It seems as if California is sending its rain to us in the Midwest. Here in southwestern Indiana, we’re supposed to have rain every day until Sunday. Fortunately, nothing has been said about flooding, so we’ll be fine. How’s your weather?
A few weeks ago, my sister who lives in the Columbus, Ohio area texted me and asked why I wasn’t living there already. James R. Hagerty was speaking at a local bookstore there, and she wished I was there to go with her. I had to wait until Tuesday to get a copy of the book from the library. Hagerty is the full-time obituary writer at The Wall Street Journal. His book is Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer’s Guide to Telling Your Story. I only have eighty pages to go in it. Because I’ll review it here on Saturday, I’m not going to say much about it. If you’re writing your obituary or memoir, though, he urges people to ask the same three questions he asks before writing the story of someone’s life for the newspaper.
What were you trying to do with your life?
Why?
And how did it work out?
Very good questions. I actually know what my answers are.
What about you? I’m reading about obituaries. What are you reading this week?
Hello, everyone! This week, coincidentally, I read two books set in 1930s Paris–go figure! I also read my first Christmas-themed book of the year (I have three more waiting). Why not? I’m happy to say I enjoyed all four of my reads. It’s still cold and rainy in northern California even though it’s officially spring, but fortunately I haven’t been affected by any flooding or power outages (fingers crossed).
THE PARIS MYSTERY by Australian author Kirsty Manning focuses on Charlie (Charlotte) James, a young Australian journalist hoping to make it as the Paris correspondent for a large British newspaper in 1938, and to leave her broken marriage behind. Charlie’s tryout in her new job necessitates her involvement with “le tout-Paris”– the upper class, affluent elite–and she successfully wangles invitations to high-end events, including those sponsored by wealthy British expatriates Lord and Lady Ashworth. At one of these events, a prominent Paris businessman is found with his throat slashed, and Charlie may have seen something that will be helpful to the police inspector, not to mention fodder for her newspaper articles. What I particularly enjoyed are the lavish descriptions of high-end events including a decadent circus ball and a banquet at the Louvre, glorious couture gowns, impressive estates, and beautiful gardens. Although this isn’t the sort of plot that requires a lot of character development, my favorite characters were Charlie’s vivacious new friend Violet, office manager at the news bureau, and green-haired Lady Eleanor Ashworth, a former actress and interior decorator–both of whom are sympathetic to Charlie’s efforts to succeed in her job. The mystery of who killed the businessman and another victim is well developed, although I found the final twist a bit difficult to accept. At the end of the book, we still don’t know a lot about Charlie’s background, but as this is the first in an expected series, it leaves a lot to be explored in future series entries. (August)
Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, a wife-and-husband team, have written an unusual romance that captured my attention from the start and compelled me to finish it the same day. In DO I KNOW YOU? Eliza, an audiobook narrator and voice actor, and Graham, an attorney, are on their way to a week at a romantic resort to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary, but it’s clear on the long drive that there isn’t much to celebrate. Somehow they have grown apart and don’t even know how to talk to each other anymore. Eliza and Graham decide to take advantage of a reservation scheduling error and occupy two separate rooms–fne the bridal suite and one a standard room–to pose as strangers just getting to know each other. Slowly, somewhat reluctantly, they find that they can indeed flirt, loosen up, and remember how things were early in their relationship by taking on new personae. But it isn’t easy for either to keep up the pretense all the time, as there are times when they really need to communicate as spouses. For example, Eliza is grappling with deciding whether to attend the wedding or her younger sister, who has gaslighted her since Eliza failed to make it to her engagement party. As for Graham, he makes friends with a divorced young man who is at the resort for the dating workshops, and both benefit from their relationship. Alternating chapters are narrated by each spouse, giving the reader an intimate look at what they are really thinking and how they are coming to terms with what they’re learning about themselves. It’s a slow-moving story, and it needs to be. I found it moving, poignant, and life-affirming. Lesa’s excellent longer review was posted on February 26, 2023.
