Coffee and Chocolate

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

2012-02-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

One review I read says that this books is primed to "become The Help Of 2012." I can't say since I didn't read the book nor did I see the film. All I can say is that this book was strangely unsatisfying. The book jacket describes it as "brilliantly written." It's not bad, but certainly not particularly brilliant.

It's the story of Hayat, a young Muslim American. The story start when the boy is in college, then looks back to his youth. His father, a physician from Pakistan, has left the Muslim faith which he sees as full of fanatics and idiots. His mother practices in a modern way - really more off than on - until her good friend, Mina, arrives from Pakistan with her little boy. Mina is the victim of a bad marriage and has fled to the US to start a new life. Mina brings joy into a household that has been filled with tension.

Hayat's mother and father squabble constantly, his father is a womanizer and drinks, his mother is resentful and angry. Mina brings new life into the household. She is joyful, full of laughter and devout - in a more modern way. Hayat develops a crush on Mina and spends a lot of time with her as she teaches him about the Quran. She also becomes involved with Nathan, Hayat's father's partner in medical experimentation. Then Hayat does something terrible.

Aside from Mina, the author doesn't show Islam in a very good light. We meet an Imam who, when a Jew approaches him to talk about converting, uses that as a reason to preach that the Prophet hated all Jews. The reader doesn't see much to Islam except the negative side. The author is an American from a Pakistani family. One Canadian reviewer said that the United States should examine its own governing system if the result is hatred. I'm not sure I agree with that. I think the problem is a lot deeper. It should be interesting to see if this book is turned into a film.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/30/entertainment/la-et-book-20120130

http://nowtoronto.com/books/story.cfm?content=185101

http://books.usatoday.com/book/ayad-akhtar-american-dervish/r619957

Coming Apart?

2012-02-09T15:14:00.002-05:00

http://surfacefragments.blogspot.com/

I think I have too much time on my hands to think. In some ways, lately, I've become paralyzed by having too many choices and too much going on in my head. Part of it is my participation in Facebook. Originally I saw this as a way to meet new people and to connect with people I don't get to see. However, recently a young cousin has been setting forth his 'principles' which state that all rights and privileges and law come from God. He stated that people who are non-believers should not have rights. Really? Is this what we've come to? We have a candidate for President telling women that if they are raped and become pregnant, it's God's will. What next? Relax and enjoy it? Another Presidential candidate thinks he is the only person holding civilization together. Yet another thinks that making over $300,000 in speaking fees "isn't much." I fear for my country. It seems like we are fighting the civil war over and over. It literally makes me sick to my stomach sometimes. Enough. I'm going to do some tabletop photography. I can't deal with this crap.

Gone West by Carola Dunn

2012-02-06T18:31:00.002-05:00

For me there's something very appealing about this light - some might even go so far as to call it frothy - series featuring Daisy Dalrymple, wife of DI Alec Fletcher, writer of travel articles and mother of twins as well as stepmother to Alec's daughter, Belinda, the daughter of his deceased first wife. The series takes place in 20's Britain, still in some pain as a result the loss of so many young men in WWI. Happily, Carola Dunn knows how to write otherwise this might have joined the list of books I've discarded before finishing. No, I enjoyed this one thoroughly. It's a lot of fun. Daisy has been approached by a old schoolmate who lost her husband during the war. She has a young daughter and works as a secretary to a writer whose genre is westerns. She asks Daisy to spend a few days "investigating" because she feels as if something is wrong, but she can't put her finger on it. Daisy, of course, can never resist a challenge. It's not long before the writer is murdered. Of course her husband is called in to investigate. This is one of the cozy series that I follow religiously. Now I'll have to wait until next year for a new one.....

Movies Make Me Think

2012-02-06T08:38:00.002-05:00

Movie update - Seeing two films yesterday was an interesting experience. I really enjoyed The Artist. However, the one that has made me think and run various scenes through my mind was Tinker,Soldier,Tailor,Spy. This could be my favorite movie of 2011. It wasn't a Golden Globe or Academy favorite, but I loved the lack of glitz, the darkness, the low tech, the superb acting, the fact that you had to pay attention throughout. It actually kept me awake to some extent. Now THAT's a good movie!

Double Feature!

2012-02-05T19:41:00.001-05:00

In honor of the Super Bowl, Bob and I went to the movies. Since we were going downtown to the Charles in Baltimore, we decided we might as well see two films especially since it's a little cheaper to go to a matinee. We saw Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Artist, two VERY different films.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is absolutely RIVETING! A lot of people would say that a low tech film about a low tech era would be boring. It's not at all. There was some blood but mostly there was incredible drama as George Smiley, a retired British spy, is summoned back to active duty to ferret out a mole. Typewriters, telephones, huge earphones, teletype machines, and one very primitive computer were the featured tech toys of the day. It's a fascinating look back at a time when we were essentially at war with no shots fired and the possibility of nuclear conflict was ever present. If you need action, you won't like this film. It's subtle and deliberate.

