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.
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Best reads of 2007
Mysteries first -
THE KILLING MOON Chuck Hogan
A small New England town is plagued by poor management and a failing economy. A man who grew up in the area returns to take a job with the local police, and the flow of events is disrupted.
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS Giles Blunt
John Cardinal endures crippling grief after his wife's suicide, but cannot accept the official interpretation of the events.
WHAT THE DEAD KNOW Laura Lippman
The classic "can't put it down" read of the year. In the aftermath of a chain reaction auto accident, a woman identifies herself as one of a pair of sisters who vanished some 20 years earlier. Shifts in time and point of view managed with enviable skill by Lippman.
HARD REVOLUTION George Pelecanos
Published several years ago, but still fresh and quite readable. A pair of friends are each caught up in the riots in 1968 Washington, D.C. Although on opposite sides of the law, each is headed for tragedy.
THE MIDNIGHT CHOIR Gene Kerrigan
A rookie cop observes ethical lapses in his fellow officers and reports them. The ostracization which follows leaves him isolated and bitter, and he finds a way back into the good graces of his coworkers. Eventually his house of cards comes tumbling down, catching several innocents in its wake, and changing everything.
Non mysteries -
THE DIANA CHRONICLES Tina Brown
I freely admit I starting reading this one in a voyueristic desire to read "the good parts." But I found myself caught up in this 20th century tragedy (for quite a few people, not just Diana) and impressed with the overall quality of the writing.
THE BOYS OF SUMMER Roger Kahn
How could I have waited so long to read this classic? Although more than 35 years old, Kahn's book remains fresh and engrossing. Equal parts of memoir, sports history, and reporting, this is funny, wistful, and introspective by turns, and worth the time for a reread some day.
AWAY Amy Bloom
A young woman who survived a bloody pogrom in her Russian village uses her ingenuity and ambition to survive in early 20th century New York City. When she hears that her five year old daughter may still be alive, she sets out to find her, armed with little more than determination. Bloom's way with language is more than a little eccentric, and it took about a dozen pages to get on track with her narration, but once I got it, I was hooked.
ONCE IN A PROMISED LAND Laila Halaby
An immigrant couple from Jordan has a successful and luxurious life in present day Arizona. The aftermath of the attacks on 9/11 bring unmanageable changes for them both, and they are caught up in the suspicion and fear which followed the attacks.
THE GOD OF ANIMALS Aryn Kyle
A very impressive debut novel, set in the dusty regions of western Colorado. The owner and manager of a small horse boarding operation and teaching stable is overwhelmed with financial shortages. As is often the case, the defenseless bear the brunt of his desperation. Told from the point of view of his preteen daughter.
AN ARSONIST'S GUIDE TO WRITERS' HOMES IN NEW ENGLAND Brock Clarke
A humorous fantasy about a series of fictional arsons in historic New England homes. Lots of hilarious jabs at present day American culture. Like the best comedy, a hard edge of truth underlies the action.
THE KILLING MOON Chuck Hogan
A small New England town is plagued by poor management and a failing economy. A man who grew up in the area returns to take a job with the local police, and the flow of events is disrupted.
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS Giles Blunt
John Cardinal endures crippling grief after his wife's suicide, but cannot accept the official interpretation of the events.
WHAT THE DEAD KNOW Laura Lippman
The classic "can't put it down" read of the year. In the aftermath of a chain reaction auto accident, a woman identifies herself as one of a pair of sisters who vanished some 20 years earlier. Shifts in time and point of view managed with enviable skill by Lippman.
HARD REVOLUTION George Pelecanos
Published several years ago, but still fresh and quite readable. A pair of friends are each caught up in the riots in 1968 Washington, D.C. Although on opposite sides of the law, each is headed for tragedy.
THE MIDNIGHT CHOIR Gene Kerrigan
A rookie cop observes ethical lapses in his fellow officers and reports them. The ostracization which follows leaves him isolated and bitter, and he finds a way back into the good graces of his coworkers. Eventually his house of cards comes tumbling down, catching several innocents in its wake, and changing everything.
Non mysteries -
THE DIANA CHRONICLES Tina Brown
I freely admit I starting reading this one in a voyueristic desire to read "the good parts." But I found myself caught up in this 20th century tragedy (for quite a few people, not just Diana) and impressed with the overall quality of the writing.
THE BOYS OF SUMMER Roger Kahn
How could I have waited so long to read this classic? Although more than 35 years old, Kahn's book remains fresh and engrossing. Equal parts of memoir, sports history, and reporting, this is funny, wistful, and introspective by turns, and worth the time for a reread some day.
AWAY Amy Bloom
A young woman who survived a bloody pogrom in her Russian village uses her ingenuity and ambition to survive in early 20th century New York City. When she hears that her five year old daughter may still be alive, she sets out to find her, armed with little more than determination. Bloom's way with language is more than a little eccentric, and it took about a dozen pages to get on track with her narration, but once I got it, I was hooked.
ONCE IN A PROMISED LAND Laila Halaby
An immigrant couple from Jordan has a successful and luxurious life in present day Arizona. The aftermath of the attacks on 9/11 bring unmanageable changes for them both, and they are caught up in the suspicion and fear which followed the attacks.
THE GOD OF ANIMALS Aryn Kyle
A very impressive debut novel, set in the dusty regions of western Colorado. The owner and manager of a small horse boarding operation and teaching stable is overwhelmed with financial shortages. As is often the case, the defenseless bear the brunt of his desperation. Told from the point of view of his preteen daughter.
AN ARSONIST'S GUIDE TO WRITERS' HOMES IN NEW ENGLAND Brock Clarke
A humorous fantasy about a series of fictional arsons in historic New England homes. Lots of hilarious jabs at present day American culture. Like the best comedy, a hard edge of truth underlies the action.
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