What I am reading: December 2011

I started reading the first 2 last month (in the case of the McAdams for the second time), but didn't finish reading them before December started. I read Joan Hess' Claire Malloy #4 in June, and the 7,8, 15 and 16th in October, but am re-reading them as I wrap them up to send back to Mom.

I fell a bit behind in book reading as, although I had no German class this month, there was quite a bit going on with the kids, the holidays, and running around. Did a bit of magazine reading catch up.

1. Bon Courage: rediscovering the Art of Living (in the Heart of France) (2010) by Ken McAdams: Interesting story of a man who, with his second wife, made a new life in France. Decently written for a first attempt by a non-writer (originally pilot). From my area of the states, so always more interesting:-).
   
2. Dear Miss Demeanor (1987) by Joan Hess:I think this is (yes, it is)actually the 3rd in the Claire Malloy, book seller sleuth, mystery series and although short, it reads well. A classic cyanide mystery and a display of the romance with Peter Rosen, police detective. Incredible to think that the romance will take another 20 years to resolve! Claire is dragged in as a substitute teacher to Farber High, when the journalism teacher is accused of embezzlement (perhaps certification for substitutes isn't required in some states?). I really liked the characterization and the story line, although I figured out the answer far before Claire did.
3. A Diet to Die For (1989) by Joan Hess: The 5th Claire Malloy. Still struggling along with her book business (but never as scared as I was when I struggled with my own business- I wonder if she has a huge insurance policy from her late husband that allows her to pay for health insurance for herself and daughter Caron? And to never worry about rent or food or keeping a business together?) but able to take the time to detect. "Hires" an assistant to help out her neighbor (but whose wages are paid for by the neighbor) and the assistant, a future heiress, first has mood swings, then has a mysterious heart attack. Is it related to a mysterious and fatal heart attack suffered by a young student athlete at Farber College. Enjoyable.
4. Death by the Light of the Moon (1992) by Joan Hess: Next up, the 7th Claire Malloy. A re-read. Claire forces Carl to Loisiana to meet her grand-mother on her deceased father's side: the Southern side of the family she doesn't know. Dripping with Spanish moss, but interesting. Too bad the family connections don't show in any of the following books.
   
5. Poisoned Pins (1993) by Joan Hess: And the 8th. Reading these through again, in order, makes me realize a few things. First, I have read more of these than I had thought. And second, it's annoying having so much external time pass by and yet so little time within the series. Here, Claire reminisces on being a "co-ed" in the early 70's, yet in the 90's, she is not yet 40. Which is fair. But as I keep reading the series into 2010, Claire remains just 40 and her daughter Caron still hasn't made the span from 14 to 18. This involves the sorority next door to Claire's apartment: the 4 girls staying over the summer all seem to have issues, but the one who is killed in what seems to be a hit-and-run seems to have hidden (and murky) depths. Still no real development of her relationship with Peter Rosen.
6. Closely Akin to Murder (1996) by Joan Hess: Claire Malloy #11.I can see that my numbering has been thrown off because some books in the series are not out from St. Martin's, but from Minotaur. Eg, this isn't listed on the inside flap of my other books. I really did not like the plot of this story- a cousin Claire thought was dead returns and asks for help in finding a blackmailer.Depressing story and depressing ending.
   
7. A Holly, Jolly Murder (1997) by Joan Hess: At last a Claire Malloy (#12) that I have not read before. But it was not as good as Mummy, Dearest. With several characters being Wiccan and pagan, I found the tone dismissive and patronizing. It's a religion and I don't see the need to be intolerant of it. Also, although I understand that this is a mystery series and therefore, there needs to be a murder, reading all these Hess' so close together is making me think that if I knew Claire Malloy, I would move far away from her: talk about Red Shirts! It's lucky she dates the head of the CID, because any police officer should consider someone involved with so many murders to be a very suspicious person. Farberville must have a homicide rate higher than that of Washington, DC. I see there is a cross-over from her Maggody series, but I am unfamiliar with it, so I didn't get a kick from it.
8. A Conventional Corpse (2000) by Joan Hess: (Claire Malloy #13)A mystery convention is being held at Farber College and Claire is only supposed to be the bookseller when she is roped in to replace the organizer and general gofer. The mystery writers all share an editor, who appears without warning. A fan dies "accidently" and then the editor as well. The ending was incredibly outre for this type of mystery. I did like the look at the world of a tiny convention, though. SPOILER: A grande dame of the cozy world confesses to the murder, but although it is never stated, it seems clear that she has tidied up the actual murder and that murderer will go free. It also seems that all the characters other than, perhaps Claire and it seems certainly Peter Rosen, are aware of this.
9. Mummy Dearest (2008) by Joan Hess: The latest at #17. Good heavens. 27 years in reality, 3-4 in book time, and Claire and Peter are finally hitched. This is dedicated to Barbara Mertz/Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels and there is a hat tip to Lady Emerson on page 35 and then throughout the novel, which I found tremendously amusing. In fact, having read all these Hess' in close proximity, it's clear that this entire novel was infused with Mertz' Elizabeth Peters style and I enjoyed it very much. Luxor, Cairo, digs, stolen antiquities and a honeymoon: what's not to like?
   
10. Fate's Edge (2011) by Ilona Andrews: I waited for this to be published, I ordered it in from the UK, it was delayed and I could bear it no longer so I got it on Kindle and then I got an e-mail saying it was being shipped. Color me annoyed. But not with the book. I'm so enjoying both her series, though this one is just a bit more- should I say it? edgy.
    
11. Death at the Spring Plant Sale (2003) by Ann Ripley: Louisa Eldridge is in the third year of her job as a full time host of a PBS plant show. Her latest show was to be covering the Bethesda Garden Club's famous annual plant show— she has a long time friend who is a member of the club. However, the president of the club, wife of a parallel world Fed Chairman, it seems, is murdered. Or was it a failed assassination attempt? I enjoyed this greatly.
12. Mind over Murder (2011)by Allison Kingsley: A Raven's Nest Bookstore Mystery. I generally like mysteries that have as protagonists bookstore owners or operators or writers. This one was a bit of a mixed bag though: Small Maine island bookstore, tight knit family, prodigal daughter with psychic abilities... It looks as if this was her debut, so perhaps the writing will become tighter and the plot a little denser. This felt a bit like a popcorn romance- all fluff but no substance. I enjoyed the fluff, but I need my books to have a bit more. A neighboring and nasty store owner is discovered dead in the book store (why was she there?) and an employee is suspected. Cousin of the owner, psychic-in-denial Clara, needs to get to the bottom of the problem. Particularly as her brakes stop working and it seems as if the murderer may be after her as well. There's the set up for a future romance with the owner of the hardware store as well.
    

What I am Reading: November 2011

My sleeping pattern is still off as I get over the jet-lag and try to get the house in order We came back with the usual pile of clothing swag (18 pairs of socks for $8.99! and so on) and I am working through re-packing the summer clothes, getting rid of the fall clothes (because it's definitely winter time) and the rain clothes and boots, and moving clothing downward: hand-me-down (thanks to my nieces), Big Sister to Little Sister move-downs, give to friends, give to charity, recycle. It's still pretty chaotic, but I also unpacked six bags, three carry-ons, a stroller (makes Disney so much easier! just to lug stuff around, and then if the evening goes late), two car-seats and two children's backpacks. I'm still working at it all, but it's been proceeding and I'm hoping to get back to a post or two this month.