After that we took a break at had a crepe snack at a little creperie next door. Except for the fact that it was all indoors, it was like snacking on crepes in Paris.

I'm glad we saved The Artist for the second film. After the darkness of Tinker, Tailor, etc, this film was just so much fun. I had some reservations about a film in which nobody spoke. However, you actually understood what they were saying. There weren't that many dialogue boxes. The acting is wonderful. Plus the little dog often threatens to steal the show, but then that's what dogs do! The filming is superb with different types of black and white being used. It was very period and VERY well done.

We loved both of these films for very different reasons. Both are outstanding films - well crafted, well acted and thoroughly enjoyable.

http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/90081/the-artist.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/22/movie-review-the-artist/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/dec/22/the-artist-film-review
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/jan/01/the-artist-review-philip-french

Believing the Lie - Elizabeth George

2012-02-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

It's always a pleasure to encounter an Elizabeth George novel. Despite having written countless Inspector Lynley novels, they always seem new and fresh. Unlike other authors, she doesn't seem to tire of her character. Plus, every book is a new experience with a complex plot. They are also very long even though they generally take place over a relatively short period of time.

In this case, Lynley - both a Scotland Yard detective AND an Earl - has been asked to discretely look into a possible murder by a concerned family member. Lynley is just the person to ask. There aren't too many Scotland Yard detectives who also happen to be titled and rich. Lynley doesn't need to do what he does. He WANTS to do so. I know that, for some, this will seem a stretch. But there it is.

This is the third book that explores Lynley's career after the horrible and senseless death of his wife and their unborn child. To complicate matters, he is having an affair with Isabelle, his superior officer and "guv." He thinks that nobody knows including Barbara Havers, his partner. However, she is aware and hoping that the affair doesn't become public and cause problems.

In the meantime, Lynley is away on what seems to be a fool's errand. Isabelle is livid because he refuses to tell her what he is doing. Havers is trying to stay neutral but takes a few days of personal time to help him with some of the answers he needs. It soon becomes obvious that there is much more to this than meets the eye. Plus there are the other subplots that twist their way through the story. It's a complicated and interesting book. I recommend it highly.

The Descendents - Starring George Clooney

2012-02-01T21:55:00.001-05:00

Bob and I just went to see The Descendants starring George Clooney. It's one of those low key films - no car chases, no sex, some bad language - about a man coming to grips with his wife's death as well the effect on his children. His wife was injured in a power boat accident, suffering a severe head injury. When the film opens, she is in a coma. Clooney is one of several descendents of a powerful and (mostly) well off Hawaiian family. There is a 25,000ac parcel of prime oceanfront property owned by a family trust that must be sold and many of the family members, having gone through their inheritances, want their share. As you can imagine, a parcel of that size is worth millions. Clooney plays this so well. He is funny, sad, angry and, in the end, wonderful. The entire cast is terrific.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: The Film

2012-01-27T22:16:00.002-05:00

After reading the book and loving it, I wasn't sure how the screenwriter had adapted this book. First of all it's incredibly lovely, but most of the "action" actually goes inside Oscar's head. (Oscar is the main character, a boy convinced that his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11 had left a message behind.) The screenplay truncated the story - compressing it and, at the same time, leaving behind some elements including his grandfather's horrific experiences in Dresden during the fire bombing of WWII. Nevertheless, the film managed to convey the feelings of a child who loses the father he loves as a result of a national tragedy and tries to make sense of it all. When he discovers a key in a vase in his father's closet - a closet his mother has not touched since her husband's death - his journey begins. During his journey, Oscar touches the hearts of so many people. I loved the book. I also loved the film for very different reasons. The humanity that came together after 9/11 far outweighs the vicious attacks of that day. Don't miss this lovely and haunting film.

The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris

2012-01-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

Turns and twists and subterfuges and surprises confound the reader. Just when you are SURE you know what's going on, something else comes up. If I had read that the Romantic Times had reviewed this book, I might have ignored it. As it is, this is one that I saw in a review and decided to try. It's really terrific. I'm already looking forward to the author's next book! Dr. Thomas Silkstone is learning the finer points of his craft as an anatomist from a well known London doctor. He has recently arrived from Philadelphia in the midst of the American Revolution, 1780. He is treated disdainfully by many, but the people who know him are aware of his brilliance and hard work. The book opens with the horrific death of an Earl on an estate near Oxford. Soon Silkstone is drawn into an incredible web of deceit and lies. This book is really well written and researched. There is even a glossary at the end explaining some of the words the reader might not know. Harris is a historian and writer and an Oxford graduate herself. It's a pleasure to read a book that is well written and also gripping. There's a little romance, but not so much that it overwhelms the story. Good read!

From Ms. Harris' website:

What the critics are saying........

