The past few months have gone by in a blur because of all kinds of personal chaos, but I did get some reading in to keep my sanity. Forthwith is a single post for the books read this fall, and yes, gentle readers, it is a small list, but in my defense, I was also trying to make a dent in a huge pile of magazines, including a literary magazine chock full of books I want to read.
The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout In case it hasn't been clear the past two years, I've been trying to read or listen to as many Nero Wolfe mysteries as I can. In this title, Wolfe and Archie tangle with the FBI and the NYPD; guess who will win? More topical than some of the Wolfe mysteries, and very resonant today, despite the 1965 original publication date. Perhaps not my favorite Nero Wolfe,
The Dancing Floor by Barbara Michaels I love Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters, love, love, love. My great regret is she died before I could meet her. They are top notch entertainment in my book--just enough mystery with just enough romance, and in the case of Amelia Peabody novels accurate historical detail and laugh-out-loud funny. I'm pretty sure I've read them all, but I don't mind re-reading ones I haven't read in a while. The plot to The Dancing Floor didn't sound familiar, so I took it out from my library. It didn't engage me the way a Barbara Michaels usually does, so I wondered if this was a very early book in her repertoire. It isn't, published in 1997, but it's not as good as others. I thought the way she incorporated Heather Tradescant, our plucky heroine, into the Karim family was a little too easy and unbelievable, even for someone like me, who happily suspends rational thought for a ripping good book. Barbara Rosenblatt's reading of this audiobook was as a good as I had heard she was. The Wiccan culture at the center of the mystery made this a great Halloween read. Not her best, but still very enjoyable.
Death of a Witch by M. C. Beaton Another fun visit to Lochdubh! I love the Hamish MacBeth series, and recently re-watched the television series just to spend more time with the quirky Highlanders and the beautiful scenario. In Death of a Witch (Halloween theme continued), a newcomer upsets the entire community with her herbal medicines, and Hamish manages to solve the murder, smooth the ruffled feathers of everyone in Lochdubh, and even engage in a passing romance with Leslie from forensics. The romance was typically Hamish-funny, with Leslie's disinterest in him until she realized Hamish is smarter than he acts pretty accurate as to how most of us feel about Hamish. I thought this was one of the more amusing of the Hamish stories, because so many of the eccentric community were embroiled with the mystery and I love it when they stymie Hamish.
The Bat by Jo Nesbro Scandinavian noir has been very popular in the mystery world for several years, but giventheir grimmer, grimier nature, I've resisted it. However, my library's acquisition of a audiobook of the first Harry Hole mystery was too much to resist. I enjoyed first half of the novel, even if it didn't take place in Norway. I overlooked the sometimes television-script-like dialogue between Andrew and Harry. I liked the burgeoning relationship between Birgitte and Harry. I especially liked the shock of the second murder, which threw some genre expectations out the window. The first and third thirds were great, fast-paced and attention grabbing. Hated the middle third when Harry, understandably upset after the second murder, tossed his hard-won sobriety (which had garnered a lot of sympathy from me) and the joy (existence?) of his new romance for a week of drunken excess and one night stands. This was trite and cliched and evaporated my sympathy for Harry, despite the rest of the story and its effects on him. I have read that this was not Nesbro's best effort; perhaps I should've followed my usual routine of starting with a later title in along series to allow for the author to learn their craft and their character better.
The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson I love the British Library Crime Classics imprint, and this is latest title from that series I've read. It's a great locked room mystery that reads as only slightly dated, despite dating to 1932. Further enjoyable since the portrayal of the politicians shows some of them to be just as inept and out of touch as to have been pulled from today's headlines. We can enjoy that ineptness more because it's fictional. Wilkinson served in Parliament, so her insight into the inner workings of that political body are fascinating. I can only hope that this just demonstrates that 85 years later, things have changed and yet some things have remained the same, which may mean peril can be averted.
The Body by Bill Bryson Bill Bryson and a deep dive into human physiology and bodily functions--perfection. One of my favorite books of the year!
Aunt Bessie Assumes by Diana Xarissa You know how I love cosy mysteries located in unusual or exotic (to me) locations with an overarching, country-home-murder vibe. So naturally when I stumbled upon a series called the Isle of Man mysteries, I had to give it a try. The writing was okay, the setting was described well, the mystery was obvious and could have used a few more suspects, but the main drawback to reading another in this series is Aunt Bessie herself. She's so self righteous and almost intolerant of anyone who does things differently than she. I like a curmudgeon, and I'm on my way to being an old spinster lady myself, but that doesn't mean I have to be a silver seniors version of a mean girl in high school. And yet she's supposed to be so beloved by everyone on the island that they call her Aunt Bessie and tell her everything? I also was floored at the end when a policeman on a stakeout left to go grocery shopping, especially as this took place immediately after an attempt on the life of the person whose home was being staked out, the eponymous Aunt Bessie?
And the other policeman watched through a window as Aunt Bessie nearly get killed "to see what the killer would do?" Generally I don't include spoilers, but I had to here to underscore why I found it hard to enjoy the book, despite liking some of the secondary characters and wanting to read and 'see' more of the Isle of Man.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Monday, September 2, 2019
Middle Sister's August Reads
Wow, August was full of books, because unbelievably, the dog is still in the hospital, which means I continue my habit of reading to him (as I do the animals at home every night) for two hours. This month was characterized by its variety.
