Yes! I have finally finished reading the latest in the “Outlander” series: The Echo in the Bone. This 800+ page tome was a good read, and I had fun getting back in touch with Jamie, Claire, Bri, Roger, and the gang! It was SLOW going for me, though, and took me a bit to finish.

I should admit: I love, love, love this series (which if you haven’t read it, centers on Claire time-travelling from the mid 20th century to the 1700’s in Scotland and all the adventures that ensue). I have often been asked if you need to read the books in order. In my opinion, yes, you do. There are SO many characters and SO many events that popping in during the middle of the series not only doesn’t give you the background knowledge, but does not afford you that thrilling sense of “what is HE (or SHE) doing here??” when characters return to the page unexpectantly.

In this installment, the story is told in three points of view: Claire’s, Brianna’s, and William’s. Claire and Jamie are in America, with their nephew Ian, in the middle of the Revolutionary War. Bri and Roger have brought the kids back to present day (1980’s) Scotland. William is travelling with British troops in America, fighting in the war as well.  The three threads of the novel wind closer and closer together, with characters crossing over between them, until the fast and furious ending, which is a cliff-hanger.

That said, the ending of this novel surprised me (SPOILER ALERT!) because there was no sense of finality. The story left off right when most of the main characters were in trouble or crisis. That didn’t thrill me as I have to wonder how long I’ll need to wait for the next book in the series!! Rereading the last 100 pages of this one will be necessary to reacquaint myself with the various crises that were occurring for them all.

However, it was a comforting feeling to return to the story of Jamie and Claire. Of all the characters, these two- and their relationship – are my favorite. To be honest, Brianna seriously annoyed me in the earlier books, but she has grown on me as well. The characters are linked, in this story, through letters that Jamie and Claire have written to Bri and Roger and left for them to read 200 years later. William’s story runs parallel to Jamie and Claire’s, and to be honest, was rather a dull read for me until we got near the ending. I’ve never gotten into the Lord John Grey series that  class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”that “>Gabaldon writes as much as I have the “Outlander” series, and William and Lord John, though originally in the “Outlander” books, are characters from them.

Of all the books in this series, I think my favorite was the first one, though I really enjoyed all of the first four. I also really enjoyed A Breath of Snow and Ashes. The Fiery Cross took me 4 starts and some determination to get through. This current book was not my favorite, but it was a good read and it did make me happy to be back with these familiar friends and their adventures! I do purchase all these books so I have them in my home library.

I’d give this book 4 Stars!

A friend recently recommended The Help to me, as she thought I would like it. Well, I did like it – a lot!

This story, which takes place in Mississippi in the 1960’s, is told in three voices: that of Aibileen, a black housekeeper and nanny, Minny, a mother of 5 and black housekeeper, and “Skeeter” (Eugenia), a white college graduate who returns home after graduation and is looking for some meaning in life. The perspective and voice in this novel moves back and forth between these three women as they come together for a daring and incredible project (SPOILER alert!): Skeeter decides to anonymously write the stories of 12 black maids, told in their voice, so that America can hear the “real” story of being black and working for white families in Jackson, Mississippi.

This novel is the story of their creative project, along with the personal stories of these three remarkable women – Aibileen: who has raised 17 white children and dearly loves the little girl she is currently in charge of;  Minny: known for being outspoken and proud of being one of the best cooks in the county; and Skeeter, awkward and somewhat shy, yearning to be herself in a society and among people who want her to conform to their ideals and parameters.

I really enjoyed reading this book, which I got from the library. I wanted to keep reading it to see what would happen next. I loved the different voices depicted, and even though the book was sometimes written in dialect (which I can find hard to read), I had no difficulty “hearing” their voices. I found their stories moving, sometimes disturbing, and inspiring. The only problem I had with this book, in truth, (SPOILER alert!) was when Skeeter published the novel anonymously, did she REALLY think no one was going to figure it out that it took place in Jackson?? In truth, that seemed a bit too much to believe, particularly since all the women were telling their stories in detail and they all knew each other and worked for families who knew each other. Changing the name of the town seemed scarcely enough to provide anonymity, and Skeeter seemed so shocked that people figured it out.

Regardless, I just loved this book and would recommend it to those who like to read about strong women and/or the Civil Rights era.

I give this book 4 1/2 Stars!

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! 🙂