I originally picked up this book (OK, I also ordered it for the library) because I'm a fan of "What Not to Wear" and I was interested in how Stacy would make over the 8 women chosen to be featured here. London, it turns out, is not just an attractive woman with a talent for figuring out what looks good on other people; she is a insightful and sympathetic person with many issues of her own. She doesn't just dress a person, suggesting colors and styles that complement shape and lifestyle. She gets to the heart of WHY they have failed to develop their own fashion sense and in the course of doing so she reveals in each chapter her own vulnerabilities and mistakes. Stacy London suffered very badly from psoriasis during her adolescence and still carries scars from the steroid cream the finally gave her relief but nearly destroyed her skin in the process. As a college student at Vassar she struggled with eating disorders, her weight fluctuating between 90 and 180 pounds during her first year working at a fashion magazine. She describes herself as not very good at relationships and has never been married or had children.
In addition to the surprising insights into herself and her own life, London also offers the reader an interesting analysis of each of the eight women she transforms. They include a wide range of "types:" a 48-year-old divorced mother who would like to start dating, a petite but curvy young career woman, a very tall newlywed who feels that her shape (narrow shoulders, long legs, thick waist) is impossible to dress, a successful, fifty-something Silicon valley career woman who wants to look youthful without looking like she is trying to look younger, and more.
I enjoyed The Truth About Style thoroughly. I thought I would flip through it , look at the pictures, and read a few paragraphs here and there, but I ended up reading the whole book over the weekend. I feel like I have a whole new perspective on how and why to dress, as well as new insight into Stacy London. She's very interesting, and she's really nice (not that I had thought otherwise)! I guess the truth about personal style is that it has nothing to do with the latest trends, how much money you invest in your wardrobe, or how much you weigh. It has to do with feeling good about who you are and expressing that through the way you dress. By projecting your love of color, your artistic sensibilities, your professional confidence, etc. to the world through your choice of clothing instead of focusing on and trying to disguise your real or imagined physical flaws, you let the real you shine through. What could be better than that?
BIBLIOPHILY
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
DEATH OF A SCHOOLGIRL (Joanna Campbell Slan)
Slan's portrayal of Jane Eyre as amateur detective is quite successful, to say the least, and I expect this to be a very interesting series. After Thornhill burns, Jane and Mr. Edward Rochester reunite and marry. Edward Thornhill's ward, Adele Varens, now 10 years old, has been sent to a prestigious boarding school and, due to the birth of son Ned, Jane and Edward have been unable to visit the girl. When a strange note arrives indicating that Adele may be under some sort of threat at the school, it is decided that Jane will travel to London on her own to investigate since Mr. Rochester has been ordered to rest at the moment to avoid endangering damaged eyesight. During her trip to London Jane is beaten and robbed at a coach stop and on arrival at the school she is confronted with the sight of a corpse being transported from the building. In a lucky coincidence, the school is temporarily short a teacher and Jane, concerned about the well-being of both Adele and the other students, decides to take the job and investigate the death of their classmate. Slan manages to combine some humorous slapstick with sharp detective work for a very satisfying conclusion to this mystery. Jane and Edward's devotion and Jane's intelligence and feistiness make for appealing characters that you will want to know better. I can't speak to the comparisons between Slan's writing and Bronte's because if I did read Jane Eyre it was many, many years ago, but I understand from other comments that her style is very comparable. I'm looking forward to the next in the Jane Eyre Chronicles!
BEING A LIBRARIAN
One of the saddest and most difficult parts of my job as a librarian is "deselection," weeding books from our collection. We weed for a variety of reasons: too many copies after the demand is over, lack of circulation, poor condition, outdated information, etc. I always feel especially bad when I see the hopeful, excited face of a first time author or the confident expression of an established, popular writer looking out at me from the back cover of a novel as I stamp DISCARD on what could be their life's dream. I definitely have an emotional connection to my work!
The fact is that most libraries have space limitations. There have been protests in some areas of the country over libraries dumping books that are no longer needed into the trash, but that doesn't happen very often. We just don't have room to keep every book, no matter how good it is, if no one wants to read it. In our library, we hang on to books with literary or educational merit (there are actually professional resources that identify these for us, so it's not just our personal opinions) for as long as we can, and sometimes they sit on our shelves for 6, 10, or even 15 years with absolutely no one reading them. Eventually the time comes when the shelves could literally be stuffed with books that no one wants to read, so we have to take action! When we weed fiction and nonfiction, we consider writing quality, how long it has been since the book was checked out, if it is part of a series, how many times it has been borrowed, publication year, whether a blockbuster movie is likely to be based on the book, its condition (ugly, dirty, REALLY old-looking) and whether the information in it is outdated or even dangerous (like really old health resources or legal forms).
We always weed reluctantly. I hate getting rid of great literature or really interesting pop culture books, but sometimes it is necessary. When we weed, our discards go into our book sale and, if not sold, are donated to charity or sold as a lot. Books that are simply useless because they are outdated may be thrown out so there is no chance of people accessing incorrect information. Books that are old and ugly may be thrown out, too, but don't worry. If they are classics we usually have multiple copies already or have ordered a replacement.
If you are concerned about the library discarding great books the solution is simple: Check them out! Libraries, including ours, have all sorts of resources to help you find wonderful materials that have stood the test of time. Be sure to go beyond the NEW area and into the stacks. There are all sorts of treasures there, but if no one looks for them they may eventually be gone.
The fact is that most libraries have space limitations. There have been protests in some areas of the country over libraries dumping books that are no longer needed into the trash, but that doesn't happen very often. We just don't have room to keep every book, no matter how good it is, if no one wants to read it. In our library, we hang on to books with literary or educational merit (there are actually professional resources that identify these for us, so it's not just our personal opinions) for as long as we can, and sometimes they sit on our shelves for 6, 10, or even 15 years with absolutely no one reading them. Eventually the time comes when the shelves could literally be stuffed with books that no one wants to read, so we have to take action! When we weed fiction and nonfiction, we consider writing quality, how long it has been since the book was checked out, if it is part of a series, how many times it has been borrowed, publication year, whether a blockbuster movie is likely to be based on the book, its condition (ugly, dirty, REALLY old-looking) and whether the information in it is outdated or even dangerous (like really old health resources or legal forms).
We always weed reluctantly. I hate getting rid of great literature or really interesting pop culture books, but sometimes it is necessary. When we weed, our discards go into our book sale and, if not sold, are donated to charity or sold as a lot. Books that are simply useless because they are outdated may be thrown out so there is no chance of people accessing incorrect information. Books that are old and ugly may be thrown out, too, but don't worry. If they are classics we usually have multiple copies already or have ordered a replacement.
If you are concerned about the library discarding great books the solution is simple: Check them out! Libraries, including ours, have all sorts of resources to help you find wonderful materials that have stood the test of time. Be sure to go beyond the NEW area and into the stacks. There are all sorts of treasures there, but if no one looks for them they may eventually be gone.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
DEATH OF A PERFECT WIFE (M.C. BEATON)
I can't believe that I haven't written this review yet! This is an older Hamish MacBeth mystery (1989). The thing about M.C. Beaton is that only the little details (Hamish's current dog, the current state of his relationship with Priscilla, Blair's marital status) give the reader a good idea of where we are in the series. Beaton's writing is nothing if not consistent! It is always entertaining.
When Trixie Thomas and her henpecked husband arrive in Lochdubh to open a bed & breakfast, the atmosphere of the little village in the Scottish highlands changes dramatically. Trixie is a perfect housewife who devotes herself to improving the women of Lochdubh and general rabble-rousing. Poor Dr. Brodie finds his wife and his home transformed and unrecognizable, a local farmer finds an angry crowd of environmentalists protesting his plan to demolish an old building, everyone is serving healthy meals, all thanks to Troxie's influence. Trixie is accumulating bits and pieces of "old," unused furniture from everyone in town under the guise of getting off the dole and setting up a successful business. When Trixie is found murdered there are a plethora of suspects. Hamish is quickly on the trail of killer, but, as usual, Inspector Blair is anxious to sideline him and bask in whatever glory he can. Hamish, despite being preoccupied with matters of the heart, continues his investigation under the radar, as usual.
This is the 4th in the Hamish MacBeth series. It was just as good the second time around!
When Trixie Thomas and her henpecked husband arrive in Lochdubh to open a bed & breakfast, the atmosphere of the little village in the Scottish highlands changes dramatically. Trixie is a perfect housewife who devotes herself to improving the women of Lochdubh and general rabble-rousing. Poor Dr. Brodie finds his wife and his home transformed and unrecognizable, a local farmer finds an angry crowd of environmentalists protesting his plan to demolish an old building, everyone is serving healthy meals, all thanks to Troxie's influence. Trixie is accumulating bits and pieces of "old," unused furniture from everyone in town under the guise of getting off the dole and setting up a successful business. When Trixie is found murdered there are a plethora of suspects. Hamish is quickly on the trail of killer, but, as usual, Inspector Blair is anxious to sideline him and bask in whatever glory he can. Hamish, despite being preoccupied with matters of the heart, continues his investigation under the radar, as usual.
This is the 4th in the Hamish MacBeth series. It was just as good the second time around!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
MURDER AT THE CASTLE (Jeanne M. Dams)
I just love Dorothy Martin. She is so real, aging gracefully, enjoying a comfortable, affectionate relationship with he husband, Alan Nesbitt, and wearing all sorts of wonderful hats just because she likes them. I always picture her as a normal, slightly younger and much more likable version of Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge).
Alan and Dorothy are invited by young friends Inga and Nigel to attend a week-long classical music festival in Wales. The festival will benefit the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Nigel is one of the singers and famed conductor Sir John Warner, who suffered the loss of his young wife, Delia, 10 years before on a tragic cruise, is in charge of the music. During a boat excursion for tourists one of the singers from the festival "accidentally" plunges overboard when the passengers crowd the sides of the boat to take pictures from an aqueduct and later, Graciosa de la Rosa, the festival's universally disliked diva, takes a fatal fall from a balcony during rehearsal. Are the two incidents really accidents or is there a connection? Dorothy and Alan are suspicious, especially when the true identity of Graciosa is revealed.
Dames takes her readers on a tour of the Welsh countryside alongside Dorothy and Alan who, as always, team up to get to the bottom of things. You'll enjoy the experience!
Alan and Dorothy are invited by young friends Inga and Nigel to attend a week-long classical music festival in Wales. The festival will benefit the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Nigel is one of the singers and famed conductor Sir John Warner, who suffered the loss of his young wife, Delia, 10 years before on a tragic cruise, is in charge of the music. During a boat excursion for tourists one of the singers from the festival "accidentally" plunges overboard when the passengers crowd the sides of the boat to take pictures from an aqueduct and later, Graciosa de la Rosa, the festival's universally disliked diva, takes a fatal fall from a balcony during rehearsal. Are the two incidents really accidents or is there a connection? Dorothy and Alan are suspicious, especially when the true identity of Graciosa is revealed.
Dames takes her readers on a tour of the Welsh countryside alongside Dorothy and Alan who, as always, team up to get to the bottom of things. You'll enjoy the experience!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
DEATH OF YESTERDAY (M.C. Beaton)
Hamish MacBeth will never change, but do we really want him to? Any one who is a fan knows that he is tall, red-haired, lazy, a brilliant investigator, and unlucky in love and always will be. Here, as usual, Hamish is constantly thwarted by the nasty (and stupid) Inspector Blair and the publicity-loving Daviot, Blair's superior, as he attempts to investigate the murder of an artist whose body is found in a bale of t-shirts. Who was the father of her unborn baby? Why was she killed and what did it have to do with the clothing factory where she worked? Why did Hamish, overcome by the stunning beauty of a suspect's visiting sister, not bother to notice that she was boring and superficial before he hopped into bed with her? As Hamish unravels the clues, sneaking behind his superiors' backs to do so, more deaths occur.
What makes Hamish so appealing is the fact that he is more interested in solving the case than getting the credit, and he is SO good at solving those cases. You won't be disappointed in his latest adventure. I do wish his love life would improve, though!
What makes Hamish so appealing is the fact that he is more interested in solving the case than getting the credit, and he is SO good at solving those cases. You won't be disappointed in his latest adventure. I do wish his love life would improve, though!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
THE ENGLISH AMERICAN (Alison Larkin)
Pippa Dunn was adopted in America soon after her birth 28 years ago and raised in the UK along with her sister Charlotte, her parents' natural daughter. Despite the mutual love between Pippa and her parents and her close relationship with her younger sister Charlotte, something has always been missing from Pippa's life: the security of knowing who she really is and where she came from. As a result of this insecurity, she is unable to commit to any romantic relationship, always leaving first before she can be left. After finally tracking down her birth parents, Pippa is delighted to finally see herself reflected in someone else's mannerisms and looks, but after she moves to America to get to know her new found family, some cracks appear in the facade of her wonderful new relationships. Larkin writes with a wonderful combination of pathos and hilarity in this novel, which is based in part on her own life experience as an adoptee. For her sake I hope it was just the basic premise and not actual people that inspired many of her characters!
Pippa's adoptive British parents are understanding and supportive of her decisions to seek out the people who gave her up and there is no hint of drama or discord in her relationship with them. Birth mother Billie, who is in the business of representing up and coming artists of all types, comes from a family supposedly riddled with "mental illness' and nearly every relative that Pippa meets or hears mention of suffers from some form of depression, bi-polar disorder, alcoholism, ADHD, or criminal insanity (or could they all just be so narcissistic and self-involved that they appear "crazy" to normal, functional people?). Her father has a career and family life that are cloaked in mystery.
Pippa is not looking for a world where the grass is greener, where all her problems and self-doubts will disappear. She just wants to know where and who she came from. She gets more than she bargained for during the process, and I enjoyed every step of her journey. I was surprised by the number of people on Goodreads that didn't particularly enjoy this novel. I found it witty and very humorous an I would recommend it.
Pippa's adoptive British parents are understanding and supportive of her decisions to seek out the people who gave her up and there is no hint of drama or discord in her relationship with them. Birth mother Billie, who is in the business of representing up and coming artists of all types, comes from a family supposedly riddled with "mental illness' and nearly every relative that Pippa meets or hears mention of suffers from some form of depression, bi-polar disorder, alcoholism, ADHD, or criminal insanity (or could they all just be so narcissistic and self-involved that they appear "crazy" to normal, functional people?). Her father has a career and family life that are cloaked in mystery.
Pippa is not looking for a world where the grass is greener, where all her problems and self-doubts will disappear. She just wants to know where and who she came from. She gets more than she bargained for during the process, and I enjoyed every step of her journey. I was surprised by the number of people on Goodreads that didn't particularly enjoy this novel. I found it witty and very humorous an I would recommend it.
