A very subjective list, so much depends on how I'm feeling when I read a book. Some of these may have received fewer stars later in the year. Almost all of these were read the first half of the year. And maybe some of the books in the last half would have received more stars if I hadn't already read so many books. I think The Martian was my favorite of the year.
Alex by Pierre Lemaitre - Alex by Pierre Lemaitre - my first book of 2014 and it was a doozy. The
author earned the CWA International Dagger award for this book and it's
his first translated into English. A woman is kidnapped and held
prisoner with the stated intent of being watched until she dies. The
story alternates between her viewpoint and that of the policeman trying
to find her. Lots of plot twists. Pretty gritty and violent, I think
most of my readers would find it too much. There is a previous novel
featuring the same policeman and it would have been nice to read it
first for some important context. I hope more of his novels will be
published here.
Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde - Billy Shine is a former dancer, now an agoraphobic. He sees 9 year old
Grace sitting on the steps of his apartment and unwillingly becomes
involved in her life. Gradually, all the neighbors in the building are
drawn in and become unlikely friends. I must have been in just the right
mood, loved this book.
The Martian by Andy Weir - an astronaut has an accident and is left behind on Mars by his crewmates
because they believe him dead. Now he must survive 4 years before the
next mission. In spite of all the techy talk, this is quite action
packed. Surprisingly humorous in spots. Some language.
The Son by Jo Nesbo - this is a stand alone, not part of his Harry Hole' series. Sonny has
spent almost half his life in prison when he discovers something about
his father and escapes. He begins revenge killing. The police and
criminals are looking for him. Although Sonny is also a criminal and
does some horrendous things, I somehow found myself rooting for him. A
couple of unexpected twists at the end. I really like the way this
author writes. Would be rated R for violence if it were a movie.
Precious Thing by Colette McBeth - a news reporter is called to a missing person story and finds that is
her best friend. Just when you think you know what's going on there's
another twist. Just the kind of book I like.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a blind girl and her father leave Paris with a priceless artifact as the
Germans are arriving. An orphaned German boy becomes an expert at
finding transmissions made by resistance fighters. Somehow the two meet
in this beautifully written book. Written from different viewpoints and
times but I didn't find it confusing. Most of the chapters are quite
short. Some horrific war passages.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - the life of a widowed book seller is changed drastically when a baby is
left in his store. Each chapter begins with a synopsis of a short story.
Some language. I loved the way this was written.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Clare North - Harry is a time traveler of a different sort, he lives the same life
over and over and remembers his past lives. He gets a message from the
future that the world is ending and must spend many of his lives
figuring out what's going on.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman - something is out there and if you see it you go mad. Malorie decides to
leave the house where she has lived with her children the last four
years to try to find a safe place. And she has to make the trip
blindfolded, using her children as her ears. The story goes back and
forth between the journey and what has lead up to it. This book made me
really nervous, I didn't have a clue how it would end. A little gruesome
in parts. Also, one of the most beautiful dedications I've read.
Reason to Believe by HR Huntsman - an apologetics book beginning with creation and going through to the
historicity of Jesus. Disclaimer - the author is my pastor. This book is
the result of a sermon series a few years ago and that I really enjoyed
at the time. This would have received 4 stars, mostly because the book
layout style is not my favorite, but because of extreme prejudice and
loyalty... 5 stars.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Dec 22-27, 2014
Burning Man by Alan Russell - Detective Michael Gibson and his K-9 partner, Sirius, are severely burned capturing a serial killer during a fire. Two years later, Michael is still dealing with the aftermath and also investigating two different cases. While that part of the book was okay, most of the conversations read like elementary comedy routines. There's very little investigating and lots of drawn out scenes. I'll still read the second in the series because it's on my Kindle.
2 stars
2 stars
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Dec 14-20, 2014
Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard Zoglin - a long, but interesting, book about Bob Hope. I only knew him from his tv specials so I found this very informative. The author seems fairly impartial.
3 stars
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3:10 a m by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back, the man who is only awake one hour a day, at 3 am. His missing for 30 years mother is tangled up with the CIA. Improbable plot (his cat seems as smart as he is), but it's interesting seeing how he lives his life an hour at a time. This is a to be continued book.
2 stars
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Black Coffee by Agatha Christie - this was not actually written as a book by AC. She wrote it as a play and it was adapted by Charles Osborne. For some reason he left the stage directions in which totally gives away the murderer.
2 stars
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The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie - another stage play adapted by Charles Osborne. A stranger goes to a house looking for help after his car has gone into a ditch and finds a man dead. The man's wife is standing in the shadows with a gun in her hand. Lots of false trails and twists.
3 stars
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In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon edited by Laurie King and Leslie Klinger - a collection of short stories. My favorites were the one told by Silver Blaze, the horse from a Holmes story, and the one written as a social media telling of the Hound.
3 stars
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3:21 am by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back and he's going on vacation to Alaska in the summer to see the sun for the first time in his life. Can't say anymore without spoiling it, but this book made me mad. We were promised something at the end of the second book and this delivered in only a very roundabout way. I don't know if I'll read the fourth book, coming out next March, or not.
2 stars
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Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller - bad things just keep happening in Acker's Gap. Now it looks like a serial killer is on the loose. And Bell Atkins is not getting along with her sister, recently released from prison.
3 stars
3 stars
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3:10 a m by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back, the man who is only awake one hour a day, at 3 am. His missing for 30 years mother is tangled up with the CIA. Improbable plot (his cat seems as smart as he is), but it's interesting seeing how he lives his life an hour at a time. This is a to be continued book.
2 stars
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Black Coffee by Agatha Christie - this was not actually written as a book by AC. She wrote it as a play and it was adapted by Charles Osborne. For some reason he left the stage directions in which totally gives away the murderer.
2 stars
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The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie - another stage play adapted by Charles Osborne. A stranger goes to a house looking for help after his car has gone into a ditch and finds a man dead. The man's wife is standing in the shadows with a gun in her hand. Lots of false trails and twists.
3 stars
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In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon edited by Laurie King and Leslie Klinger - a collection of short stories. My favorites were the one told by Silver Blaze, the horse from a Holmes story, and the one written as a social media telling of the Hound.
3 stars
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3:21 am by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back and he's going on vacation to Alaska in the summer to see the sun for the first time in his life. Can't say anymore without spoiling it, but this book made me mad. We were promised something at the end of the second book and this delivered in only a very roundabout way. I don't know if I'll read the fourth book, coming out next March, or not.
2 stars
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Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller - bad things just keep happening in Acker's Gap. Now it looks like a serial killer is on the loose. And Bell Atkins is not getting along with her sister, recently released from prison.
3 stars
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Dec 7-13, 2014
Never Look Back by Clare Donoghue - I liked the mystery part, a serial killer in London, but the detective was a little iffy for me. He has a shock at the beginning of the story and seems to have trouble concentrating after that. I did like that I had no idea who the perpetrator was. Looks like this is the beginning of a series.
3 stars
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Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance - it's 1867 and two down on their luck actresses have managed to be hired by a millionaire's wife as servants. They travel to an old castle in Germany where it is rumored that Snow White's cottage is somewhere on the property. Murder, mystery, and a little romance follow. This was just a little slow in places but I enjoyed it enough to want to read the next in the series.
3 stars
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Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz *- the author was the ghost writer of Franklin's earlier book and he felt it ended up a puff piece. This book is filled with quotes from family and producers. I only knew Franklin from "Respect", so it was interesting to read about all her albums.
* I would be interested to read a book by the author about himself.From a Jewish family, he says he became a Christian because of his exposure to gospel music in black churches which he attended while researching the many singers he's ghostwritten.
3 stars
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As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes - a nice book about the joyous time the author had making the movie. Many of the other people in the movie also talk about the experience. The thing I found most touching was how everyone seemed to so love Andre the Giant. No backstabbing! so I gave it
4 stars
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The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain - Riley has always believed the sister she can barely remember committed suicide. Now, cleaning out her father's house, she finds evidence to the contrary. Easy to figure out plot and a rather saccharine end.
2 stars
3 stars
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Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance - it's 1867 and two down on their luck actresses have managed to be hired by a millionaire's wife as servants. They travel to an old castle in Germany where it is rumored that Snow White's cottage is somewhere on the property. Murder, mystery, and a little romance follow. This was just a little slow in places but I enjoyed it enough to want to read the next in the series.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz *- the author was the ghost writer of Franklin's earlier book and he felt it ended up a puff piece. This book is filled with quotes from family and producers. I only knew Franklin from "Respect", so it was interesting to read about all her albums.
* I would be interested to read a book by the author about himself.From a Jewish family, he says he became a Christian because of his exposure to gospel music in black churches which he attended while researching the many singers he's ghostwritten.
3 stars
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As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes - a nice book about the joyous time the author had making the movie. Many of the other people in the movie also talk about the experience. The thing I found most touching was how everyone seemed to so love Andre the Giant. No backstabbing! so I gave it
4 stars
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The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain - Riley has always believed the sister she can barely remember committed suicide. Now, cleaning out her father's house, she finds evidence to the contrary. Easy to figure out plot and a rather saccharine end.
2 stars
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2014
An Unwilling Accomplice by Charles Todd - WWI nurse Bess Crawford is asked to accompany a wounded soldier receiving a medal from the king. The next day he has disappeared and she is accused of helping him desert. Then she learns he's suspected of murder and once again she's suspected of being his accomplice. I love the Inspector Rutledge series by this author but this was quite a disappointment. Lots of driving back and forth between small villages with not much accomplished but to muddy the mystery.
2 stars
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On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M Poole - besides being a history of the cemetery, the author also briefly covers the conflicts that created the need for the cemetery.
3 stars
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A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley - when the author was 5, he became separated from his brother on a train and ended up in Calcutta. After surviving on the streets for awhile he was sent to an orphanage and then adopted by a couple in Australia. Twenty-five years later he tries to find his village and his family.
3 stars
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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - a toddler escapes the murder of his family by going through the fence into a graveyard. The ghosts decide to shelter him until he becomes an adult. A YA book that's just a little bit spooky.
4 stars
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Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen by Bill Crider - a Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery. A hairdresser is found murdered at her place of employment and soon after there's another murder at an antique store. Are they connected? And what do they have to do with what's going on at the recycling center?
3 stars
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Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan - the comedian writes about his love affair with food.
3 stars
2 stars
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On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M Poole - besides being a history of the cemetery, the author also briefly covers the conflicts that created the need for the cemetery.
3 stars
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A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley - when the author was 5, he became separated from his brother on a train and ended up in Calcutta. After surviving on the streets for awhile he was sent to an orphanage and then adopted by a couple in Australia. Twenty-five years later he tries to find his village and his family.
3 stars
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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - a toddler escapes the murder of his family by going through the fence into a graveyard. The ghosts decide to shelter him until he becomes an adult. A YA book that's just a little bit spooky.
4 stars
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Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen by Bill Crider - a Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery. A hairdresser is found murdered at her place of employment and soon after there's another murder at an antique store. Are they connected? And what do they have to do with what's going on at the recycling center?
3 stars
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Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan - the comedian writes about his love affair with food.
3 stars
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Nov 23-29, 2014
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce - Tara disappeared 20 years ago and then suddenly turns up on her parent's doorstep looking no older. The story she tells them and her brother seems impossible. Is she delusional, lying or could it be the truth? Told from many different viewpoints.
4 stars
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The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - a solicitor is in his office feeling bored when he receives a telephone call from a woman saying she and her mother have been accused of a bizarre crime. A young girl is saying they kidnapped her, held her for many weeks, and beat her. The women claim to have never seen her before and yet she can describe their house and the room she was held in. This is supposed to be an Inspector Grant book but he hardly makes an appearance. Published in 1948.
4 stars
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Brass in Pocket by Stephen Puleston - someone has lain in wait for two police officers and killed them with a crossbow. The killer sends the police a song lyric that seemingly has nothing to do with the case. A series of murders that seem unconnected soon follow. A freebie on my Kindle.
2 stars
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The Intercept by Dick Wolf, the producer of the Law and Order series on tv. A failed terrorist attack on a plane leads Jeremy Fisk to believe it was a decoy for a real attack on the 4th of July.
3 stars
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Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - a pandemic has swept earth and there are very few people left. A touring orchestra's story is intertwined with a strange prophet, an actor, and an almost paramedic. The story goes back and forth in time a lot but I didn't find it confusing. Just the kind of strange book I like.
4 stars
4 stars
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The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - a solicitor is in his office feeling bored when he receives a telephone call from a woman saying she and her mother have been accused of a bizarre crime. A young girl is saying they kidnapped her, held her for many weeks, and beat her. The women claim to have never seen her before and yet she can describe their house and the room she was held in. This is supposed to be an Inspector Grant book but he hardly makes an appearance. Published in 1948.
4 stars
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Brass in Pocket by Stephen Puleston - someone has lain in wait for two police officers and killed them with a crossbow. The killer sends the police a song lyric that seemingly has nothing to do with the case. A series of murders that seem unconnected soon follow. A freebie on my Kindle.
2 stars
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The Intercept by Dick Wolf, the producer of the Law and Order series on tv. A failed terrorist attack on a plane leads Jeremy Fisk to believe it was a decoy for a real attack on the 4th of July.
3 stars
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Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - a pandemic has swept earth and there are very few people left. A touring orchestra's story is intertwined with a strange prophet, an actor, and an almost paramedic. The story goes back and forth in time a lot but I didn't find it confusing. Just the kind of strange book I like.
