First, let me say that I am behind in writing my review of “The Help” – a book which I loved! I will get that out asap. I am currently reading two books: upstairs I’m reading “The Echo in the Bone” – the latest tome from Diana Gabaldon in the Outlander series. Over 800 pages, and it keeps me going! I love, love, love Diana’s books and am enjoying this one. Downstairs I am reading “Ahab’s Wife” – another tome of over 500 pages. I was hoping I wouldn’t like it, so I could return it to the library, but alas, I am loving it! So, it’ll be a while until I do a new review (after “The Help”). In the meantime, sometimes I slip in an “easy” read – usually a Hamish MacBeth book or cozy mystery. I don’t review these if I’ve already reviewed some by the author in the series. Coming out next week is my friend Trilby Kent’s book: “Medina Hill” – a must-read for me! Then I also won a (free) autographed copy of Michelle Moran’s “The Heretic Queen”. Soooo — LOTS of good reading this month!! 🙂

I came across The Shadow of the Wind at the local Border’s as a book club suggestion and was intrigued by it. So I was thrilled when my online book club chose it for this month.
This novel tells the story of young Daniel Sempere, living in post-WWII Barcelona. His father, a bookseller, lets him choose a book for his tenth birthday. Daniel’s choice is “The Shadow of the Wind”, and this book changes his life. Mystery and intrigue follow this book within a book as Daniel, throughout the years, tries to find its author, Julian Carax, and the other books he has written. Daniel uncovers mysteries that have been covered up for years, as he retraces the steps of Carax’s life, uncovering the people and places that have shaped Carax and his story and that are exerting an effect on Daniel’s life, too.

I just loved this book. The mood of the book was set by the seemingly constant presence of thunderclouds, rain, and candlelight. I loved Daniel’s tenacity, in the face of many obstacles, to solve the mystery of Julian Carax. The sense of gothic mystery in this book was thrilling, and I couldn’t put it down (even though I’ll admit I had figured out the plot twist).

This book was beautifully written, which I often find with books that are translated from Spanish. It has been compared to some of Garbriel Garcia Marquez’ works. I look forward to reading the latest from Ruiz Zafon.

I give this book 4 1/2 Stars!

Lots of good stuff – and in no particular order!

Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

An Echo in the Bone – the latest in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series – and it’s a big one!

Last Tuesday marked the debut of Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol, and I was so excited to arrive home and see my little brown Amazon package waiting for me at the garage door!

In case you’ve missed the pre-publicity hype, Brown’s latest book continues to adventures of Robert Langdon, Harvard professor and expert symbolist, as he takes on the mysteries and mayhem awaiting him in Washington, D.C.

I have to honestly say that while I enjoyed this book, I didn’t like it as much as The Da Vinci Code. I felt the beginning of the book moved slowly – I wanted more puzzles and clues – and there was a great deal of “explaining” that at times felt awkward. I also grew frustrated with the number of times Langdon was incredulous about something and then finally “got it”. And I found some of the character’s actions unbelievable, in particular how they kept getting into trouble due to how trusting they were.

However, with that aside, this book is an entertaining read. It’s a trip through Washington and through history, with a special emphasis in this novel on the Freemasons, a group which I personally knew little about. I give Brown credit for the incredible amount of research he puts into his books and how he devises a plot that pulls it all together.

While this book is long, over 500 pages, it will appeal to Brown’s fans – in fact it has already sold in record-breaking numbers. It has strong themes of spirituality running throughout, which should appeal to some readers (but not others).

Overall, I would give The Lost Symbol 3 1/2 Stars!

