How to Talk to Anyone About Anything!

Spiegel, Jill. How to Talk to Anyone About Anything!: The Secrets to Connecting.

While I didn't take to the cheerleading approach Spiegel uses, I found the book quite helpful in in providing tips to feeling more comfortable in social situations and in connecting with people confidently.

Much of it is common sense, but for those of us who are often at a loss of words or sometimes uncomfortable in social situations, repetition is often a good thing.

Perhaps the most important advice that Spiegel gives before getting into specifics is that our attitudes are crucial. If our attitude is positive, people tend to receive us in a positive manner.

Spiegel talks about the mind-messages we often send ourselves that can be self-defeating...or on the other hand, confident and cheerful. Instinctively, I think we know this, but being reminded can ease our anxiety about certain gatherings or events we must attend.

There are certainly some good hints about how to enter conversations, how to respond to certain situations, how to deflect unwanted advice without giving offense, how to handle rejection and still keep the lines open, etc.

The book is very, very short, but the brevity is an asset. I get tired of books that put in a bunch of filler and say the same thing over and over in a variety of ways just to gain pages. If you highlight the important points, you can usually distill those bloated books into a few pages.

The format of the book is a bit odd (the chapters spill into each other without separation other than the textual clues), and I wonder if that is the fault of the publisher.

I received this book from the author and believe it is more or less the text from one of her seminars, which might explain both the brevity and the format.

The book is concise and helpful for people who are shy or who would like to be more comfortable in a crowd. There are times when I can socialize easily, but there are other times when I can not, for the life of me, think of anything to say (I know that is difficult to believe given the way I run on in my posts!)--so this book has already been helpful.

Nonfiction. Self-help. 2008. 110 pages.

Hungry Ghosts

Dunlap, Susan. Hungry Ghosts.

Darcy Lott is a stunt double who has returned to her native San Francisco, somewhat reluctantly and after a long absence, to serve as assistant to her Zen teacher in his new Zendo. Right before a dangerous stunt, Darcy thinks she sees her brother Mike, who disappeared years ago.

I found this mystery interesting enough to continue reading although I found myself nitpicking all the way through. The plot lines seemed far-fetched and convoluted, and some elements that were introduced weren't wrapped up satisfactorily. None of the characters came through for me, and the conclusion was predictable and anticlimactic.


Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 264 pages.

The Mao Case

Qui Xialong. The Mao Case.

I've read 3 of Xialong's previous novels and reviewed one here; well, it is less a review of the novel than comments about Qiu Xialong, his circumstances, his connection with the Cultural Revolution through his father, and China in transition .

Chief Inspector Chen, Xialong's protagonist, is the head of the Special Case group with the Shanghai Police Department. Chen is also a poet who majored in literature and does translations of poetry on the side. The poetic element in Chen sets him apart from most of his co-workers. He is a policeman through circumstance, rather than choice, but he is a dedicated one.

The novels are a bit uncomfortable for me as I wade through the cultural differences that include rarely saying what one means, but using poetry,metaphor, implications, or euphemisms. It would be so difficult to navigate waters that require you to choose an interpretation of what has been said. Chen, of course, can usually do so, but even he is often stuck between meanings. His interpretation of a statement can be so important, yet the words themselves can be taken several different ways.

The political undercurrents are also uncomfortable. Modern China is much more open than it was during Mao's time, but compared to the West, it is still a tricky and dangerous environment.

Inspector Chen's current case is what he calls a "Mao Case" -- one that is particularly dangerous politically. I've read several novels dealing with the Cultural Revolution, but I'm always horrified. Inspector Chen's parents suffered greatly during the Cultural Revolution (as did the author's), and he has mixed feelings about Chairman Mao. All discussions of Mao, even in casual conversation can still have severe consequences.

The books are interesting to me because they reveal that different cultures mean so much more than different languages and that even in contemporary China, Westerners have so little understanding of all of the underlying innuendo, significance, and ramifications that a simple conversation can involve.

Also of interest to me is the fact that so many individuals in Chen's world quote poetry at length. I assume that older individuals would have been forced to memorize Mao, but Mao's poetry is not all that the characters quote.

The dialogue is often stilted, but is that a result of the formality of the Chinese in their speech? Is it stilted because of Xialong's style, or because he is imitating the flow of a typical exchange? It has been about 3 years and several hundred books since I read When Red Is Black, and I notice that in my review I didn't comment much about the mystery.

I find the novels interesting and informative, but the mystery element in The Mao Case seems more contrived and the ending less satisfying. And yet...the Mao history and the complexity of living in China make the novel well worth it for me.

Fiction. Mystery. 2009. 289 pages.

Dear Diary

I have a couple of books to review, but they will wait.

Today I want to share a couple of sites with those of you who are interested in diaries and journals. I get regular updates from The Diary Junction when they add something new. "The aim of this website is to provide an internet resource for those interested in historical and literary diaries and diarists." It is a terrific resource.

There is also a blog (The Diary Junction Blog) that contains excerpts from the diaries of some fascinating and often famous people. I really love this site. Check it out!

And the Winner Is...

Linda! I will get The Reluctant Widow in the mail to you tomorrow. Congratulations!

Exploring Other Worlds

Chapin, David. Exploring Other Worlds: Margaret Fox, Elisha Kent Kane, and the Antebellum Culture of Curiosity.

