The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Book: I Loved Her in the Movies
Author: Robert J Wagner
Finished: 05 Jan 2017
Comment: Robert Wagner loves women, and that love shines in his novel about the movie icons of yesteryear. Wagner brings in many fascinating tidbits about each of the actresses, but his style cuts the flow of the story. Many times, I flounder when reading, and wonder which actress Wagner is describing. I learned many lessons while reading the story, and the most important is that becoming an actress in the early days of the cinema was not for the feeble. Wagner brings a humanity and a vulnerability to the actresses.

Book: A Bend in the Willow
Author: Susan Claytin-Goldner
Finished: 08 Jan 2017
Comment: I enjoy reading about different areas, and this story centered on Kentucky and Arizona. I am still amazed to learn that a Jewish doctor could also be a rough and tough cowboy, who mucks stables and rides a horse. Catherine Henry, alias Robin Lee Carter, and her doctor husband must find a genetic match for their 5-year-old son, Michael, who has leukemia. Catherine must return to her buried past to save her son. The story moves quickly through Catherine's search for an abandoned son, and a reconciliation with her forgotten family. Goldner does not have the depth of character and plot that authors such as Louise Penny, Charles Todd, and Elizabeth George display in their books. The one scene where Catherine remembers the fall leaves in Kentucky stirs fragrant memories of fall.

Book: Thank Heaven
Author: Leslie Caron
Finished: 11 Jan 2017
Comment: Leslie Caron weaves a funny and poignant story of her life in France, in the ballet, and in the movies. Caron's narrative presents a positive voice throughout every ordeal in life. I have read many stories of the German occupation of France during WWII, and Leslie Caron downplays that era of her life. She mentions long lines for food and a little hunger, but does not dwell on the terrible hardship of the French population. Then on her first job doing An American in Paris with Gene Kelly, Caron cuts her hair, and the film production is halted for 3 weeks for her hair to grow. My opinion of Leslie Caron plummeted at that point, but she continues her positive attitude and her enjoyment of her fellow workers throughout the book. The pictures included in the book illustrate Caron’s warmth and generosity.

Number: 4
Book: Long Black Veil
Author: Jennifer Finney Boylan
Finished: 13 Jan 2017
Comment:A very shocking and disturbing book. The narrator shimmers under the black veil disclosing secrets, but waits a long time before relating what the veil hides. Eight people enter the old, semi-closed Eastern State Penitentiary, but only seven people walk out of the prison after a harrowing night. The infamous night happens in August 1980, and now 35 years later in 2015, a skeleton has been found. Jennifer Finney Boylan's story jumps from 1980 to 1987 to 2015, and explores the seven friends and what each feels and hopes and dreams. Are we all hiding under a black veil waiting for chance to lift the veil and allow our true self to shine? The story explores loneliness and uncertainty, but never enters that dark world of self-loathing and despair. The story never enters the abyss.

Number: 5
Book: Love Lies Bleeding
Author: Susan Wittig Albert
Finished: 15 Jan 2017
Comment:Sometimes I enjoy China Bayles, and this stood as a time I enjoyed the antics of China and her friends. Males play secondary roles to the friendship among the women in this stories. Of course, one must not discount the mouth-watering recipes and constant mention of foods and herbs. China has decided to accept McQuaid's next proposal of marriage, unfortunately crime jumps into the path and McQuaid has not thrown out another proposal. As China ponders building a tearoom, some desperados invade the quiet town of Pecan Springs, and China and Ruby must investigate a suicide, possible murder. Susan Wittig Albert keeps the mood light and jumping around just like those Hot Lip cookies that Ruby dispenses.

Number: 6
Book: The God of Animals
Author: Aryn Kyle
Finished: 17 Jan 2017
Comment: The story centers on a young girl, about 12-years-old, attempting to understand her world. Alice Winston lives in Colorado, on a horse farm with her parents. Alice's mother remains hidden in the bedroom and very seldom ventures out of this cocoon. Alice's older sister has eloped with a rodeo cowboy, and Alice spends every day helping her father run their shabby horse farm. Aryn Kyle presents a vivid story of the trials and joys of horsemanship, but the story turns to despair at every turn. I felt trapped in the odyssey of The Grapes of Wrath, minus the eloquent language. Alice develops her first crush for a totally inappropriate male. The book ends tragically and the ending permeates the book with despair and hopelessness.