Friday, March 22, 2013
EDDIE'S METHOD (Michael Walsh)
Eddie's Fournier's method was simple: "Do it until you can't do it wrong." This mantra, drilled into author Mike Walsh's head during his years with the Whip City Drum Corps, became the theme of his life. Feeling like a round peg in a square hole as a young teen, Mike sought attention by rebelling in school, fighting with his older brother (a high achiever to whom he was often compared), and getting involved with questionable friends. Despite the obvious love of his parents and extended family, something, some purpose or ambition, seemed to be missing from Mike's life. He reminisces about his decision to approach school by ignoring homework and class participation while focusing on passing tests to achieve the necessary 70% grade to pass (since tests were worth 75% of his grade this gave him a little wiggle room). Mike went to the same school I did, St. Mary's in Westfield, MA. His natural intelligence became apparent when he achieved one of the highest scores in his class on the PSAT's, only to be accused by the principal of cheating since his school work did not reflect the test results.
One day an acquaintance invited Mike to try out for the Whip City Drum Corps and he made the cut, changing his life forever. Leader Ed Fournier taught his trainees that working until you get it right was not good enough. You needed to train and perfect your drill until there was absolutely no way that you could get it wrong. Out of this philosophy was born a group of young men who understood that respect, humility, and a willingness to share your talents was the true road to success. Mike was continually astounded during those first months in the Drum Corps by the level of teamwork, mutual respect, and willingness to work hard, all fostered by Eddie. The group won 17 consecutive Northeast Championships, with Mike himself winning several individual awards during his years of involvement with the Corps.
Eddie's Method is the story of a kid who needed a push to get on the right track and found it through a spur-of-the-moment decision to try something new. He even went on to train the Whip City Drum Corps after he served in the U.S. Army, and his two younger brothers participated in the Corps as well. There were a lot of losses and heartbreak along the way, with the untimely deaths of several people close to Mike and his older brother's breakdown, but he continued to live by Eddie's advice. This would make a great book for young adults! I admire Mike for writing down his story and sharing it with the world.
One day an acquaintance invited Mike to try out for the Whip City Drum Corps and he made the cut, changing his life forever. Leader Ed Fournier taught his trainees that working until you get it right was not good enough. You needed to train and perfect your drill until there was absolutely no way that you could get it wrong. Out of this philosophy was born a group of young men who understood that respect, humility, and a willingness to share your talents was the true road to success. Mike was continually astounded during those first months in the Drum Corps by the level of teamwork, mutual respect, and willingness to work hard, all fostered by Eddie. The group won 17 consecutive Northeast Championships, with Mike himself winning several individual awards during his years of involvement with the Corps.
Eddie's Method is the story of a kid who needed a push to get on the right track and found it through a spur-of-the-moment decision to try something new. He even went on to train the Whip City Drum Corps after he served in the U.S. Army, and his two younger brothers participated in the Corps as well. There were a lot of losses and heartbreak along the way, with the untimely deaths of several people close to Mike and his older brother's breakdown, but he continued to live by Eddie's advice. This would make a great book for young adults! I admire Mike for writing down his story and sharing it with the world.
WHAT ALICE FORGOT (Liane Moriarty)
One of my absolute favorite Christmas movies is "Comfort & Joy," starring Nancy McKeon and Steve Eckholdt. Jane Berry (McKeon), an ambitious, materialistic young professional woman, skids and hits a light pole while on the way to her boss's suburban Christmas party, knocking herself out. She regains consciousness and discovers that it is now 10 years later and she is a fashion-challenged housewife and mother of two, married to a man (Eckholdt) who runs a homeless shelter. She also has no memory of the past 10 years. I was very excited to discover that Moriarty's "What Alice Forgot" has a similar theme.
In 2008 Alice Love is injured during a spin class at a her local gym, hitting her head as the result of a fall. She wakes up thinking it is 1998 and discovers that she is ten years older, thinner, the mother of three children that she can't recall ever seeing, and separated from her beloved husband and soul mate, Nick. Alice is shocked to discover the woman that she has become and she isn't sure that she likes herself. She also has no memory of what events led to the breakup of her marriage or how her relationships with her sister, mother, and friends have evolved over the past 10 years. Apparently a mysterious woman named Gina was her best friend until her death a year before and Nick has become a sarcastic workaholic. As she works to regain her memory Alice also struggles to understand how and why her life and marriage have changed so drastically from the dreams she held in 1998.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could revisit our younger selves and experience again the dreams and ambitions and hopes for the future that defined us then? For Alice, her amnesia is a gift that enables her to re-evaluate her life and the decisions that led to where she is in 2008. Having to get to know everyone, either as their 10-years-older selves or, as in the case of her children, from scratch, to peel away the layers of time and try to make sense of where everything stands today, to be dropped suddenly 10 years into your own future...what an idea! Moriarty makes it work. You'll love watching Alice's past unfold before her eyes and enjoy the inevitable comic moments that come with forgetting 10 years of a life and the technology that had developed during that time (what is "texting" and why is everyone driving vehicles as big as tanks?). I waited a few weeks to get this book because a book club was reading it. It was well worth the wait!
In 2008 Alice Love is injured during a spin class at a her local gym, hitting her head as the result of a fall. She wakes up thinking it is 1998 and discovers that she is ten years older, thinner, the mother of three children that she can't recall ever seeing, and separated from her beloved husband and soul mate, Nick. Alice is shocked to discover the woman that she has become and she isn't sure that she likes herself. She also has no memory of what events led to the breakup of her marriage or how her relationships with her sister, mother, and friends have evolved over the past 10 years. Apparently a mysterious woman named Gina was her best friend until her death a year before and Nick has become a sarcastic workaholic. As she works to regain her memory Alice also struggles to understand how and why her life and marriage have changed so drastically from the dreams she held in 1998.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could revisit our younger selves and experience again the dreams and ambitions and hopes for the future that defined us then? For Alice, her amnesia is a gift that enables her to re-evaluate her life and the decisions that led to where she is in 2008. Having to get to know everyone, either as their 10-years-older selves or, as in the case of her children, from scratch, to peel away the layers of time and try to make sense of where everything stands today, to be dropped suddenly 10 years into your own future...what an idea! Moriarty makes it work. You'll love watching Alice's past unfold before her eyes and enjoy the inevitable comic moments that come with forgetting 10 years of a life and the technology that had developed during that time (what is "texting" and why is everyone driving vehicles as big as tanks?). I waited a few weeks to get this book because a book club was reading it. It was well worth the wait!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
GONE GIRL (Gillian Flynn)
When I started reading the eagerly anticipated "Gone Girl" (after working my way through a hold list of 14 people!) I was a little disappointed. While it seemed like a pretty good run-of-the-mill thriller (an ideal couple is set to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary when the wife mysteriously disappears without a trace and mounting evidence naturally points towards the husband), I didn't see the WOW factor that everyone is talking about. Then I got to the middle of the book and things started to become more complicated. Flynn is an absolute master of character and plot development. I can just imagine the notes and graphs she must have had to keep track of psychological action in this novel!
Amy Elliott Dunne and her husband Nick started out as a beautiful couple with a seemingly charmed life. Amy is a 38-year-old New York trust-fund girl, the daughter of two renowned psychologists who have earned a fortune with their "Amazing Amy" children's book series by using events in their daughter's life as plot catalysts. Nick is 4 years younger than Amy, the handsome son of divorced parents, a writer who is downsized from his magazine job just around the time that Amy loses HER job. At the same time Nick's mother is diagnosed with cancer and the couple decides to make the move to Nick's Missouri hometown to help care for his mother and his father, who suffers from Alzheimer's. After Amy purchases a business, a bar called "The Bar," for Nick and his twin sister Margo (known as "Go") with part of her trust fund, her parents request a loan of $650,000 (essentially all of her remaining money) to avoid financial ruin after some bad investments threaten to ruin them.
Each year on their July 5 anniversary Amy presents Nick with a complicated quiz composed of a series of clues that will ultimately lead him to his gift, a tradition that has become increasingly annoying to Nick with each passing year. Before Nick has the chance to even buy Amy's 5-year gift, he receives a call from a neighbor in his half-deserted McMansion neighborhood (they rent) that the Dunne's front door is wide open and Amy's indoor cat is outside on the stoop. When Nick arrives home he discovers that Amy is missing and there are signs of some sort of struggle in the living room.
The story alternates between Nick's experiences in the aftermath of Amy's disappearance and Amy's diary entries for the past 5 years, which detail an initially loving partnership that has deteriorated into a stressful and complicated love-hate relationship punctuated by fear on Amy's part. As Nick begins following Amy's anniversary clues the reader comes to the realization that all is not as it seems. The police are beginning to doubt Nick's devotion to his wife, the press have convicted him as a wife-killer, and he is being hounded mercilessly from all sides. Even Amy's loving parents begin to doubt his sincerity.
I can't say any more about how the story unfolds without ruining the plot for you. My advice is to read it. The complicated, multi-layered plot and the constantly evolving characters will shock and delight you. Might I say that you will be well and truly thrilled by it all?
Amy Elliott Dunne and her husband Nick started out as a beautiful couple with a seemingly charmed life. Amy is a 38-year-old New York trust-fund girl, the daughter of two renowned psychologists who have earned a fortune with their "Amazing Amy" children's book series by using events in their daughter's life as plot catalysts. Nick is 4 years younger than Amy, the handsome son of divorced parents, a writer who is downsized from his magazine job just around the time that Amy loses HER job. At the same time Nick's mother is diagnosed with cancer and the couple decides to make the move to Nick's Missouri hometown to help care for his mother and his father, who suffers from Alzheimer's. After Amy purchases a business, a bar called "The Bar," for Nick and his twin sister Margo (known as "Go") with part of her trust fund, her parents request a loan of $650,000 (essentially all of her remaining money) to avoid financial ruin after some bad investments threaten to ruin them.
Each year on their July 5 anniversary Amy presents Nick with a complicated quiz composed of a series of clues that will ultimately lead him to his gift, a tradition that has become increasingly annoying to Nick with each passing year. Before Nick has the chance to even buy Amy's 5-year gift, he receives a call from a neighbor in his half-deserted McMansion neighborhood (they rent) that the Dunne's front door is wide open and Amy's indoor cat is outside on the stoop. When Nick arrives home he discovers that Amy is missing and there are signs of some sort of struggle in the living room.
The story alternates between Nick's experiences in the aftermath of Amy's disappearance and Amy's diary entries for the past 5 years, which detail an initially loving partnership that has deteriorated into a stressful and complicated love-hate relationship punctuated by fear on Amy's part. As Nick begins following Amy's anniversary clues the reader comes to the realization that all is not as it seems. The police are beginning to doubt Nick's devotion to his wife, the press have convicted him as a wife-killer, and he is being hounded mercilessly from all sides. Even Amy's loving parents begin to doubt his sincerity.
I can't say any more about how the story unfolds without ruining the plot for you. My advice is to read it. The complicated, multi-layered plot and the constantly evolving characters will shock and delight you. Might I say that you will be well and truly thrilled by it all?
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
JUST SOME OLD MAN (Michael Walsh)
Reading Just Some Old Man was a unique experience for me. Author Michael Walsh is my cousin, the second son of my mother's only brother, and we recently reconnected on Facebook.
Mike's coming-of-age story probably doesn't sound all that unusual. Feeling out of place and overshadowed by his three brothers, he internalizes his pain and experiences a series of events that shape his life and attitudes. In some respects it almost seems as if Mike's life has been defined by death. In 1961, at age 13, he witnesses the death of 2 six-month-old infants from smoke inhalation during a neighborhood house fire and wonders if he could have done something to save them. Over the years he loses three close friends to murder. Mike himself has had several personal brushes with death, each time emerging confused, yet relatively unscathed, and asking himself, "Why am I still here?" From a difficult stint in the army through an unhappy early marriage, Mike continued to ask, "Why am I still here?" until, at the age of 29, he was nearly felled by a life-threatening cardiac virus. This short book is the story of Mike's journey towards becoming the man he is today, of the decisions and choices that led him to finally understand why he is still here and how love and family can transform a life into something precious. It takes courage to be so frank about such deeply personal issues, to allow the world to read your private diary. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to know my cousin better. He is an ordinary man with an inspirational story to tell. I would recommend that you read it if you have the opportunity!
Mike's coming-of-age story probably doesn't sound all that unusual. Feeling out of place and overshadowed by his three brothers, he internalizes his pain and experiences a series of events that shape his life and attitudes. In some respects it almost seems as if Mike's life has been defined by death. In 1961, at age 13, he witnesses the death of 2 six-month-old infants from smoke inhalation during a neighborhood house fire and wonders if he could have done something to save them. Over the years he loses three close friends to murder. Mike himself has had several personal brushes with death, each time emerging confused, yet relatively unscathed, and asking himself, "Why am I still here?" From a difficult stint in the army through an unhappy early marriage, Mike continued to ask, "Why am I still here?" until, at the age of 29, he was nearly felled by a life-threatening cardiac virus. This short book is the story of Mike's journey towards becoming the man he is today, of the decisions and choices that led him to finally understand why he is still here and how love and family can transform a life into something precious. It takes courage to be so frank about such deeply personal issues, to allow the world to read your private diary. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to know my cousin better. He is an ordinary man with an inspirational story to tell. I would recommend that you read it if you have the opportunity!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
MARK OF THE LION (Suzanne Arruda)
I am not a fan of big game. I have never enjoyed circuses or zoos and I just hate it when I come across one of those nature shows where lions hunt down innocent antelope and tear them to shreds before our eyes. Once, while riding the commuter bus to Hartford, I looked up from my book and was stunned to see a TIGER looking back at me from the circus truck in the next lane. Our eyes actually met! That's an experience that has stayed with me all my life. Predators scare me. I wonder if that tiger remembers the look on my face?
That being said, I have a definite love/hate relationship with this book. You already know what I hated: the throat-tearing, flesh-eating, growling lions and hyenas, the stampeding, bone crushing elephants and rhinos AND the fact that humans pursue them for sport. The thing about Arruda's novel, though, is that the writing is so compelling that I could, for the most part, overlook the distasteful aspects of life and tourism in Kenya. Set in 1919, Arruda incorporates many subtle but detailed references to the fashion, manners, and attitudes of the post WWI era that sets the stage for development of relationships among the various characters. Her heroine, Jade Del Cameron, is a modern woman on a quest to fulfill her dead love David Worthy's last request: to find his half brother, who is most probably in Kenya. Jade suffers a bit from PTSD after her experiences driving an ambulance in France during the war, but she is a self-sufficient, accomplished sharp-shooting mechanic who is also a talented writer and exotically beautiful. She arrives in Kenya as a reporter for The Traveler, combining her work assignment with her quest to locate the mysterious "Abel" Worthy and to unravel the mystery behind the death of David's father, Gil Worthy, a few years before. During the course of the story, Jade manages to divert a charging rhino by waving a blanket matador style, shoot an attacking hyena dead, repair a carburetor, cut a friend's hair into a modern bob with a pocket knife, and solve the problem of a dry radiator by suggesting that the men in the safari party "relieve themselves" into the radiator in order to avert a dangerous and time-consuming trip to the river for water. Enough said!