4 stars
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Nov 16-22, 2014
A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey - published in 1936. I enjoyed the first Inspector Grant so much I wanted to read another. An actress is found drowned on the seacoast and soon murder is suspected. Lots of twists and turns. And the cult of celebrity seems very familiar to our times.
4 stars
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Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy - in 1963, the author bicycled alone with very few belongings to India. She stayed and ate with the locals, most of whom she found very welcoming. I found her observations on Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan interesting, especially from 50 years later. Told in diary form. And it's with a bicycle instead of on because many times she was pushing it up steep trails or even carrying it.
4 stars
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The Last Girl by Jane Casey - a wealthy attorney and one of his twin daughters survive an attack that has left their wife and sister dead. Maeve Kerrigan and her partner are given the case while the rest of their team deals with a gang war. A couple of odd tangents and they're the ones that aren't cleared up, I guess they'll be in the next book, too.
3 stars
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The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell - the book opens almost right away with the murder, how it was done and why. Sixty years later evidence turns up and childhood friendships are renewed. This isn't as much about the murder as it is about the stories of the elderly people it impacts.
4 stars
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Proof Positive by Archer Mayor - the 25th Joe Gunther novel. A Vietnam vet turned hoarder's death becomes connected to a powerful Senator. The sidekicks are under control and Joe isn't mooning about love and death. A nice solid mystery.
3 stars
4 stars
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Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy - in 1963, the author bicycled alone with very few belongings to India. She stayed and ate with the locals, most of whom she found very welcoming. I found her observations on Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan interesting, especially from 50 years later. Told in diary form. And it's with a bicycle instead of on because many times she was pushing it up steep trails or even carrying it.
4 stars
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The Last Girl by Jane Casey - a wealthy attorney and one of his twin daughters survive an attack that has left their wife and sister dead. Maeve Kerrigan and her partner are given the case while the rest of their team deals with a gang war. A couple of odd tangents and they're the ones that aren't cleared up, I guess they'll be in the next book, too.
3 stars
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The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell - the book opens almost right away with the murder, how it was done and why. Sixty years later evidence turns up and childhood friendships are renewed. This isn't as much about the murder as it is about the stories of the elderly people it impacts.
4 stars
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Proof Positive by Archer Mayor - the 25th Joe Gunther novel. A Vietnam vet turned hoarder's death becomes connected to a powerful Senator. The sidekicks are under control and Joe isn't mooning about love and death. A nice solid mystery.
3 stars
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Nov 9 - 15, 2014
Festive in Death by J.D. Robb - hard to believe this is the 39th Eve Dallas book and I've read them all. It's Christmas and Detective Dallas is trying to run a murder investigation and have a party at the same time. The victim is despicable and there is a wealth of suspects. I like these light mysteries set in the near future, 2060, and featuring all the people Eve has come to know over the past few years. There are usually three or so sex scenes but because they're so routine you know to just skip two pages ahead. I thought this book had more language than usual.
3 stars
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The Farm by Tom Rob Smith - Daniel receives a call from his father saying his mother has been put in a mental facility and is making some outrageous claims. Before he can get to Sweden, his mother calls and says not to believe anything he's heard, it's all a conspiracy. Who is telling the truth? Just the kind of quirky book I like.
4 stars
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The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey - written in 1929. I thought I wasn't going to like this at first, but once I got used to the writing I really enjoyed it. A man is stabbed while standing in line to go to a play and no one knows who he is or who did it. A much slower pace of investigating than modern times. The public and newspapers are eager to help and there seems to be a large staff of able policemen. And quite a turn at the end!
4 stars
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Trespasser by Paul Doiron - this was a really fast skim-read, I just couldn't get into it. Game warden Mike Bowditch is convinced there's something more to a deer/car accident, especially when the driver can't be found. Once again, he's the only one fighting for justice and everyone is against him. A plot I've read many times.
2 stars
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A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler - another oldie, published in 1939. This is a very convoluted story of a mystery writer getting caught up in a real life mystery due to his naivete. It takes place in a lot of countries that have changed names and there are a lot of foreign phrases not translated which adds to the confusion. None of the characters are very likeable. And I read quite a lot of it in unfavorable circumstances (dr. offices with lots of interruptions) so that didn't help.
1 star
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Personal by Lee Child - the 19th Jack Reacher novel. An assassin has tried to shoot the French president from a distance that only a very few men could have made. And one is a man Jack Reacher put in prison. Jack travels to Paris and London and is helped by people who may be on his side or not. As usual, he's one step ahead of everyone. Some violence, Jack's quite a fighter. I enjoyed the first few pages quite a bit, they take place in Seattle and Tacoma and Jack boards a plane at the air force base just a few miles west of my house.
4.5 stars
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The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar by Martin Windrow - it took the author 20 years before he could write about his relationship with Mumble, her death was a great blow to him. Lots of info about owls woven in with his observations and diary entries about Mumble.
3 stars
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First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austin by Charlie Lovett - Sophie Collingwood finds herself the heroine in a story of possible plagiarism by Jane Austen and the mystery of her uncle's death. Told in alternating chapters between the present time and the 18th century, it has quite a thrilling climax.
4 stars
3 stars
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The Farm by Tom Rob Smith - Daniel receives a call from his father saying his mother has been put in a mental facility and is making some outrageous claims. Before he can get to Sweden, his mother calls and says not to believe anything he's heard, it's all a conspiracy. Who is telling the truth? Just the kind of quirky book I like.
4 stars
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The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey - written in 1929. I thought I wasn't going to like this at first, but once I got used to the writing I really enjoyed it. A man is stabbed while standing in line to go to a play and no one knows who he is or who did it. A much slower pace of investigating than modern times. The public and newspapers are eager to help and there seems to be a large staff of able policemen. And quite a turn at the end!
4 stars
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Trespasser by Paul Doiron - this was a really fast skim-read, I just couldn't get into it. Game warden Mike Bowditch is convinced there's something more to a deer/car accident, especially when the driver can't be found. Once again, he's the only one fighting for justice and everyone is against him. A plot I've read many times.
2 stars
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A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler - another oldie, published in 1939. This is a very convoluted story of a mystery writer getting caught up in a real life mystery due to his naivete. It takes place in a lot of countries that have changed names and there are a lot of foreign phrases not translated which adds to the confusion. None of the characters are very likeable. And I read quite a lot of it in unfavorable circumstances (dr. offices with lots of interruptions) so that didn't help.
1 star
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Personal by Lee Child - the 19th Jack Reacher novel. An assassin has tried to shoot the French president from a distance that only a very few men could have made. And one is a man Jack Reacher put in prison. Jack travels to Paris and London and is helped by people who may be on his side or not. As usual, he's one step ahead of everyone. Some violence, Jack's quite a fighter. I enjoyed the first few pages quite a bit, they take place in Seattle and Tacoma and Jack boards a plane at the air force base just a few miles west of my house.
4.5 stars
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The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar by Martin Windrow - it took the author 20 years before he could write about his relationship with Mumble, her death was a great blow to him. Lots of info about owls woven in with his observations and diary entries about Mumble.
3 stars
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First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austin by Charlie Lovett - Sophie Collingwood finds herself the heroine in a story of possible plagiarism by Jane Austen and the mystery of her uncle's death. Told in alternating chapters between the present time and the 18th century, it has quite a thrilling climax.
4 stars
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Nov 2 - Nov 8, 2014
The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit by Graham Joyce - part mystery, part somewhat ghostly, part coming-of-age. David takes a job at a seaside holiday camp in the same town where his father died fifteen years ago. Some sex, can be quickly skipped over.
4 stars
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Bitter River by Julia Keller - prosecuting attorney Bell Atkins is called when a teenager is found in a submerged car. And in a side story I figured out right away, someone has allowed danger to follow them to Acker's Gap.
3 stars
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The Burning Room by Michael Connelly - the 19th Harry Bosch book. Harry is working cold cases now with a new, young partner. A man has just died from complications of a bullet wound suffered 10 years ago. So now it's an open murder investigation. The trail also leads to a 20 year old arson fire at a daycare.
4 stars
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Bloodline by James Rollins - I'm two thirds done with this book and won't be finishing it. It's one of those conspiracy novels that I so dislike combined with lots of military jargon. I only started it because it's the book that introduces the military dog Kane and his handler. I don't usually mention books I don't finish but this one bogged me down and I actually didn't read for a few days.
4 stars
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Bitter River by Julia Keller - prosecuting attorney Bell Atkins is called when a teenager is found in a submerged car. And in a side story I figured out right away, someone has allowed danger to follow them to Acker's Gap.
3 stars
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The Burning Room by Michael Connelly - the 19th Harry Bosch book. Harry is working cold cases now with a new, young partner. A man has just died from complications of a bullet wound suffered 10 years ago. So now it's an open murder investigation. The trail also leads to a 20 year old arson fire at a daycare.
4 stars
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Bloodline by James Rollins - I'm two thirds done with this book and won't be finishing it. It's one of those conspiracy novels that I so dislike combined with lots of military jargon. I only started it because it's the book that introduces the military dog Kane and his handler. I don't usually mention books I don't finish but this one bogged me down and I actually didn't read for a few days.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Oct 26 - Nov 1, 2014
The Long Way Home by Louise Penny - the 10th Armand Gamache book finds the Inspector retired and living in Three Pines, the setting of previous books. He's asked to look into the disappearance of a friend's husband. These books are not typical mysteries, there is much introspection and philosophical musings. And to be best enjoyed, the series needs to be read in order.
4 stars
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The Button Man by Mark Pryor - although the 4th book in the series, this is a prequel and Hugo Marston is head of security at the London U.S. embassy. He's asked to babysit an acting couple who have been involved in a hit and run. Before he even meets them, the wife is found dead. One yuck scene at a "special" kind of club.
3 stars
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A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller - Bell Elkins, prosecuting attorney in a poverty stricken town in W. Virginia, is horrified when she learns her daughter was a witness to a shooting. Were the elderly men somehow involved in the rampant drug trade going on in the county? Very good for a first novel, just a little repetitious. Now to see if the second in the series is just as good. Some language and sex
4.5 stars
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Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time by Phyllis Rose - I didn't know anything about Josephine Baker before I read this other than she was an American who lived in Paris. There were parts of the book that were boring and the author herself admits she probably let her own sensibilities influence her.
4 stars
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Found by Harlan Coben - the third in the YA Mickey Bolitar series. This takes place almost immediately after the previous book. Mickey still believes his father is alive and things still aren't going well at school. Then he's asked to help prove that the star basketball player hasn't been taking steroids. And his best friends boyfriend has gone missing. Quite a lot of repetition and nothing seemed to happen until the end.
2 stars
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Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest by Brian Dickinson - true story of the author's attempt to summit Mount Everest.
3 stars
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Double by Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller - alternating chapters with the author's characters, the Nameless Detective and Sharon McCone, telling the story. They're at a private investigator convention when Sharon's friend falls off a high rise balcony. Or did she? Written in 1984 and quite dated.
2 stars
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The Blood Promise by Mark Pryor - Hugo Marston, head of security for the Paris American Embassy, must babysit an unpopular (to the French) American senator in France for negotiations. Things go downhill when the senator claims he's been robbed. Not as good as previous books, too many suspects.
3 stars
4 stars
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The Button Man by Mark Pryor - although the 4th book in the series, this is a prequel and Hugo Marston is head of security at the London U.S. embassy. He's asked to babysit an acting couple who have been involved in a hit and run. Before he even meets them, the wife is found dead. One yuck scene at a "special" kind of club.
3 stars
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A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller - Bell Elkins, prosecuting attorney in a poverty stricken town in W. Virginia, is horrified when she learns her daughter was a witness to a shooting. Were the elderly men somehow involved in the rampant drug trade going on in the county? Very good for a first novel, just a little repetitious. Now to see if the second in the series is just as good. Some language and sex
4.5 stars
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Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time by Phyllis Rose - I didn't know anything about Josephine Baker before I read this other than she was an American who lived in Paris. There were parts of the book that were boring and the author herself admits she probably let her own sensibilities influence her.
4 stars
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Found by Harlan Coben - the third in the YA Mickey Bolitar series. This takes place almost immediately after the previous book. Mickey still believes his father is alive and things still aren't going well at school. Then he's asked to help prove that the star basketball player hasn't been taking steroids. And his best friends boyfriend has gone missing. Quite a lot of repetition and nothing seemed to happen until the end.
2 stars
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Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest by Brian Dickinson - true story of the author's attempt to summit Mount Everest.
3 stars
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Double by Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller - alternating chapters with the author's characters, the Nameless Detective and Sharon McCone, telling the story. They're at a private investigator convention when Sharon's friend falls off a high rise balcony. Or did she? Written in 1984 and quite dated.
2 stars
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The Blood Promise by Mark Pryor - Hugo Marston, head of security for the Paris American Embassy, must babysit an unpopular (to the French) American senator in France for negotiations. Things go downhill when the senator claims he's been robbed. Not as good as previous books, too many suspects.
3 stars
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Oc 19-25, 2014
Lock In by John Scalzi - in the near future, a virus causes millions of people to become locked in. They are mentally aware but can't move their bodies. Through a process not really explained, they are able to use robots to live outside of themselves. Or, they can use an Integrator, a real person, to have a special experience. The problems start when an Integrator supposedly murders someone. Was it the Integrator or the client?
