What Fiction are you reading this week, December 19, 2021?
I am reading The Usual Santas, A Collection of Soho Crime Christmas Capers. " A captivating collection, featuring bestselling and award-winning authors that contains plenty of laughs, hardboiled holiday noir, and heartwarming reminders of the spirit of the season." It's a very diverse group of tales from places like Cuba, China, S Korea. Sometimes it's noir with a capital "N". Colin Cotterill is the only author I recognize so far, but I'm only about 1/3 of the way through.
I also just read Take A Look At the Five and Ten, by Connie Willis, an enchanting science fictional Christmas tale and screwball comedy. It was delightful, and romantic, and at just over 100 pages I read it in one evening. Recommended, for a bit of seasonal joy.
Listening to Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones, a suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans which finally became available to me after many weeks. It is a good one; easy to see why it's so popular.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy week. What is on your holiday reading list?
= new reply since forum marked as read
She is certainly an award-winner and Venice is a wonderful place to escape to. Campari is nice, as well. 
On why children need to believe in Santa…..
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand.
AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/66591-all-right-said-susan-i-m-not-stupid-you-re-saying-humans
We will always love you, Terry. 
Yaaaaay! 
I enjoyed her series immensely! This is the 1 straggler I hadn't read. Library must have reupped ebook!
Also been reading Lorna Barrett, & Kate Carlisle - all cozy series.
Happy Hollyaze, All! 🤶🌲
On Edit: also been reading Melanie Travis series. A bit too much about the technicalities of how dog shows run, but something to read. 
Thx! Just getting ready to dive into it.
I'm enjoying Kate Carlisle's series. Reading "The Grim Reader." Protagonist is a book binder, so I'm learning about that profession a bit.
And sadly, my opinion of this book has slipped since last week. The writing is starting to get strained, the dialogue is unbelievable and often cliched, and I’m afraid the author doesn’t quite have the ability to bring her vision successfully to the page.
After all the time you put into it, that must be quite disappointing. I am glad, though, that you told us. Might save someone else from the disappointment. Well, grab yourself something really good to read now. Maybe something short.