Monday, June 27, 2016
Monday, June 6, 2016
Middle Sister Mid-Month Review: The Man Who Built the Sierra Club
The Man Who Built the Sierra Club by Robert Wyss (Columbia University Press, June 2016)
The book is a lengthy and meticulously meticulously researched biography of David Brower of the Sierra Club. It is extensively footnoted, of which this nerdy scientist approves. I was particularly fascinated by the sometimes dry, extremely detailed play by play of the fight over Glen Canyon Dam, sitting, as I am, just a few hundred miles south of the dam, a fight that lingers and continues to impact modern water policy in the southwest. The discussion of Brewer's relationship with the great nature photographer Ansel Adams was also interesting, providing some insight in that creative genius' political and business side. As stated, sometimes dry, but with masterly command of the dozens of Sierra Club and government officials whose actions excited, infuriated, and sometimes angered Brower. His private life is summarized and certain issues not glossed over, but the overwhelming majority of the book is focused like a laser on the major environmental battles Brower waged (Glen Canyon Dam and Diablo Canyon among them, with others very familiar to residents of the West). Recommended to nature lovers, environmentalists, and others interested in the intersection of public policy and the environment.
The book is a lengthy and meticulously meticulously researched biography of David Brower of the Sierra Club. It is extensively footnoted, of which this nerdy scientist approves. I was particularly fascinated by the sometimes dry, extremely detailed play by play of the fight over Glen Canyon Dam, sitting, as I am, just a few hundred miles south of the dam, a fight that lingers and continues to impact modern water policy in the southwest. The discussion of Brewer's relationship with the great nature photographer Ansel Adams was also interesting, providing some insight in that creative genius' political and business side. As stated, sometimes dry, but with masterly command of the dozens of Sierra Club and government officials whose actions excited, infuriated, and sometimes angered Brower. His private life is summarized and certain issues not glossed over, but the overwhelming majority of the book is focused like a laser on the major environmental battles Brower waged (Glen Canyon Dam and Diablo Canyon among them, with others very familiar to residents of the West). Recommended to nature lovers, environmentalists, and others interested in the intersection of public policy and the environment.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Middle Sister's May Reads
May was a good month, not because I read a lot, but because I finally finished a book group selection that I started in January. January! I will freely admit that I just passed over the 400-page March/April selection and have no intention of starting it. Call me Rebel Middle.
Picture Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic I first encountered Miss Seeton back in the 1980s, when I worked in a bookstore. I read every one, and I think the paperbacks may be moldering somewhere in my mother's house. Imagine my delight to learn that a publisher is reissuing these as digital books. Hooray! So I started with the first, in which we meet Miss Seeton and become quite fond of her. The Battling Brolly is her nickname, and as much as I'd like to grow up to be Miss Marple, I think a crossover between Miss Seeton and Mrs.Pollifax is more illustrative of the old lady I'd be. Cosy mystery lovers will welcome discovering this elderly female detective and her English fictional world. Very recommended. NetGalley
The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne This is the two-volume book it took me 5 months to read. Partly because it was so long and partly because long stretches of it were so boring. I don't remember The Scarlet Letter being this obtusely verbose. Maybe Hawthorne was paid by the word? I read that he wanted this to be his gothic novel, and while there are certainly gothic elements, it falls far, far short of the subgenre in terms of plotting, characters, even setting. Just be grateful this is not the Hawthorne assigned as school reading. Not recommended, and I hope his ghost doesn't haunt me for that opinion.
The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston This was the May/June book club selection, and it was a nice palate cleanser after The Marble Faun. I had never heard of Clouston, but apparently his novels were very popular during Victorian times (at least, so says the Interwebz). I enjoyed the sly humor, the ridiculousness of some of the lunatic's escapades, but still wonder at how he managed to be deemed a lunatic in the first place (which takes place before the novel begins). Trick ending that I admit I was too naive to see coming (my only excuse was I was still clambering my way out of the sinkhole that was The Marble Faun and should have given this more attention). Recommended for those that think all Victorian literature was Dickensian in style and substance.