A "densely plotted yarn about a crafty 18th-century poisoner wreaking havoc on the Oxfordshire estate of a noble family......we await — indeed, demand — the sequel."
New York Times

An "engrossing, lively and satisfying series debut."
Barbara Clark, BookPage

Harris’ research is meticulous. The results are a historical CSI with a romance and excellent mystery.
Romantic Times

Harris has more than a few tricks up her sleeve, and even veteran armchair puzzle solvers are likely to be surprised.
Publishers Weekly

"Tessa Harris has delivered a deftly plotted debut. Just when you think the puzzle is solved, she reveals yet another surprising twist which leaves you marveling at her ingenuity."
Carol Carr, author of India Black

"CSI meets the Age of Reason with a well-drawn, intriguing cast of characters, headed by the brilliant Dr. Thomas Silkstone. Full of twists and turns, Tessa Harris's debut mystery can confound the most adept reader. Vivid details pulled me right into the world of early forensic sleuthing. A page turner!"
Karen Harper

The Cat Sitters Pajamas by Blaize Clement

2012-01-21T15:37:00.002-05:00

After several serious books, I decided it was time again for something light and cozy. The Cat Sitters Pajamas really hit the right tone in more ways than one! Since I had just picked this book up at the library, I decided to dip right in. I started it yesterday and finished today. (Since we had freezing rain atop 2 inches of snow this morning, and the temperature hasn't gone above 30 degrees, I decided the best thing I could do was snuggle up with a book about cats and pets that takes place in Florida!)

This delightful book continues the saga of Dixie Hemingway, pet sitter and former deputy sheriff who had lost her husband and child to an elderly driver. Dixie is taking care of two cats, Elvin and Lucy, who belong to a famous football player, Cupcake Trillin, and his wife, Jancey.

They are taking a cooking vacation in Italy, and Dixie has a temporary security code to their villa in a high end secure neighborhood. However, no security is perfect because when Dixie steps into the house, she is greeted by a woman wearing nothing more than one of Calvin's shirts.

She is supermodel, Briana, who claims to be a childhood friend of Cupcake's. She has equipment which allows her to bypass security. Unfortunately, there is more to this than meets the eye when a dead woman with no ID is found in the house. Soon Dixie is drawn into a web of high end counterfeit goods, Serbian gangsters and more. It's a fun book and the latest in a series that I read from the beginning. Unfortunately, in reading some recent reviews, I learned that the author, Blaize Clement, died last summer. Her son, John Clement, is continuing the series and a new book is due to be published in 2013. I hope her son does a good job because I've enjoyed the little pet tips, and other trivia. One of the things included in the book is that if you freeze chocolate chip cookies after they have cooled, the chocolate sets up better and the cookies are crispier. I'm going to have to give that a try. RIP, Blaize Clements. Here's hoping John can continue the series.

From Amazon

Editorial Reviews

Review

Unanimous Praise for Blaize Clement’s Dixie Hemingway Mysteries

Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter

“A knock-out read. For anyone who loves mysteries, animals, or just plain great writing, this is a book to savor.”

---Laurien Berenson, author of Doggie Day Care Murder

"At once a cozy mystery for animal lovers and a jarringly earthy hard-boiled whodunit about human corruption. A good read!"

---Susan Conant, author of All Shots

Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues

“Blends elements of cozy and thriller to produce an unusual and enjoyable hybrid . . . sure to delight readers.”
---Publishers Weekly

“For fans of Susan Conant and Clea Simon.”
---Library Journal

“Great ingredients and a fun plot. Frankly, I can’t wait for the sequel!

-- Linda Fasulo, NPR

Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof

“Fast-paced and gripping… it’s everything Blaize Clement’s many fans have come to expect.”

--Fantastic Fiction

Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons

“A compelling plot, familiar characters we greet with fondness and a wealth of Sarasota-area color… Another riveting and rewarding read.”

--Richmond Times-Dispat

The Confession by Charles Todd

2012-01-20T13:07:00.004-05:00

I was telling a friend today that I had become even more discerning about the books I read. In the past few months, I have returned a fair amount of books to the library after reading only a few pages. Either I care about the characters or not - that's what drives my reading. In this most recent addition to the Inspector Ian Rutledge series authored by the mother/son writing team under the name of Charles Todd, I was not at all disappointed. In fact, I think this may be the best one yet. (Of course I said that about the last one too!)

The story opens with two fishermen finding a dead body in the marshy areas of the river. They figure him for a dead German spy, steal the money in his wallet and get rid of the body in the river.

A man walks into Rutledge's office and confesses to a murder. He is dying of cancer, and says that the cancer will claim him long before the hangman. Rutledge investigates and soon finds out that he is not the man he said he was at all.

This book had so many twists and turns. An old murder, an older murder and a host of even older murders are all uncovered in this incredibly well-written novel.

It's such a pleasure to pick up a book that really keeps my interest. I love the driven character of Ian Rutledge, suffering from shell shock, but keeping it to himself because at the time being a shell shock victim was considered cowardice. It would have been the end of his career. He is obviously driven to find justice after his horrific experiences during WWI.

This is a rewarding and complex book. While it helps to have read the previous books, it isn't necessary. This is a series you can dip into at any point and always enjoy.

