Sometimes an OK novel is just OK. That's how I feel about Ann Patchett's novel, Whistler. It's heartwarming, a nice story. I prefer thrillers, so I missed the page-turner, fast pace. In this story, a stepdad reunites with his stepdaughters. He always loved them, especially the oldest, Daphne. They reconnect and reminise.
The dialogue is excellent. It's nice.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware is called a psychological thriller. To me it means that the protagonist, Lauren, will drive you crazy. Laura is a travel journalist and is assigned to a weeklong trip aboard a new cruise ship. The owner and friends are aboard.
Everything is fine until Laura needs to borrow mascara. She gets some from a woman in Cabin 10. Really, who would use someone else mascara. Gross. Conjunctivitis in the making! Never borrow lipstick or anything to do with eyes. Laura doesn't catch bacteria, she catches trouble!
No one is in Cabin 10. Not only that, Laura is awaken in the night by someone being thrown overboard, from Cabin 10. But no passengers are missing. There is a mystery and Laura won't leave it alone.
I found her annoying. First, she is mugged and won't stay home alone and won't leave the house.!!??? Her boyfriend gives up a fantastic job opportunity to be with her, and she doesn't want to marry him. Yes, she's crazy and admittedly she has been treated for mental health issues. That means through the entire story you wonder if it's her having a mental episode, or is there really a murder. The story keeps you guessing.
I'm a believer. I have finished reading Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspe. My liver doctor, Dr. Viveiros, recommended this book. I bought it--literally--hook, line, and sinker. I also bought the author's recipe book.
It's worked for me. No more afternoon naps because my glucose level doesn't crash. I've lost weight. I sleep better. And I didn't have to diet, rather just re-order what I ate. Jessie says to eat the vegetables first. It gets the digestive system moving and although she doesn't say you get fuller quicker, you do. Usually, I can't finish my meal because I'm full.
Another hack is to drink apple cider vinegar in water. Yuk! But I can drink Dennissimo vinegar in water--yum.
Of course, I keep up my gym membership.
I found Glucose Revolution life changing.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio was one of my book club's monthly reads. It certainly was different than my usual fare. It was entertaining, comedic, apropos to today's dating scene, where there're online dating, dating in a minute meetups, etc.
The idea is that every time a man enters the attic, he comes down a different man. At first, the main character, Lauren is curious, and keeps sending rejects up the ladder to the attic. However, she finds a good husband that she wants to keep, but he accidently goes up into the attic!
Then there's the time, one of the husbands falls out of the attic, down the steps, and is incapacitated for months! He, understanderedly, never wants to go up the steps, again. What a scene to push him back up into the attic!
There is a conclusion to this never ending supply of husbands. Lauren does not pick the man she falls in love with, nor one she can he live with, or the richest, or anything at all. She takes what she's left with, lives with it, and makes the best of it. After all, that may be what we all do.
If you enjoy time travel, then Down Pinhole by Glenn Cooper is the book for you. Down Pinhole is the first in a trilogy. The story begins with Emily, a physicist, who is working on a space collider. When the machine is put to the maximum test, Emily is gone and in her place is a man from another time and place. Emily's boyfriend, John, volunteers to go in and get her back.
Where she went wasn't really in time. It's a place--hell. It's interesting to see who's there and their story. It's an interesting mix of science, history, fantasy, and horror.
The end was a surprise because I wasn't expecting it, yet, it had to be, because there's another in the Down series.
This probably is the last book in the series of The Library of the Dead. However, the book ends with the mother pregnant again with another ancient scribe. So? I'm writing about The Keepers of the Library by Glenn Cooper. Will Piper, the supposedly retired NY cop/FBI agent, is the protagonist. His teenage son runs to a girlfriend, in Scotland. They met online. Unfortunately, her family keeps him. Will takes off to get him back. As usual, in Cooper's books, the action is crazy fast. The armies of three countries get involved. They are all after the library.