1. Infernal Affairs (1996) by Jane Heller: A re-read before it goes back to mom. This reminds me a bit of several books that I must have read in the 90s- divorced woman selling her soul to the devil for a spiffy new body and success. Barbara is a broker in South Florida's Banyon Beach and when this book was written, brokers (or as they are known in Germany, maklers) really did seem to have made deals with the devil (the succeeding years of crashes may have been the devil losing a few rounds). Frothy, light and fun: I enjoyed it.
2. The Best Years of Flying: a memoir of Howard Hughes & TWA (2011)by Dee Merian: This is a review copy (ARC) that I got in 2011, although the publication date from Headline Books is 2010. This was an interesting book to me, as my aunt was an early flight attendant and I recently scanned some of her collection of photos and was amazed by Europe in the mid-60s (Trevi Fountain empty- cousin dipping her feet in it!). I am also enjoying the new series Pan Am, which although as sexist and racist as the period actually was, is interesting to me. This book is just a bit earlier (late 50's) and the writer is discussing a bit of her time as a flight attendant. It needed more editing: simple issues like noticing that Tony Bennett is not Toni, and so on. It is also a bit facile. But I enjoyed it, because I am always amused reading about that time period and about NY in that period (which she is stationed in when she flies internationally). I could have enjoyed it much more, if the author had been more reflective or more interested in bothe the time and the countries she was discussing, though.
3. Water Song (A retelling of "The Frog Prince") (2006) by Suzanne Weyn: I brought this with me from the US, with several other modern re-tellings of fairy-tales, and I am finally getting around to reading it so that I can add it to my discard/donate/sell pile: I don't want to keep it. Yes, a "modern" re-telling of the cited tale, set during WWI. A slightly interesting look at the historical period, with heroine Emma Pennington trapped behind the lines in Belgium. An American, New Orleans native who has volunteered for the British is gassed and, with his skin peeling and his eyes bulging, looks froggish. But there is really no fantasy at all in this story. A bit of the occult, as Jack dreams of his mother, a magic woman. But although I enjoyed the bit of history, it didn't grab me enough to make me want to keep it.
4. Murder by the Glass (2006) by Michele Scott: It's not a good sign when I prefer the recipes to the mystery. Set in the Napa Valley, with protagonist Nikki Sands working at Malveaux Estate. I love wine, I love Napa, but this just didn't interest me.
5. The Riesling Retribution (2009) by Ellen Crosby: Whereas this was an interesting mystery. Because plot and characterization matter.
   
6. A Dead Man out of Mind (1994) by Kate Charles: I didn't much like the last David Middleton-Brown book I read, but this one was better, with more interesting characterization, less emphasis on a prior problematic relationship, and the ecclesiastical detail was a bit more interesting to me. The relationship between David and Lucy Kingsley (an artist) is developing and more interesting.
7. Stamped Out (2008) by Terri Thayer: First in the "A Stamping Sisters Mystery" series. April Butchert, rubber stamp and restoration expert, returns to her home town to work with her father and resolves open mysteries from her departure years before. Recovering from a failed marriage and sabotaged career her work is interrupted when a body is found. A good start.
8. Moving is Murder (2006) by Sara Rosett: A first "Mom Zone" mystery. Protagonist Ellie is a military wife and mom, moving to a new posting with her airman husband. Moving and organizational tips are scattered throughout, in keeping with the theme and the reality that military families move constantly. A neighbor who was against development is found dead and all the suspects are her husband, Mitch's, co-workers. Well written and enjoyable.
9. The Christmas Garden Affair (2002)by Ann Ripley: It's been a while since I have read a mystery featuring PBS garden host and detective Louise Eldridge, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy her and Ms. Ripley's writing. Interesting story, warm characters, and intriguing mystery with good research. Louise's show is being upstaged by a bumptious and risque British upstart, when Bunny (of "Bunny in the Garden") is poisoned at a conference featuring the First Lady. Secret Service involvement, a smattering of Stasi spy, and plenty of interesting suspects made this a great read.
   

What I am reading: October 2011

1. Silver Shark
2. Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews: This is an interesting concept: e-book shorts/novellas. Set in the world of the Kinsmen, psionic clans in a world mostly populated by (non-Kinsmen) drones. I liked them a lot— a very (updated) 50s style. I have always been a sucker for espers and psionics. Strong characters, interesting world building, related stories.
   
3. Cast in Ruins by Michelle Sagara: I really like this series by Sagara.
   
4. Mandarin Plaid (1996)by S.J.Rozan: The third of what are now 11 books featuring Chinese-American PI Lydia Chin and her partner Bill Smith. Borrowed from my mom, I think I actually first read this 15 years ago. Now, I'm just enjoying the nostalgia and looking at how the world has changed: The opening scene mentions a restaurant that I used to eat at, downstairs from one of the offices I worked in; Lydia feeds a payphone (in Chinatown) with quarters- lord, how long has it been since I have seen a payphone? In NY, I assume they were all long ago broken down for their copper wiring!; there's some discussion of how a woman doesn't want her WASP son to marry a beautiful ABC (American Born Chinese) woman, who is successful and highly educated— I am not certain if I ever actually came into contact with that feeling from the "white" side of a couple, although the other side (also shown here) I have seen: that marrying outside one's ethnic community is strongly frowned upon. But in the Northeast US, Asian has been a favored minority for a very long time; the sexism: that really brought it all back. I had been working on Wall Street in the 80's and for myself in the 90's — sexism wasn't necessarily in your face at this point, but I felt it and saw it, in a way that I am seeing again now. Really enjoyed the book, it makes me want to start re-reading the series (and SJ Rozen is giving an e-short away on Amazon in this world- check it out.)
5. Temple of the Winds (1997) by Terry Goodkind: It's such an investment, reading a series like this— each book in the 750-850 page range. The start of the second trilogy, as Richard and Kahlan discover the danger of the Empire and its ruler Jagang, now the walls between realms have been destroyed. I enjoy each book, but sometimes I just need to put them down and read something smaller(lighter, easier to carry, with an end in sight!). (DTB)
6. Snuff (2011)by Terry Pratchett: What can one say? It's Pratchett. A great book in the CityWatch cycle. I really don't want to give anything away, but Goblins are the theme in the same way that one might say another species was in Unseen Academicals.
   
7. The Thai Amulet(2003) by Lyn Hamilton: I read this series intermittently, when I grab one from my mom (last read was The Chinese Alchemist). Ahh, darn it. I checked to see which order these were in and she has died. Cancer in 2009. I am sorry to see that The Chinese Alchemist (2007) was the last of her 11 novels featuring Lara McClintock, antique store owner, whose trips allowed Hamilton's love of foreign climes and cultures to be shown. The Internet age allows much knowledge but also much lingering disinformation to be found: her blog still exists, but it appears that no one has cared for it in many, many years: there are ads for "medical products" displayed and not notation at all that she is no longer productively and currently writing. I look forward to reading the few that I haven't read. In a bittersweet way.(Here is an interview with Ms. Hamilton just before The Thai Amulet — the 7th in the series—was published.)
8. Winter and Night (2002) by SJ Rozan: After I read Mandarin Plaid, I knew that I had another Rozan floating around so I pulled it out to re-read (and to return to Mom). Rozan's series alternates in viewpoint between Lydia Chin and her partner Bill Smith and this is from Smith's viewpoint. We learn more about his background and family, their estrangement, and how his character was formed through parental abuse. There are echoes of Columbine (April 1999) as Smith discovers that a death which has involved his nephew bears a terrible resemblance to a death involving the high school group of his brother-in-law.

What I am reading: September 2011

This will be a lighter month, as I am falling desperately behind in reading my Economist, my German classes have started, I had a concert, two Elternabends, friends visit (yeah!) and Rosh Hashona.--- Then a fast visit to Munich for Oktoberfest made longer by a broken and replaced train change.

