The book: Hysterical.
The author: Worth reading again.
Review:
I picked up Custard's Last Stand on a lark after my local librarian accused me of not being able to take out a mystery unless food was somehow involved. I had read all of my usual go-to food mysteries, and had picked this one up because it's title caught my eye. When the line underneath the author's name read "A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes," I decided this would be my designated food-related mystery.
I left this book until the others I had checked out were completed. Honestly, I was not overly convinced I wanted to read anything that was Pennsylvania Dutch. Then again, if I knew the main character, Magdalena Yoder, was going to have lines that would make me laugh out loud, I would have made this my first selection to read.
Whatever I had heard about the Pennsylvania Dutch clearly did not prepare me adequately to meet Magdalena. I was expecting something a lot more, um, straitlaced and serious. I was not expecting someone who wails out her frustrations, has to slap herself for her snarky comments, or who gives out her measurements (33-32-33) as a confirmation number to certain select guests at her inn. I found myself laughing far more than I should have at unexpected comments.
The basic plot of the book is that a gentleman who is staying at Magdalena's inn winds up murdered, and it is up to our heroine to figure out Whodunit before she becomes one of Whodunit's victims. In and of itself, this is not a unique story, and the cast of characters certainly seems to be full of just about every stereotype imaginable, most of them less than intelligent. It is a sign of my own lack of intelligence that it took me the vast majority of the book before I realized the joke behind one of the character names. (It was Miss Anne Thrope, in case you were curious. I am so ashamed that I missed something so glaringly obvious that was first mentioned on page four. I can only excuse myself by stating that I play an online game where people choose play-on-word names all the time so I tend to gloss over them. My own "Murphy Brawn" is one of those examples.)
I have no idea what made me enjoy this book, but I did. The stereotypes and random dumb characters should have made me roll my eyes and never want to read another book by this author again. However, I found myself laughing. Tamar Myers clearly has a very active imagination. Whereas I have heard of scary, deaf, old piano teachers who would grab your ear to tweak as punishment, I had never heard of someone training a small dog to stay quietly in their bra in order to fake bulk in that department. It was the randomness of some of the descriptions that kept me rushing to finish reading this book. I look forward to experiencing more Pennsylvania Dutch mysteries in the future.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith, a review
The book: Charming and quirky
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my first Isabel Dalhousie novel. I have no idea how many of them are in existence, but I shall go off in search of others. I am used to protagonists being quirky or having their own unique spin on life. This was the first novel I read in which the main character actually does something specific that I do: follows tangentially-related ideas until she realizes she has been completely ignoring whoever is supposedly waiting for her response. This includes smiling at inappropriate times, staring blankly at others, and typically making comments that are completely unconnected to the subject at hand.
Needless to say, I liked Isabel immediately.
In this book, Isabel has been asked to discretely determine which of three individuals has a skeleton in his closet. There is an actual back story given to explain why these three people are connected, but it's ultimately irrelevant. The end result is that someone wants everyone to be perceived in a poor light, and therefore sent off the letter that sparked Isabel's inquiry.
Everyone in the story has his or her own quirks, and that is really at the crux of the matter. Some of the quirks are more harmless than others. Some are downright criminal. Regardless, Isabel's quirk of responding to a question with a six-degrees-removed train-of-thought was entertaining enough to keep me reading.
Ultimately, she discovers all of the skeletons in numerous closets, and I was secretly disappointed that she chose to not reveal her hand to one character in particular, but liked the character enough to accept that decision. I shall not spoil the specifics for others who wish to read this novel. However, I will include a quote from page 250, which at least lets Isabel explain her opinion:
"I'm sorry," she said. "I would normally give people the information to which they are entitled,
but I do not think you deserve this information. So I shall not."
On the whole, Isabel is rather introverted, intelligent, and prone to random attacks of philosophy, which makes sense given that she considers herself to be a philosopher. It certainly makes it interesting when she comes up against those decisions about whether or not to show her cards. Finally, a detective of sorts who does not feel compelled to spill the beans when asked to do so!
I look forward to reading both past and future installments of Isabel Dalhousie's life story. Kudos to Alexander McCall Smith for his thought-provoking quirky story.
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my first Isabel Dalhousie novel. I have no idea how many of them are in existence, but I shall go off in search of others. I am used to protagonists being quirky or having their own unique spin on life. This was the first novel I read in which the main character actually does something specific that I do: follows tangentially-related ideas until she realizes she has been completely ignoring whoever is supposedly waiting for her response. This includes smiling at inappropriate times, staring blankly at others, and typically making comments that are completely unconnected to the subject at hand.
Needless to say, I liked Isabel immediately.
In this book, Isabel has been asked to discretely determine which of three individuals has a skeleton in his closet. There is an actual back story given to explain why these three people are connected, but it's ultimately irrelevant. The end result is that someone wants everyone to be perceived in a poor light, and therefore sent off the letter that sparked Isabel's inquiry.
Everyone in the story has his or her own quirks, and that is really at the crux of the matter. Some of the quirks are more harmless than others. Some are downright criminal. Regardless, Isabel's quirk of responding to a question with a six-degrees-removed train-of-thought was entertaining enough to keep me reading.
Ultimately, she discovers all of the skeletons in numerous closets, and I was secretly disappointed that she chose to not reveal her hand to one character in particular, but liked the character enough to accept that decision. I shall not spoil the specifics for others who wish to read this novel. However, I will include a quote from page 250, which at least lets Isabel explain her opinion:
"I'm sorry," she said. "I would normally give people the information to which they are entitled,
but I do not think you deserve this information. So I shall not."
On the whole, Isabel is rather introverted, intelligent, and prone to random attacks of philosophy, which makes sense given that she considers herself to be a philosopher. It certainly makes it interesting when she comes up against those decisions about whether or not to show her cards. Finally, a detective of sorts who does not feel compelled to spill the beans when asked to do so!
I look forward to reading both past and future installments of Isabel Dalhousie's life story. Kudos to Alexander McCall Smith for his thought-provoking quirky story.
The Pumpkin Muffin Murder by Livia J. Washburn, a review
The book: Interesting enough, but poorly researched
The author: Would not read again
Review:
Up until page 85, I enjoyed this book. The Pumpkin Muffin Murder was a quick, entertaining read up until I hit a part that made me absolutely cringe. As is the norm for this type of murder mystery, a food cooked by the wanna-be detective was found in the deceased person's mouth. When I read, "As far as she knew, there wasn't even anything that could have caused a dangerous allergic reaction in someone who was hypersensitive to certain foods," I hesitated.
First of all, I am a person who has a large number of food allergies. I have had circumstances where my throat started to close because someone brought into my house a sandwich that had cut onions on it. Onions are not typically a food that causes reactions in most people. I am fully aware that any food, under the right (wrong?) circumstances can cause "a dangerous allergic reaction." However, since the wanna-be detective included the caveat that it was "as far as she knew," I presumed the recipe in question would at least be free of the eight major allergens that I would truly hope most people know can cause severe reactions in allergic individuals. I flipped to the back of the book where the recipes are, only to discover that the author made a huge mistake with that poorly researched sentence.