Number: 7
Book: The Gods of Guilt
Author: Michael Connelly
Finished: 31 Jan 2017
Comment: I usually enjoy Michael Connelly, but I dislike the Lincoln Lawyer series after seeing the Lincoln Lawyer movie. The movie instilled a nasty, distasteful image of Mick Haller which I find difficult to shake. In this story, Haller must join forces with disbarred and imprisoned lawyer to prove his client is innocent. Along the way, the reader encounters other unsavory characters and witnesses the depths of Haller's quest to have the jury return a not guilty verdict. The book does not dwell upon graphic scenes of violence nor on crude language. Connelly delivers chapter rich in describing the sights and sounds of California, and circles the wagon with Haller's emotional issues. But, the Harry Bosch series pounds in the Grand Slam.

Number: 8
Book: The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
Author: Edward Kelsey Moore
Finished: 07 Feb 2017
Comment: The book is not what I expected. The Supremes are three young school girls that narrate their lives ups and downs over 4 decades. The male author brilliantly captures the feelings and emotions of these three women, but the language hinges on coarseness. Does one woman stand out as the ultimate narrator or the reader's choice of favorite character? Odette seems to be the woman with the most street sense and the most compassionate. Odette has the perfect husband and life until an obstacle jumps in between her and utter joy. Clarice finds that her rapture with playing the piano as opposed to being with a handsome husband. And Barbara Jean needs to find herself or sink into the abyss. Moore develops his characters with rich, colorful words. The story builds and descends with each of travesty that jumps onto the path.

Number: 9
Book: The Girl Next Door
Author: Ruth Rendell
Finished: 12 Feb 2017
Comment: I would never have chosen to read The Girl Next Door, but I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I could greatly appreciate the relationships and situations of the various older characters. Rendell introduces a group of school age children, and then quickly turns to sixty years later. Michael's mother disappeared right after WWII, and Michael went to live with his father's cousin. Sixty years later, the children are reunited when a pair of mismatched hands are discovered. Rendell reigns as a mystery writer supreme in England, but this story basks in relationships and the realities of getting older. The events bring laughter and tears and understanding. After completing the story, I went and telephoned my mother and step mother.

Number: 10
Book: The Theatre
Author: Marsha R West
Finished: 14 Feb 2017
Comment: lovers of the Harlequin Romance genre, The Theatre follows this genre to a cue. The story resides in the stage of hot passion and many graphic lovemaking scenes too vivid for a theatre's stage. I had not expected the book gravitate to exclusively romance, and plundered through the story and exhaled a sigh of relief with the last page. The characters are perfect models of a hunky man and a long-legged, sexy woman. The hate shone toward homosexual men ends badly. The tired, blasé description of a Texas good-ole boy needs refinement. Kelly's bird-like cuisine screams for a bowl of ice cream smothered with hot fudge sauce. The book contained little redemption for the time spent in reading.

Number: 11
Book: Death of a Cozy Writer
Author: G M Malliet
Finished: 16Feb 2017
Comment: I have read G M Malliet many times, thoroughly enjoying the Max Tudor series. Death of a Cozy Writer, a St Just Mystery, lacked the zest of the Max Tudor series. G M Malliet brings many interesting subjects into her stories through her characters. I adore how Malliet introduces her characters at the beginning of her books, and this story has discussion questions at the end, which is always a delight. All the characters bring faults as well as strengths, and vivid sex scenes and graphic violence disappear in favor of setting and characters. Names of the characters provide great amusement as the Detective Chief Inspector is St. Just, his Sergeant is Garwin Fear, and the coroner is Dr. Malenfant. The English countryside glitters in the Christmas season.

