Well, I'm not posting here very much, and who knows if I'll keep it up after the Big Read year is over, but for what it's worth, here are the September Books read (I just started 2 new ones, so am unlikely to finish either before tomorrow night).
Fiction
Bryant & May: The Bleeding Heart (Christopher Fowler) - mystery in a fabulous series
Well Read, Then Dead (Terrie Moran) - "cozy" mystery that was just plain awful
No Time Like Show Time (Michael Hoeye)
Time to Smell the Roses (Michael Hoeye)
- middle-grade novels in a series featuring Hermux Tantamoq, a mouse who is a watchmaker and part-time detective. Lightweight fun.
The Man with a Load of Mischief (Martha Grimes) - re-read, first in the Richard Jury mystery series and such a wonderful contrast to the crappy mysteries I've been encountering of late. Extremely engaging, smartly written, characters to care about -- I'm loving my re-visit to these books.
Poisoned Prose (Ellery Adams) - another cozy mystery that disappointed. Sigh.
Nonfiction
The Life of Rivers and Streams (Robert Usinger)
The Life of Prairies and Plains (Durward Allen)
The Life of the Marsh (William Niering)
The Life of Sea Islands (N.J. and Michael Berrill)
The Life of the Cave (Charles Mohr and Thomas Poulson)
The rest of the "Living World of Nature" series put out in the 1960s by the World Book Encyclopedia folks, very similar to the Time-Life Nature series of that same era. Well-illustrated and enjoyable.
The World's Oddest and Most Wonderful Mammals, Insects, Birds and Plants (Jeanne Hanson and Deane Morrison) - a bathroom book with short descriptions of just what it says.
Longitude (Dava Sobel) - short history of the solution to accurately finding longitude at sea via John Harrison's intricate chronometers; okay but overall a bit dull.
The Lost City of Z (David Grann) - fascinating account of Colonel Percy Fawcett's explorations in the Amazon in the 1910s-1920s, his mysterious disappearance, and the attempts to discover what happened to him, and his obsession with a possibly not-so-legendary vanished civilization. Fabulous book.
Currently reading:
The Old Fox Deceiv'd - second in the Richard Jury mystery series by Martha Grimes
Lost Heritage: Wilderness America through the Eyes of Seven Pre-Audubon Naturalists by Henry Savage, Jr.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Mysterious Disappointments
With a few outliers here and there, mystery novels comprise about half of my fiction reading, the other half being middle-grade books. Lately I've been struggling to find mystery authors I like. And I had a huge disappointment while on vacation, when I eagerly trotted off to the Seattle Mystery Bookshop in Pioneer Square, a longtime favorite, only to find it had moved to a space one-third its former size, as the owner explained, "Due to lack of sales." Thank you, Amazon.
The selection was not very good, and I wound up buying a "cozy" mystery mostly out of pity for the owner. It was a terrible book. Well Read, Then Dead by Terrie Moran is set in the Florida keys and the amateur sleuth is the co-owner of a bookshop/cafe who investigates a book club member's murder in an incredibly boring fashion. At the end, she does the thing that I detest the most in mysteries -- goes off to meet someone who sent her a cryptic note about the crime in an isolated location all by her lonesome and naturally winds up in danger. Jeez. I threw it away.
Last month I tried a few historical mysteries and wound up disliking every single one. Mr. Churchill's Secretary had intriguing background around WWII London, but the 21st-century attitudes, lack of character development, and absurd plot ruined it for me. Reviewers who disliked it said, "If you want a much better historical, try Jacqueline Winspear", so I did. Maisie Dobbs was set in 1929 London and featured the most dour heroine I've ever encountered. As my coworker, who also hated it, said, "The biggest thing wrong with Maisie Dobbs is Maisie Dobbs." Sigh. I threw it away.
Finally, I decided to give the French a go, with Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner (a pseudonym for two sisters), set in 1890s Paris at the time of a world exposition. The sleuth is a journalist and he was dull and lifeless, except for his infatuation with a young artist that bordered on stalking. And the plot turned out to be completely wacky. I threw it away.
There was one shining light in my past month or two of mystery reading: Bryant & May: The Bleeding Heart, by Christopher Fowler. This series features two elderly detectives working for contemporary London's Peculiar Crimes Unit, and it is just as fabulous and fascinating as the earlier books. The first in the series is Full Dark House. Highly recommended.
I leave you with a one-paragraph description of a side character in Fowler's novel, which shows exactly why I find his work delightfully entertaining:
Rosa Lysandrou was a virtuous, decent woman who knew that the world was a wicked place and that life was short, ugly and disappointing. Most of the time sin and ill fortune surrounded her, seeping into her bones like damp and dragging at her limbs until she sometimes longed for the release that eternal sleep would bring. On other days she cheered up a bit and went to bingo.