Murder Under the Covered Bridge by Elizabeth Perona Cute concept, although it seems a bit after the trendy mark, to have a bunch of senior women staging photo shoots to create their own sexy seniors calendar (a point that one of the characters makes herself). I am reaching a certain age myself, and I like spunky older female detectives. I experienced some confusion early on keeping all the women separate; only a few had, to me, really distinguishing patterns of speech or some characteristic repeatedly commented on by the author (one walked very slowly) to allow me to recognize her when she was named. My biggest problem is that we are told right away our spunky seniors are recreating the illicit one-night romantic stand of one of the women's ancestors, and then, as if it was a huge secret, we find out, many chapters later, that a child was the result. Well, yes, if her great-granddaughter was recreating her one night stand, then it's no secret there was a child (location 1709 vs. Chapter 1). What was unknown was what happened to the carriage driver, which makes the discovery of the diary and all the passages related to it pointless. Some of the women's inner thoughts and comments were, well, the only word is, stupid. "Was he [the shooter] waiting for them to bring the body up top so he could finish him off?" If the shooter was a sniper, she wouldn't have had this thought because they'd all be dead already. "For as remotely located as the bridge is there's almost no graffiti." Um, that remote location would explain why there is no graffiti, ladies. And they take evidence off the murder victim, the first diary. Ever heard of withholding evidence? "...she was descended from Mediterranean stock" [location 809] and "Hispanic-looking faces" [location 2453]--cringe worthy phrasing, and not just because of political correctness. I got tired of the repetition of the term Sixty List and the constant references to pop culture (Dr. Oz, really?). The final straw was stealing the key off the body of Belinda Flowers in the funeral home, which the author calls "taken off." Nope, call it what it is--stealing. And they are going to let Dolly be convicted of something she was duped into and hope that "God takes care of it?" Too many typos, too many inconsistencies, too many bad plot devices--not recommended. NetGalley
Horses of the Night by Geoffrey Aggeler I like historical mysteries, and I don't care if the protagonist is gay or bisexual, but I had to stop reading this after only a few chapters. There was a dramatic sword fight with some very atmospheric prose, but even that could not salvage my interest. I got tired of the main character talking about, referring to, judging every person he knew or met by whether he had/would/could/wanted to sleep with them. Frankly, I didn't like the character enough to care. Not recommended. NetGalley
Picture Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic I first encountered Miss Seeton back in the 1980s, when I worked in a bookstore. I read every one, and I think the paperbacks may be moldering somewhere in my mother's house. Imagine my delight to learn that a publisher is reissuing these as digital books. Hooray! So I started with the first, in which we meet Miss Seeton and become quite fond of her. The Battling Brolly is her nickname, and as much as I'd like to grow up to be Miss Marple, I think a crossover between Miss Seeton and Mrs.Pollifax is more illustrative of the old lady I'd be. Cosy mystery lovers will welcome discovering this elderly female detective and her English fictional world. Very recommended. NetGalley
The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne This is the two-volume book it took me 5 months to read. Partly because it was so long and partly because long stretches of it were so boring. I don't remember The Scarlet Letter being this obtusely verbose. Maybe Hawthorne was paid by the word? I read that he wanted this to be his gothic novel, and while there are certainly gothic elements, it falls far, far short of the subgenre in terms of plotting, characters, even setting. Just be grateful this is not the Hawthorne assigned as school reading. Not recommended, and I hope his ghost doesn't haunt me for that opinion.
The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston This was the May/June book club selection, and it was a nice palate cleanser after The Marble Faun. I had never heard of Clouston, but apparently his novels were very popular during Victorian times (at least, so says the Interwebz). I enjoyed the sly humor, the ridiculousness of some of the lunatic's escapades, but still wonder at how he managed to be deemed a lunatic in the first place (which takes place before the novel begins). Trick ending that I admit I was too naive to see coming (my only excuse was I was still clambering my way out of the sinkhole that was The Marble Faun and should have given this more attention). Recommended for those that think all Victorian literature was Dickensian in style and substance.
