BIBLIOPHILY
Sunday, December 27, 2015
A CHRISTMAS FEAST AND OTHER STORIES (Katie Fforde)
If you love Katie Fforde you will enjoy this book of short stories, especially if you are in a Christmas mood when you read it. The only negative comment I have is that I wished that many of the stories were full-length novels instead! Die-hard Katie Fforde fans should definitely look for this one (you can get it used on Amazon). The stories are typical (that's not a negative quality!) Katie Fforde, romantic and positive, and will definitely brighten up your day. Picture reading one with a nice cup of tea or chocolate (and perhaps a scone?) in front of a crackling fire. It almost makes the winter cold worth it!
Saturday, December 19, 2015
THE CINDERELLA MURDER (Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke)
I KNEW that I had read something else that I forgot to post! I simply have to try and keep up with this blog even if I feel like I'm buried under family issues, holiday baking, and Christmas shopping and wrapping!
I haven't read any of Alafair Burke's books (not because I'm not interested, but because there are SO many books out there, and as a librarian I have a "to read" list with about 1000 titles on it!), but this one seemed to me to be very much Mary Higgins Clark. It would be interesting to see who contributed what, or if their styles are already similar.
Television producer Laurie Morgan, whose first true crime special, Under Suspicion, was a popular success, wants to open the investigation on another cold case, the 20-year-old murder of college student Susan Dempsey. With a large number of suspects, the case of the aspiring actress is an intriguing challenge for Laurie and her crew. Susan, a brilliant budding scientist, was found strangled in a park near the estate of a famous movie producer who had invited her to audition. One of Susan's roommates ended up getting the part (her big break), her boyfriend belonged to a mega-church supposedly devoted to helping the poor (while the head of the organization becomes increasingly rich), her other roommate drops out and disappears, eventually changing her name, and the boy who loved Susan from afar quit school to start a phenomenally successful tech company with the handsome professor rumored to be dallying with several attractive female students. So many suspects!
This novel reminds me of why Clark has remained popular for so many years. It is well-paced and the characters, although involved in some pretty out-of-the-ordinary adventures, are believable and, in many cases, even likable. It's a good novel with which to pass a quiet weekend.
I haven't read any of Alafair Burke's books (not because I'm not interested, but because there are SO many books out there, and as a librarian I have a "to read" list with about 1000 titles on it!), but this one seemed to me to be very much Mary Higgins Clark. It would be interesting to see who contributed what, or if their styles are already similar.
Television producer Laurie Morgan, whose first true crime special, Under Suspicion, was a popular success, wants to open the investigation on another cold case, the 20-year-old murder of college student Susan Dempsey. With a large number of suspects, the case of the aspiring actress is an intriguing challenge for Laurie and her crew. Susan, a brilliant budding scientist, was found strangled in a park near the estate of a famous movie producer who had invited her to audition. One of Susan's roommates ended up getting the part (her big break), her boyfriend belonged to a mega-church supposedly devoted to helping the poor (while the head of the organization becomes increasingly rich), her other roommate drops out and disappears, eventually changing her name, and the boy who loved Susan from afar quit school to start a phenomenally successful tech company with the handsome professor rumored to be dallying with several attractive female students. So many suspects!
This novel reminds me of why Clark has remained popular for so many years. It is well-paced and the characters, although involved in some pretty out-of-the-ordinary adventures, are believable and, in many cases, even likable. It's a good novel with which to pass a quiet weekend.
Friday, December 18, 2015
CHRISTMAS AT ROSIE'S SWEET SHOP OF DREAMS (Jenny Colgan)
I downloaded this onto my Kindle Fire from OneClickDigital (via Windsorlockslibrary.org). All you need is a Windsor Locks library card and a PC, Mac, or eReader. OneClick Digital provides simple-to-use downloadable apps for different devices. This is the first time I tried it, and although I prefer paper books (easier for reading a page or 2 whenever you have a chance), this worked really well. I'm going to download more!
As for the book, it was sweet and charming. Jenny Colgan's characters are very much like Katie FForde's (one of my favorite authors). They are usually women embarking on new careers, often by chance. They are just a little bit insecure, very generous and sincere, never model-perfect, and have often been unlucky in love.
In this sequel to Rosie Hopkin's Sweetshop of Dreams, Rosie is still running her Aunt Lilian's candy store and loving the little village of Lipton, She loves Stephen even more, but wonders a bit what his long-term plans might be. When Rosie's mother, Angie, announces that she, along with Rosie's brother, Pip, his wife, and 3 rambunctious children, are coming from Australia to visit Rosie and Stephen for the holidays, Rose does what any red-blooded woman would do - she puts off telling Stephen that their tiny cottage will soon be overrun with Rosie's family. When an accident throws the whole village and Stephen and Rosie's lives into chaos, life gets even more complicated.
Colgan has a way with developing her characters that makes the reader feel invested in their lives. We worry about Lilian and Rosie and are rooting for happy endings for all. Colgan throws an interesting twist of fate into the mix this time. This novel is a wonderful way to spend a weekend. It's not available in any library in our system yet, so check out OneClickDigital soon!
