I'm back! I could write a whole column about why I have been absent. Weather - season- gingerbread-
writer's block - procrastination or whatever. But anyway, let's take a quick look at several of the books that came out this year. Today we check out 5 nonfiction books that came across my desk. BENEATH THE SANDS OF EGYPT (Morrow, 978-0--06-17282-9) by Donald P. Ryan; THE WILDER LIFE ( Riverhead Books, 978-1-59448-780-4) by Wendy McClure; HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD (Timber Press, 978-1-6049-69-001-9) by Jeff Gillman and Eric Heberlig; THE PSYCHOPATH TEST (Riverhead Books, 978-1-59448-801-6) by Jon Ronson; LOOSE DIAMONDS 9 (Morrow, 978-0-06-195874-8) by Amy Ephron.Loose
LOOSE DIAMONDS is a collection o little gems, or essays,told with wryness and humor that chronicle the writers life and its ups and downs. As well as some of her musings about life and all that. Her life as involved some interesting characters (think Squeaky Fromme), the champagne swilling southern belle, as well as a vengeful woman at her son's school, and of course the tantalizing phrase in a shop window that offered loose diamonds for sale. the term loose diamonds led to conjectures of what loose diamonds were - actually.
The book also is a look at the relationship between the author and her alcoholic mother.I found her thoughts on the unpredictability of life and relationships witty and sound.
I found THE PSYCHOPATH TEST: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE MADNESS INDUSTRY to be a disturbing book on several levels. When I started reading it I was not sure if the author was serious. But the more I read the odder it all became.The book is an eye opening look into the world of the tester, the psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners. And it is scary. There is a list of supposed traits of psychopaths that the author applies to some of the leaders of industry. Particularly one known for his ruthless decisions.As he learns, it seems that practically everyone exhibits some of these traits. Another disturbing facet is the desire for many of these professionals to want to label everyone. This brings into study the alarming trend of diagnosing very young children with psychiatric disorders and medicating them. It begins to look as if many of the professionals are indistinguishable from their patients. As a nation we tend to be quick to label and want people to conform and fit into a niche. And in many cases meds seem to be the approved solutions. I am still not sure how I feel about this book except to say that I will probably go over it again I think it reveals some frightening instances and provides a lot of food for thought and further reading and discussion. Incidentally, the author also wrote THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS and THEM.
Another book that touches on controversy is HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD. This is an informative book that deals with both sides of hot button issues such nas weeds that have become herbicide resistant (superweeds); foods that have been loaded with additives and preservative; genetically altered foods, plants and animals' the way we treat lawns, and environmental issues.Alternative fuels are discussed as is biotechnology. The authors have tackled the politics, the science, and some of the folklore about many of these issues and presented it for use of the ordinary homeowner. It is a start to understanding what is good, feasible, far fetched or just plain wrong. I am quite fond of \Timber Press books.
And in a totally different vein, this book and its premise astounded me. THE WILDER LIFE is a title that suggests many things. Perhaps something daring, a biography of Thornton or Gene,but no. this is the story of a woman who is hooked, or maybe I should say obsessed, with THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE and all things Wilder. And she is able to indulge her obsession by visiting and studying all things
Wilder.She really retraces the life of the Ingalls family through several states and through a lot of their history.
She, and I, learned that the books were not the complete story. She learned to cook and bake in the manner of the era and place and using the same ingredients when possible.. Even if you were not a fan of the books p\or the TV show, you will find this book amusing and fascinating. I think her husband must be a very understanding man to spend a lot of his time on the trek as well. The book is witty, amusing and very informative. I felt I ended up knowing more about the Wilders than was necessary, but I enjoyed learning it. The author really deserves kudos for her tenacity - as well as clever writing.
The last title. BENEATH THE SANDS OF EGYPT is aasomewhat informall look at several episodes in the life of an archaeologist who is able to make his work come alive. This book looks at the many digs, excavations, and finds that have occurred as Ryan explored in Egypt. He was able to relate his work to
that of the legendary Carter and to let the reader see how the methods and digs have changed over the years. Professionals have replaced professional amateurs and wealthy patrons are more apt to be foundations, universities, museums or governments. And methods are much refined, work is tedious, but small finds can change our view of history. I found it fascinating that Ryan spent a great deal of time studying the ropes found in different tombs. Each era had its types and ways of making ropes.. It was appalling to read of the way some of the graves were desecrated and contents scattered about. Some of the destruction was due to ignorance at the time, some by thieves and some was from natural disasters. The author is able to give the reader a tantalizing word picture of the splendor and the squalor of the setting. One can almost feel the atmosphere. If you enjoy reading about Egypt's past, I recommend this tale of many years of work and learning. Incidentally, the author as a young child was enthralled the exploits of Thor Heyerdahl and his adventures told of in Kon Tiki and other books. Ryan is affiliated with the Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma ,Washington. I would enjoy his classes.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Reminder from the Shelfstalker...
All opinions are my own. I am not paid to write about these books, nor are my views that of the publisher. I suspect they would sometimes have other ones. And so...keep up the reading!
SPOILER ALERT!
Be warned that you may get more information than you want from the following reviews. So be careful, as there are plot revelations to follow.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
One author and 3 books
A.J. Scudiere was not an author I had heard of before; Griffyn Ink was not a publisher I was familiar with. So when I had the opportunity to read and talk about three of the Scudiere books, I jumped at the chance. Not really knowing what I would discover. I discovered a very versatile author who had a way to get her point across to the reader in some unusual and unexpected ways. The three books I read were RESONANCE (0-9799510-0-3); VENGEANCE (0-9799510-1-1); and GOD'S EYE (978-0-9799510-8-4). The versatility of the author is evident in her choice of subject that becomes the vehicle for her underlying, or so it seems, theme of the books.
It took me a while to get in to the book RESONANCE. The writing style was rather intense and the Drs. Jillian and Jordan sounded too much alike at first and it seemed that there were characters appearing from many diverse places. But once I got into the rhythm of the book and saw that Jillian and Jordan in the new jobs at the CDC were investigating some mysterious illness and deaths and that Dr. Becky Sorenson was investigating some strange animal behavior as well as a worrying mutation of frogs, it was not surprising to discover that a geologist and a paleontologist have discovered some magnetic hot spots that could signal a massive change for life as we know it. What ensues is a look at how people react when the polar reversal takes place and what will happen to the earth and its inhabitants -both plant and animal. Interwoven through out the book are some complicated interpersonal relationships as well as plenty to think about as to what is happening to the earth and its inhabitants- both plant and animal. The book in one way is a medical suspense story. It is also a look at nature. It is also in the realm of speculative fiction. We have a glimpse of what appears to happens when the polls shift. Massive illness. Massive deaths. Plant and animal changes and extinctions. And a possibility of two alternate worlds. when people die in one world, they appear to move into the other world. And it appears that the people who die and those who stay are divided by occupation. Interesting, it appears that the FBI are categorized as good and the CIA as bad. Oddly enough some can pass back and forth between two world. Jillian and David, the geologist are such people. But how they decide to handle this is a twist.. Adventure, speculations, and a message of change is there. One also get a sense of right and wrong and good and bad at play here as well.
VENGEANCE appears to be a whole new ball game. We meet a rather harassed FBI agent who has been tracking a serial killer for some time. The killer is known as the Ninja Grudge killer and appears to be slicing and dicing some bad guys up and then killing them. There have been no clues and nothing to point to who is the killer, but it is keeping Owen Dunham away from his family and traveling all over the country.
We meet Lee Maxwell. a loner, an ex accountant, who worked for the Mafia and then betrayed them They retaliated by killing all of his family. Lee went to ground and learned to become a master marksman and went about methodically killing the gangsters who had killed his family. He usually stayed in the eastern part of he country. lee is out for a kill when he discovers that there is someone else at his scene who also plans to take out this particular bad guy. The assassin is a young woman, Cynthia (Cyn) Beller who was a survivor when the Mafia killed her family. She came up through the foster care system and learned early to defend herself and she has added an arsenal of deadly martial art top her education and set out to eliminate the people who executed her family as well as some of those who abused her now dead sister when they were on foster care. Cyn is the Grudge Ninja that Owen is hunting. This chance meeting between Cyn and Lee begets a deadly partnership that covers the country and drives the FBI mad. They kill only the bad guys, but do a little free lancing from the ,Mafia when they discover some really evil people. This book is much more violent than RESONANCE and more gory. There are also fewer characters to keep straight and that is a plus. At times I wished that they would stop the murders and get on with the plot. The character development of Lee and Cyn was a work in progress. The reader could see that they were causing each other to humanize and relate to each other. And as this happened, they were not so mechanical and mistakes were made and clues were available for the FBI. The killers decided to quit and Cyn went back to school for a college degree and Cyn and Lee were now just Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid. And Owen is one of Cyn's teachers at college. When he discovers his Ninja is in his class will he turn her in or will the FBI have decided that justice has really been served?
GOD'S EYE is the story of Katharine Geryon and her struggle to find her own identity. She is the daughter of a wealthy owner of an investment firm and is in line to take over when he retires. She lives in a posh condo and appears to lead a rather lonely life, A sort of poor little rich girl. But Katharine is a work in progress herself and absorbs feelings and opinions like a sponge. She is unattached at present and rather set in her ways. But that is about to change. And Katharine is not sleeping well. Nightmares. Apparitions.Sooty stains on her carpet. And animals appearing in her room. What is happening? And to add to the upheaval she is assigned a new assistant at work who set out to charm her and seduce her as well. There is also Zachary, the handsome and charismatic man who moved in next door to her condo and who also sets out to woo and seduce her. Where the first book had an abundance of death and destruction, and the second book had a plethora of violence, this story is laden with sex. Katharine can not control her impulses around either Zachary or Alastair and she is still plagued by dreams and strange visitations, She hits the local library to research some of the things happening and to decipher the messages left on her mirror and is befriended by a librarian who helps her with her research as well as becomes her friend. Something that has been missing in Katharine's life. It becomes apparent that Alastair and Zachary and a demon and an angel fighting for her soul and Katharine is told she will have to choose one or the other in the end. She has feelings for both, but knows she can not really have them because their real forms are terrifying. She is attracted to both, but only one is good and in the end he breaks the rules and tells her that she does not \have to choose one of them. There is another choice. But for this lapse he is killed. During the struggle between good and evil going on over Katharine she has learned what happens with the companies the firm invests in and she also becomes more aware of right and wrong and the fragility of the environment. When her father is killed during an earthquake and a building collapse,Katharine decided\s to work for the good of mankind and the environment with her money. So good wins out in this fast paced book of the paranormal and eternal earthly struggle between good and evil.
I said Scudiere was a versatile writer. She is. Her subjects are varied and plots range from natural disasters to murders to the paranormal. BUT- there is one underlying theme in all the book. The struggle between good and evil and how we perceive it. Religion, in several forms, gets its props, but personal responsibility for doing the right things is high on the list of importance. And free will. I found these books tough to read at times. But I was help captive all the way through each book by wanting to know who would persevere and how. I am certainly looking forward to the next book out to see where this is all going.
It took me a while to get in to the book RESONANCE. The writing style was rather intense and the Drs. Jillian and Jordan sounded too much alike at first and it seemed that there were characters appearing from many diverse places. But once I got into the rhythm of the book and saw that Jillian and Jordan in the new jobs at the CDC were investigating some mysterious illness and deaths and that Dr. Becky Sorenson was investigating some strange animal behavior as well as a worrying mutation of frogs, it was not surprising to discover that a geologist and a paleontologist have discovered some magnetic hot spots that could signal a massive change for life as we know it. What ensues is a look at how people react when the polar reversal takes place and what will happen to the earth and its inhabitants -both plant and animal. Interwoven through out the book are some complicated interpersonal relationships as well as plenty to think about as to what is happening to the earth and its inhabitants- both plant and animal. The book in one way is a medical suspense story. It is also a look at nature. It is also in the realm of speculative fiction. We have a glimpse of what appears to happens when the polls shift. Massive illness. Massive deaths. Plant and animal changes and extinctions. And a possibility of two alternate worlds. when people die in one world, they appear to move into the other world. And it appears that the people who die and those who stay are divided by occupation. Interesting, it appears that the FBI are categorized as good and the CIA as bad. Oddly enough some can pass back and forth between two world. Jillian and David, the geologist are such people. But how they decide to handle this is a twist.. Adventure, speculations, and a message of change is there. One also get a sense of right and wrong and good and bad at play here as well.
VENGEANCE appears to be a whole new ball game. We meet a rather harassed FBI agent who has been tracking a serial killer for some time. The killer is known as the Ninja Grudge killer and appears to be slicing and dicing some bad guys up and then killing them. There have been no clues and nothing to point to who is the killer, but it is keeping Owen Dunham away from his family and traveling all over the country.
We meet Lee Maxwell. a loner, an ex accountant, who worked for the Mafia and then betrayed them They retaliated by killing all of his family. Lee went to ground and learned to become a master marksman and went about methodically killing the gangsters who had killed his family. He usually stayed in the eastern part of he country. lee is out for a kill when he discovers that there is someone else at his scene who also plans to take out this particular bad guy. The assassin is a young woman, Cynthia (Cyn) Beller who was a survivor when the Mafia killed her family. She came up through the foster care system and learned early to defend herself and she has added an arsenal of deadly martial art top her education and set out to eliminate the people who executed her family as well as some of those who abused her now dead sister when they were on foster care. Cyn is the Grudge Ninja that Owen is hunting. This chance meeting between Cyn and Lee begets a deadly partnership that covers the country and drives the FBI mad. They kill only the bad guys, but do a little free lancing from the ,Mafia when they discover some really evil people. This book is much more violent than RESONANCE and more gory. There are also fewer characters to keep straight and that is a plus. At times I wished that they would stop the murders and get on with the plot. The character development of Lee and Cyn was a work in progress. The reader could see that they were causing each other to humanize and relate to each other. And as this happened, they were not so mechanical and mistakes were made and clues were available for the FBI. The killers decided to quit and Cyn went back to school for a college degree and Cyn and Lee were now just Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid. And Owen is one of Cyn's teachers at college. When he discovers his Ninja is in his class will he turn her in or will the FBI have decided that justice has really been served?