No matter how distasteful I found the details of life among the wild beasts of Africa and the safari, I cannot deny the absolute beauty of the African wilderness. Arruda brings the continent to life with her descriptions of Mount Kilimanjaro, lions lurking in the high grasses, the blue African sky, and more. I wouldn't even attempt to do justice to her verbal illustrations of the beauty of this untamed land and its people or to her character development, which is intriguing as well. I've said before that one of the marks of a truly good book is that it stays with you after you have finished the last page. That is certainly true here. I feel as if I have been on safari myself and the memories will stay with me for a while.
That being said, I have a definite love/hate relationship with this book. You already know what I hated: the throat-tearing, flesh-eating, growling lions and hyenas, the stampeding, bone crushing elephants and rhinos AND the fact that humans pursue them for sport. The thing about Arruda's novel, though, is that the writing is so compelling that I could, for the most part, overlook the distasteful aspects of life and tourism in Kenya. Set in 1919, Arruda incorporates many subtle but detailed references to the fashion, manners, and attitudes of the post WWI era that sets the stage for development of relationships among the various characters. Her heroine, Jade Del Cameron, is a modern woman on a quest to fulfill her dead love David Worthy's last request: to find his half brother, who is most probably in Kenya. Jade suffers a bit from PTSD after her experiences driving an ambulance in France during the war, but she is a self-sufficient, accomplished sharp-shooting mechanic who is also a talented writer and exotically beautiful. She arrives in Kenya as a reporter for The Traveler, combining her work assignment with her quest to locate the mysterious "Abel" Worthy and to unravel the mystery behind the death of David's father, Gil Worthy, a few years before. During the course of the story, Jade manages to divert a charging rhino by waving a blanket matador style, shoot an attacking hyena dead, repair a carburetor, cut a friend's hair into a modern bob with a pocket knife, and solve the problem of a dry radiator by suggesting that the men in the safari party "relieve themselves" into the radiator in order to avert a dangerous and time-consuming trip to the river for water. Enough said!
No matter how distasteful I found the details of life among the wild beasts of Africa and the safari, I cannot deny the absolute beauty of the African wilderness. Arruda brings the continent to life with her descriptions of Mount Kilimanjaro, lions lurking in the high grasses, the blue African sky, and more. I wouldn't even attempt to do justice to her verbal illustrations of the beauty of this untamed land and its people or to her character development, which is intriguing as well. I've said before that one of the marks of a truly good book is that it stays with you after you have finished the last page. That is certainly true here. I feel as if I have been on safari myself and the memories will stay with me for a while.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
A VIOLET SEASON (Kathy Leonard Czepiel)
If you ever have the opportunity to travel through time, take my advice and don't choose to go back to 1898 as a housewife in a financially challenged household! Ida Fletcher, mother, wife, wet nurse, worker on the family violet farm,and household drudge is, despite her sad lot in life, a wonderful character. She is intelligent and dedicated to her family and home in the Rhinebeck area of New York state. Ida's husband, Frank, is the black sheep of the Fletcher family, having stolen and lost his share of the family "fortune" as a young man. As a result, he lives with Ida and his children as an employee in a tenant rental on the family violet farm while his two brothers occupy stately homes and shower the best things in life on their families. The deal is that Frank can take his rightful place in their lives when he repays his debt. Ida works as a wet nurse to help make ends meet.
The reader garners little insight into Frank and his motivations as the story is told from Ida's and her daughter Alice's point of views. What we do know is that he is a bitter man obsessed with money to the extent that he would feel no remorse at selling his daughter or burdening his wife with an exhausting schedule of nursing and laboring on the farm, treating them as commodities rather than human beings. Ida, isolated and without resources, finally takes matters into her own hands to save her family.
This book attracted me initially because I have a special place in my heart for violets. My grandmother always had pots of African violets in her picture window and loved to wear purple, so I always associate the flower and the color with her. "A Violet Season" is the story of a resourceful, hard-working woman who loves her family fiercely and is willing to sacrifice all for them. I admire Ida and I think you will, too!
The reader garners little insight into Frank and his motivations as the story is told from Ida's and her daughter Alice's point of views. What we do know is that he is a bitter man obsessed with money to the extent that he would feel no remorse at selling his daughter or burdening his wife with an exhausting schedule of nursing and laboring on the farm, treating them as commodities rather than human beings. Ida, isolated and without resources, finally takes matters into her own hands to save her family.
This book attracted me initially because I have a special place in my heart for violets. My grandmother always had pots of African violets in her picture window and loved to wear purple, so I always associate the flower and the color with her. "A Violet Season" is the story of a resourceful, hard-working woman who loves her family fiercely and is willing to sacrifice all for them. I admire Ida and I think you will, too!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
MR. TEA AND THE TRAVELING TEACUP (Leslie Matthews Stansfield)
Two thumbs up to author Leslie! I understand that Leslie has a deal for at least a couple of more of these Madeline's Tea House mysteries, and I am looking forward to the next installment. This is her first foray into mysteries (her last published work, I believe, was an Images of America book on Windsor Locks, where we both live), and while I could suggest a couple of small refinements (fewer references to flatulence, perhaps!), I thought that overall the novel was well worth reading, the characters appealing, and the story well thought out.
The Sutter sisters, Terry, a forty-year-old single art teacher, and Karen, a recently divorced accountant, have moved back to their childhood home in Maine after the death of their mother, Madeline. Mom's sister Rose, and her husband, Uncle Henry, are energetic, nurturing septuagenarians who happen to live next door, as do the Dindles, a mother and daughter who are old friends of the Sutter family. The sisters have transformed the house into a charming tea room that has become very popular in the community. The mystery here revolves not around a recent murder, but rather mysterious poltergeist-like occurrences in the tea room that might be connected to the years-ago shooting death of the dysfunctional son of a prominent family, the mysterious disappearance of two elderly sisters, or a series of unsolved bank robberies in Connecticut. When tea cups start flying off the shelf in the middle of the night, Terry and Karen are, to say the least, freaked out. With the help of friends (especially police officer Greg, Terry's high school crush), the sisters try to get to the bottom of what is happening in their tea house. Along the way they acquire an intriguingly perceptive macaw named Mr. Tea, who is reputed to be psychic. I have to admit that I was not looking forward to the macaw when I first came across this book, but Mr. Tea turned out to be a wonderful and entertaining addition to the cast of characters. The ending was, perhaps, a bit too easy, but overall I really enjoyed Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, light mystery. When the characters stay with you after you have read the last page and you want to know more about what happens to them, you know that it was a book worth reading. I can't wait for the further adventures of Terry, Karen, and Mr. Tea!
The Sutter sisters, Terry, a forty-year-old single art teacher, and Karen, a recently divorced accountant, have moved back to their childhood home in Maine after the death of their mother, Madeline. Mom's sister Rose, and her husband, Uncle Henry, are energetic, nurturing septuagenarians who happen to live next door, as do the Dindles, a mother and daughter who are old friends of the Sutter family. The sisters have transformed the house into a charming tea room that has become very popular in the community. The mystery here revolves not around a recent murder, but rather mysterious poltergeist-like occurrences in the tea room that might be connected to the years-ago shooting death of the dysfunctional son of a prominent family, the mysterious disappearance of two elderly sisters, or a series of unsolved bank robberies in Connecticut. When tea cups start flying off the shelf in the middle of the night, Terry and Karen are, to say the least, freaked out. With the help of friends (especially police officer Greg, Terry's high school crush), the sisters try to get to the bottom of what is happening in their tea house. Along the way they acquire an intriguingly perceptive macaw named Mr. Tea, who is reputed to be psychic. I have to admit that I was not looking forward to the macaw when I first came across this book, but Mr. Tea turned out to be a wonderful and entertaining addition to the cast of characters. The ending was, perhaps, a bit too easy, but overall I really enjoyed Mr. Tea and the Traveling Teacup and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, light mystery. When the characters stay with you after you have read the last page and you want to know more about what happens to them, you know that it was a book worth reading. I can't wait for the further adventures of Terry, Karen, and Mr. Tea!
ANOTHER WOMAN (Penny Vincenzi)
Most of the action in Vincenzi's 1994 novel takes place over the course of 24 hours, revealing all sorts of intriguing liasons and family secrets along the way. The story opens on beautiful Cressida Forrest's much anticipated wedding day. She is seemingly looking forward to her marriage to Oliver Bergin, a handsome young doctor from a very wealthy and controlling family, but as the big day dawns her sister Harriet discovers that Cressida has mysteriously disappeared, taking her wedding dress with her and apparently leaving no clue as to her intentions. What I found most interesting about "Another Woman" is the layer upon layer of intertwined relationships, infidelities, and disfunctions among the various characters that are slowly exposed as the search for Cressida progresses. These families have some really BIG issues!
I did have a problem keeping track of all of the characters most of the way through the novel, so I would recommend making some notes at the start. Gynecologist James Forrest and his uninteresting wife, Maggie, are parents to twenty-something Harriet, a successful clothing designer on the verge of bankruptcy, and bride Cressida, the golden girl who is loved by everyone for her goodness and beauty. Alistair and his wife Susie, who is also James' true love and longtime paramour, are the parents of 4 children, including Rufus, who bears a noticable resemblance to James. Susie is currently going through a health-related crisis and Rufus is in love with super model Ottoline Mills, who shares a hidden connection with James. Mungo, friend to Rufus and Oliver, is the son of James' best friend Theo, a five-times married millionaire (his current wife is called Sasha) with close connections to both Harriet and Cressida. Mungo is in love with an older single mother named Alice. Merlin is a quirky octogenarian, a close family friend who has travled the world, sometimes taking young Harriet on his exotic adventures. Janine is French and is a close family friend, Cressida's goddmother, and an investor in Harriet's failing business. I think that covers most of the major characters!
"Another Woman" will definitely hold your interest from beginning to end (509 pages!) as the web of secrets surrounding James' and Susie's families begins to unravel. The end is not unsatisfying, but, honestly, Vincenzi could have kept on writing a bit more. I'd love find out what happens to the younger generation. I would also like to know more definitively what the title means. I believe that it refers to Cressida and the fact that she is not what she appears to be. She is, in fact, a completely different woman from what everyone who knew her believed her to be.
I did have a problem keeping track of all of the characters most of the way through the novel, so I would recommend making some notes at the start. Gynecologist James Forrest and his uninteresting wife, Maggie, are parents to twenty-something Harriet, a successful clothing designer on the verge of bankruptcy, and bride Cressida, the golden girl who is loved by everyone for her goodness and beauty. Alistair and his wife Susie, who is also James' true love and longtime paramour, are the parents of 4 children, including Rufus, who bears a noticable resemblance to James. Susie is currently going through a health-related crisis and Rufus is in love with super model Ottoline Mills, who shares a hidden connection with James. Mungo, friend to Rufus and Oliver, is the son of James' best friend Theo, a five-times married millionaire (his current wife is called Sasha) with close connections to both Harriet and Cressida. Mungo is in love with an older single mother named Alice. Merlin is a quirky octogenarian, a close family friend who has travled the world, sometimes taking young Harriet on his exotic adventures. Janine is French and is a close family friend, Cressida's goddmother, and an investor in Harriet's failing business. I think that covers most of the major characters!
"Another Woman" will definitely hold your interest from beginning to end (509 pages!) as the web of secrets surrounding James' and Susie's families begins to unravel. The end is not unsatisfying, but, honestly, Vincenzi could have kept on writing a bit more. I'd love find out what happens to the younger generation. I would also like to know more definitively what the title means. I believe that it refers to Cressida and the fact that she is not what she appears to be. She is, in fact, a completely different woman from what everyone who knew her believed her to be.
MAIGRET AND THE FORTUNETELLER (George Simenon)
I understand the appeal of Maigret. He is very like Brunetti and Gamache, with a touch of Adrian Monk thrown in: intuitive, detail-oriented, and not afraid to flout authority if need be. He is happily married to an understanding woman and works for and with people who sometimes tend to get in the way of the investigation rather than furthering it.
I had a very difficult time following the characters in this novel, partly because there were so very many of them and partly because I spent a lot of time wondering how to pronounce things (it's Meh-Gray, by the way), like "Le Cloaguen." Because this novel was published in 1944 the modern reader is treated to a glimpse of the life and values of the past, including public pay phones, psychiatrists who make house calls to evaluate the sanity of murder suspects, and young women who do not live with older, adoptive brothers because it is not considered proper. As for the mystery, the murder of a fortune teller while a man is mysteriously locked in the next room with no key, it is intriguing and the eventual solution makes sense. I think that familiarity with the series would have made reading this one a bit more enjoyable!
I had a very difficult time following the characters in this novel, partly because there were so very many of them and partly because I spent a lot of time wondering how to pronounce things (it's Meh-Gray, by the way), like "Le Cloaguen." Because this novel was published in 1944 the modern reader is treated to a glimpse of the life and values of the past, including public pay phones, psychiatrists who make house calls to evaluate the sanity of murder suspects, and young women who do not live with older, adoptive brothers because it is not considered proper. As for the mystery, the murder of a fortune teller while a man is mysteriously locked in the next room with no key, it is intriguing and the eventual solution makes sense. I think that familiarity with the series would have made reading this one a bit more enjoyable!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
EVERY SECRET THING (Susanna Kearsley)
I'm actually reading this one on my Nook. I really prefer paper books with real pages though, because the Nook makes me feel too removed from the story, for some reason, plus every time I went back to the story it was on the wrong page! Since this particular book was not available in print in the United States, however, I'm glad to have had the opportunity to acquire it electronically.
As usual, Kearsley melds the past and the present into an intriguing story, this one a thriller. The main character, Katie Murray, is a Canadian reporter on assignment at a trial in London. She is approached on the street by Arthur Deacon, an elderly man who has a story to tell her and comments mysteriously that she has her grandmother's eyes. Just after their meeting Arthur is run down in the street and killed, and on her return home to Canada, Katie talks to her grandmother, Amelia (known as Georgie) about the encounter with Arthur and discovers that he and Georgie share a mysterious past relationship. When her grandmother is shot sniper-style in her home Katie narrowly escapes injury herself and begins to realize that someone doesn't want the secrets of the past revealed and is willing to go to any length, even murder, to prevent that happening. So begins Katie's nightmare of trying to elude potential killers while working to discover who she can trust and what secrets are driving her pursuers. Kearsley takes us from Canada to Portugal to England, and back again, alternating between the present and World War II, giving us an inside look into British and American intelligence activities during the war. This one will make your heart beat faster with every page! If you have a Kindle or Nook, consider this one!