Number: 12
Book: The Dissector
Author: L L Springs
Finished: 25 Feb 2017
Comment: This is my first novel written by LL Springs. The book fully covers medical school and the collegiate pecking order. The medical school tasks and duties seem endless and I begin to wonder why anyone would chose to teach. Dr. Sarah Whitley has been given the opportunity to teach anatomy at an university in Louisiana as an Associate Professor. The opportunity reeks more as an indenture slavery as Sarah must perform a multitude of chores. When does, Sarah have time to eat and sleep? After many chapters explaining medical school hierarchy, many faculty members enter the foray into explaining the disappearance of Dr. Roberts. Each faculty member might possibly have murdered Dr. Roberts. The story provides insight into the publish or perish me

Number: 13
Book: The Roanoke Girls
Author: Amy Engel
Finished: 26 Feb 2017
Comment: A sad, disheartening story of three generations of women and the man who loved and controlled all four three generations. Amy Engel twists and turns in attempts to dislodge the mystery of the girls and women of Roanoke, a huge dwelling in Kansas. The major narrator is Lane, whose mother dies broken and lost in New York. Lane stands as the only Roanoke girl who escapes the home and doom of the Roanoke females. Roanoke stands as a symbol like the Bates Hotel in that once you check in, you never check out. The story alternates between the past and the present, with the suspense building in every chapter. A feeling that all is not proper rises as the reader gropes in the dark to understand what is happening, and that life is not always rosy.

Number: 14
Book: Nora Webster
Author: Colm Toibin
Finished: 28 Feb 2017
Comment: Nora Webster displays many war and glowing reviews, but I did not feel the emotion in the story. Nora is a young widow with 2 daughters in college and 2 younger sons in school. Nora's beloved Maurice had been a teacher, and his sickness and death devastated Nora. The story relays Nora's struggle to provide for her children and give all of them a normal life. The story is set in Ireland amid the problems between the Catholics and the Protestants, and the introduction of labor unions. Nora skips along taking voice lessons, buying a stereo and records, flying to Spain for a 2-week vacation, taking many vacations with her children, and redecorating her home. Nora lives well for a poor widow.

Number: 15
Book: 12th of Never
Author: James Patterson
Finished: 01 Mar 2017
Comment: James Patterson's stories compel a reader to continue to the next chapter, therefore, the book ends quickly. The Women's Murder Club series displays feminine friendship and the men circle around this elite society, but never enter. Lindsay Boxer dominates the story, as baby Julie makes her entrance on a stormy night with the assistance of the EMTs. The story balances life, love, and death as a high-profile corpse disappears from the morgue and a situation of a football player and his clingy girlfriend emerges. Patterson's four females embellish a career-driven woman who must sometimes sacrifice normality for a job. Patterson reminds me of Sidney Sheldon, but Sheldon presents women with a gentler personality.

Number: 16
Book: Unlucky 13
Author: James Patterson
Finished: 02 Mar 2017
Comment: Yes, I am on a roll with James Patterson and trying to catch up on specific series. Lindsay Boxer had seen serial killer Randy die from injuries of a car wreck, but his girlfriend, Mackie Morales, escapes and plans havoc on Lindsay. A hamburger chain begins killing customers with internal exploding bombs and Yuki and Brady get married and take a honeymoon cruise that turns gruesome. Fast-paces action dominates the story, as the reader decides to forego hamburger chain food and cancel any cruise trips. I love the friendship and loyalty of the four women of the Murder Club. Four strong women who bond and thrive in their attempt to excel in a career and in life.

Number: 17
Book: Rita Moreno: A Memoir
Author: Rita Moreno
Finished: 07 Mar 2017
Comment: Moreno's grasp of the English language amazes this reader. Description of setting and characters vibrate on the page. The problem rests with the memoir, which spends half the book explaining an idyll childhood in Puerto Rico, but quickly interrupted by migration to New York. The chapters on Rita's men and family drop a hint or two of the situation and then the story turns to another topic. Rita praises many of her friends, lovers, and co-workers, but in the end, Rita stands as the brilliant star that lesser folk must revolve. The ultimate praise for Rita rests in her determination to succeed and to never give up the battle. Rita wins by sheer forbearance an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and two Emmys.

Number: 18
Book: Racing the Devil
Author: Charles Todd
Finished: 13 Mar 2017
Comment: Ian Rutledge races against the devil in a daring mystery set after WWI. Seven English soldiers vow to race from Paris to Nice a year after the war, if they survive the bloody battles. The war ends, and five men speedily engage in the adventurous journey, but soon disaster pursues the me. The mother and son team named Charles Todd beautifully lavish scenes of the English countryside and the hardships of the common folk. The small villages display the caliber of everyday life and the sense of community. Rich characters illustrate all levels of society, from the tenant farmer to the lord of the manor. Racing the Devil catches the despair and uncertainty of the men returning from war.

