I knew that Mary Doria Russell's latest book, The Women of the Copper Country (#874) was historical fiction, but before I picked it up, I really had no idea that Annie Klobuchar Clements was a real person, an early twentieth century labor activist nicknamed "the Joan of Arc of Michigan".
The story of how she wound up leading a 1913 strike against the Calumet & Hecla Copper Mine is quite a read. Annie was over six feet tall and had a commanding presence. She started the Women's Auxiliary of the Western Federation of Miners in Calumet and encouraged and cajoled workers and their families through the services the Auxiliary provided, and through the daily marches of strikers which she led with an enormous American flag. It took strength and physical courage to stand up against James MacNaughton, the mine's General Manager in this company town.
Did she make things better in the end for the average worker? You be the judge after reading her story. It's an eye-opener.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Monday, January 20, 2020
Tide and Punishment
Bree Baker's Tide and Punishment - A Seaside Café Mystery (#873) arrived in my stocking this Christmas, and I decided to finish my holiday reading for this season with it. It's set in Charm, North Carolina on the Outer Banks with references to Duck and the wild horses that roam the beaches on the northern part of that island. Since family owns a beach house in the area, how could I resist?
This is the third in the series of mysteries featuring iced tea shop/bakery owner Everly Swan. She's returned from a curdled career at a Kentucky culinary school after having her heart broken by a cowboy. Not to worry. She's met the newly arrived widower sheriff in town, Grady Hays, with his adorable young son. She's gotten better acquainted with him on the two previous murder cases he's had to solve since arriving in Charm. On the night of the holiday Open House Everly is hosting at Sun, Sand and Tea, the widely disliked Mayor of Charm is offed just outside her shop. Even worse, her beloved Aunt Fran (and mayoral candidate) is discovered standing over Mayor Dunfree's body with the murder weapon in hand - a garden gnome painted by Aunt Clara which had stood jauntily on Everly's porch. (Shades of NCIS!)
Despite warnings from the sexy Sheriff Hays to stay away from the investigation, Everly is determined to prove that Aunt Fran is not the murderer. Aunt Clara's army of painted gnomes are being used in increasingly more threatening and dangerous ways to intimidate Everly, but a Swan never gives up!
One big mystery for me was Everly's hangup with cowboys. After having her heart trashed by a cowboy, she falls for Grady Hays hook, line and Stetson. The Outer Banks isn't exactly the Wild West despite the wild horses...
It's a cute beach read, or since this is a Christmas-themed novel with an unusual snowstorm on the Outer Banks, it might be more appropriate to read it by a blazing fire. You'll probably figure out who the real murderer is before the end, but that's okay. It won't tax your deductive powers. The only real disappointment in this book was the recipes included. After the mouth-watering descriptions of the beverages and magical baked goods in this book, I thought the recipes should have been better. These weren't even worth a second look.
This is the third in the series of mysteries featuring iced tea shop/bakery owner Everly Swan. She's returned from a curdled career at a Kentucky culinary school after having her heart broken by a cowboy. Not to worry. She's met the newly arrived widower sheriff in town, Grady Hays, with his adorable young son. She's gotten better acquainted with him on the two previous murder cases he's had to solve since arriving in Charm. On the night of the holiday Open House Everly is hosting at Sun, Sand and Tea, the widely disliked Mayor of Charm is offed just outside her shop. Even worse, her beloved Aunt Fran (and mayoral candidate) is discovered standing over Mayor Dunfree's body with the murder weapon in hand - a garden gnome painted by Aunt Clara which had stood jauntily on Everly's porch. (Shades of NCIS!)
Despite warnings from the sexy Sheriff Hays to stay away from the investigation, Everly is determined to prove that Aunt Fran is not the murderer. Aunt Clara's army of painted gnomes are being used in increasingly more threatening and dangerous ways to intimidate Everly, but a Swan never gives up!
One big mystery for me was Everly's hangup with cowboys. After having her heart trashed by a cowboy, she falls for Grady Hays hook, line and Stetson. The Outer Banks isn't exactly the Wild West despite the wild horses...