Murder Under the Covered Bridge by Elizabeth Perona Cute concept, although it seems a bit after the trendy mark, to have a bunch of senior women staging photo shoots to create their own sexy seniors calendar (a point that one of the characters makes herself). I am reaching a certain age myself, and I like spunky older female detectives. I experienced some confusion early on keeping all the women separate; only a few had, to me, really distinguishing patterns of speech or some characteristic repeatedly commented on by the author (one walked very slowly) to allow me to recognize her when she was named. My biggest problem is that we are told right away our spunky seniors are recreating the illicit one-night romantic stand of one of the women's ancestors, and then, as if it was a huge secret, we find out, many chapters later, that a child was the result. Well, yes, if her great-granddaughter was recreating her one night stand, then it's no secret there was a child (location 1709 vs. Chapter 1). What was unknown was what happened to the carriage driver, which makes the discovery of the diary and all the passages related to it pointless. Some of the women's inner thoughts and comments were, well, the only word is, stupid. "Was he [the shooter] waiting for them to bring the body up top so he could finish him off?" If the shooter was a sniper, she wouldn't have had this thought because they'd all be dead already. "For as remotely located as the bridge is there's almost no graffiti." Um, that remote location would explain why there is no graffiti, ladies. And they take evidence off the murder victim, the first diary. Ever heard of withholding evidence? "...she was descended from Mediterranean stock" [location 809] and "Hispanic-looking faces" [location 2453]--cringe worthy phrasing, and not just because of political correctness. I got tired of the repetition of the term Sixty List and the constant references to pop culture (Dr. Oz, really?). The final straw was stealing the key off the body of Belinda Flowers in the funeral home, which the author calls "taken off." Nope, call it what it is--stealing. And they are going to let Dolly be convicted of something she was duped into and hope that "God takes care of it?" Too many typos, too many inconsistencies, too many bad plot devices--not recommended. NetGalley
Horses of the Night by Geoffrey Aggeler I like historical mysteries, and I don't care if the protagonist is gay or bisexual, but I had to stop reading this after only a few chapters. There was a dramatic sword fight with some very atmospheric prose, but even that could not salvage my interest. I got tired of the main character talking about, referring to, judging every person he knew or met by whether he had/would/could/wanted to sleep with them. Frankly, I didn't like the character enough to care. Not recommended. NetGalley
Monday, April 25, 2016
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.
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.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Middle Sister: Murder on the Hour and Murder on the Half Shell
Two Net Galley reviews to post this week, both with promise and both with Penny's, but neither without their problems.
Murder on the Hour by Elizabeth J. Duncan This is the seventh in the Penny Brannigan series, but the first that's come across my nightstand. There were a lot of things to like about this book: the setting: a small town in Wales, typical of the Golden Age of Mysteries that I so adore; numerous secondary characters, well crafted and fleshed out; tight plotting and pace; a trendy back story: an Antiques Roadshow-type traveling tv show for Welsh TV is in town and everyone is dragging their family heirlooms to the manor to be appraised.. A slightly unusual twist--we meet the victim very early and get to sympathize with her; I was very sad when she was murdered as I'd hoped we'd get to learn more about her. The few things I didn't like: Penny is just too perfect. I wanted to like her; she's just over 50, still working, single and dating; except for the dating part, she could be me. But she's too chic, too perfect, and I found it hard to really see the story through her eyes. At one point, instead of surreptitious snooping (what we expect in our amateur detectives), her questioning came across as just nosy and prying. And the typos! I have no idea how long this galley was available, and therefore how long before I read it that the copy had been set, but the fourteenth typo was the number for a chapter: Thrity. Yes, thrity. C'mon, folks, thirty is not an unusual word in the English language. Does nobody at the publisher use spellcheck? All in all, I like the series for the setting and the support characters, and will look for more. Perhaps Penny is warmer and more real in other titles.