Love it.
Monday, September 1, 2014
The 2014 Big Read: August Books
Here is a summary of the books I read in August.
Nonfiction
In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food (Stewart Allen). Interesting tidbits but overall largely forgettable and a bit too focused on the gross-out factor.
An Introduction to Birds (John Kieran). Oversized book from the 1950s with brief descriptions.
Island Year (Hazel Heckman). Well-written natural history of Anderson Island (off Tacoma) where the author lived for many years, told month by month.
Land of Lost Monsters (Ted Oakes). Prehistoric creatures by continent. Nice illustrations.
Land of the Lakes (Melvyn Bragg). History and natural history of England's Lake District, well illustrated.
The Life of the Seashore (William Amos). I snagged a bunch of books in this set put out in the 1960s by the World Book Encyclopedia folks -- they are similar to the old Time-Life nature series and while not quite as well done as those, they are entertaining enough and at 200 pages each, they are pretty quick reads.
The Life of the Desert (Ann and Myron Sutton).
The Life of the Forest (Jack McCormick)
The Life of the Mountains (Maurice Brooks)
The Life of the Ocean (N.J. Berrill)
The Life of the Pond (William Amos)
Land Above the Trees: A Guide to American Alpine Tundra (Ann Zwinger). Mostly about the geology and plant life of several alpine regions, well illustrated by the author.
Fiction
A Question of Proof (Nicholas Blake). A re-read of an old British mystery, part of a series, in an effort to revisit a few of my favorite authors from decades past. Did not hold up well. Sigh.
Maisie Dobbs (Jacqueline Winspear). Contemporary author, mystery set in 1920s Britain featuring a lower-class woman who is offered a chance to improve her lot with a private education and mentoring by a private detective. Experiences from the Great War figure prominently. Relentlessly severe and gloomy. Not a keeper.
Secret Water (Arthur Ransome). Fifth re-read of a favorite from this British series (1930s-40s) where enterprising, imaginative children have simple yet rewarding adventures.
The Sands of Time (Michael Hoeye). Children's fantasy; sequel to Time Stops for No Mouse, featuring watchmaker Hermux Tantamoq and his quest to prove the ancient kingdom of cats truly existed. He's a mouse. There's a whole city of mice. It's quite delightful and tons of fun.
Killed at the Whim of a Hat (Colin Cotterill). First in a mystery series featuring Thai crime reporter Jimm Juree, a young woman uprooted from the big city to a rural backwater by her eccentric family. She manages to find a few bizarre crimes to unravel in this unusual, often witty tale.
Grandad, There's A Head on the Beach (Colin Cotterill). Sequel to the above; not quite as good though it picked up midway through.
Murder on the Eiffel Tower (Claude Izner). Contemporary author, first in a mystery series set in 1890s Paris. Protagonist is a journalist trying to solve murders at the World Exposition. Background history is interesting but I grew to detest the hero and the plot left much to be desired.
So, in July and August I tried three different historical mysteries (all by contemporary authors) and not one succeeded in making me want to read the next in the series. Two had awful anachronisms, and 21st-century attitudes imposed upon the characters. I give up. I'll be visiting the local mystery bookshop tomorrow in yet another effort to find mysteries I actually enjoy. It's been a struggle of late!
Nonfiction
In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food (Stewart Allen). Interesting tidbits but overall largely forgettable and a bit too focused on the gross-out factor.
An Introduction to Birds (John Kieran). Oversized book from the 1950s with brief descriptions.
Island Year (Hazel Heckman). Well-written natural history of Anderson Island (off Tacoma) where the author lived for many years, told month by month.
Land of Lost Monsters (Ted Oakes). Prehistoric creatures by continent. Nice illustrations.
Land of the Lakes (Melvyn Bragg). History and natural history of England's Lake District, well illustrated.
The Life of the Seashore (William Amos). I snagged a bunch of books in this set put out in the 1960s by the World Book Encyclopedia folks -- they are similar to the old Time-Life nature series and while not quite as well done as those, they are entertaining enough and at 200 pages each, they are pretty quick reads.
The Life of the Desert (Ann and Myron Sutton).
The Life of the Forest (Jack McCormick)
The Life of the Mountains (Maurice Brooks)
The Life of the Ocean (N.J. Berrill)
The Life of the Pond (William Amos)
Land Above the Trees: A Guide to American Alpine Tundra (Ann Zwinger). Mostly about the geology and plant life of several alpine regions, well illustrated by the author.
