I drove up to Mom’s on Tuesday, and I’m visiting for the week. My sister, Christie, came for the day yesterday, and we went to a cousin’s to play pinochle in the afternoon, then to dinner. We’re not spending the whole day away today, but I will be off and on during the day since I’m with Mom.
Because I’m visiting, I’m not reading much, but I have started The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann. It really is a love letter to those who work with books. I’ve only read the beginning, and I already cried over the first chapter, a piece by a passionate young woman who works at an independent book store. My only complaint is that there is no index, so I can’t look up the people who are covered in the book. I know there are several people in the book who I actually know. The subtitle of this book is “True Stories of the Magic of Reading.” Just up my alley.
What about you? What are you doing this week? What are you reading?
Hello, all! It’s been a quiet week, but that’s okay. I’m trying to catch up on some things. I managed to finish four books this week, and there were some terrific ones there. I hope you are all having a good reading week as well.
In THE YEAR OF WHAT IF by Phaedra Patrick, 42-year-old Carla will be getting married in one month for the second time . She’s the creator of Logical Love, an online dating app that matched her with Tom, an inventor of games, with a high percentage of success. Carla is confident this marriage will work out much better than her disastrous one, even though almost all of the women in her family believe in a curse that won’t allow them to find lasting true love. Against her wishes, they kidnap her and take her to a fortune teller, who insists that Carla’s perfect match is actually someone she met during her travels in Europe during her gap year, more than 20 years ago. Carla scoffs, then decides it can’t hurt to take a quick pre-wedding trip to touch base with her ex-boyfriends–if she can find them–without telling Tom the real reason for her trip. Bad idea? You decide. That’s what most of the rest of the book is about, and the results are quite unexpected. What did Carla learn about herself and what she really wants, will Tom still want to marry her when she returns, and what other surprises will rock Carla’s world? In the meantime, there is drama that touches the lives of her beloved grandmother, great-aunts, and her younger sister, who was just a baby when their mother died. And what of the curse? All will be exposed. It might sound like this story is heavy on magical realism, but that’s not the case. It’s more about family secrets being revealed and the results of those revelations. I have enjoyed six other Phaedra Patrick books in the past, and I relished her latest story as well. The character of Carla is very well drawn and layered. Other family members are equally well portrayed, and there is an element of whimsy. The emotions are deep and affecting. I will continue to seek out the author’s books and look forward to the next one. (June)
Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series are time travel mysteries that are both original and enthralling, and the second book, THE POISONER’S RING, is a worthy successor to the first. Mallory is a thirtyish Canadian homicide detective who suddenly found herself in the body of Catriona, a 19-year-old housemaid in Victorian Scotland. Her experience thinking on her feet, not to mention her intellect and ingenuity, has allowed her to quickly immerse herself in the culture of the location and era, and in the role of a much younger woman with a quite different way of speaking and a demeanor and character that is Mallory’s polar opposite. Now that Catriona’s employer, undertaker and forensic scientist Dr. Duncan Gray, and others in his household and on the police force have haltingly accepted Mallory for who she really is, she continues to take on responsibilities as Dr. Gray’s assistant in helping the police to solve difficult crimes, with the additional support of Duncan’s chemist sister, Isla. What I enjoy most about these books is Mallory’s narration, and particularly the way she shows the juxtaposition between what is known and how things are done in the present (2019 when she jumped) and what is accepted or unheard of in the Victorian time period, often with a welcome dash of humor. She is also deft at switching between her true self and the character of Catriona when necessary, and she has proven herself a valuable member of the team. I applaud the author for the obviously extensive research she has done to pull this off. In this book, several men have been killed with poison, and there is fear that there may be a criminal ring of women organizing the murders. One of the men who has been poisoned is the husband of Duncan’s oldest sister, Annis, who could go to the gallows if she is believed to be the perpetrator. Did these men deserve to die, how was the poison administered, and who benefited from their death? The mystery is intricate, interesting, and solved in a satisfying and exciting manner. There are also signs of a possible romance in store. I’m stoked that the third in the series will be published in May, and I already have an ARC from NetGalley. Highly recommended.