Murder on the Half Shell by Shawn Reilly Simmons Another Florida mystery for me, this is the second in the Red Carpeting Catering series. First the pluses: the author did a fine of setting the scene--I felt like I was on an island in Florida (there's an awful lot of condensation on glasses and people in this novel). The plot was fairly tight, with few extraneous or unnecessary scenes, and overall the pace was good. The downside: again, I'm just not crazy about the main character. I understand she's got a reputation and a business license to protect, so lecturing her underage servers on their time off about drinking is understandable, but it felt stiff and preachy. The romance with Joey fell flat: she spends the night at his hotel, but the day before, when they both change into swimsuits, they each go into the bathroom to change. Why even mention this? All it did was underscore what I saw as a lack of intimacy between two people we are repeatedly told are a couple. Their big romantic scene at the end felt like a middle schooler asking a girl to go steady with him. Now, I am not one for lots of sex or steamy mysteries, but if there is a romance, I want it presented realistically and this one didn't cut it for me. And FYI, Ms. Simmons, there is no NJPD, or New Jersey Police Department, as she later tells us. There are municipal police departments in every city and township, and there are New Jersey State Troopers, but Joey, a homicide detective, would work for a city PD. I haven't read the first novel, so don't know if Ms. Simmons has set Penelope in a fictional town in NJ or a real one, but yikes, what a glaringly stupid or naive statement to make repeatedly. The usual problem with typos and inconsistencies: e.g., on one page, Penelope "polishes off her beer," and on the next page, she takes a sip of her beer. Am I likely to read the first novel in the series? Nope, and even if I come across it with nothing interesting awaiting me on my Kindle Voyage, I'll likely skim it really fast just to see how badly she portrays my old home state, NJ.
Murder on the Hour by Elizabeth J. Duncan This is the seventh in the Penny Brannigan series, but the first that's come across my nightstand. There were a lot of things to like about this book: the setting: a small town in Wales, typical of the Golden Age of Mysteries that I so adore; numerous secondary characters, well crafted and fleshed out; tight plotting and pace; a trendy back story: an Antiques Roadshow-type traveling tv show for Welsh TV is in town and everyone is dragging their family heirlooms to the manor to be appraised.. A slightly unusual twist--we meet the victim very early and get to sympathize with her; I was very sad when she was murdered as I'd hoped we'd get to learn more about her. The few things I didn't like: Penny is just too perfect. I wanted to like her; she's just over 50, still working, single and dating; except for the dating part, she could be me. But she's too chic, too perfect, and I found it hard to really see the story through her eyes. At one point, instead of surreptitious snooping (what we expect in our amateur detectives), her questioning came across as just nosy and prying. And the typos! I have no idea how long this galley was available, and therefore how long before I read it that the copy had been set, but the fourteenth typo was the number for a chapter: Thrity. Yes, thrity. C'mon, folks, thirty is not an unusual word in the English language. Does nobody at the publisher use spellcheck? All in all, I like the series for the setting and the support characters, and will look for more. Perhaps Penny is warmer and more real in other titles.
Murder on the Half Shell by Shawn Reilly Simmons Another Florida mystery for me, this is the second in the Red Carpeting Catering series. First the pluses: the author did a fine of setting the scene--I felt like I was on an island in Florida (there's an awful lot of condensation on glasses and people in this novel). The plot was fairly tight, with few extraneous or unnecessary scenes, and overall the pace was good. The downside: again, I'm just not crazy about the main character. I understand she's got a reputation and a business license to protect, so lecturing her underage servers on their time off about drinking is understandable, but it felt stiff and preachy. The romance with Joey fell flat: she spends the night at his hotel, but the day before, when they both change into swimsuits, they each go into the bathroom to change. Why even mention this? All it did was underscore what I saw as a lack of intimacy between two people we are repeatedly told are a couple. Their big romantic scene at the end felt like a middle schooler asking a girl to go steady with him. Now, I am not one for lots of sex or steamy mysteries, but if there is a romance, I want it presented realistically and this one didn't cut it for me. And FYI, Ms. Simmons, there is no NJPD, or New Jersey Police Department, as she later tells us. There are municipal police departments in every city and township, and there are New Jersey State Troopers, but Joey, a homicide detective, would work for a city PD. I haven't read the first novel, so don't know if Ms. Simmons has set Penelope in a fictional town in NJ or a real one, but yikes, what a glaringly stupid or naive statement to make repeatedly. The usual problem with typos and inconsistencies: e.g., on one page, Penelope "polishes off her beer," and on the next page, she takes a sip of her beer. Am I likely to read the first novel in the series? Nope, and even if I come across it with nothing interesting awaiting me on my Kindle Voyage, I'll likely skim it really fast just to see how badly she portrays my old home state, NJ.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Middle Sister's February Net Galley Reads
I am still slogging through the Nathaniel Hawthorne book for my book group, which technically should be over by the end of February, but when I needed a break from all his heavy prose, I read two mysteries that will be published in the next few weeks (galleys courtesy of Net Galley).
