Four Aunties and a Wedding

I thought Jesse Q. Sutanto's novel Dial A for Aunties was a hoot and a half.  She's back again with a sequel Four Aunties and a Wedding (#1, 074).  This time Meddy is the bride, but things certainly aren't going as expected!

Being in the wedding business, Meddy has seen some pretty messed up ceremonies, so in order to make hers go as smoothly as possible, she insists that her Ma and the Aunties be family only for her own wedding, and enjoy the festivities to the max.  That's fine with the Aunties, who introduce Meddy and her groom-to-be Nathan to another family-run wedding planning business.  Staphanie and her uncles and grandmother seem to be the ideal solution for their destination wedding at Christ College Cambridge.  With the Aunties planning their own fabulous outfits, they're too busy practicing their British English to pay much attention to anything else.  Meddy is just freaking out about her own wedding, as expected.  That is, until she accidentally discovers that her wedding planners are mafia using it as a cover to carry out a hit.  Who are they planning to take out, and how can Meddy and the Aunties stop them?

The path of true love never does run smoothly, but this is way, way too much!  It was so much fun, I would have gobbled it up all in one sitting if I could have.  Put aside some quality time to enjoy this over-the-top romp!

The Paris Apartment

How is it that Lucy Foley can write a book you cannot put down, yet you despise all the characters?  I thought that about The Guest List, and now I think that about The Paris Apartment (#1,073).  Jess is on the run from a bad situation in England when she arrives at her half-brother Ben's apartment in a very upscale Parisian neighborhood.  The problem is, Ben isn't there to greet her, even though he's expecting her.  Where can he be?  None of the other people in the apartment building seem to know, either, but it quickly becomes clear to Jess that they each know more than they are telling her.  Each little nugget of information she manages to ferret out deepens the mystery, and convinces her that Ben did not leave on his own.

The point of view changes in this story, and the relationships to Ben between everyone else in the building become clearer; everyone wishes Ben were not there.  But who is responsible for his disappearance, and will that person get rid of Jess one way or another before she roots out the truth?

Again, I hoped as clues were revealed that each and every one of those involved would turn out to be the guilty party.  You will have to read it yourself to find out the "whodunnit" here.  Just when you think you have it figured out, you don't!

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt has created a memorable character with her Marcellus, a cranky old octopus living in a small aquarium in a run-down town on the Puget Sound in Remarkably Bright Creatures (#1,072).  He mostly doesn't like people, but the elderly lady who comes in after hours to clean is an exception.  Tova takes care cleaning the windows of the tanks, and she talks to the creatures within.

Both Marcellus and Tova are startled one night when she comes across the octopus outside his tank, entangled in some wires.  She helps free him, and ensures he makes it back safely into his tank. She also doesn't rat him out to the Aquarium Director.  Marcellus is willing to repay that act of kindness.

The friendship that develops between these two is quite remarkable, as the narrative switches back and forth between the characters, including Marcellus himself.  Suffice it to say that Marcellus is key to unraveling a mystery of the past in his desire to repay Tova for her kindness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this offbeat story.  My only objection was that as the story progressed, Ms. Van Pelt concentrated more on her human characters, as Marcellus was pushed more into the background.  I really, really wanted more Marcellus!  His voice was so astringent and witty, I wanted to read more of his observations on the human condition.  That was my biggest nitpick with this book.  Her character development was so strong I wish she had pushed it even further.  You'll have to read it for yourself to see what you think.

Evangeline

Our recent trip to the Canadian Maritimes inspired me to pick up and read a copy of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic story poem Evangeline (#1,071).  I never got much further than "This is the forest primeval..." when I was younger, and after the visiting the Grand Pre՛ Historic Site in Nova Scotia I decided to remedy that omission.

The story concerns the expulsion of the Acadian settlers from their fertile farms by the English between 1755 and 1763.  It focuses on two newly betrothed villagers of Grand Pre, Evangeline and her Gabriel.  They are separated before they can be wed and spend years wandering, vainly searching for each other.