I’m proud to have read and enjoyed all of the 16 novels that make up Rhys Bowen’s A Royal Spyness Mystery series. In PERIL IN PARIS, It’s the late 1930s, and Lady Georgie is pregnant with her first child with husband Darcy and finally out of the morning sickness stage. She’s looking forward to some rest and relaxation with her spouse and their puppies in their new home, but Darcy has a much different plan. Summoned again for a covert caper that could turn dangerous, he drops Georgie off to stay with her best friend in Paris, where Belinda is interning as a fledging fashion designer with the famous Coco Chanel. It’s all glitz and glamour in Chanel’s world, but although Georgie is a descendent of Victoria and Albert, she doesn’t have enough money to purchase anything couture for herself (even if she could fit into it). And to make matters worse, Darcy asks her to help him by surreptitiously making a simple exchange with a German diplomat’s wife at one of the fashion shows. Things go horribly wrong, and Georgie finds herself a prime suspect in a murder. Taking a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a Parisian fashion week in that era is fun, and Georgie’s friends are around to support her–including an unexpected new “friend,” Wallis Simpson. I appreciate the fact that the character of Georgie has developed throughout the series, and her relationship with Darcy has matured into a happy marriage. Things will never be dull for this pair, though, as Georgie must often carry out the requests of the royal family and Darcy can’t seem to stay away from his role as a spy. How will a child change their lives? I can’t wait to find out.
In my opinion, it’s never too early or too late to read a Christmas-themed book. Having loved Anita Hughes’ A Magical New York Christmas, and because I live less than a 2-hour drive from Lake Tahoe (the setting of this book), I wanted to give CHRISTMAS AT THE LAKE a try. And I’m so glad I did. Rebecca and her fiancé, Ben, have together created the successful Dealbreakers online dating platform. But on the morning of their wedding day, Ben tells Rebecca he’s been dating their company’s legal counsel for six months. Rebecca’s dreams of a perfect wedding are dashed, and in a haze she decides to share their planned holiday-week honeymoon in Christmas Cove with her best friend, Kimi. But when Kimi is called home, Rebecca is left alone to distract herself with the town’s holiday activities. Fortunately, she meets 60-year-old travel company owner Howard, who needs someone to plan his annual New Year’s party in the absence of his usual planner, and she suddenly has something important to keep her mind occupied. Rebecca also runs into Zach, a former classmate at UC Berkeley, who has always liked her and is in town to complete a short film for a contest he hopes will give his career a much-needed boost. The film he had originally planned evolves into a paean to first love, as narrated by several friends, including Rebecca herself and Zach’s current resort roommate, Meredith, who has had more than one past failed romance. Through Howard’s journal entries from long-ago trips we learn about the alluring woman who traveled with him until she simply left. I liked the idea of Dealbreakers being based on clients being matched by their similar dislikes, rather than likes. And the author is second to none at her expressive descriptions of sparkling holiday decorations and activities, sumptuous hotel suites, and mouth-watering food. You won’t be surprised by the predictable outcomes of the story, but that didn’t keep me from being charmed by it. My only question–did Zach win the contest or not? (September)
I’m so happy you enjoyed THE PARIS MYSTERY, Marjorie. Me, too. And because I also enjoyed Anita Hughes’ A Magical New York Christmas( one of my favorite Christmas books), I’m going to pick up CHRISTMAS AT THE LAKE.
The Paris Mystery sounds fantastic! I hope my library has it.
Trisha, you’ll need to put it on your TBR list, as it won’t be released until August. I hope you enjoy it! Kaye is the one who recommended it to me, as we both request ARCs of upcoming books on NetGalley (with varying success!).
Margie, I skipped the review of The Paris Mystery because I’m reviewing it for LJ this month, so I didn’t want to know. But, I did know Kaye loved it.
Christmas at the Lake sounds very good, though!
California’s storms mostly skipped over my part of Nevada this time, but plenty of snow in the ski resorts and even Death Valley got a share. But winter weather for at least another week.
I’ve read a mixed selection this week:
THE GAME by Laurie R. King (2004). An older book, but I enjoy the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series. The title refers to spying, the story takes place in India in 1924 where the Tsar tries to out-maneuver the British. An homage to Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, the tale involves the search for Kimball O’Hara. Dedicated to librarians everywhere, who spend their lives in battle against the forces of darkness.
