Well, you all know I have been mysteries on deadline this week. Thank you to Sandie Herron and Kevin Tipple for their reviews while I wasn’t reading for the November blog. The books I read this week come out from January through April, so you’ll see them eventually. Last night, I was able to read a book for myself again!
Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs isn’t really the book I’m “reading”. Instead, it’s a book for picking up and reading several short chapters before I go back to a novel. It’s a gorgeous book, subtitled “100 Discovers That Changed the World”. It’s published by National Geographic, so you know it’s beautiful. Douglas Preston wrote the introduction, and Ann Williams is the editor.
Here’s the summary of the book.
Blending high adventure with history, this chronicle of 100 astonishing discoveries from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the fabulous “Lost City of the Monkey God” tells incredible stories of how explorers and archaeologists have uncovered the clues that illuminate our past.
Archaeology is the key that unlocks our deepest history. Ruined cities, golden treasures, cryptic inscriptions, and ornate tombs have been found across the world, and yet these artifacts of ages past often raised more questions than answers. But with the emergence of archaeology as a scientific discipline in the 19th century, everything changed.
Illustrated with dazzling photographs, this enlightening narrative tells the story of human civilization through 100 key expeditions, spanning six continents and more than three million years of history. Each account relies on firsthand reports from explorers, antiquarians, and scientists as they crack secret codes, evade looters and political suppression, fall in love, commit a litany of blunders, and uncover ancient curses.
Pivotal discoveries include:
- King Tut’s tomb of treasure
- Terracotta warriors escorting China’s first emperor into the afterlife
- The glorious Anglo-Saxon treasure of Sutton-Hoo
- Graves of the Scythians, the real Amazon warrior women
- New findings on the grim fate of the colonists of Jamestown
I’m appreciating the writing and beauty of the book, but it will take me a while to get through it.
What about you? What are you reading this week?
Your blog.
Great! Thank you, Kevin. (grim)
Midnight SmartAssery. 😉
After reading JANE DARROWFIELD AND THE MADWOMAN NEXT DOOR by Barbara Ross, the delightful second book in the series, I’m a huge fan of Jane Darrowfield. Having recently retired, Jane has decided to offer her services as a “professional busybody” to help others fix small problems that require discreet handling. With her business thriving (modestly), Jane is approached by her next-door neighbor, Megan, a wealthy young attorney. Megan has an unusual request–“figure out if I’m crazy”! She’s been hearing voices, finding things moved around in her house, and losing chunks of time. But before Jane can make any progress, Megan mysteriously disappears, and her cat does as well. What I especially appreciate about the author is that she portrays Jane, a “woman of a certain age,” as intelligent, active, and able to apply common sense to solve problems. Some of her cases are quite easy to resolve, while a few–such as Megan’s–require collaboration with a local detective. Anything but doddering or silly, Jane is a real person with a few close friends, a romantic relationship with an equally down-to-earth man, and a deep longing to reconnect with her son, who’s been out of her life for a decade and is not interested in returning. I hope there will be more well-plotted books in this series from the prolific Barbara Ross. (Dec. 28)
In BLOOMSBURY GIRLS by Natalie Jenner, it’s 1949 in Cambridge, England, where Bloomsbury Books is a stuffy, conservative bookshop at a time when “new opportunities for women were still being rationed along with the food.” Shop employees, only three of whom are female, are expected to adhere to all of the 51 posted rules. Grace is a married woman who supports her young sons and unemployed, emotionally abusive husband as secretary to the General Manager, and whose suggestions about how to improve sales are generally ignored. Vivien, who lost her fiance in the war and who works in the cashier’s booth, is outspoken, ambitious, and a secretly aspiring writer. And precocious Evie, a character from Jenner’s previous book, The Jane Austen Society, is a talented cataloguer and Cambridge graduate who dreams of rediscovering and reprinting the works of neglected women writers from the past. The Bloomsbury men–owner, General Manager and department heads– hold all the power and are generally resistant to change. But as the book progresses, their relationships with their female colleagues slowly march into new territory. What I most appreciate about the book is the exquisite character development. Each of the women and most of the male characters mature and change over time, which is crucial to the advancement of the plot. The last 25 percent of the book is an ultra-satisfying, quick-moving revelation after the slower pace and dense prose of earlier chapters. And as a bonus, there are many cameos throughout the book by real-life literary figures of the day. (May)
The mystery in TENDER IS THE BITE, the 11th Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn, struck me as a bit too convoluted–missing women, Ukrainian gangsters, police corruption, miniature golf, and a ferret, just to name a few of the elements. But that isn’t why I continue to read this series. It’s the narration by Chet, the dog who assists private investigator Bernie, that I love. Chet is steadfast in his devotion to (and admiration of) Bernie, accompanying him everywhere, applying his prodigious sniffing skills, and stepping in when the scene gets violent. But Chet doesn’t really understand metaphor or figurative language, which leads to some hysterical commentary on his part. And he frequently voices his feelings about what he particularly likes (SlimJims) and what he doesn’t (horses). He’s one of the most endearing animal characters in any mystery series I have read. The Christmas book in the series is in my queue at the library, and I can’t wait!