It's a tragic story based on true events.  When Longfellow's poem was published in the 1840s, he revived almost single-handedly in interest in the fate of the Acadians scattered throughout the world by the actions of the British.  Since the poem was so popular, a site to explain the expulsion was created on the site of the original Grand Pre, with a statue of the fictitious Evangeline on the grounds.  Both the site of Grand Pre and Longfellow's poem Evangeline are worth re-visiting.

The Lucky Escape

Summer escapism?  I was ready for some light reading, and Laura Jane Williams romance The Lucky Escape (#1,070) did the trick.  Annie Wiig's Big Day has finally arrived, but unfortunately, her groom is a no-show at the church.  Alex Mackenzie has done a runner, much to the chagrin of his parents.  Annie is emotionally devastated, so her would-have-been in-laws try to make it up to her by sending her on the very posh delayed honeymoon they had arranged for the couple to Australia.

Annie is trying to pull herself out of her grand funk when she meets an old friend from a summer theater camp at her Boot Camp gym.  Maybe it's the adrenaline rush from all that exercise, but Annie finds herself inviting Peter along on her solo honeymoon.  Everything is booked for two, after all, and the Mackensies are fine with her taking a friend.

Is it any surprise that as Annie and Peter travel across Australia in the most romantic settings possible that one thing leads to another?  But, oh, those complications!

A fun read, and it reminded me of one of the culinary delights we encountered on our own trip to Australia: burgers with "the lot" which included beets (and a fried egg, which I removed!).  Did you know that McDonalds wound up making their country-specific burgers in Australia available with beets to satisfy the Australians' cravings?  Anyway, put The Lucky Escape on your escapist reading list!  It can't be "beet".

Fox Creek

A new William Kent Krueger novel?  Yes, please!  Fox Creek (#1,069) is the latest addition to his Cork O'Connor mystery series.  It managed to grab my attention even through the brain fog of COVID.

A man drops by Cork's burger joint, wanting him to track down his missing wife.  Cork agrees to look into the matter, but he doesn't get good vibes from the man.  When Dolores Morriseau turns up in the company of Cork's wife Rainey and the ancient Native American medicine man, Henry Meloux, things get complicated.  Cork had taken a photo of the man who had visited him, but Dolores claims he is not her husband; in fact, she hasn't been able to get in touch with her husband for days.  She's afraid there is something wrong with her marriage and has sought out Henry for spiritual help.  Dolores also asks Cork for his help, but before he can respond with answers, the trio has vanished into the Great North Woods, pursued by trackers with deadly intent.  For what purpose is unclear, but it's obvious that they will let nothing stand in their way of finding Dolores Morriseau.  Soon Cork and Dolores' brother-in-law are in pursuit, with a late season snowstorm on the way.  If anyone can keep Rainey and Dolores safe, it's Henry, but is he too old?

The novel changes points of view throughout the plot, dovetailing the progress of the chase.  Dolores claims to have no idea why anyone is after her, and the reader doesn't learn the reason until the very end of the book.  It's nail-biting, to say the least.  There's action, but the most interesting part of the book is the characters Krueger has created, and the glimpses into Ojibwa life and culture.

If you love Tony and Anne Hillerman's novels set in the Navaho Nation, give the Cork O'Connor series a try.  Highly recommended.

When Women Ruled the World - Six Queens of Egypt

Kara Cooney profiles six queens of ancient Egypt in her new book When Women Ruled the World (#1,068) with a thoroughly modern sensibility.  Three of the queens I had heard of: Cleopatra, Nefertiti and Hatshepsut, but the other three I had not.  Just the merest clues exist in Egyptian carvings, statuary and buildings.  Her theory is that women came forward to rule when it was necessary to serve the good of the state, yet they could never claim power for themselves for their own sake.  Ms. Cooney compares that with today's politics, and I certainly believe she makes a valid point.

I had the pre-publication copy, so it lacked the illustrations laid out lavishly in the text.  They will certainly enhance the final publication.  It really did reawaken my desire to see Egypt for myself.  These days, who knows?  At least I know more about a place I've always dreamed of visiting.

If you have any interest in Ancient Egypt, add this book to your "To Read" pile!