Included in that recipe were examples of dairy, egg, flour (wheat), and pecans (tree nuts), among other foods. All of these are examples of foods that could easily cause a severe allergic reaction in a person. All four of those are on the list of the eight major allergens. (The remaining four are peanuts, fish, shellfish, and soy, for those who are curious.)
From that point on, all credibility that Livia J. Washburn had established as a thus-far entertaining author got thrown completely out the window. As far as I am concerned, this author did no research whatsoever. I am not interested in reading anything else she might have penned.
The author: Would not read again
Review:
Up until page 85, I enjoyed this book. The Pumpkin Muffin Murder was a quick, entertaining read up until I hit a part that made me absolutely cringe. As is the norm for this type of murder mystery, a food cooked by the wanna-be detective was found in the deceased person's mouth. When I read, "As far as she knew, there wasn't even anything that could have caused a dangerous allergic reaction in someone who was hypersensitive to certain foods," I hesitated.
First of all, I am a person who has a large number of food allergies. I have had circumstances where my throat started to close because someone brought into my house a sandwich that had cut onions on it. Onions are not typically a food that causes reactions in most people. I am fully aware that any food, under the right (wrong?) circumstances can cause "a dangerous allergic reaction." However, since the wanna-be detective included the caveat that it was "as far as she knew," I presumed the recipe in question would at least be free of the eight major allergens that I would truly hope most people know can cause severe reactions in allergic individuals. I flipped to the back of the book where the recipes are, only to discover that the author made a huge mistake with that poorly researched sentence.
Included in that recipe were examples of dairy, egg, flour (wheat), and pecans (tree nuts), among other foods. All of these are examples of foods that could easily cause a severe allergic reaction in a person. All four of those are on the list of the eight major allergens. (The remaining four are peanuts, fish, shellfish, and soy, for those who are curious.)
From that point on, all credibility that Livia J. Washburn had established as a thus-far entertaining author got thrown completely out the window. As far as I am concerned, this author did no research whatsoever. I am not interested in reading anything else she might have penned.
Monday, September 5, 2011
The Help by Kathryn Stockett, a review
The book: Well-written if you like books that take three days to complete
The author: Worth looking into
Review:
I should preface this review by saying that I was not keen on having to read this book. I think it's fairly safe to say that I would have thrown a temper tantrum if I thought it would have gotten me out of having to read it for my book club. Instead, I did the mature thing and read the book in its entirety.
The basic gist of this novel is that three different women, one white and two black, go about creating a book of stories told from the perspective of black maids about what life is like working in white households in the 1960s. Skeeter is the young, post-college graduate with the idea behind writing such a book, and Aibileen and Minny are two of the maids she interviews. The point of view varies between each of the three characters who narrate.
As far as literature is concerned, I am sure that a number of people really enjoyed reading this novel. It was not badly written, in my opinion, but it was not my style at all. I do not enjoy reading books that take three days to complete, nor do I like when people narrate the same way they speak. I had to read the entire book out loud in my own head, if that makes any sense, in order to really understand what people said half the time. My preference for reading is to skim, and this was next to impossible with such a writing style.
The story itself wasn't a bad idea. You learned about each person a snippet at a time, and some of the details of their lives were extremely vivid. I, for one, will probably never eat a pie again after reading one of the scenes. If you are introverted and process everything through your own emotional filter, this book might not be safe for you to read. The subject matter is heavy, fraught with references to or descriptions of violence, racial inequality, miscarriage, and various types of abuse. There are also parts of the book that show the sweet side of human nature, even in a society where equality was outright rejected.
All in all, I suppose that The Help must be well-written to get on my nerves and fray them as badly as this book did. I would consider looking into Kathryn Stockett's future works to see where she goes from here. I would not recommend this book to anyone who internalizes everything. Trust me when I say you do not want to internalize this. The overall message is a positive one, but the devil is in the details, and the details are as depressing as hell.
The author: Worth looking into
Review:
I should preface this review by saying that I was not keen on having to read this book. I think it's fairly safe to say that I would have thrown a temper tantrum if I thought it would have gotten me out of having to read it for my book club. Instead, I did the mature thing and read the book in its entirety.
The basic gist of this novel is that three different women, one white and two black, go about creating a book of stories told from the perspective of black maids about what life is like working in white households in the 1960s. Skeeter is the young, post-college graduate with the idea behind writing such a book, and Aibileen and Minny are two of the maids she interviews. The point of view varies between each of the three characters who narrate.
As far as literature is concerned, I am sure that a number of people really enjoyed reading this novel. It was not badly written, in my opinion, but it was not my style at all. I do not enjoy reading books that take three days to complete, nor do I like when people narrate the same way they speak. I had to read the entire book out loud in my own head, if that makes any sense, in order to really understand what people said half the time. My preference for reading is to skim, and this was next to impossible with such a writing style.
The story itself wasn't a bad idea. You learned about each person a snippet at a time, and some of the details of their lives were extremely vivid. I, for one, will probably never eat a pie again after reading one of the scenes. If you are introverted and process everything through your own emotional filter, this book might not be safe for you to read. The subject matter is heavy, fraught with references to or descriptions of violence, racial inequality, miscarriage, and various types of abuse. There are also parts of the book that show the sweet side of human nature, even in a society where equality was outright rejected.
All in all, I suppose that The Help must be well-written to get on my nerves and fray them as badly as this book did. I would consider looking into Kathryn Stockett's future works to see where she goes from here. I would not recommend this book to anyone who internalizes everything. Trust me when I say you do not want to internalize this. The overall message is a positive one, but the devil is in the details, and the details are as depressing as hell.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Winged Seed: A Remembrance by Li-Young Lee, a review
The book: Tortuous to get through
The author: Avoid at all cost
Review:
My book club had decided we would read The Winged Seed because it sounded like an intriguing concept: The author was reconciling himself to his father's death through retelling a number of stories from his life. The reality of this book was far different.
Li-Young Lee appears to speak fluent gibberish. He did indeed incorporate stories from his childhood and his father's life into the story, but they were interspersed with streams of consciousness that left me wondering whether he should be locked away in a padded room somewhere. Freud would have had a field day with a number of the scenarios. There were times when the father was described as a saintly man, yet the detailed abused heaped upon his son clearly demonstrated the lie behind that imagery. However, Li-Young Lee seems almost proud of those times. At one point, he mentions his father beating him simply to try and make him speak, and how he knew his father really only wanted to hear himself speak so he hoped to be beaten until his father had to give up in defeat. There's something seriously wrong with father-son relationships like that.
The author also threw sporadic curse words into the middle of random stories or trains of thought. My presumption is that it was to keep the reader awake. I can normally sit down and read a 200-ish page book in one sitting, but this one kept me struggling for days before I could finally say I finished it.
I detest writers who think they are more intelligent than their readers, and that was the perspective I had on this book. The only other writer I ever perceived in the same manner was James Joyce, and I at least thought Joyce was intelligent. This author did nothing to convince me that his gray matter is still present, and instead made me wonder whether he was covering up his own ineptitude and dysfunction with his style of writing.
I can honestly say that I will never read another book by Li-Young Lee again. That was three days' worth of my spare time that I want back.
The author: Avoid at all cost
Review:
My book club had decided we would read The Winged Seed because it sounded like an intriguing concept: The author was reconciling himself to his father's death through retelling a number of stories from his life. The reality of this book was far different.