Exploring Other Worlds is a very interesting look at two celebrities from the mid-nineteenth century. Margaret Fox and Elisha Kane both achieved fame/notoriety/celebrity status before the Civil War. Maggie Fox's claim to fame was as one of the spirit-rapping Fox Sisters; Elisha Kane was a gentleman traveler, an arctic explorer, and a national hero.

According to David Chapin, "In their own ways Kane and Fox epitomized what can best be called a culture of curiosity. They both operated in a new world of commercial mass culture that appealed to curiosity about the unknown .... The culture of curiosity was reflected in the newspapers, the dime museums, the lecture halls, the books, and the pamphlets of this era." The beginning of a new mass consumer culture was developing, and it provided a new kind of audience.

While neither Fox nor Kane were actually in show business, they were both entertainment attractions, and as a result, ripe for the kind of voyeuristic celebrity we are familiar with today. Both Fox and Kane needed the publicity for financial reasons, but the celebrity was a double-edged sword for both.

Chapin takes a much more skeptical approach to the Fox Sisters than does Weisberg in her biographical work, Talking to the Dead. He entertains no notion other than that the sisters were frauds; he does, however, look at Maggie and her situation sympathetically. Although he dismisses the spirit rappings as fraudulent, Chapin sympathizes with the difficulty of working women during this time period and never dismisses Maggie, herself.

Chapin includes more primary source information about the relationship between Maggie and Kane and mentions incidents that Weisberg omits. By the same token, while Chapin mentions Horace Greeley's acquaintance with the Fox family, he does not mention, as Weisberg does, that Kate Fox lived with the Greeley family for a while.

Kane actually gets a less sympathetic account. Chapin mentions Kane's arrogance, condescension, and sense of superiority in his travels, in his relationship with Maggie and in his arctic explorations. Part of Kane's sense of superiority is directly related to the cultural and social mores of the era, but I have to wonder if it was not partially related to his small stature (which was frequently mentioned). He was about five and a half feet tall and rarely weighed more than 130 pounds.

Although courageous, curious, and adventuresome, Kane was physically fragile as a result of bad bout with rheumatic fever when he was 18. He managed to pack an enormous amount of travel and adventure into his short life.

Chapin's book gives an informative and well-documented view of these two individuals, of their relationship, and of the pre-war society to which they belonged. It reads much more like a history text than does Weisberg's Talking to the Dead, but Exploring Other Worlds is excellent historical writing, simultaneously informative and interesting. I enjoyed it; it provides a great balance to Weisberg's book.

Nonfiction. Biography/history. 2004. 220 pages + notes.

How to Deal with Zombies!

I just couldn't help it! I've watched it a couple of times and smile even when I think about it. Perfect for Carl's RIP Challenge...

The TBR List Grows (and Grows)

More books that sound good:

Two Guys Read Jane Austen by Steven Chandler & Terrence Hill (via Nicole)

Broadcasts from the Blitz: How Edward R. Murrow Lead America into War by Philip Seib
(via Jenny's Books)

Fudoki by Kij Johnson (via Nymeth)

Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly (via The Vigorous Mind & Unruly Reader)

The Real Life of Mary Ann Evans by Rosemarie Bodenheimer (via So Many Books)

Making a Good Brain Great - Daniel Amen (via a podcast)

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (via Nymeth)

Cool video that shows a little of what technology can do. The fMRI is discussed in The Brain that Changes Itself that I just reviewed.


Don't forget that if you are interested in a copy of The Reluctant Widow to go to this post and say so.

The Brain that Changes Itself

Doidge, Norman, M.D. The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science.

Brain function and neural plasticity are fascinating subjects, and our brains are capable of almost miraculous re-wiring to accommodate to situations incurred by accident, disease, learning disabilities, natural aging, or stroke. That does not mean that all brain trauma can be cured, just that the brain has the often amazing ability to recover brain function in cases previously considered hopeless.

Dr. Doidge, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, is on the faculty at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research in New York and the University of Toronto's department of psychiatry. His research into neuroplasticity leads him to interview some of the world's leading neuroscientists, to visit their labs, and to observe their methods in action.

In a fluent and highly readable account, he gives the reader an extraordinary look at individual triumphs and at scientific concepts and experiments that have led to so many hopeful discoveries in the field.

Portions of the book read almost like science fiction--fast and furious--leaving you marveling at the possibilities. Other portions slow you down and are more technical, but are still within the comprehension of the lay reader and are equally gripping.

The first chapters in the book are some of the most exciting. These chapters deal with almost unbelievable improvements in certain individuals with brain trauma or disabilities, the scientists who did the research, and the methods of research. While some very exciting discoveries have come about with improved technology that has allowed more and more accurate brain scans, other scientists have formed hypotheses and created treatments using very low-tech methods.

One interesting aspect is that brain plasticity or malleability, can be a blessing or a curse, for while the brain has remarkable flexibility, repeated patterns of thought and behavior ("neurons that fire together wire together") can create a rigidity that is hard to break. As a result, both positive and negative results can be achieved by the same brain process. (Ahh, those bad habits that we reinforce daily....)

On the other hand, "neurons that fire apart, wire apart" a phenomenon that provides a method of correction and a way to break bad habits or addictions.

Other interesting points (and there are far too many to mention!):

* Use it or lose it applies to mental as well as physical skills. Plasticity is competitive and unused areas can be pruned back or used for other information.

*The benefits of memorization (largely discarded in modern education) increased auditory memory, and therefore, thinking in language and that the stress on handwriting (also no longer a priority in education) not only increased motor skills, but probably "added speed and fluency to reading and speaking."

