What are You reading: July - Sept 2017

[Kimberly]

Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love, James Runce

★

This book is a series of mysteries & preponderances of an English Pastor, complete w/ prayers.... which is also a PBS series.

The first mystery in the book is a murder, but it was very muddled, the characters rough and not very likable.... and I really missed the point with all the ramblings on.

The second had to do with the art world & corruption, which again lost me... This is where I gave up.

The series borders on tedious, but it might be better on t.v.; and the meandering ruminations of Archdeacon Chambers and his devout religiousness put me off.

[Kimberly]

The Property of Lies, Marjorie Eccles

★ ★ ★

1930's and something strange is going on in Maxstead Court School: secrets abound, the French teacher(s) disappear (later one of their bodies is found), a student is found locked in a basement room, the Matron is seen arguing w/ a man & slapping him hard, & the art teacher is shoved into the lake...

How it all ties in comes to a satisfying conclusion...

I did not particularly like the characters, and it is important for me to do so, I need to connect w/ someone. Everyone seemed cold, efficient, & business like and one never got to know any of them.

There was a lot of explanation I skipped.... I'm finding that I like dialog better than descriptive narrative.

I did like the story & the back story.....

I have been aware of Marjorie Eccles for many years and I have added her work to the Library's collection, but this is the first time I have ever read one of her books... I might attempt to read another of her earlier books.

[Kimberly]

The Wizard's Dog, Eric Kahn Gale

★ ★ ★ ★

This is a retelling of the Legend of Arthur: Sword in the Stone adding a Talking Dog that is capable of Magick!

It was funny, light & entertaining. The story was so compelling that I stayed up all night to read it!

The Good, the Evil, & the Wondrous all in one book!

[Book Concierge]

The Zookeeper’s Wife - Diane Ackerman – 4****
When the Nazis occupied Poland during WW2, many Polish citizens helped to shelter their Jewish friends and neighbors. This is the story one of family, and the wife and mother in particular: Antonina Zabinski, the zookeeper’s wife. It’s a fascinating story, and well told.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

Eventide - Kent Haruf – 5*****
Continuing the story of the residents of fictional Holt, Colorado, the novel features some of the same characters that readers came to love in Plainsong . Life can be hard in Holt. Accidents cause injury and death. Alcohol fuels violent tendencies and foolish behavior. Then again, some people rise to the occasion and help one another, moving forward with courage and grace. I came late to the party when it comes to reading Haruf. But better late than never.
LINK to my review

[~*Kim*~]

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
4 Stars

Ruth is an African American nurse who works in the Labor & Delivery ward at her hospital. When a White Supremacist has a baby, Ruth is strictly forbidden to care for the child. Suddenly Ruth finds herself alone with the baby when the baby goes in to distress. Torn between her boss's instructions on not to touch the baby and her oath to help others, Ruth does not know what to do.

It did take me a while to get through (about 8 weeks), but then again, so do most Picoult books. While this one wasn't my favorite, I still enjoyed it. I felt sorry for Ruth and what she was going through. I pretty much expected for there to be a twist, although I wasn't sure what it would be. I was somewhat surprised of what it was. I do think that the ending fell a bit short. I would have liked to have seen another chapter about Ruth at the end.

[Book Concierge]

Saint Monkey - Jacinda Townsend – 3***
In the late 1950s, two friends in a small town in Kentucky share big dreams. But their paths diverge and the lose one another in the process of growing up. This debut novel shows that Townsend is a talented writer, and some of the scenes she paints are very vivid, but the novel never really captured my attention. Still, I would read another book by her.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

Lamb In His Bosom - Caroline Miller – 5*****
This 1934 Pulitzer winner deals with a backwoods existence in rural Georgia, following the Carver / Smith families from 1832 until shortly after the Civil War. They battle weather, wild animals, disease, and injuries. And, when called, the men leave to fight a war they never wanted, and have no stake in. Descriptions so vivid you can feel the heat, smell the blood, hear the birds or the wail of panthers. It is a simple story, of simple people, but their lives are anything but simple.
LINK to my review

[Book Concierge]

Blood, Bones and Butter - Gabrielle Hamilton – 3***
Subtitle: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef. I’ll say this for Hamilton – she can definitely write. I was fascinated by the stories of her upbringing. I laughed, cheered and gasped at the anecdotes of her years working for the big catering companies, the summer camp and her own restaurant. But she kind of lost me when she got to her marriage. But what really shines in this memoir is her relationship with food. I relished in the descriptions of both simple and elegantly complicated meals.
LINK to my review