In STORM CHILD, 4th in the Cyrus Haven series, Michael Robotham demonstrates once again that he is capable of creating a masterfully-written mystery/thriller and simultaneously delving deeply into the psyches and lives of his major characters. As a child, Evie was rescued from a horrible situation involving murder and torture, leaving her damaged, fragile, and erratic. Her life in the foster system was fraught with disappointment and conflict until she came to live with psychologist and law enforcement consultant Cyrus–first as a foster child and now (at age 22 perhaps–no one is sure) as his roommate. Evie has a unique flair for detecting lies, which would make her a valuable resource for crime investigators, but only Cyrus is able to navigate her moods and eccentricities. Cyrus himself has a background that haunts him–his older, schizophrenic brother killed their twin sisters and parents years ago–and Cyrus found the bodies. The plot of this book involves a boatload of migrants who lose their lives when their boat is rammed by another boat. Only one 13-year-old boy has survived, and two women are missing. It’s a twisted story of great wealth, grinding poverty, human trafficking, politics, and murder which elicits deeply ingrained emotions from Cyrus and, especially, from Evie, whose buried past may have similarities to the current situation. We learn more about Evie’s early life than ever before, and it’s quite a revelation. Robotham’s talent is in combining evocative prose with a rip-roaring plot that leaves the reader exhausted but satisfied. (July).
My thanks to whoever recommended Kate Di Camillo’s new middle grade book, FERRIS. It’s a feel-good story about a quirky family and a welcome respite from some of the heavier books I have been reading. Ferris was delivered next to a ferris wheel on which her parents were riding when her mother’s water broke, so it was inevitable that her nickname of Ferris has stuck (her real name is Emma). It’s the summer before fifth grade, and she is spending most of her time with Billy, her best friend since kindergarten, a pianist who can’t seem to stop playing one particular song. His father, Big Billy, a football star who now owns the local steakhouse, is not at all disappointed that his son is not athletic. He couldn’t be prouder of Billy’s musical prowess and dedication. Ferris’s house has a lot going on. Her eccentric 6-year-old sister has decided to be an outlaw and does everything she can to achieve that status. and her uncle has left his job to paint a mural on the basement wall while pining for his hairdresser wife. Ferris’s beloved grandmother Charisse says she’s been visited by a ghost who has a special request to help her find her husband. I love stories where memorable characters are defined by unexpected details that captivate the reader. In this book I also enjoyed some of the family’s sayings , such as “Every story is a love story” (repeated throughout) and “Magic, if you ask me, is mostly about believing in yourself so much that you make other people believe in you, too.” If you’re older than a middle grader and are looking for a book that makes you slow down, savor the brilliance of the prolific author, and come away feeling happier, this one may be for you (as it was for me).
Marge, I like the sound of Phaedra Patrick’s writing, and I have even found some of her books in our library system, so I have bookmarked them.
Ferris also sounds interesting.
Thanks for telling us about all these books.
I’ve only read the first two in the Cyrus Haven series. Nice to know there are a couple more. Great writing.
Margie, I have been waiting for the new Cyrus & Evie book since it was originally announced to be coming in February (and under a different title). Can’t wait.
Jackie has the Kelley Armstrong book on her Kindle and will read it after she finishes the Krentz book. She liked the first one.
Margie, I recommended Ferris. I’m a big Kate DiCamillo fan, and I loved the family in this book. I’m glad you liked it too.
I also read the second Rip Through Time series. You’re right. Armstrong did a great deal of research, and I find the difference even in Scottish and English law to be interesting, as explained in that book.
A good reading week!
I thought it was you who recommended Ferris, Lesa. Loved it! And I won The Poisoner’s Ring from you. I’m ĉurrently reading the third in that series, Disturbing the Dead, and really enjoying it. Thanks for leading me to these books!
Hi Lesa. How nice that you’re seeing your mother and sister together. The ode to booklovers that you’re reading sounds really appealing. My husband and I are on our last days in Japan, still having a great time. With lots of train rides, I’m getting to do lots of reading. I finished HAPPINESS FALLS (Angie Lee), which I thought was brilliant and deserves all the hype it’s getting, and Dervla McTiernan’s WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?, which was thrilling as billed but troubling to me. Now I’m alternating between the third of Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie books (so far I find this a superb series) and Tana French’s THE HUNTER, a sequel to THE SEARCHER. Unlike her fantastic Dublin Police books, these two are novels, not mysteries. But good.
Kim, I’m glad you’re still enjoying your trip to Japan. Every time you and Jeff mention the Karen Pirie books, it makes me want to seek them out. So little time…
Our weather has been all over the place. 80 today and tomorrow, but it was in the 50’s last week, and it’s supposed to be in the 50’s with rain on Saturday.
