My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space

Lisa Scottoline has paired with her daughter Francesca Scottoline Serritella to write her latest book of essays My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space. Most of essays were first published as newspaper columns for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

If you have not read Scottoline's essays, you are in for a treat. They are filled with humor about the foibles of modern day life. This group have a bit more to do with Francesca's moving out to NYC and how they both feel about that. The tale about Francesca giving her mom dating advice is priceless!  And then there are the stories about Lisa's mom in Florida - pretty darn funny.

Pick it up for a laugh and give yourself a mini-break during the holidays. A fun frothy read! My previous post about her other book of essays is here.

Keith Richards - The Man, the Myth, the Musician, and the Junkie

In the age old question which rock group is better : the Beatles or the Rolling Stones - if you answer the Stones - this is the book for you.

Life by Keith Richards with James Fox, gives the Rolling Stone fan a glimpse into the creative and sometimes chemically enhanced mind of a founding member of the band. Richards is very straightforward on some issues (the music, his ex- girlfriend and Brian Jones), and cagey on others (Altamont.) It is amazing he remembers as much as he does and it is fun when he has others in his circle being interviewed about the topics at hand.

I must admit it is pretty wild reading about the crazy life on tour with the Stones in the 1970's. And it brings up (for me at least) the question of how much time was wasted on the drugs and how much original music was lost in the process. Keith is such a raconteur that he is even funny during the dark times of his excess. You keeping hoping he's gonna get out of the daze and back into his music. He goes into great detail on this and I will admit most of it was over my head since I'm not a guitarist. I would be curious to hear a musician's perspective on this part of the book. But I can hear the results - and have had his song "Happy" in my head for weeks.

At 564 pages, this is a long read, but Keith's humor and unique perspective make it worth while. Definitely a must read for anyone who is interested in the 60's and 70's music scene in England, and in one of the biggest rock bands of the last century. Just a warning - you might as well get your Stones music out when reading, because you will be hearing the songs in your head!
 
To continue with a Rolling Stones frenzy take a look at the Rolling Stone magazine issue 1105 from May 27th, 2010. There is an excellent article called  "Making of 'Exile on Main Street'"  by David Gates. Put out to coinside with the rerelease of the album (38 years old!) it has a lot of information in it on the creation process behind the album and it is very different from Keith's perspective which is fairly detailed in his book.
 
Get out your albums and CDs and let it bleed. A very good read.

How Did You Get This Number

Sloane Crosley is back again with How Did You Get This Number, another batch of essays. (Okay - this is one of the ugliest book covers I have seen in a long time. Somebody did her a disservice here!) Some are more personal than others - such as the one about how her bad sense of direction is actually a spatial learning disorder and how it provides her with challenges in everyday life. Then there are others such as being a bridesmaid in Alaska - where there is indeed an encounter with bears.

This book does not have as much of the laugh out loud snark as her first one did (see previous review), but it again provides one with a glimpse into urban life in the twenty-first century. I think one of the most thought provoking tales was the story in which she explained how she was getting some new furniture for her apartment. Apparently it was off the back of a truck. But he was such a nice shyster! (Only in New York City!) It really does say something about extreme shopping for discounts, and how far is one willing to draw the line between getting a deal and stealing.

I really enjoy her voice and am looking forward to the next batch of essays. And hopefully you will too. A fun read.

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work

Tim Gunn, Tim Gunn, Tim Gunn. Just saying his name makes me squee! I love the man! He is one of my favorite parts of Project Runway (PR) and he is just a classy guy.  I knew I would like this book right away, after all I did like his last one - see former review .

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn with Ada Calhoun is a fun book if you are a fan of Tim and PR. It is a wacky mixture of PR gossip, behind the scenes info, and a mini memoir of Tim's life and career. And he tries to teach/remind us that good manners will get you far. And if that doesn't work - karma - might do you in...

But really it does not sound like he had a great home life growing up. It appears that he is enjoying his fame for what it is worth, but does not take it too seriously.  I think that is the secret to his success as a mentor on PR. He knows what it is like to be the nerdy kid in the room, and he relates to the designer's struggles.

Just when you are thinking the book gets a little too serious, he will come out with some snarky comment or PR gossip to keep the reader interested. A fun book. Definately a frothy one. And if your a fan of the man - a must read. We love you Tim Gunn!