1. Murder Your Darlings (January 2011) by J.J. Murphy: The first in the new series "The Algonquin Round Table Mysteries". I have been looking on my DVD shelves for another series to start, now that I have finished Bones and I realized that, after purchasing the first season of Mad Men,and reading reviews of the second and third seasons, that I don't want to watch it: I don't think I want to be steeped in that era. Perhaps it's too close? But I do find the Prohibition period in NY exciting. Not so much from the explosion of crime point of view, but from the flowering of thought that took place in NY (and of course, in Berlin as well). So I found this book very interesting. It whetted my appetite to learn and see more of the era (and of course I did a bit of on-line research on the Vicious Circle of the Algonquin Round table, which I knew the standard liberal arts educated information about, and I had visited the Algonquin decades ago). A Manhattan murder (which feels as homey as my backyard) and some pithy quotes, both actual and in the style, made me very happy. I will look up the next and I will re-read some public domain Benchley, Wollcott and Parker that I have floating about.
2. Killer Cuts (2009) by Elaine Viets: This is the ninth in Viets' "A Dead-End Job Mystery". I have read this series, on and off, for years and I think that it has been getting better with this being the best so far. I had an issue with the original premise, that the protagonist (Helen), a successful accountant would give her job up and flee to a series of under the table jobs in an effort to avoid paying alimony to her philandering ex-husband. I just thought the entire concept was silly. Years later though, I have grown to enjoy the character and her cast of friends and acquaintances as she moves through multiple workplaces. This book had a shock ending that made it transitional and I will look forward to grabbing the next two when I am in the US. (DTM)
3. Blood Challenge (Jan 2011) by Eileen Wilks: I thought I had waited a long time to order this (because I am annoyed that buying the physical book is still cheaper than the Kindle version) but I see that it was only 9 months before I broke and ordered it in from the UK and that, just when I was already for more at the end of the book, that the next one won't be out until November and that once again the e-version will be as expensive as the physical one! I'll try to pack this (the 7th of her "Lupi Novels") away and see if I can once again punish the author (and her publishing house) by not buying a book that I want to read immediately (I still haven't bought the latest Charlaine Harris for exactly this reason). So I clearly like the world that Wilks has created and I like the characters that she has created within it: Lily Yu, tough FBI agent and granddaughter to dragons, Rule Turner, Rho of a Pack, and all the characters and friends and family that surround them as a 3,000+ year old war between deity equivalents (not worshiped so much as served)starts to heat up. (DT)
4. The City and the City (2009) by China Miéville : I liked this very much, even though it was more surrealistic, perhaps, than sf /fantasy. A strange mix of political fantasy (as 1984) and parallel sideways history (as Chabon's Yiddish Policemen's Union). Was it fantasy? Was it SF? Was it political dystopic allegory? Whichever it was, it was a good read. (DT)
5. The Dragon who Loved Me (2011) by GA Aiken: Aiken (who is Shelley Laurenston) writes very funny shifter romances. This pseudonym is the one she used for the world of dragons(with extremely long hair) and the active gods who wander about fighting through different races and peoples. But (unlike Moon's books), these are still light-hearted (and always comedic) romances. (Mobi)
6. Hidden Steel (2008) by Dorrana Durgin: I really enjoy Durgin's Jess books, and have a few others as well but this is a straight-out romance that I downloaded from I don't know where (perhaps her web site?). Amnesiac heroine awakens in handcuffs, being questioned as to her activities. A nicely written, well-paced genre-sized spy story with a strong female lead. I enjoyed it. (Mobi)
   
7. Spider Bones (2010)by Kathy Reichs: I picked this up at the booth while I was waiting to hear Reichs read at the Internationales Literaturefestival Berlin. The 13th Temperance Brennan book (I read the 8th last year), it felt a bit more like an interim book, perhaps because I was familiar with the background already. A fine read.
   
8. Wizard's First Rule
9. Stone of Tears (1995)
   
10. Blood of the Fold (1996) by Terry Goodkind: This series has been sitting on my shelf for almost a year but the NPR list made me feel that I should finally get to them. I have finished the first three and I have enjoyed them and am looking forward to the next trilogy.
    

What I am Reading: August 2011

It may seem like I have had an awful lot of time to read this past month, but that's a result of multiple trips— driving to NRW and then training to Amsterdam (3 changes one way, 5 the other), having a few free days while the kids were in NRW, with a train trip back to Berlin, and a few flights as well. So I made my way through a pile of magazines and a few books that I need to see about returning soon.

1. Murder Past Due (2010) by Miranda James (aka Dean James): I was actually distracted while reading this because the protagonist, part-time librarian Charlie Harris as a male seemed a bit off. When I looked at the copyright page and saw the second name, I was pretty sure that the writer was actually a man and that his style, a bit over-done in its "coziness" was a result of trying a bit too hard. So he is.
2. Death is a Bargain (2005) by Nora Charles (Noreen Wald): 3rd in the Kate Kennedy series. Kate is helping Marlene sell some of her treasures (decluttering is a theme I resonate with) in a flea market at a local circus. I always get a kick out of these that's not related to the actual plots, but because the setting is so close to where my mom winters. Not the best, but an ok read.
3. Sunset Bridge (2011) by Emilie Richards: Charming chick-lit. A story in the lives of five women in the Floriday Keys. It says "A Happiness Key Novel", so there are probably more. I enjoyed the light read, but not enough to search out more. (DT ARC)
4. The Amish Midwife (2011) by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould: Like the above listed book, this is out of my genre (yes, there is a very specific Amish genre and this author is famous in it). The protagonist, Lexie Jaeger, was raised in a Mennonite family in the PNW but when her adoptive father dies, discovers her link to the Amish community in Pennsylvania. She takes a temporary position as a midwife (she is licensed as a nurse-midwife) in the community with a midwife that she has been told has an association with her. Well-written story, quiet romance, pleasant chick/Amish lit.(DT ARC)
5. Ransom at the Opera (2002) by Fred Hunter: I was surprised to run across an entire mystery series that I was unfamiliar with in this book from my mom. When I googled the author, I found that she had two separate series and was a woman. With no new books since 2004, I'm not certain if she is still writing (or still alive) and I haven't been able to find a quick answer). This is the 6th book in the "Ransom" series (and there is a 7th in 2004) set in Chicago with Detective Ransom and his "septuagenarian friend, Emily Charters". Charters is an opera buff and is watching the performance where a tenor is, apparently, murdered on stage. Well-written. I enjoyed it but won't seek it out as I don't know whether it will be a series without an ending. (DTM)
6. Mai Tai to Murder (2007) by Candy Calvert: Another of Mom's books. I quite enjoyed this fluffy 3rd in a series genre crime novel with Darcy Cavanaugh, an ER nurse as protagonist. She and her friend and co-worker, are on a cruise with her boyfriend's uptight mother, an aspiring writer, when a famous critic is murdered. Their "instructional" lecture on murder methods were used in a series of "pranks" that culminated in the murder and the mom is a primary suspect. Snappy, funny, interesting characters: I liked it a lot, only to discover that the writer has chosen to switch genres and will no longer be writing in this series. Bah. (DTM)
7. Poisoned by Gilt (2008) by Leslie Caine: 6th in the Domestic Bliss mystery series with Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan. I spent quite a bit of the story being annoyed by the stupidity of the protagonists and wanting to give them a clop upside the head. Not in re the mystery, but in re their personal relationship. The book was an ok read, but it looks like the relationship may be resolved in the next, which is a relief.(DTM)
8. Friends in High Places (2007) by Marne Davis Kellogg: I hadn't seen this author before and when I started the book, I wasn't too impressed— the protagonist, Kick Keswick (a retired jewel thief), just seemed too much of a social climber, always dropping names, brands and dollar amounts. But after a few chapters I found her more interesting, the plot and characters and settings were interesting, and I wound up really enjoying it. Since it was dated 2007 and there were no later books I looked up the author's blog, found reading it interesting, and discovered that she has a few earlier books with this protagonist, another series, a very interesting earlier life and that her current book has been delayed. (There were also a few recipes, due to Kick's love of food. Not my taste, but I always like a book with recipes.) (DTM)
9. A Peach of a Murder (2006) by Livia J. Washburn: I hadn't read anything by this author before, although she is prolific. This is the first in her "Fresh Baked Mystery" series and I liked it. A retired schoolteacher, Phyllis Newsom, has been recently widowed and has taken in other retired teachers as boarders and friendly companions. She is preparing to compete in the Peach Festival (against her boarder, who is the constant winner when townsfolk start dying and her friend and competition becomes the major suspect. I always like mysteries with recipes that look fun and this was well-written and the recipes look good as well (that is, I might actually make the cobbler)! I'll look for the others in this series. (DTM)
10. How to Crash a Killer Bash (2010) by Penny Warner: A "Party Planning" Mystery. The protagonist, Presley Parker, is a former "instructor" in Abnormal Psychology (and I can't understand how one instructs that). Having lost her job, she is now an event planner and hijinks ensue as she the murder-mystery fund raiser at a museum goes dramatically wrong, landing her friend in jail. Her friend and romantic interest is a crime scene cleaner who has a mysteriously close relationship with the police and helps her get to the bottom of things. A mother with AD rounds out the cast. Was a fun and light read. I see that Ms. Warner is extraordinarily prolific and is now writing a second and more serious mystery series as well as a third children's genre mystery series (or at least a few title is one). She has been a professional party planner and currently also creates mystery party fund raisers for libraries. (DTM)
11. The Silver Needle Murder (2008) by Laura Childs: "Tea Shop Mystery" 9 and the title is, as all the others, the name of a specific tea. I vaguely remember having read a few before and enjoying them, although I find the protagonist, Indigo Tea Shop proprietor Theodosia Browning, sometimes a bit of a name and brand dropper. Set in Charleston, it's fortunate that Theo's catering and shop give her reason to have a wide circle of acquaintance or her friends might be running for the hills, rather than helping her to investigate. As a former restaurant owner, I found the descriptions of her restaurant and service enjoyable, although laughably unrealistic (unless the single cook/chef/creative kitchen staff has magic powers!). Nice recipes included, which I always find a plus.
12. Shot through Velvet (2011) by Ellen Byerrum: 7th in the "A Crime of Fashion" mystery series and the first I have read since Grave Apparel, her 5th. I found the descriptions of the closing velvet factory more interesting than the story itself, as I recently attended a talk by a photographer who had documented the closing of a felt and hat-making factory and the exposition in the book were extremely true to life. And a bit sad, when one sees the end of complete industries as Western countries are incapable of matching the slave wages and terrible working conditions in China and other non-rule bound societies. I do like this series, though, and one of the things I most enjoy is Lacey's descriptions of the vintage clothing that she wears (inherited from her flapper Aunt Mimi). I love vintage clothing and I am deeply sorry that my grandmother, who was a flapper, did not leave me any. (DTM)
    
