Books 51-54, 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Completing the Challenge

I am so happy I ran across this "52 Books in 52 Weeks" challenge! For several years I've been keeping track of titles read and aiming for at least fifty books per year.  In childhood I read much more  but adulthood brings other tasks, as we all know, so reading sometimes gets put on a back burner. Now retired, I have more time to read - if only I didn't while away so much time online!

I haven't decided whether I'll continue posting my books in 2013, but will definitely continue reading and keeping track. I might take up some of the other challenges with specific books, or I might challenge myself to read the books here at home that I've bought over the years, then pass them on to our local Friends of the Library for their book sales.

At any rate, here are the last four (for me - the first one I read was the latest of the series!) of the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson.  I hope he'll continue with this series - really fun reads! I didn't read them in order since a friend had loaned me the latest one. Then hooked, I requested the others through our online library catalog and read them as I obtained them. Each one is complete so they don't need to be read in order as long as you can keep what's going on in the friends' personal lives straight.

One of the club members dies in this story - very sad!

' Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer and her friends ... battle for her life on two fronts: before a judge and jury as her trial (for excessive force, police misconduct, & wrongful death) comes to a climax, and facing unknown adversaries who will do anything to keep her from the truth about the killings -- including killing again."

A new member of the Women's Murder Club and more killings!

More killings, more exciting events, and a new love interest for one of the friends!

Books 42-44 52 Books in 52 Weeks

The Women's Murder Club

James Patterson

After reading the latest, The 11th Hour, and enjoying it so much, I had to try to find the first 10 in this exciting mystery series!

Here's the introduction to the series from Patterson's website:

Women's Murder Club

Lindsay Boxer, Cindy Thomas, Claire Washburn and Jill Bernhardt, the stars of 1st to Die and 2nd Chance, are the founding members of the Women's Murder Club. Later, in 4th of July, Yuki Castellano joins the Club. Together, they solve crimes in their home city of San Francisco, and often meet up to talk about clues and life over Mexican food and drinks at Susie's.

All I've read so far are told from Lindsay Boxer's point-of-view.

A serial killer is stalking and murdering newlyweds on their honeymoon. San Francisco Homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer takes the case and along the way meets three other women–a lawyer, a reporter, and the city medical examiner. Joining forces to solve this gruesome crime, the Women's Murder Club is born.

When family members of San Francisco cops are found dead, Detective Lindsay Boxer, Medical examiner Claire Washburn, reporter Cindy Thomas and Assistant D.A. Jill Bernhardt are faced with a tough case. As the killer looks for his next victim, the women must quickly track him down before he kills again.

The first batch I got from the public library didn't include Bks. 3-5, so I've had to skip to number 6. 

Someone opens fire on unsuspecting pedestrians and one of the Women's Murder Club is caught in the middle. As she struggles for her life, the others must work fast to track down the madman. In another part of the city, somebody is targeting children and their nannies. As the kidnappers await their ransom, Lindsay and company are faced with finding the mastermind before more children are harmed.

In this one, Yuki, not Jill, is the Assistant D.A.. Can hardly wait to get 3-5 so I can find out what happened to Jill!

Book 41 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Book 41

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Sails on the Horizon

A Novel of the Napoleonic Wars

Jay Worrall

2005

Exciting times at sea with the British Navy!

A bit of background from the Foreword:

"The era often thought as the napoleonic wars covers a period of roughly twenty-two years, from February 1, 1793, when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain, to June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo.  This was a titanic struggle - arguably the first worldwide war - between France, western Europe's most populous country, and Great Britain, the world's richest.  Napoleon Bonaparte, whose personality and abilities came to dominate the period, does not become a prominent figure until about 1799."

This story features twenty-five-year-old Charles Edgemont, a second lieutenant aboard HMS Argonaut, the smallest ship in the British line of battle in 1797.  Sent into an all-but-suicidal maneuver to cut off the escape of Spanish ships, Charles leads his gun crews bravely - until the deaths of the captain and the first lieutenant elevate him to command of the stricken vessel.  

Thanks to the prize purse awarded him by the Admiralty after the fight, Charles becomes wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. While home on medical leave from his injuries during the battle he's able to help his brother save the family estate, heavily in debt after the recent death of his father. He also meets a young woman, Penelope Brown, with whom he falls in love.  Penelope is a Quaker who regards war as sinful and soldiers as little better than murderers, so Charles has a hard time convincing her to marry him! He is also elevated to the rank of Commander and given charge of another ship, which leads to further battles and adventures. 