GOD'S EYE is the story of Katharine Geryon and her struggle to find her own identity. She is the daughter of a wealthy owner of an investment firm and is in line to take over when he retires. She lives in a posh condo and appears to lead a rather lonely life, A sort of poor little rich girl. But Katharine is a work in progress herself and absorbs feelings and opinions like a sponge. She is unattached at present and rather set in her ways. But that is about to change. And Katharine is not sleeping well. Nightmares. Apparitions.Sooty stains on her carpet. And animals appearing in her room. What is happening? And to add to the upheaval she is assigned a new assistant at work who set out to charm her and seduce her as well. There is also Zachary, the handsome and charismatic man who moved in next door to her condo and who also sets out to woo and seduce her. Where the first book had an abundance of death and destruction, and the second book had a plethora of violence, this story is laden with sex. Katharine can not control her impulses around either Zachary or Alastair and she is still plagued by dreams and strange visitations, She hits the local library to research some of the things happening and to decipher the messages left on her mirror and is befriended by a librarian who helps her with her research as well as becomes her friend. Something that has been missing in Katharine's life. It becomes apparent that Alastair and Zachary and a demon and an angel fighting for her soul and Katharine is told she will have to choose one or the other in the end. She has feelings for both, but knows she can not really have them because their real forms are terrifying. She is attracted to both, but only one is good and in the end he breaks the rules and tells her that she does not \have to choose one of them. There is another choice. But for this lapse he is killed. During the struggle between good and evil going on over Katharine she has learned what happens with the companies the firm invests in and she also becomes more aware of right and wrong and the fragility of the environment. When her father is killed during an earthquake and a building collapse,Katharine decided\s to work for the good of mankind and the environment with her money. So good wins out in this fast paced book of the paranormal and eternal earthly struggle between good and evil.
I said Scudiere was a versatile writer. She is. Her subjects are varied and plots range from natural disasters to murders to the paranormal. BUT- there is one underlying theme in all the book. The struggle between good and evil and how we perceive it. Religion, in several forms, gets its props, but personal responsibility for doing the right things is high on the list of importance. And free will. I found these books tough to read at times. But I was help captive all the way through each book by wanting to know who would persevere and how. I am certainly looking forward to the next book out to see where this is all going.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Yes...finally
Sorry about the delay,. Why has it been so long? Summer. Weather. Politics. Economy.
All of the above. Or none. Just procrastination at writing. But, read
I did and so now, the deluge.
If you like novels dealing with religious conspiracy you will be fascinated by SANCTUS ( William Morrow 978-0-06-203830-2) by Simon Toyne. This novel brings brings together many of the usual elements. The religious edifice that is famous for its vast collection of manuscripts and religious writings. But they are totally unavailable to modern scholars. It has the monks at odds with the Vatican. It has a suspicious suicide of one of the monks. And the counter plots of the monastery to keep the body aways from the local Turkish police is very odd and violent. .It also involves the long standing enmity between this monastic order and the keepers of the "old" religious faith. It involves the leaders of a humanitarian foundation. The subplots of the monks who will stop at nothing to conceal their perversion of the old religion, an unusual police group, and a group in South America are added to by the surprised and unsuspecting journalist sister of the dead monk keep the book filled with action and violence as well as twists and turns of religious lore.. what is t\\he secret being concealed by the amoral abbot of the monastery? What goes on during the rituals? Who is dead monk and why are he and his sister so special? Why will the group at the monastery kill to protect their secrets? It is a secret that could shake the foundations of religion as it we know it. what if
Eve were not the cause of mankind's woes as suggested? What if....Well, If you want to now what if, I have 3 books to give away if you contact me here, on Facebook, or on twitter.
did. Am]nd so nlow the deluge,
All of the above. Or none. Just procrastination at writing. But, read
I did and so now, the deluge.
If you like novels dealing with religious conspiracy you will be fascinated by SANCTUS ( William Morrow 978-0-06-203830-2) by Simon Toyne. This novel brings brings together many of the usual elements. The religious edifice that is famous for its vast collection of manuscripts and religious writings. But they are totally unavailable to modern scholars. It has the monks at odds with the Vatican. It has a suspicious suicide of one of the monks. And the counter plots of the monastery to keep the body aways from the local Turkish police is very odd and violent. .It also involves the long standing enmity between this monastic order and the keepers of the "old" religious faith. It involves the leaders of a humanitarian foundation. The subplots of the monks who will stop at nothing to conceal their perversion of the old religion, an unusual police group, and a group in South America are added to by the surprised and unsuspecting journalist sister of the dead monk keep the book filled with action and violence as well as twists and turns of religious lore.. what is t\\he secret being concealed by the amoral abbot of the monastery? What goes on during the rituals? Who is dead monk and why are he and his sister so special? Why will the group at the monastery kill to protect their secrets? It is a secret that could shake the foundations of religion as it we know it. what if
Eve were not the cause of mankind's woes as suggested? What if....Well, If you want to now what if, I have 3 books to give away if you contact me here, on Facebook, or on twitter.
did. Am]nd so nlow the deluge,
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Do you really know your Mom?
How well do you really know your Mom? That is the question posed to the family in this international best seller by a Korean author. PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM (Knopf, 978-0-307-59391-7) by Kyung-sook Shin is a deeply touching story of a Korean family who begin a search for their somewhat elderly mother who has become lost in the milling crowds of the afternoon rush hour at Seoul Station. Their mother, who has terrible headaches and becomes disoriented and confused at times, has become separated from her husband in the crush and is lost. The entire family begins to search for her. Each adult child invokes the memories that he or she had of their mother and how they believed her to be. Each has a totally different recollection of their mother and what she meant and was about. As they search for her and uncover her past they have to rethink how they saw her and what she was. Each child comes to the conclusion that they only considered her as their mother and the role they thought she should have, They never considered how she really felt or if she was truly happy. They never considered her innermost thoughts and dreams. Only as they hunted for her did they learn about her life that was quite different than they had imagined. Each adult child tells their perspective of their mother when they were at home and now after they left for the city. Even the family has totally different views of her. A poignant picture of a women who loves her children fiercely and works constantly to give them what she has not had emerges. Even though they recall her more as a housewife and constant presence. They come to understand that she also had a life. One that was secret and We learn from her husband's viewpoint of a marriage that may not have been what it seemed, but what he appreciated much too late. We even get to hear the side of the mother as she is recalling at the end, or so It seems, the family life, her children and her hopes and dreams. Thisbook is assuredly universal in its appeal. the love of a family for their mother shines through even when they seem totally unaware she exists. This story could take place in any country. The story of a family who love each other but are too busy to connect and who take things for granted is timeless. And the family dynamics could occur anywhere in the world. Sisters and brothers who are too busy with their lives and families to keep in touch as well as a husband who has strayed even though he loves his wife are not confined to Korea. An elderly parent becoming confused is happening all too often. This is a beautiful book to read. And it may well bring tears to your eyes. I challenge you to read this without being moved. I also challenge you to read it and not reconsider how you see your own mother. Do you really know her dreams? Do you know what she had wanted for herself? This story is food for thought. A book club could have a field day with it, particularly an intergenerational one. This is definitely a keeper
Sunday, July 3, 2011
More quick takes on summmer reads...
I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and curling up with a cool drink and a hot book. Here are some quick takes to whet your reading appetite.
THE RANGER (Putnam, 978-0-399-15748-6) by Ace Atkins. This is a gritty and extremely violent thriller set in the contemporary south. The ranger, Quinn Colson, comes back from fighting in Afghanistan and discovers his hometown is riddled with meth, corruption, and rampant greed. To top it off his uncle, the sheriff has supposedly committed suicide under very suspicious circumstances. Colson cleans up the town, solves some crimes, and exterminates a few bad guys along the way. It is dark and violent, but jam packed with action, interesting characters, and a good plot. Should become a series.
THE PROFESSION (Crown, 978-0-385-52873-3) is another thriller set in the near future and paints a very bleak picture of the United States and the world. The US, as well as the world, is in trouble. Mercenary armies have become the go to source for countries in conflicts and a disgraced and exiled former US general, Salter, is leading a force that plans to take over the county so he can return home. The hero is a person who has known Salter for years, Gent Gentilhomme, who is trying to defuse the situation before it explodes, literally.It is another jam packed with action tale, not only of war, terror, and mayhem, but also of defining character and pride. Fast, furious, and overly realistic.
A TIME FOR PATRIOTS (Morrow, 978-0-06-198999-5) by Dale Brown. Could this happen here? This takes a look at the US in an another time that is suspiciously similar to what we have been experiencing. Except this is more vicious, more violent, and even filled with more corruption and greed. than the present. A newly elected president must deal with a galloping recession, homegrown militia insurgency in the western states, and general unrest and dissatisfaction. The county has lost national departments and agencies to budget cuts and most programs are at a standstill. The citizens have banded together to help themselves, or in some cases to take over the country.Radioactive material is stolen and terror is expected, But a group made up of the Air Force, The Civil Air Patrol, come to the rescue by getting the good guys organized and fighting back, This book will have you playing guess who and turning pages as fast as you can read. It has quite a bit of wow factor as well as lots of action. Characters are interesting as well.
And for something entirely different... we have two non fiction titles. HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD ( Timber Press, 978-1-60459-001-0) by Jeff Gillman and Eric Heberlig. This is an excellent look at all sides of many questions. Environmental issues, energy problems, modifies plant genes, and almost all the things we wonder about.The sides presented are the left and right views of a subject as well as the science and politics of it all. And it is succinct and readable.It might help you understand some of the rhetoric being bandied about.
THE BOND ( Morrow, 978-0-06-19678-2) by Wayne Pacelle. Pacelle is the president/CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. This is about our relationship with animals. It is a look at the historical background of our relationship with animals as well as how we react to them currently. It is also a call to better treatment of animals and our own pets. H also explores the vast and often ignored intelligence of animals We also see way animals are mistreated as well as exploited. Not all will agree with the premises or agree with some of the ideas and tactics. But it is a interesting look at the way animals have been used over time and how we see and use them now. If you have a pet, you might find this interesting and provocative.
THE RANGER (Putnam, 978-0-399-15748-6) by Ace Atkins. This is a gritty and extremely violent thriller set in the contemporary south. The ranger, Quinn Colson, comes back from fighting in Afghanistan and discovers his hometown is riddled with meth, corruption, and rampant greed. To top it off his uncle, the sheriff has supposedly committed suicide under very suspicious circumstances. Colson cleans up the town, solves some crimes, and exterminates a few bad guys along the way. It is dark and violent, but jam packed with action, interesting characters, and a good plot. Should become a series.
THE PROFESSION (Crown, 978-0-385-52873-3) is another thriller set in the near future and paints a very bleak picture of the United States and the world. The US, as well as the world, is in trouble. Mercenary armies have become the go to source for countries in conflicts and a disgraced and exiled former US general, Salter, is leading a force that plans to take over the county so he can return home. The hero is a person who has known Salter for years, Gent Gentilhomme, who is trying to defuse the situation before it explodes, literally.It is another jam packed with action tale, not only of war, terror, and mayhem, but also of defining character and pride. Fast, furious, and overly realistic.
A TIME FOR PATRIOTS (Morrow, 978-0-06-198999-5) by Dale Brown. Could this happen here? This takes a look at the US in an another time that is suspiciously similar to what we have been experiencing. Except this is more vicious, more violent, and even filled with more corruption and greed. than the present. A newly elected president must deal with a galloping recession, homegrown militia insurgency in the western states, and general unrest and dissatisfaction. The county has lost national departments and agencies to budget cuts and most programs are at a standstill. The citizens have banded together to help themselves, or in some cases to take over the country.Radioactive material is stolen and terror is expected, But a group made up of the Air Force, The Civil Air Patrol, come to the rescue by getting the good guys organized and fighting back, This book will have you playing guess who and turning pages as fast as you can read. It has quite a bit of wow factor as well as lots of action. Characters are interesting as well.
And for something entirely different... we have two non fiction titles. HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD ( Timber Press, 978-1-60459-001-0) by Jeff Gillman and Eric Heberlig. This is an excellent look at all sides of many questions. Environmental issues, energy problems, modifies plant genes, and almost all the things we wonder about.The sides presented are the left and right views of a subject as well as the science and politics of it all. And it is succinct and readable.It might help you understand some of the rhetoric being bandied about.
THE BOND ( Morrow, 978-0-06-19678-2) by Wayne Pacelle. Pacelle is the president/CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. This is about our relationship with animals. It is a look at the historical background of our relationship with animals as well as how we react to them currently. It is also a call to better treatment of animals and our own pets. H also explores the vast and often ignored intelligence of animals We also see way animals are mistreated as well as exploited. Not all will agree with the premises or agree with some of the ideas and tactics. But it is a interesting look at the way animals have been used over time and how we see and use them now. If you have a pet, you might find this interesting and provocative.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Capsulated comment
So many books have appeared on my reading schedule that I am going to share some brief comments about several today. and here we go...
THE SILVER BOAT (Viking, 978-0-670-02250-2) by Luanne Rice. Three adult sisters return to Martha's Vineyard to close the family beach house.. An discovery of some old family letters sends them on a trip to Ireland to learn more about their missing father. T he sisters are totally different, but their perspectives provide a warm and compelling look at family life.
TRINITY SIX (St.Martin's Press. 978-0-312-6759-5) by Charles Cumming. In the 1930s there were a group of English men spying for Russia. They were known as the Trinity 5. Remember Blunt, Burgess , Maclean, Cairncross, and Philby? What if there was a 6th spy? Cumming has created a fascinating novel with this conjecture that adds another element to the cold war years as well as provide some fancy undercover ideas about a former spy trying to get his story told and the ensuing mayhem that can occur when all governments involved wish to keep it silent. A complex and satisfying read.
ORIGINAL SIN (Hyperion, 978-1-4013-2421-6) by Beth McMullen. A rather brittle book about a suburban housewife who is not what she seems. Under that housewifely exterior lurks a retired secret agent who was known professionally as Sally Sin when she had a license to kill. But one never retires and she is called back to fight her old nemesis who seems surprising friendly.Travel, intrigue, fun and games.
A light summer romp.
THE SOLDIER'S WIFE (Hyperion, 978-1-4013=4170-1) by Margaret Leroy. Set on the isle pf Guernsey during WWII and i\the occupation of this island by the German. This is a poignant story of a woman and her two daughters as they cope with the absence of her soldier husband and her failing mother -in-law.