*Culture is more important than some believe. Because our brains are plastic, "To a larger degree than we suspected, culture determines what we can and cannot perceive." An example is in speech. There is a critical period during which the auditory cortex develops and during that period an infant is "capable of hearing any sound distinction in all the thousands of languages of our species." After the period closes, however, infants lose the ability to hear many of the sounds not used in their own culture which explains the problem some cultures have reproducing certain sounds.

Melbourne Conversations - Dr. Doidge speaks and explains better than I can.


Here is an article about the CBC Documentary with David Suzuki; there is also a link to a video, but it is evidently only available in Canada.

The brain is an astonishing organ; this book affirms that the brain is capable of significant growth, change, and self-repair.

(If you've reviewed this book let me know, and I'll link to your review.)

Nonfiction. Science. 2007. 408 pages.

Another Give-Away, Abandoned, In Progress

Time for another give-away: The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer. If you are interested in this one, just leave a comment (be sure to mention your interest). I'll use the Random Number Generator to choose the winner next Monday.

I've begun and discarded several books lately in keeping with this year's policy of abandoning books that don't live up to expectations. While I don't like abandoning books, especially when I've read 50-100 pages, there are too many books in my stacks that I'm eager to read. Unfortunately, Drood by Dan Simmons is one that is going back to the library unfinished, as are The Black Dove by Steve Hockensmith and Knit Two by Kate Jacobs.

In progress:

Exploring Other Worlds: Margaret Fox, Elisha Kent Kane, and the Antebellum Culture of Curiosity by David Chapin. This one continues the research I began on the Franklin Expedition (that digressed into other areas). Chapin takes a decidedly different approach from Barbara Weisberg in Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism.

Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge by Alan B. Wallace. Another look at neuroscience from a different perspective.

Deep Thinking the Human Condition: New Ideas We Can't Do Without an ARC by S. A. Qdunsi. This one deals with problems concerning underdevelopment and poverty in third world countries the search for viable solutions. While this one has been put aside several times, I hope to get back to it.

and Yoga as Medicine by Dr. Timothy McCall, which I love and also has elements of neuroplasticity, but which has also been neglected as I try to get through the books I have on interlibrary loan.

I've been working on my review of The Brain that Changes Itself for several days; I have too much to say about it and have to keep pruning it! (Oops - thanks to Dark Orpheus for noting the wrong link here - should now be correct)

Saffron Dreams

Abdullah, Shaila. Saffron Dreams.

This is a quiet book about loss and grief, about hope and commitment, about cultural differences, and about our common humanity. It is, above all, a success story in the sense that living, in spite of all its difficulties, is a worthy challenge.

Arissa Illahi has had a childhood of privilege in Pakistan and is fortunate enough to marry the man she loves. Their brief marriage comes to an end, however, on September 11, when the twin towers flame and fall.

Heart-broken, Arissa must deal with the loss of her husband who worked in a restaurant in one of the towers and with the hate and anger that manifested itself against the Muslim community following the attacks.

With the help of her husband's parents, Arissa begins the long process of healing and re-formulating her life. The child she is expecting gives her the strongest reason to go on, but the strength and compassion of her in-laws provide the safety net she needs as she tries to cope with the loss of a beloved husband.

The author manages to tell this tale with such a delicate touch, never falling into the maudlin and never giving Arissa the powers of a superhero. Arissa is a deeply wounded woman who gradually gains the strength and confidence to accept the new direction of her life, but it is a struggle. Her courage is the quiet courage of the survivor.

I loved the relationship between Arissa and her husband's mother. The grieving of these two women, one who has lost a son and one who carries a son who will never know his father, provides an interesting study of loss and compassion.

Saffron Dreams addresses many serious problems (death of a loved one, prejudice, cultural differences, caring for a child with disabilities, and more), but in such a manner that allows us to see the ways human beings triumph over circumstances wrenched from their control and gradually find ways to re-adjust their dreams and move forward.

A beautifully written narrative that looks at the aftermath of Sept. 11 with a slightly different perspective, the book unfolds and blossoms with an unexpected tenderness while never denying the myriad effects of tragedy.

The author sent me this book, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read and review it. Highly recommended.

Fiction. 2009. 232 pages.

Jane Austen: A Life

Tomalin, Claire. Jane Austen: A Life.

This biography had a wealth of information about Jane Austen and her family. Although so many of Jane's letters were destroyed by her sister Cassandra and her niece Fanny, Tomalin still manages to piece together a vivid perspective of the author's life and the influence of family and friends.

Tomalin does occasionally make assumptions that bother me a bit; I don't mind assumptions too much if there are qualifiers, but I'm uneasy with assumptions easily made and stated as fact without said qualifiers because such varied opinions can result from our personal readings of a situation.

Nevertheless, the factual information was interesting and detailed. I was unaware that Jane was sent to a boarding school where she suffered from a serious illness, that she had such interesting relations in her Aunt Philadelphia and her cousin Eliza (both women had unusual independence of mind and style), and that there was a ten year gap in her writing as a result of the move from Steventon to Bath.

It is a shame that we have so little in her own words about her life and thoughts, but this biography gives a great deal of information about some of the major events in the lives of the larger Austen family. It was not the easiest period to be an unmarried female, but in spite of her quiet life, Jane made an singular and significant mark on the age with her novels. Tomalin's biography allows us to view Jane in the midst of her family and her era.

Another review of Tomalin's biography: Of Books & Bicycles
Another biography of Jane Austen by Carol Shields reviewed by Nicole.

