Books and other stuff I feel like discussing
By education and experience - Accountant with a specialty in taxation. Formerly a CPA (license has lapsed). Masters degree in law of taxation from University of Denver. Now retired. Part time work during baseball season as receptionist & switchboard operator for the Colorado Rockies. This gig feeds my soul in ways I have trouble articulating. One daughter, and four grandchildren. I share the house with two cats; a big goof of a cat called Grinch (named as a joke for his easy going "whatever" disposition); and Lady, a shelter adoptee with a regal bearing and sweet little soprano voice. I would be very bereft if it ever becomes necessary to keep house without a cat.
Mood:
Advisory
Read/Post Comments (1)
Time for an update on books
Since the first of the year, my time for reading and the attention span necessary has suffered a little, but I see there are several titles to mention anyway!
SECRET SINS by Kate Charles
A young woman working at her first assignment as an Anglican clergy in the Paddington neighborhood of London is drawn into two disappearances - a successful business man vanishes while jogging; and the lonely 12 year old granddaughter of a parishioner has gone missing. This is the second entry in an enjoyable series of "medium boiled" mysteries by Charles, which focus on human interaction and tensions to build suspense.
THE BLONDE by Duane Swierczynski
An almost surreal series of chases and pursuits through contemporary Philadelphia, involving a mysterious blonde woman, a terrifying mutant bacteria, a bereft man facing the end of his marriage, and a hit man to end all hit men. A marvelous "gotcha" enlivens the last few pages.
MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN by Jonathan Lethem
This award winner was published about five years ago, and I read it a second time for a book discussion evening. A young man who grew up in an orphanage has been befriended by a small time crook in present day Brooklyn. When his mentor is murdered, Lionel sets out to find his killer. What makes this book unique is that Lionel suffers from Tourette's syndrome, and is plagued by uncontrollable tics and verbal tirades. I enjoyed it the second time around even more than the first.
LEAVING CHURCH by Barbara Taylor
Reverend Taylor was mentioned in a magazine article a few years ago as one of the best preachers in present day American Christianity. The resulting attention overwhelmed her small town Georgia town and church. Eventually coming to terms with the joyless routine of her days, she left the active priesthood, and recorded her experiences in this memoir. While the book is an enjoyable read, learning about her experiences left me with the impression that she had never stopped to identify for herself what her most important goals and interests were.
THE ECHOING GREEN by Joshua Prager
This book got me through the week of my father's funeral while I coped with a severe asthma attack. Prager goes back to 1951, and the playoff game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants for the National League pennant. The famous home run by Bobby Thomson, which clinched the victory for the Giants and which was dubbed "the shot heard round the world" by a sports writer is the centerpiece of Prager's story. There's a lot more to love for a baseball fan, dozens of anecdotes and a revealing look at the Giants' winning strategy.
DON'T LOOK BACK by Karin Fossum
Translated from Norwegian, this is a very entertaining police procedural set in Norway. Two cops are learning to work together and are assigned to investigate when the nude body of a young woman is found in a wooded area near a small town. While the area where her body is found has been arranged to indicate sexual assault, the truth is a startling revelation.
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith
This classic of American publishing hit the best seller lists almost immediately in the early 1940's and has been a perennial choice of best books list for young adult readers ever since. One of my book discussion groups chose it, and the reaction among the group members was mixed. Some found it trite and old fashioned, others were intrigued by the intense pressure on younger generations of immigrant families to get educations and an entry into a better life. I would say I fell in the latter group, but this book probably is more suited to a young adult audience.
SLAY RIDE by Chris Grabenstein
Be careful how you treat the car service driver who picks you up and takes you to the airport! A decision to call the car service and complain about rough treatment has frightening consequences for an upwardly mobile businessman. Issued at Christmas time, and a decidedly unnerving holiday read! Grabenstein is very deserving of his increasing share of the mystery fiction market.
A CASE OF TWO CITIES by Qui Xiaolong
Inspector Chen of the Shanghai police department is assigned to investigate interlocking cases of high level corruption and financial chicanery. His first few interviews only create more questions, and he is shocked and sickened when an old friend of his is found dead, and it appears that her murder was a consequence of her decision to help him. Chen is startled when his investigation is interrupted by an assignment to accompany a group of poets to a conference in the United States. While I enjoy reading about Inspector Chen, this entry doesn't quite live up to the quality of the earlier books by Qui.
LONE WOLF by Maryanne Vollers
Vollers received the dream assignment from her magazine editor - to investigate and report on the case of Eric Rudolph who was arrested after five years in hiding and charged with bombing the Atlanta Olympics and several abortion clinics in two southern US cities. When Rudolph began to correspond with her, and released his attorneys from privilege limitations, Vollers used her unprecedented access to write a very engrossing book.
THE COMMODORE by Patrick O'Brian
Jack Aubrey receives a temporary commission as a commodore in command of a group of ships sent to patrol the slave coast of Western Africa. I only have two titles left in the marvelous series, which I listen to in my car as I drive around. I will miss these characters quite a bit!