Fiction
A Question of Proof (Nicholas Blake). A re-read of an old British mystery, part of a series, in an effort to revisit a few of my favorite authors from decades past. Did not hold up well. Sigh.
Maisie Dobbs (Jacqueline Winspear). Contemporary author, mystery set in 1920s Britain featuring a lower-class woman who is offered a chance to improve her lot with a private education and mentoring by a private detective. Experiences from the Great War figure prominently. Relentlessly severe and gloomy. Not a keeper.
Secret Water (Arthur Ransome). Fifth re-read of a favorite from this British series (1930s-40s) where enterprising, imaginative children have simple yet rewarding adventures.
The Sands of Time (Michael Hoeye). Children's fantasy; sequel to Time Stops for No Mouse, featuring watchmaker Hermux Tantamoq and his quest to prove the ancient kingdom of cats truly existed. He's a mouse. There's a whole city of mice. It's quite delightful and tons of fun.
Killed at the Whim of a Hat (Colin Cotterill). First in a mystery series featuring Thai crime reporter Jimm Juree, a young woman uprooted from the big city to a rural backwater by her eccentric family. She manages to find a few bizarre crimes to unravel in this unusual, often witty tale.
Grandad, There's A Head on the Beach (Colin Cotterill). Sequel to the above; not quite as good though it picked up midway through.
Murder on the Eiffel Tower (Claude Izner). Contemporary author, first in a mystery series set in 1890s Paris. Protagonist is a journalist trying to solve murders at the World Exposition. Background history is interesting but I grew to detest the hero and the plot left much to be desired.
So, in July and August I tried three different historical mysteries (all by contemporary authors) and not one succeeded in making me want to read the next in the series. Two had awful anachronisms, and 21st-century attitudes imposed upon the characters. I give up. I'll be visiting the local mystery bookshop tomorrow in yet another effort to find mysteries I actually enjoy. It's been a struggle of late!
Monday, August 11, 2014
In Which I Attend a Book Reading
On Saturday I was invited by friends to attend a book reading at my favorite plucky local independent, Third Place Books. The author was one I'd not read, Spencer Quinn, who pens a mystery series featuring private detective Bernie and his dog Chet. The unusual thing about these mysteries is that they are narrated by Chet.
Yes, you read that right -- the narrator is a dog.
I was dubious, but I had heard of the series and people said good things about it, so I went with an open mind. Mr. Quinn was quite entertaining, and told us in a very humorous fashion about the books and how he writes from the canine point of view (there are a lot of smells involved). He read a short excerpt which was most enjoyable. I admit that I did not wind up buying a book, but my friend Mary did, and had the author inscribe it to her cat. Interesting choice.
While it all did sound most promising, I think I'll wait for Mary's review before checking one out myself.
Yes, you read that right -- the narrator is a dog.
While it all did sound most promising, I think I'll wait for Mary's review before checking one out myself.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Borrowed from Buzzfeed
Click here: 13-things-book-lovers-are-tired-of-hearing for a keen post on Buzzfeed. I'd add to the list my personal least favorite saying, when people walk into my home: "Have you read all those books?"
The answer to which is, "Except for the 100 books I bought in the past year, yes, I have read them all."
Next least favorite: "Did you know you can borrow books for free from the library?" (With the implication, of course, that there is no reason to actually own or keep books once you've read them. Gah.)
The books on my shelves comprise my mental travel souvenirs. Souvenirs are for keeping, thank you very much!
The answer to which is, "Except for the 100 books I bought in the past year, yes, I have read them all."
Next least favorite: "Did you know you can borrow books for free from the library?" (With the implication, of course, that there is no reason to actually own or keep books once you've read them. Gah.)
The books on my shelves comprise my mental travel souvenirs. Souvenirs are for keeping, thank you very much!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
How I Find Books
According to my favorite neighbor, Charlesia, the question is not, "How do I find books" but rather, "How do I find so many books"....I told her just this past Saturday that I was on my way to the bookstore, and she said, "You may bring back only ONE book! You don't have room for more!"
Well, actually, I had recently bought a bookcase at a secondhand store that was going out of business and selling off its display shelves -- even though I had no books to put in it at the time. Because I knew I soon would. So Charlesia is sadly mistaken -- there is room for more than one new book in my house. That weekend I bought three.
Here's where/how I find lots and lots and lots of books to fill up my tiny home:
Shelf Awareness is a web site with reviews from independent booksellers around the country on newly published titles (and sometimes older ones as well) in all areas, both fiction and nonfiction. You can subscribe and get an email newsletter twice a week, though you can also just read the site.
