Weeping Waters by Karin Brynard

Weeping Waters
by Karin Brynard
translated by Maya Fowler and Isobel Dixon

Published: 2018
Publisher: Europa
Genre: Mystery, South Africa
Paperback: 507
Rating: 5
Goodreads | Website

Inspector Albertus Markus Beeslaar series:
Weeping Waters
Homeland - translation tba

First sentence(s):
The call came through just after two.

Inspector Albertus Markus Beeslaar is a traumatized cop who has abandoned tough city policing and a broken relationship in Johannesburg for a backwater post on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. But his dream of rural peace is soon shattered by the repeated attacks of a brutally efficient crime syndicate, as he struggles to train and connect with rookie local cops, Ghaap and Pyl, who resent his brusqueness and his old-school ways.

Along with Ghaap and Pyl, Beeslaar is plunged into the intrigue and racial tensions of the community and finds that violence knows no geographical or ethnic boundaries.

PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

Art, land, racism, greed intermingle in the first of this mystery series set in a small town in South Africa.

I liked getting to know the inspector and new team formed for future detective cases.

~*~
* part of Books, Inc. Foreign Intrigue Book Club (here)

Lovely Books and Things - 6.28.20

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~
HAPPY THINGS:

1. Comfort food: Korean Soft Tofu Dumpling Soup - medium spicy (with plenty of banchan)

2. Exercise: trying the gentle movements of Qi Gong practice on YouTube

3. Personal scavenger hunt for misspelled street names in San Francisco - Lombard Street

~*~
Freebies: from Free Little Library

Camino Winds
by John Grisham
Mystery | Goodreads
Library: audiobook

Had to pick this up before reading Camino Winds.

Camino Island
by John Grisham
Mystery | Goodreads
A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars.

Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts.

Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets.

~*~
Virtual Author event: hosted by Alta Magazine
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)
Tune in Wednesdays 12:30pm pst Alta Asks

The Companions
by Katie M. Flynn
Dystopia, Pandemic-related | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by Booksmith
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)
Tune in Tuesdays 11am pst VIRTUAL: ZYZZYVA & The Booksmith Present: Lockdown Lit @ Lunch

Good Morning, Destroyer of Men's Souls:
A Memoir of Women, Addiction, and Love
by Nina Renata Aron
Memoir, Feminism | Goodreads

Between The Records
by Julian Tepper
Literary, Jewish | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by Green Apple Books
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)


Essay collections:

The Inner Coast: Essays by Donovan Hohn
Essays | Goodreads

Thin Places: Essays from In Between by Jordan Kisner
Essays, Memoir | Goodreads

Of Color by Jaswinder Bolina
Essays | Goodreads

Virtual Author event: hosted by Book Passages
Register and listen to the archive of this or to future Book Passages author talks for free (here)
A conversation between Elizabeth George and Jacqueline Winspear

Mastering the Process:
From Idea to Novel
by Elizabeth George
Writing | Goodreads

A conversation between Jason Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal

My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me by Jason Rosenthal
Memoir | Goodreads

Dear Boy, by Paris Rosenthal, Jason Rosenthal
Children, Picture Book | Goodreads

~*~
AND watched: part of Frameline44 - LGBTQ Film Festival (here)

Ema (2019)
Director: Pablo Larraín
Writers: Guillermo Calderón, Pablo Larraín, Alejandro Moreno
Stars: Mariana Di Girolamo, Gael García Bernal, Santiago Cabrera
Drama, Music, LGBTQ | imdb | my rating: 4
In the latest from visionary filmmaker Pablo Larraín, director of Jackie and producer of the Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman, newcomer Mariana Di Girolamo electrifies the screen in the titular role of Ema, a young, unhinged, bisexual dancer who embarks on a difficult journey to regain custody of her adopted son.

