Proposal and request for seconds

I recently got a big order of paperback books from Amazon, and was looking forward to diving in. Imagine my chagrin when I picked up one and started to read it -- and thought, gee this sounds awfully familiar.......

I lean to the women, myself. I like Joan Hess, Nevada Barr, Dana Stabenow, Marcia Muller, J. A. Jance, but not Patricia Cornwall or the Higgins-Clark mother and daughter. Ruth Rendall, though she is spooky often. Elizabeth Peters. Gosh there's a bunch!

Yeah, they can seem familiar, but I can't quite remember it the butler done it, so I keep reading.

Beverly

It was one by an acquaintance, which I had read only a year ago. I try to keep up with her output, but only in paperback as they are expensive enough without getting into the hardbacks - which don't exchange nearly so well. Someone is going to get a nice little present.

I was at B&N recently with younger DD. While she looked for whatever it was she wanted, I decided to see if I could find another biography of Thomas Jefferson. I bought one when we were at Monticello two summers ago, and it's taken me this long to get around to reading it. Now I want to know more. But I was put off at the price of some of them. Yikes, I hope at least some of that is going into the author's pocket. Remember when hardbacks were $2.95 and paperbacks were $.50?

Beverly

Yes, yes, I do. And I know where the thrift stores that sell them for that are. The problem is that they don't have the choices B & N and Amazon have. But I have an Amazon credit card (actually Chase, I think) that I use for groceries and other things as well as Amazon. Nice thing is that every so often they send me a $25 Amazon gift card based on my use of the card. I treat all credit cards as 30-day cards, so it's not costing me anything to do this, except that I never seem to limit my order to $25.

I had an Amazon/Chase card, but IIRC they sent me a notice that they were closing it because I didn't use it often enough. I have an American Express card through Costco, it provides various discounts depending on the category, and they send me a check periodically which I can use at Costco. I also use my CCs as 30-day loans and pay them off in full every month. They only thing they make off of me is the merchant fees. I understand those of us who pay off our balances every month are referred to as "deadbeats". Pretty funny, since that term used to have a pejorative meaning aimed at those who didn't pay their bills

Beverly, presently sweltering in this danged heat. I have the whole family coming for Independence Day picnic here tomorrow and there's still a lot to get ready !!!

Years ago I shopped at Costco, renewed my card every year. One year I got a notice it was time to renew and I realized that the last time I had been in Costco was to renew the card. Hmmmm. It was good when the two boys were still at home, but with just the old guy and me left, Costco just isn't useful. In fact, I recently tossed a bottle of catsup I'd gotten there - in a pack of three - some years ago. It had gotten rather dark. The other thing that bugged me about Costco was that when I found something we liked, and I went back to get more, they didn't have it anymore.

I do understand. We first started when we had one DD still living at home, so we were shopping for three. The large packages of cereal, multi cans of tomato sauce, and 22# packages of extra lean ground beef (once repackaged at home and frozen) were a bargain. I still find garden supplies, batteries, dry cereal and soft drinks worth the price. And the jewelry case gets my attention. They also have really good prices on printer ink cartridges and the best price going on tax software and priner paper. And they have very good prices on books as well. ;-)

Beverly

I've heard they have good prices on tires, too, but I don't seem to buy tires very often. It used to be that I could get a day pass from the credit union, but I don't know that it's still the case. In any event, my grocery is fairly competitive, and then there's Home Depot and Lowes.

Just remembered another mystery writer I like a lot: Dick Francis! I started one of his late-80s books several nights ago (I always read for 30-45 minutes at bedtime) and couldn't put it down. Finished at 7:00AM. He manages to write such NICE protagonists and such EVIL SCARY antagonists. I think I have read all of his books.

Beverly

Dick Francis has gone to the great racetrack in the sky, but I think it's his nephew who is continuing to write in his name. Actually, Francis' wife was his collaborator over the years, and she added a lot to the quality of his work. I've enjoyed his books, too. He really knew the racing world, and horses. People, too.

He's not dead yet! Mary, his wife, dies in 2000, and he now collaborates with younger son Felix.

Mr Francis is excellent. Another of my favourite murder/mystery writers is Catherine Aird.

Ah ha! She is another author I couldn't remember when I wrote my list.

I am happy that Dick Francis is still writing. I read many of his novels even though I'm not generally a "horsy" person. But you don't have to understand steeplechase or flat racing to enjoy his books. I just finished "Straight" (c. 1989). Terrific as always.

Beverly