From Amazon.com:

“Todd once and for all establishes the shell-shocked Rutledge as the genre’s most complex and fascinating detective.” (Entertainment Weekly, on A LONELY DEATH (Grade: A-) )

“[The authors’] subtle prose and profound empathy for all their characters enhance a suspenseful and twisty plot.” (Publishers Weekly on A Lonely Death )

“Todd’s intriguing revenge tale will keep the reader turning the pages, but the main draw remains Rutledge, the relentless inspector haunted by the voice of a Scotsman he executed on the battlefield for disobeying an order. Highly recommended for all aficionados of British postwar historical mysteries.” (Library Journal on A Lonely Death )

“A strong entry in a strong series.” (Charlotte Observer on A Lonely Death )

“Another engaging entry in a fine series.” (Booklist on A Lonely Death )

“As with any good mystery, the tension ramps up as the story progresses, pulling more and more characters into the fray, weaving three murders flawlessly into a tight tale. Mr. Todd’s characterization is his strength.” (New York Journal of Books on The Confession )

“Todd’s excellent 14th mystery featuring Insp. Ian Rutledge offers an intriguing setup.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Confession )

“There’s both a pattern and a purpose to the superb historical mysteries produced by mother-and-son writing partners known as Charles Todd.” (New York Times Book Review on The Confession )

“Todd serves up plenty of period detail and plot twists, but the real attraction here is Rutledge, a shrewd, dedicated detective grappling with the demons of his past.” (Booklist on The Confession )

“Todd’s masterful storytelling skills shine.” (Romantic Times on The Confession )

“Another excellent Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery....You follow a twisting road when you read this book. You won’t soon forget your trip to Furnham and the people who may not be who they seem to be.” (Suspense Magazine on The Confession )

“Todd invests this absorbing fiction with creative storytelling (including intriguing subplots), memorable characters and graceful, seemingly effortless prose….This is fiction that moves, entertains, and as always, underscores life’s victories over death.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch on A Lonely Death )

About the Author

Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and one stand-alone novel. A mother-and-son writing team, they live in Delaware and North Carolina, respectively.

The Call by Yanick Murphy

2012-01-16T18:11:00.004-05:00

This is my year to get out of my "reading only mysteries" rut and get back to reading literature. I reserved this through our library. I'm sure I read a review somewhere along the way. It's a short book - only 223 pages. It's chock full of daily banality and wonder at the same time. We meet a (mostly) large animal veterinarian in Vermont who describes his calls. One of his clients is a sheep who is a family pet and lives in the house. Then there's the farmer who keeps his cows in a warm basement for the winter! The vet's son, 12 yrs old, is excited about his first hunt. His mother is less enthusiastic. Father and son go out on their land where they have set up a hunting platform. Suddenly a shot rings out, and the son goes tumbling down. At first glance, it doesn't seem serious. For some reason though, the boy falls into a coma that lasts a long time. The police have no way to figure out who shot the boy, so the father becomes obsessed with finding the shooter. Meanwhile, someone is calling, but hangs up. The vet sees something that looks like a spaceship over his house. He wonders if they are going to be visited. They do get a visitor who changes their lives. This is really wonderful - and no, it's not science fiction. It's just a beautifully well-written novel.

http://www.yannickmurphy.com/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/book-review-the-call-by-yannick-murphy/2011/07/18/gIQAFWBHQK_story.html

http://newyork.timeout.com/arts-culture/books/1779239/review-the-call-by-yannick-murphy

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2011/12/the-year-in-reading-yannick-murphys-the-call.html

http://www.cleveland.com/books/index.ssf/2011/08/yannick_murphy_makes_the_call.html

http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780062023148

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

2012-01-14T17:25:00.002-05:00

I decided to read this book after seeing the previews of the film. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews. One review found it "irritating." The New York Times called it "cloying."Another review doesn't believe that any 9-yr-old could be as bright or imaginative as Oscar, the boy featured in the novel. It's not a straightforward story. There are a lot of things that you have to expect because "Everything Is Illuminated" at the end. The story centers around Oscar, a 9 yr old boy mourning the loss of his father who was killed on 9/11 at the World Trade Center. He finds a key in a blue vase in his father's closet. There's also a tuxedo draped over a chair. Why are these items there after all of this time? Oscar embarks on a 6 month search of New York City's boroughs in an attempt to find the lock for which the key was made. This book is not a 9/11 book. It's about loss and how people react. It's almost allegorical in a way. It wasn't what I would call and easy read. There were passages that I reread. There are illustrations in the book that are odd also. Still, I loved it. To heck with the critics!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/jun/04/featuresreviews.guardianreview22

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/22/books/22kaku.html?pagewanted=1

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/04/03/RVG8RBUL551.DTL

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/may/29/fiction.features

These Dark Things by Jan Merete Weiss

2012-01-11T11:45:00.003-05:00

I admit to being in love with all things Italian. So when I read about this book, I knew I had to read it. I'm a fan of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti series which takes place in Venice. I've also read one or two Aurelio Zen mysteries although I didn't care for the writing style as much. (On the other hand PBS televised Vendetta last summer. It was excellent.)