As usual, Kearsley melds the past and the present into an intriguing story, this one a thriller. The main character, Katie Murray, is a Canadian reporter on assignment at a trial in London. She is approached on the street by Arthur Deacon, an elderly man who has a story to tell her and comments mysteriously that she has her grandmother's eyes. Just after their meeting Arthur is run down in the street and killed, and on her return home to Canada, Katie talks to her grandmother, Amelia (known as Georgie) about the encounter with Arthur and discovers that he and Georgie share a mysterious past relationship. When her grandmother is shot sniper-style in her home Katie narrowly escapes injury herself and begins to realize that someone doesn't want the secrets of the past revealed and is willing to go to any length, even murder, to prevent that happening. So begins Katie's nightmare of trying to elude potential killers while working to discover who she can trust and what secrets are driving her pursuers. Kearsley takes us from Canada to Portugal to England, and back again, alternating between the present and World War II, giving us an inside look into British and American intelligence activities during the war. This one will make your heart beat faster with every page! If you have a Kindle or Nook, consider this one!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
CALLING INVISIBLE WOMEN (Jeanne Ray)
Jeanne Ray has written a book that should be required reading for women around the world. Calling Invisible Women will resonate loudly with almost any woman, from shy teenage girls and distracted young mothers to devoted wives and retired career women. Nearly all of us, even those of us with happy relationships and fulfilling careers, know what it feels like to be invisible, to be minimized, to have our most loving and caring actions taken for granted and our needs overlooked time and time again because we are always there to clean up the mess and catch our loved ones if they happen to fall.
Clovis Hobart is shocked to wake up one day invisible and shocked even more when she realizes that her family doesn't notice. She continues to cook breakfast and take care of the dry cleaning, discovering that no one takes the time to REALLY look at her. After scaring the wits out of her best (and visible) friend, Gilda, who DOES notice that she is gone, Clovis makes an appointment with her doctor to discuss her condition and is shocked when even HE doesn't notice that he is examining an invisible woman. When she finds a notice in the paper about a support group for invisible women she joins and discovers that she is not alone and that her invisibility is probably the result of interactions between 3 drugs sold by Dexter-White, a major drug manufacturer that refuses to acknowledge a problem with their best-selling medications. Clovis also discovers that invisibility can be both fun and rewarding as she sheds her clothing and embarks on a series of both small and super-hero-like adventures in the name of improving the world.
Clovis is lucky. She has supportive friends, a husband and family who truly love her, and the imagination and drive to make the most of her "condition." This novel is both hilarious and heartbreaking. I wish I could say what Hilma Wolitzer says about it, but she already has, so I'll just quote her:" Jeanne Ray is truly wise and funny about family, friendship, and love--about the ways in which we see (and don't see) each other." I agree completely. I identified with this book and I think that most of the women I know would, too!
Clovis Hobart is shocked to wake up one day invisible and shocked even more when she realizes that her family doesn't notice. She continues to cook breakfast and take care of the dry cleaning, discovering that no one takes the time to REALLY look at her. After scaring the wits out of her best (and visible) friend, Gilda, who DOES notice that she is gone, Clovis makes an appointment with her doctor to discuss her condition and is shocked when even HE doesn't notice that he is examining an invisible woman. When she finds a notice in the paper about a support group for invisible women she joins and discovers that she is not alone and that her invisibility is probably the result of interactions between 3 drugs sold by Dexter-White, a major drug manufacturer that refuses to acknowledge a problem with their best-selling medications. Clovis also discovers that invisibility can be both fun and rewarding as she sheds her clothing and embarks on a series of both small and super-hero-like adventures in the name of improving the world.
Clovis is lucky. She has supportive friends, a husband and family who truly love her, and the imagination and drive to make the most of her "condition." This novel is both hilarious and heartbreaking. I wish I could say what Hilma Wolitzer says about it, but she already has, so I'll just quote her:" Jeanne Ray is truly wise and funny about family, friendship, and love--about the ways in which we see (and don't see) each other." I agree completely. I identified with this book and I think that most of the women I know would, too!
Friday, February 1, 2013
SISTERS (Patricia MacDonald)
If you are looking for a good, traditional (i.e. no vampires, extreme gore, or high-tech effects) suspense novel with a touch of romance, stop right here! Patricia MacDonald has been one of my favorite authors for a few years and I am never disappointed. In Sisters the author introduces us to Alex Woods, a young woman returning to the Boston area to prepare her childhood home for sale after the untimely death of her parents in an auto accident. Alex is shocked to learn from her mother's lawyer (via a letter to be given to her in the event of her mother's death) that she has an older half-sister, most probably the result of a doomed high school romance between her mother, Cathy, and a boy she was tutoring. The baby was given up for adoption by Alex's mother long before her parents met and no one, apparently not even Cathy's brother Brian or her husband, Alex's father, knew about the baby. Alex decides to look for her sibling despite the closed adoption records and is rewarded with the news that her sister, Dory Colson, is alive and currently serving 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to the brutal murder of her sister Lauren, the natural daughter of her adoptive parents. When Alex, after much soul-searching, finally arranges to meet her half-sister, she begins to wonder about Dory's conviction and discovers that her interest in seeking the truth is NOT welcomed by Dory's family despite evidence that Dory may have been coerced into a guilty plea.
It took me 2 days to read Sisters. At just 216 pages, it's a great weekend book and I would recommend it highly. Check out Patricia MacDonald's other novels as well. You'll love them!
It took me 2 days to read Sisters. At just 216 pages, it's a great weekend book and I would recommend it highly. Check out Patricia MacDonald's other novels as well. You'll love them!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
THE HYPNOTIST'S LOVE STORY (Liane Moriarty)
Ellen O'Farrell is a hypnotherapist in her mid-thirties. She lives and works in her little house by the sea in Australia, left to her by her grandparents, and has recently fallen in love with Patrick, who owns his own surveying business and has an 8-year-old son. Patrick lost his beautiful young wife, Colleen, to cancer when Jack was just a baby and has had only one other serious relationship since then, with a woman named Saskia. When Patrick reveals to Ellen that Saskia has been stalking him for several years, since their breakup, she is alternately amused and concerned, especially when she discovers that she herself has an unexpected and possibly dangerous connection with Saskia.
Moriarty's book is part romance and part thriller with a good dose of quirky humor thrown in. The development of Patrick and Ellen's relationship is charming and realistic. The various family members and friends are an interesting mix. Patrick's family and in-laws are kind and accepting of Ellen while her physician mother is rather cold and ultra-practical until she meets up with Ellen's father, a former lover who is now widowed and didn't know about his 35-year-old daughter. Ellen's hypnotherapy practice adds a great deal of additional interest to the story. All in all, this was a great book. I enjoyed the development of the characters and I loved the "real" feeling of Ellen and Patrick's love story. I even liked Saskia, who has been trying unsuccessfully to find closure in her relationship with Patrick and Jack. Liane Moriarty's writing reminds me of a sunny Australian day, somehow, at least that's what keeps coming to mind when I think about this novel. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books!
Moriarty's book is part romance and part thriller with a good dose of quirky humor thrown in. The development of Patrick and Ellen's relationship is charming and realistic. The various family members and friends are an interesting mix. Patrick's family and in-laws are kind and accepting of Ellen while her physician mother is rather cold and ultra-practical until she meets up with Ellen's father, a former lover who is now widowed and didn't know about his 35-year-old daughter. Ellen's hypnotherapy practice adds a great deal of additional interest to the story. All in all, this was a great book. I enjoyed the development of the characters and I loved the "real" feeling of Ellen and Patrick's love story. I even liked Saskia, who has been trying unsuccessfully to find closure in her relationship with Patrick and Jack. Liane Moriarty's writing reminds me of a sunny Australian day, somehow, at least that's what keeps coming to mind when I think about this novel. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books!
Friday, January 18, 2013
THE UNIVITED GUESTS (Sadie Jones)
This novel was not quite what I expected. One thing that did strike me about it was that I didn't really LIKE any of the characters. except perhaps for the one-armed step-father who is absent for most of the story. The Uninvited Guests reminds me a little of Alan Bradley's Flavia deLuce series, mainly because of the neglected youngest daughter, distracted parents, and crumbling house, but the comparisons stop there.
On the day of Emerald Torrington's 20th birthday party a train wreck occurs nearby and the Torringtons are ordered (?) by the rail line to provide accommodations for an odd assortment of "survivors," including a strange and, I think, very distasteful man from mother Charlotte's past. The whole story, from Imogen (known as Smudge) bringing her pony upstairs into her bedroom to the lone first-class passenger who entices the family into mean parlour games, is just weird. NPR.org describes The Uninvited Guests as "a delicious romp" and worthy of comparison to Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, but I just don't see it. I don't think it was bad, just odd. That's all I have to say!
On the day of Emerald Torrington's 20th birthday party a train wreck occurs nearby and the Torringtons are ordered (?) by the rail line to provide accommodations for an odd assortment of "survivors," including a strange and, I think, very distasteful man from mother Charlotte's past. The whole story, from Imogen (known as Smudge) bringing her pony upstairs into her bedroom to the lone first-class passenger who entices the family into mean parlour games, is just weird. NPR.org describes The Uninvited Guests as "a delicious romp" and worthy of comparison to Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, but I just don't see it. I don't think it was bad, just odd. That's all I have to say!
THE SHADOWY HORSES (Susanna Kearsley)
Wouldn't you love to be in a wild, windy village in Scotland exploring the ancient mysteries of a beautiful estate? Susannah Kearsley can take you there! Kearsley, in this reissued novel from 1999, combines archaeology, history, the paranormal, romantic rivalries, and suspense into one wonderful, atmospheric story. Archaeologist Verity Grey is invited by an old colleague/lover to join an eccentric millionaire on his quest for evidence of an ancient Roman campsite on his property. While physical evidence that the 9th Legion camped there is sparse, the ghostly soldier who patrols the field and the shadowy horses that gallup past Verity's window at night all point to the presence of some sort of ancient Roman presence. As Verity's attraction to handsome fellow archaeologist David Fortune grows, so does her feeling that the ghostly soldier is trying urgently to communicate that something is very wrong at the dig, something that needs to be discovered before disaster strikes. Kearsley's prose, as always, is lovely, and the reader will enjoy a lyrical mix of past and present, suspense and romance, all wrapped up in the lush landscape of Scotland.
Monday, January 7, 2013
NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS (Elizabeth Peters)
Most of my mystery book group enjoyed this Vicky Bliss adventure, but I heard the same complaint from almost everyone: it was too hard to keep track of all the characters at the beginning, but about halfway though, when who's who was sorted out in our minds we enjoyed the story very much. I think that reading previous entries in the series would have helped despite the fact that Peters does a credible job of explaining relationships and various situations from previous novels.
Vicki, who holds a doctorate in medieval art, works at the National Museum in Munich. John Tregarth (alias Smythe) is her art thief lover (it's complicated) and Schmidt is her adorable, overweight boss. When she is asked to identify a potential art thief by posing as an expert on ancient Egyptian art, she is reluctant, but finally agrees and manages to elude Schmidt, who loves to tag along on her adventures. While on the elite Egyptian cruise down the Nile as a guest lecturer, she discovers that her sometimes lover, John, is also here along with his mother and his brand new child bride. Chaos ensues, involving art forgeries, explosions, government conspiracies, high speed chases, kidnappings, torture, revenge, and some adorable relationships. Once you figure out who everyone is and how they are all connected, you'll enjoy it!
Vicki, who holds a doctorate in medieval art, works at the National Museum in Munich. John Tregarth (alias Smythe) is her art thief lover (it's complicated) and Schmidt is her adorable, overweight boss. When she is asked to identify a potential art thief by posing as an expert on ancient Egyptian art, she is reluctant, but finally agrees and manages to elude Schmidt, who loves to tag along on her adventures. While on the elite Egyptian cruise down the Nile as a guest lecturer, she discovers that her sometimes lover, John, is also here along with his mother and his brand new child bride. Chaos ensues, involving art forgeries, explosions, government conspiracies, high speed chases, kidnappings, torture, revenge, and some adorable relationships. Once you figure out who everyone is and how they are all connected, you'll enjoy it!
THE INTROVERT'S WAY (Sophia Dembling)
Every introvert should take the time to read this book, and it would probably be a good idea for extroverts, too! In our society, extroversion is often viewed as preferable, better, something we should all strive for. Dembling does a fantastic job of analyzing introversion and pointing out the positive traits and strengths of the introvert. One of the first points clarified in this book is the most important: introversion does not equal shyness. Many introverts, in fact, are NOT shy. Shyness has to do with fear of social interaction, nervousness at meeting new people, being unable to speak up in a crowd, or breaking out in a cold sweat at the idea of giving a speech. You understand what I mean, especially if you are shy. Introversion, on the other hand, is a preference. The introvert isn't AFRAID to go to a party or have lots of friends, they just prefer not to. I understand this because I am an introvert. I am NOT shy, however.
My daughter, who is working on her doctorate in clinical psychology, complained to me one day that she is tired of being targeted by some of her professors for a perceived lack of participation in class, the assumption being that if she can't jump into a discussion with lightening quick responses she must not be thinking or paying attention, yet her written work has been described as demonstrating great insight and understanding. She is an introvert, and as such needs time to think and process ideas before responding. It's not a flaw, it is simply a different type of brain function. Unfortunately, our society usually values quick response and instant gratification, and the popular, outgoing individual is usually seen as the most desireable and successful whether or not they have any depth or worthwhile ideas! I am NOT discounting extroversion, just saying that sometimes patience and taking the time to think should be seen as valuable assets, too.
I got a lot of insight into myself and others from Dembling's analysis and I think you will, too. Introverts, unite!
My daughter, who is working on her doctorate in clinical psychology, complained to me one day that she is tired of being targeted by some of her professors for a perceived lack of participation in class, the assumption being that if she can't jump into a discussion with lightening quick responses she must not be thinking or paying attention, yet her written work has been described as demonstrating great insight and understanding. She is an introvert, and as such needs time to think and process ideas before responding. It's not a flaw, it is simply a different type of brain function. Unfortunately, our society usually values quick response and instant gratification, and the popular, outgoing individual is usually seen as the most desireable and successful whether or not they have any depth or worthwhile ideas! I am NOT discounting extroversion, just saying that sometimes patience and taking the time to think should be seen as valuable assets, too.
