Review: Aunt Dimity and the Summer King

Aunt Dimity and the Summer King by Nancy Atherton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This series is so gentle, cozy, and I enjoy visiting with the people of Finch. There are no great mysteries, no stormy romances, no involved plots. Finch is a tiny village in the Cotswolds which has been bypassed by modern progress. There are no supermarkets, or malls, no tourist attractions, or even a school. It's peopled by caring, nosy, involved villagers who love to gossip and advise their neighbors, especially Lori, an American who inherited a small cottage in the village where Lori and husband Bill have been raising their family. Lori also has inherited Aunt Dimity, a spirit who communicates with Lori through a journal. Aunt Dimity is usually the voice of reason, and has helped Lori find her way in Finch. In this installment, Lori is intrigued by Arthur Hargreaves who owns a large estate bordering her father-in-law's home. As she gets to know Arthur, she discovers the existence of an ancient village feud and the reason why Finch's old-timey culture has been preserved.

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Review: Secret Sisters

Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Madeline Chase has inherited her grandmother's hotel chain which includes an old inn on a small island off the coast of Washington. Raised by her grandmother after her parents' deaths, Madeline had spent some time on the island with her grandmother, but after being brutally assaulted as a young teen, she and her grandmother had abandoned the inn. Now Madeline has headed back the inn to decide what to do with it. When the inn's caretaker is murdered, Madeline brings in Jack Rayner, the head of her hotel's security team. Secrets are uncovered, and more lives are endangered as Madeline and Jack get to the truth behind what really happened on the island so many years ago. Of course, since this is a romance, sparks fly between the two. This was a predictable, but fun read, with a twisty ending.

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Review: Secret Sisters

Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Madeline Chase has inherited her grandmother's hotel chain which includes an old inn on a small island off the coast of Washington. Raised by her grandmother after her parents' deaths, Madeline had spent some time on the island with her grandmother, but after being brutally assaulted as a young teen, she and her grandmother had abandoned the inn. Now Madeline has headed back the inn to decide what to do with it. When the inn's caretaker is murdered, Madeline brings in Jack Rayner, the head of her hotel's security team. Secrets are uncovered, and more lives are endangered as Madeline and Jack get to the truth behind what really happened on the island so many years ago. Of course, since this is a romance, sparks fly between the two. This was a predictable, but fun read.

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Review: The Muralist

The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alizee Benoit, orphaned at an early age, is an abstract painter in New York City in 1939, working under the auspices of the WPA. She rebels against being forced to paint in the approved representational manner and as a result of a chance meeting with Eleanor Roosevelt, she is allowed to create an abstract mural to hang in a public library. She is close friends with other abstract artists - Jackson Pollock, Mike Rothko, Lee Krasner, and others-- and she gets closely involved with a communist organization in an attempt to get her Jewish French family visas. Her life comes crashing down around her as the result of her group's attempts to discredit the Assistant Secretary of State who is actively working to bar granting visas to Jewish refugees. At the same time, Alizee's mental illness brings her to an emotional collapse. She is voluntarily committed to a sanitorium; however, two days later she checks herself out and disappears.

In 2015, Alizee's great niece Dani discovers some mysterious abstract pictures taped behind some purported pictures by Rothko and Pollock. They remind her strongly of two pictures by her great aunt that she has inherited. Alizee was never located, so no one knows what happened to her. They mystery has always intrigued Dani who tries to trace her aunt, as she also tries to prove that the mysterious pictures were her aunt's work.

The story is told by the two main characters, Dani and Alizee, each speaking from their individual present. While the overall story is tragic, the resolution was quite satisfying.

Knowing nothing of abstract art and therefore not at all able to appreciate it, I found the book quite interesting as Alizee and the other artists attempted to explain what their art was trying to express. The book also highlighted the plight of Jewish refugees attempting to emigrate to the US from 1939 and the early years of the war. The official position of the US on Jewish immigration was tragic as was the anti-Semitic stance of much of the media and vocal public. It's hard not to draw parallels to today's anti-Muslim attitudes.