Li-Young Lee appears to speak fluent gibberish. He did indeed incorporate stories from his childhood and his father's life into the story, but they were interspersed with streams of consciousness that left me wondering whether he should be locked away in a padded room somewhere. Freud would have had a field day with a number of the scenarios. There were times when the father was described as a saintly man, yet the detailed abused heaped upon his son clearly demonstrated the lie behind that imagery. However, Li-Young Lee seems almost proud of those times. At one point, he mentions his father beating him simply to try and make him speak, and how he knew his father really only wanted to hear himself speak so he hoped to be beaten until his father had to give up in defeat. There's something seriously wrong with father-son relationships like that.
The author also threw sporadic curse words into the middle of random stories or trains of thought. My presumption is that it was to keep the reader awake. I can normally sit down and read a 200-ish page book in one sitting, but this one kept me struggling for days before I could finally say I finished it.
I detest writers who think they are more intelligent than their readers, and that was the perspective I had on this book. The only other writer I ever perceived in the same manner was James Joyce, and I at least thought Joyce was intelligent. This author did nothing to convince me that his gray matter is still present, and instead made me wonder whether he was covering up his own ineptitude and dysfunction with his style of writing.
I can honestly say that I will never read another book by Li-Young Lee again. That was three days' worth of my spare time that I want back.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton, a review
The book: Well worth the read if you enjoy mysteries and do not mind a slight paranormal twist.
The author: Worth reading again. And again. And again.
Review:
A few weeks ago, and completely on a lark, I had picked up my first Aunt Dimity book after a series of overwhelmingly disturbing and depressing books that my book club read. I needed something that was lighthearted, cheerful, and perhaps even goofy. It apparently takes just one book like that to get me hooked, and I have been reading my way through the series, and in no particular order, ever since.
When I got around to reading the original story in the series, I figured I would review it here in order to give myself a place to list the books I have already read so I can hunt down those I have yet to peruse. I never thought I would enjoy it so much that I would go out and purchase it so I could have my own copy, which is something I only do with my most treasured reading materials. It was inconceivable that I would not buy Aunt Dimity's Death to add to my collection.
The basic gist of this first story is that Lori Shepherd, newly divorced, poor, and reeling from her mother's unexpected death, finds out that a woman she thought was a fictional character created by her mother was not only real, but also has something she wants Lori to do now that she has died. The subject of many childhood stories, Aunt Dimity, was a woman named Dimity Westwood, whose will left an assignment of sorts for Lori, along with the financial help to pay off Lori's debts so that she can fully handle taking care of that task without added worries. Lori is sent off to England along with one of the lawyers from the firm handling Dimity's estate, as per Dimity's willed request.
Lori finds out that her mother and Dimity had a lengthy correspondence about which she had been unaware. Lori discovers a task her mother needs her to complete while she works on Dimity's assignment. Through this story, a broken, down-on-her-luck young lady (Okay, fine, so she is only slightly younger than I am. I'd still like to pretend I'm young. Shaddup.) discovers a number of buried secrets along the way of her road to recovery. A changed Lori completes her tasks, learns a lot about her mother, Dimity, and herself, and wins the object of her affections.
I absolutely adored this book. As a character, Lori and I have certain similarities, and I'm thankful to say numerous differences, but she is believable and I found it easy to relate to her. There is a paranormal element to the story, and I shall not spoil it for the reader, but it is not sufficient to turn me off to the story. I do not normally enjoy paranormal mysteries, but found this series to be well-worth my time in both reading and re-reading its pages. And now that I am the proud owner of this book, I plan on re-reading it often in addition to hunting down other works in the series.
Other books I have read in this series:
Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday
Aunt Dimity: Snowbound
Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin
Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea
Aunt Dimity Goes West
Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter
Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon
Aunt Dimity Down Under
Aunt Dimity & the Family Tree
The author: Worth reading again. And again. And again.
Review:
A few weeks ago, and completely on a lark, I had picked up my first Aunt Dimity book after a series of overwhelmingly disturbing and depressing books that my book club read. I needed something that was lighthearted, cheerful, and perhaps even goofy. It apparently takes just one book like that to get me hooked, and I have been reading my way through the series, and in no particular order, ever since.
When I got around to reading the original story in the series, I figured I would review it here in order to give myself a place to list the books I have already read so I can hunt down those I have yet to peruse. I never thought I would enjoy it so much that I would go out and purchase it so I could have my own copy, which is something I only do with my most treasured reading materials. It was inconceivable that I would not buy Aunt Dimity's Death to add to my collection.
The basic gist of this first story is that Lori Shepherd, newly divorced, poor, and reeling from her mother's unexpected death, finds out that a woman she thought was a fictional character created by her mother was not only real, but also has something she wants Lori to do now that she has died. The subject of many childhood stories, Aunt Dimity, was a woman named Dimity Westwood, whose will left an assignment of sorts for Lori, along with the financial help to pay off Lori's debts so that she can fully handle taking care of that task without added worries. Lori is sent off to England along with one of the lawyers from the firm handling Dimity's estate, as per Dimity's willed request.
Lori finds out that her mother and Dimity had a lengthy correspondence about which she had been unaware. Lori discovers a task her mother needs her to complete while she works on Dimity's assignment. Through this story, a broken, down-on-her-luck young lady (Okay, fine, so she is only slightly younger than I am. I'd still like to pretend I'm young. Shaddup.) discovers a number of buried secrets along the way of her road to recovery. A changed Lori completes her tasks, learns a lot about her mother, Dimity, and herself, and wins the object of her affections.
I absolutely adored this book. As a character, Lori and I have certain similarities, and I'm thankful to say numerous differences, but she is believable and I found it easy to relate to her. There is a paranormal element to the story, and I shall not spoil it for the reader, but it is not sufficient to turn me off to the story. I do not normally enjoy paranormal mysteries, but found this series to be well-worth my time in both reading and re-reading its pages. And now that I am the proud owner of this book, I plan on re-reading it often in addition to hunting down other works in the series.
Other books I have read in this series:
Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday
Aunt Dimity: Snowbound
Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin
Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea
Aunt Dimity Goes West
Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter
Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon
Aunt Dimity Down Under
Aunt Dimity & the Family Tree
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, a review
The book: Well worth reading
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
There are precious few books in my life that will lead me along willingly into subject matters that are outside of my interests. I might have to read them for a book club or because a professor informed me I must, but I skim them as quickly as possible and refuse all pleasure from contemplating their words. I am a fickle reader, and I only wish to devour those works that soothe some aspect of my soul. So it was with great trepidation that I started reading My Name is Asher Lev with only the background knowledge that both art and messed up relationships with one's parents were involved. Neither subject struck me as interesting enough to warrant careful attention to these pages.
Chaim Potok had other ideas. He wove his story in a such manner that drew me in willingly, and I made sure I read it carefully. I found myself struggling with young Asher while he could not prevent himself from drawing, no matter what his parents, teachers, classmates, and others said. I, too, know what it is like to feel irresistibly drawn towards something, where no amount of scolding or mockery will be able to force a person to stop. As human beings, I would hope we have all felt that pull. It might not be towards art, and in my case it certainly isn't, but Potok masterfully draws the reader into Asher's world of art obsession.