Vivienne knows her marriage is not good, but her loneliness if salved somewhat with a liaison with one of the German soldiers quartered next door. They are both lonely and friendship blooms into love even as Vivienne tries not to get involved. This is a wonderful story about the human spirit, the need to connect, and the ability to cope with whatever befalls. It is also a stark reminder that many things are not black and white. The book is lyrical in it look at family life both good and bad, I is a timeless theme.
trinity Five.
THE SILVER BOAT (Viking, 978-0-670-02250-2) by Luanne Rice. Three adult sisters return to Martha's Vineyard to close the family beach house.. An discovery of some old family letters sends them on a trip to Ireland to learn more about their missing father. T he sisters are totally different, but their perspectives provide a warm and compelling look at family life.
TRINITY SIX (St.Martin's Press. 978-0-312-6759-5) by Charles Cumming. In the 1930s there were a group of English men spying for Russia. They were known as the Trinity 5. Remember Blunt, Burgess , Maclean, Cairncross, and Philby? What if there was a 6th spy? Cumming has created a fascinating novel with this conjecture that adds another element to the cold war years as well as provide some fancy undercover ideas about a former spy trying to get his story told and the ensuing mayhem that can occur when all governments involved wish to keep it silent. A complex and satisfying read.
ORIGINAL SIN (Hyperion, 978-1-4013-2421-6) by Beth McMullen. A rather brittle book about a suburban housewife who is not what she seems. Under that housewifely exterior lurks a retired secret agent who was known professionally as Sally Sin when she had a license to kill. But one never retires and she is called back to fight her old nemesis who seems surprising friendly.Travel, intrigue, fun and games.
A light summer romp.
THE SOLDIER'S WIFE (Hyperion, 978-1-4013=4170-1) by Margaret Leroy. Set on the isle pf Guernsey during WWII and i\the occupation of this island by the German. This is a poignant story of a woman and her two daughters as they cope with the absence of her soldier husband and her failing mother -in-law.
Vivienne knows her marriage is not good, but her loneliness if salved somewhat with a liaison with one of the German soldiers quartered next door. They are both lonely and friendship blooms into love even as Vivienne tries not to get involved. This is a wonderful story about the human spirit, the need to connect, and the ability to cope with whatever befalls. It is also a stark reminder that many things are not black and white. The book is lyrical in it look at family life both good and bad, I is a timeless theme.
trinity Five.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Disclaimer
All the reviews are unsolicited and my own opinion. I doubt too many people see things as I do. And that's a good thing.
Summer reading
These four books have already hit the shelves. NIGHT ROAD (St.Martin's Press, 976-0-312-36442-7) by:Kristin Hannah; LOWCOUNTRY SUMMER (Morrow,987-0-06-202073-4) by Dorothea Benton Frank; HEADS YOU LOSE (Putnam, 987-0-300-15740-0) by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward; JAMRACH'S MENAGERIE (Doubleday, 978-0-385-53440-6) by Carol Birch.
And they run the gamut in type, plot, and interest.
NIGHT ROAD is the haunting story of a young woman and the choices she makes in her life and what some of the unintended consequences of doing the right things can be. Lexi as a child loses her family and travels west to live with an unknown relative. She is good girl, smart, a hard worker, and wants to fit in and belong. But doing the right things can sometimes backfire. She has been best friends forever with the daughter of a family better off than she, but somewhat like a sister to her friend. Until her friend's brother starts dating her. This is where it goes horribly wrong. There is drinking at a party and Lexi won't let her boyfriend drive as he is too wasted. She, however, does drive and is involved in a horrible accident that kills her best friend. Lexi is charged with the death of her friend and insists on pleading guilty because of her extreme feeling of guilt and ends up in prison. Here, even through the book is well written and plotted, I have trouble believing that in real life, this would actually happen this way, but for the book, it works. Lexi has a child from the boyfriend but gives it up without telling him. The way the story handles the solution for all of the people involved is uplifting and hopeful. The book is about belonging, motherhood, family, friendship, and doing the right thing. It is a genuinely moving story. And you can empathise with the characters.
LOWCOUNTRY SUMMER is a warm and loving look at a rather dysfunctional and eccentric family. Caroline Levine is 46 and taking over the responsibility of the family after her mother ,Miss Lavinia, a true force of nature has passed. the family includes a brother Trip who has mistress and an estranged alcoholic wife as well as hellcat daughters. She also has a son who has a mysterious girlfriend. She also has a long standing affair going with the local sheriff and her housekeeper is probably her best friend. There is a good look at some of the really local customs and beliefs as well as a strong sense of place throughout the book. And their lives all come to a head this summer on the coastal plantation in South Carolina. It is a study in family dynamics as well as a human comedy. There is laughter and tears as the family sorts out their problems and deals with the children's need to be parented and the adult's need to be loved and needed. If you enjoyed THE HELP, you might like the flavor of this family story. The writing imparts of charm and the heart of the people involved.
And now for something entirely different. HEADS YOU LOSE is the type of book I usually avoid. It is one of those contrived feeling book where two author write alternate chapters supposedly without consulting each other and see how things develop. Well, this almost works this time. Actually, it comes off pretty well, but it still feels contrived and rather stilted at times. The book, besides being written by two authors, uses that ploy as part of the plot of the book in order to move the book along and provide some comic relief with their between chapter bickering. Amusing to a point. The book (the story not the real book) has a couple who used to write together getting back together for this book. The story is about siblings who live in a rather remote area of Northern California and whose livelihood comes from raising and selling pot. Lacey is bored and wants to leave but her brother Paul rather like their life. The boredom ends when Lacey finds a headless body on the property and thinks it is her ex lover. She and her brother try to get rid of the body and that leads to the inevitable mix ups and other disasters. Since their parents were killed in a strange accident in a cabin, these two have been staying in the family home and fending off offers to sell.. After they find the body they each decide to try to investigate what happened and their individual adventures are fun, amusing and sometimes hilarious. There are people who appear and disappear and more bodies. People are attacked and others threatened. The pot growers have problems and the local nursing home seems a hotbed if trouble. And is the brother's girl friend an airhead or a genius of some kind And what is with the doctors here? And how does the death of their parents tie in with the present day problems?
complicated? Confusing? That is the point. This is a story within a story within a book within an book. But hey, it is a light hearted romp through some convoluted personal relationships. Enjoy. Just don't inhale.
JAMRACH'S MENAGERIE is certainly a different animal from the other books (pun intended) but it is a gem. It has shades of Dickens in its setting and description, glimpses of Melville in its sailing and whaling adventures, and the story telling of a Twain in its telling of a youth's tale remembered in age.
Jaffy Brown is a street urchin in a sea faring town in the 19th century who goes to work for Charles Jamrach, an importer of animals.Jamrach also sends people out to collect them with his senior collector and assistant Dan and this is when Jaffy and his best friend Tim sign on for a voyage that is nearly the death of all of them. There are off to catch a dragon in the southern climes aboard a whaler. Their adventures take them all over and they catch the dragon (probably a komodo of large size) an d head back, but trouble befalls them. They have sickness, disagreements, bad weather, and terrible storms. Since whaling is dying out, there are fewer ships in the shipping lanes and when their boat capsizes in a storm, the survivors are left adrift for too long. Hope turns to despair. Life turns to death, and dead bodies become nourishment for the living. Three survive and 1 must die to keep the other two alive. They draw straws for the one to die and the one to kill him. Jaffy and Dan return. As much changed people. It is Jaffy that tells the story of the life at sea, the people involved, the animals, and the horrors of survival. He tells it from the vantage of his small shop in hehis home town where he has returned and married Isobel, Tim's sister. The book is a wonder to read. It is lyrical and at times rollicking. The author catchs the surreal quality of life on a wooden ship in the middle of an ocean where all are isolated and feel lost in the vastness of the ocean. It shows how thing magnify out of proportion and how all need teamwork to survive. I likedthis book for its thoroughness of the feel of atmosphere both at sea and on the land. the reader has a real sense of being engrossed in the setting.The development of characters is well done as they develop through life and misadventure. The adventure and adversity keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. The author has presented a historical adventure that is highly readable.The British story teller, Birch, makes her American debut with this splendid tale. I hopoe there are more to come. I recommend it highly.
j
And they run the gamut in type, plot, and interest.
NIGHT ROAD is the haunting story of a young woman and the choices she makes in her life and what some of the unintended consequences of doing the right things can be. Lexi as a child loses her family and travels west to live with an unknown relative. She is good girl, smart, a hard worker, and wants to fit in and belong. But doing the right things can sometimes backfire. She has been best friends forever with the daughter of a family better off than she, but somewhat like a sister to her friend. Until her friend's brother starts dating her. This is where it goes horribly wrong. There is drinking at a party and Lexi won't let her boyfriend drive as he is too wasted. She, however, does drive and is involved in a horrible accident that kills her best friend. Lexi is charged with the death of her friend and insists on pleading guilty because of her extreme feeling of guilt and ends up in prison. Here, even through the book is well written and plotted, I have trouble believing that in real life, this would actually happen this way, but for the book, it works. Lexi has a child from the boyfriend but gives it up without telling him. The way the story handles the solution for all of the people involved is uplifting and hopeful. The book is about belonging, motherhood, family, friendship, and doing the right thing. It is a genuinely moving story. And you can empathise with the characters.
LOWCOUNTRY SUMMER is a warm and loving look at a rather dysfunctional and eccentric family. Caroline Levine is 46 and taking over the responsibility of the family after her mother ,Miss Lavinia, a true force of nature has passed. the family includes a brother Trip who has mistress and an estranged alcoholic wife as well as hellcat daughters. She also has a son who has a mysterious girlfriend. She also has a long standing affair going with the local sheriff and her housekeeper is probably her best friend. There is a good look at some of the really local customs and beliefs as well as a strong sense of place throughout the book. And their lives all come to a head this summer on the coastal plantation in South Carolina. It is a study in family dynamics as well as a human comedy. There is laughter and tears as the family sorts out their problems and deals with the children's need to be parented and the adult's need to be loved and needed. If you enjoyed THE HELP, you might like the flavor of this family story. The writing imparts of charm and the heart of the people involved.
And now for something entirely different. HEADS YOU LOSE is the type of book I usually avoid. It is one of those contrived feeling book where two author write alternate chapters supposedly without consulting each other and see how things develop. Well, this almost works this time. Actually, it comes off pretty well, but it still feels contrived and rather stilted at times. The book, besides being written by two authors, uses that ploy as part of the plot of the book in order to move the book along and provide some comic relief with their between chapter bickering. Amusing to a point. The book (the story not the real book) has a couple who used to write together getting back together for this book. The story is about siblings who live in a rather remote area of Northern California and whose livelihood comes from raising and selling pot. Lacey is bored and wants to leave but her brother Paul rather like their life. The boredom ends when Lacey finds a headless body on the property and thinks it is her ex lover. She and her brother try to get rid of the body and that leads to the inevitable mix ups and other disasters. Since their parents were killed in a strange accident in a cabin, these two have been staying in the family home and fending off offers to sell.. After they find the body they each decide to try to investigate what happened and their individual adventures are fun, amusing and sometimes hilarious. There are people who appear and disappear and more bodies. People are attacked and others threatened. The pot growers have problems and the local nursing home seems a hotbed if trouble. And is the brother's girl friend an airhead or a genius of some kind And what is with the doctors here? And how does the death of their parents tie in with the present day problems?
complicated? Confusing? That is the point. This is a story within a story within a book within an book. But hey, it is a light hearted romp through some convoluted personal relationships. Enjoy. Just don't inhale.
JAMRACH'S MENAGERIE is certainly a different animal from the other books (pun intended) but it is a gem. It has shades of Dickens in its setting and description, glimpses of Melville in its sailing and whaling adventures, and the story telling of a Twain in its telling of a youth's tale remembered in age.
Jaffy Brown is a street urchin in a sea faring town in the 19th century who goes to work for Charles Jamrach, an importer of animals.Jamrach also sends people out to collect them with his senior collector and assistant Dan and this is when Jaffy and his best friend Tim sign on for a voyage that is nearly the death of all of them. There are off to catch a dragon in the southern climes aboard a whaler. Their adventures take them all over and they catch the dragon (probably a komodo of large size) an d head back, but trouble befalls them. They have sickness, disagreements, bad weather, and terrible storms. Since whaling is dying out, there are fewer ships in the shipping lanes and when their boat capsizes in a storm, the survivors are left adrift for too long. Hope turns to despair. Life turns to death, and dead bodies become nourishment for the living. Three survive and 1 must die to keep the other two alive. They draw straws for the one to die and the one to kill him. Jaffy and Dan return. As much changed people. It is Jaffy that tells the story of the life at sea, the people involved, the animals, and the horrors of survival. He tells it from the vantage of his small shop in hehis home town where he has returned and married Isobel, Tim's sister. The book is a wonder to read. It is lyrical and at times rollicking. The author catchs the surreal quality of life on a wooden ship in the middle of an ocean where all are isolated and feel lost in the vastness of the ocean. It shows how thing magnify out of proportion and how all need teamwork to survive. I likedthis book for its thoroughness of the feel of atmosphere both at sea and on the land. the reader has a real sense of being engrossed in the setting.The development of characters is well done as they develop through life and misadventure. The adventure and adversity keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. The author has presented a historical adventure that is highly readable.The British story teller, Birch, makes her American debut with this splendid tale. I hopoe there are more to come. I recommend it highly.
j
Monday, May 23, 2011
Pot pourri of titles for the day
Rain, rain, go away! The weeds are winning the battle with the flowers and the garden is too wet to spade. Sigh. (Not that I would be the one digging.) But everything is behind schedule. And that includes adding the the book notes. Not that I have not read them I have Just getting the words on the screen has been the problem. The books for today have nor theme or connection to each other. RED ON RED (Speigel &
Grau, 9789-0-385-51917-5) by Edward Conlon; THE SISTERS BROTHERS (Harper Collins, 978-0-06-204126-5) by Patrick DeWitt; GRAVEMINDERS (William Morrow, 978-0-06-18268-0) by Melissa Marr, and MINDING BEN (Hyperion, 978-1-4013-4151-0) by Victoria Brown.