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver I borrowed this book from my boss in January, but I had to put it aside for a few months after my mother died since the main character begins the novel reflecting on how the death of her mother has affected her. It was a very good book, but my boss and I both preferred the story of Thatcher and Mary to the modern story of Iano and Willa. The unremitting bad luck of their lives paralleled mine a little too much. The overt political stance of Willa and Iano as contrasted with Iano's father, with which I happen to agree, did become annoying after a while. Some of that should have been sacrificed for more interaction between Iano and his father, I think, even though Willa is the protagonist of the modern half of the story. The modern story is filled with more characters and more chaos, which exemplifies Willa's life at the moment, but there is so much going on that I think the threads became too many to weave together as effectively as the simpler, less chaotic story of Thatcher and Mary. I'll end with one of my favorite, and most devastating quotes: "When someone matters like that, you didn't lose her at death. You lost her as you kept living."
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, annotated edition by Maria Tatar My book group's selection for the summer. I'd never read Peter Pan and I didn't like the Disney movie as a child (in fact, I don't think I've ever seen the whole movie). I didn't like the story (abandoned children never reunited with their families is upsetting to me as a adult and I think that's why I didn't like it as a child), although I did appreciate the creativity Barrie had in spades. What I really liked about this edition was all the footnotes and the estra chapters on the original Arthur Rackham illustrations, the history of the play, and the other tangents Tatar explored.
40 Timeless Knits by Norah Gaughan Great new compilation of Norah Gaughan knit designs, with samples from her career presented chronologically. Perfect for knit lovers, with good photographs, charts, and written directions.
The Old Success by P.D. James James' mysteries are being reissued in electronic form, and that makes it even easier to enjoy these well written, erudite mysteries. I admit to having a huge fictional crush on Richard Jury, so I enjoy all of her novels. This isn't one of James' strongest, as it can get confusing keeping the interconnections between all the characters straight, but it is marked by one of James' most sympathetic supporting characters,Tom Brownell. I don't remember if Diane's ex-husband, George Jenks, makes any reappearances in other novels, but I hope he does. She is one of my least liked characters but I did enjoy their interactions.
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi Young adult novel that is aimed at the same age group as Jason Reynolds, but it falls a little short. Set in the 1980s, in Alabama and New York City, the story follows Ebony-Grace Norfleet Freeman who leaves her mother and beloved grandfather in Alabama to spend a few weeks with her father in New York City. When her grandfather becomes ill, Ebony-Grace must stay in NYC, and face what she has avoided successfully by retreating into a fictional world she and her grandfather created--growing up. Some sections dragged on a little too much, and this nerdy child-now-adult thought Ebony-Grace's transition from her space fantasy to reality happened far too quickly. All the 1980s references were amusing to me, but would be meaningless to the targeted age group. I liked the comic book-style illustrations, but I wished they had furthered the story rather than recapitulated scenes we'd already read.
Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace by Patricia Marcantonio I think Marcantonio wanted to create a female Sherlock Holmes--an independently wealthy polymath, Felicity has no family ties to force her to adhere to late Victorian propriety, and she has decided to help Scotland Yard solve mysteries. In this, which I think is the second novel in the series, Felicity's Scotland Yard friend has made himself sick over his inability to catch Jack the Ripper. Felicity decides to do that in hopes of restoring him to health. I won't go into the details of how, but Felicity tracks the Ripper to Montana, where she meets an attractive lawman and tries to understand the Wild West. Felicity was extremely annoying, especially in the first half of the novel, and if I read the phrase "her remarkable memory" one more time I was going to give up. Marcantonio makes a number of mistakes that detract from the time she's trying to recreate: Felicity throws twenty and fifty dollar notes around as if they were pennies, and that would have attracted a lot of attention in a mining town, Felicity and the Hunky Marshal get physical, which would never (okay, maybe never but rarely) happen to a wealthy Victorian maiden without consequences, and uses the concept of profiling the murderer which was used in the Ripper case but I wonder if the term profiling was used (I suspect not) as Marcantonio uses it. I do giver the author props for an original conclusion to the identification of Jack the Ripper, which saved the book.
Revolutionary Brothers by Tom Chaffin Interesting and well-written biography of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson and their relationship both during and after the Revolutionary War. The book is well-researched and easy to read, although I wish my advanced reader's copy had illustrations or maps to help describe some of the events. I enjoyed the appearance of my favorites, John and Abigail Adams, and their intersection with both Lafayette and Jefferson in Paris after the war, developing the United States' early diplomatic relationship with France; Jefferson and Abigail seem to have had a mutually admiring relationship. The book ends rather abruptly, and disappointingly, during a tour of southern France by Jefferson, without any mention of what happened to both gentlemen after their role as diplomats ended, what happened to Lafayette during the French Revolution, or Jefferson's election as president.
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver I borrowed this book from my boss in January, but I had to put it aside for a few months after my mother died since the main character begins the novel reflecting on how the death of her mother has affected her. It was a very good book, but my boss and I both preferred the story of Thatcher and Mary to the modern story of Iano and Willa. The unremitting bad luck of their lives paralleled mine a little too much. The overt political stance of Willa and Iano as contrasted with Iano's father, with which I happen to agree, did become annoying after a while. Some of that should have been sacrificed for more interaction between Iano and his father, I think, even though Willa is the protagonist of the modern half of the story. The modern story is filled with more characters and more chaos, which exemplifies Willa's life at the moment, but there is so much going on that I think the threads became too many to weave together as effectively as the simpler, less chaotic story of Thatcher and Mary. I'll end with one of my favorite, and most devastating quotes: "When someone matters like that, you didn't lose her at death. You lost her as you kept living."