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Review: Death of a Macho Man

Death of a Macho Man by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this Hamish MacBeth installment. Inspector Blair is still trying to get rid of Hamish, and he's really enjoying the fact that Hamish has been ordered off a murder investigation in his village. Of course that doesn't stop Hamish from doing some investigating of his own. And Hamish's disregard of orders puts his job on the line bigtime.

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Review: Home by Nightfall

Home by Nightfall by Charles Finch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just when Charles Lenox is sure the new detective agency is finally thriving, two events threaten its financial strength. First, Scotland Yard has hired his rival's agency to locate a missing German concert pianist, and then three clients have jumped ship because of a leak in the his agency. Lenox has little time to dwell on either event however. His brother Edmund is grieving over the sudden loss of his wife Molly so Charles heads to Lenox House in Sussex to try to cheer him up. While there, some mysterious burglaries and a vicious attack capture his attention Lenox ends up splitting his time between Sussex and London in an attempt to solve both problems.

This was a great read. Edmund took on a greater role in the unfolding of the story which was convoluted enough to keep me guessing.

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Review: Beautiful Day

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As always, Elin Hilderbrand makes me want to live on Nantucket! It's the weekend of Jenna Carmichael's dream wedding, and as it true of most weddings, crisis after crisis appears to threaten her "Beautiful Day." While the main narrator is Margot, the bride's sister, the main character in the book is actually Beth Carmichael, the bride's deceased mother. As she was dying of cancer, Beth created a notebook for Jenna which planned, down to the last detail, Jenna's wedding to as a yet unknown bridegroom. Jenna and Margot have followed the Notebook's instructions almost to the letter.

I enjoyed this book, and it was a fast "beach" read or, should I say "sitting on the deck in the sun" read. Not one of Hilderbrand's best, but quite pleasant.

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Review: Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World

Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World by Clara Parkes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of essays by Clara Parkes, knitter and yarn expert extraordinaire. This essays are reflections upon a series of trips she has taken that have had a great impact on her career and her course in life. As I read each essay, I found myself thinking that it was the best one in the book, only to read the next one and have the same reaction. There were a lot of moments of "That's it exactly!" or "I want to meet her!" as I was reading. Her writing style is conversational and gently humorous, and she has gift for making places and experiences come alive. I especially enjoyed her essays on Edinburgh and Rhinebeck, as these are two places I've been more than once.

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Review: The Woman in Blue

The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruth is contacted by Hilary Simpson, an old friend from her university days. Hilary, now a vicar, has received threatening letters from writer angry with the existence of female priests. Hilary is attending a religious conference in the small town of Walsingham, home of Catholic and Anglican shrines. Ruth suggests that Hilary share the letters with the police, especially because the writer makes reference to Walsingham and because a young woman has just been murdered there. When one of the other female priests attending the conference is murdered, the letters take on even greater significance.

In this book, the focus is not on Ruth, and although information she discovers is important to solving the crime, she is relatively uninvolved in the investigation, at least compared to other installments in the series. Harry Nelson is the character focus, and he discovers not only the murderer, but some unsettling truths about himself and his relationships with both Ruth and his wife Michelle. As always, I was fully engrossed in the book from the get-go.

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Review: The Other Woman

The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jane Ryland has lost her job as a TV anchorwoman as the result of a criminal trial gone wrong. She reluctantly accepts a job as a newspaper reporter where she's given a 6 month trial. She's relegated to puff pieces until the wife of a senatorial candidate contacts her and asks her to investigate her husband. Jane risks her new job, and her life, as she uncovers a web of political intrigue that brings her back into the orbit of Jake Brogan, a homicide detective with whom she had a brief relationship.

I found the book a little slow, until a couple of plot twists captured my attention. The last part of the book were gripping, and satisfying.