These books are all about different themes. RED ON RED is a cop story set in New York
city the cops we meet are an odd couple for partners who are chalk and cheese to each other, yet make a good pair. Meehan and Esposito take us through the cases and the minutiae that make up there days and nights. There is a serial rapist, a suicide, a nasty gang war that gets the detectives involved on a one on one basis, and a strange case involving a school girl and her peculiar father. There is also a melding of street life and family life. We are treated to a gritty look at their lives and cases close up. The book is slow going because there are many details to absorb. Sometimes it feels as though this could easily have been made into two or more books. It is dark and often depressing, but a good read.
THE SISTERS BROTHERS is an odd book. It is a picaresque tale of the mid 19th century that takes us with a pair of brothers whose vocation is killing. they are good at it and quite philosophical about their calling. The book and its language reminds me of the recreation of a Victorian melodrama. The brothers, Eli and Charles Sisters, are on a quest to kill Hermann Warm because their employer, the Commodore, has decreed it. But wait, Eli has somewhat of an epiphany on the way to California for the killing. He begins to question what he does for a living. He even begins to have doubts about The Commodore. The frontier of old comes alive with odd and delightful characters who meet the Sisters on their journey. Funny. Amusing. Thoughtful. Violent - the bodies do stack up. Yet the book has a lyrical feel to it as the brothers continue on their quest. The writing is masterful, stark as well as florid. And the plot is well planned and keeps the readers interest. It puts a new spin on the old west.
GRAVEMINDER is another odd read. A fantasy of sorts, it has a dreamlike quality to it.
Actually, make that nightmarish. Claysville is a strange sort of town. Things are different. there. Maylene
Harrow takes care of the newly dead in the town for the safety of the town. She also has a connection to William Montgomery, the local mortician. People never seem to really leave Claysville, or if they do, they come back. Actually, those who were born there, need to be buried there. Such is the case of Rebekkah Harrow, niece of Maylene and Byron Montgomery, son of William. They left but now they are back, but definitely not to be buried. Maylene has died under suspicious circumstances and Rebekkah comes back to settle her estate and finds herself enmeshed in learning the mystery of Claysville and discovering that she must take over the task of graveminding from her aunt. And what exactly is graveminding? Byron also discovers why he is there and what bargain has been made in the past of the town that has created this anomaly. Why are people being attacked? Why have some gone missing? Who is this strange young girl? Dead people walk. Many people are murdered before the mystery of the pact with death is sorted our and family histories and secrets are explained. And of course, their is a love story with Byron and Rebekkah. And that is not withoiut its complications. Creepy and sinister, this book is a haunting read. The mood it sets is fantastic. Gloomy. Gruesome. Apprehensive. Anticipatory. Both horror and fantasy, this is a book that holds one's attention.
And for something entirely different, we have MINDING BEN. This is the delightful story of an intrepid young West Indian girl who leave her home for New York City and relatives in hopes of finding a new life. Her adventures begin when no one meets her at the airport and she has to find her way in a strange city to the place where her relatives live. The apartment is crowded, but she is inventive, Her first job is working for a Jewish family, but that is only temporary. As she searched for work her plans for getting an education are on hold. Grace is a vibrant and warm person and comes to life as the author has her find a job with the wealthy young couple, the Bruckners also Jewish, as a nanny for their young son Ben. They are nice, but they pay little, lie to Grace and give her tons of extra work to do. All the while we learn through Grace the life of the nannys and how they are treated. Their is a subculture of help that reflects how they see the employers. We also get to see the life Grace leads with her friends from the islands and how different it is. We also get a good prevails and gets her education and ends up with a much better position along the way. But not before lots of drama, more embarrassment, ill treatment, and hard work. The book has a decided ring of truth to it. The writing brings the people to life and makes the reader care about their lives.The author was herself a baby sitter years ago when she came to this country also from Trinidad She, like Grace, continued her education and was a college teacher. This is a good read.
Grau, 9789-0-385-51917-5) by Edward Conlon; THE SISTERS BROTHERS (Harper Collins, 978-0-06-204126-5) by Patrick DeWitt; GRAVEMINDERS (William Morrow, 978-0-06-18268-0) by Melissa Marr, and MINDING BEN (Hyperion, 978-1-4013-4151-0) by Victoria Brown.
These books are all about different themes. RED ON RED is a cop story set in New York
city the cops we meet are an odd couple for partners who are chalk and cheese to each other, yet make a good pair. Meehan and Esposito take us through the cases and the minutiae that make up there days and nights. There is a serial rapist, a suicide, a nasty gang war that gets the detectives involved on a one on one basis, and a strange case involving a school girl and her peculiar father. There is also a melding of street life and family life. We are treated to a gritty look at their lives and cases close up. The book is slow going because there are many details to absorb. Sometimes it feels as though this could easily have been made into two or more books. It is dark and often depressing, but a good read.
THE SISTERS BROTHERS is an odd book. It is a picaresque tale of the mid 19th century that takes us with a pair of brothers whose vocation is killing. they are good at it and quite philosophical about their calling. The book and its language reminds me of the recreation of a Victorian melodrama. The brothers, Eli and Charles Sisters, are on a quest to kill Hermann Warm because their employer, the Commodore, has decreed it. But wait, Eli has somewhat of an epiphany on the way to California for the killing. He begins to question what he does for a living. He even begins to have doubts about The Commodore. The frontier of old comes alive with odd and delightful characters who meet the Sisters on their journey. Funny. Amusing. Thoughtful. Violent - the bodies do stack up. Yet the book has a lyrical feel to it as the brothers continue on their quest. The writing is masterful, stark as well as florid. And the plot is well planned and keeps the readers interest. It puts a new spin on the old west.
GRAVEMINDER is another odd read. A fantasy of sorts, it has a dreamlike quality to it.
Actually, make that nightmarish. Claysville is a strange sort of town. Things are different. there. Maylene
Harrow takes care of the newly dead in the town for the safety of the town. She also has a connection to William Montgomery, the local mortician. People never seem to really leave Claysville, or if they do, they come back. Actually, those who were born there, need to be buried there. Such is the case of Rebekkah Harrow, niece of Maylene and Byron Montgomery, son of William. They left but now they are back, but definitely not to be buried. Maylene has died under suspicious circumstances and Rebekkah comes back to settle her estate and finds herself enmeshed in learning the mystery of Claysville and discovering that she must take over the task of graveminding from her aunt. And what exactly is graveminding? Byron also discovers why he is there and what bargain has been made in the past of the town that has created this anomaly. Why are people being attacked? Why have some gone missing? Who is this strange young girl? Dead people walk. Many people are murdered before the mystery of the pact with death is sorted our and family histories and secrets are explained. And of course, their is a love story with Byron and Rebekkah. And that is not withoiut its complications. Creepy and sinister, this book is a haunting read. The mood it sets is fantastic. Gloomy. Gruesome. Apprehensive. Anticipatory. Both horror and fantasy, this is a book that holds one's attention.
And for something entirely different, we have MINDING BEN. This is the delightful story of an intrepid young West Indian girl who leave her home for New York City and relatives in hopes of finding a new life. Her adventures begin when no one meets her at the airport and she has to find her way in a strange city to the place where her relatives live. The apartment is crowded, but she is inventive, Her first job is working for a Jewish family, but that is only temporary. As she searched for work her plans for getting an education are on hold. Grace is a vibrant and warm person and comes to life as the author has her find a job with the wealthy young couple, the Bruckners also Jewish, as a nanny for their young son Ben. They are nice, but they pay little, lie to Grace and give her tons of extra work to do. All the while we learn through Grace the life of the nannys and how they are treated. Their is a subculture of help that reflects how they see the employers. We also get to see the life Grace leads with her friends from the islands and how different it is. We also get a good prevails and gets her education and ends up with a much better position along the way. But not before lots of drama, more embarrassment, ill treatment, and hard work. The book has a decided ring of truth to it. The writing brings the people to life and makes the reader care about their lives.The author was herself a baby sitter years ago when she came to this country also from Trinidad She, like Grace, continued her education and was a college teacher. This is a good read.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Just in time for Mother's Day
Motherhood and a mother's love has a universal appeal. SECRET DAUGHTER by Shilpi Somaya
Gowda , ( William Morrow,978-0-06-192835-2) is an international best seller that is now available in trade paper and a heart tugging book to read. It may bring a tear or two to your eyes.It is basically two parallel stories. It is the story of the upscale life of a doctor, Somer, in San Fransisco, who married her college sweetheart and fellow doctor, Krisnan (Kris) Thakkar, who was from India.They seemed to lead an ideal life, but the pediatrician Somer is unable to have children. The parallel story is set in India and concerns the life of a poor couple, Kavita and Jasu. Kavita has just given birth to a baby girl and according to custom baby girls are abandoned as they are economically unfeasible for poor families.But, Kavita will not allow her child to meet this fate and walks to an orphanage where she leaves her daughter named Usha. And this is how the stories intersect.
After much soul searching, Somer and Kris decide to adopt and opt for a baby from India...The Thakkars are a wealthy and influential family in Mumbai and the adopting couple use an orphanage the family supports. They adopt a baby girl and are told her name is Asha. Asha is their much loved daughter and grows in to a typical California girl.. She is smart, pretty, and becoming an independent thinker. The American Thakkars life has changed when they moved to the suburbs to accommodate family living and Somer has a less satisfying position. And Asha is now a teenager and a rebellious one. Her family would like her to study medicine in college, but she prefers journalism. She too is restless. The family is fraying a bit. Somer is unhappy with her life, with Kris. and everything in general. Krisnan is a bit oblivious, but always goes to India to visit alo9ne, This bother Asha somewhat. Asha wants to know about herself and her background. This frightens Somer because she feels that she, Somer, will then be totally isolated.
While all this is transpiring in California, Kavita and Jasu have moved to Mumbai to find a better life. They have a son now who provides them with extra living expenses. Except their beloved and sacrificed for son is involved with some well paying but criminal activities. Kavita still yearns to know what happened to her lost Ushi.
And Ashi (Ushi) is the conduit that brings the parallel stories together.
Ashi take a year from college and goes to India as an intern on a newspaper and gets to know her grandparents and meet many relatives of her father and understand who she is and what her real heritage represents, She also searches for her birth mother.
The story of how each family deals with adversity and change and what love of a child can cause a mother to do are poignantly shown to us. Somer learns to look outside herself while looking within for strength. Ashi learns that she is part of a larger whole and yet an intrinsic part of her adopted family. .
The beautifully scripted book redefines motherhood and family in a heart warming a compelling story.
It is also a timely story. Only the other day i was reading a report about the falling population of femal children in India and the consternation it was causing. The high cost of some traditional doweries is one deterrent to keeping daughters. The prevalence of determining the sex of the fetus has also upped the abortion rate. This is not a comfortable thought,
Gowda, while born and raised in Canada, is the daughter of parents who emigrated from Bombay. She is now living with her family in California. This is a real treat for mother's Day.
One copy is available from publisher to first who responds.
Gowda , ( William Morrow,978-0-06-192835-2) is an international best seller that is now available in trade paper and a heart tugging book to read. It may bring a tear or two to your eyes.It is basically two parallel stories.After much soul searching, Somer and Kris decide to adopt and opt for a baby from India...The Thakkars are a wealthy and influential family in Mumbai and the adopting couple use an orphanage the family supports. They adopt a baby girl and are told her name is Asha. Asha is their much loved daughter and grows in to a typical California girl.. She is smart, pretty, and becoming an independent thinker. The American Thakkars life has changed when they moved to the suburbs to accommodate family living and Somer has a less satisfying position. And Asha is now a teenager and a rebellious one. Her family would like her to study medicine in college, but she prefers journalism. She too is restless. The family is fraying a bit. Somer is unhappy with her life, with Kris. and everything in general. Krisnan is a bit oblivious, but always goes to India to visit alo9ne, This bother Asha somewhat. Asha wants to know about herself and her background. This frightens Somer because she feels that she, Somer, will then be totally isolated.
While all this is transpiring in California, Kavita and Jasu have moved to Mumbai to find a better life. They have a son now who provides them with extra living expenses. Except their beloved and sacrificed for son is involved with some well paying but criminal activities. Kavita still yearns to know what happened to her lost Ushi.
And Ashi (Ushi) is the conduit that brings the parallel stories together.
Ashi take a year from college and goes to India as an intern on a newspaper and gets to know her grandparents and meet many relatives of her father and understand who she is and what her real heritage represents, She also searches for her birth mother.
The story of how each family deals with adversity and change and what love of a child can cause a mother to do are poignantly shown to us. Somer learns to look outside herself while looking within for strength. Ashi learns that she is part of a larger whole and yet an intrinsic part of her adopted family. .
The beautifully scripted book redefines motherhood and family in a heart warming a compelling story.
It is also a timely story. Only the other day i was reading a report about the falling population of femal children in India and the consternation it was causing. The high cost of some traditional doweries is one deterrent to keeping daughters. The prevalence of determining the sex of the fetus has also upped the abortion rate. This is not a comfortable thought,
Gowda, while born and raised in Canada, is the daughter of parents who emigrated from Bombay. She is now living with her family in California. This is a real treat for mother's Day.
One copy is available from publisher to first who responds.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
They come in threes today
These three books have several things in common. They are out of the past and they are set primarily in foreign countries. Beyond that, only the fact that they were all well done books compare them. FIELD GRAY (Putnam, 978-0-399-15741-7) is Phillip Kerr's latest Bernie Gunther novel; BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY (Philomel, 978-0-399-25412-3) is Ruta Sepety's look at WWII; THE SANDALWOOD TREE (Atria, 978-1-4165-9059-0) by Elle Newmark is set in India.
FIELD GRAY RANGES from the Cuba of the early 1950s back through the thirties in Germany through the divided post war Germany with east and west jockeying for supremacy. Bernie is captured off
Cuba in the 50s and sent back to German via the US for the war trials. He is caught between the American and French factions as well as a few others as well. He is forced to recount his actions as a prisoner of war to all parties involved, It is pure Bernie He plays all sides against the middle and lets the reader decide what if anything is the truth. I like Bernie He has gone through life pretty well making sure Bernie survives and getting rid of enemies along the way. He was a good cop who did not like the Nazis in the beginning. He is still a pretty good cop and apparently does not like much of any body now. But is a rather unreliable narrator at times. And he is a survivor, A really noir spy and cold war look back. It helps to have read at least some of the previous Gunther novels. The plot is elaborate and tricky, but well done. And it is really a study in characters. It is puzzling to figure out which is now the real Bernie. I wonder if he really knows. Incidentally, field gray refers to the color of the German field uniform, but can be given other interpretations as well.