Reading wise, I’m in the middle of DEATH WASHES ASHORE by Calen Wygal. I never have quite figured out if these are self-published or with a very small press. (Not that I’ve really looked.) Anyway, it’s the second in the Myrtle Beach Mysteries. The main character owns a bookstore on the beach, and this book revolves around him getting involved in the murder of the star of a local attraction. I’m enjoying it, but the writing is a little rough, and I’m rolling my eyes at how the police are treating the main character.
Again, I’m enjoying it overall, but that’s despite the flaws.
The weather has been so strange here, too, Mark.
I think that’s a series I’m going to skip.
Things are going pretty well here.
This week I read:
Quarterdeck by Julian Stockwin; A young seaman is improving his lot, passing the strenuous Lieutenant’s exam. He becomes the junior officer on a ship…and then it all bogs down in Canada as he searches for his long lost uncle.
Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake by Sarah Graves; The sleuth’s bakery is finally turning the corner, the local out is discovered dead, possibly killed by a poisoned milkshake. Then the two prime suspects are a couple whose wedding the shop is counting on to make it through the long, cold winter. It’s amazing there are any survivors in Maine. The state seems to be a murder holocaust. Cabot Cove alone has more murders than most states.
Becky Lynch-The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl; Autobiography of one of the WWE’s most popular stars, just in time for Wrestlemania weekend. Strangely enough, she doesn’t dish the dirt on anybody, probably disappointing half of her audience.
Colonial Nightmare by David Vining; A young George Washington is given a mission to travel the Ohio Valley in winter to deliver a letter to the commandant of the French forces. A Manitou decides he would make a great lunch. Is the stench of Tony Curtis finally fading form the concept of the Manitou?
Son of Achilles by Vincent Montez; The Son of Achilles, named Pyrrhus?, has adventures with Amazons after the Trojan War. For some reason the concept of the Nephilim is shoehorned into Greek myth, but that doesn’t take too much away. When did everyone get interested in Nephilim? Nobody talked about them even a couple of years ago. Maybe Coast to Coast has more penetration than I thought.
Shadow Target by David Ricciardi; The usual spec ops guy survives a plane crash, and then a kill crew shows up. Somebody is trying to kill him, and all I can think about is Buddy Holly.
Movie Game by Michael Ebner; I think it tries to hard to be Catcher in the Rye, as a kid seems to have a perfect life, except that his father has disappeared and his mother is an alcoholic. Then Federal Agents show up. Reminds me of one of those 80’s movies where they have a concept, but no real story, so they have to introduce drug smuggling or something. Three Men and a Baby is probably the most successful example.
A Year Without The Grocery Store by Karen Morris; The concept seems very attractive in these days of high inflation. Most of it of course, is knowing what to buy when, and how to store it.
Oh, Glen. It doesn’t sound as if you had a good reading week. Nothing that was even vaguely funny. I hope you have better reading next week.
Good morning everyone, from a for once dry Edinburgh. The rain has still been raining on most days this week, and last night it poured down, but today is meant to be better.
As usual I brought lots of books down with me, and hoped to get so much done. Honestly, I should know better….
I finished Georgette Heyer’s THEY FOUND HIM DEAD. Hmm. As I said last week, the number of characters introduced in the first few pages would probably have led me not to give up there and then, but as it was for the #1937Club, I pressed on. The plot concerns the sudden death of Silas Kane, the son of old Emily Kane and the dominant partner in the firm of Kane and Mansell, net manufacturers. Silas goes for his usual walk late on foggy night after a family party, and either falls, or is pushed, off the clifftop.
Silas’s estate, and his position in the firm, fall to his nephew Clement. Clement’s wife Rosemary, by far the most enjoyable character in the story, is dissatisfied, bored, and utterly self obsessed. She never stops talking about her sensitivity, her inability to be nice, and her need for excitement in life – and for lots of money. I enjoyed her frankness, though I’m sure if I met her in real life she’d annoy me no end.
The other enjoyable characters include the appalling Lady Harte, mother of James, the last of the Kanes (his father was a Kane, but he died and his mother has now married Sir Adrian Harte) and James’s half brother, young Timothy, who considers himself an amateur sleuth. The family matriarch, Emily Kane, will remind anyone who has seen Downton Abbey of the Dowager Duchess so ably played by Maggie Smith. In other words, she is outraged that ‘anyone’ – ie the police – should be allowed to interfere in ‘family matters’, she loathes most people, demands attention at all times, and requires to be carried up and downstairs (Maggie S did not go quite this far) despite the fact that she is known to be able to walk (she is considered ancient, though only in her 80s…but then Silas, whose 60th birthday the original party celebrated, is described as an ‘elderly man’…this is the 1930s we’re talking about.)