Delizia! : The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food

Hmm, my blog seems to have morphed into food and fiction! Seriously I do read more - I'm just behind in the blogging! But brace yourself for some pasta cravings...

Delizia! : The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food by John Dickie is a foodie book as well as an explanation of the growth of the city states of Italy. Each chapter focuses on a city or region and the how that city contributed (and during what time period ) to the 'national' cuisine.

Fun facts you can bring out at parties:

- French food was highly influential in Italy during the 1700s and 1800s. There was a leaflet campaign "insulting the wealthy for adopting French eating habits."

- Rome was the gastronomic capital of Italy during the Renaissance.

- Bologna had a Guild of Sausage - Makers fight to keep their standards for making mortadella.

- Marco Polo may have claimed to have brought over noodles from China (very much debated in this book) but what he did bring was spices and heavily spiced dishes were considered good for digestion. This trend lasted until the 1700s.

- The Margherita pizza is named for Queen Margherita of Savoy. While she visiting in Naples in the 1880s, she asked to try pizza and she was given three different kinds. The she one chose to eat was the one with basil and tomatoes. It was eventually named for her.

I love the ease with which Dickie combines his stories about food and history. I think this book would be a great one to read before taking a trip to Italy. Or a trip to your favorite Italian market. A fun, frothy and yummy read indeed!

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

It isn’t easy being the new kid in the school, or in the house. Sophomore Lucy Norton is left in her new home with her stepmother and her evil twin stepsisters by Lucy’s bi-coastal working father. Feeling ostracized in the house and isolated in her new high school, she takes refuge in her art class. Inspired by an older classmate Sam’s painting, she thinks he’s a jerk in person, but her opinion changes after he invites her to a show at an art gallery. Lucy finds herself struggling to find her identity and place in the world when she has an assignment to create a self portrait. But when a basketball game comment in the cafeteria attracts the attention of Connor, the star of the varsity team, Lucy suddenly rises in social status. She gets a date and some new girlfriends who are plugged into the school’s gossip feed. Will she remain the art aficionado or become part of the “in” basketball crowd? Is Connor really her prince?

Melissa Kantor's  If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? provides her independent narrator heroine with the wit and sarcasm to have the reader identify with her. She allows Lucy to show us the humor in her uncomfortable home and school life - “It’s so Brothers Grimm.” As she tries to maintain her bond with her dad, she feels that her stepmother is changing everything. This is a good account of a created family trying to adjust to their new life together. It is a charming story of a contemporary teen dealing with the change and uncertainty that being in a new environment can bring. This book shows that having different and creative talents can be a beneficial and positive experience.  Kantor does a great job at updating the Cinderella fairy tale. A fine frothy read for young adult collections and a fun read for adults too.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie's book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a wonderful coming of age story. Junior lives on the Spokane Indian reservation and has found that he needs a better education than what he is receiving in his community. He takes the great leap to attending an all white high school in a neighboring farm town.

As he learns to adjust to his new classmates and they to him, he is being called a traitor by his friends on the "rez." He discovers that this is a year of challenges both in his personal life - several family tragedies - and his school life - competing with his old school on the basketball court.

Alexie provides the reader with a great lead character who takes his punches but still manages to keep his sense of humor about life and himself. He challenges the reader to think about the strength it takes to go against the grain and make changes to your life. Ellen Forney provides the illustrations that add so much to the story and provide the reader with more insight into Junior's character and his cartooning. Take a chance on this National Book Award winner. It's a fun read for both teens and adults.

Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table

Did you ever have a book that made you just want to put it down and run into the kitchen to make a dish? Or in some cases to go trotting to the telephone and call for take out? This is that book. It made me go and make a gumbo immediately after finishing it. I suppose if I were super wealthy I could just make a reservation to go down to New Orleans for a weekend. Sounds like fun to me. A trip to just eat! How decadent!

Sara Roahen has a way with words, food and the people who make it. Her book, Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table is perfect for anyone who is interested in the food culture of New Orleans. And she is a Midwestern raised gal - an outsider to the town - and she admits it. She was there for several years during her husband's time in medical school and she wrote a food column for a local paper. This allowed her to look at their food culture from a different perspective.

Each chapter takes us on a unique trip to look at gumbo, crawfish, pho (there are a lot of Vietnamese fishermen in the area), chicory, and Monday red beans and rice among other classic and traditional ethnic dishes. She brings us the story of the wonderful characters and cooks who are carrying on the traditions of the food. For example, the section she devotes to the family who has a huge neighborhood St. Joseph's Day table is just touching. And she makes the reader care and worry about this family when they can not be found after Hurricane Katrina.