Number: 19
Book: Prayers the Devil Answers
Author: Sharyn McCrumb
Finished: 19 Mar 2017
Comment: Sharyn McCrumb weaves a story rich in folklore and relationships. This tale centers on Ellie Robbins a young woman with two young sons and a husband who becomes the county sheriff. The Depression Era darkens the Tennessee mountains, and most people barely eke a living. A young husband pushes his wife over a mountain edge, but two people witness the crime and apprehend the criminal. The story begins and end with the folklore tradition of the Dumb Supper that predicted the events that happened. I greatly admired the common-sense approach of Ellie Robbins, but felt appalled at Ellie's act at the end of the book. Sharyn McCrumb speaks of the beauty of the land and the strong ties of kinship and the balance of justice, sometimes with bias.

Number: 20
Book: The LittleParis Bookshop
Author: Nina George
Finished: 9 Apr 2017
Comment: An interesting book, but at time, very slow. A love story displaying a twist. The story begins with a downtrodden middle-aged man, Jean Perdu (John Lost), who runs a floating bookshop. Just as the reader thinks the story will go nowhere, Jean breaks free from his depression and begins a boat trip through the waters of France with 2 cats, a challenged author, and a lovesick chef. The adventures along the way expose the personalities of the three men and show that life does not end so early. The language and characters enhance the story, and many of the scenes create vivid memories. Women play a minor role in the story, as the thrust of the story centers on men and their relationships. When I reached the end of the story, I felt that the story needed additional chapters.

Number: 21
Book: Murder at the Vicarage
Author: Agatha Christie
Finished: 11 Apr 2017
Comment: This is my first encounter with Miss Marple, and what a thrill! I adore the sense of logic and understanding of human character of Miss Marple. The story turns and twists around the suspects and the motive for the murder. Agatha Christie presents seven suspects in this busybody town where no secret may hide. The vicar, Leonard Clement narrates the story and aids Jane Marple investigating the murder of Colonel Lucius Protheroe. I enjoy the descriptions of the village and the many inhabitants. The story comes to a delightful conclusion with all the strings neatly tied.

The book by Nina George was called The Lavender Room in the original German. I liked the book but it wasn't as good as it could have been.

Number: 22
Book: The Color Purple
Author: Alice Walker
Finished: 23 Apr 2017
Comment: A moving story about the life of an African American living in pre-war South. Celie narrates the story of her life and all the hardships that encompass her. Alice Walker maintains the Southern flavor with the rural grammar of Celie and the other characters. The setting evolves beautiful scenes with flowers and marvelous fragrances. Food shines throughout the story, even though the families seem dirt poor. The friendship of the women cement the story, with their protection of one another. Alice Walker shows sub-human, mostly crazed animals as the men in the story. No man stands as a likeable character. The story concludes with all the loose ends sweetly tied.

Number: 23
Book: The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues
Author: Edward Kelsey Moore
Finished: 29 Apr 2017
Comment: What a hilarious, but moving story that continues in the theme of Edward Kelsey Moore's writing. The Supremes have moved from teen-agers to young couples to young grandparents. Problems have surfaced and have been addressed. The reader sees the problems of aging and dealing with aging parents. And that love happens at any age, and no one is immune from happiness and despair. The blues music hangs from the words of many of the characters, and the reader can fill feel the emotion. In this story, the emphasis wanders to the men, instead of residing mainly with the Supremes. Moore shows men with feelings and insecurities. Men who need the gentle guidance of a loving woman.

Number: 24
Book: Unusual Animals A to Z
Author: Edward Kelsey MHeather Jones
Finished: 30 Apr 2017
Comment: some reason, I seem to have fallen into reviewing children's book. In college, I read all the Caldecott winning books to the current year, so I have a little understanding of illustrated books. I felt that Unusual Animals A to Z contains interesting illustrations, but that the letter of the alphabet should be smaller and the animals should be larger. Heather Jones does a wonderful job of making the animals more personal by giving each animal a name that matches the letter of the alphabet. What a lovely method to teach children the alphabet and that being different is not a cause for heartache.