Margie, You are so right about Chet. The mysteries themselves are often convoluted, and sometimes even boring, but Chet is always just right.
Oh Margie, I want to read all of these! Especially the first two. I’ve never even heard of Jane Darrowfield before. And I absolutely agree about women of a certain age – have you read any of Hazel Holt’s Sheila Malory mysteries? They are all set in the West Country (Devon I think?). Sheila is a widow with a Siamese cat and a dog. She and her friend Rosemary have all the usual domestic issues – adult children with problems, grandchildren requiring minding, social obligations they’d rather not have – and in between all of that, they manage to solve (cosy-ish) murders. They are both, as you say, ‘intelligent, active, and able to apply common sense to solve problems.’
Hoorah to that 🙂
Thank you for the recommendation, Rosemary.i will definitely look for that series. The Jane Darrowfield series only has 2 books so far but I’m hoping for more.
This week I read:
Killer Words by VM Burns; A bookstore owning sleuth gets onthe case when a local cop is suspected of murdering a philandering professor/politician. She’s also writing a mystery novel set between the wars, and we get to read various sections. It was amusing how much worse a writer the sleuth was than her author.
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21 Century by Kim Fu; A book of short stories, some of which are sort of creepy. I was expecting more cryptids.
The Million Dollar Wound by Max Allan Collins; Nate Heller goes to war and comes back to Chicago with amnesia, and gets involved trying to solve various murders while recovering from PTSD.
The Notorious Noel Caper by Sally Carpenter; Former teen idol Sandy Hawkins finds himself emceeing a beauty contest and solving a mystery working at a Christmas theme park. I’m already almost Christmas’ed out!
The Beast From Cabin X by Karsten Knight; Goose Bumps type book about a kid who goes to summer camp and learns the Roux Garoux isn’t the most dangerous thing in the swamp. I was just a little too old when Goose Bumps came out to be a fan.
If Flowers Were Cake by Linda A Lavid; an art book with pictures of collages, then a short story inspired by it, then an artist’s statement. I’m always suspicious of artist’s statements, as so many of them seem to be part of a con game.Sometimes it actually diminishes enjoyment of a piece. Just my two cents from hanging around art shows.
Glen, It’s amazing to me that so many books get away with using amnesia as a plot devise.
As a lover of collage art, I am going to have to look for the Linda Lavid book!
I could not agree more about artists’ statements Glen – I have been to numerous exhibitions and galleries with my arty daughter, and she knows before I even open my mouth just what I am going to say about some pseudy nonsense. It can be quite entertaining sometimes, but I agree, it cal also detract from the piece itself.
Lost City of the Monkey God” sounds like a Nicolas Cage movie I would definitely watch (for at least 15 minutes).
But I digress. Jackie read STEEL FEAR on my recommendation and liked it as I knew she would. Now she is reading the latest Lizzie Grace (witch) book by Australian Keri Arthur, one of half a dozen series she’s read by this author.
I’m sure I don’t need to say that I have several books going at once, but let’s start with the ones I’ve finished.
THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE is Richard Osman’s second Thursday Murder Club book (though Ibrahim is sidelined through much of this one after a nasty mugging). Elizabeth’s ex-husband Douglas shows up (like the bad penny he is), a spy who needs her help. As with the first book, this was a delightful romp for the most part, with a couple of good twists. My favorite character is Joyce, but I have a soft spot for their “helper” Bogdan too. But everyone contributes to bring this one home.
