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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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