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie, annotated edition by Maria Tatar My book group's selection for the summer. I'd never read Peter Pan and I didn't like the Disney movie as a child (in fact, I don't think I've ever seen the whole movie). I didn't like the story (abandoned children never reunited with their families is upsetting to me as a adult and I think that's why I didn't like it as a child), although I did appreciate the creativity Barrie had in spades. What I really liked about this edition was all the footnotes and the estra chapters on the original Arthur Rackham illustrations, the history of the play, and the other tangents Tatar explored.
40 Timeless Knits by Norah Gaughan Great new compilation of Norah Gaughan knit designs, with samples from her career presented chronologically. Perfect for knit lovers, with good photographs, charts, and written directions.
The Old Success by P.D. James James' mysteries are being reissued in electronic form, and that makes it even easier to enjoy these well written, erudite mysteries. I admit to having a huge fictional crush on Richard Jury, so I enjoy all of her novels. This isn't one of James' strongest, as it can get confusing keeping the interconnections between all the characters straight, but it is marked by one of James' most sympathetic supporting characters,Tom Brownell. I don't remember if Diane's ex-husband, George Jenks, makes any reappearances in other novels, but I hope he does. She is one of my least liked characters but I did enjoy their interactions.
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi Young adult novel that is aimed at the same age group as Jason Reynolds, but it falls a little short. Set in the 1980s, in Alabama and New York City, the story follows Ebony-Grace Norfleet Freeman who leaves her mother and beloved grandfather in Alabama to spend a few weeks with her father in New York City. When her grandfather becomes ill, Ebony-Grace must stay in NYC, and face what she has avoided successfully by retreating into a fictional world she and her grandfather created--growing up. Some sections dragged on a little too much, and this nerdy child-now-adult thought Ebony-Grace's transition from her space fantasy to reality happened far too quickly. All the 1980s references were amusing to me, but would be meaningless to the targeted age group. I liked the comic book-style illustrations, but I wished they had furthered the story rather than recapitulated scenes we'd already read.
Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace by Patricia Marcantonio I think Marcantonio wanted to create a female Sherlock Holmes--an independently wealthy polymath, Felicity has no family ties to force her to adhere to late Victorian propriety, and she has decided to help Scotland Yard solve mysteries. In this, which I think is the second novel in the series, Felicity's Scotland Yard friend has made himself sick over his inability to catch Jack the Ripper. Felicity decides to do that in hopes of restoring him to health. I won't go into the details of how, but Felicity tracks the Ripper to Montana, where she meets an attractive lawman and tries to understand the Wild West. Felicity was extremely annoying, especially in the first half of the novel, and if I read the phrase "her remarkable memory" one more time I was going to give up. Marcantonio makes a number of mistakes that detract from the time she's trying to recreate: Felicity throws twenty and fifty dollar notes around as if they were pennies, and that would have attracted a lot of attention in a mining town, Felicity and the Hunky Marshal get physical, which would never (okay, maybe never but rarely) happen to a wealthy Victorian maiden without consequences, and uses the concept of profiling the murderer which was used in the Ripper case but I wonder if the term profiling was used (I suspect not) as Marcantonio uses it. I do giver the author props for an original conclusion to the identification of Jack the Ripper, which saved the book.
Revolutionary Brothers by Tom Chaffin Interesting and well-written biography of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson and their relationship both during and after the Revolutionary War. The book is well-researched and easy to read, although I wish my advanced reader's copy had illustrations or maps to help describe some of the events. I enjoyed the appearance of my favorites, John and Abigail Adams, and their intersection with both Lafayette and Jefferson in Paris after the war, developing the United States' early diplomatic relationship with France; Jefferson and Abigail seem to have had a mutually admiring relationship. The book ends rather abruptly, and disappointingly, during a tour of southern France by Jefferson, without any mention of what happened to both gentlemen after their role as diplomats ended, what happened to Lafayette during the French Revolution, or Jefferson's election as president.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Middle Sister's July Reads
Well, with my ginger boy still in the vet hospital and my habit of reading to him every night for 2 hours, I continue to get a lot of reading done this summer.