I realized I hadn’t read one of Peter Turnbull’s Hennessey and Yellich York-set mysteries in some time, so plucked the next one off the shelf. (I have a dozen or so that I bought several years ago.) FIRE BURN (1006) is short in the way mysteries used to be, just 168 pages. A dog walker (who seem ubiquitous in this series) discovers a dead body, partly burned but still able to be identified. Then there is a second body at the opposite side of York. It turns out they are husband and wife, well to do accountants seemingly without enemies, other than – perhaps – their “bad seed” adopted son, as nasty a piece of work as you’re likely to find (or his less nasty sister). But the son has a solid alibi for the time of the murders – his girlfriend. The cops are sure it was him, but then a third and a fourth similar murder take place, unrelated to the first two. Could it be a serial killer, or…? There is a nice twist at the end. As always, Turnbull’s procedurals are short and a fast read.
If I may add an aside: each of these books has certain set pieces that never fail to appear. Hennessey’s wife died young, suddenly collapsing in the street, and he raised their young son alone. Every book has him in the garden “talking” to his wife. Usually his grown son shows up once for a brief visit. He does have a relationship with a woman and there is one scene of the two of them together – a surprise the first time, but now de rigeur. Yellich has a mentally handicapped son and there is always a scene with them together. Then there is Hennessey’s boss, always looking out for possible corruption due to an incident in his own past in Hong Kong, plus trying to encourage Hennessey to pack it in and retire, at least from the field. For regular readers, you know these scenes (and a couple more, like Hennessey thinking about why he hates to drive, because his beloved older brother died in a motorcycle accident) will be there, and they are almost like comfort food. I read his entire 10 book Glasgow police procedural series and I’ve read 14 of these so far (with at least 10 more to go), as well as a series of Hennessey and Yellich short stories in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazines.
/end aside
Lastly we have the next Patricia Highsmith collection of stories, SLOWLY, SLOWLY IN THE WIND. Her stuff is often dark and some of these have strange, surprising ends, but she was a good writer and worth reading, if you are looking for something on the dark side. For instance, in “Woodrow Wilson’s Necktie,” the protagonist likes to visit a Madame Tussaud-like wax museum. Then he decides one day to hide at night and murder the three staff members who work there (as one does), placing their bodies into some of the tableaux, such as Marat’s bath. I think you get the picture. But unlike what you’d expect, he gets away with it and goes on with his life.
New and ongoing reading:
Otto Penzler, ed. THE BIG BOOK OF GHOST STORIES – 19th Century (Twain, Hawthorne to today (David Morrell).
Edward D. Hoch, THE NIGHT PEOPLE and Other Stories. Non series stories from the 1970s on.
David Sedaris, A CARNIVAL OF SNACKERY: Diaries (2003-2020). Amusing as always.
Vivian Gornick, UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Notes of a Chronic Re-Reader. She went back and revisited favorite books of her youth, sometimes with a radical change of opinion.
Not sure what mystery to read next. I have the first in a new series by a favorite, Val McDermid, 1979, about a journalist, apparently. I have the second Paul Doiron book about Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch, TRESPASSER. And I have a book at the library waiting to be picked up, not a mystery but a dystopian book about a climate change-ravaged New York 90 years in the future, GLIMMER by Marjorie B. Kellogg. Plus the odd few hundred books of mine waiting to be read.
Have a good week, and Happy Thanksgiving in advance. (We are going to the theater on Wednesday for my birthday.)
And, now theater fans want to know what you’re going to see on Wednesday, Jeff.
I liked Bogdan, too, in Richard Osman’s books. But, I wanted to mention Ibraham’s situation to someone who read the book. It seemed so realistic to me that someone of that age would then be afraid to go anyplace after the mugging. Those four seniors are already aware of their own mortality because they’ve watched friends die. But, then to become a victim himself. I found it sad, and realistic.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks. We are seeing a preview of the revival of COMPANY, a show we first saw 50 years ago (!) and then several times since, including the two previous Broadway revivals.
Great music! I’ve never seen Company live, although I did watch it on BroadwayHD.
Company is one of my favorites. The only time I’ve ever seen it in person was on Maui (!), by a local theater group. But I have a DVD of the version shown on TV with Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby and a host of other stars. I watch it frequently.
That’s the one I saw on TV, Margie, with Neil Patrick Harris.