Nonfiction. Biography. 1998. 228 pages + Appendices, Notes, Bibliography.

Among the Mad

Winspear, Jacqueline. Among the Mad.

This is the book I won in Danielle's give-away and the sixth novel in Winspear's series about Maisie Dobbs.

There are several aspects of these novels that I particularly enjoy:

- the way Maisie's character develops from the time immediately after WWI up to 1931, the period of this novel

-Winspear's handling of all of the WWI details and its residual effects on England

-the psychological insight into various characters

-the ambiance of post-war England

-and the mysteries themselves.

All of these aspects are present in Winspear's latest installment. When Maisie and Billy witness the suicide of a war veteran as they walk down a London street, they find themselves drawn into the investigation. The larger investigation involves a threat to the population of London involving poisoned gas if the government doesn't respond to the needs of its war veterans.

The use of poisoned gas by the Germans was one of the most horrorific elements of WWI, and the thought of the use of such a weapon on London is terrifying. Maisie immediately suspects that the author of the note is himself one of the shell-shocked victims of the war; working with New Scotland yard, she joins the frantic attempt to locate him in time.

Of course, the emphasis on the poisoned gas calls to mind Wilfred Owen's poem Dulce et Decorum Est (perhaps the best known poem of WWI) and its description of victims of a gas attack.

In addition to the major plot line and its logical digressions concerning shell shock and the treatment of war veterans, the novel follows some of the minor recurring characters and their difficulties.

Among the Mad is one of Winspear's best, a multi-layered look at an era. Winspear has also begun to introduce us to the pre-war period of WWII in her last couple of novels. Hitler is consolidating his power in Germany and many in England are beginning to take notice of the changing political climate.

An interview with Jacqueline Winspear: A Work in Progress.
Other reviews: So Many Books and Curled Up With A Good Book.

Fiction. Mystery/Psychology. 2009. 303 pages.

And the Winner Is...

I numbered the names that were entered for the give-away of My Lady of Cleves and used the Random Number Generator for the selection.

The winner is Bloduedd, Bookgirl at the Court of Mur-y-Castell! Isn't the name appropriate for a book about a queen? So My Lady of Cleves will be making the journey to Finland soon.

The Uncommon Reader

Bennett, Alan. The Uncommon Reader. A charming and funny novella featuring the Queen of England and books. When the Queen of England becomes a reader there are some amusing consequences that perturb those who prefer life to remain the same.

The Queen's inadvertent discovery of books and her unlikely mentor Norman lead Her Majesty to some "overwhelming question[s]." She recalls meeting various writers and poets (including Mr. Eliot) before becoming a reader and realizes the missed opportunities because she had not read their works and couldn't discuss them with any familiarity.

When she comments on this fact, she is told that she was surely "briefed." The Queen then distinguishes between "briefing" and "reading" with some of my favorite lines:

"Briefing is terse, factual and to the point. Reading is untidy, discursive and perpetually inviting. Briefing closes down a subject, reading opens it up."

Reading this novella was a short, satiric, and delightful experience!

Other Reviews: Nymeth, Dorothy, Kailana, Teabird


Fiction. 2007. 120 pages.

Painting, Reading, Adding to Lists

I've been busy the last few days painting the room that will be my new sewing and computer room. Painting completed yesterday , and now it time for the really difficult part--moving in.

I'm almost finished with the Jane Austen biography, but have 4-5 books going at the same time, so each one of them is going slowly. Well, except for Among the Mad by Winspear, which I dashed through because I couldn't wait to find out what Maisie Dobbs was up to!

In the meantime, even as I have wonderful books waiting in my stacks, the TBR list grows:

A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York by Kevin Fitzpatrick (via Worducopia)

Waiting for Gertrude by Bill Richardson (via Framed)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (via My Random Acts of Reading)

The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein (via Ramya's Bookshelf)

The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes (via Kim)

These join my long list of books that I want to read!

Now, must write the review of The Uncommon Reader and Among the Mad.

Book give-away post here.

In Progress

Our brains are so wonderful! So absolutely marvelous! I'm almost unable to put The Brain Changes Itself by Norman Doidge down. (Unfortunately, I have to because my husband has me painting my new sewing room--I'd planned to hire someone.)

Reading this book is as exciting as fiction and makes me feel the miraculous nature of who and what we are. The studies are endlessly fascinating; I have flags and notes all over the place, and I've read fewer than 100 pages.

Not only are the studies of the science involving, but the research and applications are so encouraging. What possibilities are available to those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, strokes, for those who are dyslexic and have other learning disabilities, and to those of us who are free from the most serious problems, but who would like to think that our brains are capable of transformation!

I can't help but think of The Vigorous Mind, not only because Cummings discusses neuroplasticity, but because she offers so many options for learning and growing, for cross-training the brain, for developing diverse interests. I'm still pursuing the "curriculum" I developed for myself, and find that my reading is more rewarding and that my interests and curiosity have broadened.

One of my goals (besides reading more broadly :o) in my personal Vigorous Mind curriculum is to be more involved and participatory in some of the compassionate projects that online friends have organized. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the baby quilt I was working on for a service project that a quilting friend was doing for pregnant teens. She's in Texas, so I thought this cowboy applique was appropriate.
Don't forget that if you want a chance to win My Lady of Cleves, you need to comment on the previous post.

Sometimes there is a surfeit of good books! So many great choices in the TBR stack that choosing becomes a dilemma.
Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (Newest Maisie Dobbs adventure. Thanks, Danielle, can't wait to begin this one!)

The Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone (an ARC- have to wait to read this one as they want the review posted in May)

The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge (Interlibrary Loan - I couldn't resist reading the first chapter - amazing!)

Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge by B. Alan Wallace (another ILL and part of the Columbia Series on Science and Religion)

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (ILL - and oops, this shouldn't have been in the stack because I read this little jewel the other night- need to review it)

Becoming Enlightened by the Dalai Lama (ARC - I've read a bit of this one, but I'm so inundated with great possibilities that I haven't gotten very far)

Drood by Dan Simmons (I'm 168 pages into this one, but have to admit that it is not really grabbing me)

Still in progress: Claire Tomlin's Jane Austen: A Life and Yoga as Medicine, both of which I'm really enjoying.

And a Give-Away - Leave a comment if you'd like a copy of My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes. I'll draw a winner on Monday, March 9th.

An Inconvenient Wife

Chance, Megan. An Inconvenient Wife. Through the experiences of Lucy Carlton and her problems with hysteria (remember Freud?), we get a look into the cultural and social strictures of New York society in the 1880's, the role of women, and some of the medical procedures of the time. (The beginning is a little slow, but do stick around!)

Lucy married for love, but has a bit of internal conflict because her domineering father encouraged her courtship with William Carlton; another problem in their marriage involves sexual expectations. The marriage is not entirely happy for either Lucy or William, for many reasons.

Lucy's problems are diagnosed as female hysteria, and after treatments from several doctors (who recommend everything from surgery to a mental institution), she begins treatments with Dr. Victor Seth, a neurologist.

At this point, things get a little strange as Dr. Seth uses "electric therapy" (ahem!) and hypnosis in an attempt to cure Lucy. As her treatments continue, Dr. Seth becomes fascinated with his patient, and through the use of implanted suggestion, begins using Lucy as a means of furthering his research.

The problem for Lucy and her husband is that the cure may be worse than the disease. Twists and turns, manipulation, and scandal all result from Lucy's treatment. She is becoming more of the woman she was intended to be, but how much of her personality is under the control of the good doctor?

You can't help but think a little of Edith Wharton and Henry James (actually, his brother William James is mentioned in the novel), but this novel is definitely written by a 21st century author who brings not only knowledge of the time period, but a modern sensibility the narrative.

Intriguing, disconcerting, and thought-provoking, the novel follows Lucy on her compelling and surprising journey of identity; a journey that uncovers secrets and leads to unexpected consequences.

I don't want to reveal too much!

Another review - by Katherine (A Girl Walks into a Bookstore)

Fiction. Historical. 2004. 416 pages.

Fatal Legacy

Corley, Elizabeth. Fatal Legacy. The reader knows from the beginning that Alan Wainwright's death is not a suicide as we accompany him to his clandestine meeting, but by the time the body is discovered, the scene looks like suicide.

When the will is read, there are some unpleasant surprises for the family members, and a surprising couple of heirs in Alan's nephew Alex and wife, Sally. Even as Alex and Sally discover some disturbing business irregularities, Alan's son Graham is beginning to question the suicide of his father.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Fenwick is assigned to decide whether or not to re-open the case. Then another murder. Secrets and duplicity abound.

I thought Fenwick a bit cold (except with his children), but Corley's style bears resemblance to some of my favorite authors in this genre -- Peter Robinson and Reginald Hill. The characters have depth and complexity, and the plot is full of complications and twists.

Fiction. Mystery. 2000. 308 pages.

The Hellfire Conspiracy

Thomas, Will. The Hellfire Conspiracy.

This is the 4th in the series of Private Inquiry Agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn. Set in London in 1885, Barker's latest client is frantic about the disappearance of his daughter. The topic of white slavery of young women for purposes of prostitution was a hot one in Victorian London, and Devere fears that white slavers are responsible .

Barker, however, isn't sure the disappearance of young Gwendolyn DeVere is related to white slavery and soon discovers that other young girls have disappeared with deadly results. Barker and Llewelyn suspect that the abuse and murders are the work of a serial killer and, indeed, soon receive a letter from the murderer taunting them.

The novel includes several real issues from the era and several real people. The real people include William Stead, a journalist who campaigned against the practice of selling young women into prostitution and to raise the age of consent from 13 to 16. The inclusion of William T. Stead works, but the inclusion of Beatrix Potter doesn't.

The characters are interesting, but not fully rounded. The strength (for me) is the ambiance, history, and culture of Victorian London. Overall, an enjoyable mystery.


Fiction. Mystery. 2007. 311 pages.

A Rule Against Murder

Penny, Louise. A Rule Against Murder.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife are on their annual anniversary holiday at Manoir Bellechase. Gamache may have been expecting a relaxing summer retreat, but when one of the guests is murdered, he finds himself involved in the investigation.

This is the first of Louise Penny's novels that I've read and the 4th in this series. It is more complex than a cozy, but still retains some of the characteristics of that genre. Chief Inspector Gamache is a charming man, deeply in love with his wife. With patience and insight, Gamache leads his team as they try to determine motive and murderer.

I liked Gamache, but found the dysfunctional Finney's a bit hard to take. Held together by a twisted thread, their contempt for each other is pervasive. Something about these relationships didn't hold together for me and the concluding pages concerning the siblings didn't resolve my problems.

Nevertheless, something about Gamache and his team and about Penny's writing style helped me overcome my distaste for the mean-spirited Finney family (I did like Bert and Bean), and I enjoyed the mystery, the setting, and all of the other characters. The first three novels in the series will eventually make it to my stacks.