There were three main sections of this novel. The first detailed Asher's early life as he started drawing, then continued to do so against his father's wishes. His parents were religiously and politically connected, and their absences and reactions to life seemed to draw him deeper into his need for art. The second section was where Asher became a student of a great artist, who praised, scolded, and sulked in a grand fashion. The final section described Asher's life as an emotionally tortured master of his art, although I am sure that the art was the master of Asher instead of the other way around.
This book is not a straightforward or easy read. I felt certain that the main character was suffering from a nervous breakdown of sorts. As a mother, I was horrified to read the pages detailing Asher's mental deterioration. As the adult child of my own not always supportive parents, I was shocked to read just how brutally Asher's parents wound up turning him aside once he grew into adulthood and expressed his discomfort in the world through his art. Yet despite their rejection, you still feel their own hurt and his mother's love shining through the emotionally draining existence of a tortured artist.
This novel is a powerful work of art in the form of the written word. I might never understand what makes art good or bad, but I feel I have an understanding of what forces compel a person into becoming an artist while the whole world strives against it. Thank you, Chaim Potok.
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
There are precious few books in my life that will lead me along willingly into subject matters that are outside of my interests. I might have to read them for a book club or because a professor informed me I must, but I skim them as quickly as possible and refuse all pleasure from contemplating their words. I am a fickle reader, and I only wish to devour those works that soothe some aspect of my soul. So it was with great trepidation that I started reading My Name is Asher Lev with only the background knowledge that both art and messed up relationships with one's parents were involved. Neither subject struck me as interesting enough to warrant careful attention to these pages.
Chaim Potok had other ideas. He wove his story in a such manner that drew me in willingly, and I made sure I read it carefully. I found myself struggling with young Asher while he could not prevent himself from drawing, no matter what his parents, teachers, classmates, and others said. I, too, know what it is like to feel irresistibly drawn towards something, where no amount of scolding or mockery will be able to force a person to stop. As human beings, I would hope we have all felt that pull. It might not be towards art, and in my case it certainly isn't, but Potok masterfully draws the reader into Asher's world of art obsession.
There were three main sections of this novel. The first detailed Asher's early life as he started drawing, then continued to do so against his father's wishes. His parents were religiously and politically connected, and their absences and reactions to life seemed to draw him deeper into his need for art. The second section was where Asher became a student of a great artist, who praised, scolded, and sulked in a grand fashion. The final section described Asher's life as an emotionally tortured master of his art, although I am sure that the art was the master of Asher instead of the other way around.
This book is not a straightforward or easy read. I felt certain that the main character was suffering from a nervous breakdown of sorts. As a mother, I was horrified to read the pages detailing Asher's mental deterioration. As the adult child of my own not always supportive parents, I was shocked to read just how brutally Asher's parents wound up turning him aside once he grew into adulthood and expressed his discomfort in the world through his art. Yet despite their rejection, you still feel their own hurt and his mother's love shining through the emotionally draining existence of a tortured artist.
This novel is a powerful work of art in the form of the written word. I might never understand what makes art good or bad, but I feel I have an understanding of what forces compel a person into becoming an artist while the whole world strives against it. Thank you, Chaim Potok.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
"A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton, a review
The book: Overly drawn out, but an interesting read nonetheless
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
For perhaps the first time ever, I picked up this book with the sole intent of reading a new series by starting at the beginning. This Rinehart Suspense novel introduces Kinsey Millhone, a female private investigator, which was an interesting concept as far as I was concerned. PI's, in my experience, are written as cold, aloof, unfeeling individuals who are typically male. The only way Kinsey appears to stray from that stereotype is by having a second X-chromosome.
This story takes place eight years after a murder of a very unlikeable philanderer. Kinsey is hired by the person jailed for committing the crime, the dead man's wife, who professes her innocence even after all this time. She wants to find out who really killed the man she was unfortunate enough to call her husband. Kinsey has to wind her way through strange family ties, odd employees and co-workers, and ultimately determine who of that set is trustworthy. I had trouble keeping up with the web that was spun, and felt that things were intentionally being overly drawn out. By the time I read about Whodunnit, I had to flip back to a few parts of the book to see if it made logical sense. I suppose they made enough sense, although I was starting to wonder if Sue Grafton was getting paid by the word.
I did enjoy several aspects of the book. Kinsey was a rather foul-mouthed, incredibly sarcastic, psychologically messed-up individual, and that actually endeared her to me. Perhaps I can somehow relate to her need to push others away and not wanting to feel close to anyone else. I did want her to be the victim of a drive-by Zolofting, but thought that she might not quite be herself if such an event transpired. I found it interesting that the book opens with her discussing how she had to kill someone in her line of work and how weird that makes her feel, while at the same time talking about how nice she is and how she has oodles of friends. I did not see her character as the type to get close enough to anyone to actually make friends. I suppose I shall have to read the next book in the series to see where she goes from here.
All in all, this was a decent suspense novel, as far as I was concerned. It did not freak me out unnecessarily, and I was able to sleep after finishing the book. I shall continue on to the next book in the series and hope that Kinsey's persona continues to grow on me with time.
Other books I have read in this series:
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
For perhaps the first time ever, I picked up this book with the sole intent of reading a new series by starting at the beginning. This Rinehart Suspense novel introduces Kinsey Millhone, a female private investigator, which was an interesting concept as far as I was concerned. PI's, in my experience, are written as cold, aloof, unfeeling individuals who are typically male. The only way Kinsey appears to stray from that stereotype is by having a second X-chromosome.
This story takes place eight years after a murder of a very unlikeable philanderer. Kinsey is hired by the person jailed for committing the crime, the dead man's wife, who professes her innocence even after all this time. She wants to find out who really killed the man she was unfortunate enough to call her husband. Kinsey has to wind her way through strange family ties, odd employees and co-workers, and ultimately determine who of that set is trustworthy. I had trouble keeping up with the web that was spun, and felt that things were intentionally being overly drawn out. By the time I read about Whodunnit, I had to flip back to a few parts of the book to see if it made logical sense. I suppose they made enough sense, although I was starting to wonder if Sue Grafton was getting paid by the word.
I did enjoy several aspects of the book. Kinsey was a rather foul-mouthed, incredibly sarcastic, psychologically messed-up individual, and that actually endeared her to me. Perhaps I can somehow relate to her need to push others away and not wanting to feel close to anyone else. I did want her to be the victim of a drive-by Zolofting, but thought that she might not quite be herself if such an event transpired. I found it interesting that the book opens with her discussing how she had to kill someone in her line of work and how weird that makes her feel, while at the same time talking about how nice she is and how she has oodles of friends. I did not see her character as the type to get close enough to anyone to actually make friends. I suppose I shall have to read the next book in the series to see where she goes from here.
All in all, this was a decent suspense novel, as far as I was concerned. It did not freak me out unnecessarily, and I was able to sleep after finishing the book. I shall continue on to the next book in the series and hope that Kinsey's persona continues to grow on me with time.