Shards of Murder by Cheryl Hollan It's pretty clear from this blog that I read a lot of cosy mysteries. Shards of Murder had potential, but I think could have benefited from a strong editor. Pages and pages were spent on introducing the reader to students in a glass making class who were not really relevant to the story (used as an aside to fill in Savannah's day when not detecting could have been dealt with in a few short paragraphs)--they weren't suspects, they didn't detect, nothing. Savannah is supposed to be a great glass artist, best in her class at school, and yet she wears matronly clothes (this is what she wore to judge a juried art show: tailored black jacket, plain white cotton blouse, khaki slacks, straw hat, jute shoes--do artists even own khaki pants? This sounds like something this college prof would wear to proctor an exam) and doesn't know the term hoochy mama? Our love interest wears his pants tucked into his cowboy boots? Never, never, never! It read like the author was trying to hoodwink the reader into thinking she was a bohemian artist herself and got the culture, but the reality is plainly different. Some informal word choices ("lastly" in a list of 2 things?) and odd verb choices, describing something as the second item of the same kind to appear when the first wasn't even mentioned until several paragraphs later--all could have been taken care of easily and would have improved the narrative. And I hated (hated is strong, but is accurate) the condescending attitude Savannah had to the the twins when the reader is first introduced to them--"it's pretty amazing that they walk from their house every day. Especially when you consider they are 87 years old," in front of them, to strangers--every near 87-year-old I know would have smacked Savannah upside the head for that disrespect. No real insider to the committee would have spoken the way he did. I wanted to like this book (it has a dog, who does agility, and a potentially really interesting setting in the juried art show, and a potentially interesting secondary character in the kid with Asperger's) but it fell flat for me on many levels. Here's my advice--drop the stupid white board, and if they have to use it, Savannah spends way too much time erasing names and reassigning tasks that the reader could not care less about, so nix all those passages that reproduce the whiteboard.Get a strong editor, tone down the lessons on glass making to just what is needed to advance the story, and bring in some humor or local color.
Skinny Dipping with Murder by Auralee Wallace A much better mystery. Funny, with characters that were much more engaging, better flow in the narrative and continuity (clearly a better editor), and only a sprinkling of typos (oddly, all at the end of the book). Erica's obsession with her teenage embarrassment did get tiresome, but I guess it is true that teenage humiliations are hard to overcome. The supporting characters are almost all well fleshed out, although I really didn't get a grasp on her mother as a hippy other than being repeatedly told she was. Vegan? So what, I know lots of vegans who aren't anywhere near hippydom. The romance with Grady has potential, and he seems like a nice guy, which I can't always say about mystery romantic leads (who tend to be a little too perfect and too smarmy, in my opinion). Freddie is a great sidekick and I hope we see more of him in future books. The mystery wasn't very mysterious (I had the murderer pegged immediately after the murder) but the pratfalls Erica experiences on the way to solving the mystery were funny, the pacing was good, and I'd be happy to spend more time at Otter Lake.
Shards of Murder by Cheryl Hollan It's pretty clear from this blog that I read a lot of cosy mysteries. Shards of Murder had potential, but I think could have benefited from a strong editor. Pages and pages were spent on introducing the reader to students in a glass making class who were not really relevant to the story (used as an aside to fill in Savannah's day when not detecting could have been dealt with in a few short paragraphs)--they weren't suspects, they didn't detect, nothing. Savannah is supposed to be a great glass artist, best in her class at school, and yet she wears matronly clothes (this is what she wore to judge a juried art show: tailored black jacket, plain white cotton blouse, khaki slacks, straw hat, jute shoes--do artists even own khaki pants? This sounds like something this college prof would wear to proctor an exam) and doesn't know the term hoochy mama? Our love interest wears his pants tucked into his cowboy boots? Never, never, never! It read like the author was trying to hoodwink the reader into thinking she was a bohemian artist herself and got the culture, but the reality is plainly different. Some informal word choices ("lastly" in a list of 2 things?) and odd verb choices, describing something as the second item of the same kind to appear when the first wasn't even mentioned until several paragraphs later--all could have been taken care of easily and would have improved the narrative. And I hated (hated is strong, but is accurate) the condescending attitude Savannah had to the the twins when the reader is first introduced to them--"it's pretty amazing that they walk from their house every day. Especially when you consider they are 87 years old," in front of them, to strangers--every near 87-year-old I know would have smacked Savannah upside the head for that disrespect. No real insider to the committee would have spoken the way he did. I wanted to like this book (it has a dog, who does agility, and a potentially really interesting setting in the juried art show, and a potentially interesting secondary character in the kid with Asperger's) but it fell flat for me on many levels. Here's my advice--drop the stupid white board, and if they have to use it, Savannah spends way too much time erasing names and reassigning tasks that the reader could not care less about, so nix all those passages that reproduce the whiteboard.Get a strong editor, tone down the lessons on glass making to just what is needed to advance the story, and bring in some humor or local color.