13. Killer Cruise (2009) by Laura Levine: Another author that I hadn't read. This is the the 9th in her "Jaine Austen" mystery series (no relation, ad copy writer). Jaine is invited as a lecturer on a cruise line when her fellow employee winds up as a suspect in a murder and she investigates. Fluffy but enjoyable read. But at 9th in the series without any real depth or character development, it won't be a series that I will pursue. (There you go- the author was a real copy writer who created the Frankenberry and Count Chocula campaigns- cool.She then became a sitcom writer and worked on some of my favorite childhood shows.) (DTM)
    

What I am reading: July 2011

Oops- I was in Rome over the end of the month and forgot to hit publish. Sometime soon, when life is less hectic (or the kids go back to school) I will finish my posts on what a great time we had there and what we have been doing over the summer.

1. Heartless (July 2011) by Gail Carriger:4th in the series starring Alexia Maccon (nee Tarabotti), a preternatural (someone who causes supernatural entities to become mortal and can totally disperse ghosts or poltergeists, thus considered a threat by many supernaturals) living in a Steampunk Victorian parallel world, married to a Scottish werewolf member of the Ton, and friend of a Vampire Rove. I like the series very much, finding it light, amusing and charming. I enjoy it more than the Regencies I read so many years ago, because the plots are more interesting. Unlike a friend who can't stand the "incorrectness" of some of the terms used in address and so forth, I think that if the world is paranormal, I won't hold the author to the niceties of actual forms of English social address.(DT)
2. Cast in Chaos (2010) by Michelle Sagara: The sixth book in the Chronicles of Elantra, following the maturation of Kaylin Neya, a human Hawk (police officer equivalent) in a world ruled by Dragons and with multiple immortal and mortal species, of which humans are the fastest breeding and least powerful. As in Nix' Abhorsen series, words are reality in a very literal way and Neya is, literally, covered with words. Well put together, always interesting, with a world I find fascinating and consistent yet always with new facets. Worth starting at the beginning: it would be a terrible shame to miss the character development and relationship and world building by starting out of order or skipping a book. This novel sees more development of both major and lesser characters and the introduction of a new species and thus validation of the "Parallel Worlds" theory that suggested Humans and other non-Immortal species are not originally of the world. (DT)
3. Twilight's Dawn (March 2011) by Anne Bishop: A collection of 4 stories in the world of the Black Jewels. The last, The High Lord's Daughter, brings Janelle and Daemon's love story to a conclusion that had some fans very angry and which resulted in my not reading it for a few months after getting it. But, with a few weaknesses in plot, I think it was good and also satisfying. I enjoyed the stories and I hope that there may be a few more out there, waiting to fill in the plot points that we read referenced but not described.
   
4. Dead in the Family (2010) by Charlaine Harris: I reread this story prior to packing it away with another box of books in the cellar and all aflush with the happiness of the 4th season of the HBO series starting. It's always interesting to see the difference between the books and the series (which I find extremely well done). I'll have to pick up the next one soon but I have put it off (for more than a year now) because I am so annoyed that the Kindle price is as high as that of a physical book. I may wait to pick it up in PB in the US in the fall.
5. River Marked (2011) by Patricia Briggs: Also reread, before packing. I like Patricia Briggs. Like Ilona Andrews, her work just keeps getting better (and she has been doing it longer). Her world is closer to ours and her protagonist (in this sixth book), Mercy Thompson, mechanic, new-bride to Alpha werewolf and neighbor Adam, coyote avatar and Blackfeet, is just neat: her development as a person and a woman has been realistic and all the characters are well-done.
6. Pale Demon (2011) by Kim Harrison: Another re-read, before packing it away. Who would have known, when I first read Kim Harrison writing as Dawn Cook, that she would become a huge seller under her pseudonym. That is, I loved her original series but at the same time I was reading her as herself, I was also reading and enjoying her as Kim Harrison. Both series have a basic underpinning of science and genetics, with her Harrison series riding the paranormal wave and bringing her to NYT bestseeler stardom. This is her 9th The Hollows novel starring witch with a genetic twist Rachel Morgan and I enjoy each one of them. Strong and interesting female characters, interesting world, worth reading. What's not to like about a world partially emptied of humans due to a pandemic caused by genetically mutated tomatoes (attack of the killer tomatoes:)), leading to the revelation of the paranormal (and immune) witches, vampires and other species living in our midst? (DT).

What I am Reading: June 2011

1. Skin Trade (2009) by Laurell K. Hamilton: What can one say? It was 1 pound on a table. It's sort of like watching a train wreck (with lots of orgies).
   
