Short month (Leap Day notwithstanding), short list of books.
Shawls, Wraps, and Scarves by Louisa Harding Prominent knitwear designer Louise Harding, who also makes lovely yarn, has a new book of shawls and neckwear, and I love it. There are at least 5 shawls and 3 scarves that I want to make from this lovely compilation of new patterns. Well illustrated with dreamy photos, I will admit I was surprised that no charts were included. I can only follow simple charts myself, so I was pleased that the patterns were written out, but I would have expected to see both. Lovers of knit shawls and laceweight yarn, who dream of wafting through a beautiful countryside (yup, I live in a dry, brown desert, really) will enjoy the book. Recommended.
Molded 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton Of course I had to read this book--it takes place in Sun City, Arizona. The senior community lifestyle, real towns like Punkin Center, and a fair pace characterize the book (even though she calls Payson a city and there's no way that Payson could be called a city, with its population of 15,000; and I don't think there are Joshua trees anywhere near Payson.). The main character, Sophie Kimball, is someone I should like (in her forties, caring for a strong-willed and independent mother), I suspected right away that I wouldn't like her as much as I should when we are introduced to her as Phee. Yup, everyone calls her Phee. But I didn't like it, in fact, it irritated me to no end. As soon as Phee starts helping her investigator boyfriend and investigator boss look into the murder of an octogenarian, she and her mother come up with "a theory I was sure the deputies as well as Nate and Marshall hadn't considered." I truly hate it when the amateur detective thinks the police or professionals are stupid, I really do. That attitude makes me hate the amateur detective in their smugness. Also lazy is making up a patently ridiculous reason to get the amateur involved in the case; Nate and Marshall are asked by the Sheriff's Department to interview residents of the senior community because they are understaffed. I hope no one at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department reads this book; what a slam to them (and having the sheriff's department not conduct a thorough search of the victim's apartment is just silly). Eaton's and therefore Phee's disrespect of crime-fighting professionals is clear in this sentence: "As for the forensic lab at the sheriff's department, the'd take their own sweet time [processing samples from the crime scene]." Nope, they'd be professional and process things as they came in. The entire story was convoluted and unbelievable. Skip this series. Not recommended.
Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff Excellently written and meticulously researched recounting of the crash of three planes in Greenland during World War II and the heroic attempts to rescue the trapped airmen. Zuckoff mirrors this with a modern-day search to find one of the crashed planes, now buried under dozens of feet of ice. He becomes a character in his own when he invests his own money in the search for the Coast Guard plane. Although I read his previous book, this one I listened to, read by the author, and he does a great job. Riveting, exciting, and so far the best book I've read this year. (And imagine my delight: after 'meeting' Bernt Balchen in this book, I encountered him in the the very next book I read, by Bill Bryson--but that's for next month). Highly recommended.
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