Middle Sister's March and April Reads

Since I missed last month's deadline, I am going to get these reviews posted early for April. A couple of these were advanced reading copies from NetGalley, and as such may have had formatting issues that are not pertinent here.

The Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth This classic was read for my mystery book group. Published originally in 1928, The Grey Mask introduces us to Miss Silver, the other elderly female detective that few have heard of. I've read this and other Miss Silver mysteries in the past, but not with the critical eye of my mystery book group (which, the by way, is called Miss Marple's Mavens). This time around, I found it much more interesting that Miss Silver is a secondary character who appears very few times in the story, which is told from another character's point of view. Some of the physical descriptions of setting were fantastic (the blowing wind and scratching tree limb scene, for example), but other scenes were almost clinical and devoid of much detail. The repetitive description of one character was a deliberate and effective ploy to make us dislike her (and it certainly worked on me). The book left many unanswered questions about Miss Silver that I recall (possibly incorrectly) are never answered throughout the series, notably how did this former governess become a paid-for private detective so late in life? Quick and enjoyable read, definitely recommended for genre fans.

London's Glory by Christopher Fowler If you have never met Bryant and May, you do not know what you are missing. I have a fictional crush on John May and wish Arthur Bryant were my curmudgeonly uncle. This collection of short stories doesn't explain their past or that of the Peculiar Crimes Unit, but it does provide additional examples of their quirky detection, and also gives some secondary characters more prominent roles. I loved the introductions in which Mr. Fowler explained how or why each story came about. Definitely recommended for genre fans.

Only in Naples by Katherine Wilson I love travel memoirs, and I was all set to enjoy this one, because it fit in the mold of so many others I've enjoyed: young woman (here, immediately post graduate) goes to Italy and her life is changed. Okay, so unlike many other travel memoirs cum biographies, Ms. Wilson didn't travel abroad to undertake a college semester or just to travel, but because her parents felt everyone should live abroad for a few months after graduation just for the experience (read, wealthy family bankrolls extended vacation), and her enthusiasm was very lacking. Okay, so Ms. Wilson was oblivious as a child to her family's wealth (read, she thought everyone had Very Important People You Read About in the Newspaper over to breakfast and a swimming pool and trust funds); I can understand that. However, the book soured immediately upon her arrival in Italy: her employer sends her off to dinner with a family whom the employer knows, and Ms. Wilson immediately falls 'in love' with the son and pursues him shamelessly. I'm not a curmudgeon, and I believe in love at first sight, but that is not what I felt from reading this. What I read was a very lonely young woman, who had limited romantic experience, met, on her first, disoriented, jet-lagged night in another country halfway around the world, a disinterested young man with an accent whom she relentlessly pursued until she badgered him into a relationship. There were a few characters mentioned that had great potential, but their lives were never pursued. Ms. Wilson's writing lightens up when writing about food (she had severe food issues as a child, unsurprising since her mother reportedly told her she was fat even as a small girl), but not enough to save this book. Not interesting enough to overcome the negatives and not well written enough to overcome the lack of substance.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo I caved; I read a bestseller. Lent by my friend Debbie, whose book club read it. Full disclosure--Debbie hated it and didn't get past the first half. My sister also read it and loved it. So I began the book aware that it inspired vastly different opinions. The first half was a bit repetitive, and honestly, I can't imagine any child as fascinated by ordering and tidying as Ms. Kondo was, but then, I am a habitually messy person and know that. I did approve of her message, although I interpret 'things providing joy' as 'things that are very useful.' I definitely approved of the message to get rid of things you dislike or are holding onto for no reason. However, the author lost me when I was told to thank my things for doing their purpose (thank you, handbag) and to say hello to my house when I walk in (hello, house! Did you miss me?). The last straw, which was luckily near the end of the book otherwise I might have followed Debbie's lead, was being told to empty my purse every night so it can relax. Emptying my purse makes the counter messy, which is the opposite of being tidy. My purse doesn't need to relax. Debbie thought the cultural differences were too extreme to make this interesting or useful to her. It's not cultural differences for me (although I definitely get that Shinto Buddhism beliefs underlie much of the approach), it's a question of how one views inanimate objects. And while I agree you own your things and they should be useful and make you happy, I don't think they need to be thanked or welcomed aloud. Still, I plan on trying her method of folding to see if it makes my messy sock drawer neater. But I won't thank them.

The Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri My continued vacation in Italy... Inspector Montalbano finds a very dead and very naked woman in a house that he has broken into (why tell you why the police inspector was breaking into a house? Read it to find out why.) and has to surreptitiously get the investigation started without revealing his connection to the discovery. Peppered with several good red herrings, a victim both likeable and elusive, and gorgeous descriptions of food, mystery lovers will enjoy this greatly. It helps if you read the series in order because there are recurring characters whose relationships with Montalbano change over time, but enough background information is provided that it is not necessary. If you are looking for a new series with an intelligent main character, crisp writing (well, the translation is great so presumably the original is as well), and a great setting, meet Inspector Montalbano.

Reward for Winter by Di Slaney Reward for Winter is a collection of poems written after the author left her urban life to live on a rural English farm (which in itself sounds like a interesting memoir I'd read). I particularly enjoyed the poems that stemmed from the lives of historical local figures and those that addressed nature and the changing seasons. I also enjoyed the glossary that defined terms like gular flutter (yes, that term appears in a poem). Enjoyable and a nice change of pace for one who often indulges much too often in genre literature.





The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman Superb nonfiction book about birds that should appeal to birders and science lovers alike. Ms. Ackerman's detailed summary of current theories on bird intelligence and abilities, their social structure, and morphology was riveting. The comparisons between the larynx of humans and the syrinx of birds was fascinating. Well written, meticulously researched, one of the best books read this year. Highly recommended.

Middle Sister's December 2013 Books

I spent a lot of time trying to read Lorna Doone for my 19th century novels book group. It's not that it's a bad book, it's just that first third (according to my fellow readers) is very slow. Unfortunately, that coincided with grading final papers, writing and grading final exams, work, and the holidays. But I did squeeze in a few other books.

The Invisible Code by Christopher Fowler The latest Peculiar Crimes Unit novel has Bryant and May becoming enmeshed in international politics as well as murder, immigration, and class snobbery. There is nothing to say except that I love this series. They are so erudite, so interesting, so hard to put down. If you haven't met Arthur Bryant and John May yet, please do. I confess to a slight fictional crush on John May and wish Arthur Bryant were my curmudgeonly uncle. Wholeheartedly recommended (NetGalley Kindle ARC)

Murder Strikes a Pose by Tracy Weber I really like Seattle, so I'm always happy to read mysteries set there. A vegetarian yoga instructor seemed a different take on the cozy genre amateur detective. After the murder of a homeless man Kate had befriended, she takes in his special needs dog while searching  for the murderer and trying to find the dog a home.  The premise was appealing to this dog lover.  I did find Kate's references to her "fluffy hips" very annoying. When, oh when, will writers stop trying to harp on women's self image as a way to supposedly connect with their readers? Anyone who does yoga as often as Kate, and she's constantly practicing yoga or teaching it, and is a vegetarian is probably not that 'fluffy' at all and is very limber and healthy. And cellulite is not fluffy. Weber does a good job at contrasting the positive training methods used by most dog trainers these days with the horrible negative, punishment-based systems that some old-time adherents still insist on using. The passages with the negative trainer and the dog's original owner were so realistic they were truly upsetting to me. The murderer? Too easy to figure out. The romance? Too boring, sadly. The angst over her father's death? Too trite. But I really liked her friend Rene, and if Rene has a more prominent place in other novels, I might give this series another try. (NetGalley Kindle ARC)

A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie A classic to cleanse the palate. Another book group I belong to is all Agatha Christie, and in December we started reading A Murder Is Announced. There is also the option to knit or crochet a Miss Marple-inspired pattern while we read and discuss. We're still reading (a set number of chapters per week), but come on, who can really stop at Chapter 9 just because that's the last chapter for that week? I spent New Year's Eve re-watching the television version with Joan Hickson, and comparing the differences between the novel and the filmed version. Set in a small English village just after WW2, a newspaper advertisement announces that a murder will happen that night at the home of Leatitia Blacklock, so naturally all the neighbors pop round for sherry and fun. But when a murder really occurs, Miss Marple cannily figures out the whodunnit amidst a number of people pretending to be someone they're not. Wholeheartedly recommended (paperback)