Patricia Allison, Emily’s carer, is another central figure, although I found her far too good to be true and not very interesting.
When a second death occurs, the plot thickens – this one could only be murder, but how was it done, by whom. and why?
Unfortunately by this point even I, someone notoriously bad at guessing these things, could tell full well who the culprit must me, and I did feel that Heyer had shoehorned a murder mystery into a story that might have worked better without it. As a family drama/comedy I would have enjoyed it more. So for me THEY FOUND HIM DEAD was OK but nothing more.
My second 1937 read was MARY PLAIN ON HOLIDAY. I loved these little books as a child, but hadn’t read one for many years. I am pleased to report that age (mine and theirs) has not withered them, in fact I think I appreciate Gwynedd Rae’s storytelling even more as an adult.
Mary is a mischievous, self-important young bear, and although talking animals are not really my thing, Mary is a brilliant and fun creation, who acts just like a small child, draws the wrong conclusions about all sorts of things, can’t resist trouble, but remains endearing and entertaining. In this outing she and The Owl Man, with whom she lives in London (the back story is told in the first book, MOSTLY MARY), set off to spend Christmas with a friend, Bill Smith, at his cottage in the Kent countryside. Also present is Mary’s other friend, The Fur Coat Lady and Bill’s ‘special friend’ – for, as The Owl Man (he has horn rimmed round spectacles) comments, ‘I guess you and I are needed to do some chaperoning, Mary Plain…’
This is a very short book, but in the course of its 125 pages Mary has adventures at Harridges (Harrods) while on a present-buying trip, at her nursery Christmas show, on the train, which she ends up taking alone, at a children’s party, on a frozen pond, at a wedding, and more or less everywhere. She loves playing tricks (not always appreciated by the adults), she loves eating, especially buns and cream meringues, and only when she is sad does she think about the twins, her cousins Little Wool and Marionette., back in Berne.
Gwynedd Rae is one of those authors who, while writing for children, lets us see the adults’ point of view, often to comic effect. I have no idea why, when Paddington is so very popular, her books have largely been forgotten. I occasionally see them in charity shops, and always have to buy them. They take me back instantly to Bromley Children’s Library, with its little wooden chairs and its rule of silence – which suited me fine, nerdy 6 year old that I was. I just wanted to spend time with Mary.
So I must now choose my next book. I might try to fit in one more for the #1937Club, maybe BATS IN THE BELFRY.
Apart from books, over the past week I have been to LOST IN MUSIC, which was absolutely brilliant, Heather and I had such a good time dancing to hits like I Will Survive, Don’t Leave Me This Way, Boogie Wonderland, September, At The Car Wash, Young Hearts Run Free, and many more. The singers and musicians who perform this touring show were outstanding, so professional, and also so friendly – they really looked like they were having a great time too.
And in Edinburgh I went to NEW CONTEMPORARIES, the annual Royal Scottish Academy exhibition of what the Academicians deem to be the best work from this year’s Scottish art school graduates. As usual I liked some things and couldn’t begin to understand why some others had been chosen. Different themes seem to emerge every year, and this time there was, I felt, far too much about nostalgia – rather self indulgent stuff about how lovely the artist’s granny’s house was, etc. I do appreciate that this year’s students are living in a very frightening world, so different from the one into which we ourselves graduated, but I think that hiding from reality and convincing yourself that everything was better back then (when?) is not the answer. I enjoyed the work of one girl, who showed little pictures of what at first looked like perfect domesticity, until you looked harder and saw that she had placed a questionable or even grotesque figure somewhere in every background. She commented that family life always has its negatives as well as its positives, and I felt that this was a much more intelligent study than most of the others.
Another striking piece was a huge scroll, made from very fine material, on which the artist had written the names of every language in the world that is currently threatened. There were thousands of them, and she said in her statement that when a language disappears it takes a culture with it, a community’s history.
I’m always glad I go to these shows, even though I find some parts of them irritating (eg one exhibit was of an unmade bed accompanied by a recording of the artist droning on, in a flat monotone, about her awful relationship. I really could not see how this could have been the best any of the art schools could produce.)