Sepetys in the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee in WWII. This novel, BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY is her way of letting the world know what happened to the thousands of people who vanished during the ethnic cleansing of many countries. The story begins in 1941 when 15 year old Lina and her family and forced as prisoners of the Soviets to leave their home for work camps and literally death camps in cold Siberia. The women and children were sent separately from the from the already taken husbands. This particular group has quite a few people from the intellectual community in it. The tale is one of tragedy and horror as they are transported like cattle throughout the countryside to work and provide comfort and labor for their captors. Lina survives and makes it back from Russia to a world forever changed. This is a poignant and beautifully written story of hope, despair, courage, and fear. It is also a story of human tenacity as well as mendacity. Lina learns to love as well as to look at the real person before she judges them. The book has a haunting beauty in its bleak and horrific tale of cruelty and cold blooded murder. Yet kindness appears from the least expected places. A reminder of what has happened and could easily happen again.
THE SANDALWOOD TREE is really two stories in one tale. One is set in the late 1940s when India is getting its freedom from England and when the country is splitting off the area to be called Pakistan and separate the Hindi from the Muslims. Evie and Martin and their son Billy are coming to India on a research fellowship and will live in a small village. Martin is still struggling emotionally with problems from his stint in the service during WWII and the marriage is off kilter a bit. Today we would quickly diagnose post traumatic shock, syndrome,but then it pretty much went untreated unless really bad. Evie finds some letters in the house they are renting that date back nearly 100 years. She becomes engrossed in tracking down the stories of the two women who came to India and their back stories. While her life is in turmoil with the unrest and fighting going on between factions in India she learns of the problems besetting the two women. One was a lesbian sent to India by her family to escape disgrace and the other was a strong willed woman who wanted a different like than the one offered in England.Tthey lived in this cottage for years as their histories and lives became a part of the fabric of the community. One fell in love with an Indian gentleman and had his child. And this when English treated the Indians abominably as less than people almost. Evie meets a descendant of this child while researching at a local church. The stories of the two eras are entwined and Evie is able to learn what happened in the past as well as to learn what is to be done about her personal problems of the present. the depiction 'india is vivid and the people are well delineated in character. Her women are particularly strong. And the young lad is fiercely real. This provides another way to look at the legacy of
Gandhi as well as a different look at history.
FIELD GRAY RANGES from the Cuba of the early 1950s back through the thirties in Germany through the divided post war Germany with east and west jockeying for supremacy. Bernie is captured off
Cuba in the 50s and sent back to German via the US for the war trials. He is caught between the American and French factions as well as a few others as well. He is forced to recount his actions as a prisoner of war to all parties involved, It is pure Bernie He plays all sides against the middle and lets the reader decide what if anything is the truth. I like Bernie He has gone through life pretty well making sure Bernie survives and getting rid of enemies along the way. He was a good cop who did not like the Nazis in the beginning. He is still a pretty good cop and apparently does not like much of any body now. But is a rather unreliable narrator at times. And he is a survivor, A really noir spy and cold war look back. It helps to have read at least some of the previous Gunther novels. The plot is elaborate and tricky, but well done. And it is really a study in characters. It is puzzling to figure out which is now the real Bernie. I wonder if he really knows. Incidentally, field gray refers to the color of the German field uniform, but can be given other interpretations as well.
Sepetys in the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee in WWII. This novel, BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY is her way of letting the world know what happened to the thousands of people who vanished during the ethnic cleansing of many countries. The story begins in 1941 when 15 year old Lina and her family and forced as prisoners of the Soviets to leave their home for work camps and literally death camps in cold Siberia. The women and children were sent separately from the from the already taken husbands. This particular group has quite a few people from the intellectual community in it. The tale is one of tragedy and horror as they are transported like cattle throughout the countryside to work and provide comfort and labor for their captors. Lina survives and makes it back from Russia to a world forever changed. This is a poignant and beautifully written story of hope, despair, courage, and fear. It is also a story of human tenacity as well as mendacity. Lina learns to love as well as to look at the real person before she judges them. The book has a haunting beauty in its bleak and horrific tale of cruelty and cold blooded murder. Yet kindness appears from the least expected places. A reminder of what has happened and could easily happen again.
THE SANDALWOOD TREE is really two stories in one tale. One is set in the late 1940s when India is getting its freedom from England and when the country is splitting off the area to be called Pakistan and separate the Hindi from the Muslims. Evie and Martin and their son Billy are coming to India on a research fellowship and will live in a small village. Martin is still struggling emotionally with problems from his stint in the service during WWII and the marriage is off kilter a bit. Today we would quickly diagnose post traumatic shock, syndrome,but then it pretty much went untreated unless really bad. Evie finds some letters in the house they are renting that date back nearly 100 years. She becomes engrossed in tracking down the stories of the two women who came to India and their back stories. While her life is in turmoil with the unrest and fighting going on between factions in India she learns of the problems besetting the two women. One was a lesbian sent to India by her family to escape disgrace and the other was a strong willed woman who wanted a different like than the one offered in England.Tthey lived in this cottage for years as their histories and lives became a part of the fabric of the community. One fell in love with an Indian gentleman and had his child. And this when English treated the Indians abominably as less than people almost. Evie meets a descendant of this child while researching at a local church. The stories of the two eras are entwined and Evie is able to learn what happened in the past as well as to learn what is to be done about her personal problems of the present. the depiction 'india is vivid and the people are well delineated in character. Her women are particularly strong. And the young lad is fiercely real. This provides another way to look at the legacy of
Gandhi as well as a different look at history.
All reading and no writing...
It seems I have spent more time reading than writing lately. Life intrudes. The weather -both good and bad - intrudes. This time of year I really can stop and smell the flowers. Green up time is happening to the yard and garden. But, back to stalking the shelves, not the plant stalks.
Three mysteries are on the top of the stack to do. Carolyn Hart's DEAD BY MIDNIGHT (Morrow, 987-0-06-191497-3); Hallie Ephron's COME AND FIND ME (Morrow, 978-0-06-185752-2); Diane Mott Davidson's CRUNCH TIME (Morrow, 978-0-06-134815-0.
DEAD BY MIDNIGHT has the intrepid bookstore owner looking in to the very suspicious death of a woman who has just started working for Annie. It is called suicide, but Annie and her husband think it is murder. The unraveling of the story also unravels the unhappiness of a wealthy family on the island and their secrets. Sometimes the wicked stepmother really is. A fun, quick read with a literary bent.
COME AND GET ME is my least favorite of the three. It involves a group of computer hackers who have gone legit and started their own computer security firm. Diana Highsmith has lived a life of seclusion and fear to be outside of her house since she saw her fiancee lost in a mountain climbing accident and she conducts all of her part of the business with an avatar and virtually. But things are not quite what they seem and when her best friend goes missing after a kind of flash mob event, Diana ventures out into the real world and in to a heap of trouble for herself. Lots of twists and turns before the rather non-ending. Still, it held my atttention. Lots of what if moments.
CRUNCH TIME is typical Davidson. This time the caterer Goldie Schulz is facing the effects of the recession on her catering business as well as trying help out a friend, Yolanda Garcia, who seems to have a black cloud hovering over her and her feisty aunt. Murder and arson are following Yolanda and her aunt and Goldie sets out to see why and who is involved. Since Yolanda and her aunt are staying temporarily with Goldie, the action is close to home. A couple of bodies later, it all gets sorted out, but not before it involves the church, the school, and some wealthy additions to the city. As many people as seem to die and have their lives uprooted around whatever event Goldie is catering, I am always surprised that people will still hire her. The Goldie books always include new twists on old plots and keeping us up to date on the lives of all the characters, And the recipes that are included look pretty tasty.
Three mysteries are on the top of the stack to do. Carolyn Hart's DEAD BY MIDNIGHT (Morrow, 987-0-06-191497-3); Hallie Ephron's COME AND FIND ME (Morrow, 978-0-06-185752-2); Diane Mott Davidson's CRUNCH TIME (Morrow, 978-0-06-134815-0.
DEAD BY MIDNIGHT has the intrepid bookstore owner looking in to the very suspicious death of a woman who has just started working for Annie. It is called suicide, but Annie and her husband think it is murder. The unraveling of the story also unravels the unhappiness of a wealthy family on the island and their secrets. Sometimes the wicked stepmother really is. A fun, quick read with a literary bent.
COME AND GET ME is my least favorite of the three. It involves a group of computer hackers who have gone legit and started their own computer security firm. Diana Highsmith has lived a life of seclusion and fear to be outside of her house since she saw her fiancee lost in a mountain climbing accident and she conducts all of her part of the business with an avatar and virtually. But things are not quite what they seem and when her best friend goes missing after a kind of flash mob event, Diana ventures out into the real world and in to a heap of trouble for herself. Lots of twists and turns before the rather non-ending. Still, it held my atttention. Lots of what if moments.
CRUNCH TIME is typical Davidson. This time the caterer Goldie Schulz is facing the effects of the recession on her catering business as well as trying help out a friend, Yolanda Garcia, who seems to have a black cloud hovering over her and her feisty aunt. Murder and arson are following Yolanda and her aunt and Goldie sets out to see why and who is involved. Since Yolanda and her aunt are staying temporarily with Goldie, the action is close to home. A couple of bodies later, it all gets sorted out, but not before it involves the church, the school, and some wealthy additions to the city. As many people as seem to die and have their lives uprooted around whatever event Goldie is catering, I am always surprised that people will still hire her. The Goldie books always include new twists on old plots and keeping us up to date on the lives of all the characters, And the recipes that are included look pretty tasty.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Picoult and the hot button issues
If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult - and I am not - you have treat coming your way in her latest book, SING YOU HOME (Atria 978-1-4391-0272-5). Picoult's novels always have characters who aer involved with problems and with the hot button issues of the day. I think of Picoult's books and Oprah Winfrey's show as being similar. This latest novel was a slow starter, but had a really fast paced and riveting ending. I will begin by saying that originally, the characters did not charm me either. But Picoult added characters to the plot that were strong and had great stories. The book has several social issues to cover and misses very few. The first issue is infertility. Zoe Baxter has been trying to get pregnant for ten years. At great monetary cost and even more psychological wear and tear on her and her husband, Max Neither one are particularly appealing people. Zoe is overly obsessive about being a mother and Max seems not the brightest bulb in the box. Max's brother and his wife are ultra religious and very successful and also childless. Zoe's mother is a new agey sort of person who is currently dabbling at being a life coach of sorts, When the story begins, Zoe is pregnant, nearly about to have her baby and attending a baby shower when she goes into labor and loses the baby. And then the real trouble begins. She wants to try again. Max says no to her and yes to a divorce. She retreats into depression and Max goes back to his alcoholic ways and buries himself in his lawn service and lives with his brother, . Then things turn really dramatic. Zoe finally goes back to work as a music therapist and her friendship with the school counselor, Vanessa Shaw, deepens. Zoe has always felt the lack of feminine friends to talk with and be around and Vanessa is a find.Vanessa is a Lesbian and wants Zoe to be aware of it if she care not to be around her.Although it is unplanned and unexpected, she and Zoe fall in love And as to be expected Max does not understand. Zoe's mother comes to terms with the situation and helps plan a wedding for them. Here is where the characters take over the book and turn it into a compelling read. Max has found religion after he is in a drunken automobile crash and lets himself become a pawn for the publicity seeking fundamentalist style preacher who wants to make an example out the same sex couple who dare to be married. It becomes a legal issue when Zoe wants to claim the fertilized eggs left from the fertility treatments and have Vanessa be the surrogate mother. Max is ready to agree until his brother and his minister talk him into letting a "sin free family" raise the unborn child. Max's brother and the minister bring in a flamboyant and less than ethical lawyer who specializes in abortion and and other procreative cases and he attempts to demonize Zoe and Vanessa. He even gets the minister to make wild and false claims about the relationship of his very troubled and probably abused stepdaughter, Lucy, who is in therapy with Zoe. The trial is a nail biter and provides an exciting, if somewhat, improbable ending, As I said all the current hot button issues are covered. Infertility. Who owns the left over fertilized eggs in case of divorce.Same sex marriage.Gay and Lesbian teachers.Church and state problems. Child abuse. :Persecution. Trying to force tenets of a specific religion on others, Some of the characters were stereotypical and complete caricatures while other were well drawn and really alive. Some readers will actually care about what happens to the character even if the book does not tell it all. Oddly enough,
the book seemed to be set in a vacuum. The back story was incomplete. Where were the indignant parents earlier in the book? What was the town like? I really needed a bit more detail and plausibility.I admit, I am not a fan of Picoult,but I found the last part of the book riveting/ And there is a bonus. A CD of original songs to set the background and mood.
Another caveat - the cover was hard to read from a distance and too shiny by far. I would like to know the reasoning for this cover choice. Just curious. Incidentally, I would like to know more about the troubled Lucy. She could be a stand alone book.
l
the book seemed to be set in a vacuum. The back story was incomplete. Where were the indignant parents earlier in the book? What was the town like? I really needed a bit more detail and plausibility.I admit, I am not a fan of Picoult,but I found the last part of the book riveting/ And there is a bonus. A CD of original songs to set the background and mood.
Another caveat - the cover was hard to read from a distance and too shiny by far. I would like to know the reasoning for this cover choice. Just curious. Incidentally, I would like to know more about the troubled Lucy. She could be a stand alone book.
l
If you liked Steig Larsson...
Readers who fancied Steig Larsson's books and need another jolt of Nordic noir can find their fix in the three books covered here. THREE SECONDS (Silver Oak 978-1-4027-8592-4)by Roslund & Hellstrom; LUCIFER'S TEARS (Putnam 978-0-399-15799-4) by James Thompson; THE ICE PRINCESS (Simon and Schuster 987-1-4516-2174-7). THREE SECONDS is a dark and intense tale of a Swedish ex-con, Piet Hoffman, a police informant who is trying to get his life in order and live normally, but he is trapped into working for the government to break up a drug ring that operates internationally and plans to take over the drug trade in
Swedish prisons.Police corruption and police indifference allows Hoffman to be trapped in prison where he is a target for death by both the government and the crime syndicate. The writing is this is taut and spell binding, The whole book is permeated with evil and an attitude of fatigue. The authors have created a memorable atmosphere and people who seem full of despair and ennui. A fascinating look at the psyches of the participants.