Other books I have read in this series:
Lavender Lies by Susan Wittig Albert, a review
The book: A decent murder mystery, although not overly suspenseful
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
I have no idea what possessed me to randomly pick up Lavender Lies, which happens to be a China Bayles Mystery. If the series had sounded interesting, I should have sought out the first one, but, par for the course, I did not. As it was, what sounded interesting to me were the comments on the back of the book. Various groups all claimed that the characters were "quirky" (Raleigh News & Observer), the book was well-written (paraphrased from the Los Angeles Times), and it was "a page-turner" (Publishers Weekly). That sounded reasonable enough for me, since I had actually heard of both the Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly. Hey, books have been read and reviewed with less of a recommendation.
Anyway, the premise of this book is simple enough: Shortly before the upcoming nuptials of the main character, the China Bayles mentioned earlier, a local blackmailer was murdered. Since the groom-to-be is in charge of the investigation, China and her friends decide it is in the best interest of her wedding and honeymoon that the case get solved quickly.
I enjoyed several things about Lavender Lies. First of all, the main character is intelligent and snarky, a combination that typically fills me with glee. Secondly, there were random tidbits of herblore strewn throughout the book, which made for a generally interesting side note to the subject matter at hand. Most of the characters were ones to whom I easily related. Around the same time that I was angrily glaring at the groom-to-be's comments at certain stages of the book, I realized I had to be investing myself into the characters for me to be that angry at that moron. Personally, I would never have married someone who thought his job had to come before his own wedding, and having never read any of this series before, I do not believe the characters' relationship was believable the way it was summarized. However, I must have felt drawn towards the bride-to-be for me to be so miffed at her choice of spouse.
All in all, this was a decent read, with a solution that was nice and tidy and even made this reader feel badly for the person who committed the crimes. I believe I will seek out other books in this China Bayles Mystery series to see if the initial setup of the characters is more realistic and believable than the summary provided in this book. I hope that it is, since Susan Wittig Albert writes in a style I felt comfortable with, and even though she strayed from what I would normally call "a G-rating," she did not stray far.
Other books I have read in this series:
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
I have no idea what possessed me to randomly pick up Lavender Lies, which happens to be a China Bayles Mystery. If the series had sounded interesting, I should have sought out the first one, but, par for the course, I did not. As it was, what sounded interesting to me were the comments on the back of the book. Various groups all claimed that the characters were "quirky" (Raleigh News & Observer), the book was well-written (paraphrased from the Los Angeles Times), and it was "a page-turner" (Publishers Weekly). That sounded reasonable enough for me, since I had actually heard of both the Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly. Hey, books have been read and reviewed with less of a recommendation.
Anyway, the premise of this book is simple enough: Shortly before the upcoming nuptials of the main character, the China Bayles mentioned earlier, a local blackmailer was murdered. Since the groom-to-be is in charge of the investigation, China and her friends decide it is in the best interest of her wedding and honeymoon that the case get solved quickly.
I enjoyed several things about Lavender Lies. First of all, the main character is intelligent and snarky, a combination that typically fills me with glee. Secondly, there were random tidbits of herblore strewn throughout the book, which made for a generally interesting side note to the subject matter at hand. Most of the characters were ones to whom I easily related. Around the same time that I was angrily glaring at the groom-to-be's comments at certain stages of the book, I realized I had to be investing myself into the characters for me to be that angry at that moron. Personally, I would never have married someone who thought his job had to come before his own wedding, and having never read any of this series before, I do not believe the characters' relationship was believable the way it was summarized. However, I must have felt drawn towards the bride-to-be for me to be so miffed at her choice of spouse.
All in all, this was a decent read, with a solution that was nice and tidy and even made this reader feel badly for the person who committed the crimes. I believe I will seek out other books in this China Bayles Mystery series to see if the initial setup of the characters is more realistic and believable than the summary provided in this book. I hope that it is, since Susan Wittig Albert writes in a style I felt comfortable with, and even though she strayed from what I would normally call "a G-rating," she did not stray far.
Other books I have read in this series:
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun, a review
The book: Engagingly outdated murder mystery, even if it did have an overly tidy solution
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my first time reading one of the "Cat Who..." books. I had heard of them before, generally well-praised, but never got around to reading any of them. One of my local librarians drew my attention to them again a week or so ago, so I picked up one that looked suitably old. I probably should have looked at all of the print dates and chosen one an older one, mainly because I prefer reading any given book series in somewhat of a chronological order. However, with three kidlets in tow who were miffed at how long I was taking, I settled for grabbing one that just looked older.
One of the first things I noted about this book, which had a 1966 copyright but was printed in July of 1986, was that it had a scent that brought me back in time. I suspect the book was stored in somebody's somewhat dank basement before it was bequeathed to my library system, but that endeared it to me all the more. When a story is written as a current piece of fiction, yet is as obviously dated as this one is, it is a much more delightful experience to read about pea green typewriters, clunky corded phones, and apartments that are rented for fifty dollars, with a book whose scent alone brings you back to days of a bygone era. If I were to read a newly printed copy of The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, I doubt very highly that I would enjoy it half as much as I did with that captivatingly musty copy, freshly plucked from my library's shelves for the first time in years.
The story itself is fairly straightforward. Jim Qwilleran joins the Daily Fluxion and is given the assignment to delve into the local art world and report on a few of the characters he meets, all without any actual background in art. He winds up renting an apartment that comes with the occasional pampering of a highly intelligent cat, redundant as that may sound, who has a rare feline ability to read newspapers backwards. I often got the impression that this impressive feline was the one running the show. When several seemingly unrelated deaths appear to coincide, it is up to Qwilleran and that magnificent cat Koko to figure out Whodunnit before they become the next victims.
I found myself deeply engrossed in this enchanting story, despite my initial reserve at reading something clearly outdated. I do enjoy historical fiction, but prefer when it is actually written in future times. This book's perspective on a situation that is supposed to be current, as seen in the 1960s when the book was written, does not quite fit the bill, yet I found myself eagerly sinking into the story instead of feeling mired down by how out of date it could have been. It did not have the historical feel of, say, a Little House on the Prairie, but I distinctly felt the difference that fifty years makes in the presentation of reading material. I found myself pleasantly amused at how "modern art" is still seen by those both in and out of the art world. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
All in all, I intend to go back to my local library in search of more of Lilian Jackson Braun's works. Her tidy ending might have turned me off to her style of writing, since I do like mysteries to have more of a drawn out solution, but I instead found her description of the everyday life of her characters to be sufficient motivation to draw me back into her world. I am half a century removed from Qwilleran's fictional investigations, yet feel drawn towards the experience of living them through the descriptions of a more than capable author.
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my first time reading one of the "Cat Who..." books. I had heard of them before, generally well-praised, but never got around to reading any of them. One of my local librarians drew my attention to them again a week or so ago, so I picked up one that looked suitably old. I probably should have looked at all of the print dates and chosen one an older one, mainly because I prefer reading any given book series in somewhat of a chronological order. However, with three kidlets in tow who were miffed at how long I was taking, I settled for grabbing one that just looked older.
One of the first things I noted about this book, which had a 1966 copyright but was printed in July of 1986, was that it had a scent that brought me back in time. I suspect the book was stored in somebody's somewhat dank basement before it was bequeathed to my library system, but that endeared it to me all the more. When a story is written as a current piece of fiction, yet is as obviously dated as this one is, it is a much more delightful experience to read about pea green typewriters, clunky corded phones, and apartments that are rented for fifty dollars, with a book whose scent alone brings you back to days of a bygone era. If I were to read a newly printed copy of The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, I doubt very highly that I would enjoy it half as much as I did with that captivatingly musty copy, freshly plucked from my library's shelves for the first time in years.