Inspector Brunetti is always on the side of justice, but knows that the intricacies of Italian justice and society often make that impossible to achieve. Aurelio Zen holds a similar view, but the irony is unmistakable.

In this series we meet Captain Natalia Monte of the Carabinieri, a national police force. The setting is Naples, a city known for its corruption. Natalia also has a passion for justice. Yet at the same time, one of her closest friends is Lola, who is married to a foot soldier in the Gambini organized crime family.

Organized crime has become uglier and more ruthless than in the past in modern Naples. They think nothing of blowing up someone's entire family to get their point across. Shopkeepers pay monthly tribute. They have control over garbage collection in Naples. Because the politicians are trying to put in a new incinerator and the landfills are full, there is a standoff and no garbage is being picked up.

The city looks and smells like a sewer. Yet there are still beautiful places, and the author's description let you see the beauty behind the ugliness.

When a beautiful young woman is found brutally murdered in what looks like a ritual killing, the Carabinieri are called in because the setting is an historic landmark.

This book really draws you into Naples. I felt like I was actually walking the streets. I could picture the upscale, the slums, the winding streets, the street urchins, the old ladies, the hookers and more. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

http://www.kittlingbooks.com/2011/05/these-dark-things-by-jan-merete-weiss.html

http://www.myshelfconfessions.com/posts/book-review-these-dark-things-by-jan-merete-weiss/

http://murderbytype.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/these-dark-things-jan-merete-weiss/

http://www.whimpulsive.net/2011/08/these-dark-things-by-jan-merete-weiss.html

Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan

2012-01-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

I read this book after reading Maine, Sullivan's second novel. I'm glad I read Maine first because I think I would have resisted reading her second novel. A New York Times Review refers to the book as "affable." She also works/worked at the New York Times editorial department so I would take the review with a grain of salt. The book centers around four young women from very different backgrounds who become friends as a result of an accident of living arrangements. I really don't see these four women staying friends past the first month or so. When I went away to college, I didn't find that an accident of placement helped to form any long term friendships. I read this book as a sort of extended autobiographical account since Celia, one of the characters, is Irish Catholic from Boston as apparently is Sullivan. Since I went to a working class college, I accept Sullivan's view of Smith. It certainly sounds like an academic bubble of sorts. On the other hand, I admit to some serious envy. I wish I had the opportunity. I lived in a very different era. It wasn't that women didn't have sex. We just didn't do it with every guy who took us out for a burger! The four young women who forge a strong friendships are very different: Bree is from Savannah. She is the third of her family to go to Smith. She arrives with an engagement ring on her finger, something that astonishes the others. Sally wears designer dresses and is reeling from the loss of her mother who dies just before her high school graduation. Celia is a lapsed Catholic from an Irish American family. Her mother is an advertising executive and a fierce Catholic, something that I found a little odd. Finally there is April, brought up (more or less) by her hippie mother who has never known her father. She is a fierce feminist and initially decides that she needs to transfer away from these women immediately. However she stays and somehow the four of them bond. Honestly, I don't see it. Maybe young people are very different than my generation. This book got great reviews. Here are some quotes from Ms Sullivan's website:

“One of the year’s most inviting summer novels…. Sullivan introduces strong, warmly believable three-dimensional characters who have fun, have fights and fall into intense love affairs.”
–The New York Times

“Take Mary McCarthy’s The Group, add a new feminist generation striving to understand everything from themselves and their mothers to the notion of masculinity that fuels sex trafficking, and you get this generous-hearted, brave first novel. Commencement makes clear that the feminist revolution is just beginning”
–Gloria Steinem, co-founder of Ms.

“Sullivan is a keen observer, with a wry sense of humor”
–Chicago Tribune

“Commencement is much more than a novel about academia or young women. It’s a thoughtful, engrossing study in lives transformed and relationships realigned, full of details and dilemmas that speak to a broad audience.”
—The Onion’s A.V. Club

“Sullivan’s gifts are substantial”
–The New York Times Book Review

“Commencement is a beach book for smart women.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Sullivan writes fiction you might expect from a journalist: Her clean, precise prose stays carefully neutral and balanced, even as she shifts points of view from chapter to chapter…. [Her characters’] struggles, reactions and decisions feel real. How they pull through—and pull together—proves inspiring.”
–Philadelphia City Paper

“Wickedly sharp…. Ms. Sullivan’s voice is funny and smart.”
—The New York Observer

“This story about four Smith College students and the paths they follow post-graduation celebrates friendship and explores modern-day feminism. At the same time, it’s just a really devourable read.”
—Cookie magazine

“Convincing and unique.”
—Elle (Winner of the Elle Readers Prize)

“As [Commencement] takes the women from their first shaky steps toward independence through the ups and downs of their 20s, you’ll relive—and celebrate—the stomach-dropping moments of the best friend-relationship roller-coaster.”
—Redbook

“I was deeply engaged by the characters and their complexity…. In Commencement I see the launch of a literary career.”
—Nicholas Kristof, nytimes.com

I question whether this book would have received these reviews if it had been a different setting - say a public university. On the other hand, I loved Maine. It's much more of an adult novel. Was Ms. Sullivan being a little self indulgent here in her first novel? Am I being picky? Maybe. I just know that Maine was much better on so many levels. On the other hand, that's a good thing. It means that she is maturing. I'm looking forward to her next book.