I got a lot of insight into myself and others from Dembling's analysis and I think you will, too. Introverts, unite!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
LEGACY OF LOVE (Joanna Trollope writing as Caroline Harvey))
A couple of weeks ago I was setting up an "endangered books" display in our library. Unfortunately, we are running out of room and have many wonderful novels that are not being read and will need to be removed from our collection to make room for new fiction that is more in-demand. No offense to prolific writers like James Patterson and Danielle Steel, but it makes me sad to see several shelves each devoted to popular but mediocre novels by authors who have, in some respects, become money-making machines,. while some breathtakingly beautiful literature, like Legacy of Love, is consigned to the book sale.
Harvey's novel is really three novellas. The first, set in the 1840's, is about two British sisters, Charlotte and Emily. Charlotte, a strikingly beautiful redhead, craves adventure and longs to escape from her mundane village life with her sister and widowed mother. Opportunity presents itself in the form of wealthy soldier Captain Hugh Connell, who falls in love with the wild, impetuous beauty. Charlotte agrees to marry Hugh, who is being posted to Afghanistan, and it is decided that Emily will accompany them as chaperone since there is no time to marry before their scheduled departure date. Their trip to Afghanistan takes one year and includes uonths traveling by boat, through Egypt and India, and finally through the Kyber Pass to Kabul and many of the locales so familiar to us today because of our current conflicts in the middle east. Written from Emily's point of view, Charlotte's story transports the reader into life in a British outpost in a hostile country and allows us to observe Charlotte's growing love for legendary adventurer Alexander Bewick.
Years later, in 1905, we are introduced to Alexandra Abbott, Charlotte's grandaughter. Trapped in a frustrating exisitence in Scotland with her embittered mother and understanding, tolerant father, Alexandra is invited by her great Aunt Emily, now a childless 84-year-old widow, to visit her at her home in Cornwall. Emily introduces Alexandra to a more genteel way of life and allows her to explore her own interests and friendships. When a prominent local artist, the reclusive Michael Swinton, paints Alexandra, his career is revitalized and she suddenly becomes an object of great interest in the small community. When Aunt Emily dies Alexandra realizes that she has no desire to return to Scotland and her crippled mother's negative attitude.
The third and last part of the novel features Alexandra's daughter, Cara. At the outbreak of World War II, 18-year-old Cara, who is a little spoiled and self-involved, is determined to join the war effort and serve her country along with her brothers, friends, and former classmates. Instead, she is forced by circumstances to remain at home in Cornwall, where she struggles to find her direction in life while laboring on the family farm to provide much needed food for the country. Humiliated by her role in the war effort and feeling bored and unfulfilled, Cara falls in love with childhood friend Alan Langley and looks forward to his return from the war. Naturally, fate intervenes, and Cara is forced to grow up, finding her own calling in the process.
I'm sorry for all of the boring plot description when I should be finding incredible adjectives to describe this novel. I just finished it and can't get it out of my mind. I would highly recommend it to any historical fiction buff. My only complain is that I wish Trollope/Harvey had written 3 full length books so I could still be reading them!
Harvey's novel is really three novellas. The first, set in the 1840's, is about two British sisters, Charlotte and Emily. Charlotte, a strikingly beautiful redhead, craves adventure and longs to escape from her mundane village life with her sister and widowed mother. Opportunity presents itself in the form of wealthy soldier Captain Hugh Connell, who falls in love with the wild, impetuous beauty. Charlotte agrees to marry Hugh, who is being posted to Afghanistan, and it is decided that Emily will accompany them as chaperone since there is no time to marry before their scheduled departure date. Their trip to Afghanistan takes one year and includes uonths traveling by boat, through Egypt and India, and finally through the Kyber Pass to Kabul and many of the locales so familiar to us today because of our current conflicts in the middle east. Written from Emily's point of view, Charlotte's story transports the reader into life in a British outpost in a hostile country and allows us to observe Charlotte's growing love for legendary adventurer Alexander Bewick.
Years later, in 1905, we are introduced to Alexandra Abbott, Charlotte's grandaughter. Trapped in a frustrating exisitence in Scotland with her embittered mother and understanding, tolerant father, Alexandra is invited by her great Aunt Emily, now a childless 84-year-old widow, to visit her at her home in Cornwall. Emily introduces Alexandra to a more genteel way of life and allows her to explore her own interests and friendships. When a prominent local artist, the reclusive Michael Swinton, paints Alexandra, his career is revitalized and she suddenly becomes an object of great interest in the small community. When Aunt Emily dies Alexandra realizes that she has no desire to return to Scotland and her crippled mother's negative attitude.
The third and last part of the novel features Alexandra's daughter, Cara. At the outbreak of World War II, 18-year-old Cara, who is a little spoiled and self-involved, is determined to join the war effort and serve her country along with her brothers, friends, and former classmates. Instead, she is forced by circumstances to remain at home in Cornwall, where she struggles to find her direction in life while laboring on the family farm to provide much needed food for the country. Humiliated by her role in the war effort and feeling bored and unfulfilled, Cara falls in love with childhood friend Alan Langley and looks forward to his return from the war. Naturally, fate intervenes, and Cara is forced to grow up, finding her own calling in the process.
I'm sorry for all of the boring plot description when I should be finding incredible adjectives to describe this novel. I just finished it and can't get it out of my mind. I would highly recommend it to any historical fiction buff. My only complain is that I wish Trollope/Harvey had written 3 full length books so I could still be reading them!
Monday, December 10, 2012
DEATH IN A STRANGE COUNTRY (Donna Leon)
I wish that Comissario Guido Brunetti and Louise Penney's Inspector Armond Gamache could meet. I think they would be best friends and make a formidable crime-solving team!
When a body of Sgt. Michael Foster, an American solider stationed in in nearby Vicenza, is found floating in one of Venice's canals, the official verdict is that he was killed during a random mugging. Brunetti's obtrusive, social-climbing boss, Patti, is content with the finding and orders Guido to drop the case, but Brunetti doesn't feel that things add up and he surreptitiously continues the investigation without Patti's knowledge. Additional murders, cocaine, and additional skullduggery, all seemingly tied in somehow with local poilice and the American military, come to light as Brunetti obediently investigates an art theft. This one is a winner!
When a body of Sgt. Michael Foster, an American solider stationed in in nearby Vicenza, is found floating in one of Venice's canals, the official verdict is that he was killed during a random mugging. Brunetti's obtrusive, social-climbing boss, Patti, is content with the finding and orders Guido to drop the case, but Brunetti doesn't feel that things add up and he surreptitiously continues the investigation without Patti's knowledge. Additional murders, cocaine, and additional skullduggery, all seemingly tied in somehow with local poilice and the American military, come to light as Brunetti obediently investigates an art theft. This one is a winner!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
THE MIDWIFE (Jennifer Worth)
The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times is on of those books that stays with you for a while. Worth writes about her midwife training in the east end of London in the mid-1950's with such detail and candor that it almost takes your breath away. Now I think I need to watch the BBC series based on the book! The horrible bombed out buildings, lack of sanitation, large families living in tiny apartments, sometimes unheated and without running water, human trafficking, the miracle of birth witnessed over and over again, and the profound poverty - all are brought vividly to life here with humor and empathy. It astounds me that people were living this way when I was born, and probably still are in many places, and I am grateful to Jennifer Worth for telling us her story. Mixing personal anecdotes with detailed descriptions of many of the births and illnesses that she encountered as a nurse and midwife, Worth has produced a richly faceted and inspirational memoir.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
A FATAL WINTER (G.M. Malliet)
November was a long month and one in which I wasn't able to get to reading as much as I would have liked! That being said, I have FINALLY finished A Fatal Winter. Populated with eccentric, entitled heirs, well-meaning townspeople, and handsome Father Max Tudor, MI5 agent turned Anglican priest, Nether Monkslip is again faced with murder, this time at Chedrow Castle in nearby Monkslip Super Mare. A brief Internet investigation has informed me that "Super Mare" comes from the Latin meaning "upon the sea" and is used to distinguish a village located at the water's edge, much like "by-the-sea." I wish I had looked that up before!
As Max travels home from a conference in London on December 13 he shares a train compartment with Lady Leticia Baynard, widowed twin sister of Lord Oscar Footrustle of Chedrow Castle. Later that day, after enjoying an intimate dinner with the lovely Awena Owen, proprietor of Nether Monkslip's new age store, Max learns that both Lord Footrustle and Lady Baynard have died. Oscar has been unceremoniously stabbed, possibly by one of his family, who are gathered at the castle for the holidays at his invitation. Lady Baynard's death appears to be natural. Max is asked by local authorities to visit the castle in his pastoral capacity to comfort the family while surreptitiously using his investigative skills to sort through the various suspects. Who stands to inherit? Who is insane enough and enraged enough to stab an old man multiple times even after he is dead? Could it be his daughter, Jocasta, the flamboyant has-been actress with the much-younger husband? Or could Lester, Leticia's younger son from Australia be desperate for money? What about Lamorna, the ugly adopted granddaughter suffering from religious delusions?
Malliet has produced another excellent murder mystery. I confess that would have enjoyed it more if I had read it a little faster, but the combination of village sensibilities, crazy relatives, a drafty old castle, and, most of all, Max Tudor, make this a highly recommended read. Max is nice guy with all of the characteristics of a good priest. He is caring, compassionate, and intelligent, yet emotionally vulnerable and still feeling guilty over the death of his former MI5 partner. He is also falling in love with Awena, which adds even more dimension and interest to his character. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
As Max travels home from a conference in London on December 13 he shares a train compartment with Lady Leticia Baynard, widowed twin sister of Lord Oscar Footrustle of Chedrow Castle. Later that day, after enjoying an intimate dinner with the lovely Awena Owen, proprietor of Nether Monkslip's new age store, Max learns that both Lord Footrustle and Lady Baynard have died. Oscar has been unceremoniously stabbed, possibly by one of his family, who are gathered at the castle for the holidays at his invitation. Lady Baynard's death appears to be natural. Max is asked by local authorities to visit the castle in his pastoral capacity to comfort the family while surreptitiously using his investigative skills to sort through the various suspects. Who stands to inherit? Who is insane enough and enraged enough to stab an old man multiple times even after he is dead? Could it be his daughter, Jocasta, the flamboyant has-been actress with the much-younger husband? Or could Lester, Leticia's younger son from Australia be desperate for money? What about Lamorna, the ugly adopted granddaughter suffering from religious delusions?
Malliet has produced another excellent murder mystery. I confess that would have enjoyed it more if I had read it a little faster, but the combination of village sensibilities, crazy relatives, a drafty old castle, and, most of all, Max Tudor, make this a highly recommended read. Max is nice guy with all of the characteristics of a good priest. He is caring, compassionate, and intelligent, yet emotionally vulnerable and still feeling guilty over the death of his former MI5 partner. He is also falling in love with Awena, which adds even more dimension and interest to his character. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
BE DIFFERENT (John Elder Robison)
Robison, also the author of "Look Me In the Eye," writes simply and honestly about his struggles growing up with undiagnosed Asperger's, offering advice and encouragement to fellow Aspie's and neuro-typicals alike. I think that the title says it all. Simply put, Asperger's is a neurological condition that typically causes an inability to recognize and process social cues, often resulting in odd behavior and a lack of emotional connection with others. Robison, diagnosed at age 40, has chosen to put a positive spin on his differences, celebrating being different. His book covers 4 major areas of concern for Aspies and their families: Rituals, Manners, & Quirks; Emotions; Getting Along With Others; and Sensitivity to the Nonhuman World. If you know or love anyone with Asperger's, you will recognize many of the feeling and situations experienced by Robison during his childhood and adult years.
The final chapter, Finding Your Gifts, is, I believe the highlight of the book, encouraging those on the autism spectrum to use their atypical characteristics to their advantage, finding a way to turn their "disability" into a strength. It is no secret that some of our greatest scientists and business people, including Albert Einstein and Bill Gates, are believed to have Asperger's. These men (and most are men) have used their neurological differences to accomplish great things, finding ways to turn their "special skills" into successful careers. Robison makes no bones about the need for hard work and focus, but believes that the Aspergian who is able to focus on their interests and apply them to the real world can achieve success.
Robison includes a handy appendix that includes the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's. This is a wonderful resource for anyone dealing with Asperger's in any respect. Robison is personal and insightful.
The final chapter, Finding Your Gifts, is, I believe the highlight of the book, encouraging those on the autism spectrum to use their atypical characteristics to their advantage, finding a way to turn their "disability" into a strength. It is no secret that some of our greatest scientists and business people, including Albert Einstein and Bill Gates, are believed to have Asperger's. These men (and most are men) have used their neurological differences to accomplish great things, finding ways to turn their "special skills" into successful careers. Robison makes no bones about the need for hard work and focus, but believes that the Aspergian who is able to focus on their interests and apply them to the real world can achieve success.
Robison includes a handy appendix that includes the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's. This is a wonderful resource for anyone dealing with Asperger's in any respect. Robison is personal and insightful.
Monday, November 12, 2012
WALLFLOWER IN BLOOM (Claire Cook)
If you are a Dancing with the Stars fan you will enjoy the "insider" insight into the process of preparing to appear on the show, but Cook's real story is that of a late-bloomer who finally finds her own path to happiness. Overshadowed since childhood by her brother Tag's charisma and the public adulation heaped upon him at every turn, Deirdre has for years been the woman behind the image. She works as her brother's personal assistant, juggling reservations and venues and managing his Facebook and Twitter accounts. While Tag wallows in the adoration of the public, Deirdre's life has been on hold for years. She is exhausted and discouraged and tired of Tag getting credit for her hard work. One day she decides to start a campaign, writing as Tag, to get herself voted in as a last-minute replacement on DWTS, taking the place of an actress who has just entered rehab. Learning to dance, dealing with her disgruntled family, and examining her own role in her unhappiness result in some personal revelations for Deirdre. This is a light read, for sure, but the reader becomes invested in Deirdre and her success, not as a dancer, but as a person. Great book for a rainy weekend!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
WIFE 22 (Melanie Gideon)
I loved this book, much more than I expected to! Alice Buckle, who is soon to turn 45 (the age at which her mother died), decides to participate in an online marriage survey, "Marriage in the 21st Century," after receiving an email solicitation. As wife of 20 years to William and mother to 15-year-old Zoe and 12-year-old Peter, Alice is finding it increasing difficult to keep lines of communication open within her family. As "Wife 22," however, she is free to communicate her thoughts and feelings about her marriage and family life anonymously to "Researcher 101." When William loses his advertising job (after apparently revealing personal information about his marital relationship to a focus group) and finances tighten, Alice worries about her part-time job as an elementary school drama teacher. An aspiring playwright in her younger years, she was humiliated by the failure of her first professional production and has been haunted by that setback ever since. Do more failures loom on the horizon? Why is Researcher 101 becoming more and more appealing to her as their correspondence develops? Is son Peter gay? Will Alice serve as matron of honor at her best freind's same-sex marriage ceremony?