3 stars
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One Kick by Chelsea Cain - Kick Lannigan was abducted when she was 6 and found 6 years later. Since then she has trained hard to never be a victim again. When two children go missing near her, she is approached by a man seeking her help to find them. Some sex, violence and danger to children.
3 stars
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The Celtic Dagger by Jill Paterson - this is called an Inspector Fitzjohn mystery but he barely appears. Action and clues are generated by one of the chief suspects, whose brother is the murder victim. This was a free Kindle book.
1 star
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Mother Daughter Me: a Memoir by Katie Hafner - the author has spent most of her life wishing her mother had acted like a mother to her. Her mother has spent a large part of her life not remembering portions of it because of alcoholism. When her mother moves in with her, they begin a new, fragile relationship.
3 stars
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Letters from Alcatraz by Michael Esslinger - not as many letters as I was expecting. Instead, a very long foreward and a history of Alcatraz. There was a lot of recounting stories told by inmates after they were released but those weren't letters. Also extremely repetitive. And the Kindle edition was so full of editing and spelling errors that it actually changed the meaning of some sentences.
1 star
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Why Read Moby Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick - the author lists his reasons in a very short book. I found them compelling enough that I'm going to re-read Moby Dick. But probably not this year.
3 stars
3 stars
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One Kick by Chelsea Cain - Kick Lannigan was abducted when she was 6 and found 6 years later. Since then she has trained hard to never be a victim again. When two children go missing near her, she is approached by a man seeking her help to find them. Some sex, violence and danger to children.
3 stars
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The Celtic Dagger by Jill Paterson - this is called an Inspector Fitzjohn mystery but he barely appears. Action and clues are generated by one of the chief suspects, whose brother is the murder victim. This was a free Kindle book.
1 star
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Mother Daughter Me: a Memoir by Katie Hafner - the author has spent most of her life wishing her mother had acted like a mother to her. Her mother has spent a large part of her life not remembering portions of it because of alcoholism. When her mother moves in with her, they begin a new, fragile relationship.
3 stars
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Letters from Alcatraz by Michael Esslinger - not as many letters as I was expecting. Instead, a very long foreward and a history of Alcatraz. There was a lot of recounting stories told by inmates after they were released but those weren't letters. Also extremely repetitive. And the Kindle edition was so full of editing and spelling errors that it actually changed the meaning of some sentences.
1 star
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Why Read Moby Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick - the author lists his reasons in a very short book. I found them compelling enough that I'm going to re-read Moby Dick. But probably not this year.
3 stars
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Oct 12-18, 2014
Waiting for Wednesday by Nikki French - this is the third book in series about Freida Klein, psychotherapist. The main plot is about a seemingly perfect wife and mother found murdered in her home. There are many other subplots told in bits and pieces and it's not until the middle of the book that things start to make sense. I found Freida a little tiresome. She has suffered a trauma and is not being very smart about dealing with it.
3 stars
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To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie - the 16th Kincaid and James book. I've read all of them and really enjoy the progression the characters have made. Kincaid has been unwillingly transferred and is still getting the feel of his new team when he is called to what may be a terrorist bombing at St. Pancras Station. While the mystery is resolved, something happens in the last two pages that leaves a very big question. Rather annoying.
4 stars
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The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - Mr. Parker Pyne, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple all make appearances in this collection. I've read them all before but it's always fun to read them again.
3 stars
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Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming - in 2010 Alan was asked to be on Who Do You Think You Are and he agreed thinking it would be an opportunity to learn about his maternal grandfather. There had always been a mystery about what happened to him after WWII. But doing the show brought back memories of the mental and physical abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. While I don't usually like books that go back and forth in time, I thought this was a very effective way to tell the story. I don't know if he had help writing this, I thought it was very good.
4.5 stars
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The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis - the 5th Wesley Peterson book. As usual, a hundreds year old skeleton and a current murder are discovered almost simultaneously. The story of the skeletons is told with excerpts from old writings at the beginning of every chapter. I also like the character development.
4 stars
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The Woodcutter by Kate Danley - a rather odd retelling of many fairy tales all smooshed together in this one story. Someone is trying to control the magic for evil purposes and it's up to the Woodcutter to set things right. I was so busy trying to figure out who everyone was that the story didn't really pull together for me.
2 stars
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Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs - an escaped serial killer is back in business, this time near where Temperance Brennan is working in Charlotte. Some good twists and turns and Brennan is not her usual annoying put herself in danger self. Better than the last couple of books.
3 stars
3 stars
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To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie - the 16th Kincaid and James book. I've read all of them and really enjoy the progression the characters have made. Kincaid has been unwillingly transferred and is still getting the feel of his new team when he is called to what may be a terrorist bombing at St. Pancras Station. While the mystery is resolved, something happens in the last two pages that leaves a very big question. Rather annoying.
4 stars
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The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - Mr. Parker Pyne, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple all make appearances in this collection. I've read them all before but it's always fun to read them again.
3 stars
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Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming - in 2010 Alan was asked to be on Who Do You Think You Are and he agreed thinking it would be an opportunity to learn about his maternal grandfather. There had always been a mystery about what happened to him after WWII. But doing the show brought back memories of the mental and physical abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. While I don't usually like books that go back and forth in time, I thought this was a very effective way to tell the story. I don't know if he had help writing this, I thought it was very good.
4.5 stars
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The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis - the 5th Wesley Peterson book. As usual, a hundreds year old skeleton and a current murder are discovered almost simultaneously. The story of the skeletons is told with excerpts from old writings at the beginning of every chapter. I also like the character development.
4 stars
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The Woodcutter by Kate Danley - a rather odd retelling of many fairy tales all smooshed together in this one story. Someone is trying to control the magic for evil purposes and it's up to the Woodcutter to set things right. I was so busy trying to figure out who everyone was that the story didn't really pull together for me.
2 stars
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Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs - an escaped serial killer is back in business, this time near where Temperance Brennan is working in Charlotte. Some good twists and turns and Brennan is not her usual annoying put herself in danger self. Better than the last couple of books.
3 stars
Friday, October 10, 2014
Oct 5-11, 2014
The Shelf: From LEQ to LES: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose - the author chose a fiction shelf from the New York Society Library and tried to read most of the books. One book she read in four different translations. She found she couldn't limit herself to just reading the books but had to find out about the authors and the times they wrote in. I thought some of the writing about her tangents was too lengthy but it could be because that particular subject didn't interest me. I liked this because it made me think about my reading habits. I've also put another of her books on my to-read list.
3.5 stars
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Let's Just Say it Wasn't Pretty by Diane Keaton - the author reflects on aging when your looks are tied to your job. Evidently she has never been happy with how she looks. Now she has decided that instead of fighting to stay beautiful, she will enjoy the beauty around her. Rather rambling and she is an actress so I'm left wondering how much is actually true.
3 stars
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Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs - the first in a cozy mystery series set in a scrapbook store. Lots of people introduced and hard to keep track of at first, I suppose you get to know them as the series goes on. Carmela's estranged husband is suspected of killing a man during one of the Mardi Gras parades. I think I'll give one more book a try but I can't see the series becoming a favorite.
3 stars
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Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers - the first Lord Peter Wimsey book, published in 1923. A body is found in someone's bathtub and no one knows who it is or how it got there. I've read this series before. This time I found Peter's speaking style irritating and the class and racial prejudice appalling.
But that's looking back on almost 100 years ago.
3 stars
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The Funeral Boat by Kate Ellis - the 4th Wesley Peterson novel, I actually had to buy it as it doesn't seem available in any US libraries. A skeleton is discovered on a farm - is it the body of a man who disappeared three years ago or much older? There is also a rash of robberies at local farms and a foreign tourist has disappeared. All these mingle together and as each one is solved it seems the mysteries deepen for the other cases. This is my favorite in the series so far.
4 stars
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haatchi and little b by Wendy Holden - Haatchi was left to die on a train track and subsequently lost a hind leg and his tail. Little B, Owen, has a rare degenerative disease that is stunting his growth. Somehow they come together and gain strength from each other. A true story. I thought the writing was a little amateurish, I think partly out of a desire to not say anything negative.
3 stars
3.5 stars
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Let's Just Say it Wasn't Pretty by Diane Keaton - the author reflects on aging when your looks are tied to your job. Evidently she has never been happy with how she looks. Now she has decided that instead of fighting to stay beautiful, she will enjoy the beauty around her. Rather rambling and she is an actress so I'm left wondering how much is actually true.
3 stars
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Keepsake Crimes by Laura Childs - the first in a cozy mystery series set in a scrapbook store. Lots of people introduced and hard to keep track of at first, I suppose you get to know them as the series goes on. Carmela's estranged husband is suspected of killing a man during one of the Mardi Gras parades. I think I'll give one more book a try but I can't see the series becoming a favorite.
3 stars
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Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers - the first Lord Peter Wimsey book, published in 1923. A body is found in someone's bathtub and no one knows who it is or how it got there. I've read this series before. This time I found Peter's speaking style irritating and the class and racial prejudice appalling.
But that's looking back on almost 100 years ago.
3 stars
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The Funeral Boat by Kate Ellis - the 4th Wesley Peterson novel, I actually had to buy it as it doesn't seem available in any US libraries. A skeleton is discovered on a farm - is it the body of a man who disappeared three years ago or much older? There is also a rash of robberies at local farms and a foreign tourist has disappeared. All these mingle together and as each one is solved it seems the mysteries deepen for the other cases. This is my favorite in the series so far.
4 stars
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haatchi and little b by Wendy Holden - Haatchi was left to die on a train track and subsequently lost a hind leg and his tail. Little B, Owen, has a rare degenerative disease that is stunting his growth. Somehow they come together and gain strength from each other. A true story. I thought the writing was a little amateurish, I think partly out of a desire to not say anything negative.
3 stars
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Sept 28-Oct 4, 2014
Murder 101 by Faye Kellerman - this is the 22nd Peter Decker book and imo it really shows. Decker has retired from the LAPD and is working in a small town in upstate New York. What starts out as a theft from a mausoleum turns into murder and missing art. Many cliches: the snotty, upstart young detective, blowhard extremely wealthy men, amoral art students, ex-CIA turned professor, and let's throw in some Russians too.
2 stars
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Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little - Jane is released on a technicality after 10 years in prison for the murder of her mother. She immediately goes incognito to a small town hoping to find the truth. I'm somewhat ambivalent about this book, parts of it were very good. But parts of it read like an entry in the Edward Bulwer-Lyyton contest. And the heroine is unlikeable. Hated the ending. Lots of cussing.
3 stars
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Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - the author's brief thoughts on random things organized like an encyclopedia. If I could write, this is how I would want to do it.
4.5 stars
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The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - it's 1686 in Amsterdam and 18 yo Nellie has just arrived at the home of her new husband. He gives her a replica of their home as a wedding present and when Nellie arranges for a miniaturist to furnish it strange things begin to happen. While I really enjoyed the writing, the story itself was frustrating. Too many modern day concepts introduced and I didn't really understand what the role of the miniaturist was.
3 stars
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The Lewis Man by Peter May - a body is found in a peat bog on the Isle of Lewis. What follows is a story told in the past and present of love and revenge. This is the second in a trilogy. While it's not necessary to read the first, The Blackhouse, it might make this book more enjoyable.
4 stars
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The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories, most written very early in her career, and the last short story written by her.
3 stars
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Guys Can Be Cat Ladies Too: A Guidebook for Men and Their Cats by Michael Showalter - a semi-tongue in cheek look at how guys can become cat lovers. Includes chapters on choosing the right cat and how to understand your cat.
3 stars
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One Plus One by Jojo Moyes - Jess is a single mom with two kids barely keeping it together. Ed has just made a mistake at work that may cost him everything. Somehow they and a very large dog end up making a trip to Scotland in Ed's car. Funny and sad. A couple of sex scenes.
4 stars
2 stars
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Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little - Jane is released on a technicality after 10 years in prison for the murder of her mother. She immediately goes incognito to a small town hoping to find the truth. I'm somewhat ambivalent about this book, parts of it were very good. But parts of it read like an entry in the Edward Bulwer-Lyyton contest. And the heroine is unlikeable. Hated the ending. Lots of cussing.
3 stars
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Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - the author's brief thoughts on random things organized like an encyclopedia. If I could write, this is how I would want to do it.
4.5 stars
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The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - it's 1686 in Amsterdam and 18 yo Nellie has just arrived at the home of her new husband. He gives her a replica of their home as a wedding present and when Nellie arranges for a miniaturist to furnish it strange things begin to happen. While I really enjoyed the writing, the story itself was frustrating. Too many modern day concepts introduced and I didn't really understand what the role of the miniaturist was.
3 stars
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The Lewis Man by Peter May - a body is found in a peat bog on the Isle of Lewis. What follows is a story told in the past and present of love and revenge. This is the second in a trilogy. While it's not necessary to read the first, The Blackhouse, it might make this book more enjoyable.
4 stars
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The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - a collection of short stories, most written very early in her career, and the last short story written by her.
3 stars
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Guys Can Be Cat Ladies Too: A Guidebook for Men and Their Cats by Michael Showalter - a semi-tongue in cheek look at how guys can become cat lovers. Includes chapters on choosing the right cat and how to understand your cat.