2. Enthralled (ARC 9/20/11)(anth. Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong): Short stories by top paranormal authors. Fun. I especially enjoyed the Ally Condie, the Sarah Rees Brennan and the Marr.
3. Magic Slays (2011) by Ilona Andrews: I love this series even more every time I read another book by the husband/wife co-authors. (I love their other series as well, set in the Edge). Great female protagonist, great supporting male lead, great character and world development.
   
4. Unraveled (ARC 9/2010) by Gena Showalter: Teenagers, vampire girlfriend, werewolf protectors, witches and drainers. I finished it, but I'm not intrigued enough to get the next, or the previous to catch up.
   
5. A Really Cute Corpse (MDT 1988) by Joan Hess: While in NY in May, I took the opportunity to grab a few more of my mother's mysteries and a few Hess'. I'm reading these out of order, of course, but I can see that Hess is not aging her characters year by year, as the later mysteries I read still have Caron ( Claire Malloy's daughter) as under-aged. A nice mystery, just a day in the life of our hero, the book store owner.
6. Howl Deadly (2009) by Linda O. Johnstone: This series seems to go up and down and this one was just not that interesting. Pet-sitter/lawyer Kendra Ballantyne visits boyfriend Dante DeFrancisco's wildlife sanctuary . A missing wolf leads to a murdered man and some background info on Dante.
7. Crossed (ARC 2011) by Allie Condie: I liked this a lot. Alternating viewpoints from the two protagonists. A perfect middle book of a trilogy, leaving me poised for the third. The only problem with having it early (it will be released on 11.1.11) is that I need to wait 17 months to read the final book. My only question is whether I should wait until the third book is out before I send the trilogy to my three nieces for them to read. It's that good. See my review of Matched here.
   

What I am reading: May 2011

1. The Fright of the Iguana (2007)by Linda O. Johnston: 5th in Johnston's series about Kendra Ballantyne, a lawyer and pet-sitter (explained in the series set up). Enjoyable and fluffy genre mystery that starts with the pet-napping of two of her charges and encompasses the murder of another pet-sitter. More development in her personal relationships as well. Would have preferred that it be thicker, it felt as if it were a bridging book and not enough development occurred, but that's because I'm not reading this type of book as much, I think. (DTM)
   
2. Tapped Out (2007) by Natalie M. Roberts: The second in a mystery series starring Jenny Partridge, a dance instructor, choreographer and studio owner in Utah. I liked it. (DTM)
3. Death Rides the Surf (2007) by Nora Charles (actually Noreen Wald): 5th in the Kate Kennedy series, whose protagonist moved to Florida with her husband only to lose him while signing the contract for the purchase of their condo. Fast and shallow read, but the writing has improved from the last that I read.
4. Every Last Drop (2008) by Charlie Huston: Fourth in the five part Joe Pitt series. I enjoyed the first, Already Dead, some time ago and was happy to see this Orbit imprint while at Eastercon. Noir "vampire" (victim of the Vampyr virus) Joe Pitt returns from exile off the Island (Manhattan). While entangled in the gang-style politics of the different "vampire" factions, attempting to bargain for his freedom to return, he discovers the rotten foundations of the matrix of his hidden society. Like all noir detectives, his external hardness hides a more idealistic interior and he is not willing to keep his knowledge hidden. The next book should be a doozy. And this time I won't wait to find it when in the UK: I've just ordered books 3 and 5 and expect them next week.
5. Some Like it Hot-Buttered (2007)by Jeffrey Cohen: Light genre mystery.Elliot Freed, protagonist, has his book destroyed when turned into a movie, but realizes his dream of owning a movie theatre (showing classic comedies) with the proceeds. During Young Frankenstein, a customer doesn't laugh.That could only be possible if he were dead, of course, and the plot continues from there. Fluffy, ok read.
   
6. Kings of the North (2011) by Elizabeth Moon: A very satisfying second novel in the Paladin's Legacy series, as the focus turns to Kieri and his deepening understanding of his duties, a new relationship and the political ramifications.
   
7. Half the Blood of Brooklyn (2007) by Charlie Huston: I did indeed get the other novels (as mentioned above) and found them just as absorbing. Reading this, the third of five, was very helpful in filling in some of the gaps and an interesting read in itself.
8. My Dead Body (2009) by Charlie Huston: The culmination of the Joe Pitt series. Whew. I almost feel that these five books should really have been three, because the last one moved so relentlessly into this... but I guess they were sized as genre crime novels, in the 300 page range. Well worth reading.
   

What I am reading: April 2011

1. Fatal Feng-Shui (2007) by Leslie Caine: I'd read a few of the prior mysteries in this series (how could I resist Death by Clutter?) and I enjoyed this one as well. Fluffy but fun, not a tremendous amount of character development, but an enjoyable read.(DTM)
   
2. Oath of Fealty(2010) by Elizabeth Moon: I've waited an awfully long time for Moon to continue her fantasy series, started with Sheepfarmer's Daughter. Rather than Paks being the lead in this new trilogy, we follow Kieri Phelan in his new life. Great book. Can't wait until the next is out. Moon always has strong, interesting women (as well as male) characters and it's just a relief not to need to always be glossing over the lack of same. An author I generally look forward to reading and I've pre-ordered the next in the series.
   
3. cross bones (2005) by Kathy Reichs: It's strange that I love the TV series Bones so much and yet had never read a book that it was based on. I'm a late comer to the series (it was in season 5 before I saw my first), so I'm also a late comer to the books. Not the gory series I had thought when I first read about a forensic anthropologist (before I'd heard of the series), this was an interesting dabble into the "Jesus family" controversy that I actually remember reading about almost a decade ago. Nice light read, with lots of interesting detail on the archeology and situation. And Brennan is much less "relationship challenged" in the book than in the series.
4. The Stepsister Scheme (2009)
5. The Mermaid's Madness (2009) by Jim C. Hines:A grown up take on some of the classic fairy tales. I preferred the 1st to the second, but I will probably still get the third.
   
6. Juliet, Naked (2009) by Nick Hornby: Another ARC. An enjoyable light read. Does Hornby always do "chick lit" or is it called something else when it's a male writing it? I did like it, though:-). I've also just sold it on Amazon, which I also am glad of. (DTARC)
   
7. A Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life (2010) by Steven Kotler: This is not my general type of book, but it was a very interesting true story. The protagonist discovers a sense of enlightenment and transcendence while opening and operating a dog rescue operation. The cites were also interesting to read. I don't believe that all species are of equal value, but I do strongly believe that animals and all living beings do have the right to be treated humanely and with respect, even if we are using them as food sources and it was interesting to read some instances and discussions of how thought on these issues has changed and evolved, especially in the years since I studied biology and evolutionary biology. I'll pass this along to Alice. (DTARC)
8. the imperfectionists (2011) by Tom Rachman: I'm not a huge fan of "interesting" type setting (except for that in The Stars My Destination) and so this book started with a mark against it for me, but as I read through it, I started enjoying the stories that were being told. The over reaching arc is the birth and life span of a newspaper and perhaps of journalism, told through the lives that shaped a specific overseas paper. (DT)
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003) by Mark Haddon: This had languished on my shelf for so long that I did not realize that I had borrowed it from a friend, who saw it on my car seat when I was visiting and recognized it! I liked it. Strangely enough, also with the typography, but I really found this insight into the never named world of autism fascinating and I will research how accurate the portrayal was. Heart breaking and fascinating and moving. (Now I'll be able to send it back to A.)(DT)
   

The (M) stands for Mobipocket (the generic form of the file that Kindle Reads) as well as AZW and PRC, the other forms readable by Kindle. Let's leave DT as Dead Tree books. (And perhaps I should add M for books borrowed from my mother:).)I think it's clear what percentage of my reading is becoming e-format. The vast majority are also free, either as public domain or as promotional offers through Amazon and the other online sources I frequent. B stands for Baen, the best of the on-line stores by so many orders of magnitude there is no comparison.