The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett Carol and Jude get involved in another murder mystery in Fetherington, but this time, Jude is the last person known to have been with the victim and thus is the police's main suspect. As number one suspect, Jude is warned off investigating by the police, so Carol swings into action on her own. Like the other Fetherington mysteries, this is a solid English cosy mystery. Jude and Carol are caricatures of middle aged women--one uptight, one free-spirited--but their friendship rings true, with respect for each others's quirks tinged by occasional jealousy and impatience. Well written, as all Brett's mysteries are, and while I figured out the whodunnit, an enjoyable summer read. Recommended. (NetGalley)
The Man That Got Away by Lynne Truss The second in the fast-paced Constable Twitten mystery series opens a month after the first book, with Twitten still reeling from the revelation not just of the presence of a Master Criminal in Brighton, but who that Master Criminal is. In this book, Sgt. Brunswick gets to go undercover in a seedy nightclub, while Inspector Steine confronts his past in his inimitable bumbling way, and Mrs. Groynes has a romance. I learned what a humbug was, and it was not what I expected. This is a charming series, well written and engaging, with a lively 1957 English setting. Recommended. (NetGalley)
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves The book begins with Matthew Venn attending his father's funeral, and this mystery revolves around themes of family and betrayal and loss. Matthew's husband runs an adult care center, and when several young women with Down's Syndrome are kidnapped, his mother, after not speaking to him for many years, asks for his help. At the same time, the adult care center is involved in the murder of a recovering alcoholic who was volunteering as a chef. Venn's loyalties and conflicts are front and center in this well-written but somewhat grim mystery. Recommended. (NetGalley)
Remembering the Dead by Elizabeth J. Duncan Penny Brannigan and her friends and colleagues in North Wales are attending a fancy dinner at the local mansion to celebrate the exhibition of the Black Chair, a specially crafted wooden chair that was awarded to Wales' most illustrious poet in 1917. The chair, unbelievably for its large size, is stolen and a murder is committed during the dinner. Penny is drawn into the mystery, but her friendship with Inspector Bethan Morgan makes her involvement in the investigation less overtly contentious and she is not dismissive of police skill, as many amateur detectives are. Penny's nascent romance with Michael Quinn from the last title in series is part of the story, and I have to admit I felt very superior when Gareth was revealed as the better man, the one she should have chosen over Michael (even if Penny continues to insist that he's not the man for her). I hope Gareth hasn't permanently moved to Scotland (is it mean of me to hope his new romance fails?). Recommended. (NetGalley)
Read and Buried by Eva Gates A library in a lighthouse? I'm there! Lucy works in a small yet vibrant library in Nags Head, North Carolina, and renovations to shore up the foundation of the lighthouse reveal a tin box with a mysterious notebook. The notebook's content are written in code, so Lucy and just about everyone else in her circle try their hand at decoding it. When someone breaks into the library and then is murdered, Lucy sets out to solve both the cryptographic mystery and the murder. Populated with several eccentrics who've known each other their whole lives and who squabble and interrupt each other like people who've known each other their whole lives, I enjoyed them in all their quirkiness and the setting is a great summer vacation destination, even fictionally. Recommended. (NetGalley)
A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry Kate Hamilton is in England to visit her daughter, who has an internship at a large country house, as well as to buy some antiques for her shop in Ohio. It also gives her the opportunity to resume in person her romance with police inspector Tom. When a body is discovered during her tour of the country house, Kate stays to comfort her daughter and assumes the work of the murder victim in order for the special exhibit she was planning to be held. Luckily, the country house is located within the bailiwick of Tom, the inspector she met in Scotland in the first book in the series. But their romance can only proceed fitfully given the murder investigation and the presence of his late wife's mother. I wanted to warm up to Kate a little more than I did, as she is a contemporary age-wise, but there was something about her that prevented my identifying with her. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book, and since it took place at Christmas, it provided a cool escape from the hot desert summer. Recommended. (NetGalley)
The Dog Who Took Me Up a Mountain by Rick Crandall and Joseph Cosgriff Delightful memoir of a man and his Australian terrier and their love of hiking Colorado's high peaks. This book hit several high notes for me--a great location, a pastime I love, and a dog with personality. Highly enjoyable for dog lovers. My only complaint is that I read the advanced reader's copy on my Kindle, and the photos were not included. Recommended. (NetGalley)
The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett Carol and Jude get involved in another murder mystery in Fetherington, but this time, Jude is the last person known to have been with the victim and thus is the police's main suspect. As number one suspect, Jude is warned off investigating by the police, so Carol swings into action on her own. Like the other Fetherington mysteries, this is a solid English cosy mystery. Jude and Carol are caricatures of middle aged women--one uptight, one free-spirited--but their friendship rings true, with respect for each others's quirks tinged by occasional jealousy and impatience. Well written, as all Brett's mysteries are, and while I figured out the whodunnit, an enjoyable summer read. Recommended. (NetGalley)
The Man That Got Away by Lynne Truss The second in the fast-paced Constable Twitten mystery series opens a month after the first book, with Twitten still reeling from the revelation not just of the presence of a Master Criminal in Brighton, but who that Master Criminal is. In this book, Sgt. Brunswick gets to go undercover in a seedy nightclub, while Inspector Steine confronts his past in his inimitable bumbling way, and Mrs. Groynes has a romance. I learned what a humbug was, and it was not what I expected. This is a charming series, well written and engaging, with a lively 1957 English setting. Recommended. (NetGalley)
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves The book begins with Matthew Venn attending his father's funeral, and this mystery revolves around themes of family and betrayal and loss. Matthew's husband runs an adult care center, and when several young women with Down's Syndrome are kidnapped, his mother, after not speaking to him for many years, asks for his help. At the same time, the adult care center is involved in the murder of a recovering alcoholic who was volunteering as a chef. Venn's loyalties and conflicts are front and center in this well-written but somewhat grim mystery. Recommended. (NetGalley)