I guess that is what is also special about this book. Roahen gives us a before and after Hurricane Katrina view of this food culture. We find out what restaurants have rebuilt and what cooks have been lost to New Orleans' memories. She's a very good writer and this is another great book that I discovered from a excerpt that was in the Best Food Writing of 2008. A very fun read, but don't forget the red beans and rice, or gumbo or ...

97 Orchard : An Edible History

97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman has gotten some very nice reviews and I can see why - it is a great book! Ziegelman takes five families of immigrants (Germans, Irish, Italians and Eastern European Jews) and looks at their food culture that they brought with them and how it changes and adapts to American life.

It is fascinating to take a look back at how things used to be done and what conditions that they had to live through. (How brave our ancestors were to make their way here!) It also is interesting to see what impact they had on the American palate and how they influenced "American" cuisine.

Some interesting points of interest -

- Ireland had a well balanced diet but because of the land laws changing - smaller plots, and their growing dependency on potatoes, by the time they arrived in America during the famine, they really did not have a national cuisine anymore. They could assimilate their food culture much faster into the land of abundance.

- Ellis Island eventually had a kosher kitchen and dinning to feed the newly arrived Jews but not til around 1914.

- Schmaltz was originally was not derived from chicken but from geese. As chicken breeding improved - and they were cheaper - chicken fat took the place of geese fat.

- It is interesting to see how far and fast that German food was assimilated into the New York culture of the time.

Ziegelman takes each family's story and tries to tell it through the limited documents that are available. But she uses their tales and expands them to their neighborhood of the time (which changes with the various waves of immigration) and their cooking traditions of the time. A great book for history lovers, and foodies alike. A very good read.

Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer

Tim Stark did not start out to become a tomato farmer. It was more of a casual obsession with growing tomatoes in his New York brownstone. It reminded him of growing up near farm land Pennsylvania. When it came time to expand his crop, that is where he headed and had to deal with the memories that he had left behind. Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer is that story.

Stark has a way with stories - each chapter takes you forward and back to his work of growing tomatoes for the Greenmarket in New York City, trying to create his business, and his memories of growing up in farm lands - but not in a farm family. And after each chapter you are eager to read more about what happened next and how his small business has had setbacks and personnel changes. As the business grows - he sells other vegetables and peppers (one of the best chapters is his story of peppers and customers at the Greenmarket) and soon his produce makes its way into some of the finest restaurant kitchens in NYC.

And if you are a tomato person - and believe that one of the best things in life is a delicious home grown tomato - this book is for you. An excellent read that I discovered while reading an exerpt from the Best Food Writing of 2009. I'm glad I took the plunge. A very good read.

Pick Your Format - Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

Now here's a case where whichever format you pick - movie, book or audiobook, you are going to get a winner. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day is a delightful book by Winifred Watson. It also happens to be a good movie - my goodness - they finally got an film adaptation right! And if you want another treat - try the audiobook which is narrated by Frances McDormand who is Miss Pettigrew in the film.

I admit that I saw the film first. And then in the DVD extras, I discovered that the story was based on a book and there were some interesting things about the author. She wrote only six books, all were well received for their time - the 1930's - and Miss Pettigrew attracted much attention when it came out. It was going to be a musical - which is a still a great idea - but World War II started and that stopped that idea.

So knowing that the book is almost always better - and how could you better this movie? - I got a copy of the book. The story is definitely rag to riches. Down ridden governess, Miss Pettigrew has a whirlwind day (there is an hour by hour count down in the book) with an actress, Delysia LaFoss. Besides trying to keep track of Miss LaFoss' many beaus, Miss Pettigrew manages to make a difference. And she discovers this eccentric society life that she has only seen on the silver scene.

The book contains witty dialogue and it is very fast paced. (Gotta be paying attention to who says what.) And that part actually reminded me of another movie - His Girl Friday. And the reader is like Miss Pettigrew - a stranger in a wonderland - trying to figure out whats what and who's who.

Between the lovers and arguments and romantic parings, this book is a whimsical look at a time period that is forever gone. I found it interesting that they showed that in the movie, by having their cocktail party interrupted by overhead flying Spitfires signaling that this fun and fast lifestyle is not going to last. But until then, have another cocktail.