The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin

2012-01-04T14:16:00.002-05:00

When Ian Rankin retired his Inspector Rebus character, and published his first, Malcolm Fox of "The Complaints" novel, I wasn't sure that Fox would be a worthy successor. The first novel, The Complaints, introduces us to Malcolm Fox a detective whose unenviable job is to investigate wrongdoing by his fellow police officers. (Think of all of those police shows you've seen on television and "internal affairs.")

Fox and his team are sent to investigate laxity in a police department after one of their officers is convicted of attempting to get sexual favors from local prostitutes and strong-arming them if they don't agree. It seems like a nice simple case until Fox starts looking into things and bodies start turning up.

The officer's uncle is a retired police officer, and Fox visits him to talk to him about his nephew. He learns that he owns a security firm and is also investigating a murder of a Scottish nationalist that took place in the 1980's.

In typical Rankin style, this soon leads to a whole new inquiry that Fox has no business pursuing, but, of course, he does so anyway. In between we learn more about Fox's personal life - his ailing father, his difficult relationship with his sister, Jude. I confess to an absolute addiction to Rankin. I enjoyed The Complaints, but this one is just so much more nuanced and interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book already!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/oct/21/impossible-dead-ian-rankin-review

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/book-review-the-impossible-dead-by-ian-rankin/2011/10/03/gIQAfzzf2N_story.html

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Official Teaser Trailer

2011-12-31T20:33:00.000-05:00

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is probably one of the best films I've seen in a long time. Having just read the book, I was eager to see how Hollywood would handle it. It's a big book with a lot of detail. There's a fair amount of compression. It would make a really good BBC mini series. However, on the whole, it was well done. The young woman who plays Lisbeth, Rooney Mar was very convincing in the role of a computer genius with probable Asperger's Syndrome, is excellent. I really enjoyed this film. Not everyone agreed. I loved the book. The film was pretty faithful to the book which I appreciated.

Foul Play At Four by Ann Purser

2011-12-31T10:36:00.003-05:00

I've always enjoyed Ann Purser's working class heroine, Lois Meade. In the early books, Lois started out as a cleaning lady living in a working class home. As the books evolved, her loving husband has won the lottery which enables them to buy a lovely old home and set up a cleaning business names "New Brooms."

Now Lois has several local women working for her. They also set up their daughter, Josie, as the storekeeper in their small town. Josie is engaged to a local policeman whose uncle, Inspector Cowgill, happens to be in love with Lois - although at a distance. Lois has a talent for "ferretin'" out the truth, and Cowgill recognizes her talents although he constantly worries about her safety.

In this book, a series of small burglaries hit home in a very personal way. First Josie loses 100lbs, a sum she can ill afford to lose, when her back is turned. Then Derrick, Lois' husband, is attacked when he tries to stop another burglary. That's when Lois decides she needs to take things into her own hands.

This book left me oddly unsatisfied. There wasn't much in the way of suspense, something that has been exhibited in Purser's past books. There was no real mystery. Could it be that this series has run its course? I hope not. Perhaps Purser was just under pressure to get another Lois Meade book out in a certain period of time. The book was a fun read, but didn't match the past books in the series.

http://themysterygazette.blogspot.com/2011/11/foul-play-at-four-ann-pursor.html

http://www.annpurser.com/fiction/the-lois-meade-mysteries/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11500922-foul-play-at-four

Murder for Christmas by CS Challinor

2011-12-26T20:45:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a Christmas murder - not a cutesy one involving gingerbread, thank you. I was looking for something with an edge, something that involved a manor house and maybe some snow. This one was a 99 cent download, and it was 99 cents well spent.

The protagonist is Rex, a Scottish barrister, a prosecutor for the Crown, who has been invited for a Christmas holiday at an inn owned by a friend of his mother's. The woman lost her son in the Iraq war. She is an odd hostess. There are a lot of rules, the house desperately need updating, she doesn't advertise at all, she approves all guests before she accepts their reservation.

Rex spent some time there as a young boy. He played with her son when he visited. Now he's back and finds her as intimidating as ever even though he's a grown man! He arrives in the middle of an unexpected snowstorm. When he gets there, he meets the other guests: a honeymooning couple, an elderly retired officer, two gay men in a partnership, two women who have been friends for a long time, an American literary agent. Very soon the bodies start dropping....

This was really enjoyable: well-written, interesting, with a character who is definitely worth knowing. This is the first in the series, published in 2008. Several others have been published. There is another coming out in March, 2012 called Murder of the Bride. I think I've found yet another series to follow!