3 stars
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One Plus One by Jojo Moyes - Jess is a single mom with two kids barely keeping it together. Ed has just made a mistake at work that may cost him everything. Somehow they and a very large dog end up making a trip to Scotland in Ed's car. Funny and sad. A couple of sex scenes.
4 stars
Monday, September 22, 2014
Sept 21-27, 2014
Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain by George Mahood - George and Ben decide to bicycle the length of Britain starting out in their boxers with no money and no bikes. A very funny story of their adventures and the generosity of strangers. A true story with some crude language. Also, the best edited self-published ebook I've read.
4 stars
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Catnapped by Patricia Fry - Savannah is helping her aunt recover from a broken foot and becomes involved in a missing cat mystery. Quite preachy about cat neutering and rescue. The author switches points of view so often that it's confusing. And the last of the book turns into a pure romance.
Poorly written.
1 star
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Designated Daughters by Margaret Maron - the 19th Judge Deborah Knott book. When Deborah's aunt rallies while in hospice care and begins rambling about stories from the past, someone panics and smothers her. The mystery seems almost incidental to the family goings-on of shed building, cemetery cleaning, and sing-alongs. But that's part of the charm of these books.
3 stars
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Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta - a teenage boy witnesses a murder and is pursued by the killers in the wilds of Montana. Lots of strong characters and very creepy villains. A pet peeve - when it seems the writer of the book flap hasn't read the book. The boy is described as 13 on the flap and on the very first page it's stated he's 14.
4 stars
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My Venice and Other Essays by Donna Leon - I waited impatiently for this and now I'm sorry I read it. Love her mysteries but this book was very mean spirited. She doesn't seem to like America very much which I guess is why she lives in Venice.
2 stars
4 stars
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Catnapped by Patricia Fry - Savannah is helping her aunt recover from a broken foot and becomes involved in a missing cat mystery. Quite preachy about cat neutering and rescue. The author switches points of view so often that it's confusing. And the last of the book turns into a pure romance.
Poorly written.
1 star
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Designated Daughters by Margaret Maron - the 19th Judge Deborah Knott book. When Deborah's aunt rallies while in hospice care and begins rambling about stories from the past, someone panics and smothers her. The mystery seems almost incidental to the family goings-on of shed building, cemetery cleaning, and sing-alongs. But that's part of the charm of these books.
3 stars
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Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta - a teenage boy witnesses a murder and is pursued by the killers in the wilds of Montana. Lots of strong characters and very creepy villains. A pet peeve - when it seems the writer of the book flap hasn't read the book. The boy is described as 13 on the flap and on the very first page it's stated he's 14.
4 stars
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My Venice and Other Essays by Donna Leon - I waited impatiently for this and now I'm sorry I read it. Love her mysteries but this book was very mean spirited. She doesn't seem to like America very much which I guess is why she lives in Venice.
2 stars
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Sept 14-20, 2014
The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths - the sixth Ruth Galloway book and one of the better ones. The grave of a Victorian child murderer has been found and in the present there are a series of child abductions. Some surprises and an exciting ending.
4 stars
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Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance - the 16th Sheriff Joanna Brady book. The murder of the county M.E. and some murders in Massachusetts seem to be related. Locally, Joanna must decide if a disabled man's death is an accident. Some animal abuse.
4 stars
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Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn - a Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet being the dog that narrates the story. Secretive goings on and murder in Washington DC and Chet and Bernie are on the case. To me the mysteries are secondary to the pleasure of hearing Chet and his short attention span telling of the story. This one was wrapped up in the last two pages.
4 stars for sentimental value
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California by Edan Lepucki - a post-apocalyptic novel, but you're never told exactly what went wrong. Cal and Frida decide they can't make it in L.A. and strike out to live in the wilderness. After a few years, they find a community that takes them in. Of course things are never as they seem. A first novel and after awhile it started to drag. I skipped a few chapters and read the end.
2 stars
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The Golem of Hollywood by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman - a modern day story of a bizarre murder mixed with the Golem myth of Jewish culture. Certainly not a typical Kellerman novel. The main character is actually not very likeable. Too much sex but I think that's supposed to tie into this particular Golem story. The mystery is tied up but I was still somewhat confused at the end. I'll be thinking about this for a few days so...
4 stars
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The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up by Cathy LaGrow - I read this in one sitting, it flowed along so well. In 1929, a young girl must give up her daughter, the result of rape. She writes many letters to her and never gives up wishing to see her. Finally, when she is 94, a miracle happens.
4 stars
4 stars
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Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance - the 16th Sheriff Joanna Brady book. The murder of the county M.E. and some murders in Massachusetts seem to be related. Locally, Joanna must decide if a disabled man's death is an accident. Some animal abuse.
4 stars
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Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn - a Chet and Bernie mystery, Chet being the dog that narrates the story. Secretive goings on and murder in Washington DC and Chet and Bernie are on the case. To me the mysteries are secondary to the pleasure of hearing Chet and his short attention span telling of the story. This one was wrapped up in the last two pages.
4 stars for sentimental value
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California by Edan Lepucki - a post-apocalyptic novel, but you're never told exactly what went wrong. Cal and Frida decide they can't make it in L.A. and strike out to live in the wilderness. After a few years, they find a community that takes them in. Of course things are never as they seem. A first novel and after awhile it started to drag. I skipped a few chapters and read the end.
2 stars
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The Golem of Hollywood by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman - a modern day story of a bizarre murder mixed with the Golem myth of Jewish culture. Certainly not a typical Kellerman novel. The main character is actually not very likeable. Too much sex but I think that's supposed to tie into this particular Golem story. The mystery is tied up but I was still somewhat confused at the end. I'll be thinking about this for a few days so...
4 stars
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The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up by Cathy LaGrow - I read this in one sitting, it flowed along so well. In 1929, a young girl must give up her daughter, the result of rape. She writes many letters to her and never gives up wishing to see her. Finally, when she is 94, a miracle happens.
4 stars
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Sept 7 - 13, 2014
My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding - a memoir by the author of her early years growing up in a horse racing family. The chapters are divided by the dogs and horses she grew up with. Women don't seem to have been valued much in her family but Clare didn't let that stop her from becoming what she wanted.
3 stars
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The Night Searchers by Marcia Muller - I've been reading this author since the late 70's, starting with her first book, Edwin of the Iron Shoes. Her protagonist, Sharon McCone, has been through a lot of changes since then, most of them good. This case begins with a woman thinking she's seen witchcraft in a deserted lot. It then becomes entwined with a kidnapping being investigated by Sharon's husband.
3 stars
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The Dog who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew at His Side by Damien Lewis - a downed airman finds a German shepherd puppy and the two become inseparable. Somewhat dramatically told, I think the author drew heavily on the manuscript written by the dog's owner after the war. Antis was really a one of a kind dog.
3 stars
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The Big Tiny: A Built-it Myself Memoir by Dee Williams - the author is diagnosed with congestive heart failure and decides to make some changes in her life. One of those is building a tiny house by herself and going to live in her friend's backyard. Humorous, with some language.
3.5 stars
3 stars
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The Night Searchers by Marcia Muller - I've been reading this author since the late 70's, starting with her first book, Edwin of the Iron Shoes. Her protagonist, Sharon McCone, has been through a lot of changes since then, most of them good. This case begins with a woman thinking she's seen witchcraft in a deserted lot. It then becomes entwined with a kidnapping being investigated by Sharon's husband.
3 stars
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The Dog who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew at His Side by Damien Lewis - a downed airman finds a German shepherd puppy and the two become inseparable. Somewhat dramatically told, I think the author drew heavily on the manuscript written by the dog's owner after the war. Antis was really a one of a kind dog.
3 stars
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The Big Tiny: A Built-it Myself Memoir by Dee Williams - the author is diagnosed with congestive heart failure and decides to make some changes in her life. One of those is building a tiny house by herself and going to live in her friend's backyard. Humorous, with some language.
3.5 stars
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Aug 31 - Sept 6, 2014
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie - I've read these before but so long ago I didn't remember whodunnit. As usual, everyone is completely befuddled until Miss Marple deduces what's going on because it reminds her of the butcher, baker, or candlestick maker in her small village.
3 stars
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Darkwood by M. E. Breen - Annie's uncle has something awful planned for her so she makes her escape in the dead of night. Where the kinderstalk are. She finds out something horrible and decides she must tell the king. Lots of surprises are in store for her. A children's fantasy book.
3 stars
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The Clocks by Agatha Christie - I think I'm going to be able to revisit all the Christie books. I read them in the 60's and 70's, and while I remember plot points I don't remember the end. This is supposed to be a Hercules Poirot book but he makes a very small appearance. A secretary sent to a blind woman's home finds a dead man. No one knows who he is or why he was killed.
3 stars
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Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris by Eric Jager - in 1407, the brother of the king of France is murdered. The Provost of the city is charged with finding the murderer. The outcome eventually led to civil war and war with England. I liked the way this author wrote - very straight forward with no unnecessary side paths.
4 stars
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Bone Dust White by Karin Salvalaggio - Grace is home alone when she see a man stab a woman on the path in the woods behind her house. The murder brings in the state police and revives an 11 year old case. Told in the present tense. I didn't find the characters very developed and the end was a little out of left field.
3 stars
3 stars
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Darkwood by M. E. Breen - Annie's uncle has something awful planned for her so she makes her escape in the dead of night. Where the kinderstalk are. She finds out something horrible and decides she must tell the king. Lots of surprises are in store for her. A children's fantasy book.
3 stars
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The Clocks by Agatha Christie - I think I'm going to be able to revisit all the Christie books. I read them in the 60's and 70's, and while I remember plot points I don't remember the end. This is supposed to be a Hercules Poirot book but he makes a very small appearance. A secretary sent to a blind woman's home finds a dead man. No one knows who he is or why he was killed.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris by Eric Jager - in 1407, the brother of the king of France is murdered. The Provost of the city is charged with finding the murderer. The outcome eventually led to civil war and war with England. I liked the way this author wrote - very straight forward with no unnecessary side paths.
4 stars
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Bone Dust White by Karin Salvalaggio - Grace is home alone when she see a man stab a woman on the path in the woods behind her house. The murder brings in the state police and revives an 11 year old case. Told in the present tense. I didn't find the characters very developed and the end was a little out of left field.
3 stars
Sunday, August 31, 2014
August 24-30, 2014
Liberty's Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty by Elizabeth Mitchell - turns out it's a myth that the Statue was a gift from the French people. She was actually the idea of the sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. A little too much detail into peripheral characters and somewhat repetitious.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Felicia's Journey by William Trevor - a pregnant Irish girl journeys to England to find her boyfriend. She is befriended by a rather odd man. A sense of dread gradually builds as the relationship grows. Quite a twist at the end.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I Can See in the Dark by Karin Fossum - Riktor is not a very nice man and he knows it. He's shocked, however, when he's arrested for the death of one of the patients in the nursing home where he works. He's done something worse. Told in the first person.
4 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wives of Los Alamos by TaraShea Nesbit - this is written in first person plural and so is very generic in a way. But I thought that helped convey the confusion and loneliness the wives must have felt while their husbands were inventing the atomic bomb. This is a work of fiction.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Colder War by Charles Cumming - an old fashion spy novel. A disgraced spy must find a mole in either the British or American agency.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delancey: A Man, A Woman, A Restaurant, A Marriage by Molly Wizenberg - Molly hasn't been married very long when her husband, with no experience, decides to open a pizza restaurant. This book is the true story of what happens to them along the way. With recipes.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucky Us by Amy Bloom - a rather odd book with not totally likable characters and yet I cared about them enough to continue reading. Eva and Iris, half sisters who don't know about each other for several years, strike out into the world during the 40's. Along the way they meet people who become family.
3 stars
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Felicia's Journey by William Trevor - a pregnant Irish girl journeys to England to find her boyfriend. She is befriended by a rather odd man. A sense of dread gradually builds as the relationship grows. Quite a twist at the end.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I Can See in the Dark by Karin Fossum - Riktor is not a very nice man and he knows it. He's shocked, however, when he's arrested for the death of one of the patients in the nursing home where he works. He's done something worse. Told in the first person.
4 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wives of Los Alamos by TaraShea Nesbit - this is written in first person plural and so is very generic in a way. But I thought that helped convey the confusion and loneliness the wives must have felt while their husbands were inventing the atomic bomb. This is a work of fiction.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Colder War by Charles Cumming - an old fashion spy novel. A disgraced spy must find a mole in either the British or American agency.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delancey: A Man, A Woman, A Restaurant, A Marriage by Molly Wizenberg - Molly hasn't been married very long when her husband, with no experience, decides to open a pizza restaurant. This book is the true story of what happens to them along the way. With recipes.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucky Us by Amy Bloom - a rather odd book with not totally likable characters and yet I cared about them enough to continue reading. Eva and Iris, half sisters who don't know about each other for several years, strike out into the world during the 40's. Along the way they meet people who become family.
3 stars
Sunday, August 24, 2014
August 17-23, 2014
Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde - Billy Shine is a former dancer, now an agoraphobic. He sees 9 year old Grace sitting on the steps of his apartment and unwillingly becomes involved in her life. Gradually, all the neighbors in the building are drawn in and become unlikely friends. I must have been in just the right mood, loved this book.