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Off the Needle

I just finished Las Cruces, a warm-weather sweater from the genius designer, Laura Nelkin.  I used Noro Taiyo Sport which is a blend of cotton, silk, wool, and nylon and of course, I purchased the yarn at Webs.  (I got the yarn on sale too!).

I really like the way the sweater turned out.  The design is part of Laura's Novus collection, and I plan on making other sweaters in the collection.

Review: The Girls of Mischief Bay

The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick easy read and came complete with expected endings, although not all endings were necessarily happy ones. They were all satisfying endings however.

Pam, Shannon, and Nicole meet through exercise class at Nicole's Pilates studio. Pam is a happily married wife of over 30 years with grown children. She is beginning to struggle with the idea of aging and is a bit restless with the routine of her life. Shannon is almost 40, a successful CFO, and still single. She is wondering if she's made the right choices in her life. Nicole has been married for a few years, but is struggling to support her family now that her husband suddenly quit his job to pursue a screenwriter's job. All three women have become fast friends, and it's their friendship that carries them through their next major life events.

I liked all three characters, but probably connected most with Pam. The author portrayed her quite realistically. This book is intended to be the first of a series of books centered in Mischief Bay, a small coastal California town just south of LA. I also liked the book because I recognized many places described in the setting. I will look for the next book in the series .

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Review: Death At Victoria Dock

Death At Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another very enjoyable entry in the Miss Fisher series.

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Adventures with Garmin

Okay, so anybody that knows me, knows that I am VERY obese (I hate that word.  I like fat better!)  They also know that I hate sweating and that exercising is very far down my list of things I enjoy doing. For years, I've tried to get into the exercise habit, and for a number of years I was fairly successful in establishing a regular routine of water aerobics and strength training.  And then I had a severe case of pneumonia and shortly after that, rheumatoid arthritis joined my life journey.  It took about 6 months before the doctors figured out what I had --- and during that time, I was so fatigued and in so much pain that it took absolutely everything I had to get through a day of teaching.  There was no way that I could manage even the simplest cardio workout.  And then of course, once you're out of the habit . . . .

Needless to say, that this past fall I started going back to water aerobics class, trying to make it at least twice a week, and feeling great when I made it to the third class each week.  But it wasn't enough.

When I went to my endocrinologist last week my A1C had increased by .7 pts, not good.  I came home and ordered a Garmin Vivosmart HR.  I can use it in the water which is why I chose that and not a Fitbit.    I received it on Saturday, and started wearing it almost immediately.  It's depressing when you can't meet the first step goal it sets, nor did I meet the next day's goal either which had dropped by 1000 steps.  However, on Monday I made my goal!  Half of the steps I needed for the day were from my water aerobics workout.  Tuesday, the goal was increased, but there was no class.  Despite the fact that I forced myself to take a  brisk 15 minute walk (that just about killed me!), I didn't make my goal.  So, yesterday the goal was reset once again.  I went to class, and by the end of the day, had met and exceeded the daily goal by about 200 steps.  Today is a no class day.  I've done a 15 minute walk and I've climbed a set of stairs 5 times.  That goal is 10 sets per day.  Since I live in a one floor living space house, the only stairs are those to the basement,  and those from the back yard to a 2nd story deck.   So I've done the deck stairs 3 times today, and the cellar stairs twice.

I find myself taking the long way around my house.  It's 47 steps from the kitchen area to the master bathroom!  So I've been bypassing the guest bathroom.  I am volunteering to go the mailbox rather than letting my husband bring the mail in  (71 steps one way).  I know that I am in a honeymoon period right now, but I am appalled at how little I move.

I am, at least for now, motivated by challenging myself.  I only worry that in a few weeks, the pool will be closed for 4 weeks, and I don't have another swim option.  I really dislike walking too since I'm surrounded by busy, hilly roads with crumbly pavement on the edges and narrow or nonexistent shoulders.  Guess I'll be climbing those stairs nonstop!