I really must find these Peter Turnbull mysteries Jeff, they sound great. I haven’t been to York for many years now, but it’s a beautiful city. And I was just saying to my daughter yesterday that i must pay her a visit in Glasgow – another city that I hardly know, despite the fact that when I was living in Edinburgh full time, it was less than an hour away by train.
Happy Birthday to you too!
The first time we went to Glasgow, my friend made me so uptight about driving in the city that we took the train from Edinburgh. (I was going on a book hunting trip. There was, at the time, a huge bookshop in the center with a ton of mystery novels in one room and science fiction in another.) After that, I realized I could drive there easily and leave the car in a central car park close to the store. We’d stop on the way from Edinburgh to our friends near Manchester.
Haha – you would not get me to drive through Glasgow in a month of Sundays Jeff. My daughter says it’s even quite a challenge walking through it sometimes, as she works on one side of that huge motorway that goes through the middle, and lives on the other side. So I’d be like your friend, trying to dissuade you, but I think you are made of much sterner stuff than I am!
And thank you for the birthday wishes!
And yes, Happy Birthday for Wednesday! It’s actually my own birthday tomorrow, but I will be quite happy to do nothing special. I hope you have a great time at the theatre though!
Happy Birthday, Rosemary!
Thanks Lesa!
Note to self: proofread.
The Turnbull was published in 2006.
Oh, and Happy Birthday as well, Jeff!
This week I finished this week was THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF AIDEN S by David Levithan. A boy goes missing for 6 days after going through a wardrobe into another world. This one had a nice twist since rather than telling about his adventures in the other world it’s the story of what he and his family go through after his return.
MURDER AT THE SPRING BALL by Benedict Brown. Someone is killing of members of the lord’s family in 1920’s England. The lord, a retired policeman, and his grandson investigate. I wasn’t a fan of the story being told from the 16 year old grandson’s point of view.
I’m currently reading AMARYLLIS AND OTHER STORIES by Carrie Vaughn. It’s a collection of mostly fantasy stories. I’m enjoying these and so far there’s only been one story that I’ve read before.
Sandy, The only one of your authors I’m familiar with is Carrie Vaughn. I’ve read some of her stories and novels before.
Greetings, all my fellow readers
This week I read How the Light Gets in by Louise Penny. Number 9 in the Armand Gamache series. This is a series that has to be read in order to understand the relationship of the characters and the politics of the Surete. Many years ago I read this book ahead of the others in the series. I decided to reread it because I didn’t remember any of the story line. I am so glad I did! It is by far my favorite in the series up to this point. I considered it a 5 star read and I am not very generous with my 5 stars. If you have not read this series, I recommend that you start at the very beginning.
I had started Silver Lies by Ann Parker but I put it aside so I could read How the Light Gets In. I am half way through it and will eventually get back to it. I can’t say I am “loving” it.
I am now reading Christmas at Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey. I am happy to be back at Peachtree Bluff for the holidays. I enjoy the references to Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel reporting from there during the hurricane. In my family, when a major storm is predicted for our area, our first question is “where is Jim Cantore”? Our thinking is, if he is reporting from anywhere near us, it is time to get out!
Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and many Blessings!
That’s so funny, Kathleen, because I know other people who live in hurricane zones who feel the same way about Jim Cantore. I’ve read those comments, well, we’re okay. Jim Cantore isn’t here.
I totally agree with you. You really need to read Louise Penny’s books in order.
Happy Thanksgiving!
So true@ When Cantore shows up, it is time to go!
Read two really good books this week. Light It Up by Nick Petrie – bought it when library was closed last year and am pleasantly surprised to find a new author that I enjoyed. His main character – Peter Ash – is similar to Jack Reacher – an ex-marine suffering from PTSD. I just got another one from the library. I also read Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger which I was on library wait list for about 2 months – really good – I always like her books – didn’t want to put the books down. Very current as it takes place right before COVID hits and also is about internet dating. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone next week!
That’s funny, Donna. I just read the forthcoming Peter Ash book yesterday for one of my reviews. I liked it, but I think one will be enough for me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Donna, I agree on Ash and Petrie. I’ve read them all. The one in Iceland is the only one I thought was so far over the top that it lost credibility for me and went into superhero territory, but otherwise I am a big fan,
I know what you mean re over the top but I haven’t read anything like this for a while so am enjoying it. Lee Child turned me off Reacher when he allowed Tom Cruise (5 7″) to play him in the movies! UGH!