Skinny Dipping with Murder by Auralee Wallace A much better mystery. Funny, with characters that were much more engaging, better flow in the narrative and continuity (clearly a better editor), and only a sprinkling of typos (oddly, all at the end of the book). Erica's obsession with her teenage embarrassment did get tiresome, but I guess it is true that teenage humiliations are hard to overcome. The supporting characters are almost all well fleshed out, although I really didn't get a grasp on her mother as a hippy other than being repeatedly told she was. Vegan? So what, I know lots of vegans who aren't anywhere near hippydom. The romance with Grady has potential, and he seems like a nice guy, which I can't always say about mystery romantic leads (who tend to be a little too perfect and too smarmy, in my opinion). Freddie is a great sidekick and I hope we see more of him in future books. The mystery wasn't very mysterious (I had the murderer pegged immediately after the murder) but the pratfalls Erica experiences on the way to solving the mystery were funny, the pacing was good, and I'd be happy to spend more time at Otter Lake.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Middle Sister's January Reads
I have already reviewed two of the books I read this month, so this post will focus on the other January books. Two were successful, two were not. Let's begin with the good books.
Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff What a fanstastic book! It details the accidental crash of an Army plane in Dutch New Guinea during World War II. With an exhausting attention to detail that other authors should envy (ahem, W.C. Jameson from December, I'm looking at you), copious notes, survivor interviews, newspaper and film footage research, this book is a great example of investigative narration. The author's treatment of the indigenous population was exemplary. As it turns out, my friend Debbie was reading this same book at the same time, and although our tastes are usually quite different, we both loved it (despite reading it on our smartphones). If you enjoy books about history, World War II, tropical exploration, survivor stories, heck, if you just like a good yarn, especially when it's real, rad this book. Highly recommended.
The House of Worth by the Litchfield Historical Society I love historical costumes, and this catalog for a recent exhibit at the Litchfield Historical Society is a lovely book. It includes entertaining essays that introduce the women who were sent the haute couture sketches by the House of Worth as well as a brief biography of the house. My only objection: I was reading this on my Kindle Voyage, and the illustrations were not formatted for this presentation. Every single dress was cut up into multiple pieces that were shuffled like some strange Picasso sketch. Read this on your laptop or tablet. (Net Galley)
And now for the badies. I rarely give up on book. It has to be pretty bad on some basic level to make me give up on it. These two managed that.
Unleashed by Emily Kimelman I didn't care about the language (much rougher than mine but not much worse than my own sister's often potty mouth). I thought the circumstances that open the book--how the main character lost her job--were funny and familiar to anyone who has ever worked in the food service or retail industries. But the author described the main character's newly acquired dog with the same exact same words just pages apart; a minor annoyance, but I guess I just wasn't in the mood for it. I may give this one another go (I need something to read during my lunch break and this is on my smartphone).