This is definitely a novel for the 21st century. The Internet is the true main character of this clever story, with email, Facebook, and You Tube featured prominently. Gideon does a wonderful job of allowing Alice to evolve emotionally. I loved the anonymous survey premise, because aren't all of us more honest and forthright in our opinions when we are safely hidden behind a keboard and monitor?
This is definitely a novel for the 21st century. The Internet is the true main character of this clever story, with email, Facebook, and You Tube featured prominently. Gideon does a wonderful job of allowing Alice to evolve emotionally. I loved the anonymous survey premise, because aren't all of us more honest and forthright in our opinions when we are safely hidden behind a keboard and monitor?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
THE SPLENDOUR FALLS (Susanna Kearsley)
This is a little different from the other Kearsley novels that I have read in that the main characters are firmly rooted in the present. We are, however, treated to two fascinating stories of the past in Chinon, France, both involving women named Isabelle, one a queen (circa 1205) and the other a chambermaid (circa WWII).
Emily Braden agrees to take a holiday and meet her historian cousin Harry at Chinon, where he plans to research Queen Isabelle. When Harry, not uncharacteristically, fails to arrive as scheduled at the Hotel de France, Emily joins brothers Paul and Simon Lazarus and violinist Neil Grantham, who are also staying at the hotel, for some sightseeing. She discovers a rare King John coin, her cousin's most prized possession, in a donation bowl at a beautiful deserted chapel and begins to wonder what, exactly, has happened to Harry.
Kearsley's novel begins as a pleasant, if a little bit dated, story that transforms into an intriguing and romantic mystery, weaving together the near and distant past with the present day. I didn't love it as much as The Rose Garden or Mariana, but I definitely liked it a lot! I would recommend it. It might be a bit difficult to find, though!
Emily Braden agrees to take a holiday and meet her historian cousin Harry at Chinon, where he plans to research Queen Isabelle. When Harry, not uncharacteristically, fails to arrive as scheduled at the Hotel de France, Emily joins brothers Paul and Simon Lazarus and violinist Neil Grantham, who are also staying at the hotel, for some sightseeing. She discovers a rare King John coin, her cousin's most prized possession, in a donation bowl at a beautiful deserted chapel and begins to wonder what, exactly, has happened to Harry.
Kearsley's novel begins as a pleasant, if a little bit dated, story that transforms into an intriguing and romantic mystery, weaving together the near and distant past with the present day. I didn't love it as much as The Rose Garden or Mariana, but I definitely liked it a lot! I would recommend it. It might be a bit difficult to find, though!
Monday, October 22, 2012
ARTISTIC LICENSE (Katie Fforde)
As usual, Katie Fforde provides an enjoyable romantic adventure with characters that leave you wishing you could keep hanging out with them even after the last page has been turned. This is an older novel (2005), Fforde's second. Thea Orville has left her career as a globetrotting photojournalist after being betrayed personally and professionally by the man in her life. With the help of a convenient inheritance, she has left London, invested in a large house in Cheltenham, and started taking in student lodgers, providing housing and an occasional meal for a group of messy, irresponsible university students. When friend Molly invites her on an unexpected trip to France she decides to accept and get away from it all. During the trip she meets Rory, a breathtakingly attractive Irish artist who has been hired to lecture to the group on Cezanne, and after arriving home to chaos and destruction in her house she decides to take Rory up on his invitation to visit him in Ireland, leaving Cheltenham behind and the mess behind.
Her unplanned visit to the Emerald Isle leaves Thea not with a new romance, as you might have presumed, but a new career as an art gallery owner, plus an Irish wolfhound and several puppies. With the help of Molly and Molly's handsome cousin Ben, Thea decides to find a property and exhibits Rory's beautiful landscapes. Neither the course of true love nor the launching of a new enterprise ever run smoothly and Ffforde treats her readers to nonstop action, including potentially romantic remodeling accidents, a possible kidnapping, a vicious ex-spouse, lots of puppy antics, and some very bad weather. This is fun!
Her unplanned visit to the Emerald Isle leaves Thea not with a new romance, as you might have presumed, but a new career as an art gallery owner, plus an Irish wolfhound and several puppies. With the help of Molly and Molly's handsome cousin Ben, Thea decides to find a property and exhibits Rory's beautiful landscapes. Neither the course of true love nor the launching of a new enterprise ever run smoothly and Ffforde treats her readers to nonstop action, including potentially romantic remodeling accidents, a possible kidnapping, a vicious ex-spouse, lots of puppy antics, and some very bad weather. This is fun!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
150 POUNDS: A NOVEL OF WAISTS AND MEASURES (Kate Rockland)
Shoshana Weiner and Alexis Allbright are successful 20-something bloggers focused on that eternal female obsession, weight. Shoshana, at 215 pounds, writes Fat & Fabulous, a blog for overweight women that focuses on self acceptance. Alexis, on the other hand, weighs 100 pounds writes a blog called Skinny Chick, which extolls diet, extreme exercise, and weight control for good health.
If the truth were to be told (and it is), chubby Shoshana actually leads a healthier lifestyle than Alexis. She enjoys a reasonably healthy, balanced diet (albeit too much food), gets some regular exercise, and accepts herself. She even enjoys finding wardrobe pieces that flatter her zaftig body. As part of an overweight family she grew up in Hoboken surrounded by love and acceptance, but her father's early death from a heart attack a few years before has left her with a nagging sense of worry about the future. Alexis, on the other hand, became estranged from her perfectionist parents after the tragic death of her teenage brother. A disappointment to her lawyer father (Alexis is a law school drop-out) and alcoholic mother, Alexis lives in New York City with her gay best friend Billy, barely making ends meet. She is meticulous about recording every morsel of food she eats, works out religiously, and tries to control every aspect of her life.
Shoshanna and Alexis meet (and do NOT bond) as guests on the Oprah Winfrey Show, invited to talk with Oprah about weight and body image. As fate would have it, circumstances beyond their control eventually conspire to change their thinking, their lifestyles, and their priorities, and a year later they end up together on Oprah's show again, this time each weighing 150 pounds. I'm not going to give you any more details about how this happens, but I will tell you that 150 Pounds is much more than your average chick lit. It's a novel about 2 women who, in the process of advising others about how to live, find their true selves and their own happiness. I enjoyed being invited along for their year of discovery!
If the truth were to be told (and it is), chubby Shoshana actually leads a healthier lifestyle than Alexis. She enjoys a reasonably healthy, balanced diet (albeit too much food), gets some regular exercise, and accepts herself. She even enjoys finding wardrobe pieces that flatter her zaftig body. As part of an overweight family she grew up in Hoboken surrounded by love and acceptance, but her father's early death from a heart attack a few years before has left her with a nagging sense of worry about the future. Alexis, on the other hand, became estranged from her perfectionist parents after the tragic death of her teenage brother. A disappointment to her lawyer father (Alexis is a law school drop-out) and alcoholic mother, Alexis lives in New York City with her gay best friend Billy, barely making ends meet. She is meticulous about recording every morsel of food she eats, works out religiously, and tries to control every aspect of her life.
Shoshanna and Alexis meet (and do NOT bond) as guests on the Oprah Winfrey Show, invited to talk with Oprah about weight and body image. As fate would have it, circumstances beyond their control eventually conspire to change their thinking, their lifestyles, and their priorities, and a year later they end up together on Oprah's show again, this time each weighing 150 pounds. I'm not going to give you any more details about how this happens, but I will tell you that 150 Pounds is much more than your average chick lit. It's a novel about 2 women who, in the process of advising others about how to live, find their true selves and their own happiness. I enjoyed being invited along for their year of discovery!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
THE BEACH HOUSE (Georgia Bockoven)
When Julia's husband Ken, a successful and well-loved businessman, dies of a heart attack at age 39, she feels that her life is over. All that is left is to grieve and to do her best to honor her husband's legacy by running his successful company and continuing his traditions. She decides to sell their beloved summer home in Santa Cruz, but only after allowing their regular tenants to enjoy one more summer at the beach.
I was a little disconcerted at first when I realized that different tenants would be the featured characters of the novel during June, July, and August. Would there be connections and an interweaving of the stories, things that I treasure in good novels? As it turns out, Bockoven does a credible job of creating enough of a connection to provide the reader with a feelin g of continuity, largely through the presence of Eric, a doctor who is renting the cottage next door. The tenants include a mother with a teenage son who is falling in love for the first time, an elderly couple coping with the end of life after 60 years of marriage, and a recently separated woman who discovers that sometimes true love is where you least expect to find it. This is more like a series of connected short stories than a novel. but it is a good light summer read.
I was a little disconcerted at first when I realized that different tenants would be the featured characters of the novel during June, July, and August. Would there be connections and an interweaving of the stories, things that I treasure in good novels? As it turns out, Bockoven does a credible job of creating enough of a connection to provide the reader with a feelin g of continuity, largely through the presence of Eric, a doctor who is renting the cottage next door. The tenants include a mother with a teenage son who is falling in love for the first time, an elderly couple coping with the end of life after 60 years of marriage, and a recently separated woman who discovers that sometimes true love is where you least expect to find it. This is more like a series of connected short stories than a novel. but it is a good light summer read.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A SURREY STATE OF AFFAIRS (Ceri Radford)
I am SO far behind with writing this blog that I feel I will never catch up! I'd better write this while the book is fresh in my mind.
If you are looking for a light, funny read, look no further. A Surrey State of Affairs is written as a series of blog entries. The author is a technologically challenged, 53-year-old wife and mother whose main concerns in life are proper etiquette, cleanliness, maintaining a beautiful home for her lawyer husband, Jeffrey, the well-being of her children, Rupert and Sophie, her parrot, Darcy, and her hobby, bell-ringing. Her blog is more of a personal diary, not meant for the public, and it usually doesn't occur to her until AFTER she has posted that maybe she ought not to be letting all of her private thoughts and feelings out into the blogosphere.
Connie is what most of us would think of as clueless. She is exasperated by her ineffective Eastern European housekeeper, Natalia, who keeps leaving her underwear, presumably to dry on the radiator, in Jeffrey's office. Her son Rupert resists her constant efforts to find him a nice girl to marry, finally spreading a rumor that he has leprosy in a desperate attempt to fend off one of his mother's more ardent fix-ups. Daughter Sophie surreptitiously auditions for and wins a part on a tawdry TV reality show while pretending to be spending her gap-year summer on an ecology project. Still, Connie manages to maintain her her dignity and decorum, always wearing a crisp linen blouse and maintaining her hair and home to exacting standards until, one by one, the people and traditions that she holds dear begin to crumble around her and she is forced to make difficult choices about what is really important.
I know that you are probably thinking that Connie doesn't sound like too appealing a character. Who wants to read the musings of an uptight, middle-aged woman who seems oblivious to the realities of life around her? What keeps Connie from being a caricature and makes her so endearing as a character, in my opinion, is her great love for those around her. She would do anything, give anything, to see her family and friends happy and fulfilled, even if it is on HER terms, but she comes through every crisis and revelation with flying colors because of her love. It's a treat to be inside her head.
If you are looking for a light, funny read, look no further. A Surrey State of Affairs is written as a series of blog entries. The author is a technologically challenged, 53-year-old wife and mother whose main concerns in life are proper etiquette, cleanliness, maintaining a beautiful home for her lawyer husband, Jeffrey, the well-being of her children, Rupert and Sophie, her parrot, Darcy, and her hobby, bell-ringing. Her blog is more of a personal diary, not meant for the public, and it usually doesn't occur to her until AFTER she has posted that maybe she ought not to be letting all of her private thoughts and feelings out into the blogosphere.
Connie is what most of us would think of as clueless. She is exasperated by her ineffective Eastern European housekeeper, Natalia, who keeps leaving her underwear, presumably to dry on the radiator, in Jeffrey's office. Her son Rupert resists her constant efforts to find him a nice girl to marry, finally spreading a rumor that he has leprosy in a desperate attempt to fend off one of his mother's more ardent fix-ups. Daughter Sophie surreptitiously auditions for and wins a part on a tawdry TV reality show while pretending to be spending her gap-year summer on an ecology project. Still, Connie manages to maintain her her dignity and decorum, always wearing a crisp linen blouse and maintaining her hair and home to exacting standards until, one by one, the people and traditions that she holds dear begin to crumble around her and she is forced to make difficult choices about what is really important.
I know that you are probably thinking that Connie doesn't sound like too appealing a character. Who wants to read the musings of an uptight, middle-aged woman who seems oblivious to the realities of life around her? What keeps Connie from being a caricature and makes her so endearing as a character, in my opinion, is her great love for those around her. She would do anything, give anything, to see her family and friends happy and fulfilled, even if it is on HER terms, but she comes through every crisis and revelation with flying colors because of her love. It's a treat to be inside her head.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
HISS AND HERS (M.C. Beaton)
Is it my imagination, or is Agatha, a 50 something retired PR executive who has retired to a charming Cotswolds village, beginning to mellow? In this, Beaton's 23rd Agatha Raisin mystery, Agatha is again in love, this time with handsome (but one -legged!) gardener George Marston. George is a notorious ladies' man and Agatha can't quite seem to catch a break in her pursuit of this popular local Lothario. Suspects abound after Agatha, searching for George when he fails to show up as promised for a local charity ball, discovers his body buried in compost, his head encased in a plastic garbage bag. It soon becomes apparent that there are MANY suspects among George's former, current, aspiring, and rejected lovers and Agatha is determined to solve the crime.
Beaton's wonderful cast of characters, including Mrs. Bloxby, James, Sir Charles Fraith, Roy, and Agatha's usual investigators, all appear in Hiss and Hers, and even the enigmatic and frustrating James seems to be a bit more amiable and appealing than usual. Maybe I'm just getting older! In any case, if you have been following Agatha's adventures, or even if you haven't, you will enjoy this latest one.