Remembering the Dead by Elizabeth J. Duncan Penny Brannigan and her friends and colleagues in North Wales are attending a fancy dinner at the local mansion to celebrate the exhibition of the Black Chair, a specially crafted wooden chair that was awarded to Wales' most illustrious poet in 1917. The chair, unbelievably for its large size, is stolen and a murder is committed during the dinner. Penny is drawn into the mystery, but her friendship with Inspector Bethan Morgan makes her involvement in the investigation less overtly contentious and she is not dismissive of police skill, as many amateur detectives are. Penny's nascent romance with Michael Quinn from the last title in series is part of the story, and I have to admit I felt very superior when Gareth was revealed as the better man, the one she should have chosen over Michael (even if Penny continues to insist that he's not the man for her). I hope Gareth hasn't permanently moved to Scotland (is it mean of me to hope his new romance fails?). Recommended. (NetGalley)
Read and Buried by Eva Gates A library in a lighthouse? I'm there! Lucy works in a small yet vibrant library in Nags Head, North Carolina, and renovations to shore up the foundation of the lighthouse reveal a tin box with a mysterious notebook. The notebook's content are written in code, so Lucy and just about everyone else in her circle try their hand at decoding it. When someone breaks into the library and then is murdered, Lucy sets out to solve both the cryptographic mystery and the murder. Populated with several eccentrics who've known each other their whole lives and who squabble and interrupt each other like people who've known each other their whole lives, I enjoyed them in all their quirkiness and the setting is a great summer vacation destination, even fictionally. Recommended. (NetGalley)
A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry Kate Hamilton is in England to visit her daughter, who has an internship at a large country house, as well as to buy some antiques for her shop in Ohio. It also gives her the opportunity to resume in person her romance with police inspector Tom. When a body is discovered during her tour of the country house, Kate stays to comfort her daughter and assumes the work of the murder victim in order for the special exhibit she was planning to be held. Luckily, the country house is located within the bailiwick of Tom, the inspector she met in Scotland in the first book in the series. But their romance can only proceed fitfully given the murder investigation and the presence of his late wife's mother. I wanted to warm up to Kate a little more than I did, as she is a contemporary age-wise, but there was something about her that prevented my identifying with her. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book, and since it took place at Christmas, it provided a cool escape from the hot desert summer. Recommended. (NetGalley)
The Dog Who Took Me Up a Mountain by Rick Crandall and Joseph Cosgriff Delightful memoir of a man and his Australian terrier and their love of hiking Colorado's high peaks. This book hit several high notes for me--a great location, a pastime I love, and a dog with personality. Highly enjoyable for dog lovers. My only complaint is that I read the advanced reader's copy on my Kindle, and the photos were not included. Recommended. (NetGalley)
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Middle Sister's June Reads
Well, one of the dogs that inspired BTCD has been in the hospital the entire month. I always read to my animals when I'm in bed (I even try to do the accents; they must think I'm crazy), so I've been reading to him for an hour or two every night when I visit. Between that and waiting in the lobby, we've read a lot of books this month. The veterinary hospital thinks this is hilarious and has joked about putting a shelf in his kennel for his library. Perhaps I should add his 'reviews' of the books, too?
Pocahontas and the English Boys by Karen Ordahl Kupperman The life of the real Pocohontas was not what little we learned in grade school, nor what the movies portray. Ms. Kupperman takes a unique look at early Colonial history through the eyes of the young English boys who sailed as indentured servants and Pocahontas, and investigates how the early settlers used these children and sometimes abandoned them. I knew there were indentured servants who earned their freedom after 7 years, but I never knew that some of these were young teen-aged boys, and I never knew that in some cases, they were abandoned. They were not even considered important enough to have their names recorded; they were simply called 'a boy' in some memoirs or legal papers. These boys were sent to live with Native Americans so they could eventually function as translators for the English. But their lives and fates took unexpected twists the longer they stayed with the various tribes. Failed settlements often returned to England, leaving the boys behind with out any compunction or second thoughts. Kupperman has done an admirable job finding what few references exist to these boys, reconstructing their lives when possible, and considering their fates when they disappeared from history. Early colonial history is an interest of mine, and I enjoyed learning about a slice of it I'd never heard of before. Recommended. (NetGalley)
Pride, Prejudice, and Poison by Elizabeth Blake Ah, gentle readers, I confess an admiration for Ms. Jane Austen and her literary masterpieces. Naturally, I am a sucker for most novels that utilize her canon. And if it takes place in a bookstore, in England? Well, I'm all in. Erin Coleridge runs a small bookstore (and admits most of her sales are via the Internet; a nice touch; most fictional independent bookstores are extremely successful and never mention competition from large online storefronts) in North Yorkshire and is a member of the local Austen society. When a member is murdered and Erin's friend is the chief suspect, she tries to solve the mystery without becoming the next victim. I loved Erin's house, I loved her bookstore, I loved her town, I envied her having two suitors (a suspect and the policeman), and I really enjoyed this mystery. Highly recommended, and you don't have to be a Jane Austen fan to enjoy it. (NetGalley)
Death at Dearly Manor by Betty Rowlands The author's two mystery series are being reissued as ebooks. Originally published in the mid 1990s, this was one of two Rowlands mystery I read this month, featuring her second amateur detective, Sukey Reynolds. Sukey is a scene of crime officer, and in this, the second book in the series, her ex-husband is accused of the murder of his second wife. I enjoyed this twist on a mystery--Sukey is removed from working on the case because of her connections with the victim and the main suspect, but, those connections, her personal ties, mean that she is drawn into the hunt for the killer. I liked Sukey, and I thought her reactions to the needs of her ex-husband, her son, and her boyfriend the inspector were portrayed realistically. The solution to the mystery left me somewhat disappointed, but the author may have been still developing the character. I enjoyed it enough that I'll overlook that weakness. Recommended (NetGalley)
Murder at Larkfield Barn by Betty Rowlands The seventh in the Melissa Craig series, centering on a mystery writer who has moved to a small village in the Cotswalds and finds both romance and plenty of murder. Although this is Rowland's first series, by the seventh title, Melissa should have been a well developed character. While she may have been well-developed, I didn't like her as much as I liked Sukey. Melissa's character came across as quite old-fashioned, despite the original publication of the book in 1996. The murders of several people, united by a garish clown smile painted in lipstick on them, don't seem nearly as gruesome to me as Melissa's and the townspeoples' reactions would warrant. The complicated ending was somewhat of a surprise, although the dearth of suspects clearly indicated who had done it; the mystery was why. Recommended (NetGalley)