Number: 25
Book: Last Ride to Graceland
Author: Kim Wright
Finished: 02 May 2017
Comment: A story embedded with tidbits of Elvis Presley, and a girl's quest for her father. Usually, a coming of age story features a young adult, but Cory is no young adult. Cory has lost her rhythm and hopes to find herself by driving a Blackhawk car from South Carolina to Graceland. The story climbs and sputters throughout the South as Cory makes her way on the backroads that her mother traveled before returning to South Carolina. Cory encounters two men that might be her father, but who stands as the real man in this quest. The story contains rich language and a musical cadence. Many of the minor characters present remarkable insights into human nature. I am happy to see that the characters are not perfect individuals with great hair and fabulous bodies.

Number: 26
Book: The Guest Room
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Finished: 06 May 2017
Comment: I usually do not like books by Chris Bohjalian, so this was a surprise. The book centers on two characters: a sex slave and an upscale man. Richard Chapman allows his younger brother to conduct his bachelor party at his house. Richard's wife and daughter go to his mother-in-law's house to escape the party. What follows plummets Richard into despair and frustration. The two sex slave girls kill their captors and flee, after leaving the house sprayed with blood and evidence. The story switches perspective from Richard and Alexandra as the story unwinds. The reader sees all the angles of the story, except for the Russian men holding these girls as sex slaves. A disturbing story.

Number: 27
Book: Where the Dead Lie
Author: C S Harris
Finished: 06 May 2017
Comment: This was not written as well as the other Sebastian St Cyr books. In this story, Hero and many of the other characters have minor roles as Sebastian races to find the man or men responsible for the terrible torture and murder of young, orphans. The police show little interest in searching for the missing poor and orphaned children. Sebastian narrows his search on two men, but due to their standing in society, Sebastian must have solid evidence. C S Harris rants about the evils of society and despicable treatment of the poor.

Number: 28
Book: The Death of a Gossip
Author: M C Beaton
Finished: 10 May 2017
Comment: A cozy mystery set in the Highlands of Scotland, what a treat. M C Beaton introduces her red haired, lazy local policeman, Hamish MacBeth. A husband and wife team operate a fishing school in the Highlands, but this year the catch proves hard to swallow as one of the guests is murdered. I adore Hamish and his easy going approach to life. Each of the guests hides a secret, but one of the guests uncovers everyone secret. Interwoven in the murder mystery, M C Beaton throws lessons in fly fishing. The characters present the gamut of the social scale with the rich, unmarried lady, the poor, working woman, the social climbing American couple, the young boy needing a father, and the undistinguished major. Even Hamish presents quirks such as his love for Priscilla, the unattainable flower.

Number: 29
Book: The Postcard Killers
Author: James Patterson
Finished: 28 May 2017
Comment: James Patterson draws the reader immediately into each book. Of course, Patterson's style of writing follows an example format that compels the reader deeper into the story. The action and language gather momentum that forces the reader to gobble up the pages. Patterson's book center on action, not on analysis. I enjoy a break from description and commentary, and Patterson provides a pleasant reprieve. Gory killings and crazy killers litter the pages, but glimpses of world-famous cities populate the mad race to find the killers. Patterson's language remains simplistic and his characters confirm to various stereotypes, but Patterson's books make you wonder if the person you just met might be a killer.

Number: 30
Book: The Escape
Author: David Baldacci
Finished: 04 Jun 2017
Comment: I love listening to David Baldacci on audiobook, as I hear the whole book and do not skim sections. Baldacci's books create an unease with government and the military, as I wonder what is truth. The Escape centers on a man convicted of treason escaping from Leavenworth Prison in Kansas. Leavenworth is a maximum security, military prison. The chase begins to find Robert Puller, the escaped man. Baldacci intricately explains the prison workings, the military, the government, and plots to sabotage the government by Russian operatives. The two women in this story effectively outshine many of the men. Maybe Baldacci's failure rests in the extensive explanation of events. But the actions of John Puller and his father show that men possess emotions.