Looking forward to the second book in this series: Any Approaching Enemy: a Novel of the Napoleonic Wars.  Alas, from what I've found, there is no third - at least not yet!

Book 40 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Book 40

52 Books in 52 Weeks

The Forgotten Affairs of Youth

Alexander McCall Smith

2011

Another Alexander McCall Smith book - oh, my! Love them!

"In this latest installment of the beloved Isabel Dalhousie series, our inquisitive heroine helps a new friend discover the identity of her father..

Isabel and her fiance know who they are and where they come from.  But not everybody is so fortunate.  Jane Cooper, a visiting Australian philosopher on sabbatical in Edinburgh, has more questions than answers.  Adopted at birth, Jane is trying to find her biological father, but all she knows about him is that he was a student in Edinburgh years ago.  When she asks for Isabel's help in this seemingly impossible search ......... well, of course Isabel obliges.

But Isabel also manages to find time for her own concerns: her young son, Charlie, already walking and talking; her housekeeper, Grace, whose spiritualist has lately been doubling as a financial advisor; her niece Cat's latest relationship; and the pressing question of when and how Isabel and Jamie should finally get married.

Should the forgotten affairs of youth be left in the past, or can the memories help us understand the present?  In her inimitable way, Isabel leads us to a new understanding of the meaning of family." 

There are seven more in this series, this one the latest. The first one is The Sunday Philosophy Club. Who knew that Philosophy and philosophers could be so entertaining?! If you've read any of McCall Smith's books, you'll no doubt enjoy these too.  Of course, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is probably the most well-known, but it's very easy to get attached to the characters in each of his series.  I just hope he keeps on writing!

The Cross-Country Quilters - Book 29 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

The Cross-Country Quilters

An Elm Creek Quilts Novel

by Jennifer Chiaverini

2001

Another in the Elm Creek Quilts series, this one focuses on a group of five quilters who meet and become friends during their first time at Elm Creek Quilt Camp.  Just before they leave, they promise to return the following year and, as a token, they each take a piece of the same fabric with which to make a block for a quilt they'll complete when they meet again. 

"A group of five far-flung friends has come to Elm Creek Quilt Camp, pledged to complete a "challenge quilt" - symbolic of each woman's personal goals - in one year's time.  An aging starlet, a successful engineer, a mother of two, a renowned curator of antique  quilts, and a sunny soul with a tragic past, they hope to find in their quilt lessons an escape from the problems they left at home.  As the year goes by, their bonds are tested by the demands of daily life.  But despite differences in age, race, and background, the friends' love for quilting and affection for one another unite them in a patchwork of caring and acceptance, reminding them that the strength of friendship can transcend any obstacle."

52 Books in 52 Weeks - Book 28: Cat Women

Cat Women

female writers on their feline friends

edited by Megan McMorris

2007

For cat lovers!

"Part diva, part purring furball, cats always keep you wondering.  Are they happy to see you? Mad at the world? Cats are subtle little comics, rubbing against your legs when you'd forgotten they were in the room, purring in your ear in the middle of the night.  What is it about these sly, droll, and unpredictable creatures that captivates us? And what's the deal with the whole crazy cat lady stereotype anyway?

From a tale about how rescuing a stray cat ended up saving a friendship to an unapologetic piece by a confirmed - and proud! - crazy cat lady, the essays in Cat Women range from thought-provoking and heartrending to laugh-out-loud funny, all delving into the many ways these often aloof little divas touch our lives."

The editor, Megan McMorris, is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon.

James Herriot's Animal Stories - Book 26 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Book 26

James Herriot's Animal Stories

Introduction by Jim Wight

Illustrated by Lesley Holmes

1997

For those who loved James Herriot's books: All Creatures Great and Small, All things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing, perhaps some of these stories will seem familiar. They did first appear in one of the above-mentioned books, but they're well worth reading again.  The introduction by Herriot's son, Jim Wight, is interesting too.

He says, " James Herriot had the rare ability to turn everyday happenings into a compelling read with the use of uncomplicated words delivered with maximum effect.  His stories are very largely about that fascinating subject, Human Nature, and they were written by one of life's keenest observers.  He watched, he understood, and most importantly, he preserved in print the thoughts of a compassionate and humorous man.  James Herriot's tales are not primarily about animals, they are about people." 

This charming new collection brings together ten of James Herriot's best-loved stories celebrating all the creatures of his wonderful world.  Here are lambs, horses, cows, dogs, even a whimsical pig or two, along with their colorful human counterparts, all brought vividly to life by Herriot's storytelling magic.