Plate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes by Lynn R. Sykes After reading several very interesting nonfiction titles in a row (several from NetGalley), I was looking forward to reading about plate tectonics and earthquakes. I took geology classes and worked with geologists and geomorphologists, so I consider myself more versed in geology and scientific jargon than the average reader. The book addressed some very important topics: can we predict when and where the next great earthquake, like that which produced the tsunami that battered Japan in 2011, will strike? What is fracturing and its relationship to earthquakes? Unfortunately, even a better-than-average educated reader with an interest in plate tectonics will find this a slog to get through. The lack of definitions for some terms is problematic (and there's no glossary, so while I know the difference between p and s waves, some readers won't remember), and I'd have liked more discussion of how prehistoric and historic earthquakes and their affects are detected and studied. In some places, the author almost comes across as exhibiting sour grapes when his recommendations were not followed and his predictions were correct, or when other scientists failed to mention his contributions to a particular theory or methodology. The writing is very dry, and the chapters read like scientific abstracts for a national professional meeting ("In this chapter, I will talk about X and use Y to prove my point." Dullsville and not appropriate for a general audience). Recommended only for geologists and seismologists. (NetGalley)
Pocahontas and the English Boys by Karen Ordahl Kupperman The life of the real Pocohontas was not what little we learned in grade school, nor what the movies portray. Ms. Kupperman takes a unique look at early Colonial history through the eyes of the young English boys who sailed as indentured servants and Pocahontas, and investigates how the early settlers used these children and sometimes abandoned them. I knew there were indentured servants who earned their freedom after 7 years, but I never knew that some of these were young teen-aged boys, and I never knew that in some cases, they were abandoned. They were not even considered important enough to have their names recorded; they were simply called 'a boy' in some memoirs or legal papers. These boys were sent to live with Native Americans so they could eventually function as translators for the English. But their lives and fates took unexpected twists the longer they stayed with the various tribes. Failed settlements often returned to England, leaving the boys behind with out any compunction or second thoughts. Kupperman has done an admirable job finding what few references exist to these boys, reconstructing their lives when possible, and considering their fates when they disappeared from history. Early colonial history is an interest of mine, and I enjoyed learning about a slice of it I'd never heard of before. Recommended. (NetGalley)
Pride, Prejudice, and Poison by Elizabeth Blake Ah, gentle readers, I confess an admiration for Ms. Jane Austen and her literary masterpieces. Naturally, I am a sucker for most novels that utilize her canon. And if it takes place in a bookstore, in England? Well, I'm all in. Erin Coleridge runs a small bookstore (and admits most of her sales are via the Internet; a nice touch; most fictional independent bookstores are extremely successful and never mention competition from large online storefronts) in North Yorkshire and is a member of the local Austen society. When a member is murdered and Erin's friend is the chief suspect, she tries to solve the mystery without becoming the next victim. I loved Erin's house, I loved her bookstore, I loved her town, I envied her having two suitors (a suspect and the policeman), and I really enjoyed this mystery. Highly recommended, and you don't have to be a Jane Austen fan to enjoy it. (NetGalley)
Death at Dearly Manor by Betty Rowlands The author's two mystery series are being reissued as ebooks. Originally published in the mid 1990s, this was one of two Rowlands mystery I read this month, featuring her second amateur detective, Sukey Reynolds. Sukey is a scene of crime officer, and in this, the second book in the series, her ex-husband is accused of the murder of his second wife. I enjoyed this twist on a mystery--Sukey is removed from working on the case because of her connections with the victim and the main suspect, but, those connections, her personal ties, mean that she is drawn into the hunt for the killer. I liked Sukey, and I thought her reactions to the needs of her ex-husband, her son, and her boyfriend the inspector were portrayed realistically. The solution to the mystery left me somewhat disappointed, but the author may have been still developing the character. I enjoyed it enough that I'll overlook that weakness. Recommended (NetGalley)
Murder at Larkfield Barn by Betty Rowlands The seventh in the Melissa Craig series, centering on a mystery writer who has moved to a small village in the Cotswalds and finds both romance and plenty of murder. Although this is Rowland's first series, by the seventh title, Melissa should have been a well developed character. While she may have been well-developed, I didn't like her as much as I liked Sukey. Melissa's character came across as quite old-fashioned, despite the original publication of the book in 1996. The murders of several people, united by a garish clown smile painted in lipstick on them, don't seem nearly as gruesome to me as Melissa's and the townspeoples' reactions would warrant. The complicated ending was somewhat of a surprise, although the dearth of suspects clearly indicated who had done it; the mystery was why. Recommended (NetGalley)
Plate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes by Lynn R. Sykes After reading several very interesting nonfiction titles in a row (several from NetGalley), I was looking forward to reading about plate tectonics and earthquakes. I took geology classes and worked with geologists and geomorphologists, so I consider myself more versed in geology and scientific jargon than the average reader. The book addressed some very important topics: can we predict when and where the next great earthquake, like that which produced the tsunami that battered Japan in 2011, will strike? What is fracturing and its relationship to earthquakes? Unfortunately, even a better-than-average educated reader with an interest in plate tectonics will find this a slog to get through. The lack of definitions for some terms is problematic (and there's no glossary, so while I know the difference between p and s waves, some readers won't remember), and I'd have liked more discussion of how prehistoric and historic earthquakes and their affects are detected and studied. In some places, the author almost comes across as exhibiting sour grapes when his recommendations were not followed and his predictions were correct, or when other scientists failed to mention his contributions to a particular theory or methodology. The writing is very dry, and the chapters read like scientific abstracts for a national professional meeting ("In this chapter, I will talk about X and use Y to prove my point." Dullsville and not appropriate for a general audience). Recommended only for geologists and seismologists. (NetGalley)
Monday, June 10, 2019
Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review
One of the BTCD dogs has been in the hospital for 2 weeks, so there's been a lot of reading going on--in the lobby, in the visiting room, even to him. Both the dog and I loved one of these books, so I had to write a mid-month review.
