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Monday, March 23, 2020

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, The Black and the White by Alis Hawkins, The Falling Girl by R. Allen Chappell, and Some Loreth Anne White

I'm behind on reviewing; off course, that is usually the case, but in this current turmoil--even more so.  

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson was full of detail and well-researched; some of the details were fascinating, but they were overwhelming.  It was difficult to actually absorb all of the numbers, but interesting to see the myriad complications of planning and creating the Chicago's World Fair.  Interspersed between chapters about the all that went on to actually build the Fair were chapters about the serial killer H.H. Holmes.  

One thing I didn't like was Larson's imagining certain scenes with the killer and his victims.  He addresses this in his notes, but imagining scenes in a nonfiction book annoys me.  I'm glad I read it--I learned some things that will stay with me about the planning of a World Fair and the complications that ensue but I definitely prefer the altered style of Larson's The Splendid and the Vile about Churchill and the blitz.   No imagined scenes in The Splendid and the Vile--all came from letters and personal accounts, and it read more smoothly and more quickly than The Devil in the White City.

Purchased.

Great cover and an intriguing premise.  The Black and the White by Alis Hawkins has some historical interest and is well-written, but the "mystery" is a slow burn--even though the reader is quick to see who the murderer is.  (Martin has all the information and still fails to let it penetrate or persuade him to admit it.)

Anyone interested in the Black Death might enjoy elements of the story that "sort of" coincide with the current pandemic, but as a mystery or thriller, it did not succeed for me.  

Netgalley/Sapere Books
Historical Fiction.  March 30, 2020.  Print length:  370 pages.



Since first reading Navajo Autumn last year, I've read every book in this series.  I have not reviewed all of them, but I have loved each one  and was so excited that R. Allen Chappell had a new entry in the series!

In Falling Girl, Harley Ponyboy takes the lead and adjusts to changes in his circumstances in a purely Harley Ponyboy way!  Harley adapts to his new situation(s) in ways humorous and expected, but also in ways that show growing maturity as he depends less on his friends to counteract the threat.  His initiative is different from that of Charlie Yazzie or Thomas Begay, but effective.

I adore this series and the characters.  If you have the opportunity, get the first book in this series of the Four Corners region of the Southwest and immerse yourself in the culture, characters, and plots because Chappell just keeps getting better!

Kindle Unlimited.

Melody mentioned how much she enjoyed In the Dark by Loreth Anne White a while back and sent me looking forWhite's books.  So far I've read and enjoyed In the Dark, The Dark Lure, and The Dark Bones.  Yes, I do want more.  They are not great literature, they are fast-paced and gripping and keep my mind off the news.  Fortunately, I will be able to read quite a few more.  Free on Kindle Unlimited.  Thanks, Melody.  :)


 I do my daily yoga sadhana.  With the emphasis on breath, yoga gives a respite from the news and overthinking.

The constant rain without time for the ground to dry out has inhibited my ability to garden, but I fill the bird feeders daily.  The birds don't seem to mind the rain, and I enjoy the daily squabbles over whose turn it is on the feeders.  Doves are greedy and sometimes bully the smaller birds.   The hawk that sat on the fence and frightened all the other birds away has not returned.  

Stay safe.  

22 comments:

  1. I'm not sure I could read about a historical pandemic right now!

    I agree with your point about Larson's suppositions about what these historical figures may or may not have been thinking. If that is his bent - right a novel. But for me it is a "no no" in non-fiction and it detracted from the book.

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    1. I have abandoned a number of "nonfiction" biographies and histories that use this method. Thankfully, Larson did not do this in The Splendid and the Vile, yet it was engrossing and flowed well. :)

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  2. Although I did enjoy Larson's Devil, it ranks lower on my scale of enjoyment than all the others. With the ARCs I need to read, I haven't had a chance to read The Splendid and the Vile. I'm looking forward to it.

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    1. His research about the Chicago Fair was remarkable and interesting, but almost too much detail. I will be looking for another Larson book to see more about how his style alters between The Devil and The Splendid and the Vile, which I loved.

