Monday, August 28, 2023 ~ Books & More...
THOUGHTS
Seen quoted:
" Find the people that are like sunlight for you, kiddo, who make you bloom."
South African author Lauren Beukes, quoted in The Boston Globe
OUGHTTOBIOGRAPHY
The brain is in neutral -- and the engine is idling.
100 DAYS OF SUMMER
Just 4 reading days left and no idea if any of the books that I read this coming week will fit any of the categories left on the list. On that basis, I'm calling it quits. It has been a lot of fun!
Book with summer, beach, sun or sand in the title.
Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie
Pts: 8 RT: 396 Avg: 7.14
Book set in a rural area/small community.
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson
Pts: 9 RT: 402 Avg: 7.17
THE BOOKS
I don't seem to be suffering fools very gladly this week. I have been very picky/sensitive this week and ended up ditching two titles that I started -- one for the narrator and the other for the content (and the narrator).
Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie
One in a series of books packaging and repackaging her short stories by theme. All of these stories have been published in other anthologies.
3.5 stars
A Game of Fear by Charles Todd
I'm letting the series go on a high note but it is definitely time to call it quits. Rutledge is losing his edge, his roughness and his melancholy -- all of the things that made him the interesting character that he was. The mystery was good, the unwinding of it kept me hooked -- and baffled -- to the very end.
3.75 stars
Tyrant by Stephen Greenblatt
This one is about Shakespeare and how he confronts the issues of tyranny without saying in so many words that his monarch is a tyrant (which in his day was treason). I had to put this one down. The narrator was driving me up a wall. I hope to return when I am in a better mood, turn up the speed and try again.
DNF. No rating.
The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson
NECESSARY ROUGHAGE!!
DD1 and I talked about this one over dinner on Saturday night. We both agree that it was FLAWED, FLAWED, FLAWED. DD1 was annoyed by the fact that the woman lied to everyone and didn't called out by anyone for having done so and was hailed as the hero who saved the day. I, on the other hand, was entirely pissed off at people who were too stupid to be running the businesses they were running written by an author who seems to have no idea what it takes to run a business in the first place. Honestly, the only way to read this one is to start with a couple of glasses of wine.
3 stars -- but only because the author is a passable storyteller, regardless of how stupid the story is.
The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves
The best of the week -- and I couldn't find a spot for it on 100 Days.
4 Stars
Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry
Given my state of mind, this was absolutely the worst book for me to choose. The writing was beautiful; Barry is a Booker-listed author. The book itself absolutely depressing and horrifying. This is one that I will not be returning to.
DNF. No rating.
Quicksand by Gigi Pandian
B
ook 3 in the Jaya Jones series -- and the last one I am going to read. This one is terrible. The only reason that I continue to read it is that I'm happy to have it playing in the background while I do other things, like nap.
Just about 3 stars -- and only because I have read and enjoyed her stuff before.
81. Book that you acquired for free.
7. Historical fiction novel with war as a theme.
From the Audible Plus Catalog (titles available to members for free). Political philosophy. The lecturer has a huge store of relevant knowledge that he brings to bear
A cute cozy series set in Mumbai. 
I can't make up my mind about this one. Is it schmaltzy? Or does it just have a rather strange narrative voice? Is this an example of magical realism? I still can't seem to come to terms with what magical realism means and how it manifests. Definitely bittersweet with a happy ending. Do I recommend it? Not sure. Not rant-worthy but just not raving about this one.
War is an ongoing theme in this series, war and how it has destroyed so many young men. After WWI, the term was "shell-shocked" and it was a stigma. There was no sympathy for or understanding of the damage done to the psyches of these men who spent the rest of their lives hiding their nightmares, pretending that everything was okay. My grandfather was one of these damaged men, and he served as a non-combatant
Lovely day at the lake this week. Perfect weather for sitting by the lakeside and watching the grand-nephews horse around, swim, waterski and enjoy a campfire lunch -- hot dogs and s'mores. 
60. Book set in, or written by an author born in, North America.
46. Book set in a coastal location.
55. Book with a main character who identifies as LGBTQ.
I read this book because I had already read Hanks's Uncommon Type and was impressed with his writing and his imagination. Otherwise, I would have just walked on by. Hanks is, without a doubt, a storyteller, a raconteur par excellence, and I was happy to spend a couple of days listening to him spin his tales. This is not a Hollywood tell-all and except for a couple characters this is not about Hollywood sleaze.
My fascination with WM continues with these six interconnected short stories featuring Mosley's most famous creation, Easy Rawlins. Delightful!! Went by all too quickly.
It was one of those "you might also like" titles that pops up on Audible when you are looking at other titles. Sometimes I do take the time to see what they are suggesting and this one looked interesting. I usually avoid sad stories and all too often will abandon them quickly if I do start one. I'm glad I stuck with this one. It is a sad story but it is also the very true story of what many gay young men and women faced in the 1960s when homosexual relationships were illegal in most countries around the world -- people I knew and had grown up with. It is a bittersweet story but heartwarming, a reminder of how far we have come in the half century -- and how far we have yet to go.
Another Agatha Christie Centenary Read Side-read. Well, kind of. The book we chose to read was Cecile is Dead but I'm going further and reading other Maigret stories that were written in the 1940. This is one of a number of stories that are set in the US, though for this story, it could have been set anywhere. It is a wild goose chase that turns out to be a little more wild than Maigret expected. I'm finding I like his earlier stories better.
36. Book with the name of a city/state/country in the title.
83. Book that was published before 2000.
I wish I could say what it is about Wilson's quirky little novels that I enjoy so much.
Okay, if you are going to hire a narrator, at least you should hire one who doesn't say "cordon blur" or "pesTle" or half a dozen other words that she just butchered. But otherwise, Alex Prud'home has done a beautiful job of turning his great- aunt's reminiscences and letters into a most enjoyable narrative of her time in France and the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
(Thanks to Mike Finn). Look at me! I am raving about a YA title. Maybe it is YA but it is clever and sophisticated YA. I was hoping that it would fit the "teenaged narrator written for adult audience" prompt but alas, it is written for the YA audience. There is no getting past it. Most of all I like the post script that acknowledged that the book tackled some tough issues faced by some teens and gave resources where these teen could seek help.
It was a very slow start. Between recording issues and having to build the historical setting, I was ready to throw the damned thing across the room. In the end, the historical setting was superfluous and did nothing for the story. It was just a variation of the manor house theme and she should have stuck to epoch she knew best.
Oy! 100% cliche. I really can't believe that I read the whole thing. Another dysfunctional family takes a cruise vacation to celebrate grandma's birthday. Completely predictable. 
Grace Bernard is really one very twisted, cold-blooded, bad-ass young woman! The whole book screams NOIR! and the ending will knock your socks off. This one is sure to end up as one of my "best of the year" titles.