Peter Ash never really did anything for me. It seems like something I should like, but I don’t. To be honest, I feel the same way about Jack Reacher.
I am still finishing A MOST CLEVER GIRL by Stephanie Marie Thornton. Historical fiction based on the life of American Spy and double agent Elizabeth Bentley. I’ve finally gotten to the interesting part where she defects to the US. To be honest the first half of the book felt like I was reading a script from the TV series The Americans. I probably should have just abandoned this as I have been reading it for a week and am still not finished. At this point I want to see it through. If I had to do it again, I think I would have read the Wikipedia entry on her and skipped the book. It has been a disappointment.
And I agree with you about Ibraham in the Osman book, Lesa. Thank goodness for Joyce to help him face his fears. I really loved THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE.
Happy Reading and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Sharon. I didn’t want to mention Ibraham’s mugging in my review, but I did want to talk about it. Yes, thank goodness for Joyce.
I loved your comment that you should have just read the Wikipedia entry.
I was fascinated reading Lost City Of The Monkey God a few years ago. So I took the time to watch an interview on Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs. Sounds so interesting. I was surprised to find Douglas Preston wrote the introduction without having seen the book.
Lesa a big thank you for the monthly Treasures In My Closet column. All my reads this week were gleaned from those columns.
The Man Who Died Twice, Richard Osman’s follow up to The Thursday Murder Club. So many of you have read this already, I’ll just add that I saw in an interview that the inspiration came from visiting his mother in senior living, but that none of the characters are based on actual people there. My sister was visiting and saw my library copy, she’s added Richard Osman to her TBR list (which she efficiently keeps on her phone).
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law.
An investigation into the science of managing the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans make contact. Two thousand species regularly commit acts that put them at odds with humans, here a couple dozen representative animals and plants are highlighted. The Navy’s attempting to eliminate albatross from Midway in WW2 is great, as is the fact the atoll is now a wildlife refuge. The crime scene forensics are explained along with some resources for homeowners (Humane Society HSUS). Mary Roach has become known for her humorous and well researched approach to quirky science.
A Slow Fire Burning, Paula Hawkins
Closer to a classic murder mystery than her “unreliable narrator” best seller The Girl On The Train.
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of her sister. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment.
I also had time to listen to a crime fiction podcast, Frank Zafiro’s Wrong Place, Write Crime.
This episode was an interview with writer Dana Stabenow. Fun stuff!
MM, When someone makes a comment that all the weekly books came from My Treasures post, it makes all the time put into it worthwhile. I know a number of people read it, but you just made my day. Thank you.
I just didn’t read A Girl on a Train. Those unreliable narrator books don’t work for me, although I just read one with about the most unreliable narrator out there, and it worked so well. That book isn’t out until next year, but I can’t even talk about the narrator in my review because it would ruin the twists.
Thank you, MM, again.
Hello all!
Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs sounds fascinating, Lesa! I’m sure it will take a while to read.
We did get snow over last weekend – about four inches. Most of it has melted, but we have really had the clouds. I guess that is typical November weather though.
This week I read:
The London House by Katherine Reay – When Caroline Payne discovers a secret from her family’s past, she travels to London to find the truth. The story is told from Caroline’s point of view, while telling the story of her grandmother and great aunt through letters and diaries. It is a story of WWII and really brings out how families were often divided in their loyalties.
This was an amazing, hopeful story full of reconciliation that leaves you with a sense of hope for the future.
Backlash by Rachel Dylan – CIA analyst is put in the field during a cartel op. After returning home, the team is hunted by the cartel. Lots of twists and turns. An enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
Have a great weekend!
The London House sounds fascinating. I guess divided loyalties just isn’t something I’ve thought about in regards to WWII England, although I know some of the Mitfords supported Germany. Interesting. Thank you!
Lesa, they did, in fact I think most of them were pro-Hitler to start with (including the parents), though I get the impression that nancy had more sense, and Jessica was always totally against him.
One of the interesting things that Paula Byrne has dug up in this new biography of Barbara Pym is that Pym herself was initially quite keen on Hitler. In the years leading up to WW2 she spent many holidays in Germany, and became the girlfriend/lover of Friedbert Gluck, a Nazi soldier who was soon one of Hitler’s right hand men.