Number: 31
Book: The Escape
Author: David Baldacci
Finished: 04 Jun 2017
Comment: I love listening to David Baldacci on audiobook, as I hear the whole book and do not skim sections. Baldacci's books create an unease with government and the military, as I wonder what is truth. The Escape centers on a man convicted of treason escaping from Leavenworth Prison in Kansas. Leavenworth is a maximum security, military prison. The chase begins to find Robert Puller, the escaped man. Baldacci intricately explains the prison workings, the military, the government, and plots to sabotage the government by Russian operatives. The two women in this story effectively outshine many of the men. Maybe Baldacci's failure rests in the extensive explanation of events. But the actions of John Puller and his father show that men possess emotions.

Number: 32
Book: A Hiss Before Dying
Author: Rita Mae Brown
Finished: 12 Jun 2017
Comment: Sneaky Pie' s editing shows that cats can make mistakes, such as the sentence "an elderly men". In whole the book presented many facets of life in Virginia through the eyes of animals and the people. I love the adage the "idle hands do the Devil's work." The lack of a centralized currency shows one of the many problems facing the "new" United States. No matter what, greed and cunning dominate the quest to control. I felt that the animals talked too often, and I missed hearing from their humans. I enjoyed the alternating chapters set in current times and in 1786. The illustrations by Michael Gellatly enhanced the story.

Number: 33
Book: The Gold Coast
Author: Nelson DeMille
Finished: 24 Jun 2017
Comment: A more pompous jerk such as John Sutter has not graced many books. John has all the pluses of life-wealthy wife, prestigious job, community status; but that is not enough. John and his wife, having expended all their sexual fantasies, turn to the head of the Mafia, Frank Bellarosa, for more excitement. Nelson DeMille plants exotic sexual scenes throughout the novel that could have been omitted. The passion between Frank and Susan, explains Susan, is a meeting of the minds and not the bodies. Such extremes in one book. John loses his ganache and becomes a raging lunatic who insults family and friends. The book runs on and on and gets nowhere with John's disillusionment with life and work. Maybe men enjoy this type of novel, I did not.

Number: 34
Book: Lockdown
Author: Laurie R King
Finished: 27 Jun 2017
Comment: Lockdown by Laurie R King made me ecstatic that I am no longer a student, especially in middle school. Laurie R King presents a cast of characters before jumping into the story, but I missed that list and made my own as I read tidbits of each character. I love this method of writing where each character speaks or is described, very like Spoon River Anthology or Winesburg, Ohio. The tension builds as the students, teachers, principal, and speakers gather for Career Day at the school. The title of the book foreshadows the terrifying event, but still the reader plunges forward in an effort to find the culprit. Ms. King convincingly portrays each of the characters and builds of sense of understanding, but many ideas scatter to the wind after chaos descends the school.

Number: 35
Book: The Old Silent
Author: Martha Grimes
Finished: 30 Jun 2017
Comment: The book has silently rested among other books waiting for me to read. I had forgotten the delectable characters of the Inspector Jury series, and the wonderful names of the English pubs. Inspector Jury witnesses a cold-blooded murder, but he cannot walk away from the crime without attempting to save the shooter from the gallows. The story jumps back and forth among the various scenes and characters. Martha Grimes brings a richness of language into the story as the reader journeys into the world of music and family jealousy. Of course, Sergeant Higgins and his multitude of ailments and cures brings comic relief whenever the grisliness of murder invades.

Number: 36
Book: You Can Fly
Author: Chuck Rosenthal
Finished: 08 Jul 2017
Comment: For a short book, the reading time continued like a plague. I expected fun and excitement, and only found boredom and clichés. I felt that I might be reading an uneventful children's author, but the constant mention of sex stopped those thoughts. The story read like one of the 1950's primers for elementary students, with battles and killing and violence. I have read J M Barrie's Peter Pan, and yes, Rosenthal presents the same characters, but with lack of emotion.

Number: 37
Book: Dangerous Undertaking
Author: Mark de Castrique
Finished: 11 Jul 2017
Comment: The first chapter with the funeral scene remains as the best opening I have enjoyed. The story, told by Barry Clayton, unfolds in the North Carolina mountains. In this short novel, the characters dominant the pages from the circuit preacher, Lester Pace, to the reclusive liquor maker, Talmadge Watson; and many minor characters throughout the story. The weather, greed, and family loyalty greatly factor into the story. I have read both series by Mark de Castrique, but Barry Clayton pulls me into the story of the problems and heartaches that control our existence. Mark de Castrique softly hints of the encroachment of business into the freedom of rural life.