The story itself is fairly straightforward. Jim Qwilleran joins the Daily Fluxion and is given the assignment to delve into the local art world and report on a few of the characters he meets, all without any actual background in art. He winds up renting an apartment that comes with the occasional pampering of a highly intelligent cat, redundant as that may sound, who has a rare feline ability to read newspapers backwards. I often got the impression that this impressive feline was the one running the show. When several seemingly unrelated deaths appear to coincide, it is up to Qwilleran and that magnificent cat Koko to figure out Whodunnit before they become the next victims.
I found myself deeply engrossed in this enchanting story, despite my initial reserve at reading something clearly outdated. I do enjoy historical fiction, but prefer when it is actually written in future times. This book's perspective on a situation that is supposed to be current, as seen in the 1960s when the book was written, does not quite fit the bill, yet I found myself eagerly sinking into the story instead of feeling mired down by how out of date it could have been. It did not have the historical feel of, say, a Little House on the Prairie, but I distinctly felt the difference that fifty years makes in the presentation of reading material. I found myself pleasantly amused at how "modern art" is still seen by those both in and out of the art world. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
All in all, I intend to go back to my local library in search of more of Lilian Jackson Braun's works. Her tidy ending might have turned me off to her style of writing, since I do like mysteries to have more of a drawn out solution, but I instead found her description of the everyday life of her characters to be sufficient motivation to draw me back into her world. I am half a century removed from Qwilleran's fictional investigations, yet feel drawn towards the experience of living them through the descriptions of a more than capable author.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke, a review
The book: Worth reading if you enjoys mysteries and fattening foods
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This is the third Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes that I have had the pleasure of reading, although it is the first one that made me realize there is a chronology to Joanne Fluke's stories. One would think I have learned by now not to start a mystery series somewhere in the middle and then jump around to books both before and after, but you'd be mistaken. At least with this series, I believe the books do exist as stand-alone reading. If you're only interested in reading one book in a series, it should not be too difficult to pick up any of these books and just read the one. If you prefer to read through the entire series of books, do a little research and start at the first one. A quick google search tells me that Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder should, in theory, be the first one in this series.
Hannah Swensen is a delightfully pudgy, sarcastic, amateur snoop whose main occupation is running her bakery, The Cookie Jar. Some of the things I like about these books is that Hannah does not lack in the dating department and she seems to deal with the same weight woes as I do, including the reason for such woes: the love of baking and eating cookies, cakes, and pies. This particular book opens with Hannah having to make a decision about which of the two gentlemen who proposed to her, presumably in an earlier book, will be accepted. Having read a couple other books, I already knew the answer, but I did struggle with the suspension of disbelief in how these romances blossomed. I, personally, would never have been able to date someone seriously enough to propose marriage if I knew that individual was still dating other people, yet two men did exactly that with Hannah.
In Cherry Cheesecake Murder, Hollywood comes to Hannah's small town and sets up shop for a week. The director is killed when the prop gun is somehow replaced with a real one, and it's up to Hannah to save the day and find out Whodunnit.
Spread throughout the book are various recipes for the delectable goodies that Hannah and her friends bake, along with commentary about which characters prefer which types of variations. I have yet to try any of these recipes, mostly because my family has a dairy allergy and these recipes seem positively slathered in butter and cream. They sure look like they would be yummy and fairly simple to create.
All in all, I enjoy both the pacing and solutions to these Hannah Swensen Mysteries. Hannah is perhaps one of the more realistic personalities I have ever read in a murder mystery, although I might feel that way simply because I can relate well to her. In this book, the men are not nearly as realistic as the women, in my opinion, but that could simply be because I do not believe their situation could have occurred in my own life. In any case, I plan on reading more of these books in the near future.
Other books I have read in this series:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
Fudge Cupcake Murder
Key Lime Pie Murder
Cream Puff Murder
Apple Turnover Murder
Devil's Food Cake Murder
Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
Peach Cobbler Murder
Blueberry Muffin Murder
After reading more books in this series, I have determined that the main character exists solely for the creation of drama. There is no real point to Hannah otherwise. The further along in the series I go, the more frustrated I get with having to suspend my disbelief in order to finish each book. They are still enjoyable, but not nearly as much as they were when I first started reading them.
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This is the third Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes that I have had the pleasure of reading, although it is the first one that made me realize there is a chronology to Joanne Fluke's stories. One would think I have learned by now not to start a mystery series somewhere in the middle and then jump around to books both before and after, but you'd be mistaken. At least with this series, I believe the books do exist as stand-alone reading. If you're only interested in reading one book in a series, it should not be too difficult to pick up any of these books and just read the one. If you prefer to read through the entire series of books, do a little research and start at the first one. A quick google search tells me that Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder should, in theory, be the first one in this series.
Hannah Swensen is a delightfully pudgy, sarcastic, amateur snoop whose main occupation is running her bakery, The Cookie Jar. Some of the things I like about these books is that Hannah does not lack in the dating department and she seems to deal with the same weight woes as I do, including the reason for such woes: the love of baking and eating cookies, cakes, and pies. This particular book opens with Hannah having to make a decision about which of the two gentlemen who proposed to her, presumably in an earlier book, will be accepted. Having read a couple other books, I already knew the answer, but I did struggle with the suspension of disbelief in how these romances blossomed. I, personally, would never have been able to date someone seriously enough to propose marriage if I knew that individual was still dating other people, yet two men did exactly that with Hannah.
In Cherry Cheesecake Murder, Hollywood comes to Hannah's small town and sets up shop for a week. The director is killed when the prop gun is somehow replaced with a real one, and it's up to Hannah to save the day and find out Whodunnit.
Spread throughout the book are various recipes for the delectable goodies that Hannah and her friends bake, along with commentary about which characters prefer which types of variations. I have yet to try any of these recipes, mostly because my family has a dairy allergy and these recipes seem positively slathered in butter and cream. They sure look like they would be yummy and fairly simple to create.
All in all, I enjoy both the pacing and solutions to these Hannah Swensen Mysteries. Hannah is perhaps one of the more realistic personalities I have ever read in a murder mystery, although I might feel that way simply because I can relate well to her. In this book, the men are not nearly as realistic as the women, in my opinion, but that could simply be because I do not believe their situation could have occurred in my own life. In any case, I plan on reading more of these books in the near future.
Other books I have read in this series:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
Fudge Cupcake Murder
Key Lime Pie Murder
Cream Puff Murder
Apple Turnover Murder
Devil's Food Cake Murder
Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
Peach Cobbler Murder
Blueberry Muffin Murder
After reading more books in this series, I have determined that the main character exists solely for the creation of drama. There is no real point to Hannah otherwise. The further along in the series I go, the more frustrated I get with having to suspend my disbelief in order to finish each book. They are still enjoyable, but not nearly as much as they were when I first started reading them.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled: A Puzzle Lady Mystery by Parnell Hall, a review
The book: Enjoyable, but might be confusing if numerous characters with backstories isn't your thing or if you prefer more realistic mysteries
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my third or fourth Puzzle Lady Mystery that I have had the pleasure of reading. I found the first one more than slightly confusing due to the sheer number of characters that were both interrelated and had backstories that were a bit convoluted. The basic idea behind these mysteries is that Cora Felton is the grandmotherly public face of a local crossword puzzle creator, who is secretly Cora's niece Sherry. Cora is well-known for her numerous vices: smoking, cussing, and marrying, although there are numerous references to her previous drinking days, too. Cora moonlights in solving mysteries, although she does so in a manner that breaks as many laws as possible. Since she is the Puzzle Lady, these books include a number of crossword puzzles spread throughout them that are clues to the various crimes that have been committed. Since Cora cannot solve a crossword puzzle to save her life, Sherry is forced to get involved in things she would rather avoid.
