I’m looking forward to our conversation today, although I’ll miss Rosemary who is in Rome for a couple weeks. It’s only October, and I’m already cold. It was 43 degrees on Tuesday morning. That’s already too cold for me.
I went to the library Monday night for a program called “Spooky Columbus”. That’s as spooky as I like. Two librarians from the Main Library of the Columbus Metropolitan System’s History and Genealogy Department presented stories from Columbus’ spooky history, beginning with a cemetery. The presentation included the Ohio Penitentiary, a castle, the Thurber House, and stories of other locations that are supposed to be haunted. My favorite story was an urban legend about the Mooney Mansion, a story the librarians said reappears every couple years in the newspaper or on the radio. A 1950s urban legend says Dr. Charles Mooney snapped, murdered his wife and children with an axe, and hanged the bodies or himself from the nearby Calumet Street bridge over the Walhalla Ravine. BUT, Dr. Mooney actually died of an illness in 1944, and his widow lived until 1975, and his children lived long lives. I loved the fact that the urban legend is so specific, and the facts totally debunk the story.
Last night, Linda and I went to see the musical “Death Becomes Her” for the first Broadway in Columbus show of the new season. I’ve never seen the show or the movie, but that may have been the funniest musical we’ve seen. The cast was terrific, as was the set. And, I know the touring company does this in every city, but Columbus is fanatical about Ohio State football. So, early in the show when they mentioned The Ohio State University, the actress called out, O-H, and of course, the entire audience answered I-O. But, one of the funniest lines of the entire show may have been at the end. The last scene was “Fifty Years Later”, and the two women are doomed to live forever. They’ve been to the cemetery, and had to decide what to do for the rest of their day. As they walked off, one said, “I wonder if the Buckeyes are playing.” One of the best laughs of the night. They did a great job with everything.
What have you been doing this week? What are you reading?
I’m reading a debut, The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson. “A sweeping, magical ode to community and the stories we leave behind, The Memory of Borrowed Books follows one librarian who discovers a hidden room of unfinished memories—and must find the one that can save her beloved library from closing forever.“
I haven’t read much of the book yet, but I like the voice. I hope to see more character development for Claire, the librarian, who, so far, seems a little too meek and mild. I expect that will change.
Meg Anderson is appearing at one of the library branches as part of the Authors at the Library series. I’ve already signed up, so I hope I’ll have an event recap for you then.
What about you? What have you been reading this week?
We’re in the middle of a heat wave, but should get relief soon.
This week I read:
The Realist by David M. Sacks; A biography of Hans Morgenthau, the academic who created the realist school of foreign policy. While everybody likes to think they’re a realist, I’m not sure anybody really is.
The Hangar by Kaelith Phoenix; A guy who was at Roswell sends evidence to a reporter. She reluctantly investigates, and finds something even more insidious than Little Green Men. There is a school of thought in paranormal circles that agree with the premise here. Aliens are more fun, though.
The Parent Trap by Vic Thune; A novelization of the original movie, which had heart that the remake completely lacked.
The Shepherd by Frederick Forsythe; A pilot loses his instruments and gets lost in the air at Christmas. A good Christmas ghost story.
Tiny House Terror by Kathleen Lynn; A retiring couple buy a tiny house out in the woods. Unfortunately, a serial killer is a frequent visitor. Sometimes, a tiny house sounds good, but I wouldn’t know where to put my books.
Jane and the Barque of Frailty by Stephanie Barron; Jane has just finished Sense and Sensibility, and is hanging out with the In Crowd, when there’s a murder. As usual, she’s a prime suspect, and has to clear her name. Too bad they didn’t have mystery as a genre back then, she’d have been rich.
I always like reading your reviews Glen. I usually find something I think will be entertaining and this time around I’m interested in The Shepherd.
Nothing terribly exciting this week and yet the days flew by. Our son and little Evelyn came to visit on Sunday. Evelyn was keen to try fishing in the river near us. She saw no fish, nor did she catch any but she was thrilled to see five crayfish.
We’ve decided to get new vanities in our two bathrooms since the ones that were here when we moved in are in rough shape. Finally settled on door colour, counter top, sink style, and faucet today. It will be a couple of months till they’re built and ready to be installed. Not looking forward to the eventual noise and disruption but the end result will be good I think. We’re also going to get some slide-out drawers for the lower kitchen cabinets, which should help with finding all those items that tend to migrate to the back of the cabinets and be difficult to get back.
David and I had never seen the TV show Shetland, and have now gotten as far as two thirds of the way through the 3rd season. It’s very good! Not sure why we haven’t seen it till now.
Only one book this week:
THE HIGHGATE CEMETERY MURDER by Irina Shapiro (Bk1 in the Tate and Bell Mystery series)
Sebastion Bell – police inspector with Scotland Yard, grieving the death of his wife, ‘coping’ by indulging in opium, and on the verge of losing his position at Scotland Yard.
Gemma Tate – newly returned from nursing duties in the Crimean war, lives with her twin brother who is mourning the death of his wife.
Sebastion and Gemma, both battling demons of their own, end up working together when his latest case (young woman murdered and found attached to a cross in Highgate Cemetery) seems to have a connection to Gemma’s brother (killed in a recent omnibus accident).
Set in Victorian London, this was a good although disturbing and dark book, especially given the recent discussions here on Lesa’s blog. It covers a lot of ground – class divides, racism, distrust of ‘other’ religions, opium addiction, murder, but the overriding one, as well as the most disturbing one, has to do with sexual assault and rape.
I’m still trying to un-see the disturbing images in my mind that the author did such a good job of placing here and there. And yet it was an engrossing read and I realize how difficult it would have been to solve crimes in Victorian times without DNA testing or fingerprinting and the like; just a lot of work questioning all and sundry and trying to put random pieces together, and I was just willing with my whole being for the two main characters to figure out who did it so that some sort of justice could happen.
The book does a great job of introducing the two main characters and sets things up nicely for future books and I look forward to seeing their story continue in them. Having said that, I’m glad to have this case over and done with so I can anticipate some less-upsetting murders. If that makes sense at all.
Lesa, there’s actually a lot of paranormal activity in Ohio, including The Loveland Frog Man and the Melon Heads, to mention two of the more outre.