Beaton's wonderful cast of characters, including Mrs. Bloxby, James, Sir Charles Fraith, Roy, and Agatha's usual investigators, all appear in Hiss and Hers, and even the enigmatic and frustrating James seems to be a bit more amiable and appealing than usual. Maybe I'm just getting older! In any case, if you have been following Agatha's adventures, or even if you haven't, you will enjoy this latest one.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
UNDER THE DOG STAR (Sandra Parshall)
A large
number of missing pet dogs, a mysterious feral pack of canines attacking
livestock during the night, and one prominent physician with his throat ripped open wouldn’t ordinarily add up to a
compelling, can’t-put-it-down reading experience for me, but this time they
did! I am generally more of a cozy,
crafty mystery reader. Give me an amateur
sleuth with an English accent or someone who bakes or knits in a sweet small
town and solves crimes on the side and I’m good to go. Sandra Parshall, however, is a genre unto
herself, and she knows how to write a mystery!
From the Appalachian setting, to the developing relationship between
Sheriff’s investigator Tom Bridger and veterinarian Rachel Goddard, to the intricately
laid out web of clues, suspects, and sub-plots, Parshall’s Rachel Goddard
series is wonderful and, I think, worthy of notice from the most discerning
mystery fans. This is the fourth Rachel
Goddard mystery and number 5 is waiting for me in my living room. I usually need to take a break between different
novels in a series and this time is no exception, but I have a feeling that I
won’t be able to resist reading her next, Bleeding
Through, for long. If you haven’t
discovered Sandra Parshall yet you have a treat in store! Start with Heat of the Moon. You won't be sorry!
STILL LIFE (Louise Penny)
I think I am in love with Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and I can't wait to read the rest of Penny's award-winning series! Gamache is a unique literary sleuth in his intense humanness, but he does remind me in some ways of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti: he devotes his mind and his body to his work, but his heart and soul belong to his wife and family. In Still Life we are introduced to the community of Three Pines, where the much-loved but unfortunate Jane Neal, a retired teacher and aspiring artist, has been found dead in the woods, killed by an arrow through her heart. Gamache and his team, including devoted second-in-command Beauvoir and the irritating rookie agent Nicole, set up shop in Three Pines to investigate the unusual death. Was it a hunting accident, as many believe, or a deliberate killing? Why would anyone want to rid Three Pines of the the beloved schoolteacher who meant so much to so many? Could her untimely death have anything to do with the recent acceptance of her painting, Fair Day, in the local art show? Why has no one ever seen Jane's living room and what is her niece and supposed heir, Yvonne, up to?
Two of the best things about Still Life are the incredible sense of place and the wonderfully drawn and developed characters. I felt as if I could smell the autumn air and hear the dried leaves underfoot. Penny draws the reader into the life of Three Pines as surely as if we were sitting at the Thanksgiving table with her characters. We feel agent Nicole's awkwardness and Beauvoir's frustration and his concern for Gamache as a partner and friend. We understand Gamache. He is a dedicated, upstanding man who is also human and compassionate. He cares, so we care. I understand from talking to others who have read some of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series that a surprise twist at the end is one of her signature touches. It works well, and so does this series. I can understand why she keeps winning Agatha awards year after year!
Two of the best things about Still Life are the incredible sense of place and the wonderfully drawn and developed characters. I felt as if I could smell the autumn air and hear the dried leaves underfoot. Penny draws the reader into the life of Three Pines as surely as if we were sitting at the Thanksgiving table with her characters. We feel agent Nicole's awkwardness and Beauvoir's frustration and his concern for Gamache as a partner and friend. We understand Gamache. He is a dedicated, upstanding man who is also human and compassionate. He cares, so we care. I understand from talking to others who have read some of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series that a surprise twist at the end is one of her signature touches. It works well, and so does this series. I can understand why she keeps winning Agatha awards year after year!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
THE WINTER SEA (Susannah Kearsley)
Author Bernard Cornwell describes The Winter Sea as "engaging" and "compelling," and I couldn't agree more. From start to finish I was enthralled with the alternating stories of Sophia (1708) and Carrie (present time) and the beautiful setting, Cruden Bay in the north of Scotland. Carrie McLelland is a novelist whose current work focuses on the struggle of the Jacobites to restore King James to his rightful throne in Scotland during the early 18th century. When Carrie sees Slains Castle for the first time she is drawn to the area and inspired to include it in her story. Her agent and good friend, Jane, suggests that her novel might be enriched by including a character from whose point of view the story is told, so Carrie chooses a female character that she names after her several-times-great grandmother, Sophia Paterson. Suddenly Carrie is creatively inspired beyond her wildest dreams and Sophia's story flows swiftly from her fingers. During conversations with her father, a genealogist, and through historical documents provided by a local retired physician, Dr. Weir, Carrie discovers that the story she is writing about Sophia is, for the most part, true. Dr. Weir introduces her to the concept of genetic memory, the theory that memories, like physical traits and personality, might be passed down randomly through the generations. As coincidences continue to pile up Carrie seriously considers that her writing may in fact be Sophia's actual memories rather than fiction.
Kearsley's sense of romance and love of history are evident in The Winter Sea. The reader roots for happy endings for Sophia and John and for Carrie and Graham. Kearsley expertly weaves together the present and the past, leaving the reader feeling every emotion, almost experiencing firsthand the dedication and desperation of the Jacobites. I couldn't put to wonderful book down and the one thing I regret about reading it is that it had to end! Kearsley uses chapters of Carrie's novel, interspersed with Carrie's own story, to tell a magical, compelling story that I will not forget for a long time to come. I've already read The Rose Garden and Mariana. Now I'm desperate to read more!
Kearsley's sense of romance and love of history are evident in The Winter Sea. The reader roots for happy endings for Sophia and John and for Carrie and Graham. Kearsley expertly weaves together the present and the past, leaving the reader feeling every emotion, almost experiencing firsthand the dedication and desperation of the Jacobites. I couldn't put to wonderful book down and the one thing I regret about reading it is that it had to end! Kearsley uses chapters of Carrie's novel, interspersed with Carrie's own story, to tell a magical, compelling story that I will not forget for a long time to come. I've already read The Rose Garden and Mariana. Now I'm desperate to read more!
ALYS, ALWAYS (Harriet Lane)
Frances Thorpe is a nondescript, competent book reviewer relatively unconcerned with her appearance or with decorating her apartment. She is at that age where she is considered "on the shelf" in terms of romance and her company is rumbling with rumors of downsizing. One icy winter night, while driving home to London from a weekend at her parents, Frances spots a light in the distance and discovers an overturned car occupied by a woman, whom she can hear but not see. She calls emergency services and comforts the woman until help arrives, then continues home. As it turns out, the woman, who did not survive, is Alys Kyte, the wife of a celebrated author, Lawrence Kyte, and mother of 2 grown children. At the family's request, Frances eventually meets with them and tells them a lie, that Alys's last words were, "Tell them that I love them."
This novel is described as a "psychological thriller, " but I didn't quite see that. If it had ended differently, it could have become a Lifetime movie, but there were no psychotic breaks or frenzied killings. Instead, we are guided through Frances' realization that her association with Alys's death has made her a "person of interest" to important people in the literary world, and she decides to take advantage of her new reality by developing a deeper relationship with Alys's family, particularly with Alys's daughter, Polly, and her widower, Lawrence. Frances is subtle, patient, and not always honest in her quest transform herself from uninteresting Frances Thorpe to a woman of mystery and compassion, sought after both personally and professionally by people who count.
Lane's first novel is a fascinating psychological study of an opportunist, a woman who takes advantage of a tragedy to transform her life. I kind of hope that there is a sequel because I keep wondering if Frances will eventually be exposed or if her transformation is so complete that she becomes real, like the velveteen rabbit!
This novel is described as a "psychological thriller, " but I didn't quite see that. If it had ended differently, it could have become a Lifetime movie, but there were no psychotic breaks or frenzied killings. Instead, we are guided through Frances' realization that her association with Alys's death has made her a "person of interest" to important people in the literary world, and she decides to take advantage of her new reality by developing a deeper relationship with Alys's family, particularly with Alys's daughter, Polly, and her widower, Lawrence. Frances is subtle, patient, and not always honest in her quest transform herself from uninteresting Frances Thorpe to a woman of mystery and compassion, sought after both personally and professionally by people who count.
Lane's first novel is a fascinating psychological study of an opportunist, a woman who takes advantage of a tragedy to transform her life. I kind of hope that there is a sequel because I keep wondering if Frances will eventually be exposed or if her transformation is so complete that she becomes real, like the velveteen rabbit!
Friday, August 17, 2012
DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE MURDER (Joanne Fluke)
Joanne Fluke just cannot go wrong with her Hannah Swenson series. This was our August selection for the Christie Capers book club and we were as pleased with the recipes as we were with the mystery! When Rev. Bob Knudsen and his wife Claire finally take a honeymoon in Hawaii, Rev. Mike, who spent his teenage years in Lake Eden. arrives to take over pastoral duties at the parish during their absence. Grandma Knudson remembers Mike and his cousin Paul from their youth and soon raises some concerns with Hannah about Rev. Mike's actual identity. What happened to his chocolate allergy? Why does he "remember" her couch as being a different color than it actually was? Is he really who he says he is? Are the sacraments he is performing really valid?
Hannah and her sister Andrea investigate Rev. Mike and come up with logical explanations for the changes in him, setting Grandma's mind at ease. Hannah, however, is agitated as a new dentist, Dr. Bev, joins Norman's practice. Bev was once engaged to Norman, Hannah's devoted boyfriend (well, one of them), and Hannah suspects that Bev is looking to rekindle the relationship. When Hannah discovers Rev. Mike dead in the parish office, though, Norman willingly turns his back on Bev and joins Hannah in investigating the apparent murder.
Fluke provides some interesting twists and turns in the 14th Hannah Swenson mystery and her recipes are mouthwatering. Try the Butterscotch Bonanza Bars. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious! Oh, and read the book, too. You'll want to go back for seconds!
Hannah and her sister Andrea investigate Rev. Mike and come up with logical explanations for the changes in him, setting Grandma's mind at ease. Hannah, however, is agitated as a new dentist, Dr. Bev, joins Norman's practice. Bev was once engaged to Norman, Hannah's devoted boyfriend (well, one of them), and Hannah suspects that Bev is looking to rekindle the relationship. When Hannah discovers Rev. Mike dead in the parish office, though, Norman willingly turns his back on Bev and joins Hannah in investigating the apparent murder.
Fluke provides some interesting twists and turns in the 14th Hannah Swenson mystery and her recipes are mouthwatering. Try the Butterscotch Bonanza Bars. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious! Oh, and read the book, too. You'll want to go back for seconds!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
THE CORPSE OF ST. JAMES'S (Jeanne Dams)
Dorothy Martin, American ex-pat, and her husband, retired Chief Constable Alan Nesbitt, are invited to Buckingham Palace to attend the presentation of the George Cross to Alan's friend Jonathan Quinn. Jonathan is a retired police officer who was severely wounded during an act of heroism. After the ceremony they discover the body of a teenage girl under the shrubbery in Saint James Park and Jonathan later admits that he recognized the vistim as the daughter of his childhood friend Jemima. Against Alan's better judgment, the trio decides to investigate on their own rather than immediately informing the police of the girl's identity in hopes of protecting the girl's mother, who works at the palace.
As usual, Dorothy's investigation runs into twists and turns and roadblocks, but both her husband and the local police have come to realize that her reputation as a superb amateur sleuth is well-deserved and they value her insights even when they are exasperated by her involvement. I love Dorothy's hats and her bad knees (now greatly improved due to knee replacement surgery). She is such a lovable character, more worldly than Miss Marple and more down-to earth than Agatha Raisin. She and Alan enjoy occasional love scenes that fade out in a pleasingly old-fashioned way and their home in the shadow of the Sherebury Cathedral s is the perfect English cottage. As usual, I recommend this series highly. The mysteries are always good and the sense of place is wonderful!
As usual, Dorothy's investigation runs into twists and turns and roadblocks, but both her husband and the local police have come to realize that her reputation as a superb amateur sleuth is well-deserved and they value her insights even when they are exasperated by her involvement. I love Dorothy's hats and her bad knees (now greatly improved due to knee replacement surgery). She is such a lovable character, more worldly than Miss Marple and more down-to earth than Agatha Raisin. She and Alan enjoy occasional love scenes that fade out in a pleasingly old-fashioned way and their home in the shadow of the Sherebury Cathedral s is the perfect English cottage. As usual, I recommend this series highly. The mysteries are always good and the sense of place is wonderful!
THE SECRET LIFE OF OBJECTS (Dawn Raffel)
Have you ever looked at a simple, everyday object and really thought about its history, the stories associated with its travels through various lives? I recently bought a beautiful antique Limoges plate at a flea market. It has lilacs, my favorite flower, on it and gold trim and I wonder if it was part of a set of wedding china, or a special memento that someone purchased on a trip, or perhaps a treasured decorative object displayed lovingly in an elderly woman's living room. Maybe it was used to serve delicious cakes with tea or filled with cucumber sandwiches at a bridal shower. Someday it will have memories for me and, perhaps, for my family. I also have a little teapot that I bought for a couple of dollars at a shop in Bellows falls, VT and I wonder about where it came from and if someone loved it and used it, or if it was a cute gift that eventually took up room better used for something else. I have it displayed with my teapot collection in my kitchen.
What Raffel has done in this wonderful little book of essays (recommended to me by my good friend Helen) is to look at various objects and reminisce about the people and events linked to them that have been significant in her life: her mother's death, a trip, the loss of her engagement diamond, an eccentric relative. There is some sort of magic in Raffel's writing, bringing memories ans experiences to life through the objects that defined them. I can relate to this and, quite frankly, I wish I had written this book. My only complaint is that I didn't really enjoy the illustrations. I don't require photographs, but some of the drawing just didn't evoke the feelings that they should and it kind of detracted from the experience of reading it. Other than that, though, it was wonderful and I recommend it highly!
What Raffel has done in this wonderful little book of essays (recommended to me by my good friend Helen) is to look at various objects and reminisce about the people and events linked to them that have been significant in her life: her mother's death, a trip, the loss of her engagement diamond, an eccentric relative. There is some sort of magic in Raffel's writing, bringing memories ans experiences to life through the objects that defined them. I can relate to this and, quite frankly, I wish I had written this book. My only complaint is that I didn't really enjoy the illustrations. I don't require photographs, but some of the drawing just didn't evoke the feelings that they should and it kind of detracted from the experience of reading it. Other than that, though, it was wonderful and I recommend it highly!
THE ODDS: A LOVE STORY (Stewart O'Nan)
Sustaining a marriage for life can be a difficult task, and dealing with poor decisions, financial problems, infidelity, and the physical problems of aging can make loving one person for life seem like an insurmountable task that may not be worth it. Art and Marion Fowler have reached such a point in their marriage. After years of dedicated service to a financial institution, Art has been unceremoniously downsized. The big fixer-upper that turned out to be a money pit is on the verge of foreclosure. The affair that Art had 20 years ago still weighs on Marion's mind and emotions, but she has never confessed that she herself has dallied.