When the war started – by which time she was back in England, though only because the Polish family for whom she had just started work as a governess had persuaded her to leave without delay – she soon realised how wrong she had been, was filled with remorse, and became a stalwart of the UK war effort, later joining the WRENS and spending time in Italy. Nevertheless, she always carried a bit of a torch for Friedbert. Byrne compares the fate of Unity Mitford and Pym, and suggests that Pym’s war could easily have had a very different outcome.
I don’t know that loyalties were much divided in the ‘lower classes’ – the aristocracy (and even the royal family) – may have had the luxury of partying with top-ranking Nazis in the years between the wars, but I get the impression that the rest of the country was firmly united against that regime, though not all supported actual war. I’ll have to ask my mother.
Thank you, Rosemary. That was always my impression, but It’s better to hear it from you. Yes, Edward was a Nazi sympathizer, I know. It’s better he was no longer king.
Hello Thursday people! What good books you’ve read this week, some I have on my list, like BLOOMSBURY GIRLS , some that are new to me and will be added to my list.
I don’t have anything of interest to add except the book I am presently reading – SILVERVIEW by John le Carre.
I am a total le Carre fan girl. Actually, of all those wonderful cold war authors; Ludlum, Deighton et al. This is the last and final book by le Carre, but next I may have to read a recent biography about him as his own life was as interesting as the novels he wrote.
This is what I love about Thursdays. That collage book, If Flowers Were Cake, may work perfectly for you. Everyone has such different interests and tastes. I love Thursdays, Kaye.
I am still reading novellas for Novellas in November. The ones I have read most recently are:
TAMBURLAINE MUST DIE by Louise Welsh (historical crime fiction)
The author imagines the last days of Christopher Marlowe, presenting him as a spy who is searching for the man who wants him dead. I might have enjoyed it more if I knew more about Christopher Marlowe, but it was a fine read and inspires me to learn more about him and about the time it is set (London, 1593).
THE SILENT GONDOLIERS by William Goldman
This novella was whimsical and fun. It is presented as having been written by S. Morgenstern, who was also the “author” of THE PRINCESS BRIDE, and the tone and writing style is very similar. It is a fable about Luigi, and talented gondolier who cannot sing. If I have any complaint, it is that the plot moves very slowly for most of the book. But the ending is wonderful and makes up for any issue I had with the preceding parts of the story.
THE INVISIBLE MAN by H.G. Wells
A classic a science fiction novella published in 1897 about a man who discovers how to turn himself invisible and decides to do it, thinking that his invisibility will give him an advantage over people. In reality, he discovers that it makes his life both uncomfortable and difficult. A strange and entertaining story, for sure.
Three days ago the work on our driveway was finished enough to allow us to drive cars back into our garages. After taking 4 weeks longer than was promised, the work is mostly finished and the driveway looks very nice. It feels weird to be almost back to normal.
I am off to go to an appointment with the eye doctor. I may not be able to read much when I get home so don’t know if I will be able to check on comments here or not today. I have not read all the comments yet.
I still think Novellas for November is a terrific theme, Tracy.
Good luck at the eye doctor’s today!
Tracy – have you seen the film Shakespeare in Love? That tells you a bit about Marlowe in a fun way, and it’s an excellent film.
I do hope the eye doctor appointment goes/went OK. Good luck!
Rosemary, that is a great idea about Shakespeare in Love. I did see the film, but many years ago and remember little, I will have to look for a copy. Thanks very much.
I’m exhausted today. Somebody stayed up too late the last couple of nights. Not work related, just plain stupidity.
I’m hoping to finish Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy today. However, I feel like I might nap more than read on my lunch hour, and I’ve got my church small group tonight, so that might put a crimp in my plans. I’m enjoying the book, but reading helps me relax enough to doze off (no matter who/what I’m reading). It’s great on nights when I can’t sleep. I read, and that either puts me out, or I get a lot read.
I know, Mark. Usually, when I stay up too late, it’s my fault, not even the fault of a book.
Good luck with staying awake today!
Finished the new Longmire and enjoyed it. Started the new Reacher and ditched it after thirty pages. It was so wrong on so many levels. Guess I am done.
Currently reading CITY PROBLEMS by Steve Goble.
I’ll be interested to see how many people feel the same way about the new Jack Reacher, Kevin.