This book and all it's variations are definely fun and frothy. A great read!

Nevada Barr's Ill Wind

When a fiction writer can make the "where" part of the story into it's own character - that's quite a talent. Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon mystery series takes you into the national parks of the U.S. and makes them come alive. In the book Ill Wind, Barr sets her story in Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park.

As Anna explores the park, it's history and the cliffs, she learns more about her co-workers who live on site and about the ancient Anaszi who once lived there and disappeared long ago. This summer, the park has seen an usually high number of medical emergencies and there is the tragic death of an asthmatic child. Then Anna's coworker is found dead in a kiva in the cliffs. Was it an accident? The ancients? Or something a bit more modern?

She just was becoming friends with the fellow ranger. She thought she knew him, but finds out that everything is not what it seems. When Anna struggles to make sense of what is happening in the park, she also has to take stock of her own personal demons that have come with her to this new work site.

Barr brings the Mesa Verde area to life. I have not been to this park, but I have been to other Anaszi sites in the southwest and she brings the striking beauty alive with her descriptions. Makes you want to pull up pictures on the Internet while you are reading. This series really allows the reader to be an armchair traveler!

It was a fun read. I am looking forward to discovering the others in the series.

Coyote Wind

Sometimes a book delivers to the reader a glimpse into a different world. Such is the case with Peter Bowen's Coyote Wind. Bowen brings to life a small community of Metis in Montana. The Metis people are a mix of French and native Indian cultures. There are many Metis in Canada and several communities in the United States.

Bowen's lead character is Gabriel Du Pre, a cattle brand inspector, who gets involved in a few investigations because he's the only "law" man available. He also is an excellent tracker and that comes in handy when he is assigned to look into a very old crash site. The mystery is not who was in the plane that went down so long ago, but how the extra skull and finger bones ended up there. And whose bones are they? And how did they end up in the crash site?

In this concise but twisting mystery novel, we discover the widower Gabriel's world of his lover and his two independent children, and his joy of being a fiddler man. It is a rough life but the only one that Gabriel knows, since his family has been in this community since before he was born.

While this book is written in a vernacular which may be hard to read for some, I found it fascinating. And Bowen manages to use this language to show Du Pre's humor. Du Pre is constantly referring to himself as just the "cow ass man", when he grumbles about doing more investigative work or when he is getting yelled at by his superior law officers.

A fun read and a great insight into a different subculture. Can't wait to read the next one.

Keeping Up With a Series - Part 1 - Dead in the Family

The latest book in the Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series is Dead in the Family. And it proves that even vampires have issues with their relatives. Of course your relatives are not a centuries old vampire from ancient Rome and his latest "child" a haunted Russian boy of a very famous family. Yours might be worse. Or not.

Sookie is having family issues too. She's recovering from the fairy war her great grandfather finished and that she nearly died in. Supposedly the door to the fairy realm has been closed. But she has found out that some have remained behind. And have been on her land. Was it her cousin Claude? He claims not - but he asks to be her roommate for a while...

Lots of things going on in this book, and as in any good saga the reader tries to stay in touch with what has been going on in Sookie's world /community. Some items and scenes of note: Sookie spending time with her little cousin Hunter who hears voices just like she does. Eric trying to stay one step ahead of the latest intrigue in vampire politics. Is his sheriffdom going to last? And he's trying to keep things running smoothly while his "dad" is in town. Sam is having family problems of his own - after the shape shifters have come out to the rest of the world. Are the shape shifters really going to have to be registered with the government? Bill develops a relationship with his modern relatives. And Sookie discovers and finds his "sister" in order to help him recover from the last battle. And just how good has Sookie's and Eric's relationship been lately?

Yep - all this and more. It is a book packed with recovery from the last 'storm' in Sookie's life. And if you read between the lines - or is it just the way Harris is sending us, we can guess some of the major events that might happen in the future. Or not. Harris has a brilliant way of keeping us entertained while we are guessing. And that is one of the reason why this series is so dang good.

I throughly enjoyed my latest glimpse into Sookie's funky universe. And I am eagerly awaiting to see what happens next. But in the meantime I'll enjoy the scenes with Pam (one of my favorite vamps)and Sookie and try not to laugh to loudly. And I'll try to speculate what happens next. It was a very fun and frothy read!

For my other post on the Sookie Stackhouse books - try this link.