5 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Old Man and the King by Joe Corso - a free Kindle book and that's about what it was worth. A young man's vehicle is ambushed in a snowstorm but he's able to get away. Turns out he's the King of Talvania. Somehow he hooks up with Lom, a Korean War vet. Many unrealistic gun battles later, they're in Talvania fighting it out with the evil brother. And the end reads more like a fairytale.
1 star
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Home Place by Carrie La Seur - a lawyer in Seattle goes home to Montana to deal with the unexpected and unexplained death of her younger sister. Almost everyone in this story is dysfunctional. Told mostly in the present tense which I find irritating.
2 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Like a Thief in the Night: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Story by Lawrence Block - a very short story that has just been released. It originated in the '70's, but few saw it when published. I'm not putting in on Good Reads because it's not a book. Amusing story with a twist.
3 stars
5 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Old Man and the King by Joe Corso - a free Kindle book and that's about what it was worth. A young man's vehicle is ambushed in a snowstorm but he's able to get away. Turns out he's the King of Talvania. Somehow he hooks up with Lom, a Korean War vet. Many unrealistic gun battles later, they're in Talvania fighting it out with the evil brother. And the end reads more like a fairytale.
1 star
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Home Place by Carrie La Seur - a lawyer in Seattle goes home to Montana to deal with the unexpected and unexplained death of her younger sister. Almost everyone in this story is dysfunctional. Told mostly in the present tense which I find irritating.
2 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Like a Thief in the Night: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Story by Lawrence Block - a very short story that has just been released. It originated in the '70's, but few saw it when published. I'm not putting in on Good Reads because it's not a book. Amusing story with a twist.
3 stars
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Aug 10-16, 2014
Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell - there are mysterious goings on at the empty house next to Barbara Marrs. Trying to do something to occupy herself after her husband suddenly leaves her, she decides to investigate. A free kindle book.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cruising Panama's Canal by Al and Sunny Lockwood - I thought this would be more of a description of going through the canal than it was. It focused more on the ship itself. And Mr. Lockwood mostly described the desserts. I didn't find him as funny as he did.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby - in the 1950's, the author and a friend decide to go to the Nuristani region of Afghanistan and attempt to climb a mountain there. Without any experience. The description of their 4 days of mountain climbing training in Wales is amusing. But the story of the actual trek is rather tedious much like the actual trip. From a 2014 perspective, the treatment of the natives by the English duo seems appalling.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blade of the Sumurai by Susan Spann - the shogun's cousin has been killed and Hiro's friend is suspected. Hiro and Father Mateo are asked to investigate. The implication is that they will be killed if the murderer is not found.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stronger by Jeff Bauman with Brett Witter - Jeff is one of the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, he lost both his legs. He seems brutally honest about his family, who seem dysfunctional at best but always there for him. He also seems quite honest about the struggle to maintain a positive attitude and learn to walk using his new prosthetics.
4 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Return of the Portable Curmudgeon by Jon Winokur - I probably enjoyed this because I am one. A collection of quotes and a few essays and interviews by renowned curmudgeons. I skimmed some of the interviews because they were a little too mean spirited for me. As with anything, the humor is only funny if you agree with it.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan - it wasn't until Kelly found herself stranded in Australia and took a job as a nanny that she began to appreciate her mother. The lessons she learned in a house reeling from the loss of their wife and mother led her to reevaluate their relationship.
4 stars
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cruising Panama's Canal by Al and Sunny Lockwood - I thought this would be more of a description of going through the canal than it was. It focused more on the ship itself. And Mr. Lockwood mostly described the desserts. I didn't find him as funny as he did.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby - in the 1950's, the author and a friend decide to go to the Nuristani region of Afghanistan and attempt to climb a mountain there. Without any experience. The description of their 4 days of mountain climbing training in Wales is amusing. But the story of the actual trek is rather tedious much like the actual trip. From a 2014 perspective, the treatment of the natives by the English duo seems appalling.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blade of the Sumurai by Susan Spann - the shogun's cousin has been killed and Hiro's friend is suspected. Hiro and Father Mateo are asked to investigate. The implication is that they will be killed if the murderer is not found.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stronger by Jeff Bauman with Brett Witter - Jeff is one of the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, he lost both his legs. He seems brutally honest about his family, who seem dysfunctional at best but always there for him. He also seems quite honest about the struggle to maintain a positive attitude and learn to walk using his new prosthetics.
4 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Return of the Portable Curmudgeon by Jon Winokur - I probably enjoyed this because I am one. A collection of quotes and a few essays and interviews by renowned curmudgeons. I skimmed some of the interviews because they were a little too mean spirited for me. As with anything, the humor is only funny if you agree with it.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan - it wasn't until Kelly found herself stranded in Australia and took a job as a nanny that she began to appreciate her mother. The lessons she learned in a house reeling from the loss of their wife and mother led her to reevaluate their relationship.
4 stars
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Aug 3-9, 2014
Under a Silent Moon by Elizabeth Haynes - DCI Louisa Smith has just
been put in charge of her first murder investigation when a suicide is
discovered that may be connected. Most of the people in this book are
liars about small things and large. At one point I was even suspecting
different people on the police force. Would have given this 4 stars if
not for too much sex.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beating the Lunch Box Blues by J.M. Hirsch - some good looking lunches in this book. Mostly it encourages you to think outside the box for lunch ingredients.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philomena: A Mother, Her Son, and a Fifty Year Search by Martin Sixsmith - this was a completely different book than the movie by the same name. If I had read it under it's original name, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, I wouldn't have been surprised. The movie is almost completely from the mother's point of view. The book is from her son's, who is no longer living. I have a problem with the author telling me what he (the son) was thinking and feeling. I enjoyed the movie much more.
2 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown - totally unknown sports history for me, I had never heard about this before and I live in Washington. Told mostly as a story of one of the boys and the incredible hardships he had. I personally thought the book delved a little too much into the German side but I guess that was to show what a big deal it was for the Americans to win.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oystercatchers by Susan Fletcher - I don't understand why this story drew me in when the author writes in such an irritating way. Perspectives and tenses changed constantly, sometimes within paragraphs! And the person telling the story wasn't all that likeable. She's basically telling her life story to her 16 year old sister who is in a coma. But I still found it interesting enough to finish.
2 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron - Mike Bowditch became a game warden partly to spite his poacher father. Now his father has been accused of killing a cop and another man and Mike is sure he didn't do it. One unnecessary sex scene.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kill Switch by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood - Tucker Wayne and his military dog, Kane, are asked to get a pharmaceutical scientist out of Russia. This was like reading an action movie, one tense situation after another. I really liked this and am looking forward to the next book.
4.5 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear - not a Maisie Dobbs book, but a stand alone about WWI. How the war affected one family. The whole book has a rather sad air about it.
* In fact, I downgraded my rating today because the more I think about this book, the sadder I get.
2 stars
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beating the Lunch Box Blues by J.M. Hirsch - some good looking lunches in this book. Mostly it encourages you to think outside the box for lunch ingredients.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philomena: A Mother, Her Son, and a Fifty Year Search by Martin Sixsmith - this was a completely different book than the movie by the same name. If I had read it under it's original name, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, I wouldn't have been surprised. The movie is almost completely from the mother's point of view. The book is from her son's, who is no longer living. I have a problem with the author telling me what he (the son) was thinking and feeling. I enjoyed the movie much more.
2 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown - totally unknown sports history for me, I had never heard about this before and I live in Washington. Told mostly as a story of one of the boys and the incredible hardships he had. I personally thought the book delved a little too much into the German side but I guess that was to show what a big deal it was for the Americans to win.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oystercatchers by Susan Fletcher - I don't understand why this story drew me in when the author writes in such an irritating way. Perspectives and tenses changed constantly, sometimes within paragraphs! And the person telling the story wasn't all that likeable. She's basically telling her life story to her 16 year old sister who is in a coma. But I still found it interesting enough to finish.
2 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron - Mike Bowditch became a game warden partly to spite his poacher father. Now his father has been accused of killing a cop and another man and Mike is sure he didn't do it. One unnecessary sex scene.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kill Switch by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood - Tucker Wayne and his military dog, Kane, are asked to get a pharmaceutical scientist out of Russia. This was like reading an action movie, one tense situation after another. I really liked this and am looking forward to the next book.
4.5 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear - not a Maisie Dobbs book, but a stand alone about WWI. How the war affected one family. The whole book has a rather sad air about it.
* In fact, I downgraded my rating today because the more I think about this book, the sadder I get.
2 stars
Sunday, August 3, 2014
July 27-Aug 2, 2014
Death at the President's Lodging by Michael Innes - I almost didn't finish this, it had so many words. "... the horror of these events was exacerbated by the inspissated gloom in which they were enveloped." Written in 1936, the story takes place in an English college, which causes me enough trouble in modern times. I had to Google a Proctor in order to figure out exactly what he was doing. Extremely convoluted ending. And yet I found the policeman intriguing enough that I might read another - one at least set in the '80's.
1 star
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Reckoning by Jane Casey - someone is killing sex offenders and pedophiles and Maeve Kerrigan is put on the case. When the reason behind the killings is discovered, the story takes a very different turn. This is the second in the series.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Garner Files: A Memoir by James Garner and Jon Winokur - not really a straight timeline memoir, but instead sections like childhood, Maverick, and golfing. He's not quite as easy going as he seems in his roles.
2 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest For Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman - the title pretty much says it. The author spent a month with the tribe in New Guinea that supposedly knows the truth. I thought he put a little too much of himself in the story but he also seems to have documented everything extensively. Somewhat stomach churning.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport - this is not a study of the Russian Revolution or who was right and wrong but about the lives of the four sisters. Their parents were quite unusual for the time and their position in that they actually spent time with their children. And the press in the early 1900's seemed as irresponsible as now. Maybe a little too much quoting from letters and documents to get her point across by the author.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Quick by Lauren Owen - my first vampire book and supposedly that's a spoiler. But I knew before I started reading so it's not that much of a secret. The story starts out very slow and is told from different viewpoints and in different styles. Rather exciting near the end, then a very (to me) anti-climatic last 50 pages. It was like this first time writer had a really good idea but didn't know how to end it.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L. Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh - a Lord Peter Wimsey started by Sayers and finished by Walsh. Peter and Harriet Vane are now married and the story contrasts their marriage with another couple. Disaster strikes and Peter investigates. I found the "witty" conversations very pretentious. I'll have to re-read an original to see if it's me or Walsh didn't quite get it right.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good Talk, Dad: The Birds and the Bees...and Other Conversations We Forgot to Have by Bill Geist and Willie Geist - I'm not familiar with either of the authors tv shows but thought this might be an amusing book. And it was but with a little too much raw language for my taste. Mostly funny stories from Willie's childhood.
3 stars
1 star
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Reckoning by Jane Casey - someone is killing sex offenders and pedophiles and Maeve Kerrigan is put on the case. When the reason behind the killings is discovered, the story takes a very different turn. This is the second in the series.
4 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Garner Files: A Memoir by James Garner and Jon Winokur - not really a straight timeline memoir, but instead sections like childhood, Maverick, and golfing. He's not quite as easy going as he seems in his roles.
2 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest For Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman - the title pretty much says it. The author spent a month with the tribe in New Guinea that supposedly knows the truth. I thought he put a little too much of himself in the story but he also seems to have documented everything extensively. Somewhat stomach churning.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport - this is not a study of the Russian Revolution or who was right and wrong but about the lives of the four sisters. Their parents were quite unusual for the time and their position in that they actually spent time with their children. And the press in the early 1900's seemed as irresponsible as now. Maybe a little too much quoting from letters and documents to get her point across by the author.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Quick by Lauren Owen - my first vampire book and supposedly that's a spoiler. But I knew before I started reading so it's not that much of a secret. The story starts out very slow and is told from different viewpoints and in different styles. Rather exciting near the end, then a very (to me) anti-climatic last 50 pages. It was like this first time writer had a really good idea but didn't know how to end it.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L. Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh - a Lord Peter Wimsey started by Sayers and finished by Walsh. Peter and Harriet Vane are now married and the story contrasts their marriage with another couple. Disaster strikes and Peter investigates. I found the "witty" conversations very pretentious. I'll have to re-read an original to see if it's me or Walsh didn't quite get it right.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good Talk, Dad: The Birds and the Bees...and Other Conversations We Forgot to Have by Bill Geist and Willie Geist - I'm not familiar with either of the authors tv shows but thought this might be an amusing book. And it was but with a little too much raw language for my taste. Mostly funny stories from Willie's childhood.
3 stars
Sunday, July 27, 2014
July 20-26, 2014
Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross - this is the first in the series. Miss Julia is recently widowed and just beginning to feel out from under the thumb of her husband when she is shocked to find he's the father to a 9 year old boy. And the boy has been left with her! This book has several things I find irritating: busybody small town people, overbearing pastors, and people grabbing for money. Also, Miss Julia is a little behind the times. I don't think I'll continue the series.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
China Dolls by Lisa See - three very different Chinese American girls meet in S.F. in 1938. They become friends and entertainers together. They all have secrets. Love and jealousy (and WWII) cause problems. I didn't find any of the girls totally sympathetic.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir by Frances Mayes - the author of Under the Tuscan Sun writes of her Southern childhood with volatile parents. It was a little hard for me to get into at first but then I got used to the style.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill - Hector Selgado is a policeman in Barcelona. Just returned from time off because of a violent episode, he's sent to do an unofficial investigation of an accident. Debut novel by an author who is a translator by profession. It seems he's been paying attention to the crime novel while he's been translating. A surprise reveal (at least for me) and then a cliffhanger that makes me very anxious for the next book. Language and some sex.