From 2022 THE SLEEPING CAR PORTER (Suzette Mayr) brings to life a glimpse of Black history in North America, from the perspective of a queer man living in a culture that renders him invisible in two ways.
A richly detailed account of a particular occupation and time—train porter on a Canadian passenger train in 1929. The pace of the writing was intriguing, many shorter words, rushing, to convey the movement of the train.
Also from 2022 TO KILL A TROUBADOUR, Martin Walker’s – Bruno, Chief of Police series. “congenial blend of mystery, world politics, joie de vivre and common sense policing in rural France”. With the plot of a potential sniper, the story manages to incorporate the Catalan/Occitan issue, indy music, history and the usual food, sport and friendship.
With the first day of spring at the beginning of this week, the long days of summer be here soon.
I like the sound of the Martin Walker book, MM. I’ve not heard of that series before. Our library doesn’t have To Kill a Troubadour, but it does have some of the earlier books, so I’ve bookmarked a couple. Thanks for the recommendation.
Someone forgot to tell the weather it is spring. I don’t think it hit 50 today and it rained off and on. But that should be our last rain for a week. If only the temps would warm up a bit.
On Wednesday, I finished WHALE DONE, the newest in Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series. Usually, I enjoy his books, but this one seemed more like an issue book than others. Yes, there’s always some environmentalism in the series, but this one it was front and center, weakening the series.
Now, I’m working on DIGGING UP DAISY by Sherry Lynn. I’ve finished chapter one, which was a bit backstory heavy, but we just made a shocking discovery (okay, so it was a shoe buried in the garden), so hopefully things will take off with chapter two.
Love that comment, Mark – a shocking discovery. Okay, it was a shoe buried in the garden. I hope it picks up soon!
Good morning. This is our third day in a row that it’s supposed to go up to the low 60s. We’ll probably have rain off and on today but we were able to go for a long walk in the park the past two days. I finished two books this week and enjoyed both of them.
Playing Dead by Peggy Rothschild is the second book in her Molly Madison dog handler series. A dog agility competitor that no one liked is found dead during a competition.
My second book was nonfiction, The Secret Lives of Bark Beetles by Jiri Hulcr
I’m not so sure your nonfiction book is for me, Sandy.
Hi Lesa and everyone,
James Haggerty’s book sounds very interesting, Lesa. What a good approach to break things down to those three important points, it certainly focuses one’s thoughts.
It’s a beautiful day here on Deeside; I’ve even had the patio doors open so that I could sit and listen to the birds singing and the burn flowing while I had my coffee. Unfortunately I think we are now set for rain for at least a week, but never mind.
Having finished Imogen Binnie’s NEVADA, which I enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who wants to understand more about the trans community, I decided I needed something a bit lighter for my next read. So I have chosen THE LAST LIBRARY by Freya Sampson. I’m about half way through.
June is the assistant librarian at her village library. She’s been there for 10 years and is now 28. She has lived in Chalcot all her life, brought up by her single mother Beverley, to whom she was close. Beverley was the librarian, a colourful character loved by all, whereas June is a shy and scared mouse. Beverley died three years ago, but June is still living in her house and can’t face changing anything – the ornaments, the books, the carpets, her life. She is good at her job but had really always intended to go to university and write a book. Her mother became ill just as she was about to go, and although Cambridge offered to defer her entry, once Beverley had died June could not bring herself to leave everything that made her feel safe.
Now the library is under threat of closure. The regular patrons are mounting a campaign to keep it open, but June has been barred by her boss from participating in their action group in any way – or telling any of them why she can’t be seen to be supporting them. If she does so, she will be fired. But when she discovers that her boss’s husband is embroiled in a plot to buy the library premises and make a lot of money in the process, she knows she needs to act, and eventually works out a way to help the campaign anonymously.
