Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber

Vacation

I thoroughly enjoy Huber's Lady Darby series.  The slowness of the time period of which it takes place, the flirtatious banter between the lead characters Gage and Lady Darby, and the strengthen of the single Lady Darby and of course the mysteries that they solve.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

20th Century

I have wanted to read Hemingway for quite awhile and finally got around to it with For Whom the Bell Tolls.  It is not what I expected but I did enjoy it, even if it was slow moving at times.  It was rather gruesome in parts when Hemingway described the killing of the Fascists through a flogging line and some of the bull-fighting. (I've never understood bull fighting and why it continues today).  Found it humorous that Hemingway did not write cuss words but used the term "obscenity" instead.

Quotes: "Where the obscenity have you been?"

" 'You are a very hard woman' he told her. 'No ... but so simple I am very complicated' "

The Reapers by John Connolly

Vacation

This is our annual vacation read that we read together, passing the book back and forth after consuming a certain number of pages.  Not sure how, but we missed the two (2) previous Charlie Parker series books!!  Guess this means we must go on two more vacations right now!
This was not one of our favorites as there were few scenes with Charlie and a lot of flashbacks by Louis which dragged on and led to some confusion (but had we read the two books before this maybe we would have been less confused!!).  But in all of Connolly's books so far, we appreciate the demented sense of humor he brings forth in his characters!

Bone Lake by Drusilla Campbell

"C" Author

I wasn't sure I would like this book, but I found it was a quick read and kept my interest.  The book is not full of a lot of prose, but Campbell does write some captivating scenes that keeps the reader flipping pages till the very end!  It is truly terrifying the brainwashing power and the number of people who believe in  "Christian Identity" and White Supremacy.

Eye Contact - Cammie McGovern

None of my toppling bookpile books were doing it for me so I grabbed one off the master bookshelves that looked like a quick read.

A quick read it was and I appreciated a couple of things the author was trying to do:  most importantly drawing attention to the autistic community and generate a conversation and understanding of the true needs of the entire community - parents, teachers, society and the child and his/her peers.  Secondly, in relation to the plot points, she threw in a lot of red herrings.  I understand the purpose, but I found this along with the structure of the book, with the flashbacks and interwoven cast of characters to be rather confusing. (Though it could also be my frame of mind at this point too, which has little focus and not the author's fault).  I have another book by McGovern that I will delve into and see if it's really me or if she simply is not an author I prefer.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan

Guilty Pleasure

What a fun, fascinating read mixing old and new technologies (print books versus Google), combining fiction with fact and it comes with an amazing book jacket (turn out the lights!)  All of it a reminder of why I still love real books!!

Quotes: "'They figured out the circumference of the earth a thousand years before they invented printing.  Could you figure out the circumference of the Earth?'....I have no idea.  I'd probably just Google it"

"These days, the phone only carries bad news....If it's anything fun or exciting, like an invitation to a party...,it will come through the internet."

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane

Historical Fiction

This was a tome (700 pgs), but very well written and a story line that keeps you captivated.  Interspersed with fascinating and little known facts of American history (at least little known to me!):  1918 influenza pandemic, 1919 great molasses flood, Babe Ruth, Boston police strike and the rise of the NAACP.  Reading about the early days of the Labor movement and following the struggles of the Boston PD in their attempts to get fair wages and working conditions reminded me of why I do what I do in helping to represent working people and Unions and how important it is.

Quote:  "Do you know the primary difference between men and gods? No Sir.  Gods don't think they can become men."

A Fracture Mind by Robert B. Oxnam

New Author

Wow!  What a fascinating story!  The author did a great job of explaining such a complex disorder through his 11, yes 11, personalities!  Especially considering many of them had names that were derivatives of Robert.

As the author states in the beginning and the psychiatrist reiterates at the end, we all have different facets within us, but most of us don't suffer a trauma that disassociates those personalities.  I've called mine my past or future lives.  I recognize the mother part of me, the diva girly-girly part of me and the more assertive part of me, but none of those parts are my main personality.  These traits do come out at different times, with different people, but none of them have separate names and I'm completely aware of them! ;-) I presume that in another life they have or will dominate!!

Memorable Quotes from the book:  "If this book raises more questions than it answers, then we will consider it a success, as long as the questions are more sophisticated by the end of the book than they were at the beginning."

"A few people have strong inner lights.  But most people have 'lights-out'. 'Lights-on' not only means a good heart; it also means really caring about other people's hearts...... Good is when people, no matter what their age, struggle to keep their lights alive.  Good is when they help others with dim lights to make those lights brighter.  Most of all, good is when they try to link up with other people who have good hearts."

The Game by Laurie R. King

Series

The seventh book in the Russell/Holmes series.  This one moved much quicker and reminded me again why I enjoy Ms. King and her series!!
The humor, the disguises, the unexpected!

Such great writing: in only 2 pages Ms. King gives the sights, smells and history of India.  While obviously not a complete picture, she was able to describe enough to reel the reader in without losing them in the depths of descriptions.  Though this vegetarian could have done without the details of some of the animal killings. (Blech)

Looking forward to the next one in the series!!

Quote: "...I had been given the priceless gift of choice, and I could not bring myself to throw it away"

Historical Non-Fiction

The description of Florence , Italy was breathtaking!!   The telling of this true event that happened in Florence, Italy became very repetitive. So much of this case was so mishandled and things were done for the sake of career advancements.  I actually started skipping many pages because of the repeating of information and facts, or lack of facts, every time someone new took over the case.  Sorry to say, I did not enjoy this read.

 he Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

20th Century

Lonely hunter is right!  Wow, such a sad group of misfits we encounter in this classic first novel by a young author.  As one critic said, "I can't understand how a [22] year old girl can know so much of love and loneliness...".  A movie was made in 1968 based on the novel, but I'm not sure I have the heart to endure the additional sadness on screen.  I enjoyed the book and for the most part it was a quick read, but I was left feeling disheartened and saddened by the choices most of the misfits made.

Quotes from book:
"What is the value of any piece of property, of any merchandise we buy in a store?  The value depends only on one thing - and that is the work it took to make or to raise this article."

"Of all the places he had been this was the loneliest town of all"

Series

I did not realize a book could move so slow.  And so many characters!!!!   I always enjoy reading about what Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are up to,  but I did not care to learn about the lineage of the Hughenfort Dukes.  It did pick up for me near the end with solving a mystery and discovering who the 8th ( yes, 8th Duke!!) really was.  Not one of my favorites in this series.  I am looking forward to where Mary and Sherlock go next!

"B" Author

We meet Truly, a bigger than life woman.  No really she is huge!!!! Physically she grows into a giant of a woman.  We meet her as a child and follow her thru her life to adulthood. We learn how choices and secrets greatly affect ones life. 

20th Century


I felt this was dated material about a young girl who contacts AIDS though a transfusion. It deals with how her school, friends and family deal with it.  Very sad, but it also shows just how far we have come in treating and dealing with Aids. 

The Camel Club by David Baldacci

"B" Author

It took me awhile to get into this one.  Guess it was too close to reality with terrorists, issues in Syria and corruption in government, that it never felt like I was "escaping" into a book.  There was some excitement at the end, but not sure it was enough to make me want to read the next four (4) books in the series.