The Ice at the End of the World by Jon Gertner I loved this book! Mr. Gertner provides a riveting history of exploration of the Greenland ice sheet and glaciers, beginning with Nansen, and progressing through ongoing research in 2018. Through the narrative, he outlines the historical growth of scientific research on the Greenland glaciers, the difficulties conducting these researches, and succinctly summarizes the evidence of the results for climate change and global warming. This book is beautifully written, with good illustrations (so good I wanted more of them), and based on extensive research and oral interviews. I cannot recommend this book enough. Best book of 2019 to date. (Net Galley)
A Plain Vanilla Murder by Susan Wittig Albert I've fallen behind in the China Bayles series, so looked forward to the latest entry in the series. I've traveled through the vanilla country of Veracruz several times, and am currently growing my first two orchids, so naturally I was interested in the premise of this mystery: the death of a professor and international orchid smuggling. The novel is fast paced and told from different points of view--and therein is my only objection. Not the different points of view--I don't mind that technique at all. But China's first person point of view, written in the past tense, but other character's chapters (largely told from the very pregnant Sheila's point of view) are written in the present tense. And the switch back and forth between these was very annoying. Otherwise, this is another good book from Albert, with some surprising twists at the end that kept the suspense level high and surprised even me. (Net Galley)
The Ice at the End of the World by Jon Gertner I loved this book! Mr. Gertner provides a riveting history of exploration of the Greenland ice sheet and glaciers, beginning with Nansen, and progressing through ongoing research in 2018. Through the narrative, he outlines the historical growth of scientific research on the Greenland glaciers, the difficulties conducting these researches, and succinctly summarizes the evidence of the results for climate change and global warming. This book is beautifully written, with good illustrations (so good I wanted more of them), and based on extensive research and oral interviews. I cannot recommend this book enough. Best book of 2019 to date. (Net Galley)
A Plain Vanilla Murder by Susan Wittig Albert I've fallen behind in the China Bayles series, so looked forward to the latest entry in the series. I've traveled through the vanilla country of Veracruz several times, and am currently growing my first two orchids, so naturally I was interested in the premise of this mystery: the death of a professor and international orchid smuggling. The novel is fast paced and told from different points of view--and therein is my only objection. Not the different points of view--I don't mind that technique at all. But China's first person point of view, written in the past tense, but other character's chapters (largely told from the very pregnant Sheila's point of view) are written in the present tense. And the switch back and forth between these was very annoying. Otherwise, this is another good book from Albert, with some surprising twists at the end that kept the suspense level high and surprised even me. (Net Galley)
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Middle Sister's May Reads
More flights in May plus unusually cool weather gave me lots of reading time this month; see earlier mid-month review for another title.
Trilby by George Du Maurier We all know the term Svengali, and I've even seen the black and white silent movie, but I'd never read the book about the terrifying mesmerist. My book club had read it years ago, but with so many new members, we decided to read it again. It's an interesting look at the bohemian lifestyle in Paris in 1894, although I suspect highly whitewashed for reader sensibilities. Blatant anti-semitism running through the novel is uncomfortable for a modern reader. However, as an early psychological thriller, Trilby was an interesting novel. I just wish I spoke French. Gentle reader, beware, there is a lot of French in the novel that was not translated in my edition, and that did affect my enjoyment and perhaps comprehension of the story.
A Crafter Hooks a Killer by Holly Quinn There are a lot of knitting mystery series out there, and only a small number that feature crocheting; these could be counted on one hand. This crochet lover naturally wanted to dive into a story that featured crochet, the cover of which had a golden retriever on it. WHat's not to love? Sadly, this book. It's the second in A Handcrafted Mystery series, and it seemed to me that there were plenty of holdovers from book one that were not explained very well in book 2. The timeline was confusing to me--Sammy has taken over her friend's community crafting commission store because her friend was murdered, but one of the characters in this book is a young man who witnessed her murder as a boy. How many years have elapsed here? Sammy, Ellie, and Hannah and the ridiculous S.H.E. Nancy Drew wannabes was very immature and the constant reference to S.H.E. was very annoying. Their actions were not those of mature women, sisters and cousins who'd shared a love of mysteries as kids now faced with a real life mystery, but of high schoolers on a lark. The romantic interest was very tame, so readers who don't like any spice in their books will appreciate that, but to me it was just boring and bland, and Sammy's rudeness to Nash and inability to understand her actions were actually hurting the chances of finding and convicting the murderer made me want to throw the book across the room. Some parts dragged really slowly; the writing (downright terrible in some parts), the story, the pace, the characters--everything would have benefitted from a strong editor. Let's put it this way--I wrote a record 66 notes on my Kindle about errors, issues, and inconsistencies in this book. Not recommended, even as a beach vacation read.