The couple decides to determine the fate of their marriage, literally, on a gamble. They return to Niagara Falls, their honeymoon destination, taking all of the money they have in the world with them. Their plan for their second honeymoon is to see the sights, perhaps rekindle their passion, and to either lose everything ( to return home to divorce and build separate lives) or to return home with enough casino winning to begin life, and their marriage, anew.
Quite frankly, Art and Marion's vacation is awful. Long lines, stomach troubles, fatigue, and too much alcohol create a sort of little vignette of their miserable life back home, but somehow they work as a team toward their goals. Will love (and luck) triumph? Think about the title, then read and find out!
The couple decides to determine the fate of their marriage, literally, on a gamble. They return to Niagara Falls, their honeymoon destination, taking all of the money they have in the world with them. Their plan for their second honeymoon is to see the sights, perhaps rekindle their passion, and to either lose everything ( to return home to divorce and build separate lives) or to return home with enough casino winning to begin life, and their marriage, anew.
Quite frankly, Art and Marion's vacation is awful. Long lines, stomach troubles, fatigue, and too much alcohol create a sort of little vignette of their miserable life back home, but somehow they work as a team toward their goals. Will love (and luck) triumph? Think about the title, then read and find out!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
SUMMER BREEZE (Nancy Thayer)
I was expecting Nantucket, often Nancy Thayer's locale of choice, but Summer Breeze takes place near Amherst, MA in a wonderful lake community populated by interesting characters at various decision points in their lives. Slim, elegant Natalie Reynolds is an artist, house sitting for her Aunt Eleanor for a year while trying to figure out if she can really make a living with her talent. Her brother Slade, an antiques dealer, is based in Boston and irresistible to women. Bella Barnaby, a teacher, has returned to Dragonfly Lake to temporarily run the outdated family gift shop, Barnaby's Barn, while her Louise, her mother, recovers from a broken leg. Bella is on the verge of engagement to handsome architect Aaron, but is resistant to his dream of a career in San Fransisco. Bella's brother Ben is an attractive scientist and professor living in Amherst who may have Asperger's (my conclusion, not part of the story!). Married couple Joel and Morgan O'Keefe live in an impressive lake-front home, with a life-style designed to impress potential investors in Joel's company, but Morgan, despite loving many aspects of stay-at-home motherhood, misses her career in bio-safety and is lonely in the too-big, too fancy house.
As usual, Thayer does a superb job of building friendships and allowing her characters to naturally evolve in terms of relationships. They make mistakes, they jump to conclusions, they think that they desperately want things that turn out to be temporarily satisfying. Natalie, Bella, and Morgan form a strong relationship and work together to mutually support each others' goal and dreams. If you enjoy first class women's fiction with appealing characters and a plot that keeps you interested, try taking this book on vacation. You won't regret it!
As usual, Thayer does a superb job of building friendships and allowing her characters to naturally evolve in terms of relationships. They make mistakes, they jump to conclusions, they think that they desperately want things that turn out to be temporarily satisfying. Natalie, Bella, and Morgan form a strong relationship and work together to mutually support each others' goal and dreams. If you enjoy first class women's fiction with appealing characters and a plot that keeps you interested, try taking this book on vacation. You won't regret it!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
HEARSE & BUGGY (Laura Bradford)
We are in the middle of remodeling our kitchen and, as a result, I do not seem to be able to read as much as usual! This is the first in Bradford's new Amish mystery series and, if this debut is any indication, we will be seeing many more.
Claire Weatherly, still hurt and uncertain after a failed marriage, has moved to Heavenly, PA to stay with her Aunt Diane at her charming B&B, Sleep Heavenly. Claire's new business, Heavenly Treasures, features gifts and household items handmade by local Amish artisans. The shop that Claire rents was formerly occupied by Walter Snow, who left town owing money to Amish furniture makers whom he had cheated. When vandalism occurs at the Shoo Fly Pie Shop next door, Claire finds it hard to fathom why anyone could be deliberately targeting its Amish owner, gentle Ruth Miller. Nor is she inclinded to believe, as many in the commun ity do, that Ruth's younger brother Eli could be guilty of murder when Walter Snow is found strangled in the alley between the two shops.
No cozy mystery is complete without the potential for a little romance! Jakob Fisher, shunned by the Amish community, has returned to Heavenly as a police detective. Old rivalries and a longing for contact with his Amish family add depth and interest to this character, a potential future love interest for Claire. With Claire's unresolved relationship issues from her marriage, her attraction for Amish widower Ben Miller, and her newly discovered talent for sleuthing, a future relationship between Claire and Jakob promises to be intriguing.
Laura Bradford has done a thorough job of researching Amish customs and practices and with this series she manages to transport the reader to the heart of Amish country and, more importantly, into the Amish way of thinking. Aside from a credible, entertaining mystery, which Bradford definitely delivers, one of the most important facets of the cozy genre is the creation of genuinely interesting, likeable characters who are firmly woven into the fabric of the setting and plot. Bradford has accomplished that, and this visit to Heavenly, PA leaves the reader looking forward to the next installment!
Claire Weatherly, still hurt and uncertain after a failed marriage, has moved to Heavenly, PA to stay with her Aunt Diane at her charming B&B, Sleep Heavenly. Claire's new business, Heavenly Treasures, features gifts and household items handmade by local Amish artisans. The shop that Claire rents was formerly occupied by Walter Snow, who left town owing money to Amish furniture makers whom he had cheated. When vandalism occurs at the Shoo Fly Pie Shop next door, Claire finds it hard to fathom why anyone could be deliberately targeting its Amish owner, gentle Ruth Miller. Nor is she inclinded to believe, as many in the commun ity do, that Ruth's younger brother Eli could be guilty of murder when Walter Snow is found strangled in the alley between the two shops.
No cozy mystery is complete without the potential for a little romance! Jakob Fisher, shunned by the Amish community, has returned to Heavenly as a police detective. Old rivalries and a longing for contact with his Amish family add depth and interest to this character, a potential future love interest for Claire. With Claire's unresolved relationship issues from her marriage, her attraction for Amish widower Ben Miller, and her newly discovered talent for sleuthing, a future relationship between Claire and Jakob promises to be intriguing.
Laura Bradford has done a thorough job of researching Amish customs and practices and with this series she manages to transport the reader to the heart of Amish country and, more importantly, into the Amish way of thinking. Aside from a credible, entertaining mystery, which Bradford definitely delivers, one of the most important facets of the cozy genre is the creation of genuinely interesting, likeable characters who are firmly woven into the fabric of the setting and plot. Bradford has accomplished that, and this visit to Heavenly, PA leaves the reader looking forward to the next installment!
SUMMER HOUSE (Marcia Willett)
Reading Marcia Willett always takes me to a more peaceful place. This one is a little different than some of her novels, because it includes a bit of a mystery involving childhood memories and unexplained nightmares. Somehow I didn't find it quite as satisfying as Summer in the Country or A Week in Winter. I felt like it was a little bit incomplete, like I was on the outside looking in at a story that I couldn't quite be a part of and characters whose emotions I couldn't quite get to the heart of. Did I dislike it? Not at all. Willett creates an ambiance reminiscent of Rosamund Pilcher and her characters are endearing, if a bit remote. Milo and Lottie, with their decades old friendship, are an odd couple that is not actually a couple. Milo's old lover, Venetia, appears frequently and seems rightly oblivious to any romantic threat from Lottie, while Lottie's sister Susanna, ex-wife of Milo and mother of Nick, remains on the periphery of the story, embittered, impatient, and demanding. Mark and Imogen are the grown children of the late Helen and Tom, whose lives intertwined over the years with Milo's and Lottie's. Each in the middle of their own crises. Introspective Mark is unable to commit to a relationship and suffering from a lack of inspiration after writing a hugely successful first novel. New mother Imogen and her husband, Jules, are unable to come to a meeting of the minds regarding where to live, and Nick adds another layer of complication to their already strained existence.
This is not Willett's best effort, in my opinion, but I'm glad that I didn't pass it by. It left me feeling like there is another book left unwritten out there somewhere, but perhaps that's a story that Willett is reserving for the future. The sense of place and strong emotional bonds between the characters are very appealing and it did leave me thinking about what what might eventually happen in Mark's life. In my book, any novel that makes me want more can be considered a winner!
This is not Willett's best effort, in my opinion, but I'm glad that I didn't pass it by. It left me feeling like there is another book left unwritten out there somewhere, but perhaps that's a story that Willett is reserving for the future. The sense of place and strong emotional bonds between the characters are very appealing and it did leave me thinking about what what might eventually happen in Mark's life. In my book, any novel that makes me want more can be considered a winner!
Monday, June 25, 2012
SPRING FEVER (Mary Kay Andrews)
Mary Kay Andrews' novels are always relaxing and fun, with just enough quirky characters to to pique your interest without being too unbelievable. In Spring Fever, Annajane Hudgens is attending the wedding of her ex-husband, Mason Bayless, who is also the brother of her best friend Pokey. The problem is that Annajane has never quite fallen out of love with Mason despite her recent engagement and her plans to move out of state. She has worked for years for Quixie, the North Carolina soda company owned by Mason's family, but has recently sold her loft and accepted a position with a PR firm in Atlanta to make a fresh start and be closer to her fiance, Shane. Mason's wedding to the despicable Celia, who is eager to push Annajane out of the company and out of the Bayless family's lives, is the impetus that Annajane needs to move on with her life. When Mason's daughter Sophie has an attack of appendicitis, though, the wedding is brought to a screeching halt and Annajane is caught in the middle of yet another Bayless family crisis.
One of the things that I found very enjoyable is the sensible way Annajane and Mason conduct their lives and relationship. There are no hysterics, no wild car chases, no murders. There is a hastily rescheduled wedding (will it take place?), an unplanned pregnancy, and some intriguing corporate shenanigans, though, so don't worry about being bored by good sense. Celia is obviously a gold-digger, Davis is a jerk, and Sallie is a snob, so there are plenty of colorful characters to go around and there are a couple of nice twists near the end.. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Celia's trailer-trash family, but overall, this book was a delight from start to finish.
One of the things that I found very enjoyable is the sensible way Annajane and Mason conduct their lives and relationship. There are no hysterics, no wild car chases, no murders. There is a hastily rescheduled wedding (will it take place?), an unplanned pregnancy, and some intriguing corporate shenanigans, though, so don't worry about being bored by good sense. Celia is obviously a gold-digger, Davis is a jerk, and Sallie is a snob, so there are plenty of colorful characters to go around and there are a couple of nice twists near the end.. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Celia's trailer-trash family, but overall, this book was a delight from start to finish.
Monday, June 18, 2012
TILL DEATH DO US PURL (Anne Canadeo)
Like Sally Goldenbaum's Seaside Knitters, the Black Sheep Knitters are all about friendship, but I think that Canadeo's characters are more true-to-life. We were lucky enough to have Author Anne Canadeo visit the Windsor Locks Public Library last Friday to talk about her career as a writer and how she develops her wonderful characters. Anne admitted that she is not an expert knitter (but she has friends who are) and she develops all of the recipes in her novels herself. The flourless chocolate cake in this one is delicious, by the way!When bride-to-be Rebecca Bailey's society wedding is moved forward to accommodate deadlines at her in-law' chemical business, she asks Maggie Messina and the Black Sheep knitters to help her complete the unique wedding gown that she has been knitting. Then, just 2 days after the nuptials, an explosion at the At-Las laboratory tragically takes the life of brilliant young scientist Jeremy Lassiter, Rebecca's groom. The town of Plum Harbor is stunned, especially when doubts are raised about the actual circumstances of Jeremy's death. Could bride Rebecca be implicated? What about Jeremy's own father or his former business partner, Lewis Atkins? When Maggie's car is vandalized it becomes evident that someone doesn't want the Black Sheep knitters investigating!
As usual, the characters are what draw the reader into Canadeo's series. The mystery is excellent, but it is the Black Sheep knitters that give the reader that warm and fuzzy feeling and make you want to come back for more. Maggie, widowed and a little lonely, is a giver who shares her knitting expertise and sympathy without reservation. Lucy, still wary after a divorce, left her law practice to find peace and a new life in Plum Harbor. She also finds handsome veterinarian Mat!. Suzanne, with her large family and busy real estate career, still finds time to knit and dish out creative snacks, and college student Phoebe, with her multi-colored hair and rock-star boyfriend, proves an able shop assistant, tenant, and friend to Maggie. Psychologist Dana always has some insight into the criminal mind. Together, with the addition of sundry locals who come and go in each novel, they make up the Black Sheep knitters. I want to be friends with these women! This series is highly recommended for the characters, plot, and excellent writing. Great job, Anne!
Friday, June 8, 2012
A FATAL FLEECE (Sally Goldenbaum)
While Sally Goldenbaum's Seaside Knitter mysteries are wonderful cozies, they are mostly about close friendship and community. Nell, Ben, Izzy, Sam, Birdie, Cass, and the rest are, in many respects, too good to be true: They exercise faithfully, eat abundantly without ever gaining weight, and they age gracefully without worrying about excessive sun exposure, senior moments, or retirement funds. You will not find an edgy mystery here, but you will find an intriguing group of people who support and love each other while relentlessly investigating crimes against cherished friends and neighbors. I would consider this series to be inspirational in tone.
Francis Finnegan is an eccentric old man who owns a piece of prime Sea Harbor real estate. Since the death of his beloved wife, Moira, he has let his beachfront property become unkempt and overgrown and has developed a reputation for being surly and uncooperative, especially when it comes to those who propose developing his land. Trespassers and potential buyers are not welcome. His contentious relationships with his adopted daughter, Beverly, and Sea Harbor Councilwoman Beatrice Scaglia add to the tension, and when Finn, as he is called, is found dead on his beloved property there are numerous suspects to consider, even lobster woman Cass, who is his unexpected heir. Why was Beverly cut out of the will? Why was Finn so determined to keep people off of his land? What is Birdie's visiting brother-in-law, Nick Marietti, up to and why was he seen arguing with Finn just before he was killed? There are some interesting and unexpected twists and turns here that blend so seamlessly into the plot that most readers would think, "Of course! That makes sense!" without ever having suspected the truth ahead of time.
If you are in the mood for a gentle mystery, this one might be for you. This time around, for me, the characters in this series just seemed TOO perfect, their lives TOO well-ordered and their relationships TOO supportive. However, Goldenbaum creates a wonderful sense of place in Sea Harbor and the sleuthing that takes place is clever and subtle. I actually would love to live there and know these people, especially if I were invited to the Friday night barbecues on Ben and Nell's deck! You don't have to be a knitter to enjoy reading this one.
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