Flavia's Back! The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

Our favorite young sleuth Flavia de Luce is back in her next adventure, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley. She has not abandoned her fascination with the study of poisons. But the famous (or infamous) victim in this book is not killed by poison - or is he? And this latest incident seems to have something to do with the death of another villager and what happened during the war. What will Flavia uncover as she digs around in the past?

I just love Flavia's character. Such joli le vive! Well - maybe not - the first scene has her pretending to be dead in the church graveyard and imaging her sisters and family crying. Ah, the dreams and the revenge of the little sister!

Some other fun points, we get to see what Flavia does to the latest of her sister Ophelia's suitors, and we learn more about her mysterious mother from her spinster aunt who comes to visit. And we get to learn more about the village and people of Bishop's Lacey. A fun frothy read and great sequel. I can not wait for the next one!

If you like to listen to audio books, this is one to try on audio. The narrator, Jayne Entwistle, is just perfect and she really brings Flavia's sarcasm and humor to life.

Best Food Writing 2009

Collections of non-fiction essays don't sound very hip and cool. They sound like something you're forced to read for Lit class. But if you have an interest in the topic or the theme, they can be great fun and a neat way to discover new authors. If you are an espiring foodie, or just concerned about what you eat, than this is the collection for you. Best Food Writing 2009 is edited by Holly Hughes and I am glad I finally checked it out.

Besides being filled with local authors Monica Eng and Mark Caro from the Chicago Tribune, there are pieces from Ruth Reichl, Calvin Trillian and Marcella Hazan. Some highlights from a great group of essays are: Kate Liesener's on the joy of Marshmallow Fluff and how it is made, Lettie Teague on Wine Scams (very interesting and apparently not that hard to do), Rachel Hutton on the celebrity of Spam, Hugh Garvey on how Tokyo is the cocktail capital of the world (who knew?) and Tim Stark on the misunderstood habanero. (In fact, that essay made me read his book that this excerpt was from - more on that later.)

There are essays on the topics of food and the family, resturants and chefs, home cooks, and the joy of eating. Something for everyone. I can hardly wait for the 2010 edition and meanwhile I am going back and hunting down the older editions. A fun read.

This Book Is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All

Marilyn Johnson's latest work is This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cyberlibrarians Can Save Us All. It is a great overview of what is happening in the library profession. It is a good read for those who want more information about what goes on in libraries. However it has been causing a bit of discussion in library circles.

Like any book on a profession, there will be those who say that it is biased and does not portray things accurately. Of course it doesn't. There are thousands of different libraries out there, and despite everything, they are all run a little bit differently. And librarians come in many shapes, ages and sizes. There is no one size fits all. This book reflects only a small slice of those library lives.

If you are in libraryland, this book will be merely a confirmation of many issues and concepts that you have read about in an professional magazine. You probably have heard about some of these people or have read about them. It might not be news to you. Give it to that relative who thinks you just read at a desk all day. But for those who are not in libraryland - this may be a eye-opening read about what really goes on.

It is obvious that Johnson likes librarians and libraries. She has fallen in love with research, and that has opened her eyes to this other world. Maybe her book will convince some budget makers that libraries are a good investment for your communities' dollars.(Oh but wait - a lot of those policy makers don't read and they will tell you so - scary huh?) Take it out from your library and see what you think. And support your local library.

The Burning Lamp

Keeping a long running series interesting to it's readers can be a hard thing for a writer to do. Some of the books will sometimes feel rushed and half finished, but others may be just right. Amanda Quick's The Burning Lamp is book eight in the Arcane series by Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz, and it is a good one.

We meet Adelaide Pyne at a young age escaping from a brothel. And taking a mysterious artifact with her. We meet her again as an adult, who has just recently returned from the United States and wearing widow's weeds. She also has been secretly carrying out raids on brothels and rescuing the young girls who are there. She ends up meeting the "Director" of a criminal organization called the "Consortium." Griffin Winters is interested in her because of the raids, but he's even more interested when he finds out that she is a dream light reader and that she has the lamp that was stolen from his murdered parents' home.

Adelaide is not certain what to think of this crime lord, but agrees to help Winters work the lamp to help his paranormal senses and save his sanity. But when their lives are threatened, they must work together to figure out who else wants the lamp and why? Is it another crime lord? Jones and Jones? The Arcane Society?