What I am reading: March 2011

It's amazing how few books I have read this month. A lot of that is due to how busy I have been and also because I have focused on reading through and recycling my magazines, but I think I need to refocus for next month and get some more books read: in May I'll be heading to NY for BEA and I need to be certain that I have finished reading all the books that mom has loaned me so that I can return them and pack up another set to ship over to read:-).

1. Bad to the Bone (2000)by Katy Munger: I am glad to be reading through my piles of mysteries in time to realize what series I will need to be stocking up on when I visit NYC for Book Expo in May. The hero of this mystery, Casey Jones, is a complex character and coming into the series in the middle as I am, I see that Munger has written very well to leave me not confused, but desirous of purchasing the series backward and forward. I'd like to find out how Casey met her boyfriend Burley, a paraplegic biker, and I want to see her reconnect with her family after avoiding them through the shame of serving time as a result of serving time for a crime of which she was not guilty. In this novel, Casey finds herself acting to protect an abused woman, only to find that she has been used as a dupe to implicate an innocent man and she won't let that stand. I really enjoyed it.(DTM)
2. The Night Counter(2009) by Alia Yunis: The author's debut novel. She teaches film at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, which I find very amusing: I hadn't notice that info in her blurb and yet while discussing this novel in book club, I had remarked at how, while reading, I had been able to see how easily translatable the story would be to film. A Greek Wedding-ish story with an Arab-American 4-generation family. Lots of uplift with a soupcon of sadness. Much fluffier than our usual reads— I enjoyed it but felt that I was skimming over the surface of what could have been a far deeper story, too tied up with narrative to do real character analysis. Perhaps just too many characters for a 365 page book? I did like the conceit of Scheherazade tying the different threads of the story together and the homage to The Arabian Nights.(DT)
3. Uncatalogued (2002) by Julie Kaewert: The 6th in her Booklover's Series, featuring publisher Alex Plumtree and his irresistible attraction for intrigue dealing with books. I'd forgotten about this series— for a very long time we were left hanging on a relationship and it annoyed me, although I enjoyed the view into the rarefied world of a British family printing house. Finally, the relationship was resolved last book and the series continues here and I am pleased. This book brings Alex back to his alma mater, Dartmouth, for his 15 year reunion, where strange connection from the Pepys Library, where he is an officer and his family's long connection to Pepys connect to what appears to be a lost section of the famous Diary and which it seems certain individuals will stop at nothing to prevent dissemination of. I'm charmed that Alex was the same class at I, although my school was southwest from his. But why have there been no more? Maybe, like Harris with her Teagarden series, she has decided that her protagonist is where she wants him to be? (DTM)
4. A Drink of Deadly Wine (1991) by Kate Charles (Carol Chase):I've tried to read and enjoy this at least 4 times, but I just can't enjoy it. Since she's one that my mom likes a lot, I've tried over and over. This is her debut novel, so perhaps I would enjoy some of the later ones better, but I really don't have a lot of interest in the overall plot: the (Anglican) priest of a London church is being blackmailed and the investigator of the poison-pen letters is and old friend, David Middleton-Brown. But their erstwhile and continuing relationship was too fraught for me and the conclusion didn't make me happy: I wouldn't pick up another by her myself, although I might read another lent to me. edit:I wandered through the reviews of her other novels and I think that I would enjoy them more and perhaps especially her new series, with a woman protagonist. But all her stories have a Church focus and with all the interesting things in the world to gain some ancillary knowledge of, I am afraid that Anglican Church politics sits rather low on my list.(DTM)
   
5. The Lost Gardens (2005) by Anthony Eglin: Why am I dissatisfied with this book? I usually love mysteries that have a garden theme. Ditto those with an English garden theme. Jamie Gibson inherits an English estate, although she doesn't know why. The garden is terribly dilapidated and she hires a retire Botany professor to plan its renovation, when a body is discovered on premises. Sounds great so far, but the writing just didn't pull me in: I just didn't enjoy the interaction between the two leads. When I took a look at some reviews of his other books, I see that the reviewers were also disappointed with what they consider a lack of personality.(DTM)
   

What I am reading: February 2011

1. Dead and Berried by Karen MacInerney (2007): I thought the name sounded familiar— turns out the author started a paranormal werewolf series after this book came out, one of which I've read and enjoyed. She's a fluid author. This mystery (with the faintest touch of fantasy) takes place in Maine, where the protagonist is pursuing her dream of running an Inn on a small island off the coast. However, her past (faithless fiancee) follows, and stumbling over a body or two doesn't make the law appreciate her. I enjoyed it and will look for the 4th when it comes out soon. I'll probably borrow books 1 and 3 from my mom, if I can:-). (DTM)
2. Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Kenner:(M) Cute and fluffy story by the author of the suburban mom demon-slayer series. The "gods" are a parallel race who can interbreed with humans, leading to "demi gods", who can become , sort of, registered super heroes if they pass a test and so desire. I enjoyed it.
   
3. Morale by Murray Leinster: (Short Story) Interesting short about an "unstoppable" war machine. (M)
4. The Hate Disease:(Vile appetite, paras) Calhoun and Murgatroyd in Med Ship(M)
   
5. Pariah Planet:(Blue Skins) Calhoun and Murgatroyd in Med Ship: I'm pretty certain these two were included in the collection Med Ship that I read decades ago. I like Murray Leinster's work quite a lot. Very Golden Age.(M)
6. Moonsinger (Moon of Three Rings and Exiles of the Stars) by Andre Norton:What I really miss in this e-book are the wonderful illustrations that the originals had— I lost my hard covers when there was flooding in my basement. I'm still quite sad about it. What can I say? I adore Norton and she was one of the first authors that I read madly as a child. Her books are timeless.(MB)
7. Last Dragon Standing by G.A.Aiken:(M) Very funny entry in the series.
   
8. Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryn Kennedy:(M) Not as enjoyable as other books I have read by her.
   
9. A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison:(M) It was really funny. Witchcraft and magic come to a woman after she is betrayed by her husband and manifests in her baking. Enjoyed it.
   
10. Half Past Dead by Zoe Archer and Bianca D'Arc:(M) Zombie romance. Hmm. Interesting.
    
11. Reaper by Rachel Vincent:Free Kindle short in a new series by Vincent (she has written a female Shifter series as well). Interesting, but not enough to entice me to buy the next book.(M)
12. Benefactor by George H Smith(1958 Fantastic Universe short):(M) Clever short story about the inventor of the robot, how it is received and the result. Very Cold War paranoid.
    
13. Chosen for Death by Kate Flora (1994): It's finally happened. After all the times that I have tried to read these mysteries (loaned by my mother), I have actually started to like them, finished the first and am now working on the third (don't have the second borrowed). There are some phrases and infelicities of phrasing in this first book that I find annoying, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt this time around and I see her writing improves in the next that I am reading, and the story is good and I am enjoying the characters this time around. Thea Kozak is a private school consultant, and a young widow with animus to the police. Her home relationships are fraught, as her father accedes to her mother and her mother is controlling, demanding, and ungrateful. Her siblings, one adopted and one full, also have issues. In this first novel, Thea's adopted sister is murdered while seeking her biological parents and Thea's mother demands that she take care of all the difficulties arising therefrom.
    
