It is hot in the desert, so during these dog days of summer, naturally, one of my July books had to have a dog or a cat involved.
Picks and Chews by Linda O. Johnston Cute idea but with a little too much scattered behavior that read as unreal. I could totally buy Carrie working only part time as a vet tech, as most of the techs at my vet work part time (with a couple of full timers) and a couple work for two different hospitals so they can have full time work. I didn't buy her working part time as a vet tech and running not one but two bakery businesses on the side. Despite being told that she arose early to go get the baking done before the people and dog bakeries open, I just was incredulous that Carrie was falling asleep behind the wheel of her car or over dinner with her hunky vet boyfriend--and I found that perfection a little irritating. I've always worked at least two jobs and I'm tired all the time; c'mon, Carrie, admit you're tired, we get it, we will like you more for your confession. I loved some of the secondary characters, but thought the portrayal of Raela was a little over the top. As a long time volunteer with several dog-related and other charities, the community outpouring of support at the fundraisers was a little too unrealistic and again, too perfect. But it's an easy summer read, with generally genial characters, and what more can a reader ask when the temperatures are in the triple digits? (NetGalley)
The Marmalade Murders by Elizabeth J. Duncan I had read a Penny Brannigan mystery before and enjoyed everything about it--the setting (a small hamlet in Wales), the protagonist (Penny, a middle-aged salon owner who is effortlessly elegant), and the plot, so was eager to visit the series again. Penny was a little more irritating this time in her perfection (geez, it must be the heat, or maybe authors think readers don't want a main character whose hair is sometimes a mess and who runs out without makeup on because she overslept?). A couple of the supporting characters were also a bit more irritating (Mrs. Lloyd is one), but the overall tone had remained the same. This brief glimpse into a Welsh agricultural show will be familiar to anyone who has been to a county fair, and the jealousies surrounding who wins and who doesn't are all too familiar. Kudos to the author for inserting a twist in the form of the return of a former resident who is not quite the person who left. I would have enjoyed that plot twist a little more if there had been at least one negative response to the circumstances surrounding the return of the native, as everything was a little too utopian and politically correct, but that's a pretty minor quibble. All in all, another easy summer read with pleasant characters and, yes, a black labrador retriever. (Net Galley)
Hiss and Hers by M.C. Beaton I've never even tried to keep up with M.C. Beaton's series--just too prolific an author. But watching the Acorn TC Agatha Raisin series 1 on television made me want to catch up with Agatha, and I grabbed this recent title. Aggie's come a long way since I last visited with her: a marriage and divorce, and starting up a private detective agency. I wasn't overly impressed with Agatha the professional, to be honest, and thought the wider supporting cast, while accomplishing the task of giving us some likable main characters to sympathize with (I know one person who cannot stand Agatha Raisin one bit and refuses to read the series), diffuses the action, and at times I can see where there might be too many cooks and not enough Bill Wong. (audiobook)
My book group selection for May and June was Waverly by Sir Walter Scott. I have enjoyed several of his books, but have to admit that I got no further than halfway through this very long novel. While I did like Edward Waverly and his adventures enough, the book is just too long with too much thick description, dialogue written in early 19th century Gaelic, and entire French paragraphs that I cannot translate for this heat. Sorry, group; I may keep plugging away at this for the rest of the year as I am learning a lot about the Jacobite rebellion.
No comments:
Post a Comment