When their eight-year-old sets fire to the family home, Ema and her choreographer husband Gastón (Gael García Bernal) reluctantly return the boy to child services. This act places a scarlet letter on Ema in their town of Valparaíso, whose residents already frowned upon the erotically-charged performances of the couple’s dance troupe—mainly comprised of sexually liberated queer women and men. With audacious cinematography and jaw-dropping dance sequences—accompanied by a mesmerizing ambient/reggaeton score from musical wunderkind Nicolás Jaar—Ema finds its feverish heroine striving to clear her conscience, while setting ablaze sexual, gender, marital, paternal, and societal roles and expectations in her path.

WONDERFUL meld of movement with dance, sex, explosive conversations.

AND watched: online virtual theatre

Shirley (2020)
Director: Josephine Decker
Screenplay: Sarah Gubbins
Based on book by: Susan Scarf Merrell
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Odessa Young, Michael Stuhlbarg
Biography, Drama, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 5
A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.

HEAD spinning and still has me wondering what was real?

~*~

Happy Pride Month
LGBTQ Honey Bears by fnnch
~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

*** THANKS to those on the front line during these times ***
Shelter In Place - Day 104, Week 16
Stay healthy! Be safe!

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Yarn Along - June

Yarn Along
hosted by small things
details | June links
On the first Wednesday of each month, knitters, and a few crocheters as well, link up and share what they are knitting along with what they are reading. The link up remains open all month long.

~*~

Knitting:
Yarn: Wool and the Gang - Billie Jean (Indigo Denim and Washed Out Denim)
Needles: 6.5mm / US 10.5

Working on the last piece (sleeve) before putting together a summer cardigan. But, I ran out of yarn this week. Argh!

This is my first go at something knitted other than a scarf. Exciting.

I will post final cardigan here when done.
Reading:

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Not my norm. I am reading three books. A chapter or two per book per day.

Since the start of Shelter in Place in March my reading has been off. Short attention span. Keep getting distracted with the latest news and Covid-19 count. Thus, short reading stints.

~*~
* first spotted at Reviews from the Stacks

Man Booker International Prize Reading Challenge 2020

Man Booker International Prize
Reading Challenge
official site
Long list announced: February 27, 2020
Short list announced: April 2, 2020
Winner announced: August 26, 2020

~*~
Setting up this self-challenge for some arm-chair traveling.

~*~
W I N N E R: tba

~*~
Books on the short list:

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree
by Shokoofeh Azar
translated by Anonymous
Historical, Magical Realism, 70's, Farsi-Iran | Goodreads

The Adventures of China Iron
by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
translated by Iona Macintyre and Fiona Mackintosh
Feminism, LGBTQ, Spanish-Argentina | Goodreads

Tyll
by Daniel Kehlmann
translated by Ross Benjamin
Historical, Germany-German | Goodreads

Hurricane Season
by Fernanda Melchor
translated by Sophie Hughes
Literary, Spanish-Mexico | Goodreads

The Memory Police
by Yoko Ogawa
translated by Stephen Snyder
Dystopia, Japanese-Japan | Goodreads

The Discomfort of Evening
by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
translated by Michele Hutchison
Contemporary, Dutch-Netherlands | Goodreads

Lovely Books and Things - 6.21.20

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~
HAPPY THINGS:

1. Surprise dinner box with beef curry, veggies, rice and dessert of cookies hand-delivered by friend :-)

2. Peter Pan musical (with Christopher Walken as Captain Hook!) - found out that Show Must Go (here) free musicals are still being offered on Fridays 11am pst - I missed Wiz and Hairspray. Wonder what next week's will be.

3. Outing to Japan town for yummy ramen

~*~
Bought:

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
by Austin Channing Brown
Memoir | Goodreads

The Nickel Boys
by Colson Whitehead
Historical, Pulitzer Prize 2020 | Goodreads
Library: audiobook

Girl, Woman, Other
by Bernardine Evaristo
Contemporary, Short Stories, Man Booker Prize 2019 | Goodreads
~*~
Virtual Author event: hosted by Alta Magazine
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)
Tune in Wednesdays 12:30pm pst Alta Asks

