Remember when everyone was excited to have time to make bread or finally clean out that closet or have Zoom cocktail hours? Feels like a long time ago. Feels like things have darkened dramatically. If you’re struggling to carry on or find yourself scrolling endlessly through bad news, remember the Stoic tenet of turning obstacles into fuel, to see everything as an opportunity to do something.

No one is saying this isn’t a dire time but we have to deal with it. There’s no other choice.  Not in short bursts, but with sustainable energy and perseverance.

Let’s get back to simpler topics: books and reading.

 

Here are 3 crime fiction links, 2 quotes, and 1 question for this week:

 

3 LINKS

• CrimeReads looks back at the novels and career (to date) of Dennis Lehane. And doesn’t pull any punches on its thoughts about MOONLIGHT MILE. Recently re-read DARKNESS and…damn…so good.

• Get your library requests or pre-orders in now: ABR looks at 12 mysteries and thrillers sure to generate some buzz this fall including the newest from Tana French and a standalone from Nesbo. We’ll also get the first co-written Reacher book in November, too.
  

• BookRiot revists THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW during quarantine now that so many more of us are stuck inside.

 

2 QUOTES

Two quotes from Dennis Lehane this week:

• “Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?” – from SHUTTER ISLAND
  

• “Your first family is your blood family and you always be true to that. That means something. But there’s another family and that’s the kind you go out and find. Maybe even by accident sometimes. And they’re as much blood as your first family. Maybe more so, because they don’t have to look out for you and they don’t have to love you. They choose to.” – from THE GIVEN DAY

 

1 QUESTION

• I find myself re-reading favorite books more often as I get older. I recently re-read Lehane’s second Kenzie/Gennaro DARKNESS, TAKE MY HAND? Do you prefer Lehane’s PI series or his standalones?
  

 

Until next Thursday, happy reading,

Mike

Author the Max Strong thriller series