The rest of the characters are a bit tedious to slog through at first. There's the whole string of Cora's exes, Sherry's abusive ex-husband, Sherry's best friend who at some point in the series marries the abusive ex, some reporter boyfriend, the local police, the attractive female lawyer, and a number of other hangers-on. Like I said, I was a bit lost in the first book, although I'm starting to pick up more details now. Almost all of these characters, Cora being the most glaringly obvious, are incredibly snarky and exchange sarcastic barbs left and right. Anyone who knows of my own penchant for snark can tell right away why I appreciate Parnell Hall's writing style.
In this particular book, Cora is essentially set up for a number of crimes, some which she actually committed in her efforts to avoid being framed for murder, after a string of wonky connections gets her involved in trying to solve a theft while being sued for stealing another puzzle writer's crossword puzzle. Realistically speaking, any lawyer worth their salt would get the actual perpetrators out of jail simply due to the illegal means Cora uses to find evidence. I also find it unlikely that the guilty parties would behave in the manner in which the author describes when Cora finally figures out Whodunnit. Too many years of dealing with lying and/or otherwise misbehaving kidlets leads me to believe the perpetrators' actions would be quite different in real life. However, I like hearing nice and neat solutions to problems, so I am willing to overlook this issue. The overdose of snark throughout the book makes it all worthwhile as far as I am concerned.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys both mysteries and crossword puzzles, loves protagonists who are not afraid to break the law, heartily enjoys sarcasm and other flippant commentary, and who does not mind having to suspend some disbelief in the manner in which crimes are solved. I certainly plan on reading more of them in the near future, although I will most likely hunt down a copy of the original book in the Puzzle Lady Mysteries so I can try and straighten out those bizarre character connections and backstories.
Other books I have read in this series:
The Sudoku Puzzle Murders
Stalking the Puzzle Lady
And a Puzzle to Die On
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my third or fourth Puzzle Lady Mystery that I have had the pleasure of reading. I found the first one more than slightly confusing due to the sheer number of characters that were both interrelated and had backstories that were a bit convoluted. The basic idea behind these mysteries is that Cora Felton is the grandmotherly public face of a local crossword puzzle creator, who is secretly Cora's niece Sherry. Cora is well-known for her numerous vices: smoking, cussing, and marrying, although there are numerous references to her previous drinking days, too. Cora moonlights in solving mysteries, although she does so in a manner that breaks as many laws as possible. Since she is the Puzzle Lady, these books include a number of crossword puzzles spread throughout them that are clues to the various crimes that have been committed. Since Cora cannot solve a crossword puzzle to save her life, Sherry is forced to get involved in things she would rather avoid.
The rest of the characters are a bit tedious to slog through at first. There's the whole string of Cora's exes, Sherry's abusive ex-husband, Sherry's best friend who at some point in the series marries the abusive ex, some reporter boyfriend, the local police, the attractive female lawyer, and a number of other hangers-on. Like I said, I was a bit lost in the first book, although I'm starting to pick up more details now. Almost all of these characters, Cora being the most glaringly obvious, are incredibly snarky and exchange sarcastic barbs left and right. Anyone who knows of my own penchant for snark can tell right away why I appreciate Parnell Hall's writing style.
In this particular book, Cora is essentially set up for a number of crimes, some which she actually committed in her efforts to avoid being framed for murder, after a string of wonky connections gets her involved in trying to solve a theft while being sued for stealing another puzzle writer's crossword puzzle. Realistically speaking, any lawyer worth their salt would get the actual perpetrators out of jail simply due to the illegal means Cora uses to find evidence. I also find it unlikely that the guilty parties would behave in the manner in which the author describes when Cora finally figures out Whodunnit. Too many years of dealing with lying and/or otherwise misbehaving kidlets leads me to believe the perpetrators' actions would be quite different in real life. However, I like hearing nice and neat solutions to problems, so I am willing to overlook this issue. The overdose of snark throughout the book makes it all worthwhile as far as I am concerned.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys both mysteries and crossword puzzles, loves protagonists who are not afraid to break the law, heartily enjoys sarcasm and other flippant commentary, and who does not mind having to suspend some disbelief in the manner in which crimes are solved. I certainly plan on reading more of them in the near future, although I will most likely hunt down a copy of the original book in the Puzzle Lady Mysteries so I can try and straighten out those bizarre character connections and backstories.
Other books I have read in this series:
The Sudoku Puzzle Murders
Stalking the Puzzle Lady
And a Puzzle to Die On
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up by JoAnna Carl, a review
The book: A good, quick read if you enjoy nice, happy murder mysteries
The author: Worth reading
Review:
I have read a number of JoAnna Carl's Chocoholic Mysteries and absolutely adore them. I find the characters to be likable, even with their often exaggerated physical characteristics. The first victim in this book, for example, is described as looking like a frog. The main character, Lee McKinney, works in her aunt-through-marriage's chocolate shop. She is a quite tall former beauty pageant contestant who has the delightful habit of twisting her words into oddball malapropisms when she is startled or stressed. I have yet to read the first book in the Chocoholic Mysteries, so I do not know whether a medical reason is given for her twisted tongue, or whether that is just one of her quirks. In either event, I am glad to see someone other than me be responsible for any snickers when unexpectedly inappropriate words are used. Lee's aunt is a feisty yet somehow refined lady who provides a lot of the small-town information to fill the reader (and, of course Lee) in on the details.
In this book, the froglike character, um, croaks, and Lee finds herself involved because her boyfriend appears to be getting framed for the murder.
There are pages of chocolate facts spread throughout the book, to the great delight of those of us who are real-life chocoholics. Lee also provides a general description of any of the chocolates mentioned throughout the course of the story, and there are more than a few of them in any story involving a chocolate store! The end result is that I typically want to send my husband out to buy some chocolate before the book is even finished. As much as I love these books, I might have to lay off of them for a while until I can fit into my pants once more.
The only downside that I have come across, in my opinion, is that these mysteries do follow a certain chronological sequence. Even though they are fine as stand-alone reading material, I recommend anyone just starting to delve into this series to start from the beginning and read them in order. Otherwise, you might do as I did with this book, and eliminate characters as suspects simply because you've already seen them introduced as the good guys in later books by JoAnna Carl.
All in all, I find the Chocoholic Mysteries to be enjoyable, somewhat lightweight reading material on days when you just want a nice, happy murder mystery to tide you over. The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up does not disappoint.