James Thompson, author of LUCIFER'S TEARS was born and raised in Kentucky, but has lived in
Finland for the past 12 years and seems able to look into the minds and hearts of the people and particular;y into the mind of his protagonist, Inspector Kari Vaari. This is the second Vaari book and action from the first has left our hero with scars, physical and mental. Now an insomniac he is back in Helsinki and is working two seemingly unrelated cases. He is called to investigate a famed national hero who is suspected of having committed war crimes during their occupation and also is on the investigation of a torture murder case involving a wife of a Russian businessman. Vaari 's' wife is also pregnant and her brother and sister are visiting from the United States. They create other problems. The brother is an alcoholic failed academic who manages to cause trouble with the law and the sister has become involved with a joyless and punitive religion and causes dissent, All this plus Vaari can not sleep and finally seeks out his doctor brother. It does not help when it appears that the cases are going to become interconnected and some of the people at the cop shop will be tangentially involved. Some of his own family members will also be tied in.The book is reflective of a society that appears to rely heavily on popping pills and drinking copiously. The people seem driven and secretive. The book is dark, intense and yet seductive in its cold beauty. For a transplanted Kentuckian, Thompson certainly writes with perception about the gloom and winter atmosphere. I await the third Vaari adventure. I want to know how the diagnosis made by his doctor brother about Vaari's headaches plays out. How's that for for a cliff, (or should that be fjord?) hanger?
Lackberg's ICE PRINCESS is set in a small seaside town in remote Sweden. Erica Falck has returned home to take care of affairs after the death of her parents. She finds the dead body of her childhood friend,Alex,frozen in ice in a bathtub in her unheated house and her wrists are slit. The first declaration of suicide has to be changed to murder and then the investigation gets ugly. Erica joins another childhood friend, Patrick Hedstrom, now with the local police in looking into events that led up to the crime, and what she finds is not pretty. Old secrets are uncovered. New secrets are found. Lies. Coverups. Deceits. Erica's own sister adds to the problems because of her domineering and abusive husband and his desire for the money from the estate of the dead parents. Since Erica is a well now author, she is asked by Alex's family to write a commemorative piece about her and her art. She is able to use this cover to talk to many people about the case. She uncovers too much, however and she is also in danger. The past catches up with the future and not all of it has a happy ending. Some families will kill to keep secrets from coming out. Psychological suspense and intricate plotting at its best is featured in this tale.
So for all of readers who like your noir Nordic, enjoy. For those who like fine writing, excellent plotting, and complicated characters, have a good read.
Swedish prisons.Police corruption and police indifference allows Hoffman to be trapped in prison where he is a target for death by both the government and the crime syndicate. The writing is this is taut and spell binding, The whole book is permeated with evil and an attitude of fatigue. The authors have created a memorable atmosphere and people who seem full of despair and ennui. A fascinating look at the psyches of the participants.
James Thompson, author of LUCIFER'S TEARS was born and raised in Kentucky, but has lived in
Finland for the past 12 years and seems able to look into the minds and hearts of the people and particular;y into the mind of his protagonist, Inspector Kari Vaari. This is the second Vaari book and action from the first has left our hero with scars, physical and mental. Now an insomniac he is back in Helsinki and is working two seemingly unrelated cases. He is called to investigate a famed national hero who is suspected of having committed war crimes during their occupation and also is on the investigation of a torture murder case involving a wife of a Russian businessman. Vaari 's' wife is also pregnant and her brother and sister are visiting from the United States. They create other problems. The brother is an alcoholic failed academic who manages to cause trouble with the law and the sister has become involved with a joyless and punitive religion and causes dissent, All this plus Vaari can not sleep and finally seeks out his doctor brother. It does not help when it appears that the cases are going to become interconnected and some of the people at the cop shop will be tangentially involved. Some of his own family members will also be tied in.The book is reflective of a society that appears to rely heavily on popping pills and drinking copiously. The people seem driven and secretive. The book is dark, intense and yet seductive in its cold beauty. For a transplanted Kentuckian, Thompson certainly writes with perception about the gloom and winter atmosphere. I await the third Vaari adventure. I want to know how the diagnosis made by his doctor brother about Vaari's headaches plays out. How's that for for a cliff, (or should that be fjord?) hanger?
Lackberg's ICE PRINCESS is set in a small seaside town in remote Sweden. Erica Falck has returned home to take care of affairs after the death of her parents. She finds the dead body of her childhood friend,Alex,frozen in ice in a bathtub in her unheated house and her wrists are slit. The first declaration of suicide has to be changed to murder and then the investigation gets ugly. Erica joins another childhood friend, Patrick Hedstrom, now with the local police in looking into events that led up to the crime, and what she finds is not pretty. Old secrets are uncovered. New secrets are found. Lies. Coverups. Deceits. Erica's own sister adds to the problems because of her domineering and abusive husband and his desire for the money from the estate of the dead parents. Since Erica is a well now author, she is asked by Alex's family to write a commemorative piece about her and her art. She is able to use this cover to talk to many people about the case. She uncovers too much, however and she is also in danger. The past catches up with the future and not all of it has a happy ending. Some families will kill to keep secrets from coming out. Psychological suspense and intricate plotting at its best is featured in this tale.
So for all of readers who like your noir Nordic, enjoy. For those who like fine writing, excellent plotting, and complicated characters, have a good read.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
It's a mystery
Spring weather keeps me away from the computer. Being outside enjoying the lovely flowers and shrubs is more compelling than writing it seems. 4 newer book of mystery and suspense that have crossed my desk recently are THE BONE YARD (Morrow 978-0-06-180678-0) by Jefferson Bass, A LESSON IN SECRETS (Harper 978-0-06-172767) by Jacqueline Winspear, WHEN THE THRILL IS GONE (Riverhead Press978-1-59448-781-1) by Walter Mosley, and COLD WIND (Putnam 978-0-399-15735-6) by C.J .Box. A very disparate group.
The Box is another Joe Pickett book and involves many characters we have met before. This time Joe' mother-in-law is accused of murder.The case also involves Nate Romanowski, revenge that goes awry, family problems and lots of buried secrets. I enjoy the way Box matures his characters and lets them get on with their lives instead of freezing them in time. His characters are well drawn and the sense of place in his books is awesome. There are some surprising twists to this and a rather high body count, but it is vintage Box.
Leonid McGill is back in the Mosley book and as world weary as ever and the current economy has him in need of a case to solve. His family life is still complicated by the fact that he and his wife live seemingly separate lives and she has a new lover. His children are a source of joy and trepidation plus one of his good friends is dying of cancer and McGill has taken him in to his home to care for him.And his associates are still dangerous and deadly as are his clients. This caper involves two sisters, an enigmatic husband who is extremely reclusive and terribly rich and some strange deceptions. McGill enlists some of his past shady connections to get to the bottom of this case. Mosley really makes his characters come alive.
Why I have not read any Winspear before is a mystery in its own right, This charming and fast paced novel is one of the Maisie Dobbs series set in England in 1932 - the year I was born. Maisie is a thoroughly modern and independent type who is clever, intelligent and on her first assignment for the British Secret Service. Maisie goes undercover in Cambridge as a professor to check out rumors of Nazi party activity. Well, there are murders, attempted murders,suspicious characters, red herrings galore, and sprightly dialogue. Maisie uncovers a lot of intrigue and proves herself to be a resourceful person. The look at the era is well handled. I will definitely be reading more by this author. There are seven previous novels for starters.
Jefferson Bass ( the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson) has added another exciting and rather gruesome forensic foray into murders and mayhem. This time Dr.Brockton joins a colleague in Florida who is trying to prove that her sister did not commit suicide, but was in fact murdered by her husband.,
Well, a few more bodies and bones turn up and their investigation takes on another case as well.. This one is about a lot of bones that a dog has dug up that may belong to youth who died at a state corrective juvenile facility. This investigation crosses state lines as well as crossing some people who with not to be crossed and the investigation becomes dangerous as well as productive. Past actions and crimes are uncovered that pertain to their investigation. And they are able to solve the killing of the sister.
Suspense. Action .It is all here . Incidentally, this book mirrors a real life investigation of alleged murders and beatings that supposedly occurred at an actual Florida youth institution. Suspense at its best.
Incidentally, the Laura Lippman book, I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE, is now available in trade paper.(Morrow 978-0-06-207075-3). This is the one where a man on death row manages to insinuate himself back in to the life of a girl he kidnapped when she was a teenage. Psychological terror and guilt and courage come alive here. If you missed it first time round, here is your opportunity to catch up.
The Box is another Joe Pickett book and involves many characters we have met before. This time Joe' mother-in-law is accused of murder.The case also involves Nate Romanowski, revenge that goes awry, family problems and lots of buried secrets. I enjoy the way Box matures his characters and lets them get on with their lives instead of freezing them in time. His characters are well drawn and the sense of place in his books is awesome. There are some surprising twists to this and a rather high body count, but it is vintage Box.
Leonid McGill is back in the Mosley book and as world weary as ever and the current economy has him in need of a case to solve. His family life is still complicated by the fact that he and his wife live seemingly separate lives and she has a new lover. His children are a source of joy and trepidation plus one of his good friends is dying of cancer and McGill has taken him in to his home to care for him.And his associates are still dangerous and deadly as are his clients. This caper involves two sisters, an enigmatic husband who is extremely reclusive and terribly rich and some strange deceptions. McGill enlists some of his past shady connections to get to the bottom of this case. Mosley really makes his characters come alive.
Why I have not read any Winspear before is a mystery in its own right, This charming and fast paced novel is one of the Maisie Dobbs series set in England in 1932 - the year I was born. Maisie is a thoroughly modern and independent type who is clever, intelligent and on her first assignment for the British Secret Service. Maisie goes undercover in Cambridge as a professor to check out rumors of Nazi party activity. Well, there are murders, attempted murders,suspicious characters, red herrings galore, and sprightly dialogue. Maisie uncovers a lot of intrigue and proves herself to be a resourceful person. The look at the era is well handled. I will definitely be reading more by this author. There are seven previous novels for starters.
Jefferson Bass ( the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson) has added another exciting and rather gruesome forensic foray into murders and mayhem. This time Dr.Brockton joins a colleague in Florida who is trying to prove that her sister did not commit suicide, but was in fact murdered by her husband.,
Well, a few more bodies and bones turn up and their investigation takes on another case as well.. This one is about a lot of bones that a dog has dug up that may belong to youth who died at a state corrective juvenile facility. This investigation crosses state lines as well as crossing some people who with not to be crossed and the investigation becomes dangerous as well as productive. Past actions and crimes are uncovered that pertain to their investigation. And they are able to solve the killing of the sister.
Suspense. Action .It is all here . Incidentally, this book mirrors a real life investigation of alleged murders and beatings that supposedly occurred at an actual Florida youth institution. Suspense at its best.
Incidentally, the Laura Lippman book, I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE, is now available in trade paper.(Morrow 978-0-06-207075-3). This is the one where a man on death row manages to insinuate himself back in to the life of a girl he kidnapped when she was a teenage. Psychological terror and guilt and courage come alive here. If you missed it first time round, here is your opportunity to catch up.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Long time in the making..
I do not feel too bad about the length of time it took me to get back you after reading this book. I waited a long time for it to be published so I could read it. Jean Auel's latest book in the Earth's Children series, THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES , (Crown, 978-0-517-58051-6) finally came out.
Many years ago, I met her when she spoke at a Public Library Association Meeting in Portland. Oregon. She was a fantastic speaker and hearing her talk about her meticulous and thorough research she did for her books was worth the price of admission. This book was the one she was talking about researching at that time. I know it was more than a decade ago, because I retired 7 years ago. Her readers are patient as well as loyal. This book, all 757 pages of it, was worth the wait. Although, at times, I would have been content to have seen it published as two book. simply because of the heft.
This book continues the story Ayla, whose life has been central to all of the stories. In this tale she and her mate Jondalar have a young baby, Jonayla. The band of people are on their way to the summer meeting. This begins this saga that will cover several years in the lives of Ayla, her family, her group and various other
Caves throughout the area. throughout the book the persona of Ayla grows into the woman that has been foreshadowed throughout the series. No matter where she lives, Ayla stands out as unique.
even when young she had an affinity for animals. She has always had a oneness with nature and she is extremely intelligent and quick witted. Although her early life was spent among those who used gestures and signs more than language, she was able to learn language easily with her next family.
she has also been able to teach others the ability to sign. She met Jondalar when he was out on a kind of rite of passage or quest and it is to her credit that she was able to leave that family with
Jondalar and cause no ill will. Ayla has risen in rank with her new clan as well. She has become well known as a healer and is serving the Earth Mother as a Zelandoni and as the assistant, if you will, to the highest ranking Zelandoni, the One Who Was First. Because of her position she has to do a fair amount of traveling among the various caves and this provides the reader with the opportunity to see, in the mind's eye, the cave writing and art that has been found and preserved as it may have looked when fresh. It also provides a vehicle to learn the dynamics that existed among the clans themselves as well as between neighboring clans. The politics if survival has important then as well. Exploring the religion of the time provides insights into origins of many beliefs. Some tenets may still exist in a different guise.
The dynamics of living was as fraught with squabbles and jealousies as well then. Promiscuity and drunkenness and child neglect occurred as did crime as well as punishment.
Ayla was the victim of jealousy and hate because she was different in her speech since she was a foreigner by previous clan affiliation, She also appeared to have strange powers because she rode horses and tamed a wolf for a pet and companion. She was also favored by the Zelandoni.
This book is about the journey to and from the caves, discovering their meanings, the maturing of Ayla from a new mother and acolyte of the Mother into to the leading Zelandoni and the mother of a precocious young daughter. It is about the way the lives of the people are affected by their surrounding as well as other forces of change. It shows how they learn new things and new ways to adapt as they meet different events and peoples.We learn as Ayla learns the ways of the Zelandoni. Ayla changes from an adventurous and sometimes impetuous warrior hunter woman into a more introspective, mature healer, mediator, teacher, and adult.
And along the way we are treated to a glorious historical read, a love story, an adventure tale, and a travelogue that includes many fantastic caves and sites
When the book ends, Ayla is well on her way to being the One Who Was First. She has gone through tests, quests, and trials and has emerged ready to tackle her new life - and that may be literally as well as figuratively. Jondalar has also matured after a bit of losing his way and is well on his way to understanding the new order of things, And Jonayla? She will be one to watch.