The library continues past the dates, everyone thought was the end of the world. Even more surprising is the diary of Benjamin Franklin, which the family had. Evidently, Franklin was there three centuries ago. Franklin was concerned with the American Revolution and set up of a new government. Will saves Franklin's diary too.
The Physician of Nineveh by Glenn Cooper has something for everyone. It has history. It has romance. It is an action thriller. It has fantasy. It has science. It has time travel. It has a happy ending--for all.
The major characters are a physician from the seventh century, BC, and a scholar specializing in Assyriology, Kate Mayne, from the twenty-first century, AD. They meet through time-travel.
See, Mannu the Assyrian physician uses black magic to travel through time, to find a cure for King Ashurbanipa's favorite concubine. He lands in London, where Kate finds him. Kate, scholar, that she is, thinks her dreams have come true. The drama comes in when the King's enemies follow Mannu to make sure he doesn't succeed in his quest.
The story is different, and like I said, it has everything.
Thank God, I'm here and now, not living during the times of the novel, The Calamity Club by Kathern Stockett. The depression era was hard, but the degradation Blacks, women, children, and those intellectually challenged, had to endure, broke my heart.
The story in The Calamity Club tells it all. The limited job opportunities, women had no choice, but to accept. How orphans were treated. How Blacks were treated. And I learned a new vocabulary word--miscegenation.
Miscegenation: Derived from Latin miscere ("to mix") and genus ("race"); historically used in laws banning interracial marriage
The story begins with a little girl, Meg, being left alone. Her mother didn't come home. Eventually, she is sent to an orphanage, that must have been inspired by Charles Dickens. The people in that town, the boss lady, Garnett, volunteers, Birdie and Frances, and the people who eventually adopt Meg, are all unforgettable people. I loved all the characters.
In fact, I love everything about the book.
The Gate House by Nelson DeMille is a sequel to The Gold Coast. I didn't read The Gold Coast, so the characters are new to me. I don't usually read novels in order, except for Louise Penny's Three Pine mysteries. Books call me by name at Library Book Sales, Yard Sales, free tables--here and there, gifts, and handed over, by friends. My friends know I'm on a Nelson DeMille kick, now, so The Gate House was given to me.
I never quite got the geography of exactly where the gate house was located, on the estate. But I didn't worry about it because I thought it was an unnecessary complication, in the plot. I still think so. The main character, John Sutter has returned home, after ten years. A family servant, friend, and client has died. John lived with her for a while, was her lawyer, and friend.
He had left, in the first place, because he was divorced from his unfaithful wife, who had murdered her lover, who was John's client, who was also a mafioso.
Following?
Capice?
John is back. It turns out that as soon as John and his ex see each other, they resume their relationship and plan to remarry. However, if they do remarry, the in-laws will retract their financial support, which is considerable. But that's minor, compared to the problem of the mafioso's son, who wants revenge.
That's the plot. It's a big book. But I took my time reading the story and I did enjoy it.
There are many stories of people searching for the Holy Grail. This is supposedly the very cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper. The Resurrection Maker by Glenn Cooper is another story searching for the Holy Grail.
The main character, Arthur Mallory, is a descendent of Thomas Mallory--a direct descendant, mind you. The male descendants all have an extra rib, as does Arthur. Thomas Mallory wrote about King Arthur. Born into the Mallory family and Arthurian lore, Arthur belongs to a club, called the Loons. They are all Arthurian devotees. One day, a friend of Arthur's, from the Loons, asks Arthur to come to dinner with him. He said he had something to tell him. But before he did, the friend and his wife were killed, and Arthur was wounded.
Of course, this had to be about something he had found, that Arthur would be interested in. Arthur back tracked his friend's recent travels, conversations with friends, and diaries and papers left in his office. Arthur deduces that what he found had to do with the Holy Grail. His travels and extensive stays were in Montserrat and Barcelona.
Arthur fortunately lost his job, with a generous severance. So, he sets off to see what his friend found. Arthur also notices that he is being followed. Then another Loon is murdered. What's going on?