Killer Cupcakes by Leighann Dobbs I had literally just read a review of this series in the Mystery Reader's Journal that praised the series before I started it, so I went in with high expectations. I enjoyed the first scene--heroine lets dog out, dogs wriggles out of yard and poops in neighbor's yard, heroin meets hunky neighbor. But, c'mon--she owns a pastry shop and she's not there at 3 a.m., baking? Just one person, her friend and coworker, is? Not any bakery I've frequented and given my love of all things sweet and flaky, that's a lot of bakeries. She wears stiletto heels and she's on her feet all day (and this is supposed to make me think she's a successful business woman)? I might have forgiven that stupidity on the character's part as part of her character (vanity, by the way, is not generally a likable quality in my estimation). What I couldn't forgive was this: hunky neighbor turns out to be policeman (believable) investigating the murder of heroine's ex (believable) who says to her "of course I don't think you did it" three minutes after interrogating her. Based on meeting her picking up poop, or just because he's got the hots for her? And when Lexy admits the breakup with her ex was not amicable, does he pursue it? Nope, he shuts his notebook and drops that line of questioning. And then, then--"Jack reached across the table resting his hand over hers." ARGH!!! Police harassment! Police intimidation! Does the author know what the words 'unprofessional behavior' mean? That was it. I shut the book. Look, I get some people like romance more than mystery, and this is clearly aimed at that reading populace, but in the light of how many cop shows there are n television, I think even the sappiest reader would question a cop who acts like a randy baboon rather than a highly-trained professional investigating a murder. Sorry, but I can't recommend this in good conscious to anyone who likes their fiction to even sort of resemble reality.
Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff What a fanstastic book! It details the accidental crash of an Army plane in Dutch New Guinea during World War II. With an exhausting attention to detail that other authors should envy (ahem, W.C. Jameson from December, I'm looking at you), copious notes, survivor interviews, newspaper and film footage research, this book is a great example of investigative narration. The author's treatment of the indigenous population was exemplary. As it turns out, my friend Debbie was reading this same book at the same time, and although our tastes are usually quite different, we both loved it (despite reading it on our smartphones). If you enjoy books about history, World War II, tropical exploration, survivor stories, heck, if you just like a good yarn, especially when it's real, rad this book. Highly recommended.
The House of Worth by the Litchfield Historical Society I love historical costumes, and this catalog for a recent exhibit at the Litchfield Historical Society is a lovely book. It includes entertaining essays that introduce the women who were sent the haute couture sketches by the House of Worth as well as a brief biography of the house. My only objection: I was reading this on my Kindle Voyage, and the illustrations were not formatted for this presentation. Every single dress was cut up into multiple pieces that were shuffled like some strange Picasso sketch. Read this on your laptop or tablet. (Net Galley)
And now for the badies. I rarely give up on book. It has to be pretty bad on some basic level to make me give up on it. These two managed that.
Unleashed by Emily Kimelman I didn't care about the language (much rougher than mine but not much worse than my own sister's often potty mouth). I thought the circumstances that open the book--how the main character lost her job--were funny and familiar to anyone who has ever worked in the food service or retail industries. But the author described the main character's newly acquired dog with the same exact same words just pages apart; a minor annoyance, but I guess I just wasn't in the mood for it. I may give this one another go (I need something to read during my lunch break and this is on my smartphone).
Killer Cupcakes by Leighann Dobbs I had literally just read a review of this series in the Mystery Reader's Journal that praised the series before I started it, so I went in with high expectations. I enjoyed the first scene--heroine lets dog out, dogs wriggles out of yard and poops in neighbor's yard, heroin meets hunky neighbor. But, c'mon--she owns a pastry shop and she's not there at 3 a.m., baking? Just one person, her friend and coworker, is? Not any bakery I've frequented and given my love of all things sweet and flaky, that's a lot of bakeries. She wears stiletto heels and she's on her feet all day (and this is supposed to make me think she's a successful business woman)? I might have forgiven that stupidity on the character's part as part of her character (vanity, by the way, is not generally a likable quality in my estimation). What I couldn't forgive was this: hunky neighbor turns out to be policeman (believable) investigating the murder of heroine's ex (believable) who says to her "of course I don't think you did it" three minutes after interrogating her. Based on meeting her picking up poop, or just because he's got the hots for her? And when Lexy admits the breakup with her ex was not amicable, does he pursue it? Nope, he shuts his notebook and drops that line of questioning. And then, then--"Jack reached across the table resting his hand over hers." ARGH!!! Police harassment! Police intimidation! Does the author know what the words 'unprofessional behavior' mean? That was it. I shut the book. Look, I get some people like romance more than mystery, and this is clearly aimed at that reading populace, but in the light of how many cop shows there are n television, I think even the sappiest reader would question a cop who acts like a randy baboon rather than a highly-trained professional investigating a murder. Sorry, but I can't recommend this in good conscious to anyone who likes their fiction to even sort of resemble reality.
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