In the process, June finds a friend in Alex, the son of the local Chinese takeaway owner. They were at school at the same time but hardly knew one another. He likes reading horror and sci-fi; she likes romance and coming of age stories. They start to swap books – she lends him Pride and Prejudice, he lends her Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Alex has long left the village and is a lawyer in London – he’s back just to help out while his Dad has surgery.
Of course we can all see where this is going, but it’s really well written (I was surprised to find out that it’s the author’s debut novel) and easy to read. I also appreciate the fact that June has NOT inherited a beautiful cottage by the sea, she’s NOT about to start her own incomprehensibly successful bakery/flower shop/bookshop, and she has issues that I can understand.
Also, as I mentioned recently, six of our city branch libraries are scheduled for closure, so this plot is very relevant at the moment. There are groups campaigning to reverse the city council’s arbitrary decision, but I can’t say I’m confident that they’ll succeed.
This week has been so much better for walks. On Saturday we were at Blackhall Fisheries for an easy walk along the Dee and back, and on Sunday we were a bit further afield, at Glen Tanar, a large privately owned estate on Upper Deeside. There are some great paths there, again following the river which up there fairly crashes along, with lots of rocky, turbulent falls and also a beautiful lake.
On our way back we planned to stop off at a café we like, only to find it was closed and up for sale – such a shame. I am always surprised by how few places are open in Aberdeenshire on Sundays; it’s not a religious thing, they just don’t seem to want to bother, but I’m sure they must miss a lot of custom this way, as so many people are out walking, cycling, kayaking, etc. Maybe more will open up after Easter. We went instead to a café that was new to us, Spider on a Bicycle. It was great – a wood stove burning away, delicious coffee and cakes – we’ll certainly go again, if only for the citrus scones and homemade raspberry jam.
On Monday I walked with Nancy at Dunecht, another estate we’d not been for ages thanks to all the ice and snow. Now everything is green and growing, and it was so lovely to climb up to the top and see all the fields stretched out below and the blue-tinted hills in the distance.
I’ve been listening on BBC Sounds to episodes of A GOOD READ. Each week two guests and the host, Harriet Walker, choose a book to talk about. It doesn’t have to be new, and frequently isn’t. So I have now added to my TBR list:
STALIN ATE MY HOMEWORK by Alexei Sayle, a well known UK comedian whose parents were committed Communists. Here is what Ian Sansom, reviewing for the Guardian, said about it:
‘Stalin Ate My Homework is essentially Sayle’s love letter to his parents, Joe and Molly. Joe worked on the railways as a goods guard, was incurably cheerful, always wore a trilby, taught himself French and Esperanto, and was a communist. Red-haired Molly spoke Yiddish, had five sisters and a brother, and prepared salads instead of roast dinners on a Sunday. If they were not the only Jewish atheist communist family in Liverpool, the Sayles were certainly one of the more eccentric.
As a child, Alexei – named after Maxim Gorky, real name Alexei Maximovich Peshkov – was “subject to all kinds of restrictions, caveats and provisos, both physical and ideological”. He was not, for example, allowed to go and see Walt Disney’s Bambi with his friends. Instead, his parents took him to see Alexander Nevsky at the Unity Theatre. Not surprisingly, he grew up with a feeling of being just a little bit unusual.’
Mark Steele, also a comedian and the guest who recommended it, made it sound both touching and hilarious.
THE LIGHTED WINDOW: EVENING WALKS REMEMBERED by Peter Davidson, about which Waterstones (book shop) says:
‘Homecoming, haunting, nostalgia, desire: these are some of the themes evoked by the beguiling motif of the lighted window in literature and art. In this innovative combination of place-writing, memoir and cultural study, Peter Davidson takes us on atmospheric walks through nocturnal cities in Britain, Europe and North America, and revisits the field paths of rural England.’
I like the idea of looking through a lighted window – it’s something I can never resist, whether I am walking past, or sitting on the top deck of a bus, or in a train. If people leave their curtains open, I think they have only themselves to blame!
FUNNY WEATHER: ART IN AN EMERGENCY by Olivia Laing, a collection of Laing’s writings on art, culture, and their place in our personal and political lives – she writes about people as diverse as Basquiat, David Bowie, Hilary Mantel, Ali Smith and Freddie Mercury. It sounds very interesting, though unfortunately our library system does not have a copy (nor does it have the Peter Davidson book, but I sort of expected that.)