Enters Claire. She has come to warn Arthur that he is in danger. So, the two of them set off to Montserrat. Claire informs Arthur that he's being followed by the Khem. The Khem is a ancient, secret society after the Holy Grail. They are unscrupulous and murderous.
Hence, the chase is on. Arthur and Claire unwitting the Khem, are looking for the Holy Grail. The leads go the Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família in Barcelona.
To me, this was the best part. Cooper's explanation and descriptions of the basilica fascinated me. Should I tell you, dear reader, that Arthur and Claire find the Holy Grail, fall in love, and live happily ever after? Ha! Think again.
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence is a spiritual classic. Everyone says so, especially Pope Leo XIV. I have about four or five copies, in my bookcase. So, I must have read them, correct? Then, why don't I remember anything I learned from The Practice of the Presence of God?
So, I reread one of those books. It didn't take me long to realize why I didn't remember reading the book. It's boring. It's not telling you anything you don't know. Like kids say, DUH!
The theme is to rely on God. Trust Him, in all things. Accept everything that comes along--good and bad, as part of God's plan. Abandon your own wants and stay focused on God.
A life of continuous mindfulness and divine connection is what God wants.
Book of Souls by Glenn Cooper is the second in the series featuring Will Piper. I highly recommend reading the first in the series, Library of the Dead, otherwise I don't think you will understand the story. I did read Library of the Dead and was glad to connect the dots.
In the Book of Souls, Will get caught up in finding a missing book, that was one of the ones written in Library of the Dead. He was trying to help a couple of FBI colleagues. They were retired, as he was. But one of them, made a deal with Will that involved too much money--a deal he couldn't refuse.
In getting the book back and solving the mystery the book led Will to, he encounters medieval letters from Shakespeare, John Calvin, and Nostradamus. Of course, this is all a violation of the agreement Will made with the government. Will almost gets killed. But his wife, Nancy, saves him.
Good, because there's a sequel. Stay tuned.
Death Sits Down to Dinner by Tessa Arlen is a turn of the twentieth century mystery novel. It begins with an invitation to a birthday dinner for Winston Churchill's 39th birthday. I'll start off with a bit of a spoiler. This was a botched assassination attempt on Winston Churchill. Unfraternally, another guest, from an important family, and who looks like Winston Churchill from behind, is murdered. Lady Montfort is a guest and an amateur detective.
Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson, the housekeeper, solve the mystery. Lady Montfort would not presume to poke her nose downstairs, at the gossip and goings-on, of the help, but Mrs. Jackson can and does. That's how the two ladies put two and two together to solve the problem.
If you enjoy historical settings, you will enjoy the Edwardian setting and mores. It took me awhile to get everyone straight. I had to put a bookmark on the list of characters, so I could refer back. Whenever I read about families with servants, I always think the servants are more interesting. They also had more fun. The upstairs/downstairs focus was certainly intriguing.
This book is so timely, I don't know why it's not more popular. Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro is a guide to keeping your sanity while being bombarded by TV, radio, video clips, podcasts, newspapers, magazines, blogs, tweets, Facebook, etc. vying to get your attention. Bilbro describes how all this attention-getting information affects us. It's too much, too loud. and all-together too mis-leading, making us judge--too fast.
Bilbro recommends that we approach everything with "sancta indifferentia." IOW, "holy indifference." In thinking about this, I think "sancta indifferentia," is how I approach my favorite mysteries. I love reading Louise Penny mysteries. I am interested, very interested in the crime. But I'm not intensely upset by the crime because, well, I know it's fiction, besides Inspector Armand Gamache will solve the mystery. The same with Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. That's how to approach the news. Distance yourself; you can't do anything about it; it's part of God's plan; it's karma; it's kismet, it's cosmic justice, ca sera sera.
Another recommendation is to balance what you read with the opposite view. Watch liberal and conservative news. M er Iran, I wondered how come they're still shooting at our planes and ships. So, I turned the channel to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera was claiming victory over America. Finally, I turned to BBC and got the "bare-boned" news. The conflict was still on-going. The USA was bombing all the military targets it could, and Iran had mined and closed the Strait of Hormuz. So, who's winning? Well, let's call it a draw. It's stalemated.
