I’m still enjoying evenings on the porch, watching lightning bugs, although I know it won’t be for much longer. Linda and I are planning to go to the Columbus Book Festival one day this weekend. Other than that, it’s been an easygoing week, hot outside, air conditioning inside, with some cooler evenings – lightning bug nights.
My reading has been all over the place this past week as you’ve seen; short stories, a couple cozy mysteries, a beautiful book narrated by Death. Yesterday, I took a book back to the library because I read the end, and I was right. The dog, Harold, the narrator, died. Nope. I’m not going to fall in love with a dog when I know he dies. Instead, I’m reading Scott Simon’s Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known. You may recognize Simon’s name from NPR or CBS News Sunday Morning. I was lucky enough to see him at the Tucson Festival of Books years ago, and he’s as entertaining in person as you would expect.
This book tells of Simon’s life from the first family dog when he was a baby to now, when he, his wife, and two daughters have a French poodle, a foster cat and a hamster. He makes it clear that there’s no difference in his family between humans and other animals. Yes, animals do die in this, such as Simon’s grasshopper, but at least none of them are narrating the story. There are charming line drawings by Liana Finck.
I’ve only read a few chapters in this one, but I wanted to pick it up today because I’ve been waiting for it. My friend, Donna, read it and enjoyed it. I suggested it to her, and she had it before I did. I’ve been waiting!
What about you? What did you do this week? How’s your weather? Most of all, what have you been reading in the last week?
Ulysses S. Cat sounds like a book I’d enjoy very much, so I’m happy you mentioned it Lesa. Although I don’t want to pay $34 (CDN) for a book that’s only 176 pages long and alas, my library doesn’t have it. But I’ll keep checking.
A bit of a busier week over here. David’s sister has a number of challenges and it’s become increasingly difficult for her to function well on her own, and an oven fire and two microwave fires haven’t helped either. A placement was found in very nice ‘retirement home’ and we’re hoping she’ll do well there. Anyway, she was moved in a few days ago and we’ve been over there a few times helping to set things up. and there’s lots to do still. She’s excited to be there though, so it’s a good start.
Then on the weekend we went to a birthday dinner for one of our sons-in-law, at a ‘real’ Chinese restaurant, and the food was delicious. Very noisy though. On the way home our 15-year-old grandson kept us all entertained by asking trivia questions he was finding online as we drove. The 24-year-old grandson was answering far more quickly than the rest of us, and we quickly banned any more questions in his area of expertise – history, as the rest of us didn’t stand a chance. It was fun and the hour long drive seemed to take no time at all.
Books this week:
LEAVE AND COME BACK by Lavanya Lakshmi
This is the author’s debut novel and I liked it a lot. From the cover I expected it be an amusing rom-com but it was more than that, and all the better for it.
Simran has just had a first kiss with her new boyfriend Leo. She’s known him for some time but the relationship itself is very new. Leo would like to get to know much more about her but she’s kept her innermost thoughts, feelings, anger, and hurts to herself for so long, she just can’t seem to open herself up to anyone. It’s even caused a rift with her cousin Khavita; the two were thick as thieves when they were young and living in India, but the deaths of Simran’s parents when she was a teenager, the subsequent move to her aunt and uncle’s home in New Jersey, and unresolved feelings around all of it have somehow turned into an estrangement from her cousin and the rest of the family for seven long years.
Out of the blue she receives an invitation to the wedding of Khavita’s sister, and very reluctantly she agrees to go. The wedding will be a typical Indian wedding with multiple events to attend before the wedding itself. The whole affair will span two full weeks and be full of colour, chaos, mayhem, and family drama. What no one needs there is poor Leo, who’s gotten the wrong end of the stick and also turns up.
Simran can barely hold herself together, never mind let her nosy aunt know that she and Leo are in a relationship. But someone decides it’s a good idea for Leo to stay and make himself useful and ingratiate himself into Simran’s aunt’s good graces so spectacularly that she can’t help but think him good enough for Simran. So begins operation DDLJ, which is based on a movie of the same name. Naturally none of this goes smoothly but Leo does his level best with help from Khavita and the bride and groom themselves.
The bulk of the story is set within the timeframe of the two-week wedding but is cleverly woven in and around the various events, and all the supporting characters are given their time to shine and are all important to the story. It’s surprisingly deeper than expected, and is an affecting story highlighting the importance and joy of family, while also making you laugh and wish you too were part of the Iyer family.
A QUIET LIFE IN THE COUNTRY by T E Kinsey (Bk 1 in the Lady Hardcastle mystery series)
After Jennifer reviewed a book from this series a couple of weeks ago (thank you Jennifer) I thought I might enjoy the series and promptly found a copy of the first book. It’s a delightful, light and cozy mystery.
From the jacket: ‘Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they’ve just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life.’
That hope is already dashed by page 18, when the two go for a walk after settling into their new home and come across a dead body hanging from the branch of an oak tree. The poor man turns out to have been murdered. The local police quickly arrest someone but Lady Hardcastle and Flo think the arrest was a bit hasty and decide to make some discreet enquiries. And so it begins. One murder becomes two, and there’s a theft of a valuable item also thrown into the mix. Really, they have no choice but to become involved, do they?
This is a highly entertaining cozy country mystery, with fun banter between the two main characters. There are red herrings galore, great secondary characters, and a little twist at the end that surprised me. Can’t wait to read the other thirteen books in the series.