The Aloha Quilt - Book 25 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

52 Books in 52 Weeks

The Aloha Quilt

An Elm Creek Quilts novel

by Jenniver Chiaverini

2010

Another good story in the Elm Creek Quilts series! 

If you like quilting or just a good story, these are always interesting, Each can stand alone, but the enjoyment is enhanced if you know more of the  "back story".  Each book features a different member of the Elm Creek Quilters group.

Espresso Tales - Book 24 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Book 24

Espresso Tales

Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, The Sunday Philosophy Club series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series.  He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and was a law professor at the University of Botswana and at Edinburgh University.  He lives in Scotland.

Espresso Tales brings back several of our "favorite denizens of a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh: Bertie, Bruce, Pat, Domenica," and more.  Each is featured in his or her own 'tale', and we feel like we know them as we follow their stories.

"Full of McCall Smith's gentle humor and sympathy for his characters, Espresso Tales is an affectionate portrait of a city and its people who, in the author's own words, 'make it one of the most vibrant and interesting places in the world'."

Happy Mothers' Day - and Book 20 - Bob Schieffer's America

Happy Mothers' Day!


Two Beautiful Mothers

My Mother-in-Law
Elsie

My Mother
Lucille

Both lived very long lives: my mother until she was 96 -1/2, and Elsie over 92 years. These photos are both from around the same period : late 1930s or early 1940s. Both loved to read!

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Book 20

Bob Schieffer's America

by Bob Schieffer

2008

A book of short essays on a variety of topics arranged in 12 larger categories, most of which were used as the closing words on Schieffer's CBS weekly show. There is also some new writing and some notes of updated information regarding some of the essay topics.  These are interesting, and especially easy to read in short spurts of reading time since each essay is very short - but pithy.

"No one had done commentaries for CBS since Eric Sevareid's retirement in 1977, when, in April 1994, Bob Schieffer decided his show that week on the death of Richard Nixon needed a few closing words to put the subject into context.  The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, and he had been doing them ever since.  Bob Schieffer's America brings together 168 of his best essays -- from the hard issues of today (2008) to the human stories that show us who we are -- along with a wealth of brand-new material.  These essays speak to us all." 

52 Books in 52 Weeks - Book 19: Cain His Brother

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Cain His Brother

A Novel by Anne Perry

1996

" We have read each other as Cain his brother"

G.K. Chesterton

"Victoria's London was the queen of the universe, a dazzling city from whose magnificent mansions and discreetly luxurious clubs flowed the strategies that built the greatest empire ever known.  Meanwhile, the city's poor suffered and died in hopeless obscurity.  Inspector William Monk believes he knows his city's best and worst -- until the day Genevieve Stonefield comes to plead with him to find her missing husband.  Angus Stonefield had been gentle and loving in his family life; in his relationship with his twin brother, Caleb, a virtual saint.  Now he is missing -- and it appears more than possible that Caleb has murdered him.  As Monk inches toward the truth, he also  moves unwittingly towards the destruction of his good name and livelihood."

Another in the William Monk series, this has several interesting strands, along with the central story of Angus and Caleb.  My husband did not like the ending at all - thought it was too contrived.  I felt the author may have begun with the ending, or at least the premise of the ending, and then figured out how the plot would work. It's always interesting to peek into the world of Victorian London.  It wouldn't have been such a good time for a woman, even a married woman such as Mrs. Stonefield.  While her husband was merely "missing" she could do nothing with or about his business.  She and her children would have become destitute or had to seek the protection of other family members.  As she explained to William Monk, she needed to know if her husband was dead - or still alive somewhere!

About The Author

Anne Perry's other William Monk novels include The Face of a Stranger, A Dangerous Mourning, Defend and Betray, A Sudden, Fearful Death, and The Sins of the Wolf.  She is also the author of fifteen novels, beginning with The Cater Street Hangman, in another Victorian mystery series featuring Inspector Thomas Pitt and his wife Charlotte, the most recent of which is Traitor's Gate.

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Book 18

Body of Evidence

by Lenora Worth

 "When Texas Ranger Anderson Michaels goes undercover at an animal rescue farm in Texas Hill Country, he lands right in owner Jennifer Rodger's path.  Before long, he realizes that tracking down his target - a deadly drug-trafficking ring that was responsible for the murder of his captain - may be easier than winning this jaded woman's trust.  Experience has taught Jennifer to keep her distance from adventure seekers.  But her life will depend on her ability to push aside her fears - and trust Anderson to keep her safe."

Light reading for sure - a nice quick read!