As for the book, it was sweet and charming. Jenny Colgan's characters are very much like Katie FForde's (one of my favorite authors). They are usually women embarking on new careers, often by chance. They are just a little bit insecure, very generous and sincere, never model-perfect, and have often been unlucky in love.
In this sequel to Rosie Hopkin's Sweetshop of Dreams, Rosie is still running her Aunt Lilian's candy store and loving the little village of Lipton, She loves Stephen even more, but wonders a bit what his long-term plans might be. When Rosie's mother, Angie, announces that she, along with Rosie's brother, Pip, his wife, and 3 rambunctious children, are coming from Australia to visit Rosie and Stephen for the holidays, Rose does what any red-blooded woman would do - she puts off telling Stephen that their tiny cottage will soon be overrun with Rosie's family. When an accident throws the whole village and Stephen and Rosie's lives into chaos, life gets even more complicated.
Colgan has a way with developing her characters that makes the reader feel invested in their lives. We worry about Lilian and Rosie and are rooting for happy endings for all. Colgan throws an interesting twist of fate into the mix this time. This novel is a wonderful way to spend a weekend. It's not available in any library in our system yet, so check out OneClickDigital soon!
HAUNTED SEASON (G.M. Malliet)
Like Susan Wittig Albert, G.M. Malliet is a master of character and sense of place. Her characters in the Max Tudor series are a bit less "believable" in the sense that they are exaggerated versions of what we might imagine English villagers to be. It's a bit like walking into the village of Dibley (Vicar of Dibley is a British comedy featuring some very strange locals and a female vicar who tries to be the voice a reasonin the village).
Max Tudor is an Anglican priest who found his vocation after years as an MI5 operative who witnessed his partner being blown up by a car bomb meant for Max. Max is everything you'd ever want in a leading man / detective: handsome, compassionate, intelligent, and worldly. He is now married to Awena, a pagan and owner of the local new age shop, and their different spiritual outlooks add a special sense of depth to their marriage and role as new parents, especially considering Max's profession.
The murder in this outing was a bit gruesome. A local landowner, father of 2 rather obnoxious college age children, married to a much younger and very attractive women, is decapitated when someone sets up a wire across the riding path just at his neck level. Max discovers the body and becomes involved in the investigation, which features several likely suspects.
I read a few reviews of this novel on Amazon and they were mixed. Negative reviews cited ease of figuring out the murderer, the author losing interest part of the way through the book, etc. I think it really depends on what you are looking for in a mystery. I am not one of those people that NEEDS to try and solve the mystery as I read, although I do enjoy attempting to figure it out. I am much more entranced by the setting, especially English villages, and the relationships among the characters. I would definitely give this one a thumbs-up, although I can understand why more hard core mystery readers might not. personally, I couldn't put it down!
Max Tudor is an Anglican priest who found his vocation after years as an MI5 operative who witnessed his partner being blown up by a car bomb meant for Max. Max is everything you'd ever want in a leading man / detective: handsome, compassionate, intelligent, and worldly. He is now married to Awena, a pagan and owner of the local new age shop, and their different spiritual outlooks add a special sense of depth to their marriage and role as new parents, especially considering Max's profession.
The murder in this outing was a bit gruesome. A local landowner, father of 2 rather obnoxious college age children, married to a much younger and very attractive women, is decapitated when someone sets up a wire across the riding path just at his neck level. Max discovers the body and becomes involved in the investigation, which features several likely suspects.
I read a few reviews of this novel on Amazon and they were mixed. Negative reviews cited ease of figuring out the murderer, the author losing interest part of the way through the book, etc. I think it really depends on what you are looking for in a mystery. I am not one of those people that NEEDS to try and solve the mystery as I read, although I do enjoy attempting to figure it out. I am much more entranced by the setting, especially English villages, and the relationships among the characters. I would definitely give this one a thumbs-up, although I can understand why more hard core mystery readers might not. personally, I couldn't put it down!
MISTLETOE MAN (Susan Wittig Albert)
Susan Wittig Albert has another winner in this older China Bayles mystery. She successfully and seamlessly weaves together several plots, including China's new marriage to retired police detective Mike McQuaid and her new role as step-mother, her friend Ruby's sudden disappearing act, the quirky, flower-growing Fletcher sisters and their senile aunt, and, of course, the hit and run murder of Carl Swenson, her mistletoe supplier. For those of you who are not familiar with China Bayles, she is a 40-something herbalist and teashop owner in Pecan Springs, Texas who also helps solve mysteries on the side.
This is the 9th of 23 China Bayles mysteries and I would recommend that you read the series. The characters could be your own friends and neighbors and the relationships are always realistic. Best of all, Wittig is a consistently fabulous writer and you'll never go wrong with one of her novels.
This is the 9th of 23 China Bayles mysteries and I would recommend that you read the series. The characters could be your own friends and neighbors and the relationships are always realistic. Best of all, Wittig is a consistently fabulous writer and you'll never go wrong with one of her novels.
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