Well, October is almost over! Lots of festivals this month and I spent most of my time crafting, doing some DIY home decors, and eating sweets. Lol! Please share your fitness plans with me – I hope your diet chart includes a sweet or two per day.
I started a new set of paintings – 4 seasons. I hope to finish them before winter. đ It’s so easy to start with the base coat and outline. Detailing takes time – like, a lot of time as I have to wait for the previous coat to dry just right amount before I can apply the next one.
I am also planning to learn watercolors. I bought drawing books, watercolor sheets and paints. All I need to do is stop procrastinating and start painting. Don’t worry, I am not going to ask you to share your procrastination plans with me. đ
Jokes apart, oil and watercoloring techniques are different. I learned oil painting years ago and never thought of trying another painting medium until recently. I use acrylic for crafting and DIY home decor but it isn’t the same as painting on a canvas. Another painting medium that has caught my attention is gouache. It is supposed to be more opaque than watercolors so I am guessing if I learn watercolors, gouache might be easier.
I read 4 books this week. I had plans to read at least two books for the 1929 reading challenge which starts from tomorrow. But crafting and decorating took a lot of time and patience. I hand-painted around 24 diyas for diwali – using a zero-numbered brush for detailing is literally a pain in the neck. Strains your eyes too.
I read A Fearsome Moonlight Black by David Putnam in the beginning of this past week. I suppose this is one of the best police procedural series debut I have ever read. I absolutely enjoyed every bit of this book – just the right amount of background and a cold case to keep you hooked until the end.
Murder at the Doctor’s Office by Tanya Taylor was my second read for this week. A dud read, if you ask me. I like to keep in sync with all the latest (and new) mystery releases but of late, I have come across a couple of uninteresting and dud reads.
The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis was an okay read. I loved the first book of this series and had high expectations from this one. This story was a classic case of too many red herrings and side stories spoil the mystery. Fingers crossed that the next book will be better than this one.
I just finished reading The Silent Child by M.J. White last evening. I have read a bit on synaesthesia – well, I am curious about human psychology. This book explores emotional synaesthesia; this does not exist in reality but one of the main characters uses this gift to solve cases.
I am halfway through Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett. I find it a bit weird that the story begins with a murder mystery and within the first 20%, the murderer is arrested. The story has taken a new turn as of now, let’s see what happens next. If you have read this book, don’t tell me what happens at the end. But if you did love the story, let me know. I am planning to read Dain Curse next (the second book in this series.)
Reviews on the blog this week:
Death in Desolation by George Bellairs
A Fearsome Moonlight Black by David Putnam
Murder in Tuscany by T.A. Williams
Murder at the Doctorâs Office by Tanya R. Taylor
The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis
Halloween-themed post:
6 Halloween-themed Mysteries to Read this October
The Book Decoder 
Hammett considered The Dain Curse his worst novel, and The Glass Key his best novel. I agree with both assessments. I enjoyed Red Harvest, arguably the first hardboiled detective novel. I wonât say more, but look forward to your thoughts after youâve read it.
I just finished reading Red Harvest. I didn’t like it much – I haven’t read a lot of hardboiled detective fiction though. (This might be second or third.)
Do you recommend Dain Curse? The other books I am planning to read for the 1929 challenge are Grey Mask and Fool Errant by Wentworth, and The Man in the Queue by Tey. I Still haven’t decided on Crime at Black Dudley by Allingham – will read it only if time permits.
The action in Red Harvest was âover the topâ frenetic to my taste; I presume you may have had the same reaction. The Dain Curse is certainly less violent and frenetic, but I do not recommend it. Try The Glass Key instead when you come across a copy. The Coen Brothersâ movie Millerâs Crossing is loosely based on it.
I agree with your opinion. It didn’t seem like a detective fiction at all.
I will skip Dain Curse for now.
Thanks, Christophe. đ
Hi Rekha,
With regard to having to wait a long time for in between coats for your paintings, May I recommend a heat gun? You can buy one at home improvement stores, craft stores, or a place like Amazon. It gives you nearly instant gratification and allows you to quickly continue painting.
I hope that helps!
All best wishes.
Thank youđ
I hope you are going to share some of your paintings with us Rekha. Do you paint in acrylics or oils? I used to paint watercolors many years ago. Maybe I could take it up again when I retire.
I am halfway through A Fearsome Moonlight Black and really enjoying it. Have a wonderful week. â¤đ
I will share them soon, Sandy. đ I do oil on canvas. I haven’t tried any other mediums so far but planning to.
I too enjoyed Fearsome Moonlight Black. The second half is really good.
You too have a great week ahead. â¤â¤