Other reviews of this series: My Random Acts of Reading and Framed.

Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 322 pages.

In Progress & In the Stacks

My reading has slowed down. Way down.

I still have one book to review, a couple of books in progress, and a stack of books to read, but I'm working on a small quilt right, playing with several embroidery projects, AND the temperatures are supposed to reach the 70's today, so gardening (well, cleaning up the garden) is also a distraction.

However, the following is the Book Agenda.

In progress:
Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin (via Of Books and Bicycles)
Yoga as Medicine by Timothy McCall (this one may take a year! )
The Hellfire Conspiracy by Will Thomas (can't remember which blog recommended Will Thomas and the Barker & Llewellyn series)









Library Haul from yesterday (click book for link to Amazon):










I was obviously in the mood for fiction; hope these turn out better than the ones I returned unfinished.

Yesterday's Mail:

Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah arrived yesterday as an ARC. Love the cover and the title; I'm excited about this one.

A Parade!

I posted a bunch of pictures of the annual Barkus & Meow Mardi Gras Parade over at Bayou Quilts, but I wanted to share this one here. (click on picture to enlarge)This parade of dogs, cats, miniature horses, guinea pigs, and this year, one pot-bellied pig is sponsored by Pet Savers. Many of the dogs in the parade were adopted in previous years, and there was a section of kennels of dogs that needed homes, so the legacy of pet adoption continues.

It is tremendous fun and serves such a good purpose.

Monday Musings

I'm almost caught up on reviews. My reading, however, has slowed down. I've begun several fiction books that are not very good, and I'm trying to stay with my resolution to abandon books that invite me to make fun of them sotto voce. They will go back to the library unfinished.

On the other hand, I've got a couple of good nonfiction books in progress and an ever-growing list of "want to reads" garnered from miscellaneous blog reviews.

Two more good documentaries to report:

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama is full of lovely scenes from Tibet, some good background on the Dalai Lama's childhood, terrible scenes of the Chinese occupation and the destruction of 6,000 monasteries. Over a million Tibetans have been killed as a result of Chinese policy...pretty stunning. The documentary presents actual footage of the 1949 occupation. The history is only a part of the documentary, but it is fascinating.


The other excellent documentary is The Cats of Mirikitani. Interesting on many levels, this film captures Mirikitani as a homeless street artist, his friendship with Linda Hattendorf (the filmmaker), the effect the events of 9-11 had on Jimmy and other street people, and the transformative power that results from his friendship with Linda. The film documents his life over a five year period.

It is really a marvelous film about homelessness and the available resources; about frustration and pride and dedication to art; about the camps and the residual effects of the Japanese interned in them (Jimmy was born in the U.S., an American citizen); and about friendship and kindness and reunions.

An excellent synopsis of the film here.

The Creative Habit

Tharp, Twyla. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life.

Loved it! Practical, useful, highly entertaining. Twyla Tharp is certainly an individual with a Vigorous (and Renaissance) Mind--one of America's greatest choreographers; extremely well-read and knowledgeable in so many areas; curious and determined; and a perpetual student of art, music, literature, philosophy, and film. When something "exceeds her grasp," Tharp just keeps reaching.

I read The Artist's Way and The Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron seven or eight years ago and (forgive me those of you who adore these books) found them neither helpful nor entertaining. Not that there was nothing good there, but that the good parts could fit in a few paragraphs. Maybe Cameron's "Way" simply did not appeal to my personality. Tharp, on the other hand, had me hooked immediately.

Twyla Tharp's sharp insight and dedication to hard work; her love of good literature, art, and music and her investigations in these areas; and her examples of historical and current creative individuals...make fascinating reading.

She has worked with Jerome Robbins, Martha Graham, Balanchine, Baryshnikov, and Peter Martins in the dance world. She has collaborated with Milos Foreman on Hair, Ragtime, and Amadeus. She's created dances for the Joffrey Ballet, the New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, London's Royal Ballet, and American Ballet. She has worked with creative people in the arts and in business. Her close personal friends have included Richard Avedon and Maurice Sendak. Her own creativity aside, Tharp has known and worked with some of the most creative people of her era.

I read avidly, and while I may not be that creative, I enjoyed and appreciated this book tremendously. Tharp gives excellent practical advice for creative people in any genre, but more than that, she provides a intriguing, refreshing, and insightful look at creative people and their creative habits.

My copy is from the library, but this is a book that I want to own.

Nonfiction. Inspiration/Creativity. 243 pages.

Where Memories Lie

Crombie, Deborah. Where Memories Lie.

Another Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery. I've been reading and enjoying this series for years because I like the characters, the detailed and interesting settings, and the tight plots. I also love the end papers which display a map with drawings of important sites in the broader area in which the novel is set.

Laura Hartman Maestro does the maps for each novel, and I love the sense of immediacy they add. Of course, I'm also a great fan of illustrated maps in general, her maps are quite beautiful. The map below is from Crombie's novel Water like a Stone.

This the map from A Finer End.

I could scan the end papers for this novel, but it is a library book and has "jacket interference."

Where Memories Lie begins with an Art Deco brooch showing up for auction and leads to Gemma looking into a cold case involving the murder of a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany and a connection to current murders. As usual, I enjoyed this mystery by Deborah Crombie.

Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 295 pages.

More on the Orphan Trains

Thanks to Sam of Book Chase, I found a YouTube version of the song he mentioned about the Orphan Train.