Back to "sancta indifferentia." Does it matter to you? What can you do about it? This too shall pass. Ca sera sera. Don't get your knickers into a knot!
There are some people who are just incapable, unwilling, to read opposing views. Bilbro said they are too entrenched in their identifying "tribe," "group," "party," "people." They are incredulous that anybody could possibly disagree with their interpretation of "whatever." If you showed them facts proving the opposite, they would not believe it. They think the facts are falsehoods to trick you into thinking the opposite of what they believe.
God bless them.
Speaking of God, Jeffrey Bilbro is a Senior Elder in his Luteran Church. So, he recommends aligning oneself with reasonable, good, God-centered people. They will help you keep your sanity. Read what they read, listen to, and watch what your "tribe" does. Start discussion groups. You don't have to be a church goer. Join a book club of like-minded, open people. Read different books to discuss. Have a Discussion group, like the Franklin Senior Center has. They conduct polite conversations on contemporary issues. Have each member subscribe to different periodicals and talk about their readings. Make sure to pass around and leave these magazines on the table, in the Senior Center. As the author concludes, "...reading the news isn't good in and of itself, but ...it can be an instrumental good to journeying well with our Christian and non-Christian neighbors."
Yes, I'm racing through another Glenn Cooper thriller. This one is The Tenth Chamber. It's about a French archeologist who stumbles upon a cave with pre-historic paintings that make Lascaux caves primitive. Well, they both are primitive, but the ones at Ruac are still vibrant in color, movement and variety. The only problem is the town's people. They're really odd--really. That's the problem. The town doesn't want the publicity and there are plenty of reason why they don't.
Luc, the major character has his hands full when too many accidents happen. He gets pulled off the job. His best friend gets killed. Are they all accidents? I don't think so--too coincidental.
One good thing about being sick is people understand that you can't go out and about. Good. I can stay home and read. Since I've discovered Glenn Cooper and Cal Donovan, I've don't have to look around or wonder what to read next.
Next was The Debt. Since I love history, Catholic history, conspiracy, thrillers, and intrigue, I loved this book. Cal Donovan in his research has discovered that the Vatican hasn't paid a centuries old debt. The interest would do more than choke a cow. No way could it ever be paid. But before I go into the arrangements to pay off the debt in a way to satisfy all parties, I have to tell you why I was interested.
It's silly. Still. The story begins with the Vatican kidnapping of Jason Sassoon. The year is 1848. Europe is in turmoil. The pope has been routed out of Rome. Napoleon is threatening. The cardinals need money to hire soldiers to defend the church - they're desperate. They can't ask the Rothchild's, again, they have to go to another. Why would a rival of the Rothchild's, the Sassoon's help? They would pay to get their son back. This is the start. But what caught my attention was the name Sassoon. That's the name of a hair salon in Boston. My favorite hairstyle was a Sassoon cut.
Cal Donovan discovers this debt and Pope Celestine wants to pay it back but the church has no money. No one has that kind of money. And the Sassoon family is split into the good Sassoon's and the bad Sassoon's. The good are agreeable. The bad are scheming money hounds. Fortunately, the good ones hold the majority vote in the business.
So far, I like the endings in Cooper's Vatican novels. They're satisfactory. All the lines come together and are tied up neatly.
Since I've been sick all week, I was looking for books to read. I saw Covenant of the Dead by Glenn Cooper on Facebook. The Boston locale, murdered nuns, and it looked like a series. Have I found a new Three Pines Mysteries?
I hope so. I could just picture the locales. Been there, many times. The major characters are Sister Elisabetta Celestino and Cal Donovan. Boston Police Detectives Santos and Trinh, are important, too.
Three nuns are murdered and there was nothing stolen except their rosaries. Eli (Sister Elisabetta) and Cal pay a visit to the nuns. Then in the Boston Globe, there's news that the murderer is a priest with a red nose. That fits the description of only one priest and he's accused. He suspiciously dies before going to trial.