14. Death at the Wheel(1996): I've missed the second novel, where Thea's relationship with Andre Lemieux, the detective who investigated her sister's death, was further developed. In this, her mother meets a "lost soul" who reminds her of her dead daughter, Carrie, and forces Thea to help her with no care to Thea's safety. Carrie is accused of murdering her husband by tampering with a race car being used at a course, but the plot is far more intricate. As is usual for this series (although unusual in mysteries), Andre and Thea's lives continue while they are not with each other and as Thea is endangered through her investigations, Andre also is endangered while performing his job.
15. An Educated Death(1997): Thea Kozak is evaluating the procedures at a school where a young girl has died, and the problems are deeper and wider than what first appeared to be an accidental death. the student was pregnant and teachers are involved. Someone attempts Thea's life and another member of the faulty is murdered. Thea and Andre's relationship seems to fray under the stress.

I have actually been so busy I forgot to publish this:-).

The (M) stands for Mobipocket (the generic form of the file that Kindle Reads) as well as AZW and PRC, the other forms readable by Kindle. Let's leave DT as Dead Tree books. (And perhaps I should add M for books borrowed from my mother:).)I think it's clear what percentage of my reading is becoming e-format. The vast majority are also free, either as public domain or as promotional offers through Amazon and the other online sources I frequent. B stands for Baen, the best of the on-line stores by so many orders of magnitude there is no comparison.

The permanence of print and the requirement of thought

Matched by Ally Condie (11/10 DTArc):
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (written 1950, enlarged and published as a novel in 1953, my version 2003 with multiple afterwords by the author):

I reread Fahrenheit 451 for a new book club. It must be almost 30 years since I last reread it, with the other classic dystopian novels such as 1984, Clockwork Orange, Animal Farm, Brave New World, Anthem and, of course, 2112. I am amazed at how topical it manages to be, as the latest controversy surrounding the expurgation of Huck Finn sweeps the internets. In exactly this context, Bradbury discusses in an afterword how vehemently opposed he was to allowing one of his characters to be portrayed as a woman rather than a man, that bending to the sensitivities of multiple minorities will allow the destruction, basically, of independent thought (in the novel, this is one of the original groundswells that allowed the beginning of the destruction of literature as a form of coherent and critical thought).
Yet, when I read him saying that, all I could think was that although I had enjoyed reading the novel, although so many of the thoughts and even technological visions are blindingly accurate and still both timely and prophetic, that Bradbury is indeed a child of his time and that he is not able to step beyond that time.
In a specific example, one which struck me as a blow, there is one point when Guy Montag has fled the city and encounters five older men sitting around a fire. (SPOILER)
These men are former professors and thinkers and are now part of a movement where they are the actual embodiments of books: rather than attempting to save the physical structures of information, they have read the books and recite them to retain the knowledge for future generations after the anticipated implosion/conflagration of current society.
The question is: why must these be five men? Would the story be altered in any way if one or even more of these "wise white men" were women or recognizably belonging to other groups? In no way. What would change is the immediate blow that I felt when reading this, as I recognized the subsuming of women into the male as a generality and the erasure of women as a respected part of reality (rather than the women seen in the novel who act as 'types'—as a catalyst or an exemplar of passivity and hopelessness, rather than thinking and reasoning individuals).
In very much the same way, as I read individuals fighting against, saying how horrendous the concept is of, changing the 'N-word' in Huck Finn to slave (and, I believe the derogatory epithet of 'Injun' to another word), I wonder if they belong to that group. I'm one of the minority that sees no problem in having different versions of works: certainly I read enough Little Golden books in my time. Just last week on the BBC I heard that the Malaysian government, after requiring a certain book be taught in school, needed to expurgate a passage because it was inciting racial disharmony.

Well, I have no desire to have my children in grade school, middle school, or perhaps even ordinary level high school "English" class being required to read and to have their classmates read, books that contain vile words that are meant only to hurt them. Below University level, I don't trust the teachers, the system, or the students to adequately deal with that nor do I want my children exposed to the blow after blow of being forced to read or hear read aloud, a word that is like a rock against the body. In the case of Huck Finn, more than 210 times. I can't understand why this is so difficult to understand? The book can still be taught at University level and can be freely purchased (and downloaded— it's in the public domain, after all) where one desires. I think that it would be a good idea to have a foreword or afterword discussing the change that has been made, and why.
I can't even understand this controversy: I have bowdlerized and expurgated versions of both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn sitting on the bookshelf in my childrens' room and that version has been available for 50 years without a ruckus being raised. And my children will read the real versions when they are old enough and mature enough, with guidance and help from me to understand how to deal with the epithets and concepts therein. In the same way that they will slowly grow to understand what the society we live in did and allowed to be done to our people only 60-70 years ago. And I won't be requiring them to read The Merchant of Venice or The Protocols of Zion in grade school, either. I would also very much prefer it that their classmates were not exposed in a casual manner to the beliefs underlying those books, for example, either.

Moving on to look at Fahrenheit 451, there had been discussions in the last decade as to refilming it. One of the issues discussed (and this has been going on for more than 10 years), was

there was difficulty in finding a script that would be appropriate for the film, and that with the advent of computers, the concept of book-burning in a futuristic period may no longer work.

I think that is simplistic and ridiculous, because a book is a permanent understanding, not a physical object that is needed to stand for the idea. Even within this novel, one sees the books— objects that are of themselves illegal— replaced by the mind which holds them. The objects which are currently replacing books, such as e-books and Wikipedia (which you see me citing constantly in my posts) are far more amenable to suppression of thought and dissent than any book might be: they are easily changed and there are no records of the changes. This is seen even now, when I read a lie on Wikipedia and wonder:"How many people believe this to be true? How many people use this as basic research or for basic understanding of a subject and will always believe this falsehood? And what happens if it changes next week— "truth" as understood by many, has become a movable goal. How many lies have I believed?"

Something I find very interesting is that Ray Bradbury has had over 60 years to think about and discuss and change his understanding of what he meant in this novel, but

The novel is frequently interpreted as being critical of state-sponsored censorship, but Bradbury has disputed this interpretation. He said in a 2007 interview that the book explored the effects of television and mass media on the reading of literature:

Bradbury still has a lot to say, especially about how people do not understand his most famous literary work, Fahrenheit 451, published in 1953... Bradbury, a man living in the creative and industrial center of reality TV and one-hour dramas, says it is, in fact, a story about how television destroys interest in reading literature...

Interestingly, before I had seen that I would be reading Bradbury's book, I had grabbed Ally Condie's Matched from my shelf of unread ARCs. This is a YA, aimed at 12+/7th grade and up. The plot is that in an unknown future (SPOILER), individuals are "matched" by Officials in the Society. They are matched with their mates, with their work, and with their place in society. The book is a fascinating mixture of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, A Brave New World and other classics with a similar theme but written for a modern (and younger audience). In particular, there is a scene when the protagonist, Cassia, is being taught to write by a friend who is an Aberration (and thus unmatchable- if he were an Anomaly, he would be destroyed/exiled). She can, of course, read. In fact, she is a talented Sorter and will probably become an Official herself, as he parents and Grandparents were. Her father's work is burning undesirable Artifacts, such as books, poems, and artwork: the Society chose a model 100 of each form and Simplified the remainder away. Writing is never learned because every individual has a reader that travels with them at all times, art is done only in school and is erased after creation while the brushes are chained to the terminals. Print outs of instructions and orders degrade within a week and the only item close enough to be used as "paper" is napkins, which are issued with the centrally generated meals: there are, of course, no pens or other writing materials.

And so on. As I watch the rebellion in Egypt, where the government has "turned off" the majority of the Internet (retaining that which it considers necessary for itself), it makes it clear that one way to control rebellion is to control the ability to disseminate it and that it's difficult to create a rebellion where there is no history or thought to use as a model.