Gangersterland
by Tod Goldeberg
Thriller, Crime, Mystery | Goodreads

Mothers Before:
Stories and Portraits of Our Mothers As We Never Saw Them
by Edan Lepucki
Essays, with photos | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by Booksmith
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)
Tune in Tuesdays 11am pst VIRTUAL: ZYZZYVA & The Booksmith Present: Lockdown Lit @ Lunch

Fairest
by Meredith Talusan
Memoir, LGBTQ, Filipino | Goodreads

Good Boy: My Life in 7 Dogs
by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Memoir, LGBTQ, Dogs | Goodreads
Bookish event:

Paris in July 2020
hosted by Thyme for Tea (details)
So excited to participate in this next month!

~*~
AND watched: on Netflix

Schitt's Creek (2015)
season one
Creators: Dan Levy, Eugene Levy
Stars: Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy
Comedy | imdb | my rating: 5
When rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose and his family suddenly find themselves broke, they are forced to leave their pampered lives to regroup in Schitt's Creek.

HILARIOUS! I'm hooked.


Bookish random:



Looking forward to when the San Francisco Public Libraries offer curbside service too!

~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

*** THANKS to those on the front line during these times ***
Shelter In Place - Day 97, Week 15
Stay healthy! Be safe!

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Black Publishing Power

Black Publishing Power
June 14 to June 20, 2020
#BlackoutBestsellerlist #BlackPublishingPower
Purchase any two books by Black writers to...

Blackout bestseller lists with Black voices
My picks:

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
by Austin Channing Brown
Memoir | Goodreads

Girl, Woman, Other
by Bernardine Evaristo
Contemporary, Short Stories, Man Booker Prize 2019 | Goodreads

The City We Became
by N.K. Jemisin
Fantasy, SciFi, New York | Goodreads

The Nickel Boys
by Colson Whitehead
Historical, Pulitzer Prize 2020 | Goodreads

Lovely Books and Things - 6.14.20

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~
HAPPY THINGS:

1. Starting a Spotify account - oh, the music!

2. Pop-up sidewalk Jazz ensemble performance (with plexiglass dividers and everyone in masks)

3. *!*~Winner~*!* of Spotlight Giveaway featuring Marlene Bell's Annalisse series

Stolen Obsession by Marlene M. Bell
Mystery, Romance | Goodreads

Spent Identity by Marlene M. Bell
Mystery, Romance | Goodreads

~*~
NOTE: Most of the virtual author events below are recorded and can be currently accessed for a listen - check per site

Virtual Author event: hosted by Alta Magazine
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)
Tune in Wednesdays 12:30pm pst Alta Asks

Passage West
by Rishi Reddi
Historical, California, India, Sikh | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by BookShop West Portal
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)

Everything She Touched
The Life of Ruth Asawa
by Marilyn Chase
Biography | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by Green Apple Books
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)

A Burning
by Megha Majumdar
Literary, India | Goodreads

Parakeet
by Marie-Helene Bertino
Literary, Magical Realism | Goodreads
~*~
AND watched: online part of We Are One Global Film Festival (here)

Mystery Road (2013)
Director/Writer: Ivan Sen
Stars: Aaron Pedersen, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Kwanten
Crime, Drama, Thriller, Australia | imdb | my rating: 4
An indigenous detective returns to the Outback to investigate the murder of a young girl.

LOVED the landscapes of the outback and slow pace that unravels this mystery.

Wrath of Silence (2017)
Bao lie wu sheng (original title)
Director/Writer: Yukun Xin
Stars: Wu Jiang, Yang Song, Wenkang Yuan
Crime, Drama, Mystery, North China | imdb | my rating: 5
A young boy tends sheep on a hillside in Northern China goes missing. His mute father looks for him with a special way of solving problems: Fisticuffs.

NOT your fancy balletic martial arts, but raw ugly fight scenes moves this mad/sad story along.

~*~
* Prize was won at The Delighted Reader (here)

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

*** THANKS to those on the front line during these times ***
Shelter In Place - Day 90, Week 14
Stay healthy! Be safe!

Thanks for stopping by :-)