Eli and Cal pay a visit to the medium that said a priest with a red nose did it. There's a picture above the mantel of Arthur Conan Doyle--think Sherlock Holmes. It seems he had been to this very house and had a seance.
That was over a hundred years ago and the Bostonians rioted to have these necromancers out of their city. A riot broke out and the medium's four children burned to death. She blamed the nuns because they were very vocal with their rosaries and singing. Mmmmmm. Keep that in mind.
More tragedy to the medium's family. Her husband and only remaining child were in a car accident. Husband died and the daughter had to have her legs amputated. This is the daughter who earns her living doing seances.
Meanwhile, back in academia (Eli and Cal are professors at Harvard Divinity School). They contact people in the know to look up Arthur Conan Doyle and Boston seance. Their research also uncovers similar nuns' deaths, dating back a hundred years. After putting two and two together, rather parenthetical equations, the answer is revealed.
That's not the end. This is a thriller. Now that you know who and how, you better move fast to stop more murders.
This is another Book Club recommendation, A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci. The calamity is the mix of morality between races. This is set in the American South of the 1960's. Segregation had just ended and is grudging, not accepted, but rather enforced by law. People still automatically kept the same roles as before segregation ended. Blacks automatically sat in the back of the bus, went into back doors, and didn't mix.
The story begins with a black man, Jerome, being arrested for the murder of his two white employers. Immediately, the reader sees the language and treatment, the accused endures. Jerome's mother-in-law asks Jack Lee to be his attorney. They know each other and live in the same town, albeit different segregated neighborhoods.
Jack knows he doesn't have the skill nor experience to win the case, but he was willing to give it his best. In walks Desiree DuBose, a hot shot civil rights lawyer from Chicago. Plus, she's black. Together they try to defend Jerome.
This book should be recommended reading for high school history/literature classes. I was alive then and had forgotten how bad it really was. It was bad, really bad. Desiree stood up to all the vile harassment and hateful vitriol. Besides the evil vibes, Jack's sister was killed, Jerome's wife was arrested, also, and all the families involved were traumatized.
The reader of course knows Jerome is being railroaded, but the story includes how the witnesses play out on the witness stand. It seemed Jerome had no chance. Reading their testimonies and Jack and Desiree's rebuttals sound convincing, but the jury is all white and not Jerome's peers.
The ending is satisfactory
The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly is a relaxing read. Surprisingly easy because it actually is an historical novel with romance. I always enjoy reading books with local venues. Martha's Vineyard is a swim away (for good swimmers, not me) from Seacoast Blvd. I judge the weather by looking at the island from the end of Seacoast Blvd. Heat fog, rain, misty, or a clear day.
The story takes place in 1942. There are soldiers all over the island practicing for "D" day. Again, I can identify. Right across from my beach, are remnants of a paved road on Washburn Island, because this island, also, was used for "D" day practice. This island, I really can swim to, in fact just float across. Washburn has my family's favorite beach. It's not crowded. You don't need a beach sticker.
The characters are the Smith family and their farm. The women are left to tend to the property. Briar, the teenager sees U Boats off their beach. No one else does. But she's correct. A man from the U Boat swims ashore and Briar rescues him. He wants to defect. Briar takes him home and hides him. They have seen what happens to German prisoners and they don't want that to happen to him.
Briar's sister Cadence is a would-be-writer. She falls for one of the soldiers on the island. Grandma is ill and is in the hospital. Bess is pregnant with the girls' brother baby. Don't forget "Briar the Liar." This is the family trying to hold onto the farm.
There's a couple of murders around them. There's also a spy but who?
Oh, the Book Club--it's a planning session for the girls and a few friends. They plan to distribute books to the soldiers. It isn't easy but they make a skinny book that is easy to carry and it's accepted. They help with the farm, with whatever they can.
This is a time of confusion and sadness. The story gave me pause for reflection. I am happy to have been after the war. Thank you, Daddy.
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It just dawned on me that God created me for Himself. In Genesis 1: 1-31, we see God made everything for mankind. I'm in awe to reali...