The author: Worth reading
Review:
I have read a number of JoAnna Carl's Chocoholic Mysteries and absolutely adore them. I find the characters to be likable, even with their often exaggerated physical characteristics. The first victim in this book, for example, is described as looking like a frog. The main character, Lee McKinney, works in her aunt-through-marriage's chocolate shop. She is a quite tall former beauty pageant contestant who has the delightful habit of twisting her words into oddball malapropisms when she is startled or stressed. I have yet to read the first book in the Chocoholic Mysteries, so I do not know whether a medical reason is given for her twisted tongue, or whether that is just one of her quirks. In either event, I am glad to see someone other than me be responsible for any snickers when unexpectedly inappropriate words are used. Lee's aunt is a feisty yet somehow refined lady who provides a lot of the small-town information to fill the reader (and, of course Lee) in on the details.
In this book, the froglike character, um, croaks, and Lee finds herself involved because her boyfriend appears to be getting framed for the murder.
There are pages of chocolate facts spread throughout the book, to the great delight of those of us who are real-life chocoholics. Lee also provides a general description of any of the chocolates mentioned throughout the course of the story, and there are more than a few of them in any story involving a chocolate store! The end result is that I typically want to send my husband out to buy some chocolate before the book is even finished. As much as I love these books, I might have to lay off of them for a while until I can fit into my pants once more.
The only downside that I have come across, in my opinion, is that these mysteries do follow a certain chronological sequence. Even though they are fine as stand-alone reading material, I recommend anyone just starting to delve into this series to start from the beginning and read them in order. Otherwise, you might do as I did with this book, and eliminate characters as suspects simply because you've already seen them introduced as the good guys in later books by JoAnna Carl.
All in all, I find the Chocoholic Mysteries to be enjoyable, somewhat lightweight reading material on days when you just want a nice, happy murder mystery to tide you over. The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up does not disappoint.
Bell, Book, and Scandal by Jill Churchill, a review
The book: Skip it
The author: Not worth reading again
Review:
This was my first time knowingly reading a mystery by Jill Churchill. One of the local librarians had recommended I try her, although she freely admitted she had never read any of Churchill's works. The only tidbit I was told prior to starting the book was that the librarian heard that "Jill Churchill" was a pseudonym picked specifically to have the distinction of following Agatha Christie's works, which surely must be a treasured spot for any mystery writer. I have no idea whether or not this is true.
The first thing I discovered when flipping open the book and reading the inside covers was that this author also writes the Grace and Favor mysteries that I have only recently discovered. Unfortunately, the only Grace and Favor book I have read thus far was, in my opinion, quite the drab and boring mystery. I finished it in order to find out Whodunnit, but was not impressed enough to go back for more. After having read Bell, Book, and Scandal, I found myself wishing it was as good as the Grace and Favor book.
I almost could not bring myself to finish the first chapter in this book, let alone the rest of it. I found the characters to be two-dimensionally stereotypical, and not in a good way. Characters often seemed to be introduced for the sole purpose of adding one or two extra paragraphs without improving the book. I could not bring myself to care for any of them. I was surprised that a book with a 2003 copyright date would have such sexist situations. For example, the main character's male lover is introduced as such, talks about his messy apartment that he needs her to help clean, eats the leftovers from her excellent dinner, and then has the audacity to tell her she needs to wait for another time to talk to him about something that is going on in her life. All of this was on page three of the book, so right off the bat I presumed the female protagonist is an idiot for allowing such a fool into her life.
The general idea of the story is that Jane Jeffry, our less-than-intelligent heroine, is going to go to a local mystery conference with her best friend. Jane is not a writer yet, but she aspires to be one someday soon. Throughout the course of this utterly unrealistic and forgettable story, Jane winds up almost inadvertently solving the mystery of two seemingly unrelated incidents, neither of which provoked the least little bit of curiosity or suspense on my part. I was surprised to learn there were other books in this series that preceded this one, as I could almost forgive the author if she had written this book to set up a future series.
The author tends to exaggerate using unnecessary and illogical details, which drove me a bit batty. An example of this was Jane's best friend entering a driveway at about fifty miles per hour and then screeching to a halt. Not many drivers can make a left or right turn into a driveway safely at that speed, and not many driveways are long enough to allow for the 175-ish feet that would be necessary for the driver to stop without hitting something. The author took a stab at writing a couple of love scenes, and I truly wonder why. They did nothing to further the plot and actually bored me to read. I would have been happier if the author had her protagonist ditch the boyfriend and go out to buy some really good chocolate. That, at least, would have been believable.
All in all, I have no intention of reading another one of Jill Churchill's books, which saddens me in a way. I normally really enjoy mysteries and had been hoping that she would live up to her spot right after Agatha Christie.
The author: Not worth reading again
Review:
This was my first time knowingly reading a mystery by Jill Churchill. One of the local librarians had recommended I try her, although she freely admitted she had never read any of Churchill's works. The only tidbit I was told prior to starting the book was that the librarian heard that "Jill Churchill" was a pseudonym picked specifically to have the distinction of following Agatha Christie's works, which surely must be a treasured spot for any mystery writer. I have no idea whether or not this is true.
The first thing I discovered when flipping open the book and reading the inside covers was that this author also writes the Grace and Favor mysteries that I have only recently discovered. Unfortunately, the only Grace and Favor book I have read thus far was, in my opinion, quite the drab and boring mystery. I finished it in order to find out Whodunnit, but was not impressed enough to go back for more. After having read Bell, Book, and Scandal, I found myself wishing it was as good as the Grace and Favor book.
I almost could not bring myself to finish the first chapter in this book, let alone the rest of it. I found the characters to be two-dimensionally stereotypical, and not in a good way. Characters often seemed to be introduced for the sole purpose of adding one or two extra paragraphs without improving the book. I could not bring myself to care for any of them. I was surprised that a book with a 2003 copyright date would have such sexist situations. For example, the main character's male lover is introduced as such, talks about his messy apartment that he needs her to help clean, eats the leftovers from her excellent dinner, and then has the audacity to tell her she needs to wait for another time to talk to him about something that is going on in her life. All of this was on page three of the book, so right off the bat I presumed the female protagonist is an idiot for allowing such a fool into her life.
The general idea of the story is that Jane Jeffry, our less-than-intelligent heroine, is going to go to a local mystery conference with her best friend. Jane is not a writer yet, but she aspires to be one someday soon. Throughout the course of this utterly unrealistic and forgettable story, Jane winds up almost inadvertently solving the mystery of two seemingly unrelated incidents, neither of which provoked the least little bit of curiosity or suspense on my part. I was surprised to learn there were other books in this series that preceded this one, as I could almost forgive the author if she had written this book to set up a future series.
The author tends to exaggerate using unnecessary and illogical details, which drove me a bit batty. An example of this was Jane's best friend entering a driveway at about fifty miles per hour and then screeching to a halt. Not many drivers can make a left or right turn into a driveway safely at that speed, and not many driveways are long enough to allow for the 175-ish feet that would be necessary for the driver to stop without hitting something. The author took a stab at writing a couple of love scenes, and I truly wonder why. They did nothing to further the plot and actually bored me to read. I would have been happier if the author had her protagonist ditch the boyfriend and go out to buy some really good chocolate. That, at least, would have been believable.
All in all, I have no intention of reading another one of Jill Churchill's books, which saddens me in a way. I normally really enjoy mysteries and had been hoping that she would live up to her spot right after Agatha Christie.
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