The way the book ends? I don't think it actually does. Ayla is on the brink of a new chapter of her life. I hope that chapter makes in onto another book b Jean Auel. (Only do not make me wait too long this time. I am not as young as Ayla.)
As alway, the book is highly readable as well as chock full of well used research. I do not know what our ancestors were really like, but Jean Auel has certainly made me more aware of the possibilities that existed for them. I would suggest, that if you have never read the previous books in the series, you read them now. and if you had already read them? You might wis hto reread them and get a whole new perspect ive on once upon a time. I know books such as these send me on quests for other books to read about these places and these times.
s
st
Many years ago, I met her when she spoke at a Public Library Association Meeting in Portland. Oregon. She was a fantastic speaker and hearing her talk about her meticulous and thorough research she did for her books was worth the price of admission. This book was the one she was talking about researching at that time. I know it was more than a decade ago, because I retired 7 years ago. Her readers are patient as well as loyal. This book, all 757 pages of it, was worth the wait. Although, at times, I would have been content to have seen it published as two book. simply because of the heft.
This book continues the story Ayla, whose life has been central to all of the stories. In this tale she and her mate Jondalar have a young baby, Jonayla. The band of people are on their way to the summer meeting. This begins this saga that will cover several years in the lives of Ayla, her family, her group and various other
Caves throughout the area. throughout the book the persona of Ayla grows into the woman that has been foreshadowed throughout the series. No matter where she lives, Ayla stands out as unique.
even when young she had an affinity for animals. She has always had a oneness with nature and she is extremely intelligent and quick witted. Although her early life was spent among those who used gestures and signs more than language, she was able to learn language easily with her next family.
she has also been able to teach others the ability to sign. She met Jondalar when he was out on a kind of rite of passage or quest and it is to her credit that she was able to leave that family with
Jondalar and cause no ill will. Ayla has risen in rank with her new clan as well. She has become well known as a healer and is serving the Earth Mother as a Zelandoni and as the assistant, if you will, to the highest ranking Zelandoni, the One Who Was First. Because of her position she has to do a fair amount of traveling among the various caves and this provides the reader with the opportunity to see, in the mind's eye, the cave writing and art that has been found and preserved as it may have looked when fresh. It also provides a vehicle to learn the dynamics that existed among the clans themselves as well as between neighboring clans. The politics if survival has important then as well. Exploring the religion of the time provides insights into origins of many beliefs. Some tenets may still exist in a different guise.
The dynamics of living was as fraught with squabbles and jealousies as well then. Promiscuity and drunkenness and child neglect occurred as did crime as well as punishment.
Ayla was the victim of jealousy and hate because she was different in her speech since she was a foreigner by previous clan affiliation, She also appeared to have strange powers because she rode horses and tamed a wolf for a pet and companion. She was also favored by the Zelandoni.
This book is about the journey to and from the caves, discovering their meanings, the maturing of Ayla from a new mother and acolyte of the Mother into to the leading Zelandoni and the mother of a precocious young daughter. It is about the way the lives of the people are affected by their surrounding as well as other forces of change. It shows how they learn new things and new ways to adapt as they meet different events and peoples.We learn as Ayla learns the ways of the Zelandoni. Ayla changes from an adventurous and sometimes impetuous warrior hunter woman into a more introspective, mature healer, mediator, teacher, and adult.
And along the way we are treated to a glorious historical read, a love story, an adventure tale, and a travelogue that includes many fantastic caves and sites
When the book ends, Ayla is well on her way to being the One Who Was First. She has gone through tests, quests, and trials and has emerged ready to tackle her new life - and that may be literally as well as figuratively. Jondalar has also matured after a bit of losing his way and is well on his way to understanding the new order of things, And Jonayla? She will be one to watch.
The way the book ends? I don't think it actually does. Ayla is on the brink of a new chapter of her life. I hope that chapter makes in onto another book b Jean Auel. (Only do not make me wait too long this time. I am not as young as Ayla.)
As alway, the book is highly readable as well as chock full of well used research. I do not know what our ancestors were really like, but Jean Auel has certainly made me more aware of the possibilities that existed for them. I would suggest, that if you have never read the previous books in the series, you read them now. and if you had already read them? You might wis hto reread them and get a whole new perspect ive on once upon a time. I know books such as these send me on quests for other books to read about these places and these times.
s
st
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
So much to read
February
Her mother has turned drunken after the death of her captain husband and Nell's sister Rose is portrayed as a wanton prostitute for gentleman who does reform and marries well. The author sets the stage, if you well, for the plot by using playbills, gossip sheets and court letters and official announcements of the times.
The book really catches the feel of the era and the ugliness of life as well as the intimacy of the fact that royalty was easier to access in those days. This is a charming look at another era that, I suspect, has hidden a few warts, but never the less presents a love story for the ages. THE RAVEN QUEEN is set in ancient Ireland and is the tale of the warrior queen Maeve who was as fierce a competitor as any man and who was a rebel in her time. She had been sent to another kingdom as a bride, but came home to fight for and rule her father kingdom no matter at what cost. This book lays the groundwork for much of what we know of Irish legend. The glossary or terms is a must read to understand the book and the characters. The book is well researched. The life and loves of Queen Maeve border on the mystical and contain the larger than life legends that are attached to ancient Ireland, Conor, Cuchulain, Cormac, the Sidhe, as well as the ancient places and festivals that we are familiar with. If you enjoy bloody historical romance with a trace of fey, you will enjoy this. A couple of books with magical overtones are Cecelia Ahern's THE BOOK OF TOMORROW ( Harper 978-0-06-1780630-1) AND MR. CHARTWELL(Dial Press 978-1-4000-6940-8) by Rebecca Hunt. Ahern's book takes a spoiled young girl whose parents are dead from her fabulous life in the city and places her with relatives in a small country village that has few amenities and her life it turned upside down, It appears the only contact with the outside world as she knew it is through traveling lending library and the young lad who who drives the bookmobile. She checks out a book that looks like a journal but it begins to tell her what will happen the next day. This leads to some odd and harrowing events that involve her relatives, a nun, some peculiar people and much danger. She eventually sorts out what the book is telling her and finds out the truth about herself and her family. This is a charming story from a best selling author who is also the daughter of a former prime minister of Ireland. She also wrote the novel that became a movie starring Hilary Swank, P.S,I Love You. This is a charming, melancholy, but magical story.
If you recall history, you may remember that Winston Churchill suffered from depression. He was also known to call his depression a black dog. Well. Mr.Chartwell is that black dog. And supposedly he is not visible to those who are not afflicted, but I am not too sure of that. Mr. Chartwell appears to rent a room from one Esther Hammerhaus on London in 1964. She is surprised that a dog wants to rent, but takes it in stride and decides to rent the room to him. She finds that the longer he is there the more he takes over her house. She is a librarian at the House of Commons and just happens to be assigned to transcribe notes from the retiring Winston Churchill. Yes, everything is coming together quite nicely. Evidently, Mr. Chartwell is going to afflict both Esther and Churchill. But there are other complications. The librarian, while being intrigued by "Black Pat" has a new interest in her life that might pull her away. And Churchill's wife is too clever by far not to be able to see and hear Chartwell herself. You need to suspend your disbelief and imagine that Mr. Chartwell is really real - and he is to many-and enjoy the many ways people can go from despair to joy and find life worth living. Connections are everything and perhaps so are coincidences.
More later on the March book fare.
Remember, no one pays me for my opinions - they probably would not want to.
Her mother has turned drunken after the death of her captain husband and Nell's sister Rose is portrayed as a wanton prostitute for gentleman who does reform and marries well. The author sets the stage, if you well, for the plot by using playbills, gossip sheets and court letters and official announcements of the times.
The book really catches the feel of the era and the ugliness of life as well as the intimacy of the fact that royalty was easier to access in those days. This is a charming look at another era that, I suspect, has hidden a few warts, but never the less presents a love story for the ages. THE RAVEN QUEEN is set in ancient Ireland and is the tale of the warrior queen Maeve who was as fierce a competitor as any man and who was a rebel in her time. She had been sent to another kingdom as a bride, but came home to fight for and rule her father kingdom no matter at what cost. This book lays the groundwork for much of what we know of Irish legend. The glossary or terms is a must read to understand the book and the characters. The book is well researched. The life and loves of Queen Maeve border on the mystical and contain the larger than life legends that are attached to ancient Ireland, Conor, Cuchulain, Cormac, the Sidhe, as well as the ancient places and festivals that we are familiar with. If you enjoy bloody historical romance with a trace of fey, you will enjoy this. A couple of books with magical overtones are Cecelia Ahern's THE BOOK OF TOMORROW ( Harper 978-0-06-1780630-1) AND MR. CHARTWELL(Dial Press 978-1-4000-6940-8) by Rebecca Hunt. Ahern's book takes a spoiled young girl whose parents are dead from her fabulous life in the city and places her with relatives in a small country village that has few amenities and her life it turned upside down, It appears the only contact with the outside world as she knew it is through traveling lending library and the young lad who who drives the bookmobile. She checks out a book that looks like a journal but it begins to tell her what will happen the next day. This leads to some odd and harrowing events that involve her relatives, a nun, some peculiar people and much danger. She eventually sorts out what the book is telling her and finds out the truth about herself and her family. This is a charming story from a best selling author who is also the daughter of a former prime minister of Ireland. She also wrote the novel that became a movie starring Hilary Swank, P.S,I Love You. This is a charming, melancholy, but magical story.
If you recall history, you may remember that Winston Churchill suffered from depression. He was also known to call his depression a black dog. Well. Mr.Chartwell is that black dog. And supposedly he is not visible to those who are not afflicted, but I am not too sure of that. Mr. Chartwell appears to rent a room from one Esther Hammerhaus on London in 1964. She is surprised that a dog wants to rent, but takes it in stride and decides to rent the room to him. She finds that the longer he is there the more he takes over her house. She is a librarian at the House of Commons and just happens to be assigned to transcribe notes from the retiring Winston Churchill. Yes, everything is coming together quite nicely. Evidently, Mr. Chartwell is going to afflict both Esther and Churchill. But there are other complications. The librarian, while being intrigued by "Black Pat" has a new interest in her life that might pull her away. And Churchill's wife is too clever by far not to be able to see and hear Chartwell herself. You need to suspend your disbelief and imagine that Mr. Chartwell is really real - and he is to many-and enjoy the many ways people can go from despair to joy and find life worth living. Connections are everything and perhaps so are coincidences.
More later on the March book fare.
Remember, no one pays me for my opinions - they probably would not want to.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
FREEBIES! FREE BOOKS!
Check futher into the blog to find out how to get YOUR free copy of CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE . Hurry.
Don't delay!
Don't delay!
January and books
YOU KNOW WHEN THE MEN ARE GONE by Siobhan Fallon (Amy Einhorn Books, 978-0-399-15720--2) is a sleeper.It sneaks up on you as you read it. It is an loosely interconnected stories that deal with service wives and families when their husbands are off on tours of duty. The fallout when they come home is there as well. As is the hum drum of lives on hold. Each woman and each family cope in different ways, when they do cope at all. The stories are spare and lean, but cut to the bone on their depiction of fear, guilt, loneliness. They also deal with death, alienation, jealousy and remorse. Fallon has been a service wife herself and her tales have that been there seen that quality. This is a penetrating and powerful look at what war does to those who live it at home.
A CUP OF FRIENDSHIP by Deborah Rodriguez (Ballantine, 978-0345-51475-2) is a novel from the author on the nonfiction best seller KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL. Set in Kabul. this is the story of Sunny, an ex -pat American who operates a coffee shop for her peers. The stories that they all live and tell about are the grist for this saga. Sunny rescues a young woman, Yasmin. who was kidnapped from a rural village, used, and then abandoned in the city when she became pregnant. The cafe is the meeting place for
a wide range of characters who include a wealthy American beguiled by a shady local playboy type, Halajan,a older widow affiliated with the coffee house whose long love defies custom, political speakers, her politically correct son, Sonny's ex, Tommy, and the enigmatic Jack as well as political speakers and others. There stories involve clandestine love, rescues of kidnapped girls, adventure, friendship, love, and life on the cusp pf a coming war. One can learn much about a co8untry and its people by listening to those who live where even if they are fictional. The writing in this book is beautifully crafted.
And last but not least, we have THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS by Andrew Taylor (Hyperion,978-1-4013-0287-0). Set in England in 1785 this is the story of a book seller, John Holdsworth. He has fallen on hard times and after his son drowns and his wife commits suicide after she claims to be visited by the son Georgie's ghost Holdsworth had written and published a treatise on the anatomy of ghosts but this did not deter his wife.and so sets about debunking their existence. Even though his dreams about his dead son are as real to him as are the ghosts to others.This book however was the reason he is taken into the circle that includes Lady Ann Oldershaw, whose late husband has made a huge bequest of his books to
Cambridge University. He is attached to her household to evaluate and value these books, but his real purpose turns put to be to exorcise or at least explain some ghosts that have been reported in the area. These ghostly emanations have been seen by the impressionable son of Lady Oldershaw and because of this he is incarcerated in a rather suspect mental hospital. Lady O wants him out and she thinks Holdsworth is the man for the job. His investigation uncovers illicit loves, plots among and against the instructors, tutors, and the undergraduates of the university, as well as murder most foul as well as some mistaken identities and unfortunate events as well as some shady beginnings of some of the colleges secret societies for the chosen. This is a suspenseful thriller set in a period that gives the plot credence, It also provides a backdrop for an interesting foray into the history of English life, the eternal politics of academia, and above all,the anatomy of a ghost - or at least the anatomy if a ghostly story. A spirited romp.
A CUP OF FRIENDSHIP by Deborah Rodriguez (Ballantine, 978-0345-51475-2) is a novel from the author on the nonfiction best seller KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL. Set in Kabul. this is the story of Sunny, an ex -pat American who operates a coffee shop for her peers. The stories that they all live and tell about are the grist for this saga. Sunny rescues a young woman, Yasmin. who was kidnapped from a rural village, used, and then abandoned in the city when she became pregnant. The cafe is the meeting place for
a wide range of characters who include a wealthy American beguiled by a shady local playboy type, Halajan,a older widow affiliated with the coffee house whose long love defies custom, political speakers, her politically correct son, Sonny's ex, Tommy, and the enigmatic Jack as well as political speakers and others. There stories involve clandestine love, rescues of kidnapped girls, adventure, friendship, love, and life on the cusp pf a coming war. One can learn much about a co8untry and its people by listening to those who live where even if they are fictional. The writing in this book is beautifully crafted.