I think one of the main reasons I like this book is Adelaide's character. It keeps coming out throughout the story that she has had a wilder past (touring with a wild wild west show, etc.) that just being a "social reformer". It makes for an amusing ongoing storyline throughout the book.

Quick/Krentz does a nice job filling in more Arcane lore and filling in gaps from the previous book in the series. I'm looking forward to the next book in the adventure - which she is writing under her Jayne Castle persona. A fun read.

Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture

In the book, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture, Ellen Ruppel Shell writes about how the United States' retail culture has gone from one of value to one of low prices/low quality. And while in today's economy everyone is trying to save a buck, these "savings" start to translate into lost jobs and industries for the USA.

Shell makes a seeming dry topic very interesting - her writing style is clear and concise and her examples allow the average consumer to understand the "bait and switch" game that is going on. Among the chapters, she talks about; the rise of outlet stores that have nothing to do with their corporate parents - except in perceived value, the notion that IKEA is a green company - it's wood suppliers are among the worst in terms of ecology violations, the recent scandal of poisonous toys coming from China and the impact that all this outsourcing of goods is having on foreign workers and American jobs.

If you consider yourself to be frugal or an informed consumer - you should read this book. Worth the time and an enlightened read. It might change the way you shop.

Wild Ride

Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer manage to do it again in their latest book Wild Ride. With action, adventure, and quirky characters, the paranormal storyline take the reader on one heck of a trip.

Dreamland, an old amusement park in Ohio, needs some work. Mab has been working her butt off restoring the park to it's former glory. Her goal is to have it shining for the Halloween celebrations. But it is a little strange that the owners and long time residents Gloria, Gus, and Delpha don't want her working at night. And they are a bit anxious when she is working with the statues of the park mascots. Especially after FunFun the clown seems to run her over - or was that an illusion she had? Maybe she has been working too hard.

Gloria's son Ethan returns from the military and gets shot at on the Dreamland grounds. Who is after the Dreamland residents? And what is up with the midnight roller coaster run? His mom keeps talking about demons. Ethan might just have to sober up to figure this all out. What do you mean he's the new Hunter?

Using humor, and great plotting, Crusie and Mayer lead the reader down the path to figuring out just how paranormal this family park is. With twists and turns galore, it is indeed a roller coster of a ride. Great dialogue and lots of frothy fun! And it makes one want to visit Dreamland for real! A great read.

Jack Haldean's Post World War I Adventures

Dolores Gordon-Smith's Jack Haldean mystery series take place in an England that is still shook up from World War I. Polite society still goes on, but beneath the surface there is uncertainty. Veterans who are jobless. War profiteers who have given their fortunes for a peerage. The thousands of missing and dead who never made it home. And the spies who did.

Jack Haldean, former Royal Flying Corps pilot, has managed to eek out a living with his writing skills, contributing to magazines and writing two mystery novels. In A Fete Worse Than Death, he's just trying to relax at his relatives' country house and enjoy the village festival. To his surprise, he sees a former and unpleasant member of his old unit. And it is even more of a surprise, when that nasty fellow is discovered dead later that afternoon. Was it a local who did it? Or is this something left over from the war? Or is it blackmail?

Jack enlists the aid of his cousin and the local police inspector to figure out what happened at the fair and what really happened on a raid on the Somme.

Gordon-Smith has a great character in Jack, and it has been fun following his development and his -sometimes - action adventures. She has a great grasp of the post-war setting. And as a fan of this time period, I'm eagerly awaiting the next one in the series. Lots of fun.

Mad About the Boy (2008)- Jack's aunt and uncle are celebrating their wedding anniversary with a big ball at their country house. One of the guests commits suicide. Or was it murder? With various Russians running about and his cousin Isabelle's beaus hanging around, Jack has more than enough suspects.

As If By Magic (2009) - When Jack finds out an old war chum is in trouble, he comes to the rescue. But his friend's story of seeing a murder, and his tale of a missing legacy, has Jack puzzled. Is this all connected? Or is his friend just damaged from the war?

Adventures in Royalty with Georgie

Lady Georgiana has some problems. She wants to do something with herself instead of mope around the family's cold Scottish estates. But they have no money and she decides to earn some. It's better than waiting around to be married or being a companion to a great aunt in the middle of nowhere. She's not in great demand - she's only 34th in line for the throne and there's a depression on!

