Middle Sister's December Books

Happy new year, happy readers!  December was not bad, as far as books go. A smorgasbord of different genres, all interesting.

The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner Want to live to be 100? This book, written for the general public, distills some recent research into centenarians and what strategies they share in common despite living in  different places around the globe. Okinawa, Sardinia, the Nicoya peninsula, and Loma Linda, CA, populations were investigated. Results: physical work/exercise, lots of fruits and vegetables, remaining an active part of your community, and maintaining a sense of spirituality all contribute by alleviating stress, providing a sense of purpose, and maintaining health and fitness. An easy prescription, but one that is perhaps not so easy to incorporate in our 21st century lives.

The Hoarder in You by Robin Zasio Nope, not a hoarder here, but I heard the author interviewed on the radio and she was talking about clutter, and clutter I got. So I read the book to see if there were any tips that would help me get this house in order and keep it so this new year. I was a bit ashamed to find that I fall partly into three of her categories: Clean and Clear, Neat but Dynamic, and Controlled Chaos. Yikes, better throw some stuff out right quick!

Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough The latest in the continuing saga of Nero Wolfe, written with permission from Rex Stout's estate. Ever wondered how the wise-cracking Archie Goodwin met the beer-swilling, orchid-loving, gourmand Nero Wolfe? Using clues from the various Stout novels, Goldsborough has concocted a reasonable mystery that introduces the pair to each other, and a beautiful friendship began. Read this from NetGalley, and enjoyed it. I really should read all the original Nero Wolfes in order.

The Agency 3: The Traitor in the Tower by Y.S. Lee Although categorized a YA novel, my library had this e-book listed in adult mystery. And I must say, today's YA readers are not the YA reader I was. Sure, I read Battle for Dunkirk and the Red Badge of Courage at the age this is aimed at, but I would never have wanted to read about "undisguised hunger" and other quite adult themes. I guess I am stuck in some non-existent, rose-colored fairy land where 10-year-olds have no idea what kind of hunger the main character was experiencing. Anyway, overall, a fun, quick read, with a fairly engaging main character, who is really a 21st-century girl in a Victorian dress stage play. That's my real gripe. The character doesn't act like a 19th century girl, but a 21st century girl. And while I was soundly rebuffed online when discussing this book with the rejoinder that "modern girls wouldn't be interested in an accurate portrayal of Victorian girlhood," I disagree. I would have, at 12. And there are other YA series that do a better job of having the character be just modern enough to pique the reader's sympathy without completely misrepresenting the past. Heck, market it as a steampunk, or alternative history, or fantasy, but don't sell it as a solid historical unless it's accurate. Might make a 12-year-old reader really glad she's alive in 2013 and not 1880.

Li'l Sis December 2012 Read & January 2013 Read

Since I know I won't be done by the 1st, I'll add it to January! I just started A Vampire's Christmas Carol by Sarah Gray.  Couldn't find a more seasonal & Li'l Sis-appropriate-title on my bookshelves. It is quite enjoyable, heralding back to the writings of Dickens, with a twist! A big change from the recently-enjoyed Gillian Flynn! Happy New Year!

Big Sis' November 2012 Books

Hey, we must be related!  I read a lot, too, but when I went to my list?  Only 3 books!  Really??? 

Well, admittedly I was a bit distracted by Hurricane Sandy (yes, I spent 10 days at home, 6 of them without heat or electricity, and I lost quite a bit of reading time at night - it's hard to read when it's pitch black in your room!), the Thanksgiving holiday, prepping for our family party (113 people and we were the hosting family this year!), Christmas shopping/decorating/card-writing, to say nothing of the really tough time I'm having at work lately.  No excuses, just reasons...

In the meantime, here are the three books I managed to squeeze into my November...

Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins (Kindle edition) - This is the third in the Hunger Games Trilogy.  I must say, while not a rabid fan like some, I liked books 1 and 3; I wasn't so enthralled by book 2.  I still sort of have a problem with a book FOR teens, ABOUT teens killing each other for sport in an arena, while being CONTROLLED by supposed adult mentors...  This last book had a lot of action, and I was able to borrow it for free from the Amazon Prime Lending Library.  I paid my $75 fee up front, and I now get free 2-day delivery and can borrow from the Prime Lending Library.  These are not books I would have paid for; I borrowed #1 from my daughter in trade paper format, and borrowed the Kindle editions from Amazon for free.  Free is good when I'm not a big fan...