It's a cute beach read, or since this is a Christmas-themed novel with an unusual snowstorm on the Outer Banks, it might be more appropriate to read it by a blazing fire. You'll probably figure out who the real murderer is before the end, but that's okay. It won't tax your deductive powers. The only real disappointment in this book was the recipes included. After the mouth-watering descriptions of the beverages and magical baked goods in this book, I thought the recipes should have been better. These weren't even worth a second look.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
The Darwin Affair
The Darwin Affair (#872) is the first adult novel by accomplished playwright Tim Mason. After reading and thoroughly enjoying this twisty Victorian era crime story, I hope it isn't his last!
A cavalcade of characters from a London police inspector to the Queen herself inhabit the pages here; some real, some imagined, but all important to the conspiracy-laden plot. It all arises from a simple question. Why didn't one of the foremost thinkers of the nineteenth century ever receive recognition from the British Crown, especially since Prince Albert was a proponent of the natural sciences and Charles Darwin's theories? And therein lies the tale...
If you enjoy murder mysteries, police procedurals, hanging out with the high and mighty as well as London's most desperate characters, The Darwin Affair has them all. Highly recommended!
A cavalcade of characters from a London police inspector to the Queen herself inhabit the pages here; some real, some imagined, but all important to the conspiracy-laden plot. It all arises from a simple question. Why didn't one of the foremost thinkers of the nineteenth century ever receive recognition from the British Crown, especially since Prince Albert was a proponent of the natural sciences and Charles Darwin's theories? And therein lies the tale...
If you enjoy murder mysteries, police procedurals, hanging out with the high and mighty as well as London's most desperate characters, The Darwin Affair has them all. Highly recommended!
Monday, January 6, 2020
The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini
I probably would not have picked up The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini (#871) by Joe Posnanski if I hadn't known Mr. Posnanski would be appearing at our upcoming BookMania! event in March. It proved to be an absolutely riveting read.
Like almost everyone else in America, I, of course, know Houdini's name, but I really didn't know that much else about him. What Mr. Posnanski includes in his search for the reality behind the dazzle of Houdini's showmanship is endlessly fascinating. Trying to separate the myth from the mundane facts is not an easy task, just as Houdini intended. What does survive is a kind of immortality and an army of magicians who have come after who either try to imitate him or debunk his reputation as a great magician. The stories are amazing.
Even if you don't think you're interested in magic or Houdini, you'll find yourself glued to this book, and that's a pretty nifty trick all by itself!
Like almost everyone else in America, I, of course, know Houdini's name, but I really didn't know that much else about him. What Mr. Posnanski includes in his search for the reality behind the dazzle of Houdini's showmanship is endlessly fascinating. Trying to separate the myth from the mundane facts is not an easy task, just as Houdini intended. What does survive is a kind of immortality and an army of magicians who have come after who either try to imitate him or debunk his reputation as a great magician. The stories are amazing.
Even if you don't think you're interested in magic or Houdini, you'll find yourself glued to this book, and that's a pretty nifty trick all by itself!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Finding Christmas
Finding Christmas (#870) by Karen Schaler was just the kind of Christmas read I was looking for: over the top, meet-cute, sweet romance with bonus recipes and tree decorating and disposal tips (because why would anyone ever have anything but a live tree despite the expense!).
How do two Christmas-crazed adults obsessed by work find each other? Through a Christmas scavenger hunt, of course! The only problem is that the wrong guy is following the clues. But we know as the readers that Sam is, in fact, the right person for Emmie. Grant, the Seattle lawyer for whom Emmie planned the perfect Christmas get-away weekend, can't be bothered to get off his phone to wonder why Emmie hasn't shown up for their scheduled time off. Why leave the city when there's work to do?
Emmie's managed, despite the all-encompassing community shelter programs she runs, to get away to honor her deceased parents commitment to celebrating Christmas and the good in people. Why can't Grant see that connection? Sam shows up instead and whole-heartedly joins in the Christmas fun. Why can't Emmie see what's staring her in the face?
It is a fun read, even if it would be waaay too much in the real world. There's a cute town, a cute dog, cute shops and even a cute gourmet restaurant tucked away in Christmas Point, Washington. It's a great place to spend a little bit of your holiday, despite the author's shameless self-promotion.
How do two Christmas-crazed adults obsessed by work find each other? Through a Christmas scavenger hunt, of course! The only problem is that the wrong guy is following the clues. But we know as the readers that Sam is, in fact, the right person for Emmie. Grant, the Seattle lawyer for whom Emmie planned the perfect Christmas get-away weekend, can't be bothered to get off his phone to wonder why Emmie hasn't shown up for their scheduled time off. Why leave the city when there's work to do?