I recently read, on an Amazon list of “Best Books of 2009”, of “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie”. It sounded interesting, especially since it features an 11-year-old precocious, mystery-solving protagonist who loves chemistry. On a trip to the library, the book was in the “new fiction” section, so I took it out.
What a delightful book! I so enjoyed reading of the adventures of Flavia de Luce, the spunky and brilliant heroine, as she solves the mystery of a murdered stranger in her family’s English manor house’s cucumber garden. Flavia lives with her brooding, introverted, philatelic father and her two older terrifying sisters, the self-absorbed Ophelia (aka Feely) and the book-loving Daphne (aka Daffy), in their historic and somewhat decaying manor house. Her mother has previously been killed in an accident. Flavia spends her time in her chemistry lab, and running under the radar of the adults in her life.  She is precocious, cunning, daring, and quite lovable. Bradley’s use of language, in particular his similes, had me smiling and at times laughing out loud. The mystery in this story kept me guessing, and the characters were well-developed and interesting.

Supposedly, this is the first of a series of books featuring Flavia and her sleuthing. I can’t wait for the next installment!

I give this book 5 Stars!

Coming soon: a review of “The Shadow of the Wind”, and I’m reading right now: Dan Brown’s new release: “The Lost Symbol”.

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone and felt like they knew you stripped bare of your outer facade? This is how I felt about the characters of Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Olive Kitteridge. Olive Kitteridge is a middle-aged woman, living in the small town of Crosby, Maine, and this novel is a series of vignettes depicting the people of the town, their lives, their hopes, dreams, and disappointments. The common thread running through these short stories is the character of Olive. In each story we see a different side of Olive, and by the end come to know her as multi-faceted and deeply human.

Whenever I pick up a Pulitzer, I’m never sure if I’m going to like it. Will it be too deep to get through? Will I feel compelled to love it, and don’t? Will I be able to read it enjoyably, or have to attack it like a college textbook? I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. It is a gem. Strout’s writing is so beautiful and descriptive. She calls on elements of human nature that, as I read, I found myself shaking my head and saying, “Yes, that is exactly how it is in life, isn’t it?” This book portrayed her characters in such a raw state that at times it was a bit painful to read. Yet, each story had a feeling of redemption in it, too.  This was a wonderful book. I picked it up on a whim at a local bookstore and purchased it – and I’m so glad I did!

I give this book 5 Stars!

As I love the Agatha Raisin series, I thought I’d check out Beaton’s Hamish MacBeth books, too. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these are cozy mysteries as well – albeit with a male protagonist. Hamish is the police constable in the small Scottish town of Lochdubh (which I believe is pronounced “lock-doove”). He’s unlucky in love, a bit churlish, devoted to his pets, and always trying to fly under the radar of his stodgy superior. Hamish seeks to stay in Lochdubh and avoid promotion to a bigger town – he loves his little hamlet. The characters of the townspeople are reminiscent of the characters of the PBS series “Ballykissangel” – each unique and some a bit eccentric. Murder seems to find Hamish, and he outwits and solves the killers time and again.

These books are a fun read, and cleverly plotted. I was prepared to not love them as much as Agatha Raisin, but I do! I was excited to see that many have been made into a BBC series, which I rented from Netflix. The television series does not follow the books closely, but was a fun watch, nonetheless.

I highly recommend this series to those who like cozy mysteries! I get all mine from the library.

What would you like to see me review?

Upcoming I have: the Hamish MacBeth series, Debbie Macomber’s books, Olive Kitteridge, and the new Outlander book (as soon as it comes out this fall!). Any suggestions?? Leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks! 🙂

Well, happy day!!

I’ve been nominated in the “Best New Blog” category through the Book Blogger Appreciation Week that Amy is hosting at www.myfriendamysblog.com.

I am so thrilled and excited!! Thank you to whomever nominated me!! 🙂

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For my online historical fiction bookclub we read “Nefertiti” this month. What a wonderful read! This novel was a fascinating trip to Ancient Egypt. Nefertiti’s story is told through the eyes of her younger sister, Mutny (who in later real life becomes a Queen of Egypt as well). While the novel is lengthy (over 400 pp) it reads quickly and is intriguing. I didn’t want it to end!

I highly recommend this book to those who love historical fiction. I got my copy from the library, but later won one online – yeah!

I gave it 5 Stars!