I’ve also been working my way through the extensive back catalogue of Radio 4’s DESERT ISLAND DISCS, and last night I was listening to Andrea Levy, author of SMALL ISLAND (this programme was recorded some time ago, as she sadly died in, I think, 2019.)
Some DIDs are better than others, it always depends on how much the ‘castaway’ is prepared to open up – Levy was great, so friendly and honest. She explained that she never read a book right through until she was 23; her parents had come to London from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation, and they lived (2 parents and 4 children) in a tiny council flat in north London; Levy was clever at school and did well in her English A-level, but she said there was simply no quiet space at home to read serious books – the television was on from the time she came home from school till the National Anthem was played at 11pm (the BBC used to shut down then in those days).
She passed exams by reading the Pass Notes books. I was interested to find someone else who’d done that – it’s precisely what I did, though for far less valid reasons than Levy – I just didn’t want to read most of the set books, which I found boring. I do think this shows what a complete waste of time these exams are. They destroy children’s enthusiasm for stories and reading; everything becomes a chore, a need to learn quotes by heart and regurgitate what the examiners want to hear.
On television I am up to the end of season 3 of UNFORGOTTEN and still enjoying it very much. We finished the first series of HAPPY VALLEY and were emotionally exhausted at the end! It was brilliant though, and once we have recovered we’ll move on to the second series.
And now I need to take myself down to the river, then to the library (use it or lose it! – ours isn’t scheduled for closure so far, but I still think it needs as much support as possible.)
I’m away down to Edinburgh tomorrow. We have tickets for a jazz concert tomorrow evening, part of a short festival involving Danish and Scottish musicians. I hope to be back up here on Monday.
Have a great week everyone!
These all sound so interesting! Light is sometimes exactly what I need so I am going to go look for the Last Chance Library.
Rosemary, I agree with you. I hope those library supporters succeed, but somehow, I doubt it. It just hurts to hear about libraries closing. I’m glad you’re supporting your local one.
Stalin Ate My Homework sounds interesting. But, I’m more likely to pick up the Last Chance Library.
Thank you, as always, for telling us what you’ve been doing this week. I’ll come for the citrus scones and jam!
We are in Georgia heading for North Carolina tonight. Because of cold and rain forecast for Saturday, Jackie decided that we should take an extra day and get home Sunday.
Saturday 47 and rain
Sunday 59 and sunny
She is reading THE CHOICE by Nora Roberts. She likes it, but after 60% said “Too much talk, not enough action.”
More later…
The action for The Choice is in that last bit.
I’m glad you’re taking it slow with the rain. Safe travels. I’ve been thinking about you both, Jeff.
OK, I’m back. We’re in North Carolina and it is a beautiful 81 degrees but not hot at all.
I’m reading the Fredric Brown story collection, as indicated. Also LYING BESIDE YOU by Michael Robotham, the third (and possibly last?) in his Cyrus Haven series. I like his writing.
I did enjoy Claire Kells’s first Felicity Harland book, VANISHING EDGE. She is a former FBI Agent who left after a traumatic event in her life and joined the Investigative Services Bureau of the National Parks Service. This one takes place mostly in Sequoia National Park in California.
I suspect you’re settled in for the night, Jeff. I’ll have to keep an eye on Claire Kells’ series. I think I have Vanishing Edge someplace.
Stay safe!
We are expecting your weather in Cincinnati, Lesa. I have not seen any rain yet today though.
I finished Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett this week. This was my least favorite of The Secret Scientists of London series. While Lord Grantham was fun, he was just a little too perfect and I could not warm up to the character of Margaret.