4.5 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dead Heading by Catherine Aird - a case of vandalism at two greenhouses is connected to a missing person and murder. Lots of repetition in this, by page 96 all that had happened was lots of talking about the vandalism. Total surprise who did it at the end but dulled by all the repetition. Also, not really fair to the book, but I get quite grumpy when there are lots of editing errors.
1 star
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Field of Prey by John Sandford - the killers are known from the outset, what's not known is how many they've killed and for how long. Way too many sexual remarks, which is supposed to be how cops talk. Also a totally unnecessary sex scene at the beginning when the first body is found. And too many other plot lines that don't go anywhere but just pad the story.
2 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird Al: The Book by Nathan Rabin with Al Yankovic - not a neutral biography, more of a (comical) story of Al's career by a fan. Al provided the picture captions. It was interesting to see how Al keeps up with the times.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faceoff edited by David Baldacci - several authors and their creations collaborate on a book of short stories for charity, two authors per story. Of course I enjoyed the stories more when I was familiar with the characters. Some of the authors I hadn't read so that gave me more fodder for my reading list.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Little Girl Who Fought the Great Depression: Shirley Temple and 1930's America by John F. Kasson - not a biography as such. Instead, the author believes Shirley and her movies came along at just the right time to help raise spirits during the Depression. I had not realized just how popular she was during the 30's.
3 stars
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
China Dolls by Lisa See - three very different Chinese American girls meet in S.F. in 1938. They become friends and entertainers together. They all have secrets. Love and jealousy (and WWII) cause problems. I didn't find any of the girls totally sympathetic.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir by Frances Mayes - the author of Under the Tuscan Sun writes of her Southern childhood with volatile parents. It was a little hard for me to get into at first but then I got used to the style.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Summer of Dead Toys by Antonio Hill - Hector Selgado is a policeman in Barcelona. Just returned from time off because of a violent episode, he's sent to do an unofficial investigation of an accident. Debut novel by an author who is a translator by profession. It seems he's been paying attention to the crime novel while he's been translating. A surprise reveal (at least for me) and then a cliffhanger that makes me very anxious for the next book. Language and some sex.
4.5 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dead Heading by Catherine Aird - a case of vandalism at two greenhouses is connected to a missing person and murder. Lots of repetition in this, by page 96 all that had happened was lots of talking about the vandalism. Total surprise who did it at the end but dulled by all the repetition. Also, not really fair to the book, but I get quite grumpy when there are lots of editing errors.
1 star
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Field of Prey by John Sandford - the killers are known from the outset, what's not known is how many they've killed and for how long. Way too many sexual remarks, which is supposed to be how cops talk. Also a totally unnecessary sex scene at the beginning when the first body is found. And too many other plot lines that don't go anywhere but just pad the story.
2 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weird Al: The Book by Nathan Rabin with Al Yankovic - not a neutral biography, more of a (comical) story of Al's career by a fan. Al provided the picture captions. It was interesting to see how Al keeps up with the times.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faceoff edited by David Baldacci - several authors and their creations collaborate on a book of short stories for charity, two authors per story. Of course I enjoyed the stories more when I was familiar with the characters. Some of the authors I hadn't read so that gave me more fodder for my reading list.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Little Girl Who Fought the Great Depression: Shirley Temple and 1930's America by John F. Kasson - not a biography as such. Instead, the author believes Shirley and her movies came along at just the right time to help raise spirits during the Depression. I had not realized just how popular she was during the 30's.
3 stars
Sunday, July 20, 2014
July 13-19, 2014
The View From Pompey's Head by Hamilton Basso - written in 1954, this is a story about Anson Page, a lawyer who left Pompey's Head fifteen years ago and didn't plan on returning. He thought he had escaped the small town gossip and ancestor worship that bothered him about the Southern town. Lots of talking and going back in time. And a bit of a mystery.
4 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
50 Children: One Ordinary American Couple's Extraordinary Rescue Mission into the Heart of Nazi Germany by Steven Pressman - the title pretty much says it all, although I wonder about the ordinariness of the couple - they were wealthy during the 30's and had some prestige. Even though I knew the outcome, I found myself nervous as the children were leaving Germany. The author is the grandson by marriage of the couple. The afterword I found especially interesting.
4.5 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Woman Who Married a Bear by John Straley - Sitka PI Cecil Younger is asked to look into a murder that has already been solved and the accused is in prison. I didn't like any of the people in this book, most are alcoholics, including Cecil, and only finished because I had to know what happened.
1 star
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Map Thief by Michael Blanding - the true story of E. Forbes Smiley, a respected map dealer who was at the same time stealing maps from libraries around the country. The book is also an interesting look at the history of map making.
4 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take This Man by Brando Skyhorse - abandoned by his father at age 3 and raised to believe he was Native American, the author has spent most of his life looking for a father figure.
4 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Six Days of the Condor by James Grady - a CIA agent in an obscure dept. comes back from lunch to find his colleagues dead. He spends the next six days playing hide and seek from foes and friendlies. Somewhat dated because of technology. Still fairly suspenseful. Sex and violence.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shopping, Seduction, and Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead - the story of Harold Selfridge who brought the first American type of dept store to London. He was brilliant at promoting his store but not very wise in his spending. A little too much detail about other characters I wasn't interested in.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman by Robert L. O'Connell - the author uses a different approach than the usual straight line biography and instead focuses on three aspects of Sherman's life: his success as a military strategist, his rapport with the men under his command, and his family. The military portion takes up the largest part of the book and it did bog down a little. Overall I enjoyed it.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke - the first in the Victorian San Francisco mysteries. Annie Fuller, a young widow, goes undercover as a maid to find out what happened to her friend, Mr. Voss. The author had me considering almost everyone as a suspect until the very end.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight - Michelle had already endured a horrific childhood when she was kidnapped by Ariel Castro. Yet she has a message of hope at the end. Read the jacket blurb before deciding if you can read this book.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top Secret Twenty-one by Janet Evanovich - after the previous book I was ready for some fluff and the Stephanie Plum series usually provides it. However, I thought this was a very weak effort and the author seems more and more willing to fall back on sex talk to fill out the story. The plot was thin. The saving grace for me was the pack of killer chihuahuas. I think I might be done with this series.
2 stars
4 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
50 Children: One Ordinary American Couple's Extraordinary Rescue Mission into the Heart of Nazi Germany by Steven Pressman - the title pretty much says it all, although I wonder about the ordinariness of the couple - they were wealthy during the 30's and had some prestige. Even though I knew the outcome, I found myself nervous as the children were leaving Germany. The author is the grandson by marriage of the couple. The afterword I found especially interesting.
4.5 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Woman Who Married a Bear by John Straley - Sitka PI Cecil Younger is asked to look into a murder that has already been solved and the accused is in prison. I didn't like any of the people in this book, most are alcoholics, including Cecil, and only finished because I had to know what happened.
1 star
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Map Thief by Michael Blanding - the true story of E. Forbes Smiley, a respected map dealer who was at the same time stealing maps from libraries around the country. The book is also an interesting look at the history of map making.
4 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take This Man by Brando Skyhorse - abandoned by his father at age 3 and raised to believe he was Native American, the author has spent most of his life looking for a father figure.
4 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Six Days of the Condor by James Grady - a CIA agent in an obscure dept. comes back from lunch to find his colleagues dead. He spends the next six days playing hide and seek from foes and friendlies. Somewhat dated because of technology. Still fairly suspenseful. Sex and violence.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shopping, Seduction, and Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead - the story of Harold Selfridge who brought the first American type of dept store to London. He was brilliant at promoting his store but not very wise in his spending. A little too much detail about other characters I wasn't interested in.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman by Robert L. O'Connell - the author uses a different approach than the usual straight line biography and instead focuses on three aspects of Sherman's life: his success as a military strategist, his rapport with the men under his command, and his family. The military portion takes up the largest part of the book and it did bog down a little. Overall I enjoyed it.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke - the first in the Victorian San Francisco mysteries. Annie Fuller, a young widow, goes undercover as a maid to find out what happened to her friend, Mr. Voss. The author had me considering almost everyone as a suspect until the very end.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight - Michelle had already endured a horrific childhood when she was kidnapped by Ariel Castro. Yet she has a message of hope at the end. Read the jacket blurb before deciding if you can read this book.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top Secret Twenty-one by Janet Evanovich - after the previous book I was ready for some fluff and the Stephanie Plum series usually provides it. However, I thought this was a very weak effort and the author seems more and more willing to fall back on sex talk to fill out the story. The plot was thin. The saving grace for me was the pack of killer chihuahuas. I think I might be done with this series.
2 stars
Sunday, July 13, 2014
July 6-12, 2014
C'MON! - My Story of Rock, Ruin, and Revelation by Christopher Long - shortly after the author finished his 1st book, a tell-all about his time with the band Poison, he became a Christian. This is the story leading up to that decision and how he has continued to change. I found the writing a little disjointed.
2 stars
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Vertigo 42 by Martha Grimes - Richard Jury is asked to look into a 17 year old death as a favor to a friend. This leads to another death 22 years in the past and a current death that looks rather like the old ones. Many characters from previous books are here as well as some old and new pets. Partly for old times sake
4 stars
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Four Seasons in Rome:On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the World by Anthony Doerr - the day his twins were born, the author learned he had won the Rome Prize - a writing studio in Rome, an apt., and a stipend. Six months later he and his family were living in Rome. I love the way he describes things and it really made me want to live in Rome (sometimes).
4 stars
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High Steel: The Daring Men Who Built the World's Greatest Skyline by Jim Rasenberger - Much more interesting than I expected, a little technical. I saw the author in the documentary Men at Lunch on Netflix. This book wasn't available at my library, I had to buy (!) a copy. Anyone interested in it for the price of postage, let me know. Edited to add, this book is now taken.
4 stars
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A Dead Red Cadillac by R P Dahlke - Lalla gets involved a murder when her red cadillac is used to dispose of the body. Lots of gaps in the story. You're left guessing at things the author thinks are obvious. The heroine is irritating. Once again, I'm in the minority on Goodreads.
1 star
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In the Last Analysis by Amanda Cross - this is the first Kate Fansler book, written in 1964. I found it very dated, especially police techniques and attitudes towards psychiatrists. Kate also annoyed me a lot. The series goes to 2002 but I don't think I'll read anymore.
2 stars
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Grand Ambition by Lisa Michaels - a fictionalized story of a real couple, Glen and Bessie Hyde, who tried to go down the Colorado River in 1928 on their honeymoon. The book seems slim on facts and no one actually knows what happened to them except that they didn't show up when and where they were supposed to. The story jumps back and forth in time and also includes the viewpoint of Glen's father.
3 stars
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Death on the Air and Other Stories by Ngaio Marsh - this has been on the top of my to read list for a long time. I finally got smart and requested it through inter-library loan and it came from Ma. The author is one of my all time favorites. This is a compilation of short stories and a couple of pieces about how she came up with her two main characters, Roderick Alleyn and his wife Troy.
3 stars
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A Year On Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball - three "mature" women buy a rundown house and farm together and discover they might be in over their heads. A pretty simple story but I really enjoyed it.
4 stars
2 stars
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Vertigo 42 by Martha Grimes - Richard Jury is asked to look into a 17 year old death as a favor to a friend. This leads to another death 22 years in the past and a current death that looks rather like the old ones. Many characters from previous books are here as well as some old and new pets. Partly for old times sake
4 stars
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Four Seasons in Rome:On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the World by Anthony Doerr - the day his twins were born, the author learned he had won the Rome Prize - a writing studio in Rome, an apt., and a stipend. Six months later he and his family were living in Rome. I love the way he describes things and it really made me want to live in Rome (sometimes).
4 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High Steel: The Daring Men Who Built the World's Greatest Skyline by Jim Rasenberger - Much more interesting than I expected, a little technical. I saw the author in the documentary Men at Lunch on Netflix. This book wasn't available at my library, I had to buy (!) a copy. Anyone interested in it for the price of postage, let me know. Edited to add, this book is now taken.
4 stars
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A Dead Red Cadillac by R P Dahlke - Lalla gets involved a murder when her red cadillac is used to dispose of the body. Lots of gaps in the story. You're left guessing at things the author thinks are obvious. The heroine is irritating. Once again, I'm in the minority on Goodreads.
1 star
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Last Analysis by Amanda Cross - this is the first Kate Fansler book, written in 1964. I found it very dated, especially police techniques and attitudes towards psychiatrists. Kate also annoyed me a lot. The series goes to 2002 but I don't think I'll read anymore.
2 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand Ambition by Lisa Michaels - a fictionalized story of a real couple, Glen and Bessie Hyde, who tried to go down the Colorado River in 1928 on their honeymoon. The book seems slim on facts and no one actually knows what happened to them except that they didn't show up when and where they were supposed to. The story jumps back and forth in time and also includes the viewpoint of Glen's father.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Death on the Air and Other Stories by Ngaio Marsh - this has been on the top of my to read list for a long time. I finally got smart and requested it through inter-library loan and it came from Ma. The author is one of my all time favorites. This is a compilation of short stories and a couple of pieces about how she came up with her two main characters, Roderick Alleyn and his wife Troy.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Year On Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball - three "mature" women buy a rundown house and farm together and discover they might be in over their heads. A pretty simple story but I really enjoyed it.