I’m reading Debra Bokur’s second book in her Dark Paradise mystery series, The Bone Field. I started this one for my book club and now wish I’d read the first book in the series first (The Fire Thief) because the exotic setting and wonderful characters are so good. Bokur’s writing is excellent. The third book in the series comes out next year, so I’ll hurry to read The Fire Thief next. The cultural expert, kahuna, and police detective in the series is Kali Mahone, and she gets involved in many cases because of her knowledge of the history and eerie mystery surroundings the Hawaiian islands.
Don’t you hate it, Patricia, when you don’t read the first in a series and later regret it?
Yes, I do. At least there’s only one this time.
Hello all,
It’s already past 4pm here and we have had the most spectacular sunset. It must be the time of year for them, as they have been stunning all week.
Earlier today a friend and I climbed the Hill of Fare, which is maybe 8 miles from here. Neither of us had quite anticipated how wet and boggy some of the moorland would be, but we made it to the top and were rewarded by fantastic views right across Aberdeenshire, from Bennachie in the north to the sea in the east. The hill is about 1545 feet high. We were a bit worried about the descent, as it was so muddy and slippery, but by some miracle we both remained upright and were well pleased with ourselves!
My big book discovery this week was, as so often, via BBC Sounds. It was LOLLY WILLOWES by Silvia Townsend Warner. I had heard of it but never read it, and decided to give it a try in an audio version; this was a fairly new adaptation by a feminist writer, Sarah Daniels.
I expect everyone apart from me already knows the story, which is set in England in the 1920s – it’s about Laura (Lolly) Willowes, who is slightly eccentric and has not married; at the age of 28 she is still living in the country with her father. When he dies, her two brothers feel something must be done about Lolly. In the end she goes to live in London with Henry and his wife Caroline, who are only too pleased to have her doing all their childcare and other chores while simultaneously patronising her and feeling smugly virtuous themselves.
After many years Laura has had enough. On a whim she decides to go and live in a village in the Cotswolds, and in this village, with all its strange nocturnal goings-on, she finally takes control of her life as an independent woman. A very particular kind of woman, with a cat (aka Familiar) called Vinegar Tom. If only I’d listened to this book a few weeks earlier, Charlie might well have been named very differently – though my husband did point out that having to tell the vet that our cat was called Vinegar might have been quite a thing.
I’ve now borrowed the book from the library, as I’m sure things had to be abridged for radio, but even in what was probably a shortened form I loved this book. Laura’s experiences can be read as a simple, slightly macarbre, story, or as something representative of so much else – the pressure of society’s expectations and demands of women (especially unmarried ones), the real strength of women that has so often to be suppressed to enable them to ‘fit in’, the freedom that comes with refusing to conform – but of course Lolly Willowes is fiction, and the way Laura finds to reach that freedom is not available to real women.
Coincidentally I also watched a programme about Silvia Plath – LIVING INSIDE THE BELL JAR – and although Plath was of course living a very different life many years after Lolly’s fictional one, it did make me think of the similarities between her experiences and Laura’s. The programme interviewed many of Plath’s contemporaries at school and college, and also had what was probably the first ever on-camera interview with her daughter Frieda, now a successful writer and artist herself.
What struck me most powerfully in this was that many of the women who’d been at Smith with Plath completely understood why she did what she did, and you got the feeling that, had their own lives been even slightly worse than they were, they might well have contemplated it themselves.
There was just so much conflict between these women’s intelligence and education on the one hand, and American society’s expectations of women in the post war years on the other. It reminded me of the film Mona LIsa Smile and also of Mad Men. Women were supposed to be perfect wives and mothers, and their lives entirely fulfilled by having the latest Electrolux. Plath, of course, was also married to Ted Hughes who, by the time she put her head in that gas oven, had left her to make hay with his mistress. She was alone with two small children in a tiny freezing flat in London, far away from her own family, in the worst winter for decades. Frieda and her little brother were asleep in the next room. It was all so sad, and although Frieda gave an exceptionally good interview and came over as very calm and sensible, she has suffered bouts of depression throughout her life.
Partly as a result of that programme, I am now restarting MRS AMERICA, of which I think I watched the first two episodes and then for some reason stopped. I could watch Cate Blanchett in anything, she is so good, and Mrs America is fascinating – the women who were terrified of the ERA and thought feminists were dreadul (Phyllis Schlafly [as played by Blanchett]: ‘their real problem is they can’t find a man’) – and the feminist activists themselves (in particular Gloria Steinem, Betty Freidan and Bella Abzug), who didn’t do the cause any favours by arguing with one another almost as much as they argued with Schlafly.
