeting, we held our monthly round robin in which attendees shared recommendations of what other books they’ve been reading recently, with an emphasis on mysteries/suspense/thrillers. We continued a new policy this month that began in 2023, to make sure everyone got a turn in the Round Robin – everyone could share a single title during their verbal recommendations (actually we allowed two this month), but could then share additional titles on a paper form – ALL titles recommended are shown below. The titles marked by an * are those specifically mentioned verbally during the Round Robin. Two members who weren’t able to attend sent in their “recent reads” by e-mail, to be included in this list.

Here’s the list of mystery, thriller and suspense books recommended by Just Desserts members in February 2024:

And here were some non-mystery titles some group members also recommended in February 2024:

What mysteries have you been reading lately that you’d recommend?

Join the discussion on Riley Sager’s “The Only One Left”

At the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group meeting on February 29, 2024, the 10 attendees discussed the The Only One Left, a 2023 bestseller by Riley Sager. The entire group enjoyed the book and appreciated the introduction to Sager’s works and some looked forward to reading more by this author. But most members also had issues with the twits and revelations in the final few pages. If you have read The Only One Left, and would like to contribute your comments about it, please do so as a reply comment to this blog post, below.

For additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings and/or other announcements of interest to mystery fans, don’t forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or you can watch for possible Just Desserts event pages on the Facebook Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts – this is a great way for you to help us promote this engaging discussion group!

So…What do you think of The Only One Left?

The following handout was prepared for the members of The Works of Riley Sager (through 2024).

Just Desserts will return on March 28, 2024, with a discussion of the first six books in the Flavia de Luce by British author Alan Bradley.

 

What was your favorite Mystery/Thriller/Suspense novel you read in 2023?

Hey, mystery fans and members of the libraries’ Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group…

We’re on the final day of 2023, and we’re curious — what was your favorite Mystery/Suspense/Thriller that you read in 2023?

It doesn’t have to have been a “new” release this year, it could just be an older comfort read. But what Mystery or Suspense or Thriller novel stood out the most for you among all the books you read (or listened to) this past year?


Bonus Question: What was your favorite title among those we read specifically for a Just Desserts discussion! (see archive of past Just Desserts titles at this link!)


Leave a comment here, in response to this Just Desserts Blog post, with your favorite genre read in 2023. Who knows — your selection may be considered for one of our Just Desserts group reads in 2024!

NOTE: The Just Desserts Blog is a moderated blog — there will be a delay before your comment may appear.

Your 2023 Just Desserts hiatus Reading Suggestion – The works of Naomi Hirahara

During our traditional November and December hiatus period when Just Desserts does not meet in person, we usually offer you a suggestion of an author or series for you to try to sample, which you can can post a comment about in our Just Desserts blog. The author we suggest this year is Naomi Hirahara. Hirahara is an American author, born and raised in Southern California, who has written both fiction and non-fiction books, as well has having served as the editor of the largest Japanese-American newspaper in the United States.

Hirahara has written entries in four of her own original mystery series, has contributed short works to other author’s series or anthologies, has written five non-fiction titles, and has one non-mystery standalone novel to her credit. She has won both the Edgar Award and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her four series are as follows:

Mas Arai series features elderly Japanese-American gardener Mas Arai as the sleuth (2004-2018): Summer of the Big Bachi (2004), Gasa-Gasa Girl (2005), Snakeskin Shamisen (2006), Blood Hina (2010), Strawberry Yellow (2013), Sayonara Slam (2016), Hiroshima Boy (2018).

Officer Ellie Rush series features L.A. bike cop Ellie Rush, who aspires to become a homicide detective and keeps getting involved in murder cases on her beat (2014-2015): Murder on Bamboo Lane (2014), Grave on Grand Avenue (2015).

Leilani Santiago series – College grad Leilani returns from Seattle to Hawaii to help her MS-diagnosed mother keep the family’s shave ice shack business afloat and gets pulled into mysteries (2019-present): Iced in Paradise (2019), An Eternal Lei (2022).

Japantown Mystery series are set after Aki Ito and her family are released from the Japanese internment camp Manzanar. First book is set in 1944 Chicago, and the second in Southern California in 1946 (2021-present): Clark and Division (2021), Evergreen (2023).

Standalone Non-Mystery Novel: 1001 Cranes (2008).

In the list above, the Lincoln City Libraries currently owns any of the Naomi Hirahara titles that are hotlinked – either in regular print format, audiobook or digital formats. There are a limited number of copies of each title available. Titles not hotlinked are not in the libraries’ collection.

Just Desserts members wishing to participate in this hiatus reading activity are encouraged to read ANY one or more of the novels listed by Naomi Hirahara. and then return to leave a comment on this hiatus discussion post in the Just Desserts blog any time in either November or December.

This link goes to the Naomi Hirahara page on FantasticFiction.com, where you can link to the plot descriptions of each book in her various series.

This link goes to the official Naomi Hirhara website.

Your question: Which Naomi Hirahara novel(s) did you read, and what was your opinion?

Reading Recommendations from Just Desserts members – October 2023

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the October 2023 Just Desserts meeting, 19 group members and guests participated in a discussion of the life and works of classic American author Dashiell Hammett.

Following the “assigned reading” portion of the meeting, we held our monthly “round robin” in which attendees shared recommendations of what other books they’ve been reading recently, with an emphasis on mysteries/suspense/thrillers. We continued a new policy that began earlier this year, to make sure everyone got a turn in the Round Robin – everyone could share a single title during their verbal recommendations, but could share additional titles on a paper form – ALL titles recommended are shared below. The titles marked by an * are those specifically mentioned verbally during the Round Robin.

Here’s the list of mystery, thriller and suspense books recommended by Just Desserts members in October 2023:

And here were some non-mystery titles some group members also recommended in October 2023:

What mysteries have you been reading lately that you’d recommend?