The Orphan Trains

One of my goals in my Renaissance Mind self-challenge was to watch 2 documentaries from Netflix a month. Last month, I watched 3-- two were interesting, the third was not so great.

The other night, I watched this month's first documentary, and it was fascinating! I'd never heard of this particular segment of our American history, and The Orphan Trains was so fascinating that I made Fee watch it with me the second time.

During the 1850's, a young minister named Charles Loring Brace was stunned and saddened by the abandoned street children in New York. I've read about these abandoned children many times, but was totally unaware of Brace's solution to the problem. He formed the Children's Aid Society and began shipping the children to farming communities in the West, hoping that loving Christian families could take the children in and save them from the horrible conditions they faced alone on the streets of New York.

Everything was well-documented. Names of children, where they went, entries in Brace's journals, letters from the children and their new families, etc. From the 1850's until 1929, the Orphan Trains carried over 150,000 children from New York to points west.

Some of these situations didn't work out so well; despite the efforts of the Children's Aid Society, many potential families were no better vetted than foster families are today and the check ups on situations were difficult and spotty because there were so many placements. Some families undoubtedly saved the lives of many children; other situations must have been terrible disasters. Photographs of the children taken by Brace's photographer and by the families that took the children in tell a remarkable story on their own, but the interviews with many elderly individuals who rode the trains to new homes from the early part of the 2oth century are both engrossing and touching.

Brace worked hard to save the children who wandered bare foot and slept in door ways, but he grappled with the dilemma of what to do to help:

"When a child of the streets stands before you in rags, with a tear-stained face, you cannot easily forget him. And yet, you are perplexed what to do. The human soul is difficult to interfere with. You hesitate how far you should go."

The Orphan Trains is a remarkable story and a remarkable documentary. I highly recomment it.

More information can be found here (and these are just a few sites):

Charles Loring Brace
Orphan Trains
The Adoption History Project
The Children's Aid Society
National Orphan Train Complex


Cross-posted at Bayou Quilts.

Hatha Yoga Illustrated

Kirk, Martin, Brooke, Boone, and Daniel DiTuro. Hatha Yoga Illustrated.

I'm finally going to call this one finished. It isn't, of course, because I keep referring to it and will continue to do so.


What I liked about this one:

• brief, but informative background information, even if philosophy is not in depth
• asanas are divided into sections (standing, balancing, inverted, twisting, etc.)
• excellent photographs
  
• postures are shown step by step
• both English and Sanskrit names for the asanas are included
  
• counterposes
• drishti (where the eyes should focus)
• physical & mental benefits for each pose
• contraindications
• gentle variations & more advanced variations

I've been through all of the poses (although some of the advanced versions are still beyond my ability) and have used this book in conjunction with some of the others books on yoga that I'm reading. When I have a question, I look it up in one of the other books, but the photographs and information in HYI are excellent.

It does not include the pronunciations for the Sanskrit poses, but one of the other books does. Yoga Anatomy and Yoga as Medicine (still in progress) are much more detailed about complicated anatomical aspects and medical benefits of poses, but HYI is the best book for learning over 70 asanas. It is suitable for basic and advanced practitioners, has clear, easy to read info and instructions, and marvelous, helpful photos. Great learning and reference tool.

Nonfiction. Yoga. 2006. 232 pages.

Bone by Bone

O'Connell, Carol. Bone by Bone.

I'm a great fan of O'Connell's Mallory novels, but this novel featuring another character, left me cold. In fact, none of the characters seemed to lift from the page and some were so far in the realm of bizarre that I felt completely bewildered about why so much weirdness was packed into one novel. I remember being disappointed by Judas Child (another departure from the Mallory series), but nothing much pleased me about this one.

There are plenty of elements in the novel that would have fascinated me if presented differently, but the over-the-top nature of the novel was simply too much with which to contend without some sense of identification with the characters.

Perhaps I would have liked Hannah Rice if she had had any back-up characters, but poor Hannah's character faded into the overall weirdness. She had no support system. Oren, the lead character, was too flat to really play off the housekeeper's interesting qualities and no real sense of genuine feeling came through.

A great annoyance was being hit with the phrase, "No one every goes to the library." This device was evidently supposed to provide a mysterious and humorous note, but being hit over the head with it so frequently was a problem, and the solution to that vapid mystery was disappointing and (once again) bizarre.

I had been eager to read Bone by Bone because the premise sounded interesting and because I'd seen some positive reviews (not by bloggers, but if you've read it, let me know). Evidently several critics appreciated this book much more than I did, so maybe the problem is simply mine.

The strange, flawed characters in the Mallory novels appeal to me, but even if they seem far-fetched, they are so well-developed that I was always eager for the next installment. Oren is dull as ditch water and his attachment to Isabelle...masochistic and given that he had never spoken to her, peculiar. However, that appears to have been Isabelle's situation as well. Hmm, masochistic describes several relationships in this novel: "You hate me; I love you."

Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 340 pages.

Talking to the Dead

Weisberg, Barbara. Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism.

The Fox sisters gained fame in 1848 when eleven-year-old Kate and fourteen-year-old Maggie began communicating with the dead by means of mysterious rappings and knocks that were heard throughout the Fox home. Instant celebrity followed: first locally, among friends and neighbors who came to the Fox home to be amazed and who attempted to uncover the source of the noises. Later, as word spread, the girls gained national and international acclaim.