I’ve taken the opportunity, while down here, to meet up a couple of Edinburgh friends – another reason why I shouldn’t be so over ambitious about what I’m going to get done while I’m here.
Tomorrow I am going to Glasgow to see Madeleine, then attend a concert by BARENAKED LADIES at the Royal Concert Hall. I have never seen them live, though we used to enjoy them on MTV when we lived in Newfoundland. David went to one of their concerts a few years ago and said they were fantastic, so I am looking forward to it.
On TV Anna has just introduced me to RACE AROUND THE WORLD, a show I’d never have looked at otherwise, but I enjoyed it. Five couples – some are siblings, two are mother & daughter, some are friends. one is a retired married couple – have to get from the north of Japan to Lombok in Indonesia without using planes or bullet trains (they can use slower ones), and without their phones or credit cards. They are given a limited amount of currency and have to budget carefully. I admire people who take this on, I felt tired just watching them, but it was interesting to see the developing dynamics between each couple, and also to see quite different aspects of a country from the usual tourist hot spots.
On Saturday it’s back to Aberdeenshire for me, while David is off to Paris for work.
I hope you all have a good week,
Rosemary
Lesa, I forgot to say that The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians looks very good, I have added it to my wish list.
I hope you have a lovely week with your family. I’m afraid I have no idea what pinochle is!
Rosemary, it’s a card game with a deck of 48 cards – two sets each of 9, 10, J, Q, K and Ace in all decks. It’s a trick taking game.
We’re watching series 3 of SCOTT & BAILEY again (the ubiquitous Nicola Walker is an ongoing guest star), THIS IS GOING TO HURT (after reading the book), WHITECHAPEL (though we skipped the second, Kray brothers, series as too creepy), and a new one we added, TEMPLE, with Mark Strong and Daniel Mays. For those who haven’t heard of it (it’s on MHz Choice/Topic in the US), Strong plays a surgeon whose wife (a medical researcher) is dying from some rare disease. To continue trying to find a cure outside the system, she fakes her own suicide and he starts a (literal) underground clinic for gangsters and others who can afford it and don’t want to go through the system (as when they get shot committing a crime) that is under ground below the Temple tube station of the Underground! Mays is a doomsday prepper who works at the station, but we don’t know yet how they got together. We like it.
Thanks Jeff!
And thanks for all the excellent TV recommendations – you know far more about UK programmed than I do.
Temple sounds especially interesting. Mark Strong and Daniel Mays are both fantastic actors
I need to give Whitechapel another go, I think I got distracted.
Rosemary, I like the sound of the Mary books. I think I would have enjoyed those, too.
Jeff answered you about pinochle. I’ve been told it’s similar to euchre, but I don’t play euchre, so I don’t know. I’m glad he explained it. Pinochle is a favorite in my family. My mom’s grandkids like to play when they’re with her. My youngest sister learned when she was about 4, and she’s better than me at it. But, we all have fun.
We were talking about you yesterday. My sister, Christie, reads the blog later than usual on Thursdays because she enjoys your posts.
Wow, it’s been decades since I played pinochle. These days the only card games I play are on the computer – mostly Freecell and Hearts.
We had an earthquake last week! Jackie was sitting in the living room and she said everything started shaking. Believe it or not, I didn’t feel it. I was taking the garbage out and I can’t explain why I didn’t feel anything. Of course, it was centered in New Jersey but was felt from D. C. to Maine. We had a much smaller one years ago when we were sitting in a local Starbucks, when we noticed the ceiling light fixture swaying. Anyway, that day (Friday) we went to the city for Jackie to get a quick (five minutes, literally) fix on one of her cataracts. Sorry we missed the big viewing of the eclipse, but our friends up near Buffalo got the full view.
Reading, then. Jackie read and really enjoyed her J. R> Ward book, and is now reading the first of a romantic suspense trilogy by another favorite writer of hers, Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle, among other names). This is Sleep No More. This is The Lost Night Files book 1.
Amy Pease, Northwoods. This was a frustrating book for me. The main character, Eli North, returned from Afghanistan with severe PTSD. The only thing keeping him together is his job as a Fish & Game Warden, but he lost it six months earlier due to budget cuts. (This takes place in northern Wisconsin, I should add.) His life has fallen apart, he drinks himself into blackouts, his wife has finally had enough and thrown him out, he refuses to get help or treatment, and the only thing keeping him from suicide (besides his 11 year old son) is his job as a Deputy to the Sheriff, his mom. The case is mostly about drugs, opioids and the like, and the murder of an 18 year old boy and apparent kidnapping of his girlfriend. The problem for me is, you want to be sympathetic to Eli, but his total self-destructiveness as well as all the things I mentioned before, makes it hard not to just say :”enough” and throw the book at the wall. It takes fully 90% of the book before he makes any effort and it was just impossible for me to feel sympathy after a while. His mother has put herself on the line, his friends and family want to help, but…very frustrating. Only a partial recommendation, I”m afraid.