And last but not least, we have THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS by Andrew Taylor (Hyperion,978-1-4013-0287-0). Set in England in 1785 this is the story of a book seller, John Holdsworth. He has fallen on hard times and after his son drowns and his wife commits suicide after she claims to be visited by the son Georgie's ghost Holdsworth had written and published a treatise on the anatomy of ghosts but this did not deter his wife.and so sets about debunking their existence. Even though his dreams about his dead son are as real to him as are the ghosts to others.This book however was the reason he is taken into the circle that includes Lady Ann Oldershaw, whose late husband has made a huge bequest of his books to
Cambridge University. He is attached to her household to evaluate and value these books, but his real purpose turns put to be to exorcise or at least explain some ghosts that have been reported in the area. These ghostly emanations have been seen by the impressionable son of Lady Oldershaw and because of this he is incarcerated in a rather suspect mental hospital. Lady O wants him out and she thinks Holdsworth is the man for the job. His investigation uncovers illicit loves, plots among and against the instructors, tutors, and the undergraduates of the university, as well as murder most foul as well as some mistaken identities and unfortunate events as well as some shady beginnings of some of the colleges secret societies for the chosen. This is a suspenseful thriller set in a period that gives the plot credence, It also provides a backdrop for an interesting foray into the history of English life, the eternal politics of academia, and above all,the anatomy of a ghost - or at least the anatomy if a ghostly story. A spirited romp.
New books in January
Many books that I recently read were published in January, They represent many styles and genres and view points .I have included some here that caught my fancy.
NEPTUNE'S INFERNO, THE U.S. NAVY AT GUADALCANAL by James D. Hornfischer, (Bantam
978-0-553-80670) is a nonfiction account of the bloody sea battles that occurred during the fight for the south Pacific and its islands. This is a no frills look at the battle that shows both sides of the battle and the seeming lack of preparation that went into our effort. The book whitewashes no one and is pitiless in its placing of blame, (rightly or wrongly). The book is stark and gruesome at times and is not for the faint of heart - or eye. From what I recall hearing and reading at this time (I probably 9 or 10 at the time) it is pretty accurate, It seems a wonder that either side won. Written in a rather dry and fact laden style, this is a lot of information about a defining time of out history. Now we would learn about everything instantaneously through the media. Then we waited until it went through government hands, made it to newspapers and appeared in theaters in newsreels or on the radio. Times as well as wars have changed.
From nonfiction gloom and global war to gloom and doom on a smaller scale. CARIBOU ISLAND by David Vann, ( Harper, 978-0-06-187572-4) is a book full of darkness and despair. Set in
Alaska ,this is the story of a failed marriage between two people who basically love each other but are totally unable to communicate and who seem to aggravate and infuriate each other by just by being themselves. Irene, the wife, is melancholy and her husband Gary is taciturn. Irene is carrying a dark memory of her own family life and her mother. The daughter Rhoda is planning on marrying her long time love Jim who drifts into relationship with a visiting free spirit. The family dynamics suggest tragedy is just around the corner at any time. This is a book that peels away at layers if guilt and passion and reveals the true person. The writing is precise and pristine. Although the book is dark and sometimes depressing it is a gem of a read.
For a quick read you might want to gibe Laura Lippman's THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT (William Morrow, 978-0-06-193836-8) a look. This novel was originally serialized in the New York Times and now is a Harper trade paper. The book features a pregnant Tess Monaghan who has been ordered by her doctor to stay put. So she has a kind of a "Rear Window" episode where she watches through her window. She notices a woman walking a feisty dog every day. The woman is wearing a green raincoat. And then, the woman is gone and the dog is out side alone. Tess decides something is amiss and gets her household and her work associates involved in finding out why this dog is alone and where the woman is.
Naturally, with Tess stirring the pot and her intrepid assistant, Mrs. Blossom, tracking down clues and doing the leg work, no crime can go undetected or unsolved. Tess and Crow will become parents and life will be changing for Tess. It will be interesting to see how Lippman handles the change of status of her independent strong woman private eye when she becomes an independent and strong mother with competing and complicating responsibilities and desire. I am looking forward to the next chapter in the saga.
NEPTUNE'S INFERNO, THE U.S. NAVY AT GUADALCANAL by James D. Hornfischer, (Bantam
978-0-553-80670) is a nonfiction account of the bloody sea battles that occurred during the fight for the south Pacific and its islands. This is a no frills look at the battle that shows both sides of the battle and the seeming lack of preparation that went into our effort. The book whitewashes no one and is pitiless in its placing of blame, (rightly or wrongly). The book is stark and gruesome at times and is not for the faint of heart - or eye. From what I recall hearing and reading at this time (I probably 9 or 10 at the time) it is pretty accurate, It seems a wonder that either side won. Written in a rather dry and fact laden style, this is a lot of information about a defining time of out history. Now we would learn about everything instantaneously through the media. Then we waited until it went through government hands, made it to newspapers and appeared in theaters in newsreels or on the radio. Times as well as wars have changed.
From nonfiction gloom and global war to gloom and doom on a smaller scale. CARIBOU ISLAND by David Vann, ( Harper, 978-0-06-187572-4) is a book full of darkness and despair. Set in
Alaska ,this is the story of a failed marriage between two people who basically love each other but are totally unable to communicate and who seem to aggravate and infuriate each other by just by being themselves. Irene, the wife, is melancholy and her husband Gary is taciturn. Irene is carrying a dark memory of her own family life and her mother. The daughter Rhoda is planning on marrying her long time love Jim who drifts into relationship with a visiting free spirit. The family dynamics suggest tragedy is just around the corner at any time. This is a book that peels away at layers if guilt and passion and reveals the true person. The writing is precise and pristine. Although the book is dark and sometimes depressing it is a gem of a read.
For a quick read you might want to gibe Laura Lippman's THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT (William Morrow, 978-0-06-193836-8) a look. This novel was originally serialized in the New York Times and now is a Harper trade paper. The book features a pregnant Tess Monaghan who has been ordered by her doctor to stay put. So she has a kind of a "Rear Window" episode where she watches through her window. She notices a woman walking a feisty dog every day. The woman is wearing a green raincoat. And then, the woman is gone and the dog is out side alone. Tess decides something is amiss and gets her household and her work associates involved in finding out why this dog is alone and where the woman is.
Naturally, with Tess stirring the pot and her intrepid assistant, Mrs. Blossom, tracking down clues and doing the leg work, no crime can go undetected or unsolved. Tess and Crow will become parents and life will be changing for Tess. It will be interesting to see how Lippman handles the change of status of her independent strong woman private eye when she becomes an independent and strong mother with competing and complicating responsibilities and desire. I am looking forward to the next chapter in the saga.
As I was saying
The sun is shining! The snow is melting! And I am definitely thinking spring. As are the birds outside my window.That includes the very noisy robin on the fencepost looking slightly annoyed. The pile of books to be read seems to shrink, while the stack to review grows by the day. So many things get in the way. Weather. Egypt. Taxes. But I digress.
FREEBIES! That' right. I have 5 copies of CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE by Susan Elizabeth Phillips to give away to eh first five readers and/or new followers who contact me at laurabelle.mccaffery@gmail.com with name and mailing address. The books will be mailed out in a week to ten days after I receive your email. Then let me know how you liked the book.
And, no, no one pays me to do any of this. I read and provide my opinions whether anyone agrees or not.
FREEBIES! That' right. I have 5 copies of CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE by Susan Elizabeth Phillips to give away to eh first five readers and/or new followers who contact me at laurabelle.mccaffery@gmail.com with name and mailing address. The books will be mailed out in a week to ten days after I receive your email. Then let me know how you liked the book.
And, no, no one pays me to do any of this. I read and provide my opinions whether anyone agrees or not.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Shameless self promotion
You might be interested in checking out a local book page, www.communitybookcompany.com . You can also link to The Shelfstalker from that page. (Since Mitchell Books has ceased to be, I have moved to this page as well.)
American Rose - Gypsy Rose Lee
AMERICAN ROSE by Karen Abbott (Random House, 978-1-4000-6691-9) in American recalls another era in American entertainment and culture. For those too young to recall, Gypsy Rose Lee was the subject of GYPSY, the Broadway musical, a witty denizen of late night talk shows, an author, and above all, a striptease artist par excellence. She excelled more with the tease in her act than the bump and grind and made removing long gloves and silk stocking a tantalizing adventure. That was back in the days when vaudeville and burlesque was king and girls, girls, girls were big attractions. Long before MTV and music videos made most strippers redundant. But then I digress. This biography strips away a lot of the hype that surrounded Gypsy (most of which she created for herself ) and looks at her rather bizarre and tawdry early like. Her mother Rose was a piece of work who did dedicate herself to getting her daughters to be stars by any means possible. And some means were pretty despicable. June Havoc, Gypsy's sister, was better known as an actress and probably was really the talented one. Evidently Gypsy was willing to do more to keep Mama Rose happy. Or maybe she was more ambitious. The back street back story of the gritty existence of the vaudeville performers is well described. Besides chronicling the life of Gypsy, the book is a popular history of the entertainment circuit life. You had to be tough. Abbott has researched Gypsy's childhood, if she really had one as she started on stage before most kids were in kindergarten, through to her death. We see her clawing her way to stardom and trying to please and placate Mama Rose. Money motivated Gypsy more than most anything else, but she did have one great love in her life. Mike Todd. Yes, the same Mike Todd who later was with Liz Taylor. But that was doomed to fail. She had one son, by a father she chose and never looked back. She had a complicated family life in her adulthood. She and her sister both had a love hate relationship with their mother and were prickly with each other. They were all tough characters whose lives had more than a few unsavory moments. Most people now think of Gypsy, if they do at all, as the witty ex exotic dancer they saw on talk shows or the glamorized version from the musical. Abbott presents Gypsy and her family warts and all. In fact some of the aspects of her life I would just as soon bypassed. Sex habits, Affairs. Suspicious deaths. Mobsters. It is all there to read about. The attention to detail is overwhelming. And the source citing is amazing. Abbott may write sensational and titillating biographies but they are well researched. Besides being a very open and in depth look at an American pop icon from the past, this is a colorful coverage of a slice of Americana long gone from our cultural scene. Back in the fifties when I lived in Hammond, Indiana the neighboring town of Calumet City was famous (infamous) for its plethora of strip clubs. Visitors would often ask about visiting some of them. I doubt if that would be the case today. I suspect the shows that might have drawn interest then are have present day counterparts that are easily available on TV or at least in Vegas.. Abbott also wrote the bestseller, SIN IN THE SECOND CITY.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Winter doldrums set in
All the snow and cold make one wish for spring and the budding of trees and spring blooms. But if I can not have that I will have to make do with books.
And for a sassy, witty, and fast paced romantic adventure Susan Elizabeth Phillips' CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE ( Morrow 978-0-06-13515) fills the bill. If you have read Phillips, you have probably met Ted Beaudine (Mr. Irresistible) from Texas, Meg Koranda, black sheep daughter of Hollywood royalty, and Lucy Jorick, daughter of a formerAmerican president (female no less) of the United States.. It involves Ted's adoring townsfolk (he is the town's mayor) ,Lucy as a runaway bride, and Meg as the villain in the piece. Since Meg is broke, she takes on some peculiar jobs in Wynette and faces the collective wrath of the townsfolk who blame her for the cancelled wedding between Lucy and Ted. It is fun to read the repartee and enjoy the small town ambiance. It is a romp through the world where all's well that eventually ends well. The rootless tough loved daughter gets roots and learns to follow her passion and learns to do honest work. Ted turns out to be more complicated that he seems at first appearance. And the wealthy bully and his pushy daughter get their comeuppance and go back to Indiana. ( I would have preferred people this disagreeable to have been from some other state.) And all in all it is a pert love story that is good reading on a gloomy day. As I was reading the book and thoroughly enjoying the imagery the author painted of these ladies and gentleman that came to life like a television episode in my imagination, I chuckled at the dialogue . I thought how much the saucy heroine made me think of Lass Small, a friend of mine and former author who just died. Her Texas heroines (Actually her Indiana ones as well) were as pert and saucy as was Meg. I think I might never have read and enjoyed Phillips nearly as much if I had not read Lass years ago.This is fresh and fun novel Phillips write women's fiction with a colorful flair for spot on characterizations. Some of her people are dead ringers for some real life characters I seem to recall. I will look forward to the next chapter of the lives of the Beaudines and Wynette, Texas.
And for a sassy, witty, and fast paced romantic adventure Susan Elizabeth Phillips' CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE ( Morrow 978-0-06-13515) fills the bill. If you have read Phillips, you have probably met Ted Beaudine (Mr. Irresistible) from Texas, Meg Koranda, black sheep daughter of Hollywood royalty, and Lucy Jorick, daughter of a formerAmerican president (female no less) of the United States.. It involves Ted's adoring townsfolk (he is the town's mayor) ,Lucy as a runaway bride, and Meg as the villain in the piece. Since Meg is broke, she takes on some peculiar jobs in Wynette and faces the collective wrath of the townsfolk who blame her for the cancelled wedding between Lucy and Ted. It is fun to read the repartee and enjoy the small town ambiance. It is a romp through the world where all's well that eventually ends well. The rootless tough loved daughter gets roots and learns to follow her passion and learns to do honest work. Ted turns out to be more complicated that he seems at first appearance. And the wealthy bully and his pushy daughter get their comeuppance and go back to Indiana. ( I would have preferred people this disagreeable to have been from some other state.) And all in all it is a pert love story that is good reading on a gloomy day. As I was reading the book and thoroughly enjoying the imagery the author painted of these ladies and gentleman that came to life like a television episode in my imagination, I chuckled at the dialogue . I thought how much the saucy heroine made me think of Lass Small, a friend of mine and former author who just died. Her Texas heroines (Actually her Indiana ones as well) were as pert and saucy as was Meg. I think I might never have read and enjoyed Phillips nearly as much if I had not read Lass years ago.This is fresh and fun novel Phillips write women's fiction with a colorful flair for spot on characterizations. Some of her people are dead ringers for some real life characters I seem to recall. I will look forward to the next chapter of the lives of the Beaudines and Wynette, Texas.
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