I very much enjoyed this book and I'm going to send a copy to my niece, because I think that she will enjoy it as well.

But of the two, of course Bradbury's is the more thought provoking and interesting, although perhaps dated in language and the baggage of sexist underlying thought. When Clarisse mentions that there are no more porches,because then men might sit and think and speak to each other, when we look at the Walls that send noise and plot-less video with false interactions at the watchers, we see our own society and the result of the fast, relentless and unmoderated by thought, current life we lead and— it makes one think. I hope.

What I am reading: January 2011

1. Right from the Gecko (2007)
2. Who's Kitten Who (2007) by Cynthia Baxter: Fluffy and vaguely unsatisfying, which is amazing since the protagonist, Amanda Popper, is a DVM and I would usually find that fascinating. However, she is a real ditz and her relationship with her boyfriend (in law school) is tremendously unsatisfying— there's a backflash to her first proposal refusal, after which they move in together (??). Then, after they get engaged, he breaks the engagement because he's annoyed by her involvement in investigating a murder... bah.(DTM)
   
3. Dealing in Murder by Elaine Flinn(2003): I enjoyed this book about an antiques dealer who flees Manhattan for Carmel after her ex involves their business in a scam, tremendously. So much that I immediately went online to see what other books were available and to order them. When I saw that there were only three other books after this, Ms Flinn's first (she had been an antiques dealer for many years, according to the jacket copy), I started looking to see why. I was very sad to discover that cancer had taken her. The internet lets us found out many things so quickly: before I might have ordered her books and wondered at the delay in a new novel and then only after many years discovered the reason. I felt as sad as I did after reading my first novel by Laurie Colwin, to discover that there would only be a few more to enjoy.(DTM)
   
4. Still as Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor (2006): I found this such a topical read for me, as one of the themes is the difference in how the "revolution" of the 60's and 70's actually resulted in the treatment of women, particularly in academia. I've been reading about that a lot in the past year, particularly in the wake of the Polanski rape and the Assange accusations: in both cases, women I would have considered feminist( that is—believing that women should have the same rights as all other humans) (as well as the usual men who said that they were) came out swinging against the women involved, even though in the case of Polanski, he had been previously convicted (and had confessed). I have just read this interview with Steinem and Hammad which references this discussion of societal change in the late 60's through early 80's and this mystery, which had the continuing thread of what happened to a female undergrad who committed suicide in 1979, really made me think back to my own college days, not so long after this and then to graduate school, where women in my field were considered outre. I felt the writing was a bit awkward and I was unhappy with some of the character development (I hadn't read the previous three in this series), but I was interested enough to check to see if there was a sequel (and to discover that after an auctorial break, there will likely be one next year).(I was also a bit frightened, after reading of Ms. Flinn's sudden death, to become interested in a new author and discover that the characters were left hanging and the action unfinished.)(DTM)
5. Death with an Ocean View by Nora Charles(2004):This is copyrighted by Noreen Wald, so I would guess the name on the cover is a homage to Nick and Nora Charles. Kate Kennedy retired to a condo in a small town by Boca with her husband, only to lose him to a heart attack at the closing. When real estate skullduggery impacts her community, her one time sister-in-law and she are dragged into the mystery of who killed the activist in their association and Kate is dragged back into participating in life. A little rough, but not bad for what seems to be her first novel.(DTM)
6. The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library by Alice Kimberly (2006): This is a pseudonym for Cleo Coyle (which is the wife-husband writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini) some of whose books I vaguely remember enjoying. This is the third book in the series and I know that I read the first some years ago. Pen McClure takes her young son and returns to her aunt and her hometown after the suicide of her husband where she discovers the wisecracking ghost of a noirish PI who was murdered in the 40's in her Aunt's bookshop. (I have a strange longing to reread The Ghost and Mrs Muir.) This story deals with the death of an elderly man who has just consigned a complete and rare set of Poe to her shop for sale when he dies in a suspicious manner. The interest in the set is intense and leads to the discovery of a belief in a treasure which can only be found through solving clues within a complete set. I can see that my apple did not fall far from the tree as I see where my mom has corrected the many grammatical errors in the editing: really, if books from Penguin can't be trusted to know the difference between the nominative and the accusative, no wonder so many Anglophones are losing the distinction. I enjoyed the book, I think it could have used some editing for plot and more for actual grammar and I found that distracting.(DTM)
7. If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle (2010): Copyright by Kathleen Beaver, so I'll guess that's her real name. Surprisingly interesting book restoration protagonist Brooklyn Wainwright. Wacky parents who raised her on a commune, strangely high number of colonic comments, interesting setting at a book fair in Edinburgh. I should have read the first one, though, because I feel as if I have come into the middle of the story, albeit an interesting one.(DTM)
8. A Dose of Murder by Lori Avocato (2004): A first novel by a former nurse, the protagonist is herself a burned out nurse who finds a job, through her roommate, as a medical insurance fraud investigator. Very well written first novel, interesting characters introduced and well written. I see she currently has 6 books about Pauline Sokol out and I will be interested in reading the others.--- I went out to see why she had no Sokol book since 2007 and I see she published one on-line and I recommend checking out her website here.(DTM)
9. oogy by Larry Levin(exp Nov 2010): This is the first of many ARCs I'm going to be reading, although they should all be past their publication dates by now. I need to start clearing out some of the piles of physical books I have hanging around as I continue to attempt to declutter. This is the story of how a man and his family adopt a terribly abused puppy who has been used as bait in a dog ring. Heart-warming as one might expect, touches on the family and how the couple's children, also adopted, feel about the adoption of the pet. Not terribly deep, but I'm a sucker for pet stories so I enjoyed it. (DTArc)
10. Ah-Choo: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold by Jennifer Ackerman (exp Sept 2010): I love stories about disease and illness. (Go read The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett– it will blow your socks off). Even though the cold isn't quite in the category of AIDS, Hanta virus or Ebola, it was a fun read and nicely researched. (DTArc)
11. Jane: A modern retelling of Jane Eyre by April Lindner (exp Oct 2010): It's been ages and ages since I've read Jane Eyre and although I recognized the story that I remember in this "reboot", it is a much lighter and fluffier and modern re-telling. I don't know if this story can ever really have the baggage and connotations, as told in modern Western society, of what it really would have meant to be Jane, with no real recourse in her life, in patriarchal and stratified Victorian society. This re-telling didn't even attempt to deal with the real issues of class, gender, and morality that the original told so grippingly that I can still remember it after more than 30 years. Still, it was nice and light and YA (with only a tiny bit of non-graphic sex, so YA not children's). I enjoyed it, but it wasn't Brontë. (DTArc)
12. Beware False Profits by Emilie Richards(2007): The fourth in a series by (I would guess from the copyright) Emily McGee, I just didn't enjoy it. The protagonist is a minister's wife and in this case she is looking for a parishioner who has "disappeared". Lots of plot twists later, including cross-dressing, stripping, a murder and embezzlement, and there's an answer. I just couldn't work up any interest in the characters, so I won't be looking for other books in this series. (DTM)
13. Matched by Ally Condie (11/10 DTArc):
    
14. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (written 1950, enlarged and published as a novel in 1953, my version 2003 with multiple afterwords by the author): These two books got their own post.
    

The (M) stands for Mobipocket (the generic form of the file that Kindle Reads) as well as AZW and PRC, the other forms readable by Kindle. Let's leave DT as Dead Tree books. (And perhaps I should add M for books borrowed from my mother:).)I think it's clear what percentage of my reading is becoming e-format. The vast majority are also free, either as public domain or as promotional offers through Amazon and the other online sources I frequent. B stands for Baen, the best of the on-line stores by so many orders of magnitude there is no comparison.