Otherwise my reading is still mainly focusing on the three books I mentioned last week – THE CITADEL, THE ADVENTURES OF MISS BARBARA PYM, and VINYL CAFE UNPLUGGED. I should finish the latter two today. Stuart Maclean is so good at observing life’s little foibles and making stories out of them. There is a brilliant one in which Morley wants to get an electrician in to move the toaster socket nearer the table. Dave wants to save the money towards a car he thinks he deserves. His attempts to do the electrical work himself eventually involve every man in the neighbourhood; they all come round flexing their beloved power tools. Needless to say the whole thing is a disaster.
Yesterday I took a pile of books to the charity shop – and of course came out with some more:
MURDER ON CHRISTMAS EVE – a collection of short stories by authors including Ellis Peters, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and John Dickson Carr;
A VERY MURDEROUS CHRISTMAS – also a collection, the authors here include Margery Allingham, Anthony Horowitz, Gladys Mitchell, GK Chesterton and Ruth Rendell
THE VILLAGE GREEN BOOKSHOP by Rachael Lucas – I can already imagine the complete plot of this one, but sometimes I find it hard to resist a cosy romance.
Then I went to the library to pick up Lolly Willowes – and lo and behold, they had made a display of Christmas books, and I could not stop myself borrowing THE BIG BOOK OF CHRISTMAS MYSTERIES edited by Otto Penszler. Authors include Agatha Christie, Ian Rankin, John Mortimer, Colin Dexter, Sarah Paretsky, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ed McBain, and lots more. Of course I have no idea when I am going to get all this read – but that’s one of the joys of libraries; you don’t have to feel guilty!
Last night we saw the penultimate episode in this season of SHETLAND. It was very good. We spent some time afterwards trying (and failing) to work out the links between all the different plot threads. I hope I understand the denouments next week!
On Tuesday we also saw the semi-final of this year’s GREAT BRITISH BAKE-OFF. I have no idea who will win next week. I know who my favourite is, but I fear another finalist may take the prize.
Finally on Sounds I listened to another Paul Temple mystery – PAUL TEMPLE & THE VANDYKE AFFAIR. Honestly these stories! The more you listen to them, the more you realise they are all the same – there’s always a bomb, a gun is always fired through the Temples’ car windscreen (but they somehow always survive), and Steve always has to visit a hairdresser/milliner/dress shop to collect information pertinent to the case. And of course she always buys a hat, and her unbelievably annoying husband always makes fun of how much she spends on such things.
I don’t know why I find these old serials so addictive, as Paul himself drives me nuts with his supercilious attitude, casual sexism and racism. and patronising attitude towards Steve, and indeed towards almost everyone else apart from the totally useless chief of Scotland Yard, ‘Sir Graham.’, who is of course Posh and therefore to be respected. And the amount the characters drink is quite something! I suppose that’s what rich people did in those days – and because of their class, they are never labelled as drunkards because cocktails and Scotch don’t count!
Right, I’ll stop now. I hope everyone has a great week. It was 16C (60F) today but by this time next week we are forecast snow showers and a high of 3C (37F). My husband is off back to Paris on Tuesday. I am not… so time to get the snowboots out.
Rosemary
Rosemary, I love your comments about characters drinking, and “cocktails and Scotch don’t count!”
It’s the Christmas collections that interest me. I think I have a couple Christmas story collections around someplace, but I may have to pick up a couple mystery collections.
You make me feel sorry for all those educated women stuck in dreary lives. I’m glad I live when I do.
I’m currently reading Murder Gets a Makeover (jaine austen series) by Laura Levine and Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg. On audio, I am listening to Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Henry.
Palaces for the People is about public libraries, or at least public buildings, isn’t it, Katherine?
It’s raining, there’s a pot of beef stew simmering on the stove, I’m reading Death Threats and Other Stories by Georges Simenon, a collection of Maigret stories. I’m also trying to find a plain, decent quality floor lamp.
Happy Thanksgiving in advance to all.
Oh, what a comforting picture, Rick, with the rain and a pot of beef stew. Mmmm.
Happy Thanksgiving!