And here's my Miss Marple Scarf (pattern by SusanneS-vV):

Middle Sister Reads September

A potpourri of reading goodness:

Walk Off Weight by Michele Stanten Inspired by my medical physical in July and yearly check-up in September, I attempt to figure out why these stupid 8 lbs won't budge from my middle and what to do about them! Actually a really useful guide to getting yourself back on the healthy tract, this walking exercise program involves nothing more than a pair of good shoes. Additional ways to ramp up the exercise using an exercise band or poles are provided, as are some sample menus to eat healthier. Best part--lots of testimonials, with photos, from real women who participated in the study designed to test this program before it was published. That's always my favorite part of Prevention magazine--the inspiration provided by real women. We'll see if it helps my 8 lbs.  (borrowed from library, but on my Amazon wish list)

The Lightkeeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst The first in the Chloe Ellefson mystery series, this was another set in the modern past, before cell phones and Internet service had us all connected, all the time; in this case, 1982. Chloe is a curator who goes to Rock Island for a week to help formulate a preservation plan for an historic lighthouse. She's only there for a few hours when she finds a body. What follows is an interesting story that divides itself between Chloe's present, and the life of the wife of the last lightkeeper at the house in the 1870s and 1880s.  Murder and mayhem beset both women, although I confess the denouement of the historic murder took my by surprise and that of the contemporary murder did not. I confess right up front that this is the second recent book I've read when simultaneous stories were told like this, with a strong psychic link between the modern protagonist and the past, and I'm a little leery of this plot device. Just tell me the stories and draw connections between them--I'm tired of supposed emotive psychic connections. Despite that, I enjoyed this mystery quite a bit. (NetGalley.com, to be published October 2012)

Historic Doubts in the Life and Reign of King Richard the Third by Horace Walpole In light of the fascinating discovery of what may be the burial of King Richard III under the cloister floor in the razed Greyfriars Abbey, now covered by a modern carpark (I speak British English!), and being a closet Ricardian, I decided to read one of the earliest attempts to examine the supposed 'facts' about his reign and set the record straight. Only for diehard fans, like me. Lots of references to other historic works that I need to track down if I truly want to follow his argument. The lesser-inclined should just read the most excellent Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (if they can find a copy of the twenty-year-old printing without the missing chapter, which I can't, and which frustrates me terribly! That's the copy still sold to you if you buy it online. I may have to try again; the last time was two years ago, and I still got the bad copy, but maybe Amazon will have worked sales down to a pristine, and complete copy?), where a cogent argument defending Richard is made.

The Red Room by August Strindberg It's the centenary of Strinberg's death, and my 19th century novels reading group chose this as its September/October book. A satire, it touches on politics, publishing, theater, and some other topics, as observed by Arvid Falk over the course of one year. Amazingly prescient in today's political climate, I must say. It offers hope that we will suffer these fools, even if not gladly, and survive them. (Project Gutenberg e-book)

The Victoria Vanishes by Christopher Fowler I think I may just have a slight crush on both John May and Arthur Bryant, the elderly police detectives who investigate strange crimes for the Peculiar Crimes Unit. Someone is killing middle-aged secretaries in pubs, but of course, the crime and its solution are far more convoluted than that simple statement. Government conspiracies, coded messages from the killer, and missing cremains are just part of the plot. I was listening to this on my iPod Nano, and I think these might be better suited to read, rather than listen--there's so many clues and so much information that I re-listened to several chapter more than once. Yes, there's an element of 'psychicness' to this one as well, but it's more sophisticated than in the other books with that plot device, and is handled with a much more deft hand.

Okay, and I checked--I've been keeping a list of all the books I've read since sometime in 2002, and I'm not sure why I started, but my grand total is:

677

which works out to 5.7 books per month, but since that covers ten years, that means I really read way less than you, Big Sis. But don't feel bad--it's not a contest. It's really just about enjoying reading and opening your eyes and firing your imagination. And personally, I am proud that I have read certain things I never thought I would and would enjoy (like Anna Karenina) as well as duds that left me cold (like two of my book club selections I never did finish). Long Live Reading!