4 stars
Saturday, July 5, 2014
June 29-July 5, 2014
The Burning by Jane Casey - four women have been murdered and burned by a serial killer. But DC Maeve Kerrigan isn't convinced that the fifth victim fits the pattern. Told from three different viewpoints which is a little jarring at times. A few twists keep it interesting.
3 stars
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65 Short Stories by W. Somerset Maugham - it took quite awhile to read this (937 pgs), but I enjoyed most of the stories. Many are set in hot, sultry countries. The non-PCness is a little off putting, but probably very true to the times. I liked the Ashenden spy stories quite a lot. I really liked the author's style. I do wish the book had included the year in which they were published.
4 stars
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Victorian San Francisco Stories by M. Louisa Locke - four short stories involving the characters living at Annie Fuller's boarding house. The first explains how Annie became Miss Sybil, the clairvoyant. I especially enjoyed the historical tidbits at the end, going into detail about many events and places mentioned in the stories. This was a free Kindle book and I'll be reading the first book in the series.
3 stars
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The Sea of Storms:Lodestone Book One by Mark Whiteway - I was unable to immerse myself in the world of Kelanni, there were too many unanswered questions. Some bad guys are oppressing the population in the name of a mysterious Prophet. Some good guys are trying to stop them. Also a story element that really annoys me - jealousy and suspicion. Ends on a cliffhanger but meh. My opinion is in the minority on Goodreads. Another free kindle book.
2 stars
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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a blind girl and her father leave Paris with a priceless artifact as the Germans are arriving. An orphaned German boy becomes an expert at finding transmissions made by resistance fighters. Somehow the two meet in this beautifully written book. Written from different viewpoints and times but I didn't find it confusing. Most of the chapters are quite short. Some horrific war passages.
5 stars
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Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - another book with lots of book suggestions. I've put a lot of them on my to read list, in fact, I just reached my hold limit at the library. I bought this book so I could mark in it. It was fun seeing what I'd already read.
3 stars
3 stars
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65 Short Stories by W. Somerset Maugham - it took quite awhile to read this (937 pgs), but I enjoyed most of the stories. Many are set in hot, sultry countries. The non-PCness is a little off putting, but probably very true to the times. I liked the Ashenden spy stories quite a lot. I really liked the author's style. I do wish the book had included the year in which they were published.
4 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victorian San Francisco Stories by M. Louisa Locke - four short stories involving the characters living at Annie Fuller's boarding house. The first explains how Annie became Miss Sybil, the clairvoyant. I especially enjoyed the historical tidbits at the end, going into detail about many events and places mentioned in the stories. This was a free Kindle book and I'll be reading the first book in the series.
3 stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sea of Storms:Lodestone Book One by Mark Whiteway - I was unable to immerse myself in the world of Kelanni, there were too many unanswered questions. Some bad guys are oppressing the population in the name of a mysterious Prophet. Some good guys are trying to stop them. Also a story element that really annoys me - jealousy and suspicion. Ends on a cliffhanger but meh. My opinion is in the minority on Goodreads. Another free kindle book.
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a blind girl and her father leave Paris with a priceless artifact as the Germans are arriving. An orphaned German boy becomes an expert at finding transmissions made by resistance fighters. Somehow the two meet in this beautifully written book. Written from different viewpoints and times but I didn't find it confusing. Most of the chapters are quite short. Some horrific war passages.
5 stars
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Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - another book with lots of book suggestions. I've put a lot of them on my to read list, in fact, I just reached my hold limit at the library. I bought this book so I could mark in it. It was fun seeing what I'd already read.
3 stars
Sunday, June 29, 2014
June 22-28, 2014
Cold Killing by Luke Delaney - DCI Sean Corrigan is a detective who has the uncanny ability to think like the bad guys. And he's pretty sure there's a serial killer in London and pretty sure he knows who it is. This story also gives the viewpoint of the killer. Very graphic violence. Only because of the ending will I give it
2 stars
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Cathedral of the Wild: An African Journey Home by Boyd Varty - the author grew up at Londolozi Game Reserve. This book relates his adventures there. He's now working toward restoring an elephant corridor across part of Africa.
3 stars
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Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce - DC Gary Goodhew is a rather strange policeman. He's new on the force and yet seems to know quite a bit about people and crimes, maybe more than he should. He goes against his superior's orders and blithely runs the investigation the way he wants. I didn't find him very sympathetic. The plot kept me guessing until the end. Quite a bit of sex. I don't know if I'll continue this series.
3 stars
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Postcards from Cookie: A Memoir of Motherhood, Miracles, and a Whole Lot of Mail by Caroline Clarke - what starts as a search for medical information leads to the discovery of who her birth mother is. And the famous family she comes from.
3 stars
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John Wayne: The Life and Legend by Scott Eyman - the author of this 672 page book seemed to think what I wanted to know was every.single.movie John Wayne ever made recounted in detail, including how much it cost, who got paid what, and how much it made. About page 400 is where it got interesting for me. Also, the author had, as far as I could tell, a single interview in 1972, that somehow gave him amazing insight into how John Wayne thought. Only finished this because I'm stubborn.
2 stars
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What She Saw by Sheila Lowe - a woman comes to on a train and doesn't know where she is or who she is. After several fortuitous incidents, she finds herself at work looking for mysterious missing files. Fairly mundane mystery, read because I was out of books and it was free on my Kindle.
2 stars
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The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham - set in Hong Kong in the 1920's, this is the story of Kitty Fane. She doesn't love her husband and embarks on an affair. Of course there are consequences. Written in 1925 it is certainly not pc.
4 stars
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The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) - the second Cormoran Strike book. Riding on the success generated by the events of the first book. Cormoran takes on a missing husband case because he feels sorry for the wife. Then he finds the husband horribly murdered. While the mystery part of this story was good, I thought the book was too long and overly redundant. I didn't need the (very) gory murder described over and over. Nor did I need to be reminded, several times, of the events of Cormoran's break up with his former girlfriend. The reveal at the end was a surprise though.
3 stars
2 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cathedral of the Wild: An African Journey Home by Boyd Varty - the author grew up at Londolozi Game Reserve. This book relates his adventures there. He's now working toward restoring an elephant corridor across part of Africa.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce - DC Gary Goodhew is a rather strange policeman. He's new on the force and yet seems to know quite a bit about people and crimes, maybe more than he should. He goes against his superior's orders and blithely runs the investigation the way he wants. I didn't find him very sympathetic. The plot kept me guessing until the end. Quite a bit of sex. I don't know if I'll continue this series.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Postcards from Cookie: A Memoir of Motherhood, Miracles, and a Whole Lot of Mail by Caroline Clarke - what starts as a search for medical information leads to the discovery of who her birth mother is. And the famous family she comes from.
3 stars
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John Wayne: The Life and Legend by Scott Eyman - the author of this 672 page book seemed to think what I wanted to know was every.single.movie John Wayne ever made recounted in detail, including how much it cost, who got paid what, and how much it made. About page 400 is where it got interesting for me. Also, the author had, as far as I could tell, a single interview in 1972, that somehow gave him amazing insight into how John Wayne thought. Only finished this because I'm stubborn.
2 stars
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What She Saw by Sheila Lowe - a woman comes to on a train and doesn't know where she is or who she is. After several fortuitous incidents, she finds herself at work looking for mysterious missing files. Fairly mundane mystery, read because I was out of books and it was free on my Kindle.
2 stars
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The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham - set in Hong Kong in the 1920's, this is the story of Kitty Fane. She doesn't love her husband and embarks on an affair. Of course there are consequences. Written in 1925 it is certainly not pc.
4 stars
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The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) - the second Cormoran Strike book. Riding on the success generated by the events of the first book. Cormoran takes on a missing husband case because he feels sorry for the wife. Then he finds the husband horribly murdered. While the mystery part of this story was good, I thought the book was too long and overly redundant. I didn't need the (very) gory murder described over and over. Nor did I need to be reminded, several times, of the events of Cormoran's break up with his former girlfriend. The reveal at the end was a surprise though.
3 stars
Sunday, June 22, 2014
June 15-21, 2014
Dead Scared by S.J. Bolton - DC Lacey Flint is recruited to go undercover as a student at Cambridge. There seems to be a very high rate of suicide. Someone is either encouraging or helping. And Lacey isn't being told the whole story by her superiors.
3 stars
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Untraceable by Laura Griffin - Alex helps women escape abusive partners. But now one of the women is missing and Alex is afraid she's been murdered by her husband, a policeman. And the case gets more and more complicated. Turns out this book was a romance with mystery, not the other way around. So too much sex. And the author kept introducing character after character.
3 stars
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A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths - another Ruth Galloway book. Ruth learns an old friend has died and the next day receives a letter from him saying he's made an amazing discovery. A story involving King Arthur and neo-Nazis. I thought this moved rather slow, it was almost about relationships rather than mystery. I also find the author's use of present tense annoying.
3 stars
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Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers by Nancy Pearl - not just a listing of books, it's more like the author is discussing the books with you and the reason she included them. I'll be buying this book so I can mark it up.
4 stars
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The Limehouse Text by Will Thomas - I'm really hooked on these Thomas Llewelyn and Clive Barker mysteries. Barker is still trying to solve the murder of his former assistant and discovers a Chinese book that may be the reason he was killed. Many people want the book for different reasons. Not quite as good as the previous two.
3 stars
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Lost by S.J. Bolton (some editions titled Like This, For Ever) - the 3rd Lacey Flint novel and Lacey is more tortured than ever. She's on sick leave and still finds herself caught in the hunt for a serial killer of young boys. Very suspenseful as the hunt turns to one suspect after another. I'm a little tired of the tortured not happening love affair.
4 stars
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Pulse by Jeremy Robinson - a sci-fi/Greek mythology meets Delta Force mix-up. Jack Sigler leads a black ops team - all with chess piece code names against an enemy trying to find a regeneration serum. Lots of non-stop action and totally unbelievable.
3 stars
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A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton(formerly writing as S.J. Bolton) - LOTS of twists at the the end of this twisted tale. Lacey Flint is back at work in the police force, this time working with the river police on the Thames. When she finds a body while swimming, it is soon evident it was placed there for her to find. This book wasn't as cohesive as previous in the series, it's told from several viewpoints. I'm all caught up on this series.
3 stars
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Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins - the author and his wife move to Hay on Wye, a Welsh town with 40 bookstores. He has some amusing thoughts on the British way of things but much of the book was spent pawing through old smelly books.
2 stars
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An Unhallowed Grave by Kate Ellis - a Wesley Peterson book. A woman is found hanged in a churchyard and at first it seems a motiveless crime. This ties in with a body found at an archeological dig being run by Wesley's friend Neil. I enjoy these mysteries set in small towns and always connected to a mystery in the past. I'm a little worried about Wesley's marriage. There are 19 books in the series so far and this was #3. And I just discovered #4 is not available at the library. How annoying.
3 stars
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Untraceable by Laura Griffin - Alex helps women escape abusive partners. But now one of the women is missing and Alex is afraid she's been murdered by her husband, a policeman. And the case gets more and more complicated. Turns out this book was a romance with mystery, not the other way around. So too much sex. And the author kept introducing character after character.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths - another Ruth Galloway book. Ruth learns an old friend has died and the next day receives a letter from him saying he's made an amazing discovery. A story involving King Arthur and neo-Nazis. I thought this moved rather slow, it was almost about relationships rather than mystery. I also find the author's use of present tense annoying.
3 stars
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Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers by Nancy Pearl - not just a listing of books, it's more like the author is discussing the books with you and the reason she included them. I'll be buying this book so I can mark it up.
4 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Limehouse Text by Will Thomas - I'm really hooked on these Thomas Llewelyn and Clive Barker mysteries. Barker is still trying to solve the murder of his former assistant and discovers a Chinese book that may be the reason he was killed. Many people want the book for different reasons. Not quite as good as the previous two.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lost by S.J. Bolton (some editions titled Like This, For Ever) - the 3rd Lacey Flint novel and Lacey is more tortured than ever. She's on sick leave and still finds herself caught in the hunt for a serial killer of young boys. Very suspenseful as the hunt turns to one suspect after another. I'm a little tired of the tortured not happening love affair.
4 stars
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Pulse by Jeremy Robinson - a sci-fi/Greek mythology meets Delta Force mix-up. Jack Sigler leads a black ops team - all with chess piece code names against an enemy trying to find a regeneration serum. Lots of non-stop action and totally unbelievable.
3 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton(formerly writing as S.J. Bolton) - LOTS of twists at the the end of this twisted tale. Lacey Flint is back at work in the police force, this time working with the river police on the Thames. When she finds a body while swimming, it is soon evident it was placed there for her to find. This book wasn't as cohesive as previous in the series, it's told from several viewpoints. I'm all caught up on this series.
3 stars
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Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins - the author and his wife move to Hay on Wye, a Welsh town with 40 bookstores. He has some amusing thoughts on the British way of things but much of the book was spent pawing through old smelly books.
2 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Unhallowed Grave by Kate Ellis - a Wesley Peterson book. A woman is found hanged in a churchyard and at first it seems a motiveless crime. This ties in with a body found at an archeological dig being run by Wesley's friend Neil. I enjoy these mysteries set in small towns and always connected to a mystery in the past. I'm a little worried about Wesley's marriage. There are 19 books in the series so far and this was #3. And I just discovered #4 is not available at the library. How annoying.