As my friend Mary over at her blog, "Blahdeblahblah" likes to call them, I regularly visit my Plucky Local Independent bookstores, though they have sadly declined in number since I moved here lo these many decades ago. My all-time favorites are the University Bookstore just a hop, skip, and jump from where I work, and Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. Both have new and used books, frequent sales, and friendly staff -- though the U Bookstore wins hands-down for "most effusive Truman appreciators".
A store I don't get to very often due to location (but which I hope to visit this coming weekend) is the Seattle Mystery Bookshop in Pioneer Square. Fabulous selection (again, both new and used).
Friends of the Library sales: these happen once or twice a year for the Seattle library, and take up a huge old hangar with well over 100,000 books at $1-$2 a pop (and half-price on Sunday!). The next one is in September and I have my strategy well mapped out after years of practice. I often come home (much to Charlesia's dismay) with 20-40 books from these sales.
Yard/garage sales: rarely do I venture in search of these, but I keep an eye on the listings for them in both the Seattle Times and on Craigslist in case there is one mentioning books that isn't too far off. My best score was when a local birder cleaned house -- that was a good yard sale indeed.
Speaking of Craigslist, they have a category for people selling books -- most of it is not anything of interest (though it can make for amusing reading, as in "1970 encyclopedia set only $150!"...dream on, folks...) but occasionally something interesting pops up there. Last year it was a family selling off their folks' estate, which included over 25,000 books and I can tell you, these were well-read, well-educated people. Good stuff. This year's score was an Encyclopedia Britannica set from the 1960s, and unlike the doofus above, it was reasonably priced -- as in, it was free.
One place I do NOT find books, nor buy books from, and never will, is amazon...for many reasons, though if you google "amazon" and "Hatchette", you'll get a good idea of their nefarious business practices. Steer clear, and keep supporting your Plucky Local Independents!
Friday, August 1, 2014
The Big Read Update: July 2014 Books Read
Nonfiction
The Great Northwest: The Story of a Land and Its People (nothing special)
The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan (Christopher Benfey) A well written account of fascinating people in a fascinating time.
Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr (Richard Rhodes) Entertaining though rather slight.
The Green Treasury (Edwin Way Teale, editor) A collection of nature essays by various authors that went on too long and was too repetitive.
Hill Country Harvest (Hal Borland) Life on a Connecticut farm in the 1960s, well rendered.
In Search of England (Michael Wood) Focused on origins of national identity; started out well, then got a bit too dry.
Fiction
The Long Farewell (Michael Innes) Classic British mystery.
The Crabtree Affair (Innes, ditto)
The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet (Reif Larsen) About a boy genius who views the world through his own mapmaking; a very unusual novel supplemented by maps/illustrations; eccentric and heartfelt.
We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea (Arthur Ransome) 1930s British children's adventure; a fourth re-read.
Fairs' Point (Melissa Scott) 4th in a fantasy series.
A Man Lay Dead (Ngaio Marsh) Classic British mystery revisited.
Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Susan MacNeal) Mystery set in 1940s London (by contemporary author) which had great promise but should have been much better; marred by anachronism and 21st-century attitudes.
Amy Falls Down (Jincy Willett) Bitingly funny novel about an aging novelist whose stagnant career is revitalized literally by accident, with lots of amusement at the expense of the publishing industry and the popular media.
The Big Read total so far for 2014 = 105
Number to beat for the record = 147
The Great Northwest: The Story of a Land and Its People (nothing special)
The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan (Christopher Benfey) A well written account of fascinating people in a fascinating time.
Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr (Richard Rhodes) Entertaining though rather slight.
The Green Treasury (Edwin Way Teale, editor) A collection of nature essays by various authors that went on too long and was too repetitive.
Hill Country Harvest (Hal Borland) Life on a Connecticut farm in the 1960s, well rendered.
In Search of England (Michael Wood) Focused on origins of national identity; started out well, then got a bit too dry.
Fiction
The Long Farewell (Michael Innes) Classic British mystery.
The Crabtree Affair (Innes, ditto)
The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet (Reif Larsen) About a boy genius who views the world through his own mapmaking; a very unusual novel supplemented by maps/illustrations; eccentric and heartfelt.
We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea (Arthur Ransome) 1930s British children's adventure; a fourth re-read.
Fairs' Point (Melissa Scott) 4th in a fantasy series.
A Man Lay Dead (Ngaio Marsh) Classic British mystery revisited.
Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Susan MacNeal) Mystery set in 1940s London (by contemporary author) which had great promise but should have been much better; marred by anachronism and 21st-century attitudes.
Amy Falls Down (Jincy Willett) Bitingly funny novel about an aging novelist whose stagnant career is revitalized literally by accident, with lots of amusement at the expense of the publishing industry and the popular media.
The Big Read total so far for 2014 = 105
Number to beat for the record = 147
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