Number: 38
Book: The Lost Book of the Grail
Author: Charlie Lovett
Finished: 15 Jul 2017
Comment:I, like Arthur Prescott, delight in Arthurian legend, and lived in reading about Arthur and his adventures. But, this book drags along with pedantic prose. I stopped many times and went to another book, but would return to attempt to find some motivation to continue reading. I did enjoy the chapters devoted to the medieval monastery. I finished reading the book, after many agonizing stops and starts, but Thomas Malory's writing brings greater enjoyment.

Number: 39
Book: Kill Alex Cross
Author: James Patterson
Finished: 20 Jul 2017
Comment: As I peruse the books I have not read, I see a few by James Patterson. Of course, Patterson's books glide the reader quickly through the story with the short chapters and brief descriptions. I usually feel paranoia after reading a Patterson story, but the Alex Cross series are rather bland and follow a set formula. I feel that Nana must be a saint and as old as God, by now. This story seemed a little off kilter from the other Patterson books, but still gave me a little pleasure after the previous book I read.

Number: 40
Book: Jellyfish
Author: Lev D Lewis
Finished: 09 Aug 2017
Comment: The book begins with a shot that misses the target and plummets into a story of similes. The comparison starts as entertaining and quickly fall into a haze deeper than noire fiction. I enjoyed, for a while, the resemblance to the writing of Raymond Chandler, but the English setting hindered this reproduction. Frank Bale, like a battered Don Quixote, goes in search of truth and justice, but instead finds walls and detours. Not every hero rides a magnificent stead and win every battle, but this antihero needs more character.

Number: 41
Book: An Echo of Murder
Author: Anne Perry
Finished: 22 Aug 2017
Comment: Anne Perry beautifully executes another William Monk story of social awareness and the changing times. In this tale, males in a small Hungarian community in England meet violent death as the blame for this serial killer runs the gamut to someone with a grievance against the Hungarians to doubt as to the actual killer and the motives. A doctor who served with Hester during the Crimea War appears and becomes the prime suspect. Monk races to find a maniacal killer as the unrest boils over in London. Into all this chaos, Scuff changes his name to Will, as he trains to be a doctor. Anne Perry uncovers the misconception and discovery in the field of medicine as the doctors attempt to save the poor. And of course, Oliver Rathbone leaps to the defense in the end of the novel. Hester’s old loves appear everywhere.

Number: 42
Book: The Second Mrs. Hockaday
Author: Susan Rivers
Finished: 27 Aug 2017
Comment: Susan Rivers weaves a tale seeped deep in Greek Mythology and based on a slave’s document. The gripping epistolary novel jumps from to war years of 1862-1865 to 30 years later. Placidia Fincher sees the somewhat dashing Major Hockaday at her cousin’s wedding, and a day Placidia has married the Major and leaves her home. After traveling 48 hours to the Major’s farm, the young couple has two days of bliss, before Major Hockaday returns to his war duties. Placidia’s writes to her cousin Millie of the troubles of running a farm and caring for the Major’s infant son and her own loneliness. The letters bring awareness to Placidia as she uncovers truths about her father and family. The story becomes very encumbered with Greek mythology and Wikipedia answers many forgotten characters. I listened to an audio version and the male reader spoke too softly, at times.

Number: 43
Book: Liar Liar
Author: K J Larsen
Finished: 31 Aug 2017
Comment: I had planned on reading a great mystery set in Chicago, but the sisters Larsen presented another version of Stephanie Plum. Cat DeLuca jumps in your face as a private investigator with tons of relatives in the Chicago Police Department, and an Italian mother that out cooks Julia Child. Of course, a couple of hunky men rotate around the gorgeous Cat. Cat has a beagle, instead of a hamster, and no 'ho as her sidekick, just a crazed woman with a stun gun. The constant mention of food forced me to down a sharing bag of M & M peanuts, and the misery is staring. Cars feature big in this tale, and the cars bear feminine names: Dorothy and Olivia. The story served as my Illinois state reading, and the setting could have been anywhere as nothing hinted of Illinois.