Attempts to discover how the strange noises were manifested and to discredit the sisters were never completely successful, although many mediums who followed in their footsteps were easily exposed as frauds. The sisters, including older sister Leah, who knew an opportunity when it appeared, underwent many humiliating attempts to debunk their abilities, but the attempts had little effect. The young girls, guided by Leah, initiated a phenomenon that surprised almost everyone with its rapid spread, and soon the number of individuals who could talk to the dead multiplied.

Weisberg does a fine job of examining the Spiritualist movement, the cultural underpinnings of the era, and the lives of Kate and Maggie. What is amazing is the number of intelligent and well-known individuals who believed, who attended seances, and/or who attempted to expose them. Among those who attended their seances were Horace Greeley, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and James Fennimore Cooper.

Weisberg's research is extensive and includes many primary documents from the time period, including books, letters, newspaper articles, and pages of secondary sources. Unfortunately, none of the Fox sisters left much in writing, and what there is (mostly in letters to devoted followers) never reveals evidence that is conclusive about their belief in their chosen profession. Maggie gave a lecture much later in life that decried their abilities as fake, but she later recanted.

I was originally drawn to the book by the "prophetic dreams" Captain Crozier experienced in Dan Simmon's novel, The Terror. His dreams included, but did not name, the Fox sisters and Elisha Kent Kane, one of the arctic explorers who searched for the lost Franklin Expedition. Elisha Kent Kane evidently fell for Maggie and pursued her with determination. The book did little to bolster Kane's reputation on a personal level, and his letters to Maggie are a combination of longing and contempt, as he felt Maggie to be beneath him.

Kane was 3o and Maggie was 19 when they met. He tended to be quite controlling, and believing the seances to be fraudulent, Kane attempted to separate Maggie from Leah (he saw the older sister as manipulative) and to persuade Maggie to give up her activities.

Shortly after "marrying" Maggie--this was not a formally legal marriage--Kane became seriously ill and died. His family denied that he had made any provision for Maggie, and a feud simmered between the evidently heart-broken Maggie and the Kane family for years.

Although their careers as mediums increased their financial status and their celebrity for a time, a serious down-side was that as they were entertained by the rich and famous, both Kate and Maggie developed a taste for alcohol that certainly aided in their fall from grace. Serious alcoholics by the end of their lives, both women died in impoverished circumstances.

Talking to the Dead tells the engrossing story of the rise and influence of Spiritualism, the Fox sisters, and the fears and uncertainties of the age in which they lived.

Update: The Stay At Home Bookworm has posted her review here.

Nonfiction. Biography/History. 2004. 273 pages.

Procrastinating

I've finished several more books, but I'm having trouble making myself write the reviews. The review of Talking to the Dead, which I started to write the other day, just seems to elude me. I write and delete and try again.

The new television show Lie to Me seems to be based on the research about facial expressions that Malcolm Gladwell included in Blink. That particular research was one of the most interesting portions of the book, and it seemed uncanny that right after I'd read the book, the show premiered. You can watch the pilot here. The research of Paul Ekman, the psychologist who has done extensive work in the field, is absorbing and a bit unnerving.

Gauntlet

Aaron, Richard. Gauntlet: A Novel of International Intrigue.

The first few pages of the novel had me worried, and I was about to follow through with my plan to abandon any book that didn't really interest me, when things began to pick up. And when they did, I found myself amazed at the fast pace of this novel.

Aaron is able to keep several stories on the go, uniting them when necessary to futher the overall plot, then separating the strands again to fill in background, motive, history. In this manner, he is able to introduce a substantial number of characters and develop them in depth without ever confusing the reader.

My favorite character, of course, is Hamilton Turbee, a highly functioning autistic mathematician and computer genius. (I'm not sure where the line is drawn in regard to a diagnosis of high-function autism and Asperger's, but Turbee has the typical difficulty of reading expressions and extreme difficulty and discomfort in social interaction.) Poor Richard, who annoyed me so profoundly at the beginning, grew on me until I suddenly realized that I liked him a lot! Indy Singh and Catherine in Vancouver might deserve a book of their own.

Even the villains in this novel are portrayed with enough understanding to keep them from being perceived as evil incarnate and, given the scenario that Aaron develops, this must have required some time and effort.

The story opens with 600 tons of Semtex scheduled to be destroyed in Libya. Some of the Semtex is stolen before reaching its destination, setting off the complex and fast-paced plot as the United States attempts to track the explosives before the terrorists can complete the threatened strike against an unknown American target.

After my first few doubtful pages, I was completely drawn in and found it difficult to put the novel down. There are several places where my heartbeat picked up noticeably. The novel follows different characters in different chapters, but without that awful technique of ending each chapter in a cliff-hanger. The development of the narrative in such a complex plot is remarkably smooth, and there are no instances of wondering which character the new chapter is following. Aaron moves seamlessly from Pakistan to TTIC headquarters to Vancouver, B.C. and from good guys to bad guys.

The drawback? The conclusion. Abrupt. Incomplete. No closure at all.

The ending, upset me a great deal, until I did some research and discovered that Gauntlet is the first novel in a trilogy. Still, while I love trilogies, I resent cliff hangers. I want some resolution, even if I know the story has not been concluded. I want to feel happy to know the characters I enjoy will return, not resentful about being left in the lurch. The feeling of being manipulated annoys me.

So, Mr. Aaron, don't leave us hanging for long and try to make the next book's conclusion a little less abrupt and unsettling.

If you've read this one, let me know, and I'll link to your review.

Fiction. Suspense. 2009. 488 pages.