• The Real Valkyrie, Nancy Marie Brown
• The Man in Black, Elly Griffiths
• We Solve Murders, Richard Osman
• The Island God, Sarah Painter
• An Instruction in Shadow, Benedict Jacka
• Killing Time, Jodi Taylor
• Storm Waters, Kat Richardson
• Anna Hoyt, Dana Cameron
• Sonny Boy, Al Pacino
• In Too Deep, Lee Child & Andrew Child

Nancy Marie Brown’s The Real Valkyrie is an amazing recreating of the life of a warrior found in a grave in Birka, Sweden. Tall and surrounded by weapons, for many years the warrior was presumed to be a man. To almost everyone’s shock, in 2017 testing revealed that this fighter was a woman. In imagining her life and how she came to rest in Birka, Brown has recreated a Viking world in all its fascinating details. This is a great way to learn about the times and beliefs of the mid-900s.

Everything Elly Griffiths writes is worth reading, and The Man in Black is no exception. It’s a collection of short stories, some of them featuring Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto, all series characters. I enjoyed every one.

We Solve Murders is Richard Osman’s first departure from his much-lauded Thursday Murder Club series. Retiree Steve Wheeler is Amy Wheeler’s father-in-law, and Amy is a private security guard currently employed by writer Rosie D’Antonio, who has received death threats. Due to an amazingly dexterous plot, the three must unite to save each other in a thoroughly entertaining way.

Sarah Painter is another must-read on my personal list. The Island God is the conclusion to her trilogy about Unholy Island, which is protected by magic . . . until it’s attacked by magic. Esme Gray is the island witch, and Luke Taylor is the island bookstore keeper, both stepping into the roles the island needs them to take. When the “mayor” of the island vanishes, it’s up to them to retrieve him and fight the invading force.

Benedict Jacka has been a favorite read of mine since his Alex Verus series, which was excellent. This new series about Stephen Oakwood, an outcast in a world which is made up of magic-monopolizing families with great power, is one I’m warming up to pretty quickly. Stephen’s mother has left and his father has vanished, and he’s all on his own in learning the magical lore he should have been taught. Stephen is nothing if not resourceful and determined, but the odds are stacked against him. I started rooting for him after the first half of the first book. An Instruction in Shadow is the second Oakwood novel, and you should definitely start with the first, An Inheritance of Magic.

Killing Time is Jodi Taylor’s latest, a Time Police novel, and I really can’t say more. I read every book she writes, and I have the best time doing so. Highly recommended!

Storm Waters is my friend Kat Richardson’s first book in too long a hiatus. It has been worth the wait. Put Prohibition, water magic, bootlegging, and vengeful spirits in a blender. With Kat Richardson’s talent, this book is what you’ll get.

Dana Cameron is another writer who’s been too long away. But you really need to buy Anna Hoyt. If you’ve read any of Cameron’s short stories about this character, you’ll know that this woman in 1700s Boston is only trying to make her own living and be beholden to no one. That never works out for a woman with her own property in those times. However, be warned. If you cross Anna, you will regret it, sooner or later.

I’ve always admired Al Pacino as an actor, so his is one of the few celebrity autobiographies I’ve read. It was interesting all the way through, though he’s hardly articulate about his craft. However, that makes his process all the more interesting: it’s felt, not technical. Pacino has been rich, he’s been broke, he’s been with interesting women, and now he’s a dad of a two-year-old at 84. Plus being one of the most famous actors in America.

I had promised myself to swear off Jack Reacher when Lee Child started collaborating with his brother Andrew in writing the books, but I didn’t last too long. In Too Deep opens with Reacher chained to a bed with an arm that seems to broken. He doesn’t remember how he got there, or why he’s being held captive. But it’s for sure that no one can hold Jack Reacher against his will without suffering extreme damage. Classic Reacher.

BLOG:

I’m trying to get ready for Christmas in a big hurry, since I’m having more surgery in a couple of weeks. That’s actually a great incentive not to dawdle. I have made cooking plans for Thanksgiving and decorating plans for Christmas. Now I just have to follow through with all the energy I can muster. Today I am seventy-three, which seems quite amazing to me. Inside I don’t feel I’m different at all, but the mirror tells another story! I don’t plan to quit working any time soon. I am what I do.

We have adopted another dog. Our Abigail, mostly Corgi, is aging, and we hoped a younger dog would keep her hopping. That hasn’t exactly worked out as planned, but we love Boo. He is a rescue, and more or less shaped like a Corgi, but he’s white and wire-haired. He’s my lap dog, which is a surprise and a thrill for me. Boo is four years old and can walk backwards faster than any dog I’ve ever seen. He is also quite the barker.

I wish you all well through these holidays. I know this is not a joyous season for many people (for various reasons), but I truly hope you all will find something to make your hearts happy during this season.

Charlaine Harris