The First Prophet, by Kay Hooper - I love Ms. Hooper's paranormal books, about the psychic Haven operatives.  This one seems to be the start of a new series, not directly related to Haven, but the Bishops are operating on the fringes of this new series...  If you read the books, you know of what I speak...  This was a good one, lots of psychic action and drama, and I liked the characters.  Hope they all appear in future books, too.  Sarah wakes from a coma with powers she didn't have before, strong powers that attract the attention of the bad guys.  Writer Tucker Mackenzie tries to help save her life, and while we assume they live happily ever after once they fall in love with each other, I sort of hope they become operatives in the Bishop Files series and we get to see them again!

The Tales of Beetle the Bard, by JK Rowling (Kindle edition) - This book was ONLY released in e-format, as a fundraiser for JK's Lumos Foundation.  It is a compilation of 5 fairy tales, translated and re-released by Hermione Grainger, with commentary by Albus Dumbledore.  LOVED it!

Middle Sister's November 2012 Books

I did read in November, really, although the meager two titles may not seem like I spent much time with my nose buried in a book. I was distracted by grading writing assignments, out of town visitors, and several have-to-finished-last-week-even-though-we-told-you-not-to-start-until-today projects at work.

Absolute Monarch: A History of the Papacy by John Julius Norwich Fun and easy-to-read papacy history light. Sure, Norwich focuses on the not-at-all-holy, er, shall we call them, activities of the popes, especially the salacious Middle Ages popes. He does a good job of simplifying some of medieval European history, convoluted as it is, with abundant handy footnotes. It is a big tome, though, and took most of November to finish.

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells My nineteenth-century literature book club's November pick. Awesome! Accurate depiction of how people interact during catastrophes. Surprising solution to the invasion of England by the Martians. Very modern prose and action-oriented, which should keep a modern reader used to the nonstop Dan Brown-esque level of action interested. I totally enjoyed every second of this book and recommend it heartily.  

Big Sis' November 2012 Reads

So I finally decided to go for it:  $75 to join Amazon Prime.  I will say that one benefit is being able to borrow books for my Kindle at no charge (yes, I know I've really sort of paid for them up front...).  One of the other benefits is free 2-day shipping on whatever I order from Amazon.com.  While I'm not thrilled with the whole Kindle thing, I'm not here to beat a dead horse.  I did read two books on my Kindle this past month...

Heaven Is Here, Stephanie Nielson (Kindle edition) - This is the autobiography of Stephanie "NieNie" Nielson, a Mormon housewife who was in a horrific small plane accident with her husband and another pilot.  The pilot, a close friend of theirs, died and Stephanie and her husband survived, although with terrible physical damage.  Stephanie's face will never be the same; she was severely disfigured in the accident.  She has undergone so many operations, been in a coma for months post-accident, and yet her spirit and strength and love never wavered.  She drew on her faith for strength, although she admits to fear and questioning; how could anyone not say "Why me?" at least once or twice through all she's gone through? 

A Fool's Gold Christmas, Susan Mallery - Another in the Fool's Gold series, this book centers around Evie Stryker, half-sister to the Stryker brothers who were the heroes in previous Fool's Gold books.  She's been estranged from her family for years, never having felt completely loved or a part of the family.  An accident brings her home (not her idea, actually - her big brothers just go and get her!) and she finds a new direction for her life, a new bond with her family and a new love.

Low Pressure, Sandra Brown - Bestseller author Bellamy Lyston wrote a novel based on a tragedy that occurred in her youth.  She did it with the hope it would be a cathartic release of all the suffering she and her family had gone through, but it had a much different result:  she is forced to relive all that happened, she's thrown into contact with her dead sister's boyfriend, the very one thought to have been the killer, and together they of course confirm his innocence and solve the murder all these many years later...

NYPD Red, James Patterson and Marshall Karp - Hollywood on the Hudson:  an opportunity to bring glitz and glamor to NYC.  More than NYC has already that is.  Along with the g&g, some more drama:  someone starts killing off famous Hollywood people, directors, stars, etc.  I like the books written by these two collaborators:  Mr. Patterson comes up with the basic premise and Mr. Karp runs with it.  I look forward to Karp's solo efforts just so I can see what he really brings to the combo...

The Time Keeper, Mitch Albom - I've liked Albom's previous books, but I have to admit that although I was intrigued by the storyline, I found it more difficult to read, at least until I was more than halfway through it.  The book is about Father Time, the man who first invented a clock in an effort to measure God's greatest gift, time.  He's banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to millions who seek more time, extra time...  Eventually he is released on the condition he find two humans and teach them the true meaning of time.

Sleep No More, Iris Johansen - I wondered how the Eve Duncan series would continue once they found Eve's daughter, Bonnie, who'd been missing for years and presumed dead.  She was, and they found her body and I was afraid that would end the series, but, no!  Ms. Johansen has done it well.  Bonnie continues to appear to her mother, but less often and only when needed.  The usual forensic twists and turns, a long-lost 1/2 sister to Eve is introduced, and Eve helps solve her sister's mystery...  I liked it!  I'm happy to hear the series won't end now that Bonnie's mystery was solved.

Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins (Kindle edition) - This is the second in The Hunger Games series.  I liked the first one better, but since I can borrow it for free, I thought, "Why not see what all the fuss is about?"  Glad I read it but I admit to being happy I have one more to read and I'll be done with the series.  Although Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger Games in the first book, they are now forced to fight the Capitol.  They become the faces of the resistance.  Eh...

Sunset 11/7/2012

Middle Sister's October Books

First, let me get the word out that the other sisters are fine; without power after Hurricane Sandy, but fine. Our mother never lost power. No one's house has, to my knowledge, any damage. They may be cold and bored, but they are fine--and hopefully that means they will have a lot of books to discuss when they are back online. On to the books.

My offerings may be few, but they're pretty diverse:

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce Nominated for the Man Booker Prize, this amazing and charming and well-written book is a delight from beginning to end. Harold, Maureen, Queenie, David--with just a few well-chosen words, Ms. Joyce creates characters that we know, that we may see in the mirror every morning. Harold's pilgrimage is inspiring and tear-jerking and contemplative. Read this book. That's it, just read this book.

A Woman's Guide to Menopause and Perimenopause by Mary Jane Minkin and Carol V. Wright  Good, solid guidebook to the physical, mental, and emotional changes that accompany menopause and the years leading up to it (for some of us, it's been 10 years of perimenopause and frankly, we're ready for this phase to be over). Some of the medical information is outdated (e.g., there are some meds that are now off the market because of negative side effects), but overall, this guide will help women navigate this next phase of life successfully. A plus is the inclusion of many real-patient scenarios presented by Dr. Minkin, with her reasoning why some paths are more suitable for this particular case than others.

A Deadly Row to Hoe by Cricket McRae The latest in the Sophie Mae Home Crafting mystery series. Sophie Mae and her husband are trying to have a baby and still living with her friend Meghan and Meghan's daughter; and now, with the addition of Meghan's boyfriend, that house is starting to get really crowded.  This book capitalizes on the current proliferation of CSA (community-supported agriculture) groups, as Sophie Mae finds a murder victim while putting in her volunteer hours at the CSA farm to which she and her family belong. I like how the author tries to put Sophie in more unusual situations for her mysteries, which gets more difficult the longer a series continues. I liked the ending. Although I had guessed the murderer, the way the denouement played out was novel and, in some ways, far more realistic than this genre usually supports. I didn't like the way the police department was treated as composed of idiots (Sophie has to tell her policeman husband to put a guard on the hospital door of an assault victim--really? And her husband isn't insulted and Sophie isn't embarrassed when she finds out that he actually had already done this, being a professional? Oy vey!), and I got quite tired of the baby-making angle. I'm not sure I like the direction the author seems to be taking Sophie Mae's character at the end, but given that there are only so many home crafts one can do, she really has no choice if she wants the series to continue. The idyllic home life is getting to be a bit too saccharine for me. No one squabbles over whose turn it is to cook the exquisite healthy meals they eat, or clean the toilet, or take out the trash. Oh, and Meghan, words of advice: if your 12-year-old daughter is only trying make-up now for the first time, the better response is not the blow up and yell at her, but to show her how to use make-up correctly. Be grateful it's just make-up; lots of other 12-year-olds are pregnant or drug users. A little excess mascara--nothing at all.

My Bookstore edited by Ronald Rice I worked in an independent bookstore for 11 years, and I love bookstores. I also love ereaders. I don't understand why so many supposed book lovers feel it has to be an either/or situation. This paean to the independent bookstores has many essays (most good, some average, a couple bad) that share one common thread:  most rhapsodize how much the author loved visiting their local bookstore, where they could read for hours on end undisturbed by the salesclerks. Which leads me to wonder how many of these people love bookstores, or just love having their own 'private' library where there are no reserve lists for any title. No waiting, anticipation building, for that book you've been dying to read to come in. I don't want to see bookstores disappear either, and I'll say it again--there's no need unless the publishing industry decides to use the music industry as its model rather than the telephone industry (Tower Records is gone, but Sprint managed to move from landline provider to cell provider and flourish). The democratization of reading that ereaders and independent publishing offers carries Gutenberg's revolution one more step further. I hope bookstores don't get left behind. On a personal note, I was delighted to see the name of someone I went to high school with in the book--my seven degrees from celebrity, I guess. The pen and ink drawings of every bookstore were enchanting. And  I did discover some new-to-me authors whose work I'll now track down. If one measures the success of a book by how well it gets the reader to want to read more, well, then, this book succeeded. And yes, I did read it on my Kindle. So there.