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    2. Try Isaac's Storm. (And this post also reminded me that I haven't gone back to Chappell's series. *sigh*)

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    3. Adding Isaac's Storm to my list. Anyone who lives in a coastal state would be interested in hurricanes!

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  3. I've heard so many good things about Erik Larson's books that my curiosity is piqued. :) And I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed Loreth Anne White's books! They are quick read and entertaining IMO; and I still need to read A Dark Lure.

    Stay safe and happy reading!

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    1. Right now, I love anything that will keep me occupied and entertained! White's books have done that. :)

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  4. Typically I love darker stories but right now I feel like I need cozy or beachy/lighter reads.

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    1. I need whatever I read to genuinely capture my attention right now as I don't have much patience. Dark, cozy, mystery, thriller, humor, history--but needs to grab and hole my attention.

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  5. What kind of birds come to your yard? We've been getting the typical house sparrows, finches and goldfinches, chickadees and the occasional juncos. And doves, of course. I keep looking for the quail to return, but I haven't seen any in our yard yet.

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    1. Mockingbirds, cardinals, sparrows, house finches, thrush, doves. Pretty ordinary, but fun to watch. I love seeing some of the beautiful birds other areas get, but we haven't seen any colorful birds other than the cardinals and the finches. :)

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    2. I'm jealous you get cardinals. We never get those. :D

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    3. I'm jealous of your goldfinches!

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  6. Sort of off topic, but I read a really intriguing book set during the Chicago World Fair that teamed up Sherlock Holmes and Henry James (no Doc Watson here) in a detective thriller that captures that period really well. It's called "The Fifth Heart" and it's by Dan Simmons. As I warned in the link, below, however, it is 617 pages long and you really need to pay attention from the first page onward or you can get lost. Here's the link to my 2015 review of the book:

    https://bookchase.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-fifth-heart.html (Hope you don't mind the link.)

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  7. Oooh! Dan Simmons! Will check it out, Sam!

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  8. First of all, I'm grateful that Sam mentioned that Dan Simmons book. I'll watch for it. It's possible I already own it. I do own more than one Simmons novel (unread as yet). Our mystery group discussed The Devil in the White City several years ago and it went over pretty well. We don't actually do much non-fiction crime books. Probably because it's true - something different about fictional crime and true crime - at least in my head. I remember liking the book, but also liking the part about the World's Fair better.

    We've had a bunch of rain too, good for the wildflowers but not so good for wandering about outside. It was over 90 yesterday and will be again today. And very humid. Still - fresh air is good. I have Kindle Unlimited too and want to read something by White. Think I might own In the Dark. Soon, soon. Today I started a book on my Kindle and it's going OK so far. I'm still listening to audios, but hope I'm 'over the hump' of no reading. Take care, Jenclair!

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    1. I sat very quietly during an event at The Poisoned Pen in which Simmons appeared with another author. I seem to be one of the few readers on earth who doesn't care for his writing-- and I've tried three of his books. I posted a negative review of one of them on Amazon and was almost massacred by his fans.

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    2. Kay, the facts about the World Fair were fascinating. I was amazed at all of the considerations that had to go into building, landscaping, getting the equipment and supplies, and on and on. Building a small, but temporary city, required so many experts and so much problem solving! I loved The Terror by Dan Simmons--it was an excellent fictional account of the Franklin Expedition. The title referred to the name of the ship and to the horror of the experience.

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    3. Cathy, while I loved The Terror (it sent me on a reading itinerary that was engrossing as well), I abandoned Drood. Haven't read anything else by Simmons; I am interested in The Fifth Heart that Sam mentions, though.

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  9. I have to check out some of these and while The Black Death sounds the most interesting, with our current situation I think I need to go for cozier reads. I hope you are doing well and keep on practicing your yoga!

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  10. Some really interesting titles -- I know that Larson cover. I think it was one I was mulling over, but never got around to reading. Too much book for me to handle, I think ;)

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