I am currently reading Quilt City Murders by Bruce Leonard and absolutely loving it. Hadley Carroll is a journalist quilter living in Paducah, Kentucky home to the American Quilters Society’s annual show and museum. Her fiancé, Matt, unexpectantly breaks up with her and subsequently ends up dead in the Ohio River. Because of the upcoming quilt show week, the newspaper quashes the story of the murder. Hadley is on the case to find out what happened especially when another murder occurs. You don’t have to be a quilter to enjoy this one because aside from the chapter headings quilting is not really discussed in any detail. But because I am a quilter and know about the AQS show, I am finding this insightful and funny. I am looking forward to reading the second in the series.
The same author has also written Quilt City Cookbook: A Companion the Hadley Carroll Mysteries which I am also reading from Kindle Unlimited. Bruce Leonard used to own a bakery with his mother in Ventura, CA-The Blues Bakery but had to close it due to physical issues. I am enjoying this one as well. He uses his characters of the mysteries to introduce the recipes which sound delicious.
We finished watching Karen Pirie on Britbox and loved it. Under the Banner of Heaven on HULU is our current watch. I read the Jon Krakauer’s book when it first came out. So far the series is doing it justice.
Happy Spring and Happy Reading!
Sharon, We have 90% chance of rain tomorrow, so wait for it.
My mother and aunt went to that quilt show in Paducah. I think my aunt would have enjoyed the book, but Mom isn’t much of a mystery reader. I know how much they loved the quilt show, though. They were both quilters.
Mornin’, all. After some snowy days just a few days ago, we’re now at 60 degrees.
Having been a fan of The Mamas and The Papas back in the day, i was excited to read the bio written All the Leaves Are Brown How the Mamas & the Papas Came Together and Broke Apart by Scott Shea.
Their harmonies still resonate with me and I’ll always love their music. However. As so often happens when I read a biography I learn things I wish I hadn’t. It’s hard to believe this group of four accomplished anything, honestly. I had read previously written things about John Phillips and believe he was a fairly disgusting person, but as a group these people were as dysfunctional as a group could get. Cass Elliott (who died early from a heart attack, NOT by choking while eating a sandwich), was the most likeable, mature, and steadfast of the four.
The is also an excellent encapsulated history of the music of that era. I recommend it if only for that.
Description from NetGalley
Few songs have captured the contradictions and ambiguities of the 1960s as memorably as “California Dreamin’,” the iconic folk music single that catapulted the Mamas & the Papas into rock and roll history. In All the Leaves Are Brown, author Scott Shea details how John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Michelle Phillips, and “Mama Cass” Elliot became standard-bearers for California counterculture, following their transformation from folk music wannabes to rock sensations and chronicling the tumultuous events that followed their unexpected success.
Shea gives a definitive account of the group’s short time together, from their hitmaking approach with legendary producer Lou Adler to John’s unique songwriting to tours and friendships with other musicians riding the folk-rock wave. He explores the emotional vicissitudes that came with being in the Mamas & the Papas, from Cass’s unrequited love for Denny, his affair with Michelle, and the ebb and flow of dysfunction in John and Michelle’s marriage. And he explains how it all came to a crashing end with John’s brainchild, the Monterey Pop Festival, which should have launched the group even further into the musical stratosphere, but only served to be their undoing. Drawing on new interviews with former bandmates, session musicians, family members, and many others, All the Leaves Are Brown is a layered, revelatory tale of overnight stardom and its many pitfalls.
Another book I recommend is
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay.
I think it’s brilliant.
Description from Amazon
A mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt. From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob. . . .
“Astonishing, powerful, and provocative, this book is worth the excruciating wait for another William Landay.”—Louise Penny, author of A World of Curiosities
One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.
So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?
Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.
But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.
Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?
A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?
And now I’m reading the latest in Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series, which I love. A Killing of Innocents is the 19th. I hope there’s at least this many more to come.
Kaye, an overlooked effect from the break up of The Mamas and The Papas is that the entire subgenre of Sunshine Psychedelica vanished along with them, just as it was getting started.
The book had a lot of info about the development, headed by John Phillips, of the Monterey Pop Festival and how it was a turning point in the California music scene. Fascinating, I thought.
Kaye, I was also a huge Mamas & the Papas fan (still am, in fact). I knew of course that Michelle (the only one living) and Denny had an affair, and John wrote “I Saw Her Again” so Denny would have to sing it every night. And I’ve seen Michelle talk (with some embarrassment) of those times. And think of the damage they did to their kids.