3 stars
Sunday, June 15, 2014
June 8-14, 2014
The Black-Eyed Blonde: a Phillip Marlowe novel by Benjamin Black -this is supposed to be hard-boiled detective noir but I thought the detective seemed tired and lonely. Not much mystery until halfway through the book and then suddenly there's lots of violence and a mundane ending.
2 stars
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Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie - Mrs. Ariadne Oliver is approached by a woman in a very obnoxious way. She has questions about a double suicide that took place 20 years ago. She enlists the help of Hercule Poirot. Solved the old fashioned way - lots of interviews.
3 stars
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Love Life by Rob Lowe - not as much of a memoir as his first book, this is more of a collection of his thoughts on different subjects. Sometimes I wished he would just come out and name names. He does seem to really love his family. Some language.
3 stars
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In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker - The Company has discovered immortality and time travel and uses both to save plants, animals, and humans from extinction. All for the benefit of the Company. Mendoza is an operative working in England during the reign of Bloody Mary. I just didn't get this book. The sci-fi part was confusing and I really didn't follow the plot at all.
2 stars
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To Kingdom Come by Will Thomas - it's 1884, and Thomas Llewelyn and his employer go undercover in an Irish group wanting to blow up London. William Yeats, the Prince of Wales, and Charles Spurgeon make appearances. I'm enjoying this series and the little bits of humor that are slipped in.
3.5 stars
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Invisible City by Julia Dahl - a woman has been murdered in the Hasidic community of New York and it looks like there's a cover-up going on. Rebekah Roberts is assigned the story by her newspaper and gets drawn into the community. An interesting look at an insular group. There is totally unnecessary, descriptive sex that has nothing to do with the story.
3 stars
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Life Reader by K.M. Shea - Raven is a page turner with a special power, whatever she reads aloud in a book comes to life. But it becomes a little difficult to keep it hidden when she's asked by her father to go undercover at a library to find a magical artifact. This book plunges you right into a fantasy world without a lot of explanation, in fact I was never sure exactly what a page turner is. I took a chance on it as a free Kindle book and am glad I did. I was hoping it was a part of a series, but it doesn't look like it is.
4 stars
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Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman - Buck Schatz is 87 years old and retired from the Memphis police force 35 years ago. When he learns that an enemy from WWII is still alive, he finds himself involved in a hunt for Nazi gold. Buck is not a geriatric movie hero, he's physically fragile and is worrying that he's going into dementia. He's also not very likeable. I didn't find his character sympathetic. Too much language.
2 stars
2 stars
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Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie - Mrs. Ariadne Oliver is approached by a woman in a very obnoxious way. She has questions about a double suicide that took place 20 years ago. She enlists the help of Hercule Poirot. Solved the old fashioned way - lots of interviews.
3 stars
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Love Life by Rob Lowe - not as much of a memoir as his first book, this is more of a collection of his thoughts on different subjects. Sometimes I wished he would just come out and name names. He does seem to really love his family. Some language.
3 stars
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In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker - The Company has discovered immortality and time travel and uses both to save plants, animals, and humans from extinction. All for the benefit of the Company. Mendoza is an operative working in England during the reign of Bloody Mary. I just didn't get this book. The sci-fi part was confusing and I really didn't follow the plot at all.
2 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Kingdom Come by Will Thomas - it's 1884, and Thomas Llewelyn and his employer go undercover in an Irish group wanting to blow up London. William Yeats, the Prince of Wales, and Charles Spurgeon make appearances. I'm enjoying this series and the little bits of humor that are slipped in.
3.5 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invisible City by Julia Dahl - a woman has been murdered in the Hasidic community of New York and it looks like there's a cover-up going on. Rebekah Roberts is assigned the story by her newspaper and gets drawn into the community. An interesting look at an insular group. There is totally unnecessary, descriptive sex that has nothing to do with the story.
3 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life Reader by K.M. Shea - Raven is a page turner with a special power, whatever she reads aloud in a book comes to life. But it becomes a little difficult to keep it hidden when she's asked by her father to go undercover at a library to find a magical artifact. This book plunges you right into a fantasy world without a lot of explanation, in fact I was never sure exactly what a page turner is. I took a chance on it as a free Kindle book and am glad I did. I was hoping it was a part of a series, but it doesn't look like it is.
4 stars
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman - Buck Schatz is 87 years old and retired from the Memphis police force 35 years ago. When he learns that an enemy from WWII is still alive, he finds himself involved in a hunt for Nazi gold. Buck is not a geriatric movie hero, he's physically fragile and is worrying that he's going into dementia. He's also not very likeable. I didn't find his character sympathetic. Too much language.
2 stars
Sunday, June 8, 2014
June 1-7, 2014
The Triumph of Caesar by Steven Saylor - Gordianus the Finder is in his 60's now and pretty much retired from the finding business. Caesar's wife wants him to find out who is trying to kill her husband. Not the best in the series.
3 stars
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Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley - a wagon full of books pulls up in a farmyard and the heroine of the story buys it to keep her brother from buying it and taking off again. She feels she's due a little adventure of her own. This book was written in 1917 and the edition I read was re- released in 1948. It's interesting to read the introduction, which talks about bookselling. I thought it an amusing little book.
4 stars
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The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley - the characters in the previous book are also in this but I don't find them quite as endearing. They now own a second hand bookshop and into it comes a young man trying to interest them in advertising their store. LOTS of talking about books and ideas, most of it in a monologue by Roger Mifflin. Written in 1918, quite a bit of the book doesn't hold up in current times.
2 stars
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Any Other Name by Craig Johnson - a Walt Longmire story. Walt is in another county looking into the suicide of a friend of Lucien's, his ex-boss. It turns into a missing women case and of course Walt is trudging through the snow. Sometimes his efforts seem super-human. Not one of the best plots, but the writing is still great.
If you only know Longmire from the tv show, the books are very different and not filled with all the political stuff of the show.
3 stars
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Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas - Thomas Lleweyn answers an ad with those words and finds himself working for Cyrus Barker, a private inquiry agent in Victorian England. In their first case together, they try to find who is inciting a pogrom against the Jews of London. There's an air of mystery surrounding Barker that I'm hoping will be explored in further books (5 more so far in the series). Also slyly humorous at times.
4 stars
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Murder at Cape Three Points by Kwei Quartey - Darko Dawson goes out of town again to investigate the murder of an oil executive and his wife. Another fascinating look at police work in Ghana. Lots of twists in this one and I always enjoy it when I don't have a clue who did it. The author has quite a different take on the national health system of Ghana than Wikipedia does.
4 stars
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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron - Julian is introduced to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father and while there finds a book titled The Shadow of the Wind. He becomes fascinated by the author and tries to find other books by him. He learns someone else is also looking for and destroying the books. The story begins in 1945 Barcelona when the city is reeling from the civil and world wars. A combo mystery/love story.
4 stars
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The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - Lucy Dane is disturbed by the disappearance and then murder of a school friend. Then she finds something that makes her begin to investigate and this leads her to also try to find out why her mother disappeared so many years ago. Told from a variety of viewpoints that is ultimately distracting.
2 stars
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Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark - in 1810, Astor sent two separate parties to establish a fur trading post in the Northwest. One went overland and one went around South America on ship. The ship would pick up furs, sell them in China and then take Chinese goods to Europe, returning to America with a 2,500% profit. Things didn't quite turn out that way. Told in a fairly straightforward manner, although there are some suppositions about conversations that may have taken place.
3 stars
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley - a wagon full of books pulls up in a farmyard and the heroine of the story buys it to keep her brother from buying it and taking off again. She feels she's due a little adventure of her own. This book was written in 1917 and the edition I read was re- released in 1948. It's interesting to read the introduction, which talks about bookselling. I thought it an amusing little book.
4 stars
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The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley - the characters in the previous book are also in this but I don't find them quite as endearing. They now own a second hand bookshop and into it comes a young man trying to interest them in advertising their store. LOTS of talking about books and ideas, most of it in a monologue by Roger Mifflin. Written in 1918, quite a bit of the book doesn't hold up in current times.
2 stars
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Any Other Name by Craig Johnson - a Walt Longmire story. Walt is in another county looking into the suicide of a friend of Lucien's, his ex-boss. It turns into a missing women case and of course Walt is trudging through the snow. Sometimes his efforts seem super-human. Not one of the best plots, but the writing is still great.
If you only know Longmire from the tv show, the books are very different and not filled with all the political stuff of the show.
3 stars
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Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas - Thomas Lleweyn answers an ad with those words and finds himself working for Cyrus Barker, a private inquiry agent in Victorian England. In their first case together, they try to find who is inciting a pogrom against the Jews of London. There's an air of mystery surrounding Barker that I'm hoping will be explored in further books (5 more so far in the series). Also slyly humorous at times.
4 stars
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Murder at Cape Three Points by Kwei Quartey - Darko Dawson goes out of town again to investigate the murder of an oil executive and his wife. Another fascinating look at police work in Ghana. Lots of twists in this one and I always enjoy it when I don't have a clue who did it. The author has quite a different take on the national health system of Ghana than Wikipedia does.
4 stars
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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron - Julian is introduced to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father and while there finds a book titled The Shadow of the Wind. He becomes fascinated by the author and tries to find other books by him. He learns someone else is also looking for and destroying the books. The story begins in 1945 Barcelona when the city is reeling from the civil and world wars. A combo mystery/love story.
4 stars
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The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - Lucy Dane is disturbed by the disappearance and then murder of a school friend. Then she finds something that makes her begin to investigate and this leads her to also try to find out why her mother disappeared so many years ago. Told from a variety of viewpoints that is ultimately distracting.
2 stars
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Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark - in 1810, Astor sent two separate parties to establish a fur trading post in the Northwest. One went overland and one went around South America on ship. The ship would pick up furs, sell them in China and then take Chinese goods to Europe, returning to America with a 2,500% profit. Things didn't quite turn out that way. Told in a fairly straightforward manner, although there are some suppositions about conversations that may have taken place.
3 stars
Sunday, June 1, 2014
May 25-31, 2014
Finding Monsters by Liss Thomas - a girl who has been fighting cancer all her life touches the hand of the monster under her bed and her life is transformed. Transported to his world she becomes quite a warrior. And of course they're in love, with all the deep eye gazing and chaste yearning that entails. This is the first in a YA series called Guardians of Esurack. I didn't care for the writing and my free e-book had lots of errors, enough to be distracting. I'm in the minority, this book and the sequel have high ratings on Goodreads. Because I did finish it,
2 stars
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The Misremembered Man by Christina McKenna - I have to be honest and say that I read the second half of this book by skimming it in large chunks. The first half really drug but still I wanted to know what happens. Two lonely-hearts in 1976 Ireland are searching for each other. This story alternates with a quite horrific story in an orphanage. It could be I wasn't in the right mood for this one.
2 stars
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Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey - someone is killing the street children in Accra, Ghana. This is the second in the Darko Dawson series. I liked this better than the first, it's quite interesting to read about police forces in other countries struggling to do modern police work. I already have the third book on hold.
3.5 stars
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The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - a novella about what happens when the Queen of England becomes a reader.
4 stars
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Song of the Summer King by Jess E. Owen - Shard is a young gryfon, the last full-blooded of the Vanir. He struggles to be accepted and prove himself loyal to the conquering king. When he discovers he can understand other animal's talk, he begins to wonder about his destiny. I'll probably read the next in the series.
3 stars
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Kane by Steve Gannon - a hunt for a serial killer. Kane is one of the detectives and he's a very angry man. Lots of time is spent on his family life and the way he treats them didn't make me feel very sympathetic to him. Also, there's way too much detail in this book. The killer is known very early on and then it's a matter of how they will catch him. Pretty exciting ending but by then I almost didn't care.
2 stars
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I quit almost as many books this week as I read. I hope I'm not getting tired of reading!
2 stars
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The Misremembered Man by Christina McKenna - I have to be honest and say that I read the second half of this book by skimming it in large chunks. The first half really drug but still I wanted to know what happens. Two lonely-hearts in 1976 Ireland are searching for each other. This story alternates with a quite horrific story in an orphanage. It could be I wasn't in the right mood for this one.
2 stars
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Children of the Street by Kwei Quartey - someone is killing the street children in Accra, Ghana. This is the second in the Darko Dawson series. I liked this better than the first, it's quite interesting to read about police forces in other countries struggling to do modern police work. I already have the third book on hold.
3.5 stars
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The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - a novella about what happens when the Queen of England becomes a reader.
4 stars
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Song of the Summer King by Jess E. Owen - Shard is a young gryfon, the last full-blooded of the Vanir. He struggles to be accepted and prove himself loyal to the conquering king. When he discovers he can understand other animal's talk, he begins to wonder about his destiny. I'll probably read the next in the series.
3 stars
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Kane by Steve Gannon - a hunt for a serial killer. Kane is one of the detectives and he's a very angry man. Lots of time is spent on his family life and the way he treats them didn't make me feel very sympathetic to him. Also, there's way too much detail in this book. The killer is known very early on and then it's a matter of how they will catch him. Pretty exciting ending but by then I almost didn't care.
2 stars
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I quit almost as many books this week as I read. I hope I'm not getting tired of reading!
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