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Books 16 & 17

Book # 16 

Morality for Beautiful Girls

by Alexander McCall Smith

More from The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency!  In Morality for Beautiful Girls, Precious Ramotswe, founder and owner of Botswana's only detective agency for the "concerns of both ladies and others", investigates the alleged poisoning of the brother of an important "Government Man', and the moral character of the finalists of the Miss Beauty and Integrity Contest, the winner of which will almost certainly be a contestant for the title of Miss Botswana.  Meanwhile, the agency is having money problems, and when unexpected difficulties arise at the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, she discovers that her fiance, the reliable Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, is more complicated than he seems.

In the others of this delightful series that I've read, Precious Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are already married, so this is an earlier story, even if written later.  I need to check the dates of the others!  One other part that really interested me is that her assistant, Mme. Makutsi, always seems a bit less competent than Mma. Ramotswe in the other stories.  In this one, however, she shows her talents at both detection and management!  

Always enjoy any and all of Alexander McCall Smith's books! In addition to the huge international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, Alexander McCall Smith is the author of The Sunday Philosophy Club series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, The Girl Who Married a Lion, and 44 Scotland Street.  He was born in what is now Zimbabwe and taught law at the University of  Botswana and Edinburgh University.  He lives in Scotland and returns regularly to Botswana.

Book #17

Smith College Class of 1962

50th Reunion Book

1962: Reflect, Relive, Rejoice!

While not a "regular:" book, this 50th Reunion special publication from my college is fascinating to read! I'm not planning to attend the reunion, although I have attended a few times over the years, and have very fond memories of my years in Northampton, Massachusetts.  Some of my best friends are classmates, even if we rarely see each other.

This 327 page book, which I've pretty much devoured cover-to-cover, contains something about each member of the Class of 1962, with very few exceptions - a few "lost" members.  The Senior photo of each is included, along with contact information and whatever other details the person cared to share - further education, professional &/or volunteer life, family, and more.  Each of us was invited - indeed urged - to send in a more recent photo and a brief essay about our life now and/or through the past 50 years.

When first flipping through the book, I was fascinated to see all the Senior photos and realize that "we all looked alike"!  I hadn't realized how accustomed we have become to our multi-cultural and very diverse current world - in stark contrast to the student body and the world we lived in fifty years ago.  After looking up all my special friends, I found myself reading everyone else's essays too.  It's so interesting to read about the lives of these several hundred classmates!  So sad to read about some who lived such short lives. What a wonderful project!  I'm so happy I sent in my photo and little essay and that so many others did too! I really appreciate all who worked so hard to bring this book to us, the Smith College Class of 1962!

Book 6 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks

The Almost Moon

 Alice Sebold (2007)

If you read The Lovely Bones a few years ago, you'd surely want to read this one, just to see if Sebold's writing continues to make such compelling reading!

"For years Helen Knightly has given her life to others: to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and now grown children.  When she finally reaches her limit and crosses a terrible boundary, the world comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined.  Unfolding over the course of a single day, this searing, fast-paced novel explores the complex ties within families, the wages of devotion, and the line between love and hate.  It is an unsettling, moving, gripping story, written with the fluidity and strength of voice that only Alice Sebold can bring to the page.

Alice Sebold is also the author of The Lovely Bones, a novel, and Lucky, a memoir.  She lives in California with her husband, novelist Glen David Gold.

52 Books in 52 Weeks - oh, so late this week!

The Twisted Root, by Anne Perry

"In a stunning feat of the imagination, Anne Perry encloses readers within the magic circle of her genius and brings to life the lost world of England's Victorian Age.  Hoofbeats clatter on cobblestones, gaslight glimmers through fog, and powerful men and women live the splendor and shame of that matchless era.  With The Twisted Root, Perry holds us rapt with a chilling story of love, betrayal, and consummate evil.  

Young Lucius Stourbridge pleads to private investigator William Monk for help in tracking down his runaway fiancee.  Miriam Gardner disappeared suddenly from a croquet party at the Bayswater mansion of her in-laws-to-be.  But on Hampstead Heath, Monk finds the coach in which Miriam had fled and, nearby, the murdered body of the coachman.  There is no trace of Miriam." 

With the help of nurse Hester Latterly, whom Monk has recently married, and barrister Oliver Rathbone the challenging mystery is finally solved!

If you enjoy Victorian detective stories, you'll enjoy reading Anne Perry. Along with the Hester and William Monk books, she also writes popular novels featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt.  In both series, the wives are instrumental in solving the cases.