A FALSE MIRROR by Charles Todd
Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent by Scotland Yard to deal with a hostage situation in a small British coastal village. Rutledge is a troubled veteran of the horrific WWI battles in the trenches in Northern France. He discovers that the hostage taker was a fellow officer in the war, but there is a huge contrast in their experiences. Todd's books are very enjoyable visits to village life in a vanished England, and Rutledge is one of the most intriguing characters in suspense fiction.
Happy Reading!
SECRET SINS by Kate Charles
A young woman working at her first assignment as an Anglican clergy in the Paddington neighborhood of London is drawn into two disappearances - a successful business man vanishes while jogging; and the lonely 12 year old granddaughter of a parishioner has gone missing. This is the second entry in an enjoyable series of "medium boiled" mysteries by Charles, which focus on human interaction and tensions to build suspense.
THE BLONDE by Duane Swierczynski
An almost surreal series of chases and pursuits through contemporary Philadelphia, involving a mysterious blonde woman, a terrifying mutant bacteria, a bereft man facing the end of his marriage, and a hit man to end all hit men. A marvelous "gotcha" enlivens the last few pages.
MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN by Jonathan Lethem
This award winner was published about five years ago, and I read it a second time for a book discussion evening. A young man who grew up in an orphanage has been befriended by a small time crook in present day Brooklyn. When his mentor is murdered, Lionel sets out to find his killer. What makes this book unique is that Lionel suffers from Tourette's syndrome, and is plagued by uncontrollable tics and verbal tirades. I enjoyed it the second time around even more than the first.
LEAVING CHURCH by Barbara Taylor
Reverend Taylor was mentioned in a magazine article a few years ago as one of the best preachers in present day American Christianity. The resulting attention overwhelmed her small town Georgia town and church. Eventually coming to terms with the joyless routine of her days, she left the active priesthood, and recorded her experiences in this memoir. While the book is an enjoyable read, learning about her experiences left me with the impression that she had never stopped to identify for herself what her most important goals and interests were.
THE ECHOING GREEN by Joshua Prager
This book got me through the week of my father's funeral while I coped with a severe asthma attack. Prager goes back to 1951, and the playoff game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants for the National League pennant. The famous home run by Bobby Thomson, which clinched the victory for the Giants and which was dubbed "the shot heard round the world" by a sports writer is the centerpiece of Prager's story. There's a lot more to love for a baseball fan, dozens of anecdotes and a revealing look at the Giants' winning strategy.
DON'T LOOK BACK by Karin Fossum
Translated from Norwegian, this is a very entertaining police procedural set in Norway. Two cops are learning to work together and are assigned to investigate when the nude body of a young woman is found in a wooded area near a small town. While the area where her body is found has been arranged to indicate sexual assault, the truth is a startling revelation.
A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN by Betty Smith
This classic of American publishing hit the best seller lists almost immediately in the early 1940's and has been a perennial choice of best books list for young adult readers ever since. One of my book discussion groups chose it, and the reaction among the group members was mixed. Some found it trite and old fashioned, others were intrigued by the intense pressure on younger generations of immigrant families to get educations and an entry into a better life. I would say I fell in the latter group, but this book probably is more suited to a young adult audience.
SLAY RIDE by Chris Grabenstein
Be careful how you treat the car service driver who picks you up and takes you to the airport! A decision to call the car service and complain about rough treatment has frightening consequences for an upwardly mobile businessman. Issued at Christmas time, and a decidedly unnerving holiday read! Grabenstein is very deserving of his increasing share of the mystery fiction market.
A CASE OF TWO CITIES by Qui Xiaolong
Inspector Chen of the Shanghai police department is assigned to investigate interlocking cases of high level corruption and financial chicanery. His first few interviews only create more questions, and he is shocked and sickened when an old friend of his is found dead, and it appears that her murder was a consequence of her decision to help him. Chen is startled when his investigation is interrupted by an assignment to accompany a group of poets to a conference in the United States. While I enjoy reading about Inspector Chen, this entry doesn't quite live up to the quality of the earlier books by Qui.
LONE WOLF by Maryanne Vollers
Vollers received the dream assignment from her magazine editor - to investigate and report on the case of Eric Rudolph who was arrested after five years in hiding and charged with bombing the Atlanta Olympics and several abortion clinics in two southern US cities. When Rudolph began to correspond with her, and released his attorneys from privilege limitations, Vollers used her unprecedented access to write a very engrossing book.
THE COMMODORE by Patrick O'Brian
Jack Aubrey receives a temporary commission as a commodore in command of a group of ships sent to patrol the slave coast of Western Africa. I only have two titles left in the marvelous series, which I listen to in my car as I drive around. I will miss these characters quite a bit!
A FALSE MIRROR by Charles Todd
Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent by Scotland Yard to deal with a hostage situation in a small British coastal village. Rutledge is a troubled veteran of the horrific WWI battles in the trenches in Northern France. He discovers that the hostage taker was a fellow officer in the war, but there is a huge contrast in their experiences. Todd's books are very enjoyable visits to village life in a vanished England, and Rutledge is one of the most intriguing characters in suspense fiction.
Happy Reading!
Read/Post Comments (1)
Previous Entry :: Next Entry
Back to Top