I think you’re right, I’ll skip the book.
Kaye, I know what you mean about reading a biography, and then wishing you hadn’t learned everything you did. That’s how I felt with the Paul Newman biography. He was such an insecure man, and I found the book to be sad.
Yes, exactly. And after reading an Eric Clapton bio i was disgusted by him. Willie Nelson though? What a sweetheart!
Hi everyone, it has been a slow reading week for me. (I am saving Hello, Beautiful for a time when I can really savor it.) I did read “We Should Not Be Friends” over the weekend and went to a book talk. I could relate to Will Schwalbe’s overthinking about his actions and his friendships and really enjoyed reading about all of the phases of his and Maxey’s life, especially their bright college years. It made me want to get in touch with folks from that time in my life! I just had a couple of hold come in at the library so hopefully I’ll have more to say next week.
Hi Trisha, We all have off weeks. That’s interesting that the book made you want to get in touch with people. I’m really only in touch with three people from that period, and I couldn’t even tell you a lot about their lives. I think we all overthink our actions, don’t you?
We had winter the last weeks, going down to the 30’s, this week, we just jumped into summer with 80’s!
I just finished the graphic, Between Shades of Gray by Ruth Sepetys, adapted by Andrew Donkin.
On June 19th1941, the Soviet Secret police pounded on the door of fifteen year old Lina Vilkas, her mother and her little brother. Their father had disappeared prior to that. It was in the middle of the night and they had twenty minutes to pack what they could carry. They were herded to trucks and later dirty cattle cars for a long and cold, hungry trip to Siberia. After a few days, the people in her car discovered a plate sized hole in the corner of the car and they began using that as their bathroom. Lina loved to draw,,using her fingernails, she scratched out pictures on the wall of the cattle car. People got sick, babies died and the police, pitched the babies out the car into the mud. It was a harrowing journey to Siberia.
It was a difficult book to read based on the stories of the survivors. A few times, I could only read three pages a day because their lives were so tragic and scary. The original book is much longer and I don;t know if I could get through it.
The deportees were housed in tiny dirty log
cabins that they scrubbed to get clean. It was in collective and a beet farm. One incident that I cannot get out of my mind is when Lina and her family were working on the beet field and a man was caught by the police, eating a beet. A group of police surrounded him and made everyone come and watch as a man pulled out all of the man’s teeth with pliers. Many died but a few survived to tell their stories.
The other book that I am reading is Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin and is about a boy, named Jason Blake who is on the autisim spectrum. He was in seventh grade and was being encourgageto be more independent by not having his aide by his side all the time any more. It is a painful transition for him. The author had to imagine what he was which is very difficult for a neural typical person but I think she is doing a great job.
Between Shades of Gray is one of my favorite books. Difficult subject, but wonderful writing. The book will stay with you.
Carolee, Ruth Sepetys is such an outstanding author, isn’t she? I know her books are tough to read, but they’re important topics.
We’ve had rain about every other day this whole week, with another atmospheric river coming soon, they say. Hopefully, no new flooding.
This week I read:
Musings on Monsters by Rich Handley; A collection of essays about the classic Universal monsters. I feel they always give The Unholy Three short shrift in these things. Still, a pretty good collection, where none of the essays fall off the PC cliff into impenetrable jargon.
Hour of the Assassin by Matthew Quirk; a guy who tests security by feigning assassinations, apparently hasn’t seen many movies, because he’s shocked when he gets framed for a real one.
Clay Legionary by J Clifton Slater; A swordplay prodigy becomes a Roman Legionary after a barroom brawl puts a price on his head. Shields were a lot more important back then than the author seems to think.
The Suspect by john Lescroart; A famous Hemingway type author is the prime suspect when his wife is murdered. Wyatt Hunt has to help prove him innocent. Are there still Hemingway type authors? I thought they faded away a long time ago.
The Joy of Joe by Jim Beard; Musings on the toy GI Joe and its affect on generations of Americans. I felt they gave the Super Joe era short shrift.