As mentioned previously, I’ve read all of Crippen & Landru’s publications of short story collections over the last 30 years. As a subscriber, I get each one as it’s published – subscribers get a 20% discount. 50 of the books are classified as Lost Classics, either by well know authors like Christianna Brand and Erle Stanley Gardner, or more obscure books that are well worth rescuing and reprinting,. But not all books are of equal quality, and they don’t all appeal to everyone, or such is my experience. The current title, The Secret of the Pointed Tower by Pierre Very, may sound like a John Dickson Carr or a Hardy Boys book, but it was originally published in France in 1937. It’s been translated and introduced by English mystery writer Tom Mead. It’s short (150 pages) and quirky, attempting humor at times (which doesn’t always work), and frankly, I didn’t care for it much at all. The longest story by far, “The Tale of a Tartlet,” was supposed to be quirky and funny, but I found it tedious. “The 700,000 Pink Radishes” was more interesting, but the final story I read, “The Mystery of the Green Room,” was the one outstanding story for me, a clever and amusing takeoff of Gaston Leroux’s The Mystery of the Yellow Room. One more thing: there is nothing anywhere on the book to indicate it is anything but one of their ordinary publications, yet inside the back cover it is on the list of Lost Classics. Not for me,
I’m a big fan of Ken Bruen’s books, back to the crazy Brant & Roberts series, and the current Jack Taylor series about the hard-drinking Galway PI. I’ve read each of them as they’ve come out, but when I started the new one – Galway Confidential – I suddenly became convinced I had missed the last one. Sure enough, the pandemic let A Galway Epiphany(2020) slip under the radar. So I put the new one aside and downloaded the previous book from the library. A problem with these books, the longer you read them, is that more and more they fall into a pattern. Tayllor tries to help people, and often does, but somewhere along the line he attracts the notice of an insane, violent psychopath who loves to torture and kill people, and plans to add Taylor to the list of victims. But first, friends and loved ones around him have to die first. And, of course, in the end, Jack doesn’t die but the psychopath does. So yes, it is samey and obvious now, that everyone he pals around with is pretty much doomed. You read them for the sparkling writing, the literary and cinematic references, the Galway setting, and Jack Taylor himself. I raced through the first half of this yesterday, but I can tell you, I will take a break before reading the new one.
Have a good week, everyone.
I thought about you with the earthquake, Jeff. That is funny that Jackie felt it, and you didn’t. Maybe it was the difference in being inside or out?
Pinochle is our family game. I’m afraid I’m not very competitive, and just enjoy playing. My Dad and grandmother were the ones who were really competitive. But, I just have fun.
Yes, sometimes, it just becomes a pattern when you read so much of one author. It’s a shame.
How wonderful to know some library folk honored in a Patterson book. We’ve had a few days of beautiful weather here with another storm due in this weekend. Just when I think I’ve corralled all the fallen pinecones, another batch get blown to the ground. I did have a good reading week, all interesting books.
THE MEMORY OF LAVENDER AND SAGE by Aimie K. Runyan is an enchanting contemporary novel of finding joy. Most of the story takes place in a struggling small village in the Provence region of France where people have lived for generations. The food, the herbs, the magic… and it all comes out right in the end. Wonderful story, I think I might have seen it mentioned here.
“The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence”
I don’t read many young adult novels, but I decided to try THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN (Sherman Alexie 2007) to see why it would be on a banned book list. It chronicles the adolescence of one unfortunate boy trying to rise above the life everyone expects him to live. The story says teenagers think about sex and superheroes; that some people are bullies, some are racists and some are good friends. It’s sad and courageous. The author does makes disparaging remarks about Reservation life and alcohol, but I really didn’t see why it couldn’t be read by any young adult.
The second novel by Xochitl Gonzalez, ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST, moves back and forth through time between two women artists. A look at power, love and art; daring to ask who gets to be remembered. I enjoyed the book, but not as much as Olga Dies Dreaming.