Emmie's managed, despite the all-encompassing community shelter programs she runs, to get away to honor her deceased parents commitment to celebrating Christmas and the good in people. Why can't Grant see that connection? Sam shows up instead and whole-heartedly joins in the Christmas fun. Why can't Emmie see what's staring her in the face?
It is a fun read, even if it would be waaay too much in the real world. There's a cute town, a cute dog, cute shops and even a cute gourmet restaurant tucked away in Christmas Point, Washington. It's a great place to spend a little bit of your holiday, despite the author's shameless self-promotion.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
25 Days 'Til Christmas
The cover of 25 Days 'Til Christmas (#869) asks the question "Will This Christmas Be Her Best Ever?" beneath a clever illustration based on an Advent Calendar. I was expecting "a heartwarming, feel-good holiday" read. I was badly mistaken. This was a real Debbie Downer of a Christmas book. Author Poppy Alexander hit almost every negative cliché in this depressing tale of an British Afghan War Widow with an autistic child, miserable, degrading minimum wage job, unable to make ends meet while fending off a lecherous boss eager to find an excuse to fire her. Oh, and did I mention the grand-mother-in-law whose nursing home is about to give her the boot?
Yes, Kate does meet a lovely man, but she willfully refuses to give up her sacrifice of personal happiness in memory of her lost husband. Yes, there is ultimately a happy ending, but it comes too little, too late. By the time she calls the Crisisline where Daniel is working the Christmas shift (of course, because he's so noble and suffering from his own loss), I wanted to commit suicide!
At least Dickens in his A Christmas Carol, spread the redemptive feeling around when Scrooge realized the error of his ways! Kate, not so much. She just comes off as pathetic. If you are looking for a feel-good story, this definitely isn't it. I'm ashamed I spent precious time finishing this one. Bah, humbug!
Yes, Kate does meet a lovely man, but she willfully refuses to give up her sacrifice of personal happiness in memory of her lost husband. Yes, there is ultimately a happy ending, but it comes too little, too late. By the time she calls the Crisisline where Daniel is working the Christmas shift (of course, because he's so noble and suffering from his own loss), I wanted to commit suicide!
At least Dickens in his A Christmas Carol, spread the redemptive feeling around when Scrooge realized the error of his ways! Kate, not so much. She just comes off as pathetic. If you are looking for a feel-good story, this definitely isn't it. I'm ashamed I spent precious time finishing this one. Bah, humbug!
We Met In December
We Met in December (#868) by Rosie Curtis is a "meet cute" romance that begins and ends over the course of a year. Jess and Alex are both in their thirties and ready to change their lives to pursue their dreams. For Jess, it means making a daring move to a shared house in the Notting Hill district in London to take a job in the world of publishing. She could never afford moving to such a posh location if the house weren't owned by her old friend Becky from university, ready to charge her only a peppercorn rent. When she meets Alex, one of her new housemates at their pre-Christmas "get acquainted" dinner, sparks fly. Unfortunately, along with the peppercorn rent, Becky has included in "no romance" clause in their rental agreements. What to do?
For Alex, it's meant giving up a thriving career in a prestigious law firm to pursue nursing, a profession that makes a difference in the lives of the people it touches after witnessing the care given to his dying father. The fly in the ointment for him is his fiancée who had planned on a home in the suburbs with the requisite 2.5 children and a dog. That's only feasible on the income a lawyer would make, not a nurse. Despite having set the date, the wedding is off. Hence, Alex is recovering from a broken heart.
How will these two work out the differences between them and find out that they do belong together? It makes for an enjoyable Christmas time read.
For Alex, it's meant giving up a thriving career in a prestigious law firm to pursue nursing, a profession that makes a difference in the lives of the people it touches after witnessing the care given to his dying father. The fly in the ointment for him is his fiancée who had planned on a home in the suburbs with the requisite 2.5 children and a dog. That's only feasible on the income a lawyer would make, not a nurse. Despite having set the date, the wedding is off. Hence, Alex is recovering from a broken heart.
How will these two work out the differences between them and find out that they do belong together? It makes for an enjoyable Christmas time read.
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