So she goes to stay in the London house (for free!) and get a job. The problem is she doesn't know how to cook, set a fire in the fireplace, or take care of herself. She's a bit naive but willing to learn. After getting fired from Harrod's, she starts a business of being a maid who will "open your London house" for you. With the help of her non-royal grandfather, and her best friend Brenda, she is starting to make it on her own.

But her brother Binky gets accused of murder, and then her cousin the Queen wants her to keep an eye on her cousin David, the Prince of Wales. Hmmm. What's a lady to do?

In Her Royal Spyness, Georgie learns to make her way in the world - she's not stupid - just rather sheltered - and discovers that good manners can get you far. And then someone gets murdered in the house. and he turns out to be a blackmailer. She just has to clear Binky of the charges!

Rhys Bowen has another great series on her hands. Lots of fun and froth. And a bit more information on what was really going on behind the scenes of royalty in the 1930's. Great fun, and I am eagerly awaiting the next one.

Others in the series:

A Royal Pain (2008) Georgie keeps us her cleaning business and the Queen decides to have a foreign princess stay with her. Thank goodness the princess seems to like "Bubble and Squeak".

Royal Flush (2009) After Georgie makes a big mistake by putting the word "escort" in a ad, she gets sent back home to Scotland to with orders to keep an eye on a certain Mrs. Simpson. But it seems someone is injuring royals, even lesser ones!

An Accidental Goddess

What would happen if you woke up and discovered your ship had been damaged and you're in sick bay? Then you figured out that you had traveled 300 years into the future. And when you notice a shrine - you find out the face is yours! Special Forces Captain Gillaine Davre finds herself in just that position when she reawakens on the Admiral Mack Mararian's space station.

Mack's not sure what to make of this space traveler. He's busy trying to keep the peace and order on a space station set on the edge of his world. And he's trying to keep their enemies out - but there seems to be spies everywhere. Mack is not sure if Gillaine is a spy, but he thinks she attractive.

Gillaine is trying to fix her ship so that she can get out of there. Especially since she had been declared a goddess for her act of bravery that happened over 300 years ago. But she is not your average gal - she has natural powers that can help Mack's struggle. But should she announce herself? And completely denounce 300 years of faith and worship? She never wanted to be a goddess. She just wanted to do her job.

In, An Accidental Goddess, Linnea Sinclair does a great job of combing science fiction, action and romance. As she builds her world, we learn about Mack's latest challenge, and Gillian's background. And soon they find themselves up against a common enemy.

It may feel a little slow to start - but the action gets going soon enough, and Mack and Gilliane are a couple to cheer for. A very fun read!

Some Like It Hot Buttered

Jeffery Cohen's confection of a mystery, Some Like It Hot Buttered is a fast humorous read. It appeals to the mystery and movie fan. His hero, Elliot, is trying to get his small town movie theater off the ground. The last thing he expected was to find a customer dead in the aisles.

It is good for business - kind of - but Elliot wants to make sure his theater is known for the comedy movies he shows, not deadly popcorn. With suspicions falling on his employees (Sophie, the teenage wannabe goth, is a stitch), Elliot wants this investigation solved. And it doesn't hurt that the local police detective is a nice looking gal. But what about the car attacks when he's riding his bike home at night?

Filled with zingers and movie trivia, this is the first book in the series. Definately fun and frothy. And popcorn worthy! Looking forward to reading the next one.

Fired Up

Fired Up is Jayne Ann Krentz's latest in her Arcane Series. And it is the first book in the Dreamlight Trilogy. Jack Winters believes he has been affected by the family curse. He needs the legendary Burning Lamp and someone with the talent to read the lamp's dreamlight. Chloe Harper comes from a family that would prefer to remain under the Arcane Society's radar. Her family's talents have usually gotten them in trouble. A little forgery, here. A new identity, there. Jack is convinced that Chloe is the investigator who can find the stolen lamp.

But once they have the lamp the fun has just started. For it seems that several groups of people are after the artifact. And only one of them is the Arcane Society. Can Chloe and Jack lie low in the wilds of Las Vegas long enough for her to try to work the lamp? How many people know about this legend anyway? And how is Fallon Jones involved?

Another fine adventure from Krentz. And a fun introduction to a new talented family - the Harpers. For them, going legit, is the crime! A fun fast read!