Review: Only Time Will Tell

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think this will be one of those books that I might like better once I've read the entire series. The story of Harry Clifton is told from several different points of view, and because of this, I found a lot of it too repetitious. The groundwork for the saga is being laid, but I think it was overkill. Harry is the son of Maisie Clifton, a widow of a WW1 soldier and dockworker. But is he her husband's son or is he the son of a wealthy shipping magnate? Harry earns a scholarship to a prestigious school where he becomes the best friend of his possible half-brother, and as their lives intertwine complications arise. Obviously the family saga will play out over Harry's life; this novel covered Harry's first 20 years. I did not get sufficiently attached to the story to be waiting anxiously for the next volume to be published. I will probably read it if I run across it in the library, but I probably won't remember to look for it.

Update: I read this book the first time in December 2011. My original review still stands, although I changed my rating from 2 stars to 3 this time around. I liked it better the second time around. I don't think I ever read the books that came after it. Apparently the latest volume in the saga has been published since it was on the new books display at my library. I decided to start at the beginning.

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Review: Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894

Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894 by Daniel James Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't know why I'm drawn to books about disasters, natural and human-caused. Part of my fascination with them are the individual stories of heroism that are always a part of the events. It's also the stories of the lessons we've learned as a result.

During the summer of 1894 the upper midwest was experiencing drought and extreme heat. When that was combined with poor forest management, conditions were ideal for catastrophic fires. That's exactly what happened. The town of Hinckley and a huge area around the town was destroyed by the massive firestorm. The author was motivated to investigate this fire and its circumstances because his grandfather was one of the survivors.

This book describes the event in great detail, and at times the details were hard to read. The author did a good job of explaining the science behind fire behavior, and the relationship between fire and meteorologic conditions. It was a compelling read too. I wanted to know how the individuals he researched fared.


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Review: That Old Flame of Mine

That Old Flame of Mine by J.J. Cook
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Stella Griffin has taken a temporary job as fire chief in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, a small town known for its jalepeno peppers. Her assignment is to revive and reestablish the town's volunteer fire department. She hasn't been there long before a new friend dies mysteriously in a house fire. As she investigates she also discovers that her grandfather, previously unknown to her, is the main power in the small town. Stella also discovers that she's living in a haunted cabin.
This is obviously meant as a light-hearted, even humorous series, but I felt it was trying too hard -- too many ingredients in the stew of a plot.

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Review: Just One Damned Thing After Another

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Dr. Madeleine Maxwell is recruited to join the St. Mary's Institute, an organization dedicated to historical research, she has no idea what the organization really does nor what she will be doing. When she decides to sign on, she finds out. Historical research is done first hand with very primary resources: the institute has time machines which travel back to whichever period is being researched. Her travels take her to World War I France, medieval London, and numerous other times and places. No time and place is more significant however, than the Cretaceous Period where the St. Mary's historians face a problem that is destined to have significant impact on history's timeline. St. Mary's staff is an eclectic and memorable collection of historians, scientists, and IT specialists, and there may be some staff members who are working against the institute. This is a very funny book, and it reminds me of Jasper FForde's Thursday Next series in some ways. It's the first in a series that I intend to continue reading.

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Review: Death of a Charming Man

Death of a Charming Man by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Poor Hamish! He just can't seem to catch a break. Now that he's engaged to Priscilla, she's set out to make something of him. And since the superintendent's wife is intent on becoming Priscilla's best friend, Hamish gets caught in the middle. This is another lighthearted investigation which revolves around the disappearance of lady's man who has moved into the village of Drim, one of the places on Hamish's beat. His move to the village has stirred up the women, and upset their husbands. Hamish is convinced that he's been murdered although there is little evidence to support his intuition.
Once again, MC Beaton provides some good cozy reading.

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