And a couple of more Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries. One more to go!
I love your dry humor, Glen!
I hope you don’t get more flooding, too, Glen. I’m sure they keep saying, “Well, the wildfires won’t be bad this year.” That doesn’t help people who are flooded out.
I like that shields were more important than the author realized in Clay Legionary.
And, if you come back and read this, who were The Unholy Three?
Lesa, The Unholy Three is the title of two movies made by Lon Chaney Sr. He made a silent version in 1925, and a talkie in 1930. The Three are a trio of sideshow freaks who pose as a family and begin a crime wave. Both were very successful, and very influential.
Thank you, Glen.
Hi Lesa — we had a little snow yesterday and today it’s all melted. Springtime in Colorado is an adventure. I’m almost finished reading the 2nd Samuel Craddock mystery by Terry Shames, and I’m enjoying it as much as I did book one. Craddock is the kind of character I’d like to know in person. Next up is The Reindeer Hunters by Lars Mytting, part of a trilogy set in Norway. It’s also supposed to be fine as a standalone, which is good because I haven’t read the first book in the set.
Like you, Patricia, I would like to know Craddock, but I wonder if he could be exasperating as a friend.
We had rain on Tuesday (all day) and a good bit on Wednesday. Santa Barbara City College, where I worked before retiring, had a huge tree knocked over by winds and lost power, and the main campus was closed for the day. In Stockton, CA, in the San Joaquin Valley, there were storms and my friends’ house has a basement that has been flooded for a week or two due to the rain, which only got worse with the most recent rains.
The only book I finished this week was 4:50 FROM PADDINGTON by Agatha Christie, the 7th Jane Marple mystery. Jane Marple’s friend Elspeth McGillicuddy sees a man strangling a woman in a passing train. She tells the railway officials and later the police, but no one can find any evidence of a crime, and they don’t really believe her. Jane Marple decides to investigate.
4:50 FROM PADDINGTON was new to me, unless I read it when I was in my teens or twenties and forgot it. After finishing almost all the Hercule Poirot novels in 2021, I want to finish up the Miss Marple series. I now only have four left in the series to read.
Recently I started reading MURDER IN A NUNNERY by Eric Shepherd (from 1940), and I am liking it a lot, but my copy is falling apart which is very frustrating.
It sounds as if you’ve really been hit by the rain, Tracy. I hope you stay safe.
I don’t know if I ever read 4:50 from Paddington, but it sounds as if other authors in recent years have used the basic outline. (Girl on a Train?)
It was originally published in US under a different name – What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!
I don’t think I read it under either title.
We will be in the low to mid 80s Thursday-Sunday then back to 60s Monday. I am listening to Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blake (courtesy of netgalley) Print books are The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett (having a hard time sticking with it) and the Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg
I wondered about The Twyford Code. Thank you, Katherine. I’ll skip it.
I had a somewhat lengthy post all written and accidentally closed the site. Arghhhhhhhh! So, I’ll just do a quick one now. Lesa, the obituary book sounds fascinating. I’m looking forward to your review of it. I bought my husband a book that came out last fall, a non-fiction book about his favorite show, The Big Bang Theory. It’s 528 pages and is entitled The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff. It had the cooperation and participation of the creators, producers, and actors of the show.
I’m catching up on the WISE Enquiries Mysteries series by Cathy Ace. I’m finishing up The Case of the Absent Heirs (#6), and for those of you who have been following the series, it’s Christmas time and Stephanie is getting close to her due date. #7 is The Case of the Cursed Cottage, and I’m looking forward to this one because, well, cursed cottage. Susan M and Donna, I received Wrong Place Wrong Time in the mail today. You both said last week that you enjoyed it. I hope to read it in the next couple of weeks.
Loved The Big Bang Theory book, Kathy. I hope your husband does, too.
I’m sorry about your missing post. I’m glad, though, that it was user error rather than a problem with the blog.
Just finishing “The Woman in the Library “ by Sulari Gentill . Love it. It is told in two positions, one is the story and the second is correspondence of author and friend. It is very unique and yet easy to follow. Kept me interested.