Number: 44
Book: Mayhem at the Orient Express
Author: Kylie Logan
Finished: 02 Sep 2017
Comment: My reading now ventures to an island off the north of Ohio floating in Lake Erie. Kylie Logan writes a series with three feuding neighbors forced into forming a book club as punishment for their quarrelsome attitudes. The group meets and quickly jumps into a murder investigation like the book for the first meeting, Murder on the Orient Express. Mayhem at the Orient Express lumbers into a cozy mystery, but I wish that recipes followed the story. The story entertains with a cast that parallels Agatha Christie’s cast. The author shows a definite love of felines, as a cat opens and closes the story. The setting plays a huge part in the story, as a monster snowstorm plummets the island and severs all communication with the mainland. The three hateful neighbors, joined by a minor cast of friends, begin to form friendships and understanding. A lovely way to spend a day with hints to Agatha and Hercule Poirot.

Number: 45
Book: Devil's Breath
Author: G M Malliet
Finished: 04 Sep 2017
Comment: G M Malliet writes a lovely story with quotes and plots from Shakespeare running throughout the tale. I just wish that the grammar matched these lofty aspirations. My main gripe is the use of raise for people, one rears children and raises animals. Malliet presents the cast of characters with great ceremony and detail, the story falls into a staged play many times. I love Max's method of questioning the possible suspects. To throw the readers and Max off balance, Patrice, Max's ex-lover, enters the stage. Margot Browne, an old, fading actress falls off a yacht, but she has been murdered before the push overboard. Patrice, now nearing the end of her pregnancy, has been undercover searching suspected drug trafficking on the yacht. The story twists and turns before the final curtain call.

Number: 46
Book: Death by the Light of the Moon
Author: Joan Hess
Finished: 08 Sep 2017
Comment: a wacky story complete with a fading mansion and all the people wanting a piece of this pie. The old home place rests in Louisiana with all the clichés of that area. The relatives meet to celebrate the birthday of Miss Justicia, only Miss Justicia drowns the night before her birthday and before revealing her new will to all her gathered relatives. Joan Hess does create a sense of foreboding and mystery, but the plot verves too off the path. The description of the setting sets the mood, but the characters flatly inhabit the pages. This series does not call me to continue reading.

Number: 47
Book: The Orphan Mother
Author: Robert Hicks
Finished: 15 Sep 2017
Comment: The Orphan Mother presents a story of the “Negro” after the Civil War, and the times called for great fortitude. The story begins with Mariah Reddick in 1892, getting ready for her demise. But before she dies, Mariah must give a huge donation to a “Negro” college. Next, the reader is taken back to 1867, and the events that condemned Mariah to a childless existence. Mariah, a midwife, has a profession that earns her enough money to eke an existence. Robert Hicks paints a vivid picture of the life of the free slaves, and the feelings of the beaten Southerners after the Civil War. Hicks evokes strong feelings for Mariah, George Tole, and Carrie McGavock. So many of the scenes between Carrie and Mariah provoke strong emotions that the characters become living and believable individuals. Many nuances throughout the story, so the reader must not quickly read each page.

Number: 48
Book: The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree
Author: Susan Wittig Albert
Finished: 16 Sep 2017
Comment: The Darling Dahlias & the Cucumber Tree gently exposes a small town in Alabama in the 1930’s where life revolved around family and friends, and many people faced financial ruin. The story centers on women involved in a gardening club back in the day when flower gardens and vegetable gardens presented women with a pleasure. The women competed and canned and shared the fruits of their labors with one another. A pretty face and beguiling manner quickly charms the men of the town, but that creates a problem. I thoroughly enjoyed the analysis done by the women in solving two crimes. The writing starts slowly, but lures the reader into the story. A very pleasing portrait of Southern life in the 1930’s.

Number: 49
Book: The Christmas Blessing
Author: Melody Carlson
Finished: 17 Sep 2017
Comment: My first Christmas novella of the season and a pleasant story. The story displays all those wonderful holiday emotions of love, pity, forgiveness, piety, and faith. WWII looms in the background as a young mother faces the upcoming Christmas alone with her child and her dire situation. Amelia leaves California on the train heading toward Montana to find her baby's grandparents. The trip leaves Amelia sick and penniless as her wallet is stolen. Both Amelia and baby Jimmy fall deathly sick in Rockford, unable to care for themselves. In the spirit of God's love and kindness, a guardian angel provides for these weary travelers. Melody Carlson shows a message of hope and kindness in this short tale.