This mystery left such a bad taste behind that I had to read the exact opposite of it. I'm currently reading an excellent, well-written nonfiction science book that I'll review early in June.
This mystery left such a bad taste behind that I had to read the exact opposite of it. I'm currently reading an excellent, well-written nonfiction science book that I'll review early in June.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review
Well, it's technically not mid-month, but we're not going to split hairs here.
Sweet Tea and Secrets by Joy Avon Regular Gentle Readers of this blog know that I like to do theme reads and holiday reads periodically. I couldn't find a Memorial Day mystery, but I did find a new July 4th-centered mystery. It had a dog on the cover, and it was located in a book-themed tea room in Maine. I love dogs (see blog title)! I love tea (see blog title)! I've been wanting to visit Maine for years!
Well, it was a light read, and that's probably the best thing I can say about it. This is the second Callie Aspen mystery, and while there were references to her first visit to Heart's Harbor (could there be a worse town name than Heart's Harbor? The saccharine level is sky high.), I don't think it's necessary to have read the first to begin the series with this entry. So I give the author props for that; it's very annoying when there are so many references to the first in a series that the second makes no sense.
I found the book disappointing on several levels. The immediacy of some of the relationships (the handyman works on your house for an afternoon and is able to establish a rapport with your kids after 20 minutes of soccer such that you'll let him toss them in the air while playing alone with them? And then you say your kids "love him?"), the basic plot device that people would remember such minute details from a local event 30 years ago in which most of them had little involvement (and that a hotel would have registration information from 30 years ago readily available), and the unprofessionalism of the policeman/hero (he tells Callie to go ask the chief suspect to provide DNA because he can't leave the scene of a boat wreck--despite other officers being there; and then asks her to tell said suspect the DNA results because "I don't want to tell him myself as our relationship hasn't exactly been...friendly." Are you kidding me? That's your job, you idiot!) made the mystery of what happened to Monica Walker (which I figured out by Chapter 4) annoying as well as dull. And by the way, Ace, that final gesture to Callie? Much more suited to a housewarming party and not a fireworks display.
No great thought has to go into reading this book which, I guess, makes it perfect summer fare. The answer to the mystery is easily deduced by even a casual mystery reader, so aficionados who like complicated puzzles should steer clear. An uninspired mystery, juvenile relationships, and clear disregard for the intelligence of any reader who has ever read a mystery or watched a police drama means I can't really recommend this book unless the reader deliberately wants something they do not have to focus on, or lives in Maine and must read every book ever written that takes place there. As much as I dislike giving poor grades, I'd rate it a D. (NetGalley)
Sweet Tea and Secrets by Joy Avon Regular Gentle Readers of this blog know that I like to do theme reads and holiday reads periodically. I couldn't find a Memorial Day mystery, but I did find a new July 4th-centered mystery. It had a dog on the cover, and it was located in a book-themed tea room in Maine. I love dogs (see blog title)! I love tea (see blog title)! I've been wanting to visit Maine for years!
Well, it was a light read, and that's probably the best thing I can say about it. This is the second Callie Aspen mystery, and while there were references to her first visit to Heart's Harbor (could there be a worse town name than Heart's Harbor? The saccharine level is sky high.), I don't think it's necessary to have read the first to begin the series with this entry. So I give the author props for that; it's very annoying when there are so many references to the first in a series that the second makes no sense.
I found the book disappointing on several levels. The immediacy of some of the relationships (the handyman works on your house for an afternoon and is able to establish a rapport with your kids after 20 minutes of soccer such that you'll let him toss them in the air while playing alone with them? And then you say your kids "love him?"), the basic plot device that people would remember such minute details from a local event 30 years ago in which most of them had little involvement (and that a hotel would have registration information from 30 years ago readily available), and the unprofessionalism of the policeman/hero (he tells Callie to go ask the chief suspect to provide DNA because he can't leave the scene of a boat wreck--despite other officers being there; and then asks her to tell said suspect the DNA results because "I don't want to tell him myself as our relationship hasn't exactly been...friendly." Are you kidding me? That's your job, you idiot!) made the mystery of what happened to Monica Walker (which I figured out by Chapter 4) annoying as well as dull. And by the way, Ace, that final gesture to Callie? Much more suited to a housewarming party and not a fireworks display.
No great thought has to go into reading this book which, I guess, makes it perfect summer fare. The answer to the mystery is easily deduced by even a casual mystery reader, so aficionados who like complicated puzzles should steer clear. An uninspired mystery, juvenile relationships, and clear disregard for the intelligence of any reader who has ever read a mystery or watched a police drama means I can't really recommend this book unless the reader deliberately wants something they do not have to focus on, or lives in Maine and must read every book ever written that takes place there. As much as I dislike giving poor grades, I'd rate it a D. (NetGalley)
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