This article (link below) I recently read from the NY Times online, about an officer who used his iPhone to catch a thief who'd stolen someone's iPhone, mentions "long-winded Victorian detective novel(s)" - pretty funny, I thought, as I was reading Anne Perry!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/nyregion/pursuing-iphone-thief-officer-knew-buttons-to-push.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

"As crime-solving tools go, it may not have the same pedigree as, say, the oversize magnifying glass. But with apologies to Sherlock Holmes, an iPhone — specifically, the iPhone 4 — proved quite useful in helping police officers track down a robber on Thursday in Manhattan.

And at a pace that may shock any reader of a long-winded Victorian detective novel, it was all wrapped up within a half-hour."

Looking forward to my next Victorian detective novel!

Book #4 Tigerlily's Orchids

Book #4

Tigerlily's Orchids, by Ruth Rendell

Having read Portobello in December, I wanted to read another of Ruth Rendell's books.  She's won numerous awards, including three Edgars, the highest accolade from Mystery Writers of America, as well as three Gold Daggers, a Silver Dagger, and a Diamond Dagger for outstanding contribution to the genre from England's prestigious Crime Writer's Association.  A member of the House of Lords, she lives in London.

Tigerlily's Orchids

When Stuart Font decides to throw a housewarming party in his new flat, he invites all the people in his building -- three flippant young girls, a lonely spinster, a man with a passion for classical history, and a woman determined to drink herself to death.  After some deliberation, he even includes the unpleasant caretaker and his wife. He considers inviting a few other friends, but he definitely does not want his lover, Claudia, in attendance, as he would also have to invite her lawyer husband.  As it turns out, the party will be one everyone remembers.

Living in a town house opposite Stuart's building, in reclusive isolation, is a young, beautiful Asian woman known as Tigerlily.  As though from some strange urban fairy tale, she emerges infrequently to exert a terrible spell.  And Stuart's parents, always worried about their handsome, hopelessly naive, and undermotivated son, have even more cause for concern.

Darkly humorous, piercingly insightful about human behavior, Ruth Rendell, whom People magazine calls "one of the remarkable novelists of her generation," has created an extraordinarily compelling story of our lives and crimes.

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Book Three: The Glass Castle 

by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant.  When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive.  Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves.  They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York.  Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle is truly astonishing - a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.

Hard to put it down once I'd started!

Jeannette Walls lives in Virginia and is married to the writer John Taylor.  The Glass Castle won the 2005 Elle Readers' Prize, the 2006 American Library Association Alex Award, a Christopher Award, a Books for a Better Life Award, was a New York Times Notable Book, and was more than three years on the New York Times Bestseller List.

52 Books in 52 Weeks

I've decided to participate in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge for 2012. I've been keeping track of the books I've read the past few years, aiming for at least 50 per year. Usually I just keep a list by author and title, but for this challenge I'll include a bit more information. Hope I can keep it up all year! I've been reading a lot of mysteries lately, so I'll aim for more variety this year.

1. Steeplechase: a Homer Kelly Mystery, by Jane Langton

St. Martin's Press (Thomas dunne Books), New York. 2005

"Strange or not, Homer and Mary are soon engaged in a steeplechase, a pursuit of the mysterious lost church. Luckily, the reader is in on the mystery.  This sequel to The Deserter; Murder at Gettysburg is set in 1868 in the town of Nashoba, Massachusetts, where the daughter of the Reverend Josiah Gideon cares for her husband, James, brutally disfigured in the last battle of the Civil War.  In the parsonage across the town green, the Reverend Horatio Biddle fumes at what he considers to be Josiah's brazen ways, while Mrs. Biddle spies on the outhouse in Josiah's backyard.

Central to the story is a gigantic tree, the Great Nashoba Chestnut.  Crucially intermingled with its fate are a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes, the story "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," and the nonsense rhymes of Mother Goose.  Home and Mary Kelly will once again delve deep into the past to unravel puzzles in the present.

This novel includes charming drawings by the author and a number of nineteenth-century photographs.

Jane Langton, winner of the Bouchercon's 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award, is the author of seventeen other mysteries, all starring Homer and Mary Kelly.  Most are illustrated with her drawings of the real places where her fictional events happen.  She also writes children's books, notably the ongoing Hall Family Chronicles.  She writes, gardens, and carries rocks in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

2. Mr. Monk and The Two Assistants, a Novel by Lee Goldberg

New American Library (Obsidian Books), New York. 2007

Welcome to the series of all-new original mysteries starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something's out of place.....

Former assistant, Sharona's back in San Francisco, ready to reclaim her place in Monk's life -- much to the chagrin of his current assistant, Natalie.

Strangely enough, right after I read this little book I saw one of the old tv series which included both assistants! It wasn't the same story as this book, but it was so funny for that episode to pop up right after I read this!