And finished with the captivating second book in the Dustbowl Mystery series, FUNERAL TRAIN by Laurie Loewenstein. The story features a train derailment, murder & extortion along with some great small-town characters from the first book. The setting is done well, a raggedy piece of the Oklahoma Panhandle suffered both the Depression and the Dustbowl.
MM, I’m so glad you liked Laurie Loewetstein’s book. I’m going to have to ask her to do a Sunday Spotlight sometime.
Sorry about your pinecones!
Only 2 books for me. I gave up on The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan despite all the 5 star Goodreads reviews.
I finished The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocombe. Lots of good parts in it about the racism a talented black violinist endures. I loved the parts about the music and the competition in Moscow. But I solved the mystery of the stolen violin early as well as its provenance. My daughter recommended it from her library system’s one book program.
So that leaves my favorite of the week being Return to Embthwaite Farm by Kate Hewitt. Her books are like a comfy blanket to me.
We were riveted to our PBS Station watching Mr. Bates and the Post Office. We streamed all 4 episodes (because we donate) in 2 days plus watched the real life special on it. So incredibly sad that so many subpostmasters lost homes and their life savings not mention the suicides and imprisonment. All from the Horizon system put in from Fujitsu. Definitely must see TV.
A rainy day for us today. Enjoy your visit, Lesa.
Happy Reading!
Sharon, the post office scandal was just that, scandalous. What I find even worse is that our apology for a UK government chose to ignore these terrible injustices until the TV programmes aired – then people were outraged and those in power started worrying about votes. Meanwhile people’s lives had been ruined.
As I understand it these poor post office employees were not only accused of theft and fraud, they were deliberately and systematically isolated and told that they were the only ones with these issues. The post office management knew what was going on but simply refused to face it.
Yes, we’re watching it too. Just outrageous. They told each postmaster that he or she was “the only one” who had a problem, thereby “proving” that it was them. Also watching CALL THE MIDWIFE and BEYOND PARADISE. We finished the latest DEATH IN PARADISE.
The victims just broke my heart. From the special afterwards with the real subpostmasters, we learned they are still trying to get their money. Are these type of post offices still in use?
Yes they are, we have one near our house in Edinburgh, and in Aberdeenshire the Spar grocery shop in our village has a post office counter. It’s only open 9am-3pm but it’s a huge asset.
It’s true. In the years I was buying books throughout England and Scotland (and occasionally, Wales) to ship home, our English friend would always take me to the sub-post office near where he lived (and later, to other ones around the country), where they were always happy for my business and from whom we never had any trouble. At that point, you could send what was a #5 mailing envelope up to a certain weight (can’t remember the exact details all these years later), as long as the end was not sealed (we put two fasteners in, that could be easily removed if the customs wanted to check the contents). It would usually hold a dozen or more paperbacks – hardbacks depended on size and weight. As long as you told the postmaster the details (and the cost), they were happy to have the business. You’d think some stranger bringing a dozen parcels of books would be a hassle, but clearly not, as the more business they did, the better for them,
In later years, I started shipping in big boxes from a firm who operated right out of the terminal at Heathrow. I’d fill up as many boxes as I had books, sealed them, then dropped them at the curb while I parked (with Jackie guarding them). Then I’d drag them to be weighed and shipped,
Thank you, Sharon! A rainy day here, too. Mom and I are going to do a little running, and then we have a jigsaw puzzle to work on. All doors!
I didn’t watch Mr. Bates and the Post Office, but it sounds interesting!
For recreation I’m reading a SF classic, CREATURES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS by Roger Zelazny. I hope to finish this weekend and then I’ll move on to THE MURDER OF MR. MA by S.J. Rozan & John Shen Yen Nee.
Oh, I liked The Murder of Mr. Ma, Wiley. I hope you enjoy it.
Suffice to say, I have very mixed feelings about Lian Dolan’s The Marriage Sabbatical.
Description from Amazon:
What if you could take a vacation from your marriage? A couple decides to give it a shot in this fun, adventurous novel by Lian Dolan, the popular author of The Sweeney Sisters and Lost and Found in Paris.
After twenty-three years of building careers and raising kids together, Jason and Nicole Elswick are ready for a break from their daily lives. Jason has spent years planning his dream sabbatical—ditching work for a nine-month-long motorcycle trip through South America. Problem is, that’s Jason’s dream, not Nicole’s. After years working retail and parenting in Portland, Nicole craves the sun of the Southwest and the artistic community in Santa Fe, where she wants to learn jewelry design.