Twelve Deaths of Christmas by Marian Babson

2011-12-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a good old fashioned mystery to take the edge off Christmas! I actually read this one a long time ago, but had forgotten. I couldn't remember the murderer so I thought I would re-read it. It's a fast read and a good mystery. There's a murderer out and about in London. The murderer is sure everyone is against him, has horrible headaches, hates people. They all need to be "eliminated." They are all staring, plotting....You get the picture! Meanwhile in a boarding house in London, the owner is planning a special Christmas dinner for all of her boarders. There are lots of hints dropped, lots of red herrings. It's a fun and very classic mystery. It's not too long. It's just a lot of fun. Enjoy!

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

2011-12-22T23:07:00.003-05:00

Modern literature often seems to be more about mood or feeling and less about a good story. When I read a novel, one of the things I really want is a good story. "Maine" fit the bill admirably.

At 385 pages and a plot that goes back and forth in time, it's not a fast read. However, it is immensely satisfying and really very wonderful. The book centers around three generations of Irish-American women and their relationship problems.

After reading it, I've decided to read her first book, Commencement soon, although the subject matter doesn't interest me as much as this one. The main character is Alice, 80+ year old Boston widow who goes to the family's summer cottage in Maine every summer. She is there alone for long periods of time although different family members go at different times. She is a richly-drawn character that I loved to dislike, but not hate.

The Irish guilt-ridden Catholicism is the backdrop for the conflict between Alice and her children and their children and grandchildren. Alice is hardly your all-American cookie baking mother which makes her an interesting character. As the New York times review says below, you really don't want the book to end when it does. You want it to go on and tell us more. I really loved this book. This is an author I plan to follow because she really knows how to write a good story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/books/review/book-review-maine-by-j-courtney-sullivan.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101344_2101086_2101114,00.html

Twas the Night Before Christmas . . . and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town!

2011-12-20T09:13:00.000-05:00

Three Day Town by Margaret Maron

2011-12-18T12:44:00.002-05:00

I've been reading Margaret Maron for at least 10 yrs. I started with her first Debra Knott book, backtracked to her Sigrid Harald books, finished those, and now I look forward to the next book. Maron stopped writing the Sigrid Harald series. She had lived in Brooklyn for years, but returned to roots when she moved to North Carolina. In the last Harald book, Sigrid had inherited the large estate of a wealthy artist with whom she had had a long relationship. Not long ago, an announcement was made that the Sigrid Haral books were going to be reissued under a new publisher. I'm sure Maron had this in mind when she wrote this latest book.

The premise is that Debra & Dwight, married for a year, are going on a long delayed honeymoon. They are offered an empty apartment owned by a friend in North Carolina who rents it with the provision that when the tenant is away for any length of time, she can use it. So Debra & Dwight take the train from Raleigh to NYC for a week of relaxation and private time.

Of course a murder soon takes place. Sigrid Harald is called in. Her grandmother happens to be an elderly woman who lives in the same area as Debra & Dwight. Debra knows her. She also knows that she is dying of cancer and has refused additional treatment. However, she has not told her daughters or their children anything.

This book had a lot of twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing. Maron is a writer who doesn't disappoint. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2011/11/three-day-town-by-margaret-maron.html

http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/margaret-maron/three-day-town/

http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2011/11/three-day-town-by-margaret-maron.html

http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2011/12/16/three-day-town-by-margaret-maron/

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews

2011-12-16T07:02:00.002-05:00

I was 14 yrs old when John F. Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic elected as President of the United States. I was 17 and a junior in high school when he was assassinated. My father, a WWII veteran, was enthusiastic about Kennedy's candidacy although he kept on telling me that he wasn't going to win. Everyone I knew pretty much was enthusiastic about Kennedy.

Of course I lived in something of a bubble: a working class row house neighborhood in Northeast Philly where you were, for the most part, either Catholic or Jewish. Most of the kids I knew went to our local Catholic school. It was expected that we would go on to the local Catholic high school.

Chris Matthews is a few years younger than I and comes from a more affluent background. His father was a Republican and white collar worker. Mine was a Democrat through and through and blue collar all of the way.Chris Matthews came from a more affluent neighborhood - Somerton - which seemed so very far away.

I lived in a slightly grittier neighborhood called Mayfair. Not that it was very gritty actually. Keep in mind that this was a different time. There were no gangs roaming the streets in my neighborhood. It wasn't until I was an adult that there was much of anything but Whites in our neighborhood. Philly was a highly segregated city like so many other cities. Matthews was a little boy when Kennedy was running so he was for Nixon.

My family was never for Nixon. My father and mother despised him. What Jack Kennedy was to my parents was a fresh face, their own age, a Democrat, not as liberal as Roosevelt, but certainly more acceptable to them than Eisenhower. My father had no respect for Eisenhower partly because he was in the Pacific Theatre during WWII and was a fan of Douglas McArthur and partly because he didn't like Republicans at all.