Broken Teaglass

The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault says it is a novel but it is really a mystery. What happens when co-workers find coded clues that makes them think that something is amiss in their quiet workplace? The workplace in question happens to be a dictionary publisher and the clues are words. Is this just a puzzle? Is this just a workplace prank? There are several eccentric people who work here. Is it one of them? And what happens when the slip of paper says murder?

This slowly moving story combines a love of words, a deadly puzzle and a recovery/coming of age story all in one. The author draws you in and involves the reader in the discussion about words (how they change, develop and grow) and the lives of the lexicographers who are working on the changes to the new edition. And was there really a murder?

A very interesting first work by a new author. It will be intriguing to see what she writes next. A book for the word lover and a very fun read.

Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog

Lisa Scottoline is a crime fiction writer who writes legal mysteries. Imagine my surprise when I discovered her latest book Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman. I did not know that Scottoline also wrote a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer. These essays are chick lit for the older gal. And they are full of fun.

You will laugh at her stories of her family - she refers to them as the Flying Scottolines. She has a elderly mother who resists getting an emergency cell phone and refrains from using her hearing aid. Her gay brother who fights with their mother - long distance (the fun bit is that he lives with his mother.) And a daughter who is leaving the nest after graduation. And then there are the animal members of the family - the dogs, cats, pony and chickens. (The stories about the arrival of the chickens is pretty funny.)

And then there are her observations on getting older and suckered into expensive face cream, can one really find decent jeans, and the concept that her car has finally become her house. (I can relate to that one!) She's even figured out how to eat a drive thru salad in the car. As she says "it wasn't pretty."

She writes a bit about her books - and being on a book tour - but mostly these stories are about family life and the wackiness of 21st century America, when having multiple divorces doesn't raise an eyebrow. (She calls her ex's - Thing One and Thing Two!)

Try it - it is a very funny and fast read. Great for a bit of light hearted reading before bedtime. I think I will look for more of her columns online! A very good read.

Blind Justice & the Sir John Fielding Mystery Series

Sir John Fielding was famous in eighteen century England as a co-founder of London's first police force - the Bow Street Runners. He was also a magistrate who was known for his intellect and fairness. His half brother was the novelist Henry Fielding. And the most remarkable part of his career was that he did all this and he was blind since the age of 19.

Bruce Alexander has created this mystery series around the great "Blind Beak" as he was known. Blind Justice is the first in the series. The narrator of the stories is a thirteen year old, Jeremy, who Fielding saves from jail. Jeremy becomes Sir John's "eyes" and helps him on his missions of justice.

Alexander has a great feel for the historical period and this will be a grittier read of the Georgian/Regency period than some readers will be used to. This is not the beautiful and fancy Regency of romances novels and the Ton. This world is filled with corruption and villains. Some of them get their comeuppance and some get away because of family connections or wealth. Hmm, kind of sounds familiar.

Join Fielding as he deals out justice - one case at a time. I have enjoyed the first three books in the series and looking forward to reading more. A very fun read.

Blind Justice (1994)
Murder in Grub Street (1995)
Watery Grave (1996)

Too Many Cooks

Since I led a book discussion group on Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe, I have will have a number of titles to share. But this one, Too Many Cooks, I am also having fun listening to the audio book of it. It is set very early in the Nero Wolfe series, and in some ways it reflects the era - 1938 - and in some ways it is ahead of its time.

Wolfe is invited to a special gathering of world renowned chefs. He is the guest of honor. That is probably the only reason he will leave his brownstone in New York and travel to a West Virginia spa where the gathering will take place. The chefs are friendly rivals or are they really? When a chef is found dead and several people have declared their interest in seeing him gone, Wolfe gets himself reluctantly involved in the case.

This book is filled with food references and even *gasp* food recipes! Somehow I do not think that most people will be trying to make Terrapin Maryland, but who knows?

One of the more interesting aspects of this book, as a Nero Wolfe fan, is the fact that Archie seems a bit racist (to our "modern" mindset) when referring to the southern blacks who are the backstage workers and cooks at the spa. (But then he has snarky things to say about the chefs too!) But you have to remember this was written in 1938 when that attitude and the language used would have been common. The notable part is that when Nero Wolfe questions the staff about the murder, he treats them with dignity and civility and eventually ends up defending them from retribution from the local sheriff.

A fun read. And a fun book to listen to!

Favorite line of dialogue that I must use in a conversation sometime -

"I didn't see anybody put you away on a shelf to save up for the lord."