A chance encounter at a dinner party presents a surprising—and intriguing—way out of their dilemma. Over a little too much wine, Jason and Nicole’s married neighbors sing the praises of the 500 Mile Rule: their policy of enjoying themselves however they wish—and with whomever they wish—when they’re temporarily far apart. It seems like the perfect solution: nine months pursuing their own adventures—with a bit of don’t-ask-don’t-tell—and then a return to their shared lives. It’ll be a sabbatical from their marriage as well as their day jobs.
As Jason bikes his way across a continent and Nicole reclaims the art she’s long neglected, they discover the pleasures and pitfalls of the 500 Mile Rule, confronting temptations of all kinds, uncomfortable truths about themselves, and gaining new perspective on their partnership.
But all sabbaticals come to an end…then what?
Kay, I got to where they were getting ready to go on their separate trips and decided this one wasn’t for me. Did you finish it?
Sharon, I did. I hated their “pact” and found it to be beyond the realm of believability, besides being (to me) disgusting for a married couple to even consider, but I am fascinated by Santa Fe and all the things Nicole did and discovered there, the jewelry, architecture, culture, and food, along with the interesting friends she made. Admittedly, there were sections I skipped entirely.
Thanks Kaye. Sounds like I made the right decision for me.
Kaye, I can see why you had mixed feelings about that book.
I love reading about what you are up to this week, Lesa, because I too am going to be visiting family this weekend and it will be all about playing cards and eating good food and togetherness! Can’t wait!
The past few weeks I have been listening to the audiobook version of “The Square of Sevens”, by Laura Shepherd-Robinson. It was VERY long. The book kept me interested enough to want to listen to it every moment that I could, and so I would give it a 4 star rating, but in the end, it had too many twists, turns, unbelievable coincidences and feats of derring-do under extreme fatigue/hunger, that I can’t give it 5 stars. If you want to read/listen to a long saga that takes place in the 1700’s in England about an orphaned girl who tries to prove that she is the heir to the prominent DeLacey family fortune, then this is for you. Fortune tellers, murder, family secrets, ambience, and interesting characters abound.
Isn’t it nice to have friends to play cards with, and enjoy good food, MM.
As to the book, it sounds interesting, but a little long for me.
Just finished an ARC of CIRCLE IN THE WATER: A SHARON MCCONE MYSTERY. Enjoyed it, though much of it is slow as it is frequently a reflective book about past events.
I wondered if Marcia Muller was winding up the series, Kevin.
How nice that you are visiting your mother. I will be looking for that book you are reading by James Patterson. I agree with you about an index being useful in that kind of book. The last book about books I read (THE BOOK OF BOOKS) did not have an index, so the only way you can find something specific is to browse through the whole thing… which is irritating.
Recently we have watched two movies based on books. The first was EMMA with Anna Taylor-Joy and Bill Nighy. The second was THE SILENT PARTNER from 1978 with Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer and Susannah York. That one was based on the novel THINK OF A NUMBER by Danish writer Anders Bodelsen. The film was a very clever thriller that was lots of fun.
I started reading WINNING CAN BE MURDER, a Dan Rhodes mystery by Bill Crider, in March but I just finished it in the last week because I was reading it on my Kindle. The theme of this one is High School Football and the home team is trying to win an important championship. I wondered what crime could be involved, but steroids and betting on sports did enter into it. As usual, a fun and interesting read.
I recently finished THE SISTERS BROTHERS by Patrick deWitt, which is a Western. I did like it but it seemed very slow going and repetitious for the first two thirds of the book. It gets a lot of good reviews though.
Glen is now reading CHECKMATE IN BERLIN by Giles Milton, a nonfiction book about “The Cold War Showdown That Shaped the Modern World.” He has read and enjoyed two other books by this author.
Tracy, you’re right. It’s a little frustrating without an index. Oh, well. You should be able to get it. I would think most libraries would buy this book.
A Bill Crider. I haven’t read that one, but it sounds good. I’ll get to it sooner or later. Thank you!
And, you’re also right, that it’s so good to be with my mother.
Hey Lesa, glad you were able to spend time with your mom. I just got my copy of The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians . You’re right that 1st chapter was so good. I also was looking an index since a former coworker is in there. As I’m reading it, it does bring home why we as librarians and booksellers do what we do. As one says ” we don’t do it for the pay or glory” . My current reads are The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier, audiobook is The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan and still reading Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz on kindle. have a great weekend!