I grew up in that kind of home. I still don't much like Republicans at all. So I admit to some bias here! I watch Chris Matthews on Hardball pretty regularly. I like his style, and I enjoy the fact that he doesn't pussyfoot around with some of the conservative crazies out there. At the same time, though, he is still respectful - something that is lacking in a lot of the conservative commentators right now. He is a practicing Catholic. I am not. However, he is not afraid to go after the pedophiles either.

Having said all this, I have to tell you that I have some bias here when it comes to JFK. He is my hero - a flawed hero, but still a hero. He wasn't perfect. I wouldn't have agreed with everything he said or did or believed. He was friends with Richard Nixon for one thing!

Matthews makes the case for JFK and why he ranks as one of the important presidents despite his short tenure. I have read that he didn't accomplish anything. That's simply not true. His signature achievement was a nuclear test ban. He took us from the brink of war with the then Soviet Union without firing a shot - with the hard work of diplomacy and statesmanship.

He got the space program moving although he didn't get to see us land on the moon. He loved technology. He would have been right at home with today's technology. I believe he would have embraced it. The Peace Corps was his idea and it endures today.

As I finished the book last night, I thought about those tumultuous years that followed his death. Vietnam, Nixon, Carter, Reagan. I believe things would have been VERY different if he had lived to fulfill two terms. The book brought back a lot of memories and also taught me a lot about those times when I was a little girl and not aware of the world outside my own neighborhood and family.

This book is a fascinating look at an interesting and complex man - one who could love his wife and still have a multitude of affairs, who could leave her behind when she was suffering a miscarriage. Then he stays by her bedside and talks about the baby who died after only a few days of life and weeps in private. When Kennedy died, I was a junior in high school attending a large Catholic girls' high school in Northeast Philadelphia. As we left for the day, there was total silence. I still remember seeing the wet eyes of my classmates. He meant a lot to us. For me he still resonates.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/chris-matthews-on-jfk-his-elusive-hero-20111116

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/11/23/chris-matthews-on-why-jfk-was-a-hero

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2011/11/20/jack-kennedy-elusive-hero-chris-matthews

/bFxCrwkppZBzUN2dGO9h5O/story.html

http://www.greatbendpost.com/2011/11/20/jack-kennedy-elusive-hero-a-magnificent-contribution/

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

2011-12-11T13:13:00.001-05:00

,

I admit that I've come late to this series. Having just purchased an Kindle Fire, I was eager to actually read a book on it. I do like it. In addition to borrowing this book from my local library, I have also downloaded a number of free and books at $1.99 or less. I still see no reason to buy books as long as there is a good library around. However, I also have several boxes of used paperbacks I've traded and/or bought over the years. So I do need to get busy with reading what I have!

Still, I have wanted to read this series and finally started with this one. Honestly, it is wonderful. I'm know I'm going to be sad when I get to the last one. Stieg Larsson died much too young. One review said that the book starts out to "slow." That's true. If you are a fan of the normal American detective "thriller" chock full of action, this is not the book for you. He builds the story slowly with a lot of background.

I LIKE the fact that you get to know his characters very thoroughly. Then again, I'm a character lover. I also love the fact that he includes so much of his native Sweden as a backdrop. This story could NOT happen anywhere. Keep in mind, if you decide to read this book, that it is a translation. So there is a certain stilted feeling as you read it. As a fan of Camilla Lackberg, I see that in the translations of her books also.

First we meet a man who gets a pressed flower in a frame every year on his birthday. It is a short preface that leads to: Chapter 1, with the trial of Mikhael, financial journalist, who is found guilty of libel and is sentenced to three months in prison.

Apparently Sweden isn't worried about its white collar criminals running off since he has time to decide when he wants to serve his sentence. He has time to wind up his affairs and, temporarily at least, resign as editor of his magazine, Millenium.

We learn that he has been set up when he wrote a story about a financier that landed him in trouble, and that he chose not to put up a strong defense.

At the same time we meet Lisbeth, a 4'11", 90lb computer genius who is working as a freelance researcher for a security firm. She is an enigma who has few friends and doesn't fit in. At the age of 25 she is still under court guardianship, which is something I found odd.

She has a history of violence although she has had mostly good reasons for it. She spent her childhood being teased unmercifully. Her mother is in an institution because of early onset Alzheimers. She has been assigned a new "guardian" who sees her as someone he can bully and control. He soon learns otherwise. She really is an interesting person. I figured out what was going on with her from the beginning, but I'll leave you to figure things out.

Shortly after his trial, Mikhael is approached by a wealthy retired corporate CEO to find out what happened to his niece, Harriet, who disappeared in 1966. He asks him to move to his hometown in Northern Sweden for a year under the guise of writing a history of his family. He is willing to pay him a lot of money. He accepts the position, starts, goes to jail, comes out again. That part was a bit comical and forced, but it gets more and more interesting.

Now, I'm going to have to read the rest of them, and then mourn the fact that Larsson died at such a young age.

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